particle size solution: Topics by Science.gov

Sample records for particle size solution

Coagulation algorithms with size binning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Statton, David M.; Gans, Jason; Williams, Eric

1994-01-01

The Smoluchowski equation describes the time evolution of an aerosol particle size distribution due to aggregation or coagulation. Any algorithm for computerized solution of this equation requires a scheme for describing the continuum of aerosol particle sizes as a discrete set. One standard form of the Smoluchowski equation accomplishes this by restricting the particle sizes to integer multiples of a basic unit particle size (the monomer size). This can be inefficient when particle concentrations over a large range of particle sizes must be calculated. Two algorithms employing a geometric size binning convention are examined: the first assumes that the aerosol particle concentration as a function of size can be considered constant within each size bin; the second approximates the concentration as a linear function of particle size within each size bin. The output of each algorithm is compared to an analytical solution in a special case of the Smoluchowski equation for which an exact solution is known . The range of parameters more appropriate for each algorithm is examined.
Effect of solvent type on the nanoparticle formation of atorvastatin calcium by the supercritical antisolvent process.

PubMed

Kim, Min-Soo; Song, Ha-Seung; Park, Hee Jun; Hwang, Sung-Joo

2012-01-01

The aims of this study were to identify how the solvent selection affects particle formation and to examine the effect of the initial drug solution concentration on mean particle size and particle size distribution in the supercritical antisolvent (SAS) process. Amorphous atorvastatin calcium was precipitated from seven different solvents using the SAS process. Particles with mean particle size ranging between 62.6 and 1493.7 nm were obtained by varying organic solvent type and solution concentration. By changing the solvent, we observed large variations in particle size and particle size distribution, accompanied by different particle morphologies. Particles obtained from acetone and tetrahydrofuran (THF) were compact and spherical fine particles, whereas those from N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) were agglomerated, with rough surfaces and relatively larger particle sizes. Interestingly, the mean particle size of atorvastatin calcium increased with an increase in the boiling point of the organic solvent used. Thus, for atorvastatin particle formation via the SAS process, particle size was determined mainly by evaporation of the organic solvent into the antisolvent phase. In addition, the mean particle size was increased with increasing drug solution concentration. In this study, from the aspects of particle size and solvent toxicity, acetone was the better organic solvent for controlling nanoparticle formation of atorvastatin calcium.
Study on effect of microparticle's size on cavitation erosion in solid-liquid system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Haosheng; Liu, Shihan; Wang, Jiadao; Chen, Darong

2007-05-01

Five different solutions containing microparticles in different sizes were tested in a vibration cavitation erosion experiment. After the experiment, the number of erosion pits on sample surfaces, free radicals HO• in solutions, and mass loss all show that the cavitation erosion strength is strongly related to the particle size, and 500nm particles cause more severe cavitation erosion than other smaller or larger particles do. A model is presented to explain such result considering both nucleation and bubble-particle collision effects. Particle of a proper size will increase the number of heterogeneous nucleation and at the same time reduce the number of bubble-particle combinations, which results in more free bubbles in the solution to generate stronger cavitation erosion.
Study of poly(L-lactide) microparticles based on supercritical CO2.

PubMed

Chen, Ai-Zheng; Pu, Xi-Ming; Kang, Yun-Qing; Liao, Li; Yao, Ya-Dong; Yin, Guang-Fu

2007-12-01

Poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) microparticles were prepared in supercritical anti-solvent process. The effects of several key factors on surface morphology, and particle size and particle size distribution were investigated. These factors included initial drops size, saturation ratio of PLLA solution, pressure, temperature, concentration of the organic solution, the flow rate of the solution and molecular weight of PLLA. The results indicated that the saturation ratio of PLLA solution, concentration of the organic solution and flow rate of the solution played important roles on the properties of products. Various microparticles with the mean particle size ranging from 0.64 to 6.64 microm, could be prepared by adjusting the operational parameters. Fine microparticles were obtained in a process namely solution-enhanced dispersion by supercritical fluids (SEDS) process with dichloromethane/acetone mixture as solution.
Identification of critical process variables affecting particle size following precipitation using a supercritical fluid.

PubMed

Sacha, Gregory A; Schmitt, William J; Nail, Steven L

2006-01-01

The critical processing parameters affecting average particle size, particle size distribution, yield, and level of residual carrier solvent using the supercritical anti-solvent method (SAS) were identified. Carbon dioxide was used as the supercritical fluid. Methylprednisolone acetate was used as the model solute in tetrahydrofuran. Parameters examined included pressure of the supercritical fluid, agitation rate, feed solution flow rate, impeller diameter, and nozzle design. Pressure was identified as the most important process parameter affecting average particle size, either through the effect of pressure on dispersion of the feed solution into the precipitation vessel or through the effect of pressure on solubility of drug in the CO2/organic solvent mixture. Agitation rate, impeller diameter, feed solution flow rate, and nozzle design had significant effects on particle size, which suggests that dispersion of the feed solution is important. Crimped HPLC tubing was the most effective method of introducing feed solution into the precipitation vessel, largely because it resulted in the least amount of clogging during the precipitation. Yields of 82% or greater were consistently produced and were not affected by the processing variables. Similarly, the level of residual solvent was independent of the processing variables and was present at 0.0002% wt/wt THF or less.
Development of an ejecta particle size measurement diagnostic based on Mie scattering

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

Schauer, Martin Michael; Buttler, William Tillman; Frayer, Daniel K.

The goal of this work is to determine the feasibility of extracting the size of particles ejected from shocked metal surfaces (ejecta) from the angular distribution of light scattered by a cloud of such particles. The basis of the technique is the Mie theory of scattering, and implicit in this approach are the assumptions that the scattering particles are spherical and that single scattering conditions prevail. The meaning of this latter assumption, as far as experimental conditions are concerned, will become clear later. The solution to Maxwell’s equations for spherical particles illuminated by a plane electromagnetic wave was derived bymore » Gustav Mie more than 100 years ago, but several modern treatises discuss this solution in great detail. The solution is a complicated series expansion of the scattered electric field, as well as the field within the particle, from which the total scattering and absorption cross sections as well as the angular distribution of scattered intensity can be calculated numerically. The detailed nature of the scattering is determined by the complex index of refraction of the particle material as well as the particle size parameter, x, which is the product of the wavenumber of the incident light and the particle radius, i.e. x = 2rπ= λ. Figure 1 shows the angular distribution of scattered light for different particle size parameters and two orthogonal incident light polarizations as calculated using the Mie solution. It is obvious that the scattering pattern is strongly dependent on the particle size parameter, becoming more forward-directed and less polarizationdependent as the particle size parameter increases. This trend forms the basis for the diagnostic design.« less
Metal release from stainless steel particles in vitro-influence of particle size.

PubMed

Midander, K; Pan, J; Wallinder, I Odnevall; Leygraf, C

2007-01-01

Human inhalation of airborne metallic particles is important for health risk assessment. To study interactions between metallic particles and the human body, metal release measurements of stainless steel powder particles were performed in two synthetic biological media simulating lung-like environments. Particle size and media strongly influence the metal release process. The release rate of Fe is enhanced compared with Cr and Ni. In artificial lysosomal fluid (ALF, pH 4.5), the accumulated amounts of released metal per particle loading increase drastically with decreasing particle size. The release rate of Fe per unit surface area increases with decreasing particle size. Compared with massive sheet metal, fine powder particles (<4 microm) show similar release rates of Cr and Ni, but a higher release rate of Fe. Release rates in Gamble's solution (pH 7.4), for all powders investigated, are significantly lower compared to ALF. No clear trend is seen related to particle size in Gamble's solution.
[Influence of wall polymer and preparation process on the particle size and encapsulation of hemoglobin microcapsules].

PubMed

Qiu, Wei; Ma, Guang-Hui; Meng, Fan-Tao; Su, Zhi-Guo

2004-03-01

Methoxypoly (ethylene glycol)- block-poly (DL-lactide) (PELA) microcapsules containing bovine hemoglobin (BHb) were prepared by a W/O/W double emulsion-solvent diffusion process. The P50 and Hill coeffcient were 3466 Pa and 2.4 respectively, which were near to the natural bioactivity of bovine hemoglobin. The results suggested that polymer composition had significant influence on encapsulation efficiency and particle size of microcapsules. The encapsulation efficiency could reach 90% and the particle size 3 - 5 microm when the PELA copolymer containing MPEG 2000 block was used. The encapsulation efficiency and particle size increased with the concentration of PELA. Increasing the concentrations of NaCl in outer aqueous solution resulted in the increase of encapsulation efficiency and the decrease of particle size. As the concentration of stabilizer in outer aqueous solution increased in the range of 10 g/L to 20 g/L, the particle size reduced while encapsulation efficiency was increased, further increase of the stabilizer concentration would decrease encapsulation efficiency. Increasing of primary emulsion stirring rate was advantageous to the improvement of encapsulation efficiency though it had little influence on the particle size. The influence of re-emulsion stirring rate was complicated, which was not apparent in the case of large volume of re-emulsion solution. When the wall polymer and primary emulsion stirring rate were fixed, the encapsulation efficiency decreased as the particle size reduced.
The preparation of uranium-adsorbed silica particles as a reference material for the fission track analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Y. J.; Lee, M. H.; Pyo, H. Y.; Kim, H. A.; Sohn, S. C.; Jee, K. Y.; Kim, W. H.

2005-06-01

Uranium-adsorbed silica particles were prepared as a reference material for the fission track analysis (FTA) of swipe samples. A modified instrumental setup for particle generation, based on a commercial vibrating orifice aerosol generator to produce various sizes of droplets from a SiO 2 solution, is described. The droplets were transferred into a weak acidic solution bath to produce spherical solid silica particles. The classification of the silica particles in the range from 5 to 20 μm was carried out by the gravitational sedimentation method. The size distribution and morphology of the classified silica particles were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The physicochemical properties of the classified silica particles such as the surface area, pore size and pore volume were measured. After an adsorption of 5% 235U on the silica particles in a solution adjusted to pH 4.5, the uranium-adsorbed silica particles were calcined up to 950 °C in a furnace to fix the uranium strongly onto the silica particles. The various sizes of uranium-adsorbed silica particles were applied to the FTA for use as a reference material.
Preparation of chitosan/tripolyphosphate nanoparticles with highly tunable size and low polydispersity.

PubMed

Sawtarie, Nader; Cai, Yuhang; Lapitsky, Yakov

2017-09-01

Nanoparticles prepared through the ionotropic gelation of chitosan with tripolyphosphate (TPP) have been extensively studied as vehicles for drug and gene delivery. Though a number of these works have focused on preparing particles with narrow size distributions, the monodisperse particles produced by these methods have been limited to narrow size ranges (where the average particle size was not varied by more than twofold). Here we show how, by tuning the NaCl concentration in the parent chitosan and TPP solutions, low-polydispersity particles with z-average diameters ranging between roughly 100 and 900nm can be prepared. Further, we explore how the size of these particles depends on the method by which the TPP is mixed into the chitosan solution, specifically comparing: (1) single-shot mixing; (2) dropwise addition; and (3) a dilution technique, where chitosan and TPP are codissolved at a high (gelation-inhibiting) ionic strength and then diluted to lower ionic strengths to trigger gelation. Though the particle size increases sigmoidally with the NaCl concentration for all three mixing methods, the dilution method delivers the most uniform/gradual size increase - i.e., it provides the most precise control. Also investigated are the effects of mixture composition and mixing procedure on the particle yield. These reveal the particle yield to increase with the chitosan/TPP concentration, decrease with the NaCl concentration, and vary only weakly with the mixing protocol; thus, at elevated NaCl concentrations, it may be beneficial to increase chitosan and TPP concentrations to ensure high particle yields. Finally, possible pitfalls of the salt-assisted size control strategy (and their solutions) are discussed. Taken together, these findings provide a simple and reliable method for extensively tuning chitosan/TPP particle size while maintaining narrow size distributions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Magnetic agglomeration method for size control in the synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles

DOEpatents

Huber, Dale L [Albuquerque, NM

2011-07-05

A method for controlling the size of chemically synthesized magnetic nanoparticles that employs magnetic interaction between particles to control particle size and does not rely on conventional kinetic control of the reaction to control particle size. The particles are caused to reversibly agglomerate and precipitate from solution; the size at which this occurs can be well controlled to provide a very narrow particle size distribution. The size of particles is controllable by the size of the surfactant employed in the process; controlling the size of the surfactant allows magnetic control of the agglomeration and precipitation processes. Agglomeration is used to effectively stop particle growth to provide a very narrow range of particle sizes.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Apaydin, Ramazan Oguzhan; Ebin, Burcak; Gurmen, Sebahattin

Copper-Nickel (CuNi) nanostructured alloy particles were produced by Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis and Hydrogen Reduction Method (USP-HR) from high purity copper and nickel nitrate aqueous solutions. The effect of the precursor solution in the range of 0.1 and 0.5 mol/L on the morphology and crystallite size of CuNi nanoparticles were investigated under 2 h running time, 700 °C operating temperature and 0.5 L/min H{sub 2} flow rate. Particle size, morphology, composition and crystallite structure were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). Particle characterization studies show that nanostructured alloy particles have cubic crystal structuremore » and they are in submicron size range with spherical morphology. The crystallite sizes of the particles calculated with Scherrer formula are 40 and 34 nm and average particles sizes observed from the SEM images are 300 and 510 nm for each experiment respectively.« less
Fabrication of quantum dot/silica core-shell particles immobilizing Au nanoparticles and their dual imaging functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, Yoshio; Matsudo, Hiromu; Li, Ting-ting; Shibuya, Kyosuke; Kubota, Yohsuke; Oikawa, Takahiro; Nakagawa, Tomohiko; Gonda, Kohsuke

2016-03-01

The present work proposes preparation methods for quantum dot/silica (QD/SiO2) core-shell particles that immobilize Au nanoparticles (QD/SiO2/Au). A colloid solution of QD/SiO2 core-shell particles with an average size of 47.0 ± 6.1 nm was prepared by a sol-gel reaction of tetraethyl orthosilicate in the presence of the QDs with an average size of 10.3 ± 2.1 nm. A colloid solution of Au nanoparticles with an average size of 17.9 ± 1.3 nm was prepared by reducing Au3+ ions with sodium citrate in water at 80 °C. Introduction of amino groups to QD/SiO2 particle surfaces was performed using (3-aminopropyl)-triethoxysilane (QD/SiO2-NH2). The QD/SiO2/Au particles were fabricated by mixing the Au particle colloid solution and the QD/SiO2-NH2 particle colloid solution. Values of radiant efficiency and computed tomography for the QD/SiO2/Au particle colloid solution were 2.23 × 107 (p/s/cm2/sr)/(μW/cm2) at a QD concentration of 8 × 10-7 M and 1180 ± 314 Hounsfield units and an Au concentration of 5.4 × 10-2 M. The QD/SiO2/Au particle colloid solution was injected into a mouse chest wall. Fluorescence emitted from the colloid solution could be detected on the skin covering the chest wall. The colloid solution could also be X-ray-imaged in the chest wall. Consequently, the QD/SiO2/Au particle colloid solution was found to have dual functions, i.e., fluorescence emission and X-ray absorption in vivo, which makes the colloid solution suitable to function as a contrast agent for dual imaging processes.
Quantitative Correlation between Viscosity of Concentrated MAb Solutions and Particle Size Parameters Obtained from Small-Angle X-ray Scattering.

PubMed

Fukuda, Masakazu; Moriyama, Chifumi; Yamazaki, Tadao; Imaeda, Yoshimi; Koga, Akiko

2015-12-01

To investigate the relationship between viscosity of concentrated MAb solutions and particle size parameters obtained from small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The viscosity of three MAb solutions (MAb1, MAb2, and MAb3; 40-200 mg/mL) was measured by electromagnetically spinning viscometer. The protein interactions of MAb solutions (at 60 mg/mL) was evaluated by SAXS. The phase behavior of 60 mg/mL MAb solutions in a low-salt buffer was observed after 1 week storage at 25°C. The MAb1 solutions exhibited the highest viscosity among the three MAbs in the buffer containing 50 mM NaCl. Viscosity of MAb1 solutions decreased with increasing temperature, increasing salt concentration, and addition of amino acids. Viscosity of MAb1 solutions was lowest in the buffer containing histidine, arginine, and aspartic acid. Particle size parameters obtained from SAXS measurements correlated very well with the viscosity of MAb solutions at 200 mg/mL. MAb1 exhibited liquid-liquid phase separation at a low salt concentration. Simultaneous addition of basic and acidic amino acids effectively suppressed intermolecular attractive interactions and decreased viscosity of MAb1 solutions. SAXS can be performed using a small volume of samples; therefore, the particle size parameters obtained from SAXS at intermediate protein concentration could be used to screen for low viscosity antibodies in the early development stage.
A hybrid binary particle swarm optimization for large capacitated multi item multi level lot sizing (CMIMLLS) problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, S. K.; Sahithi, V. V. D.; Rao, C. S. P.

2016-09-01

The lot sizing problem deals with finding optimal order quantities which minimizes the ordering and holding cost of product mix. when multiple items at multiple levels with all capacity restrictions are considered, the lot sizing problem become NP hard. Many heuristics were developed in the past have inevitably failed due to size, computational complexity and time. However the authors were successful in the development of PSO based technique namely iterative improvement binary particles swarm technique to address very large capacitated multi-item multi level lot sizing (CMIMLLS) problem. First binary particle Swarm Optimization algorithm is used to find a solution in a reasonable time and iterative improvement local search mechanism is employed to improvise the solution obtained by BPSO algorithm. This hybrid mechanism of using local search on the global solution is found to improve the quality of solutions with respect to time thus IIBPSO method is found best and show excellent results.
Electrosynthesis and characterization of zinc tungstate nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahimi-Nasrabadi, Mehdi; Pourmortazavi, Seied Mahdi; Ganjali, Mohammad Reza; Hajimirsadeghi, Seiedeh Somayyeh; Zahedi, Mir Mahdi

2013-09-01

Zinc tungstate nanoparticles with different sizes are produced through an electrolysis process including a zinc plate anode in sodium tungstate solution. The shape and size of the product was found to be controlled by varying reaction parameters such as electrolysis voltage, stirring rate of electrolyte solution and temperature. The morphological (SEM) characterization analysis was performed on the product and UV-Vis spectrophotometry and FT-IR spectroscopy was utilized to characterize the electrodeposited nanoparticles. Study of the particle size of the product versus the electrolysis voltage showed that, increasing the voltage from 4 to 8 V, led to the particle size of zinc tungstate to decrease, but further increasing the voltage from 8 to 12 V, the particle size of the produced particles increased. The size and shape of the product was also found to be dependent on the stirring rate and temperature of the electrolyte solution. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FT-IR spectroscopy, and photoluminescence, were used to study the structure as well as composition of the nano-material prepared under optimum conditions.
General solution for diffusion-controlled dissolution of spherical particles. 1. Theory.

PubMed

Wang, J; Flanagan, D R

1999-07-01

Three classical particle dissolution rate expressions are commonly used to interpret particle dissolution rate phenomena. Our analysis shows that an assumption used in the derivation of the traditional cube-root law may not be accurate under all conditions for diffusion-controlled particle dissolution. Mathematical analysis shows that the three classical particle dissolution rate expressions are approximate solutions to a general diffusion layer model. The cube-root law is most appropriate when particle size is much larger than the diffusion layer thickness, the two-thirds-root expression applies when the particle size is much smaller than the diffusion layer thickness. The square-root expression is intermediate between these two models. A general solution to the diffusion layer model for monodispersed spherical particles dissolution was derived for sink and nonsink conditions. Constant diffusion layer thickness was assumed in the derivation. Simulated dissolution data showed that the ratio between particle size and diffusion layer thickness (a0/h) is an important factor in controlling the shape of particle dissolution profiles. A new semiempirical general particle dissolution equation is also discussed which encompasses the three classical particle dissolution expressions. The success of the general equation in explaining limitations of traditional particle dissolution expressions demonstrates the usefulness of the general diffusion layer model.
Effect of precursor concentration and spray pyrolysis temperature upon hydroxyapatite particle size and density.

PubMed

Cho, Jung Sang; Lee, Jeong-Cheol; Rhee, Sang-Hoon

2016-02-01

In the synthesis of hydroxyapatite powders by spray pyrolysis, control of the particle size was investigated by varying the initial concentration of the precursor solution and the pyrolysis temperature. Calcium phosphate solutions (Ca/P ratio of 1.67) with a range of concentrations from 0.1 to 2.0 mol/L were prepared by dissolving calcium nitrate tetrahydrate and diammonium hydrogen phosphate in deionized water and subsequently adding nitric acid. Hydroxyapatite powders were then synthesized by spray pyrolysis at 900°C and at 1500°C, using these calcium phosphate precursor solutions, under the fixed carrier gas flow rate of 10 L/min. The particle size decreased as the precursor concentration decreased and the spray pyrolysis temperature increased. Sinterability tests conducted at 1100°C for 1 h showed that the smaller and denser the particles were, the higher the relative densities were of sintered hydroxyapatite disks formed from these particles. The practical implication of these results is that highly sinterable small and dense hydroxyapatite particles can be synthesized by means of spray pyrolysis using a low-concentration precursor solution and a high pyrolysis temperature under a fixed carrier gas flow rate. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Synthesis of finely divided molybdenum sulfide nanoparticles in propylene carbonate solution

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

Afanasiev, Pavel, E-mail: pavel.afanasiev@ircelyon.univ-lyon1.fr

2014-05-01

Molybdenum sulfide nanoparticles have been prepared from the reflux solution reaction involving ammonium heptamolybdate and elemental sulfur in propylene carbonate. Addition to the reaction mixture of starch as a natural capping agent leads to lesser agglomeration and smaller size of the particles. Nanoparticles of MoS{sub x} (x≈4) of 10–30 nm size are highly divided and form stable colloidal suspensions in organic solvents. Mo K edge EXAFS of the amorphous materials shows rapid exchange of oxygen to sulfur in the molybdenum coordination sphere during the solution reaction. Thermal treatment of the amorphous sulfides MoS{sub x} under nitrogen or hydrogen flow atmore » 400 °C allows obtaining mesoporous MoS{sub 2} materials with very high pore volume and specific surface area, up to 0.45 cm{sup 3}/g and 190 m{sup 2}/g, respectively. The new materials show good potential for the application as unsupported hydrotreating catalysts. - Graphical abstract: Solution reaction in propylene carbonate allows preparing weakly agglomerated molybdenum sulfide with particle size 20 nm and advantageous catalytic properties. - Highlights: • Solution reaction in propylene carbonate yields MoS{sub x} particles near 20 nm size. • Addition of starch as capping agent reduces particles size and hinder agglomeration. • EXAFS at Mo K edge shows rapid oxygen to sulfur exchange in the solution. • Thermal treatment leads to MoS{sub 2} with very high porosity and surface area.« less
Synthesis, characterization, and hydrogen uptake studies of magnesium nanoparticles by solution reduction method

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

Rather, Sami ullah, E-mail: rathersami@gmail.com

2014-12-15

Graphical abstract: X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of magnesium nanoparticles synthesized by solution reduction method with and without TOPO. - Highlights: • Simple and convenient method of preparing Mg nanoparticles. • Characterized by XRD, SEM, FESEM and TEM. • Trioctylphosphine oxide offers a greater control over the size of the particles. • Hydrogen uptake of samples at different temperatures and pressure of 4.5 MPa. - Abstract: Facile and simple, surfactant-mediated solution reduction method was used to synthesize monodisperse magnesium nanoparticles. Little amount of magnesium oxide nanoparticles were also formed due to the presence of TOPO and easy oxidation of magnesium, eventhough,more » all precautions were taken to avoid oxidation of the sample. Precise size control of particles was achieved by carefully varying the concentration ratio of two different types of surfactants, – trioctylphosphine oxide and hexadecylamine. Recrystallized magnesium nanoparticle samples with and without TOPO were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, field emission scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscope. The peak diameters of particles were estimated from size distribution analysis of the morphological data. The particles synthesized in the presence and absence of TOPO found to have diameters 46.5 and 34.8 nm, respectively. This observed dependence of particle size on the presence of TOPO offers a convenient method to control the particle size by simply using appropriate surfactant concentrations. Exceptional enhancement in hydrogen uptake and kinetics in synthesized magnesium nanoparticles as compared to commercial magnesium sample was due to the smaller particle size and improved morphology. Overall hydrogen uptake not affected by the little variation in particle size with and without TOPO.« less

Method for removing metal ions from solution with titanate sorbents

DOEpatents

Lundquist, Susan H.; White, Lloyd R.

1999-01-01

A method for removing metal ions from solution comprises the steps of providing titanate particles by spray-drying a solution or slurry comprising sorbent titanates having a particle size up to 20 micrometers, optionally in the presence of polymer free of cellulose functionality as binder, said sorbent being active towards heavy metals from Periodic Table (CAS version) Groups IA, IIA, IB, IIB, IIIB, and VIII, to provide monodisperse, substantially spherical particles in a yield of at least 70 percent of theoretical yield and having a particle size distribution in the range of 1 to 500 micrometers. The particles can be used free flowing in columns or beds, or entrapped in a nonwoven, fibrous web or matrix or a cast porous membrane, to selectively remove metal ions from aqueous or organic liquid.
Direct Deposition of Gas Phase Generated Aerosol Gold Nanoparticles into Biological Fluids - Corona Formation and Particle Size Shifts

PubMed Central

Svensson, Christian R.; Messing, Maria E.; Lundqvist, Martin; Schollin, Alexander; Deppert, Knut; Pagels, Joakim H.; Rissler, Jenny; Cedervall, Tommy

2013-01-01

An ongoing discussion whether traditional toxicological methods are sufficient to evaluate the risks associated with nanoparticle inhalation has led to the emergence of Air-Liquid interface toxicology. As a step in this process, this study explores the evolution of particle characteristics as they move from the airborne state into physiological solution. Airborne gold nanoparticles (AuNP) are generated using an evaporation-condensation technique. Spherical and agglomerate AuNPs are deposited into physiological solutions of increasing biological complexity. The AuNP size is characterized in air as mobility diameter and in liquid as hydrodynamic diameter. AuNP:Protein aggregation in physiological solutions is determined using dynamic light scattering, particle tracking analysis, and UV absorption spectroscopy. AuNPs deposited into homocysteine buffer form large gold-aggregates. Spherical AuNPs deposited in solutions of albumin were trapped at the Air-Liquid interface but was readily suspended in the solutions with a size close to that of the airborne particles, indicating that AuNP:Protein complex formation is promoted. Deposition into serum and lung fluid resulted in larger complexes, reflecting the formation of a more complex protein corona. UV absorption spectroscopy indicated no further aggregation of the AuNPs after deposition in solution. The corona of the deposited AuNPs shows differences compared to AuNPs generated in suspension. Deposition of AuNPs from the aerosol phase into biological fluids offers a method to study the protein corona formed, upon inhalation and deposition in the lungs in a more realistic way compared to particle liquid suspensions. This is important since the protein corona together with key particle properties (e.g. size, shape and surface reactivity) to a large extent may determine the nanoparticle effects and possible translocation to other organs. PMID:24086363
Convergence of the Bouguer-Beer law for radiation extinction in particulate media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frankel, A.; Iaccarino, G.; Mani, A.

2016-10-01

Radiation transport in particulate media is a common physical phenomenon in natural and industrial processes. Developing predictive models of these processes requires a detailed model of the interaction between the radiation and the particles. Resolving the interaction between the radiation and the individual particles in a very large system is impractical, whereas continuum-based representations of the particle field lend themselves to efficient numerical techniques based on the solution of the radiative transfer equation. We investigate radiation transport through discrete and continuum-based representations of a particle field. Exact solutions for radiation extinction are developed using a Monte Carlo model in different particle distributions. The particle distributions are then projected onto a concentration field with varying grid sizes, and the Bouguer-Beer law is applied by marching across the grid. We show that the continuum-based solution approaches the Monte Carlo solution under grid refinement, but quickly diverges as the grid size approaches the particle diameter. This divergence is attributed to the homogenization error of an individual particle across a whole grid cell. We remark that the concentration energy spectrum of a point-particle field does not approach zero, and thus the concentration variance must also diverge under infinite grid refinement, meaning that no grid-converged solution of the radiation transport is possible.
Effect of particle size on band gap and DC electrical conductivity of TiO2 nanomaterial

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avinash, B. S.; Chaturmukha, V. S.; Jayanna, H. S.; Naveen, C. S.; Rajeeva, M. P.; Harish, B. M.; Suresh, S.; Lamani, Ashok R.

2016-05-01

Materials reduced to the Nano scale can exhibit different properties compared to what they exhibit on a micro scale, enabling unique applications. When TiO2 is reduced to Nano scale it shows unique properties, of which the electrical aspect is highly important. This paper presents increase in the energy gap and decrease in conductivity with decrease in particle size of pure Nano TiO2 synthesized by hydrolysis and peptization of titanium isopropoxide. Aqueous solution with various pH and peptizing the resultant suspension will form Nano TiO2 at different particle sizes. As the pH of the solution is made acidic reduction in the particle size is observed. And it is confirmed from XRD using Scherer formula and SEM, as prepared samples are studied for UV absorbance, and DC conductivity from room temperature to 400°C. From the tauc plot it was observed, and calculated the energy band gap increases as the particle size decreases and shown TiO2 is direct band gap. From Arrhenius plot clearly we encountered, decrease in the conductivity for the decrease in particle size due to hopping of charge carriers and it is evident that, we can tailor the band gap by varying particle size.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dabbs, Daniel M.; Ramachandran, Usha; Lu, Sang

Citric acid has been shown to act as an agent for increasing the solubility of aluminum oxyhydroxides in aqueous solutions of high (>2.47 mol/mol) hydroxide-to-aluminum ratios. Conversely, citric acid also colloidally stabilizes particles in aqueous suspensions of aluminum-containing particles. Solutions of aluminum chloride, with and without citric acid added, were titrated with NaO(aq). The presence and size of particles were determined using quasi-elastic light scattering. In solutions that contained no citric acid, particles formed instantaneously when NaOH(aq) was added but these were observed to rapidly diminish in size, disappearing at OH/Al ratios below 2.5 mol/mol. When the OH/Al ratio wasmore » raised beyond 2.5 by addingmoreNaOH(aq), suspensions of colloidally stable particles formed. Large polycations containing 13 aluminum atoms were detected by 27Al solution NMR in citric-acid-free solutions with OH/Al ratios slightly lower than 2.5. In comparison, adding citric acid to solutions of aluminum chloride inhibited the formation of large aluminum-containing polycations. The absence of the polycations prevents or retards the subsequent formation of particles, indicating that the polycations, when present, act as seeds to the formation of new particles. Particles did not form in solutions with a citric acid/aluminum ratio of 0.8 until sufficient NaOH(aq) was added to raise the OH/Al ratio to 3.29. By comparison, lower amounts of citric acid did not prevent particles from forming but did retard the rate of growth.« less
The influence of initial atomized droplet size on residual particle size from pressurized metered dose inhalers.

PubMed

Sheth, Poonam; Stein, Stephen W; Myrdal, Paul B

2013-10-15

Pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDIs) are widely used for the treatment of diseases of the lung, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The mass median aerodynamic diameter of the residual particles (MMADR) delivered from a pMDI plays a key role in determining the amount and location of drug deposition in the lung and thereby the efficacy of the inhaler. The mass median diameter of the initial droplets (MMDI), upon atomization of a formulation, is a significant factor influencing the final particle size. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent that MMDI and initial droplet geometric standard deviation (GSD) influence the residual aerodynamic particle size distribution (APSDR) of solution and suspension formulations. From 48 solution pMDI configurations with varying ethanol concentrations, valve sizes and actuator orifice diameters, it was experimentally found that the effective MMDI ranged from 7.8 to 13.3 μm. Subsequently, computational methods were utilized to determine the influence of MMDI on MMADR, by modulating the MMDI for solution and suspension pMDIs. For solution HFA-134a formulations of 0.5% drug in 10% ethanol, varying the MMDI from 7.5 to 13.5 μm increased the MMADR from 1.4 to 2.5 μm. For a suspension formulation with a representative particle size distribution of micronized drug (MMAD=2.5 μm, GSD=1.8), the same increase in MMDI resulted in an increase in the MMADR from 2.7 to only 3.3 μm. Hence, the same increase in MMDI resulted in a 79% increase in MMADR for the solution formulation compared to only a 22% increase for the suspension formulation. Similar trends were obtained for a range of drug concentrations and input micronized drug sizes. Thus, APSDR is more sensitive to changes in MMDI for solution formulations than suspension formulations; however, there are situations in which hypothetically small micronized drug in suspension (e.g. 500 nm MMAD) could resemble trends observed for solution formulations. Furthermore, the relationship between APSDR and drug concentration and MMDI is predictable for solution pMDIs, but this is not as straightforward for suspension formulations. In addition, the MMADR was relatively insensitive to changes in initial droplet GSD (from 1.6 to 2.0) and the solution and suspension pMDI residual particle GSDs were essentially identical to the initial droplet GSDs. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Solution of reduced graphene oxide synthesized from coconut shells and its optical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mas'udah, Kusuma Wardhani; Nugraha, I. Made Ananta; Abidin, Saiful; Mufid, Ali; Astuti, Fahmi; Darminto

2016-04-01

Reduced graphene oxide (r-GO)powder has been prepared from coconut shells by carbonization process at 400°C for 3, 4 and 5 hours.Theresulted sample mass was reduced to be 60% relativelycompared to the starting material. The longer heating duration has also led to the rGO with reduced crystalinity according to the X-ray diffractometry data and TEM. The rGO solution was prepared by adding powders of 5, 10 and 15 grams into 50 ml destiled water and then centrifused at 6000 rpm for 30 minutes.The resulted solutions were seen to be varied form clear transparant, light and dark yellow to black. Measurement using particle size analyser shows that the individual rGO particles tends to be agglomerating each others to form bigger size clustering, manifested by the observed bigger size particles for the increasing amount of soluted rGO powders in water.The varying UV-visible spectra of these rGO solutions together with their optical bandgaps will also be discussed in this study.
Structural Characterization of IgG1 mAb Aggregates and Particles Generated under Various Stress Conditions

PubMed Central

Telikepalli, Srivalli N.; Kumru, Ozan S.; Kalonia, Cavan; Esfandiary, Reza; Joshi, Sangeeta B.; Middaugh, C. Russell; Volkin, David B.

2014-01-01

IgG1 mAb solutions were prepared with and without sodium chloride and subjected to different environmental stresses. Formation of aggregates and particles of varying size was monitored by a combination of size exclusion chromatography (SEC), Nanosight Tracking Analysis (NTA), Micro-flow Imaging (MFI), turbidity, and visual assessments. Stirring and heating induced the highest concentration of particles. In general, the presence of NaCl enhanced this effect. The morphology of the particles formed from mAb samples exposed to different stresses was analyzed from TEM and MFI images. Shaking samples without NaCl generated the most fibrillar particles, while stirring created largely spherical particles. The composition of the particles was evaluated for covalent cross-linking by SDS-PAGE, overall secondary structure by FTIR microscopy, and surface apolarity by extrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy. Freeze-thaw and shaking led to particles containing protein with native-like secondary structure. Heating and stirring produced IgG1 containing aggregates and particles with some non-native disulfide crosslinks, varying levels of intermolecular beta sheet content, and increased surface hydrophobicity. These results highlight the importance of evaluating protein particle morphology and composition, in addition to particle number and size distributions, to better understand the effect of solution conditions and environmental stresses on the formation of protein particles in mAb solutions. PMID:24452866
Structural characterization of IgG1 mAb aggregates and particles generated under various stress conditions.

PubMed

Telikepalli, Srivalli N; Kumru, Ozan S; Kalonia, Cavan; Esfandiary, Reza; Joshi, Sangeeta B; Middaugh, C Russell; Volkin, David B

2014-03-01

IgG1 mAb solutions were prepared with and without sodium chloride and subjected to different environmental stresses. Formation of aggregates and particles of varying size was monitored by a combination of size-exclusion chromatography, Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis, Micro-flow Imaging (MFI), turbidity, and visual assessments. Stirring and heating induced the highest concentration of particles. In general, the presence of NaCl enhanced this effect. The morphology of the particles formed from mAb samples exposed to different stresses was analyzed from transmission electron microscopy and MFI images. Shaking samples without NaCl generated the most fibrillar particles, whereas stirring created largely spherical particles. The composition of the particles was evaluated for covalent cross-linking by SDS-PAGE, overall secondary structure by FTIR microscopy, and surface apolarity by extrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy. Freeze-thaw and shaking led to particles containing protein with native-like secondary structure. Heating and stirring produced IgG1-containing aggregates and particles with some non-native disulfide cross-links, varying levels of intermolecular beta sheet content, and increased surface hydrophobicity. These results highlight the importance of evaluating protein particle morphology and composition, in addition to particle number and size distributions, to better understand the effect of solution conditions and environmental stresses on the formation of protein particles in mAb solutions. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.
Method for producing size selected particles

DOEpatents

Krumdick, Gregory K.; Shin, Young Ho; Takeya, Kaname

2016-09-20

The invention provides a system for preparing specific sized particles, the system comprising a continuous stir tank reactor adapted to receive reactants; a centrifugal dispenser positioned downstream from the reactor and in fluid communication with the reactor; a particle separator positioned downstream of the dispenser; and a solution stream return conduit positioned between the separator and the reactor. Also provided is a method for preparing specific sized particles, the method comprising introducing reagent into a continuous stir reaction tank and allowing the reagents to react to produce product liquor containing particles; contacting the liquor particles with a centrifugal force for a time sufficient to generate particles of a predetermined size and morphology; and returning unused reagents and particles of a non-predetermined size to the tank.
Process parameters and morphology in puerarin, phospholipids and their complex microparticles generation by supercritical antisolvent precipitation.

PubMed

Li, Ying; Yang, Da-Jian; Chen, Shi-Lin; Chen, Si-Bao; Chan, Albert Sun-Chi

2008-07-09

The aim of the study was to develop and evaluate a new method for the production of puerarin phospholipids complex (PPC) microparticles. The advanced particle formation method, solution enhanced dispersion by supercritical fluids (SEDS), was used for the preparation of puerarin (Pur), phospholipids (PC) and their complex particles for the first time. Evaluation of the processing variables on PPC particle characteristics was also conducted. The processing variables included temperature, pressure, solution concentration, the flow rate of supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) and the relative flow rate of drug solution to CO2. The morphology, particle size and size distribution of the particles were determined. Meanwhile Pur and phospholipids were separately prepared by gas antisolvent precipitation (GAS) method and solid characterization of particles by the two supercritical methods was also compared. Pur formed by GAS was more orderly, purer crystal, whereas amorphous Pur particles between 0.5 and 1microm were formed by SEDS. The complex was successfully obtained by SEDS exhibiting amorphous, partially agglomerated spheres comprised of particles sized only about 1microm. SEDS method may be useful for the processing of other pharmaceutical preparations besides phospholipids complex particles. Furthermore adopting a GAS process to recrystallize pharmaceuticals will provide a highly versatile methodology to generate new polymorphs of drugs in addition to conventional techniques.
Size controlled hydroxyapatite and calcium carbonate particles: synthesis and their application as templates for SERS platform.

PubMed

Parakhonskiy, B V; Svenskaya, Yu I; Yashchenok, A М; Fattah, H A; Inozemtseva, O A; Tessarolo, F; Antolini, R; Gorin, D A

2014-06-01

An elegant route for hydroxyapatite (HA) particle synthesis via ionic exchange reaction is reported. Calcium carbonate particles (CaCO3) were recrystallized into HA beads in water solution with phosphate ions. The size of initial CaCO3 particles was controlled upon the synthesis by varying the amount of ethylene glycol (EG) in aqueous solution. The average size of HA beads ranged from 0.6±0.1 to 4.3±1.1μm. Silver nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of HA and CaCO3 particles via silver mirror reaction. Surface enhanced Raman scattering of silver functionalized beads was demonstrated by detecting Rhodamine B. CaCO3 and HA particles have a great potential for design of carrier which can provide diagnostic and therapeutic functions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
In Vitro Toxicity of Silver Nanoparticles in Human Lung Epithelial Cells

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

software from the particle distributions measured and the polydispersity index (PdI) given is a measure of the size ranges present in the solution...Transmission Electron Microscopy Figure 22 shows the TEM primary particles size and distribution determined from measurement of over 100 particles from...nm uncoated. (B) Ag 80 nm uncoated. (C) Ag 10 nm coated. (D) Ag 80 nm coated Table 4 shows the TEM primary particles size and distribution
Closantel nano-encapsulated polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solutions.

PubMed

Vega, Abraham Faustino; Medina-Torres, Luis; Calderas, Fausto; Gracia-Mora, Jesus; Bernad-Bernad, MaJosefa

2016-08-01

The influence of closantel on the rheological and physicochemical properties (particle size and by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy) of PVA aqueous solutions is studied here. About 1% PVA aqueous solutions were prepared by varying the closantel content. The increase of closantel content led to a reduction in the particle size of final solutions. All the solutions were buffered at pH 7.4 and exhibited shear-thinning behavior. Furthermore, in oscillatory flow, a "solid-like" type behavior was observed for the sample containing 30 μg/mL closantel. Indicating a strong interaction between the dispersed and continuous phases and evidencing an interconnected network between the nanoparticle and PVA, this sample also showed the highest shear viscosity and higher shear thinning slope, indicating a more intrincate structure disrupted by shear. In conclusion, PVA interacts with closantel in aqueous solution and the critical concentration for closantel encapsulation by PVA was about 30 μg/mL; above this concentration, the average particle size decreased notoriously which was associated to closantel interacting with the surface of the PVA aggregates and thus avoiding to some extent direct polymer-polymer interaction.
Calcium Chloride in Neonatal Parenteral Nutrition Solutions with and without Added Cysteine: Compatibility Studies Using Laser and Micro-Flow Imaging Methodology.

PubMed

Huston, Robert K; Christensen, J Mark; Alshahrani, Sultan M; Mohamed, Sumeia M; Clark, Sara M; Nason, Jeffrey A; Wu, Ying Xing

2015-01-01

Previous studies of compatibility of calcium chloride (CaCl2) and phosphates have not included particle counts in the range specified by the United States Pharmacopeia. Micro-flow imaging techniques have been shown to be comparable to light obscuration when determining particle count and size in pharmaceutical solutions. The purpose of this study was to do compatibility testing for parenteral nutrition (PN) solutions containing CaCl2 using dynamic light scattering and micro-flow imaging techniques. Solutions containing TrophAmine (Braun Medical Inc, Irvine, CA), CaCl2, and sodium phosphate (NaPhos) were compounded with and without cysteine. All solutions contained standard additives to neonatal PN solutions including dextrose, trace metals, and electrolytes. Control solutions contained no calcium or phosphate. Solutions were analyzed for particle size and particle count. Means of Z-average particle size and particle counts of controls were determined. Study solutions were compared to controls and United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Chapter 788 guidelines. The maximum amount of Phos that was compatible in solutions that contained at least 10 mmol/L of Ca in 2.5% amino acids (AA) was determined. Compatibility of these solutions was verified by performing analyses of 5 repeats of these solutions. Microscopic analyses of the repeats were also performed. Amounts of CaCl2 and NaPhos that were compatible in solutions containing 1.5%, 2%, 2.5%, and 3% AA were determined. The maximum amount of NaPhos that could be added to TrophAmine solutions of > = 2.5% AA containing at least 10 mmol/L of CaCl2 was 7.5 mmol/L. Adding 50 mg/dL of cysteine increased the amount of NaPhos that could be added to solutions containing 10 mmol/L of CaCl2 to 10 mmol/L. Calcium chloride can be added to neonatal PN solutions containing NaPhos in concentrations that can potentially provide an intravenous intake of adequate amounts of calcium and phosphorus.
Influence of clay particles on microfluidic-based preparation of hydrogel composite microsphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Joung Sook

2016-05-01

For the successful fabrication of a hydrogel composite microsphere, this study aimed to investigate the influence of clay particles on microsphere formation in a microfluidic device which has flow focusing and a 4.5:1 contraction channel. A poly alginic acid solution (2.0 wt.%) with clay particles was used as the dispersed phase to generate drops in an oil medium, which then merged with drops of a CaCl2 solution for gelation. Drop generations were observed with different flow rates and particles types. When the flow rate increased, drop generation was enhanced and drop size decreased by the build-up of more favorable hydrodynamic flow conditions to detach the droplets. The addition of a small amount of particles insignificantly changed the drop generation behavior even though it reduced interfacial tension and increased the viscosity of the solution. Instead, clays particles significantly affected hydro-gelation depending on the hydrophobicity of particles, which produced further heterogeneity in the shape and size of microsphere.
Deliquescence and efflorescence of small particles.

PubMed

McGraw, Robert; Lewis, Ernie R

2009-11-21

We examine size-dependent deliquescence/efflorescence phase transformation for particles down to several nanometers in size. Thermodynamic properties of inorganic salt particles, coated with aqueous solution layers of varying thickness and surrounded by vapor, are analyzed. A thin layer criterion (TLC) is introduced to define a limiting deliquescence relative humidity (RH(D)) for small particles. This requires: (1) equality of chemical potentials between salt in an undissolved core, and thin adsorbed solution layer, and (2) equality of chemical potentials between water in the thin layer and vapor phase. The usual bulk deliquescence conditions are recovered in the limit of large dry particle size. Nanosize particles are found to deliquesce at relative humidity just below the RH(D) on crossing a nucleation barrier, located at a critical solution layer thickness. This barrier vanishes precisely at the RH(D) defined by the TLC. Concepts and methods from nucleation theory including the kinetic potential, self-consistent nucleation theory, nucleation theorems, and the Gibbs dividing surface provide theoretical foundation and point to unifying features of small particle deliquescence/efflorescence processes. These include common thermodynamic area constructions, useful for interpretation of small particle water uptake measurements, and a common free-energy surface, with constant RH cross sections describing deliquescence and efflorescence related through the nucleation theorem.
Geochemical heterogeneity in a sand and gravel aquifer: Effect of sediment mineralogy and particle size on the sorption of chlorobenzenes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barber, L.B.; Thurman, E.M.; Runnells, D.R.; ,

1992-01-01

The effect of particle size, mineralogy and sediment organic carbon (SOC) on solution of tetrachlorobenzene and pentachlorobenzene was evaluated using batch-isotherm experiments on sediment particle-size and mineralogical fractions from a sand and gravel aquifer, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Concentration of SOC and sorption of chlorobenzenes increase with decreasing particle size. For a given particle size, the magnetic fraction has a higher SOC content and sorption capacity than the bulk or non-magnetic fractions. Sorption appears to be controlled by the magnetic minerals, which comprise only 5-25% of the bulk sediment. Although SOC content of the bulk sediment is < 0.1%, the observed sorption of chlorobenzenes is consistent with a partition mechanism and is adequately predicted by models relating sorption to the octanol/water partition coefficient of the solute and SOC content. A conceptual model based on preferential association of dissolved organic matter with positively-charged mineral surfaces is proposed to describe micro-scale, intergranular variability in sorption properties of the aquifer sediments.The effect of particle size, mineralogy and sediment organic carbon (SOC) on sorption of tetrachlorobenzene and pentachlorobenzene was evaluated using batch-isotherm experiments on sediment particle-size and mineralogical fractions from a sand and gravel aquifer, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Concentration of SOC and sorption of chlorobenzenes increase with decreasing particle size. For a given particle size, the magnetic fraction has a higher SOC content and sorption capacity than the bulk or non-magnetic fractions. Sorption appears to be controlled by the magnetic minerals, which comprise only 5-25% of the bulk sediment. Although SOC content of the bulk sediment is <0.1%, the observed sorption of chlorobenzenes is consistent with a partition mechanism and is adequately predicted by models relating sorption to the octanol/water partition coefficient of the solute and SOC content. A conceptual model based on preferential association of dissolved organic matter with positively-charged mineral surfaces is proposed to describe micro-scale, intergranular variability in sorption properties of the aquifer sediments.
Application of a novel new multispectral nanoparticle tracking technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McElfresh, Cameron; Harrington, Tyler; Vecchio, Kenneth S.

2018-06-01

Fast, reliable, and accurate particle size analysis techniques must meet the demands of evolving industrial and academic research in areas of functionalized nanoparticle synthesis, advanced materials development, and other nanoscale enabled technologies. In this study a new multispectral particle tracking analysis (m-PTA) technique enabled by the ViewSizer™ 3000 (MANTA Instruments, USA) was evaluated using solutions of monomodal and multimodal gold and polystyrene latex nanoparticles, as well as a spark eroded polydisperse 316L stainless steel nanopowder, and large (non-Brownian) borosilicate particles. It was found that m-PTA performed comparably to the DLS in evaluation of monomodal particle size distributions. When measuring bimodal, trimodal and polydisperse solutions, the m-PTA technique overwhelmingly outperformed traditional dynamic light scattering (DLS) in both peak detection and relative particle concentration analysis. It was also observed that the m-PTA technique is less susceptible to large particle overexpression errors. The ViewSizer™ 3000 was also found to be successful in accurately evaluating sizes and concentrations of monomodal and bimodal sinking borosilicate particles.
Size-based sorting of micro-particles using microbubble streaming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Cheng; Jalikop, Shreyas; Hilgenfeldt, Sascha

2009-11-01

Oscillating microbubbles driven by ultrasound have shown great potential in microfluidic applications, such as transporting particles and promoting mixing [1-3]. The oscillations generate secondary steady streaming that can also trap particles. We use the streaming to develop a method of sorting particles of different sizes in an initially well-mixed solution. The solution is fed into a channel consisting of bubbles placed periodically along a side wall. When the bubbles are excited by an ultrasound piezo-electric transducer to produce steady streaming, the flow field is altered by the presence of the particles. This effect is dependent on particle size and results in size-based sorting of the particles. The effectiveness of the separation depends on the dimensions of the bubbles and particles as well as on the ultrasound frequency. Our experimental studies are aimed at a better understanding of the design and control of effective microfluidic separating devices. Ref: [1] P. Marmottant and S. Hilgenfeldt, Nature 423, 153 (2003). [2] P. Marmottant and S. Hilgenfeldt, Proc. Natl. Acad. Science USA, 101, 9523 (2004). [3] P. Marmottant, J.-P. Raven, H. Gardeniers, J. G. Bomer, and S. Hilgenfeldt, J. Fluid Mech., vol.568, 109 (2006).

Size-regulated group separation of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles using centrifuge and their magnetic resonance contrast properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Jongeun; Lee, Hyunseung; Kim, Young-Nam; Yeom, Areum; Jeong, Heejeong; Lim, Yong Taik; Hong, Kwan Soo

2013-09-01

Magnetic nanoparticle (MNP)-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents (CAs) have been the subject of extensive research over recent decades. The particle size of MNPs varies widely and is known to influence their physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties. There are two commonly used methods for synthesizing MNPs, organometallic and aqueous solution coprecipitation. The former has the advantage of being able to control the particle size more effectively; however, the resulting particles require a hydrophilic coating in order to be rendered water soluble. The MNPs produced using the latter method are intrinsically water soluble, but they have a relatively wide particle size distribution. Size-controlled water-soluble MNPs have great potential as MRI CAs and in cell sorting and labeling applications. In the present study, we synthesized CoFe2O4 MNPs using an aqueous solution coprecipitation method. The MNPs were subsequently separated into four groups depending on size, by the use of centrifugation at different speeds. The crystal shapes and size distributions of the particles in the four groups were measured and confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. Using X-ray diffraction analysis, the MNPs were found to have an inverse spinel structure. Four MNP groups with well-selected semi-Gaussian-like diameter distributions were obtained, with measured T2 relaxivities ( r 2) at 4.7 T and room temperature in the range of 60 to 300 mM-1s-1, depending on the particle size. This size regulation method has great promise for applications that require homogeneous-sized MNPs made by an aqueous solution coprecipitation method. Any group of the CoFe2O4 MNPs could be used as initial base cores of MRI T2 CAs, with almost unique T2 relaxivity owing to size regulation. The methodology reported here opens up many possibilities for biosensing applications and disease diagnosis.
Controlled Expansion of Supercritical Solution: A Robust Method to Produce Pure Drug Nanoparticles With Narrow Size-Distribution.

PubMed

Pessi, Jenni; Lassila, Ilkka; Meriläinen, Antti; Räikkönen, Heikki; Hæggström, Edward; Yliruusi, Jouko

2016-08-01

We introduce a robust, stable, and reproducible method to produce nanoparticles based on expansion of supercritical solutions using carbon dioxide as a solvent. The method, controlled expansion of supercritical solution (CESS), uses controlled mass transfer, flow, pressure reduction, and particle collection in dry ice. CESS offers control over the crystallization process as the pressure in the system is reduced according to a specific profile. Particle formation takes place before the exit nozzle, and condensation is the main mechanism for postnucleation particle growth. A 2-step gradient pressure reduction is used to prevent Mach disk formation and particle growth by coagulation. Controlled particle growth keeps the production process stable. With CESS, we produced piroxicam nanoparticles, 60 mg/h, featuring narrow size distribution (176 ± 53 nm). Copyright © 2016 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Influence of formulation and processing variables on properties of itraconazole nanoparticles made by advanced evaporative precipitation into aqueous solution.

PubMed

Bosselmann, Stephanie; Nagao, Masao; Chow, Keat T; Williams, Robert O

2012-09-01

Nanoparticles, of the poorly water-soluble drug, itraconazole (ITZ), were produced by the Advanced Evaporative Precipitation into Aqueous Solution process (Advanced EPAS). This process combines emulsion templating and EPAS processing to provide improved control over the size distribution of precipitated particles. Specifically, oil-in-water emulsions containing the drug and suitable stabilizers are sprayed into a heated aqueous solution to induce precipitation of the drug in form of nanoparticles. The influence of processing parameters (temperature and volume of the heated aqueous solution; type of nozzle) and formulation aspects (stabilizer concentrations; total solid concentrations) on the size of suspended ITZ particles, as determined by laser diffraction, was investigated. Furthermore, freeze-dried ITZ nanoparticles were evaluated regarding their morphology, crystallinity, redispersibility, and dissolution behavior. Results indicate that a robust precipitation process was developed such that size distribution of dispersed nanoparticles was shown to be largely independent across the different processing and formulation parameters. Freeze-drying of colloidal dispersions resulted in micron-sized agglomerates composed of spherical, sub-300-nm particles characterized by reduced crystallinity and high ITZ potencies of up to 94% (w/w). The use of sucrose prevented particle agglomeration and resulted in powders that were readily reconstituted and reached high and sustained supersaturation levels upon dissolution in aqueous media.
Preparation of Poly-(Methyl vinyl ether-co-maleic Anhydride) Nanoparticles by Solution-Enhanced Dispersion by Supercritical CO2

PubMed Central

Chen, Ai-Zheng; Wang, Guang-Ya; Wang, Shi-Bin; Feng, Jian-Gang; Liu, Yuan-Gang; Kang, Yong-Qiang

2012-01-01

The supercritical CO2-based technologies have been widely used in the formation of drug and/or polymer particles for biomedical applications. In this study, nanoparticles of poly-(methyl vinyl ether-co-maleic anhydride) (PVM/MA) were successfully fabricated by a process of solution-enhanced dispersion by supercritical CO2 (SEDS). A 23 factorial experiment was designed to investigate and identify the significance of the processing parameters (concentration, flow and solvent/nonsolvent) for the surface morphology, particle size, and particle size distribution of the products. The effect of the concentration of PVM/MA was found to be dominant in the results regarding particle size. Decreasing the initial solution concentration of PVM/MA decreased the particle size significantly. After optimization, the resulting PVM/MA nanoparticles exhibited a good spherical shape, a smooth surface, and a narrow particle size distribution. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra demonstrated that the chemical composition of PVM/MA was not altered during the SEDS process and that the SEDS process was therefore a typical physical process. The absolute value of zeta potential of the obtained PVM/MA nanoparticles was larger than 40 mV, indicating the samples’ stability in aqueous suspension. Analysis of thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC) revealed that the effect of the SEDS process on the thermostability of PVM/MA was negligible. The results of gas chromatography (GC) analysis confirmed that the SEDS process could efficiently remove the organic residue.
TWO-PHASE FORMATION IN SOLUTIONS OF TOBACCO MOSAIC VIRUS AND THE PROBLEM OF LONG-RANGE FORCES

PubMed Central

Oster, Gerald

1950-01-01

In a nearly salt-free medium, a dilute tobacco mosaic virus solution of rod-shaped virus particles of uniform length forms two phases; the bottom optically anisotropic phase has a greater virus concentration than has the top optically isotropic phase. For a sample containing particles of various lengths, the bottom phase contains longer particles than does the top and the concentrations top and bottom are nearly equal. The longer the particles the less the minimum concentration necessary for two-phase formation. Increasing the salt concentration increases the minimum concentration. The formation of two phases is explained in terms of geometrical considerations without recourse to the concept of long-range attractive forces. The minimum concentration for two-phase formation is that concentration at which correlation in orientation between the rod-shaped particles begins to take place. This concentration is determined by the thermodynamically effective size and shape of the particles as obtained from the concentration dependence of the osmotic pressure of the solutions measured by light scattering. The effective volume of the particles is introduced into the theory of Onsager for correlation of orientation of uniform size rods and good agreement with experiment is obtained. The theory is extended to a mixture of non-uniform size rods and to the case in which the salt concentration is varied, and agreement with experiment is obtained. The thermodynamically effective volume of the particles and its dependence on salt concentration are explained in terms of the shape of the particles and the electrostatic repulsion between them. Current theories of the hydration of proteins and of long-range forces are critically discussed. The bottom layer of freshly purified tobacco mosaic virus samples shows Bragg diffraction of visible light. The diffraction data indicate that the virus particles in solution form three-dimensional crystals approximately the size of crystalline inclusion bodies found in the cells of plants suffering from the disease. PMID:15422102
Supersonic flow of chemically reacting gas-particle mixtures. Volume 1: A theoretical analysis and development of the numerical solution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Penny, M. M.; Smith, S. D.; Anderson, P. G.; Sulyma, P. R.; Pearson, M. L.

1976-01-01

A numerical solution for chemically reacting supersonic gas-particle flows in rocket nozzles and exhaust plumes was described. The gas-particle flow solution is fully coupled in that the effects of particle drag and heat transfer between the gas and particle phases are treated. Gas and particles exchange momentum via the drag exerted on the gas by the particles. Energy is exchanged between the phases via heat transfer (convection and/or radiation). Thermochemistry calculations (chemical equilibrium, frozen or chemical kinetics) were shown to be uncoupled from the flow solution and, as such, can be solved separately. The solution to the set of governing equations is obtained by utilizing the method of characteristics. The equations cast in characteristic form are shown to be formally the same for ideal, frozen, chemical equilibrium and chemical non-equilibrium reacting gas mixtures. The particle distribution is represented in the numerical solution by a finite distribution of particle sizes.
Burst nucleation by hot injection for size controlled synthesis of ε-cobalt nanoparticles.

PubMed

Zacharaki, Eirini; Kalyva, Maria; Fjellvåg, Helmer; Sjåstad, Anja Olafsen

2016-01-01

Reproducible growth of narrow size distributed ε-Co nanoparticles with a specific size requires full understanding and identification of the role of essential synthesis parameters for the applied synthesis method. For the hot injection methodology, a significant discrepancy with respect to obtained sizes and applied reaction conditions is reported. Currently, a systematic investigation controlling key synthesis parameters as injection-temperature and time, metal to surfactant ratio and reaction holding time in terms of their impact on mean ([Formula: see text]mean) and median ([Formula: see text]median) particle diameter using dichlorobenzene (DCB), Co2(CO)8 and oleic acid (OA) as the reactant matrix is lacking. A series of solution-based ε-Co nanoparticles were synthesized using the hot injection method. Suspensions and obtained particles were analyzed by DLS, ICP-OES, (synchrotron)XRD and TEM. Rietveld refinements were used for structural analysis. Mean ([Formula: see text]mean) and median ([Formula: see text]median) particle diameters were calculated with basis in measurements of 250-500 particles for each synthesis. 95 % bias corrected confidence intervals using bootstrapping were calculated for syntheses with three or four replicas. ε-Co NPs in the size range ~4-10 nm with a narrow size distribution are obtained via the hot injection method, using OA as the sole surfactant. Typically the synthesis yield is ~75 %, and the particles form stable colloidal solutions when redispersed in hexane. Reproducibility of the adopted synthesis procedure on replicate syntheses was confirmed. We describe in detail the effects of essential synthesis parameters, such as injection-temperature and time, metal to surfactant ratio and reaction holding time in terms of their impact on mean ([Formula: see text]mean) and median ([Formula: see text]median) particle diameter. The described synthesis procedure towards ε-Co nanoparticles (NPs) is concluded to be robust when controlling key synthesis parameters, giving targeted particle diameters with a narrow size distribution. We have identified two major synthesis parameters which control particle size, i.e., the metal to surfactant molar ratio and the injection temperature of the hot OA-DCB solution into which the cobalt precursor is injected. By increasing the metal to surfactant molar ratio, the mean particle diameter of the ε-Co NPs has been found to increase. Furthermore, an increase in the injection temperature of the hot OA-DCB solution into which the cobalt precursor is injected, results in a decrease in the mean particle diameter of the ε-Co NPs, when the metal to surfactant molar ratio [Formula: see text] is fixed at ~12.9.
Fluidized-Bed Cleaning of Silicon Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rohatgi, Naresh K.; Hsu, George C.

1987-01-01

Fluidized-bed chemical cleaning process developed to remove metallic impurities from small silicon particles. Particles (250 micrometer in size) utilized as seed material in silane pyrolysis process for production of 1-mm-size silicon. Product silicon (1 mm in size) used as raw material for fabrication of solar cells and other semiconductor devices. Principal cleaning step is wash in mixture of hydrochloric and nitric acids, leaching out metals and carrying them away as soluble chlorides. Particles fluidized by cleaning solution to assure good mixing and uniform wetting.
Size distribution spectrum of noninertial particles in turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, Izumi; Gotoh, Toshiyuki; Watanabe, Takeshi

2018-05-01

Collision-coalescence growth of noninertial particles in three-dimensional homogeneous isotropic turbulence is studied. Smoluchowski's coagulation equation describes the evolution of the size distribution of particles in this system. By applying a methodology based on turbulence theory, the equation is shown to have a steady-state solution, which corresponds to the Kolmogorov-type power-law spectrum. Direct numerical simulations of turbulence and Lagrangian particles are conducted. The result shows that the size distribution in a statistically steady state agrees accurately with the theoretical prediction.
Study of aniline polymerization reactions through the particle size formation in acidic and neutral medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aribowo, Slamet; Hafizah, Mas Ayu Elita; Manaf, Azwar; Andreas

2018-04-01

In the present paper, we reported particle size kinetic studies on the conducting polyaniline (PANI) which synthesized through a chemical oxidative polymerization technique from aniline monomer. PANI was prepared using ammonium persulfate (APS) as oxidizing agent which carried out in acidic and neutral medium at various batch temperatures of respectively 20, 30 and 50 °C. From the studies, it was noticed that the complete polymerization reaction progressed within 480 minutes duration time. The pH of the solution during reaction kinetic reached values 0.8 - to 1.2 in acidic media, while in the neutral media the pH value reached values 3.8 - 4.9. The batch temperature controlled the polymerization reaction in which the reaction progressing, which followed by the temperature rise of solution above the batch temperature before settled down to the initial temperature. An increment in the batch temperature gave highest rise in the solution temperature for the two media which cannot be more than 50 °C. The final product of polymerization reaction was PANI confirmed by Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectrophotometer for molecule structure identification. The averages particle size of PANI which carried out in the two different media is evidently similar in the range 30 - 40 μm and insensitive to the batch temperature. However, the particle size of PANI which obtained from the polymerization reaction at a batch temperature of 50 °C under acidic condition reached ˜53.1 μm at the tip of the propagation stage which started in the first 5 minutes. The size is obviously being the largest among the batch temperatures. Whereas, under neutral condition the particle size is much larger which reached the size 135 μm at the batch temperature of 20 °C. It is concluded that the particle size formation during the polymerization reaction being one of the important parameter to determine particle growing of polymer which indicated the reaction kinetics mechanism of synthesize polyaniline.
Exact simulation of polarized light reflectance by particle deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramezan Pour, B.; Mackowski, D. W.

2015-12-01

The use of polarimetric light reflection measurements as a means of identifying the physical and chemical characteristics of particulate materials obviously relies on an accurate model of predicting the effects of particle size, shape, concentration, and refractive index on polarized reflection. The research examines two methods for prediction of reflection from plane parallel layers of wavelength—sized particles. The first method is based on an exact superposition solution to Maxwell's time harmonic wave equations for a deposit of spherical particles that are exposed to a plane incident wave. We use a FORTRAN-90 implementation of this solution (the Multiple Sphere T Matrix (MSTM) code), coupled with parallel computational platforms, to directly simulate the reflection from particle layers. The second method examined is based upon the vector radiative transport equation (RTE). Mie theory is used in our RTE model to predict the extinction coefficient, albedo, and scattering phase function of the particles, and the solution of the RTE is obtained from adding—doubling method applied to a plane—parallel configuration. Our results show that the MSTM and RTE predictions of the Mueller matrix elements converge when particle volume fraction in the particle layer decreases below around five percent. At higher volume fractions the RTE can yield results that, depending on the particle size and refractive index, significantly depart from the exact predictions. The particle regimes which lead to dependent scattering effects, and the application of methods to correct the vector RTE for particle interaction, will be discussed.
Controlling ZIF-67 crystals formation through various cobalt sources in aqueous solution

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

Guo, Xiangli; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Metallic Materials, Nanjing 211189; Xing, Tiantian

2016-03-15

Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks ZIF-67 were prepared under hydrothermal (120 °C) and non-hydrothermal (room temperature) from various cobalt sources and 2-methylimidazolate (Hmim) in aqueous solution within 30 min. The particle size and morphology were found to be related to the reactivity of the cobalt salt, Hmim/Co{sup 2+} molar ratios and experimental condition. Using Co(NO{sub 3}){sub 2} as cobalt source, small-sized ZIF-67 crystals with agglomeration were formed. For CoCl{sub 2}, small-sized rhombic dodecahedron were obtained. While large-sized crystals of rhombic dodecahedron structure were obtained from CoSO{sub 4} and Co(OAc){sub 2}. Under hydrothermal condition, the size of ZIF-67 crystals tended to be moremore » uniform and the morphology were more regular comparing to non-hydrothermal condition. This study provides a simple way to control the size and morphology of ZIF-67 crystals prepared in aqueous solution. - Graphical abstract: Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks ZIF-67 were prepared under hydrothermal (120 °C) and non-hydrothermal (room temperature) from four different cobalt sources (Co(NO{sub 3}){sub 2}, CoCl{sub 2}, CoSO{sub 4} and Co(OAc){sub 2}) in aqueous solution within 30 min. The particle size and morphology were found to be related to the reactivity of the cobalt salt, Hmim/Co{sup 2+} molar ratios and experimental condition. - Highlights: • The particle size and morphology were determined by the reactivity of cobalt salt. • ZIF-67 could be prepared from CoSO{sub 4} and Co(OAc){sub 2} at Hmim/Co{sup 2+} molar ratio of 10. • Uniform and regular particles were obtained under hydrothermal condition.« less
An Investigation into Solution Verification for CFD-DEM

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

Fullmer, William D.; Musser, Jordan

This report presents the study of the convergence behavior of the computational fluid dynamicsdiscrete element method (CFD-DEM) method, specifically National Energy Technology Laboratory’s (NETL) open source MFiX code (MFiX-DEM) with a diffusion based particle-tocontinuum filtering scheme. In particular, this study focused on determining if the numerical method had a solution in the high-resolution limit where the grid size is smaller than the particle size. To address this uncertainty, fixed particle beds of two primary configurations were studied: i) fictitious beds where the particles are seeded with a random particle generator, and ii) instantaneous snapshots from a transient simulation of anmore » experimentally relevant problem. Both problems considered a uniform inlet boundary and a pressure outflow. The CFD grid was refined from a few particle diameters down to 1/6 th of a particle diameter. The pressure drop between two vertical elevations, averaged across the bed cross-section was considered as the system response quantity of interest. A least-squares regression method was used to extrapolate the grid-dependent results to an approximate “grid-free” solution in the limit of infinite resolution. The results show that the diffusion based scheme does yield a converging solution. However, the convergence is more complicated than encountered in simpler, single-phase flow problems showing strong oscillations and, at times, oscillations superimposed on top of globally non-monotonic behavior. The challenging convergence behavior highlights the importance of using at least four grid resolutions in solution verification problems so that (over-determined) regression-based extrapolation methods may be applied to approximate the grid-free solution. The grid-free solution is very important in solution verification and VVUQ exercise in general as the difference between it and the reference solution largely determines the numerical uncertainty. By testing different randomized particle configurations of the same general problem (for the fictitious case) or different instances of freezing a transient simulation, the numerical uncertainties appeared to be on the same order of magnitude as ensemble or time averaging uncertainties. By testing different drag laws, almost all cases studied show that model form uncertainty in this one, very important closure relation was larger than the numerical uncertainty, at least with a reasonable CFD grid, roughly five particle diameters. In this study, the diffusion width (filtering length scale) was mostly set at a constant of six particle diameters. A few exploratory tests were performed to show that similar convergence behavior was observed for diffusion widths greater than approximately two particle diameters. However, this subject was not investigated in great detail because determining an appropriate filter size is really a validation question which must be determined by comparison to experimental or highly accurate numerical data. Future studies are being considered targeting solution verification of transient simulations as well as validation of the filter size with direct numerical simulation data.« less
Rice-like hollow nano-CaCO3 synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulkeryildiz, Eda; Kilic, Sevgi; Ozdemir, Ekrem

2016-09-01

We have shown that Ca(OH)2 solution is a natural stabilizer for CaCO3 particles. We designed a CO2 bubbling crystallization reactor to produce nano-CaCO3 particles in homogenous size distribution without aggregation. In the experimental set-up, the crystallization region was separated from the stabilization region. The produced nanoparticles were removed from the crystallization region into the stabilization region before aggregation or crystal growth. It was shown that rice-like hollow nano-CaCO3 particles in about 250 nm in size were produced with almost monodispersed size distribution. The particles started to dissolve through their edges as CO2 bubbles were injected, which opened-up the pores inside the particles. At the late stages of crystallization, the open pores were closed as a result of dissolution-recrystallization of the newly synthesized CaCO3 particles. These particles were stable in Ca(OH)2 solution and no aggregation was detected. The present methodology can be used in drug encapsulation into inorganic CaCO3 particles for cancer treatment with some modifications.
Supercritical crystallization: The RESs-process and the GAS-process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berends, Edwin M.

1994-09-01

This Doctoral Ph.D. thesis describes the development of two novel crystallization processes utilizing supercritical fluids either as a solvent, the RESS-process, or as an anti-solvent, the GAS-process. In th RESS-process precipitation of the solute is performed by expansion of the solution over a nozzle to produce ultra-fine, monodisperse particles without any solvent inclusions. In the GAS-process a high pressure gas is dissolved into the liquid phase solvent, where it causes a volumetric expansion of this liquid solvent and lowers the equilibrium solubility. Particle size, particle size distribution and other particle characteristics such as their shape, internal structure and the residual amount of solvent in the particles are expected to be influenced by the liquid phase expansion profile.
Control of crystallite and particle size in the synthesis of layered double hydroxides: Macromolecular insights and a complementary modeling tool.

PubMed

Galvão, Tiago L P; Neves, Cristina S; Caetano, Ana P F; Maia, Frederico; Mata, Diogo; Malheiro, Eliana; Ferreira, Maria J; Bastos, Alexandre C; Salak, Andrei N; Gomes, José R B; Tedim, João; Ferreira, Mário G S

2016-04-15

Zinc-aluminum layered double hydroxides with nitrate intercalated (Zn(n)Al-NO3, n=Zn/Al) is an intermediate material for the intercalation of different functional molecules used in a wide range of industrial applications. The synthesis of Zn(2)Al-NO3 was investigated considering the time and temperature of hydrothermal treatment. By examining the crystallite size in two different directions, hydrodynamic particle size, morphology, crystal structure and chemical species in solution, it was possible to understand the crystallization and dissolution processes involved in the mechanisms of crystallite and particle growth. In addition, hydrogeochemical modeling rendered insights on the speciation of different metal cations in solution. Therefore, this tool can be a promising solution to model and optimize the synthesis of layered double hydroxide-based materials for industrial applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Ampicillin Nanoparticles Production via Supercritical CO2 Gas Antisolvent Process.

PubMed

Esfandiari, Nadia; Ghoreishi, Seyyed M

2015-12-01

The micronization of ampicillin via supercritical gas antisolvent (GAS) process was studied. The particle size distribution was significantly controlled with effective GAS variables such as initial solute concentration, temperature, pressure, and antisolvent addition rate. The effect of each variable in three levels was investigated. The precipitated particles were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Zetasizer Nano ZS. The results indicated that decreasing the temperature and initial solute concentration while increasing the antisolvent rate and pressure led to a decrease in ampicillin particle size. The mean particle size of ampicillin was obtained in the range of 220-430 nm by varying the GAS effective variables. The purity of GAS-synthesized ampicillin nanoparticles was analyzed in contrast to unprocessed ampicillin by FTIR and HPLC. The results indicated that the structure of the ampicillin nanoparticles remained unchanged during the GAS process.
Constraining ejecta particle size distributions with light scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schauer, Martin; Buttler, William; Frayer, Daniel; Grover, Michael; Lalone, Brandon; Monfared, Shabnam; Sorenson, Daniel; Stevens, Gerald; Turley, William

2017-06-01

The angular distribution of the intensity of light scattered from a particle is strongly dependent on the particle size and can be calculated using the Mie solution to Maxwell's equations. For a collection of particles with a range of sizes, the angular intensity distribution will be the sum of the contributions from each particle size weighted by the number of particles in that size bin. The set of equations describing this pattern is not uniquely invertible, i.e. a number of different distributions can lead to the same scattering pattern, but with reasonable assumptions about the distribution it is possible to constrain the problem and extract estimates of the particle sizes from a measured scattering pattern. We report here on experiments using particles ejected by shockwaves incident on strips of triangular perturbations machined into the surface of tin targets. These measurements indicate a bimodal distribution of ejected particle sizes with relatively large particles (median radius 2-4 μm) evolved from the edges of the perturbation strip and smaller particles (median radius 200-600 nm) from the perturbations. We will briefly discuss the implications of these results and outline future plans.
Dynamics of gold nanoparticles in synthetic and biopolymer solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohli, Indermeet

Soft matter systems of colloidal particles, polymers, amphiphiles and liquid crystals are ubiquitous in our everyday life. Food, plastics, soap and even human body is comprised of soft materials. Research conducted to understand the behavior of these soft matter systems at molecular level is essential for many interdisciplinary fields of study as well as important for many technological applications. We used gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) to investigate the length-scale dependent dynamics in semidilute poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-water, bovine serum albumin (BSA)-phosphate buffer, dextran and particulate solutions. In case of PEG-water solutions, fluctuation correlation spectroscopy was used to measure the diffusion coefficients (D) of the NPs as a function of their radius, Ro (2.5-10 nm), PEG volume fraction, φ (0-0.37) and molecular weight, Mw (5 kg/mol and 35 kg/mol). Our results indicate that the radius of gyration, Rg of the polymer chain is the crossover length scale for the NPs experiencing nanoviscosity or macroviscosity. In BSA-phosphate buffer solutions, we observed a monolayer formation at the NP surface with a thickness of 3.8 nm. The thickness of the adsorbed layer was independent of NP size. Best fit was obtained by the anticooperative binding model with the Hill coefficient of n = 0.63. Dissociation constant (KD) increased with particle size indicating stronger interaction of BSA with smaller sized NPs. We also contrasted the diffusion of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in crowded solutions of randomly branched polymer (dextran) and rigid, spherical particles (silica) to understand the roles played by the probe size and structure of the crowding agent in determining the probe diffusion. AuNPs of two different sizes (2.5 nm & 10 nm), dextran of molecular weight 70 kDa and silica particles of radius 10 nm were used. Our results indicated that the AuNP diffusion can be described using the bulk viscosity of the matrix and hydrodynamically dextran behaved similar to soft colloid. In all situations, we observed normal diffusion except for 2.5 nm sized AuNP particles in dextran solution at higher volume fraction. This was caused by transient trapping of particles within the random branches. The results showed the importance of macromolecular architecture in determining the transport properties in intracellular matrix and in cells with spiny dendrites.
Particle-Laden Liquid Jet Impingement on a Moving Substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahmani, Hatef; Green, Sheldon

2017-11-01

The impingement of high-speed jets on a moving substrate is salient to a number of industrial processes such as surface coating in the railroad industry. The particular jet fluids studied were dilute suspensions of neutrally buoyant particles in water-glycerin solutions. At these low particle concentrations, the suspensions have Newtonian fluid viscosity. A variety of jet and surface velocities, solution properties, nozzle diameters, mean particle sizes, and volume fractions were studied. It was observed that for jets with very small particles, addition of solids to the jet enhances deposition and postpones splash relative to a particle-free water-glycerin solution with the same viscosity. In contrast, jets with larger particles in suspension were more prone to splash than single phase jets of the same viscosity. It is speculated that the particle diameter, relative to the lamella thickness, is the key parameter to determine whether splash is suppressed or enhanced. An existing splash model for single phase liquid jets was found to be in good agreement with the experimental results, provided that the single fitting parameter in that model is a function of the particle size, volume fraction, and surface roughness.

Structure and Dynamics of Interacting Nanoparticles in Semidilute Polymer Solutions

DOE PAGES

Pollng-Skutvik, Ryan; Mongcopa, Katrina Irene S.; Faraone, Antonio; ...

2016-08-17

We investigate the structure and dynamics of silica nanoparticles and polymer chains in semidilute solutions of high molecular weight polystyrene in 2-butanone to determine the effect of long-range interparticle interactions on the coupling between particle and polymer dynamics. Particles at concentrations of 1–10 wt % are well dispersed in the semidilute polymer solutions and exhibit long-range electrostatic repulsions between particles. Because the particles are comparably sized to the radius of gyration of the polymer, the particle dynamics is predicted to couple to that of the polymer. We verify that the polymer structure and dynamics are not significantly affected by themore » particles, indicating that the particle–polymer coupling does not change with increasing particle loading. We find that the coupling between the dynamics of comparably sized particles and polymer results in subdiffusive particle dynamics, as expected. Over the interparticle distance, however, the particle dynamics is hindered and not fully described by the relaxation of the surrounding polymer chains. Instead, the particle dynamics is inversely related to the structure factor, suggesting that physical particle–polymer coupling on short length scales and interparticle interactions on long length scales both present energetic barriers to particle motion that lead to subdiffusive dynamics and de Gennes narrowing, respectively.« less
Method of producing homogeneous mixed metal oxides and metal-metal oxide mixtures

DOEpatents

Quinby, Thomas C.

1978-01-01

Metal powders, metal oxide powders, and mixtures thereof of controlled particle size are provided by reacting an aqueous solution containing dissolved metal values with excess urea. Upon heating, urea reacts with water from the solution leaving a molten urea solution containing the metal values. The molten urea solution is heated to above about 180.degree. C. whereupon metal values precipitate homogeneously as a powder. The powder is reduced to metal or calcined to form oxide particles. One or more metal oxides in a mixture can be selectively reduced to produce metal particles or a mixture of metal and metal oxide particles.
Particle-size segregation and diffusive remixing in shallow granular avalanches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gray, J. M. N. T.; Chugunov, V. A.

2006-12-01

Segregation and mixing of dissimilar grains is a problem in many industrial and pharmaceutical processes, as well as in hazardous geophysical flows, where the size-distribution can have a major impact on the local rheology and the overall run-out. In this paper, a simple binary mixture theory is used to formulate a model for particle-size segregation and diffusive remixing of large and small particles in shallow gravity-driven free-surface flows. This builds on a recent theory for the process of kinetic sieving, which is the dominant mechanism for segregation in granular avalanches provided the density-ratio and the size-ratio of the particles are not too large. The resulting nonlinear parabolic segregation remixing equation reduces to a quasi-linear hyperbolic equation in the no-remixing limit. It assumes that the bulk velocity is incompressible and that the bulk pressure is lithostatic, making it compatible with most theories used to compute the motion of shallow granular free-surface flows. In steady-state, the segregation remixing equation reduces to a logistic type equation and the ‘S’-shaped solutions are in very good agreement with existing particle dynamics simulations for both size and density segregation. Laterally uniform time-dependent solutions are constructed by mapping the segregation remixing equation to Burgers equation and using the Cole Hopf transformation to linearize the problem. It is then shown how solutions for arbitrary initial conditions can be constructed using standard methods. Three examples are investigated in which the initial concentration is (i) homogeneous, (ii) reverse graded with the coarse grains above the fines, and, (iii) normally graded with the fines above the coarse grains. Time-dependent two-dimensional solutions are also constructed for plug-flow in a semi-infinite chute.
Improving La0.6Sr0.4Co0.8Fe0.2O3-δ infiltrated solid oxide fuel cell cathode performance through precursor solution desiccation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burye, Theodore E.; Nicholas, Jason D.

2015-02-01

Here, for the first time, the average size of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) electrode nano-particles was reduced through the chemical desiccation of infiltrated precursor nitrate solutions. Specifically, after firing at 700 °C, CaCl2-desiccated La0.6Sr0.4Co0.8Fe0.2O3-δ (LSCF) - Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 (GDC) cathodes contained LSCF infiltrate particles with an average size of 22 nm. This is in contrast to comparable, undesiccated LSCF-GDC cathodes which contained LSCF infiltrate particles with an average size of 48 nm. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and controlled atmosphere electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that desiccation reduced the average infiltrate particle size without altering the infiltrate phase purity, the cathode concentration polarization resistance, or the cathode electronic resistance. Compared to undesiccated LSCF-GDC cathodes achieving polarization resistances of 0.10 Ωcm2 at 640 °C, comparable CaCl2-dessicated LSCF-GDC cathodes achieved 0.10 Ωcm2 at 575 °C. Mathematical modeling suggested that these performance improvements resulted solely from average infiltrate particle size reductions.
Dielectric and structural properties of aqueous nonpolar solute mixtures.

PubMed

Shvab, I; Sadus, Richard J

2012-09-28

The dielectric properties and molecular structure of water mixtures with different nonpolar solutes (methane and noble gases) are studied using molecular dynamics. The water-water, water-solute, and solute-solute interactions are calculated using the combination of a polarizable potential [J. Li, Z. Zhou, and R. J. Sadus, J. Chem. Phys. 127, 154509 (2007)] for water plus the Lennard-Jones potential. The effect of solute size and concentration on the solubility of the system, hydrogen bonding, dielectric constant, and dipole moment are investigated over a temperature range of 278-750 K and solute percentage mole fractions up to 30%. Solute particles affect the structure of water, resulting in the compression of oxygen-oxygen and oxygen-hydrogen radial distribution functions. The influence of the solute extends both to relatively low concentrations and high temperatures. The coordination numbers of aqueous solutions of the nonpolar solutes appear to be proportional to the size of the solute particles. Our study shows the destructive influence of the nonpolar solute on both the tetrahedral water structure and hydrogen bond formation at solute concentrations greater than 30%. The presence of nonpolar particles typically decreases both the dielectric constant and dipole moment. The decrease of dielectric constant and water dipole moment is directly proportional to the solute concentration and temperature.
Monodisperse aerosol generator

DOEpatents

Ortiz, Lawrence W.; Soderholm, Sidney C.

1990-01-01

An aerosol generator is described which is capable of producing a monodisperse aerosol within narrow limits utilizing an aqueous solution capable of providing a high population of seed nuclei and an organic solution having a low vapor pressure. The two solutions are cold nebulized, mixed, vaporized, and cooled. During cooling, particles of the organic vapor condense onto the excess seed nuclei, and grow to a uniform particle size.
Dynamics of Nanoparticles in Entangled Polymer Solutions

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

Nath, Pooja; Mangal, Rahul; Kohle, Ferdinand

The mean square displacement < r 2 > of nanoparticle probes dispersed in simple isotropic liquids and in polymer solutions is interrogated using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and single-particle tracking (SPT) experiments. Probe dynamics in different regimes of particle diameter (d), relative to characteristic polymer length scales, including the correlation length (ξ), the entanglement mesh size (a), and the radius of gyration (R g), are investigated. In simple fluids and for polymer solutions in which d >> R g, long-time particle dynamics obey random-walk statistics < r 2 >:t, with the bulk zero-shear viscosity of the polymer solution determining the frictionalmore » resistance to particle motion. In contrast, in polymer solutions with d < R g, polymer molecules in solution exert noncontinuum resistances to particle motion and nanoparticle probes appear to interact hydrodynamically only with a local fluid medium with effective drag comparable to that of a solution of polymer chain segments with sizes similar to those of the nanoparticle probes. Under these conditions, the nanoparticles exhibit orders of magnitude faster dynamics than those expected from continuum predictions based on the Stokes–Einstein relation. SPT measurements further show that when d > a, nanoparticle dynamics transition from diffusive to subdiffusive on long timescales, reminiscent of particle transport in a field with obstructions. This last finding is in stark contrast to the nanoparticle dynamics observed in entangled polymer melts, where X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy measurements reveal faster but hyperdiffusive dynamics. As a result, we analyze these results with the help of the hopping model for particle dynamics in polymers proposed by Cai et al. and, on that basis, discuss the physical origins of the local drag experienced by the nanoparticles in entangled polymer solutions.« less
Dynamics of Nanoparticles in Entangled Polymer Solutions

DOE PAGES

Nath, Pooja; Mangal, Rahul; Kohle, Ferdinand; ...

2017-12-01

The mean square displacement < r 2 > of nanoparticle probes dispersed in simple isotropic liquids and in polymer solutions is interrogated using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and single-particle tracking (SPT) experiments. Probe dynamics in different regimes of particle diameter (d), relative to characteristic polymer length scales, including the correlation length (ξ), the entanglement mesh size (a), and the radius of gyration (R g), are investigated. In simple fluids and for polymer solutions in which d >> R g, long-time particle dynamics obey random-walk statistics < r 2 >:t, with the bulk zero-shear viscosity of the polymer solution determining the frictionalmore » resistance to particle motion. In contrast, in polymer solutions with d < R g, polymer molecules in solution exert noncontinuum resistances to particle motion and nanoparticle probes appear to interact hydrodynamically only with a local fluid medium with effective drag comparable to that of a solution of polymer chain segments with sizes similar to those of the nanoparticle probes. Under these conditions, the nanoparticles exhibit orders of magnitude faster dynamics than those expected from continuum predictions based on the Stokes–Einstein relation. SPT measurements further show that when d > a, nanoparticle dynamics transition from diffusive to subdiffusive on long timescales, reminiscent of particle transport in a field with obstructions. This last finding is in stark contrast to the nanoparticle dynamics observed in entangled polymer melts, where X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy measurements reveal faster but hyperdiffusive dynamics. As a result, we analyze these results with the help of the hopping model for particle dynamics in polymers proposed by Cai et al. and, on that basis, discuss the physical origins of the local drag experienced by the nanoparticles in entangled polymer solutions.« less
Size-controlled fabrication of zein nano/microparticles by modified anti-solvent precipitation with/without sodium caseinate

PubMed Central

Li, Feng; Chen, Yan; Liu, Shubo; Qi, Jian; Wang, Weiying; Wang, Chenhua; Zhong, Ruiyue; Chen, Zhijun; Li, Xiaoming; Guan, Yuanzhou; Kong, Wei; Zhang, Yong

2017-01-01

Zein-based nano/microparticles have been demonstrated to be promising carrier systems for both the food industry and biomedical applications. However, the fabrication of size-controlled zein particles has been a challenging issue. In this study, a modified anti-solvent precipitation method was developed, and the effects of various factors, such as mixing method, solvent/anti-solvent ratio, temperature, zein concentrations and the presence of sodium caseinate (SC) on properties of zein particles were investigated. Evidence is presented that, among the previously mentioned factors, the mixing method, especially mixing rate, could be used as an effective parameter to control the size of zein particles without changing other parameters. Moreover, through fine-tuning the mixing rate together with zein concentration, particles with sizes ranging from nanometers to micrometers and low polydispersity index values could be easily obtained. Based on the size-controlled fabrication method, SC-coated zein nanoparticles could also be obtained in a size-controlled manner by incubation of the coating material with the already-formed zein particles. The resultant nanoparticles showed better performance in both drug loading and controlled release, compared with zein/SC hybrid nanoparticles fabricated by adding aqueous ethanol solution to SC solution. The possible mechanisms of the nanoprecipitation process and self-assembly formation of these nanoparticles are discussed. PMID:29184408
Size-controlled fabrication of zein nano/microparticles by modified anti-solvent precipitation with/without sodium caseinate.

PubMed

Li, Feng; Chen, Yan; Liu, Shubo; Qi, Jian; Wang, Weiying; Wang, Chenhua; Zhong, Ruiyue; Chen, Zhijun; Li, Xiaoming; Guan, Yuanzhou; Kong, Wei; Zhang, Yong

2017-01-01

Zein-based nano/microparticles have been demonstrated to be promising carrier systems for both the food industry and biomedical applications. However, the fabrication of size-controlled zein particles has been a challenging issue. In this study, a modified anti-solvent precipitation method was developed, and the effects of various factors, such as mixing method, solvent/anti-solvent ratio, temperature, zein concentrations and the presence of sodium caseinate (SC) on properties of zein particles were investigated. Evidence is presented that, among the previously mentioned factors, the mixing method, especially mixing rate, could be used as an effective parameter to control the size of zein particles without changing other parameters. Moreover, through fine-tuning the mixing rate together with zein concentration, particles with sizes ranging from nanometers to micrometers and low polydispersity index values could be easily obtained. Based on the size-controlled fabrication method, SC-coated zein nanoparticles could also be obtained in a size-controlled manner by incubation of the coating material with the already-formed zein particles. The resultant nanoparticles showed better performance in both drug loading and controlled release, compared with zein/SC hybrid nanoparticles fabricated by adding aqueous ethanol solution to SC solution. The possible mechanisms of the nanoprecipitation process and self-assembly formation of these nanoparticles are discussed.
Tailoring MCM-41 mesoporous silica particles through modified sol-gel process for gas separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sang, Wong Yean; Ching, Oh Pei

2017-10-01

Mobil Composition of Matter-41 (MCM-41) is recognized as a potential filler to enhance permeability of mixed matrix membrane (MMM). However, the required loading for available micron-sized MCM-41 was considerably high in order to achieve desired separation performance. In this work, reduced-size MCM-41 was synthesized to minimize filler loading, improve surface modification and enhance polymer-filler compatibility during membrane fabrication. The effect of reaction condition, stirring rate and type of post-synthesis washing solution used on particle diameter of resultant MCM-41 were investigated. It was found that MCM-41 produced at room temperature condition yield particles with smaller diameter, higher specific surface area and enhanced mesopore structure. Increase of stirring rate up to 500 rpm during synthesis also reduced the particle diameter. In addition, replacing water with methanol as the post-synthesis washing solution to remove bromide ions from the precipitate was able to further reduce the particle size by inhibiting polycondensation reaction.
Biosorbents prepared from wood particles treated with anionic polymer and iron salt: Effect of particle size on phosphate adsorption

Treesearch

Thomas L. Eberhardt; Soo-Hong Min

2008-01-01

Biomass-based adsorbents have been widely studied as a cost-effective and environmentally-benign means to remove pollutants and nutrients from water. A two-stage treatment of aspen wood particles with solutions of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and ferrous chloride afforded a biosorbent that was effective in removing phosphate from test solutions. FTIR spectroscopy of...
Smart Hydrogel Particles: Biomarker Harvesting: One-step affinity purification, size exclusion, and protection against degradation

PubMed Central

Luchini, Alessandra; Geho, David H.; Bishop, Barney; Tran, Duy; Xia, Cassandra; Dufour, Robert; Jones, Clint; Espina, Virginia; Patanarut, Alexis; Zhu, Weidong; Ross, Mark; Tessitore, Alessandra; Petricoin, Emanuel; Liotta, Lance A.

2010-01-01

Disease-associated blood biomarkers exist in exceedingly low concentrations within complex mixtures of high-abundance proteins such as albumin. We have introduced an affinity bait molecule into N-isopropylacrylamide to produce a particle that will perform three independent functions within minutes, in one step, in solution: a) molecular size sieving b) affinity capture of all solution phase target molecules, and c) complete protection of harvested proteins from enzymatic degradation. The captured analytes can be readily electroeluted for analysis. PMID:18076201
Analytical inversions in remote sensing of particle size distributions. IV - Comparison of Fymat and Box-McKellar solutions in the anomalous diffraction approximation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fymat, A. L.; Smith, C. B.

1979-01-01

It is shown that the inverse analytical solutions, provided separately by Fymat and Box-McKellar, for reconstructing particle size distributions from remote spectral transmission measurements under the anomalous diffraction approximation can be derived using a cosine and a sine transform, respectively. Sufficient conditions of validity of the two formulas are established. Their comparison shows that the former solution is preferable to the latter in that it requires less a priori information (knowledge of the particle number density is not needed) and has wider applicability. For gamma-type distributions, and either a real or a complex refractive index, explicit expressions are provided for retrieving the distribution parameters; such expressions are, interestingly, proportional to the geometric area of the polydispersion.
Impact of heat treatment on size, structure, and bioactivity of elemental selenium nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jinsong; Taylor, Ethan W; Wan, Xiaochun; Peng, Dungeng

2012-01-01

Background Elemental selenium nanoparticles have emerged as a novel selenium source with the advantage of reduced risk of selenium toxicity. The present work investigated whether heat treatment affects the size, structure, and bioactivity of selenium nanoparticles. Methods and results After a one-hour incubation of solution containing 80 nm selenium particles in a 90°C water bath, the nanoparticles aggregated into larger 110 nm particles and nanorods (290 nm × 70 nm), leading to significantly reduced bioavailability and phase II enzyme induction in selenium-deficient mice. When a solution containing 40 nm selenium nanoparticles was treated under the same conditions, the nanoparticles aggregated into larger 72 nm particles but did not transform into nanorods, demonstrating that the thermostability of selenium nanoparticles is size-dependent, smaller selenium nanoparticles being more resistant than larger selenium nanoparticles to transformation into nanorods during heat treatment. Conclusion The present results suggest that temperature and duration of the heat process, as well as the original nanoparticle size, should be carefully selected when a solution containing selenium nanoparticles is added to functional foods. PMID:22359458
In situ pH within particle beds of bioactive glasses.

PubMed

Zhang, Di; Hupa, Mikko; Hupa, Leena

2008-09-01

The in vitro behavior of three bioactive glasses with seven particle size distributions was studied by measuring the in situ pH inside the particle beds for 48h in simulated body fluid (SBF). After immersion, the surface of the particles was characterized with a field emission scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray analyzer. In addition, the results were compared with the reactions of the same glasses formed as plates. A similar trend in pH as a function of immersion time was observed for all systems. However, the pH inside the particle beds was markedly higher than that in the bulk SBF of the plates. The pH decreased as power functions with increasing particle size, i.e. with decreasing surface area. The in vitro reactivity expressed as layer formation strongly depended on the particle size and glass composition. The average thickness of the total reaction layer decreased with the increase in sample surface area. Well-developed silica and calcium phosphate layers typically observed on glass plates could be detected only on some particles freely exposed to the solution. No distinct reaction layers were observed on the finest particles, possibly because the layers spread out on the large surface area. Differences in the properties of the bulk SBF and the solution inside the particle bed were negligible for particles larger than 800microm. The results enhance our understanding of the in vitro reactions of bioactive glasses in various product forms and sizes.
Drug recrystallization using supercritical anti-solvent (SAS) process with impinging jets: Effect of process parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Careno, Stéphanie; Boutin, Olivier; Badens, Elisabeth

2012-03-01

The aim of this study is to improve mixing in supercritical anti-solvent process (SAS) with impinging jets in order to form finer particles of sulfathiazole, a poorly water-soluble drug. The influence of several process parameters upon the powder characteristics is studied. Parameters are jets' velocity (0.25 m s-1 to 25.92 m s-1), molar ratio solvent/CO2 (2.5% to 20%), temperature (313 K to 343 K), pressure (10 MPa to 20 MPa) and sulfathiazole concentration in the organic solution (0.5% to 1.8%). Two solvents are used: acetone and methanol. Smaller particles with a more homogeneous morphology are obtained from acetone solutions. For the smallest jets' velocity, corresponding to a non-atomized jet, the stable polymorphic form is obtained, pure or in mixture. At this velocity, pressure is the most influential parameter controlling the polymorphic nature of the powder formed. The pure stable polymorph is formed at 20 MPa. Concerning the particle size, the most influential parameters are temperature and sulfathiazole concentration. The use of impinging jets with different process parameters allows the crystallization of four polymorphs among the five known, and particle sizes are varied. This work demonstrates the studied device ability of the polymorph and the size control. A comparison with the classical SAS process shows that particle size, size distribution and morphology of particles crystallized with impinging jets are different from the ones obtained with classical SAS introduction device in similar operating conditions. Mean particle sizes are significantly smaller and size distributions are narrower with impinging jets device.
Hydroxy propyl cellulose capped silver nanoparticles produced by simple dialysis process

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

Francis, L.; Balakrishnan, A.; Sanosh, K.P.

2010-08-15

Silver (Ag) nanoparticles ({approx}6 nm) were synthesized using a novel dialysis process. Silver nitrate was used as a starting precursor, ethylene glycol as solvent and hydroxy propyl cellulose (HPC) introduced as a capping agent. Different batches of reaction mixtures were prepared with different concentrations of silver nitrate (AgNO{sub 3}). After the reduction and aging, these solutions were subjected to ultra-violet visible spectroscopy (UVS). Optimized solution, containing 250 mg AgNO{sub 3} revealed strong plasmon resonance peak at {approx}410 nm in the spectrum indicating good colloidal state of Ag nanoparticles in the diluted solution. The optimized solution was subjected to dialysis processmore » to remove any unreacted solvent. UVS of the optimized solution after dialysis showed the plasmon resonance peak shifting to {approx}440 nm indicating the reduction of Ag ions into zero-valent Ag. This solution was dried at 80 {sup o}C and the resultant HPC capped Ag (HPC/Ag) nanoparticles were studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for their particle size and morphology. The particle size distribution (PSD) analysis of these nanoparticles showed skewed distribution plot with particle size ranging from 3 to 18 nm. The nanoparticles were characterized for phase composition using X-ray diffractrometry (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR).« less
METHOD FOR PREPARATION OF UO$sub 2$ PARTICLES

DOEpatents

Johnson, J.R.; Taylor, A.J.

1959-09-22

A method is described for the preparation of highdensity UO/sub 2/ particles within the size range of 40 to 100 microns. In accordance with the invention UO/sub 2/ particles are autoclaved with an aqueous solution of uranyl ions. The resulting crystals are reduced to UO/sub 2/ and the UO/sub 2/ is heated to at least 1000 deg C to effect densification. The resulting UO/sub 2/ particles are screened, and oversize particles are crushed and screened to recover the particles within the desired size range.
Method for producing monodisperse aerosols

DOEpatents

Ortiz, Lawrence W.; Soderholm, Sidney C.

1990-01-01

An aerosol generator is described which is capable of producing a monodisperse aerosol within narrow limits utilizing an aqueous solution capable of providing a high population of seed nuclei and an organic solution having a low vapor pressure. The two solutions are cold nebulized, mixed, vaporized, and cooled. During cooling, particles of the organic vapor condense onto the excess seed nuclei, and grow to a uniform particle size.

Design and physicochemical characterization of advanced spray-dried tacrolimus multifunctional particles for inhalation

PubMed Central

Wu, Xiao; Hayes, Don; Zwischenberger, Joseph B; Kuhn, Robert J; Mansour, Heidi M

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to design, develop, and optimize respirable tacrolimus microparticles and nanoparticles and multifunctional tacrolimus lung surfactant mimic particles for targeted dry powder inhalation delivery as a pulmonary nanomedicine. Particles were rationally designed and produced at different pump rates by advanced spray-drying particle engineering design from organic solution in closed mode. In addition, multifunctional tacrolimus lung surfactant mimic dry powder particles were prepared by co-dissolving tacrolimus and lung surfactant mimic phospholipids in methanol, followed by advanced co-spray-drying particle engineering design technology in closed mode. The lung surfactant mimic phospholipids were 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-[phosphor-rac-1-glycerol]. Laser diffraction particle sizing indicated that the particle size distributions were suitable for pulmonary delivery, whereas scanning electron microscopy imaging indicated that these particles had both optimal particle morphology and surface morphology. Increasing the pump rate percent of tacrolimus solution resulted in a larger particle size. X-ray powder diffraction patterns and differential scanning calorimetry thermograms indicated that spray drying produced particles with higher amounts of amorphous phase. X-ray powder diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry also confirmed the preservation of the phospholipid bilayer structure in the solid state for all engineered respirable particles. Furthermore, it was observed in hot-stage micrographs that raw tacrolimus displayed a liquid crystal transition following the main phase transition, which is consistent with its interfacial properties. Water vapor uptake and lyotropic phase transitions in the solid state at varying levels of relative humidity were determined by gravimetric vapor sorption technique. Water content in the various powders was very low and well within the levels necessary for dry powder inhalation, as quantified by Karl Fisher coulometric titration. Conclusively, advanced spray-drying particle engineering design from organic solution in closed mode was successfully used to design and optimize solid-state particles in the respirable size range necessary for targeted pulmonary delivery, particularly for the deep lung. These particles were dry, stable, and had optimal properties for dry powder inhalation as a novel pulmonary nanomedicine. PMID:23403805
A self-organizing Lagrangian particle method for adaptive-resolution advection-diffusion simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reboux, Sylvain; Schrader, Birte; Sbalzarini, Ivo F.

2012-05-01

We present a novel adaptive-resolution particle method for continuous parabolic problems. In this method, particles self-organize in order to adapt to local resolution requirements. This is achieved by pseudo forces that are designed so as to guarantee that the solution is always well sampled and that no holes or clusters develop in the particle distribution. The particle sizes are locally adapted to the length scale of the solution. Differential operators are consistently evaluated on the evolving set of irregularly distributed particles of varying sizes using discretization-corrected operators. The method does not rely on any global transforms or mapping functions. After presenting the method and its error analysis, we demonstrate its capabilities and limitations on a set of two- and three-dimensional benchmark problems. These include advection-diffusion, the Burgers equation, the Buckley-Leverett five-spot problem, and curvature-driven level-set surface refinement.
Investigations into the fouling mechanism of parvovirus filters during filtration of freeze-thawed mAb drug substance solutions.

PubMed

Barnard, James G; Kahn, David; Cetlin, David; Randolph, Theodore W; Carpenter, John F

2014-03-01

Filtration to remove viruses is one of the single most expensive steps in the production of mAb drug products. Therefore, virus filtration steps should be fully optimized, and any decline in flow rates warrants investigation into the causes of such membrane fouling. In the current study, it was found that freezing and thawing of a mAb bulk drug solution caused a substantial decrease in viral filter membrane flow rate. Freezing and thawing also caused formation of aggregates and particles across a broad size range, including particles that could be detected by microflow imaging (≥1 μm in size). However, removal of these particles offered little protection against flow rate decline during viral filtration. Further investigation revealed that trace amounts of aggregates (ca. 10⁻⁶ of the total mass of protein in solution) approximately 20-40 nm in size were primarily responsible for the observed membrane fouling. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.
Formation of curcumin nanoparticles via solution-enhanced dispersion by supercritical CO2

PubMed Central

Zhao, Zheng; Xie, Maobin; Li, Yi; Chen, Aizheng; Li, Gang; Zhang, Jing; Hu, Huawen; Wang, Xinyu; Li, Shipu

2015-01-01

In order to enhance the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble curcumin, solution-enhanced dispersion by supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) (SEDS) was employed to prepare curcumin nanoparticles for the first time. A 24 full factorial experiment was designed to determine optimal processing parameters and their influence on the size of the curcumin nanoparticles. Particle size was demonstrated to increase with increased temperature or flow rate of the solution, or with decreased precipitation pressure, under processing conditions with different parameters considered. The single effect of the concentration of the solution on particle size was not significant. Curcumin nanoparticles with a spherical shape and the smallest mean particle size of 325 nm were obtained when the following optimal processing conditions were adopted: P =20 MPa, T =35°C, flow rate of solution =0.5 mL·min−1, concentration of solution =0.5%. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy measurement revealed that the chemical composition of curcumin basically remained unchanged. Nevertheless, X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and thermal analysis indicated that the crystalline state of the original curcumin decreased after the SEDS process. The solubility and dissolution rate of the curcumin nanoparticles were found to be higher than that of the original curcumin powder (approximately 1.4 μg/mL vs 0.2 μg/mL in 180 minutes). This study revealed that supercritical CO2 technologies had a great potential in fabricating nanoparticles and improving the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. PMID:25995627
Formation of curcumin nanoparticles via solution-enhanced dispersion by supercritical CO2.

PubMed

Zhao, Zheng; Xie, Maobin; Li, Yi; Chen, Aizheng; Li, Gang; Zhang, Jing; Hu, Huawen; Wang, Xinyu; Li, Shipu

2015-01-01

In order to enhance the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble curcumin, solution-enhanced dispersion by supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) (SEDS) was employed to prepare curcumin nanoparticles for the first time. A 2(4) full factorial experiment was designed to determine optimal processing parameters and their influence on the size of the curcumin nanoparticles. Particle size was demonstrated to increase with increased temperature or flow rate of the solution, or with decreased precipitation pressure, under processing conditions with different parameters considered. The single effect of the concentration of the solution on particle size was not significant. Curcumin nanoparticles with a spherical shape and the smallest mean particle size of 325 nm were obtained when the following optimal processing conditions were adopted: P = 20 MPa, T = 35°C, flow rate of solution = 0.5 mL·min(-1), concentration of solution = 0.5%. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy measurement revealed that the chemical composition of curcumin basically remained unchanged. Nevertheless, X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and thermal analysis indicated that the crystalline state of the original curcumin decreased after the SEDS process. The solubility and dissolution rate of the curcumin nanoparticles were found to be higher than that of the original curcumin powder (approximately 1.4 μg/mL vs 0.2 μg/mL in 180 minutes). This study revealed that supercritical CO2 technologies had a great potential in fabricating nanoparticles and improving the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs.
Method for the preparation of metal colloids in inverse micelles and product preferred by the method

DOEpatents

Wilcoxon, Jess P.

1992-01-01

A method is provided for preparing catalytic elemental metal colloidal particles (e.g. gold, palladium, silver, rhodium, iridium, nickel, iron, platinum, molybdenum) or colloidal alloy particles (silver/iridium or platinum/gold). A homogeneous inverse micelle solution of a metal salt is first formed in a metal-salt solvent comprised of a surfactant (e.g. a nonionic or cationic surfactant) and an organic solvent. The size and number of inverse micelles is controlled by the proportions of the surfactant and the solvent. Then, the metal salt is reduced (by chemical reduction or by a pulsed or continuous wave UV laser) to colloidal particles of elemental metal. After their formation, the colloidal metal particles can be stabilized by reaction with materials that permanently add surface stabilizing groups to the surface of the colloidal metal particles. The sizes of the colloidal elemental metal particles and their size distribution is determined by the size and number of the inverse micelles. A second salt can be added with further reduction to form the colloidal alloy particles. After the colloidal elemental metal particles are formed, the homogeneous solution distributes to two phases, one phase rich in colloidal elemental metal particles and the other phase rich in surfactant. The colloidal elemental metal particles from one phase can be dried to form a powder useful as a catalyst. Surfactant can be recovered and recycled from the phase rich in surfactant.
Interference from Proteins and Surfactants on Particle Size Distributions Measured by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA).

PubMed

Bai, Kelvin; Barnett, Gregory V; Kar, Sambit R; Das, Tapan K

2017-04-01

Characterization of submicron protein particles continues to be challenging despite active developments in the field. NTA is a submicron particle enumeration technique, which optically tracks the light scattering signal from suspended particles undergoing Brownian motion. The submicron particle size range NTA can monitor in common protein formulations is not well established. We conducted a comprehensive investigation with several protein formulations along with corresponding placebos using NTA to determine submicron particle size distributions and shed light on potential non-particle origin of size distribution in the range of approximately 50-300 nm. NTA and DLS are performed on polystyrene size standards as well as protein and placebo formulations. Protein formulations filtered through a 20 nm filter, with and without polysorbate-80, show NTA particle counts. As such, particle counts above 20 nm are not expected in these solutions. Several other systems including positive and negative controls were studied using NTA and DLS. These apparent particles measured by NTA are not observed in DLS measurements and may not correspond to real particles. The intent of this article is to raise awareness about the need to interpret particle counts and size distribution from NTA with caution.
Preparation and Characterization of Micronized Artemisinin via a Rapid Expansion of Supercritical Solutions (RESS) Method

PubMed Central

Yu, Huimin; Zhao, Xiuhua; Zu, Yuangang; Zhang, Xinjuan; Zu, Baishi; Zhang, Xiaonan

2012-01-01

The particle sizes of pharmaceutical substances are important for their bioavailability. Bioavailability can be improved by reducing the particle size of the drug. In this study, artemisinin was micronized by the rapid expansion of supercritical solutions (RESS). The particle size of the unprocessed white needle-like artemisinin particles was 30 to 1200 μm. The optimum micronization conditions are determined as follows: extraction temperature of 62 °C, extraction pressure of 25 MPa, precipitation temperature 45 °C and nozzle diameter of 1000 μm. Under the optimum conditions, micronized artemisinin with a (mean particle size) MPS of 550 nm is obtained. By analysis of variance (ANOVA), extraction temperature and pressure have significant effects on the MPS of the micronized artemisinin. The particle size of micronized artemisinin decreased with increasing extraction temperature and pressure. Moreover, the SEM, LC-MS, FTIR, DSC and XRD allowed the comparison between the crystalline initial state and the micronization particles obtained after the RESS process. The results showed that RESS process has not induced degradation of artemisinin and that processed artemisinin particles have lower crystallinity and melting point. The bulk density of artemisinin was determined before and after RESS process and the obtained results showed that it passes from an initial density of 0.554 to 0.128 g·cm−3 after the processing. The decrease in bulk density of the micronized powder can increase the liquidity of drug particles when they are applied for medicinal preparations. These results suggest micronized powder of artemisinin can be of great potential in drug delivery systems. PMID:22606030
Particle-fluid interaction corrections for flow measurements with a laser Doppler flowmeter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berman, N. S.

1972-01-01

A discussion is given of particle lags in mean flows, acoustic oscillations at single frequencies and in turbulent flows. Some simplified cases lead to exact solutions. For turbulent flows linearization of the equation of motion after assuming the fluid and particle streamlines coincide also leads to a solution. The results show that particle lags are a function of particle size and frequency of oscillation. Additional studies are necessary to evaluate the effect of turbulence when a major portion of the energy is concentrated in small eddies.
Digesta retention patterns of solute and different-sized particles in camelids compared with ruminants and other foregut fermenters.

PubMed

Dittmann, Marie T; Runge, Ullrich; Ortmann, Sylvia; Lang, Richard A; Moser, Dario; Galeffi, Cordula; Schwarm, Angela; Kreuzer, Michael; Clauss, Marcus

2015-07-01

The mean retention times (MRT) of solute or particles in the gastrointestinal tract and the forestomach (FS) are crucial determinants of digestive physiology in herbivores. Besides ruminants, camelids are the only herbivores that have evolved rumination as an obligatory physiological process consisting of repeated mastication of large food particles, which requires a particle sorting mechanism in the FS. Differences between camelids and ruminants have hardly been investigated so far. In this study we measured MRTs of solute and differently sized particles (2, 10, and 20 mm) and the ratio of large-to-small particle MRT, i.e. the selectivity factors (SF(10/2mm), SF(20/2mm), SF(20/10mm)), in three camelid species: alpacas (Vicugna pacos), llamas (Llama glama), and Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus). The camelid data were compared with literature data from ruminants and non-ruminant foregut fermenters (NRFF). Camelids and ruminants both had higher SF(10/2mm)FS than NRFF, suggesting convergence in the function of the FS sorting mechanism in contrast to NRFF, in which such a sorting mechanism is absent. The SF(20/10mm)FS did not differ between ruminants and camelids, indicating that there is a particle size threshold of about 1 cm in both suborders above which particle retention is not increased. Camelids did not differ from ruminants in MRT(2mm)FS, MRTsoluteFS, and the ratio MRT(2mm)FS/MRTsoluteFS, but they were more similar to 'cattle-' than to 'moose-type' ruminants. Camelids had higher SF(10/2mm)FS and higher SF(20/2mm)FS than ruminants, indicating a potentially slower particle sorting in camelids than in ruminants, with larger particles being retained longer in relation to small particles.
Study of The Maximum Uptake Capacity on Various Sizes of Electric Arc Furnace Slag in Phosphorus Aqueous Solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afnizan, W. M. W.; Hamdan, R.; Othman, N.

2016-07-01

The high content of uncontrolled phosphorus concentration in wastewater has emerged as a major problem recently. The excessive amount of phosphorus that is originated from domestic waste, unproper treated waste from septic tanks, as well as agricultural activities have led to the eutrophication problem. Therefore, a laboratory experiment was initiated to evaluate the potential of the Electric Arc Furnace Slag (EAFS), a by-product waste from steel making industry in removing phosphorus concentrations in aqueous solutions. In this work several particle sizes ranging from (9.5-12.4 mm, 12.5-15.9 mm, 16.0-19.9 mm, 20.0-24.9 mm, 25-37.4 mm) with a known weight (20±0.28 g, 40±0.27 g, 60±0.30 g, 80±0.29 g and 100±0.38 g) were used to study the effect of different particle sizes towards phosphorus removal. Each particle size of EAFS was shaken in synthetic phosphorus solutions (10 mg/l, 20 mg/l, 30 mg/l, 40 mg/l and 50 mg/l) at a contact time of 2 hours. Final concentrations of phosphorus were sampled and the measurement was made using WESTCO Discrete Analyzer equipment. Results showed that the highest of the maximum uptake capacity of each EAFS particle size distribution achieved at 0.287, 0.313, 0.266, 0.241 and 0.25 mg/g as particle size range was varied from 9.5-12.4 mm to 25-37.4 mm. In conclusion, the maximum uptake capacity of each EAFS mostly was determined to occur at adsorbent weight of 20 to 40 g in most conditions.
Solution-processed photodetectors from colloidal silicon nano/micro particle composite.

PubMed

Tu, Chang-Ching; Tang, Liang; Huang, Jiangdong; Voutsas, Apostolos; Lin, Lih Y

2010-10-11

We demonstrate solution-processed photodetectors composed of heavy-metal-free Si nano/micro particle composite. The colloidal Si particles are synthesized by electrochemical etching of Si wafers, followed by ultra-sonication to pulverize the porous surface. With alkyl ligand surface passivation through hydrosilylation reaction, the particles can form a stable colloidal suspension which exhibits bright photoluminescence under ultraviolet excitation and a broadband extinction spectrum due to enhanced scattering from the micro-size particles. The efficiency of the thin film photodetectors has been substantially improved by preventing oxidation of the particles during the etching process.
The peculiar behavior of the glass transition temperature of amorphous drug-polymer films coated on inert sugar spheres.

PubMed

Dereymaker, Aswin; Van Den Mooter, Guy

2015-05-01

Fluid bed coating has been proposed in the past as an alternative technology for manufacturing of drug-polymer amorphous solid dispersions, or so-called glass solutions. It has the advantage of being a one-step process, and thus omitting separate drying steps, addition of excipients, or manipulation of the dosage form. In search of an adequate sample preparation method for modulated differential scanning calorimetry analysis of beads coated with glass solutions, glass transition broadening and decrease of the glass transition temperature (Tg ) were observed with increasing particle size of crushed coated beads and crushed isolated films of indomethacin (INDO) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Substituting INDO with naproxen gave comparable results. When ketoconazole was probed or the solvent in INDO-PVP films was switched to dichloromethane (DCM) or a methanol-DCM mixture, two distinct Tg regions were observed. Small particle sizes had a glass transition in the high Tg region, and large particle sizes had a glass transition in the low Tg region. This particle size-dependent glass transition was ascribed to different residual solvent amounts in the bulk and at the surface of the particles. A correlation was observed between the deviation of the Tg from that calculated from the Gordon-Taylor equation and the amount of residual solvent at the Tg of particles with different sizes. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.
Size and shape of uniform particles precipitated in homogeneous solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sevonkaev, Igor V.

The assembly of nanosize crystals into larger uniform colloids is a fundamental process that plays a critical role in the formation of a very broad range of fine-particles used in numerous applications in technology, medicine, and national security. It is widely accepted that, along with size, in most of these applications the shape of the particles represents a critical factor. In the current research, we investigate the size and shape control of uniform particles prepared by precipitation in homogeneous solutions. In the first---theoretical---part a combinational mechanism of the shape control during particle growth was proposed and analyzed numerically. The main finding of our simulation is that a proper balance of two processes, preferential attachment of transported monomers at the protruding features of the growing cluster and monomer rearrangement at the cluster surface, can yield a well-defined particle shape that persist for sizes much larger than the original seed over a large interval of time. In the experimental part, three chemically simple systems were selected MgF2, NaMgF3, and PbS for defining and evaluating the key parameters of the shape and size control of the precipitates. Thus, uniform dispersions of particles of different morphologies (spherical, cubic, platelet, and prismatic) were prepared by precipitation in aqueous solutions. The mechanisms of the formation of the resulting particles of different shapes are explained by the role of the pH, temperature, solubility, and ionic strength. Stages of particles growth were evaluated on short and long time scales, winch allowed to propose multistage mechanisms of NaMgF3 growth and estimate induction time and critical nuclei size for MgF2. In addition, for prospective numerical modeling the surface tensions of spherical and platelet particles of MgF2 were evaluated from the X-ray data by a lattice parameter change method. Also, a new method for the evaluation of the variation in the density distribution in colloidal spherical particles was proposed. This method utilizes transmission electron microscopy without high resolution mode and processes acquired images. Suggested method eliminates the dependency of the image contrast on sample crystallinity. The advantage of such approach manifested by the short time sample preparation, fast instrument tune-up, rapid image acquisition and analysis, all of which shortens the processing time.
Size effects of solvent molecules on the phase behavior and effective interaction of colloidal systems with the bridging attraction.

PubMed

Chen, Jie; Wang, Xuewu; Kline, Steven R; Liu, Yun

2016-11-16

There has been much recent research interest towards understanding the phase behavior of colloidal systems interacting with a bridging attraction, where the small solvent particles and large solute colloidal particles can be reversibly associated with each other. These systems show interesting phase behavior compared to the more widely studied depletion attraction systems. Here, we use Baxter's two-component sticky hard sphere model with a Percus-Yevick closure to solve the Ornstein-Zernike equation and study the size effect on colloidal systems with bridging attractions. The spinodal decomposition regions, percolation transition boundaries and binodal regions are systematically investigated as a function of the relative size of the small solvent and large solute particles as well as the attraction strength between the small and large particles. In the phase space determined by the concentrations of small and large particles, the spinodal and binodal regions form isolated islands. The locations and shapes of the spinodal and binodal regions sensitively depend on the relative size of the small and large particles and the attraction strength between them. The percolation region shrinks by decreasing the size ratio, while the binodal region slightly expands with the decrease of the size ratio. Our results are very important in understanding the phase behavior for a bridging attraction colloidal system, a model system that provides insight into oppositely charged colloidal systems, protein phase behavior, and colloidal gelation mechanisms.
High transport efficiency of nanoparticles through a total-consumption sample introduction system and its beneficial application for particle size evaluation in single-particle ICP-MS.

PubMed

Miyashita, Shin-Ichi; Mitsuhashi, Hiroaki; Fujii, Shin-Ichiro; Takatsu, Akiko; Inagaki, Kazumi; Fujimoto, Toshiyuki

2017-02-01

In order to facilitate reliable and efficient determination of both the particle number concentration (PNC) and the size of nanoparticles (NPs) by single-particle ICP-MS (spICP-MS) without the need to correct for the particle transport efficiency (TE, a possible source of bias in the results), a total-consumption sample introduction system consisting of a large-bore, high-performance concentric nebulizer and a small-volume on-axis cylinder chamber was utilized. Such a system potentially permits a particle TE of 100 %, meaning that there is no need to include a particle TE correction when calculating the PNC and the NP size. When the particle TE through the sample introduction system was evaluated by comparing the frequency of sharp transient signals from the NPs in a measured NP standard of precisely known PNC to the particle frequency for a measured NP suspension, the TE for platinum NPs with a nominal diameter of 70 nm was found to be very high (i.e., 93 %), and showed satisfactory repeatability (relative standard deviation of 1.0 % for four consecutive measurements). These results indicated that employing this total consumption system allows the particle TE correction to be ignored when calculating the PNC. When the particle size was determined using a solution-standard-based calibration approach without an NP standard, the particle diameters of platinum and silver NPs with nominal diameters of 30-100 nm were found to agree well with the particle diameters determined by transmission electron microscopy, regardless of whether a correction was performed for the particle TE. Thus, applying the proposed system enables NP size to be accurately evaluated using a solution-standard-based calibration approach without the need to correct for the particle TE.
Iterative and variational homogenization methods for filled elastomers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goudarzi, Taha

Elastomeric composites have increasingly proved invaluable in commercial technological applications due to their unique mechanical properties, especially their ability to undergo large reversible deformation in response to a variety of stimuli (e.g., mechanical forces, electric and magnetic fields, changes in temperature). Modern advances in organic materials science have revealed that elastomeric composites hold also tremendous potential to enable new high-end technologies, especially as the next generation of sensors and actuators featured by their low cost together with their biocompatibility, and processability into arbitrary shapes. This potential calls for an in-depth investigation of the macroscopic mechanical/physical behavior of elastomeric composites directly in terms of their microscopic behavior with the objective of creating the knowledge base needed to guide their bottom-up design. The purpose of this thesis is to generate a mathematical framework to describe, explain, and predict the macroscopic nonlinear elastic behavior of filled elastomers, arguably the most prominent class of elastomeric composites, directly in terms of the behavior of their constituents --- i.e., the elastomeric matrix and the filler particles --- and their microstructure --- i.e., the content, size, shape, and spatial distribution of the filler particles. This will be accomplished via a combination of novel iterative and variational homogenization techniques capable of accounting for interphasial phenomena and finite deformations. Exact and approximate analytical solutions for the fundamental nonlinear elastic response of dilute suspensions of rigid spherical particles (either firmly bonded or bonded through finite size interphases) in Gaussian rubber are first generated. These results are in turn utilized to construct approximate solutions for the nonlinear elastic response of non-Gaussian elastomers filled with a random distribution of rigid particles (again, either firmly bonded or bonded through finite size interphases) at finite concentrations. Three-dimensional finite element simulations are also carried out to gain further insight into the proposed theoretical solutions. Inter alia, we make use of these solutions to examine the effects of particle concentration, mono- and poly-dispersity of the filler particle size, and the presence of finite size interphases on the macroscopic response of filled elastomers. The solutions are found able to explain and describe experimental results that to date have been understood only in part. More generally, the solutions provide a robust tool to efficiently guide the design of filled elastomers with desired macroscopic properties. The homogenization techniques developed in this work are not limited to nonlinear elasticity, but can be readily utilized to study multi-functional properties as well. For demonstration purposes, we work out a novel exact solution for the macroscopic dielectric response of filled elastomers with interphasial space charges.
Physical characterization and in vitro biological impact of highly aggregated antibodies separated into size-enriched populations by fluorescence-activated cell sorting

PubMed Central

Telikepalli, Srivalli; Shinogle, Heather E.; Thapa, Prem S.; Kim, Jae Hyun; Deshpande, Meghana; Jawa, Vibha; Middaugh, C. Russell; Narhi, Linda O.; Joubert, Marisa K.; Volkin, David B.

2015-01-01

An IgG2 monoclonal antibody (mAb) solution was subjected to stirring, generating high concentrations of nanometer and subvisible particles, which were then successfully size enriched into different size bins by low speed centrifugation or a combination of gravitational sedimentation and Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting (FACS). The size-fractionated mAb particles were assessed for their ability to elicit the release of cytokines from a population of donor-derived human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) at two phases of the immune response. Fractions enriched in nanometer-sized particles showed a lower response than those enriched in micron-sized particles in this assay. Particles of 5–10 μm in size displayed elevated cytokine release profiles compared to other size ranges. Stir-stressed mAb particles had amorphous morphology, contained protein with partially altered secondary structure, elevated surface hydrophobicity (compared to controls), and trace levels of elemental fluorine. FACS size-enriched the mAb particle samples, yet did not notably alter the overall morphology or composition of particles as measured by Microflow imaging, Transmission Electron Microscopy, and Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy. The utility and limitations of FACS for size separation of mAb particles and potential of in-vitro PBMC studies to rank order the immunogenic potential of various types of mAb particles is discussed. PMID:25753756
Novel micronisation β-carotene using rapid expansion supercritical solution with co-solvent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kien, Le Anh

2017-09-01

Rapid expansion of supercritical solution (RESS) is the most common approach of pharmaceutical pacticle forming methods using supercritical fluids. The RESS method is a technology producing a small solid product with a very narrow particle size distribution, organic solvent-free particles. This process is also simple and easy to control the operating parameters in comparision with other ways based on supercritical techniques. In this study, β-carotene, a strongly colored red-orange pigment abundant in plants and fruits, has been forming by RESS. In addition, the size and morphology effect of four different RESS parameters including co-solvent, extraction temperature, and extraction pressure and expansion nozzle temperature has surveyed. The particle size distribution has been determined by using laser diffraction experiment. SEM has conducted to analyze the surface structure, DSC and FTIR for thermal and chemical structure analysis.
Deducing Shape of Anisotropic Particles in Solution from Light Scattering: Spindles and Nanorods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuper, Ilona; Terrano, Daniel; Streletzky, Kiril A.; Dement'eva, Olga V.; Semyonov, Sergey A.; Rudoy, Victor M.

Depolarized Dynamic Light Scattering (DDLS) enables to measure rotational and translational diffusion of nanoparticles suspended in solution. The particle size, shape, diffusion, and interactions can then be inferred from the DDLS data using various models of diffusion. Incorporating the technique of DDLS to analyze the dimensions of easily imaged elongated particles, such as Iron (III) oxyhydroxide (FeOOH) Spindles and gold Nanorods, allows testing of the models for rotational and translational diffusion of elongated particles in solution. This, in turn, can help to better interpret DDLS data on hard-to-image anisotropic wet systems such as micelles, microgels, and protein complexes. This study focused on FeOOH Spindles and gold nanorod particles. The light scattering results on FeOOH analyzed using the basic model of non-interacting prolate ellipsoids yielded dimensions within 17% of the SEM measured dimensions. The dimensions of gold nanorod obtained from the straight cylinder model of DDLS data provided results within 25% of the sizes that were obtained from TEM. The nanorod DDLS data was also analyzed by a spherocylinder model.

A Kernel-based Lagrangian method for imperfectly-mixed chemical reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, Michael J.; Pankavich, Stephen; Benson, David A.

2017-05-01

Current Lagrangian (particle-tracking) algorithms used to simulate diffusion-reaction equations must employ a certain number of particles to properly emulate the system dynamics-particularly for imperfectly-mixed systems. The number of particles is tied to the statistics of the initial concentration fields of the system at hand. Systems with shorter-range correlation and/or smaller concentration variance require more particles, potentially limiting the computational feasibility of the method. For the well-known problem of bimolecular reaction, we show that using kernel-based, rather than Dirac delta, particles can significantly reduce the required number of particles. We derive the fixed width of a Gaussian kernel for a given reduced number of particles that analytically eliminates the error between kernel and Dirac solutions at any specified time. We also show how to solve for the fixed kernel size by minimizing the squared differences between solutions over any given time interval. Numerical results show that the width of the kernel should be kept below about 12% of the domain size, and that the analytic equations used to derive kernel width suffer significantly from the neglect of higher-order moments. The simulations with a kernel width given by least squares minimization perform better than those made to match at one specific time. A heuristic time-variable kernel size, based on the previous results, performs on par with the least squares fixed kernel size.
Nucleation and Growth Kinetics from LaMer Burst Data.

PubMed

Chu, Daniel B K; Owen, Jonathan S; Peters, Baron

2017-10-12

In LaMer burst nucleation, the individual nucleation events happen en masse, quasi-simultaneously, and at nearly identical homogeneous conditions. These properties make LaMer burst nucleation important for applications that require monodispersed particles and also for theoretical analyses. Sugimoto and co-workers predicted that the number of nuclei generated during a LaMer burst depends only on the solute supply rate and the growth rate, independent of the nucleation kinetics. Some experiments confirm that solute supply kinetics control the number of nuclei, but flaws in the original theoretical analysis raise questions about the predicted roles of growth and nucleation kinetics. We provide a rigorous analysis of the coupled equations that govern concentrations of nuclei and solutes. Our analysis confirms that the number of nuclei is largely determined by the solute supply and growth rates, but our predicted relationship differs from that of Sugimoto et al. Moreover, we find that additional nucleus size dependent corrections should emerge in systems with slow growth kinetics. Finally, we show how the nucleation kinetics determine the particle size distribution. We suggest that measured particle size distributions might therefore provide ways to test theoretical models of homogeneous nucleation kinetics.
Fabrication of Controllable Pore and Particle Size of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles via a Liquid-phase Synthesis Method and Its Absorption Characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nandiyanto, Asep Bayu Dani; Iskandar, Ferry; Okuyama, Kikuo

2011-12-01

Monodisperse spherical mesoporous silica nanoparticles were successfully synthesized using a liquid-phase synthesis method. The result showed particles with controllable pore size from several to tens nanometers with outer diameter of several tens nanometers. The ability in the control of pore size and outer diameter was altered by adjusting the precursor solution ratios. In addition, we have conducted the adsorption ability of the prepared particles. The result showed that large organic molecules were well-absorbed to the prepared silica porous particles, in which this result was not obtained when using commercial dense silica particle and/or hollow silica particle. With this result, the prepared mesoporous silica particles may be used efficiently in various applications, such as sensors, pharmaceuticals, environmentally sensitive pursuits, etc.
Formation of polymeric and organic nanoparticles by RESS and RESOLV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sane, Amporn

The goal of this work was to obtain an improved fundamental understanding of the formation of organic and polymeric particles by the rapid expansion of supercritical solutions into either air (RESS) or liquid solvents (RESOLV). Rapid expansion of a fluorinated tetraphenylporphyrin, 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)porphyrin (TBTPP), from supercritical solutions of carbon dioxide was investigated. Surprisingly, true nanoparticles (38 +/- 9 nm) were produced by RESS, independent of porphyrin concentration, degree of saturation, and pre-expansion pressure. Particle size increased in a well-behaved manner with pre-expansion temperature (Tpre). RESOLV of TBTPP-CO2 solutions was investigated both for minimizing particle growth in the free jet and for preventing particle agglomeration. Rapid expansion into an aqueous solution of 0.025 wt % Pluronic F68 produced stable nanoparticle (28 +/- 9 nm) suspensions, independent of the processing conditions selected. The fact that nanoparticles were produced by RESS of TBTPP, vs. the microparticles reported with other organics, can be explained in terms of Friedlander's collision-coalescence theory and the solid-state diffusion coefficient D, which is low for this system because of the high melting point (Tm = 388°C) of TBTPP. The effect of D (which is ∝ exp(-Tm/Tpre)) on RESS was further investigated by using a polymer as the solute, as T m can be varied via the molecular weight without changes in chemical properties. RESS experiments on poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) with two different melting points (Tm = 121°C and Mw = 1340; T m = 162°C and Mw = 6050) in CO2-THF mixtures were performed. Typical PLLA products consisted of both nanoparticles (30--100 nm) and larger (submicron- and micron-sized) particles. The presence of individual nanoparticles suggests that the initially formed precipitates are nano-sized, and that larger particles are obtained because of coalescence effects in the free jet. As with TBTPP, results for PLLA can be explained in terms of D. For example, at a given Tpre, the size of the larger particles decreased from 10 to 1 mum as the Tm of the PLLA polymer increased from 121 to 162°C. Furthermore, for a given Tm, particle fusion in the agglomerates decreased with decreasing Tpre.
The effect of impeller type on silica sol formation in laboratory scale agitated tank

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurtono, Tantular; Suprana, Yayang Ade; Latif, Abdul; Dewa, Restu Mulya; Machmudah, Siti; Widiyastuti, Winardi, Sugeng

2016-02-01

The multiphase polymerization reaction of the silica sol formation produced from silicic acid and potassium hydroxide solutions in laboratory scale agitated tank was studied. The reactor is equipped with four segmental baffle and top entering impeller. The inside diameter of reactor is 9 cm, the baffle width is 0.9 cm, and the impeller position is 3 cm from tank bottom. The diameter of standard six blades Rushton and three blades marine propeller impellers are 5 cm. The silicic acid solution was made from 0.2 volume fraction of water glass (sodium silicate) solution in which the sodium ion was exchanged by hydrogen ion from cation resin. The reactor initially filled with 286 ml silicic acid solution was operated in semi batch mode and the temperature was kept constant in 60 °C. The 3 ml/minute of 1 M potassium hydroxide solution was added into stirred tank and the solution was stirred. The impeller rotational speed was varied from 100 until 700 rpm. This titration was stopped if the solution in stirred tank had reached the pH of 10-The morphology of the silica particles in the silica sol product was analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The size of silica particles in silica sol was measured based on the SEM image. The silica particle obtained in this research was amorphous particle and the shape was roughly cylinder. The flow field generated by different impeller gave significant effect on particle size and shape. The smallest geometric mean of length and diameter of particle (4.92 µm and 2.42 µm, respectively) was generated in reactor with marine propeller at 600 rpm. The reactor with Rushton impeller produced particle which the geometric mean of length and diameter of particle was 4.85 µm and 2.36 µm, respectively, at 150 rpm.
The effect of impeller type on silica sol formation in laboratory scale agitated tank

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

Nurtono, Tantular; Suprana, Yayang Ade; Latif, Abdul

2016-02-08

The multiphase polymerization reaction of the silica sol formation produced from silicic acid and potassium hydroxide solutions in laboratory scale agitated tank was studied. The reactor is equipped with four segmental baffle and top entering impeller. The inside diameter of reactor is 9 cm, the baffle width is 0.9 cm, and the impeller position is 3 cm from tank bottom. The diameter of standard six blades Rushton and three blades marine propeller impellers are 5 cm. The silicic acid solution was made from 0.2 volume fraction of water glass (sodium silicate) solution in which the sodium ion was exchanged by hydrogen ion from cationmore » resin. The reactor initially filled with 286 ml silicic acid solution was operated in semi batch mode and the temperature was kept constant in 60 °C. The 3 ml/minute of 1 M potassium hydroxide solution was added into stirred tank and the solution was stirred. The impeller rotational speed was varied from 100 until 700 rpm. This titration was stopped if the solution in stirred tank had reached the pH of 10-The morphology of the silica particles in the silica sol product was analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The size of silica particles in silica sol was measured based on the SEM image. The silica particle obtained in this research was amorphous particle and the shape was roughly cylinder. The flow field generated by different impeller gave significant effect on particle size and shape. The smallest geometric mean of length and diameter of particle (4.92 µm and 2.42 µm, respectively) was generated in reactor with marine propeller at 600 rpm. The reactor with Rushton impeller produced particle which the geometric mean of length and diameter of particle was 4.85 µm and 2.36 µm, respectively, at 150 rpm.« less
Evolution of Particle Size Distributions in Fragmentation Over Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charalambous, C. A.; Pike, W. T.

2013-12-01

We present a new model of fragmentation based on a probabilistic calculation of the repeated fracture of a particle population. The resulting continuous solution, which is in closed form, gives the evolution of fragmentation products from an initial block, through a scale-invariant power-law relationship to a final comminuted powder. Models for the fragmentation of particles have been developed separately in mainly two different disciplines: the continuous integro-differential equations of batch mineral grinding (Reid, 1965) and the fractal analysis of geophysics (Turcotte, 1986) based on a discrete model with a single probability of fracture. The first gives a time-dependent development of the particle-size distribution, but has resisted a closed-form solution, while the latter leads to the scale-invariant power laws, but with no time dependence. Bird (2009) recently introduced a bridge between these two approaches with a step-wise iterative calculation of the fragmentation products. The development of the particle-size distribution occurs with discrete steps: during each fragmentation event, the particles will repeatedly fracture probabilistically, cascading down the length scales to a final size distribution reached after all particles have failed to further fragment. We have identified this process as the equivalent to a sequence of trials for each particle with a fixed probability of fragmentation. Although the resulting distribution is discrete, it can be reformulated as a continuous distribution in maturity over time and particle size. In our model, Turcotte's power-law distribution emerges at a unique maturation index that defines a regime boundary. Up to this index, the fragmentation is in an erosional regime with the initial particle size setting the scaling. Fragmentation beyond this index is in a regime of comminution with rebreakage of the particles down to the size limit of fracture. The maturation index can increment continuously, for example under grinding conditions, or as discrete steps, such as with impact events. In both cases our model gives the energy associated with the fragmentation in terms of the developing surface area of the population. We show the agreement of our model to the evolution of particle size distributions associated with episodic and continuous fragmentation and how the evolution of some popular fractals may be represented using this approach. C. A. Charalambous and W. T. Pike (2013). Multi-Scale Particle Size Distributions of Mars, Moon and Itokawa based on a time-maturation dependent fragmentation model. Abstract Submitted to the AGU 46th Fall Meeting. Bird, N. R. A., Watts, C. W., Tarquis, A. M., & Whitmore, A. P. (2009). Modeling dynamic fragmentation of soil. Vadose Zone Journal, 8(1), 197-201. Reid, K. J. (1965). A solution to the batch grinding equation. Chemical Engineering Science, 20(11), 953-963. Turcotte, D. L. (1986). Fractals and fragmentation. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 91(B2), 1921-1926.
Modeling the Influence of Injection Modes on the Evolution of Solution Sprays in a Plasma Jet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shan, Y.; Coyle, T. W.; Mostaghimi, J.

2010-01-01

Solution precursor plasma spraying (SPPS) is a novel technology with great potential for depositing finely structured ceramic coatings with nano- and sub-micrometric features. The solution is injected into the plasma jet either as a liquid stream or gas atomized droplets. Solution droplets or the stream interact with the plasma jet and break up into fine droplets. The solvent vaporizes very fast as the droplets travel downstream. Solid particles are finally formed, and the particle are heated up and accelerated to the substrate to generate the coating. The deposition process and the properties of coatings obtained are extremely sensitive to the process parameters, such as torch operating conditions, injection modes, injection parameters, and substrate temperatures. This article numerically investigates the effect of injection modes, a liquid stream injection and a gas-blast injection, on the size distribution of injected droplets. The particle/droplet size, temperature, and position distributions on the substrate are predicted for different injection modes.
Tuning Aerosol Particle Size Distribution of Metered Dose Inhalers Using Cosolvents and Surfactants

PubMed Central

Saleem, Imran Y.; Smyth, Hugh D. C.

2013-01-01

Objectives. The purpose of these studies was to understand the influence of cosolvent and surfactant contributions to particle size distributions emitted from solution metered dose inhalers (pMDIs) based on the propellant HFA 227. Methods. Two sets of formulations were prepared: (a) pMDIs-HFA 227 containing cosolvent (5–15% w/w ethanol) with constant surfactant (pluronic) concentration and (b) pMDIs-HFA 227 containing surfactant (0–5.45% w/w pluronic) with constant cosolvent concentration. Particle size distributions emitted from these pMDIs were analyzed using aerodynamic characterization (inertial impaction) and laser diffraction methods. Results. Both cosolvent and surfactant concentrations were positively correlated with median particle sizes; that is, drug particle size increased with increasing ethanol and pluronic concentrations. However, evaluation of particle size distributions showed that cosolvent caused reduction in the fine particle mode magnitude while the surfactant caused a shift in the mode position. These findings highlight the different mechanisms by which these components influence droplet formation and demonstrate the ability to utilize the different effects in formulations of pMDI-HFA 227 for independently modulating particle sizes in the respirable region. Conclusion. Potentially, the formulation design window generated using these excipients in combination could be used to match the particle size output of reformulated products to preexisting pMDI products. PMID:23984381
Asymptotic Solutions for Optical Properties of Large Particles with Strong Absorption

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yang, Ping; Gao, Bo-Cai; Baum, Bryan A.; Hu, Yong X.; Wiscombe, Warren J.; Mishchenko, Michael I.; Winker, Dave M.; Nasiri, Shaima L.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

For scattering calculations involving nonspherical particles such as ice crystals, we show that the transverse wave condition is not applicable to the refracted electromagnetic wave in the context of geometric optics when absorption is involved. Either the TM wave condition (i.e., where the magnetic field of the refracted wave is transverse with respect to the wave direction) or the TE wave condition (i.e., where the electric field is transverse with respect to the propagating direction of the wave) may be assumed for the refracted wave in an absorbing medium to locally satisfy the electromagnetic boundary condition in the ray tracing calculation. The wave mode assumed for the refracted wave affects both the reflection and refraction coefficients. As a result, a nonunique solution for these coefficients is derived from the electromagnetic boundary condition. In this study we have identified the appropriate solution for the Fresnel reflection/refraction coefficients in light scattering calculation based on the ray tracing technique. We present the 3 x 2 refraction or transmission matrix that completely accounts for the inhomogeneity of the refracted wave in an absorbing medium. Using the Fresnel coefficients for an absorbing medium, we derive an asymptotic solution in an analytical format for the scattering properties of a general polyhedral particle. Numerical results are presented for hexagonal plates and columns with both preferred and random orientations. The asymptotic theory can produce reasonable accuracy in the phase function calculations in the infrared window region (wavelengths near 10 micron) if the particle size (in diameter) is on the order of 40 micron or larger. However, since strong absorption is assumed in the computation of the single-scattering albedo in the asymptotic theory, the single scattering albedo does not change with variation of the particle size. As a result, the asymptotic theory can lead to substantial errors in the computation of single-scattering albedo for small and moderate particle sizes. However, from comparison of the asymptotic results with the FDTD solution, it is expected that a convergence between the FDTD results and the asymptotic theory results can be reached when the particle size approaches 200 micron. We show that the phase function at side-scattering and backscattering angles is insensitive to particle shape if the random orientation condition is assumed. However, if preferred orientations are assumed for particles, the phase function has a strong dependence on scattering azimuthal angle. The single-scattering albedo also shows very strong dependence on the inclination angle of incident radiation with respect to the rotating axis for the preferred particle orientations.
Poisson-Nernst-Planck Equations for Simulating Biomolecular Diffusion-Reaction Processes II: Size Effects on Ionic Distributions and Diffusion-Reaction Rates

PubMed Central

Lu, Benzhuo; Zhou, Y.C.

2011-01-01

The effects of finite particle size on electrostatics, density profiles, and diffusion have been a long existing topic in the study of ionic solution. The previous size-modified Poisson-Boltzmann and Poisson-Nernst-Planck models are revisited in this article. In contrast to many previous works that can only treat particle species with a single uniform size or two sizes, we generalize the Borukhov model to obtain a size-modified Poisson-Nernst-Planck (SMPNP) model that is able to treat nonuniform particle sizes. The numerical tractability of the model is demonstrated as well. The main contributions of this study are as follows. 1), We show that an (arbitrarily) size-modified PB model is indeed implied by the SMPNP equations under certain boundary/interface conditions, and can be reproduced through numerical solutions of the SMPNP. 2), The size effects in the SMPNP effectively reduce the densities of highly concentrated counterions around the biomolecule. 3), The SMPNP is applied to the diffusion-reaction process for the first time, to our knowledge. In the case of low substrate density near the enzyme reactive site, it is observed that the rate coefficients predicted by SMPNP model are considerably larger than those by the PNP model, suggesting both ions and substrates are subject to finite size effects. 4), An accurate finite element method and a convergent Gummel iteration are developed for the numerical solution of the completely coupled nonlinear system of SMPNP equations. PMID:21575582
Solution of reduced graphene oxide synthesized from coconut shells and its optical properties

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

Mas’udah, Kusuma Wardhani, E-mail: masudahkusuma@ymail.com; Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Univesitas Pesantren Tinggi Darul Ulum, PP. Darul ‘Ulum Tromol Pos 10 Peterongan Jombang 61481; Nugraha, I Made Ananta, E-mail: anantanugraha25@gmail.com

Reduced graphene oxide (r-GO)powder has been prepared from coconut shells by carbonization process at 400°C for 3, 4 and 5 hours.Theresulted sample mass was reduced to be 60% relativelycompared to the starting material. The longer heating duration has also led to the rGO with reduced crystalinity according to the X-ray diffractometry data and TEM. The rGO solution was prepared by adding powders of 5, 10 and 15 grams into 50 ml destiled water and then centrifused at 6000 rpm for 30 minutes.The resulted solutions were seen to be varied form clear transparant, light and dark yellow to black. Measurement using particle sizemore » analyser shows that the individual rGO particles tends to be agglomerating each others to form bigger size clustering, manifested by the observed bigger size particles for the increasing amount of soluted rGO powders in water.The varying UV-visible spectra of these rGO solutions together with their optical bandgaps will also be discussed in this study.« less
Size-dependent control of colloid transport via solute gradients in dead-end channels

PubMed Central

Shin, Sangwoo; Um, Eujin; Sabass, Benedikt; Ault, Jesse T.; Rahimi, Mohammad; Warren, Patrick B.; Stone, Howard A.

2016-01-01

Transport of colloids in dead-end channels is involved in widespread applications including drug delivery and underground oil and gas recovery. In such geometries, Brownian motion may be considered as the sole mechanism that enables transport of colloidal particles into or out of the channels, but it is, unfortunately, an extremely inefficient transport mechanism for microscale particles. Here, we explore the possibility of diffusiophoresis as a means to control the colloid transport in dead-end channels by introducing a solute gradient. We demonstrate that the transport of colloidal particles into the dead-end channels can be either enhanced or completely prevented via diffusiophoresis. In addition, we show that size-dependent diffusiophoretic transport of particles can be achieved by considering a finite Debye layer thickness effect, which is commonly ignored. A combination of diffusiophoresis and Brownian motion leads to a strong size-dependent focusing effect such that the larger particles tend to concentrate more and reside deeper in the channel. Our findings have implications for all manners of controlled release processes, especially for site-specific delivery systems where localized targeting of particles with minimal dispersion to the nontarget area is essential. PMID:26715753
The effect of natural and anthropogenic factors on sorption of copper in chernozem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, Tatiana; Minkina, Tatiana; Mandzhieva, Saglara; Pinskii, David; Linnik, Vitaly; Sushkova, Svetlana

2016-04-01

The aim of this work was to study the effect of the attendant anions and particle-size distribution on the adsorption of copper by ordinary chernozem. Solutions of HM nitrates, acetates, chlorides, and sulfates were used to study the effect of the chemical composition of added copper salts on the adsorption of copper by an ordinary chernozem. Samples of the soil sieved through a 1-mm sieve in the natural ionic form and soil fraction with different particle size (clay - the particle with size < 1μm and physical clay < 10 μm) were treated with solutions of the corresponding copper salts at a soil : solution ratio of 1:10. The concentrations of the initial copper solutions were 0.02, 0.05, 0.08, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 1.0 mM/L. The range of Cu2+ concentrations in the studied system covers different geochemical situations corresponding to the actual levels of soil contamination with the metal under study. The suspensions were shaken for 1 h, left to stand for 24 h, and then filtered. The contents of the HM in the filtrates were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The contents of the adsorbed copper cations were calculated from the difference between the metal concentrations in the initial and equilibrium solutions. The isotherms of copper adsorption from the metal nitrate, chloride, and sulfate solutions have near linear shapes and, hence, can be satisfactorily described by a Henry or Freundlich equation: Cads = KH •Ceq.(1) Cads = KF •Ceqn,(2) where Cadsis the content of the adsorbed cations, mM/kg soil;Ceq is the concentration of copper in the equilibrium solution, mM/L; KH and KF denote the Henry and Freundlich adsorption coefficients, respectively, kg/L. The isotherm of Cu2+ adsorption by ordinary chernozem from acetate solutions is described by the Langmuir equation: Cads = C∞ÊLC / (1 + ÊLC), (3) where Cadsis the content of the adsorbed cations, mM/kg soil;C∞ is the maximum adsorption of the HM, mM/kg soil; ÊL is the affinity constant, L/mM; C is the concentration of the HM in the equilibrium solution, mM/L. According to the values of KH, the binding strength of the copper cations adsorbed from different salt solutions decreases in the series: Cu(Ac)2(1880,5± 76,2) > CuCl2(1442,8±113,5) > Cu(NO3)2(911,4 ± 31,1) >> CuSO4(165,3 ± 12,9). Thus, copper is most strongly adsorbed from the acetate solution and least strongly from the sulfate solution. The adsorption of copper by clay and physical clay fractions from the ordinary chernozem was of limited character and followed the (3) equation. In the particle-size fractions separated from the soils, the concentrations of copper decreased with the decreasing particle size. The values of ÊL and C∞characterizing the HM adsorption by the chernozem and its particle-size fractions formed the following sequence: clay (80,20±20,29 and 28,45±0,46 > physical clay (58,20±14,54 and 22,15±1,22) > entire soil (38,80±12,33 and 17,58±3,038). This work was supported by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science, project no. 5.885.2014/K, Russian Foundation for Basic Research, projects no. 14-05-00586 À
Structure and function of airway surface layer of the human lungs & mobility of probe particles in complex fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Liheng

Numerous infectious particles such as bacteria and pathogens are deposited on the airway surface of the human lungs during our daily breathing. To avoid infection the lung has evolved to develop a smart and powerful defense system called mucociliary clearance. The airway surface layer is a critical component of this mucus clearance system, which consists of two parts: (1) a mucus layer, that traps inhaled particles and transports them out of the lung by cilia-generated flow; and (2) a periciliary layer, that provides a favorable environment for ciliary beating and cell surface lubrication. For 75 years, it has been dogma that a single gel-like mucus layer, which is composed of secreted mucin glycoproteins, is transported over a "watery" periciliary layer. This one-gel model, however, does not explain fundamental features of the normal system, e.g. formation of a distinct mucus layer, nor accurately predict how the mucus clearance system fails in disease. In the first part of this thesis we propose a novel "Gel-on-Brush" model with a mucus layer (the "gel") and a "brush-like" periciliary layer, composed of mucins tethered to the luminal of airway surface, and supporting data accurately describes both the biophysical and cell biological bases for normal mucus clearance and its failure in disease. Our "Gel-on-Brush" model describes for the first time how and why mucus is efficiently cleared in health and unifies the pathogenesis of major human diseases, including cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It is expected that this "Gel-on-Brush" model of airway surface layer opens new directions for treatments of airway diseases. A dilemma regarding the function of mucus is that, although mucus traps any inhaled harmful particulates, it also poses a long-time problem for drug delivery: mobility of cargos carrying pharmaceutical agents is slowed down in mucus. The second part of this thesis aims to answer the question: can we theoretically understand the relation between the motion of a probe particle and the local structure and dynamics of complex fluids such as mucus, or even one step back, simple polymer solutions and gels? It is well known that the thermal motion of a particle in simple solutions like water can be described by Stokes-Einstein relation, in which the mean-square displacement of the particle is (1) linearly proportional to time and (2) inversely proportional to the bulk viscosity of the solution. We found that these two statements become questionable if the particle size is relatively small and the solutions become complex fluids such as polymer solutions and gels. The motion of small particles with size smaller than the entanglement length (network mesh size) of a polymer solution (gel) is sub-diffusive with mean-square displacement proportional to the square root of time at relatively short time scales. Even at long time scales at which the mean-square displacement of the particles is diffusive, the mean-square displacement of the particles is not necessarily determined by the bulk viscosity, and is inversely proportional to an effective viscosity that is much smaller than the bulk value. An interesting question related to the particle motion in polymer gels is whether particles with size larger than the network mesh size can move through the gel? An intuitive answer would be that such large particles are trapped by the local network cages. We argue that the large particles can still diffuse via hopping mechanism, i.e., particles can wait for fluctuations of surrounding network cages that could be large enough to allow them to slip though. This hopping diffusion can be applied to understand the motion of large particles subjected to topological constraints such as permanent or reversible crosslinked networks as well as entanglements in high molecular weight polymer solutions, melts, and networks.
Structural changes of casein micelles in a calcium gradient film.

PubMed

Gebhardt, Ronald; Burghammer, Manfred; Riekel, Christian; Roth, Stephan Volkher; Müller-Buschbaum, Peter

2008-04-09

Calcium gradients are prepared by sequentially filling a micropipette with casein solutions of varying calcium concentration and spreading them on glass slides. The casein film is formed by a solution casting process, which results in a macroscopically rough surface. Microbeam grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (microGISAXS) is used to investigate the lateral size distribution of three main components in casein films: casein micelles, casein mini-micelles, and micellar calcium phosphate. At length scales within the beam size the film surface is flat and detection of size distribution in a macroscopic casein gradient becomes accessible. The model used to analyze the data is based on a set of three log-normal distributed particle sizes. Increasing calcium concentration causes a decrease in casein micelle diameter while the size of casein mini-micelles increases and micellar calcium phosphate particles remain unchanged.
The effect of the processing and formulation parameters on the size of nanoparticles based on block copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) with and without hydrolytically sensitive groups.

PubMed

Neradovic, D; Soga, O; Van Nostrum, C F; Hennink, W E

2004-05-01

Block copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as a hydrophilic block and N-isopropylacrylamide (PNIPAAm) or poly (NIPAAm-co-N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide-dilactate) (poly(NIPAAm-co-HPMAm-dilactate)) as a thermosensitive block, are able to self-assemble in water into nanoparticles above the cloud point (CP) of the thermosensitive block. The influence of processing and the formulation parameters on the size of the nanoparticles was studied using dynamic light scattering. PNIPAAm-b-PEG 2000 polymers were not suitable for the formation of small and stable particles. Block copolymers with PEG 5000 and 10000 formed relatively small and stable particles in aqueous solutions at temperatures above the CP of the thermosensitive block. Their size decreased with increasing molecular weight of the thermosensitive block, decreasing polymer concentration and using water instead of phosphate buffered saline as solvent. Extrusion and ultrasonication were inefficient methods to size down the polymeric nanoparticles. The heating rate of the polymer solutions was a dominant factor for the size of the nanoparticles. When an aqueous polymer solution was slowly heated through the CP, rather large particles (> or = 200 nm) were formed. Regardless the polymer composition, small nanoparticles (50-70 nm) with a narrow size distribution were formed, when a small volume of an aqueous polymer solution below the CP was added to a large volume of heated water. In this way the thermosensitive block copolymers rapidly pass their CP ('heat shock' procedure), resulting in small and stable nanoparticles.
Significance of the model considering mixed grain-size for inverse analysis of turbidites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakao, K.; Naruse, H.; Tokuhashi, S., Sr.

2016-12-01

A method for inverse analysis of turbidity currents is proposed for application to field observations. Estimation of initial condition of the catastrophic events from field observations has been important for sedimentological researches. For instance, there are various inverse analyses to estimate hydraulic conditions from topography observations of pyroclastic flows (Rossano et al., 1996), real-time monitored debris-flow events (Fraccarollo and Papa, 2000), tsunami deposits (Jaffe and Gelfenbaum, 2007) and ancient turbidites (Falcini et al., 2009). These inverse analyses need forward models and the most turbidity current models employ uniform grain-size particles. The turbidity currents, however, are the best characterized by variation of grain-size distribution. Though there are numerical models of mixed grain-sized particles, the models have difficulty in feasibility of application to natural examples because of calculating costs (Lesshaft et al., 2011). Here we expand the turbidity current model based on the non-steady 1D shallow-water equation at low calculation costs for mixed grain-size particles and applied the model to the inverse analysis. In this study, we compared two forward models considering uniform and mixed grain-size particles respectively. We adopted inverse analysis based on the Simplex method that optimizes the initial conditions (thickness, depth-averaged velocity and depth-averaged volumetric concentration of a turbidity current) with multi-point start and employed the result of the forward model [h: 2.0 m, U: 5.0 m/s, C: 0.01%] as reference data. The result shows that inverse analysis using the mixed grain-size model found the known initial condition of reference data even if the condition where the optimization started is deviated from the true solution, whereas the inverse analysis using the uniform grain-size model requires the condition in which the starting parameters for optimization must be in quite narrow range near the solution. The uniform grain-size model often reaches to local optimum condition that is significantly different from true solution. In conclusion, we propose a method of optimization based on the model considering mixed grain-size particles, and show its application to examples of turbidites in the Kiyosumi Formation, Boso Peninsula, Japan.
DIRECT COUNTING AND SIZING OF MITOCHONDRIA IN SOLUTION

PubMed Central

Gear, Adrian R. L.; Bednarek, Jana M.

1972-01-01

Resistive particle counting has been developed for the accurate sizing and counting of mitochondria in solution. The normal detection limit with a 30 µ aperture is 0.48 µ diameter, or 0.056 µ3 particle volume The mean volume of rat liver mitochondria was 0.42 µ3 or 0.93 µ in diameter. The average value for numbers of particles per milligram of mitochondrial protein was 4.3 x 103, and per gram of rat liver was about 11 x 1010. These values compare satisfactorily with those derived by light microscopy and electron microscopy. The mean volume for mitochondria from rat heart was 0 60 µ3 and from rat kidney cortex, 0.23 µ3. These values agree within 15% of those determined by electron microscopy of whole tissue. Mitochondrial fragility and contaminating subcellular organelles were shown to have little influence on the experimentally determined size distributions The technique may be applied to rapid swelling studies, as well as to estimations of the number and size of mitochondria from animals under different conditions such as liver regeneration and hormonal, pathological, or drug-induced states Mitochondrial DNA, RNA, cytochrome c-oxidase, cytochrome (a ÷ a 3), and iron were nearly constant per particle over large differences in particle size. Such data may be particularly valuable for biogenesis studies and support the hypothesis that the net amount per particle of certain mitochondrial constituents remains constant during mitochondrial growth and enlargement PMID:4339279
Size-sensitive particle trajectories in three-dimensional micro-bubble acoustic streaming flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volk, Andreas; Rossi, Massimiliano; Hilgenfeldt, Sascha; Rallabandi, Bhargav; Kähler, Christian; Marin, Alvaro

2015-11-01

Oscillating microbubbles generate steady streaming flows with interesting features and promising applications for microparticle manipulation. The flow around oscillating semi-cylindrical bubbles has been typically assumed to be independent of the axial coordinate. However, it has been recently revealed that particle motion is strongly three-dimensional: Small tracer particles follow vortical trajectories with pronounced axial displacements near the bubble, weaving a toroidal stream-surface. A well-known consequence of bubble streaming flows is size-dependent particle migration, which can be exploited for sorting and trapping of microparticles in microfluidic devices. In this talk, we will show how the three-dimensional toroidal topology found for small tracer particles is modified as the particle size increases up to 1/3 of the bubble radius. Our results show size-sensitive particle positioning along the axis of the semi-cylindrical bubble. In order to analyze the three-dimensional sorting and trapping capabilities of the system, experiments with an imposed flow and polydisperse particle solutions are also shown.

Synthesis, Dielectric, Electrical and Optical characterization of ZnO synthesized by chemical route using polymer precursors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, Raman; Bajpai, P. K.

2011-11-01

Nano-size ZnO (particle size 7.8 nm) have been prepared from a versatile, efficient and technically simple polymer matrix based precursor solution. The precursor solution constituted of zinc nitrates with polymer PVA in presence of mono-/disaccharides. Annealing the precursor mass at 900 °C single phase zinc oxide nano-particles are obtained. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms hexagonal crystal structure with lattice parameter a = b = 3.261 A0, c = 5.220 A0. The estimated average particle size obtained from XRD data is ≈7.8 nm. The impedance analysis reveals that the grain resistance decreases with increase in temperature as expected for a semi-conducting material. The relaxation is polydispersive and conduction is mainly through grains. Optical properties and AC/DC conduction activation energies are estimated from Arrhenius plots and conduction mechanism is discussed.
Quantifying the Interplay of Natural Organic Matter with Environmental Factors on Nanoparticle Transport in Porous Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, X.; von der Kammer, F.; Wiesner, M.; Yang, Y.; Hofmann, T.

2016-12-01

Humic acid (HA) is widespread in environment and may interfere with nanoparticle transport in porous media. Quantification of the HA's influence is challenging due to the heterogeneous natural of the organic compounds. Through a series of laboratory and modeling studies, we explored (1) the differential mechanisms operated by the sediment - and solution-phase HA in controlling particle transport; (2) the interplay of the HA with several important environmental factors including solution pH, ionic strength (IS), flow rate, organic & particle concentration, and particle size; (3) modeling tools to quantify the above identified influential mechanisms. Study results suggest that site blocking is the main effect imposed by sediment-phase HA on nanoparticle transport while competitive deposition (with nanoparticles) and continuous site blocking occur simultaneously for the solution-phase HA. Solution pH and IS jointly control the HA's blocking efficiency by varying the adsorbed organic conformation. Conversely, the effect of the adsorbed organic concentration appeared to be insignificant. In addition to the chemical parameters, physical parameters like particle size and flow rate also impact on the organic blockage: the blocking efficiency was stronger on larger particles than on smaller ones; increasing flow rate magnifies the HA's blocking efficiency on larger particles but had insignificant impact on smaller ones. Those mechanistic investigations were supported by a quantification approach and a mathematical model developed in those studies. These results can improve the understanding on particle mobility in heterogeneous natural porous media.
Size segregation in a granular bore

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, A. N.; Vriend, N. M.

2016-10-01

We investigate the effect of particle-size segregation in an upslope propagating granular bore. A bidisperse mixture of particles, initially normally graded, flows down an inclined chute and impacts with a closed end. This impact causes the formation of a shock in flow thickness, known as a granular bore, to travel upslope, leaving behind a thick deposit. This deposit imprints the local segregated state featuring both pure and mixed regions of particles as a function of downstream position. The particle-size distribution through the depth is characterized by a thin purely small-particle layer at the base, a significant linear transition region, and a thick constant mixed-particle layer below the surface, in contrast to previously observed S-shaped steady-state concentration profiles. The experimental observations agree with recent progress that upward and downward segregation of large and small particles respectively is asymmetric. We incorporate the three-layer, experimentally observed, size-distribution profile into a depth-averaged segregation model to modify it accordingly. Numerical solutions of this model are able to match our experimental results and therefore motivate the use of a more general particle-size distribution profile.
Removal of virus to protozoan sized particles in point-of-use ceramic water filters.

PubMed

Bielefeldt, Angela R; Kowalski, Kate; Schilling, Cherylynn; Schreier, Simon; Kohler, Amanda; Scott Summers, R

2010-03-01

The particle removal performance of point-of-use ceramic water filters (CWFs) was characterized in the size range of 0.02-100 microm using carboxylate-coated polystyrene fluorescent microspheres, natural particles and clay. Particles were spiked into dechlorinated tap water, and three successive water batches treated in each of six different CWFs. Particle removal generally increased with increasing size. The removal of virus-sized 0.02 and 0.1 microm spheres were highly variable between the six filters, ranging from 63 to 99.6%. For the 0.5 microm spheres removal was less variable and in the range of 95.1-99.6%, while for the 1, 2, 4.5, and 10 microm spheres removal was >99.6%. Recoating four of the CWFs with colloidal silver solution improved removal of the 0.02 microm spheres, but had no significant effects on the other particle sizes. Log removals of 1.8-3.2 were found for natural turbidity and spiked kaolin clay particles; however, particles as large as 95 microm were detected in filtered water. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The role of particle-size soil fractions in the adsorption of heavy metals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandzhieva, Saglara; Minkina, Tatiana; Pinsky, David; Batukaev, Abdulmalik; Kalinitchenko, Valeriy; Sushkova, Svetlana; Chaplygin, Viktor; Dikaev, Zaurbek; Startsev, Viktor; Bakoev, Serojdin

2014-05-01

Ion-exchange adsorption phenomena are important in the immobilization of heavy metals (HMs) by soils. Numerous works are devoted to the study of this problem. However, the interaction features of different particle-size soil fractions and their role in the immobilization of HMs studied insufficiently. Therefore, the assessment of the effect of the particle-size distribution on the adsorption properties of soils is a vital task. The parameters of Cu2+, Pb2+ and Zn2+ adsorption by chernozems of the south of Russia and their particle-size fractions were studied. In the particle-size fractions separated from the soils, the concentrations of Cu2+, Pb2+, and Zn2 decreased with the decreasing particle size. The parameters of the adsorption values of k (the constant of the affinity)and Cmax.(the maximum adsorption of the HMs) characterizing the adsorption of HMs by the southern chernozem and its particle-size fractions formed the following sequence: silt > clay > entire soil. The adsorption capacity of chernozems for Cu2+, Pb2+, and Zn2+ depending on the particle-size distribution decreased in the following sequence: clay loamy ordinary chernozem clay loamy southern chernozem> loamy southern chernozem> loamy sandy southern chernozem. According to the parameters of the adsorption by the different particle-size fractions, the heavy metal cations form a sequence analogous to that obtained for the entire soils: Cu2+ ≥ Pb2+ > Zn2+. The parameters of the heavy metal adsorption by similar particle-size fractions separated from different soils decreased in the following order: clay loamy chernozem> loamy chernozem> loamy sandy chernozem. The analysis of the changes in the parameters of the Cu2+, Pb2+, and Zn2+ adsorption by the studied soils and their particle-size fractions showed that the extensive adsorption characteristic - the maximum adsorption (Cmax.) - is a less sensitive parameter characterizing the adsorption capacity of the soils than the intensive characteristic of the process - the adsorption equilibrium constant (k).The ratio between the content of exchangeable cations displaced from the soil adsorbing complex (SAC) into the solution and the content of adsorbed HMs decreased with the increasing concentration of adsorbed HMs. These values could be higher (for Cu2+ and Pb2+), equal, or lower than 1 (for Zn2+) and depend on the properties of HMs. At the first case, this was due to the dissolution of readily soluble salts at low HM concentrations in the SAC. In the latter case, this was related to the adsorption of associated forms HMs and the formation of new phases localized on the surface of soil particles at high HM concentrations in the SAC. Soil solution equilibrium (SSE) accords to the soil fine fraction composition. SSE thermodynamics causes the ratio of free and associated forms of ions and ion's activity in soil solution influencing composition, concentration and adsorption of HMs salts by SAC. This study was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project no. 12-05-33078,14-05-00586_a, grant of President of MK-6448.2014.4
Particles Growing in Solutions: Depletion Forces and Instability of Homogeneous Particle Distribution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chernov, A. A.

2004-01-01

Crystallites, droplets and amorphous precipitates growing from supersaturated solution are surrounded by zones, which are depleted with respect to the molecules they are built of. If two such particles of colloidal size are separated by a distance comparable to their diameters, then the depletion within the gap between particles is deeper than that at the outer portion of the particles. This will cause depletion attraction between the particles should appear. It may cause particle coagulation and decay of the originally homogeneous particle distribution into a system of clouds within which the particle number density is higher, separated by the region of the lower number density. Stability criterion, Q = 4 pi R(exp 3)c/3 >> 1, was analytically found along with typical particle density distribution wavevector q = (Q/I)(exp 1/2)(a/R)(exp 1/4). Here, R and a are the particle and molecular radii, respectively, c is the average molecular number density in solution and I is the squared diffusion length covered by a molecule during a typical time characterizing decay of molecular concentration in solution due to consumption of the molecules by the growing particles.
Size-dependent microstructures in rapidly solidified uranium-niobium powder particles

DOE PAGES

McKeown, Joseph T.; Hsiung, Luke L.; Park, Jong M.; ...

2016-06-14

The microstructures of rapidly solidified U-6wt%Nb powder particles synthesized by centrifugal atomization were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Observed variations in microstructure are related to particle sizes. All of the powder particles exhibited a two-zone microstructure. The formation of this two-zone microstructure is described by a transition from solidification controlled by internal heat flow and high solidification rate during recalescence (micro-segregation-free or partitionless growth) to solidification controlled by external heat flow with slower solidification rates (dendritic growth with solute redistribution). The extent of partitionless solidification increased with decreasing particle size due to larger undercoolings in smallermore » particles prior to solidification. The metastable phases that formed are related to variations in Nb concentration across the particles. Lastly, the microstructures of the powders were heavily twinned.« less
3D Modeling of Transport Phenomena and the Injection of the Solution Droplets in the Solution Precursor Plasma Spraying

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shan, Yanguang; Coyle, Thomas W.; Mostaghimi, Javad

2007-12-01

Solution precursor plasma spraying has been used to produce finely structured ceramic coatings with nano- and sub-micrometric features. This process involves the injection of a solution spray of ceramic salts into a DC plasma jet under atmospheric condition. During the process, the solvent vaporizes as the droplet travel downstream. Solid particles are finally formed due to the precipitation of the solute, and the particle are heated up and accelerated to the substrate to generate the coating. This article describes a 3D model to simulate the transport phenomena and the trajectory and heating of the solution spray in the process. The jet-spray two-way interactions are considered. A simplified model is employed to simulate the evolution process and the formation of the solid particle from the solution droplet in the plasma jet. The temperature and velocity fields of the jet are obtained and validated. The particle size, velocity, temperature, and position distribution on the substrate are predicted.
A Versatile Methodology Using Sol-Gel, Supercritical Extraction, and Etching to Fabricate a Nitramine Explosive: Nanometer HNIW

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yi; Song, Xiaolan; Song, Dan; Jiang, Wei; Liu, Hongying; Li, Fengsheng

2013-01-01

A combinative method with three steps was developed to fabricate HNIW (2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtziane) nanoexplosives with the gas anti-solvent (GAS) method improved by introducing a gel frame to limit the overgrowth of recrystallized particles and an acid-assistant to remove the used frame. Forming the mixed gel, by locking the explosive solution into a wet gel whose volume was divided by the networks, was the key for the fabrication. As demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis, a log-normal size distribution of nano-HNIW indicated that about 74.4% of the particles had sizes <120 nm and maximum particle size was ∼300 nm. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and infrared (IR) characterizations showed that the aerogel embedded with nanoexplosive particles was dissolved in hydrochloric acid solution, and the raw ɛ-HNIW was mostly transformed into the α phase (nano-HNIW) during recrystallization. Nano-HNIW exhibited impact and friction sensitivity almost equal to those of raw HNIW, within experimental error. Thermal analysis showed that the decomposition peak temperature decreased by more than 10°C and that the heat release increased by 42.5% when the particle size of HNIW was at the nanometer scale.
Application of radar chart array analysis to visualize effects of formulation variables on IgG1 particle formation as measured by multiple analytical techniques

PubMed Central

Kalonia, Cavan; Kumru, Ozan S.; Kim, Jae Hyun; Middaugh, C. Russell; Volkin, David B.

2013-01-01

This study presents a novel method to visualize protein aggregate and particle formation data to rapidly evaluate the effect of solution and stress conditions on the physical stability of an IgG1 monoclonal antibody (mAb). Radar chart arrays were designed so that hundreds of Microflow Digital Imaging (MFI) solution measurements, evaluating different mAb formulations under varying stresses, could be presented in a single figure with minimal loss of data resolution. These MFI radar charts show measured changes in subvisible particle number, size and morphology distribution as a change in the shape of polygons. Radar charts were also created to visualize mAb aggregate and particle formation across a wide size range by combining data sets from size exclusion chromatography (SEC), Archimedes resonant mass measurements, and MFI. We found that the environmental/mechanical stress condition (e.g., heat vs. agitation) was the most important factor in influencing the particle size and morphology distribution with this IgG1 mAb. Additionally, the presence of NaCl exhibited a pH and stress dependent behavior resulting in promotion or inhibition mAb particle formation. This data visualization technique provides a comprehensive analysis of the aggregation tendencies of this IgG1 mAb in different formulations with varying stresses as measured by different analytical techniques. PMID:24122556
An incompressible two-dimensional multiphase particle-in-cell model for dense particle flows

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

Snider, D.M.; O`Rourke, P.J.; Andrews, M.J.

1997-06-01

A two-dimensional, incompressible, multiphase particle-in-cell (MP-PIC) method is presented for dense particle flows. The numerical technique solves the governing equations of the fluid phase using a continuum model and those of the particle phase using a Lagrangian model. Difficulties associated with calculating interparticle interactions for dense particle flows with volume fractions above 5% have been eliminated by mapping particle properties to a Eulerian grid and then mapping back computed stress tensors to particle positions. This approach utilizes the best of Eulerian/Eulerian continuum models and Eulerian/Lagrangian discrete models. The solution scheme allows for distributions of types, sizes, and density of particles,more » with no numerical diffusion from the Lagrangian particle calculations. The computational method is implicit with respect to pressure, velocity, and volume fraction in the continuum solution thus avoiding courant limits on computational time advancement. MP-PIC simulations are compared with one-dimensional problems that have analytical solutions and with two-dimensional problems for which there are experimental data.« less
Variable Threshold Method for Determining the Boundaries of Imaged Subvisible Particles.

PubMed

Cavicchi, Richard E; Collett, Cayla; Telikepalli, Srivalli; Hu, Zhishang; Carrier, Michael; Ripple, Dean C

2017-06-01

An accurate assessment of particle characteristics and concentrations in pharmaceutical products by flow imaging requires accurate particle sizing and morphological analysis. Analysis of images begins with the definition of particle boundaries. Commonly a single threshold defines the level for a pixel in the image to be included in the detection of particles, but depending on the threshold level, this results in either missing translucent particles or oversizing of less transparent particles due to the halos and gradients in intensity near the particle boundaries. We have developed an imaging analysis algorithm that sets the threshold for a particle based on the maximum gray value of the particle. We show that this results in tighter boundaries for particles with high contrast, while conserving the number of highly translucent particles detected. The method is implemented as a plugin for FIJI, an open-source image analysis software. The method is tested for calibration beads in water and glycerol/water solutions, a suspension of microfabricated rods, and stir-stressed aggregates made from IgG. The result is that appropriate thresholds are automatically set for solutions with a range of particle properties, and that improved boundaries will allow for more accurate sizing results and potentially improved particle classification studies. Published by Elsevier Inc.
The electrodeposition of silver composites using deep eutectic solvents.

PubMed

Abbott, Andrew P; El Ttaib, Khalid; Frisch, Gero; Ryder, Karl S; Weston, David

2012-02-21

Silver is an important metal for electronic connectors, however, it is extremely soft and wear can be a significant issue. This paper describes how improved wear resistant silver coatings can be obtained from the electrolytic deposition of silver from a solution of AgCl in an ethylene glycol/choline chloride based Deep Eutectic Solvent. An up to 10-fold decrease in the wear volume is observed by the incorporation of SiC or Al(2)O(3) particles. The work also addresses the fundamental aspect of speciation of silver chloride in solution using EXAFS to probe solution structure. The size but not the nature of the composite particles is seen to change the morphology and grain size of the silver deposit. Grain sizes are shown to be consistent with previous nucleation studies. The addition of LiF is found to significantly affect the deposit morphology and improve wear resistance.
Preparation and Characterization of Nano-CL-20 Explosive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bayat, Yadollah; Zeynali, Vida

2011-10-01

Nano-CL-20 was prepared via precipitative crystallization by spraying a solution of CL-20 in a solvent (ethyl acetate) into a nonsolvent (isooctane). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the appearance and the size of the particles. The results revealed that nano-CL-20 particles have the shape of spheres or ellipsoids with an average size of 95 nm. Due to their small diameter and high surface energy, the particles tended to agglomerate. Impact sensitivity of nanosize CL-20 was decreased in comparison to micrometer-size CL-20.
Electro-codeposition of Ni-SiO2 nanocomposite coatings from deep eutectic solvent with improved corrosion resistance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ruiqian; Hou, Yuanyuan; Liang, Jun

2016-03-01

Electro-codeposition of nano-sized SiO2 particles into the metal matrix in aqueous solution is generally difficult. In this paper, the nano-sized SiO2 particles were successfully codeposited in the Ni matrix from a choline chloride (ChCl)/ethylene glycol (EG) based deep eutectic solvent (DES) by pulse electro-codeposition. The effects of nano-sized SiO2 particles on electrochemical behaviour of Ni(II) were investigated. The microstructure, composition and corrosion resistance of pure Ni and Ni-SiO2 nanocomposite coatings were explored. Results showed that the SiO2 nanoparticles exhibited excellent dispersion stability in ChCl:2EG DES without any stabilizing additives and the presence of SiO2 nanoparticles have significant effects on the nucleation mechanism of Ni. The maximum content of SiO2 nanoparticles in composite coatings can achieve 4.69 wt.%, which closes to the level of co-deposition micro-sized SiO2 particles from aqueous solution. The Ni-SiO2 nanocomposite coatings exhibit much better corrosion resistance than pure Ni coating, and the corrosion resistance performance increases with increasing SiO2 content in the composite coatings.
New insights into respirable protein powder preparation using a nano spray dryer.

PubMed

Bürki, K; Jeon, I; Arpagaus, C; Betz, G

2011-04-15

In this study the Nano Spray Dryer B-90 (BÜCHI Labortechnik AG, Flawil, Switzerland) was evaluated with regard to the drying of proteins and the preparation of respirable powders in the size range of 1-5 μm. β-galactosidase was chosen as a model protein and trehalose was added as a stabilizer. The influence of inlet temperature, hole size of the spray cap membrane and ethanol concentration in the spray solution was studied using a 3³ full factorial design. The investigated responses were enzyme activity, particle size, span, yield and shelf life. Furthermore, the particle morphology was examined. The inlet temperature as well as the interaction of inlet temperature and spray cap size significantly influenced the enzyme activity. Full activity was retained with the optimized process. The particle size was affected by the hole size of the spray cap membrane and the ethanol content. The smallest cap led to a monodisperse particle size distribution and the greatest yield of particles of respirable size. Higher product recovery was achieved with lower inlet temperatures, higher ethanol contents and smaller cap sizes. Particle morphology differed depending on the cap size. The protein exhibited higher storage stability when spray dried without ethanol and when a larger spray cap size was used. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Modeling of particle agglomeration in nanofluids

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

Krishna, K. Hari; Neti, S.; Oztekin, A.

2015-03-07

Agglomeration strongly influences the stability or shelf life of nanofluid. The present computational and experimental study investigates the rate of agglomeration quantitatively. Agglomeration in nanofluids is attributed to the net effect of various inter-particle interaction forces. For the nanofluid considered here, a net inter-particle force depends on the particle size, volume fraction, pH, and electrolyte concentration. A solution of the discretized and coupled population balance equations can yield particle sizes as a function of time. Nanofluid prepared here consists of alumina nanoparticles with the average particle size of 150 nm dispersed in de-ionized water. As the pH of the colloid wasmore » moved towards the isoelectric point of alumina nanofluids, the rate of increase of average particle size increased with time due to lower net positive charge on particles. The rate at which the average particle size is increased is predicted and measured for different electrolyte concentration and volume fraction. The higher rate of agglomeration is attributed to the decrease in the electrostatic double layer repulsion forces. The rate of agglomeration decreases due to increase in the size of nano-particle clusters thus approaching zero rate of agglomeration when all the clusters are nearly uniform in size. Predicted rates of agglomeration agree adequate enough with the measured values; validating the mathematical model and numerical approach is employed.« less
Adsorbent for metal ions and method of making and using

DOEpatents

White, Lloyd R.; Lundquist, Susan H.

1999-01-01

A method comprises the step of spray-drying a solution or slurry comprising (alkali metal or ammonium) (metal) hexacyanoferrate particles in a liquid, to provide monodisperse, substantially spherical particles in a yield of at least 70 percent of theoretical yield and having a particle size in the range of 1 to 500 micrometers, said particles being active towards Cs ions. The particles, which can be of a single salt or a combination of salts, can be used free flowing, in columns or beds, or entrapped in a nonwoven, fibrous web or matrix or a cast porous membrane, to selectively remove Cs ions from aqueous solutions.
Adsorbent for metal ions and method of making and using

DOEpatents

White, L.R.; Lundquist, S.H.

1999-08-10

A method comprises the step of spray-drying a solution or slurry comprising (alkali metal or ammonium) (metal) hexacyanoferrate particles in a liquid, to provide monodisperse, substantially spherical particles in a yield of at least 70 percent of theoretical yield and having a particle size in the range of 1 to 500 micrometers, said particles being active towards Cs ions. The particles, which can be of a single salt or a combination of salts, can be used free flowing, in columns or beds, or entrapped in a nonwoven, fibrous web or matrix or a cast porous membrane, to selectively remove Cs ions from aqueous solutions. 2 figs.
Adsorbent for metal ions and method of making and using

DOEpatents

White, Lloyd R.; Lundquist, Susan H.

2000-01-01

A method comprises the step of spray-drying a solution or slurry comprising (alkali metal or ammonium) (metal) hexacyanoferrate particles in a liquid, to provide monodisperse, substantially spherical particles in a yield of at least 70 percent of theoretical yield and having a particle size in the range of 1 to 500 micrometers, said particles being active towards Cs ions. The particles, which can be of a single salt or a combination of salts, can be used free flowing, in columns or beds, or entrapped in a nonwoven, fibrous web or matrix or a cast porous membrane, to selectively remove Cs ions from aqueous solutions.

Enhancement of dissolution rate of poorly-soluble active ingredients by supercritical fluid processes. Part I: Micronization of neat particles.

PubMed

Perrut, M; Jung, J; Leboeuf, F

2005-01-06

In this first of two articles, we discuss some issues surrounding the dissolution rate enhancement of poorly-soluble active ingredients micronized into nano-particles using several supercritical fluid particle design processes including rapid expansion of supercritical solutions (RESS), supercritical anti-solvent (SAS) and particles from gas-saturated solutions/suspensions (PGSS). Experimental results confirm that dissolution rates do not only depend on the surface area and particle size of the processed powder, but are greatly affected by other physico-chemical characteristics such as crystal morphology and wettability that may reduce the benefit of micronization.
Effect of particle size on oral absorption of carvedilol nanosuspensions: in vitro and in vivo evaluation

PubMed Central

Liu, Dandan; Pan, Hao; He, Fengwei; Wang, Xiaoyu; Li, Jinyu; Yang, Xinggang; Pan, Weisan

2015-01-01

The purpose of this work was to explore the particle size reduction effect of carvedilol on dissolution and absorption. Three suspensions containing different sized particles were prepared by antisolvent precipitation method or in combination with an ultrasonication process. The suspensions were characterized for particle size, surface morphology, and crystalline state. The crystalline form of carvedilol was changed into amorphous form after antisolvent precipitation. The dissolution rate of carvedilol was significantly accelerated by a reduction in particle size. The intestinal absorption of carvedilol nanosuspensions was greatly improved in comparison with microsuspensions and solution in the in situ single-pass perfusion experiment. The in vivo evaluation demonstrated that carvedilol nanosuspensions and microsuspensions exhibited markedly increased Cmax (2.09- and 1.48-fold) and AUC0−t (2.11- and 1.51-fold), and decreased Tmax (0.34- and 0.48-fold) in contrast with carvedilol coarse suspensions. Moreover, carvedilol nanosuspensions showed good biocompatibility with the rat gastric mucosa in in vivo gastrointestinal irritation test. The entire results implicated that the dissolution rate and the oral absorption of carvedilol were significantly affected by the particle size. Particle size reduction to form nanosized particles was found to be an efficient method for improving the oral bioavailability of carvedilol. PMID:26508852
Enhanced size-dependent trapping of particles using microvortices

PubMed Central

Zhou, Jian; Kasper, Susan; Papautsky, Ian

2013-01-01

Inertial microfluidics has been attracting considerable interest for size-based separation of particles and cells. The inertial forces can be manipulated by expanding the microchannel geometry, leading to formation of microvortices which selectively isolate and trap particles or cells from a mixture. In this work, we aim to enhance our understanding of particle trapping in such microvortices by developing a model of selective particle trapping. Design and operational parameters including flow conditions, size of the trapping region, and target particle concentration are explored to elucidate their influence on trapping behavior. Our results show that the size dependence of trapping is characterized by a threshold Reynolds number, which governs the selective entry of particles into microvortices from the main flow. We show that concentration enhancement on the order of 100,000× and isolation of targets at concentrations in the 1/mL is possible. Ultimately, the insights gained from our systematic investigation suggest optimization solutions that enhance device performance (efficiency, size selectivity, and yield) and are applicable to selective isolation and trapping of large rare cells as well as other applications. PMID:24187531
Size exclusion deep bed filtration: Experimental and modelling uncertainties

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

Badalyan, Alexander, E-mail: alexander.badalyan@adelaide.edu.au; You, Zhenjiang; Aji, Kaiser

A detailed uncertainty analysis associated with carboxyl-modified latex particle capture in glass bead-formed porous media enabled verification of the two theoretical stochastic models for prediction of particle retention due to size exclusion. At the beginning of this analysis it is established that size exclusion is a dominant particle capture mechanism in the present study: calculated significant repulsive Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek potential between latex particles and glass beads is an indication of their mutual repulsion, thus, fulfilling the necessary condition for size exclusion. Applying linear uncertainty propagation method in the form of truncated Taylor's series expansion, combined standard uncertainties (CSUs) in normalised suspendedmore » particle concentrations are calculated using CSUs in experimentally determined parameters such as: an inlet volumetric flowrate of suspension, particle number in suspensions, particle concentrations in inlet and outlet streams, particle and pore throat size distributions. Weathering of glass beads in high alkaline solutions does not appreciably change particle size distribution, and, therefore, is not considered as an additional contributor to the weighted mean particle radius and corresponded weighted mean standard deviation. Weighted mean particle radius and LogNormal mean pore throat radius are characterised by the highest CSUs among all experimental parameters translating to high CSU in the jamming ratio factor (dimensionless particle size). Normalised suspended particle concentrations calculated via two theoretical models are characterised by higher CSUs than those for experimental data. The model accounting the fraction of inaccessible flow as a function of latex particle radius excellently predicts normalised suspended particle concentrations for the whole range of jamming ratios. The presented uncertainty analysis can be also used for comparison of intra- and inter-laboratory particle size exclusion data.« less
Optimization of the fabrication of novel stealth PLA-based nanoparticles by dispersion polymerization using D-optimal mixture design

PubMed Central

Adesina, Simeon K.; Wight, Scott A.; Akala, Emmanuel O.

2015-01-01

Purpose Nanoparticle size is important in drug delivery. Clearance of nanoparticles by cells of the reticuloendothelial system has been reported to increase with increase in particle size. Further, nanoparticles should be small enough to avoid lung or spleen filtering effects. Endocytosis and accumulation in tumor tissue by the enhanced permeability and retention effect are also processes that are influenced by particle size. We present the results of studies designed to optimize crosslinked biodegradable stealth polymeric nanoparticles fabricated by dispersion polymerization. Methods Nanoparticles were fabricated using different amounts of macromonomer, initiators, crosslinking agent and stabilizer in a dioxane/DMSO/water solvent system. Confirmation of nanoparticle formation was by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Particle size was measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS). D-optimal mixture statistical experimental design was used for the experimental runs, followed by model generation (Scheffe polynomial) and optimization with the aid of a computer software. Model verification was done by comparing particle size data of some suggested solutions to the predicted particle sizes. Results and Conclusion Data showed that average particle sizes follow the same trend as predicted by the model. Negative terms in the model corresponding to the crosslinking agent and stabilizer indicate the important factors for minimizing particle size. PMID:24059281
Optimization of the fabrication of novel stealth PLA-based nanoparticles by dispersion polymerization using D-optimal mixture design.

PubMed

Adesina, Simeon K; Wight, Scott A; Akala, Emmanuel O

2014-11-01

Nanoparticle size is important in drug delivery. Clearance of nanoparticles by cells of the reticuloendothelial system has been reported to increase with increase in particle size. Further, nanoparticles should be small enough to avoid lung or spleen filtering effects. Endocytosis and accumulation in tumor tissue by the enhanced permeability and retention effect are also processes that are influenced by particle size. We present the results of studies designed to optimize cross-linked biodegradable stealth polymeric nanoparticles fabricated by dispersion polymerization. Nanoparticles were fabricated using different amounts of macromonomer, initiators, crosslinking agent and stabilizer in a dioxane/DMSO/water solvent system. Confirmation of nanoparticle formation was by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Particle size was measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS). D-optimal mixture statistical experimental design was used for the experimental runs, followed by model generation (Scheffe polynomial) and optimization with the aid of a computer software. Model verification was done by comparing particle size data of some suggested solutions to the predicted particle sizes. Data showed that average particle sizes follow the same trend as predicted by the model. Negative terms in the model corresponding to the cross-linking agent and stabilizer indicate the important factors for minimizing particle size.
Electrical Counting and Sizing of Mammalian Cells in Suspension

PubMed Central

Gregg, E. C.; Steidley, K. David

1965-01-01

A recently developed method of determining the number and size of particles suspended in a conducting solution is to pump the suspension through a small orifice having an immersed electrode on each side to supply electrical current. The current changes due to the passage of particles of resistivity different from that of the solution. Theoretical expressions are developed which relate the current change caused by such particles to their volume and shape. It is found that most biological cells may be treated as dielectric particles whose capacitive effects are negligible. Electrolytic tank measurements on models confirm the theoretical development, and electric field plots of model orifices are used to predict the observed pulse shapes. An equivalent circuit of the orifice-electrode system is analyzed and shows that the current pulse may be made conductivity-independent when observed with a zero input impedance amplifier. PMID:5861698
Membrane fouling by extracellular polymeric substances after ozone pre-treatment: Variation of nano-particles size.

PubMed

Yu, Wenzheng; Zhang, Dizhong; Graham, Nigel J D

2017-09-01

The application of ozone pre-treatment for ultrafiltration (UF) in drinking water treatment has been studied for more than 10 years, but its performance in mitigating or exacerbating membrane fouling has been inconclusive, and sometimes contradictory. To help explain this, our study considers the significance of the influent organic matter and its interaction with ozone on membrane fouling, using solutions of two representative types of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), alginate and bovine serum albumin (BSA), and samples of surface water. The results show that at typical ozone doses there is no measurable mineralization of alginate and BSA, but substantial changes in their structure and an increase in the size of nano-particle aggregates (micro-flocculation). The impact of ozonation on membrane fouling, as indicated by the membrane flux, was markedly different for the two types of EPS and found to be related to the size of the nano-particle aggregates formed in comparison with the UF pore size. Thus, for BSA, ozonation created aggregate sizes similar to the UF pore size (100 k Dalton) which led to an increase in fouling. In contrast, ozonation of alginate created the nano-particle aggregates greater than the UF pore size, giving reduced membrane fouling/greater flux. For solutions containing a mixture of the two species of EPS the overall impact of ozonation on UF performance depends on the relative proportion of each, and the ozone dose, and the variable behaviour has been demonstrated by the surface water. These results provide new information about the role of nano-particle aggregate size in explaining the reported ambiguity over the benefits of applying ozone as pre-treatment for ultrafiltration. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Particle swarm optimization - Genetic algorithm (PSOGA) on linear transportation problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahmalia, Dinita

2017-08-01

Linear Transportation Problem (LTP) is the case of constrained optimization where we want to minimize cost subject to the balance of the number of supply and the number of demand. The exact method such as northwest corner, vogel, russel, minimal cost have been applied at approaching optimal solution. In this paper, we use heurisitic like Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) for solving linear transportation problem at any size of decision variable. In addition, we combine mutation operator of Genetic Algorithm (GA) at PSO to improve optimal solution. This method is called Particle Swarm Optimization - Genetic Algorithm (PSOGA). The simulations show that PSOGA can improve optimal solution resulted by PSO.
Production of morphology-controllable porous hyaluronic acid particles using a spray-drying method.

PubMed

Iskandar, Ferry; Nandiyanto, Asep Bayu Dani; Widiyastuti, W; Young, Lee Sin; Okuyama, Kikuo; Gradon, Leon

2009-05-01

Hyaluronic acid (HA) porous particles with controllable porosity and pore size, ranging from 100 to 300 nm, were successfully prepared using a colloidal templating and spray-drying method. HA powder and polystyrene latex (PSL) particles, which were used as the precursor and templating agent, respectively, were mixed in aqueous solution and spray-dried using a two-fluid nozzle system to produce HA and PSL composite particles. Water was evaporated during spray-drying using heated air with a temperature of 120 degrees C. This simple process was completed within several seconds. The prepared particles were collected and washed with an organic solvent to dissolve the PSL templating agent. The porosity and pore size of the resulting particles were easily controlled by changing the initial mass ratio of precursor to templating agent, i.e., HA to PSL, and by altering the size of the PSL template particles.
Glass formation and unusual hygroscopic growth of iodic acid solution droplets with relevance for iodine mediated particle formation in the marine boundary layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murray, B. J.; Haddrell, A. E.; Peppe, S.; Davies, J. F.; Reid, J. P.; O'Sullivan, D.; Price, H. C.; Kumar, R.; Saunders, R. W.; Plane, J. M. C.; Umo, N. S.; Wilson, T. W.

2012-09-01

Iodine oxide particles are known to nucleate in the marine boundary layer where gas phase molecular iodine and organoiodine species are produced by macroalgae. These ultra-fine particles may then grow through the condensation of other materials to sizes where they may serve as cloud condensation nuclei. There has been some debate over the chemical identity of the initially nucleated particles. In laboratory simulations, hygroscopic measurements have been used to infer that they are composed of insoluble I2O4, while elemental analysis of laboratory generated particles suggests soluble I2O5 or its hydrated form iodic acid, HIO3 (I2O5·H2O). In this paper we explore the response of super-micron sized aqueous iodic acid solution droplets to varying humidity using both Raman microscopy and single particle electrodynamic traps. These measurements reveal that the propensity of an iodic acid solution droplet to crystallise is negligible on drying to ~0% relative humidity (RH). On applying mechanical pressure to these droplets they shatter in a manner consistent with an ultra-viscous liquid or a brittle glass. Water retention in amorphous material at low RH is important for understanding the hygroscopic growth of aerosol particles and uptake of other condensable material. Subsequent water uptake between 10 and 20% RH causes their viscosity to reduce sufficiently that the cracked droplets flow and merge. The persistence of iodic acid solution in an amorphous state, rather than a crystalline state, suggests they will more readily accommodate other condensable material and are therefore more likely to grow to sizes where they may serve as cloud condensation nuclei. On increasing the humidity to ~90% the mass of the droplets only increases by ~20% with a corresponding increase in radius of only 6%, which is remarkably small for a highly soluble material. We suggest that the small growth factor of aqueous iodic acid solution droplets is consistent with the small aerosol growth factors observed in previous experiments.
The effect of formaldehyde and nitrogen-containing compounds on the size and volume of aerosol particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Millage, K.; Galloway, M. M.; De Haan, D. O.

2012-12-01

Atmospheric aerosol can interact with clouds in many ways, often resulting in the redistribution or absorption of solar energy or changes in precipitation efficiency. Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in particular has been linked to climate change and a reduction in the number and size of cloud particles. The reactions of nitrogen containing compounds (primary amines, amino acids and ammonium sulfate) with carbonyl compounds (such as formaldehyde and glycolaldehyde) are potential sources of SOA. Aerosol containing formaldehyde and nitrogen-containing compounds (glycine, methylamine, arginine, or ammonium sulfate) was generated from buffered solutions (pH 5.4) using a nebulizer. The aerosol was then equilibrated into a chamber containing humid air (82-84% RH), and particle sizes were measured using a SMPS system over a period of 1 hour in order to examine how the size and volume of the aerosol particles changed. Formaldehyde concentrations were varied over multiple experiments. Arginine displayed a trend of increasing relative particle size with increasing formaldehyde concentration. Ammonium sulfate and formaldehyde displayed a decrease in relative particle sizes from 0:1 to 2:1 ratios of formaldehyde to ammonium sulfate, but then an increase in relative particle sizes with increasing amounts of formaldehyde. Similarly, glycine and methylamine initially displayed decreasing relative particle sizes, until reaching a 1:1 ratio of each to formaldehyde at which point the relative particle sizes steadily increased. These effects were likely caused by the evaporation of first-generation imine products.
Silica micro- and nanoparticles reduce the toxicity of surfactant solutions.

PubMed

Ríos, Francisco; Fernández-Arteaga, Alejandro; Fernández-Serrano, Mercedes; Jurado, Encarnación; Lechuga, Manuela

2018-04-20

In this work, the toxicity of hydrophilic fumed silica micro- and nanoparticles of various sizes (7 nm, 12 nm, and 50 μm) was evaluated using the luminescent bacteria Vibrio fischeri. In addition, the toxicity of an anionic surfactant solution (ether carboxylic acid), a nonionic surfactant solution (alkyl polyglucoside), and a binary (1:1) mixture of these solutions all containing these silica particles was evaluated. Furthermore, this work discusses the adsorption of surfactants onto particle surfaces and evaluates the effects of silica particles on the surface tension and critical micellar concentration (CMC) of these anionic and nonionic surfactants. It was determined that silica particles can be considered as non-toxic and that silica particles reduce the toxicity of surfactant solutions. Nevertheless, the toxicity reduction depends on the ionic character of the surfactants. Differences can be explained by the different adsorption behavior of surfactants onto the particle surface, which is weaker for nonionic surfactants than for anionic surfactants. Regarding the effects on surface tension, it was found that silica particles increased the surface activity of anionic surfactants and considerably reduced their CMC, whereas in the case of nonionic surfactants, the effects were reversed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Morphology-selective synthesis of polyhedral gold nanoparticles: what factors control the size and morphology of gold nanoparticles in a wet-chemical process.

PubMed

Lee, Jong-Hee; Kamada, Kai; Enomoto, Naoya; Hojo, Junichi

2007-12-15

Polyhedral gold nanoparticles below 100 nm in size were fabricated by continuously delivered HAuCl(4) and PVP starting solutions into l-ascorbic acid aqueous solution in the presence of gold seeds, and under addition of sodium hydroxide (NaOH). By continuously delivered PVP and HAuCl(4) starting solutions in the presence of gold seed, the size and shape of polyhedral gold were achieved in relatively good uniformity (particle size distribution=65-95 nm). Morphological evolution was also attempted using different growth rates of crystal facets with increasing reaction temperature, and selective adsorption of PVP.
Diffusing wave spectroscopy studies of gelling systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horne, David S.

1991-06-01

The recognition that the transmission of light through a concentrated, opaque system can be treated as a diffusion process has extended the application of photon correlation techniques to the study of particle size, mobility and interactions in such systems. Solutions of the photon diffusion equation are sensitive to the boundary conditions imposed by the geometry of the scattering apparatus. The apparatus, incorporating a bifurcated fiber optic bundle for light transmission between source, sample and detector, takes advantage of the particularly simple solution for a back-scattering configuration. Its ability to measure particle size using monodisperse polystyrene latices and to respond to concentration dependent particle interactions in a study of casein micelle mobility in skim and concentrated milks is demonstrated. Finally, the changes in dynamic light scattering behavior occurring during colloidal gel formation are described and discussed.
Excretion patterns of solute and different-sized particle passage markers in foregut-fermenting proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) do not indicate an adaptation for rumination.

PubMed

Matsuda, Ikki; Sha, John C M; Ortmann, Sylvia; Schwarm, Angela; Grandl, Florian; Caton, Judith; Jens, Warner; Kreuzer, Michael; Marlena, Diana; Hagen, Katharina B; Clauss, Marcus

2015-10-01

Behavioral observations and small fecal particles compared to other primates indicate that free-ranging proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus) have a strategy of facultative merycism(rumination). In functional ruminants (ruminant and camelids), rumination is facilitated by a particle sorting mechanism in the forestomach that selectively retains larger particles and subjects them to repeated mastication. Using a set of a solute and three particle markers of different sizes (b2, 5 and 8mm),we displayed digesta passage kinetics and measured mean retention times (MRTs) in four captive proboscis monkeys (6–18 kg) and compared the marker excretion patterns to those in domestic cattle. In addition, we evaluated various methods of calculating and displaying passage characteristics. The mean ± SD dry matter intake was 98 ± 22 g kg−0.75 d−1, 68 ± 7% of which was browse. Accounting for sampling intervals in MRT calculation yielded results that were not affected by the sampling frequency. Displaying marker excretion patterns using fecal marker concentrations (rather than amounts) facilitated comparisons with reactor theory outputs and indicated that both proboscis and cattle digestive tracts represent a series of very few tank reactors. However, the separation of the solute and particle marker and the different-sized particle markers, evident in cattle, did not occur in proboscis monkeys, in which all markers moved together, at MRTs of approximately 40 h. The results indicate that the digestive physiology of proboscis monkeys does not show typical characteristics of ruminants, which may explain why merycism is only a facultative strategy in this species.
Effect of four different size reduction methods on the particle size, solubility enhancement and physical stability of nicergoline nanocrystals.

PubMed

Martena, Valentina; Shegokar, Ranjita; Di Martino, Piera; Müller, Rainer H

2014-09-01

Nicergoline, a poorly soluble active pharmaceutical ingredient, possesses vaso-active properties which causes peripheral and central vasodilatation. In this study, nanocrystals of nicergoline were prepared in an aqueous solution of polysorbate 80 (nanosuspension) by using four different laboratory scale size reduction techniques: high pressure homogenization (HPH), bead milling (BM) and combination techniques (high pressure homogenization followed by bead milling HPH + BM, and bead milling followed by high pressure homogenization BM + HPH). Nanocrystals were investigated regarding to their mean particles size, zeta potential and particle dissolution. A short term physical stability study on nanocrystals stored at three different temperatures (4, 20 and 40 °C) was performed to evaluate the tendency to change in particle size, aggregation and zeta potential. The size reduction technique and the process parameters like milling time, number of homogenization cycles and pressure greatly affected the size of nanocrystals. Among the techniques used, the combination techniques showed superior and consistent particle size reduction compared to the other two methods, HPH + BM and BM + HPH giving nanocrystals of a mean particle size of 260 and 353 nm, respectively. The particle dissolution was increased for any nanocrystals samples, but it was particularly increased by HPH and combination techniques. Independently to the production method, nicergoline nanocrystals showed slight increase in particle size over the time, but remained below 500 nm at 20 °C and refrigeration conditions.
Highly surface-roughened quasi-spherical silver powders in back electrode paste for silicon solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Peng; Liu, Shouchao; Li, Qiuying; Chen, Xiaolei; Guo, Weihong; Wu, Chifei

2017-08-01

In our work, highly surface-roughened quasi-spherical silver powders with controllable size and superior dispersibility, which have narrow size distribution and relatively high tap density, were successfully prepared by reducing silver nitrate with ascorbic acid in aqueous solutions. Gum arabic (AG) was selected as dispersant to prevent the agglomeration of silver particles. Furthermore, the effects of preparation conditions on the characteristics of the powders were systematically investigated. By varying the concentration of the reactants, dosage of dispersant, the feeding modes, synthesis temperature and the pH value of the mixture solution of silver nitrate and AG, the resulted silver particles displayed controllable size, different morphologies and surface roughness. The spherical silver powder with mean particle size of 1.20 µm, tap density of 4.1 g cm-3 and specific area value of 0.46 m2 g-1 was prepared by adjusting preparation conditions. The AG absorbed on the surface preventing the silver particles from diffusion and aggregation was proved by the ultraviolet spectra. Observations of SEM images showed that the as-prepared silver powders were relatively monodisperse silver spheres with highly roughened surface and the particle size was controllable from 1 µm to 5 µm, specific surface area value from approximately 0.2 m2 g-1 to 0.8 m2 g-1. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), x-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) and thermal gravity analysis (TGA) demonstrated high crystallinity and purity of the obtained silver powders.
Preparation, characterization and in vivo assessment of the bioavailability of glycyrrhizic acid microparticles by supercritical anti-solvent process.

PubMed

Sui, Xiaoyu; Wei, Wei; Yang, Lei; Zu, Yuangang; Zhao, Chunjian; Zhang, Lin; Yang, Fengjian; Zhang, Zhonghua

2012-02-28

In this study, glycyrrhizic acid (GA) microparticles were successfully prepared using a supercritical anti-solvent (SAS) process. Carbon dioxide and ethanol were used as the anti-solvent and solvent, respectively. The influences of several process parameters on the mean particle size (MPS), particle size distribution (PSD) and total yield were investigated. Processed particle sizes gradually decreased as temperature and solution flow rate increased. In addition, processed particle sizes increased from 119 to 205 nm as GA concentration increased. However, CO(2) flow rate did not significantly affect particle size. The optimized process conditions were applied, those included temperature (65 °C), pressure (250 bar), CO(2) and drug solution flow rate (15 and 8 mL min(-1)), drug concentration in ethanol (20 mg mL(-1)). Microparticles with a span of PSD ranging from 95 and 174 nm, MPS of 128 nm were obtained, and total yield was 63.5%. The X-ray diffraction patterns of glycyrrhizic acid microparticles show apparent amorphous nature. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy results show that no chemical structural changes occurred. The in vitro dissolution tests showed that the GA microparticles exhibited great enhancement of dissolution performance when compared to GA original drug. Furthermore, the in vivo studies revealed that the microparticles provided improved pharmacokinetic parameter after oral administration to rats as compared with original drug. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Control of silicification by genetically engineered fusion proteins: silk-silica binding peptides.

PubMed

Zhou, Shun; Huang, Wenwen; Belton, David J; Simmons, Leo O; Perry, Carole C; Wang, Xiaoqin; Kaplan, David L

2015-03-01

In the present study, an artificial spider silk gene, 6mer, derived from the consensus sequence of Nephila clavipes dragline silk gene, was fused with different silica-binding peptides (SiBPs), A1, A3 and R5, to study the impact of the fusion protein sequence chemistry on silica formation and the ability to generate a silk-silica composite in two different bioinspired silicification systems: solution-solution and solution-solid. Condensed silica nanoscale particles (600-800 nm) were formed in the presence of the recombinant silk and chimeras, which were smaller than those formed by 15mer-SiBP chimeras, revealing that the molecular weight of the silk domain correlated to the sizes of the condensed silica particles in the solution system. In addition, the chimeras (6mer-A1/A3/R5) produced smaller condensed silica particles than the control (6mer), revealing that the silica particle size formed in the solution system is controlled by the size of protein assemblies in solution. In the solution-solid interface system, silicification reactions were performed on the surface of films fabricated from the recombinant silk proteins and chimeras and then treated to induce β-sheet formation. A higher density of condensed silica formed on the films containing the lowest β-sheet content while the films with the highest β-sheet content precipitated the lowest density of silica, revealing an inverse correlation between the β-sheet secondary structure and the silica content formed on the films. Intriguingly, the 6mer-A3 showed the highest rate of silica condensation but the lowest density of silica deposition on the films, compared with 6mer-A1 and -R5, revealing antagonistic crosstalk between the silk and the SiBP domains in terms of protein assembly. These findings offer a path forward in the tailoring of biopolymer-silica composites for biomaterial related needs. Copyright © 2014 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Method of dispersing particulate aerosol tracer

DOEpatents

O'Holleran, Thomas P.

1988-01-01

A particulate aerosol tracer which comprises a particulate carrier of sheet silicate composition having a particle size up to one micron, and a cationic dopant chemically absorbed in solid solution in the carrier. The carrier is preferably selected from the group consisting of natural mineral clays such as bentonite, and the dopant is selected from the group consisting of rare earth elements and transition elements. The tracers are dispersed by forming an aqueous salt solution with the dopant present as cations, dispersing the carriers in the solution, and then atomizing the solution under heat sufficient to superheat the solution droplets at a level sufficient to prevent reagglomeration of the carrier particles.
AEROSOL GROWTH IN A STEADY-STATE, CONTINUOUS FLOW CHAMBER: APPLICATION TO STUDIES OF SECONDARY AEROSOL FORMATION

EPA Science Inventory

An analytical solution for the steady-state aerosol size distribution achieved in a steady-state, continuous flow chamber is derived, where particle growth is occurring by gas-to-particle conversion and particle loss is occurring by deposition to the walls of the chamber. The s...
Synthesis of nanocrystalline CeO{sub 2} particles by different emulsion methods

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

Supakanapitak, Sunisa; Boonamnuayvitaya, Virote; Jarudilokkul, Somnuk, E-mail: somnuk.jar@kmutt.ac.th

2012-05-15

Cerium oxide nanoparticles were synthesized using three different methods of emulsion: (1) reversed micelle (RM); (2) emulsion liquid membrane (ELM); and (3) colloidal emulsion aphrons (CEAs). Ammonium cerium nitrate and polyoxyethylene-4-lauryl ether (PE4LE) were used as cerium and surfactant sources in this study. The powder was calcined at 500 Degree-Sign C to obtain CeO{sub 2}. The effect of the preparation procedure on the particle size, surface area, and the morphology of the prepared powders were investigated. The obtained powders are highly crystalline, and nearly spherical in shape. The average particle size and the specific surface area of the powders frommore » the three methods were in the range of 4-10 nm and 5.32-145.73 m{sup 2}/g, respectively. The CeO{sub 2} powders synthesized by the CEAs are the smallest average particle size, and the highest surface area. Finally, the CeO{sub 2} prepared by the CEAs using different cerium sources and surfactant types were studied. It was found that the surface tensions of cerium solution and the type of surfactant affect the particle size of CeO{sub 2}. - Graphical Abstract: The emulsion droplet size distribution and the TEM images of CeO{sub 2} prepared by different methods: reversed micelle (RM), emulsion liquid membrane (ELM) and colloidal emulsion aphrons (CEAs). Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nano-sized CeO{sub 2} was successfully prepared by three different emulsion methods. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The colloidal emulsion aphrons method producing CeO{sub 2} with the highest surface area. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The surface tensions of a cerium solution have slightly effect on the particle size. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The size control could be interpreted in terms of the adsorption of the surfactant.« less
Microencapsulation of puerarin nanoparticles by poly(l-lactide) in a supercritical CO(2) process.

PubMed

Chen, Ai-Zheng; Li, Yi; Chau, Foo-Tim; Lau, Tsui-Yan; Hu, Jun-Yan; Zhao, Zheng; Mok, Daniel Kam-Wah

2009-10-01

Puerarin nanoparticles were firstly prepared in the process of solution-enhanced dispersion by supercritical CO(2) (SEDS) and then successfully microencapsulated by poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) in a modified SEDS process. By adding an organic non-solvent, an initial puerarin solution with a higher degree of saturation and lower concentration was obtained and applied in the SEDS process. The resulting puerarin nanoparticles were then suspended in PLLA solution and microencapsulated by PLLA in a modified SEDS process, where an 'injector' was employed in the particle suspension delivery system. The puerarin nanoparticles exhibited a good spherical shape, a smooth surface and a narrow particle size distribution with a mean particle size of 188 nm. After microencapsulation the puerarin-PLLA microparticles had a mean size of 675 nm, a drug load of 23.6% and an encapsulation efficiency of 39.4%; after a burst release at the first stage, the drug was released in a sustained process. Compared with the parallel study of a co-precipitation process, this microencapsulation process is a much more promising technique to prepare a drug-polymer carrier for a drug delivery system, especially for protein drugs.
Synthesis of nanocrystalline TiO 2 in toluene by a solvothermal route

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Chung-Sik; Moon, Byung Kee; Park, Jong-Ho; Tae Chung, Su; Son, Se-Mo

2003-07-01

A solvothermal synthetic method to TiO 2 nanoparticles has been investigated in toluene solutions with titanium isopropoxide (TIP) as precursor. Weight ratios of precursor to solvent prepared in the mixture are 5/100, 10/100, 20/100, 30/100 and 40/100. At the weight ratio of 10/100, 20/100 and 30/100, TiO 2 nanocrystalline particles were obtained after synthesis at 250°C for 3 h in an autoclave. X-ray diffraction and tranmission electron microscopy shows that the product has uniform anatase structure with average particle size below 20 nm. As the composition of TIP in the solution increases, the particle size of TiO 2 powder tends to increase. At 5/100 and 40/100, however, pale yellow colloidal solution is obtained after synthesis and crystalline phase of TiO 2 is not produced. The specific surface area of the TiO 2 nanocrystalline powder was also investigated using BET surface area analyzer.
Using Image Attributes to Assure Accurate Particle Size and Count Using Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis.

PubMed

Defante, Adrian P; Vreeland, Wyatt N; Benkstein, Kurt D; Ripple, Dean C

2018-05-01

Nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) obtains particle size by analysis of particle diffusion through a time series of micrographs and particle count by a count of imaged particles. The number of observed particles imaged is controlled by the scattering cross-section of the particles and by camera settings such as sensitivity and shutter speed. Appropriate camera settings are defined as those that image, track, and analyze a sufficient number of particles for statistical repeatability. Here, we test if image attributes, features captured within the image itself, can provide measurable guidelines to assess the accuracy for particle size and count measurements using NTA. The results show that particle sizing is a robust process independent of image attributes for model systems. However, particle count is sensitive to camera settings. Using open-source software analysis, it was found that a median pixel area, 4 pixels 2 , results in a particle concentration within 20% of the expected value. The distribution of these illuminated pixel areas can also provide clues about the polydispersity of particle solutions prior to using a particle tracking analysis. Using the median pixel area serves as an operator-independent means to assess the quality of the NTA measurement for count. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Simulation of 0.3 MWt AFBC test rig burning Turkish lignites

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

Selcuk, N.; Degirmenci, E.; Oymak, O.

1997-12-31

A system model coupling bed and freeboard models for continuous combustion of lignite particles of wide size distribution burning in their own ash in a fluidized bed combustor was modified to incorporate: (1) a procedure for faster computation of particle size distributions (PSDs) without any sacrifice in accuracy; (2) energy balance on char particles for the determination of variation of temperature with particle size, (3) plug flow assumption for the interstitial gas. An efficient and accurate computer code developed for the solution of the conservation equations for energy and chemical species was applied to the prediction of the behavior ofmore » a 0.3 MWt AFBC test rig burning low quality Turkish lignites. The construction and operation of the test rig was carried out within the scope of a cooperation agreement between Middle East Technical University (METU) and Babcock and Wilcox GAMA (BWG) under the auspices of Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Predicted concentration and temperature profiles and particle size distributions of solid streams were compared with measured data and found to be in reasonable agreement. The computer code replaces the conventional numerical integration of the analytical solution of population balance with direct integration in ODE form by using a powerful integrator LSODE (Livermore Solver for Ordinary Differential Equations) resulting in two orders of magnitude decrease in CPU (Central Processing Unit) time.« less
Particle size analysis on density, surface morphology and specific capacitance of carbon electrode from rubber wood sawdust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taer, E.; Kurniasih, B.; Sari, F. P.; Zulkifli, Taslim, R.; Sugianto, Purnama, A.; Apriwandi, Susanti, Y.

2018-02-01

The particle size analysis for supercapacitor carbon electrodes from rubber wood sawdust (SGKK) has been done successfully. The electrode particle size was reviewed against the properties such as density, degree of crystallinity, surface morphology and specific capacitance. The variations in particle size were made by different treatment on the grinding and sieving process. The sample particle size was distinguished as 53-100 µm for 20 h (SA), 38-53 µm for 20 h (SB) and < 38 µm with variations of grinding time for 40 h (SC) and 80 h (SD) respectively. All of the samples were activated by 0.4 M KOH solution. Carbon electrodes were carbonized at temperature of 600oC in N2 gas environment and then followed by CO2 gas activation at a temperature of 900oC for 2 h. The densities for each variation in the particle size were 1.034 g cm-3, 0.849 g cm-3, 0.892 g cm-3 and 0.982 g cm-3 respectively. The morphological study identified the distance between the particles more closely at 38-53 µm (SB) particle size. The electrochemical properties of supercapacitor cells have been investigated using electrochemical methods such as impedance spectroscopy and charge-discharge at constant current using Solatron 1280 tools. Electrochemical properties testing results have shown SB samples with a particle size of 38-53 µm produce supercapacitor cells with optimum capacitive performance.
A study on size effect of carboxymethyl starch nanogel crosslinked by electron beam radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Binh, Doan; Pham Thi Thu Hong; Nguyen Ngoc Duy; Nguyen Thanh Duoc; Nguyen Nguyet Dieu

2012-07-01

The formation of carboxymethyl starch (CMS) nanogel with 50 nm less particle size was carried out through a radiation crosslinked process on the electron beam (EB) linear accelerator. Changes of intrinsic viscosities and weight averaged molecular weight in the CMS concentration, which ranged from 3 to 10 mg ml-1 in absorbed doses were investigated. There were some new peaks in the 1H NMR spectra of CMS nanogel compared with those of CMS polymer. These results were anticipated that the predominant intramolecular crosslinking of dilute CMS aqueous solution occurred while being exposed to a short intense pulse of ionizing radiation. Hydrodynamic radius (often called particle size, Rh) and distribution of particle size were measured by a dynamic light scattering technique. The radiation yield of intermolecular crosslinking of CMS solution was calculated from the expression of Gx (Charlesby, 1960; Jung-Chul, 2010). The influence of the "size effect" was demonstrated by testing culture of Lactobacillus bacteria on MRS agar culture medium containing CMS nanogel and polymer. Results showed that the number of Lactobacillus bacteria growing on nanogel containing culture medium is about 170 cfu/ml and on polymer containing culture medium is only 6 cfu/ml.
Anomalous dielectrophoretic behaviour of barium titanate microparticles in concentrated solutions of ampholytes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores-Rodriguez, N.; Markx, G. H.

2006-08-01

The dielectrophoretic behaviour of barium titanate (BaTiO3) particles with a mean grain size of 3 µm was studied. Suspensions of the powdered ceramic in the concentration range 0.01-1.60% (w/v) were prepared in dilute aqueous solutions of NaCl and concentrated aqueous solutions of the amphoteric molecules HEPES (N-[2-hydroxyethyl] piperazine-N'4-[2-ethanesulfonic acid] and EACA (ɛ -aminocaproic acid). When suspended in water without ampholytes, the particles showed positive dielectrophoresis (DEP) over the whole frequency range (1 kHz-20 MHz), independent of the medium conductivity or applied voltage. When amphoteric molecules were added at a final concentration of up to 0.57 M, the particles showed positive DEP at all frequencies. When the concentration of ampholytes was increased to 0.71 M, the particles showed positive DEP at frequencies up to 100 kHz and voltages lower than 12 Vpk-pk at all electrode sizes. However, at 100 kHz, when the amplitude was increased to over 12 Vpk-pk, the particles started to display negative DEP at the smallest electrode size (20 µm) and moved away from the microelectrodes, accumulating in the gap between the electrodes. At the highest voltages used (16-20 Vpk-pk), the particles were seen moving upwards and remained stably levitated above the array. For frequencies larger than 100 kHz, the particles showed positive DEP only. It is shown that such behaviour cannot be expected on the basis of the dielectric properties of barium titanate and the suspending medium, and it is suggested that this behaviour may be caused by the fact that at high amphotere concentration and voltages the electric field across the particles surpasses the dielectric strength of the BaTiO3 particles, resulting in a sudden drop in the particle's permittivity. The fact that not all particles showed negative DEP suggests a spread in the dielectric properties of barium titanate particles. Physical separation of barium titanate particles with presumably different dielectric properties was shown to be possible using a flow-through device.
Shear-banding and superdiffusivity in entangled polymer solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Seunghwan; Dorfman, Kevin D.; Cheng, Xiang

2017-12-01

Using high-resolution confocal rheometry, we study the shear profiles of well-entangled DNA solutions under large-amplitude oscillatory shear in a rectilinear planar shear cell. With increasing Weissenberg number (Wi), we observe successive transitions from normal Newtonian linear shear profiles to wall-slip dominant shear profiles and, finally, to shear-banding profiles at high Wi. To investigate the microscopic origin of the observed shear banding, we study the dynamics of micron-sized tracers embedded in DNA solutions. Surprisingly, tracer particles in the shear frame exhibit transient superdiffusivity and strong dynamic heterogeneity. The probability distribution functions of particle displacements follow a power-law scaling at large displacements, indicating a Lévy-walk-type motion, reminiscent of tracer dynamics in entangled wormlike micelle solutions and sheared colloidal glasses. We further characterize the length and time scales associated with the abnormal dynamics of tracer particles. We hypothesize that the unusual particle dynamics arise from localized shear-induced chain disentanglement.
Porous media grain size distribution and hydrodynamic forces effects on transport and deposition of suspended particles.

PubMed

Ahfir, Nasre-Dine; Hammadi, Ahmed; Alem, Abdellah; Wang, HuaQing; Le Bras, Gilbert; Ouahbi, Tariq

2017-03-01

The effects of porous media grain size distribution on the transport and deposition of polydisperse suspended particles under different flow velocities were investigated. Selected Kaolinite particles (2-30μm) and Fluorescein (dissolved tracer) were injected in the porous media by step input injection technique. Three sands filled columns were used: Fine sand, Coarse sand, and a third sand (Mixture) obtained by mixing the two last sands in equal weight proportion. The porous media performance on the particle removal was evaluated by analysing particles breakthrough curves, hydro-dispersive parameters determined using the analytical solution of convection-dispersion equation with a first order deposition kinetics, particles deposition profiles, and particle-size distribution of the recovered and the deposited particles. The deposition kinetics and the longitudinal hydrodynamic dispersion coefficients are controlled by the porous media grain size distribution. Mixture sand is more dispersive than Fine and Coarse sands. More the uniformity coefficient of the porous medium is large, higher is the filtration efficiency. At low velocities, porous media capture all sizes of suspended particles injected with larger ones mainly captured at the entrance. A high flow velocity carries the particles deeper into the porous media, producing more gradual changes in the deposition profile. The median diameter of the deposited particles at different depth increases with flow velocity. The large grain size distribution leads to build narrow pores enhancing the deposition of the particles by straining. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Precipitation growth in convective clouds. [hail

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Srivastava, R. C.

1981-01-01

Analytical solutions to the equations of both the growth and motion of hailstones in updrafts and of cloud water contents which vary linearly with height were used to investigate hail growth in a model cloud. A strong correlation was found between the hail embyro starting position and its trajectory and final size. A simple model of the evolution of particle size distribution by coalescence and spontaneous and binary disintegrations was formulated. Solutions for the mean mass of the distribution and the equilibrium size distribution were obtained for the case of constant collection kernel and disintegration parameters. Azimuthal scans of Doppler velocity at a number of elevation angles were used to calculate high resolution vertical profiles of particle speed and horizontal divergence (the vertical air velocity) in a region of widespread precipitation trailing a mid-latitude squall line.
Solution and Aging of MAR-M246 Nickel-Based Superalloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldan, Renato; da Silva, Antonio Augusto Araújo Pinto; Nunes, Carlos Angelo; Couto, Antonio Augusto; Gabriel, Sinara Borborema; Alkmin, Luciano Braga

2017-02-01

Solution and aging heat-treatments play a key role for the application of the superalloys. The aim of this work is to evaluate the microstructure of the MAR-M246 nickel-based superalloy solutioned at 1200 and 1250 °C for 330 min and aged at 780, 880 and 980 °C for 5, 20 and 80 h. The γ' solvus, solidus and liquidus temperatures were calculated with the aid of the JMatPro software (Ni database). The as-cast and heat-treated samples were characterized by SEM/EDS and SEM-FEG. The γ' size precipitated in the aged samples was measured and compared with JMatPro simulations. The results have shown that the sample solutioned at 1250 °C for 330 min showed a very homogeneous γ matrix with carbides and cubic γ' precipitates uniformly distributed. The mean γ' size of aged samples at 780 and 880 °C for 5, 20 and 80 h did not present significant differences when compared to the solutioned sample. However, a significant increasing in the γ' particles was observed at 980 °C, evidenced by the large mean size of these particles after 80 h of aging heat-treatment.
The effect of particle immersing in acetic acid solution on dimensional stability and strength properties of particleboard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heri Iswanto, Apri; Hermanto, Samuel; Sucipto, Tito

2018-03-01

The objective of the research was to evaluate the effect of particle immersing treatments in acetic acid (AA) solution on dimensional stability and strength properties of particleboard. Particle was immersed in various level AA solution namely 0 (untreated), 1, 2, 3, 4% for 24 hours. Afterward, the particle was oven dried up to 5% moisture content. The amount of 12% UF resin level used for binding in manufacturing particleboard. Board size, thickness and density target in this experiment was 25 by 25 cm2, 1 cm, and 0.75 g/cm3 respectively. After mat forming, board pressed using 130°C temperature, 30 kg/cm2, and pressure for 10 minutes. The results showed that particles immersing in AA solution provide enhancement of thickness swelling (TS) parameters. Overall, 1% AA solution is the best treatment to improve dimensional stability. The similar results also showed by internal bond value. In general, the excess of 1% acetic acid level resulted in decreasing of IB value. A similar trend also occurs in modulus of rupture (MoR) and modulus of elasticity (MoE) parameters.
Particle characterization of poorly water-soluble drugs using a spray freeze drying technique.

PubMed

Kondo, Masahiro; Niwa, Toshiyuki; Okamoto, Hirokazu; Danjo, Kazumi

2009-07-01

A spray freeze drying (SFD) method was developed to prepare the composite particles of poorly water-soluble drug. The aqueous solution dissolved drug and the functional polymer was sprayed directly into liquid nitrogen. Then, the iced droplets were lyophilized with freeze-dryer to prepare solid particles. Tolbutamide (TBM) and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) were used as a model drug and water-soluble polymeric carrier in this study, respectively. The morphological observation of particles revealed that the spherical particles having porous structure could be obtained by optimizing the loading amount of drug and polymer in the spray solution. Especially, SFD method was characterized that the prepared particles had significantly larger specific surface area comparing with those prepared by the standard spray drying technique. The physicochemical properties of the resultant particles were found to be dependent on the concentration of spray solution. When the solution with high content of drug and polymer was used, the particle size of the resulting composite particles increased and they became spherical. The specific surface area of the particles also increased as a result of higher concentration of solution. The evaluation of spray solution indicated that these results were dependent on the viscosity of spray solution. In addition, when composite particles of TBM were prepared using the SFD method with HPMC as a carrier, the crystallinity of TBM decreased as the proportion of HPMC increased. When the TBM : HPMC ratio reached 1 : 5, the crystallinity of the particles completely disappeared. The dissolution tests showed that the release profiles of poorly water-soluble TBM from SFD composite particles were drastically improved compared to bulk TBM. The 70% release time T(70) of composite particles prepared by the SFD method in a solution of pH 1.2 was quite smaller than that of bulk TBM, while in a solution of pH 6.8, it was slightly lower. In addition, the release rates were faster than those of standard spray dried (SD) composite particles for solutions of pH 1.2 and 6.8, respectively. When composite particles were prepared from mixtures with various composition ratios, T(70) was found to decrease as the proportion of HPMC increased; the release rate was faster than that of bulk TBM in a solution of pH 6.8, as well as solution of pH 1.2.
Synthesis of Mg(OH) 2, MgO, and Mg nanoparticles using laser ablation of magnesium in water and solvents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phuoc, Tran X.; Howard, Bret. H.; Martello, Donald V.; Soong, Yee; Chyu, Minking K.

2008-11-01

Laser ablation of magnesium in deionized water (DW), solutions of DW and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) with different concentrations, acetone and 2-propanol has been conducted. The results showed that ablation in acetone and 2-propanol yielded MgO and Mg nanocrystallites as isolated particles and agglomerated chains probably intermixed with organic residues resulting from the alteration/decomposition of the solvents under the high-energy conditions. Brucite-like Mg(OH) 2 particles were mainly produced by laser ablation of Mg in either DW or DW-SDS solutions. Ablation in DW yielded particles of fiber-like shapes having a diameter of about 5-10 nm and length as long as 150 nm. Materials produced in DW-SDS solutions were composed of various size and shape particles. Some had rough surfaces with irregular shapes. Small particles were about 20-30 nm and larger particles were about 120 nm. Particles with rod-like, triangular, and plate-like shapes were also observed.
A polymer solution technique for the synthesis of nano-sized Li 2TiO 3 ceramic breeder powders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Choong-Hwan; Lee, Sang Jin; Kriven, Waltraud M.; Park, Ji-Yeon; Ryu, Woo-Seog

2008-02-01

Nano-sized Li 2TiO 3 powder was fabricated by an organic-inorganic solution route. A steric entrapment route employing ethylene glycol was used for the preparation of the nano-sized Li 2TiO 3 particles. Titanium isopropoxide and lithium nitrate were dissolved in liquid-type ethylene glycol without any precipitation. With the optimum amount of the polymer, the metal cations (Li and Ti) were dispersed in the solution and a homogeneous polymeric network was formed. The organic-inorganic precursor gels were turned to crystalline powders through an oxidation reaction during a calcination process. The dried precursor gel showed the carbon-free Li 2TiO 3 crystalline form which was observed above 400 °C. The primary particle size of the carbon-free Li 2TiO 3 was about 70 nm, and the structure of the crystallized powder was porous and agglomerated. The powder compact was densified to 92% of TD at a relatively low sintering temperature of 1100 °C for 2 h.
Preparation of metallic nanoparticles by irradiation in starch aqueous solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

NemÅ£anu, Monica R.; Braşoveanu, Mirela; Iacob, Nicuşor

2014-11-01

Colloidal silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized in a single step by electron beam irradiation reduction of silver ions in aqueous solution containing starch. The nanoparticles were characterized by spectrophotocolorimetry and compared with those obtained by chemical (thermal) reduction method. The results showed that the smaller sizes of AgNPs were prepared with higher yields as the irradiation dose increased. The broadening of particle size distribution occurred by increasing of irradiation dose and dose rate. Chromatic parameters such as b* (yellow-blue coordinate), C* (chroma) and ΔEab (total color difference) could characterize the nanoparticles with respect of their concentration. Hue angle ho was correlated to the particle size distribution. Experimental data of the irradiated samples were also subjected to factor analysis using principal component extraction and varimax rotation in order to reveal the relation between dependent variables and independent variables and to reduce their number. The radiation-based method provided silver nanoparticles with higher concentration and narrower size distribution than those produced by chemical reduction method. Therefore, the electron beam irradiation is effective for preparation of silver nanoparticles using starch aqueous solution as dispersion medium.
Power law relation between particle concentrations and their sizes in the blood plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirichenko, M. N.; Chaikov, L. L.; Zaritskii, A. R.

2016-08-01

This work is devoted to the investigation of sizes and concentrations of particles in blood plasma by dynamic light scattering (DLS). Blood plasma contains many different proteins and their aggregates, microparticles and vesicles. Their sizes, concentrations and shapes can give information about donor's health. Our DLS study of blood plasma reveals unexpected dependence: with increasing of the particle sizes r (from 1 nm up to 1 μm), their concentrations decrease as r-4 (almost by 12 orders). We found also that such dependence was repeated for model solution of fibrinogen and thrombin with power coefficient is -3,6. We believe that this relation is a fundamental law of nature that shows interaction of proteins (and other substances) in biological liquids.

Lifting degeneracy in holographic characterization of colloidal particles using multi-color imaging.

PubMed

Ruffner, David B; Cheong, Fook Chiong; Blusewicz, Jaroslaw M; Philips, Laura A

2018-05-14

Micrometer sized particles can be accurately characterized using holographic video microscopy and Lorenz-Mie fitting. In this work, we explore some of the limitations in holographic microscopy and introduce methods for increasing the accuracy of this technique with the use of multiple wavelengths of laser illumination. Large high index particle holograms have near degenerate solutions that can confuse standard fitting algorithms. Using a model based on diffraction from a phase disk, we explain the source of these degeneracies. We introduce multiple color holography as an effective approach to distinguish between degenerate solutions and provide improved accuracy for the holographic analysis of sub-visible colloidal particles.
Description of Particle Size, Distribution, and Behavior of Talc Preparations Commercially Available Within the United States.

PubMed

Gilbert, Christopher R; Furman, Benjamin R; Feller-Kopman, David J; Haouzi, Philippe

2018-01-01

Widespread use of talc pleurodesis remains controversial for many providers concerned by adverse events such as respiratory failure, which are sometimes fatal. Particle talc size has been implicated in these adverse effects, mainly on the basis of animal studies utilizing large amounts of talc or in observational studies performed on different continents with different talc preparations and doses. Our aim was to determine the particle size and distribution of only the commercially available US-talc preparations and whether the fluid content can affect this distribution. Commercially available US talc was evaluated under scanning electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Distribution of talc particle size was obtained in saline and various protein-based solutions. Talc particle size by DLS was performed with commercially available Sterile Talc Powder and Sclerosol Intrapleural Aerosol. Sterile Talc Powder demonstrated a median diameter of 26.57 μm with a range of particle sizes from 0.399 μm to 100.237 μm. Sclerosol demonstrated a median diameter of 24.49 μm with a range of particle sizes from 0.224 μm to 100.237 μm. The exposure of talc to a protein rich environment (bovine serum albumin and human pleural fluid) led to the development of measureable, new, larger aggregated particle (>100 μm). Currently available US talc seems to have size characteristics similar to previous described "graded" talc preparations. The exposure of talc to a protein rich environment seems to modify the overall distribution of talc particle size when examined by DLS.
On-line monitoring of the crystallization process: relationship between crystal size and electrical impedance spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yanlin; Yao, Jun; Wang, Mi

2016-07-01

On-line monitoring of crystal size in the crystallization process is crucial to many pharmaceutical and fine-chemical industrial applications. In this paper, a novel method is proposed for the on-line monitoring of the cooling crystallization process of L-glutamic acid (LGA) using electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The EIS method can be used to monitor the growth of crystal particles relying on the presence of an electrical double layer on the charged particle surface and the polarization of double layer under the excitation of alternating electrical field. The electrical impedance spectra and crystal size were measured on-line simultaneously by an impedance analyzer and focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM), respectively. The impedance spectra were analyzed using the equivalent circuit model and the equivalent circuit elements in the model can be obtained by fitting the experimental data. Two equivalent circuit elements, including capacitance (C 2) and resistance (R 2) from the dielectric polarization of the LGA solution and crystal particle/solution interface, are in relation with the crystal size. The mathematical relationship between the crystal size and the equivalent circuit elements can be obtained by a non-linear fitting method. The function can be used to predict the change of crystal size during the crystallization process.
Adsorption behaviour of methylene blue onto Jordanian diatomite: a kinetic study.

PubMed

Al-Ghouti, Mohammad A; Khraisheh, Majeda A M; Ahmad, Mohammad N M; Allen, Stephen

2009-06-15

The effect of initial concentration, particle size, mass of the adsorbent, pH and agitation speed on adsorption behaviour of methylene blue (MB) onto Jordanian diatomite has been investigated. The maximum adsorption capacity, q, increased from 75 to 105 mg/g when pH of the dye solution increased from 4 to 11. It is clear that the ionisable charge sites on the diatomite surface increased when pH increased from 4 to 11. When the solution pH was above the pH(ZPC), the diatomite surface had a negative charge, while at low pH (pH<5.4) it has a positive charge. The adsorption capacity increased from 88.6 to 143.3mg/g as the initial MB concentrations increased from 89.6 to 225.2mg/dm(3). The experimental results were also applied to the pseudo-first and -second order kinetic models. It is noticed that the whole experimental data of MB adsorption onto diatomite did not follow the pseudo-first order model and had low correlation coefficients (R(2)<0.3). The calculated adsorption capacity, q(e,cal), values obtained from pseudo-first order kinetic model did not give acceptable values, q(e,exp.) The maximum uptake capacity seems to be independent of the particle size of the diatomite when the particle size distribution is less than 250-500 microm. While at larger particle size 250-500 microm, the maximum uptake capacity was dependent on the particle size. It would imply that the MB adsorption is limited by the external surface and that intraparticle diffusion is reduced. The effect of the agitation speeds on the removal of MB from aqueous solution using the diatomite is quite low. The MB removal increased from 43 to 100% when mass of the diatomite increased from 0.3 to 1.7 g.
Ejected particle size measurement using Mie scattering in high explosive driven shockwave experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monfared, S. K.; Buttler, W. T.; Frayer, D. K.; Grover, M.; LaLone, B. M.; Stevens, G. D.; Stone, J. B.; Turley, W. D.; Schauer, M. M.

2015-06-01

We report on the development of a diagnostic to provide constraints on the size of particles ejected from shocked metallic surfaces. The diagnostic is based on measurements of the intensity of laser light transmitted through a cloud of ejected particles as well as the angular distribution of scattered light, and the analysis of the resulting data is done using the Mie solution. We describe static experiments to test our experimental apparatus and present initial results of dynamic experiments on Sn targets. Improvements for future experiments are briefly discussed.
Effect of natural Bayah zeolite particle size reduction to physico-chemical properties and absortion against potassium permanganate (KMnO4)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widayanti, Siti Mariana; Syamsu, Khaswar; Warsiki, Endang; Yuliani, Sri

2016-02-01

Recently, researches on nanotechnology have been developed very rapid, as well as the utilization of nano-zeolites. Nano-sized material has several advantages which are expanding absorptive surfaces so it will enhance the material absorption and shorten the absorption time. Zeolite as a KMnO4 binder, has been widely recognized for its ability to extend the shelf life of vegetables and fruits. This study was conducted to determine zeolites physico-chemical characters from different particle size and the effect on KMnO4 absorption. Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) is a strong oxidizer for reducing the quantity of ethylene in storage process of fresh horticultural products. The treatment consisted of (1) different length of milling time (10, 20, 30, 40, and 60 minutes) and (2) the duration of chemical activation with 1 N KOH solution. Physical and chemical characters of zeolite were analyzed using BET, PSA, XRD and SEM. The research design was randomized design. The result implied that milling time was significantly affecting the zeolite particle size, material surface area, and the size of pore diameter and volume. Milling treatment for 40 minutes produced higher zeolite surface area and pore volume than other treatments. While the duration of chemical activation using 1 N KOH solution gives different effect on zeolite absorption to KMnO4 solution. Milling time for 60 minutes and activated for 48 hours has higher initial adsorption than other treatments.
Size limits for rounding of volcanic ash particles heated by lightning

PubMed Central

Vasseur, Jérémie; Llewellin, Edward W.; Genareau, Kimberly; Cimarelli, Corrado; Dingwell, Donald B.

2017-01-01

Abstract Volcanic ash particles can be remelted by the high temperatures induced in volcanic lightning discharges. The molten particles can round under surface tension then quench to produce glass spheres. Melting and rounding timescales for volcanic materials are strongly dependent on heating duration and peak temperature and are shorter for small particles than for large particles. Therefore, the size distribution of glass spheres recovered from ash deposits potentially record the short duration, high‐temperature conditions of volcanic lightning discharges, which are hard to measure directly. We use a 1‐D numerical solution to the heat equation to determine the timescales of heating and cooling of volcanic particles during and after rapid heating and compare these with the capillary timescale for rounding an angular particle. We define dimensionless parameters—capillary, Fourier, Stark, Biot, and Peclet numbers—to characterize the competition between heat transfer within the particle, heat transfer at the particle rim, and capillary motion, for particles of different sizes. We apply this framework to the lightning case and constrain a maximum size for ash particles susceptible to surface tension‐driven rounding, as a function of lightning temperature and duration, and ash properties. The size limit agrees well with maximum sizes of glass spheres found in volcanic ash that has been subjected to lightning or experimental discharges, demonstrating that the approach that we develop can be used to obtain a first‐order estimate of lightning conditions in volcanic plumes. PMID:28781929
Size limits for rounding of volcanic ash particles heated by lightning.

PubMed

Wadsworth, Fabian B; Vasseur, Jérémie; Llewellin, Edward W; Genareau, Kimberly; Cimarelli, Corrado; Dingwell, Donald B

2017-03-01

Volcanic ash particles can be remelted by the high temperatures induced in volcanic lightning discharges. The molten particles can round under surface tension then quench to produce glass spheres. Melting and rounding timescales for volcanic materials are strongly dependent on heating duration and peak temperature and are shorter for small particles than for large particles. Therefore, the size distribution of glass spheres recovered from ash deposits potentially record the short duration, high-temperature conditions of volcanic lightning discharges, which are hard to measure directly. We use a 1-D numerical solution to the heat equation to determine the timescales of heating and cooling of volcanic particles during and after rapid heating and compare these with the capillary timescale for rounding an angular particle. We define dimensionless parameters-capillary, Fourier, Stark, Biot, and Peclet numbers-to characterize the competition between heat transfer within the particle, heat transfer at the particle rim, and capillary motion, for particles of different sizes. We apply this framework to the lightning case and constrain a maximum size for ash particles susceptible to surface tension-driven rounding, as a function of lightning temperature and duration, and ash properties. The size limit agrees well with maximum sizes of glass spheres found in volcanic ash that has been subjected to lightning or experimental discharges, demonstrating that the approach that we develop can be used to obtain a first-order estimate of lightning conditions in volcanic plumes.
Size limits for rounding of volcanic ash particles heated by lightning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wadsworth, Fabian B.; Vasseur, Jérémie; Llewellin, Edward W.; Genareau, Kimberly; Cimarelli, Corrado; Dingwell, Donald B.

2017-03-01

Volcanic ash particles can be remelted by the high temperatures induced in volcanic lightning discharges. The molten particles can round under surface tension then quench to produce glass spheres. Melting and rounding timescales for volcanic materials are strongly dependent on heating duration and peak temperature and are shorter for small particles than for large particles. Therefore, the size distribution of glass spheres recovered from ash deposits potentially record the short duration, high-temperature conditions of volcanic lightning discharges, which are hard to measure directly. We use a 1-D numerical solution to the heat equation to determine the timescales of heating and cooling of volcanic particles during and after rapid heating and compare these with the capillary timescale for rounding an angular particle. We define dimensionless parameters—capillary, Fourier, Stark, Biot, and Peclet numbers—to characterize the competition between heat transfer within the particle, heat transfer at the particle rim, and capillary motion, for particles of different sizes. We apply this framework to the lightning case and constrain a maximum size for ash particles susceptible to surface tension-driven rounding, as a function of lightning temperature and duration, and ash properties. The size limit agrees well with maximum sizes of glass spheres found in volcanic ash that has been subjected to lightning or experimental discharges, demonstrating that the approach that we develop can be used to obtain a first-order estimate of lightning conditions in volcanic plumes.
Direct simulation of electroosmosis around a spherical particle with inhomogeneously acquired surface charge.

PubMed

Alizadeh, Amer; Wang, Moran

2017-03-01

Uncovering electroosmosis around an inhomogeneously acquired charge spherical particle in a confined space could provide detailed insights into its broad applications from biology to geology. In the present study, we developed a direct simulation method with the effects of inhomogeneously acquired charges on the particle surface considered, which has been validated by the available analytical and experimental data. Modeling results reveal that the surface charge and zeta potential, which are acquired through chemical interactions, strongly depend on the local solution properties and the particle size. The surface charge and zeta potential of the particle would significantly vary with the tangential positions on the particle surface by increasing the particle radius. Moreover, regarding the streaming potential for a particle-fluid tube system, our results uncover that the streaming potential has a reverse relation with the particle size in a micro or nanotube. To explain this phenomenon, we present a simple relation that bridges the streaming potential with the particle size and tube radius, zeta potential, bulk and surface conductivity. This relation could predict good results specifically for higher ion concentrations and provide deeper understanding of the particle size effects on the streaming potential measurements of the particle fluid tube system. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
Particle Fabrication Using Inkjet Printing onto Hydrophobic Surfaces for Optimization and Calibration of Trace Contraband Detection Sensors

PubMed Central

Gillen, Greg; Najarro, Marcela; Wight, Scott; Walker, Marlon; Verkouteren, Jennifer; Windsor, Eric; Barr, Tim; Staymates, Matthew; Urbas, Aaron

2015-01-01

A method has been developed to fabricate patterned arrays of micrometer-sized monodisperse solid particles of ammonium nitrate on hydrophobic silicon surfaces using inkjet printing. The method relies on dispensing one or more microdrops of a concentrated aqueous ammonium nitrate solution from a drop-on-demand (DOD) inkjet printer at specific locations on a silicon substrate rendered hydrophobic by a perfluorodecytrichlorosilane monolayer coating. The deposited liquid droplets form into the shape of a spherical shaped cap; during the evaporation process, a deposited liquid droplet maintains this geometry until it forms a solid micrometer sized particle. Arrays of solid particles are obtained by sequential translation of the printer stage. The use of DOD inkjet printing for fabrication of discrete particle arrays allows for precise control of particle characteristics (mass, diameter and height), as well as the particle number and spatial distribution on the substrate. The final mass of an individual particle is precisely determined by using gravimetric measurement of the average mass of solution ejected per microdrop. The primary application of this method is fabrication of test materials for the evaluation of spatially-resolved optical and mass spectrometry based sensors used for detecting particle residues of contraband materials, such as explosives or narcotics. PMID:26610515
Particle Fabrication Using Inkjet Printing onto Hydrophobic Surfaces for Optimization and Calibration of Trace Contraband Detection Sensors.

PubMed

Gillen, Greg; Najarro, Marcela; Wight, Scott; Walker, Marlon; Verkouteren, Jennifer; Windsor, Eric; Barr, Tim; Staymates, Matthew; Urbas, Aaron

2015-11-24

A method has been developed to fabricate patterned arrays of micrometer-sized monodisperse solid particles of ammonium nitrate on hydrophobic silicon surfaces using inkjet printing. The method relies on dispensing one or more microdrops of a concentrated aqueous ammonium nitrate solution from a drop-on-demand (DOD) inkjet printer at specific locations on a silicon substrate rendered hydrophobic by a perfluorodecytrichlorosilane monolayer coating. The deposited liquid droplets form into the shape of a spherical shaped cap; during the evaporation process, a deposited liquid droplet maintains this geometry until it forms a solid micrometer sized particle. Arrays of solid particles are obtained by sequential translation of the printer stage. The use of DOD inkjet printing for fabrication of discrete particle arrays allows for precise control of particle characteristics (mass, diameter and height), as well as the particle number and spatial distribution on the substrate. The final mass of an individual particle is precisely determined by using gravimetric measurement of the average mass of solution ejected per microdrop. The primary application of this method is fabrication of test materials for the evaluation of spatially-resolved optical and mass spectrometry based sensors used for detecting particle residues of contraband materials, such as explosives or narcotics.
Results of an interlaboratory method performance study for the size determination and quantification of silver nanoparticles in chicken meat by single-particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (sp-ICP-MS).

PubMed

Weigel, Stefan; Peters, Ruud; Loeschner, Katrin; Grombe, Ringo; Linsinger, Thomas P J

2017-08-01

Single-particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (sp-ICP-MS) promises fast and selective determination of nanoparticle size and number concentrations. While several studies on practical applications have been published, data on formal, especially interlaboratory validation of sp-ICP-MS, is sparse. An international interlaboratory study was organized to determine repeatability and reproducibility of the determination of the median particle size and particle number concentration of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) in chicken meat. Ten laboratories from the European Union, the USA, and Canada determined particle size and particle number concentration of two chicken meat homogenates spiked with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-stabilized AgNPs. For the determination of the median particle diameter, repeatability standard deviations of 2 and 5% were determined, and reproducibility standard deviations were 15 and 25%, respectively. The equivalent median diameter itself was approximately 60% larger than the diameter of the particles in the spiking solution. Determination of the particle number concentration was significantly less precise, with repeatability standard deviations of 7 and 18% and reproducibility standard deviations of 70 and 90%.
AN ELECTRIFYING NEW SOLUTION TO AN OLD PROBLEM?

EPA Science Inventory

The adverse health effects of particles have been linked to many factors, including particle size. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) first issued National Ambient Air QualityStandards (NAAQS) for particular matter (PM) in 1971, amended the standards in 1987 for part...
Formation of enriched black tea extract loaded chitosan nanoparticles via electrospraying

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammond, Samuel James

Creating nanoparticles of beneficial nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals has had a large surge of research due to the enhancement of absorption and bioavailability by decreasing their size. One of these ways is by electrohydrodynamic atomization, also known as electrospraying. In general, this novel process is done by forcing a liquid through a capillary nozzle and which is subjected to an electrical field. While there are different ways to create nanoparticles, the novel method of electrospraying can be beneficial over other types of nanoparticle formation. Reasons include high control over particle size and distribution by altering electrospray parameters (voltage, flow rate, distance, and time), higher encapsulation efficiency than other methods, and also it is a one step process without exposure to extreme conditions (Gomez-Estaca et. al. 2012, Jaworek and Sobcyzk 2008). The current study aimed to create a chitosan encapsulated theaflavin-2 enriched black tea extract (BTE) nanoparticles via electrospraying. The first step of this process was to create the smallest chitosan nanoparticles possible by altering the electrospray parameters and the chitosan-acetic acid solution parameters. The solution properties altered include chitosan molecular weight, acetic acid concentration, and chitosan concentration. Specifically, the electrospray parameters such as voltage, flow rate and distance from syringe to collector are the most important in determining particle size. After creating the smallest chitosan particles, the TF-2 enriched black tea extract was added to the chitosan-acetic acid solution to be electrosprayed. The particles were assessed with the following procedures: Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for particle morphology and size, and loading efficiency with ultraviolet--visible spectrophotometer (UV-VIS). Chitosan-BTE nanoparticles were successfully created in a one step process. Diameter of the particles on average ranged from 255 nm to 560 nm. Encapsulation efficiency was above 95% for all but one sample set. Future work includes MTT assay and cellular uptake.
Using portable particle sizing instrumentation to rapidly measure the penetration of fine and ultrafine particles in unoccupied residences.

PubMed

Zhao, H; Stephens, B

2017-01-01

Much of human exposure to particulate matter of outdoor origin occurs inside buildings, particularly in residences. The particle penetration factor through leaks in a building's exterior enclosure assembly is a key parameter that governs the infiltration of outdoor particles. However, experimental data for size-resolved particle penetration factors in real buildings, as well as penetration factors for fine particles less than 2.5 μm (PM 2.5 ) and ultrafine particles less than 100 nm (UFPs), remain limited, in part because of previous limitations in instrumentation and experimental methods. Here, we report on the development and application of a modified test method that utilizes portable particle sizing instrumentation to measure size-resolved infiltration factors and envelope penetration factors for 0.01-2.5 μm particles, which are then used to estimate penetration factors for integral measures of UFPs and PM 2.5 . Eleven replicate measurements were made in an unoccupied apartment unit in Chicago, IL to evaluate the accuracy and repeatability of the test procedure and solution methods. Mean estimates of size-resolved penetration factors ranged from 0.41 ± 0.14 to 0.73 ± 0.05 across the range of measured particle sizes, while mean estimates of penetration factors for integral measures of UFPs and PM 2.5 were 0.67 ± 0.05 and 0.73 ± 0.05, respectively. Average relative uncertainties for all particle sizes/classes were less than 20%. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Controlling the size and morphology of precipitated calcite particles by the selection of solvent composition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konopacka-Łyskawa, Donata; Kościelska, Barbara; Karczewski, Jakub

2017-11-01

Precipitated calcium carbonate is used as an additive in the manufacture of many products. Particles with specific characteristics can be obtained by the selection of precipitation conditions, including temperature and the composition of solvent. In this work, calcium carbonate particles were obtained in the reaction of calcium hydroxide with carbon dioxide at 65 °C. Initial Ca(OH)2 suspensions were prepared in pure water and aqueous solutions of ethylene glycol or glycerol of the concentration range up to 20% (vol.). The course of reaction was monitored by conductivity measurements. Precipitated solids were analyzed by FTIR, XRD, SEM and the particles size distribution was determined by a laser diffraction method. The adsorption of ethylene glycol or glycerol on the surface of scalenohedral and rhombohedral calcite was testes by a normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The addition of organic solvents changed the viscosity of reaction mixtures, the rate of carbon dioxide absorption and the solubility of inorganic components and therefore influence calcium carbonate precipitation conditions. All synthesized calcium carbonate products were in a calcite form. Scalenohedral calcite crystals were produced when water was a liquid phase, whereas addition of organic solvents resulted in the formation of rhombo-scalenohedral particles. The increase in organic compounds concentration resulted in the decrease of mean particles size from 2.4 μm to 1.7 μm in ethylene glycol solutions and to 1.4 μm in glycerol solutions. On the basis of adsorption tests, it was confirm that calcite surface interact stronger with glycerol than ethylene glycol. The interaction between scalenohedral calcite and used organic additives was higher in comparison to the pure rhombohedral form applied as a stationary phase.
Electrodeposition of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} layer from solution of Fe{sub 2}(SO{sub 4}){sub 3} with addition ethylene glycol

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

Dahlan, Dahyunir, E-mail: dahyunir@yahoo.com; Asrar, Allan

2016-03-11

The electrodeposition of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} layer from the solution Fe{sub 2}(SO{sub 4}){sub 3} with the addition of ethylene glycol on Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) substrate has been performed. The electrodeposition was carried out using a voltage of 5 volts for 120 seconds, with and without the addition of 2% wt ethylene glycol. Significant effects of temperature on the resulting the samples is observed when they are heated at 400 °C. Structural characterization using X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows that all samples produce a layer of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} with particle size less than 50 nanometers. The addition of ethylene glycolmore » and the heating of the sample causes a shrinkage in particle size. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) characterization shows that Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} layer resulting from the process of electrodeposition of Fe{sub 2}(SO{sub 4}){sub 3} without ethylene glycol, independent of whether the sample is heated or not, is uneven and buildup. Layer produced by the addition of ethylene glycol without heating produces spherical particles. On contrary, when the layer is heated the spherical particles transform to irregularly-shaped particles with smaller size.« less
Preparation, characterization and in vivo evaluation of amorphous atorvastatin calcium nanoparticles using supercritical antisolvent (SAS) process.

PubMed

Kim, Min-Soo; Jin, Shun-Ji; Kim, Jeong-Soo; Park, Hee Jun; Song, Ha-Seung; Neubert, Reinhard H H; Hwang, Sung-Joo

2008-06-01

In this work, amorphous atorvastatin calcium nanoparticles were successfully prepared using the supercritical antisolvent (SAS) process. The effect of process variables on particle size and distribution of atorvastatin calcium during particle formation was investigated. Solid state characterization, solubility, intrinsic dissolution, powder dissolution studies and pharmacokinetic study in rats were performed. Spherical particles with mean particle size ranging between 152 and 863 nm were obtained by varying process parameters such as precipitation vessel pressure and temperature, drug solution concentration and feed rate ratio of CO2/drug solution. XRD, TGA, FT-IR, FT-Raman, NMR and HPLC analysis indicated that atorvastatin calcium existed as anhydrous amorphous form and no degradation occurred after SAS process. When compared with crystalline form (unprocessed drug), amorphous atorvastatin calcium nanoparticles were of better performance in solubility and intrinsic dissolution rate, resulting in higher solubility and faster dissolution rate. In addition, intrinsic dissolution rate showed a good correlation with the solubility. The dissolution rates of amorphous atorvastatin calcium nanoparticles were highly increased in comparison with unprocessed drug by the enhancement of intrinsic dissolution rate and the reduction of particle size resulting in an increased specific surface area. The absorption of atorvastatin calcium after oral administration of amorphous atorvastatin calcium nanoparticles to rats was markedly increased.
High-resolution, submicron particle size distribution analysis using gravitational-sweep sedimentation.

PubMed Central

Mächtle, W

1999-01-01

Sedimentation velocity is a powerful tool for the analysis of complex solutions of macromolecules. However, sample turbidity imposes an upper limit to the size of molecular complexes currently amenable to such analysis. Furthermore, the breadth of the particle size distribution, combined with possible variations in the density of different particles, makes it difficult to analyze extremely complex mixtures. These same problems are faced in the polymer industry, where dispersions of latices, pigments, lacquers, and emulsions must be characterized. There is a rich history of methods developed for the polymer industry finding use in the biochemical sciences. Two such methods are presented. These use analytical ultracentrifugation to determine the density and size distributions for submicron-sized particles. Both methods rely on Stokes' equations to estimate particle size and density, whereas turbidity, corrected using Mie's theory, provides the concentration measurement. The first method uses the sedimentation time in dispersion media of different densities to evaluate the particle density and size distribution. This method works provided the sample is chemically homogeneous. The second method splices together data gathered at different sample concentrations, thus permitting the high-resolution determination of the size distribution of particle diameters ranging from 10 to 3000 nm. By increasing the rotor speed exponentially from 0 to 40,000 rpm over a 1-h period, size distributions may be measured for extremely broadly distributed dispersions. Presented here is a short history of particle size distribution analysis using the ultracentrifuge, along with a description of the newest experimental methods. Several applications of the methods are provided that demonstrate the breadth of its utility, including extensions to samples containing nonspherical and chromophoric particles. PMID:9916040

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

Bunkin, N F; Shkirin, A V; Burkhanov, I S

Aqueous NaCl solutions with different concentrations have been investigated by dynamic scattering of laser radiation. It is experimentally shown that these solutions contain scattering particles with a wide size distribution in a range of ∼10 – 100 nm. The experimental results indirectly confirm the existence of quasi-stable gas nanobubbles in the bulk of aqueous ionic solutions. (light scattering)
Modification of Pawlow's thermodynamical model for the melting of small single-component particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barybin, Anatoly; Shapovalov, Victor

2011-02-01

A new approach to the melting of small particles is proposed to modify the known Pawlow's model by taking into account the transfer of material from solid spherical particles to liquid ones through a gas phase. Thermodynamical analysis gives rise to a differential equation for the melting point Tm involving such size-dependent and temperature-dependent parameters of a material as the surface tensions σs(l ), molar heat of fusion ΔHm and molar volumes vs(l ). Solution of this equation has shown that all the limiting cases for size-independent situations coincide with results known in the literature and our analysis of size-dependent situations gives results close to the experimental data previously obtained by other authors for some metallic particles.
Development of practical decontamination process for the removal of uranium from gravel.

PubMed

Kim, Ilgook; Kim, Gye-Nam; Kim, Seung-Soo; Choi, Jong-Won

2018-01-01

In this study, a practical decontamination process was developed to remove uranium from gravel using a soil washing method. The effects of critical parameters including particle size, H 2 SO 4 concentration, temperature, and reaction time on uranium removal were evaluated. The optimal condition for two-stage washing of gravel was found to be particle size of 1-2 mm, 1.0 M H 2 SO 4 , temperature of 60°C, and reaction time of 3 h, which satisfied the required uranium concentration for self-disposal. Furthermore, most of the extracted uranium was removed from the waste solution by precipitation, implying that the treated solution can be reused as washing solution. These results clearly demonstrated that our proposed process can be indeed a practical technique to decontaminate uranium-polluted gravel.
Stability study of PbSe semiconductor nanocrystals over concentration, size, atmosphere, and light exposure.

PubMed

Dai, Quanqin; Wang, Yingnan; Zhang, Yu; Li, Xinbi; Li, Ruowang; Zou, Bo; Seo, JaeTae; Wang, Yiding; Liu, Manhong; Yu, William W

2009-10-20

Infrared-emitting PbSe nanocrystals are of increasing interest in both fundamental research and technical application. However, the practical applications are greatly limited by their poor stability. In this work, absorption and photoluminescence spectra of PbSe nanocrystals were utilized to observe the stability of PbSe nanocrystals over several conventional factors, that is, particle concentration, particle size, temperature, light exposure, contacting atmosphere, and storage forms (solution or solid powder). Both absorption and luminescence spectra of PbSe nanocrystals exposed to air showed dependence on particle concentration, size, and light exposure, which caused large and quick blue-shifts in the optical spectra. This air-contacted instability arising from the destructive oxidation and subsequent collision-induced decomposition was kinetically dominated and differed from the traditional thought that smaller particles with lower concentrations shrank fast. The photoluminescence emission intensity of the PbSe nanocrystal solution under ultraviolet (UV) exposure in air increased first and then decreased slowly; without UV irradiation, the emission intensity monotonously decreased over time. However, if stored under nitrogen, no obvious changes in absorption and photoluminescence spectra of the PbSe nanocrystals were observed even under UV exposure or upon being heated up to 100 degrees C.
Supercritical fluid assisted production of chitosan oligomers micrometric powders.

PubMed

Du, Zhe; Shen, Yu-Bin; Tang, Chuan; Guan, Yi-Xin; Yao, Shan-Jing; Zhu, Zi-Qiang

2014-02-15

Chitosan oligomers (O-chitosan) micrometric particles were produced from aqueous solution using a novel process, i.e. supercritical fluid assisted atomization introduced by hydrodynamic cavitation mixer (SAA-HCM). Hydrodynamic cavitation was introduced to enhance mass transfer and facilitate the mixing between SC-CO2 and liquid solution for fine particles formation. Well defined, separated and spherical microparticles were obtained, and the particles size could be well controlled with narrow distribution ranging from 0.5 μm to 3 μm. XRD patterns showed amorphous structure of O-chitosan microparticles. FTIR, TGA and DSC analyses confirmed that no change in molecular structure and thermal stability after SAA-HCM processing, while the water content was between 5.8% and 8.4%. Finally, tap densities were determined to be below 0.45 g/cm(3) indicating hollow or porous structures of microparticles. By tuning process parameters, theoretical mass median aerodynamic sizes lied inside respirable range of 1-2 μm, which presented the potential of the O-chitosan microparticles in application as inhaled dry powders. SAA-HCM was demonstrated to be very useful in particle size engineering. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Fabrication of nanocomposite particles using a two-solution mixing-type spray nozzle for use in an inhaled curcumin formulation.

PubMed

Taki, Moeko; Tagami, Tatsuaki; Fukushige, Kaori; Ozeki, Tetsuya

2016-09-10

A unique two-solution mixing-type spray nozzle is useful for producing nanocomposite particles (microparticles containing drug nanoparticles) in one step. The nanocomposite particles can prevent nanoparticle aggregation. Curcumin has many reported pharmacological effects. Curcumin was entrapped in mannitol microparticles using a spray dryer coupled with a two-solution mixing-type spray nozzle to prepare "curcumin nanocomposite particles" and the application of these particles for inhalation formulations was investigated. Spray drying conditions (flow rate, concentration and inlet temperature) affected the size of both the resulting curcumin nanocomposite particles and the curcumin nanoparticles in the nanocomposite particles. The aerosol performance of the curcumin nanocomposite particles changed depending on the spray drying conditions and several conditions provided better deposition compared with the curcumin original powder. The curcumin nanocomposite particles showed an improved dissolution profile of curcumin compared with the original powder. Furthermore, the curcumin nanocomposite particles showed a higher cytotoxic effect compared with the curcumin original powder towards three cancer cell lines. Curcumin nanocomposite particles containing curcumin nanoparticles show promise as an inhalation formulation for treating lung-related diseases including cancer. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Preparation and Physicochemical Properties of Vinblastine Microparticles by Supercritical Antisolvent Process

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xiaonan; Zhao, Xiuhua; Zu, Yuangang; Chen, Xiaoqiang; Lu, Qi; Ma, Yuliang; Yang, Lei

2012-01-01

The objective of the study was to prepare vinblastine microparticles by supercritical antisolvent process using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone as solvent and carbon dioxide as antisolvent and evaluate its physicochemical properties. The effects of four process variables, pressure, temperature, drug concentration and drug solution flow rate, on drug particle formation during the supercritical antisolvent process, were investigated. Particles with a mean particle size of 121 ± 5.3 nm were obtained under the optimized process conditions (precipitation temperature 60 °C, precipitation pressure 25 MPa, vinblastine concentration 2.50 mg/mL and vinblastine solution flow rate 6.7 mL/min). The vinblastine was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and dissolution test. It was concluded that physicochemical properties of crystalline vinblastine could be improved by physical modification, such as particle size reduction and generation of amorphous state using the supercritical antisolvent process. Furthermore, the supercritical antisolvent process was a powerful methodology for improving the physicochemical properties of vinblastine. PMID:23202916
Superficially Porous Particles with 1000 Å Pores for Large Biomolecule High Performance Liquid Chromatography and Polymer Size Exclusion Chromatography

PubMed Central

Wagner, Brian M.; Schuster, Stephanie A.; Boyes, Barry E.; Shields, Taylor J.; Miles, William L.; Haynes, Mark J.; Moran, Robert E.; Kirkland, Joseph J.; Schure, Mark R.

2017-01-01

To facilitate mass transport and column efficiency, solutes must have free access to particle pores to facilitate interactions with the stationary phase. To ensure this feature, particles should be used for HPLC separations which have pores sufficiently large to accommodate the solute without restricted diffusion. This paper describes the design and properties of superficially porous (also called Fused-Core®, core shell or porous shell) particles with very large (1000 Å) pores specifically developed for separating very large biomolecules and polymers. Separations of DNA fragments, monoclonal antibodies, large proteins and large polystyrene standards are used to illustrate the utility of these particles for efficient, high-resolution applications. PMID:28213987
Superficially porous particles with 1000Å pores for large biomolecule high performance liquid chromatography and polymer size exclusion chromatography.

PubMed

Wagner, Brian M; Schuster, Stephanie A; Boyes, Barry E; Shields, Taylor J; Miles, William L; Haynes, Mark J; Moran, Robert E; Kirkland, Joseph J; Schure, Mark R

2017-03-17

To facilitate mass transport and column efficiency, solutes must have free access to particle pores to facilitate interactions with the stationary phase. To ensure this feature, particles should be used for HPLC separations which have pores sufficiently large to accommodate the solute without restricted diffusion. This paper describes the design and properties of superficially porous (also called Fused-Core ® , core shell or porous shell) particles with very large (1000Å) pores specifically developed for separating very large biomolecules and polymers. Separations of DNA fragments, monoclonal antibodies, large proteins and large polystyrene standards are used to illustrate the utility of these particles for efficient, high-resolution applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
A numerical method for shock driven multiphase flow with evaporating particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahal, Jeevan; McFarland, Jacob A.

2017-09-01

A numerical method for predicting the interaction of active, phase changing particles in a shock driven flow is presented in this paper. The Particle-in-Cell (PIC) technique was used to couple particles in a Lagrangian coordinate system with a fluid in an Eulerian coordinate system. The Piecewise Parabolic Method (PPM) hydrodynamics solver was used for solving the conservation equations and was modified with mass, momentum, and energy source terms from the particle phase. The method was implemented in the open source hydrodynamics software FLASH, developed at the University of Chicago. A simple validation of the methods is accomplished by comparing velocity and temperature histories from a single particle simulation with the analytical solution. Furthermore, simple single particle parcel simulations were run at two different sizes to study the effect of particle size on vorticity deposition in a shock-driven multiphase instability. Large particles were found to have lower enstrophy production at early times and higher enstrophy dissipation at late times due to the advection of the particle vorticity source term through the carrier gas. A 2D shock-driven instability of a circular perturbation is studied in simulations and compared to previous experimental data as further validation of the numerical methods. The effect of the particle size distribution and particle evaporation is examined further for this case. The results show that larger particles reduce the vorticity deposition, while particle evaporation increases it. It is also shown that for a distribution of particles sizes the vorticity deposition is decreased compared to single particle size case at the mean diameter.
Crystallization of sodium chloride from a concentrated calcium chloride-potassium chloride-sodium chloride solution in a CMSMPR crystallizer: Observation of crystal size distribution and model validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Byung Sang

Compared to overwhelming technical data available in other advanced technologies, knowledge about particle technology, especially in particle synthesis from a solution, is still poor due to the lack of available equipment to study crystallization phenomena in a crystallizer. Recent technical advances in particle size measurement such as Coulter counter and laser light scattering have made in/ex situ study of some of particle synthesis, i.e., growth, attrition, and aggregation, possible with simple systems. Even with these advancements in measurement technology, to grasp fully the crystallization phenomena requires further theoretical and technical advances in understanding such particle synthesis mechanisms. Therefore, it is the motive of this work to establish the general processing parameters and to produce rigorous experimental data with reliable performance and characterization that rigorously account for the crystallization phenomena of nucleation, growth, aggregation, and breakage including their variations with time and space in a controlled continuous mixed-suspension mixed-product removal (CMSMPR) crystallizer. This dissertation reports the results and achievements in the following areas: (1) experimental programs to support the development and validation of the phenomenological models and generation of laboratory data for the purpose of testing, refining, and validating the crystallization process, (2) development of laboratory well-mixed crystallizer system and experimental protocols to generate crystal size distribution (CSD) data, (3) the effects of feed solution concentration, crystallization temperature, feed flow rate, and mixing speed, as well as different types of mixers resulting in the evolution of CSDs with time from a concentrated brine solution, (4) with statistically designed experiments the effects of processing variables on the resultant particle structure and CSD at steady state were quantified and related to each of those operating conditions by studying the detailed crystallization processes, such as nucleation, growth, and breakage, as well as agglomeration. The purification of CaCl2 solution involving the crystallization of NaCl from the solution mixture of CaCl2, KCl, and NaCl as shipped from Dow Chemical, Ludington, in a CMSMPR crystallizer was studied as our model system because of its nucleation and crystal growth tendencies with less agglomeration. This project also generated a significant body of experimental data that are available at URL that is http://www.che.utah.edu/˜ring/CrystallizationWeb.
Fe–Ni solid solutions in nano-size dimensions: Effect of hydrogen annealing

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

Kumar, Asheesh, E-mail: asheeshk@barc.gov.in; Meena, S.S.; Banerjee, S.

Highlights: • Fe–Ni solid solution with nano-size dimensions were prepared and characterized. • Both as prepared and hydrogenated solid solutions have FCC structure of Ni. • Paramagnetic and ferromagnetic domains coexist in these samples. - Abstract: Nanoparticles of Ni{sub 0.50}Fe{sub 0.50} and Ni{sub 0.75}Fe{sub 0.25} alloys were prepared by chemical reduction in ethylene glycol medium. XRD and {sup 57}Fe Mössbauer studies have confirmed the formation of Fe–Ni solid solution in nano-size dimensions with FCC structure. These samples consist of both ferromagnetic and paramagnetic domains which have been attributed to the coexistence of large and small particles as confirmed by atomicmore » force microscopic (AFM) and {sup 57}Fe Mössbauer spectroscopic studies. Improved extent of Fe–Fe exchange interaction existing in Ni{sub 0.50}Fe{sub 0.50} alloy compared to Ni{sub 0.75}Fe{sub 0.25} alloy explains the observed increase in the relative extent of ferromagnetic domains compared to paramagnetic domains in the former sample. Increase in the relative extent of ferromagnetic domains for hydrogenated alloys is due to increase in particle size brought about by the high temperature activation prior to hydrogenation.« less
Particle formation and characterization of mackerel reaction oil by gas saturated solution process.

PubMed

Tanbirul Haque, A S M; Chun, Byung-Soo

2016-01-01

Most of the health benefits of fish oil can be attributed to the presence of omega-3 fatty acids like Docosahexenoic acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). There are few dietary sources of EPA and DHA other than oily fish. EPA and DHA have great potential effect on human health. In this research, Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) extracted mackerel oil was reacted by enzyme at different systems to improve the EPA and DHA. Different types of immobilize enzyme TL-IM, RM-IM, Novozyme 435 were assessed for improving PUFAs. Best result was found at non-pressurized system using TL-IM. Reacted oil particle were obtained with polyethylene glycol by gas saturated solution process (PGSS). Different parameters like temperature, pressure, agitation speed and nozzle size effect on particle formulation were observed. SEM and PSA analysis showed, small size non spherical particles were obtained. It was found that after particle formation poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were present in particle as same in oil. PUFAs release from particle was almost linear against constant time duration. Oil quality in particle not change significantly, in this contrast this study will be helpful for food and pharmaceutical industry to provide high EPA and DHA containing powder.
Particle Formation and Aggregation of a Therapeutic Protein in Nanobubble Suspensions

PubMed Central

Snell, Jared R.; Zhou, Chen; Carpenter, John F.; Randolph, Theodore W.

2016-01-01

The generation of nanobubbles following reconstitution of lyophilized trehalose formulations has recently been reported.1 Here, we characterize particle formation and aggregation of recombinant human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (rhIL-1ra) in reconstituted formulations of lyophilized trehalose. Particle characterization methods including resonant mass measurement and nanoparticle tracking analysis were used to count and size particles generated upon reconstitution of lyophilized trehalose formulations. In addition, accelerated degradation studies were conducted to monitor rhIL-1ra aggregation in solutions containing various concentrations of suspended nanobubbles. Reconstitution of lyophilized trehalose formulations with solutions containing rhIL-1ra reduced nanobubble concentrations and generated negatively buoyant particles attributed to aggregated rhIL-1ra. Furthermore, levels of rhIL-1ra aggregation following incubation in aqueous solution correlated with concentrations of suspended nanobubbles. The results of this study suggest nanobubbles may be a contributor to protein aggregation and particle formation in reconstituted, lyophilized therapeutic protein formulations. PMID:27488901
Particle Formation and Aggregation of a Therapeutic Protein in Nanobubble Suspensions.

PubMed

Snell, Jared R; Zhou, Chen; Carpenter, John F; Randolph, Theodore W

2016-10-01

The generation of nanobubbles following reconstitution of lyophilized trehalose formulations has recently been reported. Here, we characterize particle formation and aggregation of recombinant human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (rhIL-1ra) in reconstituted formulations of lyophilized trehalose. Particle characterization methods including resonant mass measurement and nanoparticle tracking analysis were used to count and size particles generated upon reconstitution of lyophilized trehalose formulations. In addition, accelerated degradation studies were conducted to monitor rhIL-1ra aggregation in solutions containing various concentrations of suspended nanobubbles. Reconstitution of lyophilized trehalose formulations with solutions containing rhIL-1ra reduced nanobubble concentrations and generated negatively buoyant particles attributed to aggregated rhIL-1ra. Furthermore, levels of rhIL-1ra aggregation following incubation in aqueous solution correlated with concentrations of suspended nanobubbles. The results of this study suggest that nanobubbles may be a contributor to protein aggregation and particle formation in reconstituted, lyophilized therapeutic protein formulations. Copyright © 2016 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Engineering a new class of thermal spray nano-based microstructures from agglomerated nanostructured particles, suspensions and solutions: an invited review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fauchais, P.; Montavon, G.; Lima, R. S.; Marple, B. R.

2011-03-01

From the pioneering works of McPherson in 1973 who identified nanometre-sized features in thermal spray conventional alumina coatings (using sprayed particles in the tens of micrometres size range) to the most recent and most advanced work aimed at manufacturing nanostructured coatings from nanometre-sized feedstock particles, the thermal spray community has been involved with nanometre-sized features and feedstock for more than 30 years. Both the development of feedstock (especially through cryo-milling, and processes able to manufacture coatings structured at the sub-micrometre or nanometre sizes, such as micrometre-sized agglomerates made of nanometre-sized particles for feedstock) and the emergence of thermal spray processes such as suspension and liquid precursor thermal spray techniques have been driven by the need to manufacture coatings with enhanced properties. These techniques result in two different types of coatings: on the one hand, those with a so-called bimodal structure having nanometre-sized zones embedded within micrometre ones, for which the spray process is similar to that of conventional coatings and on the other hand, sub-micrometre or nanostructured coatings achieved by suspension or solution spraying. Compared with suspension spraying, solution precursor spraying uses molecularly mixed precursors as liquids, avoiding a separate processing route for the preparation of powders and enabling the synthesis of a wide range of oxide powders and coatings. Such coatings are intended for use in various applications ranging from improved thermal barrier layers and wear-resistant surfaces to thin solid electrolytes for solid oxide fuel cell systems, among other numerous applications. Meanwhile these processes are more complex to operate since they are more sensitive to parameter variations compared with conventional thermal spray processes. Progress in this area has resulted from the unique combination of modelling activities, the evolution of diagnostic tools and strategies, and experimental advances that have enabled the development of a wide range of coating structures exhibiting in numerous cases unique properties. Several examples are detailed. In this paper the following aspects are presented successively (i) the two spray techniques used for manufacturing such coatings: thermal plasma and HVOF, (ii) sensors developed for in-flight diagnostics of micrometre-sized particles and the interaction of a liquid and hot gas flow, (iii) three spray processes: conventional spraying using micrometre-sized agglomerates of nanometre-sized particles, suspension spraying and solution spraying and (iv) the emerging issues resulting from the specific structures of these materials, particularly the characterization of these coatings and (v) the potential industrial applications. Further advances require the scientific and industrial communities to undertake new research and development activities to address, understand and control the complex mechanisms occurring, in particular, thermal flow—liquid drops or stream interactions when considering suspension and liquid precursor thermal spray techniques. Work is still needed to develop new measurement devices to diagnose in-flight droplets or particles below 2 µm average diameter and to validate that the assumptions made for liquid-hot gas interactions. Efforts are also required to further develop some of the characterization protocols suitable to address the specificities of such nanostructured coatings, as some existing 'conventional' protocols usually implemented on thermal spray coatings are not suitable anymore, in particular to address the void network architectures from which numerous coatings properties are derived.
Geochemical heterogeneity in a sand and gravel aquifer: Effect of sediment mineralogy and particle size on the sorption of chlorobenzenes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barber, Larry B.; Thurman, E. Michael; Runnells, Donald D.

1992-01-01

The effect of particle size, mineralogy and sediment organic carbon (SOC) on sorption of tetrachlorobenzene and pentachlorobenzene was evaluated using batch-isotherm experiments on sediment particle-size and mineralogical fractions from a sand and gravel aquifer, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Concentration of SOC and sorption of chlorobenzenes increase with decreasing particle size. For a given particle size, the magnetic fraction has a higher SOC content and sorption capacity than the bulk or non-magnetic fractions. Sorption appears to be controlled by the magnetic minerals, which comprise only 5–25% of the bulk sediment. Although SOC content of the bulk sediment is <0.1%, the observed sorption of chlorobenzenes is consistent with a partition mechanism and is adequately predicted by models relating sorption to the octanol/water partition coefficient of the solute and SOC content. A conceptual model based on preferential association of dissolved organic matter with positively-charged mineral surfaces is proposed to describe micro-scale, intergranular variability in sorption properties of the aquifer sediments.
Effect of the size of silver nanoparticles on SERS signal enhancement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Rui Xiu; Liang, Robert; Peng, Peng; Norman Zhou, Y.

2017-08-01

The localized surface plasmon resonance arising from plasmonic materials is beneficial in solution-based and thin-film sensing applications, which increase the sensitivity of the analyte being tested. Silver nanoparticles from 35 to 65 nm in diameter were synthesized using a low-temperature method and deposited in a monolayer on a (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES)-functionalized glass slide. The effect of particle size on monolayer structure, optical behavior, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is studied. While increasing particle size decreases particle coverage, it also changes the localized surface plasmon resonance and thus the SERS activity of individual nanoparticles. Using a laser excitation wavelength of 633 nm, the stronger localized surface plasmon resonance coupling to this excitation wavelength at larger particle sizes trumps the loss in surface coverage, and greater SERS signals are observed. The SERS signal enhancement accounts for the higher SERS signal, which was verified using a finite element model of a silver nanoparticle dimer with various nanoparticle sizes and separation distances.
Crushed and Injected Buprenorphine Tablets: Characteristics of Princeps and Generic Solutions

PubMed Central

Bouquié, Régis; Wainstein, Laura; Pilet, Paul; Mussini, Jean-Marie; Deslandes, Guillaume; Clouet, Johann; Dailly, Eric; Jolliet, Pascale; Victorri-Vigneau, Caroline

2014-01-01

Self-injection of high-dose buprenorphine is responsible for well-described complications. In 2011, we have been alerted by unusual but serious cutaneous complication among injection buprenorphine users. A prospective data collection identified 30 cases of necrotic cutaneous lesions after injection of filtered buprenorphine solution, among which 25 cases occurred following injection of buprenorphine generics. The main goal of our study was to put forward particularities that could explain the cutaneous complications, by qualitatively and quantitatively confronting particles present in Subutex and generics solutions. We used the same protocol that injected-buprenorphine users: generic or subutex tablets were crushed in sterile water and filtered through 2 filters commonly used (cotton-pad and sterifilt). Solutions were analyzed by laser granulometry, flow cytometry and scanning electron microscopy. We have highlighted the wide variation of the quantity and the size of the particles present in solution between the two drugs after cotton-pad filtration. The proportion of particles <10 µm is systematically higher in the generic solutions than with Subutex. All of the insoluble particles found in generic solutions contain silica, whereas non- organic element was to be identified in the insoluble particles of Subutex. One skin biopsy obtained from one patient who developed a necrotic lesion after intravenous injection of filtrated solution of buprenorphine generic, shows non-organic elements. Identification of particles in situ enables us to confirm the presence of silica in the biopsy. Actually the monitoring of patient receiving generic of buprenorphine must be strengthened. PMID:25474108
Controlled morphology and size of curcumin using ultrasound in supercritical CO2 antisolvent.

PubMed

Jia, Jingfu; Wang, Wucong; Gao, Yahui; Zhao, Yaping

2015-11-01

Controllable morphology and size of crystal materials prepared by using a supercritical antisolvent (SAS) technique is still challenge. In this study, ultrasound was introduced into the SAS process to produce the particles of curcumin, a model compound. The effects of ultrasound power on the particle morphology and size were investigated in the range of 0 and 240 W at three different pressures. The observation of jet flow indicated ultrasound could accelerate the mixing speed between the liquid solution and the CO2, and thus reduced the gaseous region and the local saturation gradient. Mixed polymorphic and uniform particles of the curcumin were produced at a low and high mixing speed, respectively, confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. The needle- or rod-like particle, irregular lumpy particle and nano spherical particle were generated with the increase of the ultrasound power, attributed to the changes of the degree of supersaturation. Therefore, the ultrasound can be potentially applied to adjust the morphology and size of the crystal materials in supercritical CO2 antisolvent. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hopping Diffusion of Nanoparticles in Polymer Matrices

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

We propose a hopping mechanism for diffusion of large nonsticky nanoparticles subjected to topological constraints in both unentangled and entangled polymer solids (networks and gels) and entangled polymer liquids (melts and solutions). Probe particles with size larger than the mesh size ax of unentangled polymer networks or tube diameter ae of entangled polymer liquids are trapped by the network or entanglement cells. At long time scales, however, these particles can diffuse by overcoming free energy barrier between neighboring confinement cells. The terminal particle diffusion coefficient dominated by this hopping diffusion is appreciable for particles with size moderately larger than the network mesh size ax or tube diameter ae. Much larger particles in polymer solids will be permanently trapped by local network cells, whereas they can still move in polymer liquids by waiting for entanglement cells to rearrange on the relaxation time scales of these liquids. Hopping diffusion in entangled polymer liquids and networks has a weaker dependence on particle size than that in unentangled networks as entanglements can slide along chains under polymer deformation. The proposed novel hopping model enables understanding the motion of large nanoparticles in polymeric nanocomposites and the transport of nano drug carriers in complex biological gels such as mucus. PMID:25691803
Erosion in extruder flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaufman, Miron; Fodor, Petru S.

A detailed analysis of the fluid flow in Tadmor's unwound channel model of the single screw extruder is performed by combining numerical and analytical methods. Using the analytical solution for the longitudinal velocity field (in the limit of zero Reynolds number) allows us to devote all the computational resources solely for a detailed numerical solution of the transversal velocity field. This high resolution 3D model of the fluid flow in a single-screw extruder allows us to identify the position and extent of Moffatt eddies that impede mixing. We further consider the erosion of particles (e.g. carbon-black agglomerates) advected by the polymeric flow. We assume a particle to be made of primary fragments bound together. In the erosion process a primary fragment breaks out of a given particle. Particles are advected by the laminar flow and they disperse because of the shear stresses imparted by the fluid. The time evolution of the numbers of particles of different sizes is described by the Bateman coupled differential equations used to model radioactivity. Using the particle size distribution we compute an entropic fragmentation index which varies from 0 for a monodisperse system to 1 for an extreme poly-disperse system.
In situ X-ray absorption fine structure analysis of redox reactions of nickel species with variable particle sizes supported on silica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, Yusaku; Suzuki, Atsushi; Tsutsumi, Naoki; Katagiri, Masaki; Yamashita, Shohei; Niwa, Yasuhiro; Katayama, Misaki; Inada, Yasuhiro

2018-02-01

The chemical states of Ni species were systematically investigated using an in situ XAFS technique for a series of SiO2-supported Ni catalysts with different Ni particle sizes. The Ni particles were refined by varying the Ni loading in the range between 0.10 and 5 wt% and by adding citric acid into the precursor solution. An in situ observation cell for fluorescence-yield XAFS measurements was developed for the dilute Ni catalysts. The chemical state of the supported Ni species converted between Ni(0) and NiO, and no other stable species were formed during the temperature-programmed oxidation and reduction processes. Refinement of the Ni particles resulted in decreasing the oxidation temperature and increasing the reduction temperature. These shifts were explained by the affinity of NiO to SiO2, and more effective stabilization was thus anticipated for flattened small NiO particles with an increased contact area. In addition, the inhomogeneous distribution of small Ni particles observed for dilute catalysts was explained in terms of the precursor solution volume when nuclei of the precursor compound precipitated on SiO2 during the drying process.
Organic component vapor pressures and hygroscopicities of aqueous aerosol measured by optical tweezers.

PubMed

Cai, Chen; Stewart, David J; Reid, Jonathan P; Zhang, Yun-hong; Ohm, Peter; Dutcher, Cari S; Clegg, Simon L

2015-01-29

Measurements of the hygroscopic response of aerosol and the particle-to-gas partitioning of semivolatile organic compounds are crucial for providing more accurate descriptions of the compositional and size distributions of atmospheric aerosol. Concurrent measurements of particle size and composition (inferred from refractive index) are reported here using optical tweezers to isolate and probe individual aerosol droplets over extended timeframes. The measurements are shown to allow accurate retrievals of component vapor pressures and hygroscopic response through examining correlated variations in size and composition for binary droplets containing water and a single organic component. Measurements are reported for a homologous series of dicarboxylic acids, maleic acid, citric acid, glycerol, or 1,2,6-hexanetriol. An assessment of the inherent uncertainties in such measurements when measuring only particle size is provided to confirm the value of such a correlational approach. We also show that the method of molar refraction provides an accurate characterization of the compositional dependence of the refractive index of the solutions. In this method, the density of the pure liquid solute is the largest uncertainty and must be either known or inferred from subsaturated measurements with an error of <±2.5% to discriminate between different thermodynamic treatments.
Modeling photoacoustic spectral features of micron-sized particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strohm, Eric M.; Gorelikov, Ivan; Matsuura, Naomi; Kolios, Michael C.

2014-10-01

The photoacoustic signal generated from particles when irradiated by light is determined by attributes of the particle such as the size, speed of sound, morphology and the optical absorption coefficient. Unique features such as periodically varying minima and maxima are observed throughout the photoacoustic signal power spectrum, where the periodicity depends on these physical attributes. The frequency content of the photoacoustic signals can be used to obtain the physical attributes of unknown particles by comparison to analytical solutions of homogeneous symmetric geometric structures, such as spheres. However, analytical solutions do not exist for irregularly shaped particles, inhomogeneous particles or particles near structures. A finite element model (FEM) was used to simulate photoacoustic wave propagation from four different particle configurations: a homogeneous particle suspended in water, a homogeneous particle on a reflecting boundary, an inhomogeneous particle with an absorbing shell and non-absorbing core, and an irregularly shaped particle such as a red blood cell. Biocompatible perfluorocarbon droplets, 3-5 μm in diameter containing optically absorbing nanoparticles were used as the representative ideal particles, as they are spherical, homogeneous, optically translucent, and have known physical properties. The photoacoustic spectrum of micron-sized single droplets in suspension and on a reflecting boundary were measured over the frequency range of 100-500 MHz and compared directly to analytical models and the FEM. Good agreement between the analytical model, FEM and measured values were observed for a droplet in suspension, where the spectral minima agreed to within a 3.3 MHz standard deviation. For a droplet on a reflecting boundary, spectral features were correctly reproduced using the FEM but not the analytical model. The photoacoustic spectra from other common particle configurations such as particle with an absorbing shell and a biconcave-shaped red blood cell were also investigated, where unique features in the power spectrum could be used to identify them.
Synthesis of Polyhydroxybutyrate Particles with Micro-to-Nanosized Structures and Application as Protective Coating for Packaging Papers

PubMed Central

Rastogi, Vibhore Kumar; Samyn, Pieter

2016-01-01

This study reports on the development of bio-based hydrophobic coatings for packaging papers through deposition of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) particles in combination with nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) and plant wax. In the first approach, PHB particles in the micrometer range (PHB-MP) were prepared through a phase-separation technique providing internally-nanosized structures. The particles were transferred as a coating by dip-coating filter papers in the particle suspension, followed by sizing with a carnauba wax solution. This approach allowed partial to almost full surface coverage of PHB-MP over the paper surface, resulting in static water contact angles of 105°–122° and 129°–144° after additional wax coating. In the second approach, PHB particles with submicron sizes (PHB-SP) were synthesized by an oil-in-water emulsion (o/w) solvent evaporation method and mixed in aqueous suspensions with 0–7 wt % NFC. After dip-coating filter papers in PHB-SP/NFC suspensions and sizing with a carnauba wax solution, static water contact angles of 112°–152° were obtained. The intrinsic properties of the particles were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, thermal analysis and infrared spectroscopy, indicating higher crystallinity for PHB-SP than PHB-MP. The chemical interactions between the more amorphous PHB-MP particles and paper fibers were identified as an esterification reaction, while the morphology of the NFC fibrillar network was playing a key role as the binding agent in the retention of more crystalline PHB-SP at the paper surface, hence contributing to higher hydrophobicity. PMID:28336839
Synthesis of Polyhydroxybutyrate Particles with Micro-to-Nanosized Structures and Application as Protective Coating for Packaging Papers.

PubMed

Rastogi, Vibhore Kumar; Samyn, Pieter

2016-12-30

This study reports on the development of bio-based hydrophobic coatings for packaging papers through deposition of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) particles in combination with nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) and plant wax. In the first approach, PHB particles in the micrometer range (PHB-MP) were prepared through a phase-separation technique providing internally-nanosized structures. The particles were transferred as a coating by dip-coating filter papers in the particle suspension, followed by sizing with a carnauba wax solution. This approach allowed partial to almost full surface coverage of PHB-MP over the paper surface, resulting in static water contact angles of 105°-122° and 129°-144° after additional wax coating. In the second approach, PHB particles with submicron sizes (PHB-SP) were synthesized by an oil-in-water emulsion (o/w) solvent evaporation method and mixed in aqueous suspensions with 0-7 wt % NFC. After dip-coating filter papers in PHB-SP/NFC suspensions and sizing with a carnauba wax solution, static water contact angles of 112°-152° were obtained. The intrinsic properties of the particles were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, thermal analysis and infrared spectroscopy, indicating higher crystallinity for PHB-SP than PHB-MP. The chemical interactions between the more amorphous PHB-MP particles and paper fibers were identified as an esterification reaction, while the morphology of the NFC fibrillar network was playing a key role as the binding agent in the retention of more crystalline PHB-SP at the paper surface, hence contributing to higher hydrophobicity.
Time-resolved SAXS study of the effect of a double hydrophilic block-copolymer on the formation of CaCO3 from a supersaturated salt solution.

PubMed

Bolze, J; Pontoni, D; Ballauff, M; Narayanan, T; Cölfen, H

2004-09-01

The effect of a double hydrophilic block-copolymer additive (made of polyaspartic acid and polyethyleneglycol, pAsp(10)-b-PEG(110)) on the initial formation of calcium carbonate from a supersaturated salt solution has been studied in situ by means of time-resolved synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). A stopped-flow cell was used for rapidly mixing the 20 mM aqueous reactant solutions of calcium chloride and sodium carbonate. In reference measurements without polymer additive the very rapid formation of primary, overall spherical CaCO(3) particles with a radius of ca. 19 nm and a size polydispersity of ca. 26% was observed within the first 10 ms after mixing. A subsequent, very rapid aggregation of these primary particles was evidenced by a distinct upturn of the SAXS intensity at smallest angles. During the aggregation process the size of the primary particles remained unchanged. From an analysis of the absolute scattering intensity the mass density of these particles was determined to 1.9 g/cm(3). From this rather low density it is concluded that those precursor particles are amorphous, which has been confirmed by simultaneous wide-angle X-ray diffraction measurements. Upon adding 200 pm of the block-copolymer no influence on the size, the size polydispersity and morphology of the primary particles, nor on the kinetics of their formation and growth, was found. On the other hand, the subsequent aggregation and precipitation process is considerably slowed down by the additive and smaller aggregates result. The crystalline morphology of the sediment was studied in situ by WAXS ca. 50 min after mixing the reactants. Several diffraction rings could be detected, which indicate that a transformation of the metastable, amorphous precursor particles to randomly oriented vaterite nanocrystallites has taken place. In addition, a few isolated Bragg spots of high intensity were detected, which are attributed to individual, oriented calcite microcrystals that nucleated at the wall of the capillary.
Synthesis of nano-sized ZnO particles by co-precipitation method with variation of heating time

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

Purwaningsih, S. Y., E-mail: sriyanisaputri@gmail.com; Pratapa, S.; Triwikantoro

Zinc oxide powders have been synthesized by a co-precipitation method at low temperature (85 °C), using zinc acetate dihydrate, ammonia, hydrochloric acid solutions as the reactants. A number of process parameters such as reaction temperature, solution basicity or pH and heating time are the main factors affecting the morphology and physical properties of the ZnO nanostructures. In this work the effect of heating time on the morphology and particles size were studied. The as-synthesized ZnO powders were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The samples were also analyzed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). Rietveld refinementmore » of XRD data confirms that ZnO crystallizes in the hexagonal wurtzite structure with high degree of purity and the (101) plane predominant. The XRD results show that the average crystallite sizes were about 66, 27 and 12 nm for 3, 4 and 5 h of heating times, respectively. The XRD analysis indicated that a fraction of nano-sized ZnO powders were in the form of aggregates, which was also verified by TEM image. The TEM photograph demonstrated that the nano-sized ZnO particles were a pseudo-spherical shape.« less
Glass formation and unusual hygroscopic growth of iodic acid solution droplets with relevance for iodine oxide particles in the coastal marine boundary layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murray, B. J.; Haddrell, A. E.; Peppe, S.; Davies, J. F.; Reid, J. P.; O'Sullivan, D.; Price, H. C.; Kumar, R.; Saunders, R. W.; Plane, J. M. C.; Umo, N. S.; Wilson, T. W.

2012-03-01

Iodine oxide particles are known to nucleate in the marine boundary layer where gas phase molecular iodine and organoiodine species are produced by macroalgae. There has been some debate over the chemical identity of these particles. Hygroscopic measurements have been used to infer that they are composed of insoluble I2O4, while elemental analysis of laboratory generated particles suggests soluble I2O5 or its hydrated form iodic acid, HIO3 (I2O5 · H2O). In this paper we explore the response of super-micron sized aqueous iodic acid solution droplets to varying humidity using both Raman microscopy and single particle electrodynamic traps. These measurements reveal that the propensity of an iodic acid solution droplet to crystallise is negligible on drying to ~0% relative humidity (RH). On applying mechanical pressure to these droplets they shatter in a manner consistent with an ultra-viscous liquid or a brittle glass, but subsequent water uptake between 10 and 20% RH causes their viscosity to reduce sufficiently that the cracked droplets flow and merge. The persistence of iodic acid solution in an amorphous state, rather than a crystalline state, suggests they will more readily accommodate other condensable material and are therefore more likely to grow to sizes where they may serve as cloud condensation nuclei. On increasing the humidity to ~90% the mass of the droplets only increases by ~20% with a corresponding increase in radius of only ~6 %, which is remarkably small for a highly soluble material. We suggest that the small growth factor of aqueous iodic acid solution droplets is consistent with the small aerosol growth factors observed in field experiments.
Homogeneous and Heterogeneous (Fex, Cr1-x)(OH)3 Precipitation: Implications for Cr Sequestration

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

Dai, Chong; Zuo, Xiaobing; Cao, B

2016-02-16

The formation of (Fe, Cr)(OH)3 nanoparticles determines the fate of aqueous Cr in many aquatic environments. Using small angle X-ray scattering, precipitation rates of (Fe, Cr)(OH)3 nanoparticles in solution and on quartz were quantified from 0.1 mM Fe(III) solutions containing 0 – 0.25 mM Cr(III) at pH = 3.7 ± 0.2. Concentration ratio of aqueous Cr(III)/Fe(III) controlled the chemical composition (x) of (Fex, Cr1-x)(OH)3 precipitates, solutions’ supersaturation with respect to precipitates, and the surface charge of quartz. Therefore, aqueous Cr(III)/Fe(III) ratio affected homogeneous (in solution) and heterogeneous (on quartz) precipitation rates of (Fex, Cr1-x)(OH)3 through different mechanisms. The sequestration mechanismsmore » of Cr(III) in precipitates were also investigated. In solutions with high aqueous Cr(III)/Fe(III) ratios, surface enrichment of Cr(III) on the precipitates occurred, resulting in slower particle growth in solution. From solutions with 0 – 0.1 mM Cr(III), the particles on quartz grew from 2 to 4 nm within 1 h. Interestingly, from solution with 0.25 mM Cr(III), particles of two distinct sizes (2 and 6 nm) formed on quartz, and their sizes remained unchanged throughout the reaction. Our study provided new insights on homogeneous and heterogeneous precipitation of (Fex, Cr1-x)(OH)3 nanoparticles, which can help determine the fate of Cr in aquatic environments.« less
Ethylene glycol assisted spray pyrolysis for the synthesis of hollow BaFe12O19 spheres

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

Xu, X; Park, J; Hong, YK

2015-04-01

Hollow spherical BaFe12O19 particles were synthesized by spray pyrolysis from a solution containing ethylene glycol (EG) and precursors at 1000 degrees C. The effects of EG concentration on particle morphology, crystallinity and magnetic properties were investigated. The hollow spherical particles were found to consist of primary particles, and higher EG concentration led to a bigger primary particle size. EG concentration did not show much effect on the hollow particle size. Better crystallinity and higher magnetic coercivity were obtained with higher EG concentration, which is attributed to further crystallization with the heat produced from EG combustion. Saturation magnetization (emu/g) decreased withmore » increasing EG concentration due to residual carbon from EG incomplete combustion, contributing as a non-magnetic phase to the particles. Published by Elsevier B.V.« less
Ejected particle size measurement using Mie scattering in high explosive driven shockwave experiments

DOE PAGES

Monfared, Shabnam Khalighi; Buttler, William Tillman; Frayer, Daniel K.; ...

2015-06-11

In this paper, we report on the development of a diagnostic to provide constraints on the size of particles ejected from shocked metallic surfaces. The diagnostic is based on measurements of the intensity of laser light transmitted through a cloud of ejected particles as well as the angular distribution of scattered light, and the analysis of the resulting data is done using the Mie solution. Finally, we describe static experiments to test our experimental apparatus and present initial results of dynamic experiments on Sn targets. Improvements for future experiments are briefly discussed.
Ice crystallization in ultrafine water-salt aerosols: nucleation, ice-solution equilibrium, and internal structure.

PubMed

Hudait, Arpa; Molinero, Valeria

2014-06-04

Atmospheric aerosols have a strong influence on Earth's climate. Elucidating the physical state and internal structure of atmospheric aqueous aerosols is essential to predict their gas and water uptake, and the locus and rate of atmospherically important heterogeneous reactions. Ultrafine aerosols with sizes between 3 and 15 nm have been detected in large numbers in the troposphere and tropopause. Nanoscopic aerosols arising from bubble bursting of natural and artificial seawater have been identified in laboratory and field experiments. The internal structure and phase state of these aerosols, however, cannot yet be determined in experiments. Here we use molecular simulations to investigate the phase behavior and internal structure of liquid, vitrified, and crystallized water-salt ultrafine aerosols with radii from 2.5 to 9.5 nm and with up to 10% moles of ions. We find that both ice crystallization and vitrification of the nanodroplets lead to demixing of pure water from the solutions. Vitrification of aqueous nanodroplets yields nanodomains of pure low-density amorphous ice in coexistence with vitrified solute rich aqueous glass. The melting temperature of ice in the aerosols decreases monotonically with an increase of solute fraction and decrease of radius. The simulations reveal that nucleation of ice occurs homogeneously at the subsurface of the water-salt nanoparticles. Subsequent ice growth yields phase-segregated, internally mixed, aerosols with two phases in equilibrium: a concentrated water-salt amorphous mixture and a spherical cap-like ice nanophase. The surface of the crystallized aerosols is heterogeneous, with ice and solution exposed to the vapor. Free energy calculations indicate that as the concentration of salt in the particles, the advance of the crystallization, or the size of the particles increase, the stability of the spherical cap structure increases with respect to the alternative structure in which a core of ice is fully surrounded by solution. We predict that micrometer-sized particles and nanoparticles have the same equilibrium internal structure. The variation of liquid-vapor surface tension with solute concentration is a key factor in determining whether a solution-embedded ice core or vapor-exposed ice cap is the equilibrium structure of the aerosols. In agreement with experiments, we predict that the structure of mixed-phase HNO3-water particles, representative of polar stratospheric clouds, consists of an ice core surrounded by freeze-concentrated solution. The results of this work are important to determine the phase state and internal structure of sea spray ultrafine aerosols and other mixed-phase particles under atmospherically relevant conditions.
Effect of Pore Clogging on Kinetics of Lead Uptake by Clinoptilolite.

PubMed

Inglezakis; Diamandis; Loizidou; Grigoropoulou

1999-07-01

The kinetics of lead-sodium ion exchange using pretreated natural clinoptilolite are investigated, more specifically the influence of agitation (0, 210, and 650 rpm) on the limiting step of the overall process, for particle sizes of 0.63-0.8 and 0.8-1 mm at ambient temperature and initial lead solutions of 500 mg l-1 without pH adjustment. The isotopic exchange model is found to fit the ion exchange process. Particle diffusion is shown to be the controlling step for both particle sizes under agitation, while in the absence of agitation film diffusion is shown to control. The ion exchange process effective diffusion coefficients are calculated and found to depend strongly on particle size in the case of agitation at 210 rpm and only slightly on particle size at 650 rpm. Lead uptake rates are higher for smaller particles only at rigorous agitation, while at mild agitation the results are reversed. These facts are due to partial clogging of the pores of the mineral during the grinding process. This is verified through comparison of lead uptake rates for two samples of the same particle size, one of which is rigorously washed for a certain time before being exposed to the ion exchange. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.
Effect of pH on turbidity, size, viscosity and the shape of sodium caseinate aggregates with light scattering and rheometry.

PubMed

Ghorbani Gorji, Sara; Ghorbani Gorji, Elham; Mohammadifar, Mohammad Amin

2015-03-01

The characterization of sodium caseinate solutions as a function of pH was determined using titration with HCL through turbidimetry in different concentrations (0.03 wt.%, 0.045 wt.%, 0.06 wt.%, 0.09 wt.%, 0.2 wt.%, and 0.3 wt.%). Additionally, the coupling of slow in situ acidification of the solution and rheometry was utilized to gain deeper insights into pH-induced structural transitions during the self assembly process and particle size distribution analysis have been used to determine the behavior of sodium caseinate solutions in different pHs. The formation of aggregates during the acidification process was clearly visualized using microscopy. Surprisingly the viscosity of sodium caseinate solution at pH 4.64 was maximum and decreased by lowering pH. Particle size analysis confirmed the onset of big aggregates on decreasing pH but further acidification led to formation of smaller aggregates. A small concentration effect on pI was seen where at sodium caseinate levels of 0.03 wt.% the pI occurred at 4.29, where at sodium caseinate levels of 0.30 wt.% pI value was 4.64.
Particle sizing of pharmaceutical aerosols via direct imaging of particle settling velocities.

PubMed

Fishler, Rami; Verhoeven, Frank; de Kruijf, Wilbur; Sznitman, Josué

2018-02-15

We present a novel method for characterizing in near real-time the aerodynamic particle size distributions from pharmaceutical inhalers. The proposed method is based on direct imaging of airborne particles followed by a particle-by-particle measurement of settling velocities using image analysis and particle tracking algorithms. Due to the simplicity of the principle of operation, this method has the potential of circumventing potential biases of current real-time particle analyzers (e.g. Time of Flight analysis), while offering a cost effective solution. The simple device can also be constructed in laboratory settings from off-the-shelf materials for research purposes. To demonstrate the feasibility and robustness of the measurement technique, we have conducted benchmark experiments whereby aerodynamic particle size distributions are obtained from several commercially-available dry powder inhalers (DPIs). Our measurements yield size distributions (i.e. MMAD and GSD) that are closely in line with those obtained from Time of Flight analysis and cascade impactors suggesting that our imaging-based method may embody an attractive methodology for rapid inhaler testing and characterization. In a final step, we discuss some of the ongoing limitations of the current prototype and conceivable routes for improving the technique. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Improvements in nanoscale zero-valent iron production by milling through the addition of alumina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ribas, D.; Cernik, M.; Martí, V.; Benito, J. A.

2016-07-01

A new milling procedure for a cost-effective production of nanoscale zero-valent iron for environmental remediation is presented. Conventional ball milling of iron in an organic solvent as Mono Ethylene Glycol produces flattened iron particles that are unlikely to break even after very long milling times. With the aim of breaking down these iron flakes, in this new procedure, further milling is carried out by adding an amount of fine alumina powder to the previously milled solution. As the amount of added alumina increases from 9 to 54 g l-1, a progressive decrease of the presence of flakes is observed. In the latter case, the appearance of the particles formed by fragments of former flakes is rather homogeneous, with most of the final nanoparticles having an equivalent diameter well below 1 µm and with an average particle size in solution of around 400 nm. An additional increase of alumina content results in a highly viscous solution showing worse particle size distribution. Milled particles, in the case of alumina concentrations of 54 g l-1, have a fairly large specific surface area and high Fe(0) content. These new particles show a very good Cr(VI) removal efficiency compared with other commercial products available. This good reactivity is related to the absence of an oxide layer, the large amount of superficial irregularities generated by the repetitive fracture process during milling and the presence of a fine nanostructure within the iron nanoparticles.
Effect of Gravity Level on the Particle Shape and Size During Zeolite Crystal Growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Song, Hong-Wei; Ilebusi, Olusegun J.; Sacco, Albert, Jr.

2003-01-01

A microscopic diffusion model is developed to represent solute transport in the boundary layer of a growing zeolite crystal. This model is used to describe the effect of gravity on particle shape and solute distribution. Particle dynamics and crystal growth kinetics serve as the boundary conditions of flow and convection-diffusion equations. A statistical rate theory is used to obtain the rate of solute transport across the growing interface, which is expressed in terms of concentration and velocity of solute species. Microgravity can significantly decrease the solute velocity across the growing interface compared to its earth-based counterpart. The extent of this reduction highly depends on solute diffusion constant in solution. Under gravity, the flow towards the crystal enhances solute transport rate across the growing interface while the flow away from crystals reduces this rate, suggesting a non-uniform growth rate and thus an elliptic final shape. However, microgravity can significantly reduce the influence of flow and obtain a final product with perfect spherical shape. The model predictions compare favorably with the data of space experiment of zeolites grown in space.
Plasmonic Library Based on Substrate-Supported Gradiential Plasmonic Arrays

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

We present a versatile approach to produce macroscopic, substrate-supported arrays of plasmonic nanoparticles with well-defined interparticle spacing and a continuous particle size gradient. The arrays thus present a “plasmonic library” of locally noncoupling plasmonic particles of different sizes, which can serve as a platform for future combinatorial screening of size effects. The structures were prepared by substrate assembly of gold-core/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-shell particles and subsequent post-modification. Coupling of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) could be avoided since the polymer shell separates the encapsulated gold cores. To produce a particle array with a broad range of well-defined but laterally distinguishable particle sizes, the substrate was dip-coated in a growth solution, which resulted in an overgrowth of the gold cores controlled by the local exposure time. The kinetics was quantitatively analyzed and found to be diffusion rate controlled, allowing for precise tuning of particle size by adjusting the withdrawal speed. We determined the kinetics of the overgrowth process, investigated the LSPRs along the gradient by UV–vis extinction spectroscopy, and compared the spectroscopic results to the predictions from Mie theory, indicating the absence of local interparticle coupling. We finally discuss potential applications of these substrate-supported plasmonic particle libraries and perspectives toward extending the concept from size to composition variation and screening of plasmonic coupling effects. PMID:25137554

A size-composition resolved aerosol model for simulating the dynamics of externally mixed particles: SCRAM (v 1.0)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, S.; Sartelet, K. N.; Seigneur, C.

2015-06-01

The Size-Composition Resolved Aerosol Model (SCRAM) for simulating the dynamics of externally mixed atmospheric particles is presented. This new model classifies aerosols by both composition and size, based on a comprehensive combination of all chemical species and their mass-fraction sections. All three main processes involved in aerosol dynamics (coagulation, condensation/evaporation and nucleation) are included. The model is first validated by comparison with a reference solution and with results of simulations using internally mixed particles. The degree of mixing of particles is investigated in a box model simulation using data representative of air pollution in Greater Paris. The relative influence on the mixing state of the different aerosol processes (condensation/evaporation, coagulation) and of the algorithm used to model condensation/evaporation (bulk equilibrium, dynamic) is studied.
Use of different rapid mixing devices for controlling the properties of magnetite nanoparticles produced by precipitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Li; Hervé, Muhr; Edouard, Plasari

2012-03-01

Magnetite nanoparticles were precipitated by the classic Massart's method in a 2.5 L stirred tank reactor where the injection of reagent solutions was effectuated by different micro-mixers (T-tube and Hartridge-Roughton rapid mixing devices). The specific surface area, the average particle size and the particle size distribution were highly influenced by changing operating parameters. Laser Diffraction, BET adsorption, Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), Raman spectroscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) were used for characterizing magnetite nanoparticles. Especially, Hartridge-Roughton micromixer appears to be the most efficient mixing device for producing magnetite nanoparticles. The average particle size of magnetite nanoparticles prepared by Hartridge-Roughton rapid mixing device was less than 10 nm and the EDX and Raman spectroscopy shows that the particle purity is quite high.
Dissolution Kinetics of Spheroidal-Shaped Precipitates in Age-Hardenable Aluminum Alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anjabin, Nozar; Salehi, Majid Seyed

2018-05-01

As a first attempt, a mathematical model is proposed to predict the dissolution kinetics of non-spherical secondary phase precipitates during solution heat treatment of age-hardenable aluminum alloys. The model uses general spheroidal geometry to describe the dissolution process of the alloys containing needle/disc-shaped particles with different size distributions in a finite matrix. It is found that as the aspect ratio deviates from unity, the dissolution rate is accelerated. Also, the dissolution rate of the particles in the alloy containing the particle size distribution is lower than that of mono-sized particles system. The modeling results for dissolution of θ' precipitates in an Al-Cu alloy are compared with experiments, and a good agreement was found between the modeling and the experimental results. The proposed model can be applied to different isothermal and non-isothermal annealing conditions.
Preparation of metallic nanoparticles by irradiation in starch aqueous solution

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

Nemţanu, Monica R., E-mail: monica.nemtanu@inflpr.ro; Braşoveanu, Mirela, E-mail: monica.nemtanu@inflpr.ro; Iacob, Nicuşor, E-mail: monica.nemtanu@inflpr.ro

Colloidal silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized in a single step by electron beam irradiation reduction of silver ions in aqueous solution containing starch. The nanoparticles were characterized by spectrophotocolorimetry and compared with those obtained by chemical (thermal) reduction method. The results showed that the smaller sizes of AgNPs were prepared with higher yields as the irradiation dose increased. The broadening of particle size distribution occurred by increasing of irradiation dose and dose rate. Chromatic parameters such as b* (yellow-blue coordinate), C* (chroma) and ΔE{sub ab} (total color difference) could characterize the nanoparticles with respect of their concentration. Hue angle h{supmore » o} was correlated to the particle size distribution. Experimental data of the irradiated samples were also subjected to factor analysis using principal component extraction and varimax rotation in order to reveal the relation between dependent variables and independent variables and to reduce their number. The radiation-based method provided silver nanoparticles with higher concentration and narrower size distribution than those produced by chemical reduction method. Therefore, the electron beam irradiation is effective for preparation of silver nanoparticles using starch aqueous solution as dispersion medium.« less
Generating monodisperse pharmacological aerosols using the spinning-top aerosol generator.

PubMed

Biddiscombe, Martyn F; Barnes, Peter J; Usmani, Omar S

2006-01-01

Pharmacological aerosols of precisely controlled particle size and narrow dispersity can be generated using the spinning-top aerosol generator (STAG). The ability of the STAG to generate monodisperse aerosols from solutions of raw drug compounds makes it a valuable research instrument. In this paper, the versatility of this instrument has been further demonstrated by aerosolizing a range of commercially available nebulized pulmonary therapy preparations. Nebules of Flixotide (fluticasone propionate), Pulmicort (budesonide), Combivent (salbutamol sulphate and ipratropium bromide), Bricanyl (terbutaline sulphate), Atrovent(ipratropium bromide), and Salamol (salbutamol sulphate) were each mixed with ethanol and delivered to the STAG. Monodisperse drug aerosol distributions were generated with MMADs of 0.95-6.7 microm. To achieve larger particle sizes from the nebulizer drug suspensions, the STAG formed compound particle agglomerates derived from the smaller insoluble drug particles. These compound agglomerates behaved aerodynamically as a single particle, and this was verified using an aerodynamic particle sizer and an Andersen Cascade Impactor. Scanning electron microscope images demonstrated their physical structure. On the other hand using the nebulizer drug solutions, spherical particles proportional to the original droplet diameter were generated. The aerosols generated by the STAG can allow investigators to study the scientific principles of inhaled drug deposition and lung physiology for a range of therapeutic agents.
Structure and Dynamics of Bimodal Colloidal Dispersions in a Low-Molecular-Weight Polymer Solution.

PubMed

Zhang, Fan; Allen, Andrew J; Levine, Lyle E; Tsai, De-Hao; Ilavsky, Jan

2017-03-21

We present an experimental study of the structural and dynamical properties of bimodal, micrometer-sized colloidal dispersions (size ratio ≈ 2) in an aqueous solution of low-molecular-weight polymer (polyethylene glycol 2000) using synchrotron ultra-small angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) and USAXS-based X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy. We fixed the volume fraction of the large particles at 5% and systematically increased the volume fraction of the small particles from 0 to 5% to evaluate their effects on the structure and dynamics. The bimodal dispersions were homogenous through the investigated parameter space. We found that the partial structure factors can be satisfactorily retrieved for the bimodal colloidal dispersions using a Percus-Yevick hard-sphere potential when the size distributions of the particles were taken into account. We also found that the partial structure factor between the large particles did not exhibit a significant variation with increasing volume fraction of the small particles, whereas the isothermal compressibility of the binary mixture was found to decrease with increasing volume fraction of the small particles. The dynamics of single-component large-particle dispersion obey the principles of de Gennes narrowing, where the wave vector dependence of the interparticle diffusion coefficient is inversely proportional to the interparticle structure factor. The dynamics of the bimodal dispersions demonstrate a strong dependence on the fraction of small particles. We also made a comparison between the experimental effective dynamic viscosity of the bimodal dispersion with the theoretical predictions, which suggest that the complex mutual interactions between the large and small particles have a strong effect on the dynamic behaviors of bimodal dispersions.
Selection and deposition of nanoparticles using CO.sub.2-expanded liquids

DOEpatents

Roberts, Christopher B [Auburn, AL; McLeod, Marshall Chandler [Hillsboro, OR; Anand, Madhu [Auburn, AL

2008-06-10

A method for size selection of nanostructures comprising utilizing a gas-expanded liquids (GEL) and controlled pressure to precipitate desired size populations of nanostructures, e.g., monodisperse. The GEL can comprise CO.sub.2 antisolvent and an organic solvent. The method can be carried out in an apparatus comprising a first open vessel configured to allow movement of a liquid/particle solution to specific desired locations within the vessel, a second pressure vessel, a location controller for controlling location of the particles and solution within the first vessel, a inlet for addition of antisolvent to the first vessel, and a device for measuring the amount of antisolvent added. Also disclosed is a method for forming nanoparticle thin films comprising utilizing a GEL containing a substrate, pressurizing the solution to precipitate and deposit nanoparticles onto the substrate, removing the solvent thereby leaving a thin nanoparticle film, removing the solvent and antisolvent, and drying the film.
Selection of nanoparticles using CO.sub.2-expanded liquids

DOEpatents

Roberts, Christopher B; McLeod, Marshall Chandler; Anand, Madhu

2013-02-19

A method for size selection of nanostructures comprising utilizing a gas-expanded liquids (GEL) and controlled pressure to precipitate desired size populations of nanostructures, e.g., monodisperse. The GEL can comprise CO.sub.2 antisolvent and an organic solvent. The method can be carried out in an apparatus comprising a first open vessel configured to allow movement of a liquid/particle solution to specific desired locations within the vessel, a second pressure vessel, a location controller for controlling location of the particles and solution within the first vessel, a inlet for addition of antisolvent to the first vessel, and a device for measuring the amount of antisolvent added. Also disclosed is a method for forming nanoparticle thin films comprising utilizing a GEL containing a substrate, pressurizing the solution to precipitate and deposit nanoparticles onto the substrate, removing the solvent thereby leaving a thin nanoparticle film, removing the solvent and antisolvent, and drying the film.
Kinetic, isotherm and thermodynamic studies of amaranth dye biosorption from aqueous solution onto water hyacinth leaves.

PubMed

Guerrero-Coronilla, Imelda; Morales-Barrera, Liliana; Cristiani-Urbina, Eliseo

2015-04-01

The present study explored the kinetics, equilibrium and thermodynamics of amaranth (acid red 27) anionic dye (AD) biosorption to water hyacinth leaves (LEC). The effect of LEC particle size, contact time, solution pH, initial AD concentration and temperature on AD biosorption was studied in batch experiments. AD biosorption increased with rising contact time and initial AD concentration, and with decreasing LEC particle size and solution pH. Pseudo-second-order chemical reaction kinetics provided the best correlation for the experimental data. Isotherm studies showed that the biosorption of AD onto LEC closely follows the Langmuir isotherm, with a maximum biosorption capacity of about 70 mg g(-1). The thermodynamic parameters confirm that AD biosorption by LEC is non-spontaneous and endothermic in nature. Results indicate that LEC is a strong biosorbent capable of effective detoxification of AD-laden wastewaters. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Preparation and Properties of Hybrid Nanostructures of Zinc Tetraphenylporphyrinate and an Amphiphilic Copolymer of N-Vinylpyrrolidone in a Neutral Aqueous Buffer Solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurmaz, S. V.; Gak, V. Yu.; Kurmaz, V. A.; Konev, D. V.

2018-02-01

Water-soluble forms of a hydrophobic dye, zinc tetraphenylporphyrinate, are obtained via its solubilization by polymer particles of the micellar type formed by a copolymer of N-vinylpyrrolidone with triethylene glycol dimethacrylate. Hydrodynamic radii R h and the size distribution of such particles in neutral aqueous buffer solutions are determined via dynamic light scattering. The electrochemical activity of the encapsulated dye is found, and its photochemical properties (absorption and fluorescence) are studied.
A numerical study of the phase behaviors of drug particle/star triblock copolymer mixtures in dilute solutions for drug carrier application

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

Wang, Shanhui; Tong, Chaohui; Zhu, Yuejin, E-mail: zhuyuejin@nbu.edu.cn

The complex microstructures of drug particle/ABA star triblock copolymer in dilute solutions have been investigated by a theoretical approach which combines the self-consistent field theory and the hybrid particle-field theory. Simulation results reveal that, when the volume fraction of drug particles is smaller than the saturation concentration, the drug particle encapsulation efficiency is 100%, and micelle loading capacity increases with increasing particle volume fraction. When the volume fraction of drug particles is equal to the saturation concentration, the micelles attain the biggest size, and micelle loading capacity reaches a maximum value which is independent of the copolymer volume fraction. Whenmore » the volume fraction of drug particles is more than the saturation concentration, drug particle encapsulation efficiency decreases with increasing volume fraction of drug particles. Furthermore, it is found that the saturation concentration scales linearly with the copolymer volume fraction. The above simulation results are in good agreement with experimental results.« less
Solvothermal synthesis of nanocrystalline TiO 2 in toluene with surfactant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Chung-Sik; Moon, Byung Kee; Park, Jong-Ho; Choi, Byung-Chun; Seo, Hyo-Jin

2003-10-01

Synthesis of narrow-dispersed nanocrystalline TiO 2 was investigated by surfactant-aided solvothermal synthetic method in toluene solutions. Titanium isopropoxide (TIP) was used as precursor, which was decomposed at high temperature in the surfactant-dissolved solution. After the solution was thermally treated at 250°C for 20 h in an autoclave, low-dispersed TiO 2 nanocrystalline particles with average size of <6 nm were synthesized. When sufficient amount of TIP or surfactant was added in the solution, long dumbbell-shaped nanorods were formed, which may be due to the oriented growth of particles along [0 0 1] axis. Characterization of products was investigated by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy.
Preparation of starch stabilized silver nanoparticles with spatial self-phase modulation properties by laser ablation technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zamiri, Reza; Azmi, B. Z.; Darroudi, Majid; Sadrolhosseini, Amir R.; Husin, M. S.; Zaidan, A. W.; Mahdi, M. A.

2011-01-01

Silver nanoparticles inside the starch solution have been successfully fabricated by laser ablation of a silver plate immersed in starch solution. The ablation has been done using a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at 10 Hz repetition rate. The starch solution allows for the formation of silver nanoparticles with uniform particle diameters and well dispersed. The ablation was performed at different time durations to study the influence of the laser ablation time on efficiency of particle formation and sizes. The Spatial Self-phase modulation phenomena which can determine the nonlinear optical property of the samples were also investigated for starch solutions containing silver nanoparticles.
Solute-mediated interactions between active droplets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moerman, Pepijn G.; Moyses, Henrique W.; van der Wee, Ernest B.; Grier, David G.; van Blaaderen, Alfons; Kegel, Willem K.; Groenewold, Jan; Brujic, Jasna

2017-09-01

Concentration gradients play a critical role in embryogenesis, bacterial locomotion, as well as the motility of active particles. Particles develop concentration profiles around them by dissolution, adsorption, or the reactivity of surface species. These gradients change the surface energy of the particles, driving both their self-propulsion and governing their interactions. Here, we uncover a regime in which solute gradients mediate interactions between slowly dissolving droplets without causing autophoresis. This decoupling allows us to directly measure the steady-state, repulsive force, which scales with interparticle distance as F ˜1 /r2 . Our results show that the dissolution process is diffusion rather than reaction rate limited, and the theoretical model captures the dependence of the interactions on droplet size and solute concentration, using a single fit parameter, l =16 ±3 nm , which corresponds to the length scale of a swollen micelle. Our results shed light on the out-of-equilibrium behavior of particles with surface reactivity.
Laser Light Scattering with Multiple Scattering Suppression Used to Measure Particle Sizes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyer, William V.; Tin, Padetha; Lock, James A.; Cannell, David S.; Smart, Anthony E.; Taylor, Thomas W.

1999-01-01

Laser light scattering is the technique of choice for noninvasively sizing particles in a fluid. The members of the Advanced Technology Development (ATD) project in laser light scattering at the NASA Lewis Research Center have invented, tested, and recently enhanced a simple and elegant way to extend the concentration range of this standard laboratory particle-sizing technique by several orders of magnitude. With this technique, particles from 3 nm to 3 mm can be measured in a solution. Recently, laser light scattering evolved to successfully size particles in both clear solutions and concentrated milky-white solutions. The enhanced technique uses the property of light that causes it to form tall interference patterns at right angles to the scattering plane (perpendicular to the laser beam) when it is scattered from a narrow laser beam. Such multiple-scattered light forms a broad fuzzy halo around the focused beam, which, in turn, forms short interference patterns. By placing two fiber optics on top of each other and perpendicular to the laser beam (see the drawing), and then cross-correlating the signals they produce, only the tall interference patterns formed by singly scattered light are detected. To restate this, unless the two fiber optics see the same interference pattern, the scattered light is not incorporated into the signal. With this technique, only singly scattered light is seen (multiple-scattered light is rejected) because only singly scattered light has an interference pattern tall enough to span both of the fiber-optic pickups. This technique is simple to use, easy to align, and works at any angle. Placing a vertical slit in front of the signal collection fibers enhanced this approach. The slit serves as an optical mask, and it significantly shortens the time needed to collect good data by selectively masking out much of the unwanted light before cross-correlation is applied.
Impact of solvent mixture on iron nanoparticles generated by laser ablation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakif, M.; Prymak, O.; Slota, M.; Heintze, E.; Gurevich, E. L.; Esen, C.; Bogani, L.; Epple, M.; Ostendorf, A.

2014-03-01

The present work reveals the structural and magnetic properties of iron oxide (FexOy) nanoparticles (NPs) prepared by femtosecond laser ablation. The FexOy-NPs were produced in solutions consisting of different ratios of water and acetone. Laser ablation in water yields agglomerates and that in acetone yields chain structures whereas that in water/acetone show a mixture of both. We observe significant fabrication dependent properties such as different crystallinities and magnetic behaviors. The structural characterization shows a change from iron (Fe) to a FexOy state of the NPs which depends on the solution composition. Furthermore, transmission electron microscopy measurements exhibit a broad particle size distribution in all samples but with significant differences in the mean sizes. Using magnetic measurements we show that nanoparticles fabricated in pure acetone have lower coercive fields which come along with a smaller mean particle size and therefore increasing superparamagnetic behavior.
Physicochemical characterization and water vapor sorption of organic solution advanced spray-dried inhalable trehalose microparticles and nanoparticles for targeted dry powder pulmonary inhalation delivery.

PubMed

Li, Xiaojian; Mansour, Heidi M

2011-12-01

Novel advanced spray-dried inhalable trehalose microparticulate/nanoparticulate powders with low water content were successfully produced by organic solution advanced spray drying from dilute solution under various spray-drying conditions. Laser diffraction was used to determine the volumetric particle size and size distribution. Particle morphology and surface morphology was imaged and examined by scanning electron microscopy. Hot-stage microscopy was used to visualize the presence/absence of birefringency before and following particle engineering design pharmaceutical processing, as well as phase transition behavior upon heating. Water content in the solid state was quantified by Karl Fisher (KF) coulometric titration. Solid-state phase transitions and degree of molecular order were examined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and powder X-ray diffraction, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy showed a correlation between particle morphology, surface morphology, and spray drying pump rate. All advanced spray-dried microparticulate/nanoparticulate trehalose powders were in the respirable size range and exhibited a unimodal distribution. All spray-dried powders had very low water content, as quantified by KF. The absence of crystallinity in spray-dried particles was reflected in the powder X-ray diffractograms and confirmed by thermal analysis. DSC thermal analysis indicated that the novel advanced spray-dried inhalable trehalose microparticles and nanoparticles exhibited a clear glass transition (T(g)). This is consistent with the formation of the amorphous glassy state. Spray-dried amorphous glassy trehalose inhalable microparticles and nanoparticles exhibited vapor-induced (lyotropic) phase transitions with varying levels of relative humidity as measured by gravimetric vapor sorption at 25°C and 37°C.
Nanoparticles in the pharmaceutical industry and the use of supercritical fluid technologies for nanoparticle production.

PubMed

Sheth, Pratik; Sandhu, Harpreet; Singhal, Dharmendra; Malick, Waseem; Shah, Navnit; Kislalioglu, M Serpil

2012-05-01

Poor aqueous solubility of drug candidates is a major challenge for the pharmaceutical scientists involved in drug development. Particle size reduction appears as an effective and versatile option for solubility improvement. Nanonization is an attractive solution to improve the bioavailability of the poorly soluble drugs, improved therapies, in vivo imaging, in vitro diagnostics and for the production of biomaterials and active implants. In drug delivery, application of nanotechnology is commonly referred to as Nano Drug Delivery Systems (NDDS). In this article, commercially available nanosized drugs, their dosage forms and proprietors, as well as the methods used for preparation like milling, high pressure homogenization, vacuum deposition, and high temperature evaporation were listed. Unlike the traditional methods used for the particle size reduction, supercritical fluid-processing techniques offer advantages ranging from superior particle size control to clean processing. The primary focus of this review article is the use of supercritical CO2 based technologies for small particle generation. Particles that have the smooth surfaces, small particle size and distribution and free flowing can be obtained with particular SCF techniques. In almost all techniques, the dominating process variables may be thermodynamic and aerodynamic in nature, and the design of the particle collection environment. Rapid Expansion of Supercritical Solutions (RESS), Supercritical Anti Solvent (SAS) and Particles from Gas Saturated Solutions (PGSS) are three groups of processes which lead to the production of fine and monodisperse powders. Few of them may also control crystal polymorphism. Among the aforementioned processes, RESS involves dissolving a drug in a supercritical fluid (SCF) and passing it through an appropriate nozzle. Rapid depressurization of this solution causes an extremely rapid nucleation of the product. This process has been known for a long time but its application is limited. Carbon dioxide, which is the only supercritical fluid that is preferentially used in pharmaceutical processes, is not a good solvent for many Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API). Various researchers have modified the RESS process to overcome its solubilizing limitations, by introducing RESOLV, RESAS, and RESS-SC. Overall, all RESS based processes are difficult to scale up. The SAS processes are based on decreasing the solvent power of a polar organic solvent in which the substrate (API & polymer of interest) is dissolved, by saturating it with carbon dioxide (CO2) at supercritical conditions. CO2 causes precipitation and recrystalization of the drug. SAS is scalable and can be applied to a wide variety of APIs and polymers. Minor modifications of basic SAS process include GAS, ASES, SAS-DEM and SAS-EM. Processes where SCF is used as an anti solvent and dispersing agent include SEDS, SAA, and A-SAIS. The mechanisms and applications of these processes were briefly discussed. In PGSS, CO2 is dissolved in organic solutions or melted compounds and it is successfully used for manufacturing drug products as well as for drying purposes. The two widely used methods, PGSSdrying and CAN-BD SCF, were also included in discussions. Among the limitations of the techniques involved, the poor solvent power of CO2, the cost and necessity of voluminous usage of the CO2 can be mentioned. There is still confusion in contribution of each variable on the particle morphology and properties regardless of the number of mechanistic studies available. The advantages of especially SAS and PGSS based techniques are the production of the nano or micro sized spherical particles with smooth surfaces and narrow particle size distribution. Regardless of its advantages, the reasons why 25 years of active research, and more than 10 years of process development could not promote the use of (SCF) technology, and produced only few commercial drug products, necessitate further evaluation of this technique.
Applicability of an ultrasonic nebulization system for the airways delivery of beclomethasone dipropionate in a murine model of asthma.

PubMed

Hrvacić, Boska; Bosnjak, Berislav; Tudja, Marijan; Mesić, Milan; Merćep, Mladen

2006-08-01

We have assessed the use of an ultrasonic nebulization system (UNS), composed of ultrasonic nebulizer and diffusion dryer filled with charcoal, for the effective delivery of beclomethasone to the airways in a murine asthma model. Solution of beclomethasone in ethanol was aerosolized using an ultrasonic nebulizer. Passage of the aerosol through a drying column containing charcoal and deionizer produced dry beclomethasone particles. Particles were delivered to BALB/c mice placed in a whole-body exposition chamber 1 h before intranasal challenge with ovalbumine. Efficacy of beclomethasone delivery was evaluated by examining bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytology. Effect of three UNS system parameters on aerosol particle size was investigated. The critical parameter affecting the size of dry particles was beclomethasone concentration in aerosolized solution and solution flow rate while power level of ultrasonic nebulizer generator had no effect. Administration of beclomethasone at calculated dose of 150 microg/kg to mice significantly decreased total cell number and relative eosinophil number in BALF. The UNS system produces a monodisperse aerosol that can be used for inhalative delivery of poorly water soluble substances to experimental animals. The UNS system minimizes formulation requirements and allows rapid and relatively simple efficacy and toxicity testing in animals.
Application of dense gas techniques for the production of fine particles.

PubMed

Foster, Neil R; Dehghani, Fariba; Charoenchaitrakoo, Kiang M; Warwick, Barry

2003-01-01

The feasibility of using dense gas techniques such as rapid expansion of supercritical solutions (RESS) and aerosol solvent extraction system (ASES) for micronization of pharmaceutical compounds is demonstrated. The chiral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory racemic ibuprofen is soluble in carbon dioxide at 35 degrees C and pressures above 90 bar. The particle size decreased to less than 2 microm while the degree of crystallinity was slightly decreased when processed by RESS. The dissolution rate of the ibuprofen (a poorly water-soluble compound) was significantly enhanced after processing by RESS. The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug Cu2(indomethacin)4L2(Cu-Indo); (L = dimethylformamide [DMF]), which possessed very low solubility in supercritical CO2, was successfully micronized by ASES at 25 degrees C and 68.9 bar using DMF as the solvent and CO2 as the antisolvent. The concentration of solute dramatically influenced the precipitate characteristics. The particles obtained from the ASES process were changed from bipyramidal to spherical, with particle size less than 5 microm, as the concentration increased from 5 to 100 mg/g. A further increase in solute concentration to 200 mg/g resulted in large porous spheres, between 20 and 50 micron, when processing Cu-Indo by the ASES method. The dissolution rate of the micronized Cu-Indo was significantly higher than the commercial product.

Desorption of intrinsic cesium from smectite: inhibitive effects of clay particle organization on cesium desorption.

PubMed

Fukushi, Keisuke; Sakai, Haruka; Itono, Taeko; Tamura, Akihiro; Arai, Shoji

2014-09-16

Fine clay particles have functioned as transport media for radiocesium in terrestrial environments after nuclear accidents. Because radiocesium is expected to be retained in clay minerals by a cation-exchange reaction, ascertaining trace cesium desorption behavior in response to changing solution conditions is crucially important. This study systematically investigated the desorption behavior of intrinsic Cs (13 nmol/g) in well-characterized Na-montmorillonite in electrolyte solutions (NaCl, KCl, CaCl2, and MgCl2) under widely differing cation concentrations (0.2 mM to 0.2 M). Batch desorption experiments demonstrated that Cs(+) desorption was inhibited significantly in the presence of the environmental relevant concentrations of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) (>0.5 mM) and high concentrations of K(+). The order of ability for Cs desorption was Na(+) = K(+) > Ca(2+) = Mg(2+) at the highest cation concentration (0.2 M), which is opposite to the theoretical prediction based on the cation-exchange selectivity. Laser diffraction grain-size analyses revealed that the inhibition of Cs(+) desorption coincided with the increase of the clay tactoid size. Results suggest that radiocesium in the dispersed fine clay particles adheres on the solid phase when the organization of swelling clay particles occurs because of changes in solution conditions caused by both natural processes and artificial treatments.
Modeling the Transport Phenomena in the Solution Precursor Plasma Spraying

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shan, Yanguang

2008-10-01

Solution precursor plasma spraying has been used to produce finely structured ceramic coatings with nano- and sub-micrometric features. This process involves the injection of a solution spray of ceramic salts into a DC plasma jet under atmospheric condition. During the process, the solvent vaporizes as the droplet travel downstream. Solid particles are finally formed due to the precipitation of the solute, and the particle are heated up and accelerated to the substrate to generate the coating. This work describes a 3D model to simulate the transport phenomena and the trajectory and heating of the solution spray in the process. The jet-spray two-way interactions are considered. A simplified model is employed to simulate the evolution process and the formation of the solid particle from the solution droplet in the plasma jet. O'Rourke's droplet collision model is used to take into account of the influence of droplet collision. The influence of droplet breakup is also considered by implementing TAB droplet breakup models into the plasma jet model. The temperature and velocity fields of the jet are obtained and validated. The particle size, velocity, temperature and position distribution on the substrate are predicted.
Self-assembly of smallest magnetic particles

PubMed Central

Mehdizadeh Taheri, Sara; Michaelis, Maria; Friedrich, Thomas; Förster, Beate; Drechsler, Markus; Römer, Florian M.; Bösecke, Peter; Narayanan, Theyencheri; Weber, Birgit; Rehberg, Ingo; Rosenfeldt, Sabine; Förster, Stephan

2015-01-01

The assembly of tiny magnetic particles in external magnetic fields is important for many applications ranging from data storage to medical technologies. The development of ever smaller magnetic structures is restricted by a size limit, where the particles are just barely magnetic. For such particles we report the discovery of a kind of solution assembly hitherto unobserved, to our knowledge. The fact that the assembly occurs in solution is very relevant for applications, where magnetic nanoparticles are either solution-processed or are used in liquid biological environments. Induced by an external magnetic field, nanocubes spontaneously assemble into 1D chains, 2D monolayer sheets, and large 3D cuboids with almost perfect internal ordering. The self-assembly of the nanocubes can be elucidated considering the dipole–dipole interaction of small superparamagnetic particles. Complex 3D geometrical arrangements of the nanodipoles are obtained under the assumption that the orientation of magnetization is freely adjustable within the superlattice and tends to minimize the binding energy. On that basis the magnetic moment of the cuboids can be explained. PMID:26554000
Thermodynamics of mixtures of patchy and spherical colloids of different sizes: A multi-body association theory with complete reference fluid information.

PubMed

Bansal, Artee; Valiya Parambathu, Arjun; Asthagiri, D; Cox, Kenneth R; Chapman, Walter G

2017-04-28

We present a theory to predict the structure and thermodynamics of mixtures of colloids of different diameters, building on our earlier work [A. Bansal et al., J. Chem. Phys. 145, 074904 (2016)] that considered mixtures with all particles constrained to have the same size. The patchy, solvent particles have short-range directional interactions, while the solute particles have short-range isotropic interactions. The hard-sphere mixture without any association site forms the reference fluid. An important ingredient within the multi-body association theory is the description of clustering of the reference solvent around the reference solute. Here we account for the physical, multi-body clusters of the reference solvent around the reference solute in terms of occupancy statistics in a defined observation volume. These occupancy probabilities are obtained from enhanced sampling simulations, but we also present statistical mechanical models to estimate these probabilities with limited simulation data. Relative to an approach that describes only up to three-body correlations in the reference, incorporating the complete reference information better predicts the bonding state and thermodynamics of the physical solute for a wide range of system conditions. Importantly, analysis of the residual chemical potential of the infinitely dilute solute from molecular simulation and theory shows that whereas the chemical potential is somewhat insensitive to the description of the structure of the reference fluid, the energetic and entropic contributions are not, with the results from the complete reference approach being in better agreement with particle simulations.
Thermodynamics of mixtures of patchy and spherical colloids of different sizes: A multi-body association theory with complete reference fluid information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bansal, Artee; Valiya Parambathu, Arjun; Asthagiri, D.; Cox, Kenneth R.; Chapman, Walter G.

2017-04-01

We present a theory to predict the structure and thermodynamics of mixtures of colloids of different diameters, building on our earlier work [A. Bansal et al., J. Chem. Phys. 145, 074904 (2016)] that considered mixtures with all particles constrained to have the same size. The patchy, solvent particles have short-range directional interactions, while the solute particles have short-range isotropic interactions. The hard-sphere mixture without any association site forms the reference fluid. An important ingredient within the multi-body association theory is the description of clustering of the reference solvent around the reference solute. Here we account for the physical, multi-body clusters of the reference solvent around the reference solute in terms of occupancy statistics in a defined observation volume. These occupancy probabilities are obtained from enhanced sampling simulations, but we also present statistical mechanical models to estimate these probabilities with limited simulation data. Relative to an approach that describes only up to three-body correlations in the reference, incorporating the complete reference information better predicts the bonding state and thermodynamics of the physical solute for a wide range of system conditions. Importantly, analysis of the residual chemical potential of the infinitely dilute solute from molecular simulation and theory shows that whereas the chemical potential is somewhat insensitive to the description of the structure of the reference fluid, the energetic and entropic contributions are not, with the results from the complete reference approach being in better agreement with particle simulations.
Preparation and the influencing factors of timozolomide liposomes.

PubMed

Kong, Bin; Sun, Yong; Li, Yongjian; Hu, Dejian

2009-01-01

To prepare timozolomide liposomes for administration through nasal mucous membrane, we studied the factors of the preparation of the liposomes. The timozolomide liposomes were prepared by the ammonium sulphate gradient method; electroscopy and laser particle analyzer were utilized to determine the conformation, size and distribution of timozolomide liposomes; high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was applied to determine the entrapping efficiency of timozolomide liposomes; then we studied the influences of the concentration of ammonium sulphate solution, temperature, and the drug-to-lipid ratio on the entrapping efficiency. The average size of timozolomide liposomes was 185 nm; the entrapping efficiency was 90.3%. The entrapping efficiency was enhanced with the increasing of the concentration of ammonium sulphate solution and the rising of temperature, and decreased with the increasing of the drug-to-lipid ratio. The timozolomide liposomes with high entrapping efficiency, small and even particle sizes could be prepared by the simple and convenient ammonium sulphate gradient method. The primary influencing factors on the entrapping efficiency of timozolomide liposomes were the concentration of ammonium sulphate solution, the temperature, and the drug-to-lipid ratio.
Insulin Particle Formation in Supersaturated Aqueous Solutions of Poly(Ethylene Glycol)

PubMed Central

Bromberg, Lev; Rashba-Step, Julia; Scott, Terrence

2005-01-01

Protein microspheres are of particular utility in the field of drug delivery. A novel, completely aqueous, process of microsphere fabrication has been devised based on controlled phase separation of protein from water-soluble polymers such as polyethylene glycols. The fabrication process results in the formation of spherical microparticles with narrow particle size distributions. Cooling of preheated human insulin-poly(ethylene glycol)-water solutions results in the facile formation of insulin particles. To map out the supersaturation conditions conducive to particle nucleation and growth, we determined the temperature- and concentration-dependent boundaries of an equilibrium liquid-solid phase separation. The kinetics of formation of microspheres were followed by dynamic and continuous-angle static light scattering techniques. The presence of PEG at a pH that was close to the protein's isoelectric point resulted in rapid nucleation and growth. The time elapsed from the moment of creation of a supersaturated solution and the detection of a solid phase in the system (the induction period, tind) ranged from tens to several hundreds of seconds. The dependence of tind on supersaturation could be described within the framework of classical nucleation theory, with the time needed for the formation of a critical nucleus (size <10 nm) being much longer than the time of the onset of particle growth. The growth was limited by cluster diffusion kinetics. The interfacial energies of the insulin particles were determined to be 3.2–3.4 and 2.2 mJ/m2 at equilibrium temperatures of 25 and 37°C, respectively. The insulin particles formed as a result of the process were monodisperse and uniformly spherical, in clear distinction to previously reported processes of microcrystalline insulin particle formation. PMID:16254391
Formation of phenytoin nanoparticles using rapid expansion of supercritical solution with solid cosolvent (RESS-SC) process.

PubMed

Thakur, Ranjit; Gupta, Ram B

2006-02-03

Nanoparticles are of significant importance in drug delivery. Rapid expansion of supercritical solution (RESS) process can produce pure and high-quality drug particles. However, due to extremely low solubility of polar drugs in supercritical CO(2) (sc CO(2)), RESS has limited commercial applicability. To overcome this major limitation, a modified process rapid expansion of supercritical solution with solid cosolvent (RESS-SC) is proposed which uses a solid cosolvent. Here, the new process is tested for phenytoin drug using menthol solid cosolvent. Phenytoin solubility in pure sc CO(2) is only 3 micromol/mol but when menthol solid cosolvent is used the solubility is enhanced to 1,302 micromol/mol, at 196 bar and 45 degrees C. This 400-fold increase in the solubility can be attributed to the interaction between phenytoin and menthol. Particle agglomeration in expansion zone is another major issue with conventional RESS process. In proposed RESS-SC process solid cosolvent hinders the particle growth resulting in the formation of small nanoparticles. For example, the average particle size of phenytoin in conventional RESS process is 200 nm whereas, with RESS-SC process, the average particle size is 120 nm, at 96 bar and 45 degrees C. Similarly at 196 bar and 45 degrees C, 105 nm average particles were obtained by RESS and 75 nm average particles were obtained in RESS-SC process. The particles obtained were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and differential scanning calorimetery (DSC) analyses. Phenytoin nanoparticle production rate in RESS-SC is about 400-fold more in comparison to that in RESS process.
Composition distributions in FePt(Au) nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srivastava, C.; Nikles, D. E.; Harrell, J. W.; Thompson, G. B.

2010-08-01

Ternary alloy FePt(Au) nanoparticles were prepared by the co-reduction of platinum(II) acetylacetonate and gold(III) acetate and the thermal decomposition of iron pentacarbonyl in hot phenyl ether in the presence of oleic acid and oleylamine ligands. This gave spherical particles with an average diameter of 4.4 nm with a range of diameters from approximately 1.6-9 nm. The as-synthesized particles had a solid solution, face-centered-cubic structure. Though the average composition of the particles was Fe44Pt45Au11, individual particle analysis by Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy-X-ray Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy showed a broad distribution in composition. In general, smaller-sized particles tended to have a lower amount of Au as compared to larger-sized particles. As the Au content increased, the ratio of Fe/Pt widened.
A Numerical Combination of Extended Boundary Condition Method and Invariant Imbedding Method Applied to Light Scattering by Large Spheroids and Cylinders

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bi, Lei; Yang, Ping; Kattawar, George W.; Mishchenko, Michael I.

2013-01-01

The extended boundary condition method (EBCM) and invariant imbedding method (IIM) are two fundamentally different T-matrix methods for the solution of light scattering by nonspherical particles. The standard EBCM is very efficient but encounters a loss of precision when the particle size is large, the maximum size being sensitive to the particle aspect ratio. The IIM can be applied to particles in a relatively large size parameter range but requires extensive computational time due to the number of spherical layers in the particle volume discretization. A numerical combination of the EBCM and the IIM (hereafter, the EBCM+IIM) is proposed to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of each method. Even though the EBCM can fail to obtain the T-matrix of a considered particle, it is valuable for decreasing the computational domain (i.e., the number of spherical layers) of the IIM by providing the initial T-matrix associated with an iterative procedure in the IIM. The EBCM+IIM is demonstrated to be more efficient than the IIM in obtaining the optical properties of large size parameter particles beyond the convergence limit of the EBCM. The numerical performance of the EBCM+IIM is illustrated through representative calculations in spheroidal and cylindrical particle cases.
Composition and particle size of electrolytic copper powders prepared in water-containing dimethyl sulfoxide electrolytes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mamyrbekova, Aigul'; Abzhalov, B. S.; Mamyrbekova, Aizhan

2017-07-01

The possibility of the electroprecipitation of copper powder via the cathodic reduction of an electrolyte solution containing copper(II) nitrate trihydrate and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is shown. The effect electrolysis conditions (current density, concentration and temperature of electrolyte) have on the dimensional characteristics of copper powder is studied. The size and shape of the particles of the powders were determined by means of electron microscopy; the qualitative composition of the powders, with X-ray diffraction.
Structural and magnetic studies of nanocrystalline Y{sub 2}Ir{sub 2}O{sub 7}

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

Dwivedi, Vinod Kumar, E-mail: vinodd@iitk.ac.in; Mukhopadhyay, Soumik

2015-06-24

In this paper, we discuss synthesis of Y{sub 2}Ir{sub 2}O{sub 7} nanoparticles via chemical solution process. Structural analysis shows single cubic phase with Fd-3m space group symmetry. The particle size and distribution were studied by Transmission Electron Microscopy experiments. The average particle size turns out to be 50nm, which is in good agreement with the XRD results. Magnetic characterization shows no evidence of long range ordering even in presence of strong correlations.
Chemo-Mechanical Characteristics of Mud Formed from Environmental Dust Particles in Humid Ambient Air

PubMed Central

Hassan, Ghassan; Yilbas, B. S.; Said, Syed A. M.; Al-Aqeeli, N.; Matin, Asif

2016-01-01

Mud formed from environmental dust particles in humid ambient air significantly influences the performance of solar harvesting devices. This study examines the characterization of environmental dust particles and the chemo-mechanics of dry mud formed from dust particles. Analytical tools, including scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, particle sizing, and X-ray diffraction, are used to characterize dry mud and dust particles. A micro/nano tribometer is used to measure the tangential force and friction coefficient while tensile tests are carried out to assess the binding forces of dry mud pellets. After dry mud is removed, mud residuals on the glass surface are examined and the optical transmittance of the glass is measured. Dust particles include alkaline compounds, which dissolve in water condensate and form a mud solution with high pH (pH = 7.5). The mud solution forms a thin liquid film at the interface of dust particles and surface. Crystals form as the mud solution dries, thus, increasing the adhesion work required to remove dry mud from the surface. Optical transmittance of the glass is reduced after dry mud is removed due to the dry mud residue on the surface. PMID:27445272
Chemo-Mechanical Characteristics of Mud Formed from Environmental Dust Particles in Humid Ambient Air.

PubMed

Hassan, Ghassan; Yilbas, B S; Said, Syed A M; Al-Aqeeli, N; Matin, Asif

2016-07-22

Mud formed from environmental dust particles in humid ambient air significantly influences the performance of solar harvesting devices. This study examines the characterization of environmental dust particles and the chemo-mechanics of dry mud formed from dust particles. Analytical tools, including scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, particle sizing, and X-ray diffraction, are used to characterize dry mud and dust particles. A micro/nano tribometer is used to measure the tangential force and friction coefficient while tensile tests are carried out to assess the binding forces of dry mud pellets. After dry mud is removed, mud residuals on the glass surface are examined and the optical transmittance of the glass is measured. Dust particles include alkaline compounds, which dissolve in water condensate and form a mud solution with high pH (pH = 7.5). The mud solution forms a thin liquid film at the interface of dust particles and surface. Crystals form as the mud solution dries, thus, increasing the adhesion work required to remove dry mud from the surface. Optical transmittance of the glass is reduced after dry mud is removed due to the dry mud residue on the surface.
High-throughput nanoparticle sizing using lensfree holographic microscopy and liquid nanolenses (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLeod, Euan

2016-03-01

The sizing of individual nanoparticles and the recovery of the distributions of sizes from populations of nanoparticles provide valuable information in virology, exosome analysis, air and water quality monitoring, and nanomaterials synthesis. Conventional approaches for nanoparticle sizing include those based on costly or low-throughput laboratory-scale equipment such as transmission electron microscopy or nanoparticle tracking analysis, as well as those approaches that only provide population-averaged quantities, such as dynamic light scattering. Some of these limitations can be overcome using a new family of alternative approaches based on quantitative phase imaging that combines lensfree holographic on-chip microscopy with self-assembled liquid nanolenses. In these approaches, the particles of interest are deposited onto a glass coverslip and the sample is coated with either pure liquid polyethylene glycol (PEG) or aqueous solutions of PEG. Due to surface tension, the PEG self-assembles into nano-scale lenses around the particles of interest. These nanolenses enhance the scattering signatures of the embedded particles such that individual nanoparticles as small as 40 nm are clearly visible in phase images reconstructed from captured holograms. The magnitude of the phase quantitatively corresponds to particle size with an accuracy of +/-11 nm. This family of approaches can individually size more than 10^5 particles in parallel, can handle a large dynamic range of particle sizes (40 nm - 100s of microns), and can accurately size multi-modal distributions of particles. Furthermore, the entire approach has been implemented in a compact and cost-effective device suitable for use in the field or in low-resource settings.
Synthesis of Nanometric-Sized Barium Titanate Powders Using Acetylacetone as the Chelating Agent in a Sol-Precipitation Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hung, Kun Ming; Hsieh, Ching Shieh; Yang, Wein Duo; Tsai, Hui Ju

2007-03-01

Nanometric-sized barium titanate powders were prepared by using titanium isopropoxid as the raw material and acetylacetone as a chelating agent, in a strong alkaline solution (pH > 13) through the sol-precipitation method. The preparatory variables affect the extent of cross-linking in the structure, change the mode of condensation of the gels, and even control the particle size of the powder. The reaction rate of forming powder, at a higher temperature such as 100°C and more water content (the molar ratio of water to titanium isopropoxide is 25) or fewer acetylacetone (the molar ratio of acetylacetone to titanium isopropoxide is 1), is rapid and the particle size formed is finer at 60 80 nm. On the contrary, that of forming powder, at lower temperature (40°C) and less water content (molar ratio of water/titanium isopropoxide = 5) or higher acetylacetone (acetylacetone/titanium isopropoxide = 7), is slow and the particle size of the powder is larger. The optimal preparatory conditions were obtained by using the experimental statistical method; as a result, nanometric-sized BaTiO3 powder with an average particle size of about 50 nm was prepared.
Synthesis and characteristics of Ag/Pt bimetallic nanocomposites by arc-discharge solution plasma processing.

PubMed

Pootawang, Panuphong; Saito, Nagahiro; Takai, Osamu; Lee, Sang-Yul

2012-10-05

Arc discharge in solution, generated by applying a high voltage of unipolar pulsed dc to electrodes of Ag and Pt, was used as a method to form Ag/Pt bimetallic nanocomposites via electrode erosion by the effects of the electric arc at the cathode (Ag rod) and the sputtering at the anode (Pt rod). Ag/Pt bimetallic nanocomposites were formed as colloidal particles dispersed in solution via the reduction of hydrogen radicals generated during discharge without the addition of chemical precursor or reducing agent. At a discharge time of 30 s, the fine bimetallic nanoparticles with a mean particle size of approximately 5 nm were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). With increasing discharge time, the bimetallic nanoparticle size tended to increase by forming an agglomeration. The presence of the relatively small amount of Pt dispersed in the Ag matrix could be observed by the analytical mapping mode of energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and high-resolution TEM. This demonstrated that the synthesized particle was in the form of a nanocomposite. No contamination of other chemical substances was detected by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Hence, solution plasma could be a clean and simple process to effectively synthesize Ag/Pt bimetallic nanocomposites and it is expected to be widely applicable in the preparation of several types of nanoparticle.
Ultrasonic synthesis of hydroxyapatite in non-cavitation and cavitation modes.

PubMed

Nikolaev, A L; Gopin, A V; Severin, A V; Rudin, V N; Mironov, M A; Dezhkunov, N V

2018-06-01

The size control of materials is of great importance in research and technology because materials of different size and shape have different properties and applications. This paper focuses on the synthesis of hydroxyapatite in ultrasound fields of different frequencies and intensities with the aim to find the conditions which allow control of the particles size. The results are evaluated by X-ray diffraction, Transmission Electron Microscopy, morphological and sedimentation analyses. It is shown that the hydroxyapatite particles synthesized at low intensity non-cavitation regime of ultrasound have smaller size than those prepared at high intensity cavitation regime. The explanation of observed results is based on the idea of formation of vortices at the interface between phosphoric acid and calcium hydroxide solution where the nucleation of hydroxyapatite particles is taken place. Smaller vortices formed at high frequency non-cavitation ultrasound regime provide smaller nucleation sites and smaller resulting particles, compared to vortices and particles obtained without ultrasound. Discovered method has a potential of industrial application of ultrasound for the controlled synthesis of nanoparticles. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Dissolution characteristics of sericite in chalcopyrite bioleaching and its effect on copper extraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Ying-bo; Li, Hao; Lin, Hai; Zhang, Yuan

2017-04-01

The effects of sericite particle size, rotation speed, and leaching temperature on sericite dissolution and copper extraction in a chalcopyrite bioleaching system were examined. Finer particles, appropriate temperature and rotation speed for Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans resulted in a higher Al3+ dissolution concentration. The Al3+ dissolution concentration reached its highest concentration of 38.66 mg/L after 48-d leaching when the sericite particle size, temperature, and rotation speed were -43 μm, 30°C, and 160 r/min, respectively. Meanwhile, the sericite particle size, rotation speed, and temperature can affect copper extraction. The copper extraction rate is higher when the sericite particle size is finer. An appropriately high temperature is favorable for copper leaching. The dissolution of sericite fitted the shrinking core model, 1-(2/3) α-(1- α)2/3 = k 1 t, which indicates that internal diffusion is the decision step controlling the overall reaction rate in the leaching process. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed small precipitates covered on the surface of sericite after leaching, which increased the diffusion resistance of the leaching solution and dissolved ions.
Analytic solutions for colloid transport with time- or depth-dependent retention in porous media

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Elucidating and quantifying the transport of industrial nanoparticles (e.g. silver, carbon nanotubes, and graphene oxide) and other colloid-size particles such as viruses and bacteria is important to safeguard and manage the quality of the subsurface environment. Analytic solutions were derived for...

Enhanced reactive metal wall for dehalogenation of hydrocarbons

DOEpatents

Howson, P.E.; Mackenzie, P.D.; Horney, D.P.

1996-08-06

A method is provided for remediation of contaminated solutions using a tiered metal wall or column. The tiered metal wall or column has at least three zones with graduated sizes of reducing metal particles. Contaminated solutions pass through the tiered wall or column to dehalogenate contaminant halogenated hydrocarbons. 3 figs.
Enhanced reactive metal wall for dehalogenation of hydrocarbons

DOEpatents

Howson, Paul E.; Mackenzie, Patricia D.; Horney, David P.

1996-01-01

A method is provided for remediation of contaminated solutions using a tiered metal wall or column. The tiered metal wall or column has at least three zones with graduated sizes of reducing metal particles. Contaminated solutions pass through the tiered wall or column to dehalogenate contaminant halogenated hydrocarbons.
Effect of particle size and ammonium sulfate concentration on rice bran fermentation with the fungus Rhizopus oryzae.

PubMed

Schmidt, Cristiano Gautério; Furlong, Eliana Badiale

2012-11-01

The effects of rice bran particle size (0.18-0.39mm) and ammonium sulfate concentration in the nutrient solution (2-8g/L) on biomass production, protein and phenolic content generated by solid state fermentation with the fungus Rhizopus oryzae (CCT 1217) were studied. Particle size had a positive effect on biomass production and a negative effect (p⩽0.05) on protein and phenolic contents. Ammonium sulfate concentration had a positive effect (p⩽0.05) on biomass and phenolic content gain. Cultivation of fungus in rice bran with particle size of 0.18mm and in the presence of 8g/L ammonium sulfate, resulted in protein levels of 20g/100g dry wt and phenolics content of 4mg/g dry wt. These values were 53 and 65% higher than those achieved with unfermented rice bran. The results demonstrate that the fermentation process increased the value of compounds recovered for potential use in food formulations. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Synthesis and surface properties of submicron barium sulfate particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ming; Zhang, Bao; Li, Xinhai; Yin, Zhoulan; Guo, Xueyi

2011-10-01

Barium sulfate particles were synthesized in the presence of EDTA at room temperature. X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared resonance (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the structure and morphology of BaSO 4 particles. The effect of the preparation parameters on the particle size distribution and morphology was investigated. The conditional formation constants of Ba-EDTA at different pH values were calculated. The results show that the size and morphology of BaSO 4 particles can be effectively controlled by adding EDTA in the precipitation process. Among all the operation conditions, the pH value has significant effect on the particle size. The obtained barium sulfate particles are spherical and well dispersed at pH = 9-10. Zeta potentials of BaSO 4 were measured at different pH. The isoelectric point (IEP) of barium sulfate colloid appears at pH 6.92. The model of the solid-solution interface at a particle of BaSO 4 was presented. The FTIR result indicates that the surface of the prepared BaSO 4 absorbs the functional groups of EDTA, which lower the IEP of the barium sulfate particles.
Aerosol simulation including chemical and nuclear reactions

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

Marwil, E.S.; Lemmon, E.C.

1985-01-01

The numerical simulation of aerosol transport, including the effects of chemical and nuclear reactions presents a challenging dynamic accounting problem. Particles of different sizes agglomerate and settle out due to various mechanisms, such as diffusion, diffusiophoresis, thermophoresis, gravitational settling, turbulent acceleration, and centrifugal acceleration. Particles also change size, due to the condensation and evaporation of materials on the particle. Heterogeneous chemical reactions occur at the interface between a particle and the suspending medium, or a surface and the gas in the aerosol. Homogeneous chemical reactions occur within the aersol suspending medium, within a particle, and on a surface. These reactionsmore » may include a phase change. Nuclear reactions occur in all locations. These spontaneous transmutations from one element form to another occur at greatly varying rates and may result in phase or chemical changes which complicate the accounting process. This paper presents an approach for inclusion of these effects on the transport of aerosols. The accounting system is very complex and results in a large set of stiff ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The techniques for numerical solution of these ODEs require special attention to achieve their solution in an efficient and affordable manner. 4 refs.« less
Limitations and possibilities of green synthesis and long-term stability of colloidal Ag nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velgosová, Oksana; Mražíková, Anna

2017-12-01

In this paper the influence of algae life cycle and the solutions pH on the green synthesis of colloidal Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) as well as effect of different storage conditions on AgNPs long-term stability was investigated. Silver nanoparticles were biologically synthesized using extracts of Parachlorella kessleri algae cultivated 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks. The formation of AgNPs was monitored using a UV-vis spectrophotometer and verified by TEM observation. The results confirmed formation of polyhedron and/or near polyhedron AgNPs, ranging between 5 and 60 nm in diameter. The age of algae influenced the synthesis rate and an amount of AgNPs in solution. The best results were obtained using tree weeks old algae. UV-vis analysis and TEM observation also revealed that the size and the stability of AgNPs depend on the pH of solution. AgNPs formed in solutions of higher pH (8 and 10) are polyhedron, fine, with narrow size interval and stabile. Nanoparticles formed in solutions of low pH (2, 4 and 6) started to lose their stability on 10th day of experiment, and the particle size interval was wide. The long-term stability of AgNPs can be influenced by light and temperature conditions. The most significant stability loss was observed at day light and room temperature (21°C). After 200-days significant amount of agglomerated particles settled on the bottom of the Erlenmeyer flask. AgNPs stored at dark and room temperature showed better long-term stability, weak particles agglomeration was observed. AgNPs stored at dark and at temperature 5°C showed the best long-term stability. Such AgNPs remained spherical, fine (5-20 nm), with narrow size interval and stable (no agglomeration) even after more than six months.
Effect of nano/micro-Ag compound particles on the bio-corrosion, antibacterial properties and cell biocompatibility of Ti-Ag alloys.

PubMed

Chen, Mian; Yang, Lei; Zhang, Lan; Han, Yong; Lu, Zheng; Qin, Gaowu; Zhang, Erlin

2017-06-01

In this research, Ti-Ag alloys were prepared by powder metallurgy, casting and heat treatment method in order to investigate the effect of Ag compound particles on the bio-corrosion, the antibacterial property and the cell biocompatibility. Ti-Ag alloys with different sizes of Ag or Ag-compounds particles were successfully prepared: small amount of submicro-scale (100nm) Ti 2 Ag precipitates with solid solution state of Ag, large amount of nano-scale (20-30nm) Ti 2 Ag precipitates with small amount of solid solution state of Ag and micro-scale lamellar Ti 2 Ag phases, and complete solid solution state of Ag. The mechanical tests indicated that both nano/micro-scale Ti 2 Ag phases had a strong dispersion strengthening ability and Ag had a high solid solution strengthening ability. Electrochemical results shown the Ag content and the size of Ag particles had a limited influence on the bio-corrosion resistance although nano-scale Ti 2 Ag precipitates slightly improved corrosion resistance. It was demonstrated that the nano Ag compounds precipitates have a significant influence on the antibacterial properties of Ti-Ag alloys but no effect on the cell biocompatibility. It was thought that both Ag ions release and Ti 2 Ag precipitates contributed to the antibacterial ability, in which nano-scale and homogeneously distributed Ti 2 Ag phases would play a key role in antibacterial process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Formalism for calculation of polymer-solvent-mediated potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Shiqi

2006-07-01

A simple theoretical approach is proposed for calculation of a solvent-mediated potential (SMP) between two colloid particles immersed in a polymer solvent bath in which the polymer is modeled as a chain with intramolecular degrees of freedom. The present recipe is only concerned with the estimation of the density profile of a polymer site around a single solute colloid particle instead of two solute colloid particles separated by a varying distance as done in existing calculational methods for polymer-SMP. Therefore the present recipe is far simpler for numerical implementation than the existing methods. The resultant predictions for the polymer-SMP and polymer solvent-mediated mean force (polymer-SMMF) are in very good agreement with available simulation data. With the present recipe, change tendencies of the contact value and second virial coefficiency of the SMP as a function of size ratio between the colloid particle and polymer site, the number of sites per chain, and the polymer concentration are investigated in detail. The metastable critical polymer concentration as a function of size ratio and the number of sites per chain is also reported for the first time. To yield the numerical solution of the present recipe at less than 1min on a personal computer, a rapid and accurate algorithm for the numerical solution of the classical density functional theory is proposed to supply rapid and accurate estimation of the density profile of the polymer site as an input into the present formalism.
Developments in spectrophotometry III: Multiple-field-of-view spectrometer to determine particle-size distribution and refractive index

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fymat, A. L.

1975-01-01

Instrument is based on inverse solution ot equations for light scattered by a transparent medium. Measurements are taken over several angles of incidence rather than over several frequencies. Measurements can be used to simultaneously determine chemical and physical properties of particles in mixed gas or liquid.
Large Marks-decahedral Pd nanoparticles synthesized by a modified hydrothermal method using a homogeneous reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Haiqiang; Qi, Weihong; Ji, Wenhai; Wang, Tianran; Peng, Hongcheng; Wang, Qi; Jia, Yanlin; He, Jieting

2017-05-01

Fivefold symmetry appears only in small particles and quasicrystals because internal stress in the particles increases with the particle size. However, a typical Marks decahedron with five re-entrant grooves located at the ends of the twin boundaries can further reduce the strain energy. During hydrothermal synthesis, it is difficult to stir the reaction solution contained in a digestion high-pressure tank because of the relatively small size and high-temperature and high-pressure sealed environment. In this work, we optimized a hydrothermal reaction system by replacing the conventional drying oven with a homogeneous reactor to shift the original static reaction solution into a full mixing state. Large Marks-decahedral Pd nanoparticles ( 90 nm) have been successfully synthesized in the optimized hydrothermal synthesis system. Additionally, in the products, round Marks-decahedral Pd particles were also found for the first time. While it remains a challenge to understand the growth mechanism of the fivefold twinned structure, we proposed a plausible growth-mediated mechanism for Marks-decahedral Pd nanoparticles based on observations of the synthesis process.
Adhesive interaction of elastically deformable spherical particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'yachenko, E. N.; Dueck, J. G.

2012-01-01

Two spherical particles that attract each other by van der Waals volume forces and can undergo deformation as a result of the attraction are considered. Small deformations of such particles can be described by the solution of the Hertz problem. The deformation of particles, in turn, alters the force of attraction between them. It has been established that the relationship between the adhesion and elasticity of the indicated particles is determined by the degree to which these particles deform and that the adhesion force acting between the particles depends on their elasticity, size, and the Hamaker constants.
The dispersion of fine chitosan particles by beads-milling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rochima, Emma; Utami, Safira; Hamdani, Herman; Azhary, Sundoro Yoga; Praseptiangga, Danar; Joni, I. Made; Panatarani, Camellia

2018-02-01

This research aimed to produce fine chitosan particles from a crab shell waste by beads-milling method by two different concentration of PEG as dispersing agent (150 and 300 wt. %). The characterization was performed to obtain the size and size distribution, the characteristics of functional groups and the degree of deacetylation. The results showed that the chitosan fine particles was obtained with a milling time 120 minutes with the best concentration of PEG 400 150 wt. %. The average particle size of the as-prepared suspension is 584 nm after addition of acetic acid solution (1%, v/v). Beads milling process did not change the glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine content on chitosan structure which is indicated by degree of deacetylation higher than 70%. It was concluded that beads milling process can be applied to prepare chitosan fineparticles by proper adjustment in the milling time, pH and dosage of dispersing agent.
IDM release behavior and surface characteristics of the novel Cu/IDM/LDPE nanocomposite for intrauterine device.

PubMed

Yang, Zhihong; Xie, Changsheng; Xiang, Hua; Feng, Jinqing; Xia, Xianping; Cai, Shuizhou

2009-03-01

Copper/indomethacin/low-density polyethylene (Cu/IDM/LDPE) nanocomposite was prepared as a novel material for intra-uterine device (IUD). IDM release profile of the nanocomposite was investigated by using spectrophotometer. The results show that IDM release rate of Cu/IDM/LDPE nanocomposite is higher in simulated uterine solution than that in methanol, confirming that the release process of IDM is dominated mainly by pore diffusion. The decrease in copper particle size and the increase in copper mass content all accelerate IDM release, indicating that IDM release rate can be adjusted by changing copper loading or copper particle size. The surface of the incubated nanocomposite was characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis. A few deposits composed of P, Cl, Ca, Cu and O were observed on the nanocomposite surface, which may be related to the presence of IDM particles with large particle size.
Single-image diffusion coefficient measurements of proteins in free solution.

PubMed

Zareh, Shannon Kian; DeSantis, Michael C; Kessler, Jonathan M; Li, Je-Luen; Wang, Y M

2012-04-04

Diffusion coefficient measurements are important for many biological and material investigations, such as studies of particle dynamics and kinetics, and size determinations. Among current measurement methods, single particle tracking (SPT) offers the unique ability to simultaneously obtain location and diffusion information about a molecule while using only femtomoles of sample. However, the temporal resolution of SPT is limited to seconds for single-color-labeled samples. By directly imaging three-dimensional diffusing fluorescent proteins and studying the widths of their intensity profiles, we were able to determine the proteins' diffusion coefficients using single protein images of submillisecond exposure times. This simple method improves the temporal resolution of diffusion coefficient measurements to submilliseconds, and can be readily applied to a range of particle sizes in SPT investigations and applications in which diffusion coefficient measurements are needed, such as reaction kinetics and particle size determinations. Copyright © 2012 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Simulation of collisional transport processes and the stability of planetary rings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brophy, Thomas G.; Esposito, Larry W.

1989-01-01

The utility of the phase-space fluid method for the study of planetary ring dynamics is presently demonstrated through the numerical solution of a model kinetic equation for a flattened Keplerian disk. Attention is given to ringlets composed of single-sized particles, as well as to ringlets composed of two different-sized particles; in the latter case, the ringlets evolve in such a way that the lighter particles are confined by the heavier ones. The results obtained indicate that some natural process may sharpen the optical depth profile of edges even without an external forcing mechanism, and that intermediate optical depths are dynamically preferred in some cases.
Enhancement in Corneal Permeability of Dissolved Carteolol by Its Combination with Magnesium Hydroxide Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Nagai, Noriaki; Yamaoka, Sakie; Fukuoka, Yuya; Ishii, Miyu; Otake, Hiroko; Kanai, Kazutaka; Okamoto, Norio; Shimomura, Yoshikazu

2018-01-01

We prepared magnesium hydroxide (MH) nanoparticles, and investigated their effect when combined with dissolved carteolol on the bioavailability and intraocular pressure (IOP)-reducing effect of carteolol. The carteolol was solved in saline containing additives (0.5% methylcellulose, 0.001% benzalkonium chloride, 0.5% mannitol; CRT-solution). MH nanoparticles were prepared by a bead mill method with additives. Then carteolol/MH microparticle and carteolol/MH nanoparticle fixed combinations (mCMFC and nCMFC) were prepared by mixing the CRT-solution and MH particles. The transcorneal penetration and IOP-reducing effect of carteolol was evaluated in rabbits. The mean particle size of mCMFC was 7.2 μm, and the particle size was reduced to 73.5–113.5 nm by the bead mill treatment. The MH particles in nCMFC remained in the nano size range for 8 days after preparation, and the amounts of lacrimal fluid and corneal damage were unchanged by repetitive instillation of nCMFC (twice a day for 4 weeks). The transcorneal penetration of carteolol was enhanced by the combination with MH nanoparticles, and the IOP-reducing effect of nCMFC was significantly higher than that of CRT-solution or mCMFC. In conclusion, we designed nCMFC, and showed that the high levels of dissolved carteolol can be delivered into the aqueous humor by the instillation of nCMFC. Combination with MH nanoparticles may achieve an enhancement of corneal penetration for water-soluble drugs. These findings provide significant information that can be used to design further studies aimed at developing anti-glaucoma eye drugs. PMID:29342127
Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with variable size and an iron oxidation state as prospective imaging agents.

PubMed

Kucheryavy, Pavel; He, Jibao; John, Vijay T; Maharjan, Pawan; Spinu, Leonard; Goloverda, Galina Z; Kolesnichenko, Vladimir L

2013-01-15

Magnetite nanoparticles in the size range of 3.2-7.5 nm were synthesized in high yields under variable reaction conditions using high-temperature hydrolysis of the precursor iron(II) and iron(III) alkoxides in diethylene glycol solution. The average sizes of the particles were adjusted by changing the reaction temperature and time and by using a sequential growth technique. To obtain γ-iron(III) oxide particles in the same range of sizes, magnetite particles were oxidized with dry oxygen in diethylene glycol at room temperature. The products were characterized by DLS, TEM, X-ray powder diffractometry, TGA, chemical analysis, and magnetic measurements. NMR r(1) and r(2) relaxivity measurements in water and diethylene glycol (for OH and CH(2) protons) have shown a decrease in the r(2)/r(1) ratio with the particle size reduction, which correlates with the results of magnetic measurements on magnetite nanoparticles. Saturation magnetization of the oxidized particles was found to be 20% lower than that for Fe(3)O(4) with the same particle size, but their r(1) relaxivities are similar. Because the oxidation of magnetite is spontaneous under ambient conditions, it was important to learn that the oxidation product has no disadvantages as compared to its precursor and therefore may be a better prospective imaging agent because of its chemical stability.
Complementary use of flow and sedimentation field-flow fractionation techniques for size characterizing biodegradable poly(lactic acid) nanospheres

PubMed Central

Contado, Catia; Dalpiaz, Alessandro; Leo, Eliana; Zborowski, Maciej; Williams, P. Stephen

2009-01-01

Poly(lactic acid) nanoparticles were synthesized using a modified evaporation method, testing two different surfactants (sodium cholate and Pluronic F68) for the process. During their formulation the prodrug 5′-octanoyl-CPA (Oct-CPA) of the antiischemic N6-cyclopentyladenosine (CPA) was encapsulated. Three different purification methods were compared with respect to the influence of surfactant on the size characteristics of the final nanoparticle product. Flow and sedimentation field-flow fractionation techniques (FlFFF and SdFFF, respectively) were used to size characterize the five poly(lactic acid) particle samples. Two different combinations of carrier solution (mobile phase) were employed in the FlFFF analyses, while a solution of poly(vinyl alcohol) was used as mobile phase for the SdFFF runs. The separation performances of the two techniques were compared and the particle size distributions, derived from the fractograms, were interpreted with the support of observations by scanning electron microscopy. Some critical aspects, such as the carrier choice and the channel thickness determination for the FlFFF, have been investigated. This is the first comprehensive comparison of the two FFF techniques for characterizing non standard particulate materials. The two FFF techniques proved to be complementary and gave good, congruent and very useful information on the size distributions of the five poly(lactic acid) particle samples. PMID:17482199
The characteristics and mechanisms of Au nanoparticles processed by functional centrifugal procedures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shiau, Bo-Wen; Lin, Chien-Hung; Liao, Ying-Yen; Lee, Ya-Rong; Liu, Shih-Hao; Ding, Wei-Cheng; Lee, Jia-Ren

2018-05-01

In this work, the optical properties of Au nanoparticles processed by centrifugation techniques are studied. Most of the literature related to the control of nanoparticle size has focused on different preparation parameters; however, the wide size distribution is commonly an issue for follow-up investigations and further applications. Therefore, we developed a method in which specific-diameter particles can be effectively separated using different centrifugal procedures. The initial nanoparticle solution with a primary absorption peak at 534 nm is separated into discernible resonance wavelengths from 526 to 537 nm, with corresponding particle sizes from 30 to 55 nm. For the atomic force microscopy analysis of nanoparticle size, a dry cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) film often covers the particles and interferes with the measurement; thus, CTAB has to be removed. However, if too much CTAB is removed, the surface of the Au nanoparticle becomes unstable, and the particles aggregate. Accordingly, we used UV spectroscopy to monitor the CTAB content; properly adjust the rotational speed and the number of centrifugation stages; and design a method that can effectively remove impurities, avoid clustering, and enable particle size measurement. The usually complicated procedures and high cost of preparation of specific-size Au nanoparticles are greatly simplified and reduced by the convenient extraction process proposed in this work, which would benefit related research and applications.
Heat and Bleach: A Cost-Efficient Method for Extracting Microplastics from Return Activated Sludge.

PubMed

Sujathan, Surya; Kniggendorf, Ann-Kathrin; Kumar, Arun; Roth, Bernhard; Rosenwinkel, Karl-Heinz; Nogueira, Regina

2017-11-01

The extraction of plastic microparticles, so-called microplastics, from sludge is a challenging task due to the complex, highly organic material often interspersed with other benign microparticles. The current procedures for microplastic extraction from sludge are time consuming and require expensive reagents for density separation as well as large volumes of oxidizing agents for organic removal, often resulting in tiny sample sizes and thus a disproportional risk of sample bias. In this work, we present an improved extraction method tested on return activated sludge (RAS). The treatment of 100 ml of RAS requires only 6% hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) for bleaching at 70 °C, followed by density separation with sodium nitrate/sodium thiosulfate (SNT) solution, and is completed within 24 h. Extracted particles of all sizes were chemically analyzed with confocal Raman microscopy. An extraction efficiency of 78 ± 8% for plastic particle sizes 20 µm and up was confirmed in a recovery experiment. However, glass shards with a diameter of less than 20 µm remained in the sample despite the density of glass exceeding the density of the separating SNT solution by 1.1 g/cm 3 . This indicates that density separation may be unreliable for particle sizes in the lower micrometer range.

Synthesis of Single Crystalline ZnO Nanoparticles by Salt-Assisted Spray Pyrolysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panatarani, Camellia; Lenggoro, I. Wuled; Okuyama, Kikuo

2003-04-01

LiNO3 was used as a shield in the preparation of single crystalline ZnO particles by a spray pyrolysis process in order to prevent agglomeration and enhance the crystallinity of the ZnO. LiNO3 was added to a precursor solution of zinc acetate dihydrate prior to its atomization by means of an ultrasonic transducer. Agglomerate-free particles having a mean particle size of 26 nm were successfully obtained after washing the product. X-ray diffractometry, field-emission scanning electron micrograph and transmission electron micrograph data indicate that the size and morphology of ZnO were strongly influenced by the operating temperature used and the residence time of the particle in the reactor.
Control of particle size by feed composition in the nanolatexes produced via monomer-starved semicontinuous emulsion copolymerization.

PubMed

Sajjadi, Shahriar

2015-05-01

Conventional batch and semicontinuous emulsion copolymerizations often produce large particles whose size cannot be easily correlated with the comonomer feed compositions, and are to some degree susceptible to composition drift. In contrast, we found that copolymer nanolatexes made via semicontinuous monomer-starved emulsion copolymerizations are featured with an average nanoparticle size being controlled by the feed composition, a high conversion achieved, and a high degree of particle composition uniformity. This was achieved because the rate of particle growth, during nucleation, was controlled by the rate of comonomer addition, and the copolymer composition, surfactant parking area on the particles, and nucleation efficiency determined by the comonomer feed composition. Two model systems, methyl methacrylate/styrene and vinyl acetate/butyl acrylate, with significant differences in water solubility were studied. Monomers were added to the aqueous solution of sodium dodecylsulfate and potassium persulfate at a low rate to achieve high instantaneous conversions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Self-propulsion of a catalytically active particle near a planar wall: from reflection to sliding and hovering.

PubMed

Uspal, W E; Popescu, M N; Dietrich, S; Tasinkevych, M

2015-01-21

Micron-sized particles moving through a solution in response to self-generated chemical gradients serve as model systems for studying active matter. Their far-reaching potential applications will require the particles to sense and respond to their local environment in a robust manner. The self-generated hydrodynamic and chemical fields, which induce particle motion, probe and are modified by that very environment, including confining boundaries. Focusing on a catalytically active Janus particle as a paradigmatic example, we predict that near a hard planar wall such a particle exhibits several scenarios of motion: reflection from the wall, motion at a steady-state orientation and height above the wall, or motionless, steady "hovering." Concerning the steady states, the height and the orientation are determined both by the proportion of catalyst coverage and the interactions of the solutes with the different "faces" of the particle. Accordingly, we propose that a desired behavior can be selected by tuning these parameters via a judicious design of the particle surface chemistry.
EXAFS analysis of cations distribution in structure of Co1-xNixFe2O4 nanoparticles obtained by hydrothermal method in aloe vera extract solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wongpratat, Unchista; Maensiri, Santi; Swatsitang, Ekaphan

2016-09-01

Effect of cations distribution upon EXAFS analysis on magnetic properties of Co1-xNixFe2O4 (x = 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0) nanoparticles prepared by the hydrothermal method in aloe vera extract solution were studied. XRD analysis confirmed a pure phase of cubic spinel ferrite of all samples. Changes in lattice parameter and particle size depended on the Ni content with partial substitution and site distributions of Co2+, Ni2+ ions of different ionic radii at both tetrahedral and octahedral sites in the crystal structure. Particle sizes of samples estimated by TEM images were found to be in the range of 10.87-62.50 nm. The VSM results at room temperature indicated the ferrimagnetic behavior of all samples. Superparamagnetic behavior was observed in NiFe2O4 sample. The coercivity (Hc) and remanance (Mr) values were related to the particle sizes of samples. The saturation magnetization (Ms) was increased by a factor of 1.4 to a value of 57.57 emu/g, whereas the coercivity (Hc) was decreased by a factor of 20 to a value of 63.15 Oe for a sample with x = 0.75. In addition to the cations distribution, the increase of aspect ratio (surface to volume ratio) due to the decrease of particle size could significantly affect the magnetic properties of the materials.
Adsorption of cadmium by biochar produced from pyrolysis of corn stalk in aqueous solution.

PubMed

Ma, Fengfeng; Zhao, Baowei; Diao, Jingru

2016-09-01

The purpose of this work is to investigate adsorption characteristic of corn stalk (CS) biochar for removal of cadmium ions (Cd 2+ ) from aqueous solution. Batch adsorption experiments were carried out to evaluate the effects of pH value of solution, adsorbent particle size, adsorbent dosage, and ionic strength of solution on the adsorption of Cd 2+ onto biochar that was pyrolytically produced from CS at 300 °C. The results showed that the initial pH value of solution played an important role in adsorption. The adsorptive amount of Cd 2+ onto the biochar decreased with increasing the adsorbent dosage, adsorbent particle size, and ionic strength, while it increased with increasing the initial pH value of solution and temperature. Cd 2+ was removed efficiently and quickly from aqueous solutions by the biochar with a maximum capacity of 33.94 mg/g. The adsorption process was well described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model with the correlation coefficients greater than 0.986. The adsorption isotherm could be well fitted by the Langmuir model. The thermodynamic studies showed that the adsorption of Cd 2+ onto the biochar was a spontaneous and exothermic process. The results indicate that CS biochar can be considered as an efficient adsorbent.
Nanoparticles for heat transfer and thermal energy storage

DOEpatents

Singh, Dileep; Cingarapu, Sreeram; Timofeeva, Elena V.; Moravek, Michael

2015-07-14

An article of manufacture and method of preparation thereof. The article of manufacture and method of making the article includes an eutectic salt solution suspensions and a plurality of nanocrystalline phase change material particles having a coating disposed thereon and the particles capable of undergoing the phase change which provides increase in thermal energy storage. In addition, other articles of manufacture can include a nanofluid additive comprised of nanometer-sized particles consisting of copper decorated graphene particles that provide advanced thermal conductivity to heat transfer fluids.
Inversion method based on stochastic optimization for particle sizing.

PubMed

Sánchez-Escobar, Juan Jaime; Barbosa-Santillán, Liliana Ibeth; Vargas-Ubera, Javier; Aguilar-Valdés, Félix

2016-08-01

A stochastic inverse method is presented based on a hybrid evolutionary optimization algorithm (HEOA) to retrieve a monomodal particle-size distribution (PSD) from the angular distribution of scattered light. By solving an optimization problem, the HEOA (with the Fraunhofer approximation) retrieves the PSD from an intensity pattern generated by Mie theory. The analyzed light-scattering pattern can be attributed to unimodal normal, gamma, or lognormal distribution of spherical particles covering the interval of modal size parameters 46≤α≤150. The HEOA ensures convergence to the near-optimal solution during the optimization of a real-valued objective function by combining the advantages of a multimember evolution strategy and locally weighted linear regression. The numerical results show that our HEOA can be satisfactorily applied to solve the inverse light-scattering problem.
Numerical modeling of sorption kinetics of organic compounds to soil and sediment particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Shian-chee; Gschwend, Phillip M.

1988-08-01

A numerical model is developed to simulate hydrophobic organic compound sorption kinetics, based on a retarded intraaggregate diffusion conceptualization of this solid-water exchange process. This model was used to ascertain the sensitivity of the sorption process for various sorbates to nonsteady solution concentrations and to polydisperse soil or sediment aggregate particle size distributions. Common approaches to modeling sorption kinetics amount to simplifications of our model and appear justified only when (1) the concentration fluctuations occur on a time scale which matches the sorption timescale of interest and (2) the particle size distribution is relatively narrow. Finally, a means is provided to estimate the extent of approach of a sorbing system to equilibrium as a function of aggregate size, chemical diffusivity and hydrophobicity, and system solids concentration.
Solid oxide fuel cell cathode infiltrate particle size control and oxygen surface exchange resistance determination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burye, Theodore E.

Over the past decade, nano-sized Mixed Ionic Electronic Conducting (MIEC) -- micro-sized Ionic Conducting (IC) composite cathodes produced by the infiltration method have received much attention in the literature due to their low polarization resistance (RP) at intermediate (500-700°C) operating temperatures. Small infiltrated MIEC oxide nano-particle size and low intrinsic MIEC oxygen surface exchange resistance (Rs) have been two critical factors allowing these Nano-Micro-Composite Cathodes (NMCCs) to achieve high performance and/or low temperature operation. Unfortunately, previous studies have not found a reliable method to control or reduce infiltrated nano-particle size. In addition, controversy exists on the best MIEC infiltrate composition because: 1) Rs measurements on infiltrated MIEC particles are presently unavailable in the literature, and 2) bulk and thin film Rs measurements on nominally identical MIEC compositions often vary by up to 3 orders of magnitude. Here, two processing techniques, precursor nitrate solution desiccation and ceria oxide pre-infiltration, were developed to systematically produce a reduction in the average La0.6Sr0.4Co0.8Fe 0.2O3-delta (LSCF) infiltrated nano-particle size from 50 nm to 22 nm. This particle size reduction reduced the SOFC operating temperature, (defined as the temperature where RP=0.1 Ocm 2) from 650°C to 540°C. In addition, Rs values for infiltrated MIEC particles were determined for the first time through finite element modeling calculations on 3D Focused Ion Beam-Scanning Electron Microscope (FIB-SEM) reconstructions of electrochemically characterized infiltrated electrodes.
Taming axial dispersion in hydrodynamic chromatography columns through wall patterning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adrover, Alessandra; Cerbelli, Stefano; Giona, Massimiliano

2018-04-01

A well-known limitation of hydrodynamic chromatography arises from the synergistic interaction between transverse diffusion and streamwise convection, which enhances axial dispersion through the Taylor-Aris mechanism. We show that a periodic sequence of slip/no-slip conditions at the channel walls (e.g., representing wall indentations hosting stable air pockets) can significantly reduce axial dispersion, thus enhancing separation performance. The theoretical/numerical analysis is based on a generalization of Brenner's macrotransport approach to solute transport, here modified to account for the finite-size of the suspended particles. The most effective dispersion-taming outcome is observed when the alternating sequence of slip/no-slip conditions yields non-vanishing cross-sectional flow components. The combination of these components with the hindering interaction between the channel boundaries and the finite-sized particles gives rise to a non-trivial solution of Brenner's problem on the unit periodic cell, where the cross-sectional particle number density departs from the spatially homogeneous condition. In turn, this effect impacts upon the solution of the so-called b-field defining the large-scale dispersion tensor, with an overall decremental effect on the axial dispersion coefficient and on the Height Equivalent of a Theoretical Plate.
Innovative approach to produce submicron drug particles by vibrational atomization spray drying: influence of the type of solvent and surfactant.

PubMed

Durli, T L; Dimer, F A; Fontana, M C; Pohlmann, A R; Beck, R C R; Guterres, S S

2014-08-01

Spray drying is a technique used to produce solid particles from liquid solutions, emulsions or suspensions. Buchi Labortechnik developed the latest generation of spray dryers, Nano Spray Dryer B-90. This study aims to obtain, directly, submicron drug particles from an organic solution, employing this equipment and using dexamethasone as a model drug. In addition, we evaluated the influence of both the type of solvent and surfactant on the properties of the powders using a 3(2) full factorial analysis. The particles were obtained with high yields (above 60%), low water content (below 2%) and high drug content (above 80%). The surface tension and the viscosity were strongly influenced by the type of solvent. The highest powder yields were obtained for the highest surface tension and the lowest viscosity of the drug solutions. The use of ionic surfactants led to higher process yields. The laser diffraction technique revealed that the particles deagglomerate into small ones with submicrometric size, (around 1 µm) that was also observed by scanning electron microscopy. Interaction between the raw materials in the spray-dried powders was verified by calorimetric analysis. Thus, it was possible to obtain dexamethasone submicrometric particles by vibrational atomization from organic solution.
Comparison of 20 nm silver nanoparticles synthesized with and without a gold core. Structure, dissolution in cell culture media, and biological impact on macrophages

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

Munusamy, Prabhakaran; Wang, Chongmin; Engelhard, Mark H.

Widespread use of silver nanoparticles raises questions of environmental impact and toxicity. Both silver particles and silver ions formed by particle dissolution may impact biological systems. Therefore it is important to understand the characteristics of silver nanoparticles and their stability in relevant media. The synthesis route can impact physical and chemical characteristics of the particles and we report the characterization and solution stability of three types of silver nanoparticles (20 nm particles with and without gold cores and 110 nm particles with gold cores) in cell culture media with serum proteins: FBS10%/RPMI. These nanoparticles were synthesized in aqueous solution andmore » characterized using both in situ and ex situ analysis methods. Dissolution studies were carried at particle concentrations from 1 µg/ml to 50 µg/ml. Particles with gold cores had smaller crystallite size and higher apparent solubility than pure silver particles. A dissolution model was found to describe the time variation of particle size and amount of dissolved silver for particle loadings above 9 µg/ml. An effective solubility product obtained from fitting the data was higher for the 20 nm gold core particles in comparison to the pure silver or 110 nm particles. Dissolution of the nanoparticles was enhanced by presence of serum proteins contained in fetal bovine serum. In addition, the protocol of the dispersion in the medium was found to influence particle agglomeration and dissolution. Results show that particle structure can impact the concentration of dissolved silver and the dose to which cells would be exposed during in vitro studies.« less
Comparison of 20 nm silver nanoparticles synthesized with and without a gold core. Structure, dissolution in cell culture media, and biological impact on macrophages

DOE PAGES

Munusamy, Prabhakaran; Wang, Chongmin; Engelhard, Mark H.; ...

2015-07-15

Widespread use of silver nanoparticles raises questions of environmental impact and toxicity. Both silver particles and silver ions formed by particle dissolution may impact biological systems. Therefore it is important to understand the characteristics of silver nanoparticles and their stability in relevant media. The synthesis route can impact physical and chemical characteristics of the particles and we report the characterization and solution stability of three types of silver nanoparticles (20 nm particles with and without gold cores and 110 nm particles with gold cores) in cell culture media with serum proteins: FBS10%/RPMI. These nanoparticles were synthesized in aqueous solution andmore » characterized using both in situ and ex situ analysis methods. Dissolution studies were carried at particle concentrations from 1 µg/ml to 50 µg/ml. Particles with gold cores had smaller crystallite size and higher apparent solubility than pure silver particles. A dissolution model was found to describe the time variation of particle size and amount of dissolved silver for particle loadings above 9 µg/ml. An effective solubility product obtained from fitting the data was higher for the 20 nm gold core particles in comparison to the pure silver or 110 nm particles. Dissolution of the nanoparticles was enhanced by presence of serum proteins contained in fetal bovine serum. In addition, the protocol of the dispersion in the medium was found to influence particle agglomeration and dissolution. Results show that particle structure can impact the concentration of dissolved silver and the dose to which cells would be exposed during in vitro studies.« less
Theory of adsorption in a polydisperse templated porous material: Hard sphere systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

RŻysko, Wojciech; Sokołowski, Stefan; Pizio, Orest

2002-03-01

A theoretical description of adsorption in a templated porous material, formed by an equilibrium quench of a polydisperse fluid composed of matrix and template particles and subsequent removal of the template particles is presented. The approach is based on the solution of the replica Ornstein-Zernike equations with Percus-Yevick and hypernetted chain closures. The method of solution uses expansions of size-dependent correlation functions into Fourier series, as described by Lado [J. Chem. Phys. 108, 6441 (1998)]. Specific calculations have been carried out for model systems, composed of hard spheres.
Quantitative molecular characterization of bovine vitreous and lens with non-invasive dynamic light scattering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ansari, R. R.; Suh, K. I.; Dunker, S.; Kitaya, N.; Sebag, J.

2001-01-01

The non-invasive technique of dynamic light scattering (DLS) was used to quantitatively characterize vitreous and lens structure on a molecular level by measuring the sizes of the predominant particles and mapping the three-dimensional topographic distribution of these structural macromolecules in three spatial dimensions. The results of DLS measurements in five fresh adult bovine eyes were compared to DLS measurements in model solutions of hyaluronan (HA) and collagen (Coll). In the bovine eyes DLS measurements were obtained from excised samples of gel and liquid vitreous and compared to the model solutions. Measurements in whole vitreous were obtained at multiple points posterior to the lens to generate a three-dimensional 'map' of molecular structure. The macromolecule distribution in bovine lens was similarly characterized.In each bovine vitreous (Bo Vit) specimen, DLS predominantly detected two distinct particles, which differed in diffusion properties and hence size. Comparisons with model vitreous solutions demonstrated that these most likely corresponded to the Coll and HA components of vitreous. Three-dimensional mapping of Bo Vit found heterogeneity throughout the vitreous body, with different particle size distributions for Coll and HA at different loci. In contrast, the three-dimensional distribution of lens macromolecules was more homogeneous. Thus, the non-invasive DLS technique can quantitate the average sizes of vitreous and lens macromolecules and map their three-dimensional distribution. This method to assess quantitatively the macromolecular structure of vitreous and lens should be useful for clinical as well as experimental applications in health and disease. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.
Effect of centrifugation on dynamic susceptibility of magnetic fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pshenichnikov, Alexander; Lebedev, Alexander; Lakhtina, Ekaterina; Kuznetsov, Andrey

2017-06-01

The dispersive composition, dynamic susceptibility and spectrum of times of magnetization relaxation for six samples of magnetic fluid obtained by centrifuging two base colloidal solutions of the magnetite in kerosene was investigated experimentally. The base solutions differed by the concentration of the magnetic phase and the width of the particle size distribution. The procedure of cluster analysis allowing one to estimate the characteristic sizes of aggregates with uncompensated magnetic moments was described. The results of the magnetogranulometric and cluster analyses were discussed. It was shown that centrifugation has a strong effect on the physical properties of the separated fractions, which is related to the spatial redistribution of particles and multi-particle aggregates. The presence of aggregates in magnetic fluids is interpreted as the main reason of low-frequency (0.1-10 kHz) dispersion of the dynamic susceptibility. The obtained results count in favor of using centrifugation as an effective means of changing the dynamic susceptibility over wide limits and obtaining fluids with the specified type of susceptibility dispersion.
Differences in soil solution chemistry between soils amended with nanosized CuO or Cu reference materials: implications for nanotoxicity tests.

PubMed

McShane, Heather V A; Sunahara, Geoffrey I; Whalen, Joann K; Hendershot, William H

2014-07-15

Soil toxicity tests for metal oxide nanoparticles often include micrometer-sized oxide and metal salt treatments to distinguish between toxicity from nanometer-sized particles, non-nanometer-sized particles, and dissolved ions. Test result will be confounded if each chemical form has different effects on soil solution chemistry. We report on changes in soil solution chemistry over 56 days-the duration of some standard soil toxicity tests-in three soils amended with 500 mg/kg Cu as nanometer-sized CuO (nano), micrometer-sized CuO (micrometer), or Cu(NO3)2 (salt). In the CuO-amended soils, the log Cu2+ activity was initially low (minimum -9.48) and increased with time (maximum -5.20), whereas in the salt-amended soils it was initially high (maximum -4.80) and decreased with time (minimum -6.10). The Cu2+ activity in the nano-amended soils was higher than in the micrometer-amended soils for at least the first 11 days, and lower than in the salt-amended soils for at least 28 d. The pH, and dissolved Ca and Mg concentrations in the CuO-amended soils were similar, but the salt-amended soils had lower pH for at least 14 d, and higher Ca and Mg concentrations throughout the test. Soil pretreatments such as leaching and aging prior to toxicity tests are suggested.
Preparation of polymeric Janus particles by directional UV-induced reactions.

PubMed

Liu, Lianying; Ren, Mingwei; Yang, Wantai

2009-09-15

Polymeric Janus particles are obtained by UV-induced selective surface grafting polymerizations and coupling reactions, in virtue of the light-absorption of photoreactive materials such as the immobilized photoinitiator and spread photoinitiator solution on the surfaces exposed to UV light and the sheltering of densely arrayed immovable particles from light. Varying the monomers or macromolecules applied in photografting polymerization or coupling reaction, and choosing diverse polymeric particles of various size, bicolor and amphiphilic Janus particles could be successfully achieved. Observations by fluorescence microscope, scanning electron microscope ,and transmission electron microscope confirmed the asymmetrical morphology of the resultant Janus particles.
Laboratory evaluation of the Sequoia Scientific LISST-ABS acoustic backscatter sediment sensor

USGS Publications Warehouse

Snazelle, Teri T.

2017-12-18

Sequoia Scientific’s LISST-ABS is an acoustic backscatter sensor designed to measure suspended-sediment concentration at a point source. Three LISST-ABS were evaluated at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility (HIF). Serial numbers 6010, 6039, and 6058 were assessed for accuracy in solutions with varying particle-size distributions and for the effect of temperature on sensor accuracy. Certified sediment samples composed of different ranges of particle size were purchased from Powder Technology Inc. These sediment samples were 30–80-micron (µm) Arizona Test Dust; less than 22-µm ISO 12103-1, A1 Ultrafine Test Dust; and 149-µm MIL-STD 810E Silica Dust. The sensor was able to accurately measure suspended-sediment concentration when calibrated with sediment of the same particle-size distribution as the measured. Overall testing demonstrated that sensors calibrated with finer sized sediments overdetect sediment concentrations with coarser sized sediments, and sensors calibrated with coarser sized sediments do not detect increases in sediment concentrations from small and fine sediments. These test results are not unexpected for an acoustic-backscatter device and stress the need for using accurate site-specific particle-size distributions during sensor calibration. When calibrated for ultrafine dust with a less than 22-µm particle size (silt) and with the Arizona Test Dust with a 30–80-µm range, the data from sensor 6039 were biased high when fractions of the coarser (149-µm) Silica Dust were added. Data from sensor 6058 showed similar results with an elevated response to coarser material when calibrated with a finer particle-size distribution and a lack of detection when subjected to finer particle-size sediment. Sensor 6010 was also tested for the effect of dissimilar particle size during the calibration and showed little effect. Subsequent testing revealed problems with this sensor, including an inadequate temperature compensation, making this data questionable. The sensor was replaced by Sequoia Scientific with serial number 6039. Results from the extended temperature testing showed proper temperature compensation for sensor 6039, and results from the dissimilar calibration/testing particle-size distribution closely corroborated the results from sensor 6058.
First evidence on phloem transport of nanoscale calcium oxide in groundnut using solution culture technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deepa, Manchala; Sudhakar, Palagiri; Nagamadhuri, Kandula Venkata; Balakrishna Reddy, Kota; Giridhara Krishna, Thimmavajjula; Prasad, Tollamadugu Naga Venkata Krishna Vara

2015-06-01

Nanoscale materials, whose size typically falls below 100 nm, exhibit novel chemical, physical and biological properties which are different from their bulk counterparts. In the present investigation, we demonstrated that nanoscale calcium oxide particles (n-CaO) could transport through phloem tissue of groundnut unlike the corresponding bulk materials. n-CaO particles are prepared using sol-gel method. The size of the as prepared n-CaO measured (69.9 nm) using transmission electron microscopic technique (TEM). Results of the hydroponics experiment using solution culture technique revealed that foliar application of n-CaO at different concentrations (10, 50, 100, 500, 1,000 ppm) on groundnut plants confirmed the entry of calcium into leaves and stems through phloem compared to bulk source of calcium sprayed (CaO and CaNO3). After spraying of n-CaO, calcium content in roots, shoots and leaves significantly increased. Based on visual scoring of calcium deficiency correction and calcium content in plant parts, we may establish the fact that nanoscale calcium oxide particles (size 69.9 nm) could move through phloem tissue in groundnut. This is the first report on phloem transport of nanoscale calcium oxide particles in plants and this result points to the use of nanoscale calcium oxide particles as calcium source to the plants through foliar application, agricultural crops in particular, as bulk calcium application through foliar nutrition is restricted due to its non-mobility in phloem.

Structural, electrical and multiferroic characteristics of thermo-mechanically fabricated BiFeO3-(BaSr)TiO3 solid solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behera, C.; Choudhary, R. N. P.; Das, Piyush R.

2018-05-01

A solid solution consisting of two perovskite compounds (BiFeO3 and (BaSr)TiO3) of chemical composition (Bi1/2Ba1/4Sr1/4)(Fe1/2Ti1/2)O3 has been fabricated in the low dimensional regime by thermo-mechanical (ball milling and heating) approach. The effect of particle size on the structural, micro-structural, relative permittivity, switching (ferroelectric and magnetic) and conduction phenomena of the material has been studied using various experimental techniques such as x-rays diffraction, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, ferroelectric and magnetic hysteresis, dynamic magneto-electric coupling measurement and impedance spectroscopy techniques. All the above extracted properties are found to be particle size dependent. The first order magneto-electric coupling constant is found to be 2.56, 6.6 and 8.7 mV cm‑1.Oe for 30, 60 and 90 h milled calcined (hmc) sample respectively. As the above micro/nano-material with different particle size, has a high relative dielectric constant and low tangent loss, it can be used for some multifunctional devices including capacity energy storage device in nano-electronics.
Kinetic precipitation of solution-phase polyoxomolybdate followed by transmission electron microscopy: a window to solution-phase nanostructure.

PubMed

Zhu, Yan; Cammers-Goodwin, Arthur; Zhao, Bin; Dozier, Alan; Dickey, Elizabeth C

2004-05-17

This study aimed to elucidate the structural nature of the polydisperse, nanoscopic components in the solution and the solid states of partially reduced polyoxomolybdate derived from the [Mo132] keplerate, [(Mo)Mo5]12-[Mo2 acetate]30. Designer tripodal hexamine-tris-crown ethers and nanoscopic molybdate coprecipitated from aqueous solution. These microcrystalline solids distributed particle radii between 2-30 nm as assayed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The solid materials and their particle size distributions were snap shots of the solution phase. The mother liquor of the preparation of the [Mo132] keplerate after three days revealed large species (r=20-30 nm) in the coprecipitate, whereas [Mo132] keplerate redissolved in water revealed small species (3-7 nm) in the coprecipitate. Nanoparticles of coprecipitate were more stable than solids derived solely from partially reduced molybdate. The TEM features of all material analyzed lacked facets on the nanometer length scale; however, the structures diffracted electrons and appeared to be defect-free as evidenced by Moiré patterns in the TEM images. Moiré patterns and size-invariant optical densities of the features in the micrographs suggested that the molybdate nanoparticles were vesicular.
4D Imaging of Salt Precipitation during Evaporation from Saline Porous Media Influenced by the Particle Size Distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norouzi Rad, M.; Shokri, N.

2014-12-01

Understanding the physics of water evaporation from saline porous media is important in many processes such as evaporation from porous media, vegetation, plant growth, biodiversity in soil, and durability of building materials. To investigate the effect of particle size distribution on the dynamics of salt precipitation in saline porous media during evaporation, we applied X-ray micro-tomography technique. Six samples of quartz sand with different grain size distributions were used in the present study enabling us to constrain the effects of particle and pore sizes on salt precipitation patterns and dynamics. The pore size distributions were computed using the pore-scale X-ray images. The packed beds were saturated with NaCl solution of 3 Molal and the X-ray imaging was continued for one day with temporal resolution of 30 min resulting in pore scale information about the evaporation and precipitation dynamics. Our results show more precipitation at the early stage of the evaporation in the case of sand with the larger particle size due to the presence of fewer evaporation sites at the surface. The presence of more preferential evaporation sites at the surface of finer sands significantly modified the patterns and thickness of the salt crust deposited on the surface such that a thinner salt crust was formed in the case of sand with smaller particle size covering larger area at the surface as opposed to the thicker patchy crusts in samples with larger particle sizes. Our results provide new insights regarding the physics of salt precipitation in porous media during evaporation.
Effect of alkali ions (Na+, K+, Cs+) on reaction mechanism of CZTS nano-particles synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Suresh; Altosaar, Mare; Grossberg, Maarja; Mikli, Valdek

2018-04-01

The control of morphology, elemental composition and phase composition of Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) nano-crystals depends on the control of complex formation and surface stabilization of nano-particles in solution-based synthesis in oleylamine. At temperatures ≥280 °C, the control of nano-crystal's morphology and homogenous growth is difficult because of fast poly-nuclear growth occurring at higher temperatures. In the present work the effect of oleylamine complex formation with different alkali ions (Na+, K+ and Cs+) on nano-crystals growth at synthesis temperature of 280 °C was studied. It was found that nano-powders synthesized in the presence of Na+ and K+ ions showed the formation of crystals of different sizes - small nano-particles (18 nm-30 nm), large aggregated crystals (few nm to 1 μm) and large single crystals (1 μm - 4 μm). The presence of Cs+ ions in the nano-powder synthesis in oleylamine-metal precursor-CsOH solution promoted growth of nano-crystals of homogenous size. It is proposed that the formed oleylamine-Cs complexes a) enhance the formation and stabilization of oleylamine-metal (Cu, Zn and Sn) complexes before the injection of sulphur precursor into the oleylamine-metal precursor solution and b) after addition of sulphur stabilize the fast nucleated nano-particles and promote diffusion limited growth.
Rapid and Efficient Collection of Platinum from Karstedt's Catalyst Solution via Ligands-Exchange-Induced Assembly.

PubMed

Yang, Gonghua; Wei, Yanlong; Huang, Zhenzhu; Hu, Jiwen; Liu, Guojun; Ou, Ming; Lin, Shudong; Tu, Yuanyuan

2018-02-21

Reported herein is a novel strategy for the rapid and efficient collection of platinum from Karstedt's catalyst solution. By taking advantage of a ligand-exchange reaction between alkynols and the 1,3-divinyltetramethyldisiloxane ligand (M Vi M Vi ) that coordinated with platinum (Pt(0)), the Karstedt's catalyst particles with a size of approximately 2.5 ± 0.7 nm could be reconstructed and assembled into larger particles with a size of 150 ± 35 nm due to the hydrogen bonding between the hydroxyl groups of the alkynol. In addition, because the silicone-soluble M Vi M Vi ligand of the Karstedt's catalyst was replaced by water-soluble alkynol ligands, the resultant large particles were readily dispersed in water, resulting in rapid, efficient, and complete collection of platinum from the Karstedt's catalyst solutions with platinum concentrations in the range from ∼20 000 to 0.05 ppm. Our current strategy not only was used for the rapid and efficient collection of platinum from the Karstedt's catalyst solutions, but it also enabled the precise evaluation of the platinum content in the Karstedt's catalysts, even if this platinum content was extremely low (i.e., 0.05 ppm). Moreover, these platinum specimens that were efficiently collected from the Karstedt's catalyst solutions could be directly used for the evaluation of platinum without the need for pretreatment processes, such as calcination and digestion with hydrofluoric acid, that were traditionally used prior to testing via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in conventional methods.
Sorption of 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl by microplastics: A case study of polypropylene.

PubMed

Zhan, Zhiwei; Wang, Jundong; Peng, Jinping; Xie, Qilai; Huang, Ying; Gao, Yifan

2016-09-15

Though plastics show good chemical inertness, they could sorb polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other toxic pollutants from the surrounding environment. Thus, ingestion of microplastics by marine organisms potentially enhances the transport and bioavailability of toxic chemicals. However, there is lack of studies on the sorption capacity, mechanism and factors affecting the sorption behavior. Here, sorption of PCBs by microplastics in the simulated seawater was studied using the batch oscillation equilibration technique, in which polypropylene (PP) and 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB77) acted as model plastic and PCB, respectively. Factors including particle size, temperature and solution environment were investigated. Results showed that, equilibrium sorption time is about 8h and sorption capacity increase with decreasing particle size and temperature. Different sorption capacity in three solution environments was observed. Equilibrium data in three solution environments fitted very well to the Langmuir sorption model, indicating chemical sorption is the predominant mechanism. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Copper-assisted, anti-reflection etching of silicon surfaces

DOEpatents

Toor, Fatima; Branz, Howard

2014-08-26

A method (300) for etching a silicon surface (116) to reduce reflectivity. The method (300) includes electroless deposition of copper nanoparticles about 20 nanometers in size on the silicon surface (116), with a particle-to-particle spacing of 3 to 8 nanometers. The method (300) includes positioning (310) the substrate (112) with a silicon surface (116) into a vessel (122). The vessel (122) is filled (340) with a volume of an etching solution (124) so as to cover the silicon surface (116). The etching solution (124) includes an oxidant-etchant solution (146), e.g., an aqueous solution of hydrofluoric acid and hydrogen peroxide. The silicon surface (116) is etched (350) by agitating the etching solution (124) with, for example, ultrasonic agitation, and the etching may include heating (360) the etching solution (124) and directing light (365) onto the silicon surface (116). During the etching, copper nanoparticles enhance or drive the etching process.
Surface reaction characteristics at low temperature synthesis BaTiO 3 particles by barium hydroxide aqueous solution and titanium tetraisopropoxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Min

2011-05-01

Well-crystallized cubic phase BaTiO 3 particles were prepared by heating the mixture of barium hydroxide aqueous solution and titania derived from the hydrolysis of titanium isopropoxide (TTIP) at 328 K, 348 K or 368 K for 24 h. The morphology and size of obtained particles depended on the reaction temperature and the Ba(OH) 2/TTIP molar ratio. By the direct hydrolytic reaction of titanium tetraisopropoxide, the high surface area titania (TiO 2) was obtained. The surface adsorption characteristics of the titania particles had been studied with different electric charges OH - ions or H + ions. The formation mechanism and kinetics of BaTiO 3 were examined by measuring the concentration of [Ba 2+] ions in the solution during the heating process. The experimental results showed that the heterogeneous nucleation of BaTiO 3 occurred on the titania surface, according to the Avrami's equation.
Specific physical and chemical properties of two modifications of poly(N-vinylcaprolcatam)

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

Chihacheva, I. P.; Timaeva, O. I.; Kuz’micheva, G. M., E-mail: galina-kuzmicheva@list.ru

2016-05-15

Two modifications of poly(N-vinylcaprolactam)—PVCL25 and PVCL40 (drying of a PVCL solution at 25 and 40°C, respectively)—as powdered films and their solutions were systematically investigated for the first time. Powders were studied by X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, low-temperature krypton adsorption, and differential scanning calorimetry. Solutions were studied by smallangle X-ray scattering and dynamic light scattering. It was demonstrated that powders of PVCL25 and PVCL40 differ in the characteristics of the sub- and microstructure and in the water content and the solutions differ in the particle size. The relationships between the characteristics of the systems in the solid andmore » liquid state and between the hydrodynamic diameter of PVCL particles in solution and their coagulation time were found.« less
Temperature and size-dependent Hamaker constants for metal nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, K.; Pinchuk, P.

2016-08-01

Theoretical values of the Hamaker constant have been calculated for metal nanoparticles using Lifshitz theory. The theory describes the Hamaker constant in terms of the permittivity of the interacting bodies. Metal nanoparticles exhibit an internal size effect that alters the dielectric permittivity of the particle when its size falls below the mean free path of the conducting electrons. This size dependence of the permittivity leads to size-dependence of the Hamaker constant for metal nanoparticles. Additionally, the electron damping and the plasma frequency used to model the permittivity of the particle exhibit temperature-dependence, which lead to temperature dependence of the Hamaker constant. In this work, both the size and temperature dependence for gold, silver, copper, and aluminum nanoparticles is demonstrated. The results of this study might be of interest for studying the colloidal stability of nanoparticles in solution.
Temperature and size-dependent Hamaker constants for metal nanoparticles.

PubMed

Jiang, K; Pinchuk, P

2016-08-26

Theoretical values of the Hamaker constant have been calculated for metal nanoparticles using Lifshitz theory. The theory describes the Hamaker constant in terms of the permittivity of the interacting bodies. Metal nanoparticles exhibit an internal size effect that alters the dielectric permittivity of the particle when its size falls below the mean free path of the conducting electrons. This size dependence of the permittivity leads to size-dependence of the Hamaker constant for metal nanoparticles. Additionally, the electron damping and the plasma frequency used to model the permittivity of the particle exhibit temperature-dependence, which lead to temperature dependence of the Hamaker constant. In this work, both the size and temperature dependence for gold, silver, copper, and aluminum nanoparticles is demonstrated. The results of this study might be of interest for studying the colloidal stability of nanoparticles in solution.
Particle deposition in human respiratory system: deposition of concentrated hygroscopic aerosols.

PubMed

Varghese, Suresh K; Gangamma, S

2009-06-01

In the nearly saturated human respiratory tract, the presence of water-soluble substances in the inhaled aerosols can cause change in the size distribution of the particles. This consequently alters the lung deposition profiles of the inhaled airborne particles. Similarly, the presence of high concentration of hygroscopic aerosols also affects the water vapor and temperature profiles in the respiratory tract. A model is presented to analyze these effects in human respiratory system. The model solves simultaneously the heat and mass transfer equations to determine the size evolution of respirable particles and gas-phase properties within human respiratory tract. First, the model predictions for nonhygroscopic aerosols are compared with experimental results. The model results are compared with experimental results of sodium chloride particles. The model reproduces the major features of the experimental data. The water vapor profile is significantly modified only when a high concentration of particles is present. The model is used to study the effect of equilibrium assumptions on particle deposition. Simulations show that an infinite dilution solution assumption to calculate the saturation equilibrium over droplet could induce errors in estimating particle growth. This error is significant in the case of particles of size greater than 1 mum and at number concentrations higher than 10(5)/cm(3).
Scattering and Absorption Properties of Polydisperse Wavelength-sized Particles Covered with Much Smaller Grains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dlugach, Jana M.; Mishchenko, Michael I.; Mackowski, Daniel W.

2012-01-01

Using the results of direct, numerically exact computer solutions of the Maxwell equations, we analyze scattering and absorption characteristics of polydisperse compound particles in the form of wavelength-sized spheres covered with a large number of much smaller spherical grains.The results pertain to the complex refractive indices1.55 + i0.0003,1.55 + i0.3, and 3 + i0.1. We show that the optical effects of dusting wavelength-sized hosts by microscopic grains can vary depending on the number and size of the grains as well as on the complex refractive index. Our computations also demonstrate the high efficiency of the new superposition T-matrix code developed for use on distributed memory computer clusters.
New polymorphs of 9-nitro-camptothecin prepared using a supercritical anti-solvent process.

PubMed

Huang, Yinxia; Wang, Hongdi; Liu, Guijin; Jiang, Yanbin

2015-12-30

Recrystallization and micronization of 9-nitro-camptothecin (9-NC) has been investigated using the supercritical anti-solvent (SAS) technology in this study. Five operating factors, i.e., the type of organic solvent, the concentration of 9-NC in the solution, the flow rate of 9-NC solution, the precipitation pressure and the temperature, were optimized using a selected OA16 (4(5)) orthogonal array design and a series of characterizations were performed for all samples. The results showed that the processed 9-NC particles exhibited smaller particle size and narrower particle size distribution as compared with 9-NC raw material (Form I), and the optimum micronization conditions for preparing 9-NC with minimum particle size were determined by variance analysis, where the solvent plays the most important role in the formation and transformation of polymorphs. Three new polymorphic forms (Form II, III and IV) of 9-NC, which present different physicochemical properties, were generated after the SAS process. The predicted structures of the 9-NC crystals, which were consistent with the experiments, were performed from their experimental XRD data by the direct space approach using the Reflex module of Materials Studio. Meanwhile, the optimal sample (Form III) was proved to have higher cytotoxicity against the cancer cells, which suggested the therapeutic efficacy of 9-NC is polymorph-dependent. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Assessment of analytical techniques for predicting solid propellant exhaust plumes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tevepaugh, J. A.; Smith, S. D.; Penny, M. M.

1977-01-01

The calculation of solid propellant exhaust plume flow fields is addressed. Two major areas covered are: (1) the applicability of empirical data currently available to define particle drag coefficients, heat transfer coefficients, mean particle size and particle size distributions, and (2) thermochemical modeling of the gaseous phase of the flow field. Comparisons of experimentally measured and analytically predicted data are made. The experimental data were obtained for subscale solid propellant motors with aluminum loadings of 2, 10 and 15%. Analytical predictions were made using a fully coupled two-phase numerical solution. Data comparisons will be presented for radial distributions at plume axial stations of 5, 12, 16 and 20 diameters.
Control of silicification by genetically engineered fusion proteins: Silk–silica binding peptides

PubMed Central

Zhou, Shun; Huang, Wenwen; Belton, David J.; Simmons, Leo O.; Perry, Carole C.; Wang, Xiaoqin; Kaplan, David L.

2014-01-01

In the present study, an artificial spider silk gene, 6mer, derived from the consensus sequence of Nephila clavipes dragline silk gene, was fused with different silica-binding peptides (SiBPs), A1, A3 and R5, to study the impact of the fusion protein sequence chemistry on silica formation and the ability to generate a silk–silica composite in two different bioinspired silicification systems: solution–solution and solution– solid. Condensed silica nanoscale particles (600–800 nm) were formed in the presence of the recombinant silk and chimeras, which were smaller than those formed by 15mer-SiBP chimeras [1], revealing that the molecular weight of the silk domain correlated to the sizes of the condensed silica particles in the solution system. In addition, the chimeras (6mer-A1/A3/R5) produced smaller condensed silica particles than the control (6mer), revealing that the silica particle size formed in the solution system is controlled by the size of protein assemblies in solution. In the solution–solid interface system, silicification reactions were performed on the surface of films fabricated from the recombinant silk proteins and chimeras and then treated to induce β-sheet formation. A higher density of condensed silica formed on the films containing the lowest β-sheet content while the films with the highest β-sheet content precipitated the lowest density of silica, revealing an inverse correlation between the β-sheet secondary structure and the silica content formed on the films. Intriguingly, the 6mer-A3 showed the highest rate of silica condensation but the lowest density of silica deposition on the films, compared with 6mer-A1 and -R5, revealing antagonistic crosstalk between the silk and the SiBP domains in terms of protein assembly. These findings offer a path forward in the tailoring of biopolymer–silica composites for biomaterial related needs. PMID:25462851
Inhalation Properties and Stability of Nebulized Naked siRNA Solution for Pulmonary Therapy.

PubMed

Tahara, Kohei; Hashimoto, Wakana; Takeuchi, Hirofumi

2016-01-01

The use of naked unmodified small interfering RNA (N-siRNA) without vector has previously been investigated as a pulmonary therapy. However, little is known regarding stabilities and aerodynamic particle sizes of N-siRNA-containing droplets; nebulizers have not yet been optimized for N-siRNA solutions. Thus, in this study, we investigated the feasibility of inhaled N-siRNA solutions for pulmonary therapy using nebulization. Various nebulizers and N-siRNA concentrations were assessed in terms of siRNA integrity after nebulization, and inhalation properties including aerodynamic particle size were examined. In comparison with ultrasonic-, air-jet-, and vibrating-mesh nebulizers, N-siRNA integrity was not affected by nebulization. Thus, in further experiments, performances of N-siRNA aerosols with different nebulizers and N-siRNA concentrations were evaluated and screened using an aerodynamic particle sizer (APS) which employed the time-of-flight principle or a cascade impactor. Mean mass aerodynamic diameters of N-siRNA-containing droplets from vibrating-mesh nebulizers tended to decrease with increasing N-siRNA concentrations, reflecting the influence of N-siRNA solutions on surface tension, as indicated by contact angles. These data indicate the utility of APS instruments for investigating the nebulized characteristics of expensive drugs including siRNAs and may facilitate the development of N-siRNA inhalation formulations.
Aspheric Solute Ions Modulate Gold Nanoparticle Interactions in an Aqueous Solution: An Optimal Way to Reversibly Concentrate Functionalized Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Villarreal, Oscar D; Chen, Liao Y; Whetten, Robert L; Demeler, Borries

2015-01-01

Nanometer-sized gold particles (AuNPs) are of peculiar interest because their behaviors in an aqueous solution are sensitive to changes in environmental factors including the size and shape of the solute ions. In order to determine these important characteristics, we performed all-atom molecular dynamics simulations on the icosahedral Au144 nanoparticles each coated with a homogeneous set of 60 thiolates (4-mercapto-benzoate, pMBA) in eight aqueous solutions having ions of varying sizes and shapes (Na+, K+, tetramethylamonium cation TMA+, trisamonium cation TRS+, Cl−, and OH−). For each solution, we computed the reversible work (potential of mean of force) to bring two nanoparticles together as a function of their separation distance. We found that the behavior of pMBA protected Au144 nanoparticles can be readily modulated by tuning their aqueous environmental factors (pH and solute ion combinations). We examined the atomistic details on how the sizes and shapes of solute ions quantitatively factor in the definitive characteristics of nanoparticle-environment and nanoparticle-nanoparticle interactions. We predict that tuning the concentrations of non-spherical composite ions such as TRS+ in an aqueous solution of AuNPs be an effective means to modulate the aggregation propensity desired in biomedical and other applications of small charged nanoparticles. PMID:26581232
Aspheric Solute Ions Modulate Gold Nanoparticle Interactions in an Aqueous Solution: An Optimal Way To Reversibly Concentrate Functionalized Nanoparticles.

PubMed

Villarreal, Oscar D; Chen, Liao Y; Whetten, Robert L; Demeler, Borries

2015-12-17

Nanometer-sized gold particles (AuNPs) are of peculiar interest because their behaviors in an aqueous solution are sensitive to changes in environmental factors including the size and shape of the solute ions. In order to determine these important characteristics, we performed all-atom molecular dynamics simulations on the icosahedral Au144 nanoparticles each coated with a homogeneous set of 60 thiolates (4-mercaptobenzoate, pMBA) in eight aqueous solutions having ions of varying sizes and shapes (Na(+), K(+), tetramethylamonium cation TMA(+), tris-ammonium cation TRS(+), Cl(-), and OH(-)). For each solution, we computed the reversible work (potential of mean of force) to bring two nanoparticles together as a function of their separation distance. We found that the behavior of pMBA protected Au144 nanoparticles can be readily modulated by tuning their aqueous environmental factors (pH and solute ion combinations). We examined the atomistic details on how the sizes and shapes of solute ions quantitatively factor in the definitive characteristics of nanoparticle-environment and nanoparticle-nanoparticle interactions. We predict that tuning the concentrations of nonspherical composite ions such as TRS(+) in an aqueous solution of AuNPs be an effective means to modulate the aggregation propensity desired in biomedical and other applications of small charged nanoparticles.
The effect of temperature and chitosan concentration during storage on the growth of chitosan nanoparticle produced by ionic gelation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Handani, Wenny Rinda; Sediawan, Wahyudi Budi; Tawfiequrrahman, Ahmad; Wiratni, Kusumastuti, Yuni

2017-05-01

The objective of this research was to get the mechanism of nano size chitosan particle growth during storage by observing the effect of temperature and initial concentration of chitosan. The products were analyzed using PSA to have the average of particle radius. Nanochitosan solution was prepared by ionic gelation method. This method is described as an electrostatic interaction between positively charged amine with negatively charged polyanion, such as tripolyphosphate (TPP). Chitosan was dissolved in 1% acetic acid and was stirred for 30 minutes. Tween 80 was added to avoid agglomeration. TPP was prepared by dissolving 0.336 g into distilled water. The nano size chitosan was obtained by mixing TPP and chitosan solution dropwise while stirring for 30 minutes. This step was done at 15°C and ambient temperature (about 30°C) and chitosan concentration 0.2%, 0.4% and 0.6%. The results show that temperature during ionic gelation process (15°C and 30°C) does not affect the initial size of the nanoparticles produced as well as the growth of the nanoparticles during storage. On the other hand, initial chitosan concentration strongly affects initial size of the nanoparticles produced and the growth of the nanoparticles during storage. The concentration of chitosan at 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6% gave initial size of nanoparticle chitosan of 175.3 nm, 337.9 nm, 643.3 nm respectively. On the other hand, the growth mechanism of chitosan nanoparticle depended on its radius(R). At R<500 nm, the growth rate of nanoparticles is controlled by adsorption at the surface of the particles, while at R>500 nm, it is controlled by diffusion in the liquid film around the particles.

Synthesis of a colloid solution of silica-coated gold nanoparticles for X-ray imaging applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, Yoshio; Nagasu, Ryoko; Shibuya, Kyosuke; Nakagawa, Tomohiko; Kubota, Yohsuke; Gonda, Kohsuke; Ohuchi, Noriaki

2014-08-01

This work proposes a method for fabricating silica-coated gold (Au) nanoparticles, surface modified with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) (Au/SiO2/PEG), with a particle size of 54.8 nm. X-ray imaging of a mouse is performed with the colloid solution. A colloid solution of 17.9 nm Au nanoparticles was prepared by reducing Au ions (III) with sodium citrate in water at 80 °C. The method used for silica-coating the Au nanoparticles was composed of surface-modification of the Au nanoparticles with (3-aminopropyl)-trimethoxysilane (APMS) and a sol-gel process. The sol-gel process was performed in the presence of the surface-modified Au nanoparticles using tetraethylorthosilicate, APMS, water, and sodium hydroxide, in which the formation of silica shells and the introduction of amino groups to the silica-coated particles took place simultaneously (Au/SiO2-NH2). Surface modification of the Au/SiO2-NH2 particles with PEG, or PEGylation of the particle surface, was performed by adding PEG with a functional group that reacted with an amino group in the Au/SiO2-NH2 particle colloid solution. A computed tomography (CT) value of the aqueous colloid solution of Au/SiO2/PEG particles with an actual Au concentration of 0.112 M was as high as 922 ± 12 Hounsfield units, which was higher than that of a commercial X-ray contrast agent with the same iodine concentration. Injecting the aqueous colloid solution of Au/SiO2/PEG particles into a mouse increased the light contrast of tissues. A CT value of the heart rose immediately after the injection, and this rise was confirmed for up to 6 h.
Self-Assembled Coacervates of Chitosan and an Insect Cuticle Protein Containing a Rebers-Riddiford Motif.

PubMed

Vaclaw, M Coleman; Sprouse, Patricia A; Dittmer, Neal T; Ghazvini, Saba; Middaugh, C Russell; Kanost, Michael R; Gehrke, Stevin H; Dhar, Prajnaparamita

2018-05-09

The interactions among biomacromolecules within insect cuticle may offer new motifs for biomimetic material design. CPR27 is an abundant protein in the rigid cuticle of the elytron from Tribolium castaneum. CPR27 contains the Rebers-Riddiford (RR) motif, which is hypothesized to bind chitin. In this study, active magnetic microrheology coupled with microscopy and protein particle analysis techniques were used to correlate alterations in the viscosity of chitosan solutions with changes in solution microstructure. Addition of CPR27 to chitosan solutions led to a 3-fold drop in viscosity. This change was accompanied by the presence of micrometer-sized coacervate particles in solution. Coacervate formation had a strong dependence on chitosan concentration. Analysis showed the existence of a critical CPR27 concentration beyond which a significant increase in particle count was observed. These effects were not observed when a non-RR cuticular protein, CP30, was tested, providing evidence of a structure-function relationship related to the RR motif.
Practical development of continuous supercritical fluid process using high pressure and high temperature micromixer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawasaki, Shin-Ichiro; Sue, Kiwamu; Ookawara, Ryuto; Wakashima, Yuichiro; Suzuki, Akira

2015-12-01

In the synthesis of metal oxide fine particles by continuous supercritical hydrothermal method, the particle characteristics are greatly affected by not only the reaction conditions (temperature, pressure, residence time, concentration, etc.), but also the heating rate from ambient to reaction temperature. Therefore, the heating method by direct mixing of starting solution at room temperature with supercritical water is a key technology for the particle production having smaller size and narrow distribution. In this paper, mixing engineering study through comparison between conventional T-shaped mixers and recently developed swirl mixers was carried out in the hydrothermal synthesis of NiO nanoparticles from Ni(NO3)2 aqueous solution at 400 °C and 30 MPa. Inner diameter in the mixers and total flow rates were varied. Furthermore, the heating rate was calculated by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. Relationship between the heating rate and the average particle size were discussed. It was clarified that the miniaturization of mixer inner diameter and the use of the swirl flow were effective for improving mixing performance and contributed to produce small and narrow distribution particle under same experimental condition of flow rate, temperature, pressure, residence time, and concentration of the starting materials. We have focused the mixer optimization due to a difference in fluid viscosity.
Hopping Diffusion of Nanoparticles Subjected to Topological Constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Li-Heng; Panyukov, Sergey; Rubinstein, Michael

2013-03-01

We describe a novel hopping mechanism for diffusion of large non-sticky nanoparticles subjected to topological constraints in polymer solids (networks and gels) and entangled polymer liquids (melts and solutions). Probe particles with size larger than the mesh size of unentangled polymer networks (tube diameter of entangled polymer liquids) are trapped by the network (entanglement) cages at time scales longer than the relaxation time of the network (entanglement) strand. At long time scales, however, these particles can move further by hopping between neighboring confinement cages. This hopping is controlled by fluctuations of surrounding confinement cages, which could be large enough to allow particles to slip through. The terminal particle diffusion coefficient dominated by this hopping diffusion is appreciable for particles with size slightly larger than the network mesh size (tube diameter). Very large particles in polymer solids will be permanently trapped by local network cages, whereas they can still move in polymer liquids by waiting for entanglement cages to rearrange on the relaxation time scale of the liquids. We would like to acknowledge the financial support of NSF CHE-0911588, DMR-0907515, DMR-1121107, DMR-1122483, and CBET-0609087, NIH R01HL077546 and P50HL107168, and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation under grant RUBIN09XX0.
The Most Effective Gold Nanorod Size for Plasmonic Photothermal Therapy: Theory and In Vitro Experiments

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

The development of new and improved photothermal contrast agents for the successful treatment of cancer (or other diseases) via plasmonic photothermal therapy (PPTT) is a crucial part of the application of nanotechnology in medicine. Gold nanorods (AuNRs) have been found to be the most effective photothermal contrast agents, both in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, determining the optimum AuNR size needed for applications in PPTT is of great interest. In the present work, we utilized theoretical calculations as well as experimental techniques in vitro to determine this optimum AuNR size by comparing plasmonic properties and the efficacy as photothermal contrast agents of three different sizes of AuNRs. Our theoretical calculations showed that the contribution of absorbance to the total extinction, the electric field, and the distance at which this field extends away from the nanoparticle surface all govern the effectiveness of the amount of heat these particles generate upon NIR laser irradiation. Comparing between three different AuNRs (38 × 11, 28 × 8, and 17 × 5 nm), we determined that the 28 × 8 nm AuNR is the most effective in plasmonic photothermal heat generation. These results encouraged us to carry out in vitro experiments to compare the PPTT efficacy of the different sized AuNRs. The 28 × 8 nm AuNR was found to be the most effective photothermal contrast agent for PPTT of human oral squamous cell carcinoma. This size AuNR has the best compromise between the total amount of light absorbed and the fraction of which is converted to heat. In addition, the distance at which the electric field extends from the particle surface is most ideal for this size AuNR, as it is sufficient to allow for coupling between the fields of adjacent particles in solution (i.e., particle aggregates), resulting in effective heating in solution. PMID:24433049
Process R&D for Particle Size Control of Molybdenum Oxide

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

Sen, Sujat; Dzwiniel, Trevor; Pupek, Krzysztof

The primary goal of this study was to produce MoO 3 powder with a particle size range of 50 to 200 μm for use in targets for production of the medical isotope 99Mo. Molybdenum metal powder is commercially produced by thermal reduction of oxides in a hydrogen atmosphere. The most common source material is MoO 3, which is derived by the thermal decomposition of ammonium heptamolybdate (AHM). However, the particle size of the currently produced MoO 3 is too small, resulting in Mo powder that is too fine to properly sinter and press into the desired target. In this study,more » effects of heating rate, heating temperature, gas type, gas flow rate, and isothermal heating were investigated for the decomposition of AHM. The main conclusions were as follows: lower heating rate (2-10°C/min) minimizes breakdown of aggregates, recrystallized samples with millimeter-sized aggregates are resistant to various heat treatments, extended isothermal heating at >600°C leads to significant sintering, and inert gas and high gas flow rate (up to 2000 ml/min) did not significantly affect particle size distribution or composition. In addition, attempts to recover AHM from an aqueous solution by several methods (spray drying, precipitation, and low temperature crystallization) failed to achieve the desired particle size range of 50 to 200 μm. Further studies are planned.« less
Blowing in the Wind: I. Velocities of Chondrule-sized Particles in a Turbulent Protoplanetary Nebula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cuzzi, Jeffrey N.; Hogan, Robert C.; Fonda, Mark (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

Small but macroscopic particles - chondrules, higher temperature mineral inclusions, metal grains, and their like - dominate the fabric of primitive meteorites. The properties of these constituents, and their relationship to the fine dust grains which surround them, suggest that they led an extended existence in a gaseous protoplanetary nebula prior to their incorporation into their parent primitive bodies. In this paper we explore in some detail the velocities acquired by such particles in a turbulent nebula. We treat velocities in inertial space (relevant to diffusion), velocities relative to the gas and entrained microscopic dust (relevant to accretion of dust rims), and velocities relative to each other (relevant to collisions). We extend previous work by presenting explicit, closed-form solutions for the magnitude and size dependence of these velocities in this important particle size regime, and compare these expressions with new numerical calculations. The magnitude and size dependence of these velocities have immediate applications to chondrule and CAI rimming by fine dust, and to their diffusion in the nebula, which we explore separately.
Bead-bead interaction parameters in dissipative particle dynamics: Relation to bead-size, solubility parameter, and surface tension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maiti, Amitesh; McGrother, Simon

2004-01-01

Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) is a mesoscale modeling method for simulating equilibrium and dynamical properties of polymers in solution. The basic idea has been around for several decades in the form of bead-spring models. A few years ago, Groot and Warren [J. Chem. Phys. 107, 4423 (1997)] established an important link between DPD and the Flory-Huggins χ-parameter theory for polymer solutions. We revisit the Groot-Warren theory and investigate the DPD interaction parameters as a function of bead size. In particular, we show a consistent scheme of computing the interfacial tension in a segregated binary mixture. Results for three systems chosen for illustration are in excellent agreement with experimental results. This opens the door for determining DPD interactions using interfacial tension as a fitting parameter.
Properties investigation and microstructures characterization of SiCp/6061Al composites produced by PM route

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, A. Q.; Tian, H. W.; Xie, J. P.

2018-01-01

In this study, 35 vol.% SiC particles with different sizes reinforced 6061 aluminium alloy matrix composites were prepared by a powder metallurgy method. The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images of composites were observed, the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) and tensile strength of composites were examined, and the influences of SiC particle size on microstructures and properties of the composites were analyzed. Furthermore, the SiCp/6061Al composites with SiC particle size of 7.5 µm were selected to investigate the SiCp/Al interface microstructure and precipitated phases by the means of SEM, TEM and HRTEM. The study indicated that, with the increase of SiC particle size, the SiC particles distributed more uniformly in the matrix, the CTE of composites increased, but the tensile strength of composites decreased. The SiCp/Al interface in this experiment is clean and smooth, and the combination mechanism of SiC and Al is the formation of a half coherent interface by closely matching of atoms. Some micron-sized coarse intermetallic particles existed in the hot-pressed composites, such as random-shaped Mg2Si, long stick shaped Al15(Mn, Fe, Cu)3Si2. When the composites were solution treated at 510 °C for 2 h and then aging treated at 190 °C for 9 h, except long stick shaped Al15(Mn, Fe, Cu)3Si2, numerous nano-sized precipitated phases (Mg2Si) with diameters of 50-200 nm dispersively distributed in the matrix. After heat treatment, the tensile strength of composite with SiC particle size of 7.5 µm enhance from 298 MPa to 341 MPa.
Avidin as a Model for Charge Driven Transport into Cartilage and Drug Delivery for treating Early Stage Post-traumatic Osteoarthritis

PubMed Central

Bajpayee, Ambika G.; Wong, Cliff R.; Bawendi, Moungi G.; Frank, Eliot H.; Grodzinsky, Alan J.

2013-01-01

Local drug delivery into cartilage remains a challenge due to its dense extracellular matrix of negatively charged proteoglycans enmeshed within a collagen fibril network. The high negative fixed charge density of cartilage offers the unique opportunity to utilize electrostatic interactions to augment transport, binding and retention of drug carriers. With the goal of developing particle-based drug delivery mechanisms for treating post-traumatic osteoarthritis, our objectives were, first, to determine the size range of a variety of solutes that could penetrate and diffuse through normal cartilage and enzymatically treated cartilage to mimic early stages of OA, and second, to investigate the effects of electrostatic interactions on particle partitioning, uptake and binding within cartilage using the highly positively charged protein, Avidin, as a model. Results showed that solutes having a hydrodynamic diameter ≤ 10 nm can penetrate into the full thickness of cartilage explants while larger sized solutes were trapped in the tissue’s superficial zone. Avidin had a 400-fold higher uptake than its neutral same-sized counterpart, NeutrAvidin, and >90% of the absorbed Avidin remained within cartilage explants for at least 15 days. We report reversible, weak binding (KD ~150 μM) of Avidin to intratissue sites in cartilage. The large effective binding site density (NT ~ 2920 μM) within cartilage matrix facilitates Avidin’s retention, making its structure suitable for particle based drug delivery into cartilage. PMID:24120044
Laser heating tunability by off-resonant irradiation of gold nanoparticles.

PubMed

Hormeño, Silvia; Gregorio-Godoy, Paula; Pérez-Juste, Jorge; Liz-Marzán, Luis M; Juárez, Beatriz H; Arias-Gonzalez, J Ricardo

2014-01-29

Temperature changes in the vicinity of a single absorptive nanostructure caused by local heating have strong implications in technologies such as integrated electronics or biomedicine. Herein, the temperature changes in the vicinity of a single optically trapped spherical Au nanoparticle encapsulated in a thermo-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) shell (Au@pNIPAM) are studied in detail. Individual beads are trapped in a counter-propagating optical tweezers setup at various laser powers, which allows the overall particle size to be tuned through the phase transition of the thermo-responsive shell. The experimentally obtained sizes measured at different irradiation powers are compared with average size values obtained by dynamic light scattering (DLS) from an ensemble of beads at different temperatures. The size range and the tendency to shrink upon increasing the laser power in the optical trap or by increasing the temperature for DLS agree with reasonable accuracy for both approaches. Discrepancies are evaluated by means of simple models accounting for variations in the thermal conductivity of the polymer, the viscosity of the aqueous solution and the absorption cross section of the coated Au nanoparticle. These results show that these parameters must be taken into account when considering local laser heating experiments in aqueous solution at the nanoscale. Analysis of the stability of the Au@pNIPAM particles in the trap is also theoretically carried out for different particle sizes. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
Preparation of zein nanoparticles by using solution-enhanced dispersion with supercritical CO2 and elucidation with computational fluid dynamics.

PubMed

Li, Sining; Zhao, Yaping

2017-01-01

Nanoparticles have attracted more and more attention in the medicinal field. Zein is a biomacromolecule and can be used as a carrier for delivering active ingredients to prepare controlled release drugs. In this article, we presented the preparation of zein nanoparticles by solution-enhanced dispersion by supercritical CO 2 (SEDS) approach. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were applied to characterize the size and morphology of the obtained particles. The nozzle structure and the CO 2 flow rate greatly affected the morphology and the size of the particles. The size of zein was able to be reduced to 50-350 nm according to the different conditions. The morphologies of the resultant zein were either sphere or the filament network consisted of nanoparticles. The influence of the nozzle structure and the CO 2 flow rate on the velocity field was elucidated by using computational fluid dynamics. The nozzle structure and the CO 2 flow rate greatly affected the distribution of the velocity field. However, a similar velocity field could also be obtained when the nozzle structure or the CO 2 flow rate, or both were different. Therefore, the influence of the nozzle structure and the CO 2 flow rate on the size and morphology of the particles, can boil down to the velocity field. The results demonstrated that the velocity field can be a potential criterion for producing nanoparticles with controllable morphology and size, which is useful to scale-up the SEDS process.
Synthesis of ZnO particles using water molecules generated in esterification reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Šarić, Ankica; Gotić, Marijan; Štefanić, Goran; Dražić, Goran

2017-07-01

Zinc oxide particles were synthesized without the addition of water by autoclaving (anhydrous) zinc acetate/alcohol and zinc acetate/acetic acid/alcohol solutions at 160 °C. The solvothermal synthesis was performed in ethanol or octanol. The structural, optical and morphological characteristics of ZnO particles were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis spectroscopy, FE-SEM and TEM/STEM microscopy. 13C NMR spectroscopy revealed the presence of ester (ethyl- or octyl-acetate) in the supernatants which directly indicate the reaction mechanism. The formation of ester in this esterification reaction generated water molecule in situ, which hydrolyzed anhydrous zinc acetate and initiated nucleation and formation of ZnO. It was found that the size and shape of ZnO particles depend on the type of alcohol used as a solvent and on the presence of acetic acid in solution. The presence of ethanol in the ;pure; system without acetic acid favoured the formation of fine and uniform spherical ZnO nanoparticles (∼20 nm). With the addition of small amount of acetic acid the size of these small nanoparticles increased significantly up to a few hundred nanometers. The addition of small amount of acetic acid in the presence of octanol caused even more radical changes in the shape of ZnO particles, favouring the growth of huge rod-like particles (∼3 μm).
Vapor-phase photo-oxidation of methanol over nanosize titanium dioxide clusters dispersed in MCM-41 host material part 1: synthesis and characterization.

PubMed

Bhattacharya, K; Tripathi, A K; Dey, G K; Gupta, N M

2005-05-01

Nanosize clusters of titania were dispersed in mesoporous MCM-41 silica matrix with the help of the incipient wet-impregnation route, using an isopropanol solution of titanium isopropoxide as precursor. The clusters thus formed were of pure anatase phase and their size depended upon the titania loading. In the case of low (< 15 wt %) loadings, the TiO2 particles were X-ray and laser-Raman amorphous, confirming very high dispersion. These particles were mostly of < or = 2 nm size. On the other hand, larger size clusters (2-15 nm) were present in a sample with a higher loading of approximately 21 wt %. These particles of titania, irrespective of their size, exhibited an absorbance behavior similar to that of bulk TiO2. Powder X-ray diffraction, N2-adsorption and transmission electron microscopy results showed that while smaller size particles were confined mostly inside the pore system, the larger size particles occupied the external surface of the host matrix. At the same time, the structural integrity of the host was maintained even though some deformation in the pore system was noticed in the case of the sample having highest loading. The core level X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results revealed a + 4 valence state of Ti in all the samples. A positive binding energy shift and the increase of the width of Ti 2p peaks were observed, however, with the decrease in the particle size of supported titania crystallites, indicative of a microenvironment for surface sites that is different from that of the bulk.
The optical properties of absorbing aerosols with fractal soot aggregates: Implications for aerosol remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Tianhai; Gu, Xingfa; Wu, Yu; Chen, Hao; Yu, Tao

2013-08-01

Applying sphere aerosol models to replace the absorbing fine-sized dominated aerosols can potentially result in significant errors in the climate models and aerosol remote sensing retrieval. In this paper, the optical properties of absorbing fine-sized dominated aerosol were modeled, which are taking into account the fresh emitted soot particles (agglomerates of primary spherules), aged soot particles (semi-externally mixed with other weakly absorbing aerosols), and coarse aerosol particles (dust particles). The optical properties of the individual fresh and aged soot aggregates are calculated using the superposition T-matrix method. In order to quantify the morphology effect of absorbing aerosol models on the aerosol remote sensing retrieval, the ensemble averaged optical properties of absorbing fine-sized dominated aerosols are calculated based on the size distribution of fine aerosols (fresh and aged soot) and coarse aerosols. The corresponding optical properties of sphere absorbing aerosol models using Lorenz-Mie solutions were presented for comparison. The comparison study demonstrates that the sphere absorbing aerosol models underestimate the absorption ability of the fine-sized dominated aerosol particles. The morphology effect of absorbing fine-sized dominated aerosols on the TOA radiances and polarized radiances is also investigated. It is found that the sphere aerosol models overestimate the TOA reflectance and polarized reflectance by approximately a factor of 3 at wavelength of 0.865 μm. In other words, the fine-sized dominated aerosol models can cause large errors in the retrieved aerosol properties if satellite reflectance measurements are analyzed using the conventional Mie theory for spherical particles.
Characteristics of Fe powders prepared by spray pyrolysis from a spray solution with ethylene glycol as the source material of heat pellet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koo, H. Y.; Kim, J. H.; Hong, S. K.; Ko, Y. N.; Jang, H. C.; Jung, D. S.; Han, J. M.; Hong, Y. J.; Kang, Y. C.; Kang, S. H.; Cho, S. B.

2012-06-01

Fe powders as the heat pellet material for thermal batteries are prepared from iron oxide powders obtained by spray pyrolysis from a spray solution of iron nitrate with ethylene glycol. The iron oxide powders with hollow and thin wall structure produce Fe powders with elongated structure and fine primary particle size at a low reducing temperature of 615 °C. The mean size of the primary Fe powders with elongated structure decreases with increasing concentration of ethylene glycol dissolved into the spray solution. The heat pellets prepared from the fine-size Fe powders with elongated structure have good ignition sensitivities below 1 watt. The heat pellets formed from the Fe powders obtained from the spray solution with 0.5 M EG have an extremely high burn rate of 26 cms-1.
Numerical Simulation of Droplet Breakup and Collision in the Solution Precursor Plasma Spraying

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shan, Y.; Coyle, T. W.; Mostaghimi, J.

2007-12-01

Finely structured ceramic coatings can be obtained by solution precursor plasma spraying. The final structure of the coating highly depends on the droplet size and velocity distribution at the injection, the evolution of the spray in the jet, and droplet breakup and collision within the spray. This article describes a 3D model to simulate the transport phenomena and the trajectory and heating of the solution spray in the process. O’Rourke’s droplet collision model is used to take into account the influence of droplet collision. The influence of droplet breakup is also considered by implementing TAB droplet breakup models into the plasma jet model. The effects of droplet collisions and breakup on the droplet size, velocity, and temperature distribution of the solution spray are investigated. The results indicate that droplet breakup and collision play an important role in determining the final particle size and velocity distributions on the substrate.
Improved levitation and trapping of particles by negative dielectrophoresis by the addition of amphoteric molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores-Rodriguez, Neftali; Markx, Gerard H.

2004-02-01

Addition of amphoteres could be used to improve the levitation and trapping of particles by negative dielectrophoresis. Addition of amphoteric molecules to electromanipulation media increases not only the permittivity of the medium and its viscosity but also its density. To investigate the effect of addition of amphoteres on levitation and trapping by negative dielectrophoresis, the electrokinetic behaviour of latex beads and viable yeast cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) was investigated in concentrated solutions of the amphoteric molecules N-[2-hydroxyethyl] piperazine-N'-[2-ethanesulfonic acid] (HEPES) and egr -aminocaproic acid (EACA) using different frequencies and voltages of the applied electrical signal and microelectrodes of different sizes. When using interdigitated electrodes without castellations, latex beads levitated an average of 43% higher when 0.67 M EACA solutions were used and a 54% higher after adding 0.67 M HEPES compared with the levitation heights when no amphoteres were added. Under the same conditions, yeast levitated 78% and 86% higher, respectively. At low voltages and low HEPES/EACA concentrations, the latex particles accumulated in bands between or above the electrodes. However, at the highest voltages and HEPES/EACA concentrations used, the particles formed a network of pearl chains above the electrode arrays. When using electrodes of the interdigitated castellated type of characteristic size 30 µm, latex particles levitated 32% and 40% higher when 0.67 M EACA and HEPES solutions were used in comparison with when no amphoteres were added. At these concentrations, the flow rate needed to dislodge the latex particles from the traps formed by the electric field pattern between the castellations of the interdigitated castellated electrodes was increased by 46% compared with the flow rate needed to achieve this when no amphoteres were added.
REVIEWS OF TOPICAL PROBLEMS: Elementary particles and cosmology (Metagalaxy and Universe)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rozental', I. L.

1997-08-01

The close relation between cosmology and the theory of elementary particles is analyzed in the light of prospects of a unified field theory. The unity of their respective problems and solution methodologies is indicated. The difference between the concepts of 'Metagalaxy' and 'Universe' is emphasized and some possible schemes for estimating the size of the Universe are pointed out.
Dynamics and mechanisms of asbestos-fiber aggregate growth in water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, L.; Ortiz, C. P.; Jerolmack, D. J.

2015-12-01

Most colloidal particles including asbestos fibers form aggregates in water, when solution chemistry provides favorable conditions. To date, the growth of colloidal aggregates has been observed in many model systems under optical and scanning electron microscopy; however, all of these studies have used near-spherical particles. The highly elongated nature of asbestos fibers may cause anomalous aggregate growth and morphology, but this has never been examined. Although the exposure pathway of concern for asbestos is through the air, asbestos particles typically reside in soil that is at least partially saturated, and aggregates formed in the aqueous phase may influence the mobility of particles in the environment. Here we study solution-phase aggregation kinetics of asbestos fibers using a liquid-cell by in situ microscopy, over micron to centimeter length scales and from a tenth of a second to hours. We employ an elliptical particle tracking technique to determine particle trajectories and to quantify diffusivity. Experiments reveal that diffusing fibers join by cross linking, but that such linking is sometimes reversible. The resulting aggregates are very sparse and non-compact, with a fractal dimension that is lower than any previously reported value. Their morphology, growth rate and particle size distribution exhibit non-classical behavior that deviates significantly from observations of aggregates composed of near-spherical particles. We also perform experiments using synthetic colloidal particles, and compare these to asbestos in order to separate the controls of particle shape vs. material properties. This direct method for quantitatively observing aggregate growth is a first step toward predicting asbestos fiber aggregate size distributions in the environment. Moreover, many emerging environmental contaminants - such as carbon nanotubes - are elongated colloids, and our work suggests that theories for aggregate growth may need to be modified in order to model these particles.

Dual Effect of Amino Modified Polystyrene Nanoparticles on Amyloid β Protein Fibrillation

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

The fibrillation kinetics of the amyloid β peptide is analyzed in presence of cationic polystyrene nanoparticles of different size. The results highlight the importance of the ratio between the peptide and particle concentration. Depending on the specific ratio, the kinetic effects vary from acceleration of the fibrillation process by reducing the lag phase at low particle surface area in solution to inhibition of the fibrillation process at high particle surface area. The kinetic behavior can be explained if we assume a balance between two different pathways: first fibrillation of free monomer in solution and second nucleation and fibrillation promoted at the particle surface. The overall rate of fibrillation will depend on the interplay between these two pathways, and the predominance of one mechanism over the other will be determined by the relative equilibrium and rate constants. PMID:22778827
A point particle model of lightly bound skyrmions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gillard, Mike; Harland, Derek; Kirk, Elliot; Maybee, Ben; Speight, Martin

2017-04-01

A simple model of the dynamics of lightly bound skyrmions is developed in which skyrmions are replaced by point particles, each carrying an internal orientation. The model accounts well for the static energy minimizers of baryon number 1 ≤ B ≤ 8 obtained by numerical simulation of the full field theory. For 9 ≤ B ≤ 23, a large number of static solutions of the point particle model are found, all closely resembling size B subsets of a face centred cubic lattice, with the particle orientations dictated by a simple colouring rule. Rigid body quantization of these solutions is performed, and the spin and isospin of the corresponding ground states extracted. As part of the quantization scheme, an algorithm to compute the symmetry group of an oriented point cloud, and to determine its corresponding Finkelstein-Rubinstein constraints, is devised.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jomekian, A.; Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology; Behbahani, R.M., E-mail: behbahani@put.ac.ir

Ultra porous ZIF-8 particles synthesized using PEO/PA6 based poly(ether-block-amide) (Pebax 1657) as structure directing agent. Structural properties of ZIF-8 samples prepared under different synthesis parameters were investigated by laser particle size analysis, XRD, N{sub 2} adsorption analysis, BJH and BET tests. The overall results showed that: (1) The mean pore size of all ZIF-8 samples increased remarkably (from 0.34 nm to 1.1–2.5 nm) compared to conventionally synthesized ZIF-8 samples. (2) Exceptional BET surface area of 1869 m{sup 2}/g was obtained for a ZIF-8 sample with mean pore size of 2.5 nm. (3) Applying high concentrations of Pebax 1657 to themore » synthesis solution lead to higher surface area, larger pore size and smaller particle size for ZIF-8 samples. (4) Both, Increase in temperature and decrease in molar ratio of MeIM/Zn{sup 2+} had increasing effect on ZIF-8 particle size, pore size, pore volume, crystallinity and BET surface area of all investigated samples. - Highlights: • The pore size of ZIF-8 samples synthesized with Pebax 1657 increased remarkably. • The BET surface area of 1869 m{sup 2}/gr obtained for a ZIF-8 synthesized sample with Pebax. • Increase in temperature had increasing effect on textural properties of ZIF-8 samples. • Decrease in MeIM/Zn{sup 2+} had increasing effect on textural properties of ZIF-8 samples.« less
Preparation and characterization of a new lipid nano-emulsion containing two cosurfactants, sodium palmitate for droplet size reduction and sucrose palmitate for stability enhancement.

PubMed

Takegami, Shigehiko; Kitamura, Keisuke; Kawada, Hiroto; Matsumoto, Yu; Kitade, Tatsuya; Ishida, Hiroharu; Nagata, Chieyo

2008-08-01

A new lipid nano-emulsion (LNE) was prepared from soybean oil and phosphatidylcholine (PC) employing two cosurfactants, sodium palmitate (PA) for reduced droplet size and sucrose palmitate (SP) for stability enhancement. The mean droplet size of LNEs prepared at a PA/PC (w/w) ratio of larger than 1/10 was found to be ca. 50 nm by dynamic light scattering and atomic force microscopy. However, during the 12-month storage, the PA/PC (1/10)-LNE showed an increase in mean droplet size and broadening of the droplet size distribution due to coalescence of the LNE particles. In a saline solution, the coalescence proceeded very rapidly, i.e., the mean droplet size increased to more than 150 nm within 0.5 h. To suppress the coalescence of LNE particles, four sucrose fatty acid esters of different chain lengths were examined as candidate cosurfactants. The results showed that PA/SP/PC (1/4/10)-LNE could maintain a mean droplet size around 50 nm for 12 months. In a saline solution, the mean droplet size could be maintained within 100 nm even after 24 h. Slight formation of flocculation in the LNEs depending on the storage period was suggested by measurement of the 31P nuclear magnetic resonance line width of the LNEs.
Study on effective thermal conductivity of silicone/phosphor composite and its size effect by Lattice Boltzmann method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Lan; Zheng, Huai; Yuan, Chao; Hu, Run; Luo, Xiaobing

2016-12-01

The silicone/phosphor composite is widely used in light emitting diode (LED) packaging. The composite thermal properties, especially the effective thermal conductivity, strongly influence the LED performance. In this paper, a lattice Boltzmann model was presented to predict the silicone/phosphor composite effective thermal conductivity. Based on the present lattice Boltzmann model, a random generation method was established to describe the phosphor particle distribution in composite. Benchmarks were conducted by comparing the simulation results with theoretical solutions for simple cases. Then the model was applied to analyze the effective thermal conductivity of the silicone/phosphor composite and its size effect. The deviations between simulation and experimental results are <7 %, when the phosphor volume fraction varies from 0.038 to 0.45. The simulation results also indicate that effective thermal conductivity of the composite with larger particles is higher than that with small particles at the same volume fraction. While mixing these two sizes of phosphor particles provides an extra enhancement for the effective thermal conductivity.
Maximum likelihood techniques applied to quasi-elastic light scattering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edwards, Robert V.

1992-01-01

There is a necessity of having an automatic procedure for reliable estimation of the quality of the measurement of particle size from QELS (Quasi-Elastic Light Scattering). Getting the measurement itself, before any error estimates can be made, is a problem because it is obtained by a very indirect measurement of a signal derived from the motion of particles in the system and requires the solution of an inverse problem. The eigenvalue structure of the transform that generates the signal is such that an arbitrarily small amount of noise can obliterate parts of any practical inversion spectrum. This project uses the Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) as a framework to generate a theory and a functioning set of software to oversee the measurement process and extract the particle size information, while at the same time providing error estimates for those measurements. The theory involved verifying a correct form of the covariance matrix for the noise on the measurement and then estimating particle size parameters using a modified histogram approach.
Facile and rapid one-pot microwave-assisted synthesis of Pd-Ni magnetic nanoalloys confined in mesoporous carbons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martínez de Yuso, Alicia; Le Meins, Jean-Marc; Oumellal, Yassine; Paul-Boncour, Valérie; Zlotea, Claudia; Matei Ghimbeu, Camelia

2016-12-01

An easy and rapid one-pot microwave-assisted soft-template synthesis method for the preparation of Pd-Ni nanoalloys confined in mesoporous carbon is reported. This approach allows the formation of mesoporous carbon and the growth of the particles at the same time, under short microwave irradiation (4 h) compared to the several days spent for the classical approach. In addition, the synthesis steps are diminished and no thermopolymerization step or reduction treatment being required. The influence of the Pd-Ni composition on the particle size and on the carbon characteristics was investigated. Pd-Ni solid solutions in the whole composition range could be obtained, and the metallic composition proved to have an important effect on the nanoparticle size but low influence on carbon textural properties. Small and uniformly distributed nanoparticles were confined in mesoporous carbon with uniform pore size distribution, and dependence between the nanoparticle size and the nanoalloy composition was observed, i.e., increase of the particle size with increasing the Ni content (from 5 to 14 nm). The magnetic properties of the materials showed a strong nanoparticle size and/or composition effect. The blocking temperature of Pd-Ni nanoalloys increases with the increase of Ni amount and therefore of particle size. The magnetization values are smaller than the bulk counterpart particularly for the Ni-rich compositions due to the formed graphitic shells surrounding the particles inducing a dead magnetic layer.
Temperature Response of Rhodamine B-Doped Latex Particles. From Solution to Single Particles.

PubMed

Soleilhac, Antonin; Girod, Marion; Dugourd, Philippe; Burdin, Béatrice; Parvole, Julien; Dugas, Pierre-Yves; Bayard, François; Lacôte, Emmanuel; Bourgeat-Lami, Elodie; Antoine, Rodolphe

2016-04-26

Nanoparticle-based temperature imaging is an emerging field of advanced applications. Herein, the sensitivity of the fluorescence of rhodamine B-doped latex nanoparticles toward temperature is described. Submicrometer size latex particles were prepared by a surfactant-free emulsion polymerization method that allowed a simple and inexpensive way to incorporate rhodamine B into the nanoparticles. Also, rhodamine B-coated latex nanoparticles dispersed in water were prepared in order to address the effect of the dye location in the nanoparticles on their temperature dependence. A better linearity of the temperature dependence emission of the rhodamine B-embedded latex particles, as compared to that of free rhodamine B dyes or rhodamine B-coated latex particles, is observed. Temperature-dependent fluorescence measurements by fluorescent confocal microscopy on individual rhodamine B-embedded latex particles were found similar to those obtained for fluorescent latex nanoparticles in solution, indicating that these nanoparticles could be good candidates to probe thermal processes as nanothermometers.
Simultaneous micronization and purification of bioactive fraction by supercritical antisolvent technology

PubMed Central

Hiendrawan, Stevanus; Veriansyah, Bambang; Widjojokusumo, Edward; Tjandrawinata, Raymond R.

2017-01-01

Simultaneous micronization and purification of DLBS3233 bioactive fraction, a combination of two Indonesian herbals Lagerstroemia speciosa and Cinnamomum burmannii has been successfully performed via supercritical anti-solvent (SAS) technology. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of SAS technology to micronize and reduce coumarin content of DLBS3233. The effects of four SAS process parameters, i.e. pressure, temperature, concentration and solution flow rate on particle formation were investigated. In SAS process, DLBS3233 was dissolved in dimethylformamide (DMF) as the liquid solvent. The solution was then pumped through a nozzle into a chamber simultaneously with supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) which acts as the anti-solvent, resulting in DLBS3233 precipitation. Physicochemical properties of unprocessed DLBS3233 and SAS-processed DLBS3233 particles were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Total polyphenol content (TPC) was also analyzed. Particles with mean particle size ranging from 0.107±0.028 μm to 0.298±0.138 μm were obtained by varying the process parameters. SAS-processed DLBS3233 particles showed no coumarin content in all experiments studied in this work. Results of TPC analysis revealed no significant change in SAS-processed DLBS3233 particles compared to unprocessed DLBS3233. Nano-sized DLBS3233 particles with no coumarin content have been successfully produced using SAS process. This study demonstrates the ability of SAS for processing herbal medicine in single step process. PMID:28516056
Simultaneous micronization and purification of bioactive fraction by supercritical antisolvent technology.

PubMed

Hiendrawan, Stevanus; Veriansyah, Bambang; Widjojokusumo, Edward; Tjandrawinata, Raymond R

2017-01-01

Simultaneous micronization and purification of DLBS3233 bioactive fraction, a combination of two Indonesian herbals Lagerstroemia speciosa and Cinnamomum burmannii has been successfully performed via supercritical anti-solvent (SAS) technology. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of SAS technology to micronize and reduce coumarin content of DLBS3233. The effects of four SAS process parameters, i.e. pressure, temperature, concentration and solution flow rate on particle formation were investigated. In SAS process, DLBS3233 was dissolved in dimethylformamide (DMF) as the liquid solvent. The solution was then pumped through a nozzle into a chamber simultaneously with supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) which acts as the anti-solvent, resulting in DLBS3233 precipitation. Physicochemical properties of unprocessed DLBS3233 and SAS-processed DLBS3233 particles were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Total polyphenol content (TPC) was also analyzed. Particles with mean particle size ranging from 0.107±0.028 μ m to 0.298±0.138 μ m were obtained by varying the process parameters. SAS-processed DLBS3233 particles showed no coumarin content in all experiments studied in this work. Results of TPC analysis revealed no significant change in SAS-processed DLBS3233 particles compared to unprocessed DLBS3233. Nano-sized DLBS3233 particles with no coumarin content have been successfully produced using SAS process. This study demonstrates the ability of SAS for processing herbal medicine in single step process.
A New Look into the Effect of Large Drops on Radiative Transfer Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshak, Alexander

2003-01-01

Recent studies indicate that a cloudy atmosphere absorbs more solar radiation than any current 1D or 3D radiation model can predict. The excess absorption is not large, perhaps 10-15 W/sq m or less, but any such systematic bias is of concern since radiative transfer models are assumed to be sufficiently accurate for remote sensing applications and climate modeling. The most natural explanation would be that models do not capture real 3D cloud structure and, as a consequence, their photon path lengths are too short. However, extensive calculations, using increasingly realistic 3D cloud structures, failed to produce photon paths long enough to explain the excess absorption. Other possible explanations have also been unsuccessful so, at this point, conventional models seem to offer no solution to this puzzle. The weakest link in conventional models is the way a size distribution of cloud particles is mathematically handled. Basically, real particles are replaced with a single average particle. This "ensemble assumption" assumes that all particle sizes are well represented in any given elementary volume. But the concentration of larger particles can be so low that this assumption is significantly violated. We show how a different mathematical route, using the concept of a cumulative distribution, avoids the ensemble assumption. The cumulative distribution has jumps, or steps, corresponding to the rarer sizes. These jumps result in an additional term, a kind of Green's function, in the solution of the radiative transfer equation. Solving the cloud radiative transfer equation with the measured particle distributions, described in a cumulative rather than an ensemble fashion, may lead to increased cloud absorption of the magnitude observed.
Cloud water composition during HCCT-2010: Scavenging efficiencies, solute concentrations, and droplet size dependence of inorganic ions and dissolved organic carbon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Pinxteren, Dominik; Wadinga Fomba, Khanneh; Mertes, Stephan; Müller, Konrad; Spindler, Gerald; Schneider, Johannes; Lee, Taehyoung; Collett, Jeffrey L.; Herrmann, Hartmut

2016-03-01

Cloud water samples were taken in September/October 2010 at Mt. Schmücke in a rural, forested area in Germany during the Lagrange-type Hill Cap Cloud Thuringia 2010 (HCCT-2010) cloud experiment. Besides bulk collectors, a three-stage and a five-stage collector were applied and samples were analysed for inorganic ions (SO42-,NO3-, NH4+, Cl-, Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, K+), H2O2 (aq), S(IV), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Campaign volume-weighted mean concentrations were 191, 142, and 39 µmol L-1 for ammonium, nitrate, and sulfate respectively, between 4 and 27 µmol L-1 for minor ions, 5.4 µmol L-1 for H2O2 (aq), 1.9 µmol L-1 for S(IV), and 3.9 mgC L-1 for DOC. The concentrations compare well to more recent European cloud water data from similar sites. On a mass basis, organic material (as DOC × 1.8) contributed 20-40 % (event means) to total solute concentrations and was found to have non-negligible impact on cloud water acidity. Relative standard deviations of major ions were 60-66 % for solute concentrations and 52-80 % for cloud water loadings (CWLs). The similar variability of solute concentrations and CWLs together with the results of back-trajectory analysis and principal component analysis, suggests that concentrations in incoming air masses (i.e. air mass history), rather than cloud liquid water content (LWC), were the main factor controlling bulk solute concentrations for the cloud studied. Droplet effective radius was found to be a somewhat better predictor for cloud water total ionic content (TIC) than LWC, even though no single explanatory variable can fully describe TIC (or solute concentration) variations in a simple functional relation due to the complex processes involved. Bulk concentrations typically agreed within a factor of 2 with co-located measurements of residual particle concentrations sampled by a counterflow virtual impactor (CVI) and analysed by an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS), with the deviations being mainly caused by systematic differences and limitations of the approaches (such as outgassing of dissolved gases during residual particle sampling). Scavenging efficiencies (SEs) of aerosol constituents were 0.56-0.94, 0.79-0.99, 0.71-98, and 0.67-0.92 for SO42-, NO3-, NH4+, and DOC respectively when calculated as event means with in-cloud data only. SEs estimated using data from an upwind site were substantially different in many cases, revealing the impact of gas-phase uptake (for volatile constituents) and mass losses across Mt. Schmücke likely due to physical processes such as droplet scavenging by trees and/or entrainment. Drop size-resolved cloud water concentrations of major ions SO42-, NO3-, and NH4+ revealed two main profiles: decreasing concentrations with increasing droplet size and "U" shapes. In contrast, profiles of typical coarse particle mode minor ions were often increasing with increasing drop size, highlighting the importance of a species' particle concentration size distribution for the development of size-resolved solute concentration patterns. Concentration differences between droplet size classes were typically < 2 for major ions from the three-stage collector and somewhat more pronounced from the five-stage collector, while they were much larger for minor ions. Due to a better separation of droplet populations, the five-stage collector was capable of resolving some features of solute size dependencies not seen in the three-stage data, especially sharp concentration increases (up to a factor of 5-10) in the smallest droplets for many solutes.
Cloud water composition during HCCT-2010: Scavenging efficiencies, solute concentrations, and droplet size dependence of inorganic ions and dissolved organic carbon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Pinxteren, D.; Fomba, K. W.; Mertes, S.; Müller, K.; Spindler, G.; Schneider, J.; Lee, T.; Collett, J.; Herrmann, H.

2015-09-01

Cloud water samples were taken in September/October 2010 at Mt. Schmücke in a rural, forested area in Germany during the Lagrange-type Hill Cap Cloud Thuringia 2010 (HCCT-2010) cloud experiment. Besides bulk collectors, a 3-stage and a 5-stage collector were applied and samples were analysed for inorganic ions (SO42-, NO3-, NH4+, Cl-, Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, K+), H2O2 (aq), S(IV), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Campaign volume-weighted mean concentrations were 191, 142, and 39 μmol L-1 for ammonium, nitrate, and sulfate, respectively, between 4 and 27 μmol L-1 for minor ions, 5.4 μmol L-1 for H2O2 (aq), 1.9 μmol L-1 for S(IV), and 3.9 mgC L-1 for DOC. The concentrations compare well to more recent European cloud water data from similar sites. On a mass basis, organic material (as DOC · 1.8) contributed 20-40 % (event means) to total solute concentrations and was found to have non-negligible impact on cloud water acidity. Relative standard deviations of major ions were 60-66 % for solute concentrations and 52-80 % for cloud water loadings (CWLs). Contrary to some earlier suggestions, the similar variability of solute concentrations and CWLs together with the results of back trajectory analysis and principal component analysis, suggests that concentrations in incoming air masses (i.e. air mass history), rather than cloud liquid water content (LWC) was the main factor controlling bulk solute concentrations at Mt. Schmücke. Droplet effective radius was found to be a somewhat better predictor for cloud water total ionic content (TIC) than LWC, even though no single explanatory variable can fully describe TIC (or solute concentration) variations in a simple functional relation due to the complex processes involved. Bulk concentrations typically agreed within a factor of 2 with co-located measurements of residual particle concentrations sampled by a counterflow virtual impactor (CV) and analysed by an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS), with the deviations being mainly caused by systematic differences and limitations of the approaches (such as outgassing of dissolved gases during residual particle sampling). Scavenging efficiencies (SEs) of aerosol constituents were 0.56-0.94, 0.79-0.99, 0.71-98, and 0.67-0.92 for SO42-, NO3-, NH4+, and DOC, respectively, when calculated as event means with in-cloud data only. SEs estimated using data from an upwind site were substantially different in many cases, revealing the impact of gas-phase uptake (for volatile constituents) and mass losses across Mt. Schmücke likely due to physical processes such as droplet scavenging by trees and/or entrainment. Drop size-resolved cloud water concentrations of major ions SO42-, NO3-, and NH4+ revealed two main profiles: decreasing concentrations with increasing droplet size and "U"-shapes. In contrast, profiles of typical coarse particle mode minor ions were often increasing with increasing drop size, highlighting the importance of a species' particle concentration size distribution for the development of size-resolved solute concentration patterns. Concentration differences between droplet size classes were typically < 2 for major ions from the 3-stage collector and somewhat more pronounced from the 5-stage collector, while they were much larger for minor ions. Due to a better separation of droplet populations, the 5-stage collector was capable of resolving some features of solute size dependencies not seen in the 3-stage data, especially sharp concentration increases (up to a factor of 5-10) in the smallest droplets for many solutes.
Effect of micro-particles on cavitation erosion of Ti6Al4V alloy in sulfuric acid solution.

PubMed

Li, D G; Long, Y; Liang, P; Chen, D R

2017-05-01

The influences of micro-particles on ultrasonic cavitation erosion of Ti6Al4V alloy in 0.1M H 2 SO 4 solution were investigated using mass loss weight, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and white light interferometer. Mass loss results revealed that the cavitation erosion damage obviously decreased with increasing particle size and mass concentration. Open circuit potential recorded during cavitation erosion shifted to positive direction with the decreased mass loss. Meanwhile, the mass loss sharply decreased with applying a positive potential during the entire ultrasonic cavitation erosion, and the relationship between the open circuit potential and the cavitation erosion resistance was discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Synthesis and characterization of Fe colloid catalysts in inverse micelle solutions

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

Martino, A.; Stoker, M.; Hicks, M.

1995-12-31

Surfactant molecules, possessing a hydrophilic head group and a hydrophobic tail group, aggregate in various solvents to form structured solutions. In two component mixtures of surfactant and organic solvents (e.g., toluene and alkanes), surfactants aggregate to form inverse micelles. Here, the hydrophilic head groups shield themselves by forming a polar core, and the hydrophobic tails groups are free to move about in the surrounding oleic phase. The formation of Fe clusters in inverse miscelles was studied.Iron salts are solubilized within the polar interior of inverse micelles, and the addition of the reducing agent LiBH{sub 4} initiates a chemical reduction tomore » produce monodisperse, nanometer sized Fe based particles. The reaction sequence is sustained by material exchange between inverse micelles. The surfactant interface provides a spatial constraint on the reaction volume, and reactions carried out in these micro-heterogeneous solutions produce colloidal sized particles (10-100{Angstrom}) stabilized in solution against flocculation of surfactant. The clusters were stabilized with respect to size with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and with respect to chemical composition with Mossbauer spectroscopy, electron diffraction, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In addition, these iron based clusters were tested for catalytic activity in a model hydrogenolysis reaction. The hydrogenolysis of naphthyl bibenzyl methane was used as a model for coal pyrolysis.« less
Size-dependent ROS production by palladium and nickel nanoparticles in cellular and acellular environments - An indication for the catalytic nature of their interactions.

PubMed

Neubauer, Nicole; Palomaeki, Jaana; Karisola, Piia; Alenius, Harri; Kasper, Gerhard

2015-01-01

Palladium and nickel nanoparticles with variable but narrowly defined primary particle sizes in the range of 4-27 nm were investigated toward their catalytic activity and their ability to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS). The agglomerate size in the gas phase was between 50 and 150 nm, after transfer into solution probably larger. The catalytic activity was measured on the basis of CO oxidation to CO2. The formation of ROS was determined after transferring the particles into phosphate buffered saline (PBS), via the 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein method in a cell-free environment and with THP-1 cells. Activities were normalized with regard to catalyst surface area to enable a meaningful comparison of size effects. The solubility was measured for both materials and found to be 2 µg/ml for Ni and below the detection limit of 0.8 µg/ml for Pd. In the concentration range of about 4-250 µg/ml both materials induced a significant production of ROS in both acellular and cellular environments, with palladium being more active than nickel by several orders of magnitude. On an equal surface area concentration basis, both acellular and cellular ROS production showed a pronounced dependence on the primary particle size, with a maximum in the vicinity of 12 nm. The surface-specific catalytic activity also had a maximum at that size range. The correlation of these size effects is both surprising and - in combination with the poor solubility of palladium and nickel in PBS solution - a strong argument in favor of a particulate, catalytic mechanism for ROS production.
Refined Synthesis and Characterization of Controlled Diameter, Narrow Size Distribution Microparticles for Aerospace Research Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tiemsin, Pacita I.; Wohl, Christopher J.

2012-01-01

Flow visualization using polystyrene microspheres (PSL)s has enabled researchers to learn a tremendous amount of information via particle based diagnostic techniques. To better accommodate wind tunnel researchers needs, PSL synthesis via dispersion polymerization has been carried out at NASA Langley Research Center since the late 1980s. When utilizing seed material for flow visualization, size and size distribution are of paramount importance. Therefore, the work described here focused on further refinement of PSL synthesis and characterization. Through controlled variation of synthetic conditions (chemical concentrations, solution stirring speed, temperature, etc.) a robust, controllable procedure was developed. The relationship between particle size and salt concentration, MgSO4, was identified enabling the determination of PSL diameters a priori. Suggestions of future topics related to PSL synthesis, stability, and size variation are also described.
Characterization of synthetic nanocrystalline mackinawite: crystal structure, particle size, and specific surface area

PubMed Central

Jeong, Hoon Y.; Lee, Jun H.; Hayes, Kim F.

2010-01-01

Iron sulfide was synthesized by reacting aqueous solutions of sodium sulfide and ferrous chloride for 3 days. By X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), the resultant phase was determined to be primarily nanocrystalline mackinawite (space group: P4/nmm) with unit cell parameters a = b = 3.67 Å and c = 5.20 Å. Iron K-edge XAS analysis also indicated the dominance of mackinawite. Lattice expansion of synthetic mackinawite was observed along the c-axis relative to well-crystalline mackinawite. Compared with relatively short-aged phase, the mackinawite prepared here was composed of larger crystallites with less elongated lattice spacings. The direct observation of lattice fringes by HR-TEM verified the applicability of Bragg diffraction in determining the lattice parameters of nanocrystalline mackinawite from XRPD patterns. Estimated particle size and external specific surface area (SSAext) of nanocrystalline mackinawite varied significantly with the methods used. The use of Scherrer equation for measuring crystallite size based on XRPD patterns is limited by uncertainty of the Scherrer constant (K) due to the presence of polydisperse particles. The presence of polycrystalline particles may also lead to inaccurate particle size estimation by Scherrer equation, given that crystallite and particle sizes are not equivalent. The TEM observation yielded the smallest SSAext of 103 m2/g. This measurement was not representative of dispersed particles due to particle aggregation from drying during sample preparation. In contrast, EGME method and PCS measurement yielded higher SSAext (276–345 m2/g by EGME and 424 ± 130 m2/g by PCS). These were in reasonable agreement with those previously measured by the methods insensitive to particle aggregation. PMID:21085620
Ammonium removal from aqueous solutions by using natural Chinese (Chende) zeolite as adsorbent.

PubMed

Huang, Haiming; Xiao, Xianming; Yan, Bo; Yang, Liping

2010-03-15

This paper presents a study of the removal of ammonium ion from aqueous solutions using natural Chinese (Chende) zeolite. A series of experiments was conducted to examine the effects of solution pH, particle size, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and the presence of other cation- and anion species on ammonium removal. The findings indicated that these parameters named had a significant effect on the removal of ammonium by the zeolite. The effect of other cations on the removal of ammonium followed the order of preference Na(+)>K(+)>Ca(2+)>Mg(2+) at identical mass concentrations, and the effect of the presence of individual anions followed the order of preference carbonate>chloride>sulfate>phosphate at identical mass concentrations of ammonium ions. Kinetic analysis showed that the adsorption of ammonium on zeolite at different ranges of particle size well followed the pseudo-second-order model and followed the intra-particle diffusion model only during the initial 60 min of the adsorption process. Equilibrium isotherm data was fitted to the linear Langmuir- and Freundlich models with the latter model providing the better description of the process (R(2)=0.991-0.997) compared to the former (R(2)=0.902-0.989). (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Kinetics of Deliquescence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGraw, R. L.; Lewis, E.

2009-12-01

We examine deliquescence phase transformation for inorganic salt particles ranging from bulk down to several nanometers in size. Thermodynamic properties of the particles, coated with aqueous solution layers of varying thickness and surrounded by vapor, are analyzed. A thin layer criterion is introduced to define a limiting deliquescence relative humidity (DRH). Nano-size particles are predicted to deliquesce at relative humidity just below the DRH on crossing a nucleation barrier, located at a critical solution layer thickness. This barrier vanishes precisely at the DRH defined by the criterion. For a population of particles, the inherent random nature of the nucleation process is predicted to result in a distribution of RH values over which deliquescence will be seen to occur. Measurement of this (apparent) non-abrupt deliquescence of the population should provide both a validation of the nucleation mechanism and a quantitative determination of nucleation rate. This paper presents calculations of crossing (i.e. deliquescence) rate using the theory of mean first passage times (MFPT). MFPT theory is shown to provide a generalization of Becker-Döring nucleation kinetics especially useful for barrier heights much lower than those typically encountered in vapor-liquid nucleation. Barrier heights for deliquescence depend on the concentration of pre-deliquesced particles and observation time, but are typically in the 5-15kT range. Calculations use the tandem nano-differential mobility analyzer setup of Biskos et al. [1] as a model framework. In their experiment, a concentration of dry salt particles is subject to a higher RH for some observation time, after which is measured the (well-separated) populations of un-deliquesced particles and those that have deliquesced. Theoretical estimates for the conversion kinetics are presented as a function of dry particle size, DRH, and salt properties. [1] G. Biskos, A. Malinowski, L. M. Russell, P. R. Buseck, and S. T. Martin, Aerosol Sci. and Technol. 40, 97 (2006).

Magnetic properties of iron nanoparticles prepared by exploding wire technique.

PubMed

Alqudami, Abdullah; Annapoorni, S; Lamba, Subhalakshmi; Kothari, P C; Kotnala, R K

2007-06-01

Nanoparticles of iron were prepared in distilled water using very thin iron wires and sheets, by the electro-exploding wire technique. Transmission electron microscopy reveals the size of the nanoparticles to be in the range 10 to 50 nm. However, particles of different sizes can be segregated by using ultrahigh centrifuge. X-ray diffraction studies confirm the presence of the cubic phase of iron. These iron nanoparticles were found to exhibit fluorescence in the visible region in contrast to the normal bulk material. The room temperature hysteresis measurements upto a field of 1.0 tesla were performed on a suspension of iron particles in the solution as well as in the powders obtained by filtration. The hysteresis loops indicate that the particles are superparamagnetic in nature. The saturation magnetizations was approximately 60 emu/gm. As these iron particles are very sensitive to oxygen a coating of non-magnetic iron oxide tends to form around the particles giving it a core-shell structure. The core particle size is estimated theoretically from the magnetization measurements. Suspensions of iron nanoparticles in water have been proposed to be used as an effective decontaminant for ground water.
Novel method of niosome generation using supercritical carbon dioxide part I: process mechanics.

PubMed

Wagner, Michael E; Rizvi, Syed S H

2015-01-01

A novel method for the production of non-ionic surfactant vesicles (niosomes) using an rapid expansion of supercritical solution (RESS)-based process coupled with a gas ejector is presented along with an investigation of parameters affecting niosome morphology, size and encapsulation efficiency of a 0.2 M D-glucose solution in Tris buffer at physiological pH. The solubility of the non-ionic surfactant polyoxyethylene(4) sorbitan monostearate in SC-CO2 was determined at three pressures (10, 15 and 20 MPa) and three temperatures (40, 50 and 60 °C). Mole fraction of Tween61 in the vapor phase increased with pressure at 40 °C, but did not change with pressure at 50 or 60 °C. Solubility data were correlated using the Peng-Robinson equation of state (PREOS) with the Panagiotopoulos and Reid mixing rule. Vesicles were either multilamellar or unilamellar, depending on the degree of precipitation of the lipid formulation at the point of aqueous cargo introduction. Vesicle particle size distributions were bimodal, with the 80-99% of the liposomal volume contributed niosomes ranging in size from 3 to 7 μm and the remaining niosomes ranging from 239 to 969 nm, depending on the system configuration. Encapsulation efficiency as high as 28% using the gas ejector to introduce the glucose cargo solution was achieved. Vesicle particle size and encapsulation efficiency were shown to be dependent on cargo droplet formation.
Structure and Dynamics of Bimodal Colloidal Dispersions in a Low-Molecular-Weight Polymer Solution

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Fan; Allen, Andrew J.; Levine, Lyle E.; ...

2017-02-24

We present an experimental study of the structural and dynamical properties of bimodal, micrometersized colloidal dispersions (size ratio ≈ 2) in an aqueous solution of low-molecular weight polymer (polyethylene glycol 2000) using synchrotron ultra-small angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) and USAXSbased X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy. We fixed the volume fraction of the large particles at 5 % and systematically increased the volume fraction of the small particles from 0 % to 5 % to evaluate its effect on the structure and dynamics. The bimodal dispersions were homogenous through the investigated parameter space. We found that the partial structure factors can bemore » satisfactorily retrieved for the bimodal colloidal dispersions using a Percus-Yevick hard sphere potential when the particle size distributions of the particles were taken into account. We also found that the partial structure factor between the large particles does not exhibit significant variation with increasing volume fraction of small particles, whereas the isothermal compressibility of the binary mixture was found to decrease with increasing volume fraction of small particles. The dynamics of single-component large particle dispersion obey the principles of de Gennes narrowing, where the wave vector dependence of the interparticle diffusion coefficient is inversely proportional to the interparticle structure factor. The dynamics of the bimodal dispersions demonstrate strong dependence on the fraction of small particles. As a result, we also made a comparison between the experimental effective dynamic viscosity of the bimodal dispersion with theoretical predictions, which suggest that the complex mutual interactions between large and small particles have a strong effect on the dynamic behaviors of bimodal dispersions.« less
Structure and Dynamics of Bimodal Colloidal Dispersions in a Low-Molecular-Weight Polymer Solution

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

Zhang, Fan; Allen, Andrew J.; Levine, Lyle E.

We present an experimental study of the structural and dynamical properties of bimodal, micrometersized colloidal dispersions (size ratio ≈ 2) in an aqueous solution of low-molecular weight polymer (polyethylene glycol 2000) using synchrotron ultra-small angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) and USAXSbased X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy. We fixed the volume fraction of the large particles at 5 % and systematically increased the volume fraction of the small particles from 0 % to 5 % to evaluate its effect on the structure and dynamics. The bimodal dispersions were homogenous through the investigated parameter space. We found that the partial structure factors can bemore » satisfactorily retrieved for the bimodal colloidal dispersions using a Percus-Yevick hard sphere potential when the particle size distributions of the particles were taken into account. We also found that the partial structure factor between the large particles does not exhibit significant variation with increasing volume fraction of small particles, whereas the isothermal compressibility of the binary mixture was found to decrease with increasing volume fraction of small particles. The dynamics of single-component large particle dispersion obey the principles of de Gennes narrowing, where the wave vector dependence of the interparticle diffusion coefficient is inversely proportional to the interparticle structure factor. The dynamics of the bimodal dispersions demonstrate strong dependence on the fraction of small particles. As a result, we also made a comparison between the experimental effective dynamic viscosity of the bimodal dispersion with theoretical predictions, which suggest that the complex mutual interactions between large and small particles have a strong effect on the dynamic behaviors of bimodal dispersions.« less
Packaging of Polyelectrolytes in Viral Capsids: The Interplay Between Polymer Length and Capsid Size

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knobler, Charles

2008-03-01

Each particle of the Cowpea Chlorotic Mottle Virus (CCMV) has a very small ``parts list,'' consisting of two components: a molecule of single-stranded RNA and a 190-residue protein that makes up the 28-nm diameter icosahedral capsid. When purified viral RNA and capsid protein are mixed in solution at an appropriate pH and ionic strength, infectious wild-type viruses form spontaneously. Virus-like particles (VLPs) are formed when the protein self assembles around other anionic polymers such as poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS). Under different pH and ionic strength conditions the capsid protein can assemble by itself into empty capsids, multishell structures, tubes and sheets. To explore the effect on virion size of the competition between the preferred curvature of the protein and the size of the packaged cargo we have examined the formation of VLPs around PSS polymers with molecular weights ranging from 400 kDa to 3.4 MDa. Two distinct sizes are observed -- 22 nm for the lower molecular weights, jumping to 27 nm at 2 MDa. While under given conditions the size of PSS in solution is directly determined by its molecular weight, the self-complementarity of RNA makes its solution structure dependent on the nucleotide sequence as well. We have therefore employed Small-Angle X-ray Scattering and Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy to examine the sizes of viral and non-viral RNAs of identical lengths. A model for the assembly that includes both the self-interactions of the polyelectrolyte and the capsid proteins and the interactions between them provides insight into the experimental results.
Microstructure and thermal conductivity of surfactant-free NiO nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahoo, Pranati; Misra, Dinesh K.; Salvador, Jim; Makongo, Julien P. A.; Chaubey, Girija S.; Takas, Nathan J.; Wiley, John B.; Poudeu, Pierre F. P.

2012-06-01

High purity, nanometer sized surfactant-free nickel oxide (NiO) particles were produced in gram scale using a solution combustion method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), gas pycnometry and gas adsorption analysis (BET). The average particle size of the as-synthesized NiO increases significantly with the preheating temperature of the furnace, while the specific surface area decreases. A BET specific surface area of ∼100 m2/g was obtained for NiO nanoparticles with size as small as 3 nm synthesized at 300 °C. The thermal conductivity (κ) of pressed pellets of the synthesized NiO nanoparticles obtained using spark plasma sintering (SPS) and uniaxial hot pressing is drastically decreased (∼60%) compared to that of NiO single crystal. This strong reduction in κ with particle size suggests the suitability of the synthesized surfactant-free NiO nanoparticles for use as nanoinclusions when designing high performance materials for waste heat recovery.
A unified gas-kinetic scheme for continuum and rarefied flows IV: Full Boltzmann and model equations

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

Liu, Chang, E-mail: cliuaa@ust.hk; Xu, Kun, E-mail: makxu@ust.hk; Sun, Quanhua, E-mail: qsun@imech.ac.cn

Fluid dynamic equations are valid in their respective modeling scales, such as the particle mean free path scale of the Boltzmann equation and the hydrodynamic scale of the Navier–Stokes (NS) equations. With a variation of the modeling scales, theoretically there should have a continuous spectrum of fluid dynamic equations. Even though the Boltzmann equation is claimed to be valid in all scales, many Boltzmann solvers, including direct simulation Monte Carlo method, require the cell resolution to the order of particle mean free path scale. Therefore, they are still single scale methods. In order to study multiscale flow evolution efficiently, themore » dynamics in the computational fluid has to be changed with the scales. A direct modeling of flow physics with a changeable scale may become an appropriate approach. The unified gas-kinetic scheme (UGKS) is a direct modeling method in the mesh size scale, and its underlying flow physics depends on the resolution of the cell size relative to the particle mean free path. The cell size of UGKS is not limited by the particle mean free path. With the variation of the ratio between the numerical cell size and local particle mean free path, the UGKS recovers the flow dynamics from the particle transport and collision in the kinetic scale to the wave propagation in the hydrodynamic scale. The previous UGKS is mostly constructed from the evolution solution of kinetic model equations. Even though the UGKS is very accurate and effective in the low transition and continuum flow regimes with the time step being much larger than the particle mean free time, it still has space to develop more accurate flow solver in the region, where the time step is comparable with the local particle mean free time. In such a scale, there is dynamic difference from the full Boltzmann collision term and the model equations. This work is about the further development of the UGKS with the implementation of the full Boltzmann collision term in the region where it is needed. The central ingredient of the UGKS is the coupled treatment of particle transport and collision in the flux evaluation across a cell interface, where a continuous flow dynamics from kinetic to hydrodynamic scales is modeled. The newly developed UGKS has the asymptotic preserving (AP) property of recovering the NS solutions in the continuum flow regime, and the full Boltzmann solution in the rarefied regime. In the mostly unexplored transition regime, the UGKS itself provides a valuable tool for the non-equilibrium flow study. The mathematical properties of the scheme, such as stability, accuracy, and the asymptotic preserving, will be analyzed in this paper as well.« less
High magnetization Fe-Co and Fe-Ni submicron and nanosize particles by thermal decomposition and hydrogen reduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, B. Z.; Marinescu, M.; Liu, J. F.

2014-05-01

This paper reports morphology, structure, and magnetic properties of air-stable soft magnetic FexCo100-x (x = 65, 50, and 34) and Fe50Ni50 (at. %) submicron and nanosize particles fabricated by template-free thermal decomposition of nitrates of Fe, Co, and Ni and subsequent hydrogen reduction. The particle compositions were tuned by modification of the precursor solution concentrations. The as-synthesized Fe-Co and Fe50Ni50 particles have body centered cubic and face centered cubic poly-nanocrystalline structures, respectively. The Fe-Co and Fe50Ni50 particles have particle sizes in the range of 28-200 nm and 70-480 nm, and average grain sizes of 16-29 nm and 20-24 nm, respectively. The particle and grain sizes were controlled by tuning particle composition, and the temperature and time of hydrogen reduction. Saturation magnetization Ms as high as 207-224 emu/g and intrinsic coercivity Hci of 59-228 Oe were obtained in the Fe-Co particles reduced at 550 °C for 90 min. Of special note, the Ms of 224 emu/g (˜2.3 T) obtained in the Fe65Co35 particles is among the highest values for Fe-Co particles reported so far. Ms of 135-137 emu/g and Hci of 59-111 Oe were obtained in the Fe50Ni50 particles reduced at 500 or 550 °C for 20 min.
Improving adhesion of seasonings to crackers with hydrocolloid solutions.

PubMed

Armstrong, Matthew E; Barringer, Sheryl A

2013-11-01

Food powders were applied on crackers that had been coated using water, oil, emulsion, sucrose, or hydrocolloid solutions. The hydrocolloids that were used include gellan gum, kappa-carrageenan, methylcellulose, gum karaya, gum tragacanth, gum arabic, guar gum, modified starch, and maltodextrin. Solutions of similar hydrophobicity to the powder gave the greatest adhesion. NaCl, barbecue (BBQ), ranch, and sour cream & onion (SC&O) seasoning showed greatest adhesion with water, cheese powder with an emulsion of 12.5% to 25% oil, and cocoa powder with oil. For NaCl, BBQ, ranch, and SC&O seasoning, hydrocolloids improved the adhesion over using water alone, with gellan gum providing the greatest adhesion. Hydrocolloid structural differences, including the presence or absence of branching, substitution of sugar units, and molecular weight affect water binding and thickening of the hydrocolloid spray that seemed to be significant factors affecting adhesion of powders to the target surface. For cheese powder, hydrocolloids were capable of replacing the oil within an emulsion while improving or maintaining the same level of adhesion, with gum arabic providing the greatest adhesion. For cocoa powder, hydrocolloid solutions were ineffective adhesives due to differences in hydrophilicity that result in insolubility. The effect of hydrocolloid concentration on adhesion was dependent both on the hydrocolloid type and the concentration that is sprayable, with 0.5% being the optimum concentration for most gums. Adhesion using sucrose solutions was determined by particle size and relative hydrophobicity. Increasing sucrose concentration decreased adhesion of smaller particles, but increased adhesion of larger particles. Adhesion of NaCl significantly increased with decreasing NaCl size using oil, water, and sucrose solutions. © 2013 Institute of Food Technologists®
Electrokinetic and hydrodynamic properties of charged-particles systems. From small electrolyte ions to large colloids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nägele, G.; Heinen, M.; Banchio, A. J.; Contreras-Aburto, C.

2013-11-01

Dynamic processes in dispersions of charged spherical particles are of importance both in fundamental science, and in technical and bio-medical applications. There exists a large variety of charged-particles systems, ranging from nanometer-sized electrolyte ions to micron-sized charge-stabilized colloids. We review recent advances in theoretical methods for the calculation of linear transport coefficients in concentrated particulate systems, with the focus on hydrodynamic interactions and electrokinetic effects. Considered transport properties are the dispersion viscosity, self- and collective diffusion coefficients, sedimentation coefficients, and electrophoretic mobilities and conductivities of ionic particle species in an external electric field. Advances by our group are also discussed, including a novel mode-coupling-theory method for conduction-diffusion and viscoelastic properties of strong electrolyte solutions. Furthermore, results are presented for dispersions of solvent-permeable particles, and particles with non-zero hydrodynamic surface slip. The concentration-dependent swelling of ionic microgels is discussed, as well as a far-reaching dynamic scaling behavior relating colloidal long- to short-time dynamics.
Preparation and characterization of nanoparticles of carboxymethyl cellulose acetate butyrate containing acyclovir

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vedula, Venkata Bharadwaz; Chopra, Maulick; Joseph, Emil; Mazumder, Sonal

2016-02-01

Nanoparticles of carboxymethyl cellulose acetate butyrate complexed with the poorly soluble antiviral drug acyclovir (ACV) were produced by precipitation process and the formulation process and properties of nanoparticles were investigated. Two different particle synthesis methods were explored—a conventional precipitation method and a rapid precipitation in a multi-inlet vortex mixer. The particles were processed by rotavap followed by freeze-drying. Particle diameters as measured by dynamic light scattering were dependent on the synthesis method used. The conventional precipitation method did not show desired particle size distribution, whereas particles prepared by the mixer showed well-defined particle size ~125-450 nm before and after freeze-drying, respectively, with narrow polydispersity indices. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed chemical stability and intactness of entrapped drug in the nanoparticles. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that the drug was in amorphous state in the polymer matrix. ACV drug loading was around 10 wt%. The release studies showed increase in solution concentration of drug from the nanoparticles compared to the as-received crystalline drug.
The Effects of Soil Type, Particle Size, Temperature, and Moisture on Reproduction of Belonolaimus longicaudatus.

PubMed

Robbins, R T; Barker, K R

1974-01-01

Effects of soil type, particle size, temperature, and moisture on the reproduction of Belonolaimus longicaudatus were investigated under greenhouse conditions. Nematode increases occurred only in soils with a minimum of 80% sand and a maximum of 10% clay. Optimum soil particle size for reproduction of the Tarboro, N.C. and Tifton, Ga. populations of the nematode was near that of 120-370 mum (65-mesh) silica sand. Reproduction was greatest at 25-30 C. Some reproduction by the Tifton, Ga. population occurred at 35 C, whereas the Tarboro, N.C. population declined, as compared to the initial inoculum. Both populations reproduced slightly at 20 C. Nematode reproduction was greater at a moisture level of 7% than at a high of 30% or a low of 2%. Reproduction occurred at the high moisture level only when the nutrient solution was aerated.
Feedback mechanism for smart nozzles and nebulizers

DOEpatents

Montaser, Akbar [Potomac, MD; Jorabchi, Kaveh [Arlington, VA; Kahen, Kaveh [Kleinburg, CA

2009-01-27

Nozzles and nebulizers able to produce aerosol with optimum and reproducible quality based on feedback information obtained using laser imaging techniques. Two laser-based imaging techniques based on particle image velocimetry (PTV) and optical patternation map and contrast size and velocity distributions for indirect and direct pneumatic nebulizations in plasma spectrometry. Two pulses from thin laser sheet with known time difference illuminate droplets flow field. Charge coupled device (CCL)) captures scattering of laser light from droplets, providing two instantaneous particle images. Pointwise cross-correlation of corresponding images yields two-dimensional velocity map of aerosol velocity field. For droplet size distribution studies, solution is doped with fluorescent dye and both laser induced florescence (LIF) and Mie scattering images are captured simultaneously by two CCDs with the same field of view. Ratio of LIF/Mie images provides relative droplet size information, then scaled by point calibration method via phase Doppler particle analyzer.
Sensing/actuating materials made from carbon nanotube polymer composites and methods for making same

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ounaies, Zoubeida (Inventor); Park, Cheol (Inventor); Harrison, Joycelyn S. (Inventor); Holloway, Nancy M. (Inventor); Draughon, Gregory K. (Inventor)

2008-01-01

An electroactive sensing or actuating material comprises a composite made from a polymer with polarizable moieties and an effective amount of carbon nanotubes incorporated in the polymer for a predetermined electromechanical operation of the composite when such composite is affected by an external stimulus. In another embodiment, the composite comprises a third component of micro-sized to nano-sized particles of an electroactive ceramic that is also incorporated in the polymer matrix. The method for making the three-phase composite comprises either incorporating the carbon nanotubes in the polymer matrix before incorporation of the particles of ceramic or mixing the carbon nanotubes and particles of ceramic together in a solution before incorporation in the polymer matrix.
Method of Making an Electroactive Sensing/Actuating Material for Carbon Nanotube Polymer Composite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ounaies, Zoubeida (Inventor); Park, Cheol (Inventor); Harrison, Joycelyn S. (Inventor); Holloway, Nancy M. (Inventor); Draughon, Gregory K. (Inventor)

2009-01-01

An electroactive sensing or actuating material comprises a composite made from a polymer with polarizable moieties and an effective amount of carbon nanotubes incorporated in the polymer for a predetermined electromechanical operation of the composite when such composite is affected by an external stimulus. In another embodiment, the composite comprises a, third component of micro -sized to nano-sized particles of an electroactive ceramic that is also incorporated in the polymer matrix. The method for making the three-phase composite comprises either incorporating the carbon nanotubes in the polymer matrix before incorporation of the particles of ceramic or mixing the carbon nanotubes and particles of ceramic together in a solution before incorporation in the polymer matrix.
Quantifying solubility enhancement due to particle size reduction and crystal habit modification: case study of acetyl salicylic acid.

PubMed

Hammond, Robert B; Pencheva, Klimentina; Roberts, Kevin J; Auffret, Tony

2007-08-01

The poor solubility of potential drug molecules is a significant problem in the design of pharmaceutical formulations. It is well known, however, that the solubility of crystalline materials is enhanced when the particle size is reduced to submicron levels and this factor can be expected to enhance drug product bioavailability. Direct estimation of solubility enhancement, as calculated via the Gibbs-Thompson relationship, demands reasonably accurate values for the particle/solution interfacial tension and, in particular, its anisotropy with respect to the crystal product's habit and morphology. In this article, an improved, more molecule-centered, approach is presented towards the calculation of solubility enhancement factors in which molecular modeling techniques are applied, and the effects associated with both crystal habit modification and solvent choice are examined. A case study for facetted, acetyl salicylic acid (aspirin) crystals in equilibrium with saturated aqueous ethanol solution reveals that their solubility will be enhanced in the range (7-58%) for a crystal size of 0.02 microm, with significantly higher enhancement for crystal morphologies in which the hydrophobic crystal faces are more predominant than the hydrophilic faces and for solvents in which the solubility is smaller. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.
Improved Optics For Quasi-Elastic Light Scattering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheung, Harry Michael

1995-01-01

Improved optical train devised for use in light-scattering measurements of quasi-elastic light scattering (QELS) and laser spectroscopy. Measurements performed on solutions, microemulsions, micellular solutions, and colloidal dispersions. Simultaneous measurements of total intensity and fluctuations in total intensity of light scattered from sample at various angles provides data used, in conjunction with diffusion coefficients, to compute sizes of particles in sample.
Microfluidic curved-channel centrifuge for solution exchange of target microparticles and their simultaneous separation from bacteria.

PubMed

Bayat, Pouriya; Rezai, Pouya

2018-05-21

One of the common operations in sample preparation is to separate specific particles (e.g. target cells, embryos or microparticles) from non-target substances (e.g. bacteria) in a fluid and to wash them into clean buffers for further processing like detection (called solution exchange in this paper). For instance, solution exchange is widely needed in preparing fluidic samples for biosensing at the point-of-care and point-of-use, but still conducted via the use of cumbersome and time-consuming off-chip analyte washing and purification techniques. Existing small-scale and handheld active and passive devices for washing particles are often limited to very low throughputs or require external sources of energy. Here, we integrated Dean flow recirculation of two fluids in curved microchannels with selective inertial focusing of target particles to develop a microfluidic centrifuge device that can isolate specific particles (as surrogates for target analytes) from bacteria and wash them into a clean buffer at high throughput and efficiency. We could process micron-size particles at a flow rate of 1 mL min-1 and achieve throughputs higher than 104 particles per second. Our results reveal that the device is capable of singleplex solution exchange of 11 μm and 19 μm particles with efficiencies of 86 ± 2% and 93 ± 0.7%, respectively. A purity of 96 ± 2% was achieved in the duplex experiments where 11 μm particles were isolated from 4 μm particles. Application of our device in biological assays was shown by performing duplex experiments where 11 μm or 19 μm particles were isolated from an Escherichia coli bacterial suspension with purities of 91-98%. We envision that our technique will have applications in point-of-care devices for simultaneous purification and solution exchange of cells and embryos from smaller substances in high-volume suspensions at high throughput and efficiency.
Effect of gamma-irradiation of bovine serum albumin solution on the formation of zigzag film textures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glibitskiy, Dmitriy M.; Gorobchenko, Olga A.; Nikolov, Oleg T.; Cheipesh, Tatiana A.; Roshal, Alexander D.; Zibarov, Artem M.; Shestopalova, Anna V.; Semenov, Mikhail A.; Glibitskiy, Gennadiy M.

2018-03-01

Formation of patterns on the surface of dried films of saline biopolymer solutions is influenced by many factors, including particle size and structure. Proteins may be modified under the influence of ionizing radiation. By irradiating protein solutions with gamma rays, it is possible to affect the formation of zigzag (Z) structures on the film surface. In our study, the films were obtained by desiccation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) solutions, which were irradiated by a 60Co gamma-source at doses ranging from 1 Gy to 12 kGy. The analysis of the resulting textures on the surface of the films was carried out by calculating the specific length of Z-structures. The results are compared against the absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS) data. Gamma-irradiation of BSA solutions in the 1-200 Gy range practically does not influence the amount of Z-structures on the film surface. The decrease in fluorescence intensity and increase in absorbance intensity point to the destruction of BSA structure at 2 and 12 kGy, and DLS shows a more than 160% increase in particle size as a result of BSA aggregation at 2 kGy. This prevents the formation of Z-structures, which is reflected in the decrease of their specific length.
Optical Properties of Synthesized Nanoparticles ZnS Using Methacrylic Acid as the Capping Agent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nazerdeylami, Somayeh; Saievar Iranizad, Esmaiel; Molaei, Mehdi

Optical analysis (UV-vis spectroscopy) of solution of ZnS nanoparticles prepared at room temperature by a chemical capping method using methacrylic acid (MAA) capping agent at concentration of 0.05, 0.2, 0.5 and 1.17 molar is investigated. The spectroscopy results indicate increasing of band gap of ZnS through increasing concentration of the methacrylic acid as capping agent in the solution. According to the relation of Effective Mass Approximation, it is concluded that the size of nanoparticles decreased with the increasing concentration of the capping agent in the tested solutions. The size of the particles is found to be in 1.77-2.05 nm range.

Design and evaluation of oral nanoemulsion drug delivery system of mebudipine.

PubMed

Khani, Samira; Keyhanfar, Fariborz; Amani, Amir

2016-07-01

A nanoemulsion drug delivery system was developed to increase the oral bioavailability of mebudipine as a calcium channel blocker with very low bioavailability profile. The impact of nano-formulation on the pharmacokinetic parameters of mebudipine in rats was investigated. Nanoemulsion formulations containing ethyl oleate, Tween 80, Span 80, polyethylene glycol 400, ethanol and deionized water were prepared using probe sonicator. The optimum formulation was evaluated for physicochemical properties, such as particle size, morphology and stability. The particle size of optimum formulation was 22.8 ± 4.0 nm. Based on the results of this study, the relative bioavailability of mebudipine nanoemulsion was enhanced by about 2.6-, 2.0- and 1.9-fold, respectively, compared with suspension, ethyl oleate solution and micellar solution. In conclusion, nanoemulsion is an interesting option for the delivery of poorly water soluble molecules, such as mebudipine.
Toxicity of TiO2 Nanoparticles to Escherichia coli: Effects of Particle Size, Crystal Phase and Water Chemistry

PubMed Central

Lin, Xiuchun; Li, Jingyi; Ma, Si; Liu, Gesheng; Yang, Kun; Tong, Meiping; Lin, Daohui

2014-01-01

Controversial and inconsistent results on the eco-toxicity of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) are commonly found in recorded studies and more experimental works are therefore warranted to elucidate the nanotoxicity and its underlying precise mechanisms. Toxicities of five types of TiO2 NPs with different particle sizes (10∼50 nm) and crystal phases were investigated using Escherichia coli as a test organism. The effect of water chemistry on the nanotoxicity was also examined. The antibacterial effects of TiO2 NPs as revealed by dose-effect experiments decreased with increasing particle size and rutile content of the TiO2 NPs. More bacteria could survive at higher solution pH (5.0–10.0) and ionic strength (50–200 mg L−1 NaCl) as affected by the anatase TiO2 NPs. The TiO2 NPs with anatase crystal structure and smaller particle size produced higher content of intracellular reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde, in line with their greater antibacterial effect. Transmission electron microscopic observations showed the concentration buildup of the anatase TiO2 NPs especially those with smaller particle sizes on the cell surfaces, leading to membrane damage and internalization. These research results will shed new light on the understanding of ecological effects of TiO2 NPs. PMID:25310452
Formation of Polyelectrolyte Complex Colloid Particles between Chitosan and Pectin with Different Degree of Esterification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hui; Sun, Hongyuan; He, Jieyu

2017-12-01

The effects of degree of esterification, pectin/chitosan ratio and pH on the formation of polyelectrolyte complex colloid particles between chitosan (CS) and pectin (PE) were investigated. Low methoxyl pectin (LPE) was achieved by de-esterifying high methoxyl pectin (HPE) with pectin methyl esterase. Turbidity titration and colorimetric method was used to determine the stability of complex colloid particles. The structure and morphology of complex particles were characterized by FTIR and TEM. When pectin solution was dropped into chitosan solution, complex colloidal dispersion was stable as PE/CS mass ratio was no more than 3:2. Colloidal particles of HPE-CS complex coagulated at larger ratio of PE/CS than LPE-CS. The maximum complex occurred at pH 6.1 for HPE-CS and pH 5.7 for LPE-CS, and decreasing pH leaded to the dissociation of complex particles. Electrostatic interactions between carboxyl groups on pectin and amino groups on chitosan were confirmed by FTIR. Colloidal particle sizes ranged from about 100 nm to 400 nm with spherical shape.
An efficient approach for treating composition-dependent diffusion within organic particles

DOE PAGES

O'Meara, Simon; Topping, David O.; Zaveri, Rahul A.; ...

2017-09-07

Mounting evidence demonstrates that under certain conditions the rate of component partitioning between the gas and particle phase in atmospheric organic aerosol is limited by particle-phase diffusion. To date, however, particle-phase diffusion has not been incorporated into regional atmospheric models. An analytical rather than numerical solution to diffusion through organic particulate matter is desirable because of its comparatively small computational expense in regional models. Current analytical models assume diffusion to be independent of composition and therefore use a constant diffusion coefficient. To realistically model diffusion, however, it should be composition-dependent (e.g. due to the partitioning of components that plasticise, vitrifymore » or solidify). This study assesses the modelling capability of an analytical solution to diffusion corrected to account for composition dependence against a numerical solution. Results show reasonable agreement when the gas-phase saturation ratio of a partitioning component is constant and particle-phase diffusion limits partitioning rate (<10% discrepancy in estimated radius change). However, when the saturation ratio of the partitioning component varies, a generally applicable correction cannot be found, indicating that existing methodologies are incapable of deriving a general solution. Until such time as a general solution is found, caution should be given to sensitivity studies that assume constant diffusivity. Furthermore, the correction was implemented in the polydisperse, multi-process Model for Simulating Aerosol Interactions and Chemistry (MOSAIC) and is used to illustrate how the evolution of number size distribution may be accelerated by condensation of a plasticising component onto viscous organic particles.« less
An efficient approach for treating composition-dependent diffusion within organic particles

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

O'Meara, Simon; Topping, David O.; Zaveri, Rahul A.

Mounting evidence demonstrates that under certain conditions the rate of component partitioning between the gas and particle phase in atmospheric organic aerosol is limited by particle-phase diffusion. To date, however, particle-phase diffusion has not been incorporated into regional atmospheric models. An analytical rather than numerical solution to diffusion through organic particulate matter is desirable because of its comparatively small computational expense in regional models. Current analytical models assume diffusion to be independent of composition and therefore use a constant diffusion coefficient. To realistically model diffusion, however, it should be composition-dependent (e.g. due to the partitioning of components that plasticise, vitrifymore » or solidify). This study assesses the modelling capability of an analytical solution to diffusion corrected to account for composition dependence against a numerical solution. Results show reasonable agreement when the gas-phase saturation ratio of a partitioning component is constant and particle-phase diffusion limits partitioning rate (<10% discrepancy in estimated radius change). However, when the saturation ratio of the partitioning component varies, a generally applicable correction cannot be found, indicating that existing methodologies are incapable of deriving a general solution. Until such time as a general solution is found, caution should be given to sensitivity studies that assume constant diffusivity. Furthermore, the correction was implemented in the polydisperse, multi-process Model for Simulating Aerosol Interactions and Chemistry (MOSAIC) and is used to illustrate how the evolution of number size distribution may be accelerated by condensation of a plasticising component onto viscous organic particles.« less
Dynamic Light Scattering Study of Inhibition of Nucleation and Growth of Hydroxyapatite Crystals by Osteopontin

PubMed Central

de Bruyn, John R.; Goiko, Maria; Mozaffari, Maryam; Bator, Daniel; Dauphinee, Ron L.; Liao, Yinyin; Flemming, Roberta L.; Bramble, Michael S.; Hunter, Graeme K.; Goldberg, Harvey A.

2013-01-01

We study the effect of isoforms of osteopontin (OPN) on the nucleation and growth of crystals from a supersaturated solution of calcium and phosphate ions. Dynamic light scattering is used to monitor the size of the precipitating particles and to provide information about their concentration. At the ion concentrations studied, immediate precipitation was observed in control experiments with no osteopontin in the solution, and the size of the precipitating particles increased steadily with time. The precipitate was identified as hydroxyapatite by X-ray diffraction. Addition of native osteopontin (nOPN) extracted from rat bone caused a delay in the onset of precipitation and reduced the number of particles that formed, but the few particles that did form grew to a larger size than in the absence of the protein. Recombinant osteopontin (rOPN), which lacks phosphorylation, caused no delay in initial calcium phosphate precipitation but severely slowed crystal growth, suggesting that rOPN inhibits growth but not nucleation. rOPN treated with protein kinase CK2 to phosphorylate the molecule (p-rOPN) produced an effect similar to that of nOPN, but at higher protein concentrations and to a lesser extent. These results suggest that phosphorylations are critical to OPN’s ability to inhibit nucleation, whereas the growth of the hydroxyapatite crystals is effectively controlled by the highly acidic OPN polypeptide. This work also demonstrates that dynamic light scattering can be a powerful tool for delineating the mechanism of protein modulation of mineral formation. PMID:23457612
Investigation of Deposits in Channels of Panels of a Heat-Transfer Agent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koshoridze, S. I.; Levin, Yu. K.; Rabinskiy, L. N.; Babaytsev, A. V.

2017-12-01

An analysis of the behavior of nanosized colloidal particles in a supersaturated solution made it possible to substantiate the possibility of increasing the heat-transfer efficiency in a heat exchanger during magnetic treatment of a heat-transfer agent. A model is proposed to weaken the scale during magnetic treatment of a water stream. A colloidal solution is shown to decrease its stability—the coagulation of colloidal particles begins—because of the deformation of the double electrical layer. As a result of increasing the effective radius of curvature of nanoparticles, the solution becomes strongly supersaturated with respect to forming aggregates, which accelerates the solidification of dissolved salts on them. The influence of the interfacial layer of nanoobjects decreases the energy of formation of critical nuclei (size effect) and their sizes. Since coagulation tends to decrease the concentration of critical nuclei in the solution, their loss should be compensated via the homogeneous generation of new nuclei. As a result, the concentration of suspended particles increases additionally and the antiscale effect is enhanced. The solidification flux of dissolved salts is shown to deposit mainly on suspended nanoparticles due to an increase in their total surface area and to the fact that the coefficient of mass transfer to suspension is higher than that to the wall by four orders of magnitude. The mathematical model constructed on the basis of the detected set of physical processes can be used to perform quantitative estimates of the antiscale effect in real power plants.
Complexation- and ligand-induced metal release from 316L particles: importance of particle size and crystallographic structure.

PubMed

Hedberg, Yolanda; Hedberg, Jonas; Liu, Yi; Wallinder, Inger Odnevall

2011-12-01

Iron, chromium, nickel, and manganese released from gas-atomized AISI 316L stainless steel powders (sized <45 and <4 μm) were investigated in artificial lysosomal fluid (ALF, pH 4.5) and in solutions of its individual inorganic and organic components to determine its most aggressive component, elucidate synergistic effects, and assess release mechanisms, in dependence of surface changes using atomic absorption spectroscopy, Raman, XPS, and voltammetry. Complexation is the main reason for metal release from 316L particles immersed in ALF. Iron was mainly released, while manganese was preferentially released as a consequence of the reduction of manganese oxide on the surface. These processes resulted in highly complexing media in a partial oxidation of trivalent chromium to hexavalent chromium on the surface. The extent of metal release was partially controlled by surface properties (e.g., availability of elements on the surface and structure of the outermost surface) and partially by the complexation capacity of the different metals with the complexing agents of the different media. In general, compared to the coarse powder (<45 μm), the fine (<4 μm) powder displayed significantly higher released amounts of metals per surface area, increased with increased solution complexation capacity, while less amounts of metals were released into non-complexing solutions. Due to the ferritic structure of lower solubility for nickel of the fine powder, more nickel was released into all solutions compared with the coarser powder.
Geological and technological evaluation of gold-bearing mineral material after photo-electrochemical activation leaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manzyrev, DV

2017-02-01

The paper reports the lab test results on simulation of heap leaching of unoxidized rebellious ore extracted from deep levels of Pogromnoe open pit mine, with different flowsheets and photo-electrochemically activated solutions. It has been found that pre-treatment of rebellious ore particles -10 mm in size by photo-electrochemically activated solutions at the stage preceding agglomeration with the use of rich cyanide solutions enhances gold recovery by 6%.
Measuring and controlling the transport of magnetic nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephens, Jason R.

Despite the large body of literature describing the synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles, few analytical tools are commonly used for their purification and analysis. Due to their unique physical and chemical properties, magnetic nanoparticles are appealing candidates for biomedical applications and analytical separations. Yet in the absence of methods for assessing and assuring their purity, the ultimate use of magnetic particles and heterostructures is likely to be limited. For magnetic nanoparticles, it is the use of an applied magnetic flux or field gradient that enables separations. Flow based techniques are combined with applied magnetic fields to give methods such as magnetic field flow fractionation and high gradient magnetic separation. Additional techniques have been explored for manipulating particles in microfluidic channels and in mesoporous membranes. This thesis further describes development of these and new analytical tools for separation and analysis of colloidal particles is critically important to enable the practical use of these, particularly for medicinal purposes. Measurement of transport of nanometer scale particles through porous media is important to begin to understand the potential environmental impacts of nanomaterials. Using a diffusion cell with two compartments separated by either a porous alumina or polycarbonate membrane as a model system, diffusive flux through mesoporous materials is examined. Experiments are performed as a function of particle size, pore diameter, and solvent, and the particle fluxes are monitored by the change in absorbance of the solution in the receiving cell. Using the measured extinction coefficient and change in absorbance of the solution as a function of time, the fluxes of 3, 8, and 14 nm diameter CoFe2O4 particles are determined as they are translocated across pores with diameters 30, 50, 100, and 200 nm in hexane and aqueous solutions. In general, flux decreases with increasing particle size and increases with pore diameter. We find that fluxes are faster in aqueous solutions than in hexane, which is attributed to the hydrophilic nature of the porous membranes and differences in wettability. The impact of an applied magnetic flux gradient, which induces magnetization and motion, on permeation is also examined. Surface chemistry plays an important role in determining flux through porous media such as in the environment. Diffusive flux of nanoparticles through alkylsilane modified porous alumina is measured as a model for understanding transport in porous media of differing surface chemistries. Experiments are performed as a function of particle size, pore diameter, attached hydrocarbon chain length and chain terminus, and solvent. Particle fluxes are monitored by the change in absorbance of the solution in the receiving side of a diffusion cell. In general, flux increases when the membranes are modified with alkylsilanes compared to untreated membranes, which is attributed to the hydrophobic nature of the porous membranes and differences in wettability. We find that flux decreases, in both hexane and aqueous solutions, when the hydrocarbon chain lining the interior pore wall increases in length. The rate and selectivity of transport across these membranes is related to the partition coefficient (Kp) and the diffusion coefficient (D) of the permeating species. By conducting experiments as a function of initial particle concentration, we find that KpD increases with increasing particle size, is greater in alkylsilane--modified pores, and larger in hexane solution than water. The impact of the alkylsilane terminus (--CH3, --Br, --NH2, --COOH) on permeation in water is also examined. In water, the highest KpD is observed when the membranes are modified with carboxylic acid terminated silanes and lowest with amine terminated silanes as a result of electrostatic effects during translocation. Finally, the manipulation of magnetic nanoparticles for the controlled formation of linked nanoparticle assemblies between microfluidic channels by the application of an external magnet is discussed. Two orthogonal channels were prepared using standard PDMS techniques with pressure-driven flow used to deliver the Fe3O4 and Au nanoparticle reactants. Nanoparticle assembly formation is based upon locally confined surface modification of Fe3O4 nanoparticles interacting with Au nanoparticles bridging the two particles together. For the magnetic particles, transfer between flow streams is greatly increased by placing a permanent magnet above and below the channel intersections. Multiple configurations of Fe3O 4 and Au nanoparticle assemblies are observed as a function of flow rate and interaction time of the individual nanoparticle components. We observe the formation of higher order assemblies by increasing the concentration of Fe3O4 nanoparticles introduced to the microfluidic device. This technique demonstrates the ability to form nanoparticle linked assemblies and could be easily linked to other analytical techniques developed in our lab to further isolate and separate a particular product. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
Effects of irradiation intensity and pH on nutrients release and solids destruction of waste activated sludge using the microwave-enhanced advanced oxidation process.

PubMed

Chan, W I; Liao, P H; Lo, K V

2010-11-01

Using the microwave-enhanced advanced oxidation process (MW/H2O2-AOP), the pH and irradiation intensity on waste activated sludge samples were investigated to provide insight to the athermal effects on nutrients release, solids destruction, particle size distribution and dewaterability, and to demonstrate their interrelationships. Carbonaceous matters and nutrients released into solution depended on the irradiation intensity and time. Higher irradiation levels tended to be more effective in the solubilization of nutrients and had more pronounced effects in the dewaterability of sludge. In terms of particle size distribution, detectable particles increased in size for treatments in acidic conditions, while the dewaterability of treated sludge was improved. In treatments under neutral and alkaline conditions, the particle size range increased, with more small particles formed, thereby significantly deteriorating the dewaterability of sludge treated in alkaline conditions. The best results for the solubilization of nutrients were in alkaline conditions with high irradiation power, but dewaterability of the sludge was compromised. Sludge treatment with the MW/H2O2-AOP in acidic conditions with high irradiation power yielded the best dewaterable sludge and significant nutrient solubilization; therefore, it is the recommended treatment condition for activated sludge.
Dynamically controlled deposition of colloidal nanoparticle suspension in evaporating drops using laser radiation.

PubMed

Ta, V D; Carter, R M; Esenturk, E; Connaughton, C; Wasley, T J; Li, J; Kay, R W; Stringer, J; Smith, P J; Shephard, J D

2016-05-18

Dynamic control of the distribution of polystyrene suspended nanoparticles in evaporating droplets is investigated using a 2.9 μm high power laser. Under laser radiation a droplet is locally heated and fluid flows are induced that overcome the capillary flow, and thus a reversal of the coffee-stain effect is observed. Suspension particles are accumulated in a localised area, one order of magnitude smaller than the original droplet size. By scanning the laser beam over the droplet, particles can be deposited in an arbitrary pattern. This finding raises the possibility for direct laser writing of suspended particles through a liquid layer. Furthermore, a highly uniform coating is possible by manipulating the laser beam diameter and exposure time. The effect is expected to be universally applicable to aqueous solutions independent of solutes (either particles or molecules) and deposited substrates.
Exact Solution for Capillary Bridges Properties by Shooting Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiang-Nian, Li; Jia-Qi, Zhang; Feng-Xi, Zhou

2017-04-01

The investigation of liquid bridge force acting between wet particles has great significance in many fields. In this article, the exact solution of capillary force between two unequal-sized spherical particles is investigated. Firstly, The Young-Laplace equation with moving boundary is converted into a set of ordinary differential equations with two fix point boundary using variable substitution technique, in which the gravity effects have been neglected. The geometry of the liquid bridge between two particles is solved by shooting method. After that, the gorge method is applied to calculate the capillary-bridge force that is consists of contributions from the capillary suction and surface tension. Finally, the effect of various parameters including distance between two spheres, radii of spheres, and contact angles on the capillary force are investigated. It is shown that the presented approach is an efficient and accurate algorithm for capillary force between two particles in complex situations.
Preparation of zein nanoparticles by using solution-enhanced dispersion with supercritical CO2 and elucidation with computational fluid dynamics

PubMed Central

Li, Sining; Zhao, Yaping

2017-01-01

Nanoparticles have attracted more and more attention in the medicinal field. Zein is a biomacromolecule and can be used as a carrier for delivering active ingredients to prepare controlled release drugs. In this article, we presented the preparation of zein nanoparticles by solution-enhanced dispersion by supercritical CO2 (SEDS) approach. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were applied to characterize the size and morphology of the obtained particles. The nozzle structure and the CO2 flow rate greatly affected the morphology and the size of the particles. The size of zein was able to be reduced to 50–350 nm according to the different conditions. The morphologies of the resultant zein were either sphere or the filament network consisted of nanoparticles. The influence of the nozzle structure and the CO2 flow rate on the velocity field was elucidated by using computational fluid dynamics. The nozzle structure and the CO2 flow rate greatly affected the distribution of the velocity field. However, a similar velocity field could also be obtained when the nozzle structure or the CO2 flow rate, or both were different. Therefore, the influence of the nozzle structure and the CO2 flow rate on the size and morphology of the particles, can boil down to the velocity field. The results demonstrated that the velocity field can be a potential criterion for producing nanoparticles with controllable morphology and size, which is useful to scale-up the SEDS process. PMID:28496324
Mathematical Analysis of a Coarsening Model with Local Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helmers, Michael; Niethammer, Barbara; Velázquez, Juan J. L.

2016-10-01

We consider particles on a one-dimensional lattice whose evolution is governed by nearest-neighbor interactions where particles that have reached size zero are removed from the system. Concentrating on configurations with infinitely many particles, we prove existence of solutions under a reasonable density assumption on the initial data and show that the vanishing of particles and the localized interactions can lead to non-uniqueness. Moreover, we provide a rigorous upper coarsening estimate and discuss generic statistical properties as well as some non-generic behavior of the evolution by means of heuristic arguments and numerical observations.
Mobile Bay turbidity study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crozier, G. F.; Schroeder, W. W.

1978-01-01

The termination of studies carried on for almost three years in the Mobile Bay area and adjacent continental shelf are reported. The initial results concentrating on the shelf and lower bay were presented in the interim report. The continued scope of work was designed to attempt a refinement of the mathematical model, assess the effectiveness of optical measurement of suspended particulate material and disseminate the acquired information. The optical characteristics of particulate solutions are affected by density gradients within the medium, density of the suspended particles, particle size, particle shape, particle quality, albedo, and the angle of refracted light. Several of these are discussed in detail.
Control of size and aspect ratio in hydroquinone-based synthesis of gold nanorods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morasso, Carlo; Picciolini, Silvia; Schiumarini, Domitilla; Mehn, Dora; Ojea-Jiménez, Isaac; Zanchetta, Giuliano; Vanna, Renzo; Bedoni, Marzia; Prosperi, Davide; Gramatica, Furio

2015-08-01

In this article, we describe how it is possible to tune the size and the aspect ratio of gold nanorods obtained using a highly efficient protocol based on the use of hydroquinone as a reducing agent by varying the amounts of CTAB and silver ions present in the "seed-growth" solution. Our approach not only allows us to prepare nanorods with a four times increased Au3+ reduction yield, when compared with the commonly used protocol based on ascorbic acid, but also allows a remarkable reduction of 50-60 % of the amount of CTAB needed. In fact, according to our findings, the concentration of CTAB present in the seed-growth solution do not linearly influence the final aspect ratio of the obtained nanorods, and an optimal concentration range between 30 and 50 mM has been identified as the one that is able to generate particles with more elongated shapes. On the optimized protocol, the effect of the concentration of Ag+ ions in the seed-growth solution and the stability of the obtained particles has also been investigated.
Removal of acid blue 062 on aqueous solution using calcinated colemanite ore waste.

PubMed

Atar, Necip; Olgun, Asim

2007-07-19

Colemanite ore waste (CW) has been employed as adsorbent for the removal of acid blue 062 anionic dye (AB 062) from aqueous solution. The adsorption of AB 062 onto CW was examined with respect to contact time, calcination temperature, particle size, pH, adsorbent dosage and temperature. The physical and chemical properties of the CW, such as particle sizes and calcinations temperature, play important roles in dye adsorption. The dye adsorption largely depends on the initial pH of the solution with maximum uptake occurring at pH 1. Three simplified kinetics models, namely, pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, and intraparticle diffusion models were tested to investigate the adsorption mechanisms. The kinetic adsorption of AB 062 on CW follows a pseudo-second order equation. The adsorption data have been analyzed using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The results indicate that the Langmuir model provides the best correlation of the experimental data. Isotherms have also been used to obtain the thermodynamic parameters such as free energy, enthalpy and entropy of the adsorption of dye onto CW.
Nano spray-dried sodium chloride and its effects on the microbiological and sensory characteristics of surface-salted cheese crackers.

PubMed

Moncada, Marvin; Astete, Carlos; Sabliov, Cristina; Olson, Douglas; Boeneke, Charles; Aryana, Kayanush J

2015-09-01

Reducing particle size of salt to approximately 1.5 µm would increase its surface area, leading to increased dissolution rate in saliva and more efficient transfer of ions to taste buds, and hence, perhaps, a saltier perception of foods. This has a potential for reducing the salt level in surface-salted foods. Our objective was to develop a salt using a nano spray-drying method, to use the developed nano spray-dried salt in surface-salted cheese cracker manufacture, and to evaluate the microbiological and sensory characteristics of cheese crackers. Sodium chloride solution (3% wt/wt) was sprayed through a nano spray dryer. Particle sizes were determined by dynamic light scattering, and particle shapes were observed by scanning electron microscopy. Approximately 80% of the salt particles produced by the nano spray dryer, when drying a 3% (wt/wt) salt solution, were between 500 and 1,900 nm. Cheese cracker treatments consisted of 3 different salt sizes: regular salt with an average particle size of 1,500 µm; a commercially available Microsized 95 Extra Fine Salt (Cargill Salt, Minneapolis, MN) with an average particle size of 15 µm; and nano spray-dried salt with an average particle size of 1.5 µm, manufactured in our laboratory and 3 different salt concentrations (1, 1.5, and 2% wt/wt). A balanced incomplete block design was used to conduct consumer analysis of cheese crackers with nano spray-dried salt (1, 1.5, and 2%), Microsized salt (1, 1.5, and 2%) and regular 2% (control, as used by industry) using 476 participants at 1wk and 4mo. At 4mo, nano spray-dried salt treatments (1, 1.5, and 2%) had significantly higher preferred saltiness scores than the control (regular 2%). Also, at 4mo, nano spray-dried salt (1.5 and 2%) had significantly more just-about-right saltiness scores than control (regular 2%). Consumers' purchase intent increased by 25% for the nano spray-dried salt at 1.5% after they were notified about the 25% reduction in sodium content of the cheese cracker. We detected significantly lower yeast counts for nano spray-dried salt treatments (1, 1.5, and 2%) at 4mo compared with control (regular) salt (1, 1.5 and 2%). We detected no mold growth in any of the treatments at any time. At 4mo, we found no significant differences in sensory color, aroma, crunchiness, overall liking, or acceptability scores of cheese crackers using 1.5 and 1% nano spray-dried salt compared with control. Therefore, 25 to 50% less salt would be suitable for cheese crackers if the particle size of regular salt was reduced 3 log to form nano spray-dried salt. A 3-log reduction in sodium chloride particle size from regular salt to nano spray-dried salt increased saltiness, but a 1-log reduction in salt size from Microsized salt to nano spray-dried salt did not increase saltiness of surface-salted cheese crackers. The use of salt with reduced particle size by nano spray drying is recommended for use in surface-salted cheese crackers to reduce sodium intake. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Suppression of agglomeration in fluidized bed coating. II. Measurement of mist size in a fluidized bed chamber and effect of sodium chloride addition on mist size.

PubMed

Yuasa, H; Nakano, T; Kanaya, Y

1999-02-01

It has been reported that the degree of particle agglomeration in fluidized bed coating is greatly affected by the spray mist size of coating solution. However, the mist size has generally been measured in open air, and few reports have described the measurement of the mist size in a chamber of the fluidized bed, in which actual coating is carried out. Therefore, using hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC) aqueous solution as a coating solution, the spray mist size of the coating solution in a chamber of the fluidized bed was measured under various coating conditions, such as the distance from the spray nozzle, fluidization air volume, inlet air temperature and addition of sodium chloride (NaCl) into the coating solution. The mist size in the fluidized bed was compared with that in open air at various distances from the spray nozzle. Further, the relationship between the spray mist size and the degree of suppression of agglomeration at various NaCl concentrations during fluidized bed coating was studied. The mist size distribution showed a logarithmic normal distribution in both cases of the fluidized bed and open air. The number-basis median diameter of spray mist (D50) in the fluidized bed was smaller compared with that in open air. D50 increased with the increasing distance from the spray nozzle in both cases. In the fluidized bed, D50 decreased with the increasing fluidization air volume and inlet air temperature. The effect of NaCl concentration on the mist size was hardly observed, but the degree of suppression of agglomeration during coating increased with the increasing NaCl concentration in the coating solution.

Advanced in Visualization of 3D Time-Dependent CFD Solutions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lane, David A.; Lasinski, T. A. (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

Numerical simulations of complex 3D time-dependent (unsteady) flows are becoming increasingly feasible because of the progress in computing systems. Unfortunately, many existing flow visualization systems were developed for time-independent (steady) solutions and do not adequately depict solutions from unsteady flow simulations. Furthermore, most systems only handle one time step of the solutions individually and do not consider the time-dependent nature of the solutions. For example, instantaneous streamlines are computed by tracking the particles using one time step of the solution. However, for streaklines and timelines, particles need to be tracked through all time steps. Streaklines can reveal quite different information about the flow than those revealed by instantaneous streamlines. Comparisons of instantaneous streamlines with dynamic streaklines are shown. For a complex 3D flow simulation, it is common to generate a grid system with several millions of grid points and to have tens of thousands of time steps. The disk requirement for storing the flow data can easily be tens of gigabytes. Visualizing solutions of this magnitude is a challenging problem with today's computer hardware technology. Even interactive visualization of one time step of the flow data can be a problem for some existing flow visualization systems because of the size of the grid. Current approaches for visualizing complex 3D time-dependent CFD solutions are described. The flow visualization system developed at NASA Ames Research Center to compute time-dependent particle traces from unsteady CFD solutions is described. The system computes particle traces (streaklines) by integrating through the time steps. This system has been used by several NASA scientists to visualize their CFD time-dependent solutions. The flow visualization capabilities of this system are described, and visualization results are shown.
Nonparaxial fractional Bessel and Bessel-Gauss auto-focusing light-sheet pincers and their higher-order spatial derivatives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitri, F. G.

2017-05-01

Nonparaxial fractional electromagnetic Bessel and Bessel-Gauss auto-focusing light-sheet solutions and their spatial derivatives are synthesized stemming from the angular spectrum decomposition in plane waves. The propagation characteristics of these transverse electric-polarized light-sheets are analyzed by computing the radiated component of the incident electric field. Tight bending of the beam along curved trajectories and slit openings are observed, which could offer unique features and potential applications in the development of improved methods and devices in light-sheet tweezers for particle manipulation applications and dynamics in opto-fluidics, particle sizing and imaging to name a few examples. Moreover, computations of the scattering, radiation force and torque, and particle dynamics also benefit from the developed beam solutions.
Measurement of an electronic cigarette aerosol size distribution during a puff

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belka, Miloslav; Lizal, Frantisek; Jedelsky, Jan; Jicha, Miroslav; Pospisil, Jiri

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have become very popular recently because they are marketed as a healthier alternative to tobacco smoking and as a useful tool to smoking cessation. E-cigarettes use a heating element to create an aerosol from a solution usually consisting of propylene glycol, glycerol, and nicotine. Despite the wide spread of e-cigarettes, information about aerosol size distributions is rather sparse. This can be caused by the relative newness of e-cigarettes and by the difficulty of the measurements, in which one has to deal with high concentration aerosol containing volatile compounds. Therefore, we assembled an experimental setup for size measurements of e-cigarette aerosol in conjunction with a piston based machine in order to simulate a typical puff. A TSI scanning mobility particle sizer 3936 was employed to provide information about particle concentrations and sizes. An e-cigarette commercially available on the Czech Republic market was tested and the results were compared with a conventional tobacco cigarette. The particles emitted from the e-cigarette were smaller than those of the conventional cigarette having a CMD of 150 and 200 nm. However, the total concentration of particles from e-cigarette was higher.
Effect of cationic surfactants on characteristics and colorimetric behavior of polydiacetylene/silica nanocomposite as time-temperature indicator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nopwinyuwong, Atchareeya; Kitaoka, Takuya; Boonsupthip, Waraporn; Pechyen, Chiravoot; Suppakul, Panuwat

2014-09-01

Polydiacetylene (PDA)/silica nanocomposites were synthesized by self-assembly method using polymerizable amphiphilic diacetylene monomers, 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid (PCDA). Addition of cationic surfactants (PDADMAC and CTAB) to PDA/SiO2 nanocomposites induced higher intermolecular force which affected their size, shape and color transition. Pure PDA, PDA/SiO2, PDA/SiO2/PDADMAC and PDA/SiO2/CTAB were investigated by particle size analysis, TEM, SEM, UV-vis spectroscopy and FT-IR. It was found that the PDA/SiO2 nanocomposites exhibited slightly larger particle sizes than those of other samples. The PDA/SiO2 nanocomposites with a core-shell structure were almost regarded as spherical-shaped particles. Cationic surfactants, especially CTAB, presumably affected the particle size and shape of PDA/SiO2 nanocomposites due to the disruption of hydrogen bonding between PDA head group and ammonium group. The colorimetric response of both PDA/SiO2/surfactant and surfactant-free PDA/SiO2 aqueous solutions directly changed in relation to time and temperature; thus they were expected to be applied as a new polymer-based time-temperature indicator (TTI).
Synthesis and characterization of surface-modified colloidal CdTe Quantum Dots

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

Rajh, T.; Micic, O.I.; Nozik, A.J.

1993-11-18

The controlled synthesis of quantized colloidal CdTe nanocrystals (in aqueous solutions) with narrow size distributions and stabilized against rapid oxidation was achieved by capping the quantum dot particles with 3-mercapto-1,2-propanediol. Nanocrystals (i.e., quantum dots) with mean diameters of 20, 25, 35, and 40 A were produced. Optical absorption spectra showed strong excitonic peaks at the smallest size; the absorption coefficient was shown to follow an inverse cube dependence on particle diameter, while the extinction coefficient per particle remained constant. The quantum yield for photoluminescence increased with decreasing particle size and reached 20% at 20 A. The valence band edges ofmore » the CdTe quantum dots were determined by pulse radiolysis experiments (hole injection from oxidizing radicals); the bandgaps were estimated from pulse radiolysis data (redox potentials of hole and electron injecting radicals) and from the optical spectra. The dependence of the CdTe bandgap on quantum dot size was found to be much weaker than predicted by the effective mass approximation; this result is consistent with recently published theoretical calculations by several groups. 36 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.« less
AQUEOUS PROTONATION PROPERTIES OF AMPHOTERIC NANOPARTICLES

EPA Science Inventory

A divergence is predicted between the acidity behavior of charged sites on micron sized colloidal particles and nanoparticles. Utilizing the approximate analytical solution to the Poisson-Boltzmann equation published by Ohshima et al. (1982), findings from the work included: 1):...
Passive advection-dispersion in networks of pipes: Effect of connectivity and relationship to permeability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernabé, Y.; Wang, Y.; Qi, T.; Li, M.

2016-02-01

The main purpose of this work is to investigate the relationship between passive advection-dispersion and permeability in porous materials presumed to be statistically homogeneous at scales larger than the pore scale but smaller than the reservoir scale. We simulated fluid flow through pipe network realizations with different pipe radius distributions and different levels of connectivity. The flow simulations used periodic boundary conditions, allowing monitoring of the advective motion of solute particles in a large periodic array of identical network realizations. In order to simulate dispersion, we assumed that the solute particles obeyed Taylor dispersion in individual pipes. When a particle entered a pipe, a residence time consistent with local Taylor dispersion was randomly assigned to it. When exiting the pipe, the particle randomly proceeded into one of the pipes connected to the original one according to probabilities proportional to the outgoing volumetric flow in each pipe. For each simulation we tracked the motion of at least 6000 solute particles. The mean fluid velocity was 10-3 ms-1, and the distance traveled was on the order of 10 m. Macroscopic dispersion was quantified using the method of moments. Despite differences arising from using different types of lattices (simple cubic, body-centered cubic, and face-centered cubic), a number of general observations were made. Longitudinal dispersion was at least 1 order of magnitude greater than transverse dispersion, and both strongly increased with decreasing pore connectivity and/or pore size variability. In conditions of variable hydraulic radius and fixed pore connectivity and pore size variability, the simulated dispersivities increased as power laws of the hydraulic radius and, consequently, of permeability, in agreement with previously published experimental results. Based on these observations, we were able to resolve some of the complexity of the relationship between dispersivity and permeability.
Zinc titanate sorbents

DOEpatents

Gupta, R.P.; Gangwal, S.K.; Jain, S.C.

1998-02-03

The present invention provides a zinc titanate sorbent material useful in desulfurization applications. The zinc titanate material is in the form of generally spherical particles of substantially uniform chemical distribution. The sorbent material is capable of absorbing sulfur compounds from a gaseous feed in an amount of at least about 15 weight percent based on the weight of the sorbent. The sorbent material is prepared by a process including: (a) forming a zinc oxide/titanium dioxide dry blend, (b) preparing a substantially uniform aqueous slurry comprising the zinc oxide/titanium dioxide dry blend, organic binder, and at least about 1 weight percent inorganic binder based on the solids weight of the slurry, (c) spray drying the slurry to produce substantially spherical particles, and (d) calcining the particles at a temperature of between about 750 to about 950 C. The dry blend is formed by mixing between about 0.5 to about 2 parts zinc oxide having a median particle size of less than about 0.5 microns, and about 1 part titanium dioxide having a median particle size of less than about 1 micron. The slurry contains substantially no free silica and may be prepared by the process including (1) preparing an aqueous solution of organic binder, (2) adding the dry blend to the aqueous solution of organic binder, and (3) adding the inorganic binder to the solution of organic binder, and blend. Additional reagents, such as a surfactant, may also be incorporated into the sorbent material. The present invention also provides a process for desulfurizing a gaseous stream. The process includes passing a gaseous stream through a reactor containing an attrition resistant zinc titanate sorbent material of the present invention.
Zinc titanate sorbents

DOEpatents

Gupta, Raghubir P.; Gangwal, Santosh K.; Jain, Suresh C.

1998-01-01

The present invention provides a zinc titanate sorbent material useful in desulfurization applications. The zinc titanate material is in the form of generally spherical particles of substantially uniform chemical distribution. The sorbent material is capable of absorbing sulfur compounds from a gaseous feed in an amount of at least about 15 weight percent based on the weight of the sorbent. The sorbent material is prepared by a process including: (a) forming a zinc oxide/titanium dioxide dry blend, (b) preparing a substantially uniform aqueous slurry comprising the zinc oxide/titanium dioxide dry blend, organic binder, and at least about 1 weight percent inorganic binder based on the solids weight of the slurry, (c) spray drying the slurry to produce substantially spherical particles, and (d) calcining the particles at a temperature of between about 750.degree. C. to about 950.degree. C. The dry blend is formed by mixing between about 0.5 to about 2 parts zinc oxide having a median particle size of less than about 0.5 .mu., and about 1 part titanium dioxide having a median particle size of less than about 1 .mu.. The slurry contains substantially no free silica and may be prepared by the process including (1) preparing an aqueous solution of organic binder, (2) adding the dry blend to the aqueous solution of organic binder, and (3) adding the inorganic binder to the solution of organic binder, and blend. Additional reagents, such as a surfactant, may also be incorporated into the sorbent material. The present invention also provides a process for desulfurizing a gaseous stream. The process includes passing a gaseous stream through a reactor containing an attrition resistant zinc titanate sorbent material of the present invention.
Effects of Y/Gd Ratio and Boron Excess on Vacuum Ultraviolet Characteristics and Morphology of (Y,Gd)BO3:Eu Phosphor Particles Prepared by Spray Pyrolysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koo, Hye Young; Jung, Dae Soo; Hong, Seung Kwon; Kang, Yun Chan; Jung, Kyeong Youl

2007-06-01

(Y1-xGdx)BO3:Eu (0≤ x≤ 1) phosphor particles were prepared by spray pyrolysis. The optimal amount of boric acid for the high photoluminescence intensity of there particles differed depending on the molar ratio of Y to Gd. With decreasing Y/Gd molar ratio, an increasing amount of excess boric acid was required. The difference in excess quantity of boric acid, which was demanded for the highest photoluminescence intensity according to the Y/Gd ratio, influenced the morphology and mean size of the (Y,Gd)BO3:Eu phosphor particles. The (Y1-xGdx)BO3:Eu (0≤ x≤ 1) phosphor particles had a regular morphology. The mean sizes of the GdBO3:Eu and YBO3:Eu phosphor particles were 1.4 and 1 μm, respectively. The high reactivity of boron and yttrium components produced YBO3:Eu phosphor particles with high photoluminescence intensities by spray pyrolysis using a spray solution with a stoichiometric amount of boric acid.
Brown seaweed (Saccharina japonica) as an edible natural delivery matrix for allyl isothiocyanate inhibiting food-borne bacteria.

PubMed

Siahaan, Evi Amelia; Pendleton, Phillip; Woo, Hee-Chul; Chun, Byung-Soo

2014-01-01

The edible, brown seaweed Saccharina japonica was prepared as powder in the size range 500-900 μm for the desorption release of allyl isothiocyanate (AITC). Powders were used as raw (containing lipids) and as de-oiled, where the lipid was removed. In general, de-oiled powders adsorbed larger masses of AITC after vapour or solution contact. Mass adsorbed due to solution contact exceeded vapour contact. Larger particles adsorbed more than smaller particles. No chemical bonding between AITC and the powder surface occurred. Release from vapour deposited particles reached 70-85% available within 72 h; solution deposited reached 70-90% available at 192 h. The larger amounts of AITC adsorbed via solution deposition resulted in greater vapour-phase concentrations at 72 h for antimicrobial activity studies. No loss of activity was detected against Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium or Bacillus cereus. Only a nominal activity against Staphylococcus aureus was demonstrated. S. japonica powder could be used as an edible, natural vehicle for AITC delivery. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Effect of gold nanoparticle size on acoustic cavitation using chemical dosimetry method.

PubMed

Shanei, Ahmad; Shanei, Mohammad Mahdi

2017-01-01

When a liquid is irradiated with high intensities of ultrasound irradiation, acoustic cavitation occurs. Acoustic cavitation generates free radicals from the breakdown of water and other molecules. Cavitation can be fatal to cells and is utilized to destroy cancer tumors. The existence of particles in liquid provides nucleation sites for cavitation bubbles and leads to decrease the ultrasonic intensity threshold needed for cavitation onset. In the present investigation, the effect of gold nanoparticles with appropriate amount and size on the acoustic cavitation activity has been shown by determining hydroxyl radicals in terephthalic acid solutions containing 15, 20, 28 and 35nm gold nanoparticles sizes by using 1MHz low level ultrasound. The effect of sonication intensity in hydroxyl radical production was considered. The recorded fluorescence signal in terephthalic acid solutions containing gold nanoparticles was considerably higher than the terephthalic acid solutions without gold nanoparticles at different intensities of ultrasound irradiation. Also, the results showed that the recorded fluorescence signal intensity in terephthalic acid solution containing finer size of gold nanoparticles was lower than the terephthalic acid solutions containing larger size of gold nanoparticles. Acoustic cavitation in the presence of gold nanoparticles can be used as a way for improving therapeutic effects on the tumors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Surface nucleation in complex rheological systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herfurth, J.; Ulrich, J.

2017-07-01

Forced nucleation induced by suitable foreign seeds is an important tool to control the production of defined crystalline products. The quality of a surface provided by seed materials represents an important variable in the production of crystallizing layers that means for the nucleation process. Parameters like shape and surface structure, size and size distribution of the seed particles as well as the ability to hold up the moisture (the solvent), can have an influence on the nucleation process of different viscous supersaturated solutions. Here the properties of different starch powders as seeds obtained from corn, potato, rice, tapioca and wheat were tested. It could be found, that the best nucleation behavior of a sugar solution could be reached with the use of corn starch as seed material. Here the surface of the crystallized sugar layer is smooth, crystallization time is short (<3 h) and the shape of the product is easily reproducible. Beneficial properties of seed materials are therefore an edged, uneven surface, small particle sizes as well as low moisture content at ambient conditions within the seed materials.
Dynamic and Kinetic Assembly Studies of an Icosahedral Virus Capsid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Kelly

2011-03-01

Hepatitis B virus has an icosahedrally symmetrical core particle (capsid), composed of either 90 or 120 copies of a dimeric protein building block. We are using time-resolved, solution small-angle X-ray scattering and single-molecule fluorescence microscopy to probe the core particle assembly reaction at the ensemble and individual assembly levels. Our experiments to date reveal the assembly process to be highly cooperative with minimal population of stable intermediate species. Solution conditions, particularly salt concentration, appears to influence the partitioning of assembly products into the two sizes of shells. Funding from NIH R00-GM080352 and University of Washington.
Local Interactions of Hydrometeors by Diffusion in Mixed-Phase Clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baumgartner, Manuel; Spichtinger, Peter

2017-04-01

Mixed-phase clouds, containing both ice particles and liquid droplets, are important for the Earth-Atmosphere system. They modulate the radiation budget by a combination of albedo effect and greenhouse effect. In contrast to liquid water clouds, the radiative impact of clouds containing ice particles is still uncertain. Scattering and absorption highly depends in microphysical properties of ice crystals, e.g. size and shape. In addition, most precipitation on Earth forms via the ice phase. Thus, better understanding of ice processes as well as their representation in models is required. A key process for determining shape and size of ice crystals is diffusional growth. Diffusion processes in mixed-phase clouds are highly uncertain; in addition they are usually highly simplified in cloud models, especially in bulk microphysics parameterizations. The direct interaction between cloud droplets and ice particles, due to spatial inhomogeneities, is ignored; the particles can only interact via their environmental conditions. Local effects as supply of supersaturation due to clusters of droplets around ice particles are usually not represented, although they form the physical basis of the Wegener-Bergeron-Findeisen process. We present direct numerical simulations of the interaction of single ice particles and droplets, especially their local competition for the available water vapor. In addition, we show an approach to parameterize local interactions by diffusion. The suggested parameterization uses local steady-state solutions of the diffusion equations for water vapor for an ice particle as well as a droplet. The individual solutions are coupled together to obtain the desired interaction. We show some results of the scheme as implemented in a parcel model.
INTEGRATION OF PARTICLE-GAS SYSTEMS WITH STIFF MUTUAL DRAG INTERACTION

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

Yang, Chao-Chin; Johansen, Anders, E-mail: ccyang@astro.lu.se, E-mail: anders@astro.lu.se

2016-06-01

Numerical simulation of numerous mm/cm-sized particles embedded in a gaseous disk has become an important tool in the study of planet formation and in understanding the dust distribution in observed protoplanetary disks. However, the mutual drag force between the gas and the particles can become so stiff—particularly because of small particles and/or strong local solid concentration—that an explicit integration of this system is computationally formidable. In this work, we consider the integration of the mutual drag force in a system of Eulerian gas and Lagrangian solid particles. Despite the entanglement between the gas and the particles under the particle-mesh construct,more » we are able to devise a numerical algorithm that effectively decomposes the globally coupled system of equations for the mutual drag force, and makes it possible to integrate this system on a cell-by-cell basis, which considerably reduces the computational task required. We use an analytical solution for the temporal evolution of each cell to relieve the time-step constraint posed by the mutual drag force, as well as to achieve the highest degree of accuracy. To validate our algorithm, we use an extensive suite of benchmarks with known solutions in one, two, and three dimensions, including the linear growth and the nonlinear saturation of the streaming instability. We demonstrate numerical convergence and satisfactory consistency in all cases. Our algorithm can, for example, be applied to model the evolution of the streaming instability with mm/cm-sized pebbles at high mass loading, which has important consequences for the formation scenarios of planetesimals.« less
Erosion in radial inflow turbines. Volume 1: Erosive particle trajectory similarity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clevenger, W. B., Jr.; Tabakoff, W.

1974-01-01

Similarity parameters from the equations of motion of particles immersed in a gas flow are derived. These parameters relate the particles which follow a certain trajectory in an equivalent cold gas turbine to particles that will follow the same trajectory in a real hot gas turbine. Numerical solutions of the trajectories that particles follow in the vortex and rotor regions of a radial inflow turbine are used to verify the range of Reynolds numbers in which the derived similarity parameters are applicable. In addition, an example is presented of typical particle sizes that can be observed in high speed photographic data collection and at the same time simulate the trajectories of particles in a real hot gas turbine.
Improvement of Physico-mechanical Properties of Partially Amorphous Acetaminophen Developed from Hydroalcoholic Solution Using Spray Drying Technique

PubMed Central

Sadeghi, Fatemeh; Torab, Mansour; Khattab, Mostafa; Homayouni, Alireza; Afrasiabi Garekani, Hadi

2013-01-01

Objective(s): This study was performed aiming to investigate the effect of particle engineering via spray drying of hydroalcoholic solution on solid states and physico-mechanical properties of acetaminophen. Materials and Methods: Spray drying of hydroalcoholic solution (25% v/v ethanol/water) of acetaminophen (5% w/v) in the presence of small amounts of polyninylpyrrolidone K30 (PVP) (0, 1.25, 2.5 and 5% w/w based on acetaminophen weight) was carried out. The properties of spray dried particles namely morphology, surface characteristics, particle size, crystallinity, dissolution rate and compactibility were evaluated. Results: Spray drying process significantly changed the morphology of acetaminophen crystals from acicular (rod shape) to spherical microparticle. Differential scanning calorimetery (DSC) and x-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) studies ruled out any polymorphism in spray dried samples, however, a major reduction in crystallinity up to 65%, especially for those containing 5% w/w PVP was observed. Spray dried acetaminophen particles especially those obtained in the presence of PVP exhibited an obvious improvement of the dissolution and compaction properties. Tablets produced from spray dried samples exhibited excellent crushing strengths and no tendency to cap. Conclusions: The findings of this study revealed that spray drying of acetaminophen from hydroalcoholic solution in the presence of small amount of PVP produced partially amorphous particles with improved dissolution and excellent compaction properties. PMID:24379968
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.
Cadmium telluride in tellurium—cadmium films consisting of ultradispersed particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuleushev, Yu. Zh.; Volodin, V. N.; Migunova, A. A.; Lisitsyn, V. N.

2015-08-01

Solid solutions of tellurium in cadmium, cadmium in tellurium, and cadmium in cadmium telluride synthesized during sputtering are formed for the first time by ion-plasma sputtering and the codeposition of ultradispersed Te and Cd particle fluxes onto substrates moving with respect to the fluxes. This fact supports thermofluctuation melting and coalescence of small particles. The lattice parameter of cadmium telluride, which coexists with an amorphous solid solution of tellurium in cadmium in a coating, is smaller than the tabulated value and reaches it when the cadmium concentration in a coating increases to 70 at %. The lattice parameter of the fcc lattice of cadmium telluride increases with the cadmium concentration in a coating according to the linear relation a = 0.0002CCd + 0.6346 nm (where CCd is the cadmium concentration in the coating, at %), which is likely to indicate a certain broadening of the homogeneity area. The estimation of the particle size shows that the cadmium telluride grain size is 10-15 nm, which implies that the coatings are nanocrystalline. The absorption and transmission spectra of the tellurium—cadmium films at the fundamental absorption edge demonstrate that their energy gaps are larger than that of stoichiometric CdTe, which can be explained by the experimental conditions of crystal structure formation.
Two Optical Atmospheric Remote Sensing Techniques and AN Associated Analytic Solution to a Class of Integral Equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manning, Robert Michael

This work concerns itself with the analysis of two optical remote sensing methods to be used to obtain parameters of the turbulent atmosphere pertinent to stochastic electromagnetic wave propagation studies, and the well -posed solution to a class of integral equations that are central to the development of these remote sensing methods. A remote sensing technique is theoretically developed whereby the temporal frequency spectrum of the scintillations of a stellar source or a point source within the atmosphere, observed through a variable radius aperture, is related to the space-time spectrum of atmospheric scintillation. The key to this spectral remote sensing method is the spatial filtering performed by a finite aperture. The entire method is developed without resorting to a priori information such as results from stochastic wave propagation theory. Once the space-time spectrum of the scintillations is obtained, an application of known results of atmospheric wave propagation theory and simple geometric considerations are shown to yield such important information such as the spectrum of atmospheric turbulence, the cross-wind velocity, and the path profile of the atmospheric refractive index structure parameter. A method is also developed to independently verify the Taylor frozen flow hypothesis. The success of the spectral remote sensing method relies on the solution to a Fredholm integral equation of the first kind. An entire class of such equations, that are peculiar to inverse diffraction problems, is studied and a well-posed solution (in the sense of Hadamard) is obtained and probed. Conditions of applicability are derived and shown not to limit the useful operating range of the spectral remote sensing method. The general integral equation solution obtained is then applied to another remote sensing problem having to do with the characterization of the particle size distribution to atmospheric aerosols and hydrometeors. By measuring the diffraction pattern in the focal plane of a lens created by the passage of a laser beam through a distribution of particles, it is shown that the particle-size distribution of the particles can be obtained. An intermediate result of the analysis also gives the total volume concentration of the particles.
Formation mechanisms of metal colloids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halaciuga, Ionel

Highly dispersed uniform metallic particles are widely used in various areas of technology and medicine and are likely to be incorporated into many other applications in the future. It is commonly accepted that size, shape and composition of the particles represent critical factors in most applications. Thus, understanding the mechanisms of formation of metal particles and the ways to control the physical (e.g. shape, size) and chemical (e.g. composition) properties is of great importance. In the current research, the formation of uniform silver spheres is investigated experimentally. The parameters that influence the formation of silver particles when concentrated iso-ascorbic acid and silver-polyamine complex solutions are rapidly mixed were studied in the absence of dispersants. We found that by varying the nature of the amine, temperature, concentration of reactants, silver/amine molar ratio, and the nature of the silver salt, the size of the resulting silver particles can be varied in a wide range (0.08--1.5 microm). The silver particles were formed by aggregation of nanosize subunits as substantiated by both electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques and by the vivid rapid color changes during the chemical precipitation process. From the practical standpoint, the goal of this research was to prepare well dispersed spherical silver particles having a relatively smooth surface and a diameter of about 1 microm to satisfy the demands of the current electronic materials market. A two stage particle growth model previously developed to explain the narrow size distribution occurring in synthesis of gold spheres was applied to the present experimental system, and the parameters that control the size distribution characteristics were identified. The kinetic parameter required to match the final particle size was found to be in agreement with the one used previously in modeling formation of gold spheres, suggesting that similar kinetics governs the aggregation process. Furthermore, the two-stage particle growth model was used to account for the effects of solvent viscosity and temperature on the particle properties, particularly their size. As an application of the above mentioned study, the aggregation process that led to the formation of large silver spheres was used to deposit in a controlled manner layers of silver and other metals (Ni, Au) onto various metallic and non-metallic substrates. In the final section of this thesis methods to form nanosized primary particle strictly through diffusional growth are described. The highly crystalline metallic particles of various sizes and composition prepared provide performance characteristics that are complementary to the polycrystalline metallic particles described in the preceding sections.
Uniform nanoparticles by flame-assisted spray pyrolysis (FASP) of low cost precursors

PubMed Central

Rudin, Thomas; Wegner, Karsten

2013-01-01

A new flame-assisted spray pyrolysis (FASP) reactor design is presented, which allows the use of inexpensive precursors and solvents (e.g., ethanol) for synthesis of nanoparticles (10–20 nm) with uniform characteristics. In this reactor design, a gas-assisted atomizer generates the precursor solution spray that is mixed and combusted with externally fed inexpensive fuel gases (acetylene or methane) at a defined height above the atomizing nozzle. The gaseous fuel feed can be varied to control the combustion enthalpy content of the flame and onset of particle formation. This way, the enthalpy density of the flame is decoupled from the precursor solution composition. Low enthalpy content precursor solutions are prone to synthesis of non-uniform particles (e.g., bimodal particle size distribution) by standard flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) processes. For example, metal nitrates in ethanol typically produce nanosized particles by gas-to-particle conversion along with larger particles by droplet-to-particle conversion. The present FASP design facilitates the use of such low enthalpy precursor solutions for synthesis of homogeneous nanopowders by increasing the combustion enthalpy density of the flame with low-cost, gaseous fuels. The effect of flame enthalpy density on product properties in the FASP configuration is explored by the example of Bi2O3 nanoparticles produced from bismuth nitrate in ethanol. Product powders were characterized by nitrogen adsorption, X-ray diffraction, X-ray disk centrifuge, and transmission electron microscopy. Homogeneous Bi2O3 nanopowders were produced both by increasing the gaseous fuel content and, most notably, by cutting the air entrainment prior to ignition of the spray. PMID:23408113
Efficient production of ultrapure manganese oxides via electrodeposition.

PubMed

Cheney, Marcos A; Joo, Sang Woo; Banerjee, Arghya; Min, Bong-Ki

2012-08-01

A new process for the production of electrolytic amorphous nanomanganese oxides (EAMD) with uniform size and morphology is described. EAMD are produced for the first time by cathodic deposition from a basic aqueous solution of potassium permanganate at a constant temperature of 16°C. The synthesized materials are characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, and HRTEM. The materials produced at 5.0 V at constant temperature are amorphous with homogeneous size and morphology with an average particle size around 20 nm, which appears to be much lesser than the previously reported anodic EAMD. A potentiostatic electrodeposition with much lesser deposition rate (with respect to previously reported anodic depositions) is considered to be the reason behind the very low and homogenous particle size distribution due to the lesser agglomeration of our as-synthesized nanoparticles. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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
Apse-Alignment of the Uranian Rings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mosqueira, I.; Estrada, P. R.

2000-01-01

An explanation of the dynamical mechanism for apse-alignment of the eccentric Uranian rings is necessary before observations can be used to determine properties such as ring masses, particle sizes, and elasticities. The leading model relies on the ring self-gravity to accomplish this task, yet it yields equilibrium masses which are not in accord with Voyager radio measurements. We explore possible solutions such that the self-gravity and the collisional terms are both involved in the process of apse-alignment. We consider limits that correspond to a hot and a cold ring, and show that pressure terms may play a significant role in the equilibrium conditions for the narrow Uranian rings. In the cold ring case, where the scale height of the ring near periapse is comparable to the ring particle size, we introduce a new pressure correction pertaining to a region of the ring where the particles are locked in their relative positions and jammed against their neighbors, and the velocity dispersion is so low that the collisions are nearly elastic. In this case, we find a solution such that the ring self-gravity maintains apse-alignment against both differential precession (m = 1 mode) and the fluid pressure. We apply this model to the Uranian alpha ring, and show that, compared to the previous self-gravity model, the mass estimate for this ring increases by an order of magnitude. In the case of a hot ring, where the scale height can reach a value as much as fifty times larger than a particle size, we find velocity dispersion profiles that result in pressure forces which act in such a way as to alter the ring equilibrium conditions, again leading to a ring mass increase of an order of magnitude; however, such a velocity dispersion profile would require a different mechanism than is currently envisioned for establishing heating/cooling balance in a finite-sized, inelastic particle ring. Finally, we introduce an important correction to the model of Chiang and Goldreich.
Simple and effective preparation of nano-pulverized curcumin by femtosecond laser ablation and the cytotoxic effect on C6 rat glioma cells in vitro.

PubMed

Tagami, Tatsuaki; Imao, Yukino; Ito, Shunsuke; Nakada, Akiko; Ozeki, Tetsuya

2014-07-01

The pulverization of poorly water-soluble drugs and drug candidates into nanoscale particles is a simple and effective means of increasing their pharmacological effect. Consequently, efficient methods for pulverizing compounds are being developed. Femtosecond lasers, which emit ultrashort laser pulses, can be used to generate nanoscale particles without heating and are finding in various fields, including pharmaceutical science. Laser ablation holds promise as a novel top-down pulverization method for obtaining drug nanoparticles. We used a poorly water-soluble compound, curcumin (diferuloyl methane), to understand the characteristics of femtosecond laser pulverization. Various factors such as laser strength, laser scan speed, and the buffer solution affected the size of the curcumin particles. The minimum curcumin particle size was approximately 500 nm; the particle size was stable after 30 days. In vitro studies suggested that curcumin nanoparticles exhibited a cytotoxic effect on C6 rat glioma cells, and remarkable intracellular uptake of the curcumin nanoparticles was observed. The results suggest that femtosecond laser ablation is a useful approach for preparing curcumin nanoparticles that exhibit remarkable therapeutic effects. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Influence of microemulsion-mucin interaction on the fate of microemulsions diffusing through pig gastric mucin solutions.

PubMed

Zhang, Jianbin; Lv, Yan; Wang, Bing; Zhao, Shan; Tan, Mingqian; Lv, Guojun; Ma, Xiaojun

2015-03-02

Mucus layer, a selective diffusion barrier, has an important effect on the fate of drug delivery systems in the gastrointestinal tract. To study the fate of microemulsions in the mucus layer, four microemulsion formulations with different particle sizes and lipid compositions were prepared. The microemulsion-mucin interaction was demonstrated by the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) method. Moreover, the microemulsions were observed aggregated into micron-sized emulsions by laser confocal microscopy. We concluded the microemulsion-mucin interaction not only led to microemulsions closely adhered to mucins but also destroyed the structure of microemulsions. At last, the diffusion of blank microemulsions and microemulsion-carried drugs (resveratrol and hymecromone) through mucin solutions was determined by the fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) method and the Franz diffusion cell method. The results demonstrated the diffusion of microemulsions was significantly hindered by mucin solutions. The particle size of microemulsions had a negligible effect on the diffusion coefficients. However, the type of lipid played an important role, which could form hydrophobic interactions with mucins. Interestingly, microemulsion-carried drugs with different core/shell locations seemed to suffer different fates in the mucin solutions. The drug incorporated in the oil core of microemulsions, resveratrol, was transported through the mucus layer by the carriers, while the drug incorporated in the surfactant shell of microemulsions, hymecromone, was separated from the carriers and diffused toward the epithelium in the form of free 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.
Efficient finite element modeling of radiation forces on elastic particles of arbitrary size and geometry.

PubMed

Glynne-Jones, Peter; Mishra, Puja P; Boltryk, Rosemary J; Hill, Martyn

2013-04-01

A finite element based method is presented for calculating the acoustic radiation force on arbitrarily shaped elastic and fluid particles. Importantly for future applications, this development will permit the modeling of acoustic forces on complex structures such as biological cells, and the interactions between them and other bodies. The model is based on a non-viscous approximation, allowing the results from an efficient, numerical, linear scattering model to provide the basis for the second-order forces. Simulation times are of the order of a few seconds for an axi-symmetric structure. The model is verified against a range of existing analytical solutions (typical accuracy better than 0.1%), including those for cylinders, elastic spheres that are of significant size compared to the acoustic wavelength, and spheroidal particles.
Applicability of empirical data currently used in predicting solid propellant exhaust plumes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tevepaugh, J. A.; Smith, S. D.; Penny, M. M.; Greenwood, T.; Roberts, B. B.

1977-01-01

Theoretical and experimental approaches to exhaust plume analysis are compared. A two-phase model is extended to include treatment of reacting gas chemistry, and thermodynamical modeling of the gaseous phase of the flow field is considered. The applicability of empirical data currently available to define particle drag coefficients, heat transfer coefficients, mean particle size, and particle size distributions is investigated. Experimental and analytical comparisons are presented for subscale solid rocket motors operating at three altitudes with attention to pitot total pressure and stagnation point heating rate measurements. The mathematical treatment input requirements are explained. The two-phase flow field solution adequately predicts gasdynamic properties in the inviscid portion of two-phase exhaust plumes. It is found that prediction of exhaust plume gas pressures requires an adequate model of flow field dynamics.
Phase behaviour of the symmetric binary mixture from thermodynamic perturbation theory.

PubMed

Dorsaz, N; Foffi, G

2010-03-17

We study the phase behaviour of symmetric binary mixtures of hard core Yukawa (HCY) particles via thermodynamic perturbation theory (TPT). We show that all the topologies of phase diagram reported for the symmetric binary mixtures are correctly reproduced within the TPT approach. In a second step we use the capability of TPT to be straightforwardly extended to mixtures that are nonsymmetric in size. Starting from mixtures that belong to the different topologies of symmetric binary mixtures we investigate the effect on the phase behaviour when an asymmetry in the diameters of the two components is introduced. Interestingly, when the energy of interaction between unlike particles is weaker than the interaction between like particles, the propensity for the solution to demix is found to increase strongly with size asymmetry.
Synthesis of nanoparticles through x-ray radiolysis using synchrotron radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamaguchi, A.; Okada, I.; Fukuoka, T.; Ishihara, M.; Sakurai, I.; Utsumi, Y.

2016-09-01

The synthesis and deposition of nanoparticles consisting of Cu and Au in a CuSO4 solution with some kinds of alcohol and electroplating solution containing gold (I) trisodium disulphite under synchrotron X-ray radiation was investigated. The functional group of alcohol plays an important in nucleation, growth and aggregation process of copper and cupric oxide particles. We found that the laboratory X-ray source also enables us to synthesize the NPs from the metallic solution. As increasing X-ray exposure time, the full length at half width of particle size distribution is broader and higher-order nanostructure containing NPs clusters is formed. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of 4, 4'-bipyridine (4bpy) in aqueous solution was measured using higher-order nanostructure immobilized on silicon substrates under systematically-varied X-ray exposure. This demonstration provide a clue to develop a three-dimensional printing and sensor for environmental analyses and molecular detection through simple SERS measurements.
Water uptake coefficients and deliquescence of NaCl nanoparticles at atmospheric relative humidities from molecular dynamics simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahadur, Ranjit; Russell, Lynn M.

2008-09-01

Deliquescence properties of sodium chloride are size dependent for particles smaller than 100 nm. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to determine deliquescence relative humidity (DRH) for particles in this size range by modeling idealized particles in contact with humid air. Constant humidity conditions are simulated by inclusion of a liquid reservoir of NaCl solution in contact with the vapor phase, which acts as a source of water molecules as uptake by the nanoparticle proceeds. DRH is bounded between the minimum humidity at which sustained water accumulation is observed at the particle surface and the maximum humidity at which water accumulation is not observed. Complete formation of a liquid layer is not observed due to computational limitations. The DRH determined increases with decreasing particle diameter, rising to between 91% and 93% for a 2.2 nm particle and between 81% and 85% for an 11 nm particle, higher than the 75% expected for particles larger than 100 nm. The simulated size dependence of DRH agrees well with predictions from bulk thermodynamic models and appears to converge with measurements for sizes larger than 10 nm. Complete deliquescence of nanoparticles in the 2-11 nm size range requires between 1 and 100 μs, exceeding the available computational resources for this study. Water uptake coefficients are near 0.1 with a negligible contribution from diffusion effects. Planar uptake coefficients decrease from 0.41 to 0.09 with increasing fractional water coverage from 0.002 to 1, showing a linear dependence on the logarithm of the coverage fraction with a slope of -0.08+/-0.01 (representing the effect of solvation). Particle uptake coefficients increase from 0.13 at 11 nm to 0.65 at 2.2 nm, showing a linear dependence on the logarithm of the edge fraction (which is a function of diameter) with a slope of 0.74+/-0.04 (representing larger edge effects in smaller particles).
Influence of phase type and solute structure on changes in retention with pressure in reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Fallas, Morgane M; Tanaka, Nobuo; Buckenmaier, Stephan M C; McCalley, David V

2013-07-05

The influence of pressure on the retention of several types of solute, including acids, bases and neutrals, was studied by the use of restriction capillaries added to the end of various monomeric and polymeric octadecylsilyl-modified 5μm particle size columns. Although it appeared that certain polymeric columns could give somewhat greater increases in retention with pressure, differences in behaviour between these different C18 columns were rather small. Differences in solute molecular size were most important in determining increases in retention with pressure. However, solute structure such as polarity and planarity were also influential. A prototype C30 column gave interesting selectivity changes between planar and non-planar solutes as a function of pressure. Considerable selectivity differences with pressure were shown when diverse mixtures of solutes were analysed. For the solutes studied, only minor effects of increased pressure on column efficiency and peak shape were noted. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Preparation of biocompatible magnetite-carboxymethyl cellulose nanocomposite: characterization of nanocomposite by FTIR, XRD, FESEM and TEM.

PubMed

Habibi, Neda

2014-10-15

The preparation and characterization of magnetite-carboxymethyl cellulose nano-composite (M-CMC) material is described. Magnetite nano-particles were synthesized by a modified co-precipitation method using ferrous chloride tetrahydrate and ferric chloride hexahydrate in ammonium hydroxide solution. The M-CMC nano-composite particles were synthesized by embedding the magnetite nanoparticles inside carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) using a freshly prepared mixture of Fe3O4 with CMC precursor. Morphology, particle size, and structural properties of magnetite-carboxymethyl cellulose nano-composite was accomplished using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) analysis. As a result, magnetite nano-particles with an average size of 35nm were obtained. The biocompatible Fe3O4-carboxymethyl cellulose nano-composite particles obtained from the natural CMC polymers have a potential range of application in biomedical field. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Quercetin loaded biopolymeric colloidal particles prepared by simultaneous precipitation of quercetin with hydrophobic protein in aqueous medium.

PubMed

Patel, Ashok R; Heussen, Patricia C M; Hazekamp, Johan; Drost, Ellen; Velikov, Krassimir P

2012-07-15

Quercetin loaded biopolymeric colloidal particles were prepared by precipitating quercetin (water insoluble polyphenol) and zein (hydrophobic protein), simultaneously, by adding their hydro-alcoholic solution to aqueous solution in presence of sodium caseinate as an electrosteric stabiliser. The presence of protein resulted in altering the shape of quercetin precipitates from needle-like to spherical shape at higher zein proportions, as confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. The average particle size of zein:quercetin composite particles was below 200 nm (130-161 nm) with negative surface charge (-30 to -41 mV), as confirmed by dynamic light scattering and electrophoretic mobility data. Solid state characterisation (X-ray diffraction) and spectroscopic measurements (UV-Vis and IR spectroscopy) confirmed characteristic changes in quercetin due to the entrapment in the biopolymeric matrix of colloidal particles. Results from anti-oxidant study demonstrated the advantage of entrapping quercetin in the colloidal particles in terms of the chemical stability in the alkaline pH and against photodegradation under UV-light irradiation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Incremental social learning in particle swarms.

PubMed

de Oca, Marco A Montes; Stutzle, Thomas; Van den Enden, Ken; Dorigo, Marco

2011-04-01

Incremental social learning (ISL) was proposed as a way to improve the scalability of systems composed of multiple learning agents. In this paper, we show that ISL can be very useful to improve the performance of population-based optimization algorithms. Our study focuses on two particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithms: a) the incremental particle swarm optimizer (IPSO), which is a PSO algorithm with a growing population size in which the initial position of new particles is biased toward the best-so-far solution, and b) the incremental particle swarm optimizer with local search (IPSOLS), in which solutions are further improved through a local search procedure. We first derive analytically the probability density function induced by the proposed initialization rule applied to new particles. Then, we compare the performance of IPSO and IPSOLS on a set of benchmark functions with that of other PSO algorithms (with and without local search) and a random restart local search algorithm. Finally, we measure the benefits of using incremental social learning on PSO algorithms by running IPSO and IPSOLS on problems with different fitness distance correlations.
Control and characterization of textured, hydrophobic ionomer surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xueyuan

Polymer thin films are of increasing interest in many industrial and technological applications. Superhydrophobic, self-cleaning surfaces have attracted a lot of attention for their application in self-cleaning, anti-sticking coatings, stain resistance, or anti-contamination surfaces in diverse technologies, including medical, transportation, textiles, electronics and paints. This thesis focuses on the preparation of nanometer to micrometer-size particle textured surfaces which are desirable for super water repellency. Textured surfaces consisting of nanometer to micrometer-sized lightly sulfonated polystyrene ionomer (SPS) particles were prepared by rapid evaporation of the solvent from a dilute polymer solution cast onto silica. The effect of the solvent used to spin coat the film, the molecular weight of the ionomer, and the rate of solvent evaporation were investigated. The nano-particle or micron-particle textured ionomer surfaces were prepared by either spin coating or solution casting ionomer solutions at controlled evaporation rates. The surface morphologies were consistent with a spinodal decomposition mechanism where the surface first existed as a percolated-like structure and then ripened into droplets if molecular mobility was retained for sufficient time. The SPS particles or particle aggregates were robust and resisted deformation even after annealing at 120°C for one week. The water contact angles on as-prepared surfaces were relatively low, ~ 90° since the polar groups in ionomer reduce the surface hydrophobicity. After chemical vapor deposition of 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltrichlorosilane, the surface contact angles increased to ~ 109° on smooth surfaces and ~140° on the textured surfaces. Water droplets stuck to these surfaces even when tilted 90 degrees. Superhydrophobic surfaces were prepared by spraying coating ionomer solutions and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) of 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltrichlorosilane onto textured surfaces. The surfaces after CVD of silane exhibited water contact angle of 152° and the water droplet stuck to the surfaces without falling even when tilted upside down. This kind of sticky superhydrophobic surface would have potential applications in no-loss transport of liquid, and cleaning robots.
Transformation of cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) from aqueous suspension to fine solid particles via electrospraying.

PubMed

Saallah, Suryani; Naim, M Nazli; Mokhtar, Mohd Noriznan; Abu Bakar, Noor Fitrah; Gen, Masao; Lenggoro, I Wuled

2014-10-01

In this study, the potential of electrohydrodynamic atomization or electrospraying to produce nanometer-order CGTase particles from aqueous suspension was demonstrated. CGTase enzyme was prepared in acetate buffer solution (1% v/v), followed by electrospraying in stable Taylor cone-jet mode. The deposits were collected on aluminium foil (collector) at variable distances from the tip of spraying needle, ranging from 10 to 25 cm. The Coulomb fission that occurs during electrospraying process successfully transformed the enzyme to the solid state without any functional group deterioration. The functional group verification was conducted by FTIR analysis. Comparison between the deposit and the as-received enzyme in dry state indicates almost identical spectra. By increasing the distance of the collector from the needle tip, the average particle size of the solidified enzyme was reduced from 200±117 nm to 75±34 nm. The average particle sizes produced from the droplet fission were in agreement with the scaling law models. Enzyme activity analysis showed that the enzyme retained its initial activity after the electrospraying process. The enzyme particles collected at the longest distance (25 cm) demonstrated the highest enzyme activity, which indicates that the activity was controlled by the enzyme particle size. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Synthesis of Au/TiO2 Core-Shell Nanoparticles from Titanium Isopropoxide and Thermal Resistance Effect of TiO2 Shell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwon, Hyun-Woo; Lim, Young-Min; Tripathy, Suraj Kumar; Kim, Byoung-Gyu; Lee, Min-Sang; Yu, Yeon-Tae

2007-04-01

On the synthesis of Au/TiO2 core-shell structure nanoparticles, the effect of the concentration of Ti4+ on the morphology and optical property of Au/TiO2 core-shell nanoparticles was examined. A gold colloid was prepared by mixing HAuCl4\\cdot4H2O and C6H5Na3\\cdot2H2O. Titanium stock solution was prepared by mixing solutions of titanium(IV) isopropoxide (TTIP) and triethanolamine (TEOA). The concentration of the Ti4+ stock solution was adjusted to 0.01-0.3 mM, and then the gold colloid was added to the Ti4+ stock solution. Au/TiO2 core-shell structure nanoparticles could be prepared by the hydrolysis of the Ti4+ stock solution at 80 °C. The size of the as-prepared Au nanoparticles was 15 nm. The thickness of the TiO2 shell on the surface of gold particles was about 10 nm. The absorption peak of the Au/TiO2 core-shell nanoparticles shifted towards the red end of the spectrum by about 3 nm because of the formation of the TiO2 shell on the surface of the gold particles. The crystal structure of the TiO2 shell showed an anatase phase. The increase in the Au crystallite size of the Au/TiO2 nanoparticles with increasing heat treatment temperature is smaller than that in the pure Au nanoparticles. This may be due to the encapsulation of Au particles with the TiO2 shell that prevents the growth of the nanoparticle nucleation.
Inhalable microparticles containing large payload of anti-tuberculosis drugs.

PubMed

Muttil, Pavan; Kaur, Jatinder; Kumar, Kaushlendra; Yadav, Awadh Bihari; Sharma, Rolee; Misra, Amit

2007-10-01

Microparticles containing large payloads of two anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs were prepared and evaluated for suitability as a dry powder inhalation targeting alveolar macrophages. A solution containing one part each of isoniazid and rifabutin, plus two parts poly(lactic acid) (L-PLA) was spray-dried. Drug content and in vitro release were assayed by HPLC, and DSC was used to elucidate release behaviour. Particle size was measured by laser scattering and aerosol characteristics by cascade impaction using a Lovelace impactor. Microparticles were administered to mice using an in-house inhalation apparatus or by intra-tracheal instillation. Drugs in solution were administered orally and by intra-cardiac injection. Flow cytometry and HPLC were used to investigate the specificity and magnitude of targeting macrophages. Microparticles having drug content approximately 50% (w/w), particle size approximately 5 microm and satisfactory aerosol characteristics (median mass aerodynamic diameter, MMAD=3.57 microm; geometric standard deviation, GSD=1.41 microm; fine particle fraction, FPF(<4.6 microm)=78.91+/-8.4%) were obtained in yields of >60%. About 70% of the payload was released in vitro in 10 days. Microparticles targeted macrophages and not epithelial cells on inhalation. Drug concentrations in macrophages were approximately 20 times higher when microparticles were inhaled rather than drug solutions administered. Microparticles were thus deemed suitable for enhanced targeted drug delivery to lung macrophages.
Size-tunable drug-delivery capsules composed of a magnetic nanoshell.

PubMed

Fuchigami, Teruaki; Kitamoto, Yoshitaka; Namiki, Yoshihisa

2012-01-01

Nano-sized FePt capsules with two types of ultrathin shell were fabricated using a template method for use in a nano-scale drug delivery system. One capsule was composed of an inorganic-organic hybrid shell of a water-soluble polymer and FePt nanoparticles, and the other capsule was composed of a network of fused FePt nanoparticles. We demonstrated that FePt nanoparticles selectively accumulated on the polymer molecules adsorbed on the template silica particles, and investigated the morphologies of the particle accumulation by changing the concentration of the polymer solution with which the template particles were treated. Capsular size was reduced from 340 to less than 90 nm by changing the size of the silica template particles, and the shell thickness was controlled by changing the amount of FePt nanoparticles adsorbed on the template particles. The hybrid shell was maintained by the connection of FePt nanoparticles and polymer molecules, and the shell thickness was 10 nm at the maximum. The FePt network shell was fabricated by hydrothermal treatment of the FePt/polymer-modified silica composite particles. The FePt network shell was produced from only the FePt alloy, and the shell thickness was 3 nm. Water-soluble anti-cancer drugs could be loaded into the hollow space of FePt network capsules, and lipid-coated FePt network capsules loaded with anti-cancer drugs showed cellular toxicity. The nano-sized capsular structure and the ultrathin shell suggest applicability as a drug carrier in magnetically guided drug delivery systems.
Size-tunable drug-delivery capsules composed of a magnetic nanoshell

PubMed Central

Fuchigami, Teruaki; Kitamoto, Yoshitaka; Namiki, Yoshihisa

2012-01-01

Nano-sized FePt capsules with two types of ultrathin shell were fabricated using a template method for use in a nano-scale drug delivery system. One capsule was composed of an inorganic-organic hybrid shell of a water-soluble polymer and FePt nanoparticles, and the other capsule was composed of a network of fused FePt nanoparticles. We demonstrated that FePt nanoparticles selectively accumulated on the polymer molecules adsorbed on the template silica particles, and investigated the morphologies of the particle accumulation by changing the concentration of the polymer solution with which the template particles were treated. Capsular size was reduced from 340 to less than 90 nm by changing the size of the silica template particles, and the shell thickness was controlled by changing the amount of FePt nanoparticles adsorbed on the template particles. The hybrid shell was maintained by the connection of FePt nanoparticles and polymer molecules, and the shell thickness was 10 nm at the maximum. The FePt network shell was fabricated by hydrothermal treatment of the FePt/polymer-modified silica composite particles. The FePt network shell was produced from only the FePt alloy, and the shell thickness was 3 nm. Water-soluble anti-cancer drugs could be loaded into the hollow space of FePt network capsules, and lipid-coated FePt network capsules loaded with anti-cancer drugs showed cellular toxicity. The nano-sized capsular structure and the ultrathin shell suggest applicability as a drug carrier in magnetically guided drug delivery systems. PMID:23507895
Solution and particle effects on the biosorption of heavy metals by seaweed biomass

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

Leusch, A.; Holan, Z.R.; Volesky, B.

Biosorption of cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) by six fractions of particle sizes, ranging from 0.063 to 1.4 mm of dry marine algal biomass of Sargassum fluitans and Ascophyllum nodosum, is examined. Equilibrium metal uptake by larger particles was higher than that by smaller particles in the order of Pb > Cd > Cu > Co > Zn > Ni for both biomass types, with S. fluitans sorbing slightly more than A. nodosum. Uptakes of metals ranged from the highest, q{sub max} = 369 mg Pb/g (particle size 0.84-1.00 mm), to themore » low Zn and Ni uptakes, q{sub max} = 77 mg/g (size 0.84-1.00 mm) for S. fluitans. A. nodosum adsorbed metals in the range from q{sub max} = 287 mg Pg/g (particle size 0.84-1.00 mm) to q{sub max} = 73 mg Zn/g (particle size 0.84-1.00mm). Harder stipe fractions of S. fluitans demonstrated generally higher metal uptakes than the softer fractions derived from its blades (leaves). The pH dependence of the Zn uptake by S. fluitans exhibited an S-shaped curve between pH 1.5 and pH 7, with 50% of the maximum (pH 7.0) uptake at pH 3.5. Monovalent Na and K ions at higher concentrations inhibited the biosorption of Zn by S. fluitans. A significant inhibition started at 50 mM potassium chloride or sodium acetate, and at 1M the biosorption was completely blocked. 40 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs.« less
Gram-scale fractionation of nanodiamonds by density gradient ultracentrifugation.

PubMed

Peng, Wei; Mahfouz, Remi; Pan, Jun; Hou, Yuanfang; Beaujuge, Pierre M; Bakr, Osman M

2013-06-07

Size is a defining characteristic of nanoparticles; it influences their optical and electronic properties as well as their interactions with molecules and macromolecules. Producing nanoparticles with narrow size distributions remains one of the main challenges to their utilization. At this time, the number of practical approaches to optimize the size distribution of nanoparticles in many interesting materials systems, including diamond nanocrystals, remains limited. Diamond nanocrystals synthesized by detonation protocols - so-called detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs) - are promising systems for drug delivery, photonics, and composites. DNDs are composed of primary particles with diameters mainly <10 nm and their aggregates (ca. 10-500 nm). Here, we introduce a large-scale approach to rate-zonal density gradient ultracentrifugation to obtain monodispersed fractions of nanoparticles in high yields. We use this method to fractionate a highly concentrated and stable aqueous solution of DNDs and to investigate the size distribution of various fractions by dynamic light scattering, analytical ultracentrifugation, transmission electron microscopy and powder X-ray diffraction. This fractionation method enabled us to separate gram-scale amounts of DNDs into several size ranges within a relatively short period of time. In addition, the high product yields obtained for each fraction allowed us to apply the fractionation method iteratively to a particular size range of particles and to collect various fractions of highly monodispersed primary particles. Our method paves the way for in-depth studies of the physical and optical properties, growth, and aggregation mechanism of DNDs. Applications requiring DNDs with specific particle or aggregate sizes are now within reach.
Environmentally benign formation of polymeric microspheres by rapid expansion of supercritical carbon dioxide solution with a nonsolvent.

PubMed

Matsuyama, K; Mishima, K; Umemoto, H; Yamaguchi, S

2001-10-15

A novel method is reported for forming polymer microparticles, which reduce atmospheric emissions of environmentally harmful volatile organic compounds such as toluene and xylene used as paint solvent in paint industry. The polymer microparticles have formed through rapid expansion from supercritical solution with a nonsolvent (RESS-N). Solubilization of poly(styrene)-b-(poly(methyl methacrylate)-co-poly (glycidyl methacrylate)) copolymer(PS-b-(PMMA-co-PGMA), MW = 5000, PS/PMMA/PGMA = 2/5/3), poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG, M. W = 4000), bisphenol A type epoxy resin (EP, MW = 3000), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA; MW = 15000, 75000, 120000), and poly(oxyalkylene) alkylphenyl ether (MW = 4000) in carbon dioxide (CO2) was achieved with the use of small alcohols as cosolvents. The solubility of the PS-b-(PMMA-co-PGMA) is extremely low in either CO2 or ethanol but becomes 20 wt % in a mixture of the two. Because ethanol is a nonsolvent for the polymer, it can be used as a cosolvent in rapid expansion from supercritical solution to produce 1-3 microm particles that do not agglomerate. Obtained polymer particles by RESS-N were applied as powder coatings. The resulting coatings have a smooth and coherent film. The particle size distribution of microspheres was controlled by changing the polymer concentration, preexpansion pressure, temperature, and injection distance. The feed compositions were more effective than the other factors in controlling the particle size. The polymeric microparticles formed by RESS-N method can be utilized to make the thin coating film without anytoxic organic solvents and/or surfactants.
High-efficiency particulate air filter test stand and aerosol generator for particle loading studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arunkumar, R.; Hogancamp, Kristina U.; Parsons, Michael S.; Rogers, Donna M.; Norton, Olin P.; Nagel, Brian A.; Alderman, Steven L.; Waggoner, Charles A.

2007-08-01

This manuscript describes the design, characterization, and operational range of a test stand and high-output aerosol generator developed to evaluate the performance of 30×30×29cm3 nuclear grade high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters under variable, highly controlled conditions. The test stand system is operable at volumetric flow rates ranging from 1.5to12standardm3/min. Relative humidity levels are controllable from 5%-90% and the temperature of the aerosol stream is variable from ambient to 150°C. Test aerosols are produced through spray drying source material solutions that are introduced into a heated stainless steel evaporation chamber through an air-atomizing nozzle. Regulation of the particle size distribution of the aerosol challenge is achieved by varying source solution concentrations and through the use of a postgeneration cyclone. The aerosol generation system is unique in that it facilitates the testing of standard HEPA filters at and beyond rated media velocities by consistently providing, into a nominal flow of 7standardm3/min, high mass concentrations (˜25mg/m3) of dry aerosol streams having count mean diameters centered near the most penetrating particle size for HEPA filters (120-160nm). Aerosol streams that have been generated and characterized include those derived from various concentrations of KCl, NaCl, and sucrose solutions. Additionally, a water insoluble aerosol stream in which the solid component is predominantly iron (III) has been produced. Multiple ports are available on the test stand for making simultaneous aerosol measurements upstream and downstream of the test filter. Types of filter performance related studies that can be performed using this test stand system include filter lifetime studies, filtering efficiency testing, media velocity testing, evaluations under high mass loading and high humidity conditions, and determination of the downstream particle size distributions.
High-efficiency particulate air filter test stand and aerosol generator for particle loading studies.

PubMed

Arunkumar, R; Hogancamp, Kristina U; Parsons, Michael S; Rogers, Donna M; Norton, Olin P; Nagel, Brian A; Alderman, Steven L; Waggoner, Charles A

2007-08-01

This manuscript describes the design, characterization, and operational range of a test stand and high-output aerosol generator developed to evaluate the performance of 30 x 30 x 29 cm(3) nuclear grade high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters under variable, highly controlled conditions. The test stand system is operable at volumetric flow rates ranging from 1.5 to 12 standard m(3)/min. Relative humidity levels are controllable from 5%-90% and the temperature of the aerosol stream is variable from ambient to 150 degrees C. Test aerosols are produced through spray drying source material solutions that are introduced into a heated stainless steel evaporation chamber through an air-atomizing nozzle. Regulation of the particle size distribution of the aerosol challenge is achieved by varying source solution concentrations and through the use of a postgeneration cyclone. The aerosol generation system is unique in that it facilitates the testing of standard HEPA filters at and beyond rated media velocities by consistently providing, into a nominal flow of 7 standard m(3)/min, high mass concentrations (approximately 25 mg/m(3)) of dry aerosol streams having count mean diameters centered near the most penetrating particle size for HEPA filters (120-160 nm). Aerosol streams that have been generated and characterized include those derived from various concentrations of KCl, NaCl, and sucrose solutions. Additionally, a water insoluble aerosol stream in which the solid component is predominantly iron (III) has been produced. Multiple ports are available on the test stand for making simultaneous aerosol measurements upstream and downstream of the test filter. Types of filter performance related studies that can be performed using this test stand system include filter lifetime studies, filtering efficiency testing, media velocity testing, evaluations under high mass loading and high humidity conditions, and determination of the downstream particle size distributions.
Properties of low power spark ablation in aqueous solution for dissolution of precious metals and alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goltz, Douglas; Boileau, Michael; Plews, Ian; Charleton, Kimberly; Hinds, Michael W.

2006-07-01

Spark ablation or electric dispersion of metal samples in aqueous solution can be a useful approach for sample preparation. The ablated metal forms a stable suspension that has been described as colloidal, which is easily dissolved with a small amount of concentrated (16 M) HNO 3. In this study, we have examined some of the properties of the spark ablation process for a variety of metals (Rh and Au) and alloys (stainless steel) using a low power spark (100-300 W). Particle size distributions and conductivity measurements were carried out on selected metals to characterize the stable suspensions. A LASER diffraction particle size analyzer was useful for showing that ablated particles varied in size from 1 to 30 μm for both the silver and the nickel alloy, Inconel. In terms of weight percent most of the particles were between 10 and 30 μm. Conductivity of the spark ablation solution was found to increase linearly for approximately 3 min before leveling off at approximately 300 S cm 3. These measurements suggest that a significant portion of the ablated metal is also ionic in nature. Scanning electron microscope measurements revealed that a low power spark is much less damaging to the metal surface than a high power spark. Crater formation of the low power spark was found in a wider area than expected with the highest concentration where the spark was directed. The feasibility of using spark ablation for metal dissolution of a valuable artifact such as gold was also performed. Determinations of Ag (4-12%) and Cu (1-3%) in Bullion Reference Material (BRM) gave results that were in very good agreement with the certified values. The precision was ± 0.27% for Ag at 4.15% (RSD = 6.5%) and ± 0.09% for Cu at 1% (RSD = 9.0%).
Modification of foaming properties of soy protein isolate by high ultrasound intensity: Particle size effect.

PubMed

Morales, Rocío; Martínez, Karina D; Pizones Ruiz-Henestrosa, Víctor M; Pilosof, Ana M R

2015-09-01

The effect of high intensity ultrasound (HIUS) may produce structural modifications on proteins through a friendly environmental process. Thus, it can be possible to obtain aggregates with a determined particle size, and altering a defined functional property at the same time. The objective of this work was to explore the impact of HIUS on the functionality of a denatured soy protein isolate (SPI) on foaming and interfacial properties. SPI solutions at pH 6.9 were treated with HIUS for 20 min, in an ultrasonic processor at room temperature, at 75, 80 and 85°C. The operating conditions were: 20 kHz, 4.27 ± 0.71 W and 20% of amplitude. It was determined the size of the protein particles, before and after the HIUS treatment, by dynamic light scattering. It was also analyzed the interfacial behavior of the different systems as well as their foaming properties, by applying the whipping method. The HIUS treatment and HIUS with temperature improved the foaming capacity by alteration of particle size whereas stability was not modified significantly. The temperature of HIUS treatment (80 and 85°C) showed a synergistic effect on foaming capacity. It was found that the reduction of particle size was related to the increase of foaming capacity of SPI. On the other hand, the invariable elasticity of the interfacial films could explain the stability of foams over time. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Influence of dose on particle size and optical properties of colloidal platinum nanoparticles.

PubMed

Gharibshahi, Elham; Saion, Elias

2012-11-12

Attempts to produce colloidal platinum nanoparticles by using steady absorption spectra with various chemical-based reduction methods often resulted in the fast disappearance of the absorption maxima leaving reduced platinum nanoparticles with little information on their optical properties. We synthesized colloidal platinum nanoparticles in an aqueous solution of polyvinyl pyrrolidone by gamma radiolytic reduction method, which produced steady absorption spectra of fully reduced and highly pure platinum nanoparticles free from by-product impurities or reducing agent contamination. The average particle size was found to be in the range of 3.4–5.3 nm and decreased with increasing dose due to the domination of nucleation over ion association in the formation of metal nanoparticles by the gamma radiolytic reduction method. The platinum nanoparticles exhibit optical absorption spectra with two absorption peaks centered at about 216 and 264 nm and the peaks blue shifted to lower wavelengths with decreasing particle size. The absorption spectra of platinum nanoparticles were also calculated using quantum mechanical treatment and coincidently a good agreement was obtained between the calculated and measured absorption peaks at various particle sizes. This indicates that the 216 and 264-nm absorption peaks of platinum nanoparticles conceivably originated from the intra-band transitions of conduction electrons of (n = 5, l = 2) and (n = 6, l = 0) energy states respectively to higher energy states. The absorption energies, i.e., conduction band energies of platinum nanoparticles derived from the absorption peaks increased with increasing dose and decreased with increasing particle size.
Influence of Dose on Particle Size and Optical Properties of Colloidal Platinum Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Gharibshahi, Elham; Saion, Elias

2012-01-01

Attempts to produce colloidal platinum nanoparticles by using steady absorption spectra with various chemical-based reduction methods often resulted in the fast disappearance of the absorption maxima leaving reduced platinum nanoparticles with little information on their optical properties. We synthesized colloidal platinum nanoparticles in an aqueous solution of polyvinyl pyrrolidone by gamma radiolytic reduction method, which produced steady absorption spectra of fully reduced and highly pure platinum nanoparticles free from by-product impurities or reducing agent contamination. The average particle size was found to be in the range of 3.4–5.3 nm and decreased with increasing dose due to the domination of nucleation over ion association in the formation of metal nanoparticles by the gamma radiolytic reduction method. The platinum nanoparticles exhibit optical absorption spectra with two absorption peaks centered at about 216 and 264 nm and the peaks blue shifted to lower wavelengths with decreasing particle size. The absorption spectra of platinum nanoparticles were also calculated using quantum mechanical treatment and coincidently a good agreement was obtained between the calculated and measured absorption peaks at various particle sizes. This indicates that the 216 and 264-nm absorption peaks of platinum nanoparticles conceivably originated from the intra-band transitions of conduction electrons of (n = 5, l = 2) and (n = 6, l = 0) energy states respectively to higher energy states. The absorption energies, i.e., conduction band energies of platinum nanoparticles derived from the absorption peaks increased with increasing dose and decreased with increasing particle size. PMID:23203091
Flow of colloid particle solution past macroscopic bodies and drag crisis

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

Iordanskii, S. V., E-mail: iordansk@itp.ac.ru

2013-11-15

The motion of colloid particles in a viscous fluid flow is considered. Small sizes of colloid particles as compared to the characteristic scale of the flow make it possible to calculate their velocity relative to the liquid. If the density of a colloid particle is higher than the density of the liquid, the flow splits into regions in which the velocity of colloid particles coincides with the velocity of the liquid and regions of flow stagnation in which the colloid velocity is higher than the velocity of the fluid. This effect is used to explain qualitatively the decrease in themore » drag to the flows past macroscopic bodies and flows in pipes.« less
Microspheres for the oral delivery of insulin: preparation, evaluation and hypoglycaemic effect in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

PubMed

Zhang, Huan; Wang, Weimei; Li, Haoran; Peng, Yi; Zhang, Zhiqing

2018-01-01

Insulin-loaded microspheres were prepared by alternating deposition film layers that were composed of insulin and poly(vinyl sulfate) potassium on the surface of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) microspheres. The preparation of the insulin-loaded microspheres was optimized by an orthogonal test design, and the relationship between drug loading (DL) and film layers was studied. The particle size, DL and encapsulation efficiency of the obtained insulin-loaded microspheres with 10 films were 5.25 ± 0.15 µm, 111.33 ± 1.15 mg/g and 33.7 ± 0.19%, respectively. Following this, the physical characteristics of the insulin-loaded microspheres were investigated. The results from scanning electron microscopy and a laser particle size analyzer (LPSA) indicated the spherical morphology, rough surface and increasing particle sizes of the insulin-loaded microspheres, which were compared to those of PLA microspheres. An in vitro release study showed that the insulin-loaded microspheres were stable in HCl solution (pH 1.0) and released insulin slowly in phosphate-buffered solution (pH 6.8). Finally, the drug efficacy of the prepared insulin-loaded microspheres via oral administration was evaluated in rats with diabetes induced by streptozotocin, and an obvious dose-dependent hypoglycemic effect was observed. This preliminary data could illustrate the prospect of using microspheres for the oral delivery of insulin.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shukla, Vaishali; Singh, Man

Currently, the development of micelles route is thrust area of research in nanoscience for the control particle size and remarkable properties through chemical co-precipitation method. A 0.9 mM aqueous CTAB micellar solution plays a role as capping agent in the homogeneous solution of 0.5 M ZnSO{sub 4} and 0.5 M Na{sub 2}S for synthesis, further precipitates purified with centrifugation in cold ethanol and millipore water to remove unreacted reagents and ionic salt particles. A resultant, white colored luminescent ZnS nanoparticle out with ∼95% yield is reported. The ZnS nanoparticles have been examined by their luminescence properties, optical properties and crystal structure.more » The mean particle size of ZnS nanoparticles is found to be ∼10 nm in various technical results and UV-absorption was 80 nm blue shifts moved from 345 nm (bulk material) to 265 nm, showing a quantum size impact. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern shows the immaculate cubic phase. Photoluminescence (PL) investigates the recombination mechanism with blue emission from shallow electron traps at 490 nm in ZnS nanoparticles. An FTIR spectrum and Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) gives confirmation of CTAB – cationic surfactant on surface of ZnS nanoparticle as capping agent as well thermal stability of CTAB capped ZnS nanoparticles with respect to temperature.« less
Preparation of nanocrystalline TiN coated cubic boron nitride powders by a sol-gel process.

PubMed

Park, Hee S; Umer, M Adeel; Ryu, Ho J; Hong, Soon H

2011-01-01

Cubic boron nitride (cBN) particles coated with 20 wt% nanocrystalline TiN were prepared by coating the surface of cBN particles with TiO2, followed by nitridation with NH3 gas at 900 degrees C. Coating of TiO2 on cBN powders was accomplished by a sol-gel process from a solution of titanium (IV) isopropoxide and anhydrous ethanol. An amorphous TiO(x) layer of 50 nm thickness was homogenously formed on the surface of the cBN particles by the sol-gel process. The amorphous layer was then crystallized to an anatase TiO2 phase through calcination in air at 400 degrees C. The crystallized TiO2 layer was 50 nm in thickness, and the size of TiO2 particles comprising the layer was nearly 10 nm. The TiO2 on cBN surfaces was completely converted into nanocrystalline TiN of uniform particles 20 nm in size on cBN particles by nitridation under flowing NH3 gas.

Self-assembled organic-inorganic magnetic hybrid adsorbent ferrite based on cyclodextrin nanoparticles.

PubMed

Denadai, Angelo M L; De Sousa, Frederico B; Passos, Joel J; Guatimosim, Fernando C; Barbosa, Kirla D; Burgos, Ana E; de Oliveira, Fernando Castro; da Silva, Jeann C; Neves, Bernardo R A; Mohallem, Nelcy D S; Sinisterra, Rubén D

2012-01-01

Organic-inorganic magnetic hybrid materials (MHMs) combine a nonmagnetic and a magnetic component by means of electrostatic interactions or covalent bonds, and notable features can be achieved. Herein, we describe an application of a self-assembled material based on ferrite associated with β-cyclodextrin (Fe-Ni/Zn/βCD) at the nanoscale level. This MHM and pure ferrite (Fe-Ni/Zn) were used as an adsorbent system for Cr(3+) and Cr(2)O(7) (2-) ions in aqueous solutions. Prior to the adsorption studies, both ferrites were characterized in order to determine the particle size distribution, morphology and available binding sites on the surface of the materials. Microscopy analysis demonstrated that both ferrites present two different size domains, at the micro- and nanoscale level, with the latter being able to self-assemble into larger particles. Fe-Ni/Zn/βCD presented smaller particles and a more homogeneous particle size distribution. Higher porosity for this MHM compared to Fe-Ni/Zn was observed by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherms and positron-annihilation-lifetime spectroscopy. Based on the pKa values, potentiometric titrations demonstrated the presence of βCD in the inorganic matrix, indicating that the lamellar structures verified by transmission electronic microscopy can be associated with βCD assembled structures. Colloidal stability was inferred as a function of time at different pH values, indicating the sedimentation rate as a function of pH. Zeta potential measurements identified an amphoteric behavior for the Fe-Ni/Zn/βCD, suggesting its better capability to remove ions (cations and anions) from aqueous solutions compared to that of Fe-Ni/Zn.
Simple preparation of magnetic field-responsive structural colored Janus particles.

PubMed

Teshima, Midori; Seki, Takahiro; Takeoka, Yukikazu

2018-03-08

We established a simple method for preparing Janus particles displaying different structural colors using submicron-sized fine silica particles and magnetic nanoparticles composed of Fe 3 O 4 . A w/o emulsion is prepared by vortex-stirring a mixed aqueous solution of suspended fine silica particles and magnetic nanoparticles and of hexadecane containing an emulsifier. Subsequent drying of the emulsion on a hot plate using a magnetic stirrer provides a polydisperse particle aggregate displaying two different structural colors according to the ratio of the amount of fine silica particles to the amount of magnetic nanoparticles. This polydisperse particle aggregate can be converted into monodisperse particles simply by using a sieve made of stainless steel. In the presence of a magnet, the monodisperse Janus particles can change their orientation and can switch between two different structural colors.
Focusing geometry-induced size tailoring of silver nanoparticles obtained by laser ablation in water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stasic, Jelena; Joksic, Gordana; Zivkovic, Ljiljana; Mihailescu, Ion N.; Ghica, Corneliu; Kuncser, Andrei; Trtica, Milan

2014-10-01

Silver nanoparticles were obtained by picosecond laser ablation in water at 1064 nm, using focusing geometry to design the particles’ size. The position of the target surface with respect to the focal point strongly influences the NPs’ size: above and in the focus it is up to 20 nm and below focus ≤ 150 nm. Generated particles have a spherical shape. The solutions were further employed on human cells and the tests showed a deteriorating effect on DNA.
Morphological Control of Metal Oxide-Doped Zinc Oxide and Application to Cosmetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goto, Takehiro; Yin, Shu; Sato, Tsugio; Tanaka, Takumi

2012-06-01

Zinc oxide shows excellent transparency and ultraviolet radiation shielding ability, and is used for various cosmetics.1-3 However, it possesses high catalytic activity and lower dispersibility. Therefore, spherical particles of zinc oxide have been synthesized by soft solution reaction using zinc nitrate, ethylene glycol, sodium hydroxide and triethanolamine as starting materials. After dissolving these compounds in water, the solution was heated at 90°C for 1 h to form almost mono-dispersed spherical zinc oxide particles. The particle size changed depending on zinc ion concentration, ethylene glycol concentration and so on. Furthermore, with doping some metal ions, the phtocatalytic activity could be decreased. The obtained monodispersed metal ion-doped spherical zinc oxides showed excellent UV shielding ability and low photocatalytic activity. Therefore, they are expected to be used as cosmetics ingredients.
Effect of Cu concentration on morphology of Sn-Ag-Cu solders by mechanical alloying

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kao, Szu-Tsung; Duh, Jenq-Gong

2004-12-01

The mechanical alloying (MA) process is considered an alternative approach to produce solder materials. In this study, the effect of Cu concentration in the ternary Sn-3.5Ag-xCu (x=0.2, 0.7, and 1) solder by MA was investigated. The (Cu,Sn) solid solution was precipitated as the Cu6Sn5 intermetallic compound (IMC), which was distributed nonuniformly through the microstructure. The Cu6Sn5 IMC, which was present in the SnAgCu solder with high Cu composition, causes the as-milled MA particle to fracture to a smaller size. Appreciable distinction on morphology of as-milled MA powders with different Cu content was revealed. When the Cu concentration was low (x=0.2), MA particle aggregated to a spherical ingot with large particle size. For higher Cu concentration (x=0.7 and x=1), the MA particle turned to flakes with smaller particle size. The distinction of the milling mechanism of Sn-3.5Ag-xCu (x=0.2, 0.7, and 1) solder by the MA process was discussed. An effective approach was developed to reduce the particle size of the SnAgCu solder from 1 mm down to 10-100 µm by doping the Cu6Sn5 nanoparticle during the MA process. In addition, the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results also ensure the compatibility to apply the solder material for the reflow process.
Improving the API dissolution rate during pharmaceutical hot-melt extrusion I: Effect of the API particle size, and the co-rotating, twin-screw extruder screw configuration on the API dissolution rate.

PubMed

Li, Meng; Gogos, Costas G; Ioannidis, Nicolas

2015-01-15

The dissolution rate of the active pharmaceutical ingredients in pharmaceutical hot-melt extrusion is the most critical elementary step during the extrusion of amorphous solid solutions - total dissolution has to be achieved within the short residence time in the extruder. Dissolution and dissolution rates are affected by process, material and equipment variables. In this work, we examine the effect of one of the material variables and one of the equipment variables, namely, the API particle size and extruder screw configuration on the API dissolution rate, in a co-rotating, twin-screw extruder. By rapidly removing the extruder screws from the barrel after achieving a steady state, we collected samples along the length of the extruder screws that were characterized by polarized optical microscopy (POM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to determine the amount of undissolved API. Analyses of samples indicate that reduction of particle size of the API and appropriate selection of screw design can markedly improve the dissolution rate of the API during extrusion. In addition, angle of repose measurements and light microscopy images show that the reduction of particle size of the API can improve the flowability of the physical mixture feed and the adhesiveness between its components, respectively, through dry coating of the polymer particles by the API particles. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Understanding the significance variables for fabrication of fish gelatin nanoparticles by Plackett-Burman design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subara, Deni; Jaswir, Irwandi; Alkhatib, Maan Fahmi Rashid; Noorbatcha, Ibrahim Ali

2018-01-01

The aim of this experiment is to screen and to understand the process variables on the fabrication of fish gelatin nanoparticles by using quality-design approach. The most influencing process variables were screened by using Plackett-Burman design. Mean particles size, size distribution, and zeta potential were found in the range 240±9.76 nm, 0.3, and -9 mV, respectively. Statistical results explained that concentration of acetone, pH of solution during precipitation step and volume of cross linker had a most significant effect on particles size of fish gelatin nanoparticles. It was found that, time and chemical consuming is lower than previous research. This study revealed the potential of quality-by design in understanding the effects of process variables on the fish gelatin nanoparticles production.
Potential of mean force between two hydrophobic solutes in water.

PubMed

Southall, Noel T; Dill, Ken A

2002-12-10

We study the potential of mean force between two nonpolar solutes in the Mercedes Benz model of water. Using NPT Monte Carlo simulations, we find that the solute size determines the relative preference of two solute molecules to come into contact ('contact minimum') or to be separated by a single layer of water ('solvent-separated minimum'). Larger solutes more strongly prefer the contacting state, while smaller solutes have more tendency to become solvent-separated, particularly in cold water. The thermal driving forces oscillate with solute separation. Contacts are stabilized by entropy, whereas solvent-separated solute pairing is stabilized by enthalpy. The free energy of interaction for small solutes is well-approximated by scaled-particle theory. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science B.V.
Fabrication of advanced particles and particle-based materials assisted by droplet-based microfluidics.

PubMed

Wang, Jing-Tao; Wang, Juan; Han, Jun-Jie

2011-07-04

Recent advances in the fabrication of complex particles and particle-based materials assisted by droplet-based microfluidics are reviewed. Monodisperse particles with expected internal structures, morphologies, and sizes in the range of nanometers to hundreds of micrometers have received a good deal of attention in recent years. Due to the capability of generating monodisperse emulsions and of executing precise control and operations on the suspended droplets inside the microchannels, droplet-based microfluidic devices have become powerful tools for fabricating complex particles with desired properties. Emulsions and multiple-emulsions generated in the microfluidic devices can be composed of a variety of materials including aqueous solutions, gels, polymers and solutions containing functional nanoparticles. They are ideal microreactors or fine templates for synthesizing advanced particles, such as polymer particles, microcapsules, nanocrystals, and photonic crystal clusters or beads by further chemical or physical operations. These particles are promising materials that may be applicable for many fields, such as photonic materials, drug delivery systems, and bio-analysis. From simple to complex, from spherical to nonspherical, from polymerization and reaction crystallization to self-assembly, this review aims to help readers be aware of the many aspects of this field. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
Electrochemical behaviour of naked sub-nanometre sized copper clusters and effect of CO 2

DOE PAGES

Passalacqua, Rosalba; Parathoner, Siglinda; Centi, Gabriele; ...

2016-08-04

The study of the electrochemical behavior (in the presence of N 2 or CO 2) of size-controlled naked Cu 5 and Cu 20 nanoclusters, prepared using a combination of gas-phase cluster ion sources, mass spectrometry, and soft-landing techniques, evidences some relevant results regarding the redox behavior of these sub-nanometre sized copper particles and the effect of CO 2 on them. Cu 20 nanoclusters show anodic redox processes occurring at much lower potential with respect to Cu 5 nanoclusters, which behave relatively similar to much larger Cu particles. However, Cu 5 nanoclusters coordinate effectively CO 2 (hydrogen carbonate) in solution, differentmore » from Cu 20 nanoclusters and larger Cu particles. This effect, rather than the redox behavior, is apparently connected to the ability of Cu 5 nanoclusters to reduce CO 2 under cathodic conditions at low overpotential. In conclusion, although preliminary, these results provide rather exciting indications on the possibility of realizing low overpotential electrocatalytic conversion of CO 2.« less
Tuning optical properties of water-soluble CdTe quantum dots for biological applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulze, Anne S.; Tavernaro, Isabella; Machka, Friederike; Dakischew, Olga; Lips, Katrin S.; Wickleder, Mathias S.

2017-02-01

In this study, two different synthetic methods in aqueous solution are presented to tune the optical properties of CdTe and CdSe semiconductor nanoparticles. Additionally, the influence of different temperatures, pressures, precursor ratios, surface ligands, bases, and core components in the synthesis was investigated with regard to the particle sizes and optical properties. As a result, a red shift of the emission and absorption maxima with increasing reaction temperature (100 to 220°C), pressure (1 to 25 bar), and different ratios of core components of alloyed semiconductor nanoparticles could be observed without a change of the particle size. An increase in particle size from 2.5 to 5 nm was only achieved by variation of the mercaptocarboxylic acid ligands in combination with the reaction time and used base. To get a first hint on the cytotoxic effects and cell uptake of the synthesized quantum dots, in vitro tests mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were carried out.
Electrochemical behaviour of naked sub-nanometre sized copper clusters and effect of CO 2

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

Passalacqua, Rosalba; Parathoner, Siglinda; Centi, Gabriele

The study of the electrochemical behavior (in the presence of N 2 or CO 2) of size-controlled naked Cu 5 and Cu 20 nanoclusters, prepared using a combination of gas-phase cluster ion sources, mass spectrometry, and soft-landing techniques, evidences some relevant results regarding the redox behavior of these sub-nanometre sized copper particles and the effect of CO 2 on them. Cu 20 nanoclusters show anodic redox processes occurring at much lower potential with respect to Cu 5 nanoclusters, which behave relatively similar to much larger Cu particles. However, Cu 5 nanoclusters coordinate effectively CO 2 (hydrogen carbonate) in solution, differentmore » from Cu 20 nanoclusters and larger Cu particles. This effect, rather than the redox behavior, is apparently connected to the ability of Cu 5 nanoclusters to reduce CO 2 under cathodic conditions at low overpotential. In conclusion, although preliminary, these results provide rather exciting indications on the possibility of realizing low overpotential electrocatalytic conversion of CO 2.« less
Fluorescent polymeric assemblies as stimuli-responsive vehicles for drug controlled release and cell/tissue imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Ying; Li, Yang; Yu, Shirong; Mao, Jie; Liu, Cheng; Li, Qi; Yuan, Conghui; He, Ning; Luo, Weiang; Dai, Lizong

2015-01-01

Polymer assemblies with good biocompatibility, stimuli-responsive properties and clinical imaging capability are desirable carriers for future biomedical applications. Herein, we report on the synthesis of a novel anthracenecarboxaldehyde-decorated poly(N-(4-aminophenyl) methacryl amide-oligoethyleneglycolmonomethylether methacrylate) (P(MAAPAC-MAAP-MAPEG)) copolymer, comprising fluorescent chromophore and acid-labile moiety. This copolymer can assemble into micelles in aqueous solution and shows a spherical shape with well-defined particle size and narrow particle size distribution. The pH-responsive property of the micelles has been evaluated by the change of particle size and the controlled release of guest molecules. The intrinsic fluorescence property endows the micelles with excellent cell/tissue imaging capability. Cell viability evaluation with human hepatocellular carcinoma BEL-7402 cells demonstrates that the micelles are nontoxic. The cellular uptake of the micelles indicates a time-dependent behavior. The H22-tumor bearing mice treated with the micelles clearly exhibits the tumor accumulation. These multi-functional nanocarriers may be of great interest in the application of drug delivery.
Red mud carbonation using carbon dioxide: Effects of carbonate and calcium ions on goethite surface properties and settling.

PubMed

Liang, Gaojie; Chen, Wenmi; Nguyen, Anh V; Nguyen, Tuan A H

2018-05-01

Carbonation using CO 2 appears as an attractive solution for disposing of red mud suspensions, an aluminum industry hazardous waste since it also offers an option for CO 2 sequestration. Here we report the novel findings that CO 3 2- together with Ca 2+ can significantly affect the surface properties and settling of goethite, a major component of red mud. Specifically, their effects on the goethite surface chemistry, colloidal interaction forces and settling in alkaline solutions are investigated. The surface potential becomes more negative by the formation of carbonate inner-sphere complexes on goethite surface. It is consistent with the strong repulsion, decreased particle size and settling velocity with increased carbonate concentrations as measured by atomic force microscopy, particle size analysis, and particle settling. Adding Ca 2+ that forms outer-sphere complexes with pre-adsorbed carbonate changes goethite surface charge negligibly. Changing repulsion to the attraction between goethite surfaces by increasing calcium dosage indicates the surface bridging, in accordance with the increased settling velocity. The adverse effect of carbonate on goethite flocculation is probably due to its specific chemisorption and competition with flocculants. By forming outer-sphere complexes together with the flocculant-calcium bridging effect, calcium ions can eliminate the negative influence of carbonate and improve the flocculation of goethite particles. These findings contribute to a better understanding of goethite particle interaction with salt ions and flocculants in controlling the particle behavior in the handling processes, including the red mud carbonation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Optimisation of spray-drying process variables for dry powder inhalation (DPI) formulations of corticosteroid/cyclodextrin inclusion complexes.

PubMed

Cabral-Marques, Helena; Almeida, Rita

2009-09-01

This study aims to develop and characterise a beclomethasone diproprionate:gamma-cyclodextrin (BDP:gamma-CYD) complex and to optimise the variables on the spray-drying process, in order to obtain a powder with the most suitable characteristics for lung delivery. The spray-dried powder--in a mass ratio of 2:5 (BDP:gamma-CYD)--was physically mixed with three carriers of different particle sizes and in different ratios. Particle-size distribution, shape and morphology, moisture content, and uniformity in BDP content of formulations were studied. In vitro aerolisation behaviour of the formulations was evaluated using the Rotahaler, and the performance was characterised based on the uniformity of emitted dose and aerodynamic particle-size distribution (respirable fraction (RF), as a percentage of nominal dose (RFN) and emitted dose (RFE)). The most suitable conditions for the preparation of BDP:gamma-CYD complexes were obtained with the solution flow of 5 ml/min, T(in) of 70 degrees C and T(out) of 50 degrees C. Statistically significant differences in the aerodynamic performances were obtained for formulations containing BDP:gamma-CYD complexes prepared using different solution flows and different T(in) (p<0.05). RFN and RFE vary in direct proportion with T(in), while an inverse relationship was observed for the solution flow. A direct correlation between the RFE and the T(out) was identified. Performance of the formulations was compared with an established commercial product (Beclotaide Rotacaps 100 microg) with improved performance of RF: formulations with respitose carrier attained RFN and RFE twofold greater, and formulations based on 63-90 microm fraction lactose and trehalose achieved a threefold improvement; also, all formulations showed that the percentage of dose of BDP deposited in the "oropharynx" compartment was reduced to half.
Design, characterization, and aerosolization of organic solution advanced spray-dried moxifloxacin and ofloxacin dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) microparticulate/nanoparticulate powders for pulmonary inhalation aerosol delivery

PubMed Central

Duan, Jinghua; Vogt, Frederick G; Li, Xiaojian; Hayes, Don; Mansour, Heidi M

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to design and develop respirable antibiotics moxifloxacin (MOXI) hydrochloride and ofloxacin (OFLX) microparticles and nanoparticles, and multifunctional antibiotics particles with or without lung surfactant 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) for targeted dry powder inhalation delivery as a pulmonary nanomedicine. Particles were rationally designed and produced by advanced spray-drying particle engineering from an organic solution in closed mode (no water) from dilute solution. Scanning electron microscopy indicated that these particles had both optimal particle morphology and surface morphology, and the particle size distributions were suitable for pulmonary delivery. Comprehensive and systematic physicochemical characterization and in vitro aerosol dispersion performance revealed significant differences between these two fluoroquinolone antibiotics following spray drying as drug aerosols and as cospray-dried antibiotic drug: DPPC aerosols. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and confocal Raman microspectroscopy were employed to probe composition and interactions in the solid state. Spray-dried MOXI was rendered noncrystalline (amorphous) following organic solution advanced spray drying. This was in contrast to spray-dried OFLX, which retained partial crystallinity, as did OFLX:DPPC powders at certain compositions. Aerosol dispersion performance was conducted using inertial impaction with a dry powder inhaler device approved for human use. The present study demonstrates that the use of DPPC offers improved aerosol delivery of MOXI as cospray-dried microparticulate/nanoparticulate powders, whereas residual partial crystallinity influenced aerosol dispersion of OFLX and most of the compositions of OFLX:DPPC inhalation powders. PMID:24092972
Highly stable aerosol generator

DOEpatents

DeFord, H.S.; Clark, M.L.

1981-11-03

An improved compressed air nebulizer has been developed such that a uniform aerosol particle size and concentration may be produced over long time periods. This result is achieved by applying a vacuum pressure to the makeup assembly and by use of a vent tube between the atmosphere and the makeup solution. By applying appropriate vacuum pressures to the makeup solution container and by proper positioning of the vent tube, a constant level of aspirating solution may be maintained within the aspirating assembly with aspirating solution continuously replaced from the makeup solution supply. This device may also be adapted to have a plurality of aerosol generators and only one central makeup assembly. 2 figs.
Highly stable aerosol generator

DOEpatents

DeFord, Henry S.; Clark, Mark L.

1981-01-01

An improved compressed air nebulizer has been developed such that a uniform aerosol particle size and concentration may be produced over long time periods. This result is achieved by applying a vacuum pressure to the makeup assembly and by use of a vent tube between the atmosphere and the makeup solution. By applying appropriate vacuum pressures to the makeup solution container and by proper positioning of the vent tube, a constant level of aspirating solution may be maintained within the aspirating assembly with aspirating solution continuously replaced from the makeup solution supply. This device may also be adapted to have a plurality of aerosol generators and only one central makeup assembly.
Exact solutions for mass-dependent irreversible aggregations.

PubMed

Son, Seung-Woo; Christensen, Claire; Bizhani, Golnoosh; Grassberger, Peter; Paczuski, Maya

2011-10-01

We consider the mass-dependent aggregation process (k+1)X→X, given a fixed number of unit mass particles in the initial state. One cluster is chosen proportional to its mass and is merged into one, either with k neighbors in one dimension, or--in the well-mixed case--with k other clusters picked randomly. We find the same combinatorial exact solutions for the probability to find any given configuration of particles on a ring or line, and in the well-mixed case. The mass distribution of a single cluster exhibits scaling laws and the finite-size scaling form is given. The relation to the classical sum kernel of irreversible aggregation is discussed.
Microwave-assisted synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles in biocompatible organic environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aivazoglou, E.; Metaxa, E.; Hristoforou, E.

2018-04-01

The development of magnetite and maghemite particles in uniform nanometer size has triggered the interest of the research community due to their many interesting properties leading to a wide range of applications, such as catalysis, nanomedicine-nanobiology and other engineering applications. In this study, a simple, time-saving and low energy-consuming, microwave-assisted synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles, is presented. The nanoparticles were prepared by microwave-assisted synthesis using polyethylene glycol (PEG) or PEG and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD)/water solutions of chloride salts of iron in the presence of ammonia solution. The prepared nano-powders were characterized using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Transition Electron Microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman Spectroscopy, Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM), X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Thermal analysis (TG/DSC). The produced nanoparticles are crystallized mostly in the magnetite and maghemite lattice exhibiting very similar shape and size, with indications of partial PEG coating. Heating time, microwave power and presence of PEG, are the key factors shaping the size properties of nanoparticles. The average size of particles ranges from 10.3 to 19.2 nm. The nanoparticles exhibit a faceted morphology, with zero contamination levels. The magnetic measurements indicate that the powders are soft magnetic materials with negligible coercivity and remanence, illustrating super-paramagnetic behavior.

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