Jorge Ramírez-Ortiz

A catalytic application of Cu2O and CuO films deposited over fiberglass

Abstract With the purpose of utilizing copper oxides over fiberglass as a novel catalyst material in oxidation reactions, we have used the chemical vapor deposition of 2,4-pentanedionate copper(II) as a precursor and fiberglass as substrate. The deposition of copper oxides was achieved in a horizontal-flow reactor using O2 as carrier-reactant gas at several deposition temperatures. Copper species deposited on fiberglass were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–visible spectrophotometry (UV–VIs) and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) techniques. The fiberglass coated with copper oxides showed a catalytic activity for the oxidation of ethanol into a stream of air at different temperatures in a pulse microreactor.

Chemical vapor deposition of 6CuO·Cu2O films on fiberglass

Abstract To coat fiberglass with copper oxides, in particular with the paramelaconite structure 6CuO·Cu 2 O, we have used the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) procedure of a copper precursor. The deposition of copper oxides was done using a horizontal-flow reactor, 2,4-pentanedionate copper(II) as precursor and O 2 as carrier-reactant gas at several deposition temperatures. In order to establish a correlation between experimental parameters and the resulting copper species, as well as film quality, the samples that were produced, were evaluated using techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), visible spectrophotometry, scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The most important result is that 6CuO·Cu 2 O thin films are obtained over a short range of deposition temperatures. The film growth of this copper phase occurred in the [202] and [004] directions.

Metakaolinite as a catalyst for biodiesel production from waste cooking oil

The use of metakaolinite as a catalyst in the transesterification reaction of waste cooking oil with methanol to obtain fatty acid methyl esters (biodiesel) was studied. Kaolinite was thermally activated by dehydroxylation to obtain the metakaolinite phase. Metakaolinite samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption-desorption, simultaneous thermogravimetric analyse/differential scanning calorimetry (TGA/DSC) experiments on the thermal decomposition of kaolinite and Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) analysis. Parameters related to the transesterification reaction, including temperature, time, the amount of catalyst and the molar ratio of waste cooking oil to methanol, were also investigated. The transesterification reaction produced biodiesel in a maximum yield of 95% under the following conditions: metakaolinite, 5 wt-% (relative to oil); molar ratio of oil to methanol, 1:23; reaction temperature, 160°C; reaction time, 4 h. After eight consecutive reaction cycles, the metakaolinite can be recovered and reused after being washed and dried. The biodiesel thus obtained exhibited a viscosity of 5.4 mm2·s−1 and a density of 900.1 kg·m−3. The results showed that metakaolinite is a prominent, inexpensive, reusable and thermally stable catalyst for the transesterification of waste cooking oil.

Zacatecas (Mexico) Companies Extract Hg from Surface Soil Contaminated by Ancient Mining Industries

In Zacatecas, Mexico, four plants are operating to extract Ag, Au, and Hg using CaS2O3 solution from surface soil containing tailings from the amalgamation method used during 1550–1900. The metal ions extracted are cemented by scrap Cu wires. Hg is separated by evaporation from the cemented amalgam and Ag and Au are obtained from the residue. A part of the soil to be leached was separated and leached as in the industrial process. Only 121 ppm of Hg was freed from 168 ppm of extractable Hg. About a half of the remaining Hg in the soil evaporated during 18 months. This confirms that the Hg in the soil is metallic. Pb and As are also freed in the same process. It is estimated that 13 000–34 000 t of Hg had been discarded in the extraction of Ag.

Biodiesel production from waste frying oil in sub- and supercritical methanol on a zeolite Y solid acid catalyst

Waste frying oil (WFO) is a very important feedstock for obtaining biodiesel at low cost and using WFO in transesterification reactions to produce biodiesel helps eliminate local environmental problems. In this study biodiesel was produced from WFO in sub- and supercritical methanol on a zeolite Y solid acid catalyst. The procedure was optimized using a design of experiments by varying the methanol to WFO molar ratio, the reaction temperature, and the amount of catalyst. Typical biodiesel yields varied from 83 to nearly 100% with methyl esters content ranging from 1.41–1.66 mol·L−1 and typical dynamic viscosities of 22.1–8.2 cP. Gas chromatography was used to determine the molecular composition of the biodiesel. The reaction products contained over 82 wt-% methyl esters, 4.2 wt-% free acids, 13.5 wt-% monoglycerides, and 0.3 wt-% diglycerides. The transesterification of WFO with methanol around its critical temperature combined with a zeolite Yas an acid catalyst is an efficient approach for the production of biodiesel with acceptable yields.

Self-Cleaning Test of Doped Anatase-Coated Glass Plates

Doped anatase thin films on glass were deposited by ultra-spinning from titanium isopropoxide-based sol-gels. To test the self-cleaning properties of anatase-coated glass, crystalline fluoranthene, a polycyclic aromatic compound, was sprayed over the glass and then irradiated using a 365 nm UV source. This anthropogenic contaminant was removed until 98 wt.% at 140 h of irradiation time with the 2 wt.% zinc ferrite-doped anatase film. The fluoranthene proportion degraded on anatase-free glass was much lower than with anatase coating giving only 12% for an irradiation time of 140 h. In this form, the coated-glass transparency was recovered almost totally at this irradiation time for the doped anatase film mentioned, which did not occur with anatase-free glass, even after more than 400 h of UV irradiation. A correlation was found between the total weight losses of the solid compound and the intensity of the Raman vibration at 671 cm-1 during photocatalytic degradation. After 140 h of irradiation, while the presence of fluoranthene is not detected by Raman spectroscopy, glass plate presented ultra-thin zones of degradation products. Thus, the removal of these intermediate products deposited on glass was directly measured by means of weight difference. The self-cleaning properties of doped anatase coating on window glass could have a positive influence on outdoor and indoor air quality. In this work, degradation mechanisms and intermediate products were not discussed or identified.

Self-Cleaning Tests of Zn-Fe/Anatase-Coated Glass Plates under Direct and Diffuse Sunlight

Thin films of anatase (TiO2) doped with 1 wt. percent of zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) were formed on glass plates by deposition of a sol-gel mixture using an ultra-spinning technique. After the preparation, the TiO2 films with a thickness of 168-232 nm were investigated with respect to their UV absorption capability and photo-degradation of organic molecules. Microscope observations of the surface of TiO2 films showed that they exhibit a micro-granular surface. To test the self-cleaning properties of the doped TiO2 films, a layer of fluoranthene of around 6.5 mg was sprayed over the glass and then exposed to direct or diffuse solar radiation. While the coated-glass transparency was totally recovered at 88 h of direct solar exposure for the undoped anatase film, the covering of fluoranthene on the 1 wt. percent ZnFe2O4-doped TiO2 film was degraded totally at 52 h of exposure time. As complementary experiments, the same glass plates with metal oxide-doped anatase films, after spraying with a similar layer of the organic contaminant, were placed under diffuse sunlight. In a typical experiment, the covering of fluoranthene was degraded almost 100 percent at an exposure time of 48 days and the transparency of glass plates was recovered totally at 55 days of indirect solar exposure. A correlation was found between the weight losses of the solid contaminant and the intensity of the Raman vibration at 672 cm-1. It was found that under diffuse solar irradiation is possible to remove completely a fluoranthene layer generating an expected application of these active surfaces under extreme conditions.