Search

To improve intra-laboratory consistency and experimental repeatability during high temperature oxidation testing, metallic coupons undergo a standardised surface preparation. It is stipulated in international testing standards that grinding of a coupons surface acceptably replicates surface conditions encountered in industrial settings whilst ensuring that each coupons surface is chemically and topographically homogenised [1,2]. Grade 91 steel tubing exposed in the laboratory to flowing steam at 650 °C and 1 bar for up to 3000 h has been compared with Grade 91 tubing exposed in a commercially operated boiler system at elevated pressures at temperatures in the range of 500 to 650 °C for 91 kh. It has been found that a pre-existing surface structure dissimilar from that of the bulk alloy and that of a ground surface, is present on the inside surface of the tubing. The presence of pre-existing surface features in commercially exposed material has implications on the long term morphological development of the oxidation region and may account for some of the discrepancies between observations made in laboratory and service exposures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the effect of equal channel angular pressing-Conform (ECAP-C) and further artificial aging (AA) on microstructure, mechanical, and electrical properties of Al 6101 alloy. As is shown, ECAP-C at 130 °C with six cycles resulted in the formation of an ultrafine-grained (UFG) structure with a grain size of 400--600 nm containing nanoscale spherical metastable β' and stable β second-phase precipitates. As a result, processed wire rods demonstrated the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 308 MPa and electrical conductivity of 53.1% IACS. Electrical conductivity can be increased without any notable degradation in mechanical strength of the UFG alloy by further AA at 170 °C and considerably enhanced by additional decomposition of solid solution accompanied by the formation of rod-shaped metastable β' precipitates mainly in the ultrafine grain interior and by the decrease of the alloying element content in the Al matrix. It is demonstrated that ECAP-C can be used to process Al-Mg-Si wire rods with the specified UFG microstructure. The mechanical strength and electrical conductivity in this case are shown to be much higher than those in the industrial semi-finished products made of similar material processed by the conventional T6 or T81 treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructures and mechanical properties of (Cu0.5Zr0.5)100-xZnx (x = 0, 1.5, 2.5, 4.5, 7, 10, and 14 at. %) bulk metallic glass (BMG) composites were studied. CuZr martensitic crystals together with minor B2 CuZr and amorphous phases dominate the microstructures of the as-quenched samples with low Zn additions (x = 0, 1.5, and 2.5 at. %), while B2 CuZr and amorphous phases being accompanied with minor martensitic crystals form at a higher Zn content (x = 4.5, 7, 10, and 14 at. %). The fabricated Cu-Zr-Zn BMG composites exhibit macroscopically appreciable compressive plastic strain and obvious work-hardening due to the formation of multiple shear bands and the deformation-induced martensitic transformation (MT) within B2 crystals. The present BMG composites could be a good candidate as high-performance structural materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclic oxidation was characterized as part of a statistically designed, 12-alloy compositional study of 2nd generation single crystal superalloys as part of a broader study to co-optimize density, creep strength, and cyclic oxidation. The primary modification was a replacement of 5 wt. % W by 7% or 12% Mo for density reductions of 2%-7%. Compositions at two levels of Mo, Cr, Co, and Re were produced, along with a midpoint composition. Initially, polycrystalline vacuum induction samples were screened in 1100 °C cyclic furnace tests using 1 h cycles for 200 h. The behavior was primarily delimited by Cr content, producing final weight changes of -40 mg/cm2 to -10 mg/cm2 for 0% Cr alloys and -2 mg/cm2 to +1 mg/cm2 for 5% Cr alloys. Accordingly, a multiple linear regression fit yielded an equation showing a strong positive Cr effect and lesser negative effects of Co and Mo. The results for 5% Cr alloys compare well to -1 mg/cm2, and +0.5 mg/cm2 for Rene' N4 and Rene' N5 (or Rene' N6), respectively. Scale phases commonly identified were Al2O3, NiAl2O4, NiTa2O6, and NiO, with (Ni,Co)MoO4 found only on the least resistant alloys having 0% Cr and 12% Mo. Scale microstructures were complex and reflected variations in the regional spallation history. Large faceted NiO grains and fine NiTa2O6 particles distributed along NiAl2O4 grain boundaries were typical distinctive features. NiMoO4 formation, decomposition, and volatility occurred for a few high Mo compositions. A creep, density, phase stability, and oxidation balanced 5% Cr, 10% Co, 7% Mo, and 3% Re alloy was selected to be taken forward for more extensive evaluations in single crystal form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, using the Cu-Ni (111) semi-coherent interface as a model system, we combine atomistic simulations and defect theory to reveal the relaxation mechanisms, structure, and properties of semi-coherent interfaces. By calculating the generalized stacking fault energy (GSFE) profile of the interface, two stable structures and a high-energy structure are located. During the relaxation, the regions that possess the stable structures expand and develop into coherent regions; the regions with high-energy structure shrink into the intersection of misfit dislocations (nodes). This process reduces the interface excess potential energy but increases the core energy of the misfit dislocations and nodes. The core width is dependent on the GSFE of the interface. The high-energy structure relaxes by relative rotation and dilatation between the crystals. The relative rotation is responsible for the spiral pattern at nodes. The relative dilatation is responsible for the creation of free volume at nodes, which facilitates the nodes' structural transformation. Several node structures have been observed and analyzed. The various structures have significant impact on the plastic deformation in terms of lattice dislocation nucleation, as well as the point defect formation energies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aluminum-based amorphous alloys exhibited an abnormally high vapor pressure at their approximate glass transition temperatures. The vapor pressure was confirmed by the formation of Al nanocrystallites from condensation, which was attributed to weight loss of the amorphous alloys. The amount of weight loss varied with the amorphous alloy compositions and was inversely proportional to their glass-forming ability. The vapor pressure of the amorphous alloys around 573 K was close to the vapor pressure of crystalline Al near its melting temperature, 873 K. Our results strongly suggest the possibility of fabricating nanocrystallites or thin films by evaporation at low temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Duplex structure Cu-Cr alloys are widely used as contact materials. They are generally designed by increasing the Cr content for the hardness improvement, which, however, leads to the unfavorable rapid increase of the electrical resistivity. The solidification behavior of Cu100-xCrx (x = 4.2, 25 and 50 in wt.%) alloys prepared by laser rapid solidification is studied here, and their hardness and electrical conductivity after aging are measured. The results show that the Cu-4.2%Cr alloy has the most desirable combination of hardness and conductive properties after aging in comparison with Cu-25%Cr and Cu-50%Cr alloys. Very importantly, a 50% improvement in hardness is achieved with a simultaneous 70% reduction in electrical resistivity. The reason is mainly attributed to the liquid phase separation occurring in the Cu-4.2%Cr alloy, which introduces a large amount of well-dispersed sub-micron-scale Cr-rich particulates in the Cu-rich matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Revealing the essential structural features of metallic glasses (MGs) will enhance the understanding of glass-forming mechanisms. In this work, a feasible scheme is provided where we performed the state-of-the-art synchrotron-radiation based experiments combined with simulations to investigate the microstructures of ZrCu amorphous compositions. It is revealed that in order to stabilize the amorphous state and optimize the topological and chemical distribution, besides the icosahedral or icosahedral-like clusters, other types of clusters also participate in the formation of the microstructure in MGs. This cluster-level co-existing feature may be popular in this class of glassy materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron is a trace element of considerable interest to both chemistry and biology. In a biological context its chemistry is vital to the roles it performs. However, that same chemistry can contribute to a more deleterious role in a variety of diseases. The brain is a very sensitive organ due to the irreplaceable nature of neurons. In this regard regulation of brain iron chemistry is essential to maintaining neuronal viability. During the course of normal aging, the brain changes the way it deals with iron and this can contribute to its susceptibility to disease. Additionally, many of the known neurodegenerative diseases have been shown to be influenced by changes in brain iron. This review examines the role of iron in the brain and neurodegenerative diseases and the potential role of changes in brain iron caused by aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes how to make stainless steel hybrid micro-nano-powders (a mixture of micro-powder and nano-powder) using an in situ one-step process via radiofrequency (RF) thermal plasma treatment. Nano-particles attached to micro-powders were successfully prepared by RF thermal plasma treatment of stainless steel powder with an average size of 35 μm. The ratio of nano-powders is estimated with a two-dimensional fluid simulation that calculates the temperature profile influencing the rate of surface evaporation. The simulation is conducted to determine the variation of the input power and the distance from the plasma torch to the feeding nozzle. It was demonstrated experimentally that the nano-powder ratio in the micro-nano-powder mixture can be controlled by adjusting the feeding rate, plasma power, feeding position and quenching effect during plasma treatment. The ratio of nano-particles in the micro-nano-powder mixture was controlled in a range from 0.1 (wt. %) to 30.7 (wt. %). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the evolution of the strain fields around a fatigued crack tip between the steady- and overloaded-fatigue conditions using a nondestructive neutron diffraction technique. The two fatigued compact-tension specimens, with a different fatigue history but an identical applied stress intensity factor range, were used for the direct comparison of the crack tip stress/strain distributions during in situ loading. While strains behind the crack tip in the steady-fatigued specimen are irrelevant to increasing applied load, the strains behind the crack tip in the overloaded-fatigued specimen evolve significantly under loading, leading to a lower driving force of fatigue crack growth. The results reveal the overload retardation mechanism and the correlation between crack tip stress distribution and fatigue crack growth rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Carbon-in-Leach (CIL) circuit plays an important role in the economics of a gold refinery. The circuit uses multiphase stirred tanks in series, in which problems such as dead zones, short-circuiting, and presence of unsuspended solids are detrimental to its efficiency. Therefore, the hydrodynamics of such a system is critical for improving the performance. The hydrodynamics of stirred tanks can be resolved using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). While the flow generated by the impellers in the CIL tanks is complex and modelling it in the presence of high solid concentration is challenging, advances in CFD models, such as turbulence and particle-fluid interactions, have made modelling of such flows feasible. In the present study, the hydrodynamics of CIL tanks was investigated by modelling it using CFD. The models used in the simulations were validated using experimental data at high solid loading of 40 wt. % in a lab scale tank. The models were further used for examining the flow generated by pitched blade turbine and HA-715 Mixtec impellers in lab scale CIL tanks with 50 wt. % solids. The effect of design and operating parameters such as off-bottom clearance, impeller separation, impeller speed, scale-up, and multiple-impeller configuration on flow field and solid concentrations profiles was examined. For a given impeller speed, better solids suspension is observed with dual impeller and triple impeller configurations. The results presented in the paper are useful for understanding the hydrodynamics and influence of design and operating parameters on industrial CIL tanks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

White X-ray microbeam diffraction was applied to investigate the microscopic deformation behavior of individual grains in a Cu-Al-Mn superelastic alloy. Strain/stresses were measured in situ at different positions in several grains having different orientations during a tensile test. The results indicated inhomogeneous stress distribution, both at the granular and intragranular scale. Strain/stress evolution showed reversible phenomena during the superelastic behavior of the tensile sample, probably because of the reversible martensitic transformation. However, strain recovery of the sample was incomplete due to the residual martensite, which results in the formation of local compressive residual stresses at grain boundary regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, how synchrotron radiation techniques can be applied for detecting the microstructure in metallic glass (MG) is studied. The unit cells are the basic structural units in crystals, though it has been suggested that the co-existence of various clusters may be the universal structural feature in MG. Therefore, it is a challenge to detect microstructures of MG even at the short-range scale by directly using synchrotron radiation techniques, such as X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption methods. Here, a feasible scheme is developed where some state-of-the-art synchrotron radiation-based experiments can be combined with simulations to investigate the microstructure in MG. By studying a typical MG composition (Zr70Pd30), it is found that various clusters do co-exist in its microstructure, and icosahedral-like clusters are the popular structural units. This is the structural origin where there is precipitation of an icosahedral quasicrystalline phase prior to phase transformation from glass to crystal when heating Zr70Pd30 MG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential use of emulsion liquid membranes (ELMs) with LIX 7950 as the mobile carrier to remove heavy metals from waste cyanide solutions has been proposed. Relatively stable ELMs with reasonable leakage and swelling can be formed under suitable mixing time and speed during emulsification. The concentration of LIX 7950 and Span 80 in the membrane phase, KOH in the internal phase and the volume ratio of membrane to internal phases are also critical to ELM formation. The efficiency of copper and cyanide removal from dilute cyanide solution by ELMs is related to ELM stability to some extent. More than 90% copper and cyanide can be removed from dilute cyanide solutions by ELMs formed under suitable experimental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we report that cold rolling could drastically improve hydrogen desorption kinetics under microwave irradiation. Samples of metal hydride powders (TiH2, ZrH2, and MgH2) in as-received conditions and after cold rolling were microwave irradiated in a vacuum using a simple experimental setup. After irradiation, the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction in other to evaluate the effectiveness of microwave heating. The diffraction patterns indicated that only MgH2 could be fully decomposed (dehydrided) in the as received state. TiH2 was only partially decomposed while no decomposition was observed for ZrH2. However, cold rolling the hydride powders prior to microwave heating led to a significant improvement of hydride decomposition, resulting in the complete dehydriding of TiH2 and extensive dehydriding of ZrH2. These results clearly indicated the positive effects of cold rolling on the microwave assisted desorption of the investigated binary hydrides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of Nb on the hardenability of ultra-thin cast strip (UCS) steels produced via the unique regime of rapid solidification, large austenite grain size, and inclusion engineering of the CASTRIP© process was investigated. Continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagrams were constructed for 0, 0.014, 0.024, 0.04, 0.06 and 0.08 wt% Nb containing UCS steels. Phase nomenclature for the identification of lower transformation product in low carbon steels was reviewed. Even a small addition of 0.014 wt% Nb showed a potent effect on hardenability, shifting the ferrite C-curve to the right and expanding the bainitic ferrite and acicular ferrite phase fields. Higher Nb additions increased hardenability further, suppressed the formation of ferrite to even lower cooling rates, progressively lowered the transformation start and finish temperatures and promoted the transformation of bainite instead of acicular ferrite. The latter was due to Nb suppressing the formation of allotriomorphic ferrite and allowing bainite to nucleate at prior austenite grain boundaries, a lower energy site than that for the intragranular nucleation of acicular ferrite at inclusions. Strength and hardness increased with increasing Nb additions, largely due to microstructural strengthening and solid solution hardening, but not from precipitation hardening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the single crystal (SX) solidification of turbine blades, grain defects can form in the platform regions which have abruptly varying cross-sections. A high undercoolability of a Ni-based alloy prevents the growth of stray grains in the thermally undercooled platform area. To evaluate the undercoolability of different Ni-based alloys, temperature measurements were conducted using the same thermal conditions in an Al2O3-SiO2 investment casting shell mold system. Furthermore, the results were compared with stray grains in directionally solidified components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ni-based coatings with different content of spherical tungsten carbide were deposited by plasma transfer arc welding (PTAW) method on 304 austenitic stainless steel sheets in this study. The microstructure and wear property of spherical tungsten carbide particle reinforced composite coatings were investigated by means of optical microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and sliding wear test. It is shown that the fraction of spherical tungsten carbides has an important influence on microstructure of Ni-based overlay. The Ni40 overlay consists of γ-Ni dendrites with interdendritic Ni-based eutectics, borides and carbides improving the wear resistance. In the case of composite coatings with different content of tungsten carbide, many new phases are observed, such as Ni2W4C and NiW. In addition, there are a large number of irregular structures in composite coatings, such as acicular structure and irregular stripe organization. The results of sliding wear test indicate that the mass loss of coatings is influenced by the content of tungsten carbide. The mass loss decreases with the increase of tungsten carbide fraction. At high load, the abrasive resistance of composite coating with 60 wt. % tungsten carbide is improved about 50-fold compared to that of Ni40 overlay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of irradiation by a hyperthermal-atomic-oxygen beam on hydrogenated titanium-doped diamond-like carbon (hydrogenated Ti-DLC) films, applied as a solid lubricant for equipment used in low-earth orbit was investigated. Unlike the film thickness of hydrogenated non-doped DLC films, that of hydrogenated Ti-DLC films was found to be constant after the films were exposed to atomic oxygen. In addition, bulk composition of the hydrogenated Ti-DLC film stayed constant, and in particular, hydrogen content in the film did not decrease. These results indicate that a hydrogenated Ti-DLC film can keep its low friction properties under vacuum. Surface chemical analysis showed that a titanium-oxide layer is form on the film by exposure to atomic oxygen. The thickness of the titanium oxide layer was estimated to be about 5 nm from the element distribution in the depth direction of the hydrogenated Ti-DLC films. The titanium-oxide layer was interpreted to protect the bulk film from erosion by hyperthermal atomic oxygen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, an increasing amount of research has focused on the biological and mechanical behavior of highly porous structures of metallic biomaterials, as implant materials for dental implants. Particularly, pure titanium and its alloys are typically used due to their outstanding mechanical and biological properties. However, these materials have high stiffness (Young's modulus) in comparison to that of the host bone, which necessitates careful implant design to ensure appropriate distribution of stresses to the adjoining bone, to avoid stress-shielding or overloading, both of which lead to bone resorption. Additionally, many coating and roughening techniques are used to improve cell and bone-bonding to the implant surface. To date, several studies have revealed that porous geometry may be a promising alternative to bulk structures for dental implant applications. This review aims to summarize the evidence in the literature for the importance of porosity in the integration of dental implants with bone tissue and the different fabrication methods currently being investigated. In particular, additive manufacturing shows promise as a technique to control pore size and shape for optimum biological properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel and environmentally benign adsorbents were prepared via a simple sulfuric acid treatment process using the wastes of astringent persimmon, a type of biomass waste, along with persimmon tannin extract which is currently employed for the tanning of leather and as natural dyes and paints. The effectiveness of these new biosorbents was exemplified with regards to hydrometallurgical and environmental engineering applications for the adsorptive removal of uranium and thorium from rare earths, cesium from other alkaline metals such as sodium, hexa-valent chromium from zinc as well as adsorptive recovery of gold from chloride media. Furthermore, reductive coagulation of gold from chloride media for the direct recovery of metallic gold and adsorptive recovery of palladium and platinum using chemically modified persimmon tannin extract were studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano-structured molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) catalysts have been extensively developed for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, a novel hydrothermal intercalation approach is employed to fabricate nanoflower-like 2H-MoS2 with the incorporation of three polymers, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and polyethylenimine (PEI). The as-prepared MoS2 specimens were characterized by techniques of scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), together with Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The HER properties of these lamellar nanoflower-like composites were evaluated using electrochemical tests of linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The existent polymer enlarges the interlayer spacing of the lamellar MoS2, and reduces its stacked thickness. The lamellar MoS2 samples exhibit a promoting activity in HER at low additions of these three polymers (0.04 g/g MoS2 for PVA and PEI, and 0.08 g/g MoS2 for PVP). This can be attributed to the fact that the expanded interlayer of MoS2 can offer abundant exposed active sites for HER. Conversely, high additions of the polymers exert an obvious interference in the HER activity of the lamellar MoS2. Compared with the samples of MoS2/PVP-0.08 and MoS2/PEI-0.04, the MoS2/PVA-0.04 composite exhibits excellent activity in HER, in terms of higher current density and lower onset potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Al-TiC nanocomposite materials have been prepared by a new in situ synthesizing technique. A mixture of aluminum, titanium, and graphite has been prepared using ball milling technique and then melted in a high frequency induction heat furnace (HFIHF) at different sintering temperatures, namely 900, 1100, and 1300 °C. The effect of sintering temperature on the corrosion of the Al-TiC composite in 3.5% NaCl solutions was investigated using cyclic potentiodynamic polarization, chronoamperometric current-time, open-circuit potential, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. The surface of the composites after their corrosion in the test solution was investigated using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analyses. It has been found that all manufactured composites suffer uniform corrosion. All corrosion test techniques were consistent with each other and confirmed clearly that the corrosion resistance of Al composites increased according to their sintering temperature in the following order 900 > 1100 > 1300 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous Cu bodies with complex shapes were fabricated by freeze-casting and vacuum sintering water-based CuO slurry. The sintered bodies showed no noticeable macroscopic defects and good shape tolerance. The interconnected pore tunnels were observed by electronic microscopy. The pore size became smaller and the porosity and volume shrinkage of sintered porous bodies decreased with the increase of solid content in the slurry. XRD results showed the CuO was fully decomposed by vacuum sintering into Cu without any second phases. This new fabrication method may be especially economical when small quantities of porous parts are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harbor sediments contaminated with ZnS concentrate were treated by ferric chloride in HCl solution to remove Zn. The sediments were evaluated using Tessier's sequential extraction method to determine the different metal phase associations of Zn. Leaching tests were performed to investigate the effects of experimental factors, such as agitation speed, ferric ion concentration, temperature, and pulp density, on the removal of Zn. The sequential extraction procedure revealed that about 17.7% of Zn in the sediment was associated with soluble carbonate and oxide phases. The results of the leaching tests indicated that higher ferric concentration and temperature increased the leaching efficiencies significantly, while the agitation speed has a negligible effect on the removal of Zn. The removal ratio increased to more than 99% within 120 min of treatment at 1 kmol.m-3 HCl solution with 1 kmol.m-3 Fe3+, 10% pulp density, and 400 rpm at 90 °C. The dissolution kinetics of Zn were discussed by comparing the two shrinking core models. It was determined that the kinetic data followed the diffusion controlled model well compared to the surface chemical reaction model. The activation energies were calculated to be 76.9 kJ/mol, 69.6 kJ/mol, and 58.5 kJ/mol for 0.25 kmol.m-3, 0.5 kmol.m-3, and 1 kmol.m-3 Fe3+, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An environmentally friendly decontamination process for uranium-contaminated soil sand is proposed. The process uses supercritical CO2 as the cleaning solvent and a TBP-HNO3 complex as the reagent. Four types of samples (sea sand and coarse, medium, and fine soil sand) were artificially contaminated with uranium. The effects of the amount of the reagent, sand type, and elapsed time after the preparation of the samples on decontamination were examined. The extraction ratios of uranium in all of the four types of sand samples were very high when the time that elapsed after preparation was less than a few days. The extraction ratio of uranium decreased in the soil sand with a higher surface area as the elapsed time increased, indicating the possible formation of chemisorbed uranium on the surface of the samples. The solvent of supercritical CO2 seemed to be very effective in the decontamination of soil sand. However, the extraction of chemisorbed uranium in soil sand may need additional processes, such as the application of mechanical vibration and the addition of bond-breaking reagents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium ferrate (K2FeO4) is a multi-functional green reagent for water treatment with considerable combined effectiveness in oxidization, disinfection, coagulation, sterilization, adsorption, and deodorization, producing environment friendly Fe(III) end-products during the reactions. This study uses a simple method to lower Fe(VI) preparation cost by recycling iron from a spent steel pickling liquid as an iron source for preparing potassium ferrate with a wet oxidation method. The recycled iron is in powder form of ferrous (93%) and ferric chlorides (7%), as determined by X-ray Absorption Near Edge Spectrum (XANES) simulation. The synthesis method involves three steps, namely, oxidation of ferrous/ferric ions to form ferrate with NaOCl under alkaline conditions, substitution of sodium with potassium to form potassium ferrate, and continuously washing impurities with various organic solvents off the in-house ferrate. Characterization of the in-house product with various instruments, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), proves that product quality and purity are comparative to a commercialized one. Methylene blue (MB) de-colorization tests with in-house potassium ferrate shows that, within 30 min, almost all MB molecules are de-colorized at a Fe/carbon mole ratio of 2/1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]