Thermodynamic Research on Inorganic Materials for Sustainable Processes and Applications

Dear Colleagues,

Clean energy supply shortage is becoming increasingly a concern with economic development and population growth. To address this issue, extensive databases of inorganic materials targeting the advancement of clean energy and materials technologies need to be developed.

Many efforts on energy materials research have been recently made, leading to encouraging progress towards higher performance energy applications. However, the high temperature industrial waste heat recovery poses a challenge for the selection of inorganic thermoelectric materials. The unique combination of high temperature, low heat-flux, and large surface area of waste heat generation in industrial processes such as pyrometallurgical processes means active material cost is the main obstacle. In general, the continuing search for high-performance and cost-effective energy storage and conversion materials involves the determination of thermal stabilities, phase transformations, phase equilibria with coexisting phases, and thermodynamic properties.

In the combustion processes of biomass, municipal wastes and industrial side streams fouling, slagging, and corrosion emanating from inorganic impurities are costly and threaten the long-term operation of power plants. To control the problematic inorganic materials deposition on the surfaces of superheater and boiler tubes, experimental and thermodynamic modeling of inorganic phases such as sulfates and chlorides in the combustion processing temperature conditions are required.

The special topic on “Thermodynamic Research on Inorganic Materials for Sustainable Processes and Applications” aims to frame a comprehensive discussion and data sharing on inorganic materials research that enable the advancement of the clean energy and materials technology. In view of this, we welcome original and review papers of researchers in both industry and academia in the areas, but not be limited to;

• experiments on phase formation/synthesis and determination of thermal stabilities, transformations, and melting of inorganic materials
• comprehensive review on phase equilibria and thermodynamic investigation
• characterization of new energy conversion and storage inorganic materials
• thermodynamic modeling of problematic inorganic phases in the waste combustion processes
• fouling, slagging, and corrosion related issues in the combustion of biomass, municipal waste and industrial side streams
• emission control pertaining to the renewable energy industries
• cost-effective thermoelectric materials for industrial heat and energy recoveries
• high-performance and cost-effective thermoelectric materials in the automotive industry
• lightweight inorganic materials for energy efficiency

Papers providing perspective on technical challenges or broader inorganic materials technology challenges toward energy sustainability are also welcome.

Dr. Fiseha Tesfaye
Dr. Minkyu Paek
Prof. Dr. Daniel K. Lindberg
Prof. Leena Hupa
Guest Editors

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