Degradation of Glaukonite Sandstone as a Result of Alkali-Silica Reactions in Cement Mortar.

PubMed

Czapik, Przemysław

2018-05-30

The mechanism of concrete degradation as a result of an alkali-silica reaction (ASR) largely depends on the mineral composition and microstructure of the reactive aggregate. This paper shows the reactivity results of quartz-glaukonitic sandstone, which is mainly responsible for the reactivity of some post-glacial gravels, available in Poland. After initial petrographic observations under a light microscope, the mode of sandstone degradation triggered by the reaction with sodium and potassium hydroxides was identified using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It has been found that chalcedony agglomerates present in sandstone are separated from the rock matrix and subsequently cause the cracks formation in this matrix. Additionally, microcrystalline and potentially reactive silica is also dispersed in sandstone cement.

Nondestructive analysis of alkali-silica reaction damage in concrete slabs using shear waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khazanovich, Lev; Freeseman, Katelyn; Salles, Lucio; Clayton, Dwight

2018-04-01

Alkali-silica reaction (ASR) is the chemical reaction that occurs in concrete. It is caused by the interaction of alkalis in Portland cement and silica in aggregates and results in microcracks within the material. This type of damage has been the focus of nondestructive evaluation efforts in recent history, but no work was done on in-situ structures or large-scale samples. To address these limitations, an ultrasonic linear array device, MIRA, was utilized for this research. An experimental investigation was performed on four slabs with various levels of alkali-silica reaction at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) [1]. One-period impulses with a target of 50kHz center frequency were selected in this study. We propose the use of the Hilbert Transform Indicator (HTI) for quantification of ASR damage [2]. A higher HTI value would be indicative of damaged concrete, while a low value represents sound concrete. In general, values below 90 are regarded as an indicator of sound concrete while values above 100 indicate the presence of damage [3]. The ability of the HTI values to distinguish between areas of damaged concrete was evident via the production of color intensity maps. The maps show that the control specimen, was in good condition, while other slabs exhibited higher levels of damage as indicated by the HTI values. It should be noted that extreme damage conditions were not present in any of the slabs. Evaluation of migration-based reconstructions can give a qualitative characterization of large scale or excessive subsurface damage. However, for detection of stochastic damage mechanisms such as freeze-thaw damage, evaluation of the individual time-history data can provide additional information. A comparison of the spatially diverse measurements on several concrete slabs with varying freeze-thaw damage levels is given in this study. Signal characterization scans of different levels of freeze-thaw damage at various transducer spacing is investigated. The

Monitoring, Modeling, and Diagnosis of Alkali-Silica Reaction in Small Concrete Samples

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Agarwal, Vivek; Cai, Guowei; Gribok, Andrei V.

Assessment and management of aging concrete structures in nuclear power plants require a more systematic approach than simple reliance on existing code margins of safety. Structural health monitoring of concrete structures aims to understand the current health condition of a structure based on heterogeneous measurements to produce high-confidence actionable information regarding structural integrity that supports operational and maintenance decisions. This report describes alkali-silica reaction (ASR) degradation mechanisms and factors influencing the ASR. A fully coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical model developed by Saouma and Perotti by taking into consideration the effects of stress on the reaction kinetics and anisotropic volumetric expansion is presentedmore » in this report. This model is implemented in the GRIZZLY code based on the Multiphysics Object Oriented Simulation Environment. The implemented model in the GRIZZLY code is randomly used to initiate ASR in a 2D and 3D lattice to study the percolation aspects of concrete. The percolation aspects help determine the transport properties of the material and therefore the durability and service life of concrete. This report summarizes the effort to develop small-size concrete samples with embedded glass to mimic ASR. The concrete samples were treated in water and sodium hydroxide solution at elevated temperature to study how ingress of sodium ions and hydroxide ions at elevated temperature impacts concrete samples embedded with glass. Thermal camera was used to monitor the changes in the concrete sample and results are summarized.« less

Use of fly ash, slag, or silica fume to inhibit alkali-silica reactivity.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-01-01

This study had two objectives: (1) to evaluate the effectiveness of particular mineral admixtures when combined with portland cements of varying alkali content in preventing expansion due to alkali-silica reactivity (ASR), and (2) to determine if set...

Modeling Time-Dependent Behavior of Concrete Affected by Alkali Silica Reaction in Variable Environmental Conditions.

PubMed

Alnaggar, Mohammed; Di Luzio, Giovanni; Cusatis, Gianluca

2017-04-28

Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR) is known to be a serious problem for concrete worldwide, especially in high humidity and high temperature regions. ASR is a slow process that develops over years to decades and it is influenced by changes in environmental and loading conditions of the structure. The problem becomes even more complicated if one recognizes that other phenomena like creep and shrinkage are coupled with ASR. This results in synergistic mechanisms that can not be easily understood without a comprehensive computational model. In this paper, coupling between creep, shrinkage and ASR is modeled within the Lattice Discrete Particle Model (LDPM) framework. In order to achieve this, a multi-physics formulation is used to compute the evolution of temperature, humidity, cement hydration, and ASR in both space and time, which is then used within physics-based formulations of cracking, creep and shrinkage. The overall model is calibrated and validated on the basis of experimental data available in the literature. Results show that even during free expansions (zero macroscopic stress), a significant degree of coupling exists because ASR induced expansions are relaxed by meso-scale creep driven by self-equilibriated stresses at the meso-scale. This explains and highlights the importance of considering ASR and other time dependent aging and deterioration phenomena at an appropriate length scale in coupled modeling approaches.

Modeling Time-Dependent Behavior of Concrete Affected by Alkali Silica Reaction in Variable Environmental Conditions

PubMed Central

Alnaggar, Mohammed; Di Luzio, Giovanni; Cusatis, Gianluca

2017-01-01

Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR) is known to be a serious problem for concrete worldwide, especially in high humidity and high temperature regions. ASR is a slow process that develops over years to decades and it is influenced by changes in environmental and loading conditions of the structure. The problem becomes even more complicated if one recognizes that other phenomena like creep and shrinkage are coupled with ASR. This results in synergistic mechanisms that can not be easily understood without a comprehensive computational model. In this paper, coupling between creep, shrinkage and ASR is modeled within the Lattice Discrete Particle Model (LDPM) framework. In order to achieve this, a multi-physics formulation is used to compute the evolution of temperature, humidity, cement hydration, and ASR in both space and time, which is then used within physics-based formulations of cracking, creep and shrinkage. The overall model is calibrated and validated on the basis of experimental data available in the literature. Results show that even during free expansions (zero macroscopic stress), a significant degree of coupling exists because ASR induced expansions are relaxed by meso-scale creep driven by self-equilibriated stresses at the meso-scale. This explains and highlights the importance of considering ASR and other time dependent aging and deterioration phenomena at an appropriate length scale in coupled modeling approaches. PMID:28772829

Volcanic Aggregates from Azores and Madeira Archipelagos (Portugal): An Overview Regarding the Alkali Silica Reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medeiros, Sara; Ramos, Violeta; Fernandes, Isabel; Nunes, João Carlos; Fournier, Benoit; Santos Silva, António; Soares, Dora

2017-12-01

Alkali-silica reaction (ASR) is a type of deterioration that has been causing serious expansion, cracking and durability/operational issues in concrete structures worldwide. The presence of sufficient moisture, high alkali content in the cement paste and reactive forms of silica in the aggregates are the required conditions for this reaction to occur. Reactive aggregates of volcanic nature have been reported in different countries such as Japan, Iceland and Turkey, among others. The presence of silica minerals and SiO2-rich volcanic glass is regarded as the main cause for the reactivity of volcanic rocks. In Portugal, volcanic aggregates are mainly present in Azores and Madeira Archipelagos and, for several years, there was no information regarding the potential alkali-reactivity of these rocks. Since the beginning of this decade some data was obtained by the work of Medeiros (2011) and Ramos (2013) and by the national research projects ReAVA, (Characterization of potential reactivity of the volcanic aggregates from the Azores Archipelago: implications on the durability of concrete structures) and IMPROVE (Improvement of performance of aggregates in the inhibition of alkali-aggregate reactions in concrete), respectively. In order to investigate the potential alkali-reactivity of aggregates from both archipelagos, a total of sixteen aggregates were examined under the optical microscope and, some of them, also under the Scanning Electron Microscope with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy. A set of geochemical analyses and laboratory expansion tests were also performed on those volcanic aggregates. The main results showed that the presence of volcanic glass is rare in both archipelagos and that the samples of Madeira Archipelago contain clay minerals (mainly from scoria/tuff formations inter-layered with the lava flows), which can play a role in concrete expansion. The results of the laboratory tests showed that one of the samples performed as potentially reactive

Quantitative diagnosis and prognosis framework for concrete degradation due to alkali-silica reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahadevan, Sankaran; Neal, Kyle; Nath, Paromita; Bao, Yanqing; Cai, Guowei; Orme, Peter; Adams, Douglas; Agarwal, Vivek

2017-02-01

This research is seeking to develop a probabilistic framework for health diagnosis and prognosis of aging concrete structures in nuclear power plants that are subjected to physical, chemical, environment, and mechanical degradation. The proposed framework consists of four elements: monitoring, data analytics, uncertainty quantification, and prognosis. The current work focuses on degradation caused by ASR (alkali-silica reaction). Controlled concrete specimens with reactive aggregate are prepared to develop accelerated ASR degradation. Different monitoring techniques — infrared thermography, digital image correlation (DIC), mechanical deformation measurements, nonlinear impact resonance acoustic spectroscopy (NIRAS), and vibro-acoustic modulation (VAM) — are studied for ASR diagnosis of the specimens. Both DIC and mechanical measurements record the specimen deformation caused by ASR gel expansion. Thermography is used to compare the thermal response of pristine and damaged concrete specimens and generate a 2-D map of the damage (i.e., ASR gel and cracked area), thus facilitating localization and quantification of damage. NIRAS and VAM are two separate vibration-based techniques that detect nonlinear changes in dynamic properties caused by the damage. The diagnosis results from multiple techniques are then fused using a Bayesian network, which also helps to quantify the uncertainty in the diagnosis. Prognosis of ASR degradation is then performed based on the current state of degradation obtained from diagnosis, by using a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) model for ASR degradation. This comprehensive approach of monitoring, data analytics, and uncertainty-quantified diagnosis and prognosis will facilitate the development of a quantitative, risk informed framework that will support continuous assessment and risk management of structural health and performance.

Alkali-aggregate reactivity (AAR) facts book.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-03-01

This document provides detailed information on alkali-aggregate reactivity (AAR). It primarily discusses alkali-silica reaction (ASR), covering the chemistry, symptoms, test methods, prevention, specifications, diagnosis and prognosis, and mitigation...

Cathodoluminescence microscopy and petrographic image analysis of aggregates in concrete pavements affected by alkali-silica reaction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stastna, A., E-mail: astastna@gmail.com; Sachlova, S.; Pertold, Z.

2012-03-15

Various microscopic techniques (cathodoluminescence, polarizing and electron microscopy) were combined with image analysis with the aim to determine a) the modal composition and degradation features within concrete, and b) the petrographic characteristics and the geological types (rocks, and their provenance) of the aggregates. Concrete samples were taken from five different portions of Highway Nos. D1, D11, and D5 (the Czech Republic). Coarse and fine aggregates were found to be primarily composed of volcanic, plutonic, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks, as well as of quartz and feldspar aggregates of variable origins. The alkali-silica reaction was observed to be the main degradation mechanism,more » based upon the presence of microcracks and alkali-silica gels in the concrete. Use of cathodoluminescence enabled the identification of the source materials of the quartz aggregates, based upon their CL characteristics (i.e., color, intensity, microfractures, deformation, and zoning), which is difficult to distinguish only employing polarizing and electron microscopy. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer ASR in concrete pavements on the Highways Nos. D1, D5 and D11 (Czech Republic). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cathodoluminescence was combined with various microscopic techniques and image analysis. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer ASR was attributed to aggregates. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Source materials of aggregates were identified based on cathodoluminescence characteristics. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Quartz comes from different volcanic, plutonic and metamorphic parent rocks.« less

Alkali-silica reactivity of expanded glass granules in structure of lightweight concrete

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bumanis, G.; Bajare, D.; Locs, J.; Korjakins, A.

2013-12-01

Main component in the lightweight concrete, which provides its properties, is aggregate. A lot of investigations on alkali silica reaction (ASR) between cement and lightweight aggregates have been done with their results published in the academic literature. Whereas expanded glass granules, which is relatively new product in the market of building materials, has not been a frequent research object. Therefore lightweight granules made from waste glass and eight types of cement with different chemical and mineralogical composition were examined in this research. Expanded glass granules used in this research is commercially available material produced by Penostek. Lightweight concrete mixtures were prepared by using commercial chemical additives to improve workability of concrete. The aim of the study is to identify effect of cement composition to the ASR reaction which occurs between expanded glass granules and binder. Expanded glass granules mechanical and physical properties were determined. In addition, properties of fresh and hardened concrete were determined. The ASR test was processed according to RILEM AAR-2 testing recommendation. Tests with scanning electron microscope and microstructural investigations were performed for expanded glass granules and hardened concrete specimens before and after exposing them in alkali solution.

Anchor Bolt Behavior in ASR/DEF-Damaged Drilled Shafts.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2007-02-01

The primary objective of this research is to evaluate the effect of Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR) and Delayed Ettringite Formation (DEF) on the structural performance of High Mast Illumination Pole (HMIP) foundations and if needed, to recommend a poss...

ASR/DEF-damaged bent caps : shear tests and field implications.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-08-01

Over the last decade, a number of reinforced concrete bent caps within Houston, Texas have exhibited premature concrete damage (cracking, spalling and a loss of material : strength) due to alkali-silica reaction (ASR) and/or delayed ettringite format...

Characterization of the Rheological and Swelling Properties of Synthetic Alkali Silicate Gels in Order to Predict Their Behavior in ASR Damaged Concrete

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vayghan, Asghar Gholizadeh

Alkali-silica reaction (ASR) is a major concrete durability concern that is responsible for the deterioration of concrete infrastructure in the world. The resultant of the reaction between the cement alkali hydroxides and the metastable silicates in the aggregates is a hygroscopic and expansive alkali-silicate gel (referred to as ASR gel in this document). The swelling behavior of ASR gels determines the extent of damage to concrete structures and, as such, mitigation of ASR relies on understanding these gels and finding ways to prevent them either from formation, or from swelling after formation. This dissertation focuses on the synthesis and characterization of ASR gels with wide ranges of compositions similar to what has been reported for the filed ASR gels in the literature. The experimental work consisted of three phases as follow. Phase I: Investigation of rheology, chemistry and physics of ASR gels produced through sol-method. Inspired from the existing literature, two sol-gel methods have been developed for the synthesis of ASR gels. The rheological (primarily gelation time, yield stress, and equilibrium stress), chemical (pore solution pH, pore solution composition, osmotic pressure, solid phase composition, stoichiometry of gelation reactions) and physical (evaporable water, solid content, etc.) properties of synthetic ASR gels have been extensively investigated in this phase. Ca/Si, Na/Si and K/Si, and water content were considered as the main chemical composition variables. In order to investigate the suppressing effects of lithium on the swelling properties of ASR gels, the gels were added with lithium in a part of the experimental program. The results strongly suggested that Ca/Si has a positive effect on the yield stress of the gels and their rate of gelation. Na/Si was found to have a decreasing effect on the yield stress and gelation rate (especially at low Ca/Si levels). K/Si and Li/Si had second-order (i.e., polynomial) effects on the yield

Assessment of the Alteration of Granitic Rocks and its Influence on Alkalis Release

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferraz, Ana Rita; Fernandes, Isabel; Soares, Dora; Santos Silva, António; Quinta-Ferreira, Mário

2017-12-01

Several concrete structures had shown signs of degradation some years after construction due to internal expansive reactions. Among these reactions there are the alkali-aggregate reactions (AAR) that occur between the aggregates and the concrete interstitial fluids which can be divided in two types: the alkali-silica reaction (ASR) and alkali-carbonate reaction (ACR). The more common is the ASR which occurs when certain types of reactive silica are present in the aggregates. In consequence, an expansive alkali-silica gel is formed leading to the concrete cracking and degradation. Granites are rocks composed essentially of quartz, micas and feldspars, the latter being the minerals which contain more alkalis in their structure and thus, able to release them in conditions of high alkalinity. Although these aggregates are of slow reaction, some structures where they were applied show evidence of deterioration due to ASR some years or decades after the construction. In the present work, the possible contribution of granitic aggregates to the interstitial fluids of concrete by alkalis release was studied by performing chemical attack with NaOH and KOH solutions. Due to the heterogeneity of the quarries in what concerns the degree of alteration and/or fracturing, rock samples with different alteration were analysed. The alteration degree was characterized both under optical microscope and image analysis and compared with the results obtained from the chemical tests. It was concluded that natural alteration reduces dramatically the releasable alkalis available in the rocks.

Cement Type Influence on Alkali-Silica Reaction in Concrete with Crushed Gravel Aggregate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rutkauskas, A.; Nagrockienė, D.; Skripkiūnas, G.

2017-10-01

Alkali-silica reaction is one of the chemical reactions which have a significant influence for durability of concrete. During alkali and silica reaction, silicon located in aggregates of the concrete, reacts with high alkali content. This way in the micropores of concrete is forming hygroscopic gel, which at wet environment, expanding and slowly but strongly destroying concrete structures. The goal of this paper- to determine the influence of cement type on alkali-silica reaction of mortars with crushed gravel. In the study crushed gravel with fraction 4/16 mm was used and four types of cements tested: CEM I 42.5 R; CEM I 42.5 SR; CEM II/A-S 42.5; CEM II/A-V 52.5. This study showed that crushed gravel is low contaminated on reactive particles containing of amorphous silica dioxide. The expansion after 14 days exceed 0.054 %, by RILEM AAR-2 research methodology (testing specimen dimension 40×40×160 mm). Continuing the investigation to 56 days for all specimens occurred alkaline corrosion features: microcracking and the surface plaque of gel. The results showed that the best resistance to alkaline corrosion after 14 days was obtained with cement CEM I 42.5 SR containing ash additive, and after 56 days with cement CEM II/A-V 52.5 containing low alkali content. The highest expansion after 14 and 56 days was obtained with cement CEM I 42.5 R without active mineral additives.

A Demonstration of Concrete Structural Health Monitoring Framework for Degradation due to Alkali-Silica Reaction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mahadevan, Sankaran; Agarwal, Vivek; Neal, Kyle

Assessment and management of aging concrete structures in nuclear power plants require a more systematic approach than simple reliance on existing code margins of safety. Structural health monitoring of concrete structures aims to understand the current health condition of a structure based on heterogeneous measurements to produce high-confidence actionable information regarding structural integrity that supports operational and maintenance decisions. This ongoing research project is seeking to develop a probabilistic framework for health diagnosis and prognosis of aging concrete structures in a nuclear power plant that is subjected to physical, chemical, environment, and mechanical degradation. The proposed framework consists of fourmore » elements: monitoring, data analytics, uncertainty quantification and prognosis. This report focuses on degradation caused by ASR (alkali-silica reaction). Controlled specimens were prepared to develop accelerated ASR degradation. Different monitoring techniques – thermography, digital image correlation (DIC), mechanical deformation measurements, nonlinear impact resonance acoustic spectroscopy (NIRAS), and vibro-acoustic modulation (VAM) -- were used to detect the damage caused by ASR. Heterogeneous data from the multiple techniques was used for damage diagnosis and prognosis, and quantification of the associated uncertainty using a Bayesian network approach. Additionally, MapReduce technique has been demonstrated with synthetic data. This technique can be used in future to handle large amounts of observation data obtained from the online monitoring of realistic structures.« less

Linear Array Ultrasonic Test Results from Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR) Specimens

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Clayton, Dwight A; Khazanovich, Dr. Lev; Salles, Lucio

2016-04-01

The purpose of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy’s Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program is to develop technologies and other solutions that can improve the reliability, sustain the safety, and extend the operating lifetimes of nuclear power plants (NPPs) beyond 60 years. Since many important safety structures in an NPP are constructed of concrete, inspection techniques must be developed and tested to evaluate the internal condition. In-service containment structures generally do not allow for the destructive measures necessary to validate the accuracy of these inspection techniques. This creates a need for comparative testing of the variousmore » nondestructive evaluation (NDE) measurement techniques on concrete specimens with known material properties, voids, internal microstructure flaws, and reinforcement locations.This report presents results of the ultrasound evaluation of four concrete slabs with varying levels of ASR damage present. This included an investigation of the experimental results, as well as a supplemental simulation considering the effect of ASR damage by elasto-dynamic wave propagation using a finite integration technique method. It was found that the Hilbert Transform Indicator (HTI), developed for quantification of freeze/thaw damage in concrete structures, could also be successfully utilized for quantification of ASR damage. internal microstructure flaws, and reinforcement locations.« less

Application of micro X-ray diffraction to investigate the reaction products formed by the alkali silica reaction in concrete structures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dähn, R.; Arakcheeva, A.; Schaub, Ph.

Alkali–silica reaction (ASR) is one of the most important deterioration mechanisms in concrete leading to substantial damages of structures worldwide. Synchrotron-based micro-X-ray diffraction (micro-XRD) was employed to characterize the mineral phases formed in micro-cracks of concrete aggregates as a consequence of ASR. This particular high spatial resolution technique enables to directly gain structural information on ASR products formed in a 40-year old motorway bridge damaged due to ASR. Micro-X-ray-fluorescence was applied on thin sections to locate the reaction products formed in veins within concrete aggregates. Micro-XRD pattern were collected at selected points of interest along a vein by rotating themore » sample. Rietveld refinement determined the structure of the ASR product consisting of a new layered framework similar to mountainite and rhodesite. Furthermore, it is conceivable that understanding the structure of the ASR product may help developing new technical treatments inhibiting ASR.« less

Application of Electron Backscatter Diffraction to evaluate the ASR risk of concrete aggregates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rößler, C., E-mail: christiane.roessler@uni-weimar.de; Möser, B.; Giebson, C.

Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR) is a frequent cause of reduced concrete durability. Eliminating the application of alkali reactive aggregates would reduce the quantity of ASR concrete deterioration in the field. This study introduces an Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) technique to distinguish the ASR risk of slow-late reacting aggregates by measuring microstructural properties of quartz. Quantifying the amount of quartz grain boundaries and the associated misorientation of grains can thereby be used to differentiate microstructures bearing an ASR risk. It is also shown that dissolution of quartz in high pH environments occurs along quartz grain and subgrain boundaries. Results of EBSD analysismore » are compared with ASR performance testing on concrete prisms and optical light microscopy characterization of quartz microstructure. EBSD opens new possibilities to quantitatively characterize microstructure of quartz in concrete aggregates with respect to ASR. This leads to a better understanding on the actual cause of ASR.« less

Nonlinear Ultrasonic Diagnosis and Prognosis of ASR Damage in Dry Cask Storage

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qu, Jianmin; Bazant, Zdenek; Jacobs, Laurence

Alkali-silica reaction (ASR) is a deleterious chemical process that may occur in cement-based materials such as mortars and concretes, where the hydroxyl ions in the highly alkaline pore solution attack the siloxane groups in the siliceous minerals in the aggregates. The reaction produces a cross-linked alkali-silica gel. The ASR gel swells in the presence of water. Expansion of the gel results in cracking when the swelling-induced stress exceeds the fracture toughness of the concrete. As the ASR continues, cracks may grow and eventually coalesce, which results in reduced service life and a decrease safety of concrete structures. Since concrete ismore » widely used as a critical structural component in dry cask storage of used nuclear fuels, ASR damage poses a significant threat to the sustainability of long term dry cask storage systems. Therefore, techniques for effectively detecting, managing and mitigating ASR damage are needed. Currently, there are no nondestructive methods to accurately detect ASR damage in existing concrete structures. The only current way of accurately assessing ASR damage is to drill a core from an existing structure, and conduct microscopy on this drilled cylindrical core. Clearly, such a practice is not applicable to dry cask storage systems. To meet these needs, this research is aimed at developing (1) a suite of nonlinear ultrasonic quantitative nondestructive evaluation (QNDE) techniques to characterize ASR damage, and (2) a physics-based model for ASR damage evolution using the QNDE data. Outcomes of this research will provide a nondestructive diagnostic tool to evaluate the extent of the ASR damage, and a prognostic tool to estimate the future reliability and safety of the concrete structures in dry cask storage systems« less

0-6656 : ASR testing : a new approach to aggregate classification and mix design verification : [project summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-08-01

In the past 5.5 years, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) spent approximately $2 million for recasting precast concrete products that had alkali-silica reaction (ASR). Aggregates belonging to false positive and negative categories based o...

The effect of calcium hydroxide, alkali dilution and calcium concentration in mitigating the alkali silica reaction using palm oil fuel ash

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asrah, Hidayati; Mirasa, Abdul Karim; Bolong, Nurmin

2018-02-01

This study investigated the mechanism of how POFA mitigated the ASR expansion. Two types of POFA; the UPOFA and GPOFA with different fineness were used to replace the cement at 20% and 40% and their effects on the mortar bar expansion, calcium hydroxide, alkali dilution, and calcium concentration were investigated. The results showed that UPOFA has a significant ability to mitigate the ASR, even at a lower level of replacement (20%) compared to GPOFA. The mechanism of UPOFA in mitigating the ASR expansion was through a reduction in the calcium hydroxide content, which produced low calcium concentration within the mortar pore solution. Low pore solution alkalinity signified that UPOFA had good alkali dilution effect. Meanwhile, a higher dosage of GPOFA was required to mitigate the ASR expansion. An increase in the pore solution alkalinity of GPOFA mortar indicated higher penetration of alkalis from the NaOH solution, which reduced the alkali dilution effect. However, this was compensated by the increase in the cement dilution effect at higher GPOFA replacement, which controlled the mortar bar expansion below the ASTM limit.

Inhibitory Effect of Waste Glass Powder on ASR Expansion Induced by Waste Glass Aggregate

PubMed Central

Liu, Shuhua; Wang, Shu; Tang, Wan; Hu, Ningning; Wei, Jianpeng

2015-01-01

Detailed research is carried out to ascertain the inhibitory effect of waste glass powder (WGP) on alkali-silica reaction (ASR) expansion induced by waste glass aggregate in this paper. The alkali reactivity of waste glass aggregate is examined by two methods in accordance with the China Test Code SL352-2006. The potential of WGP to control the ASR expansion is determined in terms of mean diameter, specific surface area, content of WGP and curing temperature. Two mathematical models are developed to estimate the inhibitory efficiency of WGP. These studies show that there is ASR risk with an ASR expansion rate over 0.2% when the sand contains more than 30% glass aggregate. However, WGP can effectively control the ASR expansion and inhibit the expansion rate induced by the glass aggregate to be under 0.1%. The two mathematical models have good simulation results, which can be used to evaluate the inhibitory effect of WGP on ASR risk. PMID:28793603

Alkali Silica Reaction In The Presence Of Metakaolin - The Significant Role of Calcium Hydroxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zapała-Sławeta, Justyna

2017-10-01

Reducing the internal corrosion, which is the result of reactions between alkalis and reactive aggregates is especially important in ensuring durability properties of concrete. One of the methods of inhibiting the reaction is using some mineral additives which have pozzolanic properties. This paper presents the efficacy of high-reactivity metakaolin in reducing expansion due to alkali-silica reaction. It was demonstrated that metakaolin in the amount from 5% to 20% by mass of Portland cement reduce linear expansion of mortar bars with opal aggregate. Nevertheless, the safe expansion level in the specimens, classified as non-destructive to concrete, was recorded for the mortars prepared with 20% addition of metakaolin. Depletion of free calcium hydroxide content was considered as one of the most beneficial effects of metakaolin in controlling alkali silica reaction. Based on thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) performed on mortar bars with and without metakaolin the differences in portlandite content were determined. Microstructural observation of the specimens containing metakaolin indicated the presence of a reaction products but fewer in number than those forming in the mortars without mineral additives.

Alkali-aggregate reaction under the influence of deicing salts in the Hokuriku district, Japan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Katayama, Tetsuya; Tagami, Masahiko; Sarai, Yoshinori

2004-11-15

Concrete cores taken from highway bridges and culverts undergoing alkali-silica reaction (ASR) were investigated petrographically by means of core scanning, point counting, polarizing microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), electron-probe microanalysis with energy-dispersive spectrometry, in conjunction with wet chemical analyses and expansion tests. Field damage was roughly proportional to the content of andesite in the gravel aggregates due to the presence of highly reactive cristobalite and tridymite. Electron-probe microanalyzer analysis of unhydrated cement phases in the concrete revealed that the cement used had contained at least 0.5% to 1.0% alkali (Na{sub 2}Oeq) and that both the aggregatesmore » and the deicing salts had supplied part of the water-soluble alkali to concrete toward the threshold of producing ASR (Na{sub 2}O{sub eq} 3.0 kg/m{sup 3}). An accelerated concrete core expansion test (1 M NaOH, 80 deg. C) of the damaged structures mostly gave core expansions of >0.10% at 21 days (or >0.05% at 14 days), nearly comparable to those of a slow expansion test with saturated NaCl solution (50 deg. C, 91 days) which produced Cl-containing ASR gel.« less

Crystallized alkali-silica gel in concrete from the late 1890s

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peterson, Karl; Gress, David; Van Dam, Tom

The Elon Farnsworth Battery, a concrete structure completed in 1898, is in an advanced state of disrepair. To investigate the potential for rehabilitation, cores were extracted from the battery. Petrographic examination revealed abundant deposits of alkali silica reaction products in cracks associated with the quartz rich metasedimentary coarse aggregate. The products of the alkali silica reaction are variable in composition and morphology, including both amorphous and crystalline phases. The crystalline alkali silica reaction products are characterized by quantitative X-ray energy dispersive spectrometry (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The broad extent of the reactivity is likely due to elevated alkali levelsmore » in the cements used.« less

The use of lithium compounds for inhibiting alkali-aggregate reaction effects in pavement structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zapała-Sławeta, J.; Owsiak, Z.

2018-05-01

Internal corrosion of concrete caused by the reaction of reactive aggregate with sodium and potassium hydroxides from cement is a threat to the durability of concrete pavements. Traditional methods for reducing the negative effects of the reaction include the use of unreactive aggregates, low alkali cements, mineral additives or chemical admixtures, incorporated during mixing. Lowering the relative humidity of the concrete below 80% is another measure for limiting the destructive reaction. The incorporation of lithium compounds, in particular lithium nitrate and lithium hydroxide, to the concrete mix is a method of limiting alkali-silica reaction effects. The challenge is to reduce the negative effects of aggregate reactivity in members in which the reaction has occurred because the aggregate happened to be reactive. The paper presents ways of limiting the deterioration of ASR-affected concrete in road pavements and other forms of transportation infrastructure, mainly through the use of lithium compounds, i.e. lithium nitrate. Impregnation methods that allow the penetration of lithium ions into the concrete structure were characterized, as was the effectiveness of the solutions applied.

Protocol for selecting ASR-affected structures for lithium treatment

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-02-01

This TechBrief describes a protocol for evaluating damaged concrete structures to determine whether they are suitable candidates for lithium treatment to address alkali-silica reactivity (ASR). A major part of the TechBrief's source document, Protoco...

GRIZZLY Model of Multi-Reactive Species Diffusion, Moisture/Heat Transfer and Alkali-Silica Reaction for Simulating Concrete Aging and Degradation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huang, Hai; Spencer, Benjamin W.; Cai, Guowei

Concrete is widely used in the construction of nuclear facilities because of its structural strength and its ability to shield radiation. The use of concrete in nuclear power plants for containment and shielding of radiation and radioactive materials has made its performance crucial for the safe operation of the facility. As such, when life extension is considered for nuclear power plants, it is critical to have accurate and reliable predictive tools to address concerns related to various aging processes of concrete structures and the capacity of structures subjected to age-related degradation. The goal of this report is to document themore » progress of the development and implementation of a fully coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical model in GRIZZLY code with the ultimate goal to reliably simulate and predict long-term performance and response of aged NPP concrete structures subjected to a number of aging mechanisms including external chemical attacks and volume-changing chemical reactions within concrete structures induced by alkali-silica reactions and long-term exposure to irradiation. Based on a number of survey reports of concrete aging mechanisms relevant to nuclear power plants and recommendations from researchers in concrete community, we’ve implemented three modules during FY15 in GRIZZLY code, (1) multi-species reactive diffusion model within cement materials; (2) coupled moisture and heat transfer model in concrete; and (3) anisotropic, stress-dependent, alkali-silica reaction induced swelling model. The multi-species reactive diffusion model was implemented with the objective to model aging of concrete structures subjected to aggressive external chemical attacks (e.g., chloride attack, sulfate attack, etc.). It considers multiple processes relevant to external chemical attacks such as diffusion of ions in aqueous phase within pore spaces, equilibrium chemical speciation reactions and kinetic mineral dissolution/precipitation. The moisture

Potentially Reactive Forms of Silica in Volcanic Rocks Using Different Analytical Approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esteves, Hugo; Fernandes, Isabel; Janeiro, Ana; Santos Silva, António; Pereira, Manuel; Medeiros, Sara; Nunes, João Carlos

2017-12-01

Several concrete structures show signs of deterioration resulting from internal chemical reactions, such as the alkali-silica reaction (ASR). It is well known that these swelling reactions occur in the presence of moisture, between some silica mineral phases present in the aggregates and the alkalis of the concrete, leading to the degradation of concrete structures and consequently compromising their safety. In most of the cases, rehabilitation, demolition or even rebuilding of such structures is needed and the effective costs can be very high. Volcanic rocks are commonly used as aggregates in concrete, and they are sometimes the only option due to the unavailability of other rock types. These rocks may contain different forms of silica that are deleterious to concrete, such as opal, chalcedony, cristobalite, tridymite and micro- to cryptocrystalline quartz, as well as Si-rich volcanic glass. Volcanic rocks are typically very finegrained and their constituting minerals are usually not distinguished under optical microscopy, thus leading to using complementary methods. The objective of this research is to find the more adequate analytical methods to identify silica phases that might be present in volcanic aggregates and cause ASR. The complementary methods used include X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), mineral acid digestion and Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry (SEM/EDS), as well as Electron Probe Micro-Analysis (EPMA).

ASR testing : a new approach to aggregate classification and mix design verification : technical report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-04-01

The main objective of this study was to develop a fast, reliable test method to determine the aggregate alkali-silica reactivity : (ASR) with respect to the overall alkalinity of the concrete. A volumetric change measuring device (VCMD) developed at ...

Dedolomitization and Alkali Reactions in Ohio-sourced Dolstone Aggregates

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-11-01

Concrete samples produced using NW-Ohio sourced aggregates were evaluated for susceptibility to degradation and premature failure due to cracks formed by the volume expansion during hydration of silica gels produced by alkali-silica reactions between...

Application of micro X-ray diffraction to investigate the reaction products formed by the alkali–silica reaction in concrete structures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dähn, R., E-mail: rainer.daehn@psi.ch; Arakcheeva, A.; Schaub, Ph.

Alkali–silica reaction (ASR) is one of the most important deterioration mechanisms in concrete leading to substantial damages of structures worldwide. Synchrotron-based micro-X-ray diffraction (micro-XRD) was employed to characterize the mineral phases formed in micro-cracks of concrete aggregates as a consequence of ASR. This high spatial resolution technique enables to directly gain structural information on ASR products formed in a 40-year old motorway bridge damaged due to ASR. Micro-X-ray-fluorescence was applied on thin sections to locate the reaction products formed in veins within concrete aggregates. Micro-XRD pattern were collected at selected points of interest along a vein by rotating the sample.more » Rietveld refinement determined the structure of the ASR product consisting of a new layered framework similar to mountainite and rhodesite. It is conceivable that understanding the structure of the ASR product may help developing new technical treatments inhibiting ASR.« less

Alkali-aggregate reactivity (AAR) workshops for engineers and practitioners reference manual.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-01-01

Funding for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Alkali-Silica Reactivity (ASR) Development and Deployment Program was provided under SAFETEA-LU. A related Conference Report provides additional guidance stating that project and programs related ...

Alkali-aggregate reactivity of typical siliceious glass and carbonate rocks in alkali-activated fly ash based geopolymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Duyou; Liu, Yongdao; Zheng, Yanzeng; Xu, Zhongzi; Shen, Xiaodong

2013-08-01

For exploring the behaviour of alkali-aggregate reactivity (AAR) in alkali-activated geopolymeric materials and assessing the procedures for testing AAR in geopolymers, the expansion behaviour of fly ash based geopolymer mortars with pure silica glass and typical carbonate rocks were studied respectively by curing at various conditions, i.e. 23°C and 38°C with relative humidity over 95%, immersed in 1M NaOH solution at 80°C. Results show that, at various curing conditions, neither harmful ASR nor harmful ACR was observed in geopolymers with the criteria specified for OPC system. However, with the change of curing conditions, the geopolymer binder and reactive aggregates may experience different reaction processes leading to quite different dimensional changes, especially with additional alkalis and elevated temperatures. It suggests that high temperature with additional alkali for accelerating AAR in traditional OPC system may not appropriate for assessing the alkali-aggregate reactivity behaviour in geopolymers designed for normal conditions. On the other hand, it is hopeful to control the dimensional change of geopolymer mortar or concrete by selecting the type of aggregates and the appropriate curing conditions, thus changing the harmful AAR in OPC into beneficial AAR in geopolymers and other alkali-activated cementitious systems.

Alkali-silica reactivity in Virginia.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1994-01-01

This project examined occurrences in Virginia of alkali-silica reactivity, which is a major cause of the deterioration of concrete. Concretes were studied to determine the mineral aggregates being affected, and test methods for identifying such aggre...

The effects of combined supplementary cementitious materials on physical properties of Kansas concrete pavements : [technical summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-12-01

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) has controlled harmful alkali-silica reactions (ASR) : through testing and selective use of sand and gravel aggregates for more than 70 years. ASR can also be : controlled through the addition of a non-r...

75 FR 13502 - Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Manette Bridge Replacement in...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-22

...), Commerce. ACTION: Notice; proposed incidental harassment authorization; request for comments. SUMMARY: NMFS... proposed action area could be affected by the proposed bridge replacement activities, the WSDOT is seeking... in the concrete has resulted from a process called Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR). ASR causes...

Contribution a la caracterisation des betons endommages par des methodes de l'acoustique non lineaire. Application a la reaction alcalis-silice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kodjo, Apedovi

The aim of this thesis is to contribute to the non-destructive characterization of concrete materials damaged by alkali-silica reaction (ASR). For this purpose, some nonlinear characterization techniques have been developed, as well as a nonlinear resonance test device. In order to optimize the sensitivity of the test device, the excitation module and signal processing have been improved. The nonlinear tests were conducted on seven samples of concrete damaged by ASR, three samples of concrete damaged by heat, three concrete samples damaged mechanically and three sound concrete samples. Since, nonlinear behaviour of the material is often attribute to its micro-defects hysteretic behaviour, it was shown at first that concrete damaged by ASR exhibits an hysteresis behaviour. To conduct this study, an acoustoelastic test was set, and then nonlinear resonance test device was used for characterizing sound concrete and concrete damaged by ASR. It was shown that the nonlinear technique can be used for characterizing the material without knowing its initial state, and also for detecting early damage in the reactive material. Studies were also carried out on the effect of moisture regarding the nonlinear parameters; they allowed understanding the low values of nonlinear parameters measured on concrete samples that were kept in high moisture conditions. In order to find a specific characteristic of damage caused by ASR, the viscosity of ASR gel was used. An approach, based on static creep analysis, performed on the material, while applying the nonlinear resonance technique. The spring-damping model of Maxwell was used for the interpretation of the results. Then, the creep time was analysed on samples damaged by ASR. It appears that the ASR gel increases the creep time. Finally, the limitations of the nonlinear resonance technique for in situ application have been explained and a new applicable nonlinear technique was initiated. This technique use an external source such as a

Evaluation of ASR potential of quartz-rich rocks by alkaline etching of polished rock sections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Šachlová, Šárka; Kuchařová, Aneta; Pertold, Zdeněk; Přikryl, Richard

2015-04-01

Damaging effect of alkali-silica reaction (ASR) on concrete structures has been observed in various countries all over the World. Civil engineers and real state owners are demanding reliable methods in the assessment of ASR potential of aggregates before they are used in constructions. Time feasible methods are expected, as well as methods which enable prediction of long-term behaviour of aggregates in concrete. The most frequently employed accelerated mortar bar test (AMBT) quantifies ASR potential of aggregates according to the expansion values of mortar bars measured after fourteen days testing period. Current study aimed to develop a new methodical approach facilitating identification and quantification of ASR potential of aggregates. Polished rock sections of quartz and amorphous SiO2 (coming from orthoquartzite, quartz meta-greywacke, pegmatite, phyllite, chert, and flint) were subjected to experimental leaching in 1M NaOH solution at 80°C. After 14 days of alkaline etching, the rock sections were analyzed employing scanning electron microscope combined with energy dispersive spectrometer. Representative areas were documented in back scattered electron (BSE) images and measured using fully-automatic petrographic image analysis (PIA). Several features connected to alkaline etching were observed on the surface of polished rock sections: deep alkaline etching, partial leach-out of quartz and amorphous particles, alkaline etching connected to quartz grain boundaries, and alkaline etching without any connection to grain boundaries. All features mentioned above had significant influence on grey-scale spectrum of BSE images. A specific part of the grey-scale spectrum (i.e. grey-shade 0-70) was characteristic of areas affected by alkaline etching (ASR area). By measuring such areas we quantified the extent of alkaline etching in studied samples. Very good correlation was found between the ASR area and ASR potential of investigated rocks measured according to the

ASR prevention — Effect of aluminum and lithium ions on the reaction products

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leemann, Andreas, E-mail: andreas.leemann@empa.ch; Bernard, Laetitia; Alahrache, Salaheddine

2015-10-15

In spite of the recent progress in the understanding of the mechanisms enabling aluminum-containing SCM like metakaolin and added LiNO{sub 3} to limit the extent of ASR in mortar and concrete, some gaps still remain. They concern mainly the effect of aluminum-containing SCM on the formed ASR products and the influence of aggregate characteristics on the effectiveness of LiNO{sub 3}. In this study, a model system, concrete and mortar were investigated by pore solution analysis, TGA, XRD, NMR, SEM combined with EDX and ToF-SIMS to address these questions. The amount of aluminum present in the pore solution of concrete andmore » mortar is only able to slow down SiO{sub 2} dissolution but not to alter morphology, structure and composition of the reaction products. LiNO{sub 3} can suppress ASR by forming dense products protecting reactive minerals from further reaction. But its effectiveness is decreasing with increasing specific surface area of the reactive minerals in aggregates. - Highlights: • Aluminum of SCM slows down SiO{sub 2} dissolution. • Aluminum of SCM does not alter morphology and structure of ASR product. • ASR suppressing effect of LiNO{sub 3} depends on specific surface area of the aggregates.« less

Structural assessment of "d" regions affected by premature concrete deterioration : technical report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-03-01

The current study is a continuation of the earlier study that investigated the effects of Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR) and Delayed : Ettringite Formation (DEF) induced deterioration on the D-Regions of structures. Of the four near full-scale C-Beam s...

Conversion of microwave pyrolysed ASR's char using high temperature agents.

PubMed

Donaj, Pawel; Blasiak, Wlodzimierz; Yang, Weihong; Forsgren, Christer

2011-01-15

Pyrolysis enables to recover metals and organic feedstock from waste conglomerates such as: automotive shredder residue (ASR). ASR as well as its pyrolysis solid products, is a morphologically and chemically varied mixture, containing mineral materials, including hazardous heavy metals. The aim of the work is to generate fundamental knowledge on the conversion of the organic residues of the solid products after ASR's microwave pyrolysis, treated at various temperatures and with two different types of gasifying agent: pure steam or 3% (v/v) of oxygen. The research is conducted using a lab-scale, plug-flow gasifier, with an integrated scale for analysing mass loss changes over time of experiment, serving as macro TG at 950, 850 and 760 °C. The reaction rate of char decomposition was investigated, based on carbon conversion during gasification and pyrolysis stage. It was found in both fractions that char conversion rate decreases with the rise of external gas temperature, regardless of the gasifying agent. No significant differences between the reaction rates undergoing with steam and oxygen for char decomposition has been observed. This abnormal char behaviour might have been caused by the inhibiting effects of ash, especially alkali metals on char activity or due to deformation of char structure during microwave heating. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Alkali content of fly ash : measuring and testing strategies for compliance.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-04-01

Sodium and potassium are the common alkalis present in fly ash. Excessive amounts of fly ash alkalis can cause efflorescence : problems in concrete products and raise concern about the effectiveness of the fly ash to mitigate alkali-silica reaction (...

Alkali content of fly ash : measuring and testing strategies for compliance : [tech transfer summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-04-01

This study investigated the test methods used to determine the : alkali content of fly ash. It also evaluated if high-alkali fly ash : exacerbates alkali-silica reaction in laboratory tests and field : concrete.

The effects of lithium hydroxide solution on alkali silica reaction gels created with opal

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mitchell, Lyndon D.; Beaudoin, James J.; Grattan-Bellew, Patrick

The reaction of Nevada opal with calcium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and lithium hydroxide solutions was investigated. In addition, opal was exposed to a combined solution of these three hydroxides. The progress of the three reactions was followed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), {sup 29}Si nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The XRD results indicated the presence of a low-angle peak exclusive to the lithium-based reactions. The NMR results suggested a change in the silicate structure in the presence of lithium. These techniques indicated that the reaction of the alkali with the opal starting material is inhibited and perhapsmore » stopped in the presence of lithium hydroxide. SEM revealed that the morphology of the reaction products on the surface of the reacted opal grains is markedly different invariably. It was concluded that evidence to support the theory of a protective layer exists and that the nature of the layer varies with ion type.« less

High temperature alkali corrosion of ceramics in coal gas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pickrell, G.R.; Sun, T.; Brown, J.J.

1992-02-24

The high temperature alkali corrosion kinetics of SiC have been systematically investigated from 950 to 1100[degrees]C at 0.63 vol % alkali vapor concentration. The corrosion rate in the presence of alkaliis approximately 10[sup 4] to 10[sup 5] times faster than the oxidation rate of SiC in air. The activation energy associated with the alkali corrosion is 406 kJ/mol, indicating a highly temperature-dependent reaction rate. The rate-controlling step of the overall reaction is likely to be the dissolution of silica in the sodium silicate liquid, based on the oxygen diffusivity data.

Method of handling radioactive alkali metal waste

DOEpatents

Wolson, Raymond D.; McPheeters, Charles C.

1980-01-01

Radioactive alkali metal is mixed with particulate silica in a rotary drum reactor in which the alkali metal is converted to the monoxide during rotation of the reactor to produce particulate silica coated with the alkali metal monoxide suitable as a feed material to make a glass for storing radioactive material. Silica particles, the majority of which pass through a 95 mesh screen or preferably through a 200 mesh screen, are employed in this process, and the preferred weight ratio of silica to alkali metal is 7 to 1 in order to produce a feed material for the final glass product having a silica to alkali metal monoxide ratio of about 5 to 1.

Method of handling radioactive alkali metal waste

DOEpatents

Wolson, R.D.; McPheeters, C.C.

Radioactive alkali metal is mixed with particulate silica in a rotary drum reactor in which the alkali metal is converted to the monoxide during rotation of the reactor to produce particulate silica coated with the alkali metal monoxide suitable as a feed material to make a glass for storing radioactive material. Silica particles, the majority of which pass through a 95 mesh screen or preferably through a 200 mesh screen, are employed in this process, and the preferred weight ratio of silica to alkali metal is 7 to 1 in order to produce a feed material for the final glass product having a silica to alkali metal monoxide ratio of about 5 to 1.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lopez-Buendia, A.M.; Climent, V.; Verdu, P.

The reactivity of carbonate rock with the alkali content of cement, commonly called alkali-carbonate reaction (ACR), has been investigated. Alkali-silica reaction (ASR) can also contribute in the alkali-aggregate reaction (AAR) in carbonate rock, mainly due to micro- and crypto-crystalline quartz or clay content in carbonate aggregate. Both ACR and ASR can occur in the same system, as has been also evidenced on this paper. Carbonate aggregate samples were selected using lithological reactivity criteria, taking into account the presence of dedolomitization, partial dolomitization, micro- and crypto-crystalline quartz. Selected rocks include calcitic dolostone with chert (CDX), calcitic dolostone with dedolomitization (CDD), limestonemore » with chert (LX), marly calcitic dolostone with partial dolomitization (CD), high-porosity ferric dolostone with clays (FD). To evaluate the reactivity, aggregates were studied using expansion tests following RILEM AAR-2, AAR-5, a modification using LiOH AAR-5Li was also tested. A complementary study was done using petrographic monitoring with polarised light microscopy on aggregates immersed in NaOH and LiOH solutions after different ages. SEM-EDAX has been used to identify the presence of brucite as a product of dedolomitization. An ACR reaction showed shrinkage of the mortar bars in alkaline solutions explained by induced dedolomitization, while an ASR process typically displayed expansion. Neither shrinkage nor expansion was observed when mortar bars were immersed in solutions of lithium hydroxide. Carbonate aggregate classification with AAR pathology risk has been elaborated based on mechanical behaviours by expansion and shrinkage. It is proposed to be used as a petrographic method for AAR diagnosis to complement the RILEM AAR1 specifically for carbonate aggregate. Aggregate materials can be classified as I (non-reactive), II (potentially reactive), and III (probably reactive), considering induced dedolomitization ACR

Detection Of Concrete Deterioration By Staining

DOEpatents

Guthrie, Jr., George D.; Carey, J. William

1999-09-21

A method using concentrated aqueous solutions of sodium cobaltinitrite and a rhodamine dye is described which can be used to identify concrete that contains gels formed by the alkali-silica reaction (ASR), and to identify degraded concrete which results in a porous or semi-permeable paste due to carbonation or leaching. These solutions present little health or environmental risk, are readily applied, and rapidly discriminate between two chemically distinct gels; K-rich, Na--K--Ca--Si gels are identified by yellow staining, and alkali-poor, Ca--Si gels are identified by pink staining.

Evaluation of concrete structures affected by alkali-silica reaction and delayed ettringite formation - part 2.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-12-01

This report details the results of a comprehensive research project aimed at evaluating the potential use of : non-destructive testing (NDT) to assess structures affected by ASR and/or DEF. This project was a : collaborative effort between the Univer...

High dietary calcium to phosphorus ratio and alkali-forming potential as factors promoting silica urolithiasis in sheep.

PubMed

Stewart, S R; Emerick, R J; Pritchard, R H

1990-02-01

Sheep were used to study factors previously found to promote silica urolithiasis in a rat model. In addition to high silica, these dietary factors included elevated calcium, a high calcium to phosphorus ratio and alkali-forming effects. Wether lambs had ad libitum access to a diet of 50% of grass hay and 50% ground oats plus supplement. Diet analysis was 3.4% total SiO2, .29% calcium, .25% phosphorus, 11.3% CP and 28% ADF. Treatments (40 lambs/treatment) consisted of a control (C), limestone to increase dietary calcium to .6% (L), L + 1% sodium bicarbonate (LS) and L + 1% ammonium chloride (LA). After a 91-d experimental period followed by a 56-d postexperimental finishing period, silica kidney deposits were found in all treatments, and SiO2 made up 74% to 97% of the urolithic ash. Kidney urolith incidences in the four treatments were C, 7/40; L, 12/40; LS, 20/40; and LA, 9/40. A higher urolith incidence in LS (LS vs C, P less than .05) and a trend toward a higher incidence in L (L vs C, P less than .2), accompanied by elevated urine pH (L = LS greater than C greater than LA, P less than .01), lend support to the concept that high-silica diets having high calcium to phosphorus ratios and alkali-forming potentials contribute to silica urolithiasis.

Use of the rapid immersion test to evaluate the efficacy of admixtures to mitigate alkali-silica reactivity.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-01-01

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is conducting an interlaboratory study to validate certain findings in the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) C-343 report on alkali-silica reactivity. This paper reports the Virginia Transportation Re...

Mineralization dynamics of metakaolin-based alkali-activated cements

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gevaudan, Juan Pablo; Campbell, Kate M.; Kane, Tyler; Shoemaker, Richard K.; Srubar, Wil V.

2017-01-01

This paper investigates the early-age dynamics of mineral formation in metakaolin-based alkali-activated cements. The effects of silica availability and alkali content on mineral formation were investigated via X-ray diffraction and solid-state 29Si magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 2, 7, 14, and 28 days. Silica availability was controlled by using either liquid- (immediate) or solid-based (gradual) sodium silicate supplements. Mineral (zeolitic) and amorphous microstructural characteristics were correlated with observed changes in bulk physical properties, namely shrinkage, density, and porosity. Results demonstrate that, while alkali content controls the mineralization in immediately available silica systems, alkali content controls the silica availability in gradually available silica systems. Immediate silica availability generally leads to a more favorable mineral formation as demonstrated by correlated improvements in bulk physical properties.

Post-harvest processing methods for reduction of silica and alkali metals in wheat straw.

PubMed

Thompson, David N; Shaw, Peter G; Lacey, Jeffrey A

2003-01-01

Silica and alkali metals in wheat straw limit its use for bioenergy and gasification. Slag deposits occur via the eutectic melting of SiO2 with K2O, trapping chlorides at surfaces and causing corrosion. A minimum melting point of 950 degrees C is desirable, corresponding to an SiO2:K2O weight ratio of about 3:1. Mild chemical treatments were used to reduce Si, K, and Cl, while varying temperature, concentration, % solids, and time. Dilute acid was more effective at removing K and Cl, while dilute alkali was more effective for Si. Reduction of minerals in this manner may prove economical for increasing utilization of the straw for combustion or gasification.

Performance of concrete incorporating colloidal nano-silica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeidan, Mohamed Sabry

Nanotechnology, as one of the most modern fields of science, has great market potential and economic impact. The need for research in the field of nanotechnology is continuously on the rise. During the last few decades, nanotechnology was developing rapidly into many fields of applied sciences, engineering and industrial applications, especially through studies of physics, chemistry, medicine and fundamental material science. These new developments may be attributed to the fact that material properties and performance can be significantly improved and controlled through nano-scale processes and nano-structures. This research program aims at 1) further understanding the behavior of cementitious materials when amended on the nano-scale level and 2) exploring the effect of this enhancement on the microstructure of cement matrix. This study may be considered as an important step towards better understanding the use of nano-silica in concrete. The main goal of the study is to investigate the effect of using colloidal nano-silica on properties of concrete, including mechanical properties, durability, transport properties, and microstructure. The experimental program that was conducted included a laboratory investigation of concrete mixtures in which nano-silica was added to cement or to a combination of cement and Class F fly ash. Various ratios of nano-silica were used in concrete mixtures to examine the extent and types of improvements that could be imparted to concrete. The conducted experimental program assessed these improvements in terms of reactivity, mechanical properties, and durability of the mixtures under investigation. Advanced testing techniques---including mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)---were used to investigate the effect of nano-silica on the microstructure of the tested mixtures. In addition, the effect of nano-silica on the alkali-silica reaction (ASR) was examined using various techniques, including testing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bernard, Laetitia, E-mail: laetitia.bernard@empa.ch; Leemann, Andreas

In this study, the potential of time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) for the application in cement-based materials is assessed in combination and comparison with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX). Mortar, concrete and samples from model systems providing products formed by the alkali–silica reaction (ASR) were studied. ToF-SIMS provides qualitative data on alkalis in cases where EDX reaches its limits in regard to detectable concentration, lateral resolution and atomic number of the elements. Due to its high in-depth resolution of a few atomic monolayers, thin layers of reaction products can be detected on the surfaces andmore » chemically analyzed with ToF-SIMS. Additionally, it delivers information on the molecular conformation within the ASR product, its hydrogen content and its isotope ratios, information not provided by EDX. Provided the samples are carefully prepared, ToF-SIMS opens up new possibilities in the analysis of cement-based materials.« less

On the ASR and ASR thermal residues characterization of full scale treatment plant.

PubMed

Mancini, G; Viotti, P; Luciano, A; Fino, D

2014-02-01

In order to obtain 85% recycling, several procedures on Automotive Shredder Residue (ASR) could be implemented, such as advanced metal and polymer recovery, mechanical recycling, pyrolysis, the direct use of ASR in the cement industry, and/or the direct use of ASR as a secondary raw material. However, many of these recovery options appear to be limited, due to the possible low acceptability of ASR based products on the market. The recovery of bottom ash and slag after an ASR thermal treatment is an option that is not usually considered in most countries (e.g. Italy) due to the excessive amount of contaminants, especially metals. The purpose of this paper is to provide information on the characteristics of ASR and its full-scale incineration residues. Experiments have been carried out, in two different experimental campaigns, in a full-scale tyre incineration plant specifically modified to treat ASR waste. Detailed analysis of ASR samples and combustion residues were carried out and compared with literature data. On the basis of the analytical results, the slag and bottom ash from the combustion process have been classified as non-hazardous wastes, according to the EU waste acceptance criteria (WAC), and therefore after further tests could be used in future in the construction industry. It has also been concluded that ASR bottom ash (EWC - European Waste Catalogue - code 19 01 12) could be landfilled in SNRHW (stabilized non-reactive hazardous waste) cells or used as raw material for road construction, with or without further treatment for the removal of heavy metals. In the case of fly ash from boiler or Air Pollution Control (APC) residues, it has been found that the Cd, Pb and Zn concentrations exceeded regulatory leaching test limits therefore their removal, or a stabilization process, would be essential prior to landfilling the use of these residues as construction material. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Connell, Linda

2011-01-01

The NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) collects, analyzes, and distributes de-identified safety information provided through confidentially submitted reports from frontline aviation personnel. Since its inception in 1976, the ASRS has collected over 900,000 reports and has never breached the identity of the people sharing their information about events or safety issues. From this volume of data, the ASRS has released over 5,500 aviation safety alerts concerning potential hazards and safety concerns. The ASRS processes these reports, evaluates the information, and provides de-identified report information through the online ASRS Database at http://asrs.arc.nasa.gov. The NASA ASRS is also a founding member of the International Confidential Aviation Safety Systems (ICASS) group which is a collection of other national aviation reporting systems throughout the world. The ASRS model has also been replicated for application to improving safety in railroad, medical, fire fighting, and other domains. This presentation \\vill discuss confidential, voluntary, and non-punitive reporting systems and their advantages in providing information for safety improvements.

NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Connell, Linda J.

2017-01-01

The NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) collects, analyzes, and distributes de-identified safety information provided through confidentially submitted reports from frontline aviation personnel. Since its inception in 1976, the ASRS has collected over 1.4 million reports and has never breached the identity of the people sharing their information about events or safety issues. From this volume of data, the ASRS has released over 6,000 aviation safety alerts concerning potential hazards and safety concerns. The ASRS processes these reports, evaluates the information, and provides selected de-identified report information through the online ASRS Database at http:asrs.arc.nasa.gov. The NASA ASRS is also a founding member of the International Confidential Aviation Safety Systems (ICASS) group which is a collection of other national aviation reporting systems throughout the world. The ASRS model has also been replicated for application to improving safety in railroad, medical, fire fighting, and other domains. This presentation will discuss confidential, voluntary, and non-punitive reporting systems and their advantages in providing information for safety improvements.

40 CFR 721.10154 - Quaternary ammonium compounds, dicoco alkyldimethyl, chlorides, reaction products with silica.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... alkyldimethyl, chlorides, reaction products with silica. 721.10154 Section 721.10154 Protection of Environment..., dicoco alkyldimethyl, chlorides, reaction products with silica. (a) Chemical substance and significant..., dicoco alkyldimethyl, chlorides, reaction products with silica (PMN P-08-157; CAS No. 956147-76-5) is...

40 CFR 721.10154 - Quaternary ammonium compounds, dicoco alkyldimethyl, chlorides, reaction products with silica.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... alkyldimethyl, chlorides, reaction products with silica. 721.10154 Section 721.10154 Protection of Environment..., dicoco alkyldimethyl, chlorides, reaction products with silica. (a) Chemical substance and significant..., dicoco alkyldimethyl, chlorides, reaction products with silica (PMN P-08-157; CAS No. 956147-76-5) is...

Adverse effects of mineral-alkali reactions in alkaline flooding: Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thornton, S.D.

1988-01-01

Two slim-tube experiments and supporting bottle tests were performed for a study of sandstone-alkali reactions. The two samples of reservoir sandstone used are from oilfields in the People's Republic of China. The first sandstone contains 16 percent clay and is from the Gu-Dao oilfield. The second sandstone contains 12 percent clay and is from the Liao-He oilfield. These two sandstones were allowed to react with alkaline solutions in 6-month bottle tests. Each sandstone consumed the most alkali from 0.5 N NaOH solution, an intermediate amount of alkali from 0.5 N Na/sub 2/SiO/sub 3/ solution, and the least amount of alkalimore » from 0.5 N Na/sub 2/CO/sub 3/ solution. 59 refs., 14 figs., 20 tabs.« less

Catalytically active Au-O(OH) x- species stabilized by alkali ions on zeolites and mesoporous oxides

DOE PAGES

Yang, Ming; Li, Sha; Wang, Yuan; ...

2014-11-27

Here we report that the addition of alkali ions (sodium or potassium) to gold on KLTL-zeolite and mesoporous MCM-41 silica stabilizes mononuclear gold in Au-O(OH) x-(Na or K) ensembles. This single-site gold species is active for the low-temperature (<200°C) water-gas shift (WGS) reaction. Unexpectedly, gold is thus similar to platinum in creating –O linkages with more than eight alkali ions and establishing an active site on various supports. The intrinsic activity of the single-site gold species is the same on irreducible supports as on reducible ceria, iron oxide, and titania supports, apparently all sharing a common, similarly structured gold activemore » site. This finding paves the way for using earth-abundant supports to disperse and stabilize precious metal atoms with alkali additives for the WGS and potentially other fuel-processing reactions.« less

ASRS Reports on Wake Vortex Encounters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Connell, Linda J.; Taube, Elisa Ann; Drew, Charles Robert; Barclay, Tommy Earl

2010-01-01

ASRS is conducting a structured callback research project of wake vortex incidents reported to the ASRS at all US airports, as well as wake encounters in the enroute environment. This study has three objectives: (1) Utilize the established ASRS supplemental data collection methodology and provide ongoing analysis of wake vortex encounter reports; (2) Document event dynamics and contributing factors underlying wake vortex encounter events; and (3) Support ongoing FAA efforts to address pre-emptive wake vortex risk reduction by utilizing ASRS reporting contributions.

Acute stress responses: A review and synthesis of ASD, ASR, and CSR.

PubMed

Isserlin, Leanna; Zerach, Gadi; Solomon, Zahava

2008-10-01

Toward the development of a unifying diagnosis for acute stress responses this article attempts to find a place for combat stress reaction (CSR) within the spectrum of other defined acute stress responses. This article critically compares the diagnostic criteria of acute stress disorder (ASD), acute stress reaction (ASR), and CSR. Prospective studies concerning the predictive value of ASD, ASR, and CSR are reviewed. Questions, recommendations, and implications for clinical practice are raised concerning the completeness of the current acute stress response diagnoses, the heterogeneity of different stressors, the scope of expected outcomes, and the importance of decline in function as an indicator of future psychological, psychiatric, and somatic distress. PsycINFO Database Record 2009 APA.

ASR4. Anelastic Strain Recovery Analysis Code

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Warpinski, N.R.

ASR4 is a nonlinear least-squares regression of Anelastic Strain Recovery (ASR) data for the purpose of determining in situ stress orientations and magnitudes. ASR4 fits the viscoelastic model of Warpinski and Teufel to measure ASR data, calculates the stress orientations directly, and stress magnitudes if sufficient input data are available. The code also calculates the stress orientation using strain-rosette equations, and it calculates stress magnitudes using Blanton`s approach, assuming sufficient input data are available.

Supercritical carbon dioxide versus toluene as reaction media in silica functionalisation: Synthesis and characterisation of bonded aminopropyl silica intermediate.

PubMed

Ashu-Arrah, Benjamin A; Glennon, Jeremy D

2017-06-09

This research reports supercritical carbon dioxide versus toluene as reaction media in silica functionalisation for use in liquid chromatography. Bonded aminopropyl silica (APS) intermediates were prepared when porous silica particles (Exsil-pure, 3μm) were reacted with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (3-APTES) or N,N-dimethylaminopropyltrimethoxysilane (DMAPTMS) using supercritical carbon dioxide (sc-CO 2 ) and toluene as reaction media. Covalent bonding to silica was confirmed using elemental microanalysis (CHN), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), zeta potential (ξ), diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (CP/MAS NMR) spectroscopy. The results demonstrate that under sc-CO 2 conditions of 100°C/414bar in a substantial reduced time of 3h, the surface coverage of APS (evaluated from%C obtained from elemental analysis) prepared with APTES (%C: 8.03, 5.26μmol/m -2 ) or DMAPTES (%C: 5.12, 4.58μmol/m 2 ) is somewhat higher when compared to organic based reactions under reflux in toluene at a temperature of 110°C in 24h with APTES (%C: 7.33, 4.71μmol/m 2 ) and DMAPTMS (%C: 4.93, 4.38μmol/m 2 ). Zeta potential measurements revealed a change in electrostatic surface charge from negative values for bare Exsil-pure silica to positive for functionalised APS materials indicating successful immobilization of the aminosilane onto the surface of silica. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Refractories for high alkali environments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rau, A.W.; Cloer, F.

1996-12-31

Information on refractories for high alkali environments is outlined. Information is presented on: product gallery; alkali attack; chemical reactions; basic layout of alkali cup test; criteria for rating alkali cup test samples; and basic layout of physical properties test.

Avation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) 40th Anniversary.

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-09-28

Avation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) 40th Anniversary lunch and open house at the Sunnyvale office. Linda J. Connell, ASRS Program Director (left); Dr. John Lauber, Resident Scientist and early pioneer of the ASRS at Ames, 1972-1985 (Right).

Characterizing the Nano and Micro Structure of Concrete toImprove its Durability

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Monteiro, P.J.M.; Kirchheim, A.P.; Chae, S.

2009-01-13

New and advanced methodologies have been developed to characterize the nano and microstructure of cement paste and concrete exposed to aggressive environments. High resolution full-field soft X-ray imaging in the water window is providing new insight on the nano scale of the cement hydration process, which leads to a nano-optimization of cement-based systems. Hard X-ray microtomography images of ice inside cement paste and cracking caused by the alkali?silica reaction (ASR) enables three-dimensional structural identification. The potential of neutron diffraction to determine reactive aggregates by measuring their residual strains and preferred orientation is studied. Results of experiments using these tools aremore » shown on this paper.« less

Characterizing the nano and micro structure of concrete to improve its durability

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Monteiro, P.J.M.; Kirchheim, A.P.; Chae, S.

2008-10-22

New and advanced methodologies have been developed to characterize the nano and microstructure of cement paste and concrete exposed to aggressive environments. High resolution full-field soft X-ray imaging in the water window is providing new insight on the nano scale of the cement hydration process, which leads to a nano-optimization of cement-based systems. Hard X-ray microtomography images on ice inside cement paste and cracking caused by the alkali-silica reaction (ASR) enables three-dimensional structural identification. The potential of neutron diffraction to determine reactive aggregates by measuring their residual strains and preferred orientation is studied. Results of experiments using these tools willmore » be shown on this paper.« less

Preparation of Metalloporphyrin-Bound Superparamagnetic Silica Particles via "Click" Reaction.

PubMed

Hollingsworth, Javoris V; Bhupathiraju, N V S Dinesh K; Sun, Jirun; Lochner, Eric; Vicente, M Graça H; Russo, Paul S

2016-01-13

A facile approach using click chemistry is demonstrated for immobilization of metalloporphyrins onto the surface of silica-coated iron oxide particles. Oleic-acid stabilized iron oxide nanocrystals were prepared by thermal decomposition of iron(III) acetylacetonate. Their crystallinity, morphology, and superparamagnetism were determined using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and a superconducting quantum interference device. Monodisperse core-shell particles were produced in the silica-coating of iron oxide via microemulsion synthesis. Surface modification of these particles was performed in two steps, which included the reaction of silica-coated iron oxide particles with 3-bromopropyltrichlorosilane, followed by azido-functionalization with sodium azide. Monoalkylated porphyrins were prepared using the Williamson ether synthesis of commercially available tetra(4-hydroxyphenyl) porphyrin with propargyl bromide in the presence of a base. (1)H NMR and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization confirmed the identity of the compounds. The prepared monoalkyne porphyrins were zinc-metalated prior to their introduction to azide-functionalized, silica-coated iron oxide particles in the click reaction. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the surface chemistry after each step in the reaction. In addition, particle size was determined using dynamic light scattering and microscopy. The presented methodology is versatile and can be extended to other photoreactive systems, such as phthalocyanines and boron-dipyrromethane, which may lead to new materials for optical, photonic, and biological applications.

Avation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) 40th Anniversary.

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-09-28

Avation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) 40th Anniversary lunch and open house at the Sunnyvale office. Linda J. Connell, ASRS Program Director (Left); Thomas A Edwards, Deputy Center Director NASA Ames; Dr. John Lauber, Resident Scientist and pioneer of the ASRS at Ames from 1972-1985 (Right).

Method for the safe disposal of alkali metal

DOEpatents

Johnson, Terry R.

1977-01-01

Alkali metals such as those employed in liquid metal coolant systems can be safely reacted to form hydroxides by first dissolving the alkali metal in relatively inert metals such as lead or bismuth. The alloy thus formed is contacted with a molten salt including the alkali metal hydroxide and possibly the alkali metal carbonate in the presence of oxygen. This oxidizes the alkali metal to an oxide which is soluble within the molten salt. The salt is separated and contacted with steam or steam-CO.sub.2 mixture to convert the alkali metal oxide to the hydroxide. These reactions can be conducted with minimal hydrogen evolution and with the heat of reaction distributed between the several reaction steps.

Characterization of a novel plantain Asr gene, MpAsr, that is regulated in response to infection of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense and abiotic stresses.

PubMed

Liu, Hai-Yan; Dai, Jin-Ran; Feng, Dong-Ru; Liu, Bing; Wang, Hong-Bin; Wang, Jin-Fa

2010-03-01

Asr (abscisic acid, stress, ripening induced) genes are typically upregulated by a wide range of factors, including drought, cold, salt, abscisic acid (ABA) and injury; in addition to plant responses to developmental and environmental signals. We isolated an Asr gene, MpAsr, from a suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) cDNA library of cold induced plantain (Musa paradisiaca) leaves. MpAsr expression was upregulated in Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense infected plantain leaves, peels and roots, suggesting that MpAsr plays a role in plantain pathogen response. In addition, a 581-bp putative promoter region of MpAsr was isolated via genome walking and cis-elements involved in abiotic stress and pathogen-related responses were detected in this same region. Furthermore, the MpAsr promoter demonstrated positive activity and inducibility in tobacco under F. oxysporum f. sp. cubense infection and ABA, cold, dehydration and high salt concentration treatments. Interestingly, transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing MpAsr exhibited higher drought tolerance, but showed no significant decreased sensitivity to F. oxysporum f. sp. cubense. These results suggest that MpAsr might be involved in plant responses to both abiotic stress and pathogen attack.

Alkali metal recovery from carbonaceous material conversion process

DOEpatents

Sharp, David W.; Clavenna, LeRoy R.; Gorbaty, Martin L.; Tsou, Joe M.

1980-01-01

In a coal gasification operation or similar conversion process carried out in the presence of an alkali metal-containing catalyst wherein solid particles containing alkali metal residues are produced in the gasifier or similar reaction zone, alkali metal constitutents are recovered from the particles by withdrawing and passing the particles from the reaction zone to an alkali metal recovery zone in the substantial absence of molecular oxygen and treating the particles in the recovery zone with water or an aqueous solution in the substantial absence of molecular oxygen. The solution formed by treating the particles in the recovery zone will contain water-soluble alkali metal constituents and is recycled to the conversion process where the alkali metal constituents serve as at least a portion of the alkali metal constituents which comprise the alkali metal-containing catalyst. Preventing contact of the particles with oxygen as they are withdrawn from the reaction zone and during treatment in the recovery zone avoids the formation of undesirable alkali metal constituents in the aqueous solution produced in the recovery zone and insures maximum recovery of water-soluble alkali metal constituents from the alkali metal residues.

Semi-continuous ultrasonic sounding and changes of ultrasonic signal characteristics as a sensitive tool for the evaluation of ongoing microstructural changes of experimental mortar bars tested for their ASR potential.

PubMed

Lokajíček, T; Kuchařová, A; Petružálek, M; Šachlová, Š; Svitek, T; Přikryl, R

2016-09-01

Semi-continuous ultrasonic sounding of experimental mortar bars used in the accelerated alkali silica reactivity laboratory test (ASTM C1260) is proposed as a supplementary measurement technique providing data that are highly sensitive to minor changes in the microstructure of hardening/deteriorating concrete mixture. A newly designed, patent pending, heating chamber was constructed allowing ultrasonic sounding of mortar bars, stored in accelerating solution without necessity to remove the test specimens from the bath during the measurement. Subsequent automatic data analysis of recorded ultrasonic signals proved their high correlation to the measured length changes (expansion) and their high sensitivity to microstructural changes. The changes of P-wave velocity, and of the energy, amplitude, and frequency of ultrasonic signal, were in the range of 10-80%, compared to 0.51% change of the length. Results presented in this study thus show that ultrasonic sounding seems to be more sensitive to microstructural changes due to ongoing deterioration of concrete microstructure by alkali-silica reaction than the dimensional changes. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Performance of lap splices in large-scale column specimens affected by ASR and/or DEF-extension phase.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-03-01

A large experimental program, consisting of the design, construction, curing, exposure, and structural load : testing of 16 large-scale column specimens with a critical lap splice region that were influenced by varying : stages of alkali-silica react...

Characterization of Infrastructure Materials using Nonlinear Ultrasonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Minghe

In order to improve the safety, reliability, cost, and performance of civil and mechanical structures/components, it is necessary to develop techniques that are capable of characterizing and quantifying the amount of distributed damage in engineering materials before any detectable discontinuities (cracks, delaminations, voids, etc.) appear. In this dissertation, novel nonlinear ultrasonic NDE methods are developed and applied to characterize cumulative damage such as fatigue damage in metallic materials and degradation of cement-based materials due to chemical reactions. First, nonlinear Rayleigh surface waves are used to measure the near-surface residual stresses in shot-peened aluminum alloy (AA 7075) samples. Results show that the nonlinear Rayleigh wave is very sensitive to near-surface residual stresses, and has the potential to quantitatively detect them. Second, a novel two-wave mixing method is theoretically developed and numerically verified. This method is then successfully applied to detect the fatigue damage in aluminum alloy (AA 6061) samples subjected to monotonic compression. In addition to its high sensitivity to fatigue damage, this collinear wave mixing method allows the measurement over a specific region of interest in the specimen, and this capability makes it possible to obtain spatial distribution of fatigue damage through the thickness direction of the sample by simply timing the transducers. Third, the nonlinear wave mixing method is used to characterize the degradation of cement-based materials caused by alkali-silica reaction (ASR). It is found that the nonlinear ultrasonic method is sensitive to detect ASR damage at very early stage, and has the potential to identify the different damage stages. Finally, a micromechanics-based chemo-mechanical model is developed which relates the acoustic nonlinearity parameter to ASR damage. This model provides a way to quantitatively predict the changes in the acoustic nonlinearity parameter due to ASR

Synthesis of Magnetic Rattle-Type Silica with Controllable Magnetite and Tunable Size by Pre-Shell-Post-Core Method.

PubMed

Chen, Xue; Tan, Longfei; Meng, Xianwei

2016-03-01

In this study, we have developed the pre-shell-post-core route to synthesize the magnetic rattle-type silica. This method has not only simplified the precursor's process and reduced the reacting time, but also ameliorated the loss of magnetite and made the magnetite content and the inner core size controllable and tunable. The magnetite contents and inner core size can be easily controlled by changing the type and concentration of alkali, reaction system and addition of water. The results show that alkali aqueous solution promotes the escape of the precursor iron ions from the inner space of rattle-type silica and results in the loss of magnetite. In this case, NaOH ethanol solution is better for the formation of magnetite than ammonia because it not only offers an appropriate alkalinity to facilitate the synthesis of. magnetic particles, but also avoids the escape of the iron ions from the mesopores of rattle-type silica. The synthesis process is very simple and efficient, and it takes no more than 2 hours to complete the total preparation and handling of the magnetic rattle-type silica. The end-product Fe3O4@SiO2 nanocomposites also have good magnetic properties which will perform potential application in biomedical science.

Reaction microtextures in entrapped xenoliths in alkali basalts from the Deccan large igneous province, India: Implications to the origin and evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chattopadhaya, Soumi; Ghosh, Biswajit; Morishita, Tomoaki; Nandy, Sandip; Tamura, Akihiro; Bandyopadhyay, Debaditya

2017-05-01

The onset of the end-Mesozoic continental rift magmatism in the Deccan volcanic province (DVP), India is marked by alkali magmatism. Lithospheric fragments occurring as xenoliths/xenocrysts entrapped in alkaline basalts from the Kutch area of the DVP preserve reaction microtextures giving an insight into the processes linked to their origin. We interpret the flower texture, an aggregate of systematically arranged tiny diopside crystals, as a product of interactions between ghost quartz xenocrysts with alkaline silica-undersaturated melt. The mantle xenoliths, mostly represented by spinel lherzolites and wehrlites have been infiltrated by melt. The orthopyroxenes present at the margin of the xenoliths or in contact with infiltrated melt exhibit a coronal texture composed of olivine, clinopyroxene and glass around them. The compositions of cores of primary olivines at places retain mantle signatures, whereas, the margins are reequilibrated. Secondary olivines and clinopyroxenes at reaction coronas have a wide range of compositions. Primary clinopyroxenes and spinels in close vicinity to the orthopyroxene corona display a sieve texture defined by clear inclusion-free cores and a compositionally different spongy altered rim with worm-shaped or bubbly inclusions dominantly filled with glass. The rims are marked with higher Ca, Mg-lower Na, Al for clinopyroxenes and higher Ti, Cr-lower Mg, Al for spinels in comparison to their cores. The coronal texture around orthopyroxenes and spongy texture in clinopyroxenes and spinels in these xenoliths are interpreted to be genetically linked. The silicate glasses in the xenoliths show large compositional variations and they are much more siliceous and alkali-rich in comparison to the host basalts. The petrography and mineral chemistry suggest host magma-peridotite interaction during or after the entrainment of the xenoliths, corroborating well with the experimental findings.

Accelerating effect of silica on the indicator reaction o-dianisidine-H(2)O(2).

PubMed

Beklemishev, M K; Kapanadze, A L; Bakhilina, N V; Dolmanova, I F

2000-02-07

Reaction of oxidation of o-dianisidine (o-D) with H(2)O(2) which is widely used in catalytic methods of analysis in solution has been conducted on silica plates for thin-layer chromatography. The rate of the reaction catalyzed by model compounds (p-toluenesulphonyl chloride, methyl benzoate, benzoic acid, and acrylamide) is noticeably higher on silica than in solution in comparable conditions. The degree of acceleration varies depending on the catalyst and is more pronounced at its lower concentrations. By use of p-toluenesulphonyl chloride determination as an example it has been shown that the accelerating effect of silica enables to decrease the detection limit down to 0.07 nmol cm(-2) (as compared with 4 nmol.cm(-2) in solution); the accuracy is not diminished. It is concluded that catalytic indicator reactions on solid supports may represent high interest for analytical chemists.

EVALUATIONS ON ASR DAMAGE OF CONCRETE STRUCTURE AND ITS STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ueda, Naoshi; Nakamura, Hikaru; Kunieda, Minoru; Maeno, Hirofumi; Morishit, Noriaki; Asai, Hiroshi

In this paper, experiments and finite element analyses were conducted in order to evaluate effects of ASR on structural performance of RC and PC structures. From the experimental results, it was confirmed that the ASR expansion was affected by the restraint of reinforcement and the magnitude of prestress. The material properties of concrete damaged by ASR had anisotropic characteristics depending on the degree of ASR expansion. Therefore, when the structural performance of RC and PC structures were evaluated by using the material properties of core concrete, the direction and place where cylinder specimens were cored should be considered. On the other hand, by means of proposed analytical method, ASR expansion behaviors of RC and PC beams and changing of their structural performance were evaluated. As the results, it was confirmed that PC structure had much advantage comparing with RC structure regarding the structural performance under ASR damage because of restraint by prestress against the ASR.

[The treatment of anxiety and acute stress reaction (ASR) in civilian casualties in community stress centers (CSC) in the 2nd Lebanon War].

PubMed

Rubinstein, Zohar; Polakevitz, Yakov; Ben Gershon, Bella; Lubin, Gadi; Bar-Dayan, Yaron

2010-07-01

The treatment of anxiety and acute stress reaction (ASR) in civilian casualties exposed to continuous missile attacks during Lebanon War II is described in this study. Casualties were treated in community stress centers (CSC) erected ad-hoc, as a result of cooperation between the Mental Health Section of the Home Front Command of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the Mental Health Services of the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Emergency and Disaster Management Division of the MOH. A total of 536 casualties were admitted to the centers. Eighteen were evacuated to the zone hospitals due to physical problems. The remaining casualties were released within 2-4 hours of intensive intervention according to the protocol. Symptoms of casualties ranged from anxiety (and ASR)--90%; fear (mainly agoraphobia)--7%; adaptation--2%; sleep disturbances--1%. Mental health intervention included counseling talk--80%; ventilation--9%; relaxation--3%; non-verbaL intervention--3%; fulfillment of basic needs--1% and evacuation to hospitals--3%. We discovered that anxiety and ASR were the most prevalent syndromes among those casualties as a result of the missile attacks on the civil population. The CSCs succeeded in providing adequate response and treatment for the majority of the casualties, thus putting off the need to evacuate those casualties to the ERs. Thereby, evacuation resources were saved and the ER load was reduced. The authors recommend that preparedness of the population under missile attacks, as well as other disaster scenarios, which resulted in a high rate of mental casualties, will be focused in the activation of CSCs in the format which has been described in this article.

Process for the disposal of alkali metals

DOEpatents

Lewis, Leroy C.

1977-01-01

Large quantities of alkali metals may be safely reacted for ultimate disposal by contact with a hot concentrated caustic solution. The alkali metals react with water in the caustic solution in a controlled reaction while steam dilutes the hydrogen formed by the reaction to a safe level.

The central tower of the cathedral of Schleswig - New investigations to understand the alcali-silica reaction of historical mortars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wedekind, Wanja; Protz, Andreas

2016-04-01

The damaging alcali-silica reaction leads to crack-formation and structural destruction at noumerous, constructed with cement mortar, buildings worldwide. The ASR-reaction causes the expansion of altered aggregates by the formation of a swelling gel. This gel consists of calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) that increases in volume with water, which exerts an expansive pressure inside the material. The cathedral of Schleswig is one of the oldest in northern Germany. The first church was built in 985-965. The Romanesque building part was erected around 1180 and the Gothic nave at the end of the 13th century. The central tower was constructed between 1888 and 1894 with brick and cement mortar. With 112 meters, the tower is the second-largest church spire of the country of Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany. Due to the formation of cracks and damages from 1953 to 1956 first restoration works took place. Further developments of cracks are making restoration necessary again today. For developing a suitable conservation strategy, different investigations were done. The investigation included the determination of the pore space properties, the hygric and thermal dilatation and mercury porosimetry measurements. Furthermore, the application of cathodoluminescence microscopy may give information about the alteration process and microstructures present and reveal the differences between unaltered and altered mortars. An obvious relation between the porosity and the swelling intensity could be detected. Furthermore it becomes apparent, that a clear zonation of the mortar took place. The mortar near the surface is denser with a lower porosity and has a significantly lower swelling or dilatation.

Preparation and Use of Alkali Metals (Li and Na) in Alumina and Silica Gel as Reagents in Organic Syntheses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jalloh, Fatmata

This work describes the development of alkali metals (Li and Na) encapsulated in silica and alumina gel (SG and AG), and their applications in organic syntheses. The methods elucidated involved the thermal incorporation of these metals into the pores of SG and AG, serving as solid-state reagents. The encapsulation method/approach addresses the problems associated with the high reactivity of these metals that limit their synthetic utility in research laboratories, pharmaceutical, and manufacturing industries. These problems include their sensitivity to air and moisture, pyrophoricity, difficulty in handling, non-commercial availability, and instability of some of the organoalkali metals reagents. Herein, we describe the developments to synthesize alkali metal precursor (Li-AG) in solid form that offer safer organolithium reagents. This precursor reduces or eliminates the danger associated with the traditional handling of organolithium reagents stored in flammable organic solvents. The use of Li-AG to prepare and deliver organolithium reagents from organic halides and ethers, as needed especially for those that are commercially not available is put forward. In addition, exploration of additional applications of Na-SG and Na-AG reagents in the demethoxylation of Weinreb amides to secondary amines, and Bouveault-Blanc type reduction of amides to amines are described.

Unified mechanism of alkali and alkaline earth catalyzed gasification reactions of carbon by CO2 and H2O

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chen, S.G.; Yang, R.T.

1997-01-01

From molecular orbital calculations, a unified mechanism is proposed for the gasification reactions of graphite by CO2 and H2O, both uncatalyzed and catalyzed by alkali and alkaline earth catalysts. In this mechanism, there are two types of oxygen intermediates that are bonded to the active edge carbon atoms: an in-plane semiquinone type, Cf(O), and an off-plane oxygen bonded to two saturated carbon atoms that are adjacent to the semiquinone species, C(O)Cf(O). The rate-limiting step is the decomposition of these intermediates by breaking the C-C bonds that are connected to Cf(O). A new rate equation is derived for the uncatalyzed reactions, and that for the catalyzed reactions is readily available from the proposed mechanism. The proposed mechanism can account for several unresolved experimental observations: TPD and TK (transient kinetics) desorption results of the catalyzed systems, the similar activation energies for the uncatalyzed and catalyzed reactions, and the relative activities of the alkali and alkaline earth elements. The net charge of the edge carbon active site is substantially changed by gaining electron density from the alkali or alkaline earth element (by forming C-O-M, where M stands for metal). The relative catalytic activities of these elements can be correlated with their abilities of donating electrons and changing the net charge of the edge carbon atom. As shown previously (Chen, S. G.; Yang, R. T. J. Catal. 1993, 141, 102), only clusters of the alkali compounds are active. This derives from the ability of the clusters to dissociate CO2 and H2O to form O atoms and the mobility of the dissociated O atoms facilitated by the clusters.

The Alcohol Services Reporting System (ASRS) Revision Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borkman, Thomasina

This document reports a revision study of the California Alcohol Services Reporting System (ASRS), a system which consists of a structure of definitions and categories of services, a budget form of planned alcohol services, instructions for the county plan, and the report of expenditures. The study problem is that the ASRS structure of…

Tomato ASR1 abrogates the response to abscisic acid and glucose in Arabidopsis by competing with ABI4 for DNA binding.

PubMed

Shkolnik, Doron; Bar-Zvi, Dudy

2008-05-01

The manipulation of transacting factors is commonly used to achieve a wide change in the expression of a large number of genes in transgenic plants as a result of a change in the expression of a single gene product. This is mostly achieved by the overexpression of transactivator or repressor proteins. In this study, it is demonstrated that the overexpression of an exogenous DNA-binding protein can be used to compete with the expression of an endogenous transcription factor sharing the same DNA-binding sequence. Arabidopsis was transformed with cDNA encoding tomato abscisic acid stress ripening 1 (ASR1), a sequence-specific DNA protein that has no orthologues in the Arabidopsis genome. ASR1-overexpressing (ASR1-OE) plants display an abscisic acid-insensitive 4 (abi4) phenotype: seed germination is not sensitive to inhibition by abscisic acid (ABA), glucose, NaCl and paclobutrazol. ASR1 binds coupling element 1 (CE1), a cis-acting element bound by the ABI4 transcription factor, located in the ABI4-regulated promoters, including that of the ABI4 gene. Chromatin immunoprecipitation demonstrates that ASR1 is bound in vivo to the promoter of the ABI4 gene in ASR1-OE plants, but not to promoters of genes known to be regulated by the transcription factors ABI3 or ABI5. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis confirmed that the expression of ABI4 and ABI4-regulated genes is markedly reduced in ASR1-OE plants. Therefore, it is concluded that the abi4 phenotype of ASR1-OE plants is the result of competition between the foreign ASR1 and the endogenous ABI4 on specific promoter DNA sequences. The biotechnological advantage of using this approach in crop plants from the Brassicaceae family to reduce the transactivation activity of ABI4 is discussed.

Origin of hydrous alkali feldspar-silica intergrowth in spherulites from intra-plate A2-type rhyolites at the Jabal Shama, Saudi Arabia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Surour, Adel A.; El-Nisr, Said A.; Bakhsh, Rami A.

2016-03-01

Miocene rhyolites (19.2 ± 0.9 Ma) at the Jabal Shama in western Saudi Arabia represent an example of rift-related silicic volcanism that took place during the formation of the Red Sea. They mostly consist of tuffaceous varieties with distinct flow banding, and pea-sized spherulites, obsidian and perlitized rhyolite tuffs. Although they have the geochemical signature of A2-type rhyolites, these silicic rocks are not typically alkaline but alkali-calcic to calc-alkaline. They developed in a within-plate regime and possibly derived from a recycled mafic subducted slab in depleted sub-continental mantle beneath the western Arabian plate. The Jabal Shama rhyolites are younger in age than their Miocene counterparts in Yemen and Ethiopia. The Jabal Shama spherulites consist of hydrous alkali feldspar-silica radial intergrowths with an occasional brown glass nucleus. Carbonate- and glass-free spherulites give up to 4.45 wt% L.O.I. The hydrous nature of these silicates and the absence of magnetite in the spherulites is a strong indication of oxidizing conditions. The spherulites contain hydrous feldspars with up to ∼6 wt% H2O, and they develop by diffusion and devitrification of glass in the rhyolite tuff at ∼800 °C. Owing to higher undercooling due to supersaturation, the radial hydrous phases within spherulites might grow faster and led to coagulation. The polygonal contacts between spherulites and the ∼120° dihedral angle suggest solid-state modification and recrystallization as the process of devitrification proceeds as low as ∼300 °C. The sum of FeO + MgO is positively correlated with total alkalies along with magnetite oxidation in the matrix to Fe-oxyhydroxides, and to the incorporation of OH- into silicates within the spehrulites themselves. Structural H2O in glass of the Jabal Shama perlite (obsidian) is considerable (∼9-12 wt%) with 3.72-5.6 wt% L.O.I. of the whole-rock. The presence of deleterious silica impurities would lower the ore grade due to

Effectiveness of fly ash replacement in the reduction of damage due to alkali-aggregate reaction in concrete.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1986-05-01

The concrete industry is faced with the urgent need of improving its knowledge : about the mechanism by which fly ash helps in the reduction of damage due to : alkali-aggregate reaction in concrete to acceptable levels. : The main objective of this r...

Polymer-silica hybrids for separation of CO2 and catalysis of organic reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva Mojica, Ernesto

Porous materials comprising polymeric and inorganic segments have attracted interest from the scientific community due to their unique properties and functionalities. The physical and chemical characteristics of these materials can be effectively exploited for adsorption applications. This dissertation covers the experimental techniques for fabrication of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and silica (SiO2) porous supports, and their functionalization with polyamines for developing adsorbents with potential applications in separation of CO2 and catalysis of organic reactions. The supports were synthesized by processes involving (i) covalent cross-linking of PVA, (ii) hydrolysis and poly-condensation of silica precursors (i,e,. sol-gel synthesis), and formation of porous structures via (iii) direct templating and (iv) phase inversion techniques. Their physical structure was controlled by the proper combination of the preparation procedures, which resulted in micro-structured porous materials in the form of micro-particles, membranes, and pellets. Their adsorption characteristics were tailored by functionalization with polyethyleneimine (PEI), and their physicochemical properties were characterized by vibrational spectroscopy (FTIR, UV-vis), microscopy (SEM), calorimetry (TGA, DSC), and adsorption techniques (BET, step-switch adsorption). Spectroscopic investigations of the interfacial cross-linking reactions of PEI and PVA with glutaraldehyde (GA) revealed that PEI catalyzes the cross-linking reactions of PVA in absence of external acid catalysts. In-situ IR spectroscopy coupled with a focal plane array (FPA) image detector allowed the characterization of a gradient interface on a PEI/PVA composite membrane and the investigation of the cross-linking reactions as a function of time and position. The results served as a basis to postulate possible intermediates, and propose the reaction mechanisms. The formulation of amine-functionalized CO2 capture sorbents was based on the

Complete magnesiothermic reduction reaction of vertically aligned mesoporous silica channels to form pure silicon nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Kim, Kyoung Hwan; Lee, Dong Jin; Cho, Kyeong Min; Kim, Seon Joon; Park, Jung-Ki; Jung, Hee-Tae

2015-01-01

Owing to its simplicity and low temperature conditions, magnesiothermic reduction of silica is one of the most powerful methods for producing silicon nanostructures. However, incomplete reduction takes place in this process leaving unconverted silica under the silicon layer. This phenomenon limits the use of this method for the rational design of silicon structures. In this effort, a technique that enables complete magnesiothermic reduction of silica to form silicon has been developed. The procedure involves magnesium promoted reduction of vertically oriented mesoporous silica channels on reduced graphene oxides (rGO) sheets. The mesopores play a significant role in effectively enabling magnesium gas to interact with silica through a large number of reaction sites. Utilizing this approach, highly uniform, ca. 10 nm sized silicon nanoparticles are generated without contamination by unreacted silica. The new method for complete magnesiothermic reduction of mesoporous silica approach provides a foundation for the rational design of silicon structures. PMID:25757800

Ab Initio Study of Chemical Reactions of Cold SrF and CaF Molecules with Alkali-Metal and Alkaline-Earth-Metal Atoms: The Implications for Sympathetic Cooling.

PubMed

Kosicki, Maciej Bartosz; Kędziera, Dariusz; Żuchowski, Piotr Szymon

2017-06-01

We investigate the energetics of the atom exchange reaction in the SrF + alkali-metal atom and CaF + alkali-metal atom systems. Such reactions are possible only for collisions of SrF and CaF with the lithium atoms, while they are energetically forbidden for other alkali-metal atoms. Specifically, we focus on SrF interacting with Li, Rb, and Sr atoms and use ab initio methods to demonstrate that the SrF + Li and SrF + Sr reactions are barrierless. We present potential energy surfaces for the interaction of the SrF molecule with the Li, Rb, and Sr atoms in their energetically lowest-lying electronic spin states. The obtained potential energy surfaces are deep and exhibit profound interaction anisotropies. We predict that the collisions of SrF molecules in the rotational or Zeeman excited states most likely have a strong inelastic character. We discuss the prospects for the sympathetic cooling of SrF and CaF molecules using ultracold alkali-metal atoms.

Study of the reaction of tungsten carbide in molten alkali metal nitrates. Syntheses of divalent (s and d blocks) metal tungstates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deloume, Jean-Pierre; Marote, Pedro; Sigala, Catherine; Matei, Cristian

2003-08-01

WC is tested as precursor to synthesize metal tungstates by reaction in molten alkali metal nitrates. This constitutes a complex redox system with two reducing agents, W and C, and an oxidizer having several oxidation states. The mass loss due to the evolution of gases reveals the reaction steps. The infrared analyses of the gas phase show what kind of reaction develops according to the temperature. WC produces a water-soluble alkali metal tungstate. The reaction of a mixture of WC and a divalent metal chloride (Mg, Ca, Ba, Ni, Cu, Zn) leads to water-insoluble metal tungstates. As the reactivity of the cations increases in the order Zn, Ni, Cu, the reaction of WC is modified by their presence. The physico-chemical characterizations of the products show that some of them are contaminated either by WC or by metal oxide. Some others are rather pure products. These differences, in relationship with the other analyses, allow to propose first reaction pathways of the tungsten carbide in molten salts.

Preparation and Characterization of Silica Aerogel Microspheres

PubMed Central

Chen, Qifeng; Wang, Hui; Sun, Luyi

2017-01-01

Silica aerogel microspheres based on alkali silica sol were synthesized using the emulsion method. The experimental results revealed that the silica aerogel microspheres (4–20 µm in diameter) were mesoporous solids with an average pore diameter ranging from 6 to 35 nm. The tapping densities and specific surface areas of the aerogel microspheres are in the range of 0.112–0.287 g/cm3 and 207.5–660.6 m2/g, respectively. The diameter of the silica aerogel microspheres could be tailored by varying the processing conditions including agitation rate, water/oil ratio, mass ratio of Span 80: Tween 80, and emulsifier concentration. The effects of these parameters on the morphology and textural properties of the synthesized silica aerogel microspheres were systematically investigated. Such silica aerogel microspheres can be used to prepare large-scale silica aerogels at an ambient pressure for applications in separation and high efficiency catalysis, which requires features of high porosity and easy fill and recovery. PMID:28772795

Preparation and Characterization of Silica Aerogel Microspheres.

PubMed

Chen, Qifeng; Wang, Hui; Sun, Luyi

2017-04-20

Silica aerogel microspheres based on alkali silica sol were synthesized using the emulsion method. The experimental results revealed that the silica aerogel microspheres (4-20 µm in diameter) were mesoporous solids with an average pore diameter ranging from 6 to 35 nm. The tapping densities and specific surface areas of the aerogel microspheres are in the range of 0.112-0.287 g/cm³ and 207.5-660.6 m²/g, respectively. The diameter of the silica aerogel microspheres could be tailored by varying the processing conditions including agitation rate, water/oil ratio, mass ratio of Span 80: Tween 80, and emulsifier concentration. The effects of these parameters on the morphology and textural properties of the synthesized silica aerogel microspheres were systematically investigated. Such silica aerogel microspheres can be used to prepare large-scale silica aerogels at an ambient pressure for applications in separation and high efficiency catalysis, which requires features of high porosity and easy fill and recovery.

Archive of boomer seismic reflection data collected during USGS field activities 01ASR01, 01ASR02, 02ASR01, 02ASR02, Miami, Florida, November 2001-January 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Calderon, Karynna; Dadisman, Shawn V.; Kindinger, Jack G.; Wiese, Dana S.; Flocks, James G.

2002-01-01

This appendix consists of two-dimensional marine seismic reflection profile data collected in canals in the Lake Belt Area of Miami, Florida. These data were acquired in November and December of 2001 and January and February of 2002 using a 4.9-m (16-ft) jonboat. The data are available in a variety of formats, including binary, ASCII, HTML, shapefiles, and GIF images. Binary data are in Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) SEG-Y format and may be downloaded for further processing or display. The SEG-Y data files are too large to fit on one CD-ROM, so they have been distributed onto two CD-ROMs as explained below. Reference maps and GIF images of the profiles may be viewed with your web browser. The GIS information provided is compatible with ESRI's GIS software. A reconnaissance test line (02ASR02-02b02) was collected northwest of the survey area during Field Activity 02ASR02 for possible use in a future project. It is archived here for organizational purposes only.

New cementitious system: The case of glass frit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fares, Galal

Canada ranks as the world's third largest aluminium producer, and more than 80% of its aluminum industry is concentrated in Quebec. However, the spent pot-liner waste produced by the aluminium smelters accumulates with time into a considerable amount threatening the Canadian environment, especially that of Quebec. A new-engineered material, known as glass fit (GF) has been developed through the chemical treatment of such waste. GF shows potential hydraulic and pozzolanic properties. GF has been studied as a binder itself and as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM). The activation of industrial by-products into clinkerless binders is a novel trend that has attracted the attention of many researchers. The activation of GF into binder to produce paste, mortar and concrete was the first aim of this study. Potential activation of GF using different types and combinations of inorganic activators and temperatures of activation was successfully achieved and high strength concretes were obtained. Moreover, mortars with high compressive strength were obtained with well-formulated activators at ambient temperature. On the other hand, the utilization of industrial by-products as a partial replacement for cement in concrete is a widespread practice. As GF contains a high concentration of sodium in its structure, there is a concern as to the effect of sodium content on the development of alkali-silica reaction (ASR) expansion of concrete. Therefore, this study also aimed to investigate the effect of GF sodium content in the enhancement of ASR expansion and to find new synergistic mixtures that can effectively mitigate ASR expansion in the long term. We observed that ASR expansion decreases with the replacement level of GF. Different synergistic diagrams containing known SCM (silica fume, fly ash, and slag) were achieved from which different effective mixtures can effectively alleviate ASR expansion. In conclusion, the use of GF in the manufacture of concrete has great

Silica functionalized Cu(II) acetylacetonate Schiff base complex: An efficient catalyst for the oxidative condensation reaction of benzyl alcohol with amines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anbarasu, G.; Malathy, M.; Karthikeyan, P.; Rajavel, R.

2017-09-01

Silica functionalized Cu(II) acetylacetonate Schiff base complex via the one pot reaction of silica functionalized 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane with acetyl acetone and copper acetate has been reported. The synthesized material was well characterized by analytical techniques such as FT-IR, UV-DRS, XRD, SEM-EDX, HR-TEM, EPR, ICP-AES and BET analysis. The characterization results confirmed the grafting of Cu(II) Schiff base complex on the silica surface. The catalytic activity of synthesized silica functionalized Cu(II) acetylacetonate Schiff base complex was evaluated through the oxidative condensation reaction of benzyl alcohol to imine.

Extending the Life of Lithium-Based Rechargeable Batteries by Reaction of Lithium Dendrites with a Novel Silica Nanoparticle Sandwiched Separator

DOE PAGES

Liu, Kai; Zhuo, Denys; Lee, Hyun -Wook; ...

2016-11-22

A reaction-protective separator that slows the growth of lithium dendrites penetrating into the separator is produced by sandwiching silica nanoparticles between two polymer separators. Here, the reaction between lithium dendrites and silica nanoparticles consumes the dendrites and can extend the life of the battery by approximately five times.

Improving ASR Recovery Efficiency by Partially-penetrating Wells in Brackish Aquifers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y.

2015-12-01

Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) is a proven cost-effective powerful technology for environmental protection and water resources optimization. The recovery efficiency (RE) is regarded as the key criteria for evaluating the ASR performance. In this study, a particular ASR scheme with the fully-penetrating well (FPW) for injection and the partially-penetrating well (PPW) for recovery is proposed to improve the RE for ASR schemes implemented in brackish aquifers. This design appreciates the tilting shape of the interface with underlying heavier salt water. For the FPW, recovery has to be terminated as soon as the interface toe reaches the well, while the toe can be pulled up to the PPW for recovery termination, resulting in later breakthrough of salt water into the pumping well, more recoverable water extracted from the shallow layers, and a higher RE. Key hydrogeological and operational parameters affecting the RE were investigated by numerical simulations. Results demonstrated the effectiveness and efficiency of the new ASR scheme and provided practical guidance for designing such a scheme in various hydrogeological conditions.

Pd-N-Heterocyclic Carbene (NHC) Organic Silica: Synthesis and Application in Carbon-Carbon Coupling Reactions

EPA Science Inventory

The first Pd-N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complex in the form of organic silica was prepared using sol-gel method and its application in Heck and Suzuki reaction were demonstrated. These C-C coupling reactions proceeded efficiently under the influence of microwave irradiation, wi...

Avation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) 40th Anniversary

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-09-28

Avation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) 40th Anniversary lunch and open house at the Sunnyvale office. Thomas A Edwards, Deputy Center Director NASA Ames (Left), presents a plaque On the anniversary of the aviation safety reporting system, this award is in recognition of 18 years of outstanding leadership as Program Director, resulting in strong program growth, expanded partnership and a widely recognized impact on National and Global transportation safety. Presented to Linda J. Connell, ASRS Program Director (Right)

End-to-End ASR-Free Keyword Search From Speech

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Audhkhasi, Kartik; Rosenberg, Andrew; Sethy, Abhinav; Ramabhadran, Bhuvana; Kingsbury, Brian

2017-12-01

End-to-end (E2E) systems have achieved competitive results compared to conventional hybrid hidden Markov model (HMM)-deep neural network based automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems. Such E2E systems are attractive due to the lack of dependence on alignments between input acoustic and output grapheme or HMM state sequence during training. This paper explores the design of an ASR-free end-to-end system for text query-based keyword search (KWS) from speech trained with minimal supervision. Our E2E KWS system consists of three sub-systems. The first sub-system is a recurrent neural network (RNN)-based acoustic auto-encoder trained to reconstruct the audio through a finite-dimensional representation. The second sub-system is a character-level RNN language model using embeddings learned from a convolutional neural network. Since the acoustic and text query embeddings occupy different representation spaces, they are input to a third feed-forward neural network that predicts whether the query occurs in the acoustic utterance or not. This E2E ASR-free KWS system performs respectably despite lacking a conventional ASR system and trains much faster.

Ordered mesoporous silica prepared by quiescent interfacial growth method - effects of reaction chemistry

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Acidic interfacial growth can provide a number of industrially important mesoporous silica morphologies including fibers, spheres, and other rich shapes. Studying the reaction chemistry under quiescent (no mixing) conditions is important for understanding and for the production of the desired shapes. The focus of this work is to understand the effect of a number of previously untested conditions: acid type (HCl, HNO3, and H2SO4), acid content, silica precursor type (TBOS and TEOS), and surfactant type (CTAB, Tween 20, and Tween 80) on the shape and structure of products formed under quiescent two-phase interfacial configuration. Results show that the quiescent growth is typically slow due to the absence of mixing. The whole process of product formation and pore structuring becomes limited by the slow interfacial diffusion of silica source. TBOS-CTAB-HCl was the typical combination to produce fibers with high order in the interfacial region. The use of other acids (HNO3 and H2SO4), a less hydrophobic silica source (TEOS), and/or a neutral surfactant (Tweens) facilitate diffusion and homogenous supply of silica source into the bulk phase and give spheres and gyroids with low mesoporous order. The results suggest two distinct regions for silica growth (interfacial region and bulk region) in which the rate of solvent evaporation and local concentration affect the speed and dimension of growth. A combined mechanism for the interfacial bulk growth of mesoporous silica under quiescent conditions is proposed. PMID:24237719

Multiscale characterization of a heterogeneous aquifer using an ASR operation.

PubMed

Pavelic, Paul; Dillon, Peter J; Simmons, Craig T

2006-01-01

Heterogeneity in the physical properties of an aquifer can significantly affect the viability of aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) by reducing the recoverable proportion of low-salinity water where the ambient ground water is brackish or saline. This study investigated the relationship between knowledge of heterogeneity and predictions of solute transport and recovery efficiency by combining permeability and ASR-based tracer testing with modeling. Multiscale permeability testing of a sandy limestone aquifer at an ASR trial site showed that small-scale core data give lower-bound estimates of aquifer hydraulic conductivity (K), intermediate-scale downhole flowmeter data offer valuable information on variations in K with depth, and large-scale pumping test data provide an integrated measure of the effective K that is useful to constrain ground water models. Chloride breakthrough and thermal profiling data measured during two cycles of ASR showed that the movement of injected water is predominantly within two stratigraphic layers identified from the flowmeter data. The behavior of the injectant was reasonably well simulated with a four-layer numerical model that required minimal calibration. Verification in the second cycle achieved acceptable results given the model's simplicity. Without accounting for the aquifer's layered structure, high precision could be achieved on either piezometer breakthrough or recovered water quality, but not both. This study demonstrates the merit of an integrated approach to characterizing aquifers targeted for ASR.

Evolution of the pore structure during the early stages of the alkali-activation reaction: An in situ small-angle neutron scattering investigation

DOE PAGES

White, Claire E.; Olds, Daniel P.; Hartl, Monika; ...

2017-02-01

The long-term durability of cement-based materials is influenced by the pore structure and associated permeability at the sub-micrometre length scale. With the emergence of new types of sustainable cements in recent decades, there is a pressing need to be able to predict the durability of these new materials, and therefore nondestructive experimental techniques capable of characterizing the evolution of the pore structure are increasingly crucial for investigating cement durability. Here, small-angle neutron scattering is used to analyze the evolution of the pore structure in alkali-activated materials over the initial 24 h of reaction in order to assess the characteristic poremore » sizes that emerge during these short time scales. By using a unified fitting approach for data modeling, information on the pore size and surface roughness is obtained for a variety of precursor chemistries and morphologies (metakaolin- and slag-based pastes). Furthermore, the impact of activator chemistry is elucidatedviathe analysis of pastes synthesized using hydroxide- and silicate-based activators. It is found that the main aspect influencing the size of pores that are accessible using small-angle neutron scattering analysis (approximately 10–500 Å in diameter) is the availability of free silica in the activating solution, which leads to a more refined pore structure with smaller average pore size. Furthermore, as the reaction progresses the gel pores visible using this scattering technique are seen to increase in size.« less

Silica-promoted Diels-Alder reactions in carbon dioxide from gaseous to supercritical conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weinstein, R.D.; Renslo, A.R.; Danheiser, R.L.

1999-04-15

Amorphous fumed silica (SiO{sub 2}) was shown to increase yields and selectivities of several Diels-Alder reactions in gaseous and supercritical CO{sub 2}. Pressure effects on the Diels-Alder reaction were explored using methyl vinyl ketone and penta-1,3-diene at 80 C. The selectivity of the reaction was not affected by pressure/density. As pressure was increased, the yield decreased. At the reaction temperature, adsorption isotherms at various pressures were obtained for the reactants and the Diels-Alder adduct. As expected when pressure is increased, the ratio of the amount of reactants adsorbed to the amount of reactants in the fluid phase decreases, thus causingmore » the yield to decrease. The Langmuir adsorption model fit the adsorption data. The Langmuir equilibrium partitioning constants all decreased with increasing pressure. The effect of temperature on adsorption was experimentally determined and traditional heats of adsorption were calculated. However, since supercritical CO{sub 2} is a highly compressible fluid, it is logical to examine the effect of temperature at constant density. In this case, entropies of adsorption were obtained. The thermodynamic properties that influence the real enthalpy and entropy of adsorption were derived. Methods of doping the silica and improving yields and selectivities were also explored.« less

ASR5 is involved in the regulation of miRNA expression in rice.

PubMed

Neto, Lauro Bücker; Arenhart, Rafael Augusto; de Oliveira, Luiz Felipe Valter; de Lima, Júlio Cesar; Bodanese-Zanettini, Maria Helena; Margis, Rogerio; Margis-Pinheiro, Márcia

2015-11-01

The work describes an ASR knockdown transcriptomic analysis by deep sequencing of rice root seedlings and the transactivation of ASR cis-acting elements in the upstream region of a MIR gene. MicroRNAs are key regulators of gene expression that guide post-transcriptional control of plant development and responses to environmental stresses. ASR (ABA, Stress and Ripening) proteins are plant-specific transcription factors with key roles in different biological processes. In rice, ASR proteins have been suggested to participate in the regulation of stress response genes. This work describes the transcriptomic analysis by deep sequencing two libraries, comparing miRNA abundance from the roots of transgenic ASR5 knockdown rice seedlings with that of the roots of wild-type non-transformed rice seedlings. Members of 59 miRNA families were detected, and 276 mature miRNAs were identified. Our analysis detected 112 miRNAs that were differentially expressed between the two libraries. A predicted inverse correlation between miR167abc and its target gene (LOC_Os07g29820) was confirmed using RT-qPCR. Protoplast transactivation assays showed that ASR5 is able to recognize binding sites upstream of the MIR167a gene and drive its expression in vivo. Together, our data establish a comparative study of miRNAome profiles and is the first study to suggest the involvement of ASR proteins in miRNA gene regulation.

On-Going International Research Program on Irradiated Concrete Conducted by DOE, EPRI and Japan Research Institutions. Roadmap, Achievements and Path Forward

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Le Pape, Yann; Rosseel, Thomas M.

The Joint Department of Energy (DOE)-Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Program (Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program–Material Pathway–Concrete and Long-Term Operation (LTO) Program) and US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) research studies aim at understanding the most prominent degradation modes and their effects on the long-term operation of concrete structures to nuclear power generation. Based on the results of the Expanded Materials Degradation Analysis (EMDA), (NUREG/CR-7153, ORNL/TM-2011/545), irradiated concrete and alkali-silica reaction (ASR)-affected concrete structures are the two prioritized topics of on-going research. This report focuses specifically on the topic of irradiated concrete and summarizes the main accomplishments obtained by thismore » joint program, but also provides an overview of current relevant activities domestically and internationally. Possible paths forward are also suggested to help near-future orientation of this program.« less

SNR-adaptive stream weighting for audio-MES ASR.

PubMed

Lee, Ki-Seung

2008-08-01

Myoelectric signals (MESs) from the speaker's mouth region have been successfully shown to improve the noise robustness of automatic speech recognizers (ASRs), thus promising to extend their usability in implementing noise-robust ASR. In the recognition system presented herein, extracted audio and facial MES features were integrated by a decision fusion method, where the likelihood score of the audio-MES observation vector was given by a linear combination of class-conditional observation log-likelihoods of two classifiers, using appropriate weights. We developed a weighting process adaptive to SNRs. The main objective of the paper involves determining the optimal SNR classification boundaries and constructing a set of optimum stream weights for each SNR class. These two parameters were determined by a method based on a maximum mutual information criterion. Acoustic and facial MES data were collected from five subjects, using a 60-word vocabulary. Four types of acoustic noise including babble, car, aircraft, and white noise were acoustically added to clean speech signals with SNR ranging from -14 to 31 dB. The classification accuracy of the audio ASR was as low as 25.5%. Whereas, the classification accuracy of the MES ASR was 85.2%. The classification accuracy could be further improved by employing the proposed audio-MES weighting method, which was as high as 89.4% in the case of babble noise. A similar result was also found for the other types of noise.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Copuroglu, Oguzhan, E-mail: O.Copuroglu@CiTG.TUDelft.NL; Andic-Cakir, Ozge; Broekmans, Maarten A.T.M.

In this paper, the alkali-silica reaction performance of a basalt rock from western Anatolia, Turkey is reported. It is observed that the rock causes severe gel formation in the concrete microbar test. It appears that the main source of expansion is the reactive glassy phase of the basalt matrix having approximately 70% of SiO{sub 2}. The study presents the microstructural characteristics of unreacted and reacted basalt aggregate by optical and electron microscopy and discusses the possible reaction mechanism. Microstructural analysis revealed that the dissolution of silica is overwhelming in the matrix of the basalt and it eventually generates four consequences:more » (1) Formation of alkali-silica reaction gel at the aggregate perimeter, (2) increased porosity and permeability of the basalt matrix, (3) reduction of mechanical properties of the aggregate and (4) additional gel formation within the aggregate. It is concluded that the basalt rock is highly prone to alkali-silica reaction. As an aggregate, this rock is not suitable for concrete production.« less

Implication of femoral stem on performance of articular surface replacement (ASR) XL total hip arthroplasty.

PubMed

Cip, Johannes; von Strempel, Archibald; Bach, Christian; Luegmair, Matthias; Benesch, Thomas; Martin, Arno

2014-11-01

Taper junctions of large diameter metal-on-metal femoral heads and femoral stems were described as metal ion generator due to accelerated wear and corrosion. However, literature about the Articular Surface Replacement (ASR) total hip arthroplasty (THA) invariably deals with stems manufactured by DePuy Orthopedics (Warsaw, IN, USA). Nothing is known whether different stems with common 12/14 mm tapers affect failure rate or ion release. 99 ASR THA (88 patients) implanted with CoxaFit or ARGE Geradschaft stems (K-Implant, Hannover, Germany) were retrospectively analyzed. After a mean follow-up of 3.5 years revision rate was 24.5%, mostly due to adverse reaction to metal debris (ARMD). CT scan revealed component loosening in 10.3% and pseudotumoral lesions in 12.6%. Elevated ion concentrations (>7 μg/l) were found in 38.6%. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ground Operations and ASRS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Connell, Linda; Wichner, David; Jakey, Abegail Marie

2013-01-01

The Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) in a partnership between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), participating carriers, and labor organizations. It is designed to improve the National Airspace System by collecting and studying reports detailing unsafe conditions and events in the aviation industry. Employees are able to report safety issues or concerns with confidentiality and without fear of discipline

Ligand-tailored single-site silica supported titanium catalysts: Synthesis, characterization and towards cyanosilylation reaction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xu, Wei; Li, Yani; Yu, Bo

2015-01-15

A successive anchoring of Ti(NMe{sub 2}){sub 4}, cyclopentadiene and a O-donor ligand, 1-hydroxyethylbenzene (PEA), 1,1′-bi-2-naphthol (Binol) or 2,3-dihydroxybutanedioic acid diethyl ester (Tartrate), on silica was conducted by SOMC strategy in moderate conditions. The silica, monitored by in-situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (in-situ FT-IR), was pretreated at different temperatures (200, 500 and 800 °C). The ligand tailored silica-supported titanium complexes were characterized by in-situ FT-IR, {sup 13}C CP MAS-NMR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) and elemental analysis in detail, verifying that the surface titanium species are single sited. The catalytic activity of the ligand tailored single-sitemore » silica supported titanium complexes was evaluated by a cyanosilylation of benzaldehyde. The results showed that the catalytic activity is dependent strongly on the dehydroxylation temperatures of silica and the configuration of the ligands. - Graphical abstract: The ligand-tailored silica supported “single site” titanium complexes were synthesized by SOMC strategy and fully characterized. Their catalytic activity were evaluated by benzaldehyde silylcyanation. - Highlights: • Single-site silica supported Ti active species was prepared by SOMC technique. • O-donor ligand tailored Ti surface species was synthesized. • The surface species was characterized by XPS, {sup 13}C CP-MAS NMR, XANES etc. • Catalytic activity of the Ti active species in silylcyanation reaction was evaluated.« less

Phosphorylation of Trihelix Transcriptional Repressor ASR3 by MAP KINASE4 Negatively Regulates Arabidopsis Immunity

PubMed Central

Li, Bo; Jiang, Shan; Yu, Xiao; Cheng, Cheng; Chen, Sixue; Cheng, Yanbing; Yuan, Joshua S.; Jiang, Daohong; He, Ping; Shan, Libo

2015-01-01

Proper control of immune-related gene expression is crucial for the host to launch an effective defense response. Perception of microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) induces rapid and profound transcriptional reprogramming via unclear mechanisms. Here, we show that ASR3 (ARABIDOPSIS SH4-RELATED3) functions as a transcriptional repressor and plays a negative role in regulating pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) in Arabidopsis thaliana. ASR3 belongs to a plant-specific trihelix transcription factor family for which functional studies are lacking. MAMP treatments induce rapid phosphorylation of ASR3 at threonine 189 via MPK4, a mitogen-activated protein kinase that negatively regulates PTI responses downstream of multiple MAMP receptors. ASR3 possesses transcriptional repressor activity via its ERF-associated amphiphilic repression motifs and negatively regulates a large subset of flg22-induced genes. Phosphorylation of ASR3 by MPK4 enhances its DNA binding activity to suppress gene expression. Importantly, the asr3 mutant shows enhanced disease resistance to virulent bacterial pathogen infection, whereas transgenic plants overexpressing the wild-type or phospho-mimetic form of ASR3 exhibit compromised PTI responses. Our studies reveal a function of the trihelix transcription factors in plant innate immunity and provide evidence that ASR3 functions as a transcriptional repressor regulated by MAMP-activated MPK4 to fine-tune plant immune gene expression. PMID:25770109

Alkali- or acid-induced changes in structure, moisture absorption ability and deacetylating reaction of β-chitin extracted from jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) pens.

PubMed

Jung, Jooyeoun; Zhao, Yanyun

2014-01-01

Alkali- or acid-induced structural modifications in β-chitin from squid (Dosidicus gigas, d'Orbigny, 1835) pens and their moisture absorption ability (MAA) and deacetylating reaction were investigated and compared with α-chitin from shrimp shells. β-Chitin was converted into the α-form after 3h in 40% NaOH or 1-3 h in 40% HCl solution, and α-chitin obtained from NaOH treatment had higher MAA than had native α-chitin, due to polymorphic destructions. In contrast, induced α-chitin from acid treatment of β-chitin had few polymorphic modifications, showing no significant change (P>0.05) in MAA. β-Chitin was more susceptible to alkali deacetylation than was α-chitin, and required a lower concentration of NaOH and shorter reaction time. These results demonstrate that alkali- or acid-treated β-chitin retained high susceptibility toward solvents, which in turn resulted in good biological activity of β-chitosan for use as a natural antioxidant and antimicrobial substance or application as edible coatings and films for various food applications. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Methods for preventing ASR in new construction: results of field exposure sites.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-12-01

As part of the FHWA ASR Development and Deployment Program, two sites were built to study ASR in new concrete construction. Concrete blocks were produced with a range of aggregates and cementitious materials and placed on outdoor exposure sites at th...

Particle size effect of redox reactions for Co species supported on silica

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chotiwan, Siwaruk; Tomiga, Hiroki; Katagiri, Masaki

Conversions of chemical states during redox reactions of two silica-supported Co catalysts, which were prepared by the impregnation method, were evaluated by using an in situ XAFS technique. The addition of citric acid into the precursor solution led to the formation on silica of more homogeneous and smaller Co particles, with an average diameter of 4 nm. The supported Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} species were reduced to metallic Co via the divalent CoO species during a temperature-programmed reduction process. The reduced Co species were quantitatively oxidized with a temperature-programmed oxidation process. The higher observed reduction temperature of the smaller CoO particlesmore » and the lower observed oxidation temperature of the smaller metallic Co particles were induced by the higher dispersion of the Co oxide species, which apparently led to a stronger interaction with supporting silica. The redox temperature between CoO and Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} was found to be independent of the particle size. - Graphical abstract: Chemical state conversions of SiO{sub 2}-supported Co species and the particle size effect have been analyzed by means of in situ XAFS technique. The small CoO particles have endurance against the reduction and exist in a wide temperature range. Display Omitted - Highlights: • The conversions of the chemical state of supported Co species during redox reaction are evaluated. • In operando XAFS technique were applied to measure redox properties of small Co particles. • A small particle size affects to the redox temperatures of cobalt catalysts.« less

Automatic speech recognition (ASR) based approach for speech therapy of aphasic patients: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jamal, Norezmi; Shanta, Shahnoor; Mahmud, Farhanahani; Sha'abani, MNAH

2017-09-01

This paper reviews the state-of-the-art an automatic speech recognition (ASR) based approach for speech therapy of aphasic patients. Aphasia is a condition in which the affected person suffers from speech and language disorder resulting from a stroke or brain injury. Since there is a growing body of evidence indicating the possibility of improving the symptoms at an early stage, ASR based solutions are increasingly being researched for speech and language therapy. ASR is a technology that transfers human speech into transcript text by matching with the system's library. This is particularly useful in speech rehabilitation therapies as they provide accurate, real-time evaluation for speech input from an individual with speech disorder. ASR based approaches for speech therapy recognize the speech input from the aphasic patient and provide real-time feedback response to their mistakes. However, the accuracy of ASR is dependent on many factors such as, phoneme recognition, speech continuity, speaker and environmental differences as well as our depth of knowledge on human language understanding. Hence, the review examines recent development of ASR technologies and its performance for individuals with speech and language disorders.

Hydrometallurgical recovery of heavy metals from low grade automobile shredder residue (ASR): An application of advanced Fenton process (AFP).

PubMed

Singh, Jiwan; Lee, Byeong-Kyu

2015-09-15

To investigate the leaching and recovery of heavy metals from low-grade automobile shredder residue (ASR), the effects of nitric acid (HNO3) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentrations, liquid/solid (L/S) ratio, leaching temperature and ASR particle size fractions on the heavy metal leaching rate were determined. The heavy metals were recovered by fractional precipitation and advanced Fenton process (AFP) at different pHs. The toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) test was also performed in the residue remaining after heavy metal leaching to evaluate the potential toxicity of ASR. The heavy metal leaching efficiency was increased with increasing HNO3 and H2O2 concentrations, L/S ratio and temperature. The heavy metal leaching efficiencies were maximized in the lowest ASR size fraction at 303 K and L/S ratio of 100 mL/g. The kinetic study showed that the metal leaching was best represented by a second-order reaction model, with a value of R(2) > 0.99 for all selected heavy metals. The determined activation energy (kJ/mol) was 21.61, 17.10, 12.15, 34.50, 13.07 and 11.45 for Zn, Fe, Ni, Pb, Cd and Cr, respectively. In the final residue, the concentrations of Cd, Cr and Pb were under their threshold limits in all ASR size fractions. Hydrometallurgical metal recovery was greatly increased by AFP up to 99.96% for Zn, 99.97% for Fe, 95.62% for Ni, 99.62% for Pb, 94.11% for Cd and 96.79% for Cr. AFP is highly recommended for the recovery of leached metals from solution even at low concentrations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of a Protic Ionic Liquid on the Reaction Pathway during Non-Aqueous Sol–Gel Synthesis of Silica: A Raman Spectroscopic Investigation

PubMed Central

Martinelli, Anna

2014-01-01

The reaction pathway during the formation of silica via a two-component “non-aqueou” sol-gel synthesis is studied by in situ time-resolved Raman spectroscopy. This synthetic route is followed with and without the addition of the protic ionic liquid 1-ethylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (C2HImTFSI) in order to investigate its effect on the reaction pathway. We demonstrate that Raman spectroscopy is suitable to discriminate between different silica intermediates, which are produced and consumed at different rates with respect to the point of gelation. We find that half-way to gelation monomers and shorter chains are the most abundant silica species, while the formation of silica rings strongly correlates to the sol-to-gel transition. Thus, curling up of linear chains is here proposed as a plausible mechanism for the formation of small rings. These in turn act as nucleation sites for the condensation of larger rings and thus the formation of the open and polymeric silica network. We find that the protic ionic liquid does not change the reaction pathway per se, but accelerates the cyclization process, intermediated by the faster inclusion of monomeric species. PMID:24743891

Process for preparing polymer reinforced silica aerogels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meador, Mary Ann B. (Inventor); Capadona, Lynn A. (Inventor)

2011-01-01

Process for preparing polymer-reinforced silica aerogels which comprises a one-pot reaction of at least one alkoxy silane in the presence of effective amounts of a polymer precursor to obtain a silica reaction product, the reaction product is gelled and subsequently subjected to conditions that promotes polymerization of the precursor and then supercritically dried to obtain the polymer-reinforced monolithic silica aerogels.

SiASR4, the Target Gene of SiARDP from Setaria italica, Improves Abiotic Stress Adaption in Plants.

PubMed

Li, Jianrui; Dong, Yang; Li, Cong; Pan, Yanlin; Yu, Jingjuan

2016-01-01

Drought and other types of abiotic stresses negatively affect plant growth and crop yields. The abscisic acid-, stress-, and ripening-induced (ASR) proteins play important roles in the protection of plants against abiotic stress. However, the regulatory pathway of the gene encoding this protein remains to be elucidated. In this study, the foxtail millet ( Setaria italica ) ASR gene, SiASR4 , was cloned and characterized. SiASR4 localized to the cell nucleus, cytoplasm and cytomembrane, and the protein contained 102 amino acids, including an ABA/WDS (abscisic acid/water-deficit stress) domain, with a molecular mass of 11.5 kDa. The abundance of SiASR4 transcripts increased after treatment with ABA, NaCl, and PEG in foxtail millet seedlings. It has been reported that the S. italica ABA-responsive DRE-binding protein (SiARDP) binds to a DNA sequence with a CCGAC core and that there are five dehydration-responsive element (DRE) motifs within the SiASR4 promoter. Our analyses demonstrated that the SiARDP protein could bind to the SiASR4 promoter in vitro and in vivo . The expression of SiASR4 increased in SiARDP -overexpressing plants. SiASR4 -transgenic Arabidopsis and SiASR4 -overexpressing foxtail millet exhibited enhanced tolerance to drought and salt stress. Furthermore, the transcription of stress-responsive and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger-associated genes was activated in SiASR4 transgenic plants. Together, these findings show that SiASR4 functions in the adaption to drought and salt stress and is regulated by SiARDP via an ABA-dependent pathway.

Desulfurizing Coal With an Alkali Treatment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ravindram, M.; Kalvinskas, J. J.

1987-01-01

Experimental coal-desulfurization process uses alkalies and steam in fluidized-bed reactor. With highly volatile, high-sulfur bituminous coal, process removed 98 percent of pyritic sulfur and 47 percent of organic sulfur. Used in coal liquefaction and in production of clean solid fuels and synthetic liquid fuels. Nitrogen or steam flows through bed of coal in reactor. Alkalies react with sulfur, removing it from coal. Nitrogen flow fluidizes bed while heating or cooling; steam is fluidizing medium during reaction.

Interfacial interaction between the epoxidized natural rubber and silica in natural rubber/silica composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Tiwen; Jia, Zhixin; Luo, Yuanfang; Jia, Demin; Peng, Zheng

2015-02-01

The epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) as an interfacial modifier was used to improve the mechanical and dynamical mechanical properties of NR/silica composites. In order to reveal the interaction mechanism between ENR and silica, the ENR/Silica model compound was prepared by using an open mill and the interfacial interaction of ENR with silica was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and stress-strain testing. The results indicated that the ring-opening reaction occurs between the epoxy groups of ENR chains and Si-OH groups on the silica surfaces and the covalent bonds are formed between two phases, which can improve the dispersion of silica in the rubber matrix and enhance the interfacial combination between rubber and silica. The ring-opening reaction occurs not only in vulcanization process but also in mixing process, meanwhile, the latter seems to be more important due to the simultaneous effects of mechanical force and temperature.

Aquifer Storage Recovery (ASR) of chlorinated municipal drinking water in a confined aquifer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Izbicki, John A.; Petersen, Christen E.; Glotzbach, Kenneth J.; Metzger, Loren F.; Christensen, Allen H.; Smith, Gregory A.; O'Leary, David R.; Fram, Miranda S.; Joseph, Trevor; Shannon, Heather

2010-01-01

About 1.02 x 106 m3 of chlorinated municipal drinking water was injected into a confined aquifer, 94-137 m below Roseville, California, between December 2005 and April 2006. The water was stored in the aquifer for 438 days, and 2.64 x 106 m3 of water were extracted between July 2007 and February 2008. On the basis of Cl data, 35% of the injected water was recovered and 65% of the injected water and associated disinfection by-products (DBPs) remained in the aquifer at the end of extraction. About 46.3 kg of total trihalomethanes (TTHM) entered the aquifer with the injected water and 37.6 kg of TTHM were extracted. As much as 44 kg of TTHMs remained in the aquifer at the end of extraction because of incomplete recovery of injected water and formation of THMs within the aquifer by reactions with freechlorine in the injected water. Well-bore velocity log data collected from the Aquifer Storage Recovery (ASR) well show as much as 60% of the injected water entered the aquifer through a 9 m thick, high-permeability layer within the confined aquifer near the top of the screened interval. Model simulations of ground-water flow near the ASR well indicate that (1) aquifer heterogeneity allowed injected water to move rapidly through the aquifer to nearby monitoring wells, (2) aquifer heterogeneity caused injected water to move further than expected assuming uniform aquifer properties, and (3) physical clogging of high-permeability layers is the probable cause for the observed change in the distribution of borehole flow. Aquifer heterogeneity also enhanced mixing of native anoxic ground water with oxic injected water, promoting removal of THMs primarily through sorption. A 3 to 4-fold reduction in TTHM concentrations was observed in the furthest monitoring well 427 m downgradient from the ASR well, and similar magnitude reductions were observed in depth-dependent water samples collected from the upper part of the screened interval in the ASR well near the end of the extraction

Serpentinization processes: Influence of silica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, R.; Sun, W.; Ding, X.; Song, M.; Zhan, W.

2016-12-01

Serpentinization systems are highly enriched in molecular hydrogen (H2) and hydrocarbons (e.g. methane, ethane and propane). The production of hydrocarbons results from reactions between H2 and oxidized carbon (carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide), which possibly contribute to climate changes during early history of the Earth. However, the influence of silica on the production of H2 and hydrocarbons was poorly constrained. We performed experiments at 311-500 °C and 3.0 kbar using mechanical mixtures of silica and olivine in ratios ranging from 0 to 40%. Molecular hydrogen (H2), methane, ethane and propane were formed, which were analyzed by gas chromatography. It was found that silica largely decreased H2 production. Without any silica, olivine serpentinization produced 94.5 mmol/kg H2 after 20 days of reaction time. By contrast, with the presence of 20% silica, H2 concentrations decreased largely, 8.5 mmol/kg. However, the influence of silica on the production of hydrocarbons is negligible. Moreover, with the addition of 20%-40% silica, the major hydrous minerals are talc, which was quantified according to an established standard curve calibrated by infrared spectroscopy analyses. It shows that silica greatly enhances olivine hydration, especially at 500 °C. Without any addition of silica, reaction extents were <5% at 17 days during olivine serpentinization at 500 °C and 3.0 kbar. By contrast, with the presence of 50% silica, olivine was completely transformed to talc within 9 days. This study indicates that silica impedes the oxidation of ferrous iron into ferric iron, and that rates of olivine hydration in natural geological settings are much faster with silica supply.

Process for Preparing Epoxy-Reinforced Silica Aerogels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meador, Mary Ann B (Inventor)

2016-01-01

One-pot reaction process for preparing epoxy-reinforced monolithic silica aerogels comprising the reaction of at least one silicon compound selected from the group consisting of alkoxysilanes, orthosilicates and combination thereof in any ratio with effective amounts of an epoxy monomer and an aminoalkoxy silane to obtain an epoxy monomer-silica sol in solution, subsequently preparing an epoxy-monomer silica gel from said silica sol solution followed by initiating polymerization of the epoxy monomer to obtain the epoxy-reinforced monolithic silica aerogel.

Evaluation of ASR potential in Wyoming aggregates.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-10-01

A comprehensive study was performed to evaluate the ASR reactivity of eight Wyoming aggregates. State-of-the-art and standardized test : methods were performed and results were used to evaluate these aggregate sources. Of the eight aggregates: four a...

Alumina plate containing photosystem I reaction center complex oriented inside plate-penetrating silica nanopores.

PubMed

Kamidaki, Chihiro; Kondo, Toru; Noji, Tomoyasu; Itoh, Tetsuji; Yamaguchi, Akira; Itoh, Shigeru

2013-08-22

The photosynthetic photosystem I reaction center complex (PSI-RC), which has a molecular diameter of 21 nm with 100 pigments, was incorporated into silica nanopores with a 100-nm diameter that penetrates an alumina plate of 60-μm thickness to make up an inorganic-biological hybrid photocell. PSI-RCs, purified from a thermophilic cyanobacterium, were stable inside the nanopores and rapidly photoreduced a mediator dye methyl viologen. The reduced dye was more stable inside nanopores suggesting the decrease of dissolved oxygen. The analysis by a cryogenic electron spin paramagnetic resonance indicated the oriented arrangement of RCs inside the 100-nm nanopores, with their surface parallel to the silica wall and perpendicular to the plane of the alumina plate. PSI RC complex in the semicrystalline orientation inside silica nanopores can be a new type of light energy conversion unit to supply strong reducing power selectively to other molecules inside or outside nanopores.

Primary and Secondary Contamination Mechanisms in ASR Modeling and Design of Practical Management

EPA Science Inventory

Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) is a useful water resource management option for water storage and reuse. Its increased use is recognized in adaptation to the ever increasing problem of water availability, both in timing and flow. Challenges in the ASR process may arise from...

Primary and Secondary Contamination Mechanisms for Consideration in ASR Modeling and Practical Management

EPA Science Inventory

Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) is a useful water resource management option for water storage and reuse. Its increased use is recognized in adaptation to the ever increasing problem of water availability, both in timing and flow. Challenges in the ASR process may arise from...

Inhibitions by hydrogen-occluding silica microcluster to melanogenesis in human pigment cells and tyrosinase reaction.

PubMed

Kato, Shinya; Saitoh, Yasukazu; Miwa, Nobuhiko

2013-01-01

We investigated the anti-melanogenetic efficacy of hydrogen-occluding silica microcluster (H2-Silica), which is a silsesquioxane-based compound with hydrogen interstitially embedded in a matrix of caged silica, against melanogenesis in HMV-II human melanoma cells and L-DOPA-tyrosinase reaction [EC1.14.18.1]. HMV-II cells were subjected to oxidative stress by ultraviolet ray-A (UVA) exposure of 3-times of 0.65 J/cm2 summed up to 1.95 J/cm2. After UVA irradiation, HMV-II cells were stimulated to produce melanin by 2.72-fold more abundantly than unirradiated control. When HMV-II cells were treated with H2-Silica of 20 ppm or kojic acid of 28.4 ppm before and after UVA-irradiation, the amount of melanin was repressed to 12.2% or 14.5% as compared to that of UVA-irradiated control, respectively. That is, H2-Silica exhibited a comparable efficacy to the whitening agent kojic acid. The H2-Silica could prevent melanogenesis in HMV-II cells by low-level doses at 1-10 ppm, and cell viability and apoptosis event did not change even by high-level doses at 100-1000 ppm. On the contrary, kojic acid was cytotoxic at the concentration of 14-28 ppm or more. By microscopic observation, H2-Silica suppressed such properties indicative of melanin-rich cells as cellular hypertrophy, cell process formation, and melanogenesis around the outside of nuclei. The enzymatic assay using L-DOPA and mushroom tyrosinase demonstrated that H2-Silica restrained UVA-mediated melanin formation owing to down-regulation of tyrosinase activity, which could be attributed to scavenging of free radicals and inhibition of L-DOPA-to-dopachrome oxidation by hydrogen released from H2-Silica. Thus H2-Silica has a potential to prevent melanin production against UVA and serves as a skin-lightening ingredient for supplements or cosmetics.

Water Vapor Effects on Silica-Forming Ceramics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Opila, E. J.; Greenbauer-Seng, L. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Silica-forming ceramics such as SiC and Si3N4 are proposed for applications in combustion environments. These environments contain water vapor as a product of combustion. Oxidation of silica-formers is more rapid in water vapor than in oxygen. Parabolic oxidation rates increase with the water vapor partial pressure with a power law exponent value close to one. Molecular water vapor is therefore the mobile species in silica. Rapid oxidation rates and large amounts of gases generated during the oxidation reaction in high water vapor pressures may result in bubble formation in the silica and nonprotective scale formation. It is also shown that silica reacts with water vapor to form Si(OH)4(g). Silica volatility has been modeled using a laminar flow boundary layer controlled reaction equation. Silica volatility depends on the partial pressure of water vapor, the total pressure, and the gas velocity. Simultaneous oxidation and volatilization reactions have been modeled with paralinear kinetics.

Utilization of recycled glass derived from cathode ray tube glass as fine aggregate in cement mortar.

PubMed

Ling, Tung-Chai; Poon, Chi-Sun

2011-08-30

Rapid advances in the electronic industry led to an excessive amount of early disposal of older electronic devices such as computer monitors and old televisions (TV) before the end of their useful life. The management of cathode ray tubes (CRT), which have been a key component in computer monitors and TV sets, has become a major environmental problem worldwide. Therefore, there is a pressing need to develop sustainable alternative methods to manage hazardous CRT glass waste. This study assesses the feasibility of utilizing CRT glass as a substitute for natural aggregates in cement mortar. The CRT glass investigated was an acid-washed funnel glass of dismantled CRT from computer monitors and old TV sets. The mechanical properties of mortar mixes containing 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of CRT glass were investigated. The potential of the alkali-silica reaction (ASR) and leachability of lead were also evaluated. The results confirmed that the properties of the mortar mixes prepared with CRT glass was similar to that of the control mortar using sand as fine aggregate, and displayed innocuous behaviour in the ASR expansion test. Incorporating CRT glass in cement mortar successfully prevented the leaching of lead. We conclude that it is feasible to utilize CRT glass in cement mortar production. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Factors affecting alkali jarosite precipitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutrizac, J. E.

1983-12-01

Several factors affecting the precipitation of the alkali jarosites (sodium jarosite, potassium jarosite, rubidium jarosite, and ammonium jarosite) have been studied systematically using sodium jarosite as the model. The pH of the reacting solution exercises a major influence on the amount of jarosite formed, but has little effect on the composition of the washed product. Higher temperatures significantly increase the yield and slightly raise the alkali content of the jarosites. The yield and alkali content both increase greatly with the alkali concentration to about twice the stoichiometric requirement but, thereafter, remain nearly constant. At 97 °C, the amount of product increases with longer retention times to about 15 hours, but more prolonged reaction times are without significant effect on the amount or composition of the jarosite. Factors such as the presence of seed or ionic strength have little effect on the yield or jarosite composition. The amount of precipitate augments directly as the iron concentration of the solution increases, but the product composition is nearly independent of this variable. A significant degree of agitation is necessary to suspend the product and to prevent the jarosite from coating the apparatus with correspondingly small yields. Once the product is adequately suspended, however, further agitation is without significant effect. The partitioning of alkali ions during jarosite precipitation was ascertained for K:Na, Na:NH4, K:NH4, and K:Rb. Potassium jarosite is the most stable of the alkali jarosites and the stability falls systematically for lighter or heavier congeners; ammonium jarosite is slightly more stable than the sodium analogue. Complete solid solubility among the various alkali jarosite-type compounds was established.

Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of the apple ASR gene family in response to Alternaria alternata f. sp. mali.

PubMed

Huang, Kaihui; Zhong, Yan; Li, Yingjun; Zheng, Dan; Cheng, Zong-Ming

2016-10-01

The ABA/water stress/ripening-induced (ASR) gene family exists universally in higher plants, and many ASR genes are up-regulated during periods of environmental stress and fruit ripening. Although a considerable amount of research has been performed investigating ASR gene response to abiotic stresses, relatively little is known about their roles in response to biotic stresses. In this report, we identified five ASR genes in apple (Malus × domestica) and explored their phylogenetic relationship, duplication events, and selective pressure. Five apple ASR genes (Md-ASR) were divided into two clades based on phylogenetic analysis. Species-specific duplication was detected in M. domestica ASR genes. Leaves of 'Golden delicious' and 'Starking' were infected with Alternaria alternata f. sp. mali, which causes apple blotch disease, and examined for the expression of the ASR genes in lesion areas during the first 72 h after inoculation. Md-ASR genes showed different expression patterns at different sampling times in 'Golden delicious' and 'Starking'. The activities of stress-related enzymes, peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), and polyphenoloxidase (PPO), and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) were also measured in different stages of disease development in two cultivars. The ASR gene expression patterns and theses physiological indexes for disease resistance suggested that Md-ASR genes are involved in biotic stress responses in apple.

A Novel Role for Banana MaASR in the Regulation of Flowering Time in Transgenic Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Yu, Xiaomeng; Jia, Caihong; Liu, Juhua; Zhang, Jianbin; Wang, Jingyi; Wang, Zhuo; Wang, Anbang; Xu, Biyu; Jin, Zhiqiang

2016-01-01

The abscisic acid (ABA)-, stress-, and ripening-induced (ASR) protein is a plant-specific hydrophilic transcriptional factor involved in fruit ripening and the abiotic stress response. To date, there have been no studies on the role of ASR genes in delayed flowering time. Here, we found that the ASR from banana, designated as MaASR, was preferentially expressed in the banana female flowers from the eighth, fourth, and first cluster of the inflorescence. MaASR transgenic lines (L14 and L38) had a clear delayed-flowering phenotype. The number of rosette leaves, sepals, and pedicel trichomes in L14 and L38 was greater than in the wild type (WT) under long day (LD) conditions. The period of buds, mid-flowers, and full bloom of L14 and L38 appeared later than the WT. cDNA microarray and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analyses revealed that overexpression of MaASR delays flowering through reduced expression of several genes, including photoperiod pathway genes, vernalization pathway genes, gibberellic acid pathway genes, and floral integrator genes, under short days (SD) for 28 d (from vegetative to reproductive transition stage); however, the expression of the autonomous pathway genes was not affected. This study provides the first evidence of a role for ASR genes in delayed flowering time in plants. PMID:27486844

A Novel Role for Banana MaASR in the Regulation of Flowering Time in Transgenic Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Sun, Peiguang; Miao, Hongxia; Yu, Xiaomeng; Jia, Caihong; Liu, Juhua; Zhang, Jianbin; Wang, Jingyi; Wang, Zhuo; Wang, Anbang; Xu, Biyu; Jin, Zhiqiang

2016-01-01

The abscisic acid (ABA)-, stress-, and ripening-induced (ASR) protein is a plant-specific hydrophilic transcriptional factor involved in fruit ripening and the abiotic stress response. To date, there have been no studies on the role of ASR genes in delayed flowering time. Here, we found that the ASR from banana, designated as MaASR, was preferentially expressed in the banana female flowers from the eighth, fourth, and first cluster of the inflorescence. MaASR transgenic lines (L14 and L38) had a clear delayed-flowering phenotype. The number of rosette leaves, sepals, and pedicel trichomes in L14 and L38 was greater than in the wild type (WT) under long day (LD) conditions. The period of buds, mid-flowers, and full bloom of L14 and L38 appeared later than the WT. cDNA microarray and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analyses revealed that overexpression of MaASR delays flowering through reduced expression of several genes, including photoperiod pathway genes, vernalization pathway genes, gibberellic acid pathway genes, and floral integrator genes, under short days (SD) for 28 d (from vegetative to reproductive transition stage); however, the expression of the autonomous pathway genes was not affected. This study provides the first evidence of a role for ASR genes in delayed flowering time in plants.

Deterioration of Pracana Dam due to ASR. Main features and repair works

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matos, D.S.; Camelo, S.; Silva, H.S.

1995-12-31

Some of the Portuguese concrete dams show evidences of ASR. In majority the phenomena is still benign. However, in a few cases some significant deterioration of ASR type have malfunctions arose. In such cases deteriorations of ASR type have been detected while in the others the ASSR type prevail, depending on the type of aggregate. The paper reports the most important case of ASR in Portuguese concrete dams. Pracana dam is a buttress structures built in 1948-51, being the aggregates predominantly of quartzitic and metapellitic nature. Subsequently to the intense fracturing due to a quick concrete cooling during the firstmore » filling of the reservoir, high levels of expansion rates had been detected by means of monitoring system. After 8 years emptied reservoir, rehabilitation works took place in 1991-92 aiming at the concrete mass regeneration and the installation of an upstream face membrane, the improvement of spillway capacity and of the foundation performances. The behaviour of the dam as well as the performed tests (petrographic, mechanic, ultrasonic and expansibility ones) and repair works are described in the paper.« less

Revision of Articular Surface Replacement (ASR) Total Hip Arthroplasty: Correlation of Perioperative Data and Early Post-Revision Outcome Results.

PubMed

Cip, Johannes; Bach, Christian; Widemschek, Mark; Luegmair, Matthias; Martin, Arno

2015-09-01

The articular surface replacement (ASR) total hip arthroplasty (THA) showed accelerated failure rates due to adverse-reaction to metal debris (ARMD). Literature correlating preoperative with intraoperative revision findings respectively post-revision outcome results are rare. 30 of 99 available ASR THA were revised due to ARMD. Mean post-revision follow-up term was 2.3 years. In part, preoperative data did not correlate with intraoperative revision findings. ARMD was even found in asymptomatic patients with non-elevated ion levels. Postoperative pain and metal ions decreased significantly (P ≤ 0.016). Cobalt decreased faster than chrome. Patients with intraoperative pseudotumors, osteolysis or bilateral THA did not have higher pre- or postoperative ion values (P ≥ 0.053). Females showed higher postoperative chrome levels (P=0.031). One major post-revision complication (femoral nerve palsy) and one re-revision (late onset infection) occurred. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Novel synthesis and applications of Thiomer solidification for heavy metals immobilization in hazardous ASR/ISW thermal residue.

PubMed

Baek, Jin Woong; Mallampati, Srinivasa Reddy; Park, Hung Suck

2016-03-01

The present paper reports the novel synthesis and application of Thiomer solidification for heavy metal immobilization in hazardous automobile shredder residues and industrial solid waste (ASR/ISW) thermal residues. The word Thiomer is a combination of the prefix of a sulfur-containing compound "Thio" and the suffix of "Polymer" meaning a large molecule compound of many repeated subunits. To immobilize heavy metals, either ASR/ISW thermal residues (including bottom and fly ash) was mixed well with Thiomer and heated at 140°C. After Thiomer solidification, approximately 91-100% heavy metal immobilization was achieved. The morphology and mineral phases of the Thiomer-solidified ASR/ISW thermal residue were characterized by field emission-scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD), which indicated that the amounts of heavy metals detectable on the ASR/ISW thermal residue surface decreased and the sulfur mass percent increased. XRD indicated that the main fraction of the enclosed/bound materials on the ASR/ISW residue contained sulfur associated crystalline complexes. The Thiomer solidified process could convert the heavy metal compounds into highly insoluble metal sulfides and simultaneously encapsulate the ASR/ISW thermal residue. These results show that the proposed method can be applied to the immobilization of ASR/ISW hazardous ash involving heavy metals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Alkali-Activated Aluminium-Silicate Composites as Insulation Materials for Industrial Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dembovska, L.; Bajare, D.; Pundiene, I.; Bumanis, G.

2015-11-01

The article reports on the study of thermal stability of alkali-activated aluminium- silicate composites (ASC) at temperature 800-1100°C. ASC were prepared by using calcined kaolinite clay, aluminium scrap recycling waste, lead-silicate glass waste and quartz sand. As alkali activator, commercial sodium silicate solution modified with an addition of sodium hydroxide was used. The obtained alkali activation solution had silica modulus Ms=1.67. Components of aluminium scrap recycling waste (aluminium nitride (AlN) and iron sulphite (FeSO3)) react in the alkali media and create gases - ammonia and sulphur dioxide, which provide the porous structure of the material [1]. Changes in the chemical composition of ASC during heating were identified and quantitatively analysed by using DTA/TG, dimension changes during the heating process were determined by using HTOM, pore microstructure was examined by SEM, and mineralogical composition of ASC was determined by XRD. The density of ASC was measured in accordance with EN 1097-7. ASC with density around 560 kg/m3 and heat resistance up to 1100°C with shrinkage less than 5% were obtained. The intended use of this material is the application as an insulation material for industrial purposes at elevated temperatures.

Vapor-liquid interfacial reaction to fabricate superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic thiol-ene/silica hybrid decorated fabric for oil/water separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hongqiang; Liang, Tao; Lai, Xuejun; Su, Xiaojing; Zhang, Lin; Zeng, Xingrong

2018-01-01

With oil spill accidents and oil industrial wastewater increasing, oil/water separation has attracted much attention in recent years. Herein, we report the fabrication of superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic thiol-ene/silica hybrid decorated fabrics for oil/water separation via vapor-liquid interfacial reaction. It is based on sol-gel reaction of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) to generate silica and thiol-ene reaction between poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) and trimethylolpropane tris(3-mercaptopropionate) (TTMP) to form crosslinked hydrophilic polymer on polyester fabric under the catalysis of butylamine/ammonia vapor. The chemical structure of the surfaces on thiol-ene/silica hybrid decorated fabric was confirmed by FTIR and XPS, and obvious micro-nano morphology and roughness were observed with SEM and AFM. The water contact angle of the fabric attained 0° in 0.36 s, and the underwater oil contact angle reached up to 160°. Importantly, the fabric exhibited high separation efficiency at 99.5%, fast water flux above 71600 Lm-2h-1 and excellent recyclability in oil/water separation. Our findings open a new strategy to fabricate organic-inorganic hybrid superhydrophobic and underwater superoleophobic materials for oil/water separation.

Preparation of Silica Nanoparticles Through Microwave-assisted Acid-catalysis

PubMed Central

Lovingood, Derek D.; Owens, Jeffrey R.; Seeber, Michael; Kornev, Konstantin G.; Luzinov, Igor

2013-01-01

Microwave-assisted synthetic techniques were used to quickly and reproducibly produce silica nanoparticle sols using an acid catalyst with nanoparticle diameters ranging from 30-250 nm by varying the reaction conditions. Through the selection of a microwave compatible solvent, silicic acid precursor, catalyst, and microwave irradiation time, these microwave-assisted methods were capable of overcoming the previously reported shortcomings associated with synthesis of silica nanoparticles using microwave reactors. The siloxane precursor was hydrolyzed using the acid catalyst, HCl. Acetone, a low-tan δ solvent, mediates the condensation reactions and has minimal interaction with the electromagnetic field. Condensation reactions begin when the silicic acid precursor couples with the microwave radiation, leading to silica nanoparticle sol formation. The silica nanoparticles were characterized by dynamic light scattering data and scanning electron microscopy, which show the materials' morphology and size to be dependent on the reaction conditions. Microwave-assisted reactions produce silica nanoparticles with roughened textured surfaces that are atypical for silica sols produced by Stöber's methods, which have smooth surfaces. PMID:24379052

Generation of basic centers in high-silica zeolites and their application in gas-phase upgrading of bio-oil.

PubMed

Keller, Tobias C; Rodrigues, Elodie G; Pérez-Ramírez, Javier

2014-06-01

High-silica zeolites have been reported recently as efficient catalysts for liquid- and gas-phase condensation reactions because of the presence of a complementary source of basicity compared to Al-rich basic zeolites. Herein, we describe the controlled generation of these active sites on silica-rich FAU, BEA, and MFI zeolites. Through the application of a mild base treatment in aqueous Na2CO3, alkali-metal-coordinating defects are generated within the zeolite whereas the porous properties are fully preserved. The resulting catalysts were applied in the gas-phase condensation of propanal at 673 K as a model reaction for the catalytic upgrading of pyrolysis oil, for which an up to 20-fold increased activity compared to the unmodified zeolites was attained. The moderate basicity of these new sites leads to a coke resistance superior to traditional base catalysts such as CsX and MgO, and comparable activity and excellent selectivity is achieved for the condensation pathways. Through strategic acid and base treatments and the use of magic-angle spinning NMR spectroscopy, the nature of the active sites was investigated, which supports the theory of siloxy sites as basic centers. This contribution represents a key step in the understanding and design of high-silica base catalysts for the intermediate deoxygenation of crude bio-oil prior to the hydrotreating step for the production of second-generation biofuels. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

AsrR Is an Oxidative Stress Sensing Regulator Modulating Enterococcus faecium Opportunistic Traits, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Pathogenicity

PubMed Central

Lebreton, François; van Schaik, Willem; Sanguinetti, Maurizio; Posteraro, Brunella; Torelli, Riccardo; Le Bras, Florian; Verneuil, Nicolas; Zhang, Xinglin; Giard, Jean-Christophe; Dhalluin, Anne; Willems, Rob J. L.; Leclercq, Roland; Cattoir, Vincent

2012-01-01

Oxidative stress serves as an important host/environmental signal that triggers a wide range of responses in microorganisms. Here, we identified an oxidative stress sensor and response regulator in the important multidrug-resistant nosocomial pathogen Enterococcus faecium belonging to the MarR family and called AsrR (antibiotic and stress response regulator). The AsrR regulator used cysteine oxidation to sense the hydrogen peroxide which results in its dissociation to promoter DNA. Transcriptome analysis showed that the AsrR regulon was composed of 181 genes, including representing functionally diverse groups involved in pathogenesis, antibiotic and antimicrobial peptide resistance, oxidative stress, and adaptive responses. Consistent with the upregulated expression of the pbp5 gene, encoding a low-affinity penicillin-binding protein, the asrR null mutant was found to be more resistant to β-lactam antibiotics. Deletion of asrR markedly decreased the bactericidal activity of ampicillin and vancomycin, which are both commonly used to treat infections due to enterococci, and also led to over-expression of two major adhesins, acm and ecbA, which resulted in enhanced in vitro adhesion to human intestinal cells. Additional pathogenic traits were also reinforced in the asrR null mutant including greater capacity than the parental strain to form biofilm in vitro and greater persistance in Galleria mellonella colonization and mouse systemic infection models. Despite overexpression of oxidative stress-response genes, deletion of asrR was associated with a decreased oxidative stress resistance in vitro, which correlated with a reduced resistance to phagocytic killing by murine macrophages. Interestingly, both strains showed similar amounts of intracellular reactive oxygen species. Finally, we observed a mutator phenotype and enhanced DNA transfer frequencies in the asrR deleted strain. These data indicate that AsrR plays a major role in antimicrobial resistance and

Transport modeling and multivariate adaptive regression splines for evaluating performance of ASR systems in freshwater aquifers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forghani, Ali; Peralta, Richard C.

2017-10-01

The study presents a procedure using solute transport and statistical models to evaluate the performance of aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) systems designed to earn additional water rights in freshwater aquifers. The recovery effectiveness (REN) index quantifies the performance of these ASR systems. REN is the proportion of the injected water that the same ASR well can recapture during subsequent extraction periods. To estimate REN for individual ASR wells, the presented procedure uses finely discretized groundwater flow and contaminant transport modeling. Then, the procedure uses multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) analysis to identify the significant variables affecting REN, and to identify the most recovery-effective wells. Achieving REN values close to 100% is the desire of the studied 14-well ASR system operator. This recovery is feasible for most of the ASR wells by extracting three times the injectate volume during the same year as injection. Most of the wells would achieve RENs below 75% if extracting merely the same volume as they injected. In other words, recovering almost all the same water molecules that are injected requires having a pre-existing water right to extract groundwater annually. MARS shows that REN most significantly correlates with groundwater flow velocity, or hydraulic conductivity and hydraulic gradient. MARS results also demonstrate that maximizing REN requires utilizing the wells located in areas with background Darcian groundwater velocities less than 0.03 m/d. The study also highlights the superiority of MARS over regular multiple linear regressions to identify the wells that can provide the maximum REN. This is the first reported application of MARS for evaluating performance of an ASR system in fresh water aquifers.

Support effects and reaction mechanism of acetylene trimerization over silica-supported Cu4 clusters: A DFT study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maleki, Farahnaz; Schlexer, Philomena; Pacchioni, Gianfranco

2018-02-01

Oxide-supported Cu nanoparticles and clusters catalyze a variety of important reactions, such as CO/CO2 hydrogenation to methanol. Recent studies demonstrate that also sub-nanometer clusters consisting of only a few atoms can actively catalyze chemical reactions. In this study, we investigate the interaction between Cu4 clusters and silica-surfaces, considering the de-hydroxylated and the fully hydroxylated α-quartz surfaces. We also considered various dopants such as Ti- and Nb-ions substitutional to Si, respectively, in order to see if an electronic change of the support has an effect on the reaction of the supported cluster. We find that hydroxyl groups can enhance the adsorption energy of the cluster, whereas the dopants have only little effects on the adsorption mode of the Cu cluster. On the fully hydroxylated surface, the cluster may react with the hydroxyl groups via reverse hydrogen spillover. Finally, we explore the reactivity of the silica-supported Cu4 cluster in terms of acetylene trimerization, for which extended Cu surfaces have shown catalytic activity. We find that this reaction should occur with activation barriers below 0.8 eV; Nb-doping of the support does not seem to produce any direct effect on the reactivity of the Cu tetramer.

Reaction of positronium with doped ions in silica-based glasses in the size determination of subnanometer structural open spaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inoue, K.; Kataoka, H.; Nagai, Y.; Hasegawa, M.; Kobayashi, Y.

2013-10-01

Positron annihilation spectroscopy is employed to estimate the size of subnanometer-scale open spaces in insulating materials. In most cases, the size is estimated from the lifetime of long-lived ortho-positronium (o-Ps) by pickoff annihilation using a simplified model. However, reactions of Ps with surrounding electrons other than the pickoff reaction, such as spin conversion or chemical reaction, could give a substantially underestimated size using the simplified model. In the present paper, we report that the size of the open spaces can be evaluated correctly by the angular correlation of positron annihilation radiation (ACAR) with a magnetic field using the spin-polarization effect on Ps formation, even if such reactions of Ps occur in the material. This method is applied to the subnanometer-scale structural open spaces of silica-based glass doped with Fe. We demonstrate the influence of the Ps reaction on size-estimation of the open spaces from the o-Ps lifetime. Furthermore, the type of reaction, whether spin conversion or chemical, is distinguished from the magnetic field dependence of the Ps self-annihilation component intensity in the ACAR spectra. The Ps reaction in silica-based glass doped with Fe is a chemical reaction (most likely oxidation) rather than spin conversion, with Fe ions. The chemical quenching rate with Fe ions is determined from the dependence of the o-Ps lifetime on the Fe content.

Dynamics of alkali ions-neutral molecules reactions: Radio frequency-guided beam experimental cross-sections and direct quasiclassical trajectory studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aguilar, J.; Andres, J. de; Lucas, J. M.

2012-11-27

Different reactive processes taking place in collisions between alkali ions and neutral i-C{sub 3}H{sub 7}Cl molecules in the low (center of mass frame) energy range have been studied using an octopole radiofrequency guided-ion-beam apparatus developed in our laboratory. Cross-section energy dependences for all these reactions have been obtained in absolute units. Ab initio electronic structure calculations for those colliding systems evolving on the ground single potential surface have given relevant information on the main topological features of the surfaces. For some of the reactions a dynamic study by 'on the fly' trajectories has complemented the available experimental and electronic structuremore » information.« less

High temperature alkali corrosion of ceramics in coal gas: Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pickrell, G.R.; Sun, T.; Brown, J.J. Jr.

1994-12-31

There are several ceramic materials which are currently being considered for use as structural elements in coal combustion and coal conversion systems because of their thermal and mechanical properties. These include alumina (refractories, membranes, heat engines); silicon carbide and silicon nitride (turbine engines, internal combustion engines, heat exchangers, particulate filters); zirconia (internal combustion engines, turbine engines, refractories); and mullite and cordierite (particulate filters, refractories, heat exchangers). High temperature alkali corrosion has been known to cause premature failure of ceramic components used in advanced high temperature coal combustion systems such as coal gasification and clean-up, coal fired gas turbines, and highmore » efficiency heat engines. The objective of this research is to systematically evaluate the alkali corrosion resistance of the most commonly used structural ceramics including silicon carbide, silicon nitride, cordierite, mullite, alumina, aluminum titanate, and zirconia. The study consists of identification of the alkali reaction products and determination of the kinetics of the alkali reactions as a function of temperature and time. 145 refs., 29 figs., 12 tabs.« less

Surface radical chain-transfer reaction in deep eutectic solvents for preparation of silica-grafted stationary phases in hydrophilic interaction chromatography.

PubMed

Yang, Beibei; Cai, Tianpei; Li, Zhan; Guan, Ming; Qiu, Hongdeng

2017-12-01

In this paper, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) were firstly used as new and green solvents for the preparation of polymer-grafted silica stationary phases. 1-Vinylimidazole and acrylic acid were homopolymerized and copolymerized on silica via surface radical chain-transfer reaction in the DESs. Three stationary phases including poly(1-vinylimidazole)-, poly(acrylic acid)-, poly(1-vinylimidazole-co-acrylic acid)-grafted silica were obtained and characterized by elemental analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Their hydrophilic interaction chromatographic properties were investigated for separation of nucleosides, nucleobases, saccharides and amino acids. The retention changes of nucleosides and nucleobases on these columns were investigated under different chromatographic conditions including acetonitrile content, salt concentration, pH of mobile phase and column temperature. The repeatability of these columns was also investigated. The results demonstrate that DESs can be used as new media for the synthesis of silica-based stationary phases by homopolymerization and copolymerization on the surface of porous silica particles. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mixed Polyanion Glass Cathodes: Mixed Alkali Effect

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kercher, A. K.; Chapel, A. S.; Kolopus, J. A.

2017-01-01

In lithium-ion batteries, mixed polyanion glass cathodes have demonstrated high capacities (200-500 mAh/g) by undergoing conversion and intercalation reactions. Mixed polyanion glasses typically have the same fundamental issues as other conversion cathodes, i.e.: large hysteresis, capacity fade, and 1st-cycle irreversible loss. A key advantage of glass cathodes is the ability to tailor their composition to optimize the desired physical properties and electrochemical performance. The strong dependence of glass physical properties (e.g., ionic diffusivity, electrical conductivity, and chemical durability) on the composition of alkali mixtures in a glass is well known and has been named the mixed alkali effect. The mixedmore » alkali effect on battery electrochemical properties is reported here for the first time. Depending on glass composition, the mixed alkali effect is shown to improve capacity retention during cycling (from 39% to 50% after 50 cycle test), to reduce the 1st-cycle irreversible loss (from 41% to 22%), and improve the high power (500 mA/g) capacity (from 50% to 67% of slow discharge capacity).« less

Metal-silica sol-gel materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stiegman, Albert E. (Inventor)

2002-01-01

The present invention relates to a single phase metal-silica sol-gel glass formed by the co-condensation of a transition metal with silicon atoms where the metal atoms are uniformly distributed within the sol-gel glass as individual metal centers. Any transition metal may be used in the sol-gel glasses. The present invention also relates to sensor materials where the sensor material is formed using the single phase metal-silica sol-gel glasses. The sensor materials may be in the form of a thin film or may be attached to an optical fiber. The present invention also relates to a method of sensing chemicals using the chemical sensors by monitoring the chromatic change of the metal-silica sol-gel glass when the chemical binds to the sensor. The present invention also relates to oxidation catalysts where a metal-silica sol-gel glass catalyzes the reaction. The present invention also relates to a method of performing oxidation reactions using the metal-silica sol-gel glasses. The present invention also relates to organopolymer metal-silica sol-gel composites where the pores of the metal-silica sol-gel glasses are filled with an organic polymer polymerized by the sol-gel glass.

Direct synthesis of acid-base bifunctionalized hexagonal mesoporous silica and its catalytic activity in cascade reactions.

PubMed

Shang, Fanpeng; Sun, Jianrui; Wu, Shujie; Liu, Heng; Guan, Jingqi; Kan, Qiubin

2011-03-01

A series of efficient acid-base bifunctionalized hexagonal mesoporous silica (HMS) catalysts contained aminopropyl and propanesulfonic acid have been synthesized through a simple co-condensation by protection of amino group. The results of small-angle XRD, TEM, and N(2) adsorption-desorption measurements show that the resultant materials have mesoscopic structures. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, elemental analysis (EA), back titration, (29)Si NMR and (13)C NMR confirm that the organosiloxanes were condensed as a part of the silica framework. The resultant catalysts exhibit excellent acid-basic properties, which make them possess high activity for one-pot deacetalization-Knoevenagel and deacetalization-nitroaldol (Henry) reactions. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biomass fly ash incorporation in cement based materials =

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajamma, Rejini

In recent years, pressures on global environment and energy security have led to an increasing demand on renewable energy sources, and diversification of Europe's energy supply. Among these resources the biomass could exert an important role, since it is considered a renewable and CO2 neutral energy resource once the consumption rate is lower than the growth rate, and can potentially provide energy for heat, power and transports from the same installation. Currently, most of the biomass ash produced in industrial plants is either disposed of in landfill or recycled on agricultural fields or forest, and most times this goes on without any form of control. However, considering that the disposal cost of biomass ashes are raising, and that biomass ash volumes are increasing worldwide, a sustainable ash management has to be established. The main objective of the present study is the effect of biomass fly ashes in cement mortars and concretes in order to be used as a supplementary cementitious material. The wastes analyzed in the study were collected from the fluidized bed boilers and grate boilers available in the thermal power plants and paper pulp plants situated in Portugal. The physical as well as chemical characterisations of the biomass fly ashes were investigated. The cement was replaced by the biomass fly ashes in 10, 20 and 30% (weight %) in order to investigate the fresh properties as well as the hardened properties of biomass fly ash incorporated cement mortar and concrete formulations. Expansion reactions such as alkali silica reaction (ASR), sulphate attack (external and internal) were conducted in order to check the durability of the biomass fly ash incorporated cement mortars and concretes. Alternative applications such as incorporation in lime mortars and alkali activation of the biomass fly ashes were also attempted. The biomass fly ash particles were irregular in shape and fine in nature. The chemical characterization revealed that the biomass fly

Alkali- and Sulfur-Resistant Tungsten-Based Catalysts for NOx Emissions Control.

PubMed

Huang, Zhiwei; Li, Hao; Gao, Jiayi; Gu, Xiao; Zheng, Li; Hu, Pingping; Xin, Ying; Chen, Junxiao; Chen, Yaxin; Zhang, Zhaoliang; Chen, Jianmin; Tang, Xingfu

2015-12-15

The development of catalysts with simultaneous resistance to alkalis and sulfur poisoning is of great importance for efficiently controlling NOx emissions using the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3 (SCR), because the conventional V2O5/WO3-TiO2 catalysts often suffer severe deactivation by alkalis. Here, we support V2O5 on a hexagonal WO3 (HWO) to develop a V2O5/HWO catalyst, which has exceptional resistance to alkali and sulfur poisoning in the SCR reactions. A 350 μmol g(-1) K(+) loading and the presence of 1,300 mg m(-3) SO2 do not almost influence the SCR activity of the V2O5/HWO catalyst, and under the same conditions, the conventional V2O5/WO3-TiO2 catalysts completely lost the SCR activity within 4 h. The strong resistance to alkali and sulfur poisoning of the V2O5/HWO catalysts mainly originates from the hexagonal structure of the HWO. The HWO allows the V2O5 to be highly dispersed on the external surfaces for catalyzing the SCR reactions and has the relatively smooth surfaces and the size-suitable tunnels specifically for alkalis' diffusion and trapping. This work provides a useful strategy to develop SCR catalysts with exceptional resistance to alkali and sulfur poisoning for controlling NOx emissions from the stationary source and the mobile source.

A low-power reversible alkali atom source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Songbai; Mott, Russell P.; Gilmore, Kevin A.; Sorenson, Logan D.; Rakher, Matthew T.; Donley, Elizabeth A.; Kitching, John; Roper, Christopher S.

2017-06-01

An electrically controllable, solid-state, reversible device for sourcing and sinking alkali vapor is presented. When placed inside an alkali vapor cell, both an increase and decrease in the rubidium vapor density by a factor of two are demonstrated through laser absorption spectroscopy on 10-15 s time scales. The device requires low voltage (5 V), low power (<3.4 mW peak power), and low energy (<10.7 mJ per 10 s pulse). The absence of oxygen emission during operation is shown through residual gas analysis, indicating that Rb is not lost through chemical reaction but rather by ion transport through the designed channel. This device is of interest for atomic physics experiments and, in particular, for portable cold-atom systems where dynamic control of alkali vapor density can enable advances in science and technology.

Electrolytic method to make alkali alcoholates using ion conducting alkali electrolyte/separator

DOEpatents

Joshi, Ashok V [Salt Lake City, UT; Balagopal, Shekar [Sandy, UT; Pendelton, Justin [Salt Lake City, UT

2011-12-13

Alkali alcoholates, also called alkali alkoxides, are produced from alkali metal salt solutions and alcohol using a three-compartment electrolytic cell. The electrolytic cell includes an anolyte compartment configured with an anode, a buffer compartment, and a catholyte compartment configured with a cathode. An alkali ion conducting solid electrolyte configured to selectively transport alkali ions is positioned between the anolyte compartment and the buffer compartment. An alkali ion permeable separator is positioned between the buffer compartment and the catholyte compartment. The catholyte solution may include an alkali alcoholate and alcohol. The anolyte solution may include at least one alkali salt. The buffer compartment solution may include a soluble alkali salt and an alkali alcoholate in alcohol.

40 CFR 721.10482 - Siloxanes and Silicones, di-Me, Me vinyl, hydroxy-terminated, reaction products with silica.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Siloxanes and Silicones, di-Me, Me... Silicones, di-Me, Me vinyl, hydroxy-terminated, reaction products with silica. (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses subject to reporting. (1) The chemical substance identified as Siloxanes and Silicones...

40 CFR 721.10482 - Siloxanes and Silicones, di-Me, Me vinyl, hydroxy-terminated, reaction products with silica.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Siloxanes and Silicones, di-Me, Me... Silicones, di-Me, Me vinyl, hydroxy-terminated, reaction products with silica. (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses subject to reporting. (1) The chemical substance identified as Siloxanes and Silicones...

Chitosan-silica hybrid porous membranes.

PubMed

Pandis, Christos; Madeira, Sara; Matos, Joana; Kyritsis, Apostolos; Mano, João F; Ribelles, José Luis Gómez

2014-09-01

Chitosan-silica porous hybrids were prepared by a novel strategy in order to improve the mechanical properties of chitosan (CHT) in the hydrogel state. The inorganic silica phase was introduced by sol-gel reactions in acidic medium inside the pores of already prepared porous scaffolds. In order to make the scaffolds insoluble in acidic media chitosan was cross-linked by genipin (GEN) with an optimum GEN concentration of 3.2 wt.%. Sol-gel reactions took place with Tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) acting as silica precursors. GPTMS served also as a coupling agent between the free amino groups of chitosan and the silica network. The morphology study of the composite revealed that the silica phase appears as a layer covering the chitosan membrane pore walls. The mechanical properties of the hybrids were characterized by means of compressive stress-strain measurements. By immersion in water the hybrids exhibit an increase in elastic modulus up to two orders of magnitude. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Alkali (Li, K and Na) and alkali-earth (Be, Ca and Mg) adatoms on SiC single layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baierle, Rogério J.; Rupp, Caroline J.; Anversa, Jonas

2018-03-01

First-principles calculations within the density functional theory (DFT) have been addressed to study the energetic stability, and electronic properties of alkali and alkali-earth atoms adsorbed on a silicon carbide (SiC) single layer. We observe that all atoms are most stable (higher binding energy) on the top of a Si atom, which moves out of the plane (in the opposite direction to the adsorbed atom). Alkali atoms adsorbed give raise to two spin unpaired electronic levels inside the band gap leading the SiC single layer to exhibit n-type semiconductor properties. For alkaline atoms adsorbed there is a deep occupied spin paired electronic level inside the band gap. These finding suggest that the adsorption of alkaline and alkali-earth atoms on SiC layer is a powerful feature to functionalize two dimensional SiC structures, which can be used to produce new electronic, magnetic and optical devices as well for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reaction (HER and OER, respectively). Furthermore, we observe that the adsorption of H2 is ruled by dispersive forces (van der Waals interactions) while the O2 molecule is strongly adsorbed on the functionalized system.

Theoretical and experimental studies on silica-coated carbon spheres composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Xingmei; Liu, Haixing; Shen, Yinghua; Niu, Mei; Yang, Yongzhen; Liu, Xuguang

2013-10-01

In order to prepare carbon-based photonic crystals, first of all, theoretical modeling calculation was used to predict the bandgap characteristics of silica-coated carbon spheres. Then, silica-coated carbon spheres composites were synthesized using tetraethyl orthosilicate as precursor of silica by a sol-gel method combined with Stöber method. Effect of reaction conditions on surface coating of carbon spheres with silica, including the pH, the amount of precursor and reaction time, was emphasized. The morphology and structure of the composites and the effect coating of carbon spheres with silica were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry. The coating ratio of silica was investigated by thermogravimetry. The results show that pH value played an important role in coating reaction, the dosage of the precursor and reaction time had significant effect on coating layer thickness, that is, coating ratio. Carbon spheres coated with silica had good dispersibility and dispersion stability in water and ethanol, which is preconditions of reactivity of carbon spheres in liquid phase and lays the basis for the application of carbon spheres.

Hollow microspheres of silica glass and method of manufacture

DOEpatents

Downs, Raymond L.; Miller, Wayne J.

1982-01-01

A method of manufacturing gel powder suitable for use as a starting material in the manufacture of hollow glass microspheres having a high concentration of silica. The powder is manufactured from a gel containing boron in the amount of about 1% to 20% (oxide equivalent mole percent), alkali metals, specifically potassium and sodium, in an amount exceeding 8% total, and the remainder silicon. Preferably, the ratio of potassium to sodium is greater than 1.5.

Enzymatic hydrolysate-induced displacement reaction with multifunctional silica beads doped with horseradish peroxidase-thionine conjugate for ultrasensitive electrochemical immunoassay.

PubMed

Lin, Youxiu; Zhou, Qian; Lin, Yuping; Tang, Dianping; Niessner, Reinhard; Knopp, Dietmar

2015-08-18

A novel (invertase) enzymatic hydrolysate-triggered displacement reaction strategy with multifunctional silica beads, doped with horseradish peroxidase-thionine (HRP-Thi) conjugate, was developed for competitive-type electrochemical immunoassay of small molecular aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). The competitive-type displacement reaction was carried out on the basis of the affinity difference between enzymatic hydrolysate (glucose) and its analogue (dextran) for concanavalin A (Con A) binding sites. Initially, thionine-HRP conjugates were doped into nanometer-sized silica beads using the reverse micelle method. Then monoclonal anti-AFB1 antibody and Con A were covalently conjugated to the silica beads. The immunosensor was prepared by means of immobilizing the multifunctional silica beads on a dextran-modified sensing interface via the dextran-Con A binding reaction. Gold nanoparticles functionalized with AFB1-bovine serum albumin conjugate (AFB1-BSA) and invertase were utilized as the trace tag. Upon target AFB1 introduction, a competitive-type immunoreaction was implemented between the analyte and the labeled AFB1-BSA on the nanogold particles for the immobilized anti-AFB1 antibody on the electrode. The invertase followed by gold nanoparticles hydrolyzed sucrose into glucose and fructose. The produced glucose displaced the multifunctional silica beads from the electrode based on the classical dextran-Con A-glucose system, thus decreasing the catalytic efficiency of the immobilized HRP on the electrode relative to that of the H2O2-thionine system. Under optimal conditions, the detectable electrochemical signal increased with the increasing target AFB1 in a dynamic working range from 3.0 pg mL(-1) to 20 ng mL(-1) with a detection limit of 2.7 pg mL(-1). The strong bioconjugation with two nanostructures also resulted in a good repeatability and interassay precision down to 9.3%. Finally, the methodology was further validated for analysis of naturally contaminated or spiked AFB1

Material and energy recovery from Automotive Shredded Residues (ASR) via sequential gasification and combustion.

PubMed

Viganò, F; Consonni, S; Grosso, M; Rigamonti, L

2010-01-01

Shredding is the common end-of-life treatment in Europe for dismantled car wrecks. It produces the so-called Automotive Shredded Residue (ASR), usually disposed of in landfill. This paper summarizes the outcome of a study carried out by Politecnico di Milano and LEAP with the support of Actelios SpA on the prospects of a technology based on sequential gasification and combustion of this specific waste stream. Its application to the treatment of ASR allows the recovery of large fractions of metals as non-oxidized, easily marketable secondary raw materials, the vitrification of most of the ash content and the production of power via a steam cycle. Results show that despite the unfavourable characteristics of ASR, the proposed technology can reach appealing energy performances. Three of four environmental impact indicators and the cumulative energy demand index are favourable, the main positive contributes being electricity production and metal recovery (mainly aluminium and copper). The only unfavourable indicator is the global warming index because, since most of the carbon in ASR comes from fossil sources, the carbon dioxide emissions at the stack of the thermal treatment plant are mainly non-renewable and, at the same time, the avoided biogas production from the alternative disposal route of landfilling is minor.

Behavior of silica aerogel networks as highly porous solid solvent media for lipases in a model transesterification reaction.

PubMed

El Rassy, H; Perrard, A; Pierre, A C

2003-03-03

Highly porous silica aerogels with differing balances of hydrophobic and hydrophilic functionalities were studied as a new immobilization medium for enzymes. Two types of lipases from Candida rugosa and Burkholderia cepacia were homogeneously dispersed in wet gel precursors before gelation. The materials obtained were compared in a simple model reaction: transesterification of vinyl laurate by 1-octanol. To allow a better comparison of the hydrophobic/hydrophilic action of the solid, very open aerogel networks with traditional organic hydrophobic/hydrophilic liquid solvents, this reaction was studied in mixtures containing different proportions of 2-methyl-2-butanol, isooctane, and water. The results are discussed in relation to the porous and hydrophobic nature of aerogels, characterized by nitrogen adsorption. It was found that silica aerogels can be considered as "solid" solvents for the enzymes, able to provide hydrophobic/hydrophilic characteristics different from those prevailing in the liquid surrounding the aerogels. A simple mechanism of action for these aerogel networks is proposed.

Concrete research

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

The papers in this volume deal with various facets of concrete technology. The first four papers discuss concrete performance from the perspectives of design, specifications, and testing. The following three papers address the use and management of by-products in cementitious systems. Kakodkar et al. present the results of a study to determine the influence of five different Class C fly ashes on inhibiting the expansion of concrete due to alkali-silica reaction. Ramakrishnan et al. present the results of an extensive study to determine the influence of natural possolans in reducing the deleterious expansion of concrete due to alkai-silica reaction. Themore » test results showed that all the natural pozzolans used in the study, except one, were very effective in reducing the expansions due to alkali-silica reaction. Johnston discusses a modified interpretation of the ASTM P214 test results for determining potential reactivity of sands used for concrete in South Dakota.« less

Searching the ASRS Database Using QUORUM Keyword Search, Phrase Search, Phrase Generation, and Phrase Discovery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McGreevy, Michael W.; Connors, Mary M. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

To support Search Requests and Quick Responses at the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS), four new QUORUM methods have been developed: keyword search, phrase search, phrase generation, and phrase discovery. These methods build upon the core QUORUM methods of text analysis, modeling, and relevance-ranking. QUORUM keyword search retrieves ASRS incident narratives that contain one or more user-specified keywords in typical or selected contexts, and ranks the narratives on their relevance to the keywords in context. QUORUM phrase search retrieves narratives that contain one or more user-specified phrases, and ranks the narratives on their relevance to the phrases. QUORUM phrase generation produces a list of phrases from the ASRS database that contain a user-specified word or phrase. QUORUM phrase discovery finds phrases that are related to topics of interest. Phrase generation and phrase discovery are particularly useful for finding query phrases for input to QUORUM phrase search. The presentation of the new QUORUM methods includes: a brief review of the underlying core QUORUM methods; an overview of the new methods; numerous, concrete examples of ASRS database searches using the new methods; discussion of related methods; and, in the appendices, detailed descriptions of the new methods.

Electron- and Photon-stimulated Desorption of Alkali Atoms from Lunar Sample and a Model Mineral Surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yakshinskiy, B. V.; Madey, T. E.

2003-01-01

We report recent results on an investigation of source mechanisms for the origin of alkali atoms in the tenuous planetary atmospheres, with focus on non-thermal processes (photon stimulated desorption (PSD), electron stimulated desorption (ESD), and ion sputtering). Whereas alkaline earth oxides (MgO, CaO) are far more abundant in lunar samples than alkali oxides (Na2O, K2O), the atmosphere of the Moon contains easily measurable concentrations of Na and K, while Ca and Mg are undetected there; traces of Ca have recently been seen in the Moon's atmosphere (10-3 of Na). The experiments have included ESD, PSD and ion sputtering of alkali atoms from model mineral surface (amorphous SiO2) and from a lunar basalt sample obtained from NASA. The comparison is made between ESD and PSD efficiency of monovalent alkalis (Na, K) and divalent alkaline earths (Ba, Ca).The ultrahigh vacuum measurement scheme for ESD and PSD of Na atoms includes a highly sensitive alkali metal detector based on surface ionization, and a time-of-flight technique. For PSD measurements, a mercury arc light source (filtered and chopped) is used. We find that bombardment of the alkali covered surfaces by ultraviolet photons or by low energy electrons (E>4 eV) causes desorption of hot alkali atoms. This results are consistent with the model developed to explain our previous measurements of sodium desorption from a silica surface and from water ice: electron- or photon-induced charge transfer from the substrate to the ionic adsorbate causes formation of a neutral alkali atom in a repulsive configuration, from which desorption occurs. The two-electron charge transfer to cause desorption of divalent alkaline eath ions is a less likely process.The data support the suggestion that PSD by UV solar photons is a dominant source process for alkalis in the tenuous lunar atmosphere.

Alkali-metal-ion catalysis and inhibition in the nucleophilic displacement reaction of y-substituted phenyl diphenylphosphinates and diphenylphosphinothioates with alkali-metal ethoxides: effect of changing the electrophilic center from P=O to P=S.

PubMed

Um, Ik-Hwan; Shin, Young-Hee; Park, Jee-Eun; Kang, Ji-Sun; Buncel, Erwin

2012-01-16

A kinetic study of the nucleophilic substitution reaction of Y-substituted phenyl diphenylphosphinothioates 2 a-g with alkali-metal ethoxides (MOEt; M = Li, Na, K) in anhydrous ethanol at (25.0±0.1) °C is reported. Plots of pseudo-first-order rate constants (k(obsd)) versus [MOEt], the alkali ethoxide concentration, show distinct upward (KOEt) and downward (LiOEt) curvatures, respectively, pointing to the importance of ion-pairing phenomena and a differential reactivity of dissociated EtO(-) and ion-paired MOEt. Based on ion-pairing treatment of the kinetic data, the k(obsd) values were dissected into k EtO - and k(MOEt), the second-order rate constants for the reaction with the dissociated EtO(-) and ion-paired MOEt, respectively. The reactivity of MOEt toward 2 b (Y = 4-NO(2)) increases in the order LiOEtreaction of 4-nitrophenyl diphenylphosphinate 1 b, that is, LiOEt>NaOEt>KOEt>EtO(-). The current study based on Yukawa-Tsuno analysis has revealed that the reactions of 2 a-g (P=S) and Y-substituted phenyl diphenylphosphinates 1 a-g (P=O) with MOEt proceed through the same concerted mechanism, which indicates that the contrasting selectivity patterns are not due to a difference in reaction mechanism. The P=O compounds 1 a-g are approximately 80-fold more reactive than the P=S compounds 2 a-g toward the dissociated EtO(-) (regardless of the electronic nature of substituent Y) but are up to 3.1×10(3)-fold more reactive toward ion-paired LiOEt. The origin of the contrasting selectivity patterns is further discussed on the basis of competing electrostatic effects and solvational requirements as a function of anionic electric field strength and cation size (Eisenman's theory). Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Historical and Experimental Studies of Alkali and Trinitrotoluene Reaction

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-04-01

tripotassium V • nitronate salts of toluene. LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1. Infrared snectrum of red TNT contsaninated with 32 sodium carbonate Figure II...to get an addition compound of TNT and methyl alcohol which is the nitronic acid from which the alkali metal salts are derived. Hantzsch 4 originally...Nielson3 1 discusses the infrared spectra of nitronic acids, esters and silts, The C = N absorption for nitronic acids occurs near 1620 - 1680 cm𔃻

Self-Protection Mechanism of Hexagonal WO3-Based DeNOx Catalysts against Alkali Poisoning.

PubMed

Zheng, Li; Zhou, Meijuan; Huang, Zhiwei; Chen, Yaxin; Gao, Jiayi; Ma, Zhen; Chen, Jianmin; Tang, Xingfu

2016-11-01

A good catalyst for efficiently controlling NO x emissions often demands strong resistance against alkali poisoning. Although the traditional ion-exchange model, based on acid-base reactions of alkalis with Brønsted acid sites, has been established over the past two decades, it is difficult to be used as a guideline to develop such an alkali-resistant catalyst. Here we establish a self-protection mechanism of deNO x catalysts against alkali poisoning by systematically studying the intrinsic nature of alkali resistance of V 2 O 5 /HWO (HWO = hexagonal WO 3 ) that shows excellent resistance to alkali poisoning in selective catalytic reduction of NO x with NH 3 (SCR). Synchrotron X-ray diffraction and absorption spectroscopies demonstrate that V 2 O 5 /HWO has spatially separated catalytically active sites (CASs) and alkali-trapping sites (ATSs). During the SCR process, ATSs spontaneously trap alkali ions such as K + , even if alkali ions initially block CASs, thus releasing CASs to realize the self-protection against alkali poisoning. X-ray photoelectron spectra coupled with theoretical calculations indicate that the electronic interaction between the alkali ions and ATSs with an energy saving is the driving force of the self-protection. This work provides a strategy to design alkali-resistant deNO x catalysts.

Pressure-induced silica quartz amorphization studied by iterative stochastic surface walking reaction sampling.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiao-Jie; Shang, Cheng; Liu, Zhi-Pan

2017-02-08

The crystal to amorphous transformation is a common phenomenon in Nature and has important impacts on material properties. Our current knowledge on such complex solid transformation processes is, however, limited because of their slow kinetics and the lack of long-range ordering in amorphous structures. To reveal the kinetics in the amorphization of solids, this work, by developing iterative reaction sampling based on the stochastic surface walking global optimization method, investigates the well-known crystal to amorphous transformation of silica (SiO 2 ) under external pressures, the mechanism of which has long been debated for its non-equilibrium, pressure-sensitive kinetics and complex product components. Here we report for the first time the global potential energy surface (PES) and the lowest energy pathways for α-quartz amorphization from first principles. We show that the pressurization at 15 GPa, the reaction condition, can lift the quartz phase energetically close to the amorphous zone, which thermodynamically initializes the amorphization. More importantly, the large flexibility of Si cation coordination (including four, five and six coordination) results in many kinetically competing routes to more stable dense forms, including the known MI, stishovite, newly-identified MII and TI phases. All these pathways have high barriers due to the local Si-O bond breaking and are mediated by amorphous structures with five-fold Si. This causes simultaneous crystal-to-crystal and crystal-to-amorphous transitions. The high barrier and the reconstructive nature of the phase transition are the key kinetics origin for silica amorphization under pressures.

Plackett-Burman experimental design for bacterial cellulose-silica composites synthesis.

PubMed

Guzun, Anicuta Stoica; Stroescu, Marta; Jinga, Sorin Ion; Voicu, Georgeta; Grumezescu, Alexandru Mihai; Holban, Alina Maria

2014-09-01

Bacterial cellulose-silica hybrid composites were prepared starting from wet bacterial cellulose (BC) membranes using Stöber reaction. The structure and surface morphology of hybrid composites were examined by FTIR and SEM. The SEM pictures revealed that the silica particles are attached to BC fibrils and are well dispersed in the BC matrix. The influence of silica particles upon BC crystallinity was studied using XRD analysis. Thermogravimetric (TG) analysis showed that the composites are stable up to 300°C. A Plackett-Burman design was applied in order to investigate the influence of process parameters upon silica particle sizes and silica content of BC-silica composites. The statistical model predicted that it is possible for silica particles size to vary the synthesis parameters in order to obtain silica particles deposed on BC membranes in the range from 34.5 to 500 nm, the significant parameters being ammonia concentration, reaction time and temperature. The silica content also varies depending on process parameters, the statistical model predicting that the most influential parameters are water-tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) ratio and reaction temperature. The antimicrobial behavior on Staphylococcus aureus of BC-silica composites functionalized with usnic acid (UA) was also studied, in order to create improved surfaces with antiadherence and anti-biofilm properties. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Alkali borosilicate glass by fly ash from a coal-fired power plant.

PubMed

Park, Jong Soo; Taniguchi, Shoji; Park, Young Jun

2009-01-01

The possibility of using coal fly ash as a silica source for alkali borosilicate glass was investigated. Alkali borosilicate glasses were prepared from the coal fly ash mixed with 30 wt.% reagents composed of Na(2)O and B(2)O(3) by susceptor-induction heating. Their densities ranged from 2.24 to 2.55 g cm(-3) and decreased as the amount of B(2)O(3) addition increased. However, the Vickers microhardness showed a different tendency with the density since the glass network connectivity improved by boron anomaly, which was identified by a nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. The Vickers microhardness of the glass product, with the addition of 15 wt.% B(2)O(3) and 15 wt.% Na(2)O, was about 4030 MPa. Furthermore, the changes in microstructure were consistent with those in the chemical stability by the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP).

The Clinical Utility of ASRS-v1.1 for Identifying ADHD in Alcoholics Using PRISM as the Reference Standard.

PubMed

Reyes, Maria M; Schneekloth, Terry D; Hitschfeld, Mario J; Geske, Jennifer R; Atkinson, David L; Karpyak, Victor M

2016-05-02

The objective was to assess the clinical utility of the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1) in identifying ADHD in alcoholics using the Psychiatric Research Interview for Substance and Mental Disorders (PRISM) as the diagnostic "gold standard." We performed a secondary analysis of data from 379 treatment-seeking alcoholics who completed the ASRS-v1.1 and the ADHD module of the PRISM. Data analysis included descriptive statistics. The prevalence of ADHD was 7.7% (95% CI = [5.4, 10.8]). The positive predictive value (PPV) of the ASRS-v1.1 was 18.1% (95% CI = [12.4, 25.7]) and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 97.6% (95% CI = [94.9, 98.9]). The ASRS-v1.1 demonstrated a sensitivity of 79.3% (95% CI = [61.6, 90.2]) and a specificity of 70.3% (95% CI = [65.3, 74.8]). The ASRS-v1.1 demonstrated acceptable sensitivity and specificity in a sample of treatment-seeking alcoholics when compared with the PRISM as the reference standard for ADHD diagnosis. © The Author(s) 2016.

Solidification/stabilization of ASR fly ash using Thiomer material: Optimization of compressive strength and heavy metals leaching.

PubMed

Baek, Jin Woong; Choi, Angelo Earvin Sy; Park, Hung Suck

2017-12-01

Optimization studies of a novel and eco-friendly construction material, Thiomer, was investigated in the solidification/stabilization of automobile shredded residue (ASR) fly ash. A D-optimal mixture design was used to evaluate and optimize maximum compressive strength and heavy metals leaching by varying Thiomer (20-40wt%), ASR fly ash (30-50wt%) and sand (20-40wt%). The analysis of variance was utilized to determine the level of significance of each process parameters and interactions. The microstructure of the solidified materials was taken from a field emission-scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy that confirmed successful Thiomer solidified ASR fly ash due to reduced pores and gaps in comparison with an untreated ASR fly ash. The X-ray diffraction detected the enclosed materials on the ASR fly ash primarily contained sulfur associated crystalline complexes. Results indicated the optimal conditions of 30wt% Thiomer, 30wt% ASR fly ash and 40wt% sand reached a compressive strength of 54.9MPa. For the optimum results in heavy metals leaching, 0.0078mg/LPb, 0.0260mg/L Cr, 0.0007mg/LCd, 0.0020mg/L Cu, 0.1027mg/L Fe, 0.0046mg/L Ni and 0.0920mg/L Zn were leached out, being environmentally safe due to being substantially lower than the Korean standard leaching requirements. The results also showed that Thiomer has superiority over the commonly used Portland cement asa binding material which confirmed its potential usage as an innovative approach to simultaneously synthesize durable concrete and satisfactorily pass strict environmental regulations by heavy metals leaching. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sonochemical synthesis of silica particles and their size control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hwa-Min; Lee, Chang-Hyun; Kim, Bonghwan

2016-09-01

Using an ultrasound-assisted sol-gel method, we successfully synthesized very uniformly shaped, monodisperse, and size-controlled spherical silica particles from a mixture of ethanol, water, and tetraethyl orthosilicate in the presence of ammonia as catalyst, at room temperature. The diameters of the silica particles were distributed in the range from 40 to 400 nm; their morphology was well characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The silica particle size could be adjusted by choosing suitable concentrations of ammonium hydroxide and water, which in turn determined the nucleation and growth rates of the particles during the reaction. This sonochemical-based silica synthesis offers an alternative way to produce spherical silica particles in a relatively short reaction time. Thus, we suggest that this simple, low-cost, and efficient method of preparing uniform silica particles of various sizes will have practical and wide-ranging industrial applicability.

Zinc-oxide-silica-silver nanocomposite: Unique one-pot synthesis and enhanced catalytic and anti-bacterial performance.

PubMed

Kokate, Mangesh; Garadkar, Kalyanrao; Gole, Anand

2016-12-01

We describe herein a unique approach to synthesize zinc oxide-silica-silver (ZnO-SiO2-Ag) nanocomposite, in a simple, one-pot process. The typical process for ZnO synthesis by alkaline precipitation of zinc salts has been tweaked to replace alkali by alkaline sodium silicate. The free acid from zinc salts helps in the synthesis of silica nanoparticles, whereas the alkalinity of sodium silicate precipitates the zinc salts. Addition of silver ions into the reaction pot prior to addition of sodium silicate, and subsequent reduction by borohydride, gives additional functionality of metallic centres for catalytic applications. The synthesis strategy is based on our recent work typically involving acid-base type of cross-reactions and demonstrates a novel strategy to synthesize nanocomposites in a one-pot approach. Each component in the composite offers a unique feature. ZnO besides displaying mild catalytic and anti-bacterial behaviour is an excellent and a cheap 3-D support for heterogeneous catalysis. Silver nanoparticles enhance the catalytic & anti-bacterial properties of ZnO. Silica is an important part of the composite; which not only "glues" the two nanoparticles thereby stabilizing the nanocomposite, but also significantly enhances the surface area of the composite; which is an attractive feature of any catalyst composite. The nanocomposite is found to show excellent catalytic performance with very high turnover frequencies (TOFs) when studied for catalytic reduction of Rhodamine B (RhB) and 4-Nitrophenol (4-NP). Additionally, the composite has been tested for its anti-bacterial properties on three different bacterial strains i.e. E. coli, B. Cereus and Bacillus firmus. The mechanism for enhancement of catalytic performance has been probed by understanding the role of silica in offering accessibility to the catalyst via its porous high surface area network. The nanocomposite has been characterized by a host of different analytical techniques. The uniqueness of

Questioning the Specificity of ASRS-v1.1 to Accurately Detect ADHD in Substance Abusing Populations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiasson, Jean-Pierre; Stavro, Katherine; Rizkallah, Elie; Lapierre, Luc; Dussault, Maxime; Legault, Louis; Potvin, Stephane

2012-01-01

Objective: To assess the specificity of the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1) in detecting ADHD among individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs). Method: A chart review of 183 SUD patients was conducted. Patients were screened for ADHD with the ASRS-v1.1 and were later assessed by a psychiatrist specialized in ADHD. Results: Among SUD…

Recovery of ferrous and nonferrous metal from ASR by physical separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Min-gyu; Han, Oh-hyung; Park, Chul-hyun

2017-04-01

A recycle ratio of waste automobiles in Korea is low, compared to that of the advanced countries. Especially in its recycle, separation of automotive shredder residue (ASR), the residual fraction of approximate 25% obtained after dismantling and shredding from waste car, is needed. However ASR is cannot be effectively separated due to its heterogeneous materials and coated or laminated complexes and then is largely deposited in land-fill sites as waste. In this study ASR was separated by a series of physical processing operations such as comminution, air classification and magnetic separation and electrostatic separations. In particular it focuses on estimating the optimal conditions of magnetic and electrostatic separations for improving the separation efficiency of valuable ferrous and non-ferrous metals such as iron (Fe), aluminum, copper and etc. In magnetic separation, 91.5% Fe grade and 91% recovery could be obtained at conditions of particle size under 10mm and magnetic intensity of 400 gauss. In corona electrostatic separation for recovering nonferrous metals, a grade of 79.2% and recovery of 90.7% could be successfully achieved under conditions of -6mm particle size, 50kV electrode potential, 35rpm drum speed and 20 degree splitter position, respectively. Acknowledgments This study was supported by the R&D Center for Valuable Recycling (Global-Top R&BD Program) of the Ministry of Environment. (Project No. 2016002250001)

Carbothermal transformation of a graphitic carbon nanofiber/silica aerogel composite to a SiC/silica nanocomposite.

PubMed

Lu, Weijie; Steigerwalt, Eve S; Moore, Joshua T; Sullivan, Lisa M; Collins, W Eugene; Lukehart, C M

2004-09-01

Carbon nanofiber/silica aerogel composites are prepared by sol-gel processing of surface-enhanced herringbone graphitic carbon nanofibers (GCNF) and Si(OMe)4, followed by supercritical CO2 drying. Heating the resulting GCNF/silica aerogel composites to 1650 degrees C under a partial pressure of Ar gas initiates carbothermal reaction between the silica aerogel matrix and the carbon nanofiber component to form SiC/silica nanocomposites. The SiC phase is present as nearly spherical nanoparticles, having an average diameter of ca. 8 nm. Formation of SiC is confirmed by powder XRD and by Raman spectroscopy.

Severity-Based Adaptation with Limited Data for ASR to Aid Dysarthric Speakers

PubMed Central

Mustafa, Mumtaz Begum; Salim, Siti Salwah; Mohamed, Noraini; Al-Qatab, Bassam; Siong, Chng Eng

2014-01-01

Automatic speech recognition (ASR) is currently used in many assistive technologies, such as helping individuals with speech impairment in their communication ability. One challenge in ASR for speech-impaired individuals is the difficulty in obtaining a good speech database of impaired speakers for building an effective speech acoustic model. Because there are very few existing databases of impaired speech, which are also limited in size, the obvious solution to build a speech acoustic model of impaired speech is by employing adaptation techniques. However, issues that have not been addressed in existing studies in the area of adaptation for speech impairment are as follows: (1) identifying the most effective adaptation technique for impaired speech; and (2) the use of suitable source models to build an effective impaired-speech acoustic model. This research investigates the above-mentioned two issues on dysarthria, a type of speech impairment affecting millions of people. We applied both unimpaired and impaired speech as the source model with well-known adaptation techniques like the maximum likelihood linear regression (MLLR) and the constrained-MLLR(C-MLLR). The recognition accuracy of each impaired speech acoustic model is measured in terms of word error rate (WER), with further assessments, including phoneme insertion, substitution and deletion rates. Unimpaired speech when combined with limited high-quality speech-impaired data improves performance of ASR systems in recognising severely impaired dysarthric speech. The C-MLLR adaptation technique was also found to be better than MLLR in recognising mildly and moderately impaired speech based on the statistical analysis of the WER. It was found that phoneme substitution was the biggest contributing factor in WER in dysarthric speech for all levels of severity. The results show that the speech acoustic models derived from suitable adaptation techniques improve the performance of ASR systems in recognising

Synthesis of hybrid interfacial silica-based nanospheres composite as a support for ultra-small palladium nanoparticle and application of PdNPs/HSN in Mizoroki-Heck reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rostamnia, Sadegh; Kholdi, Saba

2017-12-01

The silica based hollow nanosphere (silica-HNS) containing polymer of polyaniline was synthesized and chosen as a promising support for PdNPs. Then it was applied as a green catalyst in the reaction of Heck coupling with high yield. TEM and SEM-EDX/mapping images were used to study the structure and morphology. FT-IR spectroscopy, Thermal gravimetry analysis (TGA), and BET were used to characterize and investigate the catalyst. Also, the amounts of Pd loading were characterized by ICP-AES technique. Catalyst recyclability showed 5 successful runs for the reaction.

Process to separate alkali metal salts from alkali metal reacted hydrocarbons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gordon, John Howard; Alvare, Javier; Larsen, Dennis

A process to facilitate gravimetric separation of alkali metal salts, such as alkali metal sulfides and polysulfides, from alkali metal reacted hydrocarbons. The disclosed process is part of a method of upgrading a hydrocarbon feedstock by removing heteroatoms and/or one or more heavy metals from the hydrocarbon feedstock composition. This method reacts the oil feedstock with an alkali metal and an upgradant hydrocarbon. The alkali metal reacts with a portion of the heteroatoms and/or one or more heavy metals to form an inorganic phase containing alkali metal salts and reduced heavy metals, and an upgraded hydrocarbon feedstock. The inorganic phasemore » may be gravimetrically separated from the upgraded hydrocarbon feedstock after mixing at a temperature between about 350.degree. C. to 400.degree. C. for a time period between about 15 minutes and 2 hours.« less

Evaluate the Use of Mineral Admixtures in Concrete to Mitigate Alkali-Silica Reactivity.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-12-01

The increased use of mineral admixtures in portland cement concrete demands a better understanding of their properties and effects on hardened concrete. One of several beneficial advantages of mineral admixtures like flyash and silica fume is their p...

Alkali metal nitrate purification

DOEpatents

Fiorucci, Louis C.; Morgan, Michael J.

1986-02-04

A process is disclosed for removing contaminants from impure alkali metal nitrates containing them. The process comprises heating the impure alkali metal nitrates in solution form or molten form at a temperature and for a time sufficient to effect precipitation of solid impurities and separating the solid impurities from the resulting purified alkali metal nitrates. The resulting purified alkali metal nitrates in solution form may be heated to evaporate water therefrom to produce purified molten alkali metal nitrates suitable for use as a heat transfer medium. If desired, the purified molten form may be granulated and cooled to form discrete solid particles of purified alkali metal nitrates.

Dewetting of silica surfaces upon reactions with supercritical CO2 and brine: pore-scale studies in micromodels.

PubMed

Kim, Yongman; Wan, Jiamin; Kneafsey, Timothy J; Tokunaga, Tetsu K

2012-04-03

Wettability of reservoir minerals and rocks is a critical factor controlling CO(2) mobility, residual trapping, and safe-storage in geologic carbon sequestration, and currently is the factor imparting the greatest uncertainty in predicting capillary behavior in porous media. Very little information on wettability in supercritical CO(2) (scCO(2))-mineral-brine systems is available. We studied pore-scale wettability and wettability alteration in scCO(2)-silica-brine systems using engineered micromodels (transparent pore networks), at 8.5 MPa and 45 °C, over a wide range of NaCl concentrations up to 5.0 M. Dewetting of silica surfaces upon reactions with scCO(2) was observed through water film thinning, water droplet formation, and contact angle increases within single pores. The brine contact angles increased from initial values near 0° up to 80° with larger increases under higher ionic strength conditions. Given the abundance of silica surfaces in reservoirs and caprocks, these results indicate that CO(2) induced dewetting may have important consequences on CO(2) sequestration including reducing capillary entry pressure, and altering quantities of CO(2) residual trapping, relative permeability, and caprock integrity.

Ultrasound assisted deposition of silica coatings on titanium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaş, Recep; Ertaş, Fatma Sinem; Birer, Özgür

2012-10-01

We present a novel ultrasound assisted method for silica coating of titanium surfaces. The coatings are formed by “smashing” silica nanoparticles onto activated titanium surface in solution using intense ultrasonic field. Homogeneous silica coatings are formed by deposition of dense multiple layers of silica nanoparticles. Since the nanoparticles also grow during the reaction, the layers of the coatings have smaller particles on the substrate and larger particles towards the surface. The thickness of the coatings can be controlled with several experimental parameters. Silica layers with thickness over 200 nm are readily obtained.

Multi-media authoring - Instruction and training of air traffic controllers based on ASRS incident reports

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Armstrong, Herbert B.; Roske-Hofstrand, Renate J.

1989-01-01

This paper discusses the use of computer-assisted instructions and flight simulations to enhance procedural and perceptual motor task training. Attention is called to the fact that incorporating the accident and incident data contained in reports filed with the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) would be a valuable training tool which the learner could apply for other situations. The need to segment the events is emphasized; this would make it possible to modify events in order to suit the needs of the training environment. Methods were developed for designing meaningful scenario development on runway incursions on the basis of analysis of ASRS reports. It is noted that, while the development of interactive training tools using the ASRS and other data bases holds much promise, the design and production of interactive video programs and laser disks are very expensive. It is suggested that this problem may be overcome by sharing the costs of production to develop a library of materials available to a broad range of users.

Alkali Potassium Induced HCl/CO2 Selectivity Enhancement and Chlorination Reaction Inhibition for Catalytic Oxidation of Chloroaromatics.

PubMed

Sun, Pengfei; Wang, Wanglong; Weng, Xiaole; Dai, Xiaoxia; Wu, Zhongbiao

2018-06-05

Industrial combustion of chloroaromatics is likely to generate unintentional biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo- p-dioxins (PCDDs), and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs). This process involves a surface-mediated reaction and can be accelerated in the presence of a catalyst. In the past decade, the effect of surface nature of applied catalysts on the conversion of chloroaromatics to PCBs/PCDD/PCDF has been well explored. However, studies on how the flue gas interferent components affect such a conversion process remain insufficient. In this article, a critical flue gas interferent component, alkali potassium, was investigated to reveal its effect on the chloroaromatics oxidation at a typical solid acid-base catalyst, Mn x Ce 1- x O 2 /HZSM-5. The loading of alkali potassium was found to improve the Lewis acidity of the catalyst (by increasing the amounts of surface Mn 4+ after calcination), which thus promoted the CO 2 selectivity for catalytic chlorobenzene (CB) oxidation. The KOH with a high hydrophilicity has favored the adsorption/activation of H 2 O molecules that provided sufficient hydroxyl groups and possibly induced a hydrolysis process to promote the formation of HCl. The K ion also served as a potential sink for chorine ions immobilization (via forming KCl). Both of these inhibited the formation of phenyl polychloride byproducts, thereby blocking the conversion of CB to chlorophenol and then PCDDs/PCDFs, and potentially ensuring a durable operation and less secondary pollution for the catalytic chloroaromatics combustion in industry.

Joint issues – conflicts of interest, the ASR hip and suggestions for managing surgical conflicts of interest

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Financial and nonfinancial conflicts of interest in medicine and surgery are troubling because they have the capacity to skew decision making in ways that might be detrimental to patient care and well-being. The recent case of the Articular Surface Replacement (ASR) hip provides a vivid illustration of the harmful effects of conflicts of interest in surgery. Discussion We identify financial and nonfinancial conflicts of interest experienced by surgeons, hospitals and regulators in the ASR case. These conflicts may have impacted surgical advice, decision-making and evidence gathering with respect to the ASR prosthesis, and contributed to the significant harms experienced by patients in whom the hip was implanted. Drawing on this case we explore shortcomings in the standard responses to conflicts of interest – disclosure and recusal. We argue disclosure is necessary but by no means sufficient to address conflicts of interest. Using the concept of recusal we develop remedies including second opinions and third party consent which may be effective in mitigating conflicts, but their implementation introduces new challenges. Summary Deployment of the ASR hip is a case of surgical innovation gone wrong. As we show, there were multiple conflicts of interest involved in the introduction of the ASR hip into practice and subsequent attempts to gloss over the mounting body of evidence about its lack of safety and effectiveness. Conflicts of interest in surgery are often not well managed. We suggest strategies in this paper which can minimise the conflicts of interest associated with surgical innovation. PMID:25128372

Oxidation and Volatilization of Silica-Formers in Water Vapor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Opila, E. J.; Gray, Hugh R. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

At high temperatures SiC and Si3N4 react with water vapor to form a silica scale. Silica scales also react with water vapor to form a volatile Si(OH)4 species. These simultaneous reactions, one forming silica and the other removing silica, are described by paralinear kinetics. A steady state, in which these reactions occur at the same rate, is eventually achieved, After steady state is achieved, the oxide found on the surface is a constant thickness and recession of the underlying material occurs at a linear rate. The steady state oxide thickness, the time to achieve steady state, and the steady state recession rate can all be described in terms of the rate constants for the oxidation and volatilization reactions. In addition, the oxide thickness, the time to achieve steady state, and the recession rate can also be determined from parameters that describe a water vapor-containing environment. Accordingly, maps have been developed to show these steady state conditions as a function of reaction rate constants, pressure, and gas velocity. These maps can be used to predict the behavior of silica formers in water-vapor containing environments such as combustion environments. Finally, these maps are used to explore the limits of the paralinear oxidation model for SiC and Si3N4

0-6723 : development of rapid, cement-based repair materials for transportation structures.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-08-01

The state of Texas has been plagued by various : durability-related issues in recent years, : including deterioration from alkali-silica : reaction, delayed ettringite formation, corrosion : of reinforcing steel, volume changes (plastic : shrinkage, ...

Psychometric properties of the Japanese version of the Adult Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Self-Report Scale (ASRS-J) and its short scale in accordance with DSM-5 diagnostic criteria.

PubMed

Takeda, Toshinobu; Tsuji, Yui; Kurita, Hiroshi

2017-04-01

We developed the Japanese version of the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-J) and report its psychometric properties. The ASRS-J and other questionnaires were administered to 48 adults with ADHD, 46 adults with non-ADHD psychiatric disorders, 96 non-clinical adults, and 894 university students. ADHD diagnoses were made using the Japanese semi-structured diagnostic interview for adult ADHD, which is compatible with the DSM-5. The ASRS-J, its subscales, and the short form, all had Cronbach's α values of around 0.80. Total scores on the ASRS-J and the ASRS-J-6 were highly correlated with readministration after a two-week interval. The total and 18 individual item scores in the ASRS-J were significantly higher in the ADHD group than the other three groups. ASRS-J scores were correlated with scores on the Japanese version of Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scales-Self Report subscales (0.59≤r≤0.77), with one exception. ASRS-J scores were also correlated (albeit more weakly; r=0.38) with Beck Depression Inventory-II total scores. Employing optimal cut-offs, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the ASRS-J and ASRS-J-6 are all above 0.69. The ASRS-J and ASRS-J-6 showed acceptable psychometric properties, although further study is necessary. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vulcanization characteristics and dynamic mechanical behavior of natural rubber reinforced with silane modified silica.

PubMed

Chonkaew, Wunpen; Minghvanish, Withawat; Kungliean, Ulchulee; Rochanawipart, Nutthaya; Brostow, Witold

2011-03-01

Two silane coupling agents were used for hydrolysis-condensation reaction modification of nanosilica surfaces. The surface characteristics were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The vulcanization kinetics of natural rubber (NR) + silica composites was studied and compared to behavior of the neat NR using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) in the dynamic scan mode. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was performed to evaluate the effects of the surface modification. Activation energy E(a) values for the reaction are obtained. The presence of silica, modified or otherwise, inhibits the vulcanization reaction of NR. The neat silica containing system has the lowest cure rate index and the highest activation energy for the vulcanization reaction. The coupling agent with longer chains causes more swelling and moves the glass transition temperature T(g) downwards. Below the glass transition region, silica causes a lowering of the dynamic storage modulus G', a result of hindering the cure reaction. Above the glass transition, silica-again modified or otherwise-provides the expected reinforcement effect.

Separation of non-ferrous metals from ASR by corona electrostatic separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Yang-soo; Choi, Jin-Young; Jeon, Ho-Seok; Han, Oh-Hyung; Park, Chul-Hyun

2016-04-01

Automotive shredder residue (ASR), the residual fraction of approximate 25% obtained after dismantling and shredding from waste car, consists of polymers (plastics and rubber), metals (ferrous and non-ferrous), wood, glass and fluff (textile and fiber). ASR cannot be effectively separated due to its heterogeneous materials and coated or laminated complexes and then largely deposited in land-fill sites as waste. Thus reducing a pollutant release before disposal, techniques that can improve the liberation of coated (or laminated) complexes and the recovery of valuable metals from the shredder residue are needed. ASR may be separated by a series of physical processing operations such as comminution, air, magnetic and electrostatic separations. The work deals with the characterization of the shredder residue coming from an industrial plant in korea and focuses on estimating the optimal conditions of corona electrostatic separation for improving the separation efficiency of valuable non-ferrous metals such as aluminum, copper and etc. From the results of test, the maximum separation achievable for non-ferrous metals using a corona electrostatic separation has been shown to be recovery of 92.5% at a grade of 75.8%. The recommended values of the process variables, particle size, electrode potential, drum speed, splitter position and relative humidity are -6mm, 50 kV, 35rpm, 20° and less 40%, respectively. Acknowledgments This study was supported by the R&D Center for Valuable Recycling (Global-Top R&BD Program) of the Ministry of Environment. (Project No. GT-11-C-01-170-0)

Hydrothermal alkali metal recovery process

DOEpatents

Wolfs, Denise Y.; Clavenna, Le Roy R.; Eakman, James M.; Kalina, Theodore

1980-01-01

In a coal gasification operation or similar conversion process carried out in the presence of an alkali metal-containing catalyst wherein solid particles containing alkali metal residues are produced, alkali metal constituents are recovered from the particles by treating them with a calcium or magnesium-containing compound in the presence of water at a temperature between about 250.degree. F. and about 700.degree. F. and in the presence of an added base to establish a pH during the treatment step that is higher than would otherwise be possible without the addition of the base. During the treating process the relatively high pH facilitates the conversion of water-insoluble alkali metal compounds in the alkali metal residues into water-soluble alkali metal constituents. The resultant aqueous solution containing water-soluble alkali metal constituents is then separated from the residue solids, which consist of the treated particles and any insoluble materials formed during the treatment step, and recycled to the gasification process where the alkali metal constituents serve as at least a portion of the alkali metal constituents which comprise the alkali metal-containing catalyst. Preferably, the base that is added during the treatment step is an alkali metal hydroxide obtained by water washing the residue solids produced during the treatment step.

A Case of Severe Airbag Related Ocular Alkali Injury

PubMed Central

Wong, William; Affeldt, John C

2012-01-01

While airbags have saved many lives and are clearly beneficial overall, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) powder produced by the inflation reaction can cause significant alkali ocular injury if not irrigated promptly. Here we report a case of severe airbag related ocular alkali injury as a way to bring attention to the need for prompt ocular irrigation following motor vehicle accidents (MVA) with airbag deployment. A 47-year-old man was involved in a MVA with airbag deployment in a rural setting. Attention was paid to several other life-threatening traumatic injuries, however, ocular irrigation was not performed until some 6–7 hours after the MVA. Over the course of 6 months, airbag related alkali injury caused severe limbal ischemia, conjunctivalization of the cornea, corneal epithelial defects, cicatricial scarring, haze, and corneal/limbal vascularization despite amniotic membrane graft. Awareness of the importance of ocular irrigation following airbag deployment must be raised both in the ophthalmology and emergency medicine communities. PMID:22900239

EXTINGUISHMENT OF ALKALI METAL FIRES

DTIC Science & Technology

low O2 partial pressures on alkali metal fires Extinguishment of alkali metal fires using in organic salt mixtures Extinguishment of alkali metal ... fires using inorganic salt foams Alkali metal jet stream ignition at various pressure conditions Bibliography

Biomimetic mineral self-organization from silica-rich spring waters.

PubMed

García-Ruiz, Juan Manuel; Nakouzi, Elias; Kotopoulou, Electra; Tamborrino, Leonardo; Steinbock, Oliver

2017-03-01

Purely inorganic reactions of silica, metal carbonates, and metal hydroxides can produce self-organized complex structures that mimic the texture of biominerals, the morphology of primitive organisms, and that catalyze prebiotic reactions. To date, these fascinating structures have only been synthesized using model solutions. We report that mineral self-assembly can be also obtained from natural alkaline silica-rich water deriving from serpentinization. Specifically, we demonstrate three main types of mineral self-assembly: (i) nanocrystalline biomorphs of barium carbonate and silica, (ii) mesocrystals and crystal aggregates of calcium carbonate with complex biomimetic textures, and (iii) osmosis-driven metal silicate hydrate membranes that form compartmentalized, hollow structures. Our results suggest that silica-induced mineral self-assembly could have been a common phenomenon in alkaline environments of early Earth and Earth-like planets.

Adaptation of the ammoniacal silver reaction to cytochemical demonstration of myelin basic protein.

PubMed

Staykova, M; Jordanov, J; Goranov, I

1978-01-01

A modification of Black and Ansley's ammoniacal silver reaction (ASR) for histones is proposed for visualizing myelin basic protien (MBP) in the nervous system. The reaction is performed on histological sections of tissues fixed in neutralized formalin-alcohol and delipidized in the course of the routine paraffin embedding. The deparaffinized sections are again treated with formalin in order to make the "unmasked" by the delipidization basic groups of MBP reactive to ammoniacal silver. After treatment with this reagent MBP of the myelin sheaths of the nerve fibres is impregnated brownish-black. Deparaffinized sections subjected to an extraction of MBP with hydrochloric acid exhibit a negative reaction at the level of the myelin sheaths the same reaction being preserved at the level of the nuclear histones. The reaction is positive in paper spots of nervous tissue extracts obtained with the same acid. These assays indicate the specificity of the modified ASR. The method can be used for studies on the processes of myelination and demylination in normal histogenesis and in pathology of the nervous tissue.

Theory of metal atom-water interactions and alkali halide dimers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jordan, K. D.; Kurtz, H. A.

1982-01-01

Theoretical studies of the interactions of metal atoms with water and some of its isoelectronic analogs, and of the properties of alkali halides and their aggregates are discussed. Results are presented of ab initio calculations of the heats of reaction of the metal-water adducts and hydroxyhydrides of Li, Be, B, Na, Mg, and Al, and of the bond lengths and angles an; the heats of reaction for the insertion of Al into HF, H2O, NH3, H2S and CH3OH, and Be and Mg into H2O. Calculations of the electron affinities and dipole moments and polarizabilities of selected gas phase alkali halide monomers and dimers are discussed, with particular attention given to results of calculations of the polarizability of LiF taking into account electron correlation effects, and the polarizability of the dimer (LiF)2.

Development of a regenerable system employing silica-titania composites for the recovery of mercury from end-box exhaust at a chlor-alkali facility.

PubMed

Stokke, Jennifer M; Mazyck, David W

2008-04-01

The release of mercury to the environment is of particular concern because of its volatility, persistence, and tendency to bioaccumulate. The recovery of mercury from end-box exhaust at chlor-alkali facilities is important to prevent release into the environment and reduce emissions as required by NESHAP (National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants). A pilot-scale photocatalytic reactor packed with silica-titania composite (STC) pellets was tested at a chloralkali facility over a 3-month period. This pilot reactor treated up to 10 ft3/min (ACFM) of end-box exhaust and achieved 95% removal. The pilot reactor was able to maintain excellent removal efficiency even with large fluctuations in influent mercury concentration (400-1600 microg/ft3). The STC pellets were regenerated ex situ by regeneration with hydrochloric acid and performed similarly to virgin STC pellets when returned to service. On the basis of these promising results, two full-scale reactors with in situ regeneration capabilities were installed and operated. After optimization, these reactors performed similarly to the pilot reactor. A cost analysis was performed comparing the treatment costs (i.e., cost per pound of mercury removed) for sulfur-impregnated activated carbon and the STC system. The STC proved to be both technologically and economically feasible for this installation.

Silica in alkaline brines

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, B.F.; Rettig, S.L.; Eugster, H.P.

1967-01-01

Analysis of sodium carbonate-bicarbonate brines from closed basins in volcanic terranes of Oregon and Kenya reveals silica contents of up to 2700 parts per million at pH's higher than 10. These high concentrations of SiO 2 can be attributed to reaction of waters with silicates, and subsequent evaporative concentration accompanied by a rise in pH. Supersaturation with respect to amorphous silica may occur and persist for brines that are out of contact with silicate muds and undersaturated with respect to trona; correlation of SiO2 with concentration of Na and total CO2 support this interpretation. Addition of moredilute waters to alkaline brines may lower the pH and cause inorganic precipitation of substantial amounts of silica.

Hydrothermal alkali metal catalyst recovery process

DOEpatents

Eakman, James M.; Clavenna, LeRoy R.

1979-01-01

In a coal gasification operation or similar conversion process carried out in the presence of an alkali metal-containing catalyst wherein solid particles containing alkali metal residues are produced, alkali metal constituents are recovered from the particles primarily in the form of water soluble alkali metal formates by treating the particles with a calcium or magnesium-containing compound in the presence of water at a temperature between about 250.degree. F. and about 700.degree. F. and in the presence of added carbon monoxide. During the treating process the water insoluble alkali metal compounds comprising the insoluble alkali metal residues are converted into water soluble alkali metal formates. The resultant aqueous solution containing water soluble alkali metal formates is then separated from the treated particles and any insoluble materials formed during the treatment process, and recycled to the gasification process where the alkali metal formates serve as at least a portion of the alkali metal constituents which comprise the alkali metal-containing catalyst. This process permits increased recovery of alkali metal constituents, thereby decreasing the overall cost of the gasification process by reducing the amount of makeup alkali metal compounds necessary.

Embedding Luminescent Nanocrystals in Silica Sol-Gel Matrices

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

procedure necessary to form low-density silica aerogels using supercritical drying procedures. The resulting aerogel networks show a high surface area...reactions. Recent research that just begins to delve into the subject of taking quantum dot semiconductors in silica aerogels was published in...surface of the QD is desirable. As such, ultra low-density silica aerogel materials are an excellent medium for sensor applications as they can be

Effect of aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) on recovered stormwater quality variability.

PubMed

Page, D W; Peeters, L; Vanderzalm, J; Barry, K; Gonzalez, D

2017-06-15

Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) is increasingly being considered as a means of reusing urban stormwater to supplement available urban water resources. Storage of stormwater in an aquifer has been shown to affect water quality but it has also been claimed that storage will also decrease the stormwater quality variability making for improved predictability and management. This study is the first to document the changes in stormwater quality variability as a result of subsurface storage at four full scale ASR sites using advanced statistical techniques. New methods to examine water quality are required as data is often highly left censored and so traditional measures of variability such as the coefficient of variation are inappropriate. It was observed that for some water quality parameters (most notably E. coli) there was a marked improvement of water quality and a significant decrease in variability at all sites. This means that aquifer storage prior to engineered treatment systems may be advantageous in terms of system design to avoid over engineering. For other parameters such as metal(loids)s and nutrients the trend was less clear due to the numerous processes occurring during storage leading to an increase in variability, especially for geogenic metals and metalloids such as iron and arsenic. Depending upon the specific water quality parameters and end use, use of ASR may not have a dampening effect on stormwater quality variability. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inspection guide for column splice regions affected by premature concrete deterioration.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-07-01

This guideline aims to help bridge inspectors and engineers in identifying and assessing the : capability of reinforced concrete column splice regions affected by varying degrees of premature : concrete deterioration due to alkali-silica reaction (AS...

Laboratory investigation of lithium-bearing compounds for use in concrete.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-06-01

Lithium nitrate and lithium hyroxide were evaluated in the laboratory to examine their effectiveness in controlling expansions resulting from alkali-silica reaction and their effect on concrete properties. The lithium compounds were more effective in...

Effect of silica nanoparticles on polyurethane foaming process and foam properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Francés, A. B.; Navarro Bañón, M. V.

2014-08-01

Flexible polyurethane foams (FPUF) are commonly used as cushioning material in upholstered products made on several industrial sectors: furniture, automotive seating, bedding, etc. Polyurethane is a high molecular weight polymer based on the reaction between a hydroxyl group (polyol) and isocyanate. The density, flowability, compressive, tensile or shearing strength, the thermal and dimensional stability, combustibility, and other properties can be adjusted by the addition of several additives. Nanomaterials offer a wide range of possibilities to obtain nanocomposites with specific properties. The combination of FPUF with silica nanoparticles could develop nanocomposite materials with unique properties: improved mechanical and thermal properties, gas permeability, and fire retardancy. However, as silica particles are at least partially surface-terminated with Si-OH groups, it was suspected that the silica could interfere in the reaction of poyurethane formation.The objective of this study was to investigate the enhancement of thermal and mechanical properties of FPUF by the incorporation of different types of silica and determining the influence thereof during the foaming process. Flexible polyurethane foams with different loading mass fraction of silica nanoparticles (0-1% wt) and different types of silica (non treated and modified silica) were synthesized. PU/SiO2 nanocomposites were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, TGA, and measurements of apparent density, resilience and determination of compression set. Addition of silica nanoparticles influences negatively in the density and compression set of the foams. However, resilience and thermal stability of the foams are improved. Silica nanoparticles do not affect to the chemical structure of the foams although they interfere in the blowing reaction.

Solvent- and catalyst-free mechanochemical synthesis of alkali metal monohydrides

DOE PAGES

Hlova, Ihor Z.; Castle, Andra; Goldston, Jennifer F.; ...

2016-07-06

Alkali metal monohydrides, AH (A = Li–Cs) have been synthesized in quantitative yields at room temperature by reactive milling of alkali metals in the presence of hydrogen gas at 200 bar or less. The mechanochemical approach reported here eliminates problems associated with the malleability of alkali metals — especially Li, Na, and K — and promotes effective solid–gas reactions, ensuring their completion. This is achieved by incorporating a certain volume fraction of the corresponding hydride powder as a process control agent, which allows continuous and efficient milling primarily by coating the surface of metal particles, effectively blocking cold welding. Formationmore » of high-purity crystalline monohydrides has been confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction, solid-state NMR spectroscopy, and volumetric analyses of reactively desorbed H 2 from as-milled samples. The proposed synthesis method is scalable and particularly effective for extremely air-sensitive materials, such as alkali and alkaline earth metal hydrides. Furthermore, the technique may also be favorable for production in continuous reactors operating at room temperature, thereby reducing the total processing time, energy consumption and, hence, the cost of production of these hydrides or their derivatives and composites.« less

Alkali metal and alkali earth metal gadolinium halide scintillators

DOEpatents

Bourret-Courchesne, Edith; Derenzo, Stephen E.; Parms, Shameka; Porter-Chapman, Yetta D.; Wiggins, Latoria K.

2016-08-02

The present invention provides for a composition comprising an inorganic scintillator comprising a gadolinium halide, optionally cerium-doped, having the formula A.sub.nGdX.sub.m:Ce; wherein A is nothing, an alkali metal, such as Li or Na, or an alkali earth metal, such as Ba; X is F, Br, Cl, or I; n is an integer from 1 to 2; m is an integer from 4 to 7; and the molar percent of cerium is 0% to 100%. The gadolinium halides or alkali earth metal gadolinium halides are scintillators and produce a bright luminescence upon irradiation by a suitable radiation.

Apparatus enables accurate determination of alkali oxides in alkali metals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dupraw, W. A.; Gahn, R. F.; Graab, J. W.; Maple, W. E.; Rosenblum, L.

1966-01-01

Evacuated apparatus determines the alkali oxide content of an alkali metal by separating the metal from the oxide by amalgamation with mercury. The apparatus prevents oxygen and moisture from inadvertently entering the system during the sampling and analytical procedure.

Experimental studies of alunite: II. Rates of alunite-water alkali and isotope exchange

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stoffregen, R.E.; Rye, R.O.; Wasserman, M.D.

1994-01-01

Rates of alkali exchange between alunite and water have been measured in hydrothermal experiments of 1 hour to 259 days duration at 150 to 400??C. Examination of run products by scanning electron microscope indicates that the reaction takes place by dissolution-reprecipitation. This exchange is modeled with an empirical rate equation which assumes a linear decrease in mineral surface area with percent exchange (f) and a linear dependence of the rate on the square root of the affinity for the alkali exchange reaction. This equation provides a good fit of the experimental data for f = 17% to 90% and yields log rate constants which range from -6.25 moles alkali m-2s-1 at 400??C to - 11.7 moles alkali m-2s-1 at 200??C. The variation in these rates with temperature is given by the equation log k* = -8.17(1000/T(K)) + 5.54 (r2 = 0.987) which yields an activation energy of 37.4 ?? 1.5 kcal/mol. For comparison, data from O'Neil and Taylor (1967) and Merigoux (1968) modeled with a pseudo-second-order rate expression give an activation energy of 36.1 ?? 2.9 kcal/mol for alkali-feldspar water Na-K exchange. In the absence of coupled alkali exchange, oxygen isotope exchange between alunite and water also occurs by dissolution-reprecipitation but rates are one to three orders of magnitude lower than those for alkali exchange. In fine-grained alunites, significant D-H exchange occurs by hydrogen diffusion at temperatures as low as 100??C. Computed hydrogen diffusion coefficients range from -15.7 to -17.3 cm2s-1 and suggest that the activation energy for hydrogen diffusion may be as low as 6 kcal/mol. These experiments indicate that rates of alkali exchange in the relatively coarse-grained alunites typical of hydrothermal ore deposits are insignificant, and support the reliability of K-Ar age data from such samples. However, the fine-grained alunites typical of low temperature settings may be susceptible to limited alkali exchange at surficial conditions which could cause

Spoken Grammar Practice and Feedback in an ASR-Based CALL System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Vries, Bart Penning; Cucchiarini, Catia; Bodnar, Stephen; Strik, Helmer; van Hout, Roeland

2015-01-01

Speaking practice is important for learners of a second language. Computer assisted language learning (CALL) systems can provide attractive opportunities for speaking practice when combined with automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology. In this paper, we present a CALL system that offers spoken practice of word order, an important aspect of…

Quantitative analysis and reduction of the eco-toxicity risk of heavy metals for the fine fraction of automobile shredder residue (ASR) using H2O2.

PubMed

Singh, Jiwan; Yang, Jae-Kyu; Chang, Yoon-Young

2016-02-01

Automobile shredder residue (ASR) fraction (size <0.25mm) can be considered as hazardous due to presence of high concentrations of heavy metals. Hydrogen peroxide combined with nitric acid has been used for the recovery of heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe, Ni, Pb, Cd and Cr) from the fine fraction of ASR. A sequential extraction procedure has also been used to determine the heavy metal speciation in the fine fraction of ASR before and after treatment. A risk analysis of the fine fraction of ASR before and after treatment was conducted to assess the bioavailability and eco-toxicity of heavy metals. These results showed that the recovery of heavy metals from ASR increased with an increase in the hydrogen peroxide concentration. A high concentration of heavy metals was found to be present in Cbio fractions (the sum of the exchangeable and carbonate fractions) in the fine fraction of ASR, indicating high toxicity risk. The Cbio rate of all selected heavy metals was found to range from 8.6% to 33.4% of the total metal content in the fine fraction of ASR. After treatment, Cbio was reduced to 0.3-3.3% of total metal upon a treatment with 2.0% hydrogen peroxide. On the basis of the risk assessment code (RAC), the environmental risk values for heavy metals in the fine fraction of ASR reflect high risk/medium risk. However, after treatment, the heavy metals would be categorized as low risk/no risk. The present study concludes that hydrogen peroxide combined with nitric acid is a promising treatment for the recovery and reduction of the eco-toxicity risk of heavy metals in ASR. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Methods of recovering alkali metals

DOEpatents

Krumhansl, James L; Rigali, Mark J

2014-03-04

Approaches for alkali metal extraction, sequestration and recovery are described. For example, a method of recovering alkali metals includes providing a CST or CST-like (e.g., small pore zeolite) material. The alkali metal species is scavenged from the liquid mixture by the CST or CST-like material. The alkali metal species is extracted from the CST or CST-like material.

0-6717 : investigation of alternative supplementary cementing materials (SCMs) : [project summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-08-01

In Texas, Class F fly ash is extensively used as a : supplementary cementing material (SCM) : because of its ability to control thermal cracking : in mass concrete and to mitigate deleterious : expansions in concrete from alkali-silica reaction : (AS...

Adding nickel formate in alkali lignin to increase contents of alkylphenols and aromatics during fast pyrolysis.

PubMed

Geng, Jing; Wang, Wen-Liang; Yu, Yu-Xiang; Chang, Jian-Min; Cai, Li-Ping; Shi, Sheldon Q

2017-03-01

The composition of pyrolysis vapors obtained from alkali lignin pyrolysis with the additive of nickel formate was examined using the pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). Characterization of bio-chars was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Results showed that the nickel formate significantly increased liquid yield, simplified the types of alkali lignin pyrolysis products and increased individual component contents. The additive of nickel formate increased contents of alkylphenols and aromatics from alkali lignin pyrolysis. With an increase in temperature, a greater amount of the relative contents can be achieved. The nickel formate was thermally decomposed to form hydrogen, resulting in hydrodeoxygenation of alkali lignin during pyrolysis. It was also found that Ni is in favor of producing alkylphenols. The analysis based on the experimental result provided evidences used to propose reaction mechanism for pyrolysis of nickel formate-assisted alkali lignin. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Alkali metal ion battery with bimetallic electrode

DOEpatents

Boysen, Dane A; Bradwell, David J; Jiang, Kai; Kim, Hojong; Ortiz, Luis A; Sadoway, Donald R; Tomaszowska, Alina A; Wei, Weifeng; Wang, Kangli

2015-04-07

Electrochemical cells having molten electrodes having an alkali metal provide receipt and delivery of power by transporting atoms of the alkali metal between electrode environments of disparate chemical potentials through an electrochemical pathway comprising a salt of the alkali metal. The chemical potential of the alkali metal is decreased when combined with one or more non-alkali metals, thus producing a voltage between an electrode comprising the molten the alkali metal and the electrode comprising the combined alkali/non-alkali metals.

Personnel and Training Requirements for the ASR-21 Rescue Control Center.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeLuca, Joseph F.; Noble, John F.

This report covers personnel and training requirements for Rescue Control Center (RCC) twin hull submarine rescue ships (ASRs). Skills and knowledge similar to those of a sonar technician (ST-0408) and a data system technician (DS-1666) are needed to operate the special sonar set and computer based system, but no suitable Navy training facility…

Computational studies of solid-state alkali conduction in rechargeable alkali-ion batteries

DOE PAGES

Deng, Zhi; Mo, Yifei; Ong, Shyue Ping

2016-03-25

The facile conduction of alkali ions in a crystal host is of crucial importance in rechargeable alkali-ion batteries, the dominant form of energy storage today. In this review, we provide a comprehensive survey of computational approaches to study solid-state alkali diffusion. We demonstrate how these methods have provided useful insights into the design of materials that form the main components of a rechargeable alkali-ion battery, namely the electrodes, superionic conductor solid electrolytes and interfaces. We will also provide a perspective on future challenges and directions. Here, the scope of this review includes the monovalent lithium- and sodium-ion chemistries that aremore » currently of the most commercial interest.« less

Thermal effects in Cs DPAL and alkali cell window damage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhdanov, B. V.; Rotondaro, M. D.; Shaffer, M. K.; Knize, R. J.

2016-10-01

Experiments on power scaling of Diode Pumped Alkali Lasers (DPALs) revealed some limiting parasitic effects such as alkali cell windows and gain medium contamination and damage, output power degradation in time and others causing lasing efficiency decrease or even stop lasing1 . These problems can be connected with thermal effects, ionization, chemical interactions between the gain medium components and alkali cells materials. Study of all these and, possibly, other limiting effects and ways to mitigate them is very important for high power DPAL development. In this talk we present results of our experiments on temperature measurements in the gain medium of operating Cs DPAL at different pump power levels in the range from lasing threshold to the levels causing damage of the alkali cell windows. For precise contactless in situ temperature measurements, we used an interferometric technique, developed in our lab2 . In these experiments we demonstrated that damage of the lasing alkali cell starts in the bulk with thermal breakdown of the hydrocarbon buffer gas. The degradation processes start at definite critical temperatures of the gain medium, different for each mixture of buffer gas. At this critical temperature, the hydrocarbon and the excited alkali metal begin to react producing the characteristic black soot and, possibly, some other chemical compounds, which both harm the laser performance and significantly increase the harmful heat deposition within the laser medium. This soot, being highly absorptive, is catastrophically heated to very high temperatures that visually observed as bulk burning. This process quickly spreads to the cell windows and causes their damage. As a result, the whole cell is also contaminated with products of chemical reactions.

A study on the dynamic interfacial tension of acidic crude oil/alkali (alkali-polymer) systems--

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huang, Y.; Yang, P.; Qin, T.

1989-01-01

This paper describes the investigation of dynamic interfacial tension (DIFT) between the acidic Liao-He crude oil and two types of brine: a simple alkali system and a combined alkali-polymer system. It was found that interfacial tension (IFT) changed markedly with time and that the history of DIFT depended upon the concentration of alkali in the brine. The experimental results also showed that the IFT dropped dramatically as soon as the fresh oil contacted brine causing spontaneous emulsification to occur. The steady-state value of DIFT {gamma} st can be lower with the combined alkali-polymer system than with the simple alkali system.more » The results indicate that biopolymer is more effective than partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (PHPAM) for lowering {gamma} st and that Na{sub 2}Co{sub 1} causes a lower {gamma} st than NaOH in the combined alkali-polymer system. Optimized formulations containing Na{sub 2}CO{sub 3} added biopolymer can reduce {gamma} st by two orders of magnitude, and PHPAM can reduce {gamma} st by one order of magnitude. The interaction between alkali and polymer in the combined alkali-polymer system is discussed.« less

Deliberate and Accidental Gas-Phase Alkali Doping of Chalcogenide Semiconductors: Cu(In,Ga)Se2

PubMed Central

Colombara, Diego; Berner, Ulrich; Ciccioli, Andrea; Malaquias, João C.; Bertram, Tobias; Crossay, Alexandre; Schöneich, Michael; Meadows, Helene J.; Regesch, David; Delsante, Simona; Gigli, Guido; Valle, Nathalie; Guillot, Jérome; El Adib, Brahime; Grysan, Patrick; Dale, Phillip J.

2017-01-01

Alkali metal doping is essential to achieve highly efficient energy conversion in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGSe) solar cells. Doping is normally achieved through solid state reactions, but recent observations of gas-phase alkali transport in the kesterite sulfide (Cu2ZnSnS4) system (re)open the way to a novel gas-phase doping strategy. However, the current understanding of gas-phase alkali transport is very limited. This work (i) shows that CIGSe device efficiency can be improved from 2% to 8% by gas-phase sodium incorporation alone, (ii) identifies the most likely routes for gas-phase alkali transport based on mass spectrometric studies, (iii) provides thermochemical computations to rationalize the observations and (iv) critically discusses the subject literature with the aim to better understand the chemical basis of the phenomenon. These results suggest that accidental alkali metal doping occurs all the time, that a controlled vapor pressure of alkali metal could be applied during growth to dope the semiconductor, and that it may have to be accounted for during the currently used solid state doping routes. It is concluded that alkali gas-phase transport occurs through a plurality of routes and cannot be attributed to one single source. PMID:28233864

Deliberate and Accidental Gas-Phase Alkali Doping of Chalcogenide Semiconductors: Cu(In,Ga)Se2.

PubMed

Colombara, Diego; Berner, Ulrich; Ciccioli, Andrea; Malaquias, João C; Bertram, Tobias; Crossay, Alexandre; Schöneich, Michael; Meadows, Helene J; Regesch, David; Delsante, Simona; Gigli, Guido; Valle, Nathalie; Guillot, Jérome; El Adib, Brahime; Grysan, Patrick; Dale, Phillip J

2017-02-24

Alkali metal doping is essential to achieve highly efficient energy conversion in Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGSe) solar cells. Doping is normally achieved through solid state reactions, but recent observations of gas-phase alkali transport in the kesterite sulfide (Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 ) system (re)open the way to a novel gas-phase doping strategy. However, the current understanding of gas-phase alkali transport is very limited. This work (i) shows that CIGSe device efficiency can be improved from 2% to 8% by gas-phase sodium incorporation alone, (ii) identifies the most likely routes for gas-phase alkali transport based on mass spectrometric studies, (iii) provides thermochemical computations to rationalize the observations and (iv) critically discusses the subject literature with the aim to better understand the chemical basis of the phenomenon. These results suggest that accidental alkali metal doping occurs all the time, that a controlled vapor pressure of alkali metal could be applied during growth to dope the semiconductor, and that it may have to be accounted for during the currently used solid state doping routes. It is concluded that alkali gas-phase transport occurs through a plurality of routes and cannot be attributed to one single source.

Alkali metal yttrium neo-pentoxide double alkoxide precursors to alkali metal yttrium oxide nanomaterials

DOE PAGES

Boyle, Timothy J.; Neville, Michael L.; Sears, Jeremiah Matthew; ...

2016-03-15

In this study, a series of alkali metal yttrium neo-pentoxide ([AY(ONep) 4]) compounds were developed as precursors to alkali yttrium oxide (AYO 2) nanomaterials. The reaction of yttrium amide ([Y(NR 2) 3] where R=Si(CH 3) 3) with four equivalents of H-ONep followed by addition of [A(NR 2)] (A=Li, Na, K) or A o (A o=Rb, Cs) led to the formation of a complex series of A nY(ONep) 3+n species, crystallographically identified as [Y 2Li 3(μ 3-ONep)(μ 3-HONep)(μ-ONep) 5(ONep) 3(HONep) 2] (1), [YNa 2(μ 3-ONep) 4(ONep)] 2 (2), {[Y 2K 3(μ 3-ONep) 3(μ-ONep) 4(ONep) 2(ηξ-tol) 2][Y 4K 2(μ 4-O)(μ 3-ONep) 8(ONep)more » 4]•η x-tol]} (3), [Y 4K 2(μ 4-O)(μ 3-ONep) 8(ONep) 4] (3a), [Y 2Rb 3(μ 4-ONep) 3(μ-ONep) 6] (4), and [Y 2Cs 4(μ 6-O)(μ 3-ONep) 6(μ 3-HONep) 2(ONep) 2(η x-tol) 4]•tol (5). Compounds 1–5 were investigated as single source precursors to AYOx nanomaterials following solvothermal routes (pyridine, 185 °C for 24h). The final products after thermal processing were found by powder X-ray diffraction experiments to be Y 2O 3 with variable sized particles based on transmission electron diffraction. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy studies indicated that the heavier alkali metal species were present in the isolated nanomaterials.« less

Pilot-controller communication errors : an analysis of Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) reports

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-08-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that contribute to pilot-controller communication errors. Resports submitted to the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) offer detailed accounts of specific types of errors and a great deal of ...

EXTINGUISHMENT OF ALKALI METAL FIRES

DTIC Science & Technology

Contents: Effect of inert gas nket and ow O2 partial pressures on alkali metal fires Extinguishment of small scale fires Extinguishment of alkali... metal fires using inorganic salt foam Alkali metal jet stream ignition at various pressure conditions

Alkali resistant optical coatings for alkali lasers and methods of production thereof

DOEpatents

Soules, Thomas F; Beach, Raymond J; Mitchell, Scott C

2014-11-18

In one embodiment, a multilayer dielectric coating for use in an alkali laser includes two or more alternating layers of high and low refractive index materials, wherein an innermost layer includes a thicker, >500 nm, and dense, >97% of theoretical, layer of at least one of: alumina, zirconia, and hafnia for protecting subsequent layers of the two or more alternating layers of high and low index dielectric materials from alkali attack. In another embodiment, a method for forming an alkali resistant coating includes forming a first oxide material above a substrate and forming a second oxide material above the first oxide material to form a multilayer dielectric coating, wherein the second oxide material is on a side of the multilayer dielectric coating for contacting an alkali.

Formation of a xerogel in reduced gravity using the acid catalysed silica sol-gel reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pienaar, Christine L.; Steinberg, Theodore A.

2006-01-01

An acid catalysed silica sol-gel reaction was used to create a xerogel in reduced gravity. Samples were formed in a special apparatus which utilised vacuum and heating to speed up the gelation process. Testing was conducted aboard NASA's KC-135 aircraft which flies a parabolic trajectory, producing a series of 25 second reduced gravity periods. The samples formed in reduced gravity were compared against a control sample formed in normal gravity. 29Si NMR and nitrogen adsorption/desorption techniques yielded information on the molecular and physical structure of the xerogels. The microstructure of the reduced gravity samples contained more Q 4 groups and less Q 3 and Q2 groups than the control sample. The pore size of the reduced gravity samples was also larger than the control sample. This indicated that in a reduced gravity environment, where convection is lessened due to the removal of buoyancy forces, the microstructure formed through cyclisation reactions rather than bimolecularisation reactions. The latter requires the movement of molecules for reactions to occur whereas cyclisation only requires a favourable configuration. Q 4 groups are stabilised when contained in a ring structure and are unlikely to undergo repolymerisation. Thus reduced gravity favoured the formation of a xerogel through cyclisation, producing a structure with more highly coordinated Q groups. The xerogel formed in normal gravity contained both chain and ring structures as bimolecularisation reactions were able to effectively compete with cyclisation.

High reactive sulphide chemically supported on silica surface to prepare functional nanoparticle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Lijuan; Guo, Xiaohui; Jia, Zhixin; Tang, Yuhan; Wu, Lianghui; Luo, Yuanfang; Jia, Demin

2018-06-01

A solid-phase preparation method was applied to obtain a novel, green and effective functional nanoparticle, silica-supported sulfur monochloride (silica-s-S2Cl2), by the chemical reaction between chlorine atom and silicon hydroxyl on the silica surface. Through this chemical reaction, silica surface supported with high content of sulfur, and the functional nanoparticles can not only vulcanize the rubber instead of sulfur or other vulcanizing agent with high performance, but also improve the filler-rubber interaction as a modifier due to the improved modification effect. 29Si NMR, Raman spectroscopy, Element analysis and TGA confirm that the sulfur monochloride is chemically bonded on the silica surface. Cure properties measurement, morphology of filler dispersion, mechanical properties measurement, immobilized polymer layer and oxidation induction time increment together show that the novel vulcanizing agent silica-s-S2Cl2 instead of sulfur in rubber vulcanization gives rise to significant improvement in the crosslinking density and the interfacial adhesion between silica particles and the rubber matrix, which is on account of the promoted vulcanizing on the functional silica nanoparticles surface with the supported sulfur.

Control over Silica Particle Growth and Particle–Biomolecule Interactions Facilitates Silica Encapsulation of Mammalian Cells with Thickness Control

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnston, Robert K.; Harper, Jason C.; Tartis, Michaelann S.

Over the past 20 years, many strategies utilizing sol–gel chemistry to integrate biological cells into silica-based materials have been reported. One such strategy, Sol-Generating Chemical Vapor into Liquid (SG-CViL) deposition, shows promise as an efficient encapsulation technique due to the ability to vary the silica encapsulation morphology obtained by this process through variation of SG-CViL reaction conditions. In this report, we develop SG-CViL as a tunable, multi-purpose silica encapsulation strategy by investigating the mechanisms governing both silica particle generation and subsequent interaction with phospholipid assemblies (liposomes and living cells). Using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) measurements, linear and exponential silica particlemore » growth dynamics were observed which were dependent on deposition buffer ion constituents and ion concentration. Silica particle growth followed a cluster–cluster growth mechanism at acidic pH, and a monomer-cluster growth mechanism at neutral to basic pH. Increasing silica sol aging temperature resulted in higher rates of particle growth and larger particles. DLS measurements employing PEG-coated liposomes and cationic liposomes, serving as model phospholipid assemblies, revealed that electrostatic interactions promote more stable liposome–silica interactions than hydrogen bonding and facilitate silica coating on suspension cells. However, continued silica reactivity leads to aggregation of silica-coated suspension cells, revealing the need for cell isolation to tune deposited silica thickness. As a result, utilizing these mechanistic study insights, silica was deposited onto adherent HeLa cells under biocompatible conditions with micrometer-scale control over silica thickness, minimal cell manipulation steps, and retained cell viability over several days.« less

Control over Silica Particle Growth and Particle–Biomolecule Interactions Facilitates Silica Encapsulation of Mammalian Cells with Thickness Control

DOE PAGES

Johnston, Robert K.; Harper, Jason C.; Tartis, Michaelann S.

2017-07-13

Over the past 20 years, many strategies utilizing sol–gel chemistry to integrate biological cells into silica-based materials have been reported. One such strategy, Sol-Generating Chemical Vapor into Liquid (SG-CViL) deposition, shows promise as an efficient encapsulation technique due to the ability to vary the silica encapsulation morphology obtained by this process through variation of SG-CViL reaction conditions. In this report, we develop SG-CViL as a tunable, multi-purpose silica encapsulation strategy by investigating the mechanisms governing both silica particle generation and subsequent interaction with phospholipid assemblies (liposomes and living cells). Using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) measurements, linear and exponential silica particlemore » growth dynamics were observed which were dependent on deposition buffer ion constituents and ion concentration. Silica particle growth followed a cluster–cluster growth mechanism at acidic pH, and a monomer-cluster growth mechanism at neutral to basic pH. Increasing silica sol aging temperature resulted in higher rates of particle growth and larger particles. DLS measurements employing PEG-coated liposomes and cationic liposomes, serving as model phospholipid assemblies, revealed that electrostatic interactions promote more stable liposome–silica interactions than hydrogen bonding and facilitate silica coating on suspension cells. However, continued silica reactivity leads to aggregation of silica-coated suspension cells, revealing the need for cell isolation to tune deposited silica thickness. As a result, utilizing these mechanistic study insights, silica was deposited onto adherent HeLa cells under biocompatible conditions with micrometer-scale control over silica thickness, minimal cell manipulation steps, and retained cell viability over several days.« less

Method for inhibiting alkali metal corrosion of nickel-containing alloys

DOEpatents

DeVan, Jackson H.; Selle, James E.

1983-01-01

Structural components of nickel-containing alloys within molten alkali metal systems are protected against corrosion during the course of service by dissolving therein sufficient aluminum, silicon, or manganese to cause the formation and maintenance of a corrosion-resistant intermetallic reaction layer created by the interaction of the molten metal, selected metal, and alloy.

ASR-9 processor augmentation card (9-PAC) phase II scan-scan correlator algorithms

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-04-26

The report documents the scan-scan correlator (tracker) algorithm developed for Phase II of the ASR-9 Processor Augmentation Card (9-PAC) project. The improved correlation and tracking algorithms in 9-PAC Phase II decrease the incidence of false-alar...

Gradient heating protocol for a diode-pumped alkali laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, He; Wang, You; Han, Juhong; Yu, Hang; Rong, Kepeng; Wang, Shunyan; An, Guofei; Wang, Hongyuan; Zhang, Wei; Wu, Peng; Yu, Qiang

2018-06-01

A diode-pumped alkali laser (DPAL) has gained rapid development in the recent years. Until now, the structure with single heater has been widely utilized to adjust the temperature of an alkali vapor cell in most of the literatures about DPALs. However, for an end-pumped DPAL using single heater, most pump energy is absorbed by the gain media near the entrance cell window because of the large absorption cross section of atomic alkali. As a result, the temperature in the pumping area around the entrance window will go up rapidly, especially in a case of high pumping density. The temperature rise would bring about some negative influences such as thermal effects and variations in population density. In addition, light scattering and window contamination aroused by the chemical reaction between the alkali vapor and the buffer gas will also affect the output performance of a DPAL system. To find a solution to these problems, we propose a gradient heating approach in which several heaters are tandem-set along the optical axis to anneal an alkali vapor cell. The temperature at the entrance window is adjusted to be lower than that of the other side. By using this novel scheme, one can not only achieve a homogeneous absorption of the pump energy along the cell axis, but also decrease the possibility of the window damage in a DPAL configuration. The theoretical simulation of the laser output features has been carried out for a configuration of multiple heaters. Additionally, the DPAL output performance under different gradient temperatures is also discussed in this paper. The conclusions might be helpful for development of a high-powered and high-beam-quality DPAL.

Characterisation and properties of alkali activated pozzolanic materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bordeian, Georgeta Simona

: density, water absorption, apparent porosity and coefficient of saturation, drying shrinkage, compressive creep, compressive, flexural and tensile splitting strength, dynamic modulus of elasticity, accelerated weathering (freeze-thaw cycle) resistance, fire resistance (temperatures up to 600°C), microstructure, macrostructure and investigation of hydration phases by SEM, ED AX, Digital-mapping and X-ray diffraction.The influence of key parameters e.g. slag content, curing method, water/binder ratio and water glass hardener content on the mechanical properties were determined. Optimisation of the alkali-activation of fly ash materials was achieved by blending this with other pozzolans such as silica fume and slags. Mechanical properties were further improved by using moulding pressures and by thermal treatment. The use of short fibre reinforcements was investigated to overcome microcracking, volumetric deformation and creep in the materials. The free shrinkage and creep of the materials agree with the model developed by Mangat and Azari for fibre reinforced Portland cement composites. Other additives were also investigated to improve workability, frost and water resistance and physical properties of the alkali activated materials. The fundamental relationships between chemical composition, hydration phases,microstructure and engineering properties (strength, durability and stability) of alkali activated materials were investigated. It is clear that strength development is a function of the hydration products developed and these are affected by the mix composition and the curing temperature. The current work found parameters such as the Si/Al ratio, the Ca/Si ratio and the Na20 content to be important. These chemical parameters decide the principal phases in the hydration products formed in alkali activated materials, between calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) and zeolite of the form (R[2]0 n Al[2]O[3] x SiO[2] r H[2]O).Overall the thesis shows the great potential of alkali

Bond Durability of Carbon-Microfiber-Reinforced Alkali-Activated High-Temperature Cement Adhering to Carbon Steel

DOE PAGES

Sugama, Toshifumi; Pyatina, Tatiana

2017-02-01

The study aims at evaluating the bond durability of a carbon microfiber (CMF)-reinforced alkali-activating calcium aluminate cement (CAC)/fly ash F (FAF) blend cementitious material adhering to carbon steel (CS) under stresses induced by a 350°C heat-25°Cwater cooling cycle. This cementitious material/CS joint sample was originally prepared in an autoclave at 300°C under a pressure of 8.3 MPa. For comparison, two reference geothermal well cements, Class G modified with silica (G) and calciumaluminum phosphate (CaP), were employed as well reinforced with CMF. In the CAC/FAF blending cement systems, the CAC-derived cementitious reaction products preferentially adhered to CS surfaces, rather than thatmore » of FAF-related reaction products. CMF played a pivotal role in creating tough interfacial bond structure of cement layer adhering to CS. The bond toughness also was supported by the crystalline cementitious reaction products including sodalite, brownmillerite, and hedenbergite as major phases, and aragonite, boehmite, and garronite as minor ones. The brownmillerite as an interfacial reaction product between cement and CS promoted the chemical bonding of the cement to CS, while the other phases served in providing the attractive bonding of the cement to CS. The post-stress-test joint samples revealed the formation of additional brown-millerite, aragonite, and garronite, in particular brownmillerite as the major one. The combination of chemical bonding and self-advancing adherence behavior of the cement was essential for creating a better interfacial bond structure. A similar interfacial bond structure was observed with CaP. The crystalline phase composition of the autoclaved cement revealed apatite, zeolite, and ferrowyllieite as major reaction products, and aragonite and al-katoite as the minor ones. Ferrowyllieite was identified as cement/CS interfacial reaction product contributing to the chemical bond of cement, while the other phases aided in providing the

Alkali metal for ultraviolet band-pass filter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mardesich, Nick (Inventor); Fraschetti, George A. (Inventor); Mccann, Timothy A. (Inventor); Mayall, Sherwood D. (Inventor); Dunn, Donald E. (Inventor); Trauger, John T. (Inventor)

1993-01-01

An alkali metal filter having a layer of metallic bismuth deposited onto the alkali metal is provided. The metallic bismuth acts to stabilize the surface of the alkali metal to prevent substantial surface migration from occurring on the alkali metal, which may degrade optical characteristics of the filter. To this end, a layer of metallic bismuth is deposited by vapor deposition over the alkali metal to a depth of approximately 5 to 10 A. A complete alkali metal filter is described along with a method for fabricating the alkali metal filter.

Titanium, vanadium, and niobium mineralization and alkali metasomatism from the Magnet Cove complex, Arkansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flohr, M.J.K.

1994-01-01

The Christy deposit formed through a series of complex processes. The initial phase of mineralization is directly related to the infiltration of novaculite by alkali-rich fluids that were probably derived from carbonatite magma. Titanium, V, Nb, and Li were introduced by the alkali-rich fluids at temperatures that were as high as 600??C. During the initial stage of mineralization, V was concentrated in aegirine and sodic amphibole, Li was concentrated in taeniolite, minor amounts of Ti were concentrated in aegirine, and pyrite formed. The replacement of novaculite by the aforementioned minerals yielded excess silica, which precipitated as quartz. Niobium- and V-bearing brookite precipitated with the quartz. Minerals formed during the first stage reacted with a second fluid at temperatures of 100?? to 300??C and V was then concentrated in smectite and goethite. The second fluid was a mixture of low-temperature metasomatic fluid and groundwater. Vanadium was further concentrated in clay minerals in goethite, and in vug minerals as low-temperature alteration proceeded. -from Author

Handedness inversion in preparing chiral 4, 4'-biphenylene-silica nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yi; Wang, Hairui; Wang, Liwen; Zhou, Feng; Chen, Yuanli; Li, Baozong; Yang, Yonggang

2011-04-01

An anionic gelator, D-C12ValC10COONa, derived from D-valine can cause physical gels in water and organic solvents. Helical 4, 4'-biphenylene-silica nanotubes and nanoribbons were prepared using it with 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane as a co-structure-directing agent and 4, 4'-bis(triethoxysilyl)-1, 1'-biphenyl (BTESB) as precursor. It was found that the handedness of the hybrid silica nanotubes/nanoribbons is sensitive to the pH value and the concentration of the reaction mixtures. However, handedness inversion was not found by changing the reaction temperature. Circular dichroism spectra of the 4, 4'-biphenylene-silica nanotubes indicated that the chirality of the organic self-assemblies were successfully transferred to the twist of the biphenylene rings through the co-structure-directing agent. The handedness of the 4, 4'-biphenylene rings was also tunable by changing the pH value and the concentration of the reaction mixtures. The FESEM images and CD spectra taken after different reaction times indicated that the handedness inversion occurred after adding BTESB.

2010 Atmospheric System Research (ASR) Science Team Meeting Summary

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dupont, DL

This document contains the summaries of papers presented in poster format at the March 2010 Atmospheric System Research Science Team Meeting held in Bethesda, Maryland. More than 260 posters were presented during the Science Team Meeting. Posters were sorted into the following subject areas: aerosol-cloud-radiation interactions, aerosol properties, atmospheric state and surface, cloud properties, field campaigns, infrastructure and outreach, instruments, modeling, and radiation. To put these posters in context, the status of ASR at the time of the meeting is provided here.

The phagocytosis and toxicity of amorphous silica.

PubMed

Costantini, Lindsey M; Gilberti, Renée M; Knecht, David A

2011-02-02

Inhalation of crystalline silica is known to cause an inflammatory reaction and chronic exposure leads to lung fibrosis and can progress into the disease, silicosis. Cultured macrophages bind crystalline silica particles, phagocytose them, and rapidly undergo apoptotic and necrotic death. The mechanism by which particles are bound and internalized and the reason particles are toxic is unclear. Amorphous silica has been considered to be a less toxic form, but this view is controversial. We compared the uptake and toxicity of amorphous silica to crystalline silica. Amorphous silica particles are phagocytosed by macrophage cells and a single internalized particle is capable of killing a cell. Fluorescent dextran is released from endo-lysosomes within two hours after silica treatment and Caspase-3 activation occurs within 4 hours. Interestingly, toxicity is specific to macrophage cell lines. Other cell types are resistant to silica particle toxicity even though they internalize the particles. The large and uniform size of the spherical, amorphous silica particles allowed us to monitor them during the uptake process. In mCherry-actin transfected macrophages, actin rings began to form 1-3 minutes after silica binding and the actin coat disassembled rapidly following particle internalization. Pre-loading cells with fluorescent dextran allowed us to visualize the fusion of phagosomes with endosomes during internalization. These markers provided two new ways to visualize and quantify particle internalization. At 37 °C the rate of amorphous silica internalization was very rapid regardless of particle coating. However, at room temperature, opsonized silica is internalized much faster than non-opsonized silica. Our results indicate that amorphous and crystalline silica are both phagocytosed and both toxic to mouse alveolar macrophage (MH-S) cells. The pathway leading to apoptosis appears to be similar in both cases. However, the result suggests a mechanistic difference

Polymerization reactivity of sulfomethylated alkali lignin modified with horseradish peroxidase.

PubMed

Yang, Dongjie; Wu, Xiaolei; Qiu, Xueqing; Chang, Yaqi; Lou, Hongming

2014-03-01

Alkali lignin (AL) was employed as raw materials in the present study. Sulfomethylation was conducted to improve the solubility of AL, while sulfomethylated alkali lignin (SAL) was further polymerized by horseradish peroxidase (HRP). HRP modification caused a significant increase in molecular weight of SAL which was over 20 times. It was also found to increase the amount of sulfonic and carboxyl groups while decrease the amount of phenolic and methoxyl groups in SAL. The adsorption quantity of self-assembled SAL film was improved after HRP modification. Sulfonation and HRP modification were mutually promoted. The polymerization reactivity of SAL in HRP modification was increased with its sulfonation degree. Meanwhile, HRP modification facilitated SAL's radical-sulfonation reaction. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Alkali metal ionization detector

DOEpatents

Bauerle, James E.; Reed, William H.; Berkey, Edgar

1978-01-01

Variations in the conventional filament and collector electrodes of an alkali metal ionization detector, including the substitution of helical electrode configurations for either the conventional wire filament or flat plate collector; or, the substitution of a plurality of discrete filament electrodes providing an in situ capability for transferring from an operationally defective filament electrode to a previously unused filament electrode without removing the alkali metal ionization detector from the monitored environment. In particular, the helical collector arrangement which is coaxially disposed about the filament electrode, i.e. the thermal ionizer, provides an improved collection of positive ions developed by the filament electrode. The helical filament design, on the other hand, provides the advantage of an increased surface area for ionization of alkali metal-bearing species in a monitored gas environment as well as providing a relatively strong electric field for collecting the ions at the collector electrode about which the helical filament electrode is coaxially positioned. Alternatively, both the filament and collector electrodes can be helical. Furthermore, the operation of the conventional alkali metal ionization detector as a leak detector can be simplified as to cost and complexity, by operating the detector at a reduced collector potential while maintaining the sensitivity of the alkali metal ionization detector adequate for the relatively low concentration of alkali vapor and aerosol typically encountered in leak detection applications.

EXTINGUISHMENT OF ALKALI METAL FIRES

DTIC Science & Technology

was found to be effective on low temperature (1000F) fires and was useful on alkali metal fires on or under insulation. Organic liquids were not...particularly effective on alkali metal fires . A section is presented on a typical alkali metal system which might be used to generate electrical power in space.

An alkali-metal ion extracted layered compound as a template for a metastable phase synthesis in a low-temperature solid-state reaction: preparation of brookite from K0.8Ti1.73Li0.27O4.

PubMed

Ozawa, Tadashi C; Sasaki, Takayoshi

2010-03-15

We have designed a new approach to synthesize brookite, i.e., to extract alkali-metal ions from K(0.8)Ti(1.73)Li(0.27)O(4) (KTLO) and to apply simultaneous heat treatment to the remaining lepidocrocite-type layers of TiO(6) octahedra. For the alkali-metal ion extraction and the simultaneous heat treatment, KTLO was heated at 400 degrees C with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) in flowing Ar. PTFE has been found to be an effective agent to extract strongly electropositive alkali-metal ions from KTLO because of the strong electronegativity of F as its component. The product of this reaction consists of a mixture of brookite, K(2)CO(3), LiF, and PTFE derivatives, indicating the complete extraction of K(+) and Li(+) from KTLO and formation of brookite from the lepidocrocite-type layer of TiO(6) octahedra as a template. This brookite has a partial replacement of O(2-) with F(-) and/or slight oxygen deficiency; thus, its color is light-bluish gray. Fully oxidized brookite formation and complete decomposition of PTFE derivatives have been achieved by further heating in flowing air, and coproduced alkali-metal salts have been removed by washing in water. Powder X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and chemical analysis results have confirmed that the final brookite product treated at 600 degrees C is single phase, and it is white. The method to extract alkali-metal ions from a crystalline material using PTFE is drastically different from the common methods such as soft-chemical and electrochemical reactions. It is likely that this new synthetic approach is applicable to other layered systems to prepare a diverse family of compounds, including novel metastable ones.

Fluorescent proteins as efficient tools for evaluating the surface PEGylation of silica nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wei; Ma, Minyan; Zhang, Xiao-ai; Zhang, Ze-yu; Saleh, Sayed M.; Wang, Xu-dong

2017-06-01

Surface PEGylation is essential for preventing non-specific binding of biomolecules when silica nanoparticles are utilized for in vivo applications. Methods for installing poly(ethylene glycol) on a silica surface have been widely explored but varies from study to study. Because there is a lack of a satisfactory method for evaluating the properties of silica surface after PEGylation, the prepared nanoparticles are not fully characterized before use. In some cases, even non-PEGylated silica nanoparticles were produced, which is unfortunately not recognized by the end-user. In this work, a fluorescent protein was employed, which acts as a sensitive material for evaluating the surface protein adsorption properties of silica nanoparticles. Eleven different methods were systematically investigated for their reaction efficiency towards surface PEGylation. Results showed that both reaction conditions (including pH, catalyst) and surface functional groups of parent silica nanoparticles play critical roles in producing fully PEGylated silica nanoparticles. Great care needs to be taken in choosing the proper coupling chemistry for surface PEGylation. The data and method shown here will guarantee high-quality PEGylated silica nanoparticles to be produced and guide their applications in biology, chemistry, industry and medicine.

Thermochemical cyclic system for splitting water and/or carbon dioxide by means of cerium compounds and reactions useful therein

DOEpatents

Bamberger, C.E.; Robinson, P.R.

A thermochemical cyclic process for producing hydrogen from water comprises reacting ceric oxide with monobasic or dibasic alkali metal phosphate to yield a solid reaction product, oxygen and water. The solid reaction product, alkali metal carbonate or bicarbonate, and water, are reacted to yield hydrogen, ceric oxide, carbon dioxide and trialkali metal phosphate. Ceric oxide is recycled. Trialkali metal phosphate, carbon dioxide and water are reacted to yield monobasic or dibasic alkali metal phosphate and alkali metal bicarbonate, which are recycled. The cyclic process can be modified for producing carbon monoxide from carbon dioxide by reacting the alkali metal cerous phosphate and alkali metal carbonate or bicarbonate in the absence of water to produce carbon monoxide, ceric oxide, carbon dioxide and trialkali metal phosphate. Carbon monoxide can be converted to hydrogen by the water gas shift reaction.

Thermochemical cyclic system for splitting water and/or carbon dioxide by means of cerium compounds and reactions useful therein

DOEpatents

Bamberger, Carlos E.; Robinson, Paul R.

1980-01-01

A thermochemical cyclic process for producing hydrogen from water comprises reacting ceric oxide with monobasic or dibasic alkali metal phosphate to yield a solid reaction product, oxygen and water. The solid reaction product, alkali metal carbonate or bicarbonate, and water, are reacted to yield hydrogen, ceric oxide, carbon dioxide and trialkali metal phosphate. Ceric oxide is recycled. Trialkali metal phosphate, carbon dioxide and water are reacted to yield monobasic or dibasic alkali metal phosphate and alkali metal bicarbonate, which are recycled. The cylic process can be modified for producing carbon monoxide from carbon dioxide by reacting the alkali metal cerous phosphate and alkali metal carbonate or bicarbonate in the absence of water to produce carbon monoxide, ceric oxide, carbon dioxide and trialkali metal phosphate. Carbon monoxide can be converted to hydrogen by the water gas shift reaction.

Ligand-tailored single-site silica supported titanium catalysts: Synthesis, characterization and towards cyanosilylation reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Wei; Li, Yani; Yu, Bo; Yang, Jindou; Zhang, Ying; Chen, Xi; Zhang, Guofang; Gao, Ziwei

2015-01-01

A successive anchoring of Ti(NMe2)4, cyclopentadiene and a O-donor ligand, 1-hydroxyethylbenzene (PEA), 1,1‧-bi-2-naphthol (Binol) or 2,3-dihydroxybutanedioic acid diethyl ester (Tartrate), on silica was conducted by SOMC strategy in moderate conditions. The silica, monitored by in-situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (in-situ FT-IR), was pretreated at different temperatures (200, 500 and 800 °C). The ligand tailored silica-supported titanium complexes were characterized by in-situ FT-IR, 13C CP MAS-NMR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) and elemental analysis in detail, verifying that the surface titanium species are single sited. The catalytic activity of the ligand tailored single-site silica supported titanium complexes was evaluated by a cyanosilylation of benzaldehyde. The results showed that the catalytic activity is dependent strongly on the dehydroxylation temperatures of silica and the configuration of the ligands.

Polar silica-based stationary phases. Part II- Neutral silica stationary phases with surface bound maltose and sorbitol for hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Rathnasekara, Renuka; El Rassi, Ziad

2017-07-28

Two neutral polyhydroxylated silica bonded stationary phases, namely maltose-silica (MALT-silica) and sorbitol-silica (SOR-silica), have been introduced and chromatographically characterized in hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) for a wide range of polar compounds. The bonding of the maltose and sorbitol to the silica surface was brought about by first converting bare silica to an epoxy-activated silica surface via reaction with γ-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) followed by attaching maltose and sorbitol to the epoxy surface in the presence of the Lewis acid catalyst BF 3 .ethereate. Both silica based columns offered the expected retention characteristics usually encountered for neutral polar surface. The retention mechanism is majorly based on solute' differential partitioning between an organic rich hydro-organic mobile phase (e.g., ACN rich mobile phase) and an adsorbed water layer on the surface of the stationary phase although additional hydrogen bonding was also responsible in some cases for solute retention. The MALT-silica column proved to be more hydrophilic and offered higher retention, separation efficiency and resolution than the SOR-silica column among the tested polar solutes such as derivatized mono- and oligosaccharides, weak phenolic acids, cyclic nucleotide monophosphate and nucleotide-5'-monophosphates, and weak bases, e.g., nucleobases and nucleosides. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The formation of helical mesoporous silica nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Xiaobing; Pei, Xianfeng; Zhao, Huanyu; Chen, Yuanli; Guo, Yongmin; Li, Baozong; Hanabusa, Kenji; Yang, Yonggang

2008-08-01

Three chiral cationic gelators were synthesized. They can form translucent hydrogels in pure water. These hydrogels become highly viscous liquids under strong stirring. Mesoporous silica nanotubes with coiled pore channels in the walls were prepared using the self-assemblies of these gelators as templates. The mechanism of the formation of this hierarchical nanostructure was studied using transmission electron microscopy at different reaction times. The results indicated that there are some interactions between the silica source and the gelator. The morphologies of the self-assemblies of gelators changed gradually during the sol-gel transcription process. It seems that the silica source directed the organic self-assemblies into helical nanostructures.

A polyacrylonitrile copolymer-silica template for three-dimensional hierarchical porous carbon as a Pt catalyst support for the oxygen reduction reaction.

PubMed

Liu, Minmin; Li, Jian; Cai, Chao; Zhou, Ziwei; Ling, Yun; Liu, Rui

2017-08-01

Herein, we report a novel route to construct a hierarchical three-dimensional porous carbon (3DC) through a copolymer-silica assembly. In the synthesis, silica acts as a hard template and leads to the formation of an interconnected 3D macropore, whereas styrene-co-acrylonitrile polymer has been used as both a carbon source and a soft template for micro- and meso-pores. The obtained 3DC materials possess a large surface area (∼550.5 m 2 g -1 ), which facilitates high dispersion of Pt nanoparticles on the carbon support. The 3DC-supported Pt electrocatalyst shows excellent performance in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The easy processing ability along with the characteristics of hierarchical porosity offers a new strategy for the preparation of carbon nanomaterials for energy application.

Silica hydride intermediate for octadecylsilica and phenyl bonded phase preparation via heterogeneous hydrosilation in supercritical carbon dioxide.

PubMed

Scully, N M; Ashu-Arrah, B A; Nagle, A P; Omamogho, J O; O'Sullivan, G P; Friebolin, V; Dietrich, B; Albert, K; Glennon, J D

2011-04-15

Investigations into the preparation of silica hydride intermediate in supercritical carbon dioxide (sc-CO(2)) that avoids the use of organic solvents such as toluene or dioxane are described. The effects of reaction temperature, pressure and time on the surface coverage of the supercritical fluid generated silica hydride intermediate were studied. Under optimised supercritical conditions of 120°C, 483 bar and 3 h reaction time, silica hydride (Si-H) conversion efficiencies of ca. 40% were achieved for the hydride intermediate prepared from a monofunctional silane reagent (dimethylmethoxysilane). Si-H conversion efficiencies (as determined from (29)Si CP-MAS NMR spectral analysis) for the hydride intermediate prepared from triethoxysilane (TES) in sc-CO(2) were found to be comparable to those obtained using a TES silanisation approach in an organic solvent. (13)C and (29)Si CP-MAS-NMR spectroscopy was employed to provide a complete structural assignment of the silica hydride intermediates. Furthermore, supercritical CO(2) was subsequently employed as a reaction medium for the heterogenous hydrosilation of silica hydride with octadecene and with styrene, in the presence of a free radical initiator. These supercritical fluid generated reversed-phase materials were prepared in a substantially reduced reaction time (3 h) compared to organic solvent based methods (100 h reaction time). Silica functionalisation in sc-CO(2) presents an efficient and clean alternative to organic solvent based methods for the preparation of important silica hydride intermediate and silica bonded stationary phases via a hydrosilation approach. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

One-pot and efficient synthesis of triazolo[1,2-a]indazole-triones via reaction of arylaldehydes with urazole and dimedone catalyzed by silica nanoparticles prepared from rice husk.

PubMed

Hamidian, Hooshang; Fozooni, Samieh; Hassankhani, Asadollah; Mohammadi, Sayed Zia

2011-10-26

A novel synthesis of triazolo[1,2-a]indazole-1,3,8-trione derivatives by reaction of urazole, dimedone and aromatic aldehydes under conventional heating and microwave irradiation and solvent-free conditions using silica nanoparticles prepared from rice husk ash as catalyst is described. The new method features high yields, multicomponent reactions and environmental friendliness.

Study of the pluronic-silica interaction in synthesis of mesoporous silica under mild acidic conditions.

PubMed

Sundblom, Andreas; Palmqvist, Anders E C; Holmberg, Krister

2010-02-02

The interaction between silica and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) in water may appear trivial and it is generally stated that hydrogen bonding is responsible for the attraction. However, a literature search shows that there is not a consensus with respect to the mechanism behind the attractive interaction. Several papers claim that only hydrogen bonding is not sufficient to explain the binding. The silica-PEO interaction is interesting from an academic perspective and it is also exploited in the preparation of mesoporous silica, a material of considerable current interest. This study concerns the very early stage of synthesis of mesoporous silica under mild acidic conditions, pH 2-5, and the aim is to shed light on the interaction between silica and the PEO-containing structure directing agent. The synthesis comprises two steps. An organic silica source, tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), is first hydrolyzed and Pluronic P123, a poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO) block copolymer, is subsequently added at different time periods following the hydrolysis of TEOS. It is shown that the interaction between the silica and the Pluronic is dependent both on the temperature and on the time between onset of TEOS hydrolysis and addition of the copolymer. The results show that the interaction is mainly driven by entropy. The effect of the synthesis temperature and of the time between hydrolysis and addition of the copolymer on the final material is also studied. The material with the highest degree of mesoorder was obtained when the reaction was performed at 20 degrees C and the copolymer was added 40 h after the start of TEOS hydrolysis. It is claimed that the reason for the good ordering of the silica is that whereas particle formation under these conditions is fast, the rate of silica condensation is relatively low.

Effect of alkali lignins with different molecular weights from alkali pretreated rice straw hydrolyzate on enzymatic hydrolysis.

PubMed

Li, Yun; Qi, Benkun; Luo, Jianquan; Wan, Yinhua

2016-01-01

This study investigated the effect of alkali lignins with different molecular weights on enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose. Different alkali lignins fractions, which were obtained from cascade ultrafiltration, were added into the dilute acid pretreated (DAP) and alkali pretreated (AP) rice straws respectively during enzymatic hydrolysis. The results showed that the addition of alkali lignins enhanced the hydrolysis and the enhancement for hydrolysis increased with increasing molecular weights of alkali lignins, with maximum enhancement being 28.69% for DAP and 20.05% for AP, respectively. The enhancement was partly attributed to the improved cellulase activity, and filter paper activity increased by 18.03% when adding lignin with highest molecular weight. It was found that the enhancement of enzymatic hydrolysis was correlated with the adsorption affinity of cellulase on alkali lignins, and the difference in surface charge and hydrophobicity of alkali lignins were responsible for the difference in affinity between cellulase and lignins. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Highly Effective Pt-Based Water-Gas Shift Catalysts by Surface Modification with Alkali Hydroxide Salts

DOE PAGES

Kusche, Matthias; Bustillo, Karen; Agel, Friederike; ...

2015-01-29

Here, we describe an economical and convenient method to improve the performance of Pt/alumina catalysts for the water–gas shift reaction through surface modification of the catalysts with alkali hydroxides according to the solid catalyst with ionic liquid layer approach. The results are in agreement with our findings reported earlier for methanol steam reforming. This report indicates that alkali doping of the catalyst plays an important role in the observed catalyst activation. In addition, the basic and hygroscopic nature of the salt coating contributes to a significant improvement in the performance of the catalyst. During the reaction, a partly liquid filmmore » of alkali hydroxide forms on the alumina surface, which increases the availability of H 2O at the catalytically active sites. Kinetic studies reveal a negligible effect of the KOH coating on the rate dependence of CO and H 2O partial pressures. In conclusion, TEM studies indicate an agglomeration of the active Pt clusters during catalyst preparation; restructuring of Pt nanoparticles occurs under reaction conditions, which leads to a highly active and stable system over 240h time on stream. Excessive pore fillings with KOH introduce a mass transfer barrier as indicated in a volcano-shaped curve of activity versus salt loading. The optimum KOH loading was found to be 7.5wt%.« less

In situ and time resolved nucleation and growth of silica nanoparticles forming under simulated geothermal conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tobler, Dominique J.; Benning, Liane G.

2013-08-01

Detailed knowledge of the reaction kinetics of silica nanoparticle formation in cooling supersaturated waters is fundamental to the understanding of many natural processes including biosilicifcation, sinter formation, and silica diagenesis. Here, we quantified the formation of silica nanoparticles from solution as it would occur in geothermal waters. We used an in situ and real-time approach with silica polymerisation being induced by fast cooling of a 230 °C hot and supersaturated silica solution. Experiments were carried out using a novel flow-through geothermal simulator system that was designed to work on-line with either a synchrotron-based small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) or a conventional dynamic light scattering (DLS) detector system. Our results show that the rate of silica nanoparticle formation is proportional to the silica concentration (640 vs. 960 ppm SiO2), and the first detected particles form spheres of approximately 3 nm in diameter. These initial nanoparticles grow and reach a final particle diameter of approximately 7 nm. Interestingly, neither variations in ionic strength (0.02 vs. 0.06) nor temperature (reactions at 30 to 60 °C, mimicking Earth surface values) seem to affect the formation kinetics or the final size of the silica nanoparticles formed. Comparing these results with our previous data from experiments where silica polymerisation and nanoparticle formation was induced by a drop in pH from 12 to near neutral (pH-induced, Tobler et al., 2009) showed that (a) the mechanisms and kinetics of silica nanoparticle nucleation and growth were unaffected by the means to induce silica polymerisation (T drop or pH drop), both following first order reactions kinetics coupled with a surface controlled reaction mechanism. However, the rates of the formation of silica nanoparticles were substantially (around 50%) slower when polymerisation was induced by fast cooling as opposed to pH change. This was evidenced by the occurrence of an induction

Purification of alkali metal nitrates

DOEpatents

Fiorucci, Louis C.; Gregory, Kevin M.

1985-05-14

A process is disclosed for removing heavy metal contaminants from impure alkali metal nitrates containing them. The process comprises mixing the impure nitrates with sufficient water to form a concentrated aqueous solution of the impure nitrates, adjusting the pH of the resulting solution to within the range of between about 2 and about 7, adding sufficient reducing agent to react with heavy metal contaminants within said solution, adjusting the pH of the solution containing reducing agent to effect precipitation of heavy metal impurities and separating the solid impurities from the resulting purified aqueous solution of alkali metal nitrates. The resulting purified solution of alkali metal nitrates may be heated to evaporate water therefrom to produce purified molten alkali metal nitrate suitable for use as a heat transfer medium. If desired, the purified molten form may be granulated and cooled to form discrete solid particles of alkali metal nitrates.

Silica, Alumina and Clay Catalyzed Peptide Bond Formation: Enhanced Efficiency of Alumina Catalyst

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bujdák, Juraj; Rode, Bernd M.

1999-10-01

Catalytic efficiencies of clay (hectorite), silica and alumina were tested in peptide bond formation reactions of glycine (Gly), alanine (Ala), proline (Pro), valine (Val) and leucine (Leu). The reactions were performed as drying/wetting (hectorite) and temperature fluctuation (silica and alumina) experiments at 85 °C. The reactivity of amino acids decreased in order Gly > Ala > Pro ~ Val ~ Leu. The highest catalytic efficiency was observed for alumina, the only catalyst producing oligopeptides in all investigated reaction systems. The peptide bond formation on alumina is probably catalyzed by the same sites and via similar reaction mechanisms as some alumina-catalyzed dehydration reactions used in industrial chemistry.

Face-specific Replacement of Calcite by Amorphous Silica Nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liesegang, M.; Milke, R.; Neusser, G.; Mizaikoff, B.

2016-12-01

Amorphous silica, composed of nanoscale spheres, is an important biomineral, alteration product of silicate rocks on the Earth's surface, and precursor material for stable silicate minerals. Despite constant progress in silica sphere synthesis, fundamental knowledge of natural silica particle interaction and ordering processes leading to colloidal crystals is absent so far. To understand the formation pathways of silica spheres in a geologic environment, we investigated silicified Cretaceous mollusk shell pseudomorphs from Coober Pedy (South Australia) using focused ion beam (FIB)-SEM tomography, petrographic microscopy, µ-XRD, and EMPA. The shells consist of replaced calcite crystals (<2 mm) composed of ordered arrays of uniform, close-packed silica spheres 300 ± 10 nm in size. Concentric layered spheres composed of 40 nm-sized subparticles provide evidence that, at least in the final stage, particle aggregation was the major sphere growth mechanism. Silica sphere arrays in periodically changing orientations perfectly replicate polysynthetic twinning planes of calcite. FIB-SEM tomography shows that cubic closed-packed sphere arrangements preserve the twin lamellae, while the twin plane consists of a submicrometer layer of randomly ordered spheres and vacancies. To transfer crystallographic information from parent to product, the advancement of synchronized dissolution and precipitation fronts along lattice planes is essential. We assume that the volume-preserving replacement process proceeds via a face-specific dissolution-precipitation mechanism with intermediate subparticle aggregation and subsequent layer-by-layer deposition of spheres along a planar surface. Porosity created during the replacement reaction allows permanent fluid access to the propagating reaction interface. Fluid pH and ionic strength remain constant throughout the replacement process, permitting continuous silica nanoparticle formation and diffusion-limited colloid aggregation. Our study

Effectiveness of Feedback for Enhancing English Pronunciation in an ASR-Based CALL System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Y.-H.; Young, S. S.-C.

2015-01-01

This paper presents a study on implementing the ASR-based CALL (computer-assisted language learning based upon automatic speech recognition) system embedded with both formative and summative feedback approaches and using implicit and explicit strategies to enhance adult and young learners' English pronunciation. Two groups of learners including 18…

Silica, hybrid silica, hydride silica and non-silica stationary phases for liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Borges, Endler M

2015-04-01

Free silanols on the surface of silica are the "villains", which are responsible for detrimental interactions of those compounds and the stationary phase (i.e., bad peak shape, low efficiency) as well as low thermal and chemical stability. For these reasons, we began this review describing new silica and hybrid silica stationary phases, which have reduced and/or shielded silanols. At present, in liquid chromatography for the majority of analyses, reversed-phase liquid chromatography is the separation mode of choice. However, the needs for increased selectivity and increased retention of hydrophilic bases have substantially increased the interest in hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC). Therefore, stationary phases and this mode of separation are discussed. Then, non-silica stationary phases (i.e., zirconium oxide, titanium oxide, alumina and porous graphitized carbon), which afford increased thermal and chemical stability and also selectivity different from those obtained with silica and hybrid silica, are discussed. In addition, the use of these materials in HILIC is also reviewed. © Crown copyright 2014.

The Phagocytosis and Toxicity of Amorphous Silica

PubMed Central

Costantini, Lindsey M.; Gilberti, Renée M.; Knecht, David A.

2011-01-01

Background Inhalation of crystalline silica is known to cause an inflammatory reaction and chronic exposure leads to lung fibrosis and can progress into the disease, silicosis. Cultured macrophages bind crystalline silica particles, phagocytose them, and rapidly undergo apoptotic and necrotic death. The mechanism by which particles are bound and internalized and the reason particles are toxic is unclear. Amorphous silica has been considered to be a less toxic form, but this view is controversial. We compared the uptake and toxicity of amorphous silica to crystalline silica. Methodology/Principal Findings Amorphous silica particles are phagocytosed by macrophage cells and a single internalized particle is capable of killing a cell. Fluorescent dextran is released from endo-lysosomes within two hours after silica treatment and Caspase-3 activation occurs within 4 hours. Interestingly, toxicity is specific to macrophage cell lines. Other cell types are resistant to silica particle toxicity even though they internalize the particles. The large and uniform size of the spherical, amorphous silica particles allowed us to monitor them during the uptake process. In mCherry-actin transfected macrophages, actin rings began to form 1-3 minutes after silica binding and the actin coat disassembled rapidly following particle internalization. Pre-loading cells with fluorescent dextran allowed us to visualize the fusion of phagosomes with endosomes during internalization. These markers provided two new ways to visualize and quantify particle internalization. At 37°C the rate of amorphous silica internalization was very rapid regardless of particle coating. However, at room temperature, opsonized silica is internalized much faster than non-opsonized silica. Conclusions/Significance Our results indicate that amorphous and crystalline silica are both phagocytosed and both toxic to mouse alveolar macrophage (MH-S) cells. The pathway leading to apoptosis appears to be similar in both

High electric field conduction in low-alkali boroaluminosilicate glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dash, Priyanka; Yuan, Mengxue; Gao, Jun; Furman, Eugene; Lanagan, Michael T.

2018-02-01

Electrical conduction in silica-based glasses under a low electric field is dominated by high mobility ions such as sodium, and there is a transition from ionic transport to electronic transport as the electric field exceeds 108 V/m at low temperatures. Electrical conduction under a high electric field was investigated in thin low-alkali boroaluminosilicate glass samples, showing nonlinear conduction with the current density scaling approximately with E1/2, where E is the electric field. In addition, thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) characterization was carried out on room-temperature electrically poled glass samples, and an anomalous discharging current flowing in the same direction as the charging current was observed. High electric field conduction and TSDC results led to the conclusion that Poole-Frenkel based electronic transport occurs in the mobile-cation-depleted region adjacent to the anode, and accounts for the observed anomalous current.

Alkali metal hafnium oxide scintillators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bourret-Courchesne, Edith; Derenzo, Stephen E.; Taylor, Scott Edward

The present invention provides for a composition comprising an inorganic scintillator comprising an alkali metal hafnate, optionally cerium-doped, having the formula A 2HfO 3:Ce; wherein A is an alkali metal having a valence of 1, such as Li or Na; and the molar percent of cerium is 0% to 100%. The alkali metal hafnate are scintillators and produce a bright luminescence upon irradiation by a suitable radiation.

Chemical effects of alkali atoms on critical temperature in superconducting alkali-doped fullerides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hetfleisch, F.; Gunnarsson, O.; Srama, R.; Han, J. E.; Stepper, M.; Roeser, H.-P.; Bohr, A.; Lopez, J. S.; Mashmool, M.; Roth, S.

2018-03-01

Alkali metal doped fullerides (A3C60) are superconductors with critical temperatures, Tc, extending up to 38 K. Tc is known to depend strongly on the lattice parameter a, which can be adjusted by physical or chemical pressure. In the latter case an alkali atom is replaced by a different sized one, which changes a. We have collected an extensive data base of experimental data for Tc from very early up to recent measurements. We disentangle alkali atom chemical effects on Tc, beyond the well-known consequences of changing a. It is found that Tc, for a fixed a, is typically increased as smaller alkali atoms are replaced by larger ones, except for very large a. Possible reasons for these results are discussed. Although smaller in size than the lattice parameter contribution, the chemical effect is not negligible and should be considered in future physical model developments.

Conventional and fast pyrolysis of automobile shredder residues (ASR).

PubMed

Zolezzi, Marcello; Nicolella, Cristiano; Ferrara, Sebastiano; Iacobucci, Cesare; Rovatti, Mauro

2004-01-01

This work aims at comparing performance and product yields in conventional pyrolysis and fast pyrolysis of automotive shredded residues. In both processes, carbon conversion to gaseous and liquid products was more than 80%. Gas production was maximised in conventional pyrolysis (about 35% by weight of the initial ASR weight), while fast pyrolysis led to an oil yield higher than 55%. Higher heating values (HHV) of both conventional pyrolysis gas and fast pyrolysis oil increased from 8.8 to 25.07 MJ/Nm3 and from 28.8 and 36.27 MJ/kg with increasing pyrolysis temperature. Copyright 2004 Elsevier Ltd.

Validity and reliability of the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder self-report scale (ASRS-v1.1) in a clinical sample with eating disorders.

PubMed

Carlucci, Samantha; Ivanova, Iryna; Bissada, Hany; Tasca, Giorgio A

2017-08-01

Individuals with eating disorders (EDs) commonly experience comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The shared features of EDs and ADHD, such as inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity, may exacerbate ED symptomatology and pose challenges to treatment. It is important to screen patients with EDs for symptoms of ADHD to optimize their treatment outcomes. However, the psychometrics of common measures of ADHD have not yet been examined within an ED population. An example of such a measure is the ADHD self-report scale (ASRS-v1.1) symptom checklist, which identifies the presence of ADHD symptoms. This study reports a psychometric study of the ASRS-v1.1 in a clinical sample of 500 adults with an ED. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated the ASRS-v1.1 maintained its two-factor structure of inattention and impulsivity/hyperactivity. The item loadings demonstrated path invariance across ED diagnostic groups indicating construct validity. Further, the subscales exhibited good internal consistency and they were significantly correlated with other measures of impulsivity indicating convergent validity. The ED sample had significantly higher mean scores than published nonclinical norms indicating predictive validity, but the ASRS-v1.1 scores were not significantly different among ED diagnostic groups. Results suggest the ASRS-v1.1 is a valid and reliable screening tool for identifying symptoms of ADHD among adults seeking treatment for ED. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identification and characterization of a gibberellin-regulated protein, which is ASR5, in the basal region of rice leaf sheaths.

PubMed

Takasaki, Hironori; Mahmood, Tariq; Matsuoka, Makoto; Matsumoto, Hiroshi; Komatsu, Setsuko

2008-04-01

Gibberellins (GAs) regulate growth and development in higher plants. To identify GA-regulated proteins during rice leaf sheath elongation, a proteomic approach was used. Proteins from the basal region of leaf sheath in rice seedling treated with GA(3) were analyzed by fluorescence two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis. The levels of abscisic acid-stress-ripening-inducible 5 protein (ASR5), elongation factor-1 beta, translationally controlled tumor protein, fructose-bisphosphate aldolase and a novel protein increased; whereas the level of RuBisCO subunit binding-protein decreased by GA(3) treatment. ASR5 out of these six proteins was significantly regulated by GA(3) at the protein level but not at the mRNA level in the basal region of leaf sheaths. Since this protein is regulated not only by abscisic acid but also by GA(3), these results indicate that ASR5 might be involved in plant growth in addition to stress in the basal regions of leaf sheaths.

Calcium-Alkali Syndrome in the Modern Era

PubMed Central

Patel, Ami M.; Adeseun, Gbemisola A.; Goldfarb, Stanley

2013-01-01

The ingestion of calcium, along with alkali, results in a well-described triad of hypercalcemia, metabolic alkalosis, and renal insufficiency. Over time, the epidemiology and root cause of the syndrome have shifted, such that the disorder, originally called the milk-alkali syndrome, is now better described as the calcium-alkali syndrome. The calcium-alkali syndrome is an important cause of morbidity that may be on the rise, an unintended consequence of shifts in calcium and vitamin D intake in segments of the population. We review the pathophysiology of the calcium-alkali syndrome. PMID:24288027

PREFACE: Advanced Science Research Symposium 2009 Positron, Muon and other exotic particle beams for materials and atomic/molecular sciences (ASR2009)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Higemoto, Wataru; Kawasuso, Atsuo

2010-05-01

It is our great pleasure to deliver the proceedings of ASR2009, the Advanced Science Research International Symposium 2009. ASR2009 is part of a series of symposia which is hosted by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Advanced Science Research Center (JAEA-ASRC), and held every year with different scientific topics. ASR2009 was held at Tokai in Japan from 10-12 November 2009. In total, 102 participants, including 29 overseas scientists, made 44 oral presentations and 64 poster presentations. In ASR2009 we have focused on material and atomic/molecular science research using positrons, muons and other exotic particle beams. The symposium covered all the fields of materials science which use such exotic particle beams. Positrons, muons and other beams have similar and different features. For example, although positrons and muons are both leptons having charge and spin, they give quite different information about materials. A muon mainly detects the local magnetic state of the solid, while a positron detects crystal imperfections and electron momenta in solids. Other exotic particle beams also provide useful information about materials which is not able to be obtained with muons or positrons. Therefore, the complementary use of particle beams, coupled with an understanding of their relative advantages, leads to greater excellence in materials research. This symposium crossed the fields of muon science, positron science, unstable-nuclei science, and other exotic particle-beam science. We therefore believe that ASR2009 became an especially important meeting for finding new science with exotic particle beams. Finally, we would like to extend our appreciation to all the participants, committee members, and support staff for their great efforts to make ASR2009 a fruitful symposium. ASR2009 Chairs Wataru Higemoto and Atsuo Kawasuso Advanced Science Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency Organizing committee Y Hatano, JAEA (Director of ASRC) M Fujinami, Chiba Univ. R H

Development of Cloud and Precipitation Property Retrieval Algorithms and Measurement Simulators from ASR Data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mace, Gerald G.

What has made the ASR program unique is the amount of information that is available. The suite of recently deployed instruments significantly expands the scope of the program (Mather and Voyles, 2013). The breadth of this information allows us to pose sophisticated process-level questions. Our ASR project, now entering its third year, has been about developing algorithms that use this information in ways that fully exploit the new capacity of the ARM data streams. Using optimal estimation (OE) and Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) inversion techniques, we have developed methodologies that allow us to use multiple radar frequency Doppler spectramore » along with lidar and passive constraints where data streams can be added or subtracted efficiently and algorithms can be reformulated for various combinations of hydrometeors by exchanging sets of empirical coefficients. These methodologies have been applied to boundary layer clouds, mixed phase snow cloud systems, and cirrus.« less

Synthesis and characterization of titanium oxide supported silica materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schrijnemakers, Koen

2002-01-01

Titania-silica materials are interesting materials for use in catalysis, both as a catalyst support as well as a catalyst itself. Titania-silica materials combine the excellent support and photocatalytic properties of titania with the high thermal and mechanical stability of silica. Moreover, the interaction of titania with silica leads to new active sites, such as acid and redox sites, that are not found on the single oxides. In this Ph.D. two recently developed deposition methods were studied and evaluated for their use to create titanium oxide supported silica materials, the Chemical Surface Coating (CSC) and the Molecular Designed Dispersion (MDD). These methods were applied to two structurally different silica supports, an amorphous silica gel and the highly ordered MCM-48. Both methods are based on the specific interaction between a titanium source and the functional groups on the silica surface. With the CSC method high amounts of titanium can be obtained. However, clustering of the titania phase is observed in most cases. The MDD method allows much lower titanium amounts to be deposited without the formation of crystallites. Only at the highest Ti loading very small crystallites are formed after calcination. MCM-48 and silica gel are both pure SiO2 materials and therefore chemically similar to each other. However, they possess a different morphology and are synthesized in a different way. As such, some authors have reported that the MCM-48 surface would be more reactive than the surface of silica gel. In our experiments however no differences could be observed that confirmed this hypothesis. In the CSC method, the same reactions were observed and similar amounts of Ti and Cl were deposited. In the case of the MDD method, no difference in the reaction mechanism was observed. However, due to the lower thermal and hydrothermal stability of the MCM-48 structure compared to silica gel, partial incorporation of Ti atoms in the pore walls of MCM-48 took place

Pozzolanic activity and durability of nano silica, micro silica and silica gel contained concrete

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al Ghabban, Ahmed; Al Zubaidi, Aseel B.; Fakhri, Zahraa

2018-05-01

This paper aims to investigate the influence of replacement of cement with nano silica, micro silica and silica gel admixtures on pozzolanic activity, the replacement ratio was10% for all admixture, silica gel used in two forms (beads and crushed powder). Also, the water absorption test was investigated for obtaining the durability properties of concrete, in specimens for this test admixtures were added in four different dosages 1%, 2%, 3% and 4% by weight of the cementitious material into the concrete mixture. Experimental investigations of modified concrete were conducted after 28 days of water curing. Results showed that mixes of nano silica and crushed silica gel showed a higher pozzolanic activity index. For the water absorption test, all mixes incorporating nano silica, micro silica and silica gel showed lower absorption than control mixes best result were noticed with crushed silica gel and nano silica mixes. DTA analysis confirms the results for both poisonous activity and water absorption.

Geochemical insights into the lithology of mantle sources for Cenozoic alkali basalts in West Qinling, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Li-Qun; Zheng, Fei; Zhao, Zi-Fu; Zheng, Yong-Fei

2018-03-01

Although alkali basalts are common in oceanic islands and continental rifts, the lithology of their mantle sources is still controversial. While the peridotite is usually viewed as a common source lithology, there are increasing studies suggesting significant contributions from ultramafic metasomatites such as carbonated peridotite, pyroxenite and hornblendite to the origin of alkali basalts. The present study indicates that carbonated peridotite plus hornblendite would have served as the mantle sources of Cenozoic alkali basalts from the West Qinling orogen in China. The target basalts show low SiO2 contents of 36.9 to 40.8 wt% and highly variable Na2O + K2O contents from 0.86 to 4.77 wt%, but high CaO contents of 12.5 to 16.3 wt% and CaO/Al2O3 ratios of 1.42 to 2.19. They are highly enriched in the majority of incompatible trace elements, but depleted in Rb, K, Pb, Zr, Hf, and Ti. Furthermore, they exhibit high (La/Yb)N, Zr/Hf, Ce/Pb and Nb/Ta ratios, but low Ti/Eu and Hf/Sm ratios. Generally, with increasing (La/Yb)N and CaO/Al2O3 ratios, their Ti/Eu and Hf/Sm ratios decrease whereas their Zr/Hf, Ce/Pb and Nb/Ta ratios increase. These major and trace element features are similar to those of carbonatites and hornblendite-derived melts to some extent, but significantly different from those of mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB). This suggests that the alkali basalts would be originated from metasomatic mantle sources. A comparison of the major-trace elements in the alkali basalts with those of some representative mantle-derived melts indicates that the source lithology of alkali basalts is a kind of ultramafic metasomatites that are composed of carbonated peridotite and hornblendite. Such metasomatites would be generated by reaction of the depleted MORB mantle peridotite with hydrous, carbonate-bearing felsic melts derived from partial melting of the subducted Paleotethyan oceanic crust. Therefore, the melt-peridotite reaction at the slab-mantle interface in the

Spectroscopic and chromatographic characterisation of a pentafluorophenylpropyl silica phase end-capped in supercritical carbon dioxide as a reaction solvent.

PubMed

Ashu-Arrah, Benjamin A; Glennon, Jeremy D; Albert, Klaus

2013-07-12

This research uses solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to characterise the nature and amount of different surface species, and chromatography to evaluate phase properties of a pentafluorophenylpropyl (PFPP) bonded silica phase prepared and end-capped using supercritical carbon dioxide (sc-CO2) as a reaction solvent. Under sc-CO2 reaction conditions (at temperature of 100 °C and pressure of 414 bar), a PFPP silica phase was prepared using 3-[(pentafluorophenyl)propyldimethylchlorosilane] within 1h. The bonded PFPP phase was subsequently end-capped with bis-N,O-trimethylsilylacetamide (BSA), hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) and trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) within 1h under the same sc-CO2 reaction conditions (100 °C/4141 bar). Elemental microanalysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to provide support data to solid-state NMR and chromatographic evaluation. Results revealed a surface coverage of 2.2 μmol/m(2) for the non-end-capped PFPP silica phase while the PFPP phase end-capped with BSA gave a higher surface coverage (3.9 μmol/m(2)) compared to HMDS (2.9 μmol/m(2)) and TMCS (2.8 μmol/m(2)). (29)Si CP/MAS NMR analysis of the PFPP end-capped with BSA shows a significant decrease in the amount of Q(3) (free silanols) and Q(4) (siloxane groups) species, coupled with the absence of the most reactive Q(2) (geminal silanols) in addition to increased amount of a single resonance peak centred at +13 ppm (MH) corresponding to -Si-O-*Si-CH3 bond. (13)C CP/MAS NMR shows the resonance corresponding to the propyl linkage (CH3CH2CH2-) and methyl groups (Si(CH3)n) confirming successful silanisation and endcapping reactions in sc-CO2. Chromatographic evaluation of the BSA end-capped PFPP phase with Neue text mixture revealed improved chromatographic separation as evidenced in the enhanced retention of hydrophobic markers and decreased retention for basic solutes. Moreover, chromatography revealed a change in

OsASR5 enhances drought tolerance through a stomatal closure pathway associated with ABA and H2 O2 signalling in rice.

PubMed

Li, Jinjie; Li, Yang; Yin, Zhigang; Jiang, Jihong; Zhang, Minghui; Guo, Xiao; Ye, Zhujia; Zhao, Yan; Xiong, Haiyan; Zhang, Zhanying; Shao, Yujie; Jiang, Conghui; Zhang, Hongliang; An, Gynheung; Paek, Nam-Chon; Ali, Jauhar; Li, Zichao

2017-02-01

Drought is one of the major abiotic stresses that directly implicate plant growth and crop productivity. Although many genes in response to drought stress have been identified, genetic improvement to drought resistance especially in food crops is showing relatively slow progress worldwide. Here, we reported the isolation of abscisic acid, stress and ripening (ASR) genes from upland rice variety, IRAT109 (Oryza sativa L. ssp. japonica), and demonstrated that overexpression of OsASR5 enhanced osmotic tolerance in Escherichia coli and drought tolerance in Arabidopsis and rice by regulating leaf water status under drought stress conditions. Moreover, overexpression of OsASR5 in rice increased endogenous ABA level and showed hypersensitive to exogenous ABA treatment at both germination and postgermination stages. The production of H 2 O 2 , a second messenger for the induction of stomatal closure in response to ABA, was activated in overexpression plants under drought stress conditions, consequently, increased stomatal closure and decreased stomatal conductance. In contrast, the loss-of-function mutant, osasr5, showed sensitivity to drought stress with lower relative water content under drought stress conditions. Further studies demonstrated that OsASR5 functioned as chaperone-like protein and interacted with stress-related HSP40 and 2OG-Fe (II) oxygenase domain containing proteins in yeast and plants. Taken together, we suggest that OsASR5 plays multiple roles in response to drought stress by regulating ABA biosynthesis, promoting stomatal closure, as well as acting as chaperone-like protein that possibly prevents drought stress-related proteins from inactivation. © 2016 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Investigations on the carbon contaminations on the alkali cells of DPAL with hydrocarbon buffer gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zhiyong; Tan, Rongqing; Wang, Yujie; Ye, Qing; Bian, Jintian; Huang, Wei; Li, Hui; Han, Gaoce

2017-10-01

Diode pumped alkali laser (DPAL) with hydrocarbon buffer gases has the features of low threshold and high efficiency. The chemical reaction between alkali and hydrocarbon gases affects the life time of DPAL. In this paper, a method based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Lambert-Beer law is adopted to find a safe temperature at which DPAL runs for a long term. A theoretical model is established to figure out ways to reduce the peak temperature in the cell window. The results indicates that 170 °C is a safe temperature. Although the absorbance of the cell window to the pump light and alkali laser is lower, there is temperature increase. Small light-transmitting area and air blowing on the windows can reduce the peak temperature effectively. Cooling the cell window is essential and critical in a long-term running DPAL.

Pd-bound functionalized mesoporous silica as active catalyst for Suzuki coupling reaction: Effect of OAcˉ, PPh3 and Clˉ ligands on catalytic activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Trisha; Uyama, Hiroshi; Nandi, Mahasweta

2018-04-01

Three new palladium catalysts, PdCat-I, PdCat-II and PdCat-III, immobilized over heterogeneous silica support have been synthesized using different ligands attached to the palladium precursor. The ligands that have been used in this study are acetate, triphenylphosphine and chloride in PdCat-I, PdCat-II and PdCat-III, respectively. The ligands have different effect on stability of the compounds and impart different oxidation states to the metal center. The materials have been characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption-desorption studies, transmission electron microscopy, thermal analysis, and different spectroscopic techniques. The Pd-content of the samples have been determined by ICP-AES analysis. The materials have been used as catalysts for Suzuki coupling reaction of aryl halides with phenylboronic acid under mild conditions. A comparative study has been carried out to ascertain the effect of the nature of different ligands on the outcome of the catalytic reactions. Products have been identified and estimated by 1H NMR and gas chromatography. The results show that the best yields are obtained with the catalyst containing triphenylphosphine as the ligand in methanol. Such type of work to study the effect of ligand on Suzuki coupling reaction over functionalized mesoporous silica heterogeneous catalysts have not been carried out so far.

Organic inorganic hybrid coating (poly(methyl methacrylate)/monodisperse silica)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubio, E.; Almaral, J.; Ramírez-Bon, R.; Castaño, V.; Rodríguez, V.

2005-04-01

Polymethylmethacrylate-silica hybrid coatings were prepared from methyl methacrylate and monodisperse colloidal silica prepared by the Stöber method. The surfaces of the spheres were successfully modified by chemical reaction with 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate (TMSPM) to compatibilise the organic and inorganic components of the precursor solution mixture. The coatings were deposited by dip-coating on glass substrates. They result with good properties of homogeneity, optical transparence, hardness and adhesion.

ASR4: A computer code for fitting and processing 4-gage anelastic strain recovery data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Warpinski, N.R.

A computer code for analyzing four-gage Anelastic Strain Recovery (ASR) data has been modified for use on a personal computer. This code fits the viscoelastic model of Warpinski and Teufel to measured ASR data, calculates the stress orientation directly, and computes stress magnitudes if sufficient input data are available. The code also calculates the stress orientation using strain-rosette equations, and its calculates stress magnitudes using Blanton's approach, assuming sufficient input data are available. The program is written in FORTRAN, compiled with Ryan-McFarland Version 2.4. Graphics use PLOT88 software by Plotworks, Inc., but the graphics software must be obtained by themore » user because of licensing restrictions. A version without graphics can also be run. This code is available through the National Energy Software Center (NESC), operated by Argonne National Laboratory. 5 refs., 3 figs.« less

Device and method for upgrading petroleum feedstocks and petroleum refinery streams using an alkali metal conductive membrane

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gordon, John Howard; Alvare, Javier

A reactor has two chambers, namely an oil feedstock chamber and a source chamber. An ion separator separates the oil feedstock chamber from the source chamber, wherein the ion separator allows alkali metal ions to pass from the source chamber, through the ion separator, and into the oil feedstock chamber. A cathode is at least partially housed within the oil feedstock chamber and an anode is at least partially housed within the source chamber. A quantity of an oil feedstock is within the oil feedstock chamber, the oil feedstock comprising at least one carbon atom and a heteroatom and/or onemore » or more heavy metals, the oil feedstock further comprising naphthenic acid. When the alkali metal ion enters the oil feedstock chamber, the alkali metal reacts with the heteroatom, the heavy metals and/or the naphthenic acid, wherein the reaction with the alkali metal forms inorganic products.« less

Alkali-Activated Natural Pozzolan/Slag Binder for Sustainable Concrete

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Najimi, Meysam

alkali-activated concretes, workability and setting times were in the acceptable ranges. Overall, a 50/50 combination of natural Pozzolan and slag developed the highest strengths. Increasing slag content to 70%, however, was useful for mixtures with high NaOH concentrations (2.5M) and for acceleration of initial reactions. The strength of alkali-activated concretes improved with increases in sodium silicate portion of activator. Regarding effects of sodium hydroxide concentration on strength properties, there were optimum NaOH molarities which increased with an increase in slag portion of the binder. A 50/50 combination of natural Pozzolan and slag also proved to be the optimum combination for the results of absorption test. NaOH concentration and sodium silicate dosage had marginal effects on the absorption and volume of permeable voids. The chloride penetration depth reduced with decreases in natural Pozzolan portion of the binder (particularly from 70 to 50%), sodium silicate dosage, and NaOH concentration. A nearly similar trend was seen for the drying shrinkage of studied alkali-activated natural Pozzolan/slag concretes, as reduction of these variables also reduced the drying shrinkage. The mass loss of alkali-activated concretes subjected to acid attack increased with increases in slag content, sodium silicate dosage, and sodium hydroxide concentration. The failure time in corrosion test improved (increased) with increases in natural Pozzolan content, sodium silicate dosage, and sodium hydroxide concentration. The frost resistance of alkali-activated concretes improved as slag portion of the binder was increased. An increase in sodium silicate dosage was beneficial in improving frost resistance of concretes made with binders having 50 and 70% slag. An opposite trend was seen when slag portion of the binder was reduced to 30%. The mechanical properties (compressive strength, tensile strength and elastic modulus) of alkali-activated concretes made with activators

Additive Manufacturing of Transparent Silica Glass from Solutions.

PubMed

Cooperstein, Ido; Shukrun, Efrat; Press, Ofir; Kamyshny, Alexander; Magdassi, Shlomo

2018-06-06

A sol, aqueous solution-based ink is presented for fabrication of 3D transparent silica glass objects with complex geometries, by a simple 3D printing process conducted at room temperature. The ink combines a hybrid ceramic precursor that can undergo both the photopolymerization reaction and a sol-gel process, both in the solution form, without any particles. The printing is conducted by localized photopolymerization with the use of a low-cost 3D printer. Following printing, upon aging and densifying, the resulting objects convert from a gel to a xerogel and then to a fused silica. The printed objects, which are composed of fused silica, are transparent and have tunable density and refractive indices.

Supramolecular structures on silica surfaces and their adsorptive properties.

PubMed

Belyakov, Vladimir N; Belyakova, Lyudmila A; Varvarin, Anatoly M; Khora, Olexandra V; Vasilyuk, Sergei L; Kazdobin, Konstantin A; Maltseva, Tetyana V; Kotvitskyy, Alexey G; Danil de Namor, Angela F

2005-05-01

The study of adsorptive and chemical immobilization of beta-cyclodextrin on a surface of hydroxylated silicas with various porous structure is described. Using IR spectroscopy, thermal gravimetrical analysis with a programmed heating, and chemical analysis of the silica surface, it is shown that the process of adsorption-desorption of beta-cyclodextrin depends on the porous structure of the silica. The reaction of esterification was used for chemical grafting of beta-cyclodextrin on the surface of hydroxylated silicas. Hydrolytic stability of silicas chemically modified by beta-cyclodextrin apparently is explained by simultaneous formation of chemical and hydrogen bonds between surface silanol groups and hydroxyl groups of beta-cyclodextrin. The uptake of the cations Cu(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II) and the anions Cr(VI) and As(V) by silicas modified with beta-cyclodextrin is investigated as a function of equilibrium ion concentrations. The increase of ion uptake and selectivity of ion extraction in comparison with starting silicas is established. It is due to the formation of surface inclusion complexes of the "host-guest" type in which one molecule of beta-cyclodextrin interacts simultaneously with several ions.

Self-repairing properties of OPC clinker/natural zeolite blend in water and alkali carbonate environments at 270°C

DOE PAGES

Pyatina, Tatiana; Sugama, Toshifumi; Ronne, Arthur; ...

2018-01-01

The 10 d recoveries of the mechanical properties and crack sealing of an ordinary Portland cement (OPC) clinker/natural zeolite (ferrierite (Fer)) blend modified or unmodified with silica were tested at 270°C in water and alkali carbonate environments. The recoveries of the samples depended on their modification with silica and the curing environment, but were more than 100% after repeated damage under some test conditions. The mechanical properties and phase compositions of recovered samples were evaluated by compressive strength measurements and x-ray diffraction, differential thermogravimetric analyses, Fourier transform infrared analyses and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Themore » sealing of 0·25 mm wide and ~2 mm deep cracks was visualised with a three-dimensional optical microscope. Fer decomposed under high-temperature alkaline conditions with the release of hydrolysates that, along with the hydrating clinker, participated in the formation of new phases contributing to strength recoveries. Here, these phases included crystalline magnesium and aluminium-containing silicates, calcium and carbonated calcium silicates and amorphous hydrates. Crack sealing was complete for the silica-modified samples and partial for unmodified ones cured in carbonate environments. The sealing was very poor for samples cured in water. Lastly, the main sealing phases included crystalline and amorphous silica, high-temperature-stable zeolites and talc mineral.« less

Self-repairing properties of OPC clinker/natural zeolite blend in water and alkali carbonate environments at 270°C

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pyatina, Tatiana; Sugama, Toshifumi; Ronne, Arthur

The 10 d recoveries of the mechanical properties and crack sealing of an ordinary Portland cement (OPC) clinker/natural zeolite (ferrierite (Fer)) blend modified or unmodified with silica were tested at 270°C in water and alkali carbonate environments. The recoveries of the samples depended on their modification with silica and the curing environment, but were more than 100% after repeated damage under some test conditions. The mechanical properties and phase compositions of recovered samples were evaluated by compressive strength measurements and x-ray diffraction, differential thermogravimetric analyses, Fourier transform infrared analyses and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Themore » sealing of 0·25 mm wide and ~2 mm deep cracks was visualised with a three-dimensional optical microscope. Fer decomposed under high-temperature alkaline conditions with the release of hydrolysates that, along with the hydrating clinker, participated in the formation of new phases contributing to strength recoveries. Here, these phases included crystalline magnesium and aluminium-containing silicates, calcium and carbonated calcium silicates and amorphous hydrates. Crack sealing was complete for the silica-modified samples and partial for unmodified ones cured in carbonate environments. The sealing was very poor for samples cured in water. Lastly, the main sealing phases included crystalline and amorphous silica, high-temperature-stable zeolites and talc mineral.« less

Coupled alkali feldspar dissolution and secondary mineral precipitation in batch systems: 4. Numerical modeling of kinetic reaction paths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Chen; Lu, Peng; Zheng, Zuoping; Ganor, Jiwchar

2010-07-01

This paper explores how dissolution and precipitation reactions are coupled in batch reactor experimental systems at elevated temperatures. This is the fourth paper in our series of "Coupled Alkali Feldspar Dissolution and Secondary Mineral Precipitation in Batch Systems". In our third paper, we demonstrated via speciation-solubility modeling that partial equilibrium between secondary minerals and aqueous solutions was not attained in feldspar hydrolysis batch reactors at 90-300 °C and that a strong coupling between dissolution and precipitation reactions follows as a consequence of the slower precipitation of secondary minerals ( Zhu and Lu, 2009). Here, we develop this concept further by using numerical reaction path models to elucidate how the dissolution and precipitation reactions are coupled. Modeling results show that a quasi-steady state was reached. At the quasi-steady state, dissolution reactions proceeded at rates that are orders of magnitude slower than the rates measured at far from equilibrium. The quasi-steady state is determined by the relative rate constants, and strongly influenced by the function of Gibbs free energy of reaction ( ΔG) in the rate laws. To explore the potential effects of fluid flow rates on the coupling of reactions, we extrapolate a batch system ( Ganor et al., 2007) to open systems and simulated one-dimensional reactive mass transport for oligoclase dissolution and kaolinite precipitation in homogeneous porous media. Different steady states were achieved at different locations along the one-dimensional domain. The time-space distribution and saturation indices (SI) at the steady states were a function of flow rates for a given kinetic model. Regardless of the differences in SI, the ratio between oligoclase dissolution rates and kaolinite precipitation rates remained 1.626, as in the batch system case ( Ganor et al., 2007). Therefore, our simulation results demonstrated coupling among dissolution, precipitation, and flow rates

Reinforcement Effect of Alkali Hydrolyzed Wheat Gluten and Starch in Carboxylated Styrene-Butadiene Composites

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Wheat gluten (WG) and wheat starch (WS) are the protein and carbohydrate obtained from wheat flours. Wheat gluten is not water soluble or dispersible due to its hydrophobic nature. To prepare wheat gluten dispersions, an alkali hydrolysis reaction was carried out to produce a stable aqueous disper...

Characterization and Curing Kinetics of Epoxy/Silica Nano-Hybrids

PubMed Central

Yang, Cheng-Fu; Wang, Li-Fen; Wu, Song-Mao; Su, Chean-Cheng

2015-01-01

The sol-gel technique was used to prepare epoxy/silica nano-hybrids. The thermal characteristics, curing kinetics and structure of epoxy/silica nano-hybrids were studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), 29Si nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). To improve the compatibility between the organic and inorganic phases, a coupling agent was used to modify the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) epoxy. The sol-gel technique enables the silica to be successfully incorporated into the network of the hybrids, increasing the thermal stability and improving the mechanical properties of the prepared epoxy/silica nano-hybrids. An autocatalytic mechanism of the epoxy/SiO2 nanocomposites was observed. The low reaction rate of epoxy in the nanocomposites is caused by the steric hindrance in the network of hybrids that arises from the consuming of epoxide group in the network of hybrids by the silica. In the nanocomposites, the nano-scale silica particles had an average size of approximately 35 nm, and the particles were well dispersed in the epoxy matrix, according to the TEM images. PMID:28793616

Silica powders for powder evacuated thermal insulating panel and method

DOEpatents

Harris, Michael T.; Basaran, Osman A.; Kollie, Thomas G.; Weaver, Fred J.

1996-01-01

A powder evacuated thermal insulating panel using generally spherical and porous silica particles of a median size less than about 100 nanometers in diameter, a pour packing density of about 0.4 to 0.6 g/cm.sup.3 and an external surface area in the range of about 90 to 600 m.sup.2/ g is described. The silica powders are prepared by reacting a tetraakyl silicate with ammonia and water in an alcohol solvent, distilling the solution after the reaction to remove the ammonia and recover the alcohol. The resulting aqueous slurry was dried, ball-milled, and dried again to provide the silica particles with defined internal and external porosity. The nanometer size and the large external surface area of the silica particles along with the internal and external porosity of the silica particles provide powder evacuated thermal insulating panels with significantly higher R-values than obtainable using previously known silica powders.

Silica powders for powder evacuated thermal insulating panel and method

DOEpatents

Harris, Michael T.; Basaran, Osman A.; Kollie, Thomas G.; Weaver, Fred J.

1994-01-01

A powder evacuated thermal insulating panel using generally spherical and porous silica particles of a median size less than about 100 nanometers in diameter, a pour packing density of about 0.4 to 0.6 g/cm.sup.3 and an external surface area in the range of about 90 to 600 m.sup.2 /g is described. The silica powders are prepared by reacting a tetraakyl silicate with ammonia and water in an alcohol solvent, distilling the solution after the reaction to remove the ammonia and recover the alcohol. The resulting aqueous slurry was dried, ball-milled, and dried again to provide the silica particles with defined internal and external porosity. The nanometer size and the large external surface area of the silica particles along with the internal and external porosity of the silica particles provide powder evacuated thermal insulating panels with significantly higher R-values than obtainable using previously known silica powders.

Silica powders for powder evacuated thermal insulating panel and method

DOEpatents

Harris, Michael T.; Basaran, Osman A.; Kollie, Thomas G.; Weaver, Fred J.

1995-01-01

A powder evacuated thermal insulating panel using generally spherical and porous silica particles of a median size less than about 100 nanometers in diameter, a pour packing density of about 0.4 to 0.6 g/cm.sup.3 and an external surface area in the range of about 90 to 600 m.sup.2/ g is described. The silica powders are prepared by reacting a tetraakyl silicate with ammonia and water in an alcohol solvent, distilling the solution after the reaction to remove the ammonia and recover the alcohol. The resulting aqueous slurry was dried, ball-milled, and dried again to provide the silica particles with defined internal and external porosity. The nanometer size and the large external surface area of the silica particles along with the internal and external porosity of the silica particles provide powder evacuated thermal insulating panels with significantly higher R-values than obtainable using previously known silica powders.

Silica powders for powder evacuated thermal insulating panel and method

DOEpatents

Harris, M.T.; Basaran, O.A.; Kollie, T.G.; Weaver, F.J.

1996-01-02

A powder evacuated thermal insulating panel using generally spherical and porous silica particles of a median size less than about 100 nanometers in diameter, a pour packing density of about 0.4 to 0.6 g/cm{sup 3} and an external surface area in the range of about 90 to 600 m{sup 2}/g is described. The silica powders are prepared by reacting a tetraalkyl silicate with ammonia and water in an alcohol solvent, distilling the solution after the reaction to remove the ammonia and recover the alcohol. The resulting aqueous slurry was dried, ball-milled, and dried again to provide the silica particles with defined internal and external porosity. The nanometer size and the large external surface area of the silica particles along with the internal and external porosity of the silica particles provide powder evacuated thermal insulating panels with significantly higher R-values than obtainable using previously known silica powders. 2 figs.

Chemical characteristics and leachability of organically contaminated heavy metal sludge solidified by silica fume and cement.

PubMed

Jun, K S; Hwang, B G; Shin, H S; Won, Y S

2001-01-01

This paper discusses the development of mixtures with silica fume as a stabilization/solidification agent and binder for industrial wastewater residue containing organic and heavy metal contaminants. The UCS (Unconfined Compressive Strength) gradually increased to 66.7% as the silica fume content increased to 15%. The leaching of TOC and chromium decreased as more OPC was substituted with silica fume. When the mix had 5% silica fume, it retained about 85% TOC, and chromium leached out 0.76 mg-Cr/g-Cr in acidic solution. Also, microstructural studies on the solidified wastes through the scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) and X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the silica fume caused an inhibition to the ettringite formation which did not contribute to setting, but coated the cement particles and retarded the setting reactions. The results indicated that the incorporation of silica fume into the cement matrix minimized the detrimental effects of organic materials on the cement hydration reaction and contaminant leachability.

Alkali or alkaline earth metal promoted catalyst and a process for methanol synthesis using alkali or alkaline earth metals as promoters

DOEpatents

Tierney, J.W.; Wender, I.; Palekar, V.M.

1995-01-31

The present invention relates to a novel route for the synthesis of methanol, and more specifically to the production of methanol by contacting synthesis gas under relatively mild conditions in a slurry phase with a heterogeneous catalyst comprising reduced copper chromite impregnated with an alkali or alkaline earth metal. There is thus no need to add a separate alkali or alkaline earth compound. The present invention allows the synthesis of methanol to occur in the temperature range of approximately 100--160 C and the pressure range of 40--65 atm. The process produces methanol with up to 90% syngas conversion per pass and up to 95% methanol selectivity. The only major by-product is a small amount of easily separated methyl formate. Very small amounts of water, carbon dioxide and dimethyl ether are also produced. The present catalyst combination also is capable of tolerating fluctuations in the H[sub 2]/CO ratio without major deleterious effect on the reaction rate. Furthermore, carbon dioxide and water are also tolerated without substantial catalyst deactivation.

Alkali or alkaline earth metal promoted catalyst and a process for methanol synthesis using alkali or alkaline earth metals as promoters

DOEpatents

Tierney, John W.; Wender, Irving; Palekar, Vishwesh M.

1995-01-01

The present invention relates to a novel route for the synthesis of methanol, and more specifically to the production of methanol by contacting synthesis gas under relatively mild conditions in a slurry phase with a heterogeneous catalyst comprising reduced copper chromite impregnated with an alkali or alkaline earth metal. There is thus no need to add a separate alkali or alkaline earth compound. The present invention allows the synthesis of methanol to occur in the temperature range of approximately 100.degree.-160.degree. C. and the pressure range of 40-65 atm. The process produces methanol with up to 90% syngas conversion per pass and up to 95% methanol selectivity. The only major by-product is a small amount of easily separated methyl formate. Very small amounts of water, carbon dioxide and dimethyl ether are also produced. The present catalyst combination also is capable of tolerating fluctuations in the H.sub.2 /CO ratio without major deleterious effect on the reaction rate. Furthermore, carbon dioxide and water are also tolerated without substantial catalyst deactivation.

Infrared and Raman spectroscopic studies on alkali borate glasses: evidence of mixed alkali effect.

PubMed

Padmaja, G; Kistaiah, P

2009-03-19

A lithium-potassium-borate glass system containing manganese and iron cations has been thoroughly investigated in order to obtain information about the mixed alkali effect and the structural role of both the manganese and iron in such glass hosts. Mixed alkali borate glasses of the (30 - x)Li(2)O - xK(2)O - 10CdO/ZnO - 59B(2)O(3) (x = 0, 10, 15, 20, and 30) doped with 1MnO(2)/1Fe(2)O(3) system were prepared by a melt quench technique. The amorphous phase of the prepared glass samples was confirmed from their X-ray diffraction. The spectroscopic properties of glass samples were studied using infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopic techniques. The density of all the prepared glasses was measured using Archimedes principle. Molar volumes were estimated from the density data. IR spectra of these glasses revealed a dramatic variation of three- and four-coordinated boron structures as a function of mixed alkali concentration. The vibrations due to Li-O, K-O, and MnO(4)/FeO(4) arrangements are consistent in all the compositions and show a nonlinear variation in the intensity with alkali content. Raman spectra of different alkali combinations with CdO and ZnO present drastic changes in the intensity of various Raman bands. The observation of disappearance and reappearance of IR and Raman bands as a function of various alkali concentrations is an important result pertaining to the mixed alkali effect in borate glasses. Acting as complementary spectroscopic techniques, both types of measurements, IR and Raman, revealed that the network structure of the studied glasses is mainly based on BO(3) and BO(4) units placed in different structural groups, the BO(3) units being dominant. The measured IR and Raman spectra of different glasses are used to clarify the optical properties of the present glasses correlating them with their structure and composition.

Introgression of the SbASR-1 Gene Cloned from a Halophyte Salicornia brachiata Enhances Salinity and Drought Endurance in Transgenic Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) and Acts as a Transcription Factor

PubMed Central

Tiwari, Vivekanand; Chaturvedi, Amit Kumar; Mishra, Avinash; Jha, Bhavanath

2015-01-01

The SbASR-1 gene, cloned from a halophyte Salicornia brachiata, encodes a plant-specific hydrophilic and stress responsive protein. The genome of S. brachiata has two paralogs of the SbASR-1 gene (2549 bp), which is comprised of a single intron of 1611 bp, the largest intron of the  abscisic acid stress ripening [ASR] gene family yet reported. In silico analysis of the 843-bp putative promoter revealed the presence of ABA, biotic stress, dehydration, phytohormone, salinity, and sugar responsive cis-regulatory motifs. The SbASR-1 protein belongs to Group 7 LEA protein family with different amino acid composition compared to their glycophytic homologs. Bipartite Nuclear Localization Signal (NLS) was found on the C-terminal end of protein and localization study confirmed that SbASR-1 is a nuclear protein. Furthermore, transgenic groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) plants over-expressing the SbASR-1 gene constitutively showed enhanced salinity and drought stress tolerance in the T1 generation. Leaves of transgenic lines exhibited higher chlorophyll and relative water contents and lower electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde content, proline, sugars, and starch accumulation under stress treatments than wild-type (Wt) plants. Also, lower accumulation of H2O2 and O2 .- radicals was detected in transgenic lines compared to Wt plants under stress conditions. Transcript expression of APX (ascorbate peroxidase) and CAT (catalase) genes were higher in Wt plants, whereas the SOD (superoxide dismutase) transcripts were higher in transgenic lines under stress. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) confirmed that the SbASR-1 protein binds at the consensus sequence (C/G/A)(G/T)CC(C/G)(C/G/A)(A/T). Based on results of the present study, it may be concluded that SbASR-1 enhances the salinity and drought stress tolerance in transgenic groundnut by functioning as a LEA (late embryogenesis abundant) protein and a transcription factor. PMID:26158616

PROCESS OF RECOVERING ALKALI METALS

DOEpatents

Wolkoff, J.

1961-08-15

A process is described of recovering alkali metal vapor by sorption on activated alumina, activated carbon, dehydrated zeolite, activated magnesia, or Fuller's earth preheated above the vaporization temperature of the alkali metal and subsequent desorption by heating the solvent under vacuum. (AEC)

Preparation, characterization, and catalytic activity of zirconocene bridged on surface of silica gel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Majdoub, Lotfia; Shi, Yasai; Yuan, Yuan; Zhou, Annan; Abutartour, Abubaker; Xu, Qinghong

2015-10-01

Zirconocene catalyst supported on silica gel was prepared for olefin polymerization by surface modification of calcined silica with SiCl4, and the reaction between the modified silica and cyclopentadienyl sodium and ZrCl4. The catalyst was characterized by using Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer, thermogravimetric (TG), and differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) analytic spectrometer. It was found that the metallocene structure could be formed and connected on silica surface by chemical bond. Initial catalytic tests showed that the supported metallocene was catalytically active (methylaluminoxane as a cocatalyst), producing polymer with higher molecular weight than the metallocene just immobilized on the surface of silica gel.

Simulation of deleterious processes in a static-cell diode pumped alkali laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliker, Benjamin Q.; Haiducek, John D.; Hostutler, David A.; Pitz, Greg A.; Rudolph, Wolfgang; Madden, Timothy J.

2014-02-01

The complex interactions in a diode pumped alkali laser (DPAL) gain cell provide opportunities for multiple deleterious processes to occur. Effects that may be attributable to deleterious processes have been observed experimentally in a cesium static-cell DPAL at the United States Air Force Academy [B.V. Zhdanov, J. Sell, R.J. Knize, "Multiple laser diode array pumped Cs laser with 48 W output power," Electronics Letters, 44, 9 (2008)]. The power output in the experiment was seen to go through a "roll-over"; the maximum power output was obtained with about 70 W of pump power, then power output decreased as the pump power was increased beyond this point. Research to determine the deleterious processes that caused this result has been done at the Air Force Research Laboratory utilizing physically detailed simulation. The simulations utilized coupled computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and optics solvers, which were three-dimensional and time-dependent. The CFD code used a cell-centered, conservative, finite-volume discretization of the integral form of the Navier-Stokes equations. It included thermal energy transport and mass conservation, which accounted for chemical reactions and state kinetics. Optical models included pumping, lasing, and fluorescence. The deleterious effects investigated were: alkali number density decrease in high temperature regions, convective flow, pressure broadening and shifting of the absorption lineshape including hyperfine structure, radiative decay, quenching, energy pooling, off-resonant absorption, Penning ionization, photoionization, radiative recombination, three-body recombination due to free electron and buffer gas collisions, ambipolar diffusion, thermal aberration, dissociative recombination, multi-photon ionization, alkali-hydrocarbon reactions, and electron impact ionization.

Workload management and geographic disorientation in aviation incidents: A review of the ASRS data base

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Henry P.; Tham, Mingpo; Wickens, Christopher D.

1993-01-01

NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) incident reports are reviewed in two related areas: pilots' failures to appropriately manage tasks, and breakdowns in geographic orientation. Examination of 51 relevant reports on task management breakdowns revealed that altitude busts and inappropriate runway usee were the most frequently reported consequences. Task management breakdowns appeared to occur at all levels of expertise, and prominent causal factors were related to breakdowns in crew communications, over-involvement with the flight management system and, for small (general aviation) aircraft, preoccupation with weather. Analysis of the 83 cases of geographic disorientation suggested that these too occurred at all levels of pilot experience. With regard to causal factors, a majority was related to poor cockpit resource management, in which inattention led to a loss of geographic awareness. Other leading causes were related to poor weather and poor decision making. The potential of the ASRS database for contributing to research and design issues is addressed.

Structural evolution of fluorinated graphene upon molten-alkali treatment probed by X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Xianqing; Pan, Deyou; Lao, Ming; Liang, Shuiying; Huang, Dan; Zhou, Wenzheng; Guo, Jin

2017-05-01

The structural evolution of fluorinated graphene (FG) nanosheets upon molten-alkali treatment has been systematically investigated utilizing X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. It is found that the hydroxyl groups can progressively displace fluorine atoms to form covalent bonds to the graphene sheets under designed molten-alkali condition. The XANES spectra also reveal the formation of epoxide groups through intramolecular dehydration of neighbouring hydroxyl groups after substitution reaction. At high alkali-FG weight ratio, the restoration of the π-conjugated structure in graphene sheets can be observed due to the gradual decomposition of epoxide groups. Our experimental results indicate that the surface chemistry and electronic structure of hydroxyl-functionalized FG (HFG) can be readily tuned by varying the ratio of reactants.

Abatement of chlorinated compounds in groundwater contaminated by HCH wastes using ISCO with alkali activated persulfate.

PubMed

Santos, A; Fernandez, J; Rodriguez, S; Dominguez, C M; Lominchar, M A; Lorenzo, D; Romero, A

2018-02-15

In this work, in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) with alkali activated persulfate has been tested for the elimination of HCH isomers and other chlorinated compounds in groundwater from Sabiñanigo (Sardas landfill), which was contaminated by solid and liquid wastes illegally dumped in the area by a company producing lindane. Due to the site lithology and the type of pollutants found in groundwater (HCHs and chlorobenzenes) alkali (NaOH) activated persulfate (PS) was selected as oxidant. The influence of variables such as PS concentration (42-200mM) and NaOH:PS molar ratio (2:1 to 4:1) on chlorinated compound abatement has been studied and a kinetic model to predict the composition of all chlorinated organic compounds (COCs) in the aqueous phase with time was obtained. It was found that a fast initial hydrodechlorination reaction took place in which HCH isomers reacted to trichlorobenzenes (mainly 1,2,4 TCB) at pH≥12. Mono-, di-, tri and tetrachlorobenzenes remaining were oxidized without producing aromatic intermediates. At the condition tested a first order kinetic model for COCs and PS concentration was obtained. Zero order alkali concentration was obtained while pH was being kept at 12 for the whole reaction time. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reuse of ground waste glass as aggregate for mortars.

PubMed

Corinaldesi, V; Gnappi, G; Moriconi, G; Montenero, A

2005-01-01

This work was aimed at studying the possibility of reusing waste glass from crushed containers and building demolition as aggregate for preparing mortars and concrete. At present, this kind of reuse is still not common due to the risk of alkali-silica reaction between the alkalis of cement and silica of the waste glass. This expansive reaction can cause great problems of cracking and, consequently, it can be extremely deleterious for the durability of mortar and concrete. However, data reported in the literature show that if the waste glass is finely ground, under 75mum, this effect does not occur and mortar durability is guaranteed. Therefore, in this work the possible reactivity of waste glass with the cement paste in mortars was verified, by varying the particle size of the finely ground waste glass. No reaction has been detected with particle size up to 100mum thus indicating the feasibility of the waste glass reuse as fine aggregate in mortars and concrete. In addition, waste glass seems to positively contribute to the mortar micro-structural properties resulting in an evident improvement of its mechanical performance.

Exposure to crystalline silica in abrasive blasting operations where silica and non-silica abrasives are used.

PubMed

Radnoff, Diane L; Kutz, Michelle K

2014-01-01

Exposure to respirable crystalline silica is a hazard common to many industries in Alberta but particularly so in abrasive blasting. Alberta occupational health and safety legislation requires the consideration of silica substitutes when conducting abrasive blasting, where reasonably practicable. In this study, exposure to crystalline silica during abrasive blasting was evaluated when both silica and non-silica products were used. The crystalline silica content of non-silica abrasives was also measured. The facilities evaluated were preparing metal products for the application of coatings, so the substrate should not have had a significant contribution to worker exposure to crystalline silica. The occupational sampling results indicate that two-thirds of the workers assessed were potentially over-exposed to respirable crystalline silica. About one-third of the measurements over the exposure limit were at the work sites using silica substitutes at the time of the assessment. The use of the silica substitute, by itself, did not appear to have a large effect on the mean airborne exposure levels. There are a number of factors that may contribute to over-exposures, including the isolation of the blasting area, housekeeping, and inappropriate use of respiratory protective equipment. However, the non-silica abrasives themselves also contain silica. Bulk analysis results for non-silica abrasives commercially available in Alberta indicate that many contain crystalline silica above the legislated disclosure limit of 0.1% weight of silica per weight of product (w/w) and this information may not be accurately disclosed on the material safety data sheet for the product. The employer may still have to evaluate the potential for exposure to crystalline silica at their work site, even when silica substitutes are used. Limited tests on recycled non-silica abrasive indicated that the silica content had increased. Further study is required to evaluate the impact of product recycling

OSL studies of alkali fluoroperovskite single crystals for radiation dosimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniel, D. Joseph; Raja, A.; Madhusoodanan, U.; Annalakshmi, O.; Ramasamy, P.

2016-08-01

This paper presents a preliminary investigation of the optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) of alkali fluoroperovskite single crystals for radiation dosimetry. The perovskite-like KMgF3, NaMgF3 and LiBaF3 polycrystalline compounds doped with rare earths (Eu2+ and Ce3+) were synthesized by standard solid state reaction technique. Phase purity of the synthesized compounds was analyzed by powder X-ray diffraction technique. Single crystals of these compounds have been grown from melt by using vertical Bridgman-Stockbarger method. The Linearly Modulated OSL and Continuous Wave OSL measurements were performed in these alkali fluorides using blue light stimulation. Thermal bleaching experiments have shown that OSL signals originate from traps which are unstable near 200 °C, thus proving the suitability of the signals for dosimetric purposes. Optical bleaching measurements were also performed for these fluoride samples. OSL dose response was studied as a function of dose which was found to increase with beta dose.

Slotting optimization of automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) for efficient delivery of parts in an assembly shop using genetic algorithm: A case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yue, L.; Guan, Z.; He, C.; Luo, D.; Saif, U.

2017-06-01

In recent years, the competitive pressure on manufacturing companies shifted them from mass production to mass customization to produce large variety of products. It is a great challenge for companies nowadays to produce customized mixed flow mode of production to meet customized demand on time. Due to large variety of products, the storage system to deliver variety of products to production lines influences on the timely production of variety of products, as investigated from by simulation study of an inefficient storage system of a real Company, in the current research. Therefore, current research proposed a slotting optimization model with mixed model sequence to assemble in consideration of the final flow lines to optimize whole automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) and distribution system in the case company. Current research is aimed to minimize vertical height of centre of gravity of AS/RS and total time spent for taking the materials out from the AS/RS simultaneously. Genetic algorithm is adopted to solve the proposed problem and computational result shows significant improvement in stability and efficiency of AS/RS as compared to the existing method used in the case company.

Functionalized silica aerogels for gas-phase purification, sensing, and catalysis: A review

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Amonette, James E.; Matyáš, Josef

Silica aerogels have a rich history and offer an unusual assembly of gas- and solid-phase properties that has lent them to many diverse applications. This review starts with a brief discussion of the fundamental issues driving the movement of gases in silica aerogels and then proceeds to provide an overview of the work that has been done with respect to the purification of gases, sensing of individual gases, and uses of silica aerogels as catalysts for gas-phase reactions. We present salient features of the research behind these different applications, and, where appropriate, critical aspects that affect the practical use ofmore » the aerogels are noted. Specific sections under the gas-purification category focus on the removal of airborne nanoparticles, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, sulfur gases and radioactive iodine from gas streams. The use of silica aerogels as sensors for humidity, oxygen, hydrocarbons, volatile acids and bases, various non-ammoniacal nitrogen gases, and viral particles is discussed. With respect to catalysis, the demonstrated use of silica aerogels as supports for oxidation, Fischer-Tropsch, alkane isomerization, and hydrogenation reactions is reviewed, along with a section on untested catalytic formulations involving silica aerogels. A short section focuses on recent developments in thermomolecular Knudsen compressor pumps using silica aerogel membranes. Finally, the review continues with an overview of the production methods, locations of manufacturing facilities globally, and a brief discussion of the economics before concluding with a few remarks about the present and future trends revealed by the work presented.« less

Functionalized silica aerogels for gas-phase purification, sensing, and catalysis: A review

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Amonette, James E.; Matyáš, Josef

Silica aerogels have a rich history and a unique, fascinating gas-phase chemistry that has lent them to many diverse applications. This review starts with a brief discussion of the fundamental issues driving the movement of gases in silica aerogels and then proceeds to provide an overview of the work that has been done with respect to the purification of gases, sensing of individual gases, and uses of silica aerogels as catalysts for gas-phase reactions. Salient features of the research behind these different applications are presented, and, where appropriate, critical aspects that affect the practical use of the aerogels are noted.more » Specific sections under the gas-purification category focus on the removal of airborne nanoparticles, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, sulfur gases and radioactive iodine from gas streams. The use of silica aerogels as sensors for humidity, oxygen, hydrocarbons, volatile acids and bases, various non-ammoniacal nitrogen gases, and viral particles is discussed. With respect to catalysis, the demonstrated use of silica aerogels as supports for oxidation, Fischer-Tropsch, alkane isomerization, and hydrogenation reactions is reviewed, along with a section on untested catalytic formulations involving silica aerogels. A short section focuses on recent developments in thermomolecular Knudsen compressor pumps using silica aerogel membranes. The review continues with an overview of the production methods, locations of manufacturing facilities globally, and a brief discussion of the economics before concluding with a few remarks about the present and future trends revealed by the work presented.« less

Functionalized silica aerogels for gas-phase purification, sensing, and catalysis: A review

DOE PAGES

Amonette, James E.; Matyáš, Josef

2017-09-01

Silica aerogels have a rich history and offer an unusual assembly of gas- and solid-phase properties that has lent them to many diverse applications. This review starts with a brief discussion of the fundamental issues driving the movement of gases in silica aerogels and then proceeds to provide an overview of the work that has been done with respect to the purification of gases, sensing of individual gases, and uses of silica aerogels as catalysts for gas-phase reactions. We present salient features of the research behind these different applications, and, where appropriate, critical aspects that affect the practical use ofmore » the aerogels are noted. Specific sections under the gas-purification category focus on the removal of airborne nanoparticles, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, sulfur gases and radioactive iodine from gas streams. The use of silica aerogels as sensors for humidity, oxygen, hydrocarbons, volatile acids and bases, various non-ammoniacal nitrogen gases, and viral particles is discussed. With respect to catalysis, the demonstrated use of silica aerogels as supports for oxidation, Fischer-Tropsch, alkane isomerization, and hydrogenation reactions is reviewed, along with a section on untested catalytic formulations involving silica aerogels. A short section focuses on recent developments in thermomolecular Knudsen compressor pumps using silica aerogel membranes. Finally, the review continues with an overview of the production methods, locations of manufacturing facilities globally, and a brief discussion of the economics before concluding with a few remarks about the present and future trends revealed by the work presented.« less

Ternary Phase-Separation Investigation of Sol-Gel Derived Silica from Ethyl Silicate 40

PubMed Central

Wang, Shengnan; Wang, David K.; Smart, Simon; Diniz da Costa, João C.

2015-01-01

A ternary phase-separation investigation of the ethyl silicate 40 (ES40) sol-gel process was conducted using ethanol and water as the solvent and hydrolysing agent, respectively. This oligomeric silica precursor underwent various degrees of phase separation behaviour in solution during the sol-gel reactions as a function of temperature and H2O/Si ratios. The solution composition within the immiscible region of the ES40 phase-separated system shows that the hydrolysis and condensation reactions decreased with decreasing reaction temperature. A mesoporous structure was obtained at low temperature due to weak drying forces from slow solvent evaporation on one hand and formation of unreacted ES40 cages in the other, which reduced network shrinkage and produced larger pores. This was attributed to the concentration of the reactive sites around the phase-separated interface, which enhanced the condensation and crosslinking. Contrary to dense silica structures obtained from sol-gel reactions in the miscible region, higher microporosity was produced via a phase-separated sol-gel system by using high H2O/Si ratios. This tailoring process facilitated further condensation reactions and crosslinking of silica chains, which coupled with stiffening of the network, made it more resistant to compression and densification. PMID:26411484

Charge transfer mechanism in titanium-doped microporous silica for photocatalytic water-splitting applications

DOE PAGES

Sapp, Wendi; Koodali, Ranjit; Kilin, Dmitri

2016-02-29

Solar energy conversion into chemical form is possible using artificial means. One example of a highly-efficient fuel is solar energy used to split water into oxygen and hydrogen. Efficient photocatalytic water-splitting remains an open challenge for researchers across the globe. Despite significant progress, several aspects of the reaction, including the charge transfer mechanism, are not fully clear. Density functional theory combined with density matrix equations of motion were used to identify and characterize the charge transfer mechanism involved in the dissociation of water. A simulated porous silica substrate, using periodic boundary conditions, with Ti 4+ ions embedded on the innermore » pore wall was found to contain electron and hole trap states that could facilitate a chemical reaction. A trap state was located within the silica substrate that lengthened relaxation time, which may favor a chemical reaction. A chemical reaction would have to occur within the window of photoexcitation; therefore, the existence of a trapping state may encourage a chemical reaction. Furthermore, this provides evidence that the silica substrate plays an integral part in the electron/hole dynamics of the system, leading to the conclusion that both components (photoactive materials and support) of heterogeneous catalytic systems are important in optimization of catalytic efficiency.« less

Evaluation of Advanced Signal Processing Techniques to Improve Detection and Identification of Embedded Defects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Clayton, Dwight A.; Santos-Villalobos, Hector J.; Baba, Justin S.

content SAFT, or an improvement in contrast over conventional SAFT reconstructed images. This report documents our efforts in four fronts: 1) Comparative study between traditional SAFT and FBD SAFT for concrete specimen with and without Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR) damage, 2) improvement of our Model-Based Iterative Reconstruction (MBIR) for thick reinforced concrete [5], 3) development of a universal framework for sharing, reconstruction, and visualization of ultrasound NDE datasets, and 4) application of machine learning techniques for automated detection of ASR inside concrete. Our comparative study between FBD and traditional SAFT reconstruction images shows a clear difference between images of ASR and non-ASR specimens. In particular, the left first harmonic shows an increased contrast and sensitivity to ASR damage. For MBIR, we show the superiority of model-based techniques over delay and sum techniques such as SAFT. Improvements include elimination of artifacts caused by direct arrival signals, and increased contrast and Signal to Noise Ratio. For the universal framework, we document a format for data storage based on the HDF5 file format, and also propose a modular Graphic User Interface (GUI) for easy customization of data conversion, reconstruction, and visualization routines. Finally, two techniques for ASR automated detection are presented. The first technique is based on an analysis of the frequency content using Hilbert Transform Indicator (HTI) and the second technique employees Artificial Neural Network (ANN) techniques for training and classification of ultrasound data as ASR or non-ASR damaged classes. The ANN technique shows great potential with classification accuracy above 95%. These approaches are extensible to the detection of additional reinforced, thick concrete defects and damage.« less

Microgel Modified UV-Cured Methacrylic-Silica Hybrid: Synthesis and Characterization

PubMed Central

Corcione, Carola Esposito; Striani, Raffaella; Frigione, Mariaenrica

2013-01-01

An innovative photopolymerizable microgel modified UV-cured acrylic-silica hybrid formulation was developed and characterized for possible use as protective coating for different substrates. A deep investigation, aiming at providing a strong scientific basis for the production of organic-inorganic (O-I) hybrids exhibiting phase co-continuity, was firstly carried out. The O-I hybrid first proposed in this study was obtained from organic precursors with a high siloxane content, which are mixed with tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) in such a way to produce co-continuous silica nanodomains dispersed within the crosslinked organic phase, as a result of the sol-gel process. The first part of the research deals with the selection and optimization of suitable systems through appropriate chemical modifications, in order to ensure that curing reactions can be carried out at room temperature and in the presence of UV radiation. Firstly, the silica domains are formed, followed by crosslinking reactions of the acrylic groups in the oligomer via a free radical polymerization. The crosslinking reaction was controlled with the use of a suitable photoinitiator. Most of the experimental work was devoted to understanding the morphology of the hybrid system, both in uncured and cured states, and to assess its final thermal and optical properties, using different experiential techniques. PMID:28788307

Controlled in-situ dissolution of an alkali metal

DOEpatents

Jones, Jeffrey Donald; Dooley, Kirk John; Tolman, David Donald

2012-09-11

A method for the controllable dissolution of one or more alkali metals from a vessel containing a one or more alkali metals and/or one or more partially passivated alkali metals. The vessel preferably comprising a sodium, NaK or other alkali metal-cooled nuclear reactor that has been used. The alkali metal, preferably sodium, potassium or a combination thereof, in the vessel is exposed to a treatment liquid, preferably an acidic liquid, more preferably citric acid. Preferably, the treatment liquid is maintained in continuous motion relative to any surface of unreacted alkali metal with which the treatment liquid is in contact. The treatment liquid is preferably pumped into the vessel containing the one or more alkali metals and the resulting fluid is extracted and optionally further processed. Preferably, the resulting off-gases are processed by an off-gas treatment system and the resulting liquids are processed by a liquid disposal system. In one preferred embodiment, an inert gas is pumped into the vessel along with the treatment liquid.

Performance of a biogas upgrading process based on alkali absorption with regeneration using air pollution control residues.

PubMed

Baciocchi, Renato; Carnevale, Ennio; Costa, Giulia; Gavasci, Renato; Lombardi, Lidia; Olivieri, Tommaso; Zanchi, Laura; Zingaretti, Daniela

2013-12-01

This work analyzes the performance of an innovative biogas upgrading method, Alkali absorption with Regeneration (AwR) that employs industrial residues and allows to permanently store the separated CO2. This process consists in a first stage in which CO2 is removed from the biogas by means of chemical absorption with KOH or NaOH solutions followed by a second stage in which the spent absorption solution is contacted with waste incineration Air Pollution Control (APC) residues. The latter reaction leads to the regeneration of the alkali reagent in the solution and to the precipitation of calcium carbonate and hence allows to reuse the regenerated solution in the absorption process and to permanently store the separated CO2 in solid form. In addition, the final solid product is characterized by an improved environmental behavior compared to the untreated residues. In this paper the results obtained by AwR tests carried out in purposely designed demonstrative units installed in a landfill site are presented and discussed with the aim of verifying the feasibility of this process at pilot-scale and of identifying the conditions that allow to achieve all of the goals targeted by the proposed treatment. Specifically, the CO2 removal efficiency achieved in the absorption stage, the yield of alkali regeneration and CO2 uptake resulting for the regeneration stage, as well as the leaching behavior of the solid product are analyzed as a function of the type and concentration of the alkali reagent employed for the absorption reaction. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The synthesis of silica nanotubes through chlorosilanization of single wall carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Tsung-Wu; Shen, Hsin-Hui

2010-09-01

We demonstrate that single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) can be coated by a layer of silica through the reaction between chlorosilane and acid-treated SWCNTs. The presence of carboxylic acid groups in the SWCNTs provides the active sites where chlorosilane can be anchored to form the silica coating. Silica nanotubes with diameters ranging from 5 to 23 nm were synthesized after the calcination of silica coated SWCNTs at 900 °C in air. It was found that the presence of SWCNT templates and carboxylic acid groups on the SWCNTs' surface is essential to the formation of silica nanotubes. Furthermore, the dependence of the inner diameters of the silica nanotubes on the diameters of bundled or isolated SWCNTs was observed. This novel technique can be applied to the synthesis of other oxide nanotubes if a precursor such as TiCl4 or ZrCl4 is used.

Degradation of Alkali-Based Photocathodes from Exposure to Residual Gases: A First-Principles Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Gaoxue; Pandey, Ravindra; Moody, Nathan A.

Photocathodes are a key component in the production of electron beams in systems such as X-ray free-electron lasers and X-ray energy-recovery linacs. Alkali-based materials display high quantum efficiency (QE), however, their QE undergoes degradation faster than metal photocathodes even in the high vacuum conditions where they operate. The high reactivity of alkali-based surfaces points to surface reactions with residual gases as one of the most important factors for the degradation of QE. In order to advance the understanding on the degradation of the QE, we investigated the surface reactivity of common residual gas molecules (e.g., O 2, CO 2, CO,more » H 2O, N 2, and H 2) on one of the best-known alkali-based photocathode materials, cesium antimonide (Cs 3Sb), using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. Furthermore, the reaction sites, adsorption energy, and effect in the local electronic structure upon reaction of these molecules on (001), (110), and (111) surfaces of Cs 3Sb were computed and analyzed. The adsorption energy of these molecules on Cs3Sb follows the trend of O 2 (-4.5 eV) > CO 2 (-1.9 eV) > H 2O (-1.0 eV) > CO (-0.8 eV) > N 2 (-0.3 eV) ≈ H 2 (-0.2 eV), which agrees with experimental data on the effect of these gases on the degradation of QE. The interaction strength is determined by the charge transfer from the surfaces to the molecules. The adsorption and dissociation of O containing molecules modify the surface chemistry such as the composition, structure, charge distribution, surface dipole, and work function of Cs 3Sb, resulting in the degradation of QE with exposure to O 2, CO 2, H 2O, and CO.« less

Degradation of Alkali-Based Photocathodes from Exposure to Residual Gases: A First-Principles Study

DOE PAGES

Wang, Gaoxue; Pandey, Ravindra; Moody, Nathan A.; ...

2017-03-31

Photocathodes are a key component in the production of electron beams in systems such as X-ray free-electron lasers and X-ray energy-recovery linacs. Alkali-based materials display high quantum efficiency (QE), however, their QE undergoes degradation faster than metal photocathodes even in the high vacuum conditions where they operate. The high reactivity of alkali-based surfaces points to surface reactions with residual gases as one of the most important factors for the degradation of QE. In order to advance the understanding on the degradation of the QE, we investigated the surface reactivity of common residual gas molecules (e.g., O 2, CO 2, CO,more » H 2O, N 2, and H 2) on one of the best-known alkali-based photocathode materials, cesium antimonide (Cs 3Sb), using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. Furthermore, the reaction sites, adsorption energy, and effect in the local electronic structure upon reaction of these molecules on (001), (110), and (111) surfaces of Cs 3Sb were computed and analyzed. The adsorption energy of these molecules on Cs3Sb follows the trend of O 2 (-4.5 eV) > CO 2 (-1.9 eV) > H 2O (-1.0 eV) > CO (-0.8 eV) > N 2 (-0.3 eV) ≈ H 2 (-0.2 eV), which agrees with experimental data on the effect of these gases on the degradation of QE. The interaction strength is determined by the charge transfer from the surfaces to the molecules. The adsorption and dissociation of O containing molecules modify the surface chemistry such as the composition, structure, charge distribution, surface dipole, and work function of Cs 3Sb, resulting in the degradation of QE with exposure to O 2, CO 2, H 2O, and CO.« less

Regenerable activated bauxite adsorbent alkali monitor probe

DOEpatents

Lee, S.H.D.

1992-12-22

A regenerable activated bauxite adsorber alkali monitor probe for field applications to provide reliable measurement of alkali-vapor concentration in combustion gas with special emphasis on pressurized fluidized-bed combustion (PFBC) off-gas. More particularly, the invention relates to the development of a easily regenerable bauxite adsorbent for use in a method to accurately determine the alkali-vapor content of PFBC exhaust gases. 6 figs.

Method of making alkali metal hydrides

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pecharsky, Vitalij K.; Gupta, Shalabh; Pruski, Marek

A method is provided for making alkali metal hydrides by mechanochemically reacting alkali metal and hydrogen gas under mild temperature (e.g room temperature) and hydrogen pressure conditions without the need for catalyst, solvent, and intentional heating or cooling.

Recent Progress in Monolithic Silica Columns for High-Speed and High-Selectivity Separations.

PubMed

Ikegami, Tohru; Tanaka, Nobuo

2016-06-12

Monolithic silica columns have greater (through-pore size)/(skeleton size) ratios than particulate columns and fixed support structures in a column for chemical modification, resulting in high-efficiency columns and stationary phases. This review looks at how the size range of monolithic silica columns has been expanded, how high-efficiency monolithic silica columns have been realized, and how various methods of silica surface functionalization, leading to selective stationary phases, have been developed on monolithic silica supports, and provides information on the current status of these columns. Also discussed are the practical aspects of monolithic silica columns, including how their versatility can be improved by the preparation of small-sized structural features (sub-micron) and columns (1 mm ID or smaller) and by optimizing reaction conditions for in situ chemical modification with various restrictions, with an emphasis on recent research results for both topics.

Silaffins in Silica Biomineralization and Biomimetic Silica Precipitation

PubMed Central

Lechner, Carolin C.; Becker, Christian F. W.

2015-01-01

Biomineralization processes leading to complex solid structures of inorganic material in biological systems are constantly gaining attention in biotechnology and biomedical research. An outstanding example for biomineral morphogenesis is the formation of highly elaborate, nano-patterned silica shells by diatoms. Among the organic macromolecules that have been closely linked to the tightly controlled precipitation of silica in diatoms, silaffins play an extraordinary role. These peptides typically occur as complex posttranslationally modified variants and are directly involved in the silica deposition process in diatoms. However, even in vitro silaffin-based peptides alone, with and without posttranslational modifications, can efficiently mediate biomimetic silica precipitation leading to silica material with different properties as well as with encapsulated cargo molecules of a large size range. In this review, the biomineralization process of silica in diatoms is summarized with a specific focus on silaffins and their in vitro silica precipitation properties. Applications in the area of bio- and nanotechnology as well as in diagnostics and therapy are discussed. PMID:26295401

Strategies for the enhancement of automobile shredder residues (ASRs) recycling: results and cost assessment.

PubMed

Ruffino, Barbara; Fiore, Silvia; Zanetti, Maria Chiara

2014-01-01

With reference to the European regulation about the management of End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs), Directive 2000/53/EC imposes the achievement of a recycling target of 85%, and 95% of total recovery by 2015. Over the last few years many efforts have been made to find solutions to properly manage the waste coming from ELVs with the aim of complying with the targets fixed by the Directive. This paper focuses on the economical evaluation of a treatment process, that includes physical (size and density), magnetic and electrical separations, performed on the light fraction of the automobile shredder residue (ASR) with the aim of reducing the amount of waste to dispose of in a landfill and enhancing the recovery of valuable fractions as stated by the EU Directive. The afore mentioned process is able to enhance the recovery of ferrous and non-ferrous metals of an amount equal to about 1% b.w. (by weight) of the ELV weight, and to separate a high energetic-content product suitable for thermal valorization for an amount close to (but not higher than) 10% b.w. of the ELV weight. The results of the economical assessment led to annual operating costs of the treatment ranging from 300,000 €/y to 350,000 €/y. Since the considered plant treats about 13,500 metrictons of ASR per year, this would correspond to an operating cost of approximately 20-25 €/t. Taking into account the amount and the selling price of the scrap iron and of the non magnetic metal recovered by the process, thus leading to a gain of about 30 €/t per ton of light ASR treated, the cost of the recovery process is balanced by the profit from the selling of the recovered metals. On the other hand, the proposed treatment is able to achieve the fulfillment of the targets stated by Directive 2000/53/EC concerning thermal valorization and reduce the amount of waste generated from ELV shredding to landfill. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nanoscale assembly of lanthanum silica with dense and porous interfacial structures.

PubMed

Ballinger, Benjamin; Motuzas, Julius; Miller, Christopher R; Smart, Simon; Diniz da Costa, João C

2015-02-03

This work reports on the nanoscale assembly of hybrid lanthanum oxide and silica structures, which form patterns of interfacial dense and porous networks. It was found that increasing the molar ratio of lanthanum nitrate to tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) in an acid catalysed sol-gel process alters the expected microporous metal oxide silica structure to a predominantly mesoporous structure above a critical lanthanum concentration. This change manifests itself by the formation of a lanthanum silicate phase, which results from the reaction of lanthanum oxide nanoparticles with the silica matrix. This process converts the microporous silica into the denser silicate phase. Above a lanthanum to silica ratio of 0.15, the combination of growth and microporous silica consumption results in the formation of nanoscale hybrid lanthanum oxides, with the inter-nano-domain spacing forming mesoporous volume. As the size of these nano-domains increases with concentration, so does the mesoporous volume. The absence of lanthanum hydroxide (La(OH)3) suggests the formation of La2O3 surrounded by lanthanum silicate.

Spill-Resistant Alkali-Metal-Vapor Dispenser

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klipstein, William

2005-01-01

A spill-resistant vessel has been developed for dispensing an alkali-metal vapor. Vapors of alkali metals (most commonly, cesium or rubidium, both of which melt at temperatures slightly above room temperature) are needed for atomic frequency standards, experiments in spectroscopy, and experiments in laser cooling. Although the present spill-resistant alkali-metal dispenser was originally intended for use in the low-gravity environment of outer space, it can also be used in normal Earth gravitation: indeed, its utility as a vapor source was confirmed by use of cesium in a ground apparatus. The vessel is made of copper. It consists of an assembly of cylinders and flanges, shown in the figure. The uppermost cylinder is a fill tube. Initially, the vessel is evacuated, the alkali metal charge is distilled into the bottom of the vessel, and then the fill tube is pinched closed to form a vacuum seal. The innermost cylinder serves as the outlet for the vapor, yet prevents spilling by protruding above the surface of the alkali metal, no matter which way or how far the vessel is tilted. In the event (unlikely in normal Earth gravitation) that any drops of molten alkali metal have been shaken loose by vibration and are floating freely, a mesh cap on top of the inner cylinder prevents the drops from drifting out with the vapor. Liquid containment of the equivalent of 1.2 grams of cesium was confirmed for all orientations with rubbing alcohol in one of the prototypes later used with cesium.

Silica-based mesoporous nanoparticles for controlled drug delivery

PubMed Central

Kwon, Sooyeon; Singh, Rajendra K; Perez, Roman A; Abou Neel, Ensanya A

2013-01-01

Drug molecules with lack of specificity and solubility lead patients to take high doses of the drug to achieve sufficient therapeutic effects. This is a leading cause of adverse drug reactions, particularly for drugs with narrow therapeutic window or cytotoxic chemotherapeutics. To address these problems, there are various functional biocompatible drug carriers available in the market, which can deliver therapeutic agents to the target site in a controlled manner. Among the carriers developed thus far, mesoporous materials emerged as a promising candidate that can deliver a variety of drug molecules in a controllable and sustainable manner. In particular, mesoporous silica nanoparticles are widely used as a delivery reagent because silica possesses favourable chemical properties, thermal stability and biocompatibility. Currently, sol-gel-derived mesoporous silica nanoparticles in soft conditions are of main interest due to simplicity in production and modification and the capacity to maintain function of bioactive agents. The unique mesoporous structure of silica facilitates effective loading of drugs and their subsequent controlled release. The properties of mesopores, including pore size and porosity as well as the surface properties, can be altered depending on additives used to fabricate mesoporous silica nanoparticles. Active surface enables functionalisation to modify surface properties and link therapeutic molecules. The tuneable mesopore structure and modifiable surface of mesoporous silica nanoparticle allow incorporation of various classes of drug molecules and controlled delivery to the target sites. This review aims to present the state of knowledge of currently available drug delivery system and identify properties of an ideal drug carrier for specific application, focusing on mesoporous silica nanoparticles. PMID:24020012

Preparation and characterization of titania-deposited silica composite hollow fiber membranes with high hydrothermal stability.

PubMed

Kwon, Young-Nam; Kim, In-Chul

2013-11-01

Hydrothermal stability of a porous nickel-supported silica membrane was successfully improved by deposition of titania multilayers on colloidal silica particles embedded in the porous nickel fiber support. Porous nickel-supported silica membranes were prepared by means of a dipping-freezing-fast drying (DFF) method. The titania layers were deposited on colloidal silica particles by repeating hydrolysis and condensation reactions of titanium isopropoxide on the silica particle surfaces. The deposition of thin titania layers on the nickel-supported silica membrane was verified by various analytical tools. The water flux and the solute rejection of the porous Ni fiber-supported silica membranes did not change after titania layer deposition, indicating that thickness of titania layers deposited on silica surface is enough thin not to affect the membrane performance. Moreover, improvement of the hydrothermal stability in the titania-deposited silica membranes was confirmed by stability tests, indicating that thin titania layers deposited on silica surface played an important role as a diffusion barrier against 90 degrees C water into silica particles.

Stellate macroporous silica nanospheres in bio-macromolecules encapsulation and delivery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chi, Hao-Hsin

This project focused on using mesoporous silica as a solid support to encapsulate enzymes for operating a highly economic, and recyclable biomass processing system. The main objective is to turn non-food biomass sources into food products. Enzymes are macromolecules with the structural backbone of proteins or ribonucleic acid sequences (RNAs) which work as catalysts in living organisms. Enzymes have the advantage of being the least contaminating catalyst due to normal catalyst might generate toxic by-product, and preferable to organic and inorganic catalysts, especially when used for product related to human used, which require biocompatibility of final product. However, there are several disadvantages in enzyme utilization. Their fabrication is time-consuming and requires elaborated molecular biology processes. Most of the enzymes need well-defined reaction conditions to be functional and operate at high yield. Unfortunately, although they are reusable as normal catalysts, it proves difficult to extract or reuse the enzymes from a reaction. Also, enzyme molecules are easily degradable and demand proper storage. To overcome some of the disadvantages, especially regarding stability to degradation, recovery, and reusability, immobilization of enzyme on solid support has become a thriving methodology. In recent years, mesoporous silica nanomaterials(MSN) have been at the forefront of enzyme immobilization given their extensive surface area, which provides capability to increase enzyme loading and for their demonstrate ability to protect enzyme from degradation, thus enabling high recyclability. Mesoporous silica is biocompatible and has already been used for several applications included. Catalysis, drug delivery, and Bio-imaging. Previously published research utilized mesoporous silica to deliver drugs, DNAs, RNAs or encapsulate single enzyme. The objective of this research is completed to develop a new porous silica platform that is unique in its porosity structure

Diode pumped alkali vapor fiber laser

DOEpatents

Payne, Stephen A.; Beach, Raymond J.; Dawson, Jay W.; Krupke, William F.

2007-10-23

A method and apparatus is provided for producing near-diffraction-limited laser light, or amplifying near-diffraction-limited light, in diode pumped alkali vapor photonic-band-gap fiber lasers or amplifiers. Laser light is both substantially generated and propagated in an alkali gas instead of a solid, allowing the nonlinear and damage limitations of conventional solid core fibers to be circumvented. Alkali vapor is introduced into the center hole of a photonic-band-gap fiber, which can then be pumped with light from a pump laser and operated as an oscillator with a seed beam, or can be configured as an amplifier.

Diode pumped alkali vapor fiber laser

DOEpatents

Payne, Stephen A [Castro Valley, CA; Beach, Raymond J [Livermore, CA; Dawson, Jay W [Livermore, CA; Krupke, William F [Pleasanton, CA

2006-07-26

A method and apparatus is provided for producing near-diffraction-limited laser light, or amplifying near-diffraction-limited light, in diode pumped alkali vapor photonic-band-gap fiber lasers or amplifiers. Laser light is both substantially generated and propagated in an alkali gas instead of a solid, allowing the nonlinear and damage limitations of conventional solid core fibers to be circumvented. Alkali vapor is introduced into the center hole of a photonic-band-gap fiber, which can then be pumped with light from a pump laser and operated as an oscillator with a seed beam, or can be configured as an amplifier.

Rapid pathogen detection with bacterial-assembled magnetic mesoporous silica.

PubMed

Lee, Soo Youn; Lee, Jiho; Lee, Hye Sun; Chang, Jeong Ho

2014-03-15

We report rapid and accurate pathogen detection by coupling with high efficiency magnetic separation of pathogen by Ni(2+)-heterogeneous magnetic mesoporous silica (Ni-HMMS) and real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique. Ni-HMMS was developed with a significant incorporation of Fe particles within the silica mesopores by programmed thermal hydrogen reaction and functionalized with Ni(2+) ion on the surface by the wet impregnation process. High abundant Ni(2+) ions on the Ni-HMMS surface were able to assemble with cell wall component protein NikA (nickel-binding membrane protein), which contains several pathogenic bacteria including Escherichia coli O157:H7. NikA protein expression experiment showed the outstanding separation rate of the nikA gene-overexpressed E. coli (pSY-Nik) when comparing with wild-type E. coli (44.5 ± 13%) or not over-expressed E. coli (pSY-Nik) (53.2 ± 2.7%). Moreover, Ni-HMMS showed lower obstacle effect by large reaction volume (10 mL) than spherical core/shell-type silica magnetic nanoparticles functionalized with Ni(2+) (ca. 40 nm-diameters). Finally, the Ni-HMMS was successfully assessed to separate pathogenic E. coli O157:H7 and applied to direct and rapid RT-PCR to quantitative detection at ultralow concentration (1 Log10 cfu mL(-1)) in the real samples (milk and Staphylococcus aureus culture broth) without bacterial amplification and DNA extraction step. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Strength and Durability Performance of Alkali-Activated Rice Husk Ash Geopolymer Mortar

PubMed Central

Kim, Yun Yong; Lee, Byung-Jae; Saraswathy, Velu

2014-01-01

This paper describes the experimental investigation carried out to develop the geopolymer concrete based on alkali-activated rice husk ash (RHA) by sodium hydroxide with sodium silicate. Effect on method of curing and concentration of NaOH on compressive strength as well as the optimum mix proportion of geopolymer mortar was investigated. It is possible to achieve compressive strengths of 31 N/mm2 and 45 N/mm2, respectively for the 10 M alkali-activated geopolymer mortar after 7 and 28 days of casting when cured for 24 hours at 60°C. Results indicated that the increase in curing period and concentration of alkali activator increased the compressive strength. Durability studies were carried out in acid and sulfate media such as H2SO4, HCl, Na2SO4, and MgSO4 environments and found that geopolymer concrete showed very less weight loss when compared to steam-cured mortar specimens. In addition, fluorescent optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies have shown the formation of new peaks and enhanced the polymerization reaction which is responsible for strength development and hence RHA has great potential as a substitute for ordinary Portland cement concrete. PMID:25506063

Strength and durability performance of alkali-activated rice husk ash geopolymer mortar.

PubMed

Kim, Yun Yong; Lee, Byung-Jae; Saraswathy, Velu; Kwon, Seung-Jun

2014-01-01

This paper describes the experimental investigation carried out to develop the geopolymer concrete based on alkali-activated rice husk ash (RHA) by sodium hydroxide with sodium silicate. Effect on method of curing and concentration of NaOH on compressive strength as well as the optimum mix proportion of geopolymer mortar was investigated. It is possible to achieve compressive strengths of 31 N/mm(2) and 45 N/mm(2), respectively for the 10 M alkali-activated geopolymer mortar after 7 and 28 days of casting when cured for 24 hours at 60°C. Results indicated that the increase in curing period and concentration of alkali activator increased the compressive strength. Durability studies were carried out in acid and sulfate media such as H2SO4, HCl, Na2SO4, and MgSO4 environments and found that geopolymer concrete showed very less weight loss when compared to steam-cured mortar specimens. In addition, fluorescent optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies have shown the formation of new peaks and enhanced the polymerization reaction which is responsible for strength development and hence RHA has great potential as a substitute for ordinary Portland cement concrete.

Recovery of alkali metal constituents from catalytic coal conversion residues

DOEpatents

Soung, W.Y.

In a coal gasification operation (32) or similar conversion process carried out in the presence of an alkali metal-containing catalyst wherein particles containing alkali metal residues are produced, alkali metal constituents are recovered from the particles by contacting them with water or an aqueous solution to remove water-soluble alkali metal constituents and produce an aqueous solution enriched in said constituents. The aqueous solution thus produced is then contacted with carbon dioxide to precipitate silicon constituents, the pH of the resultant solution is increased, preferably to a value in the range between about 12.5 and about 15.0, and the solution of increased pH is evaporated to increase the alkali metal concentration. The concentrated aqueous solution is then recycled to the conversion process where the alkali metal constituents serve as at least a portion of the alkali metal constituents which comprise the alkali metal-containing catalyst.

40 CFR 721.4660 - Alcohol, alkali metal salt.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Alcohol, alkali metal salt. 721.4660... Substances § 721.4660 Alcohol, alkali metal salt. (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses subject to reporting. (1) The chemical substance generically identified as alcohol, alkali metal salt (PMN P-91-151) is...

Multifunctional clickable and protein-repellent magnetic silica nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Estupiñán, Diego; Bannwarth, Markus B.; Mylon, Steven E.; Landfester, Katharina; Muñoz-Espí, Rafael; Crespy, Daniel

2016-01-01

Silica nanoparticles are versatile materials whose physicochemical surface properties can be precisely adjusted. Because it is possible to combine several functionalities in a single carrier, silica-based materials are excellent candidates for biomedical applications. However, the functionality of the nanoparticles can get lost upon exposure to biological media due to uncontrolled biomolecule adsorption. Therefore, it is important to develop strategies that reduce non-specific protein-particle interactions without losing the introduced surface functionality. Herein, organosilane chemistry is employed to produce magnetic silica nanoparticles bearing differing amounts of amino and alkene functional groups on their surface as orthogonally addressable chemical functionalities. Simultaneously, a short-chain zwitterion is added to decrease the non-specific adsorption of biomolecules on the nanoparticles surface. The multifunctional particles display reduced protein adsorption after incubation in undiluted fetal bovine serum as well as in single protein solutions (serum albumin and lysozyme). Besides, the particles retain their capacity to selectively react with biomolecules. Thus, they can be covalently bio-functionalized with an antibody by means of orthogonal click reactions. These features make the described multifunctional silica nanoparticles a promising system for the study of surface interactions with biomolecules, targeting, and bio-sensing.Silica nanoparticles are versatile materials whose physicochemical surface properties can be precisely adjusted. Because it is possible to combine several functionalities in a single carrier, silica-based materials are excellent candidates for biomedical applications. However, the functionality of the nanoparticles can get lost upon exposure to biological media due to uncontrolled biomolecule adsorption. Therefore, it is important to develop strategies that reduce non-specific protein-particle interactions without losing the

An ophthalmic solution of a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma agonist prevents corneal inflammation in a rat alkali burn model

PubMed Central

Uchiyama, Masaaki; Masuda, Yukinari; Nagasaka, Shinya; Fukuda, Yuh; Takahashi, Hiroshi

2013-01-01

Purpose We clarified the effects of an ophthalmic solution of a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) agonist on corneal inflammation and wound healing after alkali burn injury in rats. Methods After alkali exposure, either an ophthalmic solution with 0.1% pioglitazone hydrochloride (the PPARγ group) or vehicle (the vehicle group) was topically applied to the cornea until day 14. Histological, immunohistochemical, and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis were performed. Results After alkali injury, PPARγ expression increased, with the infiltration of many inflammatory cells. The infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages started from the corneal limbus within 6 h, and developed in the corneal center by day 7, with associated neovascularization. The accumulation of α-smooth muscle actin-positive myofibroblasts and the deposition of type III collagen were noted on day 14. The histological changes were suppressed significantly by treatment with the ophthalmic solution of the PPARγ agonist. In addition, the number of infiltrating M2 macrophages in the cornea was increased by PPARγ agonist treatment. In real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis, the messenger ribonucleic acid expression levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, tumor necrosis factor-α, transforming growth factor beta 1, and vascular endothelial growth factor-A were decreased in the PPARγ group compared to the vehicle group in the early periods of corneal inflammation. Conclusions The ophthalmic solution of the PPARγ agonist inhibited inflammation, decreased the fibrotic reaction, and prevented neovascularization in the cornea from the early phase after alkali burn injury. The ophthalmic solution of the PPARγ agonist may provide a new treatment strategy with useful clinical applications for corneal inflammation and wound healing. PMID:24194635

Recovery of alkali metal constituents from catalytic coal conversion residues

DOEpatents

Soung, Wen Y.

1984-01-01

In a coal gasification operation (32) or similar conversion process carried out in the presence of an alkali metal-containing catalyst wherein particles containing alkali metal residues are produced, alkali metal constituents are recovered from the particles by contacting them (46, 53, 61, 69) with water or an aqueous solution to remove water-soluble alkali metal constituents and produce an aqueous solution enriched in said constituents. The aqueous solution thus produced is then contacted with carbon dioxide (63) to precipitate silicon constituents, the pH of the resultant solution is increased (81), preferably to a value in the range between about 12.5 and about 15.0, and the solution of increased pH is evaporated (84) to increase the alkali metal concentration. The concentrated aqueous solution is then recycled to the conversion process (86, 18, 17) where the alkali metal constituents serve as at least a portion of the alkali metal constituents which comprise the alkali metal-containing catalyst.

Reinforcement Effect of Alkali-Hydrolyzed Wheat Gluten and Shear-Degraded Wheat Starch in Carboxylated Styrene-Butadiene Composites

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Wheat gluten (WG) and wheat starch (WS) are the protein and carbohydrate obtained from wheat flours. Wheat gluten is not water soluble or dispersible due to its hydrophobic nature. To prepare wheat gluten dispersions, an alkali hydrolysis reaction was carried out to produce a stable aqueous disper...

Polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) copolymers as templates for stacked, spherical large-mesopore silica coatings: dependence of silica pore size on the PS/PEO ratio

PubMed Central

Magnacca, Giuliana; Jadhav, Sushilkumar A; Scalarone, Dominique

2016-01-01

Summary Large-mesopore silica films with a narrow pore size distribution and high porosity have been obtained by a sol–gel reaction of a silicon oxide precursor (TEOS) and using polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) copolymers as templates in an acidic environment. PS-b-PEO copolymers with different molecular weight and composition have been studied in order to assess the effects of the block length on the pore size of the templated silica films. The changes in the morphology of the porous systems have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy and a systematic analysis has been carried out, evidencing the dependence between the hydrophilic/hydrophobic ratio of the two polymer blocks and the size of the final silica pores. The obtained results prove that by tuning the PS/PEO ratio, the pore size of the templated silica films can be easily and finely predicted. PMID:27826520

Alkali absorption and citrate excretion in calcium nephrolithiasis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sakhaee, K.; Williams, R. H.; Oh, M. S.; Padalino, P.; Adams-Huet, B.; Whitson, P.; Pak, C. Y.

1993-01-01

The role of net gastrointestinal (GI) alkali absorption in the development of hypocitraturia was investigated. The net GI absorption of alkali was estimated from the difference between simple urinary cations (Ca, Mg, Na, and K) and anions (Cl and P). In 131 normal subjects, the 24 h urinary citrate was positively correlated with the net GI absorption of alkali (r = 0.49, p < 0.001). In 11 patients with distal renal tubular acidosis (RTA), urinary citrate excretion was subnormal relative to net GI alkali absorption, with data from most patients residing outside the 95% confidence ellipse described for normal subjects. However, the normal relationship between urinary citrate and net absorbed alkali was maintained in 11 patients with chronic diarrheal syndrome (CDS) and in 124 stone-forming patients devoid of RTA or CDS, half of whom had "idiopathic" hypocitraturia. The 18 stone-forming patients without RTA or CDS received potassium citrate (30-60 mEq/day). Both urinary citrate and net GI alkali absorption increased, yielding a significantly positive correlation (r = 0.62, p < 0.0001), with the slope indistinguishable from that of normal subjects. Thus, urinary citrate was normally dependent on the net GI absorption of alkali. This dependence was less marked in RTA, confirming the renal origin of hypocitraturia. However, the normal dependence was maintained in CDS and in idiopathic hypocitraturia, suggesting that reduced citrate excretion was largely dietary in origin as a result of low net alkali absorption (from a probable relative deficiency of vegetables and fruits or a relative excess of animal proteins).

Green synthesis and characterization of size tunable silica-capped gold core-shell nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wangoo, Nishima; Shekhawat, Gajendra; Wu, Jin-Song; Bhasin, Aman K. K.; Suri, C. R.; Bhasin, K. K.; Dravid, Vinayak

2012-08-01

Silica-coated gold nanoparticles (Au@SiO2) with controlled silica-shell thickness were prepared by a modified Stober's method using 10-nm gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as seeds. The AuNPs were silica-coated with a sol-gel reaction using tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) as a silica source and ammonia as a catalyst. An increase in TEOS concentration resulted in an increase in shell thickness. The NPs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning near-field ultrasound holography and scanning transmission electron microscopy. The method required no surface modification and the synthesized core shell nanoparticles can be used for various types of biological applications.

Interactions and low-energy collisions between an alkali ion and an alkali atom of a different nucleus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakshit, Arpita; Ghanmi, Chedli; Berriche, Hamid; Deb, Bimalendu

2016-05-01

We study theoretically interaction potentials and low-energy collisions between different alkali atoms and alkali ions. Specifically, we consider systems such as X + {{{Y}}}+, where X({{{Y}}}+) is either Li(Cs+) or Cs(Li+), Na(Cs+) or Cs(Na+) and Li(Rb+) or Rb(Li+). We calculate the molecular potentials of the ground and first two excited states of these three systems using a pseudopotential method and compare our results with those obtained by others. We derive ground-state scattering wave functions and analyze the cold collisional properties of these systems for a wide range of energies. We find that, in order to get convergent results for the total scattering cross sections for energies of the order 1 K, one needs to take into account at least 60 partial waves. The low-energy scattering properties calculated in this paper may serve as a precursor for experimental exploration of quantum collisions between an alkali atom and an alkali ion of a different nucleus.

Electrochemical devices utilizing molten alkali metal electrode-reactant

DOEpatents

Hitchcock, David C.; Mailhe, Catherine C.; De Jonghe, Lutgard C.

1986-01-01

Electrochemical cells are provided with a reactive metal to reduce the oxide of the alkali metal electrode-reactant. Cells employing a molten alkali metal electrode, e.g., sodium, in contact with a ceramic electrolyte, which is a conductor of the ions of the alkali metal forming the electrode, exhibit a lower resistance when a reactive metal, e.g., vanadium, is allowed to react with and reduce the alkali metal oxide. Such cells exhibit less degradation of the electrolyte and of the glass seals often used to joining the electrolyte to the other components of the cell under cycling conditions.

Electrochemical devices utilizing molten alkali metal electrode-reactant

DOEpatents

Hitchcock, D.C.; Mailhe, C.C.; De Jonghe, L.C.

1985-07-10

Electrochemical cells are provided with a reactive metal to reduce the oxide of the alkali metal electrode-reactant. Cells employing a molten alkali metal electrode, e.g., sodium, in contact with a ceramic electrolyte, which is a conductor of the ions of the alkali metal forming the electrode, exhibit a lower resistance when a reactive metal, e.g., vanadium, is allowed to react with and reduce the alkali metal oxide. Such cells exhibit less degradation of the electrolyte and of the glass seals often used to joining the electrolyte to the other components of the cell under cycling conditions.

Larnite powders and larnite/silica aerogel composites as effective agents for CO2 sequestration by carbonation.

PubMed

Santos, A; Ajbary, M; Morales-Flórez, V; Kherbeche, A; Piñero, M; Esquivias, L

2009-09-15

This paper presents the results of the carbonation reaction of two sample types: larnite (Ca(2)SiO(4)) powders and larnite/silica aerogel composites, the larnite acting as an active phase in a process of direct mineral carbonation. First, larnite powders were synthesized by the reaction of colloidal silica and calcium nitrate in the presence of ethylene glycol. Then, to synthesize the composites, the surface of the larnite powders was chemically modified with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES), and later this mixture was added to a silica sol previously prepared from tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS). The resulting humid gel was dried in an autoclave under supercritical conditions for the ethanol. The textures and chemical compositions of the powders and composites were characterized.The carbonation reaction of both types of samples was evaluated by means of X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis. Both techniques confirm the high efficiency of the reaction at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. A complete transformation of the silicate into carbonate resulted after submitting the samples to a flow of pure CO(2) for 15 min. This indicates that for this reaction time, 1t of larnite could eliminate about 550 kg of CO(2). The grain size, porosity, and specific surface area are the factors controlling the reaction.

Optimization of instantaneous solvent exchange/surface modification process for ambient synthesis of monolithic silica aerogels.

PubMed

Hwang, Sung-Woo; Kim, Tae-Youn; Hyun, Sang-Hoon

2008-06-01

The instantaneous solvent exchange/surface modification (ISE/SM) process for the ambient synthesis of crack-free silica aerogel monoliths with a high production yield was optimized. Monolithic forms of silica wet gels were obtained from aqueous colloidal silica sols prepared via the ion exchange of sodium silicate solutions. Crack-free silica aerogel monoliths were synthesized via an ISE/SM process using isopropyl alcohol/trimethylchlorosilane as a modification agent and n-hexane as a main solvent, followed by ambient drying. The optimum process conditions of the ISE/SM process were investigated by clarifying the reaction mechanism and phenomena. Most effective ranges of process variables on the ISE/SM stage were determined as 0.2500-0.3567 of TMCS/H2O (pore water) in molar ratio and 15-30 of n-hexane/TMCS in volumetric ratio, with a reaction temperature below 283 K. Crack-free silica aerogel monoliths synthesized via these conditions had a well-developed mesoporous structure and excellent properties (bulk density of 0.12-0.14 g/cm3, specific surface area of 724 m2/g), and a high yield (nearly 80%).

Impact of Colloidal Silica on Silicone Oil-Silica Mixed Antifoams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Zheng

Antifoams are utilized as an industrial additive to control undesired foam during processing. This study focuses on the impact of silica on the antifoam stability. Antifoam stability refers to the ability to maintain efficiency in foam destruction after prolonged shelf storage. Common antifoams are a mixture of hydrophobic silica particles and silicone oil. Based on the general mechanisms of antifoam action discussed in Chapter 1, silica particles play a significant role in foam destruction. Silica particles contribute to foam control by facilitating the entry and the penetration depth of oil-silica globules into surfactant-water films (foam bubble walls). The size, morphology and hydrophobicity of silica can be manipulated to generate optimal antifoam globules. For example, the two silicas with good shelf life performance (8375 and 9512) had the largest silica particles and both showed a tendency to aggregate in toluene solution. We conclude that improved shelf life is related to the propensity of PDMS oil to adsorb on silica, which leads to aggregation and particle size increase. We measured the time-evolution of dynamic light scattering (DLS) from 3-vol% antifoam dissolved in toluene (Chapter 2). For the sample with the largest hydrodynamic radius (9512) the scattered intensity decreased significantly after applying ultrasonic dispersion. Decreasing intensity also occurred for 8375 albeit at later times. The decrease of intensity is attributed to the growth and precipitation of oil-silica globules. The concentration dependence of light scattering confirmed the growth-precipitation hypothesis. FT-IR (Chapter 3) was consistent with precipitation due to oil adsorption, but the data were not definitive. Chapter 4 examines the time-evolution of silica structures by static light scattering and X-ray scattering. The combined data are consistent with a hierarchical structure for silica. Agglomeration occurred fastest for 9512, which is consistent with DLS observations

Formation of helical organic-inorganic hybrid silica nanotubes using a chiral anionic gelator.

PubMed

Wang, Liwen; Wang, Hairui; Li, Yi; Zhuang, Wei; Zhu, Zhaoyong; Chen, Yuanli; Li, Baozong; Yang, Yonggang

2011-03-01

Right-handed helical organic-inorganic hybrid silica nanotubes were prepared using a chiral anionic gelator with 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane as a co-structure-directing agent and 1,4-bis(triethoxysilyl)benzene, 4,4'-bis(triethoxysilyl)-1,1'-biphenyl, bis(triethoxysilyl)methane, 1,2-bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane, and 1,2-bis(triethoxysilyl)ethene as the precursors. The sol-gel reactions were carried out in a mixture of water and ethanol at the volume ratio of 2.2:1.8. The nanostructures were studied using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). For 4,4'-biphenylene-silica nanotube, the circular dichroism spectrum indicates at least some of the biphenyl rings within the walls stack in chiral form. The TEM images taken after different reaction time reveal a cooperative mechanism. The growth of the organic self-assemblies and the adsorption of the hybrid silica oligomers occurred at the same time.

Gas-Phase Synthesis of Gold- and Silica-Coated Nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boies, Adam Meyer

2011-12-01

Composite nanoparticles consisting of separate core-shell materials are of interest for a variety of biomedical and industrial applications. By combining different materials at the nanoscale, particles can exhibit enhanced or multi-functional behavior such as plasmon resonance combined with superparamagnetism. Gas-phase nanoparticle synthesis processes are promising because they can continuously produce particles with high mass-yield rates. In this dissertation, new methods are investigated for producing gas-phase coatings of nanoparticles in an "assembly-line" fashion. Separate processes are developed to create coatings from silica and gold that can be used with a variety of core-particle chemistries. A photoinduced chemical vapor deposition (photo-CVD) method is used to produce silica coatings from tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) on the surface of nanoparticles (diameter ˜5--70 nm). Tandem differential mobility analysis (TDMA) of the process demonstrates that particle coatings can be produced with controllable thicknesses (˜1--10 nm) by varying system parameters such as precursor flow rate. Electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy confirm that the photo-CVD films uniformly coat the particles and that the coatings are silica. In order to describe the coating process a chemical mechanism is proposed that includes gas-phase, surface and photochemical reactions. A chemical kinetics model of the mechanism indicates that photo-CVD coating proceeds primarily through the photodecomposition of TEOS which removes ethyl groups, thus creating activated TEOS species. The activated TEOS then adsorbs onto the surface of the particle where a series of subsequent reactions remove the remaining ethyl groups to produce a silica film with an open site for further attachment. The model results show good agreement with the experimentally measured coating trends, where increased TEOS flow increases coating thickness and increased nitrogen flow decreases coating thickness. Gold

Rating the Relevance of QUORUM-Selected ASRS Incident Narratives to a "Controlled Flight into Terrain" Accident

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McGreevy, Michael W.; Statler, Irving C.

1998-01-01

An exploratory study was conducted to identify commercial aviation incidents that are relevant to a "controlled flight into terrain" (CFIT) accident using a NASA-developed text processing method. The QUORUM method was used to rate 67820 incident narratives, virtually all of the narratives in the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) database, according to their relevance to two official reports on the crash of American Airlines Flight 965 near Cali, Colombia in December 1995. For comparison with QUORUM's ratings, three experienced ASRS analysts read the reports of the crash and independently rated the relevance of the 100 narratives that were most highly rated by QUORUM, as well as 100 narratives randomly selected from the database. Eighty-four of 100 QUORUM-selected narratives were rated as relevant to the Cali accident by one or more of the analysts. The relevant incidents involved a variety of factors, including, over-reliance on automation, confusion and changes during descent/approach, terrain avoidance, and operations in foreign airspace. In addition, the QUORUM collection of incidents was found to be significantly more relevant than the random collection.

Alkali Metal Handling Practices at NASA MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salvail, Patrick G.; Carter, Robert R.

2002-01-01

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is NASA s principle propulsion development center. Research and development is coordinated and carried out on not only the existing transportation systems, but also those that may be flown in the near future. Heat pipe cooled fast fission cores are among several concepts being considered for the Nuclear Systems Initiative. Marshall Space Flight Center has developed a capability to handle high-purity alkali metals for use in heat pipes or liquid metal heat transfer loops. This capability is a low budget prototype of an alkali metal handling system that would allow the production of flight qualified heat pipe modules or alkali metal loops. The processing approach used to introduce pure alkali metal into heat pipe modules and other test articles are described in this paper.

Supramolecular Complex Antioxidant Consisting of Vitamins C, E and Hydrophilic-Hydrophobic Silica Nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laguta, I. V.; Kuzema, P. O.; Stavinskaya, O. N.; Kazakova, O. A.

Samples with varied amount of surface trimethylsilyl groups were obtained via gas-phase chemical modification of silica nanoparticles. The biocompatibility tests conducted in erythrocyte suspension have shown that hydrophobization of silica decreases its damaging effect to the cells. Being wettable in aqueous media, partially silylated silicas have higher affinity to hydrophobic bioactive molecules in comparison with the initial silica. Novel antioxidant consisting of vitamins C and E and silica with 40% of surface trimethylsilyl groups was formulated. It was found that supramolecular complexes are formed on the silica surface due to the affinity of water- and fat-soluble antioxidants to hydrophilic silanol and hydrophobic trimethylsilyl groups, respectively. Test reactions (total phenolic index determination, DPPH test) and in vitro studies (spectral analysis of erythrocyte suspensions undergoing UV irradiation) revealed the correlation between antioxidant activity of the complex antioxidant and the vitamins’ content. The antioxidant remained active during long-term storage under standard conditions.

Supramolecular Complex Antioxidant Consisting of Vitamins C, E and Hydrophilic-Hydrophobic Silica Nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laguta, I. V.; Kuzema, P. O.; Stavinskaya, O. N.; Kazakova, O. A.

Samples with varied amount of surface trimethylsilyl groups were obtained via gas-phase chemical modification of silica nanoparticles. The biocompatibility tests conducted in erythrocyte suspension have shown that hydrophobization of silica decreases its damaging effect to the cells. Being wettable in aqueous media, partially silylated silicas have higher affinity to hydrophobic bioactive molecules in comparison with the initial silica. Novel antioxidant consisting of vitamins C and E and silica with 40% of surface trimethylsilyl groups was formulated. It was found that supramolecular complexes are formed on the silica surface due to the affinity of water- and fat-soluble antioxidants to hydrophilic silanol and hydrophobic trimethylsilyl groups, respectively. Test reactions (total phenolic index determination, DPPH test) and in vitro studies (spectral analysis of erythrocyte suspensions undergoing UV irradiation) revealed the correlation between antioxidant activity of the complex antioxidant and the vitamins' content. The antioxidant remained active during long-term storage under standard conditions.

Double layer effects in electrocatalysis: The oxygen reduction reaction and ethanol oxidation reaction on Au(111), Pt(111) and Ir(111) in alkaline media containing Na and Li cations

DOE PAGES

Lopes, Pietro P.; Strmcnik, Dusan; Jirkovsky, Jakub S.; ...

2015-09-28

Oxygen reduction and ethanol oxidation reactions were studied on Au(111), Pt(111) and Ir(111) in alkaline solutions containing sodium and/or lithium cations. By keeping the same (111) surface orientation and exploring oxophilicity trends and non-covalent interactions between OH ad and alkali metal cations (AMC n+), we were able to gain deep insights into the multiple roles that OH ad plays in these important electrocatalytic reactions. Cyclic voltammetry experiments revealed that OH ad formation initiates at distinct electrode potentials, governed by the oxophilicity of the specific metal surface, with further OH ad adlayer stabilization by non-covalent alkali-cation interactions and affecting the formationmore » of a “true oxide” layer at higher electrode potentials. Although OH ad is a simple spectator for the ORR, it promotes the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) at lower potentials and act as spectator at high OHad coverages. By changing the alkali metal cation at the interface (Li +) on more oxophilic surfaces, it was possible to promote the EOR even more, relative to Na +, without changing the product distribution for the reaction. This cation effect suggests that OH ad—Li +(H 2O) x clusters can stabilize the ethoxide adlayer, thus improving the EOR activity. Finally, our results indicate the importance of the entire electrochemical interface in determining the electrocatalytic activity during reaction.« less

Chemical treatment for silica-containing glass surfaces

DOEpatents

Grabbe, Alexis; Michalske, Terry Arthur; Smith, William Larry

1999-01-01

Dehydroxylated, silica-containing, glass surfaces are known to be at least partially terminated by strained siloxane rings. According to the invention, a surface of this kind is exposed to a selected silane compound or mixture of silane compounds under reaction-promoting conditions. The ensuing reaction results in opening of the strained siloxane rings, and termination of surface atoms by chemical species, such as organic or organosilicon species, having desirable properties. These species can be chosen to provide qualities such as hydrophobicity, or improved coupling to a polymeric coating.

Chemical treatment for silica-containing glass surfaces

DOEpatents

Grabbe, Alexis; Michalske, Terry Arthur; Smith, William Larry

1998-01-01

Dehydroxylated, silica-containing, glass surfaces are known to be at least partially terminated by strained siloxane rings. According to the invention, a surface of this kind is exposed to a selected silane compound or mixture of silane compounds under reaction-promoting conditions. The ensuing reaction results in opening of the strained siloxane rings, and termination of surface atoms by chemical species, such as organic or organosilicon species, having desirable properties. These species can be chosen to provide qualities such as hydrophobicity, or improved coupling to a polymeric coating.

Chemical treatment for silica-containing glass surfaces

DOEpatents

Grabbe, Alexis; Michalske, Terry Arthur; Smith, William Larry

1999-01-01

Dehydroxylated, silica-containing, glass surfaces are known to be at least partially terminated by strained siloxane rings. According to the invention, a surface of this kind is exposed to a selected silane compound or mixture of silane compounds under reaction-promoting conditons. The ensuing reaction results in opening of the strained siloxane rings, and termination of surface atoms by chemical species, such as organic or organosilicon species, having desirable properties. These species can be chosen to provide qualities such as hydrophobicity, or improved coupling to a polymeric coating.

Atomic-Level Quality Assessment of Enzymes Encapsulated in Bioinspired Silica.

PubMed

Martelli, Tommaso; Ravera, Enrico; Louka, Alexandra; Cerofolini, Linda; Hafner, Manuel; Fragai, Marco; Becker, Christian F W; Luchinat, Claudio

2016-01-04

Among protein immobilization strategies, encapsulation in bioinspired silica is increasingly popular. Encapsulation offers high yields and the solid support is created through a protein-catalyzed polycondensation reaction that occurs under mild conditions. An integrated strategy is reported for the characterization of both the protein and bioinspired silica scaffold generated by the encapsulation of enzymes with an external silica-forming promoter or with the promoter expressed as a fusion to the enzyme. This strategy is applied to the catalytic domain of matrix metalloproteinase 12. Analysis reveals that the structure of the protein encapsulated by either method is not significantly altered with respect to the native form. The structural features of silica obtained by either strategy are also similar, but differ from those obtained by other approaches. In case of the covalently linked R5-enzyme construct, immobilization yields are higher. Encapsulation through a fusion protein, therefore, appears to be the method of choice. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Acid-base equilibria inside amine-functionalized mesoporous silica.

PubMed

Yamaguchi, Akira; Namekawa, Manato; Kamijo, Toshio; Itoh, Tetsuji; Teramae, Norio

2011-04-15

Acid-base equilibria and effective proton concentration inside a silica mesopore modified with a trimethyl ammonium (TMAP) layer were studied by steady-state fluorescence experiments. The mesoporous silica with a dense TMAP layer (1.4 molecules/nm(2)) was prepared by a post grafting of N-trimethoxysilylpropyl-N,N,N-trimethylammonium at surfactant-templated mesoporous silica (diameter of silica framework =3.1 nm). The resulting TMAP-modified mesoporous silica strongly adsorbed of anionic fluorescence indicator dyes (8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonate (pyranine), 8-aminopyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonate (APTS), 5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-21H,23H-porphinetetrasulfonic acid disulfuric acid (TPPS), 2-naphthol-3,6-disulfonate (2NT)) and fluorescence excitation spectra of these dyes within TMAP-modified mesoporous silica were measured by varying the solution pH. The fluorescence experiments revealed that the acid-base equilibrium reactions of all pH indicator dyes within the TMAP-modified silica mesopore were quite different from those in bulk water. From the analysis of the acid-base equilibrium of pyranine, the following relationships between solution pH (pH(bulk)) and the effective proton concentration inside the pore (pH(pore)) were obtained: (1) shift of pH(pore) was 1.8 (ΔpH(pore)=1.8) for the pH(bulk) change from 2.1 to 9.1 (ΔpH(bulk)=7.0); (2) pH(pore) was not simply proportional to pH(bulk); (3) the inside of the TMAP-modified silica mesopore was suggested to be in a weak acidic or neutral condition when pH(bulk) was changed from 2.0 to 9.1. Since these relationships between pH(bulk) and pH(pore) could explain the acid-base equilibria of other pH indicator dyes (APTS, TPPS, 2NT), these relationships were inferred to describe the effective proton concentration inside the TMAP-modified silica mesopore. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Enhancement of green long lasting phosphorescence in CaSnO3:Tb3+ by addition of alkali ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Zuoqiu; Zhang, Jinsu; Sun, Jiashi; Li, Xiangping; Cheng, Lihong; Zhong, Haiyang; Fu, Shaobo; Tian, Yue; Chen, Baojiu

2013-03-01

Long lasting phosphors of CaSnO3:Tb3+ added alkali ions (Li+, Na+, K+) were prepared by solid-state reaction. The phosphorescence of samples consists of a group of green emission lines originating from 5D4→7FJ transitions of Tb3+. The afterglow spectra and concentration quenching behaviors of fluorescence were investigated in the Tb3+ mono-doped sample. The result shows the optimal doping concentration of Tb3+ is 0.3 mol%. In the co-doped samples, the doping concentrations of Tb3+ and alkali ions are both at 0.3 mol%. It is found from the afterglow decay curves that the introduction of alkali ions can prolong the phosphorescent lasting time and the sample of incorporating Na+ shows the best result. Tb3+ and alkali ions can substitute Ca2+ ions, acting as hole and electron traps, respectively. The thermoluminescence (TL) spectra are also investigated. The depths of traps for the mono- and co-doped samples are calculated to be 0.622, 0.541, 0.529 and 0.538 eV, respectively. Moreover, the possible mechanism of the green long lasting phosphorescence is proposed based on the experiment results.

Alkali elemental and potassium isotopic compositions of Semarkona chondrules

USGS Publications Warehouse

Alexander, C.M. O'D.; Grossman, J.N.

2005-01-01

We report measurements of K isotope ratios in 28 Semarkona chondrules with a wide range of petrologic types and bulk compositions as well as the compositions of CPX-mesostasis pairs in 17 type I Semarkona chondrules, including two chondrules with radial alkali zonation and 19 type II chondrules. Despite the wide range in K/Al ratios, no systematic variations in K isotopic compositions were found. Semarkona chondrules do not record a simple history of Rayleigh-type loss of K. Experimentally determined evaporation rates suggest that considerable alkali evaporation would have occurred during chondrule formation. Nevertheless, based on Na CPX-mesostasis distribution coefficients, the alkali contents of the cores of most chondrules in Semarkona were probably established at the time of final crystallization. However, Na CPX-mesostasis distribution coefficients also show that alkali zonation in type I Semarkona chondrules was produced by entry of alkalis after solidification, probably during parent body alteration. This alkali metasomatism may have gone to completion in some chondrules. Our preferred explanation for the lack of systematic isotopic enrichments, even in alkali depleted type I chondrule cores, is that they exchanged with the ambient gas as they cooled. ?? The Meteoritical Society, 2005.

Alkali-Resistant Mechanism of a Hollandite DeNOx Catalyst.

PubMed

Hu, Pingping; Huang, Zhiwei; Gu, Xiao; Xu, Fei; Gao, Jiayi; Wang, Yue; Chen, Yaxin; Tang, Xingfu

2015-06-02

A thorough understanding of the deactivation mechanism by alkalis is of great importance for rationally designing improved alkali-resistant deNOx catalysts, but a traditional ion-exchange mechanism cannot often accurately describe the nature of the deactivation, thus hampering the development of superior catalysts. Here, we establish a new exchange-coordination mechanism on the basis of the exhaustive study on the strong alkali resistance of a hollandite manganese oxide (HMO) catalyst. A combination of isothermal adsorption measurements of ammonia with X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectra reveals that alkali metal ions first react with protons from Brønsted acid sites of HMO via the ion exchange. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction patterns and extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectra coupled with theoretical calculations demonstrate that the exchanged alkali metal ions are subsequently stabilized at size-suitable cavities in the HMO pores via a coordination model with an energy savings. This exchange-coordination mechanism not only gives a wholly convincing explanation for the intrinsic nature of the deactivation of the reported catalysts by alkalis but also provides a strategy for rationally designing improved alkali-resistant deNOx catalysts in general.

Grafting strategy to develop single site titanium on an amorphous silica surface.

PubMed

Capel-Sanchez, M C; Blanco-Brieva, G; Campos-Martin, J M; de Frutos, M P; Wen, W; Rodriguez, J A; Fierro, J L G

2009-06-16

Titanium/silica systems were prepared by grafting a titanium alkoxide (titanium isopropoxide and titanium (triethanolaminate) isopropoxide) precursor onto amorphous silica. The grafting process, which consisted of the hydrolysis of the Ti precursor by the hydroxyl groups on the silica surface, yielded samples containing Ti-loadings of 1-1.6 wt %. The as synthesized and calcined TiO(2)-SiO(2) samples were characterized by UV-vis, FTIR, XPS, and XANES spectroscopic techniques. These systems were tested in the liquid-phase epoxidation of oct-1-ene with hydrogen peroxide reaction. Spectroscopic data indicated that titanium anchoring takes place by reaction between the alkoxide precursor and surface OH groups of the silica substrate. The nature of surface titanium species generated by chemical grafting depends largely on the titanium precursor employed. Thus, the titanium isopropoxide precursor yields tetrahedrally coordinated polymeric titanium species, which give rise to a low-efficiency catalyst. However, if an atrane precursor (titanium (triethanolaminate) isopropoxide) is employed, isolated titanium species are obtained. The fact that these species remain isolated even after calcination is due to the protective effect of the triethanolaminate ligand that avoids titanium polymerization. These differences in the titanium environment have a pivotal role in the performance of these systems in the epoxidation of alkenes with hydrogen peroxide.

Multifunctional clickable and protein-repellent magnetic silica nanoparticles.

PubMed

Estupiñán, Diego; Bannwarth, Markus B; Mylon, Steven E; Landfester, Katharina; Muñoz-Espí, Rafael; Crespy, Daniel

2016-02-07

Silica nanoparticles are versatile materials whose physicochemical surface properties can be precisely adjusted. Because it is possible to combine several functionalities in a single carrier, silica-based materials are excellent candidates for biomedical applications. However, the functionality of the nanoparticles can get lost upon exposure to biological media due to uncontrolled biomolecule adsorption. Therefore, it is important to develop strategies that reduce non-specific protein-particle interactions without losing the introduced surface functionality. Herein, organosilane chemistry is employed to produce magnetic silica nanoparticles bearing differing amounts of amino and alkene functional groups on their surface as orthogonally addressable chemical functionalities. Simultaneously, a short-chain zwitterion is added to decrease the non-specific adsorption of biomolecules on the nanoparticles surface. The multifunctional particles display reduced protein adsorption after incubation in undiluted fetal bovine serum as well as in single protein solutions (serum albumin and lysozyme). Besides, the particles retain their capacity to selectively react with biomolecules. Thus, they can be covalently bio-functionalized with an antibody by means of orthogonal click reactions. These features make the described multifunctional silica nanoparticles a promising system for the study of surface interactions with biomolecules, targeting, and bio-sensing.

40 CFR 721.1878 - Alkali metal alkyl borohydride (generic).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Alkali metal alkyl borohydride... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.1878 Alkali metal alkyl borohydride (generic). (a) Chemical substance... alkali metal alkyl borohydride (PMN P-00-1089) is subject to reporting under this section for the...

40 CFR 721.1878 - Alkali metal alkyl borohydride (generic).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Alkali metal alkyl borohydride... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.1878 Alkali metal alkyl borohydride (generic). (a) Chemical substance... alkali metal alkyl borohydride (PMN P-00-1089) is subject to reporting under this section for the...

Characterization of the reactivity of a silica derived from acid activation of sepiolite with silane by 29Si and 13C solid-state NMR.

PubMed

Valentín, J L; López-Manchado, M A; Posadas, P; Rodríguez, A; Marcos-Fernández, A; Ibarra, L

2006-06-15

The mechanism of the reaction between a silica sample coming from acid treatment of sepiolite (denominated Silsep) and an organosilane, namely bis(triethoxysilylpropyl)tetrasulfane (TESPT), has been evaluated by solid state NMR spectroscopy, being compared with the silanization reaction of a commercial silica. The effect of the silane concentration and temperature on the course of the reaction was considered. Experimental results indicate that the silanization reaction is more effective in the case of Silsep, favoring both the reaction of silane molecules with the filler surface and the reaction between neighboring silane molecules. This different behavior is attributed to structural factors, moisture, and number of acid centers on silica surface. Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) was used to deposit micrometric water drops on the surface of these samples and to evaluate the proportion and distribution of the organophylization process.

Human factors in airport surface incidents : an analysis of pilot reports submitted to the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS)

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-12-01

The purpose of this study was to examine human factors involved in airport surface incidents as reported by pilots. Reports submitted to the : Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) are a good source of information regarding the human performance is...

Reaction cured glass and glass coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldstein, H. E.; Leiser, D. B.; Katvala, V. W. (Inventor)

1978-01-01

The invention relates to reaction cured glass and glass coatings prepared by reacting a compound selected from the group consisting of silicon tetraboride, silicon hexaboride, other boron silicides, boron and mixtures with a reactive glass frit composed of a porous high silica borosilicate glass and boron oxide. The glassy composites of the present invention are useful as coatings on low density fibrous porous silica insulations used as heat shields and for articles such as reaction vessels that are subjected to high temperatures with rapid heating and cooling and that require resistance to temperature and repeated thermal shock at temperatures up to about 1482C (2700PF).

Salts of alkali metal anions and process of preparing same

DOEpatents

Dye, James L.; Ceraso, Joseph M.; Tehan, Frederick J.; Lok, Mei Tak

1978-01-01

Compounds of alkali metal anion salts of alkali metal cations in bicyclic polyoxadiamines are disclosed. The salts are prepared by contacting an excess of alkali metal with an alkali metal dissolving solution consisting of a bicyclic polyoxadiamine in a suitable solvent, and recovered by precipitation. The salts have a gold-color crystalline appearance and are stable in a vacuum at -10.degree. C. and below.

Synthesis and Catalytic Performance of Gold Intercalated in the Walls of Mesoporous Silica.

PubMed

Ji, Yazhou; Caskey, Christopher; Richards, Ryan M

2015-07-09

As a promising catalytically active nano reactor, gold nanoparticles intercalated in mesoporous silica (GMS) were successfully synthesized and properties of the materials were investigated. We used a one pot sol-gel approach to intercalate gold nano particles in the walls of mesoporous silica. To start with the synthesis, P123 was used as template to form micelles. Then TESPTS was used as a surface modification agent to intercalate gold nano particles. Following this process, TEOS was added in as a silica source which underwent a polymerization process in acid environment. After hydrothermal processing and calcination, the final product was acquired. Several techniques were utilized to characterize the porosity, morphology and structure of the gold intercalated mesoporous silica. The results showed a stable structure of mesoporous silica after gold intercalation. Through the oxidation of benzyl alcohol as a benchmark reaction, the GMS materials showed high selectivity and recyclability.

Synthesis and Catalytic Performance of Gold Intercalated in the Walls of Mesoporous Silica

PubMed Central

Ji, Yazhou; Caskey, Christopher; Richards, Ryan M.

2015-01-01

As a promising catalytically active nano reactor, gold nanoparticles intercalated in mesoporous silica (GMS) were successfully synthesized and properties of the materials were investigated. We used a one pot sol-gel approach to intercalate gold nano particles in the walls of mesoporous silica. To start with the synthesis, P123 was used as template to form micelles. Then TESPTS was used as a surface modification agent to intercalate gold nano particles. Following this process, TEOS was added in as a silica source which underwent a polymerization process in acid environment. After hydrothermal processing and calcination, the final product was acquired. Several techniques were utilized to characterize the porosity, morphology and structure of the gold intercalated mesoporous silica. The results showed a stable structure of mesoporous silica after gold intercalation. Through the oxidation of benzyl alcohol as a benchmark reaction, the GMS materials showed high selectivity and recyclability. PMID:26274058

Important role of calcium chloride in preventing carbon monoxide generation during desflurane degradation with alkali hydroxide-free carbon dioxide absorbents.

PubMed

Ando, Takahiro; Mori, Atsushi; Ito, Rie; Nishiwaki, Kimitoshi

2017-12-01

We investigated whether calcium chloride (CaCl 2 ), a supplementary additive in carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) absorbents, could affect carbon monoxide (CO) production caused by desflurane degradation, using a Japanese alkali-free CO 2 absorbent Yabashi Lime ® -f (YL-f), its CaCl 2 -free and 1% CaCl 2 -added derivatives, and other commercially available alkali-free absorbents with or without CaCl 2 . The reaction between 1 L of desflurane gas (3-10%) and 20 g of desiccated specimen was performed in an artificial closed-circuit anesthesia system for 3 min at 20 or 40 °C. The CO concentration was measured using a gas chromatograph equipped with a semiconductor sensor detector. The systems were validated by detecting dose-dependent CO production with an alkali hydroxide-containing CO 2 absorbent, Sodasorb ® . Compared with YL-f, the CaCl 2 -free derivative caused the production of significantly more CO, while the 1% CaCl 2 -added derivative caused the production of a comparable amount of CO. These phenomena were confirmed using commercially available absorbents AMSORB ® PLUS, an alkali-free absorbent with CaCl 2 , and LoFloSorb™, an alkali-free absorbent without CaCl 2 . These results suggest that CaCl 2 plays an important role in preventing CO generation caused by desflurane degradation with alkali hydroxide-free CO 2 absorbents like YL-f.

Mathematical Optimization Algorithm for Minimizing the Cost Function of GHG Emission in AS/RS Using Positive Selection Based Clonal Selection Principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahalakshmi; Murugesan, R.

2018-04-01

This paper regards with the minimization of total cost of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) efficiency in Automated Storage and Retrieval System (AS/RS). A mathematical model is constructed based on tax cost, penalty cost and discount cost of GHG emission of AS/RS. A two stage algorithm namely positive selection based clonal selection principle (PSBCSP) is used to find the optimal solution of the constructed model. In the first stage positive selection principle is used to reduce the search space of the optimal solution by fixing a threshold value. In the later stage clonal selection principle is used to generate best solutions. The obtained results are compared with other existing algorithms in the literature, which shows that the proposed algorithm yields a better result compared to others.

Upgrading platform using alkali metals

DOEpatents

Gordon, John Howard

2014-09-09

A process for removing sulfur, nitrogen or metals from an oil feedstock (such as heavy oil, bitumen, shale oil, etc.) The method involves reacting the oil feedstock with an alkali metal and a radical capping substance. The alkali metal reacts with the metal, sulfur or nitrogen content to form one or more inorganic products and the radical capping substance reacts with the carbon and hydrogen content to form a hydrocarbon phase. The inorganic products may then be separated out from the hydrocarbon phase.

Alkali Silicate Vehicle Forms Durable, Fireproof Paint

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schutt, John B.; Seindenberg, Benjamin

1964-01-01

The problem: To develop a paint for use on satellites or space vehicles that exhibits high resistance to cracking, peeling, or flaking when subjected to a wide range of temperatures. Organic coatings will partially meet the required specifications but have the inherent disadvantage of combustibility. Alkali-silicate binders, used in some industrial coatings and adhesives, show evidence of forming a fireproof paint, but the problem of high surface-tension, a characteristic of alkali silicates, has not been resolved. The solution: Use of a suitable non-ionic wetting agent combined with a paint incorporating alkali silicate as the binder.

Microwave assisted alkali-catalyzed transesterification of Pongamia pinnata seed oil for biodiesel production.

PubMed

Kumar, Ritesh; Kumar, G Ravi; Chandrashekar, N

2011-06-01

In this study, microwave assisted transesterification of Pongamia pinnata seed oil was carried out for the production of biodiesel. The experiments were carried out using methanol and two alkali catalysts i.e., sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and potassium hydroxide (KOH). The experiments were carried out at 6:1 alcohol/oil molar ratio and 60°C reaction temperature. The effect of catalyst concentration and reaction time on the yield and quality of biodiesel was studied. The result of the study suggested that 0.5% sodium hydroxide and 1.0% potassium hydroxide catalyst concentration were optimum for biodiesel production from P. pinnata oil under microwave heating. There was a significant reduction in reaction time for microwave induced transesterification as compared to conventional heating. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phospholipid-templated silica nanocapsules as efficient polyenzymatic biocatalysts.

PubMed

Phuoc, Lai Truong; Laveille, Paco; Chamouleau, Françoise; Renard, Gilbert; Drone, Jullien; Coq, Bernard; Fajula, François; Galarneau, Anne

2010-09-28

Solid polyenzymatic biocatalysts have been designed by combining two immobilized enzymes, the first one allowing the in situ generation of H(2)O(2) from air and the second one performing an oxidation reaction. The in situ H(2)O(2) generation system is based on the reaction of glucose with air using a glucose oxidase (GOx). The optimization of the encapsulation of GOx into phospholipids-templated silica capsules (NPS) was performed. A bienzymatic system made of GOx and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was studied. Optimal conditions for the activity of the GOx/HRP bienzymatic system have been determined for both homogeneous and heterogeneous conditions. The encapsulation in NPS materials increases the stability of both enzymes. The performance of the encapsulated bienzymatic GOx/HRP system in the model reaction of 4-aminoantipyridine with phenol is similar when the enzymes are immobilized separately in two NPS or coencapsulated in the same NPS. An excess of peroxidase compared to GOx ([HRP]/[GOx] = 5-10) is necessary to obtain the optimal activity. To show the potentiality of bienzymatic systems in real applications, HRP has been replaced by hemoglobin, which is known for its ability to oxidize polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) pollutants through a pseudoperoxidase pathway. A larger excess of Hb compared to GOx ([Hb]/[GOx] = 1000) was necessary to obtain the maximum PAH removal, as Hb is not a real peroxidase as HRP but a hemoprotein with some pseudoperoxidase activity. In opposite to real enzymes, the immobilization of Hb by adsorption in mesoporous silica is preferable as its encapsulation. Therefore, the bienzymatic system made of GOx encapsulated in NPS and Hb adsorbed in mesoporous silica has been used for the removal of 11 PAH from water. This heterogeneous bienzymatic system allows 64% of PAH removal from water using simple air as oxidant.

Long term mechanical properties of alkali activated slag

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, J.; Zheng, W. Z.; Xu, Z. Z.; Leng, Y. F.; Qin, C. Z.

2018-01-01

This article reports a study on the microstructural and long-term mechanical properties of the alkali activated slag up to 180 days, and cement paste is studied as the comparison. The mechanical properties including compressive strength, flexural strength, axis tensile strength and splitting tensile strength are analyzed. The results showed that the alkali activated slag had higher compressive and tensile strength, Slag is activated by potassium silicate (K2SiO3) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solutions for attaining silicate modulus of 1 using 12 potassium silicate and 5.35% sodium hydroxide. The volume dosage of water is 35% and 42%. The results indicate that alkali activated slag is a kind of rapid hardening and early strength cementitious material with excellent long-term mechanical properties. Single row of holes block compressive strength, single-hole block compressive strength and standard solid brick compressive strength basically meet engineering requirements. The microstructures of alkali activated slag are studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The hydration products of alkali-activated slag are assured as hydrated calcium silicate and hydrated calcium aluminate.

Ternary alkali-metal and transition metal or metalloid acetylides as alkali-metal intercalation electrodes for batteries

DOEpatents

Nemeth, Karoly; Srajer, George; Harkay, Katherine C; Terdik, Joseph Z

2015-02-10

Novel intercalation electrode materials including ternary acetylides of chemical formula: A.sub.nMC.sub.2 where A is alkali or alkaline-earth element; M is transition metal or metalloid element; C.sub.2 is reference to the acetylide ion; n is an integer that is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 when A is alkali element and 0, 1, or 2 when A is alkaline-earth element. The alkali elements are Lithium (Li), Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Rubidium (Rb), Cesium (Cs) and Francium (Fr). The alkaline-earth elements are Berilium (Be), Magnesium (Mg), Calcium (Ca), Strontium (Sr), Barium (Ba), and Radium (Ra). M is a transition metal that is any element in groups 3 through 12 inclusive on the Periodic Table of Elements (elements 21 (Sc) to element 30 (Zn)). In another exemplary embodiment, M is a metalloid element.

Incorporation of polyoxotungstate complexes in silica spheres and in situ formation of tungsten trioxide nanoparticles.

PubMed

Zhao, Yuanyuan; Fan, Haimei; Li, Wen; Bi, Lihua; Wang, Dejun; Wu, Lixin

2010-09-21

In this paper, we demonstrated a new convenient route for in situ fabrication of well separated small sized WO(3) nanoparticles in silica spheres, through a predeposition of surfactant encapsulated polyoxotungates as tungsten source, and followed by a calcination process. In a typical procedure, selected polyoxotungates with different charges were enwrapped with dioctadecyldimethylammonium cations through electrostatic interaction. Elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and spectral characterization confirmed the formation of prepared complexes with the anticipated chemical structure. The complexes were then phase-transferred into aqueous solution that predissolved surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, and finally incorporated into silica spheres through a joint sol-gel reaction with tetraethyl orthosilicate in a well dispersed state under the protection of organic layer for polyoxotungates from the alkaline reaction condition. Transmission electron microscopic images illustrated the well dispersed WO(3) nanoparticles in the size range of ca. 2.2 nm in the silica spheres after the calcination at 465 °C. The sizes of both the silica spheres and WO(3) nanoparticles could be adjusted independently through changing the doping content to a large extent. Meanwhile, the doped polyoxotungate complexes acted as the template for the mesoporous structure in silica spheres after the calcination. Along with the increase of doping content and surfactant, the mesopore size changed little (2.0-2.9 nm), but the specific surface areas increased quite a lot. Importantly, the WO(3)-nanoparticle-doped silica spheres displayed an interesting photovoltaic property, which is favorable for the funtionalization of these nanomaterials.

Exploring encapsulation mechanism of DNA and mononucleotides in sol-gel derived silica.

PubMed

Kapusuz, Derya; Durucan, Caner

2017-07-01

The encapsulation mechanism of DNA in sol-gel derived silica has been explored in order to elucidate the effect of DNA conformation on encapsulation and to identify the nature of chemical/physical interaction of DNA with silica during and after sol-gel transition. In this respect, double stranded DNA and dAMP (2'-deoxyadenosine 5'-monophosphate) were encapsulated in silica using an alkoxide-based sol-gel route. Biomolecule-encapsulating gels have been characterized using UV-Vis, 29 Si NMR, FTIR spectroscopy and gas adsorption (BET) to investigate chemical interactions of biomolecules with the porous silica network and to examine the extent of sol-gel reactions upon encapsulation. Ethidium bromide intercalation and leach out tests showed that helix conformation of DNA was preserved after encapsulation. For both biomolecules, high water-to-alkoxide ratio promoted water-producing condensation and prevented alcoholic denaturation. NMR and FTIR analyses confirmed high hydraulic reactivity (water adsorption) for more silanol groups-containing DNA and dAMP encapsulated gels than plain silica gel. No chemical binding/interaction occurred between biomolecules and silica network. DNA and dAMP encapsulated silica gelled faster than plain silica due to basic nature of DNA or dAMP containing buffer solutions. DNA was not released from silica gels to aqueous environment up to 9 days. The chemical association between DNA/dAMP and silica host was through phosphate groups and molecular water attached to silanols, acting as a barrier around biomolecules. The helix morphology was found not to be essential for such interaction. BET analyses showed that interconnected, inkbottle-shaped mesoporous silica network was condensed around DNA and dAMP molecules.

Red-luminescent europium (III) doped silica nanoshells: synthesis, characterization, and their interaction with HeLa cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jian; Sandoval, Sergio; Alfaro, Jesus G.; Aschemeyer, Sharraya; Liberman, Alex; Martin, David T.; Makale, Milan; Kummel, Andrew C.; Trogler, William C.

2011-06-01

A simple method to fabricate Eu3+ doped silica nanoshells particles with 100 and 200 nm diameters is reported. Amino polystyrene beads were used as templates, and an 8 to 10 nm thick silica gel coating was formed by the sol-gel reaction. After removing the template by calcination, porous dehydrated silica gel nanoshells of uniform size were obtained. The Eu3+ doped silica nanoshells exhibited a red emission at 615 nm on UV excitation. The porous structure of the silica shell wall was characterized by transmission electron microscopy measurements, while particle size and zeta potentials of the particles suspended in aqueous solution were characterized by dynamic light scattering. Two-photon microscopy was used to image the nanoshells after assimilation by HeLa cancer cells.

Synthesis of monodisperse silica microspheres and modification with diazoresin for mixed-mode ultra high performance liquid chromatography separations.

PubMed

Cong, Hailin; Yu, Bing; Tian, Chao; Zhang, Shuai; Yuan, Hua

2017-11-01

Monodisperse silica particles with average diameters of 1.9-2.9 μm were synthesized by a modified Stöber method, in which tetraethyl orthosilicate was continuously supplied to the reaction mixture containing KCl electrolyte, water, ethanol, and ammonia. The obtained silica particles were modified by self-assembly with positively charged photosensitive diazoresin on the surface. After treatment with ultraviolet light, the ionic bonding between silica and diazoresin was converted into covalent bonding through a unique photochemistry reaction of diazoresin. Depending on the chemical structure of diazoresin and mobile phase composition, the diazoresin-modified silica stationary phase showed different separation mechanisms, including reversed phase and hydrophilic interactions. Therefore, a variety of baseline separation of benzene analogues and organic acids was achieved by using the diazoresin-modified silica particles as packing materials in ultra high performance liquid chromatography. According to the π-π interactional difference between carbon rings of fullerenes and benzene rings of diazoresin, C 60 and C 70 were also well separated by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography. Because it has a small size, the ∼2.5 μm monodisperse diazoresin-modified silica stationary phase shows ultra-high efficiency compared with the commercial C 18 -silica high-performance liquid chromatography stationary phase with average diameters of ∼5 μm. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Development of processes for the production of solar grade silicon from halides and alkali metals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dickson, C. R.; Gould, R. K.

1980-01-01

High temperature reactions of silicon halides with alkali metals for the production of solar grade silicon in volume at low cost were studied. Experiments were performed to evaluate product separation and collection processes, measure heat release parameters for scaling purposes, determine the effects of reactants and/or products on materials of reactor construction, and make preliminary engineering and economic analyses of a scaled-up process.

Silica/Polymer and Silica/Polymer/Fiber Composite Aerogels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ou, Danny; Stepanian, Christopher J.; Hu, Xiangjun

2010-01-01

Aerogels that consist, variously, of neat silica/polymer alloys and silica/polymer alloy matrices reinforced with fibers have been developed as materials for flexible thermal-insulation blankets. In comparison with prior aerogel blankets, these aerogel blankets are more durable and less dusty. These blankets are also better able to resist and recover from compression . an important advantage in that maintenance of thickness is essential to maintenance of high thermal-insulation performance. These blankets are especially suitable as core materials for vacuum- insulated panels and vacuum-insulated boxes of advanced, nearly seamless design. (Inasmuch as heat leakage at seams is much greater than heat leakage elsewhere through such structures, advanced designs for high insulation performance should provide for minimization of the sizes and numbers of seams.) A silica/polymer aerogel of the present type could be characterized, somewhat more precisely, as consisting of multiply bonded, linear polymer reinforcements within a silica aerogel matrix. Thus far, several different polymethacrylates (PMAs) have been incorporated into aerogel networks to increase resistance to crushing and to improve other mechanical properties while minimally affecting thermal conductivity and density. The polymethacrylate phases are strongly linked into the silica aerogel networks in these materials. Unlike in other organic/inorganic blended aerogels, the inorganic and organic phases are chemically bonded to each other, by both covalent and hydrogen bonds. In the process for making a silica/polymer alloy aerogel, the covalent bonds are introduced by prepolymerization of the methacrylate monomer with trimethoxysilylpropylmethacrylate, which serves as a phase cross-linker in that it contains both organic and inorganic monomer functional groups and hence acts as a connector between the organic and inorganic phases. Hydrogen bonds are formed between the silanol groups of the inorganic phase and the

Grafting Strategy to Develop Single Site Titanium on an Amorphous Silica Surface

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Capel-Sanchez, M.; Blanco-Brieva, G; Campos-Martin, J

2009-01-01

Titanium/silica systems were prepared by grafting a titanium alkoxide (titanium isopropoxide and titanium (triethanolaminate) isopropoxide) precursor onto amorphous silica. The grafting process, which consisted of the hydrolysis of the Ti precursor by the hydroxyl groups on the silica surface, yielded samples containing Ti-loadings of 1-1.6 wt %. The as synthesized and calcined TiO2-SiO2 samples were characterized by UV-vis, FTIR, XPS, and XANES spectroscopic techniques. These systems were tested in the liquid-phase epoxidation of oct-1-ene with hydrogen peroxide reaction. Spectroscopic data indicated that titanium anchoring takes place by reaction between the alkoxide precursor and surface OH groups of the silica substrate.more » The nature of surface titanium species generated by chemical grafting depends largely on the titanium precursor employed. Thus, the titanium isopropoxide precursor yields tetrahedrally coordinated polymeric titanium species, which give rise to a low-efficiency catalyst. However, if an atrane precursor (titanium (triethanolaminate) isopropoxide) is employed, isolated titanium species are obtained. The fact that these species remain isolated even after calcination is due to the protective effect of the triethanolaminate ligand that avoids titanium polymerization. These differences in the titanium environment have a pivotal role in the performance of these systems in the epoxidation of alkenes with hydrogen peroxide.« less

Fluorescent silica nanoparticles containing covalently bound dyes for reporter, marker, and sensor applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patonay, Gabor; Henary, Maged; Chapman, Gala; Emer, Kyle; Crow, Sidney

2016-03-01

Silica nanoparticles have proven to be useful in many bioanalytical and medical applications and have been used in numerous applications during the last decade. Combining the properties of silica nanoparticles and fluorescent dyes that may be used as chemical probes or labels can be relatively easy by simply soaking porous silica nanoparticles in a solution of the dye of interest. Under proper conditions the entrapped dye can stay inside the silica nanoparticle for several hours resulting in a useful probe. In spite of the relative durability of these probes, leaching can still occur. A much better approach is to synthesize silica nanoparticles that have the fluorescent dye covalently attached to the backbone structure of the silica nanoparticle. This can be achieved by using appropriately modified tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) analogues during the silica nanoparticle synthesis. The molar ratio of TEOS and modified TEOS will determine the fluorescent dye load in the silica nanoparticle. Dependent on the chemical stability of the reporting dye either reverse micellar (RM) or Stöber method can be used for silica nanoparticle synthesis. If dye stability allows RM procedure is preferred as it results in a much easier control of the silica nanoparticle reaction itself. Also controlling the size and uniformity of the silica nanoparticles are much easier using RM method. Dependent on the functional groups present in the reporting dye used in preparation of the modified TEOS, the silica nanoparticles can be utilized in many applications such as pH sensor, metal ion sensors, labels, etc. In addition surface activated silica nanoparticles with reactive moieties are also excellent reporters or they can be used as bright fluorescent labels. Many different fluorescent dyes can be used to synthesize silica nanoparticles including visible and NIR dyes. Several bioanalytical applications are discussed including studying amoeba phagocytosis.

Metabolomics analysis of Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 14917 adhesion activity under initial acid and alkali stress.

PubMed

Wang, Wenwen; He, Jiayi; Pan, Daodong; Wu, Zhen; Guo, Yuxing; Zeng, Xiaoqun; Lian, Liwei

2018-01-01

The adhesion ability of Lactobacillus plantarum affects retention time in the human gastro-intestinal tract, as well as influencing the interaction with their host. In this study, the relationship between the adhesion activity of, and metabolic changes in, L. plantarum ATCC 14917 under initial acid and alkali stress was evaluated by analyzing auto-aggregation, protein adhesion and cell adhesion in vitro. Based on scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis, the morphology of the bacteria became thickset and the thickness of their cell walls decreased under initial alkali stress. The fold changes of auto-aggregation, adhere to mucin and HT-29 cell lines of L. plantarum ATCC 14917 in the acid group were increased by 1.141, 1.125 and 1.156, respectively. But decreased significantly in the alkali group (fold changes with 0.842, 0.728 and 0.667). Adhesion-related protein increased in the acid group but declined in the alkali group at the mRNA expression level according to real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. The changes in the metabolite profiles of L. plantarum ATCC 14917 were characterized using Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray ionization-Quadrupole-Time of Flight-mass spectrometry (UPLS-ESI-Q-TOF-MS). In the alkali group, the content of a lot of substances involved in the energy and amino acid metabolism decreased, but the content of some substances involved in the energy metabolism was slightly increased in the acid group. These findings demonstrate that energy metabolism is positively correlated with the adhesion ability of L. plantarum ATCC 14917. The amino-acids metabolism, especially the amino acids related to pH-homeostasis mechanisms (lysine, aspartic acid, arginine, proline and glutamic acid), showed an obvious effect on the adhesion ability of L. plantarum ATCC 14917. This investigation provides a better understanding of L. plantarum's adhesion mechanisms under initial pH stress.

Composites of silica with immobilized cholinesterase incorporated into polymeric shell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Payentko, Victoriya; Matkovsky, Alexander; Matrunchik, Yulia

2015-02-01

Synthetic approaches for new nanocomposite materials with relatively high cholinesterase activity have been developed. The peculiarity of the formation of such systems is the introduction of cholinesterase into polymer with subsequent incorporation on the ready-made silica particles and into the polysiloxane matrixes during sol-gel synthesis. Evaluation of the cholinesterase activity has been fulfilled through the imitation of the acetylcholine chloride decomposition reaction. Values of activity for cholinesterase nanocomposites demonstrated in this work are higher than those for the native cholinesterase. The higher activity of cholinesterase contained in nanocomposites was found for those prepared using highly dispersed silica.

A review of the high temperature oxidation of uranium oxides in molten salts and in the solid state to form alkali metal uranates, and their composition and properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Griffiths, Trevor R.; Volkovich, Vladimir A.

An extensive review of the literature on the high temperature reactions (both in melts and in the solid state) of uranium oxides (UO 2, U 3O 8 and UO 3) resulting in the formation of insoluble alkali metal (Li to Cs) uranates is presented. Their uranate(VI) and uranate(V) compounds are examined, together with mixed and oxygen-deficient uranates. The reactions of uranium oxides with carbonates, oxides, per- and superoxides, chlorides, sulfates, nitrates and nitrites under both oxidising and non-oxidising conditions are critically examined and systematised, and the established compositions of a range of uranate(VI) and (V) compounds formed are discussed. Alkali metal uranates(VI) are examined in detail and their structural, physical, thermodynamic and spectroscopic properties considered. Chemical properties of alkali metal uranates(VI), including various methods for their reduction, are also reported. Errors in the current theoretical treatment of uranate(VI) spectra are identified and the need to develop routes for the preparation of single crystals is stressed.

The utilization of alkali-treated melon husk by broilers.

PubMed

Abiola, S S; Amalime, A C; Akadiri, K C

2002-09-01

The effects of alkali treatment on chemical constituents of melon husk (MH) and performance characteristics of broilers fed alkali-treated MH (ATMH) diets were investigated. The chemical analysis showed that alkali treatment increased the ash content of MH (from 15.70% to 16.86%) and reduced the crude fibre content (from 29.00% to 14.00%). Result of feed intake was superior on 30% alkali diet with a value of 100.14 g/bird/day. Body weight gain decreased with increase in the level of ATMH in the diet. Highest dressing percentage of 66.33% and best meat/bone ratio of 2.57 were obtained on 10% and 20% alkali diets, respectively. Dietary treatments had significant effect (P < 0.05) on gizzard weight. Up to 20% of maize can be replaced with ATMH in broiler diets to produce good quality poultry carcases and chicken meat with favourable shelf life.

What ASRS incident data tell about flight crew performance during aircraft malfunctions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sumwalt, Robert L.; Watson, Alan W.

1995-01-01

This research examined 230 reports in NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System's (ASRS) database to develop a better understanding of factors that can affect flight crew performance when crew are faced with inflight aircraft malfunctions. Each report was placed into one of two categories, based on severity of the malfunction. Report analysis was then conducted to extract information regarding crew procedural issues, crew communications and situational awareness. A comparison of these crew factors across malfunction type was then performed. This comparison revealed a significant difference in ways that crews dealt with serious malfunctions compared to less serious malfunctions. The authors offer recommendations toward improving crew performance when faced with inflight aircraft malfunctions.

Hydration heat of alkali activated fine-grained ceramic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jerman, Miloš; Černý, Robert

2017-07-01

Early-age hydration heat of alkali activated ceramic dust is studied as a function of silicate modulus. A mixture of sodium hydroxide and water glass is used as alkali activator. The measurements are carried out using a large-volume isothermal heat flow calorimeter which is capable of detecting even very small values of specific heat power. Experimental results show that the specific hydration heat power of alkali activated fine-ground ceramic is very low and increases with the decreasing silicate modulus of the mix.

Molecular imprinting at walls of silica nanotubes for TNT recognition.

PubMed

Xie, Chenggen; Liu, Bianhua; Wang, Zhenyang; Gao, Daming; Guan, Guijian; Zhang, Zhongping

2008-01-15

This paper reports the molecular imprinting at the walls of highly uniform silica nanotubes for the recognition of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). It has been demonstrated that TNT templates were efficiently imprinted into the matrix of silica through the strong acid-base pairing interaction between TNT and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS). TNT-imprinted silica nanotubes were synthesized by the gelation reaction between APTS and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), selectively occurring at the porous walls of APTS-modified alumina membranes. The removal of the original TNT templates leaves the imprinted cavities with covalently anchored amine groups at the cavity walls. A high density of recognition sites with molecular selectivity to the TNT analyte was created at the wall of silica nanotubes. Furthermore, most of these recognition sites are situated at the inside and outside surfaces of tubular walls and in the proximity of the two surfaces due to the ultrathin wall thickness of only 15 nm, providing a better site accessibility and lower mass-transfer resistance. Therefore, greater capacity and faster kinetics of uptaking target species were achieved. The silica nanotube reported herein is an ideal form of material for imprinting various organic or biological molecules toward applications in chemical/biological sensors and bioassay.

Alkali activation of recovered fuel-biofuel fly ash from fluidised-bed combustion: Stabilisation/solidification of heavy metals.

PubMed

Yliniemi, Juho; Pesonen, Janne; Tiainen, Minna; Illikainen, Mirja

2015-09-01

Recovered fuel-biofuel fly ash from a fluidized bed boiler was alkali-activated and granulated with a sodium-silicate solution in order to immobilise the heavy metals it contains. The effect of blast-furnace slag and metakaolin as co-binders were studied. Leaching standard EN 12457-3 was applied to evaluate the immobilisation potential. The results showed that Ba, Pb and Zn were effectively immobilised. However, there was increased leaching after alkali activation for As, Cu, Mo, Sb and V. The co-binders had minimal or even negative effect on the immobilisation. One exception was found for Cr, in which the slag decreased leaching, and one was found for Cu, in which the slag increased leaching. A sequential leaching procedure was utilized to gain a deeper understanding of the immobilisation mechanism. By using a sequential leaching procedure it is possible fractionate elements into watersoluble, acid-soluble, easily-reduced and oxidisable fractions, yielding a total 'bioavailable' amount that is potentially hazardous for the environment. It was found that the total bioavailable amount was lower following alkali activation for all heavy metals, although the water-soluble fraction was higher for some metals. Evidence from leaching tests suggests the immobilisation mechanism was chemical retention, or trapping inside the alkali activation reaction products, rather than physical retention, adsorption or precipitation as hydroxides. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preparation of novel film-forming armoured latexes using silica nanoparticles as a pickering emulsion stabiliser.

PubMed

Shiraz, Hana; Peake, Simon J; Davey, Tim; Cameron, Neil R; Tabor, Rico F

2018-05-15

Film-forming polymer latex particles of diameter <300 nm can be prepared in the complete absence of surfactants, stabilised in part by silica nanoparticles through a Pickering type emulsion polymerisation. Control of the silica wettability through modulation of reaction pH or by reaction of the nanoparticles with a hydrophobic silane results in silica-covered latex particles. The oil-in-water polymerisation process used methyl methacrylate (MMA) and n-butyl acrylate (BA) as co-monomers, potassium persulphate (KPS) as an initiator and a commercially available colloidal nano-silica (Ludox®-TM40). It was found that pH control before polymerisation using methacrylic acid (MAA) facilitated the formation of armoured latexes, and mechanistic features of this process are discussed. An alternative, more robust protocol was developed whereby addition of vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES) to control wettability resulted in latexes completely armoured in colloidal nano-silica. The latexes were characterised using SEM, cryo-TEM and AFM imaging techniques. The mechanism behind the adsorption was investigated through surface pressure and contact angle measurements to understand the factors that influence this irreversible adsorption. Results indicate that nanoparticle attachment (but intriguingly not latex size) is dependent on particle wettability, providing new insight into the formation of nanoparticle-armoured latexes, along with opportunities for further development of diversely functionalized inorganic/organic polymer composite particles. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical cell utilizing molten alkali metal electrode-reactant

DOEpatents

Virkar, Anil V.; Miller, Gerald R.

1983-11-04

An improved electrochemical cell comprising an additive-modified molten alkali metal electrode-reactant and/or electrolyte is disclosed. Various electrochemical cells employing a molten alkali metal, e.g., sodium, electrode in contact with a cationically conductive ceramic membrane experience a lower resistance and a lower temperature coefficient of resistance whenever small amounts of selenium are present at the interface of the electrolyte and the molten alkali metal. Further, cells having small amounts of selenium present at the electrolyte-molten metal interface exhibit less degradation of the electrolyte under long term cycling conditions.

Identification and binding mechanism of phage displayed peptides with specific affinity to acid-alkali treated titanium.

PubMed