Synthesis of monodispersed SnO2@C composite hollow spheres for lithium ion battery anode applications

RSC Publishing: Tin oxides and carbon (SnO2@C) composite hollow spheres with improved electrochemical performance were fabricated via a facile hard template route. Monodispersed polystyrene (PS) spheres were synthesized and utilized as hard templates. A thin and porous layer of SnO2 nanoparticles was deposited on a PS surface using a well controlled sol–gel method, so that the morphology of the active SnO2 layer could be optimized for a better electrochemical performance.

Furthermore, a continuous carbon coating layer was incorporated with an aim of enhancing the conductivity, holding the structure integrity, and thus improving the cycling performance of the anode material.

With such a carefully designed nanostructure, the as-prepared SnO2@C composite hollow spheres possessed the desired features for a good electrode material. After 50 successive cycles, SnO2@C anode was able to deliver a capacity of 495 mAh g−1 at a scan rate of 100 mA g−1.

Synthesis and characterization of low temperature Sn nanoparticles for the fabrication of highly conductive ink

IOP Science: To fabricate a low cost, highly conductive ink for inkjet printing, we synthesized a gram scale of uniformly sized Sn nanoparticles by using a modified polyol process and observed a significant size-dependent melting temperature depression from 234.1 'C for bulk Sn to 177.3 'C for 11.3 nm Sn nanoparticles.

A 20 wt% of Sn nanoparticles was dispersed in the 50% ethylene glycol: 50% isopropyl alcohol mixed solvent for the appropriate viscosity (11.6 cP) and surface tension (32 dyn cm − 1). To improve the electrical property, we applied the surface treatments of hydrogen reduction and plasma ashing.

The two treatments had the effect of diminishing the sheet resistance from 1kΩ/sq to 50Ω/sq. In addition, conductive patterns (1cm x 1cm) were successfully drawn on the Si wafer using an inkjet printing instrument with conductive Sn ink. The maximum resistivity for an hour of sintering at 250 'C was 64.24Ωcm, which is six times higher than the bulk Sn resistivity (10.1Ωcm).

Tin solvent metal for artificial joints

espacenet : WO 2010117655 (A2)

Polycrystalline diamond compacts for use in artificial joints achieve reduced corrosion and improved biocompatibility through the use of solvent metal formulations containing tin and through the control of solvent metal pore size, particularly in inner layers of the compact. Solvent metal formulations containing tin have been discovered which provide sintering ability, part strength, and grind resistance comparable to levels achieved by using CoCrMo solvent metals. It has been discovered that limiting the solvent metal pore size in the diamond layers minimizes or eliminates the occurance of micro cracks in the solvent metal and significantly reduces the corrosion of the compact as manifested by the release of heavy metal ions from the compact.; Polycrystalline diamond compacts which utilize both the solvent metal formulations containing tin and the control of pore sizes achieve significantly reduced corrosion and improved biocompatibility compared to prior art polycrystalline diamond compacts

Plastics containing as flame retardant a metal powder consisting of Sn or Sn alloy

espacenet : EP 1947140 (A1)

Plastic comprises 0.01-1.5 wt.% of a first flame proofing agent a second flame proofing agent, where the first flame proofing agent is a powder comprising tin or tin alloy with a melting point of less than 350[deg] C, the second flame proofing agent is a halogenated organic compound and the sum of the first and the second flame-proofing agent is 0.1-3 wt.%

Recovery of tin from Cu3Sn + Pb smelting residue

espacenet: JP 2006045588 (A)

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wet treatment method particularly suitable for treating a Sn-containing raw material mainly containing an intermetallic compound Cu3Sn and metallic Pb, such as refining dross produced in a lead smelting process. SOLUTION: The method for recovering Sn from an Sn-containing raw material includes: a step (1) of stirring the Sn-containing raw material in hot concentrated sulfuric acid to slurry; a step (2) of obtaining a leachate containing dissolved Sn, by adding water or sulfuric acid to the slurry; or further a step (3) of heating the leachate to 60[deg.]C or higher to obtain an Sn-containing precipitate.

In the step (1), the hot concentrated sulfuric acid to be used is a concentrated sulfuric acid containing 80% or higher sulfuric acid (before being mixed with the Sn-containing raw material), and is stirred at 60[deg.]C or higher. In the step (2), Sn is leached at 50[deg.]C or lower

New Photocatalytics Study Findings Recently Were Reported by...

NewsRX: A stable metalloporphyrin sensitized TiO2 (Degussa P25) photocatalyst was prepared by using trans-dihydroxo[5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin]tin(IV) (SnP) as a sensitizer in a simple impregnation process.

The solid diffuse reflectance ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrum of the SnP sensitized TiO2 photocatalyst (SnP-TiO2) indicated that there existed interaction between SnP and TiO2," scientists in Shanghai, People's Republic of China report.

"It was found that SnP-TiO2 exhibited an enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity as compared with that over P25 for the degradation of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) and methyl orange (MO) in aqueous...

Yuntinic Resources to Exhibit and Introduce New Tin Based Heat Stabilizers

Thomasnet.com: "We are very pleased to showcase our market leading methyltin heat stabilizer technology for the vinyl plastics industry and don't miss the new exciting heat stabilizers we will introduce at NPE2012," said Steve Hulme, General Manager of Chemicals.

"We have an excellent track record servicing the PVC market with world leading tin stabilizer technology. Our philosophy of developing close and intimate customer relationships is driven by our parent company's 100 year history of supporting strong longterm strategic partnerships."

NASA Assigned Patent for tin plus other metal oxides in redox catalysts

Factiva: The invention described herein involves a novel approach to the production of oxidation/reduction catalytic systems. The present invention serves to stabilize the tin oxide reducible metal-oxide coating by co-incorporating at least another metal-oxide species, such as zirconium. In one embodiment, a third metal-oxide species is incorporated, selected from the group consisting of cerium, lanthanum, hafnium, and ruthenium. The incorporation of the additional metal oxide components serves to stabilize the active tin-oxide layer in the catalytic process during high-temperature operation in a reducing environment (e.g., automobile exhaust). Moreover, the additional metal oxides are active components due to their oxygen-retention capabilities. Together, these features provide a mechanism to extend the range of operation of the tin-oxide-based catalyst system for automotive applications, while maintaining the existing advantages

Timah Plans To Build Tin Chemical Plant Next Year

Factiva: Tin producer PT Timah (TINS.JK) plans to build a tin chemical plant in Bangka and Belitung islands at a cost of around IDR1 trillion ($117 million) next year, a company spokesman told reporters Wednesday.

"Listed construction company PT Wijaya Karya and a Korean company have expressed their interest in building the plant," the spokesman said, adding that the plant will have a capacity of 10,000 metric tons of tin chemical.

Synthesis and enhanced photocatalytic activity of tin oxide nanoparticles coated on multi-walled carbon nanotube

Scopus: A nanocomposite of SnO2 nanoparticles coated on multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT@SnO2) was synthesized and characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, nitrogen physisorption measurements, photoluminescence. The results show that the SnO2 nanoparticles with a narrow size of 4 nm are uniformly deposited on MWNT. The photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposite was studied using methyl orange as a model organic pollutant. MWNT@SnO2 exhibits much higher photocatalytic activity than that of commercial TiO2 (P-25). The promotion is mainly contributed from electron transfer between SnO2 and MWNT

Controlled growth of hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanorod array on fluorine doped tin oxide: Synthesis and photoelectrochemical properties

Scopus - Document details: Hematite nanorods were grown on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates by hydrothermal means utilizing urea as a pH regulating agent. XRD for nanorods revealed pure hematite phase after annealing at 500 'C for 30 min with preferential orientation in the [110] direction.

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was carried out to investigate the electrical properties. Using Mott-Schottky analysis, charge carrier density was estimated to be 5.62 1019 cm- 3 in the hematite nanorod array. Among the nanostructures, the n-type hematite nanorod array showed the best conversion efficiency among the samples studied in a two electrode photoelectrochemical cell. Photocurrent measurements versus light intensity were performed to investigate the device performance and the limiting factors to the performance were attributed to the short diffusion length of minority charge carriers

Morphological and phase control of tin oxide single-crystals synthesized by dissolution and recrystallization of bulk SnO powders

Scopus: Various types of tin oxide particle, including square SnO platelets, truncated octahedral SnO crystals, and monodispepersed SnO2 nanoparticles, were synthesized by the dissolution and recrystallization of bulk SnO powder via the thermal decomposition of tin oleate in a coordinating solvent of tri-n-octylamine at 340'C.

The results reveal that the atmosphere and reaction time are important factors that affect the shape of tin(II) oxide and the oxidation state of tin(II or IV) oxide. As tin oleate decomposed in a N2 atmosphere, truncated octahedral SnO crystals formed. When the thermal decomposition was conducted in air, square SnO platelets formed after a 30-min reaction time. When the reaction time was extended to 180min, the square SnO platelets decomposed and transformed into nanocrystalline SnO2 particles

New Rutile Tin Zinc Orange 10P320 and 10C321

The Shepherd Color Company: Orange 10P320 and Orange 10C321 are C. I. Pigment Yellow 216 and chemically Tin Zinc Rutile.

Complex inorganic color pigments (CICP), ceramic pigment, or mineral pigment excel at applications where stable color is needed in extreme environments - high UV exposure, high heat systems, and some chemical resistant formulations. Both Oranges are insoluble in virtually all solvents and resins and will not bleed or migrate. It has good lightfastness, in full tone and also when blended with TiO2.

They make an excellent choice to blend with organic pigments to provide opacity without losing chroma as compared to adding TiO2.

SnO2 opacifier for dental porcelain

Dentistry Researchers in Xi'an, People's Republic of China conducted a study "To investigate the effect of particle size distribution of opacifier tin dioxides (SnO2) on the color of dental opaque porcelain for pure titanium by spectrophotometer. Sixteen groups of opaque porcelain powders were prepared by combining four grain size SnO2 with four pigments (no pigment, yellow, coral pink and grey)."

Asahi Kasei Chemicals Assigned Patent for Dialkyl Tin

Factiva "An object of the present invention is to provide a process for producing a dialkyl tin compound from a composition of deactivated forms of a dialkyl tin catalyst, and to provide a process for producing the dialkyl tin catalyst from the dialkyl tin compound and using the dialkyl tin catalyst to produce a carbonic acid ester. According to the present invention, a process for producing a dialkyl tin compound is provided that subjects a composition of the deactivated forms of the dialkyl tin catalyst, formed when producing an ester compound, to an alkyl group redistribution reaction and/or dealkylation reaction."

Suppression of Cr in Stainless Steel using nanocoatings

Factiva: "The effects of surface nanocrystallization via surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) on degree of sensitization (DOS) of an austenitic stainless steel were investigated by means of double loop electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation (DLEPR) test.'

'The treated sample with grain size about 10 nm showed very low degree of sensitization value which can be considered as the non-sensitized material,' wrote M. Laleh and colleagues, Tarbiat Modares University.

The researchers concluded: 'This is mainly due to the formation of twin boundaries in the microstructure of the SMATed sample which weren't susceptible to carbide precipitation because of their regular and coherent atomic structure and extreme low grain boundary energy as compared with those of other grain boundaries.'

Laleh and colleagues published their study in Materials Letters (Suppression of chromium depletion and sensitization in austenitic stainless steel by surface mechanical attrition treatment"

Mn coatings mitigate Cr migration is stainless steel

Factiva: "Protective/conductive coatings that resist oxide scale growth and reduce chromium migration and evaporation are required to make stainless steel interconnect materials for long-term durable operation of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). To accomplish this, the interconnect can be coated by special spinels for their higher conductivity.'

'In this work, AISI 430 ferritic stainless steel was coated with manganese using the pack cementation method to investigate the oxidation and electrical behaviour at operating conditions of SOFCs. The oxidation behaviour of coated substrates was studied during different types of oxidation tests. Area specific resistance (ASR) of the coated substrates was also tested as a function of temperature and time. The results showed that the formed Mn3O4 and MnFe2O4 spinels improved oxidation resistance by limiting the outward diffusion of Cr cations and the inward diffusion of oxygen anions,' wrote H. Ebrahimifar and colleagues."

SnF2 positive effects in enamel and dentine

Factiva: "Investigators publish new data in the report 'Efficacy of tin-containing solutions on erosive mineral loss in enamel and dentine in situ. 'The addition of tin to mouth rinses is, at least in vitro, a promising strategy for symptomatic therapy of dental erosion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in situ efficacy of an experimental tin-containing fluoride solution on erosive tissue loss in human enamel and dentine,' scientists writing in the journal Clinical Oral Investigations report."

"The study was a three-cell (7 days each) crossover design involving eight healthy participants. Samples were mounted on buccal shields of mandibular mouth appliances, which were worn for 24 h except during meals and drinks. Specimens were demineralised extraorally with 0.05 M citric acid (pH 2.3) for 6? x ?5 min daily and were treated with test solutions intraorally once per day for 30 s after the first demineralisation. Three solutions were used: placebo (negative control), a commercially available tin-and fluoride-containing (SnF(2)) mouth rinse (positive control, 409 ppm Sn(2+), 250 ppm F(-), pH 4.2) and an experimental solution (pH 4.5) containing 1,900 ppm Sn(2+) (SnCl(2)) and 1,000 ppm F(-) (AmF/NaF). Tissue loss (micrometre) was determined profilometrically. In enamel, tissue loss was 54.8?(+-)?8.6 in the placebo, 24.5?(+-)?14.4 in the positive control and 9.7?(+-)?4.1 in the experimental solution group. The respective values for dentine were 48.5?(+-)?13.0 in the placebo, 32.8?(+-)?9.6 in the positive control and 26.2?(+-)?6.7 in the experimental solution group. The experimental solution was notably effective for enamel but was less effective for dentine," wrote N. Schlueter and colleagues.

The researchers concluded: "The positive control solution was less effective than the experimental solution; its effects for enamel and dentine were similar."

Schlueter and colleagues published their study in Clinical Oral Investigations (Efficacy of tin-containing solutions on erosive mineral loss in enamel and dentine in situ. Clinical Oral Investigations, 2011;15(3):361-7).

Additional information can be obtained by contacting N. Schlueter, Dept. of Conservative and Preventive Dentistry, Dental Clinic of the Justus Liebig University, Schlangenzahl 14, 35392 Giessen, Germany.

New Sony notebook batteries up the charge

CNET Asia: "After a string of battery recalls in the past few years, consumers have become aware that regardless of the brand of your notebook, chances are your power cells come from the same sources. One of them, Sony, has developed a new battery that bumps up the charge capacity by 60 percent.

The Nexelion hybrid lithium-ion cell replaces the graphite on the anode with tin-based amorphous materials, allowing the power cell to hold 3.5Ah compared with the 2.2Ah in conventional models. The Nexelion is able to deliver 75 percent more power at sub-zero temperatures than current batteries, which makes it perfect for cold environments.

With most Intel Sandy Bridge and AMD Fusion machines are already hitting the 5-hour mark, this battery technology may one day enable 'one-charge-a-week' laptops a reality."

Graphene-tin composite could improve lithium-ion batteries

REVE -: "For electric vehicles, you need a lightweight battery that can be charged quickly and holds its charge capacity after repeated cycling.

Researchers at the United States Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have created a graphene and tin nanoscale composite material for rechargable lithium-ion batteries that allows quick and repeated charging without degradation, a feature which the researchers say makes it well suited for electric vehicles."

Non-aqueous synthesis of silver nanoparticles using tin acetate as a reducing agent for the conductive ink formulation in printed electronics

Scopus: "We have developed a process for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles protected with a passivating shell of dodecylamine in toluene media using tin(ii) acetate as a reducing agent.

Based on the electrochemical series, during the reduction process Sn(ii) oxidizes into Sn(iv) which reduces Ag(i) into Ag(0). The nucleation and growth processes result in particles with diameters in the range 5-20 nm. This simple non-aqueous one pot synthesis can be easily scaled up to produce grams of nanoparticles in a matter of hours. The particles can also be dispersed in many non-aqueous solvents which make them a suitable candidate for many applications.

Characterization of the end product using TEM, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction verified the presence of a silver metallic core whereas TGA confirmed the presence of a dodecylamine shell. The resulting particles were used in non-aqueous conductive ink formulation. The ink was used to print conductive tracks on flexible substrates like Epson photo paper and polyimide (Kapton) using an Aerosol Jet based printing technique"

Timah, S.Korea's H&H To Build Tin Chemical Plant In Indonesia

JAKARTA, July 14 Asia pulse - Indonesian tin miner PT Timah Tbk (IDX:TINS) and South Korea's H&H Global Resource Co Ltd (KSE:041590) will build a tin chemical plant with an annual capacity of 100,000 tons in Bangka district.

"The construction of the plant is designed to increase tin chemical production," PT Timah president director Wahid Usman said on Wednesday.

He said PT Timah had signed a memorandum of understanding with HNH Global Resources on the joint construction of the tin chemical plant.

"We are now waiting for the results of a feasibility study which is expected to be completed in 6 months` time. Afterwards, we will conduct a study on the development of industrial estate and products," he said.

It would take one year to build the plant after the feasibility study had been completed, he said.

"The tin chemical products will be marketed at home and abroad," he said.

Tin chemical is the derivative of tin metal mixed with chemicals to produce plastics, PVC and electronic instruments.

To date, PT Timah has a tin chemical plant in Cilegon, Banten province, with a capacity of 10,000 tons per year.

Currently, Indonesia still imports tin chemical due to low domestic production.

However, Usman did not elaborate on how much the construction of the tin chemical plant in Bangka would cost.

Indonesia’s New Scientists Focus on Local Solutions

Asia: "One project is trying to use zirconia, a tin byproduct, to create solid oxide fuel cells."

Stable tin droplets for LPP EUV sources

Scopus: "A key component of EUV LPP sources is the droplet generator. Small tin droplets, when combined with a igh power laser, deliver a regenerative target with high CE. This is mandatory for long-term operation in an EUV source. The overall source stability directly correlates with the stability of the fuel delivery system. In this work, droplets are imaged directly at the irradiation site. The droplet diameter and position are extracted from recorded droplet train images. Tin droplets are successfully generated at diameters of 35-58um, with droplet velocities ranging from 8 to 12m/s. The obtained droplet sizes limit the amount of neutral atoms and residual tin at the plasma formation site. The droplet velocities lead to droplet spacings of up to 8 droplet diameters. The resulting spacing helps to minimize the plasma-droplet train interaction. The droplet generator frequency range fulfills the requirements for low power metrology tools and high power HVM sources. Stability of the droplet generator is studied at 20kHz. The droplet diameter stability presents no significant fluctuations. The lateral droplet stability is in the range of 1.8% (3σ) of the droplet diameter, so no influence on source stability is expected. The variations in drop-to-drop distance, which go up to 7.3% (3σ) can influence source stability for the case of constant laser triggering."

Stable tin droplets for LPP EUV sources

Scopus: "A key component of EUV LPP sources is the droplet generator. Small tin droplets, when combined with a igh power laser, deliver a regenerative target with high CE. This is mandatory for long-term operation in an EUV source. The overall source stability directly correlates with the stability of the fuel delivery system. In this work, droplets are imaged directly at the irradiation site. The droplet diameter and position are extracted from recorded droplet train images. Tin droplets are successfully generated at diameters of 35-58um, with droplet velocities ranging from 8 to 12m/s. The obtained droplet sizes limit the amount of neutral atoms and residual tin at the plasma formation site. The droplet velocities lead to droplet spacings of up to 8 droplet diameters. The resulting spacing helps to minimize the plasma-droplet train interaction. The droplet generator frequency range fulfills the requirements for low power metrology tools and high power HVM sources. Stability of the droplet generator is studied at 20kHz. The droplet diameter stability presents no significant fluctuations. The lateral droplet stability is in the range of 1.8% (3σ) of the droplet diameter, so no influence on source stability is expected. The variations in drop-to-drop distance, which go up to 7.3% (3σ) can influence source stability for the case of constant laser triggering."

New Alloy Can Convert Heat Directly Into Electricity

Popular Science: "A new alloy with unique properties can convert heat directly into electricity, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota. The alloy, a multiferroic composite of nickel, cobalt, manganese and tin, can be either non-magnetic and highly magnetic, depending on its temperature.

Multiferroic materials possess both magnetism and ferroelectricity, or a permanent electric polarization. Materials with both of these properties are very rare; check out this explainer from the National Institute of Standards and Technology if you’re interested in the electron orbital arrangements that cause these phenomena.

In this case, the new alloy — Ni45Co5Mn40Sn10 — undergoes a reversible phase transformation, in which one type of solid turns into another type of solid when the temperature changes, according to a news release from the University of Minnesota. Specifically, the alloy goes from being non-magnetic to highly magnetized. The temperature only needs to be raised a small amount for this to happen."

PT Timah plans to start work on tin chemical plant in Q4

Metal Bulletin: "Indonesia's PT Timah plans to build an upstream tin chemical plant in Cilegon, West Java province, to feed into its 10,000 tpy tin stabiliser plant. 'Construction is expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2011 as there are some design settings of that plant that are still under review,' said spokesman Abrun Abubakar. The new plant will..."

Emerald | Circuit World | Micro-via approaches for reducing solder voiding

Circuit World

: "Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the influence of microvia design on solder joint reliability and to present a printed circuit board (PCB) microvia design approach capable of reducing or eliminating voiding in solder joints.

Design/methodology/approach – Five different types of via-in-pad designs were incorporated into a test vehicle and their performance evaluated using a variety of standard reliability tests."

Comparison of soybean oil and castor oil methanolysis in the presence of tin(IV) complexes

Scopus: "In this paper we present and discuss the results obtained from the methanolysis of two vegetable oils with very distinct triglyceride composition, castor oil and soybean oil, using Lewis acid Sn(IV)-based compounds as catalysts."

For all transesterification reactions, two different types of reactors were employed; an open glass (OG) reactor equipped with a reflux condenser, and a closed steel (CS) reactor. The results indicated that in all reactions assayed, regardless of the Sn(IV)-based catalyst employed, the yields obtained with the methanolysis of castor oil are generally lower than those carried out with soybean oil. Furthermore, independently of the oil used, the reaction yields tend to be higher when the CS reactor was employed

Serra, T.M., De Mendona, D.R., Da Silva, J.P.V., Meneghetti, M.R., Plentz Meneghetti, S.M.

Grupo de Catálise e Reatividade Química, Instituto de Química e Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, 57072-970 Maceió-AL, Brazil

New alloy could provide cheap drinking water to villages

Deccan Herald: "A new aluminum alloy could convert sea or freshwater into drinking water while also extracting hydrogen to generate power."

Such a technology could help provide power and drinking water to remote villages in Asian and African nations, said Jerry Woodall, Purdue University professor of electrical and computer engineering.

The alloy contains aluminum, gallium, indium and tin. Immersing the alloy in freshwater or saltwater causes a spontaneous reaction, splitting the water into hydrogen and oxygen molecules.

The hydrogen could then be fed to a fuel cell to generate electricity, producing water in the form of steam as a by-product, he said, according to a Purdue statement.

"The steam would kill any bacteria contained in the water, and then it would condense to purified water," Woodall said. "So, you are converting undrinkable water to drinking water."

"There is no other technology to compare it against, economically," Woodall said. "But it's obvious that 34 cents per kilowatt hour is cheap compared to building a power plant and installing power lines, especially in remote areas.

Researchers innovate a material to replace indium tin oxide

EEHerald: "The research team has been able to achieve higher conductivity by combining low concentrations of carbon nanotubes and conducting latex in a low-cost polystyrene film. The nanotubes and the latex together account for less than 1 percent of the weight of the conducting film. That is important, because a high concentration of carbon nanotubes makes the film black and opaque, so the concentration needs to be kept as low as possible. The research team was led by theoretical physicist Paul van der Schoot and polymer chemist Cor Koning. Post-doc Andriy Kyrylyuk is the first author of the paper in Nature Nanotechnology."

Tin materials suitable for high temperature bearings

Steel Guru "World Pumps reported that Graphite Metallizing Corporation has developed a new range of tin based babbitt Graphalloy materials for high temperature bearing applications up to 350'F.

The materials are available in NSF certified grades for drinking water and are FDA accepted. They are suitable for use as self-lubricating bearings in submerged and dry applications.

Graphalloy tin based babbitt is environmentally safe to machine and use, and eliminates the need for grease or oil, thus reducing contamination and maintenance. Graphite Metallizing Corporation says that the materials could replace plastics because they offer improved heat dissipation and will not melt or cold flow. In low temperature applications the bearings can help solve lubrication problems caused by the viscosity of grease and oil.

The materials can be used in potable water, food applications and traditional low temperature applications. Used in the manufacture of bushings, bearings and other components for machinery and process equipment, Graphalloy materials are self-lubricating, impervious to temperature extremes and thrive in harsh environments."

Nickel-tin foam with nanostructured walls for rechargeable lithium battery

Scopus: "Nickel-tin foams with a graded micro-porous framework and nano-porous walls are created by an electrochemical deposition method for use as the anode in rechargeable lithium batteries.

The resulting electrodes react readily with lithium electrochemically and deliver a reversible capacity of more than 470 mAh g-1 for up to 50 cycles. In addition, they show outstanding rate performance: their reversible capacity at a discharging rate of 20 C is about 70% of the capacity at a rate of 1 C, due mainly to their unique structure which allows facile lithium-ion transport and fast surface reactions. The reversible capacity and rate capability show strong dependence on the thickness of the deposit and this is associated with the accessibility of lithium ions inside the porous structure"

Preparation and corrosion resistance of tin salt conversion film on aluminum alloy surface

Scopus: "A chrome-free chemical conversion film with good corrosion resistance was prepared by chemical conversion method using stannous sulfate as main salt.

Effects of stannous sulfate concentration, film-forming oxidant concentration, film-forming accelerator concentration, reaction temperature and reaction time on corrosion resistance of the coating were studied. Corrosion resistance of the conversion coating was examined by electrochemical testing. At pH 2∼3, the optimal preparation technologic conditions of chrome-free chemical conversion film were SnSO4 0. 15 g/L, KMnO4 1. 5 g/L and NaF 2 g/L, reaction temperature 30°C, reaction time 1. 5 min. The tin salt conversion film has simple preparation technology, rapid film-forming speed and good corrosion resistance.

Electrochemical treatments using tin oxide anode to prevent biofouling

Scopus: "Organic matter and living micro-organisms are responsible for surface modifications of any materials immersed in seawater. This phenomenon, called biofouling, has many detrimental effects and has to be prevented. Electrochemistry could be a very efficient tool for biofouling prevention in two ways, either by local biocide production through seawater electrolysis or by immobilizing electrogenerated biocides.

In this paper, both strategies will be developed and illustrated in the particular case of tin dioxide as anode material. Chloride and bromide ions present in seawater are efficiently oxidized at antimony doped tin dioxide to form biocidal hypohalogenous acids, namely HOCl and HOBr. Underwater optical instruments having glass window coated with a transparent tin dioxide layer can be effectively protected against biofouling without environmental damages because hypohalogenous acids are produced at a low level and on the window itself."

Simple synthesis of carbon/tin oxide composite as anodes for lithium-ion batteries

Scopus : "Several carbon/tin oxide (C/Sn O2) composite anode materials are prepared through a novel and simple solution route. Powder x-ray diffraction and energy dispersive analysis of x-ray measurements confirm that the nanosized Sn O2 particles are homogeneously dispersed in the carbon matrix. Both the content of Sn O2 and the carbonization temperature play an important role on the electrochemical performance of the C/Sn O2 composites. The C/Sn O2 anode material with 47% Sn O2, carbonized at 600C, has the optimal electrochemical performance. This material exhibits an initial charge capacity of 643 mAh g-1 and an average reversible capacity of 518 mAh g-1 during 50 cycles at a current density of 50 mA g-1."

Li, M.-Y., Liu, C.-L., Wang, Y., Dong, W.-S.

Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, Shaanxi Normal University, Ministry of Education, Xi'an 710062, China

New Lithium-ion Battery Reportedly Ideal for Electric Cars

Environmental Protection: "The scientists developed a high-capacity nanostructured tin-carbon anode, or positive electrode, and a high-voltage lithium-ion cathode, the negative electrode. When the two parts are put together, the result is a high-performance battery with a high energy density and rate capacity. “On the basis of the performance demonstrated here, this battery is a top candidate for powering sustainable vehicles,” the researchers say.

Bruno Scrosati, Ph.D., at the University of Rome Sapienza; Yang-Kook Sun, and colleagues

Also here

Tin chloride enhances parvalbumin-positive interneuron survival by modulating heme metabolism in a model of cerebral ischemia

Scopus: "SnCl2 has been reported to increase the expression of heme-oxygenase 1 (HO-1), a major antioxidant enzyme, and to decrease ischemic injury, in non-nervous tissues.

This study examined the neuroprotective effect of SnCl2 in the hippocampus of rats submitted to cerebral ischemia. SnCl2 was administered 18 h before bilateral carotids obstruction. Changes in HO-1 expression and activity, heme content, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and parvalbumin positive interneuron survival were studied. Thereafter both behavior and memory recovery were tested. The administration of SnCl2 increased the expression of HO-1 protein and HO activity in the hippocampus and concomitantly decreased heme content at both mitochondrial and nuclear level. Furthermore, ischemized animals showed a strong increase in iNOS expression in the hippocampus, where a loss of parvalbumin positive interneurons also occurred. Pre-treatment with SnCl2, decreased both iNOS expression in ischemized rats and increased cell survival. The beneficial effects of SnCl2 were prevented by concomitant treatment with SnMP, a strong inhibitor of HO activity. SnCl2 also caused an improvement in short term memory recovery. Our results showed that following SnCl2 administration, HO-1 is strongly induced in the hippocampus and modulate iNOS expression, resulting in a strong neuroprotective effect"

Tin Oxide Nano-Electrode Increases Current Density in Rechargeable Batteries

Fars News Agency: "Iranian scientists at Sharif University of Technology produced tin oxide nano-electrode to be used in micrometric rechargeable batteries to increase the batteries' efficiency."

'Tin oxide has wide applications in optoelectronic devices. If its nanocrystalline is charged with zinc, it will be able to increase the current and the efficiency of rechargeable lithium batteries,' Dr Seyed Khatib ol-Islam Sadrnejad, member of the Scientific Board of Sharif University of Technology, told INIC."

Among the achievements of this research, mention can be made of making easier the manufacturing process, reducing the cost of production, making the batteries thinner, increasing the batteries' current density and obtaining the required technology for the manufacturing of lithium micro-batteries in the country," he added.

Sadrnejad explained that the lithium micro-batteries consist of five parts, and reiterated, "Two parts make the connection with the outer circuit and three parts produce electricity. This research focuses on the production of one of those five parts, which is the anode."

"To this end, copper was coated on a glass plate at first and then it was vaporized. In the end, a layer of tin oxide containing 1% zinc was coated too. The obtained sample was thermally treated for a determined period, and nanometric oxide particles were produced."

Sadrnezhad also pointed to the fact that the anodes synthesized through this method are simpler and cheaper than the usual anodes and they possess desirable properties, and concluded, "We were able to reduce the thickness of the batteries up to about 10 micrometers."

ITO replacement market booming, says Information Network

digitimes: "While indium tin oxide (ITO) is widely used as the material for transparent electrodes in an assorted range of electronic devices including thin film photovoltaics, touch-screen displays, LCD panels, e-paper and electroluminescent (EL) panels, its leadership role as the dominant transparent conducting film is eroding, according to market researcher The Information Network.

'ITO commanded a market share of 97.6% in 2010 primarily because of flat panel and touch-screen displays,' noted Robert Castellano, president of The Information Network. 'ITO will lose share to 79.4% in 2016 on a unit basis.'"

Flexibility is a key factor and all new successful replacements for ITO offer flexibility, bendability and other characteristics superior to ITO even though transparency and electrical conductivity are slightly worse, The Information Network noted. Flexible films are important characteristics in touch panels, bendable e-paper and similar products, the firm added.

Non-ITO transparent conductors will remain dominant in the thin film solar cell market segment throughout the forecast period, according to The Information Network. High-flying thin film photovoltaics CdTe and CIGS mainly use alternatives. CdTe uses fluorine-doped tin oxide and CIGS uses aluminum-doped zinc oxide. ITO is not expected to make any increase to its fairly low market share. The more flexible alternatives (including polymers and carbon nanotubes) will make inroads into this market toward the latter part of the forecast period.

Baerlocher restarts metal and tin stabilizer production

European Plastics News: "Baerlocher Italia has completed the reconstruction of its manufacturing unit in Lodi, Italy, and will retart production of liquid stabilisers for tin and mixed metal.
“We have implemented the latest technologies, thus fulfilling in every respect the highest quality standards for the production of our range of liquid stabilizers“, says Agostino Savoldi, general manager of Baerlocher Italia."

Electrochemical mechanisms in tin-containing composite materials for negative electrodes in Li-ion batteries"

Scopus: "The Sn[BPO4]0.4 composite material is composed of three main constituents: the electrochemically active Sn0 species, the BPO4 buffer matrix, and an interfacial amorphous SnII borophosphate phase which acts as a link between the other two, improving the cohesion of the whole composite. In this paper, we report an investigation of the effect of the reaction time on structure and size of this interfacial layer formed between the Sn0 and the BPO4 particles. 119Sn Mössbauer spectroscopy shows an increase in the amount of the oxidized SnII species with the increase of the reaction time following a quasi-kinetic profile. Operando Mössbauer spectroscopy allowed the study of the transformation of the interface at the beginning of the first electrochemical cycle, indicating that the big irreversible loss during the first discharge is closely related to the increase of the amount of SnII in the amorphous interface

Conte, D.E.a , Stievano, L.a , Olivier-Fourcade, J.a , Jumas, J.-C.a , Willmann, P.b

a Institut Charles Gerhardt - AIME, Université Montpellier 2, 34095 Montpellier, France

b CNES, Centre Spatial de Toulouse, 31401 Toulouse, France

Researchers liken nano-titanium dioxide to asbestos

Chemical Watch Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND) has highlighted a recent study suggesting nano-titanium dioxide and nano-silicon dioxide produce an inflammatory response in lungs similar to that of asbestos and certain forms of carbon nanotube (CNT). The NGO, which publishes a database of products containing nanomaterials, says more than 2m tonne/year of nano-titanium dioxide is produced worldwide. The substance is used mainly as a pigment and is found in...

NIEHS/NTP Workshop: Role of Environmental Chemicals in the Development of Diabetes and Obesity

NIEHS/NTP Workshop:y: "There has been increasing interest in the concept that environmental chemicals may be contributing factors to the epidemics of diabetes and obesity. The National Toxicology Program (NTP) is holding a workshop to evaluate the science associating exposure to certain chemicals or chemical classes with the development of diabetes and obesity in humans. Participants at the workshop will:"

Evaluate strength/weaknesses, consistency, and biological plausibility of findings reported in humans and experimental animals for certain environmental chemicals including arsenic and cadmium, PCBs, DDT/DDE, other organohalogens, bisphenol A, phthalates, and organotins.

Identify the most useful and relevant endpoints in experimental animals and in vitro models.

Identify relevant pathways and biological targets for assays for the Toxicology Testing in the 21st Century high throughput screening initiative ("Tox21").

Identify data gaps and areas for future evaluation/research.

ree-Cutting Aluminium Alloys with Tin as Substitution for Lead

SpringerLink Over the past three decades, there has been an ever increasing global movement to eliminate lead and lead containing products due to their toxicity. Consequently, by the 1st of July, 2008, aluminium for machining purposes with a lead content of more than 0.4 wt.-% by weight will be prohibited by the European Union (End of Life Vehicles Directive). The aim of the investigations of the Institute of Nonferrous Metallurgy at the University of Leoben is the development of a lead-free aluminium alloy with good free-cutting machinability without a cut back in productivity and performance in end uses as well as applications. Compared to commercial trade alloys containing lead, those new ones with tin have to have similar or even better properties referring to microstructure, mechanical criteria, corrosion resistance and machinability. Grade "A" machinability performance – short and broken chips – is strived for in order to guarantee high tool feed rates and spindle speeds in connection with low cycle times and reduced machine downtimes for cleaning. Similar to the behaviour of lead, the formation of suitable chips of tin-alloyed 2030 aluminium alloy depends on the influence of inclusions on rupture mechanisms during machining. Chip breaking inclusions of tin reduce – together with other impurity and alloying elements – the cohesion of crystal grains.

Development of non-leaded free-cutting steel by adding tin

Scopus: "A type of non-leaded free cutting steel was developed by adding tin into steel melt. Machining tests and mechanical tests of the steel were conducted. The results showed that tin would improve the machinability of the steel when the tin content in the steel was less than 0.05%, and any negative influence was not found on the mechanical properties of the steel."

Li, L.a , Zhu, R.a , Guo, H.a , Dong, J.b , Li, F.b

a Metall. Eng. Sch., Univ. of Sci. and Technol. Beijing, Beijing 100083, China

b Technol. Ctr., Laiwu Iron and Steel Co. Ltd., Laiwu 271104, China

Russia to zero out tax on Far Eastern tin miners for five years - Putin

Factiva: "The zero tax on tin mining in Far Eastern Russia would be a temporary concession, lasting five years, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said at Tuesday's government meeting.

'The tax break is a temporary one, for five years. And we expect it will revive not only tin mining but also a number of settlements in remote districts of Yakutia and the Khabarovsk territory,' Putin said.

The measure, announced on December 6, should come into force in 2011 and create 2,500 jobs, he said."

Better batteries from the bottom up

nanomagazine: "Rice University researchers have moved a step closer to creating robust, three-dimensional microbatteries that would charge faster and hold other advantages over conventional lithium-ion batteries. They could power new generations of remote sensors, display screens, smart cards, flexible electronics and biomedical devices.

The batteries employ vertical arrays of nickel-tin nanowires perfectly encased in PMMA, a widely used polymer best known as Plexiglas. The Rice laboratory of Pulickel Ajayan found a way to reliably coat single nanowires with a smooth layer of a PMMA-based gel electrolyte that insulates the wires from the counter electrode while allowing ions to pass through."

They feel the PMMA coating will increase the number of times a battery can be charged by stabilizing conditions between the nanowires and liquid electrolyte, which tend to break down over time.

The team is also studying how cycling affects nanowires that, like silicon electrodes, expand and contract as lithium ions come and go. Electron microscope images of nanowires taken after many charge/discharge cycles showed no breaks in the PMMA casing -- not even pinholes. This led the researchers to believe the coating withstands the volume expansion in the electrode, which could increase the batteries' lifespans.

Tin prices may hit at USD 30000 per tonne in 2011

Steel Guru: "Reuters reported that tin prices could potentially hit record highs at around USD 30,000 per tonne next year before falling sharply back as producer’s ramp up output.

Consumer goods group Henkel said that propelled higher by worries about falling supplies from the world's top exporter Indonesia, tin on the London Metal Exchange reached a record high of USD 27,500 per tonne in early November."

Comparative study of composite electrodes containing tin, polyacrylonitrile and cobalt or iron

ScienceDirect Composite materials containing Co–Sn alloys and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) have been prepared by reduction of Co(II) and Sn(II) in dimethylformamide with NaBH4. The resulting cobalt and tin form an amorphous alloy and the PAN molecules hinder the growth and crystallization of the metallic grains. After heating the composite material obtained at 300 °C in Ar-atmosphere, the amorphous alloy leads to poorly crystallized CoSn2, and the PAN molecules are partially pyrolyzed. In contrast, the reduction of Fe(II) and Sn(II) leads to crystalline Sn. The electrode containing nanosized CoSn2 and PAN shows an excellent electrochemical behavior in lithium cells due to the structural stability of the PAN matrix and the small size of the metallic grains


Francisco Nacimientoa, Ricardo Alcántara, a,  and José L. Tiradoa
a Laboratorio de Química Inorgánica, Universidad de Córdoba, Edificio C3, Planta 1, Campus de Rabanales, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
Received 30 July 2010;  revised 21 September 2010;  accepted 7 November 2010.  Available online 12 November 2010. 

Three-dimensional nanocarbon and the electrochemistry of nanocarbon/tin oxide for lithium ion batteries

Scopus: "In this work, the potential of using coconut shell, which is very cheap and readily available, for the production of graphitic nanocarbon three-dimensional networks is investigated. The three-dimensional carbon has been produced via the wet-impregnation of coconut shell powder with a transition metal catalyst. The novel process employed offers low costs and environmental advantages, with biological waste used in place of carbonaceous precursor as the feedstock.

Nanocarbon/tin oxide composites were prepared via wet-impregnation and the solvothermal method, using tin chloride solution with the activated nanocarbon. The electrochemical performances of the three-dimensional nanocarbon doped with tin oxide and of activated nanocarbon alone as anode materials were investigated in rechargeable lithium ion batteries. One composite made by using the solvothermal method shows stable cyclic retention up to 100 cycles and delivers a high reversible capacity of about 405�mAh g-1"

Zhang, C.a b , Quince, M.a , Chen, Z.a , Guo, Z.a b , Liu, H.b

a School of Mechanical, Materials and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, 2522, Australia

b Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, 2522, Australia

Improvement of the performance of inverted polymer solar cells with a fluorine-doped tin oxide electrode

Scopus: "We prepared the inverted polymer solar cells (PSCs) with a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) as a transparent electrode and with TiO2, WO3 and WOx as selective charge transport layers. An adequately thick TiO2 nanoparticles layer was employed for covering a very rough FTO surface. Using a solution-based WOx film instead of a vacuum deposited WO3 layer in inverted polymer solar cells showed comparable device performance. A self-assembled molecular (SAM) layer of PCBA and N719 on top of TiO2 improves the device performance by reducing the series resistance at the interface between the active layer and the TiO2 film. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) was improved by 16%, especially in the case of [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid (PCBA)"

Scientists Create World's Smallest Battery

Neatorama: "A research team by Jianyu Huang (pictured) at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque claims to have developed the world’s smallest battery:

It consists of a bulk lithium cobalt cathode three millimeters long, an ionic liquid electrolyte, and has as its anode a single tin oxide (Sn02) nanowire 10 nanometers long and 100 nanometers in diameter – that’s one seven-thousandth the thickness of a human hair.

The battery was made inside a transmission electron microscope, allowing the scientists to study it while it was charging:

By following the progression of the lithium ions as they travel along the nanowire, the researchers found that during charging the tin oxide nanowire rod nearly doubles in length. This is far more than its diameter increases and could help avoid short circuits that may shorten battery life. This unexpected finding goes against the common belief of workers in the field that batteries swell across their diameter, not longitudinally."

One-step synthesis of carbon-coated tin dioxide nanoparticles for high lithium storage

Scopus: "Carbon-coated SnO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by a simple one-pot hydrothermal treatment. During the hydrothermal process, SnO2 was formed by the hydrolysis of tin(II) dichloride dihydrate (SnCl2 2H2O) in alkali solution, while sucrose was used as the carbon source to form the coated polysaccharide shell on the SnO2 nanoparticles. In the obtained carbon-coated SnO2 nanoparticles, SnO2 nanocrystals with a diameter of 4 nm were observed to be homogeneously dispersed in the particles"

Yang, R., Zhao, W., Zheng, J., Zhang, X., Li, X.

Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China

Tin Oxide-Based Sputtering Target, Transparent and Conductive Films

Factiva: "Tin Oxide-Based Sputtering Target, Transparent and Conductive Films, Method for Producing Such Films and Composition for Use Therein' was invented by Prabhat Kumar (Framingham, Mass.), Richard Wu (Chelmsford, Mass.) and Shuwei Sun (Framingham, Mass.).

According to the abstract released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: 'The present invention is directed to a composition consisting essentially of: a) from about 60 to about 99 mole % of SnO2, and b) from about 1 to about 40 mole % of one or more materials selected from the group consisting of Nb2O5, NbO, NbO2, WO2, a material selected consisting of a mixture of MoO2 and Mo and Mo, W, Ta2O5, and mixtures thereof,wherein the mole % s are based on the total product and wherein the sum of components and is 100. The invention is also directed to the sintered product of such composition, a sputtering target made from the sintered product and a transparent electroconductive film made from the composition.'"

Dec. 16 -- United States Patent no. 7,850,876, issued on Dec. 14, was assigned to H.C. Starck Inc. (Newton, Mass.)

Researchers experiment with nanowires to improve battery efficiency

The Tech Report: "Although this news broke last week, it's particularly interesting in light of yesterday's discussion of the innovations IBM thinks will emerge in the next five years. A tenfold increase in battery life was on that list, and researchers have made a new discovery that could improve the longevity of lithium ion cells.

Scientists from the Pacific Northwest and Sandia National Laboratories used an transmission electron microscope to look inside a custom-built lithium ion battery. They found that the thin wires of tin oxide that typically make up a battery's electrode twist and deform as electrons flow through them. The wires became longer and fatter as they twisted, increasing in volume by about 250%. In addition to deforming, the internal structure of the wires changed from a crystalline form to a glassy material whose atoms were arranged more randomly."

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New transparent electrodes for highly flexible electronics created

domain-b.com: "Researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science have now developed a new transparent electrode based on silver nanowires (AgNW) that could replace ITO.

The new electrode uses low-cost, non-toxic and stable materials and is easy to fabricate. It is produced on a cross-linked, transparent polyacylate substrate, which is cheaper than glass and can be stiff and rigid or flexible and stretchable."

Indonesia's Timah stops 6 small tin dredges after green protest

Intellasia.Net: "Indonesia's state-owned PT Timah temporarily stopped operations of six small tin dredges after protests from a local green group, the company's spokesman said on Wednesday.

It was not immediately clear if the action, which started on Wednesday, would affect production for next year, but it could potentially curb supplies from the world's largest integrated tin miner if it runs for a long period of time.

Timah has been boosting off-shore production because of declining, more easily mined onshore reserves on the country's main tin-producing islands off Sumatra."

Top 10 Renewable Energy Technology Breakthroughs In 2010

Ecofriend: "Researchers at IBM created an inexpensive solar cell from materials that are dirt cheap and easily available. The layer that absorbs sunlight and converts it into electricity is made with copper, tin, zinc, sulfur and selenium. The best part of the solar cell is that it still manages to hit an efficiency of 9.6 percent, which is much higher than earlier attempts to make solar panels using similar materials."

Commodities - EIU's quarterly tin outlook

Factiva: "World tin consumption, based on World Bureau of Metal Statistics (WBMS) data, increased by 20% year on year in the first nine months of 2010, driven by a broad-based recovery in demand across all of its main end-use markets. The Economist Intelligence Unit expects that global tin consumption will have continued to increase in the final quarter of 2010, although at a much reduced year-on-year rate owing in part to base effects, resulting in a rise of nearly 15% to over 365,000 tonnes for the year as a whole. In 2011 and 2012 we forecast that the rate of growth in tin consumption will slow to 1.2% and 3.3%, respectively"

Graphene electrodes for organic solar cells

MIT news: "The standard material used so far for these electrodes is indium-tin-oxide, or ITO. But indium is expensive and relatively rare, so the search has been on for a suitable replacement. Now, a team of MIT researchers has come up with a practical way of using a possible substitute made from inexpensive and ubiquitous carbon. The proposed material is graphene, a form of carbon in which the atoms form a flat sheet just one atom thick, arranged in a chicken-wire-like formation.

An analysis of how to use graphene as an electrode for such solar cells was published on Dec. 17 in the journal Nanotechnology, in a paper by MIT professors Jing Kong and Vladimir Bulović along with two of their students and a postdoctoral researcher."

FTO electrodes for electrochemical pharmaceutical reactions

Factiva: "A novel application of fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) electrodes is reported in the present work. To this end, the captopril electrochemical oxidation mechanism on FTO electrodes at various pH and its determination in pharmaceutical preparations was investigated"

The researchers concluded: "These electrodes are promising candidates for the efficient electrochemical determination of captopril in pharmaceutical preparations."

Armijo and colleagues published their study in Electroanalysis (Captopril Electrochemical Oxidation on Fluorine-Doped SnO2 Electrodes and Their Determination in Pharmaceutical Preparations. Electroanalysis, 2010;22(19):2269-2276).

For additional information, contact F. Armijo, Pontifical Catholic University, Faculty Quim, Av Vicuna Mackenna 4860, Casilla 306, Correo 22, Santiago, Chile.

Phenols; Reports outline phenols study findings from Xi'an Jiao Tong University

Factiva: "Phenol degradation on novel nickel-antimony doped tin dioxide electrode,' new data in phenols. 'Nickel and antimony doped tin dioxide is a novel anodic material for its good performance of electrochemical ozone generation and direct electro-catalytic oxidation. Electro-catalytic oxidation of phenol on this novel nickel-antimony doped tin dioxide electrode is presented here,' investigators in People's Republic of China"

"The morphology and composition of the electrode are characterized. The effects of applied current densities on phenol degradation rate, energy consumption and coulomb efficiency are discussed. In 0.1 M sulfuric acid, after 4 h electrolysis with current density of 25 mA cm(-1), 90% phenol is removed. And with current density of 20 mA cm(-1), the highest energy efficiency of 6.85 g kWh(-1) and the highest coulomb efficiency of 6.87 g C(-1) are obtained," wrote Q.Y. Chen and colleagues, Xi'an Jiao Tong University.

The researchers concluded: "The effect of current densities on TOC removal is also discussed."

Chen and colleagues published their study in Water Science and Technology (Phenol degradation on novel nickel-antimony doped tin dioxide electrode. Water Science and Technology, 2010;62(9):2090-5).

For additional information, contact Q.Y. Chen, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow, Faculty of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.

Congress toughens definition of "lead free"

AWWA: "The U.S. Congress has approved and sent to the White House for President Obama’s signature a bill toughening the definition of “lead-free” in solder, flux, pipe and fixtures. Endorsed by AWWA’s Water Utility Council, S.3874 was approved by the Senate on Thursday and the House on Friday.

Under the measure sponsored by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D - Calif., lead free' would mean having not more than 0.2 percent lead in solder and flux and not more than a weighted average of 0.25 for wetted surfaces of pipes, fittings, fixtures. This is similar to California’s state standards. There is a formula described in the bill text for these calculations.

'AWWA applauds Congress for passing legislation that further reduces the amount of lead in new plumbing materials,' said Tom Curtis, AWWA Deputy Executive Director for Government Affairs"