Aqueous heavy metals removal by adsorption on amine-functionalized mesoporous silica

Amino functional mesoporous silica SBA-15 materials have been prepared to develop efficient adsorbents of heavy metals in wastewater. Functionalization with amino groups has been carried out by using two independent methods, grafting and co-condensation. Three organic moieties have been selected to incorporate the active amino sites: aminopropyl (H(2)N-(CH(2))(3)-), [2-aminoethylamino]-propyl (H(2)N-(CH(2))(2)-NH-(CH(2))(3)-) and [(2-aminoethylamino)-ethylamino]-propyl (H(2)N-(CH(2))(2)-NH-(CH(2))(2)-NH-(CH(2))(3)-). Materials have been characterized by XRD, nitrogen sorption measurements and chemical analysis. We have found that all materials preserve the mesoscopic order and exhibit suitable textural properties and nitrogen contents to act as potential adsorbents. Metal removal from aqueous solution has been examined for Cu(II), Ni(II), Pb(II), Cd(II), and Zn(II); adsorption performances of materials prepared by the two functionalization methods have been compared. In addition, copper adsorption process has been thoroughly studied from both kinetic and equilibrium points of view for some selected materials. Aqueous Cu(II) adsorption rates show that the overall process is fast and the time evolution can be successfully reproduced with a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Whole copper adsorption isotherms have been obtained at 25 degrees C. Significant maximum adsorption capacities have been found with excellent behavior at low concentration.     

Synthesis and characterization of tin(IV) phenyl phosphonate in nano form

An inorgano-organic ion exchanger, Sn(IV) phenyl phosphonate, has been synthesized in amorphous form. Further, an attempt has been made to synthesize Sn(IV) phenyl phosphonate in the nano form. The materials have been characterized for elemental analysis (ICP-AES), thermal analysis (TGA), X-ray analysis and FTIR spectroscopy. Chemical resistivity of these materials has been accessed in acidic, basic and organic solvent media. Catalytic activity has been studied and compared by using esterification of ethylene glycol as a model reaction wherein glycoldiacetate has been prepared. The transport properties of these materials have been explored by measuring specific proton conduction at different temperatures using SOLARTRON DATASET impedance analyser over a frequency range 1 Hz-1 MHz. It has been observed that Sn(IV) phenyl phosphate in the nano form behaves as a better Bronsted catalyst and proton conductor as compared to the amorphous form.     

Growth by SR method and characterization of hippuric acid single crystals

The potential organic nonlinear optical material of hippuric acid (HA) has been grown by novel unidirectional solution growth method using dimethyl formamide (DMF) as the solvent. The crystal system has been identified and lattice dimensions have been measured from the single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The crystalline perfection has been evaluated by high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) technique and found that the crystal quality is reasonably good. However, it contains a low angle structural grain boundary. The relative second harmonic generation (SHG) has been tested using Kurtz powder technique and found to be 1.54 times higher than that of potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) single crystal. Its optical character has been assessed by UV-Vis. analysis and found that there is no absorption in the entire visible region.     

Synthesis, characterization and application of a derivatized acid salt of tetravalent metal:o-chlorophenol anchored onto zirconium tungstate

Tetravalent metal acid (TMA) salt zirconium tungstate (ZW) has been synthesized, followed by its derivatization using ortho chlorophenol (ZWoCP). ZWoCP has been characterized for elemental analysis, spectral analysis (FTIR) and thermal analysis (TGA). Its chemical stability has been assessed in various acidic, basic and organic media. Ion exchange capacity (IEC) has been determined and distribution behaviour towards several metal ions in different electrolyte concentrations studied and a few binary separations achieved.     

M（C3S5）2型分子导体的制备及其电磁和电荷转移性质

制备了晶态分子导体Ｎｉ（Ｃ３Ｓ３）２，Ｐｄ（Ｃ３Ｓ３）２，Ｐｔ（Ｃ３Ｓ３）２和无定形分子导体Ｃｕ（Ｃ３Ｓ３）２，测定它们的电阻－温度曲线，磁化率－温度曲线，结合ＥＨＭＯ理论计算与波谱分析，得出导电组元的分子轨道形式，计算了Ｎｉ（Ｃ３Ｓ５）２晶体的能带，在此基础上阐明了Ｎｉ（Ｃ３Ｓ５）２的导电机组理和半导体→导体相变的机理，讨论了Ｍ（Ｃ３Ｓ３）２＾２－与（Ｍ（Ｃ３Ｓ３）２＾－，（Ｍ（Ｃ３Ｓ２）２）＾     

Structural and optical characterization of ZnO doped PC/PS blend nanocomposites

PC50%/PS50% polymer blend nanocomposites, undoped and doped with different concentration of ZnO nanoparticles (1, 2, 3 wt%), have been prepared using solution casting method. Structural and optical studies have been performed using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Ultraviolet–Visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis). ZnO nanoparticles have been synthesized by chemical route method. The nanostructure of the ZnO nanoparticles has been ascertained through X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Optical Absorption Spectra has been used to study optical constants of prepared blend nanocomposites. Energy band gap of PC/PS – ZnO blend nanocomposites have been calculated by using Tauc relation. The band gap of the nanocomposites decreases as ZnO wt% increases. Extinction coefficient, refractive index and real & imaginary part of dielectric constants increase with increase in ZnO nanoparticles wt%.     

Synthesis, characterization and application of an inorgano organic material:p-chlorophenol anchored onto zirconium tungstate

Tetravalent metal acid (TMA) salt zirconium tungstate (ZW) has been synthesized, followed by its derivatization usingpara-chlorophenol (pCP). The resulting compound is abbreviated as ZWpCP. ZWpCP has been characterized for elemental analysis, spectral analysis (FTIR), X-ray analysis and thermal analysis (TGA). Its chemical stability has been assessed in various mineral acids, bases and organic solvents. Ion exchange capacity (IEC) has been determined and distribution behaviour towards several metal ions in different electrolyte solutions with varying concentrations has been studied and a few binary separations achieved.     

Progress in III-nitrides: Process issue and purity perspective

The growth of good quality layers of gallium nitride (GaN) as suitable for epitaxial growth is of great technological importance. Chloride vapour phase epitaxy (Cl-VPE) has been employed to grow good quality layers of GaN. The grown layers have been extensively characterized for their structural and optical properties. MOVPE grown GaN layers have been used to address process issues on device structuring and fabrication. GaN samples with different transition metal dopants have been synthesized and their usefulness as semi-magnetic materials, which are also identified as dilute magnetic semiconductors (DMS), have been evaluated. Better results have been obtained on the magnetic characteristics of GaN with ruthenium as the dopant. Nano dimensional structures of GaN have been obtained with excellent control of the growth parameters.     

Influences of MMR,PWHT and notch location on fatigue life of HSLA steel welds

Welding of High Strength Low Alloy Steels (HSLA) involves usage of lower, more even and higher strength filler materials (electrodes) than the parent material depending on the application of the welded structures and the availability of the filler material. In this investigation an attempt has been made to study the influences of mis-match ratio (MMR), Post Weld Heat Treatment (PWHT) and notch location on fatigue life of HSLA steel welds. A Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) process has been used to fabricate the butt joints. A Centre Cracked Tension (CCT) specimen has been used to evaluate the fatigue life of welded joints. Fatigue experiments have been conducted using a servo hydraulic controlled fatigue testing machine at constant amplitude loading (R=0). The Design of Experiments (full factorial design) concept has been used to optimise the number of experimental conditions. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) method has been used to identify the significance of main and interaction effects. A mathematical model has been developed to predict the fatigue life of HSLA steel welds using Regression analysis.     

形状记忆合金混杂复合材料弯曲变形的设计

为了预报形状记忆合金混杂复合材料的物理性能与弯曲变形能力,提出了兼顾常规力学性能和主动变形能力的系统的设计方法.以形状记忆合金体积含量为主要设计变量,分析了丝状、带状及板状形状记忆合金埋入复合材料层合板后,这种混杂复合材料力学性能的变化.经过某种特殊加工的板状NiTi合金,不但增大了NiTi合金的体积含量,还增大了形状记忆合金电阻值,以此来提高NiTi合金的响应速度.采用有限元方法进行设计计算及分析,验证了该设计方法的正确性.     

Influence of Metalloid Elements on the Magnetic Properties and Anisotropy of FeNi-based Amorphous Alloys

The magnetic properties and anisotropy of amor-phous(Fe_(80)Ni_(20))_(78)Si_xB_(22-x).alloys have been investigatedsystematically.The maximum permeability,coercive forceand remanence have been determined for as-prepared andannealed samples,The results on the technical magneticproperties of this alloy system have been discussed andcompared with Masumoto's.     

A generic approach for vertical integration of nanowires

We report on the collective integration technology of vertically aligned nanowires (NWs). Si?and ZnO NWs have been used in order to develop a generic technological process. Both mineral and organic planarizations of the as-grown nanowires have been achieved. Chemical vapour deposition (CVD) oxides, spin on glass (SOG), and polymer have been investigated as filling materials. Polishing and/or etching of the composite structures have been set up so as to obtain a suitable morphology for the top and bottom electrical contacts. Electrical and optical characterizations of the integrated NWs have been performed. Contacts ohmicity has been demonstrated and specific contact resistances have been reported. The photoconducting properties of polymer-integrated ZnO NWs have also been investigated in the UV-visible range through collective electrical contacts. A small increase of the resistivity in the ZnO NWs under sub-bandgap illumination has been observed and discussed. A comparison of the photoluminescence (PL) spectra at 300?K of the as-grown and SOG-integrated ZnO nanowires has shown no significant impact of the integration process on the crystal quality of the NWs.     

Crack closure in friction stir weldment using non‐linear model for fatigue crack propagation

The fatigue crack propagation in a friction stir‐welded sample has been simulated herein by means of two 3‐dimensional finite element method (FEM)‐based analyses. Numerical simulations of the fatigue crack propagation have been carried out by assuming a residual stress field as a starting condition. Two initial cracks, observed in the real specimen, have been assessed experimentally by performing fatigue tests on the welded sample. Hence, the same cracks have been placed in the corresponding FE model, and then a remote load with boundary conditions has been applied on the welded specimen. The material behaviour of the welded joint has been modelled by means of the Ramberg‐Osgood equation, while the non‐linear Kujawski‐Ellyin (KE) model has been adopted for the fatigue crack propagation under small‐scale yielding (SSY) conditions. Owing to the compressive nature of the residual stress field that acts on a part of the cracked regions, the crack closure phenomenon has also been considered. Then, the original version of the KE law has been modified to fully include the closure effect in the analysis. Later, the crack closure effect has also been assessed in the simulation of fatigue propagation of three cracks. Finally, an investigation of the fracture process zone (FPZ) extension as well as the cyclic plastic zone (CPZ) and monotonic plastic zone (MPZ) extensions have been assessed.     

Adsorptive properties of sol–gel derived hybrid organic/inorganic coatings

Hybrid organic-inorganic sol–gel derived coatings have been prepared by dip coating on glass substrates from alcoholic solutions of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), methyltriethoxysilane (MTES), 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES), 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) and phenyltriethoxysilane (PhTES). The hybrid materials have been fully characterized by means of solid state NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The degree of cross-linking and the extent of interaction between silica and silsesquioxane phases appear dependent on the ratio between TEOS and organotrialkoxysilane and on the chemical features of the organic function linked to silicon, and influence the sorption ability towards aromatic compounds of hybrid films. The hybrid coatings have been put into an optical-grade quartz chamber placed into a UV–VIS–NIR spectrophotometer and the organic compounds have been allowed flowing through the chamber recording of molecule absorption spectra vs. time. Absorbance curves vs. time have also been collected at a fixed wavelength for different molecule-coating couples and simple kinetic models have been used for comparing the adsorption capability of the different films, which has been related to the chemical interactions between molecules and coatings.     

Sm-Co hard magnetic nanoparticles prepared by surfactant-assisted ball milling

Hard magnetic nanoparticles based on the Sm(2)Co(17) and SmCo(5) systems have been successfully produced using a surfactant-assisted ball milling technique. A size-selection process has been developed to obtain nanoparticles of different sizes with narrow size distribution. Significant room-temperature coercivity up to 3.1?kOe has been achieved with the Sm(2)Co(17)-based nanoparticles of an average size of 23?nm. It has been found that surfactants play multifold roles in the processing.     

Processing of Functionalized and Pristine Carbon Nanotube Epoxy Composites with Silane-Treated Glass Fiber

In this work, an attempt has been made to study the bonding between the silane coupling agents and the glass fiber (GF) surface. The mechanical properties of the composites so obtained have been specifically analyzed. It has been experimentally found that epoxy silane (ES)-treated GF mat in a neat epoxy matrix showed considerable improvement compared to amino silane (AS)-treated GF. The effect of heat treatment on GF has also been looked into. Moreover, a new processing technique has been explored, which involves the use of amino functionalized nanotube (ACNT) and pristine nanotube (PCNT), homogeneously and uniformly dispersed in an epoxy matrix. Additionally, the effect of ES- and AS-treated GF in the presence of PCNTs and ACNTs has been studied and it has been found that AS shows strong interfacial adhesion in the ACNT matrix, whereas ES shows improved mechanical behavior in the PCNT matrix. The findings from this study have certainly helped us design improved fiber reinforced nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical properties suitable for marine structures.     

Structural, microchemistry, and hydrogenation properties of TiMn0.4Fe0.2V0.4, TiMn0.1Fe0.2V0.7 and Ti0.4Zr0.6Mn0.4Fe0.2V0.4 metal hydrides

In this work, TiFe-based alloys have been developed according to the stoichiometry Ti1-xAx Fe1-yBy (A [triple bond] Zr; B [triple bond] Mn, V). The hydrogen solubility properties have been investigated to develop dynamic hydrides of Ti-based alloys for hydrogen storage applications. The hydrogenation behavior of these alloys has been studied, and their hydrogen storage capacities and kinetics have been evaluated. Several activation modes, including activation at high temperatures under hydrogen pressure, have been attempted for the as-milled powders. In order to clarify the structural/microstructural characteristics, and chemical composition before and after hydrogenation, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), EDAX-Mapping Analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), have been carried out for the samples. Modeling of the isotherms has been performed by using MATLAB programming. The maximum gravimetric density of 4.3 wt%, has been obtained on the sample with the BCC main phase. The calculated enthalpy of reaction (deltaH) is found to be about 4 kJ/mol.     

REVERSE OPTICAL CHANGE AND RECORDING CHARACTERISTICS OF LANGMUIR-BLODGETT FILMS OF PHTHALOCYANINE COMPOUNDS

报导了酞菁化合物的吸收光谱随中心金属离子的有机基团的替代而产生的变化，以及酞菁铜（ＴＮＰｃＣｕ）和酞菁锌（ＴｎＰＰｃＺｎ）的单分子薄膜的吸收光谱随温度的变化。发现酞菁铜薄膜在７４０ｎｍ波长的光吸收的滞后回旋现象以及酞菁锌的可逆光吸收变化。报导了利用上述现象的可擦重写的光存储特性。     

The de Haas-van Alphen effect and the Fermi surface of the intermetallic compound AuPb2

The de Haas-van Alphen effect has been measured in the intermetallic compound AuPb₂ (body-centered tetragonal structure) by the modulation method in fields up to 100 kG. Thirty-two frequency branches have been observed in the (100), (110), and (001) planes, and several cyclotron effective masses have been determined. The nearly-free-electron model has been used to construct a Fermi surface, which explains the large frequency branches and is compatible with the high-field magnetoresistance results of Bass, Edwards, and Schroeder. It has been possible to determine the shape of some sheets by inversion of the de Haas-van Alphen data. The lattice parameters have been determined at room temperature and at liquid helium temperature.Canada Council Fellow.     

Environmental protection: researches in National Institute of Radiological Sciences

Some studies for radiological protection of the environment have been made at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS). Transfer of radionuclides and related elements has been investigated for dose estimation of non-human biota. A parameter database and radionuclide transfer models have been also developed for the Japanese environments. Dose (rate)-effect relationships for survival, growth and reproduction have been investigated in conifers, Arabidopsis, fungi, earthworms, springtails, algae, duckweeds, daphnia and medaka. Also genome-wide gene expression analysis has been carried out by high coverage expression profiling (HiCEP). Effects on aquatic microbial communities have been studied in experimental ecosystem models, i.e., microcosms. Some effects were detected at a dose rate of 1 Gy day(-1) and were likely to arise from interspecies interactions. The results obtained at NIRS have been used in development of frameworks for environmental protection by some international bodies, and will contribute to environmental protection in Japan and other Asian countries.