Carbon dioxide-activated carbons from almond tree pruning: Preparation and characterization

Activated carbons were prepared from almond tree pruning by non-catalytic and catalytic gasification with carbon dioxide and their surface characteristics were investigated. In both series a two-stage activation procedure (pyrolysis at 800 °C in nitrogen atmosphere, followed by carbon dioxide activation) was used for the production of activated samples. In non-catalytic gasification, the effect of the temperature (650-800 °C for 1 h) and the reaction time (1-12 h at 650 °C) on the surface characteristics of the prepared samples was investigated. Carbons were characterized by means of nitrogen adsorption isotherms at 77 K. The textural parameters of the carbons present a linear relation with the conversion degree until a value of approximately 40%, when they come independent from both parameters studied. The highest surface area obtained for this series was 840 m² g⁻¹. In the catalytic gasification the effect of the addition of one catalyst (K and Co) and the gasification time (2-4 h) on the surface and porosity development of the carbons was also studied. At the same conditions, Co leads to higher conversion values than K but this last gives a better porosity development.     

Air-activated carbons from almond tree pruning: Preparation and characterization

In this work the results obtained in the preparation and characterization of carbons made from almond tree pruning by non-catalytic and catalytic gasification (using K and Co) with air are analyzed and discussed. The main aim was to obtain high quality activated carbons at the lowest possible cost. The variables studied have been the temperature (190-260 °C) and the time (1-10 h) in non-catalytic gasification and the influence of the catalyst type (K and Co, 1 wt.% referred to cation, at 190 °C and 1 h) and the time (1-4 h) in catalytic gasification with Co at 190 °C. The air flow rate used in all the series was 167 cm³ min⁻¹. In non-catalytic gasification the reaction normalized rate versus the conversion degree was maintained until a conversion value of 10% for the experiment made at 260 °C since, at lower temperatures, this rate drops quickly for low conversion values. The N₂ adsorption isotherms for the carbons of this series resemble type I, although there is an increase of N₂ adsorbed volume at relatively high pressures. A temperature rise produced an increase of the carbon porosity and BET specific surface (116-469 m² g⁻¹). The activation time has a positive effect on the N₂ volume adsorbed by the carbons. The isotherms shapes were similar to those previously commented. A concentration equal to 1 wt.% was used to study the influence of the catalyst type. Under the studied experimental conditions, Co drives to a bigger porosity development than K, although with both catalysts a very similar pore size distribution is obtained. The activation time, in the gasifications catalyzed with Co, gives rise to a very important porosity development in the carbons. This produces a strong increase of the carbon specific surface area with very high values in the 4 h experiment, in which a BET specific surface of 959 m² g⁻¹ was obtained.     

Preparation of activated carbons by microwave heating KOH activation

Activated carbons with high surface areas were prepared via KOH activation process by microwave (MW) heating. As a comparison, activated carbons were also prepared by conventional heating (EF) method. The influences of KOH/Mesocarbon microbeads (MCMB) weight ratio and activation time on the pore properties of the activated carbons were investigated. For both MW and EF heating methods, the surface area and pore volume increase to a maximum and then decrease with the KOH/MCMB ratio increasing. The effects of activation time on the pore properties depend on the KOH/MCMB ratio. The activated carbons prepared by MW heating have higher surface area and larger pore volume than those by EF heating when KOH/MCMB ratio is the same. The MW heating method shortens the activation time considerably. Activated carbons prepared by MW heating show low content of oxygen containing groups.     

Preparation of activated carbons from used tyres by gasification with steam and carbon dioxide

Activated carbons were prepared from waste tyres by gasification with steam and carbon dioxide and their characteristics were investigated. A two-stage activation procedure (pyrolysis at 800 °C in N₂ atmosphere, followed by steam or carbon dioxide activation) was used for the production of activated samples. The effect of the activation temperature (750-900 °C) and the activation time (1-3 h) on the surface characteristics of the prepared carbon was investigated. Carbons produced to different degrees of burn-off were characterized by means of their nitrogen adsorption isotherms at 77 K. In both sets of experiments, the mesopore, micropore volume, and BET surface area increased almost linearly with the degree of activation. For burn-off values lower than 53%, the steam activation produced carbons with a narrower and more extensive microporosity and higher BET and external surface area than the carbon dioxide activation. As the activation proceeds (burn-off > 53%), a strong development of the mesoporosity in the carbons was observed and the micropores size distribution revealed broader micropores, that is, a more heterogeneous distribution.     

Characterisation under static and dynamic conditions of commercial activated carbons for their use in wastewater plants

The use of activated carbon for removing organic contaminants in fixed beds is increasing. This is a dynamic process in which the kinetics plays an important role. The aim of this paper is to get more insight into adsorption of p-nitrophenol (PNP) in activated carbon under equilibrium and dynamic conditions. Five commercial activated carbons were studied. The analysis carried out were PNP adsorption isotherms in aqueous solution at 20 °C, N₂ at 77 K isotherms, FT-IR and PNP adsorption under dynamic conditions. The results indicate that the external porous affinity toward the organic contaminants determines in large extent the adsorbents behaviour under dynamic conditions.     

Preparation of activated carbons from cherry stones by activation with potassium hydroxide

Using cherry stones, the preparation of activated carbon has been undertaken in the present study by chemical activation with potassium hydroxide. A series of KOH-activated products was prepared by varying the carbonisation temperature in the 400-900 °C range. Such products were characterised texturally by gas adsorption (N₂, −196 °C), mercury porosimetry, and helium and mercury density measurements. FT-IR spectroscopy was also applied. The carbons prepared as a rule are microporous and macroporous solids. The degree of development of surface area and porosity increases with increasing carbonisation temperature. For the carbon heated at 900 °C the specific surface area (BET) is 1624 m² g⁻¹, the micropore volume is 0.67 cm³ g⁻¹, the mesopore volume is 0.28 cm³ g⁻¹, and the macropore volume is 1.84 cm³ g⁻¹.     

Preparation and characterization of montmorillonite-silica nanocomposites: A sol-gel approach to modifying clay surfaces

Montmorillonite-silica nanocomposites were prepared by a sol-gel approach involving hydrolysis reaction of alkoxysilanes (TEOS) and subsequent condensation reaction with hydroxyl groups of the clay, resulting in the formation of the mesoporous silica network and silica nanoparticles covered or attached on the clay surfaces. According to X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and nitrogen adsorption isotherms, the structure and surface properties of the sol-gel-modified clay can be controlled by varying the TEOS/clay mass ratio and/or adding trace amounts of acid as catalyst. In the case of acid-catalyzed procedures, large continuous mesoporous silica was covered on the clay surfaces, resulting in delamination of clay platelets in silica matrix at higher TEOS/clay ratio, and attaching of isolated mesoporous silica on the clay surface at lower TEOS/clay ratio, respectively. In the case of non-catalyzed procedures, silica nanoparticles were attached on the two-dimensional (2D) clay platelets, while the stack order of the clay was maintained regardless of the TEOS/clay ratios. This sol-gel modification approach combines the surface properties of mesoporous silica and nanoparticles with layered clay, while inheriting the structural properties of the pristine clay such as further intercalation with organic compounds and polymers.     

Cell adhesive ability of a biological foam ceramic with surface modification

Biological foam ceramic is a promising material for tissue engineering scaffold because of its biocompatibility, biodegradation and adequate pores measured from micrometer to nanometers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the adhesion and proliferation of adipose-derived stromal cells (ADSCs) on the biological foam ceramic coated with fibronectin. ADSCs were harvested from SD rats and passaged three times prior to seeding onto biological foam surface modified with fibronectin (50 μg/ml). Scaffold without surface modification served as control. To characterize cellular attachment, cells were incubated on the scaffold for 1 h and 3 h and then the cells attached onto the scaffold were counted. The difference of proliferation was appraised using MTT assay at day 1, 3, 5 and 7 before the cells reached confluence. After 7 days of culture, scanning electron microscope (SEM) was chosen to assess cell morphology and attachment of ADSCs on the biological foam ceramic. Attachment of ADSCs on the biological foam ceramic surface modified with fibronectin at 1 h or 3 h was substantially greater than that in control. MTT assay revealed that ADSCs proliferation tendency of the experimental group was nearly parallel to that of control. SEM view showed that ADSCs in the experimental groups connected more tightly and excreted more collagen than that in control. The coating of fibronectin could improve the cell adhesive ability of biological foam ceramics without evident effect on proliferation.     

Scale-dependent nature of the surface fractal dimension for bi- and multi-disperse porous solids by mercury porosimetry

The surface fractal dimension was calculated by using a mathematical model and mercury intrusion data for a variety of bi- and multi-disperse porous solids including silica gels, alumina pellets, and building stones. The mathematical model was obtained by modifying the well-established scaling relation published previously [Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 34 (1995) 1383-1386]. It was also verified by comparing with the theoretical surface fractal dimensions for regular fractal structures (Skerpinski tetrahedron and Menger sponge) and the calculated surface fractal dimensions for silica gel and alumina particles via the linear fitting method established previously. The calculation results for various bi- and multi-disperse porous solids have demonstrated that the scale-dependent nature of the surface fractal dimension is ubiquitous. The difference in the surface fractal dimension between pore size intervals usually exists. The estimation of the surface fractal dimension on an average stand may lead to erroneous results.     

Preparation and Visible Light Photocatalytic Activity for Photocatalyst of Permeable Glass Membrane/TiO2 Doped with Co

The photocatalyst of permeable glass membrane/TiO2 doped with Co （permeable glass membrane/TiO2 doped with Co） is prepared by the sol-gel method. The morphology and phase of the samples are determined by the field emission scanning electron microscopy （FESEM） and x-ray diffraction experiment, respectively. The photo- catalytic results show that the photocatalyst is sensitive to the visible light and exhibits excellent photocatalytic activity of photodegradation methylene blue. The photocatalytic mechanism is also discussed.     

Comparison of fractal and profilometric methods for surface topography characterization

In this study microstructural and roughness characterization of surface of aluminium foils used in lithographic printing process was performed by contact and non-contact profilometric methods and fractal analysis. Significant differences in roughness parameters values inferred from stylus method in respect to those inferred from the non-contact measurements were observed. The investigation of correlation between various fractal dimensions obtained from gray-scale SEM micrographs and binary images resulting from median filtering of the original SEM micrographs as well as selected relevant roughness parameters shows that there is a strong correlation between certain roughness parameters and particular fractal dimensions. This correlations permit better physical understanding of fractal characteristics and interpretation of the dynamics of surface roughness change through processing. Generally these correlations are more suitable for parameters obtained by stylus method than those inferred from the laser-based measurements.     

Variation of microstructure with carbonation in lime and blended pastes

Carbonation, as a reaction of the curing process of both, cement and lime binders, modifies the microstructure. Several microstructure properties, namely porosity, pore size distribution, surface fractal dimension, and specific surface area have been investigated in this study to describe the effect of carbonation on microstructure. Both carbonated and non-carbonated pastes of lime and blended pastes of lime and cement having varying water/binder (W/B) ratios are studied. Results show that carbonation decreases the porosity, but not with the same intensity in all pore size ranges. The highest modification is between 0.03 μm and 0.01 μm in lime pastes and between 0.2 μm and 0.02 μm in 50% lime pastes, while in 80% lime pastes the modification is very small. It is also observed that carbonation is a function of the binder composition but not of the W/B ratio. Moreover, surface fractal dimension decreases during the carbonation process, while the specific surface area varies depending of the binder composition.     

On the compressive response of carbon nanotube tangles

The nonlinear bulk compressibility of entangled multiwalled carbon nanotubes is studied. The analogy with textile fibre assemblies is explored by means of the well established van Wyk model. In view of the small diameter of the nanotubes, the possible effect of adhesive van der Waals interactions at tube-tube contacts is analysed. It is found, however, that the contribution of adhesive contacts to the bulk stress should be negligible. Compression experiments are performed on multi-walled carbon nanotubes and show that van Wyk's model is able to describe the response, although the values of the dimensionless parameter k of van Wyk's model were lower than expected. There is indeed no indication that van der Waals interactions play any significant role.     

Analysis of chemical dissolution of the barrier layer of porous oxide on aluminum thin films using a re-anodizing technique

Chemical dissolution of the barrier layer of porous oxide formed on thin aluminum films (99.9% purity) in the 4% oxalic acid after immersion in 2 mol dm⁻³ sulphuric acid at 50 °C has been studied. The barrier layer thickness before and after dissolution was calculated using a re-anodizing technique. It has been shown that above 57 V the change in the growth mechanism of porous alumina films takes place. As a result, the change in the amount of regions in the barrier oxide with different dissolution rates is observed. The barrier oxide contains two layers at 50 V: the outer layer with the highest dissolution rate and the inner layer with a low dissolution rate. Above 60 V the barrier oxide contains three layers: the outer layer with a high dissolution rate, the middle layer with the highest dissolution rate and the inner layer with a low dissolution rate. We suggest that the formation of the outer layer of barrier oxide with a high dissolution rate is linked with the injection of protons or H₃O⁺ ions from the electrolyte into the oxide film at the anodizing voltages above 57 V.     

Preparation of one-dimensional porous silicon photonic quantum-well structures

One-dimensional porous silicon (PSi) photonic quantum-well structures have been electrochemically fabricated and spectroscopically characterized. The photonic well in the structure is a photonic crystal (PC) consisting of alternately stacked high- and low-refractive-index PSi layers. Discrete states are observed in both reflectance and transmission spectra. It is found that the number of confined states appearing in the photonic bandgap of the photonic barrier depends on the number of periods adopted in the well PC. Thus, increased confined photonic states can be created simply by increasing the number of periods of the well PC in the structures. Received: 26 February 2002 / Accepted: 17 May 2002 / Published online: 4 December 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +86-21/6510-4949, E-mail: xyhou@fudan.edu.cn     

Monte Carlo Simulation of Sculptured Thin Films Growth of SiO2 on Si for Applications

A fully three-dimensional Monte Carlo model for simulation of sculptured thin-film growth is presented. After explaining the model, the simulation results are compared with the corresponding experiments, and encouraging consistency is proven. The morphology of sculptured thin films is then compared on periodical patterned and bare substrates. It is shown that there are more uniform structures and hence possible better optical properties by fabricating on patterned substrates. Finally, with the aid of computer simulation, we examine the sell-shadowing effect and our theoretical analysis of simulated morphology data deals with the accuracy of this model.     

Self-assembled formation of uniform InP nanopore arrays by electrochemical anodization in HCl based electrolyte

Attempts were made to optimize the electrochemical anodization process for the formation of high-density, regular and straight nanopore arrays on InP. The structure, shape and size of the pores were very sensitive to substrate orientations, electrolyte concentrations and anodization voltages. Among (1 1 1)A, (1 1 1)B and (0 0 1) substrate orientations, the most uniform and most straight nanopore arrays were obtained on (0 0 1) substrates at anodization voltages of 5-7 V by using 1.0-1.5 M HCl electrolyte containing HNO₃. The pore depth could be controlled up to 80 μm by the anodization time.     

Blended pastes of cement and lime: Pore structure and capillary porosity

Microstructure of blended pastes of lime and cement were studied in this paper. An increment of complexity of the microstructure was found when pastes increase their percentage in cement. Microstructural characteristics as porosity, morphology of the pores, pore size distribution and surface fractal dimension were evaluated in the different pastes studying the modification with the variation of composition. The capillary water absorption is also evaluated obtaining higher capillary coefficients values for the pastes with higher amounts of lime. The increase of complexity of the microstructure, due to the cement in the pastes, leads to slight deviations of the parallel tube model.     

Characterization of nanoporous carbons by combining CO2 and H2 sorption data with the Monte Carlo simulations

The Monte Carlo method in its grand ensemble variant (GCMC) is used in combination with experimental data in order to characterize microporous carbons and obtain the optimal pore size distribution (PSD). In particular, the method is applied in the case of AX-21 carbon. Adsorption isotherms of CO₂ (253 and 298 K) and H₂ (77 K) up to 20 bar have been measured, while the computed isotherms resulted from the GCMC simulations for several pore widths up to 3.0 nm. For the case of H₂ at 77 K quantum corrections were introduced with the application of the Feynman-Hibbs (FH) effective potential. The adsorption isotherms were used either individually or in a combined manner in order to deduce PSDs and their reliability was examined by the ability to predict the experimental adsorption isotherms. The combined approach was found to be capable of reproducing more accurately all the available experimental isotherms.     

Effect of surface modification by thermally oxidization and HF etching on UV photoluminescence emission of porous silicon

Photoluminescence of porous silicon (PS) is instable due perhaps to the nanostructure modification in air. The controllable structure modification processes on the as-prepared PS were conducted by thermal oxidization and/or HF etching. The PL spectra taken from thermally oxidized PS showed a stable photoluminescence emission of 355 nm. The photoluminescence emission taken from both of PS and oxidized porous silicon (OPS) samples etched with HF were instable, which can be reversibly recovered by the HF etching procedure. The mechanism of UV photoluminescence is discussed and attributed to the transformation of luminescence centers from oxygen deficient defects to the oxygen excess defects in the thermal oxidized PS sample and surface absorbed silanol groups on PS samples during the chemical etched procedure.