Selection of water-dispersible carbon black for fabrication of uranium oxicarbide microspheres

Fabrication of uranium oxicarbide microspheres, a component of TRISO fuel particles for high temperature nuclear power systems, is based on the internal gelation of uranium salts in the presence of carbon black. In order to obtain a high quality product, carbon black should remain dispersed during all phases of the gelation process. In this study, the surface and structural properties of several commercial carbon black materials, and the use of dispersing agents was examined with the goal of finding optimal conditions for stabilizing submicron-sized carbon black dispersions. Traditional methods for stabilizing dispersions, based on the use of dispersing agents, failed to stabilize carbon dispersions against large pH variations, typical for the internal gelation process. An alternate dispersing method was proposed, based on using surface-modified carbons functionalized with strongly ionized surface groups (sodium sulfonate). With a proper choice of surface modifiers, these advanced carbons disperse easily to particles in the range of 0.15-0.20 μm and the dispersions remain stable during the conditions of internal gelation.     

Preparation of microspheres of carbon black dispersion in uranyl-ascorbate gels as precursors for uranium carbide

A novel technique to fabricate precursors of carbide-ceramic nuclear fuel via synthesis of spherical particles (with a diameter below 150 μm) of carbon black dispersion in uranyl-ascorbate gels by a combination of the Complex Sol–Gel Process and the Double Extraction Process has been elaborated. Applying of ascorbic acid as complexing agent in the Complex Sol–Gel Process allows to obtain stable and uniform dispersion of carbon in an uranyl-ascorbate sol. Traditionally, the dispersability is improved by employment of dispersing agents – surfactants. In the presented Complex Sol–Gel Process, a dispersing agent is needless. The ascorbate sols perfectly wet carbon black and do not form agglomerates. In the Double Extraction Process, dispersion of carbon black in sols is emulsified by drops in the organic phase consisting of 2-ethylhexanol-1 and 1 volume % of Primene JM-T. The microspheres are created by gelation of droplets, through simultaneous extraction of water with 2-ethylhexanol-1 and nitrate ions with Primene JM-T. The elaboration of the optimal gelation conditions requires considering many issues which are described in this paper.     

Plasma activation towards oxidized nanocarbons for efficient electrochemical synthesis of hydrogen peroxide

Oxidized nanocarbons(ONCs) have been regarded as efficient electrocatalysts for H_2O_2 production. However, wet chemical procedures involving large volumes of strong acid and long synthetic time are usually needed to obtain these ONCs. Herein, a plasma activation strategy is developed as a rapid and environmentally benign approach to obtain various ONCs, including oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes, single-walled carbon nanotube, graphene, and super P carbon black. After a few minutes of plasma activation, oxygen-containing functional groups and defects can be effectively introduced onto the surface of nanocarbons. Enhanced electrocatalytic activity and selectivity are demonstrated by the plasma-ONCs for H_2O_2 production. Taking oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes as an example, high selectivity(up to 95%) and activity(0.75 V at 1 mA cm~(-2)) can be achieved in alkaline solution. Moreover, ex situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and in situ Raman measurements reveal that C–O, C=O, edge defect, and sp2 basal planar defect are probably the active sites.     

Optical properties of carbon materials filled HDPE composites in THz region

The optical and electrical properties of several composites,formed by filling the high density polyethylene (HDPE) with similar amount of carbon black (CB),multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) and fullerene (C60),respectively,were characterized using a THz-TDS setup.It was found that the optical parameters and the details of their variation with frequency differ significantly for different kinds of carbon materials.The results are analyzed by using Cole-Cole formula of dipole relaxation under the assumption that carbon particles dispersed in the matrix behave like dipoles and contribute mainly to the dielectric loss in the THz frequency range.Fitting results indicate that MWNT and CB filled composites have a broader distribution of the relaxation time compared with C60 which possesses a nearly single relaxation time.Compared with CB and C60,MWNT filled composite possesses the larger relaxation strength due to its higher electron density and larger conductive clusters.The real part of conductivity for three kinds of composites all follows power law behavior with respect to frequency but the exponents are quite different.These phenomena may be related to the special properties of the fillers as well as their particulate structures,such as aspect ratio,particle size,and aggregate structure,etc.     

低浓度CB填充的HDPE复合体系的流变学性质及其辐照响应

利用高级流变扩展系统（ARES）研究了辐照前后低浓度碳黑（CB）填充的高密度聚乙烯（HDPE）复合体系的流变学行为。结果发现,辐照40kGy之后,在5—25phrCB的复合体系中,储能模量（G′）在低频区出现一平台,并且损耗因子（tgδ）相比辐照之前显著降低,显示了聚合物分子经辐照产生了交联。流变性质随辐照剂量变化的结果显示,低辐照剂量下体系主要发生辐照交联,而在100kGy剂量下体系的G′和tgδ均有微小回复,结合凝胶含量测量发现这与聚合物分子的部分降解有关。     

Enhanced electrocatalytic activity of carbon cloth by synergetic effect of plasma and acid treatment

Commercial carbon cloth(CC) is an ideal electrocatalysis material to produce oxygen evolution reaction(OER) due to its high conductive and 3 D flexible structure, but the lacked active sites limit its application. For improving its OER performance, the present study proposed an effective method combining plasma and acid treatment to introduce oxygen-containing functional groups and produce more active sites on its surface. Compared to the pristine CC, the plasma and acid treated carbon cloth(PN-CC) delivers a reduced overpotential by 34.6% to achieve current density of 10 m A cm~(-2). The Tafel slope declines from 97.5 m V dec~(–1)(pristine CC) to 55.9 m V dec~(–1)(PN-CC), showing an increased OER kinetic. Additionally, PN-CC electrocatalyst shows outstanding stability after 5000 cycles or 25 000 s. The combination of plasma and acid treatment shows a significant potential in surface modification for electrocatalysts.     

RBS/EBS/PIXE measurement of single-walled carbon nanotube modification by nitric acid purification treatment

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have many potential applications, including a number of promising biological applications. Nitric acid treatment solubilises CNTs by introducing functional groups, as well as removing amorphous carbon contaminants. Here, we report simultaneous RBS/EBS/PIXE measurements of nitric acid treated SWCNTs, focussing on the metal, nitrogen and oxygen content. We found that nitrogen remains constant in the samples despite washing and dialysis indicating it has either bound irreversibly via intercalation with the SWCNT and/or has been included in functional groups. We also found that the ratio between oxygen and platinum (catalyst) remains constant with treatment time (sampled at 2, 4, 6 h), indicating no more functional groups are made after 2 h exposure.     

放射性氙分离纯化技术

采用制备色谱技术并结合吸附材料性能的差异的方法,对不同温度下4A MS柱、5A MS柱、碳黑小球(601)柱、活性碳柱的性能进行了测定,根据测定结果确定了氙分离纯化流程的设计参数及实验参数.在设计的氙分离纯化流程的基础上,通过模拟实验测得该流程获得氙样品的产额好于90％,获得氙样品的纯度好于98％,样品能满足放射性测量...     

A new method to combine IBA of fine aerosols with Radon-222 to determine source characteristics

Accelerator based ion beam analysis (IBA) techniques were used to determine the elemental composition of aerosol samples from four sites near Sydney, Australia. Hourly measurements of atmospheric Radon-222 (radon) concentration were made at the same sites. We evaluate a new method for quantifying the degree of distribution of aerosol sources based on the correlation analysis of two consecutive years (2007-2008) of IBA and radon data.Seasonal cycles and trends in concentrations of key elemental constituents of the sampled aerosols are characterised, and explained in terms of the regional Sydney climatology and proximity of measurement sites to the coast. Site-to-site correlation analysis was then undertaken between elements to quantify the extent to which a source had a regional impact or was only local to a site (site-specific). This was followed by correlation analysis of elements and radon at each site to identify the degree of spatial and temporal uniformity of the source at each site.Silicon concentrations (usually associated with soil sources), were overall well correlated between three of the four sites, indicative of a regional source for three sites and a local source for the fourth site. Conversely, the highest sulfur correlations were observed between sites that were closest together.On a site-by-site basis, radon was well correlated with black carbon and potassium and particularly during winter when domestic heating constitutes a distributed source. However, in summer the correlation of radon with BC and K was poor indicating that the distribution of these sources varies over the summer fetch region. Radon was also positively correlated with silicon and titanium, but the correlation coefficient for the entire data set was smaller than for black carbon. In summer and winter, when fetch regions were constrained by the prevailing meteorology, silicon and titanium showed a better correlation with radon. A small negative correlation was seen between sodium (a marker for sea salt) and radon.     

同位素示踪法在碳纳米管填充释放行为研究中的应用

应用同位素示踪技术,以^110Ag^m-AgNO3溶液填充、NANO3或HNO3溶液洗涤氧化开口后的碳纳米管(CNTs),研究了填充物^110Ag^m-AgNO3在水溶液中从碳纳米管中的释放情况;用高分辨透射电镜(HREM)、扫描电镜(SEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)、X射线能量色散谱(EDS)对CNTs的填充情况进行了表征;根据放射分析测量结果计算了CNTs腔内部样品的填充量。结果表明,CNTs腔内有银材料填充并且在水溶液中不会释放出来;示踪技术能有效地应用于CNTs的填充、释放等行为的研究及材料填充量的定量测定。     

辐射交联对聚合物/炭黑导电复合物影响的评述

辐射交联是提高热塑性炭黑导电复合物的电学稳定性、消除负温度系数（NTC）效应的主要方法，介绍了正温度系数（PTC）的基本原理，辐射交联对PTC效应和NTC效应的影响，辐射交联的优点，以及辐射交联在导电复合物中的新应用。     

Development of a 3-D multigroup program for Dancoff factor calculation

Several parameters, one of which is the Dancoff Factor (DF), are used to calculate the resonance integral (RI) and reduced flux in the resonance region of heterogeneous systems as well as to accurately determine the group constants for criticality calculations. This paper is a report on the development of a program to calculate the DF correction factor using Monte Carlo method and collision probability definition in three-dimensional (3-D) geometries and with multi energy groups. Hence, the DF for any arbitrary arrangement of cylindrical and slab fuel elements is hereby calculated. The fuel elements are monitored and kept at equal levels, though different material compositions and formations are allowed rendering the materials either black or partially transparent. A separate investigation is carried out as to the effects of extension to 3-D geometry, energy group divisions, clad, coolant and moderator. The program is applied to calculate DF for slab fuels of a pool-type research reactor (PRR) containing 19 slab fuels and for cylindrical fuel element of CANFLEX fuel bundle with 43 cylindrical fuels elements. All calculations are performed in 3-D geometry and for six energy groups. The viability as well as the feasibility of the program is verified using the WIMSD computer code for the obtained 3-D and six-group DF for CANFLEX fuel bundle.     

聚丙烯密度变化与形态等因素的关系

含不同添加剂（二氧化钛，炭黑，酞菁蓝，还原橙）聚丙烯密度与结晶温度，退火以及辐照有关，密度的变化取决于样品的结晶度和球晶体积。辐照后的聚丙烯在６０℃低温下退火，匠增与结晶温度和退火时间有关，密度最终趋于一个极限值，主要是由于无定形区小分子形成结晶所致。辐照而未退火只能使样品密度发生轻微的变化。     

利用MCNP模拟气体裂变产物混合源的γ剂量率

西安脉冲反应堆辐照铀靶后,抽取Kr、Xe裂变气体,通过活性炭吸附于气体源盒内。HPGe γ谱仪测量源盒内混合气体活度,塑料闪烁探测器测量γ剂量率。将源盒、塑料闪烁探测器的几何结构、材料作为蒙特卡罗程序（MCNP）输入信息,模拟塑料闪烁探测器对源盒中核素活度与其γ剂量率对应关系,结合HPGe γ谱仪所测活度得到剂量率模拟值,结果与实测值偏差小于6%。该工作说明在已知放射源空间结构、放射性核素种类和活度的情况下,采用MCNP模拟计算复杂气体放射源γ剂量率的方法是可行的。     

聚乙烯/碳黑复合导电材料的正电子谱学研究

在高密度聚乙烯（HDPE）中掺入碳黑（CB）可以显著提高其导电性能,而且碳黑含量的变化对导电性有很在影响。本文用正电子湮没技术研究了这种复合体系中自由体积随碳黑含量的变化规律,证实了碳黑颗粒处于非晶区的观点,并结合电阻率测量和差热分析的实验结果探讨了渗流阈值以及结晶度等问题。     

Characterization of the copper-containing amine oxidase from Trifolium pratense seedlings

We studied the kinetic characterizations of the Trifolium pratense seedlings copper-containing amine oxidase(TPAO) by using various amine-containing substrates.The catalyzing rate for all of amine-containing substrates can be ordered as diamines polyamines aromatic monoamines,and it shows an apparent trend in each category of substrates such as the longer the carbon chain,the lower the V_(max) is,so does the V_(max)/K_m values but is opposite for the K_m value of TPAO.The distinct differences between the kinetic parameters for different amine-containing substrates indicated that the rate-determining step of the catalytic reaction strongly depends on the substrate's chemical structure.It is concluded that both pH and ionic strength can affect the catalytic activity of TPAO via influencing the coulomb interaction-mediated enzyme-substrate docking processes,which can be attributed to the potential of charged groups from both substrates and the activity sites of TPAO by the regulation of ionic strength.     

Structural change of carbon nanotubes produced by Si ion beam irradiation

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were irradiated by 40 keV Si ion beam with different doses. The structural change of the MWCNTs was revealed by transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The structural characterization after irradiation shows that the formation of amorphous carbon nanowires proceeds through two periods, carbon nanotube – semi-solid amorphous carbon nanowire with hollow structure – solid amorphous carbon nanowire. Based on the interaction between energetic particles and carbon nanotubes, the structural transformation process and corresponding mechanisms are discussed. A model is presented to illustrate the structural change of carbon nanotubes with increased irradiation dose.     

活性炭对土壤氡吸附饱和性能研究

选用六组不同类型的活性炭,通过室外对土壤氡的吸附饱和实验,研究了活性炭对低射气土壤氡的吸附行为。实验结果表明:不同类型的活性炭对土壤氡的吸附饱和时间不同,均远小于30 d,吸附性能较好的椰壳活性炭在第八天即达到吸附饱和;不同类型活性炭的吸附饱和浓度差异也较大。因此,在低射气区进行活性炭吸附氡气测量时,应选择小粒径的椰壳活性炭作为吸附载体。     

镍掺杂碳气凝胶的脉冲电沉积法制备及表征

利用脉冲电沉积法成功制备了金属镍掺杂碳气凝胶。通过XRD、SEM EDS和TEM测试方法证实脉冲电沉积法成功地在碳气凝胶结构中还原出了金属镍，SEM图谱表明生成的金属镍粒子均匀分布于碳气凝胶结构中。利用ICP-AES仪测试了掺杂金属碳气凝胶中金属的含量。N2吸附数据分析表明，掺入金属镍后，碳气凝胶的比表面积、总孔体积、介孔体积和微孔体积均减小，说明还原生成的金属镍颗粒填充了部分碳气凝胶的介孔和微孔。     

电子自旋共振技术鉴别辐照茶叶

研究黄山毛峰和祁门红茶经Co-60γ射线辐照诱导的电子自旋共振(Electron spin resonance,ESR)波谱特征,以及吸收剂量、贮藏时间与茶叶中自由基ESR信号强度的关系,考察利用ESR技术鉴别辐照茶叶的可行性。结果显示,低吸收剂量能显著增加茶叶中ESR信号强度(p0.01);茶叶中自由基的信号强度随吸收剂量呈多项式关系增长,与贮藏时间呈乘幂函数关系下降;在常温贮藏70 d后,信号强度逐渐稳定,但依然显著高于未辐照样品的信号强度(p0.01),据此表明,使用ESR法可以鉴别辐照与非辐照的茶叶。