Aluminum is currently the most widely used non-ferrous metal, and its extraction and purification from geological stores exceeds that of any other metal except iron (1, 2). In 2013, global primary aluminum production was ~52 million tons (104 billion pounds) or about 15 pounds for very person on the earth (1–4). The global outlook for aluminum demand from developing countries such as Brazil, Ch...

In this study, the interference effects of Al3+, Mg2+, Cl- and SO4(2-) ions on the determination of manganese by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) were investigated. At first, the interferences caused by Al2(SO4)3, AlCl3, MgCl2 and MgSO4, which are the most possible major compounds for the combinations of the ions mixed, were individually considered. Then, the effects caus...

Materials that will be used to construct an in situ, on-line purging system for the cone penetrometer were evaluated. Transfer efficiencies for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) through stainless steel, nickel, aluminum, and Teflon® tubings were determined using a gas-phase mixture of VOCs containing trichloromethane, tetrachloromethane, 1,1,1- trichloroethane, tetrachloroethene, hexane, benzen...

Addition of iron and aluminum compounds has become an increasingly popular method to regulate phosphorus eutrophication in lakes and reservoirs. It has been proposed that ferric chloride addition to agricultural runoff entering the northern Everglades could provide a means for enhancing natural mechanisms of phosphorus removal from the wetland. In this study we added ferric chloride to Everglad...

Adjuvants such as the aluminum compounds (alum) have been dominantly used in many vaccines due to their immunopotentiation and safety records since 1920s. However, how these mineral agents influence the immune response to vaccination remains elusive. Many hypotheses exist as to the mode of action of these adjuvants, such as depot formation, antigen (Ag) targeting, and the induction of inflammat...

A great deal has been learned about the neurotoxicity of aluminum over the past two decades in terms of its ability to disrupt cellular function. Newer evidence suggests that a more central pathophysiological mechanism may be responsible for much of the toxicity of aluminum and aluminofluoride compounds on the brain. This mechanism involves activation of the brain’s innate immune system, primar...

Aluminum-rich intermetallic compounds and alloys are important for their technological applications and scientifically interesting for their complex structures such as quasicrystals. Detailed knowledge of interatomic interactions can help explain structural and mechanical properties of these systems. The first paper of this series @Phys. Rev. B 56, 7905 ~1997!# derived first-principles interato...

The use of natural fibers in reinforced composites to produce eco-friendly materials is gaining more attention due to their attractive features such as low cost, low density and good mechanical properties, among others. This work thus investigates the potential of waste abaca (Manila hemp) fiber as reinforcing agent in an inorganic aluminosilicate material known as geopolymer. In this study, th...