Coagulation dynamics of fractal flocs induced by enmeshment and electrostatic patch mechanisms

The size and structure of flocs during floc formation were monitored for various coagulation mechanisms. Two distinctive mechanisms, namely, enmeshment and electrostatic patch, govern the dynamics of kaolin particles coagulation by polyaluminum chloride (PACl). They were investigated by small angle static light scattering (SASLS) and solid-state ²⁷Al NMR. In addition, a novel wet SEM (WSEM) was used in-situ to image the morphology of the aggregate in aqueous solution. Synthetic suspended particles were coagulated by two PACl products, a commercial product (PACl) and one laboratory product (PACl-E). The PACl-E contained more than 60% Al₁₃ while the PACl contained only 7% Al₁₃, with large percentage of colloidal Al. For coagulation by PACl at neutral pH and high dosage where the strong repulsion between particles occurs, the enmeshment ruled by reaction-limited aggregation (RLA) results in larger sweep flocs as well as higher fractal dimensional structure. For coagulation by PACl-E at alkaline pH and low dosage, the flocs were coagulated predominately by electrostatic patch with Al₁₃ aggregates. At such condition, it is likely that diffusion-limited aggregation (DLA) predominately rule PACl-E coagulation. The fractal dimension (D_s) values of PACl and PACl-E flocs formed at enmeshment and electrostatic patch increased with dosage, respectively. When breakage of flocs occurs, the breakage rate of PACl-E flocs is slower than that of sweep flocs. By WSEM imaging, the adsorption of spherical Al precipitates onto the particles was observed to form sweep flocs with a rough and ragged contour, while the PACl-E flocs were formed with a smooth and glossy structure.     

白腐真菌膜生物反应器对活性染料废水的脱色效果

应用构建的合体式及分体式白腐真菌膜生物反应器，研究了在非灭菌环境下对活性艳红X-3B染料废水的脱色效果，并借助扫描电镜观察、分析了处理过程中生物膜的结构及其变化情况。结果表明，在非灭菌环境下，白腐真菌膜生物反应器能够有效降解活性艳红染料，2个反应器在起始阶段的脱色率上升迅速，对浓度为50mg／L的染料，处理时间为1d的脱色率可达65％左右，4d的脱色率〉80％，脱色率随染料废水浓度的增高和处理时间的延长而降低。与此同时，白腐真菌生物膜出现了生物量下降、菌丝聚缩成团等受损现象。为保证白腐真菌在初始时就占有优势，所接种的白腐真菌需在经灭菌的培养基中长至菌丝球形成，同时在启动前应对反应器进行清洗和消毒。进水负荷过高及杂菌的感染是造成白腐真菌生物膜结构改变及脱色效果下降的主要原因，因此在运行中适当控制染料废水的浓度或适时停加染料废水并补充培养液，对修复白腐真菌生物膜的结构及降解功能是十分必要的。     

In-situ horizontal cyclic loading tests on composite foundation composed of soilbags and piles

The authors have been developing a new composite foundation composed of piles and soilbags. The foundation is characterized by the laying of soilbags between the pile heads and the footing on which a superstructure stands. The expected effect of the foundation is to cut off the fixed connection between the piles and the footing in order to reduce the bending moment of the piles and the response acceleration of the structure. In this study, in-situ horizontal cyclic loading tests were conducted on the proposed composite foundation with two piles to investigate the seismic response characteristics of the foundation at real scale. It was found from the tests that the horizontal force reached its peak due to the uplift of the footing during horizontal loading, and that larger hysteresis damping was obtained than that of spread foundations due to the hysteresis effect in the shear deformation of the soilbags. As for the sectional force of the piles and the vertical stress inside the soilbags, it was found that the axial force and bending moment of the piles concentrated on the pile on the front side in the loading direction, and that the vertical stresses inside the soilbags concentrated just above the pile head on the front side in the loading direction. Although residual horizontal displacement and settlement occurred due to the cyclic load, little damage to the soilbags was observed.     

Combining quantitative 2D and 3D image analysis in the serial block face SEM: application to secretory organelles of pancreatic islet cells

A combination of two‐dimensional (2D) and three‐dimensional (3D) analyses of tissue volume ultrastructure acquired by serial block face scanning electron microscopy can greatly shorten the time required to obtain quantitative information from big data sets that contain many billions of voxels. Thus, to analyse the number of organelles of a specific type, or the total volume enclosed by a population of organelles within a cell, it is possible to estimate the number density or volume fraction of that organelle using a stereological approach to analyse randomly selected 2D block face views through the cells, and to combine such estimates with precise measurement of 3D cell volumes by delineating the plasma membrane in successive block face images. The validity of such an approach can be easily tested since the entire 3D tissue volume is available in the serial block face scanning electron microscopy data set. We have applied this hybrid 3D/2D technique to determine the number of secretory granules in the endocrine α and β cells of mouse pancreatic islets of Langerhans, and have been able to estimate the total insulin content of a β cell.     

热丝化学气相沉积法制备钛基 BDD 电极及苯酚降解性能研究

目的研究硼掺杂对改善金刚石膜的电阻率的影响,制备掺硼金刚石膜。方法采用热丝化学气相沉积系统,以CH4,H2,(CH3O)3B混合气体为反应气,在钛片衬底上沉积制备掺硼金刚石膜电极。对不同生长阶段沉积出的电极进行扫描电镜、EDX光电子能谱、激光Raman光谱、X射线衍射、电化学性能表征及废水降解应用研究。结果制备出的掺硼金刚石膜呈现出均匀的(111)晶面,Raman光谱图中金刚石特征峰与硼原子特征峰峰型显著,具有较低的背景电流和更宽的电位窗口(3.5 V),对苯酚废水COD降解效果显著。结论有机污染物的吸附量与电极表面的粗糙度正相关,实验室制备的BDD/Ti电极表面粗糙度小,不利于析氢和析氧等副反应的发生,能降低直接电化学氧化作用,从而得到更宽的电势窗口。     

XRD和SEM对水热合成的Ca掺杂的钙钛矿型Nd_(1-x)Ca_xMnO_3的分析

用水热合成法得到了3个具有A位掺杂的Nd1-xCaxMnO3的样品,SEM照片显示样品具有高的纯度和结晶度,ICP分析样品的阳离子掺杂比例,x=0.8,0.7,0.6。XRD分析样品的结构,显示样品为正交晶系,Pnma空间群。     

Investigation of the Failure Mechanism of HTPB/AP/Al Propellant by In‐situ Uniaxial Tensile Experimentation in SEM

The failure mechanism of a propellant consisting of hydroxyl terminated poly‐butadiene filled with ammonium perchlorate and aluminum (HTPB/AP/Al) was determined by performing in‐situ uniaxial tensile tests in a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The experimental test plan contained uniaxial tensile test experiments performed at room temperature (25 °C) at three different strain rates (30, 150 and 750 μm min⁻¹). The in‐situ images and in‐situ videos collected by the SEM were correlated with the stress‐strain diagrams created with the tensile experiments, in order to relate the failure mechanism to the features found in the stress‐strain diagram. No significant strain rate dependency of the failure mechanism was observed when working with strain rates up to 750 μm min⁻¹ and working at room temperature. The stress‐strain diagram showed indications of existing cracks and voids opening up prior to the creation of new cracks and/or voids in the sample, debonding of binder with AP particles as well as nucleation and coalescence of voids. On the fracture surfaces of the samples, it was apparent that the binder cleanly separated from the large AP particles but had a better bond with the aluminum particles. However, a difference in the appearance of a short drawing phase in the stress‐strain diagram of the propellant is observed at different strain rates. The presented results clearly demonstrate the major advantage of the combination of microscopic tensile tests with microscopic observations, linking the stress‐strain behavior to the mechanical deformation processes taking place in these propellant samples at the microscopic level.     

Lactoperoxidase-mediated degradation of single-walled carbon nanotubes in the presence of pulmonary surfactant

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) may elicit inflammatory responses following pulmonary exposure. Conversely, enzymatic biodegradation of CNTs by inflammatory cells has also been reported. The aim of this study was to study the degradation of oxidized single-walled CNTs (ox-SWCNTs) by lactoperoxidase (LPO), a secreted peroxidase present in the airways, and whether pulmonary surfactant affects this biodegradation. To this end, ox-SWCNTs were incubated in vitro with recombinant bovine LPO + H₂O₂ + NaSCN in the presence and absence of porcine lung surfactant (Curosurf®) and biodegradation was monitored using UV–Vis–NIR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The interaction of recombinant LPO with bundles of ox-SWCNTs was confirmed by atomic force microscopy. Cell-free biodegradation of ox-SWCNTs was also observed ex vivo in murine bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in the presence of H₂O₂ + NaSCN. Our study provides evidence for biodegradation of ox-SWCNTs with a lung surfactant ‘bio-corona’ and expands the repertoire of mammalian peroxidases capable of biodegradation of ox-SWCNTs. These findings are relevant to inhalation exposure to these materials, as LPO serves as an important component of the airway defense system.     

Assessment of Novel Water-Borne Coatings Obtained from Composite Latex Particles and Reinforced with TiO2 Nanotubes

Novel, environmentally friendly waterborne coatings were obtained from the filmification of nanostructured latex particles reinforced with inorganic nanotubes. The latex used to form the coatings consists of core-shell particles with a shell functionalized with different amounts of acrylic acid (AA). This external polymer layer was doped, in some cases, with TiO₂ nanotubes at three different concentrations: 100, 500 and 1000 ppm. The composite particles were synthesized in two steps by semi-continuous emulsion polymerization at 75°C. A series of films was prepared by employing core-shell particles with different sizes, core cross-linking and shell functionalization. The coatings obtained were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TM-AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetrical analysis (TGA). Drying rates and tests were also performed to further evaluate these films. It was observed that the addition of small amounts of TiO₂ nanotubes contributes to improve the application properties, mainly adhesion to metallic substrates and water impermeability. The resistance to thermal degradation was also strongly increased, as showed by the DSC and TGA analyses.