Recent studies have revealed the poisonous nature of aluminum(III) species to aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Therefore, this investigation aims to develop batch adsorption experiments in the laboratory, aiming to the removal of aluminum(III) from aqueous solutions onto powdered activated carbon (PAC). The latter (which is an effective and inexpensive sorbent) was prepared from olive stones generated as plant wastes and modified with an aqueous modifying oxidizing agent, viz. HNO3. The main parameters (i.e. initial solution pH, sorbent and Al3+ ions concentrations, stirring times and temperature) influencing the sorption process were examined. The results obtained revealed that the sorption of Al3+ ions onto PAC is endothermic in nature and follows first-order kinetics. The adsorption data were well described by the Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) adsorption models over the concentration range studied. Under the optimum experimental conditions employed, the removal of ca. 100% Al3+ ions in the concentration range 1.35-2.75 mg·l-1 was attained. Moreover, the procedure was successfully applied to the recovery of aluminum spiked to some environmental water samples with an RSD (%), does not exceed 1.22%.

The increasing demand of PM parts for automobile and aerospace applications has caused a strong development of the aluminium based metal matrix composites (MMCs).Aluminium alloys are one of most widely used materials as matrix in MMCs, both in research and development as well as in industrial applications. In the present work, the influence of the ceramic reinforcement addition to a 2xxx series aluminium alloy is studied. Several percentages of TiCN have been added to the Al-Cu alloy using PM techniques, in order to analyze its influence on the liquid phase sintering process and on the final properties of the material.

Particulate reinforced titanium composites were produced by PM rout. Differents volumetric percentages of TiN reinforcements were used, 5,10,15 vol%. Samples were uniaxial pressed and vacuum sintered at differents temperatures between . Density, porosity, shrinkage, mechanical properties and microstructure were studied. Elastic properties and strength resistance were analysed by flexural strength and tension tests, and after the test, fractured samples were analysed too, obtaining a correlation between the fracture, interparticulated or intraparticulated, and the reinforcement addition.. Hardness and microhardness test were applied too, in order to complete the study about mechanical properties. In order to study wear resistance pin-on-disc test were used. In addition, the temperature influence, the reactivity between matrix and reinforcement, and the microstructures developed were observed by optical and electron microscopy.

The present work studies the influence of high-energy milling (HEM) and sintering cycle of Ti and Al powders on the obtainment of TiAl. This study shows that HEM modifies the diffusion processes during the sintering stage. The samples were obtained by cold uniaxial and isostatic pressing, pre-sintered at different temperatures, and heated up to the sintering temperature. This study also shows the effect of powder additions processed by HEM on the sintering behavior of elemental Ti and Al powders.

Phosphoric acid-activated carbon WP's and zinc chloride-activated carbons WZ's were developed from wild cherry stones. The textural properties of the activated carbons were determined from nitrogen adsorption data at 77 K and the chemistry of the carbon surface, i.e. the surface carbon-oxygen groups (type and amount) was determined from the base and acid neutralization capacities (Boehm method). The adsorption of phenol, p-nitrophenol, p-chlorophenol, dinitrophenol and dichlorophenol was followed at 298 K. The activated carbons obtained were characterized by high surface area and large pore volumes as well as by high surface concentration of C-O groups. The investigated carbons exhibited high adsorption capacities towards phenols with these capacities increased with the increase of molecular weight and the decrease of the solubility of phenol in water. However, no general relationship could be observed between the adsorption capacities of carbons and any of their textural parameters or their surface chemistry. This may be attributed to the many factors controlling phenol adsorption and the different types and mechanisms of adsorption involved.