Analysis of bell materials： Tin bronzes

The present study was set up to examine the effect of alloying elements （including harmful elements） on metallurgical features （material properties and qualitative parameters） of tin bronzes, with particular reference to church bells from Middle Ages to Current times. A driving force of this study was to identify and demonstrate features related to the quality of church bells made in different centuries. The findings have been derived via metallographic and chemical analysis of specimens of bells from various parts of Australasia and Europe. The bell materials consisted of a mixture of the a phase and the （α＋β） eutectoid essentially, in proportions determined by tin content and mould materials during casting. The samples from the 15th century to the one from the 20th century showed a progressive increase in hardness, ranging from the minimum of -280 VHM20g to a maximum of -470 VHM20g for the （α＋β） eutectoid, and -160 VHM20g to -230 VHM20g for the a phase. The investigation also shows that the sound decay of the bell decreased with lowering the wt.% of tin and increasing the wt.% of lead and silver. This information is expected to provide an additional interesting knowledge into manufacturing practices and their significance in the quality of church bells over past centuries.     

Neuropeptidomics: MS applied to the discovery of novel peptides from the brain

By comparing the proteins and peptides in diseased an normal tissues, researchers can identify differential expression patterns that may lead to biomarkers.     

Proximity,accessibility and choice: A matter of taste or condition?*

Drawing on a combination of register data and travel survey data, this research explores changes in the accessibility to different amenities for the Swedish population between 1995 and 2005, as well as the reasons behind the changes: redistribution of either amenities or the population. Overall, proximity has increased concerning most of the amenities during the period. However, despite decreasing ‘potential’ distances, actual travel distances are growing longer due to, for example, an increasing selectivity in preferences. An analysis of the accessibility development for service amenities shows that restructuring within the service sector is the main cause of the changes, and to a lesser extent population redistribution. Resumen. Haciendo uso de una combinación de datos de registros y encuestas de viajes, este estudio explora cambios en la accesibilidad de diferentes servicios y lugares de recreo para la población sueca entre 1995 y 2005, así como las razones detrás de dichos cambios: una redistribución de los servicios o de la población. En conjunto, la proximidad ha aumentado con respecto a la mayoría de los servicios durante el periodo estudiado. Sin embargo, a pesar de las reducciones en distancias “potenciales”, las distancias de viaje están aumentando debido a por ejemplo una mayor selectividad en las preferencias. Un análisis del desarrollo de la accesibilidad de servicios y ocio muestra que la reestructuración dentro del sector servicios es la causa principal de los cambios y, en menor medida, la redistribución de la población.      

Comparison of soil properties measurements in pipeline corrosion estimation

Soil corrosion is a hazardous electrochemical process that affects buried metals in contact with soil. Corrosion in soils resembles atmospheric corrosion with corrosion rates usually higher and depending on the soil type. There are numerous properties of soil and thus soils can be classified in many different ways. Soil resistivity is one of the main indicators of soil corrosivity and thus of the hazardous impact the soil has on metal materials in the soil environment, although it is not the only parameter affecting the risk of corrosion damage. In this study on‐site measurements and laboratory measurements of soil characteristics are performed and compared. On‐site measurements include measuring the redox potential and soil resistivity by Wenner 4‐pin method, while the measurements in the laboratory include measuring soil conductivity, as well as moisture content, pH, content of sulphates, chlorides, and sulfides and polarization measurements, which give the most accurate results. The measurements have shown that if the Wenner 4‐pin method is performed in a convenient way the obtained results are not precise but can give an indicative picture of the corrosivity of the observed soil.     

A comparison between hexaaluminates and perovskites for catalytic combustion applications

Hexaaluminates and perovskites are two promising candidates for use in catalytic combustion applications. In the present study two hexaaluminates, LaMnAl₁₁O₁₉ and LaCoAl₁₁O₁₉, were compared with two perovskites, LaMnO₃ and LaCoO₃, with respect to their thermal stability and catalytic activity for combustion of methane and gasified biomass. The results showed that the hexaaluminates retained a much higher surface area even after calcination at 1200 °C compared to the perovskites. LaMnAl₁₁O₁₉ showed the highest catalytic activity of all catalysts. LaCoAl₁₁O₁₉ generally showed low activity. Of the two perovskites, LaCoO₃ was the most active, and the initial test run the activity for biomass combustion were close to that one of LaMnAl₁₁O₁₉ even though its surface area was only one tenth of the hexaaluminate's. However, it was severely deactivated in the second test run. Similar deactivation but less severe was also found for the other catalyst.     

Novel coil coating systems using fatty acid based reactive diluents

Limitation of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions has lead to the development of new coil coating systems with reduced solvent content. Reactive diluents derived from vegetable oils have been used to substitute up to 40% of the white spirit. The use of vegetable oil derivatives further reduces the handling of solvents improving the workplace environment and safety, enhances the film properties, and introduces a renewable resource in the final coating. The concept can be described as a melamine crosslinkable alkyd which is formed in parallel to the crosslinking process.     

Speciation and transport of heavy metals and macroelements during electroremediation

Electroremediation makes treatment of contaminated clay soils possible. The external electrical field causes several transport processes and changes in soil chemistry. This study concerns the leachability and transport of calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, lead, nickel manganese, chromium, and iron during treatment with an electric field of soil from a chlor-alkali factory. As expected, most elements were removed from the acidic part of the soil and accumulated in the zone where pH changed from acidic to alkaline. However, acidic leaching of the soil in this zone did not mobilize the elements. Lead formed both an anionic complex which electromigration transported toward the anode as well as a cationic lead fraction which moved toward the cathode. The anionic complex could be lead sulfate. Lead from both fractions was strongly attached to the soil after treatment. The low availability of metals and macroelements after electrokinetic remediation could make electroremediation, excavation, and deposition of the accumulation zone an alternative for the treatment of contaminated soils.     

Selective odor perception in the soil collembolaOnychiurus armatus

The olfactorial response of the fungivorous soil collembolanOnychiurus armatus was examined in a bioassay covering volatile compounds identified in the odor blends of two of its preferred fungal speciesMonierella isabellina andVerticillium bulbillosum. The odor of the fungi was trapped using activated carbon filters, extracted with diethyl ether, and subjected to GC-MS analysis. About 50% of the compounds resolved by GC were identified by a combination of electron impact and chemical ionization mass spectrometry. In a Y-shaped olfactometer the collembolans were attracted to a variety of common odors, such as CO₂ and 2-methyl-1-propanol, and a species-specific odor, such as 1-heptene, and arrested by, for example, decanal and 2-octene. The response was not improved by pairwise combinations of common and specific odors. An amount of 0.5 ng of ethyl acetate or 3 pg of 1-pentanol was sufficient to attract the collembolans. The specific compounds ofV. bulbillosum, 1-heptene and 1-octen-3-ol, may be key stimuli explaining whyO. armatus prefersV. bulbillosum.