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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 793 records · Page 44
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2012

Effects of Phosphorous-doping and High Temperature Annealing on CVD grown 3C-SiC

The integrity and property behavior of the SiC layer of the Tri-isotropic (TRISO) coated particle (CP) for high temperature reactors (HTR) are very important as the SiC layer is the main barrier for gaseous and metallic fission product release. This study describes the work done on un-irradiated SiC samples prepared with varying phosphorus levels to simulate the presence of phosphorus due to transmutation. 30Si transmutes to phosphorous (31P) and other transmutation products during irradiation, which may affect the integrity of the SiC layer. The P-doping levels of the SiC samples used in this study cover the range from 1.1x1015 to 1.2x1019 at/cm3 and are therefore relevant to the PBMR operating conditions. Annealing from 1000 C to 2100 C was performed to study the possible changes in nanostructures and various properties due to temperature. Characterization results by X-ray diffraction (XRD), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), are reported in this article. As grain boundary diffusion is identified as a possible mechanism by which 110mAg, one of the fission activation products, might be released through intact SiC layer, grain size measurements is also included in this study. Temperature is evidently one of the factors/parameters amongst others known to influence the grain size of SiC and therefore it is important to investigate the effect of high temperature annealing on the SiC grain size. The ASTM E112 method as well as electron back scatter diffraction (EBSD) was used to determine the grain size of various commercial SiC samples and the SiC layer in experimental PBMR Coated Particles (CPs) after annealing at temperatures ranging from 1600 C to 2100 C. The HRTEM micrograph of the decomposition of SiC at 2100 C are shown and discussed. Nanotubes were not identified during the TEM and HRTEM analysis although graphitic structures were identified. The preliminary conclusion reached is that the P-content at these experimental levels (1.1x1015 - 1.2x1019 atom/cm3) does not have a significant influence on the nanostructure of SiC at high temperatures without irradiation.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2015

How the method of synthesis governs the local and global structure of zinc aluminum layered double hydroxides

A series of zinc aluminum layered double hydroxides (ZnAl LDHs), [Zn1-xAlx (OH)2Ax,nH2O with A = NO3-, Cl- or CO3] were prepared by the urea and co-precipitation synthesis methods, which allowed for a detailed investigation on how synthesis parameters such as pH, metal ion concentration and post synthesis treatment influence the local and global structure of the LDH product. Information about sample composition, purity, defects and other structural aspects of the LDH products were obtained from powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, micro-Raman, and elemental analysis, as well as solid state 1H, 27Al and 67Zn NMR spectroscopy. Our results show that the urea method results in LDHs, which on the global scale are highly crystalline LDHs, whereas solid state NMR shows the different local environments indicating local disorder most likely linked to the presence of Al-rich phases. However, these Alrich phases are not detected by global range techniques, as they either defects within the LDH particles or separate phase(s) associated with LDHs. In contrast, samples prepared by coprecipitation especially synthesized under careful pH control and subsequently hydrothermal treated have high local order and good crystallinity (particle size). Our results show that both molecular level and macroscopic techniques are needed to assess the composition of LDHs, as the conventional PXRD and TEM analysis of LDHs failed to identify the many structural defects and/or amorphous phases.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory↗
DOE OSTI2016

Oxygen vacancies controlled multiple magnetic phases in epitaxial single crystal Co 0.5 (Mg 0.55 Zn 0.45 ) 0.5 O 1-v thin films

High quality single-crystal fcc-Co x (Mg y Zn 1-y ) 1-x O 1-v epitaxial thin films with high Co concentration up to x = 0.5 have been fabricated by molecular beam epitaxy. Systematic magnetic property characterization and soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy analysis indicate that the coexistence of ferromagnetic regions, superparamagnetic clusters, and non-magnetic boundaries in the as-prepared Co x (Mg y Zn 1-y ) 1-x O 1-v films is a consequence of the intrinsic inhomogeneous distribution of oxygen vacancies. Furthermore, the relative strength of multiple phases could be modulated by controlling the oxygen partial pressure during sample preparation. Armed with both controllable magnetic properties and tunable band-gap, Co x (Mg y Zn 1-y ) 1-x O 1-v films may have promising applications in future spintronics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

A facile mechanochemical approach to synthesize Zn-Al layered double hydroxide

In this study, a mechanochemical route to synthesize Zn-Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) was introduced, in which Zn basic carbonate and Al hydroxide were first dry milled into an activated state and then agitated in water to obtain the final products. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Thermogravimetry (TG) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The products possessed a high crystallinity of Zn–Al LDH phase without any other impurities, proving a facile and effective preparation of Zn–Al LDH by using non-heating mechanochemical approach. - Highlights: • A non-heating mechanochemical route to synthesize Zn-Al LDH. • The products possessed high crystalline Zn-Al LDH phase. • No emission of other impurities or wastewater.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Quantitative comparison of organic photovoltaic bulk heterojunction photostability under laser illumination

The photostability of bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaic films containing a polymer donor and a fullerene-derivative acceptor was examined using resonance Raman spectroscopy and controlled laser power densities. The polymer donors were poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT), poly[[9-(1-octylnonyl)-9H-carbazole-2,7-diyl]-2,5-thiophenediyl-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole-4,7-diyl-2,5-thiophenediyl] (PCDTBT), or poly({4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene-2,6-diyl}{3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl)carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b]thiophenediyl}) (PTB7). Four sample preparation methods were studied: (i) thin or (ii) thick films with fast solvent evaporation under nitrogen, (iii) thick films with slow solvent evaporation under nitrogen, and (iv) thin films dried under nitrogen followed by thermal annealing. Polymer order was assessed by monitoring a Raman peak’s full width at half-maximum and location as a function of illumination time and laser power densities from 2.5 × 10 3 to 2.5 × 10 5 W cm –2 . Resonance Raman spectroscopy measurements show that before prolonged illumination, PCDTBT and PTB7 have the same initial order for all preparation conditions, while P3HT order improves with slow solvent drying or thermal annealing. All films exhibited changes to bulk heterojunction structure with 2.5 × 10 5 Wcm –2 laser illumination as measured by resonance Raman spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy images show evidence of sample heating that affects the polymer over an area greater than the illumination profile. Furthermore, photostability data are important for proper characterization by techniques involving illumination and the development of devices suitable for real-world applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Chemical Grafting of Highly Dispersed VO x /CeO 2 for Increased Catalytic Activity in Methanol Oxidative Dehydrogenation

Vanadia supported on well-defned ceria nanocubes are synthesized at various loadings using a liquid-phase chemical grafting technique and are compared to those prepared using traditional incipient wetness impregnation. Raman and IR characterization reveal that, as vanadia loading is increased to near monolayer coverage, vanadia deposited using grafting shows greatly enhanced dispersion (i.e., improved VO x monomer/dimer distribution). Methanol is used as a probe molecule to explore the redox behavior of the catalysts. IR and temperature programmed desorption of methanol show increased CO 2 formation occurs on the bare ceria support and increasing the dispersion of vanadia promotes dehydrogenation to formaldehyde due to the inhibited oxygen vacancy formation on VO x /CeO 2 . Hydrogen temperature programmed reduction demonstrates that the catalyst reducibility and formation of surface oxygen vacancy are directly related to the degree of vanadia oligomerization. In conclusion, the samples prepared using grafting exhibit superior catalytic performance for methanol oxidative dehydrogenation to formaldehyde compared to the impregnated samples, due to the presence of highly dispersed VO x species (i.e., monomers and dimers).

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2018

Structural, optical and photocatalytic properties of zinc oxides obtained from spent alkaline batteries

Highlights: • Zinc oxides were synthetized using spent alkaline batteries as raw materials. • Both prepared samples present the wurzite structure and exhibits good optical properties. • The decrease in lattice parameters and the narrow band gap are associated with the formation of oxygen vacancies. • Recovered zinc oxides were active for photodegradation of methylene blue by UV irradiation. • The photocatalytic was correlates to the bulk/surface defects ratio. - Abstract: The structural, optical and photocatalytic properties of two zinc oxides prepared from spent alkaline batteries were analysed. After leaching the anode of alkaline batteries, zinc was precipitated from the leachate liquor by introducing oxalic acid (O-ZnO) or sodium carbonate (C-ZnO). The structure of ZnO samples were analysed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), S{sub BET}, DRS-UV-vis spectroscopy and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS). Both oxides present the ZnO wurzite structure and similar morphology. C-ZnO presents a cell lower lattice parameters and bang gap energy (2.99 eV) than O-ZnO (3.05 eV), possibly due to higher concentration of oxygen vacancies. The photocatalytic activity in the degradation of methylene blue (MB) of O-ZnO (achieving 70% MB degradation at 90 min) was superior to C-ZnO, due to its higher surface area and degree of crystallinity and lower bulk/surface defects ratio.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Development of comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography for investigating aging of plastic bonded explosives

The feasibility of measuring the aging and degradation of PBX 9501 via online two dimensional liquid chromatography (LC × LC) is investigated, and a preliminary instrumental setup and method is developed. Plastic-Bonded eXplosive (PBX) 9501 is nominally composed of 94.9 wt% HMX, 2.5 wt% Estane® 5703 (poly (ester urethane)), 2.5 wt% BDNPA/F (nitroplasticizer), 0.1 wt% Irganox 1010 and PBNA (N-phenyl-naphthylamine) at low concentrations. When exposed to various environmental conditions, PBX 9501 will degrade through different pathways. Because PBX 9501 is composed of both low molecular weight compounds (BDNPA/F, Irganox 1010, PBNA, and potential degradation products) and high molecular weight compounds (Estane® 5703), analysis is normally performed via two independent analyses. Additionally, the low molecular weight species are analyzed via high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the high molecular weight species via size exclusion chromatography (SEC). While these individual techniques yield information about the aging of PBX 9501, the combination of HPLC and SEC (i.e. HPLC × SEC) can simplify and streamline the analyses while also providing additional chemical information. A simplified sample preparation method is proposed for LC × LC analysis. Various SEC columns and HPLC column selection, flow rate, and gradient ramps were investigated for their application of measuring aged PBX 9501. Lastly, two LC × LC separations of a library standard of PBX 9501 and a sample of aged PBX 9501 are compared.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Excess free volume and structural properties of inert gas condensation synthesized nanoparticles based CuZr nanoglasses

Abstract Nanoglass (NG) as a new structure-tunable material has been investigated using both experiments and computational modeling. Experimentally, inert gas condensation (IGC) is commonly employed to prepare metallic glass (MG) nanoparticles that are consolidated using cold compression to generate an NG. In computational modeling, various methods have been used to generate NGs. However, due to the high computational cost involved, heretofore modeling investigations have not followed the experimental synthesis route. In this work, we use molecular dynamics simulations to generate an NG model by consolidating IGC-prepared Cu 64 Zr 36 nanoparticles following a workflow similar to that of experiments. The resulting structure is compared with those of NGs produced following two alternative procedures previously used: direct generation employing Voronoi tessellation and consolidation of spherical nanoparticles carved from an MG sample. We focus on the characterization of the excess free volume and the Voronoi polyhedral statistics in order to identify and quantify contrasting features of the glass-glass interfaces in the three NG samples prepared using distinct methods. Results indicate that glass-glass interfaces in IGC-based NGs are thicker and display higher structural contrast with their parent MG structure. Nanoparticle-based methods display excess free volume exceeding 4%, in agreement with experiments. IGC-prepared nanoparticles, which display Cu segregation to their surfaces, generate the highest glass-glass interface excess free volume levels and the largest relative interface volume with excess free volume higher than 3%. Voronoi polyhedral analysis indicates a sharp drop in the full icosahedral motif fraction in the glass-glass interfaces in nanoparticle-based NG as compared to their parent MG.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Growth-induced electron mobility enhancement at the LaAlO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} interface

We have studied the electronic properties of the 2D electron liquid present at the LaAlO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} interface in series of samples prepared at different growth temperatures. We observe that interfaces fabricated at 650 °C exhibit the highest low temperature mobility (≈10 000 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}) and the lowest sheet carrier density (≈5×10{sup 12} cm{sup −2}). These samples show metallic behavior and Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations in their magnetoresistance. Samples grown at higher temperatures (800–900 °C) display carrier densities in the range of ≈2−5×10{sup 13} cm{sup −2} and mobilities of ≈1000 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1} at 4 K. Reducing their carrier density by field effect to 8×10{sup 12} cm{sup −2} lowers their mobilities to ≈50 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1} bringing the conductance to the weak-localization regime.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
NASA NTRS2019

Development of Low-Cost Micromanipulation Systems for Small Extraterrestrial Samples

The analysis of microscale to mm-scale astromaterials often involves the transfer of samples from storage or collection substrates to analytical substrates. These transfers are accomplished by hand (via tweezers or fine-tipped needles) or by utilizing micromanipulation instruments. Freehand manipulation of small particles is extremely challenging due to involuntary hand tremors on the order of 100μm and due to the triboelectric charging induced by frequent contact between the manipulation tool and the support substrate. Months or years of practice may be required before an investigator develops the necessary experience to confidently transfer a 10-20μm particle in this manner. Handling even mm-sized particles with fine-tipped tweezers can be challenging, due to the inability to precisely control the force with which grains are being held. Mechanical, hydraulic, and motorized/electrical micromanipulators enable the precise handling of microscale samples and are often utilized in laboratories where frequent small sample preparation is required. However, the price of such instruments (~ $10,000 to $100,000) makes them cost-prohibitive for some institutions. Graduate students or early-career scientists interested in conducting research on interplanetary dust particles, Itokawa particles returned by Hayabusa, or future samples returned by OSIRIS-REx or Hayabusa2 may experience difficulty in justifying the expense of a micromanipulator to their advisors or principle investigators. Johnson Space Center’s Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation Office and the Lunar and Planetary Institute conduct annual training for early career scientists and for investigators that require experience with handling of small extraterrestrial samples. In support of this training, we have been developing low-cost mechanical alternatives to expensive micromanipulators that training participants can implement in their respective facilities.

Snead, Christopher J.↗
DOE OSTI2016

Fabrication of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@CuO core-shell from MOF based materials and its antibacterial activity

Magnetic Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@CuO nanocomposite with a core/shell structure was successfully synthesized via direct calcinations of magnetic Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@HKUST-1 in air atmosphere. The morphology, structure, magnetic and porous properties of the as-synthesized nano composites were characterized by using scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and vibration sample magnetometer (VSM). The results showed that the nanocomposite material included a Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} core and a CuO shell. The Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@CuO core-shell can be separated easily from the medium by a small magnet. The antibacterial activity of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-CuO core-shell was investigated against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. A new mechanism was proposed for inactivation of bacteria over the prepared sample. It was demonstrated that the core-shell exhibit recyclable antibacterial activity, acting as an ideal long-acting antibacterial agent. - Graphical abstract: Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@CuO core-shell release of copper ions. These Cu{sup 2+} ions were responsible for the exhibited antibacterial activity. - Highlights: • The Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@CuO core-shell was prepared by MOF method. • This is the first study of antibacterial activity of core-shell consist of CuO and Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}. • The core-shell can be reused effectively. • Core-shell was separated from the reaction solution by external magnetic field.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Design and Evaluation of an Experimental Technique for Mechanical and Fatigue Testing of Sub-Sized Samples

Some recently developed processing techniques allow fabrication of small specimens. The fatigue behavior of these small samples cannot be characterised according to the existing standards due to size limitations. The main objective of the present work is to develop an original technique for both mechanical and fatigue testing of sub-sized specimens produced by a high pressure torsion (HPT) method. The fatigue behavior of the sub-sized Ti-6Al-4 V samples, made from HPT-processed disks, is compared with that of the standard samples prepared according to the ASTM standards. Finite element method (FEM) analysis of the stress distribution under applied static load, for both sub-sized specimens and grips designed for their testing, is performed. Good agreement between the outcomes of tensile testing of the standard ASTM samples and sub-sized samples is observed. Fatigue data, represented by Wöhler curves for both types of samples, showed significant divergence of high cycle fatigue properties caused by incompliance of specimen geometries and surface/defect size ratio. The obtained results can be used to scale up the fatigue behavior from sub-sized specimens to the standard ones, as well as to predict the fatigue behavior of the bulk nanostructured metals and alloys produced by HPT.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Structural and elemental changes in glioblastoma cells in situ : complementary imaging with high resolution visible light- and X-ray microscopy

The glioblastoma (GBM) is characterized by a short median survival and an almost 100% tumor related mortality. GBM cells exhibit highly invasive behavior whose mechanisms are not yet fully understood. The present study explores application of X-ray and visible light microscopy to display the elemental and structural images of cells from 3 patient derived GMB samples and an established GMB cell line. Slight differences in elemental concentrations, in actin cytoskeleton organization and cell morphology were noted between all cells types by X-ray fluorescence and full field soft X-ray microscopy, as well as the Structured Illumination Super-resolution Microscope (SIM). Different sample preparation approaches were used to match each imaging technique. While preparation for SIM included cell fixation and staining, intact frozen hydrated cells were used for the trace element imaging by hard X-ray fluorescence and exploration of the structural features by soft X-ray absorption tomography. In conclusion, each technique documented differences between samples with regard to morphology and elemental composition and underscored the importance of use of multiple patient derived samples for detailed GBM study.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

High Pressure Synthesis of New Magnets, Featuring Diamagnetic Sources of Anisotropy

Permanent magnets are the functional component of electric motors and generators found in numerous renewable energy applications spanning from regenerative brakes to wind turbines. Magnets that generate higher magnetic flux per volume are central to improved energy generation in these applications. To develop a new class of permanent magnets while retaining the properties conferred by rare-earth elements, a fundamentally different approach is required. We hypothesize that by engendering a covalent interaction between two elements, it will be possible to interact the two components of a magnetic moment—spin and orbital angular momentum—from two separate atoms to form a complete magnetic moment. This seed project focuses on the scale up of the compound FeBi 2 , which was initially synthesized in our laboratory. Scale up approaches include slow decompression, alternate synthetic routes, and using fabrication approaches to more intimately mix the precursor elements. We also pursued the synthesis of new phases in the Mn-Bi system targeted to create new magnetic materials. In our initial experiments we decompressed FeBi 2 down to 2.9 GPa, demonstrating a kinetic stability to the phase that enabled it to be recovered to an order of magnitude lower pressure than that needed to synthesize it (30 GPa). Our goal is to recover this exciting material to ambient pressures so that we can isolate samples for detailed physical properties measurements. We have undertaken three distinct approaches toward that goal, which we summarize below. Our two most notable results are the formation of a quenchable phase through antimony doping of FeBi 2 , and the development of a new approach to preparing samples for diamond anvil cell syntheses.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Technical Guidance on Use of the Netzsch LFA 447 Nanoflash for Measurement of Ceramic-Metallic (Cermet) Pellet Specimen

The Netzsch LFA 447 Nanoflash Instrument uses the laser flash method to measure thermal diffusivity of a material. Thermal conductivity can be determined if specific heat and density are known for that material. The 238 Pu Supply Program is interested in re-establishing the capability to determine thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity of various 237Np Al/cermet samples during heating. The bottom side of a plane parallel sample is heated by an energy pulse from a light source (in this case a xenon lamp). An infrared (IR) detector is on the top side of the sample which detects the time dependent temperature rise of the sample due to the energy input from the xenon lamp. The LFA 447 Nanoflash is user-friendly, simple to operate, and has minor sample preparation which will allow technicians to be trained easily on its use. When using the multi-property measurement option, the LFA 447 Nanoflash can determine both thermal diffusivity and specific heat which means only density is needed to identify the thermal conductivity of a sample. This equipment is recognized for being highly accurate and having fast test times, replacing steady-state methods which have proven to be difficult and much slower.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2021

Measuring Gas Transport and Sorption in Large Intact Geologic Specimens via the Piezometric Method

Uptake of noble gases into heterogeneous geologic core samples was measured using a piezometric methodology. In addition to measuring accessible porosity—as with gas pycnometry—by monitoring the rate of pressure decay, this method can also be used to estimate the gas effective diffusivity in the sample. In contrast to previous applications of this method, where milligram quantities of fractured grains are characterized, here approximately kilogram core samples were left intact when tested. In doing so, a more representative sample of the heterogeneous field geology is provided. Additionally, alteration of the pore structure and connectivity during sample preparation is avoided. Furthermore, to scale the piezometric method from milligrams to kilograms, the system was designed to operate at medium vacuum (1 to 100 Pa) to restrict transport in pores less than approximately 60 µm to large Knudsen numbers. To test the system performance, two samples of interest were selected: a rhyolitic welded tuff from Blue Canyon Dome at the Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center and a zeolitized non-welded rhyolitic tuff from the Nevada National Security Site. Three noble gases were utilized in this test series; Argon and xenon as they are of direct interest to nuclear monitoring efforts and helium as it is a weakly adsorbing reference standard. Additionally, mercury intrusion porosimetry measurements were made on subsamples of the core to compare the observed porosity by the two methods and to discuss gas transport rates in the context of the measured pore distribution.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Influence of Al substitution on magnetism and adsorption properties of hematite

A series of Al-substituted hematite was prepared. The structures and properties of as-prepared samples were characterized by various techniques. The magnetic property of the samples was determined and the adsorption of three dyes Acid Blue 74, Methylene Blue and Phenol Red onto the samples was investigated. The results showed that Al incorporation into the crystal structure of hematite occurs via isomorphous ionic substitution of Al for Fe. With increasing Al content, the particle size of samples decreases, the magnetization increases and the remanent magnetization remains unchanged. The coercivity of the samples increases with Al substitution up to n{sub Al}/n{sub Fe} 0.03, and then decreases as Al content further increases. Compared with Al-free hematite, Al-substituted samples exhibit better adsorption ability to all of the three dyes. The adsorption rates of the three dyes on the surface of Al substituted samples depend on the structure of dye, pH and Al content in hematite. - Graphical abstract: Effect of Al on the structure, magnetic properties and adsorption performance of hematite was investigated. - Highlights: • A series of Al-substituted α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} was prepared. • Effect of Al content on the crystal structure and magnetic property of hematite was investigated. • Al-substituted hematite exhibits better adsorption ability than hematite.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗