Gemological-Mineralogical Characteristic of Spinels from Sri Lanka

Detailed mineralogical and gemological records were conducted on 340 unheated spinels from the Horana, Eheliyagoda, Ratnapura, and Okkampatiya mining areas in Sri Lanka. The color of Sri Lankan spinel varies greatly: in addition to the mainstream pink to purple pink, green and blue can also be seen. Compared with spinel from other regions such as Myanmar, Vietnam, and Tanzania, Sri Lanka's spinel has more abundant inclusions: several mining areas generally have inclusions such as dolomite, apatite, zircon, and chondrodite. Minerals such as graphite and forsterite are also found in spinel produced in the Horana region;graphite and rutile have been found in spinel produced in the Okkamptiya region. Partially healed fissures are most common in spinel in the Okkampatiya mining area;Unlike Vietnamese spinel, dislocations and growth structures are almost absent in Sri Lankan spinel. The LA-ICP-MS analysis results showed that there were no significant differences among the mining areas. LA-ICP-MS analysis of 5 Sri Lankan cobalt blue spinels showed a variation of 11 to 120 ppm in this chromogenic element. The UV visible absorption spectrum results show that Sri Lankan spinel has a combination spectra with variable ratios of the spectral components Cr 3+ , V 3+ and Fe 2+ from pink to red, orange, purple to purple, and blue-green. The results of infrared spectroscopy and laser Raman spectroscopy analysis showed that all samples showed no indications for heat treatment.

Effects of iron oxide on crystallization behavior and spatial distribution of spinel in stainless steel slag

Chromium plays a vital role in stainless steel due to its ability to improve the corrosion resistance of the latter.However,the re-lease of chromium from stainless steel slag(SSS)during SSS stockpiling causes detrimental environmental issues.To prevent chromium pollution,the effects of iron oxide on crystallization behavior and spatial distribution of spinel were investigated in this work.The results revealed that FeO was more conducive to the growth of spinels compared with Fe2O3 and Fe3O4.Spinels were found to be mainly distrib-uted at the top and bottom of slag.The amount of spinel phase at the bottom decreased with the increasing FeO content,while that at the top increased.The average particle size of spinel in the slag with 18wt%FeO content was 12.8μm.Meanwhile,no notable structural changes were observed with a further increase in FeO content.In other words,the spatial distribution of spinel changed when the content of iron oxide varied in the range of 8wt%to 18wt%.Finally,less spinel was found at the bottom of slag with a FeO content of 23wt%.

Microwave-assisted exploration of the electron configuration-dependent electrocatalytic urea oxidation activity of 2D porous NiCo_(2)O_(4) spinel

Urea holds promise as an alternative water-oxidation substrate in electrolytic cells.High-valence nickelbased spinel,especially after heteroatom doping,excels in urea oxidation reactions(UOR).However,traditional spinel synthesis methods with prolonged high-temperature reactions lack kinetic precision,hindering the balance between controlled doping and highly active two-dimensional(2D)porous structures design.This significantly impedes the identification of electron configuration-dependent active sites in doped 2D nickel-based spinels.Herein,we present a microwave shock method for the preparation of 2D porous NiCo_(2)O_(4)spinel.Utilizing the transient on-off property of microwave pulses for precise heteroatom doping and 2D porous structural design,non-metal doping(boron,phosphorus,and sulfur)with distinct extranuclear electron disparities serves as straightforward examples for investigation.Precise tuning of lattice parameter reveals the impact of covalent bond strength on NiCo_(2)O_(4)structural stability.The introduced defect levels induce unpaired d-electrons in transition metals,enhancing the adsorption of electron-donating amino groups in urea molecules.Simultaneously,Bode plots confirm the impact mechanism of rapid electron migration caused by reduced band gaps on UOR activity.The prepared phosphorus-doped 2D porous NiCo_(2)O_(4),with optimal electron configuration control,outperforms most reported spinels.This controlled modification strategy advances understanding theoretical structure-activity mechanisms of high-performance 2D spinels in UOR.

Unveiling the geometric site dependent activity of spinel Co_(3)O_(4)for electrocatalytic chlorine evolution reaction

Spinel cobalt oxide(Co_(3)O_(4)),consisting of tetrahedral Co^(2+)(CoTd)and octahedral Co^(3+)(CoOh),is considered as promising earth-abundant electrocatalyst for chlorine evolution reaction(CER).Identifying the catalytic contribution of geometric Co site in the electrocatalytic CER plays a pivotal role to precisely modulate electronic configuration of active Co sites to boost CER.Herein,combining density functional theory calculations and experiment results assisted with operando analysis,we found that the Co_(Oh) site acts as the main active site for CER in spinel Co_(3)O_(4),which shows better Cl^(-)adsorption and more moderate intermediate adsorption toward CER than CoTd site,and does not undergo redox transition under CER condition at applied potentials.Guided by above findings,the oxygen vacancies were further introduced into the Co_(3)O_(4) to precisely manipulate the electronic configuration of Co_(Oh) to boost Cl^(-)adsorption and optimize the reaction path of CER and thus to enhance the intrinsic CER activity significantly.Our work figures out the importance of geometric configuration dependent CER activity,shedding light on the rational design of advanced electrocatalysts from geometric configuration optimization at the atomic level.

Synthesis and electrochemical properties of dual doped spinels LiNi_xAl_yMn_(2-x-y)O_4 via facile novel chelated sol–gel method as possible cathode material for lithium rechargeable batteries

LiMnOand LiNiAlyMnO（x= 0.50;y = 0.05-0.50） powders have been synthesized via facile solgel method using Behenic acid as active cheiating agent.The synthesized samples are subjected to physical characterizations such as thermo gravimetric analysis（TG/DTA）,X-ray diffraction（XRD）,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy（FT-IR）,field-emission scanning electron microscopy（FESEM）,transmission electron microscopy（TEM） and electrochemical studies viz.,galvanostatic cycling properties,electrochemical impedance spectroscopy（EIS） and differential capacity curves（dQ/dE）.Finger print XRD patterns of LiMnOand LiNiAlMnOfortify the high degree of crystallinity with better phase purity.FESEM images of the undoped pristine spinel illustrate uniform spherical grains surface morphology with an average particle size of 0.5 μm while Ni doped particles depict the spherical grains growth（50nm） with ice-cube surface morphology.TEM images of the spinel LiMnOshows the uniform spherical morphology with particle size of（100 nm） while low level of Al-doping spinel（LiNio.5Alo.05Mn1.45O4） displaying cloudy particles with agglomerated particles of（50nm）.The LiMnOsamples calcined at 850℃ deliver the discharge capacity of 130 mAh/g in the first cycle corresponds to 94%coiumbic efficiency with capacity fade of 1.5 mAh/g/cycle over the investigated 10 cycles.Among all four dopant compositions investigated,LiNiAlMnOdelivers the maximum discharge capacity of 126 mAh/g during the first cycle and shows the stable cycling performance with low capacity fade of 1 mAh/g/cycle（capacity retention of 92%） over the investigated 10 cycles.Electrochemical impedance studies of spinel LiMnOand LiNiAlMnOdepict the high and low real polarization of 1562 and 1100 Ω.

Computational study of inverse ferrite spinels

The magnetic properties of inverse ferrite Fe_(3+) Fe_(3+)Co_(2+) O^(2-)_4, Fe^(3+) Fe^(3+)Cu^(2+) O^2_(-4), Fe^(3+) Fe^(3+)Fe^(2+) O^2_(-4),and Fe^(3+) Fe^(3+)Ni^(2+) O^(2-)_4spinels have been studied using Monte Carlo simulation. We have also calculated the critical and Curie Weiss temperatures from the thermal magnetizations and inverse of magnetic susceptibilities for each system.Magnetic hysteresis cycles have been found for the four systems. Finally, we found the critical exponents associated with magnetization, magnetic susceptibility, and external magnetic field. Our results of critical and Curie Weiss temperatures are similar to those obtained by experiment results. The critical exponents are similar to those of known 3 D-Ising model.

A New Perspective on the 5 V Discharge Capacity of Li/Al Doped Manganese Spinels

A series of manganese spinels LiMn2-yMeyO4 （Me = Li, A1, Mg） were prepared and examined by XRD and electrochemical methods. The spinels doped with Li or high content of A1 can exhibit discharge capacity in the 5 V region, but spinels doped with Mg do not exhibit any 5 V discharge capacity. It is also observed that the 5 V discharge capacity of Li/A1 doped spinels will be greatly suppressed once calcinated at temperatures above 900 ℃ in preparation. It is suggested that the 5 V discharge capacity of Li/A1 doped spinels may be originated from the special chemical/structural characteristics of spinel phases containing Li or high content of A1 prepared at temperatures below 900 ℃.

Enabling structural and interfacial stability of 5 V spinel LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cathode by a coherent interface

Spinel LiNi_(0.5)Mn_(1.5)O_(4)(LNMO),a 5 V class high voltage cathode,has been regarded as an attractive candidate to further improve the energy density of lithium-ion battery.The issue simultaneously enabling side stability and maintaining high interfacial kinetics,however,has not yet been resolved.Herein,we design a coherent Li_(1.3)A_(l0.3)Ti_(1.7)(PO)_(4)(LATP)layer that is crystally connected to the spinel LNMO host lattices,which offers fast lithium ions transportation as well as enhances the mechanical stability that prevents the particle fracture.Furthermore,the inactive Li_(3)BO_(3)(LBO)coating layer inhibits the corrosion of transition metals and continuous side reactions.Consequently,the coherent-engineered LNMO-LATPLBO cathode material exhibits superior electrochemical cycling stability in a window of 3.0–5.0 V,for example a high-capacity retention that is 89.7%after 500 cycles at 200 m A g-1obtained and enhanced rate performance(85.1 m A h g^(-1)at 800 m A g^(-1))when tested with a LiPF6-based carbonate electrolyte.Our work presents a new approach of engineering 5 V class spinel oxide cathode that combines interfacial coherent crystal lattice design and surface coating.

Effects of ZnO,FeO and Fe_(2)O_(3)on the spinel formation,microstructure and physicochemical properties of augite-based glass ceramics

Augite-based glass ceramics were synthesised using ZnO,FeO,and Fe_(2)O_(3)as additives,and the spinel formation,matrix structure,crystallisation thermodynamics,and physicochemical properties were investigated.The results showed that oxides resulted in numerous preliminary spinels in the glass matrix.FeO,ZnO,and Fe_(2)O_(3)influenced the formation of spinel,while FeO simplified the glass network.FeO and ZnO promoted bulk crystallisation of the parent glass.After adding oxides,the grains of augite phase were refined,and the relative quantities of augite crystal planes were also influenced.All samples displayed good mechanical properties and chemical stability.The 2wt%ZnO-doping sample displayed the maximum flexural strength(170.3 MPa).Chromium leaching amount values of all the samples were less than the national standard(1.5 mg/L),confirming the safety of the materials.In conclusion,an appropriate amount of zinc-containing raw material is beneficial for the preparation of augite-based glass ceramics.

The Characteristics of Spinels in Mantle-derivedXenoliths in Cenozoic Basalts from Eastern Chinaand Their Thermal States

The colours and chemical composition variations of 160 spinels in peridotite and pyroxenite xenoliths from Cenozoic basalts in eastern China and their petrogeneses have been studied in detail. The relationships between major elements of spinels are discussed. The equilibrium temperatures, pressures and oxygen fugacities of spinels and their coexisting olivines, orthopyroxenes and clinopyroxenes have been determined using the Brey—kohler's T—P calculation methods (1990) and Ballhaus' fo2 calculation method (1991). The relationships between the composition and the equilibrium temperatures, pressures or oxygen fugacities of spinels in peridotite xenoliths from the basalts and the stable field of the spinels in the upper mantle have been shown.

Effect of Spinels on Properties of MgO-Al_(2)O_(3) Refractories for RH Snorkels

With satisfactory high temperature properties,thermal shock resistance and mechanical properties,refractories in the MgO-Al_(2)O_(3) system have become promising alternative to MgO-Cr_(2)O_(3) counterpart used as RH snorkel lining.High purity dead burned magnesia,fused magnesia and sintered spinel were used as raw materials and sulfite pulp waste as the binder,specimens of the refractories in the Mg0-Al_(2)O_(3) system were prepared for the purpose of investigating the influences in terms of the addition of three kinds of spinels,with Al_(2)O_(3) 50%,66% and 78%,by mass,respectively,and the size of MA50 spinel on properties of the specimens.Relatively superior comprehensive properties can be achieved when 16%of MA50 spinel with sizes under 1mm is adopted.

Chromian Spinels in Listwaenite and Related Rocks in the Sartohay Ophiolitic Mélange, Xinjiang, NW China

Listwaenite,carbonate-talc schist,and serpentinite of Sartohay ophioliticmélange,Xinjiang,northwestern China,contain variably altered chromian spinels.During the hydrothermal alteration from serpentinite to listwaenite

Lattice Dynamics at Zone-Center of Sulphide and Selenide Spinels

一个僵硬离子的模型被用来计算力量常数和硫醚和硒化物尖晶石的有效动态费用。拉曼和正常立方的硫醚尖晶石宏 2 S 4( M = Mn ，公司， Fe ， Hg ， Zn ，和 Cd )和硒化物尖晶石宏 2 Se 4( M = Hg ， Zn ，并且 Cd )用上面在第一 Brillouin 地区中心被计算模型。现在的工作的重要结果是(i)内部在 Cr-S ( Se )之间的原子相互作用在 Cr-S ( Se )和 S-S ( Se-Se )类型上统治内部原子相互作用，( i i )二原子价的金属离子的有效动态费用是将近零，并且( iii )硒化物尖晶石作为 MnCr 2 S 4】 FeCr 2 S 4】 CoCr 2 S 4】 和 CdCr 2 C 4】 ZnCr 2 C 4】 HgCr 2 C 4( C = S 和 Se )。地区中心声子频率，用这些参数计算，被发现在对观察结果的很好的同意。

Development of bimetallic spinel catalysts for low-temperature decomposition of ammonium dinitramide monopropellants

Ammonium dinitramide(ADN)based liquid monopropellants have been identified as environmentally benign substitutes for hydrazine monopropellant.However,new catalysts are to be developed for making ADN monopropellants cold-start capable.In the present study,performance of Co and Ba doped CuCr_2O_4 nanocatalysts prepared by hydrothermal method was evaluated on the decomposition of aqueous ADN solution and ADN liquid monopropellant(LMP103X).The catalysts were characterized by PXRD(Powder X-ray Diffraction),FTIR(Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy),SEM(Scanning Electron Microscopy),TEM(Transmission Electron Microscopy),EDS(Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy),and XPS(X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy).The nanosize was confirmed by SEM and TEM,while the nanoflake morphology was confirmed by the SEM analysis.Further,we obtained the elemental composition from the EDS analysis.We investigated the catalytic activity of the catalysts by thermogravimetric(TG)analysis and the developed catalysts lowered the decomposition temperature of ADN monopropellant by about 55℃.The XPS analysis confirmed the presence of metal ions with different chemical states.Apparently,increase in the surface area of the catalysts and the mixed active sites as well as the development of oxygen vacancy on the catalyst surface introduced by metal doping are influencing the decomposition temperature of ADN samples.

Effects of Al and Co doping on the structural stability and high temperature cycling performance of LiNi_(0.5)Mn_(1.5)O_(4) spinel cathode materials

The poor structural stability and capacity retention of the high-voltage spinel-type LiNi_(0.5)Mn_(1.5)O_(4)(LNMO)limits their further application.Herein,Al and Co were doped in LNMO materials for a more stable structure and capacity.The LNMO,LiNi_(0.45)Al_(0.05)Mn_(1.5)O_(4)(LNAMO)and LiNi_(0.45)Co_(0.05)Mn_(1.5)O_(4)(LNCMO)were synthesized by calcination at 900℃ for 8 h,which was called as solid-phase method and applied universally in industry.XRD,FT-IR and CV test results showed the synthesized samples have cation disordering Fd-3m space group structures.Moreover,the incorporation of Al and Co increased the cation disordering of LNMO,thereby increasing the transfer rate of Li+.The SEM results showed that the doped samples performed more regular and ortho-octahedral.The EDS elemental analysis confirmed the uniform distribution of each metal element in the samples.Moreover,the doped samples showed better electrochemical properties than undoped LNMO.The LNAMO and LNCMO samples were discharged with specific capacities of 116.3 mA·h·g^(-1)and 122.8 mA·h·g^(-1)at 1 C charge/discharge rate with good capacity retention of 95.8% and 94.8% after 200 cycles at room temperature,respectively.The capacity fading phenomenon of the doped samples at 50℃ and 1 C rate was significantly improved.Further,cations doping also enhanced the rate performance,especially for the LNCMO,the discharge specific capacity of 117.9 mA·h·g^(-1)can be obtained at a rate of 5 C.

Effect of Al Powder and Si Powder Additions on Structure and Properties of Unburned Magnesium Aluminate Spinel Refractories

Unburned magnesium aluminate spinel refractories were prepared using sintered magnesium aluminate spinel as the main raw material,phenolic resin as the binder,aluminum powder(2%,4%,and 6%by mass)and silicon powder(when Al powder addition is 4%,Si powder addition varies:1%and 2%,by mass)as additives.The effects of the Al powder and Si powder additions on the properties and microstructure of the refractories heat treated at different temperatures(1000,1400,and 1600℃for 3 h)were studied.The results show that the Al powder addition can greatly enhance the cold modulus of rupture of the samples fired at 1000 or 1400℃,and meanwhile AlN reinforcement phase forms in the matrix,which greatly improves the hot modulus of rupture of the samples at 1400℃;however,the heat treatment at 1600℃has little influence on the strength;the addition of Al powder and Si powder results in the formation of low melting point phases,greatly reducing the hot modulus of rupture.However,the low melting point phases promote sintering,which enhances the density and the cold modulus of rupture,and decreases the volume change during heating.The samples added with Al and Si all have higher cold modulus of rupture than those added with Al powder only.

不同碱度渣对刚玉-尖晶石浇注料的侵蚀行为研究

浇注料的抗渣侵蚀性能与钢渣的碱度密切相关。以烧结刚玉、缺陷尖晶石微粉、活性α-Al_(2)O_(3)微粉、电熔镁砂细粉和铝酸钙水泥(Secar71)为主要原料,制备了刚玉-尖晶石浇注料,采用静态坩埚法于1600℃保温3 h进行抗渣试验,并用热力学模拟计算了液相量和液相组成,研究了刚玉-尖晶石浇注料对3种不同碱度渣(1.6、2.3和7.6)的抗渣侵蚀性能。结果表明:刚玉-尖晶石浇注料在高碱度渣中溶解能力有限,在熔渣-耐火材料界面极易形成尖晶石固溶体和六铝酸钙等高熔点物相,形成致密层阻挡熔渣渗透和侵蚀。而其在低碱度渣中溶解度较高,在浇注料-熔渣达到较高反应程度时,才开始形成尖晶石固溶体和六铝酸钙等高温相,无法形成有效的致密层阻止熔渣对浇注料的侵蚀和渗透。因此,刚玉-尖晶石浇注料对高碱度渣抗渣侵蚀能力较强,对低碱度渣抗渣侵蚀能力较弱。

不同形貌Co_(3)O_(4)的控制合成及其催化氧化甲苯性能

采用溶剂热方法控制合成了一系列具有球状、蝴蝶结状和块状的Co_(3)O_(4)催化剂,并评价其催化氧化消除甲苯的性能。通过X射线衍射(X-ray diffraction,XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(Scanning electron microscopy,SEM)、H2程序升温还原(H2-temperature programmed reduction,H2-TPR)和X射线光电子能谱(X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,XPS)等方法表征了这些催化剂的结构和表面性质,探讨其形貌结构与活性的关系。研究结果表明,在质量体积空速为40000 mL·g^(-1)·h^(-1)的条件下,所制备的具有不同形貌的三种催化剂中,球状Co_(3)O_(4)催化剂活性最佳,可以在246℃时使甲苯达到90%的转化(T_(90)),而蝴蝶结状和块状催化剂催化甲苯转化的T_(90)分别为250和263℃。而且球状Co_(3)O_(4)催化剂在250℃时,甲苯转化率可以在12 h内保持稳定。表征结果表明,在三种同为尖晶石相的Co_(3)O_(4)催化剂中,球状样品表面的Co3+和晶格氧含量最高,且其氧化能力最强,这可能是该样品具有优异催化氧化甲苯活性的原因。

高效MFe_(2)O_(4)(M=Zn、Mg、Cu和Mn)尖晶石催化剂应用于费托合成

一系列尖晶石催化剂,包括ZnFe_(2)O_(4)、MgFe_(2)O_(4)、CuFe_(2)O_(4)和MnFe_(2)O_(4)被用于费托合成反应(Fischer-Tropsch synthesis,FTS)。Zn、Mg、Cu和Mn很容易与Fe形成尖晶石。其中,在前处理和反应过程中,Zn和Mg能够显著维持尖晶石结构,使得CO转化率较低。在反应过程中,Cu和Mn有利于碳化铁的生成,导致CuFe_(2)O_(4)和MnFe_(2)O_(4)对FTS性能影响显著。C_(2)^(=)-C_(4)^(=)ZnFe_(2)O_(4)对烃分布和C_(2)−C_(4)烯/烷比影响很小。MgFe_(2)O_(4)的C_(5+)选择性较低,同时由于Mg的碱性作用,从而提高了选择性和C_(2)−C_(4)烯/烷比。Cu可以促进催化剂的碳化,从而使CuFe_(2)O_(4)具有较高的活性。同时,CuFe_(2)O_(4)可以显著提高C_(5+)选C_(2)^(=)-C_(4)^(=)择性。此外,Cu可以促进H_(2)的解离和活化,从而有利于烯烃的二次加氢,降低选择性和C_(2)−C_(4)烯/烷比。虽然Mn在反应过程中会促进催化剂的碳化,但MnFe_(2)O_(4)对碳链的长短影响很小。然而,Mn能促进少量ε-Fe_(2)C的生成,这是导C_(2)^(=)-C_(4)^(=)致MnFe_(2)O_(4)具有较高选择性和C_(2)−C_(4)烯/烷比的原因。同时,所有尖晶石催化剂都具有较低的二氧化碳选择性,符合当前的绿色环保发展要求。

强钴—氧键合作用提升缺陷型Co_(2)MnO_(4)酸性析氧反应稳定性

通过实验和理论已经验证钴基氧化物是一种很有前景的析氧反应(OER)催化剂。然而,普通的钴基催化剂在酸性环境中非常不稳定,在酸性电解质中容易被腐蚀。因此,在目前的研究中,设计出能在强酸性条件下同时保持活性和稳定性的析氧催化剂是实现大规模工业制氢应用的一项重要挑战。因此,我们报道了通过在四氧化三钴的尖晶石晶格中引入锰(Mn)从而产生富含缺陷的催化剂(CoMn_(1)O),它在酸性电解质中具有较长的使用寿命。我们利用X射线衍射(XRD)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、高分辨率透射电子显微镜(HRTEM)和能量色散光谱(EDS)元素图研究了晶相结构和化学价态。在引入锰后,由于局部晶体结构的改变,产生了大量的缺陷。此外,随着锰含量的增加,可以观察到Co 2p光谱的红移,这表明Co的总价逐渐增加,形成了更稳定的Co-O键。此外,当Mn与Co的比例达到1(CoMn_(1)O)时,目标催化剂表现出良好的OER活性,在10和50mA·cm^(-2)时,过电位分别为415和552 mV。详细的物理表征和电化学测试表明,CoMn_(1)O比不含锰的Co_(3)O_(4)(CoMn_(0)O)能稳定4倍以上的时间。这可以归因于锰的引入调节了Co的电子密度偏向O,从而形成更稳定的Co-O键。Mn可以通过延缓Co活性位点的氧化速率来促进酸性氧的进化,并进一步提升稳定性。密度泛函理论(DFT)计算进一步分析了CoMn_(1)O和CoMn_(0)O的电子结构。与CoMn_(0)O相比,CoMn_(1)O中Co 3d的d带中心(εd)向费米能级(EF)移动。这表明CoMn_(1)O通过加强与OER中间物的键合作用从而降低了反应能垒。本研究为设计非贵金属电催化剂实现高效稳定的酸性析氧提供有前景的策略。