Fractal characteristics of gas-solids flow in a circulating fluidized bed

A fractal approach is adopted to describe the dynamic behavior of a circulating fluidized bed. Two times series, differential pressure fluctuations along the riser height and solids momentum fluctuations along the radial direction, are measured and analyzed in terms of fractal dimensions. The influences of operating conditions and axial/radial positions on the fractal dimension are discussed. Attempts are also made to interpret the flow structure in the bed in terms of the fractal dimension. It is found that fractal analysis can provide a useful tool for understanding the characteristics of gas-solids flow in circulating fluidized beds.     

Synthesis of poly[(methyl methacrylate)-co-acrylamide] modified by titanium-triisopropoxide and their thermal stability

Poly[(methyl methacrylate)-co-acrylamide] of various compositions were previously prepared by the radical copolymerization reaction of methyl methacrylate and the acrylamide monomer in a solvent. The copolymers were modified through a resonating salt by the addition reaction of a chlorotitanium-triisopropoxide; the modified resins are called Ti hybrid copolymers. The chemical structure of acrylamide side chain groups in the Ti hybrid copolymers was confirmed by the ash weight after combustion, the characteristic absorption band determined by Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry (IR) and elementary analysis (EA). The curing temperature and time of the resins were determined from the change in the insoluble resin weight when the extraction was done with a mixture of acetone and methanol using the curing resin samples. The thermal stability of the Ti hybrid copolymers was evaluated using both the thermal-degradation temperature (T_x) measured by thermogravimetric analysis and the thermal degradation at 130 °C for 720 h. The cured resins improved the weight loss of the resins at the T_x, and exhibited a high thermal stability.     

Formation of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones in high-density polyethylene film irradiated with ultraviolet light

Polyethylene films were irradiated in air by ultraviolet light. 2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazine was reacted on the irradiated films. The changes in amounts of carbonyl groups and 2,4-dinitrophenynlhydrazones formed in the films were inferred by comparing their absorptions in the infrared and ultraviolet spectra, respectively. It seems that the contents of carbonyl groups formed in the amorphous regions in the high-density polyethylene films by the irradiation were larger than the contents of carbonyl groups formed in the amorphous regions in the low-density polyethylene films. The decreases in contact angles of water on the high-density polyethylene films by the irradiation were larger than the decreases in the contact angles on the low-density polyethylene films. The amounts of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones formed in the irradiated high-density polyethylene films were less than the amounts of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones formed in the irradiated low-density polyethylene films.     

Feeding-stimulant activity of algal glycerolipids for marine herbivorous gastropods

Phagostimulant activity of glycerolipids such as digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG), 6-sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol (SQDG), phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), etc., have been examined using the Avicel plate method for three kinds of marine herbivorous gastropods, the abaloneHaliotis discus, the turban shellTurbo cornutus, and the topshellOmphalius pfeifferi. DGDG showed strong activity for all the test animals. SQDG was much less active than the other glycerolipids for abalone. The turban shell and the top shell responded more or less sensitively to all tested glycerolipids at doses of 10–20g/sample zone.Chemical Studies on Phagostimulants for Marine Gastropods. Part VIII. For Part VII, see Sakata et al. (1988a).     

Anodic Dissolution of Uranium Mononitride in Lithium Chloride-Potassium Chloride Eutectic Melt

Uranium-plutonium nitride is a candidate fuel for fast reactors, but its major drawback is ¹⁴C formation from natural nitrogen. One would probably have to use highly ¹⁵N-enriched nitrogen. A pyrochemical process with molten-salt electroreflning has been proposed as a means to increase the nuclear proliferation resistance of the fuel cycle. Molten-salt electroreflning could also be applied to nitride fuels to make possible the recycling of ¹⁵N. The anodic dissolution behavior of UN in LiCI-KCI melt was studied to provide the basis for a feasibility study of electroreflning of irradiated nitride fuels.     

Influence of tetraalkylammonium cations on the electroreduction of nickel(II) in thiocyanate solutions

Influence of tetrabutyl-, tetrapentyl- and tetraisopentylammonium ions on the reduction of nickel(II) in thiocyanate solutions at the dropping mercury electrode has been investigated. These tetraalkylammonium ions, at their low concentrations, inhibit the reduction of nickel(II). However, at their high concentrations, the strong inhibiting effect disappers with the formation of a new wave corresponding to the reduction of a negatively charged nickel(II) thiocyanate complex, which is stabilized by the formation of ion pair with tetraalkylammonium cation. The variation of the reduction current with tetraalkalylammonium concentration was explained by taking into consideration both the change of the total charge of nickel(II) thocyanate complex involved in the reduction process and the simultaneous adsorption of tetraalkylammonium and thiocyanate ions on the mercury electrode.     

Change of polypropylene film surface by chromic acid mixture treatment

Polypropylene films were treated with chromic acid mixture. The change in the treated films was investigated by comparing change in amount of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones formed in the treated films with their change in wettability with water. Oxidation of the film surface zone, partial breakdown of polymer in the film surface zone, and oxidation of surface zone bared from the film inner zone seemed to occur with increase in treatment time or with increase in treatment temperature.     

Preparation of Silicon Carbide and Aluminum Silicon Carbide from a Montmorillonite–Polyacrylonitrile Intercalation Compound by Carbothermal Reduction

Both silicon carbide and aluminum silicon carbide have simultaneously been obtained directly from naturally occurring aluminosilicate by carbothermal reduction for the first time. A precursor of a montmorillonite–polyacrylonitrile (PAN) intercalation compound was heated at 1700°C in Ar. For comparison, montmorillonite–carbon mixtures were similarly heated. α-SiC, β-SiC, and Al₄Si₂C₅ formed from the montmorillonite–PAN intercalation compound. Mainly α-Al₄SiC₄ was obtained with ternary carbides from the montmorillonite–carbon mixtures in addition to a large amount of β-SiC. Hence, aluminum silicon carbide formation was affected by the mixing condition of the starting materials.     

Guinea pig bone marrow cells treated with platelet-activating factor generate factor(s) which affects their DNA synthesis and microbicidal activity

We have previously reported that platelet-activating factor (PAF) induces proliferation and microbicidal activity of guinea pig bone marrow cells. In the present study, we have found that the conditioned medium of PAF- or nonmetabolizable PAF agonist-treated guinea pig bone marrow cells augmented DNA synthesis and induced microbicial activity of bone marrow cells. A PAF specific antagonist, CV-6209, inhibited generation of the active conditioned medium by PAF. Addition of the PAF antagonist only partially suppressed the augmentative effect of the active conditioned medium on DNA synthesis; this is consistent with the fact that, because of the rapid breakdown, no appreciable amount of PAF remained in the conditioned medium of PAF-treated cells. Although mouse bone marrow cells did not respond to PAF unlike guinea pig cells, their DNA synthesis was significantly enhanced by the conditioned medium of PAF-treated guinea pig bone marrow cells. Thus, some newly generated factor(s) distinct from the originally inoculated PAF seemed to modulate the bioactions of PAF on bone marrow cells. An appreciable amount of PAF was produced by calcium ionophore-treated guinea pig bone marrow cells. These findings indicate that PAF synthesized in guinea pig bone marrow cells induces generation in the cells of some factor(s) which affects proliferation or microbicidal activity. Presented at The Third International Conference on Platelet-Activating Factor and Structurally Related Ether Lipids, Tokyo, Japan, May 1989.     

Evaluation of the agronomic effectiveness of natural and partially acidulated phosphate rocks in several soils using32P isotopic dilution techniques

The agronomic effectiveness of two natural phosphate rocks (PRs) from North Carolina (USA) and Togo and their 50% partially acidulated products (PAPRs) was evaluated in two greenhouse experiments using³²P isotopic dilution techniques, namely L and A_L values.In the first experiment rye grass was grown in a soil from Ghana. While the proportion of P in the plant derived from the P fertilizer (Pdff) ranged on. the average from about 10% for the PRs up to 80% for the PAPRs, the P fertilizer recovery was less than 1% for a 60-day growth period. In the second experiment, average values of P in the maize plants derived from the PAPRs ranged from 35% to 75% in 3 different soils. Both PRs were ineffective with the exception of North Carolina PR in the Seibersdorf soil. The P fertilizer recovery was 0.25% for the North Carolina PR in this soil whereas the recovery values ranged from 1.2% to 1.6% for the PAPRs.Mean values of the relative fertilizer efficiency estimated from the L values of each soil were less than 1% for the PRs whereas the values for the PAPRs which were dependent on soil type ranged from 20% up to 45%. The coefficient of relative effect of partial acidulation, that was calculated from the ratio of A_L values for PR and PAPR in each soil indicated that partial acidulation increased the effectiveness of the natural PRs in all soils under study.This study showed that the use of³²P isotope dilution techniques allows an accurate measurement of the P availability from natural and modified PR products to crops. Another advantage is that quantitative comparison of the P sources under study, PRs and PAPRs in this case, can be made even in soils where there is no response to the applied P sources.