Recent trends in the development of reactor systems for hydrogen production via methanol steam reforming

Hydrogen is currently receiving significant attention as an alternative energy resource, and among the various methods for producing hydrogen, methanol steam reforming (MSR) has attracted great attention because of its economy and practicality. Because the MSR reaction is inherently activated over catalytic materials, studies have focused on the development of noble metal-based catalysts and the improvement of existing catalysts with respect to performance and stability. However, less attention has been paid to the modification and development of innovative MSR reactors to improve their performance and efficiency. Therefore, in this review paper, we summarize the trends in the development of MSR reactor systems, including microreactors and membrane reactors, as well as the various structured catalyst materials appropriate for application in complex reactors. In addition, other engineering approaches to achieve highly efficient MSR reactors for the production of hydrogen are discussed.     

Analysis of operating limits and combustion state regulation for low-calorific value gases in industrial burners

The effective and efficient utilization of low-calorific value (LCV) gases has gained increasing attention in scientific research and industrial fields. In this study, the combustion characteristics of three LCV gases in practical devices are analyzed by using a nonadiabatic perfectly stirred reactor model. The complete steady-state solution in the temperature-residence time parameter space is obtained with arc-length continuation. The stable operation region is quantified by the eigenvalue analysis. The transition of solution curves is quantified with heat loss coefficient. Five key system parameters are systematically investigated on their effects on stability limits. With the combustion performance being quantified by a combustion state index, a combustion state regulation method is proposed to find the optimal regulation path of system parameters. Active subspace method is further applied to shorten the regulation step by identifying the active direction. The proposed method and findings are useful for optimal regulation of burning LCV gases in industrial burners.     

Benchmark experiment of large-angle scattering reaction cross section of iron at 14 MeV using two shadow bars – Comparison of experimental results with ENDF/B-VIII –

ABSTRACT

It is important to perform neutron transport simulations with accurate nuclear data in the neutronics design of a fusion reactor. However, absolute values of large-angle scattering cross sections vary among nuclear data libraries even for well-examined nuclide of iron. Benchmark experiments focusing on large-angle scattering cross sections were thus performed to confirm the correctness of nuclear data libraries. The series benchmark experiments were performed at a DT neutron source facility, OKTAVIAN of Osaka University, Japan, by the unique experimental system established by the authors’ group, which can extract only the contribution of large-angle scattering reactions. This system consists of two shadow bars, target plate (iron), and neutron detector (niobium). Two types of shadow bars were used and four irradiations were conducted for one experiment, so that contribution of room-return neutrons was effectively removed and only large-angle scattering neutrons were extracted from the measured four Nb reaction rates. The obtained experimental results were compared with calculations for five nuclear data libraries including JENDL-4.0, JEFF.-3.3, FENDL-3.1, ENDF/B- VII, and recently released ENDF/B-VIII. It was found from the comparison that ENDF/B-VIII showed the best result, though ENDF/B-VII showed overestimation and others are in large underestimation at 14 MeV.     

Process Intensification of Living Cationic Polymerization of Isobutylene by a Flow Reaction System

Increasing the reaction temperature of the living cationic polymerization of isobutylene is crucial for industrial production due to the cost of refrigeration. The reaction temperature increase was achieved with an accelerated reaction rate using a flow reaction system. The polymerization conditions, including the flow reactor design, were based on the results of kinetic studies. Utilizing a milli‐scale flow reactor, polyisobutylene, which has a narrow molecular weight distribution, was obtained within a considerably short residence time at a high temperature. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the value of M_w/M_n correlates with the product of the Reynolds number and the angle of collision.     

Role of the HSP70 Co-Chaperone SIL1 in Health and Disease

Cell surface and secreted proteins provide essential functions for multicellular life. They enter the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen co-translationally, where they mature and fold into their complex three-dimensional structures. The ER is populated with a host of molecular chaperones, associated co-factors, and enzymes that assist and stabilize folded states. Together, they ensure that nascent proteins mature properly or, if this process fails, target them for degradation. BiP, the ER HSP70 chaperone, interacts with unfolded client proteins in a nucleotide-dependent manner, which is tightly regulated by eight DnaJ-type proteins and two nucleotide exchange factors (NEFs), SIL1 and GRP170. Loss of SIL1′s function is the leading cause of Marinesco-Sjögren syndrome (MSS), an autosomal recessive, multisystem disorder. The development of animal models has provided insights into SIL1′s functions and MSS-associated pathologies. This review provides an in-depth update on the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying SIL1′s NEF activity and its role in maintaining ER homeostasis and normal physiology. A precise understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms associated with the loss of SIL1 may allow for the development of new pharmacological approaches to treat MSS.     

多晶硅表面金属催化化学腐蚀法制绒研究现状

在多晶硅太阳能电池的生产过程中, 金刚线切割技术(Diamond wire sawn, DWS)具有切割速度快、精度高、原材料损耗少等优点, 受到了广泛关注。金刚线切割多晶硅表面形成的损伤层较浅, 与传统的酸腐蚀制绒技术无法匹配, 金属催化化学腐蚀法应运而生。金属催化化学腐蚀法制绒具有操作简单、结构可控且易形成高深宽比的绒面等优点, 具有广阔的应用前景。本文总结了不同类型的金属催化剂在制绒过程中的腐蚀机理及其形成的绒面结构, 深入分析和讨论了具有代表性的银、铜的单一及复合催化腐蚀过程及绒面结构和电池片性能。最后对金刚线切割多晶硅片表面的金属催化化学腐蚀法存在的问题进行了分析, 并展望了未来的研究方向。     

Theoretical study on a kind of cyclization mechanism of boron trichloride and hexamethyldisilazane to form the borazine ring for SiBCN ceramics precursor

Borazine rings act as a pivotal part in siliconboroncarbonitride ceramics (SiBCN) for high-temperature stability and great resistance to crystallization. A detailed investigation of the ring formation mechanism will guide the design and synthesis of SiBCN to meet application requirements under extreme conditions. Boron trichloride (BCl₃) and hexamethyldisilazane (HN(SiMe₃)₂) are common raw materials for the synthesis of precursors for SiBCN. In this paper, quantum chemical calculation was used to study the cyclization reaction mechanism between BCl₃ and HN(SiMe₃)₂ to form trichloroborazine (TCBZ) at the MP2/6-31G (d,p) level of theory. We discussed the structure properties, reaction pathways, energy barriers, reaction rates, and other aspects in detail. The results show that BCl₃ and HN(SiMe₃)₂ alternately participate in the reaction process, accompanied by the release of trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS), and that the entire reaction shows an absolute advantage in terms of energy. In the Step by step reaction, lower reaction barriers are formed due to the introduction of BCl₃ with more heat released compared to that for the introduction of HN(SiMe₃)₂. The final single-molecule cyclization and TMCS elimination steps are found to be faster compared to all previous bimolecular reactions.     

二甲基二氯硅烷水解反应器研究进展

基于对甲基氯硅烷单体生产中水解反应特点的分析,论述了国内外几种水解反应器的结构特点,着重介绍了几种水解反应器在工业应用过程中存在的优缺点,并对水解反应器未来的发展方向进行了展望。     

A comparative study on hygroscopic and physiochemical properties of chicken powders obtained by different drying methods

Abstract

Different drying methods (spray drying (SD), vacuum drying (VD), microwave vacuum drying (MVD), and infrared vacuum drying (IFVD)) were applied in order to compare the hygroscopicity behavior of chicken powders. The hygroscopicity curves and glass transition temperature were used to evaluate the influence of ambient humidity and temperature on moisture absorption of powders. The results showed that the chicken powder dried by MVD had the lowest moisture absorption, followed by IFVD, VD, and SD. The hygroscopicity of SD chicken powders was different from other three kinds of chicken powders due to the physical properties of particles and the changes of protein secondary structure as detected by the Fourier transform-infrared spectrometer. For the three vacuum drying methods, the difference of protein secondary structure was the main reason of differences in hygroscopicity. Although MVD chicken powders were slightly inferior to SD chicken powders in taste, MVD chicken powders were the best in terms of smell and color as suggested by instrumental sensory parameter evaluations. It was found that MVD had a positive effect on reducing moisture absorption and maintaining sensory quality of chicken powders.     

DyCrxFe(1-x)O3 nanoparticles prepared by wet chemical technique for photocatalytic applications

DyCr_xFe_(1-x)O₃ (0 ≤ x ≥ 0.4) nanoparticles were prepared using facile chemical route. Structural and morphological evaluation was carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron microscopy. Formation of orthorhombic DyFeO₃ nanoparticles was confirmed by XRD with crystallite size of 9–10 nm. FESEM images revealed nearly spherical morphology of the fabricated nanoparticles. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) technique was employed to confirm the presence of Dy, Cr, Fe and O elements in DyCr_xFe_(1-x)O₃ nanoparticles. FTIR studies illustrated the presence of characteristics stretching and bending vibrations. UV–visible spectroscopy was used to analyze the photocatalytic performance of the DyFeO₃ and Cr-substituted DyFeO₃ nanoparticles and optical band gap measurements. Photocatalytic activities of the prepared substituted and un-substituted DyFeO₃ nanoparticles were conducted using three different dyes. These dyes were (i) methyl orange, (ii) rhodamine B and (iii) methylene blue. Lower band gap and higher photocatalytic performance was observed for Cr-substituted DyFeO₃ nanoparticles with methylene blue dye.