Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 1998

This thesis is submitted as a portfolio of peer-reviewed publications. / For many geochemical systems, reaction kinetics determines the system's current status and evolution. It might also be the key to unraveling their thermal history. In metal sulfide systems, kinetic studies have been carried out on four sets of solid-state transitions/transformations in Fe-Ni-S and Ni-S systems. In this work, a new kinetic model, the Refined Avrami method, has been developed to account for reactions involving changes in reaction mechanisms. Nonstoichiometric compounds are commonly present in these reactions. The exsolution of pentladite from the monosulfide solid solution (mss) is an important reaction in the formation of nickel ores. For near equimolar mss compositions, the reaction rate is rapid even in the low temperature ranges. For bulk composition Fe₀.₇₇ Ni₀.₁₉ S, the experimental results show the reaction rates ( mss → pentlandite ) vary from 1.6x10⁻⁵ to 5.0x10⁻⁷ s⁻¹ at 200 °C and from 9.4x10⁻⁵ to 4.1x10⁻⁷ s⁻¹ at 300 °C. The activation energy, E [subscript a], varies during the course of reaction from 49.6 kJ.mol⁻¹ at the beginning of reaction (nucleation mechanism is dominant) to 20.7 kJ.mol⁻¹ at the end (crystal growth mechanism is dominant). Monosulfide solid solution (mss) is a common intermediate phase observed during the oxidation of nickel ores, such as violarite and pentlandite. The investigation of mss oxidation is of benefit in understanding the thermal behavior of economically important metal sulfides during smelting. The oxidation products of mss vary in our samples depending on their compositions. Apart from the common oxidation products hematite and Ni₁ ₇ S₁₈, Fe₂ (SO₄) ₃ was observed during the oxidation of Fe₇ . ₉ S₈ and pentlandite for Fe₆ . ₁ ₅Ni₁ . ₅₄ S₈ . The activation energy was determined using a model-free method. The oxidation of Fe₆.₄ Ni₁.₆ S₈ exhibited a higher E [subscript a] than Fe₆ . ₁ ₅Ni₁ . ₅₄ S₈ over the course of the reaction. The E [subscript a] increases with reaction extent (y) from 67.1 to 103.3 kJ.mol⁻¹ for mss composition Fe₆ . ₁ ₅Ni₁ . ₅₄ S₈ and from 76.1 to 195.0 kJ.mol⁻¹ for Fe₆.₄ Ni₁.₆ S₈ . The kinetic study of the α - Ni₁₋ ₓ S → β - NiS transition shows that initial compositions of α - Ni₁₋ ₓ S plays an important role in the kinetics of the transition. The activation energy ( E [subscript a] ) for this α - to β - phase transition is 16.0 ( ± 0.5 ) kJ.mol⁻¹ for NiS in the temperature range 70 to 150 °C, and 13.0 (± 0.5) kJ.mol⁻¹ in the temperature range 250 to 350 °C. For Ni₀. ₉₇ S, however, E [subscript a] deceases from 73.0 ( ± 0.5 ) to 17.0 ( ± 0.5 ) kJ.mol⁻¹ over the course of the reaction in the temperature range 300 to 320 °C. The relationship between E [subscript a] and extent of transition (y) for the initial bulk Ni₀. ₉₇ S was derived using the Refined Avrami method. For Ni deficient compositions, α - Ni₁₋ₓ S, the transformation to β-NiS is accompanied by the exsolution of either a progressively more Ni deficient α-Ni₁₋ₓ S and Ni₃ S₄ , and the reactions become more sluggish for more metal deficient compositions. The study of oxidation kinetics of α-NiS is of metallurgical interest, as α-NiS related phases may occur when nickel ores are flash smelted to produce nickel matte. In an open air environment, the oxidation mechanisms of α-NiS are constant at 670 and 680 °C, dominated by the direct oxidation of α-NiS → NiO. The dominant oxidation mechanism changes to a chain reaction : α-NiS → [superscript k] ₁ Ni₃ S₂ → [superscript k] ₂ NiO at 700 °C. Therefore, different kinetic models need to be applied to these two distinct reaction mechanisms. Activation energy for the oxidation, α-NiS → NiO, in the temperature range 670 to 680 °C was calculated to be 868.2 kJ.mol⁻¹ using Avrami/Arrhenius method. Rate constant k₁ and k₂ are approximated to be 3 x 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹ and 5 x 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹ for the first part and second part of the chain reaction respectively at 700 ° C. The study of the variation in reaction rate with oxidation time illustrates the optimum oxidation time zone for each temperature, where NiO can be produced at the fastest rate. / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Chemical Engineering, 2005.

Graduation date: 2004

This thesis is submitted as a portfolio of peer-reviewed publications. / For many geochemical systems, reaction kinetics determines the system's current status and evolution. It might also be the key to unraveling their thermal history. In metal sulfide systems, kinetic studies have been carried out on four sets of solid-state transitions/transformations in Fe-Ni-S and Ni-S systems. In this work, a new kinetic model, the Refined Avrami method, has been developed to account for reactions involving changes in reaction mechanisms. Nonstoichiometric compounds are commonly present in these reactions. The exsolution of pentladite from the monosulfide solid solution (mss) is an important reaction in the formation of nickel ores. For near equimolar mss compositions, the reaction rate is rapid even in the low temperature ranges. For bulk composition Fe₀.₇₇ Ni₀.₁₉ S, the experimental results show the reaction rates ( mss → pentlandite ) vary from 1.6x10⁻⁵ to 5.0x10⁻⁷ s⁻¹ at 200 °C and from 9.4x10⁻⁵ to 4.1x10⁻⁷ s⁻¹ at 300 °C. The activation energy, E [subscript a], varies during the course of reaction from 49.6 kJ.mol⁻¹ at the beginning of reaction (nucleation mechanism is dominant) to 20.7 kJ.mol⁻¹ at the end (crystal growth mechanism is dominant). Monosulfide solid solution (mss) is a common intermediate phase observed during the oxidation of nickel ores, such as violarite and pentlandite. The investigation of mss oxidation is of benefit in understanding the thermal behavior of economically important metal sulfides during smelting. The oxidation products of mss vary in our samples depending on their compositions. Apart from the common oxidation products hematite and Ni₁ ₇ S₁₈, Fe₂ (SO₄) ₃ was observed during the oxidation of Fe₇ . ₉ S₈ and pentlandite for Fe₆ . ₁ ₅Ni₁ . ₅₄ S₈ . The activation energy was determined using a model-free method. The oxidation of Fe₆.₄ Ni₁.₆ S₈ exhibited a higher E [subscript a] than Fe₆ . ₁ ₅Ni₁ . ₅₄ S₈ over the course of the reaction. The E [subscript a] increases with reaction extent (y) from 67.1 to 103.3 kJ.mol⁻¹ for mss composition Fe₆ . ₁ ₅Ni₁ . ₅₄ S₈ and from 76.1 to 195.0 kJ.mol⁻¹ for Fe₆.₄ Ni₁.₆ S₈ . The kinetic study of the α - Ni₁₋ ₓ S → β - NiS transition shows that initial compositions of α - Ni₁₋ ₓ S plays an important role in the kinetics of the transition. The activation energy ( E [subscript a] ) for this α - to β - phase transition is 16.0 ( ± 0.5 ) kJ.mol⁻¹ for NiS in the temperature range 70 to 150 °C, and 13.0 (± 0.5) kJ.mol⁻¹ in the temperature range 250 to 350 °C. For Ni₀. ₉₇ S, however, E [subscript a] deceases from 73.0 ( ± 0.5 ) to 17.0 ( ± 0.5 ) kJ.mol⁻¹ over the course of the reaction in the temperature range 300 to 320 °C. The relationship between E [subscript a] and extent of transition (y) for the initial bulk Ni₀. ₉₇ S was derived using the Refined Avrami method. For Ni deficient compositions, α - Ni₁₋ₓ S, the transformation to β-NiS is accompanied by the exsolution of either a progressively more Ni deficient α-Ni₁₋ₓ S and Ni₃ S₄ , and the reactions become more sluggish for more metal deficient compositions. The study of oxidation kinetics of α-NiS is of metallurgical interest, as α-NiS related phases may occur when nickel ores are flash smelted to produce nickel matte. In an open air environment, the oxidation mechanisms of α-NiS are constant at 670 and 680 °C, dominated by the direct oxidation of α-NiS → NiO. The dominant oxidation mechanism changes to a chain reaction : α-NiS → [superscript k] ₁ Ni₃ S₂ → [superscript k] ₂ NiO at 700 °C. Therefore, different kinetic models need to be applied to these two distinct reaction mechanisms. Activation energy for the oxidation, α-NiS → NiO, in the temperature range 670 to 680 °C was calculated to be 868.2 kJ.mol⁻¹ using Avrami/Arrhenius method. Rate constant k₁ and k₂ are approximated to be 3 x 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹ and 5 x 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹ for the first part and second part of the chain reaction respectively at 700 ° C. The study of the variation in reaction rate with oxidation time illustrates the optimum oxidation time zone for each temperature, where NiO can be produced at the fastest rate. / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Chemical Engineering, 2005.

<P> The occurrence of silver in galena, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and pyrite as well as tailings from Cart Lake, Cobalt Ontario were investigated to compare with the undetectable ( <10^-11 g/g) Ag found in runoff water from the Cobalt area. </p> <p> Silver was detected at very low levels: 0.012 wt% ± 0.009 wt%, 0.015 wt% ± 0.01 wt%, and 0.0062 wt% ±0.02 wt% for pyrite, galena and chalcopyrite, respectively. </p> <p> Attempts to characterize the mineralogical associations of silver were not successful. The silver sequence of pyrite> galena> chalcopyrite is contrary to results from other studies. This may be due to the maximum thermal stabilities of the minerals in relation to the ions available for replacement. </p> / Thesis / Bachelor of Science (BSc)

[Truncated abstract] Corrosion of steel structures caused by sulphide is a common engineering problem encountered by many industries, such as the petroleum, chemical processing, mining and mineral processing industries. The control of sulphide corrosion is still a controversial topic among corrosion engineers. There is an absence of guideline for a reliable acceptable limit of sulphide level in service and each processing industry has its own empirical values. Selection of inhibitors in the sulphide environment depends on laboratory testing before its actual application in pipelines and reaction vessels. Many investigators have postulated the corrosion mechanisms due to sulphide based on operating envelopes such as pH, chloride, manganese, hydrogen sulphide, sulphate reducing bacteria levels and inhibitor concentration. It is recommended in the literature that the batch dosing of inhibitor and biocide needs to be evaluated in regards to sulphide reducing bacteria (SRB) level, which may produce sulphide concentrations up to 2000 ppm. Although sulphide scale formation may protect the base metal by providing a physical barrier, the detrimental effects of sulphide are often inevitable, such as stress corrosion cracking, hydrogen embrittlement, etc. Currently, there are many chemicals that are used as inhibitors to prevent corrosion by scavenging the sulphide from the environment. Cerium, a rare-earth element, is not used as inhibitor in the sulphide environment. Also, there are no previous research findings on the effects of compounds of rare-earth metals, such as cerium chloride (CeCl3), in sulphide environment. This research examines the corrosion behaviour of 0.4Mo-0.8Cr steel, a High Strength Low Alloy (HSLA) steel, in sulphide-polluted artificial seawater with the addition of CeCl3 and glutaraldehyde. ... It is postulated that the moderate inhibiting effect of CeCl3 is due to the scavenging effect thereby forming Ce2S3 complex. Further reaction of sulphide with steel resulted in ferrous sulphide, leading to an increased corrosion rate. It is also concluded that the CeCl3 interferes with both anodic and cathodic reactions in deaerated conditions. Addition of glutaraldehyde in the sulphide-polluted seawater was found to decrease the corrosion rate. According to the electrochemical measurements conducted, the concurrent addition of glutaraldehyde and CeCl3 appeared to have an added effect on reducing the corrosion of the steel, as evidenced by the increase of the open circuit potential during the short-term testing. From the weight loss measurements after 60 days, sulphide pollution in deaerated seawater was found to increase corrosion rate. This is attributed to the increase of sulphide activity whereby continual dissolution of steel was encountered. From the weight loss tests, it was found that the addition of CeCl3 and glutaraldehyde reduced the corrosion rate of the steel in the solutions containing 0-10 ppm sulphide. There is no noticeable corrosion rate decrease for the solution containing 100 ppm sulphide. The added effect of CeCl3 and glutaraldehyde to the SRB medium has resulted in lower corrosion rates. Further detailed experimentation is required to elucidate the corrosion reduction mechanism in glutaraldehyde-containing environments.

Electron confinement due to the two-dimensional (2D) nature of layered materials accounts for their fascinating electronic properties and for their applications in new-generation electronic devices. Moreover, the large specific surface area of 2D materials also enables their use in surface-related applications, such as catalysis and adsorption. In addition, these 2D materials are promising photocatalysts thanks to the shorter migration distance of photogenerated electrons and of electron holes. The research reported in this thesis aimed to provide atomistic insight into 2D layered materials, particularly into their structures, electronic properties and potential applications in the field of catalysis, photocatalysis and alkali metal ion batteries. Our findings are not only theoretically relevant but also open new research avenues for our experimental collaborators to improve specific properties and activities of their materials. The main results from this thesis, for five different classes of 2D materials, are summarized below. 2D covalent organic frameworks (COFs). CTF-type COFs with similar topology but different nitrogen-to-carbon ratios were investigated for their potential in photocatalytic water splitting. More specifically, torsion and bending effects on structure stability were investigated in...