CASTRO ARROYO , Miguel Ángel

Calorimetry and neutron di†raction have been used to identify and characterise the formation of a solid monolayer of pentane adsorbed on graphite and coexisting with liquid pentane. The observed behaviour is quite di†erent from other alkanes in that the monolayer does not melt above the melting temperature of the pure pentane but at a...

The combination of sensitive calorimetry, incoherent elastic neutron scattering and neutron di†raction has been used to demonstrate the formation of solid layers containing both octane and nonane adsorbed onto graphite from the binary alkane mixture. This combination of methods allow us to characterise the adsorbed layer in some detail...

The behaviour of binary mixtures of octane and nonane adsorbed on graphite has been investigated with a combination of adiabatic calorimetry and neutron di†raction. In contrast to the eutectic behaviour of monolayers of these materials at higher coverages, this combination of alkanes is found to form mixed crystals on the surface over an...

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Previous studies have indicated that long-chain linear carboxylic acids form commensurate packed crystalline monolayers on graphite even at temperatures above their melting point. This study examines the effect on the monolayer formation and structure of adding one or more secondary hydroxyl, functional groups to the stearic acid skeleton...

Neutron and X-ray diffraction have been used to structurally characterise the crystalline monolayer structures of hexane, octane, decane, dodecane and tetradecane adsorbed on graphite at sub-monolayer coverages and when coexisting with liquid alkane. The structures of all the molecules investigated at both coverages and low temperatures are...

The mixing of molecules adsorbed from solution to different interfaces has both industrial and academic relevance and the mixing behaviour at the interface is a key to understanding for example, that the surface tension of a mixture of two surfactants is lower than either of the two pure materials and many other effects. In this paper, we...

The discovery of swelling brittle mica, Na-Mica-4, has been one of the most significant advances in the pursuit for a material with high ion-exchange capacity. For technical applications, the control of the phase evolution during the synthesis is crucial. The main aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Na-Mica-4 synthesis...

Swelling and dehydration under minor changes in temperature and water vapor pressure is an important property that clays and clay minerals exhibit. In particular, their interlayer space, the solid-water interface and the layers' collapse and re-expansion have received much attention because it affects to the dynamical properties of interlayer...

High charged swelling micas, with layer charge between 2 and 4, have been found to readily swell with water, and complete cation exchange (CEC) can be achieved. Because of their high CEC, applications like radioactive cation fixation or removal of heavy metal cations from wastewater were proposed. Their applicability can be controlled by the...

The local structure of the interlamellar lanthanide ions in montmorillonite upon heating is studied. The analysis of the EXAFS data has been carried out using two model environments, that of La3+ aquocomplex and that of the lanthanum oxide. The information thus obtained is crucial in elucidating the intercalation mechanism and demonstrates the...

Se ha investigado el efecto de diversos tratamientos térmicos sobre la estructura porosa de una montmorillonita denominada Trancos que dan lugar a pilares de óxido de aluminio una, y óxido de aluminio-lantano, la otra. Para ello, se han usado las técnicas de difracción de rayos X, adsorción de nitrógeno, microscopía electrónica de barrido y...

Synthesis of Na-Mica-4 has been achieved by a ``mix and calcine¿¿ method using sodalite and magnesium fluoride as the only precursors. Previous research found sodalite as a key intermediate reaction product in the formation of Na-Mica-4 when the NaCl melt method was employed. Similarities in structure, chemical composition and cation...

A combination of neutron and X-ray diffraction has been used to structurally characterise the crystalline monolayer structures of all the alkanes with odd number of carbon atoms in their alkyl chains from pentane to pentadecane adsorbed on graphite. The structures of all the molecules investigated at submonolayer coverages are isomorphous with...

An understanding of the interaction mechanisms between exchangeable cations and layered silicates is of interest from both a basic and an applied point of view. Among 2:1 phyllosilicates, a new family of swelling high-charge synthetic micas has been shown to be potentially useful as decontaminant. However, the location of the interlayer...

FEBEX clay is considered a reference material in engineered barriers for safe storage of nuclear waste and uranium is a minor component of high-level radioactive waste (HLRW) and a main component of the spent nuclear fuel (SNF). Here, the kinetics of reaction of uranium with FEBEX was investigated in addition to the uranium immobilisation...