Solvent-free synthesis of C9 and C10 branched alkanes with furfural and 3-pentanone from lignocellulose

Jet fuel range branched alkanes were first synthesized under solvent-free conditions by the aldol condensation of furfural and 3-pentanone from lignocellulose followed by the one-step hydrodeoxygenation (HDO). Among the investigated solid base catalysts, CaO and KF/Al₂O₃ demonstrated the highest activity for the aldol condensation reaction of furfural and 3-pentanone. The aldol condensation product of furfural and 3-pentanone (liquid at room temperature) was directly hydrodeoxygenated to 4-methyl-nonane and 4-methyl-octane. These alkanes have low freezing points (174.1 K and 159.8 K) and can be blended into jet fuel without hydroisomerization. Among the investigated HDO catalysts, the Ni-Cu/SiO₂ exhibited the best performance.     

High-Tg porous polyimide films with low dielectric constant derived from spiro-(adamantane-2,9′(2′,7′-diamino)-fluorene)

Porous polyimide (PI) films with low dielectric constants and excellent thermal properties have been a pressing demand for the next generation of high-performance, miniature, and ultrathin microelectronic devices. A series of novel porous PI films containing fluorenyl-adamantane groups were prepared successfully via thermolysis of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) added in the PI matrix. The cross-sectional morphologies of porous PI films showed closed pores with diameters ranging from 135 to 158 nm, which were uniform and regular in shape without interconnectivity. These porous PI films exhibited excellent thermal properties with a glass-transition temperature at 376 °C whereas the 5% weight loss temperature in air excess of 405 °C due to enhanced rigidity afforded by fluorenyl-adamantane groups. Accompanied by thermolysis content of PEG increasing from 0 to 20 wt %, the density of porous PI films decreased, and the corresponding porosity grew significantly from 0 to 11.48%. Depending on porosity, the dielectric constant and dielectric loss of porous PI films significantly declined from 2.89 to 2.37 and from 0.050 to 0.021, respectively. These excellent properties benefit the as-prepared porous PI films for application as interlayer dielectrics, integrated circuit chips, or multichip modules in microelectronic fields. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47313.     

A novel utilized method of tar derived from biomass gasification for fabricating binder-free all-solid-state hybrid supercapacitors

As an industrial pollutant, tar derived from biomass gasification is used as the precursor for fabricating a novel carbon-metal hydroxides composite electrode. A slurry (the mixture of tar, KOH and melamine) is daubed uniformly onto the nickel foam, which is directly carbonized to form NPC@LDH electrode material. This electrode is further coated with NiCo-LDH nanosheets using an electrodeposition method to form NF@NPC@LDH. The newly made NF@NPC@LDH electrode exhibits a high specific capacity of 9.6 F cm⁻² at a current density of 2 mA cm⁻² and good rate performance (55.3% retention). Furthermore, a hybrid NF@NPC@LDH//NF@PC all-solid-state supercapacitor is fabricated, and the device exhibits high energy density of 1.28 mWh cm⁻³ at a power density of 8.04 mW cm⁻³, low resistance and good cycling stability.     

WinClastour—a Visual Basic program for tourmaline formula calculation and classification

WinClastour is a Microsoft^® Visual Basic 6.0 program that enables the user to enter and calculate structural formulae of tourmaline analyses obtained both by the electron-microprobe or wet-chemical analyses. It is developed to predict cation site-allocations at the different structural positions, as well as to estimate mole percent of the end-members of the calcic-, alkali-, and X-site vacant group tourmalines. Using the different normalization schemes, such as 24.5 oxygens, 31 anions, 15 cations (T+Z+Y), and 6 silicons, the present program classifies tourmaline data based on the classification scheme proposed by Hawthorne and Henry [1999. Classification of the minerals of the tourmaline group. European Journal of Mineralogy 11, 201–215]. The present program also enables the user Al–Mg disorder between Y and Z sites. WinClastour stores all the calculated results in a comma-delimited ASCII file format. Hence, output of the program can be displayed and processed by any other software for general data manipulation and graphing purposes. The compiled program code together with a test data file and related graphic files, which are designed to produce a high-quality printout from the Grapher program of Golden Software, is approximately 3 Mb as a self-extracting setup file.     

Synthesis and characterization of Pd–ZSM-23 with Na and H form for catalytic hydrodehalogenation of bromobenzene

Ion-exchanged Pd–ZSM-23 (1 wt% Pd) with Na form and H form was well characterized and examined in the hydrodehalogenation of bromobenzene. TPR and XPS results suggested that Pd species dispersed in the different location of ZSM-23. Catalytic test was successfully carried out in mild conditions, using hydrazine hydrate as the hydrogen donor, and no by-products were detected. Recycling test of Pd–NaZSM-23 showed that the catalytic performance did not decrease remarkably until four recycle runs.     

Theoretical investigations on the spin Hamiltonian parameters for Er3+ ion in LiYF4

The spin Hamiltonian parameters g_∥, g_⊥, A_∥ and A_⊥ for Er³⁺ ion in LiYF₄ are investigated by using the perturbation formulas of these parameters for a 4f¹¹ ion in tetragonal symmetry. In these formulas, the contributions to the spin Hamiltonian parameters from the second-order perturbation terms and the admixtures of different states are considered. The relevant crystal field parameters are calculated from the superposition model and the local structural parameters of the Y³⁺ site occupied by impurity Er³⁺. The theoretical optical spectra within ⁴I_15/2 and ⁴I_13/2 states and the spin Hamiltonian parameters obtained in this work are consistent with the observed values.     

Thermal stability of metal-doped diamond-like carbon fabricated by dual plasma deposition

Metal incorporation into amorphous diamond-like carbon films can provide superior properties as metal nano-clusters or nanocrystalline metallic carbides can be embedded in the carbon network. In this work, a filtered metal plasma cathodic arc technique is used to generate a metal plasma and acetylene is introduced to the metal plasma plume to deposit metal-containing DLC (Me-DLC) films and form nanocrystalline carbide phases in the amorphous carbon matrix. The films exhibit high thermal stability up to annealing temperatures of 500 °C as revealed by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. At treatment temperature over 500 °C, a large amount of hydrogen is lost from the Me-DLC films as shown by elastic recoil detection. Breakdown and structural collapse of the film at high temperature can be attributed to the breaking of C–H bonds. Consequently, the C–C networks become more graphite-like to facilitate the formation of volatile C–O and metal oxides phases.     

Primary energy demand in Japan: an empirical analysis of long-term trends and future CO2 emissions

This paper examines the long-run relationship between energy demand, GNP and the real energy price in Japan using data covering 1887–2001. It is found that, if an Underlying Energy Demand Trend is appropriately incorporated, the resulting econometric model produces a long-run income elasticity of about unity and a long-run price elasticity of about–0.2. The estimated model is utilised to forecast energy consumption and CO₂ emissions up to 2012. It is shown that given current economic conditions and policies there is considerable uncertainty about whether Japan will be able to meet its Kyoto target by reducing CO₂ emissions in 2008–2012 to the 1990 level. It is shown that this uncertainty depends on the strength of the economy and leaves the Japanese government with a difficult policy dilemma. If there is a resurgence in growth to something near the annual average growth rate since the early 1980s a considerable effort will be required in order to meet its Kyoto target; requiring not only using the Kyoto Mechanisms, but also additional tougher domestic policies and measures such as emissions capping, R&D incentives, and education for energy conservation in addition to a pricing and tax policy.     

Collocation methods: More efficient procedures for applying collocation

In recent years, new and more effective procedures for applying collocation have been published. This article is devoted to present a revision of this subject and complement its developments. From the general theory two broad approaches are derived, which yield the direct and the indirect TH-collocation methods. The former approach had not been published before, and it is a dual of the indirect approach. In particular, second order differential equations of elliptic type are considered and several orthogonal collocation algorithms are developed for them. In TH-collocation, the approximations on the internal boundary and in the subdomain interiors are completely independent. This yields clear computational advantages that are illustrated through the construction of such algorithms. In the implementations presented, three dimensional problems are included. In passing, single-point-collocation methods that have been the subject of several recent publications are revised.