Testing cloud microphysics parameterizations in NCAR CAM5 with ISDAC and M-PACE observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xiaohong; Xie, Shaocheng; Boyle, James; Klein, Stephen A.; Shi, Xiangjun; Wang, Zhien; Lin, Wuyin; Ghan, Steven J.; Earle, Michael; Liu, Peter S. K.; Zelenyuk, Alla

2011-01-01

Arctic clouds simulated by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Atmospheric Model version 5 (CAM5) are evaluated with observations from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Indirect and Semi-Direct Aerosol Campaign (ISDAC) and Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment (M-PACE), which were conducted at its North Slope of Alaska site in April 2008 and October 2004, respectively. Model forecasts for the Arctic spring and fall seasons performed under the Cloud-Associated Parameterizations Testbed framework generally reproduce the spatial distributions of cloud fraction for single-layer boundary-layer mixed-phase stratocumulus and multilayer or deep frontal clouds. However, for low-level stratocumulus, the model significantly underestimates the observed cloud liquid water content in both seasons. As a result, CAM5 significantly underestimates the surface downward longwave radiative fluxes by 20-40 W m-2. Introducing a new ice nucleation parameterization slightly improves the model performance for low-level mixed-phase clouds by increasing cloud liquid water content through the reduction of the conversion rate from cloud liquid to ice by the Wegener-Bergeron-Findeisen process. The CAM5 single-column model testing shows that changing the instantaneous freezing temperature of rain to form snow from -5°C to -40°C causes a large increase in modeled cloud liquid water content through the slowing down of cloud liquid and rain-related processes (e.g., autoconversion of cloud liquid to rain). The underestimation of aerosol concentrations in CAM5 in the Arctic also plays an important role in the low bias of cloud liquid water in the single-layer mixed-phase clouds. In addition, numerical issues related to the coupling of model physics and time stepping in CAM5 are responsible for the model biases and will be explored in future studies.

Dehydrogenation of liquid fuel in microchannel catalytic reactor

DOEpatents

Toseland, Bernard Allen; Pez, Guido Peter; Puri, Pushpinder Singh

2010-08-03

The present invention is an improved process for the storage and delivery of hydrogen by the reversible hydrogenation/dehydrogenation of an organic compound wherein the organic compound is initially in its hydrogenated state. The improvement in the route to generating hydrogen is in the dehydrogenation step and recovery of the dehydrogenated organic compound resides in the following steps: introducing a hydrogenated organic compound to a microchannel reactor incorporating a dehydrogenation catalyst; effecting dehydrogenation of said hydrogenated organic compound under conditions whereby said hydrogenated organic compound is present as a liquid phase; generating a reaction product comprised of a liquid phase dehydrogenated organic compound and gaseous hydrogen; separating the liquid phase dehydrogenated organic compound from gaseous hydrogen; and, recovering the hydrogen and liquid phase dehydrogenated organic compound.

Dehydrogenation of liquid fuel in microchannel catalytic reactor

DOEpatents

Toseland, Bernard Allen [Allentown, PA; Pez, Guido Peter [Allentown, PA; Puri, Pushpinder Singh [Emmaus, PA

2009-02-03

The present invention is an improved process for the storage and delivery of hydrogen by the reversible hydrogenation/dehydrogenation of an organic compound wherein the organic compound is initially in its hydrogenated state. The improvement in the route to generating hydrogen is in the dehydrogenation step and recovery of the dehydrogenated organic compound resides in the following steps: introducing a hydrogenated organic compound to a microchannel reactor incorporating a dehydrogenation catalyst; effecting dehydrogenation of said hydrogenated organic compound under conditions whereby said hydrogenated organic compound is present as a liquid phase; generating a reaction product comprised of a liquid phase dehydrogenated organic compound and gaseous hydrogen; separating the liquid phase dehydrogenated organic compound from gaseous hydrogen; and, recovering the hydrogen and liquid phase dehydrogenated organic compound.

X-Ray Radiography Measurements of Shear Coaxial Rocket Injectors

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-02-01

turbofan engine exhaust, air blast furnaces, and liquid rocket engines) shear coaxial jets have been stud- ied for over sixty years [1]. In all applications...fluids as either single or multiple phases. Most of the fundamental coaxial jet research has been done using a single phase (either gas-gas or liquid ... liquid mixing). A brief review of single-phase coaxial jet research can be found in Schumaker and Driscoll [5]. Single-phase cases also include work

Hydrogen, lithium, and lithium hydride production

DOEpatents

Brown, Sam W.; Spencer, Larry S.; Phillips, Michael R.; Powell, G. Louis; Campbell, Peggy J.

2017-06-20

A method is provided for extracting hydrogen from lithium hydride. The method includes (a) heating lithium hydride to form liquid-phase lithium hydride; (b) extracting hydrogen from the liquid-phase lithium hydride, leaving residual liquid-phase lithium metal; (c) hydriding the residual liquid-phase lithium metal to form refined lithium hydride; and repeating steps (a) and (b) on the refined lithium hydride.

Immobilization of organic radioactive and non-radioactive liquid waste in a composite matrix

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

Galkin, Anatoliy; Gelis, Artem V.; Castiglioni, Andrew J.

A method for immobilizing liquid radioactive waste is provided, the method having the steps of mixing waste with polymer to form a non-liquid waste; contacting the non-liquid waste with a solidifying agent to create a mixture, heating the mixture to cause the polymer, waste, and filler to irreversibly bind in a solid phase, and compressing the solid phase into a monolith. The invention also provides a method for immobilizing liquid radioactive waste containing tritium, the method having the steps of mixing liquid waste with polymer to convert the liquid waste to a non-liquid waste, contacting the non-liquid waste with amore » solidifying agent to create a mixture, heating the mixture to form homogeneous, chemically stable solid phase, and compressing the chemically stable solid phase into a final waste form, wherein the polymer comprises approximately a 9:1 weight ratio mixture of styrene block co-polymers and cross linked co-polymers of acrylamides.« less

A new tunable dispersive liquid-liquid micro extraction method developed for the simultaneous preconcentration of lead and cadmium from lakes water: a multivariate study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bilal, Muhammad; Kazi, Tasneem Gul; Afridi, Hassan Imran; Ali, Jamshed; Baig, Jameel Ahmed; Arain, Mohammad Balal; Khan, Mustafa

2017-08-01

A green tunable dispersive liquid-liquid micro extraction (TDLLME) technique was established for the simultaneous enrichment of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) from different lakes water before analysis by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). A solvent known as tunable polarity solvent (TPS), mixture of 1,8-diazabicyclo-[5.4.0]-undec-7-ene (DBU) and 1-decanol, has been employed as extractant in aqueous medium. In first step this mixture can be made polar by slowly bubbling the antisolvent trigger (CO2) through the solution, which makes a monophasic solution. During this step hydrophobic complexes of the metals with 8-hydroxy quinoline (8-HQ) were extracted by TPS. Then the mixture was switched back to hydrophobic one by heating and/or bubbling nitrogen, turning the mixture into two phases again. In second phase the metals were leached out from the complexes entrapped in TPS, by treating with a solution of nitric acid and exposing the mixture to CO2, which switched the mixture into single phase. Then N2 purging and/or heating again turned the mixture into two phases. The acidic aqueous phase containing the metals was introduced to FAAS for analysis, whereas TPS was recycled for next experiment. Different parameters, affecting the efficiency the technique, were optimized by multivariate approach. The method was applied to certified reference material of water and to a real sample spiked with standards of known concentration, to confirm its validity and accuracy. LOD obtained for Pb and Cd were 0.560 and 0.056 μg L- 1 respectively. The developed method was applied successfully to the real water samples of two lakes of Sindh, Pakistan.

Mechanism of Formation of Li 7 P 3 S 11 Solid Electrolytes through Liquid Phase Synthesis

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

Wang, Yuxing; Lu, Dongping; Bowden, Mark

Crystalline Li7P3S11 is a promising solid electrolyte for all solid state lithium/lithium ion batteries. A controllable liquid phase synthesis of Li7P3S11 is more desirable compared to conventional mechanochemical synthesis, but recent attempts suffer from reduced ionic conductivities. Here we elucidate the formation mechanism of crystalline Li7P3S11 synthesized in the liquid phase (acetonitrile, or ACN). We conclude that the crystalline Li7P3S11 forms through a two-step reaction: 1) formation of solid Li3PS4∙ACN and amorphous Li2S∙P2S5 phases in the liquid phase; 2) solid-state conversion of the two phases. The implication of this two-step reaction mechanism to the morphology control and the transport propertiesmore » of liquid phase synthesized Li7P3S11 is identified and discussed.« less

Downstream processing of antibodies: single-stage versus multi-stage aqueous two-phase extraction.

PubMed

Rosa, P A J; Azevedo, A M; Ferreira, I F; Sommerfeld, S; Bäcker, W; Aires-Barros, M R

2009-12-11

Single-stage and multi-stage strategies have been evaluated and compared for the purification of human antibodies using liquid-liquid extraction in aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs) composed of polyethylene glycol 3350 (PEG 3350), dextran, and triethylene glycol diglutaric acid (TEG-COOH). The performance of single-stage extraction systems was firstly investigated by studying the effect of pH, TEG-COOH concentration and volume ratio on the partitioning of the different components of a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells supernatant. It was observed that lower pH values and high TEG-COOH concentrations favoured the selective extraction of human immunoglobulin G (IgG) to the PEG-rich phase. Higher recovery yields, purities and percentage of contaminants removal were always achieved in the presence of the ligand, TEG-COOH. The extraction of IgG could be enhanced using higher volume ratios, however with a significant decrease in both purity and percentage of contaminants removal. The best single-stage extraction conditions were achieved for an ATPS containing 1.3% (w/w) TEG-COOH with a volume ratio of 2.2, which allowed the recovery of 96% of IgG in the PEG-rich phase with a final IgG concentration of 0.21mg/mL, a protein purity of 87% and a total purity of 43%. In order to enhance simultaneously both recovery yield and purity, a four stage cross-current operation was simulated and the corresponding liquid-liquid equilibrium (LLE) data determined. A predicted optimised scheme of a counter-current multi-stage aqueous two-phase extraction was hence described. IgG can be purified in the PEG-rich top phase with a final recovery yield of 95%, a final concentration of 1.04mg/mL and a protein purity of 93%, if a PEG/dextran ATPS containing 1.3% (w/w) TEG-COOH, 5 stages and volume ratio of 0.4 are used. Moreover, according to the LLE data of all CHO cells supernatant components, it was possible to observe that most of the cells supernatant contaminants can be removed during this extraction step leading to a final total purity of about 85%.

Reversed-phase ion-pair liquid chromatography method for purification of duplex DNA with single base pair resolution

PubMed Central

Wysoczynski, Christina L.; Roemer, Sarah C.; Dostal, Vishantie; Barkley, Robert M.; Churchill, Mair E. A.; Malarkey, Christopher S.

2013-01-01

Obtaining quantities of highly pure duplex DNA is a bottleneck in the biophysical analysis of protein–DNA complexes. In traditional DNA purification methods, the individual cognate DNA strands are purified separately before annealing to form DNA duplexes. This approach works well for palindromic sequences, in which top and bottom strands are identical and duplex formation is typically complete. However, in cases where the DNA is non-palindromic, excess of single-stranded DNA must be removed through additional purification steps to prevent it from interfering in further experiments. Here we describe and apply a novel reversed-phase ion-pair liquid chromatography purification method for double-stranded DNA ranging in lengths from 17 to 51 bp. Both palindromic and non-palindromic DNA can be readily purified. This method has the unique ability to separate blunt double-stranded DNA from pre-attenuated (n-1, n-2, etc) synthesis products, and from DNA duplexes with single base pair overhangs. Additionally, palindromic DNA sequences with only minor differences in the central spacer sequence of the DNA can be separated, and the purified DNA is suitable for co-crystallization of protein–DNA complexes. Thus, double-stranded ion-pair liquid chromatography is a useful approach for duplex DNA purification for many applications. PMID:24013567

Evaluation of target efficiencies for solid-liquid separation steps in biofuels production.

PubMed

Kochergin, Vadim; Miller, Keith

2011-01-01

Development of liquid biofuels has entered a new phase of large scale pilot demonstration. A number of plants that are in operation or under construction face the task of addressing the engineering challenges of creating a viable plant design, scaling up and optimizing various unit operations. It is well-known that separation technologies account for 50-70% of both capital and operating cost. Additionally, reduction of environmental impact creates technological challenges that increase project cost without adding to the bottom line. Different technologies vary in terms of selection of unit operations; however, solid-liquid separations are likely to be a major contributor to the overall project cost. Despite the differences in pretreatment approaches, similar challenges arise for solid-liquid separation unit operations. A typical process for ethanol production from biomass includes several solid-liquid separation steps, depending on which particular stream is targeted for downstream processing. The nature of biomass-derived materials makes it either difficult or uneconomical to accomplish complete separation in a single step. Therefore, setting realistic efficiency targets for solid-liquid separations is an important task that influences overall process recovery and economics. Experimental data will be presented showing typical characteristics for pretreated cane bagasse at various stages of processing into cellulosic ethanol. Results of generic material balance calculations will be presented to illustrate the influence of separation target efficiencies on overall process recoveries and characteristics of waste streams.

Numerical parametric studies of spray combustion instability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pindera, M. Z.

1993-01-01

A coupled numerical algorithm has been developed for studies of combustion instabilities in spray-driven liquid rocket engines. The model couples gas and liquid phase physics using the method of fractional steps. Also introduced is a novel, efficient methodology for accounting for spray formation through direct solution of liquid phase equations. Preliminary parametric studies show marked sensitivity of spray penetration and geometry to droplet diameter, considerations of liquid core, and acoustic interactions. Less sensitivity was shown to the combustion model type although more rigorous (multi-step) formulations may be needed for the differences to become apparent.

Impacts of Subgrid Heterogeneous Mixing between Cloud Liquid and Ice on the Wegner-Bergeron-Findeisen Process and Mixed-phase Clouds in NCAR CAM5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, X.; Zhang, M.; Zhang, D.; Wang, Z.; Wang, Y.

2017-12-01

Mixed-phase clouds are persistently observed over the Arctic and the phase partitioning between cloud liquid and ice hydrometeors in mixed-phase clouds has important impacts on the surface energy budget and Arctic climate. In this study, we test the NCAR Community Atmosphere Model Version 5 (CAM5) with the single-column and weather forecast configurations and evaluate the model performance against observation data from the DOE Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program's M-PACE field campaign in October 2004 and long-term ground-based multi-sensor remote sensing measurements. Like most global climate models, we find that CAM5 also poorly simulates the phase partitioning in mixed-phase clouds by significantly underestimating the cloud liquid water content. Assuming pocket structures in the distribution of cloud liquid and ice in mixed-phase clouds as suggested by in situ observations provides a plausible solution to improve the model performance by reducing the Wegner-Bergeron-Findeisen (WBF) process rate. In this study, the modification of the WBF process in the CAM5 model has been achieved with applying a stochastic perturbation to the time scale of the WBF process relevant to both ice and snow to account for the heterogeneous mixture of cloud liquid and ice. Our results show that this modification of WBF process improves the modeled phase partitioning in the mixed-phase clouds. The seasonal variation of mixed-phase cloud properties is also better reproduced in the model in comparison with the long-term ground-based remote sensing observations. Furthermore, the phase partitioning is insensitive to the reassignment time step of perturbations.

A single step reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography separation of polar and non-polar lipids.

PubMed

Olsson, Petter; Holmbäck, Jan; Herslöf, Bengt

2014-11-21

This paper reports a simple chromatographic system to separate lipids classes as well as their molecular species. By the use of phenyl coated silica as stationary phase in combination with a simple mobile phase consisting of methanol and water, all tested lipid classes elute within 30 min. Furthermore, a method to accurately predict retention times of specific lipid components for this type of chromatography is presented. Common detection systems were used, namely evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD), charged aerosol detection (CAD), electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), and UV detection. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Drowning-out crystallisation of sodium sulphate using aqueous two-phase systems.

PubMed

Taboada, M E; Graber, T A; Asenjo, J A; Andrews, B A

2000-06-23

A novel method to obtain crystals of pure, anhydrous salt, using aqueous two-phase systems was studied. A concentrated salt solution is mixed with polyethylene glycol (PEG), upon which three phases are formed: salt crystals, a PEG-rich liquid and a salt-rich liquid. After removal of the solid salt, a two-phase system is obtained. Both liquid phases are recycled, allowing the design of a continuous process, which could be exploited industrially. The phase diagram of the system water-Na2SO4-PEG 3350 at 28 degrees C was used. Several process alternatives are proposed and their economic potential is discussed. The process steps needed to produce sodium sulphate crystals include mixing, crystallisation, settling and, optionally, evaporation of water. The yield of sodium sulphate increases dramatically if an evaporation step is used.

Liquid Acquisition Device Testing with Sub-Cooled Liquid Oxygen

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jurns, John M.; McQuillen, John B.

2008-01-01

When transferring propellant in space, it is most efficient to transfer single phase liquid from a propellant tank to an engine. In earth s gravity field or under acceleration, propellant transfer is fairly simple. However, in low gravity, withdrawing single-phase fluid becomes a challenge. A variety of propellant management devices (PMD) are used to ensure single-phase flow. One type of PMD, a liquid acquisition device (LAD) takes advantage of capillary flow and surface tension to acquire liquid. Previous experimental test programs conducted at NASA have collected LAD data for a number of cryogenic fluids, including: liquid nitrogen (LN2), liquid oxygen (LOX), liquid hydrogen (LH2), and liquid methane (LCH4). The present work reports on additional testing with sub-cooled LOX as part of NASA s continuing cryogenic LAD development program. Test results extend the range of LOX fluid conditions examined, and provide insight into factors affecting predicting LAD bubble point pressures.

One-step displacement dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction coupled with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry for the selective determination of methylmercury in environmental samples.

PubMed

Liang, Pei; Kang, Caiyan; Mo, Yajun

2016-01-01

A novel method for the selective determination of methylmercury (MeHg) was developed by one-step displacement dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (D-DLLME) coupled with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. In the proposed method, Cu(II) reacted with diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) to form Cu-DDTC complex, which was used as the chelating agent instead of DDTC for the dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) of MeHg. Because the stability of MeHg-DDTC is higher than that of Cu-DDTC, MeHg can displace Cu from the Cu-DDTC complex and be preconcentrated in a single DLLME procedure. MeHg could be extracted into the extraction solvent phase at pH 6 while Hg(II) remained in the sample solution. Potential interference from co-existing metal ions with lower DDTC complex stability was largely eliminated without the need of any masking reagent. Under the optimal conditions, the limit of detection of this method was 13.6ngL(-1) (as Hg), and an enhancement factor of 81 was achieved with a sample volume of 5.0mL. The proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of trace MeHg in some environmental samples with satisfactory results. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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

Lobo, R.; Revah, S.; Viveros-Garcia, T.

An analysis of the local processes occurring in a trickle-bed bioreactor (TBB) with a first-order bioreaction shows that the identification of the TBB operating regime requires knowledge of the substrate concentration in the liquid phase. If the substrate liquid concentration is close to 0, the rate-controlling step is mass transfer at the gas-liquid interface; when it is close to the value in equilibrium with the gas phase, the controlling step is the phenomena occurring in the biofilm, CS{sub 2} removal rate data obtained in a TBB with a Thiobacilii consortia biofilm are analyzed to obtain the mass transfer and kineticmore » parameters, and to show that the bioreactor operates in a regime mainly controlled by mass transfer. A TBB model with two experimentally determined parameters is developed and used to show how the bioreactor size depends on the rate-limiting step, the absorption factor, the substrate fractional conversion, and on the gas and liquid contact pattern. Under certain conditions, the TBB size is independent of the flowing phases` contact pattern. The model effectively describes substrate gas and liquid concentration data for mass transfer and biodegradation rate controlled processes.« less

Automated sample preparation using membrane microtiter extraction for bioanalytical mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Janiszewski, J; Schneider, P; Hoffmaster, K; Swyden, M; Wells, D; Fouda, H

1997-01-01

The development and application of membrane solid phase extraction (SPE) in 96-well microtiter plate format is described for the automated analysis of drugs in biological fluids. The small bed volume of the membrane allows elution of the analyte in a very small solvent volume, permitting direct HPLC injection and negating the need for the time consuming solvent evaporation step. A programmable liquid handling station (Quadra 96) was modified to automate all SPE steps. To avoid drying of the SPE bed and to enhance the analytical precision a novel protocol for performing the condition, load and wash steps in rapid succession was utilized. A block of 96 samples can now be extracted in 10 min., about 30 times faster than manual solvent extraction or single cartridge SPE methods. This processing speed complements the high-throughput speed of contemporary high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS) analysis. The quantitative analysis of a test analyte (Ziprasidone) in plasma demonstrates the utility and throughput of membrane SPE in combination with HPLC/MS. The results obtained with the current automated procedure compare favorably with those obtained using solvent and traditional solid phase extraction methods. The method has been used for the analysis of numerous drug prototypes in biological fluids to support drug discovery efforts.

Exclusive Liquid Repellency: An Open Multi-Liquid-Phase Technology for Rare Cell Culture and Single-Cell Processing.

PubMed

Li, Chao; Yu, Jiaquan; Schehr, Jennifer; Berry, Scott M; Leal, Ticiana A; Lang, Joshua M; Beebe, David J

2018-05-23

The concept of high liquid repellency in multi-liquid-phase systems (e.g., aqueous droplets in an oil background) has been applied to areas of biomedical research to realize intrinsic advantages not available in single-liquid-phase systems. Such advantages have included minimizing analyte loss, facile manipulation of single-cell samples, elimination of biofouling, and ease of use regarding loading and retrieving of the sample. In this paper, we present generalized design rules for predicting the wettability of solid-liquid-liquid systems (especially for discrimination between exclusive liquid repellency (ELR) and finite liquid repellency) to extend the applications of ELR. We then apply ELR to two model systems with open microfluidic design in cell biology: (1) in situ underoil culture and combinatorial coculture of mammalian cells in order to demonstrate directed single-cell multiencapsulation with minimal waste of samples as compared to stochastic cell seeding and (2) isolation of a pure population of circulating tumor cells, which is required for certain downstream analyses including sequencing and gene expression profiling.

Structure analysis of turbulent liquid phase by POD and LSE techniques

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

Munir, S., E-mail: shahzad-munir@comsats.edu.pk; Muthuvalu, M. S.; Siddiqui, M. I.

2014-10-24

In this paper, vortical structures and turbulence characteristics of liquid phase in both single liquid phase and two-phase slug flow in pipes were studied. Two dimensional velocity vector fields of liquid phase were obtained by Particle image velocimetry (PIV). Two cases were considered one single phase liquid flow at 80 l/m and second slug flow by introducing gas at 60 l/m while keeping liquid flow rate same. Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) and Linear stochastic estimation techniques were used for the extraction of coherent structures and analysis of turbulence in liquid phase for both cases. POD has successfully revealed large energymore » containing structures. The time dependent POD spatial mode coefficients oscillate with high frequency for high mode numbers. The energy distribution of spatial modes was also achieved. LSE has pointed out the coherent structured for both cases and the reconstructed velocity fields are in well agreement with the instantaneous velocity fields.« less

Correction of the data generated by mass spectrometry analyses of biological tissues: application to food authentication.

PubMed

Engel, Erwan; Ratel, Jérémy

2007-06-22

The objective of the work was to assess the relevance for the authentication of food of a novel chemometric method developed to correct mass spectrometry (MS) data from instrumental drifts, namely, the comprehensive combinatory standard correction (CCSC). Applied to gas chromatography (GC)-MS data, the method consists in analyzing a liquid sample with a mixture of n internal standards and in using the best combination of standards to correct the MS signal provided by each compound. The paper focuses on the authentication of the type of feeding in farm animals based on the composition in volatile constituents of their adipose tissues. The first step of the work enabled on one hand to ensure the feasibility of the conversion of the adipose tissue sample into a liquid phase required for the use of the CCSC method and on the other hand, to determine the key parameters of the extraction of the volatile fraction from this liquid phase by dynamic headspace. The second step showed the relevance of the CCSC pre-processing of the MS fingerprints generated by dynamic headspace-MS analysis of lamb tissues, for the discrimination of animals fed exclusively with pasture (n=8) or concentrate (n=8). When compared with filtering of raw data, internal normalization and correction by a single standard, the CCSC method increased by 17.1-, 3.3- and 1.3-fold, respectively, the number of mass fragments which discriminated the type of feeding. The final step confirmed the advantage of the CCSC pre-processing of dynamic headspace-gas chromatography-MS data for revealing molecular tracers of the type of feeding those number (n=72) was greater when compared to the number of tracers obtained with raw data (n=42), internal normalization (n=63) and correction by a single standard (n=57). The relevance of the information gained by using the CCSC method is discussed.

Mercury removal from aqueous streams utilizing microemulsion liquid membranes

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

Larson, K.A.; Wiencek, J.M.

1994-11-01

The goal of this work is the removal of mercury ion from wastewater using thermodynamically stable microemulsions as liquid membranes. The research focuses on identification and modeling of the appropriate aqueous and organic phase equilibrium reactions for mercury extraction and stripping, comparison of extraction kinetics between coarse emulsions and microemulsions, and demulsification and recovery of the emulsion components. An oleic acid microemulsion liquid membrane (water-in-oil) containing sulfuric acid as the internal phase reduces the feed phase mercury concentration from 460 mg/l to 0.84 mg/l in a single contacting. This compares favorably with a control extraction (oleic acid/no internal phase) whichmore » results in a final concentration of 20 mg/l Hg{sup +2}. Microemulsions can be demulsified using butanol as an additive. The demulsification kinetics are proportional to butanol concentration and temperature and inversely proportional to surfactant concentration. The demulsification rate is second order with respect to water concentration which implies that the rate-limiting step in the process is the rate of internal phase droplet encounters. Proof-of-principle experiments demonstrate the ability to extract mercury ion using microemulsions formulated with recycled organic phase, albeit at a somewhat reduced efficiency. The reduced efficiency is attributed to increased internal phase leakage due to residual butanol in the oil phase. Finally, the cycle is brought around full circle by recovering metallic mercury from the internal phase by electroplating. 27 refs., 11 figs., 1 tab.« less

Optimization of total vaporization solid-phase microextraction (TV-SPME) for the determination of lipid profiles of Phormia regina, a forensically important blow fly species.

PubMed

Kranz, William; Carroll, Clinton; Dixon, Darren; Picard, Christine; Goodpaster, John

2017-11-01

A new method has been developed for the determination of fatty acids, sterols, and other lipids which naturally occur within pupae of the blow fly Phormia regina. The method relies upon liquid extraction in non-polar solvent, followed by derivatization using N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) w/ 1% trimethylchlorsilane (TMCS) carried out inside the sample vial. The analysis is facilitated by total vaporization solid-phase microextraction (TV-SPME), with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) serving as the instrumentation for analysis. The TV-SPME delivery technique is approximately a factor of five more sensitive than traditional liquid injection, which may alleviate the need for rotary evaporation, reconstitution, collection of high performance liquid chromatography fractions, and many of the other pre-concentration steps that are commonplace in the current literature. Furthermore, the ability to derivatize the liquid extract in a single easy step while increasing sensitivity represents an improvement over current derivatization methods. The most common lipids identified in fly pupae were various saturated and unsaturated fatty acids ranging from lauric acid (12:0) to arachinoic acid (20:4), as well as cholesterol. The concentrations of myristic acid (14:0), palmitelaidic acid (16:2), and palmitoleic acid (16:1) were the most reliable indicators of the age of the pupae. Graphical abstract Blow fly pupae were extracted prior to emerging as adults. The extracts were analyzed via total vaporization solid-phase microextraction (TV-SPME), revealing a complex mixture of lipids that could be associated with the age of the insect. This information may assist in determining a post-mortum interval (PMI) in a death investigation.

One-Step Coal Liquefaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Qader, S. A.

1984-01-01

Steam injection improves yield and quality of product. Single step process for liquefying coal increases liquid yield and reduces hydrogen consumption. Principal difference between this and earlier processes includes injection of steam into reactor. Steam lowers viscosity of liquid product, so further upgrading unnecessary.

Two-step liquid phase microextraction combined with capillary electrophoresis: a new approach to simultaneous determination of basic and zwitterionic compounds.

PubMed

Nojavan, Saeed; Moharami, Arezoo; Fakhari, Ali Reza

2012-08-01

In this work, two-step hollow fiber-based liquid-phase microextraction procedure was evaluated for extraction of the zwitterionic cetirizine (CTZ) and basic hydroxyzine (HZ) in human plasma. In the first step of extraction, the pH of sample was adjusted at 5.0 in order to promote liquid-phase microextraction of the zwitterionic CTZ. In the second step, the pH of sample was increased up to 11.0 for extraction of basic HZ. In this procedure, the extraction times for the first and the second steps were 30 and 20 min, respectively. Owing to the high ratio between the volumes of donor phase and acceptor phase, CTZ and HZ were enriched by factors of 280 and 355, respectively. The linearity of the analytical method was investigated for both compounds in the range of 10-500 ng mL(-1) (R(2) > 0.999). Limit of quantification (S/N = 10) for CTZ and HZ was 10 ng mL(-1) , while the limit of detection was 3 ng mL(-1) for both compounds at a signal to noise ratio of 3:1. Intraday and interday relative standard deviations (RSDs, n = 6) were in the range of 6.5-16.2%. This procedure enabled CTZ and HZ to be analyzed simultaneously by capillary electrophoresis. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Study of LPE methods for growth of InGaAsP/InP CW lasers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ladany, I.; Hawrylo, F. Z.; Smith, R. T.; Levin, E. R.

1980-01-01

Two methods for liquid phase growth of InGaAsP/InP lasers were studied. Single phase growth, based on saturated melts and 5 C supercooling, was compared to two phase growth excess InP and 20 C nominal supercooling. Substrates cut on the (100) plane were used, and morphology in both cases was excellent and comparable to that obtainable in AlGaAs materials. A high degree of reproducibility was obtained in the materials grown by the two phased method, which is therefore presently preferred for the preparation of laser material. A refractive index step of 0.28 and an index n = 3.46 were obtained for In.81Ga.19As,5P5 lasing at 1.3 microns. Oxide-stripe lasers with typical room temperature cw threshold currents of 180 mA were obtained and some of them showed single mode behavior without lateral cavity modifications. COntinuous operation of 800 h at room temperature was obtained without noticeable degradation.

Simple and sensitive method for quantification of fluorescent enzymatic mature and senescent crosslinks of collagen in bone hydrolysate using single-column high performance liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Viguet-Carrin, S; Gineyts, E; Bertholon, C; Delmas, P D

2009-01-01

A rapid high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed including an internal standard for the measurement of mature and senescent crosslinks concentration in non-demineralized bone hydrolysates. To avoid the demineralization which is a tedious step, we developed a method based on the use of a solid-phase extraction procedure to clean-up the samples. It resulted in sensitive and accurate measurements: the detection limits as low as 0.2 pmol for the pyridimium crosslinks and 0.02 pmol for the pentosidine. The inter- and intra-assay coefficients of variation were as low as 5% and 2%, respectively, for all crosslinks.

Solvent exchange in a metal–organic framework single crystal monitored by dynamic in situ X-ray diffraction

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

Cox, Jordan M.; Walton, Ian M.; Bateman, Gage

2017-07-25

Understanding the processes by which porous solid-state materials adsorb and release guest molecules would represent a significant step towards developing rational design principles for functional porous materials. To elucidate the process of liquid exchange in these materials, dynamicin situX-ray diffraction techniques have been developed which utilize liquid-phase chemical stimuli. Using these time-resolved diffraction techniques, the ethanol solvation process in a flexible metal–organic framework [Co(AIP)(bpy) 0.5(H 2O)]·2H 2O was examined. The measurements provide important insight into the nature of the chemical transformation in this system including the presence of a previously unreported neat ethanol solvate structure.

Process for recovering organic components from liquid streams

DOEpatents

Blume, Ingo; Baker, Richard W.

1991-01-01

A separation process for recovering organic components from liquid streams. The process is a combination of pervaporation and decantation. In cases where the liquid stream contains the organic to be separated in dissolved form, the pervaporation step is used to concentrate the organic to a point above the solubility limit, so that a two-phase permeate is formed and then decanted. In cases where the liquid stream is a two-phase mixture, the decantation step is performed first, to remove the organic product phase, and the residue from the decanter is then treated by pervaporation. The condensed permeate from the pervaporation unit is sufficiently concentrated in the organic component to be fed back to the decanter. The process can be tailored to produce only two streams: an essentially pure organic product stream suitable for reuse, and a residue stream for discharge or reuse.

Dark matter experiment using Argon pulse-shape discrimination: DEAP-3600. Design and assembly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jillings, C. J.; DEAP Collaboration

2016-12-01

DEAP-3600 is a single-phase liquid-argon dark matter detector that at time of writing is cooling down in preparation for filling at the SNOLAB facility near Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. DEAP-3600 is designed and constructed to achieve a sensitivity of 10-46cm2 for a WIMP-nucleon cross section for a 100 GeV WIMP. The steps taken in design and construction to achieve the ultra-low backgrounds required for such a sensitive WIMP search are reviewed.

One step sintering of homogenized bauxite raw material and kinetic study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Chang-he; Jiang, Peng; Li, Yong; Sun, Jia-lin; Zhang, Jun-jie; Yang, Huan-ying

2016-10-01

A one-step sintering process of bauxite raw material from direct mining was completed, and the kinetics of this process was analyzed thoroughly. The results show that the sintering kinetics of bauxite raw material exhibits the liquid-phase sintering behavior. A small portion of impurities existed in the raw material act as a liquid phase. After X-ray diffraction analyses, scanning electron microscopy observations, and kinetics calculations, sintering temperature and heating duration were determined as the two major factors contributing to the sintering process and densification of bauxite ore. An elevated heating temperature and longer duration favor the densification process. The major obstacle for the densification of bauxite material is attributed to the formation of the enclosed blowhole during liquid-phase sintering.

Directed self-assembly of liquid crystalline blue-phases into ideal single-crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martínez-González, Jose A.; Li, Xiao; Sadati, Monirosadat; Zhou, Ye; Zhang, Rui; Nealey, Paul F.; de Pablo, Juan J.

2017-06-01

Chiral nematic liquid crystals are known to form blue phases--liquid states of matter that exhibit ordered cubic arrangements of topological defects. Blue-phase specimens, however, are generally polycrystalline, consisting of randomly oriented domains that limit their performance in applications. A strategy that relies on nano-patterned substrates is presented here for preparation of stable, macroscopic single-crystal blue-phase materials. Different template designs are conceived to exert control over different planes of the blue-phase lattice orientation with respect to the underlying substrate. Experiments are then used to demonstrate that it is indeed possible to create stable single-crystal blue-phase domains with the desired orientation over large regions. These results provide a potential avenue to fully exploit the electro-optical properties of blue phases, which have been hindered by the existence of grain boundaries.

Core Length and Spray Width Measurements in Shear Coaxial Rocket Injectors from X-ray Radiography Measurements

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-01

liquid jet core; elliptical EPL is what would be expected from a cylinder of liquid and has previously been observed in diesel injector studies [22...and liquid rocket engines) shear coaxial jets have been stud- ied for over sixty years and have become a canonical problem for the study of rocket...research has been done using a single phase (either gas-gas or liquid - liquid mixing). A brief review of single-phase coaxial jet research can be

Facile preparation of a stable and functionalizable hybrid monolith via ring-opening polymerization for capillary liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Lin, Hui; Ou, Junjie; Tang, Shouwan; Zhang, Zhenbin; Dong, Jing; Liu, Zhongshan; Zou, Hanfa

2013-08-02

An organic-inorganic hybrid monolith was prepared by a single-step ring-opening polymerization of octaglycidyldimethylsilyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) with poly(ethylenimine) (PEI). The obtained hybrid monoliths possessed high ordered 3D skeletal microstructure with dual retention mechanism that exhibits reversed-phase (RP) mechanism under polar mobile phase and hydrophilic-interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) retention mechanism under less polar mobile phase. The high column efficiencies of 110,000N/m can be achieved for separation of alkylbenzenes in capillary reversed-phase liquid chromatography (cLC). Due to the robust property of hybrid monolith and the rich primary and secondary amino groups on its surface, the resulting hybrid monolith was easily modified with γ-gluconolactone and physically coated with cellulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) (CDMPC), respectively. The former was successfully applied for HILIC separation of neutral, basic and acidic polar compounds as well as small peptides, and the latter for enantioseparation of racemates in cLC. The high column efficiencies were achieved in all of those separations. These results demonstrated that the hybrid monolith (POSS-PEI) possessed high stability and good surface tailorbility, potentially being applied for other research fields. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Asymmetric, compressive, SiGe epilayers on Si grown by lateral liquid-phase epitaxy utilizing a distinction between dislocation nucleation and glide critical thicknesses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Reilly, Andrew J.; Quitoriano, Nathaniel

2018-01-01

Uniaxially strained Si1-xGex channels have been proposed as a solution for high mobility channels in next-generation MOSFETS to ensure continued device improvement as the benefits from further miniaturisation are diminishing. Previously proposed techniques to deposit uniaxially strained Si1-xGex epilayers on Si (0 0 1) substrates require multiple deposition steps and only yielded thin strips of uniaxially strained films. A lateral liquid-phase epitaxy (LLPE) technique was developed to deposit a blanket epilayer of asymmetrically strained Si97.4Ge2.6 on Si in a single step, where the epilayer was fully strained in the growth direction and 31% strain-relaxed in the orthogonal direction. The LLPE technique promoted the glide of misfit dislocations, which nucleated in a region with an orthogonal misfit dislocation network, into a region where the dislocation nucleation was inhibited. This created an array of parallel misfit dislocations which were the source of the asymmetric strain. By observing the thicknesses at which the dislocation network transitions from orthogonal to parallel and at which point dislocation glide is exhausted, the separate critical thicknesses for dislocation nucleation and dislocation glide can be determined.

A single-step aerosol process for in-situ surface modification of nanoparticles: Preparation of stable aqueous nanoparticle suspensions.

PubMed

Sapra, Mahak; Pawar, Amol Ashok; Venkataraman, Chandra

2016-02-15

Surface modification of nanoparticles during aerosol or gas-phase synthesis, followed by direct transfer into liquid media can be used to produce stable water-dispersed nanoparticle suspensions. This work investigates a single-step, aerosol process for in-situ surface-modification of nanoparticles. Previous studies have used a two-step sublimation-condensation mechanism following droplet drying, for surface modification, while the present process uses a liquid precursor containing two solutes, a matrix lipid and a surface modifying agent. A precursor solution in chloroform, of stearic acid lipid, with 4 %w/w of surface-active, physiological molecules [1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC), 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1'-rac-glycerol)-sodium salt (DPPG) or 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[methoxy (polyethylene glycol) 2000]-ammonium salt (DPPE-PEG)] was processed in an aerosol reactor at a low gas temperatures. The surface modified nanoparticles were characterized for morphology, surface composition and suspension properties. Spherical, surface-modified lipid nanoparticles with median mobility diameters in the range of 105-150nm and unimodal size distributions were obtained. Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements confirmed the presence of surface-active molecules on external surfaces of modified lipid nanoparticles. Surface modified nanoparticles exhibited improved suspension stability, compared to that of pure lipid nanoparticles for a period of 30days. Lowest aggregation was observed in DPPE-PEG modified nanoparticles from combined electrostatic and steric effects. The study provides a single-step aerosol method for in-situ surface modification of nanoparticles, using minimal amounts of surface active agents, to make stable, aqueous nanoparticle suspensions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

GPU-Accelerated Molecular Dynamics Simulation to Study Liquid Crystal Phase Transition Using Coarse-Grained Gay-Berne Anisotropic Potential.

PubMed

Chen, Wenduo; Zhu, Youliang; Cui, Fengchao; Liu, Lunyang; Sun, Zhaoyan; Chen, Jizhong; Li, Yunqi

2016-01-01

Gay-Berne (GB) potential is regarded as an accurate model in the simulation of anisotropic particles, especially for liquid crystal (LC) mesogens. However, its computational complexity leads to an extremely time-consuming process for large systems. Here, we developed a GPU-accelerated molecular dynamics (MD) simulation with coarse-grained GB potential implemented in GALAMOST package to investigate the LC phase transitions for mesogens in small molecules, main-chain or side-chain polymers. For identical mesogens in three different molecules, on cooling from fully isotropic melts, the small molecules form a single-domain smectic-B phase, while the main-chain LC polymers prefer a single-domain nematic phase as a result of connective restraints in neighboring mesogens. The phase transition of side-chain LC polymers undergoes a two-step process: nucleation of nematic islands and formation of multi-domain nematic texture. The particular behavior originates in the fact that the rotational orientation of the mesogenes is hindered by the polymer backbones. Both the global distribution and the local orientation of mesogens are critical for the phase transition of anisotropic particles. Furthermore, compared with the MD simulation in LAMMPS, our GPU-accelerated code is about 4 times faster than the GPU version of LAMMPS and at least 200 times faster than the CPU version of LAMMPS. This study clearly shows that GPU-accelerated MD simulation with GB potential in GALAMOST can efficiently handle systems with anisotropic particles and interactions, and accurately explore phase differences originated from molecular structures.

GPU-Accelerated Molecular Dynamics Simulation to Study Liquid Crystal Phase Transition Using Coarse-Grained Gay-Berne Anisotropic Potential

PubMed Central

Cui, Fengchao; Liu, Lunyang; Sun, Zhaoyan; Chen, Jizhong; Li, Yunqi

2016-01-01

Gay-Berne (GB) potential is regarded as an accurate model in the simulation of anisotropic particles, especially for liquid crystal (LC) mesogens. However, its computational complexity leads to an extremely time-consuming process for large systems. Here, we developed a GPU-accelerated molecular dynamics (MD) simulation with coarse-grained GB potential implemented in GALAMOST package to investigate the LC phase transitions for mesogens in small molecules, main-chain or side-chain polymers. For identical mesogens in three different molecules, on cooling from fully isotropic melts, the small molecules form a single-domain smectic-B phase, while the main-chain LC polymers prefer a single-domain nematic phase as a result of connective restraints in neighboring mesogens. The phase transition of side-chain LC polymers undergoes a two-step process: nucleation of nematic islands and formation of multi-domain nematic texture. The particular behavior originates in the fact that the rotational orientation of the mesogenes is hindered by the polymer backbones. Both the global distribution and the local orientation of mesogens are critical for the phase transition of anisotropic particles. Furthermore, compared with the MD simulation in LAMMPS, our GPU-accelerated code is about 4 times faster than the GPU version of LAMMPS and at least 200 times faster than the CPU version of LAMMPS. This study clearly shows that GPU-accelerated MD simulation with GB potential in GALAMOST can efficiently handle systems with anisotropic particles and interactions, and accurately explore phase differences originated from molecular structures. PMID:26986851

Rapid habitability assessment of Mars samples by pyrolysis-FTIR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordon, Peter R.; Sephton, Mark A.

2016-02-01

Pyrolysis Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (pyrolysis FTIR) is a potential sample selection method for Mars Sample Return missions. FTIR spectroscopy can be performed on solid and liquid samples but also on gases following preliminary thermal extraction, pyrolysis or gasification steps. The detection of hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon gases can reveal information on sample mineralogy and past habitability of the environment in which the sample was created. The absorption of IR radiation at specific wavenumbers by organic functional groups can indicate the presence and type of any organic matter present. Here we assess the utility of pyrolysis-FTIR to release water, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and organic matter from Mars relevant materials to enable a rapid habitability assessment of target rocks for sample return. For our assessment a range of minerals were analyzed by attenuated total reflectance FTIR. Subsequently, the mineral samples were subjected to single step pyrolysis and multi step pyrolysis and the products characterised by gas phase FTIR. Data from both single step and multi step pyrolysis-FTIR provide the ability to identify minerals that reflect habitable environments through their water and carbon dioxide responses. Multi step pyrolysis-FTIR can be used to gain more detailed information on the sources of the liberated water and carbon dioxide owing to the characteristic decomposition temperatures of different mineral phases. Habitation can be suggested when pyrolysis-FTIR indicates the presence of organic matter within the sample. Pyrolysis-FTIR, therefore, represents an effective method to assess whether Mars Sample Return target rocks represent habitable conditions and potential records of habitation and can play an important role in sample triage operations.

Multi-level diffractive optics for single laser exposure fabrication of telecom-band diamond-like 3-dimensional photonic crystals.

PubMed

Chanda, Debashis; Abolghasemi, Ladan E; Haque, Moez; Ng, Mi Li; Herman, Peter R

2008-09-29

We present a novel multi-level diffractive optical element for diffractive optic near-field lithography based fabrication of large-area diamond-like photonic crystal structure in a single laser exposure step. A multi-level single-surface phase element was laser fabricated on a thin polymer film by two-photon polymerization. A quarter-period phase shift was designed into the phase elements to generate a 3D periodic intensity distribution of double basis diamond-like structure. Finite difference time domain calculation of near-field diffraction patterns and associated isointensity surfaces are corroborated by definitive demonstration of a diamond-like woodpile structure formed inside thick photoresist. A large number of layers provided a strong stopband in the telecom band that matched predictions of numerical band calculation. SEM and spectral observations indicate good structural uniformity over large exposure area that promises 3D photonic crystal devices with high optical quality for a wide range of motif shapes and symmetries. Optical sensing is demonstrated by spectral shifts of the Gamma-Zeta stopband under liquid emersion.

HPLC/Fluorometric Detection of Carvedilol in Real Human Plasma Samples Using Liquid-Liquid Extraction.

PubMed

Yilmaz, Bilal; Arslan, Sakir

2016-03-01

A simple, rapid and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method has been developed to quantify carvedilol in human plasma using an isocratic system with fluorescence detection. The method included a single-step liquid-liquid extraction with diethylether and ethylacetate mixture (3 : 1, v/v). HPLC separation was carried out by reversed-phase chromatography with a mobile phase composed of 20 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7)-acetonitrile (65 : 35, v/v), pumped at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. Fluorescence detection was performed at 240 nm (excitation) and 330 nm (emission). The calibration curve for carvedilol was linear from 10 to 250 ng/mL. Intra- and interday precision values for carvedilol in human plasma were <4.93%, and accuracy (relative error) was better than 4.71%. The analytical recovery of carvedilol from human plasma averaged out to 91.8%. The limits of detection and quantification of carvedilol were 3.0 and 10 ng/mL, respectively. Also, the method was successfully applied to three patients with hypertension who had been given an oral tablet of 25 mg carvedilol. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Method of drying articles

DOEpatents

Janney, Mark A.; Kiggans, Jr., James O.

1999-01-01

A method of drying a green particulate article includes the steps of: a. Providing a green article which includes a particulate material and a pore phase material, the pore phase material including a solvent; and b. contacting the green article with a liquid desiccant for a period of time sufficient to remove at least a portion of the solvent from the green article, the pore phase material acting as a semipermeable barrier to allow the solvent to be sorbed into the liquid desiccant, the pore phase material substantially preventing the liquid desiccant from entering the pores.

Ionic-liquid-based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction combined with magnetic solid-phase extraction for the determination of aflatoxins B1 , B2 , G1 , and G2 in animal feeds by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.

PubMed

Zhao, Jiao; Zhu, Yan; Jiao, Yang; Ning, Jinyan; Yang, Yaling

2016-10-01

A novel two-step extraction technique combining ionic-liquid-based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction with magnetic solid-phase extraction was developed for the preconcentration and separation of aflatoxins in animal feedstuffs before high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection. In this work, ionic liquid 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate was used as the extractant in dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction, and hydrophobic pelargonic acid modified Fe 3 O 4 magnetic nanoparticles as an efficient adsorbent were applied to retrieve the aflatoxins-containing ionic liquid. Notably, the target of magnetic nanoparticles was the ionic liquid rather than the aflatoxins. Because of the rapid mass transfer associated with the dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and magnetic solid phase steps, fast extraction could be achieved. The main parameters affecting the extraction recoveries of aflatoxins were investigated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, vortexing at 2500 rpm for 1 min in the dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and magnetic solid-phase extraction and then desorption by sonication for 2 min with acetonitrile as eluent. The recoveries were 90.3-103.7% with relative standard deviations of 3.2-6.4%. Good linearity was observed with correlation coefficients ranged from 0.9986 to 0.9995. The detection limits were 0.632, 0.087, 0.422 and 0.146 ng/mL for aflatoxins B 1 , B2, G1, and G2, respectively. The results were also compared with the pretreatment method carried out by conventional immunoaffinity columns. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

An investigation into the flow behavior of a single phase gas system and a two phase gas/liquid system in normal gravity with nonuniform heating from above

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Disimile, Peter J.; Heist, Timothy J.

1990-01-01

The fluid behavior in normal gravity of a single phase gas system and a two phase gas/liquid system in an enclosed circular cylinder heated suddenly and nonuniformly from above was investigated. Flow visualization was used to obtain qualitative data on both systems. The use of thermochromatic liquid crystal particles as liquid phase flow tracers was evaluated as a possible means of simultaneously gathering both flow pattern and temperature gradient data for the two phase system. The results of the flow visualization experiments performed on both systems can be used to gain a better understanding of the behavior of such systems in a reduced gravity environment and aid in the verification of a numerical model of the system.

Synthesis and Characterization of the First Liquid Single Source Precursors for the Deposition of Ternary Chalcopyrite (CuInS2) Thin Film Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banger, Kulbinder K.; Cowen, Jonathan; Hepp, Aloysius

2002-01-01

Molecular engineering of ternary single source precursors based on the [{PBu3}2Cu(SR')2In(SR')2] architecture have afforded the first liquid CIS ternary single source precursors (when R = Et, n-Pr), which are suitable for low temperature deposition (< 350 C). Thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) and modulated-differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) confirm their liquid phase and reduced stability. X-ray diffraction studies, energy dispersive analyzer (EDS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) support the formation of the single-phase chalcopyrite CuInS2 at low temperatures.

Microcapsules and Methods for Making

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrison, Dennis R. (Inventor); Mosier, Benjamin (Inventor)

1998-01-01

Methods of forming multi-lamellar microcapsules having alternating layers of hydrophilic and hydrophobic immiscible liquid phases have been developed using different polymer/solvent systems. The methods use liquid-liquid diffusion and simultaneous lateral phase separation, controlled by proper timed-sequence exposures of immiscible phases and low shear mixing, to form narrow size distributions of spherical, multilamellar microcapsules. The use of special formulations of solubilized drugs, surfactants, and polymeric co-surfactants in aqueous vehicles which are dispersed in hydrocarbon solvents containing small quantities of oil, low molecular weight co-surfactants and glycerides that are aqueous insoluble enables the formation of unique microcapsules which can carry large amounts of pharmaceuticals in both aqueous and non-aqueous solvent compartments. The liquid microcapsules are quickly formed in a single step and can include a polymeric outer 'skin' which protects the microcapsules during physical manipulation or exposure to high shear forces. Water-in-oil and oil-in-water microcapsules have been formed both in 1 x g and in microgravity, which contain several types of drugs co-encapsulated within different fluid compartments inside the same microcapsule. Large, spherical multi-lamellar microcapsules have been formed including a cytotoxic drug co-encapsulated with a radiocontrast medium which has advantages for chemoembolization of vascular tumors. In certain cases, crystals of the drug form inside the microcapsules providing zero-order and first order, sustained drug release kinetics.

Directed Self-Assembly of Liquid Crystalline Blue-Phases into Ideal Single-Crystals

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

Martinez-Gonzalez, Jose A.; Li, Xiao; Sadati, Monirosadat

Chiral nematic liquid crystals are known to form blue phases—liquid states of matter that exhibit ordered cubic arrangements of topological defects. Blue-phase specimens, however, are generally polycrystalline, consisting of randomly oriented domains that limit their performance in applications. A strategy that relies on nano-patterned substrates is presented here for preparation of stable, macroscopic single-crystal blue-phase materials. Different template designs are conceived to exert control over different planes of the blue-phase lattice orientation with respect to the underlying substrate. Experiments are then used to demonstrate that it is indeed possible to create stable single-crystal blue-phase domains with the desired orientation overmore » large regions. Lastly, these results provide a potential avenue to fully exploit the electro-optical properties of blue phases, which have been hindered by the existence of grain boundaries.« less

Directed Self-Assembly of Liquid Crystalline Blue-Phases into Ideal Single-Crystals

DOE PAGES

Martinez-Gonzalez, Jose A.; Li, Xiao; Sadati, Monirosadat; ...

2017-06-16

Chiral nematic liquid crystals are known to form blue phases—liquid states of matter that exhibit ordered cubic arrangements of topological defects. Blue-phase specimens, however, are generally polycrystalline, consisting of randomly oriented domains that limit their performance in applications. A strategy that relies on nano-patterned substrates is presented here for preparation of stable, macroscopic single-crystal blue-phase materials. Different template designs are conceived to exert control over different planes of the blue-phase lattice orientation with respect to the underlying substrate. Experiments are then used to demonstrate that it is indeed possible to create stable single-crystal blue-phase domains with the desired orientation overmore » large regions. Lastly, these results provide a potential avenue to fully exploit the electro-optical properties of blue phases, which have been hindered by the existence of grain boundaries.« less

Continuous, high-flux and efficient oil/water separation assisted by an integrated system with opposite wettability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jian; Long, Yifei; Xu, Changcheng; Tian, Haifeng; Wu, Yanxia; Zha, Fei

2018-03-01

To resolve the drawbacks that single-mesh involved for oil/water separation, such as batch processing mode, only one phase was purified and the quick decrease in flux et al., herein, a two-way separation T-tube device was designed by integrating a pair of meshes with opposite wettability, i.e., underwater superoleophobic and superhydrophobic/superoleophilic properties. Such integrated system can continuously separate both oil and water phase from the oil/water mixtures simultaneously through one-step procedure with high flux (above 3.675 L m-2 s-1) and high separation efficiency larger than 99.8% regardless of the heavy oil or light oil involved in the mixture. Moreover, the as-prepared two meshes still maintained high separation efficiency larger than above 98.9% even after 50 cycle-usages. It worthy mentioned that this two-way separation mode essentially solves the oil liquid accumulation problem that is the single separation membrane needs to tolerate a large hydrostatic pressure caused by the accumulated liquid. We deeply believe this two-way separation system would provide a new strategy for realizing practical applications in oil spill clean-up via a continuous mode.

Selective extraction and separation of oxymatrine from Sophora flavescens Ait. extract by silica-confined ionic liquid.

PubMed

Bi, Wentao; Tian, Minglei; Row, Kyung Ho

2012-01-01

This study highlighted the application of a two-stepped extraction method for extraction and separation of oxymatrine from Sophora flavescens Ait. extract by utilizing silica-confined ionic liquids as sorbent. The optimized silica-confined ionic liquid was firstly mixed with plant extract to adsorb oxymatrine. Simultaneously, some interference, such as matrine, was removed. The obtained suspension was then added to a cartridge for solid phase extraction. Through these two steps, target compound was adequately separated from interferences with 93.4% recovery. In comparison with traditional solid phase extraction, this method accelerates loading and reduces the use of organic solvents during washing. Moreover, the optimization of loading volume was simplified as optimization of solid/liquid ratio. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Floating liquid phase in sedimenting colloid-polymer mixtures.

PubMed

Schmidt, Matthias; Dijkstra, Marjolein; Hansen, Jean-Pierre

2004-08-20

Density functional theory and computer simulation are used to investigate sedimentation equilibria of colloid-polymer mixtures within the Asakura-Oosawa-Vrij model of hard sphere colloids and ideal polymers. When the ratio of buoyant masses of the two species is comparable to the ratio of differences in density of the coexisting bulk (colloid) gas and liquid phases, a stable "floating liquid" phase is found, i.e., a thin layer of liquid sandwiched between upper and lower gas phases. The full phase diagram of the mixture under gravity shows coexistence of this floating liquid phase with a single gas phase or a phase involving liquid-gas equilibrium; the phase coexistence lines meet at a triple point. This scenario remains valid for general asymmetric binary mixtures undergoing bulk phase separation.

Commissioning of the ArDM experiment at the Canfranc underground laboratory: first steps towards a tonne-scale liquid argon time projection chamber for Dark Matter searches

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

Calvo, J.; Cantini, C.; Crivelli, P.

The Argon Dark Matter (ArDM) experiment consists of a liquid argon (LAr) time projection chamber (TPC) sensitive to nuclear recoils, resulting from scattering of hypothetical Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) on argon targets. With an active target mass of 850 kg ArDM represents an important milestone towards developments for large LAr Dark Matter detectors. Here we present the experimental apparatus currently installed underground at the Laboratorio Subterráneo de Canfranc (LSC), Spain. We show data on gaseous or liquid argon targets recorded in 2015 during the commissioning of ArDM in single phase at zero E-field (ArDM Run I). The data confirmsmore » the overall good and stable performance of the ArDM tonne-scale LAr detector.« less

A Review of Study on Thermal Energy Transport System by Synthesis and Decomposition Reactions of Methanol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Qiusheng; Yabe, Akira; Kajiyama, Shiro; Fukuda, Katsuya

The study on thermal energy transport system by synthesis and decomposition reactions of methanol was reviewed. To promote energy conservation and global environment protection, a two-step liquid-phase methanol synthesis process, which starts with carbonylation of methanol to methyl formate, then followed by the hydrogenolysis of the formate, was studied to recover wasted or unused discharged heat from industrial sources for the thermal energy demands of residential and commercial areas by chemical reactions. The research and development of the system were focused on the following three points. (1) Development of low-temperature decomposition and synthetic catalysts, (2) Development of liquid phase reactor (heat exchanger accompanying chemical reaction), (3) Simulation of the energy transport efficiency of entire system which contains heat recovery and supply sections. As the result of the development of catalyst, promising catalysts which agree with the development purposes for the methyl formate decomposition reaction and the synthetic reaction are being developed though some studies remain for the methanol decomposition and synthetic reactions. In the fundamental development of liquid phase reactor, the solubilities of CO and H2 gases in methanol and methyl formate were measured by the method of total pressure decrease due to absorption under pressures up to 1500kPa and temperatures up to 140°C. The diffusivity of CO gas in methanol was determined by measuring the diameter and solution time of single CO bubbles in methanol. The chemical reaction rate of methanol synthesis by hydrogenolysis of methyl formate was measured using a plate-type of Raney copper catalyst in a reactor with rectangular channel and in an autoclave reactor. The reaction characteristics were investigated by carrying out the experiments at various temperatures, flow rates and at various catalyst development conditions. We focused on the effect of Raney copper catalyst thickness on the liquid-phase chemical reaction by varying the development time of the catalyst. Investigation results of the catalyst such as surface area, pore radius, lattice size, and photographs of scanning electron microscope (SEM) were also given. In the simulation of energy transport efficiency of this system, by simulating the energy transfer system using two-step liquid phase methanol decomposition and synthetic reactions, and comparing with the technology so far, it can be expected that an innovative energy transfer system is possible to realize.

Liquid-liquid transition in the ST2 model of water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Debenedetti, Pablo

2013-03-01

We present clear evidence of the existence of a metastable liquid-liquid phase transition in the ST2 model of water. Using four different techniques (the weighted histogram analysis method with single-particle moves, well-tempered metadynamics with single-particle moves, weighted histograms with parallel tempering and collective particle moves, and conventional molecular dynamics), we calculate the free energy surface over a range of thermodynamic conditions, we perform a finite size scaling analysis for the free energy barrier between the coexisting liquid phases, we demonstrate the attainment of diffusive behavior, and we perform stringent thermodynamic consistency checks. The results provide conclusive evidence of a first-order liquid-liquid transition. We also show that structural equilibration in the sluggish low-density phase is attained over the time scale of our simulations, and that crystallization times are significantly longer than structural equilibration, even under deeply supercooled conditions. We place our results in the context of the theory of metastability.

Δ(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid synthase production in Pichia pastoris enables chemical synthesis of cannabinoids.

PubMed

Lange, Kerstin; Schmid, Andreas; Julsing, Mattijs K

2015-10-10

Δ(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is of increasing interest as a pharmaceutical and bioactive compound. Chemical synthesis of THC uses a laborious procedure and does not satisfy the market demand. The implementation of biocatalysts for specific synthesis steps might be beneficial for making natural product availability independent from the plant. Δ(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid synthase (THCAS) from C. sativa L. catalyzes the cyclization of cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) to Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), which is non-enzymatically decarboxylated to THC. We report the preparation of THCAS in amounts sufficient for the biocatalytic production of THC(A). Active THCAS was most efficiently obtained from Pichia pastoris. THCAS was produced on a 2L bioreactor scale and the enzyme was isolated by single-step chromatography with a specific activity of 73Ug(-1)total protein. An organic/aqueous two-liquid phase setup for continuous substrate delivery facilitated in situ product removal. In addition, THCAS activity in aqueous environments lasted for only 20min whereas the presence of hexane stabilized the activity over 3h. In conclusion, production of THCAS in P. pastoris Mut(S) KM71 KE1, subsequent isolation, and its application in a two-liquid phase setup enables the synthesis of THCA on a mg scale. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Experimental study of displacement of one liquid by another in a cylindrical capillary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velizhanin, A. A.; Simonov, O. A.

2017-10-01

The single-phase flow of liquids (water and oil) in microchannels is experimentally researched, as well as the process of displacement of one liquid by another. Automatic measurements of a pressure drop, and mass of liquid which passed through a microchannel were made. Photo and video recording of the movement of the fronts of displacement was carried out. Qualitative and numerical data allowing to describe character of single-phase and two-phase flow are obtained. Comparison with the theoretical description of correspondence flows was carried out. It is established that the main characteristics of a flow through a capillary constantly change in the course of the experiment that testifies to his non-stationary character.

Application of a rapid and selective method for the simultaneous determination of carebastine and pseudoephedrine in human plasma by liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry for bioequivalence study in Korean subjects.

PubMed

Lee, Myung-Jae; Lee, Heon-Woo; Kang, Jong-Min; Seo, Ji-Hyung; Tak, Seong-Kun; Shim, Wangseob; Yim, Sung-Vin; Hong, Seung Jae; Lee, Kyung-Tae

2010-10-01

We describe a simple, rapid and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric method that was developed for the simultaneous determination of carebastine and pseudoephedrine in human plasma using cisapride as an internal standard. Acquisition was performed in multiple-reaction monitoring mode by monitoring the transitions: m/z 500.43 > 167.09 for carebastine and m/z 166.04 > 147.88 for pseudoephedrine. The devised method involves a simple single-step liquid-liquid extraction with ethyl acetate. Chromatographic separation was performed on a C(18) reversed-phase chromatographic column at 0.2  mL/min by isocratic elution with 10  mM ammonium formate buffer-acetonitrile (30:70, v/v; adjusted to pH 3.3 with formic acid). The devised method was validated over 0.5-100  ng/mL of carebastine and 5-1000  ng/mL of pseudoephedrine with acceptable accuracy and precision, and was successfully applied to a bioequivalence study involving a single oral dose (10  mg of ebastine plus 120  mg of pseudoephedrine complex) to healthy Korean volunteers. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Theory of amorphous ices.

PubMed

Limmer, David T; Chandler, David

2014-07-01

We derive a phase diagram for amorphous solids and liquid supercooled water and explain why the amorphous solids of water exist in several different forms. Application of large-deviation theory allows us to prepare such phases in computer simulations. Along with nonequilibrium transitions between the ergodic liquid and two distinct amorphous solids, we establish coexistence between these two amorphous solids. The phase diagram we predict includes a nonequilibrium triple point where two amorphous phases and the liquid coexist. Whereas the amorphous solids are long-lived and slowly aging glasses, their melting can lead quickly to the formation of crystalline ice. Further, melting of the higher density amorphous solid at low pressures takes place in steps, transitioning to the lower-density glass before accessing a nonequilibrium liquid from which ice coarsens.

Using the Binary Phase-Field Crystal Model to Describe Non-Classical Nucleation Pathways in Gold Nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Nathan; Provatas, Nikolas

Recent experimental work has shown that gold nanoparticles can precipitate from an aqueous solution through a non-classical, multi-step nucleation process. This multi-step process begins with spinodal decomposition into solute-rich and solute-poor liquid domains followed by nucleation from within the solute-rich domains. We present a binary phase-field crystal theory that shows the same phenomology and examine various cross-over regimes in the growth and coarsening of liquid and solid domains. We'd like to the thank Canada Research Chairs (CRC) program for funding this work.

Measurement of dielectric constant of organic solvents by indigenously developed dielectric probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keshari, Ajay Kumar; Rao, J. Prabhakar; Rao, C. V. S. Brahmmananda; Ramakrishnan, R.; Ramanarayanan, R. R.

2018-04-01

The extraction, separation and purification of actinides (uranium and plutonium) from various matrices are an important step in nuclear fuel cycle. One of the separation process adopted in an industrial scale is the liquid-liquid extraction or solvent extraction. Liquid-liquid extraction uses a specific ligand/extractant in conjunction with suitable diluent. Solvent extraction or liquid-liquid extraction, involves the partitioning of the solute between two immiscible phases. In most cases, one of the phases is aqueous, and the other one is an organic solvent. The solvent used in solvent extraction should be selective for the metal of interest, it should have optimum distribution ratio, and the loaded metal from the organic phase should be easily stripped under suitable experimental conditions. Some of the important physical properties which are important for the solvent are density, viscosity, phase separation time, interfacial surface tension and the polarity of the extractant.

Computer code for gas-liquid two-phase vortex motions: GLVM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yeh, T. T.

1986-01-01

A computer program aimed at the phase separation between gas and liquid at zero gravity, induced by vortex motion, is developed. It utilizes an explicit solution method for a set of equations describing rotating gas-liquid flows. The vortex motion is established by a tangential fluid injection. A Lax-Wendroff two-step (McCormack's) numerical scheme is used. The program can be used to study the fluid dynamical behavior of the rotational two-phase fluids in a cylindrical tank. It provides a quick/easy sensitivity test on various parameters and thus provides the guidance for the design and use of actual physical systems for handling two-phase fluids.

High-resolution EPMA X-ray images of mother liquid inclusions in a Pd2Ga single crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller, D.; Schwerin, J.; Gille, P.; Fehr, K. T.

2014-03-01

During crystal growth from solution inclusions of different compositions were trapped at the rim of a Pd2Ga single crystal. Their fine-grained (< 5 μm) internal structure demands special requirements for electron microprobe analysis, realized by low-voltage (5 keV) element mapping applying a step size of 0.138 μm for each pixel. It can be shown, that these inclusions represent an isolated chemical system, and that crystallisation upon cooling follows the expected thermodynamic phase relations. Thus the final composition in the centre of the inclusion consists of a small-scale mixture of PdGa and Pd5Ga3 evolved out of a solid-solid decomposition of Pd5Ga4.

Analysis of quaternary ammonium and phosphonium ionic liquids by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with charged aerosol detection and unified calibration.

PubMed

Stojanovic, Anja; Lämmerhofer, Michael; Kogelnig, Daniel; Schiesel, Simone; Sturm, Martin; Galanski, Markus; Krachler, Regina; Keppler, Bernhard K; Lindner, Wolfgang

2008-10-31

Several hydrophobic ionic liquids (ILs) based on long-chain aliphatic ammonium- and phosphonium cations and selected aromatic anions were analyzed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) employing trifluoroacetic acid as ion-pairing additive to the acetonitrile-containing mobile phase and adopting a step-gradient elution mode. The coupling of charged aerosol detection (CAD) for the non-chromophoric aliphatic cations with diode array detection (DAD) for the aromatic anions allowed their simultaneous analysis in a set of new ILs derived from either tricaprylmethylammonium chloride (Aliquat 336) and trihexyltetradecylphosphonium chloride as precursors. Aliquat 336 is a mix of ammonium cations with distinct aliphatic chain lengths. In the course of the studies it turned out that CAD generates an identical detection response for all the distinct aliphatic cations. Due to lack of single component standards of the individual Aliquat 336 cation species, a unified calibration function was established for the quantitative analysis of the quaternary ammonium cations of the ILs. The developed method was validated according to ICH guidelines, which confirmed the validity of the unified calibration. The application of the method revealed molar ratios of cation to anion close to 1 indicating a quantitative exchange of the chloride ions of the precursors by the various aromatic anions in the course of the synthesis of new ILs. Anomalies of CAD observed for the detection of some aromatic anions (thiosalicylate and benzoate) are discussed.

Self-assembly and continuous growth of hexagonal graphene flakes on liquid Cu

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Seong-Yong; Kim, Min-Sik; Kim, Minsu; Kim, Ki-Ju; Kim, Hyun-Mi; Lee, Do-Joong; Lee, Sang-Hoon; Kim, Ki-Bum

2015-07-01

Graphene growth on liquid Cu has received great interest, owing to the self-assembly behavior of hexagonal graphene flakes with aligned orientation and to the possibility of forming a single grain of graphene through a commensurate growth of these graphene flakes. Here, we propose and demonstrate a two-step growth process which allows the formation of self-assembled, completely continuous graphene on liquid Cu. After the formation of full coverage on the liquid Cu, grain boundaries were revealed via selective hydrogen etching and the original grain boundaries were clearly resolved. This result indicates that, while the flakes self-assembled with the same orientation, there still remain structural defects, gaps and voids that were not resolved by optical microscopy or scanning electron microscopy. To overcome this limitation, the two-step growth process was employed, consisting of a sequential process of a normal single-layer graphene growth and self-assembly process with a low carbon flux, followed by the final stage of graphene growth at a high degree of supersaturation with a high carbon flux. Continuity of the flakes was verified via hydrogen etching and a NaCl-assisted oxidation process, as well as by measuring the electrical properties of the graphene grown by the two-step process. Two-step growth can provide a continuous graphene layer, but commensurate stitching should be further studied.Graphene growth on liquid Cu has received great interest, owing to the self-assembly behavior of hexagonal graphene flakes with aligned orientation and to the possibility of forming a single grain of graphene through a commensurate growth of these graphene flakes. Here, we propose and demonstrate a two-step growth process which allows the formation of self-assembled, completely continuous graphene on liquid Cu. After the formation of full coverage on the liquid Cu, grain boundaries were revealed via selective hydrogen etching and the original grain boundaries were clearly resolved. This result indicates that, while the flakes self-assembled with the same orientation, there still remain structural defects, gaps and voids that were not resolved by optical microscopy or scanning electron microscopy. To overcome this limitation, the two-step growth process was employed, consisting of a sequential process of a normal single-layer graphene growth and self-assembly process with a low carbon flux, followed by the final stage of graphene growth at a high degree of supersaturation with a high carbon flux. Continuity of the flakes was verified via hydrogen etching and a NaCl-assisted oxidation process, as well as by measuring the electrical properties of the graphene grown by the two-step process. Two-step growth can provide a continuous graphene layer, but commensurate stitching should be further studied. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr03352g

Manipulation of Liquids Using Phased Array Generation of Acoustic Radiation Pressure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oeftering, Richard C. (Inventor)

2000-01-01

A phased array of piezoelectric transducers is used to control and manipulate contained as well as uncontained fluids in space and earth applications. The transducers in the phased array are individually activated while being commonly controlled to produce acoustic radiation pressure and acoustic streaming. The phased array is activated to produce a single pulse, a pulse burst or a continuous pulse to agitate, segregate or manipulate liquids and gases. The phased array generated acoustic radiation pressure is also useful in manipulating a drop, a bubble or other object immersed in a liquid. The transducers can be arranged in any number of layouts including linear single or multi- dimensional, space curved and annular arrays. The individual transducers in the array are activated by a controller, preferably driven by a computer.

Process for removing sulfate anions from waste water

DOEpatents

Nilsen, David N.; Galvan, Gloria J.; Hundley, Gary L.; Wright, John B.

1997-01-01

A liquid emulsion membrane process for removing sulfate anions from waste water is disclosed. The liquid emulsion membrane process includes the steps of: (a) providing a liquid emulsion formed from an aqueous strip solution and an organic phase that contains an extractant capable of removing sulfate anions from waste water; (b) dispersing the liquid emulsion in globule form into a quantity of waste water containing sulfate anions to allow the organic phase in each globule of the emulsion to extract and absorb sulfate anions from the waste water and (c) separating the emulsion including its organic phase and absorbed sulfate anions from the waste water to provide waste water containing substantially no sulfate anions.

Liquid oxygen liquid acquisition device bubble point tests with high pressure lox at elevated temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jurns, J. M.; Hartwig, J. W.

2012-04-01

When transferring propellant in space, it is most efficient to transfer single phase liquid from a propellant tank to an engine. In earth's gravity field or under acceleration, propellant transfer is fairly simple. However, in low gravity, withdrawing single-phase fluid becomes a challenge. A variety of propellant management devices (PMDs) are used to ensure single-phase flow. One type of PMD, a liquid acquisition device (LAD) takes advantage of capillary flow and surface tension to acquire liquid. The present work reports on testing with liquid oxygen (LOX) at elevated pressures (and thus temperatures) (maximum pressure 1724 kPa and maximum temperature 122 K) as part of NASA's continuing cryogenic LAD development program. These tests evaluate LAD performance for LOX stored in higher pressure vessels that may be used in propellant systems using pressure fed engines. Test data shows a significant drop in LAD bubble point values at higher liquid temperatures, consistent with lower liquid surface tension at those temperatures. Test data also indicates that there are no first order effects of helium solubility in LOX on LAD bubble point prediction. Test results here extend the range of data for LOX fluid conditions, and provide insight into factors affecting predicting LAD bubble point pressures.

Liquid Oxygen Liquid Acquisition Device Bubble Point Tests with High Pressure LOX at Elevated Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jurns, John M.; Hartwig, Jason W.

2011-01-01

When transferring propellant in space, it is most efficient to transfer single phase liquid from a propellant tank to an engine. In earth s gravity field or under acceleration, propellant transfer is fairly simple. However, in low gravity, withdrawing single-phase fluid becomes a challenge. A variety of propellant management devices (PMD) are used to ensure single-phase flow. One type of PMD, a liquid acquisition device (LAD) takes advantage of capillary flow and surface tension to acquire liquid. The present work reports on testing with liquid oxygen (LOX) at elevated pressures (and thus temperatures) (maximum pressure 1724 kPa and maximum temperature 122K) as part of NASA s continuing cryogenic LAD development program. These tests evaluate LAD performance for LOX stored in higher pressure vessels that may be used in propellant systems using pressure fed engines. Test data shows a significant drop in LAD bubble point values at higher liquid temperatures, consistent with lower liquid surface tension at those temperatures. Test data also indicates that there are no first order effects of helium solubility in LOX on LAD bubble point prediction. Test results here extend the range of data for LOX fluid conditions, and provide insight into factors affecting predicting LAD bubble point pressures.

Non-conventional solvents in liquid phase microextraction and aqueous biphasic systems.

PubMed

An, Jiwoo; Trujillo-Rodríguez, María J; Pino, Verónica; Anderson, Jared L

2017-06-02

The development of rapid, convenient, and high throughput sample preparation approaches such as liquid phase microextraction techniques have been continuously developed over the last decade. More recently, significant attention has been given to the replacement of conventional organic solvents used in liquid phase microextraction techniques in order to reduce toxic waste and to improve selectivity and/or extraction efficiency. With these objectives, non-conventional solvents have been explored in liquid phase microextraction and aqueous biphasic systems. The utilized non-conventional solvents include ionic liquids, magnetic ionic liquids, and deep eutectic solvents. They have been widely used as extraction solvents or additives in various liquid phase microextraction modes including dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction, single-drop microextraction, hollow fiber-liquid phase microextraction, as well as in aqueous biphasic systems. This review provides an overview into the use of non-conventional solvents in these microextraction techniques in the past 5 years (2012-2016). Analytical applications of the techniques are also discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prediction of Formation of Amorphous Alloys During Annealing of Ti-binary Alloys and Validation of the Same

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-11-22

The authors argued that the occurrence of the reversible step in the specific heat reflected “the freezing and unfreezing of some degree of freedom...of steel, the austenite phase is sometimes formed in a composition range where ferrite and liquid are the equilibrium phases. The formation of the...austenite is explained by the construction of a meta-stable extension of the (austenite+liquid) field into the ( ferrite +liquid) region. The

Electrical impedance imaging in two-phase, gas-liquid flows: 1. Initial investigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, J. T.; Ovacik, L.; Jones, O. C.

1991-01-01

The determination of interfacial area density in two-phase, gas-liquid flows is one of the major elements impeding significant development of predictive tools based on the two-fluid model. Currently, these models require coupling of liquid and vapor at interfaces using constitutive equations which do not exist in any but the most rudimentary form. Work described herein represents the first step towards the development of Electrical Impedance Computed Tomography (EICT) for nonintrusive determination of interfacial structure and evolution in such flows.

Liquid crystal point diffraction interferometer. Ph.D. Thesis - Arizona Univ., 1995

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mercer, Carolyn R.

1995-01-01

A new instrument, the liquid crystal point diffraction-interferometer (LCPDI), has been developed for the measurement of phase objects. This instrument maintains the compact, robust design of Linnik's point diffraction interferometer (PDI) and adds to it phase stepping capability for quantitative interferogram analysis. The result is a compact, simple to align, environmentally insensitive interferometer capable of accurately measuring optical wavefronts with very high data density and with automated data reduction. This dissertation describes the theory of both the PDI and liquid crystal phase control. The design considerations for the LCPDI are presented, including manufacturing considerations. The operation and performance of the LCPDI are discussed, including sections regarding alignment, calibration, and amplitude modulation effects. The LCPDI is then demonstrated using two phase objects: defocus difference wavefront, and a temperature distribution across a heated chamber filled with silicone oil. The measured results are compared to theoretical or independently measured results and show excellent agreement. A computer simulation of the LCPDI was performed to verify the source of observed periodic phase measurement error. The error stems from intensity variations caused by dye molecules rotating within the liquid crystal layer. Methods are discussed for reducing this error. Algorithms are presented which reduce this error; they are also useful for any phase-stepping interferometer that has unwanted intensity fluctuations, such as those caused by unregulated lasers.

Theory of amorphous ices

PubMed Central

Limmer, David T.; Chandler, David

2014-01-01

We derive a phase diagram for amorphous solids and liquid supercooled water and explain why the amorphous solids of water exist in several different forms. Application of large-deviation theory allows us to prepare such phases in computer simulations. Along with nonequilibrium transitions between the ergodic liquid and two distinct amorphous solids, we establish coexistence between these two amorphous solids. The phase diagram we predict includes a nonequilibrium triple point where two amorphous phases and the liquid coexist. Whereas the amorphous solids are long-lived and slowly aging glasses, their melting can lead quickly to the formation of crystalline ice. Further, melting of the higher density amorphous solid at low pressures takes place in steps, transitioning to the lower-density glass before accessing a nonequilibrium liquid from which ice coarsens. PMID:24858957

An unusual type of polymorphism in a liquid crystal

DOE PAGES

Li, Lin; Salamonczyk, Miroslaw; Shadpour, Sasan; ...

2018-02-19

Polymorphism is a remarkable concept in chemistry, materials science, computer science, and biology. Whether it is the ability of a material to exist in two or more crystal structures, a single interface connecting to two different entities, or alternative phenotypes of an organism, polymorphism determines function and properties. In materials science, polymorphism can be found in an impressively wide range of materials, including crystalline materials, minerals, metals, alloys, and polymers. Here in this paper we report on polymorphism in a liquid crystal. A bent-core liquid crystal with a single chiral side chain forms two structurally and morphologically significantly different liquidmore » crystal phases solely depending on the cooling rate from the isotropic liquid state. On slow cooling, the thermodynamically more stable oblique columnar phase forms, and on rapid cooling, a not heretofore reported helical microfilament phase. Since structure determines function and properties, the structural color for these phases also differs.« less

An unusual type of polymorphism in a liquid crystal

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

Li, Lin; Salamonczyk, Miroslaw; Shadpour, Sasan

Polymorphism is a remarkable concept in chemistry, materials science, computer science, and biology. Whether it is the ability of a material to exist in two or more crystal structures, a single interface connecting to two different entities, or alternative phenotypes of an organism, polymorphism determines function and properties. In materials science, polymorphism can be found in an impressively wide range of materials, including crystalline materials, minerals, metals, alloys, and polymers. Here in this paper we report on polymorphism in a liquid crystal. A bent-core liquid crystal with a single chiral side chain forms two structurally and morphologically significantly different liquidmore » crystal phases solely depending on the cooling rate from the isotropic liquid state. On slow cooling, the thermodynamically more stable oblique columnar phase forms, and on rapid cooling, a not heretofore reported helical microfilament phase. Since structure determines function and properties, the structural color for these phases also differs.« less

Displacement-dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic drop of trace amounts of palladium in water and road dust samples prior to graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry determination.

PubMed

Ghanbarian, Maryam; Afzali, Daryoush; Mostafavi, Ali; Fathirad, Fariba

2013-01-01

A new displacement-dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method based on the solidification of floating organic drop was developed for separation and preconcentration of Pd(ll) in road dust and aqueous samples. This method involves two steps of dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on solidification. In Step 1, Cu ions react with diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) to form Cu-DDTC complex, which is extracted by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on a solidification procedure using 1-undecanol (extraction solvent) and ethanol (dispersive solvent). In Step 2, the extracted complex is first dispersed using ethanol in a sample solution containing Pd ions, then a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on a solidification procedure is performed creating an organic drop. In this step, Pd(ll) replaces Cu(ll) from the pre-extracted Cu-DDTC complex and goes into the extraction solvent phase. Finally, the Pd(ll)-containing drop is introduced into a graphite furnace using a microsyringe, and Pd(ll) is determined using atomic absorption spectrometry. Several factors that influence the extraction efficiency of Pd and its subsequent determination, such as extraction and dispersive solvent type and volume, pH of sample solution, centrifugation time, and concentration of DDTC, are optimized.

Single Crystal Faceplate Evaluation

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-10-25

conventional powder phosphor. The utility of garnets is amplified by the high state of the art of liquid phase epitaxy ( LPE ). Liquid phase epitaxy of...7]. Much the research at Allied-Signal, Inc. in garnet layer growth has been involved with the kinetics of crystallization of garnet from LPE melts...acceptable resolution and light output characteristics. Single crystal faceplates being evaluated are composed of yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) with an

Liquid Quasicrystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ungar, Goran

Following the discovery of quasicrystals by Shechtman and Cahn in 1984, for the following 20 years the new field of QCs was confined to metal alloys and atomic-scale structures. Then, with the discovery of a liquid crystal phase possessing dodecagonal QC symmetry], research interest has extended from metal alloys to those where the motifs were no longer single atoms but assemblies of many molecules. In dendron-based liquid quasicrystals (LQC) between 10-50 molecules form a supramolecular sphere with 103 - 104 atoms. In 2007 a 2-d quasiperiodic phase was found in three-arm star ABC polymers. In 2012 the first linear diblock copolymer was reported to form a sphere-based bulk QC phase, similar to that in dendrimer LQC but on a still larger scale. In the same year bulk QC domains were reported in ``hard'' nanoporous silica, produced however, again from a ``soft'' lyotropic template. The symmetry of all confirmed soft QCs so far is 12-fold. Another important development in soft QCs is the observation of complex QC approximants in a number of side-branched polyphilic LC honeycombs, described by multicolour tilings. In fact, recently we found a genuine dodecagonal QC in such systems, the first example of a 2D LQC. Furthermore, we succeeded in direct AFM imaging of the xy plane of a dendrimer LQC. The images confirm the ``half-step'' inflation rule, proposed earlier but not confirmed until now. Funding is acknowledged from Leverhulme Trust.

Simultaneous analysis for water- and fat-soluble vitamins by a novel single chromatography technique unifying supercritical fluid chromatography and liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Taguchi, Kaori; Fukusaki, Eiichiro; Bamba, Takeshi

2014-10-03

Chromatography techniques usually use a single state in the mobile phase, such as liquid, gas, or supercritical fluid. Chromatographers manage one of these techniques for their purpose but are sometimes required to use multiple methods, or even worse, multiple techniques when the target compounds have a wide range of chemical properties. To overcome this challenge, we developed a single method covering a diverse compound range by means of a "unified" chromatography which completely bridges supercritical fluid chromatography and liquid chromatography. In our method, the phase state was continuously changed in the following order; supercritical, subcritical and liquid. Moreover, the gradient of the mobile phase starting at almost 100% CO2 was replaced with 100% methanol at the end completely. As a result, this approach achieved further extension of the polarity range of the mobile phase in a single run, and successfully enabled the simultaneous analysis of fat- and water-soluble vitamins with a wide logP range of -2.11 to 10.12. Furthermore, the 17 vitamins were exceptionally separated in 4min. Our results indicated that the use of dense CO2 and the replacement of CO2 by methanol are practical approaches in unified chromatography covering diverse compounds. Additionally, this is a first report to apply the novel approach to unified chromatography, and can open another door for diverse compound analysis in a single chromatographic technique with single injection, single column and single system. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Modeling of Shock Waves with Multiple Phase Transitions in Condensed Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Missonnier, Marc; Heuzé, Olivier

2006-07-01

When a shock wave crosses a solid material and subjects it to solid-solid or solid-liquid phase transition, related phenomena occur: shock splitting, and the corresponding released shock wave after reflection. Modelling of these phenomena raises physical and numerical issues. After shock loading, such materials can reach different kinds of states: single-phase states, binary-phase states, and triple points. The thermodynamic path can be studied and easily understood in the (V,E) or (V,S) planes. In the case of 3 phase tin (β,γ, and liquid) submitted to shock waves, seven states can occur: β,γ, liquid, β-γ, β-liquid, γ-liquid, and β-γ-liquid. After studying the thermodynamic properties with a complete 3-phase Equation of State, we show the existence of these seven states with a hydrodynamic simulation.

Single Laboratory Validated Method for Determination of Cylindrospermopsin and Anatoxin-a in Ambient Water by Liquid Chromatography/ Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS)

EPA Science Inventory

This product is an LC/MS/MS single laboratory validated method for the determination of cylindrospermopsin and anatoxin-a in ambient waters. The product contains step-by-step instructions for sample preparation, analyses, preservation, sample holding time and QC protocols to ensu...

First-principles Study of Phenol Hydrogenation on Pt and Ni Catalysts in Aqueous Phase

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

Yoon, Yeohoon; Rousseau, Roger J.; Weber, Robert S.

2014-07-23

The effects of aqueous phase on the reactivity of phenol hydrogenation over Pt and Ni catalysts were investigated using density functional theory based ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) calculations. The adsorption of phenol and the first hydrogenation steps via three carbon positions (ortho, meta and para) with respect to the phenolic OH group were studied in both vacuum and liquid phase conditions. To gain insight into how the aqueous phase affects the metal catalyst surface, increasing water environments including singly adsorbed water molecule, mono- (9 water molecules), double layers (24 water molecules), and the bulk liquid water which (52 watermore » molecules) on the Pt(111) and the Ni(111) surfaces were modeled. Compared to the vacuum/metal interfaces, AIMD simulation results suggest that the aqueous Pt(111) and Ni(111) interfaces have a lower metal work function in the order of 0.8 - 0.9 eV, thus, making the metals in aqueous phase stronger reducing agents and poorer oxidizing agents. Phenol adsorption from the aqueous phase is found to be slightly weaker that from the vapor phase. The first hydrogenation step of phenol at the ortho position of the phenolic ring is slightly favored over the other two positions. The polarization induced by the surrounding water molecules and the solvation effect play important roles in stabilizing the transition states associated with phenol hydrogenation by lowering the barriers of 0.1 - 0.4 eV. The detailed discussion on the basis of the interfacial electrostatics from the current study is very useful to understand the nature of a broader class of metal catalyzed reactions in liquid solution phase. This work was supported by the US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences and Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is a multiprogram national laboratory operated for DOE by Battelle. Computing time was granted by the grand challenge of computational catalysis of the William R. Wiley Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) and by the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC). EMSL is a national scientific user facility located at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and sponsored by DOE’s Office of Biological and Environmental Research.« less

A Classical Phase Space Framework For the Description of Supercooled Liquids and an Apparent Universal Viscosity Collapse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weingartner, Nicholas; Pueblo, Chris; Nogueira, Flavio; Kelton, Kenneth; Nussinov, Zohar

A fundamental understanding of the phenomenology of the metastable supercooled liquid state remains elusive. Two of the most pressing questions in this field are how to describe the temperature dependence of the viscosity, and determine whether or not the dynamical behaviors are universal. To address these questions, we have devised a simple first-principles classical phase space description of supercooled liquids that (along with a complementary quantum approach) predicts a unique functional form for the viscosity which relies on only a single parameter. We tested this form for 45 liquids of all types and fragilities, and have demonstrated that it provides a statistically significant fit to all liquids. Additionally, by scaling the viscosity of all studied liquids using the single parameter, we have observed a complete collapse of the data of all 45 liquids to a single scaling curve over 16 decades, suggesting an underlying universality in the dynamics of supercooled liquids. In this talk I will outline the basic approach of our model, as well as demonstrate the quality of the model performance and collapse of the data.

A combined volume-of-fluid method and low-Mach-number approach for DNS of evaporating droplets in turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dodd, Michael; Ferrante, Antonino

2017-11-01

Our objective is to perform DNS of finite-size droplets that are evaporating in isotropic turbulence. This requires fully resolving the process of momentum, heat, and mass transfer between the droplets and surrounding gas. We developed a combined volume-of-fluid (VOF) method and low-Mach-number approach to simulate this flow. The two main novelties of the method are: (i) the VOF algorithm captures the motion of the liquid gas interface in the presence of mass transfer due to evaporation and condensation without requiring a projection step for the liquid velocity, and (ii) the low-Mach-number approach allows for local volume changes caused by phase change while the total volume of the liquid-gas system is constant. The method is verified against an analytical solution for a Stefan flow problem, and the D2 law is verified for a single droplet in quiescent gas. We also demonstrate the schemes robustness when performing DNS of an evaporating droplet in forced isotropic turbulence.

Alcohol Oxidation at Platinum–Gas and Platinum–Liquid Interfaces: The Effect of Platinum Nanoparticle Size, Water Coadsorption, and Alcohol Concentration

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

Tatsumi, Hironori; Liu, Fudong; Han, Hui-Ling

Platinum nanoparticles size range from 1 to 8 nm deposited on mesoporous silica MCF-17 catalyzed alcohol oxidations were studied in the gas and liquid phases. Among methanol, ethanol, 2- propanol and 2-butanol reactions, the turnover frequency increased with Pt nanoparticle size for all the alcohols utilized. The activation energies for the oxidations were almost same among all alcohol species, but higher in the gas phase than those in the liquid phase. Water coadsorption poisoned the reaction in the gas phase, while it increased the reaction turnover rates in the liquid phase. Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy studies and DFTmore » calculations revealed that the alcohol molecules pack horizontally on the metal surface in low concentrations and stand up in high concentrations, which affect the dissociation of β-hydrogen of the alcohols as the critical step in alcohol oxidations.« less

Alcohol Oxidation at Platinum–Gas and Platinum–Liquid Interfaces: The Effect of Platinum Nanoparticle Size, Water Coadsorption, and Alcohol Concentration

DOE PAGES

Tatsumi, Hironori; Liu, Fudong; Han, Hui-Ling; ...

2017-03-21

Platinum nanoparticles size range from 1 to 8 nm deposited on mesoporous silica MCF-17 catalyzed alcohol oxidations were studied in the gas and liquid phases. Among methanol, ethanol, 2- propanol and 2-butanol reactions, the turnover frequency increased with Pt nanoparticle size for all the alcohols utilized. The activation energies for the oxidations were almost same among all alcohol species, but higher in the gas phase than those in the liquid phase. Water coadsorption poisoned the reaction in the gas phase, while it increased the reaction turnover rates in the liquid phase. Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy studies and DFTmore » calculations revealed that the alcohol molecules pack horizontally on the metal surface in low concentrations and stand up in high concentrations, which affect the dissociation of β-hydrogen of the alcohols as the critical step in alcohol oxidations.« less

Effective size selection of MoS2 nanosheets by a novel liquid cascade centrifugation: Influences of the flakes dimensions on electrochemical and photoelectrochemical applications.

PubMed

Kajbafvala, Marzieh; Farbod, Mansoor

2018-05-14

Although liquid phase exfoliation is a powerful method to produce MoS 2 nanosheets in large scale, but its effectiveness is limited by the diversity of produced nanosheets sizes. Here a novel approach for separation of MoS 2 flakes having various lateral sizes and thicknesses based on the cascaded centrifugation has been introduced. This method involves a pre-separation step which is performed through low-speed centrifugation to avoid the deposition of large area single and few-layers by the heavier particles. The bulk MoS 2 powders were dispersed in an aqueous solution of sodium cholate (SC) and sonicated for 12 h. The main separation step was performed using different speed centrifugation intervals of 10-11, 8-10, 6-8, 4-6, 2-4 and 0.5-2 krpm by which nanosheets containing 2, 4, 7, 8, 14, 18 and 29 layers were obtained respectively. The samples were characterized using XRD, FESEM, AFM, TEM, DLS and also UV-vis, Raman and PL spectroscopy measurements. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements have confirmed the existence of a larger number of single or few-layers MoS 2 nanosheets compared to when the pre-separation step was not used. Finally, Photocurrent and cyclic voltammetry of different samples were measured and found that the flakes with bigger surface area had larger CV loop area. Our results provide a method for the preparation of a MoS 2 monolayer enriched suspension which can be used for different applications. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Diffraction Efficiency of Thin Film Holographic Beam Steering Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Titus, Charles M.; Pouch, John; Nguyen, Hung; Miranda, Felix; Bos, Philip J.

2003-01-01

Dynamic holography has been demonstrated as a method for correcting aberrations in space deployable optics, and can also be used to achieve high-resolution beam steering in the same environment. In this paper, we consider some of the factors affecting the efficiency of these devices. Specifically, the effect on the efficiency of a highly collimated beam from the number of discrete phase steps per period is considered for a blazed thin film beam steering grating. The effect of the number of discrete phase steps per period on steering resolution is also considered. We also present some result of Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) calculations of light propagating through liquid crystal "blazed" gratings. Liquid crystal gratings are shown to spatially modulate both the phase and amplitude of the propagating light.

A Step Towards CO2-Neutral Aviation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brankovic, Andreja; Ryder, Robert C.; Hendricks, Robert C.; Huber, Marcia L.

2007-01-01

An approximation method for evaluation of the caloric equations used in combustion chemistry simulations is described. The method is applied to generate the equations of specific heat, static enthalpy, and Gibb's free energy for fuel mixtures of interest to gas turbine engine manufacturers. Liquid-phase fuel properties are also derived. The fuels include JP-8, synthetic fuel, and two fuel blends consisting of a mixture of JP-8 and synthetic fuel. The complete set of fuel property equations for both phases are implemented into a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) flow solver database, and multi-phase, reacting flow simulations of a well-tested liquid-fueled combustor are performed. The simulations are a first step in understanding combustion system performance and operational issues when using alternate fuels, at practical engine operating conditions.

A new approach to molecular dynamics with non-adiabatic and spin-orbit effects with applications to QM/MM simulations of thiophene and selenophene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pederzoli, Marek; Pittner, Jiří

2017-03-01

We present surface hopping dynamics on potential energy surfaces resulting from the spin-orbit splitting, i.e., surfaces corresponding to the eigenstates of the total electronic Hamiltonian including the spin-orbit coupling. In this approach, difficulties arise because of random phases of degenerate eigenvectors and possibility of crossings of the resulting mixed states. Our implementation solves these problems and allows propagation of the coefficients both in the representation of the spin free Hamiltonian and directly in the "diagonal representation" of the mixed states. We also provide a detailed discussion of the state crossing and point out several peculiarities that were not mentioned in the previous literature. We also incorporate the effect of the environment via the quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics approach. As a test case, we apply our methodology to deactivation of thiophene and selenophene in the gas phase, ethanol solution, and bulk liquid phase. First, 100 trajectories without spin-orbit coupling have been calculated for thiophene starting both in S1 and S2 states. A subset of 32 initial conditions starting in the S2 state was then used for gas phase simulations with spin-orbit coupling utilizing the 3-step integrator of SHARC, our implementation of the 3-step propagator in Newton-X and two new "one-step" approaches. Subsequently, we carried out simulations in ethanol solution and bulk liquid phase for both thiophene and selenophene. For both molecules, the deactivation of the S2 state proceeds via the ring opening pathway. The total population of triplet states reaches around 15% and 40% after 80 fs for thiophene and selenophene, respectively. However, it only begins growing after the ring opening is initiated; hence, the triplet states do not directly contribute to the deactivation mechanism. For thiophene, the resulting deactivation lifetime of the S2 state was 68 fs in the gas phase, 76 fs in ethanol solution, and 78 fs in the liquid phase, in a good agreement with the experimental value of 80 fs (liquid phase). For selenophene, the obtained S2 lifetime was 60 fs in the gas phase and 62 fs for both ethanol solution and liquid phase. The higher rate of intersystem crossing to the triplet states in selenophene is likely the reason for the lower fluorescence observed in selenium containing polymer compounds.

Application of ionic liquid in liquid phase microextraction technology.

PubMed

Han, Dandan; Tang, Baokun; Lee, Yu Ri; Row, Kyung Ho

2012-11-01

Ionic liquids (ILs) are novel nonmolecular solvents. Their unique properties, such as high thermal stability, tunable viscosity, negligible vapor pressure, nonflammability, and good solubility for inorganic and organic compounds, make them excellent candidates as extraction media for a range of microextraction techniques. Many physical properties of ILs can be varied, and the structural design can be tuned to impart the desired functionality and enhance the analyte extraction selectivity, efficiency, and sensitivity. This paper provides an overview of the applications of ILs in liquid phase microextraction technology, such as single-drop microextraction, hollow fiber based liquid phase microextraction, and dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction. The sensitivity, linear calibration range, and detection limits for a range of target analytes in the methods were analyzed to determine the advantages of ILs in liquid phase microextraction. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Numerical Simulations of Two-Phase Reacting Flow in a Single-Element Lean Direct Injection (LDI) Combustor Using NCC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Nan-Suey; Shih, Tsan-Hsing; Wey, C. Thomas

2011-01-01

A series of numerical simulations of Jet-A spray reacting flow in a single-element lean direct injection (LDI) combustor have been conducted by using the National Combustion Code (NCC). The simulations have been carried out using the time filtered Navier-Stokes (TFNS) approach ranging from the steady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS), unsteady RANS (URANS), to the dynamic flow structure simulation (DFS). The sub-grid model employed for turbulent mixing and combustion includes the well-mixed model, the linear eddy mixing (LEM) model, and the filtered mass density function (FDF/PDF) model. The starting condition of the injected liquid spray is specified via empirical droplet size correlation, and a five-species single-step global reduced mechanism is employed for fuel chemistry. All the calculations use the same grid whose resolution is of the RANS type. Comparisons of results from various models are presented.

Ionic liquid-based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction with back-extraction coupled with capillary electrophoresis to determine phenolic compounds.

PubMed

Zhou, Caihong; Tong, Shanshan; Chang, Yunxia; Jia, Qiong; Zhou, Weihong

2012-04-01

Ionic liquid (IL) based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) with back-extraction coupled with capillary electrophoresis ultraviolet detection was developed to determine four phenolic compounds (bisphenol-A, β-naphthol, α-naphthol, 2, 4-dichlorophenol) in aqueous cosmetics. The developed method was used to preconcentrate and clean up the four phenolic compounds including two steps. The analytes were transferred into room temperature ionic liquid (1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, [C(8) MIM][PF(6) ]) rich-phase in the first step. In the second step, the analytes were back-extracted into the alkaline aqueous phase. The effects of extraction parameters, such as type and volume of extraction solvent, type and volume of disperser, extraction and centrifugal time, sample pH, salt addition, and concentration and volume of NaOH in back-extraction were investigated. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the preconcentration factors were 60.1 for bisphenol-A, 52.7 for β-naphthol, 49.2 for α-naphthol, and 18.0 for 2, 4-dichlorophenol. The limits of detection for bisphenol-A, β-naphthol, α-naphthol and 2, 4-dichlorophenol were 5, 5, 8, and 100 ng mL(-1), respectively. Four kinds of aqueous cosmetics including toner, soften lotion, make-up remover, and perfume were analyzed and yielded recoveries ranging from 81.6% to 119.4%. The main advantages of the proposed method are quick, easy, cheap, and effective. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Pre-ordering of interfacial water in the pathway of heterogeneous ice nucleation does not lead to a two-step crystallization mechanism.

PubMed

Lupi, Laura; Peters, Baron; Molinero, Valeria

2016-12-07

According to Classical Nucleation Theory (CNT), the transition from liquid to crystal occurs in a single activated step with a transition state controlled by the size of the crystal embryo. This picture has been challenged in the last two decades by several reports of two-step crystallization processes in which the liquid first produces pre-ordered or dense domains, within which the crystal nucleates in a second step. Pre-ordering preceding crystal nucleation has been recently reported in simulations of ice crystallization, raising the question of whether the mechanism of ice nucleation involves two steps. In this paper, we investigate the heterogeneous nucleation of ice on carbon surfaces. We use molecular simulations with efficient coarse-grained models combined with rare event sampling methods and free energy calculations to elucidate the role of pre-ordering of liquid water at the carbon surface in the reaction coordinate for heterogeneous nucleation. We find that ice nucleation proceeds through a classical mechanism, with a single barrier between liquid and crystal. The reaction coordinate that determines the crossing of the nucleation barrier is the size of the crystal nucleus, as predicted by CNT. Wetting of the critical ice nuclei within pre-ordered domains decreases the nucleation barrier, increasing the nucleation rates. The preferential pathway for crystallization involves the early creation of pre-ordered domains that are the birthplace of the ice crystallites but do not represent a minimum in the free energy pathway from liquid to ice. We conclude that a preferential pathway through an intermediate-order precursor does not necessarily result in a two-step mechanism.

Investigation of Reaction Mechanism on the Lime-Free Roasting of Chromium-Containing Slag

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Kai-ping; Zhang, Hong-ling; Chen, Bo; Xu, Hong-bin; Zhang, Yi

2015-12-01

The lime-free roasting process of trivalent chromium-containing slag was investigated. The effect of Fe and liquid phase on the conversion reaction of chromium was discussed. The oxidation of trivalent chromium depends greatly on the diffusion of Na+ and O2. Both the raw material Na2CO3 and the intermediate product NaFeO2 serve as the carriers of Na+. The Na+ diffusion is improved by the binary liquid phase of Na2CrO4-Na2CO3, whereas excess liquid phase results in a low conversion rate of chromium by hindering the diffusion of oxygen towards the reaction interface. With the increasing of liquid volume, the controlled step of chromium oxidation changes from Na+ diffusion to oxygen diffusion. The mechanism study showed that the volume of liquid phase increased while raising the reaction temperature or prolonging the reaction time. Based on the role of both liquid phase and Fe, the oxidation process of chromium was summarized as a three-stage model: the Na+ diffusion-controlled stage, the O2 diffusion-controlled stage, and the oxidation reaction halted stage.

Hydrogenation of succinic acid to 1,4-butanediol over rhenium catalyst supported on copper-containing mesoporous carbon.

PubMed

Hong, Ung Gi; Park, Hai Woong; Lee, Joongwon; Hwang, Sunhwan; Kwak, Jimin; Yi, Jongheop; Song, In Kyu

2013-11-01

Copper-containing mesoporous carbon (Cu-MC) was prepared by a single-step surfactant-templating method. For comparison, copper-impregnated mesoporous carbon (Cu/MC) was also prepared by a surfactant-templating method and a subsequent impregnation method. Rhenium catalysts supported on copper-containing mesoporous carbon and copper-impregnated mesoporous carbon (Re/Cu-MC and Re/Cu/MC, respectively) were then prepared by an incipient wetness method, and they were applied to the liquid-phase hydrogenation of succinic acid to 1,4-butanediol (BDO). It was observed that copper in the Re/Cu-MC catalyst was well incorporated into carbon framework, resulting in higher surface area and larger pore volume than those of Re/Cu/MC catalyst. Therefore, Re/Cu-MC catalyst showed higher copper dispersion than Re/Cu/MC catalyst, although both catalysts retained the same amounts of copper and rhenium. In the liquid-phase hydrogenation of succinic acid to BDO, Re/Cu-MC catalyst showed a better catalytic activity than Re/Cu/MC catalyst. Fine dispersion of copper in the Re/Cu-MC catalyst was responsible for its enhanced catalytic activity.

Chiral liquid phase of simple quantum magnets

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

Wang, Zhentao; Feiguin, Adrian E.; Zhu, Wei

2017-11-07

We study a T=0 quantum phase transition between a quantum paramagnetic state and a magnetically ordered state for a spin S=1 XXZ Heisenberg antiferromagnet on a two-dimensional triangular lattice. The transition is induced by an easy-plane single-ion anisotropy D. At the mean-field level, the system undergoes a direct transition at a critical D=D c between a paramagnetic state at D>D c and an ordered state with broken U(1) symmetry at Dc. We show that beyond mean field the phase diagram is very different and includes an intermediate, partially ordered chiral liquid phase. Specifically, we find that inside the paramagnetic phasemore » the Ising (J z) component of the Heisenberg exchange binds magnons into a two-particle bound state with zero total momentum and spin. This bound state condenses at D>D c, before single-particle excitations become unstable, and gives rise to a chiral liquid phase, which spontaneously breaks spatial inversion symmetry, but leaves the spin-rotational U(1) and time-reversal symmetries intact. This chiral liquid phase is characterized by a finite vector chirality without long-range dipolar magnetic order. In our analytical treatment, the chiral phase appears for arbitrarily small J z because the magnon-magnon attraction becomes singular near the single-magnon condensation transition. This phase exists in a finite range of D and transforms into the magnetically ordered state at some Dc. In conclusion, we corroborate our analytic treatment with numerical density matrix renormalization group calculations.« less

Simultaneous determination of vinclozolin and detection of its degradation products in mouse plasma, serum and urine, and from rabbit bile, by high-performance liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Dhananjeyan, Mugunthu R; Erhardt, Paul W; Corbitt, Cynthia

2006-05-19

A specific high-performance liquid chromatography method has been developed for simultaneous detection of vinclozolin and its degradation products (M1, M2, and M3). The method has been validated according to ICH guidelines and can be extended to quantitation of vinclozolin. A base-line separation of vinclozolin and its degradation products was found with symmetrical peak shapes on an XTerra MS C18 column using 10 mM ammonium bicarbonate at pH 9.2 and acetonitrile as mobile phase. The retention times of vinclozolin, M1, M2, and M3 were 12.8, 8.1, 11.6, and 11.1 min, respectively. A linear calibration curve was obtained across a range from 5 to 200 microM for vinclozolin. The intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations (%RSD) were <1%. Greater than 90% recoveries of vinclozolin from bio-fluids including mouse plasma, serum and urine, and rabbit bile, were obtained in a single step with a single solvent.

Comparison between polymerized ionic liquids synthesized using chain-growth and step-growth mechanisms used as stationary phase in gas chromatography.

PubMed

Roeleveld, Kevin; David, Frank; Lynen, Frédéric

2016-06-17

In this study the merits of polymerized imidazolium based ionic liquid (PIL) stationary phases obtained via condensation and free radical polymerizations are compared as stationary phases in gas chromatography (GC). Poly(1-vinyl-3-butyl-imidazolium - bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide) (poly(ViC4Im(+) NTf2(-))) was obtained via a chain-growth mechanism while poly(propylimidazolium-NTf2) (poly(C3Im(+) NTf2(-))) was synthesized via a step-growth polymerization. The thermal stability of both polymers was assessed using thermal gravimetric analysis and compared with bleeding profiles obtained from the statically coated GC columns (30m×0.25mm×0.25μm). The performance was compared to what could be obtained on commercially available 1,5-di(2,3-dimethylimidazolium)pentane(2+) 2NTf2(-) (SLB-IL111) ionic liquid based columns. It was observed that the step-growth polymer was more thermally stable, up to 325°C, while the chain-growth polymer showed initial degradation at 250°C. Both polymers allowed reaching minimal plate heights of 0.400-0.500mm for retained solutes such as benzaldehyde, acetophenone, 1-methylnaphthalene and aniline. Assessment of the McReynolds constants illustrated that the polarity of the step-growth polymer was similar to the SLB-IL111 column, while displaying improved column stability. The PIL phases and particularly the so far little studied condensation based polymer shows particular retention and satisfactory column performance for polar moieties such as esters, amine and carbonyl functionalities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Program of Research on Microfabrication Techniques for VLSI Magnetic Devices.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-10-01

contribution to the implantation- induced uniaxial anisotropy field change. BACKGROUND Magnetic garnet films are grown by liquid phase epitaxy ( LPE ) on non...a single crystal, non-magnetic garnet substrate by the liquid phase epitaxy ( LPE ) method. These thin films , usually one to three microns in thickness...microscopy. Experimental Procedures Films of (SmYGdTm)3Ca0a.Fe4.6012 garnet were grown by liquid phase epitaxy ( LPE ) on gadolinium-gallium garnet (GGG

Observations and implications of liquid–liquid phase separation at high relative humidities in secondary organic material produced by α-pinene ozonolysis without inorganic salts

DOE PAGES

Renbaum-Wolff, Lindsay; Song, Mijung; Marcolli, Claudia; ...

2016-07-01

Particles consisting of secondary organic material (SOM) are abundant in the atmosphere. In order to predict the role of these particles in climate, visibility and atmospheric chemistry, information on particle phase state (i.e., single liquid, two liquids and solid) is needed. Our paper focuses on the phase state of SOM particles free of inorganic salts produced by the ozonolysis of α-pinene. Phase transitions were investigated in the laboratory using optical microscopy and theoretically using a thermodynamic model at 290 K and for relative humidities ranging from < 0.5 to 100%. In the laboratory studies, a single phase was observed frommore » 0 to 95% relative humidity (RH) while two liquid phases were observed above 95% RH. For increasing RH, the mechanism of liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) was spinodal decomposition. The RH range over which two liquid phases were observed did not depend on the direction of RH change. In the modeling studies, the SOM took up very little water and was a single organic-rich phase at low RH values. At high RH, the SOM underwent LLPS to form an organic-rich phase and a water-rich phase, consistent with the laboratory studies. The presence of LLPS at high RH values can have consequences for the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activity of SOM particles. In the simulated Köhler curves for SOM particles, two local maxima were observed. Depending on the composition of the SOM, the first or second maximum can determine the critical supersaturation for activation. Recently researchers have observed inconsistencies between measured CCN properties of SOM particles and hygroscopic growth measured below water saturation (i.e., hygroscopic parameters measured below water saturation were inconsistent with hygroscopic parameters measured above water saturation). Furthermore, the work presented here illustrates that such inconsistencies are expected for systems with LLPS when the water uptake at subsaturated conditions represents the hygroscopicity of an organic-rich phase while the barrier for CCN activation can be determined by the second maximum in the Köhler curve when the particles are water rich.« less

Molecular Analyzer for Complex Refractory Organic-Rich Surfaces (MACROS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Getty, Stephanie A.; Cook, Jamie E.; Balvin, Manuel; Brinckerhoff, William B.; Li, Xiang; Grubisic, Andrej; Cornish, Timothy; Ferrance, Jerome; Southard, Adrian

2017-01-01

The Molecular Analyzer for Complex Refractory Organic-rich Surfaces, MACROS, is a novel instrument package being developed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. MACROS enables the in situ characterization of a sample's composition by coupling two powerful techniques into one compact instrument package: (1) laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LDMS) for broad detection of inorganic mineral composition and non-volatile organics, and (2) liquid-phase extraction methods to gently isolate the soluble organic and inorganic fraction of a planetary powder for enrichment and detailed analysis by liquid chromatographic separation coupled to LDMS. The LDMS is capable of positive and negative ion detection, precision mass selection, and fragment analysis. Two modes are included for LDMS: single laser LDMS as the broad survey mode and two step laser mass spectrometry (L2MS). The liquid-phase extraction will be done in a newly designed extraction module (EM) prototype, providing selectivity in the analysis of a complex sample. For the sample collection, a diamond drill front end will be used to collect rock/icy powder. With all these components and capabilities together, MACROS offers a versatile analytical instrument for a mission targeting an icy moon, carbonaceous asteroid, or comet, to fully characterize the surface composition and advance our understanding of the chemical inventory present on that body.

Gas-Liquid Processing in Microchannels

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

TeGrotenhuis, Ward E.; Stenkamp, Victoria S.; Twitchell, Alvin

Processing gases and liquids together in microchannels having at least one dimension <1 mm has unique advantages for rapid heat and mass transfer. One approach for managing the two phases is to use porous structures as wicks within microchannels to segregate the liquid phase from the gas phase. Gas-liquid processing is accomplished by providing a gas flow path and inducing flow of the liquid phase through or along the wick under an induced pressure gradient. A variety of unit operations are enabled, including phase separation, partial condensation, absorption, desorption, and distillation. Results are reported of an investigation of microchannel phasemore » separation in a transparent, single-channel device. Next, heat exchange is integrated with the microchannel wick approach to create a partial condenser that also separates the condensate. Finally, the scale-up to a multi-channel phase separator is described.« less

Single-laboratory validation of a high-performance liquid chromatographic-diode array detector-fluorescence detector/mass spectrometric method for simultaneous determination of water-soluble vitamins in multivitamin dietary tablets.

PubMed

Chen, Pei; Atkinson, Renata; Wolf, Wayne R

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a single-laboratory validated (SLV) method using high-performance liquid chromatography with different detectors [diode array detector (DAD); fluorescence detector (FLD); and mass spectrometry (MS)] for determination of 7 B-complex vitamins (B1-thiamin, B2-riboflavin, B3-nicotinamide, B6-pyridoxine, B9-folic acid, pantothenic acid, and biotin) and vitamin C in multivitamin/multimineral dietary supplements. The method involves the use of a reversed-phase octadecylsilyl column (4 microm, 250 x 2.0 mm id) and a gradient mobile phase profile. Gradient elution was performed at a flow rate of 0.25 mL/min. After a 5 min isocratic elution at 100% A (0.1% formic acid in water), a linear gradient to 50% A and 50% B (0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile) at 15 min was employed. Detection was performed with a DAD as well as either an FLD or a triple-quadrupole MS detector in the multiple reaction monitoring mode. SLV was performed using Standard Reference Material (SRM) 3280 Multivitamin/Multimineral Tablets, being developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, with support by the Office of Dietary Supplements of the National Institutes of Health. Phosphate buffer (10 mM, pH 2.0) extracts of the NIST SRM 3280 were analyzed by the liquid chromatographic (LC)-DAD-FLDIMS method. Following extraction, the method does not require any sample cleanup/preconcentration steps except centrifugation and filtration.

Single-Laboratory Validation of a High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic-Diode Array Detector-Fluorescence Detector/Mass Spectrometric Method for Simultaneous Determination of Water-Soluble Vitamins in Multivitamin Dietary Tablets

PubMed Central

Chen, Pei; Atkinson, Renata; Wolf, Wayne R.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a single-laboratory validated (SLV) method using high-performance liquid chromatography with different detectors [diode array detector (DAD); fluorescence detector (FLD); and mass spectrometry (MS)] for determination of 7 B-complex vitamins (B1-thiamin, B2-riboflavin, B3-nicotinamide, B6-pyridoxine, B9-folic acid, pantothenic acid, and biotin) and vitamin C in multivitamin/multimineral dietary supplements. The method involves the use of a reversed-phase octadecylsilyl column (4 µm, 250 × 2.0 mm id) and a gradient mobile phase profile. Gradient elution was performed at a flow rate of 0.25 mL/min. After a 5 min isocratic elution at 100% A (0.1% formic acid in water), a linear gradient to 50% A and 50% B (0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile) at 15 min was employed. Detection was performed with a DAD as well as either an FLD or a triple-quadrupole MS detector in the multiple reaction monitoring mode. SLV was performed using Standard Reference Material (SRM) 3280 Multivitamin/Multimineral Tablets, being developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, with support by the Office of Dietary Supplements of the National Institutes of Health. Phosphate buffer (10 mM, pH 2.0) extracts of the NIST SRM 3280 were analyzed by the liquid chromatographic (LC)-DAD-FLD/MS method. Following extraction, the method does not require any sample cleanup/preconcentration steps except centrifugation and filtration. PMID:19485230

Effect of film thickness on morphological evolution in dewetting and crystallization of polystyrene/poly(ε-caprolactone) blend films.

PubMed

Ma, Meng; He, Zhoukun; Yang, Jinghui; Chen, Feng; Wang, Ke; Zhang, Qin; Deng, Hua; Fu, Qiang

2011-11-01

In this Article, the morphological evolution in the blend thin film of polystyrene (PS)/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) was investigated via mainly AFM. It was found that an enriched two-layer structure with PS at the upper layer and PCL at the bottom layer was formed during spinning coating. By changing the solution concentration, different kinds of crystal morphologies, such as finger-like, dendritic, and spherulitic-like, could be obtained at the bottom PCL layer. These different initial states led to the morphological evolution processes to be quite different from each other, so the phase separation, dewetting, and crystalline morphology of PS/PCL blend films as a function of time were studied. It was interesting to find that the morphological evolution of PS at the upper layer was largely dependent on the film thickness. For the ultrathin (15 nm) blend film, a liquid-solid/liquid-liquid dewetting-wetting process was observed, forming ribbons that rupture into discrete circular PS islands on voronoi finger-like PCL crystal. For the thick (30 nm) blend film, the liquid-liquid dewetting of the upper PS layer from the underlying adsorbed PCL layer was found, forming interconnected rim structures that rupture into discrete circular PS islands embedded in the single lamellar PCL dendritic crystal due to Rayleigh instability. For the thicker (60 nm) blend film, a two-step liquid-liquid dewetting process with regular holes decorated with dendritic PCL crystal at early annealing stage and small holes decorated with spherulite-like PCL crystal among the early dewetting holes at later annealing stage was observed. The mechanism of this unusual morphological evolution process was discussed on the basis of the entropy effect and annealing-induced phase separation.

Single domain YBa2Cu3Oy thick films on metallic substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reddy, E. S.; Noudem, J. G.; Goodilin, E. A.; Tarka, M.; Schmitz, G. J.

2003-03-01

The fabrication of single domain YBa2Cu3Oy (123) thick films (10-100 mum) on metallic substrates is reported. The process involves the formation of the 123 phase by a peritectic reaction between an air-brushed dense Y2BaCuO5 (211) layer on a Ag12Pd substrate and infiltrated liquid phases containing barium cuprates and copper oxides. Single domain growth is achieved by seeding the green films with a c-axis oriented NdBa2Cu3Oy crystal prior to processing. The maximum processing temperatures are lowered to 970 °C by modifying the characteristics of the liquid phases meant for infiltration by addition of Ag powder. The fabrication technique, processing conditions for single domain growth and the resulting microstructures are discussed.

Monitoring the formation of inorganic fullerene-like MoS2 nanostructures by laser ablation in liquid environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Compagnini, Giuseppe; Sinatra, Marco G.; Messina, Gabriele C.; Patanè, Giacomo; Scalese, Silvia; Puglisi, Orazio

2012-05-01

Laser ablation of solid targets in liquid media is emerging as a simple, clean and reproducible way to generate a large number of intriguing nanometric structures with peculiar properties. In this work we present some results on the formation of MoS2 fullerene-like nanoparticles (10-15 nm diameter) obtained by the ablation of crystalline targets in water. Such a top-down approach can be considered greener than standard sulphidization reactions and represents an intriguing single step procedure. The generation of the MoS2 nanostructures is in competition with that of oxide clusters and strongly depends on the oxidative environment created by the plasma plume. The size, shape and crystalline phase of the obtained nanoparticles are studied by microscopy while X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy is used to investigate the chemical state of produced nanostructures and to propose mechanisms for their growth.

Thin Film CuInS2 Prepared by Spray Pyrolysis with Single-Source Precursors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jin, Michael H.; Banger, Kulinder K.; Harris, Jerry D.; Cowen, Jonathan E.; Hepp, Aloysius F.; Lyons, Valerie (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Both horizontal hot-wall and vertical cold-wall atmospheric chemical spray pyrolysis processes deposited near single-phase stoichiometric CuInS2 thin films. Single-source precursors developed for ternary chalcopyrite materials were used for this study, and a new liquid phase single-source precursor was tested with a vertical cold-wall reactor. The depositions were carried out under an argon atmosphere, and the substrate temperature was kept at 400 C. Columnar grain structure was obtained with vapor deposition, and the granular structure was obtained with (liquid) droplet deposition. Conductive films were deposited with planar electrical resistivities ranging from 1 to 30 Omega x cm.

Control of disinfection by-products in canned vegetables caused by water used in their processing.

PubMed

Cardador, Maria Jose; Gallego, Mercedes

2017-01-01

Canned vegetables come into contact with sanitizers and/or treated water in industry during several steps (namely washing, sanitising, blanching and filling with sauces or brine solutions) and therefore they can contain disinfection by-products - DBPs). This study focused on the occurrence of trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) in a wide variety of canned vegetables (75 samples). For each vegetable, the edible solid and liquid phases of the package were separated and analysed individually. DBPs can be present in both solid (up to eight species) and liquid (up to 11 species) phases, their levels being higher in liquid ones. Volatile THMs predominate in the edible solid phase (up to four species), while HAAs do so in the liquid phase (up to five species) according to their ionic and non-volatile nature. The lowest concentrations of DBPs were found in tomatoes because they were often preserved in their own juice, without water.

A path towards uncertainty assignment in an operational cloud-phase algorithm from ARM vertically pointing active sensors

DOE PAGES

Riihimaki, Laura D.; Comstock, Jennifer M.; Anderson, Kevin K.; ...

2016-06-10

Knowledge of cloud phase (liquid, ice, mixed, etc.) is necessary to describe the radiative impact of clouds and their lifetimes, but is a property that is difficult to simulate correctly in climate models. One step towards improving those simulations is to make observations of cloud phase with sufficient accuracy to help constrain model representations of cloud processes. In this study, we outline a methodology using a basic Bayesian classifier to estimate the probabilities of cloud-phase class from Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) vertically pointing active remote sensors. The advantage of this method over previous ones is that it provides uncertainty informationmore » on the phase classification. We also test the value of including higher moments of the cloud radar Doppler spectrum than are traditionally used operationally. Using training data of known phase from the Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment (M-PACE) field campaign, we demonstrate a proof of concept for how the method can be used to train an algorithm that identifies ice, liquid, mixed phase, and snow. Over 95 % of data are identified correctly for pure ice and liquid cases used in this study. Mixed-phase and snow cases are more problematic to identify correctly. When lidar data are not available, including additional information from the Doppler spectrum provides substantial improvement to the algorithm. As a result, this is a first step towards an operational algorithm and can be expanded to include additional categories such as drizzle with additional training data.« less

A path towards uncertainty assignment in an operational cloud-phase algorithm from ARM vertically pointing active sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riihimaki, Laura D.; Comstock, Jennifer M.; Anderson, Kevin K.; Holmes, Aimee; Luke, Edward

2016-06-01

Knowledge of cloud phase (liquid, ice, mixed, etc.) is necessary to describe the radiative impact of clouds and their lifetimes, but is a property that is difficult to simulate correctly in climate models. One step towards improving those simulations is to make observations of cloud phase with sufficient accuracy to help constrain model representations of cloud processes. In this study, we outline a methodology using a basic Bayesian classifier to estimate the probabilities of cloud-phase class from Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) vertically pointing active remote sensors. The advantage of this method over previous ones is that it provides uncertainty information on the phase classification. We also test the value of including higher moments of the cloud radar Doppler spectrum than are traditionally used operationally. Using training data of known phase from the Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment (M-PACE) field campaign, we demonstrate a proof of concept for how the method can be used to train an algorithm that identifies ice, liquid, mixed phase, and snow. Over 95 % of data are identified correctly for pure ice and liquid cases used in this study. Mixed-phase and snow cases are more problematic to identify correctly. When lidar data are not available, including additional information from the Doppler spectrum provides substantial improvement to the algorithm. This is a first step towards an operational algorithm and can be expanded to include additional categories such as drizzle with additional training data.

Study of a Multi-phase Hybrid Heat Exchanger-Reaction (HEX Reactor): Part 1 - Experimental Characterization

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

considerably higher frictional losses than if the liquid and gas phases were simply injected at the inlet as in references [11,12]. Although the...individual channel face opposite directions to form a tor- tuous network of crisscrossing passageways. Fluid streams direc - ted along the upper and...gravity SP single-phase TP two-phase c corrugated section e equivalent g gas phase h hydraulic l liquid phase pp port-to-port N. Niedbalski et al

Voluntary stepping behavior under single- and dual-task conditions in chronic stroke survivors: A comparison between the involved and uninvolved legs.

PubMed

Melzer, Itshak; Goldring, Melissa; Melzer, Yehudit; Green, Elad; Tzedek, Irit

2010-12-01

If balance is lost, quick step execution can prevent falls. Research has shown that speed of voluntary stepping was able to predict future falls in old adults. The aim of the study was to investigate voluntary stepping behavior, as well as to compare timing and leg push-off force-time relation parameters of involved and uninvolved legs in stroke survivors during single- and dual-task conditions. We also aimed to compare timing and leg push-off force-time relation parameters between stroke survivors and healthy individuals in both task conditions. Ten stroke survivors performed a voluntary step execution test with their involved and uninvolved legs under two conditions: while focusing only on the stepping task and while a separate attention-demanding task was performed simultaneously. Temporal parameters related to the step time were measured including the duration of the step initiation phase, the preparatory phase, the swing phase, and the total step time. In addition, force-time parameters representing the push-off power during stepping were calculated from ground reaction data and compared with 10 healthy controls. The involved legs of stroke survivors had a significantly slower stepping time than uninvolved legs due to increased swing phase duration during both single- and dual-task conditions. For dual compared to single task, the stepping time increased significantly due to a significant increase in the duration of step initiation. In general, the force time parameters were significantly different in both legs of stroke survivors as compared to healthy controls, with no significant effect of dual compared with single-task conditions in both groups. The inability of stroke survivors to swing the involved leg quickly may be the most significant factor contributing to the large number of falls to the paretic side. The results suggest that stroke survivors were unable to rapidly produce muscle force in fast actions. This may be the mechanism of delayed execution of a fast step when balance is lost, thus increasing the likelihood of falls in stroke survivors. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

M13 bacteriophage purification using poly(ionic liquids) as alternative separation matrices.

PubMed

Jacinto, Maria João; Patinha, David J S; Marrucho, Isabel M; Gonçalves, João; Willson, Richard C; Azevedo, Ana M; Aires-Barros, M Raquel

2018-01-12

M13 is a filamentous, non-lytic bacteriophage that infects Escherichia coli via the F pilus. Currently, phage M13 is widely used in phage display technology and bio-nanotechnology, and is considered a possible antibacterial therapeutic agent, among other applications. Conventional phage purification involves 5-7 operational steps, with high operational costs and significant product loss (approximately 60%). In this work, we propose a scalable purification process for M13 bacteriophage using a novel stationary phase based on a polymeric ionic liquid (PIL) with a positively charged backbone structure. Poly (1-vinyl-3-ethyl imidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide) - poly(VEIM-TFSI) predominantly acted as an anion exchanger under binding-elution mode. This revealed to be a rapid and simple method for the recovery of phage M13 with an overall separation yield of over 70% after a single downstream step. To the best of our knowledge, PILs have never been used as separation matrices for biological products and the results obtained, together with the large number of cations and anions available to prepare PILs, illustrate well the large potential of the proposed methodology. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Jet-mixing of initially-stratified liquid-liquid pipe flows: experiments and numerical simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, Stuart; Ibarra-Hernandes, Roberto; Xie, Zhihua; Markides, Christos; Matar, Omar

2016-11-01

Low pipeline velocities lead to stratification and so-called 'phase slip' in horizontal liquid-liquid flows due to differences in liquid densities and viscosities. Stratified flows have no suitable single point for sampling, from which average phase properties (e.g. fractions) can be established. Inline mixing, achieved by static mixers or jets in cross-flow (JICF), is often used to overcome liquid-liquid stratification by establishing unstable two-phase dispersions for sampling. Achieving dispersions in liquid-liquid pipeline flows using JICF is the subject of this experimental and modelling work. The experimental facility involves a matched refractive index liquid-liquid-solid system, featuring an ETFE test section, and experimental liquids which are silicone oil and a 51-wt% glycerol solution. The matching then allows the dispersed fluid phase fractions and velocity fields to be established through advanced optical techniques, namely PLIF (for phase) and PTV or PIV (for velocity fields). CFD codes using the volume of a fluid (VOF) method are then used to demonstrate JICF breakup and dispersion in stratified pipeline flows. A number of simple jet configurations are described and their dispersion effectiveness is compared with the experimental results. Funding from Cameron for Ph.D. studentship (SW) gratefully acknowledged.

Development and validation of a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the separation of conjugated and unconjugated 17alpha- and 17beta-boldenone in urine sample.

PubMed

Gasparini, Mara; Assini, Walter; Bozzoni, Eros; Tognoli, Nadia; Dusi, Guglielmo

2007-03-14

Natural occurrence or illegal treatment of boldenone (BOLD) presence in cattle urine is under debate within the European Union. Separation of conjugated and unconjugated forms of 17alpha-boldenone (alpha-BOLD) and 17beta-boldenone (beta-BOLD) and presence of related molecules as androsta-1,4-diene-3,17-dione (ADD) appear critical points for the decision of an illegal use. The aim of this study is a new analytical approach of BOLD and ADD confirmation in cattle urine. The separation between conjugated and unconjugated forms of BOLD was obtained by a preliminary urine liquid-liquid extraction step with ethyl acetate. In this step the organic phase extracts only unconjugated BOLD and ADD, while BOLD in conjugated form remain in urine phase. Afterwards the urine phase, contains conjugated BOLD, was subjected to an enzymatic deconjugation. Solid-phase extraction (OASIS-HLB Waters) was used for the purification and concentration of analytes in organic and urine phases and liquid chromatography ion electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) was applied for the confirmation of BOLD and ADD, using deuterium-labelled 17beta-boldenone (BOLD-d3) as internal standard. The method was validated as a quantitative confirmatory method according to the Commission Decision 2002/657/CE. The results obtained demonstrate that the developed method show very high specificity, precision, trueness and ruggedness. Decision limits (CCalpha) smaller than 0.5 ng mL(-1) were obtained for each analyte.

Phase Transitions in the Nucleus: the functional implications of concentration-dependent assembly of a Liquid-like RNA/Protein Body

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Lian; Weber, Stephanie; Berry, Joel; Vaidya, Nilesh; Haataja, Mikko; Brangwynne, Clifford

2015-03-01

The nucleolus is a liquid-like membrane-less nuclear body which plays an important role in cell growth and size control. By modulating nucleolar component concentration through RNAi conditions that change C. elegans cell size, we find that nucleoli only assemble above a threshold concentration; moreover, the ripening dynamics of nucleated droplets are consistent with the hypothesis that the assembly of the nucleolus represents an intracellular liquid-liquid phase transition. A key question is how this phase-transition is linked to the primary function of the nucleolus, in transcribing and processing ribosomal RNA. To address this, we characterize the localization of RNA Polymerase I, a key transcriptional enzyme, into nucleolar foci as a function of nucleolar component concentration. Our results suggest that there are a small number of key disordered phosphoproteins that may serve as a link between transcription and assembly. Finally, we present preliminary results using a reduced model system consisting of purified nucleolar proteins to assess the ability of nucleolar proteins to drive liquid-liquid phase separation in vitro. These results lay the foundation for a quantitative understanding of intracellular phase transitions and their impact on biomedically-critical RNA-processing steps.

Multiresidue analysis of sulfonamides, quinolones, and tetracyclines in animal tissues by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhiwen; Li, Xiaowei; Ding, Shuangyang; Jiang, Haiyang; Shen, Jianzhong; Xia, Xi

2016-08-01

A multiresidue method for the efficient identification and quantification of 38 compounds from 3 different classes of antibiotics (tetracyclines, sulfonamides, and quinolones) in animal tissues has been developed. The method optimization involved the selection of extraction solutions, comparison of different solid-phase extraction cartridges and different mobile phases. As a result, the samples were extracted with Mcllvaine and phosphate buffers, followed by clean-up step based on solid-phase extraction with Oasis HLB cartridge. All compounds were determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, in one single injection with a chromatographic run time of only 9min. The method efficiency was evaluated in 5 tissues including muscle, liver, and kidney, and the mean recoveries ranged from 54% to 102%, with inter-day relative standard deviation lower than 14%. The limits of quantification were between 0.5 and 10μg/kg, which were satisfactory to support future surveillance monitoring. The developed method was applied to the analysis of swine liver and chicken samples from local markets, and sulfamethazine was the most commonly detected compound in the animal samples, with the highest residue level of 998μg/kg. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Control of ice chromatographic retention mechanism by changing temperature and dopant concentration.

PubMed

Tasaki, Yuiko; Okada, Tetsuo

2011-12-15

A liquid phase coexists with solid water ice in a typical binary system, such as NaCl-water, in the temperature range between the freezing point and the eutectic point (t(eu)) of the system. In ice chromatography with salt-doped ice as the stationary phase, both solid and liquid phase can contribute to solute retention in different fashions; that is, the solid ice surface acts as an adsorbent, while a solute can be partitioned into the liquid phase. Thus, both adsorption and partition mechanisms can be utilized for ice chromatographic separation. An important feature in this approach is that the liquid phase volume can be varied by changing the temperature and the concentration of a salt incorporated into the ice stationary phase. Thus, we can control the relative contribution from the partition mechanism in the entire retention because the liquid phase volume can be estimated from the freezing depression curve. Separation selectivity can thereby be modified. The applicability of this concept has been confirmed for the solutes of different adsorption and partition abilities. The predicted retention based on thermodynamics basically agrees well with the corresponding experimental retention. However, one important inconsistency has been found. The calculation predicts a step-like discontinuity of the solute retention at t(eu) because the phase diagram suggests that the liquid phase abruptly appears at t(eu) when the temperature increases. In contrast, the corresponding experimental plots are continuous over the wider range including the subeutectic temperatures. This discrepancy is explained by the existence of the liquid phase below t(eu). A difference between predicted and measured retention factors allows the estimation of the volume of the subeutectic liquid phase.

Motion-induced error reduction by combining Fourier transform profilometry with phase-shifting profilometry.

PubMed

Li, Beiwen; Liu, Ziping; Zhang, Song

2016-10-03

We propose a hybrid computational framework to reduce motion-induced measurement error by combining the Fourier transform profilometry (FTP) and phase-shifting profilometry (PSP). The proposed method is composed of three major steps: Step 1 is to extract continuous relative phase maps for each isolated object with single-shot FTP method and spatial phase unwrapping; Step 2 is to obtain an absolute phase map of the entire scene using PSP method, albeit motion-induced errors exist on the extracted absolute phase map; and Step 3 is to shift the continuous relative phase maps from Step 1 to generate final absolute phase maps for each isolated object by referring to the absolute phase map with error from Step 2. Experiments demonstrate the success of the proposed computational framework for measuring multiple isolated rapidly moving objects.

Single Laboratory Validated Method for Determination of Microcystins and Nodularin in Ambient Freshwaters by Solid Phase Extraction and Liquid Chromatography/ Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document is a standardized, single laboratory validated liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method for the detection of cyanotoxins—microsystins and nodularin (combined intracellular and extracellular)—in ambient freshwaters.

Single-phase and two-phase anaerobic digestion of fruit and vegetable waste: Comparison of start-up, reactor stability and process performance

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

Ganesh, Rangaraj; Torrijos, Michel, E-mail: michel.torrijos@supagro.inra.fr; Sousbie, Philippe

Highlights: • Single-phase and two-phase systems were compared for fruit and vegetable waste digestion. • Single-phase digestion produced a methane yield of 0.45 m{sup 3} CH{sub 4}/kg VS and 83% VS removal. • Substrate solubilization was high in acidification conditions at 7.0 kg VS/m{sup 3} d and pH 5.5–6.2. • Energy yield was lower by 33% for two-phase system compared to the single-phase system. • Simple and straight-forward operation favored single phase process over two-phase process. - Abstract: Single-phase and two-phase digestion of fruit and vegetable waste were studied to compare reactor start-up, reactor stability and performance (methane yield, volatilemore » solids reduction and energy yield). The single-phase reactor (SPR) was a conventional reactor operated at a low loading rate (maximum of 3.5 kg VS/m{sup 3} d), while the two-phase system consisted of an acidification reactor (TPAR) and a methanogenic reactor (TPMR). The TPAR was inoculated with methanogenic sludge similar to the SPR, but was operated with step-wise increase in the loading rate and with total recirculation of reactor solids to convert it into acidification sludge. Before each feeding, part of the sludge from TPAR was centrifuged, the centrifuge liquid (solubilized products) was fed to the TPMR and centrifuged solids were recycled back to the reactor. Single-phase digestion produced a methane yield of 0.45 m{sup 3} CH{sub 4}/kg VS fed and VS removal of 83%. The TPAR shifted to acidification mode at an OLR of 10.0 kg VS/m{sup 3} d and then achieved stable performance at 7.0 kg VS/m{sup 3} d and pH 5.5–6.2, with very high substrate solubilization rate and a methane yield of 0.30 m{sup 3} CH{sub 4}/kg COD fed. The two-phase process was capable of high VS reduction, but material and energy balance showed that the single-phase process was superior in terms of volumetric methane production and energy yield by 33%. The lower energy yield of the two-phase system was due to the loss of energy during hydrolysis in the TPAR and the deficit in methane production in the TPMR attributed to COD loss due to biomass synthesis and adsorption of hard COD onto the flocs. These results including the complicated operational procedure of the two-phase process and the economic factors suggested that the single-phase process could be the preferred system for FVW.« less

Fabrication of single domain GdBCO bulk superconductors by a new modified TSIG technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, W. M.; Zhi, X.; Chen, S. L.; Wang, M.; Li, J. W.; Ma, J.; Chao, X. X.

2014-01-01

Single domain GdBCO bulk superconductors have been fabricated with new and traditional solid phases by a top seeded infiltration and growth (TSIG) process technique. In the conventional TSIG process, three types of powders, such as Gd2BaCuO5, GdBa2Cu3O7-x and Ba3Cu5O8, must be prepared, but in our new modified TSIG technique, only BaCuO2 powders are required during the fabrication of the single domain GdBCO bulk superconductors. The solid phase used in the conventional process is Gd2BaCuO5 instead of the solid phase (Gd2O3 + BaCuO2) utilized in the new process. The liquid phase used in the conventional process is a mixture of (GdBa2Cu3O7-x + Ba3Cu5O8), and the liquid phase in the new process is a mixture of (Gd2O3 + 10BaCuO2 + 6CuO). Single domain GdBCO bulk superconductors have been fabricated with the new solid and liquid phases. The levitation force of the GdBCO bulk samples fabricated by the new solid phase is 28 N, which is slightly higher than that of the samples fabricated using the conventional solid phases (26 N). The microstructure and the levitation force of the samples indicate that this new method can greatly simplify the fabrication process, introduce nanometer-sized flux centers, improve the levitation force and working efficiency, and greatly reduce the cost of fabrication of single domain GdBCO bulk superconductors by the TSIG process.

Thermal Vibrational Convection in a Two-phase Stratified Liquid

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chang, Qingming; Alexander, J. Iwan D.

2007-01-01

The response of a two-phase stratified liquid system subject to a vibration parallel to an imposed temperature gradient is analyzed using a hybrid thermal lattice Boltzmann method (HTLB). The vibrations considered correspond to sinusoidal translations of a rigid cavity at a fixed frequency. The layers are thermally and mechanically coupled. Interaction between gravity-induced and vibration-induced thermal convection is studied. The ability of applied vibration to enhance the flow, heat transfer and interface distortion is investigated. For the range of conditions investigated, the results reveal that the effect of vibrational Rayleigh number and vibrational frequency on a two-phase stratified fluid system is much different than that for a single-phase fluid system. Comparisons of the response of a two-phase stratified fluid system with a single-phase fluid system are discussed.

Optofluidic refractive-index sensor in step-index fiber with parallel hollow micro-channel.

PubMed

Lee, H W; Schmidt, M A; Uebel, P; Tyagi, H; Joly, N Y; Scharrer, M; Russell, P St J

2011-04-25

We present a simple refractive index sensor based on a step-index fiber with a hollow micro-channel running parallel to its core. This channel becomes waveguiding when filled with a liquid of index greater than silica, causing sharp dips to appear in the transmission spectrum at wavelengths where the glass-core mode phase-matches to a mode of the liquid-core. The sensitivity of the dip-wavelengths to changes in liquid refractive index is quantified and the results used to study the dynamic flow characteristics of fluids in narrow channels. Potential applications of this fiber microstructure include measuring the optical properties of liquids, refractive index sensing, biophotonics and studies of fluid dynamics on the nanoscale.

A Step Towards CO2-Neutral Aviation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brankovic, Andreja; Ryder, Robert C.; Hendricks, Robert C.; Huber, Marcia L.

2008-01-01

An approximation method for evaluation of the caloric equations used in combustion chemistry simulations is described. The method is applied to generate the equations of specific heat, static enthalpy, and Gibb's free energy for fuel mixtures of interest to gas turbine engine manufacturers. Liquid-phase fuel properties are also derived. The fuels investigated include JP-8, synthetic fuel, and two blends of JP-8 and synthetic fuel. The complete set of fuel property equations for both phases are implemented into a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) flow solver database, and multiphase, reacting flow simulations of a well-tested liquid-fueled combustor are performed. The simulations are a first step in understanding combustion system performance and operational issues when using alternate fuels, at practical engine operating conditions.

Analytical methods for the assessment of endocrine disrupting chemical exposure during human fetal and lactation stages: a review.

PubMed

Jiménez-Díaz, I; Vela-Soria, F; Rodríguez-Gómez, R; Zafra-Gómez, A; Ballesteros, O; Navalón, A

2015-09-10

In the present work, a review of the analytical methods developed in the last 15 years for the determination of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in human samples related with children, including placenta, cord blood, amniotic fluid, maternal blood, maternal urine and breast milk, is proposed. Children are highly vulnerable to toxic chemicals in the environment. Among these environmental contaminants to which children are at risk of exposure are EDCs -substances able to alter the normal hormone function of wildlife and humans-. The work focuses mainly on sample preparation and instrumental techniques used for the detection and quantification of the analytes. The sample preparation techniques include, not only liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) and solid-phase extraction (SPE), but also modern microextraction techniques such as extraction with molecular imprinted polymers (MIPs), stir-bar sorptive extraction (SBSE), hollow-fiber liquid-phase microextraction (HF-LPME), dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME), matrix solid phase dispersion (MSPD) or ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), which are becoming alternatives in the analysis of human samples. Most studies focus on minimizing the number of steps and using the lowest solvent amounts in the sample treatment. The usual instrumental techniques employed include liquid chromatography (LC), gas chromatography (GC) mainly coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Multiresidue methods are being developed for the determination of several families of EDCs with one extraction step and limited sample preparation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fabrication of tensile-strained single-crystalline GeSn on transparent substrate by nucleation-controlled liquid-phase crystallization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oka, Hiroshi; Amamoto, Takashi; Koyama, Masahiro; Imai, Yasuhiko; Kimura, Shigeru; Hosoi, Takuji; Shimura, Takayoshi; Watanabe, Heiji

2017-01-01

We developed a method of forming single-crystalline germanium-tin (GeSn) alloy on transparent substrates that is based on liquid-phase crystallization. By controlling and designing nucleation during the melting growth process, a highly tensile-strained single-crystalline GeSn layer was grown on a quartz substrate without using any crystal-seeds or catalysts. The peak field-effect hole mobility of 423 cm2/V s was obtained for a top-gate single-crystalline GeSn MOSFET on a quartz substrate with a Sn content of 2.6%, indicating excellent crystal quality and mobility enhancement due to Sn incorporation and tensile strain.

Phase Transformation of Droplets into Particles and Nucleation in Atmospheric Pressure Discharges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iqbal, M. M.; Stallard, C. P.; Dowling, D. P.; Turner, M. M.

2013-09-01

We investigate the mechanism of phase transformation of liquid precursor droplets into nano-particulates in an atmospheric pressure discharge (APD). This phase transformation is possible when the solid to a liquid mass ratio of slurry droplet reaches a threshold value. The behaviour of phase transformation of a single slurry droplet of HMDSO is described by developing a numerical model under the saturation condition of evaporation. It is observed from the temporal evolution of inner radius (Ri) of a single slurry droplet that its value approaches zero before the entire shifting of a liquid phase and which explains with an expansion in the crust thickness (Ro - Ri) . The solid traces of nano-particles are observed experimentally on the surface coating depositions because the time for transferring the slurry droplet of HMDSO into solid state is amplified with an increment in the radii of droplets and the entire phase transition occurs within residence time for the nano-sized liquid droplets. The GDE coupled with discharge plasma is numerically solved to describe the mechanism of nucleation of nano-sized particles in APD plasma under similar conditions of the experiment. The growth of nucleation in APD plasma depends on the type of liquid precursor, such as HMDSO, TEOS and water, which is verified with a sharp peak in the nucleation rate and saturation ratio. Science Foundation Ireland under Grant No. 08/SRC/I1411.

One - step nanosecond laser microstructuring, sulfur hyperdoping, and annealing of silicon surfaces in liquid carbondisulfide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Luong, Nguyen; Danilov, P. A.; Ionin, A. A.; Khmel'nitskii, P. A.; Kudryashov, S. I.; Mel'nik, N. N.; Saraeva, I. N.; Смirnov, H. A.; Rudenko, A. A.; Zayarny, D. A.

2017-09-01

We perform a single-shot IR nanosecond laser processing of commercial silicon wafers in ambient air and under a 2 mm thick carbon disulfide liquid layer. We characterize the surface spots modified in the liquid ambient and the spots ablated under the same conditions in air in terms of its surface topography, chemical composition, band-structure modification, and crystalline structure by means of SEM and EDX microscopy, as well as of FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy. These studies indicate that single-step microstructuring and deep (up to 2-3% on the surface) hyperdoping of the crystalline silicon in its submicron surface layer, preserving via pulsed laser annealing its crystallinity and providing high (103 - 104 cm-1) spectrally at near- and mid-IR absorption coefficients, can be obtained in this novel approach, which is very promising for thin - film silicon photovoltaic devices

Static headspace-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the simultaneous determination of trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids in canned vegetables.

PubMed

Cardador, Maria Jose; Gallego, Mercedes

2016-07-08

Canned vegetables appear to be a possible exposure pathway for hazardous disinfection by-products due to the use of sanitizers and treated water by the canning industry in the preparation of these foods. This work reports on two static headspace-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry methods for the simultaneous determination of 10 trihalomethanes (THMs) and 13 haloacetic acids (HAAs) in both solid and liquid phases of the canned vegetables. Both methods carry out the whole process (including the leaching of target analytes from the vegetable), derivatization of HAAs and volatilization of THMs and HAA esters, in a single step within a static headspace unit. The methods proposed provide an efficient and simple tool for the determination of regulated disinfection by-products in canned vegetables. Average limits of detection for THMs and HAAs were 0.19 and 0.45μg/kg, respectively, in the solid phase of canned vegetables, and 0.05 and 0.09μg/L, respectively, in the liquid phase. Satisfactory recoveries (90-99%) and precision, calculated as relative standard deviations (RSD≤10%), were obtained in both phases of canned vegetables. The methods proposed were applied for the analysis of frequently-used canned vegetables and confirmed the presence of up to 3 THMs and 5 HAAs at microgram per kilogram or liter levels in both phases of the samples. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Liquid-phase epitaxy grown PbSnTe distributed feedback laser diodes with broad continuous single-mode tuning range

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hsieh, H.-H.; Fonstad, C. G.

1980-01-01

Distributed feedback (DFB) pulsed laser operation has been demonstrated in stripe geometry Pb(1-x)Sn(x)Te double-heterostructures grown by liquid-phase epitaxy. The grating structure of 0.79 micron periodicity operates in first order near 12.8 microns and was fabricated prior to the liquid-phase epitaxial growth using holographic exposure techniques. These DFB lasers had moderate thresholds, 3.6 kA/sq cm, and the output power versus current curves exhibited a sharp turn-on free of kinks. Clean, single-mode emission spectra, continuously tunable over a range in excess of 20 per cm, centered about 780 per cm (12.8 microns), and at an average rate of 1.2 per cm-K from 9 to 26 K, were observed. While weaker modes could at times be seen in the spectrum, substantially single-mode operation was obtained over the entire operating range and to over 10 times threshold.

Single-step reinitialization and extending algorithms for level-set based multi-phase flow simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Lin; Hu, Xiangyu Y.; Adams, Nikolaus A.

2017-12-01

We propose efficient single-step formulations for reinitialization and extending algorithms, which are critical components of level-set based interface-tracking methods. The level-set field is reinitialized with a single-step (non iterative) "forward tracing" algorithm. A minimum set of cells is defined that describes the interface, and reinitialization employs only data from these cells. Fluid states are extrapolated or extended across the interface by a single-step "backward tracing" algorithm. Both algorithms, which are motivated by analogy to ray-tracing, avoid multiple block-boundary data exchanges that are inevitable for iterative reinitialization and extending approaches within a parallel-computing environment. The single-step algorithms are combined with a multi-resolution conservative sharp-interface method and validated by a wide range of benchmark test cases. We demonstrate that the proposed reinitialization method achieves second-order accuracy in conserving the volume of each phase. The interface location is invariant to reapplication of the single-step reinitialization. Generally, we observe smaller absolute errors than for standard iterative reinitialization on the same grid. The computational efficiency is higher than for the standard and typical high-order iterative reinitialization methods. We observe a 2- to 6-times efficiency improvement over the standard method for serial execution. The proposed single-step extending algorithm, which is commonly employed for assigning data to ghost cells with ghost-fluid or conservative interface interaction methods, shows about 10-times efficiency improvement over the standard method while maintaining same accuracy. Despite their simplicity, the proposed algorithms offer an efficient and robust alternative to iterative reinitialization and extending methods for level-set based multi-phase simulations.

Numerical modelling and experimental study of liquid evaporation during gel formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pokusaev, B. G.; Khramtsov, D. P.

2017-11-01

Gels are promising materials in biotechnology and medicine as a medium for storing cells for bioprinting applications. Gel is a two-phase system consisting of solid medium and liquid phase. Understanding of a gel structure evolution and gel aging during liquid evaporation is a crucial step in developing new additive bioprinting technologies. A numerical and experimental study of liquid evaporation was performed. In experimental study an evaporation process of an agarose gel layer located on Petri dish was observed and mass difference was detected using electronic scales. Numerical model was based on a smoothed particle hydrodynamics method. Gel in a model was represented as a solid-liquid system and liquid evaporation was modelled due to capillary forces and heat transfer. Comparison of experimental data and numerical results demonstrated that model can adequately represent evaporation process in agarose gel.

Isolation and characterization of antimicrobial food components.

PubMed

Papetti, Adele

2012-04-01

Nowadays there is an evident growing interest in natural antimicrobial compounds isolated from food matrices. According to the type of matrix, different isolation and purification steps are needed and as these active compounds belong to different chemical classes, also different chromatographic and electrophoretic methods coupled with various detectors (the most used diode array detector and mass spectrometer) have to be performed. This review covers recent steps made in the fundamental understanding of sample preparation methods as well as of analytical tools useful for the complete characterization of bioactive food compounds. The most commonly used methods for extraction of natural antimicrobial compounds are the conventional liquid-liquid or solid-liquid extraction and the modern techniques such as pressurized liquid extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, solid-phase micro-extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, and matrix solid phase dispersion. The complete characterization of the compounds is achieved using both monodimensional chromatographic processes (LC, nano-LC, GC, and CE coupled with different type of detectors) and, recently, using comprehensive two-dimensional systems (LC×LC and GC×GC). Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bubble dynamics and bubble-induced turbulence of a single-bubble chain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Joohyoung; Park, Hyungmin

2016-11-01

In the present study, the bubble dynamics and liquid-phase turbulence induced by a chain of bubbles injected from a single nozzle have been experimentally investigated. Using a high-speed two-phase particle image velociemtry, measurements on the bubbles and liquid-phase velocity field are conducted in a transparent tank filled with water, while varying the bubble release frequency from 0.1 to 35 Hz. The tested bubble size ranges between 2.0-3.2 mm, and the corresponding bubble Reynolds number is 590-1100, indicating that it belongs to the regime of path instability. As the release frequency increases, it is found that the global shape of bubble dispersion can be classified into two regimes: from asymmetric (regular) to axisymmetric (irregular). In particular, at higher frequency, the wake vortices of leading bubbles cause an irregular behaviour of the following bubble. For the liquid phase, it is found that a specific trend on the bubble-induced turbulence appears in a strong relation to the above bubble dynamics. Considering this, we try to provide a theoretical model to estimate the liquid-phase turbulence induced by a chain of bubbles. Supported by a Grant funded by Samsung Electronics, Korea.

Methods for calculating conjugate problems of heat transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalinin, E. K.; Dreitser, G. A.; Kostiuk, V. V.; Berlin, I. I.

Methods are examined for calculating various conjugate problems of heat transfer in channels and closed vessels in cases of single-phase and two-phase flow in steady and unsteady conditions. The single-phase-flow studies involve the investigation of gaseous and liquid heat-carriers in pipes, annular and plane channels, and pipe bundles in cases of cooling and heating. General relationships are presented for heat transfer in cases of film, transition, and nucleate boiling, as well as for boiling crises. Attention is given to methods for analyzing the filling and cooling of conduits and tanks by cryogenic liquids; and ways to intensify heat transfer in these conditions are examined.

Quantitative Analysis of Aloins and Aloin-Emodin in Aloe Vera Raw Materials and Finished Products Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography: Single-Laboratory Validation, First Action 2016.09.

PubMed

Kline, David; Ritruthai, Vicha; Babajanian, Silva; Gao, Quanyin; Ingle, Prashant; Chang, Peter; Swanson, Gary

2017-05-01

A single-laboratory validation study is described for a method of quantitative analysis of aloins (aloins A and B) and aloe-emodin in aloe vera raw materials and finished products. This method used HPLC coupled with UV detection at 380 nm for the aloins and 430 nm for aloe-emodin. The advantage of this test method is that the target analytes are concentrated from the sample matrix (either liquid or solid form) using stepwise liquid-liquid extraction (water-ethyl acetate-methanol), followed by solvent evaporation and reconstitution. This sample preparation process is suitable for different forms of products. The concentrating step for aloins and aloe-emodin has enhanced the method quantitation level to 20 parts per billion (ppb). Reversed-phase chromatography using a 250 × 4.6 mm column under gradient elution conditions was used. Mobile phase A is 0.1% acetic acid in water and mobile phase B is 0.1% acetic acid in acetonitrile. The HPLC run starts with a 20% mobile phase B that reaches 35% at 13 min. From 13 to 30 min, mobile phase B is increased from 35 to 100%. From 30 to 40 min, mobile phase B is changed from 100% back to the initial condition of 20% for re-equilibration. The flow rate is 1 mL/min, with a 100 μL injection volume. Baseline separation (Rs > 2.0) for aloins A and B and aloe-emodin was observed under this chromatographic condition. This test method was validated with raw materials of aloe vera 5× (liquid) and aloe vera 200× (powder) and finished products of aloe concentrate (liquid) and aloe (powder). The linearity of the method was studied from 10 to 500 ppb for aloins A and B and aloe-emodin, with correlation coefficients of 0.999964, 0.999957, and 0.999980, respectively. The test method was proven to be specific, precise, accurate, rugged, and suitable for the intended quantitative analysis of aloins and aloe-emodin in raw materials and finished products. The S/N for aloins A and B and aloe-emodin at 10 ppb level were 12, 10, and 8, respectively, indicating our conservative LOD level at 10 ppb (the typical LOD level S/N is about 3). The S/N for aloins A and B and aloe-emodin at the 20 ppb level were 17, 14, and 16, respectively, indicating our conservative LOQ level at 20 ppb (the typical LOQ level S/N is about 10). The stock standard solution of a mixture of aloins and aloe-emodin and a working standard solution were found to be stable for at least 19 days when stored refrigerated at 2-8°C, with a recovery of 100 ± 5%.

The performance of bioinspired valveless piezoelectric micropump with respect to viscosity change.

PubMed

Lee, Seung Chul; Hur, Sunghoon; Kang, Dooho; Kim, Bo Heum; Lee, Sang Joon

2016-04-29

This study investigated the effect of the serial connection of two pumping chambers on transport of liquid with increased viscosity. A serially connected valveless piezoelectric micropump was fabricated inspired by the liquid-feeding strategy of a female mosquito drinking liquid with a wide range of viscosities, from nectar to blood. The performance of the micropump was investigated by varying the viscosity of working liquid. Results showed that the optimal phase difference between the two chambers was 180° out-of-phase for all viscosity conditions. The two chambers operating at 180° out-of-phase exhibited higher pumping performance compared with the sum of each single chamber solely actuated, when viscosity increased. The flow patterns in the micropump showed that the rectification efficiency improved with the increase in viscosity. Results indicated that the serially connected valveless piezoelectric micropump is more robust to the increase of viscosity than a single-chamber piezoelectric micropump. This study would be helpful in the design of microfluidic devices for transporting liquids with a wide range of viscosities.

DNA - peptide polyelectrolyte complexes: Phase control by hybridization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vieregg, Jeffrey; Lueckheide, Michael; Marciel, Amanda; Leon, Lorraine; Tirrell, Matthew

DNA is one of the most highly-charged molecules known, and interacts strongly with charged molecules in the cell. Condensation of long double-stranded DNA is one of the classic problems of biophysics, but the polyelectrolyte behavior of short and/or single-stranded nucleic acids has attracted far less study despite its importance for both biological and engineered systems. We report here studies of DNA oligonucleotides complexed with cationic peptides and polyamines. As seen previously for longer sequences, double-stranded oligonucleotides form solid precipitates, but single-stranded oligonucleotides instead undergo liquid-liquid phase separation to form coacervate droplets. Complexed oligonucleotides remain competent for hybridization, and display sequence-dependent environmental response. We observe similar behavior for RNA oligonucleotides, and methylphosphonate substitution of the DNA backbone indicates that nucleic acid charge density controls whether liquid or solid complexes are formed. Liquid-liquid phase separations of this type have been implicated in formation of membraneless organelles in vivo, and have been suggested as protocells in early life scenarios; oligonucleotides offer an excellent method to probe the physics controlling these phenomena.

Scale effect of slip boundary condition at solid–liquid interface

PubMed Central

Nagayama, Gyoko; Matsumoto, Takenori; Fukushima, Kohei; Tsuruta, Takaharu

2017-01-01

Rapid advances in microelectromechanical systems have stimulated the development of compact devices, which require effective cooling technologies (e.g., microchannel cooling). However, the inconsistencies between experimental and classical theoretical predictions for the liquid flow in microchannel remain unclarified. Given the larger surface/volume ratio of microchannel, the surface effects increase as channel scale decreases. Here we show the scale effect of the boundary condition at the solid–liquid interface on single-phase convective heat transfer characteristics in microchannels. We demonstrate that the deviation from classical theory with a reduction in hydraulic diameters is due to the breakdown of the continuum solid–liquid boundary condition. The forced convective heat transfer characteristics of single-phase laminar flow in a parallel-plate microchannel are investigated. Using the theoretical Poiseuille and Nusselt numbers derived under the slip boundary condition at the solid–liquid interface, we estimate the slip length and thermal slip length at the interface. PMID:28256536

Simultaneous determination of PPCPs, EDCs, and artificial sweeteners in environmental water samples using a single-step SPE coupled with HPLC-MS/MS and isotope dilution.

PubMed

Tran, Ngoc Han; Hu, Jiangyong; Ong, Say Leong

2013-09-15

A high-throughput method for the simultaneous determination of 24 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and artificial sweeteners (ASs) was developed. The method was based on a single-step solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled with high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) and isotope dilution. In this study, a single-step SPE procedure was optimized for simultaneous extraction of all target analytes. Good recoveries (≥ 70%) were observed for all target analytes when extraction was performed using Chromabond(®) HR-X (500 mg, 6 mL) cartridges under acidic condition (pH 2). HPLC-MS/MS parameters were optimized for the simultaneous analysis of 24 PPCPs, EDCs and ASs in a single injection. Quantification was performed by using 13 isotopically labeled internal standards (ILIS), which allows correcting efficiently the loss of the analytes during SPE procedure, matrix effects during HPLC-MS/MS and fluctuation in MS/MS signal intensity due to instrument. Method quantification limit (MQL) for most of the target analytes was below 10 ng/L in all water samples. The method was successfully applied for the simultaneous determination of PPCPs, EDCs and ASs in raw wastewater, surface water and groundwater samples collected in a local catchment area in Singapore. In conclusion, the developed method provided a valuable tool for investigating the occurrence, behavior, transport, and the fate of PPCPs, EDCs and ASs in the aquatic environment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Supramolecular Assembly of Single-Source Metal-Chalcogenide Nanocrystal Precursors.

PubMed

Smith, Stephanie C; Bryks, Whitney; Tao, Andrea R

2018-05-28

In this Feature Article, we discuss our recent work in the synthesis of novel supramolecular precursors for semiconductor nanocrystals. Metal chalcogenolates that adopt liquid crystalline phases are employed as single-source precursors that template the growth of shaped solid-state nanocrystals. Supramolecular assembly is programmed by both precursor chemical composition and molecular parameters such alkyl chain length, steric bulk, and the intercalation of halide ions. Here, we explore the various design principles that enable the rational synthesis of these single-source precursors, their liquid crystalline phases, and the various semiconductor nanocrystal products that can be generated by thermolysis, ranging from highly anisotropic two-dimensional nanosheets and nanodisks to spheres.

The shape and dynamics of the generation of the splash forms in single-phase systems after drop hitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sochan, Agata; Beczek, Michał; Mazur, Rafał; RyŻak, Magdalena; Bieganowski, Andrzej

2018-02-01

The splash phenomenon is being increasingly explored with the use of modern measurement tools, including the high-speed cameras. Recording images at a rate of several thousand frames per second facilitates parameterization and description of the dynamics of splash phases. This paper describes the impact of a single drop of a liquid falling on the surface of the same liquid. Three single-phase liquid systems, i.e., water, petrol, and diesel fuel, were examined. The falling drops were characterized by different kinetic energy values depending on the height of the fall, which ranged from 0.1 to 7.0 m. Four forms, i.e., waves, crowns, semi-closed domes, and domes, were distinguished depending on the drop energy. The analysis of the recorded images facilitated determination of the static and dynamic parameters of each form, e.g., the maximum height of each splash form, the width of the splash form at its maximum height, and the rate of growth of the splash form. We, Re, Fr, and K numbers were determined for all analyzed liquid systems. On the basis of the obtained values of dimensionless numbers, the areas of occurrence of characteristic splash forms were separated.

Two-step emulsification process for water-in-oil-in-water multiple emulsions stabilized by lamellar liquid crystals.

PubMed

Ito, Toshifumi; Tsuji, Yukitaka; Aramaki, Kenji; Tonooka, Noriaki

2012-01-01

Multiple emulsions, also called complex emulsions or multiphase emulsions, include water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W)-type and oil-in-water-in-oil (O/W/O)-type emulsions. W/O/W-type multiple emulsions, obtained by utilizing lamellar liquid crystal with a layer structure showing optical anisotropy at the periphery of emulsion droplets, are superior in stability to O/W/O-type emulsions. In this study, we investigated a two-step emulsification process for a W/O/W-type multiple emulsion utilizing liquid crystal emulsification. We found that a W/O/W-type multiple emulsion containing lamellar liquid crystal can be prepared by mixing a W/O-type emulsion (prepared by primary emulsification) with a lamellar liquid crystal obtained from poly(oxyethylene) stearyl ether, cetyl alcohol, and water, and by dispersing and emulsifying the mixture in an outer aqueous phase. When poly(oxyethylene) stearyl ether and cetyl alcohol are each used in a given amount and the amount of water added is varied from 0 to 15 g (total amount of emulsion, 100 g), a W/O/W-type multiple emulsion is efficiently prepared. When the W/O/W-type multiple emulsion was held in a thermostatic bath at 25°C, the droplet size distribution showed no change 0, 30, or 60 days after preparation. Moreover, the W/O/W-type multiple emulsion strongly encapsulated Uranine in the inner aqueous phase as compared with emulsions prepared by one-step emulsification.

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

Renbaum-Wolff, Lindsay; Song, Mijung; Marcolli, Claudia

Particles consisting of secondary organic material (SOM) are abundant in the atmosphere. In order to predict the role of these particles in climate, visibility and atmospheric chemistry, information on particle phase state (i.e., single liquid, two liquids and solid) is needed. Our paper focuses on the phase state of SOM particles free of inorganic salts produced by the ozonolysis of α-pinene. Phase transitions were investigated in the laboratory using optical microscopy and theoretically using a thermodynamic model at 290 K and for relative humidities ranging from < 0.5 to 100%. In the laboratory studies, a single phase was observed frommore » 0 to 95% relative humidity (RH) while two liquid phases were observed above 95% RH. For increasing RH, the mechanism of liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) was spinodal decomposition. The RH range over which two liquid phases were observed did not depend on the direction of RH change. In the modeling studies, the SOM took up very little water and was a single organic-rich phase at low RH values. At high RH, the SOM underwent LLPS to form an organic-rich phase and a water-rich phase, consistent with the laboratory studies. The presence of LLPS at high RH values can have consequences for the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activity of SOM particles. In the simulated Köhler curves for SOM particles, two local maxima were observed. Depending on the composition of the SOM, the first or second maximum can determine the critical supersaturation for activation. Recently researchers have observed inconsistencies between measured CCN properties of SOM particles and hygroscopic growth measured below water saturation (i.e., hygroscopic parameters measured below water saturation were inconsistent with hygroscopic parameters measured above water saturation). Furthermore, the work presented here illustrates that such inconsistencies are expected for systems with LLPS when the water uptake at subsaturated conditions represents the hygroscopicity of an organic-rich phase while the barrier for CCN activation can be determined by the second maximum in the Köhler curve when the particles are water rich.« less

40 CFR 761.269 - Sampling liquid PCB remediation waste.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Sampling liquid PCB remediation waste..., AND USE PROHIBITIONS Cleanup Site Characterization Sampling for PCB Remediation Waste in Accordance with § 761.61(a)(2) § 761.269 Sampling liquid PCB remediation waste. (a) If the liquid is single phase...

Si-Ge-metal ternary phase diagram calculations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fleurial, J. P.; Borshchevsky, A.

1990-01-01

Solution crystal growth and doping conditions of Si-Ge alloys used for high-temperature thermoelectric generation are determined here. Liquid-phase epitaxy (LPE) has been successfully employed recently to obtain single-crystalline homogeneous layers of Si-Ge solid solutions from a liquid metal solvent. Knowledge of Si-Ge-metallic solvent ternary phase diagrams is essential for further single-crystal growth development. Consequently, a thermodynamic equilibrium model was used to calculate the phase diagrams of the Si-Ge-M systems, including solid solubilities, where M is Al, Ga, In, Sn, Pb, Sb, or Bi. Good agreement between calculated liquidus and solidus data and experimental DTA and microprobe results was obtained. The results are used to compare the suitability of the different systems for crystal growth (by LPE-type process).

Analysis of imazaquin in soybeans by solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Guo, C; Hu, J-Y; Chen, X-Y; Li, J-Z

2008-02-01

An analytical method for the determination imazaquin residues in soybeans was developed. The developed liquid/liquid partition and strong anion exchange solid-phase extraction procedures provide the effective cleanup, removing the greatest number of sample matrix interferences. By optimizing mobile-phase pH water/acetonitrile conditions with phosphoric acid, using a C-18 reverse-phase chromatographic column and employing ultraviolet detection, excellent peak resolution was achieved. The combined cleanup and chromatographic method steps reported herein were sensitive and reliable for determining the imazaquin residues in soybean samples. This method is characterized by recovery >88.4%, precision <6.7% CV, and sensitivity of 0.005 ppm, in agreement with directives for method validation in residue analysis. Imazaquin residues in soybeans were further confirmed by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of imazaquin residues in soybean samples grown in an experimental field after treatments of imazaquin formulation.

Following 18O uptake in scCO2–H2O mixtures with Raman spectroscopy

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

Windisch, Charles F.; Schaef, Herbert T.; Martin, Paul F.

2012-03-01

The kinetics of 18O/16O isotopic exchange in scCO2 containing liquid water was followed with Raman spectroscopy using a specially designed high-pressure optical cell. Characteristic bands from the C16O18O and C18O2 molecules were identified in the supercritical phase and measured in the spectra as a function of time after introducing liquid H218O into scC16O2. Temporal dependence indicated the isotopic exchange was diffusion-limited in our cell for both molecules, and that the chemical reactions within the liquid phase were comparatively rapid. However, the ratio of concentrations of the 18O-labeled CO2 molecules, C18O2/C16O18O, was much higher than expected in the supercritical phase, suggestingmore » the role of an intermediate step, possibly desorption, in moderating the concentrations of these species in the liquid water phase.« less

Power module packaging with double sided planar interconnection and heat exchangers

DOEpatents

Liang, Zhenxian; Marlino, Laura D.; Ning, Puqi; Wang, Fei

2015-05-26

A double sided cooled power module package having a single phase leg topology includes two IGBT and two diode semiconductor dies. Each IGBT die is spaced apart from a diode semiconductor die, forming a switch unit. Two switch units are placed in a planar face-up and face-down configuration. A pair of DBC or other insulated metallic substrates is affixed to each side of the planar phase leg semiconductor dies to form a sandwich structure. Attachment layers are disposed on outer surfaces of the substrates and two heat exchangers are affixed to the substrates by rigid bond layers. The heat exchangers, made of copper or aluminum, have passages for carrying coolant. The power package is manufactured in a two-step assembly and heating process where direct bonds are formed for all bond layers by soldering, sintering, solid diffusion bonding or transient liquid diffusion bonding, with a specially designed jig and fixture.

Combined heat and mass transfer device for improving separation process

DOEpatents

Tran, Thanh Nhon

1999-01-01

A two-phase small channel heat exchange matrix simultaneously provides for heat transfer and mass transfer between the liquid and vapor phases of a multi-component mixture at a single, predetermined location within a separation column, significantly improving the thermodynamic efficiency of the separation process. The small channel heat exchange matrix is composed of a series of channels having a hydraulic diameter no greater than 5.0 millimeters for conducting a two-phase coolant. In operation, the matrix provides the liquid-vapor contacting surfaces within the separation column, such that heat and mass are transferred simultaneously between the liquid and vapor phases. The two-phase coolant allows for a uniform heat transfer coefficient to be maintained along the length of the channels and across the surface of the matrix. Preferably, a perforated, concave sheet connects each channel to an adjacent channel to facilitate the flow of the liquid and vapor phases within the column and to increase the liquid-vapor contacting surface area.

Combined heat and mass transfer device for improving separation process

DOEpatents

Tran, T.N.

1999-08-24

A two-phase small channel heat exchange matrix simultaneously provides for heat transfer and mass transfer between the liquid and vapor phases of a multi-component mixture at a single, predetermined location within a separation column, significantly improving the thermodynamic efficiency of the separation process. The small channel heat exchange matrix is composed of a series of channels having a hydraulic diameter no greater than 5.0 millimeters for conducting a two-phase coolant. In operation, the matrix provides the liquid-vapor contacting surfaces within the separation column, such that heat and mass are transferred simultaneously between the liquid and vapor phases. The two-phase coolant allows for a uniform heat transfer coefficient to be maintained along the length of the channels and across the surface of the matrix. Preferably, a perforated, concave sheet connects each channel to an adjacent channel to facilitate the flow of the liquid and vapor phases within the column and to increase the liquid-vapor contacting surface area. 12 figs.

Common path point diffraction interferometer using liquid crystal phase shifting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mercer, Carolyn R. (Inventor)

1997-01-01

A common path point diffraction interferometer uses dyed, parallel nematic liquid crystals which surround an optically transparent microsphere. Coherent, collimated and polarized light is focused on the microsphere at a diameter larger than that of the microsphere. A portion of the focused light passes through the microsphere to form a spherical wavefront reference beam and the rest of the light is attenuated by the dyed liquid crystals to form an object beam. The two beams form an interferogram which is imaged by a lens onto an electronic array sensor and into a computer which determines the wavefront of the object beam. The computer phase shifts the interferogram by stepping up an AC voltage applied across the liquid crystals without affecting the reference beam.

Dual gauge field theory of quantum liquid crystals in two dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beekman, Aron J.; Nissinen, Jaakko; Wu, Kai; Liu, Ke; Slager, Robert-Jan; Nussinov, Zohar; Cvetkovic, Vladimir; Zaanen, Jan

2017-04-01

We present a self-contained review of the theory of dislocation-mediated quantum melting at zero temperature in two spatial dimensions. The theory describes the liquid-crystalline phases with spatial symmetries in between a quantum crystalline solid and an isotropic superfluid: quantum nematics and smectics. It is based on an Abelian-Higgs-type duality mapping of phonons onto gauge bosons (;stress photons;), which encode for the capacity of the crystal to propagate stresses. Dislocations and disclinations, the topological defects of the crystal, are sources for the gauge fields and the melting of the crystal can be understood as the proliferation (condensation) of these defects, giving rise to the Anderson-Higgs mechanism on the dual side. For the liquid crystal phases, the shear sector of the gauge bosons becomes massive signaling that shear rigidity is lost. After providing the necessary background knowledge, including the order parameter theory of two-dimensional quantum liquid crystals and the dual theory of stress gauge bosons in bosonic crystals, the theory of melting is developed step-by-step via the disorder theory of dislocation-mediated melting. Resting on symmetry principles, we derive the phenomenological imaginary time actions of quantum nematics and smectics and analyze the full spectrum of collective modes. The quantum nematic is a superfluid having a true rotational Goldstone mode due to rotational symmetry breaking, and the origin of this 'deconfined' mode is traced back to the crystalline phase. The two-dimensional quantum smectic turns out to be a dizzyingly anisotropic phase with the collective modes interpolating between the solid and nematic in a non-trivial way. We also consider electrically charged bosonic crystals and liquid crystals, and carefully analyze the electromagnetic response of the quantum liquid crystal phases. In particular, the quantum nematic is a real superconductor and shows the Meissner effect. Their special properties inherited from spatial symmetry breaking show up mostly at finite momentum, and should be accessible by momentum-sensitive spectroscopy.

Dual gauge field theory of quantum liquid crystals in two dimensions

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

Beekman, Aron J.; Nissinen, Jaakko; Wu, Kai

We present a self-contained review of the theory of dislocation-mediated quantum melting at zero temperature in two spatial dimensions. The theory describes the liquid-crystalline phases with spatial symmetries in between a quantum crystalline solid and an isotropic superfluid: quantum nematics and smectics. It is based on an Abelian-Higgs-type duality mapping of phonons onto gauge bosons (“stress photons”), which encode for the capacity of the crystal to propagate stresses. Dislocations and disclinations, the topological defects of the crystal, are sources for the gauge fields and the melting of the crystal can be understood as the proliferation (condensation) of these defects, givingmore » rise to the Anderson–Higgs mechanism on the dual side. For the liquid crystal phases, the shear sector of the gauge bosons becomes massive signaling that shear rigidity is lost. After providing the necessary background knowledge, including the order parameter theory of two-dimensional quantum liquid crystals and the dual theory of stress gauge bosons in bosonic crystals, the theory of melting is developed step-by-step via the disorder theory of dislocation-mediated melting. Resting on symmetry principles, we derive the phenomenological imaginary time actions of quantum nematics and smectics and analyze the full spectrum of collective modes. The quantum nematic is a superfluid having a true rotational Goldstone mode due to rotational symmetry breaking, and the origin of this ‘deconfined’ mode is traced back to the crystalline phase. The two-dimensional quantum smectic turns out to be a dizzyingly anisotropic phase with the collective modes interpolating between the solid and nematic in a non-trivial way. We also consider electrically charged bosonic crystals and liquid crystals, and carefully analyze the electromagnetic response of the quantum liquid crystal phases. In particular, the quantum nematic is a real superconductor and shows the Meissner effect. Furthermore, their special properties inherited from spatial symmetry breaking show up mostly at finite momentum, and should be accessible by momentum-sensitive spectroscopy.« less

Dual gauge field theory of quantum liquid crystals in two dimensions

DOE PAGES

Beekman, Aron J.; Nissinen, Jaakko; Wu, Kai; ...

2017-04-18

We present a self-contained review of the theory of dislocation-mediated quantum melting at zero temperature in two spatial dimensions. The theory describes the liquid-crystalline phases with spatial symmetries in between a quantum crystalline solid and an isotropic superfluid: quantum nematics and smectics. It is based on an Abelian-Higgs-type duality mapping of phonons onto gauge bosons (“stress photons”), which encode for the capacity of the crystal to propagate stresses. Dislocations and disclinations, the topological defects of the crystal, are sources for the gauge fields and the melting of the crystal can be understood as the proliferation (condensation) of these defects, givingmore » rise to the Anderson–Higgs mechanism on the dual side. For the liquid crystal phases, the shear sector of the gauge bosons becomes massive signaling that shear rigidity is lost. After providing the necessary background knowledge, including the order parameter theory of two-dimensional quantum liquid crystals and the dual theory of stress gauge bosons in bosonic crystals, the theory of melting is developed step-by-step via the disorder theory of dislocation-mediated melting. Resting on symmetry principles, we derive the phenomenological imaginary time actions of quantum nematics and smectics and analyze the full spectrum of collective modes. The quantum nematic is a superfluid having a true rotational Goldstone mode due to rotational symmetry breaking, and the origin of this ‘deconfined’ mode is traced back to the crystalline phase. The two-dimensional quantum smectic turns out to be a dizzyingly anisotropic phase with the collective modes interpolating between the solid and nematic in a non-trivial way. We also consider electrically charged bosonic crystals and liquid crystals, and carefully analyze the electromagnetic response of the quantum liquid crystal phases. In particular, the quantum nematic is a real superconductor and shows the Meissner effect. Furthermore, their special properties inherited from spatial symmetry breaking show up mostly at finite momentum, and should be accessible by momentum-sensitive spectroscopy.« less

Composition inversion in mixtures of binary colloids and polymer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Isla; Pinchaipat, Rattachai; Wilding, Nigel B.; Faers, Malcolm A.; Bartlett, Paul; Evans, Robert; Royall, C. Patrick

2018-05-01

Understanding the phase behaviour of mixtures continues to pose challenges, even for systems that might be considered "simple." Here, we consider a very simple mixture of two colloidal and one non-adsorbing polymer species, which can be simplified even further to a size-asymmetrical binary mixture, in which the effective colloid-colloid interactions depend on the polymer concentration. We show that this basic system exhibits surprisingly rich phase behaviour. In particular, we enquire whether such a system features only a liquid-vapor phase separation (as in one-component colloid-polymer mixtures) or whether, additionally, liquid-liquid demixing of two colloidal phases can occur. Particle-resolved experiments show demixing-like behaviour, but when combined with bespoke Monte Carlo simulations, this proves illusory, and we reveal that only a single liquid-vapor transition occurs. Progressive migration of the small particles to the liquid phase as the polymer concentration increases gives rise to composition inversion—a maximum in the large particle concentration in the liquid phase. Close to criticality, the density fluctuations are found to be dominated by the larger colloids.

Liquid hydrogen mass flow through a multiple orifice Joule-Thomson device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papell, S. Stephen; Nyland, Ted W.; Saiyed, Naseem H.

Liquid hydrogen mass flow rate, pressure drop, and temperature drop data were obtained for a number of multiple orifice Joule-Thomas devices known as visco jets. The present investigation continues a study to develop an equation for predicting two phase flow of cryogens through these devices. The test apparatus design allowed isenthalpic expansion of the cryogen through the visco jets. The data covered a range of inlet and outlet operating conditions. The mass flow rate range single phase or two phase was 0.015 to 0.98 lbm/hr. The manufacturer's equation was found to overpredict the single phase hydrogen data by 10 percent and the two phase data by as much as 27 percent. Two modifications of the equation resulted in a data correlation that predicts both the single and two phase flow across the visco jet. The first modification was of a theoretical nature, and the second strictly empirical. The former reduced the spread in the two phase data. It was a multiplication factor of 1 - X applied to the manufacturer's equation. The parameter X is the flow quality downstream of the visco jet based on isenthalpic expansion across the device. The latter modification was a 10 percent correction term that correlated 90 percent of the single and two phase data to within +/- 10 percent scatter band.

Liquid hydrogen mass flow through a multiple orifice Joule-Thomson device

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Papell, S. S.; Nyland, Ted W.; Saiyed, Naseem H.

1992-01-01

Liquid hydrogen mass flow rate, pressure drop, and temperature drop data were obtained for a number of multiple orifice Joule-Thomson devices known as visco jets. The present investigation continues a study to develop an equation for predicting two phase flow of cryogens through these devices. The test apparatus design allowed isenthalpic expansion of the cryogen through the visco jets. The data covered a range of inlet and outlet operating conditions. The mass flow rate range single phase or two phase was 0.015 to 0.98 lbm/hr. The manufacturer's equation was found to overpredict the single phase hydrogen data by 10 percent and the two phase data by as much as 27 percent. Two modifications of the equation resulted in a data correlation that predicts both the single and two phase flow across the visco jet. The first modification was of a theoretical nature, and the second strictly empirical. The former reduced the spread in the two phase data. It was a multiplication factor of 1-X applied to the manufacturer's equation. The parameter X is the flow quality downstream of the visco jet based on isenthalpic expansion across the device. The latter modification was a 10 percent correction term that correlated 90 percent of the single and two phase data to within +/- 10 percent scatter band.

Liquid hydrogen mass flow through a multiple orifice Joule-Thomson device

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Papell, S. Stephen; Nyland, Ted W.; Saiyed, Naseem H.

1992-01-01

Liquid hydrogen mass flow rate, pressure drop, and temperature drop data were obtained for a number of multiple orifice Joule-Thomas devices known as visco jets. The present investigation continues a study to develop an equation for predicting two phase flow of cryogens through these devices. The test apparatus design allowed isenthalpic expansion of the cryogen through the visco jets. The data covered a range of inlet and outlet operating conditions. The mass flow rate range single phase or two phase was 0.015 to 0.98 lbm/hr. The manufacturer's equation was found to overpredict the single phase hydrogen data by 10 percent and the two phase data by as much as 27 percent. Two modifications of the equation resulted in a data correlation that predicts both the single and two phase flow across the visco jet. The first modification was of a theoretical nature, and the second strictly empirical. The former reduced the spread in the two phase data. It was a multiplication factor of 1 - X applied to the manufacturer's equation. The parameter X is the flow quality downstream of the visco jet based on isenthalpic expansion across the device. The latter modification was a 10 percent correction term that correlated 90 percent of the single and two phase data to within +/- 10 percent scatter band.

Liquid hydrogen mass flow through a multiple orifice Joule-Thomson device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papell, S. S.; Nyland, Ted W.; Saiyed, Naseem H.

1992-07-01

Liquid hydrogen mass flow rate, pressure drop, and temperature drop data were obtained for a number of multiple orifice Joule-Thomson devices known as visco jets. The present investigation continues a study to develop an equation for predicting two phase flow of cryogens through these devices. The test apparatus design allowed isenthalpic expansion of the cryogen through the visco jets. The data covered a range of inlet and outlet operating conditions. The mass flow rate range single phase or two phase was 0.015 to 0.98 lbm/hr. The manufacturer's equation was found to overpredict the single phase hydrogen data by 10 percent and the two phase data by as much as 27 percent. Two modifications of the equation resulted in a data correlation that predicts both the single and two phase flow across the visco jet. The first modification was of a theoretical nature, and the second strictly empirical. The former reduced the spread in the two phase data. It was a multiplication factor of 1-X applied to the manufacturer's equation. The parameter X is the flow quality downstream of the visco jet based on isenthalpic expansion across the device. The latter modification was a 10 percent correction term that correlated 90 percent of the single and two phase data to within +/- 10 percent scatter band.

FIELD IMPLEMENTATION OF A WINSOR TYPE I SURFACTANT/ALCOHOL MIXTURE FOR IN SITU SOLUBILIZATION OF A COMPLEX LNAPL AS A SINGLE-PHASE MICROEMULSION

EPA Science Inventory

A Winsor Type I surfactant/alcohol mixture was used as an in situ flushing agent to solubilize a muticomponent nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) as a single-phase microemulsion (SPME) in a hydraulically isolated test cell at Hill Air Force Base (AFB), Utah. The surfactant (polyoxye...

Identification of Gravity-Related Effects on Crystal Growth From Melts With an Immiscibility Gap

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kassemi, M.; Sayir, A.; Farmer, S.

1999-01-01

This work involves an experimental-numerical approach to study the effects of natural and Marangoni convections on solidification of single crystals from a silicate melt with a liquid-liquid immiscibility gap. Industrial use of crystals grown from silicate melts is becoming increasingly important in electronic, optical, and high temperature structural applications. Even the simplest silicate systems like Al203-SiO2 have had, and will continue to have, a significant role in the development of traditional and advanced ceramics. A unique feature of crystals grown from the silicate systems is their outstanding linear electro-optic properties. They also exhibit exceptionally high optical rotativity. As a result, these crystals are attractive materials for dielectric, optical, and microwave applications. Experimental work in our laboratory has indicated that directional solidification of a single crystal mullite appears to be preceded by liquid-liquid phase separation in the melt. Disruption of the immiscible state results in crystallization of a two phase structure. There is also evidence that mixing in the melt caused by density-driven convection can significantly affect the stability of the immiscible liquid layers and result in poly-crystalline growth. On earth, the immiscible state has only been observed for small diameter crystals grown in float zone systems where natural convection is almost negligible. Therefore, it is anticipated that growth of large single crystals from silicate melts would benefit from microgravity conditions because of the reduction of the natural convective mixing. The main objective of this research is to determine the effects of transport processes on the phase separation in the melt during growth of a single crystal while addressing the following issues: (1) When do the immiscible layers form and are they real?; (2) What are the main physical characteristics of the immiscible liquids?; and (3) How mixing by natural or Marangoni convection affects the stability of the phase separated melt.

Comparison of vapor formation of water at the solid/water interface to colloidal solutions using optically excited gold nanostructures.

PubMed

Baral, Susil; Green, Andrew J; Livshits, Maksim Y; Govorov, Alexander O; Richardson, Hugh H

2014-02-25

The phase transformation properties of liquid water to vapor is characterized by optical excitation of the lithographically fabricated single gold nanowrenches and contrasted to the phase transformation properties of gold nanoparticles located and optically excited in a bulk solution system [two and three dimensions]. The 532 nm continuous wave excitation of a single gold nanowrench results in superheating of the water to the spinodal decomposition temperature of 580 ± 20 K with bubble formation below the spinodal decomposition temperature being a rare event. Between the spinodal decomposition temperature and the boiling point liquid water is trapped into a metastable state because a barrier to vapor nucleation exists that must be overcome before the thermodynamically stable state is realized. The phase transformation for an optically heated single gold nanowrench is different from the phase transformation of optically excited colloidal gold nanoparticles solution where collective heating effects dominates and leads to the boiling of the solution exactly at the boiling point. In the solution case, the optically excited ensemble of nanoparticles collectively raises the ambient temperature of water to the boiling point where liquid is converted into vapor. The striking difference in the boiling properties of the single gold nanowrench and the nanoparticle solution system can be explained in terms of the vapor-nucleation mechanism, the volume of the overheated liquid, and the collective heating effect. The interpretation of the observed regimes of heating and vaporization is consistent with our theoretical modeling. In particular, we explain with our theory why the boiling with the collective heating in a solution requires 3 orders of magnitude less intensity compared to the case of optically driven single nanowrench.

Morphology effect on the light scattering and dynamic response of polymer network liquid crystal phase modulator.

PubMed

Xiangjie, Zhao; Cangli, Liu; Jiazhu, Duan; Jiancheng, Zeng; Dayong, Zhang; Yongquan, Luo

2014-06-16

Polymer network liquid crystal (PNLC) was one of the most potential liquid crystal for submillisecond response phase modulation, which was possible to be applied in submillisecond response phase only spatial light modulator. But until now the light scattering when liquid crystal director was reoriented by external electric field limited its phase modulation application. Dynamic response of phase change when high voltage was applied was also not elucidated. The mechanism that determines the light scattering was studied by analyzing the polymer network morphology by SEM method. Samples were prepared by varying the polymerization temperature, UV curing intensity and polymerization time. The morphology effect on the dynamic response of phase change was studied, in which high voltage was usually applied and electro-striction effect was often induced. The experimental results indicate that the polymer network morphology was mainly characterized by cross linked single fibrils, cross linked fibril bundles or even both. Although the formation of fibril bundle usually induced large light scattering, such a polymer network could endure higher voltage. In contrast, although the formation of cross linked single fibrils induced small light scattering, such a polymer network cannot endure higher voltage. There is a tradeoff between the light scattering and high voltage endurance. The electro-optical properties such as threshold voltage and response time were taken to verify our conclusion. For future application, the monomer molecular structure, the liquid crystal solvent and the polymerization conditions should be optimized to generate optimal polymer network morphology.

Use of frit-disc crucibles for routine and exploratory solution growth of single crystalline samples

DOE PAGES

Canfield, Paul C.; Kong, Tai; Kaluarachchi, Udhara S.; ...

2016-01-05

Solution growth of single crystals from high temperature solutions often involves the separation of residual solution from the grown crystals. For many growths of intermetallic compounds, this separation has historically been achieved with the use of plugs of silica wool. Whereas this is generally efficient in a mechanical sense, it leads to a significant contamination of the decanted liquid with silica fibres. In this paper, we present a simple design for frit-disc alumina crucible sets that has made their use in the growth single crystals from high temperature solutions both simple and affordable. An alumina frit-disc allows for the cleanmore » separation of the residual liquid from the solid phase. This allows for the reuse of the decanted liquid, either for further growth of the same phase, or for subsequent growth of other, related phases. In this article, we provide examples of the growth of isotopically substituted TbCd 6 and icosahedral i-RCd quasicrystals, as well as the separation of (i) the closely related Bi 2Rh 3S 2 and Bi 2Rh 3.5S 2 phases and (ii) and PrZn 11 and PrZn 17.« less

Boundary of Phase Co-existence in Docosahexaenoic Acid System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lor, Chai; Hirst, Linda S.

2011-11-01

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a highly polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) that exhibits six double bonds in the hydrocarbon tail. It induces phase separation of the membrane into liquid order and liquid disorder in mixtures containing other lipids with more saturation and cholesterol. With the utilization of atomic force microscopy, phase co-existence is observed in lipid mixtures containing DHA on a single supported lipid bilayer. The boundary of phase co-existence with decreasing DHA concentration is explored. The elastic force, thickness, and roughness of the different phases are investigated.

Optimization of ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry determination in plasma and red blood cells of four sphingolipids and their evaluation as biomarker candidates of Gaucher's disease.

PubMed

Chipeaux, Caroline; de Person, Marine; Burguet, Nathalie; Billette de Villemeur, Thierry; Rose, Christian; Belmatoug, Nadia; Héron, Sylvie; Le Van Kim, Caroline; Franco, Mélanie; Moussa, Fathi

2017-11-24

While important advances have been recently achieved in the optimization of lipid classes' separation, information on the specific determination of medium polarity lipids such as sphingolipids (SLs) in highly complex matrices remains fragmentary. In human, disorders of SL metabolism known as sphingolipidoses are a heterogeneous group of inherited disorders affecting primarily the central nervous. Early diagnosis of these conditions is of importance notably when a corrective therapy is available. The diagnosis is generally based on the determination of specific SLs in plasma and red blood cells (RBCs). For instance, glucosylceramide (GL1), glucosylsphingosine (Lyso-GL1), sphingosine (Sph), and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) are proposed as relevant biomarkers for Gaucher disease (GD). Our main objective was to evaluate these biomarker candidates in a cohort of GD patients. However, most of current methods of GL1, Lyso-GL1, Sph, and S1P determination in plasma of GD patients require at least two liquid chromatographic runs. On the other hand, except for GL1 nothing is known concerning the RBC sphingolipid content. Yet, several reversed phase LC-MS methods of SLs separation and/or determination in various media with different sample preparation approaches have been proposed since 2010. Here we focused on stationary phase selection and mobile phase composition as well as on the sample preparation step to optimize and validate an UHPLC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous quantification of the four sphingolipids in both plasma and RBCs. A comparison between seven stationary phases including two RP18, two polar embedded RP18, and three HILIC phases shows that under our conditions polar embedded RP18 phases are the most appropriate for the separation of the four SLs, in terms of efficiency, peak symmetry, and separation time. In the same way, a comparison between a single step extraction with methanol and a liquid-liquid extraction with a mixture of methanol/methyl tert-butyl ether, shows that the latter mixture is the most appropriate for the extraction of SLs in terms of recovery and absence of matrix effect. After validation, this method was applied to the evaluation of the targeted SLs in a cohort of 15 known GD patients. The obtained results show that Lyso-GL1 is the only relevant biomarker in both plasma and RBCs for GD diagnosis. As the proposed method is applicable to the determination in such a highly complex matrices of four SLs with a large difference in polarity, and as the sample preparation procedure is freedom of matrix effects, this method can be easily adapted to a large diversity of samples. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ionic liquid-salt aqueous two-phase extraction based on salting-out coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography for the determination of sulfonamides in water and food.

PubMed

Han, Juan; Wang, Yun; Liu, Yan; Li, Yanfang; Lu, Yang; Yan, Yongsheng; Ni, Liang

2013-02-01

Ionic liquid-salt aqueous two-phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection was developed for the determination of sulfonamides in water and food samples. In the procedure, the analytes were extracted from the aqueous samples into the ionic liquid top phase in one step. Three sulfonamides, sulfamerazine, sulfamethoxazole, and sulfamethizole were selected here as model compounds for developing and evaluating the method. The effects of various experimental parameters in extraction step were studied using two optimization methods, one variable at a time and Box-Behnken design. The results showed that the amount of sulfonamides did not have effect on the extraction efficiency. Therefore, a three-level Box-Behnken experimental design with three factors, which combined the response surface modeling, was used to optimize sulfonamides extraction. Under the most favorable extraction parameters, the detection limits (S/N = 3) and quantification limits (S/N = 10) of the proposed method for the target compounds were achieved within the range of 0.15-0.3 ng/mL and 0.5-1.0 ng/mL from spiked samples, respectively, which are lower than or comparable with other reported approaches applied to the determination of the same compounds. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of sulfonamide compounds in different water and food samples and satisfactory recoveries of spiked target compounds in real samples were obtained.

Computation of Phase Equilibria, State Diagrams and Gas/Particle Partitioning of Mixed Organic-Inorganic Aerosols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuend, A.; Marcolli, C.; Peter, T.

2009-04-01

The chemical composition of organic-inorganic aerosols is linked to several processes and specific topics in the field of atmospheric aerosol science. Photochemical oxidation of organics in the gas phase lowers the volatility of semi-volatile compounds and contributes to the particulate matter by gas/particle partitioning. Heterogeneous chemistry and changes in the ambient relative humidity influence the aerosol composition as well. Molecular interactions between condensed phase species show typically non-ideal thermodynamic behavior. Liquid-liquid phase separations into a mainly polar, aqueous and a less polar, organic phase may considerably influence the gas/particle partitioning of semi-volatile organics and inorganics (Erdakos and Pankow, 2004; Chang and Pankow, 2006). Moreover, the phases present in the aerosol particles feed back on the heterogeneous, multi-phase chemistry, influence the scattering and absorption of radiation and affect the CCN ability of the particles. Non-ideal thermodynamic behavior in mixtures is usually described by an expression for the excess Gibbs energy, enabling the calculation of activity coefficients. We use the group-contribution model AIOMFAC (Zuend et al., 2008) to calculate activity coefficients, chemical potentials and the total Gibbs energy of mixed organic-inorganic systems. This thermodynamic model was combined with a robust global optimization module to compute potential liquid-liquid (LLE) and vapor-liquid-liquid equilibria (VLLE) as a function of particle composition at room temperature. And related to that, the gas/particle partitioning of semi-volatile components. Furthermore, we compute the thermodynamic stability (spinodal limits) of single-phase solutions, which provides information on the process type and kinetics of a phase separation. References Chang, E. I. and Pankow, J. F.: Prediction of activity coefficients in liquid aerosol particles containing organic compounds, dissolved inorganic salts, and water - Part 2: Consideration of phase separation effects by an XUNIFAC model, Atmos. Environ., 40, 6422-6436, 2006. Erdakos, G. B. and Pankow, J. F.: Gas/particle partitioning of neutral and ionizing compounds to single- and multi-phase aerosol particles. 2. Phase separation in liquid particulate matter containing both polar and low-polarity organic compounds, Atmos. Environ., 38, 1005-1013, 2004. Zuend, A., Marcolli, C., Luo, B. P., and Peter, T.: A thermodynamic model of mixed organic-inorganic aerosols to predict activity coefficients, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 8, 4559-4593, 2008.

Enhancing heat capacity of colloidal suspension using nanoscale encapsulated phase-change materials for heat transfer.

PubMed

Hong, Yan; Ding, Shujiang; Wu, Wei; Hu, Jianjun; Voevodin, Andrey A; Gschwender, Lois; Snyder, Ed; Chow, Louis; Su, Ming

2010-06-01

This paper describes a new method to enhance the heat-transfer property of a single-phase liquid by adding encapsulated phase-change nanoparticles (nano-PCMs), which absorb thermal energy during solid-liquid phase changes. Silica-encapsulated indium nanoparticles and polymer-encapsulated paraffin (wax) nanoparticles have been made using colloid method, and suspended into poly-alpha-olefin (PAO) and water for potential high- and low-temperature applications, respectively. The shells prevent leakage and agglomeration of molten phase-change materials, and enhance the dielectric properties of indium nanoparticles. The heat-transfer coefficients of PAO containing indium nanoparticles (30% by mass) and water containing paraffin nanoparticles (10% by mass) are 1.6 and 1.75 times higher than those of corresponding single-phase fluids. The structural integrity of encapsulation allows repeated use of such nanoparticles for many cycles in high heat generating devices.

Fast analysis of doping agents in urine by ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. II: Confirmatory analysis.

PubMed

Badoud, F; Grata, E; Perrenoud, L; Saugy, M; Rudaz, S; Veuthey, J-L

2010-06-18

For doping control, analyses of samples are generally achieved in two steps: a rapid screening and, in the case of a positive result, a confirmatory analysis. A two-step methodology based on ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled to a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS) was developed to screen and confirm 103 doping agents from various classes (e.g., beta-blockers, stimulants, diuretics, and narcotics). The screening method was presented in a previous article as part I (i.e., Fast analysis of doping agents in urine by ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Part I: screening analysis). For the confirmatory method, basic, neutral and acidic compounds were extracted by a dedicated solid-phase extraction (SPE) in a 96-well plate format and detected by MS in the tandem mode to obtain precursor and characteristic product ions. The mass accuracy and the elemental composition of precursor and product ions were used for compound identification. After validation including matrix effect determination, the method was considered reliable to confirm suspect results without ambiguity according to the positivity criteria established by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Moreover, an isocratic method was developed to separate ephedrine from its isomer pseudoephedrine and cathine from phenylpropanolamine in a single run, what allowed their direct quantification in urine. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biochemicals from food waste and recalcitrant biomass via syngas fermentation: A review.

PubMed

Wainaina, Steven; Horváth, Ilona Sárvári; Taherzadeh, Mohammad J

2018-01-01

An effective method for the production of value-added chemicals from food waste and lignocellulosic materials is a hybrid thermal-biological process, which involves gasification of the solid materials to syngas (primarily CO and H 2 ) followed by fermentation. This paper reviews the recent advances in this process. The special focus is on the cultivation methods that involve the use of single strains, defined mixed cultures and undefined mixed cultures for production of carboxylic acids and higher alcohols. A rate limiting step in these processes is the low mass transfer between the gas and the liquid phases. Therefore, novel techniques that can enhance the gas-liquid mass transfer including membrane- and trickle-bed bioreactors were discussed. Such bioreactors have shown promising results in increasing the volumetric mass transfer coefficient (k L a). High gas pressure also influences the mass transfer in certain batch processes, although the presence of impurities in the gas would impede the process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The CENNS-10 liquid argon detector to measure CEvNS at the Spallation Neutron Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tayloe, R.

2018-04-01

The COHERENT collaboration is deploying a suite of low-energy detectors in a low-background corridor of the ORNL Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) to measure coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) on an array of nuclear targets employing different detector technologies. A measurement of CEvNS on different nuclei will test the N2-dependence of the CEvNS cross section and further the physics reach of the COHERENT effort. The first step of this program has been realized recently with the observation of CEvNS in a 14.6 kg CsI detector. Operation and deployment of Ge and NaI detectors are also underway. A 22 kg, single-phase, liquid argon detector (CENNS-10) started data-taking in Dec. 2016 and will provide results on CEvNS from a lighter nucleus. Initial results indicate that light output, pulse-shape discrimination, and background suppression are sufficient for a measurement of CEvNS on argon.

Miscibility at the immiscible liquid/liquid interface: A molecular dynamics study of thermodynamics and mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karnes, John J.; Benjamin, Ilan

2018-01-01

Molecular dynamics simulations are used to study the dissolution of water into an adjacent, immiscible organic liquid phase. Equilibrium thermodynamic and structural properties are calculated during the transfer of water molecule(s) across the interface using umbrella sampling. The net free energy of transfer agrees reasonably well with experimental solubility values. We find that water molecules "prefer" to transfer into the adjacent phase one-at-a-time, without co-transfer of the hydration shell, as in the case of evaporation. To study the dynamics and mechanism of transfer of water to liquid nitrobenzene, we collected over 400 independent dissolution events. Analysis of these trajectories suggests that the transfer of water is facilitated by interfacial protrusions of the water phase into the organic phase, where one water molecule at the tip of the protrusion enters the organic phase by the breakup of a single hydrogen bond.

A phase-stepped point diffraction interferometer using liquid crystals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mercer, Carolyn R.; Creath, Katherine; Rashidnia, Nasser

1995-01-01

A new instrument, the liquid crystal point diffraction interferometer (LCPDI), has been developed for the measurement of phase objects. This instrument maintains the compact, robust design of Linnik's point diffraction interferometer (PDI) and adds to it phase stepping capability for quantitative interferogram analysis. The result is a compact, simple to align, environmentally insensitive interferometer capable of accurately measuring optical wavefronts with high data density and with automated data reduction. The design of the LCPDI is briefly discussed. An algorithm is presented for eliminating phase measurement error caused by object beam intensity variation from frame-to-frame. The LCPDI is demonstrated by measuring the temperature distribution across a heated chamber filled with silicone oil. The measured results are compared to independently measured results and show excellent agreement with them. It is expected that this instrument will have application in the fluid sciences as a diagnostic tool, particularly in space based applications where autonomy, robustness, and compactness are desirable qualities. It should also be useful for the testing of optical elements, provided a master is available for comparison.

Investigation to biodiesel production by the two-step homogeneous base-catalyzed transesterification.

PubMed

Ye, Jianchu; Tu, Song; Sha, Yong

2010-10-01

For the two-step transesterification biodiesel production made from the sunflower oil, based on the kinetics model of the homogeneous base-catalyzed transesterification and the liquid-liquid phase equilibrium of the transesterification product, the total methanol/oil mole ratio, the total reaction time, and the split ratios of methanol and reaction time between the two reactors in the stage of the two-step reaction are determined quantitatively. In consideration of the transesterification intermediate product, both the traditional distillation separation process and the improved separation process of the two-step reaction product are investigated in detail by means of the rigorous process simulation. In comparison with the traditional distillation process, the improved separation process of the two-step reaction product has distinct advantage in the energy duty and equipment requirement due to replacement of the costly methanol-biodiesel distillation column. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A rapid and sensitive LC-MS/MS assay for the determination of saxagliptin and its active metabolite 5-hydroxy saxagliptin in human plasma and its application to a pharmacokinetic study.

PubMed

Batta, N; Pilli, N R; Derangula, V R; Vurimindi, H B; Damaramadugu, R; Yejella, R P

2015-03-01

The authors proposed a simple, rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) assay method for the simultaneous determination of saxagliptin and its active metabolite 5-hydroxy saxagliptin in human plasma. The developed method was fully validated as per the US FDA guidelines. The method utilized stable labeled isotopes saxagliptin-15 N d2 (IS1) and 5-hydroxy saxagliptin-15 N-d2 (IS2) as internal standards for the quantification of saxagliptin and 5-hydroxy saxagliptin, respectively. Analytes and the internal standards were extracted from human plasma by a single step solid-phase extraction technique without drying, evaporation and reconstitution steps. The optimized mobile phase was composed of 0.1% acetic acid in 5 mM ammonium acetate and acetonitrile (30:70, v/v) and delivered at a flow rate of 0.85 mL/min. The method exhibits the linear calibration range of 0.05-100 ng/mL for both the analytes. The precision and accuracy results for both the analytes were well within the acceptance limits. The different stability experiments conducted in aqueous samples and in matrix samples are meeting the acceptance criteria. The chromatographic run time was set at 1.8 min; hence more than 400 samples can be analyzed in a single day. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

A successful backward step correlates with hip flexion moment of supporting limb in elderly people.

PubMed

Takeuchi, Yahiko

2018-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine the positional relationship between the center of mass (COM) and the center of pressure (COP) at the time of step landing, and to examine their relationship with the joint moments exerted by the supporting limb, with regard to factors of the successful backward step response. The study population comprised 8 community-dwelling elderly people that were observed to take successive multi steps after the landing of a backward stepping. Using a motion capture system and force plate, we measured the COM, COP and COM-COP deviation distance on landing during backward stepping. In addition, we measured the moment of the supporting limb joint during backward stepping. The multi-step data were compared with data from instances when only one step was taken (single-step). Variables that differed significantly between the single- and multi-step data were used as objective variables and the joint moments of the supporting limb were used as explanatory variables in single regression analyses. The COM-COP deviation in the anteroposterior was significantly larger in the single-step. A regression analysis with COM-COP deviation as the objective variable obtained a significant regression equation in the hip flexion moment (R2 = 0.74). The hip flexion moment of supporting limb was shown to be a significant explanatory variable in both the PS and SS phases for the relationship with COM-COP distance. This study found that to create an appropriate backward step response after an external disturbance (i.e. the ability to stop after 1 step), posterior braking of the COM by a hip flexion moment are important during the single-limbed standing phase.

Cavity ring-down spectroscopy in the liquid phase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Shucheng; Sha, Guohe; Xie, Jinchun

2002-02-01

A new application for cavity ring-down spectroscopic (CRDS) technique using a pulsed polarized light source has been developed in the absorption measurement of liquids for "colorless" organic compounds using both a single sample cell and double sample cells inserted in an optical cavity at Brewster angle. At present an experimental capability of measuring absorption coefficients as small as 2-5×10-7 cm-1 has been demonstrated by measurement of the absorption baselines. The first spectra for CRDS in the liquid phase, the C-H stretching fifth vibrational overtones of benzene in the pure liquid and hexane solution are obtained. The optical absorption length for liquids in both a single sample cell and double sample cells of 1 cm length is up to 900 cm due to multipass of light within an optical cavity. Compared to the thermal lens and optoacoustic spectroscopic techniques, the sensitivity for CRDS mainly depends on the optical absorption path of the sample (single passing path of the sample times multipass times), is not determined by the laser power and the length of the sample cell. The absolute absorption coefficient and band intensity for the sample are determined directly by the spectroscopy.

3D imaging of vapour and liquid inclusions from the Mole Granite, Australia, using helical fluorescence tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cauzid, J.; Philippot, P.; Bleuet, P.; Simionovici, A.; Somogyi, A.; Golosio, B.

2007-08-01

World class Cu resources are concentrated in porphyry and epithermal ore deposits. Their formation remains partially understood, however, due to a lack of constraints on the partitioning properties of trace elements in general, and Cu in particular, between vapour and liquid phases evolved from boiling fluids at depth in the Earth's crust. Immiscible liquid and vapour fluid inclusions coexisting in a single quartz grain have been imaged in three dimensions by X-ray Fluorescence Computed Tomography (XFCT). Elemental spatial distributions confirm that Cu, and to a lesser extent As, partition into the vapour phase, whereas Mn, Fe, Zn, Br, Rb, Sr and Pb concentrate in the liquid inclusion. High resolution mapping of the vapour inclusions revealed that Cu is heterogeneously distributed at the scale of a single inclusion and is mostly concentrated as tiny daughter crystals.

Determination of anthelmintic drug residues in milk using ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with rapid polarity switching.

PubMed

Whelan, Michelle; Kinsella, Brian; Furey, Ambrose; Moloney, Mary; Cantwell, Helen; Lehotay, Steven J; Danaher, Martin

2010-07-02

A new UHPLC-MS/MS (ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry) method was developed and validated to detect 38 anthelmintic drug residues, consisting of benzimidazoles, avermectins and flukicides. A modified QuEChERS-type extraction method was developed with an added concentration step to detect most of the analytes at <1 microg kg(-1) levels in milk. Anthelmintic residues were extracted into acetonitrile using magnesium sulphate and sodium chloride to induce liquid-liquid partitioning followed by dispersive solid phase extraction for cleanup. The extract was concentrated into dimethyl sulphoxide, which was used as a keeper to ensure analytes remain in solution. Using rapid polarity switching in electrospray ionisation, a single injection was capable of detecting both positively and negatively charged ions in a 13 min run time. The method was validated at two levels: the unapproved use level and at the maximum residue level (MRL) according to Commission Decision (CD) 2002/657/EC criteria. The decision limit (CCalpha) of the method was in the range of 0.14-1.9 and 11-123 microg kg(-1) for drugs validated at unapproved and MRL levels, respectively. The performance of the method was successfully verified for benzimidazoles and levamisole by participating in a proficiency study.

Two-step ion-exchange chromatographic purification combined with reversed-phase chromatography to isolate C-peptide for mass spectrometric analysis.

PubMed

Kabytaev, Kuanysh; Durairaj, Anita; Shin, Dmitriy; Rohlfing, Curt L; Connolly, Shawn; Little, Randie R; Stoyanov, Alexander V

2016-02-01

A liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry on-line platform that includes the orthogonal techniques of ion exchange and reversed phase chromatography is applied for C-peptide analysis. Additional improvement is achieved by the subsequent application of cation- and anion-exchange purification steps that allow for isolating components that have their isoelectric points in a narrow pH range before final reversed-phase mass spectrometry analysis. The utility of this approach for isolating fractions in the desired "pI window" for profiling complex mixtures is discussed. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Immunoassay of paralytic shellfish toxins by moving magnetic particles in a stationary liquid-phase lab-on-a-chip.

PubMed

Kim, Myoung-Ho; Choi, Suk-Jung

2015-04-15

In this study, we devised a stationary liquid-phase lab-on-a-chip (SLP LOC), which was operated by moving solid-phase magnetic particles in the stationary liquid phase. The SLP LOC consisted of a sample chamber to which a sample and reactants were added, a detection chamber containing enzyme substrate solution, and a narrow channel connecting the two chambers and filled with buffer. As a model system, competitive immunoassays of saxitoxin (STX), a paralytic shellfish toxin, were conducted in the SLP LOC using protein G-coupled magnetic particles (G-MPs) as the solid phase. Anti-STX antibodies, STX-horseradish peroxidase conjugate, G-MPs, and a STX sample were added to the sample chamber and reacted by shaking. While liquids were in the stationary state, G-MPs were transported from the sample chamber to the detection chamber by moving a magnet below the LOC. After incubation to allow the enzymatic reaction to occur, the absorbance of the detection chamber solution was found to be reciprocally related to the STX concentration of the sample. Thus, the SLP LOC may represent a novel, simple format for point-of-care testing applications of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays by eliminating complicated liquid handling steps. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Feasibility of Surfactant-Free Supported Emulsion Liquid Membrane Extraction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hu, Shih-Yao B.; Li, Jin; Wiencek, John M.

2001-01-01

Supported emulsion liquid membrane (SELM) is an effective means to conduct liquid-liquid extraction. SELM extraction is particularly attractive for separation tasks in the microgravity environment where density difference between the solvent and the internal phase of the emulsion is inconsequential and a stable dispersion can be maintained without surfactant. In this research, dispersed two-phase flow in SELM extraction is modeled using the Lagrangian method. The results show that SELM extraction process in the microgravity environment can be simulated on earth by matching the density of the solvent and the stripping phase. Feasibility of surfactant-free SELM (SFSELM) extraction is assessed by studying the coalescence behavior of the internal phase in the absence of the surfactant. Although the contacting area between the solvent and the internal phase in SFSELM extraction is significantly less than the area provided by regular emulsion due to drop coalescence, it is comparable to the area provided by a typical hollow-fiber membrane. Thus, the stripping process is highly unlikely to become the rate-limiting step in SFSELM extraction. SFSELM remains an effective way to achieve simultaneous extraction and stripping and is able to eliminate the equilibrium limitation in the typical solvent extraction processes. The SFSELM design is similar to the supported liquid membrane design in some aspects.

Method for testing earth samples for contamination by organic contaminants

DOEpatents

Schabron, John F.

1996-01-01

Provided is a method for testing earth samples for contamination by organic contaminants, and particularly for aromatic compounds such as those found in diesel fuel and other heavy fuel oils, kerosene, creosote, coal oil, tars and asphalts. A drying step is provided in which a drying agent is contacted with either the earth sample or a liquid extract phase to reduce to possibility of false indications of contamination that could occur when humic material is present in the earth sample. This is particularly a problem when using relatively safe, non-toxic and inexpensive polar solvents such as isopropyl alcohol since the humic material tends to be very soluble in those solvents when water is present. Also provided is an ultraviolet spectroscopic measuring technique for obtaining an indication as to whether a liquid extract phase contains aromatic organic contaminants. In one embodiment, the liquid extract phase is subjected to a narrow and discrete band of radiation including a desired wave length and the ability of the liquid extract phase to absorb that wavelength of ultraviolet radiation is measured to provide an indication of the presence of aromatic organic contaminants.

Gradient polymer-disposed liquid crystal single layer of large nematic droplets for modulation of laser light.

PubMed

Hadjichristov, Georgi B; Marinov, Yordan G; Petrov, Alexander G

2011-06-01

The light modulating ability of gradient polymer-disposed liquid crystal (PDLC) single layer of large droplets formed by nematic E7 in UV-cured polymer NOA65 is studied. Operating at relatively low voltages, such PDLC film with a of thickness 10-25 μm and droplet size up to 50 μm exhibits a good contrast ratio and is capable of producing a large phase shift for the propagating coherent light. For a linearly polarized He-Ne laser (λ=633 nm), an electrically commanded phase shift as large as π/2 can be obtained by the large-droplet region of the film. The electrically produced phase shift and its spatial profile controlled by the thickness of the gradient PDLC single layers of large nematic droplets can be useful for tunable spatial light modulators and other devices for active control of laser light.

Heterogeneity Determination and Purification of Commercial Hen Egg-White Lysozyme

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, B. R.; Vekilov, P. G.; Rosenberger, F.

1998-01-01

Hen egg-white lysozyme (HEWL) is widely used as a model protein, although its purity has not been adequately characterized by modern biochemical techniques. We have identified and quantified the protein heterogeneities in three commercial HEWL preparations by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with enhanced silver staining, reversed-phase fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) and immunoblotting with comparison to authentic protein standards. Depending on the source, the contaminating proteins totalled 1-6%(w/w) and consisted of ovotransferrin, ovalbumin, HEWL dimers, and polypeptides with approximate M(sub r) of 39 and 18 kDa. Furthermore, we have obtained gram quantities of electrophoretically homogeneous [> 99.9%(w/w)] HEWL by single-step semi-preparative scale cation-exchange FPLC with a yield of about 50%. Parallel studies of crystal growth kinetics, salt repartitioning and crystal perfection with this highly purified material showed fourfold increases in the growth-step velocities and significant enhancement in the structural homogeneity of HEWL crystals.

An integrated process for the recovery of high added-value compounds from olive oil using solid support free liquid-liquid extraction and chromatography techniques.

PubMed

Angelis, Apostolis; Hamzaoui, Mahmoud; Aligiannis, Nektarios; Nikou, Theodora; Michailidis, Dimitris; Gerolimatos, Panagiotis; Termentzi, Aikaterini; Hubert, Jane; Halabalaki, Maria; Renault, Jean-Hugues; Skaltsounis, Alexios-Léandros

2017-03-31

An integrated extraction and purification process for the direct recovery of high added value compounds from extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is proposed by using solid support free liquid-liquid extraction and chromatography techniques. Two different extraction methods were developed on a laboratory-scale Centrifugal Partition Extractor (CPE): a sequential strategy consisting of several "extraction-recovery" cycles and a continuous strategy based on stationary phase co-current elution. In both cases, EVOO was used as mobile phase diluted in food grade n-hexane (feed mobile phase) and the required biphasic system was obtained by adding ethanol and water as polar solvents. For the sequential process, 17.5L of feed EVOO containing organic phase (i.e. 7L of EVOO treated) were extracted yielding 9.5g of total phenolic fraction corresponding to a productivity of 5.8g/h/L of CPE column. Regarding the second approach, the co-current process, 2L of the feed oil phase (containing to 0.8L of EVOO) were treated at 100mL/min yielding 1.03g of total phenolic fraction corresponding to a productivity of 8.9g/h/L of CPE column. The total phenolic fraction was then fractionated by using stepwise gradient elution Centrifugal Partition Chromatography (CPC). The biphasic solvent systems were composed of n-hexane, ethyl acetate, ethanol and water in different proportions (X/Y/2/3, v/v). In a single run of 4h on a column with a capacity of 1L, 910mg of oleocanthal, 882mg of oleacein, 104mg of hydroxytyrosol were successfully recovered from 5g of phenolic extract with purities of 85%, 92% and 90%, respectively. CPC fractions were then submitted to orthogonal chromatographic steps (adsorption on silica gel or size exclusion chromatography) leading to the isolation of additional eleven compounds belonging to triterpens, phenolic compounds and secoiridoids. Among them, elenolic acid ethylester was found to be new compound. Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), Nuclear magnetic Resonance (NMR) and High Performance Liquid Chromatography - Diode Array Detector (HPLC-DAD) were used for monitoring and evaluation purposes throughout the entire procedure. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

One-step synthesis of layered yttrium hydroxides in immiscible liquid-liquid systems: Intercalation of sterically-bulky hydrophobic organic anions and doping of europium ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Mebae; Fujihara, Shinobu

2014-02-01

Inorganic-organic layered rare-earth compounds were synthesized on the basis of a biphasic liquid-liquid system in one pot. Layered yttrium hydroxides (LYHs) were chosen as a host material for the intercalation of hydrophobic organic guest anions such as benzoate, sebacate, or laurate. In a typical synthesis, an organic phase dissolving carboxylic acid was placed in contact with an equal amount of an aqueous phase dissolving yttrium nitrate n-hydrate and urea. At elevated temperatures up to 80 °C, urea was hydrolyzed to release hydroxyl anions which were used to form yttrium hydroxide layers. LYHs were then precipitated with the intercalation of carboxylate anions delivered from the organic phase under the distribution law. The structure and the morphology of the LYHs could be modulated by the intercalated anions. Doped with Eu3+ ions, the LYHs exhibited red photoluminescence which was enhanced by the intercalated anions due to the antenna effect.

Ductile tungsten-nickel alloy and method for making same

DOEpatents

Snyder, Jr., William B.

1976-01-01

The present invention is directed to a ductile, high-density tungsten-nickel alloy which possesses a tensile strength in the range of 100,000 to 140,000 psi and a tensile elongation of 3.1 to 16.5 percent in 1 inch at 25.degree.C. This alloy is prepared by the steps of liquid phase sintering a mixture of tungsten-0.5 to 10.0 weight percent nickel, heat treating the alloy at a temperature above the ordering temperature of approximately 970.degree.C. to stabilize the matrix phase, and thereafter rapidly quenching the alloy in a suitable liquid to maintain the matrix phase in a metastable, face-centered cubic, solid- solution of tungsten in nickel.

Solid-Phase Extraction (SPE): Principles and Applications in Food Samples.

PubMed

Ötles, Semih; Kartal, Canan

2016-01-01

Solid-Phase Extraction (SPE) is a sample preparation method that is practised on numerous application fields due to its many advantages compared to other traditional methods. SPE was invented as an alternative to liquid/liquid extraction and eliminated multiple disadvantages, such as usage of large amount of solvent, extended operation time/procedure steps, potential sources of error, and high cost. Moreover, SPE can be plied to the samples combined with other analytical methods and sample preparation techniques optionally. SPE technique is a useful tool for many purposes through its versatility. Isolation, concentration, purification and clean-up are the main approaches in the practices of this method. Food structures represent a complicated matrix and can be formed into different physical stages, such as solid, viscous or liquid. Therefore, sample preparation step particularly has an important role for the determination of specific compounds in foods. SPE offers many opportunities not only for analysis of a large diversity of food samples but also for optimization and advances. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview on basic principles of SPE and its applications for many analytes in food matrix.

On-line comprehensive two-dimensional normal-phase liquid chromatography×reversed-phase liquid chromatography for preparative isolation of toad venom.

PubMed

Li, Jia-Fu; Fang, Hua; Yan, Xia; Chang, Fang-Rong; Wu, Zhen; Wu, Yun-Long; Qiu, Ying-Kun

2016-07-22

An on-line comprehensive preparative two-dimensional normal-phase liquid chromatography×reversed-phase liquid chromatography (2D NPLC×RPLC) system was constructed with a newly developed vacuum evaporation assisted adsorption (VEAA) interface, allowing fast removal of NPLC solvent in the vacuum condition and successfully solving the solvent incompatibility problem between NPLC and RPLC. The system achieved on-line solvent exchange within the two dimensions and its performance was illustrated by gram-scale isolation of crude extract from the venom of Bufo bufo gargarizans. Within separation time of ∼20h, 19 compounds were obtained with high purity in a single run. With the VEAA interface, the 2D system exhibited apparent advantages in separation efficiency and automation compared with conventional methods, indicating its promising application in the routine separation process for complicated natural products. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Liquid-Crystal Point-Diffraction Interferometer for Wave-Front Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mercer, Carolyn R.; Creath, Katherine

1996-01-01

A new instrument, the liquid-crystal point-diffraction interferometer (LCPDI), is developed for the measurement of phase objects. This instrument maintains the compact, robust design of Linnik's point-diffraction interferometer and adds to it a phase-stepping capability for quantitative interferogram analysis. The result is a compact, simple to align, environmentally insensitive interferometer capable of accurately measuring optical wave fronts with very high data density and with automated data reduction. We describe the theory and design of the LCPDI. A focus shift was measured with the LCPDI, and the results are compared with theoretical results,

Interface morphology studies of liquid phase epitaxy grown HgCdTe films by atomic force microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azoulay, M.; George, M. A.; Burger, A.; Collins, W. E.; Silberman, E.

1994-04-01

In this paper we report an investigation of the morphology of the interfaces of liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) grown HgCdTe thin films on CdTe and CdZnTe substrates by atomic force microscopy (AFM) on freshly cleaved (110) crystallographic planes. An empirical observation which may be linked to lattice mismatch was indicated by an angle between the cleavage steps of the substrate to those of the film. The precipitates with size ranging from 5 nm to 20 nm were found to be most apparent near the interface.

Bidentate organophosphorus solvent extraction process for actinide recovery and partition

DOEpatents

Schulz, Wallace W.

1976-01-01

A liquid-liquid extraction process for the recovery and partitioning of actinide values from acidic nuclear waste aqueous solutions, the actinide values including trivalent, tetravalent and hexavalent oxidation states is provided and includes the steps of contacting the aqueous solution with a bidentate organophosphorous extractant to extract essentially all of the actinide values into the organic phase. Thereafter the respective actinide fractions are selectively partitioned into separate aqueous solutions by contact with dilute nitric or nitric-hydrofluoric acid solutions. The hexavalent uranium is finally removed from the organic phase by contact with a dilute sodium carbonate solution.

Magnetic properties of mechanically alloyed Mn-Al-C powders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohmoto, O.; Kageyama, N.; Kageyama, Y.; Haji, H.; Uchida, M.; Matsushima, Y.

2011-01-01

We have prepared supersaturated-solution Mn-Al-C alloy powders by mechanical alloying using a planetary high-energy mill. The starting materials were pure Mn, Al and C powers. The mechanically-alloyed powders were subjected to a two-step heating. Although starting particles are Al and Mn with additive C, the Al peak disappears with MA time. With increasing MA time, transition from α-Mn to β-Mn does not occur; the α-Mn structure maintains. At 100 h, a single phase of supersaturated-solution α-Mn is obtained. The lattice constant of α-Mn decreases with increasing MA time. From the Scherrer formula, the crystallite size at 500 h is obtained as 200Å, which does not mean amorphous state. By two-step heating, high magnetization (66 emu/g) was obtained from short-time-milled powders (t=10 h). The precursor of the as-milled powder is not a single phase α-Mn but contains small amount of fcc Al. After two-step heating, the powder changes to τ-phase. Although the saturation magnetization increases, the value is less than that by conventional bulk MnAl (88 emu/g). Meanwhile, long-time-milled powder of single α-Mn phase results in low magnetization (5.2 emu/g) after two-step heating.

Determination of 82 veterinary drugs in swine waste lagoon sludge by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Li, Xiaowei; Guo, Ping; Shan, Yawen; Ke, Yuebin; Li, Hui; Fu, Qin; Wang, Yingyu; Liu, Tianhe; Xia, Xi

2017-05-26

This work reports the development of a multi-residue method for the identification and quantification of 82 veterinary drugs belonging to different chemical classes in swine waste lagoon. The proposed method applies a solid-phase extraction procedure with Oasis PRiME HLB cartridges that combines isolation of the compounds and sample clean-up in a single step. Analysis is performed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, in one single injection with a chromatographic run time of only 9.5min. Linearity was studied in the range between 1 and 500μgkg -1 using standards prepared both in pure solvent and in the presence of matrix, showing coefficients of determination higher than 0.99 for all the analytes except for cefapirin in matrix. The average recoveries were in the range of 60-110% for most of the compounds tested with inter-day relative standard deviations below 17%. More than 97% of the investigated compounds had less or equal to a 5μgkg -1 quantitation limit in the studied matrix. Finally, the method was used with success to detect and quantify veterinary drugs residues in real samples with sulfonamides, quinolones, and tetracyclines being the most frequently determined compound groups. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Generalized Eulerian-Lagrangian Analysis, with Application to Liquid Flows with Vapor Bubbles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dejong, Frederik J.; Meyyappan, Meyya

1993-01-01

Under a NASA MSFC SBIR Phase 2 effort an analysis has been developed for liquid flows with vapor bubbles such as those in liquid rocket engine components. The analysis is based on a combined Eulerian-Lagrangian technique, in which Eulerian conservation equations are solved for the liquid phase, while Lagrangian equations of motion are integrated in computational coordinates for the vapor phase. The novel aspect of the Lagrangian analysis developed under this effort is that it combines features of the so-called particle distribution approach with those of the so-called particle trajectory approach and can, in fact, be considered as a generalization of both of those traditional methods. The result of this generalization is a reduction in CPU time and memory requirements. Particle time step (stability) limitations have been eliminated by semi-implicit integration of the particle equations of motion (and, for certain applications, the particle temperature equation), although practical limitations remain in effect for reasons of accuracy. The analysis has been applied to the simulation of cavitating flow through a single-bladed section of a labyrinth seal. Models for the simulation of bubble formation and growth have been included, as well as models for bubble drag and heat transfer. The results indicate that bubble formation is more or less 'explosive'. for a given flow field, the number density of bubble nucleation sites is very sensitive to the vapor properties and the surface tension. The bubble motion, on the other hand, is much less sensitive to the properties, but is affected strongly by the local pressure gradients in the flow field. In situations where either the material properties or the flow field are not known with sufficient accuracy, parametric studies can be carried out rapidly to assess the effect of the important variables. Future work will include application of the analysis to cavitation in inducer flow fields.

Dynamic Compression Experiments on Hydrogen and Deuterium in the Warm Dense Liquid.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desjarlais, Michael; McCoy, Chad; Cochrane, Kyle; Mattsson, Thomas; Knudson, Marcus; Redmer, Ronald

2017-06-01

Recently a shock-ramp platform has been developed on the Z Accelerator to access off-Hugoniot states in liquids. The accelerator delivers a two-step current pulse; the first accelerates the electrode to a constant velocity, which upon impact with the sample cell creates a well-defined shock, the subsequent current rise produces ramp compression from the initially shocked state producing relatively cool (1-2 kK), high pressure (>300 GPa), high compression (10 to 15-fold compression) states. This technique allows experimental access to the region of phase space where hydrogen is predicted to undergo a first-order phase transition from an insulating molecular-like to a conducting atomic-like liquid. Here we discuss the experimental platform, survey various theoretical predictions for the liquid-liquid, insulator-to-metal transition in hydrogen, and present results of experiments on both deuterium and hydrogen that clearly show an abrupt transition to a metallic state. We also present results from recent experiments at higher temperatures (3-4 kK) and compare the observations to both first-principles theory and previous step-wise loading experiments that exhibited a minimum metallic conductivity. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Phosphorylation-mediated RNA/peptide complex coacervation as a model for intracellular liquid organelles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aumiller, William M.; Keating, Christine D.

2016-02-01

Biological cells are highly organized, with numerous subcellular compartments. Phosphorylation has been hypothesized as a means to control the assembly/disassembly of liquid-like RNA- and protein-rich intracellular bodies, or liquid organelles, that lack delimiting membranes. Here, we demonstrate that charge-mediated phase separation, or complex coacervation, of RNAs with cationic peptides can generate simple model liquid organelles capable of reversibly compartmentalizing biomolecules. Formation and dissolution of these liquid bodies was controlled by changes in peptide phosphorylation state using a kinase/phosphatase enzyme pair. The droplet-generating phase transition responded to modification of even a single serine residue. Electrostatic interactions between the short cationic peptides and the much longer polyanionic RNAs drove phase separation. Coacervates were also formed on silica beads, a primitive model for localization at specific intracellular sites. This work supports phosphoregulation of complex coacervation as a viable mechanism for dynamic intracellular compartmentalization in membraneless organelles.

Investigating gas-phase defect formation in late-stage solidification using a novel phase-field crystal alloy model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Nan; Smith, Nathan; Provatas, Nikolas

2017-09-01

We study late-stage solidification and the associated formation of defects in alloy materials using a novel model based on the phase-field-crystal technique. It is shown that our model successfully captures several important physical phenomena that occur in the late stages of solidification, including solidification shrinkage, liquid cavitation and microsegregation, all in a single framework. By examining the interplay of solidification shrinkage and solute segregation, this model reveals that the formation of gas pore defects at the late stage of solidification can lead to nucleation of second phase solid particles due to solute enrichment in the eutectic liquid driven by gas-phase nucleation and growth. We also predict a modification of the Gulliver-Scheil equation in the presence of gas pockets in confined liquid pools.

New Density Functional Approach for Solid-Liquid-Vapor Transitions in Pure Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kocher, Gabriel; Provatas, Nikolas

2015-04-01

A new phase field crystal (PFC) type theory is presented, which accounts for the full spectrum of solid-liquid-vapor phase transitions within the framework of a single density order parameter. Its equilibrium properties show the most quantitative features to date in PFC modeling of pure substances, and full consistency with thermodynamics in pressure-volume-temperature space is demonstrated. A method to control either the volume or the pressure of the system is also introduced. Nonequilibrium simulations show that 2- and 3-phase growth of solid, vapor, and liquid can be achieved, while our formalism also allows for a full range of pressure-induced transformations. This model opens up a new window for the study of pressure driven interactions of condensed phases with vapor, an experimentally relevant paradigm previously missing from phase field crystal theories.

Mechanism of two-step vapour-crystal nucleation in a pore

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Meel, J. A.; Liu, Y.; Frenkel, D.

2015-09-01

We present a numerical study of the effect of hemispherical pores on the nucleation of Lennard-Jones crystals from the vapour phase. As predicted by Page and Sear, there is a narrow range of pore radii, where vapour-liquid nucleation can become a two-step process. A similar observation was made for different pore geometries by Giacomello et al. We find that the maximum nucleation rate depends on both the size and the adsorption strength of the pore. Moreover, a poe can be more effective than a planar wall with the same strength of attraction. Pore-induced vapour-liquid nucleation turns out to be the rate-limiting step for crystal nucleation. This implies that crystal nucleation can be enhanced by a judicious choice of the wetting properties of a microporous nucleating agent.

Gas-Liquid Flows and Phase Separation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McQuillen, John

2004-01-01

Common issues for space system designers include:Ability to Verify Performance in Normal Gravity prior to Deployment; System Stability; Phase Accumulation & Shedding; Phase Separation; Flow Distribution through Tees & Manifolds Boiling Crisis; Heat Transfer Coefficient; and Pressure Drop.The report concludes:Guidance similar to "A design that operates in a single phase is less complex than a design that has two-phase flow" is not always true considering the amount of effort spent on pressurizing, subcooling and phase separators to ensure single phase operation. While there is still much to learn about two-phase flow in reduced gravity, we have a good start. Focus now needs to be directed more towards system level problems .

Modis Collection 6 Shortwave-Derived Cloud Phase Classification Algorithm and Comparisons with CALIOP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marchant, Benjamin; Platnick, Steven; Meyer, Kerry; Arnold, George Thomas; Riedi, Jerome

2016-01-01

Cloud thermodynamic phase (e.g., ice, liquid) classification is an important first step for cloud retrievals from passive sensors such as MODIS (Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer). Because ice and liquid phase clouds have very different scattering and absorbing properties, an incorrect cloud phase decision can lead to substantial errors in the cloud optical and microphysical property products such as cloud optical thickness or effective particle radius. Furthermore, it is well established that ice and liquid clouds have different impacts on the Earth's energy budget and hydrological cycle, thus accurately monitoring the spatial and temporal distribution of these clouds is of continued importance. For MODIS Collection 6 (C6), the shortwave-derived cloud thermodynamic phase algorithm used by the optical and microphysical property retrievals has been completely rewritten to improve the phase discrimination skill for a variety of cloudy scenes (e.g., thin/thick clouds, over ocean/land/desert/snow/ice surface, etc). To evaluate the performance of the C6 cloud phase algorithm, extensive granule-level and global comparisons have been conducted against the heritage C5 algorithm and CALIOP. A wholesale improvement is seen for C6 compared to C5.

Multiple fuel supply system for an internal combustion engine

DOEpatents

Crothers, William T.

1977-01-01

A multiple fuel supply or an internal combustion engine wherein phase separation of components is deliberately induced. The resulting separation permits the use of a single fuel tank to supply components of either or both phases to the engine. Specifically, phase separation of a gasoline/methanol blend is induced by the addition of a minor amount of water sufficient to guarantee separation into an upper gasoline phase and a lower methanol/water phase. A single fuel tank holds the two-phase liquid with separate fuel pickups and separate level indicators for each phase. Either gasoline or methanol, or both, can be supplied to the engine as required by predetermined parameters. A fuel supply system for a phase-separated multiple fuel supply contained in a single fuel tank is described.

Manipulating Liquids With Acoustic Radiation Pressure Phased Arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oeftering, Richard C.

1999-01-01

High-intensity ultrasound waves can produce the effects of "Acoustic Radiation Pressure" (ARP) and "acoustic streaming." These effects can be used to propel liquid flows and to apply forces that can be used to move or manipulate floating objects or liquid surfaces. NASA's interest in ARP includes the remote-control agitation of liquids and the manipulation of bubbles and drops in liquid experiments and propellant systems. A high level of flexibility is attained by using a high-power acoustic phased array to generate, steer, and focus a beam of acoustic waves. This is called an Acoustic Radiation Pressure Phased Array, or ARPPA. In this approach, many acoustic transducer elements emit wavelets that converge into a single beam of sound waves. Electronically coordinating the timing, or "phase shift," of the acoustic waves makes it possible to form a beam with a predefined direction and focus. Therefore, a user can direct the ARP force at almost any desired point within a liquid volume. ARPPA lets experimenters manipulate objects anywhere in a test volume. This flexibility allow it to be used for multiple purposes, such as to agitate liquids, deploy and manipulate drops or bubbles, and even suppress sloshing in spacecraft propellant tanks.

In situ magnetic resonance measurement of conversion, hydrodynamics and mass transfer during single- and two-phase flow in fixed-bed reactors.

PubMed

Gladden, L F; Alexander, P; Britton, M M; Mantle, M D; Sederman, A J; Yuen, E H L

2003-01-01

In recent years there has been increasing interest in applying magnetic resonance (MR) techniques in areas of engineering and chemical technology. The science that underpins many of these applications is the physics and chemistry of transport and reaction processes in porous materials. Key to the exploitation of MR methods will be our ability to demonstrate that MR yields information that cannot be obtained using conventional measurement techniques in engineering research. This article describes two case studies that highlight the power of MR to give new insights to chemical engineers. First, we demonstrate the application of MR techniques to explore both mass transfer and chemical conversion in situ within a fixed bed of catalyst, and we then use these data to identify the rate-controlling step of the chemical conversion. Second, we implement a rapid imaging technique to study the stability of the gas-liquid distribution in the low- and high-interaction two-phase flow regimes in a trickle-bed reactor.

Process for producing biodiesel, lubricants, and fuel and lubricant additives in a critical fluid medium

DOEpatents

Ginosar, Daniel M.; Fox, Robert V.

2005-05-03

A process for producing alkyl esters useful in biofuels and lubricants by transesterifying glyceride- or esterifying free fatty acid-containing substances in a single critical phase medium is disclosed. The critical phase medium provides increased reaction rates, decreases the loss of catalyst or catalyst activity and improves the overall yield of desired product. The process involves the steps of dissolving an input glyceride- or free fatty acid-containing substance with an alcohol or water into a critical fluid medium; reacting the glyceride- or free fatty acid-containing substance with the alcohol or water input over either a solid or liquid acidic or basic catalyst and sequentially separating the products from each other and from the critical fluid medium, which critical fluid medium can then be recycled back in the process. The process significantly reduces the cost of producing additives or alternatives to automotive fuels and lubricants utilizing inexpensive glyceride- or free fatty acid-containing substances, such as animal fats, vegetable oils, rendered fats, and restaurant grease.

Thermodiffusion in Ternary Mixtures of Water/Ethanol/Triethylene Glycol: First Report on the DCMIX3-Experiments Performed on the International Space Station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Triller, T.; Bataller, H.; Bou-Ali, M. M.; Braibanti, M.; Croccolo, F.; Ezquerro, J. M.; Galand, Q.; Gavaldà, Jna.; Lapeira, E.; Laverón-Simavilla, A.; Lyubimova, T.; Mialdun, A.; Zárate, J. M. Ortiz de; Rodríguez, J.; Ruiz, X.; Ryzhkov, I. I.; Shevtsova, V.; Vaerenbergh, S. Van; Köhler, W.

2018-05-01

We report on thermodiffusion experiments conducted on the International Space Station ISS during fall 2016. These experiments are part of the DCMIX (Diffusion and thermodiffusion Coefficients Measurements in ternary Mixtures) project, which aims at establishing a reliable data base of non-isothermal transport coefficients for selected ternary liquid mixtures. The third campaign, DCMIX3, focuses on aqueous systems with water/ethanol/triethylene glycol as an example, where sign changes of the Soret coefficient have already been reported for certain binary subsystems. Investigations have been carried out with the SODI (Selectable Optical Diagnostics Instrument) instrument, a Mach-Zehnder interferometer set up inside the Microgravity Science Glovebox in the Destiny Module of the ISS. Concentration changes within the liquids have been monitored in response to an external temperature gradient using phase-stepping interferometry. The complete data set has been made available in spring 2017. Due to additionally available measurement time, it was possible to collect a complete data set at 30∘C and an almost complete data set at 25∘C, which significantly exceeds the originally envisaged measurements at a single temperature only. All samples could be measured successfully. The SODI instrument and the DCMIX experiments have proven reliable and robust, allowing to extract meaningful data even in case of unforeseen laser instabilities. First assessments of the data quality have revealed six out of 31 runs with some problems in image contrast and/or phase step stability that will require more sophisticated algorithms. This publication documents all relevant parameters of the conducted experiments and also events that might have an influence on the final results. The compiled information is intended to serve as a starting point for all following data evaluations.

Thermodiffusion in Ternary Mixtures of Water/Ethanol/Triethylene Glycol: First Report on the DCMIX3-Experiments Performed on the International Space Station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Triller, T.; Bataller, H.; Bou-Ali, M. M.; Braibanti, M.; Croccolo, F.; Ezquerro, J. M.; Galand, Q.; Gavaldà, Jna.; Lapeira, E.; Laverón-Simavilla, A.; Lyubimova, T.; Mialdun, A.; Zárate, J. M. Ortiz de; Rodríguez, J.; Ruiz, X.; Ryzhkov, I. I.; Shevtsova, V.; Vaerenbergh, S. Van; Köhler, W.

2018-02-01

We report on thermodiffusion experiments conducted on the International Space Station ISS during fall 2016. These experiments are part of the DCMIX (Diffusion and thermodiffusion Coefficients Measurements in ternary Mixtures) project, which aims at establishing a reliable data base of non-isothermal transport coefficients for selected ternary liquid mixtures. The third campaign, DCMIX3, focuses on aqueous systems with water/ethanol/triethylene glycol as an example, where sign changes of the Soret coefficient have already been reported for certain binary subsystems. Investigations have been carried out with the SODI (Selectable Optical Diagnostics Instrument) instrument, a Mach-Zehnder interferometer set up inside the Microgravity Science Glovebox in the Destiny Module of the ISS. Concentration changes within the liquids have been monitored in response to an external temperature gradient using phase-stepping interferometry. The complete data set has been made available in spring 2017. Due to additionally available measurement time, it was possible to collect a complete data set at 30∘C and an almost complete data set at 25∘C, which significantly exceeds the originally envisaged measurements at a single temperature only. All samples could be measured successfully. The SODI instrument and the DCMIX experiments have proven reliable and robust, allowing to extract meaningful data even in case of unforeseen laser instabilities. First assessments of the data quality have revealed six out of 31 runs with some problems in image contrast and/or phase step stability that will require more sophisticated algorithms. This publication documents all relevant parameters of the conducted experiments and also events that might have an influence on the final results. The compiled information is intended to serve as a starting point for all following data evaluations.

Laboratory Layered Latte

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Nan; Khodaparast, Sepideh; Zhu, Lailai; Nunes, Janine; Kim, Hyoungsoo; Stone, Howard

2017-11-01

Layered composite fluids are sometimes observed in confined systems of rather chaotic initial states, for example, layered lattes formed by pouring espresso into a glass of warm milk. In such configurations, pouring forces a lower density liquid (espresso) into a higher density ambient, which is similar to the fountain effects that characterize a wide range of flows driven by injecting a fluid into a second miscible phase. Although the initial state of the mixture is complex and chaotic, there are conditions where the mixture cools at room temperature and exhibits an organized layered pattern. Here we report controlled experiments injecting a fluid into a miscible phase and show that, above a critical injection velocity, layering naturally emerges over the time scale of minutes. We perform experimental and numerical analyses of the time-dependent flows to observe and understand the convective circulation in the layers. We identify critical conditions to produce the layering and relate the results quantitatively to the critical Rayleigh number in double-diffusive convection, which indicates the competition between the horizontal thermal gradient and the vertical density gradient generated by the fluid injection. Based on this understanding, we show how to employ this single-step process to produce layered structures in soft materials, where the local elastic properties as well as the local material concentration vary step-wise along the length of the material.

Fluid transport properties by equilibrium molecular dynamics. I. Methodology at extreme fluid states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dysthe, D. K.; Fuchs, A. H.; Rousseau, B.

1999-02-01

The Green-Kubo formalism for evaluating transport coefficients by molecular dynamics has been applied to flexible, multicenter models of linear and branched alkanes in the gas phase and in the liquid phase from ambient conditions to close to the triple point. The effects of integration time step, potential cutoff and system size have been studied and shown to be small compared to the computational precision except for diffusion in gaseous n-butane. The RATTLE algorithm is shown to give accurate transport coefficients for time steps up to a limit of 8 fs. The different relaxation mechanisms in the fluids have been studied and it is shown that the longest relaxation time of the system governs the statistical precision of the results. By measuring the longest relaxation time of a system one can obtain a reliable error estimate from a single trajectory. The accuracy of the Green-Kubo method is shown to be as good as the precision for all states and models used in this study even when the system relaxation time becomes very long. The efficiency of the method is shown to be comparable to nonequilibrium methods. The transport coefficients for two recently proposed potential models are presented, showing deviations from experiment of 0%-66%.

Environmental Benign Process for Production of Molybdenum Metal from Sulphide Based Minerals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajput, Priyanka; Janakiram, Vangada; Jayasankar, Kalidoss; Angadi, Shivakumar; Bhoi, Bhagyadhar; Mukherjee, Partha Sarathi

2017-10-01

Molybdenum is a strategic and high temperature refractory metal which is not found in nature in free state, it is predominantly found in earth's crust in the form of MoO3/MoS2. The main disadvantage of the industrial treatment of Mo concentrate is that the process contains many stages and requires very high temperature. Almost in every step many gaseous, liquid, solid chemical substances are formed which require further treatment. To overcome the above drawback, a new alternative one step novel process is developed for the treatment of sulphide and trioxide molybdenum concentrates. This paper presents the results of the investigations on molybdenite dissociation (MoS2) using microwave assisted plasma unit as well as transferred arc thermal plasma torch. It is a single step process for the preparation of pure molybdenum metal from MoS2 by hydrogen reduction in thermal plasma. Process variable such as H2 gas, Ar gas, input current, voltage and time have been examined to prepare molybdenum metal. Molybdenum recovery of the order of 95% was achieved. The XRD results confirm the phases of molybdenum metal and the chemical analysis of the end product indicate the formation of metallic molybdenum (Mo 98%).

Talbot-Lau x-ray deflectometry phase-retrieval methods for electron density diagnostics in high-energy density experiments.

PubMed

Valdivia, Maria Pia; Stutman, Dan; Stoeckl, Christian; Mileham, Chad; Begishev, Ildar A; Bromage, Jake; Regan, Sean P

2018-01-10

Talbot-Lau x-ray interferometry uses incoherent x-ray sources to measure refraction index changes in matter. These measurements can provide accurate electron density mapping through phase retrieval. An adaptation of the interferometer has been developed in order to meet the specific requirements of high-energy density experiments. This adaptation is known as a moiré deflectometer, which allows for single-shot capabilities in the form of interferometric fringe patterns. The moiré x-ray deflectometry technique requires a set of object and reference images in order to provide electron density maps, which can be costly in the high-energy density environment. In particular, synthetic reference phase images obtained ex situ through a phase-scan procedure, can provide a feasible solution. To test this procedure, an object phase map was retrieved from a single-shot moiré image obtained from a plasma-produced x-ray source. A reference phase map was then obtained from phase-stepping measurements using a continuous x-ray tube source in a small laboratory setting. The two phase maps were used to retrieve an electron density map. A comparison of the moiré and phase-stepping phase-retrieval methods was performed to evaluate single-exposure plasma electron density mapping for high-energy density and other transient plasma experiments. It was found that a combination of phase-retrieval methods can deliver accurate refraction angle mapping. Once x-ray backlighter quality is optimized, the ex situ method is expected to deliver electron density mapping with improved resolution. The steps necessary for improved diagnostic performance are discussed.

Raman Spectroscopy and Microphysics of Single PSC Precursor Particles Suspended in a Quadrupole Trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sonnenfroh, D. M.; Hunter, A. J.; Rawlins, W. T.

2001-12-01

Polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) consist primarily of solid nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) particles, which are thought to nucleate via HNO3 uptake on background sulfuric acid particles at temperatures below 195 K. The mechanism for this process is uncertain, and depends on whether the sulfuric acid particles are solid or liquid at these temperatures. Previous results from laboratory and field measurements are mixed; our previous single-particle laboratory experiments showed that binary H2SO4/H2O particles at stratospheric compositions are essentially metastable in the liquid phase when cooled to PSC temperatures. Currently, we are investigating the detailed microphysics of binary (H2SO4/H2O) and ternary (HNO3/H2SO4/H2O) single particles suspended in an electrodynamic levitator, using optical elastic scattering and Raman spectroscopy to observe changes in phase and composition. Single-particle Raman spectra for supercooled binary particles exhibit spectral distributions which alter markedly with decreasing temperature down to 190 K. The variations signify increasing dissociation of HSO4(-) to SO4(-2) with decreasing temperature, consistent with measurements for bulk solutions. Upon gradual warming of supercooled liquid binary particles, some of them freeze briefly in a narrow "window" of the phase diagram, near 210 K and 60 weight per cent H2SO4. We will discuss the Raman spectroscopy and microphysical behavior of the liquid and frozen particles for both the binary and ternary systems. This research was supported by the NASA Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Program.

Exfoliation in ecstasy: liquid crystal formation and concentration-dependent debundling observed for single-wall nanotubes dispersed in the liquid drug γ-butyrolactone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergin, Shane D.; Nicolosi, Valeria; Giordani, Silvia; de Gromard, Antoine; Carpenter, Leslie; Blau, Werner J.; Coleman, Jonathan N.

2007-11-01

Large-scale debundling of single-walled nanotubes has been demonstrated by dilution of nanotube dispersions in the solvent γ-butyrolactone. This liquid, sometimes referred to as 'liquid ecstasy', is well known for its narcotic properties. At high concentrations the dispersions form an anisotropic, liquid crystalline phase which can be removed by mild centrifugation. At lower concentrations an isotropic phase is observed with a biphasic region at intermediate concentrations. By measuring the absorbance before and after centrifugation, as a function of concentration, the relative anisotropic and isotropic nanotube concentrations can be monitored. The upper limit of the pure isotropic phase was CNT~0.004 mg ml-1, suggesting that this can be considered the nanotube dispersion limit in γ-butyrolactone. After centrifugation, the dispersions are stable against sedimentation and further aggregation for a period of 8 weeks at least. Atomic-force-microscopy studies on films deposited from the isotropic phase reveal that the bundle diameter distribution decreases dramatically as concentration is decreased. Detailed data analysis suggests the presence of an equilibrium bundle number density. A population of individual nanotubes is always observed which increases with decreasing concentration until almost 40% of all dispersed objects are individual nanotubes at a concentration of 6 × 10-4 mg ml-1. The number density of individual nanotubes peaks at a concentration of ~6 × 10-3 mg ml-1 where almost 10% of the nanotubes by mass are individualized.

Single-drop impingement onto a wavy liquid film and description of the asymmetrical cavity dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Hinsberg, Nils Paul; Charbonneau-Grandmaison, Marie

2015-07-01

The present paper is devoted to an experimental investigation of the cavity formed upon a single-drop impingement onto a traveling solitary surface wave on a deep pool of the same liquid. The dynamics of the cavity throughout its complete expansion and receding phase are analyzed using high-speed shadowgraphy and compared to the outcomes of drop impingements onto steady liquid surface films having equal thickness. The effects of the surface wave velocity, amplitude and phase, drop impingement velocity, and liquid viscosity on the cavity's diameter and depth evolution are accurately characterized at various time instants. The wave velocity induces a distinct and in time increasing inclination of the cavity in the wave propagation direction. In particular for strong waves an asymmetrical distribution of the radial expansion and retraction velocity along the cavity's circumference is observed. A linear dependency between the absolute Weber number and the typical length and time scales associated with the cavity's maximum depth and maximum diameter is reported.

Understanding rapid changes in phase partitioning between cloud liquid and ice in an Arctic stratiform mixed-phase cloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalesse, Heike; de Boer, Gijs; Solomon, Amy; Oue, Mariko; Ahlgrimm, Maike; Zhang, Damao; Shupe, Matthew; Luke, Edward; Protat, Alain

2016-04-01

In the Arctic, a region particularly sensitive to climate change, mixed-phase clouds occur as persistent single or multiple stratiform layers. For many climate models, the correct partitioning of hydrometeor phase (liquid vs. ice) remains a challenge. However, this phase partitioning plays an important role for precipitation processes and the radiation budget. To better understand the partitioning of phase in Arctic clouds, observations using a combination of surface-based remote sensors are useful. In this study, the focus is on a persistent low-level single-layer stratiform Arctic mixed-phase cloud observed during March 11-12, 2013 at the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) North Slope of Alaska (NSA) permanent site in Barrow, Alaska. This case is of particular interest due to two significant shifts in observed precipitation intensity over a 36 hour period. For the first 12 hours of this case, the observed liquid portion of the cloud cover featured a stable cloud top height with a gradually descending liquid cloud base and continuous ice precipitation. Then the ice precipitation intensity significantly decreased. A second decrease in ice precipitation intensity was observed a few hours later coinciding with the advection of a cirrus over the site. Through analysis of the data collected by extensive ground-based remote-sensing and in-situ observing systems as well as Nested Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) simulations and ECMWF radiation scheme simulations, we try to shed light on the processes responsible for these rapid changes in precipitation rates. A variety of parameters such as the evolution of the internal dynamics and microphysics of the low-level mixed-phase cloud and the influence of the cirrus cloud are evaluated.

Conventional sample enrichment strategies combined with high-performance liquid chromatography-solid phase extraction-nuclear magnetic resonance analysis allows analyte identification from a single minuscule Corydalis solida plant tuber.

PubMed

Sturm, Sonja; Seger, Christoph; Godejohann, Markus; Spraul, Manfred; Stuppner, Hermann

2007-09-07

Identification of putative biomarker molecules within the genus Corydalis (Papaveraceae) was pursued by combining conventional off-line sample enrichment with high-performance liquid chromatography-solid phase extraction-nuclear magnetic resonance (HPLC-SPE-NMR) based structure elucidation. Off-line reversed phase solid phase extraction (SPE) was used to enrich the desired analytes from a methanolic extract (93 mg dry weight) of a miniscule single tuber (233 mg dry weight) of C. solida. An aliquot of the SPE fraction (2.1 mg) was subjected to separation in the HPLC-SPE-NMR hyphenation. Chromatographic peaks bearing the metabolites under investigation were trapped in the SPE device in a single experiment and transferred to a 600 MHz NMR spectrometer equipped with a 30 microl cryofit insert fed into a 3 mm cryoprobe. Recorded homo- and heteronuclear 1D and 2D NMR data allowed the identification of the three analytes under investigation as protopine, allocryptopine, and N-methyl-laudanidinium acetate. The latter is a rare alkaloid, which has been isolated only once before.

Unimolecular Reaction Pathways of a γ-Ketohydroperoxide from Combined Application of Automated Reaction Discovery Methods

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

Grambow, Colin A.; Jamal, Adeel; Li, Yi -Pei

Ketohydroperoxides are important in liquid-phase autoxidation and in gas-phase partial oxidation and pre-ignition chemistry, but because of their low concentration, instability, and various analytical chemistry limitations, it has been challenging to experimentally determine their reactivity, and only a few pathways are known. In the present work, 75 elementary-step unimolecular reactions of the simplest γ-ketohydroperoxide, 3-hydroperoxypropanal, were discovered by a combination of density functional theory with several automated transition-state search algorithms: the Berny algorithm coupled with the freezing string method, single- and double-ended growing string methods, the heuristic KinBot algorithm, and the single-component artificial force induced reaction method (SC-AFIR). The presentmore » joint approach significantly outperforms previous manual and automated transition-state searches – 68 of the reactions of γ-ketohydroperoxide discovered here were previously unknown and completely unexpected. All of the methods found the lowest-energy transition state, which corresponds to the first step of the Korcek mechanism, but each algorithm except for SC-AFIR detected several reactions not found by any of the other methods. We show that the low-barrier chemical reactions involve promising new chemistry that may be relevant in atmospheric and combustion systems. Our study highlights the complexity of chemical space exploration and the advantage of combined application of several approaches. Altogether, the present work demonstrates both the power and the weaknesses of existing fully automated approaches for reaction discovery which suggest possible directions for further method development and assessment in order to enable reliable discovery of all important reactions of any specified reactant(s).« less

Unimolecular Reaction Pathways of a γ-Ketohydroperoxide from Combined Application of Automated Reaction Discovery Methods

DOE PAGES

Grambow, Colin A.; Jamal, Adeel; Li, Yi -Pei; ...

2017-12-22

Ketohydroperoxides are important in liquid-phase autoxidation and in gas-phase partial oxidation and pre-ignition chemistry, but because of their low concentration, instability, and various analytical chemistry limitations, it has been challenging to experimentally determine their reactivity, and only a few pathways are known. In the present work, 75 elementary-step unimolecular reactions of the simplest γ-ketohydroperoxide, 3-hydroperoxypropanal, were discovered by a combination of density functional theory with several automated transition-state search algorithms: the Berny algorithm coupled with the freezing string method, single- and double-ended growing string methods, the heuristic KinBot algorithm, and the single-component artificial force induced reaction method (SC-AFIR). The presentmore » joint approach significantly outperforms previous manual and automated transition-state searches – 68 of the reactions of γ-ketohydroperoxide discovered here were previously unknown and completely unexpected. All of the methods found the lowest-energy transition state, which corresponds to the first step of the Korcek mechanism, but each algorithm except for SC-AFIR detected several reactions not found by any of the other methods. We show that the low-barrier chemical reactions involve promising new chemistry that may be relevant in atmospheric and combustion systems. Our study highlights the complexity of chemical space exploration and the advantage of combined application of several approaches. Altogether, the present work demonstrates both the power and the weaknesses of existing fully automated approaches for reaction discovery which suggest possible directions for further method development and assessment in order to enable reliable discovery of all important reactions of any specified reactant(s).« less

Solventless and solvent-minimized sample preparation techniques for determining currently used pesticides in water samples: a review.

PubMed

Tankiewicz, Maciej; Fenik, Jolanta; Biziuk, Marek

2011-10-30

The intensification of agriculture means that increasing amounts of toxic organic and inorganic compounds are entering the environment. The pesticides generally applied nowadays are regarded as some of the most dangerous contaminants of the environment. Their presence in the environment, especially in water, is hazardous because they cause human beings to become more susceptible to disease. For these reasons, it is essential to monitor pesticide residues in the environment with the aid of all accessible analytical methods. The analysis of samples for the presence of pesticides is problematic, because of the laborious and time-consuming operations involved in preparing samples for analysis, which themselves may be a source of additional contaminations and errors. To date, it has been standard practice to use large quantities of organic solvents in the sample preparation process; but as these solvents are themselves hazardous, solventless and solvent-minimized techniques are coming into use. This paper discusses the most commonly used over the last 15 years sample preparation techniques for monitoring organophosphorus and organonitrogen pesticides residue in water samples. Furthermore, a significant trend in sample preparation, in accordance with the principles of 'Green Chemistry' is the simplification, miniaturization and automation of analytical techniques. In view of this aspect, several novel techniques are being developed in order to reduce the analysis step, increase the sample throughput and to improve the quality and the sensitivity of analytical methods. The paper describes extraction techniques requiring the use of solvents - liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) and its modifications, membrane extraction techniques, hollow fibre-protected two-phase solvent microextraction, liquid phase microextraction based on the solidification of a floating organic drop (LPME-SFO), solid-phase extraction (SPE) and single-drop microextraction (SDME) - as well as solvent-free techniques - solid phase microextraction (SPME) and stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE). The advantages and drawbacks of these techniques are also discussed, and some solutions to their limitations are proposed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Design and characterization of a single channel two-liquid capacitor and its application to hyperelastic strain sensing.

PubMed

Liu, Shanliangzi; Sun, Xiaoda; Hildreth, Owen J; Rykaczewski, Konrad

2015-03-07

Room temperature liquid-metal microfluidic devices are attractive systems for hyperelastic strain sensing. These liquid-phase electronics are intrinsically soft and retain their functionality even when stretched to several times their original length. Currently two types of liquid metal-based strain sensors exist for in-plane measurements: single-microchannel resistive and two-microchannel capacitive devices. With a winding serpentine channel geometry, these sensors typically have a footprint of about a square centimeter. This large footprint of an individual device limits the number of sensors that can be embedded into, for example, electronic fabric or skin. In this work we introduce an alternative capacitor design consisting of two liquid metal electrodes separated by a liquid dielectric material within a single straight channel. Using a liquid insulator instead of a solid elastomer enables us to tailor the system's capacitance by selecting high or low dielectric constant liquids. We quantify the effects of the electrode geometry including the diameter, spacing, and meniscus shape as well as the dielectric constant of the insulating liquid on the overall system's capacitance. We also develop a procedure for fabricating the two-liquid capacitor within a single straight polydiemethylsiloxane channel and demonstrate that this device can have about 25 times higher capacitance per sensor's base area when compared to two-channel liquid metal capacitors. Lastly, we characterize the response of this compact device to strain and identify operational issues arising from complex hydrodynamics near liquid-liquid and liquid-elastomer interfaces.

pH Variance in Aerosols Undergoing Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eddingsaas, N. C.; Dallemagne, M.; Huang, X.

2014-12-01

The water content of aerosols is largely governed by relative humidity (RH). As the relative humidity decreases, and thus the water content of aerosols, a number of processes occur including the shrinking of aerosols, the increase in concentration of components, and potentially the formation of liquid liquid phase separation (llps) due to the salting out of inorganic salts. The most ubiquitous salt in atmospheric aerosols is ammonium sulfate which results in many aerosols to be at least mildly acidic. However, during llps, the pH of the different phases is not necessarily the same. Many reactions that take place within atmospheric aerosols are acid catalyzed so a better understanding of the pH of the individual phases as well as the interface between the phases is important to understanding aerosol processing and aging. Through the use of pH sensitive dyes and confocal microscopy we have directly measured the pH of micron sized model aerosols during high RH where the aerosols are in a single phase, at intermediate while the aerosols are in llps, and low RH where the aerosols consist of one liquid phase and one solid phase. We will discuss the variation in RH during these different phase states in the presence and absence of excess sulfuric acid. We will also discuss how this variation in pH affects aging of aerosols.

Method for testing earth samples for contamination by organic contaminants

DOEpatents

Schabron, J.F.

1996-10-01

Provided is a method for testing earth samples for contamination by organic contaminants, and particularly for aromatic compounds such as those found in diesel fuel and other heavy fuel oils, kerosene, creosote, coal oil, tars and asphalts. A drying step is provided in which a drying agent is contacted with either the earth sample or a liquid extract phase to reduce to possibility of false indications of contamination that could occur when humic material is present in the earth sample. This is particularly a problem when using relatively safe, non-toxic and inexpensive polar solvents such as isopropyl alcohol since the humic material tends to be very soluble in those solvents when water is present. Also provided is an ultraviolet spectroscopic measuring technique for obtaining an indication as to whether a liquid extract phase contains aromatic organic contaminants. In one embodiment, the liquid extract phase is subjected to a narrow and discrete band of radiation including a desired wave length and the ability of the liquid extract phase to absorb that wavelength of ultraviolet radiation is measured to provide an indication of the presence of aromatic organic contaminants. 2 figs.

Quantitation of triacylglycerols in edible oils by off-line comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry using a single column.

PubMed

Wei, Fang; Hu, Na; Lv, Xin; Dong, Xu-Yan; Chen, Hong

2015-07-24

In this investigation, off-line comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry using a single column has been applied for the identification and quantification of triacylglycerols in edible oils. A novel mixed-mode phenyl-hexyl chromatographic column was employed in this off-line two-dimensional separation system. The phenyl-hexyl column combined the features of traditional C18 and silver-ion columns, which could provide hydrophobic interactions with triacylglycerols under acetonitrile conditions and can offer π-π interactions with triacylglycerols under methanol conditions. When compared with traditional off-line comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography employing two different chromatographic columns (C18 and silver-ion column) and using elution solvents comprised of two phases (reversed-phase/normal-phase) for triacylglycerols separation, the novel off-line comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography using a single column can be achieved by simply altering the mobile phase between acetonitrile and methanol, which exhibited a much higher selectivity for the separation of triacylglycerols with great efficiency and rapid speed. In addition, an approach based on the use of response factor with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry has been developed for triacylglycerols quantification. Due to the differences between saturated and unsaturated acyl chains, the use of response factors significantly improves the quantitation of triacylglycerols. This two-dimensional liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry system was successfully applied for the profiling of triacylglycerols in soybean oils, peanut oils and lord oils. A total of 68 triacylglycerols including 40 triacylglycerols in soybean oils, 50 triacylglycerols in peanut oils and 44 triacylglycerols in lord oils have been identified and quantified. The liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry data were analyzed using principal component analysis. The results of the principal component analysis enabled a clear identification of different plant oils. By using this two-dimensional liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry system coupled with principal component analysis, adulterated soybean oils with 5% added lord oil and peanut oils with 5% added soybean oil can be clearly identified. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Heating of a fully saturated darcian half-space: Pressure generation, fluid expulsion, and phase change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Delaney, P.

1984-01-01

Analytical solutions are developed for the pressurization, expansion, and flow of one- and two-phase liquids during heating of fully saturated and hydraulically open Darcian half-spaces subjected to a step rise in temperature at its surface. For silicate materials, advective transfer is commonly unimportant in the liquid region; this is not always the case in the vapor region. Volume change is commonly more important than heat of vaporization in determining the position of the liquid-vapor interface, assuring that the temperatures cannot be determined independently of pressures. Pressure increases reach a maximum near the leading edge of the thermal front and penetrate well into the isothermal region of the body. Mass flux is insensitive to the hydraulic properties of the half-space. ?? 1984.

Simultaneous derivatisation and preconcentration of parabens in food and other matrices by isobutyl chloroformate and dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction followed by gas chromatographic analysis.

PubMed

Jain, Rajeev; Mudiam, Mohana Krishna Reddy; Chauhan, Abhishek; Ch, Ratnasekhar; Murthy, R C; Khan, Haider A

2013-11-01

A simple, rapid and economical method has been proposed for the quantitative determination of parabens (methyl, ethyl, propyl and butyl paraben) in different samples (food, cosmetics and water) based on isobutyl chloroformate (IBCF) derivatisation and preconcentration using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction in single step. Under optimum conditions, solid samples were extracted with ethanol (disperser solvent) and 200 μL of this extract along with 50 μL of chloroform (extraction solvent) and 10 μL of IBCF was rapidly injected into 2 mL of ultra-pure water containing 150 μL of pyridine to induce formation of a cloudy state. After centrifugation, 1 μL of the sedimented phase was analysed using gas chromatograph-flame ionisation detector (GC-FID) and the peaks were confirmed using gas chromatograph-positive chemical ionisation-mass spectrometer (GC-PCI-MS). Method was found to be linear over the range of 0.1-10 μg mL(-1) with square of correlation coefficient (R(2)) in the range of 0.9913-0.9992. Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were found to be 0.029-0.102 μg mL(-1) and 0.095-0.336 μg mL(-1) with a signal to noise ratio of 3:1 and 10:1, respectively. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Single-Phase ProtoDUNE Technical Design Report

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

Abi, B.

2017-06-21

ProtoDUNE-SP is the single-phase DUNE Far Detector prototype that is under construction and will be operated at the CERN Neutrino Platform (NP) starting in 2018. ProtoDUNE-SP, a crucial part of the DUNE effort towards the construction of the first DUNE 10-kt fiducial mass far detector module (17 kt total LAr mass), is a significant experiment in its own right. With a total liquid argon (LAr) mass of 0.77 kt, it represents the largest monolithic single-phase LArTPC detector to be built to date. It's technical design is given in this report.

Upgrades toward high-heat flux, liquid lithium plasma-facing components in the NSTX-U

DOE PAGES

Jaworski, M. A.; Brooks, A.; Kaita, R.; ...

2016-08-08

Liquid metal plasma-facing components (PFCs) provide numerous potential advantages over solid-material components. One critique of the approach is the relatively less developed technologies associated with deploying these components in a fusion plasma-experiment. Exploration of the temperature limits of liquid lithium PFCs in a tokamak divertor and the corresponding consequences on core operation are a high priority informing the possibilities for future liquid lithium PFCs. An all-metal NSTX-U is envisioned to make direct comparison between all high-Z wall operation and liquid lithium PFCs in a single device. By executing the all-metal upgrades incrementally, scientific productivity will be maintained while enabling physicsmore » and engineering-science studies to further develop the solid- and liquid-metal components. Six major elements of a flowing liquid-metal divertor system are described and a three-step program for implementing this system is laid out. The upgrade steps involve the first high-Z divertor target upgrade in NSTX-U, pre-filled liquid metal targets and finally, an integrated, flowing liquid metal divertor target. As a result, two example issues are described where the engineering and physics experiments are shown to be closely related in examining the prospects for future liquid metal PFCs.« less

Dispersions of Semiconductor Nanoparticles in Thermotropic Liquid Crystal: From Optical Modification to Assisted Self-Assembly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodarte, Andrea L.

The interaction of semiconducting quantum dot nanoparticles (QDs) within thermotropic liquid crystalline (LC) materials are studied in this thesis. LC materials are ideal for bottom-up organization of nanoparticles as an active matrix that can be externally manipulated via electric or magnetic fields. In addition, the optical properties of QDs can be modified by the surrounding LC resulting in novel devices such as a quantum dot/liquid crystal laser. The first system studies the dispersion of spherical nanoparticles in the phase. The dispersion is investigated with the use of polarized optical microscopy, fluorescence microscopy and confocal scanning microscopy. Quantum dots well dispersed in the isotropic phase are expelled from ordered domains of LC at the phase transition. Under controlled conditions, the majority of QDs in the system can form ordered three dimensional assemblies that are situated at defect points in the liquid crystal. The internal order of the assemblies is probed utilizing Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET), combined with small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Furthermore, the location of these assemblies can be predetermined with the use of beads as defect nucleation points in the cell. The interaction of QDs in a cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) is also investigated. The reflection band created by the periodic change of index of refraction in a planar aligned CLC acts as a 1-D photonic cavity when the CLC is doped with a low concentration of QDs. A Cano-wedge cell varies the pitch of the CLC leading to the formation of Grandjean steps. This spatially tunes the photonic stop band, changing the resonance condition and continuously altering both the emission wavelength and polarization state of the QD ensemble. Using high resolution spatially and spectrally resolved photoluminescence measurements, the emission is shown to be elliptically polarized and that the tilt of the ellipse, while dependent on the emission wavelength, additionally varies with distance across the Grandjean steps. Using ultrafast spectroscopic techniques the time-resolved emission from QD ensembles in CLC matrices with either planar or homeotropic alignment is observed. In the case of planar alignment and a well-defined spectral stop band the emergence of a second, faster decay time of less than 2 ns is observed. This short recombination pathway is observed only in samples where the QD emission spectrum partially overlaps the CLC stop band by 50% or more. Samples prepared with homeotropic alignment do not have a stop band and, consequently, do not lead to spectral or dynamical modulation of the QD emission. These observations indicate that coupling between the excitonic and the photonic cavity modes results in an enhancement and modulation of spontaneous emission in the liquid crystal medium. This work opens up the possibility of designing new QD based optical devices, such as tunable single photon sources, where spatial control of wavelength and polarization of the embedded QDs would allow great flexibility and added functionalities. For hybrid materials such as soft tunable photonic devices like liquid crystal lasers, stable dispersions of nanoparticles in LC are desired. For the system we investigate functionalizing the nanoparticles with LC like ligands. Isotropic and mesogenic ligands attached to the surface of CdSe (core only) and CdSe/ZnS (core/shell) QDs. The mesogenic ligand's flexible arm structure enhances ligand alignment with the local liquid crystal director, enhancing QD dispersion in the isotropic and nematic phases. To characterize QD dispersion on different length scales, fluorescence microscopy, x-ray scattering and scanning confocal photoluminescent imaging are used. These combined techniques demonstrate that the LC-modified QDs do not aggregate into the dense clusters observed for dots with simple isotropic ligands when dispersed in liquid crystal, but loosely associate in a fluid-like aggregate with an average inter-particle spacing of >10nm. The major goal in this research is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of utilizing liquid crystal materials for hybrid and metamaterials. The techniques developed within this thesis will be useful for the next step of bottom-up metamaterial fabrication.

Soap film vibration: origin of the dissipation.

PubMed

Acharige, Sébastien Kosgodagan; Elias, Florence; Derec, Caroline

2014-11-07

We investigate the complex dispersion relationship of a transverse antisymmetric wave on a horizontal soap film. Experimentally, the complex wave number k at a fixed forcing frequency is determined by measuring the vibrating amplitude of the soap film: the wavelength (linked to the real part of k) is determined by the spatial variation of the amplitude; the decay length (linked to the imaginary part of k) is determined by analyzing the resonance curves of the vibrating wave as a function of frequency. Theoretically, we compute the complex dispersion relationship taking into account the physical properties of the bulk liquid and gas phase, and of the gas-liquid interfaces. The comparison between the computation (developed to the leading order under our experimental conditions) and the experimental results confirms that the phase velocity is fixed by the interplay between surface tension, and liquid and air inertia, as reported in previous studies. Moreover, we show that the attenuation of the transverse antisymmetric wave originates from the viscous dissipation in the gas phase surrounding the liquid film. This result is an important step in understanding the propagation of an acoustic wave in liquid foam, using a bottom-up approach.

Experimental study of nanofluidics and phase transitions of normal and superfluid 4He

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velasco, Angel Enriques

This thesis addresses the experimental results of two different research topics. The first is the experimental work of pressure driven flows in the smallest, single nanotubes ever investigated. The nanotube boundary conditions and slip lengths from argon, nitrogen, water, and helium experiments were analyzed and compared to macroscopic boundary conditions. The second research topic discusses the work on ellipsometric and quartz microbalance measurements of the 2D superfluid phase diagram of 4He on alkali substrates. Ellipsometric results of sodium on HOPG provide the first evidence of the existence of the 2D critical point on an intermediate strength substrate. Pressure driven flows through single nanopores and microtubes were measured with a calibrated mass spectrometer with pressure drops up to 30 Atm. The nanopores were between 30 nm to 600 nm in diameter and etched in mica and PET membranes of several microns thickness. Microtubes several inches long of fused quartz and nickel material were tested with diameters between 1.8 micron and 25 micron. For 4He and argon gas we observed the flow transition between the free molecular and continuum regimes at 293 K and 77 K. No discrepancy between the macroscopic theory and the 30 nm nanopore data was found. Because of the exceptionally low viscosity of gaseous helium the laminar-turbulent transition could also be observed within these submicron channels. The small viscosity of 4He was too small to dampen inertial effects at a Reynolds number of 2000. In addition to single phase gas flows, our experimental technique also allows us to investigate flows in which the nano or micro scale pipe is either partially or completely filled with liquids. The position of the intrinsic liquid/vapor interface was important for understanding this type of flow. Strong evaporation and cooling at the liquid-vapor interface can lead to freezing for conventional fluids such as nitrogen and water, which in turn leads to complex intermittent flows. The second portion of this thesis presents the experimental results on the 2D superfluid phase diagram of helium on alkali metals. A simultaneous measurement of the total and superfluid film thickness were done with a combination of a photoelastic modulated ellipsometer and a quartz crystal microbalance. Sodium and lithium films were ablated onto the gold electrodes of a QCM at 4 K. The adsorption isotherms of 4He were controlled by increasing the chemical potential from vacuum to bulk coexistence. The behavior of helium films are dependent on the strength of the substrate potential. For strong potentials such as gold and graphite the initial layers solidify while for the weaker substrate cesium films do not grow. Lithium and sodium were predicted to be intermediate in strength and for a mobile, helium film to directly grow on its surface. In addition to the superfluid transition a liquid/vapor coexistence region was predicted to also exist directly on an intermediate strength substrate. Our simultaneous QCM and ellipsometer measurements showed no clear evidence for the coexistence of 2D liquid/vapor on sodium or lithium. The gold electrodes which supported the alkali films were suspected of being too rough. We then ablated sodium on atomically smooth HOPG and the ellipsometer measured a discontinuous step at 0.5 K implying a liquid/vapor coexistence which decreased in size until it disappeared at the critical temperature T≈0.7 K. This is the first experimental evidence of a 2D critical point on sodium. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).

Sporicidal Activity of the KMT reagent in its vapor phase against Geobacillus stearothermophilus Spores.

PubMed

Kida, Nori; Mochizuki, Yasushi; Taguchi, Fumiaki

2007-01-01

In an investigation of the sporicidal activity of the KMT reagent, a vapor phase study was performed using five kinds of carriers contaminated with Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores. When 25 ml of the KMT reagent was vaporized in a chamber (capacity; approximately 95 liters), the 2-step heating method (vaporization by a combination of low temperature and high temperature) showed the most effective sporicidal activity in comparison with the 1-step heating method (rapid vaporization). The 2-step heating method appeared to be related to the sporicidal activity of vaporized KMT reagent, i.e., ethanol and iodine, which vaporized mainly when heated at a low temperature such as 55 C, and acidic water, which vaporized mainly when heated at a high temperature such as 300 C. We proposed that the KMT reagent can be used as a new disinfectant not only in the liquid phase but also in the vapor phase in the same way as peracetic acid and hydrogen peroxide.

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

Underwood, R.P.

As part of the DOE-sponsored contract Synthesis of Dimethyl Ether and Alternative Fuels in the Liquid Phase from Coal-Derived Syngas'' experimental evaluations of the one-step synthesis of alternative fuels were carried out. The objective of this work was to develop novel processes for converting coal-derived syngas to fuels or fuel additives. Building on a technology base acquired during the development of the Liquid Phase Methanol (LPMEOH) process, this work focused on the development of slurry reactor based processes. The experimental investigations, which involved bench-scale reactor studies, focused primarily on three areas: (1) One-step, slurry-phase syngas conversion to hydrocarbons or methanol/hydrocarbonmore » mixtures using a mixture of methanol synthesis catalyst and methanol conversion catalyst in the same slurry reactor. (2) Slurry-phase conversion of syngas to mixed alcohols using various catalysts. (3) One-step, slurry-phase syngas conversion to mixed ethers using a mixture of mixed alcohols synthesis catalyst and dehydration catalyst in the same slurry reactor. The experimental results indicate that, of the three types of processes investigated, slurry phase conversion of syngas to mixed alcohols shows the most promise for further process development. Evaluations of various mixed alcohols catalysts show that a cesium-promoted Cu/ZnO/Al[sub 2]O[sub 3] methanol synthesis catalyst, developed in Air Products' laboratories, has the highest performance in terms of rate and selectivity for C[sub 2+]-alcohols. In fact, once-through conversion at industrially practical reaction conditions yielded a mixed alcohols product potentially suitable for direct gasoline blending. Moreover, an additional attractive aspect of this catalyst is its high selectivity for branched alcohols, potential precursors to iso-olefins for use in etherification.« less

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

Underwood, R.P.

As part of the DOE-sponsored contract ``Synthesis of Dimethyl Ether and Alternative Fuels in the Liquid Phase from Coal-Derived Syngas`` experimental evaluations of the one-step synthesis of alternative fuels were carried out. The objective of this work was to develop novel processes for converting coal-derived syngas to fuels or fuel additives. Building on a technology base acquired during the development of the Liquid Phase Methanol (LPMEOH) process, this work focused on the development of slurry reactor based processes. The experimental investigations, which involved bench-scale reactor studies, focused primarily on three areas: (1) One-step, slurry-phase syngas conversion to hydrocarbons or methanol/hydrocarbonmore » mixtures using a mixture of methanol synthesis catalyst and methanol conversion catalyst in the same slurry reactor. (2) Slurry-phase conversion of syngas to mixed alcohols using various catalysts. (3) One-step, slurry-phase syngas conversion to mixed ethers using a mixture of mixed alcohols synthesis catalyst and dehydration catalyst in the same slurry reactor. The experimental results indicate that, of the three types of processes investigated, slurry phase conversion of syngas to mixed alcohols shows the most promise for further process development. Evaluations of various mixed alcohols catalysts show that a cesium-promoted Cu/ZnO/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} methanol synthesis catalyst, developed in Air Products` laboratories, has the highest performance in terms of rate and selectivity for C{sub 2+}-alcohols. In fact, once-through conversion at industrially practical reaction conditions yielded a mixed alcohols product potentially suitable for direct gasoline blending. Moreover, an additional attractive aspect of this catalyst is its high selectivity for branched alcohols, potential precursors to iso-olefins for use in etherification.« less

Stationary-phase optimized selectivity liquid chromatography: development of a linear gradient prediction algorithm.

PubMed

De Beer, Maarten; Lynen, Fréderic; Chen, Kai; Ferguson, Paul; Hanna-Brown, Melissa; Sandra, Pat

2010-03-01

Stationary-phase optimized selectivity liquid chromatography (SOS-LC) is a tool in reversed-phase LC (RP-LC) to optimize the selectivity for a given separation by combining stationary phases in a multisegment column. The presently (commercially) available SOS-LC optimization procedure and algorithm are only applicable to isocratic analyses. Step gradient SOS-LC has been developed, but this is still not very elegant for the analysis of complex mixtures composed of components covering a broad hydrophobicity range. A linear gradient prediction algorithm has been developed allowing one to apply SOS-LC as a generic RP-LC optimization method. The algorithm allows operation in isocratic, stepwise, and linear gradient run modes. The features of SOS-LC in the linear gradient mode are demonstrated by means of a mixture of 13 steroids, whereby baseline separation is predicted and experimentally demonstrated.

Determination of fluoroquinolone antibiotics via ionic-liquid-based, salt-induced, dual microextraction in swine feed.

PubMed

Wang, Huili; Gao, Ming; Gao, Jiajia; Yu, Nana; Huang, Hong; Yu, Qing; Wang, Xuedong

2016-09-01

In conventional microextraction procedures, the disperser (organic solvent or ionic liquid) is left in the aqueous phase and discarded after finishing the microextraction process. Because the disperser is water-soluble, it results in low extraction recovery for polar compounds. In this investigation, an ionic-liquid-based microextraction (ILBME) was integrated with salting-out assisted liquid-liquid microextraction (SALLME) to build an ionic-liquid-based, salt-induced, dual microextraction (ILSDME) for isolation of five fluoroquinolone antibiotics (FQs) with high polarity (log P, -1.0 to 1.0). The proposed ILSDME method incorporates a dual microextraction by converting the disperser in the ILBME to the extractor in the SALLME. Optimization of key factors was conducted by integrating single-factor experiments and central composite design. The optimized experimental parameters were 80 μL [C8MIM][PF6] as extractor, 505 μL acetone as disperser, pH = 2.0, 4.1 min extraction time, and 4.2 g of Na2SO4. Under optimized conditions, high ERs (90.6-103.2 %) and low LODs (0.07-0.61 μg kg(-1)) were determined for five FQs in swine feed. Experimental precision based on RSDs was 1.4-5.2 % for intra-day and 2.4-6.9 % for inter-day analyses. The combination of ILBME with SALLME increased FQ recoveries by 15-20 % as compared with SALLME, demonstrating that the ILSDME method can enhance extraction efficiency for polar compounds compared to single-step microextraction. Therefore, the ILSDME method developed in this study has wide application for pretreatment of moderately to highly polar pollutants in complex matrices. Graphical Abstract A dual microextraction was developed by integrating ionic-liquid-based microextraction with salting-out assisted liquid-liquid microextraction for isolation of five fluoroquinolone antibiotics (FQs) with high polarity (log P = -1.0 to 1.0). The principle of dual microextraction is based on converting the remaining disperser from the first microextraction into an extractor in the second microextraction. Single-factor experiment and central composite design were applied for optimizing operational parameters using 3D response surfaces and contour lines. Under optimized conditions, the method provided high extraction recoveries and low LODs for five FQs in swine feed. The prominent advantage of the dual microextraction is rapid and highly efficient extraction of moderately to highly polar fluoroquinolones from complex matrices.

Low-cost Engineering of Laser Rods and Slabs with Liquid Phase Epitaxy

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-01

SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT We investigated the use of a liquid phase epitaxial ( LPE ) coating to improve the performance of a rod or slab laser. A...single crystal erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) rod coated with undoped YAG, and an uncoated sample were procured, then compared on the...the whispering gallery modes, which otherwise would deplete the gain in ~50% of the rod volume. We also investigated LPE growth on a ceramic sample

Experimental Two-Phase Liquid-Metal Magnetohydrodynamic Generator Program

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-04-01

34 ME 5-77, Ben Gurlon University of the Negev , Beer- Sheva, Israel. BRANOVER, H., ELBOCHER, A., HOCH, E., UNGER, Y., YAKHOT, A., and ZILBERMAN, I...1978, "Hydrodynamic Investigation of Single and Two-Phase Flow Ill Liquid Metal MHD Generator Channels," ME 4-78, Ben Gurion University o the Negev , Beer...Conducting Fluid Flows in Magnetic Fields," UCRL-51010, Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, Livermore, CA. LAVRENTIEV, I. V., 1967, "Effect of Baffle Location

Development of two step liquid-liquid extraction tandem UHPLC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of Ginkgo flavonoids, terpene lactones and nimodipine in rat plasma: Application to the pharmacokinetic study of the combination of Ginkgo biloba dispersible tablets and Nimodipine tablets.

PubMed

Xiao, Jie; Wang, Tianyang; Li, Pei; Liu, Ran; Li, Qing; Bi, Kaishun

2016-08-15

A sensitive, reliable and accurate UHPLC-MS/MS method has been firstly established and validated for the simultaneous quantification of ginkgo flavonoids, terpene lactones and nimodipine in rat plasma after oral administration of Ginkgo biloba dispersible tablets, Nimodipine tablets and the combination of the both, respectively. The plasma samples were extracted by two step liquid-liquid extraction, nimodipine was extracted by hexane-ether (3:1, v/v) at the first step, after that ginkgo flavonoids and terpene lactones were extracted by ethyl acetate. Then the analytes were successfully separated by running gradient elution with the mobile phase consisting of 0.1% formic acid in water and methanol at a flow rate of 0.6mL/min. The detection of the analytes was performed on a UHPLC-MS/MS system with turbo ion spray source in the negative ion and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The calibration curves for the determination of all the analytes showed good linearity (R(2)>0.99), and the lower limits of quantification were 0.50-4.00ng/mL. Intra-day and inter-day precisions were in the range of 3.6%-9.2% and 3.2%-13.1% for all the analytes. The mean extraction recoveries of the analytes were within 69.82%-103.5% and the matrix were within 82.8%-110.0%. The validated method had been successfully applied to compare the pharmacokinetic parameters of ginkgo flavonoids, terpene lactones and nimodipine in rat plasma after oral administration of Ginkgo biloba dispersible tablets, Nimodipine tablets with the combination of the both. There were no statistically significant differences on the pharmacokinetic behaviors of all the analytes between the combined and single administration groups. Results showed that the combination of the two agents may avoid dosage adjustments in clinic and the combination is more convenient as well as efficient on different pathogenesis of cerebral ischemia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ignition of deuterium-trtium fuel targets

DOEpatents

Musinski, Donald L.; Mruzek, Michael T.

1991-01-01

A method of igniting a deuterium-tritium ICF fuel target to obtain fuel burn in which the fuel target initially includes a hollow spherical shell having a frozen layer of DT material at substantially uniform thickness and cryogenic temperature around the interior surface of the shell. The target is permitted to free-fall through a target chamber having walls heated by successive target ignitions, so that the target is uniformly heated during free-fall to at least partially melt the frozen fuel layer and form a liquid single-phase layer or a mixed liquid/solid bi-phase layer of substantially uniform thickness around the interior shell surface. The falling target is then illuminated from exteriorly of the chamber while the fuel layer is at substantially uniformly single or bi-phase so as to ignite the fuel layer and release energy therefrom.

Ignition of deuterium-tritium fuel targets

DOEpatents

Musinski, D.L.; Mruzek, M.T.

1991-08-27

Disclosed is a method of igniting a deuterium-tritium ICF fuel target to obtain fuel burn in which the fuel target initially includes a hollow spherical shell having a frozen layer of DT material at substantially uniform thickness and cryogenic temperature around the interior surface of the shell. The target is permitted to free-fall through a target chamber having walls heated by successive target ignitions, so that the target is uniformly heated during free-fall to at least partially melt the frozen fuel layer and form a liquid single-phase layer or a mixed liquid/solid bi-phase layer of substantially uniform thickness around the interior shell surface. The falling target is then illuminated from exteriorly of the chamber while the fuel layer is at substantially uniformly single or bi-phase so as to ignite the fuel layer and release energy therefrom. 5 figures.

Systematic study of vortex pinning and liquid-glass phase transition in BaFe2-x Ni x As2 single crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vlasenko, V. A.; Sobolevskiy, O. A.; Sadakov, A. V.; Pervakov, K. S.; Gavrilkin, S. Yu.; Dik, A. V.; Eltsev, Yu. F.

2018-01-01

The vortex pinning and liquid-glass transition have been studied in BaFe2-x Ni x As2 single crystals with different doping levels (x = 0.065; 0.093; 0.1; 0.14; 0.18). We found that Ni-doped Ba-122 has rather narrow vortex-liquid state region. Our results show that the temperature dependence of the resistivity as well as I-V characteristics of Ni-doped Ba-122 is consistent with 3D vortex-glass model. It was found that δl-pinning gives the main contribution to overall pinning in 122 Ni-doped system. The vortex phase diagrams for different doping levels were built based on the obtained data of temperature of the vortex-glass transition T g and the upper critical magnetic field H c2.

Single grating x-ray imaging for dynamic biological systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgan, Kaye S.; Paganin, David M.; Parsons, David W.; Donnelley, Martin; Yagi, Naoto; Uesugi, Kentaro; Suzuki, Yoshio; Takeuchi, Akihisa; Siu, Karen K. W.

2012-07-01

Biomedical studies are already benefiting from the excellent contrast offered by phase contrast x-ray imaging, but live imaging work presents several challenges. Living samples make it particularly difficult to achieve high resolution, sensitive phase contrast images, as exposures must be short and cannot be repeated. We therefore present a single-exposure, high-flux method of differential phase contrast imaging [1, 2, 3] in the context of imaging live airways for Cystic Fibrosis (CF) treatment assessment [4]. The CF study seeks to non-invasively observe the liquid lining the airways, which should increase in depth in response to effective treatments. Both high spatial resolution and sensitivity are required in order to track micron size changes in a liquid that is not easily differentiated from the tissue on which it lies. Our imaging method achieves these goals by using a single attenuation grating or grid as a reference pattern, and analyzing how the sample deforms the pattern to quantitatively retrieve the phase depth of the sample. The deformations are mapped at each pixel in the image using local cross-correlations comparing each 'sample and pattern' image with a reference 'pattern only' image taken before the sample is introduced. This produces a differential phase image, which may be integrated to give the sample phase depth.

Profilometry of three-dimensional discontinuous solids by combining two-steps temporal phase unwrapping, co-phased profilometry and phase-shifting interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Servin, Manuel; Padilla, Moises; Garnica, Guillermo; Gonzalez, Adonai

2016-12-01

In this work we review and combine two techniques that have been recently published for three-dimensional (3D) fringe projection profilometry and phase unwrapping, namely: co-phased profilometry and 2-steps temporal phase-unwrapping. By combining these two methods we get a more accurate, higher signal-to-noise 3D profilometer for discontinuous industrial objects. In single-camera single-projector (standard) profilometry, the camera and the projector must form an angle between them. The phase-sensitivity of the profilometer depends on this angle, so it cannot be avoided. This angle produces regions with self-occluding shadows and glare from the solid as viewed from the camera's perspective, making impossible the demodulation of the fringe-pattern there. In other words, the phase data is undefined at those shadow regions. As published recently, this limitation can be solved by using several co-phased fringe-projectors and a single camera. These co-phased projectors are positioned at different directions towards the object, and as a consequence most shadows are compensated. In addition to this, most industrial objects are highly discontinuous, which precludes the use of spatial phase-unwrappers. One way to avoid spatial unwrapping is to decrease the phase-sensitivity to a point where the demodulated phase is bounded to one lambda, so the need for phase-unwrapping disappears. By doing this, however, the recovered non-wrapped phase contains too much harmonic distortion and noise. Using our recently proposed two-step temporal phase-unwrapping technique, the high-sensitivity phase is unwrapped using the low-frequency one as initial gross estimation. This two-step unwrapping technique solves the 3D object discontinuities while keeping the accuracy of the high-frequency profilometry data. In scientific research, new art are derived as logical and consistent result of previous efforts in the same direction. Here we present a new 3D-profilometer combining these two recently published methods: co-phased profilometry and two-steps temporal phase-unwrapping. By doing this, we obtain a new and more powerful 3D profilometry technique which overcomes the two main limitations of previous fringe-projection profilometers namely: high phase-sensitivity digitalization of discontinuous objects and solid's self-generated shadow minimization. This new 3D profilometer is demonstrated by an experiment digitizing a discontinuous 3D industrial-solid where the advantages of this new profilometer with respect to previous art are clearly shown.

Single-shot mega-electronvolt ultrafast electron diffraction for structure dynamic studies of warm dense matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mo, M. Z.; Shen, X.; Chen, Z.; Li, R. K.; Dunning, M.; Sokolowski-Tinten, K.; Zheng, Q.; Weathersby, S. P.; Reid, A. H.; Coffee, R.; Makasyuk, I.; Edstrom, S.; McCormick, D.; Jobe, K.; Hast, C.; Glenzer, S. H.; Wang, X.

2016-11-01

We have developed a single-shot mega-electronvolt ultrafast-electron-diffraction system to measure the structural dynamics of warm dense matter. The electron probe in this system is featured by a kinetic energy of 3.2 MeV and a total charge of 20 fC, with the FWHM pulse duration and spot size at sample of 350 fs and 120 μm respectively. We demonstrate its unique capability by visualizing the atomic structural changes of warm dense gold formed from a laser-excited 35-nm freestanding single-crystal gold foil. The temporal evolution of the Bragg peak intensity and of the liquid signal during solid-liquid phase transition are quantitatively determined. This experimental capability opens up an exciting opportunity to unravel the atomic dynamics of structural phase transitions in warm dense matter regime.

Catalytic liquid-phase nitrite reduction: Kinetics and catalyst deactivation

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

Pintar, A.; Bercic, G.; Levec, J.

1998-10-01

Liquid-phase reduction using a solid catalyst provides a potential technique for the removal of nitrites from waters. Activity and selectivity measurements were performed for a wide range of reactant concentrations and reaction conditions in an isothermal semi-batch slurry reactor, which was operated at temperatures below 298 K and atmospheric pressure. The effects of catalyst loading and initial nitrite concentration on the reaction rate were also investigated. The Pd monometallic catalysts were found to be advantageous over the Pd-Cu bimetallic catalyst with respect to either reaction activity or selectivity. Among the catalysts tested, minimum ammonia formation was observed for the Pd(1more » wt.%)/{gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} catalyst. The proposed intrinsic rate expression for nitrite disappearance over the most selective catalyst is based on the steady-state adsorption model of Hinshelwood, which accounts for a dissociative hydrogen adsorption step on the catalyst surface and an irreversible surface reaction step between adsorbed hydrogen species and nitrite ions in the Helmholtz layer. Both processes occur at comparable rates. An exponential decay in the activity of Pd(1 wt. %)/{gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} catalyst has been observed during the liquid-phase nitrite reduction. This is attributed to the catalyst surface deprotonation, which occurs due to the partial neutralization of stoichiometrically produced hydroxide ions with carbon dioxide.« less

West Antarctica as a Natural Laboratory for Single- and Mixed-Phase Cloud Microphysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, A.; Scott, R. C.; Lubin, D.

2016-12-01

As part of the ARM West Antarctic Radiation Experiment (AWARE), a micropulse lidar (MPL) and a shortwave spectroradiometer were deployed to the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide Ice Camp during December 2015 and January 2016. Contrasting meteorological conditions gave rise to several distinct episodes of mixed-phase clouds, liquid water clouds, and entirely glaciated clouds. These phases were readily distinguished in the polarization signature from the MPL. The spectroradiometer measured downwelling hemispheric irradiance in the wavelength interval 0.35-2.2 microns, with 3-nanometer resolution at visible and 10-nanometer resolution at near-infrared wavelengths. Under overcast sky conditions, this measured irradiance is sensitive to total cloud optical depth for wavelengths shorter than 1.1 microns, and is sensitive at both cloud phase and effective particle size in the 1.6-micron window. For single-phase clouds, the spectral irradiance in the 1.6-micron window shows marked contrasts between liquid and ice water. For mixed phase clouds, this spectral dependence of the 1.6-micron irradiance is consistent with the prevailing phase, but in all cases the irradiance is small than that under a liquid water cloud having the same total optical depth. Radiative transfer retrievals of effective particle size from the 1.6-micron irradiance data reveal liquid water effective radii typically 2 microns smaller than found in the spring and summertime high Arctic. Most of the clouds sampled here were within 2 km of the surface, and there are comprehensive ancillary data including sondes four times daily, additional microwave radiometer data, and broadband radiometry. This AWARE data set from WAIS Divide provides a unique opportunity for testing and improving cloud microphysical parameterizations in extreme cold and pristine conditions.

The putative liquid-liquid transition is a liquid-solid transition in atomistic models of water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Limmer, David T.; Chandler, David

2011-10-01

We use numerical simulation to examine the possibility of a reversible liquid-liquid transition in supercooled water and related systems. In particular, for two atomistic models of water, we have computed free energies as functions of multiple order parameters, where one is density and another distinguishes crystal from liquid. For a range of temperatures and pressures, separate free energy basins for liquid and crystal are found, conditions of phase coexistence between these phases are demonstrated, and time scales for equilibration are determined. We find that at no range of temperatures and pressures is there more than a single liquid basin, even at conditions where amorphous behavior is unstable with respect to the crystal. We find a similar result for a related model of silicon. This result excludes the possibility of the proposed liquid-liquid critical point for the models we have studied. Further, we argue that behaviors others have attributed to a liquid-liquid transition in water and related systems are in fact reflections of transitions between liquid and crystal.

Construction of Lines of Constant Density and Constant Refractive Index for Ternary Liquid Mixtures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tasic, Aleksandar Z.; Djordjevic, Bojan D.

1983-01-01

Demonstrates construction of density constant and refractive index constant lines in triangular coordinate system on basis of systematic experimental determinations of density and refractive index for both homogeneous (single-phase) ternary liquid mixtures (of known composition) and the corresponding binary compositions. Background information,…

Studies in Three Phase Gas-Liquid Fluidised Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Awofisayo, Joyce Ololade

1992-01-01

Available from UMI in association with The British Library. The work is a logical continuation of research started at Aston some years ago when studies were conducted on fermentations in bubble columns. The present work highlights typical design and operating problems that could arise in such systems as waste water, chemical, biochemical and petroleum operations involving three-phase, gas-liquid -solid fluidisation; such systems are in increasing use. It is believed that this is one of few studies concerned with "true" three-phase, gas-liquid-solid fluidised systems, and that this work will contribute significantly to closing some of the gaps in knowledge in this area. The research work was experimentally based and involved studies of the hydrodynamic parameters, phase holdups (gas and solid), particle mixing and segregation, and phase flow dynamics (flow regime and circulation patterns). The studies have focused particularly on the solid behaviour and the influence of properties of solids present on the above parameters in three-phase, gas-liquid-solid fluidised systems containing single particle components and those containing binary and ternary mixtures of particles. All particles were near spherical in shape and two particle sizes and total concentration levels were used. Experiments were carried out in two- and three-dimensional bubble columns. Quantitative results are presented in graphical form and are supported by qualitative results from visual studies which are also shown as schematic diagrams and in photographic form. Gas and solid holdup results are compared for air-water containing single, binary and ternary component particle mixtures. It should be noted that the criteria for selection of the materials used are very important if true three-phase fluidisation is to be achieved: this is very evident when comparing the results with those in the literature. The fluid flow and circulation patterns observed were assessed for validation of the generally accepted patterns, and the author believes that the present work provides more accurate insight into the modelling of liquid circulation in bubble columns. The characteristic bubbly flow at low gas velocity in a two-phase system is suppressed in the three-phase system. The degree of mixing within the system is found to be dependent on flow regime, liquid circulation and the ratio of solid phase physical properties.

Liquid carry-over in an injection moulded all-polymer chip system for immiscible phase magnetic bead-based solid-phase extraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kistrup, Kasper; Skotte Sørensen, Karen; Wolff, Anders; Fougt Hansen, Mikkel

2015-04-01

We present an all-polymer, single-use microfluidic chip system produced by injection moulding and bonded by ultrasonic welding. Both techniques are compatible with low-cost industrial mass-production. The chip is produced for magnetic bead-based solid-phase extraction facilitated by immiscible phase filtration and features passive liquid filling and magnetic bead manipulation using an external magnet. In this work, we determine the system compatibility with various surfactants. Moreover, we quantify the volume of liquid co-transported with magnetic bead clusters from Milli-Q water or a lysis-binding buffer for nucleic acid extraction (0.1 (v/v)% Triton X-100 in 5 M guanidine hydrochloride). A linear relationship was found between the liquid carry-over and mass of magnetic beads used. Interestingly, similar average carry-overs of 1.74(8) nL/μg and 1.72(14) nL/μg were found for Milli-Q water and lysis-binding buffer, respectively.

Universality class of non-Fermi-liquid behavior in mixed-valence systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Guang-Ming; Su, Zhao-Bin; Yu, Lu

1996-01-01

A generalized Anderson single-impurity model with off-site Coulomb interactions is derived from the extended three-band Hubbard model, originally proposed to describe the physics of the copper oxides. Using the Abelian bosonization technique and canonical transformations, an effective Hamiltonian is derived in the strong-coupling limit, which is essentially analogous to the Toulouse limit of the ordinary Kondo problem. In this limit, the effective Hamiltonian can be exactly solved, with a mixed-valence quantum critical point separating two different Fermi-liquid phases, i.e., the Kondo phase and the empty orbital phase. In the mixed-valence quantum critical regime, the local moment is only partially quenched and x-ray edge singularities are generated. Around the quantum critical point, a type of non-Fermi-liquid behavior is predicted with an extra specific heat Cimp~T1/4 and a singular spin susceptibility χimp~T-3/4. At the same time, the effective Hamiltonian under single occupancy is transformed into a resonant-level model, from which the correct Kondo physical properties (specific heat, spin susceptibility, and an enhanced Wilson ratio) are easily rederived. Finally, a brief discussion is given to relate these theoretical results to observations in UPdxCu5-x (x=1,1.5) alloys, which show single-impurity critical behavior consistent with our predictions.

Microstructural modifications induced by accelerated aging and lipid absorption in remelted and annealed UHMWPEs for total hip arthroplasty

PubMed Central

Puppulin, Leonardo; Zhu, Wenliang; Sugano, Nobuhiko

2014-01-01

Three types of commercially available ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) acetabular cups currently used in total hip arthroplasty have been studied by means of Raman micro-spectroscopy to unfold the microstructural modification induced by the oxidative degradation after accelerated aging with and without lipid absorption. The three investigated materials were produced by three different manufacturing procedures, as follows: irradiation followed by remelting, one-step irradiation followed by annealing, 3-step irradiation and annealing. Clear microstructural differences were observed in terms of phase contents (i.e. amorphous, crystalline and intermediate phase fraction). The three-step annealed material showed the highest crystallinity fraction in the bulk, while the remelted polyethylene is clearly characterized by the lowest content of crystalline phase and the highest content of amorphous phase. After accelerated aging either with or without lipids, the amount of amorphous phase decreased in all the samples as a consequence of the oxidation-induced recrystallization. The most remarkable variations of phase contents were detected in the remelted and in the single-step annealed materials. The presence of lipids triggered oxidative degradation especially in the remelted polyethylene. Such experimental evidence might be explained by the highest amount of amorphous phase in which lipids can be absorbed prior to accelerated aging. The results of these spectroscopic characterizations help to rationalize the complex effect of different irradiation and post-irradiation treatments on the UHMWPE microstructure and gives useful information on how significantly any single step of the manufacturing procedures might affect the oxidative degradation of the polymer. PMID:25179830

Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for the determination of vitamins D and K in foods by liquid chromatography with diode-array and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry detection.

PubMed

Viñas, Pilar; Bravo-Bravo, María; López-García, Ignacio; Hernández-Córdoba, Manuel

2013-10-15

A simple and rapid method was developed using reversed-phase liquid chromatography (LC) with both diode array (DAD) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometric (APCI-MS) detection, for the simultaneous analysis of the vitamins ergocalciferol (D2), cholecalciferol (D3), phylloquinone (K1), menaquinone-4 (K2) and a synthetic form of vitamin K, menadione (K3). The Taguchi experimental method, an orthogonal array design (OAD), was used to optimize an efficient and clean preconcentration step based on dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME). A factorial design was applied with six factors and three levels for each factor, namely, carbon tetrachloride volume, methanol volume, aqueous sample volume, pH of sample, sodium chloride concentration and time of the centrifugation step. The DLLME optimized procedure consisted of rapidly injecting 3 mL of acetonitrile (disperser solvent) containing 150 µL carbon tetrachloride (extraction solvent) into the aqueous sample, thereby forming a cloudy solution. Phase separation was performed by centrifugation, and the sedimented phase was evaporated with nitrogen, reconstituted with 50 µL of acetonitrile, and injected. The LC analyses were carried out using a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile, 2-propanol and water, under gradient elution. Quantification was carried out by the standard additions method. The APCI-MS spectra, in combination with UV spectra, permitted the correct identification of compounds in the food samples. The method was validated according to international guidelines and using a certified reference material. The validated method was applied for the analysis of vitamins D and K in infant foods and several green vegetables. There was little variability in the forms of vitamin K present in vegetables, with the most abundant vitamer in all the samples being phylloquinone, while menadione could not be detected. Conversely, cholecalciferol, which is present in food of animal origin, was the main form in infant foods, while ergocalciferol was not detected. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Searching for dark matter with single phase liquid argon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caldwell, Thomas S., Jr.

The first hint that we fail to understand the nature of a large fraction of the gravitating matter in the universe came from Fritz Zwicky's measurements of the velocity distribution of the Coma cluster in 1933. Using the Virial theorem, Zwicky found that galaxies in the cluster were orbiting far too fast to remain gravitationally bound when their mass was estimated by the brightness of the visible matter. This led to the postulation that some form of non-luminous dark matter is present in galaxies comprising a large fraction of the galactic mass. The nature of this dark matter remains yet unknown over 80 years after Zwicky's measurements despite the efforts of many experiments. Dark matter is widely believed to be a beyond the Standard Model particle which brings the dark matter problem into the realm of particle physics. Supersymmetry is one widely explored extension of the Standard model, from which particles meeting the constraints on dark matter properties can naturally arise. These particles are generically termed weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), and are a currently favored dark matter candidate. A variety of experimental efforts are underway aimed towards direct detection of dark matter through observation of rare scattering of WIMPs in terrestrial detectors. Single phase liquid argon detectors are an appealing WIMP detection technique due to the scintillation properties of liquid argon and the scalability of the single phase approach. The MiniCLEAN dark matter detector is a single phase liquid argon scintillation scintillation detector with a 500 kg active mass. The modular design offers 4pi coverage with 92 optical cassettes, each containing TPB coated acrylic and a cryogenic photomultiplier tube. The MiniCLEAN detector has recently completed construction at SNOLAB. The detector is currently being commissioned, and will soon begin operation with the liquid argon target. Utilizing advanced pulse-shape discrimination techniques, MiniCLEAN will probe the WIMP-nucleon cross section parameter space to the level of 10--44 cm2 and demonstrate the pulse-shape discrimination required for next generation experiments capable of further probing the WIMP parameter space in search of WIMP dark matter.

A combined Eulerian-volume of fraction-Lagrangian method for atomization simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seung, S. P.; Chen, C. P.; Ziebarth, John P.

1994-01-01

The tracking of free surfaces between liquid and gas phases and analysis of the interfacial phenomena between the two during the atomization and breakup process of a liquid fuel jet is modeled. Numerical modeling of liquid-jet atomization requires the resolution of different conservation equations. Detailed formulation and validation are presented for the confined dam broken problem, the water surface problem, the single droplet problem, a jet breakup problem, and the liquid column instability problem.

Note: Laser beam scanning using a ferroelectric liquid crystal spatial light modulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Abhijit; Boruah, Bosanta R.

2014-04-01

In this work we describe laser beam scanning using a ferroelectric liquid crystal spatial light modulator. Commercially available ferroelectric liquid crystal spatial light modulators are capable of displaying 85 colored images in 1 s using a time dithering technique. Each colored image, in fact, comprises 24 single bit (black and white) images displayed sequentially. We have used each single bit image to write a binary phase hologram. For a collimated laser beam incident on the hologram, one of the diffracted beams can be made to travel along a user defined direction. We have constructed a beam scanner employing the above arrangement and demonstrated its use to scan a single laser beam in a laser scanning optical sectioning microscope setup.

Application of dot-matrix illumination of liquid crystal phase space light modulator in 3D imaging of APD array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Shuai; Sun, Huayan; Guo, Huichao

2018-01-01

Aiming at the problem of beam scanning in low-resolution APD array in three-dimensional imaging, a method of beam scanning with liquid crystal phase-space optical modulator is proposed to realize high-resolution imaging by low-resolution APD array. First, a liquid crystal phase spatial light modulator is used to generate a beam array and then a beam array is scanned. Since the sub-beam divergence angle in the beam array is smaller than the field angle of a single pixel in the APD array, the APD's pixels respond only to the three-dimensional information of the beam illumination position. Through the scanning of the beam array, a single pixel is used to collect the target three-dimensional information multiple times, thereby improving the resolution of the APD detector. Finally, MATLAB is used to simulate the algorithm in this paper by using two-dimensional scalar diffraction theory, which realizes the splitting and scanning with a resolution of 5 x 5. The feasibility is verified theoretically.

Printing 2-dimentional droplet array for single-cell reverse transcription quantitative PCR assay with a microfluidic robot.

PubMed

Zhu, Ying; Zhang, Yun-Xia; Liu, Wen-Wen; Ma, Yan; Fang, Qun; Yao, Bo

2015-04-01

This paper describes a nanoliter droplet array-based single-cell reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) assay method for quantifying gene expression in individual cells. By sequentially printing nanoliter-scale droplets on microchip using a microfluidic robot, all liquid-handling operations including cell encapsulation, lysis, reverse transcription, and quantitative PCR with real-time fluorescence detection, can be automatically achieved. The inhibition effect of cell suspension buffer on RT-PCR assay was comprehensively studied to achieve high-sensitivity gene quantification. The present system was applied in the quantitative measurement of expression level of mir-122 in single Huh-7 cells. A wide distribution of mir-122 expression in single cells from 3061 copies/cell to 79998 copies/cell was observed, showing a high level of cell heterogeneity. With the advantages of full-automation in liquid-handling, simple system structure, and flexibility in achieving multi-step operations, the present method provides a novel liquid-handling mode for single cell gene expression analysis, and has significant potentials in transcriptional identification and rare cell analysis.

Printing 2-Dimentional Droplet Array for Single-Cell Reverse Transcription Quantitative PCR Assay with a Microfluidic Robot

PubMed Central

Zhu, Ying; Zhang, Yun-Xia; Liu, Wen-Wen; Ma, Yan; Fang, Qun; Yao, Bo

2015-01-01

This paper describes a nanoliter droplet array-based single-cell reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) assay method for quantifying gene expression in individual cells. By sequentially printing nanoliter-scale droplets on microchip using a microfluidic robot, all liquid-handling operations including cell encapsulation, lysis, reverse transcription, and quantitative PCR with real-time fluorescence detection, can be automatically achieved. The inhibition effect of cell suspension buffer on RT-PCR assay was comprehensively studied to achieve high-sensitivity gene quantification. The present system was applied in the quantitative measurement of expression level of mir-122 in single Huh-7 cells. A wide distribution of mir-122 expression in single cells from 3061 copies/cell to 79998 copies/cell was observed, showing a high level of cell heterogeneity. With the advantages of full-automation in liquid-handling, simple system structure, and flexibility in achieving multi-step operations, the present method provides a novel liquid-handling mode for single cell gene expression analysis, and has significant potentials in transcriptional identification and rare cell analysis. PMID:25828383

Single-laboratory validation of a saponification method for the determination of four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in edible oils by HPLC-fluorescence detection.

PubMed

Akdoğan, Abdullah; Buttinger, Gerhard; Wenzl, Thomas

2016-01-01

An analytical method is reported for the determination of four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), benz[a]anthracene (BaA), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF) and chrysene (CHR)) in edible oils (sesame, maize, sunflower and olive oil) by high-performance liquid chromatography. Sample preparation is based on three steps including saponification, liquid-liquid partitioning and, finally, clean-up by solid phase extraction on 2 g of silica. Guidance on single-laboratory validation of the proposed analysis method was taken from the second edition of the Eurachem guide on method validation. The lower level of the working range of the method was determined by the limits of quantification of the individual analytes, and the upper level was equal to 5.0 µg kg(-1). The limits of detection and quantification of the four PAHs ranged from 0.06 to 0.12 µg kg(-1) and from 0.13 to 0.24 µg kg(-1). Recoveries of more than 84.8% were achieved for all four PAHs at two concentration levels (2.5 and 5.0 µg kg(-1)), and expanded relative measurement uncertainties were below 20%. The performance of the validated method was in all aspects compliant with provisions set in European Union legislation for the performance of analytical methods employed in the official control of food. The applicability of the method to routine samples was evaluated based on a limited number of commercial edible oil samples.

Effect of oil concentration and residence time on the biodegradation of α-pinene vapours in two-liquid phase suspended-growth bioreactors.

PubMed

Montes, María; Veiga, María C; Kennes, Christian

2012-02-20

Recently, research on the use of binary aqueous-organic liquid phase systems for the treatment of polluted air has significantly increased. This paper reports the removal of α-pinene from a waste air stream in a continuous stirred tank bioreactor (CSTB), using either a single-liquid aqueous phase or a mixed aqueous-organic liquid phase. The influence of gas flow rate, load and pollutant concentration was evaluated as well as the effect of the organic to aqueous phase ratio. Continuous experiments were carried out at different inlet α-pinene concentrations, ranging between 0.03 and 25.1 g m⁻³ and at four different flow rates, corresponding to residence times (RTs) of 120 s, 60 s, 36 s and 26 s. The maximum elimination capacities (ECs) reached in the CSTB were 382 g m⁻³ h⁻¹ (without silicone oil) and 608 g m⁻³ h⁻¹ (with 5%v/v silicone oil), corresponding to a 1.6-fold improvement using an aqueous-organic liquid phase. During shock-loads experiments, the performance and stability of the CSTB were enhanced with 5% silicone oil, quickly recovering almost 100% removal efficiency (RE), when pre-shock conditions were restored. The addition of silicone oil acted as a buffer for high α-pinene loads, showing a more stable behaviour in the case of two-liquid-phase systems. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dynamical Reduction of the Dimensionality of Exchange Interactions and the "Spin-Liquid" Phase of κ-(BEDT-TTF)_{2}X.

PubMed

Powell, B J; Kenny, E P; Merino, J

2017-08-25

We show that the anisotropy of the effective spin model for the dimer Mott insulator phase of κ-(BEDT-TTF)_{2}X salts is dramatically different from that of the underlying tight-binding model. Intradimer quantum interference results in a model of coupled spin chains, where frustrated interchain interactions suppress long-range magnetic order. Thus, we argue, the "spin liquid" phase observed in some of these materials is a remnant of the Tomonaga-Luttinger physics of a single chain. This is consistent with previous experiments and resolves some outstanding puzzles.

An Imager Gaussian Process Machine Learning Methodology for Cloud Thermodynamic Phase classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchant, B.; Platnick, S. E.; Meyer, K.

2017-12-01

The determination of cloud thermodynamic phase from MODIS and VIIRS instruments is an important first step in cloud optical retrievals, since ice and liquid clouds have different optical properties. To continue improving the cloud thermodynamic phase classification algorithm, a machine-learning approach, based on Gaussian processes, has been developed. The new proposed methodology provides cloud phase uncertainty quantification and improves the algorithm portability between MODIS and VIIRS. We will present new results, through comparisons between MODIS and CALIOP v4, and for VIIRS as well.

One-Step Reforming of CO2 and CH4 into High-Value Liquid Chemicals and Fuels at Room Temperature by Plasma-Driven Catalysis.

PubMed

Wang, Li; Yi, Yanhui; Wu, Chunfei; Guo, Hongchen; Tu, Xin

2017-10-23

The conversion of CO 2 with CH 4 into liquid fuels and chemicals in a single-step catalytic process that bypasses the production of syngas remains a challenge. In this study, liquid fuels and chemicals (e.g., acetic acid, methanol, ethanol, and formaldehyde) were synthesized in a one-step process from CO 2 and CH 4 at room temperature (30 °C) and atmospheric pressure for the first time by using a novel plasma reactor with a water electrode. The total selectivity to oxygenates was approximately 50-60 %, with acetic acid being the major component at 40.2 % selectivity, the highest value reported for acetic acid thus far. Interestingly, the direct plasma synthesis of acetic acid from CH 4 and CO 2 is an ideal reaction with 100 % atom economy, but it is almost impossible by thermal catalysis owing to the significant thermodynamic barrier. The combination of plasma and catalyst in this process shows great potential for manipulating the distribution of liquid chemical products in a given process. © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

Computing the melting point and thermodynamic stability of the orthorhombic and monoclinic crystalline polymorphs of the ionic liquid 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jayaraman, Saivenkataraman; Maginn, Edward J.

2007-12-01

The melting point, enthalpy of fusion, and thermodynamic stability of two crystal polymorphs of the ionic liquid 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride are calculated using a thermodynamic integration-based atomistic simulation method. The computed melting point of the orthorhombic phase ranges from 365 to 369 K, depending on the classical force field used. This compares reasonably well with the experimental values, which range from 337 to 339 K. The computed enthalpy of fusion ranges from 19 to 29 kJ/mol, compared to the experimental values of 18.5-21.5 kJ/mol. Only one of the two force fields evaluated in this work yielded a stable monoclinic phase, despite the fact that both give accurate liquid state densities. The computed melting point of the monoclinic polymorph was found to be 373 K, which is somewhat higher than the experimental range of 318-340 K. The computed enthalpy of fusion was 23 kJ/mol, which is also higher than the experimental value of 9.3-14.5 kJ/mol. The simulations predict that the monoclinic form is more stable than the orthorhombic form at low temperature, in agreement with one set of experiments but in conflict with another. The difference in free energy between the two polymorphs is very small, due to the fact that a single trans-gauche conformational difference in an alkyl sidechain distinguishes the two structures. As a result, it is very difficult to construct simple classical force fields that are accurate enough to definitively predict which polymorph is most stable. A liquid phase analysis of the probability distribution of the dihedral angles in the alkyl chain indicates that less than half of the dihedral angles are in the gauche-trans configuration that is adopted in the orthorhombic crystal. The low melting point and glass forming tendency of this ionic liquid is likely due to the energy barrier for conversion of the remaining dihedral angles into the gauche-trans state. The simulation procedure used to perform the melting point calculations is an extension of the so-called pseudosupercritical path sampling procedure. This study demonstrates that the method can be effectively applied to quite complex systems such as ionic liquids and that the appropriate choice of tethering potentials for a key step in the thermodynamic path can enable first order phase transitions to be avoided.

On-line comprehensive two-dimensional normal-phase liquid chromatography × reversed-phase liquid chromatography for preparative isolation of Peucedanum praeruptorum.

PubMed

Wang, Xin-Yuan; Li, Jia-Fu; Jian, Ya-Mei; Wu, Zhen; Fang, Mei-Juan; Qiu, Ying-Kun

2015-03-27

A new on-line comprehensive preparative two-dimensional normal-phase liquid chromatography × reversed-phase liquid chromatography (2D NPLC × RPLC) system was developed for the separation of complicated natural products. It was based on the use of a silica gel packed medium-pressure column as the first dimension and an ODS preparative HPLC column as the second dimension. The two dimensions were connected with normal-phase (NP) and reversed-phase (RP) enrichment units, involving a newly developed airflow assisted adsorption (AAA) technique. The instrument operation and the performance of this NPLC × RPLC separation method were illustrated by gram-scale isolation of ethanol extract from the roots of Peucedanum praeruptorum. In total, 19 compounds with high purity were obtained via automated multi-step preparative separation in a short period of time using this system, and their structures were comprehensively characterized by ESI-MS, (1)H NMR, and (13)C NMR. Including two new compounds, five isomers in two groups with identical HPLC and TLC retention values were also obtained and identified by 1D NMR and 2D NMR. This is the first report of an NPLC × RPLC system successfully applied in an on-line preparative process. This system not only solved the interfacing problem of mobile-phase immiscibility caused by NP and RP separation, it also exhibited apparent advantages in separation efficiency and sample treatment capacity compared with conventional methods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparative Analysis of Various Single-tone Frequency Estimation Techniques in High-order Instantaneous Moments Based Phase Estimation Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajshekhar, G.; Gorthi, Sai Siva; Rastogi, Pramod

2010-04-01

For phase estimation in digital holographic interferometry, a high-order instantaneous moments (HIM) based method was recently developed which relies on piecewise polynomial approximation of phase and subsequent evaluation of the polynomial coefficients using the HIM operator. A crucial step in the method is mapping the polynomial coefficient estimation to single-tone frequency determination for which various techniques exist. The paper presents a comparative analysis of the performance of the HIM operator based method in using different single-tone frequency estimation techniques for phase estimation. The analysis is supplemented by simulation results.

On the transition between two-phase and single-phase interface dynamics in multicomponent fluids at supercritical pressures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahms, Rainer N.; Oefelein, Joseph C.

2013-09-01

A theory that explains the operating pressures where liquid injection processes transition from exhibiting classical two-phase spray atomization phenomena to single-phase diffusion-dominated mixing is presented. Imaging from a variety of experiments have long shown that under certain conditions, typically when the pressure of the working fluid exceeds the thermodynamic critical pressure of the liquid phase, the presence of discrete two-phase flow processes become diminished. Instead, the classical gas-liquid interface is replaced by diffusion-dominated mixing. When and how this transition occurs, however, is not well understood. Modern theory still lacks a physically based model to quantify this transition and the precise mechanisms that lead to it. In this paper, we derive a new model that explains how the transition occurs in multicomponent fluids and present a detailed analysis to quantify it. The model applies a detailed property evaluation scheme based on a modified 32-term Benedict-Webb-Rubin equation of state that accounts for the relevant real-fluid thermodynamic and transport properties of the multicomponent system. This framework is combined with Linear Gradient Theory, which describes the detailed molecular structure of the vapor-liquid interface region. Our analysis reveals that the two-phase interface breaks down not necessarily due to vanishing surface tension forces, but due to thickened interfaces at high subcritical temperatures coupled with an inherent reduction of the mean free molecular path. At a certain point, the combination of reduced surface tension, the thicker interface, and reduced mean free molecular path enter the continuum length scale regime. When this occurs, inter-molecular forces approach that of the multicomponent continuum where transport processes dominate across the interfacial region. This leads to a continuous phase transition from compressed liquid to supercritical mixture states. Based on this theory, a regime diagram for liquid injection is developed that quantifies the conditions under which classical sprays transition to dense-fluid jets. It is shown that the chamber pressure required to support diffusion-dominated mixing dynamics depends on the composition and temperature of the injected liquid and ambient gas. To illustrate the method and analysis, we use conditions typical of diesel engine injection. We also present a companion set of high-speed images to provide experimental validation of the presented theory. The basic theory is quite general and applies to a wide range of modern propulsion and power systems such as liquid rockets, gas turbines, and reciprocating engines. Interestingly, the regime diagram associated with diesel engine injection suggests that classical spray phenomena at typical injection conditions do not occur.

Current trends in sample preparation for cosmetic analysis.

PubMed

Zhong, Zhixiong; Li, Gongke

2017-01-01

The widespread applications of cosmetics in modern life make their analysis particularly important from a safety point of view. There is a wide variety of restricted ingredients and prohibited substances that primarily influence the safety of cosmetics. Sample preparation for cosmetic analysis is a crucial step as the complex matrices may seriously interfere with the determination of target analytes. In this review, some new developments (2010-2016) in sample preparation techniques for cosmetic analysis, including liquid-phase microextraction, solid-phase microextraction, matrix solid-phase dispersion, pressurized liquid extraction, cloud point extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, and microwave digestion, are presented. Furthermore, the research and progress in sample preparation techniques and their applications in the separation and purification of allowed ingredients and prohibited substances are reviewed. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Metastable nanobubbles at the solid-liquid interface due to contact angle hysteresis.

PubMed

Nishiyama, Takashi; Yamada, Yutaka; Ikuta, Tatsuya; Takahashi, Koji; Takata, Yasuyuki

2015-01-27

Nanobubbles exist at solid-liquid interfaces between pure water and hydrophobic surfaces with very high stability, lasting in certain cases up to several days. Not only semispherical but also other shapes, such as micropancakes, are known to exist at such interfaces. However, doubt has been raised as to whether or not the nanobubbles are gas-phase entities. In this study, surface nanobubbles at a pure water-highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) interface were investigated by peak force quantitative nanomechanics (PF-QNM). Multiple isolated nanobubbles generated by the solvent-exchange method were present on the terraced areas, avoiding the steps of the HOPG surface. Adjacent nanobubbles coalesced and formed metastable nanobubbles. Coalescence was enhanced by the PF-QNM measurement. We determined that nanobubbles can exist for a long time because of nanoscale contact angle hysteresis at the water-HOPG interface. Moreover, the hydrophilic steps of HOPG were avoided during coalescence, providing evidence that the nanobubbles are truly gas phase.

Phase-field crystal modeling of heteroepitaxy and exotic modes of crystal nucleation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Podmaniczky, Frigyes; Tóth, Gyula I.; Tegze, György; Pusztai, Tamás; Gránásy, László

2017-01-01

We review recent advances made in modeling heteroepitaxy, two-step nucleation, and nucleation at the growth front within the framework of a simple dynamical density functional theory, the Phase-Field Crystal (PFC) model. The crystalline substrate is represented by spatially confined periodic potentials. We investigate the misfit dependence of the critical thickness in the StranskiKrastanov growth mode in isothermal studies. Apparently, the simulation results for stress release via the misfit dislocations fit better to the PeopleBean model than to the one by Matthews and Blakeslee. Next, we investigate structural aspects of two-step crystal nucleation at high undercoolings, where an amorphous precursor forms in the first stage. Finally, we present results for the formation of new grains at the solid-liquid interface at high supersaturations/supercoolings, a phenomenon termed Growth Front Nucleation (GFN). Results obtained with diffusive dynamics (applicable to colloids) and with a hydrodynamic extension of the PFC theory (HPFC, developed for simple liquids) will be compared. The HPFC simulations indicate two possible mechanisms for GFN.

Hydrophobic benzyl amines as supports for liquid-phase C-terminal amidated peptide synthesis: application to the preparation of ABT-510.

PubMed

Matsumoto, Emiko; Fujita, Yuko; Okada, Yohei; Kauppinen, Esko I; Kamiya, Hidehiro; Chiba, Kazuhiro

2015-09-01

C-terminal amidation is one of the most common modification of peptides and frequently found in bioactive peptides. However, the C-terminal modification must be creative, because current chemical synthetic techniques of peptides are dominated by the use of C-terminal protecting supports. Therefore, it must be carried out after the removal of such supports, complicating reaction work-up and product isolation. In this context, hydrophobic benzyl amines were successfully added to the growing toolbox of soluble tag-assisted liquid-phase peptide synthesis as supports, leading to the total synthesis of ABT-510 (2). Although an ethyl amide-forming type was used in the present work, different types of hydrophobic benzyl amines could also be simply designed and prepared through versatile reductive aminations in one step. The standard acidic treatment used in the final deprotection step for peptide synthesis gave the desired C-terminal secondary amidated peptide with no epimerization. Copyright © 2015 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Fluid inclusions in vadose cement with consistent vapor to liquid ratios, Pleistocene Miami Limestone, southeastern Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barker, C.E.; Halley, R.B.

1988-01-01

Vadose cements in the Late Pleistocene Miami Limestone contain regions with two-phase aqueous fluid inclusions that have consistent vapor to liquid (V-L) ratios. When heated, these seemingly primary inclusions homogenize to a liquid phase in a range between 75??C and 130??C (mean = 100??C) and have final melting temperatures between -0.3?? and 0.0??C. The original distribution of Th was broadened during measurements because of fluid inclusion reequilibration. The narrow range of Th in these fluid inclusions suggest unusually consistent V-L ratios. They occur with small, obscure, single phase liquid-filled inclusions, which infer a low temperature origin (less than 60??C), and contradict the higher temperature origin implied by the two phase inclusions. The diagenetic environment producing these seemingly primary fluid inclusions can be inferred from the origin of the host calcite enclosing them. The ??18O composition of these cements (-4 to-5.5%., PDB) and the fresh water in the fluid inclusions are consistent with precipitation from low-temperature meteoric water. The carbon-isotope composition of the vadose cements that contain only rare two-phase fluid inclusions are comparable to the host rock matrix (??13C between 0 and +4%., PDB). Cements that contain common two-phase fluid-inclusions have a distinctly lighter carbon isotopic composition of -3 to -5%.. The carbon isotope composition of cements that contain common two-phase inclusions are about 6%. lighter than those of other vadose cements; models of early meteoric diagenesis indicate that this is the result of precipitation from water that has been influenced by soil gas CO2. Our hypothesis is that the primary fluid inclusions, those with consistent V-L ratios and the single-phase liquid inclusions, form at near-surface temperature (25??C) and pressure when consistent proportions of soil gas and meteoric water percolating through the vadose zone are trapped within elongate vacuoles. This study corroborates that Th measurements on two phase inclusions in vadose cements can be misleading evidence of thermal diagenesis, even if the measurements are well grouped. ?? 1988.

High-performance liquid chromatographic assay for the determination of novel triazole antifungal agents in tissue. Application to tissue distribution studies.

PubMed

Khan, J K; Montaseri, H; Poglod, M; Bu, H Z; Daneshtalab, M; Micetich, R G

2000-08-01

A simple and rugged reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method with ultraviolet absorbance detection at 263 nm was developed and validated for the analysis of novel triazole antifungal agents SYN-2869 and its derivatives in tissues. The method involved homogenization with 0.01 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.8) for lung, brain and spleen tissues. The liver and kidneys were homogenized with acetonitrile:acetone (1:1). The plasma proteins were precipitated with ice-cold acetonitrile and supernatent was evaporated to dryness. The reconstituted samples were injected onto an HPLC system. SYN-2869 was separated from the matrix components on a symmetry C(18) column using a aqueous mobile phase of acetonitrile and water with a flow rate of 1 mL/min. A step gradient of 40-80% acetonitrile eluted SYN-2869 and the internal standard (SYN-2506). The linear range was 0.5-10 microgram/g (r(2) > 0.99). The limit of quantitation was 0.5 microgram/g. The inter-day precision and accuracy for SYN 2869 standard concentration were from 2.6 to 7.4% and from -1.56 to +3.29%, respectively. The method was applied to tissue samples collected from single intravenous administration to mice to evaluate the distribution of these novel antifungal agents to different tissues. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Recovery of anhydrous hydrogen iodide

DOEpatents

O'Keefe, Dennis R.; McCorkle, Jr., Kenneth H.; de Graaf, Johannes D.

1982-01-01

Relatively dry hydrogen iodide can be recovered from a mixture of HI, I.sub.2 and H.sub.2 O. After the composition of the mixture is adjusted so that the amounts of H.sub.2 O and I.sub.2 do not exceed certain maximum limits, subjection of the mixture to superatmospheric pressure in an amount equal to about the vapor pressure of HI at the temperature in question causes distinct liquid phases to appear. One of the liquid phases contains HI and not more than about 1 weight percent water. Often the adjustment in the composition will include the step of vaporization, and the distinct layers appear following the increase in pressure of the vapor mixture. Adjustment in the composition may also include the addition of an extraction agent, such as H.sub.3 PO.sub.4, and even though the adjusted composition mixture contains a significant amount of such an agent, the creation of the distinct liquid phases is not adversely affected.

Brownian dynamics and dynamic Monte Carlo simulations of isotropic and liquid crystal phases of anisotropic colloidal particles: a comparative study.

PubMed

Patti, Alessandro; Cuetos, Alejandro

2012-07-01

We report on the diffusion of purely repulsive and freely rotating colloidal rods in the isotropic, nematic, and smectic liquid crystal phases to probe the agreement between Brownian and Monte Carlo dynamics under the most general conditions. By properly rescaling the Monte Carlo time step, being related to any elementary move via the corresponding self-diffusion coefficient, with the acceptance rate of simultaneous trial displacements and rotations, we demonstrate the existence of a unique Monte Carlo time scale that allows for a direct comparison between Monte Carlo and Brownian dynamics simulations. To estimate the validity of our theoretical approach, we compare the mean square displacement of rods, their orientational autocorrelation function, and the self-intermediate scattering function, as obtained from Brownian dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations. The agreement between the results of these two approaches, even under the condition of heterogeneous dynamics generally observed in liquid crystalline phases, is excellent.

Unraveling the Stepwise Melting of an Ionic Liquid.

PubMed

Lima, Thamires A; Paschoal, Vitor H; Faria, Luiz F O; Ribeiro, Mauro C C

2017-05-04

Differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy were used to reveal the premelting events precursors of melting of the ionic liquid triethylsulfonium bis(trifluoromethanesufonyl)imide, [S 222 ][NTf 2 ]. On heating the crystalline phase of [S 222 ][NTf 2 ], melting occurs along a sequence of at least three steps. First, the crystalline long-range order breaks down, but local order is retained. The second step is characterized by conformational freedom of the ethyl chains of cations related to premelting of nonpolar domains, and the complete melting finally occurs when anions acquire conformational freedom. This work provides a microscopic view on the mechanism of melting of [S 222 ][NTf 2 ] in line with the picture of melting taking place as a sequence of structural changes. The results of this work shed light on the understanding of the complex melting process of ionic liquids.

Liquid Crystal Based Optical Phased Array for Steering Lasers

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-10-01

profile into the liquid crystal cell, the first step is to characterize the LC cell’s OPD curve with respect to the ramped voltage by a simple one...corresponding voltage value on the OPD vs. 22 Voltage curve , the first entry voltage profile of a positive or negative micro-lens can be thereby...Fig. 2.6 Optical path delay (OPD) profile of ideal objective positive (blue curve ) and negative (green curve ) lens with 552 μm radius, no

A novel liquid/liquid extraction process composed of surfactant and acetonitrile for purification of polygalacturonase enzyme from Durio zibethinus.

PubMed

Amid, Mehrnoush; Manap, Yazid; Azmira, Farhana; Hussin, Muhaini; Sarker, Zaidul Islam

2015-07-01

Polygalacturonase is one of the important enzymes used in various industries such as food, detergent, pharmaceutical, textile, pulp and paper. A novel liquid/liquid extraction process composed of surfactant and acetonitrile was employed for the first time to purify polygalacturonase from Durio zibethinus. The influences of different parameters such as type and concentration of surfactants, concentrations of acetonitrile and composition of surfactant/acetonitrile on partitioning behavior and recovery of polygalacturonase was investigated. Moreover, the effect of pH of system and crude load on purification fold and yield of purified polygalacturonase were studied. The results of the experiment indicated the polygalacturonase was partitioned into surfactant top rich phase with impurities being partitioned into acetonitrile bottom rich phase in the novel method of liquid/liquid process composed of 23% (w/w) Triton X-100 and 19% (w/w) acetonitrile, at 55.6% of TLL (tie line length) crude load of 25% (w/w) at pH 6.0. Recovery and recycling of components also was measured in each successive step of liquid/liquid extraction process. The enzyme was successfully recovered by the method with a high purification factor of 14.3 and yield of 97.3% while phase components were also recovered and recycled above 95%. This study demonstrated that the novel method of liquid/liquid extraction process can be used as an efficient and economical extraction method rather than the traditional methods of extraction for the purification and recovery of the valuable enzyme. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fully automated methods for the determination of hydrochlorothiazide in human plasma and urine.

PubMed

Hsieh, J Y; Lin, C; Matuszewski, B K; Dobrinska, M R

1994-12-01

LC assays utilizing fully automated sample preparation procedures on Zymark PyTechnology Robot and BenchMate Workstation for the quantification of hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) in human plasma and urine have been developed. After aliquoting plasma and urine samples, and adding internal standard (IS) manually, the robot executed buffer and organic solvent addition, liquid-liquid extraction, solvent evaporation and on-line LC injection steps for plasma samples, whereas, BenchMate performed buffer and organic solvent addition, liquid-liquid and solid-phase extractions, and on-line LC injection steps for urine samples. Chromatographic separations were carried out on Beckman Octyl Ultrasphere column using the mobile phase composed of 12% (v/v) acetonitrile and 88% of either an ion-pairing reagent (plasma) or 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid (urine). The eluent from the column was monitored with UV detector (271 nm). Peak heights for HCTZ and IS were automatically processed using a PE-Nelson ACCESS*CHROM laboratory automation system. The assays have been validated in the concentration range of 2-100 ng ml-1 in plasma and 0.1-20 micrograms ml-1 in urine. Both plasma and urine assays have the sensitivity and specificity necessary to determine plasma and urine concentrations of HCTZ from low dose (6.25/12.5 mg) administration of HCTZ to human subjects in the presence or absence of losartan.

Preliminary characterization of carbon dioxide transfer in a hollow fiber membrane module as a possible solution for gas-liquid transfer in microgravity conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farges, Bérangère; Duchez, David; Dussap, Claude-Gilles; Cornet, Jean-François

2012-01-01

In microgravity, one of the major challenge encountered in biological life support systems (BLSS) is the gas-liquid transfer with, for instance, the necessity to provide CO2 (carbon source, pH control) and to recover the evolved O2 in photobioreactors used as atmosphere bioregenerative systems.This paper describes first the development of a system enabling the accurate characterization of the mass transfer limiting step for a PTFE membrane module used as a possible efficient solution to the microgravity gas-liquid transfer. This original technical apparatus, together with a technical assessment of membrane permeability to different gases, is associated with a balance model, determining thus completely the CO2 mass transfer problem between phases. First results are given and discussed for the CO2 mass transfer coefficient kLCO obtained in case of absorption experiments at pH 8 using the hollow fiber membrane module. The consistency of the proposed method, based on a gas and liquid phase balances verifying carbon conservation enables a very accurate determination of the kLCO value as a main limiting step of the whole process. Nevertheless, further experiments are still needed to demonstrate that the proposed method could serve in the future as reference method for mass transfer coefficient determination if using membrane modules for BLSS in reduced or microgravity conditions.

Fast and comprehensive analysis of secondary metabolites in cocoa products using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography directly after pressurized liquid extraction.

PubMed

Damm, Irina; Enger, Eileen; Chrubasik-Hausmann, Sigrun; Schieber, Andreas; Zimmermann, Benno F

2016-08-01

Fast methods for the extraction and analysis of various secondary metabolites from cocoa products were developed and optimized regarding speed and separation efficiency. Extraction by pressurized liquid extraction is automated and the extracts are analyzed by rapid reversed-phase ultra high-performance liquid chromatography and normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography methods. After extraction, no further sample treatment is required before chromatographic analysis. The analytes comprise monomeric and oligomeric flavanols, flavonols, methylxanthins, N-phenylpropenoyl amino acids, and phenolic acids. Polyphenols and N-phenylpropenoyl amino acids are separated in a single run of 33 min, procyanidins are analyzed by normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography within 16 min, and methylxanthins require only 6 min total run time. A fourth method is suitable for phenolic acids, but only protocatechuic acid was found in relevant quantities. The optimized methods were validated and applied to 27 dark chocolates, one milk chocolate, two cocoa powders and two food supplements based on cocoa extract. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Structural analysis of benzothienobenzothiophene-based soluble organic semiconducting crystals grown by liquid crystal solvent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shibata, Yosei; Matsuzaki, Tomoya; Ishinabe, Takahiro; Fujikake, Hideo

2018-06-01

In this study, we analyzed organic semiconducting single crystals composed of benzothienobenzothiophene derivatives (2,7-dioctyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene, C8-BTBT) grown by nematic-phase liquid crystal (LC) solvent. As a result, we clarified that the crystal b-axis direction of the C8-BTBT single crystals was consistent with the LC alignment direction. By optical evaluation and simulation based on density functional theory, we found that the C8-BTBT single crystals in LC solvent exhibited a novel molecular conformation having alkyl chains oriented toward the b-axis.

Modeling two-phase flow in PEM fuel cell channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yun; Basu, Suman; Wang, Chao-Yang

2008-05-01

This paper is concerned with the simultaneous flow of liquid water and gaseous reactants in mini-channels of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell. Envisaging the mini-channels as structured and ordered porous media, we develop a continuum model of two-phase channel flow based on two-phase Darcy's law and the M2 formalism, which allow estimate of the parameters key to fuel cell operation such as overall pressure drop and liquid saturation profiles along the axial flow direction. Analytical solutions of liquid water saturation and species concentrations along the channel are derived to explore the dependences of these physical variables vital to cell performance on operating parameters such as flow stoichiometric ratio and relative humility. The two-phase channel model is further implemented for three-dimensional numerical simulations of two-phase, multi-component transport in a single fuel-cell channel. Three issues critical to optimizing channel design and mitigating channel flooding in PEM fuel cells are fully discussed: liquid water buildup towards the fuel cell outlet, saturation spike in the vicinity of flow cross-sectional heterogeneity, and two-phase pressure drop. Both the two-phase model and analytical solutions presented in this paper may be applicable to more general two-phase flow phenomena through mini- and micro-channels.

Tutorial on Quantification of Differences between Single- and Two-Component Two-Phase Flow and Heat Transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delil, A. A. M.

2003-01-01

Single-component two-phase systems are envisaged for aerospace thermal control applications: Mechanically Pumped Loops, Vapour Pressure Driven Loops, Capillary Pumped Loops and Loop Heat Pipes. Thermal control applications are foreseen in different gravity environments: Micro-g, reduced-g for Mars or Moon bases, 1-g during terrestrial testing, and hyper-g in rotating spacecraft, during combat aircraft manoeuvres and in systems for outer planets. In the evaporator, adiabatic line and condenser sections of such single-component two-phase systems, the fluid is a mixture of the working liquid (for example ammonia, carbon dioxide, ethanol, or other refrigerants, etc.) and its saturated vapour. Results of two-phase two-component flow and heat transfer research (pertaining to liquid-gas mixtures, e.g. water/air, or argon or helium) are often applied to support research on flow and heat transfer in two-phase single-component systems. The first part of the tutorial updates the contents of two earlier tutorials, discussing various aerospace-related two-phase flow and heat transfer research. It deals with the different pressure gradient constituents of the total pressure gradient, with flow regime mapping (including evaporating and condensing flow trajectories in the flow pattern maps), with adiabatic flow and flashing, and with thermal-gravitational scaling issues. The remaining part of the tutorial qualitatively and quantitatively determines the differences between single- and two-component systems: Two systems that physically look similar and close, but in essence are fully different. It was already elucidated earlier that, though there is a certain degree of commonality, the differences will be anything but negligible, in many cases. These differences (quantified by some examples) illustrates how careful one shall be in interpreting data resulting from two-phase two-component simulations or experiments, for the development of single-component two-phase thermal control systems for various gravity environments.

Solid-phase extraction using bis(indolyl)methane-modified silica reinforced with multiwalled carbon nanotubes for the simultaneous determination of flavonoids and aromatic organic acid preservatives.

PubMed

Wang, Na; Liao, Yuan; Wang, Jiamin; Tang, Sheng; Shao, Shijun

2015-12-01

A novel bis(indolyl)methane-modified silica reinforced with multiwalled carbon nanotubes sorbent for solid-phase extraction was designed and synthesized by chemical immobilization of nitro-substituted 3,3'-bis(indolyl)methane on silica modified with multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography analysis, the extraction properties of the sorbent were evaluated for flavonoids and aromatic organic acid compounds. Under optimum conditions, the sorbent can simultaneously extract five flavonoids and two aromatic organic acid preservatives in aqueous solutions in a single-step solid-phase extraction procedure. Wide linear ranges were obtained with correlation coefficients (R(2) ) ranging from 0.9843 to 0.9976, and the limits of detection were in the range of 0.5-5 μg/L for the compounds tested. Compared with the silica modified with multiwalled carbon nanotubes sorbent and the nitro-substituted 3,3'-bis(indolyl)methane-modified silica sorbent, the developed sorbent exhibited higher extraction efficiency toward the selected analytes. The synergistic effect of nitro-substituted 3,3'-bis(indolyl)methane and multiwalled carbon nanotubes not only improved the surface-to-volume ratio but also enhanced multiple intermolecular interactions, such as hydrogen bonds, π-π, and hydrophobic interactions, between the new sorbent and the selected analytes. The as-established solid-phase extraction with high-performance liquid chromatography and diode array detection method was successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of flavonoids and aromatic organic acid preservatives in grape juices with recoveries ranging from 83.9 to 112% for all the selected analytes. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Direct Determination of Six Cytokinin Nucleotide Monophosphates in Coconut Flesh by Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

PubMed

Cao, Zhao-Yun; Ma, You-Ning; Sun, Li-Hua; Mou, Ren-Xiang; Zhu, Zhi-Wei; Chen, Ming-Xue

2017-11-15

Coconut contains many uncharacterized cytokinins that have important physiological effects in plants and humans. In this work, a method based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was developed for identification and quantification of six cytokinin nucleotide monophosphates in coconut flesh. Excellent separation was achieved using a low-coverage C18 bonded-phase column with an acidic mobile phase, which greatly improved the retention of target compounds. To enable high-throughput analysis, a single-step solid-phase extraction using mixed-mode anion-exchange cartridges was employed for sample preparation. This proved to be an effective method to minimize matrix effects and ensure high selectivity. The limits of detection varied from 0.06 to 0.3 ng/mL, and the limits of quantification ranged from 0.2 to 1.0 ng/mL. The linearity was statistically verified over 2 orders of magnitude, giving a coefficient of determination (R 2 ) greater than 0.9981. The mean recoveries were from 81 to 108%; the intraday precision (n = 6) was less than 11%; and the interday precision (n = 11) was within 14%. The developed method was applied to the determination of cytokinin nucleotide monophosphates in coconut flesh samples, and four of them were successfully identified and quantified. The results showed that trans-zeatin riboside-5'-monophosphate was the dominant cytokinin, with a concentration of 2.7-34.2 ng/g, followed by N 6 -isopentenyladenosine-5'-monophosphate (≤12.9 ng/g), while the concentrations of cis-zeatin riboside-5'-monophosphate and dihydrozeatin riboside-5'-monophosphate were less than 2.2 and 4.9 ng/g, respectively.

Improved quality-by-design compliant methodology for method development in reversed-phase liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Debrus, Benjamin; Guillarme, Davy; Rudaz, Serge

2013-10-01

A complete strategy dedicated to quality-by-design (QbD) compliant method development using design of experiments (DOE), multiple linear regressions responses modelling and Monte Carlo simulations for error propagation was evaluated for liquid chromatography (LC). The proposed approach includes four main steps: (i) the initial screening of column chemistry, mobile phase pH and organic modifier, (ii) the selectivity optimization through changes in gradient time and mobile phase temperature, (iii) the adaptation of column geometry to reach sufficient resolution, and (iv) the robust resolution optimization and identification of the method design space. This procedure was employed to obtain a complex chromatographic separation of 15 antipsychotic basic drugs, widely prescribed. To fully automate and expedite the QbD method development procedure, short columns packed with sub-2 μm particles were employed, together with a UHPLC system possessing columns and solvents selection valves. Through this example, the possibilities of the proposed QbD method development workflow were exposed and the different steps of the automated strategy were critically discussed. A baseline separation of the mixture of antipsychotic drugs was achieved with an analysis time of less than 15 min and the robustness of the method was demonstrated simultaneously with the method development phase. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A two-photon view of an enzyme at work: Crotalus atrox venom PLA2 interaction with single-lipid and mixed-lipid giant unilamellar vesicles.

PubMed Central

Sanchez, Susana A; Bagatolli, Luis A; Gratton, Enrico; Hazlett, Theodore L

2002-01-01

We describe the interaction of Crotalus atrox-secreted phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) with giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) composed of single and binary phospholipid mixtures visualized through two-photon excitation fluorescent microscopy. The GUV lipid compositions that we examined included 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC), and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) (above their gel-liquid crystal transition temperatures) and two well characterized lipid mixtures, 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DMPE):DMPC (7:3) and 1,2-dilauroyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DLPC)/1,2-diarachidoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DAPC) (1:1) equilibrated at their phase-coexistence temperature regime. The membrane fluorescence probes, 6-lauroyl-2-(dimethylamino) napthalene, 6-propionyl-2-(dimethylamino) naphthalene, and rhodamine-phosphatidylethanolamine, were used to assess the state of the membrane and specifically mark the phospholipid domains. Independent of their lipid composition, all GUVs were reduced in size as sPLA2-dependent lipid hydrolysis proceeded. The binding of sPLA2 was monitored using a fluorescein-sPLA2 conjugate. The sPLA2 was observed to associate with the entire surface of the liquid phase in the single phospholipid GUVs. In the mixed-lipid GUV's, at temperatures promoting domain coexistence, a preferential binding of the enzyme to the liquid regions was also found. The lipid phase of the GUV protein binding region was verified by the introduction of 6-propionyl-2-(dimethylamino) naphthalene, which partitions quickly into the lipid fluid phase. Preferential hydrolysis of the liquid domains supported the conclusions based on the binding studies. sPLA2 hydrolyzes the liquid domains in the binary lipid mixtures DLPC:DAPC and DMPC:DMPE, indicating that the solid-phase packing of DAPC and DMPE interferes with sPLA2 binding, irrespective of the phospholipid headgroup. These studies emphasize the importance of lateral packing of the lipids in C. atrox sPLA2 enzymatic hydrolysis of a membrane surface. PMID:11916878

Analysis of heat and mass transfer during condensation over a porous substrate.

PubMed

Balasubramaniam, R; Nayagam, V; Hasan, M M; Khan, L

2006-09-01

Condensing heat exchangers are important in many space applications for thermal and humidity control systems. The International Space Station uses a cooled fin surface to condense moisture from humid air that is blown over it. The condensate and the air are "slurped" into a system that separates air and water by centrifugal forces. The use of a cooled porous substrate is an attractive alternative to the fin where condensation and liquid/gas separation can be achieved in a single step. We analyze the heat and mass transfer during condensation of moisture from flowing air over such a cooled, flat, porous substrate. A fully developed regime is investigated for coupled mass, momentum and energy transport in the gas phase, and momentum and energy transport in the condensate layer on the porous substrate and through the porous medium.

Development of one-step hollow fiber supported liquid phase sampling technique for occupational workplace air analysis using high performance liquid chromatography with ultra-violet detector.

PubMed

Yan, Cheing-Tong; Chien, Hai-Ying

2012-07-13

In this study, a simple and novel one-step hollow-fiber supported liquid-phase sampling (HF-LPS) technique was developed for enriched sampling of gaseous toxic species prior to chemical analysis for workplace air monitoring. A lab-made apparatus designed with a gaseous sample generator and a microdialysis sampling cavity (for HF-LPS) was utilized and evaluated to simulate gaseous contaminant air for occupational workplace analysis. Gaseous phenol was selected as the model toxic species. A polyethersulfone hollow fiber dialysis module filled with ethylene glycol in the shell-side was applied as the absorption solvent to collect phenol from a gas flow through the tube-side, based on the concentration distribution of phenol between the absorption solvent and the gas flow. After sampling, 20 μL of the extractant was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV). Factors that influence the generation of gaseous standards and the HF-LPS were studied thoroughly. Results indicated that at 25 °C the phenol (2000 μg/mL) standard solution injected at 15-μL/min can be vaporized into sampling cavity under nitrogen flow at 780 mL/min, to generate gaseous phenol with concentration approximate to twice the permissible exposure limit. Sampling at 37.3 mL/min for 30 min can meet the requirement of the workplace air monitoring. The phenol in air ranged between 0.7 and 10 cm³/m³ (shows excellent linearity) with recovery between 98.1 and 104.1%. The proposed method was identified as a one-step sampling for workplace monitoring with advantages of convenience, rapidity, sensitivity, and usage of less-toxic solvent. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The application of single particle aerosol mass spectrometry for the detection and identification of high explosives and chemical warfare agents

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

Martin, Audrey Noreen

2006-01-01

Single Particle Aerosol Mass Spectrometry (SPAMS) was evaluated as a real-time detection technique for single particles of high explosives. Dual-polarity time-of-flight mass spectra were obtained for samples of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane (RDX), and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN); peaks indicative of each compound were identified. Composite explosives, Comp B, Semtex 1A, and Semtex 1H were also analyzed, and peaks due to the explosive components of each sample were present in each spectrum. Mass spectral variability with laser fluence is discussed. The ability of the SPAMS system to identify explosive components in a single complex explosive particle (~1 pg) without the need formore » consumables is demonstrated. SPAMS was also applied to the detection of Chemical Warfare Agent (CWA) simulants in the liquid and vapor phases. Liquid simulants for sarin, cyclosarin, tabun, and VX were analyzed; peaks indicative of each simulant were identified. Vapor phase CWA simulants were adsorbed onto alumina, silica, Zeolite, activated carbon, and metal powders which were directly analyzed using SPAMS. The use of metal powders as adsorbent materials was especially useful in the analysis of triethyl phosphate (TEP), a VX stimulant, which was undetectable using SPAMS in the liquid phase. The capability of SPAMS to detect high explosives and CWA simulants using one set of operational conditions is established.« less

Pairing of one-dimensional Bose-Fermi mixtures with unequal masses

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

Rizzi, Matteo; Max Planck Institut fuer QuantenOptik, Hans Kopfermann Strasse 1, D-85748 Garching; Imambekov, Adilet

We have considered one-dimensional Bose-Fermi mixture with equal densities and unequal masses using numerical density matrix renormalization group. For the mass ratio of K-Rb mixture and attraction between bosons and fermions, we determined the phase diagram. For weak boson-boson interactions, there is a direct transition between two-component Luttinger liquid and collapsed phases as the boson-fermion attraction is increased. For strong enough boson-boson interactions, we find an intermediate 'paired' phase, which is a single-component Luttinger liquid of composite particles. We investigated correlation functions of such a 'paired' phase, studied the stability of 'paired' phase to density imbalance, and discussed various experimentalmore » techniques which can be used to detect it.« less

High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Analysis of Phytoplankton Pigments Using a C16-Amide Column

EPA Science Inventory

A reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) method was developed to analyze in a single run, most polar and non-polar chlorophylls and carotenoids from marine phytoplankton. The method is based on a RP-C16-Amide column and a ternary gradient system consistin...

Presence of Peierls pairing and absence of insulator-to-metal transition in VO2 (A): a structure-property relationship study.

PubMed

Popuri, S R; Artemenko, A; Decourt, R; Villesuzanne, A; Pollet, M

2017-03-01

Layered vanadium oxides have been extensively explored due to their interesting metal-insulator transitions and energy conversion/storage applications. In the present study, we have successfully synthesized VO 2 (A) polymorph powder samples by a single-step hydrothermal synthesis process and consolidated them using spark plasma sintering. The structural and electronic properties of VO 2 (A) are measured over a large temperature range from liquid helium, across the structural transition (400-440 K) and up to 500 K. The structural analysis around this transition reveals an antiferrodistorsive to partially ferrodistorsive ordering upon cooling. It is followed by a progressive antiferromagnetic spin pairing which fully settles at about 150 K. The transport measurements show that, in contrast to the rutile archetype VO 2 (R/M1), the structural transition comes with a transition from semiconductor to band-type insulator. Under these circumstances, we propose a scenario with a high temperature antiferrodistorsive paramagnetic semiconducting phase, followed by an intermediate regime with a partially ferrodistorsive paramagnetic semiconducting phase, and finally a low temperature partially ferrodistorsive antiferromagnetic band insulator phase with a possible V-V Peierls-type pairing.

PREPARATIVE ISOLATION AND PURIFICATION OF THREE GLYCINE-CONJUGATED CHOLIC ACIDS FROM PULVIS FELLIS SUIS BY HIGH-SPEED COUNTERCURRENT CHROMATOGRAPHY COUPLED WITH ELSD DETECTION.

PubMed

He, Jiao; Li, Jing; Sun, Wenji; Zhang, Tianyou; Ito, Yoichiro

2012-01-01

Coupled with evaporative light scattering detection, a high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) method was developed for preparative isolation and purification of three glycine-conjugated cholic acids, glycochenodeoxycholic acid (GCDCA), glycohyodeoxycholic acid (GHDCA) and glycohyocholic acid (GHCA) from Pulvis Fellis Suis (Pig gallbladder bile) for the first time. The separation was performed with a two-phase solvent system consisted of chloroform-methanol-water-acetic acid (65:30:10:1.5, v/v/v/v) by eluting the lower phase in the head-to-tail elution mode. The revolution speed of the separation column, flow rate of the mobile phase and separation temperature were 800 rpm, 2 ml/min and 25 °C, respectively. In a single operation, 33 mg of GCDCA, 38 mg of GHDCA and 23 mg of GHCA were obtained from 200 mg of crude extract with the purity of 95.65%, 96.72% and 96.63%, respectively, in one step separation. The HSCCC fractions were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the structures of the three glycine-conjugated cholic acids were identified by ESI-MS, (1)H NMR and (13)C NMR.

PREPARATIVE ISOLATION AND PURIFICATION OF THREE GLYCINE-CONJUGATED CHOLIC ACIDS FROM PULVIS FELLIS SUIS BY HIGH-SPEED COUNTERCURRENT CHROMATOGRAPHY COUPLED WITH ELSD DETECTION

PubMed Central

He, Jiao; Li, Jing; Sun, Wenji; Zhang, Tianyou; Ito, Yoichiro

2011-01-01

Coupled with evaporative light scattering detection, a high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) method was developed for preparative isolation and purification of three glycine-conjugated cholic acids, glycochenodeoxycholic acid (GCDCA), glycohyodeoxycholic acid (GHDCA) and glycohyocholic acid (GHCA) from Pulvis Fellis Suis (Pig gallbladder bile) for the first time. The separation was performed with a two-phase solvent system consisted of chloroform-methanol-water-acetic acid (65:30:10:1.5, v/v/v/v) by eluting the lower phase in the head-to-tail elution mode. The revolution speed of the separation column, flow rate of the mobile phase and separation temperature were 800 rpm, 2 ml/min and 25 °C, respectively. In a single operation, 33 mg of GCDCA, 38 mg of GHDCA and 23 mg of GHCA were obtained from 200 mg of crude extract with the purity of 95.65%, 96.72% and 96.63%, respectively, in one step separation. The HSCCC fractions were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the structures of the three glycine-conjugated cholic acids were identified by ESI-MS, 1H NMR and 13C NMR. PMID:23008527

Analysis of Water Recovery Rate from the Heat Melt Compactor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balasubramaniam, R.; Hegde, U.; Gokoglu, S.

2013-01-01

Human space missions generate trash with a substantial amount of plastic (20% or greater by mass). The trash also contains water trapped in food residue and paper products and other trash items. The Heat Melt Compactor (HMC) under development by NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) compresses the waste, dries it to recover water and melts the plastic to encapsulate the compressed trash. The resulting waste disk or puck represents an approximately ten-fold reduction in the volume of the initial trash loaded into the HMC. In the current design concept being pursued, the trash is compressed by a piston after it is loaded into the trash chamber. The piston face, the side walls of the waste processing chamber and the end surface in contact with the waste can be heated to evaporate the water and to melt the plastic. Water is recovered by the HMC in two phases. The first is a pre-process compaction without heat or with the heaters initially turned on but before the waste heats up. Tests have shown that during this step some liquid water may be expelled from the chamber. This water is believed to be free water (i.e., not bound with or absorbed in other waste constituents) that is present in the trash. This phase is herein termed Phase A of the water recovery process. During HMC operations, it is desired that liquid water recovery in Phase A be eliminated or minimized so that water-vapor processing equipment (e.g., condensers) downstream of the HMC are not fouled by liquid water and its constituents (i.e., suspended or dissolved matter) exiting the HMC. The primary water recovery process takes place next where the trash is further compacted while the heated surfaces reach their set temperatures for this step. This step will be referred to herein as Phase B of the water recovery process. During this step the waste chamber may be exposed to different selected pressures such as ambient, low pressure (e.g., 0.2 atm), or vacuum. The objective for this step is to remove both bound and any remaining free water in the trash by evaporation. The temperature settings of the heated surfaces are usually kept above the saturation temperature of water but below the melting temperature of the plastic in the waste during this step to avoid any encapsulation of wet trash which would reduce the amount of recovered water by blocking the vapor escape. In this paper, we analyze the water recovery rate during Phase B where the trash is heated and water leaves the waste chamber as vapor, for operation of the HMC in reduced gravity. We pursue a quasi-one-dimensional model with and without sidewall heating to determine the water recovery rate and the trash drying time. The influences of the trash thermal properties, the amount of water loading, and the distribution of the water in the trash on the water recovery rates are determined.

Single-shot mega-electronvolt ultrafast electron diffraction for structure dynamic studies of warm dense matter

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

Mo, M. Z., E-mail: mmo09@slac.stanford.edu; Shen, X.; Chen, Z.

We have developed a single-shot mega-electronvolt ultrafast-electron-diffraction system to measure the structural dynamics of warm dense matter. The electron probe in this system is featured by a kinetic energy of 3.2 MeV and a total charge of 20 fC, with the FWHM pulse duration and spot size at sample of 350 fs and 120 μm respectively. We demonstrate its unique capability by visualizing the atomic structural changes of warm dense gold formed from a laser-excited 35-nm freestanding single-crystal gold foil. The temporal evolution of the Bragg peak intensity and of the liquid signal during solid-liquid phase transition are quantitatively determined.more » This experimental capability opens up an exciting opportunity to unravel the atomic dynamics of structural phase transitions in warm dense matter regime.« less

Single-shot mega-electronvolt ultrafast electron diffraction for structure dynamic studies of warm dense matter

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

Mo, M. Z.; Shen, X.; Chen, Z.

We have developed a single-shot mega-electronvolt ultrafast-electron-diffraction system to measure the structural dynamics of warm dense matter. The electron probe in this system is featured by a kinetic energy of 3.2 MeV and a total charge of 20 fC, with the FWHM pulse duration and spot size at sample of 350 fs and 120 µm respectively. We demonstrate its unique capability by visualizing the atomic structural changes of warm dense gold formed from a laser-excited 35-nm freestanding single-crystal gold foil. The temporal evolution of the Bragg peak intensity and of the liquid signal during solid-liquid phase transition are quantitatively determined.more » This experimental capability opens up an exciting opportunity to unravel the atomic dynamics of structural phase transitions in warm dense matter regime« less

Luminescence and scintillation properties of liquid phase epitaxy grown Y2SiO5:Ce single crystalline films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wantong, Kriangkrai; Yawai, Nattasuda; Chewpraditkul, Weerapong; Kucera, Miroslav; Hanus, Martin; Nikl, Martin

2017-06-01

Luminescence and scintillation properties of Y2SiO5:Ce single crystalline film (YSO:Ce-LPE) grown by the liquid phase epitaxy technique are investigated and compared to the bulk Czochralski-grown YSO:Ce single crystal (YSO:Ce-SC). The light yield (LY) and energy resolution are measured using an R6231 photomultiplier under excitation with α - and γ- rays. At 662 keV γ- rays, the LY value of 12,410 ph/MeV obtained for YSO:Ce -LPE is lower than that of 20,150 ph/MeV for YSO:Ce -SC whereas the comparable LY value and energy resolution are obtained under excitation with 5.5 MeV α- rays. The ratio of LY under excitation with α- and γ- rays (α/γ ratio) is determined. Dependence of LY on an amplifier shaping time (0.5-12 μs) is also measured.

Single-shot mega-electronvolt ultrafast electron diffraction for structure dynamic studies of warm dense matter

DOE PAGES

Mo, M. Z.; Shen, X.; Chen, Z.; ...

2016-08-04

We have developed a single-shot mega-electronvolt ultrafast-electron-diffraction system to measure the structural dynamics of warm dense matter. The electron probe in this system is featured by a kinetic energy of 3.2 MeV and a total charge of 20 fC, with the FWHM pulse duration and spot size at sample of 350 fs and 120 µm respectively. We demonstrate its unique capability by visualizing the atomic structural changes of warm dense gold formed from a laser-excited 35-nm freestanding single-crystal gold foil. The temporal evolution of the Bragg peak intensity and of the liquid signal during solid-liquid phase transition are quantitatively determined.more » This experimental capability opens up an exciting opportunity to unravel the atomic dynamics of structural phase transitions in warm dense matter regime« less

Supergravity separation of Pb and Sn from waste printed circuit boards at different temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Long; Wang, Zhe; Zhong, Yi-wei; Chen, Kui-yuan; Guo, Zhan-cheng

2018-02-01

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) contain many toxic substances as well as valuable metals, e.g., lead (Pb) and tin (Sn). In this study, a novel technology, named supergravity, was used to separate different mass ratios of Pb and Sn from Pb-Sn alloys in PCBs. In a supergravity field, the liquid metal phase can permeate from solid particles. Hence, temperatures of 200, 280, and 400°C were chosen to separate Pb and Sn from PCBs. The results depicted that gravity coefficient only affected the recovery rates of Pb and Sn, whereas it had little effect on the mass ratios of Pb and Sn in the obtained alloys. With an increase in gravity coefficient, the recovery values of Pb and Sn in each step of the separation process increased. In the single-step separation process, the mass ratios of Pb and Sn in Pb-Sn alloys were 0.55, 0.40, and 0.64 at 200, 280, and 400°C, respectively. In the two-step separation process, the mass ratios were 0.12 and 0.55 at 280 and 400°C, respectively. Further, the mass ratio was observed to be 0.76 at 400°C in the three-step separation process. This process provides an innovative approach to the recycling mechanism of Pb and Sn from PCBs.

Alloy and method of producing the same

DOEpatents

Hufnagel, Todd C.; Ott, Ryan T.; Fan, Cang; Kecskes, Laszlo

2005-07-19

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, an alloy or other composite material is provided formed of a bulk metallic glass matrix with a microstructure of crystalline metal particles. The alloy preferably has a composition of (X.sub.a Ni.sub.b Cu.sub.c).sub.100-d-c Y.sub.d Al.sub.c, wherein the sum of a, b and c equals 100, wherein 40.ltoreq.a.ltoreq.80, 0.ltoreq.b.ltoreq.35, 0.ltoreq.c.ltoreq.40, 4.ltoreq.d.ltoreq.30, and 0.ltoreq.e.ltoreq.20, and wherein preferably X is composed of an early transition metal and preferably Y is composed of a refractory body-centered cubic early transition metal. A preferred embodiment of the invention also provides a method of producing an alloy composed of two or more phases at ambient temperature. The method includes the steps of providing a metastable crystalline phase composed of at least two elements, heating the metastable crystalline phase together with at least one additional element to form a liquid, casting the liquid, and cooling the liquid to form the alloy. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the composition and cooling rate of the liquid can be controlled to determine the volume fraction of the crystalline phase and determine the size of the crystalline particles, respectively.

Analysis of some cytokinins in coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) water by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography after solid-phase extraction.

PubMed

Ge, Liya; Yong, Jean Wan Hong; Tan, Swee Ngin; Yang, Xin Hao; Ong, Eng Shi

2004-09-03

Micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MECC) was developed for the separation of cytokinins including trans-zeatin, trans-zeatin-O-glucoside, dihydrozeatin, dihydrozeatin-O-glucoside, meta-topolin riboside, N6-isopentenyladenine and N6-benzylaminopurine. Under the optimum conditions, i.e. a combination of 10 mM phosphate and 10 mM borate as the running buffer containing 50 mM sodium dodecyl sulphate at pH 10.4, the separation of seven cytokinin standards was accomplished within 11 min. The C18 solid-phase extraction (SPE) method was used to pre-concentrate the putative cytokinins present in the coconut water. Following which, the eluate was further purified using mixed mode Oasis MCX SPE columns and this additional step helps to reduce matrix interference during MECC. After the two solid-phase extraction steps, the optimized MECC method was able to screen for certain cytokinins (zeatin-O-glucoside and dihydrozeatin-O-glucoside) present in coconut water. After this screening, the presence of zeatin-O-glucoside and dihydrozeatin-O-glucoside in coconut water was further confirmed by independent high-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry experiments.

Advanced Transformer Demonstration and Validation Project Summary Report Based on Experiences at NAS, North Island, San Diego, California

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-08-01

three existing 167 kVA PCB-filled, single phase , polemount transformers that were connected in a three phase bank and replacing them with a single 300...A-18 3.11.1 Insulated Phase Barriers .......................... A-lB 3.11.2 Undercoating ...................................... A-18 3.11.3 Warning...2.1 mezan Na, ý n al S I.and a r, 7nSt *u~e f’-^S. ANSI- C57 12.00 General Requirements for Liquid Immersed Distribution Power and Regulating

Separation process using pervaporation and dephlegmation

DOEpatents

Vane, Leland M.; Mairal, Anurag P.; Ng, Alvin; Alvarez, Franklin R.; Baker, Richard W.

2004-06-29

A process for treating liquids containing organic compounds and water. The process includes a pervaporation step in conjunction with a dephlegmation step to treat at least a portion of the permeate vapor from the pervaporation step. The process yields a membrane residue stream, a stream enriched in the more volatile component (usually the organic) as the overhead stream from the dephlegmator and a condensate stream enriched in the less volatile component (usually the water) as a bottoms stream from the dephlegmator. Any of these may be the principal product of the process. The membrane separation step may also be performed in the vapor phase, or by membrane distillation.

Structure, Hydrodynamics, and Phase Transition of Freely Suspended Liquid Crystals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, Noel A.

2000-01-01

Smectic liquid crystals are phases of rod shaped molecules organized into one dimensionally (1D) periodic arrays of layers, each layer being between one and two molecular lengths thick. In the least ordered smectic phases, the smectics A and C, each layer is a two dimensional (2D) liquid. Additionally there are a variety of more ordered smectic phases having hexatic short range translational order or 2D crystalline quasi long range translational order within the layers. The inherent fluid-layer structure and low vapor pressure of smectic liquid crystals enable the long term stabilization of freely suspended, single component, layered fluid films as thin as 30A, a single molecular layer. The layering forces the films to be an integral number of smectic layers thick, quantizing their thickness in layer units and forcing a film of a particular number of layers to be physically homogeneous with respect to its layer structure over its entire area. Optical reflectivity enables the precise determination of the number of layers. These ultrathin freely suspended liquid crystal films are structures of fundamental interest in condensed matter and fluid physics. They are the thinnest known stable condensed phase fluid structures and have the largest surface-to-volume ratio of any stable fluid preparation, making them ideal for the study of the effects of reduced dimensionality on phase behavior and on fluctuation and interface phenomena. Their low vapor pressure and quantized thickness enable the effective use of microgravity to extend the study of basic capillary phenomena to ultrathin fluid films. Freely suspended films have been a wellspring of new liquid crystal physics. They have been used to provide unique experimental conditions for the study of condensed phase transitions in two dimensions. They are the only system in which the hexatic has been unambiguously identified as a phase of matter, and the only physical system in which fluctuations of a 2D XY system and Kosterlitz Thouless phase transition has been observed and 2D XY quasi long range order verified. Smectic films have enabled the precise determination of smectic layer electron density and positional fluctuation profile and have been used to show that the interlayer interactions in anti-ferroelectric tilted smectics do not extend significantly beyond nearest neighbors. The interactions which are operative in liquid crystals are generally weak in comparison to those in crystalline phases, leading to the facile manipulation of the order in liquid crystals by external agents such as applied fields and surfaces. Effects arising from weak ordering are significantly enhanced in ultrathin free films and filaments wherein the intermolecular coupling is effectively reduced by loss of neighbors. Over the past four years this research, which we now detail, has produced a host of exciting new discoveries and unexpected results, maintaining the position of the study of freely suspended liquid crystal structures as one of most exciting and fruitful areas of complex fluid physics. In addition, several potentially interesting microgravity free film experiments have been identified.

Computation of three-dimensional three-phase flow of carbon dioxide using a high-order WENO scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gjennestad, Magnus Aa.; Gruber, Andrea; Lervåg, Karl Yngve; Johansen, Øyvind; Ervik, Åsmund; Hammer, Morten; Munkejord, Svend Tollak

2017-11-01

We have developed a high-order numerical method for the 3D simulation of viscous and inviscid multiphase flow described by a homogeneous equilibrium model and a general equation of state. Here we focus on single-phase, two-phase (gas-liquid or gas-solid) and three-phase (gas-liquid-solid) flow of CO2 whose thermodynamic properties are calculated using the Span-Wagner reference equation of state. The governing equations are spatially discretized on a uniform Cartesian grid using the finite-volume method with a fifth-order weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) scheme and the robust first-order centered (FORCE) flux. The solution is integrated in time using a third-order strong-stability-preserving Runge-Kutta method. We demonstrate close to fifth-order convergence for advection-diffusion and for smooth single- and two-phase flows. Quantitative agreement with experimental data is obtained for a direct numerical simulation of an air jet flowing from a rectangular nozzle. Quantitative agreement is also obtained for the shape and dimensions of the barrel shock in two highly underexpanded CO2 jets.

Single-step CE for miniaturized and easy-to-use system.

PubMed

Ono, Koichi; Kaneda, Shohei; Fujii, Teruo

2013-03-01

We developed a novel single-step capillary electrophoresis (SSCE) scheme for miniaturized and easy to use system by using a microchannel chip, which was made from the hydrophilic material polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), equipped with a capillary stop valve. Taking the surface tension property of liquids into consideration, the capillary effect was used to introduce liquids and control capillary stop valves in a partial barrier structure in the wall of the microchannel. Through the combined action of stop valves and air vents, both sample plug formation for electrophoresis and sample injection into a separation channel were successfully performed in a single step. To optimize SSCE, different stop valve structures were evaluated using actual microchannel chips and the finite element method with the level set method. A partial barrier structure at the bottom of the channel functioned efficiently as a stop valve. The stability of stop valve was confirmed by a shock test, which was performed by dropping the microchannel chip to a floor. Sample plug deformation could be reduced by minimizing the size of the side partial barrier. By dissolving hydroxyl ethyl cellulose and using it as the sample solution, the EOF and adsorption of the sample into the PMMA microchannel were successfully reduced. Using this method, a 100-bp DNA ladder was concentrated; good separation was observed within 1 min. At a separation length of 5 mm, the signal was approximately 20-fold higher than a signal of original sample solution by field-amplified sample stacking effect. All operations, including liquid introduction and sample separation, can be completed within 2 min by using the SSCE scheme. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Stirring-controlled solidified floating solid-liquid drop microextraction as a new solid phase-enhanced liquid-phase microextraction method by exploiting magnetic carbon nanotube-nickel hybrid.

PubMed

Ghazaghi, Mehri; Mousavi, Hassan Zavvar; Shirkhanloo, Hamid; Rashidi, Alimorad

2017-01-25

A specific technique is introduced to overcome limitations of classical solidification of floating organic drop microextraction, such as tedious and time-consuming centrifuge step and using disperser solvent, by facile and efficient participation of solid and liquid phases. In this proposed method of stirring-controlled solidified floating solid-liquid drop microextraction (SC-SF-SLDME), magnetic carbon nanotube-nickel hybrid (MNi-CNT) as a solid part of the extractors are dispersed ultrasonically in sample solution, and the procedure followed by dispersion of liquid phase (1-undecanol) through high-rate stirring and easily recollection of MNi-CNT in organic solvent droplets through hydrophobic force. With the reduction in speed of stirring, one solid-liquid drop is formed on top of the solution. MNi-CNT acts as both extractor and the coalescence helper between organic droplets for a facile recollection. MNi-CNT was prepared by spray pyrolysis of nickel oleate/toluene mixture at 1000 °C. Four tyrosine kinase inhibitors were selected as model analytes and the effecting parameters were investigated. The results confirmed that magnetic nanoadsorbent has an important role in the procedure and complete collection of dispersed solvent is not achieved in the absence of the solid phase. Also, short extraction time exhibited success of the proposed method and effect of dispersed solid/liquid phases. The limits of quantification (LOQs) for imatinib, sunitinib, erlotinib, and nilotinib were determined to be as low as 0.7, 1.7, 0.6, and 1.0 μg L -1 , respectively. The intra-day precisions (RSDs) were lower than 4.5%. Method performance was investigated by determination of mentioned tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in human serum and cerebrospinal fluid samples with good recoveries in the range of 93-98%. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aqueous-Phase Acetic Acid Ketonization over Monoclinic Zirconia

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

Cai, Qiuxia; Lopez-Ruiz, Juan A.; Cooper, Alan R.

The effect of aqueous phase on the acetic acid ketonization over monoclinic zirconia has been investigated using first-principles based density functional theory (DFT) calculations. To capture the aqueous phase chemistry over the solid zirconia catalyst surface, the aqueous phase is represented by 111 explicit water molecules with a liquid water density of 0.93 g/cm3 and the monoclinic zirconia is modeled by the most stable surface structure . The dynamic nature of aqueous phase/ interface was studied using ab initio molecular dynamics simulation, indicating that nearly half of the surface Zr sites are occupied by either adsorbed water molecules or hydroxylmore » groups at 550 K. DFT calculations show that the adsorption process of acetic acid from the liquid water phase to the surface is nearly thermodynamically neutral with a Gibbs free energy of -2.3 kJ/mol although the adsorption strength of acetic acid on the surface in aqueous phase is much stronger than in vapor phase. Therefore it is expected that the adsorption of acetic acid will dramatically affects aqueous phase ketonization reactivity over the monoclinic zirconia catalyst. Using the same ketonization mechanism via the β-keto acid intermediate, we have compared acetic acid ketonization to acetone in both vapor and aqueous phases. Our DFT calculation results show although the rate-determining step of the β-keto acid formation via the C-C coupling is not pronouncedly affected, the presence of liquid water molecules will dramatically affect dehydrogenation and hydrogenation steps via proton transfer mechanism. This work was financially supported by the United States Department of Energy (DOE)’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and performed at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). PNNL is a multi-program national laboratory operated for DOE by Battelle Memorial Institute. Computing time and advanced catalyst characterization use was granted by a user proposal at the William R. Wiley Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL). EMSL is a national scientific user facility sponsored by the Department of Energy’s Office of Biological and Environmental Research and located at PNNL.« less

Auxotonic to isometric contraction transitioning in a beating heart causes myosin step-size to down shift

PubMed Central

Sun, Xiaojing; Wang, Yihua; Ajtai, Katalin

2017-01-01

Myosin motors in cardiac ventriculum convert ATP free energy to the work of moving blood volume under pressure. The actin bound motor cyclically rotates its lever-arm/light-chain complex linking motor generated torque to the myosin filament backbone and translating actin against resisting force. Previous research showed that the unloaded in vitro motor is described with high precision by single molecule mechanical characteristics including unitary step-sizes of approximately 3, 5, and 8 nm and their relative step-frequencies of approximately 13, 50, and 37%. The 3 and 8 nm unitary step-sizes are dependent on myosin essential light chain (ELC) N-terminus actin binding. Step-size and step-frequency quantitation specifies in vitro motor function including duty-ratio, power, and strain sensitivity metrics. In vivo, motors integrated into the muscle sarcomere form the more complex and hierarchically functioning muscle machine. The goal of the research reported here is to measure single myosin step-size and step-frequency in vivo to assess how tissue integration impacts motor function. A photoactivatable GFP tags the ventriculum myosin lever-arm/light-chain complex in the beating heart of a live zebrafish embryo. Detected single GFP emission reports time-resolved myosin lever-arm orientation interpreted as step-size and step-frequency providing single myosin mechanical characteristics over the active cycle. Following step-frequency of cardiac ventriculum myosin transitioning from low to high force in relaxed to auxotonic to isometric contraction phases indicates that the imposition of resisting force during contraction causes the motor to down-shift to the 3 nm step-size accounting for >80% of all the steps in the near-isometric phase. At peak force, the ATP initiated actomyosin dissociation is the predominant strain inhibited transition in the native myosin contraction cycle. The proposed model for motor down-shifting and strain sensing involves ELC N-terminus actin binding. Overall, the approach is a unique bottom-up single molecule mechanical characterization of a hierarchically functional native muscle myosin. PMID:28423017

Identification and assessment of permeability enhancing vehicles for transdermal delivery of glucosamine hydrochloride.

PubMed

Han, In Hee; Choi, Sung-Up; Nam, Dae Young; Park, Young Mi; Kang, Myung Joo; Kang, Kyoung Hoon; Kim, Yong Min; Bae, Gunho; Oh, Il Young; Park, Jong Hyeok; Ye, Jin Soo; Choi, Yoon Bae; Kim, Duk Ki; Lee, Jaehwi; Choi, Young Wook

2010-02-01

As an initial step to develop the transdermal delivery system of glucosamine hydrochloride (GL-HCl), the permeation study across the rat skin in vitro was performed to identify the most efficient vehicle with regard to the ability to deliver GL-HCl transdermally. The GL-HCl formulations such as o/w cream, liposome suspension, liposomal gel, and liquid crystalline vehicles were prepared and compared for transdermal flux of GL-HCl. The liquid crystalline vehicles were more effective in increasing the skin permeation of GL-HCl than o/w cream and liposomal vehicles. Of the liquid crystalline vehicles tested, the permeation enhancing ability of the cubic phase was greater than that of the hexagonal phase when the nanoparticle dispersion was used. The skin permeation enhancing ability of the cubic nanoparticles for GL-HCl was further increased by employing both oleic acid and polyethylene glycol 200. Therefore, the cubic liquid crystalline nanodispersion containing oleic acid and PEG 200 can provide a possibility of clinical application of transdermal GL-HCl.

Phase selection during crystallization of undercooled liquid eutectic lead-tin alloys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fecht, H. J.

1991-01-01

During rapid solidification substantial amounts of undercooling are in general required for formation of metastable phases. Crystallization at varying levels of undercooling and melting of metastable phases were studied during slow cooling and heating of emulsified PB-Sn alloys. Besides the experimental demonstration of the reversibility of metastable phase equilibra, two different principal solidification paths have been identified and compared with the established metastable phase diagram and predictions from classical nucleation theory. The results suggest that the most probable solidification path is described by the 'step rule' resulting in the formation of metastable phases at low undercooling, whereas the stable eutectic phase mixture crystallizes without metastable phase formation at high undercooling.

Solid-phase extraction sorbent consisting of alkyltrimethylammonium surfactants immobilized onto strong cation-exchange polystyrene resin.

PubMed

Reid, Kendra R; Kennedy, Lonnie J; Crick, Eric W; Conte, Eric D

2002-10-25

Presented is a solid-phase extraction sorbent material composed of cationic alkyltrimethylammonium surfactants attached to a strong cation-exchange resin via ion-exchange. The original hydrophilic cation-exchange resin is made hydrophobic by covering the surface with alkyl chains from the hydrophobic portion of the surfactant. The sorbent material now has a better ability to extract hydrophobic molecules from aqueous samples. The entire stationary phase (alkyltrimethylammonium surfactant) is removed along with the analyte during the elution step. The elution step requires a mild elution solvent consisting of 0.25 M Mg2+ in a 50% 2-propanol solution. The main advantage of using a removable stationary phase is that traditionally utilized toxic elution solvents such as methylene chloride, which are necessary to efficiently release strongly hydrophobic species from SPE stationary phases, may now be avoided. Also, the final extract is directly compatible with reversed-phase liquid chromatography. The performance of this procedure is presented using pyrene as a test molecule.

Renormalization group study of the melting of a two-dimensional system of collapsing hard disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryzhov, V. N.; Tareyeva, E. E.; Fomin, Yu. D.; Tsiok, E. N.; Chumakov, E. S.

2017-06-01

We consider the melting of a two-dimensional system of collapsing hard disks (a system with a hard-disk potential to which a repulsive step is added) for different values of the repulsive-step width. We calculate the system phase diagram by the method of the density functional in crystallization theory using equations of the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless-Halperin-Nelson-Young theory to determine the lines of stability with respect to the dissociation of dislocation pairs, which corresponds to the continuous transition from the solid to the hexatic phase. We show that the crystal phase can melt via a continuous transition at low densities (the transition to the hexatic phase) with a subsequent transition from the hexatic phase to the isotropic liquid and via a first-order transition. Using the solution of renormalization group equations with the presence of singular defects (dislocations) in the system taken into account, we consider the influence of the renormalization of the elastic moduli on the form of the phase diagram.

Research on effects of phase error in phase-shifting interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hongjun; Wang, Zhao; Zhao, Hong; Tian, Ailing; Liu, Bingcai

2007-12-01

Referring to phase-shifting interferometry technology, the phase shifting error from the phase shifter is the main factor that directly affects the measurement accuracy of the phase shifting interferometer. In this paper, the resources and sorts of phase shifting error were introduction, and some methods to eliminate errors were mentioned. Based on the theory of phase shifting interferometry, the effects of phase shifting error were analyzed in detail. The Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) as a new shifter has advantage as that the phase shifting can be controlled digitally without any mechanical moving and rotating element. By changing coded image displayed on LCD, the phase shifting in measuring system was induced. LCD's phase modulation characteristic was analyzed in theory and tested. Based on Fourier transform, the effect model of phase error coming from LCD was established in four-step phase shifting interferometry. And the error range was obtained. In order to reduce error, a new error compensation algorithm was put forward. With this method, the error can be obtained by process interferogram. The interferogram can be compensated, and the measurement results can be obtained by four-step phase shifting interferogram. Theoretical analysis and simulation results demonstrate the feasibility of this approach to improve measurement accuracy.

Event-triggered logical flow control for comprehensive process integration of multi-step assays on centrifugal microfluidic platforms.

PubMed

Kinahan, David J; Kearney, Sinéad M; Dimov, Nikolay; Glynn, Macdara T; Ducrée, Jens

2014-07-07

The centrifugal "lab-on-a-disc" concept has proven to have great potential for process integration of bioanalytical assays, in particular where ease-of-use, ruggedness, portability, fast turn-around time and cost efficiency are of paramount importance. Yet, as all liquids residing on the disc are exposed to the same centrifugal field, an inherent challenge of these systems remains the automation of multi-step, multi-liquid sample processing and subsequent detection. In order to orchestrate the underlying bioanalytical protocols, an ample palette of rotationally and externally actuated valving schemes has been developed. While excelling with the level of flow control, externally actuated valves require interaction with peripheral instrumentation, thus compromising the conceptual simplicity of the centrifugal platform. In turn, for rotationally controlled schemes, such as common capillary burst valves, typical manufacturing tolerances tend to limit the number of consecutive laboratory unit operations (LUOs) that can be automated on a single disc. In this paper, a major advancement on recently established dissolvable film (DF) valving is presented; for the very first time, a liquid handling sequence can be controlled in response to completion of preceding liquid transfer event, i.e. completely independent of external stimulus or changes in speed of disc rotation. The basic, event-triggered valve configuration is further adapted to leverage conditional, large-scale process integration. First, we demonstrate a fluidic network on a disc encompassing 10 discrete valving steps including logical relationships such as an AND-conditional as well as serial and parallel flow control. Then we present a disc which is capable of implementing common laboratory unit operations such as metering and selective routing of flows. Finally, as a pilot study, these functions are integrated on a single disc to automate a common, multi-step lab protocol for the extraction of total RNA from mammalian cell homogenate.

Assessment of strobilurin fungicides' content in soya-based drinks by liquid micro-extraction and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Campillo, Natalia; Iniesta, María Jesús; Viñas, Pilar; Hernández-Córdoba, Manuel

2015-01-01

Seven strobilurin fungicides were pre-concentrated from soya-based drinks using dispersive liquid-liquid micro-extraction (DLLME) with a prior protein precipitation step in acid medium. The enriched phase was analysed by liquid chromatography (LC) with dual detection, using diode array detection (DAD) and electrospray-ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-IT-MS/MS). After selecting 1-undecanol and methanol as the extractant and disperser solvents, respectively, for DLLME, the Taguchi experimental method, an orthogonal array design, was applied to select the optimal solvent volumes and salt concentration in the aqueous phase. The matrix effect was evaluated and quantification was carried out using external aqueous calibration for DAD and matrix-matched calibration method for MS/MS. Detection limits in the 4-130 and 0.8-4.5 ng g(-1) ranges were obtained for DAD and MS/MS, respectively. The DLLME-LC-DAD-MS method was applied to the analysis of 10 different samples, none of which was found to contain residues of the studied fungicides.

Comprehensive analysis of pharmaceutical products using simultaneous mixed-mode (ion-exchange/reversed-phase) and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Kazarian, Artaches A; Nesterenko, Pavel N; Soisungnoen, Phimpha; Burakham, Rodjana; Srijaranai, Supalax; Paull, Brett

2014-08-01

Liquid chromatographic assays were developed using a mixed-mode column coupled in sequence with a hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography column to allow the simultaneous comprehensive analysis of inorganic/organic anions and cations, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and excipients (carbohydrates). The approach utilized dual sample injection and valve-mediated column switching and was based upon a single high-performance liquid chromatography gradient pump. The separation consisted of three distinct sequential separation mechanisms, namely, (i) ion-exchange, (ii) mixed-mode interactions under an applied dual gradient (reversed-phase/ion-exchange), and (iii) hydrophilic interaction chromatography. Upon first injection, the Scherzo SS C18 column (Imtakt) provided resolution of inorganic anions and cations under isocratic conditions, followed by a dual organic/salt gradient to elute active pharmaceutical ingredients and their respective organic counterions and potential degradants. At the top of the mixed-mode gradient (high acetonitrile content), the mobile phase flow was switched to a preconditioned hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography column, and the standard/sample was reinjected for the separation of hydrophilic carbohydrates, some of which are commonly known excipients in drug formulations. The approach afforded reproducible separation and resolution of up to 23 chemically diverse solutes in a single run. The method was applied to investigate the composition of commercial cough syrups (Robitussin®), allowing resolution and determination of inorganic ions, active pharmaceutical ingredients, excipients, and numerous well-resolved unknown peaks. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Texas A&M vortex type phase separator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Best, Frederick

2000-01-01

Phase separation is required for regenerative biological and chemical process systems as well as thermal transport and rejection systems. Liquid and gas management requirements for future spacecraft will demand small, passive systems able to operate over wide ranges of inlet qualities. Conservation and recycling of air and water is a necessary part of the construction and operation of the International Space Station as well as future long duration space missions. Space systems are sensitive to volume, mass, and power. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a method to recycle wastewater with minimal power consumption. Regenerative life support systems currently being investigated require phase separation to separate the liquid from the gas produced. The microgravity phase separator designed and fabricated at Texas A&M University relies on centripetal driven buoyancy forces to form a gas-liquid vortex within a fixed, right-circular cylinder. Two-phase flow is injected tangentially along the inner wall of this cylinder producing a radial acceleration gradient. The gradient produced from the intrinsic momentum of the injected mixture results in a rotating flow that drives the buoyancy process by the production of a hydrostatic pressure gradient. Texas A&M has flown several KC-135 flights with separator. These flights have included scaling studies, stability and transient investigations, and tests for inventory instrumentation. Among the hardware tested have been passive devices for separating mixed vapor/liquid streams into single-phase streams of vapor only and liquid only. .

Optimization of Ripe Olive Processing with a Single Lye Treatment.

PubMed

Brenes, Manuel; Romero, Concepción; García-García, Pedro

2017-09-01

The development of a method for darkening black ripe olives during the washing step with a single NaOH treatment and preservation liquid was studied. Olives of the Hojiblanca cultivar were darkened at pilot plant scale, packed, sterilized, and analyzed after 2 mo of storage at ambient temperature. It was found that the use of a mixture of preservation liquid:water at a ratio of 1:1 during the first washing gave rise to darker olives with slightly better firmness and no effect on sensory quality. However, care must be taken with the concentration of acetic acid in the preservation solution, as a content of this organic acid higher than 25 g/L can cause adverse effects on olive color due to the low pH that can be reached in the flesh of the fruit. Additionally, the re-use of the preservation solution in the first washing resulted in enrichment in antioxidant compounds of the packed product. Black ripe olives processed with preservation liquid had a total phenolic content of 629 mg/kg, whereas those with only tap water had 376 mg/kg, in particular hydroxytyrosol and hydroxytyrosol-4-glucoside. These findings mean that it is possible to get darker olives with higher contents in bioactive substances by reusing the preservation liquid during the darkening step of black ripe olives. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Transition from orbital liquid to Jahn-Teller insulator in orthorhombic perovskites RTiO3.

PubMed

Cheng, J-G; Sui, Y; Zhou, J-S; Goodenough, J B; Su, W H

2008-08-22

Following the same strategy used for RVO3, thermal conductivity measurements have been made on a series of single-crystal perovskites RTiO3 (R=La,Nd,...,Yb). Results reveal explicitly a transition from an orbital liquid to an orbitally ordered phase at a magnetic transition temperature, which is common for both the antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic phases in the phase diagram of RTiO3. This spin/orbital transition is consistent with the mode softening at T_{N} in antiferromagnetic LaTiO3 and is supported by an anomalous critical behavior at T_{c} in ferromagnetic YTiO3.

Analysis of organic compounds' degradation and electricity generation in anaerobic fluidized bed microbial fuel cell for coking wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Liu, Xinmin; Wu, Jianjun; Guo, Qingjie

2017-12-01

A single-chambered packing-type anaerobic fluidized microbial fuel cell (AFBMFC) with coking wastewater (CWW) as fuel was built to treat CWW, which not only has high treating efficiency, but also can convert organic matter in wastewater into electricity. AFBMFC was constructed by using anaerobic sludge that was domesticated as inoculation sludge, which was used to biochemically treat CWW. The organic compounds in CWW were extracted by liquid-liquid extraction step by step every day. The extraction phase was concentrated by a rotary evaporator and a nitrogen sweeping device and was analyzed by GC-MS. And the electricity-generation performances of AFBMFC were investigated. The results show that the composition of CWW was complicated, which mainly contains hydrocarbons, phenols, nitrogenous organic compounds, alcohols and aldehydes, esters and acids and so on. After a cycle of anaerobic biochemical treatment, the content of organic compounds in the effluent decreased significantly. After the treatment of AFBMFC, 99.9% phenols, 98.4% alcohol and aldehydes and 95.3% nitrogenous compounds were biodegraded. In the effluent, some new compounds (such as tricosane and dibutyl phthalate) were produced. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) of CWW decreased from 3372 to 559 mg/L in the closed-circuit microbial fuel cell, and the COD removal was 83.4 ± 1.0%. The maximum power density of AFBMFC was 2.13 ± 0.01 mW m -2 .

Liquid phase blending of metal-organic frameworks.

PubMed

Longley, Louis; Collins, Sean M; Zhou, Chao; Smales, Glen J; Norman, Sarah E; Brownbill, Nick J; Ashling, Christopher W; Chater, Philip A; Tovey, Robert; Schönlieb, Carola-Bibiane; Headen, Thomas F; Terrill, Nicholas J; Yue, Yuanzheng; Smith, Andrew J; Blanc, Frédéric; Keen, David A; Midgley, Paul A; Bennett, Thomas D

2018-06-15

The liquid and glass states of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have recently become of interest due to the potential for liquid-phase separations and ion transport, alongside the fundamental nature of the latter as a new, fourth category of melt-quenched glass. Here we show that the MOF liquid state can be blended with another MOF component, resulting in a domain structured MOF glass with a single, tailorable glass transition. Intra-domain connectivity and short range order is confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and pair distribution function measurements. The interfacial binding between MOF domains in the glass state is evidenced by electron tomography, and the relationship between domain size and T g investigated. Nanoindentation experiments are also performed to place this new class of MOF materials into context with organic blends and inorganic alloys.

SW-846 Test Method 4025: Screening for Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins and Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDFs) by Immunoassay

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

a procedure for the analysis of (PCDDs/PCDFs) in soil at 500 ppt (pg/g) using a simple onestep liquid phase oxidative cleanup or, at mid to low ppt levels, using a two step coupled column cleanup (oxidation and activated carbon binding)

Porous single-phase NiTi processed under Ca reducing vapor for use as a bone graft substitute.

PubMed

Bertheville, Bernard

2006-03-01

Porous nickel-titanium alloys (NiTi, nitinol) have recently attracted attention in clinical surgery because they are a very interesting alternative to the more brittle and less machinable conventional porous Ca-based ceramics. The main remaining limitations come from the chemical homogeneity of the as-processed porous nickel-titanium alloys, which always contain undesired secondary Ti- and Ni-rich phases. These are known to weaken the NiTi products, to favor their cavitation corrosion and to decrease their biocompatibility. Elemental nickel must also be avoided because it could give rise to several adverse tissue reactions. Therefore, the synthesis of porous single-phase NiTi alloys by using a basic single-step sintering procedure is an important step towards the processing of safe implant materials. The sintering process used in this work is based on a vapor phase calciothermic reduction operating during the NiTi compound formation. The as-processed porous nickel-titanium microstructure is single-phase and shows a uniformly open pore distribution with porosity of about 53% and pore diameters in the range 20-100 microm. Furthermore, due to the process, fine CaO layers grow on the NiTi outer and inner surfaces, acting as possible promoting agents for the ingrowth of bone cells at the implantation site.

Comparative study on catalytic hydrodehalogenation of halogenated aromatic compounds over Pd/C and Raney Ni catalysts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Xuanxuan; Liu, Sujing; Liu, Ying; Gu, Guodong; Xia, Chuanhai

2016-04-01

Catalytic hydrodehalogenation (HDH) has proved to be an efficient approach to dispose halogenated aromatic compounds (HACs). Liquid-phase HDH of single and mixed halobenzenes/4-halophenols with H2 over 5% Pd/C and Raney Ni catalyst are investigated and compared. For liquid-phase HDH of single HACs, hydrogenolytic scission reactivity of C-X bonds decreases in order of C-Br > C-Cl > C-I > C-F over Pd/C catalyst, and in order of C-I > C-Br > C-Cl > C-F over Raney Ni catalyst. To clarify the reason why hydrogenolytic scission reactivity of C-X bonds over Pd/C and Raney Ni catalysts exhibits different trends, liquid-phase HDH of mixed HACs over Pd/C and Raney Ni catalysts were studied, and catalysts are characterized by SEM, EDX, and XRD techniques. It was found that the high adsorption of iodoarenes on Pd/C catalyst caused the HDH reactivity of iodoarenes to be lower than that of chloroarenes and bromoarenes in the HDH of single HACs. Moreover, the adsorption of in situ produced iodine ion (I-) to catalyst surface would result in the decline of catalytic activity, which might be the main reason why the HDH reactivity of HACs in the presence of NaI is rather low.

A droplet-to-digital (D2D) microfluidic device for single cell assays.

PubMed

Shih, Steve C C; Gach, Philip C; Sustarich, Jess; Simmons, Blake A; Adams, Paul D; Singh, Seema; Singh, Anup K

2015-01-07

We have developed a new hybrid droplet-to-digital microfluidic platform (D2D) that integrates droplet-in-channel microfluidics with digital microfluidics (DMF) for performing multi-step assays. This D2D platform combines the strengths of the two formats-droplets-in-channel for facile generation of droplets containing single cells, and DMF for on-demand manipulation of droplets including control of different droplet volumes (pL-μL), creation of a dilution series of ionic liquid (IL), and parallel single cell culturing and analysis for IL toxicity screening. This D2D device also allows for automated analysis that includes a feedback-controlled system for merging and splitting of droplets to add reagents, an integrated Peltier element for parallel cell culture at optimum temperature, and an impedance sensing mechanism to control the flow rate for droplet generation and preventing droplet evaporation. Droplet-in-channel is well-suited for encapsulation of single cells as it allows the careful manipulation of flow rates of aqueous phase containing cells and oil to optimize encapsulation. Once single cell containing droplets are generated, they are transferred to a DMF chip via a capillary where they are merged with droplets containing IL and cultured at 30 °C. The DMF chip, in addition to permitting cell culture and reagent (ionic liquid/salt) addition, also allows recovery of individual droplets for off-chip analysis such as further culturing and measurement of ethanol production. The D2D chip was used to evaluate the effect of IL/salt type (four types: NaOAc, NaCl, [C2mim] [OAc], [C2mim] [Cl]) and concentration (four concentrations: 0, 37.5, 75, 150 mM) on the growth kinetics and ethanol production of yeast and as expected, increasing IL concentration led to lower biomass and ethanol production. Specifically, [C2mim] [OAc] had inhibitory effects on yeast growth at concentrations 75 and 150 mM and significantly reduced their ethanol production compared to cells grown in other ILs/salts. The growth curve trends obtained by D2D matched conventional yeast culturing in microtiter wells, validating the D2D platform. We believe that our approach represents a generic platform for multi-step biochemical assays such as drug screening, digital PCR, enzyme assays, immunoassays and cell-based assays.

3-dimensional dark traps for low refractive index bio-cells using a single optical fiber Bessel beam.

PubMed

Zhang, Yu; Tang, Xiaoyun; Zhang, Yaxun; Su, Wenjie; Liu, Zhihai; Yang, Xinghua; Zhang, Jianzhong; Yang, Jun; Oh, Kyunghwan; Yuan, Libo

2018-06-15

We proposed and experimentally demonstrated 3-dimensional dark traps for low refractive index bio-cells using a single optical fiber Bessel beam. The Bessel beam was produced by concatenating single-mode fiber and a step index multimode fiber, which was then focused by a high refractive index glass microsphere integrated on the fiber end facet. The focused Bessel beam provided two dark fields along the axial direction, where stable trapping of low refractive index bio-cells was realized in a high refractive index liquid bath. The all-fiber and seamlessly integrated structure of the proposed scheme can find ample potential as a micro-optical probe in in situ characterization and manipulation of multiple bio-cells with refractive indices lower than that of the liquid bath.

Ab initio calculation of the electronic absorption spectrum of liquid water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martiniano, Hugo F. M. C.; Galamba, Nuno; Cabral, Benedito J. Costa

2014-04-01

The electronic absorption spectrum of liquid water was investigated by coupling a one-body energy decomposition scheme to configurations generated by classical and Born-Oppenheimer Molecular Dynamics (BOMD). A Frenkel exciton Hamiltonian formalism was adopted and the excitation energies in the liquid phase were calculated with the equation of motion coupled cluster with single and double excitations method. Molecular dynamics configurations were generated by different approaches. Classical MD were carried out with the TIP4P-Ew and AMOEBA force fields. The BLYP and BLYP-D3 exchange-correlation functionals were used in BOMD. Theoretical and experimental results for the electronic absorption spectrum of liquid water are in good agreement. Emphasis is placed on the relationship between the structure of liquid water predicted by the different models and the electronic absorption spectrum. The theoretical gas to liquid phase blue-shift of the peak positions of the electronic absorption spectrum is in good agreement with experiment. The overall shift is determined by a competition between the O-H stretching of the water monomer in liquid water that leads to a red-shift and polarization effects that induce a blue-shift. The results illustrate the importance of coupling many-body energy decomposition schemes to molecular dynamics configurations to carry out ab initio calculations of the electronic properties in liquid phase.

Multiclass method for the determination of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in compost from sewage sludge using ultrasound and salt-assisted liquid-liquid extraction followed by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis.

PubMed

Luque-Muñoz, A; Vílchez, J L; Zafra-Gómez, A

2017-07-21

An analytical method for the analysis of 16 pharmaceuticals and personal care products in compost from sewage sludge is successfully validated. Ultrasound assisted extraction with a mixture of acetonitrile:ethyl acetate (1:1, v/v) containing 10% (v/v) of acetic acid was carried out. Two cycles of extraction of 10min were applied. A clean-up of the extracts using salt-assisted liquid-liquid extraction (SALLE) was also included. Experimental design was used for the optimization of the main parameters involved in the extraction and cleaned-up steps. The chromatographic separation was carried out by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography using a mobile phase gradient mixture of a 13mM buffer ammonium formate solution (pH 9.25) (solvent A) and methanol (solvent B). An ACQUITY UPLC ® BEH C18 column (1.7μm; 2.1×50mm) column was used. Analytes were separated in less than 11min. The compounds were detected and quantified using single reaction monitoring electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. The limits of detection calculated ranged from 0.5 to 4ngg -1 d.w., and the limits of quantification from 2 to 13ngg -1 d.w. Recoveries from 93% to 111%, with relative standar deviations lower than 11% in all cases, were obtained. The method was applied to natural compost samples. High concentrations of some analytes were found. Ketoprofen (510ngg -1 d.w.), methylparaben (240ngg -1 d.w.), diclofenac (175ngg -1 d.w.) and flufenamic acid (128ngg -1 d.w.) were the most abundant. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microfluidic evaporator for on-chip sample concentration.

PubMed

Casadevall i Solvas, Xavier; Turek, Vladimir; Prodromakis, Themistoklis; Edel, Joshua B

2012-10-21

We present a simple technique for the concentration of liquid samples in microfluidic devices applicable for single or multiple-phase configurations. The strategy consists of capturing the sample of interest within microfluidic traps and breaking its continuity by the introduction of a gas phase, which is also used to evaporate it.

Biodiesel from Citrullus colocynthis Oil: Sulfonic-Ionic Liquid-Catalyzed Esterification of a Two-Step Process

PubMed Central

Ali Elsheikh, Yasir; Hassan Akhtar, Faheem

2014-01-01

Biodiesel was prepared from Citrullus colocynthis oil (CCO) via a two-step process. The first esterification step was explored in two ionic liquids (ILs) with 1,3-disulfonic acid imidazolium hydrogen sulfate (DSIMHSO4) and 3-methyl-1-sulfonic acid imidazolium hydrogen sulfate (MSIMHSO4). Both ILs appeared to be good candidates to replace hazardous acidic catalyst due to their exceptional properties. However, the two sulfonic chains existing in DSIMHSO4 were found to increase the acidity to the IL than the single sulfonic chain in MSIMHSO4. Based on the results, 3.6 wt% of DSIMHSO4, methanol/CCO molar ratio of 12 : 1, and 150°C offered a final FFA conversion of 95.4% within 105 min. A 98.2% was produced via second KOH-catalyzed step in 1.0%, 6 : 1 molar ratio, 600 rpm, and 60°C for 50 min. This new two-step catalyzed process could solve the corrosion and environmental problems associated with the current acidic catalysts. PMID:24987736

Computer-Aided Thermohydraulic Design of TEMA Type E Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers for Use in Low Pressure, Liquid-to-Liquid, Single Phase Applications.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-04-01

and Standards .. ... ....... ....... 9 A. General . ... .. .. ... ..... .. .. ... 9 B. ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code .. .. ......9 C. Foreign...several different sources. B. American Society of Mechanial Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code A shell and tube heat exchanger is indeed a

Applications of the Peng-Robinson Equation of State Using MATLAB[R

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nasri, Zakia; Binous, Housam

2009-01-01

A single equation of state (EOS) such as the Peng-Robinson (PR) EOS can accurately describe both the liquid and vapor phase. We present several applications of this equation of state, including estimation of pure component properties and computation of the vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) diagram for binary mixtures. We perform high-pressure…

Dynamic phase coexistence in glass-forming liquids.

PubMed

Pastore, Raffaele; Coniglio, Antonio; Ciamarra, Massimo Pica

2015-07-09

One of the most controversial hypotheses for explaining the heterogeneous dynamics of glasses postulates the temporary coexistence of two phases characterized by a high and by a low diffusivity. In this scenario, two phases with different diffusivities coexist for a time of the order of the relaxation time and mix afterwards. Unfortunately, it is difficult to measure the single-particle diffusivities to test this hypothesis. Indeed, although the non-Gaussian shape of the van-Hove distribution suggests the transient existence of a diffusivity distribution, it is not possible to infer from this quantity whether two or more dynamical phases coexist. Here we provide the first direct observation of the dynamical coexistence of two phases with different diffusivities, by showing that in the deeply supercooled regime the distribution of the single-particle diffusivities acquires a transient bimodal shape. We relate this distribution to the heterogeneity of the dynamics and to the breakdown of the Stokes-Einstein relation, and we show that the coexistence of two dynamical phases occurs up to a timescale growing faster than the relaxation time on cooling, for some of the considered models. Our work offers a basis for rationalizing the dynamics of supercooled liquids and for relating their structural and dynamical properties.

A three-dimensional multiphase flow model for assesing NAPL contamination in porous and fractured media, 1. Formulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huyakorn, P. S.; Panday, S.; Wu, Y. S.

1994-06-01

A three-dimensional, three-phase numerical model is presented for stimulating the movement on non-aqueous-phase liquids (NAPL's) through porous and fractured media. The model is designed for practical application to a wide variety of contamination and remediation scenarios involving light or dense NAPL's in heterogeneous subsurface systems. The model formulation is first derived for three-phase flow of water, NAPL and air (or vapor) in porous media. The formulation is then extended to handle fractured systems using the dual-porosity and discrete-fracture modeling approaches The model accommodates a wide variety of boundary conditions, including withdrawal and injection well conditions which are treated rigorously using fully implicit schemes. The three-phase of formulation collapses to its simpler forms when air-phase dynamics are neglected, capillary effects are neglected, or two-phase-air-liquid, liquid-liquid systems with one or two active phases are considered. A Galerkin procedure with upstream weighting of fluid mobilities, storage matrix lumping, and fully implicit treatment of nonlinear coefficients and well conditions is used. A variety of nodal connectivity schemes leading to finite-difference, finite-element and hybrid spatial approximations in three dimensions are incorporated in the formulation. Selection of primary variables and evaluation of the terms of the Jacobian matrix for the Newton-Raphson linearized equations is discussed. The various nodal lattice options, and their significance to the computational time and memory requirements with regards to the block-Orthomin solution scheme are noted. Aggressive time-stepping schemes and under-relaxation formulas implemented in the code further alleviate the computational burden.

Radon depletion in xenon boil-off gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruenner, S.; Cichon, D.; Lindemann, S.; Undagoitia, T. Marrodán; Simgen, H.

2017-03-01

An important background in detectors using liquid xenon for rare event searches arises from the decays of radon and its daughters. We report for the first time a reduction of ^{222}Rn in the gas phase above a liquid xenon reservoir. We show a reduction factor of ≳ 4 for the ^{222}Rn concentration in boil-off xenon gas compared to the radon enriched liquid phase. A semiconductor-based α -detector and miniaturized proportional counters are used to detect the radon. As the radon depletion in the boil-off gas is understood as a single-stage distillation process, this result establishes the suitability of cryogenic distillation to separate radon from xenon down to the 10^{-15} mol/mol level.

The Principal Hugoniot of Forsterite to 950 GPa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Root, Seth; Townsend, Joshua P.; Davies, Erik; Lemke, Raymond W.; Bliss, David E.; Fratanduono, Dayne E.; Kraus, Richard G.; Millot, Marius; Spaulding, Dylan K.; Shulenburger, Luke; Stewart, Sarah T.; Jacobsen, Stein B.

2018-05-01

Forsterite (Mg2SiO4) single crystals were shock compressed to pressures between 200 and 950 GPa using independent plate-impact steady shocks and laser-driven decaying shock compression experiments. Additionally, we performed density functional theory-based molecular dynamics to aid interpretation of the experimental data and to investigate possible phase transformations and phase separations along the Hugoniot. We show that the experimentally obtained Hugoniot cannot distinguish between a pure liquid Mg2SiO4 and an assemblage of solid MgO plus liquid magnesium silicate. The measured reflectivity is nonzero and increases with pressure, which implies that the liquid is a poor electrical conductor at low pressures and that the conductivity increases with pressure.

Electrochemical Liquid Phase Epitaxy (ec-LPE): A New Methodology for the Synthesis of Crystalline Group IV Semiconductor Epifilms.

PubMed

Demuth, Joshua; Fahrenkrug, Eli; Ma, Luyao; Shodiya, Titilayo; Deitz, Julia I; Grassman, Tyler J; Maldonado, Stephen

2017-05-24

Deposition of epitaxial germanium (Ge) thin films on silicon (Si) wafers has been achieved over large areas with aqueous feedstock solutions using electrochemical liquid phase epitaxy (ec-LPE) at low temperatures (T ≤ 90 °C). The ec-LPE method uniquely blends the simplicity and control of traditional electrodeposition with the material quality of melt growth. A new electrochemical cell design based on the compression of a liquid metal electrode into a thin cavity that enables ec-LPE is described. The epitaxial nature, low strain character, and crystallographic defect content of the resultant solid Ge films were analyzed by electron backscatter diffraction, scanning transmission electron microscopy, high resolution X-ray diffraction, and electron channeling contrast imaging. The results here show the first step toward a manufacturing infrastructure for traditional crystalline inorganic semiconductor epifilms that does not require high temperature, gaseous precursors, or complex apparatus.

Effect of cell-surface hydrophobicity on bacterial conversion of water-immiscible chemicals in two-liquid-phase culture systems.

PubMed

Hamada, Takahiro; Maeda, Yusuke; Matsuda, Hiroyuki; Sameshima, Yuka; Honda, Kohsuke; Omasa, Takeshi; Kato, Junichi; Ohtake, Hisao

2009-08-01

The effect of bacterial cell-surface hydrophobicity on the bioconversion of water-immiscible chemicals in an aqueous-organic (A/O) two-liquid-phase culture system was investigated. Escherichia coli JM109 and Rhodococcus opacus B-4 were used as hydrophilic and hydrophobic whole-cell catalysts, respectively. Hydroxylation reactions of monoaromatics, including toluene (log P(ow)=2.9), ethylbenzene (3.1), n-propylbenzene (3.4), and sec-butylbenzene (3.7), were employed as model conversions. When the todC1C2BA genes encoding Pseudomonas putida toluene dioxygenase were expressed in E. coli JM109, the yield of hydroxylated monoaromatics decreased with increasing substrate hydrophobicity. By contrast, R. opacus transformants, which expressed the todC1C2BA genes, showed high performance in the hydroxylation of monoaromatics, irrespective of substrate hydrophobicity. When the R. opacus transformants were examined for their ability to hydroxylate monoaromatics in an aqueous single-liquid-phase culture, the reaction velocity was markedly lower than that observed in the A/O two-liquid-phase culture. These results suggested that R. opacus B-4 accessed the hydrophobic substrates in the oil phase, thus making it more effective for the bioconversion reactions.

Rational and Efficient Preparative Isolation of Natural Products by MPLC-UV-ELSD based on HPLC to MPLC Gradient Transfer.

PubMed

Challal, Soura; Queiroz, Emerson Ferreira; Debrus, Benjamin; Kloeti, Werner; Guillarme, Davy; Gupta, Mahabir Prashad; Wolfender, Jean-Luc

2015-11-01

In natural product research, the isolation of biomarkers or bioactive compounds from complex natural extracts represents an essential step for de novo identification and bioactivity assessment. When pure natural products have to be obtained in milligram quantities, the chromatographic steps are generally labourious and time-consuming. In this respect, an efficient method has been developed for the reversed-phase gradient transfer from high-performance liquid chromatography to medium-performance liquid chromatography for the isolation of pure natural products at the level of tens of milligrams from complex crude natural extracts. The proposed method provides a rational way to predict retention behaviour and resolution at the analytical scale prior to medium-performance liquid chromatography, and guarantees similar performances at both analytical and preparative scales. The optimisation of the high-performance liquid chromatography separation and system characterisation allows for the prediction of the gradient at the medium-performance liquid chromatography scale by using identical stationary phase chemistries. The samples were introduced in medium-performance liquid chromatography using a pressure-resistant aluminium dry load cell especially designed for this study to allow high sample loading while maintaining a maximum achievable flow rate for the separation. The method has been validated with a mixture of eight natural product standards. Ultraviolet and evaporative light scattering detections were used in parallel for a comprehensive monitoring. In addition, post-chromatographic mass spectrometry detection was provided by high-throughput ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry analyses of all fractions. The processing of all liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry data in the form of an medium-performance liquid chromatography x ultra high-performance liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry matrix enabled an efficient localisation of the compounds of interest in the generated fractions. The methodology was successfully applied for the separation of three different plant extracts that contain many diverse secondary metabolites. The advantages and limitations of this approach and the theoretical chromatographic background that rules such as liquid chromatography gradient transfer are presented from a practical viewpoint. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Self-interaction of NPM1 modulates multiple mechanisms of liquid-liquid phase separation.

PubMed

Mitrea, Diana M; Cika, Jaclyn A; Stanley, Christopher B; Nourse, Amanda; Onuchic, Paulo L; Banerjee, Priya R; Phillips, Aaron H; Park, Cheon-Gil; Deniz, Ashok A; Kriwacki, Richard W

2018-02-26

Nucleophosmin (NPM1) is an abundant, oligomeric protein in the granular component of the nucleolus with roles in ribosome biogenesis. Pentameric NPM1 undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) via heterotypic interactions with nucleolar components, including ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and proteins which display multivalent arginine-rich linear motifs (R-motifs), and is integral to the liquid-like nucleolar matrix. Here we show that NPM1 can also undergo LLPS via homotypic interactions between its polyampholytic intrinsically disordered regions, a mechanism that opposes LLPS via heterotypic interactions. Using a combination of biophysical techniques, including confocal microscopy, SAXS, analytical ultracentrifugation, and single-molecule fluorescence, we describe how conformational changes within NPM1 control valency and switching between the different LLPS mechanisms. We propose that this newly discovered interplay between multiple LLPS mechanisms may influence the direction of vectorial pre-ribosomal particle assembly within, and exit from the nucleolus as part of the ribosome biogenesis process.

Metallurgical technologies, energy conversion, and magnetohydrodynamic flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Branover, Herman; Unger, Yeshajahu

The present volume discusses metallurgical applications of MHD, R&D on MHD devices employing liquid working medium for process applications, electromagnetic (EM) modulation of molten metal flow, EM pump performance of superconducting MHD devices, induction EM alkali-metal pumps, a physical model for EM-driven flow in channel-induction furnaces, grain refinement in Al alloys via EM vibrational method, dendrite growth of solidifying metal in dc magnetic field, MHD for mass and heat transfer in single-crystal melt growth, inverse EM shaping, and liquid-metal MHD development in Israel. Also discussed are the embrittlement of steel by lead, an open cycle MHD disk generator, the acceleration of gas-liquid piston flows for molten-metal MHD generators, MHD flow around a cylinder, new MHD drag coefficients, liquid-metal MHD two-phase flow, and two-phase liquid gas mixers for MHD energy conversion. (No individual items are abstracted in this volume)

A review of available analytical technologies for qualitative and quantitative determination of nitramines.

PubMed

Lindahl, Sofia; Gundersen, Cathrine Brecke; Lundanes, Elsa

2014-08-01

This review aims to summarize the available analytical methods in the open literature for the determination of some aliphatic and cyclic nitramines. Nitramines covered in this review are the ones that can be formed from the use of amines in post-combustion CO2 capture (PCC) plants and end up in the environment. Since the literature is quite scarce regarding the determination of nitramines in aqueous and soil samples, methods for determination of nitramines in other matrices have also been included. Since the nitramines are found in complex matrices and/or in very low concentration, an extraction step is often necessary before their determination. Liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) using dichloromethane and solid phase extraction (SPE) with an activated carbon based material have been the two most common extraction methods. Gas chromatography (GC) or reversed phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) has been used often combined with mass spectrometry (MS) in the final determination step. Presently there is no comprehensive method available that can be used for determination of all nitramines included in this review. The lowest concentration limit of quantification (cLOQ) is in the ng L(-1) range, however, most methods appear to have a cLOQ in the μg L(-1) range, if the cLOQ has been given.

A polyacrylamide-based silica stationary phase for the separation of carbohydrates using alcohols as the weak eluent in hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Cai, Jianfeng; Cheng, Lingping; Zhao, Jianchao; Fu, Qing; Jin, Yu; Ke, Yanxiong; Liang, Xinmiao

2017-11-17

A hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) stationary phase was prepared by a two-step synthesis method, immobilizing polyacrylamide on silica sphere particles. The stationary phase (named PA, 5μm dia) was evaluated using a mixture of carbohydrates in HILIC mode and the column efficiency reached 121,000Nm -1 . The retention behavior of carbohydrates on PA stationary phase was investigated with three different organic solvents (acetonitrile, ethanol and methanol) employed as the weak eluent. The strongest hydrophilicity of PA stationary phase was observed in both acetonitrile and methanol as the weak eluent, when compared with another two amide stationary phases. Attributing to its high hydrophilicity, three oligosaccharides (xylooligosaccharide, fructooligosaccharide and chitooligosaccharides) presented good retention on PA stationary phase using alcohols/water as mobile phase. Finally, PA stationary phase was successfully applied for the purification of galactooligosaccharides and saponins of Paris polyphylla. It is feasible to use safer and cheaper alcohols to replace acetonitrile as the weak eluent for green analysis and purification of polar compounds on PA stationary phase. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Chromatic patchy particles: Effects of specific interactions on liquid structure

DOE PAGES

Vasilyev, Oleg A.; Tkachenko, Alexei V.; Klumov, Boris A.

2015-07-13

We study the structural and thermodynamic properties of patchy particle liquids, with a special focus on the role of “color,” i.e., specific interactions between individual patches. A possible experimental realization of such “chromatic” interactions is by decorating the particle patches with single-stranded DNA linkers. The complementarity of the linkers can promote selective bond formation between predetermined pairs of patches. By using MD simulations, we compare the local connectivity, the bond orientation order, and other structural properties of the aggregates formed by the “colored” and “colorless” systems. The analysis is done for spherical particles with two different patch arrangements (tetrahedral andmore » cubic). It is found that the aggregated (liquid) phase of the “colorless” patchy particles is better connected, denser and typically has stronger local order than the corresponding “colored” one. This, in turn, makes the colored liquid less stable thermodynamically. Specifically, we predict that in a typical case the chromatic interactions should increase the relative stability of the crystalline phase with respect to the disordered liquid, thus expanding its region in the phase diagram.« less

Surface plasmon resonances in liquid metal nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ershov, A. E.; Gerasimov, V. S.; Gavrilyuk, A. P.; Karpov, S. V.

2017-06-01

We have shown significant suppression of resonant properties of metallic nanoparticles at the surface plasmon frequency during the phase transition "solid-liquid" in the basic materials of nanoplasmonics (Ag, Au). Using experimental values of the optical constants of liquid and solid metals, we have calculated nanoparticle plasmonic absorption spectra. The effect was demonstrated for single particles, dimers and trimers, as well as for the large multiparticle colloidal aggregates. Experimental verification was performed for single Au nanoparticles heated to the melting temperature and above up to full suppression of the surface plasmon resonance. It is emphasized that this effect may underlie the nonlinear optical response of composite materials containing plasmonic nanoparticles and their aggregates.

Corresponding-states laws for protein solutions.

PubMed

Katsonis, Panagiotis; Brandon, Simon; Vekilov, Peter G

2006-09-07

The solvent around protein molecules in solutions is structured and this structuring introduces a repulsion in the intermolecular interaction potential at intermediate separations. We use Monte Carlo simulations with isotropic, pair-additive systems interacting with such potentials. We test if the liquid-liquid and liquid-solid phase lines in model protein solutions can be predicted from universal curves and a pair of experimentally determined parameters, as done for atomic and colloid materials using several laws of corresponding states. As predictors, we test three properties at the critical point for liquid-liquid separation: temperature, as in the original van der Waals law, the second virial coefficient, and a modified second virial coefficient, all paired with the critical volume fraction. We find that the van der Waals law is best obeyed and appears more general than its original formulation: A single universal curve describes all tested nonconformal isotropic pair-additive systems. Published experimental data for the liquid-liquid equilibrium for several proteins at various conditions follow a single van der Waals curve. For the solid-liquid equilibrium, we find that no single system property serves as its predictor. We go beyond corresponding-states correlations and put forth semiempirical laws, which allow prediction of the critical temperature and volume fraction solely based on the range of attraction of the intermolecular interaction potential.

Single- and two-phase flow characterization using optical fiber bragg gratings.

PubMed

Baroncini, Virgínia H V; Martelli, Cicero; da Silva, Marco José; Morales, Rigoberto E M

2015-03-17

Single- and two-phase flow characterization using optical fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) is presented. The sensor unit consists of the optical fiber Bragg grating positioned transversely to the flow and fixed in the pipe walls. The hydrodynamic pressure applied by the liquid or air/liquid flow to the optical fiber induces deformation that can be detected by the FBG. Given that the applied pressure is directly related to the mass flow, it is possible to establish a relationship using the grating resonance wavelength shift to determine the mass flow when the flow velocity is well known. For two phase flows of air and liquid, there is a significant change in the force applied to the fiber that accounts for the very distinct densities of these substances. As a consequence, the optical fiber deformation and the correspondent grating wavelength shift as a function of the flow will be very different for an air bubble or a liquid slug, allowing their detection as they flow through the pipe. A quasi-distributed sensing tool with 18 sensors evenly spread along the pipe is developed and characterized, making possible the characterization of the flow, as well as the tracking of the bubbles over a large section of the test bed. Results show good agreement with standard measurement methods and open up plenty of opportunities to both laboratory measurement tools and field applications.

Determination of melamine in soil samples using surfactant-enhanced hollow fiber liquid phase microextraction followed by HPLC–UV using experimental design

PubMed Central

Sarafraz Yazdi, Ali; Raouf Yazdinezhad, Samaneh; Heidari, Tahereh

2014-01-01

Surfactant-enhanced hollow fiber liquid phase (SE-HF-LPME) microextraction was applied for the extraction of melamine in conjunction with high performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (HPLC–UV). Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was added firstly to the sample solution at pH 1.9 to form hydrophobic ion-pair with protonated melamine. Then the protonated melamine–dodecyl sulfate ion-pair (Mel–DS) was extracted from aqueous phase into organic phase immobilized in the pores and lumen of the hollow fiber. After extraction, the analyte-enriched 1-octanol was withdrawn into the syringe and injected into the HPLC. Preliminary, one variable at a time method was applied to select the type of extraction solvent. Then, in screening step, the other variables that may affect the extraction efficiency of the analyte were studied using a fractional factorial design. In the next step, a central composite design was applied for optimization of the significant factors having positive effects on extraction efficiency. The optimum operational conditions included: sample volume, 5 mL; surfactant concentration, 1.5 mM; pH 1.9; stirring rate, 1500 rpm and extraction time, 60 min. Using the optimum conditions, the method was analytically evaluated. The detection limit, relative standard deviation and linear range were 0.005 μg mL−1, 4.0% (3 μg mL−1, n = 5) and 0.01–8 μg mL−1, respectively. The performance of the procedure in extraction of melamine from the soil samples was good according to its relative recoveries in different spiking levels (95–109%). PMID:26644934

The melting points of MgO up to 4 TPa predicted based on ab initio thermodynamic integration molecular dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taniuchi, Takashi; Tsuchiya, Taku

2018-03-01

The melting curve of MgO is extended up to 4 TPa, corresponding to the Jovian core pressure, based on the one-step thermodynamic integration method implemented on ab initio molecular dynamics. The calculated melting temperatures are 3100 and 16 000 K at 0 and 500 GPa, respectively, which are consistent with previous experimental results, and 20 600 K at 3900 GPa, which is inconsistent with a recent experimental extrapolation, which implies the molten Jovian core. A quite small Clapeyron slope (dT/dP ) of 0.0+/- 0.5 is found at 3900 GPa due to comparable densities of the liquid and B2 phases under extreme compression. The Mg-O coordination number in the liquid phase is saturated at around 7.5 above 1 TPa and remains smaller than that in the B2 phase (8) even at 4 TPa, suggesting no density crossover between liquid and crystal and thus no further denser crystalline phases. Dynamical properties (atomic diffusivity and viscosity) are also investigated along the melting curve to understand these behaviors in greater detail.

Simultaneous liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry determination of both polar and "multiresidue" pesticides in food using parallel hydrophilic interaction/reversed-phase liquid chromatography and a hybrid sample preparation approach.

PubMed

Robles-Molina, José; Gilbert-López, Bienvenida; García-Reyes, Juan F; Molina-Díaz, Antonio

2017-09-29

Pesticide testing of foodstuffs is usually accomplished with generic wide-scope multi-residue methods based on liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). However, this approach does not cover some special pesticides, the so called "single-residue method" compounds, that are hardly compatible with standard reversed-phase (RP) separations due to their specific properties. In this article, we propose a comprehensive strategy for the integration of single residue method compounds and standard multiresidue pesticides within a single run. It is based on the use of a parallel LC column assembly with two different LC gradients performing orthogonal hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) and reversed-phase (RPLC) chromatography within one analytical run. Two sample aliquots were simultaneously injected on each column, using different gradients, being the eluents merged post-column prior to mass spectrometry detection. The approach was tested with 41 multiclass pesticides covering a wide range of physicochemical properties across several orders of log K ow (from -4 to +5.5). With this assembly, distinct separation from the void was attained for all the pesticides studied, keeping similar performance in terms of sensitivity, peak area reproducibility (<6 RSD% in most cases) and retention time stability of standard single column approaches (better than±0.1min). The application of the proposed approach using parallel HILIC/RPLC and RPLC/aqueous normal phase (Obelisc) were assessed in leek using LC-MS/MS. For this purpose, a hybrid QuEChERS (Quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe)/QuPPe (quick method for polar pesticides) method was evaluated based on solvent extraction with MeOH and acetonitrile followed by dispersive solid-phase extraction, delivering appropriate recoveries for most of the pesticides included in the study within the log K ow in the range from -4 to +5.5. The proposed strategy may be extended to other fields such as sport drug testing or environmental analysis, where the same type of variety of analytes featuring poor retention within a single chromatographic separation occurs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improving the Mechanical Properties of the Fusion Zone in Electron-Beam Welded Ti-5Al-5Mo-5V-3Cr Alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marvel, Christopher J.; Sabol, Joseph C.; Pasang, Timotius; Watanabe, Masashi; Misiolek, Wojciech Z.

2017-04-01

It is well-known that ω-phase precipitates embrittle Ti-5553 alloys and that ω-phase embrittlement can be overcome with appropriate heat treatments. However, the microstructural evolution of electron-beam welded Ti-5553 is not as understood as compared to the cast or wrought material. This study compared the microstructures of as-welded and post-weld heat-treated specimens by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and similarly compared the localized mechanical behavior of the fusion zones with microhardness testing and digital image correlation coupled tensile testing. The primary observations were that the embrittling ω-phase precipitates formed upon cooling, and could not be fully solutionized in a single-step treatment of 1077 K (804 °C) for 1 hour. It was also discovered that nanoscale α-phase precipitates nucleated after the single-step treatment, although they were small in number and sparsely distributed. However, a two-step heat treatment of 1077 K (804 °C) for 1 hour and 873 K (600 °C) for 4 hours completely solutionized the ω-phase and produced a dense network of 2- μm-wide α-phase plates, which significantly improved the mechanical properties. Overall, this study has shown that post-weld heat treatments improve the strength and ductility of electron-beam welded Ti-5553 alloys by controlling ω- and α-phase evolution.

Dispersive liquid-phase microextraction with solidification of floating organic droplet coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography for the determination of Sudan dyes in foodstuffs and water samples.

PubMed

Chen, Bo; Huang, Yuming

2014-06-25

Dispersive liquid-phase microextraction with solidification of floating organic drop (SFO-DLPME) is one of the most interesting sample preparation techniques developed in recent years. In this paper, a new, rapid, and efficient SFO-DLPME coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was established for the extraction and sensitive detection of banned Sudan dyes, namely, Sudan I, Sudan II, Sudan III, and Sudan IV, in foodstuff and water samples. Various factors, such as the type and volume of extractants and dispersants, pH and volume of sample solution, extraction time and temperature, ion strength, and humic acid concentration, were investigated and optimized to achieve optimal extraction of Sudan dyes in one single step. After optimization of extraction conditions using 1-dodecanol as an extractant and ethanol as a dispersant, the developed procedure was applied for extraction of the target Sudan dyes from 2 g of food samples and 10 mL of the spiked water samples. Under the optimized conditions, all Sudan dyes could be easily extracted by the proposed SFO-DLPME method. Limits of detection of the four Sudan dyes obtained were 0.10-0.20 ng g(-1) and 0.03 μg L(-1) when 2 g of foodstuff samples and 10 mL of water samples were adopted, respectively. The inter- and intraday reproducibilities were below 4.8% for analysis of Sudan dyes in foodstuffs. The method was satisfactorily used for the detection of Sudan dyes, and the recoveries of the target for the spiked foodstuff and water samples ranged from 92.6 to 106.6% and from 91.1 to 108.6%, respectively. These results indicated that the proposed method is simple, rapid, sensitive, and suitable for the pre-concentration and detection of the target dyes in foodstuff samples.

Evaluation of ionic liquids supported on silica as a sorbent for fully automated online solid-phase extraction with LC-MS determination of sulfonamides in bovine milk samples.

PubMed

da Silva, Meire Ribeiro; Mauro Lanças, Fernando

2018-03-10

Sulfonamides are antibiotics widely used in the treatment of diseases in dairy cattle. However, their indiscriminate use for disease control may lead to their presence in tissues and milk and their determination requires a sample preparation step as part of an analytical approach. Among the several sample preparation techniques available, those based upon the use of sorptive materials have been widely employed. Recently, the application of ionic liquids immobilized on silica surfaces or polymeric materials has been evaluated for such an application. This manuscript addresses the evaluation of silica-based ionic liquid obtained by a sol-gel synthesis process by basic catalysis as sorbent for online solid-phase extraction with liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry for sulfonamides determination. Infrared vibrational spectroscopy confirmed the presence of the ionic liquid on the silica surface, suggesting that the ionic liquid was anchored on to the silica surface. Other sorbents varying the ionic liquid alkyl chain were also synthesized and evaluated by off-line solid-phase extraction in the sulfonamide extraction. As the length of the alkyl chain increased, the amount of extracted sulfonamides decreased, possibly due to a decrease in the electrostatic interaction caused by the reduction in the polarity, as well as the presence of a hexafluorophosphate anion that increases the hydrophobic character of the material. The use of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate as a selective ionic liquid sorbent enabled the isolation and sulfonamide preconcentration in bovine milk by online solid-phase extraction with liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The limit of quantification for the method developed was 5-7, 5 μg/mL, with extraction recoveries ranging between 74 and 93% and intra- and interassay between 1.5-12.5 and 2.3-13.1, respectively. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Solid-phase microextraction coupled to liquid chromatography for the analysis of phenolic compounds in water.

PubMed

González-Toledo, E; Prat, M D; Alpendurada, M F

2001-07-20

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has been applied to the analysis of priority pollutant phenolic compounds in water samples. Two types of polar fibers [50 microm Carbowax-templated resin (CW-TPR) and 60 microm polydimethylsiloxane-divinylbenzene (PDMS-DVB)] were evaluated. The effects of equilibration time and ionic strength of samples on the adsorption step were studied. The parameters affecting the desorption process, such as desorption mode, solvent composition and desorption time, were optimized. The developed method was used to determine the phenols in spiked river water samples collected in the Douro River, Portugal. Detection limits of 1-10 microg l(-1) were achieved under the optimized conditions.

Correlations of phase structure and thermal stability for Alnico 8 alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, J. T.; Sun, Y. L.; Liu, L.; Lee, D.; Liu, Z.; Feng, X. C.; Yan, A. R.

2017-11-01

The correlations of phase structure and thermal stability for Alnico 8 alloys is analyzed by three-step aging at 650 °C, 600 °C and 550 °C gradually in this paper. After three-step aging the a1 phase is a chess-like structure in transverse direction and a bamboo-like structure in longitudinal direction. Meanwhile the magnetic energy product ((BH)m) increases from 9.17 MGOe to 10.59 MGOe, and the remanence temperature coefficient a(RT-180 °C) reduces from -2.31 %%/°C to -1.25 %%/°C. The MPMS and VSM measurements indicate that three-step aging makes the a1 phase be single domain particles and dispersed distribution, which plays an important role in optimizing the thermal stability of Alnico alloys.

Novel Method for Quantitative Estimation of Biofilms.

PubMed

Syal, Kirtimaan

2017-10-01

Biofilm protects bacteria from stress and hostile environment. Crystal violet (CV) assay is the most popular method for biofilm determination adopted by different laboratories so far. However, biofilm layer formed at the liquid-air interphase known as pellicle is extremely sensitive to its washing and staining steps. Early phase biofilms are also prone to damage by the latter steps. In bacteria like mycobacteria, biofilm formation occurs largely at the liquid-air interphase which is susceptible to loss. In the proposed protocol, loss of such biofilm layer was prevented. In place of inverting and discarding the media which can lead to the loss of the aerobic biofilm layer in CV assay, media was removed from the formed biofilm with the help of a syringe and biofilm layer was allowed to dry. The staining and washing steps were avoided, and an organic solvent-tetrahydrofuran (THF) was deployed to dissolve the biofilm, and the absorbance was recorded at 595 nm. The protocol was tested for biofilm estimation of E. coli, B. subtilis and M. smegmatis, and compared with the traditional CV assays. Isoniazid drug molecule, a known inhibitor of M. smegmatis biofilm, was tested and its inhibitory effects were quantified by the proposed protocol. For ease in referring, this method has been described as the Syal method for biofilm quantification. This new method was found to be useful for the estimation of early phase biofilm and aerobic biofilm layer formed at the liquid-air interphase. The biofilms formed by all three tested bacteria-B. subtilis, E. coli and M. smegmatis, were precisely quantified.

Solidification processing of alloys using an applied electric field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mckannan, Eugene C. (Inventor); Schmidt, Deborah D. (Inventor); Ahmed, Shaffiq (Inventor); Bond, Robert W. (Inventor)

1990-01-01

A method is provided for obtaining an alloy having an ordered microstructure which comprises the steps of heating the central portion of the alloy under uniform temperature so that it enters a liquid phase while the outer portions remain solid, applying a constant electric current through the alloy during the heating step, and solidifying the liquid central portion of the alloy by subjecting it to a temperature-gradient zone so that cooling occurs in a directional manner and at a given rate of speed while maintaining the application of the constant electric current through the alloy. The method of the present invention produces an alloy having superior characteristics such as reduced segregation. After subsequent precipitation by heat-treatment, the alloys produced by the present invention will have excellent strength and high-temperature resistance.

Recovery of hydrogen iodide

DOEpatents

Norman, John H.

1983-01-01

A method of extraction of HI from an aqueous solution of HI and I.sub.2. HBr is added to create a two-phase liquid mixture wherein a dry phase consists essentially of HBr, I and HI and is in equilibrium with a wet phase having a far greater HBr:HI ratio. Using a countercurrent extractor, two solutions can be obtained: a dry HBr--HI--I.sub.2 solution and a wet essentially HBr solution. The dry and wet phases are easily separable, and HI is recovered from the dry phase, after first separating I.sub.2, as by distillation. Alternatively, the HI-HBr liquid mixture is treated to catalytically decompose the HI. HBr is recovered from the wet phase by suitable treatment, including high-pressure distillation, to produce an H.sub.2 O--HBr azeotrope that is not more than 25 mole percent HBr. The azeotrope may be returned for use in an earlier step in the overall process which results in the production of the aqueous solution of HI and I.sub.2 without major detriment because of the presence of HBr.

Recovery of hydrogen iodide

DOEpatents

Norman, J.H.

1983-08-02

A method is described for extraction of HI from an aqueous solution of HI and I[sub 2]. HBr is added to create a two-phase liquid mixture wherein a dry phase consists essentially of HBr, I and HI and is in equilibrium with a wet phase having a far greater HBr:HI ratio. Using a countercurrent extractor, two solutions can be obtained: a dry HBr--HI--I[sub 2] solution and a wet essentially HBr solution. The dry and wet phases are easily separable, and HI is recovered from the dry phase, after first separating I[sub 2], as by distillation. Alternatively, the HI-HBr liquid mixture is treated to catalytically decompose the HI. HBr is recovered from the wet phase by suitable treatment, including high-pressure distillation, to produce an H[sub 2]O--HBr azeotrope that is not more than 25 mole percent HBr. The azeotrope may be returned for use in an earlier step in the overall process which results in the production of the aqueous solution of HI and I[sub 2] without major detriment because of the presence of HBr. 1 fig.

Quantum vortex melting and phase diagram in the layered organic superconductor κ -(BEDT-TTF)2Cu(NCS ) 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uji, S.; Fujii, Y.; Sugiura, S.; Terashima, T.; Isono, T.; Yamada, J.

2018-01-01

Resistance and magnetic torque measurements have been performed to investigate vortex phases for a layered organic superconductor κ -(BEDT-TTF) 2Cu (NCS) 2 [BEDT-TTF = bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene], which is modeled as stacks of Josephson junctions. At 25 mK, the out-of-plane resistivity increases at 0.6 T, has a step feature up to 4 T, and then increases again, whereas the in-plane resistivity monotonically increases above 4 T. The results show that both pancake vortices (PVs) and Josephson vortices (JVs) are in solid phases for μ0H <0.6 T, but only JVs are in a liquid phase for 0.6 <μ0H <4 T. For μ0H >4 T, both PVs and JVs are in liquid phases. These melting transitions are predominantly induced by quantum fluctuations (not by thermal fluctuations). In the magnetic torque curves, the irreversibility transition is clearly observed, roughly corresponding to the melting transition of the PVs but no anomaly is found at the JV melting transition. The detailed vortex phase diagram is determined in a wide temperature region.

Phase transition of AISI type 304L stainless steel induced by severe plastic deformation via cryo-rolling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shit, Gopinath; Bhaskar, Pragna; Ningshen, S.; Dasgupta, A.; Mudali, U. Kamachi; Bhaduri, A. Kumar

2017-05-01

The phase transition induced by Severe Plastic Deformation (SPD) was confirmed in metastable AISI type 304L austenitic stainless steel (SS). SPD via cryo-rolling in liquid nitrogen (L-N2) temperature is the adopted route for correlating the phase transition and corrosion resistance. The thickness of the annealed AISI type 304L SS at 1050°C sheet was reduced step by step from 15% to 50% of its initial thickness. The phase changes and phase transformation are qualitatively analyzed by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) method. During the process, the XRD of each Cryo-Rolled and annealed sample was analyzed and different phases and phase transitions are measured. The investigated AISI type 304L SS by SPD reveals a microstructure of γ-austenite; α'-marternsite and ɛ-martensite formation depending on the percentage of cryo-rolling. The Vickers hardness (HV) of the samples is also measured. The corrosion rate of the annealed sheet and cryo rolled sample was estimated in boiling nitric acid as per ASTM A-262 practice-C test.

Cryogenic gaseous photomultipliers and liquid hole- multipliers: advances in THGEM-based sensors for future noble-liquid TPCs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arazi, L.; Coimbra, A. E. C.; Erdal, E.; Israelashvili, I.; Rappaport, M. L.; Shchemelinin, S.; Vartsky, D.; dos Santos, J. M. F.; A, Breskin

2015-11-01

Dual-phase noble-liquid TPCs are presently the most sensitive instruments for direct dark matter detection. Scaling up existing ton-scale designs to the multi-ton regime may prove to be technologically challenging. This includes both large-area coverage with affordable high-QE UV-photon detectors, and maintaining high precision in measuring the charge and light signals of rare events with keV-scale energy depositions. We present our recent advances in two complementary approaches to these problems: large-area cryogenic gaseous photomultipliers (GPM) for UV-photon detection, and liquid-hole multipliers (LHM) that provide electroluminescence light in response to ionization electrons and primary scintillation photons, using perforated electrodes immersed within the noble liquid. Results from a 10 cm diameter GPM coupled to a dual-phase liquid- xenon TPC demonstrate the feasibility of recording - for the first time - both primary (“S1”) and secondary (“S2”) scintillation signals, over a very broad dynamic range. The detector, comprising a triple-THGEM structure with CsI on the first element, has been operating stably at 180 K with gains larger than 105; it provided high single-photon detection efficiency - in the presence of massive alpha-particle induced S2 signals; S1 scintillation signals were recorded with time resolutions of 1.2 ns (RMS). Results with the LHM operated in liquid xenon yielded large photon gains, with a pulse-height resolution of 11% (RMS) for alpha-particle induced S2 signals. The detector response was stable over several months. The response of the S2 signals to rapid changes in pressure lead to the conclusion that the underlying mechanism for S2 light is electroluminescence in xenon bubbles trapped below the immersed THGEM electrode. Both studies have the potential of paving the way towards new designs of dual- and single-phase noble-liquid TPCs that could simplify the conception of future multi-ton detectors of dark matter and other rare events.

Theoretical and experimental study of a gas-coupled two-stage pulse tube cooler with stepped warm displacer as the phase shifter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pang, Xiaomin; Wang, Xiaotao; Dai, Wei; Li, Haibing; Wu, Yinong; Luo, Ercang

2018-06-01

A compact and high efficiency cooler working at liquid hydrogen temperature has many important applications such as cooling superconductors and mid-infrared sensors. This paper presents a two-stage gas-coupled pulse tube cooler system with a completely co-axial configuration. A stepped warm displacer, working as the phase shifter for both stages, has been studied theoretically and experimentally in this paper. Comparisons with the traditional phase shifter (double inlet) are also made. Compared with the double inlet type, the stepped warm displacer has the advantages of recovering the expansion work from the pulse tube hot end (especially from the first stage) and easily realizing an appropriate phase relationship between the pressure wave and volume flow rate at the pulse tube hot end. Experiments are then carried out to investigate the performance. The pressure ratio at the compression space is maintained at 1.37, for the double inlet type, the system obtains 1.1 W cooling power at 20 K with 390 W acoustic power input and the relative Carnot efficiency is only 3.85%; while for the stepped warm displacer type, the system obtains 1.06 W cooling power at 20 K with only 224 W acoustic power input and the relative Carnot efficiency can reach 6.5%.

Modeling Gas-Particle Partitioning of SOA: Effects of Aerosol Physical State and RH

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuend, A.; Seinfeld, J.

2011-12-01

Aged tropospheric aerosol particles contain mixtures of inorganic salts, acids, water, and a large variety of organic compounds. In liquid aerosol particles non-ideal mixing of all species determines whether the condensed phase undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation or whether it is stable in a single mixed phase, and whether it contains solid salts in equilibrium with their saturated solution. The extended thermodynamic model AIOMFAC is able to predict such phase states by representing the variety of organic components using functional groups within a group-contribution concept. The number and composition of different condensed phases impacts the diversity of reaction media for multiphase chemistry and the gas-particle partitioning of semivolatile species. Recent studies show that under certain conditions biogenic and other organic-rich particles can be present in a highly viscous, semisolid or amorphous solid physical state, with consequences regarding reaction kinetics and mass transfer limitations. We present results of new gas-particle partitioning computations for aerosol chamber data using a model based on AIOMFAC activity coefficients and state-of-the-art vapor pressure estimation methods. Different environmental conditions in terms of temperature, relative humidity (RH), salt content, amount of precursor VOCs, and physical state of the particles are considered. We show how modifications of absorptive and adsorptive gas-particle mass transfer affects the total aerosol mass in the calculations and how the results of these modeling approaches compare to data of aerosol chamber experiments, such as alpha-pinene oxidation SOA. For a condensed phase in a mixed liquid state containing ammonium sulfate, the model predicts liquid-liquid phase separation up to high RH in case of, on average, moderately hydrophilic organic compounds, such as first generation oxidation products of alpha-pinene. The computations also reveal that treating liquid phases as ideal mixtures substantially overestimates the SOA mass, especially at high relative humidity.

Mars Propellant Production with Ionic Liquids Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Falker, John; Thompson, Karen; Zeitlin, Nancy; Muscatello, Anthony

2015-01-01

This project seeks to develop a single vessel for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and electrolysis for in situ Mars propellant production by eliminating several steps of CO2 processing, two cryocoolers, a high temperature reactor, a recycle pump, and a water condenser; thus greatly reducing mass, volume, and power.

Robust high-performance nanoliter-volume single-cell multiple displacement amplification on planar substrates.

PubMed

Leung, Kaston; Klaus, Anders; Lin, Bill K; Laks, Emma; Biele, Justina; Lai, Daniel; Bashashati, Ali; Huang, Yi-Fei; Aniba, Radhouane; Moksa, Michelle; Steif, Adi; Mes-Masson, Anne-Marie; Hirst, Martin; Shah, Sohrab P; Aparicio, Samuel; Hansen, Carl L

2016-07-26

The genomes of large numbers of single cells must be sequenced to further understanding of the biological significance of genomic heterogeneity in complex systems. Whole genome amplification (WGA) of single cells is generally the first step in such studies, but is prone to nonuniformity that can compromise genomic measurement accuracy. Despite recent advances, robust performance in high-throughput single-cell WGA remains elusive. Here, we introduce droplet multiple displacement amplification (MDA), a method that uses commercially available liquid dispensing to perform high-throughput single-cell MDA in nanoliter volumes. The performance of droplet MDA is characterized using a large dataset of 129 normal diploid cells, and is shown to exceed previously reported single-cell WGA methods in amplification uniformity, genome coverage, and/or robustness. We achieve up to 80% coverage of a single-cell genome at 5× sequencing depth, and demonstrate excellent single-nucleotide variant (SNV) detection using targeted sequencing of droplet MDA product to achieve a median allelic dropout of 15%, and using whole genome sequencing to achieve false and true positive rates of 9.66 × 10(-6) and 68.8%, respectively, in a G1-phase cell. We further show that droplet MDA allows for the detection of copy number variants (CNVs) as small as 30 kb in single cells of an ovarian cancer cell line and as small as 9 Mb in two high-grade serous ovarian cancer samples using only 0.02× depth. Droplet MDA provides an accessible and scalable method for performing robust and accurate CNV and SNV measurements on large numbers of single cells.

New Wine in Old Flasks: A New Solution of the Clapeyron Equation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shilo, Doron; Ghez, Richard

2008-01-01

The coexisting equilibrium states between single-component gas and condensed phases (liquid or solid) are often calculated by assuming that the condensed phase's molar volume is negligible in comparison with the gas's. Here, we present an analytic solution of Clapeyron's equation when this assumption is relaxed. It differs substantially from…

Transient liquid phase ceramic bonding

DOEpatents

Glaeser, Andreas M.

1994-01-01

Ceramics are joined to themselves or to metals using a transient liquid phase method employing three layers, one of which is a refractory metal, ceramic or alloy. The refractory layer is placed between two metal layers, each of which has a lower melting point than the refractory layer. The three layers are pressed between the two articles to be bonded to form an assembly. The assembly is heated to a bonding temperature at which the refractory layer remains solid, but the two metal layers melt to form a liquid. The refractory layer reacts with the surrounding liquid and a single solid bonding layer is eventually formed. The layers may be designed to react completely with each other and form refractory intermetallic bonding layers. Impurities incorporated into the refractory metal may react with the metal layers to form refractory compounds. Another method for joining ceramic articles employs a ceramic interlayer sandwiched between two metal layers. In alternative embodiments, the metal layers may include sublayers. A method is also provided for joining two ceramic articles using a single interlayer. An alternate bonding method provides a refractory-metal oxide interlayer placed adjacent to a strong oxide former. Aluminum or aluminum alloys are joined together using metal interlayers.

Synthesis of highly aligned carbon nanotubes by one-step liquid-phase process: Effects of carbon sources on morphology of carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamagiwa, Kiyofumi; Kuwano, Jun

2017-06-01

This paper describes a unique and innovative synthesis technique for carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by a one-step liquid-phase process under ambient pressure. Vertically aligned multi-walled CNT arrays with a maximum height of 100 µm are prepared on stainless steel substrates, which are submerged and electrically heated in straight-chain primary alcohols with n C = 1-4 (n C: number of C atoms in the molecule) containing an appropriate amount of cobalt-based organometallic complex as a catalyst precursor. Structural isomers of butanol were also used for the synthesis to examine the effects of structural factors on the morphology of the deposited products. Notably, 2-methyl-2-propanol, which is a tertiary alcohol, produced only a small amount of low-crystallinity carbonaceous deposits, whereas vertically aligned CNTs were grown from the other isomers of butanol. These results suggest that the presence or absence of β-hydrogen in the molecular structure is a key factor for understanding the dissociation behavior of the carbon source molecules on the catalyst.

High flow rate nozzle system with production of uniform size droplets

DOEpatents

Stockel, I.H.

1990-10-16

Method steps for production of substantially uniform size droplets from a flow of liquid include forming the flow of liquid, periodically modulating the momentum of the flow of liquid in the flow direction at controlled frequency, generating a cross flow direction component of momentum and modulation of the cross flow momentum of liquid at substantially the same frequency and phase as the modulation of flow direction momentum, and spraying the so formed modulated flow through a first nozzle outlet to form a desired spray configuration. A second modulated flow through a second nozzle outlet is formed according to the same steps, and the first and second modulated flows impinge upon each other generating a liquid sheet. Nozzle apparatus for modulating each flow includes rotating valving plates interposed in the annular flow of liquid. The plates are formed with radial slots. Rotation of the rotating plates is separably controlled at differential angular velocities for a selected modulating frequency to achieve the target droplet size and production rate for a given flow. The counter rotating plates are spaced to achieve a desired amplitude of modulation in the flow direction, and the angular velocity of the downstream rotating plate is controlled to achieve the desired amplitude of modulation of momentum in the cross flow direction. Amplitude of modulation is set according to liquid viscosity. 5 figs.

High flow rate nozzle system with production of uniform size droplets

DOEpatents

Stockel, Ivar H.

1990-01-01

Method steps for production of substantially uniform size droplets from a flow of liquid include forming the flow of liquid, periodically modulating the momentum of the flow of liquid in the flow direction at controlled frequency, generating a cross flow direction component of momentum and modulation of the cross flow momentum of liquid at substantially the same frequency and phase as the modulation of flow direction momentum, and spraying the so formed modulated flow through a first nozzle outlet to form a desired spray configuration. A second modulated flow through a second nozzle outlet is formed according to the same steps, and the first and second modulated flows impinge upon each other generating a liquid sheet. Nozzle apparatus for modulating each flow includes rotating valving plates interposed in the annular flow of liquid. The plates are formed with radial slots. Rotation of the rotating plates is separably controlled at differential angular velocities for a selected modulating frequency to achieve the target droplet size and production rate for a given flow. The counter rotating plates are spaced to achieve a desired amplitude of modulation in the flow direction, and the angular velocity of the downstream rotating plate is controlled to achieve the desired amplitude of modulation of momentum in the cross flow direction. Amplitude of modulation is set according to liquid viscosity.

Uncertainties in Cloud Phase and Optical Thickness Retrievals from the Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyer, Kerry; Yang, Yuekui; Platnick, Steven

2016-01-01

This paper presents an investigation of the expected uncertainties of a single channel cloud optical thickness (COT) retrieval technique, as well as a simple cloud-temperature-threshold-based thermodynamic phase approach, in support of the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) mission. DSCOVR cloud products will be derived from Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) observations in the ultraviolet and visible spectra. Since EPIC is not equipped with a spectral channel in the shortwave or mid-wave infrared that is sensitive to cloud effective radius (CER), COT will be inferred from a single visible channel with the assumption of appropriate CER values for liquid and ice phase clouds. One month of Aqua MODIS daytime granules from April 2005 is selected for investigating cloud phase sensitivity, and a subset of these granules that has similar EPIC sun-view geometry is selected for investigating COT uncertainties. EPIC COT retrievals are simulated with the same algorithm as the operational MODIS cloud products (MOD06), except using fixed phase-dependent CER values. Uncertainty estimates are derived by comparing the single channel COT retrievals with the baseline bi-spectral MODIS retrievals. Results show that a single channel COT retrieval is feasible for EPIC. For ice clouds, single channel retrieval errors are minimal (less than 2 percent) due to the particle- size insensitivity of the assumed ice crystal (i.e., severely roughened aggregate of hexagonal columns) scattering properties at visible wavelengths, while for liquid clouds the error is mostly limited to within 10 percent, although for thin clouds (COT less than 2) the error can be higher. Potential uncertainties in EPIC cloud masking and cloud temperature retrievals are not considered in this study.

Uncertainties in cloud phase and optical thickness retrievals from the Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC)

PubMed Central

Meyer, Kerry; Yang, Yuekui; Platnick, Steven

2018-01-01

This paper presents an investigation of the expected uncertainties of a single channel cloud optical thickness (COT) retrieval technique, as well as a simple cloud temperature threshold based thermodynamic phase approach, in support of the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) mission. DSCOVR cloud products will be derived from Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) observations in the ultraviolet and visible spectra. Since EPIC is not equipped with a spectral channel in the shortwave or mid-wave infrared that is sensitive to cloud effective radius (CER), COT will be inferred from a single visible channel with the assumption of appropriate CER values for liquid and ice phase clouds. One month of Aqua MODIS daytime granules from April 2005 is selected for investigating cloud phase sensitivity, and a subset of these granules that has similar EPIC sun-view geometry is selected for investigating COT uncertainties. EPIC COT retrievals are simulated with the same algorithm as the operational MODIS cloud products (MOD06), except using fixed phase-dependent CER values. Uncertainty estimates are derived by comparing the single channel COT retrievals with the baseline bi-spectral MODIS retrievals. Results show that a single channel COT retrieval is feasible for EPIC. For ice clouds, single channel retrieval errors are minimal (< 2%) due to the particle size insensitivity of the assumed ice crystal (i.e., severely roughened aggregate of hexagonal columns) scattering properties at visible wavelengths, while for liquid clouds the error is mostly limited to within 10%, although for thin clouds (COT < 2) the error can be higher. Potential uncertainties in EPIC cloud masking and cloud temperature retrievals are not considered in this study. PMID:29619116

Uncertainties in cloud phase and optical thickness retrievals from the Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC).

PubMed

Meyer, Kerry; Yang, Yuekui; Platnick, Steven

2016-01-01

This paper presents an investigation of the expected uncertainties of a single channel cloud optical thickness (COT) retrieval technique, as well as a simple cloud temperature threshold based thermodynamic phase approach, in support of the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) mission. DSCOVR cloud products will be derived from Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) observations in the ultraviolet and visible spectra. Since EPIC is not equipped with a spectral channel in the shortwave or mid-wave infrared that is sensitive to cloud effective radius (CER), COT will be inferred from a single visible channel with the assumption of appropriate CER values for liquid and ice phase clouds. One month of Aqua MODIS daytime granules from April 2005 is selected for investigating cloud phase sensitivity, and a subset of these granules that has similar EPIC sun-view geometry is selected for investigating COT uncertainties. EPIC COT retrievals are simulated with the same algorithm as the operational MODIS cloud products (MOD06), except using fixed phase-dependent CER values. Uncertainty estimates are derived by comparing the single channel COT retrievals with the baseline bi-spectral MODIS retrievals. Results show that a single channel COT retrieval is feasible for EPIC. For ice clouds, single channel retrieval errors are minimal (< 2%) due to the particle size insensitivity of the assumed ice crystal (i.e., severely roughened aggregate of hexagonal columns) scattering properties at visible wavelengths, while for liquid clouds the error is mostly limited to within 10%, although for thin clouds (COT < 2) the error can be higher. Potential uncertainties in EPIC cloud masking and cloud temperature retrievals are not considered in this study.

Uncertainties in cloud phase and optical thickness retrievals from the Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, Kerry; Yang, Yuekui; Platnick, Steven

2016-04-01

This paper presents an investigation of the expected uncertainties of a single-channel cloud optical thickness (COT) retrieval technique, as well as a simple cloud-temperature-threshold-based thermodynamic phase approach, in support of the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) mission. DSCOVR cloud products will be derived from Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) observations in the ultraviolet and visible spectra. Since EPIC is not equipped with a spectral channel in the shortwave or mid-wave infrared that is sensitive to cloud effective radius (CER), COT will be inferred from a single visible channel with the assumption of appropriate CER values for liquid and ice phase clouds. One month of Aqua MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) daytime granules from April 2005 is selected for investigating cloud phase sensitivity, and a subset of these granules that has similar EPIC Sun-view geometry is selected for investigating COT uncertainties. EPIC COT retrievals are simulated with the same algorithm as the operational MODIS cloud products (MOD06), except using fixed phase-dependent CER values. Uncertainty estimates are derived by comparing the single-channel COT retrievals with the baseline bi-spectral MODIS retrievals. Results show that a single-channel COT retrieval is feasible for EPIC. For ice clouds, single-channel retrieval errors are minimal (< 2 %) due to the particle size insensitivity of the assumed ice crystal (i.e., severely roughened aggregate of hexagonal columns) scattering properties at visible wavelengths, while for liquid clouds the error is mostly limited to within 10 %, although for thin clouds (COT < 2) the error can be higher. Potential uncertainties in EPIC cloud masking and cloud temperature retrievals are not considered in this study.

Measurement of bromate in bread by liquid chromatography with post-column flow reactor detection.

PubMed

Himata, K; Noda, M; Ando, S; Yamada, Y

2000-01-01

This method is suitable for the determination of bromate residues in a variety of baked goods. The peer-verified method trial was performed on white bread, multigrain bread, and coffee cake spiked with known levels of potassium bromate. The analytical portion is extracted with deionized water to remove bromate from the bulk of the baked product. The aqueous extract is carried through a series of steps to remove co-extractives that would interfere with the liquid chromatography (LC) in the determinative step or hasten the deterioration of the LC column. The extract is filtered before passing it through a reversed-phase solid-phase extraction (SPE) column and a cation-exchange column in the silver form to remove lipids and chloride, respectively. Ultrafiltration is then used to remove proteins with molecular weights of >30,000 daltons. Finally, a cation-exchange column in the sodium form is used to remove silver ions from the extract. The determinative step uses LC with a reversed-phase column and an ion-pairing agent in the mobile phase. Detection is based on the post-column reaction of bromate with o-dianisidine to form an oxidation product that is quantitated spectrophotometrically at 450 nm. Overall agreement between the submitting and peer laboratories was quite good. For bromate levels of 10-52 ppb, overall mean recoveries were 76.9 and 78.8% for the submitting and peer laboratories, respectively. The standard deviations were higher for the results of the peer laboratory, probably because of the generally higher level of baseline noise present in the chromatograms. The results demonstrate that the method provides adequate accuracy with low-fat as well as high-fat foods. Bromate at levels as low as 5 ppb (ng/g) can be detected with the method.

Microfluidic step-emulsification in a cylindrical geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakraborty, Indrajit; Leshansky, Alexander M.

2016-11-01

The model microfluidic device for high-throughput droplet generation in a confined cylindrical geometry is investigated numerically. The device comprises of core-annular pressure-driven flow of two immiscible viscous liquids through a cylindrical capillary connected co-axially to a tube of a larger diameter through a sudden expansion, mimicking the microfluidic step-emulsifier (1). To study this problem, the numerical simulations of axisymmetric Navier-Stokes equations have been carried out using an interface capturing procedure based on coupled level set and volume-of-fluid (CLSVOF) methods. The accuracy of the numerical method was favorably tested vs. the predictions of the linear stability analysis of core-annular two-phase flow in a cylindrical capillary. Three distinct flow regimes can be identified: the dripping (D) instability near the entrance to the capillary, the step- (S) and the balloon- (B) emulsification at the step-like expansion. Based on the simulation results we present the phase diagram quantifying transitions between various regimes in plane of the capillary number and the flow-rate ratio. MICROFLUSA EU H2020 project.

Role of Precursor-Conversion Chemistry in the Crystal-Phase Control of Catalytically Grown Colloidal Semiconductor Quantum Wires.

PubMed

Wang, Fudong; Buhro, William E

2017-12-26

Crystal-phase control is one of the most challenging problems in nanowire growth. We demonstrate that, in the solution-phase catalyzed growth of colloidal cadmium telluride (CdTe) quantum wires (QWs), the crystal phase can be controlled by manipulating the reaction chemistry of the Cd precursors and tri-n-octylphosphine telluride (TOPTe) to favor the production of either a CdTe solute or Te, which consequently determines the composition and (liquid or solid) state of the Bi x Cd y Te z catalyst nanoparticles. Growth of single-phase (e.g., wurtzite) QWs is achieved only from solid catalysts (y ≪ z) that enable the solution-solid-solid growth of the QWs, whereas the liquid catalysts (y ≈ z) fulfill the solution-liquid-solid growth of the polytypic QWs. Factors that affect the precursor-conversion chemistry are systematically accounted for, which are correlated with a kinetic study of the composition and state of the catalyst nanoparticles to understand the mechanism. This work reveals the role of the precursor-reaction chemistry in the crystal-phase control of catalytically grown colloidal QWs, opening the possibility of growing phase-pure QWs of other compositions.

Experimental design for extraction and quantification of phenolic compounds and organic acids in white "Vinho Verde" grapes.

PubMed

Dopico-García, M S; Valentão, P; Guerra, L; Andrade, P B; Seabra, R M

2007-01-30

An experimental design was applied for the optimization of extraction and clean-up processes of phenolic compounds and organic acids from white "Vinho Verde" grapes. The developed analytical method consisted in two steps: first a solid-liquid extraction of both phenolic compounds and organic acids and then a clean-up step using solid-phase extraction (SPE). Afterwards, phenolic compounds and organic acids were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to a diode array detector (DAD) and HPLC-UV, respectively. Plackett-Burman design was carried out to select the significant experimental parameters affecting both the extraction and the clean-up steps. The identified and quantified phenolic compounds were: quercetin-3-O-glucoside, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside, quercetin, kaempferol and epicatechin. The determined organic acids were oxalic, citric, tartaric, malic, shikimic and fumaric acids. The obtained results showed that the most important variables were the temperature (40 degrees C) and the solvent (acid water at pH 2 with 5% methanol) for the extraction step and the type of sorbent (C18 non end-capped) for the clean-up step.

Improved HPLC method for determination of four PPIs, omeprazole, pantoprazole, lansoprazole and rabeprazole in human plasma.

PubMed

Noubarani, Maryam; Keyhanfar, Fariborz; Motevalian, Manijeh; Mahmoudian, Masoud

2010-01-01

To develop a simple and rapid HPLC method for measuring of four proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), omeprazole (OPZ), pantoprazole (PPZ), lansoprazole (LPZ) and rabeprazole (RPZ) concentrations in human plasma. Following a single step liquid-liquid extraction analytes along with an internal standard (IS) were separated using an isocratic mobile phase of phosphate buffer (10 mM)/acetonitrile (53/47, v/v adjusted pH to 7.3 with triethylamine) at flow rate of 1 mL/min on reverse phase TRACER EXCEL 120 ODS-A column at room temperature. Total analytical run time for selected PPIs was 10 min. The assays exhibited good linearity (r(2)>0.99) over the studied range of 20 to 2500 ng/mL for OPZ, 20 to 4000 ng/mL for PPZ, 20 to 3000 ng/mL for LPZ and 20 to 1500 ng/mL for RPZ. The recovery of method was equal or greater than 80% and lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 20 ng/mL for four PPIs. Coefficient of variation and error at all of the intra-day and inter-day assessment were less than 9.2% for all compounds. The results indicated that this method is a simple, rapid, precise and accurate assay for determination of four PPIs concentrations in human plasma. This validated method is sensitive and reproducible enough to be used in pharmacokinetic studies and also is time- and cost-benefit when selected PPIs are desired to be analyzed.

Solid Hydrogen Experiments for Atomic Propellants: Particle Formation Energy and Imaging Analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palaszewski, Bryan

2002-01-01

This paper presents particle formation energy balances and detailed analyses of the images from experiments that were conducted on the formation of solid hydrogen particles in liquid helium during the Phase II testing in 2001. Solid particles of hydrogen were frozen in liquid helium and observed with a video camera. The solid hydrogen particle sizes and the total mass of hydrogen particles were estimated. The particle formation efficiency is also estimated. Particle sizes from the Phase I testing in 1999 and the Phase II testing in 2001 were similar. Though the 2001 testing created similar particles sizes, many new particle formation phenomena were observed. These experiment image analyses are one of the first steps toward visually characterizing these particles and it allows designers to understand what issues must be addressed in atomic propellant feed system designs for future aerospace vehicles.

Electrochemical Detection in Stacked Paper Networks.

PubMed

Liu, Xiyuan; Lillehoj, Peter B

2015-08-01

Paper-based electrochemical biosensors are a promising technology that enables rapid, quantitative measurements on an inexpensive platform. However, the control of liquids in paper networks is generally limited to a single sample delivery step. Here, we propose a simple method to automate the loading and delivery of liquid samples to sensing electrodes on paper networks by stacking multiple layers of paper. Using these stacked paper devices (SPDs), we demonstrate a unique strategy to fully immerse planar electrodes by aqueous liquids via capillary flow. Amperometric measurements of xanthine oxidase revealed that electrochemical sensors on four-layer SPDs generated detection signals up to 75% higher compared with those on single-layer paper devices. Furthermore, measurements could be performed with minimal user involvement and completed within 30 min. Due to its simplicity, enhanced automation, and capability for quantitative measurements, stacked paper electrochemical biosensors can be useful tools for point-of-care testing in resource-limited settings. © 2015 Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening.

Controlled crosslinking of trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate for preparation of organic monolithic columns for capillary liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Gama, Mariana R; Aggarwal, Pankaj; Lee, Milton L; Bottoli, Carla B G

2017-11-01

Organic monolithic columns based on single crosslinking of trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TRIM) monomer were prepared in a single step by living/controlled free-radical polymerization. Full optimization of the preparation, such as using different percentages of TRIM and different amounts of radical promoter as well as various porogen solvents were explored. The resulting monolithic columns were characterized by scanning electronic microscopy and nitrogen sorption for structure morphology studies and surface area measurements, respectively. Using capillary liquid chromatography, 150 μm i.d. columns were applied to separate a mixture of small hydrophobic molecules. The results indicated that column performance is highly sensitive to the type and the amount of porogen solvents used in the polymerization mixture composition. Good resolution factors and methylene selectivity were obtained, indicating the promising potential of this material for capillary liquid chromatography separations. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Kinetics of diffusional droplet growth in a liquid/liquid two-phase system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baird, James K.; Cain, Judith B.

1993-01-01

This report contains experimental results for the interdiffusion coefficient of the system, succinonitrile plus water, at a number of compositions and temperatures in the single phase region of the phase diagram. The concentration and temperature dependence of the measured diffusion coefficient has been analyzed in terms of Landau - Ginzburg theory, which assumes that the Gibb free energy is an analytic function of its variables, and can be expanded in a Taylor series about any point in the phase diagram. At most points in the single phase region this is adequate. Near the consolute point (critical point of solution), however, the free energy is non-analytic, and the Landau - Ginzburg theory fails. The solution to this problem dictates that the Landau - Ginzburg form of the free energy be replaced by Widom scaling functions with irrational values for the scaling exponents. As our measurements of the diffusion coefficient near the critical point reflect this non-analytic character, we are preparing for publication in a refereed journal a separate analysis of some of the data contained herein as well as some additional measurements we have just completed. When published, reprints of this article will be furnished to NASA.

Formation of iron complexs from trifluoroacetic acid based liquid chromatography mobile phases as interference ions in liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometric analysis

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

Shukla, Anil K.; Zhang, Rui; Orton, Daniel J.

Two unexpected singly charged ions at m/z 1103 and 944 have been observed in mass spectra obtained from electrospray ionization-mass spectrometric analysis of liquid chromatography effluents with mobile phases containing trifluoroacetic acid. Accurate mass measurement and tandem mass spectrometry studies revealed that these two ions are not due to any contamination from solvents and chemicals used for mobile and stationary phases or from the laboratory atmospheric environment. Instead these ions are clusters of trifluoroacetic acid formed in association with acetonitrile, water and iron from the stainless steel union used to connect the column with the electrospray tip and to applymore » high voltage; the molecular formulae are Fe+((OH)(H2O)2)9(CF3COOH)5 and Fe+((OH)(H2O)2)6 (CF3COOH)5.« less

The Effect of 4-Octyldecyloxybenzoic Acid on Liquid-Crystalline Polyurethane Composites with Triple-Shape Memory and Self-Healing Properties

PubMed Central

Ban, Jianfeng; Zhu, Linjiang; Chen, Shaojun; Wang, Yiping

2016-01-01

To better understand shape memory materials and self-healing materials, a new series of liquid-crystalline shape memory polyurethane (LC-SMPU) composites, named SMPU-OOBAm, were successfully prepared by incorporating 4-octyldecyloxybenzoic acid (OOBA) into the PEG-based SMPU. The effect of OOBA on the structure, morphology, and properties of the material has been carefully investigated. The results demonstrate that SMPU-OOBAm has liquid crystalline properties, triple-shape memory properties, and self-healing properties. The incorporated OOBA promotes the crystallizability of both soft and hard segments of SMPU, and the crystallization rate of the hard segment of SMPU decreases when the OOBA-content increases. Additionally, the SMPU-OOBAm forms a two-phase separated structure (SMPU phase and OOBA phase), and it shows two-step modulus changes upon heating. Therefore, the SMPU-OOBAm exhibits triple-shape memory behavior, and the shape recovery ratio decreases with an increase in the OOBA content. Finally, SMPU-OOBAm exhibits self-healing properties. The new mechanism can be ascribed to the heating-induced “bleeding” of OOBA in the liquid crystalline state and the subsequent re-crystallization upon cooling. This successful combination of liquid crystalline properties, triple-shape memory properties, and self-healing properties make the SMPU-OOBAm composites ideal for many promising applications in smart optical devices, smart electronic devices, and smart sensors. PMID:28773914

A classical view on nonclassical nucleation.

PubMed

Smeets, Paul J M; Finney, Aaron R; Habraken, Wouter J E M; Nudelman, Fabio; Friedrich, Heiner; Laven, Jozua; De Yoreo, James J; Rodger, P Mark; Sommerdijk, Nico A J M

2017-09-19

Understanding and controlling nucleation is important for many crystallization applications. Calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) is often used as a model system to investigate nucleation mechanisms. Despite its great importance in geology, biology, and many industrial applications, CaCO 3 nucleation is still a topic of intense discussion, with new pathways for its growth from ions in solution proposed in recent years. These new pathways include the so-called nonclassical nucleation mechanism via the assembly of thermodynamically stable prenucleation clusters, as well as the formation of a dense liquid precursor phase via liquid-liquid phase separation. Here, we present results from a combined experimental and computational investigation on the precipitation of CaCO 3 in dilute aqueous solutions. We propose that a dense liquid phase (containing 4-7 H 2 O per CaCO 3 unit) forms in supersaturated solutions through the association of ions and ion pairs without significant participation of larger ion clusters. This liquid acts as the precursor for the formation of solid CaCO 3 in the form of vaterite, which grows via a net transfer of ions from solution according to z Ca 2+ + z CO 3 2- → z CaCO 3 The results show that all steps in this process can be explained according to classical concepts of crystal nucleation and growth, and that long-standing physical concepts of nucleation can describe multistep, multiphase growth mechanisms.

The application of the high-speed photography in the experiments of boiling liquid expanding vapor explosions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Sining; Sun, Jinhua; Chen, Dongliang

2007-01-01

The liquefied-petroleum gas tank in some failure situations may release its contents, and then a series of hazards with different degrees of severity may occur. The most dangerous accident is the boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE). In this paper, a small-scale experiment was established to experimentally investigate the possible processes that could lead to a BLEVE. As there is some danger in using LPG in the experiments, water was used as the test fluid. The change of pressure and temperature was measured during the experiment. The ejection of the vapor and the sequent two-phase flow were recorded by a high-speed video camera. It was observed that two pressure peaks result after the pressure is released. The vapor was first ejected at a high speed; there was a sudden pressure drop which made the liquid superheated. The superheated liquid then boiled violently causing the liquid contents to swell, and also, the vapor pressure in the tank increased rapidly. The second pressure peak was possibly due to the swell of this two-phase flow which was likely to violently impact the wall of the tank with high speed. The whole evolution of the two-phase flow was recorded through photos captured by the high-speed video camera, and the "two step" BLEVE process was confirmed.

Noncircular Cross Sections Could Enhance Mixing in Sprays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bellan, Josette; Abdel-Hameed, Hesham

2003-01-01

A computational study has shown that by injecting drops in jets of gas having square, elliptical, triangular, or other noncircular injection cross sections, it should be possible to increase (relative to comparable situations having circular cross section) the entrainment and dispersion of liquid drops. This finding has practical significance for a variety of applications in which it is desirable to increase dispersion of drops. For example, in chemical-process sprays, increased dispersion leads to increases in chemical- reaction rates; in diesel engines, increasing the dispersion of drops of sprayed fuel reduces the production of soot; and in household and paint sprays, increasing the dispersion of drops makes it possible to cover larger surfaces. It has been known for some years that single-phase fluid jets that enter flow fields through noncircular inlets entrain more fluid than do comparable jets entering through circular inlets. The computational study reported here was directed in part toward determining whether and how this superior mixing characteristic of noncircular single phase jets translates to a similar benefit in cases of two-phase jets (that is, sprays). The study involved direct numerical simulations of single- and two-phase free jets with circular, elliptical, rectangular, square, and triangular inlet cross sections. The two-phase jets consisted of gas laden with liquid drops randomly injected at the inlets. To address the more interesting case of evaporating drops, the carrier gas in the jets was specified to be initially unvitiated by the vapor of the liquid chemical species and the initial temperature of the drops was chosen to be smaller than that of the gas. The mathematical model used in the study was constructed from the conservation equations for the two-phase flow and included complete couplings of mass, momentum, and energy based on thermodynamically self-consistent specification of the enthalpy, internal energy, and latent heat of vaporization of the vapor.

Behavior in normal and reduced gravity of an enclosed liquid/gas system with nonuniform heating from above

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, H. D.; Schiller, D. N.; Disimile, P.; Sirignano, W. A.

1989-01-01

The temperature and velocity fields have been investigated for a single-phase gas system and a two-layer gas-and-liquid system enclosed in a circular cylinder being heated suddenly and nonuniformly from above. The transient response of the gas, liquid, and container walls was modelled numerically in normal and reduced gravity (10 to the -5 g). Verification of the model was accomplished via flow visualization experiments in 10 cm high by 10 cm diameter plexiglass cylinders.

The Principal Hugoniot of Forsterite to 950 GPa

DOE PAGES

Root, Seth; Townsend, Joshua P.; Davies, Erik; ...

2018-04-27

Forsterite (Mg 2SiO 4) single crystals were shock compressed to pressures between 200 and 950 GPa using independent plate–impact steady shocks and laser–driven decaying shock compression experiments. Additionally, we performed density functional theory–based molecular dynamics to aid interpretation of the experimental data and to investigate possible phase transformations and phase separations along the Hugoniot. We show that the experimentally obtained Hugoniot cannot distinguish between a pure liquid Mg 2SiO 4 and an assemblage of solid MgO plus liquid magnesium silicate. In conclusion, the measured reflectivity is nonzero and increases with pressure, which implies that the liquid is a poor electricalmore » conductor at low pressures and that the conductivity increases with pressure.« less

The Principal Hugoniot of Forsterite to 950 GPa

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

Root, Seth; Townsend, Joshua P.; Davies, Erik

Forsterite (Mg 2SiO 4) single crystals were shock compressed to pressures between 200 and 950 GPa using independent plate–impact steady shocks and laser–driven decaying shock compression experiments. Additionally, we performed density functional theory–based molecular dynamics to aid interpretation of the experimental data and to investigate possible phase transformations and phase separations along the Hugoniot. We show that the experimentally obtained Hugoniot cannot distinguish between a pure liquid Mg 2SiO 4 and an assemblage of solid MgO plus liquid magnesium silicate. In conclusion, the measured reflectivity is nonzero and increases with pressure, which implies that the liquid is a poor electricalmore » conductor at low pressures and that the conductivity increases with pressure.« less

Forming a three-dimensional porous organic network via solid-state explosion of organic single crystals.

PubMed

Bae, Seo-Yoon; Kim, Dongwook; Shin, Dongbin; Mahmood, Javeed; Jeon, In-Yup; Jung, Sun-Min; Shin, Sun-Hee; Kim, Seok-Jin; Park, Noejung; Lah, Myoung Soo; Baek, Jong-Beom

2017-11-17

Solid-state reaction of organic molecules holds a considerable advantage over liquid-phase processes in the manufacturing industry. However, the research progress in exploring this benefit is largely staggering, which leaves few liquid-phase systems to work with. Here, we show a synthetic protocol for the formation of a three-dimensional porous organic network via solid-state explosion of organic single crystals. The explosive reaction is realized by the Bergman reaction (cycloaromatization) of three enediyne groups on 2,3,6,7,14,15-hexaethynyl-9,10-dihydro-9,10-[1,2]benzenoanthracene. The origin of the explosion is systematically studied using single-crystal X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry, along with high-speed camera and density functional theory calculations. The results suggest that the solid-state explosion is triggered by an abrupt change in lattice energy induced by release of primer molecules in the 2,3,6,7,14,15-hexaethynyl-9,10-dihydro-9,10-[1,2]benzenoanthracene crystal lattice.

Experimental Studies of the Brownian Diffusion of Boomerang Colloidal Particle in a Confined Geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakrabarty, Ayan; Wang, Feng; Joshi, Bhuwan; Wei, Qi-Huo

2011-03-01

Recent studies shows that the boomerang shaped molecules can form various kinds of liquid crystalline phases. One debated topic related to boomerang molecules is the existence of biaxial nematic liquid crystalline phase. Developing and optical microscopic studies of colloidal systems of boomerang particles would allow us to gain better understanding of orientation ordering and dynamics at ``single molecule'' level. Here we report the fabrication and experimental studies of the Brownian motion of individual boomerang colloidal particles confined between two glass plates. We used dark-field optical microscopy to directly visualize the Brownian motion of the single colloidal particles in a quasi two dimensional geometry. An EMCCD was used to capture the motion in real time. An indigenously developed imaging processing algorithm based on MatLab program was used to precisely track the position and orientation of the particles with sub-pixel accuracy. The experimental finding of the Brownian diffusion of a single boomerang colloidal particle will be discussed.

Step-to-step spatiotemporal variables and ground reaction forces of intra-individual fastest sprinting in a single session.

PubMed

Nagahara, Ryu; Mizutani, Mirai; Matsuo, Akifumi; Kanehisa, Hiroaki; Fukunaga, Tetsuo

2018-06-01

We aimed to investigate the step-to-step spatiotemporal variables and ground reaction forces during the acceleration phase for characterising intra-individual fastest sprinting within a single session. Step-to-step spatiotemporal variables and ground reaction forces produced by 15 male athletes were measured over a 50-m distance during repeated (three to five) 60-m sprints using a long force platform system. Differences in measured variables between the fastest and slowest trials were examined at each step until the 22nd step using a magnitude-based inferences approach. There were possibly-most likely higher running speed and step frequency (2nd to 22nd steps) and shorter support time (all steps) in the fastest trial than in the slowest trial. Moreover, for the fastest trial there were likely-very likely greater mean propulsive force during the initial four steps and possibly-very likely larger mean net anterior-posterior force until the 17th step. The current results demonstrate that better sprinting performance within a single session is probably achieved by 1) a high step frequency (except the initial step) with short support time at all steps, 2) exerting a greater mean propulsive force during initial acceleration, and 3) producing a greater mean net anterior-posterior force during initial and middle acceleration.

Ab initio calculation of the electronic absorption spectrum of liquid water

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

Martiniano, Hugo F. M. C.; Galamba, Nuno; Cabral, Benedito J. Costa, E-mail: ben@cii.fc.ul.pt

2014-04-28

The electronic absorption spectrum of liquid water was investigated by coupling a one-body energy decomposition scheme to configurations generated by classical and Born-Oppenheimer Molecular Dynamics (BOMD). A Frenkel exciton Hamiltonian formalism was adopted and the excitation energies in the liquid phase were calculated with the equation of motion coupled cluster with single and double excitations method. Molecular dynamics configurations were generated by different approaches. Classical MD were carried out with the TIP4P-Ew and AMOEBA force fields. The BLYP and BLYP-D3 exchange-correlation functionals were used in BOMD. Theoretical and experimental results for the electronic absorption spectrum of liquid water are inmore » good agreement. Emphasis is placed on the relationship between the structure of liquid water predicted by the different models and the electronic absorption spectrum. The theoretical gas to liquid phase blue-shift of the peak positions of the electronic absorption spectrum is in good agreement with experiment. The overall shift is determined by a competition between the O–H stretching of the water monomer in liquid water that leads to a red-shift and polarization effects that induce a blue-shift. The results illustrate the importance of coupling many-body energy decomposition schemes to molecular dynamics configurations to carry out ab initio calculations of the electronic properties in liquid phase.« less

Effect of a High Magnetic Field on γ' Phase for Ni-Based Single Crystal Superalloy During Directional Solidification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xuan, Weidong; Lan, Jian; Zhao, Dengke; Li, Chuanjun; Shang, Xingfu; Zhong, Yunbo; Li, Xi; Ren, Zhongming

2018-05-01

The effect of a high magnetic field on the γ' phase of Ni-based single crystal superalloy during directional solidification is investigated experimentally. The results clearly indicate that the magnetic field significantly reduces the γ' phase size. Further, the quenching experiment is carried out, and the results found that the length of mushy zone is obviously decreased under a high magnetic field. Based on both experimental results and nucleation mechanism, it is found that the decrease of γ' phase size should be attributed to the fact that a high magnetic field causes the increase of temperature gradient in front of solid/liquid interface and leads to the increase of undercooling of γ' phase.

High-performance liquid chromatographic characterization of some medical plant extracts used in cosmetic formulas.

PubMed

Schulz, H; Albroscheit, G

1988-06-17

Rapid and reliable methods are presented for the characterization of biologically active and/or characteristic constituents in aqueous extracts of Hamamelis virginiana, Matricaria chamomilla, Achillea millefolium, Thymus vulgaris, Althaea officinalis and Cinchonia spp. Prior to high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) separation a clean-up step was performed using a solid-phase extraction system. The purified extracts were analysed by HPLC coupled with a diode-array detector and a fluorescence detector. In some instances, previously unreported components of the aqueous plant extracts were found.

Predicting mixture phase equilibria and critical behavior using the SAFT-VRX approach.

PubMed

Sun, Lixin; Zhao, Honggang; Kiselev, Sergei B; McCabe, Clare

2005-05-12

The SAFT-VRX equation of state combines the SAFT-VR equation with a crossover function that smoothly transforms the classical equation into a nonanalytical form close to the critical point. By a combinination of the accuracy of the SAFT-VR approach away from the critical region with the asymptotic scaling behavior seen at the critical point of real fluids, the SAFT-VRX equation can accurately describe the global fluid phase diagram. In previous work, we demonstrated that the SAFT-VRX equation very accurately describes the pvT and phase behavior of both nonassociating and associating pure fluids, with a minimum of fitting to experimental data. Here, we present a generalized SAFT-VRX equation of state for binary mixtures that is found to accurately predict the vapor-liquid equilibrium and pvT behavior of the systems studied. In particular, we examine binary mixtures of n-alkanes and carbon dioxide + n-alkanes. The SAFT-VRX equation accurately describes not only the gas-liquid critical locus for these systems but also the vapor-liquid equilibrium phase diagrams and thermal properties in single-phase regions.

Gas driven displacement in a Hele-Shaw cell with chemical reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, Andrew; Ward, Thomas

2011-11-01

Injecting a less viscous fluid into a more viscous fluid produces instabilities in the form of fingering which grow radially from the less viscous injection point (Saffman & Taylor, Proc. R. Soc. Lon. A, 1958). For two non-reacting fluids in a radial Hele-Shaw cell the ability of the gas phase to penetrate the liquid phase is largely dependent on the gap height, liquid viscosity and gas pressure. In contrast combining two reactive fluids such as aqueous calcium hydroxide and carbon dioxide, which form a precipitate, presents a more complex but technically relevant system. As the two species react calcium carbonate precipitates and increases the aqueous phase visocosity. This change in viscosity may have a significant impact on how the gas phase penetrates the liquid phase. Experimental are performed in a radial Hele-Shaw cell with gap heights O(10-100) microns by loading a single drop of aqueous calcium hydroxide and injecting carbon dioxide into the drop. The calcium hydroxide concentration, carbon dioxide pressure and gap height are varied and images of the gas penetration are analyzed to determine residual film thickness and bursting times.

Measurement and control systems for an imaging electromagnetic flow metre.

PubMed

Zhao, Y Y; Lucas, G; Leeungculsatien, T

2014-03-01

Electromagnetic flow metres based on the principles of Faraday's laws of induction have been used successfully in many industries. The conventional electromagnetic flow metre can measure the mean liquid velocity in axisymmetric single phase flows. However, in order to achieve velocity profile measurements in single phase flows with non-uniform velocity profiles, a novel imaging electromagnetic flow metre (IEF) has been developed which is described in this paper. The novel electromagnetic flow metre which is based on the 'weight value' theory to reconstruct velocity profiles is interfaced with a 'Microrobotics VM1' microcontroller as a stand-alone unit. The work undertaken in the paper demonstrates that an imaging electromagnetic flow metre for liquid velocity profile measurement is an instrument that is highly suited for control via a microcontroller. © 2013 ISA Published by ISA All rights reserved.

Optical transmission of nematic liquid crystal 5CB doped by single-walled and multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Lisetski, L N; Fedoryako, A P; Samoilov, A N; Minenko, S S; Soskin, M S; Lebovka, N I

2014-08-01

Comparative studies of optical transmission of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), dispersed in nematic liquid crystal matrix 5CB, were carried out. The data evidence violations of Beer-Lambert-Bouguer (BLB) law both in cell thickness and concentration dependencies. The most striking is the fact that optical transmission dependencies for SWCNTs and MWCNTs were quite different in the nematic phase, but they were practically indistinguishable in the isotropic phase. Monte Carlo simulations of the impact of aggregation on direct transmission and violation of BLB law were also done. The results were discussed accounting for the tortuous shape of CNTs, their physical properties and aggregation, as well as strong impact of perturbations of the nematic 5CB structure inside coils and in the vicinity of CNT aggregates.

New PbSnTe heterojunction laser diode structures with improved performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fonstad, C. G.; Kasemset, D.; Hsieh, H. H.; Rotter, S.

1980-01-01

Several recent advances in the state-of-the-art of lead tin telluride double heterojunction laser diodes are summarized. Continuous Wave operation to 120 K and pulsed operation to 166 K with single, lowest order transverse mode emission to in excess of four times threshold at 80 K were achieved in buried stripe lasers fabricated by liquid phase epitaxy in the lattice-matched system, lead-tin telluride-lead telluride selenide. At the same time, liquid phase epitaxy was used to produce PbSnTe distributed feedback lasers with much broader continuous single mode tuning ranges than are available from Fabry-Perot lasers. The physics and philosophy behind these advances is as important as the structures and performance of the specific devices embodying the advances, particularly since structures are continually being evolved and the performance continues to be improved.

Novel monolithic enzymatic microreactor based on single-enzyme nanoparticles for highly efficient proteolysis and its application in multidimensional liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Gao, Mingxia; Zhang, Peng; Hong, Guangfeng; Guan, Xia; Yan, Guoquan; Deng, Chunhui; Zhang, Xiangmin

2009-10-30

In this work, a novel and facile monolithic enzymatic microreactor was prepared in the fused-silica capillary via a two-step procedure including surface acryloylation and in situ aqueous polymerization/immobilization to encapsulate a single enzyme, and its application to fast protein digestion through a direct matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MALDI-TOF-MS) analysis was demonstrated. At first, vinyl groups on the protein surface were generated by a mild acryloylation with N-acryloxysuccinimide in alkali buffer. Then, acryloylated enzyme was encapsulated into polyacrylates by free-radical copolymerization with acrylamide as the monomer, N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide as the cross-linker, and N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine/ammonium persulfate as the initiator. Finally, polymers were immobilized onto the activated inner wall of capillaries via the reaction of vinyl groups. Capability of the enzyme-immobilized monolithic microreactor was demonstrated by myoglobin and bovine serum albumin as model proteins. The digestion products were characterized using MALDI-TOF-MS with sequence coverage of 94% and 29% observed. This microreactor was also applied to the analysis of fractions through two-dimensional separation of weak anion exchange/reversed-phase liquid chromatography of human liver extract. After a database search, 16 unique peptides corresponding to 3 proteins were identified when two RPLC fractions of human liver extract were digested by the microreactor. This opens a route for its future application in top-down proteomic analysis.

Hollow fibre liquid phase micro-extraction by facilitated anionic exchange for the determination of flavonoids in faba beans (Vicia faba L.).

PubMed

Chaieb, Nadia; López-Mesas, Montserrat; Luis González, Johannes; Mars, Messaoud; Valiente, Manuel

2015-01-01

Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds found ubiquitously in foods of plant origin. They are commonly extracted from plant materials with ethanol, methanol, water, their combination or even with acidified extracting solutions. The disadvantages of these methods are the use of high quantity of organic solvent, the possible loss of analytes in the different steps and the laborious process of the techniques. In addition, the complexity of the phenolic mixtures present in plant materials requires a preliminary clean-up and fractionation of the crude extracts. To develop a hollow fibre liquid phase micro-extraction (HF-LPME) method for a one step clean-up and pre-concentration of flavonoids. Two flavonoids (catechin and rutin) has been extracted by HF-LPME and analysed by HPLC. The related driving force for the liquid membrane has been studied by means of facilitated and non-facilitated transport. Different ionic and non-ionic water insoluble compounds [trioctylamine (TOA), tributyl phosphate (TBP), trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) and methyltrioctylammonium chloride (aliquat 336)] were used as carriers. The liquid membrane was constituted by a solution of n-decanol in the presence or absence of carriers. Maximum enrichment factors were obtained with n-decanol/aliquat 336 (20%) as organic liquid membrane, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) (0.1 M) as donor solution, sodium chloride (NaCl) (2 M) as acceptor solution and 3 h as extraction time. Under these conditions, good results for validation parameters were obtained [for linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantitation (LOQ) and repeatability]. The developed method is simple, effective and has been successfully applied to determine catechin and rutin in ethanolic extracts of faba beans. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Fluid flow in solidifying monotectic alloys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ecker, A.; Frazier, D. O.; Alexander, J. Iwan D.

1989-01-01

Use of a two-wavelength holographic technique results in a simultaneous determination of temperature and composition profiles during directional solidification in a system with a miscibility gap. The relationships among fluid flow, phase separation, and mass transport during the solidification of the monotectic alloy are discussed. The primary sources of fluid motion in this system are buoyancy and thermocapillary forces. These forces act together when phase separation results in the formation of droplets (this occurs at the solid-liquid interface and in the bulk melt). In the absence of phase separation, buoyancy results from density gradients related to temperature and compositional gradients in the single-phase bulk melt. The effects of buoyancy are especially evident in association with water- or ethanol-rich volumes created at the solid-liquid growth interface.

Atomic force microscopy study on crystal growth of Cu 2+-doped L-arginine phosphate monohydrate crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geng, Y. L.; Xu, D.; Wang, Y. L.; Du, W.; Liu, H. Y.; Zhang, G. H.; Wang, X. Q.; Sun, D. L.

2005-01-01

Sub-steps and defects of the {1 0 0} planes of Cu 2+-doped L-arginine phosphate monohydrate (LAP) crystals are observed by atomic force microscopy. Formation of sub-steps is not due to the stacking faults but a result of single LAP: Cu 2+ molecule acting as growth unit. Two-dimensional (2D) nuclei with the same height as sub-steps occur on the step-edges. Impurities of Cu 2+ ions cause steps bunch and macrosteps formation. Liquid inclusions in the form of long channels form when the macrosteps lose their stability. Numerous small 3D growth hillocks are found in the channels. The extra stress induced by the 3D islands can result in dislocations and steps mismatches.

PI and repetitive control for single phase inverter based on virtual rotating coordinate system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Mengqi; Tong, Yibin; Jiang, Jiuchun; Liang, Jiangang

2018-03-01

Microgrid technology developed rapidly and nonlinear loads were connected increasingly. A new control strategy was proposed for single phase inverter when connected nonlinear loads under island condition. PI and repetitive compound controller was realized under synchronous rotating coordinate system and acquired high quality sinusoidal voltage output without voltage spike when loads step changed. Validity and correctness were verified by simulation using MATLAB/Simulink.

Bubble Point Measurements with Liquid Methane of a Screen Channel Capillary Liquid Acquisition Device

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jurns, John M.; McQuillen, John B.; Gaby, Joseph D., Jr.; Sinacore, Steven A., Jr.

2009-01-01

Liquid acquisition devices (LADs) can be utilized within a propellant tank in space to deliver single-phase liquid to the engine in low gravity. One type of liquid acquisition device is a screened gallery whereby a fine mesh screen acts as a 'bubble filter' and prevents the gas bubbles from passing through until a crucial pressure differential condition across the screen, called the bubble point, is reached. This paper presents data for LAD bubble point data in liquid methane (LCH4) for stainless steel Dutch twill screens with mesh sizes of 325 by 2300. These tests represent the first known nonproprietary effort to collect bubble point data for LCH4.

Determination of acrylamide and acrylic acid by isocratic liquid chromatography with pulsed electrochemical detection.

PubMed

Casella, Innocenzo G; Pierri, Marianna; Contursi, Michela

2006-02-24

The electrochemical behaviour of the polycrystalline platinum electrode towards the oxidation/reduction of short-chain unsaturated aliphatic molecules such as acrylamide and acrylic acid was investigated in acidic solutions. Analytes were separated by reverse phase liquid chromatographic and quantified using a pulsed amperometric detection. A new two-step waveform, is introduced for detection of acrylamide and acrylic acid. Detection limits (LOD) of 20 nM (1. 4 microg/kg) and 45 nM (3.2 microg/kg) were determined in water solutions containing acrylamide and acrylic acid, respectively. Compared to the classical three-step waveform, the proposed two-step waveform shows favourable analytical performance in terms of LOD, linear range, precision and improved long-term reproducibility. The proposed analytical method combined with clean-up procedure accomplished by Carrez clearing reagent and subsequent extraction with a strong cation exchanger cartridges (SPE), was successfully used for the quantification of low concentrations of acrylamide in foodstuffs such as coffee and potato fries.

Single liquid source plasma-enhanced metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of high-quality YBa2Cu3O(7-x) thin films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhang, Jiming; Gardiner, Robin A.; Kirlin, Peter S.; Boerstler, Robert W.; Steinbeck, John

1992-01-01

High quality YBa2Cu3O(7-x) films were grown in-situ on LaAlO3 (100) by a novel single liquid source plasma-enhanced metalorganic chemical vapor deposition process. The metalorganic complexes M(thd) (sub n), (thd = 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionate; M = Y, Ba, Cu) were dissolved in an organic solution and injected into a vaporizer immediately upstream of the reactor inlet. The single liquid source technique dramatically simplifies current CVD processing and can significantly improve the process reproducibility. X-ray diffraction measurements indicated that single phase, highly c-axis oriented YBa2Cu3O(7-x) was formed in-situ at substrate temperature 680 C. The as-deposited films exhibited a mirror-like surface, had transition temperature T(sub cO) approximately equal to 89 K, Delta T(sub c) less than 1 K, and Jc (77 K) = 10(exp 6) A/sq cm.

Combustion of liquid-fuel droplets in supercritical conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shuen, J. S.; Yang, Vigor; Hsaio, C. C.

1992-01-01

A comprehensive analysis of liquid-fuel droplet combustion in both subcritical and supercritical environments has been conducted. The formulation is based on the complete conservation equations for both gas and liquid phases, and accommodates variable thermophysical properties, finite-rate chemical kinetics, and a full treatment of liquid-vapor phase equilibrium at the drop surface. The governing equations and associated interfacial boundary conditions are solved numerically using a fully coupled, implicit scheme with the dual time-stepping integration technique. The model is capable of treating the entire droplet history, including the transition from the subcritical to supercritical state. As a specific example, the combustion of n-pentane fuel droplets in air is studied for pressures in the range of 5-140 atm. Results indicate that the ambient gas pressure exerts significant control of droplet gasification and burning processes through its influence on fluid transport, gas-liquid interfacial thermodynamics, and chemical reactions. The droplet gasification rate increases progressively with pressure. However, the data for the overall burnout time exhibit a considerable change in the combustion mechanism at the critical pressure, mainly as a result of reduced mass diffusivity and latent heat of vaporization with increased pressure.

Combustion of liquid fuel droplets in supercritical conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shuen, J. S.; Yang, Vigor

1991-01-01

A comprehensive analysis of liquid-fuel droplet combustion in both sub- and super-critical environments has been conducted. The formulation is based on the complete conservation equations for both gas and liquid phases, and accommodates finite-rate chemical kinetics and a full treatment of liquid-vapor phase equilibrium at the droplet surface. The governing equations and the associated interface boundary conditions are solved numerically using a fully coupled, implicit scheme with the dual time-stepping integration technique. The model is capable of treating the entire droplet history, including the transition from the subcritical to the supercritical state. As a specific example, the combustion of n-pentane fuel droplets in air is studied for pressures of 5-140 atm. Results indicate that the ambient gas pressure exerts significant control of droplet gasification and burning processes through its influences on the fluid transport, gas/liquid interface thermodynamics, and chemical reactions. The droplet gasification rate increases progressively with pressure. However, the data for the overall burnout time exhibits a significant variation near the critical burning pressure, mainly as a result of reduced mass-diffusion rate and latent heat of vaporization with increased pressure. The influence of droplet size on the burning characteristics is also noted.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SEMICONDUCTOR INJECTION LASERS SELCO-87: Two-stage liquid phase epitaxy for fabrication of buried InGaAsP/InP heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Procházková, O.; Novotný, J.; Šrobár, F.

1988-11-01

The technology of growth of buried heterojunction lasers emitting at 1.3 μm and some of their physical properties are described. Mesa stripes 8-μm wide were formed on heteroepitaxial wafers grown by liquid phase epitaxy at 630°C. They were buried by a second process at a lower temperature (590°C). The threshold current was about 100 mA and the temperature sensitivity was characterized by a parameter amounting to about 60 K. Single-mode lasing was observed occasionally.

N-linked glycoprotein analysis using dual-extraction ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Siu, S O; Lam, Maggie P Y; Lau, Edward; Yeung, William S B; Cox, David M; Chu, Ivan K

2010-01-01

Although reverse-phase liquid chromatography (RP-LC) is a common technique for peptide separation in shotgun proteomics and glycoproteomics, it often provides unsatisfactory results for the analysis of glycopeptides and glycans. This bias against glycopeptides makes it difficult to study glycoproteins. By coupling mass spectrometry (MS) with a combination of RP-LC and normal-phase (NP)-LC as an integrated front-end separation system, we demonstrate that effective identification and characterization of both peptides and glycopeptides mixtures, and their constituent glycan structures, can be achieved from a single sample injection event.

Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid synthase: The application of a plant secondary metabolite enzyme in biocatalytic chemical synthesis.

PubMed

Lange, Kerstin; Schmid, Andreas; Julsing, Mattijs K

2016-09-10

Δ(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid synthase (THCAS) from the secondary metabolism of Cannabis sativa L. catalyzes the oxidative formation of an intramolecular CC bond in cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) to synthesize Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), which is the direct precursor of Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ(9)-THC). Aiming on a biotechnological production of cannabinoids, we investigated the potential of the heterologously produced plant oxidase in a cell-free system on preparative scale. THCAS was characterized in an aqueous/organic two-liquid phase setup in order to solubilize the hydrophobic substrate and to allow in situ product removal. Compared to the single phase aqueous setup the specific activity decreased by a factor of approximately 2 pointing to a substrate limitation of CBGA in the two-liquid phase system. However, the specific activity remained stable for at least 3h illustrating the benefit of the two-liquid phase setup. In a repeated-batch setup, THCAS showed only a minor loss of specific activity in the third batch pointing to a high intrinsic stability and high solvent tolerance of the enzyme. Maximal space-time-yields of 0.121gL(-1)h(-1) were reached proving the two-liquid phase concept suitable for biotechnological production of cannabinoids. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lower limb muscle moments and power during recovery from forward loss of balance in male and female single and multiple steppers.

PubMed

Carty, Christopher P; Cronin, Neil J; Lichtwark, Glen A; Mills, Peter M; Barrett, Rod S

2012-12-01

Studying recovery responses to loss of balance may help to explain why older adults are susceptible to falls. The purpose of the present study was to assess whether male and female older adults, that use a single or multiple step recovery strategy, differ in the proportion of lower limb strength used and power produced during the stepping phase of balance recovery. Eighty-four community-dwelling older adults (47 men, 37 women) participated in the study. Isometric strength of the ankle, knee and hip joint flexors and extensors was assessed using a dynamometer. Loss of balance was induced by releasing participants from a static forward lean (4 trials at each of 3 forward lean angles). Participants were instructed to recover with a single step and were subsequently classified as using a single or multiple step recovery strategy for each trial. (1) Females were weaker than males and the proportion of females that were able to recover with a single step were lower than for males at each lean magnitude. (2) Multiple compared to single steppers used a significantly higher proportion of their hip extension strength and produced less knee and ankle joint peak power during stepping, at the intermediate lean angle. Strength deficits in female compared to male participants may explain why a lower proportion of female participants were able to recover with a single step. The inability to generate sufficient power in the stepping limb appears to be a limiting factor in single step recovery from forward loss of balance. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

External and Intraparticle Diffusion of Coumarin 102 with Surfactant in the ODS-silica Gel/water System by Single Microparticle Injection and Confocal Fluorescence Microspectroscopy.

PubMed

Nakatani, Kiyoharu; Matsuta, Emi

2015-01-01

The release mechanism of coumarin 102 from a single ODS-silica gel microparticle into the water phase in the presence of Triton X-100 was investigated by confocal fluorescence microspectroscopy combined with the single microparticle injection technique. The release rate significantly depended on the Triton X-100 concentration in the water phase and was not limited by diffusion in the pores of the microparticle. The release rate constant was inversely proportional to the microparticle radius squared, indicating that the rate-determining step is the external diffusion between the microparticle and the water phase.

Liquid-solid surface phase transformation of fluorinated fullerene on monolayer tungsten diselenide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Zhibo; Wang, Qixing; Li, Ming-Yang; Li, Lain-Jong; Zheng, Yu Jie; Wang, Zhuo; Lin, Tingting; Chi, Dongzhi; Ding, Zijing; Huang, Yu Li; Thye Shen Wee, Andrew

2018-04-01

Hybrid van der Waals heterostructures constructed by the integration of organic molecules and two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) materials have useful tunable properties for flexible electronic devices. Due to the chemically inert and atomically smooth nature of the TMD surface, well-defined crystalline organic films form atomically sharp interfaces facilitating optimal device performance. Here, the surface phase transformation of the supramolecular packing structure of fluorinated fullerene (C60F48 ) on single-layer tungsten diselenide (WSe2) is revealed by low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy, from thermally stable liquid to solid phases as the coverage increases. Statistical analysis of the intermolecular interaction potential reveals that the repulsive dipole-dipole interaction induced by interfacial charge transfer and substrate-mediated interactions play important roles in stabilizing the liquid C60F48 phases. Theoretical calculations further suggest that the dipole moment per C60F48 molecule varies with the surface molecule density, and the liquid-solid transformation could be understood from the perspective of the thermodynamic free energy for open systems. This study offers insights into the growth behavior at 2D organic/TMD hybrid heterointerfaces.

Large three-dimensional photonic crystals based on monocrystalline liquid crystal blue phases.

PubMed

Chen, Chun-Wei; Hou, Chien-Tsung; Li, Cheng-Chang; Jau, Hung-Chang; Wang, Chun-Ta; Hong, Ching-Lang; Guo, Duan-Yi; Wang, Cheng-Yu; Chiang, Sheng-Ping; Bunning, Timothy J; Khoo, Iam-Choon; Lin, Tsung-Hsien

2017-09-28

Although there have been intense efforts to fabricate large three-dimensional photonic crystals in order to realize their full potential, the technologies developed so far are still beset with various material processing and cost issues. Conventional top-down fabrications are costly and time-consuming, whereas natural self-assembly and bottom-up fabrications often result in high defect density and limited dimensions. Here we report the fabrication of extraordinarily large monocrystalline photonic crystals by controlling the self-assembly processes which occur in unique phases of liquid crystals that exhibit three-dimensional photonic-crystalline properties called liquid-crystal blue phases. In particular, we have developed a gradient-temperature technique that enables three-dimensional photonic crystals to grow to lateral dimensions of ~1 cm (~30,000 of unit cells) and thickness of ~100 μm (~ 300 unit cells). These giant single crystals exhibit extraordinarily sharp photonic bandgaps with high reflectivity, long-range periodicity in all dimensions and well-defined lattice orientation.Conventional fabrication approaches for large-size three-dimensional photonic crystals are problematic. By properly controlling the self-assembly processes, the authors report the fabrication of monocrystalline blue phase liquid crystals that exhibit three-dimensional photonic-crystalline properties.

Solid-phase extraction in combination with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis: the ultra-trace determination of 10 antibiotics in water samples.

PubMed

Liang, Ning; Huang, Peiting; Hou, Xiaohong; Li, Zhen; Tao, Lei; Zhao, Longshan

2016-02-01

A novel method, solid-phase extraction combined with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (SPE-DLLME), was developed for ultra-preconcentration of 10 antibiotics in different environmental water samples prior to ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry detection. The optimized results were obtained as follows: after being adjusted to pH 4.0, the water sample was firstly passed through PEP-2 column at 10 mL min(-1), and then methanol was used to elute the target analytes for the following steps. Dichloromethane was selected as extraction solvent, and methanol/acetonitrile (1:1, v/v) as dispersive solvent. Under optimal conditions, the calibration curves were linear in the range of 1-1000 ng mL(-1) (sulfamethoxazole, cefuroxime axetil), 5-1000 ng mL(-1) (tinidazole), 10-1000 ng mL(-1) (chloramphenicol), 2-1000 ng mL(-1) (levofloxacin oxytetracycline, doxycycline, tetracycline, and ciprofloxacin) and 1-400 ng mL(-1) (sulfadiazine) with a good precision. The LOD and LOQ of the method were at very low levels, below 1.67 and 5.57 ng mL(-1), respectively. The relative recoveries of the target analytes were in the range from 64.16% to 99.80% with relative standard deviations between 0.7 and 8.4%. The matrix effect of this method showed a great decrease compared with solid-phase extraction and a significant value of enrichment factor (EF) compared with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction. The developed method was successfully applied to the extraction and analysis of antibiotics in different water samples with satisfactory results.

Physical metallurgy of metastable Bcc lanthanide-magnesium alloys for R = La, Gd, and Dy

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

Herchenroeder, J.W.; Manfrinetti, P.; Gschneidner, K.A. Jr.

1989-09-01

Bcc La-Mg, Gd-Mg, and Dy-Mg alloys have been prepared by an ice water/acetone quench from liquid melts. Single-phase alloys could be retained in a window around the eutectoid composition: 13 to 22 at. pct Mg, 23.6 to 29 at. pct Mg, and 27 to 29 at. pct Mg for La, Gd, and Dy alloys, respectively. At the center of the windows, x-ray diffraction peaks are extremely sharp as in equilibrium bcc structures; however, as alloy composition is moved away from the eutectoid, line broadening is observed. Reversion of the bcc phase to the equilibrium microstructure for R-Mg alloys (R =more » La, Gd, or Dy) has been characterized by differential thermal analysis (DTA) or differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and isothermal annealing. La-Mg alloys revert directly to {alpha}La (dhcp) + LaMg at about 350{degrees}C when heated at 10{degrees}C/min. In contrast, the Gd and Dy alloys revert by a two-step process: first, a transition to an intermediate distorted hcp phase between 300{degrees}C and 400{degrees}C, and, second, the relaxation of this phase to {alpha}R (hcp) + RMg at about 490{degrees}C when heated at 10{degrees}C/min. Isothermal annealing and high temperature x-ray diffraction confirm the nature of these reactions.« less

Shear-induced surface alignment of polymer dispersed liquid crystal microdroplets on the boundary layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parmar, D. S.; Singh, J. J.

1993-01-01

Polymer dispersed liquid crystal thin films have been deposited on a glass substrate, utilizing the processes of polymerization and solvent evaporation induced phase separation. Liquid crystal microdroplets trapped on the upper surface of the thin film respond to the shear stress due to air or gas flow on the surface layer. Response to an applied step shear stress input on the surface layer has been measured by measuring the time response of the transmitted light intensity. Initial results on the measurements of the light transmission as a function of the air flow differential pressure indicate that these systems offer features suitable for boundary layer and gas flow sensors.

Numerical and experimental study of liquid breakup process in solid rocket motor nozzle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yen, Yi-Hsin

Rocket propulsion is an important travel method for space exploration and national defense, rockets needs to be able to withstand wide range of operation environment and also stable and precise enough to carry sophisticated payload into orbit, those engineering requirement makes rocket becomes one of the state of the art industry. The rocket family have been classified into two major group of liquid and solid rocket based on the fuel phase of liquid or solid state. The solid rocket has the advantages of simple working mechanism, less maintenance and preparing procedure and higher storage safety, those characters of solid rocket make it becomes popular in aerospace industry. Aluminum based propellant is widely used in solid rocket motor (SRM) industry due to its avalibility, combusion performance and economical fuel option, however after aluminum react with oxidant of amonimum perchrate (AP), it will generate liquid phase alumina (Al2O3) as product in high temperature (2,700˜3,000 K) combustion chamber enviornment. The liquid phase alumina particles aggromorate inside combustion chamber into larger particle which becomes major erosion calprit on inner nozzle wall while alumina aggromorates impinge on the nozzle wall surface. The erosion mechanism result nozzle throat material removal, increase the performance optimized throat diameter and reduce nozzle exit to throat area ratio which leads to the reduction of exhaust gas velocity, Mach number and lower the propulsion thrust force. The approach to avoid particle erosion phenomenon taking place in SRM's nozzle is to reduce the alumina particle size inside combustion chamber which could be done by further breakup of the alumina droplet size in SRM's combustion chamber. The study of liquid breakup mechanism is an important means to smaller combustion chamber alumina droplet size and mitigate the erosion tack place on rocket nozzle region. In this study, a straight two phase air-water flow channel experiment is set up for liquid breakup phenomenon observation. The liquid water material in this experiment will play a comparison role as liquid alumina in high temerature enviornment. The method proposed to control the liquid breakup size of liquid droplet is done by the means of changing the liquid properties of surface tension. The surface tenion of liquid plays an inportant role of providing major liquid droplet bounding pressure or Laplace pressure. By reduceing surface tension of liquid leads to lower Laplace pressure of droplet and result in less droplet dynamic stability which could be breakup under external pressure difference. The reduction of surface tension of liquid aluminum could be achieved by adding magnisium and strontium, it is reported that the surface tension reeducation level could reach 10%˜15% when those additive mension above are adding to aluminum. This study of liquid breakup mechanism include two major part, first part is straight two-phase channel experiment and simulation comparison which provide a validation work of CFD simulation performance when compare to experiment. Second part is single droplet breakup experiment, in this experiment the relation of surface tension and liquid breakup behavior is carefully studied. The straight two-phase flow channel experiment setting will enable to us to study the liquid breakup process in macro scale. The quantification method is achieved by analyzing high-speed camera image by MatLab image process code develop in UW-Milwaukee wind tunnel lab which extract data in images and provide information including liquid droplet count and size distribution, wave frequency and time averaging two-phase free boundary. It was found that liquid breakup mechanism proportional to gas-droplet velocity difference square, gas density and liquid droplet size and inverse proportional to liquid surface tension. The single droplet experiment part is provide a close up view of liquid breakup and prove the reduced surface tension will enhance liquid breakup activity. In this study, we could observe the evidence of enhance liquid breakup activity by the reduced surface tension of liquid. Therefor the approach of reducing surface tension of Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) fuel reacting product is a high potential solution to SRM nozzle erosion.

ADVANCED SULFUR CONTROL CONCEPTS

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

Apostolos A. Nikolopoulos; Santosh K. Gangwal; William J. McMichael

Conventional sulfur removal in integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plants involves numerous steps: COS (carbonyl sulfide) hydrolysis, amine scrubbing/regeneration, Claus process, and tail-gas treatment. Advanced sulfur removal in IGCC systems involves typically the use of zinc oxide-based sorbents. The sulfides sorbent is regenerated using dilute air to produce a dilute SO{sub 2} (sulfur dioxide) tail gas. Under previous contracts the highly effective first generation Direct Sulfur Recovery Process (DSRP) for catalytic reduction of this SO{sub 2} tail gas to elemental sulfur was developed. This process is currently undergoing field-testing. In this project, advanced concepts were evaluated to reduce themore » number of unit operations in sulfur removal and recovery. Substantial effort was directed towards developing sorbents that could be directly regenerated to elemental sulfur in an Advanced Hot Gas Process (AHGP). Development of this process has been described in detail in Appendices A-F. RTI began the development of the Single-step Sulfur Recovery Process (SSRP) to eliminate the use of sorbents and multiple reactors in sulfur removal and recovery. This process showed promising preliminary results and thus further process development of AHGP was abandoned in favor of SSRP. The SSRP is a direct Claus process that consists of injecting SO{sub 2} directly into the quenched coal gas from a coal gasifier, and reacting the H{sub 2}S-SO{sub 2} mixture over a selective catalyst to both remove and recover sulfur in a single step. The process is conducted at gasifier pressure and 125 to 160 C. The proposed commercial embodiment of the SSRP involves a liquid phase of molten sulfur with dispersed catalyst in a slurry bubble-column reactor (SBCR).« less

Chromatographic evaluation of self-immobilized stationary phases for reversed-phase liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Bottoli, Carla B G; Collins, Kenneth E; Collins, Carol H

2003-02-14

The preparation of stationary phases for HPLC using polymers deposited on silica usually includes an immobilization step involving cross-linking by free radicals induced by ionizing radiation or by other radical initiators. The present paper reports changes which occur at ambient temperature in the character of poly(methyloctylsiloxane) deposited on porous silica particles as a function of the time interval between particle loading and column packing. Column performance and retention factors increase with time and these changes are attributed to rearrangement (self-assembly) which result in "self-immobilization" of the polymer molecules on the silica surface.

Two liquid states of matter: a dynamic line on a phase diagram.

PubMed

Brazhkin, V V; Fomin, Yu D; Lyapin, A G; Ryzhov, V N; Trachenko, K

2012-03-01

It is generally agreed that the supercritical region of a liquid consists of one single state (supercritical fluid). On the other hand, we show here that liquids in this region exist in two qualitatively different states: "rigid" and "nonrigid" liquids. Rigid to nonrigid transition corresponds to the condition τ≈τ(0), where τ is the liquid relaxation time and τ(0) is the minimal period of transverse quasiharmonic waves. This condition defines a new dynamic crossover line on the phase diagram and corresponds to the loss of shear stiffness of a liquid at all available frequencies and, consequently, to the qualitative change in many important liquid properties. We analyze this line theoretically as well as in real and model fluids and show that the transition corresponds to the disappearance of high-frequency sound, to the disappearance of roton minima, qualitative changes in the temperature dependencies of sound velocity, diffusion, viscous flow, and thermal conductivity, an increase in particle thermal speed to half the speed of sound, and a reduction in the constant volume specific heat to 2k(B) per particle. In contrast to the Widom line that exists near the critical point only, the new dynamic line is universal: It separates two liquid states at arbitrarily high pressure and temperature and exists in systems where liquid-gas transition and the critical point are absent altogether. We propose to call the new dynamic line on the phase diagram "Frenkel line".

Experience from operating germanium detectors in GERDA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palioselitis, Dimitrios; GERDA Collaboration

2015-05-01

Phase I of the Germanium Detector Array (GERDA) experiment, searching for the neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay of 76Ge, was completed in September 2013. The most competitive half-life lower limit for the 0νββ decay of 76Ge was set (T-0ν1/2 > 2.1 · 1025 yr at 90% C.L.). GERDA operates bare Ge diodes immersed in liquid argon. During Phase I, mainly refurbished semi-coaxial high purity Ge detectors from previous experiments were used. The experience gained with handling and operating bare Ge diodes in liquid argon, as well as the stability and performance of the detectors during GERDA Phase I are presented. Thirty additional new enriched BEGe-type detectors were produced and will be used in Phase II. A subgroup of these detectors has already been used successfully in GERDA Phase I. The present paper gives an overview of the production chain of the new germanium detectors, the steps taken to minimise the exposure to cosmic radiation during manufacturing, and the first results of characterisation measurements in vacuum cryostats.

HPLC of the Polypeptides in a Hydrolyzate of Egg-White Lysozyme. An Experiment for the Undergraduate Biochemistry Laboratory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, W. S., III; Burns, L.

1988-01-01

Describes a simple high-performance liquid chromatography experiment for undergraduate biochemistry laboratories. The experiment illustrates the separation of polypeptides by a step gradient elution using a single pump instrument with no gradient attachments. Discusses instrumentation, analysis, a sample preparation, and results. (CW)

The thermodynamic properties of normal liquid helium 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Modarres, M.; Moshfegh, H. R.

2009-09-01

The thermodynamic properties of normal liquid helium 3 are calculated by using the lowest order constrained variational (LOCV) method. The Landau Fermi liquid model and Fermi-Dirac distribution function are considered as our statistical model for the uncorrelated quantum fluid picture and the Lennard-Jones and Aziz potentials are used in our truncated cluster expansion (LOCV) to calculate the correlated energy. The single particle energy is treated variationally through an effective mass. The free energy, pressure, entropy, chemical potential and liquid phase diagram as well as the helium 3 specific heat are evaluated, discussed and compared with the corresponding available experimental data. It is found that the critical temperature for the existence of the pure gas phase is about 4.90 K (4.45 K), which is higher than the experimental prediction of 3.3 K, and the helium 3 flashing temperature is around 0.61 K (0.50 K) for the Lennard-Jones (Aziz) potential.

Numerical simulation of superheated vapor bubble rising in stagnant liquid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samkhaniani, N.; Ansari, M. R.

2017-09-01

In present study, the rising of superheated vapor bubble in saturated liquid is simulated using volume of fluid method in OpenFOAM cfd package. The surface tension between vapor-liquid phases is considered using continuous surface force method. In order to reduce spurious current near interface, Lafaurie smoothing filter is applied to improve curvature calculation. Phase change is considered using Tanasawa mass transfer model. The variation of saturation temperature in vapor bubble with local pressure is considered with simplified Clausius-Clapeyron relation. The couple velocity-pressure equation is solved using PISO algorithm. The numerical model is validated with: (1) isothermal bubble rising and (2) one-dimensional horizontal film condensation. Then, the shape and life time history of single superheated vapor bubble are investigated. The present numerical study shows vapor bubble in saturated liquid undergoes boiling and condensation. It indicates bubble life time is nearly linear proportional with bubble size and superheat temperature.

Liquid chromatographic determination of benzo(a)pyrene in total particulate matter of cigarette smoke

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

Tomkins, B.A.; Jenkins, R.A.; Griest, W.H.

The benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) delivery of reference and commercially available tobacco cigarettes, as well as reference and placebo marijuana cigarettes, is determined using a sequential liquid chromatographic/liquid chromatographic procedure. The total particulate matter of sample cigarette smoke is collected using a Cambridge filter pad, which is ultrasonically extracted with acetone. The resulting extract is filtered, then fractionated using semipreparative-scale normal phase liquid chromatography (LC). Quantitative determination is achieved using analytical-scale reverse phase LC equipped with a fluorescence detector. The method is precise (+/- 10-15% relative standard deviation) and yields 85% or better BaP recovery at the ng/cig. level. A single padmore » may be analyzed in 8 person-hours, while a more typical lot of 12 pads (6 pads each for 2 cigarette brands) may be analyzed in 10 person-days.« less

Wetting morphologies on randomly oriented fibers.

PubMed

Sauret, Alban; Boulogne, François; Soh, Beatrice; Dressaire, Emilie; Stone, Howard A

2015-06-01

We characterize the different morphologies adopted by a drop of liquid placed on two randomly oriented fibers, which is a first step toward understanding the wetting of fibrous networks. The present work reviews previous modeling for parallel and touching crossed fibers and extends it to an arbitrary orientation of the fibers characterized by the tilting angle and the minimum spacing distance. Depending on the volume of liquid, the spacing distance between fibers and the angle between the fibers, we highlight that the liquid can adopt three different equilibrium morphologies: 1) a column morphology in which the liquid spreads between the fibers, 2) a mixed morphology where a drop grows at one end of the column or 3) a single drop located at the node. We capture the different morphologies observed using an analytical model that predicts the equilibrium configuration of the liquid based on the geometry of the fibers and the volume of liquid.

Ince-gauss based multiple intermodal phase-matched third-harmonic generations in a step-index silica optical fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borne, Adrien; Katsura, Tomotaka; Félix, Corinne; Doppagne, Benjamin; Segonds, Patricia; Bencheikh, Kamel; Levenson, Juan Ariel; Boulanger, Benoit

2016-01-01

Several third-harmonic generation processes were performed in a single step-index germanium-doped silica optical fiber under intermodal phase-matching conditions. The nanosecond fundamental beam range between 1400 and 1600 nm. The transverse distributions of the energy were successfully modeled in the form of Ince-Gauss modes, pointing out some ellipticity of fiber core. From these experiments and theoretical calculations, we discuss the implementation of frequency degenerated triple photon generation that shares the same phase-matching condition as third-harmonic generation, which is its reverse process.

Polyethylene nano crystalsomes formed at a curved liquid/liquid interface.

PubMed

Wang, Wenda; Staub, Mark C; Zhou, Tian; Smith, Derrick M; Qi, Hao; Laird, Eric D; Cheng, Shan; Li, Christopher Y

2017-12-21

Crystallization is incommensurate with nanoscale curved space due to the lack of three dimensional translational symmetry of the latter. Herein, we report the formation of single-crystal-like, nanosized polyethylene (PE) capsules using a miniemulsion solution crystallization method. The miniemulsion was formed at elevated temperatures using PE organic solution as the oil phase and sodium dodecyl sulfate as the surfactant. Subsequently, cooling the system stepwisely for controlled crystallization led to the formation of hollow, nanosized PE crystalline capsules, which are named as crystalsomes since they mimic the classical self-assembled structures such as liposome, polymersome and colloidosome. We show that the formation of the nanosized PE crystalsomes is driven by controlled crystallization at the curved liquid/liquid interface of the miniemulson droplet. The morphology, structure and mechanical properties of the PE crystalsomes were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and atomic force spectroscopy. Electron diffraction showed the single-crystal-like nature of the crystalsomes. The incommensurateness between the nanocurved interface and the crystalline packing led to reduced crystallinity and crystallite size of the PE crystalsome, as observed from the X-ray diffraction measurements. Moreover, directly quenching the emulsion below the spinodal line led to the formation of hierarchical porous PE crystalsomes due to the coupling of the PE crystallization and liquid/liquid phase separation. We anticipate that this unique crystalsome represents a new type of nanostructure that might be used as nanodrug carriers and ultrasound contrast agents.

Nanocellulose Fragmentation Mechanisms and Inversion of Chirality from the Single Particle to the Cholesteric Phase.

PubMed

Nyström, Gustav; Arcari, Mario; Adamcik, Jozef; Usov, Ivan; Mezzenga, Raffaele

2018-05-22

Understanding how nanostructure and nanomechanics influence physical material properties on the micro- and macroscale is an essential goal in soft condensed matter research. Mechanisms governing fragmentation and chirality inversion of filamentous colloids are of specific interest because of their critical role in load-bearing and self-organizing functionalities of soft nanomaterials. Here we provide a fundamental insight into the self-organization across several length scales of nanocellulose, an important biocolloid system with wide-ranging applications as structural, insulating, and functional material. Through a combined microscopic and statistical analysis of nanocellulose fibrils at the single particle level, we show how mechanically and chemically induced fragmentations proceed in this system. Moreover, by studying the bottom-up self-assembly of fragmented carboxylated cellulose nanofibrils into cholesteric liquid crystals, we show via direct microscopic observations that the chirality is inverted from right-handed at the nanofibril level to left-handed at the level of the liquid crystal phase. These results improve our fundamental understanding of nanocellulose and provide an important rationale for its application in colloidal systems, liquid crystals, and nanomaterials.

Single and Multiresponse Adaptive Design of Experiments with Application to Design Optimization of Novel Heat Exchangers

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

Single phase fluid flow in microchannels has been widely investigated ( Morini , 2006; Abdelaziz et al., 2008) and it was verified that the conventional...Optimization, Kluwer. 203 78. Morini , G. L., 2006, “Scaling Effects for Liquid Flows in Microchannels,” Heat Transfer Engineering, Vol. 27, No. 4, pp

Development of scintillating screens based on the single crystalline films of Ce doped (Gd,Y)3(Al,Ga,Sc)5O12 multi-component garnets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zorenko, Yuriy; Gorbenko, Vitaliy; Savchyn, Volodymyr; Zorenko, Tanya; Fedorov, Alexander; Sidletskiy, Oleg

2014-09-01

The paper is dedicated to development of scintillators based on single crystalline films of Ce doped (Gd,Y)3(Al,Ga,Sc)5O12 multi-component garnets onto Gd3Ga5O12 substrates using the liquid phase epitaxy method.

A two-step approach for copper and nickel extracting and recovering by emulsion liquid membrane.

PubMed

Bi, Qiang; Xue, Juanqin; Guo, Yingjuan; Li, Guoping; Cui, Haibin

2016-11-01

The recycling of copper and nickel from metallurgical wastewater using emulsion liquid membrane (ELM) was studied. P507 (2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid-2-ethylhexyl ester) and TBP (tributyl phosphate) were used as carriers for the extraction of copper and nickel by ELMs, respectively. The influence of four emulsion composition variables, namely, the internal phase volume fraction (ϕ), surfactant concentration (Wsurf), internal phase stripping acid concentration (Cio) and the carrier concentration (Cc), and the process variable treat ratio on the extraction efficiencies of copper or nickel were studied. Under the optimum conditions, 98% copper and nickel were recycled by using ELM. The results indicated that ELM extraction is a promising industrial application technology to retrieve valuable metals in low concentration metallurgical wastewater.

Catalytic biomass conversion methods, catalysts, and methods of making the same

DOEpatents

Delgass, William Nicholas; Agrawal, Rakesh; Ribeiro, Fabio Henrique; Saha, Basudeb; Yohe, Sara Lynn; Abu-Omar, Mahdi M; Parsell, Trenton; Dietrich, Paul James; Klein, Ian Michael

2017-10-10

Described herein are processes for one-step delignification and hydrodeoxygenation of lignin fraction a biomass feedstock. The lignin feedstock is derived from by-products of paper production and biorefineries. Additionally described is a process for converting biomass-derived oxygenates to lower oxygen-content compounds and/or hydrocarbons in the liquid or vapor phase in a reactor system containing hydrogen and a catalyst comprised of a hydrogenation function and/or an oxophilic function and/or an acid function. Finally, also described herein is a process for converting biomass-derived oxygenates to lower oxygen-content compounds and/or hydrocarbons in the liquid or vapor phase in a reactor system containing hydrogen and a catalyst comprised of a hydrogenation function and/or an oxophilic function and/or an acid function.

Theoretical Basis for Estimated Test Times and Conditions for Drop Tower and Space-Based Droplet Burning Experiments With Methanol and N-Heptane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marchese, Anthony J.; Dryer, Fredrick L.; Choi, Mun Y.

1994-01-01

In order to develop an extensive envelope of test conditions for NASA's space-based Droplet Combustion Experiment (DCE) as well those droplet experiments which can be performed using a drop tower, the transient vaporization and combustion of methanol and n-heptane droplets were simulated using a recently developed fully time-dependent, spherically symmetric droplet combustion model. The transient vaporization of methanol and n-heptane was modeled to characterize the instantaneous gas phase composition surrounding the droplet prior to the introduction of an ignition source. The results for methanol/air showed that the entire gas phase surrounding a 2 mm methanol droplet deployed in zero-g .quickly falls outside the lean flammability limit. The gas phase surrounding an identically-sized n-heptane droplet, on the other hand, remains flammable. The combustion of methanol was then modeled considering a detailed gas phase chemical kinetic mechanism (168 steps, 26 species) and the effect of the dissolution of flame-generated water into the liquid droplet. These results were used to determine the critical ignition diameter required to achieve quasi-steady droplet combustion in a given oxidizing environment. For droplet diameters greater than the critical ignition diameter, the model predicted a finite diameter at which the flame would extinguish. These extinction diameters were found to vary significantly with initial droplet diameter. This phenomenon appears to be unique to the transient heat transfer, mass transfer and chemical kinetics of the system and thus has not been reported elsewhere to date. The extinction diameter was also shown to vary significantly with the liquid phase Lewis number since the amount of water present in the droplet at extinction is largely governed by the rate at which water is transported into the droplet via mass diffusion. Finally, the numerical results for n-heptane combustion were obtained using both 2 step and 96 step semi-emperical chemical kinetic mechanisms. Neither mechanism exhibited the variation of extinction diameter with initial diameter.

Synthesis of Highly Dispersed and Highly Stable Supported Au–Pt Bimetallic Catalysts by a Two-Step Method

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

Wang, Xiaofeng; Zhao, Haiyan; Wu, Tianpin

2016-11-01

Highly dispersed and highly stable supported bimetallic catalysts were prepared using a two-step process. Pt nanoparticles (NPs) were first deposited on porous γ-Al2O3 particles by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Au NPs were synthesized by using gold(III) chloride as the Au precursor, and then immobilized on ALD Pt/γ-Al2O3 particles. The Au–Pt bimetallic catalysts were highly active and highly stable in a vigorously stirred liquid phase reaction of glucose oxidation.

Preparative separation of bioactive compounds from essential oil of Flaveria bidentis (L.) Kuntze using steam distillation extraction and one step high-speed counter-current chromatography.

PubMed

Wei, Yun; Du, Jilin; Lu, Yuanyuan

2012-10-01

In order to utilize and control the invasive weed, bioactive compounds from essential oil of Flaveria bidentis (L.) Kuntze were studied. Steam distillation extraction and one step high-speed counter-current chromatography were applied to separate and purify the caryophyllene oxide, 7,11-dimethyl-3-methylene-1,6,10-dodecatriene, and caryophyllene from essential oil of Flaveria bidentis (L.) Kuntze. The two-phase solvent system containing n-hexane/acetonitrile/ethanol (5:4:3, v/v/v) was selected for the one step separation mode according to the partition coefficient values (K) of the target compounds and the separation factor (α). The purity of each isolated fraction after a single high-speed counter-current chromatography run was determined by high performance liquid chromatography. A 3.2 mg of caryophyllene oxide at a purity of 92.6%, 10.4 mg of 7,11-dimethyl-3-methylene-1,6,10-dodecatriene at a purity of 99.1% and 5.7 mg of caryophyllene at a purity of 98.8% were obtained from 200 mg essential oil of Flaveria bidentis (L.) Kuntze. The chemical structures of these components were identified by GC-MS, (1) H-NMR, and (13) C-NMR. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A case study of microphysical structures and hydrometeor phase in convection using radar Doppler spectra at Darwin, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riihimaki, L. D.; Comstock, J. M.; Luke, E.; Thorsen, T. J.; Fu, Q.

2017-07-01

To understand the microphysical processes that impact diabatic heating and cloud lifetimes in convection, we need to characterize the spatial distribution of supercooled liquid water. To address this observational challenge, ground-based vertically pointing active sensors at the Darwin Atmospheric Radiation Measurement site are used to classify cloud phase within a deep convective cloud. The cloud cannot be fully observed by a lidar due to signal attenuation. Therefore, we developed an objective method for identifying hydrometeor classes, including mixed-phase conditions, using k-means clustering on parameters that describe the shape of the Doppler spectra from vertically pointing Ka-band cloud radar. This approach shows that multiple, overlapping mixed-phase layers exist within the cloud, rather than a single region of supercooled liquid. Diffusional growth calculations show that the conditions for the Wegener-Bergeron-Findeisen process exist within one of these mixed-phase microstructures.

Phase diagram of supercooled water confined to hydrophilic nanopores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Limmer, David T.; Chandler, David

2012-07-01

We present a phase diagram for water confined to cylindrical silica nanopores in terms of pressure, temperature, and pore radius. The confining cylindrical wall is hydrophilic and disordered, which has a destabilizing effect on ordered water structure. The phase diagram for this class of systems is derived from general arguments, with parameters taken from experimental observations and computer simulations and with assumptions tested by computer simulation. Phase space divides into three regions: a single liquid, a crystal-like solid, and glass. For large pores, radii exceeding 1 nm, water exhibits liquid and crystal-like behaviors, with abrupt crossovers between these regimes. For small pore radii, crystal-like behavior is unstable and water remains amorphous for all non-zero temperatures. At low enough temperatures, these states are glasses. Several experimental results for supercooled water can be understood in terms of the phase diagram we present.

Leukotriene B4 catabolism: quantitation of leukotriene B4 and its omega-oxidation products by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Shak, S

1987-01-01

LTB4 and its omega-oxidation products may be rapidly, sensitively, and specifically quantitated by the methods of solid-phase extraction and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), which are described in this chapter. Although other techniques, such as radioimmunoassay or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, may be utilized for quantitative analysis of the lipoxygenase products of arachidonic acid, only the technique of reversed-phase HPLC can quantitate as many as 10 metabolites in a single analysis, without prior derivatization. In this chapter, we also reviewed the chromatographic theory which we utilized in order to optimize reversed-phase HPLC analysis of LTB4 and its omega-oxidation products. With this information and a gradient HPLC system, it is possible for any investigator to develop a powerful assay for the potent inflammatory mediator, LTB4, or for any other lipoxygenase product of arachidonic acid.

Model of chiral spin liquids with Abelian and non-Abelian topological phases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jyong-Hao; Mudry, Christopher; Chamon, Claudio; Tsvelik, A. M.

2017-12-01

We present a two-dimensional lattice model for quantum spin-1/2 for which the low-energy limit is governed by four flavors of strongly interacting Majorana fermions. We study this low-energy effective theory using two alternative approaches. The first consists of a mean-field approximation. The second consists of a random phase approximation (RPA) for the single-particle Green's functions of the Majorana fermions built from their exact forms in a certain one-dimensional limit. The resulting phase diagram consists of two competing chiral phases, one with Abelian and the other with non-Abelian topological order, separated by a continuous phase transition. Remarkably, the Majorana fermions propagate in the two-dimensional bulk, as in the Kitaev model for a spin liquid on the honeycomb lattice. We identify the vison fields, which are mobile (they are static in the Kitaev model) domain walls propagating along only one of the two space directions.

Quantitative high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of retinoids in human serum using on-line solid-phase extraction and column switching. Determination of 9-cis-retinoic acid, 13-cis-retinoic acid, all-trans-retinoic acid, 4-oxo-all-trans-retinoicacid and 4-oxo-13-cis-retinoic acid.

PubMed

Gundersen, T E; Lundanes, E; Blomhoff, R

1997-03-28

A fully automated isocratic high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of 9-cis-retinoic acid, 13-cis-retinoic acid, all-trans-retinoic acid, 4-oxo-13-cis-retinoic acid and 4-oxo-all-trans-retinoic acid, has been developed using on-line solid-phase extraction and a column switching technique allowing clean-up and pre-concentration in a single step. A 500-microliter sample of serum was diluted with 750 microliters of a solution containing 20% acetonitrile and the internal standard 9,10-dimethylanthracene. About 1000 microliters of this mixture was injected on a 20 x 4.6 mm I.D. poly ether ether ketone (PEEK) pre-column with titanium frits packed with Bondapak C18, 37-53 microns, 300 A particles. Proteins and very polar compounds were washed out to waste, from the pre-column, with 0.05% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA)-acetonitrile (8.5:1.5, v/v). More than 200 aliquots of diluted serum could be injected on this pre-column before elevated back-pressure enforces replacement. Components retained on the pre-column were backflushed to the analytical column for separation and detection at 360 nm. Baseline separation was achieved using a single 250 x 4.6 mm I.D. Suplex pKb-100 column and a mobile phase containing 69:10:2:16:3 (v/v) of acetonitrile-methanol-n-butanol-2% ammonium acetate-glacial acetic acid. A total time of analysis of less than 30 min, including sample preparation, was achieved. Recoveries were in the range of 79-86%. The limit of detection was 1-7 ng/ml serum and the precision, in the concentration range 20-1000 ng/ml, was between 1.3 and 4.5% for all five compounds. The method was applied for the analysis of human serum after oral administration of 60 mg Roaccutan. The method is well suited for pharmacological studies, while the endogenous levels of some retinoic acid isomers are below the limit of quantitation.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SEMICONDUCTOR INJECTION LASERS SELCO-87: Liquid phase epitaxial growth of GaInAsP/InP laser structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nohavica, D.; Têminová, J.; Berková, D.; Zagrádková, M.; Kortan, I.; Zelinka, I.; Walachová, I.; Malina, V.

1988-11-01

A modified single-phase liquid phase epitaxy method was developed on the basis of a novel variant of the growth boat. The method was used to grow GaInAsP/InP double heterostructures for lasers emitting at 1.3 and 1.55 μm. The main properties of wide-contact diodes (radiation power and threshold current density) were adopted as the characteristics of the quality of heterostructures characterized by different configurations of active and guiding layers. The quality of the structure was confirmed by the fabrication of laser diodes of the following types: stripe with oxide insulation, clad-ridge waveguide, and double-channel planar buried.

Instability of the sliding Luttinger liquid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fleurov, V.; Kagalovsky, V.; Lerner, I. V.; Yurkevich, I. V.

2018-05-01

We revise a phase diagram for the sliding Luttinger liquid (SLL) of coupled one-dimensional quantum wires packed in two- or three-dimensional arrays in the absence of a magnetic field. We analyse whether physically justifiable (reasonable) inter-wire interactions, i.e. either the screened Coulomb or ‘Coulomb-blockade’ type interactions, stabilise the SLL phase. Calculating the scaling dimensions of the most relevant perturbations (the inter-wire single-particle hybridisation, charge-density wave, and superconducting inter-wire couplings), we find that their combination always destroys the SLL phase for the repulsive intra-wire interaction. However, suppressing the inter-wire tunnelling of repulsive fermions (when the charge-density wave is the only remaining perturbation), one can observe a stability region emerging due to the inter-wire forward scattering interaction.

Formation of gapless Z 2 spin liquid phase manganites in the (Sm1- y Gd y )0.55Sr0.45MnO3 system in zero magnetic field: Topological phase transitions to states with low and high density of 2D-vortex pairs induced by the magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bukhan'ko, F. N.; Bukhan'ko, A. F.

2017-12-01

The evolution of the ground state of the manganese spin ensemble in the (Sm1- y Gd y )0.55Sr0.45MnO3 in the case of isovalent substitution of rare-earth samarium ions with large radii with gadolinium ions with significantly smaller radii is studied. The measured temperature dependences of the ac magnetic susceptibility and the field dependences of the dc magnetizations are analyzed using the Heisenberg-Kitaev model describing the transition from the ordered spin state with classical isotropic AFM exchange to the frustrated spin state with quantum highly anisotropic FM exchange. A continuous transition from the 3D ferromagnetic state of manganese spins in the initial sample with y = 0 to zigzag AFM ordering of CE-type spins in ab planes for y = 0.5, coexisting in samples with y = 0.5, 0.6, and 0.7 at temperatures below T N ≅ 48.5 K with a disordered phase such as a quantum Griffiths phase is identified. As the gadolinium concentration further increases, the CE-type zigzag AFM structure is molten, which leads to the appearance of an unusual phase in Gd0.55Sr0.45MnO3 in the temperature range close to the absolute zero. This phase has characteristic features of a gapless Z 2 quantum spin liquid in zero external magnetic field. The step changes in the magnetization isotherms measured at 4.2 K in the field range of ±75 kOe are explained by quantum phase transitions of the Z 2 spin liquid to a phase with topological order in weak magnetic fields and a polarized phase in strong fields. The significant difference between critical fields and magnetization jumps in isotherms indicates the existence of hysteretic phenomena in quantum spin liquid magnetization-demagnetization processes caused by the difference between localization-delocalization of 2D vortex pairs induced by a magnetic field in a quantum spin liquid with disorder.

Two-Phase Annular Flow in Helical Coil Flow Channels in a Reduced Gravity Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keshock, Edward G.; Lin, Chin S.

1996-01-01

A brief review of both single- and two-phase flow studies in curved and coiled flow geometries is first presented. Some of the complexities of two-phase liquid-vapor flow in curved and coiled geometries are discussed, and serve as an introduction to the advantages of observing such flows under a low-gravity environment. The studies proposed -- annular two-phase air-water flow in helical coil flow channels are described. Objectives of the studies are summarized.

Protein synthesis and the recovery of both survival and cytoplasmic "petite" mutation in ultraviolet-treated yeast cells. I. Nuclear-directed protein synthesis.

PubMed

Heude, M; Chanet, R; Moustacchi, E

1975-04-01

The contribution of nuclear-directed protein synthesis in the repair of lethal and mitochondrial genetic damage after UV-irradiation of exponential and stationary phage haploid yeast cells was examined. This was carried out using cycloheximide (CH), a specific inhibitor of nuclear protein synthesis. It appears that nuclear protein synthesis is required for the increase in survival seen after the liquid holding of cells at both stages, as well as for the "petite" recovery seen after the liquid holding of exponential phase cells. The characteristic negative liquid holding effect observed for the UV induction of "petites" in stationary phase cells (increase of the frequency of "petites" during storage) remained following all the treatments which inhibited nuclear protein synthesis. However, the application of photoreactivating light following dark holding with cycloheximide indicates that some steps of the repair of both nuclear and mitochondrial damage are performed in the absence of a synthesis of proteins.

The Phase Behavior Effect on the Reaction Engineering of Transesterification Reactions and Reactor Design for Continuous Biodiesel Production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Csernica, Stephen N.

The demand for renewable forms of energy has increased tremendously over the past two decades. Of all the different forms of renewable energy, biodiesel, a liquid fuel, has emerged as one of the more viable possibilities. This is in large part due to the fact that biodiesel can readily be used in modern day diesel engines with nearly no engine modifications. It is commonly blended with conventional petroleum-derived diesel but it can also be used neat. As a result of the continued growth of the industry, there has been a correspondingly large increase in the scientific and technical research conducted on the subject. Much of the research has been conducted on the feasibility of using different types of feedstocks, which generally vary with respect to geographic locale, as well as different types of catalysts. Much of the work of the present study was involved with the investigation of the binary liquid-liquid nature of the system and its effects on the reaction kinetics. Initially, the development of an analytical method for the analysis of the compounds present in transesterification reaction mixtures using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed. The use of UV(205 nm) as well as refractive index detection (RID) were shown capable to detect the various different types of components associated with transesterification reactions. Reversed-phase chromatography with isocratic elution was primarily used. Using a unique experimental apparatus enabling the simultaneous analysis of both liquid phases throughout the reaction, an experimental method was developed for measuring the reaction rate under both mass transfer control and reaction control. The transesterification reaction rate under each controlling mechanism was subsequently evaluated and compared. It was determined that the reaction rate is directly proportional to the concentration of triglycerides in the methanol phase. Furthermore, the reaction rate accelerates rapidly as the system transitions from two phases to a single phase, or pseudo-single phase. The transition to a single phase or pseudo-single phase is a function of the methanol content. Regardless, the maximum observed reaction rate occurs at the point of the phase transition, when the concentration of triglycerides in the methanol phase is largest. The phase transition occurs due to the accumulation of the primary product, biodiesel methyl esters. Through various experiments, it was determined that the rate of the triglyceride mass transfer into the methanol phase, as well as the solubility of triglycerides in methanol, increases with increasing methyl ester concentration. Thus, there exists some critical methyl ester concentration which favors the formation of a single or pseudo-single phase system. The effect of the by-product glycerol on the reaction kinetics was also investigated. It was determined that at low methanol to triglyceride molar ratios, glycerol acts to inhibit the reaction rate and limit the overall triglyceride conversion. This occurs because glycerol accumulates in the methanol phase, i.e. the primary reaction volume. When glycerol is at relatively high concentrations within the methanol phase, triglycerides become excluded from the reaction volume. This greatly reduces the reaction rate and limits the overall conversion. As the concentration of methanol is increased, glycerol becomes diluted and the inhibitory effects become dampened. Assuming pseudo-homogeneous phase behavior, a simple kinetic model incorporating the inhibitory effects of glycerol was proposed based on batch reactor data. The kinetic model was primarily used to theoretically compare the performance of different types of continuous flow reactors for continuous biodiesel production. It was determined that the inhibitory effects of glycerol result in the requirement of very large reactor volumes when using continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTR). The reactor volume can be greatly reduced using tubular style plug flow reactors (PFR). Despite this fact, the use of CSTRs is more common than the use of PFRs. This is mostly due to the fact that the two initial reactant phases are relatively immiscible and significant agitation is generally supplied to initiate the reaction. Based on the theoretical results, however, the use of a packed-bed tubular flow reactor was investigated experimentally. A series of two tubular flow reactors was built in the laboratory. The first reactor was of the shell and tube variety and also functioned as a preheater. The second reactor was larger and contained a packed-bed. Two different flow configurations were invested, upflow-upflow and downflow-downflow. It was determined that the downflow-downflow configuration provided significantly better triglyceride conversions that the upflow-upflow configuration.

Advantages of using tetrahydrofuran-water as mobile phases in the quantitation of cyclosporin A in monkey and rat plasma by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Li, Austin C; Li, Yinghe; Guirguis, Micheal S; Caldwell, Robert G; Shou, Wilson Z

2007-01-04

A new analytical method is described here for the quantitation of anti-inflammatory drug cyclosporin A (CyA) in monkey and rat plasma. The method used tetrahydrofuran (THF)-water mobile phases to elute the analyte and internal standard, cyclosporin C (CyC). The gradient mobile phase program successfully eluted CyA into a sharp peak and therefore improved resolution between the analyte and possible interfering materials compared with previously reported analytical approaches, where CyA was eluted as a broad peak due to the rapid conversion between different conformers. The sharp peak resulted from this method facilitated the quantitative calculation as multiple smoothing and large number of bunching factors were not necessary. The chromatography in the new method was performed at 30 degrees C instead of 65-70 degrees C as reported previously. Other advantages of the method included simple and fast sample extraction-protein precipitation, direct injection of the extraction supernatant to column for analysis, and elimination of evaporation and reconstitution steps, which were needed in solid phase extraction or liquid-liquid extraction reported before. This method is amenable to high-throughput analysis with a total chromatographic run time of 3 min. This approach has been verified as sensitive, linear (0.977-4000 ng/mL), accurate and precise for the quantitation of CyA in monkey and rat plasma. However, compared with the usage of conventional mobile phases, the only drawback of this approach was the reduced detection response from the mass spectrometer that was possibly caused by poor desolvation in the ionization source. This is the first report to demonstrate the advantages of using THF-water mobile phases to elute CyA in liquid chromatography.

Fully automated multifunctional ultrahigh pressure liquid chromatography system for advanced proteome analyses

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

Lee, Jung Hwa; Hyung, Seok-Won; Mun, Dong-Gi

2012-08-03

A multi-functional liquid chromatography system that performs 1-dimensional, 2-dimensional (strong cation exchange/reverse phase liquid chromatography, or SCX/RPLC) separations, and online phosphopeptides enrichment using a single binary nano-flow pump has been developed. With a simple operation of a function selection valve, which is equipped with a SCX column and a TiO2 (titanium dioxide) column, a fully automated selection of three different experiment modes was achieved. Because the current system uses essentially the same solvent flow paths, the same trap column, and the same separation column for reverse-phase separation of 1D, 2D, and online phosphopeptides enrichment experiments, the elution time information obtainedmore » from these experiments is in excellent agreement, which facilitates correlating peptide information from different experiments.« less

A hybrid approach to device integration on a genetic analysis platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brennan, Des; Jary, Dorothee; Kurg, Ants; Berik, Evgeny; Justice, John; Aherne, Margaret; Macek, Milan; Galvin, Paul

2012-10-01

Point-of-care (POC) systems require significant component integration to implement biochemical protocols associated with molecular diagnostic assays. Hybrid platforms where discrete components are combined in a single platform are a suitable approach to integration, where combining multiple device fabrication steps on a single substrate is not possible due to incompatible or costly fabrication steps. We integrate three devices each with a specific system functionality: (i) a silicon electro-wetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) device to move and mix sample and reagent droplets in an oil phase, (ii) a polymer microfluidic chip containing channels and reservoirs and (iii) an aqueous phase glass microarray for fluorescence microarray hybridization detection. The EWOD device offers the possibility of fully integrating on-chip sample preparation using nanolitre sample and reagent volumes. A key challenge is sample transfer from the oil phase EWOD device to the aqueous phase microarray for hybridization detection. The EWOD device, waveguide performance and functionality are maintained during the integration process. An on-chip biochemical protocol for arrayed primer extension (APEX) was implemented for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNiP) analysis. The prepared sample is aspirated from the EWOD oil phase to the aqueous phase microarray for hybridization. A bench-top instrumentation system was also developed around the integrated platform to drive the EWOD electrodes, implement APEX sample heating and image the microarray after hybridization.

Comparison of various types of stationary phases in non-aqueous reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry of glycerolipids in blackcurrant oil and its enzymatic hydrolysis mixture.

PubMed

Lísa, Miroslav; Holcapek, Michal; Sovová, Helena

2009-11-20

The selection of column packing during the development of high-performance liquid chromatography method is a crucial step to achieve sufficient chromatographic resolution of analyzed species in complex mixtures. Various stationary phases are tested in this paper for the analysis of complex mixture of triacylglycerols (TGs) in blackcurrant oil using non-aqueous reversed-phase (NARP) system with acetonitrile-2-propanol mobile phase. Conventional C(18) column in the total length of 45 cm is used for the separation of TGs according to their equivalent carbon number, the number and positions of double bonds and acyl chain lengths. The separation of TGs and their more polar hydrolysis products after the partial enzymatic hydrolysis of blackcurrant oil in one chromatographic run is achieved using conventional C(18) column. Retention times of TGs are reduced almost 10 times without the loss of the chromatographic resolution using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography with 1.7 microm C(18) particles. The separation in NARP system on C(30) column shows an unusual phenomenon, because the retention order of TGs changes depending on the column temperature, which is reported for the first time. The commercial monolithic column modified with C(18) is used for the fast analysis of TGs to increase the sample throughput but at cost of low resolution.

Benzoic Acid and Chlorobenzoic Acids: Thermodynamic Study of the Pure Compounds and Binary Mixtures With Water.

PubMed

Reschke, Thomas; Zherikova, Kseniya V; Verevkin, Sergey P; Held, Christoph

2016-03-01

Benzoic acid is a model compound for drug substances in pharmaceutical research. Process design requires information about thermodynamic phase behavior of benzoic acid and its mixtures with water and organic solvents. This work addresses phase equilibria that determine stability and solubility. In this work, Perturbed-Chain Statistical Associating Fluid Theory (PC-SAFT) was used to model the phase behavior of aqueous and organic solutions containing benzoic acid and chlorobenzoic acids. Absolute vapor pressures of benzoic acid and 2-, 3-, and 4-chlorobenzoic acid from literature and from our own measurements were used to determine pure-component PC-SAFT parameters. Two binary interaction parameters between water and/or benzoic acid were used to model vapor-liquid and liquid-liquid equilibria of water and/or benzoic acid between 280 and 413 K. The PC-SAFT parameters and 1 binary interaction parameter were used to model aqueous solubility of the chlorobenzoic acids. Additionally, solubility of benzoic acid in organic solvents was predicted without using binary parameters. All results showed that pure-component parameters for benzoic acid and for the chlorobenzoic acids allowed for satisfying modeling phase equilibria. The modeling approach established in this work is a further step to screen solubility and to predict the whole phase region of mixtures containing pharmaceuticals. Copyright © 2016 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Design and dynamic analysis of a piezoelectric linear stage for pipetting liquid samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu-Jen, Wang; Chien, Lee; Yi-Bin, Jiang; Kuo-Chieh, Fu

2017-06-01

Piezoelectric actuators have been widely used in positioning stages because of their compact size, stepping controllability, and holding force. This study proposes a piezoelectric-driven stage composed of a bi-electrode piezoelectric slab, capacitive position sensor, and capillary filling detector for filling liquid samples into nanopipettes using capillary flow. This automatic sample-filling device is suitable for transmission electron microscopy image-based quantitative analysis of aqueous products with added nanoparticles. The step length of the actuator is adjusted by a pulse width modulation signal that depends on the stage position; the actuator stops moving once the capillary filling has been detected. A novel dynamic model of the piezoelectric-driven stage based on collision interactions between the piezoelectric actuator and the sliding clipper is presented. Unknown model parameters are derived from the steady state solution of the equivalent steady phase angle. The output force of the piezoelectric actuator is formulated using the impulse and momentum principle. Considering the applied forces and related velocity between the sliding clipper and the piezoelectric slab, the stage dynamic response is confirmed with the experimental results. Moreover, the model can be used to explain the in-phase slanted trajectories of piezoelectric slab to drive sliders, but not elliptical trajectories. The maximum velocity and minimum step length of the piezoelectric-driven stage are 130 mm s-1 and 1 μm respectively.

Microfluidic step-emulsification in axisymmetric geometry.

PubMed

Chakraborty, I; Ricouvier, J; Yazhgur, P; Tabeling, P; Leshansky, A M

2017-10-25

Biphasic step-emulsification (Z. Li et al., Lab Chip, 2015, 15, 1023) is a promising microfluidic technique for high-throughput production of μm and sub-μm highly monodisperse droplets. The step-emulsifier consists of a shallow (Hele-Shaw) microchannel operating with two co-flowing immiscible liquids and an abrupt expansion (i.e., step) to a deep and wide reservoir. Under certain conditions the confined stream of the disperse phase, engulfed by the co-flowing continuous phase, breaks into small highly monodisperse droplets at the step. Theoretical investigation of the corresponding hydrodynamics is complicated due to the complex geometry of the planar device, calling for numerical approaches. However, direct numerical simulations of the three dimensional surface-tension-dominated biphasic flows in confined geometries are computationally expensive. In the present paper we study a model problem of axisymmetric step-emulsification. This setup consists of a stable core-annular biphasic flow in a cylindrical capillary tube connected co-axially to a reservoir tube of a larger diameter through a sudden expansion mimicking the edge of the planar step-emulsifier. We demonstrate that the axisymmetric setup exhibits similar regimes of droplet generation to the planar device. A detailed parametric study of the underlying hydrodynamics is feasible via inexpensive (two dimensional) simulations owing to the axial symmetry. The phase diagram quantifying the different regimes of droplet generation in terms of governing dimensionless parameters is presented. We show that in qualitative agreement with experiments in planar devices, the size of the droplets generated in the step-emulsification regime is independent of the capillary number and almost insensitive to the viscosity ratio. These findings confirm that the step-emulsification regime is solely controlled by surface tension. The numerical predictions are in excellent agreement with in-house experiments with the axisymmetric step-emulsifier.

Acquisition and correlation of cryogenic nitrogen mass flow data through a multiple orifice Joule-Thomson device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papell, S. Stephen; Saiyed, Naseem H.; Nyland, Ted W.

1990-05-01

Liquid nitrogen mass flow rate, pressure drop, and temperature drop data were obtained for a series of multiple orifice Joule-Thomson devices, known as Visco Jets, over a wide range of flow resistance. The test rig used to acquire the data was designed to minimize heat transfer so that fluid expansion through the Visco Jets would be isenthalpic. The data include a range of fluid inlet pressures from 30 to 60 psia, fluid inlet temperatures from 118 to 164 R, outlet pressures from 2.8 to 55.8 psia, outlet temperatures from 117 to 162 R and flow rate from 0.04 to 4.0 lbm/hr of nitrogen. A flow rate equation supplied by the manufacturer was found to accurately predict single-phase (noncavitating) liquid nitrogen flow through the Visco Jets. For cavitating flow, the manufacturer's equation was found to be inaccurate. Greatly improved results were achieved with a modified version of the single-phase equation. The modification consists of a multiplication factor to the manufacturer's equation equal to one minus the downstream quality on an isenthalpic expansion of the fluid across the Visco Jet. For a range of flow resistances represented by Visco Jet Lohm ratings between 17,600 and 80,000, 100 percent of the single-phase data and 85 percent of the two-phase data fall within + or - 10 percent of predicted values.

Liquid Metal Engineering by Application of Intensive Melt Shearing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patel, Jayesh; Zuo, Yubo; Fan, Zhongyun

In all casting processes, liquid metal treatment is an essential step in order to produce high quality cast products. A new liquid metal treatment technology has been developed which comprises of a rotor/stator set-up that delivers high shear rate to the liquid melt. It generates macro-flow in a volume of melt for distributive mixing and intensive shearing for dispersive mixing. The high shear device exhibits significantly enhanced kinetics for phase transformations, uniform dispersion, distribution and size reduction of solid particles and gas bubbles, improved homogenisation of chemical composition and temperature fields and also forced wetting of usually difficult-to-wet solid particles in the liquid metal. Hence, it can benefit various casting processes to produce high quality cast products with refined microstructure and enhanced mechanical properties. Here, we report an overview on the application of the new high shear technology to the processing of light metal alloys.

Dynamics of a radially expanding liquid sheet: Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majumdar, Nayanika; Tirumkudulu, Mahesh

2017-11-01

A recent theory predicts that sinuous waves generated at the center of a radially expanding liquid sheet grow spatially even in absence of a surrounding gas phase. Unlike flat liquid sheets, the thickness of a radially expanding liquid sheet varies inversely with distance from the center of the sheet. To test the predictions of the theory, experiments were carried out on a horizontal, radially expanding liquid sheet formed by collision of a single jet on a solid impactor. The latter was placed on a speaker-vibrator with controlled amplitude and frequency. The growth of sinuous waves was determined by measuring the wave surface inclination angle using reflected laser light under both atmospheric and sub-atmospheric pressure conditions. It is shown that the measured growth rate matches with the predictions of the theory over a large range of Weber numbers for both pressure conditions suggesting that the thinning of the liquid sheet plays a dominant role in setting the growth rate of sinuous waves with minimal influence of the surrounding gas phase on its dynamics. IIT Bombay.

VO{sub 2} (A): Reinvestigation of crystal structure, phase transition and crystal growth mechanisms

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

Rao Popuri, Srinivasa; University of Bordeaux, ICMCB, UPR 9048, F-33608 Pessac; National Institute for Research and Development in Electrochemistry and Condensed Matter, Timisoara, Plautius Andronescu Str. No. 1, 300224 Timisoara

2014-05-01

Well crystallized VO{sub 2} (A) microrods were grown via a single step hydrothermal reaction in the presence of V{sub 2}O{sub 5} and oxalic acid. With the advantage of high crystalline samples, we propose P4/ncc as an appropriate space group at room temperature. From morphological studies, we found that the oriented attachment and layer by layer growth mechanisms are responsible for the formation of VO{sub 2} (A) micro rods. The structural and electronic transitions in VO{sub 2} (A) are strongly first order in nature, and a marked difference between the structural transition temperatures and electronic transitions temperature was evidenced. The reversiblemore » intra- (LTP-A to HTP-A) and irreversible inter- (HTP-A to VO{sub 2} (M1)) structural phase transformations were studied by in-situ powder X-ray diffraction. Attempts to increase the size of the VO{sub 2} (A) microrods are presented and the possible formation steps for the flower-like morphologies of VO{sub 2} (M1) are described. - Graphical abstract: Using a single step and template free hydrothermal synthesis, well crystallized VO{sub 2} (A) microrods were prepared and the P4/ncc space group was assigned to the room temperature crystal structure. Reversible and irreversible phase transitions among different VO{sub 2} polymorphs were identified and their progressive nature was highlighted. Attempts to increase the microrods size, involving layer by layer formation mechanisms, are presented. - Highlights: • Highly crystallized VO{sub 2} (A) microrods were grown via a single step hydrothermal process. • The P4/ncc space group was determined for VO{sub 2} (A) at room temperature. • The electronic structure and progressive nature of the structural phase transition were investigated. • A weak coupling between structural and electronic phase transitions was identified. • Different crystallite morphologies were discussed in relation with growth mechanisms.« less

Vortex phase diagram of the layered superconductor Cu0.03TaS2 for H \\parallel c

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, X. D.; Lu, J. C.; Sun, Y. P.; Pi, L.; Qu, Z.; Ling, L. S.; Yang, Z. R.; Zhang, Y. H.

2010-12-01

The magnetization and anisotropic electrical transport properties have been measured in high quality Cu0.03TaS2 single crystals. A pronounced peak effect has been observed, indicating that high quality and homogeneity are vital to the peak effect. A kink has been observed in the magnetic field, H, dependence of the in-plane resistivity ρab for H\\parallel c , which corresponds to a transition from activated to diffusive behavior of the vortex liquid phase. In the diffusive regime of the vortex liquid phase, the in-plane resistivity ρab is proportional to H0.3, which does not follow the Bardeen-Stephen law for free flux flow. Finally, a simplified vortex phase diagram of Cu0.03TaS2 for H \\parallel c is given.

Activation Energy of the Low-pH-Induced Lamellar to Bicontinuous Cubic Phase Transition in Dioleoylphosphatidylserine/Monoolein.

PubMed

Oka, Toshihiko; Saiki, Takahiro; Alam, Jahangir Md; Yamazaki, Masahito

2016-02-09

Electrostatic interaction is an important factor for phase transitions between lamellar liquid-crystalline (Lα) and inverse bicontinuous cubic (QII) phases. We investigated the effect of temperature on the low-pH-induced Lα to double-diamond cubic (QII(D)) phase transition in dioleoylphosphatidylserine (DOPS)/monoolein (MO) using time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering with a stopped-flow apparatus. Under all conditions of temperature and pH, the Lα phase was directly transformed into an intermediate inverse hexagonal (HII) phase, and subsequently the HII phase slowly converted to the QII(D) phase. We obtained the rate constants of the initial step (i.e., the Lα to HII phase transition) and of the second step (i.e., the HII to QII(D) phase transition) using the non-negative matrix factorization method. The rate constant of the initial step increased with temperature. By analyzing this result, we obtained the values of its apparent activation energy, Ea (Lα → HII), which did not change with temperature but increased with an increase in pH. In contrast, the rate constant of the second step decreased with temperature at pH 2.6, although it increased with temperature at pH 2.7 and 2.8. These results indicate that the value of Ea (HII → QII(D)) at pH 2.6 increased with temperature, but the values of Ea (HII → QII(D)) at pH 2.7 and 2.8 were constant with temperature. The values of Ea (HII → QII(D)) were smaller than those of Ea (Lα → HII) at the same pH. We analyzed these results using a modified quantitative theory on the activation energy of phase transitions of lipid membranes proposed initially by Squires et al. (Squires, A. M.; Conn, C. E.; Seddon, J. M.; Templer, R. H. Soft Matter 2009, 5, 4773). On the basis of these results, we discuss the mechanism of this phase transition.