Simultaneous ultrasound and microwave new reactor: detailed description and energetic considerations.

A new reactor in which microwaves (MW), delivered by a coaxial dipole antenna, and ultrasound (US), delivered by a metallic horn, can be simultaneously used in a liquid to perform different types of processes, widely referenced in literature, is presented in detail. Calibrations of thermal energy delivered to two liquids having very different dipolar moments (i.e. water and cyclohexane) using MW and US, both separately and simultaneously, are performed by employing the traditional calorimetric method. The main results are: (i) MW and US used simultaneously increase the thermal energy delivered to the two liquids with respect to their separate use, but differently using water or cyclohexane, and (ii) the total power absorbed by polar or non polar liquids is very different, both using MW and US.

Ultrasound and microwave assisted synthesis of high loading Fe-supported Fischer-Tropsch catalysts.

Supported iron-based Fischer-Tropsch (FT) catalysts with high loading of active metal have been prepared using both traditional and innovative methods. In these latter the impregnation of silica support has been performed by adding a step involving an ultrasound (US) or a microwave (MW) treatment to improve the metal deposition and to increase the catalyst activity. FT results have indicated the catalysts prepared by US as the most efficient, particularly when sonication is performed in argon atmosphere. MW prepared samples have given results very similar to those obtained with the traditional method. In order to explain the different catalytic activity, all the samples have been characterized by BET, TPR, SEM, TEM, XRD and micro-Raman analyses.

Sono-photocatalytic degradation of 2-chlorophenol in water: kinetic and energetic comparison with other techniques.

The degradation of 2-chlorophenol in water was kinetically investigated using the following different techniques, employed either separately or simultaneously, always with the same experimental set-up: light irradiation (315-400 nm), sonication, photocatalysis with different types of TiO2, photocatalysis with sonication. The influence of the reaction volume and of different gas mixtures, containing Ar and O2, as well as O2/O3, was also investigated. Finally, an energetic comparison among these different techniques was performed, focused on an industrial application of some of them.

New ultrasonically prepared Co-based catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.

An extensive study of different preparation methods for Co/SiO2 catalysts is reported in this paper. In addition to the conventional impregnation, other more innovative methods are used including ultrasound. The prepared samples are fully characterized and tested in the CO hydrogenation (Fischer-Tropsch synthesis). The best catalytic performance, both as CO conversion and hydrocarbons selectivity, is shown by one of the sample prepared using ultrasound.

Preparation of Pd/C catalysts via ultrasound: a study of the metal distribution.

Palladium supported on active carbon catalysts was prepared using ultrasound during one of the preparation steps. An investigation of the metal distribution into the pores of the support was performed both by a deep characterization of the prepared samples and by a catalytic reaction involving some organic reactants to be reduced.