Flow behavior of spiral capillary tube for CO2 transcritical cycle

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - A numerical study has been carried out on the spiral capillary tube for the CO2 transcritical cycle. The model is based on the basic principles of...     

Numerical investigation on thermodynamic performance of CO2-based mixed refrigerants applied in transcritical system

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - The CO2-based mixed refrigerants R744/R152a and R744/R161 are proposed to enhance the thermodynamic performance of pure CO2 refrigerant. The basic...     

CO2 emission free co-generation of energy and ethylene in hydrocarbon SOFC reactors with a dehydrogenation anode

A dehydrogenation anode is reported for hydrocarbon proton conducting solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). A Cu-Cr(2)O(3) nanocomposite is obtained from CuCrO(2) nanoparticles as an inexpensive, efficient, carbon deposition and sintering tolerant anode catalyst. A SOFC reactor is fabricated using a Cu-Cr(2)O(3) composite as a dehydrogenation anode and a doped barium cerate as a proton conducting electrolyte. The protonic membrane SOFC reactor can selectively convert ethane to valuable ethylene, and electricity is simultaneously generated in the electrochemical oxidative dehydrogenation process. While there are no CO(2) emissions, traces of CO are present in the anode exhaust when the SOFC reactor is operated at over 700 °C. A mechanism is proposed for ethane electro-catalytic dehydrogenation over the Cu-Cr(2)O(3) catalyst. The SOFC reactor also has good stability for co-generation of electricity and ethylene at 700 °C.     

Combination of polymer and halloysite chemistry for development of a novel catalytic hybrid system

Research on Chemical Intermediates - A covalent hybrid of halloysite-poly(methyl methacrylate-co-maleic anhydride) was prepared and applied for the immobilization of Pd nanoparticles. The hybrid...     

Thermodynamic properties and phase transtions in the H2O/CO2/CH4 system

The availability of free energy densities as functions of temperature, pressure and the composition of all components is required for the development of a three-component phase field theory for hydrate phase transitions. We have broadened the extended adsorption theory due to Kvamme and Tanaka (J. Phys. Chem., 1995, 99, 7114) through derivation of the free energy density surface in case of CO(2) and CH(4) hydrates. A combined free energy surface for the liquid phases has been obtained from a SRK equation of state and solubility measurements outside hydrate stability. The full thermodynamic model is shown to predict water-hydrate equilibrium properties in agreement with experiments. Molecular dynamics simulations of hydrates in contact with water at 200 bar and various temperatures allowed us to estimate hard-to-establish properties needed as input parameters for the practical applications of proposed theories. The 5-95 confidence interval for the interface thickness for the methane hydrate/liquid water is estimated to 8.54 A. With the additional information on the interface free energy, the phase field theory will contain no adjustable parameters. We provide a demonstration of how this theory can be applied to model the kinetics of hydrate phase transitions. The growth of hydrate from aqueous solution was found to be rate limited by mass transport, with the concentration of solute close to the hydrate approaching the value characterizing the equilibrium between the hydrate and the aqueous solution. The depth of the interface was estimated by means of the phase field analysis; its value is close to the interface thickness yielded by molecular simulations. The variation range of the concentration field was estimated to approximately 1/3 of the range of the phase field.     

A synthetic cycle for H2/CO activation and allene synthesis using recyclable zirconium complexes

The zirconium complexes supported by the anisole-bridged bis(phenoxide) ligands serve as an easily recycled auxiliary for converting H2 and CO into allene and hexamethyldisiloxane under mild conditions. Hydrogenolysis of the zirconium benzyl complexes followed by treatment with CO led to formation of oxo-bridged complexes and allene. Deoxygenation of the resulting oxo-bridged complexes with trimethylsilyltrifluoromethanesulfonate and trimethylsilyl chloride and subsequent treatment with benzylmagnesium chloride re-formed the starting benzyl complexes.     

Development and applications of a preparative scale sample controlled thermogravimetric system

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry -     

Uranium-mediated reductive conversion of CO(2) to CO and carbonate in a single-vessel, closed synthetic cycle

The new neopentyl (Neop)-substituted tris(aryloxide) U(iii) complex [(((Neop,Me)ArO)(3)tacn)U(III)] reacts with CO(2) to form CO and the bridging carbonate complex [{(((Neop,Me)ArO)(3)tacn)U(IV)}(2)(μ-CO(3))]. The uranium(iv) bridging oxo [{(((Neop,Me)ArO)(3)tacn)U(IV)}(2)(μ-O)] has been determined to be the intermediate in this reaction. For the first time, both U(iv) complexes can be reduced back to the U(iii) starting material. Thus, with KC(8) as reductant, [(((Neop,Me)ArO)(3)tacn)U(III)] engages in a synthetic cycle, in which CO(2) is converted to CO and CO(3)(2-).     

梯型In2O3/ZnIn2S4杂化体系的构建及其光催化固氮增效

工业化固氮合成氨主要采用Haber-Bosch法.然而,该工艺条件苛刻,需要氮气与氢气在高温高压和使用催化剂的条件下反应,耗费大量能源,同时产生温室气体.与Haber-Bosch法不同,光催化固氮不需要使用氢气,而是利用清洁的太阳能和水直接提供固氮反应所需的还原电子和质子,反应耗能低且绿色无污染,是一种理想的固氮方法.然而,目前光催化固氮合成氨受限于光催化剂载流子分离效率低、氮气吸附和活化难,总体固氮效率仍然很低.大量研究证明,构建梯型异质结是一种改善光催化活性的有效手段,这是因为梯型异质结体系不仅有效分离光生载流子,而且保留了光生空穴和电子的强氧化还原能力.另外,表面缺陷不仅可以充当吸附位点,有效调控表面N2分子的吸附特性,还可以起到活化N2分子的作用.本文设计了富含空位的In₂O₃/ZnIn₂S₄梯型异质结,系统考察了复合体系中组分配比对晶型结构、微结构和光学吸收等的影响,并通过XPS谱研究了In₂O₃和ZnIn₂S₄之间存在强的相互作用,这为光生载流子的高效分离奠定了基础.同时,结合XPS、Raman和EPR测试揭示了材料中表面空位的成功构筑.在此基础上,深入研究了In₂O₃/ZnIn₂S₄梯型异质结在室温常压下光催化固氮合成氨的活性.研究结果表明,所有的梯型异质结均展现出明显的光催化固氮活性,其中50 wt%In₂O₃/ZnIn₂S₄梯型体系具有最高的光催化固氮活性,自然光照射2 h产生的氨气浓度达到18.1±0.77 mg·L-1,分别是In₂O₃和ZnIn₂S₄的21.0和2.72倍.并且该复合体系具有较高的光催化稳定性,在连续循环使用6次时,产生氨气浓度仍然可达到16.3±0.86 mg·L^-1.荧光光谱测试、光电化学测试和表面光电压测试证明了电荷的有效分离和转移.综上,构建In₂O₃/ZnIn₂S₄梯型体系后,所制备的In₂O₃/ZnIn₂S₄活性得到增强,这主要归因于空位对氮气的吸附和活化作用以及梯型异质结中载流子的高效分离机制.另外,研究表明·CO₂-物种是光催化固氮合成氨的主要活性物种.     

Pressure dependence of the contact angle in a CO2-H2O-coal system

Carbon dioxide injection into coal layers serves the dual purpose to enhance coal bed methane production (ECBM) and to store CO2. The efficiency of this process is expected to be much higher if water is the non-wetting phase in the coal-water-gas system. Therefore, contact angles in the coal-water-CO2 system have been measured using the captive bubble technique in the pressure range between atmospheric pressure and 141 bar at a temperature of 45 degrees C. At atmospheric pressure the contact angle of a shrinking CO2 droplet increases with time, but stays below 90 degrees . At higher pressures (>2.6 bar) the contact angle increases beyond 90 degrees . The pressure dependence of the contact can be represented by theta=(111 degrees +/-10.5 degrees )+(0.17+/-0.14)P [bar]. The exceptional behavior at atmospheric pressure is possibly related to the stability of water patches on the coal surface. It is concluded that water is the non-wetting phase in this coal-water-CO2 system.     

General approach for the synthesis of organic-inorganic hybrid nanoparticles mediated by supercritical CO2

We report in this paper novel chemistry that addresses the problem of surfactant solubility in supercritical CO2 for metal nanoparticle synthesis. This new approach for the preparation of organic-functionalized inorganic nanoparticles relies on the reduction of a metal precursor in a CO2-containing insoluble polymer. Reduction of the metal with H2 leads to small nanocrystals stabilized by the polymer with a relatively small polydispersity. The functionalized metal nanoparticles are recovered as a dry powder, free of any organic solvents, which can then be resuspended in an appropriate solvent. This approach limits the number of steps for the preparation of functional nanoparticles which are ready for use. To illustrate this, we report results of the preparation of palladium and silver nanoparticles of 3-5 nm size stabilized with hyperbranched polyamines, functionalized with perfluoroalkyl, perfluorooligoether, non-fluorinated alkyl, polysiloxane, or polyethylene glycol moieties.     

Current Development and Challenges of Mixed Matrix Membranes for CO2/CH4 Separation

In the early stage of membrane technology development in gas separation, utilization of polymeric membranes has gained attention due to their robustness and ease of fabrication. However, the performance of polymeric membranes is limited by the trade-off between permeability and selectivity. Meanwhile, inorganic membrane is capable to exhibit great enhancement in separation performance but unfortunately its fabrication process is hard and costly. Thus, development of mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) by incorporating inorganic fillers into the polymer matrix has become a potential alternative to overcome the limitations of polymeric and inorganic membranes in gas separation. Nevertheless, fabrication of defect-free MMMs with improved separation performance and without compromising the mechanical and thermal stability is extremely difficult and challenging. In the current review paper, various types of inorganic fillers for MMMs fabrication and recent reported efforts to tailor the underlying problems on MMMs fabrication were discussed. The future outlook to advance the performance of MMMs in gas separation especially for CO₂/CH₄ separation was highlighted.     

Quantum-chemical and classical calculations of intermolecular interaction in the H2CO - H2CO system

Journal of Structural Chemistry -     

A novel method for the reduction of imines using the system silane/MoO2Cl2

A novel catalytic system, silane/MoO₂Cl₂ (10 mol %), for the reduction of imines in excellent to moderate yields and chemoselectivity was designed. These results extend the scope of the use of MoO₂Cl₂ as an effective catalyst for reduction reactions.     

Quantitative calibration of a TPD-MS system for CO and CO2 using calcium carbonate and calcium oxalate

A method is described for calibrating quantitatively a temperature-programmed decomposition, mass-spectrometric (TPD-MS) system by monitoring the gases evolved during the thermal decomposition of a chemical within the TPD reactor. A method for calibrating for evolved CO and CO₂ is described using the thermal decompositions of calcium carbonate and calcium oxalate. The method takes into account the production of CO⁺ ions from CO₂⁺ ions and secondary reactions in the thermal decomposition of calcium oxalate.     

Design and analysis of a hybrid concentrated photovoltaic thermal system integrated with an organic Rankine cycle for hydrogen production

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Solar is one of the most promising energy sources because of the abundance of solar radiation in certain parts of the world. One of the main limiting...     

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 to CO using graphene oxide/carbon nanotube electrode in ionic liquid/acetonitrile system

Electrochemical reduction of CO₂ to CO is an interesting topic. In this work, we prepared metal-free electrodes by depositing graphene oxide (GO), multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT), and GO/MWCNT composites on carbon paper (CP) using electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method. The electrodes were characterized by different methods, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The electrochemical reduction of CO₂ to CO was conducted on the electrodes in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([Bmim]BF₄)/acetonitrile (MeCN) electrolyte, and the composition of the electrolyte influenced the reaction significantly. It was demonstrated that GO/MWCNT-CP electrode was very effective for the reaction in IL (90 wt%)/MeCN binary mixture, the Faradaic efficiency of CO and current density were even higher than those on Au and Ag electrodes in the same electrolyte.     

Synthesis of a novel hybrid synergistic flame retardant and its application in PP/IFR

A novel inorganic-organic hybrid synergistic flame retardant was prepared by sol-gel reaction and characterized by NMR and FT-IR. It showed that the fire resistance of polypropylene/intumescent flame retardant (PP/IFR) composites could be improved with the combination of hybrid synergistic flame retardant. The char morphology and structure of PP composites were characterized by SEM and Raman spectra. The influence of the hybrid flame retardant on the thermal degradation process of PP composites was analyzed by FT-IR and the rheological behavior of the PP composites was also evaluated. The thermal stability of PP composites was characterized by TGA, weight loss difference and integral procedural decomposition temperature (IPDT). It indicated that the hybrid synergistic flame retardant had good synergistic effect with IFR.     

Calcite‐CO2 mixed into CO2‐free air: a new CO2‐in‐air stable isotope reference material for the VPDB scale

In order to generate a reliable and long‐lasting stable isotope ratio standard for CO₂ in samples of clean air, CO₂ is liberated from well‐characterized carbonate material and mixed with CO₂‐free air. For this purpose a dedicated acid reaction and air mixing system (ARAMIS) was designed. In the system, CO₂ is generated by a conventional acid digestion of powdered carbonate. Evolved CO₂ gas is mixed and equilibrated with a prefabricated gas comprised of N₂, O₂, Ar, and N₂O at close to ambient air concentrations. Distribution into glass flasks is made stepwise in a highly controlled fashion. The isotopic composition, established on automated extraction/measurement systems, varied within very small margins of error appropriate for high‐precision air‐CO₂ work (about ±0.015‰ for δ¹³C and ±0.025‰ for δ¹⁸O). To establish a valid δ¹⁸O relation to the VPDB scale, the temperature dependence of the reaction between 25 and 47°C has been determined with a high level of precision. Using identical procedures, CO₂‐in‐air mixtures were generated from a selection of reference materials; (1) the material defining the VPDB isotope scale (NBS 19, δ¹³C = +1.95‰ and δ¹⁸O = ?2.2‰ exactly); (2) a local calcite similar in isotopic composition to NBS 19 (‘MAR‐J1’, δ¹³C = +1.97‰ and δ¹⁸O = ?2.02‰), and (3) a natural calcite with isotopic compositions closer to atmospheric values (‘OMC‐J1’, δ¹³C = ?4.24‰ and δ¹⁸O = ?8.71‰). To quantitatively control the extent of isotope‐scale contraction in the system during mass spectrometric measurement other available international and local carbonate reference materials (L‐SVEC, IAEA‐CO‐1, IAEA‐CO‐8, CAL‐1 and CAL‐2) were also processed. As a further control pure CO₂ reference gases (Narcis I and II, NIST‐RM 8563, GS19 and GS20) were mixed with CO₂‐free synthetic air. Independently, the pure CO₂ gases were measured on the dual inlet systems of the same mass spectrometers. The isotopic record of a large number of independent batches prepared over the course of several months is presented. In addition, the relationship with other implementations of the VPDB‐scale for CO₂‐in‐air (e.g. CG‐99, based on calibration of pure CO₂ gas) has been carefully established. The systematic high‐precision comparison of secondary carbonate and CO₂ reference materials covering a wide range in isotopic composition revealed that assigned δ‐values may be (slightly) in error. Measurements in this work deviate systematically from assigned values, roughly scaling with isotopic distance from NBS 19. This finding indicates that a scale contraction effect could have biased the consensus results. The observation also underlines the importance of cross‐contamination errors for high‐precision isotope ratio measurements. As a result of the experiments, a new standard reference material (SRM), which consists of two 5‐L glass flasks containing air at 1.6 bar and the CO₂ evolved from two different carbonate materials, is available for distribution. These ‘J‐RAS’ SRM flasks (‘Jena‐Reference Air Set’) are designed to serve as a high‐precision link to VPDB for improving inter‐laboratory comparability. a Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.