Refractories for handling steel outside a furnace

A range of refractories is presented for handling steel outside a furnace, which are produced by the Borovichi Refractories Corporation. The refractory characteristics and working features are given. Translated from Novye Ogneupory, No. 9, pp. 29–35, September, 2008.     

Environmental impact assessment of bio-hydrogenated diesel from hydrogen and co-product of palm oil industry

Bio-hydrogenated diesel (BHD) is a second generation biofuel that can be produced from vegetable oil and hydrogen via hydroprocessing. BHD is considered as one of alternative and renewable energy. This work presents evaluation of environmental impacts of BHD produced from palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) compared to fatty acid methyl ester (FAME). Greenhouse gas emission, energy consumption, and overall environmental impacts are assessed. System boundary is from palm oil cultivation to BHD production. The functional unit is defined as 1 kg of fuel produced at the plant. The results indicate that energy consumption of BHD-PFAD is 1.18 times higher than that of BHD-FAME, while giving GHG emission 13.56 times lower than that of BHD-FAME. The results of overall environmental impacts indicated that BHD-PFAD was 3.58 greater than that of BHD-FAME.     

Combine confirms business-like reputation

New products are presented in the OAO Borovichi Refractory Combine display at the international exhibition Metal-Expo ‘2009. Refractory physicochemical properties are provided. Awards, obtained as a result of good work are listed.     

Reversible luminescence modulation of Ho‐doped K0.5Na0.5NbO3 piezoelectrics with high luminescence contrast

A significant luminescence modulation behavior based on photochromic reactions was observed in Ho³⁺‐doped (Na_0.52K_0.48)_0.92Li_0.08NbO₃ ceramics, fabricated by the conventional solid‐state reaction method. Under visible light irradiation (407 nm) for 20 second, the samples changed pale gray from initial pale green, and returned to their original color by a thermal stimulus of 230°C for 10 minutes, showing typical photochromic phenomenon. Under 453 nm excitation, the samples exhibited strong green emission at 551 nm. Interestingly, their green emission intensity can be effectively tailored by controlling photochromic reaction processes (irradiation wavelength and time), and the luminescent modulation ratio (ΔR_t) reaches up to 77%. And, the ΔR_t value has no any obvious degradation after 10 cycles by alternating visible light irradiation and thermal stimulus, showing excellent reversibility. These results make it potential applications in many fields as a kind of multifunctional material.     

机械化学法获得单相Fe3O4颗粒的热力学条件

为了给采用机械化学法从Fe₂O₃或粗粒Fe₃O₄获得单相Fe₃O₄纳米颗粒提供理论参考,探讨了机械力储能对铁氧化物机械化学反应热力学的影响规律。结果表明,在空气中,铁氧化物的机械化学分解温度随储能的增加而线性下降,导致反应体系中的各物相在热力学上稳定存在的温度范围发生变化。据此,在储能-温度坐标系上确定了以Fe₂O₃或Fe₃O₄为起始反应物的机械化学反应体系中期望物相Fe₃O₄的热力学稳定区,从而得出了获得单相Fe₃O₄颗粒的热力学条件。     

Strong Red Emissions in Pr3+‐Doped (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3–CaTiO3 Diphase Ceramics

The photoluminescence and temperature sensing properties based on down‐shifting emission of Pr³⁺‐doped (K_0.5Na_0.5)NbO₃–yCaTiO₃ (KNN: yCT) diphasic materials were systematically investigated. Under 447‐nm excitation, Pr³⁺‐doped KNN: yCT samples exhibited significantly enhanced red emission at 603 nm assigned to ¹D₂→³H₄ transitions of Pr³⁺ ions. The red emission intensities reached the optimum value with y = 0.05 near the polymorphic phase transition region. The origin of the enhanced red emission is mainly ascribed to the doping‐induced lattice symmetry change. The energy level transitions from the typical f–f transitions to the valence‐to‐conduction transitions were observed as CaTiO₃ concentration increases above a critical concentration of y = 0.05. Furthermore, the sample with y = 0.05 also possessed excellent temperature response properties in a wide temperature range 300–473 K and the maximum sensing sensitivity was 0.016 K^?1. The Pr³⁺‐doped (K_0.5Na_0.5)NbO₃–yCaTiO₃ red emission materials with admirable intrinsic piezoelectric properties may have important technological promise in novel multifunctional devices.     

Solar Drying of Peeled Longan Using a Side Loading Type Solar Tunnel Dryer: Experimental and Simulated Performance

This article presents experimental and simulated results of drying of peeled longan in a side-loading solar tunnel dryer. This new type of solar tunnel dryer consists of a flat-plate solar air heater and a drying unit with a provision for loading and unloading from windows at one side of the dryer. These are connected in series and covered with glass plates. A DC fan driven by a 15-W solar cell module supplies hot air in the drying system. To investigate the experimental performance, five full-scale experimental runs were conducted and 100 kg of peeled longan was dried in each experimental run. The drying air temperature varied from 32 to 76°C. The drying time in the solar tunnel dryer was 16 h to dry peeled longan from an initial moisture content of 84% (w.b.) to a final moisture content of 12% (w.b.), whereas it required 16 h of natural sun drying under similar conditions to reach a moisture content of 40% (w.b.). The quality of solar-dried product was also good in comparison to the high-quality product in markets in terms of color, taste, and flavor. A system of partial differential equations describing heat and moisture transfer during drying of peeled longan in this solar tunnel dryer was developed and this system of nonlinear partial differential equations was solved numerically by the finite difference method. The numerical solution was programmed in Compaq Visual FORTRAN version 6.5. The simulated results agreed well with the experimental data for solar drying. This model can be used to provide the design data and it is essential for optimal design of the dryer.     

机械活化铁氧化物的气基还原热力学

为揭示机械活化对铁氧化物气基还原的影响机理,探讨了铁氧化物气基还原热力学与铁氧化物机械力储能之间的关系。结果表明：机械活化铁氧化物的每个气基还原反应都存在一个特征临界CO或H₂压力分数,只有在还原所需最低CO或H₂压力分数高于其特征临界压力分数时还原温度才随储能的增加而降低,反之则还原温度随储能的增加而升高,这使得机械活化仅对降低某些铁氧化物气基还原反应的温度有利而对降低其他铁氧化物气基还原反应的温度反而不利。另一方面,铁氧化物气基还原所需最低CO或H₂压力分数都随储能的增加而减小,因此机械活化对提高所有铁氧化物气基还原反应的还原气利用率均有利。     

机械活化铁氧化物气基还原热力学再探

鉴于以往研究中引用了不准确的铁氧化物气基还原反应标准摩尔吉布斯自由能变化表达式,在自行导出的新的表达式基础上,重新探讨了机械力储能对铁氧化物气基还原热力学的影响规律。除纠正了以往研究中4个方面的错误结果外,还发现：FeO本身的气基还原并不受起始温度的限制,但在Fe₃O₄气基还原体系中,FeO的还原具有与Fe₃O₄还原方式转折温度一致的起始温度;由于Fe₃O₄还原方式的转折温度随Fe₃O₄储能的增加而线性下降,故当Fe₃O₄储能时,Fe₃O₄和FeO的还原将在低于570 ℃的温度下发生,同时,与该温度对应的平衡CO压力分数或平衡H₂压力分数前者下降而后者提高,即CO还原叉形曲线向低温、低CO压力分数方向移动而H2还原叉形曲线向低温、高H₂压力分数方向移动。