Síntese e caracterização de tungstatos de cério e estrôncio para fins catalíticos

The main goal of this work was to produce nanosized ceramic materials of the family of the tungstates (tungstates of cerium and strontium), and test them for their catalytic activity in processes involving the transformation of methane (CH4). The methodology used for the synthesis of the ceramic powders involved the complexation combining EDTA-citrate. The materials characterization was performed using simple and differential thermogravimetry, x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The microstructure analysis was performed using the refinement by the Rietveld method, and the crystallite size and distribution of the materials was elucidate by the Scherrer and Williamson-Hall methods. The conditions of the synthesis process for the three envisaged materials (SrWO4, SrWO4 using tungsten oxide concentrate as raw material, and Ce2(WO4)3) were adjusted to obtain a single phase crystalline material. The catalytic tests were carried out in the presence of methane and synthetic air, which is composed of 21% O2 and 79% N2. The analysis of the conversion of the reaction was done with the aid of an fourier transform infrared device (FTIR). The analysis showed that, structurally, the SrWO4 produced using raw materials of high and poor purity (99% and 92%, respectively) are similar. The ideal parameters of calcination, in the tested range, are temperature of 1000 °C and time of calcination 5 hours. For the Ce2(WO4)3, the ideal calcination time and are temperature 15 hours and 1000°C, respectively. The Williamson-Hall method provided two different distributions for the crystallite size of each material, whose values ranged between the nanometer and micrometer scales. According to method of Scherrer, all materials produced were composed of nanometric crystallites. The analyses of transmission electron microscopy confirmed the results obtained from the Williamson- Hall method for the crystallite size. The EDS showed an atomic composition for the metals in the SrWO4 that was different of the theoretical composition. With respect to the catalytic tests, all materials were found to be catalytically active, but the reaction process should be further studied and optimized.

Estudo do aproveitamento de resíduos PAE no desenvolvimento de materiais cerâmicos

This work presents a new ceramic material obtained through the incorporation of solid waste from the steel industry and known as dedusting powder PAE - in ceramic formulations based on clay, potassium and sodium feldspars, kaolin and talc. Formulations were prepared with ceramic residue levels of 0% (basic mass - MB), 2%, 4% and 8%, subjected to firing at temperatures of 1000 ° C, 1050ºC, 1100ºC and 1150ºC for periods of 15 min. and 120 min. The physicchemical and mechanical properties of these ceramic formulations were determined based on the firing temperature, residence time in the oven and the percentage of waste. Since the physicochemical and mechanical properties of the sintered materials were evaluated by chemical analysis techniques (fluorescence X-rays - FRX), particle size distribution, specific surface area, apparent density, structural analysis by diffraction of X-rays (DRX) and characterization of surface by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The magnetic response characteristics and the pattern of magnetic ferrites of the samples were analyzed in the assay conditions, having noticed that the saturation magnetic susceptibility depend on the sintering temperature of the material and it is associated with its crystal structure. From the analysis results, it was concluded that the ceramic material with better physical and mechanical properties is obtained when the 8% from PAE residue is added to standard formulation under the burn time of 15 minutes and temperature of 1150ºC.