Electrochemical analysis of separators used in single-chamber, air-cathode microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Wei, Bin

2013-02-01

Polarization, solution-separator, charge transfer, and diffusion resistances of clean and used separator electrode assemblies were examined in microbial fuel cells using current-voltage curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Current-voltage curves showed the total resistance was reduced at low cathode potentials. EIS results revealed that at a set cathode potential of 0.3 V diffusion resistance was predominant, and it substantially increased when adding separators. However, at a lower cathode potential of 0.1 V all resistances showed only slight differences with and without separators. Used separator electrode assemblies with biofilms had increased charge transfer and diffusion resistances (0.1 V) when one separator was used; however, charge transfer resistance increased, and diffusion resistance did not appreciably change with four separators. Adding a plastic mesh to compress the separators improved maximum power densities. These results show the importance of pressing separators against the cathode, and the adverse impacts of biofilm formation on electrochemical performance. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Chemical characteristics and methane potentials of source-separated and pre-treated organic municipal solid waste

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Trine Lund; Svärd, Å; Angelidaki, Irini

2003-01-01

A research project has investigated the biogas potential of pre-screened source-separated organic waste. Wastes from five Danish cities have been pre-treated by three methods: screw press; disc screen; and shredder and magnet. This paper outlines the sampling procedure used, the chemical...... composition of the wastes and the estimated methane potentials....

Potential flue gas impurities in carbon dioxide streams separated from coal-fired power plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Joo-Youp; Keener, Tim C; Yang, Y Jeffery

2009-06-01

For geological sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2) separated from pulverized coal combustion flue gas, it is necessary to adequately evaluate the potential impacts of flue gas impurities on groundwater aquifers in the case of the CO2 leakage from its storage sites. This study estimated the flue gas impurities to be included in the CO2 stream separated from a CO2 control unit for a different combination of air pollution control devices and different flue gas compositions. Specifically, the levels of acid gases and mercury vapor were estimated for the monoethanolamine (MEA)-based absorption process on the basis of published performance parameters of existing systems. Among the flue gas constituents considered, sulfur dioxide (SO2) is known to have the most adverse impact on MEA absorption. When a flue gas contains 3000 parts per million by volume (ppmv) SO2 and a wet flue gas desulfurization system achieves its 95% removal, approximately 2400 parts per million by weight (ppmw) SO2 could be included in the separated CO2 stream. In addition, the estimated concentration level was reduced to as low as 135 ppmw for the SO2 of less than 10 ppmv in the flue gas entering the MEA unit. Furthermore, heat-stable salt formation could further reduce the SO2 concentration below 40 ppmw in the separated CO2 stream. In this study, it is realized that the formation rates of heat-stable salts in MEA solution are not readily available in the literature and are critical to estimating the levels and compositions of flue gas impurities in sequestered CO2 streams. In addition to SO2, mercury, and other impurities in separated CO2 streams could vary depending on pollutant removal at the power plants and impose potential impacts on groundwater. Such a variation and related process control in the upstream management of carbon separation have implications for groundwater protection at carbon sequestration sites and warrant necessary considerations in overall sequestration planning

Morphospaces of functionally analogous traits show ecological separation between birds and pterosaurs.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Nicholas R

2017-10-25

Birds originated and radiated in the presence of another group of flying vertebrates, the pterosaurs. Opinion is divided as to whether birds competitively displaced pterosaurs from small-body size niches or whether the two groups coexisted with little competition. Previous studies of Mesozoic birds and pterosaurs compared measurements of homologous limb bones to test these hypotheses. However, these characters probably reflect differing ancestries rather than ecologies. Here, competition and ecological separation were tested for using multivariate analyses of functionally equivalent morphological characters. As well as using characters from the fore- and hindlimbs, these analyses also included measurements of the lower jaw. The results of this study indicate that pterosaurs had relatively longer jaws, shorter metatarsals and shorter brachial regions compared with birds of similar size. Contrary to the results of previous studies, the distal wing was not important for separating the two clades in morphospace owing to the inclusion of the primary feathers in this unit. The differences found here indicate ecological separation based on differences in size, locomotory features and feeding adaptations. Thus, instead of one group displacing the other, birds and pterosaurs appear to have adopted distinctive ecological strategies throughout their period of coexistence. © 2017 The Author(s).

Separation, Characterization and Fouling Potential of Sludge Waters from Different Biological Wastewater Treatment Processes

KAUST Repository

Xue, Jinkai

2011-07-01

The major limitation, which hinders the wider application of membrane technology and increases the operating costs of membranes involved in wastewater treatment plants, is membrane fouling induced by organic matter. Extracellular polymeric products (EPS) and soluble microbial products (SMP) are the two most mentioned major foulants in publications, for which the debate on precise definitions seems to be endless. Therefore, a concept of sludge water, which conceptually covers both EPS and SMP, has been developed in this research. A standard procedure of sludge water separation, which is centrifugation at 4000g for 15 min followed by 1.2μm glass fiber filter filtration, was established based on separation experiments with membrane tank sludge from the KAUST MBR wastewater treatment plant. Afterwards, sludge waters from the KAUST MBR WWTP anoxic tank, aerobic tank and membrane tank as well as sludge waters from the Jeddah WWTP anoxic tank, aerobic tank and secondary effluent were produced through the previously developed standard procedure. The obtained sludge water samples were thereafter characterized with TOC/COD, LC-­‐OCD and F-­‐EEM, which showed that KAUST anoxic/ aerobic /membrane tank sludge waters had similar characteristics for all investigated parameters, yet the influent naturally had a higher DOC and biopolymer concentration. Moreover, lower TOC/COD, negligible biopolymers and low levels of humics were found in KAUST effluent. Compared with the KAUST MBR WWTP, the Jeddah WWTP’s sludge waters generally had higher DOC and biopolymer concentrations. To investigate sludge water fouling potential, the KAUST membrane tank sludge water as well as the Jeddah secondary effluent were filtrated through a membrane array consisting of an ultrafiltration (UF) Millipore RC10kDa at the first step followed by a nanofiltration (NF) KOCH Acid/Base stable NF200 at the second step. It was found that cake layer and standard blocking occurred simultaneously during both

Actinides-lanthanides (neodymium) separation by electrolytical extraction in molten fluoride media; Separation actinides-lanthanides (neodyne) par extraction electrolytique en milieux fluorures fondus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamel, C

2005-02-15

The aim of this thesis is to assess the potentialities of pyrochemical processes for futur nuclear fuels and Generation IV reactors (more particularly molten salt reactors). This study concerns the Actinides-Lanthanides and Lanthanides-Solvent separation by electrolytical extraction in molten fluoride media at high temperature. Three elements are selected for this study: neodymium (NdF{sub 3}), uranium (UF{sub 4}) and plutonium (PuF{sub 3}). Firstly, the electrochemical study of these three compounds in molten fluoride media is performed to evaluate the separations. Electrodeposition processes are studied and the values of formal potentials of U(III)/U(0), Pu(III)/Pu(0) and Nd(III)/Nd(0) are obtained in LiF-CaF{sub 2} eutectic mixture. Thermodynamically, the values of potentials differences are enough to separate U-Nd and Pu-Nd with a yield of extraction of 99.99%; this value is just sufficient for the Pu-Nd separation. Concerning the Nd-solvent separation this potential difference is too small. Next, the electrodeposition of solid metals on inert electrodes is performed. This study showed that the uranium and neodymium deposits are unstable in several fluoride media. In addition, the presence of salts in the dendritic metal is observed for the U solid deposits. Finally, a reactive cathode is used to improve these separation results and the shape of the deposits. The experimental results on nickel electrodes showed an improvement of the Pu-Nd separation and the Nd-solvent separation with the depolarisation phenomenon of the metal deposit on the nickel. Moreover, U and Nd metal are stabilized in the alloy which allows the elimination of reactions with the solvent as observed for the solid deposit. The formation of liquids alloys makes also easier the recovery of these three. (author)

Actinides-lanthanides (neodymium) separation by electrolytic extraction in molten fluoride media; Separation actinides-lanthanides (neodyne) par extraction electrolytique en milieux fluorures fondus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamel, C

2005-02-15

The aim of this thesis is to assess the potentialities of pyrochemical processes for future nuclear fuels and Generation IV reactors (more particularly molten salt reactors). This study concerns the Actinides-Lanthanides and Lanthanides-Solvent separation by electrolytic extraction in molten fluoride media at high temperature. Three elements are selected for this study: neodymium (NdF{sub 3}), uranium (UF{sub 4}) and plutonium (PuF{sub 3}). Firstly, the electrochemical study of these three compounds in molten fluoride media is performed to evaluate the separations. Electrodeposition processes are studied and the values of formal potentials of U(III)/U(0), Pu(III)/Pu(0) and Nd(III)/Nd(0) are obtained in LiF-CaF{sub 2} eutectic mixture. Thermodynamically, the values of potentials differences are enough to separate U-Nd and Pu-Nd with a yield of extraction of 99.99%; this value is just sufficient for the Pu-Nd separation. Concerning the Nd-solvent separation this potential difference is too small. Next, the electrodeposition of solid metals on inert electrodes is performed. This study showed that the uranium and neodymium deposits are unstable in several fluoride media. In addition, the presence of salts in the dendritic metal is observed for the U solid deposits. Finally, a reactive cathode is used to improve these separation results and the shape of the deposits. The experimental results on nickel electrodes showed an improvement of the Pu-Nd separation and the Nd-solvent separation with the depolarization phenomenon of the metal deposit on the nickel. Moreover, U and Nd metal are stabilized in the alloy which allows the elimination of reactions with the solvent as observed for the solid deposit. The formation of liquids alloys makes also easier the recovery of these three. (author)

Orthogonality-condition model for bound states with a separable expansion of the potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pal, K.F.

1984-01-01

A very efficient solution of the equation of Saito's orthogonality-condition model (OCM) is reported for bound states by means of a separable expansion of the potential (PSE method). Some simplifications of the published formulae of the PSE method is derived, which facilitate its application to the OCM and may be useful in solving the Schroedinger equation as well. (author)

Optical potentials derived from microscopic separable interactions including binding and recoil effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siciliano, E.R.; Walker, G.E.

1976-01-01

We first consider a projectile scattering from a nucleon bound in a fixed potential. A separable Galilean invariant projectile-nucleon interaction is adopted. Without using the fixed scatterer approximation or using closure on the intermediate target nucleon states we obtain various forms for the projectile-bound nucleon t matrix. Effects due to intermediate target excitation and nucleon recoil are discussed. By making the further approximations of closure and fixed scatterers we make connection with the work of previous authors. By generalizing to projectile interaction with several bound nucleons and examining the appropriate multiple scattering series we identify the optical potential for projectile elastic scattering from the many-body system. Different optical potentials are obtained for different projectile-bound nucleon t matrices, and we study the differences predicted by these dissimilar optical potentials for elastic scattering. In a model problem, we study pion-nucleus elastic scattering and compare the predictions obtained by adopting procedures used by (1) Landau, Phatak, and Tabakin and (2) Piepho-Walker to the predictions obtained in a less restrictive, but computationally difficult treatment

Harnessing electro driven separation technique for the separation of selected agrochemicals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wan Aini Wan Ibrahim; Alam, S.M. Monjurul; Azli Sulaiman

2008-01-01

Electro driven separation techniques offer a different approach to the analysis of complex mixtures than do traditional pressure-driven chromatographic system; it may rely on electrophoresis, the transport of charged species through a medium by an applied field or may rely on electro driven mobile phase to provide a true chromatographic separation. In the current work the potential of an electro driven separation technique viz. Micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC), is harnessed for the separation of selected agrochemicals (organophosphorus pesticides, OPPs) widely used in the agriculture sector in Malaysia. The current study compares the use of MEKC in normal mode (NM) and reverse mode (RM) for the separation of the selected OPPS. This study also highlights the difference in separations produced by performing separations in normal mode-MEKC (NM-MEKC) and reverse mode-MEKC (RM-MEKC) for the selected OPPs. In RM-MEKC, separation is conducted at acidic pH (pH 2.5 in the current work) where the electro osmotic flow (EOF) is weak whereas in NM-MEKC, the separation is carried out under basic pH (9.3 in this work) where the EOF is strong. A reverse migration order of the OPPs was observed under RM-MEKC. Separation under NM-MEKC was found to be superior to those of RM- MEKC. A comparison is also made between separations performed under sweeping-NM-MEKC and sweeping-RM-MEKC. In sweeping, the OPPs are prepared in the same background solution (BGS) minus the micelles and is adjusted to the same conductivity as the BGS. The study showed that NM-MEKC is more sensitive than RM-MEKC but sweeping-RM-MEKC is superior to sweeping-NM-MEKC. However, sweeping-RM-MEKC only separates two of the OPPs in a single run whereas sweeping-NM-MEKC separates four OPPs in a single run. The better choice of separation mode would be sweeping-NM- MEKC for more OPPs separation in a single run. (author)

On separable Pauli equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhalij, Alexander

2002-01-01

We classify (1+3)-dimensional Pauli equations for a spin-(1/2) particle interacting with the electro-magnetic field, that are solvable by the method of separation of variables. As a result, we obtain the 11 classes of vector-potentials of the electro-magnetic field A(t,x(vector sign))=(A 0 (t,x(vector sign)), A(vector sign)(t,x(vector sign))) providing separability of the corresponding Pauli equations. It is established, in particular, that the necessary condition for the Pauli equation to be separable into second-order matrix ordinary differential equations is its equivalence to the system of two uncoupled Schroedinger equations. In addition, the magnetic field has to be independent of spatial variables. We prove that coordinate systems and the vector-potentials of the electro-magnetic field providing the separability of the corresponding Pauli equations coincide with those for the Schroedinger equations. Furthermore, an efficient algorithm for constructing all coordinate systems providing the separability of Pauli equation with a fixed vector-potential of the electro-magnetic field is developed. Finally, we describe all vector-potentials A(t,x(vector sign)) that (a) provide the separability of Pauli equation, (b) satisfy vacuum Maxwell equations without currents, and (c) describe non-zero magnetic field

Ion separation from dilute electrolyte solutions by nanofiltration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, Corazon M.

2000-03-01

Nanofiltration (NF) is a pressure-driven process which is considered potential for the separation of ionic species selectively from solutions containing mixture of electrolyte solutes. The lower operating pressure requirement of NF than reverse osmosis (RO) makes the earlier potentially economical. In the separation of ions, many authors believed that there are membranes with characteristic fixed surface charge and that the mechanism of separation of ions is by the differences in valences of the ions. In this study, experiments involving dilute single-solute and multiple-solute electrolyte solutions were performed using three different NF membranes. Permeate fluxes and ion rejections of the different species of ions in samples of permeate solutions were measured at varied conditions. The mechanism of separation in NF was determined based on the analysis of the trends and behavior of ion rejection relative to the solution temperature, pressure, type of solute, feed concentration and feed solution pH. The results of the experiments show that there is no evidence of the presence of fixed surface charge on the NF membranes. Ion separation was made possible by the combination of sieve effect and ion-hydration effect. Ions having higher hydration numbers showed higher ion rejection than those having lower hydration numbers. A method to determine the effective membrane pore size of NF membranes using hydrodynamic model was proposed. The proposed method is based on the assumptions that the membrane is neutral and that the separation is based on sieving effect. (Author)

Separation of atropisomers by chiral liquid chromatography and thermodynamic analysis of separation mechanism

OpenAIRE

Ling Zhang; Yue Hu; Elizabeth Galella; Frank P. Tomasella; William P. Fish

2017-01-01

In the pharmaceutical industry, the analysis of atropisomers is of considerable interest from a scientific and regulatory perspective. The compound of interest contains two stereogenic axes due to the hindered rotation around the single bonds connecting the aryl groups, which results in four potential configurational isomers (atropisomers). The separation of the four atropisomers is achieved on a derivatized β-cyclodextrin bonded stationary phase. Further investigation shows that low temperat...

Separation of organic azeotropic mixtures by pervaporation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baker, R.W.

1991-12-01

Distillation is a commonly used separation technique in the petroleum refining and chemical processing industries. However, there are a number of potential separations involving azetropic and close-boiling organic mixtures that cannot be separated efficiently by distillation. Pervaporation is a membrane-based process that uses selective permeation through membranes to separate liquid mixtures. Because the separation process is not affected by the relative volatility of the mixture components being separated, pervaporation can be used to separate azetropes and close-boiling mixtures. Our results showed that pervaporation membranes can be used to separate azeotropic mixtures efficiently, a result that is not achievable with simple distillation. The membranes were 5--10 times more permeable to one of the components of the mixture, concentrating it in the permeate stream. For example, the membrane was 10 times more permeable to ethanol than methyl ethyl ketone, producing 60% ethanol permeate from an azeotropic mixture of ethanol and methyl ethyl ketone containing 18% ethanol. For the ethyl acetate/water mixture, the membranes showed a very high selectivity to water (> 300) and the permeate was 50--100 times enriched in water relative to the feed. The membranes had permeate fluxes on the order of 0.1--1 kg/m{sup 2}{center dot}h in the operating range of 55--70{degrees}C. Higher fluxes were obtained by increasing the operating temperature.

Freeform fabrication of tissue-simulating phantom for potential use of surgical planning in conjoined twins separation surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Shuwei; Wang, Haili; Xue, Yue; Yuan, Li; Zhou, Ximing; Zhao, Zuhua; Dong, Erbao; Liu, Bin; Liu, Wendong; Cromeens, Barrett; Adler, Brent; Besner, Gail; Xu, Ronald X

2017-09-08

Preoperative assessment of tissue anatomy and accurate surgical planning is crucial in conjoined twin separation surgery. We developed a new method that combines three-dimensional (3D) printing, assembling, and casting to produce anatomic models of high fidelity for surgical planning. The related anatomic features of the conjoined twins were captured by computed tomography (CT), classified as five organ groups, and reconstructed as five computer models. Among these organ groups, the skeleton was produced by fused deposition modeling (FDM) using acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene. For the other four organ groups, shell molds were prepared by FDM and cast with silica gel to simulate soft tissues, with contrast enhancement pigments added to simulate different CT and visual contrasts. The produced models were assembled, positioned firmly within a 3D printed shell mold simulating the skin boundary, and cast with transparent silica gel. The produced phantom was subject to further CT scan in comparison with that of the patient data for fidelity evaluation. Further data analysis showed that the produced model reassembled the geometric features of the original CT data with an overall mean deviation of less than 2 mm, indicating the clinical potential to use this method for surgical planning in conjoined twin separation surgery.

Lichen-derived compounds show potential for central nervous system therapeutics.

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, R Gajendra; Veeraval, Lenin; Maitra, Swati; Chollet-Krugler, Marylène; Tomasi, Sophie; Dévéhat, Françoise Lohézic-Le; Boustie, Joël; Chakravarty, Sumana

2016-11-15

Natural products from lichens are widely investigated for their biological properties, yet their potential as central nervous system (CNS) therapeutic agents is less explored. The present study investigated the neuroactive properties of selected lichen compounds (atranorin, perlatolic acid, physodic acid and usnic acid), for their neurotrophic, neurogenic and acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activities. Neurotrophic activity (neurite outgrowth) was determined using murine neuroblastoma Neuro2A cells. A MTT assay was performed to assess the cytotoxicity of compounds at optimum neurotrophic activity. Neuro2A cells treated with neurotrophic lichen compounds were used for RT-PCR to evaluate the induction of genes that code for the neurotrophic markers BDNF and NGF. Immunoblotting was used to assess acetyl H3 and H4 levels, the epigenetic markers associated with neurotrophic and/or neurogenic activity. The neurogenic property of the compounds was determined using murine hippocampal primary cultures. AChE inhibition activity was performed using a modified Ellman's esterase method. Lichen compounds atranorin, perlatolic acid, physodic acid and (+)-usnic acid showed neurotrophic activity in a preliminary cell-based screening based on Neuro2A neurite outgrowth. Except for usnic acid, no cytotoxic effects were observed for the two depsides (atranorin and perlatolic acid) and the alkyl depsidone (physodic acid). Perlatolic acid appears to be promising, as it also exhibited AChE inhibition activity and potent proneurogenic activity. The neurotrophic lichen compounds (atranorin, perlatolic acid, physodic acid) modulated the gene expression of BDNF and NGF. In addition, perlatolic acid showed increased protein levels of acetyl H3 and H4 in Neuro2A cells. These lichen depsides and depsidones showed neuroactive properties in vitro (Neuro2A cells) and ex vivo (primary neural stem or progenitor cells), suggesting their potential to treat CNS disorders. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Gmb

New separation technique. Catalytically functionated separation membrane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Urgami, Tadashi [Kansai Univ., Osaka (Japan)

1989-02-01

This report introduces research examples, showing the fundamental principle of the membrane by separating the catalytically functionated separation membrane into enzyme fixing separation membrane, polymerized metal complex separation membrane and polymer catalyst separation membrane. This membrane can achieve both functions of separation and catalytic reaction simultaneously and has sufficient possibility to combine powerful functions. Enzyme fixing separation membrane is prepared by carrier combination method, bridging method or covering method and the enzyme fixing method with polymerized complex in which enzyme is controlled to prevent the activity lowering as much as possible and enzyme is fixed from an aqueous solution into polymer membrane. This membrane is applied to the continuous manufacturing of invert sugar from cane sugar and adsorption and removing of harmful substances from blood by utilizing both micro-capsuled urease and active carbon. Alginic acid-copper (II) complex membrane is used for the polymerized metal complex membrane and polystyrene sulfonate membrane is used for the polymer catalyst separation membrane. 28 refs., 4 figs., 1 tabs.

An Improved CO2 Separation and Purification System Based on Cryogenic Separation and Distillation Theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gang Xu

2014-05-01

Full Text Available In this study, an improved CO2 separation and purification system is proposed based on in-depth analyses of cryogenic separation and distillation theory as well as the phase transition characteristics of gas mixtures containing CO2. Multi-stage compression, refrigeration, and separation are adopted to separate the majority of the CO2 from the gas mixture with relatively low energy penalty and high purity. Subsequently, the separated crude liquid CO2 is distilled under high pressure and near ambient temperature conditions so that low energy penalty purification is achieved. Simulation results indicate that the specific energy consumption for CO2 capture is only 0.425 MJ/kgCO2 with 99.9% CO2 purity for the product. Techno-economic analysis shows that the total plant investment is relatively low. Given its technical maturity and great potential in large-scale production, compared to conventional MEA and SelexolTM absorption methods, the cost of CO2 capture of the proposed system is reduced by 57.2% and 45.9%, respectively. The result of this study can serve as a novel approach to recovering CO2 from high CO2 concentration gas mixtures.

Sea floor separation system; Havbunnsseparasjonssystem

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hatlo, Andreas; Skaranger, Jon

1998-07-01

This presentation describes work done by an alliance of Kongsberg Offshore a.s. (KOS) and Aker Maritime (AMA). The alliance comprises the development and delivery of seafloor separation systems. The alliance was established as an answer to the identified need of seafloor separation and processing in the oil industry. In several fields on the Norwegian shelf there is defined a potential need for seafloor separation and pumping. The same trend can be seen in international waters as well, especially on deeper waters. Calculation of the economic potential for the relevant applications is based on a large number of variables, including both OPEX and CAPEX assessments. In order to be able to identify and analyse this potential in a better way, KOS and AMA are developing a tool for cost-benefit evaluations of such a seafloor separation and pumping system. PROSERNAT (France) and ALSTOME (UK) are important subcontractors in the development of seafloor separation and pumping systems. PROSERNAT will supply the separation tank and internal arrangement, ALSTOME will supply the power electronics for the distribution of seafloor power distribution.

Investigation of the potential of silica-bonded macrocyclic ligands for separation of metal ions from nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camaioni, D.M.; Colton, N.G.; Bruening, R.L.

1992-01-01

This report describes the testing of some novel separations materials known as SuperLig trademark materials for their ability to separate efficiently and selectively certain metal ions from a synthetic, nonradioactive nuclear waste solution. The materials, developed and patented by IBC Advanced Technologies, are highly selective macrocyclic ligands that have been covalently bonded to silica gel. The SuperLig trademark materials that were tested are: (1) SuperLig trademark 601 for barium (Ba 2+ ) and strontium (Sr 2+ ) separation, (2) SuperLig trademark 602 for cesium (Cs + ) and rubidium (Rb + ) separation, (3) SuperLig trademark 27 for palladium (Pd 2+ ) separation, and (4) SuperLig trademark II for silver (Ag + ) and ruthenium (Ru 3+ ) separation. Our observations show that the technology for separating metal ions using silica-bonded macrocycles is essentially sound and workable to varying degrees of success that mainly depend on the affinity of the macrocycle for the metal ion of interest. It is expected that ligands will be discovered or synthesized that are amenable to separating metal ions of interest using this technology. Certainly more development, testing, and evaluation is warranted. 3 figs., 11 tabs

Mass, charge, and energy separation by selective acceleration with a traveling potential hill

Science.gov (United States)

Tung, L. Schwager; Barr, W. L.; Lowder, R. S.; Post, R. F.

1996-10-01

A traveling electric potential hill has been used to generate an ion beam with an energy distribution that is mass dependent from a monoenergetic ion beam of mixed masses. This effect can be utilized as a novel method for mass separation applied to identification or enrichment of ions (e.g., of elements, isotopes, or molecules). This theory for mass-selective acceleration is presented here and is shown to be confirmed by experiment and by a time-dependent particle-in-cell computer simulation. Results show that monoenergetic ions with the particular mass of choice are accelerated by controlling the hill potential and the hill velocity. The hill velocity is typically 20%-30% faster than the ions to be accelerated. The ability of the hill to pickup a particular mass uses the fact that small kinetic energy differences in the lab frame appear much larger in the moving hill frame. Ions will gain energy from the approaching hill if their relative energy in the moving hill frame is less than the peak potential of the hill. The final energy of these accelerated ions can be several times the source energy, which facilitates energy filtering for mass purification or identification. If the hill potential is chosen to accelerate multiple masses, the heaviest mass will have the greatest final energy. Hence, choosing the appropriate hill potential and collector retarding voltage will isolate ions with the lightest, heaviest, or intermediate mass. In the experimental device, called a Solitron, purified 20Ne and 22Ne are extracted from a ribbon beam of neon that is originally composed of 20Ne:22Ne in the natural ratio of 91:9. The isotopic content of the processed beam is determined by measuring the energy distribution of the detected current. These results agree with the theory. In addition to mass selectivity, our theory can also be applied to the filtration of an ion beam according to charge state or energy. Because of this variety of properties, the Solitron is envisioned to

Separation of atropisomers by chiral liquid chromatography and thermodynamic analysis of separation mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ling Zhang

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In the pharmaceutical industry, the analysis of atropisomers is of considerable interest from a scientific and regulatory perspective. The compound of interest contains two stereogenic axes due to the hindered rotation around the single bonds connecting the aryl groups, which results in four potential configurational isomers (atropisomers. The separation of the four atropisomers is achieved on a derivatized β-cyclodextrin bonded stationary phase. Further investigation shows that low temperature conditions, including sample preparation (−70 °C, sample storage (−70 °C, and chromatographic separation (6 °C, were critical to preventing interconversion. LC-UV-Laser Polarimetric analysis identified peak 1/2 as a pair of enantiomers and peak 3/4 as another. Thermodynamic analysis of the retention data indicated that the separation of the pairs of enantiomers is primarily enthalpy controlled as indicated by the positive slope of the van’t Huff plot. The difference in absolute Δ (Δ H, ranged from 2.20 kJ/mol to 2.42 kJ/mol.

Facile preparation and electrochemical characterization of poly (4-methoxytriphenylamine)-modified separator as a self-activated potential switch for lithium ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Haiyan; Cao, Yuliang; Yang, Hanxi; Lu, Shigang; Ai, Xinping

2013-01-01

Highlights: • A potential-sensitive separator is prepared by incorporating an electroactive poly (4-methoxytriphenylamine) (PMOTPA) into the micropores of a commercial porous polyolefin film. • This separator can be used as an internal and self-actuating voltage control device to provide overcharge protection for LiFePO 4 /Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 lithium ion batteries. • This type of the separators works reversibly and has no any discernable impact on the battery performances. -- Abstract: A potential-sensitive separator is prepared by incorporating an electroactive poly (4-methoxytriphenylamine) (PMOTPA) into the micropores of a commercial porous polyolefin film and tested as an internal voltage control device for overcharge protection of LiFePO 4 /Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 lithium ion batteries. The experimental results demonstrate that the PMOTPA polymer embedded in the separator can be electrochemically p-doped at overcharged voltages into an electrically conductive state, producing an internal conducting bypass for shunting the charge current to maintain the charge voltage of LiFePO 4 /Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 cells at a safety value less than 2.6 V, thus protecting the cell from voltage runaway. Since this type of the separators works reversibly and has no any discernable impact on the battery performances, it may offer a self-protection mechanism for development of safer lithium ion batteries

Investigating CSI: portrayals of DNA testing on a forensic crime show and their potential effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Ley, Barbara L; Jankowski, Natalie; Brewer, Paul R

2012-01-01

The popularity of forensic crime shows such as CSI has fueled debate about their potential social impact. This study considers CSI's potential effects on public understandings regarding DNA testing in the context of judicial processes, the policy debates surrounding crime laboratory procedures, and the forensic science profession, as well as an effect not discussed in previous accounts: namely, the show's potential impact on public understandings of DNA and genetics more generally. To develop a theoretical foundation for research on the "CSI effect," it draws on cultivation theory, social cognitive theory, and audience reception studies. It then uses content analysis and textual analysis to illuminate how the show depicts DNA testing. The results demonstrate that CSI tends to depict DNA testing as routine, swift, useful, and reliable and that it echoes broader discourses about genetics. At times, however, the show suggests more complex ways of thinking about DNA testing and genetics.

On the Potential Role of Species Separation in DT Fuels on Implosion Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Amendt, Peter; Bellei, Claudio; Wilks, Scott; Haines, Malcolm; Casey, Dan; Li, C. K.; Petrasso, Richard

2012-10-01

The measurement of strong, self-generated electric fields (1-10 GVolts/m) in imploding capsules [1], their attribution to polarized (plasma) shock fronts [2], and the identification of plasma-enhanced binary species diffusion from barodiffusion and electrodiffusion [3] have led to a growing interest in the potential role of species separation in inertial-confinement-fusion (ICF) thermonuclear fuels. The potential for anomalous heating from transient frictional or resistive drag between D and T across a finite thickness shock front will be assessed and applied towards ignition thresholds and understanding some outstanding anomalies in the Omega implosion database.[4pt] [1] J.R. Rygg et al., Science 319, 1223 (2008); C.K. Li et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 225001 (2008).[0pt] [2] P.A. Amendt, J.L. Milovich, S.C. Wilks, C.K. Li, R.D. Petrasso and F.H. S'eguin, Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 51, 124048 (2009).[0pt] [3] P. Amendt, C. Bellei and S.C. Wilks, Phys. Rev. Lett. (to appear).

In Situ Magnetic Separation for Extracellular Protein Production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kappler, T.; Cerff, Martin; Ottow, Kim Ekelund

2009-01-01

A new approach for in situ product removal from bioreactors is presented in which high-gradient magnetic separation is used. This separation process was used for the adsorptive removal of proteases secreted by Bacillus licheniformis. Small, non-porous bacitracin linked magnetic adsorbents were...... was not influenced by the in situ product removal step. Protease production also remained the same after the separation step. Furthermore, degradation of the protease, which followed first order kinetics, was reduced by using the method. Using a theoretical modeling approach, we Could show that protease yield...... in total was enhanced by using in situ magnetic separation. The process described here is a promising technique to improve overall yield in No production processes which are often limited due to weak downstream operations, Potential limitations encountered during a bioprocess can be overcome...

Three-body resonance generated by a separable potential which describes a 2s1/2 single-particle state

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ueta, K.

1988-12-01

It is shown that a separable potential previously used to describe a 2s 1/2 single-particle state gives rise not only to a bound state but also to a resonance of the core-plus-two-nucleons three-body system. (author) [pt

Membrane-based ethylene/ethane separation: The upper bound and beyond

KAUST Repository

Rungta, Meha

2013-08-02

Ethylene/ethane separation via cryogenic distillation is extremely energy-intensive, and membrane separation may provide an attractive alternative. In this paper, ethylene/ethane separation performance using polymeric membranes is summarized, and an experimental ethylene/ethane polymeric upper bound based on literature data is presented. A theoretical prediction of the ethylene/ethane upper bound is also presented, and shows good agreement with the experimental upper bound. Further, two ways to overcome the ethylene/ethane upper bound, based on increasing the sorption or diffusion selectivity, is also discussed, and a review on advanced membrane types such as facilitated transport membranes, zeolite and metal organic framework based membranes, and carbon molecular sieve membranes is presented. Of these, carbon membranes have shown the potential to surpass the polymeric ethylene/ethane upper bound performance. Furthermore, a convenient, potentially scalable method for tailoring the performance of carbon membranes for ethylene/ethane separation based on tuning the pyrolysis conditions has also been demonstrated. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Chaotic attractors with separated scrolls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouallegue, Kais

2015-01-01

This paper proposes a new behavior of chaotic attractors with separated scrolls while combining Julia's process with Chua's attractor and Lorenz's attractor. The main motivation of this work is the ability to generate a set of separated scrolls with different behaviors, which in turn allows us to choose one or many scrolls combined with modulation (amplitude and frequency) for secure communication or synchronization. This set seems a new class of hyperchaos because each element of this set looks like a simple chaotic attractor with one positive Lyapunov exponent, so the cardinal of this set is greater than one. This new approach could be used to generate more general higher-dimensional hyperchaotic attractor for more potential application. Numerical simulations are given to show the effectiveness of the proposed theoretical results

Environmental Consequences of Future Biogas Technologies based on Separated Slurry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hamelin, Lorie; Wesnæs, Marianne; Wenzel, Henrik

2011-01-01

different slurry separation technologies have been assessed and compared to a business-as-usual reference slurry management scenario. The results show that the environmental benefits of such biogas production are highly dependent upon the efficiency of the separation technology used to concentrate......This consequential life cycle assessment study highlights the key environmental aspects of producing biogas from separated pig and cow slurry, a relatively new but probable scenario for future biogas production, as it avoids the reliance on constrained carbon cosubstrates. Three scenarios involving...... the volatile solids in the solid fraction. The biogas scenario involving the most efficient separation technology resulted in a dry matter separation efficiency of 87% and allowed a net reduction of the global warming potential of 40%, compared to the reference slurry management. This figure comprises...

Review of Membranes for Helium Separation and Purification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Colin A. Scholes

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Membrane gas separation has potential for the recovery and purification of helium, because the majority of membranes have selectivity for helium. This review reports on the current state of the research and patent literature for membranes undertaking helium separation. This includes direct recovery from natural gas, as an ancillary stage in natural gas processing, as well as niche applications where helium recycling has potential. A review of the available polymeric and inorganic membranes for helium separation is provided. Commercial gas separation membranes in comparable gas industries are discussed in terms of their potential in helium separation. Also presented are the various membrane process designs patented for the recovery and purification of helium from various sources, as these demonstrate that it is viable to separate helium through currently available polymeric membranes. This review places a particular focus on those processes where membranes are combined in series with another separation technology, commonly pressure swing adsorption. These combined processes have the most potential for membranes to produce a high purity helium product. The review demonstrates that membrane gas separation is technically feasible for helium recovery and purification, though membranes are currently only applied in niche applications focused on reusing helium rather than separation from natural sources.

Application of gas hydrate formation in separation processes: A review of experimental studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eslamimanesh, Ali; Mohammadi, Amir H.; Richon, Dominique; Naidoo, Paramespri; Ramjugernath, Deresh

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Review of gas hydrate technology applied to separation processes. ► Gas hydrates have potential to be a future sustainable separation technology. ► More theoretical, simulation, and economic studies needed. - Abstract: There has been a dramatic increase in gas hydrate research over the last decade. Interestingly, the research has not focussed on only the inhibition of gas hydrate formation, which is of particular relevance to the petroleum industry, but has evolved into investigations on the promotion of hydrate formation as a potential novel separation technology. Gas hydrate formation as a separation technology shows tremendous potential, both from a physical feasibility (in terms of effecting difficult separations) as well as an envisaged lower energy utilization criterion. It is therefore a technology that should be considered as a future sustainable technology and will find wide application, possibly replacing a number of current commercial separation processes. In this article, we focus on presenting a brief description of the positive applications of clathrate hydrates and a comprehensive survey of experimental studies performed on separation processes using gas hydrate formation technology. Although many investigations have been undertaken on the positive application of gas hydrates to date, there is a need to perform more theoretical, experimental, and economic studies to clarify various aspects of separation processes using clathrate/semi-clathrate hydrate formation phenomena, and to conclusively prove its sustainability.

New Developments in Membrane-Based Chemical Separations

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Jirage, Kshama

1998-01-01

Membrane based chemical separations is an emerging field of research. This is because membrane-based separations are potentially less energy intensive and more cost effective than competing separation methods...

Green and Sustainable Separation of Natural Products from Agro-Industrial Waste: Challenges, Potentialities, and Perspectives on Emerging Approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Zuin, Vânia G; Ramin, Luize Z

2018-01-17

New generations of biorefinery combine innovative biomass waste resources from different origins, chemical extraction and/or synthesis of biomaterials, biofuels, and bioenergy via green and sustainable processes. From the very beginning, identifying and evaluating all potentially high value-added chemicals that could be removed from available renewable feedstocks requires robust, efficient, selective, reproducible, and benign analytical approaches. With this in mind, green and sustainable separation of natural products from agro-industrial waste is clearly attractive considering both socio-environmental and economic aspects. In this paper, the concepts of green and sustainable separation of natural products will be discussed, highlighting the main studies conducted on this topic over the last 10 years. The principal analytical techniques (such as solvent, microwave, ultrasound, and supercritical treatments), by-products (e.g., citrus, coffee, corn, and sugarcane waste) and target compounds (polyphenols, proteins, essential oils, etc.) will be presented, including the emerging green and sustainable separation approaches towards bioeconomy and circular economy contexts.

Separation of organic azeotropic mixtures by pervaporation. Final technical report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baker, R.W.

1991-12-01

Distillation is a commonly used separation technique in the petroleum refining and chemical processing industries. However, there are a number of potential separations involving azetropic and close-boiling organic mixtures that cannot be separated efficiently by distillation. Pervaporation is a membrane-based process that uses selective permeation through membranes to separate liquid mixtures. Because the separation process is not affected by the relative volatility of the mixture components being separated, pervaporation can be used to separate azetropes and close-boiling mixtures. Our results showed that pervaporation membranes can be used to separate azeotropic mixtures efficiently, a result that is not achievable with simple distillation. The membranes were 5--10 times more permeable to one of the components of the mixture, concentrating it in the permeate stream. For example, the membrane was 10 times more permeable to ethanol than methyl ethyl ketone, producing 60% ethanol permeate from an azeotropic mixture of ethanol and methyl ethyl ketone containing 18% ethanol. For the ethyl acetate/water mixture, the membranes showed a very high selectivity to water (> 300) and the permeate was 50--100 times enriched in water relative to the feed. The membranes had permeate fluxes on the order of 0.1--1 kg/m{sup 2}{center_dot}h in the operating range of 55--70{degrees}C. Higher fluxes were obtained by increasing the operating temperature.

Relativistic and separable classical hamiltonian particle dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sazdjian, H.

1981-01-01

We show within the Hamiltonian formalism the existence of classical relativistic mechanics of N scalar particles interacting at a distance which satisfies the requirements of Poincare invariance, separability, world-line invariance and Einstein causality. The line of approach which is adopted here uses the methods of the theory of systems with constraints applied to manifestly covariant systems of particles. The study is limited to the case of scalar interactions remaining weak in the whole phase space and vanishing at large space-like separation distances of the particles. Poincare invariance requires the inclusion of many-body, up to N-body, potentials. Separability requires the use of individual or two-body variables and the construction of the total interaction from basic two-body interactions. Position variables of the particles are constructed in terms of the canonical variables of the theory according to the world-line invariance condition and the subsidiary conditions of the non-relativistic limit and separability. Positivity constraints on the interaction masses squared of the particles ensure that the velocities of the latter remain always smaller than the velocity of light

Mesoporous Cladophora cellulose separators for lithium-ion batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Ruijun; Cheung, Ocean; Wang, Zhaohui; Tammela, Petter; Huo, Jinxing; Lindh, Jonas; Edström, Kristina; Strømme, Maria; Nyholm, Leif

2016-07-01

Much effort is currently made to develop inexpensive and renewable materials which can replace the polyolefin microporous separators conventionally used in contemporary lithium-ion batteries. In the present work, it is demonstrated that mesoporous Cladophora cellulose (CC) separators constitute very promising alternatives based on their high crystallinity, good thermal stability and straightforward manufacturing. The CC separators, which are fabricated using an undemanding paper-making like process involving vacuum filtration, have a typical thickness of about 35 μm, an average pore size of about 20 nm, a Young's modulus of 5.9 GPa and also exhibit an ionic conductivity of 0.4 mS cm-1 after soaking with 1 M LiPF6 EC: DEC (1/1, v/v) electrolyte. The CC separators are demonstrated to be thermally stable at 150 °C and electrochemically inert in the potential range between 0 and 5 V vs. Li+/Li. A LiFePO4/Li cell containing a CC separator showed good cycling stability with 99.5% discharge capacity retention after 50 cycles at a rate of 0.2 C. These results indicate that the renewable CC separators are well-suited for use in high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

Application of ion exchange to isotope separation. 2. Isotope separation of uranium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okamoto, Makoto; Fujii, Yasuhiko; Aida, Masao; Nomura, Masao; Aoyama, Taku

1985-10-01

Research work on the uranium isotope separation by ion exchange chromatography done by the ahthors was reviewed and summarized in the present paper. Specifically described are the determination of separation coefficients of uranium isotopes in various chemical systems involving uranium ions and complexes. The chemical systems are classifield into three main categories; (1) uranyl, U (VI), complex formation system, (2) uranous, U (IV), complex formation system and (3) U (IV) - U (VI) redox system. The redox system showed the largest separation coefficient of approx. 7 x 10/sup -4/, while the uranyl and uranous complex systems showed the separation coefficients of -- 2 x 10/sup -4/ and approx. 6 x 10/sup -5/, respectively.

Environmental consequences of future biogas technologies based on separated slurry.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamelin, Lorie; Wesnæs, Marianne; Wenzel, Henrik; Petersen, Bjørn M

2011-07-01

This consequential life cycle assessment study highlights the key environmental aspects of producing biogas from separated pig and cow slurry, a relatively new but probable scenario for future biogas production, as it avoids the reliance on constrained carbon cosubstrates. Three scenarios involving different slurry separation technologies have been assessed and compared to a business-as-usual reference slurry management scenario. The results show that the environmental benefits of such biogas production are highly dependent upon the efficiency of the separation technology used to concentrate the volatile solids in the solid fraction. The biogas scenario involving the most efficient separation technology resulted in a dry matter separation efficiency of 87% and allowed a net reduction of the global warming potential of 40%, compared to the reference slurry management. This figure comprises the whole slurry life cycle, including the flows bypassing the biogas plant. This study includes soil carbon balances and a method for quantifying the changes in yield resulting from increased nitrogen availability as well as for quantifying mineral fertilizers displacement. Soil carbon balances showed that between 13 and 50% less carbon ends up in the soil pool with the different biogas alternatives, as opposed to the reference slurry management.

Magnetically Enhanced Solid-Liquid Separation

Science.gov (United States)

Rey, C. M.; Keller, K.; Fuchs, B.

2005-07-01

DuPont is developing an entirely new method of solid-liquid filtration involving the use of magnetic fields and magnetic field gradients. The new hybrid process, entitled Magnetically Enhanced Solid-Liquid Separation (MESLS), is designed to improve the de-watering kinetics and reduce the residual moisture content of solid particulates mechanically separated from liquid slurries. Gravitation, pressure, temperature, centrifugation, and fluid dynamics have dictated traditional solid-liquid separation for the past 50 years. The introduction of an external field (i.e. the magnetic field) offers the promise to manipulate particle behavior in an entirely new manner, which leads to increased process efficiency. Traditional solid-liquid separation typically consists of two primary steps. The first is a mechanical step in which the solid particulate is separated from the liquid using e.g. gas pressure through a filter membrane, centrifugation, etc. The second step is a thermal drying process, which is required due to imperfect mechanical separation. The thermal drying process is over 100-200 times less energy efficient than the mechanical step. Since enormous volumes of materials are processed each year, more efficient mechanical solid-liquid separations can be leveraged into dramatic reductions in overall energy consumption by reducing downstream drying requirements have a tremendous impact on energy consumption. Using DuPont's MESLS process, initial test results showed four very important effects of the magnetic field on the solid-liquid filtration process: 1) reduction of the time to reach gas breakthrough, 2) less loss of solid into the filtrate, 3) reduction of the (solids) residual moisture content, and 4) acceleration of the de-watering kinetics. These test results and their potential impact on future commercial solid-liquid filtration is discussed. New applications can be found in mining, chemical and bioprocesses.

Survey of knowledge of hazards of chemicals potentially associated with the advanced isotope separation processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chester, R.O.; Kirkscey, K.A.; Randolph, M.L.

1979-09-01

Hazards of chemical potentially associated with the advanced isotope separation processes are estimated based on open literature references. The tentative quantity of each chemical associated with the processes and the toxicity of the chemical are used to estimate this hazard. The chemicals thus estimated to be the most potentially hazardous to health are fluorine, nitric acid, uranium metal, uranium hexafluoride, and uranium dust. The estimated next most hazardous chemicals are bromine, hydrobromic acid, hydrochloric acid, and hydrofluoric acid. For each of these chemicals and for a number of other process-associated chemicals the following information is presented: (1) any applicable standards, recommended standards and their basis; (2) a brief discussion to toxic effects including short exposure tolerance, atmospheric concentration immediately hazardous to life, evaluation of exposures, recommended control procedures, chemical properties, and a list of any toxicology reviews; and (3) recommendations for future research

Survey of knowledge of hazards of chemicals potentially associated with the advanced isotope separation processes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chester, R.O.; Kirkscey, K.A.; Randolph, M.L.

1979-09-01

Hazards of chemical potentially associated with the advanced isotope separation processes are estimated based on open literature references. The tentative quantity of each chemical associated with the processes and the toxicity of the chemical are used to estimate this hazard. The chemicals thus estimated to be the most potentially hazardous to health are fluorine, nitric acid, uranium metal, uranium hexafluoride, and uranium dust. The estimated next most hazardous chemicals are bromine, hydrobromic acid, hydrochloric acid, and hydrofluoric acid. For each of these chemicals and for a number of other process-associated chemicals the following information is presented: (1) any applicable standards, recommended standards and their basis; (2) a brief discussion to toxic effects including short exposure tolerance, atmospheric concentration immediately hazardous to life, evaluation of exposures, recommended control procedures, chemical properties, and a list of any toxicology reviews; and (3) recommendations for future research.

Potentials of the separation of cow manure. Utilization of solid materials as an alternative fermentation substrate in biogas conversion plants; Potentiale der Rinderguelleseparation. Nutzung der Feststoffe als alternatives Gaersubstrat in Biogasanlagen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kroeger, Rhena; Hothan, Andreas; Theuvsen, Ludwig; Broll, Gabriele; Brauckmann, Hans-Joerg; Bronsema, Hauke [Goettingen Univ. (Germany). Dept. fuer Agraroekonomie und Rurale Entwicklung, Betriebswirtschaftslehre des Agribusiness

2013-10-01

The increasing regional concentration of dairy farming requires alternatives for the use of the accruing slurry to defuse the nutrient problem. One possibility is to separate the manure and use the solid fraction for an energetic use in biogas plants in nutrient undersupplied regions. First practical tests on dairy slurry separation have shown that separators are able to achieve a performance 1.3 to 16.6 tons of mass flow per hour. The nutrients are disproportionately deposited in the solid fraction. Furthermore, the solid fractions show a methane building potential that is double as high as the raw slurry methane yield. An energetic use of the solid fraction allows the reduction of other substrates. Thus, it is possible to decrease the land requirements and the costs for other substrates. (orig.)

Entrainment separator performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

First, M.W.; Leith, D.

1976-01-01

Clean and dust-loaded ACS entrainment separators mounted upstream of HEPA filters were exposed to a combination of fine water mist and steam at about 70 0 C from one to four hours. In every trial, the ACS entrainment separator prevented measurable deterioration of performance in the following HEPA filter. Droplet size-efficiency evaluation of the ACS entrainment separators showed that, within the accuracy of the measurements, they meet all service requirements and are fully equal to the best separator units available for service on pressurized water reactors

Microfluidic emulsion separation-simultaneous separation and sensing by multilayer nanofilm structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uhlmann, P; Truman, P; Stamm, M [Leibniz-Institut fuer Polymerforschung Dresden e V, Hohe Strasse 6, 01069 Dresden (Germany); Varnik, F; Zikos, G [Ruhr Universitaet Bochum, Stiepeler Strasse 129, 44801 Bochum (Germany); Moulin, J-F; Mueller-Buschbaum, P, E-mail: uhlmannp@ipfdd.de [Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Physik-Department, LS E13, James-Franck-Strasse 1, 85748 Garching (Germany)

2011-05-11

Emulsion separation is of high relevance for filtration applications, liquid-liquid-partitioning of biomolecules like proteins and recovery of products from droplet microreactors. Selective interaction of various components of an emulsion with substrates is used to design microfluidic flow chambers for efficient separation of emulsions into their individual components. Our lab-on-a-chip device consists of an emulsion separation cell with an integrated silicon sensor chip, the latter allowing the detection of liquid motion via the field-effect signal. Thus, within our lab-on-a-chip device, emulsions can be separated while the separation process is monitored simultaneously. For emulsion separation a surface energy step gradient, namely a sharp interface between the hydrophobic and hydrophilic parts of the separation chamber, is used. The key component of the lab-on-a-chip system is a multilayer and multifunctional nanofilm structure which not only provides the surface energy step gradient for emulsion separation but also constitutes the functional parts of the field-effect transistors. The proof-of-principle was performed using a model emulsion consisting of immiscible aqueous and organic solvent components. Droplet coalescence was identified as a key aspect influencing the separation process, with quite different effects during separation on open surfaces as compared to slit geometry. For a detailed description of this observation, an analytical model was derived and lattice Boltzmann computer simulations were performed. By use of grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS) interfacial nanostructures during gold nanoparticle deposition in a flow field were probed to demonstrate the potential of GISAXS for in situ investigations during flow.

Influence of Active Layer on Separation Potentials of Nanofiltration Membranes for Inorganic Ions.

Science.gov (United States)

Wadekar, Shardul S; Vidic, Radisav D

2017-05-16

Active layers of two fully aromatic and two semi-aromatic nanofiltration membranes were studied along with surface charge at different electrolyte composition and effective pore size to elucidate their influence on separation mechanisms for inorganic ions by steric, charge, and dielectric exclusion. The membrane potential method used for pore size measurement is underlined as the most appropriate measurement technique for this application owing to its dependence on the diffusional potentials of inorganic ions. Crossflow rejection experiments with dilute feed composition indicate that both fully aromatic membranes achieved similar rejection despite the differences in surface charge, which suggests that rejection by these membranes is exclusively dependent on size exclusion and the contribution of charge exclusion is weak. Rejection experiments with higher ionic strength and different composition of the feed solution confirmed this hypothesis. On the other hand, increase in the ionic strength of feed solution when the charge exclusion effects are negligible due to charge screening strongly influenced ion rejection by semi-aromatic membranes. The experimental results confirmed that charge exclusion contributes significantly to the performance of semi-aromatic membranes in addition to size exclusion. The contribution of dielectric exclusion to overall ion rejection would be more significant for fully aromatic membranes.

Separation of Hydrogen Isotopes by Palladium Alloy Membranes Separator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiangfeng, S.; Deli, L.; Yifu, X.; Congxian, L.; Zhiyong, H.

2007-01-01

Full text of publication follows: Separation of hydrogen isotope with palladium alloy membranes is one of the promising methods for hydrogen isotope separation. It has several advantages, such as high separation efficiency, smaller tritium inventory, simple separation device, ect. Limited by the manufacture of membrane and cost of gas transportation pump, this method is still at the stage of conceptual study. The relationship between separation factors and temperatures, feed gas components, split ratios have not been researched in detail, and the calculated results of cascade separation have not been validated with experimental data. In this thesis, a palladium alloy membrane separator was designed to further study its separation performance between H 2 and D 2 . The separation factor of the single stage was affected by the temperature, the feed gas component, the split ratio and the gas flow rate, etc. The experimental results showed that the H 2 -D 2 separation factor decreased with the increasing of temperature. On the temperature from 573 K to 773 K, when the feed rate was 5 L/min, the separation factor of 66.2%H 2 - 33.8%D 2 decreased from 2.09 to 1.85 when the split ratio was 0.1 and from 1.74 to 1.52 when the split ratio was 0.2.The separation factor also decreased with the increasing of split ratio. At 573 K and the feed rate of 5 L/min, the separation factor of 15.0%H 2 and 85.0%D 2 decreased from 2.43 to 1.35 with the increasing of split ratio from 0.050 to 0.534,and for 66.2%H 2 -33.8%D 2 , the separation factor decreased from 2.87 to 1.30 with the increasing of split ratio from 0.050 to 0.688. When the separation factor was the biggest, the flow rate of feed gas was in a perfect value. To gain a best separation performance, perfect flow rate, lower temperature and reflux ratio should be chosen. (authors)

Comparison of triton bound-state properties using different separable representations of realistic nucleon-nucleon potentials

CERN Document Server

Schadow, W; Haidenbauer, J; Nogga, A

2000-01-01

The quality of two different separable expansion methods (W-matrix and Ernst-Shakin-Thaler) is investigated. We compare the triton binding energies and components of the triton wave functions obtained in this way with the results of the direct two-dimensional treatment. The Paris, Bonn A and Bonn B potentials are employed as underlying two-body interactions, their total angular momenta being incorporated up to j <= 2. It is found that the most accurate results based on the Ernst-Shakin-Thaler method agree within 1.5 % or better with the two-dimensional calculations, whereas the results for the W-matrix representation are less accurate. Refs. 29 (author)

Phase separation of the plasma membrane in human red blood cells as a potential tool for diagnosis and progression monitoring of type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giuseppe Maulucci

Full Text Available Glycosylation, oxidation and other post-translational modifications of membrane and transmembrane proteins can alter lipid density, packing and interactions, and are considered an important factor that affects fluidity variation in membranes. Red blood cells (RBC membrane physical state, showing pronounced alterations in Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM, could be the ideal candidate for monitoring the disease progression and the effects of therapies. On these grounds, the measurement of RBC membrane fluidity alterations can furnish a more sensitive index in T1DM diagnosis and disease progression than Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c, which reflects only the information related to glycosylation processes. Here, through a functional two-photon microscopy approach we retrieved fluidity maps at submicrometric scale in RBC of T1DM patients with and without complications, detecting an altered membrane equilibrium. We found that a phase separation between fluid and rigid domains occurs, triggered by systemic effects on membranes fluidity of glycation and oxidation. The phase separation patterns are different among healthy, T1DM and T1DM with complications patients. Blood cholesterol and LDL content are positively correlated with the extent of the phase separation patterns. To quantify this extent a machine learning approach is employed to develop a Decision-Support-System (DSS able to recognize different fluidity patterns in RBC. Preliminary analysis shows significant differences(p<0.001 among healthy, T1DM and T1DM with complications patients. The development of an assay based on Phase separation of the plasma membrane of the Red Blood cells is a potential tool for diagnosis and progression monitoring of type 1 diabetes mellitus, and could allow customization and the selection of medical treatments in T1DM in clinical settings, and enable the early detection of complications.

Non-Water-Suppressed 1H MR Spectroscopy with Orientational Prior Knowledge Shows Potential for Separating Intra- and Extramyocellular Lipid Signals in Human Myocardium.

Science.gov (United States)

Fillmer, Ariane; Hock, Andreas; Cameron, Donnie; Henning, Anke

2017-12-04

Conditions such as type II diabetes are linked with elevated lipid levels in the heart, and significantly increased risk of heart failure; however, metabolic processes underlying the development of cardiac disease in type II diabetes are not fully understood. Here we present a non-invasive method for in vivo investigation of cardiac lipid metabolism: namely, IVS-McPRESS. This technique uses metabolite-cycled, non-water suppressed 1 H cardiac magnetic resonance spectroscopy with prospective and retrospective motion correction. High-quality IVS-McPRESS data acquired from healthy volunteers allowed us to investigate the frequency shift of extramyocellular lipid signals, which depends on the myocardial fibre orientation. Assuming consistent voxel positioning relative to myofibres, the myofibre angle with the magnetic field was derived from the voxel orientation. For separation and individual analysis of intra- and extramyocellular lipid signals, the angle myocardial fibres in the spectroscopy voxel take with the magnetic field should be within ±24.5°. Metabolite and lipid concentrations were analysed with respect to BMI. Significant correlations between BMI and unsaturated fatty acids in intramyocellular lipids, and methylene groups in extramyocellular lipids were found. The proposed IVS-McPRESS technique enables non-invasive investigation of cardiac lipid metabolism and may thus be a useful tool to study healthy and pathological conditions.

Acoustofluidic bacteria separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Sixing; Huang, Tony Jun; Ma, Fen; Zeng, Xiangqun; Bachman, Hunter; Cameron, Craig E

2017-01-01

Bacterial separation from human blood samples can help with the identification of pathogenic bacteria for sepsis diagnosis. In this work, we report an acoustofluidic device for label-free bacterial separation from human blood samples. In particular, we exploit the acoustic radiation force generated from a tilted-angle standing surface acoustic wave (taSSAW) field to separate Escherichia coli from human blood cells based on their size difference. Flow cytometry analysis of the E. coli separated from red blood cells shows a purity of more than 96%. Moreover, the label-free electrochemical detection of the separated E. coli displays reduced non-specific signals due to the removal of blood cells. Our acoustofluidic bacterial separation platform has advantages such as label-free separation, high biocompatibility, flexibility, low cost, miniaturization, automation, and ease of in-line integration. The platform can be incorporated with an on-chip sensor to realize a point-of-care sepsis diagnostic device. (paper)

Acoustofluidic bacteria separation

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Sixing; Ma, Fen; Bachman, Hunter; Cameron, Craig E.; Zeng, Xiangqun; Huang, Tony Jun

2017-01-01

Bacterial separation from human blood samples can help with the identification of pathogenic bacteria for sepsis diagnosis. In this work, we report an acoustofluidic device for label-free bacterial separation from human blood samples. In particular, we exploit the acoustic radiation force generated from a tilted-angle standing surface acoustic wave (taSSAW) field to separate Escherichia coli from human blood cells based on their size difference. Flow cytometry analysis of the E. coli separated from red blood cells shows a purity of more than 96%. Moreover, the label-free electrochemical detection of the separated E. coli displays reduced non-specific signals due to the removal of blood cells. Our acoustofluidic bacterial separation platform has advantages such as label-free separation, high biocompatibility, flexibility, low cost, miniaturization, automation, and ease of in-line integration. The platform can be incorporated with an on-chip sensor to realize a point-of-care sepsis diagnostic device.

Cardiac action potential repolarization revisited: early repolarization shows all-or-none behaviour.

Science.gov (United States)

Trenor, Beatriz; Cardona, Karen; Saiz, Javier; Noble, Denis; Giles, Wayne

2017-11-01

In healthy mammalian hearts the action potential (AP) waveform initiates and modulates each contraction, or heartbeat. As a result, AP height and duration are key physiological variables. In addition, rate-dependent changes in ventricular AP duration (APD), and variations in APD at a fixed heart rate are both reliable biomarkers of electrophysiological stability. Present guidelines for the likelihood that candidate drugs will increase arrhythmias rely on small changes in APD and Q-T intervals as criteria for safety pharmacology decisions. However, both of these measurements correspond to the final repolarization of the AP. Emerging clinical evidence draws attention to the early repolarization phase of the action potential (and the J-wave of the ECG) as an additional important biomarker for arrhythmogenesis. Here we provide a mechanistic background to this early repolarization syndrome by summarizing the evidence that both the initial depolarization and repolarization phases of the cardiac action potential can exhibit distinct time- and voltage-dependent thresholds, and also demonstrating that both can show regenerative all-or-none behaviour. An important consequence of this is that not all of the dynamics of action potential repolarization in human ventricle can be captured by data from single myocytes when these results are expressed as 'repolarization reserve'. For example, the complex pattern of cell-to-cell current flow that is responsible for AP conduction (propagation) within the mammalian myocardium can change APD and the Q-T interval of the electrocardiogram alter APD stability, and modulate responsiveness to pharmacological agents (such as Class III anti-arrhythmic drugs). © 2017 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2017 The Physiological Society.

Effect of geometric parameters of liquid-gas separator units on phase separation performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mo, Songping; Chen, Xueqing; Chen, Ying [Guangdong University of Technology, Seoul (China); Yang, Zhen [Tsinghua University, Beijing (China)

2015-07-15

Five liquid-gas separator units were designed and constructed based on a new concept of a validated high-performance condenser. Each separator unit consists of two united T-junctions and an apertured baffle. The separator units have different header diameters or different baffles with different diameters of the liquid-gas separation hole. The phase separation characteristics of the units were investigated at inlet air superficial velocities from 1.0m/s to 33.0m/s and water superficial velocities from 0.0015 m/s to 0..50 m/s. The experimental results showed that the liquid height, liquid flow rate through the separation hole, and liquid separation efficiency increased with increased header diameter and decreased diameter of the separation hole. The geometric structures of the separator units affected the phase separation characteristics by influencing the liquid height in the header and the liquid flow rate through the separation hole.

The role of oxytocin in relationships between dogs and humans and potential applications for the treatment of separation anxiety in dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Thielke, Lauren E; Udell, Monique A R

2017-02-01

The hormone oxytocin plays an important role in attachment formation and bonding between humans and domestic dogs. Recent research has led to increased interest in potential applications for intranasal oxytocin to aid with the treatment of psychological disorders in humans. While a few studies have explored the effects of intranasally administered oxytocin on social cognition and social bonding in dogs, alternative applications have not yet been explored for the treatment of behavioural problems in this species. One potentially important application for intranasal oxytocin in dogs could be the treatment of separation anxiety, a common attachment disorder in dogs. Here we provide an overview of what is known about the role of oxytocin in the human-dog bond and canine separation anxiety, and discuss considerations for future research looking to integrate oxytocin into behavioural treatment based on recent findings from both the human and dog literature. © 2015 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

Spatial interference from well-separated split condensates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zawadzki, M. E.; Griffin, P. F.; Riis, E.; Arnold, A. S.

2010-01-01

We use magnetic levitation and a variable-separation dual optical plug to obtain clear spatial interference between two condensates axially separated by up to 0.25 mm - the largest separation observed with this kind of interferometer. Clear planar fringes are observed using standard (i.e., nontomographic) resonant absorption imaging. The effect of a weak inverted parabola potential on fringe separation is observed and agrees well with theory.

Phase separation of the plasma membrane in human red blood cells as a potential tool for diagnosis and progression monitoring of type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Science.gov (United States)

Maulucci, Giuseppe; Cordelli, Ermanno; Rizzi, Alessandro; De Leva, Francesca; Papi, Massimiliano; Ciasca, Gabriele; Samengo, Daniela; Pani, Giovambattista; Pitocco, Dario; Soda, Paolo; Ghirlanda, Giovanni; Iannello, Giulio; De Spirito, Marco

2017-01-01

Glycosylation, oxidation and other post-translational modifications of membrane and transmembrane proteins can alter lipid density, packing and interactions, and are considered an important factor that affects fluidity variation in membranes. Red blood cells (RBC) membrane physical state, showing pronounced alterations in Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), could be the ideal candidate for monitoring the disease progression and the effects of therapies. On these grounds, the measurement of RBC membrane fluidity alterations can furnish a more sensitive index in T1DM diagnosis and disease progression than Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), which reflects only the information related to glycosylation processes. Here, through a functional two-photon microscopy approach we retrieved fluidity maps at submicrometric scale in RBC of T1DM patients with and without complications, detecting an altered membrane equilibrium. We found that a phase separation between fluid and rigid domains occurs, triggered by systemic effects on membranes fluidity of glycation and oxidation. The phase separation patterns are different among healthy, T1DM and T1DM with complications patients. Blood cholesterol and LDL content are positively correlated with the extent of the phase separation patterns. To quantify this extent a machine learning approach is employed to develop a Decision-Support-System (DSS) able to recognize different fluidity patterns in RBC. Preliminary analysis shows significant differences(pBlood cells is a potential tool for diagnosis and progression monitoring of type 1 diabetes mellitus, and could allow customization and the selection of medical treatments in T1DM in clinical settings, and enable the early detection of complications.

[Computer modeling the hydrostatic pressure characteristics of the membrane potential for polymeric membrane, separated non-homogeneous electrolyte solutions].

Science.gov (United States)

Slezak, Izabella H; Jasik-Slezak, Jolanta; Rogal, Mirosława; Slezak, Andrzej

2006-01-01

On the basis of model equation depending the membrane potential deltapsis, on mechanical pressure difference (deltaP), concentration polarization coefficient (zetas), concentration Rayleigh number (RC) and ratio concentration of solutions separated by membrane (Ch/Cl), the characteristics deltapsis = f(deltaP)zetas,RC,Ch/Cl for steady values of zetas, RC and Ch/Cl in single-membrane system were calculated. In this system neutral and isotropic polymeric membrane oriented in horizontal plane, the non-homogeneous binary electrolytic solutions of various concentrations were separated. Nonhomogeneity of solutions is results from creations of the concentration boundary layers on both sides of the membrane. Calculations were made for the case where on a one side of the membrane aqueous solution of NaCl at steady concentration 10(-3) mol x l(-1) (Cl) was placed and on the other aqueous solutions of NaCl at concentrations from 10(-3) mol x l(-1) to 2 x 10(-2) mol x l(-1) (Ch). Their densities were greater than NaCl solution's at 10(-3) mol x l(-1). It was shown that membrane potential depends on hydrodynamic state of a complex concentration boundary layer-membrane-concentration boundary layer, what is controlled by deltaP, Ch/Cl, RC and zetas.

Decontamination of nuclear fuels with centrifugal separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ning, Li; Camassa, R.; Ecke, R.; Venneri, F.

1995-01-01

The treatment and disposal of nuclear material is a crucial element in today's nuclear power industry. We present a physical process of centrifugal separation that has potential to deal with existing waste and provide opportunities for realizing advanced accelerator-driven power generation. In our proposed process a liquid metal solution containing actinides and fission products is fed through a series of continuous flow centrifuges. We show fundamentals of centrifugation including theory and experiments and estimate how the processing can be optimized

Decontamination of nuclear fuels with centrifugal separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ning, L.; Camassa, R.; Ecke, R.; Venneri, F.

1995-01-01

The treatment and disposal of nuclear material is a crucial element in today's nuclear power industry. We present a physical process of centrifugal separation that has potential to deal with existing waste and provide opportunities for realizing advanced accelerator driven power generation. In our proposed process a liquid metal solution containing actinides and fission products is fed through a series of continuous flow centrifuges. We show fundamentals of centrifugation including theory and experiments and estimate how the processing can be optimized. (authors)

Pilot trial on separation conditions for diaper recycling.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kyung-Shin; Cho, Hee-Sun

2017-09-01

By utilizing laboratory-scale tests, the optimal separation conditions for diaper recycling were identified, and then, these conditions were validated by a pilot trial. In this research, we determined the mass balances derived during various processing steps and identified the most feasible procedures to use for separating each material in the output flow. The results showed that drum screening was not able to remove all the fiber and super absorbent particles (SAP) in the plastic-rich fraction and that cellulose enzyme treatment can be a good solution. To achieve better separation of fibers and SAP, slot screening followed by a cleaner is a potential option. A feasible diaper recycling process was recommended based on these results. This process involves screening and enzymatic treatment for the plastic fraction, and screening, cleaning, and thickening for the fiber fraction. Treatment procedures were also proposed for the SAP fraction and rejected materials. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Citrate based ''TALSPEAK'' lanthanide-actinide separation process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Del Cul, G.D.; Bond, W.D.; Toth, L.M.; Davis, G.D.; Dai, S.; Metcalf, D.H.

1994-09-01

The potential hazard posed to future generations by long-lived radionuclides such as the transuranic elements (TRU) is perceived as a major problem associated with the use of nuclear power. TRU wastes have to remain isolated from the environment for ''geological'' periods of time. The costs of building, maintaining, and operating a ''geological TRU repository'' can be very high. Therefore, there are significant economical advantages in segregating the relatively low volume of TRU wastes from other nuclear wastes. The chemical behavior of lanthanides and actinides, 4f and 5f elements respectively, is rather similar. As a consequence, the separation of these two groups is difficult. The ''TALSPEAK'' process (Trivalent Actinide Lanthanide Separations by Phosphorus-reagent Extraction from Aqueous Complexes) is one of the few means available to separate the trivalent actinides from the lanthanides. The method is based on the preferential complexation of the trivalent actinides by an aminopolyacetic acid. Cold experiments showed that by using citric acid the deleterious effects produced by impurities such as zirconium are greatly reduced

EFFICIENCY OF METAL SCRAP SEPARATION IN EDDY CURRENT SEPARATOR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gordan Bedeković

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Eddy-current separation is most often method used for the recovery of non-ferrous metals (Al, Cu, Zn, Pb from solid wastes and also for separating non-ferrous metals from each other. The feed material comes to rotary drum and magnetic field by belt conveyer. The changing magnetic field induce eddy currents in conductive (metallic particles. Because interaction between this currents and the magnetic field electrodynamic forces will act on conductive particles. Therefore the trajectories of conductive particles will be different from the trajectories of the non-conductive ones. Separation is a result of the combined actions of several forces (electrodynamic, gravitational and frictional. The paper presents results of aluminium recovery from mixture of metallic particles in eddy current separator. Testing were conducted under field condition. Results shows that is possible achieve recovery of 99 % and concentrate quality of 89 % of aluminium (the paper is published in Croatian.

Core-shell structured ceramic nonwoven separators by atomic layer deposition for safe lithium-ion batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Xiu; Li, Chao; Shi, Chuan; Yang, Chaochao; Deng, Lei; Zhang, Wei; Peng, Longqing; Dai, Jianhui; Wu, Dezhi; Zhang, Peng; Zhao, Jinbao

2018-05-01

Safety is one of the most factors for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). In this work, a novel kind of ceramic separator with high safety insurance is proposed. We fabricated the core-shell nanofiber separators for LIBs by atomic layer deposition (ALD) of 30 nm Al2O3 on the electrospinning nonwoven fiber of polyvinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP). The separators show a pretty high heat resistance up to 200 °C without any shrinkage, an excellent fire-resistant property and a wide electrochemical window. Besides, with higher uptake and ionic conductivity, cells assembled with the novel separator shows better electrochemical performance. The ALD produced separators exhibit great potential in elaborate products like 3C communications and in energy field with harsh requirements for safety such as electric vehicles. The application of ALD on polymer fiber membranes brings a new strategy and opportunity for improving the safety of the advanced LIBs.

An investigation of paper based microfluidic devices for size based separation and extraction applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Z W; Wu, R G; Wang, Z P; Tan, H L

2015-09-01

Conventional microfluidic devices are typically complex and expensive. The devices require the use of pneumatic control systems or highly precise pumps to control the flow in the devices. This work investigates an alternative method using paper based microfluidic devices to replace conventional microfluidic devices. Size based separation and extraction experiments conducted were able to separate free dye from a mixed protein and dye solution. Experimental results showed that pure fluorescein isothiocyanate could be separated from a solution of mixed fluorescein isothiocyanate and fluorescein isothiocyanate labeled bovine serum albumin. The analysis readings obtained from a spectrophotometer clearly show that the extracted tartrazine sample did not contain any amount of Blue-BSA, because its absorbance value was 0.000 measured at a wavelength of 590nm, which correlated to Blue-BSA. These demonstrate that paper based microfluidic devices, which are inexpensive and easy to implement, can potentially replace their conventional counterparts by the use of simple geometry designs and the capillary action. These findings will potentially help in future developments of paper based microfluidic devices. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Miniaturized protein separation using a liquid chromatography column on a flexible substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Yongmo; Chae, Junseok

2008-01-01

We report a prototype protein separator that successfully miniaturizes existing technology for potential use in biocompatible health monitoring implants. The prototype is a liquid chromatography (LC) column (LC mini-column) fabricated on an inexpensive, flexible, biocompatible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) enclosure. The LC mini-column separates a mixture of proteins using size exclusion chromatography (SEC) with polydivinylbenzene beads (5–20 µm in diameter with 10 nm pore size). The LC mini-column is smaller than any commercially available LC column by a factor of ∼11 000 and successfully separates denatured and native protein mixtures at ∼71 psi of the applied fluidic pressure. Separated proteins are analyzed using NuPAGE-gel electrophoresis, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and an automated electrophoresis system. Quantitative HPLC results demonstrate successful separation based on intensity change: within 12 min, the intensity between large and small protein peaks changed by a factor of ∼20. In further evaluation using the automated electrophoresis system, the plate height of the LC mini-column is between 36 µm and 100 µm. The prototype LC mini-column shows the potential for real-time health monitoring in applications that require inexpensive, flexible implant technology that can function effectively under non-laboratory conditions

NASA Armstrong's Approach to Store Separation Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Acuff, Chris; Bui, Trong

2015-01-01

Presentation will an overview of NASA Armstrong's store separation capabilities and how they have been applied recently. Objective of the presentation is to brief Generation Orbit and other potential partners on NASA Armstrong's store separation capabilities. It will include discussions on the use of NAVSEP and Cart3D, as well as some Python scripting work to perform the analysis, and a short overview of this methodology applied to the Towed Glider Air Launch System. Collaboration with potential customers in this area could lead to funding for the further development of a store separation capability at NASA Armstrong, which would boost the portfolio of engineering expertise at the center.

Effects of pH and pulp potential on the selective separation of Molybdenite from the Sungun Cu-Mo concentrate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javad Mehrabani

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In this research, selective flotation of Mo from the Sungun Cu-Mo concentrate was evaluated in different operating conditions. It was found that the addition of 16 kg/t Na2S into flotation pulp and aeration decreased rapidly the initial oxidized- reduction potential (ORP of the pulp from +228mV to -597 mV (with reference to standard Ag/AgCl electrode and increasing the amount of Na2S by 50kg/t did not change the pulp potential. The highest metallurgical and selective separation of Mo from Mo-Cu concentrate were achieved at pH= 10.5 and ORP

Review and assessment of technologies for the separation of cesium from acidic media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Orth, R.J.; Brooks, K.P.; Kurath, D.E.

1994-09-01

A preliminary literature survey has been conducted to identify and evaluate methods for the separation of cesium from acidic waste. The most promising solvent extraction, precipitation, and ion exchange methods, along with some of the attributes for each method, are listed. The main criteria used in evaluating the separation methods were as follows: (1) good potential for cesium separation must be demonstrated (i.e., cesium decontamination factors on the order of 50 to 100). (2) Good selectivity for cesium over bulk components must be demonstrated. (3) The method must show promise for evolving into a practical and fairly simple process. (4) The process should be safe to operate. (5) The method must be robust (i.e., capable of separating cesium from various acidic waste types). (6) Secondary waste generation must be minimized. (7) The method must show resistance to radiation damage. The most promising separation methods did not necessarily satisfy all of the above criteria, thus key areas requiring further development are suggested for each method. The report discusses in detail these and other areas requiring further development, as well as alternative solvent extraction, precipitation, ion exchange, and {open_quote}other{close_quote} technologies that, based on current information, show less promise for the separation of cesium from acidic wastes because of significant process limitations. When appropriate, the report recommends areas of future development.

Electronic excitation of atoms and molecules by electron impact in a linear algebraic, separable potential approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collins, L.A.; Schneider, B.I.

1984-01-01

The linear algebraic, separable potential approach is applied to the electronic excitation of atoms and molecules by electron impact. By representing the exchange and off-diagonal direct terms on a basis, the standard set of coupled inelastic equations is reduced to a set of elastic inhomogeneous equations. The procedure greatly simplifies the formulation by allowing a large portion of the problem to be handled by standard bound-state techniques and by greatly reducing the order of the scattering equations that must be solved. Application is made to the excitation of atomic hydrogen in the three-state close-coupling (1s, 2s, 2p) approximation. (author)

Separators - Technology review: Ceramic based separators for secondary batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nestler, Tina; Schmid, Robert; Münchgesang, Wolfram; Bazhenov, Vasilii; Meyer, Dirk C. [Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, Institut für Experimentelle Physik, Leipziger Str. 23, 09596 Freiberg (Germany); Schilm, Jochen [Fraunhofer-Institut für Keramische Technologien und Systeme IKTS, Winterbergstraße 28, 01277 Dresden (Germany); Leisegang, Tilmann [Fraunhofer-Technologiezentrum Halbleitermaterialien THM, Am St.-Niclas-Schacht 13, 09599 Freiberg (Germany)

2014-06-16

-based separators. Two prominent examples, the lithium-ion and sodium-sulfur battery, are described to show the current stage of development. New routes are presented as promising technologies for safe and long-life electrochemical storage cells.

Separators - Technology review: Ceramic based separators for secondary batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Nestler, Tina; Schmid, Robert; Münchgesang, Wolfram; Bazhenov, Vasilii; Schilm, Jochen; Leisegang, Tilmann; Meyer, Dirk C.

2014-06-01

Besides a continuous increase of the worldwide use of electricity, the electric energy storage technology market is a growing sector. At the latest since the German energy transition ("Energiewende") was announced, technological solutions for the storage of renewable energy have been intensively studied. Storage technologies in various forms are commercially available. A widespread technology is the electrochemical cell. Here the cost per kWh, e. g. determined by energy density, production process and cycle life, is of main interest. Commonly, an electrochemical cell consists of an anode and a cathode that are separated by an ion permeable or ion conductive membrane - the separator - as one of the main components. Many applications use polymeric separators whose pores are filled with liquid electrolyte, providing high power densities. However, problems arise from different failure mechanisms during cell operation, which can affect the integrity and functionality of these separators. In the case of excessive heating or mechanical damage, the polymeric separators become an incalculable security risk. Furthermore, the growth of metallic dendrites between the electrodes leads to unwanted short circuits. In order to minimize these risks, temperature stable and non-flammable ceramic particles can be added, forming so-called composite separators. Full ceramic separators, in turn, are currently commercially used only for high-temperature operation systems, due to their comparably low ion conductivity at room temperature. However, as security and lifetime demands increase, these materials turn into focus also for future room temperature applications. Hence, growing research effort is being spent on the improvement of the ion conductivity of these ceramic solid electrolyte materials, acting as separator and electrolyte at the same time. Starting with a short overview of available separator technologies and the separator market, this review focuses on ceramic-based separators

Carbon footprint of urban source separation for nutrient recovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Kjerstadius, H; Bernstad Saraiva, A; Spångberg, J; Davidsson, Å

2017-07-15

Source separation systems for the management of domestic wastewater and food waste has been suggested as more sustainable sanitation systems for urban areas. The present study used an attributional life cycle assessment to investigate the carbon footprint and potential for nutrient recovery of two sanitation systems for a hypothetical urban area in Southern Sweden. The systems represented a typical Swedish conventional system and a possible source separation system with increased nutrient recovery. The assessment included the management chain from household collection, transport, treatment and final return of nutrients to agriculture or disposal of the residuals. The results for carbon footprint and nutrient recovery (phosphorus and nitrogen) concluded that the source separation system could increase nutrient recovery (0.30-0.38 kg P capita -1 year -1 and 3.10-3.28 kg N capita -1 year -1 ), while decreasing the carbon footprint (-24 to -58 kg CO 2 -eq. capita -1 year -1 ), compared to the conventional system. The nutrient recovery was increased by the use of struvite precipitation and ammonium stripping at the wastewater treatment plant. The carbon footprint decreased, mainly due to the increased biogas production, increased replacement of mineral fertilizer in agriculture and less emissions of nitrous oxide from wastewater treatment. In conclusion, the study showed that source separation systems could potentially be used to increase nutrient recovery from urban areas, while decreasing the climate impact. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Potential application of microporous structured poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene)/poly(ethylene terephthalate) composite nonwoven separators to high-voltage and high-power lithium-ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Hyun-Seok; Choi, Eun-Sun; Kim, Jong Hun; Lee, Sang-Young

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Microporous-structured PVdF-HFP/PET composite nonwoven separators for Li-batteries. → Well-developed microporous structure and liquid electrolyte wettability. → Provision of facile ion transport and suppressed growth of cell impedance. → Superior cell performance at high-voltages/high-current densities. - Abstract: We demonstrate potential application of a new composite non-woven separator, which is comprised of a phase inversion-controlled, microporous polyvinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene (PVdF-HFP) gel polymer electrolyte and a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) non-woven support, to high-voltage and high-power lithium-ion batteries. In comparison to a commercialized polyethylene (PE) separator, the composite non-woven separator exhibits distinct improvements in microporous structure and liquid electrolyte wettability. Based on the understanding of the composite non-woven separator, cell performances of the separator at challenging charge/discharge conditions are investigated and discussed in terms of ion transport of the separator and AC impedance of the cell. The aforementioned advantageous features of the composite non-woven separator play a key role in providing facile ion transport and suppressing growth of cell impedance during cycling, which in turn contribute to superior cell performances at harsh charge/discharge conditions such as high voltages and high current densities.

Low energy methods of molecular laser isotope separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makarov, G N

2015-01-01

Of the many proposals to date for laser-assisted isotope separation methods, isotope-selective infrared (IR) multiphoton dissociation (MPD) of molecules has been the most fully developed. This concept served as the basis for the development and operation of the carbon isotope separation facility in Kaliningrad, Russia. The extension of this method to heavy elements, including uranium, is hindered by, among other factors, the high power consumption and the lack of high-efficiency high-power laser systems. In this connection, research and development covering low energy methods for the laser separation of isotopes (including those of heavy atoms) is currently in high demand. This paper reviews approaches to the realization of IR-laser-induced isotope-selective processes, some of which are potentially the basis on which low-energy methods for molecular laser isotope separation can be developed. The basic physics and chemistry, application potential, and strengths and weaknesses of these approaches are discussed. Potentially promising alternatives to the title methods are examined. (reviews of topical problems)

Anisotropic properties of phase separation in two-component dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wei; Li, Jinbin

2018-03-01

Using Crank-Nicolson method, we calculate ground state wave functions of two-component dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) and show that, due to dipole-dipole interaction (DDI), the condensate mixture displays anisotropic phase separation. The effects of DDI, inter-component s-wave scattering, strength of trap potential and particle numbers on the density profiles are investigated. Three types of two-component profiles are present, first cigar, along z-axis and concentric torus, second pancake (or blood cell), in xy-plane, and two non-uniform ellipsoid, separated by the pancake and third two dumbbell shapes.

Phase separation and d-wave superconductivity induced by extended electron-exciton interaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheng Ming [Department of Physics and Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston, 4800 Calhoun Road, Houston, Texas 77204 (United States)], E-mail: cheng896@hotmail.com; Su Wupei [Department of Physics and Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston, 4800 Calhoun Road, Houston, Texas 77204 (United States)

2008-12-15

Using an auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo (AFQMC) method, we have studied a two-dimensional tight-binding model in which the conduction electrons can polarize an adjacent layer of molecules through electron-electron repulsion. Calculated average conduction electron density as a function of chemical potential exhibits a clear break characteristic of phase separation. Compared to the noninteracting system, the d-wave pair-field correlation function shows significant enhancement. The simultaneous presence of phase separation and d-wave superconductivity suggests that an effective extended pairing force is induced by the electron-exciton coupling.

Phase separation and d-wave superconductivity induced by extended electron-exciton interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng Ming; Su Wupei

2008-01-01

Using an auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo (AFQMC) method, we have studied a two-dimensional tight-binding model in which the conduction electrons can polarize an adjacent layer of molecules through electron-electron repulsion. Calculated average conduction electron density as a function of chemical potential exhibits a clear break characteristic of phase separation. Compared to the noninteracting system, the d-wave pair-field correlation function shows significant enhancement. The simultaneous presence of phase separation and d-wave superconductivity suggests that an effective extended pairing force is induced by the electron-exciton coupling

Global warming potential of material fractions occurring in source-separated organic household waste treated by anaerobic digestion or incineration under different framework conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Naroznova, Irina; Møller, Jacob; Scheutz, Charlotte

2016-01-01

This study compared the environmental profiles of anaerobic digestion (AD) and incineration, in relation to global warming potential (GWP), for treating individual material fractions that may occur in source-separated organic household waste (SSOHW). Different framework conditions representative...

A mechanical wave system to show waveforms similar to quantum mechanical wavefunctions in a potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faletič, Sergej

2015-01-01

Interviews with students suggest that even though they understand the formalism and the formal nature of quantum theory, they still often desire a mental picture of what the equations describe and some tangible experience with the wavefunctions. Here we discuss a mechanical wave system capable of reproducing correctly a mechanical equivalent of a quantum system in a potential, and the resulting waveforms in principle of any form. We have successfully reproduced the finite potential well, the potential barrier and the parabolic potential. We believe that these mechanical waveforms can provide a valuable experience base for introductory students to start from. We aim to show that mechanical systems that are described with the same mathematics as quantum mechanical, indeed behave in the same way. We believe that even if treated purely as a wave phenomenon, the system provides much insight into wave mechanics. This can be especially useful for physics teachers and others who often need to resort to concepts and experience rather than mathematics when explaining physical phenomena. (paper)

Physical Separation in the Workplace

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stea, Diego; Foss, Nicolai Juul; Holdt Christensen, Peter

2015-01-01

Physical separation is pervasive in organizations, and has powerful effects on employee motivation and organizational behaviors. However, research shows that workplace separation is characterized by a variety of tradeoffs, tensions, and challenges that lead to both positive and negative outcomes....... We develop new theory on the nature, antecedents, and motivational implications of separation awareness - a psychological state in which people are aware of their physical separation from others—and proffer a model of the mechanisms that link separation and motivation. We distinguish between control...... and autonomy affirmation as psychological states that are triggered by physical separation in the workplace, and discuss individual and context specific moderators, as well as motivational implications of separation awareness. In doing so, we reconcile the seemingly contradicting findings that have been...

Advanced Palladium Membrane Scale-up for Hydrogen Separation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Emerson, Sean; Magdefrau, Neal; She, Ying; Thibaud-Erkey, Catherine

2012-10-31

and ex situ (laboratory) air regeneration at 450 °C could restore separator performance by burning out such deposits. Gasifier testing revealed that high molecular weight hydrocarbons have the potential to retard H2 separation. Unconverted coal tars with carbon numbers greater than 14 have a boiling point such that they can act as a reversible poison to the Pd-Cu membranes even at temperatures above 500 °C. The use of real-time, physics-based, performance models revealed the effect of these coal tars. It is believed that this project provided the first evidence for the impact of coal tars on H{sub 2} separator performance. Final down-selection of candidate alloys for non-membrane materials of construction proceeded by evaluating the alloys in both UTRC laboratory tests and testing downstream of an actual gasifier at the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC). The overall alloy ratings were calculated by multiplying the projected cost of a 100 lb day{sup -1} H{sub 2} separator outer shell by the projected oxide scale thickness for 5 years of operation. The alloy with the lowest resulting rating parameter was stainless steel 309 (SS-309) followed by stainless steel 310 (SS-310). However, it was noted that approximately half of the alloys showed susceptibility to pitting and localized corrosion. SS-309 was one of the alloys that exhibited heavy localized attack after 2000 hours of laboratory testing. As this localized corrosion can potentially lead to accelerated end of life, it was determined that SS-310 would be the best alloy selection for this application as it does not show signs of localized pitting corrosion.

Relations between psychological separation and adaptation of adolescents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vukelić Marija

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The object of this research is a problem of relations between psychological separation-individuation as well as adaptation to secondary and boarding school and differences in separation and adaptation. Explorative research was performed on the sample of 586 adolescents aged 14-16. The instruments used were: The Psychological Separation Inventory (PSI, Hoffman, 1984, and The Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ, Baker & Siryk, 1984. The results showed that adolescents from boarding schools, comparing to those who are not separated from parents during secondary school, have significant higher level of separation of both parents, but discriminate analysis showed that adolescents from boarding schools express nostalgia for their parents and wants more contacts and support from them. Adolescent from boarding school showed general better adaptation, but lower emotional adaptation comparing to not separate adolescents. Discriminate analysis showed that adolescents from boarding schools express low satisfaction with life in boarding school. The results confirm hypothesis of connection between psychological separation from parents and adaptation in adolescence. Canonical correlation analysis showed two statistically significant canonical factors. First factor shows significant connection of lower independence and better adaptation, with 23% explained variance. Second factor indicates connection of lower functional, emotional and attitude independence and better adaptation, with 12% of explained variance. Results are argued in light of theory separation-individuation and importance of meaning of separation from their parents for adolescents for adaptation on request for adaptation on secondary school and boarding school.

Investigation of the particle selectivity of a traveling potential wave; neon isotope separation with the Solitron process. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lowder, R.S.

1994-01-01

The specific goal of this three year effort was to investigate this novel isotope separation process itself: to determine whether isotopes could indeed be separated and, if so, with what limitations--space charge effects, instabilities, and, in particular, with what throughput limitations. Termed the Solitron process, the concept is based on the strong isotopic variation in wave/ion interaction for a potential wave passing through an ion beam when the wave speed is near the ion speed. The ion's charge-to-mass ratio determines not only which ions are picked up by the wave but also the final energy of those ions that are picked up (accelerated to a higher energy); thus, this method can be used for isotope separation. Much progress was made regarding separation and throughput, concluding that separation works well in conjunction with electrostatic focusing used to obtain enough throughput (enough beam current) to make a practical device. The next step would likely be a production device, although development of an appropriate metal ion source would be useful. Funding is an issue; development cost estimates run around two million dollars for a market only several times that cost. Although there is much concern about the future supply of isotopes such as could be produced by the Solitron process, as well as costs, at present the supply from Oak Ridge and Russian sources is adequate for US needs. Should demand grow, these LDRD studies would strongly support proposals for further development of this Solitron process and help assure its likely success. For example, a point design for a magnesium mission was formulated to obtain a consistent set of design numbers that would optimize performance without pushing any constraints seen in these studies. A similar design could be formulated for other missions (magnesium was just a convenient target)

Mining by-products show potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Douglas, Grant

2013-01-01

, transition metals, metalloids and anions such as arsenate have been effectively removed from wastewater. This process purifies the wastewater from mines in a faster, more effective way that does not require large amounts of infrastructure or difficult chemistry to achieve it. The advantages don't stop there. The hydrotalcites themselves are easily removed using centrifugation, leaving behind a much cleaner sludge and a lot less of it. Initial results have shown the treatment produces around 80 to 90% less sludge than that of lime-based treatments — so it does not present the same scale of handling and final disposal problems. The hydrotalcite-treated water can be recycled back into the plant to lower the total cost of water used in the mining operations, ultimately helping to reduce water consumption as there will be less water drawn from the environment such as from the groundwater near to the mine. This would be particularly valuable for mining operations in arid regions with limited water supply such as in Australia and Chile. Around the world the minerals industry is keen to find more efficient ways to treat their wastewaters and reduce their environmental footprint. With the inherent technical advantages and added benefits of using hydrotalcites, there's a high likelihood of the mining industry adopting this technology on a global scale. The steps to making this a reality have already been made, with commercialisation of the technology underway via Australian company Virtual Curtain. There is also the potential use the treatment to reprocess and recover valuable commodities and produce 'ore- grade' material out of the contaminants. The material can be fed back into the recovery process to recover a greater proportion of the contained metals. This is a very real example of extracting 'wealth from waste', opening up the possibility of partially offsetting wastewater treatment costs for the mining industry.

Threshold separation distance for attractive interaction between dust particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jabdaraghi, R. Najafi; Sobhanian, S.

2008-01-01

Interaction between dust grains in a dusty plasma could be both repulsive and attractive. The Coulomb interaction between two negatively charged dust particulates and the electrostatic force between them are repulsive, while the shadowing force affecting them is attractive. We show in this paper that in some experimental conditions, there is some grain separation zone for which the attractive shadowing force is larger than the repulsive forces between them. In experimental conditions, for the grains separation distance r = 0.4 cm the shadowing force is almost equal to the electrostatic force between them and for r>0.4 cm the shadowing force exceeds the electrostatic force. So the resultant interaction force will be attractive. The possibility of dust crystal formation in this zone and also the motion of dust particles in the resultant potential of the form V = -(a/r)+(b/r 2 ) will be discussed. This form of potential comes from the combination electrostatic (F es (c/r 3 )) and shadowing (F shadow = -(d/r 2 )) forces.

The Effects of Environmental Management Systems on Source Separation in the Work and Home Settings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chris von Borgstede

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Measures that challenge the generation of waste are needed to address the global problem of the increasing volumes of waste that are generated in both private homes and workplaces. Source separation at the workplace is commonly implemented by environmental management systems (EMS. In the present study, the relationship between source separation at work and at home was investigated. A questionnaire that maps psychological and behavioural predictors of source separation was distributed to employees at different workplaces. The results show that respondents with awareness of EMS report higher levels of source separation at work, stronger environmental concern, personal and social norms, and perceive source separation to be less difficult. Furthermore, the results support the notion that after the adoption of EMS at the workplace, source separation at work spills over into source separation in the household. The potential implications for environmental management systems are discussed.

Separation of lanthanum from samarium on solid aluminum electrode in LiCl-KCl eutectic melts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De-Bin Ji; Mi-Lin Zhang; Xing Li; Xiao-Yan Jing; Wei Han; Yong-De Yan; Yun Xue; Zhi-Jian Zhang; Harbin Engineering University, Harbin

2015-01-01

This paper presents an electrochemical study on the separation of lanthanum from samarium on aluminum electrode at 773 K. The results from different electrochemical methods showed that Sm(III) and La(III) formed Al-Sm and Al-La intermetallic compounds on an aluminum electrode at electrode potential around -1.67 and -1.46 V, respectively. The electrochemical separation of lanthanum was carried out in LiCl-KCl-LaCl 3 -SmCl 3 melts on solid aluminum electrodes at 773 K by potentiostatic electrolysis at -1.45 V for 40 h and the separation efficiency was 99.1 %. (author)

Dogs with separation-related problems show a "less pessimistic" cognitive bias during treatment with fluoxetine (Reconcile™) and a behaviour modification plan.

Science.gov (United States)

Karagiannis, Christos I; Burman, Oliver Hp; Mills, Daniel S

2015-03-28

Canine separation-related problems (SRP) (also described as "separation anxiety" or "separation distress") are among the most common behavioural complaints of dog owners. Treatment with psychoactive medication in parallel with a behaviour modification plan is well documented in the literature, but it is unknown if this is associated with an improvement in underlying affective state (emotion and mood) or simply an inhibition of the behaviour. Cognitive judgement bias tasks have been proposed as a method for assessing underlying affective state and so we used this approach to identify if any change in clinical signs during treatment was associated with a consistent change in cognitive bias (affective state). Five dogs showing signs of SRP (vocalising - e.g. barking, howling-, destruction of property, and toileting - urination or defecation- when alone) were treated with fluoxetine chewable tablets (Reconcile™) and set on a standard behaviour modification plan for two months. Questionnaires and interviews of the owners were used to monitor the clinical progress of the dogs. Subjects were also evaluated using a spatial cognitive bias test to infer changes in underlying affect prior to, and during, treatment. Concurrently, seven other dogs without signs of SRP were tested in the same way to act as controls. Furthermore, possible correlations between cognitive bias and clinical measures were also assessed for dogs with SRP. Prior to treatment, the dogs with SRP responded to ambiguous positions in the cognitive bias test negatively (i.e. with slower running speeds) compared to control dogs (p 0.05). Questionnaire based clinical measures were significantly correlated among themselves and with performance in the cognitive bias test. These results demonstrate for the first time that the clinical treatment of a negative affective state and associated behaviours in a non-human species can produce a shift in cognitive bias. These findings demonstrate how the outcome of an

Behavioural and Hormonal Stress Responses to Social Separation in Ravens, Corvus corax.

Science.gov (United States)

Munteanu, Alexandru M; Stocker, Martina; Stöwe, Mareike; Massen, Jorg J M; Bugnyar, Thomas

2017-02-01

Social life is profitable, but it facilitates conflicts over resources and creates interdependence between individuals. Separating highly social animals triggers intense reactions aimed at re-establishing lost connections. Less is known, however, about behavioural and physiological responses to separation in socially facultative species, where individuals temporarily form groups and may subsequently leave them. Non-breeding common ravens ( Corvus corax ) gather in large numbers at feeding and roosting sites, but otherwise spend time seemingly solitary or in small subgroups. We here studied how ravens cope with being socially isolated, and investigated the life characteristics that might explain potential individual differences. For this, we individually separated captive subadult ravens (n = 25) and housed them in physical and visual isolation from their group members across 4 d. During the separation period, we collected behavioural data and measured the amount of immunoreactive corticosterone metabolites from bird droppings to assess the ravens' physiological stress response. We found behavioural indicators of stress at the start of the separation, when ravens showed higher levels of tension than of comfort - a pattern that reversed at the end of the separation. Furthermore, we found that the upbringing of ravens affected their behaviour during separation. Hand-raised birds produced more vocalisations in the beginning of the separation, and were less active at the end, while the reverse pattern occurred with parent-raised ravens. Contrary to our predictions, we did not find differences in hormonal responses between the beginning and end of the separation period or any link between hormonal responses and behaviours. Ravens' behavioural responses to social separation stress seem to be dependent on their arousal states, although possible links with hormonal reactions remain unclear. Our results show that behavioural reactions are not always linked with hormonal

Microparticle Separation by Cyclonic Separation

Science.gov (United States)

Karback, Keegan; Leith, Alexander

2017-11-01

The ability to separate particles based on their size has wide ranging applications from the industrial to the medical. Currently, cyclonic separators are primarily used in agriculture and manufacturing to syphon out contaminates or products from an air supply. This has led us to believe that cyclonic separation has more applications than the agricultural and industrial. Using the OpenFoam computational package, we were able to determine the flow parameters of a vortex in a cyclonic separator in order to segregate dust particles to a cutoff size of tens of nanometers. To test the model, we constructed an experiment to separate a test dust of various sized particles. We filled a chamber with Arizona test dust and utilized an acoustic suspension technique to segregate particles finer than a coarse cutoff size and introduce them into the cyclonic separation apparatus where they were further separated via a vortex following our computational model. The size of the particles separated from this experiment will be used to further refine our model. Metropolitan State University of Denver, Colorado University of Denver, Dr. Randall Tagg, Dr. Richard Krantz.

Separation of uranium isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ehrfeld, W.; Ehrfeld, U.

1977-01-01

In the nuclear fuel cycle, uranium enrichment is not a principal problem of technological feasibility. Several processes exist for producing LWR fuel and the enrichment method can be selected in consideration of economical, environmental, and political aspects. To date, the gaseous diffusion process constitutes the major part of enrichment capacity. This process has been well demonstrated for over 30 years and, as a matter of fact, no major technological and economical progress is to be expected in the future. Because of their comparatively high development potential, the centrifuge and the separation nozzle method may become increasingly favorable in economics. The development of the centrifuge process which is superior by its low specific energy consumption aims at technological improvements. In the separation nozzle process which offers the advantage of a comparatively simple technology a further reduction of the specific energy consumption is to be expected because of the thermodynamically favorable separation mechanism of this process. Laser isotope separation methods are still on the laboratory scale, although large financial funds have been spent. (orig.) [de

Blind speech separation system for humanoid robot with FastICA for audio filtering and separation

Science.gov (United States)

Budiharto, Widodo; Santoso Gunawan, Alexander Agung

2016-07-01

Nowadays, there are many developments in building intelligent humanoid robot, mainly in order to handle voice and image. In this research, we propose blind speech separation system using FastICA for audio filtering and separation that can be used in education or entertainment. Our main problem is to separate the multi speech sources and also to filter irrelevant noises. After speech separation step, the results will be integrated with our previous speech and face recognition system which is based on Bioloid GP robot and Raspberry Pi 2 as controller. The experimental results show the accuracy of our blind speech separation system is about 88% in command and query recognition cases.

Computational Screening of MOFs for Acetylene Separation.

Science.gov (United States)

Nemati Vesali Azar, Ayda; Keskin, Seda

2018-01-01

Efficient separation of acetylene (C 2 H 2 ) from CO 2 and CH 4 is important to meet the requirement of high-purity acetylene in various industrial applications. Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are great candidates for adsorption-based C 2 H 2 /CO 2 and C 2 H 2 /CH 4 separations due to their unique properties such as wide range of pore sizes and tunable chemistries. Experimental studies on the limited number of MOFs revealed that MOFs offer remarkable C 2 H 2 /CO 2 and C 2 H 2 /CH 4 selectivities based on single-component adsorption data. We performed the first large-scale molecular simulation study to investigate separation performances of 174 different MOF structures for C 2 H 2 /CO 2 and C 2 H 2 /CH 4 mixtures. Using the results of molecular simulations, several adsorbent performance evaluation metrics, such as selectivity, working capacity, adsorbent performance score, sorbent selection parameter, and regenerability were computed for each MOF. Based on these metrics, the best adsorbent candidates were identified for both separations. Results showed that the top three most promising MOF adsorbents exhibit C 2 H 2 /CO 2 selectivities of 49, 47, 24 and C 2 H 2 /CH 4 selectivities of 824, 684, 638 at 1 bar, 298 K and these are the highest C 2 H 2 selectivities reported to date in the literature. Structure-performance analysis revealed that the best MOF adsorbents have pore sizes between 4 and 11 Å, surface areas in the range of 600-1,200 m 2 /g and porosities between 0.4 and 0.6 for selective separation of C 2 H 2 from CO 2 and CH 4 . These results will guide the future studies for the design of new MOFs with high C 2 H 2 separation potentials.

Computational Screening of MOFs for Acetylene Separation

Science.gov (United States)

Nemati Vesali Azar, Ayda; Keskin, Seda

2018-02-01

Efficient separation of acetylene (C2H2) from CO2 and CH4 is important to meet the requirement of high-purity acetylene in various industrial applications. Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are great candidates for adsorption-based C2H2/CO2 and C2H2/CH4 separations due to their unique properties such as wide range of pore sizes and tunable chemistries. Experimental studies on the limited number of MOFs revealed that MOFs offer remarkable C2H2/CO2 and C2H2/CH4 selectivities based on single-component adsorption data. We performed the first large-scale molecular simulation study to investigate separation performances of 174 different MOF structures for C2H2/CO2 and C2H2/CH4 mixtures. Using the results of molecular simulations, several adsorbent performance evaluation metrics, such as selectivity, working capacity, adsorbent performance score, sorbent selection parameter and regenerability were computed for each MOF. Based on these metrics, the best adsorbent candidates were identified for both separations. Results showed that the top three most promising MOF adsorbents exhibit C2H2/CO2 selectivities of 49, 47, 24 and C2H2/CH4 selectivities of 824, 684, 638 at 1 bar, 298 K and these are the highest C2H2 selectivities reported to date in the literature. Structure-performance analysis revealed that the best MOF adsorbents have pore sizes between 4-11 Å, surface areas in the range of 600-1,200 m2/g and porosities between 0.4-0.6 for selective separation of C2H2 from CO2 and CH4. These results will guide the future studies for the design of new MOFs with high C2H2 separation potentials.

Computational Screening of MOFs for Acetylene Separation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayda Nemati Vesali Azar

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Efficient separation of acetylene (C2H2 from CO2 and CH4 is important to meet the requirement of high-purity acetylene in various industrial applications. Metal organic frameworks (MOFs are great candidates for adsorption-based C2H2/CO2 and C2H2/CH4 separations due to their unique properties such as wide range of pore sizes and tunable chemistries. Experimental studies on the limited number of MOFs revealed that MOFs offer remarkable C2H2/CO2 and C2H2/CH4 selectivities based on single-component adsorption data. We performed the first large-scale molecular simulation study to investigate separation performances of 174 different MOF structures for C2H2/CO2 and C2H2/CH4 mixtures. Using the results of molecular simulations, several adsorbent performance evaluation metrics, such as selectivity, working capacity, adsorbent performance score, sorbent selection parameter, and regenerability were computed for each MOF. Based on these metrics, the best adsorbent candidates were identified for both separations. Results showed that the top three most promising MOF adsorbents exhibit C2H2/CO2 selectivities of 49, 47, 24 and C2H2/CH4 selectivities of 824, 684, 638 at 1 bar, 298 K and these are the highest C2H2 selectivities reported to date in the literature. Structure-performance analysis revealed that the best MOF adsorbents have pore sizes between 4 and 11 Å, surface areas in the range of 600–1,200 m2/g and porosities between 0.4 and 0.6 for selective separation of C2H2 from CO2 and CH4. These results will guide the future studies for the design of new MOFs with high C2H2 separation potentials.

A facile method for emulsified oil-water separation by using polyethylenimine-coated magnetic nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Lü, Ting; Qi, Dongming; Zhang, Dong; Lü, Yulan; Zhao, Hongting

2018-04-01

Oil spills and oily wastewater discharges from ships and industrial activities have serious impacts on the environment and human health. In this study, a class of easy-to-synthesize polyethylenimine (PEI)-coated Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) was successfully synthesized via a one-step coprecipitation method. The synthesized PEI-coated Fe3O4 MNPs were characterized by using multiple technologies and applied in emulsified oil-water separation for the first time. It was found that the PEI effectively tuned the surface charge and wettability of MNPs. As a result, the PEI-coated MNPs could successfully assemble at the oil-water interface and promote the coalescence of oil droplets, thereby facilitating the subsequent magnetic separation. Results showed that the oil-water separation performance was superior and enhanced with the increase of ionic strength. Recycling experiment indicated that the PEI-coated MNPs could be reused up to six times without showing a significant decrease in separation efficiency. All of these results suggested that the PEI-coated MNP could potentially be used as a class of promising nanomaterials for emulsified oil-water separation. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Path-separated electron interferometry in a scanning transmission electron microscope

Science.gov (United States)

Yasin, Fehmi S.; Harvey, Tyler R.; Chess, Jordan J.; Pierce, Jordan S.; McMorran, Benjamin J.

2018-05-01

We report a path-separated electron interferometer within a scanning transmission electron microscope. In this setup, we use a nanofabricated grating as an amplitude-division beamsplitter to prepare multiple spatially separated, coherent electron probe beams. We achieve path separations of 30 nm. We pass the  +1 diffraction order probe through amorphous carbon while passing the 0th and  ‑1 orders through vacuum. The probes are then made to interfere via imaging optics, and we observe an interference pattern at the CCD detector with up to 39.7% fringe visibility. We show preliminary experimental results in which the interference pattern was recorded during a 1D scan of the diffracted probes across a test phase object. These results qualitatively agree with a modeled interference predicted by an independent measurement of the specimen thickness. This experimental design can potentially be applied to phase contrast imaging and fundamental physics experiments, such as an exploration of electron wave packet coherence length.

New composite separator pellet to increase power density and reduce size of thermal batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mondy, Lisa Ann [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Roberts, Christine Cardinal [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Grillet, Anne Mary [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Soehnel, Melissa Marie [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Barringer, David Alan [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); DiAntonio, Christopher Brian [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Chavez, Thomas P. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Ingersoll, David T. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Hughes, Lindsey Gloe [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Evans, Lindsey R. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Fitchett, Stephanie [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2013-11-01

We show that it is possible to manufacture strong macroporous ceramic films that can be backfilled with electrolyte to form rigid separator pellets suitable for use in thermal batteries. Several new ceramic manufacturing processes are developed to produce sintered magnesium oxide foams with connected porosities of over 80% by volume and with sufficient strength to withstand the battery manufacturing steps. The effects of processing parameters are quantified, and methods to imbibe electrolyte into the ceramic scaffold demonstrated. Preliminary single cell battery testing show that some of our first generation pellets exhibit longer voltage life with comparable resistance at the critical early times to that exhibited by a traditional pressed pellets. Although more development work is needed to optimize the processes to create these rigid separator pellets, the results indicate the potential of such ceramic separator pellets to be equal, if not superior to, current pressed pellets. Furthermore, they could be a replacement for critical material that is no longer available, as well as improving battery separator strength, decreasing production costs, and leading to shorter battery stacks for long-life batteries.

Rirang uranium ore processing : separation of rare earth from alkaline digest

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erni, R.A.; Pudjianto, R.; Zahardi; Susilaningtyas

2000-01-01

Rirang uranium ore contains several economically potential elements, including U (0.52%), RE (63.04 %), PO 4 3- 24.55 % and Th 0.02 %. Separation and purification processes are employed to obtain relatively pure concentrate of the elements. Separation of phosphate by decomposition using NaOH was conducted previously. The present experiment has an objective, e.g. to separate RE from U and Th through a two step process, total dissolution of RE, U, Th and undercomposed of phosphate remain using HCI, by precipitation of U and Th using NH 4 OH. Experimental condition includes dissolution of RE in hydrochloric acid 15 ml/10 gr feed at 80 o C for 1 hr, followed by precipitation of U and Th using 2 N NH 4 OH at pH 6.4 and room temperature. Experimental data show excellent dissolution recovery for Re 94.41 %, U 99.15 %, Th 95.17 %, while precipitation of U and Th produced separation recovery of RE 91.97 %, U 1.01 %, Th 5 % and PO 4 3- not detected. As a conclusion, RE can be separated from U and Th. (author)

Chromatographic Separations of Enantiomers and Underivatized Oligosaccharides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Ying [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

2004-01-01

resolution, high column stability, and high sensitivity. In addition, this method showed potential usefulness for the sensitive and quick analysis of hydrolysis products of polysaccharides, and for trace level analysis of individual oligosaccharides or oligosaccharide isomers from biological systems.

Chromatographic Separations of Enantiomers and Underivatized Oligosaccharides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ying Liu

2004-01-01

resolution, high column stability, and high sensitivity. In addition, this method showed potential usefulness for the sensitive and quick analysis of hydrolysis products of polysaccharides, and for trace level analysis of individual oligosaccharides or oligosaccharide isomers from biological systems

Separable states improve protocols with finite randomness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bobby, Tan Kok Chuan; Paterek, Tomasz

2014-01-01

It is known from Bell's theorem that quantum predictions for some entangled states cannot be mimicked using local hidden variable (LHV) models. From a computer science perspective, LHV models may be interpreted as classical computers operating on a potentially infinite number of correlated bits originating from a common source. As such, Bell inequality violations achieved through entangled states are able to characterize the quantum advantage of certain tasks, so long as the task itself imposes no restriction on the availability of correlated bits. However, if the number of shared bits is limited, additional constraints are placed on the possible LHV models, and separable, i.e. disentangled states may become a useful resource. Bell violations are therefore no longer necessary to achieve a quantum advantage. Here we show that, in particular, separable states improve the so-called random access codes, which is a class of communication problem wherein one party tries to read a portion of the data held by another distant party in the presence of finite shared randomness and limited classical communication. We also show how the bias of classical bits can be used to avoid wrong answers in order to achieve the optimal classical protocol and how the advantage of quantum protocols is linked to quantum discord. (paper)

Modeling and testing of a tube-in-tube separation mechanism of bodies in space

Science.gov (United States)

Michaels, Dan; Gany, Alon

2016-12-01

A tube-in-tube concept for separation of bodies in space was investigated theoretically and experimentally. The separation system is based on generation of high pressure gas by combustion of solid propellant and restricting the expansion of the gas only by ejecting the two bodies in opposite directions, in such a fashion that maximizes generated impulse. An interior ballistics model was developed in order to investigate the potential benefits of the separation system for a large range of space body masses and for different design parameters such as geometry and propellant. The model takes into account solid propellant combustion, heat losses, and gas phase chemical reactions. The model shows that for large bodies (above 100 kg) and typical separation velocities of 5 m/s, the proposed separation mechanism may be characterized by a specific impulse of 25,000 s, two order of magnitude larger than that of conventional solid rockets. It means that the proposed separation system requires only 1% of the propellant mass that would be needed for a conventional rocket for the same mission. Since many existing launch vehicles obtain such separation velocities by using conventional solid rocket motors (retro-rockets), the implementation of the new separation system design can reduce dramatically the mass of the separation system and increase safety. A dedicated experimental setup was built in order to demonstrate the concept and validate the model. The experimental results revealed specific impulse values of up to 27,000 s and showed good correspondence with the model.

New processes for uranium isotope separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vanstrum, P.R.; Levin, S.A.

1977-01-01

An overview of the status and prospects for processes other than gaseous diffusion, gas centrifuge, and separation nozzle for uranium isotope separation is presented. The incentive for the development of these processes is the increasing requirements for enriched uranium as fuel for nuclear power plants and the potential for reducing the high costs of enrichment. The latest nuclear power projections are converted to uranium enrichment requirements. The size and timing of the market for new enrichment processes are then determined by subtracting the existing and planned uranium enrichment capacities. It is estimated that to supply this market would require the construction of a large new enrichment plant of 9,000,000 SWU per year capacity, costing about $3 billion each (in 1976 dollars) about every year till the year 2000. A very comprehensive review of uranium isotope separation processes was made in 1971 by the Uranium Isotope Separation Review Ad Hoc Committee of the USAEC. Many of the processes discussed in that review are of little current interest. However, because of new approaches or remaining uncertainties about potential, there is considerable effort or continuing interest in a number of alternative processes. The status and prospects for attaining the requirements for competitive economics are presented for these processes, which include laser, chemical exchange, aerodynamic other than separation nozzle, and plasma processes. A qualitative summary comparison of these processes is made with the gaseous diffusion, gas centrifuge, and separation nozzle processes. In order to complete the overview of new processes for uranium isotope separation, a generic program schedule of typical steps beyond the basic process determination which are required, such as subsystem, module, pilot plant, and finally plant construction, before large-scale production can be attained is presented. Also the present value savings through the year 2000 is shown for various

On the Phase Separation in n-Type Thermoelectric Half-Heusler Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Schwall

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Half-Heusler compounds have been in focus as potential materials for thermoelectric energy conversion in the mid-temperature range, e.g., as in automotive or industrial waste heat recovery, for more than ten years now. Because of their mechanical and thermal stability, these compounds are advantageous for common thermoelectric materials such as Bi 2 Te 3 , SiGe, clathrates or filled skutterudites. A further advantage lies in the tunability of Heusler compounds, allowing one to avoid expensive and toxic elements. Half-Heusler compounds usually exhibit a high electrical conductivity σ , resulting in high power factors. The main drawback of half-Heusler compounds is their high lattice thermal conductivity. Here, we present a detailed study of the phase separation in an n-type Heusler materials system, showing that the Ti x Zr y Hf z NiSn system is not a solid solution. We also show that this phase separation is key to the thermoelectric high efficiency of n-type Heusler materials. These results strongly underline the importance of phase separation as a powerful tool for designing highly efficient materials for thermoelectric applications that fulfill the industrial demands of a thermoelectric converter.

Centrifugal separation for miscible solutions: Fundamentals and applications to separation of molten salt nuclear material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Ning; Camassa, Roberto; Ecke, Robert E.; Venneri, Francesco

1995-01-01

We report on the physical separation of dilute solutions using centrifugal techniques. We use numerical simulations of the diffusion and sedimentation dynamics of centrifugation to model the approach to an equilibrium concentration profile. We verify experimentally the equilibrium profiles for aqueous solutions of different salts under rotation at 25000 rpm corresponding to centrifugal accelerations of about 57,000 g and 75,000 g in two different commercial centrifuges. These measurements provide ratios of sedimentation and diffusion coefficients. We show experimental results for the dynamics of separation that confirm the predictions of the theoretical model. We also measure the mass diffusion coefficient for several solutions. Although the relaxation to equilibrium is long, we have determined a method for efficiently extracting enriched components from a ternary mixture based on fast dynamics at early times. These dynamics are modeled in numerical simulations with realistic fluid parameters. Based on these studies we show that a multistage centrifugal separation process could provide efficient physical separation of actinides and fission products from a molten-salt solution in proposed transmutation/energy-production systems. We consider technical issues in the design of such a separation system

Centrifugal separation for miscible solutions: Fundamentals and applications to separation of molten salt nuclear material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ning Li; Camassa, R.; Ecke, R.E.

1995-01-01

The authors report on the physical separation of dilute solutions using centrifugal techniques. They use numerical simulations of the diffusion and sedimentation dynamics of centrifugation to model the approach to an equilibrium concentration profile. They verify experimentally the equilibrium profiles for aqueous solutions of different salts under rotation at 25000 rpm corresponding to centrifugal accelerations of about 57,000 g and 75,000 g in two different commercial centrifuges. These measurements provide ratios of sedimentation and diffusion coefficients. The authors show experimental results for the dynamics of separation that confirm the predictions of the theoretical model. They also measure the mass diffusion coefficient for several solutions. Although the relaxation to equilibrium is long, they have determined a method for efficiently extracting enriched components from a ternary mixture based on fast dynamics at early times. These dynamics are modeled in numerical simulations with realistic fluid parameters. Based on these studies the authors show that a multistage centrifugal separation process could provide efficient physical separation of actinides and fission products from a molten-salt solution in proposed transmutation/energy-production systems. The authors consider technical issues in the design of such a separation system

Centrifugal separation for miscible solutions: Fundamentals and applications to separation of molten salt nuclear material

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ning Li; Camassa, R.; Ecke, R.E. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM (United States)] [and others

1995-10-01

The authors report on the physical separation of dilute solutions using centrifugal techniques. They use numerical simulations of the diffusion and sedimentation dynamics of centrifugation to model the approach to an equilibrium concentration profile. They verify experimentally the equilibrium profiles for aqueous solutions of different salts under rotation at 25000 rpm corresponding to centrifugal accelerations of about 57,000 g and 75,000 g in two different commercial centrifuges. These measurements provide ratios of sedimentation and diffusion coefficients. The authors show experimental results for the dynamics of separation that confirm the predictions of the theoretical model. They also measure the mass diffusion coefficient for several solutions. Although the relaxation to equilibrium is long, they have determined a method for efficiently extracting enriched components from a ternary mixture based on fast dynamics at early times. These dynamics are modeled in numerical simulations with realistic fluid parameters. Based on these studies the authors show that a multistage centrifugal separation process could provide efficient physical separation of actinides and fission products from a molten-salt solution in proposed transmutation/energy-production systems. The authors consider technical issues in the design of such a separation system.

Gas separation using porous cement membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Weiqi; Gaggl, Maria; Gluth, Gregor J G; Behrendt, Frank

2014-01-01

Gas separation is a key issue in various industrial fields. Hydrogen has the potential for application in clean fuel technologies. Therefore, the separation and purification of hydrogen is an important research subject. CO2 capture and storage have important roles in "green chemistry". As an effective clean technology, gas separation using inorganic membranes has attracted much attention in the last several decades. Membrane processes have many applications in the field of gas separation. Cement is one type of inorganic material, with the advantages of a lower cost and a longer lifespan. An experimental setup has been created and improved to measure twenty different cement membranes. The purpose of this work was to investigate the influence of gas molecule properties on the material transport and to explore the influence of operating conditions and membrane composition on separation efficiency. The influences of the above parameters are determined, the best conditions and membrane type are found, it is shown that cementitious material has the ability to separate gas mixtures, and the gas transport mechanism is studied.

Irradiated fuel by-product separation research in Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burston, M.

1984-01-01

Although no decision has been made to reprocess irradiated CANDU fuel, by-product separation research has recently been initiated in Canada because of its potential importance to Canadian research programs in advanced fuel cycles (especially U/Pu cycle development in the near term) and nuclear waste management. In addition, separated by-products could have a significant commercial potential. Demonstrated applications include: heat sources, gamma radiation sources, light sources, new materials for productions of other useful isotopes, etc. For illustrative purposes the calculated market value of by-products currently stored in irradiated CANDU fuel is approximately $210/kgU. Ontario Hydro has initiated a program to study the application of new separation technolgies, such as laser-based techniques and the plasma ion cyclotron resonance separation technique, to either augment and/or supplant the chemical extraction methods. The main goal is to develop new, more economical extraction methods in order to increase the magnitude of the advantages resulting from this approach to reprocessing. (author)

[Computer modeling the dependences of the membrane potential for polymeric membrane separated non-homogeneous electrolyte solutions on concentration Rayleigh number].

Science.gov (United States)

Slezak, Izabella H; Jasik-Slezak, Jolanta; Bilewicz-Wyrozumska, Teresa; Slezak, Andrzej

2006-01-01

On the basis of model equation describing the membrane potential delta psi(s) on concentration Rayleigh number (R(C)), mechanical pressure difference (deltaP), concentration polarization coefficient (zeta s) and ratio concentration of solutions separated by membrane (Ch/Cl), the characteristics delta psi(s) = f(Rc)(delta P, zeta s, Ch/Cl) for steady values of zeta s, R(C) and Ch/Cl in single-membrane system were calculated. In this system neutral and isotropic polymeric membrane oriented in horizontal plane, the non-homogeneous binary electrolytic solutions of various concentrations were separated. Nonhomogeneity of solutions is results from creations of the concentration boundary layers on both sides of the membrane. Calculations were made for the case where on a one side of the membrane aqueous solution of NaCl at steady concentration 10(-3) mol x l(-1) (Cl) was placed and on the other aqueous solutions of NaCl at concentrations from 10(-3) mol x l(-1) to 2 x 10(-2) mol x l(-1) (Ch). Their densities were greater than NaCl solution's at 10(-3) mol x l(-1). It was shown that membrane potential depends on hydrodynamic state of a complex concentration boundary layer-membrane-concentration boundary layer, what is controlled by deltaP, Ch/Cl, Rc and Zeta(s).

Unsteady separation and vortex shedding from a laminar separation bubble over a bluff body

Science.gov (United States)

Das, S. P.; Srinivasan, U.; Arakeri, J. H.

2013-07-01

Boundary layers are subject to favorable and adverse pressure gradients because of both the temporal and spatial components of the pressure gradient. The adverse pressure gradient may cause the flow to separate. In a closed loop unsteady tunnel we have studied the initiation of separation in unsteady flow past a constriction (bluff body) in a channel. We have proposed two important scalings for the time when boundary layer separates. One is based on the local pressure gradient and the other is a convective time scale based on boundary layer parameters. The flow visualization using a dye injection technique shows the flow structure past the body. Nondimensional shedding frequency (Strouhal number) is calculated based on boundary layer and momentum thicknesses. Strouhal number based on the momentum thickness shows a close agreement with that for flat plate and circular cylinder.

Describing long-range charge-separation processes with subsystem density-functional theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Solovyeva, Alisa; Neugebauer, Johannes, E-mail: j.neugebauer@uni-muenster.de [Theoretische Organische Chemie, Organisch-Chemisches Institut and Center for Multiscale Theory and Simulation, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Corrensstraße 40, 48149 Münster (Germany); Pavanello, Michele, E-mail: m.pavanello@rutgers.edu [Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, 73 Warren St., Newark, New Jersey 07102 (United States)

2014-04-28

Long-range charge-transfer processes in extended systems are difficult to describe with quantum chemical methods. In particular, cost-effective (non-hybrid) approximations within time-dependent density functional theory (DFT) are not applicable unless special precautions are taken. Here, we show that the efficient subsystem DFT can be employed as a constrained DFT variant to describe the energetics of long-range charge-separation processes. A formal analysis of the energy components in subsystem DFT for such excitation energies is presented, which demonstrates that both the distance dependence and the long-range limit are correctly described. In addition, electronic couplings for these processes as needed for rate constants in Marcus theory can be obtained from this method. It is shown that the electronic structure of charge-separated states constructed by a positively charged subsystem interacting with a negatively charged one is difficult to converge — charge leaking from the negative subsystem to the positive one can occur. This problem is related to the delocalization error in DFT and can be overcome with asymptotically correct exchange–correlation (XC) potentials or XC potentials including a sufficiently large amount of exact exchange. We also outline an approximate way to obtain charge-transfer couplings between locally excited and charge-separated states.

Describing long-range charge-separation processes with subsystem density-functional theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solovyeva, Alisa; Neugebauer, Johannes; Pavanello, Michele

2014-01-01

Long-range charge-transfer processes in extended systems are difficult to describe with quantum chemical methods. In particular, cost-effective (non-hybrid) approximations within time-dependent density functional theory (DFT) are not applicable unless special precautions are taken. Here, we show that the efficient subsystem DFT can be employed as a constrained DFT variant to describe the energetics of long-range charge-separation processes. A formal analysis of the energy components in subsystem DFT for such excitation energies is presented, which demonstrates that both the distance dependence and the long-range limit are correctly described. In addition, electronic couplings for these processes as needed for rate constants in Marcus theory can be obtained from this method. It is shown that the electronic structure of charge-separated states constructed by a positively charged subsystem interacting with a negatively charged one is difficult to converge — charge leaking from the negative subsystem to the positive one can occur. This problem is related to the delocalization error in DFT and can be overcome with asymptotically correct exchange–correlation (XC) potentials or XC potentials including a sufficiently large amount of exact exchange. We also outline an approximate way to obtain charge-transfer couplings between locally excited and charge-separated states

Electro/powder separation process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dunn, J.P.

1977-01-01

A report is presented to introduce the ELECTRO/POWDER process to the P/M Industry. The process effectively uses electrostatic forces to convey, sort, meter, and blend fine powders. The major advantages of this separating process consist of the processing of primary particles, low particle energy due to particle velocity control and the pattern of particle movement over the sieve (vertical oscillation of particles above the sieve aperture). The report briefly describes the forces involved in both mechanical and sieving devices, with major emphasis on the operating principles of this process. Sieve separation of particulates is basically the result of two physical separating processes which occur simultaneously or independently; separation (dispersion) of particulates from each other and the size separation by passage through fixed apertures. In order to accomplish this goal, mechanical sieving devices utilize various motions to induce shear forces between the sieve surface and the particulates, and between the particulates themselves. It is noted that the ELECTRO/POWDER process is making steady progress in becoming an industrial tool for sieving and feeding of fine particles. Its potential extends into both the blending and admixing of powders, either by incorporating two opposing feeders, one being charged with the opposite polarity or by modifying the ELECTRO/SIEVE to incorporate more than one input and a solid electrode to replace the sieve electrode

A self-consistent two-dimensional resistive fluid theory of field-aligned potential structures including charge separation and magnetic and velocity shear

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hesse, M.; Birn, J.; Schindler, K.

1990-01-01

A self-consistent two-fluid theory that includes the magnetic field and shear patterns therein is developed to model stationary electrostatic structures with field-aligned potential drops. Shear flow is also included in the theory since this seems to be a prominent feature of the structures of interest. In addition, Ohmic dissipation, a Hall term and pressure gradients in a generalized Ohm's law, modified for cases without quasi-neutrality are included. In the analytic theory, the electrostatic force is balanced by field-aligned pressure gradients, i.e., thermal effects in the direction of the magnetic field, and by pressure gradients and magnetic stresses in the perpendicular direction. Within this theory simple examples of applications are presented to demonstrate the kind of solutions resulting from the model. The results show how the effects of charge separation and shear in the magnetic field and the velocity can be combined to form self-consistent structures such as are found to exist above the aurora, suggested also in association with solar flares

Material review of Li ion battery separators

Science.gov (United States)

Weber, Christoph J.; Geiger, Sigrid; Falusi, Sandra; Roth, Michael

2014-06-01

Separators for Li Ion batteries have a strong impact on cell production, cell performance, life, as well as reliability and safety. The separator market volume is about 500 million m2 mainly based on consumer applications. It is expected to grow strongly over the next decade for mobile and stationary applications using large cells. At present, the market is essentially served by polyolefine membranes. Such membranes have some technological limitations, such as wettability, porosity, penetration resistance, shrinkage and meltdown. The development of a cell failure due to internal short circuit is potentially closely related to separator material properties. Consequently, advanced separators became an intense area of worldwide research and development activity in academia and industry. New separator technologies are being developed especially to address safety and reliability related property improvements.

Material review of Li ion battery separators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weber, Christoph J., E-mail: Christoph.Weber@freudenberg-nw.com; Geiger, Sigrid, E-mail: Christoph.Weber@freudenberg-nw.com [Freudenberg Vliesstoffe SE and Co KG, 69465 Weinheim (Germany); Falusi, Sandra; Roth, Michael [Freudenberg Forschungsdienste SE and Co KG, 69465 Weinheim (Germany)

2014-06-16

Separators for Li Ion batteries have a strong impact on cell production, cell performance, life, as well as reliability and safety. The separator market volume is about 500 million m{sup 2} mainly based on consumer applications. It is expected to grow strongly over the next decade for mobile and stationary applications using large cells. At present, the market is essentially served by polyolefine membranes. Such membranes have some technological limitations, such as wettability, porosity, penetration resistance, shrinkage and meltdown. The development of a cell failure due to internal short circuit is potentially closely related to separator material properties. Consequently, advanced separators became an intense area of worldwide research and development activity in academia and industry. New separator technologies are being developed especially to address safety and reliability related property improvements.

Potential rate of reproduction for some geographically separate populations of Pseudocalanus spp.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lidia Dzierzbicka-Głowacka, Andrzej Zieliński

2004-03-01

Full Text Available Quantitative expressions are presented describing the potential reproductive rate per individual female of Pseudocalanus spp. in several different waters (not reduced by food limitation as a function of both temperature and cephalothorax length of females (one equation for each studied region. The calculations were made for some geographically separate populations of Pseudocalanus spp. from southwest Baffin Island, Nova Scotia, Long Island Sound, Scotland, as well as the southern North Sea and its adjacent waters (e.g. the English Channel. On the basis of the findings presented in this work and from other studies, the reproductive rate was computed as the mean number of eggs per sac divided by 1.25 times the embryonic duration at the given temperature. Also computed was the amount of egg matter produced per day as a percentage of body carbon (and dry weight of female weight for all localities. The relationships for females from the southern North Sea were obtained for "viable eggs", but they should be treated with reserve. A more suitable expression describing egg production in the southern North Sea is the equation for females from the English Channel obtained here. Our assumptions and approximations appear to predict quite well the temperature-length of female dependent daily rates of egg production of well-fed females of Pseudocalanus spp. for the above waters, and we suggest that they can be used to test the hypothesis more thoroughly.

Study on the Effect of the Separating Unit Optimization on the Economy of Stable Isotope Separation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

YANG Kun

2015-01-01

Full Text Available An economic criterion called as yearly net profit of single separating unit (YNPSSU was presented to evaluate the influence of structure optimization on the economy. Using YNPSSU as a criterion, economic analysis was carried out for the structure optimization of separating unit in the case of separating SiF4 to obtain the 28Si and 29Si isotope. YNPSSU was calculated and compared with that before optimization. The results showed that YNPSSU was increased by 12.3% by the structure optimization. Therefore, the structure optimization could increase the economy of the stable isotope separation effectively.

Proximity sensing of electrostatic induction electret nanoparticles device using separation electrode

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianxiong Zhu

2017-04-01

Full Text Available We reported a two dimensional self-powered proximity sensor based on nanoparticles polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE electrostatic induction electret using separation electrode. The structural pattern was carefully designed for identifying the specific position on the horizontal plane. When the separation electrode is motioned above the sensor, the induced charges on electrodes will change based on the coupling effect of the electret film. Experiment results showed that the proximity sensor works well with the velocity 0.05 m/s. We also found that the prototype have a good stability even with a huge uncontrolled perturbation on the Y direction. Our work could be a significant step forward in self-powered proximity sensing technology, with a wide range of potential applications in touchpad, robotics, and safety-monitoring device.

Cesium and Strontium Separation Technologies Literature Review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

T. A. Todd; T. A. Todd; J. D. Law; R. S. Herbst

2004-03-01

Integral to the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) Program’s proposed closed nuclear fuel cycle, the fission products cesium and strontium in the dissolved spent nuclear fuel stream are to be separated and managed separately. A comprehensive literature survey is presented to identify cesium and strontium separation technologies that have the highest potential and to focus research and development efforts on these technologies. Removal of these high-heat-emitting fission products reduces the radiation fields in subsequent fuel cycle reprocessing streams and provides a significant short-term (100 yr) heat source reduction in the repository. This, along with separation of actinides, may provide a substantial future improvement in the amount of fuel that could be stored in a geologic repository. The survey and review of the candidate cesium and strontium separation technologies are presented herein. Because the AFCI program intends to manage cesium and strontium together, technologies that simultaneously separate both elements are of the greatest interest, relative to technologies that separate only one of the two elements.

Membraneless laminar flow cell for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction with liquid product separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monroe, Morgan M; Lobaccaro, Peter; Lum, Yanwei; Ager, Joel W

2017-01-01

The production of liquid fuel products via electrochemical reduction of CO 2 is a potential path to produce sustainable fuels. However, to be practical, a separation strategy is required to isolate the fuel-containing electrolyte produced at the cathode from the anode and also prevent the oxidation products (i.e. O 2 ) from reaching the cathode. Ion-conducting membranes have been applied in CO 2 reduction reactors to achieve this separation, but they represent an efficiency loss and can be permeable to some product species. An alternative membraneless approach is developed here to maintain product separation through the use of a laminar flow cell. Computational modelling shows that near-unity separation efficiencies are possible at current densities achievable now with metal cathodes via optimization of the spacing between the electrodes and the electrolyte flow rate. Laminar flow reactor prototypes were fabricated with a range of channel widths by 3D printing. CO 2 reduction to formic acid on Sn electrodes was used as the liquid product forming reaction, and the separation efficiency for the dissolved product was evaluated with high performance liquid chromatography. Trends in product separation efficiency with channel width and flow rate were in qualitative agreement with the model, but the separation efficiency was lower, with a maximum value of 90% achieved. (paper)

Strains of the soil fungus Mortierella show different degradation potentials for the phenylurea herbicide diuron

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ellegaard-Jensen, Lea; Aamand, Jens; Kragelund, Birthe Brandt

2013-01-01

Microbial pesticide degradation studies have until now mainly focused on bacteria, although fungi have also been shown to degrade pesticides. In this study we clarify the background for the ability of the common soil fungus Mortierella to degrade the phenylurea herbicide diuron. Diuron degradation...... potentials of five Mortierella strains were compared, and the role of carbon and nitrogen for the degradation process was investigated. Results showed that the ability to degrade diuron varied greatly among the Mortierella strains tested, and the strains able to degrade diuron were closely related....... Degradation of diuron was fastest in carbon and nitrogen rich media while suboptimal nutrient levels restricted degradation, making it unlikely that Mortierella utilize diuron as carbon or nitrogen sources. Degradation kinetics showed that diuron degradation was followed by formation of the metabolites 1...

Nutraceuticals and Their Potential to Treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: Separating the Credible from the Conjecture.

Science.gov (United States)

Woodman, Keryn G; Coles, Chantal A; Lamandé, Shireen R; White, Jason D

2016-11-09

In recent years, complementary and alternative medicine has become increasingly popular. This trend has not escaped the Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy community with one study showing that 80% of caregivers have provided their Duchenne patients with complementary and alternative medicine in conjunction with their traditional treatments. These statistics are concerning given that many supplements are taken based on purely "anecdotal" evidence. Many nutraceuticals are thought to have anti-inflammatory or anti-oxidant effects. Given that dystrophic pathology is exacerbated by inflammation and oxidative stress these nutraceuticals could have some therapeutic benefit for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). This review gathers and evaluates the peer-reviewed scientific studies that have used nutraceuticals in clinical or pre-clinical trials for DMD and thus separates the credible from the conjecture.

Gauge-invariant dynamical quantities of QED with decomposed gauge potentials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Baohua; Huang Yongchang

2011-01-01

We discover an inner structure of the QED system; i.e., by decomposing the gauge potential into two orthogonal components, we obtain a new expansion of the Lagrangian for the electron-photon system, from which, we realize the orthogonal decomposition of the canonical momentum conjugate to the gauge potential with the canonical momentum's two components conjugate to the gauge potential's two components, respectively. Using the new expansion of Lagrangian and by the general method of field theory, we naturally derive the gauge invariant separation of the angular momentum of the electron-photon system from Noether theorem, which is the rational one and has the simplest form in mathematics, compared with the other four versions of the angular momentum separation available in literature. We show that it is only the longitudinal component of the gauge potential that is contained in the orbital angular momentum of the electron, as Chen et al. have said. A similar gauge invariant separation of the momentum is given. The decomposed canonical Hamiltonian is derived, from which we construct the gauge invariant energy operator of the electron moving in the external field generated by a proton [Phys. Rev. A 82, 012107 (2010)], where we show that the form of the kinetic energy containing the longitudinal part of the gauge potential is due to the intrinsic requirement of the gauge invariance. Our method provides a new perspective to look on the nucleon spin crisis and indicates that this problem can be solved strictly and systematically.

Adsorptive separation of xenon/krypton mixtures using a zirconium-based metal-organic framework with high hydrothermal and radioactive stabilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seung-Joon; Yoon, Tae-Ung; Kim, Ah-Reum; Kim, Seo-Yul; Cho, Kyung-Ho; Hwang, Young Kyu; Yeon, Jei-Won; Bae, Youn-Sang

2016-12-15

The separation of xenon/krypton mixtures is important for both environmental and industrial purposes. The potential of three hydrothermally stable MOFs (MIL-100(Fe), MIL-101(Cr), and UiO-66(Zr)) for use in Xe/Kr separation has been experimentally investigated. From the observed single-component Xe and Kr isotherms, isosteric heat of adsorption (Q st o ), and IAST-predicted Xe/Kr selectivities, we observed that UiO-66(Zr) has the most potential as an adsorbent among the three candidate MOFs. We performed dynamic breakthrough experiments with an adsorption bed filled with UiO-66(Zr) to evaluate further the potential of UiO-66(Zr) for Xe/Kr separation under mixture flow conditions. Remarkably, the experimental breakthrough curves show that UiO-66(Zr) can efficiently separate the Xe/Kr mixture. Furthermore, UiO-66(Zr) maintains most of its Xe and Kr uptake capacity, as well as its crystallinity and internal surface area, even after exposure to gamma radiation (2kGy) for 7h and aging for 16 months under ambient conditions. This result indicates that UiO-66(Zr) can be considered to be a potential adsorbent for Xe/Kr mixtures under both ambient and radioactive conditions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mars Atmospheric Capture and Gas Separation

Science.gov (United States)

Muscatello, Anthony; Santiago-Maldonado, Edgardo; Gibson, Tracy; Devor, Robert; Captain, James

2011-01-01

The Mars atmospheric capture and gas separation project is selecting, developing, and demonstrating techniques to capture and purify Martian atmospheric gases for their utilization for the production of hydrocarbons, oxygen, and water in ISRU systems. Trace gases will be required to be separated from Martian atmospheric gases to provide pure C02 to processing elements. In addition, other Martian gases, such as nitrogen and argon, occur in concentrations high enough to be useful as buffer gas and should be captured as welL To achieve these goals, highly efficient gas separation processes will be required. These gas separation techniques are also required across various areas within the ISRU project to support various consumable production processes. The development of innovative gas separation techniques will evaluate the current state-of-the-art for the gas separation required, with the objective to demonstrate and develop light-weight, low-power methods for gas separation. Gas separation requirements include, but are not limited to the selective separation of: (1) methane and water from un-reacted carbon oxides (C02- CO) and hydrogen typical of a Sabatier-type process, (2) carbon oxides and water from unreacted hydrogen from a Reverse Water-Gas Shift process, (3) carbon oxides from oxygen from a trash/waste processing reaction, and (4) helium from hydrogen or oxygen from a propellant scavenging process. Potential technologies for the separations include freezers, selective membranes, selective solvents, polymeric sorbents, zeolites, and new technologies. This paper and presentation will summarize the results of an extensive literature review and laboratory evaluations of candidate technologies for the capture and separation of C02 and other relevant gases.

[Parents separation or divorce. Potential effects on children and recommendations to parents and pediatricians].

Science.gov (United States)

Roizblatt S, Arturo; Leiva F, Valentina M; Maida S, Ana Margarita

2018-04-01

When divorce or separation of a couple occurs, children will no longer live with both parents at the same time. There may be multiple causes for divorce, and both literature and our own experien ce as child mental health providers, report some short- and long-term consequences for children, especially where the divorce has been conflictive. In these cases, increased risk of developing be havioral disorders, poor school performance, and substance abuse has been documented as well as consequences in adult life with higher risk of psychiatric pathologies or difficulties in interpersonal relationships, if an intervention that addresses some potentially traumatic situations for children is not done. Pediatricians are in a privileged relationship with children and their families in order to detect signs of parental discord and altered mental health in children. Children behaviors as a result of divorce and parental conflict will depend on the age of the child and stage of development, and it is important to recognize them in order to intervene properly. This article proposes some guidelines for parents. Good management of high conflict situations related to divorce may prevent some of the consequences that these can have on children.

Sequential enzymatic synthesis and separation of 13N-L-glutamic acid and 13N-L-alanine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, M.B.; Spolter, L.; MacDonald, M.; Chang, C.C.; Takahashi, J.

1975-01-01

The sequential enzymatic synthesis and separation of 13 N-L-glutamic acid and 13 N-L-alanine are described. Basically, that involves the synthesis of 13 N-L-glutamic acid by one enzyme, the transamination of the labeled glutamic acid to form 13 N-L-alanine by a second enzyme, and the separation of the two amino acids by rapid column chromatography. The 13 N-L-alanine was evaluated in animals by imaging and tissue distribution studies and showed good potential as a pancreatic imaging agent

Study of talcum charging status in parallel plate electrostatic separator based on particle trajectory analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Yunxiao, CAO; Zhiqiang, WANG; Jinjun, WANG; Guofeng, LI

2018-05-01

Electrostatic separation has been extensively used in mineral processing, and has the potential to separate gangue minerals from raw talcum ore. As for electrostatic separation, the particle charging status is one of important influence factors. To describe the talcum particle charging status in a parallel plate electrostatic separator accurately, this paper proposes a modern images processing method. Based on the actual trajectories obtained from sequence images of particle movement and the analysis of physical forces applied on a charged particle, a numerical model is built, which could calculate the charge-to-mass ratios represented as the charging status of particle and simulate the particle trajectories. The simulated trajectories agree well with the experimental results obtained by images processing. In addition, chemical composition analysis is employed to reveal the relationship between ferrum gangue mineral content and charge-to-mass ratios. Research results show that the proposed method is effective for describing the particle charging status in electrostatic separation.

Study on a particle separator using ultrasonic wave

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Young Seop; Kwon, Jae Hwa; Seo, Dae Chul; Yun, Dong Jin

2005-01-01

This paper presents the theory, design and evaluation of a smart device for the enhanced separation of particles mixed in fluid. The smart device takes advantage of the ultrasonic standing wave, which was generated by the operation of a piezoceramic PZT patch installed in the smart device. The details of the device design including the electro-acoustical modelling for separation and PZT transducer are described at the first. Based on this design, the separation device was fabricated and evaluated. In the experiments, an optical camera with a zoom lense was used to monitor the position of interested particles within the separation channel layer in the device. The electric impedance of the PZT patch bonded on the separation device was measured. The device shows a strong levitation and separation force against 50m diameter particles mixed with water at the separation channel in the device. Experimental results also showed that the device can work at both heavy and light sand particles mixed with water due to the generated standing wave field in the separation channel.

Separation review program for reactor protection system and engineered safeguard systems in a nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamb, F.J.; Walrod, B.E.

1980-01-01

This review program is utilized during the design of a nuclear power plant to insure separation between interdiscipline design for the Reactor Protection System (RPS) and Engineered Safeguard Systems (ESS). Color coded transparent drawings of the RPS and ESS are produced by each discipline. The separation is then reviewed by overlaying drawings of different disciplines on a light table. When this inspection shows that RPS or ESS elements have less than the established minimum separation, an analysis is performed to determine what, if any, design revision is necessary to insure proper separation. ''Hazard'' drawings are also made for determination of each type of potential hazard in each area of the plant. The review is a continuing process as the design progresses and is revised by any discipline. 5 refs

Gas Separation through Bilayer Silica, the Thinnest Possible Silica Membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Bowen; Mandrà, Salvatore; Curry, John O; Shaikhutdinov, Shamil; Freund, Hans-Joachim; Schrier, Joshua

2017-12-13

Membrane-based gas separation processes can address key challenges in energy and environment, but for many applications the permeance and selectivity of bulk membranes is insufficient for economical use. Theory and experiment indicate that permeance and selectivity can be increased by using two-dimensional materials with subnanometer pores as membranes. Motivated by experiments showing selective permeation of H 2 /CO mixtures through amorphous silica bilayers, here we perform a theoretical study of gas separation through silica bilayers. Using density functional theory calculations, we obtain geometries of crystalline free-standing silica bilayers (comprised of six-membered rings), as well as the seven-, eight-, and nine-membered rings that are observed in glassy silica bilayers, which arise due to Stone-Wales defects and vacancies. We then compute the potential energy barriers for gas passage through these various pore types for He, Ne, Ar, Kr, H 2 , N 2 , CO, and CO 2 gases, and use the data to assess their capability for selective gas separation. Our calculations indicate that crystalline bilayer silica, which is less than a nanometer thick, can be a high-selectivity and high-permeance membrane material for 3 He/ 4 He, He/natural gas, and H 2 /CO separations.

Review and assessment of technologies for the separation of strontium from alkaline and acidic media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orth, R.J.; Kurath, D.E.

1994-01-01

A literature survey has been conducted to identify and evaluate methods for the separation of strontium from acidic and alkaline media as applied to Hanford tank waste. The most promising methods of solvent extraction, precipitation, and ion exchange are described. The following criteria were used for evaluating the separation methods: Appreciable strontium removal must be demonstrated; Strontium selectivity over bulk components must be demonstrated; The method must show promise for evolving into a practical and fairly simple process; The process should be safe to operate; The method must be robust (i.e., capable of separating strontium from various waste types); Secondary waste generation must be minimized; and The method must show resistance to radiation damage. The methods discussed did not necessarily satisfy all of the above criteria; thus, key areas requiring further development are also given for each method. Less promising solvent extraction, precipitation, and ion exchange methods were also identified; areas for potential development are included in this report

Cyclical subnormal separation in A-groups

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makarfi, M.U.

1995-12-01

Three main results, concerning A-groups in respect of cyclical subnormal separation as defined in, are presented. It is shown in theorem A that any A-group that is generated by elements of prime order and satisfying the cyclical subnormal separation conditions is metabelian. The two other main results give necessary and sufficient conditions for A-groups, that are split extensions of certain abelian p-groups by a metabelian p'-group, to satisfy the cyclical subnormal separation condition. There is also a result which shows that A-groups with elementary abelian Sylow subgroups are cyclically separated as defined. (author). 7 refs

An Evaluation of Two Hydrograph Separation Methods of Potential Use in Regional Water Quality Assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huff, D.D.

1999-01-01

Streamflow data are more useful for evaluating hydrologic model results and studying water quality once baseflow and storm runoff have been separated. However, it is important to select an appropriate hydrograph separation method. They examined tow methods and evaluated their conceptual basis, ease of application, cost of data processing, and acceptability of results. they chose the quick flow hydrograph separation method, which is in use at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, because it gives acceptable results and is easy and inexpensive to use. For regional assessment, they anticipate that the Coweeta program will be useful as an aid in developing general quantitative relationships between changes in land use and the associated changes in surface runoff yield and water quality degradation.

Generalized KKR-theory for non-muffin-tin potentials

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Molenaar, J.

1989-01-01

The author shows that the secular equation in KKR (Korringa, Kohn and Rostoker) theory retains its separable structure also in the case of non-muffin-tin potentials. This generalisation has been extensively discussed recently. During this discussion, in which the possible necessity of so-called near

Parental separation/divorce in childhood and partnership outcomes at age 30.

Science.gov (United States)

Fergusson, David M; McLeod, Geraldine F H; John Horwood, L

2014-04-01

Previous research has found that children exposed to separation/divorce may also experience relationship problems in adulthood. The aim of this investigation was to examine this issue in a birth cohort of over 900 New Zealand children studied to age 30. Data were gathered over the course of the Christchurch Health and Development Study (CHDS). The CHDS is a 30 year longitudinal study of a birth cohort of 1265 children born in Christchurch (NZ) in 1977. The data collected included the following: (a) timing and number of parental separations and divorces from birth to 15 years; (b) partnership outcomes (16-30 years) of the number of cohabiting/marriage partnerships; positive partner relations; negative partner relations; partner adjustment/conduct problems; and interpartner violence victimization and perpetration; and (c) potential covariate factors. Study findings showed the presence of significant associations between childhood parental separations/divorces and number of cohabiting/marriage partnerships (16-30 years) (p < .001), negative partner relations (p = .021), extent of partner adjustment/conduct problems (p < .001), and perpetration of interpartner violence (p = .018). Childhood parental separation/divorce explained less than 2.5% of the variance in partnership outcomes. These associations were explained statistically by a series of covariate factors associated with childhood parental separation/divorce including parental history of illicit drug use, childhood sexual abuse, childhood conduct problems (7-9 years), interparental conflict and violence, childhood physical punishment/maltreatment, family socio-economic status at the child's birth, and parental history of criminality. Tests of gender interaction showed that the effect of childhood parental separations/divorces may be the same for males and females. Analysis of the number of childhood parental separations/divorces experienced into three age groups (birth to 5, 5-10 years and 10-15�

Computational simulation of the blood separation process.

Science.gov (United States)

De Gruttola, Sandro; Boomsma, Kevin; Poulikakos, Dimos; Ventikos, Yiannis

2005-08-01

The aim of this work is to construct a computational fluid dynamics model capable of simulating the quasitransient process of apheresis. To this end a Lagrangian-Eulerian model has been developed which tracks the blood particles within a delineated two-dimensional flow domain. Within the Eulerian method, the fluid flow conservation equations within the separator are solved. Taking the calculated values of the flow field and using a Lagrangian method, the displacement of the blood particles is calculated. Thus, the local blood density within the separator at a given time step is known. Subsequently, the flow field in the separator is recalculated. This process continues until a quasisteady behavior is reached. The simulations show good agreement with experimental results. They shows a complete separation of plasma and red blood cells, as well as nearly complete separation of red blood cells and platelets. The white blood cells build clusters in the low concentrate cell bed.

Gas/vapour separation using ultra-microporous metal–organic frameworks: insights into the structure/separation relationship

KAUST Repository

Adil, Karim; Belmabkhout, Youssef; Pillai, Renjith S.; Cadiau, Amandine; Bhatt, Prashant; Assen, Ayalew Hussen Assen; Maurin, Guillaume; Eddaoudi, Mohamed

2017-01-01

The separation of related molecules with similar physical/chemical properties is of prime industrial importance and practically entails a substantial energy penalty, typically necessitating the operation of energy-demanding low temperature fractional distillation techniques. Certainly research efforts, in academia and industry alike, are ongoing with the main aim to develop advanced functional porous materials to be adopted as adsorbents for the effective and energy-efficient separation of various important commodities. Of special interest is the subclass of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with pore aperture sizes below 5-7 Å, namely ultra-microporous MOFs, which in contrast to conventional zeolites and activated carbons show great prospects for addressing key challenges in separations pertaining to energy and environmental sustainability, specifically materials for carbon capture and separation of olefin/paraffin, acetylene/ethylene, linear/branched alkanes, xenon/krypton, etc. In this tutorial review we discuss the latest developments in ultra-microporous MOF adsorbents and their use as separating agents via thermodynamics and/or kinetics and molecular sieving. Appreciably, we provide insights into the distinct microscopic mechanisms governing the resultant separation performances, and suggest a plausible correlation between the inherent structural features/topology of MOFs and the associated gas/vapour separation performance.

Gas/vapour separation using ultra-microporous metal–organic frameworks: insights into the structure/separation relationship

KAUST Repository

Adil, Karim

2017-05-30

The separation of related molecules with similar physical/chemical properties is of prime industrial importance and practically entails a substantial energy penalty, typically necessitating the operation of energy-demanding low temperature fractional distillation techniques. Certainly research efforts, in academia and industry alike, are ongoing with the main aim to develop advanced functional porous materials to be adopted as adsorbents for the effective and energy-efficient separation of various important commodities. Of special interest is the subclass of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with pore aperture sizes below 5-7 Å, namely ultra-microporous MOFs, which in contrast to conventional zeolites and activated carbons show great prospects for addressing key challenges in separations pertaining to energy and environmental sustainability, specifically materials for carbon capture and separation of olefin/paraffin, acetylene/ethylene, linear/branched alkanes, xenon/krypton, etc. In this tutorial review we discuss the latest developments in ultra-microporous MOF adsorbents and their use as separating agents via thermodynamics and/or kinetics and molecular sieving. Appreciably, we provide insights into the distinct microscopic mechanisms governing the resultant separation performances, and suggest a plausible correlation between the inherent structural features/topology of MOFs and the associated gas/vapour separation performance.

Gas separation techniques in nuclear facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hioki, Hideaki; Morisue, Tetsuo; Ohno, Masayoshi

1983-01-01

The literatures concerning the gas separation techniques which are applied to the waste gases generated from nuclear power plants and nuclear fuel reprocessing plants, uranium enrichment and the instrumentation of nuclear facilities are reviewed. The gas permeability and gas separation performance of membranes are discussed in terms of rare gas separation. The investigation into the change of the gas permeability and mechanical properties of membranes with exposure to radiation is reported. The theoretical investigation of the separating cells used for the separation of rare gas and the development of various separating cells are described, and the theoretical and experimental investigations concerning rare gas separation using cascades are described. The application of membrane method to nuclear facilities is explained showing the examples of uranium enrichment, the treatment of waste gases from nuclear reactor buildings and nuclear fuel reprocessing plants, the monitoring of low level β-emitters in stacks, the detection of failed fuels and the detection of water leak in fast breeder reactors. (Yoshitake, I.)

Gas storage and separation by electric field swing adsorption

Science.gov (United States)

Currier, Robert P; Obrey, Stephen J; Devlin, David J; Sansinena, Jose Maria

2013-05-28

Gases are stored, separated, and/or concentrated. An electric field is applied across a porous dielectric adsorbent material. A gas component from a gas mixture may be selectively separated inside the energized dielectric. Gas is stored in the energized dielectric for as long as the dielectric is energized. The energized dielectric selectively separates, or concentrates, a gas component of the gas mixture. When the potential is removed, gas from inside the dielectric is released.

Complex mixtures of dissolved pesticides show potential aquatic toxicity in a synoptic study of Midwestern U.S. streams

Science.gov (United States)

Nowell, Lisa H.; Moran, Patrick W.; Schmidt, Travis S.; Norman, Julia E.; Nakagaki, Naomi; Shoda, Megan E.; Mahler, Barbara J.; Van Metre, Peter C.; Stone, Wesley W.; Sandstrom, Mark W.; Hladik, Michelle L.

2018-01-01

Aquatic organisms in streams are exposed to pesticide mixtures that vary in composition over time in response to changes in flow conditions, pesticide inputs to the stream, and pesticide fate and degradation within the stream. To characterize mixtures of dissolved-phase pesticides and degradates in Midwestern streams, a synoptic study was conducted at 100 streams during May–August 2013. In weekly water samples, 94 pesticides and 89 degradates were detected, with a median of 25 compounds detected per sample and 54 detected per site. In a screening-level assessment using aquatic-life benchmarks and the Pesticide Toxicity Index (PTI), potential effects on fish were unlikely in most streams. For invertebrates, potential chronic toxicity was predicted in 53% of streams, punctuated in 12% of streams by acutely toxic exposures. For aquatic plants, acute but likely reversible effects on biomass were predicted in 75% of streams, with potential longer-term effects on plant communities in 9% of streams. Relatively few pesticides in water—atrazine, acetochlor, metolachlor, imidacloprid, fipronil, organophosphate insecticides, and carbendazim—were predicted to be major contributors to potential toxicity. Agricultural streams had the highest potential for effects on plants, especially in May–June, corresponding to high spring-flush herbicide concentrations. Urban streams had higher detection frequencies and concentrations of insecticides and most fungicides than in agricultural streams, and higher potential for invertebrate toxicity, which peaked during July–August. Toxicity-screening predictions for invertebrates were supported by quantile regressions showing significant associations for the Benthic Invertebrate-PTI and imidacloprid concentrations with invertebrate community metrics for MSQA streams, and by mesocosm toxicity testing with imidacloprid showing effects on invertebrate communities at environmentally relevant concentrations. This study documents the most

Nutraceuticals and Their Potential to Treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: Separating the Credible from the Conjecture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keryn G. Woodman

2016-11-01

Full Text Available In recent years, complementary and alternative medicine has become increasingly popular. This trend has not escaped the Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy community with one study showing that 80% of caregivers have provided their Duchenne patients with complementary and alternative medicine in conjunction with their traditional treatments. These statistics are concerning given that many supplements are taken based on purely “anecdotal” evidence. Many nutraceuticals are thought to have anti-inflammatory or anti-oxidant effects. Given that dystrophic pathology is exacerbated by inflammation and oxidative stress these nutraceuticals could have some therapeutic benefit for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD. This review gathers and evaluates the peer-reviewed scientific studies that have used nutraceuticals in clinical or pre-clinical trials for DMD and thus separates the credible from the conjecture.

Comparison of gas membrane separation cascades using conventional separation cell and two-unit separation cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohno, Masayoshi; Morisue, Tetsuo; Ozaki, Osamu; Miyauchi, Terukatsu.

1978-01-01

The adoption of two-unit separation cells in radioactive rare gas membrane separation equipment enhances the separation factor, but increases the required membrane area and compressive power. An analytical economic evaluation was undertaken to compare the conventional separation cell with the two-unit separation cells, adopting as parameters the number of cascade stages, the membrane area and the operating power requirements. This paper describes the models used for evaluating the separation performance and the economics of cascade embodying these different concepts of separation cell taken up for study, and the results obtained for the individual concepts are mutually compared. It proved that, in respect of the number required of cascade stages, of operating power requirements and of the annual expenditure, better performance could always be expected of the two-unit separation cells as compared with the conventional separation cell, at least in the range of parameters adopted in this study. As regards the minimum membrane area, the conventional separation cell and the series-type separation cell yielded almost the same values, with the parallel-type separation cell falling somewhat behind. (auth.)

Polymeric Gas-Separation Membranes for Petroleum Refining

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yousef Alqaheem

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Polymeric gas-separation membranes were commercialized 30 years ago. The interest on these systems is increasing because of the simplicity of concept and low-energy consumption. In the refinery, gas separation is needed in many processes such as natural gas treatment, carbon dioxide capture, hydrogen purification, and hydrocarbons separations. In these processes, the membranes have proven to be a potential candidate to replace the current conventional methods of amine scrubbing, pressure swing adsorption, and cryogenic distillation. In this paper, applications of polymeric membranes in the refinery are discussed by reviewing current materials and commercialized units. Economical evaluation of these membranes in comparison to traditional processes is also indicated.

Robust and Elastic Polymer Membranes with Tunable Properties for Gas Separation.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Peng-Fei; Li, Bingrui; Hong, Tao; Xing, Kunyue; Voylov, Dmitry N; Cheng, Shiwang; Yin, Panchao; Kisliuk, Alexander; Mahurin, Shannon M; Sokolov, Alexei P; Saito, Tomonori

2017-08-09

Polymer membranes with the capability to process a massive volume of gas are especially attractive for practical applications of gas separation. Although much effort has been devoted to develop novel polymer membranes with increased selectivity, the overall gas-separation performance and lifetime of membrane are still negatively affected by the weak mechanical performance, low plasticization resistance and poor physical aging tolerance. Recently, elastic polymer membranes with tunable mechanical properties have been attracting significant attentions due to their tremendous potential applications. Herein, we report a series of urethane-rich PDMS-based polymer networks (U-PDMS-NW) with improved mechanical performance for gas separation. The cross-link density of U-PDMS-NWs is tailored by varying the molecular weight (M n ) of PDMS. The U-PDMS-NWs show up to 400% elongation and tunable Young's modulus (1.3-122.2 MPa), ultimate tensile strength (1.1-14.3 MPa), and toughness (0.7-24.9 MJ/m 3 ). All of the U-PDMS-NWs exhibit salient gas-separation performance with excellent thermal resistance and aging tolerance, high gas permeability (>100 Barrer), and tunable gas selectivity (up to α[P CO 2 /P N 2 ] ≈ 41 and α[P CO 2 /P CH 4 ] ≈ 16). With well-controlled mechanical properties and gas-separation performance, these U-PDMS-NW can be used as a polymer-membrane platform not only for gas separation but also for other applications such as microfluidic channels and stretchable electronic devices.

Photoelectrochemical water splitting in separate oxygen and hydrogen cells

Science.gov (United States)

Landman, Avigail; Dotan, Hen; Shter, Gennady E.; Wullenkord, Michael; Houaijia, Anis; Maljusch, Artjom; Grader, Gideon S.; Rothschild, Avner

2017-06-01

Solar water splitting provides a promising path for sustainable hydrogen production and solar energy storage. One of the greatest challenges towards large-scale utilization of this technology is reducing the hydrogen production cost. The conventional electrolyser architecture, where hydrogen and oxygen are co-produced in the same cell, gives rise to critical challenges in photoelectrochemical water splitting cells that directly convert solar energy and water to hydrogen. Here we overcome these challenges by separating the hydrogen and oxygen cells. The ion exchange in our cells is mediated by auxiliary electrodes, and the cells are connected to each other only by metal wires, enabling centralized hydrogen production. We demonstrate hydrogen generation in separate cells with solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of 7.5%, which can readily surpass 10% using standard commercial components. A basic cost comparison shows that our approach is competitive with conventional photoelectrochemical systems, enabling safe and potentially affordable solar hydrogen production.

Characterisation of the biochemical methane potential (BMP) of individual material fractions in Danish source-separated organic household waste

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Naroznova, Irina; Møller, Jacob; Scheutz, Charlotte

2016-01-01

This study is dedicated to characterising the chemical composition and biochemical methane potential (BMP) of individual material fractions in untreated Danish source-separated organic household waste (SSOHW). First, data on SSOHW in different countries, available in the literature, were evaluated...... and then, secondly, laboratory analyses for eight organic material fractions comprising Danish SSOHW were conducted. No data were found in the literature that fully covered the objectives of the present study. Based on laboratory analyses, all fractions were assigned according to their specific properties......) and material degradability (BMP from laboratory incubation tests divided by TBMP) were expressed. Moreover, the degradability of lignocellulose biofibres (the share of volatile lignocellulose biofibre solids degraded in laboratory incubation tests) was calculated. Finally, BMP for average SSOHW composition...

Thermodynamics of La and U and the separation factor of U/La in fused Me(Ga-40 wt.% In)/3LiCl-2KCl system

Science.gov (United States)

Smolenski, Valeri; Novoselova, Alena; Volkovich, Vladimir A.

2017-11-01

Separation of lanthanides and actinides can be achieved in a unique "molten chloride - liquid metal" system. Electrode potentials were recorded vs. Cl-/Cl2 reference electrode and the temperature dependencies of the apparent standard potentials of La-(Ga-In) and U-(Ga-In) alloys were determined. Thermodynamic properties and separation factor of lanthanum and uranium were calculated. The obtained data show the perspective for using this system in future innovation method for recovery of nuclear waste.

Bacteria Associated to Plants Naturally Selected in a Historical PCB Polluted Soil Show Potential to Sustain Natural Attenuation.

Science.gov (United States)

Vergani, Lorenzo; Mapelli, Francesca; Marasco, Ramona; Crotti, Elena; Fusi, Marco; Di Guardo, Antonio; Armiraglio, Stefano; Daffonchio, Daniele; Borin, Sara

2017-01-01

The exploitation of the association between plants and microorganisms is a promising approach able to boost natural attenuation processes for soil clean-up in vast polluted areas characterized by mixed chemical contamination. We aimed to explore the selection of root-associated bacterial communities driven by different plant species spontaneously established in abandoned agricultural soils within a historical polluted site in north Italy. The site is highly contaminated by chlorinated persistent organic pollutants, mainly constituted by polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), together with heavy metals and metalloids, in variable concentrations and uneven distribution. The overall structure of the non-vegetated and root-associated soil fractions bacterial communities was described by high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, and a collection of 165 rhizobacterial isolates able to use biphenyl as unique carbon source was assayed for plant growth promotion (PGP) traits and bioremediation potential. The results showed that the recruitment of specific bacterial communities in the root-associated soil fractions was driven by both soil fractions and plant species, explaining 21 and 18% of the total bacterial microbiome variation, respectively. PCR-based detection in the soil metagenome of bacterial bphA gene, encoding for the biphenyl dioxygenase α subunit, indicated that the soil in the site possesses metabolic traits linked to PCB degradation. Biphenyl-utilizing bacteria isolated from the rhizosphere of the three different plant species showed low phylogenetic diversity and well represented functional traits, in terms of PGP and bioremediation potential. On average, 72% of the strains harbored the bphA gene and/or displayed catechol 2,3-dioxygenase activity, involved in aromatic ring cleavage. PGP traits, including 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase activity potentially associated to plant stress tolerance induction, were widely distributed among the isolates

Bacteria Associated to Plants Naturally Selected in a Historical PCB Polluted Soil Show Potential to Sustain Natural Attenuation

KAUST Repository

Vergani, Lorenzo

2017-07-25

The exploitation of the association between plants and microorganisms is a promising approach able to boost natural attenuation processes for soil clean-up in vast polluted areas characterized by mixed chemical contamination. We aimed to explore the selection of root-associated bacterial communities driven by different plant species spontaneously established in abandoned agricultural soils within a historical polluted site in north Italy. The site is highly contaminated by chlorinated persistent organic pollutants, mainly constituted by polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), together with heavy metals and metalloids, in variable concentrations and uneven distribution. The overall structure of the non-vegetated and root-associated soil fractions bacterial communities was described by high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, and a collection of 165 rhizobacterial isolates able to use biphenyl as unique carbon source was assayed for plant growth promotion (PGP) traits and bioremediation potential. The results showed that the recruitment of specific bacterial communities in the root-associated soil fractions was driven by both soil fractions and plant species, explaining 21 and 18% of the total bacterial microbiome variation, respectively. PCR-based detection in the soil metagenome of bacterial bphA gene, encoding for the biphenyl dioxygenase α subunit, indicated that the soil in the site possesses metabolic traits linked to PCB degradation. Biphenyl-utilizing bacteria isolated from the rhizosphere of the three different plant species showed low phylogenetic diversity and well represented functional traits, in terms of PGP and bioremediation potential. On average, 72% of the strains harbored the bphA gene and/or displayed catechol 2,3-dioxygenase activity, involved in aromatic ring cleavage. PGP traits, including 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase activity potentially associated to plant stress tolerance induction, were widely distributed among the isolates

Bacteria Associated to Plants Naturally Selected in a Historical PCB Polluted Soil Show Potential to Sustain Natural Attenuation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lorenzo Vergani

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The exploitation of the association between plants and microorganisms is a promising approach able to boost natural attenuation processes for soil clean-up in vast polluted areas characterized by mixed chemical contamination. We aimed to explore the selection of root-associated bacterial communities driven by different plant species spontaneously established in abandoned agricultural soils within a historical polluted site in north Italy. The site is highly contaminated by chlorinated persistent organic pollutants, mainly constituted by polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs, together with heavy metals and metalloids, in variable concentrations and uneven distribution. The overall structure of the non-vegetated and root-associated soil fractions bacterial communities was described by high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, and a collection of 165 rhizobacterial isolates able to use biphenyl as unique carbon source was assayed for plant growth promotion (PGP traits and bioremediation potential. The results showed that the recruitment of specific bacterial communities in the root-associated soil fractions was driven by both soil fractions and plant species, explaining 21 and 18% of the total bacterial microbiome variation, respectively. PCR-based detection in the soil metagenome of bacterial bphA gene, encoding for the biphenyl dioxygenase α subunit, indicated that the soil in the site possesses metabolic traits linked to PCB degradation. Biphenyl-utilizing bacteria isolated from the rhizosphere of the three different plant species showed low phylogenetic diversity and well represented functional traits, in terms of PGP and bioremediation potential. On average, 72% of the strains harbored the bphA gene and/or displayed catechol 2,3-dioxygenase activity, involved in aromatic ring cleavage. PGP traits, including 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase activity potentially associated to plant stress tolerance induction, were widely distributed

Enhanced Gas Separation through Nanoconfined Ionic Liquid in Laminated MoS2 Membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Danke; Ying, Wen; Guo, Yi; Ying, Yulong; Peng, Xinsheng

2017-12-20

Two-dimensional (2D) materials-based membranes show great potential for gas separation. Herein an ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIM][BF 4 ]), was confined in the 2D channels of MoS 2 -laminated membranes via an infiltration process. Compared with the corresponding bulk [BMIM][BF 4 ], nanoconfined [BMIM][BF 4 ] shows an obvious incremental increase in freezing point and a shift of vibration bands. The resulting MoS 2 -supported ionic liquid membrane (MoS 2 SILM) exhibits excellent CO 2 separation performance with high CO 2 permeance (47.88 GPU) and superb selectivity for CO 2 /N 2 (131.42), CO 2 /CH 4 (43.52), and CO 2 /H 2 (14.95), which is much better than that of neat [BMIM][BF 4 ] and [BMIM][BF 4 ]-based membranes. The outstanding performance of MoS 2 SILMs is attributed to the nanoconfined [BMIM][BF 4 ], which enables fast transport of CO 2 . Long-term operation also reveals the durability and stability of the prepared MoS 2 SILMs. The method of confining ILs in the 2D nanochannels of 2D materials may pave a new way for CO 2 capture and separation.

Facile fabrication of multilayer separators for lithium-ion battery via multilayer coextrusion and thermal induced phase separation

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yajie; Pu, Hongting

2018-04-01

Polypropylene (PP)/polyethylene (PE) multilayer separators with cellular-like submicron pore structure for lithium-ion battery are efficiently fabricated by the combination of multilayer coextrusion (MC) and thermal induced phase separation (TIPS). The as-prepared separators, referred to as MC-TIPS PP/PE, not only show efficacious thermal shutdown function and wider shutdown temperature window, but also exhibit higher thermal stability than the commercial separator with trilayer construction of PP and PE (Celgard® 2325). The dimensional shrinkage of MC-TIPS PP/PE can be negligible until 160 °C. In addition, compared to the commercial separator, MC-TIPS PP/PE exhibits higher porosity and electrolyte uptake, leading to higher ionic conductivity and better battery performances. The above-mentioned fascinating characteristics with the convenient preparation process make MC-TIPS PP/PE a promising candidate for the application as high performance lithium-ion battery separators.

SEPARATION OF CsCl FROM LiCl-CsCl MOLTEN SALT BY COLD FINGER MELT CRYSTALLIZATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JOSHUA R. VERSEY

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This study provides a fundamental understanding of a cold finger melt crystallization technique by exploring the heat and mass transfer processes of cold finger separation. A series of experiments were performed using a simplified LiCl-CsCl system by varying initial CsCl concentrations (1, 3, 5, and 7.5 wt%, cold finger cooling rates (7.4, 9.8, 12.3, and 14.9 L/min, and separation times (5, 10, 15, and 30 min. Results showed a potential recycling rate of 0.36 g/min with a purity of 0.33 wt% CsCl in LiCl. A CsCl concentrated drip formation was found to decrease crystal purity especially for smaller crystal formations. Dimensionless heat and mass transfer correlations showed that separation production is primarily influenced by convective transfer controlled by cooling gas flow rate, where correlations are more accurate for slower cooling gas flow rates.

[Study on essential oil separation from Forsythia suspensa oil-bearing water body based on vapor permeation membrane separation technology].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qian; Zhu, Hua-Xu; Tang, Zhi-Shu; Pan, Yong-Lan; Li, Bo; Fu, Ting-Ming; Yao, Wei-Wei; Liu, Hong-Bo; Pan, Lin-Mei

2018-04-01

To investigate the feasibility of vapor permeation membrane technology in separating essential oil from oil-water extract by taking the Forsythia suspensa as an example. The polydimethylsiloxane/polyvinylidene fluoride (PDMS/PVDF) composite flat membrane and a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) flat membrane was collected as the membrane material respectively. Two kinds of membrane osmotic liquids were collected by self-made vapor permeation device. The yield of essential oil separated and enriched from two kinds of membrane materials was calculated, and the microscopic changes of membrane materials were analyzed and compared. Meanwhile, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to compare and analyze the differences in chemical compositions of essential oil between traditional steam distillation, PVDF membrane enriched method and PDMS/PVDF membrane enriched method. The results showed that the yield of essential oil enriched by PVDF membrane was significantly higher than that of PDMS/PVDF membrane, and the GC-MS spectrum showed that the content of main compositions was higher than that of PDMS/PVDF membrane; The GC-MS spectra showed that the components of essential oil enriched by PVDF membrane were basically the same as those obtained by traditional steam distillation. The above results showed that vapor permeation membrane separation technology shall be feasible for the separation of Forsythia essential oil-bearing water body, and PVDF membrane was more suitable for separation and enrichment of Forsythia essential oil than PDMS/PVDF membrane. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Improvement of steam separator in boiling water reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schaefer, Jan Peter; Cremer, Ingo; Lorenz, Maik [AREVA GmbH, Erlangen (Germany)

2013-07-01

The potential to improve the function of the steam separator is identified and explored by scaled air-water tests and validated CFD calculations. It can be outlined that requirements on a modern steam separator for BWR plants will be fulfilled, combined with very good operational experience of the existing separator designs (e.g. material, layout). With the new steam separator design, modern high performance fuel assembly designs can be used for various core loading strategies (e.g. low leakage). This allows an increased thermal power of up to +50 % for the fuel element clusters in the center of the core with high radial peaking factors. In addition, any problems with unallowable high moisture at the turbine are solved with the new design, which have been identified for running BWR plants with the old steam separator design after applying new core loading patterns (e.g. after power uprates). A compatible steam separator design for all running BWRs is ready to launch. (orig.)

Fission product separation from seawater by electrocoagulation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kitagaki, T.; Hoshino, T.; Sambommatsu, Y.; Yano, K.; Takeuchi, M.; Igarashi, T.; Suzuki, T.

2013-01-01

At the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station, seawater was urgently injected into the reactor core. Therefore a large amount of seawater containing highly radioactive fission products (FP) accumulated and its treatment has been a serious problem. FP such as Cs, Sr and I in water are generally removed by an ion exchanger such as zeolite and separated with column or chemical precipitation methods. An alternative electrocoagulation method, which efficiently separates fine particles from the liquid phase without a chemical reagent is expected to be part of a useful separation system that can reduce the amount of waste, decrease processing time and simplify the process. In this study, powdered adsorbents, such as ferrocyanide and zeolite, were added to seawater containing simulated FP, and the electrocoagulation effect with Al alloy electrodes were investigated. More than 99 % of Cs and 90 % of I were removed by potassium nickel hexacyanoferrate(II) and silver zeolite, respectively. Sedimentation was promoted by electrocoagulation and addition of an inorganic cohesion promoter further increased the sedimentation rate. Moreover, rapid dissolution reaction with heating of the aggregation substance was not observed, so the thermal risk of aqueous processing of it would be low. In addition, thermal analyses showed that the electrocoagulation process did not lead to thermal decomposition. Therefore, if the electrocoagulation method is applied to a decontamination system, it has the potential to thermally stabilize and reduce waste. (author)

Strains of the soil fungus Mortierella show different degradation potentials for the phenylurea herbicide diuron.

Science.gov (United States)

Ellegaard-Jensen, Lea; Aamand, Jens; Kragelund, Birthe B; Johnsen, Anders H; Rosendahl, Søren

2013-11-01

Microbial pesticide degradation studies have until now mainly focused on bacteria, although fungi have also been shown to degrade pesticides. In this study we clarify the background for the ability of the common soil fungus Mortierella to degrade the phenylurea herbicide diuron. Diuron degradation potentials of five Mortierella strains were compared, and the role of carbon and nitrogen for the degradation process was investigated. Results showed that the ability to degrade diuron varied greatly among the Mortierella strains tested, and the strains able to degrade diuron were closely related. Degradation of diuron was fastest in carbon and nitrogen rich media while suboptimal nutrient levels restricted degradation, making it unlikely that Mortierella utilize diuron as carbon or nitrogen sources. Degradation kinetics showed that diuron degradation was followed by formation of the metabolites 1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-methylurea, 1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)urea and an hitherto unknown metabolite suggested to be 1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-methylideneurea.

Polymorphism of CRISPR shows separated natural groupings of Shigella subtypes and evidence of horizontal transfer of CRISPR

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chaojie; Li, Peng; Su, Wenli; Li, Hao; Liu, Hongbo; Yang, Guang; Xie, Jing; Yi, Shengjie; Wang, Jian; Cui, Xianyan; Wu, Zhihao; Wang, Ligui; Hao, Rongzhang; Jia, Leili; Qiu, Shaofu; Song, Hongbin

2015-01-01

Clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) act as an adaptive RNA-mediated immune mechanism in bacteria. They can also be used for identification and evolutionary studies based on polymorphisms within the CRISPR locus. We amplified and analyzed 6 CRISPR loci from 237 Shigella strains belonging to the 4 species groups, as well as 13 Escherichia coli strains. The CRISPR-associated (cas) gene sequence arrays of these strains were screened and compared. The CRISPR sequences from Shigella were conserved among subtypes, suggesting that CRISPR may represent a new identification tool for the detection and discrimination of Shigella species. Secondary structure analysis showed a different stem-loop structure at the terminal repeat, suggesting a distinct recognition mechanism in the formation of crRNA. In addition, the presence of “self-target” spacers and polymorphisms within CRISPR in Shigella indicated a selective pressure for inhibition of this system, which has the potential to damage “self DNA.” Homology analysis of spacers showed that CRISPR might be involved in the regulation of virulence transmission. Phylogenetic analysis based on CRISPR sequences from Shigella and E. coli indicated that although phenotypic properties maintain convergent evolution, the 4 Shigella species do not represent natural groupings. Surprisingly, comparative analysis of Shigella repeats with other species provided new evidence for CRISPR horizontal transfer. Our results suggested that CRISPR analysis is applicable for the detection of Shigella species and for investigation of evolutionary relationships. PMID:26327282

Polymorphism of CRISPR shows separated natural groupings of Shigella subtypes and evidence of horizontal transfer of CRISPR.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chaojie; Li, Peng; Su, Wenli; Li, Hao; Liu, Hongbo; Yang, Guang; Xie, Jing; Yi, Shengjie; Wang, Jian; Cui, Xianyan; Wu, Zhihao; Wang, Ligui; Hao, Rongzhang; Jia, Leili; Qiu, Shaofu; Song, Hongbin

2015-01-01

Clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) act as an adaptive RNA-mediated immune mechanism in bacteria. They can also be used for identification and evolutionary studies based on polymorphisms within the CRISPR locus. We amplified and analyzed 6 CRISPR loci from 237 Shigella strains belonging to the 4 species groups, as well as 13 Escherichia coli strains. The CRISPR-associated (cas) gene sequence arrays of these strains were screened and compared. The CRISPR sequences from Shigella were conserved among subtypes, suggesting that CRISPR may represent a new identification tool for the detection and discrimination of Shigella species. Secondary structure analysis showed a different stem-loop structure at the terminal repeat, suggesting a distinct recognition mechanism in the formation of crRNA. In addition, the presence of "self-target" spacers and polymorphisms within CRISPR in Shigella indicated a selective pressure for inhibition of this system, which has the potential to damage "self DNA." Homology analysis of spacers showed that CRISPR might be involved in the regulation of virulence transmission. Phylogenetic analysis based on CRISPR sequences from Shigella and E. coli indicated that although phenotypic properties maintain convergent evolution, the 4 Shigella species do not represent natural groupings. Surprisingly, comparative analysis of Shigella repeats with other species provided new evidence for CRISPR horizontal transfer. Our results suggested that CRISPR analysis is applicable for the detection of Shigella species and for investigation of evolutionary relationships.

Fundamental laws of separation by the gaseous diffusion process; Lois de separation elementaires en diffusion gazeuse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bouligand, G M [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1964-07-01

Using the Knudsen's law for the flow of each component of a gaseous mixture through a porous membrane, we derive the overall separation laws and the separation power for one stage of diffusion: Various types of stages differing by the geometrical configuration and the flow nature are considered. For the sake of simplicity physical phenomena causing a loss of separation efficiency are neglected. Computation show the advantages of counter-current type stage with one entering and two leaving flows. A more refined theory of separation can be derived with the same basis of this work. (author) [French] A partir de la loi de Knudsen exprimant les debits elementaires des constituants d'un melange gazeux a travers une membrane poreuse on determine les lois et la puissance de separation de differents modeles de diffuseurs definie par leurs configurations et la nature des ecoulements gazeux. Four simplifier il n'a pas ete tenu compte des divers phenomenes physiques inherents a la diffusion et qui reduisent generalement le facteur de separation. Ces calculs font prevoir les avantages des diffuseurs du type contrecourant a trois ouvertures et peuvent servir de guide dans une theorie plus complete de la separation. (auteur)

Functionalized Mesoporous Silica Membranes for CO2 Separation Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyung-Ju Kim

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Mesoporous silica molecular sieves are emerging candidates for a number of potential applications involving adsorption and molecular transport due to their large surface areas, high pore volumes, and tunable pore sizes. Recently, several research groups have investigated the potential of functionalized mesoporous silica molecular sieves as advanced materials in separation devices, such as membranes. In particular, mesoporous silica with a two- or three-dimensional pore structure is one of the most promising types of molecular sieve materials for gas separation membranes. However, several important challenges must first be addressed regarding the successful fabrication of mesoporous silica membranes. First, a novel, high throughput process for the fabrication of continuous and defect-free mesoporous silica membranes is required. Second, functionalization of mesopores on membranes is desirable in order to impart selective properties. Finally, the separation characteristics and performance of functionalized mesoporous silica membranes must be further investigated. Herein, the synthesis, characterization, and applications of mesoporous silica membranes and functionalized mesoporous silica membranes are reviewed with a focus on CO2 separation.

Residents’ Preferences for Household Kitchen Waste Source Separation Services in Beijing: A Choice Experiment Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yalin Yuan

2014-12-01

Full Text Available A source separation program for household kitchen waste has been in place in Beijing since 2010. However, the participation rate of residents is far from satisfactory. This study was carried out to identify residents’ preferences based on an improved management strategy for household kitchen waste source separation. We determine the preferences of residents in an ad hoc sample, according to their age level, for source separation services and their marginal willingness to accept compensation for the service attributes. We used a multinomial logit model to analyze the data, collected from 394 residents in Haidian and Dongcheng districts of Beijing City through a choice experiment. The results show there are differences of preferences on the services attributes between young, middle, and old age residents. Low compensation is not a major factor to promote young and middle age residents accept the proposed separation services. However, on average, most of them prefer services with frequent, evening, plastic bag attributes and without instructor. This study indicates that there is a potential for local government to improve the current separation services accordingly.

Spatial separation and entanglement of identical particles

Science.gov (United States)

Cunden, Fabio Deelan; di Martino, Sara; Facchi, Paolo; Florio, Giuseppe

2014-04-01

We reconsider the effect of indistinguishability on the reduced density operator of the internal degrees of freedom (tracing out the spatial degrees of freedom) for a quantum system composed of identical particles located in different spatial regions. We explicitly show that if the spin measurements are performed in disjoint spatial regions then there are no constraints on the structure of the reduced state of the system. This implies that the statistics of identical particles has no role from the point of view of separability and entanglement when the measurements are spatially separated. We extend the treatment to the case of n particles and show the connection with some recent criteria for separability based on subalgebras of observables.

Optimization of key factors of the electrostatic separation for crushed PCB wastes using roll-type separator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Jiang; Li Jia; Xu Zhenming

2008-01-01

For the electrostatic separation process, the separator is most crucial. As a classical one, the roll-type corona-electrostatic separator has some advantages in recycle of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Some researches have been done in this field and shown that there was a complex correlation between its configuration and the efficiency of the separation. In this paper, a fractional factorial design (2 v 1-5 ) was built and 32 tests were performed on a roll-type corona-electrostatic separator. The sample of granular mixture got from crushed PCB wastes (size 0.3-0.45 mm, containing 25% metal and 75% nonmetal). The experimental data were discussed and used to analyze the factors' main effect, interaction and optimization of the process. Three liner-interaction mathematical models were derived to describe the mass of middling fraction (M), conductor fraction (C) and Nonconductor fraction (NC), respectively. The results show that the efficiency of the PCB waste electrostatic separation process has a significant correlation with not only factors' main effects, but also the interaction between them

Extraction separation of americium and curium. A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrzilova, H.

1976-11-01

A survey is given of extraction systems suitable for transplutonium element separation and preparation as well as for the practical application of their nuclear properties. Methods are discussed in detail of separating the actinide and the lanthanide fractions from fission and corrosion products and of separating americium from curium. The description is completed with flowsheets showing the separation of transplutonium elements from irradiated targets and waste solutions after spent fuel reprocessing. (L.K.)

Microporous polyethylene separators — today and tomorrow. Separator development trends for modern automotive batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Böhnstedt, Werner

During the past decade, the design of modern automotive batteries has undergone a fundamental change. The introduction of microporous polyethylene pocket separators has resulted in an approximately 8% better volume utilization. Besides increasing the energy density, the polyethylene envelope has enalbed an improvement in cold-cranking performance and has raised the production efficiency. A first failure-mode analysis of pocket-separated automotive batteries in Europe with respect to leaf separation is presented. For comparable service life, a shift in failure mode has been found. Although corrosion of the positive electrode still dominates, a significant increase in positive active-material shedding is noted. This is certainly a consequence of the general trend towards lower antimony contents. Shorting through the separator is only found in cases of severe battery mistreatment. This positive, intermediary result is supplemented by an outlook on emerging development trends. Future automotive batteries will experience elevated operating temperatures, higher cycling loads, and maintenance freedom. Battery tests at temperatures up to 75 °C with various alloy combinations show that the hybrid design is best suited to meet the expected requirements. Microporous polyethylene pocket separation is not expected to be a limiting factor; the trend to lower antimony alloy content and increased cycling load will demonstrate the advantage of this separation even more clearly than in the past. Optimization of the already achieved, balanced separator characteristics profile with the reference parameters of electrical performance, water loss, durability and machinability will stimulate further development work.

Energy expenditures of plasma method of isotope separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karchevskij, A.I.; Potanin, E.P.

1986-01-01

The estimations are performed of specific energy expenditares in isotope separation of binary mixtures in different plasma systems with weak medium ionization (plasma centrifuge, gas discharge system with travelling magnetic field, direct current discharge). Potential advantages of plasma centrifuge over other gas discharge facilities are pointed out. The comparison of specific energy expenditure values in case of using plasma and conventional methods of isotope separation is carried out

Total site integration of light hydrocarbons separation process

OpenAIRE

Ulyev, L.; Vasilyev, M.; Maatouk, A.; Duic, Neven; Khusanovc, Alisher

2016-01-01

Ukraine is the largest consumer of hydrocarbons per unit of production in Europe (Ukraine policy review, 2006). The most important point is a reduction of energy consumption in chemical and metallurgical industries as a biggest consumer. This paper deals with energy savings potential of light hydrocarbons separation process. Energy consumption of light hydrocarbons separation process processes typical of Eastern European countries were analysed. Process Integration (PI) was used to perform a ...

The electromagnetic potentials without the gauge transformations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Espinoza, Augusto; Chubykalo, Andrey; Rodriguez, Alejandro Gutierrez; Hernandez, Maria de los Angeles [Universidad Autonoma de Zacatecas (Mexico). Unidad Academica de Fisica

2011-07-01

In this note we show that the use of the Helmholtz theorem lead to derivation of uniquely determined electromagnetic potentials without making use of the gauge transformation. These potentials correspond to the potentials obtained by imposing so-called Coulomb condition (gauge) in the traditional approach. We show that the electromagnetic field comprises two components, one of which is characterized by its instantaneous action at a distance, whereas another one propagates in the retarded form with the velocity of light. One of the theoretical consequences of this new definition is that the electromagnetic potentials are real physical quantities as well as the electric and magnetic fields. We show that the reality of the electromagnetic potentials in quantum-mechanics is also a property of these potentials in the classical electrodynamics. Equations for potentials obtained in our approach are already separated with respect to vector and scalar potentials, so there is no necessity in using the gauge transformations and, accordingly, in making use of either Lorentz or Coulomb condition. The vector potential and scalar potential introduced thus are uniquely defined. The scalar potential is a generator of the so called instantaneous action at a distance, whereas the solenoidal vector potential can propagate with the velocity of light and it is responsible for the retarded action of the electromagnetic field. (author)

Iptycene-based stationary phase with three-dimensional aromatic structure for highly selective separation of H-bonding analytes and aromatic isomers.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xiaohong; Han, Ying; Qi, Meiling; Chen, Chuanfeng

2016-05-06

Unique structures and molecular recognition ability endow iptycene derivatives with great potential as stationary phases in chromatography, which, however, has not been explored yet. Herein, we report the first example of utilizing a pentiptycene quinone (PQ) for gas chromatographic (GC) separations. Remarkably, the statically coated capillary column with the stationary phase achieved extremely high column efficiency of 4800 plates/m. It exhibited preferential retention and high resolving capability for H-bonding and aromatic analytes and positional isomers, showing advantages over the ordinary polysiloxane phase. Moreover, the fabricated iptycene column showed excellent separation repeatability with RSD values of 0.02-0.06% for intra-day, 0.20-0.35% for inter-day and 3.1-5.5% for between-column, respectively. In conclusion, iptycene derivatives as a new class of stationary phases show promising future for their use in GC separations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Properties influencing cracking and separation of palm nuts in a mechanical cracker cum separator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JOSHUA OLANREWAJU OLAOYE

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Experimental studies of some properties influencing cracking and separation of palm kernel from the shell was conducted in a palm kernel dual processing machine. A mechanical cracking cum separating machine was developed for the study. The cracking unit consists of feed hopper, impeller shaft, cracking drum and impeller blade. The nut falls by gravity through the hopper channel into the cracking drum where the cracking process takes place through the help of impeller blades that flip the palm nut against the walls of cylindrical cracking drum. The mass of cracked nut flows through the separating unit that separates the kernel from the shell. The separation is induced by high current of air mass generated by an axial fan. A dura palm variety was selected and a total sample of eighteen thousand (18000 palm nuts were obtained and divided into two groups (feed rates, A and B, of eight thousand and ten thousand palm nuts respectively. Sample groups A and B were further divided into five sub – groups of four hundred (400 and five hundred (500 palm kernel nuts. Each sub group (feed rate was replicated four times at different shaft speeds (600, 900, 1200, 1500 and 1800 rpm. Results showed that cracking efficiencies increased with respect to speed. Un-cracked nuts percentage ranged from 1.3 to 5.3% at 7.1% moisture content, and 1.6 to 4.5% for 400 and 500 feed rates, respectively. Cracking time for both feed rates decreased with shaft speed. Throughput capacity of 11.49 kg/h was observed to be the lowest at 600 rpm and moisture content of 7.1% for both 400 feed rates and the highest throughput capacity of 37.16 kg/h was recorded at 1800 rpm at moisture contents of 9.3% and 16.1%. The results of this study shows that moisture content, engine speed and feed rate are significant parameters that influence cracking of nuts and separation of palm kernel from the shell.

Electromagnetic separator of plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gasilin, V.V.; Nezovibatko, Yu.N.; Poklepach, G.S.; Shvets, O.M.; Taran, V.S.; Tereshin, V.I.

2005-01-01

The progress in the widespread utilization of the PVD methods is determined in many respects by the plasma quality and, therefore, the necessity of an application of plasma separators, in particular magnetic separators. One needs to note that traditional magnetic separators have a number of problems their using, namely their unwieldiness, the presence of the isolated cameras and so on. We have proposed, manufactured and investigated the simple separator of plasma that doesn't require using additional cameras. As a source of metallic plasma the standard cathode vaporizer in the installation 'BULAT 6' was in use. Plasma stream from the cathode flowed through the not protected by isolation spiral solenoid. The solenoid input (from the cathode side) was under floating potential. The solenoid output was connected to the autonomous power supply system. The solenoid was prepared with stride winding and 90 degree turn. The solenoid current was 20-90 A and the solenoid voltage with respect to the vessel (earth) was +15 V. In this case drifting charged particles could freely fly out from the interior solenoid region to its boundary. The glow of the turned flow of plasma was observed during the supplying of the cathode and the solenoid. Plasma flow was separated from the coils and extended along the axis of solenoid. One can assume that this device ensures radial electric with respect to the bulk of plasma (the diameter of the bulk of plasma is comparable with the cathode diameter), the toroidal magnetic field, produced by solenoid, was of an order of 20 Oe. Magnetic field strength was sufficient for the magnetization of electrons, but it was rather small for magnetizing the ions and charged micro-droplets. The experiments carried out with aluminum cathode on the deposition of coatings at the stainless steel substrate have shown the high effectiveness of this separator operation. Coatings without droplets were obtained also on the glass substrate with HF- displacement

Nanoporous spongy graphene: Potential applications for hydrogen adsorption and selective gas separation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kostoglou, Nikolaos, E-mail: nikolaos.kostoglou@stud.unileoben.ac.at [Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, 1678 Nicosia (Cyprus); Department of Physical Metallurgy and Materials Testing, Montanuniversität Leoben, 8700 Leoben (Austria); Constantinides, Georgios [Research Unit for Nanostructured Materials Systems, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering, Cyprus University of Technology, 3036 Lemesos (Cyprus); Charalambopoulou, Georgia; Steriotis, Theodore [National Center for Scientific Research Demokritos, Agia Paraskevi Attikis, 15310 Athens (Greece); Polychronopoulou, Kyriaki [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates); Li, Yuanqing; Liao, Kin [Department of Aerospace Engineering, Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates); Ryzhkov, Vladislav [Nanotube Production Department, Fibrtec Incorporation, TX, 75551 Atlanta (United States); Mitterer, Christian [Department of Physical Metallurgy and Materials Testing, Montanuniversität Leoben, 8700 Leoben (Austria); Rebholz, Claus, E-mail: claus@ucy.ac.cy [Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, 1678 Nicosia (Cyprus)

2015-12-01

In the present work, a nanoporous (pore width ~ 0.7 nm) graphene-based sponge-like material with large surface area (~ 350 m{sup 2}/g) was synthesized by wet chemical reduction of graphene oxide in combination with freeze-drying. Surface morphology and elemental composition were studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Surface chemistry was qualitatively examined by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, while the respective structure was investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis. Textural properties, including Brunauer–Emmet–Teller (BET) surface area, micropore volume and surface area as well as pore size distribution, were deduced from nitrogen gas adsorption/desorption data obtained at 77 K and up to 1 bar. Potential use of the spongy graphene for gas storage and separation applications was preliminarily assessed by low-pressure (0–1 bar) H{sub 2}, CO{sub 2} and CH{sub 4} sorption measurements at different temperatures (77, 273 and 298 K). The adsorption capacities for each gas were evaluated up to ~ 1 bar, the isosteric enthalpies of adsorption for CO{sub 2} (28–33 kJ/mol) and CH{sub 4} (30–38 kJ/mol) were calculated using the Clausius–Clapeyron equation, while the CO{sub 2}/CH{sub 4} gas selectivity (up to 95:1) was estimated using the Ideal Adsorbed Solution Theory (IAST). - Highlights: • Nanoporous sponge produced by chemical reduction of graphene oxide and freeze-drying • Characterization performed using SEM, EDS, TEM, FT-IR, BET and XRD methods • Gas storage performance evaluated towards H{sub 2}, CO{sub 2} and CH{sub 4} adsorption up to 1 bar • CO{sub 2} over CH{sub 4} gas selectivity estimated between 45 and 95 at 273 K using the IAST model.

Nanoporous spongy graphene: Potential applications for hydrogen adsorption and selective gas separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kostoglou, Nikolaos; Constantinides, Georgios; Charalambopoulou, Georgia; Steriotis, Theodore; Polychronopoulou, Kyriaki; Li, Yuanqing; Liao, Kin; Ryzhkov, Vladislav; Mitterer, Christian; Rebholz, Claus

2015-01-01

In the present work, a nanoporous (pore width ~ 0.7 nm) graphene-based sponge-like material with large surface area (~ 350 m"2/g) was synthesized by wet chemical reduction of graphene oxide in combination with freeze-drying. Surface morphology and elemental composition were studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Surface chemistry was qualitatively examined by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, while the respective structure was investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis. Textural properties, including Brunauer–Emmet–Teller (BET) surface area, micropore volume and surface area as well as pore size distribution, were deduced from nitrogen gas adsorption/desorption data obtained at 77 K and up to 1 bar. Potential use of the spongy graphene for gas storage and separation applications was preliminarily assessed by low-pressure (0–1 bar) H_2, CO_2 and CH_4 sorption measurements at different temperatures (77, 273 and 298 K). The adsorption capacities for each gas were evaluated up to ~ 1 bar, the isosteric enthalpies of adsorption for CO_2 (28–33 kJ/mol) and CH_4 (30–38 kJ/mol) were calculated using the Clausius–Clapeyron equation, while the CO_2/CH_4 gas selectivity (up to 95:1) was estimated using the Ideal Adsorbed Solution Theory (IAST). - Highlights: • Nanoporous sponge produced by chemical reduction of graphene oxide and freeze-drying • Characterization performed using SEM, EDS, TEM, FT-IR, BET and XRD methods • Gas storage performance evaluated towards H_2, CO_2 and CH_4 adsorption up to 1 bar • CO_2 over CH_4 gas selectivity estimated between 45 and 95 at 273 K using the IAST model

Bicarbonate adsorption band of the chromatography for carbon isotope separation using anion exchangers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeda, Kunihiko; Obanawa, Heiichiro; Hata, Masahisa; Sato, Katsuya

1985-01-01

The equilibria of bicarbonate ion between two phases were studied for the carbon isotope separation using anion exchangers. The condition of the formation of a bicarbonate adsorption band was quantitatively discussed. The formation of the adsorption band depends on the difference of S-potential which is the sum of the standard redection chemical potentials and L-potential which is the sum of the reduction chemical potential. The isotopic separation factor observed was about 1.012, independent of the concentrations of acid and alkali in the solutions. The isotopic separation factor was considered to be determined by the reaction of bicarbonate ion on anion exchangers and carbon dioxide dissolved in solutions. The enriched carbon isotope whose isotopic abundance ratio ( 13 C/ 12 C) was 1.258 was obtained with the column packed with anion exchangers. (author)

Fundamental laws of separation by the gaseous diffusion process; Lois de separation elementaires en diffusion gazeuse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bouligand, G.M. [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1964-07-01

Using the Knudsen's law for the flow of each component of a gaseous mixture through a porous membrane, we derive the overall separation laws and the separation power for one stage of diffusion: Various types of stages differing by the geometrical configuration and the flow nature are considered. For the sake of simplicity physical phenomena causing a loss of separation efficiency are neglected. Computation show the advantages of counter-current type stage with one entering and two leaving flows. A more refined theory of separation can be derived with the same basis of this work. (author) [French] A partir de la loi de Knudsen exprimant les debits elementaires des constituants d'un melange gazeux a travers une membrane poreuse on determine les lois et la puissance de separation de differents modeles de diffuseurs definie par leurs configurations et la nature des ecoulements gazeux. Four simplifier il n'a pas ete tenu compte des divers phenomenes physiques inherents a la diffusion et qui reduisent generalement le facteur de separation. Ces calculs font prevoir les avantages des diffuseurs du type contrecourant a trois ouvertures et peuvent servir de guide dans une theorie plus complete de la separation. (auteur)

Ionic liquids in separations of azeotropic systems – A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pereiro, A.B.; Araújo, J.M.M.; Esperança, J.M.S.S.; Marrucho, I.M.; Rebelo, L.P.N.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► This paper provides a review of methods using ionic liquids as azeotrope breakers. ► Azeotrope breaking potential of ILs was compared to that of conventional solvents. ► The influence of ILs structure on the azeotrope breaking capacity was accomplished. ► Guidelines to select the most suitable ILs as azeotrope breakers were established. - Abstract: Efforts to make existing separation methods more efficient and eco-friendly may get a boost from the use of a relatively new class of compounds known as ionic liquids (ILs). The separation of azeotropic mixtures has conventionally been one of the most challenging tasks in industrial processes due to the fact that their separation by simple distillation is basically impossible. This paper provides a critical review of methods using ILs as azeotrope breakers. Three separation processes were addressed: liquid–liquid extraction, extractive distillation, and supported liquid membranes. We examine the azeotrope breaking potential of ILs and compare their performance to that of conventional solvents. A systematic analysis of the influence of the structure of ILs on their azeotrope breaking capacity contributes to the establishment of guidelines for selecting the most suitable ILs for the separation of specific azeotropic mixtures.

Evaluation of the permeability of microporous membranes polyamide 6 / clay bentonite for water-oil separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Medeiros, P.S.S.; Medeiros, K.M.; Araujo, E.M.; Lira, H.L.

2014-01-01

The petroleum refining industries have faced major problems in relation to the treatment of their effluents before disposal into the environment. Among the conventional technologies treatment of these effluents, the process of oil-water separation by means of membranes has been extensively used, for having enormous potentiality. Therefore, in this study, hybrid membranes of polyamide 6/ bentonite clay were produced by the technique of phase inversion and by precipitation of the solution from the nanocomposites obtained by melt intercalation. The clay was organically modified with the quaternary ammonium salt (Cetremide®). The nanocomposites were obtained from (PA6) with untreated (AST) and treated clay (ACT), which were subsequently characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Already membranes were characterized by XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and flow measurements. From the XRD results, it was observed an exfoliated and/or partially exfoliated structure for the nanocomposites and for the membranes. From SEM images it was observed that the presence of AST and ACT clays in the polymeric matrix caused changes in membrane morphology and pore formation. The flow with distilled water in the membranes showed a decrease initially and then followed by stability. All membranes tested in the process of separating emulsions of oil in water, particularly those of nanocomposites obtained a significant reduction of oil concentration in the permeate, thus showing that these membranes have a great potential to be applied to the water-oil separation. (author)

Electric potential microelectrode for studies of electrobiogeophysics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damgaard, Lars Riis; Risgaard-Petersen, Nils; Nielsen, Lars Peter

2014-01-01

were needle-shaped, shielded Ag/AgCl half-cells that were rendered insensitive to redox-active species in the environment. Tip diameters of 40 to 100 μm and signal resolution of approximately 10 μV were achieved. A test in marine sediments with active cable bacteria showed an electric potential......Spatially separated electron donors and acceptors in sediment can be exploited by the so-called “cable bacteria.” Electric potential microelectrodes (EPMs) were constructed to measure the electric fields that should appear when cable bacteria conduct electrons over centimeter distances. The EPMs...

Separation in 5 Msun Binaries

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Nancy R.; Bond, H. E.; Schaefer, G.; Mason, B. D.; Karovska, M.; Tingle, E.

2013-01-01

Cepheids (5 Msun stars) provide an excellent sample for determining the binary properties of fairly massive stars. International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) observations of Cepheids brighter than 8th magnitude resulted in a list of ALL companions more massive than 2.0 Msun uniformly sensitive to all separations. Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) has resolved three of these binaries (Eta Aql, S Nor, and V659 Cen). Combining these separations with orbital data in the literature, we derive an unbiased distribution of binary separations for a sample of 18 Cepheids, and also a distribution of mass ratios. The distribution of orbital periods shows that the 5 Msun binaries prefer shorter periods than 1 Msun stars, reflecting differences in star formation processes.

Particle size- and concentration-dependent separation of magnetic nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Witte, Kerstin, E-mail: witte@micromod.de [University of Rostock, Institute of Physics, Albert-Einstein-Str. 23, 18059 Rostock (Germany); Micromod Partikeltechnologie GmbH, Friedrich-Barnewitz-Str. 4, 18119 Rostock (Germany); Müller, Knut; Grüttner, Cordula; Westphal, Fritz [Micromod Partikeltechnologie GmbH, Friedrich-Barnewitz-Str. 4, 18119 Rostock (Germany); Johansson, Christer [Acreo Swedish ICT AB, 40014 Göteborg (Sweden)

2017-04-01

Small magnetic nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution are of great interest for several biomedical applications. When the size of the particles decreases, the magnetic moment of the particles decreases. This leads to a significant increase in the separation time by several orders of magnitude. Therefore, in the present study the separation processes of bionized nanoferrites (BNF) with different sizes and concentrations were investigated with the commercial Sepmag Q system. It was found that an increasing initial particle concentration leads to a reduction of the separation time for large nanoparticles due to the higher probability of building chains. Small nanoparticles showed exactly the opposite behavior with rising particle concentration up to 0.1 mg(Fe)/ml. For higher iron concentrations the separation time remains constant and the measured Z-average decreases in the supernatant at same time intervals. At half separation time a high yield with decreasing hydrodynamic diameter of particles can be obtained using higher initial particle concentrations. - Highlights: • Size dependent separation processes of multicore nanoparticles. • Concentration dependent separation processes of multicore nanoparticles. • Increasing separation time with rising concentrations for small particles. • Large particles show typical cooperative magnetophoresis behavior.

Flow visualization in models of high speed centrifugal separators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lagerstedt, T.; Nabo, O.

1987-01-01

The modern centrifugal separator is a fluid machine where the high ''G'' forces set up by rotation are utilized to separate phases of different densities. The fluid dynamics of the separator is complex and poorly known. Hundred years of (practical) experience has, however, turned the separator into an efficient machine. The present report shows how straight forward visualization experiments in model rigs provide valuable information on the flow inside the separator. The report concentrates on describing the flow between the closely spaced discs in a separator disc stack

Influence of recycling programmes on waste separation behaviour.

Science.gov (United States)

Stoeva, Katya; Alriksson, Stina

2017-10-01

To achieve high rates of waste reuse and recycling, waste separation in households is essential. This study aimed to reveal how recycling programmes in Sweden and Bulgaria influenced inhabitants' participation in separation of household waste. The waste separation behaviour of 111 university students from Kalmar, Sweden and 112 students from Plovdiv, Bulgaria was studied using the Theory of Planned Behaviour framework. The results showed that a lack of proper conditions for waste separation can prevent individuals from participating in this process, regardless of their positive attitudes. When respondents were satisfied with the local conditions for waste separation their behaviour instead depended on their personal attitudes towards waste separation and recycling. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fractionation of Exosomes and DNA using Size-Based Separation at the Nanoscale

Science.gov (United States)

Wunsch, Benjamin; Smith, Joshua; Wang, Chao; Gifford, Stacey; Brink, Markus; Bruce, Robert; Solovitzky, Gustavo; Austin, Robert; Astier, Yann

Exosomes, a key target of ``liquid biopsies'', are nano-vesicles found in nearly all biological fluids. Exosomes are secreted by eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells alike, and contain information about their originating cells, including surface proteins, cytoplasmic proteins, and nucleic acids. One challenge in studying exosome morphology is the difficulty of sorting exosomes by size and surface markers. Common separation techniques for exosomes include ultracentrifugation and ultrafiltration, for preparation of large volume samples, but these techniques often show contamination and significant heterogeneity between preparations. To date, deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) pillar arrays in silicon have proven an efficient technology to sort, separate, and enrich micron-scale particles including human parasites, eukaryotic cells, blood cells, and circulating tumor cells in blood; however, the DLD technology has never been translated to the true nanoscale, where it could function on bio-colloids such as exosomes. We have fabricated nanoscale DLD (nanoDLD) arrays capable of rapidly sorting colloids down to 20 nm in continuous flow, and demonstrated size sorting of individual exosome vesicles and dsDNA polymers, opening the potential for on-chip biomolecule separation and diagnosti

Separation of plutonium oxide nanoparticles and colloids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilson, Richard E.; Skanthakumar, S.; Soderholm, L. [Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL (United States)

2011-11-18

Oil and vinegar: Colloidal plutonium is an important component of Pu aqueous speciation. Pu colloids are problematic in nuclear separations and are a potential transport vector in the environment. Using a mixture of n-octanol and trichloroacetic acid a selective and reversible separation of these particles can be achieved by exploiting their surface reactivity (Li{sub 2}[Pu{sub 38}O{sub 56}Cl{sub 42}(H{sub 2}O){sub 20}].15H{sub 2}O). (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Noise source separation of diesel engine by combining binaural sound localization method and blind source separation method

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Jiachi; Xiang, Yang; Qian, Sichong; Li, Shengyang; Wu, Shaowei

2017-11-01

In order to separate and identify the combustion noise and the piston slap noise of a diesel engine, a noise source separation and identification method that combines a binaural sound localization method and blind source separation method is proposed. During a diesel engine noise and vibration test, because a diesel engine has many complex noise sources, a lead covering method was carried out on a diesel engine to isolate other interference noise from the No. 1-5 cylinders. Only the No. 6 cylinder parts were left bare. Two microphones that simulated the human ears were utilized to measure the radiated noise signals 1 m away from the diesel engine. First, a binaural sound localization method was adopted to separate the noise sources that are in different places. Then, for noise sources that are in the same place, a blind source separation method is utilized to further separate and identify the noise sources. Finally, a coherence function method, continuous wavelet time-frequency analysis method, and prior knowledge of the diesel engine are combined to further identify the separation results. The results show that the proposed method can effectively separate and identify the combustion noise and the piston slap noise of a diesel engine. The frequency of the combustion noise and the piston slap noise are respectively concentrated at 4350 Hz and 1988 Hz. Compared with the blind source separation method, the proposed method has superior separation and identification effects, and the separation results have fewer interference components from other noise.

Evaluation of aqueous Na+/Cs+ separation by electrodialysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buehler, M.F.; Lawrence, W.E.; Norton, J.D.

1993-12-01

In support of the Hanford Site cleanup, electrodialysis is being investigated as a method to separate aqueous sodium (Na + ) and cesium (Cs + ) ions. The approach has many advantages over existing separation technologies; in particular, electrodialysis creates little secondary waste while producing usable acid and base streams. The fundamentals of electrodialysis are presented in this report to provide a foundation for interpreting experimental data. A flat-plate laboratory-scale apparatus was used to determine the feasibility of separating Na + /Cs + mixtures by electrodialysis. The results showed that Cs + is preferentially separated over Na + by a factor of 2 to 3 using a Nafion reg-sign 417 cationic membrane. The separation is relatively insensitive to solution ionic strength and flow-rate variations. The current efficiency of the separation ranges from 0.60 to 0.65 depending on the applied voltage. The laboratory-scale system was characterized by dimensional analysis, which demonstrated that the process could be scaled up to a size attractive for the volume of waste at the Hanford Site. Preliminary experiments on a bench-scale system were also conducted. The initial results showed that the current-voltage response of the laboratory- and the bench-scale unit is identical

DMS cyclone separation processes for optimization of plastic wastes recycling and their implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Gent, Malcolm Richard; Menendez, Mario; Toraño, Javier; Torno, Susana

2011-06-01

It is demonstrated that substantial reductions in plastics presently disposed of in landfills can be achieved by cyclone density media separation (DMS). In comparison with the size fraction of plastics presently processed by industrial density separations (generally 6.4 to 9.5 mm), cyclone DMS methods are demonstrated to effectively process a substantially greater range of particle sizes (from 0.5 up to 120 mm). The purities of plastic products and recoveries obtained with a single stage separation using a cylindrical cyclone are shown to attain virtually 100% purity and recoveries >99% for high-density fractions and >98% purity and recoveries were obtained for low-density products. Four alternative schemas of multi-stage separations are presented and analyzed as proposed methods to obtain total low- and high-density plastics fraction recoveries while maintaining near 100% purities. The results of preliminary tests of two of these show that the potential for processing product purities and recoveries >99.98% of both density fractions are indicated. A preliminary economic comparison of capital costs of DMS systems suggests cyclone DMS methods to be comparable with other DMS processes even if the high volume capacity for recycling operations of these is not optimized.

Double-Layer Magnetic Nanoparticle-Embedded Silica Particles for Efficient Bio-Separation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

San Kyeong

Full Text Available Superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs based nanomaterials have been exploited in various biotechnology fields including biomolecule separation. However, slow accumulation of Fe3O4 NPs by magnets may limit broad applications of Fe3O4 NP-based nanomaterials. In this study, we report fabrication of Fe3O4 NPs double-layered silica nanoparticles (DL MNPs with a silica core and highly packed Fe3O4 NPs layers. The DL MNPs had a superparamagnetic property and efficient accumulation kinetics under an external magnetic field. Moreover, the magnetic field-exposed DL MNPs show quantitative accumulation, whereas Fe3O4 NPs single-layered silica nanoparticles (SL MNPs and silica-coated Fe3O4 NPs produced a saturated plateau under full recovery of the NPs. DL MNPs are promising nanomaterials with great potential to separate and analyze biomolecules.

Gyroidal nanoporous carbons - Adsorption and separation properties explored using computer simulations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Furmaniak

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Adsorption and separation properties of gyroidal nanoporous carbons (GNCs - a new class of exotic nanocarbon materials are studied for the first time using hyper parallel tempering Monte Carlo Simulation technique. Porous structure of GNC models is evaluated by the method proposed by Bhattacharya and Gubbins. All the studied structures are strictly microporous. Next, mechanisms of Ar adsorption are described basing on the analysis of adsorption isotherms, enthalpy plots, the values of Henry’s constants, α_{s} and adsorption potential distribution plots. It is concluded that below pore diameters ca. 0.8 nm, primary micropore filling process dominates. For structures possessing larger micropores, primary and secondary micropore filling mechanism is observed. Finally, the separation properties of GNC toward CO_{2}/CH_{4}, CO_{2}/N_{2}, and CH_{4}/N_{2} mixtures are discussed and compared with separation properties of Virtual Porous Carbon models. GNCs may be considered as potential adsorbents for gas mixture separation, having separation efficiency similar or even higher than activated carbons with similar diameters of pores.

Membrane Separation of 2-Ethyl Hexyl Amine/1-Decene

KAUST Repository

Bawareth, Bander

2012-01-01

in this environment with reasonable and stable separation factor. This paper shows that Teflon AF 2400 and cellulose acetate produced interesting results in 1-decene/2-EHA separation. The separation factor of Teflon AF 2400 is 3 with a stable permeance of 1.1x10-2 L

Membrane Materials and Technology for Xylene Isomers Separation and Isomerization via Pervaporation

KAUST Repository

Bilaus, Rakan

2014-01-01

technology’s high energy intensity has become a growing concern. Membrane separation technology is a potential low-energy alternative. Polymeric membranes were investigated in a pervaporation experiment to separate xylene isomers. Polymers of intrinsic

Surface-Enhanced Separation of Water from Hydrocarbons: Potential Dewatering Membranes for the Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis of Pine Biomass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Engtrakul, Chaiwat; Hu, Michael Z.; Bischoff, Brian L.; Jang, Gyoung G.

2016-10-20

The impact of surface-selective coatings on water permeation through a membrane when exposed to catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) vapor products was studied by tailoring the surface properties of the membrane coating from superhydrophilic to superhydrophobic. Our approach used high-performance architectured surface-selective (HiPAS) membranes that were inserted after a CFP reactor. At this insertion point, the inner wall surface of a tubular membrane was exposed to a mixture of water and upgraded product vapors, including light gases and deoxygenated hydrocarbons. Under proper membrane operating conditions, a high selectivity for water over one-ring upgraded biomass pyrolysis hydrocarbons was observed as a result of a surface-enhanced capillary condensation process. Owing to this surface-enhanced effect, HiPAS membranes have the potential to enable high flux separations, suggesting that water can be selectively removed from the CFP product vapors.

Aerodynamic isotope separation processes for uranium enrichment: process requirements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malling, G.F.; Von Halle, E.

1976-01-01

The pressing need for enriched uranium to fuel nuclear power reactors, requiring that as many as ten large uranium isotope separation plants be built during the next twenty years, has inspired an increase of interest in isotope separation processes for uranium enrichment. Aerodynamic isotope separation processes have been prominently mentioned along with the gas centrifuge process and the laser isotope separation methods as alternatives to the gaseous diffusion process, currently in use, for these future plants. Commonly included in the category of aerodynamic isotope separation processes are: (a) the separation nozzle process; (b) opposed gas jets; (c) the gas vortex; (d) the separation probes; (e) interacting molecular beams; (f) jet penetration processes; and (g) time of flight separation processes. A number of these aerodynamic isotope separation processes depend, as does the gas centrifuge process, on pressure diffusion associated with curved streamlines for the basic separation effect. Much can be deduced about the process characteristics and the economic potential of such processes from a simple and elementary process model. In particular, the benefit to be gained from a light carrier gas added to the uranium feed is clearly demonstrated. The model also illustrates the importance of transient effects in this class of processes

Nanoparticle-coated separators for lithium-ion batteries with advanced electrochemical performance

KAUST Repository

Fang, Jason; Kelarakis, Antonios; Lin, Yueh-Wei; Kang, Chi-Yun; Yang, Ming-Huan; Cheng, Cheng-Liang; Wang, Yue; Giannelis, Emmanuel P.; Tsai, Li-Duan

2011-01-01

We report a simple, scalable approach to improve the interfacial characteristics and, thereby, the performance of commonly used polyolefin based battery separators. The nanoparticle-coated separators are synthesized by first plasma treating the membrane in oxygen to create surface anchoring groups followed by immersion into a dispersion of positively charged SiO 2 nanoparticles. The process leads to nanoparticles electrostatically adsorbed not only onto the exterior of the surface but also inside the pores of the membrane. The thickness and depth of the coatings can be fine-tuned by controlling the ζ-potential of the nanoparticles. The membranes show improved wetting to common battery electrolytes such as propylene carbonate. Cells based on the nanoparticle-coated membranes are operable even in a simple mixture of EC/PC. In contrast, an identical cell based on the pristine, untreated membrane fails to be charged even after addition of a surfactant to improve electrolyte wetting. When evaluated in a Li-ion cell using an EC/PC/DEC/VC electrolyte mixture, the nanoparticle-coated separator retains 92% of its charge capacity after 100 cycles compared to 80 and 77% for the plasma only treated and pristine membrane, respectively. © the Owner Societies 2011.

Separation process of zirconium and hafnium; Procede de separation du zirconium et du hafnium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hure, J; Saint-James, R [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1955-07-01

About the separation different processes of zirconium-hafnium, the extraction by solvent in cross-current is the most easily the process usable on an industrial scale. It uses tributyl phosphate as solvent, diluted with white spirit to facilitate the decanting. Some exploratory tests showed that nitric environment seemed the most favorable for extraction; but a lot of other factors intervene in the separation process. We studied the influence of the acidity successively, the NO{sub 3}{sup -} ions concentration, the role of the cation coming with NO{sub 3}{sup -}, as well as the influence of the concentration of zirconium in the solution on the separation coefficient {beta} = {alpha}{sub Zr} / {alpha}{sub Hf}. (M.B.) [French] Des differents procedes de separation zirconium-hafnium, l'extraction par solvant en contre-courant est le procede le plus facilement utilisable a l'echelle industrielle. On utilise comme solvant le phosphate de tributyle, dilue avec du white spirit pour faciliter les decantations. Des essais preliminaires ont montre que le milieu nitrique semblait le plus favorable a l'extraction; mais beaucoup d'autres facteurs interviennent dans le processus de separation. Nous avons etudie successivement l'influence de l'acidite, celle de la concentration en ions NO{sub 3}{sup -}, le role du cation accompagnant NO{sub 3}{sup -}, ainsi que l'influence de la concentration en zirconium de la solution sur le coefficient de separation {beta} = {alpha}{sub Zr} / {alpha}{sub Hf}. (MB)

Quantum separability of thermal spin one boson systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jae-Weon; Oh, Sangchul; Kim, Jaewan

2007-01-01

Using the temperature Green's function approach we investigate entanglement between two non-interacting spin 1 bosons in thermal equilibrium. We show that, contrary to the fermion case, the entanglement is absent in the spin density matrix. Separability is demonstrated using the Peres-Horodecki criterion for massless particles such as photons in black body radiation. For massive particles, we show that the density matrix can be decomposed with separable states

Separations innovative concepts: Project summary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, V.E. (ed.)

1988-05-01

This project summary includes the results of 10 innovations that were funded under the US Department's Innovative Concept Programs. The concepts address innovations that can substantially reduce the energy used in industrial separations. Each paper describes the proposed concept, and discusses the concept's potential energy savings, market applications, technical feasibility, prior work and state of the art, and future development needs.

Chiral separation and enantioselective degradation of vinclozolin in soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Hui; Liu, Donghui; Shen, Zhigang; Sun, Mingjing; Zhou, Zhiqiang; Wang, Peng

2014-03-01

Vinclozolin is a chiral fungicide with potential environmental problems. The chiral separation of the enantiomers and enantioselective degradation in soil were investigated in this work. The enantiomers were separated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on Chiralpak IA, IB, and AZ-H chiral columns under normal phase and the influence of the mobile phase composition on the separation was also studied. Complete resolutions were obtained on all three chiral columns under optimized conditions with the same elution order of (+)/(-). The residual analysis of the enantiomers in soil was conducted using accelerate solvent extraction followed by HPLC determination. The recoveries of the enantiomers ranged from 85.7-105.7% with relative standard deviation (SD) of 0.12-3.83%, and the limit of detection (LOD) of the method was 0.013 µg/g. The results showed that the degradations of vinclozolin enantiomers in the soils followed first-order kinetics. Preferential degradation of the (-)-enantiomer was observed only in one soil with the largest |ES| value of 0.047, and no obvious enantioselective degradation was observed in other soils. It was found that the persistence of vinclozolin in soil was related to pH values based on the half-lives. The two enantiomers disappeared about 8 times faster in basic soils than that in neutral or acidic soils. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Monte Carlo analysis of thermochromatography as a fast separation method for nuclear forensics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garrison, J.R.; Hanson, D.E.; Hall, H.L.

2012-01-01

Nuclear forensic science has become increasingly important for global nuclear security, and enhancing the timeliness of forensic analysis has been established as an important objective in the field. New, faster techniques must be developed to meet this objective. Current approaches for the analysis of minor actinides, fission products, and fuel-specific materials require time-consuming chemical separation coupled with measurement through either nuclear counting or mass spectrometry. These very sensitive measurement techniques can be hindered by impurities or incomplete separation in even the most painstaking chemical separations. High-temperature gas-phase separation or thermochromatography has been used in the past for the rapid separations in the study of newly created elements and as a basis for chemical classification of that element. This work examines the potential for rapid separation of gaseous species to be applied in nuclear forensic investigations. Monte Carlo modeling has been used to evaluate the potential utility of the thermochromatographic separation method, albeit this assessment is necessarily limited due to the lack of available experimental data for validation. (author)

Monte Carlo analysis of thermochromatography as a fast separation method for nuclear forensics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, Howard L.

2012-01-01

Nuclear forensic science has become increasingly important for global nuclear security, and enhancing the timeliness of forensic analysis has been established as an important objective in the field. New, faster techniques must be developed to meet this objective. Current approaches for the analysis of minor actinides, fission products, and fuel-specific materials require time-consuming chemical separation coupled with measurement through either nuclear counting or mass spectrometry. These very sensitive measurement techniques can be hindered by impurities or incomplete separation in even the most painstaking chemical separations. High-temperature gas-phase separation or thermochromatography has been used in the past for the rapid separations in the study of newly created elements and as a basis for chemical classification of that element. This work examines the potential for rapid separation of gaseous species to be applied in nuclear forensic investigations. Monte Carlo modeling has been used to evaluate the potential utility of the thermochromatographic separation method, albeit this assessment is necessarily limited due to the lack of available experimental data for validation.

Separation process of zirconium and hafnium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hure, J.; Saint-James, R.

1955-01-01

About the separation different processes of zirconium-hafnium, the extraction by solvent in cross-current is the most easily the process usable on an industrial scale. It uses tributyl phosphate as solvent, diluted with white spirit to facilitate the decanting. Some exploratory tests showed that nitric environment seemed the most favorable for extraction; but a lot of other factors intervene in the separation process. We studied the influence of the acidity successively, the NO 3 - ions concentration, the role of the cation coming with NO 3 - , as well as the influence of the concentration of zirconium in the solution on the separation coefficient β = α Zr / α Hf . (M.B.) [fr

Polymer Separators for High-Power, High-Efficiency Microbial Fuel Cells

KAUST Repository

Chen, Guang; Wei, Bin; Luo, Yong; Logan, Bruce E.; Hickner, Michael A.

2012-01-01

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) with hydrophilic poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) separators showed higher Coulombic efficiencies (94%) and power densities (1220 mW m-2) than cells with porous glass fiber separators or reactors without a separator after 32

Microcellular foams via phase separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, A.T.

1985-01-01

A study of wide variety of processes for making plastic foams shows that phase separation processes for polymers from solutions offers the most viable methods for obtaining rigid plastic foams which met the physical requirements for fusion target designs. Four general phase separation methods have been shown to give polymer foams with densities less than 0.1 g/cm 3 and cell sizes of 30μm or less. These methods involve the utilization of non-solvent, chemical or thermal cooling processes to achieve a controlled phase separation wherein either two distinct phases are obtained where the polymer phase is a continuous phase or two bicontinuous phases are obtained where both the polymer and solvent are interpenetrating, continuous, labyrinthine phases. Subsequent removal of the solvent gives the final foam structure

An Investigation of Reverse Flotation Separation of Sericite from Graphite by Using a Surfactant: MF

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yangshuai Qiu

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a surfactant, atlox4862 (formaldehyde condensate of methyl naphthalene sulfonic sodium salt (MF, was introduced as a depressant for reverse flotation separation of sericite from graphite. Natural flake graphite has a strong hydrophobic property. After interacting with MF, the graphite became moderately hydrophilic. The flotation results showed that MF had a depressing ability for both sericite and graphite and that the flotation separation of sericite from graphite was attributed to the different declining levels of recovery between graphite and sericite with increased MF concentration. For a pulp pH of 8 and a MF concentration of 250 mg/L, the recovery rates of sericite and graphite were 89.7% and 11.3%, respectively. The results of the FTIR spectra and zeta potential measurements demonstrated that the interaction of MF with graphite and sericite is mainly through electrostatic attraction. MF was preferred to adsorb on the surface of graphite, decreasing its zeta potential and improving its hydrophilicity more than that of sericite.

One-step fabrication of robust fabrics with both-faced superhydrophobicity for the separation and capture of oil from water.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jian; Yan, Long; Zhao, Yuzhu; Zha, Fei; Wang, Qingtao; Lei, Ziqiang

2015-03-07

In this work, a facile and inexpensive one-step sonochemistry irradiation method was developed for the fabrication of SiO2 nanoparticles functionalized with octadecyltrimethoxysilane and their in situ incorporation into cotton fabrics. The double sides of as-prepared fabrics show both superhydrophobic and superoleophilic properties simultaneously with a high water contact angle of 159 ± 1° and an oil contact angle of 0°. Thus, it can be used to separate and capture a series of oils from water, like kerosene, toluene and chloroform, etc. In addition, the as-prepared fabrics still have superhydrophobicity with a water contact angle of above 150° after 40 separation cycles with the separation efficiency for the kerosene-water mixture always above 94.6%. More importantly, the as-prepared fabrics showed robust and stable superhydrophobic properties towards hot water, many corrosive solutions (acidic, basic, salt liquids) and mechanical abrasion. Therefore, this reported fabric has the advantages of scalable fabrication, high separation efficiency, stable recyclability, and excellent durability, exhibiting the strong potential for industrial production.

Effective separation of propylene/propane binary mixtures by ZIF-8 membranes

KAUST Repository

Pan, Yichang

2012-02-01

The separation of propylene/propane mixtures is one of the most important but challenging processes in the petrochemical industry. A novel zeolitic imidazole framework (ZIF-8) membrane prepared by a facile hydrothermal seeded growth method showed excellent separation performances for a wide range of propylene/propane mixtures. The membrane showed a permeability of propylene up to 200. barrers and a propylene to propane separation factor up to 50 at optimal separation conditions, well surpassing the "upper-bound trade-off" lines of existing polymer and carbon membranes. The experimental data also showed that the membranes had excellent reproducibility, long-term stability and thermal stability. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Liquid-phase separation with the rotational particle separator

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kemenade, van H.P.; Mondt, E.; Hendriks, A.J.A.M.; Verbeek, P.H.J.

2003-01-01

Recently, the rotational particle separator (RPS) was introduced as a new technique for separating solid and/or liquid particles of 0.1 m and larger from gases. In this patented technique the principles of centrifugation are exploited to enhance separation of small-sized phases and particulate

Kernel and divergence techniques in high energy physics separations

Science.gov (United States)

Bouř, Petr; Kůs, Václav; Franc, Jiří

2017-10-01

Binary decision trees under the Bayesian decision technique are used for supervised classification of high-dimensional data. We present a great potential of adaptive kernel density estimation as the nested separation method of the supervised binary divergence decision tree. Also, we provide a proof of alternative computing approach for kernel estimates utilizing Fourier transform. Further, we apply our method to Monte Carlo data set from the particle accelerator Tevatron at DØ experiment in Fermilab and provide final top-antitop signal separation results. We have achieved up to 82 % AUC while using the restricted feature selection entering the signal separation procedure.

Interpolatability distinguishes LOCC from separable von Neumann measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Childs, Andrew M.; Leung, Debbie; Mančinska, Laura; Ozols, Maris

2013-01-01

Local operations with classical communication (LOCC) and separable operations are two classes of quantum operations that play key roles in the study of quantum entanglement. Separable operations are strictly more powerful than LOCC, but no simple explanation of this phenomenon is known. We show that, in the case of von Neumann measurements, the ability to interpolate measurements is an operational principle that sets apart LOCC and separable operations

The potential model of coloured quarks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greenberg, O.W.

1981-01-01

The success of the additive potential model of colored quarks for the masses, decay rates, and other properties of single mesons and baryons does not imply that this model can yield the observed meson-nucleon and nucleon-nucleon interactions. We give a comprehensive discussion of this issue. In agreement with previous authors, we conclude that, on the contrary, this model predicts inverse-power color-analog van der Waals potentials between separated hadrons which are in substantial contradiction with experimental data. We also discuss pathologies of non-abelian confining potentials, and show that the hamiltonian is unbounded below for an arbitrary number of quarks and antiquarks in a definite color state for all color states, except the singlet, triplet, and antitriplet. (orig.)

Integration process of fermentation and liquid biphasic flotation for lipase separation from Burkholderia cepacia.

Science.gov (United States)

Sankaran, Revathy; Show, Pau Loke; Lee, Sze Ying; Yap, Yee Jiun; Ling, Tau Chuan

2018-02-01

Liquid Biphasic Flotation (LBF) is an advanced recovery method that has been effectively applied for biomolecules extraction. The objective of this investigation is to incorporate the fermentation and extraction process of lipase from Burkholderia cepacia using flotation system. Initial study was conducted to compare the performance of bacteria growth and lipase production using flotation and shaker system. From the results obtained, bacteria shows quicker growth and high lipase yield via flotation system. Integration process for lipase separation was investigated and the result showed high efficiency reaching 92.29% and yield of 95.73%. Upscaling of the flotation system exhibited consistent result with the lab-scale which are 89.53% efficiency and 93.82% yield. The combination of upstream and downstream processes in a single system enables the acceleration of product formation, improves the product yield and facilitates downstream processing. This integration system demonstrated its potential for biomolecules fermentation and separation that possibly open new opportunities for industrial production. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emerging trends in chemical separations with liquid membranes: an overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shukla, J.P.

1997-01-01

It can be concluded that varied configurations of liquid membranes (LMs) will definitely play an important role in metal separations particularly in situations where other conventional chemical separation techniques fail to deliver goods. Potential areas include decontamination of biotoxic/ radioactive wastes, recovery of precious and strategic metals from lean/ extremely dilute solutions, add on to existing units, hydrometallurgy, etc

Vermicomposting of source-separated human faeces for nutrient recycling.

Science.gov (United States)

Yadav, Kunwar D; Tare, Vinod; Ahammed, M Mansoor

2010-01-01

The present study examined the suitability of vermicomposting technology for processing source-separated human faeces. Since the earthworm species Eisenia fetida could not survive in fresh faeces, modification in the physical characteristics of faeces was necessary before earthworms could be introduced to faeces. A preliminary study with six different combinations of faeces, soil and bulking material (vermicompost) in different layers was conducted to find out the best condition for biomass growth and reproduction of earthworms. The results indicated that SVFV combination (soil, vermicompost, faeces and vermicompost - bottom to top layers) was the best for earthworm biomass growth indicating the positive role of soil layer in earthworm biomass growth. Further studies with SVFV and VFV combinations, however, showed that soil layer did not enhance vermicompost production rate. Year-long study conducted with VFV combination to assess the quality and quantity of vermicompost produced showed an average vermicompost production rate of 0.30kg-cast/kg-worm/day. The vermicompost produced was mature as indicated by low dissolved organic carbon (2.4+/-0.43mg/g) and low oxygen uptake rate (0.15+/-0.09mg O(2)/g VS/h). Complete inactivation of total coliforms was noted during the study, which is one of the important objectives of human faeces processing. Results of the study thus indicated the potential of vermicomposting for processing of source-separated human faeces.

Separation of water through gas hydrate formation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boch Andersen, Torben; Thomsen, Kaj

2009-01-01

Gas hydrate is normally recognized as a troublemaker in the oil and gas industry. However, gas hydrate has some interesting possibilities when used in connection with separation of water. Nordic Sugar has investigated the possibility of using gas hydrates for concentration of sugar juice. The goal...... of the project was to formulate an alternative separation concept, which can replace the traditional water evaporation process in the sugar production. Work with the separation concept showed that gas hydrates can be used for water separation. The process is not suitable for sugar production because of large...... volumes and the needs for high pressure. The process could be interesting for concentration of heat sensitive, high value products...

Monoclonal Antibody Shows Promise as Potential Therapeutic for MERS | Poster

Science.gov (United States)

A monoclonal antibody has proven effective in preventing Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in lab animals, suggesting further development as a potential intervention for the deadly disease in humans, according to new research. MERS is a newly emerged coronavirus first detected in humans in 2012. Most cases have occurred in the Middle East, but the disease has appeared elsewhere. In all, MERS has infected more than 1,700 individuals and killed more than 600, according to the World Health Organization. No vaccines or antiviral therapies currently exist. Several candidate vaccines are being developed, and some have been tested in animal models, a prerequisite to human clinical trials.

Separation of lithium isotopes on ion exchangers; Separation des isotopes du lithium sur echangeurs d'ions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Menes, F; Saito, E; Roth, E [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1958-07-01

A survey of the literature shows that little information has been published on the separation of lithium isotopes with ion exchange resins. We have undertaken a series of elutions using the ion-exchange resins 'Dowex 50 x 12' and IRC 50, and various eluting solutions. Formulae derived from the treatment of Mayer and Tompkins permit the calculation of the separation factor per theoretical plate. For the solutions tried out in our experiments the separation factors lie in the interval 1.001 to 1.002. These values are quite low in comparison to the factor 1.022 found by Taylor and Urey for ion exchange with zeolites. (author) [French] Nous avons trouve relativement peu de donnees dans la litterature scientifique sur la separation des isotopes de lithium par les resines echangeuses d'ions. Nous avons effectue un certain nombre d'essais sur Dowex 50 X 12 et IRC 50 utilisant divers eluants. Des formules derivees de celles de Mayer et Tompkins permettent le calcul du coefficient de separation par plateau theorique. Pour les eluants etudies, ces facteurs de separation se trouvent entre 1,001 et 1,002. Ces valeurs sont faibles en comparaison du facteur 1,022 trouve par Taylor et Urey pour les zeolithes. (auteur)

Steam-water separator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Modrak, T.M.; Curtis, R.W.

1978-01-01

The steam-water separator connected downstream of a steam generator consists of a vertical centrifugal separator with swirl blades between two concentric pipes and a cyclone separator located above. The water separated in the cyclone separator is collected in the inner tube of the centrifugal separator which is closed at the bottom. This design allows the overall height of the separator to be reduced. (DG) [de

Development of Separation Materials Containing Palladium for Hydrogen Isotopes Separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng Xiaojun; Luo Deli; Qian Xiaojing

2010-01-01

Displacement chromatography (DC) is a ascendant technique for hydrogen isotopes separation. The performance of separation materials is a key factor to determine the separation effect of DC. At present,kinds of materials are researched, including palladium materials and non-palladium materials. It is hardly replaceable because of its excellent separation performance, although palladium is expensive. The theory of hydrogen isotopes separation using DC was introduced at a brief manner, while several palladium separation materials were expatiated in detail(Pd/K, Pd-Al 2 O 3 , Pd-Pt alloy). Development direction of separation materials for DC was forecasted elementarily. (authors)

Waste Separations and Pretreatment Workshop report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cruse, J.M.; Harrington, R.A.; Quadrel, M.J.

1994-01-01

This document provides the minutes from the Waste Separations and Pretreatment Workshop sponsored by the Underground Storage Tank-Integrated Demonstration in Salt Lake City, Utah, February 3--5, 1993. The Efficient Separations and Processing-Integrated Program and the Hanford Site Tank Waste Remediation System were joint participants. This document provides the detailed minutes, including responses to questions asked, an attendance list, reproductions of the workshop presentations, and a revised chart showing technology development activities

Separator Membrane from Crosslinked Poly(Vinyl Alcohol and Poly(Methyl Vinyl Ether-alt-Maleic Anhydride

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charu Vashisth Rohatgi

2015-03-01

Full Text Available In this work, we report separator membranes from crosslinking of two polymers, such as poly vinyl alcohol (PVA with an ionic polymer poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic anhydride (PMVE-MA. Such interpolymer-networked systems were extensively used for biomedical and desalination applications but they were not examined for their potential use as membranes or separators for batteries. Therefore, the chemical interactions between these two polymers and the influence of such crosslinking on physicochemical properties of the membrane are systematically investigated through rheology and by critical gel point study. The hydrogen bonding and the chemical interaction between PMVE-MA and PVA resulted in highly cross-linked membranes. Effect of the molecular weight of PVA on the membrane properties was also examined. The developed membranes were extensively characterized by studying their physicochemical properties (water uptake, swelling ratio, and conductivity, thermal and electrochemical properties using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA, thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS. The DSC study shows the presence of a single Tg in the membranes indicating compatibility of the two polymers in flexible and transparent films. The membranes show good stability and ion conductivity suitable for separator applications.

Separator Membrane from Crosslinked Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) and Poly(Methyl Vinyl Ether-alt-Maleic Anhydride)

Science.gov (United States)

Rohatgi, Charu Vashisth; Dutta, Naba K.; Choudhury, Namita Roy

2015-01-01

In this work, we report separator membranes from crosslinking of two polymers, such as poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) with an ionic polymer poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic anhydride) (PMVE-MA). Such interpolymer-networked systems were extensively used for biomedical and desalination applications but they were not examined for their potential use as membranes or separators for batteries. Therefore, the chemical interactions between these two polymers and the influence of such crosslinking on physicochemical properties of the membrane are systematically investigated through rheology and by critical gel point study. The hydrogen bonding and the chemical interaction between PMVE-MA and PVA resulted in highly cross-linked membranes. Effect of the molecular weight of PVA on the membrane properties was also examined. The developed membranes were extensively characterized by studying their physicochemical properties (water uptake, swelling ratio, and conductivity), thermal and electrochemical properties using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The DSC study shows the presence of a single Tg in the membranes indicating compatibility of the two polymers in flexible and transparent films. The membranes show good stability and ion conductivity suitable for separator applications. PMID:28347019

Separation of plutonium oxide nanoparticles and colloids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilson, Richard E.; Skanthakumar, S.; Soderholm, L. [Argonne National Laboratory, IL (United States). Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division

2011-11-18

Colloidal plutonium is an important component of Pu aqueous speciation. Pu colloids are problematic in nuclear separations and are a potential transport vector in the environment. Using a mixture of n-octanol and trichloroacetic acid a selective and reversible separation of these particles can be achieved by exploiting their surface reactivity. [German] Kolloidales Plutonium ist ein wichtiger Bestandteil in waessrigen Pu-Bereitungen. Pu-Kolloide sind problematisch bei der Wiederaufbereitung von Kernmaterial und bilden einen potenziellen Transportvektor in die Umwelt. Mit einem Loesungsmittelgemisch aus n-Octanol und Trichloressigsaeure gelingt die selektive und reversible Trennung dieser Partikel durch Ausnutzung ihrer Oberflaechenreaktivitaet.

Ion chromatographic separation for analysis of radiostrontium in nuclear reprocessing solutions of high ionic strength

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamb, J.D.; Nordmeyer, F.R.; Drake, P.A.; Elder, M.P.; Miles, R.W.

1989-01-01

An ion chromatography (IC)-based method was developed for Sr 2+ concentration and separation showing high recoveries of strontium. This procedure permits complete automation. One of the potential weaknesses of the IC approach to sample preconcentration, i.e. sensitivity to solutions of high acid content, common in nuclear reprocessing solution, has been overcome by a novel application of acid suppression technology. (author) 12 refs.; 8 figs.; 3 tabs

Developments for transactinide chemistry experiments behind the gas-filled separator TASCA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Even, Julia

2011-01-01

Topic of this thesis is the development of experiments behind the gas-filled separator TASCA (TransActinide Separator and Chemistry Apparatus) to study the chemical properties of the transactinide elements. In the first part of the thesis, the electrodepositions of short-lived isotopes of ruthenium and osmium on gold electrodes were studied as model experiments for hassium. From literature it is known that the deposition potential of single atoms differs significantly from the potential predicted by the Nernst equation. This shift of the potential depends on the adsorption enthalpy of therndeposited element on the electrode material. If the adsorption on the electrode-material is favoured over the adsorption on a surface made of the same element as the deposited atom, the electrode potential is shifted to higher potentials. This phenomenon is called underpotential deposition. Possibilities to automatize an electro chemistry experiment behind the gas-filled separator were explored for later studies with transactinide elements. The second part of this thesis is about the in-situ synthesis of transition-metal-carbonyl complexes with nuclear reaction products. Fission products of uranium-235 and californium-249 were produced at the TRIGA Mainz reactor and thermalized in a carbon-monoxide containing atmosphere. The formed volatile metal-carbonyl complexes could be transported in a gas-stream. Furthermore, short-lived isotopes of tungsten, rhenium, osmium, and iridium were synthesised at the linear accelerator UNILAC at GSI Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung, Darmstadt. The recoiling fusion products were separated from the primary beam and the transfer products in the gas-filled separator TASCA. The fusion products were stopped in the focal plane of TASCA in a recoil transfer chamber. This chamber contained a carbon-monoxide - helium gas mixture. The formed metal-carbonyl complexes could be transported in a gas stream to various experimental setups. All

Mixed-mode reversed phase/positively charged repulsion chromatography for intact protein separation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Ling; Guo, Zhimou; Hu, Zhuo; Liang, Xinmiao

2017-05-10

A mixed-mode reversed phase/positively charged repulsion stationary phase C8PN composed of octyl and amino group has been developed for separation of intact protein. Before the separation of proteins, a set of probe compounds were employed to evaluate the chromatographic properties of C8PN, demonstrating typical reversed phase/positively charged repulsion interaction on this stationary phase as estimated. Then the new C8PN stationary phase was used to separate a standard protein mixture on the reversed phase mode. Compared with a commercial C4 stationary phase, it showed different selectivity for some proteins. In order to better understand the properties of C8PN, the effect of acetonitrile content was investigated based on retention equation. Higher values of the equation parameters on C8PN demonstrated that the protein retentions were more sensitive to the change of acetonitrile content. Besides, the influences of buffer salt additives on the protein retentions were also studied. The retention factors of the proteins got larger with the increase of buffer salt concentration, which confirmed the positively charged repulsion interaction on the column. Finally, the C8PN was further applied to separate oxidized- and reduced- forms of Recombinant Human Growth Hormone. Our study indicated the advantages and application potential of mixed-mode reversed phase/positively charged repulsion stationary phase for intact protein separation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mechanistic insights into porous graphene membranes for helium separation and hydrogen purification

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Shuxian; Zhou, Sainan; Wu, Zhonghua; Wang, Maohuai; Wang, Zhaojie; Guo, Wenyue; Lu, Xiaoqing

2018-05-01

Porous graphene (PG) and nitrogen-substituted PG monolayers of 3N-PG and 6N-PG were designed as effective membranes for the separation of He and H2 over Ne, Ar, N2, CO, and CH4 by using density functional theory. Results showed that PG and 3N-PG exhibited suitable pore sizes and relatively high stabilities for He and H2 separation. PG and 3N-PG membranes also presented excellent He and H2 selectivities over Ne, Ar, N2, CO and CH4 at a wide temperature range. 6N-PG membrane exerted unexceptionable permeances of the studied gases, especially He and H2, which could remarkably improve the separation efficiency of He and H2. Analyses on the most stable adsorption configurations and maximum adsorption energies indicated weak Van der Waals interactions between the gases and the three PG-based membranes. Microscopic permeation process analyses based on the minimum energy pathway, energy profiles, and electron density isosurfaces elucidated the remarkable selectivities of He over Ne/CO/N2/Ar/CH4 and H2 over CO/N2/CH4 and the high permeances of He and H2 passing through the three PG-based membranes. This work not only highlighted the potential use of the three PG-based membranes for He separation and H2 purification but also provided a superior alternative strategy to design and screen membrane materials for gas separation.

Membrane separation systems---A research and development needs assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baker, R.W. (Membrane Technology and Research, Inc., Menlo Park, CA (USA)); Cussler, E.L. (Minnesota Univ., Minneapolis, MN (USA). Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science); Eykamp, W. (California Univ., Berkeley, CA (USA)); Koros, W.J. (Texas Univ., Austin, TX (USA)); Riley, R.L. (Separation Systems Technology, San Diego, CA (USA)); Strathmann, H. (Fraunhofer-Institut fuer Grenzflaech

1990-03-01

Membrane based separation technology, a relative newcomer on the separations scene, has demonstrated the potential of saving enormous amounts of energy in the processing industries if substituted for conventional separation systems. Over 1 quad annually, out of 2.6, can possibly be saved in liquid-to-gas separations, alone, if membrane separation systems gain wider acceptance, according to a recent DOE/OIP (DOE/NBM-80027730 (1986)) study. In recent years great strides have been made in the field and offer even greater energy savings in the future when substituted for other conventional separation techniques such as distillation, evaporation, filtration, sedimentation, and absorption. An assessment was conducted by a group of six internationally known membrane separations experts who examined the worldwide status of research in the seven major membrane areas. This encompassed four mature technology areas: reverse osmosis, micorfiltration, ultrafiltration, and electrodialysis; two developing areas: gas separation and and pervaporation; and one emerging technology: facilitated transport. Particular attention was paid to identifying the innovative processes currently emerging, and even further improvements which could gain wider acceptance for the more mature membrane technology. The topics that were pointed out as having the greatest research emphasis are pervaporation for organic-organic separations; gas separation; micorfiltration; an oxidant-resistant reverse osmosis membrane; and a fouling-resistant ultrafiltration membrane. 35 refs., 6 figs., 22 tabs.

Efficient Separations and Processing Crosscutting Program. Technology summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-06-01

The Efficient Separations and Processing (ESP) Crosscutting Program was created in 1991 to identify, develop, and perfect separations technologies and processes to treat wastes and address environmental problems throughout the DOE Complex. The ESP funds several multi-year tasks that address high-priority waste remediation problems involving high-level, low-level, transuranic, hazardous, and mixed (radioactive and hazardous) wastes. The ESP supports applied research and development (R and D) leading to demonstration or use of these separations technologies by other organizations within DOE-EM. Treating essentially all DOE defense wastes requires separation methods that concentrate the contaminants and/or purify waste streams for release to the environment or for downgrading to a waste form less difficult and expensive to dispose of. Initially, ESP R and D efforts focused on treatment of high-level waste (HLW) from underground storage tanks (USTs) because of the potential for large reductions in disposal costs and hazards. As further separations needs emerge and as waste management and environmental restoration priorities change, the program has evolved to encompass the breadth of waste management and environmental remediation problems

Biodiesel separation and purification: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atadashi, I.M.; Aroua, M.K.; Aziz, A. Abdul

2011-01-01

Biodiesel as a biodegradable, sustainable and clean energy has worldwide attracted renewed and growing interest in topical years, chiefly due to development in biodiesel fuel and ecological pressures which include climatic changes. In the production of biodiesel from biomass, separation and purification of biodiesel is a critical technology. Conventional technologies used for biodiesel separation such as gravitational settling, decantation, filtration and biodiesel purification such as water washing, acid washing, and washing with ether and absorbents have proven to be inefficient, time and energy consumptive, and less cost effective. The involvement of membrane reactor and separative membrane shows great promise for the separation and purification of biodiesel. Membrane technology needs to be explored and exploited to overcome the difficulties usually encountered in the separation and purification of biodiesel. In this paper both conventional and most recent membrane technologies used in refining biodiesel have been critically reviewed. The effects of catalysts, free fatty acids, water content and oil to methanol ratios on the purity and quality of biodiesel are also examined. (author)

A Systematic Study of Separators in Air-Breathing Flat-Plate Microbial Fuel Cells—Part 1: Structure, Properties, and Performance Correlations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sona Kazemi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Passive air-breathing microbial fuel cells (MFCs are a promising technology for energy recovery from wastewater and their performance is highly dependent on characteristics of the separator that isolates the anaerobic anode from the air-breathing cathode. The goal of the present work is to systematically study the separator characteristics and its effect on the performance of passive air-breathing flat-plate MFCs (FPMFCs. This was performed through characterization of structure, properties, and performance correlations of eight separators in Part 1 of this work. Eight commercial separators were characterized, in non-inoculated and inoculated setups, and were examined in passive air-breathing FPMFCs with different electrode spacing. The results showed a decrease in the peak power density as the oxygen and ethanol mass transfer coefficients in the separators increased, due to the increase of mixed potentials especially at smaller electrode spacing. Increasing the electrode spacing was therefore desirable for the application of diaphragms. The highest peak power density was measured using Nafion®117 with minimal electrode spacing, whereas using Nafion®117 or Celgard® with larger electrode spacing resulted in similar peak powers. Part 2 of this work focuses on numerical modelling of the FPMFCs based on mixed potential theory, implementing the experimental data from Part 1.

Separation of allelopathy from resource competition using rice/barnyardgrass mixed-cultures.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hai Bin He

Full Text Available Plant-plant interference is the combined effect of allelopathy, resource competition, and many other factors. Separating allelopathy from resource competition is almost impossible in natural systems but it is important to evaluate the relative contribution of each of the two mechanisms on plant interference. Research on allelopathy in natural and cultivated plant communities has been hindered in the absence of a reliable method that can separate allelopathic effect from resource competition. In this paper, the interactions between allelopathic rice accession PI312777, non-allelopathic rice accession Lemont and barnyardgrass were explored respectively by using a target (rice-neighbor (barnyardgrass mixed-culture in hydroponic system. The relative competitive intensity (RCI, the relative neighbor effect (RNE and the competitive ratio (CR were used to quantify the intensity of competition between each of the two different potentially allelopathic rice accessions and barnyardgrass. Use of hydroponic culture system enabled us to exclude any uncontrolled factors that might operate in the soil and we were able to separate allelopathy from resource competition between each rice accession and barnyardgrass. The RCI and RNE values showed that the plant-plant interaction was positive (facilitation for PI312777 but that was negative (competition for Lemont and barnyardgrass in rice/barnyardgrass mixed-cultures. The CR values showed that one PI312777 plant was more competitive than 2 barnyardgrass plants. The allelopathic effects of PI312777 were much more intense than the resource competition in rice/barnyardgrass mixed cultures. The reverse was true for Lemont. These results demonstrate that the allelopathic effect of PI312777 was predominant in rice/barnyardgrass mixed-cultures. The most significant result of our study is the discovery of an experimental design, target-neighbor mixed-culture in combination with competition indices, can successfully

Selective separation of Eu3+ using polymer-enhanced ultrafiltration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norton, M.V.

1994-03-01

A process to selectively remove 241 Am from liquid radioactive waste was investigated as an actinide separation method applicable to Hanford and other waste sites. The experimental procedures involved removal of Eu, a nonradioactive surrogate for Am, from aqueous solutions at pH 5 using organic polymers in conjunction with ultrafiltration. Commercially available polyacrylic acid (60,000 MW) and Pacific Northwest Laboratory's (PNL) synthesized E3 copolymer (∼10,000 MW) were tested. Test solutions containing 10 μg/mL of Eu were dosed vath each polymer at various concentrations in order to bind Eu (i.e., by complexation and/or cation exchange) for subsequent rejection by an ultrafiltration coupon. Test solutions were filtered with and without polymer to determine if enhanced Eu separation could be achieved from polymer treatment. Both polymers significantly increased Eu removal. Optimum concentrations were 20 μg/mL of polyacrylic acid and 100 μg/mL of E3 for 100% Eu rejection by the Amicon PM10 membrane at 55 psi. In addition to enhancement of removal, the polymers selectively bound Eu over Na, suggesting that selective separation of Eu was possible. This suggests that polymer-enhanced ultrafiltration is a potential process for separation of 241 Am from Hanford tank waste, further investigation of binding agents and membranes effective under very alkaline and high ionic strength is warranted. This process also has potential applications for selective separation of toxic metals from industrial process streams

Tidal flow separation at protruding beach nourishments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Radermacher, M.; de Schipper, M.A.; Swinkels, Cilia M.; MacMahan, Jamie; Reniers, A.J.H.M.

2016-01-01

In recent years, the application of large-scale beach nourishments has been discussed, with the Sand Motor in the Netherlands as the first real-world example. Such protruding beach nourishments have an impact on tidal currents, potentially leading to tidal flow separation and the generation of tidal

Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue on magnetically separable MgFe2O4 under visible light irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shahid, Muhammad; Jingling, Liu; Ali, Zahid; Shakir, Imran; Warsi, Muhammad Farooq; Parveen, Riffat; Nadeem, Muhammad

2013-01-01

A magnetically separable single-phase MgFe 2 O 4 photocatalyst with a spinel crystal structure was synthesized by using the solid-state reaction method. The formation of spinel structure is confirmed by X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The magnetic measurements showed that the photocatalyst material can be separated from water when an external magnetic field is added and redispersed into water solution after the external magnetic field is eliminated. It is one of the promising photocatalysts for waste water treatment. The photocatalytic activity of MgFe 2 O 4 was investigated by using the photo-decomposition of methylene blue dye under visible light. The photoelectrochemical property of the MgFe 2 O 4 was studied by measuring their photocurrent–potential behavior in 1 M NaOH electrolyte under AM 1.5100 mW cm −2 illumination. - Graphical abstract: Highly efficient magnetically separable MgFe 2 O 4 photocatalyst for organic based impurities decomposition as well as for the production of H 2 gas was synthesized and characterized successfully (a) MgFe 2 O 4 photocatalyst in polluted water, (b) The photocatalyst (MgFe 2 O 4 ) is being attracted toward magnetic field for separation, (c) Hysteresis loop of MgFe 2 O 4 showing magnetic behavior. Highlights: ► New photocatalyst working in the visible range have been synthesized by facile cheap route. ► MgFe 2 O 4 photocatalyst showed well defined magnetically separable behavior. ► Excellent water splitting characteristics to produce H 2 was observed under visible light irradiation

Inorganic oxides as alternative in the separation of non fissioned residual uranium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baca G, A.

1997-01-01

The Al 2 O 3 , SiO 2 and SnO 2 as well as vegetable carbon have been studied for its possible use as sorbent in the concentration and separation of non fissioned residual uranium of some fission products such as: 141 Ce, 134 Cs, 125 Sb, 103 Ru, 95 Zr, 95 Nb of alkaline aqueous systems. The separation efficiency has been evaluated using natural uranium and radionuclides in static and dynamic processes, through liquid scintillation and gamma spectrometry. Therefore Al 2 O 3 , SiO 2 , SnO 2 and carbon were pre-treated thermic and chemically and characterized through the technique of Nitrogen absorption analysis, X-ray diffraction and IR spectroscopy. By means of the p H determination and the aqueous system potential the present hydrolysis products were determined. The inorganic oxides show structural and surface changes due to the treatment. The adsorption process is realized by different mechanism depending of the sorbent. The results show that the retention capacity is a dependence of the oxides pre-treatment and of the hydrolysis products in the aqueous system, as well as of the experimental conditions. Not in this way for carbon in which the results show the treatment and the experimental conditions significantly have not influence in its adsorption capacity. (Author)

Separation factor dependence upon cathode material for tritium separation from heavy water by electrolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogata, Y.; Sakuma, Y.; Ohtani, N.; Kotaka, M.

2002-01-01

Using three cathode materials, i.e. carbon (C), stainless steel (SUS), and nickel (Ni), tritium was separated from heavy water by electrolysis, and the separation factors were compared. To separate hydrogen isotopes, heavy water was electrolyzed by an electrolysis device with a solid polymer electrode (SPE), which needed no electrolyte additives for electrolysis. The anode was made of 3 mm thickness of a sintered porous titanium plate covered with iridium oxide. The cathode was made of the same thickness of a sintered porous carbon, stainless steel, or nickel plate. Heavy water or light water spiked with tritiated water was electrolyzed 20 A x 60 min with the electrolysis cell temperature at 10, 20 or 30degC, and 15 A x 80 min at 5degC. The produced hydrogen and oxygen gases were recombined using a palladium catalyst with nitrogen gas as a carrier. The activities of the water in the electrolysis cell and of the recombined water were analyzed using a liquid scintillation counter. The apparent D-T separation factor (SF D/T ) and H-T separation factor (SF H/T ) were calculated as quotient the specific activity of the water in the cell divided by that of the recombined water. The electrolysis potential to keep the current 20 A was 2-3 V. The average yields of the recombined water were 95%. At the cell temperature of 20degC, SF D/T (C), SF D/T (SUS), and SF D/T (Ni) were 2.42, 2.17, and 2.05, respectively. At the same temperature, SF H/T (C), SF H/T (SUS), and SF H/T (Ni) were 12.5, 10.8, and 11.8, respectively. The SFs were in agreement with the results in other works. The SFs were changed with the cell temperature. (author)

Investigation of a Gas-Solid Separation Process for Cement Raw Meal

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Maarup, Claus; Hjuler, Klaus; Clement, Karsten

2015-01-01

The gas/solid heat exchanger (2D-HX), developed to replace the cyclone preheaters in cement plants is presented. This design aims at reducing construction height and operation costs. The separation process in the 2D-HX is experimentally investigated, and the results show that separation efficienc......The gas/solid heat exchanger (2D-HX), developed to replace the cyclone preheaters in cement plants is presented. This design aims at reducing construction height and operation costs. The separation process in the 2D-HX is experimentally investigated, and the results show that separation...

Running Improves Pattern Separation during Novel Object Recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Bolz, Leoni; Heigele, Stefanie; Bischofberger, Josef

2015-10-09

Running increases adult neurogenesis and improves pattern separation in various memory tasks including context fear conditioning or touch-screen based spatial learning. However, it is unknown whether pattern separation is improved in spontaneous behavior, not emotionally biased by positive or negative reinforcement. Here we investigated the effect of voluntary running on pattern separation during novel object recognition in mice using relatively similar or substantially different objects.We show that running increases hippocampal neurogenesis but does not affect object recognition memory with 1.5 h delay after sample phase. By contrast, at 24 h delay, running significantly improves recognition memory for similar objects, whereas highly different objects can be distinguished by both, running and sedentary mice. These data show that physical exercise improves pattern separation, independent of negative or positive reinforcement. In sedentary mice there is a pronounced temporal gradient for remembering object details. In running mice, however, increased neurogenesis improves hippocampal coding and temporally preserves distinction of novel objects from familiar ones.

Superconducting RF separator for Omega Spectrometer

CERN Multimedia

1977-01-01

The photo shows an Nb-deflector for the superconducting RF separator ready for installation in its cryostat (visible at the back). Each deflector was about 3 m long. L. Husson and P. Skacel (Karlsruhe) stand on the left, A. Scharding (CERN) stands on the right. This particle separator, the result of a collaboration between the Gesellshaft für Kernforschung, Karlsruhe, and CERN was installed in the S1 beam line to Omega spectrometer. (See Annual Report 1977.)

Improving startup performance with carbon mesh anodes in separator electrode assembly microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Fang

2013-04-01

In a separator electrode assembly microbial fuel cell, oxygen crossover from the cathode inhibits current generation by exoelectrogenic bacteria, resulting in poor reactor startup and performance. To determine the best approach for improving startup performance, the effect of acclimation to a low set potential (-0.2V, versus standard hydrogen electrode) was compared to startup at a higher potential (+0.2V) or no set potential, and inoculation with wastewater or pre-acclimated cultures. Anodes acclimated to -0.2V produced the highest power of 1330±60mWm-2 for these different anode conditions, but unacclimated wastewater inocula produced inconsistent results despite the use of this set potential. By inoculating reactors with transferred cell suspensions, however, startup time was reduced and high power was consistently produced. These results show that pre-acclimation at -0.2V consistently improves power production compared to use of a more positive potential or the lack of a set potential. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Improving startup performance with carbon mesh anodes in separator electrode assembly microbial fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Fang; Xia, Xue; Luo, Yong; Sun, Dan; Call, Douglas F; Logan, Bruce E

2013-04-01

In a separator electrode assembly microbial fuel cell, oxygen crossover from the cathode inhibits current generation by exoelectrogenic bacteria, resulting in poor reactor startup and performance. To determine the best approach for improving startup performance, the effect of acclimation to a low set potential (-0.2V, versus standard hydrogen electrode) was compared to startup at a higher potential (+0.2 V) or no set potential, and inoculation with wastewater or pre-acclimated cultures. Anodes acclimated to -0.2 V produced the highest power of 1330±60 mW m(-2) for these different anode conditions, but unacclimated wastewater inocula produced inconsistent results despite the use of this set potential. By inoculating reactors with transferred cell suspensions, however, startup time was reduced and high power was consistently produced. These results show that pre-acclimation at -0.2 V consistently improves power production compared to use of a more positive potential or the lack of a set potential. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Eccentricity samples: Implications on the potential and the velocity distribution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cubarsi R.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Planar and vertical epicycle frequencies and local angular velocity are related to the derivatives up to the second order of the local potential and can be used to test the shape of the potential from stellar disc samples. These samples show a more complex velocity distribution than halo stars and should provide a more realistic test. We assume an axisymmetric potential allowing a mixture of independent ellipsoidal velocity distributions, of separable or Staeckel form in cylindrical or spherical coordinates. We prove that values of local constants are not consistent with a potential separable in addition in cylindrical coordinates and with a spherically symmetric potential. The simplest potential that fits the local constants is used to show that the harmonical and non-harmonical terms of the potential are equally important. The same analysis is used to estimate the local constants. Two families of nested subsamples selected for decreasing planar and vertical eccentricities are used to borne out the relation between the mean squared planar and vertical eccentricities and the velocity dispersions of the subsamples. According to the first-order epicycle model, the radial and vertical velocity components provide accurate information on the planar and vertical epicycle frequencies. However, it is impossible to account for the asymmetric drift which introduces a systematic bias in estimation of the third constant. Under a more general model, when the asymmetric drift is taken into account, the rotation velocity dispersions together with their asymmetric drift provide the correct fit for the local angular velocity. The consistency of the results shows that this new method based on the distribution of eccentricities is worth using for kinematic stellar samples. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. No 176011: Dynamics and Kinematics of Celestial Bodies and Systems

Atmospheric-pressure plasma activation and surface characterization on polyethylene membrane separator

Science.gov (United States)

Tseng, Yu-Chien; Li, Hsiao-Ling; Huang, Chun

2017-01-01

The surface hydrophilic activation of a polyethylene membrane separator was achieved using an atmospheric-pressure plasma jet. The surface of the atmospheric-pressure-plasma-treated membrane separator was found to be highly hydrophilic realized by adjusting the plasma power input. The variations in membrane separator chemical structure were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Chemical analysis showed newly formed carbonyl-containing groups and high surface concentrations of oxygen-containing species on the atmospheric-pressure-plasma-treated polymeric separator surface. It also showed that surface hydrophilicity primarily increased from the polar component after atmospheric-pressure plasma treatment. The surface and pore structures of the polyethylene membrane separator were examined by scanning electron microscopy, revealing a slight alteration in the pore structure. As a result of the incorporation of polar functionalities by atmospheric-pressure plasma activation, the electrolyte uptake and electrochemical impedance of the atmospheric-pressure-plasma-treated membrane separator improved. The investigational results show that the separator surface can be controlled by atmospheric-pressure plasma surface treatment to tailor the hydrophilicity and enhance the electrochemical performance of lithium ion batteries.

Life cycle and economic assessment of source-separated MSW collection with regard to greenhouse gas emissions: a case study in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Jun; Ni, Mingjiang; Chi, Yong; Zou, Daoan; Fu, Chao

2013-08-01

In China, the continuously increasing amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) has resulted in an urgent need for changing the current municipal solid waste management (MSWM) system based on mixed collection. A pilot program focusing on source-separated MSW collection was thus launched (2010) in Hangzhou, China, to lessen the related environmental loads. And greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Kyoto Protocol) are singled out in particular. This paper uses life cycle assessment modeling to evaluate the potential environmental improvement with regard to GHG emissions. The pre-existing MSWM system is assessed as baseline, while the source separation scenario is compared internally. Results show that 23 % GHG emissions can be decreased by source-separated collection compared with the base scenario. In addition, the use of composting and anaerobic digestion (AD) is suggested for further optimizing the management of food waste. 260.79, 82.21, and -86.21 thousand tonnes of GHG emissions are emitted from food waste landfill, composting, and AD, respectively, proving the emission reduction potential brought by advanced food waste treatment technologies. Realizing the fact, a modified MSWM system is proposed by taking AD as food waste substitution option, with additional 44 % GHG emissions saved than current source separation scenario. Moreover, a preliminary economic assessment is implemented. It is demonstrated that both source separation scenarios have a good cost reduction potential than mixed collection, with the proposed new system the most cost-effective one.

Parental separation in childhood and adult smoking in the 1958 British birth cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Martindale, Sarah E; Lacey, Rebecca E

2017-08-01

Parental separation or divorce is a known risk factor for poorer adult health. One mechanism may operate through the uptake of risky health behaviours, such as smoking. This study investigated the association between parental separation and adult smoking in a large British birth cohort and also examined potential socioeconomic, relational and psychosocial mediators. Differences by gender and timing of parental separation were also assessed. Multiply imputed data on 11 375 participants of the National Child Development Study (the 1958 British birth cohort) were used. A series of multinomial logistic regression models were estimated to investigate the association between parental separation (0-16 years) and adult smoking status (age 42), and the role of potential socioeconomic, relational and psychosocial mediators. Parental separation in childhood was associated with an increased risk of being a current (RRR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.77, 2.60) or ex-smoker (RRR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.22, 1.85) at age 42. This association remained after consideration of potential socioeconomic, psychosocial and relational mediators. Relational (parent-child relationship quality, parental involvement and adult partnership status) and socioeconomic factors (overcrowding, financial hardship, housing tenure, household amenities, free school meal receipt and educational attainment) appeared to be the most important of the groups of mediators investigated. No differences by gender or the timing of parental separation were observed. Parental separation experienced in childhood was associated with increased risk of smoking. Families undergoing separation should be further supported in order to prevent the uptake of smoking and to prevent later health problems. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Genome sequence of Lactobacillus salivarius SMXD51, a potential probiotic strain isolated from chicken cecum, showing anti-campylobacter activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Kergourlay, Gilles; Messaoudi, Soumaya; Dousset, Xavier; Prévost, Hervé

2012-06-01

We report the draft genome sequence of Lactobacillus salivarius SMXD51, isolated from the cecum of healthy chickens showing an activity against Campylobacter--the food-borne pathogen that is the most common cause of gastroenteritis in the European Union (EU)--and potentially interesting features for a probiotic strain, explaining our interest in it.

Glycerol extracting dealcoholization for the biodiesel separation process.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Jianchu; Sha, Yong; Zhang, Yun; Yuan, Yunlong; Wu, Housheng

2011-04-01

By means of utilizing sunflower oil and Jatropha oil as raw oil respectively, the biodiesel transesterification production and the multi-stage extracting separation were carried out experimentally. Results indicate that dealcoholized crude glycerol can be utilized as the extracting agent to achieve effective separation of methanol from the methyl ester phase, and the glycerol content in the dealcoholized methyl esters is as low as 0.02 wt.%. For the biodiesel separation process utilizing glycerol extracting dealcoholization, its technical and equipment information were acquired through the rigorous process simulation in contrast to the traditional biodiesel distillation separation process, and results show that its energy consumption decrease about 35% in contrast to that of the distillation separation process. The glycerol extracting dealcoholization has sufficient feasibility and superiority for the biodiesel separation process. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fictional Separation Logic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jonas Buhrkal; Birkedal, Lars

2012-01-01

, separation means physical separation. In this paper, we introduce \\emph{fictional separation logic}, which includes more general forms of fictional separating conjunctions P * Q, where "*" does not require physical separation, but may also be used in situations where the memory resources described by P and Q...

College Students' Grief and Coping Strategies in Bereavement and Separation

OpenAIRE

Nakajima, Naomi; Kodama, Kenichi

2013-01-01

The purposes of this study are to clarify the characteristics of college students' bereavement and separation and the relationship between coping strategies and grief reactions in bereavement and separation. 212 college students completed questionnaires. The results indicated that the majority of the respondents have experienced some bereavement or separation, in particular, separation from the lover. Multiple regression analyses showed that coping strategies such as "avoidance", "abandonment...

A Review of Biorefinery Separations for Bioproduct Production via Thermocatalytic Processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Hannah; DeJaco, Robert F; Mittal, Nitish; Siepmann, J Ilja; Tsapatsis, Michael; Snyder, Mark A; Fan, Wei; Saha, Basudeb; Vlachos, Dionisios G

2017-06-07

With technological advancement of thermocatalytic processes for valorizing renewable biomass carbon, development of effective separation technologies for selective recovery of bioproducts from complex reaction media and their purification becomes essential. The high thermal sensitivity of biomass intermediates and their low volatility and high reactivity, along with the use of dilute solutions, make the bioproducts separations energy intensive and expensive. Novel separation techniques, including solvent extraction in biphasic systems and reactive adsorption using zeolite and carbon sorbents, membranes, and chromatography, have been developed. In parallel with experimental efforts, multiscale simulations have been reported for predicting solvent selection and adsorption separation. We discuss various separations that are potentially valuable to future biorefineries and the factors controlling separation performance. Particular emphasis is given to current gaps and opportunities for future development.

Parental separation and children's education in a comparative perspective: Does the burden disappear when separation is more common?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Kreidl

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Parental breakup has, on average, a net negative effect on children's education. However, it is unclear whether this negative effect changes when parental separation becomes more common. Objective: We studied the variations in the effect of parental separation on children's chances of obtaining tertiary education across cohorts and countries with varying divorce rates. Methods: We applied country and cohort fixed-effect models as well as random-effect models to data from the first wave of the Generations and Gender Survey, complemented by selected macro-level indicators (divorce rate and educational expansion. Results: Country fixed-effect logistic regressions show that the negative effect of experiencing parental separation is stronger in more-recent birth cohorts. Random-intercept linear probability models confirm that the negative effect of parental breakup is significantly stronger when divorce is more common. Conclusions: The results support the low-conflict family dissolution hypothesis, which explains the trend by a rising proportion of low-conflict breakups. A child from a dissolving low-conflict family is likely to be negatively affected by family dissolution, whereas a child from a high-conflict dissolving family experiences relief. As divorce becomes more common and more low-conflict couples separate, more children are negatively affected, and hence, the average effect of breakup is more negative. Contribution: We show a significant variation in the size of the effect of parental separation on children's education; the effect becomes more negative when family dissolution is more common.

Ionomers of intrinsic microporosity: in silico development of ionic-functionalized gas-separation membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Hart, Kyle E; Colina, Coray M

2014-10-14

This work presents the predictive molecular simulations of a functionalized polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM) with an ionic backbone (carboxylate) and extra-framework counterions (Na(+)) for CO2 gas storage and separation applications. The CO2-philic carboxylate-functionalized polymers are predicted to contain similar degrees of free volume to PIM-1, with Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface areas from 510 to 890 m(2)/g, depending on concentration of ionic groups from 100% to 17%. As a result of ionic groups enhancing the CO2 enthalpy of adsorption (to 42-50 kJ/mol), the uptake of the proposed polymers at 293 K exceeded 1.7 mmol/g at 10 kPa and 3.3 mmol/g at 100 kPa for the polymers containing 100% and 50% ionic functional groups, respectively. In addition, CO2/CH4 and CO2/N2 mixed-gas separation performance was evaluated under several industrially relevant conditions, where the IonomIMs are shown to increase both the working capacity and selection performance in certain pressure swing applications (e.g., natural gas separations). These simulations reveal that intrinsically microporous ionomers show great potential as the future of energy-efficient gas-separation polymeric materials.

Remediation of Hanford tank waste using magnetic separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Worl, L.A.; Avens, L.R.; de Aguero, K.J.; Coyne Prenger, F.; Stewart, W.F.; Hill, D.D.

1992-01-01

Large volumes of high-level radioactive waste are stored at the Department of Energy's Hanford site. Magnetic separation, a physical separation, process, can be used to segregate actinides and certain fission products from the waste. High gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) tests have been performed successfully using a simulated, nonradioactive underground storage tank (UST) waste. Variations in HGMS test parameters included separator matrix material, magnetic field strength, slurry surfactant, and slurry solids loading. Cerium was added to the simulated tank waste to act as a uranium surrogate. Results show that over 77% of the uranium surrogate can be captured and concentrated from the original bulk with a simple procedure. The results of these tests and the feasibility of magnetic separation for pretreatment of UST waste are discussed

Artificial receptor-functionalized nanoshell: facile preparation, fast separation and specific protein recognition

Science.gov (United States)

Ouyang, Ruizhuo; Lei, Jianping; Ju, Huangxian

2010-05-01

This work combined molecular imprinting technology with superparamagnetic nanospheres as the core to prepare artificial receptor-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for separation of homologous proteins. Using dopamine as a functional monomer, novel surface protein-imprinted superparamagnetic polydopamine (PDA) core-shell nanoparticles were successfully prepared in physiological conditions, which could maintain the natural structure of a protein template and achieved the development of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) from one dimension to zero dimension for efficient recognition towards large biomolecules. The resultant nanoparticles could be used for convenient magnetic separation of homologous proteins with high specificity. The nanoparticles possessed good monodispersibility, uniform surface morphology and high saturation magnetization value. The bound amounts of template proteins measured by both indirect and direct methods were in good agreement. The maximum number of imprinted cavities on the surface of the bovine hemoglobin (Hb)-imprinted nanoshell was 2.21 × 1018 g - 1, which well matched their maximum binding capacity toward bovine Hb. Both the simple method for preparation of MIPs and the magnetic nanospheres showed good application potential in fast separation, effective concentration and selective biosensing of large protein molecules.

Artificial receptor-functionalized nanoshell: facile preparation, fast separation and specific protein recognition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ouyang, Ruizhuo; Lei Jianping; Ju Huangxian, E-mail: jpl@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: hxju@nju.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science (Education Ministry of China), Department of Chemistry, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China)

2010-05-07

This work combined molecular imprinting technology with superparamagnetic nanospheres as the core to prepare artificial receptor-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for separation of homologous proteins. Using dopamine as a functional monomer, novel surface protein-imprinted superparamagnetic polydopamine (PDA) core-shell nanoparticles were successfully prepared in physiological conditions, which could maintain the natural structure of a protein template and achieved the development of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) from one dimension to zero dimension for efficient recognition towards large biomolecules. The resultant nanoparticles could be used for convenient magnetic separation of homologous proteins with high specificity. The nanoparticles possessed good monodispersibility, uniform surface morphology and high saturation magnetization value. The bound amounts of template proteins measured by both indirect and direct methods were in good agreement. The maximum number of imprinted cavities on the surface of the bovine hemoglobin (Hb)-imprinted nanoshell was 2.21 x 10{sup 18} g{sup -1}, which well matched their maximum binding capacity toward bovine Hb. Both the simple method for preparation of MIPs and the magnetic nanospheres showed good application potential in fast separation, effective concentration and selective biosensing of large protein molecules.

Separation of Particles in Channels Rotary Engine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zyatikov Pavel

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The article considers the separation of particles in channels with different relative length. It is shown that the intensity of turbulence at the inlet section of the channel varies considerably in its length. The dependence of the turbulence damping along the channel expressing by fraction of the distance is shown. The ratio of the particle separation efficiency out the gas flow in the rotor channel is defined. The values of particle separation efficiency in the channel for the angle α=π/4 in turbulent aerosol flow is shows, including without mixing the particles.

Causal and causally separable processes

Science.gov (United States)

Oreshkov, Ognyan; Giarmatzi, Christina

2016-09-01

outcomes for each party, these correlations form a polytope whose facets define causal inequalities. The case of quantum correlations in this paradigm is captured by the process matrix formalism. We investigate the link between causality and the closely related notion of causal separability of quantum processes, which we here define rigorously in analogy with the link between Bell locality and separability of quantum states. We show that causality and causal separability are not equivalent in general by giving an example of a physically admissible tripartite quantum process that is causal but not causally separable. We also show that there are causally separable quantum processes that become non-causal if extended by supplying the parties with entangled ancillas. This motivates the concepts of extensibly causal and extensibly causally separable (ECS) processes, for which the respective property remains invariant under extension. We characterize the class of ECS quantum processes in the tripartite case via simple conditions on the form of the process matrix. We show that the processes realizable by classically controlled quantum circuits are ECS and conjecture that the reverse also holds.

Causal and causally separable processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oreshkov, Ognyan; Giarmatzi, Christina

2016-01-01

outcomes for each party, these correlations form a polytope whose facets define causal inequalities. The case of quantum correlations in this paradigm is captured by the process matrix formalism. We investigate the link between causality and the closely related notion of causal separability of quantum processes, which we here define rigorously in analogy with the link between Bell locality and separability of quantum states. We show that causality and causal separability are not equivalent in general by giving an example of a physically admissible tripartite quantum process that is causal but not causally separable. We also show that there are causally separable quantum processes that become non-causal if extended by supplying the parties with entangled ancillas. This motivates the concepts of extensibly causal and extensibly causally separable (ECS) processes, for which the respective property remains invariant under extension. We characterize the class of ECS quantum processes in the tripartite case via simple conditions on the form of the process matrix. We show that the processes realizable by classically controlled quantum circuits are ECS and conjecture that the reverse also holds. (paper)

Three nucleon results for one boson exchange potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Birrell, N.D.; Afnan, I.R.

1977-06-01

The binding energy of 3 H, percentage S-, S'-, and D-state probabilities and charge form factor of 3 He are calculated using the Adhikari-Sloan separable expansion (ASE) to the Holinde and Machleidt one boson exchange potential. The results show that the ASE has good convergence for the binding energy, and the lowest order ASE considered gives excellent results for the form factor. (Author)

Evaluation of Mars CO2 Capture and Gas Separation Technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Muscatello, Anthony C.; Santiago-Maldonado, Edgardo; Gibson, Tracy; Devor, Robert; Captain, James

2011-01-01

Recent national policy statements have established that the ultimate destination of NASA's human exploration program is Mars. In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) is a key technology required to ,enable such missions and it is appropriate to review progress in this area and continue to advance the systems required to produce rocket propellant, oxygen, and other consumables on Mars using the carbon dioxide atmosphere and other potential resources. The Mars Atmospheric Capture and Gas separation project is selecting, developing, and demonstrating techniques to capture and purify Martian atmospheric gases for their utilization for the production of hydrocarbons, oxygen, and water in ISRU systems. Trace gases will be required to be separated from Martian atmospheric gases to provide pure CO2 to processing elements. In addition, other Martian gases, such as nitrogen and argon, occur in concentrations high enough to be useful as buffer gas and should be captured as well. To achieve these goals, highly efficient gas separation processes will be required. These gas separation techniques are also required across various areas within the ISRU project to support various consumable production processes. The development of innovative gas separation techniques will evaluate the current state-of-the-art for the gas separation required, with the objective to demonstrate and develop light-weight, low-power methods for gas separation. Gas separation requirements include, but are not limited to the selective separation of: (1) methane and water from unreacted carbon oxides (C02-CO) and hydrogen typical of a Sabatier-type process, (2) carbon oxides and water from unreacted hydrogen from a Reverse Water-Gas Shift process, (3)/carbon oxides from oxygen from a trash/waste processing reaction, and (4) helium from hydrogen or oxygen from a propellant scavenging process. Potential technologies for the separations include' freezers, selective membranes, selective solvents, polymeric sorbents

Developments for transactinide chemistry experiments behind the gas-filled separator TASCA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Even, Julia

2011-12-13

synthesised carbonyl complexes were identified by nuclear decay spectroscopy. Some complexes were studied with isothermal chromatography or thermochromatography methods. The chromatograms were compared with Monte Carlo Simulations to determine the adsorption enthalpyrnon silicon dioxide and on gold. These simulations based on existing codes, that were modified for the different geometries of the chromatography channels. All observed adsorption enthalpies (on silcon oxide as well as on gold) are typical for physisorption. Additionally, the thermalstability of some of the carbonyl complexes was studied. This showed that at temperatures above 200 C therncomplexes start to decompose. It was demonstrated that carbonyl-complex chemistry is a suitable method to study rutherfordium, dubnium, seaborgium, bohrium, hassium, and meitnerium. Until now, only very simple, thermally stable compounds have been synthesized in the gas-phase chemistry of the transactindes. With the synthesis of transactinide-carbonyl complexes a new compound class would be discovered. Transactinide chemistry would reach the border between inorganic and metallorganic chemistry. Furthermore, the in-situ synthesised carbonyl complexes would allow nuclear spectroscopy studies under low background conditions making use of chemically prepared samples. [German] Die vorliegende Arbeit befasst sich mit der Entwicklung von Experimenten hinter dem gasgefuellten Separator TASCA (TransActinide Separator and Chemistry Apparatus) zur Studie des chemischen Verhaltens der Transactinide. Zum einen wurde die Moeglichkeit der elektrochemischen Abscheidung kurzlebiger Isotope der Elemente Ruthenium und Osmium auf Goldelektroden im Hinblick auf ein Experiment mit Hassium untersucht. Aus der Literatur ist bekannt, dass bei der elektrochemischen Abscheidung einzelner Atome das Abscheidepotential signifikant vom Nernst-Potential abweicht. Die Verschiebung des Potentials haengt von der Adsorptionsenthalpie des abzuscheidenden Elements

Separation of mixed waste plastics via magnetic levitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Peng; Xie, Jun; Gu, Fu; Sharmin, Nusrat; Hall, Philip; Fu, Jianzhong

2018-06-01

Separation becomes a bottleneck of dealing with the enormous stream of waste plastics, as most of the extant methods can only handle binary mixtures. In this paper, a novel method that based on magnetic levitation was proposed for separating multiple mixed plastics. Six types of plastics, i.e., polypropylene (PP), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyamide 6 (PA6), polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), were used to simulate the mixed waste plastics. The samples were mixed and immersed into paramagnetic medium that placed into a magnetic levitation configuration with two identical NdFeB magnets with like-poles facing each other, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was employed to verify the separation outputs. Unlike any conventional separation methods such as froth flotation and hydrocyclone, this method is not limited by particle sizes, as mixtures of different size fractions reached their respective equilibrium positions in the initial tests. The two-stage separation tests demonstrated that the plastics can be completely separated with purities reached 100%. The method has the potential to be industrialised into an economically-viable and environmentally-friendly mass production procedure, since quantitative correlations are determined, and the paramagnetic medium can be reused indefinitely. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of isotope-selective chemical reactor with gas-separating device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorshunov, N.M.; Kalitin, S.A.; Laguntsov, N.I.; Neshchimenko, Yu.P.; Sulaberidze, G.A.

1988-01-01

A study was made on characteristics of separating stage, composed of isotope-selective chemical (or photochemical) reactor and membrane separating cascade (MSC), designated for separation of isotope-enriched products from lean reagents. MSC represents the counterflow cascade for separation of two-component mixtures. Calculations show that for the process of carton isotope separation the electric power expences for MSC operation are equal to 20 kWxh/g of CO 2 final product at 13 C isotope content in it equal to 75%. Application of the membrane gas-separating cascade at rather small electric power expenses enables to perform cascading of isotope separation in the course of nonequilibrium chemical reactions

Impaired neurogenesis of the dentate gyrus is associated with pattern separation deficits: A computational study.

Science.gov (United States)

Faghihi, Faramarz; Moustafa, Ahmed A

2016-09-01

The separation of input patterns received from the entorhinal cortex (EC) by the dentate gyrus (DG) is a well-known critical step of information processing in the hippocampus. Although the role of interneurons in separation pattern efficiency of the DG has been theoretically known, the balance of neurogenesis of excitatory neurons and interneurons as well as its potential role in information processing in the DG is not fully understood. In this work, we study separation efficiency of the DG for different rates of neurogenesis of interneurons and excitatory neurons using a novel computational model in which we assume an increase in the synaptic efficacy between excitatory neurons and interneurons and then its decay over time. Information processing in the EC and DG was simulated as information flow in a two layer feed-forward neural network. The neurogenesis rate was modeled as the percentage of new born neurons added to the neuronal population in each time bin. The results show an important role of an optimal neurogenesis rate of interneurons and excitatory neurons in the DG in efficient separation of inputs from the EC in pattern separation tasks. The model predicts that any deviation of the optimal values of neurogenesis rates leads to different decreased levels of the separation deficits of the DG which influences its function to encode memory.

Design and Development of Selective Extractants for Ln/An Separations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paine, Robert T.

2009-01-01

This study has succeeded in further developing phosphinoylmethyl pyridine compounds as selective recognition and separations agents for trivalent lanthanide and actinide ions present in nuclear materials. The parameters for efficient separations have been further elucidated and factors important to further development have been identified. Further development will lead to optimal extractant design for effective actinide ion partitioning under process practical conditions. The primary objective of the project involved the design, synthesis, and characterization of the extraction performance of 2,6-bis(phosphinomethyl)pyridine N,P,P'-trioxides (NOPOPO) as potential reagents for the separation of Am, Cm, and fission product lanthanides from other transuranics and fission products and for acting as a separations 'platform' for the mutual separation of Am/Cm from the lanthanides. The secondary but critical objective of the project focused on the characterization of aqueous acid and radiation stability of NOPOPO ligands. Further, the project served as a interdisciplinary training vehicle for new, young investigators in actinide separations chemistry.

A continuous flow micro filtration device for plasma/blood separation using submicron vertical pillar gap structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Tae Goo; Ji, Hongmiao; Lim, Pei Yi; Chen, Yu; Yoon, Yong-Jin

2014-01-01

This work demonstrates a continuous flow plasma/blood separator using a vertical submicron pillar gap structure. The working principle of the proposed separator is based on size exclusion of cells through cross-flow filtration, in which only plasma is allowed to pass through submicron vertical pillars located tangential to the main flow path of the blood sample. The maximum filtration efficiency of 99.9% was recorded with a plasma collection rate of 0.67 µl min −1 for an input blood flow rate of 12.5 µl min −1 . The hemolysis phenomenon was observed for an input blood flow rate above 30 µl min −1 . Based on the experimental results, we can conclude that the proposed device shows potential for the application of on-chip plasma/blood separation as a part of integrated point-of-care (POC) diagnostics systems. (technical note)

Separation of mycotoxin-containing sources in grain dust and determination of their mycotoxin potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmgren, M S; Lee, L S

1986-01-01

Two distinct reservoirs of mycotoxins exist in fungal-infected cereal grains--the fungal spores and the spore-free mycelium-substrate matrix. Many fungal spores are of respirable size and the mycelium-substrate matrix can be pulverized to form particles of respirable size during routine handling of grain. In order to determine the contribution of each source to the level of mycotoxin contamination of dust, we developed techniques to harvest and separate mycelium-substrate matrices from spores of fungi. Conventional quantitative chromatographic analyses of separated materials indicated that aflatoxin from Aspergillus parasiticus, norsolorinic acid from a mutant of A. parasiticus, and secalonic acid D from Penicillium oxalicum were concentrated in the mycelium-substrate matrices and not in the spores. In contrast, spores of Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus fumigatus contained significant concentrations of aurasperone C and fumigaclavine C, respectively; only negligible amounts of the toxins were detected in the mycelium-substrate matrices of these two fungi. PMID:3709472

Green fabricated CuO nanobullets via Olea europaea leaf extract shows auspicious antimicrobial potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Maqbool, Qaisar; Iftikhar, Sidra; Nazar, Mudassar; Abbas, Fazal; Saleem, Asif; Hussain, Talib; Kausar, Rizwan; Anwaar, Sadaf; Jabeen, Nyla

2017-06-01

In present investigation, copper oxide (CuO) nanostructures have been prepared via green chemistry. Olea europaea leaf extract act as strong chelating agent for tailoring physical as well as bio-medical characteristics of CuO at the nano-size. Physical characterisation such as scanning electron microscope analysis depicts the formation of homogenised spherical shape nanoparticles (NPs) with average size of 42 nm. X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy further confirmed the crystalline pure phase and monoclinic structure. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) testing is performed to evaluate the relative concentration of bioactive molecules in the O. europaea leaf extract. From HPLC results capping action of organic molecules around CuO-NPs is hypothesised. The antimicrobial potency of biosynthesised CuO-NPs have been evaluated using colony forming unit (CFU) counting assay and disc diffusion method which shows a significant zone of inhibition against bacterial and fungal strains may be highly potential for future antimicrobial pharmaceutics. Furthermore, reduction of various precursors by plant extract will reduce environmental impact over chemical synthesis.

Wet separation processes as method to separate limestone and oil shale

Science.gov (United States)

Nurme, Martin; Karu, Veiko

2015-04-01

Biggest oil shale industry is located in Estonia. Oil shale usage is mainly for electricity generation, shale oil generation and cement production. All these processes need certain quality oil shale. Oil shale seam have interlayer limestone layers. To use oil shale in production, it is needed to separate oil shale and limestone. A key challenge is find separation process when we can get the best quality for all product types. In oil shale separation typically has been used heavy media separation process. There are tested also different types of separation processes before: wet separation, pneumatic separation. Now oil shale industry moves more to oil production and this needs innovation methods for separation to ensure fuel quality and the changes in quality. The pilot unit test with Allmineral ALLJIG have pointed out that the suitable new innovation way for oil shale separation can be wet separation with gravity, where material by pulsating water forming layers of grains according to their density and subsequently separates the heavy material (limestone) from the stratified material (oil shale)bed. Main aim of this research is to find the suitable separation process for oil shale, that the products have highest quality. The expected results can be used also for developing separation processes for phosphorite rock or all others, where traditional separation processes doesn't work property. This research is part of the study Sustainable and environmentally acceptable Oil shale mining No. 3.2.0501.11-0025 http://mi.ttu.ee/etp and the project B36 Extraction and processing of rock with selective methods - http://mi.ttu.ee/separation; http://mi.ttu.ee/miningwaste/

Separation of cesium-137 from uranium fission products via a NeoflonR column supporting tetraphenylboron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitney, C.D.; Landsberger, S.

2009-01-01

Cesium is a member of the Group I alkali metals, very reactive earth metals that react vigorously with both air and water. The chemistry of cesium is much like the chemistry of neighboring elements on the periodic table, potassium and rubidium. This close relation creates many problems in plant-life exposed to cesium because it is so easily confused for potassium, an essential nutrient to plants. Radioactive 134 Cs and 137 Cs are also chemically akin to potassium and stable cesium. Uptake of these radioactive isotopes from groundwater by plant-life destroys the plant-life and can potentially expose humans to the radioactive affects of 134 Cs and 137 Cs. Much experimental work has been focused on the separation of 137 Cs from uranium fission products. In previous experimental work performed a column consisting of Kel-F supporting tetraphenylboron (TPB) was utilized to separate 137 Cs from uranium fission products. It is of interest at this time to attempt the separation of 134 Cs from 0.01M EDTA using the same method and Neoflon in the place of Kel-F as the inert support. The results of this experiment give a separation efficiency of 88% and show a linear relationship between the column bed length and the separation efficiency obtained. (author)

Residential mobility and migration of the separated

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maarten van Ham

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Separation is known to have a disruptive effect on the housing careers of those involved, mainly because a decrease in resources causes (temporary downward moves on the housing ladder. Little is known about the geographies of the residential mobility behaviour of the separated. Applying a hazard analysis to retrospective life-course data for the Netherlands, we investigate three hypotheses: individuals who experienced separation move more often than do steady singles and people in intact couple relationships, they are less likely to move over long distances, and they move more often to cities than people in intact couple relationships. The results show that separation leads to an increase in mobility, to moves over short distance for men with children, and to a prevalence of the city as a destination of moves.

Phase separation of self-propelled ballistic particles

Science.gov (United States)

Bruss, Isaac R.; Glotzer, Sharon C.

2018-04-01

Self-propelled particles phase-separate into coexisting dense and dilute regions above a critical density. The statistical nature of their stochastic motion lends itself to various theories that predict the onset of phase separation. However, these theories are ill-equipped to describe such behavior when noise becomes negligible. To overcome this limitation, we present a predictive model that relies on two density-dependent timescales: τF, the mean time particles spend between collisions; and τC, the mean lifetime of a collision. We show that only when τF<τC do collisions last long enough to develop a growing cluster and initiate phase separation. Using both analytical calculations and active particle simulations, we measure these timescales and determine the critical density for phase separation in both two and three dimensions.

Modeling of Multicomponent Mixture Separation Processes Using Hollow fiber Membrane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Sin-Ah; Kim, Jin-Kuk; Lee, Young Moo; Yeo, Yeong-Koo [Hanyang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2015-02-15

So far, most of research activities on modeling of membrane separation processes have been focused on binary feed mixture. But, in actual separation operations, binary feed is hard to find and most separation processes involve multicomponent feed mixture. In this work models for membrane separation processes treating multicomponent feed mixture are developed. Various model types are investigated and validity of proposed models are analysed based on experimental data obtained using hollowfiber membranes. The proposed separation models show quick convergence and exhibit good tracking performance.

Experimental study of multi-component separation by gas centrifuge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, M.S.; Liang, X.W.; Chen, W.N.; Yin, Y.T.

2006-01-01

Stable isotopes are applied in many areas and most stable isotopes are multi-component, This paper presents experimental results of several stable isotopes separation conducted in Tsinghua University by using ultra-speed gas centrifuges. Xe, WF 6 , TeF 6 , SiHCl 3 , SiF 4 were chosen as the process gases. By adjusting some of the centrifuge's parameters, the suitable centrifuge parameters for different process gas separations were found and the overall unit separation factors γ 0 were obtained by means of single gas centrifuge separation. The experimental results show that with appropriate process gases, stable isotope separation by gas centrifuge was effective. (authors)

Innovative CO{sub 2} separation of biogas by polymer resins: operation of a continuous lab-scale plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raab, Katharina; Lamprecht, Martina; Brechtel, Kevin; Scheffknecht, Guenter

2012-06-15

Upgrading biogas allows for the injection of biomethane into the natural gas grid and thus a decentralized use. Since the currently available techniques have a high energy demand, there is a high potential to improve biogas upgrading. Innovative CO{sub 2} separation of biogas by the use of polymer resins can reduce the energy demand, the capital expenditure, and the operational costs. In this study, we show the ability of polymer resin to selectively adsorb CO{sub 2}. Desorption tests showed the potential for continuous use of the resin. In a continuous lab-scale plant, numerous variations of process parameters were carried out and optimization possibilities were demonstrated. Methane purity up to 98% was achieved. The favorable estimated energy demand indicates the great potential of the demonstrated improved process. (copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH 8 Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Evaluation of phase separator number in hydrodesulfurization (HDS) unit

Science.gov (United States)

Jayanti, A. D.; Indarto, A.

2016-11-01

The removal process of acid gases such as H2S in natural gas processing industry is required in order to meet sales gas specification. Hydrodesulfurization (HDS)is one of the processes in the refinery that is dedicated to reduce sulphur.InHDS unit, phase separator plays important role to remove H2S from hydrocarbons, operated at a certain pressure and temperature. Optimization of the number of separator performed on the system is then evaluated to understand the performance and economics. From the evaluation, it shows that all systems were able to meet the specifications of H2S in the desired product. However, one separator system resulted the highest capital and operational costs. The process of H2S removal with two separator systems showed the best performance in terms of both energy efficiency with the lowest capital and operating cost. The two separator system is then recommended as a reference in the HDS unit to process the removal of H2S from natural gas.

Fast Plasma Potential Measurements Using an Emissive Probe

Science.gov (United States)

Ready, Amanda; Clark, Michael; Endrizzi, Douglass; Forest, Cary; Peterson, Ethan

2017-10-01

A heated emissive probe was developed for making direct plasma potential (Vp) measurements in rapidly fluctuating plasmas. Previous experiments on the Big Red Ball (BRB) were hindered by sudden potential drops, making Langmuir measurements of the plasma potential difficult. DC heating of a tungsten filament to emission allowed for fast (4 MHz) floating potential measurements that closely matched Vp. Two BRB experiments currently use the emissive probe. The investigation of unmagnetized, collisionless shocks used plasma potential measurements to study the sub-structure of strong plasma shocks. A separate investigation of emulated magnetospheres in laboratory plasmas used the plasma potential to map the equilibria and instabilities in the electric field of such structures. Results showing electric field measurements and comparison with cold Langmuir measurements will be presented. Future plans for probe modifications and applications to other experiments on the BRB will also be shown.

Numerical optimization for separation power of gas centrifuge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Dongjun; Zeng Shi; Liu Bing

2012-01-01

In order to obtain higher separation power of the gas centrifuge, the code was developed to solve the flow-field of the counter-current to acquire the separation power, which was integrated with the iSight software, so a numerical optimization model for separation power was presented, in which the driver conditions and the geometry parameters of the waste baffle were optimized to get the maximum separation power using the sequential quadratic programming arithmetic, and the 12% higher results was acquired, which shows the feasibility of this method. The results also note that the separation power of gas centrifuge is sensitive to the driver conditions and the structure parameters of the waste baffle, so it is necessary to perform the optimization calculation for the certain gas centrifuge model. (authors)

Separation of a light additive gas by separation nozzle cascades

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becker, E.; Bley, P.; Ehrfeld, W.; Fritz, W.; Steinhaus, H.

1984-01-01

Double-turn separation nozzles, in comparison with single-turn separation nozzles, offer much greater advantages in the separation of UF6 and H2 than in the separation of the U isotopes, for which the double-turn separation nozzles were conceived. By using a double-turn separation-nozzle stage as a preseparation stage in combination with a low-temperature separator, one can reduce the ratio of the buffer input stream to the product stream, in contrast with the solution used up to this time, with only a slight increase in cost of about an order of magnitude. The control program in the case of return feeding of the UF6 from the buffer and the danger of production losses connected with it are thereby correspondingly diminished. An example is given of the enrichment of 235U using the title facility with UF6. (orig./PW)

Efficient separations and processing crosscutting program 1996 technical exchange meeting. Proceedings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-02-01

This document contains summaries of technology development presented at the 1996 Efficient Separations and Processing Crosscutting Program Technical Exchange Meeting. This meeting is held annually to promote a free exchange of ideas among technology developers, potential users and other interested parties within the EM community. During this meeting the following many separation processes technologies were discussed such as ion exchange, membrane separation, vacuum distillation, selective sorption, and solvent extraction. Other topics discussed include: waste forms; testing or inorganic sorbents for radionuclide and heavy metal removal; selective crystallization; and electrochemical treatment of liquid wastes. This is the leading abstract, individual papers have been indexed separately for the databases.

Efficient separations and processing crosscutting program 1996 technical exchange meeting. Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

This document contains summaries of technology development presented at the 1996 Efficient Separations and Processing Crosscutting Program Technical Exchange Meeting. This meeting is held annually to promote a free exchange of ideas among technology developers, potential users and other interested parties within the EM community. During this meeting the following many separation processes technologies were discussed such as ion exchange, membrane separation, vacuum distillation, selective sorption, and solvent extraction. Other topics discussed include: waste forms; testing or inorganic sorbents for radionuclide and heavy metal removal; selective crystallization; and electrochemical treatment of liquid wastes. This is the leading abstract, individual papers have been indexed separately for the databases

Progress in metal ion separation and preconcentration: an overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bond, A. H.

1998-01-01

A brief historical perspective covering the most mature chemically-based metal ion separation methods is presented, as is a summary of the recommendations made in the 1987 National Research Council (NRC) report entitled ''Separation and Purification: Critical Needs and Opportunities''. A review of Progress in Metal Ion Separation and Preconcentration shows that advances are occurring in each area of need cited by the NRC. Following an explanation of the objectives and general organization of this book, the contents of each chapter are briefly summarized and some future research opportunities in metal ion separations are presented

On the problems of separation work unit for the laser isotope separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Lijun

2008-01-01

The concept of separation power or separation work, which is widely used in Uranium isotope separation industry is introduced historically for the weak separating machine and so-called 'ideal cascade'. Therefore, when this concept is applied to a laser isotope separation facility, which is deeply different from a cascade in structure and in mechanism of separation, some confusions may occur. By comparison the costs of SWU of laser isotope separation facility and an ideal cascade we come to a conclusion: the concept of separation work is not applicable for laser isotope separation. In order to compare the economics of laser isotope separation technique with diffusion or centrifugation techniques an equivalent cost of SWU is suggested in this paper. (author)

On Poor Separation in Magnetically Driven Shock Tube

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chang, C.T.

1973-01-01

Observations made at steady-state running conditions in a magnetically driven shock tube, with parallel-plate electrodes, showed that for a given discharge voltage, sufficient separation between the shock and the current-sheet occurred only at relatively high discharge pressures. As a comparison......, poor separations were also noted in conventional diaphragm-type shock tubes running at low initial pressures. It is demonstrated that the observed poor separation can be explained by a mass leakage, instead of through the wall boundary layer, but through the current-sheet itself....

Performance Analysis of Thiocarbonohydrazide as a Novel Selective Depressant for Chalcopyrite in Molybdenite-Chalcopyrite Separation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Changping Guan

2018-04-01

Full Text Available A novel surfactant, thiocarbonohydrazide (TCH, was synthesized and tested for the first time as a selective chalcopyrite depressant in Cu-Mo separation. Its adsorption mechanisms on chalcopyrite were studied by flotation tests, zeta potential, FTIR, XPS and ToF-SIMS measurements. FTIR and zeta potential analyses suggested that there was a strong chemisorption reaction between TCH and chalcopyrite, resulting in the formation of TCH–copper complexes. XPS and ToF-SIMS measurements further confirmed the chemisorption of TCH onto the chalcopyrite surface and showed that this chemisorption reaction is due to its S and N atoms, which form five-membered chelating rings by releasing H ions.

Gradient Self-Doped CuBi2O4 with Highly Improved Charge Separation Efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Fuxian; Septina, Wilman; Chemseddine, Abdelkrim; Abdi, Fatwa F; Friedrich, Dennis; Bogdanoff, Peter; van de Krol, Roel; Tilley, S David; Berglund, Sean P

2017-10-25

A new strategy of using forward gradient self-doping to improve the charge separation efficiency in metal oxide photoelectrodes is proposed. Gradient self-doped CuBi 2 O 4 photocathodes are prepared with forward and reverse gradients in copper vacancies using a two-step, diffusion-assisted spray pyrolysis process. Decreasing the Cu/Bi ratio of the CuBi 2 O 4 photocathodes introduces Cu vacancies that increase the carrier (hole) concentration and lowers the Fermi level, as evidenced by a shift in the flat band toward more positive potentials. Thus, a gradient in Cu vacancies leads to an internal electric field within CuBi 2 O 4 , which can facilitate charge separation. Compared to homogeneous CuBi 2 O 4 photocathodes, CuBi 2 O 4 photocathodes with a forward gradient show highly improved charge separation efficiency and enhanced photoelectrochemical performance for reduction reactions, while CuBi 2 O 4 photocathodes with a reverse gradient show significantly reduced charge separation efficiency and photoelectrochemical performance. The CuBi 2 O 4 photocathodes with a forward gradient produce record AM 1.5 photocurrent densities for CuBi 2 O 4 up to -2.5 mA/cm 2 at 0.6 V vs RHE with H 2 O 2 as an electron scavenger, and they show a charge separation efficiency of 34% for 550 nm light. The gradient self-doping accomplishes this without the introduction of external dopants, and therefore the tetragonal crystal structure and carrier mobility of CuBi 2 O 4 are maintained. Lastly, forward gradient self-doped CuBi 2 O 4 photocathodes are protected with a CdS/TiO 2 heterojunction and coated with Pt as an electrocatalyst. These photocathodes demonstrate photocurrent densities on the order of -1.0 mA/cm 2 at 0.0 V vs RHE and evolve hydrogen with a faradaic efficiency of ∼91%.

Basic separative power of multi-component isotopes separation in a gas centrifuge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, Hongmin; Lei, Zengguang; Zhuge, Fu

2008-01-01

On condition that the overall separation factor per unit exists in centrifuge for multi-component isotopes separation, the relations between separative power of each component and molecular weight have been investigated in the paper while the value function and the separative power of binary-component separation are adopted. The separative power of each component is proportional to the square of the molecular weight difference between its molecular weight and the average molecular weight of other remnant components. In addition, these relations are independent on the number of the components and feed concentrations. The basic separative power and related expressions, suggested in the paper, can be used for estimating the separative power of each component and analyzing the separation characteristics. The most valuable application of the basic separative power is to evaluate the separative capacity of centrifuge for multi-component isotopes. (author)

Notes on the Prediction of Shock-induced Boundary-layer Separation

Science.gov (United States)

Lange, Roy H.

1953-01-01

The present status of available information relative to the prediction of shock-induced boundary-layer separation is discussed. Experimental results showing the effects of Reynolds number and Mach number on the separation of both laminar and turbulent boundary layer are given and compared with available methods for predicting separation. The flow phenomena associated with separation caused by forward-facing steps, wedges, and incident shock waves are discussed. Applications of the flat-plate data to problems of separation on spoilers, diffusers, and scoop inlets are indicated for turbulent boundary layers.

Separability of diagonal symmetric states: a quadratic conic optimization problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jordi Tura

2018-01-01

Full Text Available We study the separability problem in mixtures of Dicke states i.e., the separability of the so-called Diagonal Symmetric (DS states. First, we show that separability in the case of DS in $C^d\\otimes C^d$ (symmetric qudits can be reformulated as a quadratic conic optimization problem. This connection allows us to exchange concepts and ideas between quantum information and this field of mathematics. For instance, copositive matrices can be understood as indecomposable entanglement witnesses for DS states. As a consequence, we show that positivity of the partial transposition (PPT is sufficient and necessary for separability of DS states for $d \\leq 4$. Furthermore, for $d \\geq 5$, we provide analytic examples of PPT-entangled states. Second, we develop new sufficient separability conditions beyond the PPT criterion for bipartite DS states. Finally, we focus on $N$-partite DS qubits, where PPT is known to be necessary and sufficient for separability. In this case, we present a family of almost DS states that are PPT with respect to each partition but nevertheless entangled.

Composite separators and redox flow batteries based on porous separators

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bin; Wei, Xiaoliang; Luo, Qingtao; Nie, Zimin; Wang, Wei; Sprenkle, Vincent L.

2016-01-12

Composite separators having a porous structure and including acid-stable, hydrophilic, inorganic particles enmeshed in a substantially fully fluorinated polyolefin matrix can be utilized in a number of applications. The inorganic particles can provide hydrophilic characteristics. The pores of the separator result in good selectivity and electrical conductivity. The fluorinated polymeric backbone can result in high chemical stability. Accordingly, one application of the composite separators is in redox flow batteries as low cost membranes. In such applications, the composite separator can also enable additional property-enhancing features compared to ion-exchange membranes. For example, simple capacity control can be achieved through hydraulic pressure by balancing the volumes of electrolyte on each side of the separator. While a porous separator can also allow for volume and pressure regulation, in RFBs that utilize corrosive and/or oxidizing compounds, the composite separators described herein are preferable for their robustness in the presence of such compounds.

Computational Screening of MOF-Based Mixed Matrix Membranes for CO2/N2 Separations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zeynep Sumer

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Atomically detailed simulations were used to examine CO2/N2 separation potential of metal organic framework- (MOF- based mixed matrix membranes (MMMs in this study. Gas permeability and selectivity of 700 new MMMs composed of 70 different MOFs and 10 different polymers were calculated for CO2/N2 separation. This is the largest number of MOF-based MMMs for which computational screening is done to date. Selecting the appropriate MOFs as filler particles in polymers resulted in MMMs that have higher CO2/N2 selectivities and higher CO2 permeabilities compared to pure polymer membranes. We showed that, for polymers that have low CO2 permeabilities but high CO2 selectivities, the identity of the MOF used as filler is not important. All MOFs enhanced the CO2 permeabilities of this type of polymers without changing their selectivities. Several MOF-based MMMs were identified to exceed the upper bound established for polymers. The methods we introduced in this study will create many opportunities to select the MOF/polymer combinations with useful properties for CO2 separation applications.

Application of ionic liquids in liquid chromatography and electrodriven separation.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yi; Yao, Shun; Song, Hang

2013-08-01

Ionic liquids (ILs) are salts in the liquid state at ambient temperature, which are nonvolatile, nonflammable with high thermal stability and dissolve easily for a wide range of inorganic and organic materials. As a kind of potential green solvent, they show high efficiency and selectivity in the field of separation research, especially in instrumental analysis. Thus far, ILs have been successfully applied by many related researchers in high-performance liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis as chromatographic stationary phases, mobile phase additives or electroosmotic flow modifiers. This paper provides a detailed review of these applications in the study of natural products, foods, drugs and other fine chemicals. Furthermore, the prospects of ILs in liquid chromatographic and electrodriven techniques are discussed.

Rapid chemical separations

CERN Document Server

Trautmann, N

1976-01-01

A survey is given on the progress of fast chemical separation procedures during the last few years. Fast, discontinuous separation techniques are illustrated by a procedure for niobium. The use of such techniques for the chemical characterization of the heaviest known elements is described. Other rapid separation methods from aqueous solutions are summarized. The application of the high speed liquid chromatography to the separation of chemically similar elements is outlined. The use of the gas jet recoil transport method for nuclear reaction products and its combination with a continuous solvent extraction technique and with a thermochromatographic separation is presented. Different separation methods in the gas phase are briefly discussed and the attachment of a thermochromatographic technique to an on-line mass separator is shown. (45 refs).

Visual evoked potentials show strong positive association with intracranial pressure in patients with cryptococcal meningitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcelo Adriano da Cunha Silva Vieira

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Objective : To verify the relationship between intracranial pressure and flash visual evoked potentials (F-VEP in patients with cryptococcal meningitis. Method The sample included adults diagnosed with cryptococcal meningitis admitted at a reference hospital for infectious diseases. The patients were subjected to F-VEP tests shortly before lumbar puncture. The Pearson’s linear correlation coefficient was calculated and the linear regression analysis was performed. Results : Eighteen individuals were subjected to a total of 69 lumbar punctures preceded by F-VEP tests. At the first lumbar puncture performed in each patient, N2 latency exhibited a strong positive correlation with intracranial pressure (r = 0.83; CI = 0.60 - 0.94; p < 0.0001. The direction of this relationship was maintained in subsequent punctures. Conclusion : The intracranial pressure measured by spinal tap manometry showed strong positive association with the N2 latency F-VEP in patients with cryptococcal meningitis.

Robust and durable superhydrophobic cotton fabrics for oil/water separation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xiaoyan; Zhang, Zhaozhu; Xu, Xianghui; Guo, Fang; Zhu, Xiaotao; Men, Xuehu; Ge, Bo

2013-08-14

By introducing the incorporation of polyaniline and fluorinated alkyl silane to the cotton fabric via a facile vapor phase deposition process, the fabric surface possessed superhydrophobicity with the water contact angle of 156° and superoleophilicity with the oil contact angle of 0°. The as-prepared fabric can be applied as effective materials for the separation of water and oil mixture with separation efficiency as high as 97.8%. Compared with other materials for oil/water separation, the reported process was simple, time-saving, and repeatable for at least 30 times. Moreover, the obtained fabric kept stable superhydrophobicity and high separation efficiency under extreme environment conditions of high temperature, high humidity, strong acidic or alkaline solutions, and mechanical forces. Therefore, this reported fabric has the advantages of scalable fabrication, high separation efficiency, stable recyclability, and excellent durability, exhibiting the strong potential for industrial production.

Polymer Separators for High-Power, High-Efficiency Microbial Fuel Cells

KAUST Repository

Chen, Guang

2012-12-26

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) with hydrophilic poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) separators showed higher Coulombic efficiencies (94%) and power densities (1220 mW m-2) than cells with porous glass fiber separators or reactors without a separator after 32 days of operation. These remarkable increases in both the coublomic efficiency and the power production of the microbial fuel cells were made possible by the separator\\'s unique characteristics of fouling mitigation of the air cathode without a large increase in ionic resistance in the cell. This new type of polymer gel-like separator design will be useful for improving MFC reactor performance by enabling compact cell designs. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

Tritium separation from light and heavy water by bipolar electrolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petek, M.; Ramey, D.W.; Taylor, R.D.

1981-01-01

Using multiple bipolar electrolytic separation of hydrogen isotopes with Pd-25%Ag electrodes, the mathematical feasibility of this method for tritium separation was shown and experimentally verified. Separation factors were measured on single bipolar electrodes and were found to be approximately equivalent to those associated with individual ordinary electrolytic systems. Multibipolar separations were experimentally achieved in single cascaded cells in which each bipolar electrode was of equal area to others in a series arrangement. Factors measured for multibipolar H-D separation were close to the values measured in single-stage cell measurements; for H-T separation, interstage leakage reduced the measured separation factor. However, in both cases separation of sufficient magnitude was achieved to show feasibility for real application to the extraction of tritium from large-volume systems at high current density. (author)

Resonant coupling between ion bounce in a potential well and the potential relaxation instability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popa, G.; Schrittwieser, R.

1994-01-01

When in a double plasma machine (DP-machine) plasma is produced solely in the source chamber, not only ions but also electrons can leak through the separating grid into the target chamber, so that a low-density plasma forms there. The electrons are trapped by the traveling ion space charge and can thereby overcome the strongly negative grid bias. The investigations presented here show that a positive space-charge forms behind the grid in the target chamber and a deep potential well is formed around the grid. When the anode of the target chamber is biased positively, under certain conditions a low-frequency instability is observed in the target chamber, the properties of which indicate a potential relaxation oscillation, somewhat similar to the potential relaxation instability in a quiescent plasma machine (Q machine). The frequency of the instability is determined by the ion transit time through a thin layer of the target chamber plasma. In addition, resonant coupling occurs between this frequency and the bounce frequency of ions in the potential well around the grid

Temperature-responsive chromatography for the separation of biomolecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanazawa, Hideko; Okano, Teruo

2011-12-09

Temperature-responsive chromatography for the separation of biomolecules utilizing poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) and its copolymer-modified stationary phase is performed with an aqueous mobile phase without using organic solvent. The surface properties and function of the stationary phase are controlled by external temperature changes without changing the mobile-phase composition. This analytical system is based on nonspecific adsorption by the reversible transition of a hydrophilic-hydrophobic PNIPAAm-grafted surface. The driving force for retention is hydrophobic interaction between the solute molecules and the hydrophobized polymer chains on the stationary phase surface. The separation of the biomolecules, such as nucleotides and proteins was achieved by a dual temperature- and pH-responsive chromatography system. The electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions could be modulated simultaneously with the temperature in an aqueous mobile phase, thus the separation system would have potential applications in the separation of biomolecules. Additionally, chromatographic matrices prepared by a surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) exhibit a strong interaction with analytes, because the polymerization procedure forms a densely packed polymer, called a polymer brush, on the surfaces. The copolymer brush grafted surfaces prepared by ATRP was an effective tool for separating basic biomolecules by modulating the electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. Applications of thermally responsive columns for the separations of biomolecules are reviewed here. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation and Modification of Processes for Bioethanol Separation and Production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johnner P Sitompul

2012-04-01

Full Text Available This paper concerns on process evaluation and modification for bioethanol separation and production by applying pinch technology. Further, the paper is also focused on obtaining a most energy-efficient process among several processes. Three basic process configurations of bioethanol separation and production were selected for this study. The three separations and production systems are Othmer process, Barbet process and a separation process that operates under vacuum condition. Basically, each process is combination of Danish Distilleries process with a separation system yielding 95% (v/v bioethanol. The production capacity of the plant is estimated about 4 x 107 litre of bioethanol 95% (v/v per year. The result of the studies shows that the most energy efficient process among the three processes evaluated is the Othmer process, followed by the Barbet process and the process involving vacuum operation. The evaluation also shows that further energy saving can be carried for Barbet and Othmer process configuration when Tmin = 10oC for heat exchange possible.

Separation efficiency of the MASHA facility for short-lived mercury isotopes

Science.gov (United States)

Rodin, A. M.; Belozerov, A. V.; Chernysheva, E. V.; Dmitriev, S. N.; Gulyaev, A. V.; Gulyaeva, A. V.; Itkis, M. G.; Kliman, J.; Kondratiev, N. A.; Krupa, L.; Novoselov, A. S.; Oganessian, Yu. Ts.; Podshibyakin, A. V.; Salamatin, V. S.; Siváček, I.; Stepantsov, S. V.; Vanin, D. V.; Vedeneev, V. Yu.; Yukhimchuk, S. A.; Granja, C.; Pospisil, S.

2014-06-01

The mass-separator MASHA built to identify Super Heavy Elements by their mass-to-charge ratios is described. The results of the off- and on-line measurements of its separation efficiency are presented. In the former case four calibrated leaks of noble gases were used. In the latter the efficiency was measured via 284 MeV Ar beam and with using the hot catcher. The ECR ion source was used in both cases. The -radioactive isotopes of mercury produced in the complete fusion reaction Ar+SmHg+xn were detected at the mass-separator focal plane. The half-lives and the separation efficiency for the short-lived mercury isotopes were measured. Potentialities of the MEDIPIX detector system have been demonstrated for future use at the mass-separator MASHA.

Bench-scale magnetic separation of Department of Energy wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoegler, J.M.

1987-07-01

Criteria were developed for selection of candidate wastes for testing magnetic separation of uranium and/or other paramagnetic materials. A survey of Department of Energy (DOE) hazardous wastes was conducted to determine good candidates for bench-scale magnetic separation tests. Representatives of 21 DOE sites were contacted, and 11 materials were identified as potential candidates for magnetic separation. To date, seven samples have been obtained and tested for separability of uranium with a bench-scale magnetic assaying device. The samples tested have been obtained from the K-1401B and K-1401C ponds in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; from waste piles in Maywood, New Jersey; from North and South Ponds in Richland, Washington; and from magnesium fluoride drums in Fernald, Ohio. The magnetic device utilized in these tests can be used in an open-gradient mode with dry particulate or liquid-suspended materials. Uranium separation from magnesium fluoride has shown exceptionally good performance in both open- and high-gradient modes and could be an important application of the technology

Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 (ZIF-8) Membranes for Kr/Xe Separation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Ting; Feng, Xuhui; Elsaidi, Sameh K.; Thallapally, Praveen K.; Carreon, Moises A.

2017-01-30

Herein, we demonstrate that a prototypical type of metal organic framework, zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8), in membrane form, can effectively separate Kr/Xe gas mixtures at industrially relevant compositions. The best membranes separated Kr/Xe mixtures with average Kr permeances as high as 1.5 × 10^-8 ± 0.2 mol/m² s Pa and average separation selectivities of 14.2 ± 1.9 for molar feed compositions corresponding to Kr/Xe ratio encountered typically in air. Molecular sieving, competitive adsorption, and differences in diffusivities were identified as the prevailing separation mechanisms. These membranes potentially represent a less-energy-intensive alternative to cryogenic distillation, which is the benchmark technology used to separate this challenging gas mixture. To our best knowledge, this is the first example of any metal organic membrane composition displaying separation ability for Kr/Xe gas mixtures.

Preliminary survey of separations technology applicable to the pretreatment of Hanford tank waste (1992--1993)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lawrence, W.E.; Kurath, D.E.

1994-04-01

The US Department of Energy has established the Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) to manage and dispose of radioactive wastes stored at the Hanford Site. Within this program are evaluations of pretreatment system alternatives through literature reviews. The information in this report was collected as part of this project at Pacific Northwest Laboratory. A preliminary survey of literature on separations recently entered into the Hanford electronic databases (1992--1993) that have the potential for pretreatment of Hanford tank waste was conducted. Separation processes that can assist in the removal of actinides (uranium, plutonium, americium), lanthanides, barium, 137 Cs, 90 Sr, 129 I, 63 Ni, and 99 Tc were evaluated. Separation processes of interest were identified through literature searches, journal reviews, and participation in separation technology conferences. This report contains brief descriptions of the potential separation processes, the extent and/or selectivity of the separation, the experimental conditions, and observations. Information was collected on both national and international separation studies to provide a global perspective on recent research efforts

Flotation separation of uranium from contaminated soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Misra, M.; Mehta, R.; Garcia, H.; Chai, C.D.; Smith, R.W.

1995-01-01

The volume of low-level contaminated soil at the Department of Energy's Nuclear Weapon Sites are in the order of several million tons. Most of the contaminants are uranium, plutonium, other heavy metals and organic compounds. Selected physical separation processes have shown demonstrated potential in concentrating the radionuclides in a small fraction of the soil. Depending upon the size, nature of bonding and distributions of radionuclides, more than 90% of the radionuclide activity can be concentrated in a small volume of fraction of the soil. The physico-chemical separation processes such as flotation in a mechanical and microbubble tall column cell have shown promising applications in cleaning up the high volume contaminated soil

Intelligent supervision control for the VASPS separator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Melo, A.V.; Mendes, J.R.P. [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), SP (Brazil)], E-mail: jricardo@dep.fem.unicamp.br; Serapiao, A.B.S [Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP (Brazil)

2007-10-15

The Vertical Annular Separation and Pumping System, VASPS, has been applied to low-pressure subsea wells with high gas production potential. In this system, the separation is carried out on the sea bed, thus allowing the monophase transmission through different pipelines. In the present work, an analysis has been established between two conceptually distinct models for the control system, which is under development and uses the Fuzzy Control technique for the Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP) speed selection. The contrast is held on the objective of each controller, placing the operational performance against the stability of the control signal, which leads to the exploration of many specific aspects of the system, its behavior and requirements. (author)

Benzene and cyclohexane separation using 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate

Science.gov (United States)

Gonfa, Girma; Ismail, Marhaina; Bustam, Mohamad Azmi

2017-09-01

Cyclohexane is mainly produced by catalytic hydrogenation of benzene. Removal of unreacted benzene from the product stream is very important in this process. However, due to their close boiling points and azeotrope formation, it is very difficult to separate cyclohexane and benzene by conventional distillation. Currently, special separation processes such as processes extractive distillation is commercially used for this separation. However, this extractive distillation suffers from process complexity and higher energy consumption due to their low extractive selectivity of molecular entrainers used. The aim of the present work is to investigate the applicability of ionic liquids as entrainer in extractive distillation of benzene and cyclohexane mixture. In this study, we investigated 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate ([BMIM][SCN]) ionic liquid for separation of benzene and cyclohexane by measuring the Vapor Liquid Equilibrium data of the two components in the presence of the ionic liquid. As green and potential environmentally friendly solvents, ionic liquids have attracted increasing attention as alternative conventional entrainers in extractive distillation. Isothermal Vapor Liquid Equilibrium for the benzene + cyclohexane + [BMIM][SCN] ternary system was obtained at 353.15 K using a Head Space Gas Chromatography. The addition of [BMIM][SCN] breaks the benzene-cyclohexane azeotrope and increased the relative volatility cyclohexane to benzene in the mixture. The effect of [BMIM][SCN] on the relative volatility cyclohexane to benzene was studied at various benzene and cyclohexane compositions and solvent to feed ratios. The performance of [BMIM][SCN] was compared with typical conventional solvents, dimethylformamide (DMF) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). The results show that the relative volatility of cyclohexane to benzene in the presence of [BMIM][SCN] is higher compared that of DMSO and DMF.

Technical feasibility of advanced separation; Faisabilite technique de la separation poussee

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rostaing, Ch

2004-07-01

Advanced separation aims at reducing the amount and toxicity of high-level and long lived radioactive wastes. The Purex process has been retained as a reference way for the recovery of the most radio-toxic elements: neptunium, technetium and iodine. Complementary solvent extraction processes have to be developed for the separation of americium, curium and cesium from the high activity effluent of the spent fuel reprocessing treatment. Researches have been carried out with the aim of demonstrating the scientifical and technical feasibility of advanced separation of minor actinides and long lived fission products from spent fuels. The scientifical feasibility was demonstrated at the end of 2001. The technical feasibility works started in the beginning of 2002. Many results have been obtained which are presented and summarized in this document: approach followed, processes retained for the technical feasibility (An/Ln and Am/Cm separation), processes retained for further validation at the new shielded Purex installation, technical feasibility of Purex adaptation to Np separation, technical feasibility of Diamex (first step: (An+Ln)/other fission products) separation), technical feasibility of Sanex process (second step: An(III)/Ln(III) separation), technical feasibility of Am(III)/Cm(III) separation, cesium separation, iodine separation, technical-economical evaluation, conclusions and perspectives, facilities and apparatuses used for the experiments. (J.S.)

A strain-controlled C2N monolayer membrane for gas separation in PEMFC application

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Shengwei; Hu, Hui; Zhuang, Guilin; Zhong, Xing; Wang, Jianguo

2018-05-01

Ultrathin membranes with controllable pore sizes have great potential to realize high-selectivity gas separation at low energy cost, especially for those mixtures with narrow size distributions. Using a combination of van der Waals-corrected density functional theory (DFT) calculations and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, we examine the separation ability of biaxial stretched monolayer C2N nanosheets which is applied to the O2 separation from CO/CO2/O2 mixtures in the cathode of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). The DFT calculations show that the diffusion energy barrier for molecules passing through the membrane followed by CO, CO2 and O2 in descending order, and an overall decrease of energy barriers due to the widen the pore size is observed with the increase of applied strains. Furthermore, MD results show that the nanosheet can effectively purify O2 from CO2 and CO with a strain from 8% to 10%. It confirms that the selectivity is determined by the electronic structure related interaction in addition to the kinetic diameter of individual molecules. The O2 permeability is improved progressively with further increase of strain, and small amount of CO2 begins to permeate through the nanosheet at relatively large strain, while the excellent CO isolation is not compromised until the theoretical maximum strain.

Fundamental laws of separation by the gaseous diffusion process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouligand, G.M.

1964-01-01

Using the Knudsen's law for the flow of each component of a gaseous mixture through a porous membrane, we derive the overall separation laws and the separation power for one stage of diffusion: Various types of stages differing by the geometrical configuration and the flow nature are considered. For the sake of simplicity physical phenomena causing a loss of separation efficiency are neglected. Computation show the advantages of counter-current type stage with one entering and two leaving flows. A more refined theory of separation can be derived with the same basis of this work. (author) [fr

Progress in metal ion separation and preconcentration : an overview.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bond, A. H.

1998-05-19

A brief historical perspective covering the most mature chemically-based metal ion separation methods is presented, as is a summary of the recommendations made in the 1987 National Research Council (NRC) report entitled ''Separation and Purification: Critical Needs and Opportunities''. A review of Progress in Metal Ion Separation and Preconcentration shows that advances are occurring in each area of need cited by the NRC. Following an explanation of the objectives and general organization of this book, the contents of each chapter are briefly summarized and some future research opportunities in metal ion separations are presented.

Separability of three qubit Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger diagonal states

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Kyung Hoon; Kye, Seung-Hyeok

2017-04-01

We characterize the separability of three qubit GHZ diagonal states in terms of entries. This enables us to check separability of GHZ diagonal states without decomposition into the sum of pure product states. In the course of discussion, we show that the necessary criterion of Gühne (2011 Entanglement criteria and full separability of multi-qubit quantum states Phys. Lett. A 375 406-10) for (full) separability of three qubit GHZ diagonal states is sufficient with a simpler formula. The main tool is to use entanglement witnesses which are tri-partite Choi matrices of positive bi-linear maps.

Hydrogen separation membranes annual report for FY 2010.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balachandran, U.; Dorris, S. E; Emerson, J. E.; Lee, T. H.; Lu, Y.; Park, C. Y.; Picciolo, J. J. (Energy Systems)

2011-03-14

The objective of this work is to develop dense ceramic membranes for separating hydrogen from other gaseous components in a nongalvanic mode, i.e., without using an external power supply or electrical circuitry. The goal of this project is to develop dense hydrogen transport membranes (HTMs) that nongalvanically (i.e., without electrodes or external power supply) separate hydrogen from gas mixtures at commercially significant fluxes under industrially relevant operating conditions. These membranes will be used to separate hydrogen from gas mixtures such as the product streams from coal gasification, methane partial oxidation, and water-gas shift reactions. Potential ancillary uses of HTMs include dehydrogenation and olefin production, as well as hydrogen recovery in petroleum refineries and ammonia synthesis plants, the largest current users of deliberately produced hydrogen. This report describes the results from the development and testing of HTM materials during FY 2010.

Selective adsorption of benzhydroxamic acid on fluorite rendering selective separation of fluorite/calcite

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Wei; Gao, Zhiyong; Khoso, Sultan Ahmed; Gao, Jiande; Sun, Wei; Pu, Wei; Hu, Yuehua

2018-03-01

Fluorite, a chief source of fluorine in the nature, usually coexists with calcite mineral in ore deposits. Worldwide, flotation techniques with a selective collector and/or a selective depressant are commonly preferred for the separation of fluorite from calcite. In the present study, an attempt was made to use benzhydroxamic acid (BHA) as a collector for the selective separation of fluorite from calcite without using any depressant. Results obtained from the flotation experiments for single mineral and mixed binary minerals revealed that the BHA has a good selective collecting ability for the fluorite when 50 mg/L of BHA was used at pH of 9. The results from the zeta potential and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicated that the BHA easily chemisorbs onto the fluorite as compared to calcite. Crystal chemistry calculations showed the larger Ca density and the higher Ca activity on fluorite surface mainly account for the selective adsorption of BHA on fluorite, leading to the selective separation of fluorite from calcite. Moreover, a stronger hydrogen bonding with BHA and the weaker electrostatic repulsion with BHA- also contribute to the stronger interaction of BHA species with fluorite surface.

Radiation Simulations and Development of Concepts for High Power Beam Dumps, Catchers and Pre-separator Area Layouts for the Fragment Separators for RIA

CERN Document Server

Ronningen, Reginald; Beene, James R; Blideanu, Valetin; Boles, Jason; Bollen, Georg; Burgess, Thomas; Carter, Ken; Conner, David L; Gabriel, Tony A; Geissel, Hans; Gomes, Itacil C; Heilbronn, Lawrence; Iwase, Hiroshi; Lawton, Don; Levand, Anthony; Mansur, Louis; Momozaki, Yoichi; Morrissey, David; Nolen, Jerry; Reed, Claude; Remec, Igor; Rennich, Mark; Reyes, Susana; Sherrill, Bradley; Stein, Werner; Stoyer, Mark; Stracener, Dan; Wendel, Mark; Zeller, Al

2005-01-01

The development of high-power beam dumps and catchers, and pre-separator layouts for proposed fragment separators of the Rare-Isotope Accelerator (RIA) facility are important in realizing how to handle the 400 kW in the primary beam. We will present examples of pre-conceptual designs of beam dumps, fragment catchers, and the pre-separator layout. We will also present examples of ongoing work on radiation simulations using the heavy-ion-transport code PHITS, characterizing the secondary radiation produced by the high-power ion beams interacting with these devices. Results on radiation heating of targets, magnet coils, associated hardware and shielding, component activation, and levels of radiation dose will be presented. These initial studies will yield insight into the impact of the high-power dissipation on fragment separator design, remote handling concepts, nuclear safety and potential facility hazard classification, shielding design, civil construction design, component design, and material choices. Furth...

Responses of free-ranging rhesus monkeys to a natural form of social separation. I. Parallels with mother-infant separation in captivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Berman, C M; Rasmussen, K L; Suomi, S J

1994-08-01

Observations of 23 free-ranging rhesus monkey infants on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico, indicated that mothers' first postpartum estrous periods were marked by large increases in the amount of time infants were separated from their mothers, by disturbances in mother-infant relationships, and by increases in infant distress behavior. When their mothers resumed mating, most infants showed signs of agitation; a few briefly showed indications of depression. Male infants responded to their mothers' resumption of mating by playing more, whereas females engaged in less play and more allogrooming. The results suggest (a) that basic parallels exist between the behavioral responses of rhesus infants to their mothers' resumption of mating in the field and to forcible separation from their mothers in captivity and (b) that early separation experiences may play a role in the normal development or manifestation of sex differences in behavior.

Monodisperse Multidimensional Nanostructures via Centrifugal Separation

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Yu Jin

Anisotropic nanomaterials, including zero-dimensional metallic nanoparticles (MNPs), one-dimensional single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), and two-dimensional few-layer black phosphorous (FL-P) exhibit interesting structure-dependent properties that could be exploited in biomedicine, plasmonics, and optoelectronics. In this thesis, centrifugation sorting of these nanomaterials is utilized for structure refinement, investigation of structure-dependent optical response, and applications in biomedical imaging and plasmonics. Nobel NMPs show unique shape- and size-dependent optical properties. Controlled synthetic methods are developed to manipulate the structure of these NMPs, but intrinsically produce dispersions of polydisperse NPs with various shape and size, and synthetic byproducts. Here, we describe a facile strategy for separating small (edge length 80%) and subsequently achieve a 2.5 fold enhancement in refractive index sensitivity, comparable to the unsorted mixture. This shallow DGC approach is robust and reliable, and therefore can be applied to other metal nanostructures for concomitant improvements in plasmonic properties and applications. Using the identical separation strategy in the previous study, we are able to enrich gold nanostars as a function of branch number. In particular, we explore different variants of density gradient media to ensure compatibility with the star shape and colloid stability. We determine that sucrose is compatible with nanostars stability and surface functionalizaton. The refined population of gold stars are functionalized with Gd(III)-DNA to act as MRI contrast agents, and thus enables us to investigate how populations of nanostars with different branch numbers contribute to the relaxivity of surface bound Gd(III)-DNA. It is shown that the increased relaxivity of DNA-Gd star is correlated with increased number of star branches, not with increased size of the stars. Therefore, shape is a new parameter which can be tuned in

Mathematical actions as procedural resources: An example from the separation of variables

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael C. Wittmann

2015-09-01

Full Text Available [This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Upper Division Physics Courses.] Students learning to separate variables in order to solve a differential equation have multiple ways of correctly doing so. The procedures involved in separation include division or multiplication after properly grouping terms in an equation, moving terms (again, at times grouped from one location on the page to another, or simply carrying out separation as a single act without showing any steps. We describe student use of these procedures in terms of Hammer’s resources, showing that each of the previously listed procedures is its own “piece” of a larger problem solving activity. Our data come from group examinations of students separating variables while solving an air resistance problem in an intermediate mechanics class. Through detailed analysis of four groups of students, we motivate that the mathematical procedures are resources and show the issues that students must resolve in order to successfully separate variables. We use this analysis to suggest ways in which new resources (such as separation come to be.

Pseudo-stationary separation materials for highly parallel separations.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, Anup K.; Palmer, Christopher (University of Montana, Missoula, MT)

2005-05-01

Goal of this study was to develop and characterize novel polymeric materials as pseudostationary phases in electrokinetic chromatography. Fundamental studies have characterized the chromatographic selectivity of the materials as a function of chemical structure and molecular conformation. The selectivities of the polymers has been studied extensively, resulting in a large body of fundamental knowledge regarding the performance and selectivity of polymeric pseudostationary phases. Two polymers have also been used for amino acid and peptide separations, and with laser induced fluorescence detection. The polymers performed well for the separation of derivatized amino acids, and provided some significant differences in selectivity relative to a commonly used micellar pseudostationary phase. The polymers did not perform well for peptide separations. The polymers were compatible with laser induced fluorescence detection, indicating that they should also be compatible with chip-based separations.

Separable expansion for realistic multichannel scattering problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canton, L.; Cattapan, G.; Pisent, G.

1987-01-01

A new approach to the multichannel scattering problem with realistic local or nonlocal interactions is developed. By employing the negative-energy solutions of uncoupled Sturmian eigenvalue problems referring to simple auxiliary potentials, the coupling interactions appearing to the original multichannel problem are approximated by finite-rank potentials. By resorting to integral-equation tecniques the coupled-channel equations are then reduced to linear algebraic equations which can be straightforwardly solved. Compact algebraic expressions for the relevant scattering matrix elements are thus obtained. The convergence of the method is tasted in the single-channel case with realistic optical potentials. Excellent agreement is obtained with a few terms in the separable expansion for both real and absorptive interactions

Protein separations using enhanced-fluidity liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, Raffeal; Olesik, Susan V

2017-11-10

Enhanced-fluidity liquid chromatography (EFLC) methods using methanol/H 2 O/CO 2 and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) were explored for the separation of proteins and peptides. EFLC is a separation mode that uses a mobile phase made of conventional solvents combined with liquid carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in subcritical conditions. The addition of liquid CO 2 enhances diffusivity and decreases viscosity while maintaining mixture polarity, which typically results in reduced time of analysis. TFA additive and elevated temperature were leveraged as key factors in the separation of a 13-analyte intact protein mixture in under 5min. Under these conditions EFLC showed modest improvement in terms of peak asymmetry and analysis time over the competing ACN/H 2 O separation. Protein analytes detected by electrospray ionization - quadrupole time of flight, were shown to be unaffected by the addition of CO 2 in the mobile phase. Herein, the feasibility of separating hydrophilic proteins up to 80kDa (with transferrin) is demonstrated for CO 2 -containing mobile phases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improved separability criteria via some classes of measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Shu-Qian; Li, Ming; Li-Jost, Xianqing; Fei, Shao-Ming

2018-05-01

The entanglement detection via local measurements can be experimentally implemented. Based on mutually unbiased measurements and general symmetric informationally complete positive-operator-valued measures, we present separability criteria for bipartite quantum states, which, by theoretical analysis, are stronger than the related existing criteria via these measurements. Two detailed examples are supplemented to show the efficiency of the presented separability criteria.

An analytical model for droplet separation in vane separators and measurements of grade efficiency and pressure drop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koopman, Hans K.; Köksoy, Çağatay; Ertunç, Özgür; Lienhart, Hermann; Hedwig, Heinz; Delgado, Antonio

2014-01-01

Highlights: • An analytical model for efficiency is extended with additional geometrical features. • A simplified and a novel vane separator design are investigated experimentally. • Experimental results are significantly affected by re-entrainment effects. • Outlet droplet size spectra are accurately predicted by the model. • The improved grade efficiency doubles the pressure drop. - Abstract: This study investigates the predictive power of analytical models for the droplet separation efficiency of vane separators and compares experimental results of two different vane separator geometries. The ability to predict the separation efficiency of vane separators simplifies their design process, especially when analytical research allows the identification of the most important physical and geometrical parameters and can quantify their contribution. In this paper, an extension of a classical analytical model for separation efficiency is proposed that accounts for the contributions provided by straight wall sections. The extension of the analytical model is benchmarked against experiments performed by Leber (2003) on a single stage straight vane separator. The model is in very reasonable agreement with the experimental values. Results from the analytical model are also compared with experiments performed on a vane separator of simplified geometry (VS-1). The experimental separation efficiencies, computed from the measured liquid mass balances, are significantly below the model predictions, which lie arbitrarily close to unity. This difference is attributed to re-entrainment through film detachment from the last stage of the vane separators. After adjustment for re-entrainment effects, by applying a cut-off filter to the outlet droplet size spectra, the experimental and theoretical outlet Sauter mean diameters show very good agreement. A novel vane separator geometry of patented design (VS-2) is also investigated, comparing experimental results with VS-1

Centrifugal gas separator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sakurai, M

1970-03-27

A centrifugal gas separator of a highly endurable construction and with improved gas sealing qualities utilizes a cylincrical elastic bellows or similar system in cooperation with a system of dynamic pressure operable gas seals as means for removing separated gases from the interior of the rotor drum, collecting the separated gases in their respective separated gas chambers defined by the corresponding bellows and their supporting stationary wall members, gas seals and rotor end caps, and means for discharging to the exterior of the surrounding cylindrical wall member the gaseous components from their respective separated gas chambers. In the vicinity of the rotary drum motor is a mixed gas chamber and means for providing the gas mixture along a co-axial passage into the rotary drum chamber. Orifices are bored into the end caps of the rotary drum to direct the separated gases into the aforementioned separated gas chambers which, through the action of the gas seals, freely slide upon the rotating drum to collect and thereafter discharge the thus separated gases. Therefore, according to the present invention, helium gas used to prevent separated gas remixture is unnecessary and, furthermore, the gas seals and elastic bellows means provide an air-tight seal superior to that of the contact sealing system of the former art.

Separating uranium by laser: the atomic process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Destro, Marcelo G.; Damiao, Alvaro J.; Neri, Jose W.; Schwab, Carlos; Rodrigues, Nicolau A.S.; Riva, Rudimar [Centro Tecnico Aeroespacial (CTA-IEAv), Sao Jose dos Campos, SP (Brazil). Inst. de Estudos Avancados

1996-07-01

Among the countries around the world that utilizes nuclear energy, several ones are investing significantly in the development of laser techniques applied to isotope separation. In Brazil these studies are concentrated in one research institute, the IEAv (Institute for Advanced Studies), and aim at demonstrating the viability of this process using, as much as possible, resources available in the country. In this paper we briefly describe the laser methods for isotope separation, giving an overview of the present research and development status in this area. We also show some results obtained our laboratories. We focused this report on the atomic route for laser isotope separation, mainly in the areas of laser development and spectroscopy. (author)

Separating uranium by laser: the atomic process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Destro, Marcelo G.; Damiao, Alvaro J.; Neri, Jose W.; Schwab, Carlos; Rodrigues, Nicolau A.S.; Riva, Rudimar

1996-01-01

Among the countries around the world that utilizes nuclear energy, several ones are investing significantly in the development of laser techniques applied to isotope separation. In Brazil these studies are concentrated in one research institute, the IEAv (Institute for Advanced Studies), and aim at demonstrating the viability of this process using, as much as possible, resources available in the country. In this paper we briefly describe the laser methods for isotope separation, giving an overview of the present research and development status in this area. We also show some results obtained our laboratories. We focused this report on the atomic route for laser isotope separation, mainly in the areas of laser development and spectroscopy. (author)

Binary mixtures of condensates in generic confining potentials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Facchi, P [Dipartimento di Matematica and MECENAS, Universita di Bari, I-70125 Bari (Italy); Florio, G; Pascazio, S; Pepe, F V, E-mail: Francesco.Pepe@ba.infn.it [INFN, Sezione di Bari, I-70126 Bari (Italy)

2011-12-16

We study a binary mixture of Bose-Einstein condensates, confined in a generic potential, in the Thomas-Fermi approximation. We search for the zero-temperature ground state of the system, both in the case of fixed numbers of particles and fixed chemical potentials. For generic potentials, we analyze the transition from mixed to separated ground-state configurations as the inter-species interaction increases. We derive a simple formula that enables one to determine the location of the domain walls. Finally, we find criteria for the energetic stability of separated configurations, depending on the number and the position of the domain walls separating the two species. (paper)

Binary mixtures of condensates in generic confining potentials

Science.gov (United States)

Facchi, P.; Florio, G.; Pascazio, S.; Pepe, F. V.

2011-12-01

We study a binary mixture of Bose-Einstein condensates, confined in a generic potential, in the Thomas-Fermi approximation. We search for the zero-temperature ground state of the system, both in the case of fixed numbers of particles and fixed chemical potentials. For generic potentials, we analyze the transition from mixed to separated ground-state configurations as the inter-species interaction increases. We derive a simple formula that enables one to determine the location of the domain walls. Finally, we find criteria for the energetic stability of separated configurations, depending on the number and the position of the domain walls separating the two species.

Binary mixtures of condensates in generic confining potentials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Facchi, P; Florio, G; Pascazio, S; Pepe, F V

2011-01-01

We study a binary mixture of Bose–Einstein condensates, confined in a generic potential, in the Thomas–Fermi approximation. We search for the zero-temperature ground state of the system, both in the case of fixed numbers of particles and fixed chemical potentials. For generic potentials, we analyze the transition from mixed to separated ground-state configurations as the inter-species interaction increases. We derive a simple formula that enables one to determine the location of the domain walls. Finally, we find criteria for the energetic stability of separated configurations, depending on the number and the position of the domain walls separating the two species. (paper)

X-RAYS SEPARATOR: FORWARD STEP IN TECHNOLOGY OF OPTICAL SEPARATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. N. Potrakhov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Presently the X-ray separation is used not only for research program, but it is also elaborated and applied for different sectors of economy. The seeds as biological objects that possess the complicated microstructure are very difficult to be exanimated by x-ray technology. The application of x-rays and further elaboration of optical  separators, principle  of action, basic specifications, way of their use and their efficiency was shown in the article. The x-ray separator may distinguish all hidden seed defects as it was described by a programmer, where owing to the use of the optical separating block in visual range it is possible to add some more details as a shape, brightness and a color of object surface being exanimated. The elaboration of such separation equipment is scientifically hard work requiring time and expenses. Last year researchers of ‘LETI’ developed the working model of industrial x-ray separator for examination of grains and nuts in different crops. This model was made on the basis of photoseparator F-5 manufactured at OAO ‘Voronezhselmash’. The instrument state and its mechanism operation are highlighted on monitor. In the regime of processing (separation and examination of each controlled batch, the passport is produced with  following  information on identification  code,  time of material receiving, time of test passed, number of grains or seeds tested. The code of receiver of material is given to each of established characteristics when working the regime of separation, determination of number of objects with characteristics tested and number of unidentified objects. The application of x-ray separators constructed on the basis of photoseparator F-5 enables to carry out the complex estimation on seed quality and separation in only instrument with the development of electronic protocol with many characteristics.

Increasing the applicability of density functional theory. IV. Consequences of ionization-potential improved exchange-correlation potentials.

Science.gov (United States)

Verma, Prakash; Bartlett, Rodney J

2014-05-14

This paper's objective is to create a "consistent" mean-field based Kohn-Sham (KS) density functional theory (DFT) meaning the functional should not only provide good total energy properties, but also the corresponding KS eigenvalues should be accurate approximations to the vertical ionization potentials (VIPs) of the molecule, as the latter condition attests to the viability of the exchange-correlation potential (VXC). None of the prominently used DFT approaches show these properties: the optimized effective potential VXC based ab initio dft does. A local, range-separated hybrid potential cam-QTP-00 is introduced as the basis for a "consistent" KS DFT approach. The computed VIPs as the negative of KS eigenvalue have a mean absolute error of 0.8 eV for an extensive set of molecule's electron ionizations, including the core. Barrier heights, equilibrium geometries, and magnetic properties obtained from the potential are in good agreement with experiment. A similar accuracy with less computational efforts can be achieved by using a non-variational global hybrid variant of the QTP-00 approach.

A nodalization study of steam separator in real time simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horugshyang, Lein; Luh, R.T.J.; Zen-Yow, Wang

1999-01-01

The motive of this paper is to investigate the influence of steam separator nodalization on reactor thermohydraulics in terms of stability and level response. Three different nodalizations of steam separator are studied by using THEATRE and REMARK Code in a BWR simulator. The first nodalization is the traditional one with two nodes for steam separator. In this nodalization, the steam separation is modeled in the outer node, i.e., upper downcomer. Separated steam enters the Steen dome node and the liquid goes to the feedwater node. The second nodalization is similar to the first one with the steam separation modeled in the inner node. There is one additional junction connecting steam dome node and the inner node. The liquid fallback junction connects the inner node and feedwater node. The third nodalization is a combination of the former two with an integrated node for steam separator. Boundary conditions in this study are provided by a simplified feedwater and main steam driver. For comparison purpose, three tests including full power steady state initialisation, recirculation pumps runback and reactor scram are conducted. Major parameters such as reactor pressure, reactor level, void fractions, neutronic power and junction flows are recorded for analysis. Test results clearly show that the first nodalization is stable for steady state initialisation. However it has too responsive level performance in core flow reduction transients. The second nodalization is the closest representation of real plant structure, but not the performance. Test results show that an instability occurs in the separator region for both steady state initialisation and transients. This instability is caused by an unbalanced momentum in the dual loop configuration. The magnitude of the oscillation reduces as the power decreases. No superiority to the other nodalizations is shown in the test results. The third nodalization shows both stability and responsiveness in the tests. (author)

Bacterial surface layer proteins as a novel capillary coating material for capillary electrophoretic separations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moreno-Gordaliza, Estefanía, E-mail: emorenog@ucm.es [Division of Analytical Biosciences, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Universiteit Leiden, Einsteinweg 55, 2300, RA, Leiden (Netherlands); Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Avda. Complutense s/n, 28040, Madrid (Spain); Stigter, Edwin C.A. [Division of Analytical Biosciences, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Universiteit Leiden, Einsteinweg 55, 2300, RA, Leiden (Netherlands); Department of Molecular Cancer Research, Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht, Wilhelmina Kinder Ziekenhuis, Lundlaan 6, 3584, EA Utrecht (Netherlands); Lindenburg, Petrus W.; Hankemeier, Thomas [Division of Analytical Biosciences, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Universiteit Leiden, Einsteinweg 55, 2300, RA, Leiden (Netherlands)

2016-06-07

A novel concept for stable coating in capillary electrophoresis, based on recrystallization of surface layer proteins on hydrophobized fused silica capillaries, was demonstrated. Surface layer protein A (SlpA) from Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria was extracted, purified and used for coating pre-silanized glass substrates presenting different surface wettabilities (either hydrophobic or hydrophilic). Contact angle determination on SlpA-coated hydrophobic silica slides showed that the surfaces turned to hydrophilic after coating (53 ± 5°), due to a protein monolayer formation by protein-surface hydrophobic interactions. Visualization by atomic force microscopy demonstrated the presence of a SlpA layer on methylated silica slides displaying a surface roughness of 0.44 ± 0.02 nm. Additionally, a protein layer was visualized by fluorescence microscopy in methylated silica capillaries coated with SlpA and fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled. The SlpA-coating showed an outstanding stability, even after treatment with 20 mM NaOH (pH 12.3). The electroosmotic flow in coated capillaries showed a partial suppression at pH 7.50 (3.8 ± 0.5 10{sup −9} m{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}) when compared with unmodified fused silica (5.9 ± 0.1 10{sup −8} m{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}). To demonstrate the potential of this novel coating, the SlpA-coated capillaries were applied for the first time for electrophoretic separation, and proved to be very suitable for the isotachophoretic separation of lipoproteins in human serum. The separations showed a high degree of repeatability (absolute migration times with 1.1–1.8% coefficient-of-variation (CV) within a day) and 2–3% CV inter-capillary reproducibility. The capillaries were stable for more than 100 runs at pH 9.40, and showed to be an exceptional alternative for challenging electrophoretic separations at long-term use. - Highlights: • New coating using recrystallized surface-layer proteins on

Distribution of B, Cl and Their Isotopes in Pore Waters Separated from Gas Hydrate Potential Areas, Offshore Southwestern Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hung-Chun Chao Chen-Feng You

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Boron (B and chlorine (Cl are widely distributed on the Earth’s surface and show distinctive geochemical behaviors. Cl behaves rather conservatively in oceanic environments while B is an excess-volatile and its distribution is sensitive to sediment absorption and organic matter degradation. The distribution of B, Cl and their isotopes in pore waters provide useful information for distinguishing between shallow circulation and deep origin fluid sources. Thirty-six sediment cores 0 - 5 m in length were sampled from a foreland accretionary prism offshore Southwestern Taiwan where strong bottom simulating reflectors (BSRs and an abundance of mud diapirs were discovered. More than 350 pore water samples were separated and analyzed for B, Cl and other major ions. Four long cores were selected for B and Cl isotopic analysis. We found that the Cl in all cores varied less than 10%, suggesting no major hydrate dissolution or formation involvement at shallow depths in the study area. However, the B concentration changed greatly, ranging between 360 and 650 μM, indicating a possible sedimentary contribution during the early diagenesis stage. The B isotopic compositions were relatively depleted (~25 to 37‰ in these pore waters, implying the addition of sedimentary exchangeable B with low δ11B. The Cl isotopes showed rather large variations, more than 8‰, possibly related to the addition of deep situated fluids. In summary, the chemical and isotopic characteristics of pore waters separated from piston cores off Southwestern Taiwan suggest strong influence from organic matter degradation during diagenesis at shallow depths and the possible addition of deep fluids advecting through mud diapir channels at greater depths, causing a minor degree of hydrate dissolution / formation to occur at shallow depths. Further systematic investigation of pore waters δ18O and δD are needed in a future study.

Electromagnetic Separator of a Plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gasilin, Vladimir V.; Nezovibat'ko, Yuriy N.; Poklipach, Grigoriy S.; Shvets, Oleg M.; Taran, Valeriy S.; Tereshin, Vladimir I.

2006-01-01

Simple freestanding 90 deg. filter is used for obtaining the metallic vacuum coatings. As the source of metallic plasma adapted standard cathode vaporizer on the installation ''Bulat 6''. Plasma flow from the cathode flowed through the not protected by isolation spiral (solenoid). The solenoid outlet from the side of cathode find under the floating potential. The second solenoid outlet was connected to the autonomous power supply. Solenoid was prepared with the wide interval of the coil winding and with the turning to 90 degrees. Therefore, drifting charged of particle can freely depart from the interior of solenoid outside. The glow of the turned flow of plasma is observed during the supplying to the cathode and the solenoid. Flow is separation from the coils and is extended along the axis of solenoid. In this case over the solenoid flow the current 20-90 A, the voltage of solenoid relative to vessel (earth) + 15 V. We assume, that this device ensures radial electric field relative to the basic nucleus of the plasma (diameter of the nucleus of plasma column it is commensurate with the diameter of cathode) and the current of solenoid creates the longitudinal magnetic field (estimated order 20 oersted). Magnetic field strength is sufficient for the magnetization of electrons, but it is very small for the ions and the charged microdroplets. The carried out experiments on the application of coatings on the dielectric substrate with the use of aluminum and titanium cathodes showed the effectiveness of the work of this separator. Coatings without the drops are obtained also on the glass substrate with HF- displacement. The reflective properties of the metallic films (Ti,Al) on the glass samples were measured

Large-scale separation of amino acids by continuous displacement chromatography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

DeCarli, J.P. II; Carta, G.; Byers, C.H.

1989-10-01

Continuous annular chromatography (CAC) is a developing technology that allows truly continuous chromatographic separations. Previous work has demonstrated the utility of this technology for the separation of various materials by isocratic elution on a bench scale. Novel applications and improved operation of the process were studied in this work, demonstrating that CAC is a versatile apparatus which is capable of separations at high throughput. Three specific separation systems were investigated. Pilot-scale separations at high loadings were performed using an industrial sugar mixture as an example of scale-up for isocratic separations. Bench-scale experiments of a low concentration metal ion mixture were performed to demonstrate stepwise elution, a chromatographic technique which decreases dilution and increases sorbent capacity. Finally, the separation of mixtures of amino acids by ion exchange was investigated to demonstrate the use of displacement development on the CAC. This technique, which perhaps has the most potential, when applied to the CAC allowed simultaneous separation and concentration of multicomponent mixtures on a continuous basis. Mathematical models were developed to describe the CAC performance and optimize the operating conditions. For all the systems investigated, the continuous separation performance of the CAC was found to be very nearly the same as the batchwise performance of conventional chromatography. The technology appears, thus, to be very promising for industrial applications.

Oil-water separators for use in ships

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parry, G.; Nuttall, P.J.

1978-11-04

After ratification by the United Nations Assembly of the 15 ppm limit for the oil content in water discharges from ships, as recommended by the Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization, all oil separating systems used to treat cargo tank washings, oil-contaminated ballast water from double-bottom tanks, engineroom bilge water, or oily sludge from self-cleaning fuel oil purifiers, will be subjected to a stringent test procedure specified by IMCO. This specification requires the use of centrifugal supply pumps capable of discharging at 1.5 times the separator capacity and operating at over 1000 rpm. To meet the 15 ppm standards, filtration or coalescence equipment must be added to conventional single-stage static separators. Tests by Alexander Esplen and Co. Ltd. showed that a two-stage Comyn coagulator incorporating elements specially designed by Vokes Ltd. meets the IMCO requirements. Separator system control and maintenance problems are discussed.

CFD Simulations of Soap Separation; CFD-simulering av avsaapning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Birkestad, Per

2010-07-01

A part of Vaermeforsk, the 'Skogsindustriella programmet', has identified the possibility to increase the production of tall oil, and hence the competitiveness, in Swedish pulp mills through an increase in the efficiency of the soap separation tanks. Currently, soap is extracted from the black liquor through a sedimentation process where the less dense soap rise to the top of the liquor tank where it is removed through a over-flow ducting at the top of the tank. Vaermeforsk seeks a better understanding of the detailed flow and the separation mechanisms within the liquor tanks and has initiated a study of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) of the tanks. The aim of the study has been threefold; To develop CFD-methods for use in the study of soap separation processes, to investigate the detailed flow within two Swedish liquor tanks and one North American soap skimmer and lastly to develop new design rules for use in future designs of soap separation tanks. The project shows that CFD is a useful tool for the investigation of black liquor and soap flow within a soap separation tank. The CFD simulations of three existing liquor tanks show that the previously used design-rules based on surface loads are inadequate as the actual flow velocities within the tanks are two orders of magnitude larger than those previously used as reference (the surface load). The CFD simulations also show that the black liquor flow, and hence the soap separation, is very sensitive to density variations on the black liquor inlet and temperature variations as small as 1 deg C can significantly affect the liquor flow.

Amniotic Fluid Cells Show Higher Pluripotency-Related Gene Expression Than Allantoic Fluid Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Kehl, Debora; Generali, Melanie; Görtz, Sabrina; Geering, Diego; Slamecka, Jaroslav; Hoerstrup, Simon P; Bleul, Ulrich; Weber, Benedikt

2017-10-01

Amniotic fluid represents an abundant source of multipotent stem cells, referred as broadly multipotent given their differentiation potential and expression of pluripotency-related genes. However, the origin of this broadly multipotent cellular fraction is not fully understood. Several sources have been proposed so far, including embryonic and extraembryonic tissues. In this regard, the ovine developmental model uniquely allows for direct comparison of fetal fluid-derived cells from two separate fetal fluid cavities, the allantois and the amnion, over the entire duration of gestation. As allantoic fluid mainly collects fetal urine, cells originating from the efferent urinary tract can directly be compared with cells deriving from the extraembryonic amniotic tissues and the fetus. This study shows isolation of cells from the amniotic [ovine amniotic fluid cells (oAFCs)] and allantoic fluid [ovine allantoic fluid cells (oALCs)] in a strictly paired fashion with oAFCs and oALCs derived from the same fetus. Both cell types showed cellular phenotypes comparable to standard mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), with trilineage differentiation potential, and expression of common ovine MSC markers. However, the expression of MSC markers per single cell was higher in oAFCs as measured by flow cytometry. oAFCs exhibited higher proliferative capacities and showed significantly higher expression of pluripotency-related genes OCT4, STAT3, NANOG, and REX1 by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction compared with paired oALCs. No significant decrease of pluripotency-related gene expression was noted over gestation, implying that cells with high differentiation potential may be isolated at the end of pregnancy. In conclusion, this study suggests that cells with highest stem cell characteristics may originate from the fetus itself or the amniotic fetal adnexa rather than from the efferent urinary tract or the allantoic fetal adnexa.

Separation of tritium from gaseous and aqueous effluent systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobisk, E.H.

1977-01-01

Removal or reduction of tritium content in a wide variety of effluent streams has been extensively studied in the United States. This paper specifically reviews three processes involving tritium separation in the gaseous phase and the aqueous phase. Diffusion through a selective Pd-25Ag alloy membrane at temperatures up to 600 0 C and at pressures up to 700 kg/cm 2 has resulted in successful separation of hydrogen-deuterium mixtures with an associated separation factor of 1.65 (and gives a calculated separation factor for hydrogen-tritium mixtures of 2.0). Use of a single palladium bipolar membrane in an electrolysis system has been found to yield a hydrogen-deuterium separation factor of 4 and a hydrogen-tritium factor of 6 to 11 without the production of gaseous hydrogen. Finally, countercurrent catalytic exchange between tritium-containing hydrogen gas and water has yielded a separation factor of 6.3. The specific advantages of each of these systems will be discussed in terms of their potential applications. In all cases, further investigations are necessary to scale the systems to handle large quantities of feed material in a continuous mode and to minimize energy requirements. Such separative systems must necessarily be cascaded to yield gaseous or aqueous product streams suitable for recycling to the tritium producing systems, for storage or for discharge to the environment. (orig./HP) [de

Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation in Model Nuclear Waste Glasses: A Solid-State Double-Resonance NMR Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martineau, Ch.; Michaelis, V.K.; Kroeker, S. [Univ Manitoba, Dept Chem, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 (Canada); Schuller, S. [CEA Valrho Marcoule, LDMC, SECM, DTCD, DEN, F-30207 Bagnols Sur Ceze (France)

2010-07-01

Double-resonance nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques are used in addition to single-resonance NMR experiments to probe the degree of mixing between network-forming cations Si and B, along with the modifier cations Cs{sup +} and Na{sup +} in two molybdenum-bearing model nuclear waste glasses. The double-resonance experiments involving {sup 29}Si in natural abundance are made possible by the implementation of a CPMG pulse-train during the acquisition period of the usual REDOR experiments. For the glass with lower Mo content, the NMR results show a high degree of Si-B mixing, as well as an homogeneous distribution of the cations within the borosilicate network, characteristic of a non-phase-separated glass. For the higher-Mo glass, a decrease of B-Si(Q{sup 4}) mixing is observed, indicating phase separation. {sup 23}Na and {sup 133}Cs NMR results show that although the Cs{sup +} cations, which do not seem to be influenced by the molybdenum content, are spread within the borate network, there is a clustering of the Na{sup +} cations, very likely around the molybdate units. The segregation of a Mo-rich region with Na{sup +} cations appears to shift the bulk borosilicate glass composition toward the metastable liquid liquid immiscibility region and induce additional phase separation. Although no crystallization is observed in the present case, this liquid liquid phase separation is likely to be the first stage of crystallization that can occur at higher Mo loadings or be driven by heat treatment. From this study emerges a consistent picture of the nature and extent of such phase separation phenomena in Mo-bearing glasses, and demonstrates the potential of double-resonance NMR methods for the investigation of phase separation in amorphous materials. (authors)

Phase separation and large deviations of lattice active matter

Science.gov (United States)

Whitelam, Stephen; Klymko, Katherine; Mandal, Dibyendu

2018-04-01

Off-lattice active Brownian particles form clusters and undergo phase separation even in the absence of attractions or velocity-alignment mechanisms. Arguments that explain this phenomenon appeal only to the ability of particles to move persistently in a direction that fluctuates, but existing lattice models of hard particles that account for this behavior do not exhibit phase separation. Here we present a lattice model of active matter that exhibits motility-induced phase separation in the absence of velocity alignment. Using direct and rare-event sampling of dynamical trajectories, we show that clustering and phase separation are accompanied by pronounced fluctuations of static and dynamic order parameters. This model provides a complement to off-lattice models for the study of motility-induced phase separation.

Gas separation performance of tapered cascade with membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohno, Masayoshi; Morisue, Tetsuo; Ozaki, Osamu; Miyauchi, Terukatsu.

1978-01-01

Membrane gas separation cascades are analyzed at steady state. The method of calculating the flow rate and concentration profiles in the cascade are examined, using formulas expressing the various membrane separation cell characteristics. The method adopted is applicable to relatively high concentrations and separation factors. Considerations are further given on the steady state performance of four theoretical forms of cascade: (a) with common value of cut for all stages, (b) with symmetric separation cells, (c) with no mixing at the junction at each stage, and (d) ideal cascade. The analysis showed that, with membrane cells, the ideal cascade would have a pressure ratio varying from stage to stage. The symmetric separation cascade would provide a separation performance lower than the ideal cascade on account of the mixing at the junctions of streams possessing different concentrations, whereas the cut and separation factor of the no-mixing cascade requiring minimum membrane area exhibits zig-zag curves when plotted against stage number. Both these circumstances contribute to the lower separation performance obtained with these two forms as compared with the ideal cascade, and results in larger total membrane area; but these semi-ideal forms retain the advantage of easy practical treatment with their pressure ratio common to all stages. (auth.)

Non-separable pairing interaction kernels applied to superconducting cuprates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haley, Stephen B.; Fink, Herman J.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Non-separable interaction kernels with weak interactions produces HTS. • A probabilistic approach is used in filling the electronic states in the unit cell. • A set of coupled equations is derived which describes the energy gap. • SC properties of separable with non-separable interactions are compared. • There is agreement with measured properties of the SC and normal states. - Abstract: A pairing Hamiltonian H(Γ) with a non-separable interaction kernel Γ produces HTS for relatively weak interactions. The doping and temperature dependence of Γ(x,T) and the chemical potential μ(x) is determined by a probabilistic filling of the electronic states in the cuprate unit cell. A diverse set of HTS and normal state properties is examined, including the SC phase transition boundary T C (x), SC gap Δ(x,T), entropy S(x,T), specific heat C(x,T), and spin susceptibility χ s (x,T). Detailed x,T agreement with cuprate experiment is obtained for all properties

π-Extended triptycene-based material for capillary gas chromatographic separations.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yinhui; Wang, Qinsi; Qi, Meiling; Huang, Xuebin

2017-10-02

Triptycene-based materials feature favorable physicochemical properties and unique molecular recognition ability that offer good potential as stationary phases for capillary gas chromatography (GC). Herein, we report the investigation of utilizing a π-extended triptycene material (denoted as TQPP) for GC separations. As a result, the TQPP capillary column exhibited high column efficiency of 4030 plates m -1 and high-resolution performance for a wide range of analytes, especially structural and positional isomers. Interestingly, the TQPP stationary phase showed unique shape selectivity for alkanes isomers and preferential retention for analytes with halogen atoms and H-bonding nature mainly through their halogen-bonding and H-bonding interactions. In addition, the TQPP column had good repeatability and reproducibility with the RSD values of 0.02-0.34% for run-to-run, 0.09-0.80% for day-to-day and 1.4-5.2% for column-to-column, respectively, and favorable thermal stability up to 280 °C. This work demonstrates the promising future of triptycene-based materials as a new class of stationary phases for GC separations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Isotopic separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castle, P.M.

1979-01-01

This invention relates to molecular and atomic isotope separation and is particularly applicable to the separation of 235 U from other uranium isotopes including 238 U. In the method described a desired isotope is separated mechanically from an atomic or molecular beam formed from an isotope mixture utilising the isotropic recoil momenta resulting from selective excitation of the desired isotope species by radiation, followed by ionization or dissociation by radiation or electron attachment. By forming a matrix of UF 6 molecules in HBr molecules so as to collapse the V 3 vibrational mode of the UF 6 molecule the 235 UF 6 molecules are selectively excited to promote reduction of UF 6 molecules containing 235 U and facilitate separation. (UK)

The gas filled separator as a separation method to detect transuranic elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ninov, V.

1992-08-01

The mass spectrometer NASE (NAchSEparator) built as a post-separator and located behind the velocity filter SHIP at the GSI in Darmstadt, was taken into operation as a gas-filled separator, and its separation properties for fusion products from heavy ion reactions were studied. Chapter 2 describes the principle of separation in a gas-filled magnet. The technical specifications of the separator, the detectors and the setup of detection electronics are outlined in chapter 3. The studies of separation properties are described in chapter 4, and chapter 5 deals with preliminary applications of the gas-filled separator to detect isotopes poor in neutrons, with an atomic number Z = 92, 93. Chapter 6 is concerned with preliminary tests to detect heavy nuclei with an atomic number Z > = 100 by means of light radiation and actinide targets. The experimental results of comparative measurements between the velocity filter SHIP and the gas-filled separator are pointed out in chapter 7, and future application possibilities of gas-filled separators for synthesis of heaviest nuclei through asymmetric reactions are discussed. (orig./BBR) [de

Centrifugal gas separator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakurai, Mitsuo.

1970-01-01

A centrifugal gas separator of a highly endurable construction and with improved gas sealing qualities utilizes a cylincrical elastic bellows or similar system in cooperation with a system of dynamic pressure operable gas seals as means for removing separated gases from the interior of the rotor drum, collecting the separated gases in their respective separated gas chambers defined by the corresponding bellows and their supporting stationary wall members, gas seals and rotor end caps, and means for discharging to the exterior of the surrounding cylindrical wall member the gaseous components from their respective separated gas chambers. In the vicinity of the rotary drum motor is a mixed gas chamber and means for providing the gas mixture along a co-axial passage into the rotary drum chamber. Orifices are bored into the end caps of the rotary drum to direct the separated gases into the aforementioned separated gas chambers which, through the action of the gas seals, freely slide upon the rotating drum to collect and thereafter discharge the thus separated gases. Therefore, according to the present invention, helium gas used to prevent separated gas remixture is unnecessary and, furthermore, the gas seals and elastic bellows means provide an air-tight seal superior to that of the contact sealing system of the former art. (K.J. Owens)

Separation of gaseous air pollutants using membrane contactors

Science.gov (United States)

Sverak, T.; Bulejko, P.; Ostrezi, J.; Kristof, O.; Kalivoda, J.; Kejik, P.; Mayerova, K.; Adamcik, M.

2017-10-01

This work deals with the separation of CO2 gaseous pollutant from gas mixtures to a water solution using the laboratory contactor. The laboratory set process parameters showed the rate of carbon dioxide transition through the interface in a so promising level the contactor separators can be considered as a very promising pathway to reduce the content of this greenhouse gas from the air.

Separation of contaminated concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bakiewicz, J.L.; Reymer, A.P.S.

1990-01-01

Separating the contaminated parts from the non-contaminated parts from decommissioned nuclear facilities may strongly reduce the amount of contaminated concrete. The reduction in volume of the radioactive contaminated concrete is dependent on how much cementstone is in the concrete. This research program shows that the radioactive contamination is mostly in the cementstone. However the choice that the cementstone parts, (or better said the radioactive parts) are smaller than 1 mm may not always be true. Normally the cementstone takes about 30% of the total concrete volume. A separation procedure composed by a combination of milling and thermal shock has been assessed. Both the cold and hot thermal shock in combination with milling are not able to separate the cementstone from the larger aggregates completely. However, the cementstone from the concrete with a low nominal grain size seems to be almost completely removed by the combination cold thermal shock/milling, while the cementstone from the concrete with a high nominal grain size seems to be almost completely removed by the combination hot thermal shock/milling. After both methods a layer of cementstone was still visible on the aggregates. Washing followed by a nitric acid treatment removed each 2 wt% of cementstone

A separator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prokopyuk, S.G.; Dyachenko, A.Ye.; Mukhametov, M.N.; Prokopov, O.I.

1982-01-01

A separator is proposed which contains separating slanted plates and baffle plates installed at a distance to them at an acute angle to them. To increase the effectiveness of separating a gas and liquid stream and the throughput through reducing the secondary carry away of the liquid drops and to reduce the hydraulic resistance, as well, openings are made in the plates. The horizontal projections of each opening from the lower and upper surfaces of the plate do not overlap each other.

A database for CO2 Separation Performances of MOFs based on Computational Materials Screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Altintas, Cigdem; Avci, Gokay; Daglar, Hilal; Nemati Vesali Azar, Ayda; Velioglu, Sadiye; Erucar, Ilknur; Keskin, Seda

2018-05-03

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have been considered as great candidates for CO2 capture. Considering the very large number of available MOFs, high-throughput computational screening plays a critical role in identifying the top performing materials for target applications in a time-effective manner. In this work, we used molecular simulations to screen the most recent and complete MOF database for identifying the most promising materials for CO2 separation from flue gas (CO2/N2) and landfill gas (CO2/CH4) under realistic operating conditions. We first validated our approach by comparing the results of our molecular simulations for the CO2 uptakes, CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4 selectivities of various types of MOFs with the available experimental data. We then computed binary CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4 mixture adsorption data for the entire MOF database and used these results to calculate several adsorbent selection metrics such as selectivity, working capacity, adsorbent performance score, regenerability, and separation potential. MOFs were ranked based on the combination of these metrics and the top performing MOF adsorbents that can achieve CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4 separations with high performance were identified. Molecular simulations for the adsorption of a ternary CO2/N2/CH4 mixture were performed for these top materials in order to provide a more realistic performance assessment of MOF adsorbents. Structure-performance analysis showed that MOFs with ΔQ>30 kJ/mol, 3.8 A≤PLD≤5 A, 5 A≤LCD≤7.5 A, 0.5≤ϕ≤0.75, SA≤1,000 m2/g, ρ>1 g/cm 3 are the best candidates for selective separation of CO2 from flue gas and landfill gas. This information will be very useful to design novel MOFs with the desired structural features that can lead to high CO2 separation potentials. Finally, an online, freely accessible database https://cosmoserc.ku.edu.tr was established, for the first time in the literature, which reports all computed adsorbent metrics of 3,816 MOFs for CO2/N2, CO2/CH4

[Separation anxiety disorder in a sample of children of divorce].

Science.gov (United States)

Orgilés Amorós, Mireia; Espada Sánchez, José Pedro; Méndez Carrillo, Xavier

2008-08-01

Anxiety in children through separation from parents is one of the most frequent psychological problems in the infantile population. Children of divorce are more vulnerable to suffer this disorder due to the abrupt separation from one of the parents after the break-up, which they may experience as a traumatic event that predisposes them to react anxiously in daily separations. The purpose of this study is to examine the presence of symptoms of separation anxiety and general anxiety in a Spanish sample of 95 students of ages between 8 and 12 years. They were compared to a group of children of similar ages and sex whose parents are not divorced. The results show that children of divorce present higher levels of separation anxiety than the children whose parents remain together. Moreover, they show significant levels of generalized anxiety, but similar to that of the other group of children (undivorced parents). The clinical implications of these findings are discussed, emphasizing the importance of cooperation and frequent contact of the children with both parents to promote their security and autonomy.

The effects of actinide separation on the radiological consequences of geologic disposal of high-level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, M.D.; White, I.F.; Fleishman, A.B.

1980-01-01

It has often been suggested that the potential hazard to man from the disposal of high-level radioactive waste could be reduced by removing a substantial fraction of the actinide elements. In this report the effects of actinide separation on the radiological consequences of one of the disposal options currently under consideration, that of burial in deep geologic formations, are examined. The results show that the potential radiological impact of geologic disposal of high-level waste arises from both long-lived fission products and actinides (and their daughter radionuclides). Neither class of radionuclides is of overriding importance and actinide separation would therefore reduce the radiological impact to only a limited extent and over limited periods. There might be a case for attempting to reduce doses from 237 Np. To achieve this it appears to be necessary to separate both neptunium and its precursor element americium. However, there are major uncertainties in the data needed to predict doses from 237 Np; further research is required to resolve these uncertainties. In addition, consideration should be given to alternative methods of reducing the radiological impact of geologic disposal. The conclusions of this assessment differ considerably from those of similar studies based on the concept of toxicity indices. Use of these indices can lead to incorrect allocation of research and development effort. (author)

Electronic phase separation and high temperature superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kivelson, S.A.

1994-01-01

The authors review the extensive evidence from model calculations that neutral holes in an antiferromagnet separate into hole-rich and hole-poor phases. All known solvable limits of models of holes in a Heisenberg antiferromagnet exhibit this behavior. The authors show that when the phase separation is frustrated by the introduction of long-range Coulomb interactions, the typical consequence is either a modulated (charge density wave) state or a superconducting phase. The authors then review some of the strong experimental evidence supporting an electronically-driven phase separation of the holes in the cuprate superconductors and the related Ni oxides. Finally, the authors argue that frustrated phase separation in these materials can account for many of the anomalous normal state properties of the high temperature superconductors and provide the mechanism of superconductivity. In particular, it is shown that the T-linear resistivity of the normal state is a paraconductivity associated with a novel composite pairing, although the ordered superconducting state is more conventional

Systematic Study of Separators in Air-Breathing Flat-Plate Microbial Fuel Cells—Part 2: Numerical Modeling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sona Kazemi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The separator plays a key role on the performance of passive air-breathing flat-plate MFCs (FPMFC as it isolates the anaerobic anode from the air-breathing cathode. The goal of the present work was to study the separator characteristics and its effect on the performance of passive air-breathing FPMFCs. This was performed partially through characterization of structure, properties, and performance correlations of eight separators presented in Part 1. Current work (Part 2 presents a numerical model developed based on the mixed potential theory to investigate the sensitivity of the electrode potentials and the power output to the separator characteristics. According to this numerical model, the decreased peak power results from an increase in the mass transfer coefficients of oxygen and ethanol, but mainly increasing mixed potentials at the anode by oxygen crossover. The model also indicates that the peak power is affected by the proton transport number of the separator, which affects the cathode pH. Anode pH, on the other hand, remains constant due to application of phosphate buffer solution as the electrolyte. Also according to this model, the peak power is not sensitive to the resistivity of the separator because of the overshadowing effect of the oxygen crossover.

Process synthesis and intensification of hybrid separations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Errico, Massimiliano

2017-01-01

Hybrid flowsheets are defined, in the context of process intensification, as alternatives suitable for replacing energy-intensive separation methods through the combination of more than one unit operation. Distillation is one of the first options considered for achieving a required separation...... and commented on. The corresponding distillation-based processes are considered for comparison. Synthesis of the possible hybrid flowsheets appears to be important, especially when multicomponent mixtures are considered. This aspect is discussed for the combination of liquid-liquid extraction and distillation...... as applied to the separation of biobutanol from its fermentation broth. The synthesis of alternative hybrid flowsheets is reported, showing that one configuration can realize a 43% reduction in the total annual cost. Bioalcohol production by fermentation perfectly represents the casewhere distillation alone...

Nanometer-spaced electrodes with calibrated separation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kervennic, Y.V.; Van der Zant, H.S.J.; Morpurgo, A.F.; Gurevich, L.; Kouwenhoven, L.P.

2002-01-01

We have fabricated pairs of platinum electrodes with separation between 20 and 3.5 nm. Our technique combines electron beam lithography and chemical electrodeposition. We show that the measurement of the conductance between the two electrodes through the electrolyte provides an accurate and

Helping Children and Families Deal With Divorce and Separation.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, George J; Weitzman, Carol C

2016-12-01

For the past several years in the United States, there have been more than 800 000 divorces and parent separations annually, with over 1 million children affected. Children and their parents can experience emotional trauma before, during, and after a separation or divorce. Pediatricians can be aware of their patients' behavior and parental attitudes and behaviors that may indicate family dysfunction and that can indicate need for intervention. Age-appropriate explanation and counseling for the child and advice and guidance for the parents, as well as recommendation of reading material, may help reduce the potential negative effects of divorce. Often, referral to professionals with expertise in the social, emotional, and legal aspects of the separation and its aftermath may be helpful for these families. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Queller's separation condition explained and defended.

Science.gov (United States)

Birch, Jonathan; Marshall, James A R

2014-10-01

The theories of inclusive fitness and multilevel selection provide alternative perspectives on social evolution. The question of whether these perspectives are of equal generality remains a divisive issue. In an analysis based on the Price equation, Queller argued (by means of a principle he called the separation condition) that the two approaches are subject to the same limitations, arising from their fundamentally quantitative-genetical character. Recently, van Veelen et al. have challenged Queller's results, using this as the basis for a broader critique of the Price equation, the separation condition, and the very notion of inclusive fitness. Here we show that the van Veelen et al. model, when analyzed in the way Queller intended, confirms rather than refutes his original conclusions. We thereby confirm (i) that Queller's separation condition remains a legitimate theoretical principle and (ii) that the standard inclusive fitness and multilevel approaches are indeed subject to the same limitations.

The d-α elastic scattering and the lithium-6 in a three-body model with separable interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charnomordic, Brigitte.

1976-01-01

This work consists in a three-body treatment of the six nucleon system. The model is constructed by considering two identical nucleons and a structureless alpha particle. Such a system can be described by the Faddeev-Lovelace equations. A partial antisymetrization is performed taking into account the identity of the nucleons. Pairwise interacting particles with nonlocal separable forces are introduced. Two-body potentials are chosen in each n-n and n-α partial wave. After an analysis of the existing separable interactions, new n-α and 1S0 parametrization are constructed. The sensitivity to the tensor force and the role of the N-α description are especially studied. The case of d-α elastic scattering is also discussed. The observables: differential cross-section, analyzing powers and transfer polarization coefficients are calculated and compared with experiments. The results show the ability of a three-body model with separable interactions in describing the main properties of the d-α elastic scattering and lithium-6 [fr

CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATORS

Science.gov (United States)

Skarstrom, C.

1959-03-10

A centrifugal separator is described for separating gaseous mixtures where the temperature gradients both longitudinally and radially of the centrifuge may be controlled effectively to produce a maximum separation of the process gases flowing through. Tbe invention provides for the balancing of increases and decreases in temperature in various zones of the centrifuge chamber as the result of compression and expansions respectively, of process gases and may be employed effectively both to neutralize harmful temperature gradients and to utilize beneficial temperaturc gradients within the centrifuge.

Novel, Ceramic Membrane System For Hydrogen Separation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elangovan, S.

2012-12-31

Separation of hydrogen from coal gas represents one of the most promising ways to produce alternative sources of fuel. Ceramatec, teamed with CoorsTek and Sandia National Laboratories has developed materials technology for a pressure driven, high temperature proton-electron mixed conducting membrane system to remove hydrogen from the syngas. This system separates high purity hydrogen and isolates high pressure CO{sub 2} as the retentate, which is amenable to low cost capture and transport to storage sites. The team demonstrated a highly efficient, pressure-driven hydrogen separation membrane to generate high purity hydrogen from syngas using a novel ceramic-ceramic composite membrane. Recognizing the benefits and limitations of present membrane systems, the all-ceramic system has been developed to address the key technical challenges related to materials performance under actual operating conditions, while retaining the advantages of thermal and process compatibility offered by the ceramic membranes. The feasibility of the concept has already been demonstrated at Ceramatec. This project developed advanced materials composition for potential integration with water gas shift rectors to maximize the hydrogenproduction.

Theoretical investigation of gas separation in functionalized nanoporous graphene membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yong; Yang, Qingyuan; Zhong, Chongli; Li, Jinping

2017-06-01

Graphene has enormous potential as a membrane-separation material with ultrahigh permeability and selectivity. The understanding of mass-transport mechanism in graphene membranes is crucial for applications in gas separation field. We computationally investigated the capability and mechanisms of functionalized nanoporous graphene membranes for gas separation. The functionalized graphene membranes with appropriate pore size and geometry possess excellent high selectivity for separating CO2/N2, CO2/CH4 and N2/CH4 gas mixtures with a gas permeance of ∼103-105 GPU, compared with ∼100 GPU for typical polymeric membranes. More important, we found that, for ultrathin graphene membranes, the gas separation performance has a great dependence not only with the energy barrier for gas getting into the pore of the graphene membranes, but also with the energy barrier for gas escaping from the pore to the other side of the membranes. The gas separation performance can be tuned by changing the two energy barriers, which can be realized by varying the chemical functional groups on the pore rim of the graphene. The novel mass-transport mechanism obtained in current study may provide a theoretical foundation for guiding the future design of graphene membranes with outstanding separation performance.

CO2/CH4 Separation via Polymeric Blend Membrane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Sanaeepur

2013-01-01

Full Text Available CO2/CH4 gas separation is a very important applicatable process in upgrading the natural gas and landfil gas recovery. In this work, to investigate the membrane separation process performance, the gas permeation results andCO2/CH4 separation characteristics of different prepared membranes (via blending different molecular weights of polyethylene glycol (PEG as a modifier with acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS as a backbone structure have been studied. Furthermore, SEM analysis was carried out for morphological investigations. The effect of PEG content on gas transport properties on the selected sample was also studied. The effect of pressure on CO2 permeation was examined and showed that at the pressure beyond 4 bar, permeability is not affected by pressure. The results showed that more or less in all cases, incorporation of PEG molecules without any significant increase in CH4 permeability increases the CO2/CH4 selectivity. From the view point of gas separation applications the resultant data are within commercial attractive range

Separation of Process Wastewater with Extractive Heterogeneous-Azeotropic Distillation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tóth András József

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The application of vapour-liquid equilibria-based separation alternatives can be extraordinarily complicated for the treatment of process wastewaters containing heterogeneous-azeotropic. Despite dissimilar successfully tested methods for separation, there is possibility to get better distillation method by enabling the separation of more and more specific process wastewater. Extractive heterogeneous-azeotropic distillation (EHAD is a new advance in treatment of fine chemical wastewater showing special features to cope with the treatment of highly non-ideal mixtures. This method combines the worth of heterogeneous-azeotropic and extractive distillations in one apparatus without addition of any extra materials. The study of the separations of ternary component process wastewater from the fine chemical industry shows both in the modelled and experimental results that EHAD can be successfully applied. The measured and modelled compositions at extreme purities, that is, close to 0% or 100%, can be different because of the inaccuracies of the modelling. This highlights the paramount importance of the experiments if special extra-fine chemicals with almost no impurities, e.g. of pharmacopoeial quality are to be produced by special distillation technique. This study expands the application of EHAD technique, this new field is the separation of process wastewaters.

Development of a 3D circular microfluidic centrifuge for the separation of mixed particles by using their different centrifuge times

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeon, H J; Kim, D I; Kim, M J; Nguyen, X D; Park, D H; Go, J S

2015-01-01

This paper presents a circular microfluidic centrifuge with two inlets and two outlets to separate mixed microparticles with a specially designed sample injection hole. To separate the mixed particles, it uses a rotational flow, generated in a chamber by counter primary flows in the microchannels. The shape and sizes of the circular microfluidic centrifuge have been designed through numerical evaluation to have a large relative centrifugal force. The difference of centrifuge times of the mixed particles of 1 μm and 6 μm was determined to be 8.2 s at an inlet Reynolds number of 500 and a sample Reynolds number of 20. In the experiment, this was measured to be about 10 s. From the separation of the two polymer particles analogous to the representative sizes of platelets and red blood cells, the circular microfluidic centrifuge shows a potential to separate human blood cells size-selectively by using the difference of centrifuge times. (paper)

Separation of hydrogen isotopes for tritium waste removal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilkes, W.R.

1975-01-01

A distillation cascade for separating hydrogen isotopes was simulated by means of a multicomponent, multistage computer code. A hypothetical test mixture containing equal atomic fractions of protium, deuterium and tritium, equilibrated to high temperature molecular concentrations was used as feed. The results show that a two-column cascade can be used to separate the protium from the tritium. Deuterium appears both in the protium and the tritium product streams. (auth)

Steam-water separator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Modrak, T.M.; Curtis, R.W.

1978-01-01

A two-stage steam-water separating device is introduced, where the second stage is made as a cyclone separator. The water separated here is collected in the first stage of the inner tube and is returned to the steam raising unit. (TK) [de

Isotopic separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, C.L.

1979-01-01

Isotopic species in an isotopic mixture including a first species having a first isotope and a second species having a second isotope are separated by selectively exciting the first species in preference to the second species and then reacting the selectively excited first species with an additional preselected radiation, an electron or another chemical species so as to form a product having a mass different from the original species and separating the product from the balance of the mixture in a centrifugal separating device such as centrifuge or aerodynamic nozzle. In the centrifuge the isotopic mixture is passed into a rotor where it is irradiated through a window. Heavier and lighter components can be withdrawn. The irradiated mixture experiences a large centrifugal force and is separated in a deflection area into lighter and heavier components. (UK)

A validated stability-indicating LC method for the separation of enantiomer and potential impurities of Linezolid using polar organic mode.

Science.gov (United States)

Satyanarayana Raju, T; Vishweshwari Kutty, O; Ganesh, V; Yadagiri Swamy, P

2012-08-01

Although a number of methods are available for evaluating Linezolid and its possible impurities, a common method for separation if its potential impurities, degradants and enantiomer in a single method with good efficiency remain unavailable. With the objective of developing an advanced method with shorter runtimes, a simple, precise, accurate stability-indicating LC method was developed for the determination of purity of Linezolid drug substance and drug products in bulk samples and pharmaceutical dosage forms in the presence of its impurities and degradation products. This method is capable of separating all the related substances of Linezolid along with the chiral impurity. This method can also be used for the estimation of assay of Linezolid in drug substance as well as in drug product. The method was developed using Chiralpak IA (250 mm×4.6 mm, 5 μm) column. A mixture of acetonitrile, ethanol, n-butyl amine and trifluoro acetic acid in 96:4:0.10:0.16 (v/v/v/v) ratio was used as a mobile phase. The eluted compounds were monitored at 254 nm. Linezolid was subjected to the stress conditions of oxidative, acid, base, hydrolytic, thermal and photolytic degradation. The degradation products were well resolved from main peak and its impurities, proving the stability-indicating power of the method. The developed method was validated as per International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines with respect to specificity, limit of detection, limit of quantification, precision, linearity, accuracy, robustness and system suitability.

Effects of laminar separation bubbles and turbulent separation on airfoil stall

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dini, P. [Carleton College, Northfield, MN (United States); Coiro, D.P. [Universita di Napoli (Italy)

1997-12-31

An existing two-dimensional, interactive, stall prediction program is extended by improving its laminar separation bubble model. The program now accounts correctly for the effects of the bubble on airfoil performance characteristics when it forms at the mid-chord and on the leading edge. Furthermore, the model can now predict bubble bursting on very sharp leading edges at high angles of attack. The details of the model are discussed in depth. Comparisons of the predicted stall and post-stall pressure distributions show excellent agreement with experimental measurements for several different airfoils at different Reynolds numbers.

Safety shutdown separators

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, Steven Allen; Anakor, Ifenna Kingsley; Farrell, Greg Robert

2015-06-30

The present invention pertains to electrochemical cells which comprise (a) an anode; (b) a cathode; (c) a solid porous separator, such as a polyolefin, xerogel, or inorganic oxide separator; and (d) a nonaqueous electrolyte, wherein the separator comprises a porous membrane having a microporous coating comprising polymer particles which have not coalesced to form a continuous film. This microporous coating on the separator acts as a safety shutdown layer that rapidly increases the internal resistivity and shuts the cell down upon heating to an elevated temperature, such as 110.degree. C. Also provided are methods for increasing the safety of an electrochemical cell by utilizing such separators with a safety shutdown layer.

Heavy-quark potential at finite temperature using the holographic correspondence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albacete, Javier L.; Kovchegov, Yuri V.; Taliotis, Anastasios

2008-01-01

We revisit the calculation of a heavy-quark potential in N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory at finite temperature using the AdS/CFT correspondence. As is widely known, the potential calculated in the pioneering works of Rey et al.[Nucl. Phys. B527, 171 (1998)] and Brandhuber et al.[Phys. Lett. B 434, 36 (1998)] is zero for separation distances r between the quark and the antiquark above a certain critical separation, at which the potential has a kink. We point out that by analytically continuing the string configurations into the complex plane, and using a slightly different renormalization subtraction, one obtains a smooth nonzero (negative definite) potential without a kink. The obtained potential also has a nonzero imaginary (absorptive) part for separations r>r c =0.870/πT. Most importantly, at large separations r the real part of the potential does not exhibit the exponential Debye falloff expected from perturbation theory and instead falls off as a power law, proportional to 1/r 4 for r>r 0 =2.702/πT.

Isotope separation process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cox, D.M.; Maas, E.T.

1982-01-01

Processes are disclosed for the separation of isotopes of an element comprising vaporizing uranyl compounds having the formula (UO2a2)n, where a is a monovalent anion and n in an integer from 2 to 4, the compounds having an isotopically shifted infrared absorption spectrum associated with uranyl ions containing said element which is to be separated, and then irradiating the uranyl compound with infrared radiation which is preferentially absorbed by a molecular vibration of uranyl ions of the compound containing a predetermined isotope of that element so that excited molecules of the compound are provided which are enriched in the molecules of the compound containing that predetermined isotope, thus enabling separation of these excited molecules. The processes disclosed include separation of the excited molecules by irradiating under conditions such that the excited molecules dissociate, and also separating the excited molecules by a discrete separation step. The latter includes irradiating the excited molecules by a second infrared laser in order to convert the excited molecules into a separable product, or also by chemically converting the excited molecules, preferably by reaction with a gaseous reactant

Ultrasound imaging for quantitative evaluation of magnetic density separation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sanaee, S.A.

2013-01-01

This thesis is dedicated to an investigation of the potential and technological possibilities of an inline ultrasound system as a quality control system for wet recycling of solid waste. The main targeted recycling technology is magnetic density separation (MDS), a novel technique that was

Smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations of flow separation at bends

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hou, Q.; Kruisbrink, A.C.H.; Pearce, F.R.; Tijsseling, A.S.; Yue, T.

2014-01-01

The separated flow in two-dimensional bends is numerically simulated for a right-angled bend with different ratios of the channel widths and for a symmetric bend with different turning angles. Unlike the potential flow solutions that have several restrictive assumptions, the Euler equations are

Smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations of flow separation at bends

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hou, Q.; Kruisbrink, A.C.H.; Pearce, F.R.; Tijsseling, A.S.; Yue, T.

2013-01-01

The separated flow in two-dimensional bends is numerically simulated for a right-angled bend with different ratios of the channel widths and for a symmetric bend with different turning angles. Unlike the potential flow solutions that have several restrictive assumptions, the Euler equations are

Magnetic Separations with Magnetite: Theory, Operation, and Limitations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

G. B. Cotten

2000-08-01

This dissertation documents the theory development and experimental plan followed to describe how a magnetite-based column under the influence of an external magnetic field functions as a magnetic separator. Theoretical simulations predict that weekly paramagnetic particles in the sub-micron range can be magnetically separated while diamagnetic particles as large as 2 microns in diameter may pass. Magnetite-based columns were evaluated as magnetically-controllable enhanced filtration devices. There was no evidence of enhanced filtration for diamagnetic particles by the magnetite-based bed. Magnetite-based magnetic separators have proven to be effective in specific laboratory experiments, indicating a potential feasibility for scale-up operations. Column media-filter type filtration effects indicate a magnetite-based column would not be suitable for treatment of a waste stream with a high diamagnetic solids content or high volume throughput requirements. Specific applications requiring removal of sub-micron para- or ferromagnetic particles under batch or Stokes flow conditions would be most applicable.

Magnetic Separations with Magnetite: Theory, Operation, and Limitations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cotten, G.B.

2000-01-01

This dissertation documents the theory development and experimental plan followed to describe how a magnetite-based column under the influence of an external magnetic field functions as a magnetic separator. Theoretical simulations predict that weekly paramagnetic particles in the sub-micron range can be magnetically separated while diamagnetic particles as large as 2 microns in diameter may pass. Magnetite-based columns were evaluated as magnetically-controllable enhanced filtration devices. There was no evidence of enhanced filtration for diamagnetic particles by the magnetite-based bed. Magnetite-based magnetic separators have proven to be effective in specific laboratory experiments, indicating a potential feasibility for scale-up operations. Column media-filter type filtration effects indicate a magnetite-based column would not be suitable for treatment of a waste stream with a high diamagnetic solids content or high volume throughput requirements. Specific applications requiring removal of sub-micron para- or ferromagnetic particles under batch or Stokes flow conditions would be most applicable

Actinides(3)/lanthanides(3) separation by nano-filtration assisted by complexation; Separation actinides(3)lanthanides(3) par nanofiltration assistee par complexation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sorin, A

2006-07-01

In France, one of the research trend concerning the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel consists to separate selectively the very radio-toxic elements with a long life to be recycled (Pu) or transmuted (Am, Cm, Np). The aim of this thesis concerns the last theme about actinides(III)/lanthanides(III) separation by a process of nano-filtration assisted by complexation. Thus, a pilot of tangential membrane filtration was designed and established in a glove box at the ATALANTE place of CEA-Marcoule. Physico-chemical characterisation of the Desal GH membrane (OSMONICS), selected to carry out actinides(III)/lanthanides(III) separation, was realized to determine the zeta potential of the active layer and its resistance to ionizing radiations. Moreover, a parametric study was also carried out to optimize the selectivity of complexation, and the operating conditions of complex retention (influences of the transmembrane pressure, solute concentration, tangential velocity and temperature). Finally, the separation of traces of Am(III) contained in a mixture of lanthanides(III), simulating the real load coming from a reprocessing cycle, was evaluated with several chelating agents such as poly-amino-carboxylic acids according to the solution acidity and the [Ligand]/[Cation(III)] ratio. (author)

The statistics of quasar-galaxy separations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phillips, S.

1983-01-01

One of the arguments put forward in favor of physical associations between low redshift galaxies and high redshift quasars is shown to be void. The argument is based on the form of the relationship for 'close' pairs of quasars and galaxies and on the size of their separations. Simple statistical reasoning based on selection effects shows that the relationship for quasar-galaxy pairs is expected if the objects are not physically associated. Further, the actual separations of the closest pairs are in close agreement with those expected given the observed numbers of nearby galaxies and the total number of known quasars. This argument avoids the controversial number density of quasars

Tröger’s Base Ladder Polymer for Membrane-Based Hydrocarbon Separation

KAUST Repository

Alhazmi, Abdulrahman

2017-05-01

The use of polymeric membranes for natural gas separation has rapidly increased during the past three decades, particularly for carbon dioxide separation from natural gas. Another valuable application is the separation of heavy hydrocarbons from methane (fuel gas conditioning), more importantly for remote area and off-shore applications. A new potential polymeric membrane that might be utilized for natural gas separations is a Tröger’s base ladder polymer (PIM-Trip-TB-2). This glassy polymeric membrane was synthesized by the polymerization reaction of 9, 10-dimethyl-2,6 (7) diaminotriptycene with dimethoxymethane. In this research, the polymer was selected due to its high surface area and highly interconnected microporous structure. Sorption isotherms of nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O¬2), methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H8), and n-butane (n-C4H10) were measured at 35 °C over a range of pressures using a Hiden Intelligent Gravimetric Analyzer, IGA. The more condensable gases (C2H6, CO2, C3H8, and n-C4H10) showed high solubility due to their high affinity to the polymer matrix. The permeation coefficients were determined for various gases at 35 °C and pressure difference of 5 bar via the constant-pressure/variable-volume method. The PIM-Trip-TB-2 film exhibited high performance for several high-impact applications, such as O2/N2, H2/N2 and H2/CH4. Also, physical aging for several gases was examined by measuring the permeability coefficients at different periods of time. Moreover, a series of mixed-gas permeation tests was performed using 2 vol.% n-C4H10/98 vol.% CH4 and the results showed similar transport characteristics to other microporous polymers with pores of less than 2 nm. The work performed in this research suggested that PIM-Trip-TB-2 is suitable for the separation of: (i) higher hydrocarbons from methane and (ii) small, non-condensable gases such as O2/N2 and H2/CH4.

Recent Progress in Asymmetric Catalysis and Chromatographic Separation by Chiral Metal–Organic Frameworks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suchandra Bhattacharjee

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs, as a new class of porous solid materials, have emerged and their study has established itself very quickly into a productive research field. This short review recaps the recent advancement of chiral MOFs. Here, we present simple, well-ordered instances to classify the mode of synthesis of chiral MOFs, and later demonstrate the potential applications of chiral MOFs in heterogeneous asymmetric catalysis and enantioselective separation. The asymmetric catalysis sections are subdivided based on the types of reactions that have been successfully carried out recently by chiral MOFs. In the part on enantioselective separation, we present the potentiality of chiral MOFs as a stationary phase for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC and high-resolution gas chromatography (GC by considering fruitful examples from current research work. We anticipate that this review will provide interest to researchers to design new homochiral MOFs with even greater complexity and effort to execute their potential functions in several fields, such as asymmetric catalysis, enantiomer separation, and chiral recognition.

High-temperature vacuum distillation separation of plutonium waste salts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, E.

1996-01-01

In this task, high-temperature vacuum distillation separation is being developed for residue sodium chloride-potassium chloride salts resulting from past pyrochemical processing of plutonium. This process has the potential of providing clean separation of the salt and the actinides with minimal amounts of secondary waste generation. The process could produce chloride salt that could be discarded as low-level waste (LLW) or low actinide content transuranic (TRU) waste, and a concentrated actinide oxide powder that would meet long-term storage standards (DOE-DTD-3013-94) until a final disposition option for all surplus plutonium is chosen

Combining extrapolation with ghost interaction correction in range-separated ensemble density functional theory for excited states

Science.gov (United States)

Alam, Md. Mehboob; Deur, Killian; Knecht, Stefan; Fromager, Emmanuel

2017-11-01

The extrapolation technique of Savin [J. Chem. Phys. 140, 18A509 (2014)], which was initially applied to range-separated ground-state-density-functional Hamiltonians, is adapted in this work to ghost-interaction-corrected (GIC) range-separated ensemble density-functional theory (eDFT) for excited states. While standard extrapolations rely on energies that decay as μ-2 in the large range-separation-parameter μ limit, we show analytically that (approximate) range-separated GIC ensemble energies converge more rapidly (as μ-3) towards their pure wavefunction theory values (μ → +∞ limit), thus requiring a different extrapolation correction. The purpose of such a correction is to further improve on the convergence and, consequently, to obtain more accurate excitation energies for a finite (and, in practice, relatively small) μ value. As a proof of concept, we apply the extrapolation method to He and small molecular systems (viz., H2, HeH+, and LiH), thus considering different types of excitations such as Rydberg, charge transfer, and double excitations. Potential energy profiles of the first three and four singlet Σ+ excitation energies in HeH+ and H2, respectively, are studied with a particular focus on avoided crossings for the latter. Finally, the extraction of individual state energies from the ensemble energy is discussed in the context of range-separated eDFT, as a perspective.

Electrostatic separation for recycling conductors, semiconductors, and nonconductors from electronic waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Mianqiang; Yan, Guoqing; Li, Jia; Xu, Zhenming

2012-10-02

Electrostatic separation has been widely used to separate conductors and nonconductors for recycling e-waste. However, the components of e-waste are complex, which can be classified as conductors, semiconductors, and nonconductors according to their conducting properties. In this work, we made a novel attempt to recover the mixtures containing conductors (copper), semiconductors (extrinsic silicon), and nonconductors (woven glass reinforced resin) by electrostatic separation. The results of binary mixtures separation show that the separation of conductor and nonconductor, semiconductor and nonconductor need a higher voltage level while the separation of conductor and semiconductor needs a higher roll speed. Furthermore, the semiconductor separation efficiency is more sensitive to the high voltage level and the roll speed than the conductor separation efficiency. An integrated process was proposed for the multiple mixtures separation. The separation efficiency of conductors and semiconductors can reach 82.5% and 88%, respectively. This study contributes to the efficient recycling of valuable resources from e-waste.

Matrimid® derived carbon molecular sieve hollow fiber membranes for ethylene/ethane separation

KAUST Repository

Xu, Liren; Rungta, Meha; Koros, William J.

2011-01-01

materials in realistic gas separations. The very challenging ethylene/ethane separation is the primary target of this work. Matrimid® derived CMS hollow fiber membranes have been investigated in this work. Resultant CMS fiber showed interesting separation

Expanding the Playing Field: Immune-Based Therapy Shows Potential for Lung, Other Cancers

Science.gov (United States)

Results from two early-phase clinical trials presented at the 2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting provide further evidence that priming the immune system to attack tumors has potential as a treatment for certain cancers.

Testing static quark-antiquark potentials with bottomonium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lichtenberg, D.B.; Predazzi, E.; Roncaglia, R.; Rosso, M.; Wills, J.G.

1989-01-01

We investigate the question of whether experimental data on the energy levels of bottomonium can discriminate between quark-antiquark potentials which are motivated by what we know about QCD and potentials which are purely phenomenological. We restrict ourselves to bottomonium because, of all the quarkonia observed thus far, bottomonium is the least relativistic and therefore the best testing ground for the static quarkonium potential. We consider two potentials whose functional form is motivated from perturbative QCD at short quark-antiquark separations and from nonperturbative lattice QCD at large separations. We also consider three strictly phenomenological potentials. We find that the best of the three phenomenological potentials, which has never been previously used, fits the spin-averaged data at least as well as the best of the QCD-motivated potentials. We propose further measurements on bottomium energy levels to provide additional tests. (orig.)

Isotope separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eerkens, J.W.

1979-01-01

A method of isotope separation is described which involves the use of a laser photon beam to selectively induce energy level transitions of an isotope molecule containing the isotope to be separated. The use of the technique for 235 U enrichment is demonstrated. (UK)

Coal-gold agglomeration: an alternative separation process in gold recovery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akcil, A.; Wu, X.Q.; Aksay, E.K. [Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta (Turkey). Dept. of Mining Engineering

2009-07-01

Considering the increasing environmental concerns and the potential for small gold deposits to be exploited in the future, the uses of environmentally friendly processes are essential. Recent developments point to the potential for greatly increased plant performance through a separation process that combines the cyanide and flotation processes. In addition, this kind of alternative treatment processes to the traditional gold recovery processes may reduce the environmental risks of present small-scale gold mining. Gold recovery processes that applied to different types of gold bearing ore deposits show that the type of deposits plays an important role for the selection of mineral processing technologies in the production of gold and other precious metals. In the last 25 years, different alternative processes have been investigated on gold deposits located in areas where environmental issues are a great concern. In 1988, gold particles were first recovered by successful pilot trial of coal-gold agglomeration (CGA) process in Australia. The current paper reviews the importance of CGA in the production of gold ore and identifies areas for further development work.

Quorum Sensing Inhibition by Asparagopsis taxiformis, a Marine Macro Alga: Separation of the Compound that Interrupts Bacterial Communication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anton Hartmann

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The majority of the marine algal species, though completing their life cycle in seawater, are rarely susceptible to fouling, making them an important source of quorum sensing (QS inhibitory substances. The separation and characterization of QS inhibitors are crucial for any potential application. Thirty marine macroalgae were tested for QS inhibition activity by using Chromobacterium violaceum CV026 as the reporter strain, and among them, Asparagopsis taxiformis showed antibacterial, as well as antiquorum, sensing activities. Cinnamaldehyde (75 mM and methanol were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. The antiquorum sensing activity of A. taxiformis was further confirmed using the sensor strain, Serratia liquefaciens MG44, having green fluorescent protein (gfp. Methanolic extract of the alga was fractionated by solid phase extraction (SPE, and each fraction was tested for QS inhibition. Two types of activities were observed—zone of clearance (antibacterial activity and zone of inhibition with or without finger-like projections (QS inhibition. Out of five SPE cartridges, Bond Elut PH showed clear separation of these two fractions. The Ion Cyclotron Resonance Fourier Transformation Mass Spectrometer (ICR-FT/MS analysis of the fractions further supported the bioassay results. The presence of strong QS inhibitory compound in A. taxiformis indicates its potential use in antifouling preparations.

Map showing radon potential of rocks and soils in Montgomery County, Maryland

Science.gov (United States)

Gundersen, L.C.; Reimer, G.M.; Wiggs, C.R.; Rice, C.A.

1988-01-01

This report summarizes the radon potential of Montgomery County in the context of its geology. Radon is a naturally occurring gas produced by the radioactive decay of uranium. Radon produced by uraniferous rocks and soils may enter a house through porous building materials and through openings in walls and floors. Radon gases has a tendency to move from the higher pressure commonly existing in the soil to the lower pressure commonly existing in the house. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA, 1986a) estimates that elevated levels of indoor radon may be associated with 5,000 to 20,000 of the 130,000 lung cancer deaths per year. They also estimate that 8 to 12 percent of the homes in the United States will have annual average indoor radon levels exceeding 4 picoCuries per liter of air (pCi/L). Above this level, the U.S. EPA recommends homeowners take remedial action. May factors control the amount of radon which may enter a home from the geologic environment. Soil drainage, permeability, and moisture content effect the amount of radon that can be released from rocks and soils (known as the emmanation) and may limit or increase how far it can migrate. Well drained, highly permeable soils facilitate the movement of radon. Soils with water content in the 8 to 15 percent range enhance the emmanation of radon (Lindmark, 1985). Daily and seasonal variations in soil and indoor radon can be caused by meteorologic factors such as barometric pressure, temperature, and wind (Clements and Wilkening, 1974; Schery and other, 1984). Construction practices also inhibit or promote entry of radon into the home (U.S. EPA, 1986b). In general, however, geology controls the source and distribution of radon (Akerblom and Wilson, 1982; Gundersen and others, 1987, 1988; Sextro and others, 1987; U.S. EPA, 1983; Peake, 1988; Peake and Hess, 1988). The following sections describe: 1) the methods used to measure radon and equivalent uranium (eU) in soil; 2) the radon potential

Separation of flow

CERN Document Server

Chang, Paul K

2014-01-01

Interdisciplinary and Advanced Topics in Science and Engineering, Volume 3: Separation of Flow presents the problem of the separation of fluid flow. This book provides information covering the fields of basic physical processes, analyses, and experiments concerning flow separation.Organized into 12 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of the flow separation on the body surface as discusses in various classical examples. This text then examines the analytical and experimental results of the laminar boundary layer of steady, two-dimensional flows in the subsonic speed range. Other chapt

METHOD FOR NUMERICAL MODELING OF UNSTEADY SEPARATED FLOW AROUND AIRFOILS MOVING CLOSE TO FLAT SCREEN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Pogrebnaya Tamara

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In this article an attempt is made to explain the nature of differences in measurements of forces and moments, which influence an aircraft at take-off and landing when testing on different types of stands. An algorithm for numerical simulation of unsteady separated flow around airfoil is given. The algorithm is based on the combination of discrete vortex method and turbulent boundary layer equations. An unsteady flow separation modeling has been used. At each interval vortex method was used to calculate the potential flow around airfoils located near a screen. Calculated pressures and velocities were then used in boundary layer calculations to determine flow separation points and separated vortex in- tensities. After that calculation were made to determine free vortex positions to next time step and the process was fulfilled for next time step. The proposed algorithm allows using numeric visualization to understand physical picture of flow around airfoil moving close to screen. Three different ways of flow modeling (mirror method, fixed or movable screens were tested. In each case the flow separation process, which determines pressure distribution over airfoil surface and influ- ences aerodynamic performance, was viewed. The results of the calculations showed that at low atitudes of airfoil over screen mirror method over predicts lift force compared with movable screen, while fixed screen under predicts it. The data obtained can be used when designing equipment for testing in wind tunnels.

Potential benefits of saturation cycle with two-phase refrigerant injection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Hoseong; Hwang, Yunho; Radermacher, Reinhard; Chun, Ho-Hwan

2013-01-01

In this paper, a saturation cycle is proposed to enhance a vapor compression cycle performance by reducing thermodynamic losses associated with single phase gas compression and isenthalpic expansion. In order to approach the saturation cycle, a two-phase refrigerant injection technique is applied to the multi-stage cycle. This multi-stage cycle with different options is modeled, and its performance is evaluated under ASHRAE standard operating conditions for air conditioning systems. Moreover, the two-phase refrigerant injection cycle is compared with the typical vapor injection cycle which is utilizing the internal heat exchanger or the flash tank. Low GWP refrigerants are applied to this two-phase refrigerant injection cycle. In terms of the COP and its improvement, R123 has a higher potential than any other refrigerants in the multi-stage cycle. Lastly, practical ideas realizing the saturation cycle are discussed such as multi-stage phase separator, phase separator with helical structure inside, and injection location of the compressor. -- Highlights: • A saturation cycle is proposed to enhance the vapor compression cycle performance. • Two-phase refrigerant injection technique is applied to the multi-stage cycle. • Modeling results of the proposed cycle show the significant performance improvement. • Low GWP refrigerants are applied and R123 shows the highest performance. • New parameters, α and ε, are used to show the potential of the saturation cycle

An early separation scheme for the LHC luminosity upgrade

CERN Document Server

Sterbini, G

2010-01-01

The present document is organized in five chapters. In the first chapter the framework of the study is described, developing the motivations, the goals and the requirements for the LHC Luminosity Upgrade. We analyze the need for the crossing angle and its impact on the peak luminosity of the collider. After having introduced the Early Separation Scheme, we explain how it may overcome some limitations of the present machine. We compare the nominal LHC crossing scheme with the proposed one underlining its potential in terms of performance and its issues with respect to the integration in the detectors. An analysis of the integrated magnetic field required is given. In the second chapter we introduce one of the most powerful aspect of the scheme: the luminosity leveling. After the description of the physical model adopted, we compare the results of its analytical and numerical solutions. All the potential improvement due to the Early Separation Scheme are shown on the luminosity plane (peak luminosity versus int...

Passive Flap Actuation by Reversing Flow in Laminar Boundary Layer Separation

Science.gov (United States)

Parsons, Chase; Lang, Amy; Santos, Leo; Bonacci, Andrew

2017-11-01

Reducing the flow separation is of great interest in the field of fluid mechanics in order to reduce drag and improve the overall efficiency of aircraft. This project seeks to investigate passive flow control using shark inspired microflaps in laminar boundary layer separation. This study aims to show that whether a flow is laminar or turbulent, laminar and 2D or turbulent and 3D, microflaps actuated by reversing flow is a robust means of controlling flow separation. In order to generate a controlled adverse pressure gradient, a rotating cylinder induces separation at a chosen location on a flat plate boundary layer with Re above 10000. Within this thick boundary layer, digital particle image velocimetry is used to map the flow. This research can be used in the future to better understand the nature of the bristling shark scales and its ability to passively control separation. Results show that microflaps successfully actuated due to backflow and that this altered the formation of flow separation. I would like to thank the NSF for REU Grant EEC 1659710 and the Army Research Office for funding this project.

Melting, solidification, remelting, and separation of glass and metal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebadian, M.A.; Xin, R.C.; Liu, Y.Z.

1998-01-01

Several high-temperature vitrification technologies have been developed for the treatment of a wide range of mixed waste types in both the low-level waste and transuranic (TRU) mixed waste categories currently in storage at DOE sites throughout the nation. The products of these processes are an oxide slag phase and a reduced metal phase. The metal phase has the potential to be recycled within the DOE Complex. Enhanced slag/metal separation methods are needed to support these processes. This research project involves an experimental investigation of the melting, solidification, remelting, and separation of glass and metal and the development of an efficient separation technology. The ultimate goal of this project is to find an efficient way to separate the slag phase from the metal phase in the molten state. This two-year project commenced in October 1995 (FY96). In the first fiscal year, the following tasks were accomplished: (1) A literature review and an assessment of the baseline glass and metal separation technologies were performed. The results indicated that the baseline technology yields a high percentage of glass in the metal phase, requiring further separation. (2) The main melting and solidification system setup was established. A number of melting and solidification tests were conducted. (3) Temperature distribution, solidification patterns, and flow field in the molten metal pool were simulated numerically for the solidification processes of molten aluminum and iron steel. (4) Initial designs of the laboratory-scale DCS and CS technologies were also completed. The principal demonstration separation units were constructed. (5) An application for a patent for an innovative liquid-liquid separation technology was submitted and is pending

Synthesis, characterization, and application of Zn(NH 3)(CO3) for selective adsorptive separation of CO2

Science.gov (United States)

Khazeni, Naasser

This study explores the potential of Zn(NH3)(CO3) for selective CO2 separation. It develops a novel, highly controllable, single-pot synthesis approach based on urea hydrolysis and solvothermal aging to increase the feasibility of synthesizing Zn(NH3)(CO3), determines the structure of Zn(NH3)(CO3) in detail through single crystal X-ray diffraction and powder X-ray diffraction analyses, and performs adsorption analyses for the compound using CO2, N 2, H2, O2, and CH4 as adsorptives. Through adsorptive characterization, a systematic adsorbent selection screening is performed to assess the potential application of Zn(NH3)(CO 3) for adsorptive separation of CO2 from an upstream gas mixture of power generation, hydrogen production, and natural gas industries. Structural analysis shows Zn(NH3)(CO3) to have an inorganic helical framework that consists of a small helix of (ZnOCO) 2 and a large helix of (ZnOCO)4 with two ammines (NH 3) pendant from every other zinc. In terms of adsorption capacity and CO2 selectivity, Zn(NH3)(CO3) adsorbed 0.550 mmole/g CO2 at 293 K and 4500 mmHg, but only 0.047 mmole/g N 2, 0.084 mmole/g H2, 0.207 mmole/g 02, and 0.060 mmole/g CH4 at the same temperature and pressure. This behavior demonstrates considerable equilibrium selectivities - 36, 31, 63, and 11 - for separating CO2 from CH4, CO2 from H 2, CO2 from N2, and CO2 from 02, respectively. During adsorption, the pendant ammines act as the gates of check-valves: applied pressure opens the gates for adsorption; and during desorption, the gates are closed, trapping the adsorbates, until a reduction of pressure to near-atmospheric levels. Therefore, Zn(NH3)(CO3) exhibits low-pressure H3 or H4 hysteresis, indicating that the Zn(NH3)(CO3) framework can achieve gas storage at near-atmospheric pressures. Additionally, the compound proves structurally stable, with an adsorption decrease of 0.8% after 20 adsorption/desorption cycles - a factor that, considered with the other characteristics of Zn

Solution of Dirac equation for Eckart potential and trigonometric Manning Rosen potential using asymptotic iteration method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arum Sari, Resita; Suparmi, A; Cari, C

2016-01-01

The Dirac equation for Eckart potential and trigonometric Manning Rosen potential with exact spin symmetry is obtained using an asymptotic iteration method. The combination of the two potentials is substituted into the Dirac equation, then the variables are separated into radial and angular parts. The Dirac equation is solved by using an asymptotic iteration method that can reduce the second order differential equation into a differential equation with substitution variables of hypergeometry type. The relativistic energy is calculated using Matlab 2011. This study is limited to the case of spin symmetry. With the asymptotic iteration method, the energy spectra of the relativistic equations and equations of orbital quantum number l can be obtained, where both are interrelated between quantum numbers. The energy spectrum is also numerically solved using the Matlab software, where the increase in the radial quantum number n r causes the energy to decrease. The radial part and the angular part of the wave function are defined as hypergeometry functions and visualized with Matlab 2011. The results show that the disturbance of a combination of the Eckart potential and trigonometric Manning Rosen potential can change the radial part and the angular part of the wave function. (paper)

Efficient Separations and Processing Integrated Program (ESP-IP): Technology summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-02-01

The Efficient Separations and Processing Integrated Program (ESPIP) was created in 1991 to identify, develop and perfect separations technologies and processes to treat wastes and address environmental problems throughout the DOE Complex. These wastes and environmental problems, located at more than 100 contaminated installations in 36 states and territories, are the result of half a century of nuclear processing activities by DOE and its predecessor organizations. The cost of cleaning up this legacy has been estimated to be of the order of hundreds of billions of dollars, and ESPIP's origin came with the realization that if new separations and processes can produce even a marginal reduction in cost then billions of dollars will be saved. The ultimate mission for ESPIP, as outlined in the ESPIP Strategic Plan, is: to provide Separations Technologies and Processes (STPS) to process and immobilize a wide spectrum of radioactive and hazardous defense wastes; to coordinate STP research and development efforts within DOE; to explore the potential uses of separated radionuclides; to transfer demonstrated separations and processing technologies developed by DOE to the US industrial sector, and to facilitate competitiveness of US technology and industry in the world market. Technology research and development currently under investigation by ESPIP can be divided into four broad areas: cesium and strontium removal; TRU and other HLW separations; sludge technology, and other technologies

Nonuniform Effect of Carrier Separation Efficiency and Light Absorption in Type-II Perovskite Nanowire Solar Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Weiping; He, Jialun; Cao, Yiyan; Kong, Lijing; Zheng, Xuanli; Wu, Yaping; Chen, Xiaohong; Li, Shuping; Wu, Zhiming; Kang, Junyong

2017-03-01

Coaxial structures exhibit great potential for the application of high-efficiency solar cells due to the novel mechanism of radial charge separation. Here, we intensively investigate the nonuniform effect of carrier separation efficiency (CSE) and light absorption in perovskite-based type-II coaxial nanowire solar cells (ZnO/CH3NH3PbI3). Results show that the CSE rapidly decreases along the radial direction in the shell, and the value at the outer side becomes extremely low for the thick shell. Besides, the position of the main light absorption gradually moves to the outer side with the increase of the shell thickness. As a result, the external quantum efficiency shows a positional dependence with a maximal value close to the border of the nanowire. Eventually, in our case, it is found that the maximal power conversion efficiency of the solar cells reduces from 19.5 to 17.9% under the effect of the nonuniformity of CSE and light absorption. This work provides a basis for the design of high-efficiency solar cells, especially type-II nanowire solar cells.

Working memory processes show different degrees of lateralization : Evidence from event-related potentials

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Talsma, D; Wijers, A.A.; Klaver, P; Mulder, G.

This study aimed to identify different processes in working memory, using event-related potentials (ERPs) and response times. Abstract polygons were presented for memorization and subsequent recall in a delayed matching-to-sample paradigm. Two polygons were presented bilaterally for memorization and

Bendable Zeolite Membranes: Synthesis and Improved Gas Separation Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Bo; Ho, W S Winston; Figueroa, Jose D; Dutta, Prabir K

2015-06-23

Separation and sequestration of CO2 emitted from fossil energy fueled electric generating units and industrial facilities will help in reducing anthropogenic CO2, thereby mitigating its adverse climate change effects. Membrane-based gas separation has the potential to meet the technical challenges of CO2 separation if high selectivity and permeance with low costs for large-scale manufacture are realized. Inorganic zeolite membranes in principle can have selectivity and permeance considerably higher than polymers. This paper presents a strategy for zeolite growth within the pores of a polymer support, with crystallization time of an hour. With a thin coating of 200-300 nm polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) on the zeolite-polymer composite, transport data for CO2/N2 separation indicate separation factors of 35-45, with CO2 permeance between 1600 and 2200 GPU (1 GPU = 3.35 × 10(-10) mol/(m(2) s Pa)) using dry synthetic mixtures of CO2 and N2 at 25 °C. The synthesis process results in membranes that are highly reproducible toward transport measurements and exhibit long-term stability (3 days). Most importantly, these membranes because of the zeolite growth within the polymer support, as contrasted to conventional zeolite growth on top of a support, are mechanically flexible.

Management of Vortices Trailing Flapped Wings via Separation Control

Science.gov (United States)

Greenblatt, David

2005-01-01

A pilot study was conducted on a flapped semi-span model to investigate the concept and viability of near-wake vortex management via separation control. Passive control was achieved by means of a simple fairing and active control was achieved via zero mass-flux blowing slots. Vortex sheet strength, estimated by integrating surface pressure ports, was used to predict vortex characteristics by means of inviscid rollup relations. Furthermore, vortices trailing the flaps were mapped using a seven-hole probe. Separation control was found to have a marked effect on vortex location, strength, tangential velocity, axial velocity and size over a wide range of angles of attack and control conditions. In general, the vortex trends were well predicted by the inviscid rollup relations. Manipulation of the separated flow near the flap edges exerted significant control over both outboard and inboard edge vortices while producing negligible lift excursions. Dynamic separation and attachment control was found to be an effective means for dynamically perturbing the vortex from arbitrarily long wavelengths down to wavelengths less than a typical wingspan. In summary, separation control has the potential for application to time-independent or time-dependent wake alleviation schemes, where the latter can be deployed to minimize adverse effects on ride-quality and dynamic structural loading.

Method and device for ion mobility separations

Science.gov (United States)

Ibrahim, Yehia M.; Garimella, Sandilya V. B.; Smith, Richard D.

2017-07-11

Methods and devices for ion separations or manipulations in gas phase are disclosed. The device includes a single non-planar surface. Arrays of electrodes are coupled to the surface. A combination of RF and DC voltages are applied to the arrays of electrodes to create confining and driving fields that move ions through the device. The DC voltages are static DC voltages or time-dependent DC potentials or waveforms.

Controlling Separation in Turbomachines

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Simon; Himmel, Christoph; Power, Bronwyn; Wakelam, Christian; Xu, Liping; Hynes, Tom; Hodson, Howard

2010-01-01

Four examples of flow control: 1) Passive control of LP turbine blades (Laminar separation control). 2) Aspiration of a conventional axial compressor blade (Turbulent separation control). 3) Compressor blade designed for aspiration (Turbulent separation control). 4.Control of intakes in crosswinds (Turbulent separation control).