Inorganic inclusions

The air pollution problems associated with combustion of coal are of major concern. These problems generally occur away from the coal mine. The problems of atmospheric emissions due to mining, cleaning, handling, and transportation of coal from the mine to the user are of lesser sigruficance as far as the overall air pollution problems are concerned. Whenever coal is handled, particulate emission becomes a problem. The emissions can be either coal dust or inorganic inclusions. Control of these emissions can be relatively expensive if the coal storage and transfer facilities are located near residential areas. 

An example for a host molecule with a layerlike structure is graphite. Various types of both organic and inorganic inclusion compounds, as well as stoichiometric and nonstoichiometric compounds, are known. 

Inorganic inclusions in polymeric membranes can also be used to increase the stability of the membrane layers operating under high-pressure conditions. In the case of facilitated transport membranes, CNTs have been successfully embedded in the polymeric hydrophilic matrix with the aim of improving the mechanical stability of the water-swollen matrix for natural gas sweetening [56,57]. 

The incorporation of nanoparticles into polymer materials can yield a material that combines the advantages of both the inorganic inclusions (e.g., stiffness and conductivity) and the organic polymer (e.g., flexibility and processability). Controlling the distribution of nanopattides on the nanoscale can enhance these advantages and result in novel nanocomposite materials with altogether new properties. 

Xu W, Vittal JJ, Puddephatt RJ (1995) Inorganic inclusion chemistry a novel anion inclusion system. J Am Chem Soc 117 8362-8371... 

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