This work shows mixed matrix inorganic membranes prepared by the vacuum-assisted impregnation method, where phenolic resin precursors filled the pore of α-alumina substrates. Upon carbonisation, the phenolic resin decomposed into several fragments derived from the backbone of the resin matrix. The final stages of decomposition (>650 °C) led to a formation of carbon molecular sieve (CMS) structu...

The characteristics of intrinsic electron and hole trapping in crystalline and amorphous Al2O3 have been studied using density functional theory (DFT). Special attention was paid to enforcing the piece-wise linearity of the total energy with respect to electron number through the use of a range separated, hybrid functional PBE0-TC-LRC (Guidon et al 2009 J. Chem. Theory Comput. 5 3010) in order ...

Oil shale is more than an energy source. It is also a source for various valuable materials. These materials include pyridine, carbonate minerals, alumina, ammonium sulfate, phosphate, sulfur, uranium, vanadium, and zinc, to name a few, from which numerous value-added products can be manufactured. For example, catalysts are made from vanadium and zinc, while alumina is a widely used material fo...