Polymeric complexes of aminotriazole with transition metals such as copper, nickel and zinc (MAX) are new preparations of varying applications. These complexes demonstrate strong fungicidal properties against fungi attacking, among others, wood and paper. Impregnated layers are then formed on the surface of various materials which cannot be washed out with water. The complexes can be applied to destroy fungi and to protect various surfaces, in particular wood, against fungi and also as preservation additions to paints and lacquers. They can also be used to manufacture:
- filters for removal of impurities from water and air,
- polymetallic surface materials of catalytic properties.
The complexes are manufactured in the form of stable aqueous concentrates. They demonstrate high stability during storage (storage time may be longer than one year).
New sorbents, manufactured on the basis of silica gel modified with ethanolamine and on water-glass, can be applied to the removal of heavy metals from industrial and radioactive wastes. The sorbents can also be used to concentrate noble metals (Au, Ag) from very dilute solutions. The new silica-gel materials, on the basis of water-glass, contain biocide quaternary N-alkylammonium salts as benzalkonium chloride. They can also contain an acidic dye, forming coloured pigments of new type which demonstrates biocidic properties. These materials can be used to destroy algae and bacteria in water reservoirs, to protect and to dye wood, plasters and clothes. They are safe for the environment.
The radiotracer methods are useful to the evaluation of the effectiveness of purification processes of materials. This is of special importance for manufacturing materials of semiconductor and nuclear purity. As a result of many years’ experience of improving the method of manufacturing metallic boron, a process of obtaining crystalline boron of purity ³ 99.999% has been developed. Crystalline boron is applied to laser and semiconductor techniques. Small amounts of very pure boron are introduced to semiconductor materials as impurity dopant.
Studies are being conducted on the introduction of structural changes in surface material layers of technical importance in order to improve their functional qualities, such as: wear resistance (steels, ceramics), corrosion resistance (titanium), wettability of ceramics welded with metals. In case of using pulsed plasma beams, the surface layer undergoes remelting. In the melted state, lasting from several to several tens of microseconds, a diffusional mixing of the substrate components and the atoms of the elements doped on its surface occurs. In case of continuous ion beams (implantation), structural changes occur as a result of collisions between the bombarding ions and the substrate atoms leading to the formation of new phases and chemical compounds in the form of continuous layers and evolutions.
The obtained structures are studied by means of such methods as: scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, fluorescent analysis, Auger electron spectroscopy, spectroscopy of backscattered ions.
Measurements of microhardness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, mechanical strength and coating density of ceramic – metal joints are also carried out. These studies are performed in cooperation with the Andrzej So³tan Institute for Nuclear Studies, the Warsaw University of Technology and Forschungzentrum Rossendorf (FZR) (Germany).
