A thermodynamic and kinetic study of trace iron removal from aqueous cobalt sulfate solutions using Monophos resin
Background: High purity cobalt has many important applications, such as magnetic recording media, magnetic recording heads, optoelectronic devices, magnetic sensors, and integrated circuits, etc. To produce 5N or higher purity cobalt in an electro-refining process, one of the challenges is to effectively reduce the Fe content of aqueous cobalt salt solution before electrolysis. This paper describes thermodynamic and kinetic investigations of the Fe adsorption process of a new sulfonated monophosphonic resin with the trade mark Monophos. Methods: Five cobalt sulfate solutions of different Co concentrations were prepared. Fe ions were removed from the solutions by ion exchange method using Monophos resin. Chemical analysis was carried out using a Perkin Elmer ICP-OES. Results: The initial Fe concentrations of about 0.9–2.0 mg/L can be reduced to about 0.3–0.8 mg/L, which is equivalent to an Fe removal rate of 60–67%. The Langmuir isothermal adsorption model applies well to the Fe removal process. A second-order type based on McKay equation fits better with experimental data than other kinetic models. The kinetic curve can be divided into two sections. For t < 30 min, particle diffusion may act as the controlling step, whereas chemical reaction may control the Fe adsorption process in the section t > 30 min. Conclusions: Monophos resin is effective for the removal of trace Fe from cobalt sulfate solution. This ion exchange process obeys the Langmuir isothermal adsorption model and the McKay equation of second-order kinetics.
Microstructures and magnetic properties of meta-stable Co50−XMXPt50 (M = Cu or Ru) thin films
Abstract Co 50−X M X Pt 50 (M = Cu or Ru) films were magnetron sputtered on textured Pt(111) underlayer on glass substrate at 350 °C. The results show that perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of superlattice L 1 1 phase can be maintained well with doping Cu element into CoPt film. Out-of-plane coercivity ( H c ⊥ ) was also increased with the increase of Cu content. However, disordered A 1(111) structure and lower H c ⊥ were obtained with the addition of Ru element in CoPt film. The magnetic force microscopy images indicated that doping Cu diminished the domain size. Oppositely, doping Ru made the domain reversed incompletely. Surface morphology of Co 24 Cu 26 Pt 50 thin film was much smoother than that of Co 23 Ru 27 Pt 50 thin film, indicative of maintenance of the epitaxial growth of L 1 1 (111) from flat Pt(111) underlayer. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show that the Cu element could be incorporated in L 1 1 CoPt grains; however, the RuPt alloy was segregated at CoPt grain boundary. The cross section TEM pictures showed that the columnar structures starting from Pt(111) underlayer and extending into magnetic CoCuPt(111) layer confirmed that epitaxy existed at CoCuPt/Pt interface. Our research demonstrates that replacing Co with Cu = 23–26 at.% effectively increases the perpendicular magnetic properties of L 1 1 CoPt phase, which largely increase the potential of L 1 1 films for the application of perpendicular magnetic media and advance spintronic device.
An anionic inositol phosphate glycan pseudotetrasaccharide exhibits high insulin-mimetic activity in rat adipocytes.
Inositol phosphate glycan pseudotetrasaccharides consisting of man-(alpha1-6)-man-(alpha1-4)-glcN-(alpha,beta1-6)-myo-inositol-1,2-cyclic phosphate possessing a sulfate group at either O-6 (compounds 3alpha,beta) or O-2 (compounds 4alpha,beta) of the terminal mannose have been prepared. Compound 4alpha was able to stimulate lipogenesis in native rat adipocytes to 78% of the maximal insulin response (MIR) with an EC50 of 1.1 microM. The other compounds exhibited lower maximal stimulations (47-63% MIR) and higher EC50 values (9.5-10.6 microM).