British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Often, lifetime data come from experiments where failure times are grouped. The Weibull distribution is a popular distribution for modeling failure times. Maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) has outstanding large sample properties for the Weibull distribution. This article evaluates small sample properties of MLEs for grouped data. We evaluate sample size requirements for MLE asymptotic properties to take effect. We compare type I and type II censoring for pooled experiments and conclude that bias for the shape parameter estimate can be alarmingly high especially for type II censored data. Finally, we investigate the benefits of the pooled analysis.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

LiFePO{sub 4} cathode materials with distinct particle sizes were prepared by a planetary ball-milling method. The effects of particle size on the morphology, thermal stability and electrochemical performance of LiFePO{sub 4} cathode materials were investigated. The ball-milling method decreased particle size, thereby reducing the length of diffusion and improving the reversibility of the lithium ion intercalation/deintercalation. It is worth noting that the small particle sample prepared using malonic acid as a carbon source achieved a high capacity of 161 mAh g{sup -1} at a 0.1 C rate and had a very flat capacity curve during the early 50 cycles. However, the big particle samples ({proportional_to}400 nm) decayed more dramatically in capacity than the small particle size samples ({proportional_to}200 nm) at high ...

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The main object of the present study was to obtain the relationship of primary, secondary and index properties; compressibility; and angle of repose of coal ash. Representative samples of coal ash from different storage locations of Ropar thermal power plant, Punjab, were analysed. Based on test results of various primary characteristics of ash, the following observations have been made. (1) Ashes sampled for the study have a common mineralogical origin. The uniformity coefficient increases for ash collected near location of discharge compared to ash collected far from the location. (2) The void ratio extent, that is, a different of emax. or a ratio of emax. and emin. decreases with an increase of mean size. The maximum dry density obtained in dry vibration and proctor test differs for fine ash. Maximum dry density decreases and optimum moisture content increases with increase in mean size. Permeability ...

Science.gov (United States)

The variation of metallic particle size and sample porosity significantly alters the dynamic mechanical properties of high density granular composite materials processed using a cold isostatically pressed mixture of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), aluminum (Al), and tungsten (W) powders. Quasistatic and dynamic experiments are performed with identical constituent mass fractions with variations in the size of the W particles and pressing conditions. The relatively weak polymer matrix allows the strength and fracture modes of this material to be governed by the granular type behavior of agglomerated metal particles. A higher ultimate compressive strength was observed in relatively high porosity samples with small W particles compared to those with coarse W particles in all experiments. Mesoscale granular force chains of the metallic particles explain this unusual phenomenon as observed in hydrocode ...

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Physico-chemical studies were carried out on a sample of red mud collected from NALCO, Orissa, after calcination up to 1,200 C at an interval of 100 C. The observed change in properties like surface area, particle size, bulk density and mineral phases etc., can be profitably used while finding an appropriate application of this polluting waste from alumina plants.

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In this article a production method of a magnetorheological suspension composed with silicon steel particles of size 0.1-0.15 mm and 4% silicon content is described. Steel particles were dispersed in a conducting carrier of a by mixture of graphite particles with size 2-5 {mu}m and cedar wood oil. The filling factor of the suspension with the silicon steel particles and with graphite particles amounted to 0.25-0.40. Samples of this suspension were placed in a rectangular vessel with electrodes and used for the investigation of the Hall effect in magnetic field with induction 0-8 T, generated by Bitter-type magnet. A non-linear dependence of Hall voltage on the induction of the applied magnetic field and a hysteresis loop of this voltage in the shape of inclined digit eight were found. The causes of the observed effects is the ordering of silicon steel particles and graphite ...

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A new method for determining the year of birth, the year of death, and hence, the age at death, of post-bomb and recently deceased elephants has been developed. The technique is based on Accelerator Mass Spectrometry radiocarbon analyses of small-sized samples extracted from along the length of a ge-line of an elephant tusk. The measured radiocarbon concentrations in the samples from a tusk can be compared to the {sup 14}C atmospheric bomb-pulse curve to derive the growth years of the initial and final samples from the tusk. Initial data from the application of this method to two tusks will be presented. Potentially, the method may play a significant role in wildlife management practices of African national parks. Additionally, the method may contribute to the underpinnings of efforts to define new international trade regulations, which could, in effect, decrease poaching and the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abstract not provided

Science.gov (United States)

The critical currents of A-15 phase Nb(,3)Sn, V(,3)Si, Nb(,3)Ge, V(,3)Ga, and Nb-Sn with a few at.% Ga and Al(,2)O(,3) have been measured at temperatures up to T(,c) and in magnetic fields up to 8T to study fundamental flux pinning interactions as a function of defect size and density. The samples are electron beam evaporated films typically 2 (mu)m thick. Their particular usefulness for this study is that they span the clean to dirty limits and their normal state resistivity and grain size can be controlled by deposition parameters. The grain boundaries are the defects most responsible for flux pinning. The electron scattering mechanism is based on the local change in the coherence length due to increased conduction electron scattering and is chosen from among several possible mechanisms to calculate the elementary pinning force at a grain boundary. A direct summation of the elementary pinning force of each boundary is ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We present the results of Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) imaging of a sample of 19 high-mass passively evolving galaxies with 1.2 < z < 2, taken primarily from the Gemini Deep Deep Survey (GDDS). Around 80% of galaxies in our GDDS sample have spectra dominated by stars with ages #approx#>1 Gyr. Our rest-frame R-band images show that most of these objects have compact regular morphologies which follow the classical R "1"/"4 law. These galaxies scatter along a tight sequence in the size versus surface brightness parameter space which defines the Kormendy relation. Around one-third (3/10) of the massive red objects in the GDDS sample are extraordinarily compact, with effective radii under 1 kpc. Our NICMOS observations allow the detection of such systems more robustly than is possible with optical (rest-frame UV) data, and while similar systems ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The behavior of melter feed (a mixture of nuclear waste and glass-forming additives) during waste-glass processing has a significant impact on the rate of the vitrification process. We studied the effects of silica particle size and sucrose addition on the volumetric expansion (foaming) of a high-alumina feed and the rate of dissolution of silica particles in feed samples heated at 5 C/min up to 1200 C. The initial size of quartz particles in feed ranged from 5 to 195 {micro}m. The fraction of the sucrose added ranged from 0 to 0.20 g per g glass. Extensive foaming occurred only in feeds with 5-{micro}m quartz particles; particles {ge}150 {micro}m formed clusters. Particles of 5 {micro}m completely dissolved by 900 C whereas particles {ge}150 {micro}m did not fully dissolve even when the temperature reached 1200 C. Sucrose addition had virtually zero impact on both foaming and the dissolution of silica ...

Science.gov (United States)

Wade. Jackson. - Army. VTD at NASA. Langley. ABSTRACT. Panel size has a large effect on the impact response and resultant damage level of honeycomb sandwich ...

Wastenet

...forest products export revenue: call for new strategies by Roda Jean-Marc & Ismariah Ahmad & Rohana Abd Rahman & Lim Hin Fui &...pattern: the cards have changed by Roda Jean-Marc & Rohana Abd Rahman & Ismariah Ahmad & Lim Hin Fui & Mohd Parid Mamat [...] 2010, Volume 2010, Issue 07 15 Decision-making and sampling size effect by Ismariah Ahmad & Rohana Abd Rahman & Roda Jean-Marc & Lim Hin ... by Roda Jean-Marc & Ahmad Fauzi Puasa & Lim Hin Fui & Rohana Abd Rahman & Ismariah Ahmad [Downloadable!]...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

A test bench was designed and assembled to carry out impact tests on samples and components. The system allows simple and rapid adjustment of the test parameters, such as the shot size and air pressure, with good repeatability of the results. Tests on steel and light alloys were carried out under both as-produced condition and on thin hard-coated samples. Significant reductions in dimple dimensions were seen after coating. FE models simulating the experiments overestimated the dimple depths, although the parameter trend was satisfactorily captured. The residual stresses from coating and shot peening determined numerically are believed to have been proven effective against fatigue.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The bullet evidence in the JFK assassination investigation was reexamined from metallurgical and statistical standpoints. The questioned specimens are comprised of soft lead, possibly from full-metal-jacketed Mannlicher-Carcano, 6.5-mm ammunition. During lead refining, contaminant elements are removed to specified levels for a desired alloy or composition. Microsegregation of trace and minor elements during lead casting and processing can account for the experimental variabilities measured in various evidentiary and comparison samples by laboratory analysts. Thus, elevated concentrations of antimony and copper at crystallographic grain boundaries, the widely varying sizes of grains in Mannlicher-Carcano bullet lead, and the 5-60 mg bullet samples analyzed for assassination intelligence effectively resulted in operational sampling error for the analyses. This deficiency was not ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In this study, isothermal torsion tests were carried out on magnesium AZ31B alloy under constant strain rate conditions, in the range of 250 to 400 C at 0.01, 0.1, and 1.0 s{sup -1}. Alloy flow stress dependence on strain rate and temperature can be described by a power law with activation energy of 130 kJ/mol. Microstructural examination of hot deformed samples shows very fine recrystallized grains decorating grain boundaries of larger gains in the form of a necklace. These fine grains are produced by dynamic recrystallization at the grain boundaries of original grains. Microstructure evolution, based on samples quenched at different strain levels, indicates that increasing deformation strain has little effect on recrystallized grain size but widens the recrystallized region, with full recrystallization achieved at a certain high strain level. Recrystallized grain size increases ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chemical-looping combustion is a promising technology for the combustion of gas or solid fuel with efficient use of energy and inherent separation of CO{sub 2}. Chemical-looping combustion of methane with calcium sulfate as a novel oxygen carrier was conducted in a laboratory scale fixed bed reactor. The effects of reaction temperature, gas flow rate, sample mass, and particle size on reduction reactions were investigated and an optimum operating condition was determined. The results show that this novel oxygen carrier has a high reduction reactivity and stability in a long-time reduction/oxidation test. The conversions of CH{sub 4} increased with a higher temperature, smaller gas flow rate, larger sample mass and smaller particle size. The suitable reaction temperature seems to be around 950 C. Low temperatures lead to a low CH{sub 4} conversion, but a significant SO{sub 2} ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reactive milling of NiO + Al powder mixture resulted in the formation of NiAl-Al_2O_3 nanocomposite powders, with a crystallite size of about 20 nm. The Hall-Williamson analysis revealed that NiAl showed an orientation dependent crystallite size after short processing time and orientation dependent internal strain after long milling time. Both anisotropies were removed by heating the powders in the differential scanning calorimetry. Calorimetric studies showed one exothermic effect attributed to the reduction reaction of NiO and endothermic one associated with melting of Al. Two methods were applied for powders compaction: resistance sintering and pulse electric discharge. In both cases the densities of abut 90% of the theoretical value were achieved. A significant increase in average NiAl crystallites size in compacted samples was observed, up to several hundreds of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boat sampling technique (BST) is a surface sampling technique, which has been developed for obtaining, in-situ, metal samples from the surface of an operating component without affecting its operating service life. The BST is non-destructive in nature and the sample is obtained without plastic deformation or without thermal degradation of the parent material. The shape and size of the sample depends upon the shape of the cutter and the surface geometry of the parent material. Miniature test specimens are generated from the sample and the specimens are subjected to various tests, viz. Metallurgical Evaluation, Metallographic Evaluation, Micro-hardness Evaluation, sensitisation test, small punch test etc. to confirm the integrity and assessment of safe operating life of the component. This paper highlights design objective of boat ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In this study, liquid flame spray (LFS) was used to produce titania, silver and silver-titania deposits of nanoparticles. Titanium(IV)ethoxide (TEOT) and silver nitrate in ethanol solutions were used as precursors and sprayed into turbulent hydrogen-oxygen flame. Production rates of 1.5-40 mg/min of titania were used with silver additions of 1, 2, 4, and 8 wt% compared to titania. Nanoparticle deposits were collected by thermophoretic sampling at six different axial distances from the flame torch head: 3, 5, 10, 12, 15, and 20 cm, of which the all but the last one occurred inside the flame. The deposit samples were analysed by TEM and SAED analysis. The powder samples of the particles were also collected by electric precipitator to XPS and specific surface area analysis. Particle size and effective density after the flame in the aerosol were analysed with SMPS and ELPI. The results ...

Science.gov (United States)

The use of meta-analysis has become increasingly useful for clinical and policy decision making. A recent development in meta-analysis, multiple treatment comparison (MTC) meta-analysis, provides inferences on the comparative effectiveness of interventions that may have never been directly evaluated in clinical trials. This new approach may be confusing for clinicians and methodologists and raises specific challenges relevant to certain areas of medicine. This article addresses the methodological concepts of MTC meta-analysis, including issues of heterogeneity, choice of model, and adequacy of sample sizes. We address domain-specific challenges relevant to disciplines of medicine, including baseline risks of patient populations. We conclude that MTC meta-analysis is a useful tool in the context of comparative effectiveness and requires further study, as its utility and transparency will likely predict ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

BaTi_0_._9(Ni_1_/_2W_1_/_2)_0_._1O_3 ceramics were fabricated and their dielectric properties were investigated. With the sintering temperature increasing from 1250 to 1280 deg. C, the grain size abruptly increases from 1-2 to 20-40 #mu#m, accompanying significant changes in dielectric response. The samples with larger grains exhibit giant dielectric constant characteristics, which are considered to be mainly attributed to the domain boundary effect. The activation energies of the dielectric relaxation E_r_e_l_a_x=0.325 eV reveal the existence of microdomains in larger grains. The ac conductivity results also give the evidence of the domain boundary effect in the present ceramics.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In nuclear fuel, in approximately one quarter of the fissions, one of the two formed fission products is gaseous. These are mainly the noble gases xenon and krypton with isotopes of xenon contributing up to 90% of the product gases. These noble fission gases do not combine with other species, and have a low solubility in the normally used uranium oxide matrix. They can be dissolved in the fuel matrix or precipitate in nanometer-sized bubbles within the fuel grain, in micrometer-sized bubbles at the grain boundaries, and a fraction also precipitates in fuel pores, coming from fuel fabrication. A fraction of the gas can also be released into the plenum of the fuel rod. With increasing fission, and therefore burn-up, the ceramic fuel material experiences a transformation of its structure in the 'cooler' rim region of the fuel. A subdivision occurs of the original fuel grains of few microns size into thousands ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Linkage disequilibrium (LD) between densely spaced, polymorphic genetic markers in humans and other species contains information about historical population size. Inferring past population size is of...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A bulge-disk decomposition is made for 737 spiral and lenticular galaxies drawn from a Sloan Digital Sky Survey galaxy sample for which morphological types are estimated. We carry out the bulge-disk decomposition using the growth curve fitting method. It is found that bulge properties, effective radius, effective surface brightness, and also absolute magnitude, change systematically with the morphological sequence; from early to late types, the size becomes somewhat larger, and surface brightness and luminosity fainter. In contrast, disks are nearly universal, their properties remaining similar among disk galaxies irrespective of detailed morphologies from S0 to Sc. While these tendencies were often discussed in previous studies, the present study confirms them based on a large homogeneous magnitude-limited field galaxy sample with morphological types estimated. The systematic ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The present work focuses on the transformation of high-purity Ni powder blends of controlled volume fractions (40 and 60 %) of nanometre-sized (100 nm) and micrometre-sized (544 nm) particles into bulk samples as part of a strategy for producing ultrafine-grained materials usefully exhibiting both strength and ductility. The process involved cold isostatic pressing at 1.5 GPa and sintering. The resulting bulk samples had relative densities near 95 %, were texture-free, and exhibited two different grain size distributions with an average value of 600 #+-# 30 nm. The mechanical properties were investigated by compression and microhardness tests, both at room temperature, and compared to the behaviour of a sample processed from micrometre-sized powder only. Samples prepared from the blends exhibited high yield stresses of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The thermal recovery of superconducting elements working as secondaries in fault current limiters can be enhanced by taking advantage of the removal of heat by conduction from an array of artificial weak zones (AWZ) distributed along the superconductor perimeter (hot parts) to the non-weak segments (cold parts). These results were obtained by studying samples with weak parts in the shape of grooves, all identical in size. In this paper we consider the case in which one of the AWZ is slightly different from the rest. Our results show that a change in its length has a negligible effect. On the contrary, a groove which is slightly deeper can be overheated and hence can strongly determine the recovery time of the whole limiter.

Science.gov (United States)

The relationship between processing, microstructure, and properties was studied for A-15 compounds in multifilamentary composites produced by solid-state diffusion and in thin-film samples produced by vapor deposition. Grain sizes of A-15 superconducting compounds were measured by transmission electron microscopy of multifilamentary composites reacted at various temperatures. Critical current densities at 4.2 K and fields up to 6 T were found to be similar for niobium-tin, vanadium-gallium, and vanadium-silicon of the same grain size. Study of the Cu-V-Si phase diagram led to the production of improved multifilamentary vanadium-silicon conductors. The effects of various alloying elements on A-15 layers produced by solid-state diffusion were studied. The most promising new observation was that tantalum can be incorporated into niobium-tin reaction layers, leading to an enhancement of critical currents at ...

Science.gov (United States)

Two major modes of CO adsorption on SiO{sub 2}-supported Pd reflect different extents of back-donation, which is, at least in part, controlled by the local electron density at the adsorption site. The fraction of CO in the bridging mode (B) increases and that of the linear mode (L) decreases, with increasing size of the Pd particles, indicating high electron density at Pd atoms in terraces of close-packed crystal faces, in agreement with Smoluchowski's classical model. For samples reduced at 300{degree}C our data points and those of other authors are located on a common curve of B/L vs metal dispersion. Extensive reduction at 600{degree}C results in significantly lower B/L values, attributed to the incipient formation of a palladium silicide. Oxidation followed by reduction at 300{degree}C destroys the silicide, and the B/L value returns to the original curve.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holmium doped barium based hexaferrites BaFe_1_2_-_2_xHo_2_xO_1_9 with (x = 0.0-1.0) were synthesized by solid state reaction method. Structural and magnetic characterization of these ferrites provide significant information about their reactive physical properties. X-ray analysis reveals that in all samples M-type structure exist with few secondary phases. Scanning electron microscope revealed the grain size of the specimen. The results show that grain size decreases with the substitution degree of Holmium. Thus rare earth element Holmium Ho"3"+ acts as a grain growth inhibitor. The magnetic hysteresis loops show the variation in the values of magnetic parameters like saturation magnetization (M_s), remanent magnetization (M_r) and coercivity (H_c) were observed by changing Ho"3"+ content in BaFe_1_2_-_2_xHo_2_xO_1_9 ferrites. Coercivity showed a maximum value of 2230 Oe for (x = 0.4) and then decreasing trend were ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

In this research, the interactive effect of grain and specimen sizes on the flow stress of sheet metal in microforming is investigated via the tensile test of pure copper and numerical modeling. Models based on different assumptions are proposed to analyze the size effect phenomenon. It is found that the flow stress decreases linearly with the decrease of the ratio of specimen to grain sizes. The grain boundary thickness decreases and its volume fraction increases with the decrease of grain size. The variation of grain boundary thickness is not proportional to the variation of grain size. Furthermore, the fraction of grain boundary increases with the strain and the ratio of specimen to grain sizes. Based on the FE simulation, it is found that the simulated flow stress, which is modeled bas...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The effective population size (N_e) is an important parameter in ecology, evolutionary biology and conservation biology. It is, however, notoriously difficult to estimate,...Full Text Available

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Udgivelsesdato: 2008-Sep

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

For the first time, rheological phase method, a simple and effective route, is applied to synthesize novel cathode material LiCoPO4. X-ray diffraction spectrometer (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) are taken to investigate this material, respectively. XRD figure shows that the rheological sample is better crystallized than the solid-state one. XPS result of the rheological sample exhibits that the valence of Co is 2+. TEM images show that better dispersed particles with smaller size can be formed by rheological method comparing to the solid-state route. Charge-discharge test is carried out in the range of 3.0-5.0 V at 0.2 mA cm-2. The initial discharge capacity for rheological phase and solid-state powder is 71.5 and 30.9 mAh g-1, respectively. The better electrochemical property should be ascribed to ...

CERN Document Server

Containing an epidemic at its origin is the most desirable mitigation. Epidemics have often originated in rural areas, with rural communities among the first affected. Disease dynamics in rural regions have received limited attention, and results of general studies cannot be directly applied since population densities and human mobility factors are very different in rural regions from those in cities. We create a network model of a rural community in Kansas, USA, by collecting data on the contact patterns and computing rates of contact among a sampled population. We model the impact of different mitigation strategies detecting closely connected groups of people and frequently visited locations. Within those groups and locations, we compare the effectiveness of random and targeted vaccinations using a Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Recovered compartmental model on the contact network. Our simulations show that the targeted vaccinations of only 10% ...

CERN Document Server

Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is an important tool of dimension reduction especially when the dimension (or the number of variables) is very high. Asymptotic studies where the sample size is fixed, and the dimension grows [i.e., High Dimension, Low Sample Size (HDLSS)] are becoming increasingly relevant. We investigate the asymptotic behavior of the Principal Component (PC) directions. HDLSS asymptotics are used to study consistency, strong inconsistency and subspace consistency. We show that if the first few eigenvalues of a population covariance matrix are large enough compared to the others, then the corresponding estimated PC directions are consistent or converge to the appropriate subspace (subspace consistency) and most other PC directions are strongly inconsistent. Broad sets of sufficient conditions for each of these cases are specified and the main theorem gives a catalogue of possible ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Recently we have found a highly effective additive for the melt growth processings attaining high critical currents in YBCO superconductor. It is platinum and it behaves as an effective grain growth inhibitor for the Y{sub 2}BaCuO{sub 5} phase. Even with less than 1 wt.% doping, Y{sub 2}BaCuO{sub 5} particles becomes less than one micron in size and distribute themselves to become homogeneously embedded in the large grown YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub y} grains. The sample shows large magnetic hysteresis and a typical J{sub c} value estimated by using Bean's model critical state model is 18000 A/cm{sup 2} at 77 K and 1 T. We found that rhodium has a similar remarkable effect. (orig.).

Science.gov (United States)

... CAMOUFLAGE PATTERS- EFFECTS OFSIZE AND COL0R.-(U I'. * ... Camouflage, survei.Ilance, countersurveiliance, vi~sion, color ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bench Scale methane cracking tests have been completed using a stack of ten whole SAES(R) St909 pellets - a 6 gram sample size. Methane was found to be the most difficult impurity to process and can impact diffuser operation.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Cerebral atrophy rate is increasingly used as an outcome measure for Alzheimer's disease (AD) trials. We used the Alzheimer's disease Neuroimaging initiative (ADNI) dataset to assess if adjusting...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Sensitivity and specificity measure inherent validity of a diagnostic test against a gold standard. Researchers develop new diagnostic methods to reduce the cost, risk, invasiveness, and time. Adequate...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Three kinds of thin AZ31 wrought magnesium alloys sheets were used in order to investigate the influence of the second phase particles on fracture toughness. From the theoretical model, the ratio of {lambda}{sub p}/d{sub p} would be estimated 5 {proportional_to} 6. On the other hand, from the microstructural observation, average particle spacing on each material was sample A: 13.1 {mu}m, sample B: 14.1, and sample C: 12 {mu}. In addition, average particle size on each sample was sample A: 2.1, sample B: 1.9, and sample C: 2.3 {mu}m. Therefore, the ratio of {lambda}{sub p}/d{sub p} calculated from fracture surface observation would be predicted 6 {proportional_to} 7. In comparison with the result of the prediction by theoretical analysis was in good agreement with the result of fracture toughness observation. It was found ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This paper reports that grinding and polishing affected the orientation of 90 degrees domains at the surface of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics. This was quantified by using changes in the intensity ratio of the (002) and (200) X-ray reflections. Grinding unpoled PZT with 600-grit SiC paper gave X-ray intensity ratios similar to those of poled material. This implies that 90 degrees domain realignments had occurred in the near surface region probed by the X-rays. Grinding poled samples with 600-grit SiC further increased the X-ray intensity ratio beyond that caused by poling, indicating that additional surface reorientation of 90 degrees domains had occurred. The effects of diamond polishing depended on the size of the diamond particles. The use of 6-#mu#m diamond had no effect on the (002)/(200) intensity ratio of either poled or unpoled samples, while polishing with 15- or ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The dynamics of a cluster-type system formed by constant total number of molecules, M, is studied when clusters change their sizes by nearest-size transitions (the Szilard model) with time-dependent boundary conditions and non-zero initial cluster size distribution. We compare these results to those reported previously, when non-stationary cluster size distribution was considered under the condition that only monomers are present in the system at the initial moment t=0, and describe the effect of arbitrary pre-existing clusters on the time evolution of the interacting clusters with different sizes, n. The average group size problem is also solved, and the process of relaxation in the system is studied. authors)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is interested in developing tools and methods for potential U.S. use in designing and evaluating safeguards systems. For this goal several DOE National Laboratories are defining the characteristics of typical facilities of several size scales, and the safeguards measures and instrumentation that could be applied. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is providing systems modeling and analysis of facility and safeguards operations, diversion path generation, and safeguards system effectiveness. The constituent elements of diversion scenarios are structured using directed graphs (digraphs) and fault trees. Safeguards indicator probabilities are based on sampling statistics and/or measurement accuracies. Scenarios are ranked based on value and quantity of material removed and the estimated probability of non-detection. Significant scenarios, especially those involving timeliness or randomly ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

An ultrasmall spot size scanning laser ophthalmoscope has been developed that employs an annular aberration-corrected incident beam to increase the effective numerical aperture of the eye thereby reducing...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

It is known that in size reduction of the granular structure of ferrite and ferrite-pearlite steels the temperature of the transformation from ductile to brittle condition is lowered. This effect can also be caused by an increase in the dispersity of intragrain and intergrain segregations (sulfides, carbonitrides, and segregations of impurity atoms), which accompanies grain size reduction and promotes initiation and propagation of cracks. In order to clarify the mechanism of fracture of steel in the region of the ductile-brittle transition steel 45 with different grain sizes and pearlite morphologies has been investigated.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The authors have examined the pyrolysis of Argonne samples of Wyodak and Illinois No. 6 coal in argon, undecane, Tetralin, and water. The effects of the pyrolysis on individual particles of coal were monitored visually in a cell with diamond windows capable of operation to temperature and pressures in excess of 500{degrees}C and 3000 psi. The changes in the particles from ambient to 460{degrees}C were recorded in real time on video tape, and images were then taken from the tape record and analyzed. The study showed that in argon both coals developed tars at 350{degrees}-370{degrees}C. The tars then quickly evaporated, leaving core particles remarkably similar in size and shape to the initial particles. These observations suggest that coal does not melt nor become fully liquid when heated. Nor does the softened coal undergo crosslinking to generate coke. Rather the simple loss of volatiles leaves behind the core residue as ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Molecular dynamics computer simulations of a dense nanocrystalline Nickel sample are performed on the parallel Cray T3 (EPFL-Lausanne). The sample contains 50 grains with an average size of 3 nm. By perturbing the relaxed configuration elastic and plastic properties are studied. (author) 1 fig., 1 ref.

Science.gov (United States)

The study of the intrinsic behavior of high transition temperature copper-oxide superconductors (HTSC) has proven to be challenging because of the extreme sensitivity of their transport properties on material quality. These compounds are characterized by a high degree of structural and electrical anisotropy, and a very short superconductive coherence length of the same order as the size of the crystalline unit cell (~5-30 A). As a result, microscopic defects such as oxygen vacancies, cationic disorder, and the presence of minute impurities have a significant effect on electrical transport in these materials. Therefore, much effort has been expended in synthesizing sizable samples that are homogeneous, well characterized, and emenable to the study of the anisotropic properties of the HTSC. We have demonstrated that thin films of HTSC compounds such as rm YBa_2Cu_3O_{7 -delta}, which is a 92 K superconductor, can be ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The ductile-brittle transition behavior of neutron-irradiated welded A533B C1.1 steel has been studied by means of small specimen test technique for discussing the specimen size effects on the impact properties. Standard size, one-third size and 1.5 mm size Charpy V-notch specimens were prepared. Neutron irradiation was performed in JMTR with fluencies up to 0.75 and 1.3x10"2"4 n/m"2 (E > 1 MeV). Normalization of the USE is done by a curve fitting method and the USE of different size of specimens can be expressed by the equation; E=a x B"n, where a is a constant and n is an exponent. There observed linear relationships between DBTTs obtained using standard and sub-sized specimens. (author)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In this report, the quantitative relation between the height equivalent to a theoretical plate (HETP) and the size of ion exchange resin is studied by enriching lithium isotopes with high pressure ion exchange displacement chromatography. The dependence of HETP on the size of the resin can be expressed as H = C x (anti r)sup( ) in which = 2.4 and it is found that Snyder's equation is suitable for such a system of isotope separation as may be explained by the simple displacement mechanism.

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gastric evacuation experiments were performed on whiting Merlangius merlangus fed discrete meals of different sizes. Herring Clupea harengus, sandeel Ammodytes tobianus, common goby Pomatoschistus microps, and brown shrimp Crangon crangon were tested as prey. A simple power model to describe gastric evacuation was evaluated and compared with a power model expanded as a function of meal size. The model parameters were estimated by means of nonlinear least squares. When all meal sizes were included the estimates of the power (curvature) parameter in the expanded model were within the range 0.36-0.77 for the different prey. The power estimates in the simple model were generally close to 0.5. The exception was crustacean prey, which gave a higher value. In the simple model the power estimate represents a compromise between the curvatures of the curves fitted to the observations for each meal size and the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A series of spinel Li4Ti5O12 samples were synthesized via a composite molten-salt method (CMSM) using the mixtures of LiCl and KCl with different L values (L is defined as the molar ratio of LiCl:KCl) as the reaction media. It is found that the melting point of the composite molten salt can effectively influence the formation of particles, and leads to different electrochemical performances of the as-prepare Li4Ti5O12. The investigations of X-ray diffraction (XRD), particle size distribution (PSD), Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET) surface area, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicate that the as-prepared Li4Ti5O12 with L = 1.5 is a pure phase, and has uniform homogeneous octahedral shape particles, rather narrow PSD, and high BET surface area. Electrochemical tests show that the optimized Li4Ti5O12 with L = 1.5 has an initial discharge capacity of 169 mAh g-1 and an initial charge-discharge efficiency of 94% at 0.2 C ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An experimental investigation of premixed methane-air combustion within the one-dimensional porous ceramic burners for various burner configurations is presented. The burner is nonhomogeneous because of different pore size ceramic block used in different section of the burner. Therefore, the thermophysical and transport properties are nonuniform along the burner core length. The burners are constructed of partially stabilized zirconia. The CO and NO{sub x} emissions, flame speed, and flame stability are examined and compared at lean equivalence ratios for five different burner configurations. The sandwich-structured burner has very favorable flame stabilizing characteristic due to the radiation reflecting region. While the combustion proceeds at faster rate than other burner configurations, the radiation reflecting region and the exit surface have low temperature. Thus the NO{sub x} emission can be kept at the same low level as the other burner configurations ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

For an ultrafine grain ferrite/cementite (UGF/C) steel, the Charpy impact energy was measured at temperatures from 373K to 4.2K, and tensile tests were carried out at temperatures between 323K and 77K. For the steel with annealed microstructure, the ductile-to-brittle transition appearance temperature (DBTT) was lower than the Charpy transition temperature (CTT). With increasing annealing time at 873K, the DBTT and the CTT increased, and the DBTT approached the CTT. The DBTT decreased with decreasing effective grain size. The effective grain size correlated to the grain size of the larger grain size peak in the distribution of grains with {100} planes. The annealed microstructures had higher yield strength for equivalent toughness (including upper shelf energy, DBTT and CTT) compared to th...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The presence of water in export coals increases transport and handling costs. Coarse (+0.5 mm) coal constitutes the majority of the product, and small changes in its final moisture content will have a significant effect on overall product moisture. An on-line moisture monitor was installed on a product belt immediately after a coarse coal centrifuge to continuously measure the moisture content of the coal from a single centrifuge. Basic studies were also conducted with a laboratory centrifuge specifically designed to characterize various coarse coal samples in terms of their water retention capacity. The moisture of the coarse coal (typically 6 to 9%) was found to vary by at least 1% at a particular plant, and by a number of percentage points between plants. An empirical model has been developed which can explain about 80% of the moisture variation from the 25 samples investigated. The rank of the coals ranged from 0.7 to ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The pore structure of volcanic clasts is examined using measurements of porosity, permeability, and electrical properties. Permeability varies by several orders of magnitude among volcanic clasts and does not depend solely upon porosity. Electrical property measurements of saturated volcanic samples illustrate the influence of pathway tortuosity and pore shape on permeability. For equivalent eruption conditions, silicic samples show higher tortuosities, smaller vesicle sizes, and lower permeabilities than mafic samples. These differences are largely due to variations in vesiculation and crystallization history. Differences between explosive and effusive samples reflect the relative ability of bubbles to form and maintain connected pathways during bubble expansion and collapse. Isotropic sa...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A novel way to extract relevant parameters associated with the outgoing ions from nuclear reactions, obtained by digitizing the signals provided by a Bragg curve spectrometer (BCS) is presented. This allowed the implementation of a more thorough pulse-shape analysis. Due to the complexity of this task, it was required to take advantage of new and more powerful computational paradigms. This was fulfilled using a back-propagation artificial neural network (ANN) as a pattern identifier. Over training of ANNs is a common problem during the training stage. In the performance of the ANN there is a compromise between its size and the size of the training set. Here, this effect will be illustrated in relation to the problem of Bragg Curve (BC) identification. (Author)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Samarium cobaltite ceramic perovskites, with and without platinum particles dispersion, are possible candidates as electrode for electrochemical conversion of hydrocarbon and for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (ITSOFC). In this work, samarium cobaltites were synthesized by the combustion method using cobalt, and samarium nitrates as cation precursors and urea as fuel. For containing-platinum compositions Pt (II) acetyl acetonate was also employed as precursor. The effect of Sr on the phase formation and its electrical behavior is also studied. Specific surface area (BET), SEM-EDX, TEM and XRD analysis are used to characterize the powders obtained. Powders were pressed into pellets and sintered in air in the temperature range of 1200 -1400 C. Electrical impedance spectroscopy studies (EIS) are performed on sintered samples. The as-prepared powders showed an amorphous structure and by TEM a very small particle ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Effect of ultrasonic-wave irradiation on the Mn-Zn ferrite powder suspension prepared by solid-state reaction and alcoholic dehydration methods was investigated. Size, distribution, and morphology of the powders prepared at different temperatures were examined, as a function of irradiation time. It was observed that the powders were reduced in size by ultrasonic energy through distinct routes. 8 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A characterization study was performed on monosodium titanate (MST) particles to determine the effect of high shear forces expected from the In-Tank Precipitation (ITP) process pumps on the particle size distribution. The particles were characterized using particle size analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). No significant changes in particle size distributions were observed between as-received MST and after 2--4 hours of shearing. Both as-received and sheared MST particles contained a large percentage of porosity with pore sizes on the order of 500 to 2,000 Angstroms. Because of the large percentage of porosity, the overall surface area of the MST is dominated by the internal surfaces. The uranium and plutonium species present in the waste solution will have access to both interior and exterior surfaces. Therefore, uranium and plutonium loading should not be a strong ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A general theoretical scheme to describe the effective modulus and mass density for acoustic metamaterials is presented. For such a purpose, an effective medium theory of a one-dimensional acoustic waveguide containing subwavelength-sized Helmholtz resonators is formulated. It is shown that, when the wavelength is much larger than the periodic length and the size of the resonators, the whole composite structure can be treated as an effective homogeneous medium in accounting for its acoustic properties. It is also shown that the acoustic characteristics, such as the effective modulus and the effective mass density, can be determined precisely from the transmission and the reflection data. The calculated effective modulus and effective mass density confirm that this structure behaves as a homogeneous ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

porous silica ceramics were prepared(with HCL catalyst)using H{sub 2}O/TEOS molar ratios of 2.6-59.0, with the EtOH/TEOS ratio fixed. After preparing 9 kinds of sol, the followings were investigated; measurement of the gelation time, thermal analyses by TG/DTA, property analyses of the intermediates by FT-IR and X-ray diffractometry with dried samples, analyses of SiO{sub 2} polymer by FT-IR, the investigation of specific surface area and pore size distribution by N{sub 2}-adsorption isotherm, and structural change of SiO{sub 2} polymer and pore morphology by TEM observation, with samples heat-treated to 500 deg. C. In the concentrations of investigated compositions and catalyst, gelation time showed a minimum at ca. 11 moles of water per one mole of TEOS, the highest degree of polymerization at ca.8-18 moles, and the largest specific surface area at ca. 11 moles, which means that the polymerization proceeded fastest at ca. ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

CuO/bentonite and CuO-BHA nanocomposites were studied as oxygen carriers in chemical-looping combustion (CLC) of simulated synthesis gas. Global reaction rates of reduction and oxidation, as the function of reaction conversion, were calculated from 10-cycle oxidation/reduction tests utilizing thermogravimetric analysis at atmospheric pressure between 700 and 900{degree}C. It was found that the reduction reactions are always faster than oxidation reactions; reaction temperature and particle size do not significantly affect the reaction performance of CuO/bentonite. Multicycle CLC tests conducted in a high-pressure flow reactor showed stable reactivity for production of CO{sub 2} from fuel gas at 800 and 900{degree}C and full consumption of hydrogen during the reaction. Results of the tapered element oscillating microbalance showed a negative effect of pressure on the global rates of reduction-oxidation reactions at higher fractional conversions. ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In this paper heavy metal pollution at an abandoned Italian pyrite mine has been investigated by comparing total concentrations and speciation of heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, Pb and As) in a red mud sample and a river sediment. Acid digestions show that all the investigated heavy metals present larger concentrations in the sediment than in the tailing. A modified Tessier's procedure has been used to discriminate heavy metal bound to organic fraction from those originally present in the mineral sulphide matrix and to detect a possible trend of metal mobilisation from red mud to river sediment. Sequential extractions on bulk and size fractionated samples denote that sediment samples present larger percent concentrations of the investigated heavy metals in the first extractive steps (I-IV) especially in lower dimension size fractionated samples suggesting that ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The finest particle size fractions ({le} 25 {mu}m) in four fly ash samples from fluidised bed combustion of three biomass based fuels and a municipal solid waste fuel were size separated using a centrifugal SPLITT fractionation cell. The ashes were separated into different size fractions and the cadmium concentration, partition and speciation in each separated fraction were then investigated in relation to their possible leaching. The fractionation was evaluated by environmental scanning electron microscopy, which also provided indications of the associations between Cd and other main elements on the particles through the use of X-ray fluorescence mapping. The total concentration of Cd in each fraction was determined by AAS analysis which showed different dependence on the ash particle size in the case of biomass or waste fuels. In addition, the speciation of Cd in each fraction, ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The ion nitriding treatment is a process widely used in steel alloys to improve the material's properties; such as surface hardness, resistance to wear, fatigue life and resistance to corrosion. But geometric changes in the components can produce during the nitriding process different effects on the behavior of the plasma, such as local variations in the electric field, an empty cathode effect, etc. These in turn can affect among other factors the local temperature and therefore the kinetics of the process, generating variations in the compound layer thicknesses and zone of diffusion, and micro-hardness profile. These heterogeneities limit the effectiveness of the plasma nitriding process, where control and duplication of the surface modification are most important. This work aims to study the effect of the geometry of the pieces treated with ionic nitriding, especially the effect ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The main purposes of this research was to investigate the feasibility of incineration of wool-scouring sludge in a novel vertical-axis-rotating fluidised bed (RFB). The experiment was carried out in a RFB with an internal diameter (ID) of 200 mm and height of 50 mm. A cold test was first conducted to investigate the fluidization performance of the RFB via parameters such as the bubbling, gas distribution, bed shape and pressure drop. The tumbling phenomena was observed in the bed, and this effectively enhanced the axial mixing. The appropriate range of bed thickness, rotating speed and sand particle size were identified to ensure the full fluidization and reduce the particle elutriation. Four wool-scouring sludges from different processes were incinerated in the RFB. With 5% support methane, all sludges with a maximum moisture up to 70% as received could be successfully burned in the RFB at rotating speeds of 200 and 300 rpm. The combustion was ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nanocrystalline cemented tungsten carbide has attracted considerable interests for use in cutting tool because of its superior mechanical properties. In this study, nano-sized powders of mixed WC and Co were prepared from attrition-milled oxides by a gas reduction-carburization process. The effects of compacting pressure, heating schedule, additional ball-milling, and the presence of a grain growth inhibitor on the sintering properties of the nano-sized WC-Co powders were examined. The grain size and phases in WC-Co alloy were clearly affected by compacting pressure. Because of the trapped gases and the lower melting point of the cobalt binder, when a compact of nano-sized WC-Co powder was sintered through a heating schedule with holding steps, the sintered alloy maintained the small size of WC grains without any #eta# phase. In addition, the additional ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Methods of sample treatment in XRF analysis of hair are studied in view of the effect on analytical results. A new method is proposed based on the incomplete ashing of hair followed by pellet preparation. Its suitability is estimated on the XRF analysis of real hair samples collected from 4 healthy adults. (author) 12 refs.; 4 figs.; 1 tab.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Focus Ion Beam (FIB) milling has greatly extended the utility of atom probe and TEM because it enables sample preparation with a level of dimensional control never before possible. Using FIB it is possible to extract the samples from desired and very specific locations. The artifacts associated with this sample preparation method must also be fully understood. In this work issues specifically relevant to the FIB milling of aluminum alloys are presented. After using the FIB as a sample preparation technique it is evident that gallium will concentrate in three areas of the sample: on the surface, on grain boundaries and at interphase boundaries. This work also shows that low energy Ar ion nanomilling is potentially quite effective for removing gallium implantation layers and gallium from the internal surfaces of aluminum thin foils.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This standard describes the procedure and equipment for in-place testing of HEPA filter systems by the single-particle, particle-size (SPPS) spectrometer method. This method provides the capability for evaluating the effectiveness (i.e., decontamination factor or DF) of systems consisting of one or more stages of HEPA filters against submicrometer aerosols in discrete particle-size ranges. It is particularly useful for testing of multi-stage HEPA filter installations and for testing of very large (50,000 cfm installed capacity) single-stage systems where it is desired to minimize the quantity of challenge aerosol required.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In this article, a method of producing elastic ferromagnetic composite containing particles of chemical pure iron with sizes of 0.10-0.15 mm was described. The particles were dispersed in an elastic matrix of an elastic silicone rubber. The filling factor of composite by ferromagnetic particles and porous factors were changed in the range from 0.15 to 0.45. The samples of the obtained composite were placed in the magnetic field with induction of 0-8 T, produced by the Bitter-type magnet. The longitudinal magnetostriction of samples was measured by using a coaxial capacitor with a movable plate. It was found that the maximal relative elongation of samples was 4.81% and hysteresis of magnetostriction and also remanent magnetostriction amounted to 1.08%. A slow decay of remanent magnetostriction up to 0.14% in 10{sup 5} s was also observed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An on-going inter-comparison programme which is focused on assessing and establishing consensus protocols to be applied in the identification, selection and sub-sampling of materials for subsequent "1"4C analysis is described. The outcome of the programme will provide a detailed quantification of the uncertainties associated with "1"4C measurements including the issues of accuracy and precision. Such projects have become recognised as a fundamental aspect of continuing laboratory quality assurance schemes, providing a mechanism for the harmonisation of measurements and for demonstrating the traceability of results. The design of this study and its rationale are described. In summary, a suite of core samples has been defined which will be made available to both AMS and radiometric laboratories. These core materials are representative of routinely dated material and their ages span the full range of the applied "1"4C time-scale. Two of the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aircraft constitute a unique environment which places stringent requirements on the instruments used to measure the concentrations of atmospheric trace gases and aerosols. Some of these requirements such as minimization of size, weight, and power consumption are general; others are specific to individual techniques. This review presents the basic principles and considerations governing the deployment of trace gas and aerosol instrumentation on an aircraft. An overview of common instruments illustrates these points and provides guidelines for designing and using instruments on aircraft-based measurement programs.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Effect of strain rate, temperature and grain size in the climb-controlled dislocation creep region for AZ31 magnesium alloy was examined at lower temperature of {proportional_to}473 K. The flow stress was not affected by the difference in grain size. The strain rate sensitivity, m, was obtained 0.14 and 0.2 at low temperatures in high strain rate and at high temperature in low strain rate, respectively. It was found that the notion of effective diffusivity could express the dominant diffusion process during climb-controlled dislocation creep behavior uniquely. (orig.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The activity concentrations of potassium, uranium and thorium in minerals and soil samples from a mining site in Ibadan, Southwestern Nigeria were measured using gamma ray spectroscopy method. Effective dose per annum has been calculated from the activity concentrations of dominant gamma-emitting natural radionuclides, potassium, uranium and thorium. Samples collected include minerals (beryl, quartz and feldspar), soil samples from the mining pits, heaps and undisturbed land around the mining site. The activity concentrations of "4"0K, "2"3"8U and "2"3"2Th, respectively in Bq kg-1 in the mineral samples were as follows: 1985 #+-# 16, 4.8 #+-# 0.9 and 11.8 #+-# 5.8 for beryl sample, 115.1 #+-# 27.9, 5.0 #+-# 1.3 and 6.3 #+-# 5.0 for feldspar samples and 1421 #+-# 122, <4.8 and 20.1 #+-# 3.5 for quartz samples. For the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nanocrystalline samples of Fe_8_0Mo_2_0 and Fe_5_0Mo_5_0 alloys were prepared by the mechanical milling method. The structure, lattice parameters, and crystallite size were determined by the X-ray diffraction. The magnetic properties of the milled products were determined by the Moessbauer spectroscopy. It was observed that in the case of the Fe_8_0Mo_2_0 alloy a solid solution of Mo in Fe was formed with the lattice parameters of the Fe increasing from 0.28659 nm to 0.29240 nm and the crystallite size decreasing from 250 nm to 20 nm. In the case of the Fe_5_0Mo_5_0 alloy there were no clear changes in values of the lattice parameters of Fe and Mo during the milling process, but the crystallite size decreased from 200 to 15 nm. Moessbauer spectra revealed different magnetic phases in the machanosynthesized Fe_Mo samples. In the case of the Fe_8_0Mo_2_0 alloy, the spectrum for the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The physical structure of a limestone or dolomite to be used in in-bed sulfur capture in fluidized bed boilers has great impact on the efficiency of sulfur capture and sorbent use. Therefore in process optimization and model calculations parameters describing the pore structure of these sorbents must be included. In this study an unreacted shrinking core model with variable effective diffusivity is applied to sulfation test data from a pressurized thermogravimetric apparatus (P-TGA) for various limestone and dolomite samples. The particle size was 250--300 {micro}m for all sorbents. The tests were done under typical conditions for a pressurized fluidized bed combustor, i.e. 850 C or 950 C, 15 bar, and were reported earlier at the 12th International Conference on Fluidized Bed Combustion. At these conditions the limestone remains uncalcined, while the dolomite is half-calcined. The sorbents were characterized by chemical ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The diffusion of methane confined in nano-porous carbon aerogel with the average pore size 48 {angstrom} and porosity 60% was investigated as a function of pressure at T = 298 K using quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS). The diffusivity of methane shows a clear effect of confinement: it is about two orders of magnitude lower than in bulk at the same thermodynamic conditions and is close to the diffusivity of liquid methane at 100 K (i.e. {approx} 90 K below the liquid-gas critical temperature T{sub C} {approx} 191 K). The diffusion coefficient (D) of methane initially increases with pressure by a factor of {approx}2.5 from 3.47 {+-} 0.41 x 10{sup -10} m{sup 2} s{sup -1} at 0.482 MPa to D = 8.55 {+-} 0.33 x 10{sup -10} m{sup 2} s{sup -1} at 2.75 MPa and starts to decrease at higher pressures. An explanation of the observed non-monotonic behavior of the diffusivity in the confined fluid is based on the results of small-angle neutron ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Fatigue crack growth tests of three ferrite-pearlite steels with different size and spacing of pearlite particles, which were uniformly distributed in the ferrite matrix, were carried out to investigate the effect of microstructure on fatigue crack growth behavior in the Paris regime. The fatigue crack growth rates for the three materials did not coincide with each other, even when the crack growth curves were arranged by the effective stress intensity factor range. From in situ observations, crack tip stress shielding phenomena, such as interlocking and branching, were found on the crack wake, which enhanced fatigue crack growth resistance. A small size and spacing of pearlite particle seemed to induce small but frequent crack deflections, which resulted in crack closure phenomena. On the...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iron oxide as sintering aid to Ce-TZP ceramics produces a beneficial effect on the tetragonal phase stabilization. It was found that ceria powder particle size of 2,0 #mu#m turns the grain-boundary electrical conductivity higher than ceria powder of smaller grain size. (author)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A simple and effective method is presented for the sizing and passage apportionment of multistream plate-fin heat exchangers. Methods for passage arrangement are discussed, and it is shown that a symmetric or mixed passage arrangement is more efficient than a segregated arrangement. A method for assessing the relative merits of various passage arrangements is presented. The use of the methods is illustrated through a worked example.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Effect of proton backscattering on inelastic pd-scattering is discussed in detail. The discussion was carried out on the basis of interaction mechanism if bombarding particle with flucton. It is noted that fluctons are assumed presently as time multiquark formations of nuclear matter with the size of nucleon size order and density above nucleon one. 35 refs., 10 figs.

CERN Document Server

Context. Study of open clusters is important not only for learning properties of these objects but also for understanding the process of formation and evolution of stars and the Milky Way. Aims. The paper contains determination of the global (geometrical and physical) characteristics of a large sample of Galactic open clusters from homogeneous near-infrared photometric data and analysis of mutual relations between those characteristics. Methods. The near-infrared JHK photometric data from the 2-Micron All Sky Survey were used to determine new coordinates of the centres, angular sizes and radial density profiles of 849 open clusters in the MilkyWay. Additionally, for 754 of these clusters age, reddening, distance and linear sizes were also derived. The sample contains 140 open clusters which have not been studied before. Results. The analysed sample contains open clusters with ages ...

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We review recent development in separations and mass spectrometric instrumentation for sensitive and high-throughput proteomic analyses. These efforts have been primarily focused on the development of high-efficiency (separation peak capacity of ~103) nanoscale liquid chromatography (nanoLC; e.g., flow rates extending down to ~20 nL/min at optimal separation linear velocities through narrow packed capillaries) in combination with advanced mass spectrometry (MS), including high sensitivity and high resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) MS. This technology enables MS analysis of low nanogram-level proteomic samples (i.e., nanoscale proteomics) with individual protein identification sensitivity at the low zeptomole-level. The resultant protein measurement dynamic range can reach 106 for nanogram-sized proteomic samples, while more abundant proteins can be detected from complex sub-picogram ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

AbstractEffects of dietary biotin supplementation on serum biotin levels and physical properties of sole horn of 40 Holstein cows were evaluated. The mean serum biotin level in biotin-supplemented...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Treatment of male rat pups from five to 34 days of age with dihydrotestosterone or 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol, resulted in reduced testicular size at 35 days of age. This appeared to be...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Background/AimsTo explore different definitions of intra-individual variability (IIV) to summarize performance on commonly utilized cognitive tests (Mini Mental State Exam; Clock...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Failure of bone under monotonic and cyclic loading is related to the bone mineral density, the quality of the bone matrix and the evolution of microcracks. The theory of linear elastic fracture...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Black pepper, white pepper, red pepper, ginger and turmeric were irradiated with 10 MeV electrons from a linear accelerator to a dose of 100 kGy and radioactivity was measured in order to estimate induced radioactivity in the irradiated foods. Induced radioactivity could not be detected significantly by #gamma#-ray spectrometry in the irradiated samples except for spiked samples which contain some photonuclear target nuclides in the list of photonuclear reactions which could produce radioactivity below 10 MeV. From the amount of observed radioactivities of short-lived photonuclear products in the spiked samples and calculation of H_5_0 according to ICRP Publication 30, it was concluded that the induced radioactivity and its biological effects in the 10 MeV electron-irradiated natural samples were negligible in comparison with natural radioactivity from "4"0K contained in the ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The heating of water layer using microwave oven with a rectangular waveguide has been studied both numerically and experimentally. The mathematical model is validated with the experimental data. The transient Maxwell's equations are solved by using the Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) method to describe the electromagnetic field inside the waveguide and sample. The temperature profile and velocity field within sample are determined by the solutions of the momentum, energy and Maxwell's equations. In this study, the effects of physical parameters, e.g. microwave power level, placement of sample inside the waveguide, volume of sample, are studied. The distribution of electric field, temperature profile and velocity field are presented in details. The results show good agreement between s...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

In this study, the thermodynamic stability of the grain boundaries and the grain growth of nanocrystalline Palladium (Pd) at various temperatures were investigated. For this purpose, the Gibbs free energy curves of grain boundaries were plotted in terms of the excess volume by the use of the equation of state (EOS) and Song's thermodynamic models. The results showed that, according to the prediction of these models, the nanocrystalline growth in metals was stopped at the grain sizes less than the critical grain size. Also, the results of the temperature variations and its effect on the Gibbs free energy curves showed that by the increase of the temperature, the possibility for the stoppage of grain growth is facilitated and the critical grain size is increased. To investigate the validity ...

CERN Document Server

We divide a sample of 302 type-1 AGNs into two subsamples based on the narrow line [OIII]/Hbeta_{NLR} ratio, since we expect that there will be a stronger starburst (HII region) contribution to the narrow line emission for R=log([OIII]/Hbeta_{NLR})0.5. {We find similar differences when we divided the sample based on the FWHM ratios of [OIII] and broad Hbeta lines (R_1=log(FWHM[OIII]/FWHM Hbeta_broad)^>_0.5 and R_1-0.8 subsamples from the other side.} The most interesting difference is in the correlation between the broad Hbeta FWHM and luminosity in the R-0.8) sample that indicates a connection between the BLR kinematics and photoionization source. We discuss possible effects which can cause such differences in spectral properties of two subsamples.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We study the relation between size and star formation activity in a complete sample of 225 massive (M_* > 5 x 10"1"0 M _s_u_n) galaxies at 1.5 < z < 2.5, selected from the FIREWORKS UV-IR catalog of the CDFS. Based on stellar population synthesis model fits to the observed rest-frame UV-NIR spectral energy distributions, and independent MIPS 24 #mu#m observations, 65% of the galaxies are actively forming stars, while 35% are quiescent. Using sizes derived from two-dimensional surface brightness profile fits to high-resolution (FWHM_P_S_F #approx# 0.''45) ground-based ISAAC data, we confirm and improve the significance of the relation between star formation activity and compactness found in previous studies, using a large, complete mass-limited sample. At z #approx# 2, massive quiescent galaxies are significantly smaller than massive star-forming galaxies, and a median factor of 0.34 #+-# 0.02 ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pure Cu of 99.98 wt.% purity has been processed at room temperature by diverse techniques of severe plastic deformation, namely equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP), high pressure torsion (HPT) and a combination of both in order to find out the evolution on the microstructural homogeneity for each of the processes and their combination. Starting with a grain size of #approx#60 #mu#m, severe plastic deformation has been introduced to the material while maintaining the sample dimensions unchanged through the processes of ECAP and HPT. A significant decrease in grain size was observed by transmission electronic microscopy (TEM). Microtensile and microhardness tests were carried out on the deformed material in the three processing conditions. A significant improvement of the tensile strength was promoted with admissible penalization on ductility.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The starting material for two certified and one candidate reference material was obtained from dried grass specially cultivated on a selected and well prepared soil. The Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) of the Commission of the European Communities produced two certified reference materials (CRM`s) from this dried grass: a rye grass material (CRM 281) certified in 1988 for the quality control of trace and toxic element analyses and a hay powder material (CRM 129) certified in 1989 for monitoring trace and minor elements. A fraction of the dried grass was used in 1993 for the preparation of a hay powder with a particle size of < 63 {mu}m using newly developed grinding techniques. This paper compares the production methods of these three materials and the obtained particle size distribution of the powders. The analytical evaluation of these production methods was carried out by solid sampling Zeeman atomic absorption ...

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Effect of low-frequency pulsating magnetic field on the microstructure and magnetic properties of amorphous alloy Fe{sub 78}Si{sub 9}B{sub 13} were investigated. The temperature rise induced by the treatment was measured by a non-contact infrared thermometer. The crystallization behavior and microstructure of specimens were studied by Moessbauer spectroscopy and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Magnetic properties of the specimens were investigated by alternating gradient magnetometer (AGM). The results show that the low-frequency pulsating magnetic field can promote the single-phase crystallization of amorphous alloy Fe{sub 78}Si{sub 9}B{sub 13}. The frequency, f of applied field is from 10 to 40 Hz, magnetic field, H is from 0.02 to 0.04 T and treatment duration, t is from 180-300 s. The volume fraction of crystallization phase ({alpha}-Fe(Si), the grain size, 2-10 nm) is 3-7%. The temperature rise less than 7 deg. C. Magnetic ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In conjunction with the US Enviromental Protection Agency sponsored Shawnee test program, Bechtel National, Inc., and the Tennessee Valley Authority jointly developed a computer model capable of projecting preliminary design and economics for lime- and limestone-scrubbing flue gas desulfurization systems. The model is capable of projecting relative economics for spray tower, turbulent contact absorber, and venturi-spray tower scrubbing options. It may be used to project the effect on system design and economics of variations in required SO/sub 2/ removal, scrubber operating parameters (gas velocity, liquid-to-gas (L/G) ration, alkali stoichiometry, liquor hold time in slurry recirculation tanks), reheat temperature, and scrubber bypass. It may also be used to evaluate alternative waste disposal methods or additives (MgO or adipic acid) on costs for the selected process. Although the model is not intended to project the economics of an individual system to a high ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cold Heavy Oil Production with Sand (CHOPS) is an enhanced oil recovery method that induces sand production to form a network of wormholes that increase the porosity and permeability of a formation. Under proper conditions, CHOPS can improve formation flow characteristics. Integrated well completion strategies that were used to increase oil production at Fula oil field on the south flank of Mughad Basin in Sudan were described. Limited sand influx provided a means for effective sand control while eliminating the need for conventional sand control processes. Cold heavy oil production with limited sand influx requires optimized completion methods to stimulate sand production, thereby reducing oil flow resistance and prolonging the sand removal operation cycle. Completion tests were performed in terms of different formation conditions including perforating completion; perforating and full sand control completion by screen liner; and perforating and limited sand ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A new generation of transmit-receive single-pass probes, denoted as C6 or X probe, was field tested during the Gentilly II, 2000 steam generator tube inspection. This probe has a performance equivalent to rotating probes and can be used for tubesheet and full-length inspection at an inspection speed equivalent to that of bobbin probes. Existing C3 transmit-receive probes have been demonstrated to be effective in detecting circumferential cracks. The C5 probe can detect both circumferential and axial cracks and volumetric defects but cannot discriminate between them. The C6 probe expands on the capabilities of both probes in a single probe head. It can simultaneously detect and discriminate between circumferential and axial cracks to satisfy different plugging criteria. It has excellent coverage, good defect detectability, and improved sizing and characterization. Probe data is displayed in C-scan format so that the amount of data to be analyzed ...

Science.gov (United States)

Scanning electron microscopy and an electron-microprobe analysis of a sample of blast furnace (BF) coke have revealed alkalization (5.64 wt % Na{sub 2}O + K{sub 2}O) and Al saturation (17.28 wt % Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) of SiO{sub 2} by BF gases. The K/Na{sub at} value of 1.15 in the new phase (alteration zone) reflects close atomic proportions of the elements and suggests that the abilities to incorporate K and Na during the process are almost equal. This Al saturation and alkalization of SiO{sub 2} indicates an active role for Al along with alkali metals in BF gases. The average width of the altered area in the SiO{sub 2} grain is about 10 m, which suggests that SiO{sub 2} particles of that size can be transformed fully to the new phase, provided that at least one of their faces is open to an external pore (surface of the coke) or internal pore with circulating BF gases. The grains that exceed 10 {mu}m can only be partly altered, which means that ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A dense silica glass was prepared by consolidating a highly dispersed silicic acid powder (particle size 1H magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR confirmed an increase in hydroxyl groups in the sample prepared by SPS relative to that of the conventional SiO2 reference glass. Aside from the comparably high water content, we conclude from the similarity of the IR-reflectance and the 29Si MAS NMR spectra of the SPS sample and the corresponding spectra of the conventionally prepared silica glass, that the short- and medium-range order is virtually the same in both materials. Raman spectroscopy, however, suggests that the number of three- and four-membered rings is significantly smaller in the SPS sample compared to the conventionally prepared sample. Based on these results we conclude that it is possible to prepare glasses by compacting amorphous powders by the SPS process. The SPS process may ...

Science.gov (United States)

The progress of digital audio technology enabled the familiar use of the products such as CD and DAT in the acoustic measurement. For example, a signal reproduced with CD player is inputted into a subject of measurement and DAT recorder records its response. However, the sampling cannot be synchronized completely with the input signal although both nominal sample rates are set up equally, because player and recorder work independently. It is the most popular software solution to perform the synchronous addition after converting the recorded signal into the original sampling rate. However, the rate conversion also has the error due to the windowing in the high frequency region of processed signal. This paper proposes a new method for averaging asynchronous sampling data to solve these problems. To evaluate performance, the transfer function of only measuring equipment estimated from asynchronous ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nanoindentation was performed on a Mo-alloy single crystal to investigate effects of focused ion beam (FIB) milling on mechanical behavior. On a non-FIB-milled surface, pop-ins were observed on all load-displacement curves corresponding to a transition from elastic to plastic deformation. Similar pop-ins were not detected on surfaces subjected to FIB milling. This difference indicates that FIB milling introduces damage that obviates the need for dislocation nucleation during subsequent deformation. A second effect of FIB milling is that it increased the surface hardness. Together, these effects could be the source of the size effects reported in the literature on micropillar tests.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In order to study the effects of microwaves on chemical reactions equipment was designed to acquire in-situ vibrational spectra of sol-gel components as they are irradiated with microwaves. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy were used. A low temperature (10K) FTIR cell was used to trap samples in an argon matrix at 10{sup -7} Torr. For the liquid samples no differences were seen in spectra of irradiated and nonirradiated samples, but the argon matrix isolation technique showed dramatic differences.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We have studied the ion-beam synthesis of GaSb nanocrystals in Si by high-fluence '' hot '' implantation of Sb and Ga ions followed by thermal annealing. The Rutherford backscattering, transmission electron microscopy/transmission electron diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence were used to characterize the implanted layers. It was found that the nanocrystal size increases from 5 to 60 nm in the samples annealed at 900"oC up to 20-90 nm in those annealed at 1100"oC. For the samples annealed at 900"oC a broad band in the region of 0.75-1.05 eV is registered in the photoluminescence spectra. The nature of this photoluminescence band is discussed. (author)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) was used to map thermal conductivity images in an ultrafine-grained copper surface layer produced by surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT). It is found that the deformed surface layer shows different thermal conductivities that strongly depend on the grain size of the microstructure: the thermal conductivity of the nanostructured surface layer decreases obviously when compared with that of the coarse-grained matrix of the sample. The role of the grain boundaries in thermal conduction is analyzed in correlation with the heat conduction mechanism in pure metal. A theoretical approach, based on this investigation, was used to calculate the heat flow from the probe tip to the sample and then estimate the thermal conductivities at different scanning positions. Experimental results and theoretical calculation demonstrate that SThM can be used as a tool for the thermal property and ...

CERN Document Server

The confining effect of a spherical substrate inducing anchoring (normal to the surface) of rod-like liquid crystal molecules contained in a thin film spread over it has been investigated with regard to possible changes in the nature of the isotropic-to-nematic phase transition as the sample is cooled. The focus of these Monte Carlo simulations is to study the competing effects of the homeotropic anchoring due to the surface inducing orientational ordering in the radial direction and the inherent uniaxial order promoted by the intermolecular interactions. By adopting entropic sampling procedure, we could investigate this transition with a high temperature precision, and we studied the effect of the surface anchoring strength on the phase diagram for a specifically chosen geometry. We find that there is a threshold anchoring strength of the surface below which uniaxial nematic phase ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An approach for classification of transmission line faults is presented. The approach is based on fuzzy logic and requires the consideration of the samples of three phase currents at one end of transmission line. To illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach extensive simulation studies, using EMTP and MATLAB, have been carried out for different types of fault considering wide variations in the operating conditions. (author)

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

In this work, we report the preparation of lead titanate (PT) nanoceramics (with an average grain size of ~200nm in diameter) by using hydrothermal PT nanoparticles as start materials and characterized the dielectric and ferroelectric properties. The dielectric constant of the ceramic was found to be ~180 (at 1kHz) at room temperature and reached a maximum value of 8330 at ~490^oC, suggesting that the Curie temperature of the nanoceramics is consistent with the known value of PT crystals. Ferroelectric domains and hysteresis loops were obtained through piezoelectric force microscopy measurements, which provide direct and clear evidence for the ferroelectricity in the nanoceramic samples.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

To expand the information base on molecular accessibility in solvent swelled coal, Argonne Premium Coal Samples (APCS) were swelled in polar, basic solvents before and after moisture loss and upon air oxidation. So far studies have been reported on the changes in pore size distribution as a function of temperature when polar basic swelling solvents are used. Additional studies employing EPR spin probe techniques performed on the breaking up of the hydrogen bonding between bedding planes were later confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging at Argonne National Lab and the University of Illinois.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaussian-process models are developed to detect genetic linkage using complete high-resolution maps of identity by descent between affected relative pairs. Approximations are given for the significance level and power of the likelihood-ratio test of no linkage and for likelihood-ratio confidence regions for trait loci. The sample sizes required to detect linkage by using different classes of affected relative pairs are compared, and the problem of combining data from different classes of relatives is discussed. 23 refs., 2 figs.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Praseodymium-doped Bi{sub 4}Ti{sub 3}O{sub 12} (BIT) with various compositions of dopant, Pr (x = 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8) in Bi{sub 4-x}Pr{sub x}Ti{sub 3}O{sub 12} (BPT) were synthesized using a low temperature wet chemical technique. Powders calcined at 800 deg. C exhibit a single phase polycrystalline perovskite bismuth-layered structure. Randomly oriented plate-like structures were observed under Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). A small amount of Pr doping (x = 0.5) resulted in dramatically reduced of grain size from 2 {mu}m to less than 50 nm in which Pr plays the role as a grain growth inhibitor. However, by increasing the composition of Pr, bigger grain size of up to 1 {mu}m was observed for x = 0.8 that was caused by diffusion of Pr in the perovskite structure. Dielectric properties showed that dielectric permittivity decreased with the addition of x = 0.50, and increasing with further addition of Pr. Dissipation factor (tan {delta}) ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We present an atomistic simulation of the Ostwald ripening of extrinsic defects (clusters, {l_brace}1 1 3{r_brace}s and dislocation loops) which occurs during annealing of ion implanted silicon. The model describes the capture and emission of Si interstitial atoms to and from extrinsic defects of sizes up to thousands of atoms and includes a loss term due to the flux of interstitials to the recombining surface. Key input parameters of the simulation are the variations of the formation energy and of the capture efficiency with the size of the different defects. This model shows that the kinetics of the well-known dissolution of {l_brace}1 1 3{r_brace} defects is only driven by the recombination efficiency at the surface and the distance from the defects to the sample surface. We have subsequently used this model to study defect evolution in low and ultra low energy (ULE) B implanted Si during annealing. Defect dissolution ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Powders with nominal compositions (in atomic percent) Ti-48Al and Ti-48Al-2Nb-2Cr were prepared by the plasma rotating electrode process (PREP) and gas atomization (GA) techniques. As-solidified and heat-treated (1000degC per 3 h) powder samples were examined by metallography, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The microstructures of the powders were characterized as a function of atomization technique, alloy content, powder particle size (solidification rate) and thermal history. All of the as-solidified powders were comprised of disordered [alpha], and ordered [alpha][sub 2]-Ti[sub 3]Al and [gamma]-TiAl. For both alloys, a larger volume fraction of [alpha] and [alpha][sub 2] was observed in the PREP powders relative to GA powders of comparable size. Additionally, for both alloys and both atomization techniques, the volume fraction of [alpha][sub 2] was observed to ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) bottom ash contains economically significant levels of silver and gold. Bottom ashes from incinerators at Amsterdam and Ludwigshafen were sampled, processed, and analyzed to determine the composition, size, and mass distribution of the precious metals. In order to establish accurate statistics of the gold particles, a sample of heavy non-ferrous metals produced from 15 tons of wet processed Amsterdam ash was analyzed by a new technology called magnetic density separation (MDS). Amsterdam's bottom ash contains approximately 10 ppm of silver and 0.4 ppm of gold, which was found in particulate form in all size fractions below 20 mm. The sample from Ludwigshafen was too small to give accurate values on the gold content, but the silver content was found to be identical to the value measured for the Amsterdam ash. Precious metal value in ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The proposed Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) in the US and plans for a Large Hadron Collider LHC at CERN are likely to require micron size filaments to reduce micron size filaments to reduce magnetization effects at the low injection fields envisioned. Superconductors of NbTi, designed to meet these requirements, are described. These conductors contain from 6000 to 36,613 filaments. Results are presented on NbTi conductors made by multiple extrusion techniques. Filament sizes of between 2.2 and 17 micron have been obtained. Current densities of between 2400 A/mm"2 and nearly 3400 A/mm"2 at 5 Tesla have been achieved. Metallurgical aspects of these conductors are presented using both optical and SEM views of conductor cross section and filament surface.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An Effect of pinhole(perforation or pit penetration) that might be formed outside the package on the nuclide leaching from paraffin waste form was investigated. In case of single pinhole, the leached mass and cumulative fraction leached (CFL) increased with the larger diameter of pinhole, but they were not in direct proportion to the size or area of pinhole. If the total area of multiple pinholes was fixed, the leached mass showed a tendency to increase as each size was smaller and the number was more. It was also found that the leached mass was not in direct proportion to the number of pinhole in case of constant size. In order to analyze the test results, the shrinking core model(SCM) was derived from the diffusion-controlled dissolution reaction and compared with previous diffusion model.

Science.gov (United States)

Degradation of blast furnace coke during handling and transport can produce up to 5% of -10 mm size and so reduce the +80 mm component to less than 2-4%. In shatter tests the action is one of crushing, creating smaller pieces out of a large piece and so, in effect, increasing uniformity and strength. Different size cokes differ in strength and physico-chemical properties, and are also affected by the quenching method (wet or dry) used. The most important parameter as far as blast furnace coke is concerned, in the interests of uniform size and sustained strength, is the M10 index, showing the yield of -10 mm fines, as it is these which detract from furnace performance. (9 refs.)

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

In this project, nanocrystalline SnO2 powders were successfully prepared by (a) citrate sol-gel and (b) direct precipitation methods. Powders were characterized using thermal analysis techniques (DTA-TG-DSC), X-ray powder Diffraction (XRD), surface area (BET) and electrical conductivity measurements. XRD patterns showed the presence of the cassiterite structure. SnO2 particles, prepared through sol-gel method exhibit crystallite sizes in the range from 3.1 to 22.3 nm when the gel is heat treated at different temperatures up to 900?C. SnO2 nanocrystallites prepared by the precipitation method are comparatively larger in size. The higher specific surface area was obtained for the powder prepared using sol-gel method and the obtained average grain size (d) is relatively large compared with th...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The battery size of a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) is decisive for the electrical range of the vehicle and crucial for the cost-effectiveness of this particular vehicle concept. Based on the energy consumption of a conventional reference car and a PHEV, we introduce a comprehensive total cost of ownership model for the average car user in Germany for both vehicle types. The model takes into account the purchase price, fixed annual costs and variable operating costs. The amortization time of a PHEV also depends on the recharging strategy (once a day, once a night, after each trip), the battery size, and the battery costs. We find that PHEVs with a 4kWh battery and at current lithium-ion battery prices reach the break-even point after about 6 years (5 years when using the lower nig...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Austenitic stainless steel AISI 304 has been nitrided by radio frequency (rf) plasma containing various nitrogen-hydrogen gas mixtures, in order to study the effect of hydrogen on structure and magnetic properties of the formed compound layer. The thermal temperature has been measured at the vicinity of the samples. The compound layer thus produced has been characterized using, X-ray diffractometer and vibration sample magnetometer. Providing the total pressure of nitrogen and hydrogen is held constant, the addition of hydrogen up to 50% gives new structural phases. The magnetization values of the plasma treated samples are strongly dependent on the percentage of H_2 in the gas phase. An excessive amount of hydrogen (#approx#75%) on the other hand, retards the nitriding process. The surface temperature of the sample and plasma condition is crucial factors for nitriding process.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Isothermal transformation kinetics of austenite to acicular ferrite and allotriomorphic ferrite were measured in reheated low alloy steel weld deposits with similar weld compositions and austenite grain size but different inclusion characteristics. Accelerated kinetics of transformation to acicular ferrite were observed in weld metal containing coarser and titanium-rich inclusions. In contrast, kinetics of transformation to allotriomorphic ferrite were not influenced by inclusion characteristics, but, rather, by the austenite grain size and carbon concentration.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lithium orthosilicate (Li_4SiO_4) powder was synthesized by the solid-state reaction of lithium oxide with amorphous silica, and the effects of fabrication parameters on the structural characteristics of the product were investigated. Processing considerations such as milling media, drying technique, calcination time and temperature, pressing behavior, sintering time and temperatures, and impurity concentration were addressed. The initial powder particle size was observed to be important in achieving high sintered density, with densities as high as 98% TD achieved with a particle size of approximately 1 #mu#m. 9 refs., 6 figs.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A brain weight deficit of about 70 mg was induced at doses of approximately 75-mGy and a deficit of 60 mg was induced at 100 mGy. This confirms the effects projected and observed by Wanner and Edwards. Although the data do not demonstrate a clear dose-response relationship between the 75-mGy and 100-mGy groups, the data are statistically consistent with a dose-response effect because of the overlapping confidence intervals. The lack of a statistically significant observation is most likely related to the small difference in doses and the limited numbers of animals examined. There are several factors that can influence the brain weight of guinea pig pups, such as caging and housing conditions, the sex of the animal, and litter size. These should be taken into account for accurate analysis. Dam weight did not appear to have a significant effect. The confirmation of a micrencephalic ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The examination of the high-temperature properties of the alloy Alloy 800HT has shown that both the creep performance and the microstructure of the material can be purposefully set by the initial heat treatment. At the high temperatures applied, (700-900 C), a rapid softening process sets in induced by carbide precipitation, stabilization, and coarsening. This softening process causes creep velocities strongly accelerating as a function of duration of the heat treatment prior to the creep test. The identified cause of the softening effect is a change in particle size that could be verified by SEM and TEM. It is shown that two different carbide precipitate size classes are responsible for the softening effect. While the precipitates dectable by TEM become effective primarily via interactions with dislocations, the carbide precipitates detectable only by SEM contribute to a hardening ...

CERN Document Server

Extensive investigations have been and are being carried out on a stiff clay from an underground research laboratory located at Mol (Belgium) called Boom clay, in the context of research into deep nuclear waste disposal. Suction effects in deep Boom clay block samples were investigated through the characterisation of the water retention and of the swelling properties of the clay. The data obtained allowed an estimation of the sample initial suction that was reasonably compatible with the in-situ state of stress at a depth of 223 m. The relationship between suction and stress changes during loading and unloading sequences were also examined by running oedometer tests with suction measurements. A rather wide range of the ratio s/sigma 'v (being s the suction and sigma 'v the effective vertical stress) was obtained (0.61 - 1), different from that proposed by Bishop et al; (1974). Finally, the ...

Science.gov (United States)

The effects of freeze-thaw cycling on the strength and durability of samples of compacted, stabilized, wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) by-products are reported. The results of laboratory tests show a clear relationship between higher water contents and...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The strain gradient crystal plasticity theory is applied to study the deformation of planar single crystal with a void under a nominally uniaxial tension. The crystal theory assumes elevated strain hardening due to slip gradients and has a constitutive length scale. The effects of the void size with respect to the constitutive length scale on the single crystal deformation are investigated.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Effective barrier pillar design is essential for safe and productive underground coal mining. This U.S. Bureau of Mines report presents an overview of available barrier pillar design methodologies that incorporate sound engineering principles while remaining practical for everyday usage. Nomographs and examples are presented to assist in the determination of proper barrier pillar sizing. Additionally, performance evaluation techniques and criteria are included to assist in determining the effectiveness of selected barrier pillar configurations.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We calculate the exclusion region in the parameter space of {nu}{sub {mu}} {yields} {nu}{sub e} oscillations of the LSND type using a combined fit to the reconstructed energy distributions of neutrino candidate samples from the MiniBooNE data obtained with two different particle identification methods. The two {nu}{sub e} candidate samples are included together with a high statistics sample of {nu}{sub {mu}} events in the definition of a {chi}{sup 2} statistic which includes the correlations between the energy intervals of all three samples and handles the event overlap between the {nu}{sub e} samples. The {nu}{sub {mu}} sample is introduced to constrain the effect of systematic uncertainties. This analysis increases the exclusion limit in the region {Delta}m{sup 2} {approx}< 1eV{sup 2} when compared with the result previously ...

Science.gov (United States)

In this study, different proportions of silver-palladium alloy used as an inner electrode are adopted to fabricate (Zn,Mg)TiO3-based multilayer ceramic capacitors. Effects of sintering temperature, and measuring frequency on the dielectric properties of the samples with different proportions of the Pd-Ag inner electrode are investigated. The continuity of the inner electrode and the proportion of Pd-Ag of the inner electrode of samples sintered at different temperatures play important roles in determining the dielectric properties.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Netherlands Energy Research Foundation investigated the acidification of fog and dew. Both have little effect on the total acid deposition, but they contribute strongly to the hazardous effects on plants. In particular the effects of hydrogen peroxide and sulfite in fog and dew on plants have been investigated. Special attention is paid to the development of the measurement and sampling equipment. Results of the measurements are presented. 9 figs., 4 refs., 1 tab.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The design of solid breeder blankets is strongly affected by the low values of thermal conductivity and density of ceramic breeder pebble beds. A significant rise of both quantities would enhance the thermal performance and lead to an increased tritium breeding ratio. In order to improve these quantities pretreated lithium orthosilicate pebble material was dry pressed and subsequently sintered. The thermal conductivity of cylindrical pellets was determined by the heat pulse method using a laser flash device. A pebble bed characteristic sample was also investigated in order to check the measurement accuracy in comparison with previous results. Furthermore, two samples of low density cellular ceramics were also prepared by infiltration of polymer foams with a ceramic slurry. The thermal conductivity results show that the values are affected both by the particle size and the sample density. Thermal ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Determining the time of most recent fault movement is an important part of assessing a possible site for a nuclear power plant. The purpose of this paper is not to present research information but to provide a practical guide to some of the dating techniques available to the engineering geologist working on nuclear power plant siting. Emphasis is placed on the practical aspects, such as usable minerals, conditions necessary for them to yield correct dates, degree of accuracy, sample collection, sample size, and sample packaging. In this paper, the usual geologic field techniques are taken for granted (such as those used in stratigraphy, paleontology, and structural analysis) for assessing fault history. Laboratory techniques used in conjunction with or supplemental to field methods are discussed. The specific radiometric methods discussed are "1"4C(carbon-14), fission track, K-Ar (potassium-argon), ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The authors summarize the significant dose-related effects on brain development which have emerged largely within the last six years of study of prenatally exposed A-bomb survivors. The results are described primarily in terms of the DS86 estimates and differences between these and the older T65DR dose estimates are discussed. The severe mental retardation sample was based on 1598 individuals taken from the PE-86 sample, and the intelligence test scores considered from the same sample involved 1673 children. The authors also discuss some of the recent neurobiological developments that appear relevant to an understanding of the biological bases of dose-related events observed, and suggest future research that may contribute either to further delineation of exposure consequences or to the explanation of the cellular and molecular origins of observed effects. (UK).

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

When liquids are confined in nano-scopic dimensions, their properties differ from the corresponding bulk liquid, due to their reduced dimensionality and surface effects. Phase transition temperatures and pressures are often shifted from the bulk values and new phases can appear due to the strong interactions of the molecules with the confining walls. We have studied the structural and dynamical properties of aromatic liquids such as benzene, toluene, and ortho-terphenyl confined in nano-porous materials, MCM-41 and SBA-15, synthesized and characterized in our laboratory. A non-trivial dependence of the glass transition temperature, Tg, on the pore size and surface treatment of nano-porous materials is confirmed and interpreted as resulting from a competition between the fluid-wall and fluid-fluid intermolecular interactions. An increase of Tg is observed for small pore sizes and attractive surface while Tg decreases for non ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Studying the structure of nanoparticles as a function of their size requires a correlation between the image and the diffraction pattern of single nanoparticles. Nanobeam diffraction technique is generally used but requires long and tedious TEM investigations, particularly when nanoparticles are randomly oriented on an amorphous substrate. We bring a new development to this structural study by controlling the nanoprobe of the Bright and Dark Field STEM (BF/DF STEM) modes of the TEM. The particularity of our experiment is to make the STEM nanoprobe parallel (probe size 1 nm and convergence angle <1 mrad) using a fine tuning of the focal lengths of the microscope illumination lenses. The accurate control of the beam position offered by this technique allowed us to obtain diffraction patterns of many single nanoparticles selected in the digital STEM image. By means of this technique, we demonstrate size ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The high rate of deforestation over the Andean forests has generated a large proportion of fragmented landscapes in the country. The distribution of oak groves in the country was determined based on ecosystem maps. Charala and Encino oak groves patches are the largest ones found at the east Andes and like others, due to the unfair use of these resources, have suffered a fragmentation process. Fifty-five species of mammals included in 10 orders and 14 families were found in these forests. Chiroptera and Rodentia were the most representative groups. Anthropic processes had produced a 68.1% loss of the habitat and constitute the main threat for these forests. The sizes of the patches were evaluated for three mammal species categories. The patches' area are not favorable for large-size species, intermediately to favorable to medium-size species and are favorable for small-size species. It is suggested that ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of MRM in providing preoperative locoregional information on patients with breast cancer. MRI was performed on 62 female breast cancer patients. A 1.5 T MR-system was used to acquire fat-suppressed T{sub 1}WI, T{sub 2}WI and dynamic-contrast-enhanced images with an SPGR pulse sequence. The extent of the cancer measured with MRM was confirmed histologically in all patients. The size obtained from MRM correlated well with the size obtained histologically, including intraductal spread of cancer (R: 0.853). As for shape, the round/oval type evident from MRM correlated more accurately (R: 0.934) than the ill-defined type associated with a linear and/or clumped enhanced area (R:0.744). The difference between the size obtained from MRM and the size obtained histologically, including IDS, was less than 15 mm in the majority of patients (93.5%). MRM accurately ...

Science.gov (United States)

Wood plastic composites (WPCs) have gained popularity as building materials because of their usefulness in replacing solid wood in a variety of applications. These composites are promoted as being low-maintenance, high-durability products. However, it has been shown that WPCs exposed to weathering may experience a color change and/or loss in mechanical properties. An important requirement for building materials used in outdoor applications is the retention of their aesthetic qualities and mechanical properties during service life. Therefore, it is critical to understand the photodegradation mechanisms of WPCs exposed to UV radiation and to develop approaches to stabilize these composites against ultraviolet light. In this dissertation, the surface chemistries of weathered composites (both unstabilized and stabilized) as well as the effect of weathering on the color fade and the retention of mechanical properties were characterized. Since different methods of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muonic-atom energy levels and wave functions are calculated. The results are corrected for nearly all important static effects, including finite nuclear size as produced by a user-specified nuclear charge distribution. Fourth-order Runge-Kutta integration of the radial Dirac equations, with the secant method determining the eigenvalues. Corrections are either included as potentials in the Dirac equations or computed as first-order perturbations. The code assumes spherical symmetry, so that effects of nuclear deformation may be treated only as static first-order perturbations. Dynamic muon-electron and muon-nuclear effects are neglected (the latter are calculated by RURP). (Auth.).

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

In the paper, the effect of Ni content, WC grain size and Mo2C addition on WC-6.25wt%TiC-9.3wt%Ni cemented carbide were investigated to improve the properties of Ni-bonded cemented carbides. The results show that the decrease of Ni content will result in the decrease of transverse rupture strength and increase of hardness; with the decrease of WC particle size, hardness increases due to the refinement of WC grains, however, the transverse rupture strength decrease due to the decrease of Ni binder thickness; Mo2C proves to be an effective grain growth inhibitor. With the increase of Mo2C content, the WC grains are refined and the hardness and transverse rupture strength are improved. Generally, when the Ni content is decreased to 8.4wt%, 13.45mm WC is used and 1.2wt% Mo2C is added, a higher...

CERN Document Server

We present a detailed analysis of the self-organization phenomenon in which the stylized facts originate from finite size effects with respect to the number of agents considered and disappear in the limit of an infinite population. By introducing the possibility that agents can enter or leave the market depending on the behavior of the price, it is possible to show that the system self-organizes in a regime with a finite number of agents which corresponds to the stylized facts. The mechanism to enter or leave the market is based on the idea that a too stable market is unappealing for traders while the presence of price movements attracts agents to enter and speculate on the market. We show that this mechanism is also compatible with the idea that agents are scared by a noisy and risky market at shorter time scales. We also show that the mechanism for self-organization is robust with respect to variations of the exit/entry rules and that the ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The role of adaptation in the divergence of lineages has long been a central question in evolutionary biology, and as multilocus sequence data sets have become available for a wide range of taxa, empirical estimates of levels of adaptive molecular evolution are increasingly common. Estimates vary widely among taxa, with high levels of adaptive evolution in Drosophila, bacteria, and viruses but very little evidence of widespread adaptive evolution in hominids. Although estimates in plants are more limited, some recent work has suggested that rates of adaptive evolution in a range of plant taxa are surprisingly low and that there is little association between adaptive evolution and effective population size in contrast to patterns seen in other taxa. Here, we analyze data from 35 loci for si...

Science.gov (United States)

The influence of material configuration and impact parameters on the damage tolerance characteristics of sandwich composites comprised of carbon-epoxy woven fabric facesheets and Nomex honeycomb cores was investigated using empirically based response surfaces. A series of carefully selected tests were used to isolate the coupled influence of various combinations of the number of facesheet plies, core density, core thickness, impact energy, impactor diameter, and impact velocity on the damage formation and residual strength degradation due to normal impact. The ranges of selected material parameters were typical of those found in common aircraft applications. The diameter of the planar damage area associated with Through Transmission Ultrasonic C-scan measurements and the peak residual facesheet indentation depth were used to describe the extent of internal and detectable surface damage, respectively. Standard analysis of variance techniques were used to assess the significance of the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The particulate matter of a light-duty diesel engine was characterized in its morphology, sizes, internal microstructures, and fractal geometry. A thermophoretic sampling system was employed to collect particulates directly from the exhaust manifold of a 1.7-liter turbocharged common-rail direct-injection diesel engine. The particulate samples collected at various engine-operating conditions were then analyzed by using a high-resolution transmission electron microscope (TEM) and an image processing/data acquisition system. Results showed that mean primary particle diameters (dp), and radii of gyration (Rg), ranged from 19.4 nm to 32.5 nm and 77.4 nm to 134.1 nm, respectively, through the entire engine-operating conditions of 675 rpm (idling) to 4000 rpm and 0% to 100% loads. It was also revealed that the other important parameters sensitive to the particulate formation, such as exhaust-gas recirculation (EGR) rate, ...

Science.gov (United States)

Under different sintering temperatures(340 degrees C, 440 degrees C, 540 degrees C, 640 degrees C), four TiO2 particles were prepared. The crystal types of all four samples were found to possess anatase structures by XRD. It was obtained by N2 experimental adsorption at low temperature (77K) that their surface areas and average pore size were between 79 and 124 m2/g, 56.8 and 254.8 A respectively. The pore structure of TiO2 particles was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The tests of adsorption dynamics for FGD and the performance of SO2 removal were investigated in a fixed-bed system for different samples. The results show that SG540 sample which made at 540 degrees C sintering temperature had the most quality among the four samples. It can adsorb SO2 of 38.9 mg for one gram SG540 sample. Different operating conditions for SG540 such as ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The nanocrystallization process of amorphous Fe_7_3_._5Si_1_3_._5B_9Nb_3Cu_1 was investigated by active screen plasma nitriding (ASPN) treatment at temperatures ranging from 410 "oC to 560 "oC for 3 h in two gas mixtures of 75% N_2-25% H_2 and 25% N_2-75% H_2 at 5 mbar atmosphere. The amorphous ribbons were then annealed under vacuum at the same time and temperatures mentioned above. The structure of the samples was analyzed using various techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Microhardness measurements, electrical resistivity and Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) were used to study mechanical, electrical and magnetic properties of the samples, respectively. It was observed that the ASPN treatment leads to finer grain size and higher crystalline volume fraction and modifies the structural features of Fe(Si) phase. The ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sulfuric acid and its partially or completely neutralized salts with ammonia are believed to result from the oxidation of sulfur dioxide in cloud water and in other heterogeneous media present in the atmosphere. Due to the natural abundance of ammonia and the ubiquitous presence of sulfur in the atmosphere, (NH/sub 4/)/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ is commonly the dominant chemical species in the ambient aerosol. The amounts of ammonium sulfates are expected to be very low in areas far removed from anthropogenic emissions of sulfur dioxide. The chemical composition of submicrometer aerosol particles was determined at the Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO) on Mauna Loa in Hawaii during an eight-day period in August 1986. The MLO site was selected for this measurement because it is the only ground-based aerosol observatory in the remote Pacific Ocean that allows extended sampling of aerosols in the free troposphere. Measurements were made using an attenuated total internal reflection ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Testing two or more data sets for the hypothesis that they are sampled form the same population is often required in environmental data analysis. Typically the available samples have a small number of data and often then assumption of normal distributions is not realistic. On the other hand the diffusion of the days powerful Personal Computers opens new possible opportunities based on a massive use of the CPU resources. The paper reviews the problem introducing the feasibility of two non parametric approaches based on intrinsic equi probability properties of the data samples. The first one is based on a full re sampling while the second is based on a bootstrap approach. A easy to use program is presented. A case study is given based on the Chernobyl children contamination data. [Italiano] Nell`analisi di dati ambientali ricorre spesso il caso di dover sottoporre a test l`ipotesi di provenienza di due, o ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The behavior of MEMS devices is limited by the strength of critical features such as thin ligaments, oxide cuts joining layers, pin joints and hinges. Devices fabricated at Sandia's Microelectronic Development Laboratory have been successfully tested to investigate these features. A series of measurements were performed on samples with gage lengths of 15 to 1000 microns, using conventional and tungsten coated samples as well as samples that include the critical features of standard components in the test section. Specimens have a freely moving pin joint on one end that anchors the sample to the silicon die to allow rotation to reduce effects of bending. Each sample is loaded in uniaxial tension by pulling laterally with a flat tipped diamond in a computer-controlled Nanoindenter. Load is calculated by resolving the measured lateral and normal forces ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forty samples of medicinal plants (Peumus boldus, Camellia sinensis, Maytenus ilicifolia and Cassia angustifolia), purchased from pharmacies and street market in the five cities of Sao Paulo State, were irradiated using a "6"0Co gamma ray source (Gammacell) with a dose of 10.0 kGy, delivered at dose rate of 3.0 kGy/h. Nonirradiated samples were used as controls of fungal isolates. For fungal counts and identification in medicinal plants a serial dilutions from 10"-"1 to 10"-"6 of the samples were seeded in duplicates and plated using the method in Dichloran 18% Glycerol Agar (DG 18) and were counted after five days at 25 deg C. Mycological analysis of control samples revealed the presence of genera Aspergillus and Penicillium, which are known as toxigenic fungi. The process of gamma radiation was effective in reducing the number of colony forming units (cfu/g) in all irradiated ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The efficacy of gamma irradiation as a method of decontamination for food and herbal materials is well established. In the present study, Glycyrrhiza glabra roots were irradiated at doses 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 kGy in a cobalt-60 irradiator. The irradiated and un-irradiated control samples were evaluated for phenolic contents, antimicrobial activities and DPPH scavenging properties. The result of the present study showed that radiation treatment up to 20 kGy does not affect the antifungal and antibacterial activity of the plant. While sample irradiated at 25 kGy does showed changes in the antibacterial activity against some selected pathogens. No significant differences in the phenolic contents were observed for control and samples irradiated at 5, 10 and 15 kGy radiation doses. However, phenolic contents increased in samples treated with 20 and 25 kGy doses. The DPPH scavenging activity significantly ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A 100 kW thermal input Two-Stage Gasifier was built at the University of Denmark (DTU). The gasifier consists of an externally heated pyrolysis unit, a down-draft char gasifier, a gas cleaning system and an internal-combustion engine. Between the summer of 1996 and the summer of 1998, 11 tests were made with the gasifier. The gasifier had a total operating time of 278 hours (excluding warming up). The fuel was mainly wood chips, but also briquettes has been used. Four of the tests lasted 50-70 hours, and stable conditions were reached. All the tests were completed without technical problems. The particle sizes and amounts were investigated. The amount of particles depended on the amount of steam led to the gasifier. More than 99% of the particles after the cyclone were soot. The size of the soot particles was mainly between 0.2-0.5 {mu}m. Under normal conditions (biomass:steam = 1:1 (dry mass basis)), the particle load was about 300 mg/Nm{sup ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Recent research carried out in laboratories showed that Saddle field neutral fast atom beam source is a promising method for nitriding of stainless steel. In the present work, the effect of treatment time on the microstructural and mechanical properties of plasma-nitrided stainless steel sample was investigated by this new method. Plasma nitriding was carried out at 420 deg. C and at a pressure of 0.1 Pa for a time range of 1 to 12 h. SEM-EDX, microhardness tests, optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to evaluate the mechanical and structural properties of the nitrided layer. It was found that nitriding time has a pronounced effect on the structural and mechanical properties of low-temperature plasma-nitrided samples and produced a precipitation-free thin hard nitrided layer within a short processing time.

Science.gov (United States)

On the basis of the analysis of chemical components of the natural limestones from different deposits in China, the pore structures of the typical limestones, with the different CaCO3 content, were examined. The reactivity of the limestones was investigated by sulfuric acid titration and gas-liquid absorption methods. The research results showed that the specific surface area of the natural limestones studied in this work was about 1.8 m2/g. It was seen that the pH of the limestone slurry rapidly decreased and then back up when the sulfuric acid was added. The higher the CaCO3 content was, or the smaller the particle size was, the larger the pH back-up rate was, and similarly the faster the SO2 concentration of the reactor outlet increased. The Reactivity of the limestone obtained by the sulfuric acid titration had the same features as that obtained by the gas liquid absorption. Compared with the specific surface area, the CaCO3 content had more ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This study examines the sensitivity of the travel time distribution predicted by a reference case model to (1) scale of representation of the model parameters, (2) size of the model domain, (3) correlation range of log-transmissivity, and (4) cross correlations between transmissivity and effective thickness. The basis for the reference model is the preliminary stochastic travel time model previously documented by the Basalt Waste Isolation Project. Results of this study show the following. The variability of the predicted travel times can be adequately represented when the ratio between the size of the zones used to represent the model parameters and the log-transmissivity correlation range is less than about one-fifth. The size of the model domain and the types of boundary conditions can have a strong impact on the distribution of travel times. Longer log-transmissivity correlation ranges cause larger ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The photoelectric absorption index, I/sub Pe/, is accepted as an accurate measurement for the description of formation lithology. The measured I/sub Pe/ has been shown to deviate slightly for a given lithology because of the effects of porosity. Properly calibrated and measured I/sub Pe/'s, however, have been observed to deviate from predicted values in practice, even considering the influence of porosity. Such departures were traced to variations in borehole size and tool standoff. The nature of the physical method of recording an I/sub Pe/ does not ensure independence from the influence of the borehole environment. A series of laboratory experiments has been conducted in test formations to verify and to characterize the influence of borehole size, mudcake, and standoff on I/sub Pe/ measurement. A set of nomographs has been constructed that allows correction of I/sub Pe/ measurements for the influence of the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A community health survey of 438 individuals was taken to detect health problems related to high voltage electrical transmission among an adjacent residential population. Results revealed no significant or consistent relationships between exposure to a high voltage DC power line and the perceived health problems that were measured. The sample was not, however, large enough to draw statistically significant conclusions regarding possible health effects with a very low incidence.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In order to evaluate the effects of radioactivity on active vegetal substances, samples of Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Miller., fructus), Guarana (Paulinia cupana, Kunth, semen), Gingko (gingko biloba, L., folium), and Kawa-Kawa (Piper methysticum G. Forst, rhizoma), were treated with scaling doses (0 to 25 KGy) of gamma radiation (Co{sup 60}). The 'blind test' methodology was used. The active substances from each sample were analysed by qualitative and quantitative methods after radiation. There were no significant differences seen between the control sample (0 KGy) and the irradiated samples. Microbe contamination was significantly reduced, about 10000 CFU/g, with the initial 5 KGy dose. It was concluded that gamma radiation can be used as an alternative procedure to reduce microbiologic contamination in medicinal plants. Before this procedure can be extended to ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We reported the radio-protective effect of DTT. The treatment of DTT increased cell survival after gamma-irradiation, decreased in the frequencies of micronucleus, and reduction in DNA fragmentation and apoptotic cells. Induction of apoptosis after UV-C irradiation was revealed by the changes in the relative cell death, increase in the relative amount of apoptotic cells, and the induction of DNA fragmentation. About 100 medicinal plants were purchased and methanol extract samples were prepared. Radio-protective and radio-sensitizing activities of these samples were screened. Seven samples showed above 20% radio-protective activities: Salvia miltiorrhiza, Areca catechu, Cornus officinalis, Alpiniae officinari rhizoma, Meliae fructus, Alpiniae katsumadaii semen, Betulae cortex. Acanthopanax sessiliflous showed the highest radio-sensitizing effect and 10 other ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We investigate the coupling between rock-size solids and gas during the formation of gas giant planets by disk fragmentation in the outer regions of massive disks. In this study, we use three-dimensional radiative hydrodynamic simulations and model solids as a spatial distribution of particles. We assume that half of the total solid fraction is in small grains and half in large solids. The former are perfectly entrained with the gas and set the opacity in the disk, while the latter are allowed to respond to gas drag forces, with the back reaction on the gas taken into account. To explore the maximum effects of gas-solid interactions, we first consider 10 cm size particles. We then compare these results to a simulation with 1 km size particles, which explores the low-drag regime. We show that (1) disk instability planets have the potential to form large cores due to aerodynamic capturing of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The influence of hydrogen ion implantation into the channel polysilicon of polysilicon thin film transistors on gate oxide conductivity has been investigated. Data for effective tunnelling barriers at the gate oxide/channel polysilicon interface are presented. A value of 1.2eV for samples with boron doped channel polysilicon is calculated. For hydrogenated boron doped samples tunnelling barriers higher than 2.1 eV are obtained. The tunnelling barriers for phosphorus doped samples are impurity concentration dependent and decrease with increasing phosphorus concentration in the range 3 x 10"1"7 to 3 x 10"1"9 cm"-"3. (Author).

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This paper studies the effect upon the thermoluminescence (TL) signal of four feldspar samples of exposing them to infrared stimulation, as occurs during infrared-stimulated luminescence (IRSL) measurement. Together with pulse annealing measurements these results are used to show which part of the TL signal is removed by exposure to IR and which part is directly related to the IRSL signal that is observed. When the samples are preheated prior to measurement in order to remove any low-temperature (< 200"oC) TL signals, a linear relationship is observed between the amount of TL that is lost and the IRSL light sum that is produced. The IRSL light sum is consistently four times larger than the amount of TL that is lost. Three possible explanations are proposed for this, but no conclusive evidence could be obtained to support any of them. A close similarity is observed in the pulse annealing results and the loss of TL due to ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferrite of system, namely Ni_1_-_xZn_xFe_2O_4 with x = (0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0), have been prepared by solid state reaction to investigate the effect of gamma rays irradiations using Co"6"0 source on the cation distribution, structural and magnetic properties. The unirradiated and irradiated samples were then subjected to characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction, magnetization and AC susceptibility. The results of these characterizations are found to be different for irradiated from that of the pristine sample. The modifications in respect of irradiated samples are explained in terms of the ion-induced disorder. The important result of #gamma#-irradiation on the cation distribution, structural and magnetic properties is the change of ratio Fe"2"+/Fe"3"+. Possible reasons on the results are proposed.

CERN Document Server

The Electromagnetic Calorimeter (ECAL) of the AMS-02 experiment is a lead-scintillating fibers sampling calorimeter characterized by high granularity that allows to image the longitudinal and lateral showers development, a key issue to provide high electron/hadron discrimination. The light collection system and the FE electronics are designed to let the calorimeter operate over a wide energy range from few GeV up to 1 TeV. A full-scale prototype of the e.m. calorimeter was tested at CERN in October 2001 using electrons and pions beams with energy ranging from 3 to 100 GeV. Effective sampling thickness, linearity and energy resolution were measured. (8 refs).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Significantly improved immunity to hot-hole damage of the SiO[sub 2]/Si structure is achieved by a shallow fluorine implantation into the poly-Si gate of MOS capacitors followed by a drive-in process. Compared to the nonfluorinated control, the fluorinated samples exhibit a dramatic reduction of both hole trapping probability and interface-trap generation under avalanche hole injection conditions. The degree of such an improvement increases monotonically as a function of the F implantation dose (up to 10[sup 16]/cm[sup 2]). Significant decrease of the hole detrapping rate is also observed in fluorinated samples. Possible mechanisms are discussed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A sample of 41 radio-galaxies with 13.0<=msub(corr)<=15.5 has been analyzed to test the angular redshift anisotropy discovered on Sc I galaxies by Rubin, Rubin and Ford (1973). The sample does not present their anisotropy but contains an even more curious distribution of radial velocities which suggests that the Rubin-Ford effect results from an anomalous redshift of light when it travels through clusters of galaxies. (Auth.).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The contamination of environmental materials (soil and dust) by heavy elements is of concern in assessing environmental pollution. Characterization of samples is performed in order to provide information that can be used to assess the potential hazard of the material, to assess remediation strategies, and to determine the source of the heavy element-bearing material. Microbeam analysis using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) or electron microprobe on polished particle mounts allows the size, internal morphology and chemical composition to be determined on a particle-by-particle basis. Computer controlled SEM allows all factors except internal structure to be acquired in an automated fashion. The authors present examples of two studies using microbeam techniques. In the first example, they illustrate how cadmium associated with sphalerite in soils can be quantified at levels down to a few parts per million (ppm) using computer controlled SEM ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

CeO{sub 2} undergoes a first-order phase transition from fluorite to {alpha}-PbCl{sub 2}-type structure under high pressure. To evaluate the changes in physical properties of CeO{sub 2} nanomaterials as the particle size decreasing, high-pressure Raman study under quasi-hydrostatic condition has been performed on CeO{sub 2} nanospheres self-assembled by 5 nm CeO{sub 2} nanoparticles at room temperature. Surprisingly, as the pressure elevate to 34 GPa, the CeO{sub 2} nanospheres still retain the cubic fluorite-type structure, indicating the sample is more stable than the bulk counterpart. Whereas, previous high-pressure studies show the phase transition at 22.3/26.5 GPa for 12 nm CeO{sub 2} nanoparticles, which is less stable than the bulk materials. The enhancement of phase stability might be attributed to the increase of surface energy of CeO{sub 2} nanospheres as the size of the building units decrease. (Copyright ...

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Although silicosis has been studied extensively, the mechanism is still not fully understood. Experiments do provide evidence that the actions of unique properties of silica surface on the cell membrane are the starting point of silicotic processes. This paper summarizes literature on chemical properties of silica surface, and the effect of particle size on silica toxicity. This paper also discusses the ways in which silica dusts are though to interact with the cell membrane, with emphasis on freshness, hydrogen bonding, and free-radical interactions.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The lepton flavor-violating coherent ( /sup -/, e/sup -/) conversion is investigated. Photonic and nonphotonic contributions arising in various gauge models are considered. The dependence of the conversion rate on the structure of the nucleus is given by the elastic form factors. These are obtained in the context of shell model taking into account finite-size effects or extracted from the electron scattering data whenever possible. The relevant branching ratios are studied throughout the periodic table.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

In normal subjects, apolipoprotein E (apo E) is present on very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) (fraction I) and on particles of a size intermediate between VLDL and low density lipoproteins (LDL) (fraction...Full Text Available