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Sample records for preparative high performance

  1. Layer-by-Layer Assembly for Preparation of High-Performance Forward Osmosis Membrane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Libin; Zhang, Jinglong; Song, Peng; Wang, Zhan

    2018-01-01

    Forward osmosis (FO) membrane with high separation performance is needed to promote its practical applications. Herein, layer-by-layer (LbL) approach was used to prepare a thin and highly cross-linked polyamide layer on a polyacrylonitrile substrate surface to prepare a thin-film composite forward osmosis (TFC-FO) membrane with enhanced FO performance. The effects of monomer concentrations and assembly cycles on the performance of the TFC-FO membranes were systematically investigated. Under the optimal preparation condition, TFC-FO membrane achieved the best performance, exhibiting the water flux of 14.4/6.9 LMH and reverse salt flux of 7.7/3.8 gMH under the pressure retarded osmosis/forward osmosis (PRO/FO) mode using 1M NaCl as the draw against a DI-water feed, and a rejection of 96.1% for 2000 mg/L NaCl aqueous solution. The result indicated that layer-by-layer method was a potential method to regulate the structure and performance of the TFC-FO membrane.

  2. Extraction and Purification of Glucoraphanin by Preparative High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Iris; Boyce, Mary C.

    2011-01-01

    A student activity that focuses on the isolation of glucoraphanin from broccoli using preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is presented here. Glucoraphanin is a glucosinolate, whose byproducts are known to possess anticancer properties. It is present naturally at high levels in broccoli and other "Brassica" vegetables. This…

  3. An analysis of high-performing science students' preparation for collegiate science courses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walter, Karen

    This mixed-method study surveyed first year high-performing science students who participated in high-level courses such as International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced Placement (AP), and honors science courses in high school to determine their perception of preparation for academic success at the collegiate level. The study used 52 students from an honors college campus and surveyed the students and their professors. The students reported that they felt better prepared for academic success at the collegiate level by taking these courses in high school (pstudent GPA with honors science courses (n=55 and Pearson's r=-0.336), while AP courses (n=47 and Pearson's r=0.0016) and IB courses (n=17 and Pearson's r=-0.2716) demonstrated no correlation between perception of preparation and GPA. Students reported various themes that helped or hindered their perception of academic success once at the collegiate level. Those themes that reportedly helped students were preparedness, different types of learning, and teacher qualities. Students reported in a post-hoc experience that more lab time, rigorous coursework, better teachers, and better study techniques helped prepare them for academic success at the collegiate level. Students further reported on qualities of teachers and teaching that helped foster their academic abilities at the collegiate level, including teacher knowledge, caring, teaching style, and expectations. Some reasons for taking high-level science courses in high school include boosting GPA, college credit, challenge, and getting into better colleges.

  4. An Efficient Protocol for Preparation of Gallic Acid from Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb by Combination of Macroporous Resin and Preparative High-Performance Liquid Chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zou, Denglang; Chen, Tao; Chen, Chen; Li, Hongmei; Liu, Yongling; Li, Yulin

    2016-08-01

    In this article, macroporous resin column chromatography and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography were applied for preparation of gallic acid from Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb. In the first step, six kinds of resins were investigated by adsorption and desorption tests and AB-8 macroporous resin was selected for the enrichment of gallic acid. As a result, 20 g of gallic acid at a purity of 71% could be separated from 100 g of crude extract in which the content of gallic acid was 16.7% and the recovery of gallic acid reached 85.0%. In the second step, preparative high-performance liquid chromatography was selected to purify gallic acid. As a result, 640 mg of gallic acid at a purity of 99.1% was obtained from 1 g of sample in 35 min. The results demonstrated that macroporous resin coupled with preparative high-performance liquid chromatography was suitable for preparation of gallic acid from T. bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  5. Efficient preparation of highly hydrogenated graphene and its application as a high-performance anode material for lithium ion batteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Wufeng; Zhu, Zhiye; Li, Sirong; Chen, Chunhua; Yan, Lifeng

    2012-03-01

    A novel method has been developed to prepare hydrogenated graphene (HG) via a direct synchronized reduction and hydrogenation of graphene oxide (GO) in an aqueous suspension under 60Co gamma ray irradiation at room temperature. GO can be reduced by the aqueous electrons (eaq-) while the hydrogenation takes place due to the hydrogen radicals formed in situ under irradiation. The maximum hydrogen content of the as-prepared highly hydrogenated graphene (HHG) is found to be 5.27 wt% with H/C = 0.76. The yield of the target product is on the gram scale. The as-prepared HHG also shows high performance as an anode material for lithium ion batteries.

  6. Preparation of high-performance ultrafine-grained AISI 304L stainless steel under high temperature and pressure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peng Wang

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Bulk ultra-fine grained (UFG AISI 304L stainless steel with excellent mechanical properties was prepared by a high-temperature and high-pressure (HTHP method using nanocrystalline AISI 304L stainless steel powders obtained from ball milling. Samples were sintered in high-pressure conditions using the highest martensite content of AISI 304L stainless steel powders milled for 25 h. Analyses of phase composition and grain size were accomplished by X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement. By comparing the reverse martensite transformation under vacuum and HTHP treat, we consider that pressure can effectively promote the change in the process of transformation. Compared with the solid-solution-treated 304L, the hardness and yield strength of the samples sintered under HTHP are considerably higher. This method of preparation of UFG bulk stainless steel may be widely popularised and used to obtain UFG metallic materials with good comprehensive performance.

  7. Synthesis of robust and high-performance aquaporin-based biomimetic membranes by interfacial polymerization-membrane preparation and RO performance characterization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhao, Yang; Qiu, Changquan; Li, Xuesong

    2012-01-01

    -free ABMs that can be easily scaled up. In the current study, a thin film composite (TFC) ABM was prepared by the interfacial polymerization method, where AquaporinZ-containing proteoliposomes were added to the m-phenylene-diamine aqueous solution. Control membranes, either without aquaporins......Aquaporins are water channel proteins with excellent water permeability and solute rejection, which makes them promising for preparing high-performance biomimetic membranes. Despite the growing interest in aquaporin-based biomimetic membranes (ABMs), it is challenging to produce robust and defect...... or with inactive (mutant) aquaporins, were also similarly prepared. The separation performance of these membranes was evaluated by cross-flow reverse osmosis (RO) tests. Compared to the controls, the active ABM achieved significantly higher water permeability (∼4L/m2hbar) with comparable NaCl rejection (∼97...

  8. Formic acid as additive for the preparation of high-performance FePO4 materials by spray drying method

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Yanga, F

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available International, vol. 43(18): 16652-16658 Formic acid as additive for the preparation of high-performance FePO4 materials by spray drying method Yanga F Zhang H Shao Y Song H Liao S Ren J ABSTRACT: High-performance ferric phosphate (FePO4...

  9. elPrep: High-Performance Preparation of Sequence Alignment/Map Files for Variant Calling.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charlotte Herzeel

    Full Text Available elPrep is a high-performance tool for preparing sequence alignment/map files for variant calling in sequencing pipelines. It can be used as a replacement for SAMtools and Picard for preparation steps such as filtering, sorting, marking duplicates, reordering contigs, and so on, while producing identical results. What sets elPrep apart is its software architecture that allows executing preparation pipelines by making only a single pass through the data, no matter how many preparation steps are used in the pipeline. elPrep is designed as a multithreaded application that runs entirely in memory, avoids repeated file I/O, and merges the computation of several preparation steps to significantly speed up the execution time. For example, for a preparation pipeline of five steps on a whole-exome BAM file (NA12878, we reduce the execution time from about 1:40 hours, when using a combination of SAMtools and Picard, to about 15 minutes when using elPrep, while utilising the same server resources, here 48 threads and 23GB of RAM. For the same pipeline on whole-genome data (NA12878, elPrep reduces the runtime from 24 hours to less than 5 hours. As a typical clinical study may contain sequencing data for hundreds of patients, elPrep can remove several hundreds of hours of computing time, and thus substantially reduce analysis time and cost.

  10. A validated high performance thin layer chromatography method for determination of yohimbine hydrochloride in pharmaceutical preparations

    OpenAIRE

    Jihan M Badr

    2013-01-01

    Background: Yohimbine is an indole alkaloid used as a promising therapy for erectile dysfunction. A number of methods were reported for the analysis of yohimbine in the bark or in pharmaceutical preparations. Materials and Method: In the present work, a simple and sensitive high performance thin layer chromatographic method is developed for determination of yohimbine (occurring as yohimbine hydrochloride) in pharmaceutical preparations and validated according to International Conference of Ha...

  11. Gender Differences in Introductory University Physics Performance: The Influence of High School Physics Preparation and Affect

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hazari, Zahra

    2006-12-01

    The attrition of females studying physics after high school has been a continuing concern for the physics education community. If females are well prepared, feel confident, and do well in introductory college physics, they may be inclined to study physics further. This quantitative study uses HLM to identify factors from high school physics preparation (content, pedagogy, and assessment) and the affective domain that predict female and male performance in introductory college physics. The study includes controls for student demographic and academic background characteristics, and the final dataset consists of 1973 surveys from 54 introductory college physics classes. The results highlight high school physics and affective experiences that differentially predict female and male performance. These experiences include: learning requirements, computer graphing/analysis, long written problems, everyday world examples, community projects cumulative tests/quizzes, father's encouragement, family's belief that science leads to a better career, and the length of time students believe that high school physics would help in university physics. There were also experiences that similarly predict female and male performance. The results paint a dynamic picture of the factors from high school physics and the affective domain that influence the future physics performance of females and males. The implication is that there are many aspects to the teaching of physics in high school that, although widely used and thought to be effective, need reform in their implementation in order to be fully beneficial to females and/or males in college.

  12. Nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbon materials prepared from meta-aminophenol formaldehyde resin for supercapacitor with high rate performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou, Jin; Zhang, Zhongshen; Xing, Wei; Yu, Jing; Han, Guoxing; Si, Weijiang; Zhuo, Shuping

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: N-doped hierarchical porous carbons with high rate capacitive performance are prepared by a combination method of nano-SiO 2 template/KOH activation. - Highlights: • A mass produced nano-SiO 2 is used to prepared hierarchical porous carbon. • N-doped hierarchical porous carbon materials are easily prepared. • The NHPCs materials exhibit a very high capacitance of up to 260.5 F g −1 . • The NHPC-800 sample shows very high rate capability. • Hierarchical porosity and N-doping synergistically enhances the whole capacitance. - Abstract: In this work, nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbon materials (NHPCs) are prepared by a two-step method combined of a hard template process and KOH-activation treatment. Low cost and large-scale commercial nano-SiO 2 are used as a hard template. The hierarchical porosity, structure and nitrogen-doped surface chemical properties are proved by a varies of means, such as scanning electron microscopy, transition electron microscopy, N 2 sorption, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. When the prepared NHPCs materials are used as the electrode materials for supercapacitors in KOH electrolyte, they exhibit very high specific capacitance, good power capability and excellent cyclic stability. NHPC-800 carbon shows a high capacitance of 114.0 F g −1 at the current density of 40 A g −1 , responding to a high energy and power densities of 4.0 Wh kg −1 and 10 000 W kg −1 , and a very short drain time of 1.4 s. The excellent capacitive performance may be due to the synergistic effect of the hierarchical porosity, high effective surface area and heteroatom doping, resulting in both electrochemical double layer and Faradaic capacitance contributions

  13. Preparation and investigation of nano-AlN lubricant with high performance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tao, Yu; Tao, Yuxiao; Wang, Biaobing [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 201326 (China); Tai, Yanlong, E-mail: ytai@ucdavis.edu [Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616 (United States)

    2014-09-15

    A new kind of macromolecular coupling agent (LMW-a-PP-g-MAH) of maleic anhydride (MAH) onto low-molecular-weight atactic polypropylene (LMW-a-PP) was synthesized according to molecular design and was used as modifier for surface modification of nano-Aluminum nitride (AlN) by a high-pressure homogenization (HPH) process. IR was conducted to confirm the chemical structure of the step products of LMW-a-PP-g-MAH. The availability as a modifier for surface modification of nano-AlN was distinguished by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), particle size analysis, transmission electron microscope (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), contact angle experiments and the dispersion stability in dimethylbenzene and Greatwall lubrication oil. It can be inferred that the optimal loading is 10 wt. %–12 wt. % of LMW-a-PP-g-MAH to modify nano-AlN particles. Nano-AlN lubricating composite materials (LMW-a-PP-g-MAH-AlN) was used to improve the antifriction performance and the load capability of Greatwall lubrication oil, and maximum non-seizure load (P{sub B}) can increase highly from 1000 N to 1490 N when the loading is 0.3 wt. %. - Highlights: • Design and synthesis of macromolecular coupling agent (a-PP-g-MAH). • Surface modification and characterization of nano-AlN by HPH process. • Preparation and investigation of nano-AlN/lubricating oil with high performance.

  14. Preparation of three-dimensional graphene foam for high performance supercapacitors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yunjie Ping

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Supercapacitor is a new type of energy-storage device, and has been attracted widely attentions. As a two dimensional (2D nanomaterials, graphene is considered to be a promising material of supercapacitor because of its excellent properties involving high electrical conductivity and large surface area. In this paper, the large-scale graphene is successfully fabricated via environmental-friendly electrochemical exfoliation of graphite, and then, the three dimensional (3D graphene foam is prepared by using nickel foam as template and FeCl3/HCl solution as etchant. Compared with the regular 2D graphene paper, the 3D graphene foam electrode shows better electrochemical performance, and exhibits the largest specific capacitance of approximately 128 F/g at the current density of 1 A/g in 6 M KOH electrolyte. It is expected that the 3D graphene foam will have a potential application in the supercapacitors.

  15. A High Performance Lithium-Ion Capacitor with Both Electrodes Prepared from Sri Lanka Graphite Ore.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Xiaoyu; Zhan, Changzhen; Yu, Xiaoliang; Liang, Qinghua; Lv, Ruitao; Gai, Guosheng; Shen, Wanci; Kang, Feiyu; Huang, Zheng-Hong

    2017-04-14

    The natural Sri Lanka graphite (vein graphite) is widely-used as anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), due to its high crystallinity and low cost. In this work, graphitic porous carbon (GPC) and high-purity vein graphite (PVG) were prepared from Sri Lanka graphite ore by KOH activation, and high temperature purification, respectively. Furthermore, a lithium-ion capacitor (LIC) is fabricated with GPC as cathode, and PVG as anode. The assembled GPC//PVG LIC shows a notable electrochemical performance with a maximum energy density of 86 W·h·kg -1 at 150 W·kg -1 , and 48 W·h·kg -1 at a high-power density of 7.4 kW·kg -1 . This high-performance LIC based on PVG and GPC is believed to be promising for practical applications, due to its low-cost raw materials and industrially feasible production.

  16. A validated high performance thin layer chromatography method for determination of yohimbine hydrochloride in pharmaceutical preparations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badr, Jihan M

    2013-01-01

    Yohimbine is an indole alkaloid used as a promising therapy for erectile dysfunction. A number of methods were reported for the analysis of yohimbine in the bark or in pharmaceutical preparations. In the present work, a simple and sensitive high performance thin layer chromatographic method is developed for determination of yohimbine (occurring as yohimbine hydrochloride) in pharmaceutical preparations and validated according to International Conference of Harmonization (ICH) guidelines. The method employed thin layer chromatography aluminum sheets precoated with silica gel as the stationary phase and the mobile phase consisted of chloroform:methanol:ammonia (97:3:0.2), which gave compact bands of yohimbine hydrochloride. Linear regression data for the calibration curves of standard yohimbine hydrochloride showed a good linear relationship over a concentration range of 80-1000 ng/spot with respect to the area and correlation coefficient (R(2)) was 0.9965. The method was evaluated regarding accuracy, precision, selectivity, and robustness. Limits of detection and quantitation were recorded as 5 and 40 ng/spot, respectively. The proposed method efficiently separated yohimbine hydrochloride from other components even in complex mixture containing powdered plants. The amount of yohimbine hydrochloride ranged from 2.3 to 5.2 mg/tablet or capsule in preparations containing the pure alkaloid, while it varied from zero (0) to 1.5-1.8 mg/capsule in dietary supplements containing powdered yohimbe bark. We concluded that this method employing high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) in quantitative determination of yohimbine hydrochloride in pharmaceutical preparations is efficient, simple, accurate, and validated.

  17. Potassium vapor assisted preparation of highly graphitized hierarchical porous carbon for high rate performance supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Zheng; Zeng, Ying; Tang, Qunli; Hu, Aiping; Xiao, Kuikui; Zhang, Shiying; Deng, Weina; Fan, Binbin; Zhu, Yanfei; Chen, Xiaohua

    2017-09-01

    Ultrahigh graphitized carbon microspheres with rich hierarchical pores (AGHPCM-1) have been successfully synthesized through the one-step activation-carbonization strategy (OACS) with porous sulfonated poly-divinylbenzene as the carbon precursor, iron as the hard template and catalyst, and potassium hydroxide (KOH) as activation agent. Through the XRD, TEM, Raman and BET analysis, AGHPCM-1 shows very high graphitization degree and rich micro-, meso- and macro-pores. More importantly, the mechanism for KOH to improve the graphitization degree of carbon materials in OACS has been illustrated by the thermodynamical theory. The tremendous heat releasing from the reaction between the catalyst precursor of Fe2O3 and potassium vapor plays a key role in the formation of graphitized carbon. It may provide a general direction to prepare highly graphitized porous carbon at a moderate temperature. Integrating the advantages of high graphitization degree and rich hierarchical porous structure, the AGHPCM-1 exhibits an excellent rate performance with a response to up to the high current density of 150 A g-1 and high scan rate of 2000 mV s-1. No obvious capacitance decay can be observed after 10000 charge/discharge cycles even at the high current density of 20 A g-1.

  18. Preparation and high-performance liquid chromatography of 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phospho[35S]sulfate with a predetermined specific activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delfert, D.M.; Conrad, H.E.

    1985-01-01

    3'-Phosphoadenosine-5'-phospho[35S]sulfate (PAP 35 S) was prepared by incubating ATP and carrier-free H 2 ( 35 )SO 4 with a 100,000g supernatant fraction prepared from chick embryo chondrocytes. The product was partially purified by paper electrophoresis and mixed with unlabeled PAPS to give a solution of PAP 35 S with a specific activity and a concentration approximating those required for the desired metabolic studies. The product was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography on an anion-exchange column to determine the proportion of the 35 SO 4 cpm and A260 material found in the PAPS and other contaminating nucleotides. The PAP 35 S was purified further by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography. The exact specific activity of the PAP 35 S was then determined by using this PAP 35 S preparation as the SO 4 donor in a sulfotransferase reaction using a microsomal preparation from the chick embryo chondrocytes as the enzyme and an 3 H-labeled oligosaccharide as the SO 4 acceptor. The sulfated oligosaccharide was then isolated and the number of 3 H and 35 SO 4 counts per minute in this product were used to calculate the specific activity of the donor. The features of this generally useful approach for preparing PAP 35 S of any desired specific activity and concentration are discussed

  19. Gender differences in introductory university physics performance: The influence of high school physics preparation and affect

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hazari, Zahra Sana

    The attrition of females studying physics after high school is a concern to the science education community. Most undergraduate science programs require introductory physics coursework. Thus, success in introductory physics is necessary for students to progress to higher levels of science study. Success also influences attitudes; if females are well-prepared, feel confident, and do well in introductory physics, they may be inclined to study physics further. This quantitative study using multilevel modeling focused on determining factors from high school physics preparation (content, pedagogy, and assessment) and the affective domain that influenced female and male performance in introductory university physics. The study controlled for some university/course level characteristics as well as student demographic and academic background characteristics. The data consisted of 1973 surveys from 54 introductory physics courses within 35 universities across the US. The results highlight high school physics and affective experiences that differentially influenced female and male performance. These experiences include: learning requirements, computer graphing/analysis, long written problems, everyday world examples, community projects, cumulative tests/quizzes, father's encouragement, family's belief that science leads to a better career, and the length of time students believed that high school physics would help in university physics. There were also experiences that had a similar influence on female and male performance. Positively related to performance were: covering fewer topics for longer periods of time, the history of physics as a recurring topic, physics-related videos, and test/quiz questions that involved calculations and/or were drawn from standardized tests. Negatively related to performance were: student-designed projects, reading/discussing labs the day before performing them, microcomputer based laboratories, discussion after demonstrations, and family

  20. Application and comparison of high-speed countercurrent chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography in preparative enantioseparation of α-substitution mandelic acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tong, Shengqiang; Zhang, Hu; Shen, Mangmang; Ito, Yoichiro; Yan, Jizhong

    2015-04-01

    Preparative enantioseparations of α-cyclopentylmandelic acid and α-methylmandelic acid by high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were compared using hydroxypropy-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) and sulfobutyl ether-β-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CD) as the chiral mobile phase additives. In preparative HPLC the enantioseparation was achieved on the ODS C 18 reverse phase column with the mobile phase composed of a mixture of acetonitrile and 0.10 mol L -1 phosphate buffer at pH 2.68 containing 20 mmol L -1 HP-β-CD for α-cyclopentylmandelic acid and 20 mmol L -1 SBE-β-CD for α-methylmandelic acid. The maximum sample size for α-cyclopentylmandelic acid and α-methylmandelic acid was only about 10 mg and 5 mg, respectively. In preparative HSCCC the enantioseparations of these two racemates were performed with the two-phase solvent system composed of n -hexane-methyl tert. -butyl ether-0.1 molL -1 phosphate buffer solution at pH 2.67 containing 0.1 mol L -1 HP-β-CD for α-cyclopentylmandelic acid (8.5:1.5:10, v/v/v) and 0.1 mol L -1 SBE-β-CD for α-methylmandelic acid (3:7:10, v/v/v). Under the optimum separation conditions, total 250 mg of racemic α-cyclopentylmandelic acid could be completely enantioseparated by HSCCC with HP-β-CD as a chiral mobile phase additive in a single run, yielding 105-110 mg of enantiomers with 95-98% purity and 85-90% recovery. But, no complete enantioseparation of α-methylmandelic acid was achieved by preparative HSCCC with either of the chiral selectors due to their limited enantioselectivity. In this paper preparative enantioseparation by HSCCC and HPLC was compared from various aspects.

  1. A doped activated carbon prepared from polyaniline for high performance supercapacitors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Limin; Liu, Enhui; Li, Jian; Yang, Yanjing; Shen, Haijie; Huang, Zhengzheng; Xiang, Xiaoxia; Li, Wen [Key Laboratory of Environmentally Friendly Chemistry and Applications of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University, Hunan 411105 (China)

    2010-03-01

    A novel doped activated carbon has been prepared from H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}-doped polyaniline which is prepared by the oxypolymerization of aniline. The morphology, surface chemical composition and surface area of the carbon have been investigated by scanning electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Brunaner-Emmett-Teller measurement, respectively. Electrochemical properties of the doped activated carbon have been studied by cyclic voltammograms, galvanostatic charge/discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements in 6 mol l{sup -1} KOH. The specific capacitance of the carbon is as high as 235 F g{sup -1}, the specific capacitance hardly decreases at a high current density 11 A g{sup -1} after 10,000 cycles, which indicates that the carbon possesses excellent cycle durability and may be a promising candidate for supercapacitors. (author)

  2. High Dehumidification Performance of Amorphous Cellulose Composite Membranes prepared from Trimethylsilyl Cellulose

    KAUST Repository

    Puspasari, Tiara

    2018-04-11

    Cellulose is widely regarded as an environmentally friendly, natural and low cost material which can significantly contribute the sustainable economic growth. In this study, cellulose composite membranes were prepared via regeneration of trimethylsilyl cellulose (TMSC), an easily synthesized cellulose derivative. The amorphous hydrophilic feature of the regenerated cellulose enabled fast permeation of water vapour. The pore-free cellulose layer thickness was adjustable by the initial TMSC concentration and acted as an efficient gas barrier. As a result, a 5,000 GPU water vapour transmission rate (WVTR) at the highest ideal selectivity of 1.1 x 106 was achieved by the membranes spin coated from a 7% (w/w) TMSC solution. The membranes maintained a 4,000 GPU WVTR with selectivity of 1.1 x 104 in the mixed-gas experiments, surpassing the performances of the previously reported composite membranes. This study provides a simple way to not only produce high performance membranes but also to advance cellulose as a low-cost and sustainable membrane material for dehumidification applications.

  3. Facile preparation of nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbon with high performance in supercapacitors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan, Kun; Kong, Ling-Bin; Shen, Kui-Wen; Dai, Yan-Hua; Shi, Ming; Hu, Bing; Luo, Yong-Chun; Kang, Long

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Preparing and activating process of nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbon (NHPC). - Highlights: • The well-defined PAN-b-PMMA copolymer was synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization with narrow molecular weight distribution. • Nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous structure (NHPC) was prepared through a simple carbonization procedure of PAN-b-PMMA precursor. • NHPC possessed hierarchical porous structure with high BET surface area of 257 m"2 g"−"1 and DFT mesopore size of 14.61 nm. • Effects of activation conditions on supercapacitive behavior were systematically studied. - Abstract: The nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbon (NHPC) material was successfully prepared through a simple carbonization procedure of well-defined diblock copolymer precursor containing nitrogen-enriched carbon source, i.e., polyacrylonitrile (PAN), and asacrificial block, i.e., polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). PAN-b-PMMA diblock copolymer was synthesized by atom transfer radical polymeriation (ATRP) with narrow molecular weight distribution. The as-obtained NHPC possessed nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous structure with high BET surface area of 257 m"2 g"−"1 and Nonlocal density functional theory (NLDFT) mesopore size of 14.61 nm. Surface activated nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbon (A-NHPC) materials were obtained by subsequent surface activation with HNO_3 solution. The effects of activation conditions on supercapacitive behavior were systematically studied, a maximum specific capacitance of 314 F g"−"1 at a current density of 0.5 A g"−"1 was achieved in 2 M KOH aqueous electrolyte. Simultaneously, it exhibited excellent rate capability of 67.8% capacitance retention as the current density increased from 0.5 to 20 A g"−"1 and superior cycling performance of 90% capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles at the current density of 2 A g"−"1.

  4. Facile preparation of nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbon with high performance in supercapacitors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yan, Kun [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Processing and Recycling of Non-ferrous Metals, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050 (China); Kong, Ling-Bin, E-mail: konglb@lut.cn [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Processing and Recycling of Non-ferrous Metals, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050 (China); Shen, Kui-Wen; Dai, Yan-Hua; Shi, Ming; Hu, Bing [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Processing and Recycling of Non-ferrous Metals, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050 (China); Luo, Yong-Chun; Kang, Long [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050 (China)

    2016-02-28

    Graphical abstract: Preparing and activating process of nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbon (NHPC). - Highlights: • The well-defined PAN-b-PMMA copolymer was synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization with narrow molecular weight distribution. • Nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous structure (NHPC) was prepared through a simple carbonization procedure of PAN-b-PMMA precursor. • NHPC possessed hierarchical porous structure with high BET surface area of 257 m{sup 2} g{sup −1} and DFT mesopore size of 14.61 nm. • Effects of activation conditions on supercapacitive behavior were systematically studied. - Abstract: The nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbon (NHPC) material was successfully prepared through a simple carbonization procedure of well-defined diblock copolymer precursor containing nitrogen-enriched carbon source, i.e., polyacrylonitrile (PAN), and asacrificial block, i.e., polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). PAN-b-PMMA diblock copolymer was synthesized by atom transfer radical polymeriation (ATRP) with narrow molecular weight distribution. The as-obtained NHPC possessed nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous structure with high BET surface area of 257 m{sup 2} g{sup −1} and Nonlocal density functional theory (NLDFT) mesopore size of 14.61 nm. Surface activated nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbon (A-NHPC) materials were obtained by subsequent surface activation with HNO{sub 3} solution. The effects of activation conditions on supercapacitive behavior were systematically studied, a maximum specific capacitance of 314 F g{sup −1} at a current density of 0.5 A g{sup −1} was achieved in 2 M KOH aqueous electrolyte. Simultaneously, it exhibited excellent rate capability of 67.8% capacitance retention as the current density increased from 0.5 to 20 A g{sup −1} and superior cycling performance of 90% capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles at the current density of 2 A g{sup −1}.

  5. Isolation and Purification of Unstable Iridoid Glucosides from Traditional Chinese Medicine by Preparative High Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Solid-phase Extraction

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2011-01-01

    An efficient preparative method was successfully developed for isolation and purification of unstable components from medicinal plant extracts, using a combined method of preparative high performance liquid chro-matography(HPLC) and solid-phase extraction(SPE). The aim of this study was to obtain an effective method with high preparative efficiency and importantly to avoid the transformation of unstable compounds. The preparative HPLC system was based on an LC/MS controlled four-channel autopurification system. The SPE method was performed with a C18 packing material to trap the target compounds and to remove the acidic additive derived from the mobile phase. Using this method, the unstable iridoid glucosides(IGs) as model compounds were successfully isolated and purified from the extract of Hedyotis diffusa Willd. Six IGs(including one new minor IG) and one nucleotide compound were simultaneously obtained, each with a purity of 〉91% as determined by HPLC. The structures of the isolated compounds were identified by UPLC/Q-TOF MS, UV, 1D and/or 2D NMR. It was demonstrated that the combination of preparative HPLC with SPE is a versatile tool for preparative purification of unstable compounds from complex natural products.

  6. Highly nitrogen-doped carbon capsules: scalable preparation and high-performance applications in fuel cells and lithium ion batteries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Chuangang; Xiao, Ying; Zhao, Yang; Chen, Nan; Zhang, Zhipan; Cao, Minhua; Qu, Liangti

    2013-04-07

    Highly nitrogen-doped carbon capsules (hN-CCs) have been successfully prepared by using inexpensive melamine and glyoxal as precursors via solvothermal reaction and carbonization. With a great promise for large scale production, the hN-CCs, having large surface area and high-level nitrogen content (N/C atomic ration of ca. 13%), possess superior crossover resistance, selective activity and catalytic stability towards oxygen reduction reaction for fuel cells in alkaline medium. As a new anode material in lithium-ion battery, hN-CCs also exhibit excellent cycle performance and high rate capacity with a reversible capacity of as high as 1046 mA h g(-1) at a current density of 50 mA g(-1) after 50 cycles. These features make the hN-CCs developed in this study promising as suitable substitutes for the expensive noble metal catalysts in the next generation alkaline fuel cells, and as advanced electrode materials in lithium-ion batteries.

  7. High-performance Electrochemical Energy Storage Electrodes Based on Nickel Oxide-coated Nickel Foam Prepared by Sparking Method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chuminjak, Yaowamarn; Daothong, Suphaporn; Kuntarug, Aekapong; Phokharatkul, Ditsayut; Horprathum, Mati; Wisitsoraat, Anurat; Tuantranont, Adisorn; Jakmunee, Jaroon; Singjai, Pisith

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • NiO particles (3-10 nm) were sparked on Ni foams with varying times (45-180 min). • Larger NiO nanoparticles were aggregated to foam-like structure at a longer time. • The optimal time of 45 min led to a high specific capacity of 920 C/g at 1 A/g. • The specific capacity remained as high as 699 (76% of 920) C/g at 20 A/g. • The optimal electrode exhibited 96% capacity retention after 1000 cycles at 4 A/g. - Abstract: In this work, high-performance electrochemical energy storage electrodes were developed based on nickel oxide (NiO)-coated nickel (Ni) foams prepared by a sparking method. NiO nanoparticles deposited on Ni foams with varying sparking times from 45 to 180 min were structurally characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. In addition, the electrochemical energy storage characteristics of the electrodes were evaluated by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. It was found that NiO nanoparticles sparked on Ni foam with a longer time would be agglomerated and formed a foam-like network with large pore sizes and a lower surface area, leading to inferior charge storage behaviors. The NiO/Ni foam electrode prepared with the shortest sparking of 45 min displayed high specific capacities of 920 C g"-"1 (1840 F g"-"1) at 1 A g"-"1 and 699 (76% of 920) C g"-"1 at 20 A g"-"1 in a potential window of 0-0.5 V vs. Ag/AgCl as well as a good cycling performance with 96% capacity retention at 4 A g"-"1 after 1000 cycles and a low equivalent series resistance of 0.4 Ω. Therefore, NiO/Ni foam electrodes prepared by the sparking method are highly promising for high-capacity energy storage applications.

  8. Facile preparation of highly hydrophilic, recyclable high-performance polyimide adsorbents for the removal of heavy metal ions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, Jieyang; Zheng, Yaxin; Luo, Longbo; Feng, Yan [State Key Laboratory of Polymer Material and Engineering, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); Zhang, Chaoliang [State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China College of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041 (China); Wang, Xu, E-mail: wx19861027@163.com [State Key Laboratory of Polymer Material and Engineering, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); Liu, Xiangyang, E-mail: lxy6912@sina.com [State Key Laboratory of Polymer Material and Engineering, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China)

    2016-04-05

    Highlights: • High-performance polyimide was used as heavy metal adsorbents. • The contradiction between hydrophilicity and high performance of PI was solved. • Adsorption amount for Cu{sup 2+} of PI/silica was 77 times higher than that of PI. • The adsorption ability remained steady for more than 50 recycling processes. - Abstract: To obtain high-performance adsorbents that combine excellent adsorption ability, thermal stability, service life and recycling ability, polyimide (PI)/silica powders were prepared via a facile one-pot coprecipitation process. A benzimidazole unit was introduced into the PI backbone as the adsorption site. The benzimidazole unit induced more hydroxyls onto the silica, which provided hydrophilic sites for access by heavy metal ions. By comprehensively analyzing the effect of hydrophilcity, agglomeration, silica polycondensation, specific surface area and PI crystallinity, 10% was demonstrated to be the most proper feed silica content. The equilibrium adsorption amount (Q{sub e}) for Cu{sup 2+} of PI/silica adsorbents was 77 times higher than that of pure PI. Hydrogen chloride (HCl) was used as a desorbent for heavy metal ions and could be decomplexed with benzimidazole unit at around 300 °C, which was lower than the glass transition temperature of PI. The complexation and decomplexation process of HCl made PI/silica adsorbents recyclable, and the adsorption ability remained steady for more than 50 recycling processes. As PI/silica adsorbents possess excellent thermal stability, chemical resistance and radiation resistance and hydrophilicity, they have potential as superior recyclable adsorbents for collecting heavy metal ions from waste water in extreme environments.

  9. Machine site preparation improves seedling performance on a high-elevation site in southwest Oregon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McNabb, D.H.; Baker-Katz, K.; Tesch, S.D.

    1993-01-01

    Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) seedlings planted on areas receiving one of four site-preparation treatments (scarify, scarify/till, soil removal, and soil removal/till) and on unprepared control areas were compared for 5 yr at a high-elevation, nutrient-poor site in the western Siskiyou Mountains of southwest Oregon. Fifth-year survival of seedlings was at least 85% among machine-prepared plots, compared to 42% on control plots. Cover of competing vegetation remained less than 25% during the period for all machine treatments. In contrast, vegetation cover on control plots was 30% at the time of planting and increased to nearly 75% after 5 yr. Competing vegetation clearly impeded seedling performance. The effects of unusually droughty conditions at the time of planting in 1982 were examined further by interplanting additional seedlings in the soil-removal treatment in 1985. The interplanting was followed by more normal spring precipitation, and seedlings grew better over 5 yr than those planted in 1982. The slow recovery of competing vegetation and generally poor seedling growth on all treatments during both planting years are attributed to low soil fertility

  10. High-Performance Operating Systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sharp, Robin

    1999-01-01

    Notes prepared for the DTU course 49421 "High Performance Operating Systems". The notes deal with quantitative and qualitative techniques for use in the design and evaluation of operating systems in computer systems for which performance is an important parameter, such as real-time applications......, communication systems and multimedia systems....

  11. Separation of four flavonol glycosides from Solanum rostratum Dunal using aqueous two-phase flotation followed by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Lin; Shao, Qian; Xi, Xingjun; Chu, Qiao; Wei, Yun

    2017-02-01

    Aqueous two-phase flotation followed by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography was used to separate four flavonol glycosides from Solanum rostratum Dunal. In the aqueous two-phase flotation section, the effects of sublation solvent, solution pH, (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 concentration in aqueous solution, cosolvent, N 2 flow rate, flotation time, and volumes of the polyethylene glycol phase on the recovery were investigated in detail, and the optimal conditions were selected: 50 wt% polyethylene glycol 1000 ethanol solvent as the flotation solvent, pH 4, 350 g/L of (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 concentration in aqueous phase, 40 mL/min of N 2 flow rate, 30 min of flotation time, 10.0 mL of flotation solvent volume, and two times. After aqueous two-phase flotation concentration, the flotation products were purified by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography. The purities of the final products A and B were 98.1 and 99.0%. Product B was the mixture of three compounds based on the analysis of high-performance liquid chromatography at the temperature of 10°C, while product A was hyperoside after the identification by nuclear magnetic resonance. Astragalin, 3'-O-methylquercetin 3-O-β-d-galactopyranoside, and 3'-O-methylquercetin 3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside were obtained with the purity of 93.8, 97.1, and 99.2%, respectively, after the further separation of product B using preparative high-performance liquid chromatography. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. A novel method based on selective laser sintering for preparing high-performance carbon fibres/polyamide12/epoxy ternary composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Wei; Yan, Chunze; Shi, Yunsong; Wen, Shifeng; Liu, Jie; Wei, Qingsong; Shi, Yusheng

    2016-09-01

    A novel method based on selective laser sintering (SLS) process is proposed for the first time to prepare complex and high-performance carbon fibres/polyamide12/epoxy (CF/PA12/EP) ternary composites. The procedures are briefly described as follows: prepare polyamide12 (PA12) coated carbon fibre (CF) composite powder; build porous green parts by SLS; infiltrate the green parts with high-performance thermosetting epoxy (EP) resin; and finally cure the resin at high temperature. The obtained composites are a ternary composite system consisting of the matrix of novolac EP resin, the reinforcement of CFs and the transition thin layer of PA12 with a thickness of 595 nm. The SEM images and micro-CT analysis prove that the ternary system is a three-dimensional co-continuous structure and the reinforcement of CFs are well dispersed in the matrix of EP with the volume fraction of 31%. Mechanical tests show that the composites fabricated by this method yield an ultimate tensile strength of 101.03 MPa and a flexural strength of 153.43 MPa, which are higher than those of most of the previously reported SLS materials. Therefore, the process proposed in this paper shows great potential for manufacturing complex, lightweight and high-performance CF reinforced composite components in aerospace, automotive industries and other areas.

  13. High-performance Li3V2(PO4)3/C cathode materials prepared via a sol–gel route with double carbon sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Lulu; Li Ying; Peng Gang; Wang Zhaohui; Ma Jun; Zhang Wuxing; Hu Xianluo; Huang Yunhui

    2012-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Double carbon sources were employed to prepare core–shell Li 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 /C composites, giving rise to uniform carbon coating and high conducting network. The as-obtained composites showed remarkably enhanced capacity and rate capability. Highlights: ► Double carbon sources were used to prepare core–shell Li 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 /C composites. ► An improved oxalic acid-based sol–gel method was developed. ► Uniform carbon coating and high conducting network were attained for Li 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 . ► Remarkably enhanced capacity and rate capability were obtained. - Abstract: Li 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 /C (LVP/C) composites have been successfully synthesized via an oxalic acid-based sol–gel process assisted by glucose, in which oxalic acid and glucose serve as double carbon sources. X-ray diffraction patterns show that all samples are well crystallized. Transmission electron microscopy images reveal that the LVP/C sample prepared with 15 wt% glucose is uniformly coated by carbon layer with an appropriate thickness of 8–10 nm, resulting in a high electrical conductivity and a fast kinetics. The Li + -ion diffusion coefficient in the LVP/C sample prepared with glucose is ∼10 −10 cm 2 s −1 , which is larger than that of the LVP/C sample prepared without glucose. The LVP/C sample prepared with 15 wt% glucose exhibits the best electrochemical performance with discharge capacity as high as 171 mAh g −1 at 0.1 C and 119 mAh g −1 at 10 C. The present work provides a valuable route for preparing lithium metal phosphates with double carbon sources to improve the conductivity and hence the electrochemical performance.

  14. Hierarchical porous carbons prepared by an easy one-step carbonization and activation of phenol-formaldehyde resins with high performance for supercapacitors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zheng, Zhoujun [State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructures, Graduate School, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Science, 1295 Dingxi Road, Shanghai 200050 (China); Gao, Qiuming [State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructures, Graduate School, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Science, 1295 Dingxi Road, Shanghai 200050 (China); School of Chemistry and Environment, Beihang University, 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191 (China)

    2011-02-01

    Hierarchical porous carbons are prepared by an easy one-step process of carbonization and activation derived from phenol-formaldehyde resins, in which potassium hydroxide acts as both the catalyst of polymerization and the activation reagent. The simple one-step preparation saves the cost of carbons and leads to high yield. The porous carbons have high surface areas with abundant pore structures. The plenty of micropores and small mesopores increase the capacitance and make the electrolyte ions diffuse fast into the pores. These hierarchical porous carbons show high performance for supercapacitors possessing of the optimized capacitance of 234 F g{sup -1} in aqueous electrolyte and 137 F g{sup -1} in organic electrolyte with high capacitive retention. (author)

  15. High-temperature electrochemical performance of low-cost La–Ni–Fe based hydrogen storage alloys with different preparation methods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Qiannan [Department of Advanced Energy Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); Zhu, Ding [Institute of New Energy and Low-Carbon Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); Zhou, Wanhai; Zhong, Chenglin; Wu, Chaoling [Department of Advanced Energy Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); Chen, Yungui, E-mail: ygchen60@aliyun.com [Department of Advanced Energy Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); Institute of New Energy and Low-Carbon Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China)

    2016-04-15

    Highlights: • Effects of four different preparation processes were studied at 20/60 °C. • All NS + HT, RS and RS + HT processes can optimize the thermodynamic performance. • The HT process can provoke the precipitation of A{sub 2}B{sub 7} and leads to a poor cycling life. • Al exhibits the most remarkable dissolution for all the alloys, especially at 60 °C. - Abstract: In order to optimize the microstructure and high temperature electrochemical performances of low-cost AB{sub 5}-type Ml(NiMnAl){sub 4.2}Co{sub 0.3}Fe{sub 0.5} hydrogen storage electrode alloys, four different preparation methods including normal solidification (NS), normal solidification and 900 °C heat treatment (NS + HT), rapid solidification (RS), rapid solidification and 900 °C heat treatment (RS + HT) were adopted in this work. All alloys exhibit CaCu{sub 5} type hexagonal structure and there is a small amount of A{sub 2}B{sub 7} phase in NS + HT and RS + HT alloys. It is found the using of HT process can decrease the hydrogen equilibrium plateau pressure, the plateau slope and hysteresis at 40, 60 and 80 °C. The NS + HT and RS + HT alloys also possess better activation, high rate discharge performance, larger discharge capacity, but poor cycling performance due to the existence of A{sub 2}B{sub 7} phase which can accelerate dissolution of Ni, Mn and Fe elements in KOH alkaline electrolyte. The RS process can make alloy exhibit the best cycling performance especially at 60 °C.

  16. Creation of nanopores on graphene planes with MgO template for preparing high-performance supercapacitor electrodes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Huanjing; Sun, Xiuxia; Liu, Zonghuai; Lei, Zhibin

    2014-05-01

    Creation of nanopores on graphene planar sheets is of great significance in promoting the kinetic diffusion of electrolyte and enhancing the utilization efficiency of graphene planar sheets. Herein, we developed a facile chemical vapor deposition strategy to prepare highly porous graphene with flake-like MgO as template and ferrocene as the carbon precursor. The graphene layers show a highly porous structure with small mesopores of 4-8 nm, large mesopores of 10-20 nm and additional macropores of 100-200 nm. These nanopores on graphene sheets provide numerous channels for fast ion transport perpendicular to the 2D basal plane, while the good powder conductivity ensures an effective electron propagation within the 2D graphene plane. As a result, a specific capacitance of 303 F g-1, an areal capacitance up to 17.3 μF cm-2 and a nearly tenfold shorter time constant were achieved when compared with those of nonporous and stacked graphene electrodes. The method demonstrated herein would open up an opportunity to prepare porous graphene for a wide applications in energy storage, biosensors, nanoelectronics and catalysis.Creation of nanopores on graphene planar sheets is of great significance in promoting the kinetic diffusion of electrolyte and enhancing the utilization efficiency of graphene planar sheets. Herein, we developed a facile chemical vapor deposition strategy to prepare highly porous graphene with flake-like MgO as template and ferrocene as the carbon precursor. The graphene layers show a highly porous structure with small mesopores of 4-8 nm, large mesopores of 10-20 nm and additional macropores of 100-200 nm. These nanopores on graphene sheets provide numerous channels for fast ion transport perpendicular to the 2D basal plane, while the good powder conductivity ensures an effective electron propagation within the 2D graphene plane. As a result, a specific capacitance of 303 F g-1, an areal capacitance up to 17.3 μF cm-2 and a nearly tenfold shorter time

  17. An efficient preparative procedure for main flavonoids from the peel of Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim. using polyamide resin followed by semi-preparative high performance liquid chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Aifeng; Sun, Ailing; Liu, Renmin; Zhang, Yongqing; Cui, Jichun

    2014-08-15

    In this study, a simple and efficient preparative procedure was developed for preparation of seven flavonoids from the peel of Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim. using polyamide resin followed by semi-preparative high performance liquid chromatography (SPHPLC). First, the ethyl acetate fraction from the peel of T. kirilowii Maxim. obtained "prefractionation" using polyamide resin, which yielded two subfractions. And then the two subfractions were isolated by SPHPLC with an isocratic elution of methanol-water. Finally, seven known flavonoids were purified from 35 g of ethyl acetate extract including quercetin-3-O-[α-l-rhamnose (1→2)-β-d-glucopyranosyl]-5-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (19 mg), quercetin-3-O-rutinoside (24 mg), apigenin-7-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (10mg), diosmetin-7-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (45 mg), luteolin (21 mg), apigenin (15 mg), and diosmetin (56 mg). The purities of the compounds were determined by HPLC and the chemical structures were confirmed by UV and NMR analysis. In the present study, a simple, effective, and rapid procedure was established for preparative separation of multiple components from the peel of T. kirilowii Maxim. Furthermore, it was scalable and economical, so it was a promising basis for large-scale preparation of flavonoids from other plant extracts. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  18. Preparation of silver doped high temperature superconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stavek, Jiri; Zapletal, Vladimir

    1989-01-01

    High temperature superconductors were prepared by the controlled double-jet precipitation to manipulate the chemical composition, composition gradients, average grain size, grain size distribution, and other factors which contribute to the actual properties and performance of HTSC. The cations (Y-Ba-Cu or Bi-Pb-Ca-Sr-Cu) and oxalic anions solutions were simultaneously separately introduced to the crystallizer with a stirred solution of gelatin under conditions where the temperature, excess of oxalic anions in solution, pH, reactant addition rate, and other reaction conditions were tightly controlled to prepare the high sinterability powder. To increase the sinterability of submicron particles of produced precursor, the silver ions were introduced at the end of the controlled double-jet precipitation. This approach improves the electrical and mechanical properties of produced HTSC specimens. The controlled double jet precipitation provides a viable technique for preparation of oxide superconductors and the process is amenable for scaling up

  19. Special Physical Preparation of High Schoolers for Performing Parkour Exercises

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Т. М. Кравчук

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The objective is to ground and develop a methodology of special physical preparation of high schoolers for performing parkour elements, and to experimentally verify its effectiveness. Materials and methods: Kharkiv secondary school No. 84 served as the grounds for the study. The participants in the study were boys aged 15-17: 10 persons – in the reference group, and 10 persons – in the experimental group. The methods of the study: theoretical analysis and collation of scientific and methodological literature; pedagogical observation; video recording; biomechanical analysis; talks with experts; pedagogical experiment; mathematical and statistical methods of research materials processing. Results: The experimental group showed positive improvement in the balancing technique from 3.5 points before the experiment to 6.3 after the experiment (p < 0.05; a considerable increase in points in the jumping technique, including jumps onto the wall bars hand-gripping its edge, jumps into landing with a roll, and jumps over obstacle – from 2.9, 4.2 and 4.6 points respectively at the beginning of the experiment to 5.9, 6.7 and 7.8 points respectively after the experiment (p < 0.05; positive significant improvement in the wall bars running results – from 3.2 points at the beginning of the experiment to 6.7 after the experiment (p < 0.05. Conclusions: special sets of exercises have been designed to develop and improve these abilities in parkour, and the effectiveness of the designed methodology has been experimentally verified. The study has proved that, when used in physical training of high schoolers, the special sets of exercises intended to develop parkourists’ speed, strength and coordination abilities contribute to a significant increase in the level of the technique of execution of the main parkour elements.

  20. Development, preparation, and characterization of high-performance superconducting materials for space applications. Progress Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thorpe, A.N.; Barkatt, A.

    1991-12-01

    The preparation of high-temperature superconducting ceramics in bulk form is a major challenge in materials science. The current status of both partial melting and melt quenching techniques, with or without an intermediate powder processing stage, is described in detail, and the problems associated with each of the methods are discussed. Results of studies performed on melt-processed materials are reported and discussed. The discussion places emphasis on magnetization and on other physical properties associated with it, such as critical current density, levitation force, and flux creep. The nature of structural features which give rise to flux pinning, including both small and large defects, is discussed with reference to theoretical considerations. The rates of flux creep and the factors involved in attempting to retard the decay of the magnetization are surveyed

  1. Isolation and Purification of Unstable Iridoid Glucosides from Traditional Chinese Medicine by Preparative High Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Solid-phase Extraction

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    LI Cun-man; XIAO Yuan-sheng; XUE Xing-ya; FENG Jia-tao; ZHANG Xiu-li; LIANG Xin-miao

    2011-01-01

    An efficient preparative method was successfully developed for isolation and purification of unstable components from medicinal plant extracts, using a combined method of preparative high performance liquid chro matography(HPLC) and solid-phase extraction(SPE). The aim of this study was to obtain an effective method with high preparative efficiency and importantly to avoid the transformation of unstable compounds. The preparative HPLC system was based on an LC/MS controlled four-channel autopurification system. The SPE method was per formed with a C1s packing material to trap the target compounds and to remove the acidic additive derived from the mobile phase. Using this method, the unstable iridoid glucosides(IGs) as model compounds were successfully iso lated and purified from the extract of Hedyotis diffusa Willd. Six IGs(including one new minor IG) and one nucleo tide compound were simultaneously obtained, each with a purity of >91% as determined by HPLC. The structures of the isolated compounds were identified by UPLC/Q-TOF MS, UV, ID and/or 2D NMR. It was demonstrated that the combination of preparative HPLC with SPE is a versatile tool for preparative purification of unstable compounds from complex natural products.

  2. High performance polymeric foams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gargiulo, M.; Sorrentino, L.; Iannace, S.

    2008-01-01

    The aim of this work was to investigate the foamability of high-performance polymers (polyethersulfone, polyphenylsulfone, polyetherimide and polyethylenenaphtalate). Two different methods have been used to prepare the foam samples: high temperature expansion and two-stage batch process. The effects of processing parameters (saturation time and pressure, foaming temperature) on the densities and microcellular structures of these foams were analyzed by using scanning electron microscopy

  3. High performance supercapacitor using N-doped graphene prepared via supercritical fluid processing with an oxime nitrogen source

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balaji, S. Suresh; Elavarasan, A.; Sathish, M.

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: N-doped graphene prepared via supercritical fluid processing with oxime nitrogen source (DMG) showed enhanced performance in electrochemical supercapacitor application. A maximum specific capacitance of 286 F g"−"1 at a current density of 0.5 A/g was achieved with a high specific capacity retention of 98% after 1000 cycles at 5 A/g. - Highlights: • N-functionalised graphene synthesized via supercritical fluid processing. • DMG, an oxime based nitrogen precursor. • Maximum specific capacitance of 286 F/g at 0.5 A/g in aqueous solution. • Pyridinic as well as quarternary nitrogen for enhanced capacitance. - Abstract: Heteroatom doped graphene has been proved for its promising applications in electrochemical energy storage systems. Here, nitrogen (N) doped graphene was prepared via two different techniques namely supercritical fluid assisted processing and hydrothermal heat treatment using dimethylglyoxime (DMG) as an oxime nitrogen precursor. The FT-IR and Raman spectra showed the N-containing functional group in the graphene. The XRD analysis revealed the complete reduction of graphene oxide during the supercritical fluid processing. The elemental analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed the amount and nature of N-doping in the graphene, respectively. The surface morphology and physical nature of the samples were analyzed using scanning and transmission electron microscopic analysis. The electrochemical performance of prepared electrode materials was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge analysis and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The N-doped graphene prepared via supercritical fluid assisted processing exhibit enhanced capacitive behaviour with a maximum specific capacitance of 286 F g"−"1 at a current density of 0.5 A/g. The cycling studies showed 98% specific capacity retention with 100% coulombic efficiency over 1000 cycles at 5 A/g. The enhanced specific capacitance of N

  4. High-throughput preparation and testing of ion-exchanged zeolites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Janssen, K.P.F.; Paul, J.S.; Sels, B.F.; Jacobs, P.A.

    2007-01-01

    A high-throughput research platform was developed for the preparation and subsequent catalytic liquid-phase screening of ion-exchanged zeolites, for instance with regard to their use as heterogeneous catalysts. In this system aqueous solutions and other liquid as well as solid reagents are employed as starting materials and 24 samples are prepared on a library plate with a 4 x 6 layout. Volumetric dispensing of metal precursor solutions, weighing of zeolite and subsequent mixing/washing cycles of the starting materials and distributing reaction mixtures to the library plate are automatically performed by liquid and solid handlers controlled by a single common and easy-to-use programming software interface. The thus prepared materials are automatically contacted with reagent solutions, heated, stirred and sampled continuously using a modified liquid handling. The high-throughput platform is highly promising in enhancing synthesis of catalysts and their screening. In this paper the preparation of lanthanum-exchanged NaY zeolites (LaNaY) on the platform is reported, along with their use as catalyst for the conversion of renewables

  5. Synthesis of nitrogen doped microporous carbons prepared by activation-free method and their high electrochemical performance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Ki-Seok [Department of Chemistry, Inha University, Incheon 402-751 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Soo-Jin, E-mail: sjpark@inha.ac.kr [Department of Chemistry, Inha University, Incheon 402-751 (Korea, Republic of)

    2011-11-30

    Graphical abstract: This describes the increase of specific capacitance in hybrid electrodes as a function of melamine content. Display Omitted Highlights: > For N-enriched hybrid carbons, co-precursors, PVDF/melamine composites, were used. > Microporous carbons were formed by only carbonization without chemical activation. > The nitrogen content of microporous carbons was controlled by melamine content. > N-doped carbons showed higher specific capacitance compared to microporous carbons. > It was attributed to the easy electron transfer and pseudocapacitance. - Abstract: Nitrogen-doped microporous carbons (N-MCs) were prepared by the carbonization of the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/melamine mixture without chemical activation. The electrochemical performance of the N-MCs was investigated as a function of PVDF/melamine ratio. It was found that, without additional activation, the N-MCs had a high specific surface area (greater than 560 m{sup 2}/g) because of the micropore formation by the release of fluorine groups. In addition, although the specific surface area decreased, nitrogen groups were increased with increasing melamine content, leading to an enhanced electrochemical performance. Indeed, the N-MCs showed a better electrochemical performance than that of microporous carbons (MCs) prepared by PVDF alone, and the highest specific capacitance (310 F/g) was obtained at a current density of 0.5 A/g, as compared to a value of 248 F/g for MCs. These results indicate that the microporous features of N-MC lead to feasible ion transfer during charge/discharge duration and the presence of nitrogen groups as strong electron donor on the N-MC electrode in electrolyte could provide a pseudocapacitance by the redox reaction.

  6. Sample preparation of environmental samples using benzene synthesis followed by high-performance LSC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Filippis, S. De; Noakes, J.E.

    1991-01-01

    Liquid scintillation counting (LSC) techniques have been widely employed as the detection method for determining environmental levels of tritium and 14 C. Since anthropogenic and nonanthropogenic inputs to the environment are a concern, sampling the environment surrounding a nuclear power facility or fuel reprocessing operation requires the collection of many different sample types, including agriculture products, water, biota, aquatic life, soil, and vegetation. These sample types are not suitable for the direct detection of tritium of 14 C for liquid scintillation techniques. Each sample type must be initially prepared in order to obtain the carbon or hydrogen component of interest and present this in a chemical form that is compatible with common chemicals used in scintillation counting applications. Converting the sample of interest to chemically pure benzene as a sample preparation technique has been widely accepted for processing samples for radiocarbon age-dating applications. The synthesized benzene is composed of the carbon or hydrogen atoms from the original sample and is ideal as a solvent for LSC with excellent photo-optical properties. Benzene synthesis followed by low-background scintillation counting can be applied to the preparation and measurement of environmental samples yielding good detection sensitivities, high radionuclide counting efficiency, and shorter preparation time. The method of benzene synthesis provides a unique approach to the preparation of a wide variety of environmental sample types using similar chemistry for all samples

  7. Preparation of highly dispersed palladium–phosphorus nanoparticles and its electrocatalytic performance for formic acid electrooxidation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun Hanjun; Xu Jiangfeng; Fu Gengtao; Mao Xinbiao; Zhang, Lu; Chen Yu; Zhou Yiming; Lu Tianhong; Tang Yawen

    2012-01-01

    Highly dispersed and ultrafine palladium–phosphorus (Pd–P) nanoparticles (NPs) are prepared with a novel phosphorus reduction method. The structural and electronic properties of Pd–P NPs are characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The electrooxidation of formic acid on Pd–P NPs are investigated by using cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and CO-stripping measurements. The physical characterizations indicate the doped P element can enhance the content of Pd 0 species in Pd NPs, decrease the particle size and improve the dispersion of Pd–P NPs. The electrochemical measurements show the Pd–P NPs have a better catalytic performance for formic acid electrooxidation than Pd NPs.

  8. Preparation and characterization of a new microwave immobilized poly(2-phenylpropyl)methylsiloxane stationary phase for reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Begnini, Fernanda R; Jardim, Isabel C S F

    2013-07-05

    A new reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) stationary phase was prepared and its chromatographic and physical-chemical properties were evaluated. The new stationary phase was prepared with a silica support and poly(2-phenylpropyl)methylsiloxane (PPPMS), a phenyl type polysiloxane copolymer. Since this is a new copolymer and there is little information in the literature, it was submitted to physical-chemical characterization by infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetry. The chromatographic phase was prepared through sorption and microwave immobilization of the copolymer onto a silica support. The chromatographic performance was evaluated by employing test procedures suggested by Engelhardt and Jungheim, Tanaka and co-workers, Neue, and Szabó and Csató. These test mixtures provide information about the hydrophobic selectivity, silanophilic activity, ion-exchange capacity, shape selectivity and interaction with polar analytes of the new Si-PPPMS reversed phase. Stability tests were developed using accelerated aging tests under both basic and acidic conditions to provide information about the lifetime of the packed columns. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Synthesis of nitrogen doped microporous carbons prepared by activation-free method and their high electrochemical performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Ki-Seok; Park, Soo-Jin

    2011-01-01

    Graphical abstract: This describes the increase of specific capacitance in hybrid electrodes as a function of melamine content. Display Omitted Highlights: → For N-enriched hybrid carbons, co-precursors, PVDF/melamine composites, were used. → Microporous carbons were formed by only carbonization without chemical activation. → The nitrogen content of microporous carbons was controlled by melamine content. → N-doped carbons showed higher specific capacitance compared to microporous carbons. → It was attributed to the easy electron transfer and pseudocapacitance. - Abstract: Nitrogen-doped microporous carbons (N-MCs) were prepared by the carbonization of the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/melamine mixture without chemical activation. The electrochemical performance of the N-MCs was investigated as a function of PVDF/melamine ratio. It was found that, without additional activation, the N-MCs had a high specific surface area (greater than 560 m 2 /g) because of the micropore formation by the release of fluorine groups. In addition, although the specific surface area decreased, nitrogen groups were increased with increasing melamine content, leading to an enhanced electrochemical performance. Indeed, the N-MCs showed a better electrochemical performance than that of microporous carbons (MCs) prepared by PVDF alone, and the highest specific capacitance (310 F/g) was obtained at a current density of 0.5 A/g, as compared to a value of 248 F/g for MCs. These results indicate that the microporous features of N-MC lead to feasible ion transfer during charge/discharge duration and the presence of nitrogen groups as strong electron donor on the N-MC electrode in electrolyte could provide a pseudocapacitance by the redox reaction.

  10. 30 CFR 827.13 - Coal preparation plants: Interim performance standards.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Coal preparation plants: Interim performance...-COAL PREPARATION PLANTS NOT LOCATED WITHIN THE PERMIT AREA OF A MINE § 827.13 Coal preparation plants: Interim performance standards. (a) Persons operating or who have operated coal preparation plants after...

  11. Progress in Preparation and Research of High Entropy Alloys

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    CHEN Yong-xing

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The current high entropy alloys' studies are most in block, powder, coating, film and other areas. There are few studies of high entropy alloys in other areas and they are lack of unified classification. According to the current high entropy alloys' research situation, The paper has focused on the classification on all kinds of high entropy alloys having been researched, introduced the selecting principle of elements, summarized the preparation methods, reviewed the research institutions, research methods and research contents of high entropy alloys, prospected the application prospect of high entropy alloys, put forward a series of scientific problems of high entropy alloys, including less research on mechanism, incomplete performance research, unsystematic thermal stability study, preparation process parameters to be optimized, lightweight high entropy alloys' design, the expansion on the research field, etc, and the solutions have been given. Those have certain guiding significance for the expansion of the application of high entropy alloys subjects in the future research direction.

  12. Mechanochemical preparation of polydiphenylamine and its electrochemical performance in hybrid supercapacitors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Palaniappan, SP. [Department of Industrial Chemistry, School of Chemistry, Alagappa University, Alagappapuram, Karaikudi 630003, Tamil Nadu (India); Manisankar, P., E-mail: pms11@rediffmail.com [Department of Industrial Chemistry, School of Chemistry, Alagappa University, Alagappapuram, Karaikudi 630003, Tamil Nadu (India)

    2011-07-01

    Highlights: > For the first time, a simple to adopt, greener, rapid and efficient alternative route was successfully developed for preparing different PDPA salts. > For the first time, a judicial attempt was made to evaluate the performance of mechanochemically prepared PDPA-H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} as cathode material in asymmetric hybrid supercapacitors. > The results obtained are highly promising and the physicochemical properties of PDPA salts could be fine-tuned in the future for large scale applications in energy storage devices. - Abstract: A simple mechanochemical route for the synthesis of high quality inorganic anion doped polydiphenylamines (PDPAs) is reported in this article. Elemental analysis performed for the PDPAs indicated the presence of dopant anions in the polymeric chain. PDPA prepared in the presence of 96 wt% H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} (PDPA-H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}) was found to be better doped than the other polymeric salts. Spectroscopic profiles of the polymers showed that the PDPAs were in a doped conducting state. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the as-prepared polymeric powders revealed the presence of more crystalline phases in PDPA-H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}. Field emission scanning electron microscopic (FESEM) images highlighted the formation of inorganic anion doped PDPA particles with different sizes (80-100 nm). Electrochemical studies performed for the polymeric particles depicted the redox behavior and good electrochemical activity of PDPA salts. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)/differential thermal analysis (DTA) proved that all the PDPA salts were thermally stable up to 300 deg. C. The electrochemical performance of PDPA-H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} in hybrid supercapacitors was evaluated due to its superior physicochemical properties. The maximum specific capacitance of the hybrid supercapacitor constructed out of PDPA-H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} powder was found to be 108 F g{sup -1}.

  13. High performance liquid chromatographic determination of some guaiphenesin-containing cough-cold preparations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed A. Korany

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents different HPLC methods for the simultaneous determination of some guaiphenesin-containing cough-cold preparations. Three pharmaceutically available combinations were analyzed: salbutamol sulfate (SAL and guaiphenesin (GUA, combination I; ascorbic acid (ASC, paracetamol (PAR and guaiphenesin (GUA, combination II; and theophylline anhydrous (THE, guaiphenesin (GUA and ambroxol hydrochloride (AMB, combination III. A 250 × 4.6 mm C-18 column was used for all combinations. The mobile phase for the three combinations consisted of a mixture of methanol and 0.01 M aqueous phosphate buffer solution. The pH of the mobile phase was adjusted to 3.2, 6.2 and 3.8 for combinations I, II and III, respectively. The proposed HPLC methods were successfully applied to the determination of the investigated drugs, both in synthetic mixtures and in pharmaceutical preparations, without any matrix interference and with high precision and accuracy. Different aspects of analytical validation are presented in the text.

  14. Preparation and characterization of high performance Schiff-base liquid crystal diepoxide polymer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Huan; Fu Zien; Xu Kai; Cai Hualun; Liu Xin; Chen Mingcai

    2012-01-01

    Graphical abstract: The specific effects of highly conjugated Schiff-base moiety on thermal properties of the Schiff-base epoxy polymer were proposed first by us. From the point of view of structure-properties relationship, it can be considered that owing to the presence of the Schiff-base group, the high performance liquid crystal diepoxide polymer displayed improved thermal stability. Highlights: ► In this work, we first proposed that specific effects of highly conjugated Schiff-base moiety on thermal properties of the Schiff-base epoxy polymer. ► As one aim of this study, the thermal and thermal-oxidative stabilities of the thermosets were studied by TGA under nitrogen and under air. ► The second aim of this study was to further understand the thermal degradation mechanism. ► For thermal degradation mechanism of this polymer under nitrogen, TG-IR was used to investigate volatile components, and SEM/EDS was used to explore morphologies and chemical components of the residual char. ► From the point of view of structure-properties relationship, it can be considered that owing to the presence of the Schiff-base group, the high performance liquid crystal diepoxide polymer displayed the improved thermal stability. - Abstract: A novel Schiff-base liquid crystal diepoxide polymer was prepared via a thermal copolymerization of a Schiff-base epoxy monomer (PBMBA) with a diamine co-monomer (MDA). We first proposed that specific effects of highly conjugated Schiff-base moiety on thermal properties of the Schiff-base epoxy polymer (PBMBA/MDA). Thermal degradation behavior of the polymer was characterized using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) under nitrogen and under air, respectively. Thermogravimetric data obtained from TGA under nitrogen and under air reveal that PBMBA/MDA exhibits higher thermal stability compared with bisphenol-A type epoxy polymer (DGEBA/MDA) and other mesogene-containing epoxy polymer. It is worth pointing out that the outstanding residual

  15. Analysis of the Constituents in “Zhu She Yong Xue Shuan Tong” by Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Combined with Preparative High Performance Liquid Chromatography

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lin-Lin Wang

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available “Zhu She Yong Xue Shuan Tong” lyophilized powder (ZSYXST, consists of a series of saponins extracted from Panax notoginseng, which has been widely used in China for the treatment of strokes. In this study, an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS combined with preparative high performance liquid chromatography (PHPLC method was developed to rapidly identify both major and minor saponins in ZSYXST. Some high content components were removed through PHPLC in order to increase the sensitivity of the trace saponins. Then, specific characteristic fragment ions in both positive and negative mode were utilized to determine the types of aglycone, saccharide, as well as the saccharide chain linkages. As a result, 94 saponins, including 20 pairs of isomers and ten new compounds, which could represent higher than 98% components in ZSYXST, were identified or tentatively identified in commercial ZSYXST samples.

  16. 30 CFR 827.12 - Coal preparation plants: Performance standards.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Coal preparation plants: Performance standards...-COAL PREPARATION PLANTS NOT LOCATED WITHIN THE PERMIT AREA OF A MINE § 827.12 Coal preparation plants..., modification, reclamation, and removal activities at coal preparation plants shall comply with the following...

  17. Versatile High-Performance Regenerated Cellulose Membranes Prepared using Trimethylsilyl Cellulose as a Precursor

    KAUST Repository

    Puspasari, Tiara

    2018-05-01

    Cellulose has emerged as an indispensable membrane material due to its abundant availability, low cost, fascinating physiochemical properties and environment benignancy. However, it is believed that the potential of this polymer is not fully explored yet due to its insolubility in the common organic solvents, encouraging the use of derivatization-regeneration method as a viable alternative to the direct dissolution in exotic or reactive solvents. In this work, we use trimethylsilyl cellulose (TMSC), a highly soluble cellulose derivative, as a precursor for the fabrication of cellulose thin film composite membranes. TMSC is an attractive precursor to assemble thin cellulose films with good deposition behavior and film morphology; cumbersome solvents used in the one step cellulose processing are avoided. This derivative is prepared from cellulose by the known silylation reaction. The complete transformation of TMSC back into cellulose after the membrane formation is carried out by vapor-phase acid treatment, which is simple, scalable and reproducible. This process along with the initial TMSC concentration determines the membrane sieving characteristics. Unlike the typical regenerated cellulose membranes with meso- or macropores, membranes regenerated from TMSC display micropores suitable for the selective separation of nanomolecules in aqueous and organic solvent nanofiltration. The membranes introduced in this thesis represent the first polymeric membranes ever reported for highly selective separation of similarly sized small organic molecules based on charge and size differences with outstanding fluxes. Owing to its strong hydrophilic and amorphous character, the membranes also demonstrate excellent air-dehumidification performance as compared to previously reported thin film composite membranes. Moreover, the use of TMSC enables the creation of the previously unfeasible cellulose–polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and cellulose–polyethyleneimine (PEI) blend membranes

  18. Promising high monetary rewards for future task performance increases intermediate task performance.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claire M Zedelius

    Full Text Available In everyday life contexts and work settings, monetary rewards are often contingent on future performance. Based on research showing that the anticipation of rewards causes improved task performance through enhanced task preparation, the present study tested the hypothesis that the promise of monetary rewards for future performance would not only increase future performance, but also performance on an unrewarded intermediate task. Participants performed an auditory Simon task in which they responded to two consecutive tones. While participants could earn high vs. low monetary rewards for fast responses to every second tone, their responses to the first tone were not rewarded. Moreover, we compared performance under conditions in which reward information could prompt strategic performance adjustments (i.e., when reward information was presented for a relatively long duration to conditions preventing strategic performance adjustments (i.e., when reward information was presented very briefly. Results showed that high (vs. low rewards sped up both rewarded and intermediate, unrewarded responses, and the effect was independent of the duration of reward presentation. Moreover, long presentation led to a speed-accuracy trade-off for both rewarded and unrewarded tones, whereas short presentation sped up responses to rewarded and unrewarded tones without this trade-off. These results suggest that high rewards for future performance boost intermediate performance due to enhanced task preparation, and they do so regardless whether people respond to rewards in a strategic or non-strategic manner.

  19. Promising high monetary rewards for future task performance increases intermediate task performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zedelius, Claire M; Veling, Harm; Bijleveld, Erik; Aarts, Henk

    2012-01-01

    In everyday life contexts and work settings, monetary rewards are often contingent on future performance. Based on research showing that the anticipation of rewards causes improved task performance through enhanced task preparation, the present study tested the hypothesis that the promise of monetary rewards for future performance would not only increase future performance, but also performance on an unrewarded intermediate task. Participants performed an auditory Simon task in which they responded to two consecutive tones. While participants could earn high vs. low monetary rewards for fast responses to every second tone, their responses to the first tone were not rewarded. Moreover, we compared performance under conditions in which reward information could prompt strategic performance adjustments (i.e., when reward information was presented for a relatively long duration) to conditions preventing strategic performance adjustments (i.e., when reward information was presented very briefly). Results showed that high (vs. low) rewards sped up both rewarded and intermediate, unrewarded responses, and the effect was independent of the duration of reward presentation. Moreover, long presentation led to a speed-accuracy trade-off for both rewarded and unrewarded tones, whereas short presentation sped up responses to rewarded and unrewarded tones without this trade-off. These results suggest that high rewards for future performance boost intermediate performance due to enhanced task preparation, and they do so regardless whether people respond to rewards in a strategic or non-strategic manner.

  20. High performance liquid chromatographic determination of vanadium in crude oils and cobalt and iron in pharmaceutical preparations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khuhawar, M.Y.; Lanjwani, S.N.; Khaskhely, G.Q.

    1993-01-01

    High performance liquid Chromatographic (HPLC) method has ben developed for the determination of vanadium in crude oils, based on acid decomposition of oils, followed by complexation with bis (salicylaldehyde) tetramethyl ethylenediamine (H2SA2Ten). The complex is extracted in organic phase and is separated from copper and nickel using normal phase HPLC column. Detection is achieved using spectrophtmetric detector. The vanadium in oil is obtained at sub microgram/g level. Similarly cobalt(II), cobalt(III) and iron(II) are separated on reversed phase HPLC column. Pre column derivatization is used to develop HPLC method for the determination of cobalt and iron in pharmaceutical preparations. Finally results are compared using atomic absorption spectrometer. (author)

  1. Preparation of a porous Sn@C nanocomposite as a high-performance anode material for lithium-ion batteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yanjun; Jiang, Li; Wang, Chunru

    2015-07-01

    A porous Sn@C nanocomposite was prepared via a facile hydrothermal method combined with a simple post-calcination process, using stannous octoate as the Sn source and glucose as the C source. The as-prepared Sn@C nanocomposite exhibited excellent electrochemical behavior with a high reversible capacity, long cycle life and good rate capability when used as an anode material for lithium ion batteries.A porous Sn@C nanocomposite was prepared via a facile hydrothermal method combined with a simple post-calcination process, using stannous octoate as the Sn source and glucose as the C source. The as-prepared Sn@C nanocomposite exhibited excellent electrochemical behavior with a high reversible capacity, long cycle life and good rate capability when used as an anode material for lithium ion batteries. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Detailed experimental procedure and additional characterization, including a Raman spectrum, TGA curve, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm, TEM images and SEM images. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr03093e

  2. Analytical characterization of high-level mixed wastes using multiple sample preparation treatments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    King, A.G.; Baldwin, D.L.; Urie, M.W.; McKinley, S.G.

    1994-01-01

    The Analytical Chemistry Laboratory at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory in Richland, Washington, is actively involved in performing analytical characterization of high-level mixed waste from Hanford's single shell and double shell tank characterization programs. A full suite of analyses is typically performed on homogenized tank core samples. These analytical techniques include inductively-coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy, total organic carbon methods and radiochemistry methods, as well as many others, all requiring some type of remote sample-preparation treatment to solubilize the tank sludge material for analysis. Most of these analytical methods typically use a single sample-preparation treatment, inherently providing elemental information only. To better understand and interpret tank chemistry and assist in identifying chemical compounds, selected analytical methods are performed using multiple sample-preparation treatments. The sample preparation treatments used at Pacific Northwest Laboratory for this work with high-level mixed waste include caustic fusion, acid digestion, and water leach. The type of information available by comparing results from different sample-prep treatments includes evidence for the presence of refractory compounds, acid-soluble compounds, or water-soluble compounds. Problems unique to the analysis of Hanford tank wastes are discussed. Selected results from the Hanford single shell ferrocyanide tank, 241-C-109, are presented, and the resulting conclusions are discussed

  3. Preparation of nitrogen-doped biomass-derived carbon nanofibers/graphene aerogel as a binder-free electrode for high performance supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yimei; Wang, Fei; Zhu, Hao; Zhou, Lincheng; Zheng, Xinliang; Li, Xinghua; Chen, Zhuang; Wang, Yue; Zhang, Dandan; Pan, Duo

    2017-12-01

    Carbon materials derived from various biomasses have aroused forceful interest from scientific community based on their abundant resource, low cost, environment friendly and easy fabrication. Herein, the method has been developed to prepare nitrogen-doped biomass-derived carbon nanofibers/graphene aerogel (NCGA) as the binder-free electrode for supercapacitors. Ethylenediamine (EDA) is select as nitrogen source for its high nitrogen content and strong interaction with graphene oxide (GO) and cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) via hydrothermal self-assembly method to form hybrid hydrogel, and finally converts to NCGA by freeze-drying and carbonization. After carbonization the insulated CNFs converted to high conductivity carbon nanofibers. The NCGA electrode exhibits a high specific capacitance of 289 F g-1 at 5 mV s-1 and high stability of 90.5% capacitance retention ratio after 5000 cycles at 3 A g-1. This novel biomass electrode could be potential candidate for high performance supercapacitors.

  4. Oxidation-etching preparation of MnO2 tubular nanostructures for high-performance supercapacitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Jixin; Shi, Wenhui; Xiao, Ni; Rui, Xianhong; Tan, Huiteng; Lu, Xuehong; Hng, Huey Hoon; Ma, Jan; Yan, Qingyu

    2012-05-01

    1D hierarchical tubular MnO(2) nanostructures have been prepared through a facile hydrothermal method using carbon nanofibres (CNFs) as sacrificial template. The morphology of MnO(2) nanostructures can be adjusted by changing the reaction time or annealing process. Polycrystalline MnO(2) nanotubes are formed with a short reaction time (e.g., 10 min) while hierarchical tubular MnO(2) nanostructures composed of assembled nanosheets are obtained at longer reaction times (>45 min). The polycrystalline MnO(2) nanotubes can be further converted to porous nanobelts and sponge-like nanowires by annealing in air. Among all the types of MnO(2) nanostructures prepared, tubular MnO(2) nanostructures composed of assembled nanosheets show optimized charge storage performance when tested as supercapacitor electrodes, for example, delivering an power density of 13.33 kW·kg(-1) and a energy density of 21.1 Wh·kg(-1) with a long cycling life over 3000 cycles, which is mainly related to their features of large specific surface area and optimized charge transfer pathway.

  5. Influence of Temperature on the Performance of LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 Prepared by High-Temperature Ball-Milling Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ming Tian

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Aiming at the preparation of high electrochemical performance LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 cathode material for lithium-ion battery, LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 was prepared with lithium carbonate, nickel (II oxide, cobalt (II, III oxide, and manganese dioxide as raw materials by high-temperature ball-milling method. Influence of ball-milling temperature was investigated in this work. It was shown that the fine LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 powder with high electrochemical performance can be produced by the high-temperature ball-milling process, and the optimal ball-milling temperature obtained in the current study was 750°C. Its initial discharge capacity was 146.0 mAhg−1 at the rate of 0.1 C, and over 50 cycles its capacity retention rate was 90.2%.

  6. Preparation and Adsorption Performances of Phragmites australis Activated Carbon with High Acidity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    FU Cheng-kai

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available For removal of heavy metals from wastewater and recycling the wetland plants, the present study investigated the viability of using silage of Phragmites australis (PA to prepare activated carbons (ACs with high acidity. BET surface area, porous texture and surface functional characteristics of ACs were analyzed by N2 adsorption/desorption, elemental analysis and Boehm titration method. ACs presented well-developed micro-porosity and favorable surface acidity. The sorption equilibrium data for Ni (Ⅱ and Cd (Ⅱ sorption onto ACs were analyzed by the Langmuir and Freundlich models. The Langmuir model was fitted well to the adsorption behavior. The properties of high surface acidity promoted the adsorption of heavy metals by the silage-treated ACs and the chemical sorption played the key role in the sorption process.

  7. Magnetic properties of nanocrystalline pyrrhotite prepared by high-energy milling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Balaz, P.; Godocikova, E.; Alacova, A.

    2004-01-01

    The nanocrystalline pyrrhotite was prepared by high-energy milling of lead sulphide with elemental Fe acting as reducing element. X-ray diffractometry, Mossbauer spectroscopy and VSM magnetometry were used to determine the properties of nanocrystalline iron sulphide prepared by the corresponding...... mechanochemical reaction. Pyrrhotite Fe1-xS together with the residual Fe metal were identified by the X-ray diffractometry. The kinetic studies performed by Mossbauer spectroscopy and VSM magnetometry allowed us to follow in more details the progress of the nanocrystalline magnetic phase formation during...

  8. Preparation and desalination performance of multiwall carbon nanotubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Dengsong; Shi Liyi; Fang Jianhui; Dai Kai; Li Xuanke

    2006-01-01

    Multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were prepared by catalytic decomposition of methane at 680-700 deg. C, using nickel oxide-silica binary aerogels as the catalyst. The morphological structure of MWCNTs was investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. The results revealed that MWCNTs had a diameter of 40-60 nm, with high quality and high length/diameter ratio, and some metal catalyst particles were encapsulated at the tip of nanotubes. Using MWCNTs as the electrodes of flow-through capacitor (FTC), desalination performance was investigated. The results showed that modification methods had great effect on desalination performance of MWCNTs. The removal amount of NaCl was generally dependent on the surface area and pore volume of MWCNTs. After modification in diluted HNO 3 solution with ultrasonic and then ball milling, the metal catalyst particles at the tip of nanotubes disappeared, the nanotube length became short, the cap at the tip of nanotubes was opened, the internal surface area could be effectively used, leading to increasing the specific surface area and pore volume for MWCNTs, and thus, the desalination performance thereof was the best of all

  9. High-performance supercapacitor electrode materials prepared from various pollens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Long; Zhang, Fan; Yang, Xi; Leng, Kai; Huang, Yi; Chen, Yongsheng

    2013-04-22

    Supercapacitors based on activated carbon prepared from various pollens show good specific capacitance (207 F g(-1) ) and large gravimetric and volumetric energy density (∼88 Wh kg(-1) and ∼44 Wh L(-1) , respectively) in ionic liquid electrolytes, which are much better than those of RP20 (commercial activated carbon) or graphene-based supercapacitors. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Asymmetric polivinylidenfluoride (PVDF) radiation grafted membranes: Preparation and performance in reverse osmosis application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vigo, F.; Capannelli, G.; Uliana, C.; Munari, S.

    1981-01-01

    A new type of reverse osmosis membrane has been synthesized. Membranes were prepared starting from asymmetric PVDF films, obtained by the casting and gelation technique and modified by radiochemical grafting and sulphonation. These membranes were tested in an RO laboratory plant and their performances were determined as a function of preparative parameters. The influences of evaporation time and temperature grafting and solvents were investigated. These membranes exhibit permeabilities as high as 2000 1/m 2 d and sodium chloride rejections up to 70%. (orig.)

  11. Effect of vibration frequency on microstructure and performance of high chromium cast iron prepared by lost foam casting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wen-qi Zou

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available In the present research, high chromium cast irons (HCCIs were prepared using the lost foam casting (LFC process. To improve the wear resistance of the high chromium cast irons (HCCIs, mechanical vibration was employed during the solidification of the HCCIs. The effects of vibration frequency on the microstructure and performance of the HCCIs under as-cast, as-quenched and as-tempered conditions were investigated. The results indicated that the microstructures of the LFC-produced HCCIs were refined due to the introduction of mechanical vibration, and the hardness was improved compared to that of the alloy without vibration. However, only a slight improvement in hardness was found in spite of the increase of vibration frequency. In contrast, the impact toughness of the as-tempered HCCIs increased with an increase in the vibration frequency. In addition, the wear resistance of the HCCIs was improved as a result of the introduction of vibration and increased with an increase in the vibration frequency.

  12. Separation of three anthraquinone glycosides including two isomers by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography and high-speed countercurrent chromatography from Rheum tanguticum Maxim. ex Balf.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Tao; Li, Hongmei; Zou, Denglang; Liu, Yongling; Chen, Chen; Zhou, Guoying; Li, Yulin

    2016-08-01

    Anthraquinone glycosides, such as chrysophanol 1-O-β-d-glucoside, chrysophanol 8-O-β-d-glucoside, and physion 8-O-β-d-glucoside, are the accepted important active components of Rheum tanguticum Maxim. ex Balf. due to their pharmacological properties: antifungal, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and antioxidant activities. However, an effective method for the separation of the above-mentioned anthraquinone glycosides from this herb is not currently available. Especially, greater difficulty existed in the separation of the two isomers chrysophanol 1-O-β-d-glucoside and chrysophanol 8-O-β-d-glucoside. This study demonstrated an efficient strategy based on preparative high-performance liquid chromatography and high-speed countercurrent chromatography for the separation of the above-mentioned anthraquinone glycosides from Rheum tanguticum Maxim.ex Balf. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Effects of preparation process on performance of rubber modified asphalt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Hanbing; Luo, Guobao; Wang, Xianqiang; Jiao, Yubo

    2015-06-01

    The rational utilization of waste rubber tire is essential for the environmental protection. Utilizing rubber particles to modify asphalt can not only improve asphalt performance, but also help the recycling of waste materials. Considering the effect of different preparation process parameters on the performance of rubber modified asphalt, this paper analyzes the effects of the shear temperature, shear time and shear rate on the performance of rubber modified asphalt, and provided a reference for its preparation.

  14. Preparation and properties of high-strength recycled concrete in cold areas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haitao, Y.

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Concrete waste was processed into recycled coarse aggregate (RCA, subsequently used to prepare high-strength (> 50 MPa recycled concrete. The resulting material was tested for mechanical performance (ULS. The recycled concrete was prepared to the required design strength by adjusting the water/cement ratio. Concrete containing 0, 20, 50, 80 and 100% recycled aggregate was prepared and studied for workability, deformability and durability. The ultimate aim of the study was to prepare high-strength recycled concrete apt for use in cold climates as a theoretical and experimental basis for the deployment of recycled high-strength concrete in civil engineering and building construction.En este estudio se preparó un hormigón de altas resistencias (> 50 MPa utilizando residuos de hormigón como árido grueso reciclado (RCA. El material resultante se ensayó para determinar sus prestaciones mecánicas (ULS. Para adaptarse a los requerimientos resistentes, se ajustó la relación agua/cemento del hormigón reciclado. Se estudió la trabajabilidad, deformabilidad y durabilidad del hormigón con contenidos del 0, 20, 50, 80 y 100% de árido reciclado. El objetivo final del estudio fue preparar hormigón reciclado de altas resistencias apto para su uso en climas fríos como base teórica y experimental para el desarrollo de este tipo de materiales en obra civil y edificación.

  15. Nitrogen and Fluorine co-doped carbon catalyst with high oxygen reduction performance, prepared by pyrolyzing a mixture of melamine and PTFE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peng, Hongliang; Liu, Fangfang; Qiao, Xiaochang; Xiong, Ziang; Li, Xiuhua; Shu, Ting; Liao, Shijun

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: A novel N and F co-doped metal-free doped carbon catalyst with three dimensional vesicles structures and ultra thin walls are prepared by pyrolyzing the mixture of melamine and PTFE. The catalyst has high N and F contents (13 and 6 at.%), and exhibits high ORR activity, high stability, and high limitation current density in both alkaline and acid medium. - Highlights: • N and F co-doped carbon catalyst was derived from the mixture of PTFE and melamine. • The N and F contents of the catalyst are up to 13 and 6 at.%, respectively. • The catalyst has three dimensional vesicles structure with ultra thin walls. • ORR activity of the catalyst is superior to that of Pt/C catalyst in alkaline medium. - Abstract: A novel nitrogen and fluorine co-doped carbon catalyst (C-Mela-PTFE) is prepared by pyrolyzing a mixture of melamine and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), the catalyst has a three-dimensional vesicular structure with ultrathin wall, and exhibits excellent ORR performance in both alkaline and acidic mediums. In an alkaline medium, the catalyst exhibits superior ORR activity to that of commercial Pt/C catalyst. Notably, the ORR activity of the catalyst is just slightly lower than that of Pt/C catalyst in acidic medium. It is interesting that the ORR limiting current density of our C-Mela-PTFE catalyst is much higher than that of Pt/C catalyst. The effects of the melamine/PTFE ratio and the pyrolysis temperature on the catalyst's ORR performance are investigated. The optimal melamine/PTFE ratio by weight is 1:1.5, and the optimal pyrolysis temperature is 950 °C. The catalyst samples are characterized by XRD, SEM/TEM, Raman analysis, and XPS, the results reveal the ultra-thin-walled vesicular structure, high surface area and porosity, and high doping amounts of N and F of the catalyst. For the optimal sample, the N and F contents are up to 13 and 6 at.%, respectively, the proportion of pyridinic N is up to 45 at.% according to the

  16. High-performance electrically conductive silver paste prepared by silver-containing precursor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Jianguo; Cao, Yu; Li, Xiangyou; Wang, Xiaoye; Zeng, Xiaoyan [Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, College of Optoelectronics Science and Engineering, Wuhan (China)

    2010-09-15

    A high-performance electrically conductive silver paste with no solid particles before drying and/or sintering is developed, in which silver-containing precursor is employed as conductive functional phase. Thermogravimetry analysis, volume electrical resistivity tests and sintering experiments show that the paste with about 14 wt.% silver pristine content is able to achieve the volume electrical resistivity of (2-3) x 10{sup -5} {omega} cm after it is sintered at 220 C. A micro-pen direct-writing process indicates that it is very suitable for the fabrication of high-resolution (25 {mu}m) and high-integration devices and apparatus. (orig.)

  17. Basic considerations for the preparation of performance testing materials as related to performance evaluation acceptance criteria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McCurdy, D.E.; Morton, J.S.

    2001-01-01

    The preparation of performance testing (PT) materials for environmental and radiobioassay applications involves the use of natural matrix materials containing the analyte of interest, the addition (spiking) of the analyte to a desired matrix (followed by blending for certain matrices) or a combination of the two. The distribution of the sample analyte concentration in a batch of PT samples will reflect the degree of heterogeneity of the analyte in the PT material and/or the reproducibility of the sample preparation process. Commercial and government implemented radioanalytical performance evaluation programs have a variety of acceptable performance criteria. The performance criteria should take into consideration many parameters related to the preparation of the PT materials including the within and between sample analyte heterogeneity, the accuracy of the quantification of an analyte in the PT material and to what 'known' value will a laboratory's result be compared. How sample preparation parameters affect the successful participation in performance evaluation (PE) programs having an acceptance criteria established as a percent difference from a 'known' value or in PE programs using other acceptance criteria, such as the guidance provided in ANSI N42.22 and N13.30 is discussed. (author)

  18. Psychological Preparation for Peak Performance in Sports Competition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohuruogu, Ben; Jonathan, Ugwuanyi I.; Ikechukwu, Ugwu Jude

    2016-01-01

    This paper attempts to make an overview of various techniques, sport psychologist adopt in psychological preparation of athletes for peak performance. To attain peak performance in sports competitions, coaches and athletes should not base their prospect on physical training on sport skills alone rather should integrate both the mental and physical…

  19. High Performance Regenerated Cellulose Membranes from Trimethylsilyl Cellulose

    KAUST Repository

    Ali, Ola

    2013-05-01

    Regenerated cellulose (RC) membranes are extensively used in medical and pharmaceutical separation processes due to their biocompatibility, low fouling tendency and solvent resistant properties. They typically possess ultrafiltration and microfiltration separation characteristics, but recently, there have been attempts to widen their pool of applications in nanofiltration processes. In this work, a novel method for preparing high performance composite RC membranes was developed. These membranes reveal molecular weight cut-offs (MWCO) of less than 250 daltons, which possibly put them ahead of all commercial RC membranes and in competition with high performance nanofiltration membranes. The membranes were prepared by acidic hydrolysis of dip-coated trimethylsilyl cellulose (TMSC) films. TMSC, with a degree of silylation (DS) of 2.8, was prepared from microcrystalline cellulose by reaction with hexamethyldisilazane under the homogeneous conditions of LiCl/DMAC solvent system. Effects of parameters, such as coating solution concentration and drying rates, were investigated. It was concluded that higher TMSC concentrations as well as higher solvent evaporation rates favor better MWCOs, mainly due to increase in the selective layer thickness. Successful cross-linking of prepared membranes with glyoxal solutions, in the presence of boric acid as a catalyst, resulted in MWCOs less than 250 daltons. The suitability of this crosslinking reaction for large scale productions was already proven in the manufacturing of durable-press fabrics. For us, the inexpensive raw materials as well as the low reaction times and temperatures were of interest. Moreover, the non-toxic nature of glyoxal is a key advantage in medical and pharmaceutical applications. The membranes prepared in this work are strong candidates for separation of small organic solutes from organic solvents streams in pharmaceutical industries. Their hydrophilicity, compared to typical nanofiltration membranes, offer

  20. The influence of preparation methodology on high voltage behaviour of alumina insulators in vacuum

    CERN Document Server

    Goddard, B; Tan, J

    1998-01-01

    The flashover characteristics of an insulator bridged high voltage vacuum gap can play an important role in the overall performance of a high voltage device, for example in the extreme environments of high energy particle accelerators. The detailed preparation of the insulators is, at present, governed by the commercial production methods and by standard bulk cleaning processes, which for a particular application may be far from optimum. The influence of particular cleaning technique have been investigated for commercially available alumina samples, with measurement of surface characteristics by scanning electron microscopy and laser diffraction and fields up to 200 kV/cm. The results of the different measurements are discussed in the overall context of the problems encountered in the full sized high voltage devices, and suggestions are made as to how the performance of alumina insulators could be improved by modification of the production and preparation specification.

  1. Biological and biochemical evaluation of some prepared high ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Biological and biochemical evaluation of some prepared high antioxidant fruit beverages as functional foods. W A El-Malky ... The beverage which contain mango, red grape, carrot and tomato was the best prepared beverages according to the sensory evaluation, chemical composition and antioxidant activity. The high ...

  2. Practicing perfection: How concert soloists prepare for performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roger Chaffin

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Musical performances by concert soloists in the Western classical tradition are normally memorized. For memory to work reliably under the pressures of the concert stage, the performance must be practiced until it is thoroughly automatic. At the same time, the performance must be fresh and spontaneous in order to communicate emotionally with the audience. The resolution of this apparent contradiction is provided by longitudinal case studies of concert soloists preparing new works for performance. Like expert memorists in other domains, experienced musicians use highly practiced retrieval schemes to accomplish their extraordinary feats of memory. Performers have a mental map of the piece in mind as they perform that tells them where they are and what comes next - a series of landmarks, hierarchically organized by the sections and subsections of the music. The musician attends to these performance cues in order to ensure that the performance unfolds as planned. Performance cues are established by thinking about a particular feature of the music during practice so that it later comes to mind automatically. Performance cues help the soloist consciously monitor and control the rapid, automatic actions of playing, while adjusting to the needs of the moment. During practice, the musician attends mostly to basic performance cues representing critical technical features (e.g., fingerings,andinterpretive performance cues, representing phrasings, and changes in dynamics, tempo, and timbre. During performance, the musician hopes to attend mainly to expressive performance cues representing the musical feelings to be conveyed to the audience (e.g. excitement. We illustrate this analysis with a typical case study of a concert pianist learning J.S. Bach's Italian Concerto (Presto.

  3. Controllable preparation of multi-dimensional hybrid materials of nickel-cobalt layered double hydroxide nanorods/nanosheets on electrospun carbon nanofibers for high-performance supercapacitors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lai, Feili; Huang, Yunpeng; Miao, Yue-E; Liu, Tianxi

    2015-01-01

    Graphical Abstract: Multi-dimensional hybrid materials of nickel-cobalt layered double hydroxide nanorods/nanosheets grown on electrospun carbon nanofiber membranes were prepared via electrospinning combined with solution co-deposition for high-performance supercapacitor electrodes. - Highlights: • Ni-Co LDH@CNFhybridswerepreparedbyelectrospinningandsolutionco-deposition. • Ni-Co LDH@CNF hybrids show high electrochemical performance for supercapacitors. • This method can be extended to other bimetallic@CNF hybrids for electrode materials. - Abstract: Hybrid nanomaterials with hierarchical structures have been considered as one kind of the most promising electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors with high capacity and long cycle lifetime. In this work, multi-dimensional hybrid materials of nickel-cobalt layered double hydroxide (Ni-Co LDH) nanorods/nanosheets on carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were prepared by electrospinning technique combined with one-step solution co-deposition method. Carbon nanofiber membranes were obtained by electrospinning of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) followed by pre-oxidation and carbonization. The successful growth of Ni-Co LDH with different morphologies on CNF membrane by using two kinds of auxiliary agents reveals the simplicity and universality of this method. The uniform and immense growth of Ni-Co LDH on CNFs significantly improves its dispersion and distribution. Meanwhile the hierarchical structure of carbon nanofiber@nickel-cobalt layered double hydroxide nanorods/nanosheets (CNF@Ni-Co LDH NR/NS) hybrid membranes provide not only more active sites for electrochemical reaction but also more efficient pathways for electron transport. Galvanostatic charge-discharge measurements reveal high specific capacitances of 1378.2 F g −1 and 1195.4 F g −1 (based on Ni-Co LDH mass) at 1 A g −1 for CNF@Ni-Co LDH NR and CNF@Ni-Co LDH NS hybrid membranes, respectively. Moreover, cycling stabilities for both hybrid membranes are

  4. In situ one-pot preparation of reduced graphene oxide/polyaniline composite for high-performance electrochemical capacitors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Nali; Ren, Yapeng; Kong, Peipei; Tan, Lin; Feng, Huixia; Luo, Yongchun

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • A new method to prepare reduced graphene oxide/polyaniline composite is developed. • Aniline serves as a reduction for graphene oxide under weak alkali condition. • Different characterizations confirm that GO can be effectively reduced by aniline. • A high specific capacitance of 524.4 F·g"−"1 is obtained at 0.5 A·g"−"1. - Abstract: Reduced graphene oxide/polyaniline (rGO/PANI) composites are prepared through an effective in situ one-pot synthesis route that includes the reduction of graphene oxide (GO) by aniline under weak alkali condition via hydrothermal method and then followed by in situ polymerization of aniline. X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope are employed to reveal that GO is successfully reduced by aniline under weak alkali condition and PANI can be deposited on the surfaces of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets. The effect of rGO is optimized by tuning the mass ratios of aniline to GO to improve the electrochemical performance of rGO/PANI composites. The maximum specific capacitance of rGO/PANI composites achieves 524.4 F/g with a mass ratio of aniline to GO 10:1 at a current density of 0.5 A/g, in comparison to the specific capacitance of 397 F/g at the same current density of pure PANI. Particularly, the specific capacity retention rate is 81.1% after 2000 cycles at 100 mv/s scan rate, which is an improvement over that of pure PANI (55.5%).

  5. In situ one-pot preparation of reduced graphene oxide/polyaniline composite for high-performance electrochemical capacitors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Nali [College of Petrochemical Technology, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050, Gansu (China); State Key Laboratory of Advanced Processing and Recycling of Nonferrous Metals, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050, Gansu (China); Ren, Yapeng; Kong, Peipei; Tan, Lin [College of Petrochemical Technology, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050, Gansu (China); Feng, Huixia, E-mail: fenghx@lut.cn [College of Petrochemical Technology, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050, Gansu (China); Luo, Yongchun, E-mail: luoyc@lut.cn [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Processing and Recycling of Nonferrous Metals, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050, Gansu (China)

    2017-01-15

    Highlights: • A new method to prepare reduced graphene oxide/polyaniline composite is developed. • Aniline serves as a reduction for graphene oxide under weak alkali condition. • Different characterizations confirm that GO can be effectively reduced by aniline. • A high specific capacitance of 524.4 F·g{sup −1} is obtained at 0.5 A·g{sup −1}. - Abstract: Reduced graphene oxide/polyaniline (rGO/PANI) composites are prepared through an effective in situ one-pot synthesis route that includes the reduction of graphene oxide (GO) by aniline under weak alkali condition via hydrothermal method and then followed by in situ polymerization of aniline. X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope are employed to reveal that GO is successfully reduced by aniline under weak alkali condition and PANI can be deposited on the surfaces of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets. The effect of rGO is optimized by tuning the mass ratios of aniline to GO to improve the electrochemical performance of rGO/PANI composites. The maximum specific capacitance of rGO/PANI composites achieves 524.4 F/g with a mass ratio of aniline to GO 10:1 at a current density of 0.5 A/g, in comparison to the specific capacitance of 397 F/g at the same current density of pure PANI. Particularly, the specific capacity retention rate is 81.1% after 2000 cycles at 100 mv/s scan rate, which is an improvement over that of pure PANI (55.5%).

  6. Preparation of Co-Zn ferrite nano-based materials and their enhanced magnetic performance via inverse miniemulsion method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Juejin; Zhang, Zhenqian; Fang, Bijun; Ding, Jianning

    2017-11-01

    The well dispersed CZF/PAM nanoparticles were prepared by the inverse miniemulsion method, which present high calcining and sintering activity for preparing Co0.875Zn0.125Fe2O4 (CZF) films, powders and ceramics at rather low temperatures. The prepared CZF/PAM inverse miniemulsion exhibits excellent film-formation performance, which is feasible for coating CZF films. XRD and FT-IR measurements confirmed that phase pure spinel structure and well crystalline CZF powders can be prepared calcined at the least temperature of 400 °C. The 450 °C-calcined CZF powders exhibit nearly spherical shape grains with average particle size 20-30 nm accompanied by apparent conglomeration. Improved external magnetic performance and electrical properties are obtained in the synthesized CZF powders and ceramics, which provide versatile promising applications.

  7. Novel cellulose ester substrates for high performance flat-sheet thin-film composite (TFC) forward osmosis (FO) membranes

    KAUST Repository

    Ong, Rui Chin; Chung, Neal Tai-Shung; de Wit, Jos S.; Helmer, Bradley J.

    2015-01-01

    and seawater desalination with high performance. The performance of TFC-FO membranes prepared from the hydrophilic cellulose ester containing a high degree of OH and a moderate degree of Pr substitutions clearly surpasses those prepared from cellulose esters

  8. Preparation of high-purity cerium nitrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Avila, Daniela Moraes; Silva Queiroz, Carlos Alberto da; Santos Mucillo, Eliana Navarro dos

    1995-01-01

    The preparation of high-purity cerium nitrate has been carried out Cerium oxide has been prepared by fractioned precipitation and ionic exchange techniques, using a concentrate with approximately 85% of cerium oxide from NUCLEMON as raw material. Five sequential ion-exchange columns with a retention capacity of 170 g each have been used. The ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid (EDTA) was used as eluent. The cerium content has been determined by gravimetry and iodometry techniques. The resulting cerium oxide has a purity > 99%. This material was transformed in cerium nitrate to be used as precursor for the preparation of Zirconia-ceria ceramics by the coprecipitation technique. (author)

  9. Preparing to perform an awake fiberoptic intubation.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Walsh, M E

    2012-02-03

    Fiberoptically guided tracheal intubation represents one of the most important advances in airway management to occur in the past thirty years. Perhaps its most important role is in management of the anticipated difficult airway. This is a situation in which the dangers of encountering the life-threatening "can\\'t intubate, can\\'t ventilate" situation can be avoided by placement of an endotracheal tube while the patient is awake. Although skill at the procedure of endoscopy is obviously necessary in this setting, these authors hold that success or failure of the technique frequently depends on the adequacy of preparation. These measures include 1) pre-operative assessment of the patient; 2) careful explanation of what lies in store; 3) "setting the stage"; 4) preparing the equipment to be used; and 5) preparing the patient (antisialogue, sedation, application of topical anesthesia to the upper airway). If these preparatory measures are carried out meticulously, the likelihood of performing a successful and comfortable awake fiberoptic tracheal intubation is greatly increased.

  10. A facile method to prepare a high performance solid-state flexible paper-based supercapacitor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shieh, Jen-Yu; Zhang, Sheng-Hui; Wu, Cheng-Hung [Institute of Electro-Optical and Materials Science, National Formosa University, 64 Wenhua Road, Huwei, Yunlin 63208, Taiwan (China); Yu, Hsin Her, E-mail: hhyu@nfu.edu.tw [Department of Biotechnology, National Formosa University, 64 Wenhua Road, Huwei, Yunlin 63208, Taiwan (China)

    2014-09-15

    Graphical abstract: A flexible paper-based supercapacitor was assembled into a sandwich structure, which exhibits well-retained triangular-shaped curves. The cycle life stability of this device still retains about 96% of the initial capacitance after 2000 cycles at a scan rate of 400 mV/s. An as-fabricated paper-based supercapacitor could light a red LED well after charging at constant potential of 3 V. - Highlights: • A facile approach is proposed to fabricate paper-based supercapacitors. • Apple pectin is an excellent dispersant for MWCNTs. • Paper provides a strong binding and flexible characteristic for electrode. • A paper-based supercapacitor could light a red LED after charging. • This device shows excellent electrochemical performance and cycling stability. - Abstract: We propose a low cost and simple method to prepare a paper-based supercapacitor in this study. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were dispersed with a pectin solution under an ultrasonic homogenizer. Carbon nanotube suspension was prepared using a centrifuge to eliminate impurities. The dispersed MWCNTs suspension was dropped and dried onto the shallow surface of commercial copy paper. A paper-based conductive paper was formed as the electrodes. The electrical conductivity and dispersed morphology of the paper-based conductive paper were examined by four probes, atomic force microscope (AFM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The solid-state electrolyte was prepared by casting a solution of phosphoric acid and polyvinyl alcohol onto a glass plate. The paper-based supercapacitor was constructed with one solid-state electrolyte inserted between two electrodes, which were assembled into a sandwich structure by hot press. The specific capacitance and cycle-life stability of the paper-based supercapacitor was investigated by cyclic voltammetry analysis.

  11. Aqueous preparation of polyethylene glycol/sulfonated graphene phase change composite with enhanced thermal performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Hairong; Jiang, Ming; Li, Qi; Li, Denian; Chen, Zongyi; Hu, Waping; Huang, Jing; Xu, Xizhe; Dong, Lijie; Xie, Haian; Xiong, Chuanxi

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • We report an aqueous preparation technique of PEG/graphene phase change composite. • Hydrophilic sulfonated graphene (SG) nanosheets were synthesized. • Large increase in thermal conductivity is attained at low SG loading. • High latent heat is retained due to the low filler loading. • Affinity between SG and PEG contributes to the enhanced thermal performance. - Abstract: A polyethylene glycol (PEG)/sulfonated graphene (SG) phase change composite with enhanced thermal performance was prepared by solution processing in aqueous medium. It is remarkable that the addition of only 4 wt.% of SG to PEG could lead to a four times higher increase in thermal conductivity and a slight decrease in the phase change enthalpy, which is attributed to the formation of efficient thermal conductive network within the PEG matrix relevant to the excellent thermal property and unique 2-dimensional morphology of graphene as well as strong interface affinity between PEG matrix and SG nanosheets. The aqueous preparation technique is expected to pioneer a new way to prepare environment friendly organic phase change materials, and the production of PEG/SG composites is potentially scalable due to the facile fabricating process

  12. Data Preparation Process for the Buildings Performance Database

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Walter, Travis; Dunn, Laurel; Mercado, Andrea; Brown, Richard E.; Mathew, Paul

    2014-06-30

    The Buildings Performance Database (BPD) includes empirically measured data from a variety of data sources with varying degrees of data quality and data availability. The purpose of the data preparation process is to maintain data quality within the database and to ensure that all database entries have sufficient data for meaningful analysis and for the database API. Data preparation is a systematic process of mapping data into the Building Energy Data Exchange Specification (BEDES), cleansing data using a set of criteria and rules of thumb, and deriving values such as energy totals and dominant asset types. The data preparation process takes the most amount of effort and time therefore most of the cleansing process has been automated. The process also needs to adapt as more data is contributed to the BPD and as building technologies over time. The data preparation process is an essential step between data contributed by providers and data published to the public in the BPD.

  13. Cobalt sulfide aerogel prepared by anion exchange method with enhanced pseudocapacitive and water oxidation performances

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Qiuyue; Shi, Zhenyu; Xue, Kaiming; Ye, Ziran; Hong, Zhanglian; Yu, Xinyao; Zhi, Mingjia

    2018-05-01

    This work introduces the anion exchange method into the sol-gel process for the first time to prepare a metal sulfide aerogel. A porous Co9S8 aerogel with a high surface area (274.2 m2 g‑1) and large pore volume (0.87 cm3 g‑1) has been successfully prepared by exchanging cobalt citrate wet gel in thioacetamide and subsequently drying in supercritical ethanol. Such a Co9S8 aerogel shows enhanced supercapacitive performance and catalytic activity toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER) compared to its oxide aerogel counterpart. High specific capacitance (950 F g‑1 at 1 A g‑1), good rate capability (74.3% capacitance retention from 1 to 20 A g‑1) and low onset overpotential for OER (220 mV) were observed. The results demonstrated here have implications in preparing various sulfide chalcogels.

  14. Outage preparation milestones - A tool to improve planned outage performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laplatney, Jere; Hwang, Euiyoub

    2006-01-01

    Sustainable development of Nuclear Energy depends heavily on excellent performance of the existing fleet which in turn depend heavily on the performance of planned outages. Nuclear Power Plants who have successfully undertaken outage optimization projects have demonstrated than an effective Outage Preparation Milestone program is a key component of their improvement programs. This paper will provide background into the field of 'Outage Optimization' including the philosophy, general approach, and results obtained in the U. S. industry. The significant safety improvements afforded by properly implementing outage improvement programs will be explained. Some specific examples of outage improvements will be given including the adoption of a strong Outage Preparation Milestone Program. The paper will then describe the attributes of an effective Outage Preparation Milestone Program and list a set of specific key milestones. The key milestones are defined and the reasons for each are explained. Suggested due dates for each key milestone relative to the outage start date are provided. Successful implementation of an Outage Preparation Milestone program depends heavily upon the management tools and methods used to assure that the organization meets the milestones on time and in a quality fashion. These include methods to handle cases where milestones are not met - either partially or fully. KHNP is investigating implementing an improved Outage Preparation Milestone program for its fleet of reactors as part of its overall program to improve its performance of planned outages

  15. Preparation of Fe–Si–Ni soft magnetic composites with excellent high-frequency properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Wei; Wu, Chen, E-mail: chen_wu@zju.edu.cn; Yan, Mi, E-mail: mse_yanmi@zju.edu.cn

    2015-05-01

    Fe–Si–Ni powders were firstly prepared into soft magnetic composites (SMCs) by ball milling, surface passivation and subsequent compaction. The morphology, phase composition, and magnetic properties of the Fe–Si–Ni powders and their high-frequency performance as SMCs were investigated. The Fe–Si–Ni powders, with saturation magnetization (M{sub s}) of 254.40 emu/g after annealing, were milled down to particle sizes ranging from 40 μm to 150 μm. Surface passivation of the powders was carried out with 0.2–1.0 wt% phosphoric acid solution prior to compaction. Evolution of the high-frequency properties for the Fe–Si–Ni SMCs with the passivator concentration and the molding pressure was studied. With optimized preparation parameters, high saturation flux density (B{sub s}) of 1.23 T, stable permeability, and superior dc-bias property with a percentage permeability above 70% while H=50 Oe were achieved for the Fe–Si–Ni SMC. Minimum core loss (285 mW/cm{sup 3}) was also measured at 50 kHz for B{sub m}=50 mT. - Highlights: • Fe–Si–Ni as a new type of magnetic powder has been prepared into soft magnetic composites. • Effective surface passivation of the Fe–Si–Ni powders can be achieved by phosphate treatment. • Influence of the passivator concentration and molding pressure has been investigated. • The obtained Fe–Si–Ni soft magnetic composites exhibit excellent high-frequency performance.

  16. An easily regenerable enzyme reactor prepared from polymerized high internal phase emulsions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruan, Guihua; Wu, Zhenwei; Huang, Yipeng; Wei, Meiping; Su, Rihui; Du, Fuyou

    2016-01-01

    A large-scale high-efficient enzyme reactor based on polymerized high internal phase emulsion monolith (polyHIPE) was prepared. First, a porous cross-linked polyHIPE monolith was prepared by in-situ thermal polymerization of a high internal phase emulsion containing styrene, divinylbenzene and polyglutaraldehyde. The enzyme of TPCK-Trypsin was then immobilized on the monolithic polyHIPE. The performance of the resultant enzyme reactor was assessed according to the conversion ability of N_α-benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester to N_α-benzoyl-L-arginine, and the protein digestibility of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and cytochrome (Cyt-C). The results showed that the prepared enzyme reactor exhibited high enzyme immobilization efficiency and fast and easy-control protein digestibility. BSA and Cyt-C could be digested in 10 min with sequence coverage of 59% and 78%, respectively. The peptides and residual protein could be easily rinsed out from reactor and the reactor could be regenerated easily with 4 M HCl without any structure destruction. Properties of multiple interconnected chambers with good permeability, fast digestion facility and easily reproducibility indicated that the polyHIPE enzyme reactor was a good selector potentially applied in proteomics and catalysis areas. - Graphical abstract: Schematic illustration of preparation of hypercrosslinking polyHIPE immobilized enzyme reactor for on-column protein digestion. - Highlights: • A reactor was prepared and used for enzyme immobilization and continuous on-column protein digestion. • The new polyHIPE IMER was quite suit for protein digestion with good properties. • On-column digestion revealed that the IMER was easy regenerated by HCl without any structure destruction.

  17. An easily regenerable enzyme reactor prepared from polymerized high internal phase emulsions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ruan, Guihua, E-mail: guihuaruan@hotmail.com [Guangxi Key Laboratory of Electrochemical and Magnetochemical Functional Materials, College of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guangxi 541004 (China); Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin 541004 (China); Wu, Zhenwei; Huang, Yipeng; Wei, Meiping; Su, Rihui [Guangxi Key Laboratory of Electrochemical and Magnetochemical Functional Materials, College of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guangxi 541004 (China); Du, Fuyou, E-mail: dufu2005@126.com [Guangxi Key Laboratory of Electrochemical and Magnetochemical Functional Materials, College of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guangxi 541004 (China); Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin 541004 (China)

    2016-04-22

    A large-scale high-efficient enzyme reactor based on polymerized high internal phase emulsion monolith (polyHIPE) was prepared. First, a porous cross-linked polyHIPE monolith was prepared by in-situ thermal polymerization of a high internal phase emulsion containing styrene, divinylbenzene and polyglutaraldehyde. The enzyme of TPCK-Trypsin was then immobilized on the monolithic polyHIPE. The performance of the resultant enzyme reactor was assessed according to the conversion ability of N{sub α}-benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester to N{sub α}-benzoyl-L-arginine, and the protein digestibility of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and cytochrome (Cyt-C). The results showed that the prepared enzyme reactor exhibited high enzyme immobilization efficiency and fast and easy-control protein digestibility. BSA and Cyt-C could be digested in 10 min with sequence coverage of 59% and 78%, respectively. The peptides and residual protein could be easily rinsed out from reactor and the reactor could be regenerated easily with 4 M HCl without any structure destruction. Properties of multiple interconnected chambers with good permeability, fast digestion facility and easily reproducibility indicated that the polyHIPE enzyme reactor was a good selector potentially applied in proteomics and catalysis areas. - Graphical abstract: Schematic illustration of preparation of hypercrosslinking polyHIPE immobilized enzyme reactor for on-column protein digestion. - Highlights: • A reactor was prepared and used for enzyme immobilization and continuous on-column protein digestion. • The new polyHIPE IMER was quite suit for protein digestion with good properties. • On-column digestion revealed that the IMER was easy regenerated by HCl without any structure destruction.

  18. Patients with History of Colonoscopy Are Less Likely to Achieve High Quality Preparation After Implementing Split-Dose Bowel Preparation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madhoun, M F; Bitar, H; Parava, P; Bashir, M H; Zia, H

    2017-01-01

    Anecdotally, we observed that patients who had previous colonoscopies were less likely to follow newly implemented split-dose bowel preparation (SDBP) instructions. We investigated whether the indication for colonoscopy is an independent factor for achieving high quality bowel preparation among patients asked to follow SDBP. We performed a retrospective study of data from 1478 patients who received outpatient colonoscopies in 2014 (the year of SDBP implementation) at our Veterans Affairs Medical Center. We collected information related to demographics and factors known to affect bowel preparations. Reasons for colonoscopy were dichotomized into surveillance (previous colonoscopy) vs. non-surveillance (positive occult blood test or screening). Bowel preparation quality was scored using the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS), and was categorized as either excellent vs. not excellent (BBPS≥7 vs. BBPSquality was excellent in 60% of colonoscopies and adequate in 84% of colonoscopies. Thirty-six percent (535) were surveillance colonoscopies. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, more patients in the non-surveillance group achieved excellent (OR 0.8 ; 95% CI [0.7-0.8], P <0.0001) and adequate (OR 0.8 ; 95% CI [0.7-0.9], P <0.006) bowel preparation than did patients in the surveillance group. Patients with a prior colonoscopy might not follow the split-dose bowel preparation instructions. Educational interventions emphasizing the benefits of SDBP in this group of patients may help ensure compliance and prevent the habitual use of day-before preparations. © Acta Gastro-Enterologica Belgica.

  19. Performance of PZC-Mo generator and labeling results prepared with its eluate and MDP kit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yishu Liu

    2006-01-01

    This paper described the performance of Tc-99m generator prepared with Mo adsorbent PZC and irradiated nature MoO 3 , and the labeling results of MDP kit prepared with Tc-99m eluted from PZC-Mo generator and MDP was report as well. ThreeTc-99m generators was prepared with different batches of PZC and reactor irradiated nature Mo. The adsorption efficiency of two batches of the PZC is good (96.4% and 93.4%) and that of one batch of PZC is not satisfy (77.8%). The elution efficiency is not so high, and it increases along with the elution date. The elution file is very broad till to 30 ml and the Mo breakthrough is high to unacceptable. The labelling efficiency of MDP kit, prepared with Tc-99m eluate eluted with saline containing 0.05% NaClO from Mo-PZC generator, is approximately 77∼84% and it can reach to >98% labelling with eluate without containing 0.05%HClO in eluate. (author)

  20. Fluorine-free preparation of titanium carbide MXene quantum dots with high near-infrared photothermal performances for cancer therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Xinghua; Cai, Xingke; Cui, Haodong; Lee, Seung-Wuk; Yu, Xue-Feng; Liu, Bilu

    2017-11-23

    Titanium carbide MXene quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized using an effective fluorine-free method as a biocompatible and highly efficient nanoagent for photothermal therapy (PTT) applications. In contrast to the traditional, hazardous and time-consuming process of HF pretreatment, our fluorine-free method is safe and simple. More importantly, abundant Al oxoanions were found to be modified on the MXene QD surface by the fluorine-free method, which endowed the QDs with strong and broad absorption in the NIR region. As a result, the as-prepared MXene QDs exhibited an extinction coefficient as large as 52.8 Lg -1 cm -1 at 808 nm and a photothermal conversion efficiency as high as 52.2%. Both the values are among the best reported so far. The as-prepared MXene QDs achieved simultaneous photoacoustic (PA) imaging and the remarkable PTT effect of tumors. Moreover, MXene QDs showed great biocompatibility without causing noticeable toxicity in vitro and in vivo, indicating their high potential for clinical applications.

  1. CT colonography in a Korean population with a high residue diet: Comparison between wet and dry preparations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, S.H.; Choi, B.I.; Han, J.K.; Lee, J.M.; Eun, H.W.; Lee, J.Y.; Lee, K.H.; Han, C.J.; Choi, Y.H.; Shin, K.-S.

    2006-01-01

    AIM: To compare wet and dry preparation methods for computed tomography colonography (CTC) in terms of preparation quality, interpretation time, and diagnostic performance for polyp detection in a population with a high residue diet. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-six patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 (n=24) received a wet preparation of 4 l polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution, and group 2 (n=62) received a dry preparation of phosphor-soda. Abnormal findings, including polyps, and the time required to interpret the CTC images in both groups were documented by a radiologist. CTC findings were compared to those of colonoscopy as a reference standard. Two radiologists evaluated the quality of CTC with regard to residual fluid, faeces, and colonic distension using a four-point scale in consensus. Statistical differences for residual fluid, faeces, distensibility on CTC, and interpretation time between the two groups were analysed. The diagnostic performance of CTC in both groups was also compared. RESULTS: One-hundred and ninety polyps in 70 patients were identified using colonoscopy. Regarding the quality of images produced the wet preparation was significantly better than the dry preparation (p 0.05). CONCLUSION: In a population with a high-residue diet, CTC with wet preparation can be interpreted in a time-efficient manner and is comparable with CTC with dry preparation

  2. Food Sample Preparation for the Determination of Sulfonamides by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography: State-of-the-Art

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dimitrios Bitas

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Antibiotics are a common practice in veterinary medicine, mainly for therapeutic purposes. Sectors of application include livestock farming, aquacultures, and bee-keeping, where bacterial infections are frequent and can be economically damaging. However, antibiotics are usually administered in sub-therapeutic doses as prophylactic and growth promoting agents. Due to their excessive use, antibiotic residues can be present in foods of animal origin, which include meat, fish, milk, eggs, and honey, posing health risks to consumers. For this reason, authorities have set maximum residue limits (MRLs of certain antibiotics in food matrices, while analytical methods for their determination have been developed. This work focuses on antibiotic extraction and determination, part of which was presented at the “1st Conference in Chemistry for Graduate, Postgraduate Students and PhD Candidates at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki”. Taking a step further, this paper is a review of the most recent sample preparation protocols applied for the extraction of sulfonamide antibiotics from food samples and their determination with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC, covering a five-year period.

  3. High Performance Flat Plate Solar Thermal Collector Evaluation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rockenbaugh, Caleb [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Dean, Jesse [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Lovullo, David [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Lisell, Lars [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Barker, Greg [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Hanckock, Ed [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Norton, Paul [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2016-09-01

    This report was prepared for the General Services Administration by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The Honeycomb Solar Thermal Collector (HSTC) is a flat plate solar thermal collector that shows promising high efficiencies over a wide range of climate zones. The technical objectives of this study are to: 1) verify collector performance, 2) compare that performance to other market-available collectors, 3) verify overheat protection, and 4) analyze the economic performance of the HSTC both at the demonstration sites and across a matrix of climate zones and utility markets.

  4. Nutritional strategies of high level natural bodybuilders during competition preparation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chappell, A J; Simper, T; Barker, M E

    2018-01-01

    Competitive bodybuilders employ a combination of resistance training, cardiovascular exercise, calorie reduction, supplementation regimes and peaking strategies in order to lose fat mass and maintain fat free mass. Although recommendations exist for contest preparation, applied research is limited and data on the contest preparation regimes of bodybuilders are restricted to case studies or small cohorts. Moreover, the influence of different nutritional strategies on competitive outcome is unknown. Fifty-one competitors (35 male and 16 female) volunteered to take part in this project. The British Natural Bodybuilding Federation (BNBF) runs an annual national competition for high level bodybuilders; competitors must qualify by winning at a qualifying events or may be invited at the judge's discretion. Competitors are subject to stringent drug testing and have to undergo a polygraph test. Study of this cohort provides an opportunity to examine the dietary practices of high level natural bodybuilders. We report the results of a cross-sectional study of bodybuilders competing at the BNBF finals. Volunteers completed a 34-item questionnaire assessing diet at three time points. At each time point participants recorded food intake over a 24-h period in grams and/or portions. Competitors were categorised according to contest placing. A "placed" competitor finished in the top 5, and a "Non-placed" (DNP) competitor finished outside the top 5. Nutrient analysis was performed using Nutritics software. Repeated measures ANOVA and effect sizes (Cohen's d ) were used to test if nutrient intake changed over time and if placing was associated with intake. Mean preparation time for a competitor was 22 ± 9 weeks. Nutrient intake of bodybuilders reflected a high-protein, high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet. Total carbohydrate, protein and fat intakes decreased over time in both male and female cohorts ( P  preparation (5.1 vs 3.7 g/kg BW) than DNP competitors ( d  = 1.02, 95% CI

  5. Some aspects of success performing in departments preparing ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In France, secondary teachers are public sector employees. Becoming a language teacher in secondary education is subject to passing public competitive entry examinations. Preparation for these examinations is provided in College Departments, which are essentially assessed on the basis of their success performance in ...

  6. High performance nano-titania photocatalytic paper composite. Part II: Preparation and characterization of natural zeolite-based nano-titania composite sheets and study of their photocatalytic activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ko, Seonghyuk; Fleming, Paul D.; Joyce, Margaret; Ari-Gur, Pnina

    2009-01-01

    A novel paper composite with high photocatalytic performance was fabricated using natural zeolite (clinoptilolite)-based nanosized TiO 2 . Photocatalytic materials, from sol-gel derived TiO 2 colloids to its coupling with zeolite, have been designed, prepared and characterized. As-prepared anatase TiO 2 on zeolite particles were readily used in photocatalytic paper, which revealed zeolite-TiO 2 particles dispersed on a dense network of fibers with microvoids. Natural zeolite-based TiO 2 composite sheets described here decomposed gaseous toluene very effectively after UV irradiation and its removal efficiency was higher than that accomplished by photocatalytic paper made with Degussa P25 TiO 2 or Ahlstrom commercial photocatalytic non-woven paper.

  7. Laser additive manufacturing of high-performance materials

    CERN Document Server

    Gu, Dongdong

    2015-01-01

    This book entitled “Laser Additive Manufacturing of High-Performance Materials” covers the specific aspects of laser additive manufacturing of high-performance new materials components based on an unconventional materials incremental manufacturing philosophy, in terms of materials design and preparation, process control and optimization, and theories of physical and chemical metallurgy. This book describes the capabilities and characteristics of the development of new metallic materials components by laser additive manufacturing process, including nanostructured materials, in situ composite materials, particle reinforced metal matrix composites, etc. The topics presented in this book, similar as laser additive manufacturing technology itself, show a significant interdisciplinary feature, integrating laser technology, materials science, metallurgical engineering, and mechanical engineering. This is a book for researchers, students, practicing engineers, and manufacturing industry professionals interested i...

  8. High Performance Cathodes for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Prepared by Infiltration of La0.6Sr0.4CoO32d into Gd-Doped Ceria

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Samson, Alfred Junio; Søgaard, Martin; Knibbe, Ruth

    2011-01-01

    Cathodes prepared by infiltration of La0.6Sr0.4CoO3d (LSC40) into a porous Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 (CGO10) backbone have been developed for low temperature solid oxide fuel cells. The CGO10 backbone has been prepared by screen printing a CGO10 ink on both sides of a 180 m dense CGO10 electrolyte......-tape followed by firing. LSC40 was introduced into the CGO10 porous backbone by multiple infiltrations of aqueous nitrate solutions followed by firing at 350C. A systematic study of the performance of the cathodes was performed by varying the CGO10 backbone firing temperature, the LSC40 firing temperature...... and the number of infiltrations. The cathode polarization resistance was measured using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy on symmetrical cells in ambient air, while the resulting structures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high temperature X-ray diffraction (HT-XRD). The firing...

  9. Improved electrochemical performances of CuO nanotube array prepared via electrodeposition as anode for lithium ion battery

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xiao, Anguo, E-mail: hixiaoanguo@126.com; Zhou, Shibiao; Zuo, Chenggang; Zhuan, Yongbing; Ding, Xiang

    2015-10-15

    Graphical abstract: CuO nanotube array electrodes prepared by electrodeposition method exhibit an excellent lithium ion storage ability as anode of Li-ion battery. - Highlights: • CuO nanotube arrays are synthesized by an electrodeposition method. • CuO nanotube shows a high-rate performance. • CuO nanotube shows an excellent cycling performance. - Abstract: We report a facile strategy to prepared CuO nanotube arrays directly grown on Cu plate through the electrodeposition method. The as-prepared CuO nanotubes show a quasi-cylinder nanostructure with internal diameters of ca. ∼100 nm, external diameters of ca. ∼120 nm, and average length of ∼3 μm. As an anode for lithium ion batteries, the electrochemical properties of the CuO nanotube arrays are investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge/discharge tests. Due to the unique nanotube nanostructure, the as-prepared CuO electrodes exhibit good rate performance (550 mAh g{sup −1} at 0.1 C and 464 mAh g{sup −1} at 1 C) and cycling performance (581 mAh g{sup −1} at 0.1 C and 538 mAh g{sup −1} at 0.5 C)

  10. Theophylline cocrystals prepared by spray drying: physicochemical properties and aerosolization performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alhalaweh, Amjad; Kaialy, Waseem; Buckton, Graham; Gill, Hardyal; Nokhodchi, Ali; Velaga, Sitaram P

    2013-03-01

    The purpose of this work was to characterize theophylline (THF) cocrystals prepared by spray drying in terms of the physicochemical properties and inhalation performance when aerosolized from a dry powder inhaler. Cocrystals of theophylline with urea (THF-URE), saccharin (THF-SAC) and nicotinamide (THF-NIC) were prepared by spray drying. Milled THF and THF-SAC cocrystals were also used for comparison. The physical purity, particle size, particle morphology and surface energy of the materials were determined. The in vitro aerosol performance of the spray-dried cocrystals, drug-alone and a drug-carrier aerosol, was assessed. The spray-dried particles had different size distributions, morphologies and surface energies. The milled samples had higher surface energy than those prepared by spray drying. Good agreement was observed between multi-stage liquid impinger and next-generation impactor in terms of assessing spray-dried THF particles. The fine particle fractions of both formulations were similar for THF, but drug-alone formulations outperformed drug-carrier formulations for the THF cocrystals. The aerosolization performance of different THF cocrystals was within the following rank order as obtained from both drug-alone and drug-carrier formulations: THF-NIC>THF-URE>THF-SAC. It was proposed that micromeritic properties dominate over particle surface energy in terms of determining the aerosol performance of THF cocrystals. Spray drying could be a potential technique for preparing cocrystals with modified physical properties.

  11. A novel freeze-dried storage and preparation method for the determination of mycophenolic acid in plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lei; Qiang, Wei; Li, Ying; Cheng, Zeneng; Xie, Mengmeng

    2017-09-01

    Plasma samples were conventionally stored at freezing conditions until the time of detection. Such a technique, when carried out over an extended period, is energy consuming; in addition, preparation and transportation of stored samples is inconvenient. In this study, a freeze-dried storage and preparation method was proposed to determine the presence of mycophenolic acid (MPA) in plasma. Fresh plasma samples were freeze-dried using a device, and then stored at ambient temperature. After the stored samples were soaked with methanol spiked with the internal standard, high-performance liquid chromatography was conducted to detect MPA. The proposed method was demonstrated to be precise and accurate over the linear range of 0.5-50 μg mL -1 , with both intra- and inter-day precision being plasma concentration, time point of maximum plasma concentration and elimination half-life, among others, were consistent with the results in the published study. This proposed technique was proved to be simple, reproducible and energy saving. This approach could also simplify the storage and analysis of samples in clinical and scientific drug research. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  12. High Dehumidification Performance of Amorphous Cellulose Composite Membranes prepared from Trimethylsilyl Cellulose

    KAUST Repository

    Puspasari, Tiara; Akhtar, Faheem Hassan; Ogieglo, Wojciech; Alharbi, Ohoud; Peinemann, Klaus-Viktor

    2018-01-01

    Cellulose is widely regarded as an environmentally friendly, natural and low cost material which can significantly contribute the sustainable economic growth. In this study, cellulose composite membranes were prepared via regeneration

  13. Determination of Caffeine in Beverages by High Performance Liquid Chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DiNunzio, James E.

    1985-01-01

    Describes the equipment, procedures, and results for the determination of caffeine in beverages by high performance liquid chromatography. The method is simple, fast, accurate, and, because sample preparation is minimal, it is well suited for use in a teaching laboratory. (JN)

  14. Preparation of highly stable zeolite-alginate foam composite for strontium(90Sr) removal from seawater and evaluation of Sr adsorption performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Hye-Jin; Kim, Byoung-Gyu; Ryu, Jungho; Park, In-Su; Chung, Kang-Sup; Lee, Sang Moon; Lee, Jin-Bae; Jeong, Hyeon Su; Kim, Hyunchul; Ryu, Taegong

    2018-01-01

    Alginate bead is a promising strontium (Sr) adsorbent in seawater, but highly concentrated Na ions caused over-swelling and damaged the hydrogel bead. To improve the mechanical stability of alginate bead, flexible foam-type zeolite-alginate composite was synthesized and Sr adsorption performance was evaluated in seawater; 1-10% zeolite immobilized alginate foams were prepared by freeze-dry technique. Immobilization of zeolite into alginate foam converted macro-pores to meso-pores which lead to more compact structure. It resulted in less swollen composite in seawater medium and exhibited highly improved mechanical stability compared with alginate bead. Besides, Sr adsorption efficiency and selectivity were enhanced by immobilization of zeolite in alginate foam due to the increase of Sr binding sites (zeolite). In particular, Sr selectivity against Na was highly improved. The 10% zeolite-alginate foam exhibited a higher log K d of 3.3, while the pure alginate foam exhibited 2.7 in the presence of 0.1 M Na. Finally, in the real seawater, the 10% zeolite-alginate foam exhibited 1.5 times higher Sr adsorption efficiency than the pure alginate foam. This result reveals that zeolite-alginate foam composite is appropriate material for Sr removal in seawater due to its swelling resistance as well as improved Sr adsorption performance in complex media. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Performance of TESLA Cavities After Fabrication and Preparation in Industry

    CERN Document Server

    Pekeler, Michael; Bauer, Stefan; Knobloch, Jens; Vom Stein, Peter

    2005-01-01

    In order to demonstrate cw operation of TESLA cavities in linear accelerators driving FEL applications, two TESLA cavities were manufactured and prepared by ACCEL for BESSY. After production, both cavities were prepared for vertical test at ACCEL's premises using state of the art chemical polishing and high pressure water rinsing techniques. The cavities were tested in DESY's vertical RF test installation. Accelerating gradients close to 25 MV/m were reached. One cavity was completed with a helium vessel modified for cw operation and prepared with chemical polishing, high pressure water rinsing, and assembled with the required High Power Coupler at ACCEL. The fully dressed cavity was then shipped under vacuum to BESSY and tested in the horizontal cryostat HoBiCaT. Horizontal RF test results will be presented and compared with the vertical test results.

  16. Composite nanofibers prepared from metallic iron nanoparticles and polyaniline: high performance for water treatment applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhaumik, Madhumita; Choi, Hyoung J; McCrindle, Rob I; Maity, Arjun

    2014-07-01

    Presented here is a simple preparation of metallic iron nanoparticles, supported on polyaniline nanofibers at room temperature. The preparation is based on polymerization of interconnected nanofibers by rapid mixing of the aniline monomer with Fe(III) chloride as the oxidant, followed by reductive deposition of Fe(0) nanoparticles, using the polymerization by-products as the Fe precursor. The morphology and other physico-chemical properties of the resulting composite were characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and vibrating-sample magnetometry. The composite fibers were 80-150 nm in diameter and exhibited the expected ferromagnetic behavior. The composite rapidly and efficiently removed As(V), Cr(VI), and also Congo red dye, from aqueous solutions suggesting their usefulness for removal of toxic materials from wastewater. The composite fibers have high capacity for toxin removal: 42.37 mg/g of As(V), 434.78 mg/g of Cr(VI), and 243.9 mg/g of Congo red. The fibers are easily recovered from fluids by exploiting their ferromagnetic properties. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Preparation of binder-free porous ultrathin Ni(OH)2 nanoleafs using ZnO as pore forming agent displaying both high mass loading and excellent electrochemical energy storage performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu, Panpan; Miao, Chenxu; Cheng, Kui; Ye, Ke; Yin, Jinling; Cao, Dianxue; Wang, Guiling; Zhang, Xianfa

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Porous Ni(OH) 2 nanoleaf is prepared by using ZnO as pore forming agent. • The mass loading of active material on binder-free Ni(OH) 2 /NF electrode is as high as 10 mg. • The porous Ni(OH) 2 /NF electrode displays high specific capacitance of 1142C g −1 . - Abstract: Ni(OH) 2 has been reported widely as one of the most promising supercapactior electrode materials due to its high specific capacitance, yet which were only based on low mass loading. Thus, it is desirable to promote supercapacitor performance for high mass loading Ni(OH) 2 through optimizing microstructure. In this work, we first prepared crossed ultrathin Ni(OH) 2 /ZnO nanoleafs directly grown on nickel foam via hydrothermal method, and then we produced pores on the nanoleafs by dissolving ZnO in alkaline solution. Definitely, this unique structure design for high mass loading binder-free Ni(OH) 2 electrode could benefit the penetration of electrolyte and the transportation of electrons, efficiently improving the supercapacitor performance. The obtained porous Ni(OH) 2 /NF electrode exhibits a mass specific capacity of 1142C g −1 based on 10 mg active materials, equating to a areal specific capaciy of 11.4C cm −2 , and pleasant cycling stability with retention of 85% of initial capacity after 10000 charge-discharge cycles. The fabricated asymmetric device shows a high energy density of 42 Wh kg −1 (4.73 mWh cm −3 ) at power density of 105 W kg −1 (17 mW cm −3 ). These results demonstrate the optimized structure makes the high mass loading binder-free Ni(OH) 2 /NF electrode could also display excellent supercapacitor performance.

  18. Fuel performance at high burnup for water reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-02-01

    The present meeting was scheduled by the International Atomic Energy Agency, upon proposal of the Members of the International Working Group on Water Reactor Fuel Performance and Technology. The purpose of this meeting was to review the ''state-of-the-art'' in the area of Fuel Performance at High Burnup for Water Reactors. Previous IAEA meetings on this topic were held in Mol in 1981 and 1984 and on related topics in Stockholm and Lyon in 1987. Fifty-five participants from 16 countries and two international organizations attended the meeting and 28 papers were presented and discussed. The papers were presented in five sub-sessions and during the meeting, working groups composed of the session chairmen and paper authors prepared the summary of each session with conclusions and recommendations for future work. A separate abstract was prepared for each of these papers. Refs, figs and tabs

  19. Evaluation of accuracy in implant site preparation performed in single- or multi-step drilling procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marheineke, Nadine; Scherer, Uta; Rücker, Martin; von See, Constantin; Rahlf, Björn; Gellrich, Nils-Claudius; Stoetzer, Marcus

    2018-06-01

    Dental implant failure and insufficient osseointegration are proven results of mechanical and thermal damage during the surgery process. We herein performed a comparative study of a less invasive single-step drilling preparation protocol and a conventional multiple drilling sequence. Accuracy of drilling holes was precisely analyzed and the influence of different levels of expertise of the handlers and additional use of drill template guidance was evaluated. Six experimental groups, deployed in an osseous study model, were representing template-guided and freehanded drilling actions in a stepwise drilling procedure in comparison to a single-drill protocol. Each experimental condition was studied by the drilling actions of respectively three persons without surgical knowledge as well as three highly experienced oral surgeons. Drilling actions were performed and diameters were recorded with a precision measuring instrument. Less experienced operators were able to significantly increase the drilling accuracy using a guiding template, especially when multi-step preparations are performed. Improved accuracy without template guidance was observed when experienced operators were executing single-step versus multi-step technique. Single-step drilling protocols have shown to produce more accurate results than multi-step procedures. The outcome of any protocol can be further improved by use of guiding templates. Operator experience can be a contributing factor. Single-step preparations are less invasive and are promoting osseointegration. Even highly experienced surgeons are achieving higher levels of accuracy by combining this technique with template guidance. Hereby template guidance enables a reduction of hands-on time and side effects during surgery and lead to a more predictable clinical diameter.

  20. ZnO-nanorod-array/p-GaN high-performance ultra-violet light emitting devices prepared by simple solution synthesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jha, Shrawan Kumar; Luan, Chunyan; To, Chap Hang; Kutsay, Oleksandr; Kováč, Jaroslav; Zapien, Juan Antonio; Bello, Igor; Lee, Shuit-Tong

    2012-11-01

    Pure ultra-violet (UV) (378 nm) electroluminescence (EL) from zinc oxide (ZnO)-nanorod-array/p-gallium nitride (GaN) light emitting devices (LEDs) is demonstrated at low bias-voltages (˜4.3 V). Devices were prepared merely by solution-synthesis, without any involvement of sophisticated material growth techniques or preparation methods. Three different luminescence characterization techniques, i.e., photo-luminescence, cathodo-luminescence, and EL, provided insight into the nature of the UV emission mechanism in solution-synthesized LEDs. Bias dependent EL behaviour revealed blue-shift of EL peaks and increased peak sharpness, with increasing the operating voltage. Accelerated bias stress tests showed very stable and repeatable electrical and EL performance of the solution-synthesized nanorod LEDs.

  1. Scalable preparation of porous micron-SnO2/C composites as high performance anode material for lithium ion battery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ming-Shan; Lei, Ming; Wang, Zhi-Qiang; Zhao, Xing; Xu, Jun; Yang, Wei; Huang, Yun; Li, Xing

    2016-03-01

    Nano tin dioxide-carbon (SnO2/C) composites prepared by various carbon materials, such as carbon nanotubes, porous carbon, and graphene, have attracted extensive attention in wide fields. However, undesirable concerns of nanoparticles, including in higher surface area, low tap density, and self-agglomeration, greatly restricted their large-scale practical applications. In this study, novel porous micron-SnO2/C (p-SnO2/C) composites are scalable prepared by a simple hydrothermal approach using glucose as a carbon source and Pluronic F127 as a pore forming agent/soft template. The SnO2 nanoparticles were homogeneously dispersed in micron carbon spheres by assembly with F127/glucose. The continuous three-dimensional porous carbon networks have effectively provided strain relaxation for SnO2 volume expansion/shrinkage during lithium insertion/extraction. In addition, the carbon matrix could largely minimize the direct exposure of SnO2 to the electrolyte, thus ensure formation of stable solid electrolyte interface films. Moreover, the porous structure could also create efficient channels for the fast transport of lithium ions. As a consequence, the p-SnO2/C composites exhibit stable cycle performance, such as a high capacity retention of over 96% for 100 cycles at a current density of 200 mA g-1 and a long cycle life up to 800 times at a higher current density of 1000 mA g-1.

  2. High performance screen-printed electrodes prepared by a green solvent approach for lithium-ion batteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gören, A.; Mendes, J.; Rodrigues, H. M.; Sousa, R. E.; Oliveira, J.; Hilliou, L.; Costa, C. M.; Silva, M. M.; Lanceros-Méndez, S.

    2016-12-01

    New inks based on lithium iron phosphate and graphite for cathode and anode, respectively, were developed for printable lithium-ion batteries using the "green solvent" N,N‧-dimethylpropyleneurea (DMPU) and poly(vinylidene fluoride), PVDF, as a binder. The results were compared with the ones from inks developed with the conventionally used solvent N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, NMP. The rheological properties of the PVDF/DMPU binder solution shows a more pronounced shear thinning behavior than the PVDF/NMP solution. Cathode inks prepared with 2.25 mL and 2.50 mL of DMPU for 1 g of electrode mass show an apparent viscosity of 3 Pa s and 2 Pa s for a shear rate of 100 s-1, respectively, being therefore processable by screen-printing or doctor blade techniques. The electrodes prepared with DMPU and processed by screen-printing show a capacity of 52 mAh g-1 at 2C for the cathode and 349 mAh g-1 at C/5 for the anode, after 45 charge-discharge cycles. The electrochemical performance of both electrodes was evaluated in a full-cell and after 9 cycles, the discharge capacity value is 81 mAh g-1, showing a discharge capacity retention of 64%. The new inks presented in this work are thus suitable for the development of printed batteries and represent a step forward towards more environmental friendly processes.

  3. Porous polybenzimidazole membranes doped with phosphoric acid: Preparation and application in high-temperature proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Jin; Li, Xiaojin; Yu, Shuchun; Hao, Jinkai; Lu, Wangting; Shao, Zhigang; Yi, Baolian

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Porous polybenzimidazole membrane was prepared with glucose as porogen. • Phosphoric acid content was as high as 15.7 mol H 3 PO 4 per PBI repeat unit. • 200 h Constant current density test was carried out at 150 °C. • Degradation was due to the gap between membrane and catalyst layer. - Abstract: In this paper, the preparation and characterization of porous polybenzimidazole membranes doped with phosphoric acid were reported. For the preparation of porous polybenzimidazole membranes, glucose and saccharose were selected as porogen and added into PBI resin solution before solvent casting. The prepared porous PBI membranes had high proton conductivity and high content of acid doping at room temperature with 15.7 mol H 3 PO 4 per PBI repeat unit, much higher than pure PBI membrane at the same condition. Further, the performance and stability of the porous PBI membrane in high-temperature proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells was tested. It was found that the cell performance remained stable during 200 h stability test under a constant current discharge of 0.5 A cm −2 except for the last fifty hours. The decay in the last fifty hours was ascribed to the delamination between the catalyst layer and membrane increasing the charge-transfer resistance

  4. High-resolution X-ray diffraction with no sample preparation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansford, G M; Turner, S M R; Degryse, P; Shortland, A J

    2017-07-01

    It is shown that energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) implemented in a back-reflection geometry is extremely insensitive to sample morphology and positioning even in a high-resolution configuration. This technique allows high-quality X-ray diffraction analysis of samples that have not been prepared and is therefore completely non-destructive. The experimental technique was implemented on beamline B18 at the Diamond Light Source synchrotron in Oxfordshire, UK. The majority of the experiments in this study were performed with pre-characterized geological materials in order to elucidate the characteristics of this novel technique and to develop the analysis methods. Results are presented that demonstrate phase identification, the derivation of precise unit-cell parameters and extraction of microstructural information on unprepared rock samples and other sample types. A particular highlight was the identification of a specific polytype of a muscovite in an unprepared mica schist sample, avoiding the time-consuming and difficult preparation steps normally required to make this type of identification. The technique was also demonstrated in application to a small number of fossil and archaeological samples. Back-reflection EDXRD implemented in a high-resolution configuration shows great potential in the crystallographic analysis of cultural heritage artefacts for the purposes of scientific research such as provenancing, as well as contributing to the formulation of conservation strategies. Possibilities for moving the technique from the synchrotron into museums are discussed. The avoidance of the need to extract samples from high-value and rare objects is a highly significant advantage, applicable also in other potential research areas such as palaeontology, and the study of meteorites and planetary materials brought to Earth by sample-return missions.

  5. Preparation and evaluation of surface-bonded tricationic ionic liquid silica as stationary phases for high-performance liquid chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiao, Lizhen; Shi, Xianzhe; Lu, Xin; Xu, Guowang

    2015-05-29

    Two tricationic ionic liquids were prepared and then bonded onto the surface of supporting silica materials through "thiol-ene" click chemistry as new stationary phases for high-performance liquid chromatography. The obtained columns of tricationic ionic liquids were evaluated respectively in the reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) mode and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) mode, and possess ideal column efficiency of 80,000 plates/m in the RPLC mode with naphthalene as the test solute. The tricationic ionic liquid stationary phases exhibit good hydrophobic and shape selectivity to hydrophobic compounds, and RPLC retention behavior with multiple interactions. In the HILIC mode, the retention and selectivity were evaluated through the efficient separation of nucleosides and bases as well as flavonoids, and the typical HILIC retention behavior was demonstrated by investigating retention changes of hydrophilic solutes with water volume fraction in mobile phase. The results show that the tricationic ionic liquid columns possess great prospect for applications in analysis of hydrophobic and hydrophilic samples. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Porous Graphene Microflowers for High-Performance Microwave Absorption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Chen; Xi, Jiabin; Zhou, Erzhen; Peng, Li; Chen, Zichen; Gao, Chao

    2018-06-01

    Graphene has shown great potential in microwave absorption (MA) owing to its high surface area, low density, tunable electrical conductivity and good chemical stability. To fully realize graphene's MA ability, the microstructure of graphene should be carefully addressed. Here we prepared graphene microflowers (Gmfs) with highly porous structure for high-performance MA filler material. The efficient absorption bandwidth (reflection loss ≤ -10 dB) reaches 5.59 GHz and the minimum reflection loss is up to -42.9 dB, showing significant increment compared with stacked graphene. Such performance is higher than most graphene-based materials in the literature. Besides, the low filling content (10 wt%) and low density (40-50 mg cm-3) are beneficial for the practical applications. Without compounding with magnetic materials or conductive polymers, Gmfs show outstanding MA performance with the aid of rational microstructure design. Furthermore, Gmfs exhibit advantages in facile processibility and large-scale production compared with other porous graphene materials including aerogels and foams.

  7. Preparation, Characterization and Performance of Conch Ceramics Added With Shell

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Qingyu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The conch ceramics bodies with different ratios were prepared by compression moulding technology using shell, kaolin, and calcium oxide etc. as the raw materials, and then calcined at the high temperature to obtain the conch ceramics. The effects of raw material ratios and calcination temperatures on the performance of conch ceramics were investigated by rotational viscometer, vernier caliper, digital display whiteness meter, thermal analyzer, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer(FT-IR. The results indicated that the viscosity, line shrinkage rate, and whiteness of the conch ceramics were 1.29 Pa·s, 17.9%, and 54.1%, respectively, when the content of the shell powder was 20 wt% and kaolin was 65 wt%. The density of the conch ceramics was the largest (3.8 g/cm3 when calcination temperature was 1200 °C. The results of FT-IR spectrum showed that the addition of the shell powders changed the structure of the ceramic body, which improved the performance of the conch ceramics.

  8. Preparation of carbon and oxide co-modified LiFePO{sub 4} cathode material for high performance lithium-ion battery

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Chun-Chen, E-mail: ccyang@mail.mcut.edu.tw [Department of Chemical Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City 243, Taiwan (China); Battery Research Center of Green Energy, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City 243, Taiwan (China); Jang, Jer-Huan; Jiang, Jia-Rong [Department of Chemical Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City 243, Taiwan (China); Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City 243, Taiwan (China)

    2015-09-01

    In this study, a LiFePO{sub 4}/C (LFP/C) material was prepared using a spray dry method. The Li{sub 4}Ti{sub 5}O{sub 12} (LTO) surface modification on LFP/C composite was performed by a sol–gel method. The characteristic properties were examined using X-ray diffraction, micro-Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, an AC impedance method, and the galvanostatic charge/discharge method. Pristine LFP/C powder and the 1–5 wt.% LTO-coated LFP/C composites were compared. The results revealed that the 3 wt.% LTO-coated LFP/C composite showed the best performance among LFP composite samples. It was found that the 3 wt.% LTO-coated LFP/C composite showed discharge capacities of 159 mAh g{sup −1}, 157 mAh g{sup −1}, 154 mAh g{sup −1}, 148 mAh g{sup −1}, 145 mAh g{sup −1}, and 138 mAh g{sup −1} at rates of 0.2C, 0.5C, 1C, 3C, 5C, and 10C, respectively at 55 °C. The long-term cycling performance of the LFP/C composite was greatly improved when the dual hybrid coating (carbon and oxide) was carried out. Moreover, the 3 wt.% LTO-coated LFP/C composite with the lowest fading rate maintained cycling stability at 3C rate at 55 °C after 300 cycles; by contrast, the bare LFP/C sample with the highest fading rate had an unfavorable lifecycle, and its discharge capacity decreased rapidly. A hybrid coating is a feasible method for improving the high temperature performance of LFP/C composites. - Highlights: • A spherical LiFePO{sub 4}/C (LFP/C) material is first prepared by a spray dry process. • Li{sub 4}Ti{sub 5}O{sub 12} (LTO) modified LFP/C composite was carried out by a sol–gel method. • The LFP/C with a hybrid coating showed good cycling performance at elevated temperature. • 3%LTO-LFP/C composite showed excellent cycling stability at 55 °C for 300 cycles test.

  9. Towards high-performance materials for road construction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gladkikh, V.; Korolev, E.; Smirnov, V.

    2017-10-01

    Due to constant increase of traffic, modern road construction is in need of high-performance pavement materials. The operational performance of such materials can be characterized by many properties. Nevertheless, the most important ones are resistance to rutting and resistance to dynamical loads. It was proposed earlier to use sulfur extended asphalt concrete in road construction practice. To reduce the emission of sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide during the concrete mix preparation and pavement production stages, it is beneficial to make such a concrete on the base of complex sulfur modifier. In the present work the influence of the complex modifier to mechanical properties of sulfur extended asphalt concrete was examined. It was shown that sulfur extended asphalt concrete is of high mechanical properties. It was also revealed that there as an anomalous negative correlations between strain capacity, fatigue life and fracture toughness.

  10. Nanocellulose Derivative/Silica Hybrid Core-Shell Chiral Stationary Phase: Preparation and Enantioseparation Performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoli Zhang

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Core-shell silica microspheres with a nanocellulose derivative in the hybrid shell were successfully prepared as a chiral stationary phase by a layer-by-layer self-assembly method. The hybrid shell assembled on the silica core was formed using a surfactant as template by the copolymerization reaction of tetraethyl orthosilicate and the nanocellulose derivative bearing triethoxysilyl and 3,5-dimethylphenyl groups. The resulting nanocellulose hybrid core-shell chiral packing materials (CPMs were characterized and packed into columns, and their enantioseparation performance was evaluated by high performance liquid chromatography. The results showed that CPMs exhibited uniform surface morphology and core-shell structures. Various types of chiral compounds were efficiently separated under normal and reversed phase mode. Moreover, chloroform and tetrahydrofuran as mobile phase additives could obviously improve the resolution during the chiral separation processes. CPMs still have good chiral separation property when eluted with solvent systems with a high content of tetrahydrofuran and chloroform, which proved the high solvent resistance of this new material.

  11. Systematic approach to preparing ceramic-glass composites with high translucency for dental restorations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshimura, Humberto N; Chimanski, Afonso; Cesar, Paulo F

    2015-10-01

    Ceramic composites are promising materials for dental restorations. However, it is difficult to prepare highly translucent composites due to the light scattering that occurs in multiphase ceramics. The objective of this work was to verify the effectiveness of a systematic approach in designing specific glass compositions with target properties in order to prepare glass infiltrated ceramic composites with high translucency. First it was necessary to calculate from literature data the viscosity of glass at the infiltration temperature using the SciGlass software. Then, a glass composition was designed for targeted viscosity and refractive index. The glass of the system SiO2-B2O3-Al2O3-La2O3-TiO2 prepared by melting the oxide raw materials was spontaneously infiltrated into porous alumina preforms at 1200°C. The optical properties were evaluated using a refractometer and a spectrophotometer. The absorption and scattering coefficients were calculated using the Kubelka-Munk model. The light transmittance of prepared composite was significantly higher than a commercial ceramic-glass composite, due to the matching of glass and preform refractive indexes which decreased the scattering, and also to the decrease in absorption coefficient. The proposed systematic approach was efficient for development of glass infiltrated ceramic composites with high translucency, which benefits include the better aesthetic performance of the final prosthesis. Copyright © 2015 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. High density UO2 powder preparation for HWR fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hwang, S. T.; Chang, I. S.; Choi, Y. D.; Cho, B. R.; Kwon, S. W.; Kim, B. H.; Moon, B. H.; Kim, S. D.; Phyu, K. M.; Lee, K. A.

    1992-01-01

    The objective of this project is to study on the preparation of method high density UO 2 powder for HWR Fuel. Accordingly, it is necessary to character ize the AUC processed UO 2 powder and to search method for the preparation of high density UO 2 powder for HWR Fuel. Therefore, it is expected that the results of this study can effect the producing of AUC processed UO 2 powder having sinterability. (Author)

  13. Process for preparing polyolefin gel articles as well as for preparing herefrom articles having a high tensile strength and modulus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    1990-01-01

    A process is described for the preparation of highly stretchable high-molecular weight polyolefin gel articles and polyolefin gel articles prepared therefrom having combined high tensile strength and high modulus, wherein an initial shaped article of the polyolefin is exposed to or contacted with a

  14. Robust High Performance Aquaporin based Biomimetic Membranes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Helix Nielsen, Claus; Zhao, Yichun; Qiu, C.

    2013-01-01

    on top of a support membrane. Control membranes, either without aquaporins or with the inactive AqpZ R189A mutant aquaporin served as controls. The separation performance of the membranes was evaluated by cross-flow forward osmosis (FO) and reverse osmosis (RO) tests. In RO the ABM achieved a water......Aquaporins are water channel proteins with high water permeability and solute rejection, which makes them promising for preparing high-performance biomimetic membranes. Despite the growing interest in aquaporin-based biomimetic membranes (ABMs), it is challenging to produce robust and defect...... permeability of ~ 4 L/(m2 h bar) with a NaCl rejection > 97% at an applied hydraulic pressure of 5 bar. The water permeability was ~40% higher compared to a commercial brackish water RO membrane (BW30) and an order of magnitude higher compared to a seawater RO membrane (SW30HR). In FO, the ABMs had > 90...

  15. Preparation and performance of lipophilic α-zirconium phosphate with high thermal stability and its application in thermal-plastic polymers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ya Du

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available To prepare lipophilic α-zirconium phosphate with high grafting ratio and thermal stability (OZrP-HT and explore its potential application in thermal-plastic polymers, a novel method was developed by surface lipophilicity enhancement strategy. The commercial α-zirconium phosphate (α-ZrP was pre-intercalated by n-propylamine (PA and grafted by silane coupling agents. Then the pre-intercalated PA was removed by heat-treatment, and the obtained OZrP-HT was utilized to fabricate the phosphorous-containing polyester (P-co-PET/OZrP-HT nanocomposites by melt-blending method. The prepared OZrP-HT and P-co-PET/OZrP-HT nanocomposites were characterized by Wide Angle X-ray Diffraction (WAXD, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA, Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM, etc. The results show that OZrP-HT with high grafting ratio (13.78 wt% and thermal stability (Tonset=368 °C was successfully prepared via this novel method and was uniformly intercalated by P-co-PET molecular chains. OZrP-HT had no significant effect on the fiber processability of P-co-PET polymer, and flame retardant properties of (P-co-PET/OZrP-HT nanocomposites were improved. This method may be suitable for organic modification of general inorganic layered compounds and could extend the potential applications in thermo-plastic polymers.

  16. Development of high performance electroless Ni–P–HNT composite coatings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ranganatha, S.; Venkatesha, T.V.; Vathsala, K.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Novel Ni–P composites were prepared by incorporating Halloysite nanotubes. ► Mild steel specimens surface engineered by nickel using electroless technique. ► Incorporated halloysite nanotubes made nickel matrix highly corrosion resistant. ► HNT composite exhibits high hardness and largely reduces friction. - Abstract: Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) of the dimension 50 nm × 1–3 μm (diameter × length) are utililized to fabricate the alloy composite by employing electroless/autocatalytic deposition technique. Electroless Ni–P–HNT binary alloy composite coatings are prepared successfully on low carbon steel. These nanotubes were made to get inserted/incorporated into nickel matrix and corresponding composites are examined for their electrochemical, mechanical and tribological performances and compared with that of plain Ni–P. The coatings were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) techniques to analyze surface nature and composition correspondingly. Small amount of incorporated HNTs made Ni–P deposits appreciable enhancement and betterment in corrosion resistance, hardness and friction resistance. This drastic improvement in the properties reflects the effect of addition of HNTs into Ni–P matrix leading to the development of high performance Ni–P–HNT composite coatings.

  17. Performance of Food Safety Management Systems in Poultry Meat Preparation Processing Plants in Relation to Campylobacter spp. Contamination.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sampers, I.; Jacxsens, L.; Luning, P.A.; Marcelis, W.J.; Dumoulin, F.H.J.N.

    2010-01-01

    A diagnostic instrument comprising a combined assessment of core control and assurance activities and a microbial assessment instrument were used to measure the performance of current food safety management systems (FSMSs) of two poultry meat preparation companies. The high risk status of the

  18. Ultra-microporous triptycene-based polyimide membranes for high-performance gas separation

    KAUST Repository

    Ghanem, Bader

    2014-03-11

    A highly permeable and highly selective polyimide of intrinsic microporosity is prepared using a 9,10-diisopropyl-triptycene contortion center. The three-dimensionality and shape-persistence of triptycene afford exceptional sieving-based gas separation performance transcending the latest permeability/selectivity trade-offs for industrial gas separations involving oxygen and hydrogen. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Ultra-microporous triptycene-based polyimide membranes for high-performance gas separation

    KAUST Repository

    Ghanem, Bader; Swaidan, Raja; Litwiller, Eric; Pinnau, Ingo

    2014-01-01

    A highly permeable and highly selective polyimide of intrinsic microporosity is prepared using a 9,10-diisopropyl-triptycene contortion center. The three-dimensionality and shape-persistence of triptycene afford exceptional sieving-based gas separation performance transcending the latest permeability/selectivity trade-offs for industrial gas separations involving oxygen and hydrogen. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Utilities for high performance dispersion model PHYSIC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamazawa, Hiromi

    1992-09-01

    The description and usage of the utilities for the dispersion calculation model PHYSIC were summarized. The model was developed in the study of developing high performance SPEEDI with the purpose of introducing meteorological forecast function into the environmental emergency response system. The procedure of PHYSIC calculation consists of three steps; preparation of relevant files, creation and submission of JCL, and graphic output of results. A user can carry out the above procedure with the help of the Geographical Data Processing Utility, the Model Control Utility, and the Graphic Output Utility. (author)

  1. Studies Performed in Preparation for the Spallation Neutron Source Accumulator Ring Commissioning

    CERN Document Server

    Cousineau, Sarah M; Henderson, Stuart; Holmes, Jeffrey Alan; Plum, Michael

    2005-01-01

    The Spallation Neutron Source accumulator ring will compress 1.5?1014, 1 GeV protons from a 1 ms bunch train to a single 695 ns proton bunch for use in neutron spallation. Due to the high beam power, unprecedented control of beam loss will be required in order to control radiation and allow for hands-on maintenance in most areas of the ring. A number of detailed investigations have been performed to understand the primary sources of beam loss and to predict and mitigate problems associated with radiation hot spots in the ring. The ORBIT particle tracking code is used to perform realistic simulations of the beam accumulation in the ring, including detailed modeling of the injection system, transport through the measured magnet fields including higher order multipoles, and beam loss and collimation. In this paper we present the results of a number of studies performed in preparation for the 2006 commissioning of the accumulator ring.

  2. Theophylline Cocrystals Prepared by Spray Drying: Physicochemical Properties and Aerosolization Performance

    OpenAIRE

    Alhalaweh, Amjad; Kaialy, Waseem; Buckton, Graham; Gill, Hardyal; Nokhodchi, Ali; Velaga, Sitaram P.

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this work was to characterize theophylline (THF) cocrystals prepared by spray drying in terms of the physicochemical properties and inhalation performance when aerosolized from a dry powder inhaler. Cocrystals of theophylline with urea (THF-URE), saccharin (THF-SAC) and nicotinamide (THF-NIC) were prepared by spray drying. Milled THF and THF-SAC cocrystals were also used for comparison. The physical purity, particle size, particle morphology and surface energy of the materials ...

  3. [Preparation and performance characterization of gold nanoparticles modified chiral capillary electrochromatography stationary phase].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Lele; Li, Ruijun; Ji, Yibing

    2017-07-08

    Gold nanoparticles (GNPs, 15 nm) were prepared and introduced to amino groups derived silica monolithic column. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was immobilized via covalent modification method onto the carboxylic functionalized GNPs to afford chiral stationary phase (CSP) for enantioseparation. GNPs were well dispersed and successfully incorporated onto the columns with the contents as high as 17.18% by characterization method such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultraviolet (UV)-visible absorption spectra and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The preparation conditions of the BSA modified CSP were optimized and 10% (v/v) 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and 15 g/L BSA were selected as appropriate reaction conditions. The enantioseparation performance of the BSA modified CSP has been investigated by capillary electrochromatography (CEC). Enantiomers of tryptophan, ephedrine and atenolol were resolved, and the baseline separation of tryptophan was achieved. Meanwhile, the influences of pH value, buffer concentrations and applied voltages used on the chiral separation were studied, and the optimal separation conditions were 10 mmol/L phosphate buffer at pH 7.4 and 15 kV applied voltages. In comparison with the BSA modified CSP prepared by physical adsorption, the CSP prepared by covalent modification method had better separation results, and the analytes could be separated directly without pre-column derivatization. In addition, the prepared BSA modified CSP exhibited good run to run repeatability with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of the migration times and selectivity factors not more than 2.3% and 0.96%, respectively. This work offers a good thinking for modification with other proteins or other types of chiral selectors.

  4. [Preparation and evaluation of stationary phase of high performance liquid chromatography for the separation of basic solutes].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, P; Wang, J; Cong, R; Dong, B

    1997-05-01

    A bonded phase for high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has been prepared by the new reaction between silica and silicon ether. The ether was synthesized from alkylchlorosilane and pentane-2,4-dione in the presence of imidazole under inert conditions by using anhydrous tetrahydrofuran as solvent. The bonded phase thus obtained was characterized by elemental analysis, diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy and HPLC evaluation. The carbon content was 9.4% and the surface coverage almost attained 3.0micromol/m2 without end-capping. The silanol absorption peaks of the product cannot be observed from the DRIFT spectrum, which revealed that the silanization reaction proceeded thoroughly. The basic solutes, such as aniline, o-toluidine, p-toluidine, N,N-dimethylaniline and pyridine were used as the probe solutes to examine their interaction with the residual silanols on the surface of the products. No buffer or salt was used in the mobile phase for these experiments. In comparison with an acidic solute, such as, phenol, basic aniline eluted in front of phenol, and the ratio of asymmetry of aniline peak to that of the phenol peak was 1.1. Furthermore the relative k' value of p-toluidine to that of o-toluidine was also 1.1. All the results showed that the stationary phase has better quality and reproducibility and can be used for the separation of basic solutes efficiently.

  5. Sample preparation in foodomic analyses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinović, Tamara; Šrajer Gajdošik, Martina; Josić, Djuro

    2018-04-16

    Representative sampling and adequate sample preparation are key factors for successful performance of further steps in foodomic analyses, as well as for correct data interpretation. Incorrect sampling and improper sample preparation can be sources of severe bias in foodomic analyses. It is well known that both wrong sampling and sample treatment cannot be corrected anymore. These, in the past frequently neglected facts, are now taken into consideration, and the progress in sampling and sample preparation in foodomics is reviewed here. We report the use of highly sophisticated instruments for both high-performance and high-throughput analyses, as well as miniaturization and the use of laboratory robotics in metabolomics, proteomics, peptidomics and genomics. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  6. Highly-crystalline ultrathin Li4Ti5O12 nanosheets decorated with silver nanocrystals as a high-performance anode material for lithium ion batteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, G. B.; Li, W.; Yang, L. W.; Wei, X. L.; Ding, J. W.; Zhong, J. X.; Chu, Paul K.

    2015-02-01

    A novel composite of highly-crystalline ultrathin Li4Ti5O12 (LTO) nanosheets and Ag nanocrystals (denoted as LTO NSs/Ag) as an anode material for Li-ion batteries (LIBs) is prepared by hydrothermal synthesis, post calcination and electroless deposition. The characterizations of structure and morphology reveal that the LTO nanosheets have single-crystal nature with a thickness of about 10 nm and highly dispersed Ag nanocrystals have an average diameter of 5.8 nm. The designed LTO NSs/Ag composite takes advantage of both components, thereby providing large contact area between the electrolyte and electrode, low polarization of voltage difference, high electrical conductivity and lithium ion diffusion coefficient during electrochemical processes. The evaluation of its electrochemical performance demonstrates that the prepared LTO NSs/Ag composite has superior lithium storage performance. More importantly, this unique composite has an ability to deliver high reversible capacities with superlative cyclic capacity retention at different current rates, and exhibit excellent high-rate performance at a current rate as high as 30 C. Our results improve the current performance of LTO based anode material for LIBs.

  7. Preparation and Lithium-Storage Performance of a Novel Hierarchical Porous Carbon from Sucrose Using Mg-Al Layered Double Hydroxides as Template

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shi, Liluo; Chen, Yaxin; Song, Huaihe; Li, Ang; Chen, Xiaohong; Zhou, Jisheng; Ma, Zhaokun

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • A new hierarchical porous carbon containing slit-shaped mesopores and 3D carbon nanosheets were prepared using Mg-Al layered double hydroxides as template. • The hierarchical porous carbon electrode showed a high capacity and excellent cycle stability when used in lithium-ion battery. • The excellent performance is ascribed to its hierarchical porous structure, especially the mesoporous struture. - Abstract: Novel hierarchical porous carbons (NHPCs) containing 3D carbon nanosheets and slit-mesopores are prepared in this work, using MgAl-layered double hydroxides as template and sucrose as carbon source, and their electrochemical performances as anodes of lithium-ion batteries are also investigated. Owing to the existence of abundant carbon nanosheets and slit-mesopores, the NHPCs electrode exhibits the specific reversible capacity of 1151.9 mA h/g at the current density of 50 mA/g, which is significantly higher than other hierarchical porous carbons reported in previous literatures. The contributions of carbon nanosheets and mesopores to the electrochemical performance are further clarified by nitrogen adsorption-desorption test, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammograms and galvanostatic charge/discharge test. This work not only provides an easy and effective method to prepare hierarchical porous carbon materials, but also is beneficial for the design of high-performance anode materials for lithium ion batteries.

  8. Preparation of octahedral CuO micro/nanocrystals and electrochemical performance as anode for lithium-ion battery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feng, Lili; Xuan, Zhewen; Bai, Yang; Zhao, Hongbo; Li, Li; Chen, Yashun; Yang, Xianqin; Su, Changwei; Guo, Junming; Chen, Xiaokai

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Octahedral cupric oxides with hollow structure were prepared. • No hard template was used in the preparation of hollow cupric oxides. • The cupric oxides show good reversible capacity. - Abstract: Herein we report that three octahedral CuO samples with hollow or solid structure are successfully prepared by firstly preparation of Cu 2 O products using a chemical reduction method, then by calcination in a muffle furnace at 300 °C for 3 h in air atmosphere. The obtained CuO samples serve as a good model system for the study as anodes for lithium ion batteries. All the three CuO samples have high discharge specific capacity and good cycling stability from the 2nd cycling to the 50th cycling. Octahedral CuO hollow crystals with 400 nm in size have the highest reversible capacity and the smallest resistance. So their electrochemical performances are partly related to their morphologies. The results suggest that the as-prepared CuO samples, especially the 400 nm hollow octahedral CuO crystals could be a promising material for the anode of lithium-ion battery

  9. Solution-processable precursor route for fabricating ultrathin silica film for high performance and low voltage organic transistors

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Shujing Guo; Liqiang Li; Zhongwu Wang; Zeyang Xu; Shuguang Wang; Kunjie Wu; Shufeng Chen; Zongbo Zhang; Caihong Xu; Wenfeng Qiu

    2017-01-01

    Silica is one of the most commonly used materials for dielectric layer in organic thin-film transistors due to its excellent stability,excellent electrical properties,mature preparation process,and good compatibility with organic semiconductors.However,most of conventional preparation methods for silica film are generally performed at high temperature and/or high vacuum.In this paper,we introduce a simple solution spin-coating method to fabricate silica thin film from precursor route,which possesses a low leakage current,high capacitance,and low surface roughness.The silica thin film can be produced in the condition of low temperature and atmospheric environment.To meet various demands,the thickness of film can be adjusted by means of preparation conditions such as the speed of spin-coating and the concentration of solution.The p-type and n-type organic field effect transistors fabricated by using this film as gate electrodes exhibit excellent electrical performance including low voltage and high performance.This method shows great potential for industrialization owing to its characteristic of low consumption and energy saving,time-saving and easy to operate.

  10. Pumpkin-Derived Porous Carbon for Supercapacitors with High Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bai, Suying; Tan, Guangqun; Li, Xiaoqin; Zhao, Qian; Meng, Yan; Wang, Yujue; Zhang, Yongzhi; Xiao, Dan

    2016-06-21

    Pumpkin has been employed for the first time as a renewable, low-cost precursor for the preparation of porous carbon materials with excellent performance. Unlike most other precursors, pumpkin is rich in sugars and starch, and it has advantageous properties for large-scale production. The as-prepared materials adopted a unique morphology that consisted of numerous fused sphere-like carbon grains with a high specific surface area (2968 m(2)  g(-1) ), abundant micro and mesopores, and excellent electrochemical properties. The pumpkin-derived activated carbon (PAC) material not only exhibited a high specific capacitance of 419 F g(-1) , but also showed considerable cycling stability, with 93.6 % retention after 10 000 cycles. Moreover, a symmetrical supercapacitor that was based on PAC showed a high energy density of 22.1 W h kg(-1) in aqueous electrolyte. These superior properties demonstrate that PAC holds great promise for applications in electrochemical energy-storage devices. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Development of high performance electroless Ni-P-HNT composite coatings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ranganatha, S., E-mail: kamath.ranganath@gmail.com [Department of studies in chemistry, School of chemical sciences, Kuvempu university, Shankaraghatta-577451, Shimoga, Karnataka (India); Venkatesha, T.V., E-mail: drtvvenkatesha@yahoo.co.uk [Department of studies in chemistry, School of chemical sciences, Kuvempu university, Shankaraghatta-577451, Shimoga, Karnataka (India); Vathsala, K., E-mail: vathsala.mahesh@gmail.com [Nanotribology Laboratory, Mechanical engineering department, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, Karnataka (India)

    2012-12-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Novel Ni-P composites were prepared by incorporating Halloysite nanotubes. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Mild steel specimens surface engineered by nickel using electroless technique. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Incorporated halloysite nanotubes made nickel matrix highly corrosion resistant. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer HNT composite exhibits high hardness and largely reduces friction. - Abstract: Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) of the dimension 50 nm Multiplication-Sign 1-3 {mu}m (diameter Multiplication-Sign length) are utililized to fabricate the alloy composite by employing electroless/autocatalytic deposition technique. Electroless Ni-P-HNT binary alloy composite coatings are prepared successfully on low carbon steel. These nanotubes were made to get inserted/incorporated into nickel matrix and corresponding composites are examined for their electrochemical, mechanical and tribological performances and compared with that of plain Ni-P. The coatings were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) techniques to analyze surface nature and composition correspondingly. Small amount of incorporated HNTs made Ni-P deposits appreciable enhancement and betterment in corrosion resistance, hardness and friction resistance. This drastic improvement in the properties reflects the effect of addition of HNTs into Ni-P matrix leading to the development of high performance Ni-P-HNT composite coatings.

  12. High Performance Nano-Ceria Electrodes for Solid Oxide Cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Graves, Christopher R.; Martinez Aguilera, Lev; Sudireddy, Bhaskar Reddy

    2016-01-01

    forming the active surfaces on a porous backbone with embedded electronic current collector material, yielding one of the highest performances reported for an electrode that operates either on fuel or oxidant. The second is a nano-Ce0.9Gd0.1O2-δ thin film prepared by spin-coating, which provides......In solid oxide electrochemical cells, the conventional Ni-based fuel-electrodes provide high electrocatalytic activity but they are often a major source of long-term performance degradation due to carbon deposition, poisoning of reaction sites, Ni mobility, etc. Doped-ceria is a promising mixed...

  13. Preparation of aligned W{sub 18}O{sub 49} nanowire clusters with high photocatalytic activity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Ning [State Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis & Preparative Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China); Zhao, Yafei, E-mail: zhaoyafei007@126.com [State Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis & Preparative Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China); School of Chemical Engineering and Energy, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001 (China); Lu, Yanjie [School of Chemical Engineering and Energy, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001 (China); Zhu, Guangshan, E-mail: zhugs@jlu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis & Preparative Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China)

    2017-04-15

    Highlights: • Aligned W{sub 18}O{sub 49} nanowire clusters were prepared by a facile hydrothermal method. • W{sub 18}O{sub 49} has unique structure, high degree of crystallinity and large surface area. • W{sub 18}O{sub 49} nanowire clusters exhibited high photocatalytic degradation activity. - Abstract: The aligned W{sub 18}O{sub 49} nanowire clusters were synthesized via a facile and economic ethanol-assisted hydrothermal method using peroxopolytungstic acid as precursor. Results show that the as-prepared W{sub 18}O{sub 49} exhibits a high yield and ultrathin structure with preferential growth direction along [0 1 0]. The amount of peroxopolytungstic acid and reaction time play significant role on the morphology of W{sub 18}O{sub 49} nanowires. The nanowires have unique structure, high degree of crystallinity, large specific surface area, and large number of defects such as oxygen vacancies, which are responsible for their high photocatalytic performance for degradation of methylene blue. The photocatalytic conversion of methylene blue can reach above 98% after degradation. W{sub 18}O{sub 49} also exhibits good photodegradation stability after five cycles of reuse. The results demonstrate that the as-prepared W{sub 18}O{sub 49} nanowire clusters are expected to be a promising material for applications in the field of environment.

  14. Nickel/Diamond Composite Coating Prepared by High Speed Electrodeposition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ZHANG Yan

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Nickel/diamond composite coatings were prepared on the basis of a new high speed electroplating bath. The influence of additives, plating parameters and diamond concentration on internal stress was investigated in order to find the solution to decrease the stress introduced by high current density; the micro morphology of the coatings were observed by SEM. The bath and depositing parameters were optimized that thick nickel/diamond composite coatings with low internal stress can be high speed electroplated with a high cathode current density of 30A/dm2. The results show that when plated with bath composition and parameters as follows: sodium dodecyl sulfate 0.5g/L, ammonium acetate 3g/L, sodium citrate 1.5g/L, diamond particles 30g/L; pH value 3-4, temperature 50℃, the composite coatings prepared in high speed have the lowest internal stress.

  15. Preparation of Pt Ag alloy nanoisland/graphene hybrid composites and its high stability and catalytic activity in methanol electro-oxidation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Feng Lili

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract In this article, PtAg alloy nanoislands/graphene hybrid composites were prepared based on the self-organization of Au@PtAg nanorods on graphene sheets. Graphite oxides (GO were prepared and separated to individual sheets using Hummer's method. Graphene nano-sheets were prepared by chemical reduction with hydrazine. The prepared PtAg alloy nanomaterial and the hybrid composites with graphene were characterized by SEM, TEM, and zeta potential measurements. It is confirmed that the prepared Au@PtAg alloy nanorods/graphene hybrid composites own good catalytic function for methanol electro-oxidation by cyclic voltammograms measurements, and exhibited higher catalytic activity and more stability than pure Au@Pt nanorods and Au@AgPt alloy nanorods. In conclusion, the prepared PtAg alloy nanoislands/graphene hybrid composites own high stability and catalytic activity in methanol electro-oxidation, so that it is one kind of high-performance catalyst, and has great potential in applications such as methanol fuel cells in near future.

  16. 3D interconnected honeycomb-like and high rate performance porous carbons from petroleum asphalt for supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Lei; Li, Xinxin; Wang, Yixian; Liu, Jialiang; Tian, Wei; Ning, Hui; Wu, Mingbo

    2018-06-01

    In this paper, 3D interconnected honeycomb-like hierarchical porous carbons (HPCs) are prepared from petroleum asphalt via in-situ KOH activation in a molten salt medium. As symmetry two electrodes for supercapacitors, HPCs with high specific surface area of 2227 m2 g-1 show high rate performance, i.e. 265 F g-1 at 0.05 A g-1, 221 F g-1 at 20 A g-1, and superior cycle stability with 91.1% capacitance retention at 5 A g-1 after 10,000 cycles in 6 M KOH electrolyte. This facile strategy to prepare massive HPCs from cheap petroleum asphalt can provide high performance electrode materials for energy storage devices.

  17. Psychophysiological activation during preparation, performance, and recovery in high- and low-anxious music students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Studer, Regina Katharina; Danuser, Brigitta; Wild, Pascal; Hildebrandt, Horst; Gomez, Patrick

    2014-03-01

    The present study provides a comprehensive view of (a) the time dynamics of the psychophysiological responding in performing music students (n = 66) before, during, and after a private and a public performance and (b) the moderating effect of music performance anxiety (MPA). Heart rate (HR), minute ventilation (VE), and all affective and somatic self-report variables increased in the public session compared to the private session. Furthermore, the activation of all variables was stronger during the performances than before or after. Differences between phases were larger in the public than in the private session for HR, VE, total breath duration, anxiety, and trembling. Furthermore, while higher MPA scores were associated with higher scores and with larger changes between sessions and phases for self-reports, this association was less coherent for physiological variables. Finally, self-reported intra-individual performance improvements or deteriorations were not associated with MPA. This study makes a novel contribution by showing how the presence of an audience influences low- and high-anxious musicians' psychophysiological responding before, during and after performing. Overall, the findings are more consistent with models of anxiety that emphasize the importance of cognitive rather than physiological factors in MPA.

  18. Tungsten oxide nanowires grown on graphene oxide sheets as high-performance electrochromic material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, Xueting; Sun, Shibin; Dong, Lihua; Hu, Xiong; Yin, Yansheng

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Electrochromic mechanism of tungsten oxide nanowires-reduced graphene oxide composite. - Highlights: • A novel inorganic-nano-carbon hybrid composite was prepared. • The hybrid composite has sandwich-like structure. • The hybrid composite exhibited high-quality electrohcromic performance. - Abstract: In this work, we report the synthesis of a novel hybrid electrochromic composite through nucleation and growth of ultrathin tungsten oxide nanowires on graphene oxide sheets using a facile solvothermal route. The competition between the growth of tungsten oxide nanowires and the reduction of graphene oxide sheets leads to the formation of sandwich-structured tungsten oxide-reduced graphene oxide composite. Due to the strongly coupled effect between the ultrathin tungsten oxide nanowires and the reduced graphene oxide nanosheets, the novel electrochromic composite exhibited high-quality electrochromic performance with fast color-switching speed, good cyclic stability, and high coloration efficiency. The present tungsten oxide-reduced graphene oxide composite represents a new approach to prepare other inorganic-reduced graphene oxide hybrid materials for electrochemical applications

  19. High performance GdBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-z} film preparation by non-fluorine chemical solution deposition approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, W.T.; Pu, M.H.; Wang, W.W. [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Levitation and Maglev Trains (Ministry of Education of China), Superconductivity R and D Center (SRDC), Mail Stop 165, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); Zhang, H. [Department of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Cheng, C.H. [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Levitation and Maglev Trains (Ministry of Education of China), Superconductivity R and D Center (SRDC), Mail Stop 165, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China)] [Superconductivity Research Group, School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wale, Sydney, 2052 NSW (Australia); Zhao, Y., E-mail: yzhao@swjtu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Levitation and Maglev Trains (Ministry of Education of China), Superconductivity R and D Center (SRDC), Mail Stop 165, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China)] [Superconductivity Research Group, School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wale, Sydney, 2052 NSW (Australia)

    2011-11-15

    Biaxially textured GdBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7}-z films with Tc above 93 K have been prepared on (0 0 l) by non-fluorine CSD approach. Nanoparticles with homogeneous distribution are introduced into the GdBCO films as effective pinning centers. A high Jc (77 K, 0 T) of 2.28 MA/cm{sup 2} with slow decreasing Jc-B behavior is observed in the films. Biaxially textured GdBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-z} (GdBCO) films with T{sub c} above 93 K have been prepared on (0 0 l) LaAlO{sub 3} substrate by self-developed non-fluorine polymer-assisted chemical solution deposition (PA-CSD) approach. The GdBCO films show smooth and crack-free morphology. Many nanoscale particles with homogeneous distribution are observed in the GdBCO films, which have not been observed yet in the YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-z} (YBCO) films prepared by the same processing technique. Besides a high J{sub c} (77 K, 0 T) of 2.28 MA/cm{sup 2}, the optimized GdBCO films show a better J{sub c}-B behavior and an improved high-field J{sub c}, compared to the YBCO films.

  20. Crumpled Nitrogen-Doped Graphene for Supercapacitors with High Gravimetric and Volumetric Performances.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jie; Ding, Bing; Xu, Yunling; Shen, Laifa; Dou, Hui; Zhang, Xiaogang

    2015-10-14

    Graphene is considered a promising electrochemical capacitors electrode material due to its high surface area and high electrical conductivity. However, restacking interactions between graphene nanosheets significantly decrease the ion-accessible surface area and impede electronic and ionic transfer. This would, in turn, severely hinder the realization of high energy density. Herein, we report a strategy for preparation of few-layer graphene material with abundant crumples and high-level nitrogen doping. The two-dimensional graphene nanosheets (CNG) feature high ion-available surface area, excellent electronic and ion transfer properties, and high packing density, permitting the CNG electrode to exhibit excellent electrochemical performance. In ionic liquid electrolyte, the CNG electrode exhibits gravimetric and volumetric capacitances of 128 F g(-1) and 98 F cm(-3), respectively, achieving gravimetric and volumetric energy densities of 56 Wh kg(-1) and 43 Wh L(-1). The preparation strategy described here provides a new approach for developing a graphene-based supercapacitor with high gravimetric and volumetric energy densities.

  1. A facile and scalable method to prepare carbon nanotube-grafted-graphene for high performance Li-S battery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Q. Q.; Huang, J. B.; Li, G. R.; Lin, Z.; Liu, B. H.; Li, Z. P.

    2017-01-01

    A carbon nanotube-grafted-graphene (CNT-g-Gr) is developed for enhancements of electrical conduction and polysulfide (PS) absorption to improve rate performance and cycleability of lithium-sulfur battery. The CNT-g-Gr is prepared through CNT growth on Ni-deposited graphene sheet which is fabricated via pyrolysis of glucose in a molten salt. The obtained CNT-g-Gr shows much higher specific surface area and PS adsorption capability than graphene. The in-situ formed Ni nanoparticles on graphene sheet not only serve as the catalytic sites for CNT growth, but also function as the anchor-sites for polar PS absorption. The CNT-g-Gr contributes a superb PS adsorption capability arising from graphene and CNT absorbing weakly-polar PS species, and Ni nanoparticles absorbing the species with stronger polarity. The resultant Li-S battery with the CNT-g-Gr shows excellent cycleability and rate performance. A stable discharge capacity of 900 mAh g-1 (with low capacity degradation rate) and a rate capacity of 260 mAh g-1 at 30 C discharge rate have been achieved.

  2. The influence of training and mental skills preparation on injury incidence and performance in marathon runners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamstra-Wright, Karrie L; Coumbe-Lilley, John E; Kim, Hajwa; McFarland, Jose A; Huxel Bliven, Kellie C

    2013-10-01

    There has been a considerable increase in the number of participants running marathons over the past several years. The 26.2-mile race requires physical and mental stamina to successfully complete it. However, studies have not investigated how running and mental skills preparation influence injury and performance. The purpose of our study was to describe the training and mental skills preparation of a typical group of runners as they began a marathon training program, assess the influence of training and mental skills preparation on injury incidence, and examine how training and mental skills preparation influence marathon performance. Healthy adults (N = 1,957) participating in an 18-week training program for a fall 2011 marathon were recruited for the study. One hundred twenty-five runners enrolled and received 4 surveys: pretraining, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, posttraining. The pretraining survey asked training and mental skills preparation questions. The 6- and 12-week surveys asked about injury incidence. The posttraining survey asked about injury incidence and marathon performance. Tempo runs during training preparation had a significant positive relationship to injury incidence in the 6-week survey (ρ[93] = 0.26, p = 0.01). The runners who reported incorporating tempo and interval runs, running more miles per week, and running more days per week in their training preparation ran significantly faster than did those reporting less tempo and interval runs, miles per week, and days per week (p ≤ 0.05). Mental skills preparation did not influence injury incidence or marathon performance. To prevent injury, and maximize performance, while marathon training, it is important that coaches and runners ensure that a solid foundation of running fitness and experience exists, followed by gradually building volume, and then strategically incorporating runs of various speeds and distances.

  3. Simple and Reproducible Sample Preparation for Single-Shot Phosphoproteomics with High Sensitivity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jersie-Christensen, Rosa R.; Sultan, Abida; Olsen, Jesper V

    2016-01-01

    The traditional sample preparation workflow for mass spectrometry (MS)-based phosphoproteomics is time consuming and usually requires multiple steps, e.g., lysis, protein precipitation, reduction, alkylation, digestion, fractionation, and phosphopeptide enrichment. Each step can introduce chemical...... artifacts, in vitro protein and peptide modifications, and contaminations. Those often result in sample loss and affect the sensitivity, dynamic range and accuracy of the mass spectrometric analysis. Here we describe a simple and reproducible phosphoproteomics protocol, where lysis, denaturation, reduction......, and alkylation are performed in a single step, thus reducing sample loss and increasing reproducibility. Moreover, unlike standard cell lysis procedures the cell harvesting is performed at high temperatures (99 °C) and without detergents and subsequent need for protein precipitation. Phosphopeptides are enriched...

  4. Preparation of nano-porous LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 with high electrochemical performances by a co-precipitation method for 5 V lithium-ion batteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Xiaoling; Li, Hongliang; Li, Shiyou

    2017-10-01

    Porous LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 is prepared by co-precipitation method. The results of scanning electron microscopy show that the sample has a nano-porous structure. Charge-discharge tests show that the synthesized product exhibits excellent electrochemical performance with a high initial discharge capacity of 129.1 mAh g-1 at 0.5 C and a preferably capacity retention of 96.5% after 200 cycles. The superior performance of the synthesized product is attributed to its nano-porous structure. The nanoparticle reduces the path of Li+ diffusion and increases the reaction sites for lithium insertion/extraction, the pores provide room to buffer the volume changes during charge-discharge.

  5. A high-throughput sample preparation method for cellular proteomics using 96-well filter plates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Switzar, Linda; van Angeren, Jordy; Pinkse, Martijn; Kool, Jeroen; Niessen, Wilfried M A

    2013-10-01

    A high-throughput sample preparation protocol based on the use of 96-well molecular weight cutoff (MWCO) filter plates was developed for shotgun proteomics of cell lysates. All sample preparation steps, including cell lysis, buffer exchange, protein denaturation, reduction, alkylation and proteolytic digestion are performed in a 96-well plate format, making the platform extremely well suited for processing large numbers of samples and directly compatible with functional assays for cellular proteomics. In addition, the usage of a single plate for all sample preparation steps following cell lysis reduces potential samples losses and allows for automation. The MWCO filter also enables sample concentration, thereby increasing the overall sensitivity, and implementation of washing steps involving organic solvents, for example, to remove cell membranes constituents. The optimized protocol allowed for higher throughput with improved sensitivity in terms of the number of identified cellular proteins when compared to an established protocol employing gel-filtration columns. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Type of High School Predicts Academic Performance at University Better than Individual Differences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banai, Benjamin; Perin, Višnja

    2016-01-01

    Psychological correlates of academic performance have always been of high relevance to psychological research. The relation between psychometric intelligence and academic performance is one of the most consistent and well-established findings in psychology. It is hypothesized that intelligence puts a limit on what an individual can learn or achieve. Moreover, a growing body of literature indicates a relationship between personality traits and academic performance. This relationship helps us to better understand how an individual will learn or achieve their goals. The aim of this study is to further investigate the relationship between psychological correlates of academic performance by exploring the potentially moderating role of prior education. The participants in this study differed in the type of high school they attended. They went either to gymnasium, a general education type of high school that prepares students specifically for university studies, or to vocational school, which prepares students both for the labour market and for further studies. In this study, we used archival data of psychological testing during career guidance in the final year of high school, and information about the university graduation of those who received guidance. The psychological measures included intelligence, personality and general knowledge. The results show that gymnasium students had greater chances of performing well at university, and that this relationship exceeds the contribution of intelligence and personality traits to university graduation. Moreover, psychological measures did not interact with type of high school, which indicates that students from different school types do not profit from certain individual characteristics.

  7. Preparation of Pd-Diimine@SBA-15 and Its Catalytic Performance for the Suzuki Coupling Reaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiahuan Yu

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available A highly efficient and stable Pd-diimine@SBA-15 catalyst was successfully prepared by immobilizing Pd onto diimine-functionalized mesoporous silica SBA-15. With the help of diimine functional groups grafted onto the SBA-15, Pd could be anchored on a support with high dispersion. Pd-diimine@SBA-15 catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic performance for the Suzuki coupling reaction of electronically diverse aryl halides and phenylboronic acid under mild conditions with an ultralow amount of Pd (0.05 mol % Pd. When the catalyst amount was increased, it could catalyze the coupling reaction of chlorinated aromatics with phenylboronic acid. Compared with the catalytic performances of Pd/SBA-15 and Pd-diimine@SiO2 catalysts, the Pd-diimine@SBA-15 catalyst exhibited higher hydrothermal stability and could be repeatedly used four times without a significant decrease of its catalytic activity.

  8. Microspherical polyaniline/graphene nanocomposites for high performance supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Hailiang; Zhou, Xufeng; Zhang, Yiming; Chen, Liang; Liu, Zhaoping

    2013-12-01

    Polyaniline/graphene nanocomposites with microspherical morphology and porous structure are prepared as electrode materials for supercapacitors. Using few-layer graphene obtained by liquid phase exfoliation of graphite as the raw material, porous graphene microspheres are produced by spray drying, and are then employed as the substrates for the growth of polyaniline nanowire arrays by in situ polymerization. In the composite, interconnected graphene sheets with few structural defects constitute a high-efficient conductive network to improve the electrical conductivity of polyaniline. Furthermore, the microspherical architecture prevents restacking of polyaniline/graphene composite nanosheets, thus facilitates fast diffusion of electrolytes. Consequently, the nanocomposite exhibits excellent electrochemical performance. A specific capacitance of 338 F g-1 is reached in 1 M H2SO4 at a scan rate of 20 mV s-1, and a high capacity retention rate of 87.4% after 10,000 cycles at a current density of 3 A g-1 can be achieved, which suggests that the polyaniline/graphene composite with such kind of 3D architecture is a promising electrode material for high-performance supercapacitors.

  9. Facile preparation of graphene by high-temperature electrolysis and its application in supercapacitor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiao, Chen-Xu; Xing, Bao-Yan; Zhao, Jian-Guo; Geng, Yu; Li, Zuo-Peng

    2014-01-01

    Graphene is well known owing to its astonishing properties: stronger than diamond, more conductive than copper and more flexible than rubber. Because of its potential uses in industry, researchers have been searching for less toxicity ways to make graphene in large amount with lower cost. We demonstrated an efficient method to prepare graphene by high temperature electrolysis technique. High resolution scanning electron microscopy and raman spectroscopy were used to characterize the microstructure of graphene. Graphene was assembled into the supercapacitor and its performance of electrochemical capacitor was investigated by constant current charge and discharge, cyclic voltammetry and AC impedance. The results showed that the micro-morphology of the prepared graphene was multilayer and it was favorable when the electrolytic voltage was 1.5 V. When the current density is 1 mA/cm(2), the specific capacitance of the graphene supercapacitor can reach 78.01 F/g in 6 mol/L KOH electrolyte, which was an increase of 114% compared with 36.43 F/g of conventional KOH electrolyte.

  10. ICT and Teachers' Performance in Terms of Lesson Preparation and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This paper is a report of a study carried out to examine how information and Communication Technology (ICT) and teachers' performance in terms of lesson preparation and delivery in primary schools in Ogoja Education Zone of Cross River State, Nigeria. To achieve the purpose of the study, one research question was ...

  11. High performance hydrophilic pervaporation composite membranes for water desalination

    KAUST Repository

    Liang, Bin

    2014-08-01

    A three-layer thin film nanofibrous pervaporation composite (TFNPVC) membrane was prepared by sequential deposition using electrospraying/electrospinning. The poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) top barrier layer was first electrosprayed on aluminum foil and its thickness can be easily controlled by adjusting the collecting time. Next a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibrous scaffold was deposited by electrospinning as a mid-layer support. A nonwoven PET layer is used to complete the composite membrane. The pervaporation desalination performance of TFNPVC membranes was tested using NaCl solutions at 100. Pa and at room temperature. The TFNPVC membranes show excellent desalination performance (high water flux and salt rejection >. 99.5%) for different salt concentrations with virtually no change in performance after 50. h of operation. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.

  12. Preparation and photocatalytic performance of fibrous Tb3+-doped TiO2 using collagen fiber as template

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Ting; Wan, Xiang-Jun; Jiang, Shang-Xuan; Zhang, Li-Yuan; Hong, Zheng-Qu; Liu, Jiao

    2018-04-01

    Fibrous Tb3+-doped TiO2 were prepared using collagen fiber as template. Morphology, crystalline structure, surface area, element content, chemical composition and elemental chemical status, microstructure and element distribution of the prepared samples were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, specific surface area analysis, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope and element mapping, respectively. The photocatalytic activities were evaluated by following degradation of methyl orange. The results showed that the fiber structure of collagen template was fully preserved when the calcination temperature was 500-800 °C. However, with the increase of calcination temperature, crystallinity and average particle size were increased, and the photocatalytic performance was decreased. For 2% Tb3+-TiO2 calcined at 500 °C, the degradation rate of methyl orange reached 93.87% after 6 h when a high-pressure mercury lamp (150 W) was used as the light source for photocatalytic degradation. Titanium tanning agent performance was excellent, the yield of TiO2 was high, and the fiber structure was presented when 0.2 mol/L citric acid/sodium citrate buffer solution was used.

  13. Nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbons for high performance supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Kai; Liu, Qiming

    2016-08-01

    The mesoporous carbons have been synthesized by using α-D(+)-Glucose, D-Glucosamine hydrochloride or their mixture as carbon precursors and mesoporous silicas (SBA-15 or MCF) as hard templates. The as-prepared products show a large pore volume (0.59-0.97 cm3 g-1), high surface areas (352.72-1152.67 m2 g-1) and rational nitrogen content (ca. 2.5-3.9 wt.%). The results of electrochemical tests demonstrate that both heteroatom doping and suitable pore structure play a decisive role in the performance of supercapacitors. The representative sample of SBA-15 replica obtained using D-Glucosamine hydrochloride only exhibits high specific capacitance (212.8 F g-1 at 0.5 A g-1) and good cycle durability (86.1% of the initial capacitance after 2000 cycles) in 6 M KOH aqueous electrolyte, which is attributed to the contribution of double layer capacitance and pseudo-capacitance. The excellent electrochemical performance makes it a promising electrode material for supercapacitors.

  14. High Performance Graphene Oxide Based Rubber Composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mao, Yingyan; Wen, Shipeng; Chen, Yulong; Zhang, Fazhong; Panine, Pierre; Chan, Tung W.; Zhang, Liqun; Liang, Yongri; Liu, Li

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, graphene oxide/styrene-butadiene rubber (GO/SBR) composites with complete exfoliation of GO sheets were prepared by aqueous-phase mixing of GO colloid with SBR latex and a small loading of butadiene-styrene-vinyl-pyridine rubber (VPR) latex, followed by their co-coagulation. During co-coagulation, VPR not only plays a key role in the prevention of aggregation of GO sheets but also acts as an interface-bridge between GO and SBR. The results demonstrated that the mechanical properties of the GO/SBR composite with 2.0 vol.% GO is comparable with those of the SBR composite reinforced with 13.1 vol.% of carbon black (CB), with a low mass density and a good gas barrier ability to boot. The present work also showed that GO-silica/SBR composite exhibited outstanding wear resistance and low-rolling resistance which make GO-silica/SBR very competitive for the green tire application, opening up enormous opportunities to prepare high performance rubber composites for future engineering applications. PMID:23974435

  15. Facile preparation of highly pure KF-ZrF4 molten salt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zong, Guoqiang; Cui, Zhen-Hua; Zhang, Zhi-Bing; Zhang, Long; Xiao, Ji-Chang

    2018-03-01

    The preparation of highly pure KF-ZrF4 (FKZr) molten salt, a potential secondary coolant in molten salt reactors, was realized simply by heating a mixture of (NH4)2ZrF6 and KF. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that the FKZr molten salt was mainly composed of KZrF5 and K2ZrF6. The melting point of the prepared FKZr molten salt was 420-422 °C under these conditions. The contents of all metal impurities were lower than 20 ppm, and the content of oxygen was lower than 400 ppm. This one-step protocol avoids the need for a tedious procedure to prepare ZrF4 and for an additional purification process to remove oxide impurities, and is therefore a convenient, efficient and economic preparation method for high-purity FKZr molten salt.

  16. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole/time of flight mass spectrometry based chemical profiling approach for the holistic quality control of complex Kang-Jing formula preparations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Xiao-Huan; Cheng, Xiao-Lan; Qin, Bing; Cai, Zhuo-Ya; Cai, Xiong; Liu, Shao; Wang, Qi; Qin, Yong

    2016-05-30

    The Kang-Jing (KJ) formula is a compound preparation made from 12 kinds of herbs. So far, four different methods (M1-M4) have been documented for KJ preparation, but the influence of preparation methods on the holistic quality of KJ have remained unknown. In this study, a strategy was proposed to investigate the influence of different preparation methods on the holistic quality of KJ using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole/time of flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS) based chemical profiling. A total of 101 compounds mainly belonging to flavonoids, tanshinones, monoterpene glycosides, triterpenoid saponins, alkaloids, phenolic acids and volatile oils, were identified. Among these compounds, glaucine was detected only in M3/M4 samples, while two dehydrocorydaline isomers merely detected in M2/M3/M4 samples. Tetrahydrocolumbamine, ethylic lithospermic acid, salvianolic acid E and rosmarimic acid were only detected in M1/M3/M4 samples. In the subsequent quantitative analysis, 12 major compounds were determined by UHPLC-MS/MS. The proposed method was validated with respect to linearity, accuracy, precision and recovery. It was found that the contents of marker compounds varied significantly in samples prepared by different methods. These results demonstrated that preparation method does significantly affect the holistic quality of KJ. UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS based chemical profiling approach is efficient and reliable for comprehensive quality evaluation of KJ. Collectively, this study provide the chemical evidence for revealing the material basis of KJ, and establish a simple and accurate chemical profiling method for its quality control. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Tribological performance of ultrathin diamond-like carbon films prepared by plasma-based ion implantation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liao, J X; Li, E Q; Tian, Z; Pan, X F; Xu, J; Jin, L; Yang, H G

    2008-01-01

    Ultrathin diamond-like carbon (DLC) films with thicknesses of 5-60 nm have been prepared on Si by plasma-based ion implantation. Raman spectrum and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) show that these DLC films present high sp 3 /sp 2 ratios. XPS also displays that each DLC film firmly adheres to the Si substrate owing to a C-Si transition layer. Atomic force microscopy shows that the DLC films are smooth and compact with average roughness (R a ) of about 0.25 nm. Sliding friction experiments reveal that these DLC films show significantly improved tribological performance. With increase of DLC film thickness, the sp 3 /sp 2 ratio increases, the roughness decreases, the hardness increases, the adhesive wear lightens and thereby the tribological performance becomes enhanced. Also, the effects of the applied load and the reciprocating frequency on the tribological performance are discussed

  18. Activated polyaniline-based carbon nanoparticles for high performance supercapacitors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou, Jin; Zhu, Tingting; Xing, Wei; Li, Zhaohui; Shen, Honglong; Zhuo, Shuping

    2015-01-01

    Polyaniline (PANI) nanoparticles have been prepared by disperse polymerization of aniline in the presence of poly(4-styrenesulfonate). The PANI nanoparticles are further subjected to pyrolysis treatment and chemical-activation to prepare the activated nitrogen-doped carbon nanoparticles (APCNs). The porosity, structure and nitrogen-doped surface chemistry are analyzed by a varies of means, such as scanning electron microscopy, transition electron microscopy, N 2 sorption, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The capacitive performance of the APCNs materials are test in 6 M KOH electrolyte. Benefitting from the abundant micropores with short length, large specific surface area, hierarchical porosity and heteroatom-doped polar pore surface, the APCNs materials exhibit v exhibit very high specific capacitance up to 341 F g −1 , remarkable power capability and excellent long-term cyclic stability (96.6% after 10 000 cycles). At 40 A g −1 , APCN-2 carbon shows a capacitance of 164 F g −1 , responding to a high energy and power densities of 5.7 Wh kg −1 and 10 000 W kg −1

  19. Three-dimensional N-doped graphene/polyaniline composite foam for high performance supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Jun; Kong, Lirong; Shen, Xiaoping; Chen, Quanrun; Ji, Zhenyuan; Wang, Jiheng; Xu, Keqiang; Zhu, Guoxing

    2018-01-01

    Three-dimensional (3D) graphene aerogel and its composite with interconnected pores have aroused continuous interests in energy storage field owning to its large surface area and hierarchical pore structure. Herein, we reported the preparation of 3D nitrogen-doped graphene/polyaniline (N-GE/PANI) composite foam for supercapacitive material with greatly improved electrochemical performance. The 3D porous structure can allow the penetration and diffusion of electrolyte, the incorporation of nitrogen doping can enhance the wettability of the active material and the number of active sites with electrolyte, and both the N-GE and PANI can ensure the high electrical conductivity of total electrode. Moreover, the synergistic effect between N-GE and PANI materials also play an important role on the electrochemical performance of electrode. Therefore, the as-prepared composite foam could deliver a high specific capacitance of 528 F g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 and a high cyclic stability with 95.9% capacitance retention after 5000 charge-discharge cycles. This study provides a new idea on improving the energy storage capacity of supercapacitors by using 3D graphene-based psedocapacitive electrode materials.

  20. Preparation of hierarchical porous Zn-salt particles and their superhydrophobic performance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gao, Dahai; Jia, Mengqiu, E-mail: jiamq@mail.buct.edu.cn

    2015-12-30

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Hierarchical particles with high roughness were prepared by modified hydrothermal route. • The high roughness is provided by extremely low thickness of sheet crystals. • FEVE polymer derivative was used for surface treatment of hierarchical surface. • The novel particles via surface treatment were firstly used as superhydrophobic materials. • The product properties were compared with multi-scale ZnO particles via conventional route. - Abstract: Superhydrophobic surfaces arranged by hierarchical porous particles were prepared using modified hydrothermal routes under the effect of sodium citrate. Two particle samples were generated in the medium of hexamethylenetetramine (P1) and urea (P2), respectively. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscope were adopted for the investigation, and results revealed that the P1 and P2 particles are porous microspheres with crosslinked extremely thin (10–30 nm) sheet crystals composed of Zn{sub 5}(OH){sub 8}Ac{sub 2}·2H{sub 2}O and Zn{sub 5}(CO{sub 3}){sub 2}(OH){sub 6}, respectively. The prepared particles were treated with a fluoroethylene vinyl ether derivative and studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer. Results showed that the hierarchical surfaces of these particles were combined with low-wettable fluorocarbon layers. Moreover, the fabricated surface composed of the prepared hierarchical particles displayed considerably high contact angles, indicating great superhydrophobicity for the products. The wetting behavior of the particles was analyzed with a theoretical wetting model in comparison with that of chestnut-like ZnO products obtained through a conventional hydrothermal route. Correspondingly, this study provided evidence that high roughness surface plays a great role in superhydrophobic behavior.

  1. High-Performance Supercapacitor Electrode Materials from Cellulose-Derived Carbon Nanofibers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Jie; Niu, Haitao; Li, Zhenyu; Du, Yong; Cizek, Pavel; Xie, Zongli; Xiong, Hanguo; Lin, Tong

    2015-07-15

    Nitrogen-functionalized carbon nanofibers (N-CNFs) were prepared by carbonizing polypyrrole (PPy)-coated cellulose NFs, which were obtained by electrospinning, deacetylation of electrospun cellulose acetate NFs, and PPy polymerization. Supercapacitor electrodes prepared from N-CNFs and a mixture of N-CNFs and Ni(OH)2 showed specific capacitances of ∼236 and ∼1045 F g(-1), respectively. An asymmetric supercapacitor was further fabricated using N-CNFs/Ni(OH)2 and N-CNFs as positive and negative electrodes. The supercapacitor device had a working voltage of 1.6 V in aqueous KOH solution (6.0 M) with an energy density as high as ∼51 (W h) kg(-1) and a maximum power density of ∼117 kW kg(-1). The device had excellent cycle lifetime, which retained ∼84% specific capacitance after 5000 cycles of cyclic voltammetry scans. N-CNFs derived from electrospun cellulose may be useful as an electrode material for development of high-performance supercapacitors and other energy storage devices.

  2. Preparation of high specific activity labelled triiodothyronine (T3) for radioimmunoassay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pillai, M.R.A.; Nagvekar, U.H.; Desai, C.N.; Mani, R.S.

    1981-01-01

    A method standardized for the preparation of high specific activity labelled triiodothyronine (T 3 ) is discussed. Iodine-125 labelled T 3 with a specific activity of 3 mCi μg was prepared by iodinating 3,5-diiodothyronine (T 2 ) and purifying it over Sephadex G-25 gel. Radochemical purity and stability evaluations were done by paper chromatography. Specific activity of the labelled T 3 prepared was estimated by the self-displacement method. The use of this high specific activity labelled T 3 in radioimmunoassay increased the sensitivity considerably. The advantage of this procedure is that the specific activity of labelled T 3 formed is independent of reaction yield and labelled T 3 yield. (author)

  3. Intel Xeon Phi coprocessor high performance programming

    CERN Document Server

    Jeffers, James

    2013-01-01

    Authors Jim Jeffers and James Reinders spent two years helping educate customers about the prototype and pre-production hardware before Intel introduced the first Intel Xeon Phi coprocessor. They have distilled their own experiences coupled with insights from many expert customers, Intel Field Engineers, Application Engineers and Technical Consulting Engineers, to create this authoritative first book on the essentials of programming for this new architecture and these new products. This book is useful even before you ever touch a system with an Intel Xeon Phi coprocessor. To ensure that your applications run at maximum efficiency, the authors emphasize key techniques for programming any modern parallel computing system whether based on Intel Xeon processors, Intel Xeon Phi coprocessors, or other high performance microprocessors. Applying these techniques will generally increase your program performance on any system, and better prepare you for Intel Xeon Phi coprocessors and the Intel MIC architecture. It off...

  4. High-throughput automated microfluidic sample preparation for accurate microbial genomics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Soohong; De Jonghe, Joachim; Kulesa, Anthony B; Feldman, David; Vatanen, Tommi; Bhattacharyya, Roby P; Berdy, Brittany; Gomez, James; Nolan, Jill; Epstein, Slava; Blainey, Paul C

    2017-01-27

    Low-cost shotgun DNA sequencing is transforming the microbial sciences. Sequencing instruments are so effective that sample preparation is now the key limiting factor. Here, we introduce a microfluidic sample preparation platform that integrates the key steps in cells to sequence library sample preparation for up to 96 samples and reduces DNA input requirements 100-fold while maintaining or improving data quality. The general-purpose microarchitecture we demonstrate supports workflows with arbitrary numbers of reaction and clean-up or capture steps. By reducing the sample quantity requirements, we enabled low-input (∼10,000 cells) whole-genome shotgun (WGS) sequencing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and soil micro-colonies with superior results. We also leveraged the enhanced throughput to sequence ∼400 clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa libraries and demonstrate excellent single-nucleotide polymorphism detection performance that explained phenotypically observed antibiotic resistance. Fully-integrated lab-on-chip sample preparation overcomes technical barriers to enable broader deployment of genomics across many basic research and translational applications.

  5. Preparation of high performance NBR/HNTs nanocomposites using an electron transferring interaction method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Shuyan; Zhou, Yanxue; Zhang, Peng; Cai, Zhuodi; Li, Yangping; Fan, Hongbo

    2017-12-01

    Interfacial interaction is one of the key factors to improve comprehensive properties of polymer/inorganic filler nanocomposites. In this work, a new interfacial interaction called electron transferring interaction is reported in the nitrile-butadiene rubber/halloysite nanotubes (NBR/HNTs) nanocomposites. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and in-situ controlling temperature Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) have confirmed that electrons of electron-rich -CN groups in NBR can transfer to the electron-deficiency aluminum atoms of HNTs, which packs a part of NBR molecules onto the surface of HNTs to form bound rubber and stabilize the homogeneous dispersion of HNTs with few agglomeration as revealed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) performances, even at high HNTs addition, resulting in high light transmittance. The tensile strength of NBR/30wt%HNTs nanocomposites is about 291% higher than pure NBR, without sacrificing the elongation at break.

  6. CoFe2O4/carbon nanotube aerogels as high performance anodes for lithium ion batteries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xin Sun

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available High-performance lithium ion batteries (LIBs require electrode material to have an ideal electrode construction which provides fast ion transport, short solid-state ion diffusion, large surface area, and high electric conductivity. Herein, highly porous three-dimensional (3D aerogels composed of cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4, CFO nanoparticles (NPs and carbon nanotubes (CNTs are prepared using sustainable alginate as the precursor. The key feature of this work is that by using the characteristic egg-box structure of the alginate, metal cations such as Co2+ and Fe3+ can be easily chelated via an ion-exchange process, thus binary CFO are expected to be prepared. In the hybrid aerogels, CFO NPs interconnected by the CNTs are embedded in carbon aerogel matrix, forming the 3D network which can provide high surface area, buffer the volume expansion and offer efficient ion and electron transport pathways for achieving high performance LIBs. The as-prepared hybrid aerogels with the optimum CNT content (20 wt% delivers excellent electrochemical properties, i.e., reversible capacity of 1033 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 and a high specific capacity of 874 mAh g−1 after 160 cycles at 1 A g−1. This work provides a facile and low cost route to fabricate high performance anodes for LIBs. Keywords: Alginate, Aerogels, Cobalt ferrite, Anode, Lithium-ion battery

  7. Preparation and Properties of Nano Dy/TiO2 Films Supported on High Silica Fiber

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    HUANG Feng-ping

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available In order to improve the photocatalytic degradation performance and stability of nano TiO2, Dy doped TiO2 supported on high silica glass fiber was prepared by microwave-sol method combined with dip-coating method. The samples were analyzed by XRD,SEM,PL,EDS,XPS and other equipments for phase composition of films,surface topography, surface elements and the stability of films. And the effects of pretreatment solution and coating method on the high-silica fiber film were investigated.In addition, the photocatalytic performance of the sample has been investigated by degrading methylene blue. The results show that the catalytic stability of Dy doping TiO2 nanofilms supported on high silica glass fiber can be improved and the degradation of methyl orange can reach 94% in 30min after 5 times of coating treatment.

  8. Energy Efficient Graphene Based High Performance Capacitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bae, Joonwon; Kwon, Oh Seok; Lee, Chang-Soo

    2017-07-10

    Graphene (GRP) is an interesting class of nano-structured electronic materials for various cutting-edge applications. To date, extensive research activities have been performed on the investigation of diverse properties of GRP. The incorporation of this elegant material can be very lucrative in terms of practical applications in energy storage/conversion systems. Among various those systems, high performance electrochemical capacitors (ECs) have become popular due to the recent need for energy efficient and portable devices. Therefore, in this article, the application of GRP for capacitors is described succinctly. In particular, a concise summary on the previous research activities regarding GRP based capacitors is also covered extensively. It was revealed that a lot of secondary materials such as polymers and metal oxides have been introduced to improve the performance. Also, diverse devices have been combined with capacitors for better use. More importantly, recent patents related to the preparation and application of GRP based capacitors are also introduced briefly. This article can provide essential information for future study. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  9. High nitrogen-containing cotton derived 3D porous carbon frameworks for high-performance supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Li-Zhen; Chen, Tian-Tian; Song, Wei-Li; Li, Xiaogang; Zhang, Shichao

    2015-01-01

    Supercapacitors fabricated by 3D porous carbon frameworks, such as graphene- and carbon nanotube (CNT)-based aerogels, have been highly attractive due to their various advantages. However, their high cost along with insufficient yield has inhibited their large-scale applications. Here we have demonstrated a facile and easily scalable approach for large-scale preparing novel 3D nitrogen-containing porous carbon frameworks using ultralow-cost commercial cotton. Electrochemical performance suggests that the optimal nitrogen-containing cotton-derived carbon frameworks with a high nitrogen content (12.1 mol%) along with low surface area 285 m2 g−1 present high specific capacities of the 308 and 200 F g−1 in KOH electrolyte at current densities of 0.1 and 10 A g−1, respectively, with very limited capacitance loss upon 10,000 cycles in both aqueous and gel electrolytes. Moreover, the electrode exhibits the highest capacitance up to 220 F g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 and excellent flexibility (with negligible capacitance loss under different bending angles) in the polyvinyl alcohol/KOH gel electrolyte. The observed excellent performance competes well with that found in the electrodes of similar 3D frameworks formed by graphene or CNTs. Therefore, the ultralow-cost and simply strategy here demonstrates great potential for scalable producing high-performance carbon-based supercapacitors in the industry. PMID:26472144

  10. High nitrogen-containing cotton derived 3D porous carbon frameworks for high-performance supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Li-Zhen; Chen, Tian-Tian; Song, Wei-Li; Li, Xiaogang; Zhang, Shichao

    2015-10-01

    Supercapacitors fabricated by 3D porous carbon frameworks, such as graphene- and carbon nanotube (CNT)-based aerogels, have been highly attractive due to their various advantages. However, their high cost along with insufficient yield has inhibited their large-scale applications. Here we have demonstrated a facile and easily scalable approach for large-scale preparing novel 3D nitrogen-containing porous carbon frameworks using ultralow-cost commercial cotton. Electrochemical performance suggests that the optimal nitrogen-containing cotton-derived carbon frameworks with a high nitrogen content (12.1 mol%) along with low surface area 285 m2 g-1 present high specific capacities of the 308 and 200 F g-1 in KOH electrolyte at current densities of 0.1 and 10 A g-1, respectively, with very limited capacitance loss upon 10,000 cycles in both aqueous and gel electrolytes. Moreover, the electrode exhibits the highest capacitance up to 220 F g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 and excellent flexibility (with negligible capacitance loss under different bending angles) in the polyvinyl alcohol/KOH gel electrolyte. The observed excellent performance competes well with that found in the electrodes of similar 3D frameworks formed by graphene or CNTs. Therefore, the ultralow-cost and simply strategy here demonstrates great potential for scalable producing high-performance carbon-based supercapacitors in the industry.

  11. Nitrogen-enriched hierarchically porous carbons prepared from polybenzoxazine for high-performance supercapacitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Liu; Wang, Jianlong; Xie, Lijing; Sun, Yahui; Li, Kaixi

    2014-09-10

    Nitrogen-enriched hierarchically porous carbons (HPCs) were synthesized from a novel nitrile-functionalized benzoxazine based on benzoxazine chemistry using a soft-templating method and a potassium hydroxide (KOH) chemical activation method and used as electrode materials for supercapacitors. The textural and chemical properties could be easily tuned by adding a soft template and changing the activation temperature. The introduction of the soft-templating agent (surfactant F127) resulted in the formation of mesopores, which facilitated fast ionic diffusion and reduced the internal resistance. The micropores of HPCs were extensively developed by KOH activation to provide large electrochemical double-layer capacitance. As the activation temperature increased from 600 to 800 °C, the specific surface area of nitrogen-enriched carbons increased dramatically, micropores were enlarged, and more meso/macropores were developed, but the nitrogen and oxygen content decreased, which affected the electrochemical performance. The sample HPC-800 activated at 800 °C possesses a high specific surface area (1555.4 m(2) g(-1)), high oxygen (10.61 wt %) and nitrogen (3.64 wt %) contents, a hierarchical pore structure, a high graphitization degree, and good electrical conductivity. It shows great pseudocapacitance and the largest specific capacitance of 641.6 F g(-1) at a current density of 1 A g(-1) in a 6 mol L(-1) KOH aqueous electrolyte when measured in a three-electrode system. Furthermore, the HPC-800 electrode exhibits excellent rate capability (443.0 F g(-1) remained at 40 A g(-1)) and good cycling stability (94.3% capacitance retention over 5000 cycles).

  12. High platinum utilization in ultra-low Pt loaded PEM fuel cell cathodes prepared by electrospraying

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martin, S.; Garcia-Ybarra, P.L.; Castillo, J.L. [Dept. Fisica Matematica y de Fluidos, Facultad de Ciencias, UNED, Senda del Rey 9, 28040 Madrid (Spain)

    2010-10-15

    Cathode electrodes for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) with ultra-low platinum loadings as low as 0.012 mg{sub Pt}cm{sup -2} have been prepared by the electrospray method. The electrosprayed layers have nanostructured fractal morphologies with dendrites formed by clusters (about 100 nm diameter) of a few single catalyst particles rendering a large exposure surface of the catalyst. Optimization of the control parameters affecting this morphology has allowed us to overcome the state of the art for efficient electrodes prepared by electrospraying. Thus, using these cathodes in membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs), a high platinum utilization in the range 8-10 kW g{sup -1} was obtained for the fuel cell operating at 40 C and atmospheric pressure. Moreover, a platinum utilization of 20 kW g{sup -1} was attained under more suitable operating conditions (70 C and 3.4 bar over-pressure). These results substantially improve the performances achieved previously with other low platinum loading electrodes prepared by electrospraying. (author)

  13. The PZC-based Tc-99m generator preparation and its performance test

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Yishu

    2007-01-01

    This paper described the preparation of Tc-99m generator prepared with Japan distributing Mo adsorbent PZC and irradiated nature MoO 3 and its performance test. Four Tc-99m generators were prepared with different batches of PZC and reactor irradiated nature MoO 3 . The adsorption capacity of PZC to Mo is approximately 200mgMo/gPZC. The adsorption efficiency of three batches PZC is good (>90%) and that of one batch of PZC is not good enough (∼83%). The loss of fine powder (The PZC is fragile) is quite different with the different preparation process of PZC. The elution efficiency is 80-90% and has the up trend with the elution date. The Mo breakthrough can be controlled to acceptable level by connecting HZO safe column containing 1.0g HZO. All the specifications of eluted from PZC-based Tc-99m generator can meet the requirements under Sodium Pertechnetate injection in China Pharmacopoeia. (author)

  14. Mordenite/Nafion and analcime/Nafion composite membranes prepared by spray method for improved direct methanol fuel cell performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prapainainar, Paweena; Du, Zehui; Kongkachuichay, Paisan; Holmes, Stuart M.; Prapainainar, Chaiwat

    2017-11-01

    The aim of this work was to improve proton exchange membranes (PEMs) used in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). A membrane with a high proton conductivity and low methanol permeability was required. Zeolite filler in Nafion (NF matrix) composite membranes were prepared using two types of zeolite, mordenite (MOR) and analcime (ANA). Spray method was used to prepare the composite membranes, and properties of the membranes were investigated: mechanical properties, solubility, water and methanol uptake, ion-exchange capacity (IEC), proton conductivity, methanol permeability, and DMFC performance. It was found that MOR filler showed higher performance than ANA. The MOR/Nafion composite membrane gave better properties than ANA/Nafion composite membrane, including a higher proton conductivity and a methanol permeability that was 2-3 times lower. The highest DMFC performance (10.75 mW cm-2) was obtained at 70 °C and with 2 M methanol, with a value 1.5 times higher than that of ANA/Nafion composite membrane and two times higher than that of commercial Nafion 117 (NF 117).

  15. MnO2 prepared by hydrothermal method and electrochemical performance as anode for lithium-ion battery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Lili; Xuan, Zhewen; Zhao, Hongbo; Bai, Yang; Guo, Junming; Su, Chang-Wei; Chen, Xiaokai

    2014-01-01

    Two α-MnO2 crystals with caddice-clew-like and urchin-like morphologies are prepared by the hydrothermal method, and their structure and electrochemical performance are characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), galvanostatic cell cycling, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The morphology of the MnO2 prepared under acidic condition is urchin-like, while the one prepared under neutral condition is caddice-clew-like. The identical crystalline phase of MnO2 crystals is essential to evaluate the relationship between electrochemical performances and morphologies for lithium-ion battery application. In this study, urchin-like α-MnO2 crystals with compact structure have better electrochemical performance due to the higher specific capacity and lower impedance. We find that the relationship between electrochemical performance and morphology is different when MnO2 material used as electrochemical supercapacitor or as anode of lithium-ion battery. For lithium-ion battery application, urchin-like MnO2 material has better electrochemical performance.

  16. Development of the high-level waste high-temperature melter feed preparation flowsheet for vitrification process testing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seymour, R.G.

    1995-01-01

    High-level waste (HLW) feed preparation flowsheet development was initiated in fiscal year (FY) 1994 to evaluate alternative flowsheets for preparing melter feed for high-temperature melter (HTM) vitrification testing. Three flowsheets were proposed that might lead to increased processing capacity relative to the Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant (HWVP) and that were flexible enough to use with other HLW melter technologies. This document describes the decision path that led to the selection of flowsheets to be tested in the FY 1994 small-scale HTM tests. Feed preparation flowsheet development for the HLW HTM was based on the feed preparation flowsheet that was developed for the HWVP. This approach allowed the HLW program to build upon the extensive feed preparation flowsheet database developed under the HWVP Project. Primary adjustments to the HWVP flowsheet were to the acid adjustment and glass component additions. Developmental background regarding the individual features of the HLW feed preparation flowsheets is provided. Applicability of the HWVP flowsheet features to the new HLW vitrification mission is discussed. The proposed flowsheets were tested at the laboratory-scale at Pacific Northwest Laboratory. Based on the results of this testing and previously established criteria, a reductant-based flowsheet using glycolic acid and a nitric acid-based flowsheet were selected for the FY 1994 small-scale HTM testing

  17. High anisotropic NdFeB submicro/nanoflakes prepared by surfactant-assisted ball milling at low temperature

    Science.gov (United States)

    An, Xiaoxin; Jin, Kunpeng; Abbas, Nadeem; Fang, Qiuli; Wang, Fang; Du, Juan; Xia, Weixing; Yan, Aru; Liu, J. Ping; Zhang, Jian

    2017-11-01

    Hard magnetic NdFeB submicro/nanoflakes were successfully prepared by surfactant-assisted ball milling at low temperature (SABMLT) by specially using 2-methyl pentane and trioctylamine (TOA) as solvent and surfactant, respectively. Influences of the amount of TOA and milling temperature on the crystal structure, morphology and magnetic performances of the as-prepared NdFeB powders were investigated systematically. There is significant difference on morphology between the NdFeB powders milled at room and low temperature. The NdFeB powders with flaky morphology could be obtained even with a small amount of TOA by SABMLT, which could not be achieved by surfactant-assisted ball milling at room temperature (SABMRT). The better crystallinity, better grain alignment, higher coercivity, larger saturation magnetization and remanence ratio were achieved in the samples prepared by SABMLT. Furthermore, the final NdFeB powders prepared by SABMLT possessed a lower amount of residual TOA than those prepared by SABMRT. It was demonstrated that SABMLT is a promising way to fabricate rare-earth-transition metal nanoflakes with high anisotropy for permanent magnetic materials. The effective method of preparing NdFeB flakes by lowering temperature will be also useful to fabricate flakes of other functional materials.

  18. N/S Co-doped Carbon Derived From Cotton as High Performance Anode Materials for Lithium Ion Batteries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiawen Xiong

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Highly porous carbon with large surface areas is prepared using cotton as carbon sources which derived from discard cotton balls. Subsequently, the sulfur-nitrogen co-doped carbon was obtained by heat treatment the carbon in presence of thiourea and evaluated as Lithium-ion batteries anode. Benefiting from the S, N co-doping, the obtained S, N co-doped carbon exhibits excellent electrochemical performance. As a result, the as-prepared S, N co-doped carbon can deliver a high reversible capacity of 1,101.1 mA h g−1 after 150 cycles at 0.2 A g−1, and a high capacity of 531.2 mA h g−1 can be observed even after 5,000 cycles at 10.0 A g−1. Moreover, excellently rate capability also can be observed, a high capacity of 689 mA h g−1 can be obtained at 5.0 A g−1. This superior lithium storage performance of S, N co-doped carbon make it as a promising low-cost and sustainable anode for high performance lithium ion batteries.

  19. In situ preparation of CuS cathode with unique stability and high rate performance for lithium ion batteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Yourong; Zhang Xianwang; Chen Peng; Liao Hantao; Cheng Siqing

    2012-01-01

    A simple approach, for the first time, was presented for in situ preparation of the CuS cathode. The obtained CuS cathodes were investigated by the measurements of X-ray diffraction pattern, scanning electronic microscopy, and electrochemical performance. The results indicate the CuS cathodes are composed of plenty of nano flakes, which construct a large 3-D net structure. Moreover, the CuS cathodes exhibit reversible capacity of 447.4, 414.1, 389.9 and 376.0 mAh g −1 at 0.2 C, 0.5 C, 1 C and 2 C respectively and excellent cycle stability for more than 100 cycles. The possible mechanism of the unique stability of the CuS cathode was discussed.

  20. Graphene oxide-based benzimidazole-crosslinked networks for high-performance supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Yi; Cheng, Qian-Yi; Wu, Haiping; Wei, Zhixiang; Han, Bao-Hang

    2013-08-01

    The synthesis of graphene oxide (GO)-based benzimidazole-crosslinked network (GOBIN) materials is presented. These materials are prepared by the covalent crosslinking of GO sheets using a condensation reaction between the carboxylic acid moieties on the GO surface and the o-aminophenyl end groups of 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (or 1,2,4,5-benzenetetraamine tetrahydrochloride). An efficient one-pot catalyst- and template-free synthesis was performed. The obtained porous GO-based materials possess a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface area ranging from 260 to 920 m2 g-1. Electrochemical testing indicates that the GOBIN materials display a specific capacitance up to 370 F g-1 at a current density of 0.1 A g-1 and about 90% of the original capacitance is retained after 5000 cycles at a current density of 3 A g-1. Therefore, GOBIN materials can be employed as promising electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors with outstanding cycling stability. Furthermore, owing to their significantly high specific surface area, these materials also show hydrogen uptake (up to 1.24 wt%, at 77 K and 1.0 bar) and carbon dioxide capture (up to 14.2 wt%, at 273 K and 1.0 bar) properties. As a result, these GO-based porous materials improve both the supercapacitor performance and gas sorption property, which demonstrate an excellent performance in the practical application of energy storage.The synthesis of graphene oxide (GO)-based benzimidazole-crosslinked network (GOBIN) materials is presented. These materials are prepared by the covalent crosslinking of GO sheets using a condensation reaction between the carboxylic acid moieties on the GO surface and the o-aminophenyl end groups of 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (or 1,2,4,5-benzenetetraamine tetrahydrochloride). An efficient one-pot catalyst- and template-free synthesis was performed. The obtained porous GO-based materials possess a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface area ranging from 260 to 920 m2 g-1. Electrochemical testing

  1. An Alternating 5,5-Dimethylcyclopentadiene-based Copolymer prepared at Room Temperature for High Performance Organic Thin Film Transistors

    KAUST Repository

    Fei, Zhuping; Chen, Lei; Han, Yang; Gann, Eliot; Chesman, Anthony; McNeill, Christopher R.; Anthopoulos, Thomas D.; Heeney, Martin; Pietrangelo, Agostino

    2017-01-01

    We report that the inclusion of non-aromatic 5,5-dimethylcyclopentadiene monomer into a conjugated backbone is an attractive strategy to high performance semiconducting polymers. The use of this monomer enables a room temperature Suzuki copolymerization with a diketopyrrolopyrrole comono-mer to afford a highly soluble, high molecular weight material. The resulting low band gap polymer exhibits excellent photo and thermal stability, and despite a large π-π stacking distance of 4.26 Å, it demonstrates excellent performance in thin-film transistor devices.

  2. An Alternating 5,5-Dimethylcyclopentadiene-based Copolymer prepared at Room Temperature for High Performance Organic Thin Film Transistors

    KAUST Repository

    Fei, Zhuping

    2017-06-05

    We report that the inclusion of non-aromatic 5,5-dimethylcyclopentadiene monomer into a conjugated backbone is an attractive strategy to high performance semiconducting polymers. The use of this monomer enables a room temperature Suzuki copolymerization with a diketopyrrolopyrrole comono-mer to afford a highly soluble, high molecular weight material. The resulting low band gap polymer exhibits excellent photo and thermal stability, and despite a large π-π stacking distance of 4.26 Å, it demonstrates excellent performance in thin-film transistor devices.

  3. Substrate Temperature Effect on Charge Transport Performance of ZnO Electron Transport Layer Prepared by a Facile Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis in Polymer Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiang Cheng

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available A novel ultrasonic spray pyrolysis for high-quality ZnO films based on zinc-ammonia solution was achieved in air. To investigate the structural and optical properties as well as the performance of polymer solar cells (PSCs, ZnO films at different substrate temperatures and thicknesses were prepared. The performance of poly(3-hexylthiophene:[6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM based PSC was found to be improved due to the ZnO films. The crystal structure and roughness of the ZnO films fabricated at different temperatures were found to affect the performance of PSCs. The optimized power conversion efficiency was found to be maximum for PSCs with ZnO films prepared at 200°C. The growth process of these ZnO films is very simple, cost-effective, and compatible for larger-scale PSC preparation. The precursor used for spray pyrolysis is environmentally friendly and helps to achieve ZnO film preparation at a relative low temperature.

  4. High performance homes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beim, Anne; Vibæk, Kasper Sánchez

    2014-01-01

    Can prefabrication contribute to the development of high performance homes? To answer this question, this chapter defines high performance in more broadly inclusive terms, acknowledging the technical, architectural, social and economic conditions under which energy consumption and production occur....... Consideration of all these factors is a precondition for a truly integrated practice and as this chapter demonstrates, innovative project delivery methods founded on the manufacturing of prefabricated buildings contribute to the production of high performance homes that are cost effective to construct, energy...

  5. Preparation of Reduced Graphene Oxide/MnO Composite and Its Electromagnetic Wave Absorption Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Jiangtao; Li, Kunzhen; Liu, Zhongfei; Jin, Shaowei; Li, Shikuo; Zhang, Hui

    2018-02-01

    The composite containing reduced graphene oxide and MnO nanoparticles (RGO/MnO) has been prepared via a one step pyrolysis method. The MnO nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed on the surface of RGO nanosheets forming MnO/RGO composite. The composite displays a maximum absorption of ‒38.9 dB at 13.5 GHz and the bandwidth of reflection loss corresponding to -10 dB can reach 4.9 GHz (from 11.5 to 16.4 GHz) with a coating layer thickness of only 2 mm. Therefore, the obtained RGO/MnO composite a perfect lightweight and high-performance electromagnetic wave absorbent.

  6. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of high doses of pharmaceutically prepared heroin, by intravenous or by inhalation route in opioid-dependent patients

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rook, Elisabeth J.; van Ree, Jan M.; van den Brink, Wim; Hillebrand, Michel J. X.; Huitema, Alwin D. R.; Hendriks, Vincent M.; Beijnen, Jos H.

    2006-01-01

    A pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic study was performed in opioid-dependent patients in the Netherlands, who were currently treated with high doses of pharmaceutically prepared heroin on medical prescription. Besides intravenous heroin, heroin was prescribed for inhalation by "chasing the dragon"

  7. Preparations of high density (Th,U)O2 pellets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akabori, Mitsuo; Ikawa, Katsuichi

    1986-07-01

    Preparations of high density and homogeneous (Th,U)O 2 pellets by a powder metallurgy method were examined. (Th,U)O 2 powders were prepared by calcining coprecipitates of ammonium uranate and thorium hydroxide derived from nitrates and mixed sols, and by calcining mixed oxalates precipitated from nitrates. (Th,U)O 2 pellets were characterized with respect to sinterability, lattice parameter, microstructure, homogeneity and stoichiometry. Sintering atmospheres had a significant effect upon all the properties of the derived pellets. The sinterability of (Th,U)O 2 was most favourable in oxidizing and reducing atmospheres for ThO 2 -rich and UO 2 -rich compositions, respectively, and can be enhanced by presence of water vapour in sintering atmospheres. In addition, highly homogeneous (Th,U)O 2 pellets with 99 % in theoretical density were derived from the sol powders. (author)

  8. Fabrication of highly dispersed ZnO nanoparticles embedded in graphene nanosheets for high performance supercapacitors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fang, Linxia; Zhang, Baoliang; Li, Wei; Zhang, Jizhong; Huang, Kejing; Zhang, Qiuyu

    2014-01-01

    We report a facile strategy to synthesize ZnO-graphene nanocomposites as an advanced electrode material for high-performance supercapacitors. The ZnO-graphene nanocomposites have been fabricated via a facile, low-temperature in situ wet chemistry process. During this process, high dispersed ZnO nanoparticles are embedded in graphene nanosheets, leading to sandwich-structured ZnO-graphene nanocomposites. Thus, intimate interfacial contact between ZnO nanoparticles and graphene nanosheets are achieved, which facilitates electrochemical activity and enhance electrochemical properties due to fast electron transfer. The as-prepared ZnO-graphene nanocomposites exhibit a maximum specific capacitance of 786 F g −1 and excellent cycle life with capacity retention of about 92% after 500 cycles. This facile design and rational synthesis offers an effective strategy to enhance the electrochemical performance of supercapacitors and shows promising potential for large-scale application in energy storage

  9. Orange oil/water nanoemulsions prepared by high pressure homogenizer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kourniatis, Loretta R.; Spinelli, Luciana S.; Mansur, Claudia R.E.

    2010-01-01

    The objective of this work was to use the high-pressure homogenizer (HPH) to prepare stable oil/water nanoemulsions presenting narrow particle size distribution. The dispersions were prepared using nonionic surfactants based on ethoxylated ether. The size and distribution of the droplets formed, along with their stability, were determined in a Zetasizer Nano ZS particle size analyzer. The stability and the droplet size distribution in these systems do not present the significant differences with the increase of the processing pressure in the HPH). The processing time can promote the biggest dispersion in the size of particles, thus reducing its stability. (author)

  10. Rapid solidification for preparation of high Tc superconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yavari, A.R.

    1988-01-01

    High Tc superconducting oxides are prepared in two different ways using rapid solidification: by oxidation of microcrystalline or amorphous tapes obtained by quenching the liquid alloy and via crystallisation of the amorphous oxide obtained by rapid quenching of the oxide melt. This technique is applied for the first time to the BiCaSrCuO family [fr

  11. Preparation of hollow microspheres of Ce{sup 3+} doped NiCo ferrite with high microwave absorbing performance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duan, Hong-zhen, E-mail: duanhz2000@163.com; Zhou, Fang-ling; Cheng, Xia; Chen, Guo-hong; Li, Qiao-ling

    2017-02-15

    Hollow microspheres of Ce{sup 3+} doped NiCo-ferrites were synthesized by template-based-deposition and surface reaction method with carbon sphere as the template. The phase structure, morphology, magnetic properties and wave absorbing properties of the sample were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction(XRD), Scanning electronic microscopy(SEM), Vibration sample magnetometer (VSM) and a network vector analyzer (NVA), respectively. The results indicated that the particle size of the carbon sphere sample prepared by hydrothermal method was about 0.5 µm and the particle size of the Ni{sub 0.5}Co{sub 0.5}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} sample prepared by template-based method was about 300 nm. The influence of the amount of rare earth element on the magnetic and absorbing properties of sample was studied. The saturation magnetization and coercivity decreased gradually with the increase of the content of Ce. When the content of Ce was 0.02, the maximal saturation magnetization value and coercivity was 75.72 emu• g{sup −1} and 789.88 Oe, respectively. The associated ferrite hollow spheres have good absorbing performance, and the return loss value was −18.8 dB at 5500 MHz. - Highlights: • Hollow microspheres of Ce{sup 3+} doped NiCo-ferrites were synthesized by template-based-deposition and surface reaction method. • The influence of rare earth Ce{sup 3+} on the magnetic and absorbing properties of sample was studied. • When the content of Ce was 0.02, the maximal saturation magnetization value and coercivity was 75.72 emu• g{sup −1} and 789.88 Oe, respectively.

  12. Strategies toward High-Performance Cathode Materials for Lithium-Oxygen Batteries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Kai-Xue; Zhu, Qian-Cheng; Chen, Jie-Sheng

    2018-05-11

    Rechargeable aprotic lithium (Li)-O 2 batteries with high theoretical energy densities are regarded as promising next-generation energy storage devices and have attracted considerable interest recently. However, these batteries still suffer from many critical issues, such as low capacity, poor cycle life, and low round-trip efficiency, rendering the practical application of these batteries rather sluggish. Cathode catalysts with high oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and evolution reaction activities are of particular importance for addressing these issues and consequently promoting the application of Li-O 2 batteries. Thus, the rational design and preparation of the catalysts with high ORR activity, good electronic conductivity, and decent chemical/electrochemical stability are still challenging. In this Review, the strategies are outlined including the rational selection of catalytic species, the introduction of a 3D porous structure, the formation of functional composites, and the heteroatom doping which succeeded in the design of high-performance cathode catalysts for stable Li-O 2 batteries. Perspectives on enhancing the overall electrochemical performance of Li-O 2 batteries based on the optimization of the properties and reliability of each part of the battery are also made. This Review sheds some new light on the design of highly active cathode catalysts and the development of high-performance lithium-O 2 batteries. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. A General and Mild Approach to Controllable Preparation of Manganese-Based Micro- and Nanostructured Bars for High Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Guo; Li, Sheng; Zhang, Weixin; Yang, Zeheng; Liu, Shulin; Fan, Xiaoming; Chen, Fei; Tian, Yuan; Zhang, Weibo; Yang, Shihe; Li, Mei

    2016-03-07

    One-dimensional (1D) micro- and nanostructured electrode materials with controllable phase and composition are appealing materials for use in lithium-ion batteries with high energy and power densities, but they are challenging to prepare. Herein, a novel ethanol-water mediated co-precipitation method by a chimie douce route (synthesis conducted under mild conditions) has been exploited to selectively prepare an extensive series of manganese-based electrode materials, manifesting the considerable generalizability and efficacy of the method. Moreover, by simply tuning the mixed solvent and reagents, transition metal oxide bars with differing aspect ratios and compositions were prepared with an unprecedented uniformity. Application prospects are demonstrated by Li-rich 0.5 Li2 MnO3 ⋅0.5 LiNi1/3 Co1/3 Mn1/3 O2 bars, which demonstrate excellent reversible capacity and rate capability thanks to the steerable nature of the synthesis and material quality. This work opens a new route to 1D micro- and nanostructured materials by customizing the precipitating solvent to orchestrate the crystallization process. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Hierarchical NiCo2 O4 nanosheets grown on Ni nanofoam as high-performance electrodes for supercapacitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Guoxin; Wu, Hao Bin; Ding, Shujiang; Liu, Li-Min; Lou, Xiong Wen David

    2015-02-18

    A high-performance electrode for supercapacitors is designed and synthesized by growing electroactive NiCo2 O4 nanosheets on conductive Ni nanofoam. Because of the structural advantages, the as-prepared Ni@NiCo2 O4 hybrid nanostructure exhibits significantly improved electrochemical performance with high capacitance, excellent rate capability, and good cycling stability. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Effect of chlorine on performance of Pd catalysts prepared via colloidal immobilization

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zhao, Yingnan; Liang, Wanwei; Li, Yongdan; Lefferts, Leon

    2017-01-01

    This contribution shows the effect of residual chlorine on the catalytic performance of a Pd-based catalyst in the hydrogenation of nitrite for cleaning of drinking water. The catalyst was prepared via immobilization a colloidal Pd nanoparticles using activated carbon as support. Different amount of

  16. Comprehensive evaluation and optimization of amplicon library preparation methods for high-throughput antibody sequencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menzel, Ulrike; Greiff, Victor; Khan, Tarik A; Haessler, Ulrike; Hellmann, Ina; Friedensohn, Simon; Cook, Skylar C; Pogson, Mark; Reddy, Sai T

    2014-01-01

    High-throughput sequencing (HTS) of antibody repertoire libraries has become a powerful tool in the field of systems immunology. However, numerous sources of bias in HTS workflows may affect the obtained antibody repertoire data. A crucial step in antibody library preparation is the addition of short platform-specific nucleotide adapter sequences. As of yet, the impact of the method of adapter addition on experimental library preparation and the resulting antibody repertoire HTS datasets has not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, we compared three standard library preparation methods by performing Illumina HTS on antibody variable heavy genes from murine antibody-secreting cells. Clonal overlap and rank statistics demonstrated that the investigated methods produced equivalent HTS datasets. PCR-based methods were experimentally superior to ligation with respect to speed, efficiency, and practicality. Finally, using a two-step PCR based method we established a protocol for antibody repertoire library generation, beginning from inputs as low as 1 ng of total RNA. In summary, this study represents a major advance towards a standardized experimental framework for antibody HTS, thus opening up the potential for systems-based, cross-experiment meta-analyses of antibody repertoires.

  17. Polypyrrole shell@3D-Ni metal core structured electrodes for high-performance supercapacitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Gao-Feng; Su, Yu-Zhi; Kuang, Pan-Yong; Liu, Zhao-Qing; Chen, Dao-Yi; Wu, Xu; Li, Nan; Qiao, Shi-Zhang

    2015-03-16

    Three-dimensional (3D) nanometal films serving as current collectors have attracted much interest recently owing to their promising application in high-performance supercapacitors. In the process of the electrochemical reaction, the 3D structure can provide a short diffusion path for fast ion transport, and the highly conductive nanometal may serve as a backbone for facile electron transfer. In this work, a novel polypyrrole (PPy) shell@3D-Ni-core composite is developed to enhance the electrochemical performance of conventional PPy. With the introduction of a Ni metal core, the as-prepared material exhibits a high specific capacitance (726 F g(-1) at a charge/discharge rate of 1 A g(-1)), good rate capability (a decay of 33% in Csp with charge/discharge rates increasing from 1 to 20 A g(-1)), and high cycle stability (only a small decrease of 4.2% in Csp after 1000 cycles at a scan rate of 100 mV s(-1)). Furthermore, an aqueous symmetric supercapacitor device is fabricated by using the as-prepared composite as electrodes; the device demonstrates a high energy density (≈21.2 Wh kg(-1)) and superior long-term cycle ability (only 4.4% and 18.6% loss in Csp after 2000 and 5000 cycles, respectively). © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. Methanesulfonic acid-assisted synthesis of N/S co-doped hierarchically porous carbon for high performance supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huo, Silu; Liu, Mingquan; Wu, Linlin; Liu, Mingjie; Xu, Min; Ni, Wei; Yan, Yi-Ming

    2018-05-01

    Nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbons are considered as electrode materials for high performance supercapacitors, while their further development is still limited by complicated synthesis procedure, unsatisfied structure and low energy density. Developing a simple synthetic strategy to obtain rationally structured carbon materials and high supercapacitor performance is remaining a grand challenge. Herein, we describe the synthesis of nitrogen and sulfur co-doped hierarchical porous carbons as high performance supercapacitors electrode by a methanesulfonic acid-assisted one-step carbonization and activation of the freeze-dried precursors mixture. The as-prepared carbon material not only exhibits ideally hierarchical pores, but also realizes uniform nitrogen and sulfur co-doping. In 6.0 M KOH electrolyte, the material can achieve a high specific capacitance of 272 F g-1 at 1.0 A g-1 and a promising rate performance retaining 172 F g-1 even at 100 A g-1. Moreover, a fabricated symmetric supercapacitor based on as-prepared nitrogen and sulfur co-doped hierarchical porous carbon delivers high energy densities of 12.4 W h kg-1 and 8.0 W h kg-1 in 6.0 M KOH liquid and KOH/PVA solid-state electrolytes, respectively. This work presents a simple and effective methanesulfonic acid-assisted approach for mass production of heteroatomic doping hierarchical porous carbons for future energy storage applications.

  19. Effective connectivity among the working memory regions during preparation for and during performance of the n-back task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manelis, Anna; Reder, Lynne M

    2014-01-01

    Recent neuroimaging studies have shown that working memory (WM) task difficulty can be decoded from patterns of brain activation in the WM network during preparation to perform those tasks. The inter-regional connectivity among the WM regions during task preparation has not yet been investigated. We examined this question using the graph modeling methods IMaGES and LOFS, applied to the previously published fMRI data of Manelis and Reder (2013). In that study, subjects performed 1-, 2-, and 3-back tasks. Each block of n-back was preceded by a preparation period and followed by a rest period. The analyses of task-related brain activity identified a network of 18 regions that increased in activation from 1- to 3-back (Increase network) and a network of 17 regions that decreased in activation from 1- to 3-back (Decrease network). The graph analyses revealed two types of connectivity sub-networks within the Increase and Decrease networks: "default" and "preparation-related." The "default" connectivity was present not only during task performance, but also during task preparation and during rest. We propose that this sub-network may serve as a core system that allows one to quickly activate cognitive, perceptual and motor systems in response to the relevant stimuli. The "preparation-related" connectivity was present during task preparation and task performance, but not at rest, and depended on the n-back condition. The role of this sub-network may be to pre-activate a connectivity "road map" in order to establish a top-down and bottom-up regulation of attention prior to performance on WM tasks.

  20. Effective connectivity among the working memory regions during preparation for and during performance of the n-back task.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna eManelis

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Recent neuroimaging studies have shown that working memory (WM task difficulty can be decoded from patterns of brain activation in the WM network during preparation to perform those tasks. The inter-regional connectivity among the WM regions during task preparation has not yet been investigated. We examined this question using the graph modeling methods IMaGES and LOFS, applied to the previously published fMRI data of Manelis and Reder (2013. In that study, subjects performed 1-, 2-, and 3-back tasks. Each block of n-back was preceded by a preparation period and followed by a rest period. The analyses of task-related brain activity identified a network of 18 regions that increased in activation from 1- to 3-back (Increase network and a network of 17 regions that decreased in activation from 1- to 3-back (Decrease network. The graph analyses revealed two types of connectivity sub-networks within the Increase and Decrease networks: default and preparation-related. The default connectivity was present not only during task performance, but also during task preparation and during rest. We propose that this sub-network may serve as a core system that allows one to quickly activate cognitive, perceptual and motor systems in response to the relevant stimuli. The preparation-related connectivity was present during task preparation and task performance, but not at rest, and depended on the n-back condition. The role of this sub-network may be to pre-activate a connectivity road map in order to establish a top-down and bottom-up regulation of attention prior to performance on WM tasks.

  1. Surface preparation for high purity alumina ceramics enabling direct brazing in hydrogen atmospheres

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cadden, Charles H.; Yang, Nancy Yuan Chi; Hosking, Floyd M.

    2001-01-01

    The present invention relates to a method for preparing the surface of a high purity alumina ceramic or sapphire specimen that enables direct brazing in a hydrogen atmosphere using an active braze alloy. The present invention also relates to a method for directly brazing a high purity alumina ceramic or sapphire specimen to a ceramic or metal member using this method of surface preparation, and to articles produced by this brazing method. The presence of silicon, in the form of a SiO.sub.2 -containing surface layer, can more than double the tensile bond strength in alumina ceramic joints brazed in a hydrogen atmosphere using an active Au-16Ni-0.75 Mo-1.75V filler metal. A thin silicon coating applied by PVD processing can, after air firing, produce a semi-continuous coverage of the alumina surface with a SiO.sub.2 film. Room temperature tensile strength was found to be proportional to the fraction of air fired surface covered by silicon-containing films. Similarly, the ratio of substrate fracture versus interface separation was also related to the amount of surface silicon present prior to brazing. This process can replace the need to perform a "moly-manganese" metallization step.

  2. Experimental Preparation and Numerical Simulation of High Thermal Conductive Cu/CNTs Nanocomposites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhsan Ali Samer

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Due to the rapid growth of high performance electronics devices accompanied by overheating problem, heat dissipater nanocomposites material having ultra-high thermal conductivity and low coefficient of thermal expansion was proposed. In this work, a nanocomposite material made of copper (Cu reinforced by multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs up to 10 vol. % was prepared and their thermal behaviour was measured experimentally and evaluated using numerical simulation. In order to numerically predict the thermal behaviour of Cu/CNTs composites, three different prediction methods were performed. The results showed that rules of mixture method records the highest thermal conductivity for all predicted composites. In contrast, the prediction model which takes into account the influence of the interface thermal resistance between CNTs and copper particles, has shown the lowest thermal conductivity which considered as the closest results to the experimental measurement. The experimentally measured thermal conductivities showed remarkable increase after adding 5 vol.% CNTs and higher than the thermal conductivities predicted via Nan models, indicating that the improved fabrication technique of powder injection molding that has been used to produced Cu/CNTs nanocomposites has overcome the challenges assumed in the mathematical models.

  3. Preparative isolation by high performance liquid chromatography of human insulin B chain produced in escherichia coli

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cruz, N.; Antonio, S.; De Anda, R.; Gosset, G.; Bolivar, F. (Centro de Investigacion sobre Ingenieria Genetica y Biotecnologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Apdo. Postal 510-3 Cuernavaca, Mor. 62271 (MX))

    1990-01-01

    This paper reports on a simple method developed for the analytical and preparative purification of human insulin B chain from recombinant origin. Three solvent systems: acetonitrile, isopropanol and methanol, were studied to determine their capacity to resolve the insulin B chain from a mixture of cyanogen bromide generated bacterial peptides. Using a {mu}Bondapak C18 column, it was possible to resolve the insulin B chain in all three systems. On a preparative scale, using a PrePak 500 C18 column with the isopropanol system, it was possible to purify insulin B chain and to obtain a 95% protein recovery.

  4. Performance enhancement of direct ethanol fuel cell using Nafion composites with high volume fraction of titania

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matos, B. R.; Isidoro, R. A.; Santiago, E. I.; Fonseca, F. C.

    2014-12-01

    The present study reports on the performance enhancement of direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) at 130 °C with Nafion-titania composite electrolytes prepared by sol-gel technique and containing high volume fractions of the ceramic phase. It is found that for high volume fractions of titania (>10 vol%) the ethanol uptake of composites is largely reduced while the proton conductivity at high-temperatures is weakly dependent on the titania content. Such tradeoff between alcohol uptake and conductivity resulted in a boost of DEFC performance at high temperatures using Nafion-titania composites with high fraction of the inorganic phase.

  5. Nanotubes within transition metal silicate hollow spheres: Facile preparation and superior lithium storage performances

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Fan; An, Yongling; Zhai, Wei; Gao, Xueping [Key Laboratory for Liquid–Solid Structural Evolution & Processing of Materials (Ministry of Education), Jinan 250100 (China); Feng, Jinkui, E-mail: jinkui@sdu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory for Liquid–Solid Structural Evolution & Processing of Materials (Ministry of Education), Jinan 250100 (China); Ci, Lijie [Key Laboratory for Liquid–Solid Structural Evolution & Processing of Materials (Ministry of Education), Jinan 250100 (China); Xiong, Shenglin [School of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China)

    2015-10-15

    Highlights: • The hollow Co{sub 2}SiO{sub 4}, MnSiO{sub 3} and CuSiO{sub 3} were successfully prepared by a facile hydrothermal method using SiO{sub 2} nanosphere. • The hollow Co{sub 2}SiO{sub 4}, MnSiO{sub 3} and CuSiO{sub 3} were tested as anode materials for lithium batteries. • The hollow Co{sub 2}SiO{sub 4}, MnSiO{sub 3} and CuSiO{sub 3} delivered superior electrochemical performance. • The lithium storage mechanism is probe via cyclic voltammetry and XPS. - Abstract: A series of transition metal silicate hollow spheres, including cobalt silicate (Co{sub 2}SiO{sub 4}), manganese silicate (MnSiO{sub 3}) and copper silicate (CuSiO{sub 3}.2H{sub 2}O, CuSiO{sub 3} as abbreviation in the text) were prepared via a simple and economic hydrothermal method by using silica spheres as chemical template. Time-dependent experiments confirmed that the resultants formed a novel type of hierarchical structure, hollow spheres assembled by numerous one-dimensional (1D) nanotubes building blocks. For the first time, the transition metal silicate hollow spheres were characterized as novel anode materials of Li-ion battery, which presented superior lithium storage capacities, cycle performance and rate performance. The 1D nanotubes assembly and hollow interior endow this kind of material facilitate fast lithium ion and electron transport and accommodate the big volume change during the conversion reactions. Our study shows that low-cost transition metal silicate with rationally designed nanostructures can be promising anode materials for high capacity lithium-ion battery.

  6. Correlating Student Interest and High School Preparation with Learning and Performance in an Introductory University Physics Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harlow, Jason J.?B.; Harrison, David M.; Meyertholen, Andrew

    2014-01-01

    We have studied the correlation of student performance in a large first year university physics course with their reasons for taking the course and whether or not the student took a senior-level high school physics course. Performance was measured both by the Force Concept Inventory and by the grade on the final examination. Students who took the…

  7. Wear performance of garnet aluminium composites at high contact pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Anju; Arora, Rama; Kumar, Suresh; Singh, Gurmel; Pandey, O. P.

    2016-05-01

    To satisfy the needs of the engineering sector, researchers and material scientists in this area adopted the development of composites with tailor made properties to enhance efficiency and cost savings in the manufacturing sector. The technology of the mineral industry is shaping the supply and demand of minerals derived materials. The composites are best classified as high performance materials have high strength-to-weight ratios, and require controlled manufacturing environments for optimum performance. Natural mineral garnet was used as the reinforcement of composite because of satisfactory mechanical properties as well as an attractive ecological alternative to others ceramics. For this purpose, samples have been prepared with different sizesof the garnet reinforcement using the mechanical stirring method to achieve the homogeneously dispersed strengthening phase. A systematic study of the effect of high contact pressure on the sliding wear behaviour of garnet reinforced LM13 alloy composites is presented in this paper. The SEM analysis of the worn samples and debris reveals the clues about the wear mechanism. The drastic improvement in the wear resistance of the composites at high contact pressure shows the high potential of the material to be used in engineering applications.

  8. Predicting Success in College Mathematics from High School Mathematics Preparation

    OpenAIRE

    Shepley, Richard A.

    1983-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop a model to predict the college mathematics courses a freshman could expect to pass by considering their high school mathematics preparation. The high school information that was used consisted of the student's sex, the student's grade point average in mathematics, the highest level of high school mathematics courses taken, and the number of mathematics courses taken in high school. The high school sample was drawn from graduated Seniors in the State...

  9. Preparation and DMFC performance of a sulfophenylated poly(arylene ether ketone) polymer electrolyte membrane

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu Baijun, E-mail: liubj@jlu.edu.c [College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China); Hu Wei [College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China); Kim, Yu Seung [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Electronic and Electrochemical Materials and Devices, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Zou Haifeng [College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China); Robertson, Gilles P. [Institute for Chemical Process and Environmental Technology, National Research Council, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6 (Canada); Jiang Zhenhua [College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China); Guiver, Michael D. [Institute for Chemical Process and Environmental Technology, National Research Council, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6 (Canada); Department of Energy Engineering, Hanyang University, 17 Haengdang-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of)

    2010-04-15

    A sulfonated poly(aryl ether ether ketone ketone) (PEEKK) having a well-defined rigid homopolymer-like chemical structure was synthesized from a readily prepared PEEKK by post-sulfonation with concentrated sulfuric acid at room temperature within several hours. The polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) cast from the resulting polymer exhibited an excellent combination of thermal resistance, oxidative and dimensional stability, low methanol fuel permeability and high proton conductivity. Furthermore, membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) were successfully fabricated and good direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) performance was observed. At 2 M MeOH feed, the current density at 0.5 V reached 165 mA/cm, which outperformed our reported similarly structured analogues and MEAs derived from comparative Nafion membranes.

  10. A honeycomb-like porous carbon derived from pomelo peel for use in high-performance supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    LiangThese Two Authors Are Equal Main Contributors., Qinghua; Ye, Ling; Huang, Zheng-Hong; Xu, Qiang; Bai, Yu; Kang, Feiyu; Yang, Quan-Hong

    2014-10-01

    A cost-effective approach to obtain electrode materials with excellent electrochemical performance is critical to the development of supercapacitors (SCs). Here we report the preparation of a three-dimensional (3D) honeycomb-like porous carbon (HLPC) by the simple carbonization of pomelo peel followed by KOH activation. Structural characterization indicates that the as-prepared HLPC with a high specific surface area (SSA) up to 2725 m2 g-1 is made up of interconnected microporous carbon walls. Chemical analysis shows that the HLPC is doped with nitrogen and also has oxygen-containing groups. Electrochemical measurements show that the HLPC not only exhibits a high specific capacitance of 342 F g-1 and 171 F cm-3 at 0.2 A g-1 but also shows considerable rate capability with a retention of 62% at 20 A g-1 as well as good cycling performance with 98% retention over 1000 cycles at 10 A g-1 in 6 M KOH. Furthermore, an as-fabricated HLPC-based symmetric SC device delivers a maximum energy density of ~9.4 Wh kg-1 in the KOH electrolyte. Moreover, the outstanding cycling stability (only 2% capacitance decay over 1000 cycles at 5 A g-1) of the SC device makes it promising for use in a high-performance electrochemical energy system.A cost-effective approach to obtain electrode materials with excellent electrochemical performance is critical to the development of supercapacitors (SCs). Here we report the preparation of a three-dimensional (3D) honeycomb-like porous carbon (HLPC) by the simple carbonization of pomelo peel followed by KOH activation. Structural characterization indicates that the as-prepared HLPC with a high specific surface area (SSA) up to 2725 m2 g-1 is made up of interconnected microporous carbon walls. Chemical analysis shows that the HLPC is doped with nitrogen and also has oxygen-containing groups. Electrochemical measurements show that the HLPC not only exhibits a high specific capacitance of 342 F g-1 and 171 F cm-3 at 0.2 A g-1 but also shows

  11. Evaluation of cannabinoids concentration and stability in standardized preparations of cannabis tea and cannabis oil by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pacifici, Roberta; Marchei, Emilia; Salvatore, Francesco; Guandalini, Luca; Busardò, Francesco Paolo; Pichini, Simona

    2017-08-28

    Cannabis has been used since ancient times to relieve neuropathic pain, to lower intraocular pressure, to increase appetite and finally to decrease nausea and vomiting. The combination of the psychoactive cannabis alkaloid Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) with the non-psychotropic alkaloids cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN) demonstrated a higher activity than THC alone. The Italian National Institute of Health sought to establish conditions and indications on how to correctly use nationally produced cannabis to guarantee therapeutic continuity in individuals treated with medical cannabis. The evaluation of cannabinoids concentration and stability in standardized preparations of cannabis tea and cannabis oil was conducted using an easy and fast ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) assay. Extraction efficiency of oil was significantly higher than that of water with respect to the different cannabinoids. This was especially observed in the case of the pharmacologically active THC, CBD and their acidic precursors. Fifteen minutes boiling was sufficient to achieve the highest concentrations of cannabinoids in the cannabis tea solutions. At ambient temperature, a significant THC and CBD decrease to 50% or less of the initial concentration was observed over 3 and 7 days, respectively. When refrigerated at 4 °C, similar decreasing profiles were observed for the two compounds. The cannabinoids profile in cannabis oil obtained after pre-heating the flowering tops at 145 °C for 30 min in a static oven resulted in a complete decarboxylation of cannabinoid acids CBDA and THCA-A. Nevertheless, it was apparent that heat not only decarboxylated acidic compounds, but also significantly increased the final concentrations of cannabinoids in oil. The stability of cannabinoids in oil samples was higher than that in tea samples since the maximum decrease (72% of initial concentration) was observed in THC coming from unheated flowering

  12. Bay-annulated indigo (BAI) as an excellent electron accepting building block for high performance organic semiconductors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yi; He, Bo; Pun, Andrew

    2015-11-24

    A novel electron acceptor based on bay-annulated indigo (BAI) was synthesized and used for the preparation of a series of high performance donor-acceptor small molecules and polymers. The resulting materials possess low-lying LUMO energy level and small HOMO-LUMO gaps, while their films exhibited high crystallinity upon thermal treatment, commensurate with high field effect mobilities and ambipolar transfer characteristics.

  13. Sleep Patterns and Academic Performance during Preparation for College Entrance Exam in Chinese Adolescents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Guanghai; Ren, Fen; Liu, Zhijun; Xu, Guangxing; Jiang, Fan; Skora, Elizabeth; Lewin, Daniel S.

    2016-01-01

    Background: Deficient sleep is linked to detrimental outcomes in health and school performance for adolescents. This study characterized sleep patterns in Chinese adolescents preparing for the College Entrance Exam (CEE) and evaluated the association between sleep patterns, self-rated academic performance, and the CEE scores. Methods: A sample of…

  14. Requirements for high performance computing for lattice QCD. Report of the ECFA working panel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jegerlehner, F.; Kenway, R.D.; Martinelli, G.; Michael, C.; Pene, O.; Petersson, B.; Petronzio, R.; Sachrajda, C.T.; Schilling, K.

    2000-01-01

    This report, prepared at the request of the European Committee for Future Accelerators (ECFA), contains an assessment of the High Performance Computing resources which will be required in coming years by European physicists working in Lattice Field Theory and a review of the scientific opportunities which these resources would open. (orig.)

  15. Study of the highly ordered TiO2 nanotubes physical properties prepared with two-step anodization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pishkar, Negin; Ghoranneviss, Mahmood; Ghorannevis, Zohreh; Akbari, Hossein

    2018-06-01

    Highly ordered hexagonal closely packed titanium dioxide nanotubes (TiO2 NTs) were successfully grown by a two-step anodization process. The TiO2 NTs were synthesized by electrochemical anodization of titanium foils in an ethylene glycol based electrolyte solution containing 0.3 wt% NH4F and 2 vol% deionized (DI) water at constant potential (50 V) for 1 h at room temperature. Physical properties of the TiO2 NTs, which were prepared via one and two-step anodization, were investigated. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) analysis revealed that anodization and subsequently peeled off the TiO2 NTs caused to the periodic pattern on the Ti surface. In order To study the nanotubes morphology, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) was used, which was revealed that the two-step anodization resulted highly ordered hexagonal TiO2 NTs. Crystal structures of the TiO2 NTs were mainly anatase, determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. Optical studies were performed by Diffuse Reflection Spectra (DRS) and Photoluminescence (PL) analysis showed that the band gap of TiO2 NTs prepared via two-step anodization was lower than the band gap of samples prepared by one-step anodization process.

  16. Sleep Patterns and Academic Performance During Preparation for College Entrance Exam in Chinese Adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Guanghai; Ren, Fen; Liu, Zhijun; Xu, Guangxing; Jiang, Fan; Skora, Elizabeth; Lewin, Daniel S

    2016-04-01

    Deficient sleep is linked to detrimental outcomes in health and school performance for adolescents. This study characterized sleep patterns in Chinese adolescents preparing for the College Entrance Exam (CEE) and evaluated the association between sleep patterns, self-rated academic performance, and the CEE scores. A sample of 481 Chinese adolescents in 12th grade (ages 16-19 years) completed questionnaires about sleep patterns, academic performance, academic stress, and sociodemographic factors 4-6 weeks before the CEE in June 2013. The CEE scores for each student also were obtained. A total of 21% of the students had bedtimes after 12:00 am, 78.3% had sleep latency longer than 30 minutes, 14.6% had wake time earlier than 6:00 am, and the vast majority (94.4%) had sleep duration less than 8 hours. After adjusting for selected confounders such as academic stress, prolonged sleep latency was associated with poorer self-reported academic performance, and late bedtime was associated with higher CEE score. Our findings highlight the complex association between sleep and academic performance. Assessing and monitoring sleep patterns in adolescents during periods of high academic demand and stress may yield important recommendations for their health and safety as well as establishing optimal sleep and study habits. © 2016, American School Health Association.

  17. Superior electrode performance of LiFePO4/C composite prepared by an in situ polymerization restriction method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Jian; Zou, Yong-Cun; Zhang, Feng; Zhang, Yuan-Chun; Guo, Fei-Fan; Li, Guo-Dong

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► LiFePO 4 /C composite was prepared by an in situ polymerization restriction method. ► The size of LiFePO 4 in the composite is effectively restricted. ► The high-rate capability and cycling performance of LiFePO 4 are enhanced greatly. -- Abstract: The LiFePO 4 /C composite is prepared by heating the mixture of resorcinol–formaldehyde gel and FePO 4 , synthesized by an in situ polymerization restriction method, and lithium acetate dihydrate in the atmosphere of nitrogen. The physical and electrochemical properties of the LiFePO 4 /C composite are investigated by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and electrochemical measurements. The discharge capacity of LiFePO 4 is as high as 155.6 mA h g −1 in the first cycle at 0.5C, and it could remain 144.0 mA h g −1 after 50 cycles. Even at the high rates of 10C, 20C and 50C, the initial discharge capacities of the electrodes exhibit 115.6 mA h g −1 , 84.5 mA h g −1 and 67.8 mA h g −1 , and the electrodes deliver capacity retention of 89.5%, 90.9% and 85.7% after 1000 cycles, respectively. The outstanding electrochemical performance could be attributed to the small particle size and good electronic conductivity of the composite

  18. Preparation of water-soluble graphene nanoplatelets and highly conductive films

    KAUST Repository

    Xu, Xuezhu; Zhou, Jian; Jestin, Jacques; Colombo, Veronica; Lubineau, Gilles

    2017-01-01

    This paper tackles the challenge of preparation stable, highly concentrated aqueous graphene dispersions. Despite tremendous recent interest, there has been limited success in developing a method that ensures the total dispersion of non

  19. Performance test of ex-core high temperature and high pressure water loop test equipment (Contract research)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakano, Hiroko; Uehara, Toshiaki; Takeuchi, Tomoaki; Shibata, Hiroshi; Nakamura, Jinichi; Matsui, Yoshinori; Tsuchiya, Kunihiko

    2016-03-01

    In Japan Atomic Energy Agency, we started research and development so as to monitor the situations in the Nuclear Plant Facilities during a severe accident, such as a radiation-resistant monitoring camera, a radiation-resistant transmission system for conveying the in-core information, and a heat-resistant signal cable. As a part of developments of the heat-resistant signal cable, we prepared ex-core high-temperature and high-pressure water loop test equipment, which can simulate the conditions of BWRs and PWRs, for evaluating reliability and properties of sheath materials of the cable. This equipment consists of autoclave, water conditioning tank, high-pressure metering pump, preheater, heat exchanger and water purification equipment, etc. This report describes the basic design and the performance test results of ex-core high-temperature and high-pressure water loop test equipment. (author)

  20. Theoretical aspects of gradient reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography of styrene-butylacrylate block copolymers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kolarova, L.; Jandera, P.; Vonk, E.C.; Claessens, H.A.

    2004-01-01

    Butylacrylate – styrene co-polymers prepared by atom transfer radical polymeratization were separated on an octadecyl silica column by gradient elution with tetrahydrofuran in water, up to the molar masses 10,000. In reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), the retention of

  1. Microstructure of ultra high performance concrete containing lithium slag.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Zhi-Hai; Du, Shi-Gui; Chen, Deng

    2018-04-03

    Lithium slag (LS) is discharged as a byproduct in the process of the lithium carbonate, and it is very urgent to explore an efficient way to recycle LS in order to protect the environments and save resources. Many available supplementary cementitious materials for partial replacement of cement and/or silica fume (SF) can be used to prepare ultra high performance concrete (UHPC). The effect of LS to replace SF partially by weight used as a supplementary cementitious material (0%, 5%, 10% and 15% of binder) on the compressive strengths and microstructure evolution of UHPC has experimentally been studied by multi-techniques including mercury intrusion porosimetry, scanning electron microscope and nanoindentation technique. The results show that the use of LS degrades the microstructure of UHPC at early ages, and however, the use of LS with the appropriate content improves microstructure of UHPC at later ages. The hydration products of UHPC are mainly dominated by ultra-high density calcium-silicate-hydrate (UHD C-S-H) and interfacial transition zone (ITZ) in UHPC has similar compact microstructure with the matrix. The use of LS improves the hydration degree of UHPC and increases the elastic modulus of ITZ in UHPC. LS is a promising substitute for SF for preparation UHPC. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. High temperature superconductivity: Concept, preparation and testing of high Tc superconductor compounds, and applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harara, Wafik

    1992-06-01

    Many studies have been carried out on high temperature superconductors with transition temperature above that of the liquid nitrogen. In this scientific study the concept and the mechanism of this phenomena are discussed, in addition the examples of preparation and testing of high temperature superconductors compounds are shown. Also the most important applications in industry are explained. (author). 15 refs., 2 tabs., 18 figs

  3. High-performance liquid chromatography of rat and mouse islet polypeptides

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Linde, S; Hansen, B; Welinder, B S

    1990-01-01

    After preparative high-performance liquid chromatography of mouse islet culture medium, concentrated on disposable C18 cartridges (Sep-Pak), an unexpected insulin immunoreactive peak eluting earlier than mouse insulin I and II was detected. Molecular mass determination by mass spectrometry...... on the buffer, the organic modifier and the procedure. In particular the use of methanol-trifluoroacetic acid resulted in extensive oxidation. The oxidation could be minimized by adding 2 mM dithiothreitol to the buffer and by degassing and/or nitrogen-bubbling of the buffer. Minimal formation of Met...

  4. Polythiophene nanocomposites as high performance electrode material for supercapacitor application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vijeth, H.; Niranjana, M.; Yesappa, L.; Ashokkumar, S. P.; Devendrappa, H.

    2018-04-01

    A polythiophene-aluminium oxide nanocomposite is prepared by in situ chemical polymerisation in presence of anionic surfactant camphor sulfonic acid (CSA). The characterisation of nano composite was done by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), surface morphology was studied using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The electrochemical performance is evaluated using cyclic voltammetry in 1M H2SO4. As an electroactive material, it exhibits high specific capacitance of 654.5 and 757 F/g for PTH and PTHA nanocomposites at scan rate of 30mV s-1 respectively.

  5. Strategy Guideline: Advanced Construction Documentation Recommendations for High Performance Homes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lukachko, A.; Gates, C.; Straube, J.

    2011-12-01

    As whole house energy efficiency increases, new houses become less like conventional houses that were built in the past. New materials and new systems require greater coordination and communication between industry stakeholders. The Guideline for Construction Documents for High Performance Housing provides advice to address this need. The reader will be presented with four changes that are recommended to achieve improvements in energy efficiency, durability and health in Building America houses: create coordination drawings, improve specifications, improve detail drawings, and review drawings and prepare a Quality Control Plan.

  6. Preparation, ferromagnetic and photocatalytic performance of NiO and hollow Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} fibers through centrifugal-spinning technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Feng, Cong; Lin, Xuejun; Wang, Xinqiang, E-mail: xqwang@sdu.edu.cn; Liu, Hongjing; Liu, Benxue; Zhu, Luyi; Zhang, Guanghui; Xu, Dong

    2016-02-15

    Highlights: • NiO and hollow Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} fibers with the diameter of about 10 μm were prepared through centrifugal-spinning technique. • The evolution mechanism from precursor to crystalline fibers was explored. • Both NiO and hollow Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} fibers show ferromagnetism. • The NiO fibers exhibit good photocatalytic performance. - Abstract: Both NiO and hollow Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} fibers with the diameter of about 10 μm have been successfully prepared through spinning high viscous sols into precursor fibers and followed calcination process. The evolution process from precursor to crystalline fibers and the microstructures of the obtained fibers were characterized by TG-DSC, FT-IR, XRD, HRTEM, SEM and the like. The method is facile and cost-effective for mass production of fibers and the obtained fibers are pure phase with high crystallinity. Their magnetic properties were investigated, showing that both the fibers are ferromagnetic. Meanwhile, the NiO fibers exhibit good photocatalytic performance for the removal of Congo red from water under UV light irradiation.

  7. Tobacco Stem-Based Activated Carbons for High Performance Supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Xiaohong; Liu, Hongbo; Shi, Lei; He, Yuede

    2012-09-01

    Tobacco stem-based activated carbons (TS-ACs) were prepared by simple KOH activation and their application as electrodes in the electrical double layer capacitor (EDLC) performed successfully. The BET surface area, pore volume, and pore size distribution of the TS-ACs were evaluated based on N2 adsorption isotherms at 77 K. The surface area of the obtained activated carbons varies over a wide range (1472.8-3326.7 m2/g) and the mesoporosity was enhanced significantly as the ratio of KOH to tobacco stem (TS) increased. The electrochemical behaviors of series TS-ACs were characterized by means of galvanostatic charging/discharging, cyclic voltammetry, and impedance spectroscopy. The correlation between electrochemical properties and pore structure was investigated. A high specific capacitance value as 190 F/g at 1 mA/cm2 was obtained in 1 M LiPF6-EC/DMC/DEC electrolyte solution. Furthermore, good performance is also achieved even at high current densities. A development of new use for TS into a valuable energy storage material is explored.

  8. High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Method for the Determination of Piroxicam, Naproxen, Diclofenac Sodium, and Mefenamic Acid in Bulk Drug and Pharmaceutical Preparations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarmad Bahjat Dikran

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available A simple accurate and rapid reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed and validated for the determination of four nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;  Piroxicam(PX,  Naproxen(NAP,  Diclofenac sodium(DCL and Mefenamic acid(MFNC in their pure form and different commercial pharmaceutical formulation. The separation was performed on a NUCLEODUR® 100-5 C18ec (250 × 4.6 mm i.d.; particle size 5 μm column as stationary phase with a mobile phase comprising of acetonitrile: deionized water acidified with 1% acetic acid in gradient mode. The flow rate was 1.5 mL.min-1 at the temperature 35 ºC and detection was carried out at 264 nm. Separation has been completed within 8 min. The retention times of Piroxicam, Naproxen, Diclofenac sodium, and Mefenamic acid were 4.267 min, 4.785 min, 6.555 min, and 7.683 min respectively. The linearity for Piroxicam was in the range of 3–200 μg.mL-1 and for Naproxen and Mefenamic acid was in the range 1-200 μg.mL-1, while for Diclofenac sodium was in the range 1.5–200 μg.mL-1. The proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of these drugs in their pure form and different pharmaceutical preparations (tablets, capsules, and ampoule and there is no interference with additives.

  9. High Performance Affinity Chromatography of Antithrombin III Based on Monodisperse Poly (glycidyl methacrylate) Beads

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2001-01-01

    A new approach for the separation of antithrombin III with high performance affinity chromatography (HPAC) was described. A novel monodisperse,non-porous,cross-linked poly (glycidyl methacrylate) beads (PGMA) were used as the affinity support. With the water-soluble carbodiimide,heparin was linked covalently to amino-PGMA-beads,which was prepared by amination of PGMA. The adsorbent obtained exhibits high binding activity to antithrombin III (ATIII),good resolution and excellent mechanical properties and can be used under high flow rate.

  10. Preparation and Characterization of a Polymeric Monolithic Column for Use in High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bindis, Michael P.; Bretz, Stacey Lowery; Danielson, Neil D.

    2011-01-01

    The high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) experiment, most often done in the undergraduate analytical instrumentation laboratory course, generally illustrates reversed-phase chromatography using a commercial C[subscript]18 silica column. To avoid the expense of periodic column replacement and introduce a choice of columns with different…

  11. Microfluidic Sample Preparation for Diagnostic Cytopathology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mach, Albert J.; Adeyiga, Oladunni B.; Di Carlo, Dino

    2014-01-01

    The cellular components of body fluids are routinely analyzed to identify disease and treatment approaches. While significant focus has been placed on developing cell analysis technologies, tools to automate the preparation of cellular specimens have been more limited, especially for body fluids beyond blood. Preparation steps include separating, concentrating, and exposing cells to reagents. Sample preparation continues to be routinely performed off-chip by technicians, preventing cell-based point-of-care diagnostics, increasing the cost of tests, and reducing the consistency of the final analysis following multiple manually-performed steps. Here, we review the assortment of biofluids for which suspended cells are analyzed, along with their characteristics and diagnostic value. We present an overview of the conventional sample preparation processes for cytological diagnosis. We finally discuss the challenges and opportunities in developing microfluidic devices for the purpose of automating or miniaturizing these processes, with particular emphases on preparing large or small volume samples, working with samples of high cellularity, automating multi-step processes, and obtaining high purity subpopulations of cells. We hope to convey the importance of and help identify new research directions addressing the vast biological and clinical applications in preparing and analyzing the array of available biological fluids. Successfully addressing the challenges described in this review can lead to inexpensive systems to improve diagnostic accuracy while simultaneously reducing overall systemic healthcare costs. PMID:23380972

  12. Comal County, Texas: Preparing for Life after High School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walter, Frank

    2018-01-01

    Comal County, Texas, may be rural but its students face many of the same challenges as students in urban districts. Communities In Schools of South Central Texas works with the local school district to identify student needs and provide critical supports to help young people prepare for life after high school.

  13. Facile preparation of magnetic mesoporous Fe_3O_4/C/Cu composites as high performance Fenton-like catalysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Keyan; Zhao, Yongqin; Janik, Michael J.; Song, Chunshan; Guo, Xinwen

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Fe-Cu composites with different compositions were prepared by calcining tartrates. • Magnetic mesoporous Fe_3O_4/C/Cu was obtained by calcining tartrate under N_2. • Fe_3O_4/C/Cu exhibits excellent photo-Fenton catalytic activity and reusability. • The activity is due to the synergistic and photo-reduction effects of Fe and Cu. - Abstract: Fe-Cu composites with different compositions and morphologies were synthesized by a hydrothermal method combined with precursor thermal transformation. γ-Fe_2O_3/CuO and α-Fe_2O_3/CuO were obtained by calcining the Fe and Cu tartrates under air atmosphere at 350 °C and 500 °C, respectively, while Fe_3O_4/C/Cu was obtained by calcining the tartrate precursor under N_2 atmosphere at 500 °C. The Fe_3O_4/C/Cu composite possessed mesoporous structure and large surface area up to 133 m"2 g"−"1. The Fenton catalytic performance of Fe_3O_4/C/Cu composite was closely related to the Fe/Cu molar ratio, and only proper amounts of Fe and Cu exhibited a synergistic enhancement in Fenton catalytic activity. Cu inclusion reduced Fe"3"+ to Fe"2"+, which accelerated the Fe"3"+/Fe"2"+ cycles and favored H_2O_2 decomposition to produce more hydroxyl radicals for methylene blue (MB) oxidation. Due to the photo-reduction of Fe"3"+ and Cu"2"+, the Fenton catalytic performance was greatly improved when amending with visible light irradiation in the Fe_3O_4/C/Cu-H_2O_2 system, and MB (100 mg L"−"1) was nearly removed within 60 min. The Fe_3O_4/C/Cu composite showed good recyclability and could be conveniently separated by an applied magnetic field. Compared with conventional methods for mesoporous composite construction, the thermolysis method using mixed metal tartrates as precursors has the advantages of easy preparation and low cost. This strategy provides a facile, cheap and green method for the synthesis of mesoporous composites as excellent Fenton-like catalysts, without any additional reductants or organic

  14. Carbon Dots/NiCo2 O4 Nanocomposites with Various Morphologies for High Performance Supercapacitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Ji-Shi; Ding, Hui; Zhang, Peng; Song, Yan-Fang; Chen, Jie; Wang, Yong-Gang; Xiong, Huan-Ming

    2016-11-01

    A series of carbon dots/NiCo 2 O 4 composites with various morphologies are prepared and tested for supercapacitors. These samples have good electrical conductivities and efficient ions transport paths, so they exhibit high specific capacitances, superior rate performances, and high cycling stabilities. The optimal composite for hybrid supercapacitor exhibits a high energy density up to 62.0 Wh kg -1 . © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Production of high quality sodium iodide preparations labelled with carrier free iodine-125

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdukayumov, M.N.; Chistyakov, P.G.; Shilin, E.A.

    2001-01-01

    Work is related to the problem of high-quality Sodium Iodide preparation production and to the choice of the peptids iodination methods with the purpose of control test developing to determine the Biological activity of the above mentioned preparation

  16. Dielectric characterization of high-performance spaceflight materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kleppe, Nathan; Nurge, Mark A.; Bowler, Nicola

    2015-03-01

    As commercial space travel increases, the need for reliable structural health monitoring to predict possible weaknesses or failures of structural materials also increases. Monitoring of these materials can be done through the use of dielectric spectroscopy by comparing permittivity or conductivity measurements performed on a sample in use to that of a pristine sample from 100 μHz to 3 GHz. Fluctuations in these measured values or of the relaxation frequencies, if present, can indicate chemical or physical changes occurring within the material and the possible need for maintenance/replacement. In this work, we establish indicative trends that occur due to changes in dielectric spectra during accelerated aging of various high-performance polymeric materials: ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), Poly (ether ether ketone) (PEEK), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). Uses for these materials range from electrical insulation and protective coatings to windows and air- or space-craft parts that may be subject to environmental damage over long-term operation. Samples were prepared by thermal exposure and, separately, by ultraviolet/water-spray cyclic aging. The aged samples showed statistically-significant trends of either increasing or decreasing real or imaginary permittivity values, relaxation frequencies, conduction or the appearance of new relaxation modes. These results suggest that dielectric testing offers the possibility of nondestructive evaluation of the extent of age-related degradation in these materials.

  17. Method of high purity silane preparation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsuo, Y. Simon; Belov, Eugene P.; Gerlivanov, Vadim G.; Zadde, Vitali V.; Kleschevnikova, Solomonida I.; Korneev, Nikolai N.; Lebedev, Eugene N.; Pinov, Akhsarbek B.; Ryabenko, Eugene A.; Strebkov, Dmitry S.; Chernyshev, Eugene A.

    2000-01-01

    A process for the preparation of high purity silane, suitable for forming thin layer silicon structures in various semiconductor devices and high purity poly- and single crystal silicon for a variety of applications, is provided. Synthesis of high-purity silane starts with a temperature assisted reaction of metallurgical silicon with alcohol in the presence of a catalyst. Alcoxysilanes formed in the silicon-alcohol reaction are separated from other products and purified. Simultaneous reduction and oxidation of alcoxysilanes produces gaseous silane and liquid secondary products, including, active part of a catalyst, tetra-alcoxysilanes, and impurity compounds having silicon-hydrogen bonds. Silane is purified by an impurity adsorption technique. Unreacted alcohol is extracted and returned to the reaction with silicon. Concentrated mixture of alcoxysilanes undergoes simultaneous oxidation and reduction in the presence of a catalyst at the temperature -20.degree. C. to +40.degree. C. during 1 to 50 hours. Tetra-alcoxysilane extracted from liquid products of simultaneous oxidation and reduction reaction is directed to a complete hydrolysis. Complete hydrolysis of tetra-alcoxysilane results in formation of industrial silica sol and alcohol. Alcohol is dehydrated by tetra-alcoxysilane and returned to the reaction with silicon.

  18. Preparation and Preliminary Dialysis Performance Research of Polyvinylidene Fluoride Hollow Fiber Membranes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qinglei; Lu, Xiaolong; Liu, Juanjuan; Zhao, Lihua

    2015-01-01

    In this study, the separation properties of Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) hollow fiber hemodialysis membranes were improved by optimizing membrane morphology and structure. The results showed that the PVDF membrane had better mechanical and separation properties than Fresenius Polysulfone High-Flux (F60S) membrane. The PVDF membrane tensile stress at break, tensile elongation and bursting pressure were 11.3 MPa, 395% and 0.625 MPa, respectively. Ultrafiltration (UF) flux of pure water reached 108.2 L∙h−1∙m−2 and rejection of Albumin from bovine serum was 82.3%. The PVDF dialyzers were prepared by centrifugal casting. The influences of membrane area and simulate fluid flow rate on dialysis performance were investigated. The results showed that the clearance rate of urea and Lysozyme (LZM) were improved with increasing membrane area and fluid flow rate while the rejection of albumin from bovine serum (BSA) had little influence. The high-flux PVDF dialyzer UF coefficient reached 62.6 mL/h/mmHg. The PVDF dialyzer with membrane area 0.69 m2 has the highest clearance rate to LZM and urea. The clearance rate of LZM was 66.8% and urea was 87.7%. PMID:25807890

  19. Low-volume plus ascorbic acid vs high-volume plus simethicone bowel preparation before colonoscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pontone, Stefano; Angelini, Rita; Standoli, Monica; Patrizi, Gregorio; Culasso, Franco; Pontone, Paolo; Redler, Adriano

    2011-01-01

    AIM: To investigate the effectiveness of low-volume plus ascorbic acid [polyethylene glycol plus ascorbic acid (PEG + Asc)] and high-volume plus simethicone [polyethylene glycol plus simethicone (PEG + Sim)] bowel preparations. METHODS: A total of one hundred and forty-four outpatients (76 males), aged from 20 to 84 years (median age 59.5 years), who attended our Department, were divided into two groups, age and sex matched, and underwent colonoscopy. Two questionnaires, one for patients reporting acceptability and the other for endoscopists evaluating bowel cleansing effectiveness according to validated scales, were completed. Indications, timing of examination and endoscopical findings were recorded. Biopsy forceps were used as a measuring tool in order to determine polyp endoscopic size estimation. Difficulty in completing the preparation was rated in a 5-point Likert scale (1 = easy to 5 = unable). Adverse experiences (fullness, cramps, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, headache and insomnia), number of evacuations and types of activities performed during preparation (walking or resting in bed) were also investigated. RESULTS: Seventy-two patients were selected for each group. The two groups were age and sex matched as well as being comparable in terms of medical history and drug therapies taken. Fourteen patients dropped out from the trial because they did not complete the preparation procedure. Ratings of global bowel cleansing examinations were considered to be adequate in 91% of PEG + Asc and 88% of PEG + Sim patients. Residual Stool Score indicated similar levels of amount and consistency of residual stool; there was a significant difference in the percentage of bowel wall visualization in favour of PEG + Sim patients. In the PEG + Sim group, 12 adenomas ≤ 10 mm diameter (5/left colon + 7/right colon) vs 9 (8/left colon + 1/right colon) in the PEG + Asc group were diagnosed. Visualization of small lesions seems to be one of the primary advantages of the

  20. Effect of high wind conditions on AHX performance for PFBR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goyal, P.; Datta, Anu; Verma, Vishnu; Singh, R.K.

    2013-05-01

    In case of normal shut down or station blackout condition the core decay heat is removed by Safety Grade Decay Heat Removal System (SGDHRS) in PFBR. The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) is under construction at Kalpakkam. SGDHRS remove decay heat from the core and dissipate it into the environment with the help of Air Heat Exchanger (AHX). SGDHRS consists of four redundant numbers of totally independent circuits capable of removing decay heat from the hot pool through natural convection in the primary and intermediate sodium sides as well as in the air side. Each circuit consists of a sodium to sodium heat exchanger (DHX) and a sodium to AHX connected to intermediate sodium circuit, AHX is located at a higher elevation compared to DHX. AHX is serpentine type finned tube compact heat exchanger with sodium in the tube side and air flowing over finned tubes. A tall stack provides the driving force for the natural convection of air flow through the AHX, when the dampers are opened. The AHX is placed outside of Reactor Control Building (RCB), on the roof of Steam Generator Building. Due to the presence of nearby buildings around the stack, the AHX performance under high wind condition may be affected. A CFD simulation using CFD-ACE+ code has been carried in which effect of high wind condition and nearby building on AHX performance have been studied. For high wind condition various orientation of wind movement was considered for parametric studies. AHX performance for all the cases were compared with the results that obtained for the absence of nearby buildings. A comparative table was prepared to understand how the AHX performance is effected with the high wind condition for various direction and with the presence of nearby building. It was observed that AHX performance is influenced by high wind conditions in most of the cases for with and without presence of nearby building. Hence to ensure the optimal performance of the AHX under high wind conditions its

  1. Methacrylate-bonded covalent-organic framework monolithic columns for high performance liquid chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Li-Hua; Yang, Cheng-Xiong; Yan, Xiu-Ping

    2017-01-06

    Covalent-organic frameworks (COFs) are a newfangled class of intriguing microporous materials. Considering their unique properties, COFs should be promising as packing materials for high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). However, the irregular shape and sub-micrometer size of COFs synthesized via the traditional methods render the main obstacles for the application of COFs in HPLC. Herein, we report the preparation of methacrylate-bonded COF monolithic columns for HPLC to overcome the above obstacles. The prepared COF bonded monolithic columns not only show good homogeneity and permeability, but also give high column efficiency, good resolution and precision for HPLC separation of small molecules including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phenols, anilines, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and benzothiophenes. Compared with the bare polymer monolithic column, the COF bonded monolithic columns show enhanced hydrophobic, π-π and hydrogen bond interactions in reverse phase HPLC. The results reveal the great potential of COF bonded monoliths for HPLC and COFs in separation sciences. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. High index of refraction films for dielectric mirrors prepared by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brusasco, R.M.

    1989-01-01

    A wide variety of metal oxides with high index of refraction can be prepared by Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition. We present some recent optical and laser damage results on oxide films prepared by MOCVD which could be used in a multilayer structure for highly reflecting (HR) dielectric mirror applications. The method of preparation affects both optical properties and laser damage threshold. 10 refs., 8 figs., 4 tabs

  3. High Performance Marine Vessels

    CERN Document Server

    Yun, Liang

    2012-01-01

    High Performance Marine Vessels (HPMVs) range from the Fast Ferries to the latest high speed Navy Craft, including competition power boats and hydroplanes, hydrofoils, hovercraft, catamarans and other multi-hull craft. High Performance Marine Vessels covers the main concepts of HPMVs and discusses historical background, design features, services that have been successful and not so successful, and some sample data of the range of HPMVs to date. Included is a comparison of all HPMVs craft and the differences between them and descriptions of performance (hydrodynamics and aerodynamics). Readers will find a comprehensive overview of the design, development and building of HPMVs. In summary, this book: Focuses on technology at the aero-marine interface Covers the full range of high performance marine vessel concepts Explains the historical development of various HPMVs Discusses ferries, racing and pleasure craft, as well as utility and military missions High Performance Marine Vessels is an ideal book for student...

  4. Synthesis of high-quality mesoporous silicon particles for enhanced lithium storage performance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Chundong, E-mail: apcdwang@hust.edu.cn [School of Optical and Electronic Information, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074 (China); Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF), Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR (China); Ren, Jianguo [Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF), Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR (China); Chen, Hao [Department of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou (China); Zhang, Yi [School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430073 (China); Ostrikov, Kostya [School of Chemistry, Physics, and Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4000, QLD (Australia); Manufacturing Flagship, CSIRO, P. O. Box 218, Lindfield, NSW 2070 (Australia); Zhang, Wenjun [Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF), Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR (China); Li, Yi, E-mail: liyi@suda.edu.cn [Department of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou (China); Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF), Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR (China)

    2016-04-15

    Silicon has been considered as one of the most promising anode materials for high-capacity lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its ultrahigh theoretical capacity, abundance, and environmentally benign nature. Nonetheless, the severe break during the prolonged cycling results in poor electrochemical performance, which hinders its practical application. Herein, we report the synthesis of novel mesoporous silicon particles with a facile template method by using a magnesiothermic reduction for LIBs. The obtained silicon nanoparticles are highly porous with densely porous cavities (20–40 nm) on the wall, of which it presents good crystallization. Electrochemical measurements showed that the mesoporous silicon nanoparticles delivered a high reversible specific capacity of 910 mA h g{sup −1} at a high current density of 1200 mA g{sup −1} over 50 cycles. The specific capacity at such high current density is still over twofold than that of commercial graphite anode, suggesting that the nanoporous Si architectures is suitable for high-performance Si-based anodes for lithium ion batteries in terms of capacity, cycle life, and rate capacity. - Highlights: • Silica nanotubes were prepared with a facile template method. • Novel mesoporous silicon particles were obtained by magnesiothermic reduction. • High-Performance LIBs were achieved by using mesoporous Si particle Electrodes.

  5. Integrated Automation of High-Throughput Screening and Reverse Phase Protein Array Sample Preparation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Marlene Lemvig; Block, Ines; List, Markus

    into automated robotic high-throughput screens, which allows subsequent protein quantification. In this integrated solution, samples are directly forwarded to automated cell lysate preparation and preparation of dilution series, including reformatting to a protein spotter-compatible format after the high......-throughput screening. Tracking of huge sample numbers and data analysis from a high-content screen to RPPAs is accomplished via MIRACLE, a custom made software suite developed by us. To this end, we demonstrate that the RPPAs generated in this manner deliver reliable protein readouts and that GAPDH and TFR levels can...

  6. Determination of low molecular weight thiols using monobromobimane fluorescent labeling and high-performance liquid chromatography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fahey, Robert C.; Newton, Gerald L.

    1988-01-01

    Methods are described for the preparation and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of monobromobimane derivatives of low molecular weight thiols in extracts of biological samples. Typical problems encountered in the development and application of these methods are discussed. Analysis of mung bean extract is used as an example.

  7. Mixed matrix membranes prepared from high impact polystyrene with dispersed TiO2 nanoparticles for gas separation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Safaei

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The current study presents synthesis and characterization of high impact polystyrene - TiO2 nanoparticles mixed matrix membranes for separation of carbon dioxide from nitrogen. The solution-casting method was used for preparation of membranes. The nano mixed matrix membranes were characterized using scanning electron microscopy to ensure the suitable dispersion of nano particles in high impact polystyrene matrix. The effect of TiO2 nanoparticles loading on membrane performance was investigated. The separation performance of synthesized membranes was investigated in separation of CO2 from CO2/N2 mixture. Effect of feed pressure and TiO2 content on separation of CO2 was studied. The results revealed that increase of feed pressure decreases flux of gases through the mixed matrix membrane. The results also confirmed that the best separation performance can be obtained at TiO2 nanoparticles loading of 7 wt.%.

  8. Building Energy Storage Panel Based on Paraffin/Expanded Perlite: Preparation and Thermal Performance Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiangfei Kong

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This study is focused on the preparation and performance of a building energy storage panel (BESP. The BESP was fabricated through a mold pressing method based on phase change material particle (PCMP, which was prepared in two steps: vacuum absorption and surface film coating. Firstly, phase change material (PCM was incorporated into expanded perlite (EP through a vacuum absorption method to obtain composite PCM; secondly, the composite PCM was immersed into the mixture of colloidal silica and organic acrylate, and then it was taken out and dried naturally. A series of experiments, including differential scanning calorimeter (DSC, scanning electron microscope (SEM, best matching test, and durability test, have been conducted to characterize and analyze the thermophysical property and reliability of PCMP. Additionally, the thermal performance of BESP was studied through a dynamic thermal property test. The results have showed that: (1 the surface film coating procedure can effectively solve the leakage problem of composite phase change material prepared by vacuum impregnation; (2 the optimum adsorption ratio for paraffin and EP was 52.5:47.5 in mass fraction, and the PCMP has good thermal properties, stability, and durability; and (3 in the process of dynamic thermal performance test, BESP have low temperature variation, significant temperature lagging, and large heat storage ability, which indicated the potential of BESP in the application of building energy efficiency.

  9. Building Energy Storage Panel Based on Paraffin/Expanded Perlite: Preparation and Thermal Performance Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kong, Xiangfei; Zhong, Yuliang; Rong, Xian; Min, Chunhua; Qi, Chengying

    2016-01-25

    This study is focused on the preparation and performance of a building energy storage panel (BESP). The BESP was fabricated through a mold pressing method based on phase change material particle (PCMP), which was prepared in two steps: vacuum absorption and surface film coating. Firstly, phase change material (PCM) was incorporated into expanded perlite (EP) through a vacuum absorption method to obtain composite PCM; secondly, the composite PCM was immersed into the mixture of colloidal silica and organic acrylate, and then it was taken out and dried naturally. A series of experiments, including differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), scanning electron microscope (SEM), best matching test, and durability test, have been conducted to characterize and analyze the thermophysical property and reliability of PCMP. Additionally, the thermal performance of BESP was studied through a dynamic thermal property test. The results have showed that: (1) the surface film coating procedure can effectively solve the leakage problem of composite phase change material prepared by vacuum impregnation; (2) the optimum adsorption ratio for paraffin and EP was 52.5:47.5 in mass fraction, and the PCMP has good thermal properties, stability, and durability; and (3) in the process of dynamic thermal performance test, BESP have low temperature variation, significant temperature lagging, and large heat storage ability, which indicated the potential of BESP in the application of building energy efficiency.

  10. Performance of food safety management systems in poultry meat preparation processing plants in relation to Campylobacter spp. contamination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sampers, Imca; Jacxsens, Liesbeth; Luning, Pieternel A; Marcelis, Willem J; Dumoulin, Ann; Uyttendaele, Mieke

    2010-08-01

    A diagnostic instrument comprising a combined assessment of core control and assurance activities and a microbial assessment instrument were used to measure the performance of current food safety management systems (FSMSs) of two poultry meat preparation companies. The high risk status of the company's contextual factors, i.e., starting from raw materials (poultry carcasses) with possible high numbers and prevalence of pathogens such as Campylobacter spp., requires advanced core control and assurance activities in the FSMS to guarantee food safety. The level of the core FSMS activities differed between the companies, and this difference was reflected in overall microbial quality (mesophilic aerobic count), presence of hygiene indicators (Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli), and contamination with pathogens such as Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter spp. The food safety output expressed as a microbial safety profile was related to the variability in the prevalence and contamination levels of Campylobacter spp. in poultry meat preparations found in a Belgian nationwide study. Although a poultry meat processing company could have an advanced FSMS in place and a good microbial profile (i.e., lower prevalence of pathogens, lower microbial numbers, and less variability in microbial contamination), these positive factors might not guarantee pathogen-free products. Contamination could be attributed to the inability to apply effective interventions to reduce or eliminate pathogens in the production chain of (raw) poultry meat preparations.

  11. Lambda-Cyhalothrin Nanosuspension Prepared by the Melt Emulsification-High Pressure Homogenization Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhenzhong Pan

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The nanosuspension of 5% lambda-cyhalothrin with 0.2% surfactants was prepared by the melt emulsification-high pressure homogenization method. The surfactants composition, content, and homogenization process were optimized. The anionic surfactant (1-dodecanesulfonic acid sodium salt and polymeric surfactant (maleic rosin-polyoxypropylene-polyoxyethylene ether sulfonate screened from 12 types of commercially common-used surfactants were used to prepare lambda-cyhalothrin nanosuspension with high dispersity and stability. The mean particle size and polydispersity index of the nanosuspension were 16.01 ± 0.11 nm and 0.266 ± 0.002, respectively. The high zeta potential value of −41.7 ± 1.3 mV and stable crystalline state of the nanoparticles indicated the excellent physical and chemical stability. The method could be widely used for preparing nanosuspension of various pesticides with melting points below boiling point of water. This formulation may avoid the use of organic solvents and reduce surfactants and is perspective for improving bioavailability and reducing residual pollution of pesticide in agricultural products and environment.

  12. The performance of double layer structure membrane prepared from flowing coagulant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mieow Kee, Chan; Xeng, Anthony Leong Chan; Regal, Sasiskala; Singh, Balvinder; Raoo, Preeshaath; Koon Eu, Yap; Sok Choo, Ng

    2017-12-01

    Membrane with double layer structure is favourable as it exhibits smooth surface and macrovoids free structure. However, its’ performance in terms of permeability, porosity and strength has not been studied thoroughly. Additionally, the effect of flowing coagulant on the formation of double layer membrane has not been reported. Thus, the objective of this study is to investigate the performance of double layer membranes, which were prepared using flowing coagulant. Results showed that when the coagulant flow changed from laminar to turbulent, the pure water permeation of the membrane increased. It was due to the higher porosity in the membrane, which prepared by turbulent flow (CA-Turbulent) compared to the membrane which fabricated under laminar condition (CA-Laminar). This can be explained by the rapid solvent-coagulant exchange rate between the polymer solution and the turbulent coagulant. In term of strength, the tensile strength of the CA-Turbulent was ~32 MPa, which was 100% higher compared to CA-Laminar. This may due to the presence of large amount of nodules on its surface, which reduced the surface integrity. In conclusion, flowing coagulant altered the membrane properties and adopting turbulent coagulant flow in membrane fabrication would improve the porosity, surface roughness and the strength of the membrane.

  13. Preparation and characterization of magnetic polymer nanospheres with high protein binding capacity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Xianqiao; Guan Yueping; Liu Huizhou; Ma Zhiya; Yang Yu; Wu Xiaobing

    2005-01-01

    A novel magnetic support with high protein binding capacity was prepared by mini-emulsion polymerization. The magnetic poly(methacrylate-divinylbenzene) nanospheres prepared are 390 nm in diameter with narrow size distribution and star-like external morphology which leads to a large increase in specific surface area. Experimental results indicate that the maximum protein binding capacity is 316 mg bovine hemoglobin (BHb)/g support

  14. Lambda-Cyhalothrin Nanosuspension Prepared by the Melt Emulsification-High Pressure Homogenization Method

    OpenAIRE

    Pan, Zhenzhong; Cui, Bo; Zeng, Zhanghua; Feng, Lei; Liu, Guoqiang; Cui, Haixin; Pan, Hongyu

    2015-01-01

    The nanosuspension of 5% lambda-cyhalothrin with 0.2% surfactants was prepared by the melt emulsification-high pressure homogenization method. The surfactants composition, content, and homogenization process were optimized. The anionic surfactant (1-dodecanesulfonic acid sodium salt) and polymeric surfactant (maleic rosin-polyoxypropylene-polyoxyethylene ether sulfonate) screened from 12 types of commercially common-used surfactants were used to prepare lambda-cyhalothrin nanosuspension with ...

  15. Performance characteristics of bioassay, radioenzymatic assay, homogeneous enzyme immunoassay, and high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of serum gentamicin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delaney, C.J.; Opheim, K.E.; Smith, A.L.; Plorde, J.J.

    1982-01-01

    We compared the accuracy, precision, and between-method error of the microbiological assay, the radioenzymatic assay, the homogeneous enzyme immunoassay, and the high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for the quantitation of gentamicin in serum. Precision and accuracy were evaluated by reference samples prepared to contain 0.0 to 32.7 micrograms of gentamicin per ml. Correlations between the methods utilized patient sera with gentamicin concentrations ranging from 0.6 to 13.3 micrograms/ml. All methods were reliable within acceptable limits for routine clinical use; intermethod correlation coefficients exceeded 0.96. Relative to the microbiological assay, the alternative methods offer the advantage of rapid analysis. The elapsed times for acquiring data on a set of 10 specimens under routine operating conditions were 0.5 h by the enzyme immunoassay, 4 h by the radioenzymatic assay, 5 h by the high-performance liquid chromatographic assay, and 10 h by the microbiological assay

  16. Hierarchical nitrogen-doped porous carbon with high surface area derived from endothelium corneum gigeriae galli for high-performance supercapacitor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hong, Xiaoting; Hui, K.S.; Zeng, Zhi; Hui, K.N.; Zhang, Luojiang; Mo, Mingyue; Li, Min

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Porous carbons were prepared using endothelium corneum gigeriae galli as precursor. • Surface and structural properties strongly depend on carbonization temperatures. • Resultant carbons possess nitrogen heteroatom and high surface areas. • ECGG-900 sample exhibits excellent electrochemical capacitive performances. - Abstract: Endothelium corneum gigeriae galli derived 3D hierarchical nitrogen-doped porous carbon was for the first time prepared by preliminary carbonization at 450 °C and final KOH activation at high temperatures. The surface and structural properties of the as-synthesized samples are analyzed with Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface analyzer apparatus, X-Ray Diffractometer, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectrometer. The electrochemical performances are analyzed by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge/discharge cycling and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The obtained results show that the sample carbonized at 900 °C possesses the SSA of 2149.9 m 2 g −1 , average micropore diameter of 1.78 nm, and exhibits the highest initial specific capacitance of 198.0 F g −1 at current density of 1 A g −1 in 6 M KOH solution. It retains good specific capacitance retention of 91.6% after 3000 charge/discharge cycles at current density of 2 A g −1

  17. Approaches for Making High Performance Polymer Materials from Commodity Polymers

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Xu Xi

    2004-01-01

    A brief surrey of ongoing research work done for improving and enhancing the properties of commodity polymers by the author and author's colleagues is given in this paper. A series of high performance polymers and polymer nanomaterials were successfully prepared through irradiation and stress-induced reactions of polymers and hydrogen bonding. The methods proposed are viable, easy in operation, clean and efficient.1. The effect of irradiation source (UV light, electron beam, γ -ray and microwave), irradiation dose, irradiation time and atmosphere etc. on molecular structure of polyolefine during irradiation was studied. The basic rules of dominating oxidation, degradation and cross-linking reactions were mastered. Under the controlled conditions, cross-linking reactions are prevented, some oxygen containing groups are introduced on the molecular chain of polyolefine to facilitate the interface compatibility of their blends. A series of high performance polymer materials: u-HDPE/PA6,u-HDPE/CaCO3, u-iPP/STC, γ-HDPE/STC, γ-LLDPE/ATH, e-HDPE, e-LLDPE and m-HDPEfilled system were prepared (u- ultraviolet light irradiated, γ- γ-ray irradiated, e- electron beam irradiated, m- microwave irradiated)2. The effect of ultrasonic irradiation, jet and pan-milling on structure and changes in properties of polymers were studied. Imposition of critical stress on polymer chain can cause the scission of bonds to form macroradicals. The macroradicals formed in this way may recombine or react with monomer or other radicals to form linear, branched or cross-linked polymers or copolymers. About 20 kinds of block/graft copolymers have been synthesized from polymer-polymer or polymer-monomer through ultrasonic irradiation.Through jet-milling, the molecular weight of PVC is decreased somewhat, the intensity of its crystalline absorption bonds becomes indistinct. The processability, the yield strength, strength at break and elongation at break of PVC get increased quite a lot after

  18. Plasma sintering of ferritic steel reinforced with niobium carbide prepared by high energy milling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silva Junior, J.F. da; Almeida, E.O.; Gomes, U.U.; Alves Junior, C.; Messias, A.P.; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte

    2010-01-01

    Plasma is an ionized gas where ions are accelerated from anode to cathode surface, where the sample is placed. There are a lot of collisions on cathode surface by ions heating and sintering the sample. High energy milling (HEM) is often used to produce composite particles to be used on powder metallurgy. These particles can exhibit fine particles and high phase dispersion. This present work aim to study ferritic steels reinforced with 3%NbC prepared by HEM and sintered on plasma furnace. Ferritic steel and NbC powders were milled during 5 hours and characterized by SEM, XRD and laser scattering. Then, these composite powders were compacted in a cylindrical steel die and then sintered in a plasma furnace. Vickers microhardness tests and SEM and XRD analysis were performed on sintered samples. (author)

  19. Preparation of micro-pored silicone elastomer through radiation crosslinking

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao Xiaoling; Gu Mei; Xie Xubing; Huang Wei

    2013-01-01

    The radiation crosslinking was adopted to prepare the micro-pored silicone elastomer, which was performed by vulcanization and foaming respectively. Radiation crosslinking is a new method to prepare micro-pored material with high performance by use of radiation technology. Silicon dioxide was used as filler, and silicone elastomer was vulcanized by electron beams, then the micro-pored material was made by heating method at a high temperature. The effects of absorbed dose and filler content on the performance and morphology were investigated. The structure and distribution of pores were observed by SEM. The results show that the micro-pored silicon elastomer can be prepared successfully by controlling the absorbed dose and filler content. It has a smooth surface similar to a rubber meanwhile the pores are round and unconnected to each other with the minimum size of 14 μm. And the good mechanical performance can be suitable for further uses. (authors)

  20. Effect-directed analysis via hyphenated high-performance thin-layer chromatography for bioanalytical profiling of sunflower leaves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Móricz, Ágnes M; Ott, Péter G; Yüce, Imanuel; Darcsi, András; Béni, Szabolcs; Morlock, Gertrud E

    2018-01-19

    High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) coupled with effect-directed analysis was used for non-targeted screening of sunflower leaf extract for components exhibiting antioxidant, antibacterial and/or cholinesterase enzyme inhibitory effects. The active compounds were characterized by HPTLC-electrospray ionization-high resolution mass spectrometry (ESI-HRMS) and HPTLC-Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART)-MS/MS. The latter ambient ionization technique (less soft than ESI) resulted in oxidation and fragmentation products and characteristic fragment ions. NMR spectroscopy after targeted isolation via preparative normal phase flash chromatography and semi-preparative reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography supported the identification of two diterpenes to be (-)-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid and 15-α-angeloyloxy-ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid. Both compounds found to be multi-potent as they inhibited acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase and showed antibacterial effects against Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis and Gram-negative Aliivibrio fischeri bacteria. Kaurenoic acid was also active against the Gram-negative pepper pathogenic Xanthomonas euvesicatoria bacteria. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Determination of piroxicam in pharmaceutical preparations by ultraviolet direct spectrophotometry, ultraviolet difference spectrophotometry and high performance liquid chromatography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hackmann, E.R.M.; Santos Gianotto, E.A. dos; Miritello Santoro, M.I.R. (Universidade de Sao Paulo (Brazil))

    1993-02-01

    Piroxicam in pharmaceutical preparations (capsules (C), tablets (T), oral drops (OD), suppositories (S) and simulated sample (SS)) was determined by UV direct spectrophotometry (UVS) at 333 nm, by UV difference spectrophotometry (UVDS) at 327 nm, and in C and T, by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). For UVS, Beer's law was obeyed in the range 3.0-8.5 [mu]g/mL. The coefficient of correlation (CC), absolute precision (AP) and relative precision (RP) were 0.9999, 0.02 and 0.33%, respectively. The coefficient of variation (CV) for C, T, OD, S and SS were 0.48%, 0.35%, 0.48% and 0.19%, respectively. The recovery average (RA) was 100.22%. For UVDS, Beer's law was obeyed in the range 5.0-15.0 [mu]g/mL. The CC, AP and RP were respectively 0.9999, 0.05 and 0.47%. The CV for C, T, OD, S and SS were 0.64%, 0.84%, 0.62%, 0.54% and 0.15%, respectively. The RA was 99.02%. In HPLC determination, a LiChrospher[reg sign] 100 RP-18 (5 [mu]m) in LiChroCART[reg sign] 125-4 column at ambient temperature with a mobile phase consisting of methanol: (buffer solution citric acid-dibasic sodium phosphate pH 3.0) (55:45) and UV detection at 254 nm enabled the determination of piroxicam in C and T. The response peak area versus concentration presented linearity in the range 10.0-100.0 [mu]g/mL. The CC, AP and RP were 0.9997, 0.45 and 0.90%, respectively. The CV was 0.51%-0.82% and the RA, 97.13%. 14 refs., 1 fig., 5 tabs.

  2. Characterization of natural organic colorants in historical and art objects by high-performance liquid chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pauk, Volodymyr; Barták, Petr; Lemr, Karel

    2014-12-01

    High-performance liquid chromatography plays an important role in analysis of historical organic colorants. A number of papers have been published in this field over the last 30 years. Classification of the most commonly used natural dyes and an overview of high-performance liquid chromatography methods with main focus on recent works (2008 to the beginning of 2014) are provided. The review deals with an entire analytical protocol covering sample preparation, chromatographic separation, and suitable detection (UV/visible and fluorescent spectroscopy and mass spectrometric techniques). High-performance liquid chromatography has been successfully used in the complete characterization of some organic dyestuffs present in historical and art objects. The possibilities and difficulties for identification of natural sources of historical colorants are also discussed. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Correlating student interest and high school preparation with learning and performance in an introductory university physics course

    OpenAIRE

    Jason J. B. Harlow; David M. Harrison; Andrew Meyertholen

    2014-01-01

    We have studied the correlation of student performance in a large first year university physics course with their reasons for taking the course and whether or not the student took a senior-level high school physics course. Performance was measured both by the Force Concept Inventory and by the grade on the final examination. Students who took the course primarily for their own interest outperformed students who took the course primarily because it was required, both on the Force Concept Inven...

  4. Development of a high-performance composite cathode for LT-SOFC

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Byung Wook

    carried out to develop a high-performance composite cathode, in particular, for LT-SOFC operating 650°C and below since stability and compatibility of the materials in interest are secured at low temperatures. First, a nano-sized pyrochlore bismuth ruthenate (Bi2Ru 2O7 or BRO7 shortly), one of the promising cathode materials, was successfully synthesized using glycine-nitrate combustion (GNC) route. Stoichiometric Bi2Ru2O7 without any impurity phase was achieved with considerably improved processing condition, leading to the crystallite size of ~24nm in diameter. Even though the resulting powder tends to agglomerate, resulting in overall 200~400nm size range, it still showed better quality than the one prepared by solid state (SS) reaction route followed by extra milling steps such as vibro-milling and sonication for further particle size reduction. Glycine-to-nitrate (G/N) ratio was found to play a critical role in determining the reaction temperature and reaction duration, thus phase purity and particle morphology (particle size, shape, and agglomeration etc). Composite cathodes of such prepared BRO7 (GNC BRO7) combined with SS erbia-stabilized bismuth oxide, Bi1.6Er0.4O3 or ESB, showed better electrochemical performance than vibro-milled BRO7 (VM BRO7)-SS ESB. ASR values of 0.123Ocm2 at 700°C and 4.59cOm 2 at 500°C, respectively, were achieved, which follows well the trend of particle size effect on performance of composite cathodes. Additionally, the number of processing steps (thus time) was reduced by GNC route. Several issues in regard to synthesis process and characteristics of BRO7 material itself will be addressed in this dissertation. Secondly, a unique in-situ composite cathode synthesis was successfully developed and applied for BRO7-ESB composite cathodes to improve percolation and to reduce agglomeration of each phase inside the cathode so that the effective triple phase boundary (TPB) length was extended. To disperse and stabilize ESB powder in de

  5. Preparation and characterization of high performance NBR/cobalt (II) chloride coordination composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shang, Peng; Shao, Chengli; Li, Qiqing; Wu, Chifei

    2018-02-01

    Acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) composites filled with Cobalt (II) Chloride (CoCl2) particles were prepared by a solvent dispersion method. Acetone was selected as solvent for NBR and CoCl2. To directly enhance the interaction between NBR and CoCl2, a coordination reaction was generated by hot pressing at 200 °C. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were employed to investigate the coordination reaction. Results showed that the coordination reaction occurred between the nitrile groups (-CN) of NBR and cobalt ions (Co2+) of CoCl2. Compared with the properties of pure NBR, the tensile strength of NBR/CoCl2 composites filled with 10 parts per hundreds of rubber (phr) CoCl2 increased 2200%. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated that the CoCl2 particles were dispersed in the NBR matrix homogeneously. The indistinguishable interface between CoCl2 particles and NBR matrix indicated good compatibility. Additionally, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that coordination reaction improved heat resistance of NBR matrix.

  6. Highly oriented Bi-system bulk sample prepared by a decomposition-crystallization process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xi Zhengping; Zhou Lian; Ji Chunlin

    1992-01-01

    A decomposition-crystallization method, preparing highly oriented Bi-system bulk sample is reported. The effects of processing parameter, decomposition temperature, cooling rate and post-treatment condition on texture and superconductivity are investigated. The method has successfully prepared highly textured Bi-system bulk samples. High temperature annealing does not destroy the growing texture, but the cooling rate has some effect on texture and superconductivity. Annealing in N 2 /O 2 atmosphere can improve superconductivity of the textured sample. The study on the superconductivity of the Bi(Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O bulk material has been reported in numerous papers. The research on J c concentrates on the tape containing the 2223 phase, with very few studies on the J c of bulk sample. The reason for the lack of studies is that the change of superconducting phases at high temperatures has not been known. The authors have reported that the 2212 phase incongruently melted at about 875 degrees C and proceeded to orient the c-axis perpendicular to the surface in the process of crystallization of the 2212 phase. Based on that result, a decomposition-crystallization method was proposed to prepare highly oriented Bi-system bulk sample. In this paper, the process is described in detail and the effects of processing parameters on texture and superconductivity are reported

  7. Preparation and performance of Pt/PTFE/Foam SiC as a hydrophobic catalyst for LPCE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He, Jianchao; Wang, Heyi; Xiao, Chengjian; Li, Jiamao; Chen, Ping; Hou, Jingwei

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • A new type of foam material, Foam SiC with three-dimensional network structure, was chosen as the carrier of catalyst. • Foam SiC was hydrophobic treated by PTFE, and achieved a good hydrophobic property. • Pt/PTFE/Foam SiC was prepared by impregnation method with Pt-organic solution and gaseous phase reduction method. • The hydrophobic catalysts were packed with Dixon phosphor bronze gauze rings (about 3 mm × 3 mm) in LPCE system to test the catalytic performance. • The effect of different size of the catalyst on LPCE was been tested. - Abstract: Platinum catalysts supported on a composite of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and Foam SiC (Pt/PTFE/Foam SiC) have been proposed and prepared by an impregnation method. The as-prepared Pt/PTFE/Foam SiC was characterized by compression load testing, dynamic contact angle measurement, SEM, XRD, and TEM. The results show that the catalyst prepared by triple hydrophobic treatment had an initial contact angle of 134.2°, a good compression performance of 3.2 MPa, and platinum nanoparticles of 12.1 nm (average size). The catalytic activity of the catalyst was tested with different packing methods, reaction temperatures, and gas-liquid ratios. An excellent hydrogen isotope exchange performance was observed using a hydrophilic packing material-to-catalyst ratio of 25% and reaction temperature of 80 °C. Pt/PTFE/Foam SiC may be used as a hydrophobic catalyst for a water detritiation system (WDS) via a liquid-phase catalytic exchange process (LPCE).

  8. Preparation and performance of Pt/PTFE/Foam SiC as a hydrophobic catalyst for LPCE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    He, Jianchao; Wang, Heyi, E-mail: hywang@caep.cn; Xiao, Chengjian; Li, Jiamao; Chen, Ping; Hou, Jingwei

    2016-12-15

    Highlights: • A new type of foam material, Foam SiC with three-dimensional network structure, was chosen as the carrier of catalyst. • Foam SiC was hydrophobic treated by PTFE, and achieved a good hydrophobic property. • Pt/PTFE/Foam SiC was prepared by impregnation method with Pt-organic solution and gaseous phase reduction method. • The hydrophobic catalysts were packed with Dixon phosphor bronze gauze rings (about 3 mm × 3 mm) in LPCE system to test the catalytic performance. • The effect of different size of the catalyst on LPCE was been tested. - Abstract: Platinum catalysts supported on a composite of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and Foam SiC (Pt/PTFE/Foam SiC) have been proposed and prepared by an impregnation method. The as-prepared Pt/PTFE/Foam SiC was characterized by compression load testing, dynamic contact angle measurement, SEM, XRD, and TEM. The results show that the catalyst prepared by triple hydrophobic treatment had an initial contact angle of 134.2°, a good compression performance of 3.2 MPa, and platinum nanoparticles of 12.1 nm (average size). The catalytic activity of the catalyst was tested with different packing methods, reaction temperatures, and gas-liquid ratios. An excellent hydrogen isotope exchange performance was observed using a hydrophilic packing material-to-catalyst ratio of 25% and reaction temperature of 80 °C. Pt/PTFE/Foam SiC may be used as a hydrophobic catalyst for a water detritiation system (WDS) via a liquid-phase catalytic exchange process (LPCE).

  9. Using an Inducible Promoter of a Gene Encoding Penicillium verruculosum Glucoamylase for Production of Enzyme Preparations with Enhanced Cellulase Performance.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander G Bulakhov

    Full Text Available Penicillium verruculosum is an efficient producer of highly active cellulase multienzyme system. One of the approaches for enhancing cellulase performance in hydrolysis of cellulosic substrates is to enrich the reaction system with β -glucosidase and/or accessory enzymes, such as lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMO displaying a synergism with cellulases.Genes bglI, encoding β-glucosidase from Aspergillus niger (AnBGL, and eglIV, encoding LPMO (formerly endoglucanase IV from Trichoderma reesei (TrLPMO, were cloned and expressed by P. verruculosum B1-537 strain under the control of the inducible gla1 gene promoter. Content of the heterologous AnBGL in the secreted multienzyme cocktails (hBGL1, hBGL2 and hBGL3 varied from 4 to 10% of the total protein, while the content of TrLPMO in the hLPMO sample was ~3%. The glucose yields in 48-h hydrolysis of Avicel and milled aspen wood by the hBGL1, hBGL2 and hBGL3 preparations increased by up to 99 and 80%, respectively, relative to control enzyme preparations without the heterologous AnBGL (at protein loading 5 mg/g substrate for all enzyme samples. The heterologous TrLPMO in the hLPMO preparation boosted the conversion of the lignocellulosic substrate by 10-43%; however, in hydrolysis of Avicel the hLPMO sample was less effective than the control preparations. The highest product yield in hydrolysis of aspen wood was obtained when the hBGL2 and hLPMO preparations were used at the ratio 1:1.The enzyme preparations produced by recombinant P. verruculosum strains, expressing the heterologous AnBGL or TrLPMO under the control of the gla1 gene promoter in a starch-containing medium, proved to be more effective in hydrolysis of a lignocellulosic substrate than control enzyme preparations without the heterologous enzymes. The enzyme composition containing both AnBGL and TrLPMO demonstrated the highest performance in lignocellulose hydrolysis, providing a background for developing a fungal strain capable

  10. High Refractive Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Films Prepared by Low Water Sol-Gel and UV-Irradiation Processes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hsiao-Yuan Ma

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Organic-inorganic hybrid sols (Ti–O–Si precursor were first synthesized by the sol-gel method at low addition of water, and were then employed to prepare a highly refractive hybrid optical film. This film was obtained by blending the Ti–O–Si precursor with 2-phenylphenoxyethyl acrylate (OPPEA to perform photo-polymerization by ultraviolet (UV irradiation. Results show that the film transparency of poly(Ti–O–Si precursor-co-OPPEA film is higher than that of a pure poly(Ti–O–Si precursor film, and that this poly(Ti–O–Si precursor-co-OPPEA hybrid film exhibits a high transparency of ~93.7% coupled with a high refractive index (n of 1.83 corresponding to a thickness of 2.59 μm.

  11. Preparation of 3D nanoporous copper-supported cuprous oxide for high-performance lithium ion battery anodes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Dequan; Yang, Zhibo; Wang, Peng; Li, Fei; Wang, Desheng; He, Deyan

    2013-03-07

    Three-dimensional (3D) nanoporous architectures can provide efficient and rapid pathways for Li-ion and electron transport as well as short solid-state diffusion lengths in lithium ion batteries (LIBs). In this work, 3D nanoporous copper-supported cuprous oxide was successfully fabricated by low-cost selective etching of an electron-beam melted Cu(50)Al(50) alloy and subsequent in situ thermal oxidation. The architecture was used as an anode in lithium ion batteries. In the first cycle, the sample delivered an extremely high lithium storage capacity of about 2.35 mA h cm(-2). A high reversible capacity of 1.45 mA h cm(-2) was achieved after 120 cycles. This work develops a promising approach to building reliable 3D nanostructured electrodes for high-performance lithium ion batteries.

  12. Preparation and performance evaluation of novel alkaline stable anion exchange membranes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Irfan, Muhammad; Bakangura, Erigene; Afsar, Noor Ul; Hossain, Md. Masem; Ran, Jin; Xu, Tongwen

    2017-07-01

    Novel alkaline stable anion exchange membranes are prepared from various amounts of N-methyl dipicolylamine (MDPA) and brominated poly (2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (BPPO). The dipicolylamine and MDPA are synthesized through condensation reaction and confirmed by 1H NMR spectroscopy. The morphologies of prepared membranes are investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), 1H NMR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrochemical and physical properties of AEMs are tested comprising water uptake (WU), ion exchange capacity (IEC), alkaline stability, linear expansion ratio (LER), thermal stability and mechanical stability. The obtained hydroxide conductivity of MDPA-4 is 66.5 mS/cm at 80 °C. The MDPA-4 membrane shows good alkaline stability, high hydroxide conductivity, low methanol permeability (3.43 × 10-7 cm2/s), higher selectivity (8.26 × 107 mS s/cm3), less water uptake (41.1%) and lower linear expansion (11.1%) despite of high IEC value (1.62 mmol/g). The results prove that MDPA membranes have great potential application in anion exchange membrane fuel cell.

  13. Method of preparing highly active and thermostable preparations of liver uridin-kinase usable for enzymic synthesis of radioactive nucleoside-5'-phosphates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cihak, A.; Vesely, J.

    1975-01-01

    A method is described of preparing a high-activity uridine kinase for the enzymic synthesis of radioactive nucleoside-5m-phosphates of the pyrimidine series. The preparation is separated from male rat liver after intraperitoneal application of 5'-azacytidine. Examples are given showing detailed procedures for the conversion of uridine and 6-azauridine to the corresponding 5'-phosphates. (L.K.)

  14. High performance systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vigil, M.B. [comp.

    1995-03-01

    This document provides a written compilation of the presentations and viewgraphs from the 1994 Conference on High Speed Computing given at the High Speed Computing Conference, {open_quotes}High Performance Systems,{close_quotes} held at Gleneden Beach, Oregon, on April 18 through 21, 1994.

  15. Performance improvement for solution-processed high-mobility ZnO thin-film transistors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Chensha; Loutfy, Rafik O; Li Yuning; Wu Yiliang; Ong, Beng S

    2008-01-01

    The fabrication technology of stable, non-toxic, transparent, high performance zinc oxide (ZnO) thin-film semiconductors via the solution process was investigated. Two methods, which were, respectively, annealing a spin-coated precursor solution and annealing a drop-coated precursor solution, were compared. The prepared ZnO thin-film semiconductor transistors have well-controlled, preferential crystal orientation and exhibit superior field-effect performance characteristics. But the ZnO thin-film transistor (TFT) fabricated by annealing a drop-coated precursor solution has a distinctly elevated linear mobility, which further approaches the saturated mobility, compared with that fabricated by annealing a spin-coated precursor solution. The performance of the solution-processed ZnO TFT was further improved when substituting the spin-coating process by the drop-coating process

  16. Performance improvement for solution-processed high-mobility ZnO thin-film transistors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Chensha; Loutfy, Rafik O [Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L7 (Canada); Li Yuning; Wu Yiliang; Ong, Beng S [Materials Design and Integration Laboratory, Xerox Research Centre of Canada, 2660 Speakman Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L5K 2L1 (Canada)], E-mail: lichnsa@163.com

    2008-06-21

    The fabrication technology of stable, non-toxic, transparent, high performance zinc oxide (ZnO) thin-film semiconductors via the solution process was investigated. Two methods, which were, respectively, annealing a spin-coated precursor solution and annealing a drop-coated precursor solution, were compared. The prepared ZnO thin-film semiconductor transistors have well-controlled, preferential crystal orientation and exhibit superior field-effect performance characteristics. But the ZnO thin-film transistor (TFT) fabricated by annealing a drop-coated precursor solution has a distinctly elevated linear mobility, which further approaches the saturated mobility, compared with that fabricated by annealing a spin-coated precursor solution. The performance of the solution-processed ZnO TFT was further improved when substituting the spin-coating process by the drop-coating process.

  17. HIGH VELOCITY THERMAL GUN FOR SURFACE PREPARATION AND TREATMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I.A. Gorlach

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Many surface preparation and treatment processes utilise compressed air to propel particles against surfaces in order to clean and treat them. The effectiveness of the processes depends on the velocity of the particles, which in turn depends on the pressure of the compressed air. This paper describes a thermal gun built on the principles of High Velocity Air Fuel (HVAF and High Velocity Oxy Fuel (HVOF processes. The designed apparatus can be used for abrasive blasting, coating of surfaces, cutting of rocks, removing rubber from mining equipment, cleaning of contaminations etc.

  18. Preparation of high purity plutonium oxide for radiochemistry instrument calibration standards and working standards

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wong, A.S.; Stalnaker, N.D.

    1997-04-01

    Due to the lack of suitable high level National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) traceable plutonium solution standards from the NIST or commercial vendors, the CST-8 Radiochemistry team at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has prepared instrument calibration standards and working standards from a well-characterized plutonium oxide. All the aliquoting steps were performed gravimetrically. When a 241 Am standardized solution obtained from a commercial vendor was compared to these calibration solutions, the results agreed to within 0.04% for the total alpha activity. The aliquots of the plutonium standard solutions and dilutions were sealed in glass ampules for long term storage

  19. Enhanced photoelectrochemical performance of Ti-doped hematite thin films prepared by the sol-gel method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lian Xiaojuan; Yang Xin; Liu Shangjun; Xu Ying; Jiang Chunping; Chen Jinwei [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, No.24 South Section 1, Yihuan Road, Chengdu 610065 (China); Wang Ruilin, E-mail: rlwang26@yahoo.com.cn [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, No.24 South Section 1, Yihuan Road, Chengdu 610065 (China)

    2012-01-15

    Ti-doped {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films were successfully prepared on FTO substrates by the sol-gel route. Hematite film was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). The XRD data showed {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} had a preferred (1 1 0) orientation which belonged to the rhombohedral system. Interestingly, the grains turned into worm-like shape after annealed at high temperature. The IPCE could reach 32.6% at 400 nm without any additional potential vs. SCE. Titanium in the lattice can affect the photo electro chemical performance positively by increasing the conductivity of the thin film. So the excited electrons and holes could live longer, rather than recombining with each other rapidly as undoped hematite. And the efficient carrier density on the Ti-doped anode surface was higher than the undoped anode, which contribute to the well PEC performance.

  20. Preparation and performance study of a novel liquid scintillator with mixed solvent as the matrix

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng, Zhanlong; Zhu, Jiayi; Luo, Xuan; Xu, Yewei; Zhang, Qianfeng; Zhang, Xing; Bi, Yutie; Zhang, Lin

    2017-01-01

    A novel liquid scintillator with the mixed solvent as the matrix was prepared for obtaining a good comprehensive performance. In this ternary liquid scintillator, the combination of 20% pseudocumene (PC) and 80% linear-alkyl benzene (LAB) by volume was chosen as the mixed solvent, and 2,5-diphenyloxazole (PPO) and 1,4-bis(2-Methylstyryl) benzene (bis-MSB) were as the primary fluor and wavelength shifter, respectively. The optimum prescription was obtained with regard to the light yield. Some characterizations based on the optimal formulation were conducted. The fluorescence emission spectra and wavelength-dependent optical attenuation length of the sample were measured by the fluorescence spectrophotometer and an UV–Vis spectrometer, respectively. The light yield was characterized by adopting the home-made optical platform device. The decay time was tested by adopting the time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) technique featured in high dynamic range of several orders of magnitude in light intensity. The experimental test results showed that the sample had a fairly good comprehensive performance.

  1. Preparation and performance study of a novel liquid scintillator with mixed solvent as the matrix

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zheng, Zhanlong [Research Center of Laser Fusion, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900 (China); School of Material Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010 (China); Joint Laboratory for Extreme Conditions Matter Properties, Southwest University of Science and Technology and Research Center of Laser Fusion, Mianyang 621010 (China); Zhu, Jiayi [Joint Laboratory for Extreme Conditions Matter Properties, Southwest University of Science and Technology and Research Center of Laser Fusion, Mianyang 621010 (China); Luo, Xuan, E-mail: luox76@gmail.com [Research Center of Laser Fusion, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900 (China); Xu, Yewei [School of Material Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010 (China); Zhang, Qianfeng [Research Center of Laser Fusion, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900 (China); Joint Laboratory for Extreme Conditions Matter Properties, Southwest University of Science and Technology and Research Center of Laser Fusion, Mianyang 621010 (China); Zhang, Xing [Research Center of Laser Fusion, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900 (China); Bi, Yutie, E-mail: biyutie@sina.com [Joint Laboratory for Extreme Conditions Matter Properties, Southwest University of Science and Technology and Research Center of Laser Fusion, Mianyang 621010 (China); Zhang, Lin [Research Center of Laser Fusion, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900 (China); School of Material Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010 (China); Joint Laboratory for Extreme Conditions Matter Properties, Southwest University of Science and Technology and Research Center of Laser Fusion, Mianyang 621010 (China)

    2017-04-01

    A novel liquid scintillator with the mixed solvent as the matrix was prepared for obtaining a good comprehensive performance. In this ternary liquid scintillator, the combination of 20% pseudocumene (PC) and 80% linear-alkyl benzene (LAB) by volume was chosen as the mixed solvent, and 2,5-diphenyloxazole (PPO) and 1,4-bis(2-Methylstyryl) benzene (bis-MSB) were as the primary fluor and wavelength shifter, respectively. The optimum prescription was obtained with regard to the light yield. Some characterizations based on the optimal formulation were conducted. The fluorescence emission spectra and wavelength-dependent optical attenuation length of the sample were measured by the fluorescence spectrophotometer and an UV–Vis spectrometer, respectively. The light yield was characterized by adopting the home-made optical platform device. The decay time was tested by adopting the time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) technique featured in high dynamic range of several orders of magnitude in light intensity. The experimental test results showed that the sample had a fairly good comprehensive performance.

  2. Advanced Graphene-Based Binder-Free Electrodes for High-Performance Energy Storage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Junyi; Li, Yang; Peng, Wenchao; Zhang, Guoliang; Zhang, Fengbao; Fan, Xiaobin

    2015-09-23

    The increasing demand for energy has triggered tremendous research effort for the development of high-performance and durable energy-storage devices. Advanced graphene-based electrodes with high electrical conductivity and ion accessibility can exhibit superior electrochemical performance in energy-storage devices. Among them, binder-free configurations can enhance the electron conductivity of the electrode, which leads to a higher capacity by avoiding the addition of non-conductive and inactive binders. Graphene, a 2D material, can be fabricated into a porous and flexible structure with an interconnected conductive network. Such a conductive structure is favorable for both electron and ion transport to the entire electrode surface. In this review, the main processes used to prepare binder-free graphene-based hybrids with high porosity and well-designed electron conductive networks are summarized. Then, the applications of free-standing binder-free graphene-based electrodes in energy-storage devices are discussed. Future research aspects with regard to overcoming the technological bottlenecks are also proposed. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Bacterial-cellulose-derived interconnected meso-microporous carbon nanofiber networks as binder-free electrodes for high-performance supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hao, Xiaodong; Wang, Jie; Ding, Bing; Wang, Ya; Chang, Zhi; Dou, Hui; Zhang, Xiaogang

    2017-06-01

    Bacterial cellulose (BC), a typical biomass prepared from the microbial fermentation process, has been proved that it can be an ideal platform for design of three-dimensional (3D) multifunctional nanomaterials in energy storage and conversion field. Here we developed a simple and general silica-assisted strategy for fabrication of interconnected 3D meso-microporous carbon nanofiber networks by confine nanospace pyrolysis of sustainable BC, which can be used as binder-free electrodes for high-performance supercapacitors. The synthesized carbon nanofibers exhibited the features of interconnected 3D networks architecture, large surface area (624 m2 g-1), mesopores-dominated hierarchical porosity, and high graphitization degree. The as-prepared electrode (CN-BC) displayed a maximum specific capacitance of 302 F g-1 at a current density of 0.5 A g-1, high-rate capability and good cyclicity in 6 M KOH electrolyte. This work, together with cost-effective preparation strategy to make high-value utilization of cheap biomass, should have significant implications in the green and mass-producible energy storage.

  4. Ultrafine MnO2 Nanowire Arrays Grown on Carbon Fibers for High-Performance Supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Jiyu; Qian, Feng; Song, Guosheng; Li, Wenyao; Wang, Linlin

    2016-10-01

    Large-area ultrafine MnO2 nanowire arrays (NWA) directly grew on a carbon fiber (CF, used as a substrate) by a simple electrochemical method, forming three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical heterostructures of a CF@MnO2 NWA composite. As an electrode for supercapacitors, the CF@MnO2 NWA composite exhibits excellent electrochemical performances including high specific capacitance (321.3 F g-1 at 1000 mA g-1) and good rate capability. Further, the overall capacitance retention is 99.7 % capacitance after 3000 cycles. These outstanding electrochemical performances attribute to a large number of transport channels for the penetration of electrolyte and the transportation of ions and electrons of electrodes. The as-prepared CF@MnO2 NWA composite may be a promising electrode material for high-performance supercapacitors.

  5. Ultra High Electrical Performance of Nano Nickel Oxide and Polyaniline Composite Materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaomin Cai

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The cooperative effects between the PANI (polyaniline/nano-NiO (nano nickel oxide composite electrode material and redox electrolytes (potassium iodide, KI for supercapacitor applications was firstly discussed in this article, providing a novel method to prepare nano-NiO by using β-cyelodextrin (β-CD as the template agent. The experimental results revealed that the composite electrode processed a high specific capacitance (2122.75 F·g−1 at 0.1 A·g−1 in 0.05 M KI electrolyte solution, superior energy density (64.05 Wh·kg−1 at 0.2 A·g−1 in the two-electrode system and excellent cycle performance (86% capacitance retention after 1000 cycles at 1.5 A·g−1. All those ultra-high electrical performances owe to the KI active material in the electrolyte and the PANI coated nano-NiO structure.

  6. Fe-Al2O3 nanocomposites prepared by high-energy ball milling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Linderoth, Søren; Pedersen, M.S.

    1994-01-01

    Nanocomposites of alpha-Fe and alpha-Al2O3, prepared by high-energy ball milling, exhibit coercivities which are enhanced by about two orders of magnitude with respect to the bulk value. The degree of enhancement depends on the volume fraction (x(upsilon)) of Fe, with a maximum for x(upsilon) alm......Nanocomposites of alpha-Fe and alpha-Al2O3, prepared by high-energy ball milling, exhibit coercivities which are enhanced by about two orders of magnitude with respect to the bulk value. The degree of enhancement depends on the volume fraction (x(upsilon)) of Fe, with a maximum for x...

  7. In situ preparation of Fe3O4 in a carbon hybrid of graphene nanoscrolls and carbon nanotubes as high performance anode material for lithium-ion batteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yuewen; Hassan Siddique, Ahmad; Huang, Heran; Fang, Qile; Deng, Wei; Zhou, Xufeng; Lu, Huanming; Liu, Zhaoping

    2017-11-01

    A new conductive carbon hybrid combining both reduced graphene nanoscrolls and carbon nanotubes (rGNSs-CNTs) is prepared, and used to host Fe3O4 nanoparticles through an in situ synthesis method. As an anode material for LIBs, the obtained Fe3O4@rGNSs-CNTs shows good electrochemical performance. At a current density of 0.1 A g-1, the anode material shows a high reversible capacity of 1232.9 mAh g-1 after 100 cycles. Even at a current density of 1 A g-1, it still achieves a high reversible capacity of 812.3 mAh g-1 after 200 cycles. Comparing with bare Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/rGO composite anode materials without nanoscroll structure, Fe3O4@rGNSs-CNTs shows much better rate capability with a reversible capacity of 605.0 and 500.0 mAh g-1 at 3 and 5 A g-1, respectively. The excellent electrochemical performance of the Fe3O4@rGNSs-CNTs anode material can be ascribed to the hybrid structure of rGNSs-CNTs, and their strong interaction with Fe3O4 nanoparticles, which on one hand provides more pathways for lithium ions and electrons, on the other hand effectively relieves the volume change of Fe3O4 during the charge-discharge process.

  8. Preparation and Performance of Poly(butyl fumarate-Based Material for Potential Application in LED Encapsulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liang Wang

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available A UV-curable poly(butyl fumarate (PBF/poly(propylene fumarate-diacrylate (PPF-DA hybrid material with good performance for LED encapsulation is introduced in the paper. They have been prepared by radical polymerization using PBF and PPF-DA macromers with a UV curing system. PBF and PPF-DA were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR and H-nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR. The thermal behavior, optical and mechanical properties of the material were examined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV–vis, and a material testing system mechanical testing machine, respectively. The results indicated that the hybrid material has a suitable refractive index (n = 1.537 and high transmittance (99.64% in visible range before/after thermal aging. With the increasing of the double bond ratio from 0.5 to 2, the water absorption ratios of the prepared encapsulation material were 1.22%, 1.87% and 2.88%, respectively. The mechanical property experiments showed that bonding strength was in the range of 1.86–3.40 MPa, tensile-shear strength ranged from 0.84 MPa to 1.57 MPa, and compression strength was in the range of 5.10–27.65 MPa. The cured PBF/PPF-DA hybrid material can be used as a light-emitting diode (LED encapsulant, owing to its suitable refractive index, high transparency, excellent thermal stability, lower water absorption, and good mechanical properties.

  9. Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanoparticles for Oxygen Reduction Prepared via a Crushing Method Involving a High Shear Mixer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lei Shi

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The disposal of agricultural wastes such as fresh banana peels (BPs is an environmental issue. In this work, fresh BPs were successfully transformed into nitrogen-doped carbon nanoparticles (N-CNPs by using a high shear mixer facilitated crushing method (HSM-FCM followed by carbonization under Ar atmosphere. Ammonia-activated N-CNPs (N-CNPs-NH3 were prepared via subsequent ammonia activation treatments at a high temperature. The as-prepared N-CNPs and N-CNPs-NH3 materials both exhibited high surface areas (above 700 m2/g and mean particle size of 50 nm. N-CNPs-NH3 showed a relatively higher content of pyridinic and graphitic N compared to N-CNPs. In alkaline media, N-CNPs-NH3 showed superior performances as an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR catalyst (E0 = −0.033 V, J = 2.4 mA/cm2 compared to N-CNPs (E0 = 0.07 V, J = 1.8 mA/cm2. In addition, N-CNPs-NH3 showed greater oxygen reduction stability and superior methanol crossover avoidance than a conventional Pt/C catalyst. This study provides a novel, simple, and scalable approach to valorize biomass wastes by synthesizing highly efficient electrochemical ORR catalysts.

  10. High-performance hybrid pervaporation membranes with superior hydrothermal and acid stability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Castricum, H.L. [Inorganic Materials Science, MESA Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands); Blank, D.H.A.; Ten Elshof, J.E. [Van ' t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018 WV Amsterdam (Netherlands); Kreiter, R.; Van Veen, H.M.; Vente, J.F. [ECN Efficiency and Infrastructure, Petten (Netherlands)

    2009-05-15

    A new organic-inorganic hybrid membrane has been prepared with exceptional performance in dewatering applications. The only precursor used in the sol-gel synthesis of the selective layer was organically linked 1,2-bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane (BTESE). The microporous structure of this layer enables selective molecular sieving of small molecules from larger ones. In the dehydration of n-butanol with 5% of water, the membrane shows a high separation factor of over 4000 and ultra-fast water transport at a rate of more than 20 kg m{sup -2} h{sup -1} at 150C. This can be related to the high adsorption capacity of the material and the sub-micron thickness of the selective layer. The selectivity has now remained constant over almost one and a half years under continuous process testing conditions. Apart from the hydrothermal stability, the membrane exhibits a high tolerance for acid contamination. A slow performance decline in flux and separation factor is only observed at a pH lower than 2. The high stability and effective separation indicate a broad industrial application potential of the hybrid membrane material.

  11. Parametric investigation to enhance the performance of a PBI-based high-temperature PEMFC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ferng, Y.M.; Su, A.; Hou, J.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • A in-house PBI PEMFC is prepared by the Fuel Cell Center of Yuan Ze University. • Parametric effects to enhance the PBI based PEMFC performance are investigated. • Experiments and simulations are performed to study these parametric effects. • Cell performance is enhanced with the lower PBI loading and higher temperature. • Thinner CL thickness and higher acid doping benefit to the cell performance also. - Abstract: With the advantages of simpler heat and water management, lower CO poisoning, and higher reaction kinetics, the high-temperature polybenzimidazole (PBI)-based proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) can be considered as one of the commercialized energy generators in the near future. This paper experimentally and analytically investigates different design and operating parameters to enhance the performance of a PBI-based PEMFC, an in-house cell prepared in the Fuel Cell Center of Yuan Ze University. These parameters studied include PBI loading, operating temperature, gas flowrate, electrode thickness and porosity, and acid doping level. Experiments are performed to study the effects of PBI loading, operating temperature, and gas flowrate on the cell performance. Validated against the measured data of polarization and power curves, a simplified two-dimensional model for this PBI-based PEMFC is also developed to help the experiments to investigate other parameters. Based on the experimental data and the model predictions, the cell performance can be enhanced as the PBI loading is reduced, the operating temperature is elevated. Thinner electrode thickness, smaller porosity, and higher acid doping level are also predicted to benefit to the performance of the PBI-based PEMFC

  12. Flexible Transparent Films Based on Nanocomposite Networks of Polyaniline and Carbon Nanotubes for High-Performance Gas Sensing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Pengbo; Wen, Xuemei; Sun, Chaozheng; Chandran, Bevita K; Zhang, Han; Sun, Xiaoming; Chen, Xiaodong

    2015-10-28

    A flexible, transparent, chemical gas sensor is assembled from a transparent conducting film of carbon nanotube (CNT) networks that are coated with hierarchically nanostructured polyaniline (PANI) nanorods. The nanocomposite film is synthesized by in-situ, chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline in a functional multiwalled CNT (FMWCNT) suspension and is simultaneously deposited onto a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. An as-prepared flexible transparent chemical gas sensor exhibits excellent transparency of 85.0% at 550 nm using the PANI/FMWCNT nanocomposite film prepared over a reaction time of 8 h. The sensor also shows good flexibility, without any obvious decrease in performance after 500 bending/extending cycles, demonstrating high-performance, portable gas sensing at room temperature. This superior performance could be attributed to the improved electron transport and collection due to the CNTs, resulting in reliable and efficient sensing, as well as the high surface-to-volume ratio of the hierarchically nanostructured composites. The excellent transparency, improved sensing performance, and superior flexibility of the device, may enable the integration of this simple, low-cost, gas sensor into handheld flexible transparent electronic circuitry and optoelectronic devices. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Mass-producible method for preparation of a carbon-coated graphite@plasma nano-silicon@carbon composite with enhanced performance as lithium ion battery anode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Hedong; Wang, Zhoulu; Hou, Xianhua; Fu, Lijun; Wang, Shaofeng; Hu, Xiaoqiao; Qin, Haiqing; Wu, Yuping

    2017-01-01

    Carbon-coated core-shell structure artificial graphite@plasma nano-silicon@carbon (AG@PNSi@C) composite, applying as lithium ion battery anode material, has been prepared via spray drying method. The plasma nano-silicon (<100 nm), which contained amorphous silicon, was synthesized by radio frequency induction plasma system with the high temperatures processing capability and high quench rates. The artificial graphite in the composite acts as the core which supports the particle and provides electroconductivity, while PNSi attached on the surface of the core, enhances the specific capacity of the composite. The as prepared composite shows superior performance as anode in lithium-ion batteries, regarding to the initial Coulombic efficiency and cycle life. The initial Coulombic efficiency of AG@PNSi@C electrode is 81.0% with a discharge capacity of 553 mAh g −1 and a recharge capacity of 448 mAh g −1 . During cycling, AG@PNSi@C exhibits excellent performance with a very low capacity fading that the discharge capacity maintains 498.2 mAh g −1 and 449.4 mAh g −1 after 250 cycles and 500 cycles. AG@PNSi@C also shows enhanced resistance against high current density. Besides the remarkable electrochemical performances, the facile and mass-producible synthesis process makes the AG@PNSi@C composite very promising for its application in lithium-ion batteries.

  14. Preparation and demonstration of poly(dopamine)-triggered attapulgite-anchored polyurethane as a high-performance rod-like elastomer to reinforce soy protein-isolated composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Shujun; Wen, Yingying; Wang, Zhong; Kang, Haijiao; Li, Jianzhang; Zhang, Shifeng; Ji, Yong

    2018-06-01

    Nanophase modification is an effective path to improve composite properties, however, it remains a great challenge to increase the mechanical strength of the modified materials without sacrificing elongation and toughness. This study presents a novel and efficient design for interface anchoring of a waterborne polyurethane (WPU) elastomer with attapulgite (ATP) triggered by poly(dopamine) (PDA) formation due to self-polymerization of the dopamine moieties. The WPU-PDA-ATP (WDA) rod-like elastomer served as an active enhancer for a soy protein isolate (SPI)-based composite to facilitate multiple interactions between SPI and the elastomer. As expected, the PDA layer was coated onto ATP, inducing the nanofiller to successfully anchor onto the WPU elastomer, as confirmed by solid-state 13C NMR, XPS, and ATR-FTIR results. Compared with the control SPI-based film, the tensile strength and toughness increased by 145.6% and 118.3% respectively by introducing WDA rod-like elastomer. The water resistance and thermal stability of the prepared SPI composites were also favorable. The proposed approach represents an efficient way to utilize high-performance elastomer in biobased materials to concurrently enhance strength and toughness.

  15. DEISA2: supporting and developing a European high-performance computing ecosystem

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lederer, H

    2008-01-01

    The DEISA Consortium has deployed and operated the Distributed European Infrastructure for Supercomputing Applications. Through the EU FP7 DEISA2 project (funded for three years as of May 2008), the consortium is continuing to support and enhance the distributed high-performance computing infrastructure and its activities and services relevant for applications enabling, operation, and technologies, as these are indispensable for the effective support of computational sciences for high-performance computing (HPC). The service-provisioning model will be extended from one that supports single projects to one supporting virtual European communities. Collaborative activities will also be carried out with new European and other international initiatives. Of strategic importance is cooperation with the PRACE project, which is preparing for the installation of a limited number of leadership-class Tier-0 supercomputers in Europe. The key role and aim of DEISA will be to deliver a turnkey operational solution for a persistent European HPC ecosystem that will integrate national Tier-1 centers and the new Tier-0 centers

  16. High-performance functional ecopolymers based on flora and fauna.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaneko, Tatsuo

    2007-01-01

    Liquid crystalline (LC) polymers of rigid monomers based on flora and fauna were prepared by in-bulk polymerization. Para-coumaric (p-coumaric) acid [4-hydroxycinnamic acid (4HCA)] and its derivatives were selected as phytomonomers and bile acids were selected as biomonomers. The 4HCA homopolymer showed a thermotropic LC phase only in a state of low molecular weight. The copolymers of 4HCA with bile acids such as lithocholic acid (LCA) and cholic acid (CA) showed excellent cell compatibilities but low molecular weights. However, P(4HCA-co-CA)s allowed LC spinning to create molecularly oriented biofibers, presumably due to the chain entanglement that occurs during in-bulk chain propagation into hyperbranching architecture. P[4HCA-co-3,4-dihydroxycinnamic acid (DHCA)]s showed high molecular weight, high mechanical strength, high Young's modulus, and high softening temperature, which may be achieved through the entanglement by in-bulk formation of hyperbranching, rigid structures. P(4HCA-co-DHCA)s showed a smooth hydrolysis, in-soil degradation, and photo-tunable hydrolysis. Thus, P(4HCA-co-DHCA)s might be applied as an environmentally degradable plastic with extremely high performance.

  17. One-step fabrication of heterogeneous conducting polymers-coated graphene oxide/carbon nanotubes composite films for high-performance supercapacitors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou, Haihan; Han, Gaoyi

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • CPs-GO/CNTs ternary composites have been prepared via one-step electrodeposition. • The composites show a GO supported CPs-coated CNTs ternary hybrid microstructure. • The capacitive nature of CPs-GO is promoted significantly by introducing CNTs. • CPs-GO/CNTs electrodes show high areal capacitance and excellent cycle stability. - Abstract: Composite films of heterogeneous conducting polymers-coated graphene oxide/carbon nanotubes (CPs-GO/CNTs; CPs, PPy and PEDOT) have been fabricated via one-step electrochemical co-deposition. Scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscopy characterizations indicate that the as-prepared CPs-GO/CNTs composites show a GO supported CPs-coated CNTs ternary hybrid microstructure. The electrochemical measurements including cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge/discharge measurements, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests manifest that the capacitive performances of CPs-GO electrodes are obviously promoted as the introduction of CNTs, and the PEDOT-GO/CNTs electrodes exhibit the more significantly improved electrochemical performances as the more CNTs introduced. Furthermore, the as-prepared PPy-GO/CNTs and PEDOT-GO/CNTs ternary composites achieve a high areal specific capacitance (142.2 mF cm −2 and 99.0 mF cm −2 at 1.0 mA cm −2 , respectively), together with superior rate capability, and excellent cycle stability (maintain 97.3% and 99.2% of initial capacitance for 5000 cycles, respectively), which are essential for their applications in high-performance supercapacitor electrodes.

  18. Conducting polymer nanowire arrays for high performance supercapacitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Kai; Wu, Haiping; Meng, Yuena; Wei, Zhixiang

    2014-01-15

    This Review provides a brief summary of the most recent research developments in the fabrication and application of one-dimensional ordered conducting polymers nanostructure (especially nanowire arrays) and their composites as electrodes for supercapacitors. By controlling the nucleation and growth process of polymerization, aligned conducting polymer nanowire arrays and their composites with nano-carbon materials can be prepared by employing in situ chemical polymerization or electrochemical polymerization without a template. This kind of nanostructure (such as polypyrrole and polyaniline nanowire arrays) possesses high capacitance, superior rate capability ascribed to large electrochemical surface, and an optimal ion diffusion path in the ordered nanowire structure, which is proved to be an ideal electrode material for high performance supercapacitors. Furthermore, flexible, micro-scale, threadlike, and multifunctional supercapacitors are introduced based on conducting polyaniline nanowire arrays and their composites. These prototypes of supercapacitors utilize the high flexibility, good processability, and large capacitance of conducting polymers, which efficiently extend the usage of supercapacitors in various situations, and even for a complicated integration system of different electronic devices. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Preparation of a Highly Conductive Seed Layer for Calcium Sensor Fabrication with Enhanced Sensing Performance

    KAUST Repository

    Ahmad, Rafiq

    2018-03-16

    The seed layer plays a crucial role in achieving high electrical conductivity and ensuring higher performance of devices. In this study, we report fabrication of a solution-gated field-effect transistor (FET) sensor based on zinc oxide nanorods (ZnO NRs) modified iron oxide nanoparticles (α-FeO NPs) grown on a highly conductive sandwich-like seed layer (ZnO seed layer/Ag nanowires/ZnO seed layer). The sandwich-like seed layer and ZnO NRs modification with α-FeO NPs provide excellent conductivity and prevent possible ZnO NRs surface damage from low pH enzyme immobilization, respectively. The highly conductive solution-gated FET sensor employed the calmodulin (CaM) immobilization on the surface of α-FeO-ZnO NRs for selective detection of calcium ions (Ca). The solution-gated FET sensor exhibited a substantial change in conductance upon introduction of different concentrations of Ca and showed high sensitivity (416.8 μA cm mM) and wide linear range (0.01-3.0 mM). In addition, the total Ca concentration in water and serum samples was also measured. Compared to the analytically obtained data, our sensor was found to measure Ca in the water and serum samples accurately, suggesting a potential alternative for Ca determination in water and serum samples, specifically used for drinking/irrigation and clinical analysis.

  20. Preparation of cotton linter nanowhiskers by high-pressure homogenization process and its application in thermoplastic starch

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savadekar, N. R.; Karande, V. S.; Vigneshwaran, N.; Kadam, P. G.; Mhaske, S. T.

    2015-03-01

    The present work deals with the preparation of cotton linter nanowhiskers (CLNW) by acid hydrolysis and subsequent processing in a high-pressure homogenizer. Prepared CLNW were then used as a reinforcing material in thermoplastic starch (TPS), with an aim to improve its performance properties. Concentration of CLNW was varied as 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 wt% in TPS. TPS/CLNW nanocomposite films were prepared by solution-casting process. The nanocomposite films were characterized by tensile, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water vapor permeability (WVP), oxygen permeability (OP), X-ray diffraction and light transmittance properties. 3 wt% CLNW-loaded TPS nanocomposite films demonstrated 88 % improvement in the tensile strength as compared to the pristine TPS polymer film; whereas, WVP and OP decreased by 90 and 92 %, respectively, which is highly appreciable compared to the quantity of CLNW added. DSC thermograms of nanocomposite films did not show any significant effect on melting temperature as compared to the pristine TPS. Light transmittance ( T r) value of TPS decreased with increased content of CLNW. Better interaction between CLNW and TPS, caused due to the hydrophilic nature of both the materials, and uniform distribution of CLNW in TPS were the prime reason for the improvement in properties observed at 3 wt% loading of CLNW in TPS. However, CLNW was seen to have formed agglomerates at higher concentration as determined from SEM analysis. These nanocomposite films can have potential use in food and pharmaceutical packaging applications.

  1. Preparation and High-temperature Anti-adhesion Behavior of a Slippery Surface on Stainless Steel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Pengfei; Huawei, Chen; Liu, Guang; Zhang, Liwen; Zhang, Deyuan

    2018-03-29

    Anti-adhesion surfaces with high-temperature resistance have a wide application potential in electrosurgical instruments, engines, and pipelines. A typical anti-wetting superhydrophobic surface easily fails when exposed to a high-temperature liquid. Recently, Nepenthes-inspired slippery surfaces demonstrated a new way to solve the adhesion problem. A lubricant layer on the slippery surface can act as a barrier between the repelled materials and the surface structure. However, the slippery surfaces in previous studies rarely showed high-temperature resistance. Here, we describe a protocol for the preparation of slippery surfaces with high-temperature resistance. A photolithography-assisted method was used to fabricate pillar structures on stainless steel. By functionalizing the surface with saline, a slippery surface was prepared by adding silicone oil. The prepared slippery surface maintained the anti-wetting property for water, even when the surface was heated to 300 °C. Also, the slippery surface exhibited great anti-adhesion effects on soft tissues at high temperatures. This type of slippery surface on stainless steel has applications in medical devices, mechanical equipment, etc.

  2. Modified stainless steel for high performance and stable anode in microbial fuel cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peng, Xinwen; Chen, Shuiliang; Liu, Lang; Zheng, Suqi; Li, Ming

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: A high performance and stable anode was prepared for microbial fuel cells by surface modification of stainless steel mesh including steps of acid etching, binder-free carbon black (CB) coating and the low-temperature heat treatment below 400 °C. The modified anode could deliver a stable and high current density of 1.91 mA cm −2 . - Highlights: • A high-performance anode for MFC is prepared by surface modification of SSM. • The modified SSM could generate a high current density of up to 1.91 mA cm −2 . • The formation of Fe 3 O 4 layer enhanced the interaction between the CB and SSM. • The modified SSM was stable under the potential of +0.2 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). • The modified SSM was an ideal anode for upscaling applications of MFCs. - Abstract: The surface modification of the stainless steel mesh (SSM) was conducted by acid etching, binder-free carbon black (CB) coating and the low-temperature heat treatment below 400 °C to improve the microbial bioelectrocatalytic activity for use as high-performance anode in microbial fuel cells. The modified SSM, such as SSM/CB-400, could generate a high current density of up to 1.91 mA cm −2 , which was nearly three orders of magnitude higher than the untreated SSM electrode (0.0025 mA cm −2 ). Moreover, it was stable and recovered the equal current density after removal of the formed biofilms. Surface characterization results demonstrate that the performance improvement was attributed to the CB/Fe 3 O 4 composite layer formed onto the surface of the SSM, which protected the biofilms from being poisoned by the Cr component in the SSM and ensured a rapid electron transfer from biofilms to the SSM surface. The CB/Fe 3 O 4 composite layer showed excellent corrosion-resistant under the oxidizing potential of + 0.2 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). Rising the heating temperature to 500 °C, the SSM-500 and SSM/CB-500 electrodes suffered from corrosion due to the formation of α-Fe 2 O 3 crystals.

  3. High Tap Density Li4Ti5O12 Microspheres: Synthetic Conditions and Advanced Electrochemical Performance

    KAUST Repository

    Ming, Jun; Zheng, Junwei; Zhou, Qun; Ren, Jianxin; Ming, Hai; Jia, Zhenyong; Zhang, Yanqing

    2017-01-01

    Preparation of uniform spherical Li4Ti5O12 with high tap density is significant to achieve a high volumetric energy density in lithium-ion batteries. Herein, Li4Ti5O12 micro-spheres with variable tap-density and tunable size distribution were synthesized by a newly designed industrial spray drying approach. The slurry concentration, sintering time and sintering conditions after spray, the effect of Li/Ti molar ratio on the lithium ion (Li+) storage capability were investigated. A narrow particle size distribution around 10 μm and high tap-density close to 1.4 g cm-3 of the Li4Ti5O12 spheres can be obtained under the optimized conditions. The Li4Ti5O12 spheres can deliver much higher capacity of 168 mAh g-1 at 1 C-rate and show high capacity retention of 97.7% over 400 cycles. The synthetic conditions are confirmed to be critical for improving the electron conductivity and Li+ diffusivity by adjusting the crystal and spatial structures. As-prepared high performance Li4Ti5O12 is an ideal electrode for Li-ion batteries or capacitors; meanwhile the presented approach is also applicable for preparing other kind of spherical materials.

  4. High Tap Density Li4Ti5O12 Microspheres: Synthetic Conditions and Advanced Electrochemical Performance

    KAUST Repository

    Ming, Jun

    2017-03-17

    Preparation of uniform spherical Li4Ti5O12 with high tap density is significant to achieve a high volumetric energy density in lithium-ion batteries. Herein, Li4Ti5O12 micro-spheres with variable tap-density and tunable size distribution were synthesized by a newly designed industrial spray drying approach. The slurry concentration, sintering time and sintering conditions after spray, the effect of Li/Ti molar ratio on the lithium ion (Li+) storage capability were investigated. A narrow particle size distribution around 10 μm and high tap-density close to 1.4 g cm-3 of the Li4Ti5O12 spheres can be obtained under the optimized conditions. The Li4Ti5O12 spheres can deliver much higher capacity of 168 mAh g-1 at 1 C-rate and show high capacity retention of 97.7% over 400 cycles. The synthetic conditions are confirmed to be critical for improving the electron conductivity and Li+ diffusivity by adjusting the crystal and spatial structures. As-prepared high performance Li4Ti5O12 is an ideal electrode for Li-ion batteries or capacitors; meanwhile the presented approach is also applicable for preparing other kind of spherical materials.

  5. Recyclable Cu(II)-Coordination Crosslinked Poly(benzimidazolyl pyridine)s as High-Performance Polymers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Cheng; Yang, Li; Chang, Guanjun

    2018-03-01

    Crosslinked high-performance polymers have many industrial applications, but are difficult to recycle or rework. A novel class of recyclable crosslinking Cu(II)-metallo-supramolecular coordination polymers are successfully prepared, which possess outstanding thermal stability and mechanical property. More importantly, the Cu 2+ coordination interactions can be further removed via external pyrophosphate to recover the linear polymers, which endow the crosslinking polymers with recyclability. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Preparation and characterization of thin-film Pd–Ag supported membranes for high-temperature applications

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fernandez Gesalaga, Ekain; Coenen, Kai; Helmi Siasi Farimani, Arash; Melendez, J.; Zuniga, Jon; Pacheco Tanaka, David Alfredo; van Sint Annaland, Martin; Gallucci, Fausto

    2015-01-01

    This paper reports the preparation, characterization and stability tests of thin-film Pd–Ag supported membranes for high-temperature fluidized bed membrane reactor applications. Various thin-film supported membranes have been prepared by simultaneous Pd–Ag electroless plating and have been initially

  7. Poly(ethylene glycol)s as grinding additives in the mechanochemical preparation of highly functionalized 3,5-disubstituted hydantoins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mascitti, Andrea; Lupacchini, Massimiliano; Guerra, Ruben; Taydakov, Ilya; Tonucci, Lucia; d'Alessandro, Nicola; Lamaty, Frederic; Martinez, Jean; Colacino, Evelina

    2017-01-01

    The mechanochemical preparation of highly functionalized 3,5-disubstituted hydantoins was investigated in the presence of various poly(ethylene) glycols (PEGs), as safe grinding assisting agents (liquid-assisted grinding, LAG). A comparative study under dry-grinding conditions was also performed. The results showed that the cyclization reaction was influenced by the amount of the PEG grinding agents. In general, cleaner reaction profiles were observed in the presence of PEGs, compared to dry-grinding procedures.

  8. High school and college biology: A multi-level model of the effects of high school biology courses on student academic performance in introductory college biology courses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loehr, John Francis

    The issue of student preparation for college study in science has been an ongoing concern for both college-bound students and educators of various levels. This study uses a national sample of college students enrolled in introductory biology courses to address the relationship between high school biology preparation and subsequent introductory college biology performance. Multi-Level Modeling was used to investigate the relationship between students' high school science and mathematics experiences and college biology performance. This analysis controls for student demographic and educational background factors along with factors associated with the college or university attended. The results indicated that high school course-taking and science instructional experiences have the largest impact on student achievement in the first introductory college biology course. In particular, enrollment in courses, such as high school Calculus and Advanced Placement (AP) Biology, along with biology course content that focuses on developing a deep understanding of the topics is found to be positively associated with student achievement in introductory college biology. On the other hand, experiencing high numbers of laboratory activities, demonstrations, and independent projects along with higher levels of laboratory freedom are associated with negative achievement. These findings are relevant to high school biology teachers, college students, their parents, and educators looking beyond the goal of high school graduation.

  9. Novel high-performance nanocomposite proton exchange membranes based on poly (ether sulfone)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hasani-Sadrabadi, Mohammad Mahdi [Polymer Engineering Department, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran); Biomedical Engineering Department, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran); Dashtimoghadam, Erfan; Ghaffarian, Seyed Reza [Polymer Engineering Department, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran); Hasani Sadrabadi, Mohammad Hossein [Faculty of Social and Economics Science, Alzahra University, Tehran (Iran); Heidari, Mahdi [Graduate School of Management and Economics, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran (Iran); Moaddel, Homayoun [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

    2010-01-15

    In the present research, proton exchange membranes based on partially sulfonated poly (ether sulfone) (S-PES) with various degrees of sulfonation were synthesized. It was found that the increasing of sulfonation degree up to 40% results in the enhancement of water uptake, ion exchange capacity and proton conductivity properties of the prepared membranes to 28.1%, 1.59 meq g{sup -1}, and 0.145 S cm{sup -1}, respectively. Afterwards, nanocomposite membranes based on S-PES (at the predetermined optimum sulfonation degree) containing various loading weights of organically treated montmorillonite (OMMT) were prepared via the solution intercalation technique. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed the exfoliated structure of OMMT in the macromolecular matrices. The S-PES nanocomposite membrane with 3.0 wt% of OMMT content showed the maximum selectivity parameter of about 520,000 S s cm{sup -3} which is related to the high conductivity of 0.051 S cm{sup -1} and low methanol permeability of 9.8 x 10{sup -8} cm{sup 2} s{sup -1}. Furthermore, single cell DMFC fuel cell performance test with 4 molar methanol concentration showed a high power density (131 mW cm{sup -2}) of the nanocomposite membrane at the optimum composition (40% of sulfonation and 3.0 wt% of OMMT loading) compared to the Nafion {sup registered} 117 membrane (114 mW cm{sup -2}). Manufactured nanocomposite membranes thanks to their high selectivity, ease of preparation and low cost could be suggested as the ideal candidate for the direct methanol fuel cell applications. (author)

  10. Creation of the best performance high-$T_{c}$ superconductor based on Cu-1234

    CERN Document Server

    Ihara, H; Iyo, A; Kito, H; Terada, N; Tokumoto, M; Ishida, K; Sekita, Y; Yamamoto, H; Hayashi, H; Khan, N A; Sundaresan, A; Nie, J; Harashima, E; Ishiura, Y; Tateai, F; Kawamura, M

    1999-01-01

    The purpose of this project is to create the best performance superconductor on the basis of our original Cu-1234 (CuBa/sub 2/Ca /sub 3/Cu/sub 4/O/sub 12-y/) superconductor. Its best performance superconductor will be realized by the modification of superconducting wave function (MSWF) and application of new preparation techniques of thin films. The MSWF leads to the enhancement of coherence length along the c-axis and transformation from d-wave to (d+is)-wave, and then low superconducting anisotropy. The thin film techniques are APE (amorphous phase epitaxy) method and SAE (self assembling epitaxy) method by using a structure stabilizer such as Tl. The best superconductor with long coherence length, low anisotropy, high T/sub c/, high J/sub c/ and high H/sub irr/ will be realized for wire and Josephson junctions and microwave device application at 77 K. (16 refs).

  11. A high-performance mesoporous carbon supported nitrogen-doped carbon electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Jingjing; Lu, Shiyao; Chen, Xu; Wang, Jianan; Zhang, Bo; Zhang, Xinyu; Xiao, Chunhui; Ding, Shujiang

    2017-12-01

    Investigating low-cost and highly active electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) is of crucial importance for energy conversion and storage devices. Herein, we design and prepare mesoporous carbon supported nitrogen-doped carbon by pyrolysis of polyaniline coated on CMK-3. This electrocatalyst exhibits excellent performance towards ORR in alkaline media. The optimized nitrogen-doped mesoporous electrocatalyst show an onset potential (E onset) of 0.95 V (versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)) and half-wave potential (E 1/2) of 0.83 V (versus RHE) in 0.1 M KOH. Furthermore, the as-prepared catalyst presents superior durability and methanol tolerance compared to commercial Pt/C indicating its potential applications in fuel cells and metal-air batteries.

  12. Preparation of interconnected highly porous polymeric structures by a replication and freeze-drying process

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hou, Q.; Grijpma, Dirk W.; Feijen, Jan

    2003-01-01

    Three-dimensional degradable porous polymeric structures with high porosities (93-98%) and well-interconnected pore networks have been prepared by freeze-drying polymer solutions in the presence of a leachable template followed by leaching of the template. Templates of the pore network were prepared

  13. High-Fidelity Simulation: Preparing Dental Hygiene Students for Managing Medical Emergencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bilich, Lisa A; Jackson, Sarah C; Bray, Brenda S; Willson, Megan N

    2015-09-01

    Medical emergencies can occur at any time in the dental office, so being prepared to properly manage the situation can be the difference between life and death. The entire dental team must be properly trained regarding all aspects of emergency management in the dental clinic. The aim of this study was to evaluate a new educational approach using a high-fidelity simulator to prepare dental hygiene students for medical emergencies. This study utilized high-fidelity simulation (HFS) to evaluate the abilities of junior dental hygiene students at Eastern Washington University to handle a medical emergency in the dental hygiene clinic. Students were given a medical emergency scenario requiring them to assess the emergency and implement life-saving protocols in a simulated "real-life" situation using a high-fidelity manikin. Retrospective data were collected for four years from the classes of 2010 through 2013 (N=114). The results indicated that learning with simulation was effective in helping the students identify the medical emergency in a timely manner, implement emergency procedures correctly, locate and correctly utilize contents of the emergency kit, administer appropriate intervention/treatment for a specific patient, and provide the patient with appropriate follow-up instructions. For dental hygiene programs seeking to enhance their curricula in the area of medical emergencies, this study suggests that HFS is an effective tool to prepare students to appropriately handle medical emergencies. Faculty calibration is essential to standardize simulation.

  14. Functionalized graphene hydrogel-based high-performance supercapacitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Yuxi; Lin, Zhaoyang; Huang, Xiaoqing; Wang, Yang; Huang, Yu; Duan, Xiangfeng

    2013-10-25

    Functionalized graphene hydrogels are prepared by a one-step low-temperature reduction process and exhibit ultrahigh specific capacitances and excellent cycling stability in the aqueous electrolyte. Flexible solid-state supercapacitors based on functionalized graphene hydrogels are demonstrated with superior capacitive performances and extraordinary mechanical flexibility. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Separation of the potential G-quadruplex ligands from the butanol extract of Zanthoxylum ailanthoides Sieb. & Zucc. by countercurrent chromatography and preparative high performance liquid chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Tian; Cao, Xueli; Xu, Jing; Pei, Hairun; Zhang, Hong; Tang, Yalin

    2017-07-21

    G-quadruplex DNA structure is considered to be a very attractive target for antitumor drug design due to its unique role in maintaining telomerase activities. Therefore, discovering ligands with high stability of G-quadruplex structure is of great interest. In this paper, pH-zone refining counter current chromatography (CCC) and preparative high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were employed for the separation of potent G-quadruplex ligands from the n-butanol fraction of the crude extract of Zanthoxylum ailanthoides, which is a traditional Chinese medicine recently found to display high inhibitory activity against several human cancer cells. The 75% aqueous ethanol extract of the stem bark of Z. ailanthoides and its fractions with petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and n-butanol displayed almost the same G-quadruplex stabilization ability. Here, pH-zone refining CCC was used for the separation of the alkaloids from the n-butanol fraction by a seldom used solvent system composed of dichloromethane-methanol-water (4:1:2.5) with 10mM TEA in the organic stationary phase as retainer and 10mM HCl in the aqueous mobile phase as eluter. Compounds I, II and III were obtained, with purity greater than 95%, in the quantities of 31.2, 94.0, and 26.4mg respectively from 300mg of lipophilic fraction within 80min, which were identified as three tetrahydroprotoberberines isolated for the first time in this plant. In addition, a phenylpropanoid glycoside compound IV (Syringin), an isoquinoline (Magnoflorine, V), and two lignin isomers (+)-lyoniresiol-3α-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (VI) and (-)-lyoniresinol -3α-O-β-D -glucopyranoside (VII) were isolated by traditional CCC together with preparative HPLC. Compounds IV, V, VI and VII were obtained, with purity greater than 95%, in the quantities of 4.0, 13.2, 6.7, and 6.5mg respectively from 960mg of hydrophilic fraction. Among the seven isolated compounds, tetrahydroprotoberberine I, II and III were found to display remarkable

  16. Preparation of Ta(C)N films by pulsed high energy density plasma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Feng Wenran [Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100080 Beijing (China); Chen Guangliang [Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100080 Beijing (China); Zhang Yan [Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100080 Beijing (China); Gu Weichao [Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100080 Beijing (China); Zhang Guling [Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100080 Beijing (China); Niu Erwu [Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100080 Beijing (China); Liu Chizi [Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100080 Beijing (China); Yang Size [Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100080 Beijing (China)

    2007-04-07

    The pulsed high energy density plasma (PHEDP) is generated in the working gas due to a high-voltage high-current discharge, within a coaxial gun. In PHEDP surface modification, discharge is applied for preparing the amorphous and nanostructured high-melting materials as thin films deposited on various substrates. In this investigation, Ta(C)N films were deposited using PHEDP on stainless steel. Pure tantalum and graphite were used as the inner and outer electrodes of the PHEDP coaxial gun, respectively. Nitrogen was used as the working gas and also one of the reactants. Preliminary study on the films prepared under different conditions shows that the formation of Ta(C)N is drastically voltage dependent. At lower gun voltage, no Ta(C)N was detected in the films; when the gun voltage reaches or exceeds 3.0 kV, Ta(C)N occurred. The films are composed of densely stacked nanocrystallines with diameter less than 30 nm, and some grains are within 10 nm in diameter.

  17. Preparation of uranium-plutonium mixed nitride pellets with high purity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arai, Yasuo; Shiozawa, Ken-ichi; Ohmichi, Toshihiko

    1992-01-01

    Uranium-plutonium mixed nitride pellets have been prepared in the gloveboxes with high purity Ar gas atmosphere. Carbothermic reduction of the oxides in N 2 -H 2 mixed gas stream was adopted for synthesizing mixed nitride. Sintering was carried out in various conditions and the effect on the pellet characteristics was investigated. (author)

  18. Ultrafine MnO2 Nanowire Arrays Grown on Carbon Fibers for High-Performance Supercapacitors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiyu Hu

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Large-area ultrafine MnO2 nanowire arrays (NWA directly grew on a carbon fiber (CF, used as a substrate by a simple electrochemical method, forming three-dimensional (3D hierarchical heterostructures of a CF@MnO2 NWA composite. As an electrode for supercapacitors, the CF@MnO2 NWA composite exhibits excellent electrochemical performances including high specific capacitance (321.3 F g−1 at 1000 mA g−1 and good rate capability. Further, the overall capacitance retention is ~99.7 % capacitance after 3000 cycles. These outstanding electrochemical performances attribute to a large number of transport channels for the penetration of electrolyte and the transportation of ions and electrons of electrodes. The as-prepared CF@MnO2 NWA composite may be a promising electrode material for high-performance supercapacitors.

  19. Highly Compressible Carbon Sponge Supercapacitor Electrode with Enhanced Performance by Growing Nickel-Cobalt Sulfide Nanosheets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Xu; Nie, Kaiwen; Ding, Xian; Dang, Liqin; Sun, Jie; Shi, Feng; Xu, Hua; Jiang, Ruibin; He, Xuexia; Liu, Zonghuai; Lei, Zhibin

    2018-03-28

    The development of compressible supercapacitor highly relies on the innovative design of electrode materials with both superior compression property and high capacitive performance. This work reports a highly compressible supercapacitor electrode which is prepared by growing electroactive NiCo 2 S 4 (NCS) nanosheets on the compressible carbon sponge (CS). The strong adhesion of the metallic conductive NCS nanosheets to the highly porous carbon scaffolds enable the CS-NCS composite electrode to exhibit an enhanced conductivity and ideal structural integrity during repeated compression-release cycles. Accordingly, the CS-NCS composite electrode delivers a specific capacitance of 1093 F g -1 at 0.5 A g -1 and remarkable rate performance with 91% capacitance retention in the range of 0.5-20 A g -1 . Capacitance performance under the strain of 60% shows that the incorporation of NCS nanosheets in CS scaffolds leads to over five times enhancement in gravimetric capacitance and 17 times enhancement in volumetric capacitance. These performances enable the CS-NCS composite to be one of the promising candidates for potential applications in compressible electrochemical energy storage devices.

  20. Method of preparing tritium-labelled thymidine-5'-monophosphates of high specific activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Filip, J.; Vesely, J.; Cihak, A.

    1976-01-01

    A method is described of preparing thymidine-5'-monophosphates labelled with tritium of high specific activity based on enzyme synthesis in vitro. Phosphorylation was carried out using the catalytic effect of an enzyme contained in the supernatant fraction prepared from Yoshida ascites carcinoma in rats. The course of the enzyme reaction can be controlled by the concentration of the individual reaction mixture components. The method described allows obtaining thymidine-5'-monophosphate of radiochemical purity better than 95%. (J.B.)

  1. Dissolution of high-purity lead and subsequent crystal growth during the preparation of corrosion coupons

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McGarvey, G.B. [Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Chalk River, Ontario (Canada); McDougall, T.E.; Owen, D.G. [Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Pinawa, Manitoba (Canada)

    1997-07-01

    High-purity lead discs were prepared using several combinations of polishing, rinsing and ultrasonic treatment. Physical degradation of the lead surface and the premature generation and deposition of oxides on the surface were observed for certain combinations of preparation steps. Ultrasonic treatment of the discs was found to be particularly detrimental as it induced significant crystal growth and, in several instances, deterioration of the polished surface. Simple air drying of freshly rinsed discs also led to oxide formation on the surface after as short a time as 1 min. An effective method for preparing discs from high-purity lead is described. (author)

  2. Dissolution of high-purity lead and subsequent crystal growth during the preparation of corrosion coupons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McGarvey, G.B.; McDougall, T.E.; Owen, D.G.

    1997-01-01

    High-purity lead discs were prepared using several combinations of polishing, rinsing and ultrasonic treatment. Physical degradation of the lead surface and the premature generation and deposition of oxides on the surface were observed for certain combinations of preparation steps. Ultrasonic treatment of the discs was found to be particularly detrimental as it induced significant crystal growth and, in several instances, deterioration of the polished surface. Simple air drying of freshly rinsed discs also led to oxide formation on the surface after as short a time as 1 min. An effective method for preparing discs from high-purity lead is described. (author)

  3. A novel and facile synthesis approach for a porous carbon/graphene composite for high-performance supercapacitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ting; Zhang, Xuesha; Liu, Kang; Liu, Yanyan; Liu, Mengjie; Wu, Wenyu; Gu, Yu; Zhang, Ruijun

    2018-03-02

    We propose a novel and facile synthesis approach to a porous carbon/graphene composite. Graphene is obtained from room-temperature expanded graphite (RTEG), not involving the use of graphite oxide (GO). Porous carbon is acquired by carbonization and KOH-activation of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), which is used to exfoliate RTEG into graphene and inhibit the restacking of the resultant graphene in the present work. The prepared porous carbon/graphene composite has a high specific surface area (SSA) (3008 m 2 g -1 ) and a hierarchical micro- and meso- pore structure (dominant pores in the range of 1-5 nm). Electrochemical measurement demonstrates that the as-prepared porous carbon/graphene composite can deliver an outstanding specific capacitance of up to 340 F g -1 at 5 mV s -1 in 6 M KOH electrolyte. This specific capacitance is among the highest reported so far for porous carbon/graphene materials. Moreover, the prepared composite as an electrode material also exhibits excellent cycling stability (94.4% capacitance retention over 10 000 cycles). The as-fabricated symmetrical supercapacitor exhibits a high energy density of 10.9 W h kg -1 (based on total mass of electrode materials) and an outstanding energy density retention, even at high power density. Compared with conventional preparation routes for porous carbon/graphene composites, the present approach is significantly simple, convenient and cost-effective, which will make it more competent in the development of electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors.

  4. High performance simulation for the Silva project using the tera computer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bergeaud, V.; La Hargue, J.P.; Mougery, F.; Boulet, M.; Scheurer, B.; Le Fur, J.F.; Comte, M.; Benisti, D.; Lamare, J. de; Petit, A.

    2003-01-01

    In the context of the SILVA Project (Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation), numerical simulation of the plant scale propagation of laser beams through uranium vapour was a great challenge. The PRODIGE code has been developed to achieve this goal. Here we focus on the task of achieving high performance simulation on the TERA computer. We describe the main issues for optimizing the parallelization of the PRODIGE code on TERA. Thus, we discuss advantages and drawbacks of the implemented diagonal parallelization scheme. As a consequence, it has been found fruitful to fit out the code in three aspects: memory allocation, MPI communications and interconnection network bandwidth usage. We stress out the interest of MPI/IO in this context and the benefit obtained for production computations on TERA. Finally, we shall illustrate our developments. We indicate some performance measurements reflecting the good parallelization properties of PRODIGE on the TERA computer. The code is currently used for demonstrating the feasibility of the laser propagation at a plant enrichment level and for preparing the 2003 Menphis experiment. We conclude by emphasizing the contribution of high performance TERA simulation to the project. (authors)

  5. High performance simulation for the Silva project using the tera computer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bergeaud, V.; La Hargue, J.P.; Mougery, F. [CS Communication and Systemes, 92 - Clamart (France); Boulet, M.; Scheurer, B. [CEA Bruyeres-le-Chatel, 91 - Bruyeres-le-Chatel (France); Le Fur, J.F.; Comte, M.; Benisti, D.; Lamare, J. de; Petit, A. [CEA Saclay, 91 - Gif sur Yvette (France)

    2003-07-01

    In the context of the SILVA Project (Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation), numerical simulation of the plant scale propagation of laser beams through uranium vapour was a great challenge. The PRODIGE code has been developed to achieve this goal. Here we focus on the task of achieving high performance simulation on the TERA computer. We describe the main issues for optimizing the parallelization of the PRODIGE code on TERA. Thus, we discuss advantages and drawbacks of the implemented diagonal parallelization scheme. As a consequence, it has been found fruitful to fit out the code in three aspects: memory allocation, MPI communications and interconnection network bandwidth usage. We stress out the interest of MPI/IO in this context and the benefit obtained for production computations on TERA. Finally, we shall illustrate our developments. We indicate some performance measurements reflecting the good parallelization properties of PRODIGE on the TERA computer. The code is currently used for demonstrating the feasibility of the laser propagation at a plant enrichment level and for preparing the 2003 Menphis experiment. We conclude by emphasizing the contribution of high performance TERA simulation to the project. (authors)

  6. Facile synthesis of cobalt hexacyanoferrate/graphene nanocomposites for high-performance supercapacitor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Jian-Gan; Zhang, Zhiyong; Liu, Xingrui; Wei, Bingqing

    2017-01-01

    Prussian blue and its analogues are promising for energy storage devices owing to the rigid open framework, yet suffer from poor conductivity and relatively low energy density. Herein, we report a facile preparation of cobalt hexacyanoferrate/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites (CoHCF/rGO) for supercapacitors with enhanced performance. The CoHCF nanoparticles with a size of around 50 nm are adhered onto the rGO nanosheets, which, in turn, not only prevent the agglomeration of the CoHCF nanoparticles but also provide conductive network for fast electron transport. The CoHCF/rGO nanocomposite delivers a maximum specific capacitance of 361 F g"−"1 in Na_2SO_4 aqueous electrolyte. Asymmetric supercapacitor cells are assembled by pairing up an optimized nanocomposite electrode with an activated carbon negative electrode, which exhibits a wide reversible operating voltage of 2.0 V and a high energy density of 39.6 Wh kg"−"1. The enhanced electrochemical performance of CoHCF/rGO benefits from the strong synergistic utilization of CoHCF nanoparticles and rGO nanosheets, rendering the nanocomposites a great promise for high-performance supercapacitors.

  7. Hierarchically structured MnO2 nanowires supported on hollow Ni dendrites for high-performance supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Zhipeng; Firdoz, Shaik; Ying-Xuan Yap, Esther; Li, Lan; Lu, Xianmao

    2013-05-01

    We report a hierarchical Ni@MnO2 structure consisting of MnO2 nanowires supported on hollow Ni dendrites for high-performance supercapacitors. The Ni@MnO2 structure, which was prepared via a facile electrodeposition method, is highly porous and appears like a forest of pine trees grown vertically on a substrate. At a MnO2 mass loading of 0.35 mg cm-2, the Ni@MnO2 electrode demonstrated a specific capacitance of 1125 F g-1 that is close to the theoretical value. In addition, a remarkable high-rate performance (766 F g-1 at a discharge current density of 100 A g-1) was achieved. Electrochemical tests in a two-electrode configuration for the Ni@MnO2 structure with a high MnO2 loading of 3.6 mg cm-2 showed a low equivalent series resistance (ESR) of 1 Ω and a high specific power of 72 kW kg-1. This superior performance can be attributed to the highly porous and hierarchical structure of Ni@MnO2 that favors rapid diffusion of an electrolyte, highly conductive pathway for electron transport, and efficient material utilization.We report a hierarchical Ni@MnO2 structure consisting of MnO2 nanowires supported on hollow Ni dendrites for high-performance supercapacitors. The Ni@MnO2 structure, which was prepared via a facile electrodeposition method, is highly porous and appears like a forest of pine trees grown vertically on a substrate. At a MnO2 mass loading of 0.35 mg cm-2, the Ni@MnO2 electrode demonstrated a specific capacitance of 1125 F g-1 that is close to the theoretical value. In addition, a remarkable high-rate performance (766 F g-1 at a discharge current density of 100 A g-1) was achieved. Electrochemical tests in a two-electrode configuration for the Ni@MnO2 structure with a high MnO2 loading of 3.6 mg cm-2 showed a low equivalent series resistance (ESR) of 1 Ω and a high specific power of 72 kW kg-1. This superior performance can be attributed to the highly porous and hierarchical structure of Ni@MnO2 that favors rapid diffusion of an electrolyte, highly

  8. Thermally Stable Cellulose Nanocrystals toward High-Performance 2D and 3D Nanostructures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Chao; Bian, Huiyang; Gao, Tingting; Jiang, Feng; Kierzewski, Iain Michael; Wang, Yilin; Yao, Yonggang; Chen, Liheng; Shao, Ziqiang; Zhu, J Y; Hu, Liangbing

    2017-08-30

    Cellulose nanomaterials have attracted much attention in a broad range of fields such as flexible electronics, tissue engineering, and 3D printing for their excellent mechanical strength and intriguing optical properties. Economic, sustainable, and eco-friendly production of cellulose nanomaterials with high thermal stability, however, remains a tremendous challenge. Here versatile cellulose nanocrystals (DM-OA-CNCs) are prepared through fully recyclable oxalic acid (OA) hydrolysis along with disk-milling (DM) pretreatment of bleached kraft eucalyptus pulp. Compared with the commonly used cellulose nanocrystals from sulfuric acid hydrolysis, DM-OA-CNCs show several advantages including large aspect ratio, carboxylated surface, and excellent thermal stability along with high yield. We also successfully demonstrate the fabrication of high-performance films and 3D-printed patterns using DM-OA-CNCs. The high-performance films with high transparency, ultralow haze, and excellent thermal stability have the great potential for applications in flexible electronic devices. The 3D-printed patterns with porous structures can be potentially applied in the field of tissue engineering as scaffolds.

  9. Preparation and characterization of iron(III) 99Mo-molybdate(VI) gels for the assessment of 99mTc elution performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amin, Mahmoud; Fasih, Tharwat W.; El-Absy, Mohamed A.

    2018-01-01

    New iron(III) 99 Mo-molybdate(VI) gels (Fe 99 Mo) of high Mo content were prepared by the precipitation/filtration method. 99 Mo-MoO 3 dissolved in NaOH was added to aqueous solutions of Fe(NO 3 ) 3 at Mo/Fe mole fractions ∝2.21 and 1.99 with continuous stirring at ambient room temperature. Two different Fe 99 Mo were precipitated from the mixed solutions adjusted at pH 2 and 4.7. The amount of water of hydration increased with the increasing the gel settling time and pH of the mixed solution. The matrices were characterized by radiometric, XRD, SEM, XRF, FT-IR, TGA, and DTA measurements. Small chromatographic columns of 2.0 g Fe 99 Mo containing ≥800 mg Mo tagged with 740 MBq 99 Mo were eluted with 5 mL saline solution. Highly reproducible 99m Tc elution indices suitable for preparation of 99 Mo/ 99m Tc generators were achieved from generator supported with 0.5 g Al 2 O 3 filter. Elution performance of 99m Tc radionuclide was highly dependent on the gel structural properties.

  10. Template-directed synthesis of pillared-porous carbon nanosheet architectures: High-performance electrode materials for supercapacitors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fan, Zhuangjun; Liu, Yang; Yan, Jun; Wang, Qian; Wei, Tong [Key Laboratory of Superlight Materials and Surface Technology, Ministry of Education College of Material Science and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin (China); Ning, Guoqing [State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, Changping (China); Zhi, Linjie [National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, Zhongguancun, Beijing (China); Wei, Fei [Beijing Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Reaction Engineering and Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing (China)

    2012-04-15

    3D pillared-porous carbon nanosheets with supporting carbon pillars between the carbon layers is prepared by the carbonization of pitch on porous MgO templates. This unique structure endows the high-rate transportation of electrolyte ions and electrons throughout the electrode matrix, resulting in excellent electrochemical performance. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  11. CO{sub 2} capture using zeolite 13X prepared from bentonite

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Chao [Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Inha University, Incheon 402-751 (Korea, Republic of); College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, Henan Province 464000 (China); Park, Dong-Wha [Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Inha University, Incheon 402-751 (Korea, Republic of); Ahn, Wha-Seung, E-mail: whasahn@inha.ac.kr [Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Inha University, Incheon 402-751 (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-02-15

    Zeolite 13X was prepared using bentonite as the raw material by alkaline fusion followed by a hydrothermal treatment without adding any extra silica or alumina sources. The prepared zeolite 13X was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, N{sub 2}-adsorption–desorption measurements, and scanning electron microscopy. The CO{sub 2} capture performance of the prepared zeolite 13X was examined under both static and flow conditions. The prepared zeolite 13X showed a high BET surface area of 688 m{sup 2}/g with a high micropore volume (0.30 cm{sup 3}/g), and exhibited high CO{sub 2} capture capacity (211 mg/g) and selectivity to N{sub 2} (CO{sub 2}/N{sub 2} = 37) at 25 °C and 1 bar. In addition, the material showed fast adsorption kinetics, and stable CO{sub 2} adsorption–desorption recycling performance at both 25 and 200 °C.

  12. Synergistically Active NiCo2 S4 Nanoparticles Coupled with Holey Defect Graphene Hydrogel for High-Performance Solid-State Supercapacitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tiruneh, Sintayehu Nibret; Kang, Bong Kyun; Kwag, Sung Hoon; Lee, YoungHun; Kim, MinSeob; Yoon, Dae Ho

    2018-03-02

    Nickel cobalt sulfide nanoparticles embedded in holey defect graphene hydrogel (HGH) that exhibit highly porous structures and uniform nickel cobalt sulfide nanoparticle sizes are successfully prepared by a facile solvothermal-hydrothermal method. As an electrode material for supercapacitors, the as-prepared NiCo 2 S 4 @HGH shows ultra-high specific capacitances of 1000 F g -1 and 800 F g -1 at 0.5 and 6 A g -1 , respectively, owing to the outstanding electrical conductivity of HGH and high specific capacitance of NiCo 2 S 4 . After 2100 charge/discharge cycles at a current density of 6 A g -1 , 96.6 % of the specific capacitance was retained, signifying the superb durability of NiCo 2 S 4 @HGH. Moreover, remarkable specific capacitance (312.6 F g -1 ) and capacity retention (87 % after 5000 cycles) at 6 A g -1 were displayed by the symmetric solid-state supercapacitor fabricated by using NiCo 2 S 4 @HGH electrodes. These auspicious supercapacitor performances demonstrate that the as-developed solvothermal-hydrothermal approach can be widely used to prepare graphene-coupled binary metal sulfides for high-performance supercapacitor applications. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Effect of Perovskite Film Preparation on Performance of Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yaxian Pei

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available For the perovskite solar cells (PSCs, the performance of the PSCs has become the focus of the research by improving the crystallization and morphology of the perovskite absorption layer. In this thesis, based on the structure of mesoporous perovskite solar cells (MPSCs, we designed the experiments to improve the photovoltaic performance of the PSCs by improved processing technique, which mainly includes the following two aspects. Before spin-coating PbI2 solution, we control the substrate temperature to modify the crystal quality and morphology of perovskite films. On the other hand, before annealing, we keep PbI2 films for the different drying time at room temperature to optimize films morphology. In our trials, it was found that the substrate temperature is more important in determining the photovoltaic performance than drying time. These results indicate that the crystallization and morphology of perovskite films affect the absorption intensity and obviously influence the short circuit current density of MPSCs. Utilizing films prepared by mentioning two methods, MPSCs with maximum power conversion efficiency of over 4% were fabricated for the active area of 0.5 × 0.5 cm2.

  14. Highly porous activated carbons prepared from carbon rich Mongolian anthracite by direct NaOH activation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Byamba-Ochir, Narandalai [School of Chemical Engineering, Chonnam National University, 77 Yongbong-Ro, Gwangju 61186 (Korea, Republic of); Shim, Wang Geun [Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sunchon National University, 255 Jungang-Ro, Suncheon, Jeollanam-Do 57922 (Korea, Republic of); Balathanigaimani, M.S., E-mail: msbala@rgipt.ac.in [Department of Chemical Engineering, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology, Ratapur Chowk, Rae Bareli, 229316 Uttar Pradesh (India); Moon, Hee, E-mail: hmoon@jnu.ac.kr [School of Chemical Engineering, Chonnam National University, 77 Yongbong-Ro, Gwangju 61186 (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-08-30

    Highlights: • Highly porous carbon materials from Mongolian anthracite by chemical activation. • Cheaper and eco-friendly activation process has been employed. • Activated carbons with graphitic structure and energetically heterogeneous surface. • Surface hydrophobicity and porosity of the activated carbons can be controlled. - Abstract: Highly porous activated carbons (ACs) were prepared from Mongolian raw anthracite (MRA) using sodium hydroxide as an activation agent by varying the mass ratio (powdered MRA/NaOH) as well as the mixing method of chemical agent and powdered MRA. The specific BET surface area and total pore volume of the prepared MRA-based activated carbons (MACs) are in the range of 816–2063 m{sup 2}/g and of 0.55–1.61 cm{sup 3}/g, respectively. The pore size distribution of MACs show that most of the pores are in the range from large micropores to small mesopores and their distribution can be controlled by the mass ratio and mixing method of the activating agent. As expected from the intrinsic property of the MRA, the highly graphitic surface morphology of prepared carbons was confirmed from Raman spectra and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. Furthermore the FTIR and XPS results reveal that the preparation of MACs with hydrophobic in nature is highly possible by controlling the mixing conditions of activating agent and powdered MRA. Based on all the results, it is suggested that the prepared MACs could be used for many specific applications, requiring high surface area, optimal pore size distribution, proper surface hydrophobicity as well as strong physical strength.

  15. Development of high performance electroless Ni-P-HNT composite coatings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ranganatha, S.; Venkatesha, T. V.; Vathsala, K.

    2012-12-01

    Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) of the dimension 50 nm × 1-3 μm (diameter × length) are utililized to fabricate the alloy composite by employing electroless/autocatalytic deposition technique. Electroless Ni-P-HNT binary alloy composite coatings are prepared successfully on low carbon steel. These nanotubes were made to get inserted/incorporated into nickel matrix and corresponding composites are examined for their electrochemical, mechanical and tribological performances and compared with that of plain Ni-P. The coatings were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) techniques to analyze surface nature and composition correspondingly. Small amount of incorporated HNTs made Ni-P deposits appreciable enhancement and betterment in corrosion resistance, hardness and friction resistance. This drastic improvement in the properties reflects the effect of addition of HNTs into Ni-P matrix leading to the development of high performance Ni-P-HNT composite coatings.

  16. High-performance oxygen reduction catalysts in both alkaline and acidic fuel cells based on pre-treating carbon material and iron precursor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Song, Ping; Barkholtz, Heather M.; Wang, Ying; Xu, Weilin; Liu, Dijia; Zhuang, Lin

    2017-12-01

    We demonstrate a new and simple method for pre-treating the carbon material and iron precursor to prepare oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts, which can produce super-high performance and stability in alkaline solution, with high performance in acid solution. This strategy using cheap materials is simply controllable. Moreover, it has achieved smaller uniform nanoparticles to exhibit high stability, and the synergetic effect of Fe and N offered much higher performance in ORR than commercial Pt/C, with high maximum power density in alkaline and acid fuel cell test. So it can make this kind of catalysts be the most promising alternatives of Pt-based catalysts with best performance/price.

  17. Preparation, Physicochemical Characterization and Performance Evaluation of Gold Nanoparticles in Radiotherapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Kamiar

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The aim of the present study was preparation, physicochemical characterization and performance evaluation of gold nanoparticles (GNPs in radiotherapy. Another objective was the investigation of anti-bacterial efficacy of gold nanoparticle against E. coli clinical strains. Methods: Gold nanoparticles prepared by controlled reduction of an aqueous HAuCl4 solution using Tri sodium citrate. Particle size analysis and Transmission electron microscopy were used for physicochemical characterization. Polymer gel dosimetry was used for evaluation of the enhancement of absorbed dose. Diffusion method in agar media was used for investigation of anti-bacterial effect. Results: Gold nanoparticles synthesized in size range from 57 nm to 346 nm by planning different formulation. Gold nanoparticle in 57 nm size increased radiation dose effectiveness with the magnitude of about 21 %. At the concentration of 400 ppm, Nano gold exhibited significant anti-bacterial effect against E. coli clinical strains. Conclusion: It is concluded that gold nanoparticles can be applied as dose enhancer in radiotherapy. The Investigation of anti-bacterial efficacy showed that gold nanoparticle had significant effect against E. coli clinical strains.

  18. Preparing high-density polymer brushes by mechanically assisted polymer assembly (MAPA)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Tao; Efimenko, Kirill; Genzer, Jan

    2001-03-01

    We introduce a novel method of modifying the surface properties of materials. This technique, called MAPA (="mechanically assisted polymer assembly"), is based on: 1) chemically attaching polymerization initiators to the surface of an elastomeric network that has been previously stretched by a certain length, Δx, and 2) growing end-anchored macromolecules using surface initiated ("grafting from") atom transfer living radical polymerization. After the polymerization, the strain is removed from the substrate, which returns to its original size causing the grafted macromolecules to stretch away from the substrate and form a dense polymer brush. We demonstrate the feasibility of the MAPA method by preparing high-density polymer brushes of poly(acryl amide), PAAm. We show that, as expected, the grafting density of the PAAm brushes can be increased by increasing Δx. We demonstrate that polymer brushes with extremely high grafting densities can be successfully prepared by MAPA.

  19. Preparation of the Crosslinked Polyethersulfone Films by High Temperature Electron-Beam Irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, J.

    2006-01-01

    The aromatic polymers, mainly so called engineering plastics, were famed for the good stability under irradiation. However, high temperature irradiation of the aromatic polymers can result the crosslinked structure, due to the improved molecular mobility. Polyethersulfone (PES) is a wide used engineering plastic because of the high performance and high thermal stability. PES films were irradiated by electron-beam under nitrogen atmosphere above the glass transition temperature and then the covalently crosslinked PES (RX-PES) films were obtained. The irradiations were also performed at ambient temperature for comparison. The network structure formation of the RX-PES films was confirmed by the appearance of the gel, which were measured by soaking the irradiated PES films in the N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) at room temperature. When the PES films were irradiated to 300 kGy, there was gel appeared. The gel percent increased with the increasing in the absorbed dose, and saturated when the absorbed dose exceeded 1200 kGy. However, there was no gel formed for the PES films irradiated at ambient temperature even to 2250 kGy. The G(S) and G(X) were calculated according to the Y-crosslinking mechanism. The results values are consistent in error range. G(S) of 0.10 and G(X) of 0.23 were obtained. As calculated, almost all the macromolecular radicals produced by chain scission were used for crosslinking. Also, the glass transition temperature of the RX-PES films increased with the increasing in the absorbed doses, while the glass transition temperature of the PES films irradiated at ambient temperature decreased with the increasing in the absorbed doses. The blending films of the PES with FEP or ETFE were prepared and the high temperature irradiation effects were also studies

  20. Pseudocapacitive Oxides and Sulfides for High-Performance Electrochemical Energy Storage

    KAUST Repository

    Xia, Chuan

    2018-03-22

    The intermittent nature of several sustainable energy sources such as solar and wind energy has ignited the demand of electrochemical energy storage devices in the form of batteries and electrochemical capacitors. The future generation of electrochemical capacitors will in large part depend on the use of pseudocapacitive materials in one or both electrodes. Developing pseudocapacitors to have both high energy and power density is crucial for future energy storage systems. This dissertation evaluates two different material systems to achieve high energy density pseudocapacitive energy storage. This research presents the successful preparation and application of ternary NiCo2S4, which is based on the surface redox mechanism, in the area of pseudocapacitive energy storage. Attention has been paid to understanding its basic physical properties which can impact its electrochemical behavior. Well-defined single- and double-shell NiCo2S4 hollow spheres were fabricated for pseudocapacitor applications, showing much improved electrochemical storage performance with good energy and power densities, as well as excellent cycling stability. To overcome the complexity of the preparation methods of NiCo2S4 nanostructures, a one-step approach was developed for the first time. Asymmetric pseudocapacitors using NiCo2S4 as cathode and graphene as anode were also fabricated to extend the operation voltage in aqueous electrolyte, and thus enhance the overall capacity of the cells. Furthermore, high-performance on-chip pseudocapacitive energy storage was demonstrated using NiCo2S4 as electrochemically active materials. This dissertation also involves another material system, intercalation pseudocapacitive VO2 (B), that displays a different charge storage mechanism from NiCo2S4. By constructing high-quality, atomically-thin two-dimensional (2D) VO2 (B) sheets using a general monomer-assisted approach, we demonstrate that a rational design of atomically thin, 2D nanostructures of

  1. Nitrogen and phosphorus co-doped carbon hollow spheres derived from polypyrrole for high-performance supercapacitor electrodes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lv, Bingjie; Li, Peipei; Liu, Yan; Lin, Shanshan; Gao, Bifen; Lin, Bizhou

    2018-04-01

    Nitrogen and phosphorus co-doped carbon hollow spheres (NPCHSs) have been prepared by a carbonization and subsequent chemical activation route using dehydrated polypyrrole hollow spheres as the precursor and KOH as the activating agent. NPCHSs are interconnected into a unique 3D porous network, which endows the as-prepared carbon to exhibit a large specific surface area of 1155 m2 g-1 and a high specific capacitance of 232 F g-1 at a current density of 1 A g-1. The as-obtained NPCHSs present a high-level heteroatom doping with N, O and P contents of 11.4, 6.7 and 3.5 wt%, respectively. The capacitance of NPCHSs has been retained at 89.1% after 5000 charge-discharge cycles at a relatively high current density of 5 A g-1. Such excellent performance suggests that NPCHSs are attractive electrode candidates for electrical double layer capacitors.

  2. Lithiation Kinetics in High-Performance Porous Vanadium Nitride Nanosheet Anode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peng, Xiang; Li, Wan; Wang, Lei; Hu, Liangsheng; Jin, Weihong; Gao, Ang; Zhang, Xuming; Huo, Kaifu; Chu, Paul K.

    2016-01-01

    Vanadium nitride (VN) is promising in lithium ion battery (LIB) anode due to its high energy density, chemical stability, and corrosion resistivity. Herein, porous VN nanosheets are synthesized hydrothermally followed by an ammonia treatment. The porous nanosheets offer a large interfacial area between the electrode and electrolyte as well as short Li + diffusion path and consequently, the VN nanosheets electrode has high capacity and rate capability as an anode in LIB. The VN anode delivers a high reversible capacity of 455 mAh g −1 at a current density of 100 mA g −1 and it remains at 341 mAh g −1 when the current density is increased to 1 A g −1 . The charge transfer and Li + diffusion kinetics during the lithiation process is studied systematically. A highly stable SEI film is formed during the initial discharging-charging cycles to achieve a long cycle life and sustained capacity at a high level for 250 discharging-charging cycles without deterioration. This work demonstrates the preparation of high-performance LIB anode materials by a simple method and elucidates the lithiation kinetics.

  3. Enantiomeric high-performance liquid chromatography resolution and absolute configuration of 6β-benzoyloxy-3α-tropanol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muñoz, Marcelo A; González, Natalia; Joseph-Nathan, Pedro

    2016-07-01

    The absolute configuration of the naturally occurring isomers of 6β-benzoyloxy-3α-tropanol (1) has been established by the combined use of chiral high-performance liquid chromatography with electronic circular dichroism detection and optical rotation detection. For this purpose (±)-1, prepared in two steps from racemic 6-hydroxytropinone (4), was subjected to chiral high-performance liquid chromatography with electronic circular dichroism and optical rotation detection allowing the online measurement of both chiroptical properties for each enantiomer, which in turn were compared with the corresponding values obtained from density functional theory calculations. In an independent approach, preparative high-performance liquid chromatography separation using an automatic fraction collector, yielded an enantiopure sample of OR (+)-1 whose vibrational circular dichroism spectrum allowed its absolute configuration assignment when the bands in the 1100-950 cm(-1) region were compared with those of the enantiomers of esters derived from 3α,6β-tropanediol. In addition, an enantiomerically enriched sample of 4, instead of OR (±)-4, was used for the same transformation sequence, whose high-performance liquid chromatography follow-up allowed their spectroscopic correlation. All evidences lead to the OR (+)-(1S,3R,5S,6R) and OR (-)-(1R,3S,5R,6S) absolute configurations, from where it follows that samples of 1 isolated from Knightia strobilina and Erythroxylum zambesiacum have the OR (+)-(1S,3R,5S,6R) absolute configuration, while the sample obtained from E. rotundifolium has the OR (-)-(1R,3S,5R,6S) absolute configuration. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. Higs-instrument: design and demonstration of a high performance gas concentration imager

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verlaan, A. L.; Klop, W. A.; Visser, H.; van Brug, H.; Human, J.

    2017-09-01

    Climate change and environmental conditions are high on the political agenda of international governments. Laws and regulations are being setup all around the world to improve the air quality and to reduce the impact. The growth of a number of trace gasses, including CO2, Methane and NOx are especially interesting due to their environmental impact. The regulations made are being based on both models and measurements of the trend of those trace gases over the years. Now the regulations are in place also enforcement and therewith measurements become more and more important. Instruments enabling high spectral and spatial resolution as well as high accurate measurements of trace gases are required to deliver the necessary inputs. Nowadays those measurements are usually performed by space based spectrometers. The requirement for high spectral resolution and measurement accuracy significantly increases the size of the instruments. As a result the instrument and satellite becomes very expensive to develop and to launch. Specialized instruments with a small volume and the required performance will offer significant advantages in both cost and performance. Huib's Innovative Gas Sensor (HIGS, named after its inventor Huib Visser), currently being developed at TNO is an instrument that achieves exactly that. Designed to measure only a single gas concentration, opposed to deriving it from a spectrum, it achieves high performance within a small design volume. The instrument enables instantaneous imaging of the gas distribution of the selected gas. An instrument demonstrator has been developed for NO2 detection. Laboratory measurements proved the measurement technique to be successful. An on-sky measurement campaign is in preparation. This paper addresses both the instrument design as well as the demonstrated performances.

  5. Highly mesoporous α-Fe2O3 nanostructures: preparation, characterization and improved photocatalytic performance towards Rhodamine B (RhB)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bharathi, S; Nataraj, D; Mangalaraj, D; Masuda, Y; Senthil, K; Yong, K

    2010-01-01

    Single-crystalline porous hematite nanorods and spindle-like nanostructures were successfully synthesized by a low temperature reflux condensation method. Two different iron sources, namely, FeCl 3 ·6H 2 O and Fe(NO 3 ) 3 ·9H 2 O, were hydrolyzed in the presence of urea to selectively prepare nanorods and spindle-like nanostructures. Initially, the akagenite phase was obtained by refluxing the precursor for 12 h and then the as-prepared akagenite nanostructures were transformed to porous hematite nanostructures upon calcination at 300 0 C for 1 h. The shape and the aspect ratio of the 12 h refluxed sample was retained even after calcination and this shows the topotactic transformation of the nanostructure. TEM and HRTEM investigations have shown the porous nature of the prepared sample. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller and Barret-Joyner-Halenda measurements have shown a large surface area and distribution of mesopores in the nanorods sample. The photocatalytic activity of the prepared nanostructures towards RhB has reflected this variation in the pore size distribution and specific surface area, by showing a higher activity for the nanorods sample. Magnetic studies by VSM have shown a weak ferromagnetic behaviour in both the samples due to shape anisotropy.

  6. Preparation of very small point sources for high resolution radiography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Case, F.N.

    1976-01-01

    The need for very small point sources of high specific activity 192 Ir, 169 Yb, 170 Tm, and 60 Co in non-destructive testing has motivated the development of techniques for the fabrication of these sources. To prepare 192 Ir point sources for use in examination of tube sheet welds in LMFBR heat exchangers, 191 Ir enriched to greater than 90 percent was melted in a helium blanketed arc to form spheres as small as 0.38 mm in diameter. Methods were developed to form the roughly spherical shaped arc product into nearly symmetrical spheres that could be used for high resolution radiography. Similar methods were used for spherical shaped sources of 169 Yb and 170 Tm. The oxides were arc melted to form rough spheres followed by grinding to precise dimensions, neutron irradiation of the spheres at a flux of 2 to 3 x 10 15 nv, and use of enriched 168 Yb to provide the maximum specific activity. Cobalt-60 with a specific activity of greater than 1100 Ci/g was prepared by processing 59 Co that had been neutron irradiated to nearly complete burnup of the 59 Co target to produce 60 Co, 61 Ni, and 62 Ni. Ion exchange methods were used to separate the cobalt from the nickel. The cobalt was reduced to metal by plating either onto aluminum foil which was dissolved away from the cobalt plate, or by plating onto mercury to prepare amalgam that could be easily formed into a pellet of cobalt with exclusion of the mercury. Both methods are discussed

  7. High performance work practices, innovation and performance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Frances; Newton, Cameron; Johnston, Kim

    2013-01-01

    Research spanning nearly 20 years has provided considerable empirical evidence for relationships between High Performance Work Practices (HPWPs) and various measures of performance including increased productivity, improved customer service, and reduced turnover. What stands out from......, and Africa to examine these various questions relating to the HPWP-innovation-performance relationship. Each paper discusses a practice that has been identified in HPWP literature and potential variables that can facilitate or hinder the effects of these practices of innovation- and performance...

  8. Investigating the Relationship between Test Preparation and "TOEFL iBT"® Performance. Research Report. ETS RR-14-15

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ou Lydia

    2014-01-01

    This study investigates the relationship between test preparation and test performance on the "TOEFL iBT"® exam. Information on background variables and test preparation strategies was gathered from 14,593 respondents in China through an online survey. A Chinese standardized English test was used as a control for prior English ability.…

  9. Ion-atom collisions with laser-prepared target: High resolution study of single charge exchange process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leredde, Arnaud

    2012-01-01

    Single charge transfer in low-energy Na"++"8"7Rb(5s,5p) collisions is investigated using magneto-optically trapped Rb atoms and high-resolution recoil-ion momentum spectroscopy. The three-dimensional reconstruction of the recoil-ion momentum provides accurate relative cross-sections for the active channels and the projectile scattering angle distributions. Thanks to the high experimental resolution, scattering structures such as diffraction-like oscillations in angular distributions are clearly observed. The measurements are compared with molecular close-coupling calculations and an excellent agreement is found. To go further in the test of the theory, the target is prepared in an oriented state. It is the first time that such collision experiments with oriented target is performed with such a high resolution. The right-left asymmetry expected for the scattering angle distribution is evidenced. The agreement between MOCC calculations and experiments is very good. Simple models developed for collisions with oriented target are also discussed. (author) [fr

  10. Reduced graphene oxide aerogel with high-rate supercapacitive performance in aqueous electrolytes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Si, Weijiang; Wu, Xiaozhong; Zhou, Jin; Guo, Feifei; Zhuo, Shuping; Cui, Hongyou; Xing, Wei

    2013-05-01

    Reduced graphene oxide aerogel (RGOA) is synthesized successfully through a simultaneous self-assembly and reduction process using hypophosphorous acid and I2 as reductant. Nitrogen sorption analysis shows that the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of RGOA could reach as high as 830 m2 g-1, which is the largest value ever reported for graphene-based aerogels obtained through the simultaneous self-assembly and reduction strategy. The as-prepared RGOA is characterized by a variety of means such as scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Electrochemical tests show that RGOA exhibits a high-rate supercapacitive performance in aqueous electrolytes. The specific capacitance of RGOA is calculated to be 211.8 and 278.6 F g-1 in KOH and H2SO4 electrolytes, respectively. The perfect supercapacitive performance of RGOA is ascribed to its three-dimensional structure and the existence of oxygen-containing groups.

  11. One-step electrodeposited nickel cobalt sulfide nanosheet arrays for high-performance asymmetric supercapacitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Wei; Xia, Chuan; Alshareef, Husam N

    2014-09-23

    A facile one-step electrodeposition method is developed to prepare ternary nickel cobalt sulfide interconnected nanosheet arrays on conductive carbon substrates as electrodes for supercapacitors, resulting in exceptional energy storage performance. Taking advantages of the highly conductive, mesoporous nature of the nanosheets and open framework of the three-dimensional nanoarchitectures, the ternary sulfide electrodes exhibit high specific capacitance (1418 F g(-1) at 5 A g(-1) and 1285 F g(-1) at 100 A g(-1)) with excellent rate capability. An asymmetric supercapacitor fabricated by the ternary sulfide nanosheet arrays as positive electrode and porous graphene film as negative electrode demonstrates outstanding electrochemical performance for practical energy storage applications. Our asymmetric supercapacitors show a high energy density of 60 Wh kg(-1) at a power density of 1.8 kW kg(-1). Even when charging the cell within 4.5 s, the energy density is still as high as 33 Wh kg(-1) at an outstanding power density of 28.8 kW kg(-1) with robust long-term cycling stability up to 50,000 cycles.

  12. One-Step Electrodeposited Nickel Cobalt Sulfide Nanosheet Arrays for High-Performance Asymmetric Supercapacitors

    KAUST Repository

    Chen, Wei

    2014-09-23

    A facile one-step electrodeposition method is developed to prepare ternary nickel cobalt sulfide interconnected nanosheet arrays on conductive carbon substrates as electrodes for supercapacitors, resulting in exceptional energy storage performance. Taking advantages of the highly conductive, mesoporous nature of the nanosheets and open framework of the three-dimensional nanoarchitectures, the ternary sulfide electrodes exhibit high specific capacitance (1418 F g(-1) at 5 A g(-1) and 1285 F g(-1) at 100 A g(-1)) with excellent rate capability. An asymmetric supercapacitor fabricated by the ternary sulfide nanosheet arrays as positive electrode and porous graphene film as negative electrode demonstrates outstanding electrochemical performance for practical energy storage applications. Our asymmetric supercapacitors show a high energy density of 60 Wh kg(-1) at a power density of 1.8 kW kg(-1). Even when charging the cell within 4.5 s, the energy density is still as high as 33 Wh kg(-1) at an outstanding power density of 28.8 kW kg(-1) with robust long-term cycling stability up to 50 000 cycles.

  13. One-Step Electrodeposited Nickel Cobalt Sulfide Nanosheet Arrays for High-Performance Asymmetric Supercapacitors

    KAUST Repository

    Chen, Wei; Xia, Chuan; Alshareef, Husam N.

    2014-01-01

    A facile one-step electrodeposition method is developed to prepare ternary nickel cobalt sulfide interconnected nanosheet arrays on conductive carbon substrates as electrodes for supercapacitors, resulting in exceptional energy storage performance. Taking advantages of the highly conductive, mesoporous nature of the nanosheets and open framework of the three-dimensional nanoarchitectures, the ternary sulfide electrodes exhibit high specific capacitance (1418 F g(-1) at 5 A g(-1) and 1285 F g(-1) at 100 A g(-1)) with excellent rate capability. An asymmetric supercapacitor fabricated by the ternary sulfide nanosheet arrays as positive electrode and porous graphene film as negative electrode demonstrates outstanding electrochemical performance for practical energy storage applications. Our asymmetric supercapacitors show a high energy density of 60 Wh kg(-1) at a power density of 1.8 kW kg(-1). Even when charging the cell within 4.5 s, the energy density is still as high as 33 Wh kg(-1) at an outstanding power density of 28.8 kW kg(-1) with robust long-term cycling stability up to 50 000 cycles.

  14. Controlled Release Formulation of Indomethacin Prepared With Bee ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Abstract. Purpose: To prepare and evaluate new sustained release formulations of indomethacin based on extracts of propolis (bee glue). Methods: Standardization of propolis (bee glue) extracts was performed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and determination of the values of fat and fixed oils. Several ...

  15. A Core-Shell Fe/Fe2 O3 Nanowire as a High-Performance Anode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Na, Zhaolin; Huang, Gang; Liang, Fei; Yin, Dongming; Wang, Limin

    2016-08-16

    The preparation of novel one-dimensional core-shell Fe/Fe2 O3 nanowires as anodes for high-performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is reported. The nanowires are prepared in a facile synthetic process in aqueous solution under ambient conditions with subsequent annealing treatment that could tune the capacity for lithium storage. When this hybrid is used as an anode material for LIBs, the outer Fe2 O3 shell can act as an electrochemically active material to store and release lithium ions, whereas the highly conductive and inactive Fe core functions as nothing more than an efficient electrical conducting pathway and a remarkable buffer to tolerate volume changes of the electrode materials during the insertion and extraction of lithium ions. The core-shell Fe/Fe2 O3 nanowire maintains an excellent reversible capacity of over 767 mA h g(-1) at 500 mA g(-1) after 200 cycles with a high average Coulombic efficiency of 98.6 %. Even at 2000 mA g(-1) , a stable capacity as high as 538 mA h g(-1) could be obtained. The unique composition and nanostructure of this electrode material contribute to this enhanced electrochemical performance. Due to the ease of large-scale fabrication and superior electrochemical performance, these hybrid nanowires are promising anode materials for the next generation of high-performance LIBs. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. [Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatograph--application to serum aluminium monitoring].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoshino, H; Kaneko, E

    1996-01-01

    High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with the reversed-phase partition mode separation (including ion-pair one) towards metal chelate compounds prepared in an off-line fashion (precolumn chelation) is most versatile in terms of high sensitivity with base-line flatness, unique selectivity and cost effectiveness. The extraordinary toughness to the complicated matrices encountered in clinical testing is exemplified by the successful application to the aluminium monitoring of human serum samples. The A1 chelate with 2,2'-dihydroxyazobenzene is efficiently chromatographed on a LiChroCART RP-18 column using an aqueous methanol eluent (63.6 wt%) containing tetrabutylammonium bromide as an ion-pair agent. The serum concentration level of A1 down to 6 micrograms dm-3 is readily monitored without influences from iron, chyle and haemolysis.

  17. Trends in sample preparation 2002. Development and application. Book of abstracts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wenzl, T.; Eberl, M.; Zischka, M.; Knapp, G.

    2002-01-01

    This conference comprised topics dealing with sample preparation such as: sample decomposition, solvent extraction, derivatization techniques and uncertainty in sample preparation. In particular microwave assisted sample preparation techniques and equipment were discussed. The papers were organized under the general topics: trace element analysis, trace analysis of organic compounds, high performance instrumentation in sample preparation, speciation analysis and posters session. Those papers of INIS interest are cited individually. (nevyjel)

  18. Trends in sample preparation 2002. Development and application. Book of abstracts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wenzl, T; Eberl, M; Zischka, M; Knapp, G [eds.

    2002-07-01

    This conference comprised topics dealing with sample preparation such as: sample decomposition, solvent extraction, derivatization techniques and uncertainty in sample preparation. In particular microwave assisted sample preparation techniques and equipment were discussed. The papers were organized under the general topics: trace element analysis, trace analysis of organic compounds, high performance instrumentation in sample preparation, speciation analysis and posters session. Those papers of INIS interest are cited individually. (nevyjel)

  19. Preparation and performance of Ecobras/bentonite biodegrading films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Costa, Ana Nery M.; Melo, Nadja M.C.; Canedo, Eduardo L.; Carvalho, Laura H.; Araujo, Arthur R.A.

    2011-01-01

    Compounds based on the biodegradable polymer Ecobras and bentonite clay in its pristine, sonicated, and organically modified with a quaternary ammonium salt forms were prepared as flat films. Clays and compounds were characterized by x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Mechanical properties of the films were determined according to pertinent ASTM standards. Reasonable properties, higher than those of the matrix, were obtained with compounds prepared with purified clays and organoclays, particularly for low clay loading. (author)

  20. Acetylene black incorporated layered copper sulfide nanosheets for high-performance supercapacitor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Ke-Jing; Zhang, Ji-Zong; Jia, Yu-Ling; Xing, Ke; Liu, Yan-Ming

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • CuS/AB composites were synthesized by a simple solvothermal route. • Supercapacitor electrode based on CuS/AB was fabricated. • Microstructures and electrochemical properties of the electrodes were evaluated. • CuS/AB electrode exhibited ultrahigh specific capacitance and good cycling stability. - Abstract: Two-dimensional transition metal chalcogenides are attracting increasing attention in energy storage due to their unique structures and electronic properties. CuS has been demonstrated with a metal-like electronic conductivity and a high theoretical capacity. In this work, a facile strategy was reported for one-step synthesis of acetylene black (AB) incorporated layered CuS nanosheet via a simple solvothermal route. X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to investigate the morphologies and microstructures of the as-prepared materials. Electrochemical data showed that the CuS/AB composites displayed a high specific capacitance of 2981 F/g at 1.0 A/g and retained 64.6% (1924.5 F/g) at a high current density of 20 A/g, indicative of good rate capability. Furthermore, the composites retained approximately 92% of the initial specific capacitance after 600 cycles at a current density of 1.0 A/g, demonstrating good cycling stability. The outstanding electrochemical properties of the CuS/AB composite suggested that it had great potential for practical applications in high-performance supercapacitors and the present synthesis strategy maybe readily extended to the preparation of other composites based on CuS for potential applications in energy storage and conversion devices

  1. Preparation and characterization of Grain-Oriented Barium Titanate Ceramics Using Electrophoresis Deposition Method under A High Magnetic Field

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kita, T; Kondo, S; Takei, T; Kumada, N; Nakashima, K; Fujii, I; Wada, S [Material Science and Technology, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medical and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, 4-4-37 Takeda, Kofu, Yamanashi 400-8510 (Japan); Suzuki, T S; Uchikoshi, T; Sakka, Y [National Institute for materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan); Miwa, Y; Kawada, S; Kimura, M, E-mail: swada@yamanashi.ac.jp [Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. 2288 Ooshinohara, Yasu, Shiga 520-2393 (Japan)

    2011-10-29

    Barium titanate (BaTiO{sub 3}) grain-oriented ceramics were prepared using electrophoresis deposition (EPD) method under high magnetic field of 12 T. First, BaTiO{sub 3} nanoparticles with high c/a ratio of 1.008 and size of 84 nm were prepared by two-step thermal decomposition method with barium titanyl oxalate nanoparticles. Using the BaTiO{sub 3} slurry, BaTiO{sub 3} nanoparticle accumulations were prepared by EPD method under high magnetic field. After binder burnout, the accumulations were sintered and BaTiO{sub 3} grain-oriented ceramics were prepared. Moreover, dielectric properties of their ceramics were investigated

  2. Magnetic fluid with high dispersion and heating performance using nano-sized Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} platelets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kishimoto, Mikio, E-mail: kishimoto.mikio.gb@u.tsukuba.ac.jp [Institute of Applied Physics, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573 (Japan); Miyamoto, Ryoichi; Oda, Tatsuya [Department of Surgery, Division of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573 (Japan); Yanagihara, Hideto [Institute of Applied Physics, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573 (Japan); Ohkohchi, Nobuhiro [Department of Surgery, Division of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573 (Japan); Kita, Eiji [Institute of Applied Physics, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573 (Japan)

    2016-01-15

    Magnetic fluid with high dispersion and heating performance was developed using 30 to 50 nm platelet Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} particles. This fluid was prepared by mechanical dispersion in ethyl alcohol with a silane coupling agent, bonding with polyethylene glycol (PEG), and removal of aggregates formed by precipitation. The peak diameter of the resulting Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} particles, measured by dynamic light scattering, was approximately 150 nm. The fluid exhibited a 300 W/g specific loss power (measured at 114 kHz by a 50.9 kA/m magnetic field). Distribution of the Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} particles in tissues was observed by intravenously administrating the fluid in mice. The Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} particles passed through the lungs, and were uniformly distributed throughout the liver and spleen. High dispersion and high heating performance were simultaneously achieved in the magnetic fluid using platelet Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} particles surface modified with PEG. - Highlights: • Magnetic fluid with high dispersion and heating performance using Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} particles. • Fluid prepared by mechanical dispersion, bonding with polyethylene glycol. • TEM observation and measurements of particle size distribution and specific loss power of fluid. • Observation of distribution of particles in mice tissues intravenously administrated fluid.

  3. Three-dimensional interconnected porous graphitic carbon derived from rice straw for high performance supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Hong; Hu, Jingpeng; Wu, Shichao; Wang, Xiaolan; Zhang, Hui; Xu, Hui; Lian, Kun

    2018-04-01

    Three-dimensional interconnected porous graphitic carbon materials are synthesized via a combination of graphitization and activation process with rice straw as the carbon source. The physicochemical properties of the three-dimensional interconnected porous graphitic carbon materials are characterized by Nitrogen adsorption/desorption, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy and Transmission electron microscopy. The results demonstrate that the as-prepared carbon is a high surface area carbon material (a specific surface area of 3333 m2 g-1 with abundant mesoporous and microporous structures). And it exhibits superb performance in symmetric double layer capacitors with a high specific capacitance of 400 F g-1 at a current density of 0.1 A g-1, good rate performance with 312 F g-1 under a current density of 5 A g-1 and favorable cycle stability with 6.4% loss after 10000 cycles at a current density of 5 A g-1 in the aqueous electrolyte of 6M KOH. Thus, rice straw is a promising carbon source for fabricating inexpensive, sustainable and high performance supercapacitors' electrode materials.

  4. Digested sludge-derived three-dimensional hierarchical porous carbon for high-performance supercapacitor electrode

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jia-Jia; Fan, Hao-Xiang; Dai, Xiao-Hu; Yuan, Shi-Jie

    2018-04-01

    Digested sludge, as the main by-product of the sewage sludge anaerobic digestion process, still contains considerable organic compounds. In this protocol, we report a facile method for preparing digested sludge-derived self-doped porous carbon material for high-performance supercapacitor electrodes via a sustainable pyrolysis/activation process. The obtained digested sludge-derived carbon material (HPDSC) exhibits versatile O-, N-doped hierarchical porous framework, high specific surface area (2103.6 m2 g-1) and partial graphitization phase, which can facilitate ion transport, provide more storage sites for electrolyte ions and enhance the conductivity of active electrode materials. The HPDSC-based supercapacitor electrodes show favourable energy storage performance, with a specific capacitance of 245 F g-1 at 1.0 A g-1 in 0.5 M Na2SO4; outstanding cycling stability, with 98.4% capacitance retention after 2000 cycles; and good rate performance (211 F g-1 at 11 A g-1). This work provides a unique self-doped three-dimensional hierarchical porous carbon material with a favourable charge storage capacity and at the same time finds a high value-added and environment-friendly strategy for disposal and recycling of digested sludge.

  5. Rapid preparation of high electrochemical performance LiFePO4/C composite cathode material with an ultrasonic-intensified micro-impinging jetting reactor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Bin; Huang, Xiani; Yang, Xiaogang; Li, Guang; Xia, Lan; Chen, George

    2017-11-01

    A joint chemical reactor system referred to as an ultrasonic-intensified micro-impinging jetting reactor (UIJR), which possesses the feature of fast micro-mixing, was proposed and has been employed for rapid preparation of FePO 4 particles that are amalgamated by nanoscale primary crystals. As one of the important precursors for the fabrication of lithium iron phosphate cathode, the properties of FePO 4 nano particles significantly affect the performance of the lithium iron phosphate cathode. Thus, the effects of joint use of impinging stream and ultrasonic irradiation on the formation of mesoporous structure of FePO 4 nano precursor particles and the electrochemical properties of amalgamated LiFePO 4 /C have been investigated. Additionally, the effects of the reactant concentration (C=0.5, 1.0 and 1.5molL -1 ), and volumetric flow rate (V=17.15, 51.44, and 85.74mLmin -1 ) on synthesis of FePO 4 ·2H 2 O nucleus have been studied when the impinging jetting reactor (IJR) and UIJR are to operate in nonsubmerged mode. It was affirmed from the experiments that the FePO 4 nano precursor particles prepared using UIJR have well-formed mesoporous structures with the primary crystal size of 44.6nm, an average pore size of 15.2nm, and a specific surface area of 134.54m 2 g -1 when the reactant concentration and volumetric flow rate are 1.0molL -1 and 85.74mLmin -1 respectively. The amalgamated LiFePO 4 /C composites can deliver good electrochemical performance with discharge capacities of 156.7mAhg -1 at 0.1C, and exhibit 138.0mAhg -1 after 100 cycles at 0.5C, which is 95.3% of the initial discharge capacity. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  6. High-performance fluorescence-encoded magnetic microbeads as microfluidic protein chip supports for AFP detection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gong, Xiaoqun [School of Life Sciences, Tianjin Engineering Center of Micro-Nano Biomaterials and Detection-Treatment Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Yan, Huan; Yang, Jiumin [Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052 (China); Wu, Yudong; Zhang, Jian; Yao, Yingyi [School of Life Sciences, Tianjin Engineering Center of Micro-Nano Biomaterials and Detection-Treatment Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Liu, Ping [Bioscience (Tianjin) Diagnostic Technology CO., LTD, Tianjin, 300300 (China); Wang, Huiquan [Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Electronics and Information Engineering, Tianjin Polytechnic University, Tianjin, 300387 (China); Hu, Zhidong, E-mail: huzhidong27@163.com [Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052 (China); Chang, Jin, E-mail: jinchang@tju.edu.cn [School of Life Sciences, Tianjin Engineering Center of Micro-Nano Biomaterials and Detection-Treatment Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China)

    2016-10-05

    Fluorescence-encoded magnetic microbeads (FEMMs), with the fluorescence encoding ability of quantum dots (QDs) and magnetic enrichment and separation functions of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles, have been widely used for multiple biomolecular detection as microfluidic protein chip supports. However, the preparation of FEMMs with long-term fluorescent encoding and immunodetection stability is still a challenge. In this work, we designed a novel high-temperature chemical swelling strategy. The QDs and Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles were effectively packaged into microbeads via the thermal motion of the polymer chains and the hydrophobic interaction between the nanoparticles and microbeads. The FEMMs obtained a highly uniform fluorescent property and long-term encoding and immunodetection stability and could be quickly magnetically separated and enriched. Then, the QD-encoded magnetic microbeads were applied to alpha fetoprotein (AFP) detection via sandwich immunoreaction. The properties of the encoded microspheres were characterized using a self-designed detecting apparatus, and the target molecular concentration in the sample was also quantified. The results suggested that the high-performance FEMMs have great potential in the field of biomolecular detection. - Graphical abstract: We designed a novel strategy to prepare a kind of high-performance fluorescence-encoded magnetic microbeads as microfluidic protein chip support with long-time fluorescent encoding and immunodetection stability for AFP detection. - Highlights: • A novel strategy combined the high temperature with chemical swelling technology is designed. • Based on hydrophobic interaction and polymer thermal motion, QDs and Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} were effectively packaged into microbeads. • The fluorescence-encoded magnetic microbeads show long-term fluorescent encoding and immunodetection stability.

  7. Compact Process for the Preparation of Microfine Spherical High-Niobium-Containing TiAl Alloy Powders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tong, J. B.; Lu, X.; Liu, C. C.; Wang, L. N.; Qu, X. H.

    2015-03-01

    High-Nb-containing TiAl alloys are a new generation of materials for high-temperature structural applications because of their superior high-temperature mechanical properties. The alloy powders can be widely used for additive manufacturing, thermal spraying, and powder metallurgy. Because of the difficulty of making microfine spherical alloy powders in quantity by conventional techniques, a compact method was proposed, which consisted of two-step ball milling of elemental powders and subsequent radio frequency (RF) argon plasma spheroidization. In comparison with conventional mechanical alloying techniques, the two-step milling process can be used to prepare alloy powders with uniform scale in a short milling time with no addition of process control agent. This makes the process effective and less contaminating. After RF argon plasma spheroidization, the powders produced exhibit good sphericity, and the number-average diameter is about 8.2 μm with a symmetric unimodal particle size distribution. The powders perform high composition homogeneity and contain predominately supersaturated α 2-Ti3Al phase. The oxygen and carbon contents of the spheroidized powder are 0.47% and 0.050%, respectively.

  8. 3D Networked Tin Oxide/Graphene Aerogel with a Hierarchically Porous Architecture for High-Rate Performance Sodium-Ion Batteries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Xiuqiang; Chen, Shuangqiang; Sun, Bing; Wang, Chengyin; Wang, Guoxiu

    2015-09-07

    Low-cost and sustainable sodium-ion batteries are regarded as a promising technology for large-scale energy storage and conversion. The development of high-rate anode materials is highly desirable for sodium-ion batteries. The optimization of mass transport and electron transfer is crucial in the discovery of electrode materials with good high-rate performances. Herein, we report the synthesis of 3 D interconnected SnO2 /graphene aerogels with a hierarchically porous structure as anode materials for sodium-ion batteries. The unique 3 D architecture was prepared by a facile in situ process, during which cross-linked 3 D conductive graphene networks with macro-/meso-sized hierarchical pores were formed and SnO2 nanoparticles were dispersed uniformly on the graphene surface simultaneously. Such a 3 D functional architecture not only facilitates the electrode-electrolyte interaction but also provides an efficient electron pathway within the graphene networks. When applied as anode materials in sodium-ion batteries, the as-prepared SnO2 /graphene aerogel exhibited high reversible capacity, improved cycling performance compared to SnO2 , and promising high-rate capability. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. RavenDB high performance

    CERN Document Server

    Ritchie, Brian

    2013-01-01

    RavenDB High Performance is comprehensive yet concise tutorial that developers can use to.This book is for developers & software architects who are designing systems in order to achieve high performance right from the start. A basic understanding of RavenDB is recommended, but not required. While the book focuses on advanced topics, it does not assume that the reader has a great deal of prior knowledge of working with RavenDB.

  10. Microporous Ni@NiO nanoparticles prepared by chemically dealloying Al_3Ni_2@Al nanoparticles as a high microwave absorption material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pang, Yu; Xie, Xiubo; Li, Da; Chou, Wusheng; Liu, Tong

    2017-01-01

    The Al_3Ni_2@Al nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared from Ni_4_5Al_5_5 master alloy by hydrogen plasma-metal reaction method, and were subsequently dealloyed to produce porous Ni@NiO NPs of 36 nm. The pore size ranges from 0.7 to 1.6 nm, leading to large specific surface area of 69.5 m"2/g and big pore volume of 0.507 cc/g. The saturation magnetization (M_S) and coercivity (H_C) of the microporous Ni@NiO NPs are 11.5 emu/g and 5.2 Oe. They exhibit high microwave absorption performance with a minimum reflection coefficient (RC) of −86.9 dB and an absorption bandwidth of 2.6 GHz (RC≤−10 dB) at thickness of 4.5 mm. The enhanced microwave absorption properties are attributed to the synergistic effect of the magnetic Ni core and dielectric NiO shell, and the micropore architecture. The NPs with micropore morphology and core/shell structure open a new way to modify the microwave absorption performance. - Graphical abstract: The microporous Ni/NiO nanoparticles prepared by chemically dealloying Al_3Ni_2@Al NPs exhibit high microwave absorption intensity (−86.9 dB) and wide absorption bandwidth (2.6 GHz for RC≤−10 dB). - Highlights: • Microporous Ni/NiO nanoparticals were prepared by chemically dealloying method. • They possessed micropores of 0.7–1.6 nm with a surface area of 69.5 m"2/g. • They showed high microwave absorption intensity and wide absorption bandwidth. • Microwave absorption mechanism was explained by micropore and core/shell structures.

  11. Preparative separation of cacao bean procyanidins by high-speed counter-current chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Lingxi; Zhang, Shuting; Cui, Yan; Li, Yuanyuan; Luo, Lanxin; Zhou, Peiyu; Sun, Baoshan

    2016-11-15

    In this work, an efficient method for preparative separation of procyanidins from raw cacao bean extract by high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) was developed. Under the optimized solvent system of n-hexane-ethyl acetate-water (1:50:50, v/v/v) with a combination of head-tail and tail-head elution modes, various procyanidins fractions with different polymerization degrees were successfully separated. UPLC, QTOF-MS and 1 H NMR analysis verified that these fractions contained monomer up to pentamer respectively. Dimeric procyanidin B2 (purity>86%) could be isolated by HSCCC in a single run. Other individual procyanidins in these fractions could be further isolated and purified by preparative HPLC. The developed HSCCC together with preparative HPLC techniques appeared to be a useful tool for large preparation of different procyanidins from cacao beans. Furthermore, by antioxidant activity assays, it was proved that both fractions and individual procyanidins possessed greater antioxidant activities compared to standard trolox. The antioxidant activities of procyanidins increase as the increase of their polymerization degree. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Synthesis of belt-like BiOBr hierarchical nanostructure with high photocatalytic performance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Haiping [National Engineering Technology Research Center for Colloidal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Liu, Jingyi; Hu, Tingxia [Environment Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Du, Na; Song, Shue [Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Hou, Wanguo, E-mail: wghou@sdu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China)

    2016-05-15

    Highlights: • BiOBr hierarchical nanobelts (NBs) were solvothermally prepared. • NBs show higher specific surface area and photoabsorption than BiOBr nanosheets. • NBs exhibit higher photoactivity than the nanosheets. - Abstract: One-dimensional (1D) bismuth oxyhalide (BiOX) hierarchical nanostructures are always difficult to prepare. Herein, we report, for the first time, a simple synthesis of BiOBr nanobelts (NBs) via a facile solvothermal route, using bismuth subsalicylate as the template and bismuth source. The BiOBr nanobelts are composed of irregular single crystal nanoparticles with highly exposed (0 1 0) facets. Compared with the BiOBr nanosheets (NSs) with dominant exposed (0 0 1) facets, they exhibit higher photocatalytic activity toward degradation of Rhodamine B and Methylene Blue under visible light irradiation. The higher photocatalytic performance of BiOBr NBs arises from their larger specific surface area and higher photoabsorption capability. This study provides a simple route for synthesis of belt-like Bi-based hierarchical nanostructures.

  13. Electrochemical performance of multi-element doped α-nickel hydroxide prepared by supersonic co-precipitation method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Z.J.; Zhu, Y.J.; Bao, J.; Lin, X.R.; Zheng, H.Z.

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → The α-nickel hydroxides doped with several elements were prepared by supersonic co-precipitation method. → Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy show sample C has the best electrochemical performance. → The charge/discharge tests show that the 0.5 C discharge capacity (346 mAh/g) of sample C is even larger than that (337 mAh/g) at 0.1 C rate, while the discharge capacity at 0.5 C rate is much lower than that at 0.1 C rate for samples A and B. - Abstract: The multi-element doped α-nickel hydroxides have been prepared by supersonic co-precipitation method. Three kinds of samples A, B, C were prepared by chemically coprecipitating Ni, Al, Co, Y, Zn. It was found that sample C produced better performance than the others. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements indicated that sample C has better electrochemical performance, such as better reaction reversibility, higher proton diffusion coefficient and lower charge-transfer resistance, than those of samples A and B. The charge-discharge tests showed that the discharge capacity (346 mA h/g) of sample C is even larger at 0.5 C rate than that (337mAh/g) at 0.1 C rate, while the discharge capacity at 0.5 C rate is much lower than that at 0.1 C rate for samples A and B. It indicates that all doped elements can produce the synergic effect and further improve the electrochemical properties of the active materials.

  14. Nitrogen doped activated carbon from pea skin for high performance supercapacitor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Sultan; Ahmed, Ahsan; Rafat, M.

    2018-04-01

    In this work, nitrogen doped porous carbon (NDC) has been synthesized employing a facile two-step process. Firstly, carbon precursor (pea skin) was heated with melamine (acting as nitrogen source) followed by activation with KOH in different ratios. The dependence of porosity and nitrogen content on impregnation ratio was extensively studied. Other textural properties of prepared NDC sample were studied using standard techniques of material characterization. The electrochemical performance of NDC sample as an electrode was studied in two-electrode symmetric supercapacitor system. 1 M LiTFSI (lithium bis-trifluoromethanesulfonimide) solution in IL EMITFSI (1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide), was used as electrolyte. It was found that the fabricated supercapacitor cell offers high values of specific capacitance (141.1 F g‑1), specific energy (19.6 Wh kg‑1) and specific power (25.4 kW kg‑1) at current density of 1.3 A g‑1. More importantly, the fabricated supercapacitor cell shows capacitance retention of ∼75%, for more than 5000 cycles. The enhanced performance of NDC sample is primarily due to large surface area with favorable surface structure (contributing to double layer capacitance) and presence of nitrogen functionalities (contributing to pseudo-capacitance). Such important features make the synthesized NDC sample, an attractive choice for electrode material in high performance supercapacitor.

  15. [Determination of metformin hydrochloride, melamine and dicyandiamide in metformin hydrochloride preparations by tandem dual solid phase extraction cartridges-high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization multi-stage mass spectrometry].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Yanfen; Wang, Fanghuan; Wang, Zelan; Zhan, Haijuan; Liu, Wanyi; Meng, Zhe

    2018-02-08

    A method for the confirmation and quantification of metformin hydrochloride and its relative substances melamine and dicyandiamide using tandem dual solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridges and high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization multi-stage mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS n ) was developed. The samples were extracted with anhydrous ethanol containing 0.1% (v/v) acetic acid under ultrasound-assisted conditions. The extracts were concentrated and purified using Cleanert PCX and C18 tandem dual solid phase extraction cartridges, and eluted with 5% (v/v) ammonia methanol solution. The separation was performed on a Kromasil-C18 column (100 mm×4.6 mm, 3.5 μm) with gradient elution. The detection was performed in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode using electrospray ionization multi-stage mass spectrometry. The external standard method was used for quantification. The extraction solvents, types of SPE cartridges and eluents were optimized by comparing the recoveries under different conditions. The results showed that the detector response of each target compound was linear in corresponding mass concentration ranges with the correlation coefficients ( r 2 ) ≥ 0.9992. The limits of detection (LODs) and the limits of quantification (LOQs) of the three analytes were 1.48-13.61 μg/kg and 5.96-45.67 μg/kg, respectively. The recoveries of the three analytes were 65.02%-118.33% spiked at low, medium and high levels. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) were no more than 13.41%. The method is reliable, easy, and has a better purification effect. The method can be applied to the routine analysis of metformin hydrochloride and its relative substances melamine and dicyandiamide in different preparations of metformin hydrochloride.

  16. Thermal conductivity of high-porosity cellular-pore biocarbon prepared from sapele wood

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parfen'eva, L. S.; Orlova, T. S.; Kartenko, N. F.; Sharenkova, N. V.; Smirnov, B. I.; Smirnov, I. A.; Misiorek, H.; Jezowski, A.; Mucha, J.; de Arellano-Lopez, A. R.; Martinez-Fernandez, J.

    2009-10-01

    This paper reports on measurements (in the temperature range T = 5-300 K) of the thermal conductivity κ( T) and electrical conductivity σ( T) of the high-porosity (˜63 vol %) amorphous biocarbon preform with cellular pores, prepared by pyrolysis of sapele wood at the carbonization temperature 1000°C. The preform at 300 K was characterized using X-ray diffraction analysis. Nanocrystallites 11-30 Å in ize were shown to participate in the formation of the carbon network of sapele wood preforms. The dependences κ( T) and σ( T) were measured for the samples cut across and along empty cellular pore channels, which are aligned with the tree growth direction. Thermal conductivity measurements performed on the biocarbon sapele wood preform revealed a temperature dependence of the phonon thermal conductivity that is not typical of amorphous (and X-ray amorphous) materials. The electrical conductivity σ was found to increase with the temperature increasing from 5 to 300 K. The results obtained were analyzed.

  17. Preparation of ZnO/SiO{sub 2} gel composites and their performance of H{sub 2}S removal at room temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Guoqiang [Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Huang, Zheng-Hong, E-mail: zhhuang@tsinghua.edu.cn [Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Kang, Feiyu [Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Institute of Advanced Materials Research, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055 (China)

    2012-05-15

    Graphical abstract: The ZnO/SiO{sub 2} gel composites exhibit mixed type isotherms, in which the initial part is type I, and intermediate and high relative pressures are type IV with a hysteresis loop of type H2. The breakthrough time of ZnO/SiO{sub 2} composites first increased sharply up to 400 Degree-Sign C with the H{sub 2}S breakthrough capacity is up to 96.4 mg/g, and then decrease dramatically with further rising of temperature beyond 500 Degree-Sign C. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer High surface area ZnO/SiO{sub 2} gel composites were prepared by co-sol-gel method. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The active phase (ZnO) well disperses in the composites. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The highest H{sub 2}S adsorption capacity of the composites reaches up to 96.4 mg/g. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Both physisorption and the active phase reactivation governed the H{sub 2}S removal process. - Abstract: ZnO/SiO{sub 2} gel composites with different active component loading were prepared by sol-gel method combined with ambient drying process, followed by thermal treatment. The gel composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen adsorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), FTIR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and their performances for H{sub 2}S removal were evaluated by dynamic testing at room temperature. The as prepared materials exhibited high surface area with multimodal pore size distributions in micropore and mesopore region. The porous properties were significantly influenced both by the ZnO loading ratio and the treated temperature. The gel composites showed a high performance for H{sub 2}S removal, with the highest H{sub 2}S adsorption capacity of 96.4 mg/g for the sample treated at 400 Degree-Sign C with 30 wt% ZnO. Both physisorption and the active phase reactivation governed the H{sub 2}S removal process. It needs to optimize the composites' porous structure and active component loading amount.

  18. What is the impact of commercial test preparation courses on medical examination performance?

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGaghie, William C; Downing, Steven M; Kubilius, Ramune

    2004-01-01

    Commercial test preparation courses are part of the fabric of U.S. medical education. They are also big business with 2,000 sales for 1 firm listed at nearly $250 million. This article systematically reviews and evaluates research published in peer-reviewed journals and in the "grey literature" that addresses the impact of commercial test preparation courses on standardized, undergraduate medical examinations. Thirteen computerized English language databases were searched using 29 search terms and search concepts from their onset to October 1, 2002. Also manually searched was medical education conference proceedings and publications after the end date; and medical education journal editors were contacted about articles accepted for publication, but not yet in print, that were deemed pertinent to this review. Studies that met three criteria were selected: (a) a commercial test preparation course or service was an educational intervention, (b) the outcome variable was one of several standardized medical examinations, and (c) results are published in a peer-reviewed journal or another outlet that insures scholarly scrutiny. The criteria were applied and data extracted by consensus of 2 reviewers. The search identified 11 empirical studies, of which 10 (8 journal articles, 2 unpublished reports) are included in this review. Qualitative data synthesis and tabular presentation of research methods and outcomes are used. The articles and unpublished reports reveal that current research lacks control and rigor; the incremental validity of the commercial courses on medical examination performance, if any, is extremely small; and evidence in support of the courses is weak or nonexistent; almost no details are given about the form and conduct of the commercial test preparation courses; studies are confined to courses in preparation for the Medical College Admission Test, the former National Board of Medical Examiners Part 1, and the United States Medical Licensing Examination

  19. Preparation and properties of high-Tc Bi-oxide superconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maeda, H.

    1989-01-01

    Bulk superconductors of Pb-doped Bi-oxide system (BSCCO) dominated with the high-Tc phase have the critical transition temperature, Tc of 110 K, and the upper critical fields, H c2 of 140 T at OK and 60 T at 77 K. A highly dense and a highly oriented microstructure is obtained by inserting an intermediate uniaxial pressing process. The critical current density, Jc at 77 K in zero field, Jc (77K,OT) of some 5000 A/cm 2 can be easily obtained by this process, and the field dependence of Jc is also improved. Flexible high-Tc BSCCO ribbons with a Jc (77K,Ot) of 1850 A/cm 2 have been successfully prepared by the combined process of doctor blade casting, cold rolling and sintering. Aq-sheeted multifilamentary wires with 1330 filaments and tapes with 30 filaments have also been successfully fabricated and the 36-filament tape shows a Jc(77K,OT) of 1050 A/cm 2 . (Auth.). 7 refs.; 7 figs

  20. STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF CONDITIONAL PREPARATION IN JUDO

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Slavko Obadov

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available Conditional preparation is a constituent part of overall sports preparation. Conditional training might be defined as a process of improvement of a sportsman’s functional and motor abilities, morphological characteristics, health, as well as the required motor knowledge. Conditional preparation can be might be classified as: general, basic and situational conditional preparation. Programs of the conditional training might be classified as: developing, resuming, recovering, preventive and recovering ones. High level of the general physical preparation enables maximum demonstration of the physical abilities of a sportsman during the stage of improvement of the specific motor abilities. Good general preparation of a sportsman enables him to push beyond his functional limits in order to cope with heavy loads easier, which subsequently enables him to achieve top performance level. Basic conditional preparation assumes the development of the most important judo abilities. Specific conditional preparation is related directly to the execution of different structural elements under the conditional requirements. Situational conditional preparation enables integration of the tactical and conditional training.

  1. Preparation, Characterization and Performances of Powdered Polycarboxylate Superplasticizer with Bulk Polymerization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiao Liu

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available A polycarboxylate superplasticizer (PCE was synthesized in a non-solvent system with bulk polymerization and then was pulverized into powdered form to achieve a rapid transportation and convenient preparation. PCE synthesized by using isopentenyl polyethylene glycol (TPEG or isobutenyl polyethylene glycol (IPEG as a macromonomer exhibited the best fluidities and retaining properties at 80 °C and 75 °C, respectively. Besides, azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN was suitable as an initiator, and the fumaric acid was suitable as the third monomer. The test results of 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR confirmed the occurrences of polymerization, and the measurement results of molecular weight and distribution showed that PCE molecular weight characteristics were in accordance with their fluidity properties in cement paste. The application performances in cement showed that PCEs with the best paste fluidity retentions had the longest final setting time and the shortest setting time interval, and the PCEs with good fluidity properties can obviously delay the hydration process and lower the hydration heat. Accordingly, this is a novel, energy-saving and economical method to prepare powdered PCE in the field of concrete admixtures.

  2. Preparation of high quality superconducting thin MgB2 films for electronics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Surdu, Andrei; Zdravkov, Vladimir; Sidorenko, Anatolie; Rossolenko, Anna; Ryazanov, Valerii; Bdikin, Igor; Kroemer, Oliver; Nold, Eberhard; Koch, Thomas; Schimmel, Thomas

    2007-01-01

    In this work we report the growth of high-Tc MgB 2 smooth films which are prepared in a two-step process: 1) deposition of the precursor films and 2) their annealing in Mg vapor with a specially designed, reusable reactor. Our method opens perspectives for the use of MgB 2 films in microelectronics, especially for high-frequency applications. (authors)

  3. Novel cellulose ester substrates for high performance flat-sheet thin-film composite (TFC) forward osmosis (FO) membranes

    KAUST Repository

    Ong, Rui Chin

    2015-01-01

    A novel hydrophilic cellulose ester with a high intrinsic water permeability and a water partition coefficient was discovered to construct membrane supports for flat-sheet thin film composite (TFC) forward osmosis (FO) membranes for water reuse and seawater desalination with high performance. The performance of TFC-FO membranes prepared from the hydrophilic cellulose ester containing a high degree of OH and a moderate degree of Pr substitutions clearly surpasses those prepared from cellulose esters and other polymers with moderate hydrophilicity. Post-treatments of TFC-FO membranes using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and glycerol followed by heat treatment further enhance the water flux without compromising the selectivity. Positron annihilation lifetime analyses have confirmed that the SDS/glycerol post-treatment increases the free volume size and fractional free volume of the polyamide selective layer. The newly developed post-treated TFC-FO membranes exhibit a remarkably high water flux up to 90 LMH when the selective layer is oriented towards the draw solution (i.e., PRO mode) using 1. M NaCl as the draw solution and DI water as the feed. For seawater desalination, the membranes display a high water flux up to 35 LMH using a 2. M NaCl draw solution. These water fluxes exceeded the water fluxes achieved by other types of FO membranes reported in literatures. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.

  4. Hard carbon coated nano-Si/graphite composite as a high performance anode for Li-ion batteries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jeong, Sookyung; Li, Xiaolin; Zheng, Jianming; Yan, Pengfei; Cao, Ruiguo; Jung, Hee Joon; Wang, Chong M.; Liu, Jun; Zhang, Jiguang

    2016-08-27

    With the ever increasing demands on Li-ion batteries with higher energy densities, alternative anode with higher reversible capacity is required to replace the conventional graphite anode. Here, we demonstrate a cost-effective hydrothermal-carbonization approach to prepare the hard carbon coated nano-Si/graphite (HC-nSi/G) composite as a high performance anode for Li-ion batteries. In this hierarchical structured composite, the hard carbon coating layer not only provides an efficient pathway for electron transfer, but also alleviates the volume variation of silicon during charge/discharge processes. The HC-nSi/G composite electrode shows excellent electrochemical performances including a high specific capacity of 878.6 mAh g-1 based on the total weight of composite, good rate performance and a decent cycling stability, which is promising for practical applications.

  5. Preparation and Performance of Asphalt Compound Modified with Waste Crumb Rubber and Waste Polyethylene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuqiao Yang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Three kinds of modified asphalt were prepared by adding waste crumb rubber (WCR, waste polyethylene (WPE, and WCR/WPE to base asphalt, respectively. The influence of different doses on the performance of modified asphalt, such as 25°C penetration, softening point, 5°C ductility, and 135°C, 165°C viscosity, was studied, and the modification mechanism of modified asphalt was discussed through the fluorescence microscope. As the waterproofing materials, the waterproofness of WCR/WPE compound modified asphalt was tested. The results show that the WPE modified asphalt has excellent resistance to high temperature and WCR modified asphalt has good low temperature resistance. The resistance to deformation ability of WPE modified asphalt is better than that of the WCR modified asphalt. The 135°C viscosity of compound modified asphalt is better than that of WPE and WCR modified asphalt. In addition, the waterproofness of compound modified asphalt using waterproofing materials is better than that of common waterproofing materials.

  6. Study of data I/O performance on distributed disk system in mask data preparation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohara, Shuichiro; Odaira, Hiroyuki; Chikanaga, Tomoyuki; Hamaji, Masakazu; Yoshioka, Yasuharu

    2010-09-01

    Data volume is getting larger every day in Mask Data Preparation (MDP). In the meantime, faster data handling is always required. MDP flow typically introduces Distributed Processing (DP) system to realize the demand because using hundreds of CPU is a reasonable solution. However, even if the number of CPU were increased, the throughput might be saturated because hard disk I/O and network speeds could be bottlenecks. So, MDP needs to invest a lot of money to not only hundreds of CPU but also storage and a network device which make the throughput faster. NCS would like to introduce new distributed processing system which is called "NDE". NDE could be a distributed disk system which makes the throughput faster without investing a lot of money because it is designed to use multiple conventional hard drives appropriately over network. NCS studies I/O performance with OASIS® data format on NDE which contributes to realize the high throughput in this paper.

  7. High-performance multi-functional reverse osmosis membranes obtained by carbon nanotube·polyamide nanocomposite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inukai, Shigeki; Cruz-Silva, Rodolfo; Ortiz-Medina, Josue; Morelos-Gomez, Aaron; Takeuchi, Kenji; Hayashi, Takuya; Tanioka, Akihiko; Araki, Takumi; Tejima, Syogo; Noguchi, Toru; Terrones, Mauricio; Endo, Morinobu

    2015-01-01

    Clean water obtained by desalinating sea water or by purifying wastewater, constitutes a major technological objective in the so-called water century. In this work, a high-performance reverse osmosis (RO) composite thin membrane using multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and aromatic polyamide (PA), was successfully prepared by interfacial polymerization. The effect of MWCNT on the chlorine resistance, antifouling and desalination performances of the nanocomposite membranes were studied. We found that a suitable amount of MWCNT in PA, 15.5 wt.%, not only improves the membrane performance in terms of flow and antifouling, but also inhibits the chlorine degradation on these membranes. Therefore, the present results clearly establish a solid foundation towards more efficient large-scale water desalination and other water treatment processes. PMID:26333385

  8. Quantitative determination of acetaminophen, phenylephrine and carbinoxamine in tablets by high-performance liquid chromatography

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carina de A. Bastos

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available An alternative methodology for analysis of acetaminophen (Ace, phenylephrine (Phe and carbinoxamine (Car in tablets by ion-pair reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography was validated. The pharmaceutical preparations were analyzed by using a C18 column (5 μm, 300 mm, 3.9 mm and mobile phase consisting of 60% methanol and 40% potassium monobasic phosphate aqueous solution (62.46 mmol L-1 added with 1 mL phosphoric acid, 0.50 mL triethylamine and 0.25 g sodium lauryl sulfate. Isocratic analysis was performed under direct UV detection at 220 nm for Phe and Car and at 300 nm for Ace within 5 min.

  9. High-performance computing using FPGAs

    CERN Document Server

    Benkrid, Khaled

    2013-01-01

    This book is concerned with the emerging field of High Performance Reconfigurable Computing (HPRC), which aims to harness the high performance and relative low power of reconfigurable hardware–in the form Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs)–in High Performance Computing (HPC) applications. It presents the latest developments in this field from applications, architecture, and tools and methodologies points of view. We hope that this work will form a reference for existing researchers in the field, and entice new researchers and developers to join the HPRC community.  The book includes:  Thirteen application chapters which present the most important application areas tackled by high performance reconfigurable computers, namely: financial computing, bioinformatics and computational biology, data search and processing, stencil computation e.g. computational fluid dynamics and seismic modeling, cryptanalysis, astronomical N-body simulation, and circuit simulation.     Seven architecture chapters which...

  10. Porous hollow Co₃O₄ with rhombic dodecahedral structures for high-performance supercapacitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yi-Zhou; Wang, Yang; Xie, Ye-Lei; Cheng, Tao; Lai, Wen-Yong; Pang, Huan; Huang, Wei

    2014-11-06

    Porous hollow Co₃O₄ with rhombic dodecahedral structures were prepared by the calcination of ZIF-67 ([Co(mim)2; mim = 2-methylimidazolate]) rhombic dodecahedral microcrystals. A supercapacitor was successfully constructed by adopting the resulting porous hollow Co₃O₄ rhombic dodecahedral structure as the electrode material, which showed a large specific capacitance of 1100 F g(-1) and retained more than 95.1% of the specific capacitance after 6000 continuous charge-discharge cycles. The excellent capacitive properties and stability mark the porous hollow Co₃O₄ with the rhombic dodecahedral structure as one of the most promising electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors.

  11. Success in Introductory College Physics: The Role of High School Preparation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadler, Philip M.; Tai, Robert H.

    2001-01-01

    Examines the extent to which a high school physics course prepares students for college physics success. In this study of 1,933 introductory college physics students, demographic and schooling factors account for a large fraction of the variation in college physics grades at 18 colleges and universities from around the nation. (Author/SAH)

  12. Nitrogen and oxygen co-doped carbon nanofibers with rich sub-nanoscale pores as self-supported electrode material of high-performance supercapacitors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Qun; Xie, Wenhe; Liu, Dequan; Wang, Qi; He, Deyan

    2016-01-01

    Self-supported porous carbon nanofibers (CNFs) network has been prepared by electrospinning technology assisted with template method. The as-prepared material is rich in sub-nanoscale pores and nitrogen and oxygen functional groups, which can serve as a fast conductive network with abundant electrochemical active sites and greatly facilitates the transport of electrons and ions. When the porous CNFs network is used as an electrode for supercapacitor in a three electrode system, it displays a high capacitance of 233.1 F/g at 0.2 A/g, and a capacitance of 130.2 F/g even at 14 A/g. It maintains a capacitance of 154.0 F/g with 90.17% retention after 4000 cycles at 2 A/g. Moreover, the assembled symmetric supercapacitor not only exhibits excellent rate capability and cycle performance, but also delivers an energy density of 4.17 Wh/kg and a power density of 2500 W/kg. The experimental results demonstrate that the prepared N, O co-doped carbon nanofibers with rich sub-nanoscale pores are a promising electrode material for high-performance supercapacitors.

  13. ACTIVITY OF LEAF-CUTTING ANT Atta sexdens piriventris SUBMITED TO HIGH DILUTION HOMEOPATHIC PREPARATIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandre Giesel

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available The effect of high dilution preparations on the movement and foraging activities of Atta sexdens piriventris was evaluated. Five colonies of ants were located on each of the five experimental areas using a randomized complete block design. Three main forage trails from each colony were selected from where evaluations were made. Ten mL of high dilution preparation of Atta sexdens piriventris nosodes and Belladonna homeopathy solution were sprayed over 0.5 m of each selected trail, 1.0 m far from the nest. The controls were pure water and non treated trails. Applications were made daily during 10 days. The total number of ants moving on each trail one meter away from the nest, carrying or not plant fragments, were assessed before the daily application. Dilution preparations at 30CH (thirtieth centesimal Hahnemannian dilution of A. sexdens piriventris nosodes and Belladonna reduced the activities of ants from the fifth day after the first application. The treatment effect lasted more than 20 days after the last application. The use of preparation at 30CH dilution order to reduce the foraging activity of leaf-cutting ants is a potential non residual method to manage leaf-cutting ants.

  14. Separation and Quantitation of Polyamines in Plant Tissue by High Performance Liquid Chromatography of Their Dansyl Derivatives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Mary A.; Davies, Peter J.

    1985-01-01

    High performance liquid chromatography in combination with fluorescence spectrophotometry can be used to separate and quantitate polyamines (putrescine, cadaverine, spermidine, spermine), prepared as their dansyl derivatives, from plant tissue. The procedure gives sensitive and consistent results for polyamine determinations in plant tissue. In a standard mixture, the minimal detection level was less than 1 picomole of polyamines. PMID:16664216

  15. Simultaneous determination of 15 marker constituents in various radix Astragali preparations by solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qi, Lian-Wen; Yu, Qing-Tao; Yi, Ling; Ren, Mei-Ting; Wen, Xiao-Dong; Wang, Yu-Xia; Li, Ping

    2008-01-01

    An improved quality control method was developed to simultaneously determine 15 major constituents (eight flavonoids and seven saponins) in various radix Astragali preparations, using SPE for pretreatment of samples, HPLC with diode-array and evaporative light scattering detectors (DAD-ELSD) for quantification in one run, and HPLC-ESI-TOF/MS for definite identification of compounds in preparations. Optimum separations were obtained with a ZORBAX C(18) column, using a gradient elution with 0.3% aqueous formic acid and ACN. This established method was fully validated with respect to linearity, precision, repeatability, and accuracy, and was successfully applied to quantify the 15 compounds in 19 commercial samples, including 3 dosage forms, i. e., oral solution, injection, concentrated granule, and its processed products of radix Astragali. The results demonstrated that many factors might result in significant differences in quality of the final preparations, including crude drugs, pretreatment processes, manufacturing procedure, storage conditions, etc. Then the developed method provided a reasonable and powerful manner to ensure the efficacy, safety, and batch-to-batch uniformity of radix Astragali products by standardizing each procedure, and thus should be proposed as quality control for the clinical use and modernization of herbal preparations.

  16. Preparation and electrochemical performance of copper foam-supported amorphous silicon thin films for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Haixia; Cheng Fangyi; Zhu Zhiqiang; Bai Hongmei; Tao Zhanliang; Chen Jun

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → Amorphous Si thin films have been deposited on copper foam substrate by radio-frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering. → The as-prepared Si/Cu films with interconnected 3-dimensional structure are employed as anode materials of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, showing that the electrode properties are greatly affected by the deposition temperature. → The film electrode deposited at an optimum temperature of 300 deg. C delivers a specific capacity of ∼2900 mAh/g and a coulombic efficiency above 95% at charge/discharge current density of 0.2C after 30 cycles. → The Li + diffusion coefficiency in copper foam-supported Si thin films is determined to be 2.36 x 10 -9 cm 2 /s. → The combination of rf magnetron sputtering and cooper foam substrate is an efficient route to prepare amorphous Si films with high capacity and cyclability due to the efficient ionic diffusion and interface contact with a good conductive current collector. - Abstract: Amorphous Si thin films, which have been deposited on copper foam by radio-frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering, are employed as anode materials of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The morphologies and structures of the as-prepared Si thin films are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). Electrochemical performance of lithium-ion batteries with the as-prepared Si films as the anode materials is investigated by cyclic voltammetry and charge-discharge measurements. The results show that the electrode properties of the prepared amorphous Si films are greatly affected by the deposition temperature. The film electrode deposited at an optimum temperature of 300 deg. C can deliver a specific capacity of ∼2900 mAh/g and a coulombic efficiency above 95% at charge/discharge current density of 0.2C after 30 cycles. The Li + diffusion coefficiency in copper foam-supported Si thin films is determined to be 2.36 x 10 -9 cm

  17. High-Performance Networking

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2003-01-01

    The series will start with an historical introduction about what people saw as high performance message communication in their time and how that developed to the now to day known "standard computer network communication". It will be followed by a far more technical part that uses the High Performance Computer Network standards of the 90's, with 1 Gbit/sec systems as introduction for an in depth explanation of the three new 10 Gbit/s network and interconnect technology standards that exist already or emerge. If necessary for a good understanding some sidesteps will be included to explain important protocols as well as some necessary details of concerned Wide Area Network (WAN) standards details including some basics of wavelength multiplexing (DWDM). Some remarks will be made concerning the rapid expanding applications of networked storage.

  18. Touching the theoretical capacity: synthesizing cubic LiTi2(PO4)3/C nanocomposites for high-performance lithium-ion battery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Wenjun; Wang, Xusheng; Liu, Chunyi; Li, Chang; Xue, Mianqi; Li, Rui; Pan, Feng

    2018-04-05

    A cubic LiTi2(PO4)3/C composite is successfully prepared via a simple solvothermal method and further glucose-pyrolysis treatment. The as-fabricated LTP/C material delivers an ultra-high reversible capacity of 144 mA h g-1 at 0.2C rate, which is the highest ever reported, and shows considerable performance improvement compared with before. Combining this with the stable cycling performance and high rate capability, such material has a promising future in practical application.

  19. Organophosphonic acid as precursor to prepare LiFePO4/carbon nanocomposites for high-power lithium ion batteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Ming; Shao, Leng-Leng; Yang, Hua-Bin; Zhao, Qian-Yong; Yuan, Zhong-Yong

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: LiFePO4/C nanocomposites were prepared by a quasi-sol–gel method with the use of organophosphonic acid, exhibiting improved electrochemical performance with excellent cycle stability. Display Omitted -- Highlights: •Amino tris(methylene phosphonic acid) is served as a novel precursor for LiFePO 4 /C. •Nano-sized and high-purity LiFePO 4 /C composites are obtained by a quasi-sol–gel route. •Core-shell structured LiFePO 4 /C nanocomposites are fabricated by further introducing sucrose. •Superior electrochemical performance is observed in the organophosphorus-synthesized LiFePO 4 /C. -- Abstract: Amino tris(methylene phosphonic acid) (ATMP) is selected as phosphorus and carbon co-source for the synthesis of uniformly nano-sized LiFePO 4 /C by a quasi-sol–gel method. This strategy using ATMP instead of conventional NH 4 H 2 PO 4 supplies two advantages: firstly, ATMP in situ chelates Li + onto its framework and subsequently binds with FeC 2 O 4 in aqueous solution, forming a molecule-scale homogeneous precursor which can obviously improve the purity of LiFePO 4 . Secondly, the organic carbon contained in ATMP can form uniformly distributed conductive carbon networks among LiFePO 4 particles after calcination, which improves the electrical conductivity. The resultant LiFePO 4 /C with 1.1 wt.% carbon achieves a higher discharge capacity than those of LiFePO 4 and LiFePO 4 /C prepared with inorganic NH 4 H 2 PO 4 . Moreover, core-shell structured LiFePO 4 /C nanocomposites are also fabricated by further introducing sucrose into the synthesis system. The high-quality carbon shell effectively hinders the LiFePO 4 particle growth and aggregation under high-temperature treatment, which further enhances the electrical conductivity and lithium-ion diffusion, resulting in the improved electrochemical performance with excellent cycle stability (the optimum discharge capacity of 158.6 mAh g −1 at 0.1 C and 138.4 mAh g −1 at 2 C). The high

  20. Porous hollow Co3O4 with rhombic dodecahedral structures for high-performance supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yi-Zhou; Wang, Yang; Xie, Ye-Lei; Cheng, Tao; Lai, Wen-Yong; Pang, Huan; Huang, Wei

    2014-11-01

    Porous hollow Co3O4 with rhombic dodecahedral structures were prepared by the calcination of ZIF-67 ([Co(mim)2; mim = 2-methylimidazolate]) rhombic dodecahedral microcrystals. A supercapacitor was successfully constructed by adopting the resulting porous hollow Co3O4 rhombic dodecahedral structure as the electrode material, which showed a large specific capacitance of 1100 F g-1 and retained more than 95.1% of the specific capacitance after 6000 continuous charge-discharge cycles. The excellent capacitive properties and stability mark the porous hollow Co3O4 with the rhombic dodecahedral structure as one of the most promising electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors.Porous hollow Co3O4 with rhombic dodecahedral structures were prepared by the calcination of ZIF-67 ([Co(mim)2; mim = 2-methylimidazolate]) rhombic dodecahedral microcrystals. A supercapacitor was successfully constructed by adopting the resulting porous hollow Co3O4 rhombic dodecahedral structure as the electrode material, which showed a large specific capacitance of 1100 F g-1 and retained more than 95.1% of the specific capacitance after 6000 continuous charge-discharge cycles. The excellent capacitive properties and stability mark the porous hollow Co3O4 with the rhombic dodecahedral structure as one of the most promising electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr04782f

  1. Sulfur nanocrystals anchored graphene composite with highly improved electrochemical performance for lithium-sulfur batteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jun; Dong, Zimin; Wang, Xiuli; Zhao, Xuyang; Tu, Jiangping; Su, Qingmei; Du, Gaohui

    2014-12-01

    Two kinds of graphene-sulfur composites with 50 wt% of sulfur are prepared using hydrothermal method and thermal mixing, respectively. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectra mapping show that sulfur nanocrystals with size of ∼5 nm dispersed on graphene sheets homogeneously for the sample prepared by hydrothermal method (NanoS@G). While for the thermal mixed graphene-sulfur composite (S-G mixture), sulfur shows larger and uneven size (50-200 nm). X-ray Photoelectron Spectra (XPS) reveals the strong chemical bonding between the sulfur nanocrystals and graphene. Comparing with the S-G mixture, the NanoS@G composite shows highly improved electrochemical performance as cathode for lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery. The NanoS@G composite delivers an initial capacity of 1400 mAh g-1 with the sulfur utilization of 83.7% at a current density of 335 mA g-1. The capacity keeps above 720 mAh g-1 over 100 cycles. The strong adherence of the sulfur nanocrystals on graphene immobilizes sulfur and polysulfides species and suppressed the "shuttle effect", resulting higher coulombic efficiency and better capacity retention. Electrochemical impedance also suggests that the strong bonding enabled rapid electronic/ionic transport and improved electrochemical kinetics, therefore good rate capability is obtained. These results demonstrate that the NanoS@G composite is a very promising candidate for high-performance Li-S batteries.

  2. Nanosuspensions of 10-hydroxycamptothecin that can maintain high and extended supersaturation to enhance oral absorption: preparation, characterization and in vitro/in vivo evaluation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pu, Xiaohui; Sun, Jin, E-mail: sunjin66@21cn.com [Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Department of Biopharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy (China); Han, Jihong [Keele University, School of Pharmacy and Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine (United Kingdom); Lian, He; Zhang, Peng [Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Department of Biopharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy (China); Yan, Zhongtian [Nantion Institutes for Food and Drug Control (China); He, Zhonggui, E-mail: hezhgui_student@yahoo.com.cn [Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Department of Biopharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy (China)

    2013-11-15

    The purpose of the study was to prepare and characterize nanosuspensions that can maintain high and extended supersaturation to improve the dissolution and absorption of poorly soluble 10-hydroxycamptothecin (10-HCPT). 10-HCPT oral nanosuspensions (HCPT-Nanosuspensions) were produced on a laboratory-scale by microprecipitation- high pressure homogenization method. The particle morphology and the physical state were studied using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Supersaturated dissolution tests were carried out with the paddle method. Caco-2 cell experiments were performed to imitate the oral absorption. The in vivo pharmacokinetics studies were undertaken in rats following oral administration. The 10-HCPT nanoparticles were 135 nm in dimension before lyophilization and were claviform or lump in shape. XRPD and DSC both confirmed that a portion of 10-HCPT was present in a crystalline state in nanosuspension. Supersaturated dissolution tests showed HCPT-Nanosuspensions could maintain high supersaturated level for an extended period time. The cell experiment on HCPT-Nanosuspensions showed a significantly higher uptake and greater membrane permeability compared with the other formulations. The pharmacokinetic test exhibited HCPT-Nanosuspensions had a similar pharmacokinetic performance with 10-HCPT solution. In conclusion, highly and extendedly supersaturated HCPT-Nanosuspensions have been prepared which could result in high peak concentration (C{sub max}) and great exposure (AUC) after oral administration.

  3. Polyaniline-Coated Activated Carbon Aerogel/Sulfur Composite for High-performance Lithium-Sulfur Battery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Zhiwei; Jiang, Jinglin; Liu, Shaohong; Chen, Luyi; Liu, Ruliang; Zheng, Bingna; Fu, Ruowen; Wu, Dingcai

    2017-12-01

    An activated carbon aerogel (ACA-500) with high surface area (1765 m2 g-1), pore volume (2.04 cm3 g-1), and hierarchical porous nanonetwork structure is prepared through direct activation of organic aerogel (RC-500) with a low potassium hydroxide ratio (1:1). Based on this substrate, a polyaniline (PANi)-coated activated carbon aerogel/sulfur (ACA-500-S@PANi) composite is prepared via a simple two-step procedure, including melt-infiltration of sublimed sulfur into ACA-500, followed by an in situ polymerization of aniline on the surface of ACA-500-S composite. The obtained ACA-500-S@PANi composite delivers a high reversible capacity up to 1208 mAh g-1 at 0.2C and maintains 542 mAh g-1 even at a high rate (3C). Furthermore, this composite exhibits a discharge capacity of 926 mAh g-1 at the initial cycle and 615 mAh g-1 after 700 cycles at 1C rate, revealing an extremely low capacity decay rate (0.48‰ per cycle). The excellent electrochemical performance of ACA-500-S@PANi can be attributed to the synergistic effect of hierarchical porous nanonetwork structure and PANi coating. Activated carbon aerogels with high surface area and unique three-dimensional (3D) interconnected hierarchical porous structure offer an efficient conductive network for sulfur, and a highly conductive PANi-coating layer further enhances conductivity of the electrode and prevents the dissolution of polysulfide species.

  4. Reports on research achievements in developing high-performance industrial furnaces in fiscal 1998 (Research and development of high-performance industrial furnaces). Volume 1; 1998 nendo koseino kogyoro nado ni kansuru kenkyu kaihatsu seika hokokusho. 1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1999-03-01

    From the reports on research achievements in developing high-performance industrial furnaces in fiscal 1998, the report volume 1 was prepared as a research achievement report of each working group, detailing fundamental researches, heating furnaces, and heat treatment furnaces. The fundamental researches have researched combustion evaluating technology, characteristics of the area in the vicinity of a combustor, characteristics of combustion of high-temperature air, heating characteristics of a furnace to investigate effect of local heat absorption, and combustion evaluation. For the heating furnaces, the following subjects were studied: development of an in-furnace combustion model, summary of an experiment for evaluating high-temperature air combustion, furnace height relative to combustion heat transfer characteristics, heat loss minimizing technology, combustion heat transfer characteristics of liquid fuels, optimal operation of the high-temperature air combustion, basic control in heating control, and steel piece heating control. Studies were performed for the heat treatment furnaces on the case of a direct firing furnace in evaluating the heat transfer characteristics, the case of a radiant tube furnace, application of thermal fluid simulation technology, furnace averaging technology, soot reducing technology, control technology, and trial design on a high-performance heat treatment furnace. (NEDO)

  5. Robust and thermal-enhanced melamine formaldehyde–modified glassfiber composite separator for high-performance lithium batteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Qingfu

    2015-01-01

    The composite separator of melamine formaldehyde resin coated glass microfiber membrane was prepared for high performance lithium ion battery. It was demonstrated that this composite membranes possessed a significantly enhanced tensile strength and a modified porous structure, compared with that of pristine glass microfiber membrane. Impressive improvements in thermo-stability, with no shrinkage at an elevated temperature of 150 °C. Meanwhile, such composite membrane presented a favorable wettability and remarkable electrochemical stability in commercial liquid electrolyte. In addition, the battery test results of LiCoO 2 /graphite cells proved the composite membrane was a promising separator with an improved cycling performance and rate capability. The cycle performance of LiFePO 4 /Li cells at the elevated temperature of 120 °C demonstrated their excellent safety characteristic as separator in LIB, indicating the composite membrane was a potential separator candidate for high power battery.

  6. High Performance Concrete

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Traian Oneţ

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents the last studies and researches accomplished in Cluj-Napoca related to high performance concrete, high strength concrete and self compacting concrete. The purpose of this paper is to raid upon the advantages and inconveniences when a particular concrete type is used. Two concrete recipes are presented, namely for the concrete used in rigid pavement for roads and another one for self-compacting concrete.

  7. Electrochemical preparation of MnO2 nanobelts through pulse base-electrogeneration and evaluation of their electrochemical performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aghazadeh, Mustafa; Maragheh, Mohammad Ghannadi; Ganjali, Mohammad Reza; Norouzi, Parviz; Faridbod, Farnoush

    2016-02-01

    Cathodic electrodeposition of MnO2 from a nitrate solution, via pulsed base (OH-) electrogeneration was performed for the first time. The deposition experiments were performed in a pulse current mode in typical on-times and off-times (i.e. ton = 1 s and toff = 1 s) with a peak current density of 2 mA cm-2 (Ia = 2 mA cm-2). The structural characterizations conducted by XRD and FTIR techniques revealed that the prepared MnO2 is composed of both α and γ phases. Morphological observation by SEM and TEM showed that the prepared MnO2 is made up of nanobelts with uniform shapes (an average diameter and length of 50 nm and 1 μm, respectively). Further electrochemical measurements by cyclic voltammetry and charge-discharge techniques revealed that the prepared MnO2 nanostructures have excellent capacitive behaviors, like a specific capacitance of 235.5 F g-1 and capacity retention of 91.3% after 1000 cycling at the scan rate of 25 mV s-1.

  8. Preparation of novel polyamine-type chelating resin with hyperbranched structures and its adsorption performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Wei; Wang, Huan; Li, Yuhong; Li, Chenxi

    2018-01-01

    This paper explored the method of combining atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) technology and hyperbranched polymer principle to prepare the high capacity chelating resin. First, surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) method was used to graft glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) on chloromethylated cross-linked styrene-divinylbenzene resin, and then the novel polyamine chelating resin with a kind of hyperbranched structure was prepared through the amination reaction between amino group of (2-aminoethyl) triamine and epoxy group in GMA. This resin had a selective effect on As(V) and Cr(VI) at a relatively low pH and can be used for the disposal of waste water containing As(V) and Cr(VI). It had a relatively strong adsorption effect on Cu(II), Pb(II), Cd(II) and Cr(III) and can be used for the disposal of heavy metal ion waste water. The finding was that, the adsorption capacity of resin on the studied heavy metal ions was higher than that of the chelating resin synthesized by traditional technology and also higher than that of the resin modified by ATRP technology and bifunctional chelator, indicating that the combination of ATRP and hyperbranched polymer concept is an effective method to prepare chelating resin with high capacity. PMID:29515875

  9. Preparation of novel polyamine-type chelating resin with hyperbranched structures and its adsorption performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Youning; Zhao, Wei; Wang, Huan; Li, Yuhong; Li, Chenxi

    2018-02-01

    This paper explored the method of combining atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) technology and hyperbranched polymer principle to prepare the high capacity chelating resin. First, surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) method was used to graft glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) on chloromethylated cross-linked styrene-divinylbenzene resin, and then the novel polyamine chelating resin with a kind of hyperbranched structure was prepared through the amination reaction between amino group of (2-aminoethyl) triamine and epoxy group in GMA. This resin had a selective effect on As(V) and Cr(VI) at a relatively low pH and can be used for the disposal of waste water containing As(V) and Cr(VI). It had a relatively strong adsorption effect on Cu(II), Pb(II), Cd(II) and Cr(III) and can be used for the disposal of heavy metal ion waste water. The finding was that, the adsorption capacity of resin on the studied heavy metal ions was higher than that of the chelating resin synthesized by traditional technology and also higher than that of the resin modified by ATRP technology and bifunctional chelator, indicating that the combination of ATRP and hyperbranched polymer concept is an effective method to prepare chelating resin with high capacity.

  10. NCI's High Performance Computing (HPC) and High Performance Data (HPD) Computing Platform for Environmental and Earth System Data Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Ben; Allen, Chris; Antony, Joseph; Bastrakova, Irina; Gohar, Kashif; Porter, David; Pugh, Tim; Santana, Fabiana; Smillie, Jon; Trenham, Claire; Wang, Jingbo; Wyborn, Lesley

    2015-04-01

    increasing data volumes at NCI. Traditional HPC and data environments are still made available in a way that flexibly provides the tools, services and supporting software systems on these new petascale infrastructures. But to enable the research to take place at this scale, the data, metadata and software now need to evolve together - creating a new integrated high performance infrastructure. The new infrastructure at NCI currently supports a catalogue of integrated, reusable software and workflows from earth system and ecosystem modelling, weather research, satellite and other observed data processing and analysis. One of the challenges for NCI has been to support existing techniques and methods, while carefully preparing the underlying infrastructure for the transition needed for the next class of Data-intensive Science. In doing so, a flexible range of techniques and software can be made available for application across the corpus of data collections available, and to provide a new infrastructure for future interdisciplinary research.

  11. HPTA: High-Performance Text Analytics

    OpenAIRE

    Vandierendonck, Hans; Murphy, Karen; Arif, Mahwish; Nikolopoulos, Dimitrios S.

    2017-01-01

    One of the main targets of data analytics is unstructured data, which primarily involves textual data. High-performance processing of textual data is non-trivial. We present the HPTA library for high-performance text analytics. The library helps programmers to map textual data to a dense numeric representation, which can be handled more efficiently. HPTA encapsulates three performance optimizations: (i) efficient memory management for textual data, (ii) parallel computation on associative dat...

  12. 2D nickel oxide nanosheets with highly porous structure for high performance capacitive energy storage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Zijiong; Zhang, Weiyang; Liu, Yanyue; Guo, Jinjin; Yang, Baocheng

    2018-01-01

    Developing advanced electrochemical electrode materials with excellent performance is critical to their future energy storage devices. Herein, we design and synthesize two-dimensional (2D) porous structure nickel oxide (NiO) nanosheets via a facile and scalable hydrothermal approach, and further heating. The effects of heating time on the electrochemical performances are investigated. The results indicate that the maximum specific capacitance is achieved for NiO nanosheets when heating temperature and time are 300 °C and 3 h, respectively (namely NiO-3). The as-prepared NiO-3 nanosheet are grown uniform on the skeleton of reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The optimum NiO/rGO displays a reversible discharge capacity of 781.7 F g-1 at 1 A g-1, and shows an ultra-long life-span with over 94% capacitance retention after 4000 cycles. The enhanced electrochemical properties for NiO/rGO can be ascribed to a collaborative effect between NiO and rGO, which possess high capacitance storage ability and excellent conductivity, respectively.

  13. Space-confined preparation of high surface area tungsten oxide and tungsten nitride inside the pores of mesoporous silica SBA-15

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Meyer, Simon; Beyer, Hans; Köhler, Klaus

    2015-01-01

    For the direct preparation of high surface area nitride materials, a lack of suitable precursors exists. Indirect preparation by gas phase nitridation (e.g. by ammonia) requires high temperatures and often results in sintering. The present work demonstrates that the space-confined preparation of ...

  14. High-performance 3D printing of hydrogels by water-dispersible photoinitiator nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pawar, Amol A; Saada, Gabriel; Cooperstein, Ido; Larush, Liraz; Jackman, Joshua A; Tabaei, Seyed R; Cho, Nam-Joon; Magdassi, Shlomo

    2016-04-01

    In the absence of water-soluble photoinitiators with high absorbance in the ultraviolet (UV)-visible range, rapid three-dimensional (3D) printing of hydrogels for tissue engineering is challenging. A new approach enabling rapid 3D printing of hydrogels in aqueous solutions is presented on the basis of UV-curable inks containing nanoparticles of highly efficient but water-insoluble photoinitiators. The extinction coefficient of the new water-dispersible nanoparticles of 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl-diphenylphosphine oxide (TPO) is more than 300 times larger than the best and most used commercially available water-soluble photoinitiator. The TPO nanoparticles absorb significantly in the range from 385 to 420 nm, making them suitable for use in commercially available, low-cost, light-emitting diode-based 3D printers using digital light processing. The polymerization rate at this range is very fast and enables 3D printing that otherwise is impossible to perform without adding solvents. The TPO nanoparticles were prepared by rapid conversion of volatile microemulsions into water-dispersible powder, a process that can be used for a variety of photoinitiators. Such water-dispersible photoinitiator nanoparticles open many opportunities to enable rapid 3D printing of structures prepared in aqueous solutions while bringing environmental advantages by using low-energy curing systems and avoiding the need for solvents.

  15. Pressurized planar electrochromatography, high-performance thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography--comparison of performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Płocharz, Paweł; Klimek-Turek, Anna; Dzido, Tadeusz H

    2010-07-16

    Kinetic performance, measured by plate height, of High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC), High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Pressurized Planar Electrochromatography (PPEC) was compared for the systems with adsorbent of the HPTLC RP18W plate from Merck as the stationary phase and the mobile phase composed of acetonitrile and buffer solution. The HPLC column was packed with the adsorbent, which was scrapped from the chromatographic plate mentioned. An additional HPLC column was also packed with adsorbent of 5 microm particle diameter, C18 type silica based (LiChrosorb RP-18 from Merck). The dependence of plate height of both HPLC and PPEC separating systems on flow velocity of the mobile phase and on migration distance of the mobile phase in TLC system was presented applying test solute (prednisolone succinate). The highest performance, amongst systems investigated, was obtained for the PPEC system. The separation efficiency of the systems investigated in the paper was additionally confirmed by the separation of test component mixture composed of six hormones. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Capillarity-based preparation system for optical colorimetric sensor arrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Xiao-Gang; Yi, Xin; Bu, Xiang-Nan; Hou, Chang-Jun; Huo, Dan-Qun; Yang, Mei; Fa, Huan-Bao; Lei, Jin-Can

    2017-03-01

    In recent years, optical colorimetric sensor arrays have demonstrated beneficial features, including rapid response, high selectivity, and high specificity; as a result, it has been extensively applied in food inspection and chemical studies, among other fields. There are instruments in the current market available for the preparation of an optical colorimetric sensor array, but it lacks the corresponding research of the preparation mechanism. Therefore, in connection with the main features of this kind of sensor array such as consistency, based on the preparation method of contact spotting, combined with a capillary fluid model, Washburn equation, Laplace equation, etc., this paper develops a diffusion model of an optical colorimetric sensor array during its preparation and sets up an optical colorimetric sensor array preparation system based on this diffusion model. Finally, this paper compares and evaluates the sensor arrays prepared by the system and prepared manually in three aspects such as the quality of array point, response of array, and response result, and the results show that the performance index of the sensor array prepared by a system under this diffusion model is better than that of the sensor array of manual spotting, which meets the needs of the experiment.

  17. Sandwich-like graphene/polypyrrole/layered double hydroxide nanowires for high-performance supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xuejin; Zhang, Yu; Xing, Wei; Li, Li; Xue, Qingzhong; Yan, Zifeng

    2016-11-01

    Electrode design in nanoscale is considered to be ultra-important to construct a superb capacitor. Herein, a sandwich-like composite was made by combining graphene/polypyrrole (GPPY) with nickel-aluminum layered double hydroxide nanowires (NiAl-NWs) via a facile hydrothermal method. This sandwich-like architecture is promising in energy storage applications due to three unique features: (1) the conductive GPPY substrate not only effectively prevents the layered double hydroxides species from aggregating, but also considerably facilitates the electron transmission; (2) the ultrathin NiAl-NWs ensure a maximum exposure of active Ni2+, which can improve the efficiency of rapid redox reactions even at high current densities; (3) the sufficient space between anisotropic NiAl-NWs can accommodate a large volume change of the nanowires to avoid their collapse or distortion during the reduplicative redox reactions. Keeping all these unique features in mind, when the as-prepared composite was applied to supercapacitors, it presented an enhanced capacitive performance in terms of high specific capacitance (845 F g-1), excellent rate performance (67% retained at 30 A g-1), remarkable cyclic stability (92% maintained after 5000 cycles) and large energy density (40.1 Wh·Kg-1). This accomplishment in the present work inspires an innovative strategy of nanoscale electrode design for high-rate performance supercapacitor electrodes containing pseuducapacitive metal oxide.

  18. Copper nanofiber-networked cobalt oxide composites for high performance Li-ion batteries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shim Hee-Sang

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract We prepared a composite electrode structure consisting of copper nanofiber-networked cobalt oxide (CuNFs@CoO x . The copper nanofibers (CuNFs were fabricated on a substrate with formation of a network structure, which may have potential for improving electron percolation and retarding film deformation during the discharging/charging process over the electroactive cobalt oxide. Compared to bare CoO x thin-film (CoO x TF electrodes, the CuNFs@CoO x electrodes exhibited a significant enhancement of rate performance by at least six-fold at an input current density of 3C-rate. Such enhanced Li-ion storage performance may be associated with modified electrode structure at the nanoscale, improved charge transfer, and facile stress relaxation from the embedded CuNF network. Consequently, the CuNFs@CoO x composite structure demonstrated here can be used as a promising high-performance electrode for Li-ion batteries.

  19. The Goettingen high-Tc superconductivity research pool: the effects of structure and structural defects on the performance of high-Tc superconductors. Final reports

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-02-01

    The compilation presents the final reports prepared by the various teams of the Goettingen research pool for high-Tc superconductivity. The reports are entitled: Structure and phase transition in high-Tc superconductors (Krebs/Freyhardt). Preparation and critical properties of high-Tc superconductors (Freyhardt/Heinemann/Zimmermann). EMC measurements in high-Tc superconductors (Bormann/Noelting). Phase analysis of the various phases observed in the preparation of high-Tc superconductors (Faupel/Hehenkamp). Positron annihilation in high-Tc superconductors (Hehenkamp). Preparation and characterization of thin films consisting of superconducting oxide ceramics (v. Minnigerode/Samwer). High-Tc superconductivity in monocrystals (Winzer/Beuermann). Microwave conductivity in high-Tc superconductors (Helberg). High-resolution structural analyses in high-Tc superconductors (Kupcik/Bente). Synthesis, structural analyses and spectroscopy of high-Tc superconductors (Bente). Synthesis, monocrystal growing, crystal structure of high-Tc superconductors (Schwarzmann). Ion-beam-aided studies in high-Tc superconductors (Uhrmacher). (orig./MM) [de

  20. Facile preparation of magnetic mesoporous Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}/C/Cu composites as high performance Fenton-like catalysts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Keyan; Zhao, Yongqin [State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, PSU-DUT Joint Center for Energy Research, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Janik, Michael J. [Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Song, Chunshan [State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, PSU-DUT Joint Center for Energy Research, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); EMS Energy Institute, PSU-DUT Joint Center for Energy Research and Department of Energy & Mineral Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Guo, Xinwen, E-mail: guoxw@dlut.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, PSU-DUT Joint Center for Energy Research, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China)

    2017-02-28

    Highlights: • Fe-Cu composites with different compositions were prepared by calcining tartrates. • Magnetic mesoporous Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}/C/Cu was obtained by calcining tartrate under N{sub 2}. • Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}/C/Cu exhibits excellent photo-Fenton catalytic activity and reusability. • The activity is due to the synergistic and photo-reduction effects of Fe and Cu. - Abstract: Fe-Cu composites with different compositions and morphologies were synthesized by a hydrothermal method combined with precursor thermal transformation. γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/CuO and α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/CuO were obtained by calcining the Fe and Cu tartrates under air atmosphere at 350 °C and 500 °C, respectively, while Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}/C/Cu was obtained by calcining the tartrate precursor under N{sub 2} atmosphere at 500 °C. The Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}/C/Cu composite possessed mesoporous structure and large surface area up to 133 m{sup 2} g{sup −1}. The Fenton catalytic performance of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}/C/Cu composite was closely related to the Fe/Cu molar ratio, and only proper amounts of Fe and Cu exhibited a synergistic enhancement in Fenton catalytic activity. Cu inclusion reduced Fe{sup 3+} to Fe{sup 2+}, which accelerated the Fe{sup 3+}/Fe{sup 2+} cycles and favored H{sub 2}O{sub 2} decomposition to produce more hydroxyl radicals for methylene blue (MB) oxidation. Due to the photo-reduction of Fe{sup 3+} and Cu{sup 2+}, the Fenton catalytic performance was greatly improved when amending with visible light irradiation in the Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}/C/Cu-H{sub 2}O{sub 2} system, and MB (100 mg L{sup −1}) was nearly removed within 60 min. The Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}/C/Cu composite showed good recyclability and could be conveniently separated by an applied magnetic field. Compared with conventional methods for mesoporous composite construction, the thermolysis method using mixed metal tartrates as precursors has the advantages of easy preparation and low cost. This strategy provides a facile

  1. Preparation Effects on the Performance of Silica-Doped Hydrous Titanium Oxide (HTO:Si)-Supported Pt Catalysts for Lean-Burn NOx Reduction by Hydrocarbons; TOPICAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    GARDNER, TIMOTHY J.; MCLAUGHLIN, LINDA I.; MOWERY, DEBORAH L.; SANDOVAL, RONALD S.

    2002-01-01

    This report describes the development of bulk hydrous titanium oxide (HTO)- and silica-doped hydrous titanium oxide (HTO:Si)-supported Pt catalysts for lean-burn NOx catalyst applications. The effects of various preparation methods, including both anion and cation exchange, and specifically the effect of Na content on the performance of Pt/HTO:Si catalysts, were evaluated. Pt/HTO:Si catalysts with low Na content ( and lt; 0.5 wt.%) were found to be very active for NOx reduction in simulated lean-burn exhaust environments utilizing propylene as the major reductant species. The activity and performance of these low Na Pt/HTO:Si catalysts were comparable to supported Pt catalysts prepared using conventional oxide or zeolite supports. In ramp down temperature profile test conditions, Pt/HTO:Si catalysts with Na contents in the range of 3-5 wt.% showed a wide temperature window of appreciable NOx conversion relative to low Na Pt/HTO:Si catalysts. Full reactant species analysis using both ramp up and isothermal test conditions with the high Na Pt/HTO:Si catalysts, as well as diffuse reflectance FTIR studies, showed that this phenomenon was related to transient NOx storage effects associated with NaNO(sub 2)/NaNO(sub 3) formation. These nitrite/nitrate species were found to decompose and release NOx at temperatures above 300 C in the reaction environment (ramp up profile). A separate NOx uptake experiment at 275 C in NO/N(sub 2)/O(sub 2) showed that the Na phase was inefficiently utilized for NOx storage. Steady state tests showed that the effect of increased Na content was to delay NOx light-off and to decrease the maximum NOx conversion. Similar results were observed for high K Pt/HTO:Si catalysts, and the effects of high alkali content were found to be independent of the sample preparation technique. Catalyst characterization (BET surface area, H(sub 2) chemisorption, and transmission electron microscopy) was performed to elucidate differences between the HTO- and HTO

  2. High-performance lithium-ion battery and symmetric supercapacitors based on FeCo₂O₄ nanoflakes electrodes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohamed, Saad Gomaa; Chen, Chih-Jung; Chen, Chih Kai; Hu, Shu-Fen; Liu, Ru-Shi

    2014-12-24

    A successive preparation of FeCo2O4 nanoflakes arrays on nickel foam substrates is achieved by a simple hydrothermal synthesis method. After 170 cycles, a high capacity of 905 mAh g(-1) at 200 mA g(-1) current density and very good rate capabilities are obtained for lithium-ion battery because of the 2D porous structures of the nanoflakes arrays. The distinctive structural features provide the battery with excellent electrochemical performance. The symmetric supercapacitor on nonaqueous electrolyte demonstrates high specific capacitance of 433 F g(-1) at 0.1 A g(-1) and 16.7 F g(-1) at high scan rate of 5 V s(-1) and excellent cyclic performance of 2500 cycles of charge-discharge cycling at 2 A g(-1) current density, revealing excellent long-term cyclability of the electrode even under rapid charge-discharge conditions.

  3. A high-throughput robotic sample preparation system and HPLC-MS/MS for measuring urinary anatabine, anabasine, nicotine and major nicotine metabolites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Binnian; Feng, June; Rehmani, Imran J; Miller, Sharyn; McGuffey, James E; Blount, Benjamin C; Wang, Lanqing

    2014-09-25

    Most sample preparation methods characteristically involve intensive and repetitive labor, which is inefficient when preparing large numbers of samples from population-scale studies. This study presents a robotic system designed to meet the sampling requirements for large population-scale studies. Using this robotic system, we developed and validated a method to simultaneously measure urinary anatabine, anabasine, nicotine and seven major nicotine metabolites: 4-Hydroxy-4-(3-pyridyl)butanoic acid, cotinine-N-oxide, nicotine-N-oxide, trans-3'-hydroxycotinine, norcotinine, cotinine and nornicotine. We analyzed robotically prepared samples using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry in positive electrospray ionization mode using scheduled multiple reaction monitoring (sMRM) with a total runtime of 8.5 min. The optimized procedure was able to deliver linear analyte responses over a broad range of concentrations. Responses of urine-based calibrators delivered coefficients of determination (R(2)) of >0.995. Sample preparation recovery was generally higher than 80%. The robotic system was able to prepare four 96-well plate (384 urine samples) per day, and the overall method afforded an accuracy range of 92-115%, and an imprecision of labor-saving for sample preparation, making it efficient and practical for routine measurements in large population-scale studies such as the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  4. Simultaneous determination of cetirizine, phenyl propanolamine and nimesulide using third derivative spectrophotometry and high performance liquid chromatography in pharmaceutical preparations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aly, Fatma Ahmed; El-Enany, Nahed; Elmansi, Heba; Nabil, Amany

    2017-10-05

    The combination between cetirizine (CET), phenylpropanolamine (PPA) and nimesulide (NMS) under trade name Nemeriv Cp tablet is prescribed for nasal congestion, cold, sneezing, and allergy. Among all published methods for the three drugs; there is no reported method concerning estimation of CTZ, PPA and NMS simultaneously and this motivates us to develop new and simple methods for their assay in pure form and tablet preparations. Two new methodologies were described for the simultaneous quantification of cetirizine (CTZ), PPA and NMS. Spectrophotometric procedures relies on measuring the amplitudes of the third derivative curves at 238 nm for CTZ, 218 nm for PPA and 305 nm for NMS. The calibration graphs were rectilinear over the ranges of 8-90 µg/mL for CTZ, 20-100 µg/mL for PPA and 20-200 µg/mL for NMS respectively. Regarding the HPLC method; monolithic column (100 mm × 4.6 mm i.d) was used for the separation. The used mobile phase composed of 0.1 M phosphate buffer and methanol in the ratio of 40:60, v/v at pH 7.0. The analysis was performed using UV detector at 215 nm. Calibration curves showed the linearity over concentration ranges of 5-40, 10-100 and 10-120 µg/mL for CTZ, PPA and NMS. Application of the proposed methods to the laboratory prepared tablets was carried out successfully. The results were compared with those obtained from previously published methods and they were satisfactory. Graphical abstract Graphical abstract represents the chemical structures, representative chromatogram for the HPLC separation of a PPA, b NMS and c CTZ and third derivative absorption spectra of a PPA, b NMS and c CTZ for the spectrophotometric method.

  5. SnTe-TiC-C composites as high-performance anodes for Li-ion batteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Son, Seung Yeon; Hur, Jaehyun; Kim, Kwang Ho; Son, Hyung Bin; Lee, Seung Geol; Kim, Il Tae

    2017-10-01

    Intermetallic SnTe composites dispersed in a conductive TiC/C hybrid matrix are synthesized by high-energy ball milling (HEBM). The electrochemical performances of the composites as potential anodes for Li-ion batteries are evaluated. The structural and morphological characteristics of the SnTe-TiC-C composites with various TiC contents are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, which reveal that SnTe and TiC are uniformly dispersed in a carbon matrix. The electrochemical performance is significantly improved by introducing TiC to the SnTe-C composite; higher TiC contents result in better performances. Among the prepared composites, the SnTe-TiC (30%)-C and SnTe-TiC (40%)-C electrodes exhibit the best electrochemical performance, showing the reversible capacities of, respectively, 652 mAh cm-3 and 588 mAh cm-3 after 400 cycles and high rate capabilities with the capacity retentions of 75.4% for SnTe-TiC (30%)-C and 82.2% for SnTe-TiC (40%)-C at 10 A g-1. Furthermore, the Li storage reaction mechanisms of Te or Sn in the SnTe-TiC-C electrodes are confirmed by ex situ XRD.

  6. High Throughput Preparation of Aligned Nanofibers Using an Improved Bubble-Electrospinning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liang Yu

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available An improved bubble-electrospinning, consisting of a cone shaped air nozzle, a copper solution reservoir connected directly to the power generator, and a high speed rotating copper wire drum as a collector, was presented successfully to obtain high throughput preparation of aligned nanofibers. The influences of drum rotation speed on morphology and properties of obtained nanofibers were explored and researched. The results showed that the alignment degree, diameter distribution, and properties of nanofibers were improved with the increase of the drum rotation speed.

  7. Determination of undecylenic and sorbic acids in cosmetic preparations by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bousquet, Ennio; Spadaro, A; Santagati, N A; Scalia, S; Ronsisvalle, G

    2002-11-07

    A highly sensitive and selective method for the determination of sorbic (SA) and undecylenic acid (UA) in cosmetic formulations by a high performance liquid chromatography method with electrochemical detection (ECD) is described. The pre-column derivatizations of SA and UA and the internal standard (cyclohexanoic acid (cHA)) were carried out using 1-(2,5-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-bromoethanone (2,5-DBE) as an electroactive labeling reagent previously synthesized in our lab. The resulting electroactive esters were separated by isocratic elution of a 5 micrometer Hypersil CN column with acetonitrile-acetate buffer eluent. The compounds were detected by a porous graphite electrode set at an oxidation potential of +0.45 V. The analytical method developed in this study is suitable for quality control assays of complex cosmetic formulations containing sorbic and/or UA.

  8. A roadmap to high quality chemically prepared graphene

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gengler, Regis Y N; Spyrou, Konstantinos; Rudolf, Petra, E-mail: r.gengler@rug.n, E-mail: p.rudolf@rug.n [Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747AG Groningen (Netherlands)

    2010-09-22

    Graphene was discovered half a decade ago and proved the existence of a two-dimensional system which becomes stable as a result of 3D corrugation. It appeared very quickly that this exceptional material had truly outstanding electronic, mechanical, thermal and optical properties. Consequently a broad range of applications appeared, as the graphene science speedily moved forward. Since then, a lot of effort has been devoted not only to the study of graphene but also to its fabrication. Here we review the chemical approaches to graphene production, their advantages as well as their downsides. Our aim is to draw a roadmap of today's most reliable path to high quality graphene via chemical preparation.

  9. A roadmap to high quality chemically prepared graphene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gengler, Regis Y N; Spyrou, Konstantinos; Rudolf, Petra

    2010-01-01

    Graphene was discovered half a decade ago and proved the existence of a two-dimensional system which becomes stable as a result of 3D corrugation. It appeared very quickly that this exceptional material had truly outstanding electronic, mechanical, thermal and optical properties. Consequently a broad range of applications appeared, as the graphene science speedily moved forward. Since then, a lot of effort has been devoted not only to the study of graphene but also to its fabrication. Here we review the chemical approaches to graphene production, their advantages as well as their downsides. Our aim is to draw a roadmap of today's most reliable path to high quality graphene via chemical preparation.

  10. High-gravity combustion synthesis and in situ melt infiltration: A new method for preparing cemented carbides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Guanghua; Li, Jiangtao; Yang, Zengchao; Guo, Shibin; Chen, Yixiang

    2013-01-01

    A new method of high-gravity combustion synthesis and in situ melt infiltration is reported for preparing cemented carbides, where hot nickel melt is in situ synthesized from a highly exothermic combustion reaction and then infiltrated into tungsten carbide powder compacts. The as-prepared sample showed a homogeneous microstructure, and its relative density, hardness and flexural strength were 94.4%, 84 HRA and 1.49 GPa, respectively. Compared with conventional powder metallurgy approaches, high-gravity combustion synthesis offers a fast and furnace-free way to produce cemented carbides

  11. Preparation and characterization of high-Tc superconducting thin films with high critical current densities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vase, P.

    1991-08-01

    The project was carried out in relation to possible cable and electronics applications of high-T c materials. Laser ablation was used as the deposition technique because of its stoichiometry conservation. Films were made in the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 compound due to its relatively simple stoichiometry compared to other High-T c compounds. Much attention was paid to the critical current density. A very high critical current density was reached. By using texture analysis by X-ray diffraction, it was found that films with high critical current densities were epitaxial, while films with low critical current densities contained several crystalline orientations. Four techniques for patterning the films were used - photo lithography and wet etch, laser ablation lithography, laser writing and electron beam lithography and ion milling. Sub-micron patterning has been demonstrated without degradation of the superconducting properties. The achieved patterning resolution is sufficient for preparation of many superconducting components. (AB)

  12. Preparation of H-mordenite/MCM-48 composite and its catalytic performance in the alkylation of toluene with tert-butanol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Zhiwei; Cheng, Fuling; Qin, Juan; Yu, Pengcheng; Xu, Lin; Gu, Zhiqiang; Liu, Xiaoqin; Wu, Wenliang

    2017-09-01

    A series of HM/MCM-48 samples with different SiO2/Al2O3 molar ratio were prepared by sol-gel method. The prepared catalysts were characterized by XRD, N2 adsorption-desorption, NH3-TPD, FT-IR, SEM, and TEM techniques, and their catalytic performance was investigated in alkylation of toluene with tert-butanol. The adsorption capacity and the acid sites amount of HM/MCM-48-4 sample prepared by growing MCM-48 on the surface of HM zeolite are much higher than that of their mechanical mixture (HM/MCM-48(4) sample) due to its biporous structure; it shows higher catalytic performance than other HM/MCM-48 samples. The influence of reaction conditions on the catalytic performance of HM/MCM-48-4 zeolite was discussed. Toluene conversion of 41.4% and p-tert-butyltoluene selectivity of 73.5% were obtained at the weight ratio of toluene to HM/MCM-48-4 of 5, reaction temperature of 453 K, reaction time of 5 h and the molar ratio of toluene to tert-butanol of 0.5.

  13. Preparation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfuraldehyde from high fructose corn syrup and other carbohydrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Szmant, H H; Chundury, D D

    1981-01-01

    5-Hydroxymethylfurfuraldehyde (HMF) was prepared from high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), or crystalline D-fructose, in high yield and purity. A 95%-97% conversion of fructose to HMF was achieved using 25 mol% (based on fructose) boron trifluoride etherate catalyst in dimethyl sulphoxide, under a nitrogen atmosphere, a reaction temperature of 273 K, and 30 minutes reaction time. Inferior yields of HMF were obtained from glucose and starch.

  14. Urbanized South Asians' susceptibility to coronary heart disease: The high-heat food preparation hypothesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kakde, Smitha; Bhopal, Raj S; Bhardwaj, Swati; Misra, Anoop

    2017-01-01

    Known risk factors do not fully explain the comparatively high susceptibility to coronary heart disease (CHD) in South Asians (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Sri Lankan populations in South Asia and overseas). The search for explanatory hypotheses and cofactors that raise susceptibility of South Asians to CHD continues. The aim of this study was to propose "the high-heat food preparation hypothesis," where neo-formed contaminants (NFCs) such as trans-fatty acids (TFAs) and advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are the cofactors. We reviewed the actions of AGEs and TFAs, the burden of these products in tissues and blood in South Asians, the relationship between these products and CHD, the effects of preparing food and reheating oils at high temperatures on NFCs, and the foods and mode of preparation in South Asian and Chinese cuisines. Animal and human studies show NFCs increase the risk for CHD. Evidence on the consumption and body burden of these products across ethnic groups is not available, and comparable data on the NFC content of the cuisine of South Asians and potential comparison populations (e.g., the Chinese with lower CHD rates) are limited. South Asians' cuisine is dominated by frying and roasting techniques that use high temperatures. South Asian foods have high TFA content primarily through the use of partially hydrogenated fats, reheated oils, and high-heat cooking. Reheating oils greatly increases the TFA content. In comparison, Chinese cuisine involves mostly braising, steaming, and boiling rather than frying. We hypothesize that South Asians' susceptibility to CHD is partly attributable to high-heat treated foods producing high NFCs. Research to accrue direct evidence is proposed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Digested sludge-derived three-dimensional hierarchical porous carbon for high-performance supercapacitor electrode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jia-Jia; Fan, Hao-Xiang; Dai, Xiao-Hu; Yuan, Shi-Jie

    2018-04-01

    Digested sludge, as the main by-product of the sewage sludge anaerobic digestion process, still contains considerable organic compounds. In this protocol, we report a facile method for preparing digested sludge-derived self-doped porous carbon material for high-performance supercapacitor electrodes via a sustainable pyrolysis/activation process. The obtained digested sludge-derived carbon material (HPDSC) exhibits versatile O-, N-doped hierarchical porous framework, high specific surface area (2103.6 m 2  g -1 ) and partial graphitization phase, which can facilitate ion transport, provide more storage sites for electrolyte ions and enhance the conductivity of active electrode materials. The HPDSC-based supercapacitor electrodes show favourable energy storage performance, with a specific capacitance of 245 F g -1 at 1.0 A g -1 in 0.5 M Na 2 SO 4 ; outstanding cycling stability, with 98.4% capacitance retention after 2000 cycles; and good rate performance (211 F g -1 at 11 A g -1 ). This work provides a unique self-doped three-dimensional hierarchical porous carbon material with a favourable charge storage capacity and at the same time finds a high value-added and environment-friendly strategy for disposal and recycling of digested sludge.

  16. Preparation of MnO2 electrodes coated by Sb-doped SnO2 and their effect on electrochemical performance for supercapacitor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Yuqing; Mo, Yan

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Sb-doped SnO 2 coated MnO 2 electrodes (SS-MnO 2 electrodes) are prepared. • The capacitive property and stability of SS-MnO 2 electrode is superior to uncoated MnO 2 electrode and SnO 2 coated MnO 2 electrode. • Sb-doped SnO 2 coating enhances electrochemical performance of MnO 2 effectively. • SS-MnO 2 electrodes are desirable to become a novel electrode material for supercapacitor. - Abstract: To enhance the specific capacity and cycling stability of manganese binoxide (MnO 2 ) for supercapacitor, antimony (Sb) doped tin dioxide (SnO 2 ) is coated on MnO 2 through a sol-gel method to prepare MnO 2 electrodes, enhancing the electrochemical performance of MnO 2 electrode in sodium sulfate electrolytes. The structure and composition of SS-MnO 2 electrode are characterized by using scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-Ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD). The electrochemical performances are evaluated and researched by galvanostatic charge-discharge test, cyclic voltammogram (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results show that SS-MnO 2 electrodes hold porous structure, displaying superior cycling stability at large current work condition in charge-discharge tests and good capacity performance at high scanning rate in CV tests. The results of EIS show that SS-MnO 2 electrodes have small internal resistance. Therefore, the electrochemical performances of MnO 2 electrodes are enhanced effectively by Sb-doped SnO 2 coating

  17. Catalytic Ammonia Decomposition over High-Performance Ru/Graphene Nanocomposites for Efficient COx-Free Hydrogen Production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gang Li

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Highly-dispersed Ru nanoparticles were grown on graphene nanosheets by simultaneously reducing graphene oxide and Ru ions using ethylene glycol (EG, and the resultant Ru/graphene nanocomposites were applied as a catalyst to ammonia decomposition for COx-free hydrogen production. Tuning the microstructures of Ru/graphene nanocomposites was easily accomplished in terms of Ru particle size, morphology, and loading by adjusting the preparation conditions. This was the key to excellent catalytic activity, because ammonia decomposition over Ru catalysts is structure-sensitive. Our results demonstrated that Ru/graphene prepared using water as a co-solvent greatly enhanced the catalytic performance for ammonia decomposition, due to the significantly improved nano architectures of the composites. The long-term stability of Ru/graphene catalysts was evaluated for COx-free hydrogen production from ammonia at high temperatures, and the structural evolution of the catalysts was investigated during the catalytic reactions. Although there were no obvious changes in the catalytic activities at 450 °C over a duration of 80 h, an aggregation of the Ru nanoparticles was still observed in the nanocomposites, which was ascribed mainly to a sintering effect. However, the performance of the Ru/graphene catalyst was decreased gradually at 500 °C within 20 h, which was ascribed mainly to both the effect of the methanation of the graphene nanosheet under a H2 atmosphere and to enhanced sintering under high temperatures.

  18. High Performance Computing in Science and Engineering '15 : Transactions of the High Performance Computing Center

    CERN Document Server

    Kröner, Dietmar; Resch, Michael

    2016-01-01

    This book presents the state-of-the-art in supercomputer simulation. It includes the latest findings from leading researchers using systems from the High Performance Computing Center Stuttgart (HLRS) in 2015. The reports cover all fields of computational science and engineering ranging from CFD to computational physics and from chemistry to computer science with a special emphasis on industrially relevant applications. Presenting findings of one of Europe’s leading systems, this volume covers a wide variety of applications that deliver a high level of sustained performance. The book covers the main methods in high-performance computing. Its outstanding results in achieving the best performance for production codes are of particular interest for both scientists and engineers. The book comes with a wealth of color illustrations and tables of results.

  19. High Performance Computing in Science and Engineering '17 : Transactions of the High Performance Computing Center

    CERN Document Server

    Kröner, Dietmar; Resch, Michael; HLRS 2017

    2018-01-01

    This book presents the state-of-the-art in supercomputer simulation. It includes the latest findings from leading researchers using systems from the High Performance Computing Center Stuttgart (HLRS) in 2017. The reports cover all fields of computational science and engineering ranging from CFD to computational physics and from chemistry to computer science with a special emphasis on industrially relevant applications. Presenting findings of one of Europe’s leading systems, this volume covers a wide variety of applications that deliver a high level of sustained performance.The book covers the main methods in high-performance computing. Its outstanding results in achieving the best performance for production codes are of particular interest for both scientists and engineers. The book comes with a wealth of color illustrations and tables of results.

  20. Preparation of high-purity cerium nitrate; Preparacao de nitrato de cerio de alta pureza

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Avila, Daniela Moraes; Silva Queiroz, Carlos Alberto da; Santos Mucillo, Eliana Navarro dos [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    1995-12-31

    The preparation of high-purity cerium nitrate has been carried out Cerium oxide has been prepared by fractioned precipitation and ionic exchange techniques, using a concentrate with approximately 85% of cerium oxide from NUCLEMON as raw material. Five sequential ion-exchange columns with a retention capacity of 170 g each have been used. The ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid (EDTA) was used as eluent. The cerium content has been determined by gravimetry and iodometry techniques. The resulting cerium oxide has a purity > 99%. This material was transformed in cerium nitrate to be used as precursor for the preparation of Zirconia-ceria ceramics by the coprecipitation technique. (author) 2 tabs.

  1. Effects of Information Access Cost and Accountability on Medical Residents' Information Retrieval Strategy and Performance During Prehandover Preparation: Evidence From Interview and Simulation Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, X Jessie; Wickens, Christopher D; Park, Taezoon; Fong, Liesel; Siah, Kewin T H

    2015-12-01

    We aimed to examine the effects of information access cost and accountability on medical residents' information retrieval strategy and performance during prehandover preparation. Prior studies observing doctors' prehandover practices witnessed the use of memory-intensive strategies when retrieving patient information. These strategies impose potential threats to patient safety as human memory is prone to errors. Of interest in this work are the underlying determinants of information retrieval strategy and the potential impacts on medical residents' information preparation performance. A two-step research approach was adopted, consisting of semistructured interviews with 21 medical residents and a simulation-based experiment with 32 medical residents. The semistructured interviews revealed that a substantial portion of medical residents (38%) relied largely on memory for preparing handover information. The simulation-based experiment showed that higher information access cost reduced information access attempts and access duration on patient documents and harmed information preparation performance. Higher accountability led to marginally longer access to patient documents. It is important to understand the underlying determinants of medical residents' information retrieval strategy and performance during prehandover preparation. We noted the criticality of easy access to patient documents in prehandover preparation. In addition, accountability marginally influenced medical residents' information retrieval strategy. Findings from this research suggested that the cost of accessing information sources should be minimized in developing handover preparation tools. © 2015, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

  2. Glass sample preparation and performance investigations. [solar x-ray imager

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, R. Barry

    1992-01-01

    This final report details the work performed under this delivery order from April 1991 through April 1992. The currently available capabilities for integrated optical performance modeling at MSFC for large and complex systems such as AXAF were investigated. The Integrated Structural Modeling (ISM) program developed by Boeing for the U.S. Air Force was obtained and installed on two DECstations 5000 at MSFC. The structural, thermal and optical analysis programs available in ISM were evaluated. As part of the optomechanical engineering activities, technical support was provided in the design of support structure, mirror assembly, filter wheel assembly and material selection for the Solar X-ray Imager (SXI) program. As part of the fabrication activities, a large number of zerodur glass samples were prepared in different sizes and shapes for acid etching, coating and polishing experiments to characterize the subsurface damage and stresses produced by the grinding and polishing operations. Various optical components for AXAF video microscope and the x-ray test facility were also fabricated. A number of glass fabrication and test instruments such as a scatter plate interferometer, a gravity feed saw and some phenolic cutting blades were fabricated, integrated and tested.

  3. Novel transparent high-performance AgNWs/ZnO electrodes prepared on unconventional substrates with 3D structured surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lan, Wei; Yang, Zhiwei; Zhang, Yue; Wei, Yupeng; Wang, Pengxiang; Abas, Asim; Tang, Guomei; Zhang, Xuetao; Wang, Junya; Xie, Erqing

    2018-03-01

    With the development of optoelectronic devices with three-dimensional (3D) structured surfaces, transparent electrodes that can be deposited on non-plane substrates have become increasingly important. In this paper, novel transparent silver nanowire (AgNWs)/ZnO film electrodes were uniformly prepared on treated 3D glass and PET substrates with a combination of spin-coating and heat-welding. The AgNWs/ZnO films show a transmittance of ∼88% and a sheet resistance of ∼10 Ω/sq. They are comparable with commercial ITO films. Furthermore, only a small in-plane resistance variation of ∼1 Ω/sq was measured using four-point probe mapping in films with a 10 cm × 10 cm area. These results confirm that these novel film electrodes are very uniform. Both electrical resistance and optical transmittance of the films remain mostly intact after 1000 bending cycles and tape peeling-tests with 10 cycles. The films show high thermal stability for more than one month at 80 °C. The strategy provides a new route for the design and fabrication of optoelectronic devices with 3D structured surfaces.

  4. Polyaniline/single-wall carbon nanotube (PANI/SWCNT) composites for high performance supercapacitors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gupta, Vinay; Miura, Norio [Art, Science and Technology Center for Cooperative Research, Kyushu University, Kasuga-shi, Fukuoka 816-8580 (Japan)

    2006-12-01

    PANI/SWCNT composites were prepared by electrochemical polymerisation of polyaniline onto SWCNTs and their capacitive performance was evaluated by means of cyclic voltammetry and charge-discharge cycling in 1M H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} electrolyte. The PANI/SWCNT composites single electrode showed much higher specific capacitance, specific energy and specific power than pure PANI and SWCNTs. The highest specific capacitance, specific power and specific energy values of 485F/g, 228Wh/kg and 2250W/kg were observed for 73wt.% PANI deposited onto SWCNTs. PANI/SWCNT composites also showed long cyclic stability. Based upon the variations in the surface morphologies and specific capacitance of the composite, a mechanism is proposed to explain enhancement in the capacitive characteristics. The PANI/SWCNT composites have demonstrated the potential as excellent electrode materials for application in high performance supercapacitors. (author)

  5. Preparation of novel ceramics with high CaO content from steel slag

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, Lihua; Li, Yu; Zhou, Yuanyuan; Cang, Daqiang

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Efficiently utilize such solid waste with high CaO content. • A novel ceramics was put forward by traditional ceramic process. • The novel ceramics attained high strength. • Sintering mechanisms of the novel ceramics were discussed. - Abstract: Steel slag, an industrial waste discharged from steelmaking process, cannot be extensively used in traditional aluminosilicate based ceramics manufacturing for its high content of calcium oxide. In order to efficiently utilize such solid waste, a method of preparing ceramics with high CaO content was put forward. In this paper, steel slag in combination with quartz, talcum, clay and feldspar was converted to a novel ceramic by traditional ceramic process. The sintering mechanism, microstructure and performances were studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques, combined experimenting of linear shrinkage, water absorption and flexural strength. The results revealed that all crystal phases in the novel ceramic were pyroxene group minerals, including diopsite ferrian, augite and diopsite. Almost all raw materials including quartz joined the reaction and transformed into pyroxene or glass phase in the sintering process, and different kinds of clays and feldspars had no impact on the final crystal phases. Flexural strength of the ceramic containing 40 wt.% steel slag in raw materials can reach 143 MPa at sintering temperature of 1210 °C and its corresponding water absorption, weight loss, linear shrinkage were 0.02%, 8.8%, 6.0% respectively. Pyroxene group minerals in ceramics would contribute to the excellent physical and mechanical properties

  6. Preparation of high magneto-optical performance and crystalline quality Ce{sub 1}Gd{sub 2}Fe{sub 5−x}Ga{sub x}O{sub 12} films on CLNGG substrate crystal

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fu, Qiu-ping; Zheng, Ze-yuan; Lin, Nan-xi; Liu, Xiao-feng; Hong, Can-huang; Hu, Xiao-lin, E-mail: linamethyst@fzu.edu.cn; Zhuang, Nai-feng; Chen, Jian-zhong, E-mail: j.z.chen@fzu.edu.cn

    2016-11-01

    Thin films of Ce{sub 1}Gd{sub 2}Fe{sub 5−x}Ga{sub x}O{sub 12} (Ce,Ga:GIG) were prepared on Gd{sub 3}Ga{sub 5}O{sub 12} (GGG) and Ca{sub 2.90}Li{sub 0.30}Nb{sub 1.93}Ga{sub 2.76}O{sub 12} (CLNGG) substrates by using radio frequency magnetron sputtering technique. The phase, grain orientation, surface morphology, transmittance, magnetism and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) properties of films were analyzed. And the effects of lattice mismatch and non-magnetic Ga{sup 3+}-doping were discussed. The results show that the films with higher crystallized quality and lower stress can be obtained by growing on CLNGG than on GGG. Moreover, the coercive force, magnetization, magneto-optical effect intensity and orientation of film can be effectively regulated by adjusting Ga{sup 3+}-doped concentration. - Highlights: • With excellent magneto-optical performance, Ce,Ga:GIG film has a good application prospect. • Ce,Ga:GIG film with high quality were prepared on CLNGG by RF magnetron sputtering. • Crystalline quality and morphology of films are intently related to the substrate. • Ga{sup 3+} doping obviously affect on magnetism and magneto-optical property of Ce:GIG film.

  7. Preparation and Characterization of Highly Spherical Silica-titania Aerogel Beads with High Surface Area

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    YU Yu-xi

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The silica-titania aerogel beads were synthesized through sol-gel reaction followed by supercritical drying, in which TEOS and TBT as co-precursors, EtOH as solvents, HAC and NH3·H2O as catalysts. The as-prepared aerogel beads were characterized by SEM,TEM,XRD,FT-IR,TG-DTA and nitrogen adsorption-desorption. The results indicate that the diameter distribution of beads are between 1-8mm, the average diameter of beads is 3.5mm. The aerogel beads have nanoporous network structure with high specific surface area of 914.5m2/g, and the TiO2 particles are distributed in the aerogel uniformly, which keep the anatase crystal under high temperature.

  8. High-performance thin-layer chromatography analysis of steviol glycosides in Stevia formulations and sugar-free food products, and benchmarking with (ultra) high-performance liquid chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morlock, Gertrud E; Meyer, Stephanie; Zimmermann, Benno F; Roussel, Jean-Marc

    2014-07-11

    A high-performance TLC (HPTLC) method was newly developed and validated for analysis of 7 steviol glycosides in 6 different types of food and Stevia formulations. After a minimized one-step sample preparation, 21 samples were developed in parallel, allowing an effective food screening. Depending on the sample application volume, the method was suited to analyze food sample concentrations in the mg/kg range. LOQs of stevioside in natural yoghurt matrix spiked at 0.02, 0.13 and 0.2% were determined by the calibration curve method to be 12ng/band (peak height). ANOVA was successfully passed to prove data homogeneity in the working range (30-600ng/band). The accuracy (recovery tolerance limit, 92-120%), repeatability (3.1-5.4%) and intermediate precision (4.0-8.4%) were determined for stevioside in milk-based matrix including sample preparation and recovery rates at 3 different concentration levels. For the first time, the recording of HPTLC-ESI-MS spectra via the TLC-MS Interface was demonstrated for rebaudioside A. HPTLC contents for rebaudioside A were compared with results of two (U)HPLC methods. The running costs and analysis time of the three different methods were discussed in detail with regard to screening of food products. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. High performance fuel technology development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koon, Yang Hyun; Kim, Keon Sik; Park, Jeong Yong; Yang, Yong Sik; In, Wang Kee; Kim, Hyung Kyu [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-01-15

    {omicron} Development of High Plasticity and Annular Pellet - Development of strong candidates of ultra high burn-up fuel pellets for a PCI remedy - Development of fabrication technology of annular fuel pellet {omicron} Development of High Performance Cladding Materials - Irradiation test of HANA claddings in Halden research reactor and the evaluation of the in-pile performance - Development of the final candidates for the next generation cladding materials. - Development of the manufacturing technology for the dual-cooled fuel cladding tubes. {omicron} Irradiated Fuel Performance Evaluation Technology Development - Development of performance analysis code system for the dual-cooled fuel - Development of fuel performance-proving technology {omicron} Feasibility Studies on Dual-Cooled Annular Fuel Core - Analysis on the property of a reactor core with dual-cooled fuel - Feasibility evaluation on the dual-cooled fuel core {omicron} Development of Design Technology for Dual-Cooled Fuel Structure - Definition of technical issues and invention of concept for dual-cooled fuel structure - Basic design and development of main structure components for dual- cooled fuel - Basic design of a dual-cooled fuel rod.

  10. Preparation and quantification of the total phenolic products in Citrus fruit using solid-phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array and UV detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Honglian; Liu, Zhenli; Zhao, Siyu; Shu, Yisong; Song, Zhiqian; Wang, Chun; Dong, Yunzhuo; Ning, Zhangchi; He, Dan; Wang, Menglei; Lu, Cheng; Liu, Yuanyan; Lu, Aiping

    2016-10-01

    Citrus fruit is an important health-promoting food that is rich in dietary phenolic metabolites. Traditional Chinese medicines, such as Zhishi and Zhiqiao, come from young and immature fruits of Citrus cultivars. The preparation of diversified bioactive phenolic products and establishment of the corresponding quality control methodology are challenging and necessary. In the current study, four types of solid-phase extraction sorbents for the enrichment and clean-up of the phenolic matrix were evaluated. A solid-phase extraction column coated with Strata-X was finally used in the procedure. Twenty phenolic compounds were selected to evaluate the extraction performances of the sorbents using high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. Under the optimized conditions, good linearities were obtained with R 2 more than 0.9996 for all analytes with LODs of 0.04-1.012 μg/g. Intra- and interday relative standard deviation values were less than 3%, and the recovery was equal to or higher than 90.02%. Compared to non-solid-phase extraction process, the content of total phenolic products was elevated 35.55-68.48% with solid-phase extraction. Finally, the developed and validated method was successfully applied to the discrimination of Zhishi samples from different species as well as Zhishi and Zhiqiao samples in different development stages. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Facile preparation of superhydrophobic surface with high adhesive ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Glass substrates modified by carbon/silica composites are fabricated through a two-step process for the preparation of a superhydrophobic surface (water contact angle ≥ 150°). Carbon nanoparticles were first prepared through a deposition process on glass using a hydrothermal synthesis route, then the glass was ...

  12. High performance homes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beim, Anne; Vibæk, Kasper Sánchez

    2014-01-01

    . Consideration of all these factors is a precondition for a truly integrated practice and as this chapter demonstrates, innovative project delivery methods founded on the manufacturing of prefabricated buildings contribute to the production of high performance homes that are cost effective to construct, energy...

  13. Preparation of Highly Porous Binderless Active Carbon Monoliths from Waste Aspen Sawdust

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dawei Li

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Waste aspen sawdust was used as a precursor to prepare binderless active carbon monoliths (ACMs with high porosities. The ACMs were prepared by activation with H3PO4 at different activation temperatures (500 to 700 °C and retention times (1 to 3 h. Their morphologies, yields, textural properties, and microcrystalline structures were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM, an analytical balance, N2 adsorption/desorption techniques, and X-ray diffraction (XRD. The results indicated that waste aspen sawdust could be successfully converted into highly porous binderless ACMs. The apparent specific surface area (SSA and yield of ACMs were in the range of 688 to 951 m2/g and 26.6 to 36.2%, respectively. Highly microporous ACMs with a micropore percentage of 91.1%, apparent specific surface area of 951 m2/g, pore volume of 0.481 mL/g, and bulk density of 0.56 g/mL could be produced by activation at 700 °C for 1 h. Increasing the activation temperature or retention time increased the specific surface area, pore volume, and turbostratic degree, but decreased the yield.

  14. Strategy Guideline: High Performance Residential Lighting

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Holton, J.

    2012-02-01

    The Strategy Guideline: High Performance Residential Lighting has been developed to provide a tool for the understanding and application of high performance lighting in the home. The high performance lighting strategies featured in this guide are drawn from recent advances in commercial lighting for application to typical spaces found in residential buildings. This guide offers strategies to greatly reduce lighting energy use through the application of high quality fluorescent and light emitting diode (LED) technologies. It is important to note that these strategies not only save energy in the home but also serve to satisfy the homeowner's expectations for high quality lighting.

  15. Low-Cost 3D Printers Enable High-Quality and Automated Sample Preparation and Molecular Detection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kamfai Chan

    Full Text Available Most molecular diagnostic assays require upfront sample preparation steps to isolate the target's nucleic acids, followed by its amplification and detection using various nucleic acid amplification techniques. Because molecular diagnostic methods are generally rather difficult to perform manually without highly trained users, automated and integrated systems are highly desirable but too costly for use at point-of-care or low-resource settings. Here, we showcase the development of a low-cost and rapid nucleic acid isolation and amplification platform by modifying entry-level 3D printers that cost between $400 and $750. Our modifications consisted of replacing the extruder with a tip-comb attachment that houses magnets to conduct magnetic particle-based nucleic acid extraction. We then programmed the 3D printer to conduct motions that can perform high-quality extraction protocols. Up to 12 samples can be processed simultaneously in under 13 minutes and the efficiency of nucleic acid isolation matches well against gold-standard spin-column-based extraction technology. Additionally, we used the 3D printer's heated bed to supply heat to perform water bath-based polymerase chain reactions (PCRs. Using another attachment to hold PCR tubes, the 3D printer was programmed to automate the process of shuttling PCR tubes between water baths. By eliminating the temperature ramping needed in most commercial thermal cyclers, the run time of a 35-cycle PCR protocol was shortened by 33%. This article demonstrates that for applications in resource-limited settings, expensive nucleic acid extraction devices and thermal cyclers that are used in many central laboratories can be potentially replaced by a device modified from inexpensive entry-level 3D printers.

  16. Low-Cost 3D Printers Enable High-Quality and Automated Sample Preparation and Molecular Detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Kamfai; Coen, Mauricio; Hardick, Justin; Gaydos, Charlotte A.; Wong, Kah-Yat; Smith, Clayton; Wilson, Scott A.; Vayugundla, Siva Praneeth; Wong, Season

    2016-01-01

    Most molecular diagnostic assays require upfront sample preparation steps to isolate the target’s nucleic acids, followed by its amplification and detection using various nucleic acid amplification techniques. Because molecular diagnostic methods are generally rather difficult to perform manually without highly trained users, automated and integrated systems are highly desirable but too costly for use at point-of-care or low-resource settings. Here, we showcase the development of a low-cost and rapid nucleic acid isolation and amplification platform by modifying entry-level 3D printers that cost between $400 and $750. Our modifications consisted of replacing the extruder with a tip-comb attachment that houses magnets to conduct magnetic particle-based nucleic acid extraction. We then programmed the 3D printer to conduct motions that can perform high-quality extraction protocols. Up to 12 samples can be processed simultaneously in under 13 minutes and the efficiency of nucleic acid isolation matches well against gold-standard spin-column-based extraction technology. Additionally, we used the 3D printer’s heated bed to supply heat to perform water bath-based polymerase chain reactions (PCRs). Using another attachment to hold PCR tubes, the 3D printer was programmed to automate the process of shuttling PCR tubes between water baths. By eliminating the temperature ramping needed in most commercial thermal cyclers, the run time of a 35-cycle PCR protocol was shortened by 33%. This article demonstrates that for applications in resource-limited settings, expensive nucleic acid extraction devices and thermal cyclers that are used in many central laboratories can be potentially replaced by a device modified from inexpensive entry-level 3D printers. PMID:27362424

  17. Enginnering development of coal-fired high performance power systems phase II and III

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-01-01

    This report presents work carried out under contract DE-AC22-95PC95144 ''Engineering Development of Coal-Fired High Performance Systems Phase II and III.'' The goals of the program are to develop a coal-fired high performance power generation system (HIPPS) that is capable of: thermal efficiency (HHV) >47%; NOx, SOx, and particulates 65% of heat input; all solid wastes benign; cost of electricity <90% of present plants. Phase I, which began in 1992, focused on the analysis of various configurations of indirectly fired cycles and on technical assessments of alternative plant subsystems and components, including performance requirements, developmental status, design options, complexity and reliability, and capital and operating costs. Phase I also included preliminary R ampersand D and the preparation of designs for HIPPS commercial plants approximately 300 MWe in size. This phase, Phase II, involves the development and testing of plant subsystems, refinement and updating of the HIPPS commercial plant design, and the site selection and engineering design of a HIPPS prototype plant. Work reported herein is from: Task 2.2 HITAF Air Heaters; Task 6 HIPPS Commercial Plant Design Update

  18. Electrospun polyacrylonitrile/polyurethane composite nanofibrous separator with electrochemical performance for high power lithium ion batteries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zainab, Ghazala [State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620 (China); Wang, Xianfeng, E-mail: wxf@dhu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620 (China); Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620 (China); Key Laboratory of High Performance Fibers & Products, Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620 (China); Nanofibers Research Center, Modern Textile Institute, Donghua University, Shanghai 200051 (China); Yu, Jianyong [Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620 (China); Key Laboratory of High Performance Fibers & Products, Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620 (China); Nanofibers Research Center, Modern Textile Institute, Donghua University, Shanghai 200051 (China); Zhai, Yunyun; Ahmed Babar, Aijaz; Xiao, Ke [State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620 (China); Ding, Bin, E-mail: binding@dhu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620 (China); Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620 (China); Key Laboratory of High Performance Fibers & Products, Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620 (China); Nanofibers Research Center, Modern Textile Institute, Donghua University, Shanghai 200051 (China)

    2016-10-01

    Lithium ion batteries (LIBs) for high performance require separators with auspicious reliability and safety. Keeping LIBs reliability and safety in view, microporous polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/polyurethane (PU) nonwoven composite separator have been developed by electrospinning technique. The physical, electrochemical and thermal properties of the PAN/PU separator were characterized. Improved ionic conductivity up to 2.07 S cm{sup −1}, high mechanical strength (10.38 MPa) and good anodic stability up to 5.10 V are key outcomes of resultant membranes. Additionally, high thermal stability displaying only 4% dimensional change after 0.5 h long exposure to 170 °C in an oven, which could be valuable addition towards the safety of LIBs. Comparing to commercialized polypropylene based separators, resulting membranes offered improved internal short-circuit protection function, offering better rate capability and enhanced capacity retention under same observation conditions. These fascinating characteristics endow these renewable composite nonwovens as promising separators for high power LIBs battery. - Highlights: • The PAN/PU based separators were prepared by multi-needle electrospinning technique. • The electrospun separators displays good mechanical properties and thermal stability. • These separators exhibit good wettability with liquid electrolyte, high ion conductivity and internal short-circuit protection. • Nanofibrous composite nonwoven possesses stable cyclic performance which give rise to acceptable battery performances.

  19. Highly porous CeO2 nanostructures prepared via combustion synthesis for supercapacitor applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kadirvelayutham, Prasanna; Santhoshkumar, P.; Jo, Yong Nam

    2017-01-01

    We report highly porous CeO2 nanostructures (CeO2 NSs) suitable for supercapacitor applications, synthesized using a fast and cost effective combustion approach. Due to its prominent valence states of Ce3+/Ce4+, CeO2 has emerged as a promising pseudocapacitive material. The drawback of using CeO2...... as a supercapacitor electrode is its poor electrical conductivity. We overcame this drawback of CeO2 by creating oxygen vacancies on its surface, which act to enhance its electrical conductivity. The physical interpretation of the as-synthesized CeO2 NSs shows that they have dense active sites and diffusion pathways...... that enhance the performance of the electrode in a supercapacitor. Electrodes prepared using the synthesized CeO2 NSs exhibited the initial specific capacitance of 134.6 F g-1 and superior cycling stability of 92.5% after 1000 cycles at a constant current density of 1 A g-1, indicating their potential...

  20. Synthesis and characterization of poly (dihydroxybiphenyl borate) with high char yield for high-performance thermosetting resins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Shujuan; Xing, Xiaolong; Li, Jian; Jing, Xinli

    2018-01-01

    The objective of the current work is to synthesize novel boron-containing polymers with excellent thermal resistance, and reveal the structure and the reason for the high char yield. Thus, poly (dihydroxybiphenyl borate) (PDDB) with a more rigid molecular chain, was successfully synthesized using 4,4‧-dihydroxybiphenyl and boric acid. Structural characterizations of the prepared PDDB were performed via NMR, FTIR, XPS, and XRD analyses. The results reveal that PDDB consists of aromatic, Phsbnd Osbnd B and Bsbnd Osbnd B structures as well as a small number of boron hydroxyl and phenolic hydroxyl groups. PDDB shows good solubility in strong polar solvents, which is of great importance for the modification of thermosetting resins. TGA combined with DSC were employed to evaluate the thermal properties of PDDB, and increases in the glass transition temperature (Tg) and char yield were observed with increased boron content. Tg and char yield of PDDB (800 °C, nitrogen atmosphere) reached up to 219 °C and 66.5%, respectively. PDDB was extensively characterized during pyrolysis to reveal the high char yield of PDDB. As briefly discussed, the boron oxide and boron carbide that formed during pyrolysis play a crucial role in the high char yield of PDDB, which reduces the release of volatile carbon dioxide and carbon. This research suggests that PDDB has great potential as a novel modified agent for the improvement of the comprehensive performance of thermosetting resins to broaden their applicability in the field of advanced composites.

  1. High performance conductometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saha, B.

    2000-01-01

    Inexpensive but high performance systems have emerged progressively for basic and applied measurements in physical and analytical chemistry on one hand, and for on-line monitoring and leak detection in plants and facilities on the other. Salient features of the developments will be presented with specific examples

  2. Materials performance in a high-level radioactive waste vitrification system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Imrich, K.J.; Chandler, G.T.

    1996-01-01

    The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) is a Department of Energy Facility designed to vitrify highly radioactive waste. An extensive materials evaluation program has been completed on key components in the DWPF after twelve months of operation using nonradioactive simulated wastes. Results of the visual inspections of the feed preparation system indicate that the system components, which were fabricated from Hastelloy C-276, should achieve their design lives. Significant erosion was observed on agitator blades that process glass frit slurries; however, design modifications should mitigate the erosion. Visual inspections of the DWPF melter top head and off gas components, which were fabricated from Inconel 690, indicated that varying degrees of degradation occurred. Most of the components will perform satisfactorily for their two year design life. The components that suffered significant attack were the borescopes, primary film cooler brush, and feed tubes. Changes in the operation of the film cooler brush and design modifications to the feed tubes and borescopes is expected to extend their service lives to two years. A program to investigate new high temperature engineered materials and alloys with improved oxidation and high temperature corrosion resistance will be initiated

  3. Preparation and supercapacitive performance of clew-like porous nanocarbons derived from sucrose by catalytic graphitization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Tiantian; Liu, Enhui; Ding, Rui; Luo, Zhenyu; Hu, Tiantian; Li, Zengpeng

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Display Omitted -- Highlights: •Nanocarbons with highly graphitic clew-like nanostructures are firstly reported. •The novel nanostructure contains interconnected and curled carbon nanowires. •The influences of the amount of nickel acetate were investigated. •GCPN-2 has a high degree of graphitization and a low equivalent series resistance. •The specific capacitance is 248 F g −1 at 0.5 A g −1 , and it remains 85% at 5 A g −1 . -- Abstract: Highly graphitic clew-like porous nanocarbons (GCPNs) were prepared by using sucrose and nickel acetate as the carbon source and nickel catalyst precursor, respectively. The influences of the amount of nickel acetate on the microstructure, morphology, degree of graphitization, surface area and pore texture of GCPNs were investigated by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, power X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller measurement, respectively. Electrochemical performance of GCPNs was studied by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements in 6 mol L −1 KOH aqueous electrolytes. GCPNs exhibit interestingly novel clew-like nanostructures, which are composed of interconnected and curled carbon nanowires with sizes ranging from 10 to 25 nm. Especially, GCPN-2 (the mass ratio of nickel acetate to porous activated carbon was 0.22) shows the largest specific surface area of 691 m 2 g −1 , the highest degree of graphitization (0.81) and the lowest equivalent series resistance (ESR) of 0.53 Ω, which ensures sufficient electro-active sites and rapid charge-discharge rates. In addition, GCPN-2 exhibits the hierarchical micro-meso porous architecture which favors the fast diffusion of electrolyte ions. Consequently, GCPN-2 delivers a high specific capacitance (248 F g −1 at 0.5 A g −1 ), a high rate performance (210 F g −1 at 5 A g −1 ) and an excellent cycling stability (94.3% retention after

  4. Testing electrode suitability for field stimulation of high-threshold biological preparations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hugo Fernando Maia Milan

    Full Text Available IntroductionA problem posed by electrical field (E stimulation of biological preparations with high excitation threshold is that the E intensity required for excitation is likely to induce water electrolysis at the electrode surface, which can alter the extracellular medium and cause deleterious effects on the cells. In this study, different electrode materials and geometries were tested aiming at identifying electrode configurations that could transduce the E intensity required for exciting ventricular cardiomyocytes isolated from neonatal rats (threshold E ~30 V/cm without causing water electrolysis.MethodsWire and plate electrodes made of platinum, stainless steel and nickel/chrome alloy were used. The effect of blasting the electrode surface with sand and NaHCO3 solution was also tested. Electrodes were inserted into a cell perfusion chamber containing the saline solution routinely used for physiological experiments. During E application for 5 min, the electrode surface and its surroundings were examined at high magnification for the presence of microbubbles, which indicates the occurrence of water electrolysis. The greatest E intensity applied that failed to generate microbubbles (En was estimated.ResultsWhile nickel/chrome and stainless steel electrodes resulted in low En values, the best performance was observed for sandblasted platinum wire (2 mm diameter and plate (25 mm x 5 mm; 0.1 mm thickness electrodes, for which Enwas ≥40 V/cm.ConclusionThese electrode configurations are suitable for effective and safe stimulation of isolated neonatal cardiomyocytes.

  5. New energy storage option: toward ZnCo2O4 nanorods/nickel foam architectures for high-performance supercapacitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Bin; Liu, Boyang; Wang, Qiufan; Wang, Xianfu; Xiang, Qingyi; Chen, Di; Shen, Guozhen

    2013-10-23

    Hierarchical ZnCo2O4/nickel foam architectures were first fabricated from a simple scalable solution approach, exhibiting outstanding electrochemical performance in supercapacitors with high specific capacitance (∼1400 F g(-1) at 1 A g(-1)), excellent rate capability (72.5% capacity retention at 20 A g(-1)), and good cycling stability (only 3% loss after 1000 cycles at 6 A g(-1)). All-solid-state supercapacitors were also fabricated by assembling two pieces of the ZnCo2O4-based electrodes, showing superior performance in terms of high specific capacitance and long cycling stability. Our work confirms that the as-prepared architectures can not only be applied in high energy density fields, but also be used in high power density applications, such as electric vehicles, flexible electronics, and energy storage devices.

  6. Methods of synthesis and performance improvement of lithium iron phosphate for high rate Li-ion batteries: A review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T.V.S.L. Satyavani

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Lithium ion battery technology has the potential to meet the requirements of high energy density and high power density applications. A continuous search for novel materials is pursued continually to exploit the latent potential of this technology. In this review paper, methods for preparation of Lithium Iron Phosphate are discussed which include solid state and solution based synthesis routes. The methods to improve the electrochemical performance of lithium iron phosphate are presented in detail.

  7. Cross-linking of polymer and ionic liquid as high-performance gel electrolyte for flexible solid-state supercapacitors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhong, Xiongwei; Tang, Jun; Cao, Lujie; Kong, Weiguang; Sun, Zheng; Cheng, Hua; Lu, Zhouguang; Pan, Hui; Xu, Baomin

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: •A facile method to prepare gel polymer electrolyte with high conductivity is proposed. •A flexible symmetric capacitor based on the prepared GPE shows ultra-flexibility. •The capacitor with high voltage can power up a 3.0 V LED even bended to a angle of 180°. -- Abstract: It is highly desirable to develop flexible solid-state electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) with non-liquid electrolyte. However, it is still a great challenge to prepare gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) possessing high ionic conductivity and good mechanical property. In this work, a simple and novel method to improve the conductivity and mechanical properties of GPE film for their applications as electrolyte and separator in EDLC is presented. The GPE film is prepared by cross-linking ionic liquid (IL) with poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) and benzophenone (Bp) followed by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Then, a non-woven cellulose separator (FPC) is used to absorb the GPE. By tuning the mass ratio (n) between IL and PEO, the flexible EDLC cooperated with low-cost active carbon and the electrolyte film with n = 10 has a high capacitance of 70.84 F∙g −1 , a wide and stable electrochemical window of 3.5 V, an energy density of 30.13 Wh∙kg −1 and a power density of 874.8 W∙kg −1 at a current density of 1 A∙g −1 , which can drive a 3.0 V light-emitting diode (LED). Importantly, the excellent performance of the flexible and low-cost EDLC can be maintained at a bending angle up to 180°, indicating the ultra-flexibility. It is expected that the IL-PEO-FPC electrolyte film is a promising candidate of GPE for flexible devices and energy storage systems.

  8. Preparation and electrochemical capacitance performances of super-hydrophilic conducting polyaniline

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Xingwei; Li, Xiaohan; Dai, Na; Wang, Gengchao; Wang, Zhun [Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Meilong Road 130, Shanghai 200237 (China)

    2010-08-15

    Super-hydrophilic conducting polyaniline was prepared by surface modification of polyaniline using tetraethyl orthosilicate in water/ethanol solution, whereas its conductivity was 4.16 S cm{sup -1} at 25 C. And its electrochemical capacitance performances as an electrode material were evaluated by the cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge test in 0.1 M H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} aqueous solution. Its initial specific capacitance was 500 F g{sup -1} at a constant current density of 1.5 A g{sup -1}, and the capacitance still reached about 400 F g{sup -1} after 5000 consecutive cycles. Moreover, its capacitance retention ratio was circa 70% with the growth of current densities from 1.5 to 20 A g{sup -1}, indicating excellent rate capability. It would be a promising electrode material for aqueous redox supercapacitors. (author)

  9. Ionic liquid assisted mechanochemical preparation and electrochemical performance of graphene nanosheets/polypyrrole composite for supercapacitor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lu, X.J.; Zhang, X.G.; Yang, S.D.; Hao, L. [Nanjing Univ. of Aeronautics and Astronautics (China). College of Material Science and Engineering

    2010-07-01

    Carbons, metal oxides, and conducting polymers are the main materials used to construct supercapacitor electrodes. As a conducting polymer, polypyrrole (PPy) is both environmentally friendly and has high capacitive characteristics. In this study, an ionic liquid (IL) assisted mechanochemical technique was used to prepare a graphene nanosheet (GNS) PPy composite. 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrachloroferrate (Bmim[FeC1{sub 4}]) was used as a bifunctional IL, as both the dispersant of the GNS and as the oxidant of the PPy. The specific capacitance of the GNS, PPy, and GNS-PPy composites were calculated. Results of the study suggested that the superior performance of the GNS-PPy composite was caused by the synergistic effect between the GNS and PPy. Use of the GNS as a supporting material provided a relatively large area on which to deposit PPy particles, which allowed more PPy to participate in faradaic redox reactions. Electrical conductivity was also improved. 2 refs., 1 fig.

  10. Preparation and encapsulation performance of Al_2O_3-SiO_2-B_2O_3 glass-ceramic for high temperature thermal storage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Ruguang; Zhu, Jiaoqun; Zhou, Weibing; Cheng, Xiaomin; Liu, Fengli

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Al_2O_3-B_2O_3-SiO_2 has good chemical durability, corrosion resistance and dense structure. • The material rarely used in high temperature thermal storage. • The material was prepared and characterized in the paper. - Abstract: In this paper, Al_2O_3-SiO_2-B_2O_3 glass-ceramic was prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), further, the porosity was detected by Archimedes principle, thermo physical properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), respectively. The phase composition was detected by XRD, and the morphology was observed by SEM. The results indicated that the thermal conductivities of the Al_2O_3-SiO_2-B_2O_3 glass-ceramic were between 1.3 and 1.5 W·(m·K)"−"1, and the material had good thermal stability in the range of 300–900 °C. The porosity and apparent density were increased with the temperature. The porosity of Al_2O_3-SiO_2-B_2O_3 glass-ceramic in ranging from 1.2 to 9.6%, the apparent density were between 2.12 and 2.67 g·cm"−"3, and heat capacities were between 0.64 and 0.79 kJ/(kg·K). All the results indicated that the Al_2O_3-SiO_2-B_2O_3 glass-ceramic can be applied as encapsulation material in high temperature latent thermal energy storage.

  11. Preparation and electrochemical performance of polyaniline-based carbon nanotubes as electrode material for supercapacitor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Miaomiao; Cheng Bin; Song Huaihe; Chen Xiaohong

    2010-01-01

    Nitrogen-containing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with open end and low specific surface area were prepared via the carbonization of polyaniline (PANI) nanotubes synthesized by a rapidly mixed reaction. On the basis of analyzing the morphologies and structures of the original and carbonized PANI nanotubes, the electrochemical properties of PANI-based CNTs obtained at different temperatures as electrode materials for supercapacitors using 30 wt.% aqueous solution of KOH as electrolyte were investigated by galvanostatic charge/discharge and cyclic voltammetry. It was found that the carbonized PANI nanotubes at 700 o C exhibit high specific capacitance of 163 F g -1 at a current density of 0.1 A g -1 and excellent rate capability in KOH solution. Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement the nitrogen state and content in PANI-CNTs were analysed, which could play important roles for the enhancement of electrochemical performance. When the appropriate content of nitrogen is present, the presence of pyrrole or pyridone and quaternary nitrogen is beneficial for the improvement of electron mobility and the wettability of electrode.

  12. Preparation and electrochemical performance of polyaniline-based carbon nanotubes as electrode material for supercapacitor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang Miaomiao; Cheng Bin [State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029 (China); Song Huaihe, E-mail: songhh@mail.buct.edu.c [State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029 (China); Chen Xiaohong [State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029 (China)

    2010-09-30

    Nitrogen-containing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with open end and low specific surface area were prepared via the carbonization of polyaniline (PANI) nanotubes synthesized by a rapidly mixed reaction. On the basis of analyzing the morphologies and structures of the original and carbonized PANI nanotubes, the electrochemical properties of PANI-based CNTs obtained at different temperatures as electrode materials for supercapacitors using 30 wt.% aqueous solution of KOH as electrolyte were investigated by galvanostatic charge/discharge and cyclic voltammetry. It was found that the carbonized PANI nanotubes at 700 {sup o}C exhibit high specific capacitance of 163 F g{sup -1} at a current density of 0.1 A g{sup -1} and excellent rate capability in KOH solution. Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement the nitrogen state and content in PANI-CNTs were analysed, which could play important roles for the enhancement of electrochemical performance. When the appropriate content of nitrogen is present, the presence of pyrrole or pyridone and quaternary nitrogen is beneficial for the improvement of electron mobility and the wettability of electrode.

  13. End-preparation assessments and tests for compounded sterile preparations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McElhiney, Linda F

    2013-01-01

    Outsourcing has become a necessity to obtain sterile products that are currently on backorder. Because of the expense of outsourcing sterile compounding, pharmacy leadership in health systems are now considering the option of insourcing and batch preparing compounded sterile preparations, which can be a viable option for a health system. It can significantly decrease drug-spending costs, and the pharmacy has a complete record of the compounding process. The key to preparing high-quality, safe, sterile preparations and meeting United States Pharmacopeia standards is end-preparation assessments and tests.

  14. Mechanical Performance of Asphalt Mortar Containing Hydrated Lime and EAFSS at Low and High Temperatures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moon, Ki Hoon; Falchetto, Augusto Cannone; Wang, Di; Riccardi, Chiara; Wistuba, Michael P

    2017-07-03

    In this paper, the possibility of improving the global response of asphalt materials for pavement applications through the use of hydrated lime and Electric Arc-Furnace Steel Slag (EAFSS) was investigated. For this purpose, a set of asphalt mortars was prepared by mixing two different asphalt binders with fine granite aggregate together with hydrated lime or EAFSS at three different percentages. Bending Beam Rheometer (BBR) creep tests and Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) complex modulus tests were performed to evaluate the material response both at low and high temperature. Then, the rheological Huet model was fitted to the BBR creep results for estimating the impact of filler content on the model parameters. It was found that an addition of hydrated lime and EAFSS up to 10% and 5%, respectively, results in satisfactory low-temperature performance with a substantial improvement of the high-temperature behavior.

  15. Isolation of Flavonoids From Wild Aquilaria sinensis Leaves by an Improved Preparative High-Speed Counter-Current Chromatography Apparatus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Mao-Xun; Liang, Yao-Guang; Chen, He-Ru; Huang, Yong-Fang; Gong, Hai-Guang; Zhang, Tian-You; Ito, Yoichiro

    2018-01-01

    Four flavonoids including apigenin-7,4'-dimethylether, genkwanin, quercetin, and kaempferol were isolated in a preparative or semi-preparative scale from the leaves of wild Aquilaria sinensis using an improved preparative high-speed counter-current chromatography apparatus. The separations were performed with a two-phase solvent system composed of hexane-ethyl acetate, methanol-water at suitable volume ratios. The obtained fractions were analyzed by HPLC, and the identification of each target compound was carried out by ESI-MS and NMR. The yields of the above four target flavonoids were 4.7, 10.0, 11.0 and 4.4%, respectively. All these four flavonoids exhibited nitrite scavenging activities with the clearance rate of 12.40 ± 0.20%, 5.84 ± 0.03%, 28.10 ± 0.17% and 5.19 ± 0.11%, respectively. Quercetin was originally isolated from the Thymelaeaceae family, while kaempferol was isolated from the Aquilaria genus for the first time. In cytotoxicity test these two flavonoids exhibited moderate inhibitory activities against HepG2 cells with the IC50 values of 12.54 ± 1.37 and 38.63 ± 4.05 μM, respectively. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. INL High Performance Building Strategy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jennifer D. Morton

    2010-02-01

    High performance buildings, also known as sustainable buildings and green buildings, are resource efficient structures that minimize the impact on the environment by using less energy and water, reduce solid waste and pollutants, and limit the depletion of natural resources while also providing a thermally and visually comfortable working environment that increases productivity for building occupants. As Idaho National Laboratory (INL) becomes the nation’s premier nuclear energy research laboratory, the physical infrastructure will be established to help accomplish this mission. This infrastructure, particularly the buildings, should incorporate high performance sustainable design features in order to be environmentally responsible and reflect an image of progressiveness and innovation to the public and prospective employees. Additionally, INL is a large consumer of energy that contributes to both carbon emissions and resource inefficiency. In the current climate of rising energy prices and political pressure for carbon reduction, this guide will help new construction project teams to design facilities that are sustainable and reduce energy costs, thereby reducing carbon emissions. With these concerns in mind, the recommendations described in the INL High Performance Building Strategy (previously called the INL Green Building Strategy) are intended to form the INL foundation for high performance building standards. This revised strategy incorporates the latest federal and DOE orders (Executive Order [EO] 13514, “Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance” [2009], EO 13423, “Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management” [2007], and DOE Order 430.2B, “Departmental Energy, Renewable Energy, and Transportation Management” [2008]), the latest guidelines, trends, and observations in high performance building construction, and the latest changes to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

  17. Comparison of the Nanostructure and Mechanical Performance of Highly Exfoliated Epoxy-Clay Nanocomposites Prepared by Three Different Protocols

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fatemeh Shiravand

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Three different protocols for the preparation of polymer layered silicate nanocomposites based upon a tri-functional epoxy resin, triglycidyl para-amino phenol (TGAP, have been compared in respect of the cure kinetics, the nanostructure and their mechanical properties. The three preparation procedures involve 2 wt% and 5 wt% of organically modified montmorillonite (MMT, and are: isothermal cure at selected temperatures; pre-conditioning of the resin-clay mixture before isothermal cure; incorporation of an initiator of cationic homopolymerisation, a boron tri-fluoride methyl amine complex, BF3·MEA, within the clay galleries. It was found that features of the cure kinetics and of the nanostructure correlate with the measured impact strength of the cured nanocomposites, which increases as the degree of exfoliation of the MMT is improved. The best protocol for toughening the TGAP/MMT nanocomposites is by the incorporation of 1 wt% BF3·MEA into the clay galleries of nanocomposites containing 2 wt% MMT.

  18. Comparison of the Nanostructure and Mechanical Performance of Highly Exfoliated Epoxy-Clay Nanocomposites Prepared by Three Different Protocols.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiravand, Fatemeh; Hutchinson, John M; Calventus, Yolanda; Ferrando, Francesc

    2014-05-30

    Three different protocols for the preparation of polymer layered silicate nanocomposites based upon a tri-functional epoxy resin, triglycidyl para -amino phenol (TGAP), have been compared in respect of the cure kinetics, the nanostructure and their mechanical properties. The three preparation procedures involve 2 wt% and 5 wt% of organically modified montmorillonite (MMT), and are: isothermal cure at selected temperatures; pre-conditioning of the resin-clay mixture before isothermal cure; incorporation of an initiator of cationic homopolymerisation, a boron tri-fluoride methyl amine complex, BF₃·MEA, within the clay galleries. It was found that features of the cure kinetics and of the nanostructure correlate with the measured impact strength of the cured nanocomposites, which increases as the degree of exfoliation of the MMT is improved. The best protocol for toughening the TGAP/MMT nanocomposites is by the incorporation of 1 wt% BF₃·MEA into the clay galleries of nanocomposites containing 2 wt% MMT.

  19. Root canal preparation with Er:YSGG laser

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benthin, Hartmut; Ertl, Thomas P.; Onal, B.; Schruender, Stephan; Mueller, Gerhard J.

    1994-12-01

    The high level of efficiency of hard tissue ablation with Er:YAG and Er:YSGG lasers is well known. Of these lasers it is possible only to transmit Er:YSGG laser radiation with OH reduced quartz fibers. Most of the fibers we use in this study were prepared as hemispherical fiber tips. Fifty single rooted teeth were divided into ten groups (n equals 5). After conventional opening of the pulp chamber, root canal preparation was performed in five groups under water only using the laser. In the other five groups preparation with K-files to size 35 was performed before treatment with laser radiation. All teeth were axially separated with direct access to the root canal and examined in SEM investigations. The groups were compared by measuring the areas with patent dentin tubules. Representative areas were examined by TEM. The temperature at the root surface was measured during laser irradiation with thermocouples positioned at several points. The in-vitro study of the effect of the high delivered energy (50 - 100 mJ per pulse) in the root canal showed a good ablation effect. Most of the dentin tubules were opened. The increase in temperature at the root surface was tolerable.

  20. Fabrication of high-performance fluorine doped-tin oxide film using flame-assisted spray deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Purwanto, Agus, E-mail: Aguspur@uns.ac.id [Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Sebelas Maret University, Jl. Ir. Sutami 36 A, Surakarta, Central Java 57126 (Indonesia); Widiyandari, Hendri [Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Diponegoro University, Jl. Prof. Dr. Soedarto, Tembalang, Semarang 50275 (Indonesia); Jumari, Arif [Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Sebelas Maret University, Jl. Ir. Sutami 36 A, Surakarta, Central Java 57126 (Indonesia)

    2012-01-01

    A high-performance fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) film was fabricated by flame-assisted spray deposition method. By varying the NH{sub 4}F doping concentration, the optimal concentration was established as 8 at.%. X-ray diffractograms confirmed that the as-grown FTO film was tetragonal SnO{sub 2}. In addition, the FTO film was comprised of nano-sized grains ranging from 40 to 50 nm. The heat-treated FTO film exhibited a sheet resistance of 21.8 {Omega}/{open_square} with an average transmittance of 81.9% in the visible region ({lambda} = 400-800 nm). The figures of merit shows that the prepared FTO film can be used for highly efficient dye-sensitized solar cells electrodes.