By AZoM
Table of Contents
Introduction
History of Mechanochemistry
The Focus of Mechanochemistry
Fields of Application
About Fritsch
Introduction
Mechanochemistry is the branch of physical chemistry which addresses the impact of mechanical energy on solids and their corresponding chemical modifications. Fritsch has played a crucial role in this field for a long time, supplying cutting-edge planetary mills systems.
History of Mechanochemistry
Chemistry comprehends several branches: mechanochemistry is one of them. The origin of mechanochemistry can be traced back to the start of the 19th century. Matthew Carey Lea (1823-1897) is arguably considered one of its pioneers who studied the mechanically induced reactions of solids. In one of his experiments Lea used a metal halide and processed it with a mortar (Fig. 1) to achieve the separation of the metal from the halogen. This ignited further research in the field and set the foundations of a new branch of physical chemistry.
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Figure 1. A mortar, the simplest instrument of mechanical chemistry.
The Focus of Mechanochemistry
In mechanochemistry, the focus is on the synthesis of new materials and on the alteration of existing material properties. This is achieved, for instance, by breaking apart the known atomic structure of a material and the links of individual atom chains or by replacing existing gaps with other materials (Figs. 2 and 3). This process requires special conditions since numerous forces are at work. Planetary Ball Mills offer such conditions guaranteeing high impact forces, high pressures and the necessary temperature.
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Figure 2. Examples of various atomic structure alterations.
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Figure 3. REM-picture of a material after mechanochemical treatment.
Fields of Application
The following is a list of different fields of application of mechanochemistry:
- Tribochemistry. One specific field of mechanochemistry is tribochemistry, which deals with mechanical alloying. The term tribochemistry derives from "tribology", which means "the study of friction".
- Nanoscale materials. The forces acting during mechanochemical processes can result in the reduction of the particle size and increase in size of the specific surface. The resulting nanoparticles feature chemical and physical properties often different from those of the macroscopic particles. The production and research of nanoscale materials is therefore another important branch of mechanochemistry.
- Pharmaceutical applications. In pharmaceutical applications, mechanochemistry is used to convert active substances into polymorphous forms. This is often difficult, since the naturally available polytypes are biologically ineffective.
- Alternative energies. Hydrogen-based energy technologies were boosted by the new storage possibilities offered by the mechanochemical modification of the storage cells. Such modifications are in fact expected to yield maximised capacity and absorption kinetic.
- Solvent-free synthesis of materials. Another additional interesting application is the solvent-free synthesis of materials using Planetary Ball Mills.
About Fritsch
Fritsch is one of the internationally leading manufacturers of application-oriented laboratory instruments for sample preparation and particle sizing.
The range of instruments supplied by Fritsch includes:
- Mills for crushing, micro-milling, mixing, homogenising of hard-brittle, fibrous, elastic and/or soft materials dry or in suspension.
- Instruments for particle size determination by laser diffraction, dynamic light scattering and sieving.
- Laboratory Instruments for representative dividing of dry and wet samples, controlled sample feeding and ultrasonic cleaning.
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This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Fritsch.
For more information on this source, please visit Fritsch.