As the number falls,alternatives to the Hagberg–Perten falling number method: A review

This review examines the application, limitations, and potential alternatives to the Hagberg–Perten falling number (FN) method used in the global wheat industry for detecting the risk of poor end-product quality mainly due to starch degradation by the enzyme α-amylase. By viscometry, the FN test indirectly detects the presence of α-amylase, the primary enzyme that digests starch. Elevated α-amylase results in low FN and damages wheat product quality resulting in cakes that fall, and sticky bread and noodles. Low FN can occur from preharvest sprouting (PHS) and late maturity α-amylase (LMA). Moist or rainy conditions before harvest cause PHS on the mother plant. Continuously cool or fluctuating temperatures during the grain filling stage cause LMA. Due to the expression of additional hydrolytic enzymes, PHS has a stronger negative impact than LMA. Wheat grain with low FN/high α-amylase results in serious losses for farmers, traders, millers, and bakers worldwide. Although blending of low FN grain with sound wheat may be used as a means of moving affected grain through the marketplace, care must be taken to avoid grain lots from falling below contract-specified FN. A large amount of sound wheat can be ruined if mixed with a small amount of sprouted wheat. The FN method is widely employed to detect α-amylase after harvest. However, it has several limitations, including sampling variability, high cost, labor intensiveness, the destructive nature of the test, and an inability to differentiate between LMA and PHS. Faster, cheaper, and more accurate alternatives could improve breeding for resistance to PHS and LMA and could preserve the value of wheat grain by avoiding inadvertent mixing of high- and low-FN grain by enabling testing at more stages of the value stream including at harvest, delivery, transport, storage, and milling. Alternatives to the FN method explored here include the Rapid Visco Analyzer, enzyme assays, immunoassays, near-infrared spectroscopy, and hyperspectral imaging.     

Growth mechanism and gas-sensing characteristics of organic-additive-free zinc oxide of various shapes

Zinc oxide is widely used in gas sensors, solar cells, and photocatalysts because of its wide bandgap and exciton binding energy of 60 meV in various metal oxides. To use ZnO as a gas sensor, it is necessary to synthesize it with surface defects and a large specific surface area. In this study, hydrothermal synthesis without surfactants was employed to obtain organic-additive-free ZnO. For morphology control, we varied the ratio of the hydroxide ion concentration to the zinc ion concentration. To confirm the growth mechanism of ZnO, we performed X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy analyses. Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence measurements were performed to analyze the surface properties. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method and probe stations were used to measure the specific surface area and sensitivity of the gas sensor, respectively. The results confirmed that flower-shaped ZnO is the most suitable gas-sensing material.     

退火温度对HA/Ti-24Nb-4Zr复合材料组织与性能的影响

利用放电等离子烧结(SPS)技术制备了HA/Ti-24Nb-4Zr生物复合材料,研究了不同退火温度对复合材料显微组织和力学性能(抗压强度、屈服强度、屈强比、压缩弹性模量)的影响。结果表明,烧结态复合材料主要由β-Ti相、少量初生α-Ti相及HA相组成;随着退火温度的升高,复合材料基体中β-Ti相含量增多且晶粒逐渐长大,针状次生α-Ti相在晶界处和晶内不断析出,HA相结构和含量变化不大;与烧结态相比,不同退火温度处理后的复合材料强度和弹性模量先略微上升后下降,而塑韧性呈不断提高趋势;复合材料在850 ℃退火处理后,抗压强度、屈服强度、屈强比和压缩弹性模量值分别为1507 MPa、1270 MPa、0.84和42 GPa,塑韧性得到明显改善,作为生物医用植入材料具有潜在的应用前景。     

Characterisation of the microplasma spraying of biocompatible coating of titanium

This paper presents new results of studying the influence of parameters of microplasma spraying (MPS) of Ti wire on the structure and properties of Ti coatings. Based on the design of the experiment and the results of the SEM study, certain spraying modes were chosen to form the desired composition and structure of the Ti coating.  The dense sublayer (up to 300 µm thick) provides good adhesion to the substrate, and a porous top layer can accelerate the coated implant ingrowth with the bone.  This technology is developed for the manufacture of coated endoprosthesis implants.     

临近空间载人舱舱门密封特性研究

为研究临近空间载人舱舱门密封特性,对临近空间载人舱舱门P形橡胶密封圈进行有限元压缩行为仿真分析,分析P形橡胶密封圈主副密封面密封接触宽度和接触应力随舱门间隙与舱门行程变化的规律,并根据该规律给出舱门压缩行程和舱门密封间隙的设计推荐值。基于ROTH泄漏模型推导出P形橡胶密封圈的总漏率模型,并计算该泄漏模型的稳态漏率值。通过舱门密封试验,对P形橡胶密封圈的总漏率进行验证。P形橡胶密封圈总漏率计算值与试验结果基本吻合,验证了P形橡胶密封圈总漏率模型的有效性。     

Microstructure−fracture toughness relationships and toughening mechanism of TC21 titanium alloy with lamellar microstructure

The independent influence of microstructural features on fracture toughness of TC21 alloy with lamellar microstructure was investigated. Triple heat treatments were designed to obtain lamellar microstructures with different parameters, which were characterized by OM and SEM. The size and content of α plates were mainly determined by cooling rate from single β phase field and solution temperature in two-phase field; while the precipitation behavior of secondary α platelets was dominantly controlled by aging temperature in two-phase field. The content and thickness of α plates and the thickness of secondary α platelets were important microstructural features influencing the fracture toughness. Both increasing the content of α plates and thickening α plates (or secondary α platelets) could enhance the fracture toughness of TC21 alloy. Based on energy consumption by the plastic zone of crack tip in α plates, a toughening mechanism for titanium alloys was proposed.     

Ti改性催化裂化汽油选择加氢催化剂的研究

以氢氧化铝干胶和偏钛酸为主要原料制备了Al2O3-TiO2载体，采用等体积浸渍法制备出一系列不同TiO2含量及不同配体改性的CoMo/Al2O3-TiO2催化剂；采用BET，XRD，TPR，HRTEM等方法对所制备的催化剂进行了表征，在10 mL固定床评价装置上对所制备的两个系列催化剂进行了FCC汽油选择加氢脱硫活性评价。结果表明，载体中TiO2的质量分数为10%、浸渍液中添加乙二醇和磷酸改性的催化剂具有较高的加氢脱硫活性和选择性。     

应用M-MIVM预测含钛渣系组元活度

 在钢铁冶炼过程中,随着护炉钛材料和含钛铁矿石的应用,大量的含钛炉渣被生产出来。由于缺少多元含钛渣系的热力学数据,限制了钛资源综合利用技术的深入发展。因此,应用改进的分子相互作用体积模型(M-MIVM(FII)),预测了基础渣系Al₂O₃-CaO-SiO₂、FeO-MnO-SiO₂和含钛渣系FeO-MnO-TiO₂、FeO-SiO₂-TiO₂、MnO-SiO₂-TiO₂、Al₂O₃-CaO-FeO-TiO₂中各组元活度,并与试验值比较。结果表明,M-MIVM(FII)的预测值与试验值符合较好,6个体系总的平均相对误差为11%,该精度处于Turkdogan提出的30%以内的试验误差范围; M-MIVM(FII)在参数拟合与活度预测能力方面均优于MIVM,该模型对多元含钛熔渣体系组元活度具有更好的预测效果。在此基础上,应用M-MIVM(FII)预测Al₂O₃-CaO-SiO₂-TiO₂熔体中TiO₂活度,并分析其影响因素。结果表明,TiO₂活度预测值与试验值吻合良好,且随炉渣碱度、Al₂O₃含量的增加而降低,该规律与试验规律相一致。M-MIVM(FII)仅通过拟合子二元系活度或者直接由无限稀活度系数就能够预测多元熔体的热力学性质。