Fly ash (FA) and exhausted bed sands (sands wastes) that are generated in biomass burners for energy production are two of the wastes generated in the pulp and paper industry. The worldwide production of FA biomass is estimated at 10 million tons/year and is expected to increase. In this context, the present work aims to develop one-part alkali-activated materials with biomass FA (0-100 wt.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOrdinary Portland Cement is the most widely used binder in the construction sector; however, a very high carbon footprint is associated with its production process. Consequently, more sustainable alternative construction materials are being investigated, namely, one-part alkali activated materials (AAMs). In this work, waste-based one-part AAMs binders were developed using only a blast furnace slag, as the solid precursor, and sodium metasilicate, as the solid activator.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe use of wastes, some of them hazards, as raw materials of ceramic pigments has been a way to diminish their environmental impact, to economically valorize them, and to face the depletion of virgin raw materials. In this work were prepared pigments having in their composition only industrial wastes: Cr/Ni electroplating (ES), and sludges from the cutting of natural stones-marble (MS) and granite (GS). The prepared mixtures were calcined at three temperatures (1100, 1200, and 1300 °C) and the obtained powders were characterized by XRD and UV-vis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAs nanomaterials are dominating 21st century's scene, multiple functionality in a single (nano)structure is becoming very appealing. Inspired by the Land of the Rising Sun, we designed a bifunctional (gas-sensor/photochromic) nanomaterial, made with TiO whose surface was simultaneously decorated with copper and silver (the Cu/Ag molar ratio being 3:1). This nanomaterial outperformed previous state-of-the-art TiO-based sensors for the detection of acetone, as well as the Cu-TiO-based photochromic material.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBecause of its electrically conducting properties combined with excellent thermal stability and transparency throughout the visible spectrum, tin oxide (SnO) is extremely attractive as a transparent conducting material for applications in low-emission window coatings and solar cells, as well as in lithium-ion batteries and gas sensors. It is also an important catalyst and catalyst support for oxidation reactions. Here, we describe a novel nonaqueous sol-gel synthesis approach to produce tin oxide nanoparticles (NPs) with a low NP size dispersion.
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