Addition reactions, using clays

Cesium was the only measurable radioactive component in the 103-BY waste. Fixation of other fission products could not, therefore, be studied using this waste. However, reactions of clays with synthetic waste spiked with strontium indicate that essentially all of the strontium is fixed in the solid product. Additional work with strontium and other major radioactive fission products is necessary. 

Polymer-type antioxidants have been prepared by Eriedel-Crafts reaction of -cresol andp- and/or y -chloromethylstyrene in the presence of boron trifluoride-etherate (198). The oligomeric product resulting from the alkylation of phenyl-a-naphthylamine using C12—15 propylene oligomer in the presence of AlCl or activated white clays is used as an antioxidant additive for lubricating oils (199). 

By far the preponderance of the 3400 kt of current worldwide phenolic resin production is in the form of phenol-formaldehyde (PF) reaction products. Phenol and formaldehyde are currently two of the most available monomers on earth. About 6000 kt of phenol and 10,000 kt of formaldehyde (100% basis) were produced in 1998 [55,56]. The organic raw materials for synthesis of phenol and formaldehyde are cumene (derived from benzene and propylene) and methanol, respectively. These materials are, in turn, obtained from petroleum and natural gas at relatively low cost ([57], pp. 10-26 [58], pp. 1-30). Cost is one of the most important advantages of phenolics in most applications. It is critical to the acceptance of phenolics for wood panel manufacture. With the exception of urea-formaldehyde resins, PF resins are the lowest cost thermosetting resins available. In addition to its synthesis from low cost monomers, phenolic resin costs are often further reduced by extension with fillers such as clays, chalk, rags, wood flours, nutshell flours, grain flours, starches, lignins, tannins, and various other low eost materials. Often these fillers and extenders improve the performance of the phenolic for a particular use while reducing cost. 

If such fillers are to be used, they should have a neutral or slightly alkaline pH, otherwise additives such as ethylene glycol and triethanolamine, which are preferentially adsorbed on the surface of the filler, should be used, preventing any undesirable interference reactions between the filler and the crosslinking peroxide. These additives must, however, always be added to the mix before the peroxide. With some mineral fillers, such as some types of clay, the polymer may be bound to the filler by means of silane treatment, and the surface of the filler becomes completely non-polar. Consequently, the interaction with the polymer matrix increases, while the adsorption of the crosslinking peroxide by the filler is severely suppressed. 

Soil components, silica, and alumina are solubilized, in low concentration, and can react, or crystallize, to form new clays. In addition, clays from any source change over time and become simpler and simpler. Silica is more soluble than alumina and so the silica alumina ratio decreases over time. Eventually, this leads to deposits of alumina that are used as an aluminum ore for the production of aluminum metal. Although these reactions are considered to be very slow on a human timescale, they do occur. 

For instance, 2-methylpropene reacted with acetic acid at 18°C in the presence of Al-bentonite to form the ester product (75). Ion-exchanged bentonites are also efficient catalysts for formation of ketals from aldehydes or ketones. Cyclohexanone reacted with methanol in the presence of Al-bentonite at room temperature to give 33% yield of dimethyl ketal after 30 min of reaction time. On addition of the same clay to the mixture of cyclohexanone and trimethyl orthoformate at room-temperature, the exothermic reaction caused the liquid to boil and resulted in an almost quantitative yield of the dimethyl ketal in 5 min. When Na- instead of Al-bentonite is used, the same reaction did not take place (75). Solomon and Hawthorne (37) suggest that elimination reactions may have been involved in the geochemical transformation of lipid and other organic sediments into petroleum deposits. 

In contrast to these transformations, Michael additions of simple enolates to acceptor-substituted dienes often yield mixtures of 1,4- and 1,6-addition products27-30. For example, a 70 30 mixture of 1,4- and 1,6-adducts was isolated from the reaction of the lithium enolate of methyl propionate with methyl sorbate30. This problem can be solved by using the corresponding silyl ketene acetal in the presence of clay montmorillonite as acidic promoter under these conditions, almost exclusive formation of the 1,4-addition product (syn/anti mixture) was observed (equation ll)30. Highly regioselective 1,4-additions... 

Many analyses are performed with mesh electrodes, thereby increasing the surface area. However, there is an additional reason for using a clay-modified electrode. We saw above (in Worked Example 5.2) that electrode side reactions are a common enemy of accurate electroanalytical work. 

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