No description available.

This thesis is missing page 89, no other copy of the thesis has this page. -Digitization Centre / The vanadium mediated electrolysis of hydrogen sulphide has been demonstrated in a bench top pilot plant. The first step in the process is the absorption of hydrogen sulphide from a sour gas stream into an carbonate buffered liquor, pH 9. In the presence of citrate ion, the vanadium (V) in the liquor is reduced to vanadium (IV) by (hydro) sulphide ion, which is oxidized to yellow elemental sulphur. The vanadium (IV) rich solution is then pumped to an electrolysis cell where the vanadium (IV) is reoxidized to vanadium (V) and protons are reduced to elemental hydrogen. The reoxidized liquor is then returned to the absorber. The oxidation of vanadium (IV) to vanadium (V) in the liquor was found to be electrochemically irreversible. The current efficiency for vanadium (IV) oxidation exceeded 90 percent. The voltametric half-wave potential at platinum, was 0.34 v (vs Ag/AgCl, sat. KC1). With the slippage of sulphide or polysulphide ion into the electrolysis cells, the electrodes became passivated with electrodeposited sulphur. This resulted in an increased anode potential demand which may promote the electrosynthesis of oxygen and sulphate ion. The oxidation of vanadium (IV) at the anode releases 4 protons and acidifies the solution adjacent the electrode surface. This may induce carbon dioxide evolution and inhibit the discharge of vanadium (IV). The inhibition appears as a suppressed current and an anodic shift in the voltametric half-wave potential. This inhibition can be minimized at high pH levels in the liquor, buffer capacity., and citrate concentration. The irreversibility of the vanadium (IV/V) couple allows electrolysis cells to be constructed without a cell membrane. This is a significant advantage which will offset the cost of large electrolysis cells. Large cells will enable high energy efficiencies to hydrogen production to be realized. Energy efficiencies greater than 0.28 m3 /kwhr may be indicated. This study features a critical review of sulphide electro-oxidation, a factorial designed voltametric experiment, and a newly identified catalytic response in the polarographic analysis of sulphide ion. / Thesis / Master of Science (MS)

Several new families of organic acceptors that are candidates as building blocks of molecule-based ferrimagnets were synthesized and characterized. These families include fluorodicyanostilbenes, a tetrachlorodicyanostilbene, naphthyltricyanoethylenes, bromophenyltricyanoethylenes, and an anthryltricyanoethylene. The magnetic networks were synthesized by reacting each acceptor with V(CO)6. The magnets synthesized in this study were characterized using a SQUID magnetometer, elemental analysis, and infrared spectroscopy. Although some combinations failed to yield magnetically ordered materials, others exhibited ordering temperatures in the range of 95 K – 260 K. The ordering temperatures and saturation magnetizations were compared among families of acceptors and correlated with individual properties of the acceptors such as reduction potential and structure. / Doctor of Philosophy / Several new families of organic molecules have been created and examined for use as building blocks of molecule-based magnets. These families include fluorodicyanostilbenes, a tetrachlorodicyanostilbene, naphthyltricyanoethylenes, bromophenyltricyanoethylenes, and an anthryltricyanoethylene. The 3-D magnetic scaffoldings were created by combining an individual organic molecule in one of the families listed above with vanadium. The magnets created in this study were examined using a SQUID magnetometer, elemental analysis, and infrared spectroscopy. Some of the combinations of the organic molecules with vanadium failed to result in a 3-D magnetic scaffolding and showed no magnetic properties. Others showed magnetic properties in the below certain temperatures in the range of 95 K – 260 K. The magnetic properties were compared among families of molecules and correlated with individual properties of each molecule such as electronic effects and structure.

Gelöster Wasserstoff in Metallen führt in vielen Fällen zu einer Reduzierung der Güte von mechanischen Eigenschaften. Dies äußert sich auf vielfältige Weise und wird unter dem Begriff Wasserstoffversprödung zusammengefasst. Für ein grundlegendes Verständnis dieses Phänomens müssen die Vorgänge im Metall auf mikroskopischer Skala ergründet werden. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurde daher ein Aspekt der Wasserstoffversprödung, die Interaktion von Wasserstoff mit Versetzungen, näher untersucht. Zur Untersuchung des Einflusses von Wasserstoff auf die Versetzungsbildung wurden verschiedene Verformungsexperimente an Palladium und Vanadium durchgeführt. Prinzipielle Vorgänge der Defektbildung wurden durch Versuche an einzelnen Versetzungen unter Verwendung von Nanoindentation und Zugexperimenten im ETEM durchgeführt, um einen breiten Überblick zu erlangen. Zusätzlich wurden zum besseren Verständnis der Vorgänge Molekulardynamiksimulationen von derartigen Versuchen ausgeführt. Zur Untersuchung der Interaktion von Versetzungen miteinander wurden Säulen im Mikrometerbereich verformt und Blech durch Kaltwalzen verformt. Des Weiteren wurde durch Hochdruck-Torsion maximale Verformungen realisiert. Die verwendeten Modellmaterialien erlauben es verschiedene prinzipielle Vorgänge der Defektbildung zu untersuchen und so einen breiten Überblick über prinzipielle Vorgänge im kfz Gitter (Palladium) bzw. krz Gitter (Vanadium) zu erhalten.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:36:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T13:59:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 03874.pdf: 1911480 bytes, checksum: 99b2300cf5d2fd80de82f5c202570b88 (MD5) / Dissertacao (Mestrado) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:36:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T13:59:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 03874.pdf: 1911480 bytes, checksum: 99b2300cf5d2fd80de82f5c202570b88 (MD5) / Dissertacao (Mestrado) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP

No description available.

Elektroden aus Legierungen der Übergangsmetalle Vanadium, Titan und Niob und der reinen Metalle reagieren in Abhängigkeit von der Zusammensetzung und des mit ihnen im Kontakt stehenden wässrigen Elektrolyten in höchst unterschiedlicher Weise. Für eine systematische Untersuchung der elektrochemischen Eigenschaften der Elektroden wurden neben den reinen Metallen binäre und ternäre Legierungen aus Vanadium, Titan und Niob, die jeweils Vanadium enthalten, hergestellt. Es wurden zum ersten Mal zusammenhängend ihre physikalischen und chemischen Eigenschaften durch Strukturuntersuchungen und Untersuchungen der Zusammensetzung der Oberfläche sowie der Morphologie bestimmt. Von den, sich mit einer halbleitenden Oxidschicht überziehenden Metallen, wurden die Halbleitereigenschaften im Elektrolytkontakt studiert, die grundlegenden Korrosionseigenschaften sowie ihr elektrochemisches Verhalten als Elektrodenmaterial in potentiometrischen Zellen und durch Strom-Spannungsmessungen bestimmt. Zur Aufklärung der Kinetik der Oxidschichtbildung wurden potentiostatische Stromtransienten ermittelt und mit bekannten Modellen verglichen.

We performed atomistic modeling to study magnetic, mechanical, and thermal properties of materials. We executed molecular statics and dynamics simulations for this study, using density functional theory (DFT) and semi-empirical methods, such as embedded atom method (EAM) and modified embedded atom method (MEAM) potentials. In our first study, we showed that when Al atoms are substituted in barium hexaferrite, the total magnetization monotonically decreases due to the fact that Al atoms preferentially occupy the majorly contributing magnetic sites. The second study was to explore the diffusion mechanism of Ba atoms in hematite in order to study new techniques to build spherical nano-magnetic-particles. In the third study, we showed tungsten carbide growth is inhibited in the presence of vanadium carbide. In the fourth study, we showed how the mechanical and thermal properties of iron changes with vanadium doping with a newly developed MEAM interatomic potential. The physical properties of calcium were calculated in the next study, by the development of a MEAM potential which can be used for multiscale modeling. In the sixth study, the melting temperature of nanoparticles was analyzed and shown to decrease with a decrease of its size, confirming that the bulk properties of the material significantly change in its nano counterpart. Finally a portion of this research was dedicated for the simulation of sintering mechanisms of tungsten nanoparticles at different temperatures and pressures. While the first three studies were based on DFT, the last four studies focused on understanding physical phenomena using EAM/MEAMpotentials.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Since 1990s, rechargeable Li-ion batteries have been widely used in consumer electronics such as cell phones, global positioning systems (GPS), personnel digital assistants (PDA), digital cameras, and laptop computers. Recently Li-ion batteries received considerable attention as a major power source for electric vehicles. However, significant technical challenges still exist for widely deploying Li-ion batteries in electric vehicles. For instance, the energy density of Li-ion batteries is not high enough to support a long-distance commute. The Li-ion batteries used for the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt only can support 50 – 100 miles per charge. The cost of Li-ion battery packs in electric vehicles is still high. The battery pack for the Chevy Volt costs about $8,000, and the larger one in the Nissan Leaf costs about $12,000. To address these problems, new Li-ion battery electrode materials with high energy density and low cost should be developed. Among Li-ion battery cathode materials, vanadium pentoxide, V2O5, is one of the earliest oxides studied as a cathode for Li-ion batteries because of its low cost, abundance, easy synthesis, and high energy density. However, its practical reversible capacity has been limited due to its irreversible structural change when Li insertion is more than x = 1. Tremendous efforts have been made over the last twenty years to improve the phase reversibility of LixV2O5 (e.g., 0 ≤ x ≤ 2) because of vanadium pentoxides’ potential use as high capacity cathodes in Li-ion batteries. In this thesis, a new strategy was studied to develop vanadium pentoxide cathode materials with improved phase reversibility. The first study is to synthesize vanadium oxide cathodes via a new chemical route – creating a phase transformation from the vanadium sulfide to oxide. The β-Na0.33V2O5 was prepared via a new method of chemical synthesis, involving the chemical transformation of NaVS2 via heat-treatment at 600 °C in atmospheric air. The β-Na0.33V2O5 particles were well crystalized and rod-shaped, measuring 7–15 μm long and 1–3 μm wide with the formation of the crystal defects on the surface of the particles. In contrast to previous reports contained in the literature, Na ions were extracted, without any structural collapse, from the β -Na0.33V2O5 structure and replaced with Li ions during cycling of the cell in the voltage range, 1.5 V to 4.5 V. This eventually resulted in a fully reversible Li intercalation into the LixV2O5 structure when 0.0 ≤ x ≤ 2.0. The second study is to apply the synthesis method to LiVS2 for the synthesis of β׳-LixV2O5 for use as a high performance cathode. The synthesis method is based on the heat treatment of the pure LiVS2 in atmospheric air. By employing this method of synthesis, well-crystalized, rod-shaped β׳-LixV2O5 particles 20 – 30 μm in length and 3 – 6 μm in width were obtained. Moreover, the surface of β׳-LixV2O5 particles was found to be coated by an amorphous vanadium oxysulfide film (~20 nm in thickness). In contrast to a low temperature vanadium pentoxide phase (LixV2O5), the electrochemical intercalation of lithium into the β׳-LixV2O5 was fully reversible where 0.0 < x < 2.0, and it delivered a capacity of 310 mAh/g at a current rate of 0.07 C between 1.5 V and 4 V. Good capacity retention of more than 88% was also observed after 50 cycles even at a higher current rate of 2 C. The third study is the investigation of NaVS2 as a cathode intercalation material for sodium ion batteries. We have shown that reversible electrochemical deintercalation of x ~ 1.0 Na per formula unit of NaxVS2, corresponding to a capacity of ~200 mAh/g, is possible. And a stable capacity of ~120 mAh/g after 30 cycles was observed. These studies show that the new chemical synthesis route for creating a phase transformation from the vanadium sulfide to oxide by heat treatment in air is a promising method for preparing vanadium oxide cathode material with high reversibility. Although this sample shows a relatively low voltage range compared with other cathodes such as LiCoO2 (3.8 V) and LiFePO4 (3.4 V), the large capacity of this sample is quite attractive in terms of increasing energy density in Li-ion batteries. Also, NaVS2 could be a promising cathode material for sodium ion batteries.