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The powder mixtures of calcium oxide (CaO) and silica gel (SiO2) in molar ratios of 1:1, 1.5:1, 2:1 and 3:1 were mechanochemically treated with the addition of water, and were subsequently calcined with a goal of synthesizing CaSiO3, Ca3Si2O7, Ca2SiO4 compounds and CaO/Ca2SiO4 two-phase mixture. The prepared materials were characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM/EDS, particle size laser diffraction (PSLD), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), N-2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, Hammett indicator for basic strength and volumetric analysis for free CaO content. The catalytic activity of calcium silicates with different Ca/Si ratios was tested in the transesterification of triacylglycerols (sunflower oil) with methanol. Samples obtained with initial composition 2CaO center dot SiO2 and 3CaO center dot SiO2 calcined at 700 degrees C, and 3CaO center dot SiO2 calcined at 900 degrees C had high catalytic activity, resulting with triacylglycerols conversion and fatty acids methyl ester formation (FAME or biodiesel) above 96%. The activity of these samples can be attributed to the existence of free CaO defined by CaO/Ca2SiO4 complex mixture. The effect of different amount of catalyst used for transesterification (0.2-2 wt%) was analyzed using the most active catalyst i.e. 3CaO center dot SiO2 calcined at 700 degrees C as well as possibility of its reuse for biodiesel synthesis. It was also found that CaSiO3, Ca3Si2O7 and Ca2SiO4, phases did not possess catalytic activity.

Yttrium orthoferrite (YFeO3) powder was prepared by a mechanochemical synthesis from a mixture of Y2O3 and alpha-Fe2O3 powders in a planetary ball mill for 2.5 h. The obtained YFeO3 powder sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman and infrared spectroscopy. The average crystallite size calculated by the Scherrer equation was 12 nm. The Mossbauer spectroscopy at room temperature confirms the superparamagnetic character of YFeO3 orthoferrite sample.

Calcium-containing perovskites CaTiO3, CaMnO3, CaZrO3 and Ca2Fe2O5 were synthesized by calcination of mechanochemically treated stoichiometric mixtures of CaCO3 and either TiO2, MnO2, ZrO2 or Fe2O3 powders. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed a pure single perovskite phase for all four samples after calcination. This study proved that the pure perovskite phase exhibited low or no catalytic activity at 60 °C for the methanolysis of sunflower oil. However, at 165 °C FAME yield of more than 90% was reached after 2 h using CaTiO3, CaMnO3 and CaZrO3 as catalyst. Contrary to inactive pure perovskites at 60 °C, the CaTiO3 and Ca2Fe2O5 samples containing a very small amount of “free” CaO also showed methanolysis activity at 60 °C. This fact can be used to explain some contradictory statements reported in literature related to the perovskites as catalyst for biodiesel synthesis at mild temperatures.

Perovskite oxides with the composition LaFe1-xCrxO3 (x = 0.5 and 0.75) have been studied. The samples have been prepared using the mechanochemical treatment. A mixture of crystalline La(OH)3, Fe2O3 and Cr2O3 powders in stoichiometric ratio was mechanochemically treated in a planetary ball mill up to 40 h of milling. The mechanochemical formation of the LaFe1-xCrxO3 perovskite phase was followed by X-ray diffraction and magnetization measurements. The Rietveld refinement of the XRD data shows that the compounds crystallize in an orthorhombic perovskite structure with a random distribution of the Fe and Cr cations at the B sublattice. All structural and microstructural parameters were analyzed. In addition, magnetic measurements for LaFe0.5Cr0.5O3 show clear antiferromagnetic ordering bellow 250 K, which supports above conclusion of random distribution of Fe and Cr cations.

Correlation between high-temperature electrical response and microstructural properties of dense hydroxyapatite with average grain size from micrometer to nanometer level in heating/cooling cycle was investigated. Grain interior and grain boundary contributions to overall conductivity were determined. Nanostructured hydroxyapatite exhibited enhanced grain interior conductivity, with significantly higher activation energy (∼2.4 eV) than that of coarsed microstructures (∼1.7 eV). This difference in activation energies is explained by the possible influence of dehydroxylation during materials fabrication procedure, which affected the amount of OH- ions as the main charge carriers. Grain boundary conductivity was similar for all microstructures, with activation energy above ∼2 eV, implying the OH- ions migration across grain boundaries. Electrical response in cooling cycle confirmed the trends found during heating. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The goal of this study was to prepare a CaO·ZnO catalyst containing a small amount of K2CO3 and analyze its activity for biodiesel synthesis. The catalyst was prepared using the following procedure: CaO and ZnO (mole ratio of 1:2), water and K2CO3 (in various amounts) were mechanochemically treated and after milling heated at 700°C in air atmosphere for obtaining mixed CaO·ZnO/xK2CO3 oxides (x = 0, 1, 2 and 4 mol of K2CO3 per 10 mol of CaO). All the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma (ICP), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy/ energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), particle size laser diffraction (PSLD) distribution, solubility measurement of Ca, Zn and K ions in methanol as well as by determination of their alkalinity (Hammett indicator method). Prepared CaO·ZnO/xK2CO3 composite powders were tested as catalysts for methanolysis of sunflower oil at 70 °C using mole ratio of sunflower oil to methanol of 1:10 and with 2 mass% of catalyst based on oil weight. The presence of K2CO3 in prepared samples was found to increase the activity of catalyst, and that such effect is caused by homogeneous-heterogeneous catalysis of biodiesel synthesis., Cilj ovih istraživanja bio je da se pripremi CaO·ZnO katalizator koji sadrži malu količinu K2CO3 i analizira njegova aktivnost u sintezi biodizela. Katalizator je pripremljen prema sledećoj proceduri: CaO i ZnO (molski odnos 1:2), voda i K2CO3 (u različitoj količini) su tretirani mehanohemijski i nakon mlevenja zagrevani na 700 °C u atmosferi vazduha da bi se dobila smeša oksida CaO·ZnO/xK2CO3 (x = 0, 1, 2 i 4 mol K2CO3 na 10 mol CaO). Karakterizacija pripremljenih katalizatora izvršena je metodama rendgenske difrakcije (XRD), indukovane kuplovane plazme (ICP), spektroskopije fotoelektrona dobijenih X-zracima (XPS), termogravimetrijske analize (TGA), infracrvene spektroskopije (FTIR), skenirajuće elektronske mikroskopije i energetske disperzione spektroskopije (SEM/EDS), raspodele veličine čestica (PSLD), merenjem rastvorljivosti katalizatora odnosno Ca, Zn i K jona u metanolu, kao i određivanjem njihove baznosti (metodom Hametovih indikatora). Pripremljeni CaO·ZnO/xK2CO3 kompozitni prahovi testirani su kao katalizatori u reakciji metanolize suncokretovog ulja na 70 °C, pri molarnom odnosu suncokretovog ulja i metanola od 1:10 i sa 2 mas.% katalizatora u odnosu na masu ulja. Pokazano je da prisustvo K2CO3 u pripremljenim uzorcima povećava aktivnost katalizatora i da je takav efekat posledica homogeno-heterogene katalize u sintezi biodizela.