Activated Carbon
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(or activated charcoal, activated coal, carbo activatus) A form of carbon processed to be riddled with small, low-volume pores that increase the surface area available for adsorption or chemical reactions. Due to its high degree of microporosity, just one gram of activated carbon has a surface area in excess of 500 square meters. An activation level sufficient for useful application may be attained solely from high surface area; however, further chemical treatment often enhances adsorption properties.
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Boundary Layer
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A boundary layer is that layer of fluid in the immediate vicinity of a bounding surface. The boundary layer effect occurs at the field region in which all changes occur in the flow pattern. The boundary layer distorts surrounding nonviscous flow.
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Electret
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An Electret is a dielectric material that has a quasi-permanent electric charge or dipole polarisation. An electret generates internal and external electric fields, and is the electrostatic equivalent of a permanent magnet.
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Gas ions can be attracted by the charge of an electret.
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Electrolysis
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A method of separating chemically bonded elements and compounds by passing an electric current through them. Electrolysis involves the passage of an electric current through an ionic substance that is either molten or dissolved in a suitable solvent, resulting in chemical reactions at the electrodes.
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Gas generated by electrolysis is formed at the electrodes - often held as a bubble on the surface of the electrode until it's buoyancy overcomes surface tension forces.
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Ionisation
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The physical process of converting an atom or molecule into an ion by adding or removing charged particles such as electrons or other ions.
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Magnetism
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One of the phenomena by which materials exert attractive or repulsive forces on other materials. Some well-known materials that exhibit easily detectable magnetic properties (called magnets) are nickel, iron, cobalt, and their alloys; however, all materials are influenced to greater or lesser degree by the presence of a magnetic field.
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Metal Organic Framework
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(or MOF). A class of cordination polymers consisting of metal ions or clusters coordinated to organic ligands to form 1, 2 or 3-dimensional structures with the special feature that they are often porous. MOFs are of interest for the storage of gases such as hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Other possible applications of MOFs are in gas purification, gas separation, catalysis, as sensors and as supercapacitors.
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Microfluidic Pump
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Devices that can control and manipulate small fluid volumes. Typically this term refers to pumps with functional dimensions in the micrometer range.
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Nanoporous Material
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Materials consisting of a regular organic or inorganic framework supporting a regular, porous structure. Pores are by definition roughly in the nanometre range.
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Nucleation
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The extremely localised budding of a distinct thermodynamic phase. Some examples of phases that may form via nucleation in liquids are gaseous bubbles, crystals or glassy regions. Creation of liquid droplets in saturated vapor is also characterized by nucleation. Most nucleation processes are physical, rather than chemical, but a few exceptions do exist (e.g. electrochemical nucleation).
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Physical Vapour Deposition
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A variety of methods used to deposit thin films by the condensation of a vaporized form of the material onto various surfaces
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Physisorption
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(or physical adsorption) A type of adsorption in which the adsorbate adheres to the surface only through Van der Waals (weak intermolecular) interactions, which are also responsible for the non-ideal behaviour of real gases.
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Zeolite
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Microporous, aluminosilicate minerals commonly used as commercial adsorbents. Widely used in industry for water purification, as catalysts, for the preparation of advanced materials and in nuclear reprocessing.
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