Hydride-Synthesized High Surface-Area Metal Oxide Powders

Metals which form hydrides can be used for the synthesis of high-surface area metal-oxide powders. Mainstream proposes the use of reversible metal hydrides and subsequent air/oxygen exposure to yield nanoscale powders which can be used as chemical reagents for detoxification of organic wastes. This innovative approach makes use of the strong internal mechanical forces generated by metal hydride volume expansion/contraction which reduces the metal to finer and finer powders (decrepitation) upon absorption/desorption cycling. The cyclic hydriding process can be carried out with reasonable costs, since the hydrogen is reversibly absorbed and desorbed (i.e., reusable) on numerous metals (e.g. Mg, Ca, Ca-Ni, Mg-Cu, Ti-Fe, Ti-Cr, Mg-Ni, La-Ni) which have yet to be characterized for chemical destructive capability. Mainstream's Phase I effort will focus on identifying and characterizing metal oxides which meet the requirements of the Army and have commercializable potential in hazardous waste destruction processes. Experimental design techniques will be used to evaluate the hydride decrepitation process and the destructive capacity of the resulting powders. A Phase II effort will design, fabricate, and test prototype production and destruction systems utilizing the optimum powder processing parameters and metal/metal-alloy families identified in Phase I which produce the greatest chemical destruction capacity (CDC).