Development of iron-based sorbents for Hg0 removal from coal derived fuel gas: Effect of hydrogen chloride

Laboratory studies were conducted to develop an elemental mercury (Hg⁰) removal process based on the reaction of H₂S and Hg⁰ using iron-based sorbents for coal derived fuel gas. It is well known that hydrogen chloride (HCl) is present in fuel gases derived from some types of coal, but the effect of HCl on the Hg⁰ removal performance of iron-based sorbents in coal derived fuel gas is not yet well understood. In this study, the effects of HCl on the removal of Hg⁰ from coal derived fuel gases over iron-based sorbents such as iron oxide (Fe₂O₃), supported iron oxides on TiO₂, iron oxide–Ca(OH)₂, and iron sulfides were investigated. The Hg⁰ removal experiments were carried out in a laboratory-scale fixed-bed reactor at 80 °C using simulated fuel gas. In the case of iron oxide (Fe₂O₃), the presence of HCl suppressed the Hg⁰ removal rate. In the case of Fe₂O₃ (2 or 5 wt%)/TiO₂, the presence of HCl did not suppress the Hg⁰ removal rate and the activity was stable. The Hg⁰ removal performance of reagent FeS₂ was higher than that of the iron oxide, and not affected by the presence of HCl. The Hg⁰ removal rate of iron oxide–Ca(OH)₂ was not effected by the presence of HCl, because HCl was captured by Ca(OH)₂. The reagent FeS₂ showed higher Hg⁰ removal activity than that of FeS₂ ore. However, the Hg⁰ removal performance of ground and kneaded FeS₂ ore was comparable to that of reagent FeS₂ probably due to the increase in porosity of the FeS₂ ore by grinding and kneading.     

Wacker-type oxidation in vapor phase using a palladium–copper chloride catalyst in a liquid polymer medium supported on silica gel

Pd(II) chloride and Cu(II) chloride in various liquid polymer media supported on silica gel were prepared and used in a catalyst system for vapor-phase synthesis of acetaldehyde by Wacker-type oxidation of ethylene. This catalyst system supported on silica gel prepared by impregnation was quickly deactivated, while use of polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a liquid polymer medium supported on silica gel showed stable catalytic activity. PEG inhibited the formation of Pd metal particles, which deactivate the catalyst system. Addition of alkali metal salts, especially LiCl, to the PdCl₂–CuCl₂ catalyst system with PEG enhanced catalytic activity for 22 h, even when the Pd content was high, leading to high activity but poor stability. LiCl also inhibited the formation of metal particles.     

Latent orientation in the skin layer of electrospun isotactic polystyrene ultrafine fibers

Isotactic polystyrene was electrospun into ultrafine fibers from the chloroform or tetrahydrofuran solutions. Tubular or ribbon-like fibers with many small pores were obtained from the chloroform solution. Densely stacked lamellae were formed by annealing them. On the other hand, fibers with many small dents on the skin layer were obtained from the tetrahydrofuran solution. The skin layer changed into the densely stacked lamellae by annealing, while the interior was not crystallized under the utilized annealing condition. These results suggested that the skin layer of the as-spun fiber should contain a finite amount of highly-oriented molecular chains, while the interior may be unoriented. Despite the annealing, the orientation of the chains in the skin layer has been preserved and worked as the nuclei for the densely stacked lamellae.     

Preparation of zinc oxide ceramics with a sustainable antibacterial activity under dark conditions

Fabrication of ZnO ceramics with a sustainable antibacterial activity even in the dark has been conducted. Fine ZnO powders were hydrothermally treated in 0.5–3 mol ml^?1 Zn(NO₃)₂ aqueous solutions at 110–180 °C for 3–20 h. After an uniaxial pressing of the ZnO powders thus prepared, they were sintered at 400–600 °C for 1 h in air. Sustainability in antibacterial activity was evaluated using a colony count method with Escherichia coli bacteria on nutrient agar medium (36 °C/24 h) in a Na–P-buffer solution. The best data was attained for the ZnO ceramics prepared from the following conditions: a 3 mol ml^?1 zinc nitrate solution for the hydrothermal treatment at 120 °C for 7 h and sintering in air with a step-by-step pattern (470 °C/1 h–485 °C/1 h–500 °C/1 h). ESR and chemical photoluminescence analyses have cleared that radical oxygen of super-oxide (O₂^?) originated from the surface of ZnO might exhibit an antibacterial activity even under the dark condition.     

Effect of Oligosaccharide Alcohol Addition to Alumina Slurry and Translucent Alumina Produced by Slip Casting

A slurry used to produce dense green compacts by slip casting should exhibit low viscosity, high solids content, and good dispersion. Slurries with good characteristics were produced in the present study by adding oligosaccharide alcohol to an Al₂O₃ slurry with an NH₄⁺ salt of poly(methacrylic acid) (NH₄⁺-PMA). The role of NH₄⁺-PMA and oligosaccharide alcohol in the Al₂O₃ slurry was examined by DTA, ζ-potential measurement, high-pressure liquid chromatography, and viscometry. The viscosity of the slurry with NH₄⁺-PMA and oligosaccharide alcohol was lower than that of the slurry with NH₄⁺-PMA at a high solids content. Oligosaccharide alcohol did not interact with the Al₂O₃ surface. However, the Al₂O₃ slurry with NH₄⁺-PMA was influenced by the addition of oligosaccharide alcohol. We found that the dispersibility of the slurry was greatly improved by adding oligosaccharide alcohol. The transmittance of the Al₂O₃ ceramics produced by slip casting using the slurry with both NH₄⁺-PMA and oligosaccharide alcohol was higher than that of ceramics produced by slip casting using the slurry with NH₄⁺-PMA alone. The increased optical property resulted from low viscosity, which was attributed to the addition of oligosaccharide alcohol, at a high solids content.     

Intercalated Polycarbonate/Clay Nanocomposites: Nanostructure Control and Foam Processing

Intercalated polycarbonate (PC)/clay nanocomposites (PCCN)s have been prepared successfully through the melt intercalation method in the presence of a compatibilizer. The internal structure and morphology of the PCCNs has been established by using wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) analyses and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) observations. The morphology of these nanocomposites and degradation of the PC matrix after nanocomposites preparation can be controlled by varying surfactants used for the modification of clay and compatibilizer. The intercalated PCCNs exhibited remarkable improvements of mechanical properties when compared with PC without clay. We also discuss foam processing of one representative PCCN using supercritical CO₂ as a foaming agent.

TEM bright field image of intercalated polycarbonate/synthetic fluorohectorite nanocomposite.     

A novel gas sensor from crystalline polymer-grafted carbon black: responsibility of electric resistance of composite from crystalline polymer-grafted carbon black against solvent vapor

Summary Crystalline polymers, such as poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL), poly(ethylene adipate) (PEA), and polyethylene (PE), were successfully grafted onto carbon black surface by direct condensation of terminal groups of these polymers with carboxyl groups on the surface using N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide as a condensing agent. The electric resistance of a composite prepared from these crystalline polymer-grafted carbon black drastically increased to 10⁴–10⁵ times of initial resistance in good solvent vapor of grafted polymer and returned to initial resistance when it was transferred into dry air. However, the change of electric resistance of the composite hardly observed in poor solvent vapor. These results suggest that these composite can be applied as a novel gas sensor. Received: 18 February 1999/Accepted: 25 March 1999     

Effects of Mn Additions on the Structure,Mechanical Properties,and Corrosion Behavior of Cu-Al-Ni Shape Memory Alloys

The influences of different amount (0.4, 0.7, and 1 wt.%) of Mn addition on the structure, mechanical properties, and corrosion behavior of Cu-Al-Ni shape memory alloys have been studied using differential scanning calorimetry, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, tensile test, shape memory effect test, hardness test, and electrochemical test. It was observed that the transformation temperatures, microstructural characteristics, and mechanical properties are highly sensitive to the composition variations. The obtained results show that the transformation temperatures and mechanical properties of Cu-Al-Ni SMAs exhibited the best results with 0.7 wt.% of Mn addition. These kinds of enhancements are mainly due to the type, amount, and morphology of the martensite phase, including the grain refinement. The result of electrochemical test showed that an increment in Mn content up to 0.7 wt.% improved the corrosion resistance of Cu-Al-Ni SMA. However, further increase of Mn content decreases the corrosion resistance of the alloy.