Diamond and methane formation from the chemical decomposition of polyethylene at high pressures and temperatures

Polyethylene (C2H4)n was compressed to pressures between 10 and 30 GPa in a diamond anvil cell (DAC) and laser heated above 2500 K for approximately one second. This resulted in the chemical decomposition of the polymer into carbon and hydrocarbon reaction products. After quenching to ambient temperature, the decomposition products were measured in the DAC at pressures ranging from ambient to 29 GPa using a combination of x-ray diffraction (XRD) and small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). XRD identified cubic diamond and methane as the predominant product species with their pressure–volume relationships exhibiting strong correlations to the diamond and methane equations of state. Length scales associated with the diamond products, obtained from SAXS measurements, indicate the formation of nanodiamonds with a radius of gyration between 12 and 35 nm consistent with 32–90 nm diameter spherical particles. These results are in good agreement with the predicted product composition under thermodynamic and chemical equilibrium.

Decomposition of asbestos materials using fluoride wastes

Asbestos is one of the materials causing ecological stress. Due to its health harmfulness, an effective, ecological, and economic decomposition is highly desirable. One of the decomposition possibilities is a chemical decomposition, which could compete with commonly used thermal decomposition. The chemical decomposition can be accomplished both with the use of pure chemicals and waste chemicals from production technologies. This work deals with the use of technological wastes containing hydrofluoric acid or fluorides. Fluorides release hydrofluoric acid in the acid medium, which acts as the main decomposition medium. The source of fluorides was waste from the glass and metallic material industry. The efficiency of degradation processes was studied by mass analysis. Materials and decomposition products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction.

Pyrolysis Kinetic Behaviour of Glass Fibre-Reinforced Epoxy Resin Composites Using Linear and Nonlinear Isoconversional Methods

Due to the increasing demand for glass fibre-reinforced epoxy resin composites (GFRC), huge amounts of GFRC waste are produced annually in different sizes and shapes, which may affect its thermal and chemical decomposition using pyrolysis technology. In this context, this research aims to study the effect of mechanical pre-treatment on the pyrolysis behaviour of GFRC and its pyrolysis kinetic. The experiments were started with the fabrication of GFRC panels using the vacuum-assisted resin transfer method followed by crushing the prepared panels using ball milling, thus preparing the milled GFRC with uniform shape and size. The elemental, proximate, and morphology properties of the panels and milled GFRC were studied. The thermal and chemical decomposition of the milled GFRC was studied using thermogravimetric coupled with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (TG-FTIR) at different heating rates. Meanwhile, the volatile products were examined using TG coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The TG-FTIR and TG-GC-MS experiments were performed separately. Linear (Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS), Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO), and Friedman) and nonlinear (Vyazovkin and Cai) isoconversional methods were used to determine the pyrolysis kinetic of the milled GFRC based on thermogravimetry and differential thermal gravimetry (TG/DTG). In addition, the TG/DTG data of the milled GFRC were fitting using the distributed activation energy model and the independent parallel reactions kinetic model. The TG results showed that GFRC can decompose in three stages, and the main decomposition is located in the range 256-500 °C. On the other hand, aromatic benzene and a C-H bond were the major functional groups in the released volatile components in FTIR spectra, while phenol (27%), phenol,4-(1-methylethyl) (40%), and p-isopropenylphenol (34%) were the major compounds in GC-MS analysis. Whereas, the kinetic results showed that both isoconversional methods can be used to determine activation energies, which were estimated 165 KJ/mol (KAS), 193 KJ/mol (FWO), 180 KJ/mol (Friedman), 177 KJ/mol (Vyazovkin), and 174 KJ/mol (Cai).

Bioceramic hydroxyapatite-based scaffold with a porous structure using honeycomb as a natural polymeric Porogen for bone tissue engineering

Background The application of bioceramic hydroxyapatite (HA) derived from materials high in calcium to tissue engineering has been of concern, namely scaffold. Scaffold pores allow for cell mobility metabolic processes, and delivery of oxygen and nutrients by blood vessel. Thus, pore architecture affects cell seeding efficiency, cell viability, migration, morphology, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, angiogenesis, mechanical strength of scaffolds, and, eventually, bone formation. Therefore, to improve the efficacy of bone regeneration, several important parameters of the pore architecture of scaffolds must be carefully controlled, including pore size, geometry, orientation, uniformity, interconnectivity, and porosity, which are interrelated and whose coordination affects the effectiveness of bone tissue engineering. The honeycomb (HCB) as natural polymeric porogen is used to pore forming agent of scaffolds. It is unique for fully interconnected and oriented pores of uniform size and high mechanical strength in the direction of the pores. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the effect of HCB concentration on macropore structure of the scaffolds. Methods Bioceramic hydroxyapatite (HA) was synthesized from abalone mussel shells (Halioitis asinina) using a precipitation method, and HA-based scaffolds were fabricated with honeycomb (HCB) as the porogen agent. Pore structure engineering was successfully carried out using HCB at concentrations of 10, 20, and 30 wt%. Results The Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) analysis revealed that the Ca/P molar ratio of HA was 1.67 (the stoichiometric ratio of HA). The Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra results for porous HA-based scaffolds and synthesized HA showed that no chemical decomposition occurred in the HA-based scaffold fabrication process. The porosity of the scaffold tended to increase when higher concentrations of HCB were added. XRD data show that the HCB was completely degraded from the scaffold material. The cell metabolic activity and morphology of the HA + HCB 30 wt% scaffold enable it to facilitate the attachment of MC3T3E1 cells on its surface. Conclusion HCB 30 wt% is the best concentration to fabricate the scaffold corresponding to the criteria for pores structure, crystallographic properties, chemical decomposition process and cell viability for bone tissue engineering.

Polymorphism and surface diversity arising from stress-induced transformations – the case of multicomponent forms of carbamazepine

Stress-induced transformations of labile multicomponent organic solids may have a significant impact on industrial manufacturing processes, for example, in the pharmaceutical field. This study considers 15 carbamazepine (CBZ) multicomponent crystal forms, with the aim of identifying the structural and surface features that drive the outcome of thermal stress-induced transformations. Analysis of the crystal structures, and specifically the degree of similarity with the CBZ polymorphs produced by desolvation-like processes, identifies some degree of correlation between structural features. In particular, mutually exclusive supramolecular motifs identified previously within CBZ crystal structures are frequently (but not invariably) preserved, and thereby provide some indication of the anticipated polymorphic outcome. This is broadly consistent with established models relating reactant and product crystal phases. Some of the CBZ multicomponent materials show surface modifications indicative of the formation of a liquid intermediate phase, which provides an alternative dissolution/recrystallization mechanism and different polymorphic outcomes compared to the direct solid–solid transformation pathway. Other cases show intermediates of varying stoichiometry and instances of chemical decomposition. Hence, the product of thermal decomposition is frequently affected by the physical properties of the coformer, such as boiling point and reactivity. This can lead to a dependence on experimental conditions, especially when events such as recrystallization, chemical decomposition of the coformer, solubilization and peritectic melting occur concomitantly. This study highlights that the overall picture is complex, even within this series of closely related materials.

Pressure-induced chemical decomposition of copper orthovanadate (α-Cu3V2O8)

The high pressure stability of α-Cu3V2O8 has been investigated via complementary high pressure synchrotron X-ray diffraction experiments and theoretical density functional theory calculations. The results of both experiment and theory...