Characterization of rice husks and the products of its thermal degradation in air or nitrogen atmosphere

Rice husk is a by-product of rice milling process and are a major waste product of the agricultural industry. They have now become a great source as a raw biomass material for manufacturing value-added silicon composite products, including silicon carbide, silicon nitride, silicon tetrachloride, pure silicon, zeolite, fillers of rubber and plastic composites, adsorbent and support of catalysts. The bulk and true densities of raw rice husk with different moisture and sizes were determined. The rice husk was subjected to pyrolysis in fluidized-bed reactor in air or nitrogen atmosphere. The products obtained were characterized by thermogravimetric and X-ray powder analysis, IR-spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption at 77 K. The specific surface area of the products is comparable with this of γ-Al₂O₃. The kinetics of H₂SeO₃ adsorption out of aqueous solutions at 298 K was studied. The adsorption capacity of white rice husks ash was found to be higher than that of black rice husk ash and the adsorption kinetics obeyed the second order kinetic equation.     

Characterization and kinetics analysis of the thermal decomposition of the humic substance from hazelnut husk

A humic substance was obtained from hazelnut husk using an alkali extraction. The chemical and morphological structure of the humic matter was characterized via elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance, Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric-FTIR (TG-FTIR). In addition, thermal analysis measurements TG analysis-differential thermogravimetry/differential scanning calorimetry (TGA-DTG/DSC) were performed under dynamic air conditions to better determine the origin, physical and chemical structure, and decomposition process of the humic matter. The Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO) methods were used to calculate the kinetic parameters of the high-temperature decomposition process. It was observed that the activation energy values were almost constant at certain conversion and temperature intervals. In addition, the structure of the humic substance at different temperatures was also investigated via FTIR analysis. It was found that the obtained humic substance had a very stable structure and decomposed at a high temperature. The stability of the humic matter can be a useful tool in the environmental quality research of soil.     

Design of novel order mesostructured superacid catalyst from rice husk for the conversion of linseed oil to methyl esters

A novel ordered mesoporous catalyst was prepared from rice husk (MRH catalyst) through condensation–evaporation method in alkaline media. The process used cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a structure-directing agent (template) and sulfonated biochar obtained from partial rice husk carbonization (SBRH) as precursor. Various parameters such as temperature and CTAB/SBRH mass ratios were investigated to improve the mesoporous structure. The chosen catalyst was based on its degree of order of the mesoporous channels, and its activity was also tested in the methanolysis of linseed oil to methyl esters which was considered as a valuable blending composition for commercial jet fuels. The results showed that the temperature and CTAB/SBRH mass ratio should be of 70 °C and 0.3/1, respectively. The catalyst samples were characterized by many techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and ammonia-temperature programmed desorption (NH₃-TPD). The methyl ester composition of the as-synthesized biofuel was determined using gas chromatography supported by mass spectroscopy detector (GC–MS). The results of the characterizations showed that the catalyst possessed superacidic sites (NH₃-TPD) caused by –SO₃H groups (confirmed by FT-IR analysis) and ordered mesoporous structure (XRD). The mesoporous channel distribution was also observed by TEM images. The methanolysis yield reached 93.5% (calculated through GC–MS analysis) at mild conditions with high purity of methyl ester products strongly proving the catalyst activity and selectivity.     

Thermoanalytical investigation of the decomposition course of copper oxysalts

The thermal decomposition of copper nitrate trihydrate (CuNTH); Cu(NO₃)₂·3H₂O was studied up to 600°C by thermogravimetry (TG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) in a dynamic atmosphere of air. The thermal events occurring throughout the decomposition course were characterized on the basis of spectral analyses using infrared spectroscopy (IR), X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Non-isothermal kinetic parameters were determined. The results showed that the decomposition course involves two main processes, firstly the formation of hydroxy copper nitrate and secondly, the decomposition of this compound to yield CuO. Pathways were suggested that may be involved in the decomposition course.     

Bi<Subscript>3.25</Subscript>La<Subscript>0.75</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>12</Subscript> powders by the complex polymerization method: synthesis,characterization and morphology

Lanthanum-modified bismuth titanate (Bi_3.25La_0.75Ti₃O₁₂, BLTO) powders were prepared by the complex polymerization method. The structure and morphology of BLTO powders were investigated by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The complexation of citric acid with the metallic cations was detected by Fourier transformed infrared (FT-IR). The thermal analyses of obtained gels were investigated by differential thermal gravimetric (DTG). The pure and normally stoichiometric phase of BLTO powders could be obtained at relatively low temperature of 550–700 °C even if the bismuth content is not excess in the starting precursors, while the secondary phase could be detected at lower and higher calcination temperatures. The shape of the BLTO grains is similarly to platelet in Bi-layer structure and stoichiometry BLTO was detected by the analysis of energy dispersive spectrometry.     

Performance of bio-mortar under elevated temperatures

The microbially induced calcite precipitation was used to bind sand grains, yielding consolidated material known as bio-mortar. An aerobic, urease-active and nonpathogenic Sporosarcina pasteurii microorganism was used for the induction of calcite precipitation. Three different temperatures (250, 500 and 750 °C) were applied to examine the firing resistivity of bio-mortar. The results showed that the organic fiber of died bacterial cells completely dissociates at 500 °C, causing a moderate compressive strength reduction and mass loss increment in bio-mortar. The exposure of bio-mortar to 750 °C leads to a significant compressive strength regression, due to the thermal decomposition of CaCO₃ as confirmed by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis (TG and DTA) as well as scanning electron microscopy.

     

Cyclization and carbonization of anionic polyacrylonitrile in the presence of carbon nanofibers

Composites based on anionic polyacrylonitrile and carbon nanofibers were studied by X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, thermal gravimetric analysis, and electron microscopy. The effect of carbon nanofibers on the specific features of cyclization and carbonization of anionic polyacrylonitrile at temperatures of to 550°C was studied.     

Decolourization of vat dyes on cotton fabric with infrared laser light

A method for the decolourization of coloured cotton fabric dyed with vat dyes, based on exposure to infrared laser light, has been tested. Pulsed CO₂ laser has been used for all experiments. To detect changes in colour shade, reflection data of original and dyed cotton irradiated at various fluency of infrared laser light were measured on a UV–VIS spectrophotometer, and then colour intensity was calculated for each vat dye. To observe changes in chemical composition and morphology of fiber surfaces, an analysis was performed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy due to thermal effects. Thermal stability of vat dyes and cotton fabric was determined with differential scanning calorimetry method to simulate the heating process during exposure of samples to the infrared laser irradiation.     

Ionic conductivity enhancement in the solid polymer electrolyte PEO9LiTf by nanosilica filler from rice husk ash

Rice husk ash is a cheap raw material available in abundance in rice-growing countries. It contains around 85–90 % amorphous silica. Rice husk ash, when subjected to a simple chemical precipitation method, will produce nanosilica which can be used for many industrial and technological applications. In this work, we have successfully synthesized nano-sized silica from local rice husk ash and prepared the nanocomposite solid polymer electrolyte, PEO₉LiTf:SiO₂. The resulting electrolyte has been characterized by X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, atomic force microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and complex impedance spectroscopy. The electrolyte shows about a 12-fold increase in ionic conductivity at room temperature due to the silica filler. In the nanocomposite electrolyte, nanosilica particles obtained from rice husk ash behaved very similarly to the commercial grade nanosilica and had a size distribution in the 25- to 40-nm range. As already suggested by us and by others, the O^2? and OH^? surface groups in the filler surface interact with the Li⁺ ions and provide hopping sites for migrating Li⁺ ions through transient H bonding, creating additional high-conducting pathways. This would contribute to a substantial conductivity enhancement through increased ionic mobility. An additional contribution to conductivity enhancement, particularly at temperatures below 60 °C, appears to come from the increased fraction of the amorphous phase, as evidenced from the reduced crystallite melting temperature and the reduced enthalpy of melting due to the presence of the filler.     

Improved sol gel spinel (MgAl<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>) coatings on graphite for application in carbon containing high alumina castables

An improved sol gel coating of magnesium aluminate spinel (MgAl₂O₄) over flaky graphite was prepared by aluminium-sec-butoxide and magnesium nitrate. The mechanism of evolution of an extended thin film of spinel was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectral analysis. Atomic force microscope and field emission scanning electron microscope studies were conducted to differentiate between the topography and microstructural characteristics of as-received and coated graphites. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was performed to substantiate the elemental composition of spinel film over graphite. Oxidation resistance and water-wettability of coated graphite were examined respectively by thermogravimetry analysis and moisture requirement during installation of a carbon containing refractory castable composition. Apparent porosity, bulk density and slag corrosion resistance of those castables were better than that documented in our previous work.     

Sol–gel preparation of pure and doped TiO2 films for the photocatalytic oxidation of ethanol in air

Stable sols of TiO₂ were synthesized by a non-aqueous sol–gel process using titanium (IV) isopropoxide as precursor. The microstructure, optical and morphological properties of the films obtained by spin-coating from the sol, and annealed at different temperatures, were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and ellipsometry. The crystalline structure of the films was characterized by X-ray diffraction and their photocatalytic activity was evaluated for the oxidation of ethanol in air. The influence of the calcination temperature, pre-heat treatment and the number of layers was studied. Simultaneous thermo-gravimetric and differential thermal analysis measurements were carried out to ascertain the thermal decomposition behavior of the precursors. In order to obtain a higher photoresponse in the visible region, a series of vanadium-, niobium- and tantalum-doped TiO₂ catalysts was synthesized by the same sol–gel method. For V doping two different precursors, a vanadium alkoxide and V₂O₅, were used. The effect on the crystallization and photocatalytic activity of the doped TiO₂ films was investigated. Furthermore, to identify the effective composition of the samples, they were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and the surface area of the powders was measured by N₂ adsorption. The 10 wt.% doped catalysts exhibit high photocatalytic activity under visible light and among them the best performance was obtained for the sample containing Ta as dopant. The crystallite sizes are closely related to the photocatalytic activity.     

Synthesis and Property of Flame Retardant Epoxy Resins Modified with 2-（Diphenylphosphinyl）-l,4-benzenediol

2-（Diphenylphosphinyl）-1,4-benzenediol（DPO-HQ） was synthesized by the reaction of diphenylphos- phine oxide（DPO） with 1,4-benzoquinone（BQ）, and characterized by Fourier transform infrared（FTIR）, and nuclear magnetic resonance（1H NMR, 13C NMR, 31p NMR） spectrometries. The thermal stability of DPO-HQ was investi- gated by thermogravimetric analysis（TGA）. Flame retardant epoxy resin was synthesized based on DPO-HQ. The thermal properties and burning performance of cured epoxy resins were measured by differential scanning calorime- try（DSC）, thermogravimetric analysis（TGA）, limited oxygen index（LOI） and vertical burning test（UL-94V）. The morphologies of cured epoxy resins after combustion were investigated by scanning electron microscopy（SEM） and electron probe microanalysis（EPMA）. Moreover, the thermal stability（both in air and in N2） of DPO-HQ and its cured epoxy resin was compared with that of 10-（2,5-dihydroxyphenyl）-9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10- oxide（DOPO-HQ） and its cured epoxy resin. The thermal stability of DPO-HQ is comparable with that of DOPO-HQ, while the thermal stability of cured epoxy resin based on DPO-HQ is better than that based on DOPO-HQ.     

Design and identification of nano-Mg-[4-methoxy phenyl-salicylaldimine–methyl-pyranopyrzole] Cl2 and its catalytic application on the preparation of 1-(α-aminoalkyl)-2-naphthols

Nano-Mg- [4-methoxy phenylsalicylaldiminemethylpyranopyrazole]Cl₂ (nano-[Mg-4MSMP]Cl₂) as a nano-Schiff base complex was prepared and fully characterized using some various techniques including fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential thermal gravimetric analysis (DTA), mass spectroscopy (MS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Nano-[Mg-4MSMP]Cl₂ was successfully used as an efficient catalyst for the preparation of some 1-(α-aminoalkyl) -2 -naphthols.     

Synthesis and characterization of hollow LiNiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> fibers via sol-electrospinning method

Hollow LiNiO₂ fibers have been prepared with a capillary spinneret electrospinning technique combined with the sol–gel method, and the possible mechanism for the fabrication of the hollow fibers was discussed. The xerogel fibers and those calcined at different temperatures were characterized by thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrum, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and etc. The Polyvinyl Pyrrolidone (PVP) has an important role in the formation of hollow LiNiO₂ fibers.     

Synergistic Effect Between Sb2O3 Nanoparticles–Trichloromelamine and Carbon Nanotube on the Flame Retardancy and Thermal Stability of the Cellulose Acetate

Sb₂O₃ nanoparticles were synthesized via a simple surfactant-free sonochemical reaction. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) have been successfully functionalized with amino groups. Cellulose acetate (CA) as a polymeric matrix was choosing in this work. In order to improve the thermal stability and flame retardancy of the CA, nanoparticles, aminated-MWCNT and trichloromelamine (TCM) were added to the polymeric matrix. The nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and UL-94 analysis. Flame retardancy of the nanocomposite was improved as a result of synergistic effect between Sb₂O₃ and TCM. Result show that thermal decomposition of the nanocomposites was shifted towards higher temperatures.     

The Effect of Flower-Like Magnesium Hydroxide Nanostructure on the Thermal Stability of Cellulose Acetate and Acrylonitrile–Butadiene–Styrene

Flower-like magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)₂) nanostructures were synthesized via a simple hydrothermal reaction at relatively low temperature. The Mg(OH)₂ nanostructures were then added to acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) and cellulose acetate (CA) polymers. The effect of Mg(OH)₂ nanostructures on the thermal stability of the polymeric matrixes has been investigated. The thermal decomposition of the nanocomposites shifts towards higher temperature in the presence of the Mg(OH)₂. The enhancement of thermal stability of nanocomposites is due to endothermically decomposition of magnesium hydroxide that releases of water and dilutes combustible gases. Nanostructures and nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential thermal analysis (DTA), UL-94 test and limiting oxygen index (LOI) analysis.     

Thermal stability of amine-functionalized MCM-41 in different atmospheres

In the present work, we report on the thermal stability of NH₂-MCM-41 hybrid material under different atmospheres (nitrogen and air). The thermal stability of this hybrid material is very important because of its common use in catalysis, adsorption, biomedical and biotechnological applications, based on mesoporous and aminopropyl functionalities. Samples were prepared by one pot co-condensation method with different loadings of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES). The thermal stability of hybrid samples (NH₂-MCM-41) heat treated in nitrogen and air at 30–800 °C has been investigated. Samples were synthesized under basic media in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTABr) as structure-directing agent, tetraethyl orthosilicate as silica source, and APTES as functionalizing agent with molar composition of 0.055 CTABr:045 SiO₂:0.054 APTES:5.32 NH₄OH:14.99 H₂O at 50 °C for 24 h at pH 12.4. The obtained hybrid materials have been characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TG), derivative thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and surface area determination by the BET method. Based on TG measurements of the treated samples, it was found out that the thermal stability varied greatly in different atmospheres.     

Effect of new melamine-terephthaldehyde resin modified graphene oxide on thermal and mechanical properties of PVC

In this study a new melamine-terephthaldehyde resin modified graphene oxide was synthesized and used as a reinforcement of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). Characterization, morphology, thermal and mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were examined by means of attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, field emission-scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimeter and tensile properties. The first hydrochloric acid releasing data of poly(vinyl chloride) was removed by incorporation of the modified graphene oxide as compare to the neat polymer. The temperatures at 2 wt% losses, main decomposition temperatures, maximum decomposition temperatures, also shift to higher temperature in the corresponding nanocomposites as compared to the neat PVC. The tensile strength and elongation at break of the nanocomposite films was increased as compared to the neat PVC. The interesting results in crystallinity of PVC were observed with adding 5 wt% of the modified graphene oxide.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Cu2S Nanostructures Via Hydrothermal Method by a Polymeric Precursor

Cu₂S nanostructures were synthesized successfully via hydrothermal approach with new precursor. The precursor was characterized via thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The products were characterized with X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transition electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, FT-IR, room temperature photoluminescence spectroscopy and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. The effect of different parameters such as Cu²⁺/TGA mole ratio, reaction time and temperature were investigated on product size and morphology.     

Synthesis of nano-sized titanium diboride in a melt of anhydrous sodium tetraborate

X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and elemental analysis were used to study the interaction of titanium powder with finely powdered boron of particle size 10?C20 ??m in Na₂B₄O₇ ionic melt, in the temperature range 973?C1088 K, at the 5?C10 h contact duration. The TiB₂ formation was shown to occur at the temperatures 1018 K or above, that is, at the borax melting temperature. According to the scanning electron microscopy, theTiB₂ powder consists of the 70?C75 nm particles, and its coherent scattering region calculated from the XRD data amounts to 55 nm.