Development of a Continuous Segmented Flow Tubular Reactor and the “Scale‐out” Concept – In Search of Perfect Powders

The synthesis of powders with controlled shape and narrow particle size distributions is still a major challenge for many industries. A continuous Segmented Flow Tubular Reactor (SFTR) has been developed to overcome homogeneity and scale‐up problems encountered when using batch reactors. Supersaturation is created by mixing the co‐reactants in a micromixer inducing precipitation; the suspension is then segmented into identical micro‐volumes by a non‐miscible fluid and sent through a tube. These micro‐volumes are more homogeneous when compared to large batch reactors leading to narrower size distributions, better particle morphology, polymorph selectivity and stoichiometry. All these features have been demonstrated on single tube SFTR for different chemical systems. To increase productivity for commercial application the SFTR is being “scaled‐out” by multiplying the number of tubes running in parallel instead of scaling‐up by increasing their size. The versatility of the multi‐tube unit will allow changes in type of precipitate with a minimum of new investment as new chemistry can be researched, developed and optimised in a single tube SFTR and then transferred to the multi‐tube unit for powder production.     

Yodel: A Yield Stress Model for Suspensions

A model for the yield stress of particulate suspensions is presented that incorporates microstructural parameters taking into account volume fraction of solids, particle size, particle size distribution, maximum packing, percolation threshold, and interparticle forces. The model relates the interparticle forces between particles of dissimilar size and the statistical distribution of particle pairs expected for measured or log-normal size distributions. The model is tested on published data of sub-micron ceramic suspensions and represents the measured data very well, over a wide range of volume fractions of solids. The model shows the variation of the yield stress of particulate suspensions to be inversely proportional to the particle diameter. Not all the parameters in the model could be directly evaluated; thus, two were used as adjustable variables: the maximum packing fraction and the minimum interparticle separation distance. The values for these two adjustable variables provided by the model are in good agreement with separate determinations of these parameters. This indicates that the model and the approximations used in its derivation capture the main parameters that influence the yield stress of particulate suspensions and should help us to better predict changes in the rheological properties of complex suspensions. The model predicts the variation of the yield stress of particulate suspensions to be inversely proportional to the particle diameter, but the experimental results do not show a clear dependence on diameter. This result is consistent with previous evaluations, which have shown significant variations in this dependence, and the reasons behind the yield stress dependence on particle size are discussed in the context of the radius of curvature of particles at contact.     

The empowerment of service workers: what, why, how, and when

In recent years, businesses have rushed to adopt an empowerment approach to service delivery in which employees face customers "free of rulebooks," encouraged to do whatever is necessary to satisfy them. But that approach may not be right for everyone. Bowen and Lawler look at the benefits and costs of empowering employees, the range of management practices that empower employees to varying degrees, and key business characteristics that affect the choice of approaches. Managers need to make sure that there is a good fit between their organizational needs and their approach to frontline employees.     

严重事故工况下 M31核电机组应急补水设施可用性研究

国内核电厂吸取福岛事故的经验教训,增加了严重事故后应急补水设施,完善了应急补水的相关功能,进一步提高了核电厂的安全水平.对M 310核电机组严重事故状态下的应急补水设施进行技术分析,分析计算结果表明,应急水源到应急补水泵接入点距离过长,水损过大,实际补水压力及流量无法满足设计要求.针对该问题提出一系列设计改进措施,优化改进后的应急补水设施可保证严重事故工况下M 310核电机组应急补水设施的可用性,从而进一步提高核电机组的安全性.     

An improved method for combined autoradiography and histochemistry: the simultaneous detection of 6-3H thymidine and acid phosphatase activity in cryostat sections of mouse thymus and duodenum

A new method is described that enables the simultaneous detection of 6-³H thymidine incorporation and acid phosphatase activity in the same tissue section. Histochemically, naphthol AS B1 released by tissue based acid phosphatase activity from the substrate naphthyl AS B1 phosphoric acid is coupled with a range of diazonium salts to produce insoluble azo dyes. The azo dye tests result in a particulate localization of lysosomal acid phosphatase and also label diffuse sources associated with cell death. The tests selected permit the application of photographic emulsion without the necessity of an inert barrier layer to separate the emulsion from the histochemically treated cryosections. The localization of 6-³H thymidine incorporation and cell death in mouse thymus and duodenum is demonstrated and comparative counts estimating the distribution of 6-³H thymidine incorporation and hydrolase labelled cell death in the thymus are presented. Young mouse thymus (5 weeks) was found to contain 1·36 ± 0·12% dying cells and 6·78 ± 0·03% thymidine incorporating cells, whilst old mouse thymus (53 weeks) was found to contain 2·34 ± 0·6% dying cells and 5·29 ± 0·37% thymidine incorporating cells.     

Phase diagram of the Fe-rich portion of R-Fe-Al pseudoternary system(R=Dy_(0.65)Tb_(0.25)Pr_(0.1))

The 1000℃ isothermal section of the Fe-rich portion of R-Fe-Al(R=Dy0.65Tb0.25Pr0.1) pseudoternary system has been investigated using optical microscopy,X-ray diffraction,EPMA and DTA techniques.The 1000℃ isothermal section consists of 9 single-phase regions,14 two-phase regions and 6 three-phase regions.In the R-Fe pseudobinary system,except the R2Fe17 compound,the homogeneity regions of other compounds are shifted towards the stoichiometric rare earth-rich side.With Fe partially substituted by Al,the homogeneity region of R(Fe1-xAlx)2 is shifted back to the stoichiometric composition when x=0.15 and remains little changed with 0.15≤x≤0.30.The homogeneity regions of R(Fe1-xAlx)3 and R6(Fe1-xAlx)23 are slightly shifted to the stoichiometric rare earth-rich side with increasing Al content.A vertical section along R=33.33 atomic percentage is also investigated.It consists of 2 single-phase regions,4 two-phase regions and 2 three-phase regions.