Bleaching and photodegradation of textile dyes by H2O2 and solar or ultraviolet radiation

The photooxidation of textile dyes Yellow Procion H-4R, Bright Blue Remazol (blue reagent-19), Red Procion H-E7B, and the mixture of the two last dyes were investigated. The efficiency of photooxidation were compared using hydrogen peroxide (30%) as a bleaching reagent, solar and ultraviolet radiation, common glass borosilicate, quartz assay tubes, and no solid catalysts. The colour of blue dye and a mixture of blue and red dyes were almost completely removed after 3 h, either by solar or ultraviolet radiation. The best results of colour removal (93%) for the red and yellow dyestuffs were obtained only after 6 h, using quartz tubes, hydrogen peroxide and ultraviolet radiation. Using non-parametrical statistical tests (χ²), the treatment showed significant differences among the processes investigated (P<0.01).     

Synthesis of π-conjugated copolymer with dibenzo[d,d′]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]difuran unit in the main chain

New π-conjugated polymers with dibenzo[d,d′]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]difuran (DBBDF) unit in the main chains were synthesized. Copolymerization of 6,12-diiodo-DBBDF with p-diethynylbenzene or 2,7-diethynylfluorene derivative under Sonogashira–Hagiwara coupling-reaction condition gave the corresponding copolymer. The resulting copolymers were soluble in organic solvents such as tetrahydrofuran and chloroform. In UV–vis absorption spectra, both copolymers showed red-shifted spectra compared to their monomer units. In the chloroform solutions, the copolymer with DBBDF and p-diethynylbenzene units showed yellowish-green emission, while the copolymer with DBBDF and 2,7-diethynylfluorene units did greenish-blue emission.     

A quasi-three-dimensional elastic wave propagation analysis for laminated composites

Localized impact problems for composite structures have recently become important. In this study, some elastic wave velocities in 7-ply GFRP laminate with [0₂/90₃/0₂] ply orientation after low speed impact was investigated by using both experimental methods and finite element methods. For the finite element simulation, the quasi-three-dimensional model was used. Comparing the results, the validity for the application of this model to the dynamic problem was estimated. Moreover the quasi-three-dimensional model is applied to the GFRP plates with interlaminar delamination. The relationship between the elastic wave velocities and delaminated states is discussed.     

A comparison of the hydrolysis of sweet potato starch with β-amylase and infrared radiation allows prediction of reducing sugar production

The apparent reaction rate constants (k) of the reaction that generates reducing sugar (presented as mg maltose equivalents) from raw sweet potato starch by using β‐amylase were determined by varying enzyme concentration, starch concentration and pH. The Arrhenius plot of the k‐value reached a peak at approximately 86 °C; the activation energy and frequency factor were also determined. Moreover, the amount of reducing sugar produced in sweet potato heated by infrared irradiation was estimated by using the values of k and the kinetic parameters. The calculated amounts of reducing sugar produced generally agreed with the experimental values. These results indicate that the amount of reducing sugar produced in heat‐treated sweet potato can be predicted by the methodology described in this study.     

Performance analysis on the liquid-ice thermal storage system for optimum operation

For the purpose of determining the optimum operation condition of liquid-ice thermal storage system, the performance analysis has been carried out. The target system was consisted of refrigerator, its auxiliary devices, liquid-ice production device, piping system, and thermal load section. The system performances were widely investigated analytically for the variety of operation conditions including the cycle performance of a refrigerator. The optimum operation condition of the liquid-ice thermal storage system from the viewpoint of coefficient of performance and the performance of heat release were discussed.     

Preparation and Properties of Glass-Ceramics Derived from Nitrogen-Containing β-Spodumene Glasses

Crystallization of Li-Al-Si-O-N oxynitride glasses based on the β-spodumene composition and the properties of the resultant glass-ceramics have been studied. The onset of the precipitation of metastable high-quartz solid solution and its transformation to β-spodumene shift to higher temperatures with increasing nitrogen content of the oxynitride glasses. Nitrided glass-ceramics crystallized at 1200°C have negative thermal expansion coefficients, since high-quartz structure is maintained up to 1000° and 1200°C. Knoop hardness and density of the glass-ceramics increase with increasing nitrogen content. There was evidence that part of the nitrogen atoms were incorporated into the high-quartz solid-solution structure and that a small amount of the minor phase of Si₂N₂O was precipitated in highly nitrided glass-ceramics.     

Ionic effects on the transport characteristics of nanowire-based FETs in a liquid environment

For the development of ultra-sensitive electrical bio/chemical sensors based on nanowire field effect transistors （FETs）, the influence of the ions in the solution on the electron transport has to be understood. For this purpose we establish a simulation platform for nanowire FETs in the liquid environment by implementing the modified Poisson-Boltzmann model into Landauer transport theory. We investigate the changes of the electric potential and the transport characteristics due to the ions. The reduction of sensitivity of the sensors due to the screening effect from the electrolyte could be successfully reproduced. We also fabricated silicon nanowire Schottky-barrier FETs and our model could capture the observed reduction of the current with increasing ionic concentration. This shows that our simulation platform can be used to interpret ongoing experiments, to design nanowire FETs, and it also gives insight into controversial issues such as whether ions in the buffer solution affect the transport characteristics or not.