The Self-sustained High temperature Synthesis (SHS) technology as novel approach in the management of asbestos waste

The SHS technique was experimented in chrysotile breakdown. By means of two reactions such as Mg₃Si₂O₅(OH)₄ + Fe₂O₃ + 3 Mg and 2Mg₃Si₂O₅(OH)₄ + Fe₃O₄ + 4 Mg the chrysotile was completely converted into forsterite-rich olivine. Different mixtures of hematite + Mg and magnetite + Mg were tested with chrysotile to establish the maximum chrysotile amount in order to allow the reaction. In comparison with conventional thermal treatments, the SHS process is characterized by a fast reaction, needs low activation energy and the apparatus is simple. For these reasons, the asbestos neutralisation is carried out with positive balance of time and costs of the process. Furthermore, the combustion product can be re-used as secondary material.

A multilayer model for self-propagating high-temperature synthesis of intermetallic compounds

Self-propagating high-temperature synthesis of intermetallic compounds is of wide interest. We consider reactions in a binary system in which the rise and fall of the temperature during the reaction is such that one of the reacting metals melts but not the other. For such a system, using the phase diagram of the binary system, we present a general theory that describes the reaction taking place in a single solid particle of one component surrounded by the melt of the second component. The theory gives us a set of kinetic equations that describe the propagation of the phase interfaces in the solid particle and the change in composition of the melt that surrounds it. In this article, we derive a set of equations for one- and two-layer systems in which each layer is a binary compound in the phase diagram. The system of equations is numerically solved for Al-Ni to illustrate the applicability of the theory. The method presented here is general and, depending on the complexity of the phase diagram, it could be used to obtain similar equations for systems with more layers.