Esta revisão examina as razões que justificam um interesse crescente da indústria química pelos processos eletrolíticos. Reveem-se as indústrias químicas, nas quais compostos orgânicos e inorgânicos são processados e descrevem-se os avanços tecnológicos mais relevantes. Inicialmente, abordam-se processos bem estabelecidos, como as indústrias cloroalcalinas de produção de alumínio, p-aminofenol, adiponitrila, etileno glicol, antraquinona, produtos perfluorados, ácido glioxílico e L-cisteína. Face à grande quantidade de informação disponível, o assunto é tratado com base científica, mas de modo bastante simplificado. Posteriormente, descrevem-se processos orgânicos e inorgânicos emergentes, nomeadamente processos eletroquímicos mediados e síntese em líquidos iónicos. Estabelecem-se paralelos entre síntese química e síntese eletroquímica. Estimula-se o interesse nos processos de eletrossíntese, particularmente em líquidos iónicos, não desmerecendo a importância das vias puramente químicas de síntese orgânica e inorgânica.

This review examines the reasons for increasing interest towards electrolyses by the chemical industry, reviews the electrochemical industries as most of them now exist, and provides a status report on the key technological advances which are occurring to meet present and future needs. Classical industries like those of chloroalkali, aluminium, p-aminophenol, adiponitrile, ethylene glycol, anthraquinone, perfluorinated products, glyoxylic acid and L-cysteine are initially covered. Considering the large amount of available publications in these topics of electrochemical engineering, the covered relevant information is treated at a scientific level, although in a simplified way. Then the paper deals with emerging inorganic and organic processes, e.g. electrosynthesis in ionic liquids and mediated electrochemical processes, and finishes by assessing what the future development trend might be given the electrochemical and non electrochemical competing influences. With this approach it is hoped to stimulate the interest of chemical engineers and scientists non-specialised in electrochemical routes, and to review some cutting edge research, particularly as far as electrosynthesis in ionic liquids is concerned.

As técnicas de análise superficial representam um poderoso arsenal para a análise prática de superfícies. Neste artigo, mostra-se como se empregam as técnicas clássicas no estudo da oxidação de metais a alta temperatura, facilitando a descrição do processo de oxidação e indicando formas de a reduzir.

Surface analytical techniques represent a powerful arsenal for practical surface analysis. Here it is shown how the classical techniques are applied to study high temperature oxidation of metals, facilitating the description of the oxidation process and indicating ways to reduce oxidation.

The electrical properties of p-type layers of indium phosphide (InP), formed by the diffusion of zinc into n-type material, are studied by Hall Effect measurements. A wide range of diffusion conditions are used and both homogeneously doped specimens and those containing a zinc atom concentration gradient are produced. A non-correspondence of atom and carrier concentrations is indicated, confirming previous four point resistivity studies. Carrier profiles are achieved by both serial sectioning and multiple specimen techniques. Contacting procedures are developed from which plots of carrier mobility versus carrier concentration, in the range 5 x 10(17) - 5 x 10(19) cm- 3, are produced for p-n-p InP. In the main, present results showed good reproducibility and conformed to the "rules" of the Van der Pauw technique.

The diffusion of zinc into n-type InP has been studied by four-point probe electrical measurements on homogeneously doped crystals at 750 ºC. The zinc carrier concentration in the diffused layer was approximately 3 x 10(18) cm-3 and its mobility was assumed to be about 40 cm² V-1 s-1. It was observed that the concentration of free carriers throughout the entire diffused region is always less than the number of introduced impurity atoms. Possible reasons are discussed to explain the observed differences. Moreover this non-correlation phenomenon did provide substantial backing to the Hall Effect and C-V measurements that are being carried out to further analyse the Zn-InP diffused layer.