A study of palladium recovery with thiourea from nitric acid solutions

Interaction in the system Pd(II)-HNO₃-SC(NH₂)₂ was studied. It was shown that the precipitates formed, which have various compositions and solubilities, contain palladium(II) and thiourea conversion products. Elemental, X-ray diffraction, and atomic-adsorption analyses and IR and electronic absorption spectroscopies were applied to demonstrate the possibility of virtually quantitative precipitation of palladium(II) under certain conditions in the form of a poorly soluble precipitate Pd₂(CN)₄ · H₂O.     

Etching and recovery of gold from aluminum substrate in thiourea solution

This paper deals with two (main) problems of specific gold etching from parts of industrial equipment (e.g., supporting inserts into chambers for physical or chemical vapor deposition). First part of the paper is focused on selective etching of gold from aluminum substrates. Selectivity of the reaction, i.e. leaving substrates intact, is crucial. For this reason, the environmentally friendly and safe method of etching gold in a thiourea solution was tested. This method, while well described in literature, does not preserve various substrates (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel). The main goal of this part of the paper was to understand the mechanism of the reaction and to improve the reaction selectivity towards the aluminum alloy substrate. Thus, different acidifying agents were tested. Second part of the paper is focused on recovery (reduction) of gold from thiourea solutions. Chemical, electrochemical, and biological reduction were tested for gold recovery.     

Use of open-cell resilient polyurethane foam loaded with crown ether for the preconcentration of uranium from aqueous solutions

The preconcentration of uranium from aqueous solutions on open-cell resilient polyurethane foams (PUF) impregnated with crown ether as an organic extractant in different conditions was investigated. The data showed that 50 minutes is a sufficient time to attain equilibrium with a maximum extraction percentage for uranium ion on polyurethane foams loaded with crown ether. Also the extraction percentage of uranium is increased markedly with increasing the pH values up to pH ~ 6 and displayed the lowest extraction at 8>pH>6. The different isotherms of uranium sorption have shown that the sorption followed a Freundlich isotherm. Column studies have been carried out in order to extend these studies to the plant scale. From the data of column sorption and breakthrough curves, the height equivalent of theoretical plates (HETP), and breakthrough capacity which affect the efficiency of the column have been calculated and found to be 1.03 mm/plate, 64±5 and 58.3 mg uranium/gram polyurethane foam impregnated with crown ether, respectively.     

Static and dynamic isotope exchange separations on hydrophobic organic phases immobilized in plasticized open-cell polyurethane foams

The preparation of TBP-plasticized polyurethane foam containing iodine or silver dithizonate was described. Rapid isotope exchange separations of radioiodide and radiosilver on the plasticized iodine and silver dithizonate foams, respectively, were achieved by batch and column techniques. The effect of various factors on the exchange yield of radioiodide and radiosilver on the proposed reagent foams were critically investigated. The mobility of iodide ion in the iodine foam was proved to be high enough so that all the iodine coated membranes of the foam material are participating in the isotope exchange reaction and the equilibrium attained rapidly.     

Chromofoams1 qualitative and semi-quantitative tests with chromogenic organic reagents immobilized in plasticized open-cell polyurethane foams

Polyurethane foams treated with organic reagents in a plasticizer solution can be used for simple, rapid, sensitive, and selective detection and semiquantitative determination of metal ions from dilute aqueous solutions. Batch techniques can be used for simple tests which provide sensitivity as good as, or better than, that attainable by normal spot tests. The application of reagent-treated foam columns for the detection and semiquantitative determination of metal ions from extremely dilute aqueous solutions is advantageous; ions in the p.p.b. range can be detected after passage of 1 l of solution at a fast rate. The use of these techniques for zinc(II) and lead(II) with dithizone, copper(II) with rubeanic acid, and cobalt(II) with thiocyanate-Amberlite LA-l, is described.     

New polyurethane foams modified with cellulose derivatives

New polyurethane foams were elaborated with different cellulose derivatives as raw material, by the one-shot process. The foams were submitted to soxhlet extraction in order to quantify the amount of cellulose derivative incorporated in the foam by chemical bonding. The foams were characterized by means of FTIR, solid state ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The FTIR- and solid state ¹³C NMR showed characteristic peaks for cellulose derivatives and polyurethane. DMA measurements indicated that storage modulus increased with increasing content of cellulose derivatives. The highest value was obtained for foams prepared with cellulose sulphate.     

Thermal behaviour of rigid polyurethane foams

The effects of P- and Cl-containing reactive antipyrenes with different compositions and structures on the mechanism and kinetics of the total thermal decomposition of rigid polyurethane foams, together with the possibility of evaluating their effectiveness as combustion inhibitors, were studied by means of a combined thermal analysis technique. It is shown that dynamic thermal analysis can register the changes resulting in the mechanisms and kinetics of the thermal decompositions of the investigated polyurethanes from comparatively low concentrations and differences in the concentrations and from differences in the chemical compositions and structures of the antipyrenes. The most sensitive characteristics associated with the influence of antipyrenes in this case were the coke residue determined at 850? in an inert medium and the areas of exothermic peaks I and II in the DTA curve in air medium.     

Preconcentration of strontium on polyurethane foams

A method for the preconcenration of strontium on loaded and unloaded polyurethane foams is described. Parameters affecting the extraction of metal ion, such as pH, reagent concentration and background medium have been investigated. The method can be applied to preconcentrate strontium from aqueous samples.     

Thermal behaviour of rigid polyurethane foams

By means of a combined thermal analysis technique, the thermal behaviour of rigid polyurethane foams containing additive antipyrenes was studied. The presence of phosphorus- and phosphorus/chlorine-containing antipyrenes based on phosphate and phosphonate and a combination of them led to decreases in the rates of heat and weight loss during heating. More steps of decomposition were formed and the interval of decomposition was widened and shifted to higher temperatures. Some thermal characteristics make it possible to predict the optimum antipyrene compositions and concentrations with minimum time, labour and material consumption under laboratory conditions.

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Zusammenfassung Mittels einer kombinierten Technik wurde das thermische Verhalten eines starren, Antipyrene als Additiv enthaltenden Polyurethanschaumes untersucht. Phosphor und Phosphor/Chlor enthaltende Antipyrene auf Phosphat- und Phosphonatbasis und eine Kombination dieser Substanzen vermindern die Geschwindigkeit der Wärmeentwicklung und des Gewichtsverlustes während des Aufheizvorganges. Es treten mehr Zersetzungsschritte auf und das Temperaturintervall der Zersetzung ist größer und nach höheren Temperaturen hin verschoben. Einige thermische Kennwerte ermöglichen die Voraussage der optimalen Zusammensetzung und Konzentration des Antipyren-Additivs für minimalen Zeit-, Arbeits- und Materialaufwand unter Laboratoriumsbedingungen.

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Extraction of cobalt from thiocyanate solutions with polyurethane foam

The extraction of cobalt (II) from aqueous thiocyanate solutions with polyurethane foam has been extensively investigated. The extraction is enhanced by high thiocyanate concentration, high ionic strength and low temperature. A pH of 1.0-9.0 can be used for efficient extraction. Cobalt can be extracted at low concentration and the distribution coefficient is independent of foam weight. Several foam types and foam pretreatments have been examined. The effect of various substances added to the cobalt thiocyanate solutions has been investigated. Some of these substances caused either enhanced or decreased extractions by interacting with the polyurethane foam or by changing the solution chemistry.     

Kinetics and mechanism of gold dissolution in thiourea solutions: Effect of sulfide ions

Chronoamperograms for gold in solutions containing 0.1 M thiourea, 0.5 M H₂SO₄, and catalytically active sulfide ions at the concentration c ₁ from 1 × 10^?5 to 4 × 10^?5 M are obtained at different potentials with the aid of an automated setup intended for renewing the electrode surface directly in the solution by cutting off a thin surface layer of the metal. It is shown that the results of measurements of the current practically coincide at a constant value of the product c ₁ t, where t is the time period elapsed after the renewal of the electrode surface. Such a coincidence testifies to a diffusion nature of processes that hamper accumulation of sulfide ions at the gold surface. This fact permitted the use of a procedure developed previously for the calculation of polarization curves at constant values of surface coverage θ by catalytically active ions. At θ = const, the voltammetric curves for gold in sulfide-containing thiourea solutions are shown to correspond to the Tafel equation. With the surface coverage increasing, the effective values of the exchange current i ₀, transfer coefficient α, and anodic reaction order with respect to thiourea P _a increase from the values i }~ 10^?5 A cm^?2, α }~ 0.12, and P _a = 0.2, which are characteristic of pure solutions, to 2 × 10^?4 A cm^?2, α }~ 0.5, and P _a = 1.1 (at θ }~ 0.5). An interpretation to the established regularities is given.     

Collection of airborne125I on open-cell polyurethane foam sorbent

Open-cell polyurethane foam cylinders have been used for collecting radioiodine in the vent of a labelled compound producing plant. The cylinders were unimpregnated or impregnated with Alamine 336 with or without stable elemental iodine dissolved. A collection efficiency of about 90% has been obtained for impregnated foam cylinders.Presented at the 3rd International Conference on Low-Level Counting Low Radioactivities '85 Bratislava, Czechoslovakia, October 21–25, 1985.     

Thermal characteristics of polyurethane foams incorporated with phase change materials

Thermal energy storage plays an important role in heat management because of the demand for developed energy conservation, and has applications in diverse areas, from building heating/cooling systems which enable solar energy incorporation into the structure, to textiles and clothings providing an enhanced thermal comfort. In this study, we aimed to improve thermal characteristics of polyurethane rigid foams that have been widely used for thermal insulation as the ultimate energy savers due to their ability to form sandwich structures with various facer materials. Through a laboratory-scale work, two paraffin waxes acting as phase change materials, namely n-hexadecane and n-octadecane, each of which is capable of managing large heat storage/release, were directly incorporated into the polyurethane foams at different ratios. Polymerization modified by means of n-alkane addition could be achieved without any adverse effect. In order to determine both structural and thermal characteristics, seven types of foams produced were examined by FT-IR, SEM, DSC analyses, calorimeter bomb and mechanical tests. Results show that polyurethane foams can be designed as thermal insulators equipped with an improved buffering function against temperature changes.     

Sorption characteristics and chromatographic separation of gold (I and III) from silver and base metal ions using polyurethane foams

The influence of different parameters on the sorption profiles of trace and ultra traces of gold (I) species from the aqueous cyanide media onto the solid sorbents ion exchange polyurethane foams (IEPUFs) and commercial unloaded polyurethane foams (PUFs) based polyether type has been investigated. The retention of gold (I) species onto the investigated solid sorbents followed a first-order rate equation with an overall rate constant k in the range 2.2-2.8 ± 0.2 s⁻¹. The sorption data of gold (I) followed Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models. Thus, the a dual-mode of sorption mechanism involving absorption related to “weak base anion exchanger” and an added component for “surface adsorption” seems the most likely proposed dual mechanism for retention profile of gold (I) by the IEPUFs and PUFs solid sorbents. The capacity of the IEPUFs and PUFs towards gold (I) sorption calculated from the sorption isotherms was found to be 11.21 ± 1.8 and 5.29 ± 0.9 mg g⁻¹, respectively. The chromatographic separation of the spiked inorganic gold (I) from de ionized water at concentrations 5-15 μg mL⁻¹ onto the developed IEPUFs and PUFs packed columns at 10 mL min⁻¹ flow rate was successfully achieved. The retained gold (I) species were then recovered quantitatively from the IEPUFs (98.4 ± 2.4%, n = 5) and PUFs (95.4 ± 3.4%, n = 5) packed columns using perchloric acid (60 mL, 1.0 mol L⁻¹) as a proper eluating agent. Thiourea (1.0 mol L⁻¹)-H₂SO₄ (0.1 mol L⁻¹) system was also used as eluating agent for the recovery of gold (I) from IEPUFS (95.4 ± 5.4%, n = 3) and also PUFs (93.4 ± 4.4%, n = 3) packed columns. The performance of the IEPUFs and PUFs packed columns in terms of the height equivalent to the theoretical plates (HETP), number of plates (N), and critical and breakthrough capacities towards gold (I) species were evaluated. The developed IEPUFs packed column was applied successfully for complete retention and recovery (98.5 ± 2.7) of gold (III) species spiked onto tap- and industrial wastewater samples at <10 μg Au mL⁻¹ after reduction to gold (I). The IEPUFs packed column was applied satisfactorily for complete retention and recovery (98.5 ± 2.7) of total inorganic gold (I) and/or gold (III) species spiked to tap- and industrial wastewater samples at <10 μg mL⁻¹ gold. Chromatographic separation of gold (I) from silver (I) and base metal ions (Fe, Ni, Cu and Zn) using IEPUFS packed columns was satisfactorily achieved. The proposed method was applied successfully for the pre-concentration and separation from anodic slime and subsequent FAAS determination of analyte with satisfactory results (recoveries >95%, relative standard deviations <4.0%).     

Thermal properties of lignin-and molasses-based polyurethane foams

Lignin-and molasses-based polyurethane (PU) foams with various lignin/molasses mixing ratios were prepared. The hydroxyl group in molasses and lignin is used as the reaction site and PU foams with various isocyanate (NCO)/the hydroxyl group (OH) ratios were obtained. Thermal properties of PU foams were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TG) and thermal conductivity measurement. Glass transition temperature (T _g) was observed depending on NCO/OH ratio in a temperature range from ca. 80 to 120°C and thermal decomposition temperature (T _d) from ca. 280 to 295°C. Mixing ratio of molasses and lignin polyol scarcely affected the T _g and T _d. Thermal conductivity of PU foams was in a range from 0.030 to 0.040 Wm⁻¹ K⁻¹ depending on mixing ratio of lignin and molasses.     

Isotactic polypropylene foams crystallized from compressed propane solutions

Crystallization of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) from homogeneous solution in supercritical propane yields open-cell foams of high surface area (120–150 m²/g). Their morphology usually consists of microspheres with a dense core and a porous periphery of radiating fibrils. Pore radii covering the mesopore range (2–50 nm), making their largest contribution at 10–20 nm, were calculated from nitrogen adsorption isotherms. Surface areas of the correct order of magnitude are obtained by assuming that gas adsorption takes place on the surfaces of lamellar crystals. Crystallization of iPP from n-butane and n-heptane generates foams of lower mesoporosity and smaller surface area. These more “liquid-like” solvents do not allow the formation of an open network of mesopores or they promote its collapse upon their removal. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 617–627, 1998     

Multifunctional polyurethane foams with thermal energy storage/release capability

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - In this work, polyurethane (PU) insulating panels containing different amounts of a microencapsulated paraffin with a nominal melting temperature of...