Noble metal catalyzed aqueous phase hydrogenation and hydrodeoxygenation of lignin-derived pyrolysis oil and related model compounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Mu, Wei; Ben, Haoxi; Du, Xiaotang; Zhang, Xiaodan; Hu, Fan; Liu, Wei; Ragauskas, Arthur J; Deng, Yulin

2014-12-01

Aqueous phase hydrodeoxygenation of lignin pyrolysis oil and related model compounds were investigated using four noble metals supported on activated carbon. The hydrodeoxygenation of guaiacol has three major reaction pathways and the demethylation reaction, mainly catalyzed by Pd, Pt and Rh, produces catechol as the products. The presence of catechol and guaiacol in the reaction is responsible for the coke formation and the catalysts deactivation. As expected, there was a significant decrease in the specific surface area of Pd, Pt and Rh catalysts during the catalytic reaction because of the coke deposition. In contrast, no catechol was produced from guaiacol when Ru was used so a completely hydrogenation was accomplished. The lignin pyrolysis oil upgrading with Pt and Ru catalysts further validated the reaction mechanism deduced from model compounds. Fully hydrogenated bio-oil was produced with Ru catalyst. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Behavior of shut-down dose rate of recirculation piping of BWR under noble metal application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuse, Motomasa; Nagase, Makoto; Aizawa, Motohiro; Wada, Yoichi; Ishida, Kazushige; Hosokawa, Hideyuki; Hettiarachchi, Samson; Weber, Christoph

2014-01-01

The cause of shut-down dose rate change of the recirculation piping observed in KKM (Kern Kraftwerk Mühleberg) after application of noble metal injection method is analyzed. The plant experienced the sharp decrease of piping dose rate in the cycle just after the application of noble metal(classic NobleChem TM ) and re-buildup of radioactivity in the subsequent several cycles. After the application of online noble metal injection (online NobleChem TM ), gradual decrease of dose rate has been observed. The presence of a certain amount of noble metal on the iron rich oxide film promotes the dissolution of the oxide under hydrogen addition, resulting in a decrease of deposited noble metal on the oxide film surface as well as of radioactive species in the film. Under the condition of lower amount of noble metal on the surface oxides, the oxidant species, especially hydrogen peroxide, slightly increases facilitating the re-growth of iron rich oxides along with re-buildup of radioactivity. After the application of online noble metal injection during each cycle, gradual dissolution of iron rich oxides and gradual decrease of radioactivity in the oxides proceed to decrease the piping dose rate. In the radioactivity decreasing phase, the presence of zinc is considered to assist the suppression of radioactivity buildup in the oxide film. From the analysis, treating piping surface with platinum after chemical decontamination process is expected to work well for suppression of the piping dose rate. (author)

The influence of collisions with noble gases on spectral lines of hydrogen isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hermans, P.

1982-01-01

In this thesis measurements on the collisional broadening of the depolarized Rayleigh line and the broadening and shift of the rotational Raman lines (radiative transitions 0→2, 1→3 and 2→4) are presented. The experiments were carried out as a function of temperature from 23 K to 311 K for three systems, viz. H 2 -He, H 2 -Ne and H 2 -Ar. Also results of close coupled calculations on the broadening and shift are presented as a function of temperature for the four spectral lines mentioned. The calculations were performed for two systems, viz H 2 -He and H 2 -Ne. For the system H 2 -He two interaction potentials were used as a starting point, and a comparison between these potentials was made. Now that it is possible to do computations on effects related to the non-spherical interaction of the pure hydrogen isotopes, the availability of experimental data is of great importance. Many experiments on these effects have been performed over the last two decades, but their results are scattered throughout the literature. Therefore, in the last chapter of this thesis the experimental results for the pure hydrogen isotopes and in mixtures with noble gases are compiled to serve as comparing material for the calculations. The presentation is such that a direct comparison with calculations is facilitated. (Auth.)

Development of new generation of perovskite based noble metal/semiconductor photocatalysts for visible-light-driven hydrogen production

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Peichuan

described in this dissertation. Noble metal nanoparticles have been proved to be effective co-catalysts due to their unique physical and chemical properties. Au and Pt nanoparticles with different sizes were synthesized and deposited on CdS. Sub-nanometer Au and Pt were found to be promising co-catalysts for photocatalytic hydrogen production reaction. Specifically, sub-nm Au and sub-nm Pt nanoparticles were found to enhance the photocatalytic activity in hydrogen production of CdS by 35 and 15 times respectively. Other noble metal co-catalysts, such as Ru, Pd and Rh were also deposited on CdS and their photocatalytic activities were investigated. Additionally, a novel chamber for photocatalytic reactions was developed as a part of this dissertation. The reaction chamber has several unique features allowing different reactions and measurements. The reactor was proved to be suitable for future projects in photocatalysis such as photocatalytic CO2 conversion into hydrocarbons.

Surface modification of g-C3N4 by hydrazine: Simple way for noble-metal free hydrogen evolution catalysts

KAUST Repository

Chen, Yin

2015-11-02

The graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) usually is thought to be an inert material and it’s difficult to have the surface terminated NH2 groups functionalized. By modifying the g-C3N4 surface with hydrazine, the diazanyl group was successfully introduced onto the g-C3N4 surface, which allows the introduction with many other function groups. Here we illustrated that by reaction of surface hydrazine group modified g-C3N4 with CS2 under basic condition, a water electrolysis active group C(=S)SNi can be implanted on the g-C3N4 surface, and leads to a noble metal free hydrogen evolution catalyst. This catalyst has 40% hydrogen evolution efficiency compare to the 3 wt% Pt photo precipitated g-C3N4, with only less than 0.2 wt% nickel.

Surface modification of g-C3N4 by hydrazine: Simple way for noble-metal free hydrogen evolution catalysts

KAUST Repository

Chen, Yin; Lin, Bin; Wang, Hong; Yang, Yong; Zhu, Haibo; Yu, Weili; Basset, Jean-Marie

2015-01-01

The graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) usually is thought to be an inert material and it’s difficult to have the surface terminated NH2 groups functionalized. By modifying the g-C3N4 surface with hydrazine, the diazanyl group was successfully introduced onto the g-C3N4 surface, which allows the introduction with many other function groups. Here we illustrated that by reaction of surface hydrazine group modified g-C3N4 with CS2 under basic condition, a water electrolysis active group C(=S)SNi can be implanted on the g-C3N4 surface, and leads to a noble metal free hydrogen evolution catalyst. This catalyst has 40% hydrogen evolution efficiency compare to the 3 wt% Pt photo precipitated g-C3N4, with only less than 0.2 wt% nickel.

MedHySol: Future federator project of massive production of solar hydrogen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahmah, Bouziane; Harouadi, Farid; Chader, Samira; Belhamel, Maiouf; M' Raoui, Abdelhamid; Abdeladim, Kamel [CDER, BP 62, Route de l' Observatoire, Bouzareah, Alger (Algeria); Benmoussa, H. [LESEI, Universite de Batna, Batna (Algeria); Cherigui, Adel Nasser [Universite Joseph Fourier Grenoble I, BP 87, Saint-Martin-D' Heres 38400 (France); Etievant, Claude [CETH, Innov' valley Entreprises, 91460 Marcoussis (France)

2009-06-15

Mediterranean Hydrogen Solar (MedHySol) is a federator project for development of a massive hydrogen production starting from solar energy and its exportation within a framework of a Euro-Maghrebian Cooperation project for industrial and energetic needs in the Mediterranean basin. The proposal of this project is included in the Algiers Declaration's on Hydrogen from Renewable Origin following the organization of the first international workshop on hydrogen which was held in 2005. Algeria is the privileged site to receive the MedHySol platform. The objective of the first step of the project is to realize a technological platform allowing the evaluation of emergent technologies of hydrogen production from solar energy with a significant size (10-100 kW) and to maintain the development of energetic rupture technologies. The second step of the project is to implement the most effective and less expensive technologies to pilot great projects (1-1000 MW). In this article we present the potentialities and the feasibility of MedHySol, as well as the fundamental elements for a scientific and technical supervision of this great project. (author)

Mitigation of hydrogen by oxidation using nitrous oxide and noble metal catalysts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Britton, M.D.

1995-01-01

This test studied the ability of a blend of nuclear-grade, noble-metal catalysts to catalyze a hydrogen/nitrous oxide reaction in an effort to mitigate a potential hydrogen (H 2 ) gas buildup in the Hanford Site Grout Disposal Facility. For gases having H 2 and a stoichiometric excess of either nitrous oxide or oxygen, the catalyst blend can effectively catalyze the H 2 oxidation reaction at a rate exceeding 380 μmoles of H 2 per hour per gram of catalyst (μmol/h/g) and leave the gas with less than a 0.15 residual H 2 Concentration. This holds true in gases with up to 2.25% water vapor and 0.1% methane. This should also hold true for gases with up to 0.1% carbon monoxide (CO) but only until the catalyst is exposed to enough CO to block the catalytic sites and stop the reaction. Gases with ammonia up to 1% may be slightly inhibited but can have reaction rates greater than 250 μmol/h/g with less than a 0.20% residual H 2 concentration. The mechanism for CO poisoning of the catalyst is the chemisorption of CO to the active catalyst sites. The CO sorption capacity (SC) of the catalyst is the total amount of CO that the catalyst will chemisorb. The average SC for virgin catalyst was determined to be 19.3 ± 2.0 μmoles of CO chemisorbed to each gram of catalyst (μmol/g). The average SC for catalyst regenerated with air was 17.3 ± 1.9 μmol/g

Noble gas bond and the behaviour of XeO3 under pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Chunju; Wang, Xianlong; Botana, Jorge; Miao, Maosheng

2017-10-18

Over the past few decades, the concept of hydrogen bonds, in which hydrogen is electrophilic, has been extended to halogen bonds, chalcogen bonds and pnicogen bonds. Herein, we show that such a non-covalent bonding also exists in noble gas compounds. Using first principles calculations, we illustrate the OXe-O bond in molecular crystal XeO 3 and its effect on the behavior of this compound under pressure. Our calculations show that the covalent Xe-O bond lengths were elongated with increasing pressure and correspondingly the Xe-O stretching vibration frequencies were red shifted, which is similar to the change of H-bonds under pressure. The OXe-O bond and related hopping of O between neighboring Xe sites also correspond to the structural changes in the XeO 3 compounds at about 2 GPa. Our study extends the concept of hydrogen bonding to include all p-block elements and show a new bonding type for Noble gas elements in which it acts as an electrophilic species.

Noble-metal-free NiO@Ni-ZnO/reduced graphene oxide/CdS heterostructure for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen generation

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Fayun; Zhang, Laijun; Wang, Xuewen; Zhang, Rongbin

2017-11-01

Noble-metal-free semiconductor materials are widely used for photocatalytic hydrogen generation because of their low cost. ZnO-based heterostructures with synergistic effects exhibit an effective photocatalytic activity. In this work, NiO@Ni-ZnO/reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/CdS heterostructures are synthesized by a multi-step method. rGO nanosheets and CdS nanoparticles were introduced into the heterostructures via a redox reaction and light-assisted growth, respectively. A novel Ni-induced electrochemical growth method was developed to prepare ZnO rods from Zn powder. NiO@Ni-ZnO/rGO/CdS heterostructures with a wide visible-light absorption range exhibited highly photocatalytic hydrogen generation rates under UV-vis and visible light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic activity is attributed to the Ni nanoparticles that act as cocatalysts for capturing photoexcited electrons and the improved synergistic effect between ZnO and CdS due to the rGO nanosheets acting as photoexcited carrier transport channels.

Non-noble metal graphene oxide-copper (II) ions hybrid electrodes for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction

KAUST Repository

Muralikrishna, S.

2015-08-25

Non-noble metal and inexpensive graphene oxide-copper (II) ions (GO-Cu2+) hybrid catalysts have been explored for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). We were able to tune the binding abilities of GO toward the Cu2+ ions and hence their catalytic properties by altering the pH. We have utilized the oxygen functional moieties such as carboxylate, epoxide, and hydroxyl groups on the edge and basal planes of the GO for binding the Cu2+ ions through dative bonds. The GO-Cu2+ hybrid materials were characterized by cyclic voltammetry in sodium acetate buffer solution. The morphology of the hybrid GO-Cu2+ was characterized by atomic force microscopy. The GO-Cu2+ hybrid electrodes show good electrocatalytic activity for HER with low overpotential in acidic solution. The Tafel slope for the GO-Cu2+ hybrid electrode implies that the primary discharge step is the rate determining step and HER proceed with Volmer step. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog.

Exotic species with explicit noble metal-noble gas-noble metal linkages.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno, Norberto; Restrepo, Albeiro; Hadad, C Z

2018-02-14

We present a study of the isoelectronic Pt 2 Ng 2 F 4 and [Au 2 Ng 2 F 4 ] 2+ species with noble gas atoms (Ng = Kr, Xe, Rn) acting as links bridging the two noble metal atoms. The stability of the species is investigated using several thermodynamic, kinetic and reactivity indicators. The results are compared against [AuXe 4 ] 2+ , which is thermodynamically unstable in the gas phase but is stabilized in the solid state to the point that it has been experimentally detected as [AuXe 4 ](Sb 2 F 11 ) 2 (S. Seidel and K. Seppelt, Science, 2000, 290, 117-118). Our results indicate that improving upon [AuXe 4 ] 2+ , these exotic combinations between the a priori non-reactive noble metals and noble gases lead to metastable species, and, therefore, they have the possibility of existing in the solid state under adequate conditions. Our calculations include accurate energies and geometries at both the CCSD/SDDALL and MP2/SDDALL levels. We offer a detailed description of the nature of the bonding interactions using orbital and density-based analyses. The computational evidence suggests partially covalent and ionic interactions as the stabilization factors.

Ni supported CdIn2S4 spongy-like spheres: a noble metal free high-performance sunlight driven photocatalyst for hydrogen production.

Science.gov (United States)

Vu, Manh-Hiep; Nguyen, Chinh-Chien; Sakar, M; Do, Trong-On

2017-11-08

Nickel supported CdIn 2 S 4 (Ni-CIS) spongy-like spheres have been developed using alcoholysis followed by a sulfidation process. The formation of nanocrystalline-single phase CdIn 2 S 4 was confirmed using X-ray diffraction studies. Electron microscopy images showed that the spongy-like spheres are composed of CdIn 2 S 4 nanoparticles with average sizes of around 25 nm. X-ray photoelectron spectra indicated the presence of elements with their respective stable oxidation states that led to the formation of single phase CdIn 2 S 4 with enhanced structural integrity and chemical composition. The absorption spectra indicated the visible light activity of the material and the band gap energy is deduced to be 2.23 eV. The photocatalytic efficiency of the synthesized Ni-CIS in relation to its ability to produce hydrogen under solar light irradiation is estimated to be 1060 μmol g -1 h -1 , which is around 5.5 and 3.6 fold higher than that of Pt-CIS (180 μmol g -1 h -1 ) and Pd-CIS (290 μmol g -1 h -1 ), respectively, as obtained in this study. Accordingly, the mechanism of the observed efficiency of the Ni-CIS nanoparticles is also proposed. The recyclability test showed consistent hydrogen evolution efficiency over 3 cycles (9 h), which essentially revealed the excellent photo- and chemical-stability of the photocatalyst. The strategy to utilize non-noble metals such as Ni, rather than noble-metals, as a co-catalyst opens up a new possibility to develop low cost and high-performance sunlight-driven photocatalysts as achieved in this study.

WS2 as an Effective Noble-Metal Free Cocatalyst Modified TiSi2 for Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution under Visible Light Irradiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dongmei Chu

2016-09-01

Full Text Available A noble-metal free photocatalyst consisting of WS2 and TiSi2 being used for hydrogen evolution under visible light irradiation, has been successfully prepared by in-situ formation of WS2 on the surface of TiSi2 in a thermal reaction. The obtained samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX, transmission electron microscopy (TEM, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS. The results demonstrate that WS2 moiety has been successfully deposited on the surface of TiSi2 and some kind of chemical bonds, such as Ti-S-W and Si-S-W, might have formed on the interface of the TiSi2 and WS2 components. Optical and photoelectrochemical investigations reveal that WS2/TiSi2 composite possesses lower hydrogen evolution potential and enhanced photogenerated charge separation and transfer efficiency. Under 6 h of visible light (λ > 420 nm irradiation, the total amount of hydrogen evolved from the optimal WS2/TiSi2 catalyst is 596.4 μmol·g−1, which is around 1.5 times higher than that of pure TiSi2 under the same reaction conditions. This study shows a paradigm of developing the effective, scalable and inexpensive system for photocatalytic hydrogen generation.

Noble Gases

Science.gov (United States)

Podosek, F. A.

2003-12-01

The noble gases are the group of elements - helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon - in the rightmost column of the periodic table of the elements, those which have "filled" outermost shells of electrons (two for helium, eight for the others). This configuration of electrons results in a neutral atom that has relatively low electron affinity and relatively high ionization energy. In consequence, in most natural circumstances these elements do not form chemical compounds, whence they are called "noble." Similarly, much more so than other elements in most circumstances, they partition strongly into a gas phase (as monatomic gas), so that they are called the "noble gases" (also, "inert gases"). (It should be noted, of course, that there is a sixth noble gas, radon, but all isotopes of radon are radioactive, with maximum half-life a few days, so that radon occurs in nature only because of recent production in the U-Th decay chains. The factors that govern the distribution of radon isotopes are thus quite different from those for the five gases cited. There are interesting stories about radon, but they are very different from those about the first five noble gases, and are thus outside the scope of this chapter.)In the nuclear fires in which the elements are forged, the creation and destruction of a given nuclear species depends on its nuclear properties, not on whether it will have a filled outermost shell when things cool off and nuclei begin to gather electrons. The numerology of nuclear physics is different from that of chemistry, so that in the cosmos at large there is nothing systematically special about the abundances of the noble gases as compared to other elements. We live in a very nonrepresentative part of the cosmos, however. As is discussed elsewhere in this volume, the outstanding generalization about the geo-/cosmochemistry of the terrestrial planets is that at some point thermodynamic conditions dictated phase separation of solids from gases, and that the

Deposition and characterization of noble metal onto surfaces of 304l stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Contreras R, A.; Arganis J, C. R.; Aguilar T, J. A.; Medina A, A. L.

2010-10-01

Noble metal chemical addition (NMCA) plus hydrogen water chemistry is an industry-wide accepted approach for potential intergranular stress corrosion cracking mitigation of BWR internals components. NMCA is a method of applying noble metal onto BWR internals surfaces using reactor water as the transport medium that causes the deposition of noble metal from the liquid onto surfaces. In this work different platinum concentration solutions were deposited onto pre-oxidized surfaces of 304l steel at 180 C during 48 hr in an autoclave. In order to simulate the zinc water conditions, deposits of Zn and Pt-Zn were also carried out. The solutions used to obtain the deposits were: sodium hexahydroxyplatinate (IV), zinc nitrate hydrate and zinc oxide. The deposits obtained were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Finally, the electrochemical corrosion potential of pre-oxidized samples with Pt deposit were obtained and compared with the electrochemical corrosion potential of only pre-oxidized samples. (Author)

Integrated DWPF Melter System (IDMS) campaign report: The first two noble metals operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutson, N.D.; Zamecnik, J.R.; Smith, M.E.; Miller, D.H.; Ritter, J.A.

1991-01-01

The Integrated DWPF Melter System (IDMS) is designed and constructed to provide an engineering-scale representation of the DWPF melter and its associated feed preparation and off-gas systems. The facility is the first pilot-scale melter system capable of processing mercury, and flowsheet levels of halides and noble metals. In order to characterize the processing of noble metals (Pd, Rh, Ru, and Ag) on a large scale, the IDMS will be operated batchstyle for at least nine feed preparation cycles. The first two of these operations are complete. The major observation to date occurred during the second run when significant amounts of hydrogen were evolved during the feed preparation cycle. The runs were conducted between June 7, 1990 and March 8, 1991. This time period included nearly six months of ''fix-up'' time when forced air purges were installed on the SRAT MFT and other feed preparation vessels to allow continued noble metals experimentation

Ejection of the Massive Hydrogen-rich Envelope Timed with the Collapse of the Stripped SN 2014C

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Margutti, Raffaella [Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA), Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Kamble, A.; Milisavljevic, D.; Drout, M.; Chakraborti, S.; Kirshner, R.; Parrent, J. T.; Patnaude, D.; Soderberg, A. M. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Zapartas, E.; De Mink, S. E. [Anton Pannenkoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, 1090 GE Amsterdam (Netherlands); Chornock, R. [Astrophysical Institute, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 251B Clippinger Lab, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701 (United States); Risaliti, G. [INAF-Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory, Largo E. Fermi 5, I-50125 Firenze (Italy); Zauderer, B. A. [Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics, New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003 (United States); Bietenholz, M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 (Canada); Cantiello, M. [Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Chomiuk, L. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 (United States); Fong, W. [Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Grefenstette, B. [Cahill Center for Astrophysics, 1216 E. California Boulevard, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Guidorzi, C. [University of Ferrara, Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, via Saragat 1, I-44122 Ferrara (Italy); and others

2017-02-01

We present multi-wavelength observations of SN 2014C during the first 500 days. These observations represent the first solid detection of a young extragalactic stripped-envelope SN out to high-energy X-rays ∼40 keV. SN 2014C shows ordinary explosion parameters ( E {sub k} ∼ 1.8 × 10{sup 51} erg and M {sub ej} ∼ 1.7 M{sub ⊙}). However, over an ∼1 year timescale, SN 2014C evolved from an ordinary hydrogen-poor supernova into a strongly interacting, hydrogen-rich supernova, violating the traditional classification scheme of type-I versus type-II SNe. Signatures of the SN shock interaction with a dense medium are observed across the spectrum, from radio to hard X-rays, and revealed the presence of a massive shell of ∼1 M {sub ⊙} of hydrogen-rich material at ∼6 × 10{sup 16} cm. The shell was ejected by the progenitor star in the decades to centuries before collapse. This result challenges current theories of massive star evolution, as it requires a physical mechanism responsible for the ejection of the deepest hydrogen layer of H-poor SN progenitors synchronized with the onset of stellar collapse. Theoretical investigations point at binary interactions and/or instabilities during the last nuclear burning stages as potential triggers of the highly time-dependent mass loss. We constrain these scenarios utilizing the sample of 183 SNe Ib/c with public radio observations. Our analysis identifies SN 2014C-like signatures in ∼10% of SNe. This fraction is reasonably consistent with the expectation from the theory of recent envelope ejection due to binary evolution if the ejected material can survive in the close environment for 10{sup 3}–10{sup 4} years. Alternatively, nuclear burning instabilities extending to core C-burning might play a critical role.

The Role of Noble Metal Addition Methods on BWR Shut Down Dose Rates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cowan, Robert L.; Garcia Susan, E.

2012-09-01

Noble metal addition technology was developed for the BWR as a means of establishing low electrochemical corrosion potentials (ECP) on structural materials to mitigate intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC). When the reactor water molar ratio of H 2 / (O 2 +H 2 O 2 ) is > 2 on noble metal treated surfaces, the resulting ECP is near -500 mV (SHE), well into the mitigation range. This ratio can be achieved in most areas of the reactor with feedwater hydrogen additions in the range of 0.2 mg/kg, a condition that does not increase the radiation level in the main steam, a side effect of conventional hydrogen water chemistry (HWC). The resulting low ECP on the surface of stainless steel piping and components results in a change in form of the stable corrosion film to a spinel structure. Since it is the 60 Co incorporated into the corrosion film that is the primary source term of shutdown dose rates in BWRs, the structure and composition of the film can have a large influence in the resulting dose rates. The results of the first generation of noble metal technology, noble metal chemical addition (NMCA), showed that the reactor water ratio of 60 Co (s)/Zn (s) was a key parameter in determining shut down dose rate values. This paper will review that history and provide mechanistic understanding of how initial post NMCA dose rates are established and change with time. On-line noble metal chemical addition (OLNC) is the second generation of noble metal technology. The method utilizes the on-line injection of dilute Na 2 Pt (OH) 6 into the feedwater over a period of approximately 10 days. The first application of OLNC occurred at a European reactor in July of 2005 and to date over 20 BWRs have applied the technology, with many more applications scheduled. It is expected that OLNC will become the de facto standard because it eliminates 60 hours of outage application time and it addresses the crack flanking concerns that can arise under certain conditions. Because both

Specific features of hydrogen boiling heat transfer on the AMg-6 alloy massive heater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirichenko, Yu.A.; Kozlov, S.M.; Rusanov, K.V.; Tyurina, E.G.

1989-01-01

Heat transfer and nucleate burns-out saturated with hydrogen at a plate heater (thickness-13 mm, diameter of heat-transferring surface - 30 mm) made of an aluminium alloy with the low value of a heat assimilation coefficient in the pressure range from 7.2x10 3 to 6x10 5 Pa is experimentally investigated. Value of start of boiling characteristics and heat transfer coefficients during nucleate burn-out, as well as the first critical densities of a heat flux and temperature heads are obtained. Existence of certain differrences of heat exchange during boiling is shown using a massive heater made of low-heat-conductive material in comparison with other cases of hydrogen boiling. Hypothesis concerning the existence of so-called mixed boiling on the heat transfer surface, which has been detected earlier only in helium boiling, as well as concerning possible reasons of stability of film boiling ficii in preburn-out region of heat duty is discussed

Noble Gases in Lakes and Ground Waters

OpenAIRE

Kipfer, Rolf; Aeschbach-Hertig, Werner; Peeters, Frank; Stute, Marvin

2002-01-01

In contrast to most other fields of noble gas geochemistry that mostly regard atmospheric noble gases as 'contamination,' air-derived noble gases make up the far largest and hence most important contribution to the noble gas abundance in meteoric waters, such as lakes and ground waters. Atmospheric noble gases enter the meteoric water cycle by gas partitioning during air / water exchange with the atmosphere. In lakes and oceans noble gases are exchanged with the free atmosphere at the surface...

Early hydrogen water chemistry in the boiling water reactor: industry-first demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, Susan E.; Odell, Andrew D.; Giannelli, Joseph F.

2012-09-01

Hydrogen injection into the BWR feedwater during power operation has resulted in significant IGSCC reductions. Further, noble metal application (NMCA) during shutdown or On-line NobleChem TM (OLNC) during power operation has greatly reduced the required hydrogen injection rate by catalyzing the hydrogen-oxygen reaction on the metal surfaces, reducing the electrochemical corrosion potential (ECP) at operating temperature to well below the mitigation ECP of -230 mV (SHE) at reactor water hydrogen to oxidant (O 2 + H 2 O 2 ) molar ratios of ≥2. Since IGSCC rates increase markedly at reduced temperature, and the potential for crack initiation exists, additional crack mitigation was desired. To close this gap in mitigation, the EPRI BWR Startup ECP Reduction research and development program commenced in 2008 to undertake laboratory and feasibility studies for adding a reductant to the reactor water system during start-ups. Under this program, ECP reductions of noble metal treated stainless steel sufficient to mitigate IGSCC at startup temperatures were achieved in the laboratory in the absence of radiation at hydrogen, hydrazine and carbohydrazide to oxygen molar ratios of ≥ 2, ≥1.5 and ≥0.7, respectively. Based on the familiarity of operating BWRs with using hydrogen, a demonstration of hydrogen injection during the startup of an actual BWR using noble metals was planned. This process, named EHWC (Early Hydrogen Water Chemistry), differs from the HDS (Hydrogen During Startup) approach that has been successful in Japan in that HDS injects sufficient hydrogen for bulk oxidant reduction whereas EHWC injects a smaller amount of hydrogen, sufficient to achieve a hydrogen:oxidant molar ratio of at least two at noble metal treated surfaces. The industry-first EHWC demonstration was performed at Exelon's Peach Bottom 3 nuclear power plant in October 2011. Prior to EHWC, Peach Bottom 3 had one NMCA (October 1999) and five annual OLNC applications (starting in 2007

Preparation and Heat-Treatment of DWPF Simulants With and Without Co-Precipitated Noble Metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koopman, David C.:Eibling, Russel E

2005-01-01

The Savannah River National Laboratory is in the process of investigating factors suspected of impacting catalytic hydrogen generation in the Chemical Process Cell of the Defense Waste Processing Facility, DWPF. Noble metal catalyzed hydrogen generation in simulation work constrains the allowable acid addition operating window in DWPF. This constraint potentially impacts washing strategies during sludge batch preparation. It can also influence decisions related to the addition of secondary waste streams to a sludge batch. Noble metals have historically been added as trim chemicals to process simulations. The present study investigated the potential conservatism that might be present from adding the catalytic species as trim chemicals to the final sludge simulant versus co-precipitating the noble metals into the insoluble sludge solids matrix. Parallel preparations of two sludge simulants targeting the composition of Sludge Batch 3 were performed in order to evaluate the impact of the form of noble metals. Identical steps were used except that one simulant had dissolved palladium, rhodium, and ruthenium present during the precipitation of the insoluble solids. Noble metals were trimmed into the other stimulant prior to process tests. Portions of both sludge simulants were held at 97 C for about eight hours to qualitatively simulate the effects of long term storage on particle morphology and speciation. The simulants were used as feeds for Sludge Receipt and Adjustment Tank, SRAT, process simulations. The following conclusions were drawn from the simulant preparation work: (1) The first preparation of a waste slurry simulant with co-precipitated noble metals was successful, based on the data obtained. It appears that 99+% of the noble metals were retained in the simulant. (2) Better control of carbonate, hydroxide, and post-wash trim chemical additions is needed before the new method of simulant preparation will be as reproducible as the old method. (3) The two new

Post-accident hydrogen control in GKT-containment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komurka, M.

1983-06-01

The maximum possible temperature and pressure rise is analysed by assuming hydrogen deflagration with no heat loss to the vessel walls for hydrogen concentrations up to 10 Vol%. Alternative hydrogen control system to inerting, air dilution and recombiners based on controlled venting by passing the vented gas through the delay line of the gas treatment system is recommended. The combination of hydrogen control with control of noble gas radioactivity is though to have a positive effect on safety. (Author) [de

A first-principles study on the interaction of biogas with noble metal (Rh, Pt, Pd) decorated nitrogen doped graphene as a gas sensor: A DFT study

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Chunjiang; Wu, Huarui

2018-03-01

Density functional theory calculations are carried out to investigate the adsorption characteristics of methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen (H2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), nitrogen (N2), and oxygen (O2) on the surface of pyridine-like nitrogen doped graphene (PNG) as well as noble metal (Rh, Pt, Pd) decorated PNG to elaborate their potentials as gas sensors. The adsorption intensities of biogas on noble metal (Rh, Pt, Pd) decorated PNG are in the order of O2> H2S> N2> CH4> CO2> H2, which are corresponded to the order of their sensitivity on surface. Compared with biogas adsorption on pristine PNG, there exist higher adsorption ability, higher charge transfer and higher orbital hybridization upon adsorption on noble metal (Rh, Pt, Pd) decorated PNG. Consequently, the noble metal (Rh, Pt, Pd) decorated PNG can transform the existence of CH4, CO2, H2, H2S, N2, and O2 molecules into electrical signal and they could potentially be used as ideal sensors for detection of biogas in ambient situation.

Surface modification-a novel way of attaching cocatalysts on CdS semiconductors for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

KAUST Repository

Yu, Weili

2014-08-22

Noble metals as cocatalysts for hydrogen evolution are widely investigated for semiconductor photocatalytic water splitting. In this paper, we present a novel way to attach not only noble metals, but also transitional metals onto CdS nanocrystals as cocatalysts for hydrogen evolution. The hydrogen evolution performances for each metal were compared and result shows that Pd attached CdS gives the highest hydrogen evolution rate of 250 μmol/h. The amounts of metal ions attached on the surface were measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). This work confirms that surface modification is a promising way of attaching cocatalysts onto semiconductor photocatalysts.

Surface modification-a novel way of attaching cocatalysts on CdS semiconductors for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

KAUST Repository

Yu, Weili; Isimjan, Tayirjan; Lin, Bin; Takanabe, Kazuhiro

2014-01-01

Noble metals as cocatalysts for hydrogen evolution are widely investigated for semiconductor photocatalytic water splitting. In this paper, we present a novel way to attach not only noble metals, but also transitional metals onto CdS nanocrystals as cocatalysts for hydrogen evolution. The hydrogen evolution performances for each metal were compared and result shows that Pd attached CdS gives the highest hydrogen evolution rate of 250 μmol/h. The amounts of metal ions attached on the surface were measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). This work confirms that surface modification is a promising way of attaching cocatalysts onto semiconductor photocatalysts.

Tracing ancient hydrogeological fracture network age and compartmentalisation using noble gases

Science.gov (United States)

Warr, Oliver; Sherwood Lollar, Barbara; Fellowes, Jonathan; Sutcliffe, Chelsea N.; McDermott, Jill M.; Holland, Greg; Mabry, Jennifer C.; Ballentine, Christopher J.

2018-02-01

We show that fluid volumes residing within the Precambrian crystalline basement account for ca 30% of the total groundwater inventory of the Earth (> 30 million km3). The residence times and scientific importance of this groundwater are only now receiving attention with ancient fracture fluids identified in Canada and South Africa showing: (1) microbial life which has existed in isolation for millions of years; (2) significant hydrogen and hydrocarbon production via water-rock reactions; and (3) preserving noble gas components from the early atmosphere. Noble gas (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe) abundance and isotopic compositions provide the primary evidence for fluid mean residence time (MRT). Here we extend the noble gas data from the Kidd Creek Mine in Timmins Ontario Canada, a volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposit formed at 2.7 Ga, in which fracture fluids with MRTs of 1.1-1.7 Ga were identified at 2.4 km depth (Holland et al., 2013); to fracture fluids at 2.9 km depth. We compare here the Kidd Creek Mine study with noble gas compositions determined in fracture fluids taken from two mines (Mine 1 & Mine 2) at 1.7 and 1.4 km depth below surface in the Sudbury Basin formed by a meteorite impact at 1.849 Ga. The 2.9 km samples at Kidd Creek Mine show the highest radiogenic isotopic ratios observed to date in free fluids (e.g. 21Ne/22Ne = 0.6 and 40Ar/36Ar = 102,000) and have MRTs of 1.0-2.2 Ga. In contrast, resampled 2.4 km fluids indicated a less ancient MRT (0.2-0.6 Ga) compared with the previous study (1.1-1.7 Ga). This is consistent with a change in the age distribution of fluids feeding the fractures as they drain, with a decreasing proportion of the most ancient end-member fluids. 129Xe/136Xe ratios for these fluids confirm that boreholes at 2.4 km versus 2.9 km are sourced from hydrogeologically distinct systems. In contrast, results for the Sudbury mines have MRTs of 0.2-0.6 and 0.2-0.9 Ga for Mines 1 and 2 respectively. While still old compared to almost all

Noble gases in common rocks and their bearing on noble gas occurrences in the hydrological cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazor, E.

1978-10-01

The comparison of the noble gases contents in different rocks and in thermal and cold water sources in the French Massif Central was aimed to define the amounts and nature of noble gases contributed by country rocks as opposed to atmospheric noble gases brought in by recharged water. No difference in the noble gas contents was found between waters coming in igneous rocks to those issuing in sedimentary rocks. In both, significant variations in the contents of atmospheric and radiogenic noble gases were found. Radiogenic helium has been found to reveal a positive correlation to the contents of atmospheric Ne, Ar, Kr. This indicates water recharge into the deep part of the systems, mixing with radiogenic He and Ar flushed from igneous and sedimentary rocks and subsequent partial gas loss. Loss of gas is evident from the observed low noble gas contents. These losses have been accompanied by a reversed retention pattern of Ne, Ar, Xc. This reversed retention pattern cannot be an artifact of sampling as well as cannot result by partial steam loss. A similar interpretation for the observed noble gas depletions that agrees with the fact that the observed fractionation patterns are not ''normal'' is given by deuterium and oxygen-18. The stable isotope data seem to exclude partial steam losses

Escape and fractionation of volatiles and noble gases from Mars-sized planetary embryos and growing protoplanets

Science.gov (United States)

Odert, P.; Lammer, H.; Erkaev, N. V.; Nikolaou, A.; Lichtenegger, H. I. M.; Johnstone, C. P.; Kislyakova, K. G.; Leitzinger, M.; Tosi, N.

2018-06-01

Planetary embryos form protoplanets via mutual collisions, which can lead to the development of magma oceans. During their solidification, significant amounts of the mantles' volatile contents may be outgassed. The resulting H2O/CO2 dominated steam atmospheres may be lost efficiently via hydrodynamic escape due to the low gravity of these Moon- to Mars-sized objects and the high stellar EUV luminosities of the young host stars. Protoplanets forming from such degassed building blocks after nebula dissipation could therefore be drier than previously expected. We model the outgassing and subsequent hydrodynamic escape of steam atmospheres from such embryos. The efficient outflow of H drags along heavier species like O, CO2, and noble gases. The full range of possible EUV evolution tracks of a young solar-mass star is taken into account to investigate the atmospheric escape from Mars-sized planetary embryos at different orbital distances. The estimated envelopes are typically lost within a few to a few tens of Myr. Furthermore, we study the influence on protoplanetary evolution, exemplified by Venus. In particular, we investigate different early evolution scenarios and constrain realistic cases by comparing modeled noble gas isotope ratios with present observations. Isotope ratios of Ne and Ar can be reproduced, starting from solar values, under hydrodynamic escape conditions. Solutions can be found for different solar EUV histories, as well as assumptions about the initial atmosphere, assuming either a pure steam atmosphere or a mixture with accreted hydrogen from the protoplanetary nebula. Our results generally favor an early accretion scenario with a small amount of residual hydrogen from the protoplanetary nebula and a low-activity Sun, because in other cases too much CO2 is lost during evolution, which is inconsistent with Venus' present atmosphere. Important issues are likely the time at which the initial steam atmosphere is outgassed and/or the amount of CO2

Noble gas confinement for reactor fuel melting accidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monson, P.R.

1984-01-01

In the unlikely event of a fuel melting accident, radioactive material would be released into the reactor room. This radioactive material would consist of particulate matter, iodine, tritium, and the noble gases krypton and xenon. In the case of reactors with containment domes the gases would be contained for subsequent cleanup. For reactors without contaiment the particulates and the iodine can be effectively removed with HEPA and carbon filters of current technology; however, noble gases cannot be easily removed and would be released to the atmosphere. In either case, it would be highly desirable to have a system that could be brought online to treat this contaminated air to minimize the population dose. A low temperature adsorption system has been developed at the Savannah River Laboratory to remove the airborne radioactive material from such a fuel melting accident. Over two dozen materials have been tested in extensive laboratory studies, and hydrogen mordenite and silver mordenite were found to be the most promising adsorbents. A full-scale conceptual design has also been developed. Results of the laboratory studies and the conceptual design are discussed along with plans for further development of this concept

Noble gas confinement for reactor fuel melting accidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monson, P.R.

1985-01-01

In the unlikely event of a fuel melting accident radioactive material would be released into the reactor room. This radioactive material would consist of particulate matter, iodine, tritium, and the noble gases krypton and xenon. In the case of reactors with containment domes, the gases would be contained for subsequent cleanup. For reactors without containment the particulates and the iodine can be effectively removed with HEPA and carbon filters of current technology; however, noble gases cannot be easily removed and would be released to the atmosphere. In either case, it would be highly desirable to have a system that could be brought online to treat this contaminated air to minimize the population dose. A low temperature adsorption system has been developed at the Savannah River Laboratory to remove the airborne radioactive material from such a fuel melting accident. Over two dozen materials have been tested in extensive laboratory studies, and hydrogen mordensite and silver mordenite were found to be the most promising absorbents. A full-scale conceptual design has also been developed. Results of the laboratory studies and the conceptual design will be discussed along with plans for further development of this concept

Prospects of Optical Single Atom Detection in Noble Gas Solids for Measurements of Rare Nuclear Reactions

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Jaideep; Bailey, Kevin G.; Lu, Zheng-Tian; Mueller, Peter; O'Connor, Thomas P.; Xu, Chen-Yu; Tang, Xiaodong

2013-04-01

Optical detection of single atoms captured in solid noble gas matrices provides an alternative technique to study rare nuclear reactions relevant to nuclear astrophysics. I will describe the prospects of applying this approach for cross section measurements of the ^22Ne,,),25Mg reaction, which is the crucial neutron source for the weak s process inside of massive stars. Noble gas solids are a promising medium for the capture, detection, and manipulation of atoms and nuclear spins. They provide stable and chemically inert confinement for a wide variety of guest species. Because noble gas solids are transparent at optical wavelengths, the guest atoms can be probed using lasers. We have observed that ytterbium in solid neon exhibits intersystem crossing (ISC) which results in a strong green fluorescence (546 nm) under excitation with blue light (389 nm). Several groups have observed ISC in many other guest-host pairs, notably magnesium in krypton. Because of the large wavelength separation of the excitation light and fluorescence light, optical detection of individual embedded guest atoms is feasible. This work is supported by DOE, Office of Nuclear Physics, under contract DE-AC02-06CH11357.

Hydrogen-based electrochemical energy storage

Science.gov (United States)

Simpson, Lin Jay

2013-08-06

An energy storage device (100) providing high storage densities via hydrogen storage. The device (100) includes a counter electrode (110), a storage electrode (130), and an ion conducting membrane (120) positioned between the counter electrode (110) and the storage electrode (130). The counter electrode (110) is formed of one or more materials with an affinity for hydrogen and includes an exchange matrix for elements/materials selected from the non-noble materials that have an affinity for hydrogen. The storage electrode (130) is loaded with hydrogen such as atomic or mono-hydrogen that is adsorbed by a hydrogen storage material such that the hydrogen (132, 134) may be stored with low chemical bonding. The hydrogen storage material is typically formed of a lightweight material such as carbon or boron with a network of passage-ways or intercalants for storing and conducting mono-hydrogen, protons, or the like. The hydrogen storage material may store at least ten percent by weight hydrogen (132, 134) at ambient temperature and pressure.

Trends in the exchange current for hydrogen evolution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nørskov, Jens Kehlet; Bligaard, Thomas; Logadottir, Ashildur

2005-01-01

A density functional theory database of hydrogen chemisorption energies on close packed surfaces of a number of transition and noble metals is presented. The bond energies are used to understand the trends in the exchange current for hydrogen evolution. A volcano curve is obtained when measured...... exchange currents are plotted as a function of the calculated hydrogen adsorption energies and a simple kinetic model is developed to understand the origin of the volcano. The volcano curve is also consistent with Pt being the most efficient electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution. (c) 2005...

Radiolytic model of Cofrentes NPP using the BWRVIA: analysis of the effectiveness of mitigation in localizations of the vessel with noble metal application on-line; Modelo Radiolitico de C.N. Cofrentes utilizando el BWRVIA: analisis de la efectividad de mitigacion en localizaciones de la vasija con aplicacion de metales nobles on-line

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanchez Zapata, J. D.; Martin-Serrano, C.

2013-03-01

Chemistry is one of the principal factors that takes part in IGSCC materials susceptibility. BWR industry has been applying different mitigation techniques against IGSCC: hydrogen injection and noble metals. Mitigation effectiveness is checked by studying chemical parameters: ECP (for hydrogen injection) and Molar Ratio (for noble metal application). There is a software from EPRI called BWRVIA that allows to modelize radiolysis influence in parameters variation and obtain them at different points in the vessel. Recently, this kind of studies have become very relevant within BWR industry because it is the previous step to implement BWRVIP-62-A guidelines in order to get longer inspection intervals at vessel location where mitigation effectiveness is justified, with the cost savings for plants that this means. (Author)

Noble gas separation from nuclear reactor effluents using selective adsorption with inorganic adsorbents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pence, D.T.; Paplawsky, W.J.

1981-01-01

A radioactive waste gas treatment system utilizing selective adsorption on inorganic adsorbents is described for application to PWRs. The system operates at near ambient pressure, does not require a hydrogen recombiner, has low radioactive gas inventories, and is cost competitive with existing treatment systems. The proposed technique is also applicable for recovery of noble gases from the containment building of a nuclear reactor after an accident. A system design for this application is also presented

Noble gas magnetic resonator

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Thad Gilbert; Lancor, Brian Robert; Wyllie, Robert

2014-04-15

Precise measurements of a precessional rate of noble gas in a magnetic field is obtained by constraining the time averaged direction of the spins of a stimulating alkali gas to lie in a plane transverse to the magnetic field. In this way, the magnetic field of the alkali gas does not provide a net contribution to the precessional rate of the noble gas.

Radiolytic model of Cofrentes NPP using the BWRVIA: analysis of the effectiveness of mitigation in localizations of the vessel with noble metal application on-line

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanchez Zapata, J. D.; Martin-Serrano, C.

2013-01-01

Chemistry is one of the principal factors that takes part in IGSCC materials susceptibility. BWR industry has been applying different mitigation techniques against IGSCC: hydrogen injection and noble metals. Mitigation effectiveness is checked by studying chemical parameters: ECP (for hydrogen injection) and Molar Ratio (for noble metal application). There is a software from EPRI called BWRVIA that allows to modelize radiolysis influence in parameters variation and obtain them at different points in the vessel. Recently, this kind of studies have become very relevant within BWR industry because it is the previous step to implement BWRVIP-62-A guidelines in order to get longer inspection intervals at vessel location where mitigation effectiveness is justified, with the cost savings for plants that this means. (Author)

Noble gases solubility in water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crovetto, Rosa; Fernandez Prini, Roberto.

1980-07-01

The available experimental data of solubility of noble gases in water for temperatures smaller than 330 0 C have been critically surveyed. Due to the unique structure of the solvent, the solubility of noble gases in water decreases with temperature passing through a temperature of minimum solubility which is different for each gas, and then increases at higher temperatures. As aresult of the analysis of the experimental data and of the features of the solute-solvent interaction, a generalized equation is proposed which enables thecalculation of Henry's coefficient at different temperatures for all noble gases. (author) [es

Recovery and use of fission product noble metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jensen, G.A.; Rohmann, C.A.; Perrigo, L.D.

1980-06-01

Noble metals in fission products are of strategic value. Market prices for noble metals are rising more rapidly than recovery costs. A promising concept has been developed for recovery of noble metals from fission product waste. Although the assessment was made only for the three noble metal fission products (Rh, Pd, Ru), there are other fission products and actinides which have potential value

Mass fractionation of noble gases in diffusion-limited hydrodynamic hydrogen escape

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zahnle, K.; Pollack, J.B.; Kasting, J.F.

1990-01-01

The theory of mass fractionation by hydrogen is presently extended to atmospheres in which hydrogen is not the major constituent. This theoretical framework is applied to three different cases. In the first, it is shown that the fractionation of terrestrial atmospheric neon with respect to mantle neon is explainable as a consequence of diffusion-limited hydrogen escape from a steam atmosphere toward the end of the accretion process. In the second, the anomalously high Ar-38/Ar-36 ratio of Mars is shown to be due to hydrodynamic fractionation by a vigorously escaping and very pure hydrogen wind. In the last case, it is speculated that the currently high Martian D/H ratio emerged during the hydrodynamic escape phase which fractionated Ar. 35 refs

Comparison of the tensile bond strength of high-noble, noble, and base metal alloys bonded to enamel.

Science.gov (United States)

Sen, D; Nayir, E; Pamuk, S

2000-11-01

Although the bond strengths of various resin composite luting materials have been reported in the literature, the evaluation of these systems with various cast alloys of different compositions has not been completely clarified. To evaluate the tensile bond strength of sandblasted high-noble, noble, and base metal alloys bonded to etched enamel by 2 different bonding agents of different chemical composition: Panavia-Ex (BIS-GMA) and Super-Bond (4-META acrylic). Flat enamel surfaces were prepared on buccal surfaces of 60 extracted noncarious human incisors. Teeth were divided into 3 groups of 20 each. Twenty circular disks of 5 mm diameter were prepared for casting for each group. Group I was cast with a high-noble, group II with a noble, and group III with a base metal alloy. The surfaces of the disks were sandblasted with 250 microm Al(2)O(3). Ten disks of each group were bonded to exposed enamel surfaces with Super-Bond and 10 disks with Panavia-Ex as recommended by the manufacturer. The tensile bond strength was measured with an Instron universal testing machine with a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min until failure occurred. Two-way ANOVA was used to evaluate the results. The differences in bond strengths of Super-Bond and Panavia-Ex with different alloys were not significant. The highest bond strengths were obtained in base metal alloys, followed by noble and high-noble alloys. These results were significant. Panavia-Ex and Super-Bond exhibited comparable tensile bond strengths. For both luting agents, the highest bond strengths were achieved with base metal alloys and the lowest with high-noble alloys.

Cryogenic system for collecting noble gases from boiling water reactor off-gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmauch, G.E.

1973-01-01

In boiling water reactors, noncondensible gases are expelled from the main condenser. This off-gas stream is composed largely of radiolytic hydrogen and oxygen, air in-leakage, and traces of fission product krypton and xenon. In the Air Products' treatment system, the stoichiometric hydrogen and oxygen are reacted to form water in a catalytic recombiner. The design of the catalytic recombiner is an extension of industrial gas technology developed for purification of argon and helium. The off-gas after the recombiner is processed by cryogenic air-separation technology. The gas is compressed, passed into a reversing heat exchanger where water vapor and carbon dioxide are frozen out, further cooled, and expanded into a distillation column where refrigeration is provided by addition of liquid nitrogen. More than 99.99 percent of the krypton and essentially 100 percent of the xenon entering the column are accumulated in the column bottoms. Every three to six months, the noble-gas concentrate accumulated in the column bottom is removed as liquid, vaporized, diluted with steam, mixed with hydrogen in slight excess of oxygen content, and fed to a small recombiner where all the oxygen reacts to form water. The resulting gas stream, containing from 20 to 40 percent noble gases, is compressed into small storage cylinders for indefinite retention or for decay of all fission gases except krypton-85, followed by subsequent release under controlled conditions and favorable meteorology. This treatment system is based on proven technology that is practiced throughout the industrial gas industry. Only the presence of radioactive materials in the process stream and the application in a nuclear power plant environment are new. Adaptations to meet these new conditions can be made without sacrificing performance, reliability, or safety

Selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides from industrial gases by hydrogen or methane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engelmann Pirez, M.

2004-12-01

This work deals with the selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides (NO x ), contained in the effluents of industrial plants, by hydrogen or methane. The aim is to replace ammonia, used as reducing agent, in the conventional process. The use of others reducing agents such as hydrogen or methane is interesting for different reasons: practical, economical and ecological. The catalyst has to convert selectively NO into N 2 , in presence of an excess of oxygen, steam and sulfur dioxide. The developed catalyst is constituted by a support such as perovskites, particularly LaCoO 3 , on which are dispersed noble metals (palladium, platinum). The interaction between the noble metal and the support, generated during the activation of the catalyst, allows to minimize the water and sulfur dioxide inhibitor phenomena on the catalytic performances, particularly in the reduction of NO by hydrogen. (O.M.)

Spectroscopic studies of hydrogen atom and molecule collisions: Performance report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kielkopf, J.

1986-01-01

This research is concerned with spectroscopic measurements of collisions in atomic and molecular hydrogen in order to clarify the basic physical processes that take place during radiative collisions and to provide experimental values for systems where the theoretical analysis is tractable. To this end, we proposed to measure from the cores to the far wings the profiles of the spectral lines of atomic hydrogen broadened by molecular hydrogen and noble gases, and to study energy transfer in the atom and molecule

Chromatographic separation of radioactive noble gases from xenon

Science.gov (United States)

Akerib, D. S.; Araújo, H. M.; Bai, X.; Bailey, A. J.; Balajthy, J.; Beltrame, P.; Bernard, E. P.; Bernstein, A.; Biesiadzinski, T. P.; Boulton, E. M.; Bramante, R.; Cahn, S. B.; Carmona-Benitez, M. C.; Chan, C.; Chiller, A. A.; Chiller, C.; Coffey, T.; Currie, A.; Cutter, J. E.; Davison, T. J. R.; Dobi, A.; Dobson, J. E. Y.; Druszkiewicz, E.; Edwards, B. N.; Faham, C. H.; Fiorucci, S.; Gaitskell, R. J.; Gehman, V. M.; Ghag, C.; Gibson, K. R.; Gilchriese, M. G. D.; Hall, C. R.; Hanhardt, M.; Haselschwardt, S. J.; Hertel, S. A.; Hogan, D. P.; Horn, M.; Huang, D. Q.; Ignarra, C. M.; Ihm, M.; Jacobsen, R. G.; Ji, W.; Kamdin, K.; Kazkaz, K.; Khaitan, D.; Knoche, R.; Larsen, N. A.; Lee, C.; Lenardo, B. G.; Lesko, K. T.; Lindote, A.; Lopes, M. I.; Manalaysay, A.; Mannino, R. L.; Marzioni, M. F.; McKinsey, D. N.; Mei, D.-M.; Mock, J.; Moongweluwan, M.; Morad, J. A.; Murphy, A. St. J.; Nehrkorn, C.; Nelson, H. N.; Neves, F.; O'Sullivan, K.; Oliver-Mallory, K. C.; Palladino, K. J.; Pease, E. K.; Pech, K.; Phelps, P.; Reichhart, L.; Rhyne, C.; Shaw, S.; Shutt, T. A.; Silva, C.; Solovov, V. N.; Sorensen, P.; Stephenson, S.; Sumner, T. J.; Szydagis, M.; Taylor, D. J.; Taylor, W.; Tennyson, B. P.; Terman, P. A.; Tiedt, D. R.; To, W. H.; Tripathi, M.; Tvrznikova, L.; Uvarov, S.; Verbus, J. R.; Webb, R. C.; White, J. T.; Whitis, T. J.; Witherell, M. S.; Wolfs, F. L. H.; Yazdani, K.; Young, S. K.; Zhang, C.

2018-01-01

The Large Underground Xenon (LUX) experiment operates at the Sanford Underground Research Facility to detect nuclear recoils from the hypothetical Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) on a liquid xenon target. Liquid xenon typically contains trace amounts of the noble radioactive isotopes 85Kr and 39Ar that are not removed by the in situ gas purification system. The decays of these isotopes at concentrations typical of research-grade xenon would be a dominant background for a WIMP search experiment. To remove these impurities from the liquid xenon, a chromatographic separation system based on adsorption on activated charcoal was built. 400 kg of xenon was processed, reducing the average concentration of krypton from 130 ppb to 3.5 ppt as measured by a cold-trap assisted mass spectroscopy system. A 50 kg batch spiked to 0.001 g/g of krypton was processed twice and reduced to an upper limit of 0.2 ppt.

Muonium formation in noble gases and noble gas mixtures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stambaugh, R.D.; Casperson, D.E.; Crane, T.W.; Hughes, V.W.; Kaspar, H.F.; Souder, P.; Thompson, P.A.; Orth, H.; zu Putlitz, G.; Denison, A.B.

1974-01-01

An experiment is reported to study the behavior of positive muons stopped in He, Ne, and Xe in order to provide a more complete understanding of muonium formation in the noble gases. Free muon and muonium precession are plotted. (U.S.)

ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS TO PD MEMBRANES FOR HYDROGEN PURIFICATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Korinko, P; T. Adams

2008-09-12

Development of advanced hydrogen separation membranes in support of hydrogen production processes such as coal gasification and as front end gas purifiers for fuel cell based system is paramount to the successful implementation of a national hydrogen economy. Current generation metallic hydrogen separation membranes are based on Pd-alloys. Although the technology has proven successful, at issue is the high cost of palladium. Evaluation of non-noble metal based dense metallic separation membranes is currently receiving national and international attention. The focal point of the reported work was to evaluate two different classes of materials for potential replacement of conventional Pd-alloy purification/diffuser membranes. Crystalline V-Ni-Ti and Amorphous Fe- and Co-based metallic glass alloys have been evaluated using gaseous hydrogen permeation testing techniques.

Gold Supported on Graphene Oxide: An Active and Selective Catalyst for Phenylacetylene Hydrogenations at Low Temperatures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shao, Lidong; Huang, Xing; Teschner, Detre

2014-01-01

A constraint to industrial implementation of gold-catalyzed alkyne hydrogenation is that the catalytic activity was always inferior to those of other noble metals. In this work, gold was supported on graphene oxide (Au/GO) and used in a hydrogenation application. A 99% selectivity toward styrene...

Development of supported noble metal catalyst for U(VI) to U(IV) reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tyagi, Deepak; Varma, Salil; Bhattacharyya, K.; Tripathi, A.K.; Bharadwaj, S.R.; Jain, V.K.; Sahu, Avinash; Vincent, Tessy; Jagatap, B.N.; Wattal, P.K.

2015-01-01

Uranium-plutonium separation is an essential step in the PUREX process employed in spent nuclear fuel reprocessing. This partitioning in the PUREX process is achieved by selective reduction of Pu(IV) to Pu(III) using uranous nitrate as reductant and hydrazine as stabilizer. Currently in our Indian reprocessing plants, the requirement of uranous nitrate is met by electrolytic reduction of uranyl nitrate. This process, however, suffers from a major drawback of incomplete reduction with a maximum conversion of ~ 60%. Catalytic reduction of U(VI) to U(IV) is being considered as one of the promising alternatives to the electro-reduction process due to fast kinetics and near total conversion. Various catalysts involving noble metals like platinum (Adams catalyst, Pt/Al 2 O 3 , Pt/SiO 2 etc.) have been reported for the reduction. Sustained activity and stability of the catalyst under harsh reaction conditions are still the issues that need to be resolved. We present here the results on zirconia supported noble metal catalyst that is developed in BARC for reduction of uranyl nitrate to uranous nitrate. Supported noble metal catalysts with varying metal loadings (0.5 - 2 wt%) were prepared via support precipitation and noble metal impregnation. The green catalysts were reduced either by chemical reduction using hydrazine hydrate or by heating in hydrogen flow or combination of both the steps. These catalysts were characterized by various techniques such as, XRD, SEM, TEM, N 2 adsorption and H 2 chemisorption. Performance of these catalysts was evaluated for U(VI) to U(IV) reduction with uranyl nitrate feed using hydrazine as reductant. The results with the most active catalyst are named as 'BARC-CAT', which was developed in our lab. (author)

Binary-collision-approximation simulation for noble gas irradiation onto plasma facing materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saito, Seiki; Nakamura, Hiroaki; Takayama, Arimichi; Ito, Atsushi M

2014-01-01

A number of experiments show that helium plasma constructs filament (fuzz) structures whose diameter is in nanometer-scale on the tungsten material under the suitable experimental condition. In this paper, binary-collision-approximation-based simulation is performed to reveal the mechanism and the conditions of fuzz formation of tungsten material under plasma irradiation. The irradiation of the plasma of hydrogen, deuterium, and tritium, and also the plasma of noble gas such as helium, neon, and argon atoms are investigated. The possibility of fuzz formation is discussed on the simulation result of penetration depth of the incident atoms

Development of guidelines on the application of noble metals to BWRs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, C.J.; Cowan, R.L.

2002-01-01

Water Chemistry plays a critical role in determining the economics of BWR (boiling water reactor) operation. The chemistry controls the probability of repairs due to stress corrosion cracking of piping and internals, the operating and shutdown dose rates (and thus personnel exposure), radiation waste generation and fuel corrosion performance. Simultaneously addressing the adverse effects from these phenomena requires a delicate balance of chemistry variables. Earlier papers have reviewed the technologies that have evolved to provide this balance including specific impurity limits, hydrogen water chemistry, and isotopically depleted zinc injection. This paper addresses the experience with the latest technology, noble metal chemical addition (NMCA). (authors)

Development of guidelines on the application of noble metals to BWRs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wood, C.J. [EPRI, Palo Alto, CA (United States); Cowan, R.L

2002-07-01

Water Chemistry plays a critical role in determining the economics of BWR (boiling water reactor) operation. The chemistry controls the probability of repairs due to stress corrosion cracking of piping and internals, the operating and shutdown dose rates (and thus personnel exposure), radiation waste generation and fuel corrosion performance. Simultaneously addressing the adverse effects from these phenomena requires a delicate balance of chemistry variables. Earlier papers have reviewed the technologies that have evolved to provide this balance including specific impurity limits, hydrogen water chemistry, and isotopically depleted zinc injection. This paper addresses the experience with the latest technology, noble metal chemical addition (NMCA). (authors)

Selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides from industrial gases by hydrogen or methane; Reduction catalytique selective des oxydes d'azote (NO{sub x}) provenant d'effluents gazeux industriels par l'hydrogene ou le methane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Engelmann Pirez, M

2004-12-15

This work deals with the selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides (NO{sub x}), contained in the effluents of industrial plants, by hydrogen or methane. The aim is to replace ammonia, used as reducing agent, in the conventional process. The use of others reducing agents such as hydrogen or methane is interesting for different reasons: practical, economical and ecological. The catalyst has to convert selectively NO into N{sub 2}, in presence of an excess of oxygen, steam and sulfur dioxide. The developed catalyst is constituted by a support such as perovskites, particularly LaCoO{sub 3}, on which are dispersed noble metals (palladium, platinum). The interaction between the noble metal and the support, generated during the activation of the catalyst, allows to minimize the water and sulfur dioxide inhibitor phenomena on the catalytic performances, particularly in the reduction of NO by hydrogen. (O.M.)

Noble Gas signatures of Enhanced Oil Recovery

Science.gov (United States)

Barry, P. H.; Kulongoski, J. T.; Tyne, R. L.; Hillegonds, D.; Byrne, D. J.; Landon, M. K.; Ballentine, C. J.

2017-12-01

Noble gases are powerful tracers of fluids from various oil and gas production activities in hydrocarbon reservoirs and nearby groundwater. Non-radiogenic noble gases are introduced into undisturbed oil and natural gas reservoirs through exchange with formation waters [1-3]. Reservoirs with extensive hydraulic fracturing, injection for enhanced oil recovery (EOR), and/or waste disposal also show evidence for a component of noble gases introduced from air [4]. Isotopic and elemental ratios of noble gases can be used to 1) assess the migration history of the injected and formation fluids, and 2) determine the extent of exchange between multiphase fluids in different reservoirs. We present noble gas isotope and abundance data from casing, separator and injectate gases of the Lost Hills and Fruitvale oil fields in the San Joaquin basin, California. Samples were collected as part of the California State Water Resource Control Board's Oil and Gas Regional Groundwater Monitoring Program. Lost Hills (n=7) and Fruitvale (n=2) gases are geochemically distinct and duplicate samples are highly reproducible. Lost Hills casing gas samples were collected from areas where EOR and hydraulic fracturing has occurred in the past several years, and from areas where EOR is absent. The Fruitvale samples were collected from a re-injection port. All samples are radiogenic in their He isotopes, typical of a crustal environment, and show enrichments in heavy noble gases, resulting from preferential adsorption on sediments. Fruitvale samples reflect air-like surface conditions, with higher air-derived noble gas concentrations. Lost Hills gases show a gradation from pristine crustal signatures - indicative of closed-system exchange with formation fluids - to strongly air-contaminated signatures in the EOR region. Pristine samples can be used to determine the extent of hydrocarbon exchange with fluids, whereas samples with excess air can be used to quantify the extent of EOR. Determining noble

Simulated effect of timing and Pt quantity injected on On-line NobleChem application on total fuel liftoff

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pop, M.G.; Riddle, J.M.; Lamanna, L.S.; Gregorich, C.; Hoornik, A.

2015-01-01

Total liftoff is a measure of fuel performance and a risk indicator for fuel reliability. Fuel operability and license limits are directly related to the expected total lifetime liftoff. AREVA's continued commitment to zero fuel failure is expressed, among other efforts, in the continued development and improvement of its fuel cladding corrosion and crud risk assessment tools. The AREVA models used to assess and predict crud deposition on BWR cores over their lifespan have been refined by the development and incorporation of the PEZOG tool in response to the move in the industry to the On-Line NobleChem TM (OLNC) technology. PEZOG models the platinum-enhanced zirconium oxide growth of fuel cladding when exposed to platinum during operation. Depending on the local chemistry and radiation condition, noble metals act as catalysts for many reactions, including but not limited to hydrogen oxidation and oxygen reduction. OLNC's intention is to catalyze the hydrogen and oxygen recombination reaction for core internals protection. However, research has indicated that noble metals catalyze the oxygen reduction under the chemistry and radiation conditions as experienced in the pores of crud deposits, and hence, can increase the corrosion rate of zirconium alloy cladding. The developed PEZOG module calculates the oxide thickness as a function of platinum injection strategy. The stratified nature of oxide and crud layers formed on fuel cladding surfaces is reflected in the calculations as are the different platinum interaction in each of the layers. This paper presents examples of the evaluation of various aspects of the platinum injection strategies and their influence on the oxide growth enhancement as applied to conditions of a U.S. plant. (authors)

Noble magnetic barriers in the ASDEX UG tokamak

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Halima; Punjabi, Alkesh; Vazquez, Justin

2010-02-01

The second-order perturbation method of creating invariant tori inside chaos in Hamiltonian systems (Ali, H.; Punjabi, A. Plasma Phys. Contr. F. 2007, 49, 1565-1582) is applied to the axially symmetric divertor experiment upgrade (ASDEX UG) tokamak to build noble irrational magnetic barriers inside chaos created by resonant magnetic perturbations (m, n)=(3, 2)+(4, 3), with m and n the poloidal and toroidal mode numbers of the Fourier expansion of the magnetic perturbation. The radial dependence of the Fourier modes is ignored. The modes are considered to be locked and have the same amplitude δ. A symplectic mathematical mapping in magnetic coordinates is used to integrate magnetic field line trajectories in the ASDEX UG. Tori with noble irrational rotational transform are the last ones to be destroyed by perturbation in Hamiltonian systems. For this reason, noble irrational magnetic barriers are built inside chaos, and the strongest noble irrational barrier is identified. Three candidate locations for the strongest noble barrier in ASDEX UG are selected. All three candidate locations are chosen to be roughly midway between the resonant rational surfaces ψ32 and ψ43. ψ is the magnetic coordinate of the flux surface. The three candidate surfaces are the noble irrational surfaces close to the surface with q value that is a mediant of q=3/2 and 4/3, q value of the physical midpoint of the two resonant surfaces, and the q value of the surface where the islands of the two perturbing modes just overlap. These q values of the candidate surfaces are denoted by q MED, q MID, and q OVERLAP. The strongest noble barrier close to q MED has the continued fraction representation (CFR) [1;2,2,1∞] and exists for δ≤2.6599×10-4; the strongest noble barrier close to q MID has CFR [1;2,2,2,1∞] and exists for δ≤4.6311×10-4; and the strongest noble barrier close to q OVERLAP has CFR [1;2,2,6,2,1∞] and exists for δ≤1.367770×10-4. From these results, the strongest

Noble-Metal Chalcogenide Nanotubes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nourdine Zibouche

2014-10-01

Full Text Available We explore the stability and the electronic properties of hypothetical noble-metal chalcogenide nanotubes PtS2, PtSe2, PdS2 and PdSe2 by means of density functional theory calculations. Our findings show that the strain energy decreases inverse quadratically with the tube diameter, as is typical for other nanotubes. Moreover, the strain energy is independent of the tube chirality and converges towards the same value for large diameters. The band-structure calculations show that all noble-metal chalcogenide nanotubes are indirect band gap semiconductors. The corresponding band gaps increase with the nanotube diameter rapidly approaching the respective pristine 2D monolayer limit.

77 FR 70159 - Marble River, LLC v. Noble Clinton Windpark I, LLC, Noble Ellenburg Windpark, LLC, Noble...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-23

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. EL13-20-000] Marble River... Commission's (Commission) Rules of Practice and Procedure, Marble River, LLC (Marble River or Complainant.... (NYISO or Respondent), alleging that Noble failed to pay Marble River for headroom created by common...

Noble metals can have different effects on photocatalysis over metal-organic frameworks (MOFs): a case study on M/NH₂-MIL-125(Ti) (M=Pt and Au).

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Dengrong; Liu, Wenjun; Fu, Yanghe; Fang, Zhenxing; Sun, Fangxiang; Fu, Xianzhi; Zhang, Yongfan; Li, Zhaohui

2014-04-14

M-doped NH2-MIL-125(Ti) (M=Pt and Au) were prepared by using the wetness impregnation method followed by a treatment with H2 flow. The resultant samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) analyses, N2-sorption BET surface area, and UV/Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The photocatalytic reaction carried out in saturated CO2 with triethanolamine (TEOA) as sacrificial agent under visible-light irradiations showed that the noble metal-doping on NH2-MIL-125(Ti) promoted the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Unlike that over pure NH2-MIL-125(Ti), in which only formate was produced, both hydrogen and formate were formed over Pt- and Au-loaded NH2-MIL-125(Ti). However, Pt and Au have different effects on the photocatalytic performance for formate production. Compared with pure NH2-MIL-125(Ti), Pt/NH2-MIL-125(Ti) showed an enhanced activity for photocatalytic formate formation, whereas Au has a negative effect on this reaction. To elucidate the origin of the different photocatalytic performance, electron spin resonance (ESR) analyses and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out over M/NH2-MIL-125(Ti).The photocatalytic mechanisms over M/NH2-MIL-125(Ti) (M=Pt and Au) were proposed. For the first time, the hydrogen spillover from the noble metal Pt to the framework of NH2-MIL-125(Ti) and its promoting effect on the photocatalytic CO2 reduction is revealed. The elucidation of the mechanism on the photocatalysis over M/NH2-MIL-125(Ti) can provide some guidance in the development of new photocatalysts based on MOF materials. This study also demonstrates the potential of using noble metal-doped MOFs in photocatalytic reactions involving hydrogen as a reactant, like hydrogenation reactions. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Structural energetics of noble metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mujibur Rahman, S.M.

1982-06-01

Structural energetics of the noble metals, namely Cu, Ag, and Au are investigated by employing a single-parameter pseudopotential. The calculations show that the lowest energy for all of these metals corresponds to FCC - their observed crystal structure. The one-electron contribution to the free energy is found to dominate the structural prediction for these metals. The present investigation strongly emphasizes that the effects due to band hybridization and core-core exchange play a significant role on the structural stability of the noble metals. (author)

Radiative response on massive noble gas injection for Runaway suppression in disruptive plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reiter, Bernhard

2010-01-01

The most direct way to avoid the formation of a relativistic electron beam under the influence of an electric field in a highly conducting plasma, is to increase the electron density to a value, where the retarding collisional force balances the accelerating one. In a disruptive tokamak plasma, rapid cooling induces a high electric field, which could easily violate the force balance and push electrons into the relativistic regime. Such relativistic electrons, the so-called runaways, accumulate many MeV's and can cause substantial damage when they hit the wall. This thesis is based on the principle of rapidly fueling the plasma for holding the force balance even under the influence of high electric fields typical for disruptions. The method of injecting high amounts of noble gas particles into the plasma from a close distance is put into practice in the ASDEX Upgrade fusion test facility. In the framework of this thesis, a multi-channel photometer system based on 144 AXUV detectors in a toroidal stereo measurement setup was built. It kept its promise to provide new insights into the transport mechanisms in a disruptive plasma under the influence of strong radiative interaction dynamics between injected matter and the hot plasma.

Primordial Noble Gases from Earth's Core

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, K.; Lu, X.; Brodholt, J. P.

2016-12-01

Recent partitioning experiment suggests helium is more compatible in iron melt than in molten silicates at high pressures (> 10 GPa) (1), thus provide the possibility of the core as being the primordial noble gases warehouse that is responsible for the high primordial/radiogenic noble gas isotopic ratios observed in plume-related basalts. However, the possible transportation mechanism of the noble gases from the core to the overlying mantle is still ambiguous, understanding how this process would affect the noble gas isotopic characteristics of the mantle is critical to validate this core reservoir model. As diffusion is a dominant mass transport process that plays an important role in chemical exchange at the core-mantle boundary (CMB), we have determined the diffusion coefficients of helium, neon and argon in major lower mantle minerals, i.e. periclase (MgO), bridgemanite (MgSiO3-Pv) and post-perovskite (MgSiO3-PPv), by first-principles calculation based on density functional theory (DFT). As expected, the diffusion rate of helium is the fastest at the CMB, which is in the range of 3 × 10-10 to 1 × 10-8 m2/s. The neon diffusion is slightly slower, from 5 × 10-10 to 5 × 10-9 m2/s. Argon diffuses slowest at the rate from 1 × 10-10 to 2 × 10-10 m2/s. We have further simulated the evolution of noble gas isotopic ratios in the mantle near the CMB. Considering its close relationship with the mantle plumes and very likely to be the direct source of "hot-spot" basalts, we took a close investigation on the large low-shear-velocity provinces (LLSVPs). Under reasonable assumptions based on our diffusion parameters, the modelling results indicate that LLSVP is capable of generating all the noble gas isotope signals, e.g., 3He/4He = 55 Ra, 3He/22Ne = 3.1, 3He/36Ar = 0.82, 40Ar/36Ar = 9500, that are in good agreement with the observed values in "hot-spot" basalts (2). Therefore, this core-reservior hypothesis is a self-consistent model that can fits in multiple noble gas

Development of new electrode materials for hydrogen production by water electrolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rozain, Caroline

2013-01-01

It is expected that PEM water electrolysis will play a significant role in the hydrogen society as a key process for producing hydrogen from renewable energy sources but before this, substantial cost reductions are still required. Because of the high acidity of membrane materials used in PEM water electrolysers, expensive noble-metals or their oxides are required as electrocatalysts (platinum for hydrogen evolution and iridium for oxygen evolution). As the oxygen evolution reaction takes place with a large overpotential (anodic potential ≥ 1.6 V) only few materials can be used to avoid corrosion. In state-of-the-art, noble metal oxides are generally used alone in the active layer with typical loadings of 2-3 mg/cm 2 and act as both catalyst and electronic conductor.In order to reduce the noble metal loadings and keep a good electronic conductivity of the catalytic layer, iridium can be supported onto a conductive and electrochemical stable material support. To gain more insights, several MEAs with anodes made of pure iridium oxide or 50 wt % IrO 2 /Ti anodes have been prepared and characterized using cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy, and by measuring polarization curves at different operating temperatures. Without the catalyst support, anodic loadings can be reduced down to 0,5 mg/cm 2 without any degradation in the electrochemical performances. By using anodes made of iridium oxide and titanium particles, further reductions of anodic loading can be made down to 0.1 mg/cm 2 with performances similar to those obtained with conventional loadings of several mg cm 2 . (author) [fr

Selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides from industrial gases by hydrogen or methane; Reduction catalytique selective des oxydes d'azote (NO{sub x}) provenant d'effluents gazeux industriels par l'hydrogene ou le methane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Engelmann Pirez, M

2004-12-15

This work deals with the selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides (NO{sub x}), contained in the effluents of industrial plants, by hydrogen or methane. The aim is to replace ammonia, used as reducing agent, in the conventional process. The use of others reducing agents such as hydrogen or methane is interesting for different reasons: practical, economical and ecological. The catalyst has to convert selectively NO into N{sub 2}, in presence of an excess of oxygen, steam and sulfur dioxide. The developed catalyst is constituted by a support such as perovskites, particularly LaCoO{sub 3}, on which are dispersed noble metals (palladium, platinum). The interaction between the noble metal and the support, generated during the activation of the catalyst, allows to minimize the water and sulfur dioxide inhibitor phenomena on the catalytic performances, particularly in the reduction of NO by hydrogen. (O.M.)

Crystal phase-based epitaxial growth of hybrid noble metal nanostructures on 4H/fcc Au nanowires

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Qipeng; Wang, An-Liang; Gong, Yue; Hao, Wei; Cheng, Hongfei; Chen, Junze; Li, Bing; Yang, Nailiang; Niu, Wenxin; Wang, Jie; Yu, Yifu; Zhang, Xiao; Chen, Ye; Fan, Zhanxi; Wu, Xue-Jun; Chen, Jinping; Luo, Jun; Li, Shuzhou; Gu, Lin; Zhang, Hua

2018-03-01

Crystal-phase engineering offers opportunities for the rational design and synthesis of noble metal nanomaterials with unusual crystal phases that normally do not exist in bulk materials. However, it remains a challenge to use these materials as seeds to construct heterometallic nanostructures with desired crystal phases and morphologies for promising applications such as catalysis. Here, we report a strategy for the synthesis of binary and ternary hybrid noble metal nanostructures. Our synthesized crystal-phase heterostructured 4H/fcc Au nanowires enable the epitaxial growth of Ru nanorods on the 4H phase and fcc-twin boundary in Au nanowires, resulting in hybrid Au-Ru nanowires. Moreover, the method can be extended to the epitaxial growth of Rh, Ru-Rh and Ru-Pt nanorods on the 4H/fcc Au nanowires to form unique hybrid nanowires. Importantly, the Au-Ru hybrid nanowires with tunable compositions exhibit excellent electrocatalytic performance towards the hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline media.

Noble gas atoms as chemical impurities in silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tkachev, V.D.; Mudryi, A.V.; Minaev, N.S.

1984-01-01

The behaviour of noble gas atoms implanted in silicon is studied by the luminescence method. The energy position of Moessbauer-type luminescence bands with zero-phonon lines 1.0148, 1.0120, 1.0097, 1.0048 eV and others connected with implanted atoms of neon, helium, argon, krypton, respectively, indicates the formation of deep energy levels in the forbidden gap of silicon. Implantation of the noble gas isotopes confirms their participation in formation processes of the luminescence centers in silicon. The temperature range of existence and the symmetry of defects incorporating the noble gas atoms are found. It is noted that noble gas atoms form impurity complexes with deep energy levels and their behaviour in crystals does not differ from that of main doped or residual technological impurity atoms. (author)

Treatment of simulated high-level radioactive waste with formic acid: Bench-scale study on hydrogen evolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsu, C.L.W.; Ritter, J.A.

1996-01-01

At the Savannah River Site, the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) was constructed to vitrify high-level radioactive liquid waste in borosilicate glass for permanent storage. Formic acid, which serves as both an acid and a reducing agent, is used to treat the washed alkaline sludge during melter feed preparation primarily to improve the processability of the feed and to reduce mercury to its zero state for steam stripping. The high-level sludge is composed of many transition metal hydroxides. Among them, there are small quantities of platinum group metals. During the treatment of simulated sludge with formic acid, significant amounts of hydrogen were generated when the platinum group metals were included in the sludge. Apparently the noble metals in the sludge were reduced to their zero states and caused formic acid to decompose catalytically into hydrogen and carbon dioxide, usually with an induction period. The production of hydrogen gas presented the DWPF with a safety issue. Therefore, the objective of this research was to gain a fundamental understanding of what controlled the hydrogen evolution so that a practical solution to the safety issue could be obtained. A bench-scale parametric study revealed the following: increasing the amount of formic acid added to the sludge increased the hydrogen generation rate dramatically; once the catalysts were activated, the hydrogen generation rate decreased significantly with a lowering of the temperature of the sludge; the relative catalytic activities of the noble metals in the sludge decreased in the following order: rhodium > ruthenium much-gt palladium; ammonium ions were generated catalytically from the reaction between formic acid and nitrate; and when present, the noble metals caused higher upward drifts of the sludge pH

OXYGEN AND HYDROGEN ISOTOPE VARIATIONS IN A RECENTLY FORMED MASSIVE ICE AT THE MOUTH OF THE AKKANI RIVER, EASTERN CHUKOTKA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu. K. Vasil'chuk

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The object of this study is a recently (or in the Holocene formed thick (up 2.7 m in height buried massive ice body, exposed in 2 km South-East from the mouth of the river Akkani in the North-East of Chukotka in the vicinity of the settlement Lavrentiya. The structural-textural characteristics of ice and enclosing deposits are considered. It is shown that the overlying layers of sediments are loams with a slab structure and vertical-layer medium and thin-chill cryogenic structure and ice sockets. The ice of the body is very pure and transparent, visible to a depth of 0.5 m. There are some inclusions found in massive ice: sand and loams presented in forms of thin interlayers of particles or granules. The ice is full of bubbles. The main method of the research was the analysis of isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen within the stratified ice body, and also relationships between them as well as ratios between the deuterium excess and δ2Н. The thick and relatively contemporary massive ice layer buried under a layer of proluvial sediments had been found for the first time, and together with this, the isotope variations of the buried ice (δ2Н and δ18O were determined. The mean values of δ18О and δ2H in the ice are rather stable and equal to −17.1 and −128.3‰, respectively. These isotope characteristics may be used for cryogenic reconstructions of massive ice formations widely distributed in the late Quaternary deposits in Eastern Chukotka.

Metodologia para o crescimento de esferas monocristalinas de metais nobres A methodology for the growing of single crystal spheres of noble metals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luiz H. Dall'Antonia

1999-09-01

Full Text Available This paper describes in detail a technique employed to grow quasi-spherical single crystals of noble metals for electrochemical applications, using platinum as an example. The metal beads were formed by melting the extremity of a wire in an oxygen / butane flame. X-ray techniques were used to check the crystallization and to determine the orientation of the crystals. Treatment with a pure hydrogen flame followed by a cooling procedure in a hydrogen / argon atmosphere were used for conditioning the well-defined platinum single crystal surfaces. Finally, electrochemical characterization of the Pt(111, Pt(110 and Pt(100 surfaces was done in diluted sulfuric acid solution in the hydrogen adsorption / desorption potential region.

Calculation of LUEC using HEEP Software for Nuclear Hydrogen Production Plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jongho; Lee, Kiyoung; Kim, Minhwan [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-15

To achieve the hydrogen economy, it is very important to produce a massive amount of hydrogen in a clean, safe and efficient way. Nuclear production of hydrogen would allow massive production of hydrogen at economic prices while avoiding environments pollution by reducing the release of carbon dioxide. A Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) is considered as an efficient reactor to couple with the thermo-chemical Sulfur Iodine (SI) cycle to achieve the hydrogen economy. HEEP(Hydrogen Economy Evaluation Program) is one of the software tools developed by IAEA to evaluate the economy of the nuclear hydrogen production system by estimating unit hydrogen production cost. In this paper, the LUHC (Levelized Unit Hydrogen Cost) is calculated by using HEEP for nuclear hydrogen production plant, which consists of 4 modules of 600 MWth VHTR coupled with SI process. The levelized unit hydrogen production cost(LUHC) was calculated by the HEEP software.

Development of Non-Noble Metal Ni-Based Catalysts for Dehydrogenation of Methylcyclohexane

KAUST Repository

Al-ShaikhAli, Anaam H.

2016-11-30

Liquid organic chemical hydride is a promising candidate for hydrogen storage and transport. Methylcyclohexane (MCH) to toluene (TOL) cycle has been considered as one of the feasible hydrogen carrier systems, but selective dehydrogenation of MCH to TOL has only been achieved using the noble Pt-based catalysts. The aim of this study is to develop non-noble, cost-effective metal catalysts that can show excellent catalytic performance, mainly maintaining high TOL selectivity achievable by Pt based catalysts. Mono-metallic Ni based catalyst is a well-known dehydrogenation catalyst, but the major drawback with Ni is its hydrogenolysis activity to cleave C-C bonds, which leads to inferior selectivity towards dehydrogenation of MCH to TOL. This study elucidate addition of the second metal to Ni based catalyst to improve the TOL selectivity. Herein, ubiquitous bi-metallic nanoparticles catalysts were investigated including (Ni–M, M: Ag, Zn, Sn or In) based catalysts. Among the catalysts investigated, the high TOL selectivity (> 99%) at low conversions was achieved effectively using the supported NiZn catalyst under flow of excess H2. In this work, a combined study of experimental and computational approaches was conducted to determine the main role of Zn over Ni based catalyst in promoting the TOL selectivity. A kinetic study using mono- and bimetallic Ni based catalysts was conducted to elucidate reaction mechanism and site requirement for MCH dehydrogenation reaction. The impact of different reaction conditions (feed compositions, temperature, space velocity and stability) and catalyst properties were evaluated. This study elucidates a distinctive mechanism of MCH dehydrogenation to TOL reaction over the Ni-based catalysts. Distinctive from Pt catalyst, a nearly positive half order with respect to H2 pressure was obtained for mono- and bi-metallic Ni based catalysts. This kinetic data was consistent with rate determining step as (somewhat paradoxically) hydrogenation

Noble metal catalysts in the production of biofuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gutierrez, A.

2013-11-01

The energy demand is increasing in the world together with the need to ensure energy security and the desire to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. While several renewable alternatives are available for the production of electricity, e.g. solar energy, wind power, and hydrogen, biomass is the only renewable source that can meet the demand for carbon-based liquid fuels and chemicals. The technology applied in the conversion of biomass depends on the type and complexity of the biomass, and the desired fuel. Hydrogen and hydrogen-rich mixtures (synthesis gas) are promising energy sources as they are more efficient and cleaner than existing fuels, especially when they are used in fuel cells. Hydrotreatment is a catalytic process that can be used in the conversion of biomass or biomass-derived liquids into fuels. In autothermal reforming (ATR), catalysts are used in the production of hydrogen-rich mixtures from conventional fuels or bio-fuels. The different nature of biomass and biomass-derived liquids and mineral oil makes the use of catalysts developed for the petroleum industry challenging. This requires the improvement of available catalysts and the development of new ones. To overcome the limitations of conventional hydrotreatment and ATR catalysts, zirconia-supported mono- and bimetallic rhodium, palladium, and platinum catalysts were developed and tested in the upgrading of model compounds for wood-based pyrolysis oil and in the production of hydrogen, using model compounds for gasoline and diesel. Catalysts were also tested in the ATR of ethanol. For comparative purposes commercial catalysts were tested and the results obtained with model compounds were compared with those obtained with real feedstocks (hydrotreatmet tests with wood-based pyrolysis oil and ATR tests with NExBTL renewable diesel). Noble metal catalysts were active and selective in the hydrotreatment of guaiacol used as the model compound for the lignin fraction of wood-based pyrolysis oil and wood

Noble Metal Nanoparticles for Biosensing Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedro V. Baptista

2012-02-01

Full Text Available In the last decade the use of nanomaterials has been having a great impact in biosensing. In particular, the unique properties of noble metal nanoparticles have allowed for the development of new biosensing platforms with enhanced capabilities in the specific detection of bioanalytes. Noble metal nanoparticles show unique physicochemical properties (such as ease of functionalization via simple chemistry and high surface-to-volume ratios that allied with their unique spectral and optical properties have prompted the development of a plethora of biosensing platforms. Additionally, they also provide an additional or enhanced layer of application for commonly used techniques, such as fluorescence, infrared and Raman spectroscopy. Herein we review the use of noble metal nanoparticles for biosensing strategies—from synthesis and functionalization to integration in molecular diagnostics platforms, with special focus on those that have made their way into the diagnostics laboratory.

Systems and methods for facilitating hydrogen storage using naturally occurring nanostructure assemblies

Science.gov (United States)

Fliermans,; Carl, B [Augusta, GA

2012-08-07

Some or all of the needs above can be addressed by embodiments of the invention. According to embodiments of the invention, systems and methods for facilitating hydrogen storage using naturally occurring nanostructure assemblies can be implemented. In one embodiment, a method for storing hydrogen can be provided. The method can include providing diatoms comprising diatomaceous earth or diatoms from a predefined culture. In addition, the method can include heating the diatoms in a sealed environment in the presence of at least one of titanium, a transition metal, or a noble metal to provide a porous hydrogen storage medium. Furthermore, the method can include exposing the porous hydrogen storage medium to hydrogen. In addition, the method can include storing at least a portion of the hydrogen in the porous hydrogen storage medium.

Radiolytic model of CN Cofrentes using BWRVIA: analysis of the effectiveness of mitigation in locations of the vessel with application of noble metal son-line; Modelo radiolitico de C. N: Cofrentes utilizando el BWRVIA: analisis de la efectividad de mitigacion en localizaciones de la vasija con aplicacion de metales nobles on-line

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martin-Serrano Ledesma, C.; Sanchez Zapata, J. D.

2012-07-01

The effectiveness of mitigation is found from two chemical parameters: electrochemical potential (pm-a hydrogen injection) and Molar Ratio (for the application of noble metals). EPRI code exists, the BWRVIA (BWR Vessel Internals Application,) which enables setting model the impact radiolysis of water, the balance of liquid-vapor phase and recirculation have on the chemical variation of these parameters.

Impacts of a massive release of methane and hydrogen sulfide on oxygen and ozone during the late Permian mass extinction

Science.gov (United States)

Kaiho, Kunio; Koga, Seizi

2013-08-01

The largest mass extinction of animals and plants in both the ocean and on land occurred in the late Permian (252 Ma), largely coinciding with the largest flood basalt volcanism event in Siberia and an oceanic anoxic/euxinic event. We investigated the impacts of a massive release of methane (CH4) from the Siberian igneous province and the ocean and/or hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from the euxinic ocean on oxygen and ozone using photochemical model calculations. Our calculations indicated that an approximate of 14% decrease in atmospheric O2 levels would have occurred in the case of a large combined CH4 and H2S flux to the atmosphere, whereas an approximate of 8 to 10% decrease would have occurred from the CH4 flux and oxidation of all H2S in the ocean. The slight decrease in atmospheric O2 levels may have contributed to the extinction event. We demonstrate for the first time that a massive release of CH4 from the Siberian igneous province and a coincident massive release of CH4 and H2S did not cause ozone collapse. A collapse of stratospheric ozone leading to an increase in UV is not supported by the maximum model input levels for CH4 and H2S. These conclusions on O2 and O3 are correspondent to every H2S release percentages from the ocean to the atmosphere.

Excellent photocatalytic hydrogen production over CdS nanorods via using noble metal-free copper molybdenum sulfide (Cu{sub 2}MoS{sub 4}) nanosheets as co-catalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, Sangyeob; Kumar, D. Praveen; Reddy, D. Amaranatha; Choi, Jiha; Kim, Tae Kyu, E-mail: tkkim@pusan.ac.kr

2017-02-28

Highlights: • Developed Cu{sub 2}MoS{sub 4} nanosheets as co-catalysts. • Cu{sub 2}MoS{sub 4} as active replacements for precious noble metal. • Controlled charge recombination for use in photocatalytic H{sub 2} evolution. • Obtained superior rate of H{sub 2} production by using Cu{sub 2}MoS{sub 4} loaded CdS nanorods. - Abstract: Charge carrier recombination and durability issues are major problems in photocatalytic hydrogen (H{sub 2}) evolution processes. Thus, there is a very important necessitate to extend an efficient photocatalyst to control charge-carrier dynamics in the photocatalytic system. We have developed copper molybdenum sulfide (Cu{sub 2}MoS{sub 4}) nanosheets as co-catalysts with CdS nanorods for controlling charge carriers without recombination for use in photocatalytic H{sub 2} evolution under simulated solar light irradiation. Effective control and utilization of charge carriers are possible by loading Cu{sub 2}MoS{sub 4} nanosheets onto the CdS nanorods. The loading compensates for the restrictions of CdS, and stimulated synergistic effects, such as efficient photoexcited charge separation, lead to an improvement in photostability because of the layered structure of the Cu{sub 2}MoS{sub 4}nanosheets. These layered Cu{sub 2}MoS{sub 4} nanosheets have emerged as novel and active replacements for precious noble metal co-catalysts in photocatalytic H{sub 2} production by water splitting. We have obtained superior H{sub 2} production rates by using Cu{sub 2}MoS{sub 4} loaded CdS nanorods. The physicochemical properties of the composites are analyzed by diverse characterization techniques.

Wire gauze and cordierite supported noble metal catalysts for passive autocatalytic recombiner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanap, Kiran K.; Varma, S.; Waghmode, S.B.; Bharadwaj, S.R.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Synthesis by electroless deposition method and chemical reduction route. • Particle size of 0.1–0.5 μm & 3.5–5 nm for Pt–Pd/Wg & Pt–Pd/Cord catalysts. • Active for H_2 and O_2 reaction with initial H_2 concentration of 1.5 to 7% in air. • Active in presence of different contaminants like CO_2, CH_4, CO & relative humidity. • Enhanced resistance of Pt–Pd/Cord catalyst towards the poisoning of CO. - Abstract: Hydrogen released in nuclear reactor containment under severe accident scenario poses a threat to containment and hence needs to be regulated by catalytic recombination. Mixed noble metal catalysts with platinum–palladium supported on stainless steel wire gauze and cordierite support have been developed for this purpose. The developed catalysts have been found to be highly efficient for removal of hydrogen concentration in the range of 1.5 to 7.0% v/v in air. Though both the catalysts exhibit similar kinetics for lower hydrogen concentration, cordierite supported catalysts exhibits better kinetic rate at higher hydrogen concentration. The performances of these catalysts in presence of various probable catalytic poison like carbon monoxide and catalytic inhibitors like moisture, carbon dioxide, and hydrocarbons provide data for use of these catalysts under the actual scenario. Compared to stainless steel wire gauze supported catalyst, the cordierite based catalyst are found to exhibit enhanced resistance towards carbon monoxide and limited temperature rise for safer application at higher hydrogen concentrations.

Noble gases recycled into the mantle through cold subduction zones

Science.gov (United States)

Smye, Andrew J.; Jackson, Colin R. M.; Konrad-Schmolke, Matthias; Hesse, Marc A.; Parman, Steve W.; Shuster, David L.; Ballentine, Chris J.

2017-08-01

Subduction of hydrous and carbonated oceanic lithosphere replenishes the mantle volatile inventory. Substantial uncertainties exist on the magnitudes of the recycled volatile fluxes and it is unclear whether Earth surface reservoirs are undergoing net-loss or net-gain of H2O and CO2. Here, we use noble gases as tracers for deep volatile cycling. Specifically, we construct and apply a kinetic model to estimate the effect of subduction zone metamorphism on the elemental composition of noble gases in amphibole - a common constituent of altered oceanic crust. We show that progressive dehydration of the slab leads to the extraction of noble gases, linking noble gas recycling to H2O. Noble gases are strongly fractionated within hot subduction zones, whereas minimal fractionation occurs along colder subduction geotherms. In the context of our modelling, this implies that the mantle heavy noble gas inventory is dominated by the injection of noble gases through cold subduction zones. For cold subduction zones, we estimate a present-day bulk recycling efficiency, past the depth of amphibole breakdown, of 5-35% and 60-80% for 36Ar and H2O bound within oceanic crust, respectively. Given that hotter subduction dominates over geologic history, this result highlights the importance of cooler subduction zones in regassing the mantle and in affecting the modern volatile budget of Earth's interior.

Monitoring of noble gas radioisotopes in nuclear power plant effluents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kabat, M.J.

1985-01-01

Monitoring of gaseous radionuclides in the effluents of nuclear facilities is an essential requirement in effluent management programs. Since there is no practical way of removing noble gas radioisotopes from air at release pathways, their accurate monitoring is essential for providing appropriate environmental protection. Emitted γ dose-rate is the limiting factor for concentration-time integral of noble gas in gaseous effluents of reactor facilities. The external exposure to the public from a semi-infinite cloud is directly proportional to both the noble gas isotope concentration and the integrated γ energy per disintegration. Both can be directly measured in gaseous effluent pathways with a suitable detector. The capability of NaI(T1), CaF 2 (Eu) and plastic scintillation detectors to measure the γ-Ci.MeV content of noble gas releases was experimentally evaluated. The combination of CaF 2 (Eu) detector in a pressurized through-flow chamber, with a charge integrating scaler well complied with both γ energy response and detection sensitivity requirements. Noble gas source terms and effluent monitoring criteria are discussed, theoretical and experimental results are presented and a practical, on-line noble gas monitoring system is described

Magneto-optical Kerr spectroscopy of noble metals

Science.gov (United States)

Uba, L.; Uba, S.; Antonov, V. N.

2017-12-01

Magneto-optical (MO) response of the noble metals Cu, Ag, and Au in the joint experimental and ab initio theoretical study is reported. The magneto-optical polar Kerr effect (MOKE) spectra of the noble-metal films were measured with the high sensitivity in the applied magnetic field of 1.5 T over the photon energy range 0.74-5.8 eV. Complete set of the optical conductivity tensor elements was determined precisely from the MOKE and the optical spectra measured at the same energy points. The importance of the off-diagonal intraband Drude-type transitions is demonstrated explicitly for each noble metal and found to be a substantial contribution to the observed spectra. It is shown that the first-principles calculations using the spin-polarized fully relativistic Dirac linear-muffin-tin-orbital method with the inclusion of correlation effects by GGA+U approach reproduce well the experimental spectra and allow to explain the microscopic origin of the noble metals' magneto-optical response in terms of interband transitions. Although the energy band structures of Cu, Ag, and Au are very similar, there are some distinctive differences in bandwidths and the energy positions of the bands (especially in X and L symmetry points), mainly due to different spin-orbit splitting and differences in the spatial extent of 3 d , 4 d , and 5 d valence wave functions of noble metals. It was found that the small differences in the band positions lead to significant differences in the MO properties of three noble metals. Although the spin-orbit interaction in Au is about six times larger than in Cu, and approximately two times larger than in Ag, the absolute value of Kerr rotation in Au is of the same magnitude as in Cu and one order of magnitude smaller as compared to Ag. The sharp Kerr effect spectral peak in Ag is not due to the electronic interband transitions, but rather to the plasma-edge splitting. The band-by-band decomposition of the Cu, Ag, and Au MO spectra is presented and the

A massive hydrogen-rich Martian greenhouse recorded in D/H

Science.gov (United States)

Pahlevan, K.; Schaefer, L. K.; Desch, S. J.; Elkins-Tanton, L. T.

2017-12-01

The deuterium-to-hydrogen (D/H) ratio in Martian atmospheric water ( 6x standard mean ocean water, SMOW) [1,2] is higher than that of known sources [3,4] alluding to a planetary enrichment process. A recent measurement by the Curiosity rover of Hesperian clays yields a D/H value 3x higher than SMOW [5], demonstrating that most enrichment occurred early in planetary history, buttressing the conclusions of Martian meteorite studies [6,7]. Extant models of the isotopic evolution of the Martian hydrosphere have not incorporated primordial H2, despite its likely abundance on early Mars. Here, we report the first 1D climate calculations with an atmospheric composition determined via degassing from a reducing magma ocean to study Martian climate during an early water ocean stage. A reducing Martian magma ocean is expected based on experimental petrology [8], the degassing of which gives rise to an H2-rich steam atmosphere [9] with strong attendant greenhouse warming [10,11] even after the removal of steam via condensation. At the pressures and temperatures prevailing in such a degassed greenhouse, we find that isotopic exchange in the fluid envelope is rapid, strongly concentrating deuterium in water molecules over molecular hydrogen [12]. The subsequent loss of the isotopically light H2-rich atmosphere results in a 2x D/H enrichment in the oceans via isotopic equilibration alone. These calculations suggest that most of the D/H enrichment observed in the first billion years of Martian history is produced by the evolution of a massive ( 100 bar) H2-rich greenhouse in the aftermath of magma ocean crystallization. The proposed link between early planetary process and modern isotopic observable opens a new window into the earliest history of Mars. [1] Owen, T. et al. Science 240, 1767-1770 (1988). [2] Webster, C. R. et al. Science 341, 260-263 (2013). [3] Lunine, J. I. et al. Icarus 165, 1-8, (2003). [4] Marty, B. et al. EPSL 441, 91-102, (2016). [5] Mahaffy, P. et al

Determination of natural in vivo noble-gas concentrations in human blood.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yama Tomonaga

Full Text Available Although the naturally occurring atmospheric noble gases He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe possess great potential as tracers for studying gas exchange in living beings, no direct analytical technique exists for simultaneously determining the absolute concentrations of these noble gases in body fluids in vivo. In this study, using human blood as an example, the absolute concentrations of all stable atmospheric noble gases were measured simultaneously by combining and adapting two analytical methods recently developed for geochemical research purposes. The partition coefficients determined between blood and air, and between blood plasma and red blood cells, agree with values from the literature. While the noble-gas concentrations in the plasma agree rather well with the expected solubility equilibrium concentrations for air-saturated water, the red blood cells are characterized by a distinct supersaturation pattern, in which the gas excess increases in proportion to the atomic mass of the noble-gas species, indicating adsorption on to the red blood cells. This study shows that the absolute concentrations of noble gases in body fluids can be easily measured using geochemical techniques that rely only on standard materials and equipment, and for which the underlying concepts are already well established in the field of noble-gas geochemistry.

International Conference on LIght Detection in Noble Elements

CERN Document Server

2016-01-01

The objective of the Light Detection in Noble Elements (LIDINE) 2015 conference is to promote discussion between the members of the particle and nuclear physics communities about light and charge collection in detectors based on liquid or gaseous noble elements, xenon and argon being the most common, but neon and helium also in use, and represented at this conference. The neutrino physics, ultra-cold neutron study, dark matter search, and medical physics communities all utilize noble-based detector technologies, recording UV scintillation and/or ionization. Therefore, this will be an interdisciplinary opportunity for information exchange, and a chance for each of these communities enumerated above, in the U.S. as well as abroad, to expand their technical knowledge bases.

Noble gas absorption process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, J.W.

1975-01-01

A method of removing a noble gas from air comprising the use of activated carbon filters in stages in which absorption and desorption steps in succession are conducted in order to increase the capacity of the filters is described. (U.S.)

Solubility investigations in support of ultrasensitive noble gas detector development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gross, K.C.; Andersen, A.; Russ, W.R.; Stuenkel, D.; Valentine, J.D.

1998-01-01

Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and the University of Cincinnati (UC) have been developing a new class of ultrasensitive noble gas detectors that are based upon the ANL discovery that corn oil has a high affinity for heavy noble gas absorption at room temperature but releases the noble gases with warming or by other low-energy-input means. Environmental applications for this new class of fluid-based detectors include ultrahigh sensitivity radioxenon detectors for comprehensive test ban treaty surveillance, improved fission gas detectors for enhanced environmental surveillance in the vicinity of US Department of Energy, US Department of Defense, and US Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensed facilities, and improved integrating Rn detectors for earthquake prediction. They present the results of theoretical and experimental investigations into the solubility phenomena of heavy noble gases (Rn, Xe, and Kr) in triglyceride oils. They intend for the findings presented herein to be used to guide future selection, development, and refinement of vegetable and other hydrocarbon oils to bring further enhancements to noble gas detection efficiencies

Solubility investigations in support of ultrasensitive noble gas detector development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gross, K. C.

1998-01-01

Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and the University of Cincinnati (UC) have been developing a new class of ultrasensitive noble gas detectors that are based upon the ANL discovery that corn oil has a high affinity for heavy noble gas absorption at room temperature, but releases the noble gases with warming or by other low-energy-input means. Environmental applications for this new class of fluid-based detectors include ultrahigh sensitivity radioxenon detectors for Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Surveillance, improved fission gas detectors for enhanced environmental surveillance in the vicinity of DOE, DOD, and NRC-licensed facilities, and improved integrating Rn detectors for earthquake prediction. The purpose of the present paper is to present the results of theoretical and experimental investigations into the solubility phenomena of heavy noble gases (Rn, Xe, and Kr) in triglyceride oils. It is the authors' intention that the findings presented herein may be used to guide future selection, development, and refinement of vegetable and other hydrocarbon oils to bring further enhancements to noble gas detection efficiencies

Bimetallic Nanocatalysts in Mesoporous Silica for Hydrogen Production from Coal-Derived Fuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuila, Debasish [North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State Univ., Greensboro, NC (United States); Ilias, Shamsuddin [North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State Univ., Greensboro, NC (United States)

2013-02-13

In steam reforming reactions (SRRs) of alkanes and alcohols to produce H₂, noble metals such as platinum (Pt) and palladium (Pd) are extensively used as catalyst. These metals are expensive; so, to reduce noble-metal loading, bi-metallic nanocatalysts containing non-noble metals in MCM-41 (Mobil Composition of Material No. 41, a mesoporous material) as a support material with high-surface area were synthesized using one-pot hydrothermal procedure with a surfactant such as cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a template. Bi-metallic nanocatalysts of Pd-Ni and Pd-Co with varying metal loadings in MCM-41 were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), N₂ adsorption, and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The BET surface area of MCM-41 (~1000 m²/g) containing metal nanoparticles decreases with the increase in metal loading. The FTIR studies confirm strong interaction between Si-O-M (M = Pd, Ni, Co) units and successful inclusion of metal into the mesoporous silica matrix. The catalyst activities were examined in steam reforming of methanol (SRM) reactions to produce hydrogen. Reference tests using catalysts containing individual metals (Pd, Ni and Co) were also performed to investigate the effect of the bimetallic system on the catalytic behavior in the SRM reactions. The bimetallic system remarkably improves the hydrogen selectivity, methanol conversion and stability of the catalyst. The results are consistent with a synergistic behavior for the Pd-Ni-bimetallic system. The performance, durability and thermal stability of the Pd-Ni/MCM-41 and Pd-Co/MCM-41 suggest that these materials may be promising catalysts for hydrogen production from biofuels. A part of this work for synthesis and characterization of Pd-Ni-MCM-41 and its activity for SRM reactions has been published (“Development of Mesoporous Silica Encapsulated Pd-Ni Nanocatalyst for Hydrogen Production” in “Production and Purification of Ultraclean

Investigation of noble metal deposition behaviour in boiling water reactors. The NORA project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritter, Stefan; Karastoyanov, Vasil; Abolhassani-Dadras, Sousan; Guenther-Leopold, Ines; Kivel, Niko

2010-01-01

NobleChem trademark is a technology developed by General Electric to reduce stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in reactor internals and recirculation pipes of boiling water reactors (BWRs) while preventing the negative side effects of classic hydrogen water chemistry. Noble metals (Pt, Rh) acting as electrocatalysts for the recombination of O 2 and H 2 O 2 with H 2 to H 2 O and thus reducing the corrosion potential more efficiently are injected into the feedwater during reactor shutdown (classic method) or on-line during power operation. They are claimed to deposit as very fine metallic particles on all water-wetted surfaces, including the most critical regions inside existing cracks, and to stay electrocatalytic over long periods of time. The effectiveness of this technology in plants still remains to be demonstrated. Based on highly credible laboratory experiments down to the sub-μg . kg -1 Pt concentration range, SCC mitigation may be expected, provided that a stoichiometric excess of H 2 and a sufficient surface coverage with very fine Pt particles exist simultaneously at the critical locations [1]. Very little is known about the deposition and (re-)distribution behaviour of the Pt in the reactor. For the validation of this technique the research project NORA (noble metal deposition behaviour in BWRs) has been started at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) with two main objectives: (i) to gain phenomenological insights and a better basic understanding of the Pt distribution and deposition behaviour in BWRs; (ii) to develop and qualify a non-destructive technique to characterise the size and distribution of the Pt particles and the local concentration of Pt on reactor components. This paper presents the objectives of the project, the planned work and a brief description of the status of the project. (orig.)

Radioactive gas and hydrogen removal after a LOCE at the LOFT Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCormick-Barger, J.W.; Sumpter, K.C.

1979-01-01

The use of a silver-zeolite halogen adsorber placed in series with a hydrogen catalytic recombiner and a cryogenic noble gas adsorber assembly constitutes a waste gas processing system (WGPS) capable of handling hydrogen and fission product gases following a Loss-of-Coolant Experiment (LOCE). This paper describes: the types and quantities of gases expected to be found at the facility after a failed-fuel LOCE; the purpose of the WGPS; and the general configuration and expected decontamination factors associated with the LOFT WGPS

Effect of noble gas ion pre-irradiation on deuterium retention in tungsten

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cheng, L.; Zhao, Z. H.; De Temmerman, G.; Yuan, Y.; Morgan, T. W.; Guo, L. P.; Wang, B.; Zhang, Y.; Wang, B. Y.; Zhang, P.; Cao, X. Z.; Lu, G. H.

2016-01-01

Impurity seeding of noble gases is an effective way of decreasing the heat loads onto the divertor targets in fusion devices. To investigate the effect of noble gases on deuterium retention, tungsten targets have been implanted by different noble gas ions and subsequently exposed to deuterium

Progress of Nuclear Hydrogen Program in Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Won Jae

2009-01-01

To cope with dwindling fossil fuels and climate change, it is clear that a clean alternative energy that can replace fossil fuels is required. Hydrogen is considered a promising future energy solution because it is clean, abundant and storable and has a high energy density. As other advanced countries, the Korean government had established a long-term vision for transition to the hydrogen economy in 2005. One of the major challenges in establishing a hydrogen economy is how to produce massive quantities of hydrogen in a clean, safe and economical way. Among various hydrogen production methods, the massive, safe and economic production of hydrogen by water splitting using a very high temperature gas-cooled reactor (VHTR) can provide a success path to the hydrogen economy. Particularly in Korea, where usable land is limited, the nuclear production of hydrogen is deemed a practical solution due to its high energy density. To meet the expected demand for hydrogen, the Korea Atomic Energy Institute (KAERI) launched a nuclear hydrogen program in 2004 together with Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) and Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST). Then, the nuclear hydrogen key technologies development program was launched in 2006, which aims at the development and validation of key and challenging technologies required for the realization of the nuclear hydrogen production demonstration system. In 2008, Korean Atomic Energy Commission officially approved a long-term development plan of the nuclear hydrogen system technologies as in the figure below and now the nuclear hydrogen program became the national agenda. This presentation introduces the current status of nuclear hydrogen projects in Korea and the progress of the nuclear hydrogen key technologies development. Perspectives of nuclear process heat applications are also addressed

Excellent photocatalytic hydrogen production over CdS nanorods via using noble metal-free copper molybdenum sulfide (Cu2MoS4) nanosheets as co-catalysts

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Sangyeob; Kumar, D. Praveen; Reddy, D. Amaranatha; Choi, Jiha; Kim, Tae Kyu

2017-02-01

Charge carrier recombination and durability issues are major problems in photocatalytic hydrogen (H2) evolution processes. Thus, there is a very important necessitate to extend an efficient photocatalyst to control charge-carrier dynamics in the photocatalytic system. We have developed copper molybdenum sulfide (Cu2MoS4) nanosheets as co-catalysts with CdS nanorods for controlling charge carriers without recombination for use in photocatalytic H2 evolution under simulated solar light irradiation. Effective control and utilization of charge carriers are possible by loading Cu2MoS4 nanosheets onto the CdS nanorods. The loading compensates for the restrictions of CdS, and stimulated synergistic effects, such as efficient photoexcited charge separation, lead to an improvement in photostability because of the layered structure of the Cu2MoS4nanosheets. These layered Cu2MoS4 nanosheets have emerged as novel and active replacements for precious noble metal co-catalysts in photocatalytic H2 production by water splitting. We have obtained superior H2 production rates by using Cu2MoS4 loaded CdS nanorods. The physicochemical properties of the composites are analyzed by diverse characterization techniques.

Atomic forces between noble gas atoms, alkali ions, and halogen ions for surface interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, J. W.; Outlaw, R. A.; Heinbockel, J. H.

1988-01-01

The components of the physical forces between noble gas atoms, alkali ions, and halogen ions are analyzed and a data base developed from analysis of the two-body potential data, the alkali-halide molecular data, and the noble gas crystal and salt crystal data. A satisfactory global fit to this molecular and crystal data is then reproduced by the model to within several percent. Surface potentials are evaluated for noble gas atoms on noble gas surfaces and salt crystal surfaces with surface tension neglected. Within this context, the noble gas surface potentials on noble gas and salt crystals are considered to be accurate to within several percent.

Symmetrical synergy of hybrid Co9S8-MoSx electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction

KAUST Repository

Zhou, Xiaofeng; Yang, Xiulin; Hedhili, Mohamed N.; Li, Henan; Min, Shixiong; Ming, Jun; Huang, Kuo-Wei; Zhang, Wenjing; Li, Lain-Jong

2017-01-01

There exists a strong demand to replace expensive noble metal catalysts with efficient and earth-abundant catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Recently the Co- and Mo-based sulfides such as CoS2, Co9S8, and MoSx have been considered

Nanoporous materials for hydrogen storage and H2/D2 isotope separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Hyunchul

2014-01-01

This thesis presents a study of hydrogen adsorption properties at RT with noble metal doped porous materials and an efficient separation of hydrogen isotopes with nanoporous materials. Most analysis is performed via thermal desorption spectra (TDS) and Sieverts-type apparatus. The result and discussion is presented in two parts; Chapter 4 focuses on metal doped nanoporous materials for hydrogen storage. Cryogenic hydrogen storage by physisorption on porous materials has the advantage of high reversibility and fast refuelling times with low heat evolution at modest pressures. At room temperature, however, the physisorption mechanism is not abEle to achieve enough capacity for practical application due to the weak van der Waals interaction, i.e., low isosteric heats for hydrogen sorption. Recently, the ''spillover'' effect has been proposed by R. Yang et al. to enhance the room temperature hydrogen storage capacity. However, the mechanism of this storage enhancement by decoration of noble metal particles inside high surface area supports is not yet fully understood and still under debate. In this chapter, noble metal (Pt / Pd) doped nanoporous materials (i.e. porous carbon, COFs) have been investigated for room temperature hydrogen storage. Their textural properties and hydrogen storage capacity are characterized by various analytic techniques (e.g. SEM, HRTEM, XRD, BET, ICP-OES, Thermal desorption spectra, Sievert's apparatus and Raman spectroscopy). Firstly, Pt-doped and un-doped templated carbons possessing almost identical textural properties were successfully synthesized via a single step wet impregnation method. This enables the study of Pt catalytic activities and hydrogen adsorption kinetics on porous carbons at ambient temperature by TDS after H 2 /D 2 gas exposure and PCT measurement, respectively. While the H 2 adsorption kinetics in the microporous structure is enhanced by Pt catalytic activities (spillover), only a small enhancement of the hydrogen

Bioinspired molecular co-catalysts bonded to a silicon photocathode for solar hydrogen evolution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hou, Yidong; Abrams, Billie L.; Vesborg, Peter Christian Kjærgaard

2011-01-01

The production of fuels from sunlight represents one of the main challenges in the development of a sustainable energy system. Hydrogen is the simplest fuel to produce and although platinum and other noble metals are efficient catalysts for photoelectrochemical hydrogen evolution, earth...... that harvests red photons in the solar spectrum. The current densities at the reversible potential match the requirement of a photoelectrochemical hydrogen production system with a solar-to-hydrogen efficiency in excess of 10% (ref. 16). The experimental observations are supported by density functional theory......-abundant alternatives are needed for large-scale use. We show that bioinspired molecular clusters based on molybdenum and sulphur evolve hydrogen at rates comparable to that of platinum. The incomplete cubane-like clusters (Mo3S 4) efficiently catalyse the evolution of hydrogen when coupled to a p-type Si semiconductor...

Bio-inspired co-catalysts bonded to a silicon photocathode for solar hydrogen evolution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hou, Yidong; Abrams, Billie; Vesborg, Peter Christian Kjærgaard

2011-01-01

The production of fuels directly or indirectly from sunlight represents one of the major challenges to the development of a sustainable energy system. Hydrogen is the simplest fuel to produce and while platinum and other noble metals are efficient catalysts for photoelectrochemical hydrogen...... at the reversible potential match the requirement of a photoelectrochemical hydrogen production system with a solar-to-hydrogen efficiency in excess of 10%. The experimental observations are supported by DFT calculations of the Mo3S4 cluster adsorbed on the hydrogen-terminated silicon surface providing insights...... deposited on various supports. It will be demonstrated how this overpotential can be eliminated by depositing the same type of hydrogen evolution catalyst on p-type Si which can harvest the red part of the solar spectrum. Such a system could constitute the cathode part of a tandem dream device where the red...

Steady-state ozone concentration in radiation induced noble gas-oxygen discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elsayed-Ali, H.E.; Miley, G.H.

1985-01-01

Measurements of steady-state ozone concentrations in continuous radiation induced noble gas-O 2 and noble gas-O 2 -SF 6 mixtures has been accomplished. The discharges were created through the bombardment of the gases with energetic particles from the boron-10 (n,α) lithium-7 nuclear reaction. Three noble gases were studied, He, Ne, and Ar at partial pressures of few hundred Torr. The dose rates studied were in the order of 10 15 eV.cm -3 .s -1 . The experimental apparatus and proceedure were previously described. The experimentally observed stead-state ozone concentrations in noble gas-O 2 discharges were about an order of magnitude lower than that observed for oxygen radiolysis at similar dose rates. These results were physically explained by an enhanced role of negative ionic reactions with ozone causing its destruction. In noble gas-O 2 -SF 6 mixtures, the steady-state ozone concentrations were found to be significantly higher (3-6 times) than that without the SF 6 addition. This observation was contrary to only a small increase observed after SF 6 addition to a few hundred Torr oxygen and is explained by an enhanced rate of electron dissociative attachment of ozone in noble gas-O 2 discharges

Filamentous fungi associated with natural infection of noble rot on withered grapes.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenzini, M; Simonato, B; Favati, F; Bernardi, P; Sbarbati, A; Zapparoli, G

2018-05-02

The effects of noble rot infection of grapes on the characteristics of different types of wine, including Italian passito wine, are well known. Nevertheless, there is still little information on filamentous fungi associated with noble-rotten grapes. In this study, withered Garganega grapes for passito wine production, naturally infected by noble rot, were analyzed and compared to sound grapes. Skin morphology and fungal population on berry surfaces were analyzed. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed microcracks, germination conidia and branched hyphae on noble-rotten berries. Penicillium, Aureobasidium and Cladosporium were the most frequent genera present. Analysis of single berries displayed higher heterogeneity of epiphytic fungi in those infected by noble-rot than in sound berries. Penicillium adametzoides, Cladosporium cladospoirioides and Coniochaeta polymorpha were recovered. These, to the best of our knowledge, had never been previously isolated from withered grapes and, for C. polymorpha, from grapevine. This study provided novel data on noble rot mycobiota and suggests that fungi that co-habit with B. cinerea could have an important role on grape and wine quality. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Inhalation of water electrolysis-derived hydrogen ameliorates cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats - A possible new hydrogen resource for clinical use.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Jin; Chen, Xiao; Zhai, Xiao; Shi, Dongchen; Zhang, Rongjia; Zhi, Xin; Li, Xiaoqun; Gu, Zhengrong; Cao, Liehu; Weng, Weizong; Zhang, Jun; Wang, Liping; Sun, Xuejun; Ji, Fang; Hou, Jiong; Su, Jiacan

2016-10-29

Hydrogen is a kind of noble gas with the character to selectively neutralize reactive oxygen species. Former researches proved that low-concentration of hydrogen can be used to ameliorating cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. Hydrogen electrolyzed from water has a hydrogen concentration of 66.7%, which is much higher than that used in previous studies. And water electrolysis is a potential new hydrogen resource for regular clinical use. This study was designed and carried out for the determination of safety and neuroprotective effects of water electrolysis-derived hydrogen. Sprague-Dawley rats were used as experimental animals, and middle cerebral artery occlusion was used to make cerebral ischemia/reperfusion model. Pathologically, tissues from rats in hydrogen inhalation group showed no significant difference compared with the control group in HE staining pictures. The blood biochemical findings matched the HE staining result. TTC, Nissl, and TUNEL staining showed the significant improvement of infarction volume, neuron morphology, and neuron apoptosis in rat with hydrogen treatment. Biochemically, hydrogen inhalation decreased brain caspase-3, 3-nitrotyrosine and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine-positive cells and inflammation factors concentration. Water electrolysis-derived hydrogen inhalation had neuroprotective effects on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats with the effect of suppressing oxidative stress and inflammation, and it is a possible new hydrogen resource to electrolyze water at the bedside clinically. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Hydrogen production through microheterogeneous photocatalysis of hydrogen sulfide cleavage. The thiosulfate cycle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borgarello, E; Serpone, N; Graetzel, M; Pelizzetti, E

1985-01-01

Cleavage of hydrogen sulfide into hydrogen and sulfur occurs in alkaline aqueous CdS dispersions under visible light illumination. Small quantities of a noble metal catalyst (RuO/sub 2/) loaded onto 'naked' CdS particles markedly improve the yield of hydrogen formation. The effect of RuO/sub 2/ is ascribed to catalysis of electron transfer to proton. Simultaneous and efficient photogeneration of hydrogen and thiosulfate occurs in CdS dispersions containing both sulfite and bisulfide (or sulfide) ions. Electron transfer from the conduction band of CdS to that of TiO/sub 2/ particles occurs in alkaline suspensions containing these HS/sup -/ ions and has been exploited to improve the performance of a system achieving decomposition of H/sub 2/S by visible light. Equally important is a recent finding that the performance of a system containing 'naked' CdS in combination with RuO/sub 2/-loaded TiO/sub 2/ particles is far better than that of CdS/RuO/sub 2/ alone. Additionally, conduction band electrons produced by bandgap excitation of TiO/sub 2/ particles efficiently reduce thiosulfate to sulfide and sulfite. The valence band process in alklaine TiO/sub 2/ dispersions is thought to involve oxidation of S/sub 2/O/sub 3//sup 2 -/ to tetrathionate, S/sub 4/O/sub 6//sup 2 -/, which quantitatively dismutates into sulfite and thiosulfate. The photodriven disproportionation of thiosulfate into sulfide and sulfate is of great interest in systems that photochemically cleave hydrogen sulfide into hydrogen and sulfur. (author).

In situ photodeposition of cobalt on CdS nanorod for promoting photocatalytic hydrogen production under visible light irradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wei; Wang, Yanhong; Liu, Mei; Gao, Li; Mao, Liqun; Fan, Zeyun; Shangguan, Wenfeng

2018-06-01

Non-noble metal Co were loaded on CdS for enhancing photocatalytic activity of water splitting by a simple and efficient in situ photodeposition method. The Co particles with diameter ca. 5 nm were photoreduced and then loaded on the surface of CdS. The loading of Co can not only effectively promote the separation of electrons and holes photoexcited by CdS, but reduce the overpotential of hydrogen evolution as well, thus enhancing photocatalytic activity of water splitting. The highest photocatalytic H2 evolution rate of Co/CdS reaches up to 1299 μmol h-1 under visible light irradiation(λ > 420 nm) when the amount of loading is 1.0 wt%, which is 17 times of that of pure CdS and achieves 80% of that of 0.5 wt%Pt/CdS. This work not only exhibits a pathway to obtain photocatalysts with high photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production, but provides a possibility for the utilization of low cost Co as a substitute for noble metals in photocatalytic hydrogen production.

EOSN: A TOUGH2 module for noble gases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shan, Chao; Pruess, Karsten

2003-03-07

We developed a new fluid property module for TOUGH2, called EOSN, to simulate transport of noble gases in the subsurface. Currently, users may select any of five different noble gases as well as CO2, two at a time. For the three gas components (air and two user-specified noble gases) in EOSN, the Henry's coefficients and the diffusivities in the gas phase are no longer assumed constants, but are temperature dependent. We used the Crovetto et al. (1982) model to estimate Henry's coefficients, and the Reid et al. (1987) correlations to calculate gas phase diffusivities. The new module requires users to provide names of the selected noble gases, which properties are provided internally. There are options for users to specify any (non-zero) molecular weights and half-lives for the gas components. We provide two examples to show applications of TOUGH2IEOSN. While temperature effects are relatively insignificant for one example problem where advection is dominant, they cause almost an order of magnitude difference for the other case where diffusion becomes a dominant process and temperature variations are relatively large. It appears that thermodynamic effects on gas diffusivities and Henry's coefficients can be important for low-permeability porous media and zones with large temperature variations.

EOSN: A TOUGH2 module for noble gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shan, Chao; Pruess, Karsten

2003-01-01

We developed a new fluid property module for TOUGH2, called EOSN, to simulate transport of noble gases in the subsurface. Currently, users may select any of five different noble gases as well as CO2, two at a time. For the three gas components (air and two user-specified noble gases) in EOSN, the Henry's coefficients and the diffusivities in the gas phase are no longer assumed constants, but are temperature dependent. We used the Crovetto et al. (1982) model to estimate Henry's coefficients, and the Reid et al. (1987) correlations to calculate gas phase diffusivities. The new module requires users to provide names of the selected noble gases, which properties are provided internally. There are options for users to specify any (non-zero) molecular weights and half-lives for the gas components. We provide two examples to show applications of TOUGH2IEOSN. While temperature effects are relatively insignificant for one example problem where advection is dominant, they cause almost an order of magnitude difference for the other case where diffusion becomes a dominant process and temperature variations are relatively large. It appears that thermodynamic effects on gas diffusivities and Henry's coefficients can be important for low-permeability porous media and zones with large temperature variations

Amorphous MoS{sub x} on CdS nanorods for highly efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Xiaofang; Tang, Chaowan; Zheng, Qun; Shao, Yu; Li, Danzhen, E-mail: dzli@fzu.edu.cn

2017-02-15

Loading cocatalyst on semiconductors was crucially necessary for improving the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Amorphous MoS{sub x} as a novel and noble metal-free cocatalyst was loaded on CdS nanorods by a simple photodeposition method. Efficient hydrogen evolution with amount of 15 mmol h{sup −1} g{sup −1} was observed over the MoS{sub x} modified CdS nanorods, which was about 6 times higher than that by using Pt as cocatalyst. Meanwhile, with MoS{sub x} cocatalyst, the efficiency of CdS nanorods was superior to that of CdS nanoparticles and bulk CdS. No deactivation could be observed in the efficiency of MoS{sub x} modified CdS nanorods under irradiation for successive 10 h. Further experimental results indicated that the efficient electrons transfer, low overpotential of hydrogen evolution and active S atoms over the MoS{sub x} modified CdS nanorods were responsible for the higher efficiency. Our results provided guidance for synthesizing noble metal-free materials as cocatalyst for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. - Graphical abstract: Photodeposition of amorphous MoS{sub x} on CdS nanorods for highly efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. - Highlights: • Amorphous MoSx cocatalyst was loaded on CdS NRs by a simple photodeposition. • MoS{sub x}/CdS NRs exhibited 6 times higher hydrogen evolution efficiency than Pt/CdS NRs. • The hydrogen evolution of MoS{sub x}/CdS NRs linearly increased with prolonging time. • Lower overpotential and efficient electron transfer were observed over MoS{sub x}/CdS NRs.

Investigation of the noble metal deposition behaviour in boiling water reactors - the NORA project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritter, S.; Karastoyanov, V.; Abolhassani-Dadras, S.; Guenther-Leopold, I.; Kivel, N.

2010-01-01

NobleChem™ is a technology developed by General Electric to reduce stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in reactor internals and recirculation pipes of boiling water reactors (BWRs) while preventing the negative side effects of classical hydrogen water chemistry. Noble metals (Pt, Rh) acting as electrocatalysts for the recombination of O 2 and H 2 O 2 with H 2 to H 2 O and thus reducing the corrosion potential more efficiently are injected into the feed water during reactor shut-down (classical method) or on-line during power operation. They are claimed to deposit as very fine metallic particles on all water-wetted surfaces including the most critical regions inside existing cracks and to stay electrocatalytic over long periods of time. The effectiveness of this technology in plants remains still to be demonstrated. Based on highly credible laboratory experiments down to the sub-ppb Pt concentration range, SCC mitigation may be expected, provided that a stoichiometric excess of H 2 and a sufficient surface coverage with very fine Pt particles exist simultaneously at the critical locations. Very little is known about the deposition and (re-)distribution behaviour of the Pt in the reactor. For the validation of this technique the research project NORA (noble metal deposition behaviour in BWRs) has been started at PSI with two main objectives: (i) to gain phenomenological insights and a better basic understanding of the Pt distribution and deposition behaviour in BWRs; (ii) to develop and qualify a non-destructive technique to characterise the size and distribution of the Pt particles and its local concentration on reactor components. This paper presents the objectives of the project, the planned work and a brief description of the status of the project. (author)

Characterization of the electrochemical behavior of coating by steel welding 308l and in presence of noble metals deposits; Caracterizacion del comportamiento electroquimico de recubrimiento por soldadura de acero 308L y en presencia de depositos de metales nobles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Piedras, P.; Arganis J, C. R., E-mail: pedro.piedras@hotmail.es [ININ, Carretera Mexico-Toluca s/n, 52750 Ocoyoacac, Estado de Mexico (Mexico)

2014-10-15

In this work the oxide deposits and noble metals deposit were characterized (Ag and Pt) on a coating of stainless steel 308l that were deposited by the shield metal arc welding (SMAW) on steel A36 by means of scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The extrapolation of Tafel technique was also used to obtain the corrosion potential (Ec) for the pre-rusty steel and for the samples with deposits of Pt and Ag under conditions of hydrogen water chemistry (HWC), demonstrating that this parameter diminishes with the presence of this deposits. (Author)

Overview of the physical-chemical properties of the noble gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKinley, C.

1973-01-01

This paper lists the concentrations of noble gases in the atmosphere and the relative abundance of the stable isotopes. Selected physical properties are tabulated; solubilities of noble gases in water and other liquids, and liquid-vapor equilibria data for binary systems containing a noble gas are presented. Adsorption data are tabulated for illustrative conventional adsorbents and are also presented by a Polanyi correlation. Clathration, biochemical effects, and chemical reactivity are highlighted. Analytical procedures are briefly described. Other relatively non-reactive gases present in the atmosphere in trace quantities are mentioned: methane, carbon tetrafluoride, and sulfur hexafluoride.

Hydrogen generation and foaming during tests in the GFPS simulating DWPF operations with Tank 42 sludge and CST

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koopman, D.C.

1999-12-08

This report summarizes the pilot-scale research requested by the salt disposition team to examine the effect of crystalline silicotitanate (CST) resin with adsorbed noble metals on the maximum hydrogen generation rate produced during the DWPF melter feed preparation processes.

Hydrogen generation and foaming during tests in the GFPS simulating DWPF operations with Tank 42 sludge and CST

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koopman, D.C.

1999-01-01

This report summarizes the pilot-scale research requested by the salt disposition team to examine the effect of crystalline silicotitanate (CST) resin with adsorbed noble metals on the maximum hydrogen generation rate produced during the DWPF melter feed preparation processes

Steady-state ozone concentrations in radiation induced noble gas-oxygen discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elsayed-Ali, H.E.; Miley, G.H.

1985-01-01

Measurements of steady-state ozone concentrations in continuous radiation induced noble gas-O/sub 2/ and noble gas-o/sub 2/-SF/sub 6/ mixtures has been accomplished. The discharges were created through the bombardment of the gases with energetic particles from the boron-10 (n,α) lithium-7 nuclear reaction. Three noble gases were studied, He, Ne, and Ar at partial pressures of few hundred Torr. The dose rates studied were in the order of 10/sup 15/ eV . cm/sup -3/ . s/sup -1/. The experimental apparatus and procedure were previously described. The experimentally observed steady-state ozone concentrations in noble gas-O/sub 2/ discharges were about an order of magnitude lower than that observed for oxygen radiolysis at similar dose rates. These results were physically explained by an enhanced role of negative ionic reactions with ozone causing its destruction. In noble gas-O/sub 2/-SF/sub 6/ mixtures, the steady-state ozone concentrations were found to be significantly higher (3-6 times) than that without the SF/sub 6/ addition. This observation was contrary to only a small increase observed after SF/sub 6/ addition to a few hundred Torr oxygen and is explained by an enhanced rate of electron dissociative attachment of ozone in noble gas-O/sub 2/ discharges

Hydrogen: it's now. Hydrogen, essential today, indispensable tomorrow. Power-to-Gas or how to meet the challenge of electricity storage. To develop hydrogen mobility. Hydrogen production modes and scope of application of the IED directive - Interview. Regulatory evolutions needed for an easier deployment of hydrogen energy technologies for a clean mobility. Support of the Community's policy to hydrogen and to fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mauberger, Pascal; Boucly, Philippe; Quint, Aliette; Pierre, Helene; Lucchese, Paul; Bouillon-Delporte, Valerie; Chauvet, Bertrand; Ferrari, Fabio; Boivin, Jean-Pierre

2015-01-01

Published by the French Association for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells (AFHYPAC), this document first outlines how hydrogen can reduce our dependence on fossil energies, how it supports the development of electric mobility to reduce CO 2 emissions by transports, how it enables a massive storage of energy as a support to renewable energies deployment and integration, and how hydrogen can be a competitiveness driver. Then two contributions address technical solutions, the first one being Power-to-Gas as a solution to energy storage (integration of renewable energies, a mean for massive storage of electricity, economic conditions making the first deployments feasible, huge social and economical benefits, necessity of creation of an adapted legal and economic framework), and the second one being the development of hydrogen-powered mobility (a major societal concern for air quality, strategies of car manufacturers in the world, necessity of a favourable framework, the situation of recharging infrastructures). Two contributions address the legal framework regarding hydrogen production modes and the scope of application of the European IED directive on industrial emissions, and the needed regulatory evolutions for an easier deployment of Hydrogen-energy technologies for a clean mobility. A last article comments the evolution of the support of European policies to hydrogen and fuel cells through R and d programs, presents the main support program (FCH JU) and its results, other European financing and support policy, and discusses perspectives, notably for possible financing mechanisms

Engineering noble metal nanomaterials for environmental applications

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jingguo; Zhao, Tingting; Chen, Tiankai; Liu, Yanbiao; Ong, Choon Nam; Xie, Jianping

2015-04-01

Besides being valuable assets in our daily lives, noble metals (namely, gold, silver, and platinum) also feature many intriguing physical and chemical properties when their sizes are reduced to the nano- or even subnano-scale; such assets may significantly increase the values of the noble metals as functional materials for tackling important societal issues related to human health and the environment. Among which, designing/engineering of noble metal nanomaterials (NMNs) to address challenging issues in the environment has attracted recent interest in the community. In general, the use of NMNs for environmental applications is highly dependent on the physical and chemical properties of NMNs. Such properties can be readily controlled by tailoring the attributes of NMNs, including their size, shape, composition, and surface. In this feature article, we discuss recent progress in the rational design and engineering of NMNs with particular focus on their applications in the field of environmental sensing and catalysis. The development of functional NMNs for environmental applications is highly interdisciplinary, which requires concerted efforts from the communities of materials science, chemistry, engineering, and environmental science.

Engineering noble metal nanomaterials for environmental applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jingguo; Zhao, Tingting; Chen, Tiankai; Liu, Yanbiao; Ong, Choon Nam; Xie, Jianping

2015-05-07

Besides being valuable assets in our daily lives, noble metals (namely, gold, silver, and platinum) also feature many intriguing physical and chemical properties when their sizes are reduced to the nano- or even subnano-scale; such assets may significantly increase the values of the noble metals as functional materials for tackling important societal issues related to human health and the environment. Among which, designing/engineering of noble metal nanomaterials (NMNs) to address challenging issues in the environment has attracted recent interest in the community. In general, the use of NMNs for environmental applications is highly dependent on the physical and chemical properties of NMNs. Such properties can be readily controlled by tailoring the attributes of NMNs, including their size, shape, composition, and surface. In this feature article, we discuss recent progress in the rational design and engineering of NMNs with particular focus on their applications in the field of environmental sensing and catalysis. The development of functional NMNs for environmental applications is highly interdisciplinary, which requires concerted efforts from the communities of materials science, chemistry, engineering, and environmental science.

First-principles study of noble gas stability in ThO{sub 2}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shao, Kuan [Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Han, Han, E-mail: hanhanfudan@gmail.com [Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China); Zhang, Wei [Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China); Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China); Wang, Hui [School of Physics and Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471003 (China); Wang, Chang-Ying; Guo, Yong-Liang [Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China); Ren, Cui-Lan [Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China); Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China); Huai, Ping, E-mail: huaiping@sinap.ac.cn [Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China)

2017-07-15

The stability of noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe) in thorium dioxide is studied by means of density functional theory. The computations are performed considering insertion sites of ThO{sub 2}, including the interstitial sites, the thorium vacancies, the oxygen-thorium di-vacancy and three types of Schottky defects. Our results show that there is an approximately linear relation between the energies and the atomic radii. As the size of the noble gas atom increases, the noble gas atoms energetically prefer to incorporate into large vacancy defects rather than into interstitial positions. Moreover, the binding energy of Kr or Xe interstitial in a Schottky defect is larger than the formation energy of a Schottky defect, suggesting the Schottky defects are thermodynamically favorable in the presence of these noble gas atoms. The charged defects are also considered for noble gas atoms trapped in Th and O vacancies.

Cost Evaluation with G4-ECONS Program for SI based Nuclear Hydrogen Production Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jong-ho; Lee, Ki-young; Kim, Yong-wan

2014-01-01

Contemporary hydrogen is production is primarily based on fossil fuels, which is not considered as environments friendly and economically efficient. To achieve the hydrogen economy, it is very important to produce a massive amount of hydrogen in a clean, safe and efficient way. Nuclear production of hydrogen would allow massive production of hydrogen at economic prices while avoiding environments pollution reducing the release of carbon dioxide. Nuclear production of hydrogen could thus become the enabling technology for the hydrogen economy. The economic assessment was performed for nuclear hydrogen production plant consisting of VHTR coupled with SI cycle. For the study, G4-ECONS developed by EMWG of GIF was appropriately modified to calculate the LUHC, assuming 36 months of plant construction time, 5 % of annual interest rate and 12.6 % of fixed charge rate. In G4-ECONS program, LUHC is calculated by the following formula; LUHC = (Annualized TCIC + Annualized O-M Cost + Annualized Fuel Cycle Cost + Annualized D-D Cost) / Annual Hydrogen Production Rate

Structural changes of noble metal catalysts during ignition and extinction of the partial oxidation of methane studied by advanced QEXAFS techniques

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grunwaldt, Jan-Dierk; Beier, M.; Kimmerle, B.

2009-01-01

The dynamics of the ignition and extinction of the catalytic partial oxidation (CPO) of methane to hydrogen and carbon monoxide over Pt-Rh/Al2O3 and Pt/Al2O3 were studied in the subsecond timescale using quick-EXAFS with a novel cam-driven X-ray monochromator employing Si(111) and Si(311) crystals...... to discuss the potential and limitation of this technique in catalysis and related areas. With respect to the noble metal catalysed partial oxidation of methane, several interesting observations were made: structural changes during ignition were-independent of the chosen reaction conditions......-significantly faster than during the extinction of the reaction. The dynamic behavior of the catalysts was dependent on the flow conditions and the respective noble metal component(s). Higher reaction gas flow led to a faster ignition process. While the ignition over Pt-Rh/Al2O3 occurred at lower temperature than over...

Recovery of noble metals from fission products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jenson, G.A.; Platt, A.M.; Mellinger, G.B.; Bjorklund, W.J.

1982-11-01

Scoping studies were started in 1979 to develop a cost-effective, waste-management-compatible process to extract noble metals from fission products. The process, involving the reaction with glassmelting chemicals, a metal oxide (PbO), and a reducing agent (charcoal), was demonstrated for recovering noble metals from simulated high-level waste oxides. The process has now been demonstrated on a laboratory scale (100 g) using irradiated fuels. Recoveries in the recovered lead averaged 80% for Pd, 60% for Rh, and 14% Ru. The resulting glass product was homogeneous in appearance, and the chemical durability was comparable to other waste oxides

Hydrogen generation and storage from hydrolysis of sodium borohydride in batch reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pinto, A.M.F.R.; Falcao, D.S. [Departamento de Eng. Quimica, Centro de Estudos de Fenomenos de Transporte, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto (Portugal); Silva, R.A.; Rangel, C.M. [Instituto Nacional de Engenharia e Tecnologia e Inovacao, Paco do Lumiar 22, 1649-038 (Portugal)

2006-08-15

The catalytic hydrolysis of alkaline sodium borohydride (NaBH{sub 4}) solution was studied using a non-noble; nickel-based powered catalyst exhibiting strong activity even after long time storage. This easy-to-prepare catalyst showed an enhanced activity after being recovered from previous use. The effects of temperature, NaBH{sub 4} concentration, NaOH concentration and pressure on the hydrogen generation rate were investigated. Particular importance has the effect of pressure, since the maximum reached pressure of hydrogen is always substantially lower than predictions (considering 100% conversion) due to solubility effects. The solubility of hydrogen is greatly enhanced by the rising pressure during reaction, leading to storage of hydrogen in the liquid phase. This effect can induce new ways of using this type of catalyst and reactor for the construction of hydrogen generators and even containers for portable and in situ applications. (author)

High Voltage in Noble Liquids for High Energy Physics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rebel, B. [Fermilab; Bernard, E. [Yale U.; Faham, C. H. [LBL, Berkeley; Ito, T. M. [Los Alamos; Lundberg, B. [Maryland U.; Messina, M. [Columbia U.; Monrabal, F. [Valencia U., IFIC; Pereverzev, S. P. [LLNL, Livermore; Resnati, F. [Zurich, ETH; Rowson, P. C. [SLAC; Soderberg, M. [Fermilab; Strauss, T. [Bern U.; Tomas, A. [Imperial Coll., London; Va' vra, J. [SLAC; Wang, H. [UCLA

2014-08-22

A workshop was held at Fermilab November 8-9, 2013 to discuss the challenges of using high voltage in noble liquids. The participants spanned the fields of neutrino, dark matter, and electric dipole moment physics. All presentations at the workshop were made in plenary sessions. This document summarizes the experiences and lessons learned from experiments in these fields at developing high voltage systems in noble liquids.

Metal-organic frameworks for adsorption and separation of noble gases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allendorf, Mark D.; Greathouse, Jeffery A.; Staiger, Chad

2017-05-30

A method including exposing a gas mixture comprising a noble gas to a metal organic framework (MOF), including an organic electron donor and an adsorbent bed operable to adsorb a noble gas from a mixture of gases, the adsorbent bed including a metal organic framework (MOF) including an organic electron donor.

Ab initio theory of noble gas atoms in bcc transition metals.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Chao; Zhang, Yongfeng; Gao, Yipeng; Gan, Jian

2018-06-18

Systematic ab initio calculations based on density functional theory have been performed to gain fundamental understanding of the interactions between noble gas atoms (He, Ne, Ar and Kr) and bcc transition metals in groups 5B (V, Nb and Ta), 6B (Cr, Mo and W) and 8B (Fe). Our charge density analysis indicates that the strong polarization of nearest-neighbor metal atoms by noble gas interstitials is the electronic origin of their high formation energies. Such polarization becomes more significant with an increasing gas atom size and interstitial charge density in the host bcc metal, which explains the similar trend followed by the unrelaxed formation energies of noble gas interstitials. Upon allowing for local relaxation, nearby metal atoms move farther away from gas interstitials in order to decrease polarization, albeit at the expense of increasing the elastic strain energy. Such atomic relaxation is found to play an important role in governing both the energetics and site preference of noble gas atoms in bcc metals. Our most notable finding is that the fully relaxed formation energies of noble gas interstitials are strongly correlated with the elastic shear modulus of the bcc metal, and the physical origin of this unexpected correlation has been elucidated by our theoretical analysis based on the effective-medium theory. The kinetic behavior of noble gas atoms and their interaction with pre-existing vacancies in bcc transition metals have also been discussed in this work.

Tantalum oxide-based compounds as new non-noble cathodes for polymer electrolyte fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishihara, Akimitsu; Tamura, Motoko; Matsuzawa, Koichi; Mitsushima, Shigenori; Ota, Ken-ichiro

2010-01-01

Tantalum oxide-based compounds were examined as new non-noble cathodes for polymer electrolyte fuel cell. Tantalum carbonitride powder was partially oxidized under a trace amount of oxygen gas at 900 o C for 4 or 8 h. Onset potential for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) of the specimen heat-treated for 8 h was 0.94 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode in 0.1 mol dm -3 sulfuric acid at 30 o C. The partial oxidation of tantalum carboniride was effective to enhance the catalytic activity for the ORR. The partially oxidized specimen with highest catalytic activity had ca. 5.25 eV of ionization potential, indicating that there was most suitable strength of the interaction of oxygen and tantalum on the catalyst surface.

First ECR-Ionized Noble Gas Radioisotopes at ISOLDE

CERN Document Server

Wenander, F; Gaubert, G; Jardin, P; Lettry, Jacques

2004-01-01

The production of light noble gas radioisotopes with high ionization potentials has been hampered by modest ionization efficiencies for standard plasma ion-sources. However, the decay losses are minimal as the lingering time of light noble gases within plasma ion-sources is negligible when compared to its diffusion out of the target material. Previous singly charged ECRIS have shown a higher efficiency but also a lingering time of the order of 1 s and a total weight that prevents remote handling by the ISOLDE robot. The compact MINIMONO efficiently addressed the lingering time and weight issues. In addition, the MINIMONO maintained the high off-line ionization efficiency for light noble gases. This paper describes a standard ISOLDE target unit equipped with a MINIMONO ion-source and the first tests. The ion-source has been tested off-line and equipped with a CaO target for on-line tests. Valuable information was gained about high current (100-500 muA) transport through the ISOLDE mass separators designed for ...

Recent Experimental Advances to Determine (noble) Gases in Waters

Science.gov (United States)

Kipfer, R.; Brennwald, M. S.; Huxol, S.; Mächler, L.; Maden, C.; Vogel, N.; Tomonaga, Y.

2013-12-01

In aquatic systems noble gases, radon, and bio-geochemically conservative transient trace gases (SF6, CFCs) are frequently applied to determine water residence times and to reconstruct past environmental and climatic conditions. Recent experimental breakthroughs now enable ● to apply the well-established concepts of terrestrial noble gas geochemistry in waters to the minute water amounts stored in sediment pore space and in fluid inclusions (A), ● to determine gas exchange processes on the bio-geochemical relevant time scales of minutes - hours (B), and ● to separate diffusive and advective gas transport in soil air (C). A. Noble-gas analysis in water samples (transport in the pore space and identifying the origin of bio- and geogenic fluids in (un) consolidated sediments [1]. Advanced techniques that combine crushing and sieving speleothem samples in ultra-high-vacuum to a specific grain size allow to separate air and water-bearing fluid inclusions and thus enables noble-gas-based reconstruction of environmental conditions from water masses as small as 1mg [2]. B. The coupling of noble gas analysis with approaches of gas chromatography permits combined analysis of noble gases and other gases species (e.g., SF6, CFCs, O2, N2) from a single water sample. The new method substantially improves ground water dating by SF6 and CFCs as excess air is quantified from the same sample and hence can adequately be corrected for [3]. Portable membrane-inlet mass spectrometers enable the quasi-continuous and real-time analysis of noble gases and other dissolved gases directly in the field, allowing, for instance, quantification of O2 turnover rates on small time scales [4]. C. New technical developments perfect 222Rn analysis in water by the synchronous the determination of the short-lived 220Rn. The combined 220,222Rn analysis sheds light on the emanation behaviour of radon by identifying soil water content to be the crucial control of 220Rn occurrence in the environment

Effective Giromagnetic Ratios in Artifical Nuclear Magnetization Pumping of the Noble Gases Mix

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Popov E.N.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Dynamic of the nuclear magnetization of the two noble gases mix was studied in this research. Nuclear magnetization pumped along the induction of external magnetic field. Vector of nuclear magnetization is given a tilt by the week rotational magnetic field, which makes NMR for noble gases. Interaction between the nuclear magnetic moments of the different noble gases adducted to shifts at the frequency of nuclear moments precession in external magnetic field. Effective gyromagnetic ratios of the nuclear of noble gases is defined and it different from the tabulated value. There is theoretical calculation of effective gyromagnetic ratios in this research.

Noble Estate Self-Government in Russia: Between the State and Civil Society

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Yu. Morozov

2016-10-01

Full Text Available This article is devoted to assessing the role of noble self-governance in the history of Russia. According to Boris Mironov, before the Great Reforms of the 1860s, each noble assembly was a part of civil society. This point of view has aroused objections and debate among Russian historians. Morozov analyzed the historiographical aspect of the problem and demonstrated the impact of the socio-political context of their scientific work on Russian historians. In his opinion, from a purely legal point of view, there is reason to conclude that the autonomy of noble assemblies increased in the first half of the 19th century. However, the question of the extent to which these opportunities were realized in practice has been poorly studied. In the literature, there are examples of effective methods of influencing the government at the noble assemblies despite legal restrictions, as well as examples of noble assemblies that did not restrain the arbitrariness of the crown authority, did not protect their members from its abuse, and did not serve as the expression of public opinion. Mironov’s attempt to place in doubt the fact of the widespread presence of absenteeism seems unconvincing to Morozov. However, he agrees with Mironov that after 1861, the nobility really became a part of civil society, because the activity of noble organizations increased substantially in many different directions, including the political. For almost half a century of its history, the noble corporate organization evolved from a traditional institution into a civil one, which retained many features of traditional organization.

Heterogeneous hydrogenation of unsaturated compounds with catalyst P-2-Ni with turnover numbers up to 90,000

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Strohmeier, W; Pfoehler, M; Steigerwald, H [Wuerzburg Univ. (Germany, F.R.). Inst. fuer Physikalische Chemie

1977-12-01

Unsaturated compounds are very rapidly hydrogenated with nickel-boride catalyst P-2-Ni without solvent under mild conditions (70-85/sup 0/C and 10 bar). Turnover numbers UZ up to 90,000 and space-time-yields of 7.440 mmol product per l and 1 mgA Nickel in one hour with a mean catalyst activity a = 124 were observed. This hydrogenation catalyst has a power, which is in the same magnitude of very active noble metal catalysts.

Noble Gas Concept Of Operation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carrigan, C. R. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2014-01-20

The intent of this document is to provide the reader with an understanding of a general approach to performing the noble gas component of an On Site Inspection or OSI. The authors of this document recognize that owing to the wide range of scenarios that are possible for carrying out an underground nuclear explosion, the diverse sets of information that might be available to the inspection team initially and the potential range of political and physical constraints imposed during the inspection, a satisfactory prescriptive approach to carrying out the noble gas component of an OSI is unlikely. Rather, the authors intend only to aid the reader in understanding what a reasonable course of actions or responses may be as performed by an inspection team (IT) during a general OSI. If this document helps to inform the intuition of the reader about addressing the challenges resulting from the inevitable deviations from this general scenario, it will have achieved its intent.

A novel method for fission product noble gas sampling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jain, S.K.; Prakash, Vivek; Singh, G.K.; Vinay, Kr.; Awsthi, A.; Bihari, K.; Joyson, R.; Manu, K.; Gupta, Ashok

2008-01-01

Noble gases occur to some extent in the Earth's atmosphere, but the concentrations of all but argon are exceedingly low. Argon is plentiful, constituting almost 1 % of the air. Fission Product Noble Gases (FPNG) are produced by nuclear fission and large parts of FPNG is produced in Nuclear reactions. FPNG are b-j emitters and contributing significantly in public dose. During normal operation of reactor release of FPNG is negligible but its release increases in case of fuel failure. Xenon, a member of FPNG family helps in identification of fuel failure and its extent in PHWRs. Due to above reasons it becomes necessary to assess the FPNG release during operation of NPPs. Presently used methodology of assessment of FPNG, at almost all power stations is Computer based gamma ray spectrometry. This provides fission product Noble gases nuclide identification through peak search of spectra. The air sample for the same is collected by grab sampling method, which has inherent disadvantages. An alternate method was developed at Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS) - 3 and 4 for assessment of FPNG, which uses adsorption phenomena for collection of air samples. This report presents details of sampling method for FPNG and noble gases in different systems of Nuclear Power Plant. (author)

The Effect of Aqueous Alteration on Primordial Noble Gases in CM Chondrites

Science.gov (United States)

Weimer, D.; Busemann, H.; Alexander, C. M. O'D.; Maden, C.

2017-07-01

We have analyzed 32 CM chondrites for their noble gas contents and isotopic compositions and calculated CRE ages. Correlated effects of parent body aqueous alteration with primordial noble gas contents were detected.

Investigation of tritium removal by means of organic compounds. Catalytic hydrogenation (tritiation) of linoleic acid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Sharnouby, A.; Weichselgartner, H.

1984-11-01

In the presence of noble-metal catalysts unsaturated fatty acids such as eruic acid and linoleic acid capture hydrogen (and tritium) quantitatively. The hydrogenation reaction of eruic acid has already been reported. The experimental results of the reaction of hydrogen (and tritium) with linoleic acid are now discussed in this paper. Obviously, the use of linoleic acid shows some advantages compared with eruic acid: - the hydrogenation reaction is faster, - linoleic acid is liquid, so that the choice of additional solvents is easier, and - linoleic acid is a more or less cheap natural product, which is available from a series of seeds, so that the cost of a technical tritium removal plant is not increased by the basic chemical material. (orig.)

Noble Gas Detectors

CERN Document Server

Aprile, Elena; Bolozdynya, Alexander I; Doke, Tadayoshi

2006-01-01

This book discusses the physical properties of noble fluids, operational principles of detectors based on these media, and the best technical solutions to the design of these detectors. Essential attention is given to detector technology: purification methods and monitoring of purity, information readout methods, electronics, detection of hard ultra-violet light emission, selection of materials, cryogenics etc.The book is mostly addressed to physicists and graduate students involved in the preparation of fundamental next generation experiments, nuclear engineers developing instrumentation

The behavior and effects of the noble metals in the DWPF melter system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutson, N.D.; Smith, M.E.

1992-01-01

Fission-product noble metals have caused severe operating problems in numerous worldwide waste vitrification facilities. These dense, highly conductive noble metals have tended to accumulate on the floor of joule-heated glass melters causing electrical distortions which have, in some occurrences, rendered the melter inoperable. A pilot scale vitrification research facility at the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Laboratory has been operated for more than a year with simulated feed streams containing noble metals. In this paper the behavior of these noble metals in the melter system and final glass product and their effects on the scaled DWPF-type melter are discussed

Effective collision frequency of electrons in noble gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baille, P.; Chang, J.-S.; Claude, A.; Yau, A.W.; Hobson, R.M.; Ogram, G.L.

1981-01-01

The electron-neutral collision frequency in the noble gases has been calculated using recent numerical results for momentum transfer cross sections by assuming a Maxwellian distribution of electron velocities. In all these gases, except for argon, good agreement is obtained with most previously published experimental and theoretical data. Mean free path, mobilities and diffusion coefficients are also calculated from the resulting effective collision frequencies. The empirical formulae are presented for an electron temperature dependence of the electron-neutral collision frequency for all noble gases up to Tsub(e) < approximately 25.000 K. (author)

Ni/CeO{sub 2}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} catalysts promoted with noble metals for the hydrogen production by ethanol vapor reforming; Catalisadores de Ni/CeO{sub 2}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} promovidos com metais nobres para a producao de hidrogenio por reforma a vapor de etanol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Profeti, Luciene P.R.; Ticianelli, Edson Antonio; Assaf, Elisabete Moreira [Universidade de Sao Paulo (IQSC/USP), Sao Carlos, SP (Brazil). Inst. de Quimica]. E-mail: eassaf@iqsc.usp.br

2008-07-01

The catalytic activity of Ni/CeO{sub 2}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} catalysts modified with noble metals (Ru, Ir, Pt and Pd) was investigated in the steam reforming of ethanol. The catalysts were characterized by energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and H{sub 2} temperature-programmed reduction-X-ray absorption fine structure (XANES). The results showed that the formation of inactive nickel aluminate was avoided due to the presence of a CeO{sub 2} dispersed on the alumina. The promoting effect of noble metals included a decrease of the reduction temperatures of NiO species interacting with the support due to the hydrogen spillover effect, leading to an increase of the reducibilities of the promoted catalysts The better catalytic performance for the ethanol steam reforming was obtained for the NiPd/CeAl catalyst, which presented an effluent gaseous mixture with the highest H{sub 2} yield. (author)

Characterization of the electrochemical behavior of coating by steel welding 308l and in presence of noble metals deposits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piedras, P.; Arganis J, C. R.

2014-10-01

In this work the oxide deposits and noble metals deposit were characterized (Ag and Pt) on a coating of stainless steel 308l that were deposited by the shield metal arc welding (SMAW) on steel A36 by means of scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The extrapolation of Tafel technique was also used to obtain the corrosion potential (Ec) for the pre-rusty steel and for the samples with deposits of Pt and Ag under conditions of hydrogen water chemistry (HWC), demonstrating that this parameter diminishes with the presence of this deposits. (Author)

Hydrogen-Induced Cracking of the Drip Shield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

F. Hua

2004-01-01

Hydrogen-induced cracking is characterized by the decreased ductility and fracture toughness of a material due to the absorption of atomic hydrogen in the metal crystal lattice. Corrosion is the source of hydrogen generation. For the current design of the engineered barrier without backfill, hydrogen-induced cracking may be a concern because the titanium drip shield can be galvanically coupled to rock bolts (or wire mesh), which may fall onto the drip shield, thereby creating conditions for hydrogen production by electrochemical reaction. The purpose of this report is to analyze whether the drip shield will fail by hydrogen-induced cracking under repository conditions within 10,000 years after emplacement. Hydrogen-induced cracking is a scenario of premature failure of the drip shield. This report develops a realistic model to assess the form of hydrogen-induced cracking degradation of the drip shield under the hydrogen-induced cracking. The scope of this work covers the evaluation of hydrogen absorbed due to general corrosion and galvanic coupling to less noble metals (e.g., Stainless Steel Type 316 and carbon steels) under the repository conditions during the 10,000-year regulatory period after emplacement and whether the absorbed hydrogen content will exceed the critical hydrogen concentration value, above which the hydrogen-induced cracking is assumed to occur. This report also provides the basis for excluding the features, events, and processes (FEPs) related to hydrogen-induced cracking of the drip shield with particular emphasis on FEP 2.1.03.04.OB, hydride cracking of drip shields (DTN: M00407SEPFEPLA.000 [DIRS 170760]). This report is prepared according to ''Technical Work Plan (TWP) for: Regulatory Integration Modeling and Analysis of the Waste Form and Waste Package'' (BSC 2004 [DIRS 169944])

Targets Involved in Cardioprotection by the Non-Anesthetic Noble Gas Helium

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weber, Nina C.; Smit, Kirsten F.; Hollmann, Markus W.; Preckel, Benedikt

2015-01-01

Research data from the past decade indicate that noble gases like xenon and helium exert profound cardioprotection when applied before, during or after organ ischemia. Of all noble gases, especially helium, has gained interest in the past years because it does not have an anesthetic "side effect"

Structural and plasmonic properties of noble metal doped ZnO nanomaterials

Science.gov (United States)

Pathak, Trilok K.; Swart, H. C.; Kroon, R. E.

2018-04-01

Noble metal doped ZnO has been synthesized by the combustion method and the effect of different metals (Ag, Au, Pd) on the structural, morphological, optical, photoluminescence and localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) properties has been investigated. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the ZnO had a hexagonal wurtzite structure and the crystallite sizes were affected by the doping. The formation of noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) was investigated using transmission electron microscopy and diffuse reflectance spectra. The LSPR of the metallic NPs was predicted using Mie theory calculations. The absorption spectra were calculated using the Kubelka-Munk function and the optical bandgap varied from 3.06 to 3.18 eV for the different doping materials. The experimental results suggest that the origin of enhanced emission was due to direct interaction between the laser photons and the noble material NPs which in turn leads to photoemission transfer of electrons from the noble metals NPs to the conduction band of ZnO.

How Massive Single Stars End Their Life

Science.gov (United States)

Heger, A.; Fryer, C. L.; Woosley, S. E.; Langer, N.; Hartmann, D. H.

2003-01-01

How massive stars die-what sort of explosion and remnant each produces-depends chiefly on the masses of their helium cores and hydrogen envelopes at death. For single stars, stellar winds are the only means of mass loss, and these are a function of the metallicity of the star. We discuss how metallicity, and a simplified prescription for its effect on mass loss, affects the evolution and final fate of massive stars. We map, as a function of mass and metallicity, where black holes and neutron stars are likely to form and where different types of supernovae are produced. Integrating over an initial mass function, we derive the relative populations as a function of metallicity. Provided that single stars rotate rapidly enough at death, we speculate on stellar populations that might produce gamma-ray bursts and jet-driven supernovae.

The Inert and the Noble

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 4; Issue 3. The Inert and the Noble. A G Samuelson. Article-in-a-Box Volume 4 Issue 3 March 1999 pp 3-5 ... Author Affiliations. A G Samuelson1. Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.

Experimental studies and model analysis of noble gas fractionation in porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Xin; Kennedy, B. Mack.; Evans, William C.; Stonestrom, David A.

2016-01-01

The noble gases, which are chemically inert under normal terrestrial conditions but vary systematically across a wide range of atomic mass and diffusivity, offer a multicomponent approach to investigating gas dynamics in unsaturated soil horizons, including transfer of gas between saturated zones, unsaturated zones, and the atmosphere. To evaluate the degree to which fractionation of noble gases in the presence of an advective–diffusive flux agrees with existing theory, a simple laboratory sand column experiment was conducted. Pure CO2 was injected at the base of the column, providing a series of constant CO2 fluxes through the column. At five fixed sampling depths within the system, samples were collected for CO2 and noble gas analyses, and ambient pressures were measured. Both the advection–diffusion and dusty gas models were used to simulate the behavior of CO2 and noble gases under the experimental conditions, and the simulations were compared with the measured depth-dependent concentration profiles of the gases. Given the relatively high permeability of the sand column (5 ´ 10−11 m2), Knudsen diffusion terms were small, and both the dusty gas model and the advection–diffusion model accurately predicted the concentration profiles of the CO2 and atmospheric noble gases across a range of CO2 flux from ?700 to 10,000 g m−2 d−1. The agreement between predicted and measured gas concentrations demonstrated that, when applied to natural systems, the multi-component capability provided by the noble gases can be exploited to constrain component and total gas fluxes of non-conserved (CO2) and conserved (noble gas) species or attributes of the soil column relevant to gas transport, such as porosity, tortuosity, and gas saturation.

On the methodology of radiochemical neutron activation analysis of noble metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chai, C.F.; Ma, S.L.; Mao, X.Y.; Liao, K.N.; Liu, W.C.

1986-01-01

Two different radiochemical procedures were developed: chelate ion resin exchange and amine solvent extraction. Two kinds of new Chinese chelate resins (NANKAI-3926 and BEI-5) and a new long-chain primary amine N 1923 were compared with Srafion NMRR and the tertiary amine N 235 in absorption performance of noble metals, respectively. Influences of various experimental conditions, e.g. sample digestion, acidity, equilibrium time, as well as elution of noble metals, on analytical sensitivity and chemical yield were discussed. Combining with neutron activation, the radiochemical separation procedures developed were used to determine the noble metal contents in the geological samples from Permina/Triassic boundary in South China. (author)

Recovery of noble metals from HLLW using photocatalytic reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishi, T.; Uetake, N.; Kawamura, F.; Yusa, H.

1987-01-01

In high-level liquid waste (HLLW) from fuel reprocessing plants, noble metals (palladium, rhodium, and ruthenium), which account for ∼ 10 wt% of fission products, exist as ions. These metals are very useful as catalytic material in automobile exhaust systems and other chemical processes, but they are rare in nature, making their recovery from fission products highly desirable. The ions of noble metals in solution have the feature that their reduction potential from ion to metal is relatively high compared with that of other fission product ions, so they can be selectively separated as a metal by a reduction process. The authors think a photoreduction process using a photocatalysts, which functions as photon-electron conversion agent, is suitable for the recovery of noble metals from HLLW for three reasons: (1) this process uses no reduction agents, which usually degrade the nitric acid, so that coprecipitation of other fission products does not occur. (2) The reactions are induced by light, which does not contaminate the reaction system, and in contrast with ordinary photo-redox reactions, the quantum yield is quite high. (3) As the photocatalyst does not change in the reaction, it can be used again and again. The report shows the results of fundamental experiments on the application of photocatalytic reduction to the recovery of noble metal ions in nitric acid solution

Noble Gas Signatures in Groundwater and Rainwater on the Island of Maui, Hawaii - Developing a New Noble Gas Application in Fractured, Volcanic Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Castro, M. C.; Niu, Y.; Warrier, R. B.; Hall, C. M.; Gingerich, S. B.; Scholl, M. A.; Bouvier, L.

2014-12-01

Recent work in the Galapagos Islands suggests that noble gas temperatures (NGTs) in fractured groundwater systems reflect the temperature of the ground surface at the time of infiltration rather than the mean annual air temperature (MAAT) value as commonly assumed in sedimentary systems where NGTs are typically used as indicators of past climate. This suggests that noble gases in fractured areas may record seasonality, and thus, provide information about timing of recharge in addition to location. Calculation of NGTs assumes that rain-derived recharge at the water table is in equilibrium with ground air. Lack of noble gas equilibration with respect to surface conditions, however, was observed in high-altitude springs in the Galapagos Islands and in a rainwater pilot study in Michigan, supporting the NGT seasonality hypothesis. Developing this new NGT application will lead to a better understanding of fractured groundwater flow systems and will contribute to improved water resource management plans. This study, carried out on Maui, Hawaii, is meant to test these hypotheses while improving knowledge of this island's groundwater flow system where limited hydrologic data are available. Here, we present the first results of noble gas analyses from samples collected in springs, groundwater wells and rainwater on northeast Maui. Results show that like most Michigan rainwater samples, rainwater from Maui is in disequilibrium with surface conditions and follows a mass-dependent pattern. Spring samples follow a similar pattern to that of rainwater and suggest that spring water originates directly from rainfall. These findings further support the hypothesis of NGT seasonality. However, while the atmospheric composition of noble gases points to direct supply from rainfall to spring aquifer systems, a direct connection between spring water and deeper aquifer levels or the mantle is apparent from He isotopic ratios which display an almost pure He mantle component in some springs.

Time-dependent behavior of positrons in noble gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wadehra, J.M.

1990-01-01

Both equilibrium and nonequilibrium behaviors of positrons in several noble gases are reviewed. Our novel procedure for obtaining the time-dependent behavior of various swarm parameters -- such as the positron drift velocity, average positron energy, positron annihilation rate (or equivalently Z eff ) etc. -- for positrons in pure ambient gases subjected to external electrostatic fields is described. Summaries of time-dependent as well as electric field-dependent results for positron swarms in various noble gases are presented. New time-dependent results for positron swarms in neon are also described in detail. 36 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs

The prevalent synthesis of one-dimensional noble metal nanostructures based on sulfonated polyaniline at room temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia Youyi

2011-01-01

We describe a prevalent method of synthesizing one-dimensional (1D) noble metal nanostructures (silver nanobelts and palladium nanowires) by treatment of corresponding noble metal ions only in the presence of the conductive sulfonated polyaniline without using any other reducing agents or energies. The results show that the sulfonated polyaniline provides the dual reductant and “soft template” roles to promoting noble metal ions to form shape-controlled 1D noble metal nanostructures in high yield. The employed approach may also shed some light on the preparation of other noble metal nanostructure by using conductive polymer.

Development of Non-Noble Metal Ni-Based Catalysts for Dehydrogenation of Methylcyclohexane

KAUST Repository

Shaikh Ali, Anaam

2016-01-01

to TOL has only been achieved using the noble Pt-based catalysts. The aim of this study is to develop non-noble, cost-effective metal catalysts that can show excellent catalytic performance, mainly maintaining high TOL selectivity achievable by Pt based

The Evolution of Low-Metallicity Massive Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Szécsi, Dorottya

2016-07-01

Massive star evolution taking place in astrophysical environments consisting almost entirely of hydrogen and helium - in other words, low-metallicity environments - is responsible for some of the most intriguing and energetic cosmic phenomena, including supernovae, gamma-ray bursts and gravitational waves. This thesis aims to investigate the life and death of metal-poor massive stars, using theoretical simulations of the stellar structure and evolution. Evolutionary models of rotating, massive stars (9-600 Msun) with an initial metal composition appropriate for the low-metallicity dwarf galaxy I Zwicky 18 are presented and analyzed. We find that the fast rotating models (300 km/s) become a particular type of objects predicted only at low-metallicity: the so-called Transparent Wind Ultraviolet INtense (TWUIN) stars. TWUIN stars are fast rotating massive stars that are extremely hot (90 kK), very bright and as compact as Wolf-Rayet stars. However, as opposed to Wolf-Rayet stars, their stellar winds are optically thin. As these hot objects emit intense UV radiation, we show that they can explain the unusually high number of ionizing photons of the dwarf galaxy I Zwicky 18, an observational quantity that cannot be understood solely based on the normal stellar population of this galaxy. On the other hand, we find that the most massive, slowly rotating models become another special type of object predicted only at low-metallicity: core-hydrogen-burning cool supergiant stars. Having a slow but strong stellar wind, these supergiants may be important contributors in the chemical evolution of young galactic globular clusters. In particular, we suggest that the low mass stars observed today could form in a dense, massive and cool shell around these, now dead, supergiants. This scenario is shown to explain the anomalous surface abundances observed in these low mass stars, since the shell itself, having been made of the mass ejected by the supergiant’s wind, contains nuclear

A membrane inlet mass spectrometry system for noble gases at natural abundances in gas and water samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Visser, Ate; Singleton, Michael J; Hillegonds, Darren J; Velsko, Carol A; Moran, Jean E; Esser, Bradley K

2013-11-15

Noble gases dissolved in groundwater can reveal paleotemperatures, recharge conditions, and precise travel times. The collection and analysis of noble gas samples are cumbersome, involving noble gas purification, cryogenic separation and static mass spectrometry. A quicker and more efficient sample analysis method is required for introduced tracer studies and laboratory experiments. A Noble Gas Membrane Inlet Mass Spectrometry (NG-MIMS) system was developed to measure noble gases at natural abundances in gas and water samples. The NG-MIMS system consists of a membrane inlet, a dry-ice water trap, a carbon-dioxide trap, two getters, a gate valve, a turbomolecular pump and a quadrupole mass spectrometer equipped with an electron multiplier. Noble gases isotopes (4)He, (22)Ne, (38)Ar, (84)Kr and (132)Xe are measured every 10 s. The NG-MIMS system can reproduce measurements made on a traditional noble gas mass spectrometer system with precisions of 2%, 8%, 1%, 1% and 3% for He, Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe, respectively. Noble gas concentrations measured in an artificial recharge pond were used to monitor an introduced xenon tracer and to reconstruct temperature variations to within 2 °C. Additional experiments demonstrated the capability to measure noble gases in gas and in water samples, in real time. The NG-MIMS system is capable of providing analyses sufficiently accurate and precise for introduced noble gas tracers at managed aquifer recharge facilities, groundwater fingerprinting based on excess air and noble gas recharge temperature, and field and laboratory studies investigating ebullition and diffusive exchange. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Noble gas separation with the use of inorganic adsorbents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pence, D.T.; Chou, C.C.; Christian, J.D.; Paplawsky, W.J.

1979-01-01

A noble gas separation process is proposed for application to airborne nuclear fuel reprocessing plant effluents. The process involves the use of inorganic adsorbents for the removal of contaminant gases and noble gas separation through selective adsorption. Water and carbon dioxide are removed with selected zeolites that do not appreciably adsorb the noble gases. Xenon is essentially quantitatively removed with a specially developed adsorbent using conventional adsorption-desorption techniques. Oxygen is removed to low ppM levels by the use of a rapid cycle adsorption technique on a special adsorbent leaving a krypton-nitrogen mixture. Krypton is separated from nitrogen with a special adsorbent operated at about -80 0 C. Because the separation process does not require high pressures and oxygen is readily removed to sufficiently limit ozone formation to insignificant levels, appreciable capital and operating cost savings with this process are possible compared with other proposed processes. In addition, the proposed process is safer to operate

Solar Hydrogen Production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koval, C. [Univ. of Colorado, Boulder (United States); Sutin, N. [Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States); Turner, J. [National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)

1996-09-01

This panel addressed different methods for the photoassisted dissociation of water into its component parts, hydrogen and oxygen. Systems considered include PV-electrolysis, photoelectrochemical cells, and transition-metal based microheterogeneous and homogeneous systems. While none of the systems for water splitting appear economically viable at the present time, the panel identified areas of basic research that could increase the overall efficiency and decrease the costs. Common to all the areas considered was the underlying belief that the water-to-hydrogen half reaction is reasonably well characterized, while the four-electron oxidation of water-to-oxygen is less well understood and represents a significant energy loss. For electrolysis, research in electrocatalysis to reduce overvoltage losses was identified as a key area for increased efficiency. Non-noble metal catalysts and less expensive components would reduce capital costs. While potentially offering higher efficiencies and lower costs, photoelectrochemical-based direct conversion systems undergo corrosion reactions and often have poor energetics for the water reaction. Research is needed to understand the factors that control the interfacial energetics and the photoinduced corrosion. Multi-photon devices were identified as promising systems for high efficiency conversion.

NOBLE - Flexible concept recognition for large-scale biomedical natural language processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Tseytlin, Eugene; Mitchell, Kevin; Legowski, Elizabeth; Corrigan, Julia; Chavan, Girish; Jacobson, Rebecca S

2016-01-14

Natural language processing (NLP) applications are increasingly important in biomedical data analysis, knowledge engineering, and decision support. Concept recognition is an important component task for NLP pipelines, and can be either general-purpose or domain-specific. We describe a novel, flexible, and general-purpose concept recognition component for NLP pipelines, and compare its speed and accuracy against five commonly used alternatives on both a biological and clinical corpus. NOBLE Coder implements a general algorithm for matching terms to concepts from an arbitrary vocabulary set. The system's matching options can be configured individually or in combination to yield specific system behavior for a variety of NLP tasks. The software is open source, freely available, and easily integrated into UIMA or GATE. We benchmarked speed and accuracy of the system against the CRAFT and ShARe corpora as reference standards and compared it to MMTx, MGrep, Concept Mapper, cTAKES Dictionary Lookup Annotator, and cTAKES Fast Dictionary Lookup Annotator. We describe key advantages of the NOBLE Coder system and associated tools, including its greedy algorithm, configurable matching strategies, and multiple terminology input formats. These features provide unique functionality when compared with existing alternatives, including state-of-the-art systems. On two benchmarking tasks, NOBLE's performance exceeded commonly used alternatives, performing almost as well as the most advanced systems. Error analysis revealed differences in error profiles among systems. NOBLE Coder is comparable to other widely used concept recognition systems in terms of accuracy and speed. Advantages of NOBLE Coder include its interactive terminology builder tool, ease of configuration, and adaptability to various domains and tasks. NOBLE provides a term-to-concept matching system suitable for general concept recognition in biomedical NLP pipelines.

Quality management for noble gas trace analysis; Qualitaetssicherung bei der Edelgasspurenanalyse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schmid, S.; Konrad, M.; Kumberg, T.; Schlosser, C. [Bundesamt fuer Strahlenschutz (BfS), Freiburg (Germany); Gohla, H. [Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), Vienna International Centre, Vienna (Austria). Preparatory Commission

2014-01-20

The Federal Office for Radiation Protection operates measurement systems to determine the activity concentrations of Krypton-85 and Xenon-133 in air samples since the early 70s. Certified standards with stable noble gas admixtures are still missing for quality assurance (certified activity concentrations). The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) is currently establishing a global noble gas monitoring network for the verification of compliance with the Treaty. In cooperation with CTBTO the BfS currently develops concepts of quality assurance for noble gas measurements. Opportunities for quality assurance without using certified standards are discussed by comparisons between individual laboratories and internal audits. The results from the first CTBTO laboratory intercomparison with synthetic radioxenon samples look very promising.

Calibration of new measuring systems to detect emissions of radioactive noble gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winkelmann, I.; Kreiner, H.J.

1977-12-01

This report describes the calibration of different systems for the integral measurement of radioactive noble gases and the calibration of a measuring chamber for the detection of individual nuclides of radioactive noble gases in the gaseous effluent of nuclear power plants. For these measuring chambers the calibration factors for Kr-85 and Xe-133 are given as well as the detection limits to be obtained with these measuring systems for several radioactive noble gases present in the gaseous effluent at the stack of nuclear power plants. Calibration factors for Kr-85 and Xe-133 and the detection limits of this measuring method for the detections of individual nuclides of radioactive noble gases in air samples are defined taken wirh a high pressure compressor in pressure flasks an measured on a Ge(Li)-semiconductor spectrometer (pressure flask measuring method). A measuring equipment is described and calibrated which allows simultaneous measurement of activity concentration of radioactive noble gases and radioactive aerosols with a sensitivity of 2 x 10 -7 Ci/m 3 for radioactive gases and 1 x 10 -9 Ci/m 3 for radioactive particulates at a background radiation of 1 R/h. This paper is an additional report to our STH-Bericht 3/76, 'Calibration of measuring equipment for monitoring of gaseous effluents from nuclear power plants', which specifies a procedure for the calibration of measuring chambers for monitoring of gaseous radioactive effluents from nuclear power plants /1/. The calibration system used here makes it possible to simultaneously calibrate several noble gas measuring devices. (orig.) [de

Inert anode containing base metal and noble metal useful for the electrolytic production of aluminum

Science.gov (United States)

Ray, Siba P.; Liu, Xinghua

2000-01-01

An inert anode for production of metals such as aluminum is disclosed. The inert anode comprises a base metal selected from Cu and Ag, and at least one noble metal selected from Ag, Pd, Pt, Au, Rh, Ru, Ir and Os. The inert anode may optionally be formed of sintered particles having interior portions containing more base metal than noble metal and exterior portions containing more noble metal than base metal. In a preferred embodiment, the base metal comprises Cu, and the noble metal comprises Ag, Pd or a combination thereof.

Possible solar noble-gas component in Hawaiian basalts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Honda, Masahiko; McDougall, I.; Patterson, D.B.; Doulgeris, A. (Australian National Univ., Canberra (Australia). Research School of Earth Sciences); Clague, D.A. (Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA (USA))

1991-01-10

The noble-gas elemental and isotopic composition in the Earth is significantly different from that of the present atmosphere, and provides an important clue to the origin and history of the Earth and its atmosphere. Possible candidates for the noble-gas composition of the primordial Earth include a solar-like component, a planetary-like component (as observed in primitive meteorites) and a component similar in composition to the present atmosphere. In an attempt to identify the contributions of such components, we have measured isotope ratios of helium and neon in fresh basaltic glasses dredged from Loihi seamount and the East Rift Zone of Kilauea. We find a systematic enrichment in {sup 20}Ne and {sup 21}Ne relative to {sup 22}Ne, compared with atmospheric neon. The helium and neon isotope signatures observed in our samples can be explained by mixing of solar, present atmospheric, radiogenic and nucleogenic components. These data suggest that the noble-gas isotopic composition of the mantle source of the Hawaiian plume is different from that of the present atmosphere, and that it includes a significant solar-like component. We infer that this component was acquired during the formation of the Earth. (author).

Faceted titania nanocrystals doped with indium oxide nanoclusters as a superior candidate for sacrificial hydrogen evolution without any noble-metal cocatalyst under solar irradiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Amoli, Vipin; Sibi, Malayil Gopalan; Banerjee, Biplab; Anand, Mohit; Maurya, Abhayankar; Farooqui, Saleem Akhtar; Bhaumik, Asim; Sinha, Anil Kumar

2015-01-14

Development of unique nanoheterostructures consisting of indium oxide nanoclusters like species doped on the TiO2 nanocrystals surfaces with {101} and {001} exposed facets, resulted in unprecedented sacrificial hydrogen production (5.3 mmol h(-1) g(-1)) from water using methanol as a sacrificial agent, under visible light LED source and AM 1.5G solar simulator (10.3 mmol h(-1) g(-1)), which is the highest H2 production rate ever reported for titania based photocatalysts, without using any noble metal cocatalyst. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis of the nanostructures reveals the presence of Ti-O-In and In-O-In like species on the surface of nanostructures. Electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) elemental mapping and EDX spectroscopy techniques combined with transmission electron microscope evidenced the existence of nanoheterostructures. XPS, EELS, EDX, and HAADF-STEM tools collectively suggest the presence of indium oxide nanoclusters like species on the surface of TiO2 nanostructures. These indium oxide nanocluster doped TiO2 (In2O3/T{001}) single crystals with {101} and {001} exposed facets exhibited 1.3 times higher visible light photocatalytic H2 production than indium oxide nanocluster doped TiO2 nanocrystals with only {101}facets (In2O3/T{101}) exposed. The remarkable photocatalytic activity of the obtained nanoheterostructures is attributed to the combined synergetic effect of indium oxide nanoclusters interacting with the titania surface, enhanced visible light response, high crystallinity, and unique structural features.

Isotopic mass-dependence of noble gas diffusion coefficients inwater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bourg, I.C.; Sposito, G.

2007-06-25

Noble gas isotopes are used extensively as tracers inhydrologic and paleoclimatic studies. These applications requireknowledge of the isotopic mass (m) dependence of noble gas diffusioncoefficients in water (D), which has not been measured but is estimatedusing experimental D-values for the major isotopes along with an untestedrelationship from kinetic theory, D prop m-0.5. We applied moleculardynamics methods to determine the mass dependence of D for four noblegases at 298 K, finding that D prop m-beta with beta<0.2, whichrefutes the kinetic theory model underlying all currentapplications.

Noble Gas Release Signal as a Precursor to Fracture

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, S. J.; Lee, H.; Gardner, W. P.

2017-12-01

We present empirical results of rock strain, microfracturing, acoustic emissions, and noble gas release from laboratory triaxial experiments for a granite, basalt, shale and bedded rock salt. Noble gases are released and measured real-time during deformation using mass spectrometry. The gas release represents a precursive signal to macrofracture. Gas release is associated with increased acoustic emissions indicating that microfracturing is required to release gas and create pathways for the gas to be sensed. The gas released depends on initial gas content, pore structure and its evolution during deformation, the deformation amount, matrix permeability, deformation style and the stress/strain history. Gases are released from inter and intracrystalline sites; release rate increases as strain and microfracturing increases. The gas composition depends on lithology, geologic history and age, fluids present, and radioisotope concentrations that affect radiogenic noble gas isotope (e.g. 4He,40Ar) production. Noble gas emission and its relationship to crustal processes such as seismicity and volcanism, tectonic velocities, qualitative estimates of deep permeability, age dating of groundwater, and a signature of nuclear weapon detonation. Our result show that mechanical deformation of crustal materials is an important process controlling gas release from rocks and minerals, and should be considered in techniques which utilize gas release and/or accumulation. We propose using noble gas release to signal rock deformation in boreholes, mines and waste repositories. We postulate each rock exhibits a gas release signature which is microstructure, stress, strain, and/or permanent deformation dependent. Calibration of such relationships, for example relating gas release per rock unit volume to strain may be used to quantify rock deformation and develop predictive models.Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and

Noble gas control room accident filtration system for severe accident conditions (N-CRAFT)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, Axel; Stiepani, Cristoph; Drechsler, Michael

2015-01-01

Severe accidents might cause the release of airborne radioactive substances to the environment of the NPP either due to containment leakages or due to intentional filtered containment venting. In the latter case aerosols and iodine are retained, however noble gases are not retainable by the FCVS or by conventional air filtration systems like HEPA filters and iodine absorbers. Radioactive noble gases nevertheless dominate the activity release depending on the venting procedure and the weather conditions. To prevent unacceptable contamination of the control room atmosphere by noble gases, AREVA GmbH has developed a noble gas control room accident filtration system (CRAFT) which can supply purified fresh air to the control room without time limitation. The retention process is based on dynamic adsorption of noble gases on activated carbon. The system consists of delay lines (carbon columns) which are operated by a continuous and simultaneous adsorption and desorption process. CRAFT allows minimization of the dose rate inside the control room and ensures low radiation exposure to the staff by maintaining the control room environment suitable for prolonged occupancy throughout the duration of the accident. CRAFT consists of a proven modular design either transportable or permanently installed. (author)

Noble gas enrichment studies at JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groth, M.; Andrew, P.; Fundamenski, W.; Guo, H.Y.; Hillis, D.L.; Hogan, J.T.; Horton, L.D.; Matthews, G.F.; Meigs, A.G.; Morgan, P.M.; Stamp, M.F.; Hellermann, M. von

2001-01-01

Adequate helium exhaust has been achieved in reactor-relevant ELMy H-mode plasmas in JET performed in the MKII AP and MKII GB divertor geometry. The divertor-characteristic quantities of noble gas compression and enrichment have been experimentally inferred from Charge Exchange Recombination Spectroscopy measurements in the core plasma, and from spectroscopic analysis of a Penning gauge discharge in the exhaust gas. The retention of helium was found to be satisfactory for a next-step device, with enrichment factors exceeding 0.1. The helium enrichment decreases with increasing core plasma density, while the neon enrichment has the opposite behaviour. Analytic and numerical analyses of these plasmas using the divertor impurity code package DIVIMP/NIMBUS support the explanation that the enrichment of noble gases depends significantly on the penetration depth of the impurity neutrals with respect to the fuel atoms. Changes of the divertor plasma configuration and divertor geometry have no effect on the enrichment

Probing the interaction of noble gases with pristine and nitrogen-doped graphene through Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Cunha, Renato; Perea-López, Néstor; Elías, Ana Laura; Fujisawa, Kazunori; Carozo, Victor; Feng, Simin; Lv, Ruitao; dos Santos, Maria Cristina; Terrones, Mauricio; Araujo, Paulo T.

2018-05-01

The interactions of adsorbates with graphene have received increasing attention due to its importance in the development of applications involving graphene-based coatings. Here, we present a study of the adsorption of noble gases on pristine and nitrogen-doped graphene. Single-layer graphene samples were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and transferred to transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grids. Several noble gases were allowed to adsorb on the suspended graphene substrate at very low temperatures. Raman spectra show distinct frequency blue shifts in both the 2D and G bands, which are induced by gas adsorption onto high quality single layer graphene (1LG). These shifts, which we associate with compressive biaxial strain in the graphene layers induced by the noble gases, are negligible for nitrogen-doped graphene. Additionally, a thermal depinning transition, which is related to the desorption of a noble gas layer from the graphene surface at low temperatures (ranging from 20 to 35 K), was also observed at different transition temperatures for different noble gases. These transition temperatures were found to be 25 K for argon and 35 K for xenon. Moreover, we were able to obtain values for the compressive biaxial strain in graphene induced by the adsorbed layer of noble gases, using Raman spectroscopy. Ab initio calculations confirmed the correlation between the noble gas-induced strain and the changes in the Raman features observed.

Polarization of stable and radioactive noble gas nuclei by spin exchange with laser pumped alkali atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calaprice, F.; Happer, W.; Schreiber, D.

1984-01-01

The nuclei of noble gases can be strongly polarized by spin exchange with sufficiently dense optically pumped alkali vapors. Only a small fraction of the spin angular momentum of the alkali atoms is transferred to the nuclear spin of the noble gas. Most of the spin angular momentum is lost to translational angular momentum of the alkali and noble gas atoms about each other. For heavy noble gases most of the angular momentum transfer occurs in alkali-noble-gas van der Waals molecules. The transfer efficiency depends on the formation and breakup rates of the van der Waals molecules in the ambient gas. Experimental methods to measure the spin transfer efficiencies have been developed. Nuclei of radioactive noble gases have been polarized by these methods, and the polarization has been detected by observing the anisotropy of the radioactive decay products. Very precise measurements of the magnetic moments of the radioactive nuclei have been made. 12 references, 9 figures

CuNi Nanoparticles Assembled on Graphene for Catalytic Methanolysis of Ammonia Borane and Hydrogenation of Nitro/Nitrile Compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Chao

2017-01-01

Here we report a solution phase synthesis of 16 nm CuNi nanoparticles (NPs) with the Cu/Ni composition control. These NPs are assembled on graphene (G) and show Cu/Ni composition-dependent catalysis for methanolysis of ammonia borane (AB) and hydrogenation of aromatic nitro (nitrile) compounds to primary amines in methanol at room temperature. Among five different CuNi NPs studied, the G-Cu 36 Ni 64 NPs are the best catalyst for both AB methanolysis (TOF = 49.1 mol H2 mol CuNi -1 min -1 and E a = 24.4 kJ/mol) and hydrogenation reactions (conversion yield >97%). In conclusion, the G-CuNi represents a unique noble-metal-free catalyst for hydrogenation reactions in a green environment without using pure hydrogen.

Near transferable phenomenological n-body potentials for noble metals.

Science.gov (United States)

Pontikis, Vassilis; Baldinozzi, Gianguido; Luneville, Laurence; Simeone, David

2017-09-06

We present a semi-empirical model of cohesion in noble metals with suitable parameters reproducing a selected set of experimental properties of perfect and defective lattices in noble metals. It consists of two short-range, n-body terms accounting respectively for attractive and repulsive interactions, the former deriving from the second moment approximation of the tight-binding scheme and the latter from the gas approximation of the kinetic energy of electrons. The stability of the face centred cubic versus the hexagonal compact stacking is obtained via a long-range, pairwise function of customary use with ionic pseudo-potentials. Lattice dynamics, molecular statics, molecular dynamics and nudged elastic band calculations show that, unlike previous potentials, this cohesion model reproduces and predicts quite accurately thermodynamic properties in noble metals. In particular, computed surface energies, largely underestimated by existing empirical cohesion models, compare favourably with measured values, whereas predicted unstable stacking-fault energy profiles fit almost perfectly ab initio evaluations from the literature. All together the results suggest that this semi-empirical model is nearly transferable.

Analysis of the physical atomic forces between noble gas atoms, alkali ions and halogen ions

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, J. W.; Heinbockel, J. H.; Outlaw, R. A.

1986-01-01

The physical forces between atoms and molecules are important in a number of processes of practical importance, including line broadening in radiative processes, gas and crystal properties, adhesion, and thin films. The components of the physical forces between noble gas atoms, alkali ions, and halogen ions are analyzed and a data base for the dispersion forces is developed from the literature based on evaluations with the harmonic oscillator dispersion model for higher order coefficients. The Zener model of the repulsive core is used in the context of the recent asymptotic wave functions of Handler and Smith; and an effective ionization potential within the Handler and Smith wave functions is defined to analyze the two body potential data of Waldman and Gordon, the alkali-halide molecular data, and the noble gas crystal and salt crystal data. A satisfactory global fit to this molecular and crystal data is then reproduced by the model to within several percent. Surface potentials are evaluated for noble gas atoms on noble gas and salt crystal surfaces with surface tension neglected. Within this context, the noble gas surface potentials on noble gas and salt crystals are considered to be accurate to within several percent.

Helium Isotopes and Noble Gas Abundances of Cave Dripping Water in Three Caves in East Asia

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, A. T.; Shen, C. C.; Tan, M.; Li, T.; Uemura, R.; Asami, R.

2015-12-01

Paleo-temperature recorded in nature archives is a critical parameter to understand climate change in the past. With advantages of unique inert chemical characteristics and sensitive solubilities with temperature, dissolved noble gases in speleothem inclusion water were recently proposed to retrieve terrestrial temperature history. In order to accurately apply this newly-developed speleothem noble gas temperature (NGT) as a reliable proxy, a fundamental issue about behaviors of noble gases in the karst should be first clarified. In this study, we measured noble gas contents in air and dripping water to evaluate any ratio deviation between noble gases. Cave dripping water samples was collected from three selected caves, Shihua Cave in northern China, Furong Cave in southwestern, and Gyukusen Cave in an island located in the western Pacific. For these caves are characterized by a thorough mixing and long-term storage of waters in a karst aquifer by the absence of seasonal oxygen isotope shifts. Ratios of dripping water noble gases are statistically insignificant from air data. Helium isotopic ratios in the dripping water samples match air value. The results indicate that elemental and isotopic signatures of noble gases from air can be frankly preserved in the epikarst and support the fidelity of NGT techniques.

Oxidation behaviour of noble-metal inclusions in used UO2 nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McEachern, R.

1997-07-01

The literature on the chemistry of the noble-metal (Mo-Rh-Ru-Pd-Tc) inclusions found in used nuclear fuel has been reviewed. The Mo-Ru-Pd phase diagram is reasonably well understood, and the pseudoternary Mo-(Tc+Ru)-Rh+Pd) system can be used to qualitatively understand the phase chemistry of the noble-metal inclusions. The kinetics of the oxidation reaction are not particularly well understood, but they are of limited applicability to understanding the properties of used fuel. In contrast, it is important to determine the thermodynamic activity of molybdenum in noble-metal inclusions, so that analysis of their molybdenum content can be used as a probe of the local oxygen potential of the used fuel. (author)

Development of detection techniques for the Swedish noble gas sampler

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ringbom, A.

1998-11-01

A short review on the radioactive properties of noble gas isotopes relevant for monitoring of nuclear activities is given, together with a brief discussion of the existing systems for detection of radioactive noble gases. A 4π detection system to be used in the automatic version of the Swedish noble gas sampling device is described. Monte Carlo calculations of the total gamma and beta efficiency for different detector designs have been performed, together with estimates of the resulting minimum detectable concentration (MDC). The estimated MDC values for detection of the 133g Xe 81 keV and the 135g Xe 250 keV gamma lines are around 0.3 mBq/m 3 in both cases. This is a factor of three lower than the detection limit required for a sampling station in the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty monitoring network. The possibility to modify the system to detect 85 Kr is also discussed

Development of detection techniques for the Swedish noble gas sampler

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ringbom, A

1998-11-01

A short review on the radioactive properties of noble gas isotopes relevant for monitoring of nuclear activities is given, together with a brief discussion of the existing systems for detection of radioactive noble gases. A 4{pi} detection system to be used in the automatic version of the Swedish noble gas sampling device is described. Monte Carlo calculations of the total gamma and beta efficiency for different detector designs have been performed, together with estimates of the resulting minimum detectable concentration (MDC). The estimated MDC values for detection of the {sup 133g}Xe 81 keV and the {sup 135g}Xe 250 keV gamma lines are around 0.3 mBq/m{sup 3} in both cases. This is a factor of three lower than the detection limit required for a sampling station in the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty monitoring network. The possibility to modify the system to detect {sup 85}Kr is also discussed 27 refs, 13 figs, 3 tabs

The interpretation of ellipsometric measurements of ion bombardment of noble gases on semiconductor surfaces

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Holtslag, A.H.M.; Slager, U.C.; van Silfhout, Arend

1985-01-01

Low energy noble gas ion bombardment and thermal desorption studies were carried out on Si(111) and analysed, in situ, using spectroscopic ellipsometry. The amorphous layer thickness and implanted noble gas fraction were calculated.

Noble metal nanoparticle-functionalized ZnO nanoflowers for photocatalytic degradation of RhB dye and electrochemical sensing of hydrogen peroxide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hussain, Muhammad; Sun, Hongyu; Karim, Shafqat

2016-01-01

Flower-like hierarchical Zinc oxide nanostructures synthesized by co-precipitation method have been hydrothermally functionalized with 8 nm Au NPs and 15 nm Ag nanoparticles. The photocatalytic and electrochemical performance of these structures are investigated. XPS studies show that the composite...... exhibits a strong interaction between noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) and Zinc oxide nanoflowers. The PL spectra exhibit UV emission arising due to near band edge transition and show that the reduced PL intensities of Au–ZnO and Ag–ZnO composites are responsible for improved photocatalytic activity arising...

The end of a noble narrative?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Manners, Ian James; Murray, Philomena

2015-01-01

of the forerunner to the current EU we ask if this noble narrative of war and peace, which is at the heart of European integration, at an end. We argue that this principled account is likely to remain just one of several narratives of European integration, but with its reputation somewhat tarnished. Fresh...

Appraisal of transport and deformation in shale reservoirs using natural noble gas tracers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heath, Jason E. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Kuhlman, Kristopher L. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Robinson, David G. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Bauer, Stephen J. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Gardner, William Payton [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Univ. of Montana, Missoula, MT (United States)

2015-09-01

This report presents efforts to develop the use of in situ naturally-occurring noble gas tracers to evaluate transport mechanisms and deformation in shale hydrocarbon reservoirs. Noble gases are promising as shale reservoir diagnostic tools due to their sensitivity of transport to: shale pore structure; phase partitioning between groundwater, liquid, and gaseous hydrocarbons; and deformation from hydraulic fracturing. Approximately 1.5-year time-series of wellhead fluid samples were collected from two hydraulically-fractured wells. The noble gas compositions and isotopes suggest a strong signature of atmospheric contribution to the noble gases that mix with deep, old reservoir fluids. Complex mixing and transport of fracturing fluid and reservoir fluids occurs during production. Real-time laboratory measurements were performed on triaxially-deforming shale samples to link deformation behavior, transport, and gas tracer signatures. Finally, we present improved methods for production forecasts that borrow statistical strength from production data of nearby wells to reduce uncertainty in the forecasts.

Hydrogen Through Water Electrolysis and Biomass Gasification for Application in Fuel Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Kirosa

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Hydrogen is considered to be one of the most promising green energy carrier in the energy storage and conversion scenario. Although it is abundant on Earth in the form of compounds, its occurrence in free form is extremely low. Thus, it has to be produced by reforming processes, steam reforming (SR, partial oxidation (POX and auto-thermal reforming (ATR mainly from fossil fuels for high throughput with high energy requirements, pyrolysis of biomass and electrolysis. Electrolysis is brought about by passing electric current though two electrodes to evolve water into its constituent parts, viz. hydrogen and oxygen, respectively. Hydrogen produced by non-noble metal catalysts for both anode and cathode is therefore cost-effective and can be integrated into fuel cells for direct chemical energy conversion into electrical energy electricity, thus meeting the sustainable and renewable use with low carbon footprint.

The desorption behaviour of implanted noble gases at low energy on silicon surfaces

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Holtslag, A.H.M.; van Silfhout, Arend

1987-01-01

Under UHV conditions, clean crystalline Si(111) surfaces have been bombarded mass-selectively at room temperature with noble gas ions, Ne+, Ar+, Kr+, at normal incidence. By means of stepwise heating up to 1050 K the activation energies and desorbed doses of the noble gases have been straight

Noble gas signatures in the Island of Maui, Hawaii: Characterizing groundwater sources in fractured systems

Science.gov (United States)

Niu, Yi; Castro, M. Clara; Hall, Chris M.; Gingerich, Stephen B.; Scholl, Martha A.; Warrier, Rohit B.

2017-01-01

Uneven distribution of rainfall and freshwater scarcity in populated areas in the Island of Maui, Hawaii, renders water resources management a challenge in this complex and ill-defined hydrological system. A previous study in the Galapagos Islands suggests that noble gas temperatures (NGTs) record seasonality in that fractured, rapid infiltration groundwater system rather than the commonly observed mean annual air temperature (MAAT) in sedimentary systems where infiltration is slower thus, providing information on recharge sources and potential flow paths. Here we report noble gas results from the basal aquifer, springs, and rainwater in Maui to explore the potential for noble gases in characterizing this type of complex fractured hydrologic systems. Most samples display a mass-dependent depletion pattern with respect to surface conditions consistent with previous observations both in the Galapagos Islands and Michigan rainwater. Basal aquifer and rainwater noble gas patterns are similar and suggest direct, fast recharge from precipitation to the basal aquifer. In contrast, multiple springs, representative of perched aquifers, display highly variable noble gas concentrations suggesting recharge from a variety of sources. The distinct noble gas patterns for the basal aquifer and springs suggest that basal and perched aquifers are separate entities. Maui rainwater displays high apparent NGTs, incompatible with surface conditions, pointing either to an origin at high altitudes with the presence of ice or an ice-like source of undetermined origin. Overall, noble gas signatures in Maui reflect the source of recharge rather than the expected altitude/temperature relationship commonly observed in sedimentary systems.

Noble gases as cardioprotectants - translatability and mechanism

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smit, Kirsten F.; Weber, Nina C.; Hollmann, Markus W.; Preckel, Benedikt

2015-01-01

Several noble gases, although classified as inert substances, exert a tissue-protective effect in different experimental models when applied before organ ischaemia as an early or late preconditioning stimulus, after ischaemia as a post-conditioning stimulus or when given in combination before,

Storing Renewable Energy in the Hydrogen Cycle.

Science.gov (United States)

Züttel, Andreas; Callini, Elsa; Kato, Shunsuke; Atakli, Züleyha Özlem Kocabas

2015-01-01

An energy economy based on renewable energy requires massive energy storage, approx. half of the annual energy consumption. Therefore, the production of a synthetic energy carrier, e.g. hydrogen, is necessary. The hydrogen cycle, i.e. production of hydrogen from water by renewable energy, storage and use of hydrogen in fuel cells, combustion engines or turbines is a closed cycle. Electrolysis splits water into hydrogen and oxygen and represents a mature technology in the power range up to 100 kW. However, the major technological challenge is to build electrolyzers in the power range of several MW producing high purity hydrogen with a high efficiency. After the production of hydrogen, large scale and safe hydrogen storage is required. Hydrogen is stored either as a molecule or as an atom in the case of hydrides. The maximum volumetric hydrogen density of a molecular hydrogen storage is limited to the density of liquid hydrogen. In a complex hydride the hydrogen density is limited to 20 mass% and 150 kg/m(3) which corresponds to twice the density of liquid hydrogen. Current research focuses on the investigation of new storage materials based on combinations of complex hydrides with amides and the understanding of the hydrogen sorption mechanism in order to better control the reaction for the hydrogen storage applications.

Preliminary analysis of hydrogen risk caused by dust in ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng Kun; Tong Lili; Cao Xuewu

2012-01-01

A lot of dust will be generated during ITER operation,and hydrogen will be produced by the interaction of hot dust with water in the case of coolant ingress accident. The accumulated hydrogen will bring risk of combustion and explosion,which will damage the device. CFD method has been used to analyze the produced hydrogen in 'wet bypass' scenario, and come to the results that hydrogen will burn and explode at the beginning of the accident, different hydrogen risk will be brought by different coolant leakage, and hydrogen risk will be inert if the leakage is massive.Injecting CO 2 to inert the vacuum vessel has also been discussed, the risk of hydrogen will be suppressed by injecting CO 2 with a large rate at the beginning of accident. (authors)

The Effects of Added Hydrogen on Noble Gas Discharges Used as Ambient Desorption/Ionization Sources for Mass Spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Ellis, Wade C.; Lewis, Charlotte R.; Openshaw, Anna P.; Farnsworth, Paul B.

2016-09-01

We demonstrate the effectiveness of using hydrogen-doped argon as the support gas for the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) ambient desorption/ionization (ADI) source in mass spectrometry. Also, we explore the chemistry responsible for the signal enhancement observed when using both hydrogen-doped argon and hydrogen-doped helium. The hydrogen-doped argon was tested for five analytes representing different classes of molecules. Addition of hydrogen to the argon plasma gas enhanced signals for gas-phase analytes and for analytes coated onto glass slides in positive and negative ion mode. The enhancements ranged from factors of 4 to 5 for gas-phase analytes and factors of 2 to 40 for coated slides. There was no significant increase in the background. The limit of detection for caffeine was lowered by a factor of 79 using H2/Ar and 2 using H2/He. Results are shown that help explain the fundamental differences between the pure-gas discharges and those that are hydrogen-doped for both argon and helium. Experiments with different discharge geometries and grounding schemes indicate that observed signal enhancements are strongly dependent on discharge configuration.

Hydrogen-Poor Core-Collapse Supernovae

Science.gov (United States)

Pian, Elena; Mazzali, Paolo A.

Hydrogen-poor core-collapse supernovae (SNe) signal the explosive death of stars more massive than the progenitors of hydrogen-rich core-collapse supernovae, i.e., approximately in the range 15-50 M⊙ in main sequence. Since hydrogen-poor core-collapse supernovae include those that accompany gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), which were all rigorously identified with type Ic supernovae, their explosion energies cover almost two decades. The light curves and spectra are consequently very heterogeneous and often bear the signature of an asymmetric, i.e., aspherical, explosion. Asphericity is best traced by early-time (within days of the explosion) optical spectropolarimetry and by late-epoch (more than ˜ 100 days after explosion) low-resolution spectroscopy. While the relationship between hydrogen-poor core-collapse supernovae to hydrogen-poor super-luminous supernovae is not understood, a known case of association between an ultra-long gamma-ray burst and a very luminous hydrogen-poor supernova may help unraveling the connection. This is tantalizingly pointing to a magnetar powering source for both phenomena, although this scenario is still highly speculative. Host galaxies of hydrogen-poor supernovae are always star forming; in those of completely stripped supernovae and gamma-ray burst supernovae, the spatial distribution of the explosions follows the blue/ultraviolet light, with a correlation that is more than linear.

High pressure hydriding of sponge-Zr in steam-hydrogen mixtures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Y.S.

1997-01-01

Hydriding kinetics of thin sponge-Zr layers metallurgically bonded to a Zircaloy disk has been studied by thermogravimetry in the temperature range 350-400 C in 7 MPa hydrogen-steam mixtures. Some specimens were prefilmed with a thin oxide layer prior to exposure to the reactant gas; all were coated with a thin layer of gold to avoid premature reaction at edges. Two types of hydriding were observed in prefilmed specimens, viz., a slow hydrogen absorption process that precedes an accelerated (massive) hydriding. At 7 MPa total pressure, the critical ratio of H 2 /H 2 O above which massive hydriding occurs at 400 C is ∝200. The critical H 2 /H 2 O ratio is shifted to ∝2.5 x 10 3 at 350 C. The slow hydriding process occurs only when conditions for hydriding and oxidation are approximately equally favorable. Based on maximum weight gain, the specimen is completely converted to δ-ZrH 2 by massive hydriding in ∝5 h at a hydriding rate of ∝10 -6 mol H/cm 2 s. Incubation times of 10-20 h prior to the onset of massive hydriding increases with prefilm oxide thickness in the range of 0-10 μm. By changing to a steam-enriched gas, massive hydriding that initially started in a steam-starved condition was arrested by re-formation of a protective oxide scale. (orig.)

Cucurbit[6]uril: A Possible Host for Noble Gas Atoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Sudip; Mandal, Subhajit; Chattaraj, Pratim K

2015-08-27

Density functional and ab initio molecular dynamics studies are carried out to investigate the stability of noble gas encapsulated cucurbit[6]uril (CB[6]) systems. Interaction energy, dissociation energy and dissociation enthalpy are calculated to understand the efficacy of CB[6] in encapsulating noble gas atoms. CB[6] could encapsulate up to three Ne atoms having dissociation energy (zero-point energy corrected) in the range of 3.4-4.1 kcal/mol, whereas due to larger size, only one Ar or Kr atom encapsulated analogues would be viable. The dissociation energy value for the second Ar atom is only 1.0 kcal/mol. On the other hand, the same for the second Kr is -0.5 kcal/mol, implying the instability of the system. The noble gas dissociation processes are endothermic in nature, which increases gradually along Ne to Kr. Kr encapsulated analogue is found to be viable at room temperature. However, low temperature is needed for Ne and Ar encapsulated analogues. The temperature-pressure phase diagram highlights the region in which association and dissociation processes of Kr@CB[6] would be favorable. At ambient temperature and pressure, CB[6] may be used as an effective noble gas carrier. Wiberg bond indices, noncovalent interaction indices, electron density, and energy decomposition analyses are used to explore the nature of interaction between noble gas atoms and CB[6]. Dispersion interaction is found to be the most important term in the attraction energy. Ne and Ar atoms in one Ng entrapped analogue are found to stay inside the cavity of CB[6] throughout the simulation at 298 K. However, during simulation Ng2 units in Ng2@CB[6] flip toward the open faces of CB[6]. After 1 ps, one Ne atom of Ne3@CB[6] almost reaches the open face keeping other two Ne atoms inside. At lower temperature (77 K), all the Ng atoms in Ngn@CB[6] remain well inside the cavity of CB[6] throughout the simulation time (1 ps).

The pumping of hydrogen and helium by sputter-ion pumps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Welch, K.M.; Pate, D.J.; Todd, R.J.

1992-01-01

The pumping of hydrogen in diode and triode sputter-ion pumps is discussed. The type of cathode material used in these pumps is shown to have a significant impact on the effectiveness with which hydrogen is pumped. Examples of this include data for pumps with aluminum and titanium-alloy cathodes. Diode pumps with aluminum cathodes are shown to be no more effective in the pumping of hydrogen than in the pumping of helium. The use of titanium or titanium alloy anodes is also shown to measurably impact on the speed of these pumps at.very low pressures. This stems from the fact that hydrogen is x10 6 more soluble in titanium than in stainless steel. Hydrogen becomes resident in the anodes because of fast neutral burial. Lastly, quantitative data are given for the He speeds and capacities of both noble and conventional diode and triode pumps. The effectiveness of various pump regeneration procedures, subsequent to the pumping of He, is reported.These included bakeout and N 2 glow discharge cleaning. The comparative desorption of He with the subsequent pumping of N 2 is reported on. The N 2 speed of these pumps was used as the benchmark for defining the size of the pumps vs. their respective He speeds

Noble gas encapsulation into carbon nanotubes: Predictions from analytical model and DFT studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balasubramani, Sree Ganesh; Singh, Devendra; Swathi, R. S., E-mail: swathi@iisertvm.ac.in [School of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram (IISER-TVM), Kerala 695016 (India)

2014-11-14

The energetics for the interaction of the noble gas atoms with the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are investigated using an analytical model and density functional theory calculations. Encapsulation of the noble gas atoms, He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe into CNTs of various chiralities is studied in detail using an analytical model, developed earlier by Hill and co-workers. The constrained motion of the noble gas atoms along the axes of the CNTs as well as the off-axis motion are discussed. Analyses of the forces, interaction energies, acceptance and suction energies for the encapsulation enable us to predict the optimal CNTs that can encapsulate each of the noble gas atoms. We find that CNTs of radii 2.98 − 4.20 Å (chiral indices, (5,4), (6,4), (9,1), (6,6), and (9,3)) can efficiently encapsulate the He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe atoms, respectively. Endohedral adsorption of all the noble gas atoms is preferred over exohedral adsorption on various CNTs. The results obtained using the analytical model are subsequently compared with the calculations performed with the dispersion-including density functional theory at the M06 − 2X level using a triple-zeta basis set and good qualitative agreement is found. The analytical model is however found to be computationally cheap as the equations can be numerically programmed and the results obtained in comparatively very less time.

Noble Metal/Ceramic Composites in Flame Processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schultz, Heiko; Madler, Lutz; Strobel, Reto

conditions influence the resulting noble metal particles size in those systems [1]. For every specific application the particle size and the metal/metal oxide interaction affect the performance of these nano-composite materials [2]. Recently, aerosol processes have been successfully used to produce platinum...

Imaging with SiPMs in noble-gas detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yahlali, N; González, K; Fernandes, L M P; Garcia, A N C; Soriano, A

2013-01-01

Silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) are photosensors widely used for imaging in a variety of high energy and nuclear physics experiments. In noble-gas detectors for double-beta decay and dark matter experiments, SiPMs are attractive photosensors for imaging. However they are insensitive to the VUV scintillation emitted by the noble gases (xenon and argon). This difficulty is overcome in the NEXT experiment by coating the SiPMs with tetraphenyl butadiene (TPB) to convert the VUV light into visible light. TPB requires stringent storage and operational conditions to prevent its degradation by environmental agents. The development of UV sensitive SiPMs is thus of utmost interest for experiments using electroluminescence of noble-gas detectors. It is in particular an important issue for a robust and background free ββ0ν experiment with xenon gas aimed by NEXT. The photon detection efficiency (PDE) of UV-enhanced SiPMs provided by Hamamatsu was determined for light in the range 250–500 nm. The PDE of standard SiPMs of the same model (S10362-33-50C), coated and non-coated with TPB, was also determined for comparison. In the UV range 250–350 nm, the PDE of the standard SiPM is shown to decrease strongly, down to about 3%. The UV-enhanced SiPM without window is shown to have the maximum PDE of 44% at 325 nm and 30% at 250 nm. The PDE of the UV-enhanced SiPM with silicon resin window has a similar trend in the UV range, although it is about 30% lower. The TPB-coated SiPM has shown to have about 6 times higher PDE than the non-coated SiPM in the range 250–315 nm. This is however below the performance of the UV-enhanced prototypes in the same wavelength range. Imaging in noble-gas detectors using UV-enhanced SiPMs is discussed.

Advances in hexitol and ethylene glycol production by one-pot hydrolytic hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis of cellulose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yuping; Liao, Yuhe; Cao, Xiaofeng; Wang, Tiejun; Ma, Longlong; Long, Jinxing; Liu, Qiying; Xua, Ying

2015-01-01

In this review, recent advances in the one-pot hydrolytic hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis of cellulose to value-added polyols, including hexitols (sorbitol, mannitol, and isosorbide) and 1,2-alkanediols (ethylene glycol and 1,2-propylene glycol), are summarized. Methods for the generation of H + in the first step of cellulose hydrolysis to form intermediate sugars, such as the use of soluble acids (mineral acids and heteropoly acids) and H + produced in situ from functional supports and H 2 dissociation, are classified and analyzed, considering its combination with active metals for the subsequent hydrogenation or hydrogenolysis of sugars to polyols. The interaction of non-noble metals such as nickel, bimetals, and tungsten with support materials in the catalytic conversion of intermediate sugars to hexitols and ethylene glycol is reviewed. The corresponding reaction pathways and mechanisms are discussed, including the conversion process using basic supports and solution conditions. Major challenges and promising routes are also suggested for the future development of the chemocatalytic conversion of cellulose. - Highlights: • Advances in the one-pot hydrolytic hydrogenation/hydrogenolysis of cellulose are summarized. • The interaction of non-noble metals with support materials for cellulose conversion is reviewed. • Method for the generation of in situ H + and effects of the acidic groups on supports are discussed. • Incomplete identification of intermediates/products causes mechanism complications. • Efficient conversion, separation and purification are other concerns for cellulose degrading

Hydrogen isotopes identification with the electromagnetic calorimeter TAPS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matulewicz, T.; Aphecetche, L.; Charbonnier, Y.; Delagrange, H.; Martinez, G.; Schutz, Y.; Marques, F.M.; Diaz, J.; and others.

1996-01-01

A new method has been developed to identify protons and more generally charged massive particles, like charged pions, hydrogen isotopes and heavier particles reaching the TAPS detector. The method was tested on events from the reaction Ar+Ca at 180 A.MeV. (K.A.)

Cea assessment of the sulphur-iodine cycle for hydrogen production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caries, Ph.; Vitart, X.; Yvon, P.

2010-01-01

The sulphur-iodine cycle is a promising process for hydrogen production using nuclear heat: - it is a purely thermochemical cycle, implying that hydrogen production will scale with volume rather than surface; - it only involves fluids, thus avoiding the often difficult handling of solids; - its heat requirements are well matched to the temperatures available from a Generation IV very/high temperature reactor. These characteristics seem very attractive for high efficiency and low cost massive hydrogen production. On the other hand, the efficiency of the cycle may suffer from the large over-stoichiometries of water and iodine and the very important heat exchanges it involves; furthermore, due to lack of adequate thermodynamic models, its efficiency is difficult to assess with confidence. Besides, the large quantities of chemicals that need to be handled, and the corrosiveness of these chemicals, are factors not to be overlooked in terms of investment and operation costs. In order to assess the actual potential of the sulphur-iodine cycle for massive hydrogen production at a competitive cost, CEA has been conducting an important programme on this cycle, ranging from thermodynamic measurements to hydrogen production cost evaluation, with flow sheet optimisation, component sizing and investment cost estimation as intermediate steps. The paper will present the method used, the status of both efficiency and production cost estimations, and discuss perspectives for improvement. (authors)

Incorporating nitrogen atoms into cobalt nanosheets as a strategy to boost catalytic activity toward CO2 hydrogenation

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Liangbing; Zhang, Wenbo; Zheng, Xusheng; Chen, Yizhen; Wu, Wenlong; Qiu, Jianxiang; Zhao, Xiangchen; Zhao, Xiao; Dai, Yizhou; Zeng, Jie

2017-11-01

Hydrogenation of CO2 into fuels and useful chemicals could help to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Although great progress has been made over the past decades to improve the activity of catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation, more efficient catalysts, especially those based on non-noble metals, are desired. Here we incorporate N atoms into Co nanosheets to boost the catalytic activity toward CO2 hydrogenation. For the hydrogenation of CO2, Co4N nanosheets exhibited a turnover frequency of 25.6 h-1 in a slurry reactor under 32 bar pressure at 150 °C, which was 64 times that of Co nanosheets. The activation energy for Co4N nanosheets was 43.3 kJ mol-1, less than half of that for Co nanosheets. Mechanistic studies revealed that Co4N nanosheets were reconstructed into Co4NHx, wherein the amido-hydrogen atoms directly interacted with the CO2 to form HCOO* intermediates. In addition, the adsorbed H2O* activated amido-hydrogen atoms via the interaction of hydrogen bonds.

Developmental and Metabolic Plasticity of White-Skinned Grape Berries in Response to Botrytis cinerea during Noble Rot1[OPEN

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Thomas S.; Vicente, Ariel R.; Doyle, Carolyn L.; Ye, Zirou; Allen, Greg; Heymann, Hildegarde

2015-01-01

Noble rot results from exceptional infections of ripe grape (Vitis vinifera) berries by Botrytis cinerea. Unlike bunch rot, noble rot promotes favorable changes in grape berries and the accumulation of secondary metabolites that enhance wine grape composition. Noble rot-infected berries of cv Sémillon, a white-skinned variety, were collected over 3 years from a commercial vineyard at the same time that fruit were harvested for botrytized wine production. Using an integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics approach, we demonstrate that noble rot alters the metabolism of cv Sémillon berries by inducing biotic and abiotic stress responses as well as ripening processes. During noble rot, B. cinerea induced the expression of key regulators of ripening-associated pathways, some of which are distinctive to the normal ripening of red-skinned cultivars. Enhancement of phenylpropanoid metabolism, characterized by a restricted flux in white-skinned berries, was a common outcome of noble rot and red-skinned berry ripening. Transcript and metabolite analyses together with enzymatic assays determined that the biosynthesis of anthocyanins is a consistent hallmark of noble rot in cv Sémillon berries. The biosynthesis of terpenes and fatty acid aroma precursors also increased during noble rot. We finally characterized the impact of noble rot in botrytized wines. Altogether, the results of this work demonstrated that noble rot causes a major reprogramming of berry development and metabolism. This desirable interaction between a fruit and a fungus stimulates pathways otherwise inactive in white-skinned berries, leading to a greater accumulation of compounds involved in the unique flavor and aroma of botrytized wines. PMID:26450706

An Amorphous Noble-Metal-Free Electrocatalyst that Enables Nitrogen Fixation under Ambient Conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Chade; Yan, Chunshuang; Chen, Gang; Ding, Yu; Sun, Jingxue; Zhou, Yansong; Yu, Guihua

2018-02-23

N 2 fixation by the electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) under ambient conditions is regarded as a potential approach to achieve NH 3 production, which still heavily relies on the Haber-Bosch process at the cost of huge energy and massive production of CO 2 . A noble-metal-free Bi 4 V 2 O 11 /CeO 2 hybrid with an amorphous phase (BVC-A) is used as the cathode for electrocatalytic NRR. The amorphous Bi 4 V 2 O 11 contains significant defects, which play a role as active sites. The CeO 2 not only serves as a trigger to induce the amorphous structure, but also establishes band alignment with Bi 4 V 2 O 11 for rapid interfacial charge transfer. Remarkably, BVC-A shows outstanding electrocatalytic NRR performance with high average yield (NH 3 : 23.21 μg h -1  mg -1 cat. , Faradaic efficiency: 10.16 %) under ambient conditions, which is superior to the Bi 4 V 2 O 11 /CeO 2 hybrid with crystalline phase (BVC-C) counterpart. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Christian Values and Noble Ideas of Rank and their Consequences on Symbolic Acts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerd ALTHOFF

2007-12-01

Full Text Available In the Middle Ages a Christian system of values met the values of a noble warrior society. Although these two systems had completely different conceptions of norms, they adapted from each other certain values and symbolic forms to express these values.The development of this adaptation is depicted by treating the Christian values misericordia, humilitas and clementia. In which way did the noble warrior society take up these values and how did these norms possibly change?Misericordia, for example, became an essential part of noble behaviour, but the fundamental idea of Christian misericordia was changed. Helping the poor was often motivated by the nobles’ will to prove his mercy, not by personal compassion.Although the value of humilitas implied a sharp contrast to the values of honor and rank, one can find forms of expression, which revealed a noble’s or ruler’s humility. With his humble behaviour one proved one’s qualification and legitimacy. Humility was expressed with symbolic forms of expression like walking barefoot and in penitential clothes or making footfalls. Similarly, these forms were used in inner-secular communication to acknowledge the existing order of rank.The ritual of deditio combines the values humilitas and clementia. The author describes this ritual as a pre-arranged stage-play, in which the one’s humility granted the other’s clemency. These ‘stage-plays’ had only little in common with the original Christian virtues, but this way several elements of the Christian virtue system influenced the noble behaviour pattern.En la edad media el sistema de valores cristiano confluye con el de una sociedad noble guerrera. Aunque ambos sistemas tuvieron dos concepciones de normas completamente diferentes, sin embargo, cada uno de ellos adapto ciertos valores y sus expresiones simbólicas del otro.El desarrollo de esta adaptación es descrito a través de los valores cristianos de misericordia, humilitas y clementia �

Kinetics on NiZn Bimetallic Catalysts for Hydrogen Evolution via Selective Dehydrogenation of Methylcyclohexane to Toluene

KAUST Repository

Shaikh Ali, Anaam

2017-01-18

Liquid organic chemical hydrides are effective hydrogen storage media for easy and safe transport. The chemical couple of methylcyclohexane (MCH) and toluene (TOL) has been considered one of the feasible cycles for a hydrogen carrier, but the selective dehydrogenation of MCH to TOL has been reported using only Pt-based noble metal catalysts. This study reports MCH dehydrogenation to TOL using supported NiZn as a selective, non-noble-metal catalyst. A combined experimental and computational study was conducted to provide insight into the site requirements and reaction mechanism for MCH dehydrogenation to TOL, which were compared with those for cyclohexane (CH) dehydrogenation to benzene (BZ). The kinetic measurements carried out at 300-360°C showed an almost zero order with respect to MCH pressure in the high-pressure region (≥10 kPa) and nearly a positive half order with respective to H pressure (≤40 kPa). These kinetic data for the dehydrogenation reaction paradoxically indicate that hydrogenation of a strongly chemisorbed intermediate originating from TOL is the rate-determining step. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation confirms that the dehydrogenated TOL species at the aliphatic (methyl) position group (CHCH) were strongly adsorbed on the surface, which must be hydrogenated to desorb as TOL. This hydrogen-assisted desorption mechanism explains the essential role of excess H present in the feed in maintaining the activity of the metallic surface for hydrogenation. The rate of the CH to BZ reaction was less sensitive to H pressure than that of MCH to TOL, which can be explained by the absence of a methyl group in the structure, which in turn reduces the binding energy of the adsorbed species. DFT suggests that the improved TOL selectivity by adding Zn to Ni was due to Zn atoms preferentially occupying low-coordination sites on the surface (the corner and edge sites), which are likely the unselective sites responsible for the C-C dissociation of the

Kinetics on NiZn Bimetallic Catalysts for Hydrogen Evolution via Selective Dehydrogenation of Methylcyclohexane to Toluene

KAUST Repository

Shaikh Ali, Anaam; Jedidi, Abdesslem; Anjum, Dalaver H.; Cavallo, Luigi; Takanabe, Kazuhiro

2017-01-01

Liquid organic chemical hydrides are effective hydrogen storage media for easy and safe transport. The chemical couple of methylcyclohexane (MCH) and toluene (TOL) has been considered one of the feasible cycles for a hydrogen carrier, but the selective dehydrogenation of MCH to TOL has been reported using only Pt-based noble metal catalysts. This study reports MCH dehydrogenation to TOL using supported NiZn as a selective, non-noble-metal catalyst. A combined experimental and computational study was conducted to provide insight into the site requirements and reaction mechanism for MCH dehydrogenation to TOL, which were compared with those for cyclohexane (CH) dehydrogenation to benzene (BZ). The kinetic measurements carried out at 300-360°C showed an almost zero order with respect to MCH pressure in the high-pressure region (≥10 kPa) and nearly a positive half order with respective to H pressure (≤40 kPa). These kinetic data for the dehydrogenation reaction paradoxically indicate that hydrogenation of a strongly chemisorbed intermediate originating from TOL is the rate-determining step. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation confirms that the dehydrogenated TOL species at the aliphatic (methyl) position group (CHCH) were strongly adsorbed on the surface, which must be hydrogenated to desorb as TOL. This hydrogen-assisted desorption mechanism explains the essential role of excess H present in the feed in maintaining the activity of the metallic surface for hydrogenation. The rate of the CH to BZ reaction was less sensitive to H pressure than that of MCH to TOL, which can be explained by the absence of a methyl group in the structure, which in turn reduces the binding energy of the adsorbed species. DFT suggests that the improved TOL selectivity by adding Zn to Ni was due to Zn atoms preferentially occupying low-coordination sites on the surface (the corner and edge sites), which are likely the unselective sites responsible for the C-C dissociation of the

Organ protection by the noble gas helium

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smit, K.F.

2017-01-01

The aims of this thesis were to investigate whether helium induces preconditioning in humans, and to elucidate the mechanisms behind this possible protection. First, we collected data regarding organ protective effects of noble gases in general, and of helium in particular (chapters 1-3). In chapter

The efficacy of noble metal alloy urinary catheters in reducing catheter-associated urinary tract infection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alanood Ahmed Aljohi

2016-01-01

Results: A 90% relative risk reduction in the rate of CAUTI was observed with the noble metal alloy catheter compared to the standard catheter (10 vs. 1 cases, P = 0.006. When considering both catheter-associated asymptomatic bacteriuria and CAUTI, the relative risk reduction was 83% (12 vs. 2 cases, P = 0.005. In addition to CAUTI, the risk of acquiring secondary bacteremia was lower (100% for the patients using noble metal alloy catheters (3 cases in the standard group vs. 0 case in the noble metal alloy catheter group, P = 0.24. No adverse events related to any of the used catheters were recorded. Conclusion: Results from this study revealed that noble metal alloy catheters are safe to use and significantly reduce CAUTI rate in ICU patients after 3 days of use.

Effect of hydration on the organo-noble gas molecule HKrCCH: role of krypton in the stabilization of hydrated HKrCCH complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Biswas, Biswajit; Singh, Prashant Chandra

2015-11-11

The effect of hydration on the fluorine free organo-noble gas compound HKrCCH and the role of krypton in the stabilization of the hydrated HKrCCH complexes have been investigated using the quantum chemical calculations on the HKrCCH-(H2O)n=1-6 clusters. Structure and energetics calculations show that water stabilizes HKrCCH through the π hydrogen bond in which the OH group of water interacts with the C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C group of HKrCCH. A maximum of four water molecules can directly interact with the C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C of HKrCCH and after that only inter-hydrogen bonding takes place between the water molecules indicating that the primary hydration shell contains four water molecules. Atom in molecule analysis depicts that π hydrogen bonded complexes of the hydrated HKrCCH are cyclic structures in which the OKr interaction cooperates in the formation of strong O-HC[triple bond, length as m-dash]C interaction. Structure, energetics and charge analysis clearly established that krypton plays an important role in the stabilization as well as the formation of the primary hydration shell of hydrated HKrCCH complexes.

Natural Death and the Noble Savage.

Science.gov (United States)

Walter, Tony

1995-01-01

The belief that dying and grieving are natural processes is widely held in modern bereavement care. Examines four assumption often made in this connection: (1) most primitive cultures deal with death in an accepting way; (2) this way is different than our own; (3) it is a good and noble way; and (4) traditional societies see death as natural. (JBJ)

Selective noble gases monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janecka, S.; Jancik, O.; Kapisovsky, V.; Kubik, I.; Sevecka, S.

1995-01-01

The monitoring of leak releases from ventilation stack of NPP requires a system by several orders more sensitive then currently used radiometer Kalina, designed to cover the range up to a design-based accident. To reach this goal a noble gases monitor with a germanium detector (MPVG) has been developed. It enables nuclide selective monitoring of current value of volume activity of particular nuclides in ventilation stack and daily releases of noble gases (balancing). MPVG can be viewed as a system build of three levels of subsystem: measuring level; control level; presentation level. Measuring level consists of gamma-spectroscopy system and operational parameters monitoring unit (flow rate, temperature, humidity). Control level provides communication between presentation and measuring level, acquisition of operational parameters and power supply. The presentation level of MPVG enables: 1) the measured data storage in predetermined time intervals; 2) the presentation of measured and evaluated values of radiation characteristics. The monitored radionuclides - default set: argon-41, krypton-85m, krypton-87, krypton-88, krypton-89, xenon-131m, xenon-133, xenon-133m, xenon-135, xenon-135m, xenon-137 and xenon-138. The values of volume activities observed at maximum releases have been approximately ten times higher. In that case in balancing some other nuclides exceed corresponding detection limits: 88 Kr(67; 22) Bq/m 3 ; 85m Kr(17; 7) Bq/m 3 ; 135m Xe(7.1; 0.5) Bq/m 3 ; 138 Xe(5.9; 0.9) Bq/m 3 . (J.K.)

Selective noble gases monitoring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Janecka, S; Jancik, O; Kapisovsky, V; Kubik, I; Sevecka, S [Nuclear Power Plants Research Institute, a.s., Trnava (Slovakia)

1996-12-31

The monitoring of leak releases from ventilation stack of NPP requires a system by several orders more sensitive then currently used radiometer Kalina, designed to cover the range up to a design-based accident. To reach this goal a noble gases monitor with a germanium detector (MPVG) has been developed. It enables nuclide selective monitoring of current value of volume activity of particular nuclides in ventilation stack and daily releases of noble gases (balancing). MPVG can be viewed as a system build of three levels of subsystem: measuring level; control level; presentation level. Measuring level consists of gamma-spectroscopy system and operational parameters monitoring unit (flow rate, temperature, humidity). Control level provides communication between presentation and measuring level, acquisition of operational parameters and power supply. The presentation level of MPVG enables: 1) the measured data storage in predetermined time intervals; 2) the presentation of measured and evaluated values of radiation characteristics. The monitored radionuclides - default set: argon-41, krypton-85m, krypton-87, krypton-88, krypton-89, xenon-131m, xenon-133, xenon-133m, xenon-135, xenon-135m, xenon-137 and xenon-138. The values of volume activities observed at maximum releases have been approximately ten times higher. In that case in balancing some other nuclides exceed corresponding detection limits: {sup 88}Kr(67; 22) Bq/m{sup 3}; {sup 85m}Kr(17; 7) Bq/m{sup 3}; {sup 135m}Xe(7.1; 0.5) Bq/m{sup 3}; {sup 138}Xe(5.9; 0.9) Bq/m{sup 3}. (J.K.).

Effects of halogens on interactions between a reduced TiO{sub 2} (110) surface and noble metal atoms: A DFT study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tada, Kohei, E-mail: k-tada@aist.go.jp [Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1, Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043 (Japan); Research Institute of Electrochemical Energy, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-8-31, Midorigaoka, Ikeda, Osaka, 563-8577 (Japan); Koga, Hiroaki [Element Strategy Initiative for Catalysts and Batteries (ESICB), Kyoto University, 1-30 Goryo Ohara, Nishikyo, Kyoto, 615-8245 (Japan); Hayashi, Akihide; Kondo, Yudai; Kawakami, Takashi; Yamanaka, Shusuke [Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1, Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043 (Japan); Okumura, Mitsutaka [Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1, Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043 (Japan); Element Strategy Initiative for Catalysts and Batteries (ESICB), Kyoto University, 1-30 Goryo Ohara, Nishikyo, Kyoto, 615-8245 (Japan)

2017-07-31

Highlights: • We investigated the halogen effect on the interactions of noble metals with TiO{sub 2}. • Halogen atoms inhibit electron transfer from TiO{sub 2} to noble metals. • Iodine stabilizes the adsorption of noble metals especially for Ag and Cu. • Electron transfer from the TiO{sub 2} is effective in anchoring Au and Pt atoms. • Covalent interaction with the support is effective in anchoring Ag and Cu atoms. - Abstract: Using DFT calculation, we investigate the effects of halogens on the interactions between rutile TiO{sub 2} (110) and noble metal atoms (Au, Ag, Cu, Pt, and Pd). Fluorine, chlorine, and bromine atoms occupy the oxygen defect sites of TiO{sub 2}, decreasing the stability of noble metal atoms on the surface. This decrease occurs because the halogens inhibit electron transfer from TiO{sub 2} to the noble metal atoms; the electron transfer from reduced TiO{sub 2} to the noble metal atom stabilizes the noble metal atom adsorption. In contrast, iodine strengthens the interactions between TiO{sub 2} and some noble metal atoms, namely Ag and Cu. This stabilization occurs because of the covalent interaction between iodine-doped TiO{sub 2} and the noble metal atom. Therefore, the stabilization is explained well by chemical hardness. This result suggests that iodine-doping of a TiO{sub 2} surface would be an effective method for the preparation of highly stabilized noble metal clusters.

Catalytic steam reforming of ethanol for hydrogen production: Brief status

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bineli Aulus R.R.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Hydrogen represents a promising fuel since it is considered as a cleanest energy carrier and also because during its combustion only water is emitted. It can be produced from different kinds of renewable feedstocks, such as ethanol, in this sense hydrogen could be treated as biofuel. Three chemical reactions can be used to achieve this purpose: the steam reforming (SR, the partial oxidation (POX and the autothermal reforming (ATR. In this study, the catalysts implemented in steam reforming of ethanol were reviewed. A wide variety of elements can be used as catalysts for this reaction, such as base metals (Ni, Cu and Co or noble metals (Rh, Pt and Ru usually deposited on a support material that increases surface area and improves catalytic function. The use of Rh, Ni and Pt supported or promoted with CeO2, and/or La2O3 shows excellent performance in ethanol SR catalytic process. The ratio of water to ethanol, reaction temperatures, catalysts loadings, selectivity and activity are also discussed as they are extremely important for high hydrogen yields.

Mantle Noble Gas Contents Controlled by Subduction of Serpentinite

Science.gov (United States)

Krantz, J. A.; Parman, S. W.; Kelley, S. P.; Smye, A.; Jackson, C.

2017-12-01

Geochemical analyses of exhumed subduction zone material1, well gases2, MORB, and OIBs3 indicate that noble gases are being recycled from the surface of the earth into the mantle. However, the path taken by these noble gases is unclear. To estimate the distribution and quantity of Ar, Kr, and Xe in subducting slabs, a model consisting of layers of sediments, altered oceanic crust (AOC), and serpentinite (hydrously altered mantle) has been developed. The noble gas contents of sediments and AOC were calculated using the least air-like and most gas-rich analyses from natural systems4,5, while serpentinite was modelled using both data from natural systems1 and experimentally determined solubilities. Layer thicknesses were assessed over a range of values: 1 to 12 km of sediments, 5 to 9 km of AOC, and 1 to 30 km of serpentinite. In all cases, the serpentinite layer contains at least an order of magnitude more Ar and Kr than the other layers. For realistic layer thicknesses (1 km of sediments, 6 km of AOC, and 3 km of serpentinite), Xe is distributed roughly equally between the three layers. By incorporating global subduction rates6, fluxes of the heavy noble gases into the mantle have been calculated as 4 · 1012 mol/Ma for 36Ar, 6 · 1011 mol/Ma for 84Kr, and 8 · 109 mol/Ma for 130Xe. These fluxes are equivalent to the total 84Kr and 130Xe contents of the depleted and bulk mantle over 1 and 10 Ma7. Similarly, the flux of 36Ar is equivalent over 1 and 100 Ma. Since the Kr and Xe have not been completely overprinted by recycling, the large majority of subducted noble gases must escape in the subduction zone. However, even the small amounts that are subducted deeper have affected the mantle as measured in both MORB and OIBs. 1. Kendrick, M.A. et al., Nature Geoscience, 4, 807-812, 2011 2. Holland, G. and Ballentine, C.J., Nature, 441, 186-191, 2006 3. Parai, R. and Mukhopadhyay, S., G3, 16, 719-735, 2015 4. Matsuda, J. and Nagao, K., Geochemical Journal, 20, 71-80, 1986

Solid polymer electrolyte composite membrane comprising a porous support and a solid polymer electrolyte including a dispersed reduced noble metal or noble metal oxide

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Han; Mittelsteadt, Cortney K; Norman, Timothy J; Griffith, Arthur E; LaConti, Anthony B

2015-02-24

A solid polymer electrolyte composite membrane and method of manufacturing the same. According to one embodiment, the composite membrane comprises a thin, rigid, dimensionally-stable, non-electrically-conducting support, the support having a plurality of cylindrical, straight-through pores extending perpendicularly between opposing top and bottom surfaces of the support. The pores are unevenly distributed, with some or no pores located along the periphery and more pores located centrally. The pores are completely filled with a solid polymer electrolyte, the solid polymer electrolyte including a dispersed reduced noble metal or noble metal oxide. The solid polymer electrolyte may also be deposited over the top and/or bottom surfaces of the support.

Synthesis of Zeolite Materials for Noble Gas Separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Achey, R.; Rivera, O.; Wellons, M.; Hunter, D.

2017-01-01

Microporous zeolite adsorbent materials are widely used as a medium for separating gases. Adsorbent gas separation systems can run at ambient temperature and require minimal pressure to flow the input gas stream across the adsorbent bed. This allows for low energy consumption relative to other types of separation systems. Specific zeolites also have a high capacity and selectivity for the gases of interest, leading to compact and efficient separation systems. These characteristics are particularly advantageous for the application of signatures detection for non-proliferation, which often requires portable systems with low power draw. Savannah River National Laboratory currently is the leader in using zeolites for noble gas sampling for non-proliferation detection platforms. However, there is a constant customer need for improved sampling capabilities. Development of improved zeolite materials will lead to improved sampling technology. Microwave-assisted and conventional hydrothermal synthesis have been used to make a variety of zeolites tailored for noble gas separation. Materials characterization data collected in this project has been used to help guide the synthesis of improved zeolite materials. Candidate materials have been down-selected based on highest available surface area, maximum overall capacity for gas adsorption and highest selectivity. The creation of improved adsorbent materials initiated in this project will lead to development of more compact, efficient and effective noble gas collectors and concentrators. The work performed in this project will be used as a foundation for funding proposals for further material development as well as possible industrial applications.

Synthesis of Zeolite Materials for Noble Gas Separation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Achey, R. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Rivera, O. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Wellons, M. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Hunter, D. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2017-10-02

Microporous zeolite adsorbent materials are widely used as a medium for separating gases. Adsorbent gas separation systems can run at ambient temperature and require minimal pressure to flow the input gas stream across the adsorbent bed. This allows for low energy consumption relative to other types of separation systems. Specific zeolites also have a high capacity and selectivity for the gases of interest, leading to compact and efficient separation systems. These characteristics are particularly advantageous for the application of signatures detection for non-proliferation, which often requires portable systems with low power draw. Savannah River National Laboratory currently is the leader in using zeolites for noble gas sampling for non-proliferation detection platforms. However, there is a constant customer need for improved sampling capabilities. Development of improved zeolite materials will lead to improved sampling technology. Microwave-assisted and conventional hydrothermal synthesis have been used to make a variety of zeolites tailored for noble gas separation. Materials characterization data collected in this project has been used to help guide the synthesis of improved zeolite materials. Candidate materials have been down-selected based on highest available surface area, maximum overall capacity for gas adsorption and highest selectivity. The creation of improved adsorbent materials initiated in this project will lead to development of more compact, efficient and effective noble gas collectors and concentrators. The work performed in this project will be used as a foundation for funding proposals for further material development as well as possible industrial applications.

Method to separate fission noble gases from gaseous wastes of a reprocessing plant for nuclear fuel material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schnez, H.

1977-01-01

In order to avoid the high cost expenditure in the separation of fission noble gases from waste gas of the head end, the following economical method is suggested: The fission noble gases released in the solvent - after grinding and burn-up of the nuclear fuel elements and dissolving in HNO 3 - are purified in a known method and collected in an equalizing tank. From here, the fission noble gas quantity necessary as washing gas is recycled into the solvent, so that a part of the fission noble gas quantity flows in a circuit. The quantity of fission noble gas not required for the above is separated from the circuit, compressed and put into a storage container from where it can be put into gas flashs or be recycled in the gas circuit where necessary. Furthermore, the method involves that to separate krypton, the filtered fission noble gas is compressed, cooled and rectified, whereby the krypton mixture taken from the rectification column is stored under high pressure and the gas part containing xenon, occuring as liquid, is at least partly fed back to the solvent. (HPH) [de

Noble metal behavior during melting of simulated high-level nuclear waste glass feeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, L.D.; Dennis, T.; Elliott, M.L.; Hrma, P.

1994-01-01

Noble metals and their oxides can settle in waste glass melters and cause electrical shorting. Simulate waste feeds from Hanford, Savannah River, and Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe were heat treated for 1 hour in a gradient furnace at temperatures ranging from approximately 600 degrees C to 1000 degrees C and examined by electron microscopy to determine shapes, sizes, and distribution of noble metal particles as a function of temperature. Individual noble metal particles and agglomerates of rhodium (Rh), ruthenium (RuO 2 ), and palladium (Pd), as well as their alloys, were seen. The majority of particles and agglomerates were generally less than 10 μm; however, large agglomerations (up to 1 mm) were found in the German feed. 5 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs

AN EVALUATION OF HYDROGEN INDUCED CRACKING SUSCEPTIBILITY OF TITANIUM ALLOYS IN US HIGH-LEVEL NUCLEAR WASTE REPOSITORY ENVIRONMENTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

G. De; K. Mon; G. Gordon; D. Shoesmith; F. Hua

2006-01-01

This paper evaluates hydrogen-induced cracking (HIC) susceptibility of titanium alloys in environments anticipated in the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository with particular emphasis on the. effect of the oxide passive film on the hydrogen absorption process of titanium alloys being evaluated. The titanium alloys considered in this review include Ti 2, 5 , 7, 9, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 24 and 29. In general, the concentration of hydrogen in a titanium alloy can increase due to absorption of atomic hydrogen produced from passive general corrosion of that alloy or galvanic coupling of it to a less noble metal. It is concluded that under the exposure conditions anticipated in the Yucca Mountain repository, the HIC of titanium drip shield will not occur because there will not be sufficient hydrogen in the metal even after 10,000 years of emplacement. Due to the conservatisms adopted in the current evaluation, this assessment is considered very conservative

AN EVALUATION OF HYDROGEN INDUCED CRACKING SUSCEPTIBILITY OF TITANIUM ALLOYS IN US HIGH-LEVEL NUCLEAR WASTE REPOSITORY ENVIRONMENTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

G. De; K. Mon; G. Gordon; D. Shoesmith; F. Hua

2006-02-21

This paper evaluates hydrogen-induced cracking (HIC) susceptibility of titanium alloys in environments anticipated in the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository with particular emphasis on the. effect of the oxide passive film on the hydrogen absorption process of titanium alloys being evaluated. The titanium alloys considered in this review include Ti 2, 5 , 7, 9, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 24 and 29. In general, the concentration of hydrogen in a titanium alloy can increase due to absorption of atomic hydrogen produced from passive general corrosion of that alloy or galvanic coupling of it to a less noble metal. It is concluded that under the exposure conditions anticipated in the Yucca Mountain repository, the HIC of titanium drip shield will not occur because there will not be sufficient hydrogen in the metal even after 10,000 years of emplacement. Due to the conservatisms adopted in the current evaluation, this assessment is considered very conservative.

Massive branes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergshoeff, E.; Ortin, T.

1998-01-01

We investigate the effective world-volume theories of branes in a background given by (the bosonic sector of) 10-dimensional massive IIA supergravity (''''massive branes'''') and their M-theoretic origin. In the case of the solitonic 5-brane of type IIA superstring theory the construction of the Wess-Zumino term in the world-volume action requires a dualization of the massive Neveu-Schwarz/Neveu-Schwarz target space 2-form field. We find that, in general, the effective world-volume theory of massive branes contains new world-volume fields that are absent in the massless case, i.e. when the mass parameter m of massive IIA supergravity is set to zero. We show how these new world-volume fields can be introduced in a systematic way. (orig.)

Polymer-noble metal nanocomposites: Review

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Folarin, OM

2011-09-01

Full Text Available because of their multi-functionality, ease of process-ability, potential for large-scale manufacturing, significantly lighter than metals, ease of synthesis when compared to the oxide/noble metal multi-layers (Gass et al., 2006; Lee et al., 2003.... their easy aggregation arising from their high surface free energy (Lee et al., 2006). In the design of nanocomposites, one must consider the properties of the polymer matrix as well as the stability of the nanoparticles and more importantly...

Techniques for the quantitative analysis of fission-product noble metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lautensleger, A.W.; Hara, F.T.

1982-08-01

Analytical procedures for the determination of ruthenium, rhodium, and palladium in precursor waste, solvent metal, and final glass waste forms have been developed. Two procedures for the analysis of noble metals in the calcine and glass waste forms are described in this report. The first is a fast and simple technique that combines inductively coupled argon plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP) and x-ray fluorescence techniques and can only be used on nonradioactive materials. The second procedure is based on a noble metal separation step, followed by an analysis using ICP. This second method is more complicated than the first, but it will work on radioactive materials. Also described is a procedure for the ICP analysis of noble metals in the solvent metal matrix. The only solvent metal addressed in this procedure is lead, but with minor changes the procedure could be applied to any of the solvent metals being considered in the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) extraction process. A brief explanation of atomic spectroscopy and the ICP analytical process, as well as of certain aspects of ICP performance (interelement spectral line interferences and certain matrix effects) is given

Electrospun Polymer Nanofibers Decorated with Noble Metal Nanoparticles for Chemical Sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chen; Tang, Yongan; Vlahovic, Branislav; Yan, Fei

2017-12-01

The integration of different noble metal nanostructures, which exhibit desirable plasmonic and/or electrocatalytic properties, with electrospun polymer nanofibers, which display unique mechanical and thermodynamic properties, yields novel hybrid nanoscale systems of synergistic properties and functions. This review summarizes recent advances on how to incorporate noble metal nanoparticles into electrospun polymer nanofibers and illustrates how such integration paves the way towards chemical sensing applications with improved sensitivity, stability, flexibility, compatibility, and selectivity. It is expected that further development of this field will eventually make a wide impact on many areas of research.

Noble gas control room accident filtration system for severe accident conditions N-CRAFT. System design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, Axel

2014-01-01

Severe accidents might cause the release of airborne radioactive substances to the environment of the NPP. This can either be due to leakages of the containment or due to a filtered containment venting in order to ensure the overall integrity of the containment. During the containment venting process aerosols and iodine can be retained by the FCVS which prevents long term ground contamination. Noble gases are not retainable by the FCVS. From this it follows that a large amount of radioactive noble gases (e.g. xenon, krypton) might be present in the nearby environment of the plant dominating the activity release, depending on the venting procedure and the weather conditions. Accident management measures are necessary in case of severe accidents and the prolonged stay of staff inside the main control room (MCR) or emergency response center (ERC) is essential. Therefore, the in leakage and contamination of the MRC and ERC with airborne activity has to be prevented. The radiation exposure of the crises team needs to be minimized. The entrance of noble gases cannot be sufficiently prevented by the conventional air filtration systems such as HEPA filters and iodine absorbers. With the objective to prevent an unacceptable contamination of the MCR/ERC atmosphere by noble gases AREVA GmbH has developed a noble gas retention system. The noble gas control room accident filtration system CRAFT is designed for this case and provides supply of fresh air to the MCR/ERC without time limitation. The retention process of the system is based on the dynamic adsorption of noble gases on activated carbon. The system consists of delay lines (carbon columns) which are operated by a continuous and simultaneous adsorption and desorption process. These cycles ensure a periodic load and flushing of the delay lines retaining the noble gases from entering the MCR. CRAFT allows a minimization of the dose rate inside MCR/ERC and ensures a low radiation exposure to the staff on shift maintaining

The Final Stages of Massive Star Evolution and Their Supernovae

Science.gov (United States)

Heger, Alexander

In this chapter I discuss the final stages in the evolution of massive stars - stars that are massive enough to burn nuclear fuel all the way to iron group elements in their core. The core eventually collapses to form a neutron star or a black hole when electron captures and photo-disintegration reduce the pressure support to an extent that it no longer can hold up against gravity. The late burning stages of massive stars are a rich subject by themselves, and in them many of the heavy elements in the universe are first generated. The late evolution of massive stars strongly depends on their mass, and hence can be significantly effected by mass loss due to stellar winds and episodic mass loss events - a critical ingredient that we do not know as well as we would like. If the star loses all the hydrogen envelope, a Type I supernova results, if it does not, a Type II supernova is observed. Whether the star makes neutron star or a black hole, or a neutron star at first and a black hole later, and how fast they spin largely affects the energetics and asymmetry of the observed supernova explosion. Beyond photon-based astronomy, other than the sun, a supernova (SN 1987) has been the only object in the sky we ever observed in neutrinos, and supernovae may also be the first thing we will ever see in gravitational wave detectors like LIGO. I conclude this chapter reviewing the deaths of the most massive stars and of Population III stars.

Intentions of fast noble gas ions with clean and with oxidized monocrystalline copper surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wit, A.G.J. de.

1979-01-01

The thesis reports investigations concerning the distorted shape of the energy distribution of scattered noble gas ions, and investigations of angular distributions of these ions where a quantitative interpretation is less hampered by preferential neutralization. Low energy noble gas ion scattering is used to study the interactions between oxygen gas and Cu(110) surfaces. (Auth.)

Formation of the First Star Clusters and Massive Star Binaries by Fragmentation of Filamentary Primordial Gas Clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Hirano, Shingo; Yoshida, Naoki; Sakurai, Yuya; Fujii, Michiko S.

2018-03-01

We perform a set of cosmological simulations of early structure formation incorporating baryonic streaming motions. We present a case where a significantly elongated gas cloud with ∼104 solar mass (M ⊙) is formed in a pre-galactic (∼107 M ⊙) dark halo. The gas streaming into the halo compresses and heats the massive filamentary cloud to a temperature of ∼10,000 Kelvin. The gas cloud cools rapidly by atomic hydrogen cooling, and then by molecular hydrogen cooling down to ∼400 Kelvin. The rapid decrease of the temperature and hence of the Jeans mass triggers fragmentation of the filament to yield multiple gas clumps with a few hundred solar masses. We estimate the mass of the primordial star formed in each fragment by adopting an analytic model based on a large set of radiation hydrodynamics simulations of protostellar evolution. The resulting stellar masses are in the range of ∼50–120 M ⊙. The massive stars gravitationally attract each other and form a compact star cluster. We follow the dynamics of the star cluster using a hybrid N-body simulation. We show that massive star binaries are formed in a few million years through multi-body interactions at the cluster center. The eventual formation of the remnant black holes will leave a massive black hole binary, which can be a progenitor of strong gravitational wave sources similar to those recently detected by the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO).

Computational phase diagrams of noble gas hydrates under pressure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Teeratchanan, Pattanasak, E-mail: s1270872@sms.ed.ac.uk; Hermann, Andreas, E-mail: a.hermann@ed.ac.uk [Centre for Science at Extreme Conditions and SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FD (United Kingdom)

2015-10-21

We present results from a first-principles study on the stability of noble gas-water compounds in the pressure range 0-100 kbar. Filled-ice structures based on the host water networks ice-I{sub h}, ice-I{sub c}, ice-II, and C{sub 0} interacting with guest species He, Ne, and Ar are investigated, using density functional theory (DFT) with four different exchange-correlation functionals that include dispersion effects to various degrees: the non-local density-based optPBE-van der Waals (vdW) and rPW86-vdW2 functionals, the semi-empirical D2 atom pair correction, and the semi-local PBE functional. In the He-water system, the sequence of stable phases closely matches that seen in the hydrogen hydrates, a guest species of comparable size. In the Ne-water system, we predict a novel hydrate structure based on the C{sub 0} water network to be stable or at least competitive at relatively low pressure. In the Ar-water system, as expected, no filled-ice phases are stable; however, a partially occupied Ar-C{sub 0} hydrate structure is metastable with respect to the constituents. The ability of the different DFT functionals to describe the weak host-guest interactions is analysed and compared to coupled cluster results on gas phase systems.

Is the thermodynamic behavior of the noble fluids consistent with the principle of corresponding states?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kulinskii, V.L.; Malomuzh, N.P.; Matvejchuk, O.I.

2009-01-01

The applicability of the Principle of Corresponding States (PCS) for the noble fluids is discussed. We give the thermodynamic evidence for the dimerization of the liquid phase in heavy noble gases like argon, krypton etc. which manifests itself in deviations from the PCS. The behavior of the

A general approach to mesoporous metal oxide microspheres loaded with noble metal nanoparticles

KAUST Repository

Jin, Zhao; Xiao, Manda; Bao, Zhihong; Wang, Peng; Wang, Jianfang

2012-01-01

Catalytic microspheres: A general approach is demonstrated for the facile preparation of mesoporous metal oxide microspheres loaded with noble metal nanoparticles (see TEM image in the picture). Among 18 oxide/noble metal catalysts, TiO 2/0.1 mol Pd microspheres showed the highest turnover frequency in NaBH 4 reduction of 4-nitrophenol (see picture). Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A general approach to mesoporous metal oxide microspheres loaded with noble metal nanoparticles

KAUST Repository

Jin, Zhao

2012-04-26

Catalytic microspheres: A general approach is demonstrated for the facile preparation of mesoporous metal oxide microspheres loaded with noble metal nanoparticles (see TEM image in the picture). Among 18 oxide/noble metal catalysts, TiO 2/0.1 mol Pd microspheres showed the highest turnover frequency in NaBH 4 reduction of 4-nitrophenol (see picture). Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Fluorescence emissions from mixtures of Hg with the noble gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woodworth, J.R.

1977-01-01

Fluorescence emissions from mixtures of Hg with high pressure Xe, Kr, and Ar (approx.1 torr Hg, 10 3 --10 4 torr noble gas) have been studied using a short-pulse relativistic electron beam as an excitation source. Hg--noble gas molecular bands were observed on the red sides of the Hg lines (1849 and 2537 A) as well as on the red sides of the Hg visible lines (7 3 S 1 →6 3 P 0 , 1 , 2 ). Temporal histories and production efficiencies of the molecular emissions were determined and a model was formulated for the time histories of the HgXe 2600 A bands. Possible applications to high power laser systems are discussed

Vitrification of noble metals containing NCAW simulant with an engineering scale melter (ESM): Campaign report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grunewald, W.; Roth, G.; Tobie, W.; Weisenburger, S.; Weiss, K.; Elliott, M.; Eyler, L.L.

1996-03-01

ESM has been designed as a 10th-scale model of the DWPF-type melter, currently the reference melter for nitrification of Hanford double shell tankwaste. ESM and related equipment have been integrated to the existing mockup vitrification plant VA-WAK at KfK. On June 2-July 10, 1992, a shakedown test using 2.61 m{sup 3} of NCAW (neutralized current acid waste) simulant without noble metals was performed. On July 11-Aug. 30, 1992, 14.23 m{sup 3} of the same simulant with nominal concentrations of Ru, Rh, and Pd were vitrified. Objective was to investigate the behavior of such a melter with respect to discharge of noble metals with routine glass pouring via glass overflow. Results indicate an accumulation of noble metals in the bottom area of the flat-bottomed ESM. About 65 wt% of the noble metals fed to the melter could be drained out, whereas 35 wt% accumulated in the melter, based on analysis of glass samples from glass pouring stream in to the canisters. After the melter was drained at the end of the campaign through a bottom drain valve, glass samples were taken from the residual bottom layer. The samples had significantly increased noble metals content (factor of 20-45 to target loading). They showed also a significant decrease of the specific electric resistance compared to bulk glass (factor of 10). A decrease of 10- 15% of the resistance between he power electrodes could be seen at the run end, but the total amount of noble metals accumulated was not yet sufficient enough to disturb the Joule heating of the glass tank severely.

Line emissions from sonoluminescence in aqueous solutions of halide salts without noble gases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liang, Jinfu, E-mail: liang.shi2007@163.com [The Key Laboratory of Modern Acoustics, Ministry of Education, Institution of Acoustics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); School of Physics and Electronic Science, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang 550001 (China); Chen, Weizhong, E-mail: wzchen@nju.edu.cn [The Key Laboratory of Modern Acoustics, Ministry of Education, Institution of Acoustics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Zhou, Chao; Cui, Weicheng; Chen, Zhan [The Key Laboratory of Modern Acoustics, Ministry of Education, Institution of Acoustics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China)

2015-02-20

Line emissions of trivalent terbium (Tb{sup 3+}) ion were observed from single-bubble sonoluminescence (SL) in an aqueous solution of terbium chloride (TbCl{sub 3}) that contained no noble gas. In addition, sodium (Na) lines were observed in multi-bubble SL in aqueous solutions of various halide salts that contained no noble gas. These observations show that the halide ions, such as Cl{sup −}, Br{sup −}, and I{sup −}, help for line emissions as the noble gases. The intensity of a line emission depends on both the chemical species produced by cavitation bubbles and the temperature of SL bubble that responds to the driving ultrasound pressure. With the increase of driving pressure, some line emissions attached to the continuous spectrum may become increasingly clear, while other line emissions gradually become indistinct. - Highlights: • Line emissions of Tb(III) ions were observed without the presence of noble gases. • The halide ions help to generate a line emission during sonoluminescence. • The intensity of a line emission mainly depends on the bubble's temperature. • The definition of a line emission is related to the temperature of caviation bubble and the kind of host liquid.

Collision cascades enhanced hydrogen redistribution in cobalt implanted hydrogenated diamond-like carbon films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, P.; Becker, H.-W.; Williams, G.V.M.; Hübner, R.; Heinig, K.-H.; Markwitz, A.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • This paper reports for the first time redistribution of hydrogen atoms in diamond like carbon thin films during ion implantation of low energy magnetic ions. • The results point towards new routes of controlling the composition and distribution of elements at the nanoscale within a base matrix without using any heat treatment methods. • Exploring these opportunities can lead to a new horizon of materials and device engineering needed for enabling advanced technologies and applications. - Abstract: Hydrogenated diamond-like carbon films produced by C_3H_6 deposition at 5 kV and implanted at room temperature with 30 keV Co atoms to 12 at.% show not only a bimodal distribution of Co atoms but also a massive redistribution of hydrogen in the films. Resonant nuclear reaction analysis was used to measure the hydrogen depth profiles (15N-method). Depletion of hydrogen near the surface was measured to be as low as 7 at.% followed by hydrogen accumulation from 27 to 35 at.%. A model is proposed considering the thermal energy deposited by collision cascade for thermal insulators. In this model, sufficient energy is provided for dissociated hydrogen to diffuse out of the sample from the surface and diffuse into the sample towards the interface which is however limited by the range of the incoming Co ions. At a hydrogen concentration of ∼35 at.%, the concentration gradient of the mobile unbounded hydrogen atoms is neutralised effectively stopping diffusion towards the interface. The results point towards new routes of controlling the composition and distribution of elements at the nanoscale within a base matrix without using any heat treatment methods. Exploring these opportunities can lead to a new horizon of materials and device engineering needed for enabling advanced technologies and applications.

Collision cascades enhanced hydrogen redistribution in cobalt implanted hydrogenated diamond-like carbon films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gupta, P. [National Isotope Centre, GNS Science, Lower Hutt (New Zealand); The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington (New Zealand); Becker, H.-W. [RUBION, Ruhr-University Bochum (Germany); Williams, G.V.M. [The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington (New Zealand); Hübner, R.; Heinig, K.-H. [Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (Germany); Markwitz, A., E-mail: a.markwitz@gns.cri.nz [National Isotope Centre, GNS Science, Lower Hutt (New Zealand); The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington (New Zealand)

2017-03-01

Highlights: • This paper reports for the first time redistribution of hydrogen atoms in diamond like carbon thin films during ion implantation of low energy magnetic ions. • The results point towards new routes of controlling the composition and distribution of elements at the nanoscale within a base matrix without using any heat treatment methods. • Exploring these opportunities can lead to a new horizon of materials and device engineering needed for enabling advanced technologies and applications. - Abstract: Hydrogenated diamond-like carbon films produced by C{sub 3}H{sub 6} deposition at 5 kV and implanted at room temperature with 30 keV Co atoms to 12 at.% show not only a bimodal distribution of Co atoms but also a massive redistribution of hydrogen in the films. Resonant nuclear reaction analysis was used to measure the hydrogen depth profiles (15N-method). Depletion of hydrogen near the surface was measured to be as low as 7 at.% followed by hydrogen accumulation from 27 to 35 at.%. A model is proposed considering the thermal energy deposited by collision cascade for thermal insulators. In this model, sufficient energy is provided for dissociated hydrogen to diffuse out of the sample from the surface and diffuse into the sample towards the interface which is however limited by the range of the incoming Co ions. At a hydrogen concentration of ∼35 at.%, the concentration gradient of the mobile unbounded hydrogen atoms is neutralised effectively stopping diffusion towards the interface. The results point towards new routes of controlling the composition and distribution of elements at the nanoscale within a base matrix without using any heat treatment methods. Exploring these opportunities can lead to a new horizon of materials and device engineering needed for enabling advanced technologies and applications.

The Destructive Birth of Massive Stars and Massive Star Clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Rosen, Anna; Krumholz, Mark; McKee, Christopher F.; Klein, Richard I.; Ramirez-Ruiz, Enrico

2017-01-01

Massive stars play an essential role in the Universe. They are rare, yet the energy and momentum they inject into the interstellar medium with their intense radiation fields dwarfs the contribution by their vastly more numerous low-mass cousins. Previous theoretical and observational studies have concluded that the feedback associated with massive stars' radiation fields is the dominant mechanism regulating massive star and massive star cluster (MSC) formation. Therefore detailed simulation of the formation of massive stars and MSCs, which host hundreds to thousands of massive stars, requires an accurate treatment of radiation. For this purpose, we have developed a new, highly accurate hybrid radiation algorithm that properly treats the absorption of the direct radiation field from stars and the re-emission and processing by interstellar dust. We use our new tool to perform a suite of three-dimensional radiation-hydrodynamic simulations of the formation of massive stars and MSCs. For individual massive stellar systems, we simulate the collapse of massive pre-stellar cores with laminar and turbulent initial conditions and properly resolve regions where we expect instabilities to grow. We find that mass is channeled to the massive stellar system via gravitational and Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instabilities. For laminar initial conditions, proper treatment of the direct radiation field produces later onset of RT instability, but does not suppress it entirely provided the edges of the radiation-dominated bubbles are adequately resolved. RT instabilities arise immediately for turbulent pre-stellar cores because the initial turbulence seeds the instabilities. To model MSC formation, we simulate the collapse of a dense, turbulent, magnetized Mcl = 106 M⊙ molecular cloud. We find that the influence of the magnetic pressure and radiative feedback slows down star formation. Furthermore, we find that star formation is suppressed along dense filaments where the magnetic field is

Noble metal behavior during melting of simulated high-level nuclear waste glass feeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, L.D.; Dennis, T.; Elliott, M.L.; Hrma, P.

1993-04-01

Noble metals and their oxides can settle in waste glass melters and cause electrical shorting. Simulated waste feeds from Hanford, Savannah River, and Germany were heat treated for 1 hour in a gradient furnace at temperatures ranging from approximately 600 degrees C--1000 degrees C and examined by electron microscopy to determine shapes, sizes, and distribution of noble metal particles as a function of temperature. Individual noble metal particles and agglomerates of rhodium (Rh), ruthenium (RuO 2 ), and palladium (Pd), as well as their alloys, were seen. the majority of particles and agglomerates were generally less than 10 microns; however, large agglomerations (up to 1 mm) were found in the German feed. Detailed particle distribution and characterization was performed for a Hanford waste to provide input to computer modeling of particle settling in the melter

Growth responses of Neurospora crassa to increased partial pressures of the noble gases and nitrogen.

Science.gov (United States)

Buchheit, R G; Schreiner, H R; Doebbler, G F

1966-02-01

Buchheit, R. G. (Union Carbide Corp., Tonawanda, N.Y.), H. R. Schreiner, and G. F. Doebbler. Growth responses of Neurospora crassa to increased partial pressures of the noble gases and nitrogen. J. Bacteriol. 91:622-627. 1966.-Growth rate of the fungus Neurospora crassa depends in part on the nature of metabolically "inert gas" present in its environment. At high partial pressures, the noble gas elements (helium, neon, argon, krypton, and xenon) inhibit growth in the order: Xe > Kr> Ar > Ne > He. Nitrogen (N(2)) closely resembles He in inhibitory effectiveness. Partial pressures required for 50% inhibition of growth were: Xe (0.8 atm), Kr (1.6 atm), Ar (3.8 atm), Ne (35 atm), and He ( approximately 300 atm). With respect to inhibition of growth, the noble gases and N(2) differ qualitatively and quantitatively from the order of effectiveness found with other biological effects, i.e., narcosis, inhibition of insect development, depression of O(2)-dependent radiation sensitivity, and effects on tissue-slice glycolysis and respiration. Partial pressures giving 50% inhibition of N. crassa growth parallel various physical properties (i.e., solubilities, solubility ratios, etc.) of the noble gases. Linear correlation of 50% inhibition pressures to the polarizability and of the logarithm of pressure to the first and second ionization potentials suggests the involvement of weak intermolecular interactions or charge-transfer in the biological activity of the noble gases.

Non-noble metal based electro-catalyst compositions for proton exchange membrane based water electrolysis and methods of making

Science.gov (United States)

Kumta, Prashant N.; Kadakia, Karan Sandeep; Datta, Moni Kanchan; Velikokhatnyi, Oleg

2017-02-07

The invention provides electro-catalyst compositions for an anode electrode of a proton exchange membrane-based water electrolysis system. The compositions include a noble metal component selected from the group consisting of iridium oxide, ruthenium oxide, rhenium oxide and mixtures thereof, and a non-noble metal component selected from the group consisting of tantalum oxide, tin oxide, niobium oxide, titanium oxide, tungsten oxide, molybdenum oxide, yttrium oxide, scandium oxide, cooper oxide, zirconium oxide, nickel oxide and mixtures thereof. Further, the non-noble metal component can include a dopant. The dopant can be at least one element selected from Groups III, V, VI and VII of the Periodic Table. The compositions can be prepared using a surfactant approach or a sol gel approach. Further, the compositions are prepared using noble metal and non-noble metal precursors. Furthermore, a thin film containing the compositions can be deposited onto a substrate to form the anode electrode.

Tracing enhanced oil recovery signatures in casing gases from the Lost Hills oil field using noble gases

Science.gov (United States)

Barry, Peter H.; Kulongoski, Justin; Landon, Matthew K.; Tyne, R.L.; Gillespie, Janice; Stephens, Michael; Hillegonds, D.J.; Byrne, D.J.; Ballentine, C.J.

2018-01-01

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and hydraulic fracturing practices are commonly used methods to improve hydrocarbon extraction efficiency; however the environmental impacts of such practices remain poorly understood. EOR is particularly prevalent in oil fields throughout California where water resources are in high demand and disposal of high volumes of produced water may affect groundwater quality. Consequently, it is essential to better understand the fate of injected (EOR) fluids in California and other subsurface petroleum systems, as well as any potential effect on nearby aquifer systems. Noble gases can be used as tracers to understand hydrocarbon generation, migration, and storage conditions, as well as the relative proportions of oil and water present in the subsurface. In addition, a noble gas signature diagnostic of injected (EOR) fluids can be readily identified. We report noble gas isotope and concentration data in casing gases from oil production wells in the Lost Hills oil field, northwest of Bakersfield, California, and injectate gas data from the Fruitvale oil field, located within the city of Bakersfield. Casing and injectate gas data are used to: 1) establish pristine hydrocarbon noble-gas signatures and the processes controlling noble gas distributions, 2) characterize the noble gas signature of injectate fluids, 3) trace injectate fluids in the subsurface, and 4) construct a model to estimate EOR efficiency. Noble gas results range from pristine to significantly modified by EOR, and can be best explained using a solubility exchange model between oil and connate/formation fluids, followed by gas exsolution upon production. This model is sensitive to oil-water interaction during hydrocarbon expulsion, migration, and storage at reservoir conditions, as well as any subsequent modification by EOR.

Hydrogen release from irradiated elastomers measured by Nuclear Reaction Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jagielski, J., E-mail: jacek.jagielski@itme.edu.pl [Institute for Electronic Materials Technology, Wolczynska 133, 01-926 Warszawa (Poland); National Centre for Nuclear Research, A. Soltana 7, 05-400 Swierk/Otwock (Poland); Ostaszewska, U. [Institute for Engineering of Polymer Materials & Dyes, Division of Elastomers & Rubber Technology, Harcerska 30, 05-820 Piastow (Poland); Bielinski, D.M. [Technical University of Lodz, Institute of Polymer & Dye Technology, Stefanowskiego 12/16, 90-924 Lodz (Poland); Grambole, D. [Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf, PO Box 51 01 19, D-01314 Dresden (Germany); Romaniec, M.; Jozwik, I.; Kozinski, R. [Institute for Electronic Materials Technology, Wolczynska 133, 01-926 Warszawa (Poland); Kosinska, A. [National Centre for Nuclear Research, A. Soltana 7, 05-400 Swierk/Otwock (Poland)

2016-03-15

Ion irradiation appears as an interesting method of modification of elastomers, especially friction and wear properties. Main structural effect caused by heavy ions is a massive loss of hydrogen from the surface layer leading to its smoothening and shrinking. The paper presents the results of hydrogen release from various elastomers upon irradiation with H{sup +}, He{sup +} and Ar{sup +} studied by using Nuclear Reaction Analysis (NRA) method. The analysis of the experimental data indicates that the hydrogen release is controlled by inelastic collisions between ions and target electrons. The last part of the study was focused on preliminary analysis of mechanical properties of irradiated rubbers.

Paleotemperatures derived from noble gases dissolved in groundwater and in relation to soil temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stute, M.; Sonntag, C.

1992-01-01

Measurements of He, Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe dissolved in groundwater at two sites (Bocholt, Germany, and the Great Hungarian Plain) were taken to prove the reliability of noble gas temperatures as indicators of paleotemperatures. Noble gas temperatures of groundwater of Holocene age were found to reflect the annual mean soil temperature in the recharge are with an accuracy close to the precision of measurement (1σ approx. ±0.5 deg. C). Noble gas temperature data demonstrate the influence of vegetation cover on the soil temperature in the infiltration area. Groundwater formed in forests at the Bocholt site shows noble gas temperatures that are 2.2 deg. C lower than the groundwater formed in fields or meadows. The temperature data obtained from groundwater of the Great Hungarian Plain for the last glaciation are ≥ 8.6 deg. C lower than data from recent groundwater for maximum glaciation (approx. 18,000 years ago) and 4.7 ± 1 deg. C lower for the preceding interstadial (approx. 28,000-35,000 years ago). These data permit independent reconstruction of paleoclimatic conditions. (author). 19 refs, 3 figs, 1 tab

Massive Gravity

OpenAIRE

de Rham, Claudia

2014-01-01

We review recent progress in massive gravity. We start by showing how different theories of massive gravity emerge from a higher-dimensional theory of general relativity, leading to the Dvali–Gabadadze–Porrati model (DGP), cascading gravity, and ghost-free massive gravity. We then explore their theoretical and phenomenological consistency, proving the absence of Boulware–Deser ghosts and reviewing the Vainshtein mechanism and the cosmological solutions in these models. Finally, we present alt...

Advancing the use of noble gases in fluid inclusions of speleothems as a palaeoclimate proxy. Method and standardization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papp, L.; Palcsu, L.; Major, Z.; Svingor, E.

2010-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. Continental carbonates are essential archives of the past geological and climatological occurrences. Recently, fluid inclusions of carbonates have got into focus of palaeoclimate research. A new approach using temperature dependent gas solubilities might be a way that uses only physical laws, e.g. the Henry's law of solubility and gas partitioning models. The so-called noble gas temperature (NGT) can be calculated from the measured noble gas concentrations. This report describes how our first advancing steps towards obtaining NGT's from fluid inclusions and tiny water amounts have been preformed. To extract the water inclusions from the carbonate matrix, the most suitable treatment is to crush the carbonate under vacuum. The water released from the inclusions is then collected in a cold finger by freezing. The amount of the liberated water is measured via its vapour pressure in a certain volume (Fig. 1). The liberated dissolved noble gases which were in the fluid inclusions are separated by a cryo system, and then admitted into the static mode noble gas mass spectrometer sequentially. The calibration of the noble gas mass spectrometric measurements is performed by means of well known air aliquots. To check the reliability of the whole measurement procedure standard water samples have to be measured. As for standard samples, first we have prepared air equilibrated water (AEW) in conditioned circumstances. We fill copper capillaries with AEW. Having completed the copper capillary assemblage, the AEW is letting flow through the capillary (Fig. 2). The error of such a water determination is less than 1% in case of 1 μl of liquid water (Fig. 1) that allows us to determine accurate noble gas concentrations. The reproducibility of 40 Ar measurements is better than 0.6 %, while those of neon, krypton and xenon isotopes are 0.6-1.6 %, 0.9-2.2 % and 0.8-2.0 %, respectively. Theoretically, these precisions for noble gas concentrations

Nanoparticles of noble metals in the supergene zone

Science.gov (United States)

Zhmodik, S. M.; Kalinin, Yu. A.; Roslyakov, N. A.; Mironov, A. G.; Mikhlin, Yu. L.; Belyanin, D. K.; Nemirovskaya, N. A.; Spiridonov, A. M.; Nesterenko, G. V.; Airiyants, E. V.; Moroz, T. N.; Bul'bak, T. A.

2012-04-01

Formation of noble metal nanoparticles is related to various geological processes in the supergene zone. Dispersed mineral phases appear during weathering of rocks with active participation of microorganisms, formation of soil, in aqueous medium and atmosphere. Invisible gold and other noble metals are incorporated into oxides, hydroxides, and sulfides, as well as in dispersed organic and inorganic carbonic matter. Sulfide minerals that occur in bedrocks and ores unaltered by exogenic processes and in cementation zone are among the main concentrators of noble metal nanoparticles. The ability of gold particles to disaggregate is well-known and creates problems in technological and analytical practice. When Au and PGE nanoparticles and clusters occur, these problems are augmented because of their unusual reactions and physicochemical properties. The studied gold, magnetite, titanomagnetite and pyrite microspherules from cementation zone and clay minerals of laterites in Republic of Guinea widen the knowledge of their abundance and inferred formation conditions, in particular, in the contemporary supergene zone. Morphology and composition of micrometer-sized Au mineral spherules were studied with SEM and laser microprobe. The newly formed segregations of secondary gold on the surface of its residual grains were also an object of investigation. The character of such overgrowths is the most indicative for nanoparticles. The newly formed Au particles provide evidence for redistribution of ultradispersed gold during weathering. There are serious prerequisites to state that microorganisms substantially control unusual nano-sized microspherical morphology of gold particles in the supergene zone. This is supported by experiments indicating active absorption of gold by microorganisms and direct evidence for participation of Ralstonia metallidurans bacteria in the formation of peculiar corroded bacteriomorphic surface of gold grains. In addition, the areas enriched in carbon

EDO, Doses to Man and Organs from Reactor Operation Noble Gas and Liquid Waste Release

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodenas Diago, Jose; Serradell Garcia, Vicente

1983-01-01

1 - Description of problem or function: EDO evaluates individual and collective doses to man from atmospheric releases of noble gases and other gaseous effluents. 2 - Method of solution: The dose calculations are carried out by following the guide- lines of USNRC Regulatory Guide 1.109. Radiation exposure for maximum individuals and population are estimated within 30 km from the nuclear plant. This area is divided into 160 circular trapezoids, to which computations are referred. Four age groups, seven organs for internal dose and two for external dose have been considered. Dose calculations are done through 14 pathways, 7 for liquid effluents, one for noble gases, and 6 for the rest of gaseous effluents. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: The following are the maximum dimension sizes preset in the code: 73 radionuclides (other than noble gases); 15 noble gases; 160 circular trapezoids; 31 chemical elements; 4 types of aquatic foods; 15 points of exposure for shorelines; 15 trapezoids influenced by each point; 4 terrestrial food pathways; 100 centres of population. Some of these limits can be varied

EDO, Doses to Man and Organs from Reactor Operation Noble Gas and Liquid Waste Release

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodenas Diago, Jose; Serradell Garcia, Vicente [Departamento de Ingenieria Nuclear, Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Politecnica, Camino de Vera 2/n Apartado 2012, Valencia (Spain)

1983-10-18

1 - Description of problem or function: EDO evaluates individual and collective doses to man from atmospheric releases of noble gases and other gaseous effluents. 2 - Method of solution: The dose calculations are carried out by following the guide- lines of USNRC Regulatory Guide 1.109. Radiation exposure for maximum individuals and population are estimated within 30 km from the nuclear plant. This area is divided into 160 circular trapezoids, to which computations are referred. Four age groups, seven organs for internal dose and two for external dose have been considered. Dose calculations are done through 14 pathways, 7 for liquid effluents, one for noble gases, and 6 for the rest of gaseous effluents. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: The following are the maximum dimension sizes preset in the code: 73 radionuclides (other than noble gases); 15 noble gases; 160 circular trapezoids; 31 chemical elements; 4 types of aquatic foods; 15 points of exposure for shorelines; 15 trapezoids influenced by each point; 4 terrestrial food pathways; 100 centres of population. Some of these limits can be varied.

The Behavior and Effects of the Noble Metals in the DWPF Melter System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, M.E.; Bickford, D.F.

1997-01-01

Governments worldwide have committed to stabilization of high-level nuclear waste (HLW) by vitrification to a durable glass form for permanent disposal. All of these nuclear wastes contain the fission-product noble metals: ruthenium, rhodium, and palladium. SRS wastes also contain natural silver from iodine scrubbers. Closely associated with the noble metals are the fission products selenium and tellurium which are chemical analogs of sulfur and which combine with noble metals to influence their behavior and properties. Experience has shown that these melt insoluble metals and their compounds tend to settle to the floor of Joule-heated ceramic melters. In fact, almost all of the major research and production facilities have experienced some operational problem which can be associated with the presence of dense accumulations of these relatively conductive metals and/or their compounds. In most cases, these deposits have led to a loss of production capability, in some cases, to the point that melter operation could not continue. HLW nuclear waste vitrification facilities in the United States are the Department of Energy's Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) at the Savannah River Site, the planned Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant (HWVP) at the Hanford Site and the operating West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) at West Valley, NY. The Integrated DWPF Melter System (IDMS) is a vitrification test facility at the Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC). It was designed and constructed to provide an engineering-scale representation of the DWPF melter and its associated feed preparation and off-gas treatment systems. An extensive noble metals testing program was begun in 1990. The objectives of this task were to explore the effects of the noble metals on the DWPF melter feed preparation and waste vitrification processes. This report focuses on the vitrification portion of the test program

Scaling and extrapolation of hydrogen distribution experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karwat, H.

1986-01-01

The containment plays an important role in predicting the residual risk to the environment under severe accident conditions. Risk analyses show that massive fission product release from the reactor fuel can occur only if during a loss of coolant the core is severely damaged and a containment failure is anticipated. Large amounts of hydrogen inevitably, are formed during the core degradation and will be released into the containment. More combustible gases are produced later when the coremelt will contact the containment concrete. Thus a potential for an early containment failure exists if a massive hydrogen deflagration cannot be excluded. A more remote cause for early containment failure may be an energetic steam explosion which requires a number of independent conditions when the molten core material contacts residual coolant water. The prediction of the containment loads caused by a hydrogen combustion is dependent on the prediction of the combustion mode. In the paper an attempt is made to identify on basis of a dimensional analysis such areas for which particular care must be exercised when scale experimental evidence is interpreted and extrapolated with the aid of a computer code or a system of computer codes. The study is restricted to fluid dynamic phenomena of the gas distribution process within the containment atmosphere. The gas sources and the mechanical response of containment structures are considered as given boundary conditions under which the containment is to be analyzed

Aroma compounds and characteristics of noble-rot wines of Chardonnay grapes artificially botrytized in the vineyard.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xing-Jie; Tao, Yong-Sheng; Wu, Yun; An, Rong-Yan; Yue, Zhuo-Ya

2017-07-01

Aroma characteristics and their impact volatile components of noble-rot wines elaborated from artificial botrytized Chardonnay grapes, obtained by spraying Botrytis cinerea suspension in Yuquan vineyard, Ningxia, China, were explored in this work. Dry white wine made from normal-harvested grapes and sweet wine produced from delay-harvested grapes were compared. Wine aromas were analysed by trained sensory panelists, and aroma compounds were determined by SPME-GC-MS. Results indicated that esters, fatty acids, thiols, lactones, volatile phenols and 2-nonanone increased markedly in noble-rot wines. In addition to typical aromas of noble-rot wines, artificial noble-rot wines were found to contain significant cream and dry apricot attributes. Partial Least-Squares Regression models of aroma characteristics against aroma components revealed that non-fermentative odorants were the primary contributor to dry apricot attribute, especially, thiols, C13-norisoprenoids, lactones, terpenols and phenolic acid derivatives, while cream attribute was dependent on both fermentative and non-fermentative volatile components. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synthesis of Hydrophilic Sulfur-Containing Adsorbents for Noble Metals Having Thiocarbonyl Group Based on a Methacrylate Bearing Dithiocarbonate Moieties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haruki Kinemuchi

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Novel hydrophilic sulfur-containing adsorbents for noble metals were prepared by the radical terpolymerization of a methacrylate bearing dithiocarbonate moieties (DTCMMA, hydrophilic monomers, and a cross-linker. The resulting adsorbents efficiently and selectively adsorbed noble metals (Au, Ag, and Pd from various multielement aqueous solutions at room temperature owing to the thiocarbonyl group having high affinity toward noble metals. The metal adsorption by the adsorbents was proceeded by simple mixing followed by filtration. The noble metal selectivity of the adsorbent obtained from DTCMMA and N-isopropylacrylamide was higher than that of the adsorbent obtained from DTCMMA and N,N-dimethylacrylamide due to the lower nonspecific adsorption.

Noble Gases in the Hamlet Meteorite (LL4)

Science.gov (United States)

Amari, S.; Sabe, Y.; Shiraishi, T.; Matsuda, J.

2014-09-01

We analyzed noble gases in a bulk sample and an HF-HCl residue of Hamlet (LL4). The Xe composition of the residue shows that no diamond is contained in the residue. The 20Ne/22Ne ratio of Hamlet Ne-Q has been determined to be 11.0 ± 0.5.

CuCo2O4 nanoplate film as a low-cost, highly active and durable catalyst towards the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane for hydrogen production

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Quanbing; Zhang, Shengjie; Liao, Jinyun; Feng, Kejun; Zheng, Yuying; Pollet, Bruno G.; Li, Hao

2017-07-01

Catalytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane is one of the most promising routes for the production of clean hydrogen as it is seen as a highly efficient and safe method. However, its large-scale industrial application is either limited by the high cost of the catalyst (usually a noble metal based catalyst) or by the low activity and poor reusability (usually a non-noble metal catalyst). In this study, we have successfully prepared three low-cost CuCo2O4 nanocatalysts, namely: (i) Ti supported CuCo2O4 film made of CuCo2O4 nanoplates, (ii) Ti supported CuCo2O4 film made of CuCo2O4 nanosheets, and (iii) unsupported CuCo2O4 nanoparticles. Among the three catalysts used for the hydrolytic dehydrogeneration of ammonia borane, the CuCo2O4 nanoplate film exhibits the highest catalytic activity with a turnover frequency (TOF) of ∼44.0 molhydrogen min-1 molcat-1. This is one of the largest TOF value for noble-metal-free catalysts ever reported in the literature. Moreover, the CuCo2O4 nanoplate film almost keeps its original catalytic activity after eight cycles, indicative of its high stability and good reusability. Owing to its advantages, the CuCo2O4 nanoplate film can be a promising catalyst for the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane, which may find important applications in the field of hydrogen energy.

TiO2 structures doped with noble metals and/or graphene oxide to improve the photocatalytic degradation of dichloroacetic acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Ribao, Paula; Rivero, Maria J; Ortiz, Inmaculada

2017-05-01

Noble metals have been used to improve the photocatalytic activity of TiO 2 . Noble metal nanoparticles prevent charge recombination, facilitating electron transport due to the equilibration of the Fermi levels. Furthermore, noble metal nanoparticles show an absorption band in the visible region due to a high localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect, which contributes to additional electron movements. Moreover, systems based on graphene, titanium dioxide, and noble metals have been used, considering that graphene sheets can carry charges, thereby reducing electron-hole recombination, and can be used as substrates of atomic thickness. In this work, TiO 2 -based nanocomposites were prepared by blending TiO 2 with noble metals (Pt and Ag) and/or graphene oxide (GO). The nanocomposites were mainly characterized via transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, and photocurrent analysis. Here, the photocatalytic performance of the composites was analyzed via oxidizing dichloroacetic acid (DCA) model solutions. The influence of the noble metal load on the composite and the ability of the graphene sheets to improve the photocatalytic activity were studied, and the composites doped with different noble metals were compared. The results indicated that the platinum structures show the best photocatalytic degradation, and, although the presence of graphene oxide in the composites is supposed to enhance their photocatalytic performance, graphene oxide does not always improve the photocatalytic process. Graphical abstract It is a schematic diagram. Where NM is Noble Metal and LSPR means Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance.

Biomimetic Synthesis of Gelatin Polypeptide-Assisted Noble-Metal Nanoparticles and Their Interaction Study

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ying; Liu, Xiaoheng; Wang, Xin

2011-12-01

Herein, the generation of gold, silver, and silver-gold (Ag-Au) bimetallic nanoparticles was carried out in collagen (gelatin) solution. It first showed that the major ingredient in gelatin polypeptide, glutamic acid, acted as reducing agent to biomimetically synthesize noble metal nanoparticles at 80°C. The size of nanoparticles can be controlled not only by the mass ratio of gelatin to gold ion but also by pH of gelatin solution. Interaction between noble-metal nanoparticles and polypeptide has been investigated by TEM, UV-visible, fluorescence spectroscopy, and HNMR. This study testified that the degradation of gelatin protein could not alter the morphology of nanoparticles, but it made nanoparticles aggregated clusters array (opposing three-dimensional α-helix folding structure) into isolated nanoparticles stabilized by gelatin residues. This is a promising merit of gelatin to apply in the synthesis of nanoparticles. Therefore, gelatin protein is an excellent template for biomimetic synthesis of noble metal/bimetallic nanoparticle growth to form nanometer-sized device.

Element distribution and noble gas isotopic abundances in lunar meteorite Allan Hills A81005

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kraehenbuehl, U.; Eugster, O.; Niedermann, S.

1986-01-01

Antarctic meteorite ALLAN HILLS A81005, an anorthositic breccia, is recognized to be of lunar origin. The noble gases in this meteorite were analyzed and found to be solar-wind implanted gases, whose absolute and relative concentrations are quite similar to those in lunar regolith samples. A sample of this meteorite was obtained for the analysis of the noble gas isotopes, including Kr(81), and for the determination of the elemental abundances. In order to better determine the volume derived from the surface correlated gases, grain size fractions were prepared. The results of the instrumental measurements of the gamma radiation are listed. From the amounts of cosmic ray produced noble gases and respective production rates, the lunar surface residence times were calculated. It was concluded that the lunar surface time is about half a billion years

Revealing evolved massive stars with Spitzer

Science.gov (United States)

Gvaramadze, V. V.; Kniazev, A. Y.; Fabrika, S.

2010-06-01

Massive evolved stars lose a large fraction of their mass via copious stellar wind or instant outbursts. During certain evolutionary phases, they can be identified by the presence of their circumstellar nebulae. In this paper, we present the results of a search for compact nebulae (reminiscent of circumstellar nebulae around evolved massive stars) using archival 24-μm data obtained with the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer. We have discovered 115 nebulae, most of which bear a striking resemblance to the circumstellar nebulae associated with luminous blue variables (LBVs) and late WN-type (WNL) Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars in the Milky Way and the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). We interpret this similarity as an indication that the central stars of detected nebulae are either LBVs or related evolved massive stars. Our interpretation is supported by follow-up spectroscopy of two dozen of these central stars, most of which turn out to be either candidate LBVs (cLBVs), blue supergiants or WNL stars. We expect that the forthcoming spectroscopy of the remaining objects from our list, accompanied by the spectrophotometric monitoring of the already discovered cLBVs, will further increase the known population of Galactic LBVs. This, in turn, will have profound consequences for better understanding the LBV phenomenon and its role in the transition between hydrogen-burning O stars and helium-burning WR stars. We also report on the detection of an arc-like structure attached to the cLBV HD 326823 and an arc associated with the LBV R99 (HD 269445) in the LMC. Partially based on observations collected at the German-Spanish Astronomical Centre, Calar Alto, jointly operated by the Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie Heidelberg and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC). E-mail: vgvaram@mx.iki.rssi.ru (VVG); akniazev@saao.ac.za (AYK); fabrika@sao.ru (SF)

Catalytic activity of mono and bimetallic Zn/Cu/MWCNTs catalysts for the thermocatalyzed conversion of methane to hydrogen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Erdelyi, B. [Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, P.J. Šafárik University, Moyzesova 11, 041 54 Košice (Slovakia); Institute of Physics, Faculty of Science, P.J. Šafárik University, Park Angelium 9, 040 01 Košice (Slovakia); Oriňak, A., E-mail: andrej.orinak@upjs.sk [Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, P.J. Šafárik University, Moyzesova 11, 041 54 Košice (Slovakia); Oriňaková, R. [Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, P.J. Šafárik University, Moyzesova 11, 041 54 Košice (Slovakia); Lorinčík, J. [Research Center Rez, Hlavní 130, 250 68 Husinec-Řež (Czech Republic); Jerigová, M. [Department of Physical Chemistry, Comenius University, Mlynská dolina 842 15 Bratislava 4 (Slovakia); Velič, D. [Department of Physical Chemistry, Comenius University, Mlynská dolina 842 15 Bratislava 4 (Slovakia); International Laser Centre, Ilkovičová 3, 841 01 Bratislava (Slovakia); Mičušík, M. [Polymer institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravská cesta 9, 84541 Bratislava (Slovakia); and others

2017-02-28

Highlights: • Zn/Cu/MWCNTs catalyst with good activity. • Methane conversion to hydrogen with high effectivity. • ZnO/Cu responsible for catalytic activity. - Abstract: Mono and bimetallic multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) fortified with Cu and Zn metal particles were studied to improve the efficiency of the thermocatalytic conversion of methane to hydrogen. The surface of the catalyst and the dispersion of the metal particles were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). It was confirmed that the metal particles were successfully dispersed on the MWCNT surface and XPS analysis showed that the Zn was oxidised to ZnO at high temperatures. The conversion of methane to hydrogen during the catalytic pyrolysis was studied by pyrolysis gas chromatography using different amounts of catalyst. The best yields of hydrogen were obtained using pyrolysis conditions of 900 °C and 1.2 mg of Zn/Cu/MWCNT catalyst for 1.5 mL of methane.The initial conversion of methane to hydrogen obtained with Zn/Cu/MWCNTs was 49%, which represent a good conversion rate of methane to hydrogen for a non-noble metal catalyst.

Plasma parameter diagnosis using hydrogen emission spectra of a quartz-chamber 2.45 GHz ECRIS at Peking University

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, WenBin; Ren, HaiTao; Peng, ShiXiang; Xu, Yuan; Wen, JiaMei; Zhang, Tao; Zhang, JingFeng; Zhang, AiLin; Sun, Jiang; Guo, ZhiYu; Chen, JiaEr

2018-04-01

A quartz-chamber 2.45 GHz electron cyclotron resonance ion source (ECRIS) was designed for diagnostic purposes at Peking University [Patent Number: ZL 201110026605.4]. This ion source can produce a maximum 84 mA hydrogen ion beam at 50 kV with a duty factor of 10%. The root-mean-square (RMS) emittance of this beam is less than 0.12π mm mrad. In our initial work, the electron temperature and electron density inside the plasma chamber had been measured with the line intensity ratio of noble gases. Based on these results, the atomic and molecular emission spectra of hydrogen were applied to determine the dissociation degree of hydrogen and the vibrational temperature of hydrogen molecules in the ground state, respectively. Measurements were performed at gas pressures from 4×10-4 to 1×10-3 Pa and at input peak RF power ranging from 1000 to 1800 W. The dissociation degree of hydrogen in the range of 0.5%-10% and the vibrational temperature of hydrogen molecules in the ground state in the range of 3500-8500 K were obtained. The plasma processes inside this ECRIS chamber were discussed based on these results.

Platinum Group Metal-free Catalysts for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction in Microbial Electrolysis Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Heyang; He, Zhen

2017-07-01

Hydrogen gas is a green energy carrier with great environmental benefits. Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) can convert low-grade organic matter to hydrogen gas with low energy consumption and have gained a growing interest in the past decade. Cathode catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) present a major challenge for the development and future applications of MECs. An ideal cathode catalyst should be catalytically active, simple to synthesize, durable in a complex environment, and cost-effective. A variety of noble-metal free catalysts have been developed and investigated for HER in MECs, including Nickel and its alloys, MoS 2 , carbon-based catalysts and biocatalysts. MECs in turn can serve as a research platform to study the durability of the HER catalysts. This personal account has reviewed, analyzed, and discussed those catalysts with an emphasis on synthesis and modification, system performance and potential for practical applications. It is expected to provide insights into the development of HER catalysts towards MEC applications. © 2017 The Chemical Society of Japan & Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

MoS2 @HKUST-1 Flower-Like Nanohybrids for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Reactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chengli; Su, Yingchun; Zhao, Xiaole; Tong, Shanshan; Han, Xiaojun

2018-01-24

A novel MoS 2 -based flower-like nanohybrid for hydrogen evolution was fabricated through coating the Cu-containing metal-organic framework (HKUST-1) onto MoS 2 nanosheets. It is the first time that MoS 2 @HKUST-1 nanohybrids have been reported for the enhanced electrochemical performance of HER. The morphologies and components of the MoS 2 @HKUST-1 flower-like nanohybrids were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Compared with pure MoS 2 , the MoS 2 @HKUST-1 hybrids exhibit enhanced performance on hydrogen evolution reaction with an onset potential of -99 mV, a smaller Tafel slope of 69 mV dec -1 , and a Faradaic efficiency of nearly 100 %. The MoS 2 @HKUST-1 flower-like nanohybrids exhibit excellent stability in acidic media. This design opens new possibilities to effectively synthesize non-noble metal catalysts with high performance for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

One parameter model potential for noble metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Idrees, M.; Khwaja, F.A.; Razmi, M.S.K.

1981-08-01

A phenomenological one parameter model potential which includes s-d hybridization and core-core exchange contributions is proposed for noble metals. A number of interesting properties like liquid metal resistivities, band gaps, thermoelectric powers and ion-ion interaction potentials are calculated for Cu, Ag and Au. The results obtained are in better agreement with experiment than the ones predicted by the other model potentials in the literature. (author)

Potential of the HTGR hydrogen cogeneration system in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishihara, Tetsuo; Mouri, Tomoaki; Kunitomi, Kazuhiko

2007-01-01

A high temperature gas cooled reactor (HTGR) is one of the next generation nuclear systems. The HTGR hydrogen cogeneration system can produce not only electricity but also hydrogen. Then it has a potential to supply massive low-cost hydrogen without greenhouse gas emission for the future hydrogen society. Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has been carried out the design study of the HTGR hydrogen cogeneration system (GTHTR300C). The thermal power of the reactor is 600 MW. The hydrogen production plant utilizes 370 MW and can supply 52,000 m 3 /h (0.4 Bm 3 /y) of hydrogen. Present industrial hydrogen production capacity in Japan is about 18 Bm 3 /y and it will decrease by 15 Bm 3 /y in 2030 due to the aging facilities. On the other hand, the hydrogen demand for fuel cell vehicle (FCV) in 2030 is estimated at 15 Bm 3 /y at a maximum. Since the hydrogen supply may be short after 2030, the additional hydrogen should be produced by clean hydrogen process to reduce greenhouse gas emission. This hydrogen shortage is a potential market for the GTHTR300C. The hydrogen production cost of GTHTR300C is estimated at 20.5 JPY/Nm 3 which has an economic competitiveness against other industrial hydrogen production processes. 38 units of the GTHTR300C can supply a half of this shortage which accounts for the 33% of hydrogen demand for FCV in 2100. According to the increase of hydrogen demand, the GTHTR300C should be constructed after 2030. (author)

Noble gas studies in vapor-growth diamonds: Comparison with shock-produced diamonds and the origin of diamonds in ureilites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsuda, Junichi; Fukunaga, Kazuya; Ito, Keisuke (Kobe Univ. (Japan))

1991-07-01

The authors synthesized vapor-trowth diamonds by two kinds of Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) using microwave (MWCVD) and hot filament (HFCVD) ionization of gases, and examined elemental abundances and isotopic compositions of the noble gases trapped in the diamonds. It is remarkable that strong differences existed in the noble gas concentrations in the two kinds of CVD diamonds: large amounts of noble gases were trapped in the MWCVD diamonds, but not in the HFCVD diamonds. The heavy noble gases (Ar to Xe) in the MWCVD diamonds were highly fractionated compared with those in the ambient atmosphere, and are in good agreement with the calculated fractionation patterns for plasma at an electron temperature of 7,000-9,000 K. These results strongly suggest that the trapping mechanism of noble gases in CVD diamonds is ion implantation during diamond growth. The degrees of fractionation of heavy noble gases were also in good agreement with those in ureilites. The vapor-growth hypothesis is discussed in comparison with the impact-shock hypothesis as a better model for the origin of diamonds in ureilites. The diamond (and graphite, amorphous carbon, too) may have been deposited on early condensates such as Re, Ir, W, etc. This model explains the chemical features of vein material in ureilites; the refractory siderophile elements are enriched in carbon and noble gases and low in normal siderophiles. The vapor-growth model is also compatible with the oxygen isotopic data of ureilites which suggests that nebular processes are primarily responsible for the composition of ureilites.

Determination of hydrogen content by neutron techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santisteban, J.R.; Granada, J.R.; Mayer, R.E.

1997-01-01

The commonly available techniques for the determination of hydrogen dissolved in solids are usually destructive from the point of view of the sample. A new, nondestructive method for this kind of measurements has been developed at our laboratory, with the requirement of improved sensitivity for massive samples. This scattering method is based on the use of epithermal neutrons, and has been implemented through the design and construction of a spectrometer dedicated to that task. In addition, the traditional transmission method has been employed to determine hydrogen content in metals, using the full sub thermal and thermal neutron energy ranges. A pulsed neutron source based on an electron LINAC is employed, together with time-of-flight techniques. In this work we will present some results illustrative of the sensitivity achieved by these neutron techniques in different systems and for a wide range of hydrogen concentrations. (author) [es

Noble Gases as tracers of fluid migration in the Haynesville shale and overlying strata

Science.gov (United States)

Byrne, D. J.; Barry, P. H.; Lawson, M.; Ballentine, C. J.

2017-12-01

Noble gases are ideal tracers of physical processes and fluid provenance in crustal systems. Due to their inert nature, they are unaffected by chemical alteration, redox, or biological phenomena that fractionate other geochemical tracers. Noble gas analysis has been used to quantify fluid provenance, interactions, and ages in petroleum systems [1,2], but the effects of hydrocarbon migration on noble gas signatures have not been directly observed. The Haynesville Shale (East Texas & Louisiana), is exploited commercially for unconventional shale gas, but also acts as the source-rock for overlying conventional reservoirs. We present noble gas isotope and abundance data in samples collected from 9 natural gas wells sourced from the Haynesville Shale, as well as 21 from reservoirs in the overlying Cotton Valley (n=7), Travis Peak (n=9), and James (n=5) groups. Using a stratigraphic model, we observe systematic changes in the noble gas signatures as the fluids migrate from the Haynesville source rock to the overlying conventional accumulations. Helium isotope ratios (3He/4He) are strongly radiogenic in the Haynesville and stratigraphically older conventional reservoirs, with the younger reservoirs showing evidence of a mantle helium input. Argon isotope ratios (40Ar/36Ar) are strongly correlated with high 3He/4He, suggesting a similar provenance for radiogenic 40Ar and mantle 3He. Concentrations of groundwater-derived 36Ar are consistently higher in the conventional reservoirs than in the Haynesville shale, reflecting the greater interaction with groundwater during migration. However, 20Ne/36Ar ratios are not significantly different, suggesting that solubility-dependent partitioning is not simply dependent on vertical or horizontal migration distance. Krypton and xenon abundances are higher than expected for groundwater in all samples, a phenomenon that has been observed in many other hydrocarbon accumulations [3]. The excess Xe/Kr ratio is highest in the Haynesville

Optical Properties and Immunoassay Applications of Noble Metal Nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, S.; Zhou, W.

2010-01-01

Noble metal, especially gold (Au) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles exhibit unique and tunable optical properties on account of their surface plasmon resonance (SPR). In this paper, we mainly discussed the theory background of the enhanced optical properties of noble metal nanoparticles. Mie theory, transfer matrix method, discrete dipole approximation (DDA) method, and finite-difference time domain (FDTD) method applied brute-force computational methods for different nanoparticles optical properties. Some important nanostructure fabrication technologies such as nanosphere lithography (NSL) and focused ion beam (FIB) are also introduced in this paper. Moreover, these fabricated nanostructures are used in the plasmonic sensing fields. The binding signal between the antibody and antigen, amyloid-derived diffusible ligands (ADDLs)-potential Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers, and staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) in nano-Moore per liter (nM) concentration level are detected by our designed nanobiosensor. They have many potential applications in the biosensor, environment protection, food security, and medicine safety for health, and so forth, fields.

Optical Properties and Immunoassay Applications of Noble Metal Nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shaoli Zhu

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Noble metal, especially gold (Au and silver (Ag nanoparticles exhibit unique and tunable optical properties on account of their surface plasmon resonance (SPR. In this paper, we mainly discussed the theory background of the enhanced optical properties of noble metal nanoparticles. Mie theory, transfer matrix method, discrete dipole approximation (DDA method, and finite-difference time domain (FDTD method applied brute-force computational methods for different nanoparticles optical properties. Some important nanostructure fabrication technologies such as nanosphere lithography (NSL and focused ion beam (FIB are also introduced in this paper. Moreover, these fabricated nanostructures are used in the plasmonic sensing fields. The binding signal between the antibody and antigen, amyloid-derived diffusible ligands (ADDLs-potential Alzheimer's disease (AD biomarkers, and staphylococcal enterotixn B (SEB in nano-Moore per liter (nM concentration level are detected by our designed nanobiosensor. They have many potential applications in the biosensor, environment protection, food security, and medicine safety for health, and so forth, fields.

TiO2 promoted by two different non-noble metal cocatalysts for enhanced photocatalytic H2 evolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Jing-Dong; Yan, Shi; Huang, Qin-Dong; Fan, Mei-Ting; Yuan, You-Zhu; Tan, Timothy Thatt-Yang; Liao, Dai-Wei

2014-01-01

TiO 2 photocatalysts modified by cobalt and nickel cocatalysts were prepared via polymerized complex method (PCM) and evaluated by photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Hydrogen generation in 6 h for the TiO 2 promoted by cobalt and nickel (0.1%Co + 0.2%Ni/TiO 2 ) is about two times (2456 μmol H 2 ) compared to that of TiO 2 promoted only by cobalt (1180 μmol H 2 for 0.1%Co/TiO 2 ) or nickel (1127 μmol H 2 for 0.2%Ni/TiO 2 ), and mechanically mixed TiO 2 promoted by cobalt and TiO 2 promoted by nickel (0.1%Co/TiO 2 :0.2%Ni/TiO 2 = 1:1 (m/m), 1282 μmol H 2 ). The high photocatalytic H 2 evolution activity over TiO 2 promoted by cobalt and nickel is ascribed to enhanced photo response due to the presence of cobalt and nickel impurity level, and effective separation of photogenerated electrons and holes due to the synergistic effect of cobalt and nickel, which serve as active sites for H 2 evolution reaction (HER) and oxidation reaction (OR) respectively. This study demonstrates a viable strategy to design more active photocatalysts for photocatalytic H 2 evolution by substituting noble metals with more abundant elements using as HER and OR cocatalysts, respectively.

Flameless atomic absorption determination of noble metals after extraction by mixture of di-2-ethylhexyldithiophosphoric acid and n-octylaniline

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yukhin, Yu.M.; Udalova, T.A.; Tsimbalist, V.G.; AN SSSR, Novosibirsk. Inst. Geologii i Geofiziki)

1985-01-01

A possibility of using the mixture of di-2-ethylhexyl dithiophosphoric acid (D2EHDTPA) and p-octylaniline (OA) (extractants of acid and basic character) for extraction atomic absorption determination of noble metals is studied. The mixture of D2EHDTPA with OA is shown to extract noble metals from hydrochloric acid solutions with distribution factors > 10 3 . An extraction atomic absorption method for determination of noble metals in copperbearing materials is suggested. The minimum determined contents of noble metals at the initial sample equal to 100 for gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rhodium and ruthenium make up (g/t) 0.0005, 0.0001, 0.015, 0.005, 0.002 and 0.015 respectively. Relative standard deviation constitutes Ssub(r)<0.2

The Influence of Irradiation Regimes on Retention Hydrogen Isotopes in Structural Materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaluzhnyi, A.

2007-01-01

Full text of publication follows: In the present work was investigated the influence of irradiation regimes on retention hydrogen isotopes in samples of austenitic steel during heating. The samples of studied materials were irradiated both in the reactor and by hydrogen isotopes ions of different energies and fluencies bombardment in an accelerator. Kinetic of hydrogen release from the samples worked with deuterium plasma was investigated. The following results were obtained. Heating the irradiate d samples of steel (irradiated in the reactor or by hydrogen isotopes ions bombardment), which have been kept in normal temperature during quite a long period after the irradiation, a shift of the diffusion peak of hydrogen release to higher temperatures, comparing to no irradiated samples, was observed. It means that atoms of hydrogen in the irradiated sample were caught by radiation defects, which are very effective as traps for hydrogen atoms till quite high temperatures (700 K). The worked out analysis of the received results supposes that vacancy complexes. On thermodesorption curves of hydrogen release from irradiated samples of austenitic steels a high temperature peak (900-1000 K) was observed because of dissociation of hydrogen containing compounds in micro pores. During investigations of hydrogen release from irradiated samples of austenitic steel, after it had been saturated with hydrogen plasma, abnormally big blisters were registered with cover thickness of about 1 mkm. Three peaks were observed on the thermodesorption curves of hydrogen release from irradiated samples, contained blisters. The low temperature spike (∼500 K) was showed to correspond to hydrogen release because of its resolution from blisters, where it was in molecular form. The high temperature peak (∼900 K) corresponds to hydrogen release from dissociating blisters, which contain hydrocarbons. The mechanism of abnormal blisters generation is offered. Inasmuch methane is not soluble in

The role of noble metals in electric melting of nuclear waste glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roth, G.; Weisenburger, S.

1990-01-01

Electrical melting of nuclear waste glass in ceramic melters applies Joule heating, with the molten glass acting as the conductive medium. The local energy release inside the melt relieves from the restriction of external heat addition, allowing to scale up the melter to industrial units. Certainly, that principle makes the melter operation susceptible for changes of the electrical properties of the glass melt. Hence, the melt properties are required to be locally uniform and constant with time. Temporary fluctuations in the feed composition, however, are usually attenuated by the high retention times being in the order of a day and more. More essential for the melter operation are segregation effects occurring systematically. This behaviour can be observed in the case of the so-called noble metal elements Ruthenium, Palladium and Rhodium, belonging to the Platinum metal group. The subject of this paper is to describe the behaviour of the noble metals in electric melting and the problems they can contribute to. The discussion is based on detailed knowledge gained from PAMELA's LEWC processing and from large-scale vitrification of commercial-like waste simulate at INE/KfK. Finally, ways are indicated to solve the noble metal problem technically

The effect of moderators on the reactions of hot hydrogen atoms with methane

CERN Document Server

Estrup, Peder J.

1960-01-01

The reaction of recoil tritium with methane has been examined in further detail. The previous hypothesis that this system involves a hot displacement reaction of high kinetic energy hydrogen to give CH$_{3}$T, CH$_{2}$T and HT is confirmed. The effect of moderator on this process is studied by the addition of noble gases. As predicted these gases inhibit the hot reaction action, their efficiency in this respect being He > Ne > A > Se. The data are quantitatively in accord with a theory of hot atom kinetics. The mechanism of the hot displacement process is briefly discussed.

Electron--noble-gas spin-flip scattering at low energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walker, T.G.; Bonin, K.; Happer, W.

1987-01-01

The spin-exchange rates and spin-relaxation rates for thermal electrons colliding with noble-gas atoms are calculated using the orthogonalized-plane-wave approximation and via partial-wave analysis. The two techniques give similar results and are in order-of-magnitude agreement with the experimental rate in Ar

Noble gas atmospheric monitoring for international safeguards at reprocessing plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakhleh, C.W.; Poths, J.; Stanbro, W.D.; Perry, R.T. Jr.; Wilson, W.B.; Fearey, B.L.

1997-01-01

The use of environmental sampling is a major component of the improvements of International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards being carried out under Program 93+2. Nonradioactive noble gas isotopic measurements in the effluent stream of large reprocessing facilities may provide useful confirmatory information on the burnup and reactor type of the spent fuel undergoing reprocessing. The authors have taken and analyzed stack samples at an operating facility. The data show clear fission signals. The authors are currently applying a maximum-likelihood estimation procedure to determine the fuel burnup from these data. They anticipate that the general features involved in the table noble gas problem--selection of appropriate signals, measurement of those signals under realistic conditions, and inverse calculation of parameters of interest from the environmental data--will be present in all environmental sampling problems. These methods should therefore be widely applicable

Modeling impurity-assisted chain creation in noble-metal break junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Di Napoli, S; Thiess, A; Blügel, S; Mokrousov, Y

2012-01-01

In this work we present the generalization of the model for chain formation in break junctions, introduced by Thiess et al (2008 Nano Lett. 8 2144), to zigzag transition-metal chains with s and p impurities. We apply this extended model to study the producibility trends for noble-metal chains with impurities, often present in break junction experiments, namely, Cu, Ag and Au chains with H, C, O and N adatoms. Providing the material-specific parameters for our model from systematic full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave first-principles calculations, we find that the presence of such impurities crucially affects the binding properties of the noble-metal chains. We reveal that both the impurity-induced bond strengthening and the formation of zigzag bonds can lead to a significantly enhanced probability for chain formation in break junctions. (paper)

Characterisation and radiolysis of modified lithium orthosilicate pebbles with noble metal impurities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tamulevičius, Sigitas; Zariņš, A.; Valtenbergs, O.

2017-01-01

Modified lithium orthosilicate (Li4SiO4) pebbles with additions of titanium dioxide (TiO2) are suggested as an alternative tritium breeding ceramic for the European solid breeder test blanket module. The noble metals – platinum (Pt), gold (Au) and rhodium (Rh), can be introduced into the modified...... Li4SiO4 pebbles during the melt-based process, due to the corrosion of Pt-Rh and Pt-Au alloy crucible components. In this study, the surface microstructure, chemical and phase composition of the modified Li4SiO4 pebbles with different contents of the noble metals was analysed. The influence...

Light-controlled relaxation of the rat penile corpus cavernosum using NOBL-1, a novel nitric oxide releaser

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuji Hotta

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose: To investigate whether relaxation of the rat penile corpus cavernosum could be controlled with NOBL-1, a novel, lightcontrollable nitric oxide (NO releaser. Materials and Methods: Fifteen-week-old male Wistar-ST rats were used. The penile corpus cavernosum was prepared and used in an isometric tension study. After noradrenaline (10−5 M achieved precontraction, the penile corpus cavernosum was irradiated by light (470–500 nm with and without NOBL-1 (10−6 M. In addition, we noted rats’ responses to light with vardenafil (10−6 M, a phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5 inhibitor. Next, responses to light in the presence of a guanylate cyclase inhibitor, ODQ (1H-[1,2,4] oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (10−5 M, were measured. All measurements were performed in pretreated L-NAME (10−4 M conditions to inhibit endogenous NO production. Results: Corpus cavernosal smooth muscle, precontracted with noradrenaline, was unchanged by light irradiation in the absence of NOBL-1. However, in the presence of NOBL-1, corpus cavernosal smooth muscle, precontracted with noradrenaline, relaxed in response to light irradiation. After blue light irradiation ceased, tension returned. In addition, the light response was obviously enhanced in the presence of a PDE-5 inhibitor. Conclusions: This study showed that rat corpus cavernosal smooth muscle relaxation can be light-controlled using NOBL-1, a novel, light sensitive NO releaser. Though further in vivo studies are needed to investigate possible usefulness, NOBL-1 may be prove to be a useful tool for erectile dysfunction therapy, specifically in the field of penile rehabilitation.

Non-noble metal fuel cell catalysts

CERN Document Server

Chen, Zhongwei; Zhang, Jiujun

2014-01-01

Written and edited by a group of top scientists and engineers in the field of fuel cell catalysts from both industry and academia, this book provides a complete overview of this hot topic. It covers the synthesis, characterization, activity validation and modeling of different non-noble metal and metalfree electrocatalysts for the reduction of oxygen, as well as their integration into acid or alkaline polymer exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells and their performance validation, while also discussing those factors that will drive fuel cell commercialization. With its well-structured app

System-of-Systems Framework for the Future Hydrogen-Based Transportation Economy: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duffy, M.; Sandor, D.

2008-06-01

From a supply chain view, this paper traces the flow of transportation fuels through required systems and addresses the current petroleum-based economy, DOE's vision for a future hydrogen-based transportation economy, and the challenges of a massive market and infrastructure transformation.

Noble gases and the early history of the Earth: Inappropriate paradigms and assumptions inhibit research and communication

Science.gov (United States)

Huss, G. R.; Alexander, E. C., Jr.

1985-01-01

The development of models as tracers of nobel gases through the Earth's evolution is discussed. A new set of paradigms embodying present knowledge was developed. Several important areas for future research are: (1) measurement of the elemental and isotopic compositions of the five noble gases in a large number of terrestrial materials, thus better defining the composition and distribution of terrestrial noble gases; (2) determinations of relative diffusive behavior, chemical behavior, and the distribution between solid and melt of noble gases under mantle conditions are urgently needed; (3) disequilibrium behavior in the nebula needs investigation, and the behavior of plasmas and possible cryotrapping on cold nebular solids are considered.

Electron shell contributions to gamma-ray spectra of positron annihilation in noble gases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Feng; Selvam, Lalitha [Centre for Molecular Simulation, Swinburne University of Technology, PO Box 218, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122 (Australia); Gribakin, Gleb F [Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Queen' s University Belfast BT7 1NN (United Kingdom); Surko, Clifford M, E-mail: fwang@swin.edu.a [Physics Department, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0319 (United States)

2010-08-28

Gamma-ray positron annihilation spectra of the noble gases are simulated using computational chemistry tools for the bound electron wavefunctions and plane-wave approximation for the low-energy positron. The present annihilation line shapes, i.e. the full width at half maximum, {Delta}{epsilon}, of the {gamma}-ray annihilation spectra for He and Ar (valence) agree well with available independent atomic calculations using a different algorithm. For other noble gases they achieve moderate agreement with the experimental measurements. It is found that the contributions of various atomic electron shells to the spectra depend significantly on their principal quantum number n and orbital angular momentum quantum number l. The present study further reveals that the outermost ns electrons of the noble gases exhibit spectral line shapes in close agreement with those measured, indicating (as expected) that the measurements are not due to a simple sum over the momentum densities for all atomic electrons. The robust nature of the present approach makes it possible for us to proceed to more complex molecular systems using the tools of modern computational chemistry.

Detectability of H2-Ar and H2-Ne Dimers in Jovian Atmospheres

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Young-Key Minn

1997-12-01

Full Text Available The detection of jovian hydrogen-hydrogen dimers through the clear telluric 2-micron window(Kim et al. 1995, Trafton et al. 1997 suggests possibility to detect noble gases in the form of dimer with hydrogen in jovian atmospheres. Since noble gases do not have spectral structures in the infrared, it has been difficult to derive their abundances in the atmospheres of jovian planets. If there is a significant component of noble gases other than helium in the jovian atmospheres. it might be detected through its dimer spectrum with hydrogen molecule. The relatively sharp spectral structures of hydrogen-argon and hydrogen-neon dimers compared with those of hydrogen-hydrogen dimers are useful for the detection, if an adequate signal-to-noise (S/N is obtained. If we use a large telescope, such as the Keck telescope, with a long exposure time (>24 hours, then H2-Ar spectral structure may be detected.

A Review on Preferential Oxidation of Carbon Monoxide in Hydrogen Rich Gases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Mishra

2011-05-01

Full Text Available In this review, recent works on the preferential oxidation of carbon monoxide in hydrogen rich gases for fuel cell applications are summarized. H2 is used as a fuel for polymer-electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC. It is produced by reforming of natural gas or liquid fuels followed by water gas shift reaction. The produced gas consists of H2, CO, and CO2. In which CO content is around 1%, which is highly poisonous for the Pt anode of the PEMFC so that further removal of CO is needed. Catalytic preferential oxidation of CO (CO-PROX is one of the most suitable methods of purification of H2 because of high CO conversion rate at low temperature range, which is preferable for PEMFC operating conditions. Catalysts used for COPROX are mainly noble metal based; gold based and base metal oxide catalysts among them Copper-Ceria based catalysts are the most appropriate due to its low cost, easy availability and result obtained by these catalysts are comparable with the conventional noble metal catalysts. Copyright © 2011 BCREC UNDIP. All rights reserved(Received: 22nd October 2010, Revised: 12nd January 2011, Accepted: 19th January 2011[How to Cite: A. Mishra, R. Prasad. (2011. A Review on Preferential Oxidation of Carbon Monoxide in Hydrogen Rich Gases. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, 6 (1: 1-14. doi:10.9767/bcrec.6.1.191.1-14][How to Link / DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.6.1.191.1-14 || or local:  http://ejournal.undip.ac.id/index.php/bcrec/article/view/191] | View in 

Hydrogen production by high-temperature gas-cooled reactor. Conceptual design of advanced process heat exchangers of the HTTR-IS hydrogen production system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakaba, Nariaki; Ohashi, Hirofumi; Sato, Hiroyuki; Hara, Teruo; Kato, Ryoma; Kunitomi, Kazuhiko

2008-01-01

Nuclear hydrogen production is necessary in an anticipated hydrogen society that demands a massive quantity of hydrogen without economic disadvantage. Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has launched the conceptual design study of a hydrogen production system with a near-term plan to connect it to Japan's first high-temperature gas-cooled reactor HTTR. The candidate hydrogen production system is based on the thermochemical water-splitting iodine sulphur (IS) process.The heat of 10 MWth at approximately 900degC, which can be provided by the secondary helium from the intermediate heat exchanger of the HTTR, is the energy input to the hydrogen production system. In this paper, we describe the recent progresses made in the conceptual design of advanced process heat exchangers of the HTTR-IS hydrogen production system. A new concept of sulphuric acid decomposer is proposed. This involves the integration of three separate functions of sulphuric acid decomposer, sulphur trioxide decomposer, and process heat exchanger. A new mixer-settler type of Bunsen reactor is also designed. This integrates three separate functions of Bunsen reactor, phase separator, and pump. The new concepts are expected to result in improved economics through construction and operation cost reductions because the number of process equipment and complicated connections between the equipment has been substantially reduced. (author)

Percutaneous coronary intervention versus coronary artery bypass grafting: where are we after NOBLE and EXCEL?

Science.gov (United States)

Fortier, Jacqueline H; Shaw, Richard E; Glineur, David; Grau, Juan B

2017-11-01

The publication of the NOBLE and EXCEL trials, with seemingly conflicting results, brought into question whether percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is better for low-risk patients with left main coronary artery stenosis (LMCAS). This review appraises the methods and results of NOBLE and EXCEL, contextualizes them within the literature, and determines how they may affect clinical practice. We appraised the trials and describe differences in methodology and results. NOBLE recruited primarily isolated LMCAS, and found that CABG was superior to PCI. EXCEL's population included patients LMCAS in the context of multivessel CAD, and found PCI and CABG were comparable. Both trials enrolled young patients with few comorbidities, and there was more protocol-mandated consistency in the procedural techniques and medical therapy of patients receiving PCI. The generalizability of these trials is limited by the use of young, healthy patients at highly skilled centres that rarely reflect typical clinical practice. If these studies are to maintain relevance, trialists must address the lack of protocolization of surgical interventions and inconsistent medical therapies. Unfortunately, the limitations of NOBLE and EXCEL mean that we are no closer to answering the question of what is the optimal treatment for patients with LMCAS.

Experimental Challenges in Studying Hydrogen Absorption in Ultrasmall Metal Nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zlotea, Claudia; Oumellal, Yassine; Provost, Karine; Ghimbeu, Camelia Matei

2016-01-01

Recent advances on synthesis, characterization, and hydrogen absorption properties of ultrasmall metal nanoparticles (defined here as objects with average size ≤3 nm) are briefly reviewed in the first part of this work. The experimental challenges encountered in performing accurate measurements of hydrogen absorption in Mg- and noble metal-based ultrasmall nanoparticles are addressed. The second part of this work reports original results obtained for ultrasmall bulk-immiscible Pd–Rh nanoparticles. Carbon-supported Pd–Rh nanoalloys in the whole binary chemical composition range have been successfully prepared by liquid impregnation method followed by reduction at 300°C. EXAFS investigations suggested that the local structure of these nanoalloys is partially segregated into Rh-rich core and Pd-rich surface coexisting within the same nanoparticles. Downsizing to ultrasmall dimensions completely suppresses the hydride formation in Pd-rich nanoalloys at ambient conditions, contrary to bulk and larger nanosized (5–6 nm) counterparts. The ultrasmall Pd 90 Rh 10 nanoalloy can absorb hydrogen-forming solid solutions under these conditions, as suggested by in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD). Apart from this composition, common laboratory techniques, such as in situ XRD, DSC, and PCI, failed to clarify the hydrogen interaction mechanism: either adsorption on developed surfaces or both adsorption and absorption with formation of solid solutions. Concluding insights were brought by in situ EXAFS experiments at synchrotron: ultrasmall Pd 75 Rh 25 and Pd 50 Rh 50 nanoalloys absorb hydrogen-forming solid solutions at ambient conditions. Moreover, the hydrogen solubility in these solid solutions is higher with increasing Pd content, and this trend can be understood in terms of hydrogen preferential occupation in the Pd-rich regions, as suggested by in situ EXAFS. The Rh-rich nanoalloys (Pd 25 Rh 75 and Pd 10 Rh 90 ) only adsorb hydrogen on the developed surface of ultrasmall

EXTERNAL PHOTOEVAPORATION OF THE SOLAR NEBULA: JUPITER's NOBLE GAS ENRICHMENTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monga, Nikhil; Desch, Steven

2015-01-01

We present a model explaining the elemental enrichments in Jupiter's atmosphere, particularly the noble gases Ar, Kr, and Xe. While He, Ne, and O are depleted, seven other elements show similar enrichments (∼3 times solar, relative to H). Being volatile, Ar is difficult to fractionate from H 2 . We argue that external photoevaporation by far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiation from nearby massive stars removed H 2 , He, and Ne from the solar nebula, but Ar and other species were retained because photoevaporation occurred at large heliocentric distances where temperatures were cold enough (≲ 30 K) to trap them in amorphous water ice. As the solar nebula lost H, it became relatively and uniformly enriched in other species. Our model improves on the similar model of Guillot and Hueso. We recognize that cold temperatures alone do not trap volatiles; continuous water vapor production is also necessary. We demonstrate that FUV fluxes that photoevaporated the disk generated sufficient water vapor in regions ≲ 30 K to trap gas-phase species in amorphous water ice in solar proportions. We find more efficient chemical fractionation in the outer disk: whereas the model of Guillot and Hueso predicts a factor of three enrichment when only <2% of the disk mass remains, we find the same enrichments when 30% of the disk mass remains. Finally, we predict the presence of ∼0.1 M ⊕ of water vapor in the outer solar nebula and protoplanetary disks in H II regions

Isotopic and noble gas geochemistry in geothermal research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kennedy, B.M.; DePaolo, D.J. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., CA (United States)

1997-12-31

The objective of this program is to provide, through isotopic analyses of fluids, fluid inclusions, and rocks and minerals coupled with improved methods for geochemical data analysis, needed information regarding sources of geothermal heat and fluids, the spatial distribution of fluid types, subsurface flow, water-rock reaction paths and rates, and the temporal evolution of geothermal systems. Isotopic studies of geothermal fluids have previously been limited to the light stable isotopes of H, C, and O. However, other isotopic systems such as the noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe) and reactive elements (e.g. B, N, S, Sr and Pb) are complementary and may even be more important in some geothermal systems. The chemistry and isotopic composition of a fluid moving through the crust will change in space and time in response to varying chemical and physical parameters or by mixing with additional fluids. The chemically inert noble gases often see through these variations, making them excellent tracers for heat and fluid sources. Whereas, the isotopic compositions of reactive elements are useful tools in characterizing water-rock interaction and modeling the movement of fluids through a geothermal reservoir.

Research on hydrogen by Gaz de France

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donat, G.; Lecoanet, A.; Roncato, J.-P.

1978-01-01

With the increasing energy needs of mankind and the earth's necessarily limited resources of fuel, the time will come when the demand for hydrocarbons will exceed the world production capacity. This situation will subsequently get even worse because of the depletion of recoverable reserves. Massive recourse to nuclear and solar energy thus appears indispensable, and the use of hydrogen as a vector for such energies has been under consideration for several years, especially in France where petroleum resources are very limited. Gaz de France has been doing research on the mass production of hydrogen by the decomposition of water and has just come to rather pessimistic conclusions as to the competitiveness of thermochemical processes in comparison with electrolytic methods. However, the electrolysis of water offers interesting prospects providing its efficiency and economics can be improved. Furthermore research on the storage and transportation of hydrogen has already enabled some conclusions to be drawn in these fields where gaseous vectors have very encouraging possibilities [fr

Nitrogen-Rich Polyacrylonitrile-Based Graphitic Carbons for Hydrogen Peroxide Sensing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brandon Pollack

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Catalytic substrate, which is devoid of expensive noble metals and enzymes for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, reduction reactions can be obtained via nitrogen doping of graphite. Here, we report a facile fabrication method for obtaining such nitrogen doped graphitized carbon using polyacrylonitrile (PAN mats and its use in H2O2 sensing. A high degree of graphitization was obtained with a mechanical treatment of the PAN fibers embedded with carbon nanotubes (CNT prior to the pyrolysis step. The electrochemical testing showed a limit of detection (LOD 0.609 µM and sensitivity of 2.54 µA cm−2 mM−1. The promising sensing performance of the developed carbon electrodes can be attributed to the presence of high content of pyridinic and graphitic nitrogens in the pyrolytic carbons, as confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The reported results suggest that, despite their simple fabrication, the hydrogen peroxide sensors developed from pyrolytic carbon nanofibers are comparable with their sophisticated nitrogen-doped graphene counterparts.

Noble gases in ten stone meteorites from Antarctica

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, H.W.; Schultz, L.

1980-01-01

The concentrations and isotopic composition of noble gases have been determined in all ten stone meteorites recovered in Antarctica during 1976-1977 by a U.S.-Japanese expedition. From a comparison of spallogenic and radiogenic gas components it is concluded that the chondrites Mt. Baldr (a) and Mt. Baldr (b) belong to the same fall but that all other stone meteorites are individual finds. (orig.)

Two-dimensional gold nanostructures with high activity for selective oxidation of carbon–hydrogen bonds

KAUST Repository

Wang, Liang

2015-04-22

Efficient synthesis of stable two-dimensional (2D) noble metal catalysts is a challenging topic. Here we report the facile synthesis of 2D gold nanosheets via a wet chemistry method, by using layered double hydroxide as the template. Detailed characterization with electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrates that the nanosheets are negatively charged and [001] oriented with thicknesses varying from single to a few atomic layers. X-ray absorption spectroscopy reveals unusually low gold–gold coordination numbers. These gold nanosheets exhibit high catalytic activity and stability in the solvent-free selective oxidation of carbon–hydrogen bonds with molecular oxygen.

Two-dimensional gold nanostructures with high activity for selective oxidation of carbon-hydrogen bonds

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Liang; Zhu, Yihan; Wang, Jian-Qiang; Liu, Fudong; Huang, Jianfeng; Meng, Xiangju; Basset, Jean-Marie; Han, Yu; Xiao, Feng-Shou

2015-04-01

Efficient synthesis of stable two-dimensional (2D) noble metal catalysts is a challenging topic. Here we report the facile synthesis of 2D gold nanosheets via a wet chemistry method, by using layered double hydroxide as the template. Detailed characterization with electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrates that the nanosheets are negatively charged and [001] oriented with thicknesses varying from single to a few atomic layers. X-ray absorption spectroscopy reveals unusually low gold-gold coordination numbers. These gold nanosheets exhibit high catalytic activity and stability in the solvent-free selective oxidation of carbon-hydrogen bonds with molecular oxygen.

Attosecond Time Delay in Photoionization of Noble-Gas and Halogen Atoms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liang-Wen Pi

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Ultrafast processes are now accessible on the attosecond time scale due to the availability of ultrashort XUV laser pulses. Noble-gas and halogen atoms remain important targets due to their giant dipole resonance and Cooper minimum. Here, we calculate photoionization cross section, asymmetry parameter and Wigner time delay using the time-dependent local-density approximation (TDLDA, which includes the electron correlation effects. Our results are consistent with experimental data and other theoretical calculations. The asymmetry parameter provides an extra layer of access to the phase information of the photoionization processes. We find that halogen atoms bear a strong resemblance on cross section, asymmetry parameter and time delay to their noble-gas neighbors. Our predicted time delay should provide a guidance for future experiments on those atoms and related molecules.

Volatile elements - water, carbon, nitrogen, noble gases - on Earth

Science.gov (United States)

Marty, B.

2017-12-01

Understanding the origin and evolution of life-bearing volatile elements (water, carbon, nitrogen) on Earth is a fruitful and debated area of research. In his pioneering work, W.W. Rubey inferred that the terrestrial atmosphere and the oceans formed from degassing of the mantle through geological periods of time. Early works on noble gas isotopes were consistent with this view and proposed a catastrophic event of mantle degassing early in Earth's history. We now have evidence, mainly from noble gas isotopes, that several cosmochemical sources contributed water and other volatiles at different stages of Earth's accretion. Potential contributors include the protosolar nebula gas that equilibrated with magma oceans, inner solar system bodies now represented by chondrites, and comets. Stable isotope ratios suggest volatiles where primarily sourced by planetary bodies from the inner solar system. However, recent measurements by the European Space Agency Rosetta probe on the coma of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko permit to set quantitative constraints on the cometary contribution to the surface of our planet. The surface and mantle reservoirs volatile elements exchanged volatile elements through time, with rates that are still uncertain. Some mantle regions remained isolated from whole mantle convection within the first tens to hundreds million years after start of solar system formation. These regions, now sampled by some mantle plumes (e.g., Iceland, Eifel) preserved their volatile load, as indicated by extinct and extant radioactivity systems. The abundance of volatile elements in the mantle is still not well known. Different approaches, such as high pressure experimental petrology, noble gas geochemistry, modelling, resulted in somewhat contrasted estimates, varying over one order of magnitude for water. Comparative planetology, that is, the study of volatiles on the Moon, Venus, Mars, Vesta, will shed light on the sources and strengths of these elements in the

A review of noble gas geochemistry in relation to early Earth history

Science.gov (United States)

Kurz, M. D.

1985-01-01

One of the most fundamental noble gas constraints on early Earth history is derived from isotopic differences in (129)Xe/(130)Xe between various terrestrial materials. The short half life (17 m.y.) of extinct (129I, parent of (129)Xe, means that these differences must have been produced within the first 100 m.y. after terrestrial accretion. The identification of large anomalies in (129)Xe/(130)Xe in mid ocean ridge basalts (MORB), with respect to atmospheric xenon, suggests that the atmosphere and upper mantle have remained separate since that time. This alone is a very strong argument for early catastrophic degassing, which would be consistent with an early fractionation resulting in core formation. However, noble gas isotopic systematics of oceanic basalts show that the mantle cannot necessarily be regarded as a homogeneous system, since there are significant variations in (3)He/(4)He, (40)Ar/(36)Ar, and (129)Xe/(130)Xe. Therefore, the early degassing cannot be considered to have acted on the whole mantle. The specific mechanisms of degassing, in particular the thickness and growth of the early crust, is an important variable in understanding present day noble gas inventories. Another constraint can be obtained from rocks that are thought to be derived from near the lithosphere asthenosphere boundary: ultramafic xenoliths.

Modification of titanium electrodes by a noble metal deposit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Devilliers, D.; Mahe, E. [Pierre et Marie Curie Univ., Paris (France). Laboratoire LI2C, UMR CNRS

2008-07-01

Titanium is commonly used as a substrate for dimensionally stable anodes (DSAs) because it is corrosion-resistant in acid media and because a passive titanium oxide (TiO2) film can be formed on the surface. This paper reported on a study in which titanium substrates were first covered by anodization with a TiO2 layer. The electrochemical properties of the Ti/TiO2 electrodes were investigated. The modification of the substrates by cathodic electrodeposition of a noble metal was described. The reactivity of the Ti/TiO2/Pt structures were illustrated by impedance spectroscopy experiments. The impedance studies performed with Ti/ TiO2 electrodes in the presence of a redox couple in solution (Fe3+/Fe2+ system in sulphuric acid) showed that the electronic transfer is very slow. It was concluded that the deposition of a noble metal coating on Ti/TiO2 substrates leads to modified titanium electrodes that exhibit electrocatalytic behaviour versus specific electrochemical reactions. 1 ref., 3 figs.

Preliminary investigation of a technique to separate fission noble metals from fission-product mixtures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mellinger, G.B.; Jensen, G.A.

1982-08-01

A variation of the gold-ore fire assay technique was examined as a method for recovering Pd, Rh and Ru from fission products. The mixture of fission product oxides is combined with glass-forming chemicals, a metal oxide such as PbO (scavenging agent), and a reducing agent such as charcoal. When this mixture is melted, a metal button is formed which extracts the noble metals. The remainder cools to form a glass for nuclear waste storage. Recovery depended only on reduction of the scavenger oxide to metal. When such reduction was achieved, no difference in noble metal recovery efficiency was found among the scavengers studied (PbO, SnO, CuO, Bi 2 O 3 , Sb 2 O 3 ). Not all reducing agents studied, however, were able to reduce all scavenger oxides to metal. Only graphite would reduce SnO and CuO and allow noble metal recovery. The scavenger oxides Sb 2 O 3 , Bi 2 O 3 , and PbO, however, were reduced by all of the reducing agents tested. Similar noble metal recovery was found with each. Lead oxide was found to be the most promising of the potential scavengers. It was reduced by all of the reducing agents tested, and its higher density may facilitate the separation. Use of lead oxide also appeared to have no deterimental effect on the glass quality. Charcoal was identified as the preferred reducing agent. As long as a separable metal phase was formed in the melt, noble metal recovery was not dependent on the amount of reducing agent and scavenger oxide. High glass viscosities inhibited separation of the molten scavenger, while low viscosities allowed volatile loss of RuO 4 . A viscosity of approx. 20 poise at the processing temperature offered a good compromise between scavenger separation and Ru recovery. Glasses in which PbO was used as the scavenging agent were homogeneous in appearance. Resistance to leaching was close to that of certain waste glasses reported in the literature. 12 figures. 7 tables

Massive Submucosal Ganglia in Colonic Inertia.

Science.gov (United States)

Naemi, Kaveh; Stamos, Michael J; Wu, Mark Li-Cheng

2018-02-01

- Colonic inertia is a debilitating form of primary chronic constipation with unknown etiology and diagnostic criteria, often requiring pancolectomy. We have occasionally observed massively enlarged submucosal ganglia containing at least 20 perikarya, in addition to previously described giant ganglia with greater than 8 perikarya, in cases of colonic inertia. These massively enlarged ganglia have yet to be formally recognized. - To determine whether such "massive submucosal ganglia," defined as ganglia harboring at least 20 perikarya, characterize colonic inertia. - We retrospectively reviewed specimens from colectomies of patients with colonic inertia and compared the prevalence of massive submucosal ganglia occurring in this setting to the prevalence of massive submucosal ganglia occurring in a set of control specimens from patients lacking chronic constipation. - Seven of 8 specimens affected by colonic inertia harbored 1 to 4 massive ganglia, for a total of 11 massive ganglia. One specimen lacked massive ganglia but had limited sampling and nearly massive ganglia. Massive ganglia occupied both superficial and deep submucosal plexus. The patient with 4 massive ganglia also had 1 mitotically active giant ganglion. Only 1 massive ganglion occupied the entire set of 10 specimens from patients lacking chronic constipation. - We performed the first, albeit distinctly small, study of massive submucosal ganglia and showed that massive ganglia may be linked to colonic inertia. Further, larger studies are necessary to determine whether massive ganglia are pathogenetic or secondary phenomena, and whether massive ganglia or mitotically active ganglia distinguish colonic inertia from other types of chronic constipation.

Noble metals in cretaceous/tertiary sediments from El Kef

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuslys, M.; Kraehenbuehl, U.

1983-01-01

Sediments from El Kef, Tunisia, were analysed by RNAA for Au, Ir and Os. All three elements show a 10-20 fold enrichment at the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary. This enrichment must be the result of the addition of material with a high concentration of noble metals. It is plausible that this exotic material has an extra-terrestrial origin. (orig.)

Noble metals in Cretaceous/Tertiary sediments from El Kef

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuslys, M.; Kraehenbuehl, U.

1983-01-01

Sediments from El Kef, Tunisia, were analysed by RNAA for Au, Ir and Os. All three elements show a 10-20 fold enrichment at the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary. This enrichment must be the result of the addition of material with a high concentration of noble metals. It is plausible that this exotic material has an extraterrestrial origin. (orig.)

Rational design of binder-free noble metal/metal oxide arrays with nanocauliflower structure for wide linear range nonenzymatic glucose detection

KAUST Repository

Li, Zhenzhen; Xin, Yanmei; Zhang, Zhonghai; Wu, Hongjun; Wang, Peng

2015-01-01

One-dimensional nanocomposites of metal-oxide and noble metal were expected to present superior performance for nonenzymatic glucose detection due to its good conductivity and high catalytic activity inherited from noble metal and metal oxide

Interaction between Nafion ionomer and noble metal catalyst for PEMFCs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Shuang Ma

The implement of polymer impregnation in electrode structure (catalyst layer) decreasing the noble metal catalyst loading by a factor of ten , , is one of the essential mile stones in the evolution of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells’ development among the application of catalyst support and e...

Not so Noble-Radon in the Environment and Associated Health ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 5; Issue 7. Radon: Not so Noble-Radon in the Environment and Associated Health Problems. Deepanjan Majumdar. General Article Volume 5 Issue 7 July 2000 pp 44-55. Fulltext. Click here to view fulltext PDF. Permanent link:

New massive gravity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bergshoeff, Eric A.; Hohm, Olaf; Townsend, Paul K.

2012-01-01

We present a brief review of New Massive Gravity, which is a unitary theory of massive gravitons in three dimensions obtained by considering a particular combination of the Einstein-Hilbert and curvature squared terms.

Mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene analysis indicates a restricted genetic background in Finnish noble crayfish (Astacus astacus stocks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Makkonen J.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The IUCN Red List indexes the noble crayfish (Astacus astacus as vulnerable, with a declining population trend. The main threats to the species are the crayfish plague caused by the oomycete Aphanomyces astaci and the introduced North American crayfish that act as the carriers of this disease. In Finland, the noble crayfish is considered as a native species, which original distribution area covers the southern part of the country, but the species distribution has been dispersed to cover almost the whole country. The aim of this study was to survey the genetic diversity among the Finnish noble crayfish populations. The mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI-gene was sequenced from 742 individuals representing 59 populations from Finland and Estonia. As a result, only a single haplotype was found. Based on these results, the genetic diversity of noble crayfish in its Northern distribution range is remarkably low. The observed lack of variation can result from several mechanisms including small size of the founder population and the intense spreading of the species by manmade stockings. The restricted diversity can also be caused by eradication of the original populations due to crayfish plague epidemics and spreading of the invasive crayfish species carrying the crayfish plague. It is also possible that all contemporary Finnish noble crayfish populations originate from stockings with no variation in respect to COI-gene.

Control of radiation fields in BWRs after noble metal chemical addition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cowan, R.L.; Wood, C.J. [EPRI, Palo Alto, CA (United States)

2002-07-01

Hydrogen water chemistry (HWC) was developed to mitigate the intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) that can occur in the welded piping and internal components of boiling water reactors (BWRs). HWC is practiced by adding hydrogen gas to the feedwater to reduce the electrochemical corrosion potential (ECP) of the component to be protected to below -0.230 V(SHE). Unfortunately, only a few BWR owners implemented HWC for internals component IGSCC protection because of the factor of 4 to 5 increase in operating dose rates that accompanies its use. Noble metal chemical addition (NMCA) was developed to address this shortcoming. NMCA is a process in which Pt and Rh chemicals are added to a shutdown Boiling Water Reactor while the reactor water temperature is maintained in the range of 120 C to 150 C for 48 hours. During that time, a target concentration of Pt and Rh is maintained in the reactor water. At the end of the 48 hour period the plant then either goes back to power or enters into a refueling outage. The end result of the NMCA process is a uniform deposit of Pt and Rh metal at very low concentrations, on the order of 0.5 to 1.0 mg/cm{sup 2}, on the reactor wetted surfaces. During subsequent operation, when a small amount of hydrogen is added to the feedwater (less than 0.4 ppm), very low ECPs will be developed on the wetted catalytic surfaces, on the order of -0.500 V(SHE), and intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) of components will be mitigated. Since NMCA with hydrogen changes the surface chemistry and not the bulk chemistry, there is little or no increase in operating dose rate. See References 1 through 5 for a more complete discussion of HWC and NMCA fundamentals. To date, 26 BWRs worldwide have applied NMCA. As operating plants have completed their first full operating cycle after NMCA application, it has become apparent that NMCA can have a significant impact on shutdown dose rates, as can be seen in Table 1. (The shut down dose rates

STABLE ISOTOPE GEOCHEMISTRY OF MASSIVE ICE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yurij K. Vasil’chuk

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper summarises stable-isotope research on massive ice in the Russian and North American Arctic, and includes the latest understanding of massive-ice formation. A new classification of massive-ice complexes is proposed, encompassing the range and variabilityof massive ice. It distinguishes two new categories of massive-ice complexes: homogeneousmassive-ice complexes have a similar structure, properties and genesis throughout, whereasheterogeneous massive-ice complexes vary spatially (in their structure and properties andgenetically within a locality and consist of two or more homogeneous massive-ice bodies.Analysis of pollen and spores in massive ice from Subarctic regions and from ice and snow cover of Arctic ice caps assists with interpretation of the origin of massive ice. Radiocarbon ages of massive ice and host sediments are considered together with isotope values of heavy oxygen and deuterium from massive ice plotted at a uniform scale in order to assist interpretation and correlation of the ice.

The preparation of primary standard solutions for each of the noble metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mallett, R.C.; Wall, G.J.; Jones, E.A.; Royal, S.J.

1977-01-01

A revised method for the preparation of primary standard solutions for each of the noble metals is described. It is now recommended that standard noble-metal solutions should be made from the pure metals and not from salts as previously described. Metals should have a certified purity of 99,95 per cent or better, and the purity should be confirmed by analysis, the techniques of emission spectography or spark-source mass spectrography being used. After the metals have been dissolved, the solutions are made up to volume and the metal content of the standard solutions is checked. For most instrumental techniques for which the standards are intended, the check analysis should be within 0,3 per cent of the certified value

Visible light active TiO2 films prepared by electron beam deposition of noble metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hou Xinggang; Ma Jun; Liu Andong; Li Dejun; Huang Meidong; Deng Xiangyun

2010-01-01

TiO 2 films prepared by sol-gel method were modified by electron beam deposition of noble metals (Pt, Pd, and Ag). Effects of noble metals on the chemical and surface characteristics of the films were studied using XPS, TEM and UV-Vis spectroscopy techniques. Photocatalytic activity of modified TiO 2 films was evaluated by studying the degradation of methyl orange dye solution under visible light UV irradiation. The result of TEM reveals that most of the surface area of TiO 2 is covered by tiny particles of noble metals with diameter less than 1 nm. Broad red shift of UV-Visible absorption band of modified photocatalysts was observed. The catalytic degradation of methyl orange in aqueous solutions under visible light illumination demonstrates a significant enhancement of photocatalytic activity of these films compared with the un-loaded films. The photocatalytic efficiency of modified TiO 2 films by this method is affected by the concentration of impregnating solution.

Resonance ionization spectroscopy: Counting noble gas atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hurst, G.S.; Payne, M.G.; Chen, C.H.; Willis, R.D.; Lehmann, B.E.; Kramer, S.D.

1981-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe new work on the counting of noble gas atoms, using lasers for the selective ionization and detectors for counting individual particles (electrons or positive ions). When positive ions are counted, various kinds of mass analyzers (magnetic, quadrupole, or time-of-flight) can be incorporated to provide A selectivity. We show that a variety of interesting and important applications can be made with atom-counting techniques which are both atomic number (Z) and mass number (A) selective. (orig./FKS)

Massive graviton geons

Science.gov (United States)

Aoki, Katsuki; Maeda, Kei-ichi; Misonoh, Yosuke; Okawa, Hirotada

2018-02-01

We find vacuum solutions such that massive gravitons are confined in a local spacetime region by their gravitational energy in asymptotically flat spacetimes in the context of the bigravity theory. We call such self-gravitating objects massive graviton geons. The basic equations can be reduced to the Schrödinger-Poisson equations with the tensor "wave function" in the Newtonian limit. We obtain a nonspherically symmetric solution with j =2 , ℓ=0 as well as a spherically symmetric solution with j =0 , ℓ=2 in this system where j is the total angular momentum quantum number and ℓ is the orbital angular momentum quantum number, respectively. The energy eigenvalue of the Schrödinger equation in the nonspherical solution is smaller than that in the spherical solution. We then study the perturbative stability of the spherical solution and find that there is an unstable mode in the quadrupole mode perturbations which may be interpreted as the transition mode to the nonspherical solution. The results suggest that the nonspherically symmetric solution is the ground state of the massive graviton geon. The massive graviton geons may decay in time due to emissions of gravitational waves but this timescale can be quite long when the massive gravitons are nonrelativistic and then the geons can be long-lived. We also argue possible prospects of the massive graviton geons: applications to the ultralight dark matter scenario, nonlinear (in)stability of the Minkowski spacetime, and a quantum transition of the spacetime.

Performance evaluation of a biodiesel fuelled transportation engine retrofitted with a non-noble metal catalysed diesel oxidation catalyst for controlling unregulated emissions.

Science.gov (United States)

Shukla, Pravesh Chandra; Gupta, Tarun; Agarwal, Avinash Kumar

2018-02-15

In present study, engine exhaust was sampled for measurement and analysis of unregulated emissions from a four cylinder transportation diesel engine using a state-of-the-art FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) emission analyzer. Test fuels used were Karanja biodiesel blend (B20) and baseline mineral diesel. Real-time emission measurements were performed for raw exhaust as well as exhaust sampled downstream of the two in-house prepared non-noble metal based diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs) and a baseline commercial DOC based on noble metals. Two prepared non-noble metal based DOCs were based on Co-Ce mixed oxide and Lanthanum based perovskite catalysts. Perovskite based DOC performed superior compared to Co-Ce mixed oxide catalyst based DOC. Commercial noble metal based DOC was found to be the most effective in reducing unregulated hydrocarbon emissions in the engine exhaust, followed by the two in-house prepared non-noble metal based DOCs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Polyallylamine-Rh nanosheet nanoassemblies-carbon nanotubes organic-inorganic nanohybrids: A electrocatalyst superior to Pt for the hydrogen evolution reaction

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Juan; Xing, Shi-Hui; Zhu, Ying-Ying; Jiang, Jia-Xing; Zeng, Jing-Hui; Chen, Yu

2018-05-01

Rationally tailoring the surface/interface structures of noble metal nanostructures emerges as a highly efficient method for improving their electrocatalytic activity, selectivity, and long-term stability. Recently, hydrogen evolution reaction is attracting more and more attention due to the energy crisis and environment pollution. Herein, we successfully synthesize polyallylamine-functionalized rhodium nanosheet nanoassemblies-carbon nanotube nanohybrids via a facile one-pot hydrothermal method. Three-dimensionally branched rhodium nanosheet nanoassemblies are consisted of two dimensionally atomically thick ultrathin rhodium nanosheets. The as-prepared polyallylamine-functionalized rhodium nanosheet nanoassemblies-carbon nanotube nanohybrids show the excellent electrocatalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction in acidic media, with a low onset reduction potential of -1 mV, a small overpotential of 5 mV at 10 mA cm-2, which is much superior to commercial platinum nanocrystals. Two dimensionally ultrathin morphology of rhodium nanosheet, particular rhodium-polyallylamine interface, and three-dimensionally networks induced by carbon nanotube are the key factors for the excellent hydrogen evolution reaction activity in acidic media.

PULSATIONS IN HYDROGEN BURNING LOW-MASS HELIUM WHITE DWARFS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steinfadt, Justin D. R.; Bildsten, Lars; Arras, Phil

2010-01-01

Helium core white dwarfs (WDs) with mass M ∼ sun undergo several Gyr of stable hydrogen burning as they evolve. We show that in a certain range of WD and hydrogen envelope masses, these WDs may exhibit g-mode pulsations similar to their passively cooling, more massive carbon/oxygen core counterparts, the ZZ Cetis. Our models with stably burning hydrogen envelopes on helium cores yield g-mode periods and period spacings longer than the canonical ZZ Cetis by nearly a factor of 2. We show that core composition and structure can be probed using seismology since the g-mode eigenfunctions predominantly reside in the helium core. Though we have not carried out a fully nonadiabatic stability analysis, the scaling of the thermal time in the convective zone with surface gravity highlights several low-mass helium WDs that should be observed in search of pulsations: NLTT 11748, SDSS J0822+2753, and the companion to PSR J1012+5307. Seismological studies of these He core WDs may prove especially fruitful, as their luminosity is related (via stable hydrogen burning) to the hydrogen envelope mass, which eliminates one model parameter.

Experiments to Measure Hydrogen Release from Graphite Walls During Disruptions in DIII-D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hollmann, E.M.; Pablant, N.A.; Rudakov, D.L.; Boedo, J.A.; Brooks, N.H.; Jernigan, Thomas C.; Pigarov, A.Y.

2009-01-01

Spectroscopy and wall the bake-out measurements are performed in the DIII-D tokamak to estimate the amount of hydrogen stored in and released from the walls during disruptions. Both naturally occurring disruptions and disruptions induced by massive gas injection (MGI) are investigated. The measurements indicate that both types of disruptions cause a net release of order 10(21) hydrogen (or deuterium) atoms from the graphite walls. This is comparable to the pre-disruptions plasma particle inventory, so the released hydrogen is important for accurate modeling of disruptions. However, the amount of hydrogen released is small compared to the total saturated wall inventory of order 10(22)-10(23), So it appears that many disruptions are necessary to provide full pump-out of the vessel walls. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Behaviour of quadrupole mass spectrometer towards noble gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasibullah

1980-01-01

This paper describes a quadrupole mass spectrometric set-up for noble gas analysis with its potential application to material accountancy at the input accountability tank of a reprocessing facility. Linear dependence of ion source pressure on the inlet pressure was considered to be practicable criterion for the functionality of the instrument. Short term and long term sensitivity variations have also been discussed. No memory effect was observed under the experimental conditions. (author)

Competition of electrolytic hydrogen as secondary energy source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lartigue G, J.

1993-01-01

The hydrogen obtained by thermal dissociation of water and natural gas has been used, in general, by chemical industry since XIX Century. On the other hand, electrolytic hydrogen has only be used in the big scale, in the oil industry and, recently, in small scale, in the fuel cells. In spite of its great advantages with respect to electricity, the easiness for storage and inexpensive transportation, its massive use has been postponed own to the risky handle and the high cost. Nevertheless, this last inconvenient is being overcome in the recent design of electrolytic cells and with the use thermoelectric methods that use nuclear heat. In this work, some factors that influence the cost of electrolytic hydrogen and the value of the efficiency of the electrolytic cell which allows to match up the cost of hydrogen with electricity, as heat source, are presented. It is shown how, when the cost of the whole heat systems are considered (starting from electricity, hydrogen or natural gas), hydrogen can compete against with electricity if is obtained in cells with 83% of efficiency, which design is already available. In exchange, if apparent costs are compared (based only in the fares) without consider the prices of the kilns and its availability factors and maintenance, the efficiency of the cell should be greater than 93%, with technology still not available. (Author)

Chemical reactivity of the compressed noble gas atoms and their ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Attempts are made to gain insights into the effect of confinement of noble gas atoms on their various reactivity indices. Systems become harder, less polarizable and difficult to excite as the compression increases. Ionization also causes similar effects. A quantum fluid density functional technique is adopted in order to study ...

The Origin of Noble Gas Isotopic Heterogeneity in Icelandic Basalts

Science.gov (United States)

Dixon, E. T.; Honda, M.; McDougall, I.

2001-01-01

Two models for generation of heterogeneous He, Ne and Ar isotopic ratios in Icelandic basalts are evaluated using a mixing model and the observed noble gas elemental ratios in Icelandic basalts,Ocean island Basalt (OIBs) and Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORBs). Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Coupled cluster calculations of mean excitation energies of the noble gas atoms He, Ne and Ar and of the H2 molecule

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sauer, Stephan P. A.; Ul Haq, Inam; Sabin, John R.

2014-01-01

by about 1%. For the two-electron systems He and H2, our CCSD results (for a Lanczos chain length equal to the full excitation space), I0 = 42:28 eV (Helium) and I0 = 19:62 eV (H2), correspond to full conguration interaction results and are therefore the exact, non-relativistic theoretical values......Using an asymmetric-Lanczos-chain algorithm for the calculation of the coupled cluster linear response functions at the CCSD and CC2 levels of approximation, we have calculated the mean excitation energies of the noble gases He, Ne and Ar, and of the hydrogen molecule H2. Convergence with respect...... for the mean excitation energy of these two systems within the Bethe theory for the chosen basis set and, in the case of H2, at the experimental equilibrium geometry....

Hydration of the Atlantis Massif: Halogen, Noble Gas and In-Situ δ18O Constraints

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, M. J.; Kendrick, M. A.; Rubatto, D.

2017-12-01

A combination of halogen (Cl, Br, I), noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe) and in situ oxygen isotope analysis have been utilized to investigate the fluid-mobile element record of hydration and alteration processes at the Atlantis Massif (30°N on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge). The sample suite investigated includes serpentinite, talc-amphibole ± chlorite schist and hydrated gabbro recovered by seafloor drilling undertaken at sites on a transect across the Atlantis Massif during IODP Expedition 357. Serpentine mesh and veins analysed in-situ by SHRIMP SI exhibit δ18O from 6‰ down to ≈0‰, suggesting serpentinization temperatures of 150 to >280°C and water/rock ratios >5. Differences of 1.5-2.5‰ are observed between adjacent generations of serpentine, but the δ18O range is similar at each investigated drilling site. Halogen and noble gas abundances in serpentinites, talc-amphibole schist and hydrated gabbro have been measured by noble gas mass spectrometry of both irradiated and non-irradiated samples. Serpentinites contain low abundances of halogens and noble gases (e.g. 70-430 ppm Cl, 4.7-12.2 x 10-14 mol/g 36Ar) relative to other seafloor serpentinites. The samples have systematically different Br/Cl and I/Cl ratios related to their mineralogy. Serpentinites retain mantle-like Br/Cl with a wide variation in I/Cl that stretches toward seawater values. Talc-amphibole schists exhibit depletion of Br and I relative to Cl with increasing Cl abundances, suggesting tremolite exerts strong control on halogen abundance ratios. Serpentinites show no evidence of interaction with halogen-rich sedimentary pore fluids. Iodine abundances are variable across serpentinites, and are decoupled from Br and Cl; iodine enrichment (up to 530 ppb) is observed within relatively oxidised and clay-bearing samples. Serpentinized harzburgites exhibit distinct depletion of Kr and Xe relative to atmospheric 36Ar in seawater. Oxygen isotope compositions and low abundances of both halogens

Noble metals-compatible melter features development Phase 1: Establishing functional and design criteria and design concepts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elmore, M.R.; Siemens, D.H.; Chapman, C.C.

1996-03-01

Premature failures have occurred in melters at Japan's Tokai Mockup Facility and at the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) PAMELA plant during processing of feeds with high levels of noble metals. Melter failure was due to the accumulation of an electrically conductive, noble metals-containing precipitates in the glass, that then resulted in short circuiting of the electrodes. A comparison was made of the anticipated Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant (HWVP) feed with the feeds processed in the FRG and Japanese melters. The evaluation showed that comparable levels of noble metals and other potential precipitate-forming components (e.g. Cr/Fe/Ni-spinels) exist in the HWVP feed. As a result, the HWVP project made a decision to modify the present reference melter design to include features to prevent the precipitation and accumulation or otherwise accommodate precipitated phases on a routine basis without loss of production capacity

Scattering of low energy noble gas ions from a metal surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luitjens, S.B.

1980-01-01

Reflection of low energy (0.1-10 keV) noble gas ions can be used to analyse a solid surface. To study charge exchange processes, the ion fractions of neon and of argon, scattered from a Cu(100) surface, have been determined. (Auth.)

Noble gas systematics of submarine alkalic lavas near the Hawaiian hotspot

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hanyu, T.; Clague, D.A.; Kaneoka, I.; Dunai, T.J.; Davies, G.R.

2005-01-01

Noble gas isotopic ratios were determined for submarine alkalic volcanic rocks distributed around the Hawaiian islands to constrain the origin of such alkalic volcanism and hence understand the details of mantle upwelling beneath Hawaii. Samples were collected by dredging or using submersibles from

Positron scattering from noble gases future prospects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jones, A C L; Caradonna, P; Makochekanwa, C; Slaughter, D S; Sullivan, J P; Buckman, S J [Centre for Antimatter-Matter Studies, Research School of Physics and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT (Australia); Mitroy, J, E-mail: acj107@rsphysse.anu.edu.a [Faculty of Education Health and Science, Charles Darwin University, NT (Australia)

2009-11-01

Recent results for positron scattering from noble gases over an energy range from 0.5 to 60eV are presented. Measurements include the grand total ({sigma}{sub GT}), Ps formation ({sigma}{sub Ps}) and Grand total - Ps formation (({sigma}{sub GT}-P{sub s}) cross sections. Some preliminary DCS results will also be presented. Work on a formulation of modified effective range theory (MERT) is being undertaken to determine the value of the scattering length which may be useful for identifying a bound state. Plans for experiments on metal atoms will be outlined.

The Induction of Noble Rot (Botrytis cinerea Infection during Postharvest Withering Changes the Metabolome of Grapevine Berries (Vitis vinifera L., cv. Garganega

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefano Negri

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The natural or induced development of noble rot caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea during the late stages of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. berry ripening is used in some traditional viticulture areas to produce high-quality wines such as Sauternes and Tokaji. In this research, we wanted to verify if by changing the environmental conditions during post-harvest withering we could induce the noble rot development on harvested berries in order to positively change the wine produced from withered Garganega berries. Therefore, we exposed the berries to postharvest withering under normal or artificially humid conditions, the latter to induce noble rot. The presence of noble rot symptoms was associated with the development of B. cinerea in the berries maintained under humid conditions. The composition of infected and non-infected berries was investigated by untargeted metabolomics using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. We also explored the effects of the two withering methods on the abundance of volatile organic compounds in wine by yeast-inoculated micro-fermentation followed by targeted gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. These experiments revealed significant metabolic differences between berries withered under normal and humid conditions, indicating that noble rot affects berry metabolism and composition. As well as well-known botrytization markers, we detected two novel lipids that have not been observed before in berries infected with noble rot. Unraveling the specific metabolic profile of berries infected with noble rot may help to determine the compounds responsible for the organoleptic quality traits of botrytized Garganega wines.

Recent advances on enzymatic glucose/oxygen and hydrogen/oxygen biofuel cells: Achievements and limitations

Science.gov (United States)

Cosnier, Serge; J. Gross, Andrew; Le Goff, Alan; Holzinger, Michael

2016-09-01

The possibility of producing electrical power from chemical energy with biological catalysts has induced the development of biofuel cells as viable energy sources for powering portable and implanted electronic devices. These power sources employ biocatalysts, called enzymes, which are highly specific and catalytic towards the oxidation of a biofuel and the reduction of oxygen or hydrogen peroxide. Enzymes, on one hand, are promising candidates to replace expensive noble metal-based catalysts in fuel cell research. On the other hand, they offer the exciting prospect of a new generation of fuel cells which harvest energy from body fluids. Biofuel cells which use glucose as a fuel are particularly interesting for generating electricity to power electronic devices inside a living body. Hydrogen consuming biofuel cells represent an emerging alternative to platinum catalysts due to comparable efficiencies and the capability to operate at lower temperatures. Currently, these technologies are not competitive with existing commercialised fuel cell devices due to limitations including insufficient power outputs and lifetimes. The advantages and challenges facing glucose biofuel cells for implantation and hydrogen biofuel cells will be summarised along with recent promising advances and the future prospects of these exotic energy-harvesting devices.

Noble gas geochemistry to monitor CO2 geological storages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lafortune, St.

2007-11-01

According to the last IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report, a probability of 90 % can be now established for the responsibility of the anthropogenic CO 2 emissions for the global climate change observed since the beginning of the 20. century. To reduce these emissions and keep producing energy from coal, oil or gas combustions, CO 2 could be stored in geological reservoirs like aquifers, coal beds, and depleted oil or gas fields. Storing CO 2 in geological formations implies to control the efficiency and to survey the integrity of the storages, in order to be able to detect the possible leaks as fast as possible. Here, we study the feasibility of a geochemical monitoring through noble gas geochemistry. We present (1) the development of a new analytical line, Garodiox, developed to extract quantitatively noble gas from water samples, (2) the testing of Garodiox on samples from a natural CO 2 storage analogue (Pavin lake, France) and (3) the results of a first field work on a natural CO 2 accumulation (Montmiral, France). The results we obtain and the conclusions we draw, highlight the interest of the geochemical monitoring we suggest. (author)

Price determination for hydrogen produced from bio-ethanol in Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gregorini, V.A.; Pasquevich, D.; Laborde, M.

2010-01-01

A massive penetration for hydrogen as a fuel vector requires a price reduction against fossil fuels (up to lower or at less equal to current prices). That is why it is important to calculate the current prices, so that we can determinate the gap between them and work in reducing them. In order to follow properly prices evolution it is necessary been able to compare data generated by Universities, Laboratories and Industries. So that, DOE creates in 2003 a tool (H2A) to determine prices for hydrogen, with some assumptions and pre defined values, to facilitate transparency and consistency of data. In this work we will use the H2A tool to calculate de price of hydrogen produced in a bio-ethanol semi-industrial Plant in Argentina, and we will compare it with the prices of USA studies. (author)

Effect of noble metal doping on the structural properties of lanthanum cobaltite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dharmadhikari, Dipti V.; Athawal, Anjali A.

2016-01-01

Pristine and Noble metal (Ag and Pd) doped lanthanum cobaltite samples have been synthesised by Hydrothermal method. Lanthanum in the A-Site and Co at B-site of Lanthanum cobaltite (LaCoO 3 ) perovskites were partially doped by silver and palladium (4%). Crystal structure analysis revealed that the hydrothermal synthesis led to the formation of pure nanocrystalline perovskite structure. Morphological analysis of the samples shows that the noble metal doping affects the morphology of the samples. Pristine sample shows spherical to oval shaped particles while the doping results in the formation of irregular shaped, spherical and rod shaped particles. Silver doping results in the agglomeration of particles. The particles were observed to be fused with each other to form rod shaped structures in case of palladium doped samples. (author)

Consistent measurements comparing the drift features of noble gas mixtures

CERN Document Server

Becker, U; Fortunato, E M; Kirchner, J; Rosera, K; Uchida, Y

1999-01-01

We present a consistent set of measurements of electron drift velocities and Lorentz deflection angles for all noble gases with methane and ethane as quenchers in magnetic fields up to 0.8 T. Empirical descriptions are also presented. Details on the World Wide Web allow for guided design and optimization of future detectors.

Evolution of massive close binaries and formation of neutron stars and black holes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Massevitch, A.G.; Tutukov, A.V.; Yungelson, L.R.

1976-01-01

Main results of computations of evolution for massive close binaries (10 M(Sun)+9.4 M(Sun), 16 M(Sun)+15 M(Sun), 32 M(Sun)+30 M(Sun), 64 M(Sun)+60 M(Sun)) up to oxygen exhaustion in the core are described. Mass exchange starting in core hydrogen, shell hydrogen and core helium burning stages was studied. Computations were performed assuming both the Ledoux and Schwarzschild stability criteria for semiconvection. The influence of UFI-neutrino emission on evolution of close binaries was investigated. The results obtained allow to outline the following evolutionary chain: two detached Main-Sequence stars - mass exchange - Wolf-Rayet star or blue supergiant plus main sequence star - explosion of the initially more massive star appearing as a supernova event - collapsed or neutron star plus Main-Sequence star, that may be observed as a 'runaway star' - mass exchange leading to X-rays emission - collapsed or neutron star plus WR-star or blue supergiant - second explosion of supernova that preferentially disrupts the system and gives birth to two single high spatial velocity pulsars. Numerical estimates concerning the number and properties of WR-stars, pulsars and X-ray sources are presented. The results are in favour of the existence of UFI-neutrino and of the Ledoux criterion for describing semiconvection. Properties of several well-known X-ray sources and the binary pulsar are discussed on base of evolutionary chain of close binaries. (Auth.)

Operating the GridPix detector in dark matter search experiments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schön, R.; Alfonsi, M.; Hemink, G.; Decowski, M.P.; van Bakel, N.; van der Graaf, H.

2013-01-01

The DARWIN (dark matter WIMP search with noble liquids) design study aims to use liquid argon and liquid xenon targets to look for nuclear recoils due to weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). To measure the recoil energy in dual-phase noble gas time projection chambers the combination of

Oxidation of ethoxylated fatty alcohols to alkylpolyglycol carboxylic acids using noble metals as catalysts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sagredos, Angelos

2009-09-01

Full Text Available The conversion of ethoxylated fatty alcohols to the corresponding carboxylic acids through dehydrogenation/ oxidation using noble-metal catalysts has been studied. Ethoxylated primary aliphatic alcohols, ethoxylated random secondary aliphatic alcohols and ethoxylated alkylphenols have been converted to the corresponding acids in the presence of a base. The noble metal catalysts Palladium and Platinum were used without significant degradation of the ethoxyl chain in yields that exceeded 90%. On the other hand, the catalysts Rhodium and Ruthenium gave yields of about 80% and 60% respectively.La conversión de alcoholes grasos etoxilados a los correspondientes ácidos carboxílicos por deshidrogenación/ oxidación con metales nobles como catalizador ha sido estudiada. Alcoholes primarios alifáticos etoxilados, alcoholes alifáticos secundarios etoxilados al azar y alquilfenoles etoxilados han sido convertidos a los correspondientes ácidos en presencia de base. Los catalizadores paladio y platino fueron usados sin degradación significativa de las cadenas etoxiladas con un rendimiento que excedió del 90%. Por otra parte catalizadores de rodio y rutenio produjeron rendimientos del 80 y 60%, respectivamente.

Spatial profiling of ion and neutral excitation in noble gas electron cyclotron resonance plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rhoades, R.L.; Gorbatkin, S.M.

1994-01-01

Optical emission from neutrals and ions of several noble gases has been profiled in an electron cyclotron resonance plasma system. In argon plasmas with a net microwave power of 750 W, the neutral (696.5-nm) and ion (488-nm) emission profiles are slightly center peaked at 0.32 mTorr and gradually shift to a hollow appearance at 2.5 mTorr. Neon profiles show a similar trend from 2.5 to 10.0 mTorr. For the noble gases, transition pressure scales with the ionization potential of the gas, which is consistent with neutral depletion. Studies of noble gas mixtures, however, indicate that neutral depletion is not always dominant in the formation of hollow profiles. For Kr/Ar, Ar/Ne, and Ne/He plasmas, the majority gas tends to set the overall shape of the profile at any given pressure. For the conditions of the current system, plasma density appears to be more dominant than electron temperature in the formation of hollow profiles. The general method described is also a straightforward, inexpensive technique for measuring the spatial distribution of power deposited in plasmas, particularly where absolute scale can be calibrated by some other means

Laser microprobe for the study of noble gases and nitrogen in single ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

R. Narasimhan (Krishtel eMaging) 1461 1996 Oct 15 13:05:22

Planetary and Geosciences Division, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad 380 009, India. ∗e-mail: murty@prl.ernet.in. A laser microprobe capable of analysing nitrogen and noble gases in .... tion properties for light radiation, with some.

Spectrochemical determination of impurities and noble metal traces in carnallite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldbart, Z.; Carmi, U.; Harrel, A.

1978-02-01

A spectrochemical method was developed for the determination of impurities and noble metal traces in carnallite by DC arc excitation. The investigated sample is brought to a standard form of potassium-magnesium sulphate mixed with graphite. Detection limits of 1-10 ppm were determined for 27 elements; the dynamical detection range is 1-400 ppm

Evolution of massive stars in very young clusters and associations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stothers, R.B.

1985-01-01

The stellar content of very young galactic clusters and associations with well-determined ages has been analyzed statistically to derive information about stellar evolution at high masses. The adopted approach is semiempirical and uses natural spectroscopic groups of stars on the H-R diagram, together with the stars' apparent magnitudes. Cluster distance moduli are not used. Only the most basic elements of stellar evolution theory are required as input. For stellar aggregates with main-sequence turnups at spectral types between O9 and B2, the following conclusions have emerged: (1) O-type main-sequence stars evolve to a spectral type of B1 during core hydrogen burning; (2) most of the O-type blue stragglers are newly formed massive stars, burning core hydrogen; (3) supergiants lying redward of the turnup, as well as most, or all, of the Wolf-Rayet stars, are burning core helium; (4) Wolf-Rayet stars originally had masses greater than 30--40 M/sub sun/, while known M-type supergiants evolved from star less massive than approx.30 M/sub sun/; (5) phases of evolution following core helium burning are unobservably rapid, presumably on account of copious neutrino emission; and (6) formation of stars of high mass continues vigorously in most young clusters and association for approx.8 x 10 6 yr. The important result concerning the evolutionary status of the supergiants depends only on the total number of these stars and not on how they are distributed between blue and red types; the result, however, may be sensitive to the assumed amount of convective core overshooting. Conclusions in the present work refer chiefly to luminous stars in the mass range 10--40 M/sub sun/, belonging to aggregates in the age range (6--25) x 10 6 yr

Photoemission studies of zinc-noble metal alloys: Zn--Cu, Zn--Ag, and Zn--Au films on Ru(001)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez, J.A.; Hrbek, J.

1993-01-01

Zn and the noble metals alloy when coadsorbed on Ru(001). The properties of Zn--Cu, Zn--Ag, and Zn--Au alloys have been studied using core- and valence-level photoemission and temperature programmed desorption. Alloy formation induces only small shifts (-0.2 to -0.3 eV) in the position of the Zn 2p, 3s, and 3d levels. In contrast, the core and valence levels of the noble metals show large shifts toward higher binding energy. For small amounts of Cu, Ag, and Au dissolved in Zn multilayers, the shifts in the core levels of the nobel metals follow the sequence: Cu(2p 3/2 ), 0.8 eV∼Ag(3d 5/2 ), 0.8 eV 7/2 ), 1.4 eV. The magnitude of the shift increases as the Pauling electronegativity of the noble metal increases. However, the sign of the shifts for the Cu(2p 3/2 ), Ag(3d 5/2 ), or Au(4f 7/2 ) levels is not directly determined by the direction of charge transfer within the corresponding Zn-noble metal bond

Visible light active TiO{sub 2} films prepared by electron beam deposition of noble metals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hou Xinggang, E-mail: hou226@163.co [Department of Physics, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387 (China); Ma Jun [Department of Physics, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387 (China); Liu Andong [Key Laboratory of Beam Technology and Material Modification of Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 (China); Li Dejun; Huang Meidong; Deng Xiangyun [Department of Physics, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387 (China)

2010-03-15

TiO{sub 2} films prepared by sol-gel method were modified by electron beam deposition of noble metals (Pt, Pd, and Ag). Effects of noble metals on the chemical and surface characteristics of the films were studied using XPS, TEM and UV-Vis spectroscopy techniques. Photocatalytic activity of modified TiO{sub 2} films was evaluated by studying the degradation of methyl orange dye solution under visible light UV irradiation. The result of TEM reveals that most of the surface area of TiO{sub 2} is covered by tiny particles of noble metals with diameter less than 1 nm. Broad red shift of UV-Visible absorption band of modified photocatalysts was observed. The catalytic degradation of methyl orange in aqueous solutions under visible light illumination demonstrates a significant enhancement of photocatalytic activity of these films compared with the un-loaded films. The photocatalytic efficiency of modified TiO{sub 2} films by this method is affected by the concentration of impregnating solution.

Noble gas solubility in silicate melts:a review of experimentation and theory, and implications regarding magma degassing processes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Paonita

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Noble gas solubility in silicate melts and glasses has gained a crucial role in Earth Sciences investigations and in the studies of non-crystalline materials on a micro to a macro-scale. Due to their special geochemical features, noble gases are in fact ideal tracers of magma degassing. Their inert nature also allows them to be used to probe the structure of silicate melts. Owing to the development of modern high pressure and temperature technologies, a large number of experimental investigations have been performed on this subject in recent times. This paper reviews the related literature, and tries to define our present state of knowledge, the problems encountered in the experimental procedures and the theoretical questions which remain unresolved. Throughout the manuscript I will also try to show how the thermodynamic and structural interpretations of the growing experimental dataset are greatly improving our understanding of the dissolution mechanisms, although there are still several points under discussion. Our improved capability of predicting noble gas solubilities in conditions closer to those found in magma has allowed scientists to develop quantitative models of magma degassing, which provide constraints on a number of questions of geological impact. Despite these recent improvements, noble gas solubility in more complex systems involving the main volatiles in magmas, is poorly known and a lot of work must be done. Expertise from other fields would be extremely valuable to upcoming research, thus focus should be placed on the structural aspects and the practical and commercial interests of the study of noble gas solubility.

Hydrogen production using the sulfur-iodine cycle coupled to a VHTR: An overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vitart, X.; Le Duigou, A.; Carles, P.

2006-01-01

The sulfur-iodine thermo-chemical cycle is considered to be one of the most promising routes for massive hydrogen production, using high temperature heat from a Generation IV VHTR. We propose here a brief overview of the main questions raised by this cycle, along with the general lines of French CEA's program

MASSIVE INFANT STARS ROCK THEIR CRADLE

Science.gov (United States)

2002-01-01

Extremely intense radiation from newly born, ultra-bright stars has blown a glowing spherical bubble in the nebula N83B, also known as NGC 1748. A new NASA Hubble Space Telescope image has helped to decipher the complex interplay of gas and radiation of a star-forming region in a nearby galaxy. The image graphically illustrates just how these massive stars sculpt their environment by generating powerful winds that alter the shape of the parent gaseous nebula. These processes are also seen in our Milky Way in regions like the Orion Nebula. The Hubble telescope is famous for its contribution to our knowledge about star formation in very distant galaxies. Although most of the stars in the Universe were born several billions of years ago, when the Universe was young, star formation still continues today. This new Hubble image shows a very compact star-forming region in a small part of one of our neighboring galaxies - the Large Magellanic Cloud. This galaxy lies only 165,000 light-years from our Milky Way and can easily be seen with the naked eye from the Southern Hemisphere. Young, massive, ultra-bright stars are seen here just as they are born and emerge from the shelter of their pre-natal molecular cloud. Catching these hefty stars at their birthplace is not as easy as it may seem. Their high mass means that the young stars evolve very rapidly and are hard to find at this critical stage. Furthermore, they spend a good fraction of their youth hidden from view, shrouded by large quantities of dust in a molecular cloud. The only chance is to observe them just as they start to emerge from their cocoon - and then only with very high-resolution telescopes. Astronomers from France, the U.S., and Germany have used Hubble to study the fascinating interplay between gas, dust, and radiation from the newly born stars in this nebula. Its peculiar and turbulent structure has been revealed for the first time. This high-resolution study has also uncovered several individual stars

A radioactive noble gas quantitative analysis of gaseous effluents from NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yanev, Y.; Georgiev, K.; Mavrodiev, V.; Kikarin, B.

1993-01-01

The radioactive isotopes of argon, krypton and xenon comprise a substantial part of the gaseous emission of a NPP. A quantitative determination of their specific activity in the controlled area and the gaseous effluents requires a special sampling technique, as well as measurement method. The zeolites and the activated charcoals have a differentiated behaviour towards radioisotopes of argon, krypton and xenon. The isotope fractionation is often a problem, especially with argon and xenon. Some additional difficulties arise due to the irreproductibility of temperature and atmospheric moisture. The present paper describes a method for a spectrometric determination of radioactive noble gases after the cryogenic sampling developed at the Radiochemical laboratory of the Sofia University. The quality control of the method, as well as some special difficulties in its performing are discussed. The estimated minimum detectable activity is 5-10 Bq/m 3 for radioactive noble gases with half-life > 1 hour and sampling time for (resp. gamma-spectrometry) 1 hour. (author)

Development of Laser-Polarized Noble Gas Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Walsworth, Ronald L.

2004-01-01

We are developing technology for laser-polarized noble gas nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), with the aim of enabling it as a novel biomedical imaging tool for ground-based and eventually space-based application. This emerging multidisciplinary technology enables high-resolution gas-space magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-e.g., of lung ventilation, perfusion, and gas-exchange. In addition, laser-polarized noble gases (3He and 1BXe) do not require a large magnetic field for sensitive NMR detection, opening the door to practical MRI with novel, open-access magnet designs at very low magnetic fields (and hence in confined spaces). We are pursuing two specific aims in this technology development program. The first aim is to develop an open-access, low-field (less than 0.01 T) instrument for MRI studies of human gas inhalation as a function of subject orientation, and the second aim is to develop functional imaging of the lung using laser-polarized He-3 and Xe-129.

Solvation theory to provide a molecular interpretation of the hydrophobic entropy loss of noble-gas hydration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Irudayam, Sheeba Jem; Henchman, Richard H

2010-01-01

An equation for the chemical potential of a dilute aqueous solution of noble gases is derived in terms of energies, force and torque magnitudes, and solute and water coordination numbers, quantities which are all measured from an equilibrium molecular dynamics simulation. Also derived are equations for the Gibbs free energy, enthalpy and entropy of hydration for the Henry's law process, the Ostwald process, and a third proposed process going from an arbitrary concentration in the gas phase to the equivalent mole fraction in aqueous solution which has simpler expressions for the enthalpy and entropy changes. Good agreement with experimental hydration free energies is obtained in the TIP4P and SPC/E water models although the solute's force field appears to affect the enthalpies and entropies obtained. In contrast to other methods, the approach gives a complete breakdown of the entropy for every degree of freedom and makes possible a direct structural interpretation of the well-known entropy loss accompanying the hydrophobic hydration of small non-polar molecules under ambient conditions. The noble-gas solutes experience only a small reduction in their vibrational entropy, with larger solutes experiencing a greater loss. The vibrational and librational entropy components of water actually increase but only marginally, negating any idea of water confinement. The term that contributes the most to the hydrophobic entropy loss is found to be water's orientational term which quantifies the number of orientational minima per water molecule and how many ways the whole hydrogen-bond network can form. These findings help resolve contradictory deductions from experiments that water structure around non-polar solutes is similar to bulk water in some ways but different in others. That the entropy loss lies in water's rotational entropy contrasts with other claims that it largely lies in water's translational entropy, but this apparent discrepancy arises because of different

Application of noble metals on line in Cofrentes NPP and operation experience; Aplicacion de metales nobles en linea en C.N. Cofrentes y experiencia de operacion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanchez Zapata, J. D.

2015-07-01

Cofrentes NPP implemented in 2010 the Noble Metal Chemistry as a mitigation technique for the Primary System materials protection against IGSCC. the paper describes briefly the technology fundamentals, the implementation of the specific project, the initial application and the operating experience along the last 3 cycles of the plant. (Author)

Massive Conformal Gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faria, F. F.

2014-01-01

We construct a massive theory of gravity that is invariant under conformal transformations. The massive action of the theory depends on the metric tensor and a scalar field, which are considered the only field variables. We find the vacuum field equations of the theory and analyze its weak-field approximation and Newtonian limit.

Noble gases, nitrogen and cosmic ray exposure age of the Sulagiri chondrite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramakant R. Mahajan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The Sulagiri meteorite fell in India on 12 September 2008, LL6 chondrite class is the largest among all the Indian meteorites. Isotopic compositions of noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe and nitrogen in the Sulagiri meteorite and cosmic ray exposure history are discussed. Low cosmogenic (22Ne/21Nec ratio is consistent with irradiation in a large body. Cosmogenic noble gases indicate that Sulagiri has a 4π cosmic-ray exposure (CRE age of 27.9 ± 3.4 Ma and is a member of the peak of CRE age distribution of LL chondrites. Radiogenic 4He and 40Ar concentrations in Sulagiri yields the radiogenic ages as 2.29 and 4.56 Ga, indicating the loss of He from the meteorite. Xenon and krypton are mixture of Q and spallogenic components.

Noble gases, nitrogen and cosmic ray exposure age of the Sulagiri chondrite

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Ramakant R. Mahajan

2017-01-01

The Sulagiri meteorite fell in India on 12 September 2008, LL6 chondrite class is the largest among all the Indian meteorites. Isotopic compositions of noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe) and nitrogen in the Sulagiri meteorite and cosmic ray exposure history are discussed. Low cosmogenic (22Ne/21Ne)c ratio is consistent with irradiation in a large body. Cosmogenic noble gases indicate that Sulagiri has a 4πcosmic-ray exposure (CRE) age of 27.9 ± 3.4 Ma and is a member of the peak of CRE age distribution of LL chondrites. Radiogenic 4He and 40Ar concentrations in Sulagiri yields the radiogenic ages as 2.29 and 4.56 Ga, indicating the loss of He from the meteorite. Xenon and krypton are mixture of Q and spallo-genic components.

The Noble Gas Fingerprint in a UK Unconventional Gas Reservoir

Science.gov (United States)

McKavney, Rory; Gilfillan, Stuart; Györe, Domokos; Stuart, Fin

2016-04-01

In the last decade, there has been an unprecedented expansion in the development of unconventional hydrocarbon resources. Concerns have arisen about the effect of this new industry on groundwater quality, particularly focussing on hydraulic fracturing, the technique used to increase the permeability of the targeted tight shale formations. Methane contamination of groundwater has been documented in areas of gas production1 but conclusively linking this to fugitive emissions from unconventional hydrocarbon production has been controversial2. A lack of baseline measurements taken before drilling, and the equivocal interpretation of geochemical data hamper the determination of possible contamination. Common techniques for "fingerprinting" gas from discrete sources rely on gas composition and isotopic ratios of elements within hydrocarbons (e.g. δ13CCH4), but the original signatures can be masked by biological and gas transport processes. The noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe) are inert and controlled only by their physical properties. They exist in trace quantities in natural gases and are sourced from 3 isotopically distinct environments (atmosphere, crust and mantle)3. They are decoupled from the biosphere, and provide a separate toolbox to investigate the numerous sources and migration pathways of natural gases, and have found recent utility in the CCS4 and unconventional gas5 industries. Here we present a brief overview of noble gas data obtained from a new coal bed methane (CBM) field, Central Scotland. We show that the high concentration of helium is an ideal fingerprint for tracing fugitive gas migration to a shallow groundwater. The wells show variation in the noble gas signatures that can be attributed to differences in formation water pumping from the coal seams as the field has been explored for future commercial development. Dewatering the seams alters the gas/water ratio and the degree to which noble gases degas from the formation water. Additionally the

Attosecond time delays in the photoionization of noble gas atoms studied in TDLDA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magrakvelidze, Maia; Chakraborty, Himadri; Madjet, Mohamed

2015-01-01

We perform time-dependent local density functional calculations of the quantum phase and time delays of valence photoionization of noble gas atoms. Results may be accessed by XUV-IR interferometric metrology. (paper)

Massive gravity from bimetric gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baccetti, Valentina; Martín-Moruno, Prado; Visser, Matt

2013-01-01

We discuss the subtle relationship between massive gravity and bimetric gravity, focusing particularly on the manner in which massive gravity may be viewed as a suitable limit of bimetric gravity. The limiting procedure is more delicate than currently appreciated. Specifically, this limiting procedure should not unnecessarily constrain the background metric, which must be externally specified by the theory of massive gravity itself. The fact that in bimetric theories one always has two sets of metric equations of motion continues to have an effect even in the massive gravity limit, leading to additional constraints besides the one set of equations of motion naively expected. Thus, since solutions of bimetric gravity in the limit of vanishing kinetic term are also solutions of massive gravity, but the contrary statement is not necessarily true, there is no complete continuity in the parameter space of the theory. In particular, we study the massive cosmological solutions which are continuous in the parameter space, showing that many interesting cosmologies belong to this class. (paper)

The failures in the noble virtus of the Calderonian wife-murderers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María José Tobar Quintanar

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract:The author of this article defends that the dramatic character of the three Calderonian wife-murderers (don Gutierre Alfonso de Solís, don Lope de Almeida and don Juan Roca doesn´t fit to the noble decorum they should have. First the study presents the virtues ideally associated with the nobility in the Golden Age. Afterwards, the detailed analysis of the behaviour of those husbands reveals some failures in their supposed design as perfect heroes: they don´t dominate their violent passions, they judge precipitately the available data and make some mistakes in the application of the honour code. In consequence, they are imperfect nobles who help in a decisive way —but unnoticed for them— to the tragedies they take the chief role in. Resumen:En este trabajo se defiende que el carácter dramático de los tres uxoricidas calderonianos (don Gutierre Alfonso de Solís, don Lope de Almeida y don Juan Roca no se ajusta en diversas ocasiones al decoro nobiliario que cabría esperar en ellos. Primeramente se establece la nómina de virtudes que se asociaba con la nobleza de manera ideal en la época áurea. Posteriormente, el análisis detallado de la conducta de esos maridos revela fallos en su supuesto diseño como héroes intachables: no dominan sus violentas pasiones, juzgan precipitadamente los datos disponibles y cometen errores en la aplicación del código del honor. Se trata, por tanto, de nobles imperfectos que contribuyen de manera decisiva -aunque inadvertida para ellos- a las tragedias que protagonizan.

Subsurface Noble Gas Sampling Manual

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carrigan, C. R. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Sun, Y. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2017-09-18

The intent of this document is to provide information about best available approaches for performing subsurface soil gas sampling during an On Site Inspection or OSI. This information is based on field sampling experiments, computer simulations and data from the NA-22 Noble Gas Signature Experiment Test Bed at the Nevada Nuclear Security Site (NNSS). The approaches should optimize the gas concentration from the subsurface cavity or chimney regime while simultaneously minimizing the potential for atmospheric radioxenon and near-surface Argon-37 contamination. Where possible, we quantitatively assess differences in sampling practices for the same sets of environmental conditions. We recognize that all sampling scenarios cannot be addressed. However, if this document helps to inform the intuition of the reader about addressing the challenges resulting from the inevitable deviations from the scenario assumed here, it will have achieved its goal.

Escape and fractionation of volatiles and noble gases: from Mars-sized planetary embryos to growing protoplanets

Science.gov (United States)

Odert, Petra; Lammer, Helmut; Erkaev, Nikolai V.; Nikolaou, Athanasia; Lichtenegger, Herbert I. M.; Johnstone, Colin P.; Kislyakova, Kristina G.; Leitzinger, Martin; Tosi, Nicola

2017-04-01

Planetary embryos form larger planetary objects via collisions. Such Moon- to Mars-sized bodies can have magma oceans. During the solidification of their magma oceans planetary embryos may therefore degas significant amounts of their volatiles, forming H2O/CO2 dominated steam atmospheres. Such atmospheres may escape efficiently due to the low gravity of these objects and the high EUV emission of the young host star. Planets forming from such building blocks could therefore be drier than expected. We model the energy-limited outflow of hydrogen which is able to drag along heavier species such as O and CO2. We take into account different stellar EUV evolution tracks to investigate the loss of steam atmospheres from Mars-sized planetary embryos at different orbital distances. We find that the estimated envelopes are typically lost within a few to a few tens of Myr. Moreover, we address the influence on protoplanet evolution using Venus as an example. We investigate different early evolution scenarios and constrain realistic cases by comparing modeled noble gas isotope ratios with presently observed ones. We are able to reproduce current ratios by assuming either a pure steam atmosphere or a mixture with accreted hydrogen from the protoplanetary nebula. Despite being able to find solutions for different parameter combinations, our results favor a low-activity Sun with possibly a small amount of residual H from the protoplanetary nebula. In other cases too much CO2 is lost during evolution, which is inconsistent with Venus' present atmosphere. A critical issue is likely the time at which the initial steam atmosphere is outgassed.

Characterisation of an ion source on the Helix MC Plus noble gas mass spectrometer - pressure dependent mass discrimination

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, X.

2017-12-01

Characterisation of an ion source on the Helix MC Plusnoble gas mass spectrometer - pressure dependent mass discrimination Xiaodong Zhang* dong.zhang@anu.edu.au Masahiko Honda Masahiko.honda@anu.edu.au Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia To obtain reliable measurements of noble gas elemental and isotopic abundances in a geological sample it is essential that the mass discrimination (instrument-induced isotope fractionation) of the mass spectrometer remain constant over the working range of noble gas partial pressures. It is known, however, that there are pressure-dependent variations in sensitivity and mass discrimination in conventional noble gas mass spectrometers [1, 2, 3]. In this study, we discuss a practical approach to ensuring that the pressure effect in the Helix MC Plus high resolution, multi-collector noble gas mass spectrometer is minimised. The isotopic composition of atmospheric Ar was measured under a range of operating conditions to test the effects of different parameters on Ar mass discrimination. It was found that the optimised ion source conditions for pressure independent mass discrimination for Ar were different from those for maximised Ar sensitivity. The optimisation can be achieved by mainly adjusting the repeller voltage. It is likely that different ion source settings will be required to minimise pressure-dependent mass discrimination for different noble gases. A recommended procedure for tuning an ion source to reduce pressure dependent mass discrimination will be presented. References: Honda M., et al., Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 57, 859 -874, 1993. Burnard P. G., and Farley K. A., Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems, Volume 1, 2000GC00038, 2000. Mabry J., et al., Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, 27, 1012 - 1017, 2012.

Origin and Evolution of Reactive and Noble Gases Dissolved in Matrix Pore Water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eichinger, F. [Hydroisotop GmbH, Schweitenkirchen (Germany); Rock-Water Interaction, Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Bern (Switzerland); Waber, H. N. [Rock-Water Interaction, Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Bern (Switzerland); Smellie, J. A.T. [Conterra AB, Stockholm (Sweden)

2013-07-15

Reactive and noble gases dissolved in matrix pore water of low permeable crystalline bedrock were successfully extracted and characterized for the first time based on drillcore samples from the Olkiluoto investigation site (SW Finland). Interaction between matrix pore water and fracture groundwater occurs predominately by diffusion. Changes in the chemical and isotopic composition of gases dissolved in fracture groundwater are transmitted and preserved in the pore water. Absolute concentrations, their ratios and the stable carbon isotope signature of hydrocarbon gases dissolved in pore water give valuable indications about the evolution of these gases in the nearby flowing fracture groundwaters. Inert noble gases dissolved in matrix pore water and their isotopes combined with their in situ production and accumulation rates deliver information about the residence time of pore water. (author)

Removing radioactive noble gases from nuclear process off-gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lofredo, A.

1977-01-01

A system is claimed for separating, concentrating and storing radioactive krypton and xenon in the off-gases from a boiling water reactor, wherein adsorption and cryogenic distillation are both efficiently used for rapid and positive separation and removal of the radioactive noble gases, and for limiting such gases in circulation in the system to low inventory at all times, and wherein the system is self-regulating to eliminate operator options or attention

Efficient Electron Transfer across a ZnO-MoS2 -Reduced Graphene Oxide Heterojunction for Enhanced Sunlight-Driven Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Suneel; Reddy, Nagappagari Lakshmana; Kushwaha, Himmat Singh; Kumar, Ashish; Shankar, Muthukonda Venkatakrishnan; Bhattacharyya, Kaustava; Halder, Aditi; Krishnan, Venkata

2017-09-22

The development of noble metal-free catalysts for hydrogen evolution is required for energy applications. In this regard, ternary heterojunction nanocomposites consisting of ZnO nanoparticles anchored on MoS 2 -RGO (RGO=reduced graphene oxide) nanosheets as heterogeneous catalysts show highly efficient photocatalytic H 2 evolution. In the photocatalytic process, the catalyst dispersed in an electrolytic solution (S 2- and SO 3 2- ions) exhibits an enhanced rate of H 2 evolution, and optimization experiments reveal that ZnO with 4.0 wt % of MoS 2 -RGO nanosheets gives the highest photocatalytic H 2 production of 28.616 mmol h -1  g cat -1 under sunlight irradiation; approximately 56 times higher than that on bare ZnO and several times higher than those of other ternary photocatalysts. The superior catalytic activity can be attributed to the in situ generation of ZnS, which leads to improved interfacial charge transfer to the MoS 2 cocatalyst and RGO, which has plenty of active sites available for photocatalytic reactions. Recycling experiments also proved the stability of the optimized photocatalyst. In addition, the ternary nanocomposite displayed multifunctional properties for hydrogen evolution activity under electrocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic conditions owing to the high electrode-electrolyte contact area. Thus, the present work provides very useful insights for the development of inexpensive, multifunctional catalysts without noble metal loading to achieve a high rate of H 2 generation. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Supernova SN1961v - an explosion of a very massive star

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Utrobin, V.P.

1983-01-01

An investigation of the outburst of the unique supernova SN1961v in the galaxy NGC 1058 is carried out. An analysis of hydrodynamical models of supernoVa outbursts and a comparison with a considerable body of observational data on SN1961v clearly show that the SN1961v phenomenon is an explosion of a very massive star-with the mass of 2000 M and radiUs of about 100 R that results in expelling the envelope with the kinetic energy of 1.8x10 52 erg. The light curve of SN1961v furnishes direct evidence for a heterogeneity of the presupernova interior. The chemical composition produced during the evolution of the very massive star and in the final eXplosion must have a number of the essential features. In particular, hydrogen has to be underabundant relative to the solar content and distributed in the specific manner through the star. At late stages from February 1963 to February 1967, the light curve of SN1961v may be accoUnted for as interaction of the expelled envelope with the stellar wind of presupernova

Superaerophobic Ultrathin Ni-Mo Alloy Nanosheet Array from In Situ Topotactic Reduction for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qian; Li, Pengsong; Zhou, Daojin; Chang, Zheng; Kuang, Yun; Sun, Xiaoming

2017-11-01

Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) has prospect to becoming clean and renewable technology for hydrogen production and Ni-Mo alloy is among the best HER catalysts in alkaline electrolytes. Here, an in situ topotactic reduction method to synthesize ultrathin 2D Ni-Mo alloy nanosheets for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution is reported. Due to its ultrathin structure and tailored composition, the as-synthesized Ni-Mo alloy shows an overpotential of 35 mV to reach a current density of 10 mA cm -2 , along with a Tafel slope of 45 mV decade -1 , demonstrating a comparable intrinsic activity to state-of-art commercial Pt/C catalyst. Besides, the vertically aligned assemble structure of the 2D NiMo nanosheets on conductive substrate makes the electrode "superaerophobic," thus leading to much faster bubble releasing during HER process and therefore shows faster mass transfer behavior at high current density as compared with drop drying Pt/C catalyst on the same substrate. Such in situ topotactic conversion finds a way to design and fabricate low-cost, earth-abundant non-noble metal based ultrathin 2D nanostructures for electrocatalytic issues. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Vaidya spacetime in massive gravity's rainbow

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yaghoub Heydarzade

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we will analyze the energy dependent deformation of massive gravity using the formalism of massive gravity's rainbow. So, we will use the Vainshtein mechanism and the dRGT mechanism for the energy dependent massive gravity, and thus analyze a ghost free theory of massive gravity's rainbow. We study the energy dependence of a time-dependent geometry, by analyzing the radiating Vaidya solution in this theory of massive gravity's rainbow. The energy dependent deformation of this Vaidya metric will be performed using suitable rainbow functions.

The Noble-Abel Stiffened-Gas equation of state

Science.gov (United States)

Le Métayer, Olivier; Saurel, Richard

2016-04-01

Hyperbolic two-phase flow models have shown excellent ability for the resolution of a wide range of applications ranging from interfacial flows to fluid mixtures with several velocities. These models account for waves propagation (acoustic and convective) and consist in hyperbolic systems of partial differential equations. In this context, each phase is compressible and needs an appropriate convex equation of state (EOS). The EOS must be simple enough for intensive computations as well as boundary conditions treatment. It must also be accurate, this being challenging with respect to simplicity. In the present approach, each fluid is governed by a novel EOS named "Noble Abel stiffened gas," this formulation being a significant improvement of the popular "Stiffened Gas (SG)" EOS. It is a combination of the so-called "Noble-Abel" and "stiffened gas" equations of state that adds repulsive effects to the SG formulation. The determination of the various thermodynamic functions and associated coefficients is the aim of this article. We first use thermodynamic considerations to determine the different state functions such as the specific internal energy, enthalpy, and entropy. Then we propose to determine the associated coefficients for a liquid in the presence of its vapor. The EOS parameters are determined from experimental saturation curves. Some examples of liquid-vapor fluids are examined and associated parameters are computed with the help of the present method. Comparisons between analytical and experimental saturation curves show very good agreement for wide ranges of temperature for both liquid and vapor.

Noble gas, binary mixtures for commercial gas-cooled reactor systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Genk, M. S.; Tournier, J. M.

2007-01-01

Commercial gas cooled reactors employ helium as a coolant and working fluid for the Closed Brayton Cycle (CBC) turbo-machines. Helium has the highest thermal conductivity and lowest dynamic viscosity of all noble gases. This paper compares the relative performance of pure helium to binary mixtures of helium and other noble gases of higher molecular weights. The comparison is for the same molecular flow rate, and same operating temperatures and geometry. Results show that although helium is a good working fluid because of its high heat transfer coefficient and significantly lower pumping requirement, a binary gas mixture of He-Xe with M = 15 gm/mole has a heat transfer coefficient that is ∼7% higher than that of helium and requires only 25% of the number stages of the turbo-machines. The binary mixture, however, requires 3.5 times the pumping requirement with helium. The second best working fluid is He-Kr binary mixture with M = 10 gm/mole. It has 4% higher heat transfer coefficient than He and requires 30% of the number of stages in the turbo-machines, but requires twice the pumping power

Noble gas binary mixtures for gas-cooled reactor power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Genk, Mohamed S.; Tournier, Jean-Michel

2008-01-01

This paper examines the effects of using noble gases and binary mixtures as reactor coolants and direct closed Brayton cycle (CBC) working fluids on the performance of terrestrial nuclear power plants and the size of the turbo-machines. While pure helium has the best transport properties and lowest pumping power requirement of all noble gases and binary mixtures, its low molecular weight increases the number of stages of the turbo-machines. The heat transfer coefficient for a He-Xe binary mixture having a molecular weight of 15 g/mole is 7% higher than that of helium, and the number of stages in the turbo-machines is 24-30% of those for He working fluid. However, for the same piping and heat exchange components design, the loop pressure losses with He-Xe are ∼3 times those with He. Consequently, for the same reactor exit temperature and pressure losses in piping and heat exchange components, the higher pressure losses in the nuclear reactor decrease the net peak efficiency of the plant with He-Xe working fluid (15 g/mole) by a little more than ∼2% points, at higher cycle compression ratio than with He working fluid

Environmental and Health Benefits and Risks of a Global Hydrogen Economy

Science.gov (United States)

Dubey, M.; Horowitz, L. W.; Rahn, T. A.; Kinnison, D. E.

2003-12-01

Rapid development in hydrogen fuel-cell technologies will create a strong impetus for a massive hydrogen supply and distribution infrastructure in the coming decades. Hydrogen provides an efficient energy carrier that promises to enhance urban and regional air quality that will benefit human health. It could also reduce risks of climate change if large-scale hydrogen production by renewable or nuclear energy sources becomes viable. While it is well known that the byproduct of energy produced from hydrogen is water vapor, it is not well known that the storage and transfer of hydrogen is inevitably accompanied by measurable leakage of hydrogen. Unintended consequences of hydrogen leakage include reduction in global oxidative capacity, changes in tropospheric ozone, and increase in stratospheric water that would exacerbate halogen induced ozone losses as well as impact the earth's radiation budget and climate. Stratospheric ozone depletion would increase exposure to harmful ultraviolet radiation and increased risk to melanoma. We construct plausible global hydrogen energy use and leak scenarios and assess their impacts using global 3-D simulations by the Model for Ozone And Related Trace species (MOZART). The hydrogen fluxes and photochemistry in our model successfully reproduce the contemporary hydrogen cycle as observed by a network of remote global stations. Our intent is to determine environmentally tolerable leak rates and also facilitate a gradual phasing in of a hydrogen economy over the next several decades as the elimination of the use of halocarbons gradually reduces halogen induced stratospheric ozone loss rates. We stress that the future evolution of microbial soil sink of hydrogen that determines its current lifetime (about 2 years) is the principal source of uncertainty in our assessment. We propose global monitoring of hydrogen and its deuterium content to define a baseline and track its budget to responsibly prepare for a global hydrogen economy.

MassiveNuS: cosmological massive neutrino simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jia; Bird, Simeon; Zorrilla Matilla, José Manuel; Hill, J. Colin; Haiman, Zoltán; Madhavacheril, Mathew S.; Petri, Andrea; Spergel, David N.

2018-03-01

The non-zero mass of neutrinos suppresses the growth of cosmic structure on small scales. Since the level of suppression depends on the sum of the masses of the three active neutrino species, the evolution of large-scale structure is a promising tool to constrain the total mass of neutrinos and possibly shed light on the mass hierarchy. In this work, we investigate these effects via a large suite of N-body simulations that include massive neutrinos using an analytic linear-response approximation: the Cosmological Massive Neutrino Simulations (MassiveNuS). The simulations include the effects of radiation on the background expansion, as well as the clustering of neutrinos in response to the nonlinear dark matter evolution. We allow three cosmological parameters to vary: the neutrino mass sum Mν in the range of 0–0.6 eV, the total matter density Ωm, and the primordial power spectrum amplitude As. The rms density fluctuation in spheres of 8 comoving Mpc/h (σ8) is a derived parameter as a result. Our data products include N-body snapshots, halo catalogues, merger trees, ray-traced galaxy lensing convergence maps for four source redshift planes between zs=1–2.5, and ray-traced cosmic microwave background lensing convergence maps. We describe the simulation procedures and code validation in this paper. The data are publicly available at http://columbialensing.org.

Electrocatalysis of chemically synthesized noble metal nanoparticles on carbon electrodes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Ling; Ulstrup, Jens; Zhang, Jingdong

Noble metal nanoparticles (NPs), such as platinum (Pt) and palladium (Pd) NPs are promising catalysts for dioxygen reduction and oxidation of molecules such as formic acid and ethanol in fuel cells. Carbon nanomaterials are ideal supporting materials for electrochemical catalysts due to their good...... by electrochemical SPM. This study offers promise for development of new high-efficiency catalyst types with low-cost for fuel cell technology...

Holographically viable extensions of topologically massive and minimal massive gravity?

Science.gov (United States)

Altas, Emel; Tekin, Bayram

2016-01-01

Recently [E. Bergshoeff et al., Classical Quantum Gravity 31, 145008 (2014)], an extension of the topologically massive gravity (TMG) in 2 +1 dimensions, dubbed as minimal massive gravity (MMG), which is free of the bulk-boundary unitarity clash that inflicts the former theory and all the other known three-dimensional theories, was found. Field equations of MMG differ from those of TMG at quadratic terms in the curvature that do not come from the variation of an action depending on the metric alone. Here we show that MMG is a unique theory and there does not exist a deformation of TMG or MMG at the cubic and quartic order (and beyond) in the curvature that is consistent at the level of the field equations. The only extension of TMG with the desired bulk and boundary properties having a single massive degree of freedom is MMG.

26Al production in explosive burning of hydrogen-helium layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnould, M.; Hillebrand, W.; Thielemann, F.K.

1978-08-01

There is now strong evidence for the presence of live 26 Al (t 1 / 2 approximately 7.2 x 10 5 y) in the early solar system just before the beginning of its condensation phase. It is shown that the passage of a supernova shock wave through the outer part of the helium zone of a massive star can lead to significant 26 Al production if some protons are present in such external layers. In fact, a ratio 26 Al/ 27 Al approximately is derived for a proton mass fraction of the order of 5x10 -3 to 5x10 -2 . The required protons may survive from a preshock incomplete hydrogen burning or may result from some mixing with outer hydrogen-rich layers. (orig.) [de

Linear and nonlinear instability theory of a noble gas MHD generator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mesland, A.J.

1982-01-01

This thesis deals with the stability of the working medium of a seeded noble gas magnetohydrodynamic generator. The aim of the study is to determine the instability mechanism which is most likely to occur in experimental MHD generators and to describe its behaviour with linear and nonlinear theories. In chapter I a general introduction is given. The pertinent macroscopic basic equations are derived in chapter II, viz. the continuity, the momentum and the energy equation for the electrons and the heavy gas particles, consisting of the seed particles and the noble gas atoms. Chapter III deals with the linear plane wave analysis of small disturbances of a homogeneous steady state. The steady state is discussed in chapter IV. The values for the steady state parameters used for the calculations both for the linear analysis as for the nonlinear analysis are made plausible with the experimental values. Based on the results of the linear plane wave theory a nonlinear plane wave model of the electrothermal instability is introduced in chapter V. (Auth.)

Migration of noble gas atoms in interaction with vacancies in silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pizzagalli, L; Charaf-Eddin, A

2015-01-01

First principles calculations in combination with the nudged elastic band method have been performed in order to determine the mobility properties of various noble gas species (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe) in silicon, a model semiconducting material. We focussed on single impurity, in interstitial configuration or forming a complex with a mono- or a di-vacancy, since the latter are known to be present and to play a key role in the formation of extended defects like bubbles or platelets. We determined several migration mechanisms and associated activation energies and have discussed these results in relation to available experiments. In particular, conflicting measured values of the migration energy of helium are explained by the present calculations. We also predict that helium diffuses solely as an interstitial, while an opposite behaviour is found for heavier species such as Ar, Kr, and Xe, with the prevailing role of complexes in that case. Finally, our calculations indicate that extended defects evolution by Ostwald ripening is possible for helium and maybe neon, but is rather unlikely for heavier noble gas species. (paper)

Geological structure and prospects of noble metal ore mineralization of the Khayrkhan gabbroid massif (Western Mongolia)

Science.gov (United States)

Kurumshieva, K. R.; Gertner, I. F.; Tishin, P. A.

2017-12-01

An analysis of the distribution of noble metals in zones of sulfide mineralization makes it possible to justify the isolation of four ore-bearing horizons with a specific geochemical zonation. A rise in the gold content relative to palladium and platinum is observed from the bottom upwards along the section of the stratified series of gabbroids. The study of the mineral phases of sulphides and the noble minerals itself indicates the evolution of hydrothermal solutions, which determines the different activity and mobility of the fluid (mercury, tellurium, sulfur) and ore (copper, nickel, iron, platinum, gold and silver) components.

Generalizability of EXCEL and NOBLE results to a large registry population with unprotected left main coronary artery disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Pil Hyung; Kang, Se Hun; Han, Seungbong; Ahn, Jung-Min; Bae, Jae Seok; Lee, Cheol Hyun; Kang, Soo-Jin; Lee, Seung-Whan; Kim, Young-Hak; Lee, Cheol Whan; Park, Seong-Wook; Park, Duk-Woo; Park, Seung-Jung

2017-12-01

The aim of this study was to determine how trial-based findings of EXCEL and NOBLE might be interpreted and generalizable in 'real-world' settings with comparison of data from the large-scaled, all-comer Interventional Research Incorporation Society-Left MAIN Revascularization (IRIS-MAIN) registry. We compared baseline clinical and procedural characteristics and also determined how the relative treatment effect of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) was different in EXCEL and NOBLE, compared with those of the multicenter, IRIS-MAIN registry (n=2481). The primary outcome for between-study comparison was a composite of death, myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke. There were between-study differences in patient risk profiles (age, BMI, diabetes, and clinical presentation), lesion complexities, and procedural characteristics (stent type, the use of off-pump surgery, and radial artery); the proportion of diabetes and acute coronary syndrome was particularly lower in NOBLE than in other studies. Although there was interstudy heterogeneity for the protocol definition of MI, the risks for serious composite outcome of death, MI, or stroke were similar between PCI and CABG in EXCEL [hazard ratio (HR): 1.00; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.79-1.26; P=0.98] and in the matched cohort of IRIS-MAIN (HR: 1.08; 95%CI: 0.85-1.38; P=0.53), whereas it was significantly higher after PCI than after CABG in NOBLE (HR: 1.47; 95%CI: 1.06-2.05; P=0.02), which was driven by more common MI and stroke after PCI. In the comparison of a large-sized, all-comer registry, the EXCEL trial might represent better generalizability with respect to baseline characteristics and observed clinical outcomes compared with the NOBLE trial.

Using renewables and the co-production of hydrogen and electricity from CCS-equipped IGCC facilities, as a stepping stone towards the early development of a hydrogen economy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haeseldonckx, Dries; D'haeseleer, William

2010-01-01

In this paper, specific cases for the interaction between the future electricity-generation mix and a newly-developing hydrogen-production infrastructure is modelled with the model E-simulate. Namely, flexible integrated-gasification combined-cycle units (IGCC) are capable of producing both electricity and hydrogen in different ratios. When these units are part of the electricity-generation mix and when they are not operating at full load, they could be used to produce a certain amount of hydrogen, avoiding the costly installation of new IGCC units for hydrogen production. The same goes for the massive introduction of renewable energies (especially wind), possibly generating excess electricity from time to time, which could then perhaps be used to produce hydrogen electrolytically. However, although contra-intuitive, the interaction between both 'systems' turns out to be almost negligible. Firstly, it is shown that it is more beneficial to use IGCC facilities to produce hydrogen with, rather than (excess) wind-generated electricity due to the necessary electrolyser investment costs. But even flexible IGCC facilities do not seem to contribute substantially to the early development of a hydrogen economy. Namely, in most scenarios - which are combinations of a wide range of fuel prices and carbon taxes - one primary-energy carrier (natural gas or coal) seems to be dominant, pushing the other, and the corresponding technologies such as reformers or IGCCs, out of the market. (author)

Processes of hydrogen production, coupled with nuclear reactors: Economic perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Werkoff, Francois; Avril, Sophie; Mansilla, Christine; Sigurvinsson, Jon

2006-01-01

Hydrogen production, using nuclear power is considered from a technic-economic (TE) point of view. Three different processes are examined: Alkaline electrolysis, High-temperature steam electrolysis (HTE) and the thermochemical Sulphur-Iodine (S/I) cycle. The three processes differ, in the sense that the first one is operational and both last ones are still at demonstration stages. For them, it is at present only possible to identify key points and limits of competitiveness. The cost of producing hydrogen by alkaline electrolysis is analysed. Three major contributions to the production costs are examined: the electricity consumption, the operation and maintenance expenditures and the depreciation capital expenditures. A technic-economic evaluation of hydrogen production by HTE coupled to a high-temperature reactor (HTR) is presented. Key points appear to be the electrolyser and the high temperature heat exchangers. The S/I thermochemical cycle is based on the decomposition and the re-composition of H 2 SO 4 and HI acids. The energy consumption and the recovery of iodine are key points of the S/I cycle. With the hypothesis that the hydrogen energy will progressively replace the fossil fuels, we give a first estimate of the numbers of nuclear reactors (EPR or HTR) that would be needed for a massive nuclear hydrogen production. (authors)

Defense by-products production and utilization program: noble metal recovery screening experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hazelton, R.F.; Jensen, G.A.; Raney, P.J.

1986-03-01

Isotopes of the platinum metals (rutheium, rhodium, and palladium) are produced during uranium fuel fission in nuclear reactors. The strategic values of these noble metals warrant considering their recovery from spent fuel should the spent fuel be processed after reactor discharge. A program to evaluate methods for ruthenium, rhodium, and palladium recovery from spent fuel reprocessing liquids was conducted at Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL). The purpose of the work reported in this docuent was to evaluate several recovery processes revealed in the patent and technical literature. Beaker-scale screening tests were initiated for three potential recovery processes: precipitation during sugar denitration of nitric acid reprocessing solutions after plutonium-uranium solvent extraction, adsorption using nobe metal selective chelates on active carbon, and reduction forming solid noble metal deposits on an amine-borane reductive resin. Simulated reprocessing plant solutions representing typical nitric acid liquids from defense (PUREX) or commercial fuel reprocessing facilities were formulated and used for evaluation of the three processes. 9 refs., 3 figs., 9 tabs

H3(+) as a trap for noble gases-3: multiple trapping of neon, argon, and krypton in X(n)H3(+) (n = 1-3).

Science.gov (United States)

Pauzat, F; Ellinger, Y; Pilmé, J; Mousis, O

2009-05-07

Recent studies on the formation of XH(3)(+) noble gas complexes have shown strategic implications for the composition of the atmospheres of the giant planets as well as for the composition of comets. One crucial factor in the astrophysical process is the relative abundances of the noble gases versus H(3)(+). It is the context in which the possibility for clustering with more than one noble gas (X(n)H(3)(+) up to n = 3) has been investigated for noble gases X ranging from neon to krypton. In order to assert our results, a variety of methods have been used including ab initio coupled cluster CCSD and CCSD(T), MP2, and density functional BH&HLYP levels of theory. All complexes with one, two, and three noble gases are found to be stable in the Ne, Ar, and Kr families. These stable structures are planar with the noble gases attached to the apices of the H(3)(+) triangle. The binding energy of the nth atom, defined as the X(n)H(3)(+) --> X(n-1)H(3)(+) + X reaction energy, increases slightly with n varying from 1 to 3 in the neon series, while it decreases in the argon series and shows a minimum for n = 2 in the krypton series. The origin of this phenomenon is to be found in the variations in the respective vibrational energies. A topological analysis of the electron localization function shows the importance of the charge transfer from the noble gases toward H(3)(+) as a driving force in the bonding along the series. It is also consistent with the increase in the atomic polarizabilities from neon to krypton. Rotational constants and harmonic frequencies are reported in order to provide a body of data to be used for the detection in laboratory prior to space observations. This study strongly suggests that the noble gases could be sequestered even in an environment where the H(3)(+) abundance is small.

Role of hydrogen peroxide during the interaction between the hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen Septoria tritici and wheat

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Shetty, N.P.; Mehrabi, R.; Lütken, H.; Haldrup, A.; Kema, G.H.J.

2007-01-01

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is reported to inhibit biotrophic but benefit necrotrophic pathogens. Infection by necrotrophs can result in a massive accumulation of H2O2 in hosts. Little is known of how pathogens with both growth types are affected (hemibiotrophs). The hemibiotroph, Septoria tritici,

Noble Metal Catalysts Supported on Nanofibrous Polymeric Membranes for Environmental Applications

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Soukup, Karel; Topka, Pavel; Hejtmánek, Vladimír; Petráš, D.; Valeš, V.; Šolcová, Olga

2014-01-01

Roč. 236, NOV 1 (2014), s. 3-11 ISSN 0920-5861 R&D Projects: GA ČR GPP106/11/P459; GA ČR GP13-24186P Institutional support: RVO:67985858 Keywords : electrospinning * noble metals * catalytic oxidation * volatile organic compoundas Subject RIV: CI - Industrial Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Impact factor: 3.893, year: 2014

On the difference in oscillator strengths of inner shell excitations in noble gases and their alkali neighbors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amusia, M.Y.; Baltenkov, A.S.; Zhuravleva, G.I.

1995-01-01

It is demonstrated that the oscillator strength of resonant inner-shell excitation in a noble gas atom is considerably smaller than that in its alkali neighbor because in the latter case the effective charge acting upon excited electron is much bigger. With increase of the excitation's principal quantum number the difference between line intensities in noble gases and their alkali neighbors rapidly disappears. The calculations are performed in the Hartree-Fock approximation and with inclusion of rearrangement effects due to inner vacancy creation and its Auger decay. A paper has been submitted for publication

A theoretical study on the mechanism of hydrogen evolution on non-precious partially oxidized nickel-based heterostructures for fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Xinju; Zhou, Gang

2018-03-28

It is desirable, yet challenging, to utilize non-precious metals instead of noble-metals as efficient catalysts in the renewable energy manufacturing industry. Using first principles calculations, we study the structural characteristics of partially oxidized nickel-based nanoheterostructures (NiO/Ni NHSs), and the interfacial effects on hydrogen evolution. The origin of the enhanced hydrogen evolution performance is discussed at the microscopic level. This study identifies two types of active sites of the exposed Ni surface available for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). One is the hcp-hollow sites near the perimeter boundary that exhibit a more excellent HER performance than platinum (Pt), and the other the second nearest neighbor fcc-hollow sites away from the boundary that exhibit a similar performance to Pt. The interfacial effects result from the competitive charge transfer between NiO and Ni surfaces in NHSs, and enhance the reactivity of NiO/Ni NHSs by shifting the d-states of surface atoms down in energy. The illumination of the mechanism would be helpful for the design of more efficient and cheap transition metal-based catalysts.

Fabrication and magnetic-induced aggregation of Fe3O4–noble metal composites for superior SERS performances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gan, Zibao; Zhao, Aiwu; Zhang, Maofeng; Wang, Dapeng; Guo, Hongyan; Tao, Wenyu; Gao, Qian; Mao, Ranran; Liu, Erhu

2013-01-01

Fe 3 O 4 –noble metal composites were obtained by combining Au, Ag nanoparticles (NPs) with 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane-functionalized Fe 3 O 4 NPs. UV–Visible absorption spectroscopy demonstrates the obtained Fe 3 O 4 –noble metal composites inherit the typical surface plasmon resonance bands of Au, Ag at 533 and 453 nm, respectively. Magnetic measurements also indicated that the superparamagnetic Fe 3 O 4 –noble metal composites have excellent magnetic response behavior. A magnetic-induced idea was introduced to change their aggregated states and take full advantage of their surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) performances. Under the induction of an external magnetic field, the bifunctional Fe 3 O 4 –noble metal aggregates exhibit the unique superiority in SERS detection of Rhodamine 6G (R6G), compared with the naturally dispersed Au, Ag NPs. Especially, the detection limit of the Fe 3 O 4 –Ag aggregates for R6G is as low as 10 −14  M, and the calculated EF reaches up to 1.2 × 10 6 , which meets the requirements for trace detection of analytes. Furthermore, the superiority could be extended to sensitive detection of other organic molecules, such as 4-mercaptopyridine. This work provides a new insight for active adjustment of the aggregated states of SERS substrates and the optimization of SERS performances

Aims and first assessments of the French hydrogen pathways project HyFrance3

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Le Duigou, Alain [CEA/DEN/DANS/I-Tese, Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Quemere, Marie-Marguerite [EDF R et D, Moret sur Loing (France). Dept. EPI; Marion, Pierre [IFP, Rueil Malmaison (FR)] (and others)

2010-07-01

The HyFrance Group was originally formed in France to support the European project HyWays, by providing (former projects HyFrance1 and HyFrance2) the French data and possible hydrogen pathways according to national specificities. HyFrance3 is a new project that focuses on the economic competitiveness of different steps of the hydrogen chain, from the production to end usage, at the time horizon of 2030 in France. The project is coordinated by CEA with the other partners being: ADEME (co-funding), AFH2, CNRS, IFP, Air Liquide, EdF, GdF Suez, TOTAL, ALPHEA. The project is divided into 4 sub-projects, that address present and future French hydrogen industrial markets for chemical and refinery uses, the analysis of the interplay between wind energy production and storage of hydrogen for different automotive requirements (refuelling stations, BtL plants, H2/NG mix), massive hydrogen storage to balance various offer and demand characteristics, and the supply network (pipeline option competitiveness vs. trucked in supply) to distribute hydrogen in a French region for automotive applications. Technical and economical issues, as well as GHG emissions, are addressed. (orig.)

Formic Acid Free Flowsheet Development To Eliminate Catalytic Hydrogen Generation In The Defense Waste Processing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lambert, Dan P.; Stone, Michael E.; Newell, J. David; Fellinger, Terri L.; Bricker, Jonathan M.

2012-09-14

The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) processes legacy nuclear waste generated at the Savannah River Site (SRS) during production of plutonium and tritium demanded by the Cold War. The nuclear waste is first treated via a complex sequence of controlled chemical reactions and then vitrified into a borosilicate glass form and poured into stainless steel canisters. Converting the nuclear waste into borosilicate glass canisters is a safe, effective way to reduce the volume of the waste and stabilize the radionuclides. Testing was initiated to determine whether the elimination of formic acid from the DWPF's chemical processing flowsheet would eliminate catalytic hydrogen generation. Historically, hydrogen is generated in chemical processing of alkaline High Level Waste sludge in DWPF. In current processing, sludge is combined with nitric and formic acid to neutralize the waste, reduce mercury and manganese, destroy nitrite, and modify (thin) the slurry rheology. The noble metal catalyzed formic acid decomposition produces hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Elimination of formic acid by replacement with glycolic acid has the potential to eliminate the production of catalytic hydrogen. Flowsheet testing was performed to develop the nitric-glycolic acid flowsheet as an alternative to the nitric-formic flowsheet currently being processed at the DWPF. This new flowsheet has shown that mercury can be reduced and removed by steam stripping in DWPF with no catalytic hydrogen generation. All processing objectives were also met, including greatly reducing the Slurry Mix Evaporator (SME) product yield stress as compared to the baseline nitric/formic flowsheet. Ten DWPF tests were performed with nonradioactive simulants designed to cover a broad compositional range. No hydrogen was generated in testing without formic acid.

U.S. Geological Survey Noble Gas Laboratory’s standard operating procedures for the measurement of dissolved gas in water samples

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, Andrew G.

2015-08-12

This report addresses the standard operating procedures used by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Noble Gas Laboratory in Denver, Colorado, U.S.A., for the measurement of dissolved gases (methane, nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide) and noble gas isotopes (helium-3, helium-4, neon-20, neon-21, neon-22, argon-36, argon-38, argon-40, kryton-84, krypton-86, xenon-103, and xenon-132) dissolved in water. A synopsis of the instrumentation used, procedures followed, calibration practices, standards used, and a quality assurance and quality control program is presented. The report outlines the day-to-day operation of the Residual Gas Analyzer Model 200, Mass Analyzer Products Model 215–50, and ultralow vacuum extraction line along with the sample handling procedures, noble gas extraction and purification, instrument measurement procedures, instrumental data acquisition, and calculations for the conversion of raw data from the mass spectrometer into noble gas concentrations per unit mass of water analyzed. Techniques for the preparation of artificial dissolved gas standards are detailed and coupled to a quality assurance and quality control program to present the accuracy of the procedures used in the laboratory.

“NOBLE MORALITY”: THE 18TH ḤADĪTH OF IMAM AN-NAWAWI'S ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

This paper proposes a strategy for change in Nigeria from an Islamic perspective. The .... the state and the populace as well as in the corporate world, it should be ..... This study discusses the idea of change by exploring the noble approach.

Backfitting of existing nuclear power plants with particulate, iodine and noble gas monitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marley, M.R.; Geiger, E.L.

1978-01-01

A stand-alone microcomputer complete with hardware and software to measure airborne particulate iodine and noble gases is described. This system meets the need at power plants and effluent monitoring. The equipment will accommodate up to 192 channels of input

Massive Supergravity and Deconstruction

CERN Document Server

Gregoire, T; Shadmi, Y; Gregoire, Thomas; Schwartz, Matthew D; Shadmi, Yael

2004-01-01

We present a simple superfield Lagrangian for massive supergravity. It comprises the minimal supergravity Lagrangian with interactions as well as mass terms for the metric superfield and the chiral compensator. This is the natural generalization of the Fierz-Pauli Lagrangian for massive gravity which comprises mass terms for the metric and its trace. We show that the on-shell bosonic and fermionic fields are degenerate and have the appropriate spins: 2, 3/2, 3/2 and 1. We then study this interacting Lagrangian using goldstone superfields. We find that a chiral multiplet of goldstones gets a kinetic term through mixing, just as the scalar goldstone does in the non-supersymmetric case. This produces Planck scale (Mpl) interactions with matter and all the discontinuities and unitarity bounds associated with massive gravity. In particular, the scale of strong coupling is (Mpl m^4)^1/5, where m is the multiplet's mass. Next, we consider applications of massive supergravity to deconstruction. We estimate various qu...

COLA with massive neutrinos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wright, Bill S.; Winther, Hans A.; Koyama, Kazuya, E-mail: bill.wright@port.ac.uk, E-mail: hans.winther@port.ac.uk, E-mail: kazuya.koyama@port.ac.uk [Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth, Dennis Sciama Building, Burnaby Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 3FX (United Kingdom)

2017-10-01

The effect of massive neutrinos on the growth of cold dark matter perturbations acts as a scale-dependent Newton's constant and leads to scale-dependent growth factors just as we often find in models of gravity beyond General Relativity. We show how to compute growth factors for ΛCDM and general modified gravity cosmologies combined with massive neutrinos in Lagrangian perturbation theory for use in COLA and extensions thereof. We implement this together with the grid-based massive neutrino method of Brandbyge and Hannestad in MG-PICOLA and compare COLA simulations to full N -body simulations of ΛCDM and f ( R ) gravity with massive neutrinos. Our implementation is computationally cheap if the underlying cosmology already has scale-dependent growth factors and it is shown to be able to produce results that match N -body to percent level accuracy for both the total and CDM matter power-spectra up to k ∼< 1 h /Mpc.

Minimal massive 3D gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergshoeff, Eric; Merbis, Wout; Hohm, Olaf; Routh, Alasdair J; Townsend, Paul K

2014-01-01

We present an alternative to topologically massive gravity (TMG) with the same ‘minimal’ bulk properties; i.e. a single local degree of freedom that is realized as a massive graviton in linearization about an anti-de Sitter (AdS) vacuum. However, in contrast to TMG, the new ‘minimal massive gravity’ has both a positive energy graviton and positive central charges for the asymptotic AdS-boundary conformal algebra. (paper)

Neutron activation analysis for noble metals in matte leach residues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hart, R.J.

1978-01-01

The development of the neutron activation analysis technique as a method for rapid and precise determinations of platinum group metals in matte leach residues depends on obtaining a method for effecting complete and homogeneous sample dilution. A simple method for solid dilution of metal samples is outlined in this study, which provided a basis for the accurate determination of all the noble metals by the Neutron Activation Analysis technique

Spectrophotometric methods for determining noble metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gur'eva, R.F.; Savvin, S.B.

2002-01-01

The main trends of the development of spectrophotometric methods for determining noble metals (NMs) including ruthenium are considered. One of these trends is the synthesis and study of new, highly sensitive and selective organic reagents for determining NMs in solutions and solid phase. Another trend is the search for and developing of new methodological approaches (techniques) and color reactions, including those that involve modified and immobilized reagents. The third trend includes the improvement of equipment and automation. It is shown that the present-day spectrophotometry can provide the determination of NMs in samples with concentrations from several to 10 -4 % (photometry and differential photometry) and down to 10 -7 % (test and sorption-spectroscopic methods based on photometry and diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy, including the use of chromaticity functions) [ru

Liquid state properties of certain noble and transition metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhuiyan, G.M.; Rahman, A.; Khaleque, M.A.; Rashid, R.I.M.A.; Mujibur Rahman, S.M.

1998-07-01

Certain structural, thermodynamic and atomic transport properties of a number of liquid noble and transition metals are reported. The underlying theory combines together a simple form of the N-body potential and the thermodynamically self-consistent variational modified hypernetted chain (VMHNC) theory of liquid. The static structure factors calculated by using the VMHNC resemble the hard sphere (HS) values. Consequently the HS model is used to calculate the thermodynamic properties viz. specific heat, entropy, isothermal compressibility and atomic transport properties. (author)

A comparative study of the broadening effect on rotational lines by methane and noble gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kircz, J.G.

1979-01-01

Line broadening measurements for the mixtures HCl-CH 4 and HCl-CD 4 have been performed and the results of these experiments are reported. Current theoretical models for the systems studied are briefly discussed. In order to identify specific effects the authors have tried to find a generalisation for linewidth cross-sections for the HCl-noble gas systems. This is done in the spirit of the well known corresponding state treatment in statistical mechanics in an attempt to find, in terms of reduced variables, a generalised intermolecular potential for these systems. Extensive calculations on the HCl-Ar and HCl-Kr intermolecular potentials, as derived from linewidth measurements, are reported in an attempt to extract a more exact potential for these systems. The results are compared with other recent results from the literature. The use of a semi-empirical method for the evaluation of the experimental data is described. This empirical method has been used in a comparison between the HCl-noble gas experiments and the present experiments of HCl-methane. The possibility of splitting the observed data into a 'noble gas' part and a 'extra' part due to the intermolecular interactions which result from the coupling of the HCl rotations with the internal degrees of freedom of the methane molecules is discussed. (Auth.)

Noble gases in nuclear medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calderon, M.; Burdine, J.A.

1973-01-01

Radioactive noble gases have made a significant contribution to diagnostic nuclear medicine. In the area of regional assessment of pulmonary function, 133 Xe has had its greatest clinical impact. Following a breath of 133 Xe gas, pulmonary ventilation can be measured using a scintillation camera or other appropriate radiation detector. If 133 Xe dissolved in saline is injected intravenously, both pulmonary capillary perfusion and ventilation can be measured since 90 percent of the highly insoluble xenon escapes into the alveoli during the first passage through the lungs. Radionuclide pulmonary function tests provide the first qualitative means of assessing lung ventilation and blood flow on a regional basis, and have recently been extended to include quantification of various parameters of lung function by means of a small computer interfaced to the scintillation camera. 133 Xe is also used in the measurement of organ blood flow following injection into a vessel leading into an organ such as the brain, heart kidneys, or muscles

Modeling the transport and fate of radioactive noble gases in very dry desert alluvium: Realistic scenarios

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindstrom, F.T.; Cawlfield, D.E.; Donahue, M.E.; Emer, D.F.; Shott, G.J.

1992-01-01

US DOE Order 5820.2A (1988) requires that a performance assessment of all new and existing low-level radioactive waste management sites be made. An integral part of every performance assessment is the mathematical modeling of the transport and fate of noble gas radionuclides in the gas phase. Current in depth site characterization of the high desert alluvium in Area 5 of the Nevada Test Site (NTS) is showing that the alluvium is very very dry all the way to the water table (240 meters below land surface). The potential for radioactive noble gas (e.g. Rn-220 and Rn-222) transport to the atmosphere from shallow land burial of Thorium and Uranium waste is very high. Objectives of this modeling effort include: Construct a physics based sits specific noble gas transport model; Include induced advection due to barometric pressure changes at the atmospheric boundary layer (thin) - dry desert alluvium interface; User selected option for use of NOAA barometric pressure or a ''home brewed'' barometric pressure wave made up of up to 15 sinusoids and cosinusoids; Use the model to help make engineering decisions on the design of the burial pits and associated closure caps

ABOUT THE POSSIBLE ROLE OF HYDROCARBON LAKES IN THE ORIGIN OF TITAN'S NOBLE GAS ATMOSPHERIC DEPLETION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cordier, D.; Mousis, O.; Lunine, J. I.; Lebonnois, S.; Lavvas, P.; Lobo, L. Q.; Ferreira, A. G. M.

2010-01-01

An unexpected feature of Titan's atmosphere is the strong depletion in primordial noble gases revealed by the Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer aboard the Huygens probe during its descent on 2005 January 14. Although several plausible explanations have already been formulated, no definitive response to this issue has yet been found. Here, we investigate the possible sequestration of these noble gases in the liquid contained in lakes and wet terrains on Titan and the consequences for their atmospheric abundances. Considering the atmosphere and the liquid existing on the soil as a whole system, we compute the abundance of each noble gas relative to nitrogen. To do so, we make the assumption of thermodynamic equilibrium between the liquid and the atmosphere, the abundances of the different constituents being determined via regular solution theory. We find that xenon's atmospheric depletion can be explained by its dissolution at ambient temperature in the liquid presumably present on Titan's soil. In the cases of argon and krypton, we find that the fractions incorporated in the liquid are negligible, implying that an alternative mechanism must be invoked to explain their atmospheric depletion.

Transparent and conductive electrodes by large-scale nano-structuring of noble metal thin-films

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Linnet, Jes; Runge Walther, Anders; Wolff, Christian

2018-01-01

grid, and nano-wire thin-films. The indium and carbon films do not match the chemical stability nor the electrical performance of the noble metals, and many metal films are not uniform in material distribution leading to significant surface roughness and randomized transmission haze. We demonstrate...... solution-processed masks for physical vapor-deposited metal electrodes consisting of hexagonally ordered aperture arrays with scalable aperture-size and spacing in an otherwise homogeneous noble metal thin-film that may exhibit better electrical performance than carbon nanotube-based thin-films...... for equivalent optical transparency. The fabricated electrodes are characterized optically and electrically by measuring transmittance and sheet resistance. The presented methods yield large-scale reproducible results. Experimentally realized thin-films with very low sheet resistance, Rsh = 2.01 ± 0.14 Ω...

Expeditious synthesis of noble metal nanoparticles using Vitamin B12 under microwave irradiation

Science.gov (United States)

A greener synthesis protocol for noble nanometals is developed using vitamin B12 as a reducing and capping agent in conjunction with the use of microwaves. Successful assembly of nanoparticles or microparticles with varied shapes and sizes have been demonstrated. The synthesized ...

Nuclear magnetic resonance of laser-polarized noble gases in molecules, materials and organisms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goodson, Boyd McLean [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

1999-12-01

Conventional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are fundamentally challenged by the insensitivity that stems from the ordinarily low spin polarization achievable in even the strongest NMR magnets. However, by transferring angular momentum from laser light to electronic and nuclear spins, optical pumping methods can increase the nuclear spin polarization of noble gases by several orders of magnitude, thereby greatly enhancing their NMR sensitivity. This dissertation is primarily concerned with the principles and practice of optically pumped nuclear magnetic resonance (OPNMR). The enormous sensitivity enhancement afforded by optical pumping noble gases can be exploited to permit a variety of novel NMR experiments across many disciplines. Many such experiments are reviewed, including the void-space imaging of organisms and materials, NMR and MRI of living tissues, probing structure and dynamics of molecules in solution and on surfaces, and zero-field NMR and MRI.

Nuclear magnetic resonance of laser-polarized noble gases in molecules, materials and organisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goodson, Boyd M.

1999-01-01

Conventional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are fundamentally challenged by the insensitivity that stems from the ordinarily low spin polarization achievable in even the strongest NMR magnets. However, by transferring angular momentum from laser light to electronic and nuclear spins, optical pumping methods can increase the nuclear spin polarization of noble gases by several orders of magnitude, thereby greatly enhancing their NMR sensitivity. This dissertation is primarily concerned with the principles and practice of optically pumped nuclear magnetic resonance (OPNMR). The enormous sensitivity enhancement afforded by optical pumping noble gases can be exploited to permit a variety of novel NMR experiments across many disciplines. Many such experiments are reviewed, including the void-space imaging of organisms and materials, NMR and MRI of living tissues, probing structure and dynamics of molecules in solution and on surfaces, and zero-field NMR and MRI

Purification of free hydrogen or hydrogen combined in a gaseous mixture by chemical reactions with uranium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caron-Charles, M.; Gilot, B.

1989-01-01

Within the framework of the European fusion program, the authors are dealing with the tritium technology aspect. Hydrogen, free or under a combined form within a H 2 , N 2 , NH 3 , O 2 , gaseous mixture, can be purified by chemical reactions with uranium metal. The resulting reactions consist in absorbing the impurities without holding back H 2 . Working conditions have been defined according to two main goals: the formation of stable solid products, especially under hydrogenated atmosphere and the optimization of the material quantities to be used. Thermodynamical considerations have shown that the 950-1300 K temperature range should be suitable for this chemical process. Experiments performed with massive uranium set in a closed reactor at 973 K, have produced hydrogen according to the predicted reactions rates. But they have also pointed out the importance of interferences that might occur in the uranium-gas system, on the gases conversion rates. The comparison between the chemical kinetic ratings of the reactions of pure gases and the chemical kinetic ratings of the reactions of the same gases in mixture, has been set up. It proves that simultaneous reactions can modify the working conditions of the solid products formation, and particularly modify their structure. In this case, chemical kinetic ratings are increased up to their maximal value; that means surface phenomena are favoured as with uranium powder gases reactions. (orig.)

Analysis of noble gas recycling at a fusion plasma divertor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brooks, J.N.

1996-01-01

Near-surface recycling of neon and argon atoms and ions at a divertor has been studied using impurity transport and surface interaction codes. A fixed background deuterium endash tritium plasma model is used corresponding to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) [ITER EDA Agreement and Protocol 2, ITER EDA Documentation Series No. 5 (International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 1994)] radiative plasma conditions (T e ≤10 eV). The noble gas transport depends critically on the divertor surface material. For low-Z materials (Be and C) both neon and argon recycle many (e.g., ∼100) times before leaving the near-surface region. This is also true for an argon on tungsten combination. For neon on tungsten, however, there is low recycling. These variations are due to differences in particle and energy reflection coefficients, mass, and ionization rates. In some cases a high flux of recycling atoms is ionized within the magnetic sheath and this can change local sheath parameters. Due to inhibited backflow, high recycling, and possibly high sputtering, noble gas seeding (for purposes of enhancing radiation) may be incompatible with Be or C surfaces, for fusion reactor conditions. On the other hand, neon use appears compatible with tungsten. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

Dispersion forces and small-angle neutron scattering from liquid noble metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

March, N.H.

1988-01-01

Maggs and Ashcroft [Phys. Rev. letts., 59,113 (1987)] have re-opened the question of the analogy between the cohesion of a molecular crystal, in which dispersion forces play a major role, and that in a metal crystal with polarizable ion cores. It is pointed out that small-angle neutron scattering from liquid noble metals could be used to test their predictions. (author)

Size versus polarizability in protein-ligand interactions: binding of noble gases within engineered cavities in phage T4 lysozyme.

Science.gov (United States)

Quillin, M L; Breyer, W A; Griswold, I J; Matthews, B W

2000-09-29

To investigate the relative importance of size and polarizability in ligand binding within proteins, we have determined the crystal structures of pseudo wild-type and cavity-containing mutant phage T4 lysozymes in the presence of argon, krypton, and xenon. These proteins provide a representative sample of predominantly apolar cavities of varying size and shape. Even though the volumes of these cavities range up to the equivalent of five xenon atoms, the noble gases bind preferentially at highly localized sites that appear to be defined by constrictions in the walls of the cavities, coupled with the relatively large radii of the noble gases. The cavities within pseudo wild-type and L121A lysozymes each bind only a single atom of noble gas, while the cavities within mutants L133A and F153A have two independent binding sites, and the L99A cavity has three interacting sites. The binding of noble gases within two double mutants was studied to characterize the additivity of binding at such sites. In general, when a cavity in a protein is created by a "large-to-small" substitution, the surrounding residues relax somewhat to reduce the volume of the cavity. The binding of xenon and, to a lesser degree, krypton and argon, tend to expand the volume of the cavity and to return it closer to what it would have been had no relaxation occurred. In nearly all cases, the extent of binding of the noble gases follows the trend xenon>krypton>argon. Pressure titrations of the L99A mutant have confirmed that the crystallographic occupancies accurately reflect fractional saturation of the binding sites. The trend in noble gas affinity can be understood in terms of the effects of size and polarizability on the intermolecular potential. The plasticity of the protein matrix permits repulsion due to increased ligand size to be more than compensated for by attraction due to increased ligand polarizability. These results have implications for the mechanism of general anesthesia, the migration

Contributions to the determination of the noble metals gold, iridium, palladium, platinum, rhodium and application to environmentally relevant samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zischka, M.

1998-11-01

The concentrations of noble metals in the environment are still very low (low ng/g and sub ng/g range), although they are emitted to an increasing extent as components of catalytic exhaust emission converters into the environment. The determination of these elements can be error prone even when the determinations are carried out by use of highly sensitive methods in combination with high performance sample preparation techniques. Accurate data with smallest possible measurement uncertainties are a prerequisite for the interpretation of the distribution of noble metals in the environment and their possible toxicological effects. Difficulties related to the determination of the noble metals could be the incomplete recovery after sample preparation, sample digestion and interferences arising in subsequent instrumental determination methods. For this reason two different sample decomposition methods in combination with powerful instrumental techniques are checked for suitability for the determination of the noble metals in environmentally relevant samples. Digestion methods under evaluation are the NiS fire assay and the leaching with aqua regia in closed vessels under high pressure and high temperature. The NiS fire assay provides pre-concentration of the noble-metals and matrix separation of most of the remaining matrix elements. Disadvantages of this method are the need for experienced analysts, the awkward handling and the time-consuming procedure. On the other hand leaching with aqua regia under high pressure at high temperatures is easy to handle and not time-consuming with the crucial disadvantage that neither a pre-concentration of the noble metals nor a matrix separation can be achieved. Investigated instrumental techniques are the ICP-AES (inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry) with an axially arranged plasma either with a cross-flow or with an ultrasonic nebulizer, the quadrupole ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) and the

A BUTTERFLY-SHAPED 'PAPILLON' NEBULA YIELDS SECRETS OF MASSIVE STAR BIRTH

Science.gov (United States)

2002-01-01

A NASA Hubble Space Telescope view of a turbulent cauldron of starbirth, called N159, taking place 170,000 light-years away in our satellite galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Torrential stellar winds from hot newborn massive stars within the nebula sculpt ridges, arcs, and filaments in the vast cloud, which is over 150 light-years across. A rare type of compact ionized 'blob' is resolved for the first time to be a butterfly-shaped or 'Papillon' (French for 'butterfly') nebula, buried in the center of the maelstrom of glowing gases and dark dust. The unprecedented details of the structure of the Papillon, itself less than 2 light-years in size (about 2 arcseconds in the sky), are seen in the inset. A possible explanation of this bipolar shape is the outflow of gas from massive stars (over 10 times the mass of our sun) hidden in the central absorption zone. Such stars are so hot that their radiation pressure halts the infall of gas and directs it away from the stars in two opposite directions. Presumably, a dense equatorial disk formed by matter still trying to fall in onto the stars focuses the outstreaming matter into the bipolar directions. This observation is part of a search for young massive stars in the LMC. Rare are the cases where we can see massive stars so early after their birth. The red in this true-color image is from the emission of hydrogen and the yellow from high excitation ionized oxygen. The picture was taken on September 5, 1998 with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2. The Hubble observations of the Papillon nebula were conducted by the European astronomers Mohammad Heydari-Malayeri (Paris Observatory, France) and co-investigators Michael Rosa (Space Telescope-European Coordinating Facility, European Southern Observatory, Germany), Vassilis Charmandaris (Paris Observatory), Lise Deharveng (Marseille Observatory, France), and Hans Zinnecker (Astrophysical Institute, Potsdam, Germany). Their work is submitted for publication in the European

Graphene sheets/cobalt nanocomposites as low-cost/high-performance catalysts for hydrogen generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Fei; Hou, Chengyi; Zhang, Qinghong; Wang, Hongzhi; Li, Yaogang

2012-01-01

The production of clean and renewable hydrogen through the hydrolysis of sodium borohydride has received much attention owing to increasing global energy demands. Graphene sheets/cobalt (GRs/Co) nanocomposites, which are highly efficient catalysts, have been prepared using a one-step solvothermal method in ethylene glycol. Co 2+ salts were converted to Co nanoparticles, which were simultaneously inserted into the graphene layers with the reduction of graphite oxide sheets to GRs. The as-synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectra, Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and vibrating sample magnetometer. The maximum saturation magnetization value reached 80.8 emu g −1 , meaning they are more suitable for magnet-controlled generation of H 2 than noble metal catalysts. The catalytic activity of the composite was investigated by the hydrolysis of sodium borohydride in aqueous solution both with and without a GRs support. It was found that the high electronic conductive GRs support increased the hydrogen generation rate (about two times) compared with pure cobalt. The improved hydrogen generation rate, low cost and uncomplicated recycling makes the GRs/Co nanocomposites promising candidates as catalysts for hydrogen generation. Highlights: ► Graphene sheets/cobalt nanocomposites were prepared by a one-step solvothermal method. ► The maximum saturation magnetization value of the composites reached 80.8 emu g −1 . ► The graphene support greatly increased the catalytic activity of cobalt. ► An easily removed, recycled and controlled functional filter was obtained.

A noble additive cum compatibilizer for dispersion of nanoclay into ethylene octene elastomer

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Mondal, S

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This paper introduces a poly(ethylene-co-octene)-poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) double network hybrid as a noble additive cum compatibilizer for poly(ethylene-co-octene) (POE). The addition of only 0.5 mass% of the hybrid into POE has raised...

Medium-resolution near-infrared spectroscopy of massive young stellar objects

Science.gov (United States)

Pomohaci, R.; Oudmaijer, R. D.; Lumsden, S. L.; Hoare, M. G.; Mendigutía, I.

2017-12-01

We present medium-resolution (R ∼ 7000) near-infrared echelle spectroscopic data for 36 massive young stellar objects (MYSOs) drawn from the Red MSX Source survey. This is the largest sample observed at this resolution at these wavelengths of MYSOs to date. The spectra are characterized mostly by emission from hydrogen recombination lines and accretion diagnostic lines. One MYSO shows photospheric H I absorption, a comparison with spectral standards indicates that the star is an A-type star with a low surface gravity, implying that the MYSOs are probably swollen, as also suggested by evolutionary calculations. An investigation of the Brγ line profiles shows that most are in pure emission, while 13 ± 5 per cent display P Cygni profiles, indicative of outflow, while less than 8 ± 4 per cent have inverse P Cygni profiles, indicative of infall. These values are comparable with investigations into the optically bright Herbig Be stars, but not with those of Herbig Ae and T Tauri stars, consistent with the notion that the more massive stars undergo accretion in a different fashion than lower mass objects that are undergoing magnetospheric accretion. Accretion luminosities and rates as derived from the Br γ line luminosities agree with results for lower mass sources, providing tentative evidence for massive star formation theories based on scaling of low-mass scenarios. We present Br γ/Br12 line profile ratios exploiting the fact that optical depth effects can be traced as a function of Doppler shift across the lines. These show that the winds of MYSOs in this sample are nearly equally split between constant, accelerating and decelerating velocity structures. There are no trends between the types of features we see and bolometric luminosities or near-infrared colours.

Hydrogen storage in metallic hydrides: the hydrides of magnesium-nickel alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, E.P. da.

1981-01-01

The massive and common use of hydrogen as an energy carrier requires an adequate solution to the problem of storing it. High pressure or low temperatures are not entirely satisfactory, having each a limited range of applications. Reversible metal hydrides cover a range of applications intermediate to high pressure gas and low temperature liquid hydrogen, retaining very favorable safety and energy density characteristics, both for mobile and stationary applications. This work demonstrates the technical viability of storing hydrogen in metal hydrides of magnesium-nickel alloys. Also, it shows that technology, a product of science, can be generated within an academic environment, of the goal is clear, the demand outstanding and the means available. We review briefly theoretical models relating to metal hydride properties, specially the thermodynamics properties relevant to this work. We report our experimental results on hydrides of magnesium-nickel alloys of various compositions including data on structure, hydrogen storage capacities, reaction kinetics, pressure-composition isotherms. We selected a promising alloy for mass production, built and tested a modular storage tank based on the hydrides of the alloy, with a capacity for storing 10 Nm sup(3) of hydrogen of 1 atm and 20 sup(0)C. The tank weighs 46,3 Kg and has a volume of 21 l. (author)

Nonsingular universe in massive gravity's rainbow

Science.gov (United States)

Hendi, S. H.; Momennia, M.; Eslam Panah, B.; Panahiyan, S.

2017-06-01

One of the fundamental open questions in cosmology is whether we can regard the universe evolution without singularity like a Big Bang or a Big Rip. This challenging subject stimulates one to regard a nonsingular universe in the far past with an arbitrarily large vacuum energy. Considering the high energy regime in the cosmic history, it is believed that Einstein gravity should be corrected to an effective energy dependent theory which could be acquired by gravity's rainbow. On the other hand, employing massive gravity provided us with solutions to some of the long standing fundamental problems of cosmology such as cosmological constant problem and self acceleration of the universe. Considering these aspects of gravity's rainbow and massive gravity, in this paper, we initiate studying FRW cosmology in the massive gravity's rainbow formalism. At first, we show that although massive gravity modifies the FRW cosmology, but it does not itself remove the big bang singularity. Then, we generalize the massive gravity to the case of energy dependent spacetime and find that massive gravity's rainbow can remove the early universe singularity. We bring together all the essential conditions for having a nonsingular universe and the effects of both gravity's rainbow and massive gravity generalizations on such criteria are determined.

Surface noble metal modified PdM/C (M = Ru, Pt, Au) as anode catalysts for direct ethanol fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mao, Han; Huang, Tao; Yu, Aishui

2016-01-01

In this article, we studied the surface noble metal modification on Pd nanoparticles, other than the homogeneous or core-shell structure. The surface modification will lead to the uneven constitution within the nanoparticles and thus more obvious optimization effect toward the catalyst brought by the lattice deformation. The surface of the as-prepared Pd nanoparticles was modified with Ru, Pt or Au by a moderate and green approach, respectively. XPS results confirm the interactive electron effects between Pd and the modified noble metal. Electrochemical measurements show that the surface noble metal modified catalysts not only show higher catalytic activity, but also better stability and durability. The PdM/C catalysts all exhibit good dispersion and very little agglomeration after long-term potential cycles toward ethanol oxidation. With only 10% metallic atomic ratio of Au, PdAu/C catalyst shows extraordinary catalytic activity and stability, the peak current reaches 1700 mA mg"−"1 Pd, about 2.5 times that of Pd/C. Moreover, the PdAu/C maintains 40% of the catalytic activity after 4500 potential cycles. - Highlights: • Pd-based catalysts with complicated exposed facets. • Much enhanced electrocatalytic activity and stability with about 10% noble metal M (M = Ru, Pt, Au) on Pd nanoparticles. • The outstanding electrocatalytic performance of PdAu/C towards ethanol oxidation after the Au modification.

Surface noble metal modified PdM/C (M = Ru, Pt, Au) as anode catalysts for direct ethanol fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mao, Han; Huang, Tao, E-mail: huangt@fudan.edu.cn; Yu, Aishui, E-mail: asyu@fudan.edu.cn

2016-08-15

In this article, we studied the surface noble metal modification on Pd nanoparticles, other than the homogeneous or core-shell structure. The surface modification will lead to the uneven constitution within the nanoparticles and thus more obvious optimization effect toward the catalyst brought by the lattice deformation. The surface of the as-prepared Pd nanoparticles was modified with Ru, Pt or Au by a moderate and green approach, respectively. XPS results confirm the interactive electron effects between Pd and the modified noble metal. Electrochemical measurements show that the surface noble metal modified catalysts not only show higher catalytic activity, but also better stability and durability. The PdM/C catalysts all exhibit good dispersion and very little agglomeration after long-term potential cycles toward ethanol oxidation. With only 10% metallic atomic ratio of Au, PdAu/C catalyst shows extraordinary catalytic activity and stability, the peak current reaches 1700 mA mg{sup −1} Pd, about 2.5 times that of Pd/C. Moreover, the PdAu/C maintains 40% of the catalytic activity after 4500 potential cycles. - Highlights: • Pd-based catalysts with complicated exposed facets. • Much enhanced electrocatalytic activity and stability with about 10% noble metal M (M = Ru, Pt, Au) on Pd nanoparticles. • The outstanding electrocatalytic performance of PdAu/C towards ethanol oxidation after the Au modification.

Update on the use of dissolved oxygen addition to monitor the effectiveness of noble metal applications in external manifolds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varela, J.A.; Huie, H.H.; Seeman, R.A.; Bourne, C.M.; Odell, A.D.

2014-01-01

Electrochemical corrosion potential (ECP) measurements in a Mitigation Monitoring System (MMS) ECP manifold have historically been a primary indicator of the effectiveness of an On-Line NobleChem™ (OLNC) application, with the MMS ECP intended to measure the catalytic effect of noble metal deposited on the ECP manifold surface. In some plants ECP measurements made on untreated surfaces prior to an OLNC application were significantly lower than what would be expected for stainless steel under reactor bulk chemistry conditions. This is due to the consumption and depletion of bulk liquid dissolved oxygen (DO) in the lines supplying reactor water to these external ECP measurement locations. This phenomenon degrades the ability to use these external manifolds to confirm noble metal deposition. Previous papers have described how the injection of an oxygen-rich stream to the MMS supply stream (DO Addition) can be used to re-establish the capability of external ECP measurements to monitor the catalytic behavior of platinum deposited during an OLNC injection. This paper will provide an update of how this method is being successfully used in operating BWRs to monitor OLNC injections. The paper will outline the overall approach used to characterize the catalytic behavior of external ECP manifolds before and after the noble metal application and present plant data collected during DO Additions performed under various conditions. (author)

Effect of sacrificial agents on the dispersion of metal cocatalysts for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Shaowen; Shen, Baojia; Huang, Qian; Chen, Zhe

2018-06-01

Surface photodeposition of noble metal cocatalyst has been regarded as an effective approach to facilitate the separation of charge carriers and reduce the over-potential of water reduction, thus to enhance the photocatalytic H2-production activities of semiconductor photocatalyst. Herein, the influences of sacrificial agents used in the photodeposition process on the dispersion of noble metal nanoparticles are investigated, via a series of technique of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution test, microstructure analysis and photoelectrochemical measurement. As a result, the sacrificial agents are found to show large impact on the loading amount, particle size and distribution of different metals on the surface of g-C3N4. The real loading amount of Pt and Au is higher in methanol solution than that in triethanolamine solution. Better distribution and smaller size of Pt nanoparticles are achieved in the presence of methanol; while better distribution and smaller size of Au nanoparticles are achieved in the presence of triethanolamine. As a result, quite different charge transfer ability is achieved for the synthesized Pt and Au decorated g-C3N4, which subsequently leads to disparate photocatalytic activities of the same g-C3N4 photocatalyst under various conditions. The finding in this work indicates that the valid deposition content, particle size and distribution of metal cocatalysts should be carefully taken into account when comparing the photocatalytic activities among various samples.

Consideration on hydrogen explosion scenario in APR 1400 containment building during small breakup loss of coolant accident

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Kweonha, E-mail: khpark@kmou.ac.kr [Division of Mechanical & Energy Systems Engineering, Korea Maritime University, Dongsam-dong, Yeongdo-gu, Busan 606-791 (Korea, Republic of); Khor, Chong Lee, E-mail: itachi_829@hotmail.com [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Maritime University, Dongsam-dong, Yeongdo-gu, Busan 606-791 (Korea, Republic of)

2015-11-15

Highlights: • Hydrogen behavior in the containment building of APR1400 nuclear plant up to 15 h after the failure happened. • The risk of hydrogen explosion largely depends on the combination of air, hydrogen and steam in the containment. • Hydrogen explosion risk at different locations in the containment was analyzed. - Abstract: This paper describes the analytical result of the potential risk of hydrogen gas up to 15 h after the failure takes place. The major cause of the disaster occurred in Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor was the detonation of accumulated hydrogen in the containment by highly increased reactor core temperatures after the failure of the emergency cooling system. The hydrogen risk should be considered in severe accident strategies in current and future NPPs. A hydrogen explosion scenario is proposed. Hydrogen is accumulated on top of the dome during the hydrogen release period. At this point, there are no risk of explosion due to the steam that resides in upper part of the dome. As the hydrogen concentration increase, substantial amount of steams are released. Subsequently, hydrogen is forced into the lower part of the building with high air density—small explosion and dormant steam condensation phase are possible. The light hydrogen rises up slowly with air, gathering on top of the building with high air density. Massive hydrogen explosion is anticipated upon ignition at this stage.

Preparation of NiS/ZnIn2S4 as a superior photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution under visible light irradiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liang Wei

2013-12-01

Full Text Available In this study, NiS/ZnIn2S4 nanocomposites were successfully prepared via a facile two-step hydrothermal process. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, transmission electron microscopy (TEM and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM. Their photocatalytic performance for hydrogen evolution under visible light irradiation was also investigated. It was found that the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity over hexagonal ZnIn2S4 can be significantly increased by loading NiS as a co-catalyst. The formation of a good junction between ZnIn2S4 and NiS via the two step hydrothermal processes is beneficial for the directional migration of the photo-excited electrons from ZnIn2S4 to NiS. The highest photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate (104.7 μmol/h, which is even higher than that over Pt/ZnIn2S4 nanocomposite (77.8 μmol/h, was observed over an optimum NiS loading amount of 0.5 wt %. This work demonstrates a high potential of the developing of environmental friendly, cheap noble-metal-free co-catalyst for semiconductor-based photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Noble Cantor sets acting as partial internal transport barriers in fusion plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Misguich, J.H.; Reuss, J.D.; Constantinescu, D.; Steinbrecher, G.; Vlad, M.; Spineanu, F.; Weyssow, B.; Balescu, R.

2002-03-01

In hot laboratory plasmas, Internal Transport Barriers (ITB) have recently been observed, localized in the radial profile 'around' rational values of the winding number ω(r)=1/q(r). Such barriers are obviously related to the perturbed magnetic structure, described by a 1+1/2 Hamiltonian in presence of a perturbation. From the point of view of non-linear Hamiltonian dynamical systems this experimental result appears highly paradoxical since rational q-values generally correspond to the less robust tori. We have studied the appearance of chaos of toroidal magnetic lines by a discrete area-preserving map named 'tokamap'. By increasing the perturbation, we have observed in a wide chaotic sea the destruction of the last confining Kolmogorov-Arnold-Moser (KAM) surfaces, broken and transformed into permeable Cantor sets (Cantori). The flux across a Cantorus has been computed by using refined mathematical techniques due to MacKay, Mather and Aubry. We have proved that the ITB observed in the tokamap is actually composed of two permeable Cantori with 'noble' values of ω (in the definition of Percival). More generally, between the dominant chains of rational islands q = m/m-1, the most resistant barriers between q = m+2/m+1 and m+1/m have been checked (Green, MacKay and Stark) to be localized on the 'most irrational' numbers in these Farey intervals, i.e. on the noble numbers N(1,m)≡ 1+[1/(m+1/G)] (where G is the Golden number) defined by their continuous fraction expansion N(i,m) = [i,m,(1) ∞ ]. In conclusion, the study of the tokamap mapping allowed us to predict on mathematical basis that ITB can occur in tokamak plasmas not only 'around' rational magnetic surfaces but more precisely on noble q-values of irrational surfaces, and to localize them by the Fibonacci series of their convergent. (authors)

Massive propagators in instanton fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, L.S.; Lee, C.

1978-01-01

Green's functions for massive spinor and vector particles propagating in a self-dual but otherwise arbitrary non-Abelian gauge field are shown to be completely determined by the corresponding Green's functions of massive scalar particles

Topologically massive supergravity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Deser

1983-01-01

Full Text Available The locally supersymmetric extension of three-dimensional topologically massive gravity is constructed. Its fermionic part is the sum of the (dynamically trivial Rarita-Schwinger action and a gauge-invariant topological term, of second derivative order, analogous to the gravitational one. It is ghost free and represents a single massive spin 3/2 excitation. The fermion-gravity coupling is minimal and the invariance is under the usual supergravity transformations. The system's energy, as well as that of the original topological gravity, is therefore positive.

Transparent and conductive electrodes by large-scale nanostructuring of noble metal thin-films

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Linnet, Jes; Runge Walther, Anders; Wolff, Christian

grid, and nano-wire thin-films [1]. The indium and carbon films do not match the chemical stability nor the electrical performance of the noble metals, and many metal films are not uniform in material distribution leading to significant surface roughness and randomized transmission haze. We demonstrate...

An investigation of a household size trigeneration running with hydrogen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Yaodong; Huang, Ye; Chiremba, Elijah; Roskilly, Anthony P.; Hewitt, Neil; Ding, Yulong; Wu, Dawei; Yu, Hongdong; Chen, Xiangping; Li, Yapeng; Huang, Jincheng; Wang, Ruzhu; Wu, Jingyi; Xia, Zaizhong; Tan, Chunqing

2011-01-01

This study examined the performance and emission characteristics of a household size trigeneration based on a diesel engine generator fuelled with hydrogen comparing to that of single generation, cogeneration using ECLIPSE simulation software. In single generation simulation, the engine genset is used to produce electricity only and the heat from the engine is rejected to the atmosphere. In cogeneration and trigeneration, in addition to the electricity generated from the genset, the waste heat rejected from the hot exhaust gases and engine cooling system, is captured for domestic hot water supply using heat exchangers and hot water tank; and a part of the waste heat is used to drive absorption cooling in trigeneration. Comparisons have been made for the simulated results of these three modes of operation for hydrogen and diesel. The results prove that hydrogen is a potential energy vector in the future which is a key to meeting upcoming stringent greenhouse gases emissions. The study show that hydrogen has very good prospects to achieve a better or equal performance to conventional diesel fuel in terms of energetic performance, and a near zero carbon emission, depending on the life cycle analysis of the way the hydrogen is produced. The results also show enormous potential fuel savings and massive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions per unit of useful energy outputs with cogeneration and trigeneration compared with that of single generation.

NOBLE and EXCEL: The debate for excellence in dealing with left main stenosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kindi, Hamood Al; Samaan, Amir; Hosny, Hatem

2018-03-14

Left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG) has always been the standard revascularization strategy for this group of patients. However, with the recent developments in stents design and medical therapy over the past decade, several trials have been designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) as an alternative to CABG surgery in patients with LMCA disease. Recently, the results of two major trials, EXCEL and NOBLE, comparing CABG versus PCI in this patient population have been released. In fact, the results of both trials might appear contradictory at first glance. While the EXCEL trial showed that PCI was non-inferior to CABG surgery, the NOBLE trial suggested that CABG surgery is a better option. In the following review, we will discuss some of the similarities and contrasts between these two trials and conclude with lessons to be learned to our daily practice.

Spacetime structure of massive Majorana particles and massive gravitino

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahluwalia, D.V.; Kirchbach, M. [Theoretical Physics Group, Facultad de Fisica, Universidad Autonoma de Zacatecas, A.P. 600, 98062 Zacatecas (Mexico)

2003-07-01

The profound difference between Dirac and Majorana particles is traced back to the possibility of having physically different constructs in the (1/2, 0) 0 (0,1/2) representation space. Contrary to Dirac particles, Majorana-particle propagators are shown to differ from the simple linear {gamma} {mu} p{sub {mu}}, structure. Furthermore, neither Majorana particles, nor their antiparticles can be associated with a well defined arrow of time. The inevitable consequence of this peculiarity is the particle-antiparticle metamorphosis giving rise to neutrinoless double beta decay, on the one side, and enabling spin-1/2 fields to act as gauge fields, gauginos, on the other side. The second part of the lecture notes is devoted to massive gravitino. We argue that a spin measurement in the rest frame for an unpolarized ensemble of massive gravitino, associated with the spinor-vector [(1/2, 0) 0 (0,1/2)] 0 (1/2,1/2) representation space, would yield the results 3/2 with probability one half, and 1/2 with probability one half. The latter is distributed uniformly, i.e. as 1/4, among the two spin-1/2+ and spin-1/2- states of opposite parities. From that we draw the conclusion that the massive gravitino should be interpreted as a particle of multiple spin. (Author)

Search of massive star formation with COMICS

Science.gov (United States)

Okamoto, Yoshiko K.

2004-04-01

Mid-infrared observations is useful for studies of massive star formation. Especially COMICS offers powerful tools: imaging survey of the circumstellar structures of forming massive stars such as massive disks and cavity structures, mass estimate from spectroscopy of fine structure lines, and high dispersion spectroscopy to census gas motion around formed stars. COMICS will open the next generation infrared studies of massive star formation.

Phenolic Fractions from Muscadine Grape "Noble" Pomace can Inhibit Breast Cancer Cell MDA-MB-231 Better than those from European Grape "Cabernet Sauvignon" and Induce S-Phase Arrest and Apoptosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Jianming; Wei, Zheng; Zhang, Shengyu; Peng, Xichun; Huang, Yu; Zhang, Yali; Lu, Jiang

2017-05-01

Tons of grape pomace which still contained a rich amount of plant polyphenols, is discarded after winemaking. Plant polyphenols have multi-functional activities for human body. In this study, polyphenols of pomaces from Muscadinia rotundifolia "Noble" and Vitis vinifera "Cabernet Sauvignon" were extracted and fractionated, and then they were analyzed with LC-MS and the inhibitory effects on breast cancer cells were compared. The inhibition on MDA-MB-231 cells of fractions from "Noble" was further evaluated. The results showed that polyphenols from 2 grape pomaces could be separated into 3 fractions, and ellagic acid and/or ellagitannins were only detected in fractions from "Noble" pomace. All 3 fractions from "Noble" pomace inhibited MDA-MB-231 better than MCF-7. But fraction 2 from "Cabernet Sauvignon" inhibited MCF-7 better while fraction 1 and fraction 3 inhibited both 2 cells similarly. Moreover, the fractions from "Noble" pomace rather than "Cabernet Sauvignon" can inhibit MDA-MB-231 better. Finally, fractions from "Noble" pomace can induce S-phase arrest and apoptosis on MDA-MB-231. These findings suggested the extracts from grape pomace especially those from "Noble," are potential to be utilized as health beneficial products or even anti-breast cancer agents. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Electrical resistivity of noble-metal alloys: Roles of pseudopotential refinements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mujibar Rahman, S.M.

1983-08-01

The electrical resistivity of liquid noble-metal alloys i.e. CuAu and AgAu is calculated as a function of concentration. The calculations employ transition-metal-pseudopotentials that include nonlocal effects, hybridization and corrections due to orthogonalization hole and use the hard-sphere structure factors; the optimal values of the hard-sphere diameters are being determined by variational calculations. The calculated resistivities are comparable to the experimental values and to the available theoretical results. (author)

Investigation of the scattering of conduction electrons in copper from interstitial hydrogen using the de Haas-van Alphen effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wampler, W.

1976-05-01

The physics of the dHvA effect is discussed and it is shown how it can be used to determine the Fermi surface geometry, the Fermi velocities and the local scattering rates. Dingle temperature measurements are discribed and discussed. Furthermore the way in which the samples were prepared is described. Also discussed are some aspects of the metallurgical behavior of hydrogen in copper which are relevant to the sample preparation such as solubility, diffusion, precipitation, and trapping at impurities. The experimental results are presented, and the local scattering rates are determined from the results. These are then compared with lifetimes from previously reported measurements on substitutional impurities in noble metals. The experimental results are found to be in excellent agreement with a recent calculation of the scattering rates for hydrogen in copper by Huisman and Weiss. The data is also analysed in terms of phase shifts using the Greens function theory of Holtzworth and Lee for scattering from interstitials. (HPOE) [de

Screening metal-organic frameworks for selective noble gas adsorption in air: effect of pore size and framework topology.

Science.gov (United States)

Parkes, Marie V; Staiger, Chad L; Perry, John J; Allendorf, Mark D; Greathouse, Jeffery A

2013-06-21

The adsorption of noble gases and nitrogen by sixteen metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) was investigated using grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation. The MOFs were chosen to represent a variety of net topologies, pore dimensions, and metal centers. Three commercially available MOFs (HKUST-1, AlMIL-53, and ZIF-8) and PCN-14 were also included for comparison. Experimental adsorption isotherms, obtained from volumetric and gravimetric methods, were used to compare krypton, argon, and nitrogen uptake with the simulation results. Simulated trends in gas adsorption and predicted selectivities among the commercially available MOFs are in good agreement with experiment. In the low pressure regime, the expected trend of increasing adsorption with increasing noble gas polarizabilty is seen. For each noble gas, low pressure adsorption correlates with several MOF properties, including free volume, topology, and metal center. Additionally, a strong correlation exists between the Henry's constant and the isosteric heat of adsorption for all gases and MOFs considered. Finally, we note that the simulated and experimental gas selectivities demonstrated by this small set of MOFs show improved performance compared to similar values reported for zeolites.

On maximal massive 3D supergravity

OpenAIRE

Bergshoeff , Eric A; Hohm , Olaf; Rosseel , Jan; Townsend , Paul K

2010-01-01

ABSTRACT We construct, at the linearized level, the three-dimensional (3D) N = 4 supersymmetric " general massive supergravity " and the maximally supersymmetric N = 8 " new massive supergravity ". We also construct the maximally supersymmetric linearized N = 7 topologically massive supergravity, although we expect N = 6 to be maximal at the non-linear level. (Bergshoeff, Eric A) (Hohm, Olaf) (Rosseel, Jan) P.K.Townsend@da...

Loading Cd0.5Zn0.5S Quantum Dots onto Onion-Like Carbon Nanoparticles to Boost Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xiaolong; Wang, Xina; Feng, Xi; Zhang, Kun; Peng, Xiaoniu; Wang, Hanbin; Liu, Chunlei; Han, Yibo; Wang, Hao; Li, Quan

2017-07-12

Carbon dots (C dots, size < 10 nm) have been conventionally decorated onto semiconductor matrixes for photocatalytic H 2 evolution, but the efficiency is largely limited by the low loading ratio of the C dots on the photocatalyst. Here, we propose an inverse structure of Cd 0.5 Zn 0.5 S quantum dots (QDs) loaded onto the onionlike carbon (OLC) matrix for noble metal-free photocatalytic H 2 evolution. Cd 0.5 Zn 0.5 S QDs (6.9 nm) were uniformly distributed on an OLC (30 nm) matrix with both upconverted and downconverted photoluminescence property. Such an inverse structure allows the full optimization of the QD/OLC interfaces for effective energy transfer and charge separation, both of which contribute to efficient H 2 generation. An optimized H 2 generation rate of 2018 μmol/h/g (under the irradiation of visible light) and 58.6 μmol/h/g (under the irradiation of 550-900 nm light) was achieved in the Cd 0.5 Zn 0.5 S/OLC composite samples. The present work shows that using the OLC matrix in such a reverse construction is a promising strategy for noble metal-free solar hydrogen production.

Noble gas composition of subcontinental lithospheric mantle: An extensively degassed reservoir beneath Southern Patagonia

Science.gov (United States)

Jalowitzki, Tiago; Sumino, Hirochika; Conceição, Rommulo V.; Orihashi, Yuji; Nagao, Keisuke; Bertotto, Gustavo W.; Balbinot, Eduardo; Schilling, Manuel E.; Gervasoni, Fernanda

2016-09-01

Patagonia, in the Southern Andes, is one of the few locations where interactions between the oceanic and continental lithosphere can be studied due to subduction of an active spreading ridge beneath the continent. In order to characterize the noble gas composition of Patagonian subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM), we present the first noble gas data alongside new lithophile (Sr-Nd-Pb) isotopic data for mantle xenoliths from Pali-Aike Volcanic Field and Gobernador Gregores, Southern Patagonia. Based on noble gas isotopic compositions, Pali-Aike mantle xenoliths represent intrinsic SCLM with higher (U + Th + K)/(3He, 22Ne, 36Ar) ratios than the mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) source. This reservoir shows slightly radiogenic helium (3He/4He = 6.84-6.90 RA), coupled with a strongly nucleogenic neon signature (mantle source 21Ne/22Ne = 0.085-0.094). The 40Ar/36Ar ratios vary from a near-atmospheric ratio of 510 up to 17700, with mantle source 40Ar/36Ar between 31100-6800+9400 and 54000-9600+14200. In addition, the 3He/22Ne ratios for the local SCLM endmember, at 12.03 ± 0.15 to 13.66 ± 0.37, are higher than depleted MORBs, at 3He/22Ne = 8.31-9.75. Although asthenospheric mantle upwelling through the Patagonian slab window would result in a MORB-like metasomatism after collision of the South Chile Ridge with the Chile trench ca. 14 Ma, this mantle reservoir could have remained unhomogenized after rapid passage and northward migration of the Chile Triple Junction. The mantle endmember xenon isotopic ratios of Pali-Aike mantle xenoliths, which is first defined for any SCLM-derived samples, show values indistinguishable from the MORB source (129Xe/132Xe =1.0833-0.0053+0.0216 and 136Xe/132Xe =0.3761-0.0034+0.0246). The noble gas component observed in Gobernador Gregores mantle xenoliths is characterized by isotopic compositions in the MORB range in terms of helium (3He/4He = 7.17-7.37 RA), but with slightly nucleogenic neon (mantle source 21Ne/22Ne = 0.065-0.079). We

Laser-polarized noble gases: a powerful probe for biology, medicine, and subatomic physics

Science.gov (United States)

Cates, Gordon

2010-03-01

For over a decade, laser-polarized noble gases such as ^3He and ^129Xe have proven useful for a wide range of scientific inquiries. These include investigations of pulmonary disease using the polarized gas as a signal source for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), measurements of various aspects of nucleon structure, and tests of fundamental symmetries. Early efforts were often limited by expensive and bulky laser systems, but ongoing advancements in solid-state lasers have enabled increasingly large volumes of polarized gas to be produced with steadily improved polarization. Equally important have been advances in the fundamental understanding of spin exchange. This has led, for example, to the introduction of hybrid mixtures of alkali metals that can increase the efficiency of spin exchange by an order of magnitude. As a consequence of these advances, the figure of merit for polarized nuclear targets has increased by roughly three orders of magnitude in comparison to early accelerator-based experiments. And in MRI applications, it has become possible to pursue increasingly sophisticated imaging protocols that provide a wide range of diagnostic information. Even the earliest noble-gas MR images of the gas space of the human lung provided unprecedented resolution. More recent work includes the use of diffusion-sensitizing pulse sequences to study lung microstructure, and tagging techniques that enable the visualization (in real-time MRI movies) of gas flow during breathing. The range of applications of laser-polarized noble gases is continuing to grow, and it is notable that with an improved understanding of the underlying physics, it is quite likely that the capabilities of this useful technology will expand for some time to come.

Methane oxidation over noble metal catalysts as related to controlling natural gas vehicle exhaust emissions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, S.H.; Mitchell, P.J.; Siewert, R.M.

1992-01-01

Natural gas has considerable potential as an alternative automotive fuel. This paper reports on methane, the principal hydrocarbon species in natural-gas engine exhaust, which has extremely low photochemical reactivity but is a powerful greenhouse gas. Therefore, exhaust emissions of unburned methane from natural-gas vehicles are of particular concern. This laboratory reactor study evaluates noble metal catalysts for their potential in the catalytic removal of methane from natural-gas vehicle exhaust. Temperature run-up experiments show that the methane oxidation activity decreases in the order Pd/Al 2 O 3 > Rh/Al 2 O 3 > Pt/Al 2 O 3 . Also, for all the noble metal catalysts studied, methane conversion can be maximized by controlling the O 2 concentration of the feedstream at a point somewhat rich (reducing) of stoichiometry

Muon diffusion in noble metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schillaci, M.E.; Boekema, C.; Heffner, R.H.; Hutson, R.L.; Leon, M.; Olsen, C.E.; Dodds, S.A.; MacLaughlin, D.E.; Richards, P.M.

1982-01-01

Diffusion-induced muon depolarization was measured in dilute AgGd and AgEr in the temperature range 200 to 700 0 K and have thereby determined the muon diffusion parameters in Ag. The diffusion parameters for μ + in Cu, Ag, and Au are compared with those of hydrogen. For Ag and Au, the μ + parameters are similar to those of hydrogen, whereas for Cu, the μ + parameters are much smaller. Lattice-activated tunneling and over-barrier hopping are investigated with computational models

Hydrogen production by tailoring the brookite and Cu2O ratio of sol-gel Cu-TiO2 photocatalysts.

Science.gov (United States)

Hinojosa-Reyes, Mariana; Camposeco-Solís, Roberto; Zanella, Rodolfo; Rodríguez González, Vicente

2017-10-01

Cu-TiO 2 photocatalysts were prepared by the sol-gel method. Copper loadings from, 1.0 to 5.0 wt % were used. The materials were annealed at different temperatures (from 400 to 600 °C) to study the formation of brookite and copper ionic species. The photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, UV-vis, Raman and XPS spectroscopies, H 2 -temperature programmed reduction (TPR), N 2 physisorption, and SEM-EDS to quantify the actual copper loadings and characterize morphology. The photocatalysts were evaluated during the hydrogen photocatalytic production using an ethanolic solution (50% v/v) under UV and visible radiation. The best hydrogen production was performed by Ti-Cu 1.0 with an overall hydrogen production that was five times higher than that obtained with photolysis. This sample had an optimal thermal treatment at 500 °C, and at this temperature, the Cu 2 O and brookite/anatase ratio boosted the photocatalytic production of hydrogen. In addition, a deactivation test was carried out for the most active sample (TiO 2 -Cu 1.0), showing unchanged H 2 production for three cycles with negligible Cu lixiviation. The activity of hydrogen-through-copper production reported in this research work is comparable with the one featured by noble metals and that reported in the literature for doped TiO 2 materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detection of low-level environmental exposure rates due to noble gas releases from the Muehleberg nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Czarnecki, J.; Volkle, H.; Pretre, S.

1980-01-01

The increase of radiation doses in the vicinity of the Swiss Nuclear Power Stations due to airborne releases is generally expected to be below one mrem/year (about one percent of the natural radiation dose). To prove this expected rate, long term measurements with pressure ionization chambers in the vicinity of the Muhleberg plant (BWR) were conducted. Two of these chambers were installed at places where the greatest dose rates from the noble gas plumes were expected in the two prevailing wind directions. The local dose rates were continuously registered on magnetic tape to allow minicomputer evaluation. After the fuel change in the summer of 1976 the noble gas releases from Muhleberg dropped considerably. From that time the noble gas releases consisted of a very low continuous component and some rare short-time spike compoments resulting from turbine and reactor trips. The dose due to the low continuous component was determined by correlating the dose rates at the measuring points with the release measure--ments at the stack and with weather conditions, and by subtracting the natural background. The short noble gas spikes lasted from minutes to some hours and caused small dose rate increases which were easily measured with the ionization chambers, and usually amounted to doses of some microroentgens. By further correlating these dose peaks with wind direction and stack emission measurements, determination of short time atmospheric dilution factors for existing weather situations became possible. By this process, the very low annual environmental doses in the range of 1 mrem per year were determined. (author)

Massive neutrinos in astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qadir, A.

1982-08-01

Massive neutrinos are among the big hopes of cosmologists. If they happen to have the right mass they can close the Universe, explain the motion of galaxies in clusters, provide galactic halos and even, possibly, explain galaxy formation. Tremaine and Gunn have argued that massive neutrinos cannot do all these things. I will explain, here, what some of us believe is wrong with their arguments. (author)

Hemoglobin-carbon nanotube derived noble-metal-free Fe5C2-based catalyst for highly efficient oxygen reduction reaction

Science.gov (United States)

Vij, Varun; Tiwari, Jitendra N.; Lee, Wang-Geun; Yoon, Taeseung; Kim, Kwang S.

2016-02-01

High performance non-precious cathodic catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are vital for the development of energy materials and devices. Here, we report an noble metal free, Fe5C2 nanoparticles-studded sp2 carbon supported mesoporous material (CNTHb-700) as cathodic catalyst for ORR, which was prepared by pyrolizing the hybrid adduct of single walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) and lyophilized hemoglobin (Hb) at 700 °C. The catalyst shows onset potentials of 0.92 V in 0.1 M HClO4 and in 0.1 M KOH which are as good as commercial Pt/C catalyst, giving very high current density of 6.34 and 6.69 mA cm-2 at 0.55 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), respectively. This catalyst has been confirmed to follow 4-electron mechanism for ORR and shows high electrochemical stability in both acidic and basic media. Catalyst CNTHb-700 possesses much higher tolerance towards methanol than the commercial Pt/C catalyst. Highly efficient catalytic properties of CNTHb-700 could lead to fundamental understanding of utilization of biomolecules in ORR and materialization of proton exchange membrane fuel cells for clean energy production.

Wide range noble gas radiation monitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuhlman, H.S. III; Wyvill, J.R.

1984-01-01

The present invention contemplates providing a sample system for effluent from a nuclear process wherein the effluent in a first mode passes through a sample chamber whose noble gases are quantitatively detected. The sample of the first mode is continued until the detector count rate reaches a predetermined maximum. The detector establishes a control signal which is applied to terminate the first mode effluent flow to the chamber, evacuate the chamber to a predetermined value of vacuum and connect the effluent into the sample chamber with a predetermined mode of flow rate different from the rate of the first mode to establish a sample concentration in the chamber within the range of the detector. A subsequent predetermined minimum rate will generate a signal to reconnect the sample chamber to the first mode connection and thereby cycle the system back to its first mode of operation

The electron energy distribution function of noble gases with flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karditsas, P.J.

1989-01-01

The treatment of the Boltzmann equation by several investigators, for the determination of the electron energy distribution function (EEDF) in noble gases was restricted to static discharges. It is of great interest to magnetoplasmadynamic power generation to develop the Boltzmann equation to account for the effect of the bulk fluid flow on the EEDF. The two term expansion of the Boltzmann equation, as given, results in additional terms introduced to the equations due to the bulk fluid flow, with velocity u

Muon diffusion in noble metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schillaci, M.E.; Bokema, C.; Heffner, R.H.; Hutson, R.L.; Leon, M.; Olsen, C.E.; Dodds, S.A.; MacLaughlin, D.E.; Richards, P.M.

1983-01-01

Diffusion-induced muon depolarization in dilute AgGd and AgEr were measured in the temperature range 200-700 K and have thereby determined the muon diffusion parameters in Ag. The diffusion parameters for μ + in Cu, Ag, and Au are compared with those of hydrogen. For Ag and Au, the μ + parameters are similar to those of hydrogen, whereas for Cu, the μ + parameters are much smaller. Lattice-activated tunneling and over-barrier hopping are investigated with computational models. 15 references, 1 figure, 2 tables

Binary-collision-approximation-based simulation of noble gas irradiation to tungsten materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saito, Seiki; Takayama, Arimichi; Ito, Atsushi M.; Nakamura, Hiroaki

2013-01-01

To reveal the possibility of fuzz formation of tungsten material under noble gas irradiation, helium, neon, and argon atom injections into tungsten materials are performed by binary-collision-approximation-based simulation. The penetration depth is strongly depends on the structure of the target material. Therefore, the penetration depth for amorphous and bcc crystalline structure is carefully investigated in this paper

77 FR 10707 - Safety Zone; NOBLE DISCOVERER, Outer Continental Shelf Drillship, Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-23

... indigenous population; (4) the lack of any established shipping fairways, fueling and supply storage... location of the DRILLSHIP NOBLE DISCOVERER on the Outer Continental Shelf and its distance from both land...

The efficiency of seismic attributes to differentiate between massive and non-massive carbonate successions for hydrocarbon exploration activity

Science.gov (United States)

Sarhan, Mohammad Abdelfattah

2017-12-01

The present work investigates the efficiency of applying volume seismic attributes to differentiate between massive and non-massive carbonate sedimentary successions on using seismic data. The main objective of this work is to provide a pre-drilling technique to recognize the porous carbonate section (probable hydrocarbon reservoirs) based on seismic data. A case study from the Upper Cretaceous - Eocene carbonate successions of Abu Gharadig Basin, northern Western Desert of Egypt has been tested in this work. The qualitative interpretations of the well-log data of four available wells distributed in the study area, namely; AG-2, AG-5, AG-6 and AG-15 wells, has confirmed that the Upper Cretaceous Khoman A Member represents the massive carbonate section whereas the Eocene Apollonia Formation represents the non-massive carbonate unit. The present work have proved that the most promising seismic attributes capable of differentiating between massive and non-massive carbonate sequences are; Root Mean Square (RMS) Amplitude, Envelope (Reflection Strength), Instantaneous Frequency, Chaos, Local Flatness and Relative Acoustic Impedance.

Rational design of binder-free noble metal/metal oxide arrays with nanocauliflower structure for wide linear range nonenzymatic glucose detection

KAUST Repository

Li, Zhenzhen

2015-06-12

One-dimensional nanocomposites of metal-oxide and noble metal were expected to present superior performance for nonenzymatic glucose detection due to its good conductivity and high catalytic activity inherited from noble metal and metal oxide respectively. As a proof of concept, we synthesized gold and copper oxide (Au/CuO) composite with unique one-dimensional nanocauliflowers structure. Due to the nature of the synthesis method, no any foreign binder was needed in keeping either Au or CuO in place. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt in combining metal oxide and noble metal in a binder-free style for fabricating nonenzymatic glucose sensor. The Au/CuO nanocauliflowers with large electrochemical active surface and high electrolyte contact area would promise a wide linear range and high sensitive detection of glucose with good stability and reproducibility due to its good electrical conductivity of Au and high electrocatalytic activity of CuO.

Modeling of noble gas injection into tokamak plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morozov, D.Kh.; Yurchenko, E.I.; Lukash, V.E.; Baronova, E.O.; Rozhansky, V.A.; Senichenkov, I.Yu.; Veselova, I.Yu.; Schneider, R.

2005-01-01

Noble gas injection for mitigation of the disruption in DIII-D is simulated. The simulation of the first two stages is performed: of the neutral gas jet penetration through the background plasmas, and of the thermal quench. In order to simulate the first stage the 1.5-dimensional numerical code LLP with improved radiation model for noble gas is used. It is demonstrated that the jet remains mainly neutral and thus is able to penetrate to the central region of the tokamak in accordance with experimental observations. Plasma cooling at this stage is provided by the energy exchange with the jet. The radiation is relatively small, and the plasma thermal energy is spent mainly on the jet expansion. The magnetic surfaces in contact with the jet are cooled significantly. The cooling front propagates towards the plasma center. The simulations of the plasma column dynamics in the presence of moving jet is performed by means of the free boundary transport modeling DINA code. It has been shown that the cooling front is accompanied by strongly localized 'shark fin-like' perturbation in toroidal current density profile. After few milliseconds the jet (together with the current perturbation) achieves the region where safety factor is slightly higher than unity and a new type of the non-local kink mode develops. The unstable kink perturbation is non-resonant for any magnetic surface, both inside the plasma column, and in the vacuum space. The mode disturbs mainly the core region. The growth time of the 'shark fin-like' mode is higher than the Alfven time by a factor of 100 for DIII-D parameters. Hence, the simulation describes the DIII-D experimental results, at least, qualitatively. (author)

Autoradiographic techniques to determine noble metal distribution in automotive catalyst substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lange, W.H.

1976-01-01

The distribution of noble metals in the ceramic substrates of automotive catalytic converter systems is important to the functional characteristics of the systems. A radiotracer technique involving microtomy of bead substrate samples and autoradiography using the resultant thin sections was developed to produce detailed images of the metal distributions. The method is particularly valuable to determine the distribution of one metal in the presence of another to aid in the development of more efficient systems

Massive Born--Infeld and Other Dual Pairs

CERN Document Server

Ferrara, S

2015-01-01

We consider massive dual pairs of p-forms and (D-p-1)-forms described by non-linear Lagrangians, where non-linear curvature terms in one theory translate into non-linear mass-like terms in the dual theory. In particular, for D=2p and p even the two non-linear structures coincide when the non-linear massless theory is self-dual. This state of affairs finds a natural realization in the four-dimensional massive N=1 supersymmetric Born-Infeld action, which describes either a massive vector multiplet or a massive linear (tensor) multiplet with a Born-Infeld mass-like term. These systems should play a role for the massive gravitino multiplet obtained from a partial super-Higgs in N=2 Supergravity.

Detection of Noble Gas Radionuclides from an Underground Nuclear Explosion During a CTBT On-Site Inspection

Science.gov (United States)

Carrigan, Charles R.; Sun, Yunwei

2014-03-01

The development of a technically sound approach to detecting the subsurface release of noble gas radionuclides is a critical component of the on-site inspection (OSI) protocol under the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. In this context, we are investigating a variety of technical challenges that have a significant bearing on policy development and technical guidance regarding the detection of noble gases and the creation of a technically justifiable OSI concept of operation. The work focuses on optimizing the ability to capture radioactive noble gases subject to the constraints of possible OSI scenarios. This focus results from recognizing the difficulty of detecting gas releases in geologic environments—a lesson we learned previously from the non-proliferation experiment (NPE). Most of our evaluations of a sampling or transport issue necessarily involve computer simulations. This is partly due to the lack of OSI-relevant field data, such as that provided by the NPE, and partly a result of the ability of computer-based models to test a range of geologic and atmospheric scenarios far beyond what could ever be studied by field experiments, making this approach very highly cost effective. We review some highlights of the transport and sampling issues we have investigated and complete the discussion of these issues with a description of a preliminary design for subsurface sampling that addresses some of the sampling challenges discussed here.

The role of van der Waals interactions in the adsorption of noble gases on metal surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, De-Li; Al-Saidi, W A; Johnson, J Karl

2012-10-03

Adsorption of noble gases on metal surfaces is determined by weak interactions. We applied two versions of the nonlocal van der Waals density functional (vdW-DF) to compute adsorption energies of Ar, Kr, and Xe on Pt(111), Pd(111), Cu(111), and Cu(110) metal surfaces. We have compared our results with data obtained using other density functional approaches, including the semiempirical vdW corrected DFT-D2. The vdW-DF results show considerable improvements in the description of adsorption energies and equilibrium distances over other DFTbased methods, giving good agreement with experiments. We have also calculated perpendicular vibrational energies for noble gases on the metal surfaces using vdWDF data and found excellent agreement with available experimental results. Our vdW-DF calculations show that adsorption of noble gases on low-coordination sites is energetically favored over high-coordination sites, but only by a few meV. Analysis of the 2-dimensional potential energy surface shows that the high-coordination sites are local maxima on the 2-dimensional potential energy surface and therefore unlikely to be observed in experiments, which provides an explanation of the experimental observations. The DFT-D2 approach with the standard parameterization was found to overestimate the dispersion interactions, and to give the wrong adsorption site preference for four of the nine systems we studied.

Green synthesis of noble nanometals (Au, Pt, Pd) using glycerol under microwave irradiation conditions

Science.gov (United States)

A newer application of glycerol in the field of nanomaterials synthesis has been developed from both the economic and environmental points of view. Glycerol can act as a reducing agent for the fabrication of noble nanometals, such as Au, Pt, and Pd, under microwave irradiation. T...

Transparent and conductive electrodes by large-scale nano-structuring of noble metal thin-films

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Linnet, Jes; Runge Walther, Anders; Wolff, Christian

2018-01-01

grid, and nano-wire thin-films. The indium and carbon films do not match the chemical stability nor the electrical performance of the noble metals, and many metal films are not uniform in material distribution leading to significant surface roughness and randomized transmission haze. We demonstrate...

Gravity effects on a gliding arc in four noble gases: from normal to hypergravity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Potocnakova, L.; Sperka, J.; Zikan, P.; van Loon, J.J.W.A.; Beckers, J.; Kudrle, V.

2015-01-01

A gliding arc in four noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr) has been studied under previously unexplored conditions of varying artificial gravity, from normal 1 g gravity up to 18 g hypergravity. Significant differences, mainly the visual thickness of the plasma channel, its maximum elongation and general

Small angle elastic scattering of electrons by noble gas atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagenaar, R.W.

1984-01-01

In this thesis, measurements are carried out to obtain small angle elastic differential cross sections in order to check the validity of Kramers-Kronig dispersion relations for electrons scattered by noble gas atoms. First, total cross sections are obtained for argon, krypton and xenon. Next, a parallel plate electrostatic energy analyser for the simultaneous measurement of doubly differential cross section for small angle electron scattering is described. Also absolute differential cross sections are reported. Finally the forward dispersion relation for electron-helium collisions is dealt with. (Auth.)

MASSIVE+: The Growth Histories of MASSIVE Survey Galaxies from their Globular Cluster Colors

Science.gov (United States)

Blakeslee, John

2017-08-01

The MASSIVE survey is targeting the 100 most massive galaxies within 108 Mpc that are visible in the northern sky. These most massive galaxies in the present-day universe reside in a surprisingly wide variety of environments, from rich clusters to fossil groups to near isolation. We propose to use WFC3/UVIS and ACS to carry out a deep imaging study of the globular cluster populations around a selected subset of the MASSIVE targets. Though much is known about GC systems of bright galaxies in rich clusters, we know surprisingly little about the effects of environment on these systems. The MASSIVE sample provides a golden opportunity to learn about the systematics of GC systems and what they can tell us about environmental drivers on the evolution of the highest mass galaxies. The most pressing questions to be addressed include: (1) Do isolated giants have the same constant mass fraction of GCs to total halo mass as BCGs of similar luminosity? (2) Do their GC systems show the same color (metallicity) distribution, which is an outcome of the mass spectrum of gas-rich halos during hierarchical growth? (3) Do the GCs in isolated high-mass galaxies follow the same radial distribution versus metallicity as in rich environments (a test of the relative importance of growth by accretion)? (4) Do the GCs of galaxies in sparse environments follow the same mass function? Our proposed second-band imaging will enable us to secure answers to these questions and add enormously to the legacy value of existing HST imaging of the highest mass galaxies in the universe.

Exploring methods for compositional and particle size analysis of noble metal nanoparticles in Daphnia manga

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krystek, P.W.; Brandsma, S.H.; Leonards, P.E.G.; de Boer, J.

2016-01-01

The identification and quantification of the bioaccumulation of noble metal engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) by aquatic organisms is of great relevance to understand the exposure and potential toxicity mechanisms of nanoscale materials. Four analytical scenarios were investigated in relation to

μ+ thermalization and muonium formation in noble gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fleming, D.G.; Mikula, R.J.; Garner, D.M.; British Columbia Univ., Vancouver

1981-01-01

One energy loss mechanism in μ + thermalization (in gases) is that due to charge exchange, in which muonium is repeatedly formed and lost in a series of charge-exchange cycles μ + +e - reversible Mu, a process which depends on the ionization potential of the moderator gas but one in which no depolarization of the μ + is expected at approx. 1 atm. pressure. However, if the time between collisions in a given energy regime can be made sufficiently long then additional depolarization may occur, which can provide further information on the charge-exchange process itself. Extensive data showing this effect has been found in gases; results for the noble gases are presented. (orig.)

Long-range interactions of excited He atoms with ground-state noble-gas atoms

KAUST Repository

Zhang, J.-Y.; Qian, Ying; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo; Yan, Z.-C.

2013-01-01

The dispersion coefficients C6, C8, and C10 for long-range interactions of He(n1,3S) and He(n1,3P), 2≤n≤10, with the ground-state noble-gas atoms Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe are calculated by summing over the reduced matrix elements of multipole transition

Preliminary estimations on the heat recovery method for hydrogen production by the high temperature steam electrolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koh, Jae Hwa; Yoon, Duck Joo

2009-01-01

As a part of the project 'development of hydrogen production technologies by high temperature electrolysis using very high temperature reactor', we have developed an electrolyzer model for high temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE) system and carried out some preliminary estimations on the effects of heat recovery on the HTSE hydrogen production system. To produce massive hydrogen by using nuclear energy, the HTSE process is one of the promising technologies with sulfur-iodine and hybrid sulfur process. The HTSE produces hydrogen through electrochemical reaction within the solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC), which is a reverse reaction of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). The HTSE system generally operates in the temperature range of 700∼900 .deg. C. Advantages of HTSE hydrogen production are (a) clean hydrogen production from water without carbon oxide emission, (b) synergy effect due to using the current SOFC technology and (c) higher thermal efficiency of system when it is coupled nuclear reactor. Since the HTSE system operates over 700 .deg. C, the use of heat recovery is an important consideration for higher efficiency. In this paper, four different heat recovery configurations for the HTSE system have been investigated and estimated

Evaluation of HWVP feed preparation chemistry for an NCAW simulant -- Fiscal year 1993: Effect of noble metals concentration on offgas generation and ammonia formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patello, G.K.; Wiemers, K.D.; Bell, R.D.; Smith, H.D.; Williford, R.E.; Clemmer, R.G.

1995-03-01

The High-Level Waste Vitrification Program is developing technology for the Department of Energy to immobilize high-level and transuranic wastes as glass for permanent disposal. Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) is conducting laboratory-scale melter feed preparation studies using a HWVP simulated waste slurry, Neutralized Current Acid Waste (NCAW). A FY 1993 laboratory-scale study focused on the effects of noble metals (Pd, Rh, and Ru) on feed preparation offgas generation and NH 3 production. The noble metals catalyze H 2 and NH 3 production, which leads to safety concerns. The information gained from this study is intended to be used for technology development in pilot scale testing and design of the Hanford High-Level Waste Vitrification Facility. Six laboratory-scale feed preparation tests were performed as part of the FY 1993 testing activities using nonradioactive NCAW simulant. Tests were performed with 10%, 25%, 50% of nominal noble metals content. Also tested were 25% of the nominal Rh and a repeat of 25% nominal noble metals. The results of the test activities are described. 6 refs., 28 figs., 12 tabs

Evaluation of HWVP feed preparation chemistry for an NCAW simulant -- Fiscal year 1993: Effect of noble metals concentration on offgas generation and ammonia formation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patello, G.K.; Wiemers, K.D.; Bell, R.D.; Smith, H.D.; Williford, R.E.; Clemmer, R.G.

1995-03-01

The High-Level Waste Vitrification Program is developing technology for the Department of Energy to immobilize high-level and transuranic wastes as glass for permanent disposal. Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) is conducting laboratory-scale melter feed preparation studies using a HWVP simulated waste slurry, Neutralized Current Acid Waste (NCAW). A FY 1993 laboratory-scale study focused on the effects of noble metals (Pd, Rh, and Ru) on feed preparation offgas generation and NH{sub 3} production. The noble metals catalyze H{sub 2} and NH{sub 3} production, which leads to safety concerns. The information gained from this study is intended to be used for technology development in pilot scale testing and design of the Hanford High-Level Waste Vitrification Facility. Six laboratory-scale feed preparation tests were performed as part of the FY 1993 testing activities using nonradioactive NCAW simulant. Tests were performed with 10%, 25%, 50% of nominal noble metals content. Also tested were 25% of the nominal Rh and a repeat of 25% nominal noble metals. The results of the test activities are described. 6 refs., 28 figs., 12 tabs.

Composition of lunar noble gases traped 2.5 AE and 3.5 AE ago

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eugster, O.

1986-01-01

The times when the soils 74001 and 73261 were exposed on the lunar surface were determined by the U-235 - Xe-136 dating method. The isotopic composition of the trapped noble gases in these two soils is compared with that of the surface correlated noble gases in the young soils 12001 and in the present day solar wind. The surface correlated trapped gases are a mixture of implanted solar wind particles and retrapped lunar atmospheric gases. The observed changes are interpreted as a result of decreasing outgassing of radiogenic Ar-40 and perhaps He-4 and of fissiogenic Xe from the lunar crust. The old soils probably also contain surface correlated Kr-80 and Kr-82 produced by secondary cosmic ray neutron capture of adsorbed or retrapped bromine. To some extent the isotopic composition of the trapped gases in old lunar soil may also have been altered due to diffusion loss from material of low retentivity

Tailoring the supercapacitive performances of noble metal oxides, porous carbons and their composites

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Panić Vladimir V.

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Porous electrochemical supercapacitive materials, as an important type of new-generation energy storage devices, require a detailed analysis and knowledge of their capacitive performances upon different charging/discharging regimes. The investigation of the responses to dynamic perturbations of typical representatives, noble metal oxides, carbonaceous materials and RuO2-impregnated carbon blacks, by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS is presented. This presentation follows a brief description of supercapacitive behavior and origin of pseudocapacitive response of noble metal oxides. For all investigated materials, the electrical charging/discharging equivalent of the EIS response was found to obey the transmission line model envisaged as so-called „resistor/capacitor (RC ladder“. The ladder features are correlated to material physicochemical properties, its composition and the composition of the electrolyte. Fitting of the EIS data of different supercapacitive materials to appropriate RC ladders enables the in-depth profiling of the capacitance and pore resistance of their porous thin-layers and finally the complete revelation of capacitive energy storage issues. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 172060

Four new massive pulsating white dwarfs including an ultramassive DAV

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Curd, Brandon; Gianninas, A.; Bell, Keaton J.; Kilic, Mukremin; Romero, A. D.; Allende Prieto, Carlos; Winget, D. E.; Winget, K. I.

2017-06-01

We report the discovery of four massive (M > 0.8 M⊙) ZZ Ceti white dwarfs, including an ultramassive 1.16 M⊙ star. We obtained ground-based, time series photometry for 13 white dwarfs from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 and Data Release 10 whose atmospheric parameters place them within the ZZ Ceti instability strip. We detect monoperiodic pulsations in three of our targets (J1015, J1554 and J2038) and identify three periods of pulsation in J0840 (173, 327 and 797 s). Fourier analysis of the remaining nine objects does not indicate variability above the 4 detection threshold. Our preliminary asteroseismic analysis of J0840 yields a stellar mass M = 1.14 ± 0.01 M⊙, hydrogen and helium envelope masses of MH = 5.8 × 10-7 M⊙ and MHe = 4.5 × 10-4 M⊙ and an expected core crystallized mass ratio of 50-70 per cent. J1015, J1554 and J2038 have masses in the range 0.84-0.91 M⊙ and are expected to have a CO core; however, the core of J0840 could consist of highly crystallized CO or ONeMg given its high mass. These newly discovered massive pulsators represent a significant increase in the number of known ZZ Ceti white dwarfs with mass M > 0.85 M⊙, and detailed asteroseismic modelling of J0840 will allow for significant tests of crystallization theory in CO and ONeMg core white dwarfs.

Diverging effects of isotopic fractionation upon molecular diffusion of noble gases in water: mechanistic insights through ab initio molecular dynamics simulations.

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Pinto de Magalhães, Halua; Brennwald, Matthias S; Kipfer, Rolf

2017-03-22

Atmospheric noble gases are routinely used as natural tracers to analyze gas transfer processes in aquatic systems. Their isotopic ratios can be employed to discriminate between different physical transport mechanisms by comparison to the unfractionated atmospheric isotope composition. In many applications of aquatic systems molecular diffusion was thought to cause a mass dependent fractionation of noble gases and their isotopes according to the square root ratio of their masses. However, recent experiments focusing on isotopic fractionation within a single element challenged this broadly accepted assumption. The determined fractionation factors of Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe isotopes revealed that only Ar follows the prediction of the so-called square root relation, whereas within the Ne, Kr and Xe elements no mass-dependence was found. The reason for this unexpected divergence of Ar is not yet understood. The aim of our computational exercise is to establish the molecular-resolved mechanisms behind molecular diffusion of noble gases in water. We make the hypothesis that weak intermolecular interactions are relevant for the dynamical properties of noble gases dissolved in water. Therefore, we used ab initio molecular dynamics to explicitly account for the electronic degrees of freedom. Depending on the size and polarizability of the hydrophobic particles such as noble gases, their motion in dense and polar liquids like water is subject to different diffusive regimes: the inter-cavity hopping mechanism of small particles (He, Ne) breaks down if a critical particle size achieved. For the case of large particles (Kr, Xe), the motion through the water solvent is governed by mass-independent viscous friction leading to hydrodynamical diffusion. Finally, Ar falls in between the two diffusive regimes, where particle dispersion is propagated at the molecular collision time scale of the surrounding water molecules.

Noble Metal Nanoparticles Applications in Cancer

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João Conde

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Nanotechnology has prompted new and improved materials for biomedical applications with particular emphasis in therapy and diagnostics. Special interest has been directed at providing enhanced molecular therapeutics for cancer, where conventional approaches do not effectively differentiate between cancerous and normal cells; that is, they lack specificity. This normally causes systemic toxicity and severe and adverse side effects with concomitant loss of quality of life. Because of their small size, nanoparticles can readily interact with biomolecules both at surface and inside cells, yielding better signals and target specificity for diagnostics and therapeutics. This way, a variety of nanoparticles with the possibility of diversified modification with biomolecules have been investigated for biomedical applications including their use in highly sensitive imaging assays, thermal ablation, and radiotherapy enhancement as well as drug and gene delivery and silencing. Here, we review the available noble metal nanoparticles for cancer therapy, with particular focus on those already being translated into clinical settings.

The effect of dielectric constants on noble metal/semiconductor SERS enhancement: FDTD simulation and experiment validation of Ag/Ge and Ag/Si substrates.

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