Determination of diffusion coefficients through gels with non-negligible finite-volume effects in the compartments of the diffusion cell.

Diffusion cells are used to measure diffusion coefficients (D) in gels. These measurements are of interest to understand and predict the availability of nutritive or toxic chemical species in waters, soils and sediments. When the diffusive flux from the donor to the acceptor compartment is constant (steady-state regime), D is determined from the slope of the linear plot of the acceptor concentration vs time.

Reversed Mg-Based Smectites: A New Approach for CO Adsorption.

Addressing climate change requires transitioning to cleaner energy sources and adopting advanced CO capture techniques. Clay minerals are effective in CO adsorption due to their regenerative properties. Recent advancements in nanotechnology further improve their efficiency and potential for use in carbon capture and storage.

Microwave-assisted acid treatment for the mineral transformation of chrysotile as an alternative for asbestos waste management.

In this work, the effect of microwave-assisted acid treatments on the morphological and crystallochemical characteristics of chrysotile fibers is investigated. A low concentration of nitric acid (0.2 N) is used to remove Mg-species located in the octahedral sheet of its structure, thereby causing a crystallo-chemical change forming a skeleton of non-crystalline amorphous silica.

Molecular Aspects in Porous Silicas Related to Adsorption and Catalytic Processes.

The aim of this special issue is to show the advances in the different applications that inorganic materials based on silica have had in recent years [...