Composite particles metal oxides

Vesely et al. [47] investigated organic coating properties dependence on chemical composition and structure of pigment particles. Metal oxide (MO)-based pigments (M = Zn, Mg) were synthesized with different particle shapes and core-shell pigments... 

The Beckstead-Derr-Price model (Fig. 1) considers both the gas-phase and condensed-phase reactions. It assumes heat release from the condensed phase, an oxidizer flame, a primary diffusion flame between the fuel and oxidizer decomposition products, and a final diffusion flame between the fuel decomposition products and the products of the oxidizer flame. Examination of the physical phenomena reveals an irregular surface on top of the unheated bulk of the propellant that consists of the binder undergoing pyrolysis, decomposing oxidizer particles, and an agglomeration of metallic particles. The oxidizer and fuel decomposition products mix and react exothermically in the three-dimensional zone above the surface for a distance that depends on the propellant composition, its microstmcture, and the ambient pressure and gas velocity. If aluminum is present, additional heat is subsequently produced at a comparatively large distance from the surface. Only small aluminum particles ignite and bum close enough to the surface to influence the propellant bum rate. The temperature of the surface is ca 500 to 1000°C compared to ca 300°C for double-base propellants. 

Metal-Matrix Composites. A metal-matrix composite (MMC) is comprised of a metal ahoy, less than 50% by volume that is reinforced by one or more constituents with a significantly higher elastic modulus. Reinforcement materials include carbides, oxides, graphite, borides, intermetahics or even polymeric products. These materials can be used in the form of whiskers, continuous or discontinuous fibers, or particles. Matrices can be made from metal ahoys of Mg, Al, Ti, Cu, Ni or Fe. In addition, intermetahic compounds such as titanium and nickel aluminides, Ti Al and Ni Al, respectively, are also used as a matrix material (58,59). P/M MMC can be formed by a variety of full-density hot consolidation processes, including hot pressing, hot isostatic pressing, extmsion, or forging. 

Sohd rocket propellants represent a very special case of a particulate composite ia which inorganic propellant particles, about 75% by volume, are bound ia an organic matrix such as polyurethane. An essential requirement is that the composite be uniform to promote a steady burning reaction (1). Further examples of particulate composites are those with metal matrices and iaclude cermets, which consist of ceramic particles ia a metal matrix, and dispersion hardened alloys, ia which the particles may be metal oxides or intermetallic compounds with smaller diameters and lower volume fractions than those ia cermets (1). The general nature of particulate reinforcement is such that the resulting composite material is macroscopicaHy isotropic. 

There is currently considerable interest in processing polymeric composite materials filled with nanosized rigid particles. This class of material called "nanocomposites" describes two-phase materials where one of the phases has at least one dimension lower than 100 nm [13]. Because the building blocks of nanocomposites are of nanoscale, they have an enormous interface area. Due to this there are a lot of interfaces between two intermixed phases compared to usual microcomposites. In addition to this, the mean distance between the particles is also smaller due to their small size which favors filler-filler interactions [14]. Nanomaterials not only include metallic, bimetallic and metal oxide but also polymeric nanoparticles as well as advanced materials like carbon nanotubes and dendrimers. However considering environmetal hazards, research has been focused on various means which form the basis of green nanotechnology. 

In Chapter 1 we emphasized that the properties of a heterogeneous catalyst surface are determined by its composition and structure on the atomic scale. Hence, from a fundamental point of view, the ultimate goal of catalyst characterization should be to examine the surface atom by atom under the reaction conditions under which the catalyst operates, i.e. in situ. However, a catalyst often consists of small particles of metal, oxide, or sulfide on a support material. Chemical promoters may have been added to the catalyst to optimize its activity and/or selectivity, and structural promoters may have been incorporated to improve the mechanical properties and stabilize the particles against sintering. As a result, a heterogeneous catalyst can be quite complex. Moreover, the state of the catalytic surface generally depends on the conditions under which it is used. 

The composition of the particles is related to that of the source rocks. Quartz sand [composed of silica (silicon dioxide)], which makes up the most common variety of silica sand, is derived from quartz rocks. Pure quartz is usually almost free of impurities and therefore almost colorless (white). The coloration of some silica sand is due to chemical impurities within the structure of the quartz. The common buff, brown, or gray, for example, is caused by small amounts of metallic oxides iron oxide makes the sand buff or brown, whereas manganese dioxide makes it gray. Other minerals that often also occur as sand are calcite, feldspar and obsidian Calcite (composed of calcium carbonate), is generally derived from weathered limestone or broken shells or coral feldspar is an igneous rock of complex composition, and obsidian is a natural glass derived from the lava erupting from volcanoes see Chapter 2. 

All the examples gathered here demonstrate the possibility to control the growth of metallic and oxide nanoparticles using biological templates. A wide variety of chemical composition, particle size and assemblage can be obtained via these approaches. Moreover, due to the biological nature of the template, applications in fields related to biotechnology and medicinal science can be envisioned. 

The chemical composition of particles can be just as varied as their shape. Commercial particles can consist of polymers or copolymers, inorganic constructs, metals and semiconductors, superparamagnetic composites, biodegradable constructs, and synthetic dendrimers and dendrons. Often, both the composition of a particle and its shape govern its suitability for a particular purpose. For instance, composite particles containing superparamagnetic iron oxide typically are used for small-scale affinity separations, especially for cell separations followed by flow cytometry analysis or fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Core-shell semiconductor particles, by... 

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