Two aspects of water in self-heating risk of aluminium powders: calorimetric study

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Two samples (“O” and “C”) of aluminium-based powders were calorimetrically investigated with respect to the self-heating risk...     

Study of micropores accessibility in coals and activated carbon using immersion heats with C1–C4 alkanols

Two natural coals and a sample of activated carbon were studied with respect to micropores accessibility for C1–C4 alkanols using immersion calorimetry. From the immersion enthalpies, micropores volumes were calculated according to the Stoeckli–Kraehenbuehl (SK) equation, and obtained values were compared with the surface characteristics of gas adsorption measurements. Validity of the SK equation was found to be problematic for natural coals giving micropores volumes up to three times exceeding those of the CO₂ adsorption measurements. Reason for such discrepancy is discussed, with specific interactions between coals and alkanols likewise marked swelling of coals in the presence of alkanols being recognised as possible explanation. A drop in immersion heats with branched butanols was generally observed, enabling at least semi-quantitative evaluation of the abundance of micropores with diameters below ca. 0.7 nm that are inaccessible for tert-butanol.

     

Adsorption heats of phenol on activated carbon using adapted method of immersion calorimetry

Simple adaptation of the technique of immersion calorimetry enables determining both integral and differential adsorption heats as well as the course of the adsorption isotherm of phenol on activated carbon. The innovative aspect of the applied procedure consists in bringing the phenol aqueous solution to contact with the suspension of carbon with water. Thus, the “interfering” heat effect of carbon interaction with water is eliminated, and only the net adsorption heat of phenol is monitored. The value of −52.5 kJ mol⁻¹ was ascertained as the molar differential adsorption heat at the low surface coverage (cca 0.2 mmol g⁻¹) of the sample of microporous carbon. As the adsorption process continues, for adsorption uptakes exceeding the value of about 1 mmol g⁻¹, molar differential adsorption heats appear to be established at a level of about −20 + 5 kJ mol⁻¹.     

Immobilisation of lead(II) ions from aqueous solutions on natural coal

The immobilisation of lead(II) ions from aqueous solutions on natural coal was investigated to compare calculated and measured adsorption enthalpies. For this purpose, adsorption isotherms were measured at temperatures of 303, 333 and 353 K. Adsorption enthalpy ΔH was evaluated from temperature dependence of the equilibrium constant of adsorption using the van‘t Hoff equation. Thus, the value of ΔH = 27 kJ mol^?1 was obtained manifesting endothermic effect of lead(II) immobilisation on the coal. However, based on the flow and immersion calorimetric measurements, the exothermic character of lead(II) adsorption on the studied coal was proven with a value of about ?7 kJ mol^?1.     

Urea and CaCl2 as inhibitors of coal low-temperature oxidation

Thermal analysis was used to study the influence of CaCl₂ and urea as possible chemical additives inhibiting coal oxidation process at temperatures 100?C300?°C. Weight increase due to oxygen chemisorption and corresponding amount of evolved heat were evaluated as main indicative parameters. TA experiments with different heating rates enabled determination of effective activation energy E _a as a dependence of conversion. In the studied range of temperatures, the interaction of oxygen with (untreated) coal was confirmed rather as a complex process giving effective activation energies changing continuously from 70?kJ?mol^?1 (at about 100?°C) to ca. 180?kJ?mol^?1 at temperatures about 250?°C. The similar trend in E _a was found when chemical agents were added to the coal. However, while the presence of CaCl₂ leads to higher values of the effective activation energies during the whole temperature range, urea causes increase in E _a only at temperatures below 200?°C. Exceeding the temperature 200?°C, the presence of urea in the coal induces decrease in activation energy of the oxidation process indicating rather catalysing than inhibiting action on coal oxidation. Thus, CaCl₂ can only be recommended as a ??real?? inhibitor affecting interaction of coal with oxygen at temperatures up to 300?°C.