Proton exchange membrane from the blend of poly(vinylidene fluoride) and functional copolymer: Preparation,proton conductivity,methanol permeability,and stability

A polymer electrolyte membrane is considered as the heart of fuel cells. Here we report the preparation of proton exchange membranes (PEMs) of poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) blend poly (methyl methacrylate)-co-poly (sodium-4-styrene sulfonate) (PMMA-co-PSSNa) by solvent evaporation method. Three different types of PEMs have been prepared by using different ratios of PVDF and PMMA-co-PSSNa copolymer. We have investigated the effect of concentration of PVDF on water uptake, ion exchange capacity, mechanical, thermal, and oxidative stability, proton conductivity (K^m), and methanol permeability (P_M) of the blend membranes. These blend PEMs showed good physicochemical and electrochemical properties along with thermal and oxidative stability. The membrane prepared from PVDF (45% w/w) to PMMA-co-PSSNa (55% w/w) exhibited optimum P_M at room temperature (8.38 × 10^?7 cm²s^?1). This low fuel crossover and high relative selectivity can make our prepared blend membranes a potential candidate in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) or direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs).     

Ammonia gas sensing and magnetic permeability of enhanced surface area and high porosity lanthanum substituted Co–Zn nano ferrites

This work reports magnetic permeability and ammonia gas sensing characteristics of La³⁺ substituted Co–Zn nano ferrites possessing chemical formula Co_0.7Zn_0.3La_xFe_2-2xO₄ (x = 0–0.1) synthesized by a sol-gel route. Refinement of X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of the ferrite powders by the Rietveld technique has revealed the creation of single-phase spinel structure. The tenancy of constituent cations at tetrahedral/octahedral sites was obtained from the refinement of XRD. The crystallite sizes calculated from the W–H method vary from 20 to 24 nm. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) profiles of the ferrite samples were analyzed for the morphological details. The energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) patterns of the samples were obtained to test the elemental purity of the ferrites within their stoichiometry. The transmission electron microscope (TEM) image of the ferrite (x = 0.1) exhibits the spherical and oval shaped particles with a mean size of 20 nm. Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectra were analyzed to confirm the superseding of La³⁺ cations at octahedral sites. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis of nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms of the ferrites was performed to investigate the porous structure and to determine the surface area of the nanocrystalline ferrites. The oxidation states of the constituent ions were confirmed by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The complex permeability as a function of frequency was studied to explore the effects of structural parameters on the magnetic behaviour of the ferrites. Analysis of gas sensing properties of the ferrites have proved that the Co–Zn–La ferrite with controlled La composition can be utilized as an effective ammonia gas sensing material in commercial gas sensors.     

Enhanced electromagnetic microwave absorption of Fe/C/SiCN composite ceramics targeting in integrated structure and function

The Fe/C/SiCN composite ceramics were synthesized by polymer-derived method to obtain the integration of structure and functions. The electromagnetic waves (EMW) absorption properties at X and Ku bands were investigated. The addition of nano-sized Fe particles improved the magnetic loss and impedance matching, and the carbon nanotubes generated by the iron in-situ catalysis increased the internal relaxation polarization and interfacial polarization, which together improved the EMW absorption properties significantly. In particular, the Fe/C/SiCN-9 showed the optimum reflection loss (RL) of ?31.06 dB at 10.03 GHz with an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB, RL < ?10 dB) of 3.03 GHz at 2.51 mm, indicating the excellent EMW absorption properties of Fe/C/SiCN composite ceramics.     

Acquisition and Spread of Antimicrobial Resistance: A tet(X) Case Study

Understanding the mechanisms leading to the rise and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is crucially important for the preservation of power of antimicrobials and controlling infectious diseases. Measures to monitor and detect AMR, however, have been significantly delayed and introduced much later after the beginning of industrial production and consumption of antimicrobials. However, monitoring and detection of AMR is largely focused on bacterial pathogens, thus missing multiple key events which take place before the emergence and spread of AMR among the pathogens. In this regard, careful analysis of AMR development towards recently introduced antimicrobials may serve as a valuable example for the better understanding of mechanisms driving AMR evolution. Here, the example of evolution of tet(X), which confers resistance to the next-generation tetracyclines, is summarised and discussed. Initial mechanisms of resistance to these antimicrobials among pathogens were mostly via chromosomal mutations leading to the overexpression of efflux pumps. High-level resistance was achieved only after the acquisition of flavin-dependent monooxygenase-encoding genes from the environmental microbiota. These genes confer resistance to all tetracyclines, including the next-generation tetracyclines, and thus were termed tet(X). ISCR2 and IS26, as well as a variety of conjugative and mobilizable plasmids of different incompatibility groups, played an essential role in the acquisition of tet(X) genes from natural reservoirs and in further dissemination among bacterial commensals and pathogens. This process, which took place within the last decade, demonstrates how rapidly AMR evolution may progress, taking away some drugs of last resort from our arsenal.     

超高压水力割缝技术在低渗透特厚煤层中的应用

为增大煤层透气性系数，提高煤层瓦斯抽采效果，通过超高压水力割缝技术，增大煤体暴露面积，给煤层内部卸压、瓦斯释放和流动创造了良好的条件，缝槽上下的煤体在一定范围内得到较充分的卸压，增大了煤层的透气性。结果表明:水力割缝钻孔组瓦斯抽采浓度、纯流量、百米瓦斯抽采纯流量及瓦斯抽采率是对比钻孔的2~4倍，远远大于对比钻孔组，割缝钻孔瓦斯抽采效果显著。研究为其他类似矿井提供借鉴。     

3D MHD cross flow over an exponential stretching porous surface

The present study aims to investigate the effects of thermal‐diffusion and diffusion‐thermo onan magnetohydrodynamic convective flow of viscous fluids over an exponentially stretching sheet. Thermal radiation effects are also considered in the study. This analysis is carried out in three dimensions and a similarity transformation is adopted to get a set of ordinary differential equations from a set of partial differential equations. And the Fourth‐order Runge‐Kutta method and shooting technique along with the secant method are employed to find out an iterative solution. We also analyze here the influence of the variable magnetic field, nonuniform permeability and variable chemical reaction on the fluid flow. The impact of various pertinent parameters of interest has extensively been explored through graphs and tables. The major findings of the present study are that resistive Lorentz force diminishes the fluid velocity and uplifts the thermal as well as concentration fields. Inclusion of porous matrix improves the viscous drag force which in turn augments wall shear stresses and peters out the heat and mass transfer rates from the sheet. In addition, the thermal expansion coefficient has an inverse relation with temperature.     

高压水射流环切割缝自卸压机制与应用

为解决深部矿井低透气性煤层瓦斯抽采难题，针对穿层钻孔提出了高压水射流环切割缝煤层自卸压增透技术。通过瓦斯流动理论分析普通钻孔及环割钻孔瓦斯流动模式，分别建立了普通钻孔及环割钻孔瓦斯流动微分方程，获得了高压水射流环切割缝自卸压技术改善煤层瓦斯流动机制;采用FLAC3D软件建模分析高压水射流割缝后钻孔周边煤体应力演化规律，基于煤体卸压程度及塑性区分布特征，确定了穿层钻孔合理化割缝参数;通过底板穿层钻孔高压水射流环切割缝技术现场考察，环切割缝后煤层变形量达到0.136%，煤层透气性系数较原始状态提高了42倍，瓦斯抽采纯量相较普通钻孔提高3.44~5.32倍，同等条件下煤层抽采半径提高了1倍以上。理论研究与现场试验均表明，采用高压水射流切割在煤层内部形成环形缝槽，能有效改善钻孔煤体应力状态，增加煤层渗透性，提高瓦斯抽采效率。     

一种利用生产动态资料确定水驱前缘的方法

针对长庆油田低渗透储集层岩性致密、注水受效不均衡、单井产量低、平面非均质性强等导致地下水驱不均的问题,依据低渗透油藏水驱理论建立基础模型,并考虑注采井网中生产井的干扰,根据势的叠加原理,引入生产井影响因子系数,建立了井组单元内水驱前缘的简易确定方法。将该方法应用于鄂尔多斯盆地某超低渗透油藏加密调整部署,通过生产实例验证,该方法简便易行,计算结果可靠。     

低渗透油藏中不同压裂注采井网非稳态产量计算分析

在井网压裂基础上进行注水，可以有效改善流场，增大泄油面积，是开发低渗透油藏的重要手段。快速准确预测低渗透油藏注水开发产量可以为开发优化设计奠定基础，但低渗透油藏注水开发呈现非稳态、非线性渗流特征，基于达西定律形成的油藏工程方法并不适用。本次研究通过流场分析，来划分等效流动单元，并在此基础上考虑了油水两相渗流启动压力梯度，采用流线积分法建立了不同压裂注采井网的水驱非稳态产量解析计算方法。与物理模拟及数值模拟相比，计算方法更简单，计算速度更快，可以为低渗透油藏压裂注采方式优选及注水开发对策制定提供手段。采用本方法计算并剖析了启动压力梯度、压裂注采方式及裂缝长度对油井生产动态的影响，结果表明：启动压力梯度增大了渗流阻力，与不考虑启动压力梯度相比，油井产量更低；受流动单元控制，不同压裂注采方式的增产效果及见水时间完全不同，同时压裂注采方式的增产效果最好，能够增产3.1倍，但见水时间仅为24个月；随着压裂缝长增加，油井产量越高，但当缝长超过最佳长度，增油效果不明显。