In an effort to direct the structure formation and subsequently the catalytic properties of novel materials, both organic molecules and transition metals have been systematically incorporated into zinc phosphate materials, and various transition metals into zirconium phosphate materials. The resultant phases in the Zn/P experiments are determined not by the organic template, but by the type and stoichiometric amount of metal incorporated and by the organic template's anion. Furthermore, only one of the phases, a Ni/Zn/P, shows any acidic catalytic behavior. Similarly, the transition metals incorporated in stoichiometric amounts into the catalytically active novel zirconium phosphate are highly structure directing. Their presence inhibits the formation of the phosphate phase, instead promoting the formation of tetragonal ZrO2. The catalytic activity of the products are greatly diminished from the baseline material.

The synthesis and characterization methods for each phase will be presented. Characterization techniques employed include single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction, magnetic susceptibility, thermal analysis, DCP and FTIR.

Organic compounds play an integral role in numerous geochemical process in subsurface environments. To evaluate factors that regulate the stability of ethane, ethene, propane, and propene in hydrothermal systems a series of experiments were conducted at 300 to 325°C and 350 bars. The experiments contained the mineral assemblages pyrite-pyrrhotite-magnetite, hematite-magnetite-pyrite, and hematite-magnetite to buffer fO2, aH2(aq) and aH2S(aq) at geologically reasonable values.

Results of the experiments suggest that under appropriate physical and chemical conditions, metastable redox dependent thermodynamic equilibrium involving liquid water and inorganic iron-bearing mineral assemblages may regulate the relative abundance of short chain alkanes and their corresponding alkenes. In addition, alkenes represent an important intermediary in the conversion of n-alkanes to methane and oxidized species such as carbon dioxide, ketones alcohols, and organic acids.

The rates of redox dependent organic reactions during the experiments were strongly influenced by the presence of sulfur. Under relatively oxidizing conditions greater catalytic activity due to the presence of dissolved sulfur species was observed. Fluid speciation calculations suggest that oxidized aquous sulfur compounds represent the catalytically active species.

These results suggest that redox conditions and the presence or absence of dissolved sulfur species in natural sedimentary environments may strongly influence the stability of hydrocarbons. Accordingly, models used to predict the stability of oil and the formations of natural gas need to account for chemical processes that involve both organic and inorganic sedimentary components.

Midway Sunset crude oil and well-head oil were treated at elevated temperatures in a closed system with the presence of water. Mild to moderate upgrading, as measured by increase in API gravity, was observed at 400°C or above. Reduced pressure operation exhibited upgrading activity comparable to upgrading under normal aqueous pyrolysis conditions. Reduced pressure operation was obtained by the use of specific blending methods, a surfactant, and the proper amount of water. The use of metal complexes provided additional upgrading. The best of the minimum set tested was Co(ll) 2-ethylhexanoate. Fe, Zn, Mo, Cu, and Ni complexes also showed some levels of activity.

Three different dispersants, a low molecular weight compound (aminoalkanol), a polymer (polyelectrolyte) and a block-co-polymer (block polyethylenoxide-polyacrylic acid) were investigated with AFM and rheology in an aqueous system in order to elucidate the influence of the size and structure of the molecule on the dispersion stabilization. The AFM studies indicate that the aminoalkanol gives repulsive forces due to electrostatic repulsion only. The polyelectrolyte seems to stabilize the dispersion with both steric and electrostatic repulsive forces. A new compound that was designed for pure steric stabilization in aqueous media a block-co-polymer consisting of a polar anchor block and a stabilizing neutral chain was investigated for its behavior. The AFM measurements show that it is likely that this compound causes repulsion of silicon nitride surfaces due to steric repulsion only. Rheological measurements of aqueous powder slurries show that the adsorption of the organic additives is of great importance. Due to a more silicon dioxide like acidic surface of the investigated Si3N4 - powder the carboxylate anions of the block-co-polymer adsorb badly. Therefore, no sterically repulsive forces can be built up. This then causes an increase in the slurry's viscosity.

Flocculation of colloidal silica and Na-montmorillonite was investigated by 27A1 MAS NMR and XRD under various chemical conditions. The results showed that destabilization has many features in common with flocculation by addition of conventional organic polymers.

The interaction between hydrophobic species plays an important role in the adsorption of surfactants. In this paper, naturally hydrophilic quartz and naturally hydrophobic talc were selected as model minerals for studying the adsorption of the cationic surfactant, dodecylammonium acetate (DAA). The effect of the hydrophobicity of minerals on the adsorption of DAA was investigated by measuring zeta potentials, adsorption densities and suspension stabilities as a function of pH in the presence of DAA.

In the present work, we examine the transformations of aggregated Al13 polycations interacting in suspension with low-molecular-weight organic acids at near neutral pH. The consequences of the interaction strongly depend on the complexing power and concentration of ligands. The most striking feature is the existence of two domains separated by a characteristic adsorbed ligand concentration, corresponding to charge neutralisation by ligands. In the lower concentration domain, ligands interact with the surface aluminum atoms by forming complexes, decreasing the surface charge. In this domain, no soluble aluminum is released from the aggregates. At higher concentration, ligands are adsorbed in excess by ligand exchange and hydrogen bonding, which results in charge reversal. Simultaneously, ligand promoted dissolution of the aggregates occurs, in the form of soluble complexes. It is assumed that dissolution originates from the initially neutral sites. In aquatic media, such radical insitu changes are able to strongly influence the transport and sedimentation of colloids and associated species.

3M Nextel 720 fiber tows were continuously coated with carbon-alumina mixtures. Water soluble hydrocarbons such as sucrose and ammonium polymethacrylate (Darvan C) were used as carbon sources. Bridging of coating between filaments was reduced by displacing excess sol in the fiber tow with 1 -octanol. The effect of carbon-alumina association (sucrose or polyelectrolyte and alumina interaction) on the homogeneity of the alumina/oxide coatings are presented and discussed.