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The presented work describes the autoxidation of alpha-pinene for the first time using a catalyst based on activated carbon from biomass with introduced Fe. The raw material for the preparation of the carbon material was waste orange peel, which was activated with a KOH solution. The following instrumental methods characterized the obtained catalyst (Fe/O_AC):N2 adsorption at 77 K, XRD, UV, SEM, TEM, X-ray microanalysis, and catalytic studies. It was shown that the Fe/O_AC catalyst was very active in the autoxidation of alpha-pinene. The main reaction products were: alpha-pinene oxide, verbenone, verbenol, and campholenic aldehyde.

The article presents a detailed study and characterization of the oxide layers on the surface of iron particles of various sizes. Ten iron samples with a size range from a few nm to 50 &micro, m were studied in detail using SEM, TEM, XRD, and TGA analysis. The composition of the multiphase oxide layers on the powder surface was investigated. The main components of the oxide layer were FeO, Fe3O4, and Fe2O3. By the obtained data, a model for the calculation of a multiphase oxide layer thickness on the surface of iron particles was proposed. The proposed model was validated and can be used for the characterization and certification of micro&ndash, and nanoscale iron particles.

To realize light-weight materials with high strength and ductility, an effective route is to incorporate strong and stiff metallic elements in light-weight matrices. Based on this approach, in this work, magnesium–iron (Mg-Fe) composites were designed and characterized for their microstructure and mechanical properties. The Mg-Fe binary system has extremely low solubility of Fe in the Mg-rich region. Pure magnesium was incorporated with 5, 10, and 15 wt.% Fe particles to form Mg-Fe metal–metal composites by the disintegrated melt deposition technique, followed by hot extrusion. Results showed that the iron content influences (i) the distribution of Fe particles in the Mg matrix, (ii) grain refinement, and (iii) change in crystallographic orientation. Mechanical testing showed that amongst the composites, Mg-5Fe had the highest hardness, strength, and ductility due to (a) the uniform distribution of Fe particles in the Mg matrix, (b) grain refinement, (c) texture randomization, (d) Fe particles acting as effective reinforcement, and (e) absence of deleterious interfacial reactions. Under impression creep, the Mg-5Fe composite had a creep rate similar to those of commercial creep-resistant AE42 alloys and Mg ceramic composites at 473 K. Factors influencing the performance of Mg-5Fe and other Mg metal–metal composites having molybdenum, niobium, and titanium (elements with low solubility in Mg) are presented and discussed.

Rivers are significant contributors of Fe to theocean. However, the characteristics of chemically reactive Fe remain poorly constrained, especially in large Arctic rivers, which drain landscapes highly susceptible to climate change and carbon cycle alteration. The aim of this study was a detailed characterisation (size, mineralogy, and speciation) of riverine Fe-bearing particles (> 0.22 µm) and colloids (1 kDa – 0.22 µm) and their association with organic carbon (OC), in the Lena River and tributaries, which drain a catchment almost entirely underlain by permafrost. Samples fromthe main channel and tributaries representing watersheds that span a wide rangein topography and lithology were taken after the spring flood in June 2013 and summer baseflow in July 2012. Fe-bearing particles were identified, usingTransmission Electron Microscopy, as large (200 nm – 1 µm) aggregates of smaller (20 nm - 30 nm) spherical colloids of chemically-reactive ferrihydrite.In contrast, there were also large (500 nm – 1 µm) aggregates of clay (illite) particles and smaller (100 - 200 nm) iron oxide particles (dominantly hematite) that contain poorly reactive Fe. TEM imaging and Scanning Transmission X-raymicroscopy (STXM) indicated that the ferrihydrite is present as discrete particles within networks of amorphous particulate organic carbon (POC) and attached to the surface of primary produced organic matter and clay particles.Together, these larger particles act as the main carriers of nanoscale ferrihydrite in the Lena River basin. The chemically reactive ferrihydrite accounts for on average 70 ± 15 % of the total suspended Fe in the Lena River and tributaries. These observations place important constraints on Fe and OC cycling in the Lena River catchment area and Fe-bearing particle transport to the Arctic Ocean. The Lena River Study

Humic acid-coated goethite nanoparticles (HA-GoeNPs) have been recently proposed as an effective reagent for the in situ nanoremediation of contaminated aquifers. However, the effective dosage of these particles has been studied only at laboratory scale to date. This study investigates the possibility of using HA-GoeNPs in remediation of real field sites by mimicking the injection and transport of HA-GoeNPs under realistic conditions. To this purpose, a three-dimensional (3D) transport experiment was conducted in a large-scale container representing a heterogeneous unconfined aquifer. Monitoring data, including particle size distribution, total iron (Fetot) content and turbidity measurements, revealed a good subsurface mobility of the HA-GoeNP suspension, especially within the higher permeability zones. A radius of influence of 2 m was achieved, proving that HA-GoeNPs delivery is feasible for aquifer restoration. A flow and transport model of the container was built using the numerical code Micro and Nanoparticle transport Model in 3D geometries (MNM3D) to predict the particle behavior during the experiment. The agreement between modeling and experimental results validated the capability of the model to reproduce the HA-GoeNP transport in a 3D heterogeneous aquifer. Such result confirms MNM3D as a valuable tool to support the design of field-scale applications of goethite-based nanoremediation.

Tribology Letters, 40 (3), ISSN:1023-8883, ISSN:1573-2711

Dispersion of iron was achieved on waste silk fibers (wSF) after grafting of polydopamine (PDA). The catalytic activity of the resulting material (wSF-DA/Fe) was investigated in Fenton-like removal of toxic aromatic dyes (Methylene Blue, Cationic Violet X-5BLN, and Reactive Orange GRN) water. The dye removal yield reached 98%, 99%, and 98% in 10&ndash, 40 min for Methylene Blue, Cationic Violet X-5BLN, and Reactive Orange GRN, respectively. The catalytic activity was explained in terms of the effects of temperature, dyes, and electrolytes. In addition, the kinetic study showed that the removal of dyes followed pseudo-1st order adsorption kinetics. These findings allow envisaging the preparation of fiber-based catalysts for potential uses in environmental and green chemistry.

Fe/SiO2 is shown to be a selective catalyst for guaiacol hydrodeoxygenation (HDO). Guaiacol is used as a model compound to study the conversion of lignin pyrolysis vapours into aromatics (benzene, phenols). The effect of each individual gas present in a pyrolysis gas (H2, CO, CO2, H2O, CH4) on the selectivity of a 10 wt% Fe/SiO2 catalyst is studied (673 K, atmospheric pressure, 50 mol% H2, 1/WHSV = 0.6 gcat h/ggua). The speciation of the iron phase (metallic (α-Fe), carbide (Fe5C2), oxide (Fe3O4), and super-paramagnetic) in spent catalysts is revealed by XRD and Mossbauer spectroscopy as a function of gases composition. At least 3 types of carbonaceous deposit were evidenced by TPO analysis. TEM observations showed that iron particles size is not markedly affected by the reaction and that carbon deposit mainly occurs in the vicinity of iron particles. When all the gases except methane (Guaiacol + H2 + CO + CO2 + H2O) are simultaneously in the feed stream, the conditions are still sufficiently reducing to maintain the activity of the catalyst (66% of benzene and toluene carbon yield, 7.5 gcat h/ggua). The effects of support (silica or activated carbon-AC) and iron loading (5, 10, 15 wt% Fe/SiO2) were also studied. 10 wt% Fe/AC has a higher selectivity in phenol and cresols production than Fe/SiO2. Active sites and reaction mechanisms are discussed.

Powder metallurgy (PM) nickel steels are often selected because they have high strength, high impact resistance and good abrasion resistance. The microstructure of slowly cooled PM nickel steels typically contains pearlite, bainite, martensite and a fair volume fraction of retained austenite. Since volume diffusion is really low at conventional sintering temperatures [1120- 1150uC (2050-2100uF)], nickel rich areas are usually found where prior admixed nickel particles were located, i.e. at the surface of iron particles and in sintering necks. Therefore, there is a discrepancy between the rather low mechanical properties of austenite and the high strength of PM nickel steel. Hence, the hypotheses that stress induced or strain induced martensite formation takes place during mechanical testing have been investigated. Results show that martensite forms during mechanical testing, and its final volume fraction is proportional to nickel content. © 2013 Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.

International audience; Iron-based nanoparticles are prepared by a laser-induced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. They are characterized as body-centered Fe and Fe2O3 (maghemite/magnetite) particles with sizes ::;5 and 10 nm, respectively. The Fe particles are embedded in a protective carbon matrix. Both kind of particles are dispersed by spin-coating on SiO2/Si(1 0 0) flat substrates. They are used as catalyst to grow carbon nanotubes by a plasma- and filaments-assisted catalytic CVD process (PE-HF-CCVD). Vertically oriented and thin carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were grown with few differences between the two samples, except the diameter in relation to the initial size of the iron particles, and the density. The electron field emission of these samples exhibit quite interesting behavior with a low turn-on voltage at around 1 V/mm.

The preparation of Fe-particles by reduction of FeSO4 with either sodium borohydride or lithium triethylborohydride in water, and reverse micelles in rapeseed and mineral oil phases is described in electrochemical terms. The influence of surfactants on the electrochemical parameters and resulting size of iron particles was studied as well. The resulting size of Fe-particles synthesized in water (with and without surfactants) correlates with the determined values of open circuit potential (OCP): the more negative OCP, the obtained Fe-particles are bigger, because values of OCP correspond to different range of polarization determined for the reduction of Fe2+. The sizes of Fe-particles synthesized in water or oil phases without surfactants using LiBEt3H are less than using NaBH4 because of electrochemical factors. By varying oils and surfactants it is possible to obtain opposite results as in water phase: smaller Fe-particles obtained using NaBH4 than using LiBEt3H. It is explained by the simultaneous influence of electrochemical and steric stabilization factors, and the last one becomes dominating in some cases.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.18.3.2429

Core(Cr)/shell(gamma-Fe(2)O(3)) nanoparticles were synthesized by mixing Fe(CO)(5) and Cr(CO)(6) in the 9:1 ratio. These particles exhibit narrow size distribution with 13.5 nm as mean diameter and uniform spherical shape. The TEM image, which is in good agreement with the synchrotron powder XRD pattern, reveals the heterogeneous nature (core/shell structure). The analysis of the pattern reveals gamma-Fe(2)O(3) structure and a metal crystal structure. Mossbauer spectra, which support the superparamagnetic behavior determined by H-M measurement, do not show any traceable amount of Fe(0). This suggests that the metal component is Cr. EELS analysis and iron mapping suggest controlled stoichiometry and also confirm a core made of Cr and a shell made of gamma-Fe(2)O(3).