Industrial exhaust gas, as an emission in the process of industrialization, has always had a major impact on the natural environment and human health. Addressing the issue of industrial exhaust emissions is a problem that humans have been researching and exploring for many years.
Recently, the problem of industrial exhaust gas was once again solved by scientists. Through a characteristic copolymerization reaction, exhaust oxysulfide becomes a special solid material, and this transparent material can be used to synthesize and manufacture resin spectacle lenses in the future. , Optical fiber raw materials.
This new technology was developed by Professor Zhang Xinghong of the Department of Polymer of Zhejiang University. The relevant research results were published in Nature Communications.
In the eyes of chemical workers, the recovery and utilization of carbonyl sulfide has great social and economic significance for China's coal and oil-consuming countries.
Hazardous carbon oxysulfide
Carbon oxysulfide is a forbidden exhaust gas produced during coal-fired, oil-refining and chemical processes. It is called waste gas because it is always harmful to the environment and health.
Carbon oxysulfide can seriously corrode production equipment. When the exhaust gas dissipates to high altitude, sulfur dioxide can also cause acid rain. Acid rain can lead to acidification of the land, affect plant growth and development, and corrode urban construction, resulting in an increase in human diseases.
In addition, carbon oxysulfide also destroys the ozone layer by photooxidation.
In addition to being produced in industry, oxysulfide is often found inside and outside the home. The smell of water in the waterways and the smell of broken food in the refrigerator is the smell of carbon oxysulfide.
All along, human beings are committed to the disposal of industrial exhaust gas such as carbonyl sulfide, and the common way is to reduce emissions. This approach brings about reduction of production capacity or increase of huge waste gas treatment inputs, such as desulfurization.
Desulphurization is one of the current mainstream practices. However, after the desulphurization, how to remove these sulfur-containing substances is still a difficult problem for humanity.
The magic of turning waste into treasure
Zhang Xinghong, who has been studying polymer materials for more than ten years, began to think and study. Their research goal is to find the most effective special catalytic system to fix gaseous oxysulfide.
After 10 years of research, Zhang Xinghong successfully recycled oxysulfide as a polymer material.
In the laboratory of Zhang Xinghong's task force, the reporter saw that putting carbon oxysulfide and an epoxy compound—a common, inexpensive chemical raw material—and a catalyst together in an autoclave, the two can be polymerized into one without Poison, colorless and transparent new substance.
The so-called sulfur-containing polymer material, half of the weight of which originates from oxysulfide, has high recycling efficiency. ' Zhang Xinghong introduced that the material obtained by the polymerization reaction has a higher refractive index and Abbe's number and is an ideal optical resin.
The index of refraction and Abbe number are two indicators that we usually meet in an optical shop. The same degree, the lens with high index of refraction is light and thin, it will not become 'beer bottom'. The lens with high Abbe number is high. Can more accurately reflect the color of the world.
Zhang Xinghong said that the optical resin synthesized from sulfur-containing waste gas has good processing properties and can be conveniently used to manufacture lenses, optical fibers, etc.
No metal catalyst work hard
The reason why it can turn oxysulfide into the material of resin glasses, the core is the catalyst.
Finding the right catalyst is a huge challenge in this kind of research. Zhang Xinghong is fortunate to find this catalyst successfully.
At room temperature, carbon oxysulfide cannot be self-agglomerated. We have achieved early copolymerization of carbon oxysulfide with epoxy compounds, effectively converting it into a material. However, we use a metal catalyst, and the biggest appeal is the material. Can not contain heavy metals.' Zhang Xinghong said.
Zhang Xinghong's team further carried out research on non-metallic catalysts and combined two nitrogen-containing organic small molecules to form a simple, inexpensive and effective catalytic system.
Carbonic acid zinc zincase is widely existed in the early life of the earth. It plays an important role in regulating the acidity and alkalinity of the body and maintaining life. In nature, zinc zinc carbonate can capture carbon oxysulfide and convert it. For hydrogen sulfide.
Zhang Xinghong's team studied in depth why the zinc-carbonic anhydride enzyme can effectively activate the mechanism of carbon oxysulfide, learnt its function and structure, and finally found a non-metallic catalyst that successfully converted carbonyl sulfide into useful materials.
This new catalyst system is simple, inexpensive, and effective. In particular, the catalyst does not contain metal, so that the resulting sulfur-containing polymers exhibit their inherent colorless and transparent qualities.
'The current preparation of sulfur-containing polymers are based on the use of highly toxic phosgene and mercaptans that are difficult to store and transport. The new method proposed by us has brought breakthroughs in exploring non-optical gas routes. ' Zhang Xinghong said that the research results of the industry The prospects are good.