Physico-chemical and catalytic properties of Mg–Al hydrotalcite and Mg–Al mixed oxide supported copper catalysts

The Mg–Al hydrotalcite (HT) and Mg–Al mixed oxide supported copper catalysts containing 3–3.5 wt.% copper in finely dispersed form were synthesized and characterized. The effect of support nature on physico-chemical and catalytic properties of supported copper species were studied. The loading of copper on the supports was observed to be influencing the surface acidic, basic and reducibility properties, and catalytic behavior in dehydrogenation of benzyl alcohol. The high basicity and intercalated copper ions in Mg–Al hydrotalcite supported copper sample showed multifunctional activity in catalytic transformations of alcohols (primary, secondary and aromatic alcohols).     

Effect of copper content on the properties of Ni–Cu–P plated polyester fabric

The copper content of electroless Ni–Cu–P-plated polyester fabric mainly depends on the copper ion concentration in the plating solution, which in turn has a significant effect on the properties of the coatings. The effects of copper sulphate concentration (CuSO₄) on the deposition rate, composition, surface morphology, crystal structure, surface resistance and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness of electroless Ni–Cu–P deposits were investigated. The results show that the copper content in the deposits increased significantly, whereas nickel content decreased significantly and phosphorus content decreased slightly with a higher copper ion concentration. Compact coating layers were obtained with a nodular morphology. With increase of copper ion concentration in the solution, the crystallinity of the deposits also increased. In addition, the surface resistance decreased and the EMI shielding effectiveness of the Ni–Cu–P deposits increased.     

Effect of Al2O3 particles on mechanical and tribological properties of Al–Mg dual-matrix nanocomposites

This article aims to manufacture homogenous dual-matrix Al–Mg/Al₂O₃ nanocomposite from their raw materials and give insight into the correlation between powder morphology, crystallite structure and their mechanical and tribological properties. Al–Mg dual-matrix reinforced with micro/nano Al₂O₃ particles was manufactured by a novel double high-energy ball milling process followed by a cold consolidation and sintering. Microstructure and phase composition of the prepared samples were characterized using FE-SEM, EDS and XRD inspections. Mechanical and wear properties were characterized using compression and sliding wear tests. The results showed that a milling of Mg with Al₂O₃ particles in an initial step before mixing with Al has the beneficial of well dispersion of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles in Al–Mg dual matrix. The Al–Mg dual matrix reinforced with nano-size Al₂O₃ showed 3.29-times smaller crystallite size than pure Al. Moreover, the hardness and compressive strength are enhanced by adding nano-size Al₂O₃ with Al–Mg dual matrix composite while the ductility is maintained relatively high. Additionally, the wear rate of this composite was reduced by a factor of 2.7 compared to pure Al. The reduced crystallite size, the dispersion of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles and the formation of (Al–Mg)_ss were the main improvement factors for mechanical and wear properties.     

Effect of the sintering temperature on microstructure and properties of Al2O3–Cu–Ni hybrid composites obtained by PPS

In the present research, the influence of sintering temperature on the microstructure and properties of Al₂O₃–Cu–Ni hybrid composites prepared by the Pulse Plasma Sintering (PPS) technique were described. In this research, three temperatures have been selected: 1250°C, 1300°C, and 1350°C. SEM observations were carried out to determine the distribution of the metallic phase in the composite depending on the sintering temperature. The conducted experiments and microscopic observations enabled a better understanding of the phenomena occurring between the ceramic matrix and metallic phase in the obtained materials. The mechanical properties like a hardness and fracture toughness were measured. The technology applied allowed us to obtain ceramic-metal composites with a homogeneous microstructure. It was found that the sintering temperature influences the selected physical and mechanical properties of the composites produced. It was found that samples produced at 1300°C are characterized by the highest relative density and the mechanical properties.     

CO2 reforming of CH4 over Ni/Mg–Al oxide catalysts prepared by solid phase crystallization method from Mg–Al hydrotalcite-like precursors

Ni supported catalysts were prepared by the solid phase crystallization (spc) method starting from hydrotalcite (HT) anionic clay based on [Mg₆Al₂(OH)₁₆CO₃ ^2–]H₂O as the precursor. The precursors were prepared by the co-precipitation method from nitrates of the metal components, and then thermally decomposed, in situ reduced to form Ni supported catalysts (spc-Ni/Mg–Al) and used for the CO₂ reforming of CH₄ to synthesis gas. Ni²⁺ can well replace the Mg²⁺ site in the hydrotalcite, resulting in the formation of highly dispersed Ni metal particles on spc-Ni/Mg–Al. The spc-catalyst thus prepared showed higher activity than those prepared by the conventional impregnation (imp) method such as Ni/-Al₂O₃ and Ni/MgO. When Ni was supported by impregnation of Mg–Al mixed oxide prepared from Mg–Al HT, the activity of imp-Ni/Mg–Al thus prepared was not so low as those of Ni/-Al₂O₃ and Ni/MgO but close to that of spc-Ni/Mg–Al. The relatively high activity of imp-Ni/Mg–Al may be due to the regeneration of the Mg–Al HT phase from the mixed oxide during the preparation, resulting in an occurring of the incorporation of Ni²⁺ in the Mg²⁺ site in the HT as seen in the spc-method. Such an effect may give rise to the formation of highly dispersed Ni metal species and afford high activity on the imp-Ni/Mg–Al.     

Effect of titania particles preparation on the properties of Ni–TiO2 electrodeposited composite coatings

In this paper, the effect of titania particles preparation on the properties of Ni–TiO₂ electrocomposite coatings has been addressed. Titania particles were prepared by precipitation method using titanium tetrachloride as the precursor. The titanyl hydroxide precipitate was subjected to two different calcinations temperatures (400 and 900 °C) to obtain anatase and rutile titania particles. These particles along with commercial anatase titania particles were separately dispersed in nickel sulfamate bath and electrodeposited under identical electroplating conditions to obtain composite coatings. The electrodeposited coatings were evaluated for their microhardness, wettability, corrosion resistance, and tribological behavior. The variation of microhardness with current density exhibited a similar trend for all the three composite coatings. The composite coating containing anatase titania particles exhibited higher microhardness and improved wear resistance. However, the corrosion resistance of the composite coating containing commercial titania powder was superior to that of plain nickel, Ni–TiO₂ composite coatings containing anatase and rutile titania particles. The poor corrosion resistance of these composite coatings was attributed to the higher surface roughness of the coatings. This problem was alleviated by incorporating ball-milled titania powders. The composite coatings with higher surface roughness were modified with a low surface energy material like fluoroalkyl silane to impart hydrophobic and superhydrophobic properties to the coatings. Among these coatings, Ni–TiO₂–9C coating exhibited the highest water contact angle of 157°.     

Single-step preparation of rutile-type CrNbO4 and CrTaO4 oxides from oxalate precursors–characterization and properties

Chromium niobate and tantalate (CrNbO₄ and CrTaO₄) were synthesized by pyrolysis of the oxalate-based heterometallic complexes [Cr₂(bpy)₄(μ-O)₄Nb₂(C₂O₄)₄]·3H₂O (Cr-Nb) and [Cr(bpy)₂(H₂O)(μ-O)Ta(C₂O₄)₃]₂·3.5H₂O (Cr-Ta) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine). Compared to conventional solid-state synthesis, herein studied oxides are prepared at lower temperatures, in one step without repeating grinding procedures. The structure, morphology, and optical properties of the as-synthesized oxides were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA) and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS). The determined band gap energies of CrNbO₄ and CrTaO₄ are 2.39 and 2.82 eV, respectively, which prompted us to investigate photocatalytic activity of these oxides in degradation of dyes. Microscopy studies show that the particles of both oxides began to aggregate into bigger particles, leading to an increase in grain size. Additionally, magnetization measurements on both oxides revealed spin-glass behavior at low temperatures.     

The influence of citrate and tartrate on the electrodeposition and surface morphology of Cu–Ni layers

This study examined the influence of citrate and tartrate as complexing agents on the electrodeposition and surface morphology of Cu–Ni layers. The alloys obtained in the tartaric acid and sulphate baths were nobler than those obtained in the citric acid/citrate and citric acid/citrate/tartaric acid media. The results indicated that the complexing medium influences the nobility and the type of mass transport of the alloy formed. The morphology of the electrodeposited Cu–Ni layers changed from a rather porous appearance in the absence of the complexing agents to nodular, cracked mud and cauliflower appearances for the citric acid/sodium citrate/sodium sulphate medium, tartaric acid/sodium sulphate medium and citric acid/sodium citrate/tartaric acid/sodium sulphate medium, respectively. The chemical composition of the Cu–Ni layers revealed the preferential deposition of copper. The ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry measurements indicated the occurrence of the d–d type transition, regardless of the complexing medium employed.     

Effect of Cu and Fe addition on electrical properties of Ni–Mn–Co–O NTC thermistor compositions

The effect of addition of Cu and Fe on the electrical properties of Ni–Mn–Co–O based NTC thermistor compositions is studied. Compositions with very low resistivity were prepared by co-doping of very small amounts of Cu along with Co in NiMn₂O₄, without affecting the sensitivity very much. Compositions with high resistivity and good sensitivity were achieved by co-doping Fe with Co in NiMn₂O₄. The effect of sintering temperature on electrical properties was investigated and it was found that the resistivity and material constant increase with sintering temperature. The reliability characteristics of the compositions were studied by the accelerated thermal aging method. All the compositions exhibited very good reliability.     

Effect of metal oxides on electrochemical performances of La–Mg–Ni-based alloys

Metal oxides (TiO₂, Er₂O₃ and ZnO) were added to La–Mg–Ni-based hydrogen storage alloy electrodes and their effects on the structural and electrochemical properties were studied. The charge efficiency, especially at high charge current density was greatly ameliorated, and the high rate charge capability at 1440 mA g⁻¹ increased from 85.1% (blank) to 94.1% (TiO₂), 93.3% (Er₂O₃) and 90.5% (ZnO). The high temperature dischargeability was also improved in case of TiO₂, Er₂O₃ and ZnO additives. These additives suppressed formation of Mg(OH)₂ and La(OH)₃ during charge/discharge process and therefore the cycling stability was improved. The discharge capacity retention at the 200th cycle increased from 72.9% (blank) to 79.6% (TiO₂), 87.5% (Er₂O₃) and 77.9% (ZnO).     

Effect of niobium valence on the mechanochemical activation of niobium oxides–hematite magnetic ceramic nanoparticles

Three types of nanostructured systems: xNbO·(1?x)α-Fe₂O₃, xNbO₂·(1?x)α-Fe₂O₃, and xNb₂O₅·(1?x)α-Fe₂O₃ were synthesized by ball milling at different molar concentrations (x=0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7). The effect of Nb valence and milling time on mechanochemical activation of these systems were studied by X-ray diffraction and the Mössbauer spectroscopy measurements. In general, Nb-substituted hematite was obtained at lower molar concentrations for all Nb oxides. For the NbO–Fe₂O₃ system the favorable substitution of Fe²⁺ for Nb²⁺ in the octahedral sites in the NbO lattice was observed after 12 h milling for x=0.7. In the case of the NbO₂–Fe₂O₃ and Nb₂O₅–Fe₂O₃ systems a formation of orthorhombic FeNbO₄ compound was observed, in which Fe³⁺ cations were detected. For the highest concentration of NbO₂ (x=0.7) iron was completely incorporated into the FeNbO₄ phase after 12 h milling. The molar concentrations of x=0.3 and 0.5 were the most favorable for the formation of ternary FeNbO₄ compound in the Nb₂O₅–Fe₂O₃ system. Influence of ball milling on thermal behavior of the powders was investigated by simultaneous DSC–TG measurements up to 800 °C.     

Coil-coated Zn–Mg and Zn–Al–Mg: Effect of climatic parameters on the corrosion at cut edges

We studied the effect of temperature, wet/dry cycling, pH, and the type and concentration of the corrosion activator on cut edge corrosion of painted Zn–15Mg and Zn–1.5Al–1.5Mg coated steel. In most accelerated tests, paint delamination and red rust formation were reduced compared to hot dip galvanised steel (HDG), and Zn–15Mg outperformed Zn–1.5Al–1.5Mg; however, Zn–1.5Al–1.5Mg showed better results when exposed outdoors. The alloyed materials were particularly resistant when HDG was prone to elevated corrosion, i.e. under permanent wetness, at higher temperatures, with high chloride loadings and in the presence of sulphate. Oxygen reduction on steel cut edges was inhibited by the alloying elements.     

Effect of lattice structure evolution on the thermal and mechanical properties of Cu–Al2O3/GNPs nanocomposites

In this study, high-energy ball milling accompanied by compaction and sintering were employed for manufacturing Cu-based hybrid nanocomposite reinforced by Al₂O₃ and GNPs. This hybrid nanocomposite is proposed to meet the specification of heat sink applications, where excellent mechanical and thermal performance is demanding. Different processing parameters were experimentally considered such as sintering temperature and weight percentage of GNPs, 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1 wt %. The weight percentage of Al₂O₃ was fixed at 10%. The results demonstrated that the mechanical and thermal performance of the fabricated nanocomposites were superior for nanocomposite containing 0.5% GNPs and sintered at 1000 °C. The hardness, the thermal conductivity and the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) were improved by 21%, 16.7%, and 55.2%, respectively, compared to composite without GNPs addition. The improved mechanical and thermal properties were attributed to the low stacking fault energy, small crystallite size, high dislocation density, and low lattice strain of the composite prepared at this composition. Moreover, the better dispersion of the nano-particles of GNPs and Al₂O₃ inside the matrix helped for the strength and thermal conductivity improvement while maintaining low CTE.     

A study of the acidic and catalytic properties of pure and sulfated zirconia–titania and zirconia–silica mixed oxides

Protonated pyridine (PyH⁺) was not found on ZrO₂ (Z) or ZrO₂–TiO₂ (ZT), but was detected on sulfated oxides (ZS, ZTS) by IR spectroscopy. In contrast, ZrO₂–SiO₂ samples containing about 30–80 mol% ZrO₂ showed Brønsted acidity both in nonsulfated (ZS) and sulfated (ZSS) forms. The total acidity was determined by NH₃TPD. Introduction of sulfate ions increased the sitespecific catalytic activity (TOF) in the conversion of cyclopropane or nhexane. The effect of sulfate ions was more significant on samples rich in zirconia. Results suggest that Zr is homogeneously distributed in ZS samples rich in silica. Zirconiabound dimeric sulfate, generating strong acidity, could not be formed in these preparations due to the absence of fairly large ZrO₂ domains.     

Effect of support and promoter on the catalytic performance and structural properties of the Fe–Co–Mn catalysts for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis

Co-precipitated Fe–Co–Mn catalysts were tested for production of light olefins via Fischer–Tropsch synthesis. The effects of different supports such as Al₂O₃, SiO₂, TiO₂ and MgO and subsequently the effect of optimum support loading and also the effect of different promoters including Li, Cs, K, Rb and Ru on the catalytic performance and structure of Fe–Co–Mn catalyst were investigated. It was found that the Fe–Co–Mn catalyst containing 10 wt% MgO has shown the better catalytic performance. Characterization of the catalyst precursors and calcined samples was carried out using XRD, SEM, EDS, BET, TPR, TGA and DSC.     

A novel catalyst of Ni–Mn complex oxides supported on cordierite for catalytic oxidation of toluene at low temperature

The catalytic combustion of toluene over Ni–Mn mixed complex supported on industrial cordierite was investigated. The catalysts were prepared by the wet impregnation method and characterized by using the Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The catalytic activity toward the complete oxidation of toluene to CO₂ and H₂O strongly depended on the molar ratio of Ni/Mn, loading amount of Ni–Mn oxides, and calcination temperature. All the results above indicated that the Ni–Mn complex oxide catalyst calcined at 400 °C with 0.5 mol ratio of Ni/Mn, 10 wt.% loading amounts, and showed the highest activity as complete oxidation of toluene.     

Effect of Titanium Content and Mechanical Activation on Ni–Al–Ti Combustion

Combustion, Explosion, and Shock Waves - This paper describes the effect of preliminary mechanical activation (MA) and Ti content on maximum temperature, maximum burning rate, composite...     

Effect of calcination and reaction conditions on the catalytic performance of Co–Ni/Al2O3 catalyst for CO hydrogenation

The Co–Ni/Al₂O₃ catalysts prepared using impregnation procedure, were used for the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis. The effect of calcination conditions of the catalyst as well as reactor situation was studied. It was found that the catalyst calcined at 550 °C for 6 h in air atmosphere has shown the best catalytic performance for CO hydrogenation. The best operational conditions were obtained as following: T = 350 °C, P = 1 atm and H₂/CO = 2/1.