Other uses of Clay

Clay not only be used as material in making solar cells. Clay composites it can be a catalyst for change that serves a variety of chemical element that has many uses.

From titania clay, for example, Is Fatimah can create solar panels, exterminator of bacteria in the water, reducing pollution of automotive components, as well as producing substances menthol flavor of lemongrass oil, but only the use of clay as titania ceramic coatings for equipment disinfection of bacteria in the water that are considered likely be applicable products.

DR. Is Fatimah. (Picture  from:
KORAN TEMPO 4094)

Titania clay was used as a catalyst in the compound of zirconium dioxide or zinc (ZrO2), so as to make the process of photocatalysts. The material used to coat the surface of a ceramic pottery and burnt. When the ceramic is exposed to light, the excitation of electrons occurs, which triggers the process of oxidation in water.

In principle, waste management and mineral water production becomes cheaper because only the ceramic components and sunlight. Fatimah prove that the oxidation process for 15 minutes was able to eradicate the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli as many as 1,690 colony-forming units (CFU) per milliliter of water.

The same clay can be used as a coating component converter to drain residual fuel automotive engines. Its function is to reduce polluting emissions. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) combustion of fuel oil through the layered material substance will split into nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2). "These cars are wearing the latest chemical element to complement converter fuel, but wear synthetic clay materials are expensive," said Fatimah.

Fatimah also trying to develop a composite of titania clay on aluminum oxide (Al2O3) to be a cracking catalyst in biofuel process. Biofuel is derived from liquid smoke heating teak sawdust. The process of mixing chemical compounds that produce hydrocarbons of gasoline equivalent. "But the research is still far from perfect," he said.

In fact, in some countries, many industries have made use of titania clay, but not on the original clay materials, but the result of a merger between the synthetic clay silica and alumina are expensive. To produce titania clay cheaper, Fatimah mixing clay with titanium dioxide (TiO2) and titanium precursors of four types, namely titanium sulfate, titanium tetrachloride, titanium oxychloride and titanium tetra isopropoxide. Composite catalysts obtained Fatimah fine white powder like flour. *** [ADDI MAWAHIBUN IDHOM | WILLIAM ANTON | KORAN TEMPO 4094]

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