Constant capacitance in nanopores of carbon monoliths.

The results obtained for binder-free electrodes made of carbon monoliths with narrow micropore size distributions confirm that the specific capacitance in the electrolyte (C2H5)4NBF4/acetonitrile does not depend significantly on the micropore size and support the foregoing constant result of 0.094 ± 0.011 F m(-2).

The influence of pore size and surface area of activated carbons on the performance of ionic liquid based supercapacitors.

This study analyses and compares the behaviour of 5 commercial porous carbons in the ionic liquid N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (PYR14TFSI) and its mixture with propylene carbonate (PC) as electrolytes. The results of this investigation show that the existence of a distribution of pore sizes and/or constrictions at the entrance of the pores leads to significant changes in the specific capacitance of the investigated materials. The use of PYR14TFSI as an electrolyte has a positive effect on the EDLC energy storage, but its high viscosity limits the power density. The mixture 50 : 50 wt% propylene carbonate-PYR14TFSI provides high operative voltage as well as low viscosity and thus notably enhances EDLC operation.

Role of Crystalline Si and SiC Species in the Performance of Reduced Hybrid C/Si Gels as Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

In recent years, the research on lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) to improve their lifetime, efficiency and energy density has led to the use of silicon-based materials as a promising anode alternative to graphite. Specifically, crystalline silicon (cSi) and silicon carbide (SiC) obtained from deposition or reduction processes (e.g., magnesiothermal reduction) stand out for their electrochemical properties. However, the synthesis routes proposed until now have limitations that make them difficult to afford or operate on a large scale. For this reason, in this work, carbon-silicon (C-Si) hybrid materials synthesized through an efficient route are evaluated as the potential precursor for the obtention of both cSi and SiC species in a single material. The feasibility and influence of the magnesiothermal reduction process were evaluated, and materials with 10 wt.% of reduced Si and 10-26 wt.% of SiC were obtained. Both species play a role in the improvement of the performance of silicon-based materials as anodes in lithium-ion batteries. In comparison with materials obtained by the reduction of silica gels and composites, the reduced C-Si hybrid gels stand out thanks to the homogeneous distribution and stability of the species developed.

Identification of mercury species in minerals with different matrices and impurities by thermal desorption technique.

Because of its low concentration, its unique physico-chemical properties and the analytical difficulties associated with its measurement, the determination of mercury species in solids is not an easy task. Thermal desorption (HgTPD) is an attractive option for the identification of mercury species in solids due to its simplicity and accessibility. However, there are still issues that need to be solved for it to reach its full potential. One such issue is the availability of reference materials that will reproduce real mercury associations. The novelty of this study is the use of six uncommon mercury minerals, taken from around the world, and a sphalerite sample to expand the data base of reference materials for mercury speciation by thermal desorption at programmed temperature. In addition, by using such materials, a number of matrix effects can be ascertained. Different mercury associations were identified depending on the temperature of desorption, thereby validating the thermal desorption as a reliable technique for mercury speciation in solid samples and as a consequence improving the knowledge of the geochemistry of mercury in the environment.

Reduced graphite oxide in supercapacitor electrodes.

The current energy needs have put the focus on highly efficient energy storage systems such as supercapacitors. At present, much attention focuses on graphene-like materials as promising supercapacitor electrodes. Here we show that reduced graphite oxide offers a very interesting potential. Materials obtained by oxidation of natural graphite and subsequent sonication and reduction by hydrazine achieve specific capacitances as high as 170 F/g in H2SO4 and 84F/g in (C2H5)4NBF4/acetonitrile. Although the particle size of the raw graphite has no significant effect on the physico-chemical characteristics of the reduced materials, that exfoliated from smaller particles (<75 µm) result more advantageous for the release of the stored electrical energy. This effect is particularly evident in the aqueous electrolyte. Graphene-like materials may suffer from a drop in their specific surface area upon fabrication of electrodes with features of the existing commercial devices. This should be taken into account for a reliable interpretation of their performance in supercapacitors.

Gasification of the char derived from distillation of granulated scrap tyres.

This work reports the effect of pressure on the steam/oxygen gasification at 1000°C of the char derived from low temperature-pressure distillation of granulated scrap tyres (GST). The study was based on the analysis of gas production, carbon conversion, cold gas efficiency and the high heating value (HHV) of the product. For comparison, similar analyses were carried out for the gasification of coals with different rank. In spite of the relatively high ash (≈12 wt.%) and sulphur (≈3 wt.%) contents, the char produced in GST distillation can be regarded as a reasonable solid fuel with a calorific value of 34MJkg(-1). The combustion properties of the char (E(A)≈50 kJ mol(-1)), its temperature of self-heating (≈264°C), ignition temperature (≈459°C) and burn-out temperature (≈676°C) were found to be similar to those of a semi-anthracite. It is observed that the yield, H(2) and CO contents and HHV of the syngas produced from char gasification increase with pressure. At 0.1 MPa, 4.6 Nm(3)kg(char)(-1) of syngas was produced, containing 28%v/v of H(2) and CO and with a HHV around 3.7 MJ Nm(-3). At 1.5 MPa, the syngas yield achieved 4.9N m(3)kg(char)(-1) with 30%v/v of H(2)-CO and HHV of 4.1 MJ Nm(-3). Carbon conversion significantly increased from 87% at 0.1 MPa to 98% at 1.5 MPa. It is shown that the char derived from distillation of granulated scrap tyres can be further gasified to render a gas of considerable heating value, especially when gasification proceeds at high pressure.

Distillation of granulated scrap tires in a pilot plant.

This paper reports the pyrolytic treatment of granulated scrap tires (GST) in a pilot distillation unit at moderate temperature (550°C) and atmospheric pressure, to produce oil, char and gas products. Tire-derived oil is a complex mixture of organic C(5)-C(24) compounds, including a very large proportion of aromatic compounds. This oil has a high gross calorific value (∼ 43 MJ kg(-1)) and N and S contents of 0.4% and 0.6%, respectively, falling within the specifications of certain heating fuels. The distillation gas is composed of hydrocarbons; methane and n-butane are the most abundant, investing the distillation gas with a very high gross calorific value (∼ 68 MJ Nm(-3)). This gas is transformed into electric power by a co-generation turbine. The distillation char is mostly made of carbon but with significant inorganic impurities (∼ 12 wt%). The quality of the solid residue of the process is comparable to that of some commercial chars. The quantity of residual solids, and the qualities of the gas, liquid and solid fractions, are similar to those obtained by conventional pyrolytic treatments of waste tires. However, the simplicity of the proposed technology and its low investment costs make it a very attractive alternative.