Microwave irradiation-induced alterations in physicochemical properties and methane adsorption capability of coals:An experimental study using carbon molecular sieve

In order to comprehend the applicability of microwave irradiation for recovering coalbed methane,it is necessary to evaluate the microwave irradiation-induced alterations in coals with varying levels of metamorphism.In this work,the carbon molecular sieve combined with KMnO_(4)oxidation was selected to fabricate carbon molecular sieve with diverse oxidation degrees,which can serve as model substances toward coals.Afterwards,the microwave irradiation dependences of pores,functional groups,and highpressure methane adsorption characteristics of model substances were studied.The results indicated that microwave irradiation causes rearrangement of oxygen-containing functional groups,which could block the micropores with a size of 0.40-0.60 nm in carbon molecular sieve;meanwhile,naphthalene and phenanthrene generated by macro-molecular structure pyrolysis due to microwave irradiation could block the micropores with a size of 0.70-0.90 nm.These alterations in micropore structure weaken the saturated methane adsorption capacity of oxidized carbon molecular sieve by 2.91%-23.28%,suggesting that microwave irradiation could promote methane desorption.Moreover,the increased mesopores found for oxidized carbon molecular sieve after microwave irradiation could benefit CH4 diffusion.In summary,the oxidized carbon molecular sieve can act as model substances toward coals with different ranks.Additionally,microwave irradiation is a promising technology to enhance coalbed methane recovery.

Rapid microwave irradiation fast preparation and characterization of few-layer graphenes

Few-layer graphenes were fabricated from expandable graphite by rapid microwave exfoliation. Expandable graphite was irradiated in a domestic microwave in full power for 3 min, then soaked in mixed strong hydrogen nitrate and sulfuric acid with volume ratio of 1：1 for 24 h and re-irradiated, thus few-layer graphene sheets were obtained. Specimens gained from every step were selectively characterized by different techniques, such as SEM, XRD, Raman, AFM, XPS, FTIR and combustion elemental analysis. The results show that expandable graphite with loose, porous and worm-like morphology forms instantaneously in microwave irradiation with crackling sound and sparkles, which manifests physical exfoliation of graphene sheets. Few-layer graphene sheets with a dozen or more layers and average thickness of about 4.7 nm are obtained eventually after sequential treatment of microwave irradiation, mixed acid soaking and second microwave irradiation. The as-prepared few-layer graphenes still have high crystallinity and high purity with traces of oxide groups and without serious unrecoverable oxidation damage.

Oxidative Degradation of Soda Lignin Assisted by Microwave Irradiation

The effects of oxidant dosage,oxidation temperature and time on the degradation of soda lignin by hydrogen peroxide with and without the presence of microwave irradiation were investigated.It is found that the oxidative degradation of lignin includes the cleavage of ether bond inβ-O-4 structure,the partial destruction of aromatic ring,and the re-condensation of the degraded lignin.Compared to the conventionally heated oxidation of lignin,the microwave irradiation efficiently facilitates the degradation of the lignin with high molecular weight and the re-condensation of that with low molecular weight at a low oxidant dosage,low oxidation temperature,or a short oxidation time,which leads to the formation of the degraded lignin with narrower molecular weight distribution and lower molecular weight.Additionally,the lignin degraded in the presence of microwave irradiation has the characteristics of higher content of phenolic hydroxyl group,lower content of methoxyl group,and lower degree of condensation,which enhances the reactivity of lignin.Therefore,the oxidative degradation of lignin assisted by microwave irradiation may be a new pretreatment approach for efficiently utilizing the soda lignin.

Modification of larch wood by intensive microwave irradiation

The larch wood was treated by microwave irradiation under different radiant intensity and treating duration. The microwave-treated wood specimens together with the un-treated for comparison were impregnated by water in pressure vessel and then tested for permeability, mechanical properties and microstructure change by SEM to study the modification performance of microwave treatment on larch wood. The results showed that under suitable conditions of microwave treatment the permeability of larch wood was improved without noticeable decreasing of the modulus of rupture （MOR） and the modulus of elasticity （MOE）. The radial parenchyma and some pit membrane were ruptured, and tiny cracks were formed in the cell walls. The formation of tiny cracks in the cell walls serves as man-made channels of gas and liquid and this contribute to improve the permeability of the wood.

Synthesis of Ce:YAG Phosphor via Homogeneous Precipitation under Microwave Irradiation

Ultra-fine Ce:YAG phosphors were prepared by homogeneous precipitation under microwave irradiation method . The formation of Ce: YAG was investigated by means of XRD and DTA/TG. The purified YAG crystallized phase was obtained at a lower temperature (1100℃). Basically spherical Ce:YAG powders were indicated from TEM images, and the size of the particles is about 80 nm. Two peaks of 436 and 473 nm can be seen from the excitation spectrum in the range of 402 -510 nm. A broad emission band located at 480 ~ 630 nm shows the phosphors prepared by this method have good emission properties.

Facile and efficient synthesis of quinoline-4-carboxylic acids under microwave irradiation

A facile and efficient method for the preparation of 2-non-substituted quinoline-4-carboxylic acids is described via the Pfitzinger reaction of isatins with sodium pyruvate following consequent decarboxylation under microwave irradiation.

Experimental investigation on the effects of microwave irradiation on kimberlite and granite rocks

This study is a part of an overall research project on the effects of microwave(MW)irradiation on rocks for assisted rock breaking systems as well as mineral processing at McGill University.For the first time,this paper highlights a comprehensive investigation on the effects of microwave irradiation on Canadian kimberlites.Potential contribution to the continuous rock excavation and rock weakening effect prior to implementation of mechanical techniques was explored.Two different kimberlite rocks,i.e.volcaniclastic kimberlite(VK)and hypabyssal kimberlite(HK),and granite samples were studied.Some important physical properties of the rock samples were measured including rock quality designation(RQD),specific gravity,porosity,and specific heat capacity.Rock samples were treated for various exposure times using a multi-mode MWunit at different power levels ranging from 2 kW to 15 kW.The effect of MW irradiation on rock samples was investigated.The results indicate that the mechanical properties including unconfined compressive strength(UCS)and Brazilian tensile strength(BTS)were significantly dropped as a result of MWirradiation.Finally,the effect on rock abrasivity using the Cerchar abrasivity index(CAI)has also been discussed.

Synergistic effect of microwave irradiation and CaF2 on vanadium leaching

The effect and mechanism of microwave irradiation on vanadium leaching were studied via a comparison between microwave heating and conventional heating. The results show a synergistic effect of microwave irradiation and calcium fluoride （CaF2） on the vana- dium leaching efficiency. It is confirmed that the vanadium leaching process can be improved by microwave irradiation when CaF2 is present. The leaching rate of vanadium under microwave irradiation is increased by 8%-15% when 5wt% CaF2 is added; by contrast, in the absence of CaF2, the leaching rate is almost unaffected compared to that by conventional heating. Morphological analysis reveals that the particles are gradually eroded by acid under microwave irradiation, whereas some of the fine particles in samples subjected to conventional heating are tightly covered by a flocculent silicate product. Moreover, a large amount of A1 and V and a small amount of Si are dissolved from samples under microwave heating, as revealed by the elemental analysis of leachates. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analysis also indicates a higher mass transfer coefficient in the diffusion layer of the raw material by microwave irradiation. When CaF2 is present, the reaction energy barrier is lowered and the leaching process is controlled by the tightly covered product layer, resulting in a prominent effect of mi- crowave irradiation.

K_2CO_3 catalyzed solvent-free synthesis of molecular tweezers containing chiral unsymmetrical urea unit under microwave irradiation

A facile,rapid and efficient method for the synthesis of molecular tweezers containing chiral unsymmetrical urea unit in solvent- free conditions using microwave was reported.

Separation and Determination of Trace Amounts of Thallium byNano-TiO_2 Combined with Microwave Irradiation

Nano-TiO2 was employed for the separation and preconcentration of thallium.It was found that the adsorption ratio of thallium ions was more than 98% at pH 4.5 and the desorption ratio reached 99% under microwave irradiation for 3 min at 350 W.The adsorption equilibrium was well described by the Langmuir isotherm model with a maximum adsorption capacity of 4.09 mg/g[（20±0.1） °C].The nano-TiO2 was successfully applied to the determination of element thallium in the certified reference material polymetallic nodule and water samples.

Rapid synthesis of biodegradable poly(epsilon-caprolactone-co-p-dioxanone) random copolymers under microwave irradiation

Biodegradable poly(epsilon-caprolactone-co-p-dioxanone)(PCDO) random copolymers have been synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of epsilon-caprolactone(CL) and p-dioxanone(PDO) under microwave irradiation.The effects of irradiation time and different CL/PDO molar feed ratios on the microwave-assisted ring-opening polymerization(MROP) of PCDO have been discussed.The resultant products were characterized by ~1H NMR,GPC and DSC.It was found that the polymerization was completed within 20 min at 140℃.In th...

Mutagenesis and Screening of High Yield Xylanase Production Strain of Aspergillus usamii by Microwave Irradiation

A high yield xylanase producing strain, A. usamii L336-23, was screened out from its parent strain A.usamii L336 after microwave irradiation. Its productivity of xylanase activity increased by 35.7% from 21000μu·ml-1 to 28500μu·ml-1 and was stable after frequent subcultures and storage for more than two months. The mechanism of microwave mutation was also discussed.

Microwave Irradiation Treatment of Wood Flour and Its Application in PVC-Wood Flour Composites

The technique of microwave irradiation induced free radical bulk- polyaddition reactions in porous wood flour was used to modify wood flour. The behaviors of the modified wood flour under microwave irradiation, such as thermal stability and moisture sorption properties, were studied. A kind of semiinterpenetrating polymer network wood four （Semi-IPN-WF） can be formed through polymerization of MMA in the porous wood flour by microwave irradiation, and the thermal decomposition temperature of the semi-IPN-WF is considerably increased. PVC/Semi-IPN-WF composites were prepared by melt mixing in double rolls, which exhibit improved rheological properties, lower water sorption properties and outstanding mechanical performances.

Synthesis of α,β-Unsaturated Ketones using Potassium fluoridealumina Catalyst by Microwave Irradiation

Microwave irradiation can accelerate the rate of the synthetic reaction of α,β-unsaturated ketones by using KF-Al2O3 as catalyst. The rate enhancement of the reaction is 360-860 fold.

Structural Study of Inclusion Complex of Andrographolide with β-Cyclodextrin Prepared under Microwave Irradiation

An inclusion complex of b-cyclodextrin with andrographolide (Andro) was prepared by using a convenient method of microwave irradiation. The structure of the inclusion complex was determined by the 1H NMR, 2D NMR spectroscopy as well as the elemental analysis.

White luminescence of Ho^(3+)/Tm^(3+)/Yb^(3+)-codoped CaWO_4 synthesized via citrate complex route assisted by microwave irradiation

The nanocrystalline Ho3+/Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped CaWO4 upconversion(UC) phosphors were successfully synthesized by a modified citrate complex method using microwave irradiation. The citrate complex precursors were heat-treated at temperature ranging from 300 to 700 °C for 3 h. Crystallization of the Ho3+/Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped CaWO4 was detected at 400 °C, and entirely completed at 600 °C. The Ho3+/Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped CaWO4 heat-treated at 600 °C showed primarily spherical and homogeneous morphology. Under the laser excitation of 980 nm, Ho3+/Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped CaWO4 shows the bright white upconversion(UC) emission visible to the naked eye, which is composed of a blue emission at 475 nm from Tm3+, and green and red emissions at 543 and 651 nm respectively from Ho3+. The coordinates of Ho3+/Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped CaWO4 in the Commission International De'eclairage(CIE) chromaticity diagram could be controlled from a cool to a warm white color depending on the Tm3+ and Ho3+ concentrations. The UC luminescent properties on Tm3+ and Ho3+ concentrations and related mechanism based on laser pump power were discussed in detail.

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of 1,7,7-Trimethyl-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinoline-2,5(1H,3H)-diones under Microwave Irradiation

The title compound （C19H23NO3） was synthesized by the one-pot reaction ofp-methoxybenzaldehyde, Meldrum＇s acid, dimedone and CH3NH3Cl （NaOAc） in ethanol under microwave irradiation without catalyst and its crystal structure was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The crystal is of monoclinic, space group P21/c with a = 8.7462（10）, b = 17.7367（19）, c = 11.5959（14） A, β = 110.981（3）°, V= 1679.6（3） A^3, Z = 4, Dc = 1.239 g/cm^3,μ（MoKa） = 0.083 mm^-1, F（000） = 672 and Mr = 313.38. The structure was refined to R = 0.0530 and wR = 0.1216. X-ray analysis reveals that the dihedral angle between plane 1 （N（1）, C（1）, C（2）, C（3）） and plane 2 （C（1）, C（2）, C（6）, C（7）, C（9）） is 3.64°, andt hat between plane 2 and plane 3 （C（11）～C（16）） is 85.33°.

An Efficient and Green Synthesis of 5-Oxo-5, 6, 7, 8-tetrahydro- 4H-benzo-[b]-pyran Derivatives Promoted by InCl_3·4H_2O Under Microwave Irradiation

A rapid and facile preparation of benzo-[b]-pyran derivatives through condensation of chalcone and 5, 5-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexandione under microwave irradiation in the presence of catalytic amount of InCl3·4H2O has been developed. With its high efficiency, operational simplicity and environmental benignancy, this method may provide a useful alternative for the preparation of benzo-[b]-pyran derivatives.

Factors Influencing Conversion of Pyritic Sulfur in Coal by Microwave Irradiation

The high sulfur coal from southwest of China was used to examine the influence of different factors such as irradiation time, particle size of coal, and leachant (Na2CO3, NaOH and CuCl22H2O)on the conversion rate of pyrite to pyrrhotite by microwave irradiation. Single factor experiment was performed firstly, then orthogonal test method was used to explore these factors. The result shows that the optimal treating conditions for the conversion are a treatment time of 3 min, a particle size from 0.086 mm to 0.102 mm, and a favorable leachant of sodium hydroxide. Under these conditions the conversion rate of pyrite can reach 45.7 %.

A Rapid and Efficient Synthesis of 2,4,6-Triarylpyridines under Microwave Irradiation

An rapid and efficient synthesis of 2, 4, 6-triarylpyridines is reported using substituted benzaldehydes, substituted acetophenones and ammonia as starting materials under microwave irradiation in the presence of PEG-400.