Low-temperature preparation of fine-particle cobaltites

A novel solid-solution precursor method for the preparation of fine-particle cobaltites at low temperatures has been described. The precursors, hydrazinium metal hydrazine carboxylate hydrates, N2H5M1/3Co2/3(N2H3COO)3 · H2O, where M = Mg, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Zn, decompose in air <250°C to yield corresponding metal cobaltites, MCo2O4. Formation of cobaltites has been confirmed by thermogravimetry (TG) weight loss, IR, and X-ray diffraction. Combustion of the precursor in air yields fine-particle cobaltites with surface areas in the range of 12–115 m2g−1 and particle sizes of 1–40 μm. Low decomposition temperatures of the precursors accompanied by the evolution of large amounts of gases appear to control the particle size of the cobaltites.

A novel combustion process for the synthesis of fine particle α-alumina and related oxide materials

Synthesis of fine particle α-alumina and related oxide materials such as MgAl2O4, CaAl2O4, Y3Al5O12 (YAG), Image , β′-alumina, LaAlO3 and ruby powder (Image ) has been achieved at low temperatures (500°C) by the combustion of corresponding metal nitrate-urea mixtures. Solid combustion products have been identified by their characteristic X-ray diffraction patterns. The fine particle nature of α-alumina and related oxide materials has been investigated using SEM, TEM, particle size analysis and surface area measurements.

Combustion synthesis and properties of fine-particle rare-earth-metal zirconates, Ln2Zr2O7

Fine-particle rare-earth-metal zirconates, Ln2Zr2O7, where Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd and Dy having the pyrochlore structure have been prepared using a novel combustion process. The process employs aqueous solutions of the corresponding rare-earth-metal nitrate, zirconium nitrate and carbohydrazide/urea in the required molar ratio. When the solution is rapidly heated to 350–500 °C it boils, foams and burns autocatalytically to yield voluminous oxides. The formation of single-phase Ln2Zr2O7 has been confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction, infrared and fluorescence spectroscopy. The solid combustion products are fine, having surface areas in the range 6–20 m2 g–1. The cold-pressed Pr2Zr2O7 compact when sintered at 1500 °C, 4 h in air, achieved 99% theoretical density.

Combustion Synthesis and Properties of Fine Particle Spinel Manganites

Fine particle spinel manganites have been prepared by thermal decomposition of the precursors N2H5M1/3Mn2/3(N2H3COO)3 · H2O (M = Co and Ni) and M1/3 Mn2/3(N2H3COO)2 · 2H2O (M = Mg and Zn), as well as by the combustion of redox mixtures containing M(II) nitrate (M = Mg, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn), Mn(II) nitrate, and maleic hydrazide (MH) in the required molar ratio. Both the precursor and redox mixtures undergo self-propagating, gas-producing, exothermic reactions once ignited at 250-375°C to yield corresponding manganites in less than 5 min. Formation of single phase products was confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction patterns. The manganites are of submicrometer size and have surface area in the range 20-76 m2/g.

Hydrazine carboxylate precursors to fine particle titania, zirconia and zirconium titanate

Titanyl hydrazine carboxylate dihydrate, TiO(N2H3COO)2.2H2O, zirconyl hydrazine carboxylate dihydrate, ZrO(N2H3COO)2.2H2O and their solid solution, ZrTiO2(N2H3COO)4.4H2O have been prepared for the first time and investigated as precursors to fine particle TiO2, ZrO2 and ZrTiO4 respectively. Titania(anatase) formed has a very high surface area of 110 m2/g and zirconium titanate showed very low dielectric loss (4 x 10(-4)).

Controlled combustion synthesis and properties of fine-particle NASICON materials

Fine-particle NASICON materials, Na1+xZr2P3-xSixO12 (where x = 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5), have been prepared by controlled combustion of an aqueous solution containing stoicthiometric amounts of sodium nitrate, zirconyl nitrate, ammonium perchlorate, diammonium hydrogen phosphate, fumed silica and carbonohydrazide. Formation of NASICON has been confirmed by powder XRD, Si-29 NMR and IR spectroscopy. These NASICON powders are fine (average agglomerate size 5-12 mum) with a surface area varying from 8 to 30 m2 g-1. NASICON powders pelletized and sintered at 1100-1200-degrees-C for 5 h achieved 90-95% theoretical density and show fine-grain microstructure. The coefficient of thermal expansion of sintered NASICON compact was measured up to 500-degrees-C and changes f rom -3.4 x 10(-6) to 4.1 x 10(-6) K-1. The conductivity of Sintered Na3Zr2PSi2O12 compact at 300-degrees-C is 0.236 OMEGA-1 cm-1.

Synthesis and characterization of barium bis(citrato) oxozirconate(iv) tetrahydrate--A new molecular precursor for fine particle BaZrO3

Barium metazirconate (BaZrO3) fine powder has been produced by thermally decomposing a molecular precursor, barium bis(citrato)oxozirconate(IV) tetrahydrate at about 700-degrees-C. The precursor, Ba[ZrO(C6H6O7)2] . 4H2O (BZO) has been synthesized and characterized by employing a combination of spectroscopic and thermoanalytical techniques. The precursor undergoes thermal decomposition in three major stages: (i) dehydration to give an anhydrous barium zirconyl citrate, (ii) decomposition of the anhydrous citrate in a multistep process to form an ionic oxycarbonate intermediate, Ba2Zr2O5CO3, and (iii) decomposition of the oxycarbonate to produce BaZrO3 fine powder. The particle size of the resultant BaZrO3 is about 0.2 mum, and the surface area is found to be 4.0 m2 g-1.

Rapid Synthesis And Properties Of Fevo4, Alvo4, Yvo4, And Eu3+-Doped Yvo4

Fine particle FeVO4, AIVO4, YVO4 and Yo.95Eu0.05VO4 have been prepared by the combustion of aqueous solutions containing corresponding metal nitrate, ammonium metavanadate, ammonium nitrate and 3-methyl-5-pyrazolone.The solutions containing the redox mixtures, when rapidly heated at 370 °C, ignite and undergo self-propagating,gas-producing, exothermic reactions to yield fine particle metal vanadates. Formation of crystalline vanadates was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction patterns,27A1 nuclear magnetic resonance, IR and fluorescence spectra.

Dynamics after a sweep through a quantum critical point

The coherent quantum evolution of a one-dimensional many-particle system after slowly sweeping the Hamiltonian through a critical point is studied using a generalized quantum Ising model containing both integrable and nonintegrable regimes. It is known from previous work that universal power laws of the sweep rate appear in such quantities as the mean number of excitations created by the sweep. Several other phenomena are found that are not reflected by such averages: there are two different scaling behaviors of the entanglement entropy and a relaxation that is power law in time rather than exponential. The final state of evolution after the quench is not characterized by any effective temperature, and the Loschmidt echo converges algebraically for long times, with cusplike singularities in the integrable case that are dynamically broadened by nonintegrable perturbations.

Combustion Synthesis of Metal Chromite Powders

Fine-particle metal chromites (MCr2O4, where M = Mg, Ca, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) have been prepared by the combustion of aqueous solutions containing the respective metal nitrate, chromium(III) nitrate, and urea in stoichiometric amounts. The mixtures, when rapidly heated to 350°C, ignite and yield voluminous chromites with surface areas ranging from 5 to 25 m2/g. MgCr2O4, sintered in air at 1500°C for 5 h, has a density of 4.0 g/cm3.

Electroless nickel hydroxide: synthesis and characterization

An electroless method of nickel hydroxide synthesis through the complexation-precipitation route which yields a fine particle material having a specific surface area of 178 m2 g–1 has been described. The morphology of this material as revealed by electron microscopy is distinctly different from the turbostratic nature of electrosynthesized nickel hydroxide. While the long range structure as shown by the X-ray diffraction pattern is similar to that of beta-Ni(OH)2, the short range structure as revealed by infrared spectroscopy incorporates characteristics similar to that of agr-Ni(OH)2. Cyclic voltammetry studies show that the electroless nickel hydroxide has a higher coulombic efficiency (>90%), a more anodic reversible potential and a higher degree of reversibility compared to the electrosynthesized nickel hydroxide and conventionally prepared nickel hydroxide.

Synthesis of A1PO4, LaPO4 and KTiOPO4 by flash combustion

Fine particle AlPO4, LaPO4 and KTiOPO4 have been prepared by the flash combustion of aqueous solutions containing metal nitrate, ammonium hydrogen phosphate, ammonium nitrate or ammonium perchlorate and carbohydrazide or tetraformal trisazine. When rapidly heated at 400 °C, the solution containing the redox mixtures ignites to undergo self-propagating, gas-producing, exothermic reactions. Formation of crystalline phosphates was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction patterns and IR spectra. The metal phosphates formed are fine and have 20�78 m2 g?1 surface area.

Combustion synthesis of oxide materials for nuclear waste immobilization

Oxide materials like perovskite, zirconolite, hollandite, pyrochlore, NASICON and sphene which are used for nuclear waste immobilization have been prepared by a solution combustion process. The process involves the combustion of stoichiometric amount of corresponding metal nitrates and carbohydrazide/tetraformyl trisazine/diformyl hydrazide at 450 degrees C. The combustion products have been characterized using powder X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and Si-29 MAS-NMR. The fine particle nature of the combustion derived powders has been studied using density, particle size, BET surface area measurements and scanning electron microscopy. Sintering of combustion derived powder yields 85-95% dense ceramics in the temperature range 1000 degrees-1300 degrees C.

Characterization of aerosol black carbon over a tropical semi-arid region of Anantapur, India

Black carbon (BC) aerosol mass concentrations measured using an aethalometer at Anantapur, a semi-arid tropical station in the southern part of peninsular India, from August 2006 to July 2007 are analyzed. Seasonal and diurnal variations of BC in relation to changes in the regional meteorological conditions have been studied along with the mass fraction of BC to the total aerosol mass concentration (M-t) and fine particle mass (FPM) concentration in different months. The data collected during the study period shows that the annual average BC mass concentration at Anantapur is 1.97 +/- 0.12 mu g m(-3). Seasonal variations of BC aerosol mass concentration showed high during the dry (winter and summer) seasons and low during the post-monsoon followed by the monsoon seasons. Diurnal variations of BC aerosols attain a gradual build up in BC concentration from morning and a sharp peak occurs between 07:00 and 09:00 h almost an hour after local sunrise and a broad nocturnal peak from 19:00 to 21:00 h with a minimum in noon hours. The ratio of BC to the fine particle mass concentration was high during the dry season and low during the monsoon season. The regression analysis between BC mass concentration and wind speed indicates that, with increase in wind speeds the BC mass concentrations would decrease and vice-versa. Aerosol BC mass concentration shows a significant positive correlation with total mass concentration (M-t) and aerosol optical depth (ACID, tau(p)) at 500 nm. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.