WO2007017454A1 - Sol-gel process - Google Patents
Sol-gel process Download PDFInfo
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- WO2007017454A1 WO2007017454A1 PCT/EP2006/064995 EP2006064995W WO2007017454A1 WO 2007017454 A1 WO2007017454 A1 WO 2007017454A1 EP 2006064995 W EP2006064995 W EP 2006064995W WO 2007017454 A1 WO2007017454 A1 WO 2007017454A1
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- gel
- sol
- liquid
- aquagel
- glass
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- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
- C03C—CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
- C03C3/00—Glass compositions
- C03C3/04—Glass compositions containing silica
- C03C3/06—Glass compositions containing silica with more than 90% silica by weight, e.g. quartz
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- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
- C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
- C03B19/00—Other methods of shaping glass
- C03B19/12—Other methods of shaping glass by liquid-phase reaction processes
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
- C03C—CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
- C03C1/00—Ingredients generally applicable to manufacture of glasses, glazes, or vitreous enamels
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
- C03C—CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
- C03C1/00—Ingredients generally applicable to manufacture of glasses, glazes, or vitreous enamels
- C03C1/006—Ingredients generally applicable to manufacture of glasses, glazes, or vitreous enamels to produce glass through wet route
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
- C03C—CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
- C03C2201/00—Glass compositions
- C03C2201/06—Doped silica-based glasses
- C03C2201/30—Doped silica-based glasses containing metals
- C03C2201/32—Doped silica-based glasses containing metals containing aluminium
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- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
- C03C—CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
- C03C2203/00—Production processes
- C03C2203/20—Wet processes, e.g. sol-gel process
- C03C2203/36—Gel impregnation
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
- C03C—CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
- C03C2203/00—Production processes
- C03C2203/50—After-treatment
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
- Y10T428/249921—Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component
- Y10T428/249953—Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.]
Definitions
- the present invention relates to an improved sol-gel process substantially based on the control and the determination of ionic species, specifically cationic, in aqua-gel, typically a silicic one, through recycling the relevant liquid phase, suitably monitored and eventually chemically modified for the wished final material.
- the invention relates to the obtained aero-gel product which owns predetermined characteristics definable by values setting the same among the known most valuable ones that are achieved by the very careful control of the number of the silanols as well as of the covalent bonds rising during a process phase before the treatments preceding the gellation.
- the inventive process has a general meaning in the field of the sol-gel material preparation; however it feels particularly good in the preparation of silica glasses owning determined optical properties.
- the glass doping to achieve controlled modifications of the optical properties is a primary purpose of the optical material industry since a long time.
- the sol-gel process is thermodynamically favoured on the melting process since the relevant temperatures are much lower ( ⁇ 1400°C) and the intermediate viscosities much higher.
- a very unstable sol is obtained, gelling in a necessarily short time.
- the obtained gel, aqua-gel or alco- gel contains all sol components: either covalently bonded to the silica network, or simply dissolved therein, or in the liquid phase inside the same or filling the pores thereof.
- the Applicant has also realized that the same sol-gel inventive step that can advantageously be applied to Optics can equally well be applied to vitrification of Nuclear Wastes that is a further objective of the present invention and specially of High - Radioactivity Liquid Waste, for long-term stocking in appropriate storage sites for which the process is particularly indicated.
- the basic procedure is the same and includes gellation under appropriate conditions of the appropriate sol and/or of the original liquid waste, control and determination of ionic species present in the liquid phase of suitable aqua- gels, recycling to the aqua-gel of the liquid phase, properly monitored and eventually modified, immobilization of the ions of interest in the aqua-gel itself, as well as final treatments of the doped gel, its vitrification in a monolithic body utilizing any know technique, from monolithic densification of monolithic aero-gels, to sintering of aero-gel fragments and/or xero-gel fragments, to the melting of aero-gel and/or xero-gel fragments, either in the absence of other glasses or in presence of the same, as solid fragments, properly grinded and mixed, or as liquid melt relatively fluid.
- Aero-gel as the porous, dry gel obtained from a wet gel by extraction of the liquid phase under conditions supercritical or practically equivalent to supercritical;
- Xero-gel as the porous, dry gel obtained from a wet gel by evaporation of the liquid phase at atmospheric pressure or at pressure substantially lower than supercritical;
- Sintering process as the thermal treatment of powder materials, typically ceramic or metallic, often crystalline, to obtain a single body, often porous;
- Densification process as the thermal treatment of amorphous, porous gel, to produce, through viscous flow, amorphous material (glass) , of theoretical density predicted for the formulation.
- the dry gel can be inglobed in concrete artefacts in the proper proportion of glass to cement.
- Radioactive wastes also know as nuclear wastes, are radioactive substances, that can not be utilized any- further. They must be properly stored or disposed by with all the care due to avoid damages to ambient and to men kind.
- Radioactive wastes can be solids, liquids or gases, produced, among others, by nuclear plants, by research centers, and by radioisotopes users.
- the treatment and conditioning of radioactive wastes, especially the liquid, high-radioactivity wastes, generate complex technological problems, that often require highly specialized solutions.
- One of the basic problems, arising from operating plants for the nuclear fuel processing is the need of storage for long times large quantities of liquid wastes containing the fission products of uranium and plutonium.
- such a treatment consists in concentrating and subsequently storing in suitable shielded containers the concentrated material until radioactivity is decayed to safe levels.
- the residue after concentration and drying are stored in suitable containers and eventually housed into underground deposits, properly shielded by thick concrete walls for long-term stocking sufficient to decay to safe radioactivity level.
- the remedy to the problem should be the immobilization of the dry material into a solid monolithic body characterized by high chemical stability and adequate thermo mechanical resistance: qualities typically present in glass monolithic bodies.
- the high salt content in general, is an obstacle to vitrification: conventional method to vitrify a solid is based on inglobation of the finely subdivided solid into an adequate mass of fused glass. The efficiency of the long-term inglobation is the highest, when the salt content is the lowest.
- salt even if inglobated into glass, remains chemically foreign to the oxide network of the glass and constitutes, at the surface of the material, a weak point to the water attack. After dissolving it leaves behind a porous network that will extend the surface area toward the interior of the glass, opening, the door-way to more hydrophilic attacks .
- the high acidity of the original liquid waste is partially controlled trough a stage of evaporation and/or a successive neutralization by soda, but the result is more contaminated solid mass.
- a limitation of such a process for application to nuclear waste vitrification is the lack of a mechanism for continuous adaptation of liquid phase to the optimum conditions for chemical-bonding of relevant cationic content of the original waste to oxide network in the gel. Without such a provision it is difficult to achieve the recovery of a liquid phase from all the radioactive isotopes, in all the various formulations offered by liquid wastes .
- Such a continuous adaptation of the liquid phase to optimum conditions for chemical-bonding of relevant cations to oxide network in the gel is now provided by the recycle through the aqua-gel with analytical monitoring and appropriate modification of the liquid-phase presented by the applicant of the current patent application.
- the term gel means a rigid or semi-rigid colloid containing remarkable amounts of liquid.
- the particles of the gel are linked into a tridimensional network that efficiently immobilize the liquid: therefore the gels may be considered solid substances, more or less plastic (non crystalline) .
- sol-gel processes are the object of several patent publications, and are for example described in the following: US 4,574,063; US 4,680,048; US 4,810,074; US 4,961,767; US 5,207,814.
- the solvent of the starting solutions is usually selected among water, alcohols or hydro-alcoholic mixtures.
- the precursors may be metal or metalloid soluble salts, such as nitrates, chlorides, acetates, even if the more common use is made of compounds having the general formula M(-0R) m , wherein M is the metal or metalloid atom, -OR is an alcoholic radical (usually from an alcohol containing from one to four carbon atoms) and n is the valence of M.
- M is the metal or metalloid atom
- -OR is an alcoholic radical (usually from an alcohol containing from one to four carbon atoms) and n is the valence of M.
- the most frequently used precursors are tetramethoxyorthosilane
- TMOS TMOS
- TEOS tetraethoxyorthosilane
- the first stage of a sol-gel process is the precursor hydrolysis by water, that may be the solvent or be added in the case of alcoholic solutions, according to
- This reaction is generally favoured by low pH values, lower than 3 and preferably ranging from 1 to 2.
- the second phase is the condensation of M(OH) n previously obtained
- xero-gel a dry gel obtained thereby is called "xero-gel”.
- the skilled people know that the xero-gel production is extremely difficult owing to the several capillary strengths the solvent drives on the pore walls during the evaporation that sometimes destroy the gel.
- dry- gels obtained thereby are known as "aero-gels".
- the gel pore liquid is brought, inside suitable autoclaves, till to pressure and temperature values higher than the critic ones . Consequently all liquid volume passes from the liquid phase to the supercritical fluid phase, and the capillary- pressure inside the pores gradually passes from the starting value to a reduced value, so avoiding the meniscus destructive tensions, that are caused by the evaporation, typical of xero-gel production.
- the solvent supercritical extraction technique is described, for instance, in the US patents No. 4,432,956 and 5,395,805.
- the main problem thereof is given by the fact that the alcohols, usually present in the gel pores after the formation of the same, have critical pressures (P c ) generally higher than 60-70 bar and critical temperatures (T c ) higher than 25O 0 C.
- P c critical pressure
- T c critical temperatures
- These critical values force to use extremely resistant and costly autoclaves; furthermore, when the gel is shaped as a thin layer on a support (for instance in order to produce an aerogel dielectric layer as one phase in the production of integrated circuits) , the alcohol and ester critical temperatures may be too high, not compatible with the carrier or other materials thereon.
- a way to overcome the problem consists in exchanging the liquid of the pores, before the extraction, with a liquid having lower critical constants, particularly a lower T c .
- a liquid having lower critical constants particularly a lower T c .
- pentane or hexane showing T c values of about 200 0 C.
- a further exchange may be carried out with an intermediate liquid, for instance acetone, or, from a general procedure, the gel pore solvent is directly exchanged with a non protic solvent before any- drying operation.
- Last, but not least, is the option of a low temperature critical extraction.
- the critical pressure and temperature values of CO2 are respectively 72.9 atm. and 31 0 C. At these values the super critic extraction may be carried out at room temperature.
- silicic are such as to cause crystallisation into samples containing mobile dopant components as, for example, unbound molecular species.
- Crystalline titanium dioxide for example, either as anatase or as rutile, is frequently obtained in the densification phase of gels derived from sols containing titanium alkoxides; however the extent of the dopant nucleation is substantially different depending on drying conditions: it is maximum in aero-gel dryed at 300 0 C, it is minimum in gel dryed at room temperature, especially in aero-gel dried in CO2.
- a sol-gel process can be also utilized to recover and to stock the radioactive wastes such as, for instance, the ones described in US patent No. 5,494,863, or in the WO 2005/040053 according to which aqueous effluent solutions of radioactive substances are gelled and then suitably stored.
- the gellation phase does appear very important, since the gel microstructure is formed therein and the relevant composition contemporaneously consolidates in view of any future utilization, industrial use or simple storing, after the drying or, if any, densification operation. It is known that the gelation fixes a structure, causes for the same functionality thereof, and is critical to enhance or to suppress advantages derived to the subsequent products .
- the gellation involves all the species present in the hydrolysis phase just at the very beginning, or, if added eventually later to provide specific properties to the final product and that no one of such species be released from the gel structure, because of either high concentration, or too short absorption times, or any other reason and, that consequently, it fails to give contribution to the final glass properties: for instance, mention can be made of the optical fibre doping agents, the lack of which could irreparably compromise the properties, or of the radioactive wastes that, if going out from the gel network, could provoke strong environmental damages; in the peculiar case of the optical glasses, an underlining has been made on the problems affecting the current sol-gel processes with reference to the preparation of massive, doped, optical grade glasses, whose problems are the reason why the very sol-gel techniques fail to produce commercial grade optical glasses.
- the present invention relates to a sol-gel process in which the possible gel solvent exchange and the gel drying are carried out after a careful monitoring of the aquagel liquid phase in the gellation mould so as to be sure that all components of the programmed formulation are irreversibly fixed in the very aquagel.
- the monitoring of the aquagel liquid phase in the gellation moulding substantially consists of:
- the present invention relates to an improved sol-gel process comprising the following operations :-
- M is a cat-ion of to the 3 rd , 4 th and 5 th Groups of the Element Periodic System; n is the cat-ion valence, m can be 0, 1 or 2, X is Ri or ORi, R and Ri are hydrocarbon radicals, the same or different, having a carbon atom number from 1 up to 12;
- step b) is added with vigorous mechanical stirring to a solution, or a colloidal suspension of the dopants as defined in step b) where in such dopants solutions, or dispersion the pH conditions for hydrolysis of the M compound and subsequent gellation are already present.
- step b) hydrolysis is preceded and accompanied by a specific and vigorous stirring adequate to timely separate the hydrolysis from the gellation.
- the compound undergoing the hydrolysis preferably is a silicon derivative.
- the added liquid in a controlled volume, in the step e) is preferably water.
- the hydrolysis is carried out at a pH ranging between -2 and +1.
- Aero-gel is characterized in that all the relevant properties are predetermined and have the best possible values in connection with any possible utilization such as pore volume equal or superior to 6cc/g, specific surface equal or superior to
- Aero-gel when constituted by non-doped pure silicon dioxide, is characterized by:
- the silicic based aquagel composition is modified [step K)] by the addition of Al or La derivatives .
- the solution or colloidal suspension of the dopant as defined in step B) can be introduced as a modifier of the liquid phase of the aquagel as in step K) and then processed according to step L) .
- the compound used in step a) is a suitable silicon derivative, preferably a silicon alkoxide, and the solution, or suspension, comprises metal salts in the presence of free mineral acids at concentration ⁇ 0.5 mole/1, when applied to the vitrification of liquid nuclear wastes to safety store the same by ensuring a very long period stability thereof.
- glasses produced by the vitrification of liquid radioactive wastes containing metals, including radioactive isotopes, as oxides, permanently immobilized in the glass oxide network which are characterized by the homogeneity of the glass concentration of the metals and, mainly, of the radioactive isotopes.
- glasses when obtained by means of the improved sol-gel process according to the invention, when the dried doped gel is either in the form of xero-gel, or of fractured xero-gel, or of fractured aero-gel and a monolithic body is achieved either by compounding it with a conventional glass and melting it in a furnace, or by inglobating the doped gel into a low viscosity melt of conventional glass, or by proper inglobation in concrete artefacts in the proper proportion of glass to cement.
- the metal precursor undergoing the hydrolysis reaction may be any compound suitable thereto, according to the prior art .
- soluble salts such as, for instance, nitrates, chlorides or acetates; furthermore it is possible to use alkoxides or alkoxide mixtures according to the above general formula, and this is the preferred embodiment.
- alkoxides or alkoxide mixtures according to the above general formula, and this is the preferred embodiment.
- silicon alkoxides such as tetramethoxyorthosilane, tetraethoxyorthosilane and tetrapropoxyorthosilane .
- the hydrolysis is carried out in the presence of an acid catalyst, and water can be the solvent or it can be added to an alcoholic solution of the interesting precursor: more about hydrolysis, the conditions and the procedure are the ones described in the prior art such as, for instance, US patent n. 5,207,814 according to which the hydrolysis is carried out at the ambient temperature and the preferred acid catalysts can be hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, sulphuric acid or acetic acid. Metal oxides and particularly silicon oxides can be emulsified with the sol prepared thereby to modify the properties according to, for instance, US patent N. 5,207,814.
- the hydrolysis is carried out at the ambient temperature, at a pH value equal to or different from the one characterizing to the subsequent gellation/condensation, ranging from -2 to +1 : the choice of the pH value is the task of the skilled man who has to evaluate whether the hydrolysis is to be carried out under conditions close to the gellation ones .
- an aero-gel is obtained having physical and mechanical characteristics never found in the prior art, either by following the conventional way of hydrolysis and gellation distinct pH conditions examples 1 ⁇ 4, (the stirring purposes to accelerate the hydrolysis by more contacting two immiscible liquids such as, for instance, silicon alkoxide and water) , or by following the single "hydrolysis-gelation pH condition according to, for example, the WO 2005/040053. In the latter case the stirring has to be adjusted to avoid the instantaneous condensation of the sol mass. It is surprising by vigorous stirring to obtain timely spaced hydrolysis and gellation, which would otherwise occur simultaneously.
- the second process type i.e. hydrolysis-gellation occurring without pH change
- a chemical modifier in liquid phase of the aquagel such as a hydroxyl-derivates
- a preferred embodiment of the present invention does refer to silicic acid Si(OH) 4 : the adding concentration is evaluated by the skilled operator based of the results of the analysis carried out during the monitoring operation of the gelling phase effluent.
- the analysis of the effluent during the gelling phase aims, as above said, at ascertaining that the chemistry (composition and/or concentration is the one correlating) with the final material wished characteristics, i.e.:
- Control of the hydroxyl content available in the relevant aqua-gel "at start" of the doping process It is done on aero-gel: a properly dried aero-gel is assumed as relevant model on which to determine experimentally the hydroxyl content. The number of the aero-gel hydroxyl content can be evaluated in moles/g by the gas-volumetric analysis.
- a second direct method, to be used to check the first one or as an alternative thereof, is the hydroxyl quantitative analysis via NMR.
- a third direct method is based on the weight loss during a thermal treatment from the environment temperature to 800 0 C. The aero-gel must be carefully prepared to ensure that the weight loss is due to the only hydroxyl .
- a relatively simple procedure starts from the systematic analysis of the recycle liquid exterior to the aquagel mould.
- the decrease of the interesting doping agent concentration in the solution means a potential immobilization thereof in the aqua-gel.
- the aqua-gel is apparently doped: the recycle liquid phase is drained and substituted by a suitable volume (equal) of bi-distilled water.
- a first recycle to get the liquid phase back to equilibrium is characterized by a minimum concentration of doping agent, typically equal to or lower than 1% ⁇ 2% of the value potentially reachable from the aquagel enrichment.
- the recycle prolonged over hundreds of hours too, typically outlines a null increase of the relevant concentration in the liquid phase. The result can be a sufficient proof in order to state that in the aquagel there is a permanent immobilization of all doping agents now missing in the liquid composition (the mass balance) .
- the kind of the doping agent is chosen by the skilled people in connection with the wished final compound.
- the beginning silicic base aquagel composition can be modified by Al 3+ , La 3+ to increase the refraction index thereof; on the other hand, the index can be lowered by F " .
- the invention has a broad utilization in doping glasses, either for the purpose of obtaining innovate optical materials or for secure immobilization in glasses of undesirable components of wastes.
- All the metal cat-ions are susceptible to form oxides and to be bonded covalently to a solid network of oxides, particularly silicon oxides, under proper conditions, particularly proper pH and adequate proximity. They might make an exception to this rule only the elements of group IA in the periodic table of the element.
- the list of the metal cat-ions addressed by the invention starts with those that can be obtained by the elements of group HA (Be, Mg...etc) , follow with those from group IHB, including the lanthanide and actinate series, IVB, VB, VIB, VIIB, VIIIB, IB, HB, to continue with those from group IHA with the exception of Boron, to reach germanium, Tin and Lead in group IVA for a total of 74 elements.
- the process according to the present invention allow to obtain final products having predetermined characteristics, these all being at values setting the same among the known most valuable ones in connection with the purposed uses, and these products, thus characterized by such a property whole, are an integral part of the invention and fully belong to the dominating rights pertaining to the present patent application as well as to the future corresponding patents .
- the final products i.e. substantially aero-gels as well as dense glasses obtained by post-treating the same, are characterized by unique properties.
- original un-doped aero-gels are characterized by three important structural properties that let the same be unique and classifiable as materials optimized to the specific use.
- values relevant to an un-doped aero-gel obtained through the process of the present invention according to the specification of the following experimental section.
- an advantageous embodiment of the inventive process stands when use is made of aqua-gels that, in the non-doped state, give rise to aero-gels having the following characteristics:
- the non-doped aero-gel can be considered as the referring point in the evaluation of the doped aero-gels, in which the hydroxyl content and, partially, also the micro structural characteristics are modified by the immobilization process of doping agents.
- step n) of the inventive process can be suitably densified [step n) of the inventive process] to form an optical glass having high optical homogeneity, high Abbe number, high chemical stability, and a characteristic whole set of physical properties such to classify the glass as innovative and the relative quality at the highest values according to the commercialization standards.
- step n) of the inventive process can be suitably densified [step n) of the inventive process] to form an optical glass having high optical homogeneity, high Abbe number, high chemical stability, and a characteristic whole set of physical properties such to classify the glass as innovative and the relative quality at the highest values according to the commercialization standards.
- this one can be as follows :
- the sol-gel process according the invention aimed to carefully preparing multi-oxide glasses is based on the control and the determination of ionic species, specifically cationic, in the aqua-gel, through the recycle of the relevant liquid phase, suitably monitored and eventually modified.
- ionic species specifically cationic
- the process is an innovation of sol-gel technology to the extent that it provides systematic immobilization of large quantities of dopants at the molecular level, through chemical - bonding to the oxide network of the gel.
- This process opens the door to diversified, far-reaching applications, like more and better optical glasses, as well as to long-range stocking of radioactive nuclear wastes, permanently trapped into special sol-gel glasses.
- a sol was prepared as follows through an hydrolysis at pH 2 and titration at pH 2.5, 1.60 molar as TEOS, doped with 1.06 molar Al 3+ .
- Time 45 end of TEOS addition, temperature of 27 0 C, stirring rate kept at level 2.
- Time 60 temperature of 27 0 C, ultrasound gas removal.
- Time 75 temperature of 52 0 C, degasage end, cup into an ice bath.
- Time 110 temperature of 21 0 C, pH 1, titration start with 1.52 molar NH 3 .
- Time 115 pH 2.51, sol gelification. Total volume of added NH 3 of 175 ml.
- the aquagel was covered with 100 ml bidistilled water and hermetically sealed in the container. After 48 hours, the volume of the upper water was replaced by an equal volume of bidistilled water and analysed. The aluminium content present in the first washing water, (100 ml) measured at ICP, was equal to 29.6% on the total of the sol.
- Example 1 shows that a substantial amount of the doping agent contained in the starting sol and gelled through a conventional process, according to US patent 5,207,814, was lost from the aquagel by the first washing water.
- Example 2 Doping at sol level (single pH condition)
- a sol was prepared in HNO 3 1 molar, 1.60 TEOS, 1.06 molar Al 3+ doped, hydrolysis and gelification, according to the following:
- Time 125 temperature at 12 0 C, 100 g TEOS were started to be added through a dipping funnel, mixer rate at "4".
- Time 140 rate "0" (off)
- the cup was set under degasification by ultrasounds, and the cup was cooled into an ice bath.
- the example 2 shows that a substantial amount of the doping agent contained in the starting sol and gelled through a single pH condition hydrolysis gelification" process according to the WO 2005/040053 was lost from the aquagel by the first washing water.
- Example 3 Doping at sol level with a recycle procedure
- a sol was prepared in HNO 3 1 M, 160 molar TEOS and doped with 1.06 molar Al 3+ , according to the same method reported in the example 2. Once the sol was completed, two 90 mm diameter cylinder moulds were filled and sealed.
- the gelling process occurred over 15 hours.
- the two aquagels with the washing water were transferred into a column set to be an aquagel doping reactor, according to figure 1.
- the column liquid was increased to a 1000 ml total volume by the addition of bidistilled water.
- the recycle pump engine was activated at "zero" time and the liquid recycled through the aquagel was monitored in function of time as to the pH values and to the Al concentration, in whatsoever form in the solution.
- the liquid phase monitoring was carried on by a periodic sampling through a suitable drawing point, as from figure 1.
- the sampled liquid was again fed to the recycle through the same valve, but a low fraction retained for analysis via electrochemical methods Al determination, i.e. through a destructive analysis (DL-50, Mettler Toledo) .
- the figure 2 data outline that starting nitric acid (dotted line) and aluminium nitrats (continuous line) , at the beginning wholly contained in the aerogel, diffused from the aquagel to recycle liquid phase and in absence of any perturbation touch the balance over 80-100 hours. Once the balance was achieved, aluminium in the recycle liquid phase touch a concentration equal to 88% of the highest possible values.
- the datum means that, under the example 3 experimental conditions, there apparently are a 12% maximum of Al 3+ immobilized in the aquagel and 88% Al 3+ free in solution.
- the example 3 confirmed the data already known from the two previous examples: i.e. the sol doping agent is not necessarily immobilized in the consequent aquagel, but it leans to diffuse into the washing water.
- Example 4 Doping at the aquagel level with a recycle procedure according to the present invention
- the aquagels was processed till to glasses according to the standard procedures, i.e. through the solvent exchange, supercritic drying and oven densification .
- An aerogel was utilized on an elementary analysis (destructive) to determine the present aluminium; the other aerogels were densified to glass, thereby a relatively dense glass was obtained (2.45 density in comparison with the silicon glass density of 2.20) having a refraction index of 1.52.
- the data collected in the Table 1 mean that the model cation (Al 3+ ) has, under the process conditions, migrated from the recycle liquid (7100 ppm at the starting balance) to the aquagel: 4442 ppm of Al lacking from solution after the NH 3 addition which match the 4160.6 ppm of Al measured in the aquagel, or the 4313 ppm of Al measured in the glass corresponding with.
- Example 5 Difference between aquagels obtained by doping at sol level or at aquagel level, respectively
- a remarkable structural difference among doped aquagels can be outlined by letting the gel undergo an evaporation process under atmospheric pressure.
- the atmospheric evaporation process is well known to the skilled people in order to produce the so called "xerogel".
- the xerogel a gel dried under atmospheric pressure, can be economically attractive when the general conditions allow the preparation thereof and only in the case of those applications compatible with the many limitations of the very preparation process.
- the atmospheric pressure evaporation process can outline a remarkable difference between sol level formulated samples and aquagel level formulated samples by the liquid phase recycle method according to the Applicant present invention.
- the experiment consisted in atmospheric pressure evaporation drying two doped aquagels: one prepared by the conventional method and the other one prepared by the recycle method.
- the formulation of the conventional sample was the one described in the example 1; the sample doped by the recycle method (sample 2) had the formulation of the example 4.
- the sample 2 doped at the aquagel level according to the Applicant process, could be dried up to a good quality glass, as judjed by visual inspection and, above all, without any inflorescence trace.
- Liquid mineral acid is 1 molar HNO 3 ;
- a solution was prepared having the previously described general characteristics of a high radioactivity liquid nuclear waste: 275 g of bidistillated water were added by 30 g HNO 3 70% b.w., in a suitable Duran glass reactor equipped with an adequate mechanical mixer. The mixer was activated in advance and at an adequate intensity, before the addition of doping and chelating agents . Slowly the following substances were added, in the order: 115 g Al (HO 3 ) 3 9H 2 O, 9.68 mg Ce (NO 3 ) 3 6H 2 O and 9.40 mg Nd (NO 3 ) 3 6H 2 O.
- the prepared solution reproduced the chemical general characteristics of a liquid nuclear waste, with the simulation of 20 ppm. radioactive isotopes represented by Ce 3+ and Nd 3+ added as nitrate salts, adequately reproducing the chemical affinity, according to the literature (T. Woignies and others, Proc. Int. Congr. Class, Vol. 2 Extended Abstract, Edinburgh, 1-6 July 2001, pp. 13-14) .
- the solution formulation was the following:
- the liquid temperature was set to 1O 0 C by melting ice on the reactor external.
- the rate of the glass stirrer/homogenizer was suitably increased and the addition of 100 g tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) was added by a dipping funnel.
- TEOS tetraethoxysilane
- the analytical data were generated by an ICP-Mass monitoring the evolution of the Ce and Nd concentrations .
- the experiment was carried out till the Aluminium concentration reduction in the liquid phase from 7300 ppm to 310 ppm.
- the Ce and Nd concentrations reduced under the device detection level.
- the aquagels underwent the solvent exchange, supercritic drying and glass densification. Very compact glasses were obtained normal at the eye inspection, having a density of 2.481 g/cm 3 .
- the example 6 clearly shows that the technology, developed to dope silica glasses with substantial metal ion concentrations permanently immobilized in the glass oxide network, can be applied to the vitrification and the safety store of liquid nuclear wastes .
- the Abbe dispersion number was determined 77.
- the density of the glass accurately measured was 2,45.
- the value of the glass described in the example 7 is superimposed to the diagram and is indicate by a dark cross.
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- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Glass Melting And Manufacturing (AREA)
- Silicon Compounds (AREA)
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Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (9)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP20060792665 EP1912908A1 (en) | 2005-08-10 | 2006-08-02 | Sol-gel process |
EA200800410A EA200800410A1 (en) | 2005-08-10 | 2006-08-02 | ZOL-GEL PROCESS |
CA 2618752 CA2618752A1 (en) | 2005-08-10 | 2006-08-02 | Sol-gel process |
US11/997,651 US20090215606A1 (en) | 2005-08-10 | 2006-08-02 | Sol-gel process |
BRPI0614650-3A BRPI0614650A2 (en) | 2005-08-10 | 2006-08-02 | sol-gel process |
JP2008525554A JP2009504825A (en) | 2005-08-10 | 2006-08-02 | Sol-gel method |
AU2006277984A AU2006277984A1 (en) | 2005-08-10 | 2006-08-02 | Sol-gel process |
IL189073A IL189073A0 (en) | 2005-08-10 | 2008-01-28 | Sol-gel process |
NO20081249A NO20081249L (en) | 2005-08-10 | 2008-03-10 | Sol-gelfremgangsmate |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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ITNO2005A000012 | 2005-08-10 | ||
ITNO20050012 ITNO20050012A1 (en) | 2005-08-10 | 2005-08-10 | IMPROVED SOL-GEL PROCESS, INCLUDING THE OXIDYL CONTROL AND MATERIAL OBTAINED |
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WO2007017454A1 true WO2007017454A1 (en) | 2007-02-15 |
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PCT/EP2006/064995 WO2007017454A1 (en) | 2005-08-10 | 2006-08-02 | Sol-gel process |
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US (1) | US20090215606A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1912908A1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2009504825A (en) |
KR (1) | KR20080033520A (en) |
CN (2) | CN101238075A (en) |
AU (1) | AU2006277984A1 (en) |
BR (1) | BRPI0614650A2 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2618752A1 (en) |
EA (1) | EA200800410A1 (en) |
IL (1) | IL189073A0 (en) |
IT (1) | ITNO20050012A1 (en) |
MA (1) | MA29763B1 (en) |
NO (1) | NO20081249L (en) |
TW (1) | TW200720208A (en) |
WO (1) | WO2007017454A1 (en) |
ZA (1) | ZA200801358B (en) |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2008151666A1 (en) * | 2007-06-13 | 2008-12-18 | Degussa Novara Technology S.P.A. | Sol-gel process for wet-gel modification |
DE102007045097A1 (en) * | 2007-09-20 | 2009-04-02 | Heraeus Quarzglas Gmbh & Co. Kg | Process for producing doped quartz glass |
JP2016127924A (en) * | 2008-10-16 | 2016-07-14 | オリオン テック アクチェンゲゼルシャフト | Treatment of liquid waste containing heavy metal |
WO2023288057A1 (en) * | 2021-07-16 | 2023-01-19 | Unm Rainforest Innovations | System for sol-gel process control using electromagnetic fields and methods thereof |
Families Citing this family (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB201502613D0 (en) | 2015-02-17 | 2015-04-01 | Univ Newcastle | Aerogels |
EP3281920A1 (en) * | 2016-08-12 | 2018-02-14 | D. Swarovski KG | Continuous sol-gel process for the manufacture of silicate-containing glass or glass-ceramics |
CN106365438B (en) * | 2016-09-07 | 2019-02-19 | 中国建筑材料科学研究总院 | The preparation method and quartz glass of quartz glass |
CN106430947B (en) * | 2016-09-07 | 2019-02-19 | 中国建筑材料科学研究总院 | The preparation method and quartz glass of quartz glass |
US10427970B1 (en) * | 2016-10-03 | 2019-10-01 | Owens-Brockway Glass Container Inc. | Glass coatings and methods to deposit same |
Citations (3)
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---|---|---|---|---|
EP0390566A1 (en) * | 1989-03-31 | 1990-10-03 | Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc. | Method of producing silica glas having refractive index distribution |
JPH11310418A (en) * | 1998-02-09 | 1999-11-09 | Mitsubishi Chemical Corp | Production of synthetic quartz glass powder containing aluminum and molded product of the glass powder |
WO2005040053A1 (en) * | 2003-10-01 | 2005-05-06 | Novara Technology S.R.L. | An improved sol-gel process, the product obtained thereby and method for storing nuclear material employing the same |
-
2005
- 2005-08-10 IT ITNO20050012 patent/ITNO20050012A1/en unknown
-
2006
- 2006-08-02 EP EP20060792665 patent/EP1912908A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2006-08-02 AU AU2006277984A patent/AU2006277984A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2006-08-02 JP JP2008525554A patent/JP2009504825A/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2006-08-02 EA EA200800410A patent/EA200800410A1/en unknown
- 2006-08-02 WO PCT/EP2006/064995 patent/WO2007017454A1/en active Application Filing
- 2006-08-02 BR BRPI0614650-3A patent/BRPI0614650A2/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2006-08-02 KR KR1020087005591A patent/KR20080033520A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2006-08-02 US US11/997,651 patent/US20090215606A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2006-08-02 CN CNA2006800291655A patent/CN101238075A/en active Pending
- 2006-08-02 CA CA 2618752 patent/CA2618752A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2006-08-07 TW TW095128882A patent/TW200720208A/en unknown
- 2006-08-10 CN CNA2006101087493A patent/CN1974447A/en active Pending
-
2008
- 2008-01-28 IL IL189073A patent/IL189073A0/en unknown
- 2008-02-08 ZA ZA200801358A patent/ZA200801358B/en unknown
- 2008-03-07 MA MA30720A patent/MA29763B1/en unknown
- 2008-03-10 NO NO20081249A patent/NO20081249L/en not_active Application Discontinuation
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP0390566A1 (en) * | 1989-03-31 | 1990-10-03 | Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc. | Method of producing silica glas having refractive index distribution |
JPH11310418A (en) * | 1998-02-09 | 1999-11-09 | Mitsubishi Chemical Corp | Production of synthetic quartz glass powder containing aluminum and molded product of the glass powder |
WO2005040053A1 (en) * | 2003-10-01 | 2005-05-06 | Novara Technology S.R.L. | An improved sol-gel process, the product obtained thereby and method for storing nuclear material employing the same |
Cited By (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2008151666A1 (en) * | 2007-06-13 | 2008-12-18 | Degussa Novara Technology S.P.A. | Sol-gel process for wet-gel modification |
DE102007045097A1 (en) * | 2007-09-20 | 2009-04-02 | Heraeus Quarzglas Gmbh & Co. Kg | Process for producing doped quartz glass |
DE102007045097B4 (en) * | 2007-09-20 | 2012-11-29 | Heraeus Quarzglas Gmbh & Co. Kg | Method for producing co-doped quartz glass |
US8557171B2 (en) | 2007-09-20 | 2013-10-15 | Heraeus Quarzglas Gmbh & Co. Kg | Method for producing doped quartz glass |
JP2016127924A (en) * | 2008-10-16 | 2016-07-14 | オリオン テック アクチェンゲゼルシャフト | Treatment of liquid waste containing heavy metal |
WO2023288057A1 (en) * | 2021-07-16 | 2023-01-19 | Unm Rainforest Innovations | System for sol-gel process control using electromagnetic fields and methods thereof |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
CN1974447A (en) | 2007-06-06 |
ZA200801358B (en) | 2009-01-28 |
US20090215606A1 (en) | 2009-08-27 |
NO20081249L (en) | 2008-04-30 |
CA2618752A1 (en) | 2007-02-15 |
EA200800410A1 (en) | 2008-08-29 |
AU2006277984A1 (en) | 2007-02-15 |
KR20080033520A (en) | 2008-04-16 |
TW200720208A (en) | 2007-06-01 |
BRPI0614650A2 (en) | 2011-04-12 |
JP2009504825A (en) | 2009-02-05 |
EP1912908A1 (en) | 2008-04-23 |
ITNO20050012A1 (en) | 2007-02-11 |
IL189073A0 (en) | 2008-08-07 |
CN101238075A (en) | 2008-08-06 |
MA29763B1 (en) | 2008-09-01 |
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