Youssef M. Mikhail

Methanol Oxidation on Platinum‐Tin Catalysts Dispersed on Poly(3‐methyl)thiophene Conducting Polymer

Platinum-tin catalysts were prepared by electrodeposition on poly(3-methyl)thiophene to investigate the effect of catalyst support and Pt loading on the electrochemical oxidation of methanol. The polymer-catalyst assembly was characterized by SEM/EDX, surface area measurements, and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS). The Pt-Sn catalyst deposited in the hydrogen adsorption potential region showed an order of magnitude higher surface area. RBS studies enabled the estimation of the thickness and the distribution of the catalyst layer in the conducting polymer support

Electrochemical Oxidation of Methanol at Chemically Prepared Platinum‐Ruthenium Alloy Electrodes

Chemically prepared Pt-Ru alloy catalysts were investigated to study the effects of temperature, Pt loading, and heat-treatment on the kinetics of methanol oxidation in acid electrolyte. The maximum current density obtained for the Pt-Ru catalyst, dispersed on Vulcan XC-72R carbon, was about 600 mA/cm 2 at 60°C and a Pt loading of 2.05 mg/cm 2 . The maximum catalytic shift due to the Ru modification of Pt was 200 mV at a current density of 160 mA/cm 2 . The activation energy for methanol oxidation is similar for both Pt and Pt-Ru

Characterization of New Corrosion Resistant Nickel‐Zinc‐Phosphorus Alloys Obtained by Electrodeposition

The electrodeposition of a family of NiZnP coatings was studied at a rotating cylinder electrode by varying the temperature (45 o -80 o C) and the applied current density (0.03-0.95 A/cm 2 ). Two of the coatings were nickel-rich, two were zinc-rich, and a fifth coating had approximately equal amounts of Ni and Zn. The coatings were characterized using SEM/EDX and Auger depth profile techniques

Electrodialysis performance when recycling dilute nickel solutions directly into a plating bath

This work was performed to determine membrane performance characteristics when using low current electrodialysis to recover and recycle nickel (salts) from dilute waste waters. Results showed that nickel at typical plating rinse concentrations (3000 p.p.m.) can be transferred electrically across commercially available membranes, and directly into a concentrated Watts nickel plating bath (72,000 p.p.m.). Recovery at approximately 90% current efficiency was possible at current densities as low as 3.0 mA/cm2. Nickel and co-transported water were routinely recycled as a relatively concentrated solution which would not cause dilution, since it was well above plating bath strength at all but the lowest current densities.

A High Surface Area Platinum Catalyst Prepared from Uranium Platinum Carbide for the Electrochemical Oxidation of Methanol

This patent describes a high surface area platinum catalyst which has been prepared by the electrochemical processing of uranium platinum carbide. This Raney-type catalyst has a roughness factor exceeding 3000. The methanol oxidation current at this catalyst was about 1.8 A/cm{sup 2} at 60{degrees}C and a polarization of 1.2 V. Due to the high activity of the catalyst, the inhibition of methanol oxidation at more positive potentials and the consequent hysteresis in the oxidation response were not observed. The preparation, characterization, and evaluation of this catalyst material are also described.

Transport depletion for nickel recovery

Abstract The potential usefulness of the transport depletion process to recycle nickel salts from dilute solutions was investigated and compared with the electrodialysis process. Results showed that nickel salts could be transferred against a 22: 1 concentration ratio, at rates proportional to applied current, but performance in terms of yield per kilowatt-hour and water co-transport was inferior to that of electrodialysis. Means for improvement and for anticipating performance efficiency in other applications are suggested.