Synthesis of α-Fe2O3 via oxidative hydrolysis of iron(II) sulphate

The influence of the main reaction parameters (temperature, pH and concentration) in the oxidative hydrolysis of iron (II) sulphate in an acid medium on the properties of the obtained -Fe₂O₃ and its applicability in ferrite production has been studied. The addition of manganese(II) ions catalyses the process in the homogeneous phase, probably by activation of oxygen. The obtained results are discussed within the framework of the assumed reaction mechanism, which includes an homogeneous reaction and a heterogeneous one with the participation of the oxidative hydrolysis product -FeOOH.     

Effects of nickel foam dimensions on catalytic activity of supported Co–Mn–B nanocomposites for hydrogen generation from stabilized borohydride solutions

In the present work, the catalytic activity of electrodeposited Co–Mn–B nanocomposites towards controllable hydrolysis of sodium borohydride was studied. Deposition was performed on two types of Ni-foam (RECEMAT Int.) with different pore size, specific surface area and thickness. Higher deposit loading, as well as bigger real surface area, was obtained with foam samples possessing bigger pore size. The catalyst deposited on bigger pore foam promoted hydrogen generation with higher rates than the other one when contacted with a base-stabilized NaBH₄ solution. The same activation energy value, however, was determined for both supported catalysts. On the base of the obtained results, it may be concluded that the geometric factor plays predominant role for the catalytic activity of studied catalysts.     

Nanoparticles produced by borohydride reduction as precursors for metal hydride electrodes

The performance of electrodes, prepared from amorphous CoxByHz nanoparticles without additives, in 20% KOH solution was tested by means of cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry. Peaks, assigned to hydrogen adsorption and desorption, are observed in the cyclic voltammograms. After charging, hydrogen atoms occupy different types of sites in the substrate, from which electrochemical desorption occurs. An increase in hydrogen content as a result of repeated cycling was established. Discharge capacity of the electrodes, estimated from the chronopotentiometric discharge curves obtained, is about 250mAhg–1. The observed changes in hydrogen and boron content, due to electrochemical treatment, indicate that the electrode material is an active participant in the whole electrochemical process. Hypotheses for the reaction mechanism are proposed.     

Synthesis and characterization of yttrium-aluminum-iron and yttrium-cerium-iron citric complexes

Fe-, Y-Fe-Al- and Y-Ce-Fe- citrates were synthesized in ethylene glycol （EG） medium under conditions similar to those used in the polymerized complex method. Their elemental composition, IR,^ 13C and ^1H NMR, X-ray photoelectron and Mossbauer spectra were studied, and formulae describing their composition were proposed. The complexes contained EG bonded as adduct and ester with citric acid ligand and did not contain ligands with deprotonated alcoholic groups. The complexes consisted of agglomerated spheres, 0.7-3 μm in diameter. The local composition of the products was established by energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis. The comparison of the number of the ligands, their average electrical charge and the esterification degree of mono-, di- and trimetallic complexes proved the mixed-metal nature of the species studied. The thermal decomposition of the complexes was studied and a general scheme of the processes taking place was proposed. Highly crystalline, phase homogeneous YaFe4AlO12 was produced after heating the respective complex at 1000 ℃. Ce-doped yttrium-iron garnet, similarly prepared, contained traces of CeO2.     

Study of iron(III) polymer complexes using Moessbauer spectroscopy

Metal complexes were prepared on the basis of polymer ligands with carboxylic and nitrogen-containing functionalities by complexation with iron ions in aqueous solutions of FeCl₃·6H₂O and FeSO₄·2H₂O. The degree of introduction of iron ions into the polymer matrices depended on the relative content of the functional groups in the polymers studied such as polyacrylic acid, poly-4-vinylpyridine, and poly(2-N,N-dimethylaminoethyl) methacrylate. The metal content in the polymer complexes was found to vary between 9.0 and 30.0 (for acrylic acid-based copolymers); 0.1 and 5.3 (for copolymers of 4-vinylpyridine), and 19.7 and 34.4 (for poly(2-N,N-dimethylaminoethyl) methacrylate) mg metal ions per gram of polymer carrier, respectively. An attempt was made to evaluate the structure of the Fe-containing polymeric materials by Moessbauer spectroscopy. The parameters of the Moessbauer spectra such as the isomer shift, quadrupole splitting, effective internal magnetic field, and relative weight of the partial components were consequently determined for the complexes studied at different temperatures. The results obtained proved the existence of high-spin Fe³⁺ ions in oxygen- or nitrogen-containing ligand environment.     

Nanosized iron and iron–cobalt spinel oxides as catalysts for methanol decomposition

Nanosized iron and mixed iron–cobalt oxides supported on activated carbon materials and their bulk analogues prepared by thermal synthesis are studied by X-rays diffraction, Mössbauer spectroscopy, magnetic measurements and temperature programmed reduction. Their catalytic behavior in methanol decomposition to H₂, CO and methane is tested. Phase transformations in the metal oxides affected by the reaction medium are also investigated. Changes in the reaction mechanism of the methanol decomposition after the metal oxides deposition on the support as compared to the bulk phases are discussed.     

Mechanochemical Synthesis and Characterization of Nanocrystalline Copper-Cobalt Ferrites

Nanocrystalline copper-cobalt ferrites with composition Cu_(1-x)Co_xFe_2O_4,where x = 0.2 and 0.8,were synthesized by mechanochemical treatment of co-precipitated precursors.The ferrite powders were characterized by XRD and Mossbauer spectroscopy.Results proved obtaining of spinel ferrites with crystallite size smaller than 10 nm.Increasing of crystallite size of samples with increasing of mechanochemical treatment duration was established,too.Catalytic properties of obtained ferrites were tested in reactions of oxidation of CO,methanol and dimethyl ether.High catalytic activity of nanocrystalline copper-cobalt ferrites toward CO and CH_3OH(about 100% conversions of CO and CH_3OH at 160 ℃)and moderate activity toward(CH_3)_2O oxidation were established.The results obtained revealed that the Co/Cu atomic ratio is an important factor determinant the behavior of catalysts toward methanol and DME oxidation.     

Monte Carlo Methods for Volumetric Light Transport Simulation

The wide adoption of path‐tracing algorithms in high‐end realistic rendering has stimulated many diverse research initiatives. In this paper we present a coherent survey of methods that utilize Monte Carlo integration for estimating light transport in scenes containing participating media. Our work complements the volume‐rendering state‐of‐the‐art report by Cerezo et al. [ CPP*05 ]; we review publications accumulated since its publication over a decade ago, and include earlier methods that are key for building light transport paths in a stochastic manner. We begin by describing analog and non‐analog procedures for free‐path sampling and discuss various expected‐value, collision, and track‐length estimators for computing transmittance. We then review the various rendering algorithms that employ these as building blocks for path sampling. Special attention is devoted to null‐collision methods that utilize fictitious matter to handle spatially varying densities; we import two “next‐flight” estimators originally developed in nuclear sciences. Whenever possible, we draw connections between image‐synthesis techniques and methods from particle physics and neutron transport to provide the reader with a broader context.     

Area‐Preserving Parameterizations for Spherical Ellipses

We present new methods for uniformly sampling the solid angle subtended by a disk. To achieve this, we devise two novel area‐preserving mappings from the unit square [0,1]² to a spherical ellipse (i.e. the projection of the disk onto the unit sphere). These mappings allow for low‐variance stratified sampling of direct illumination from disk‐shaped light sources. We discuss how to efficiently incorporate our methods into a production renderer and demonstrate the quality of our maps, showing significantly lower variance than previous work.