Microbalance for gas/vapour interactions with solid materials

申请的资金用于购买一台能够测量非常小的重量变化的微量天平，以便对气-固相互作用进行基础研究，包括气体和蒸汽的吸附和解吸、吸附剂和聚合物及无机膜的特性分析以及复合催化系统的特性分析。 它能够承受高达50 bar的压力，以及非常高的真空。在高温（高达500 ℃）和高真空（10-6 mbar的绝对压力）下进行固体材料的再生（脱气），以去除所有先前吸附的组分，如水分，空气等。然后将气体或蒸汽引入固体样品室，并记录由于吸附或与固体反应而引起的固体重量变化作为时间的函数。 该重量变化针对浮力因子以及气体系统在高压下的状态方程进行校正。这种微量天平将使我们能够确定动力学参数，并在高压下进行实验，这是我们目前无法做到的。由于其高灵敏度，它还需要非常少量的固体样品进行分析。该微天平的基础研究将应用于绿色家庭气体（GHG）处理、垃圾填埋气处理、可持续发展、能源部门需求减少、太阳能储存、碳氢化合物、石化和半导体行业以及其他一般环境工程污染控制。四个不同的研究小组将有机会使用这种微量天平，至少15名学生将接受这种设备的培训，作为他们教育的一部分。研究结果将发表在权威期刊上，因此，加拿大的相关行业将直接从中受益。

The funding is requested for the purchase of a Micro-Balance that is capable of measuring very small weight changes for carrying out fundamental studies on gas-solid interactions including adsorption and desorption of gas and vapours, characterization of adsorbents and polymeric and inorganic membranes, as well as characterization of composite catalytic systems.  It has the capability of going up to 50 bars pressure, as well as very high vacuum. Regeneration (degassing) of the solid material at high temperature (up to 500oC) and at high vacuum (absolute pressure of 10-6 mbar) is carried out, to get rid of all previously adsorbed components like moisture, air, etc, if necessary. The gas or vapour is then introduced into the solid sample chamber, and weight change of the solid due to adsorption or reaction with the solid is recorded as a function of time.  This weight change is corrected for the buoyancy factor, as well as for the equation of state of the gas system at high pressure. This Micro-Balance will enable us to determine kinetic parameters, as well as carry out experiments at high pressures, which we are not able to do at the present time. It will also require a very small amount of solid sample to be analyzed, because of its high sensitivity. Fundamental studies that will be carried out with this Micro-Balance will have applications in Green House Gas (GHG) treatment, Landfill Gas treatment, Sustainable Development, decreasing demands in the Energy Sector, Solar Energy Storage, Hydrocarbon, Petrochemical and Semiconductor Industries, as well as in other general Environmental Engineering Pollution Control. Four different research groups will have access to this Micro-Balance and at least 15 students will be trained with this piece of equipment, as part of their education. The results obtained will be published in refereed journals, and therefore, related industry in Canada will directly benefit from them.