Determination of potential methane production capacity of a granular sludge from a pilot‐scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor using a specific methanogenic activity test

A 450 dm³ pilot‐scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor was used for the treatment of a fermentation‐based pharmaceutical wastewater. The UASB reactor performed well up to an organic loading rate (OLR) of 10.7 kg COD m^?3 d^?1 at which point 94% COD removal efficiency was achieved. This high treatment efficiency did not continue, however and the UASB reactor was then operated at lower OLRs for the remainder of the study. Specific methanogenic activity (SMA) tests were, therefore, carried out to determine the potential loading capacity of the UASB reactor. For this purpose, the SMA tests were carried out at four different initial acetate concentrations, namely 500 mg dm^?3, 1000 mg dm^?3, 1500 mg dm^?3 and 2000 mg dm^?3 so that substrate limitation could not occur. The results showed that the sludge sample taken from the UASB reactor (OLR of 6.1 kg COD m^?3 d^?1) had a potential acetoclastic methane production (PMP) rate of 72 cm³ CH₄ g^?1 VSS d^?1. When the PMP rate was compared with the actual methane production rate (AMP) of 67 cm³ CH₄ g^?1 VSS d^?1 obtained from the UASB reactor, the AMP/PMP ratio was found to be 0.94 which ensured that the UASB reactor was operated using its maximum potential acetoclastic methanogenic capacity. In order to achieve higher OLRs with desired COD removal efficiencies it was recommended that the UASB reactor should be loaded with suitable OLRs pre‐determined by SMA tests. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Emulsifier‐free cationic latexes based on vinylbenzyl chloride and 2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate with adjusted hydrophilic–hydrophobic properties

Functional emulsifier‐free cationic latexes based on styrenic monomer vinylbenzyl chloride (VBC) and acrylic monomer 2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMA) were successfully prepared with dual quaternary ammonium ions (36–63 mol %) on both monomer moieties in two‐stages. First, [2‐(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]dimethylhexadecylammonium bromide monomer (DMA(C₁₆)), prepared via quaternization of DMA with 1‐bromohexadecane, was utilized as a comonomer (5–20%) as well as a surfactant in the emulsion polymerization of VBC. Next, the quaternization of chloromethyl groups in the VBC moiety in latex particles with trimethylamine and N,N‐dimethylhexadecylamine created a second type of quaternized sites on the latex particles. The percentages of the quaternary ammonium ions of the first‐stage latexes (P[VBC‐DMA(C₁₆‐x)]) and the second‐stage latexes (P[VBC(R)‐DMA(C₁₆‐x)]) were determined using bromide and chloride ion‐selective electrodes. The particles were characterized with a scanning electron microscope, Zetasizer, measuring water contact angles of their pellets. The polymer structure and the alkyl group length in their quaternary ammonium ions played an important role on the sizes, zeta potentials and hydrophilic–hydrophobic balances of the latexes. The water contact angles of the pellets of the latex particles varied from 50.3 to 109.6° depending on both the polymer structure and the alkyl group length. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42775.     

锦纶-聚酯复合帘线的有限元分析

轮胎制造行业大量使用各种纤维帘线,然而纤维帘线的设计、开发和制造是一个非常复杂的过程,工程技术人员通常要开展一系列严谨而且复杂的工作,如建立模型、数据分析、结构设计、样品试制和产品测试等,采取不同的方法和技术措施解决过程中存在的各种问题,最后才能确定帘线制造的最佳方案.有限元分析是解决这种具有挑战性工程技术问题最有效的方法之一.尤其是近年来计算能力和智能工具技术水平的快速发展,促进了有限元分析技术的推广应用.     

EFFECT OF INITIAL MOISTURE CONTENT ON THE THIN LAYER DRYING CHARACTERISTICS OF HAZELNUTS DURING ROASTING

ABSTRACT

Effect of initial moisture content on the thin layer drying characteristics of hazelnuts during roasting was described for a temperature range of 100-160°C, using several thin layer equations. The effective diffusivity varied from 2.8×10^?7 to 21.5×10^?7m²/s over the temperature and moisture range. Temperature dependence of the diffusivity coefficient was described by Arrhenius-type relationship. The activation energy for moisture diffusion was found to be 2703 kJ/kg, 2289 kJ/kg and 2030 kJ/kg for the initial moisture content of 12.3% db, 6.14% db, and 2.41% db, respectively. Two-term equation gave better predictions than Henderson and Pabis and Thompson equations, and satisfactorily described thin layer drying characteristics of hazelnut roasting. A generalised mathematical model with the linear temperature dependence for moistured, non-treated and pre-dried hazelnuts were also developed.     

Effect of Dipping Temperature and Dipping Time on Drying Rate and Color Change of Grapes

Thompson seedless grapes (Vitis vinifera) were pretreated in potassium carbonate and ethyl oleate solutions for 1, 2, and 3 min at 30, 40, 50, and 60°C and dried in a convective air dryer at 60°C. The effect of dipping time and solution temperature on drying rate and color kinetics were investigated. Grapes dipped into the solution at 60°C for 2 and 3 min had the fastest drying rate. Among the seven semi theoretical models compared, the Midilli equation best described the drying curves of grapes for all dipping pretreatments. Color data were obtained using a machine vision system in CIE L*a*b* color space. Regardless of the dipping time and temperature applied, all raisins had varying degrees of brown coloring. At all dipping times and temperatures the highest R ² value was obtained for a* values, which followed zero-order reaction kinetics during drying.     

rGO/CuO/PEDOT nanocomposite formation,its characterisation and electrochemical performances for supercapacitors

ABSTRACT

Supercapacitor properties of rGO, CuO, PEDOT and rGO/CuO at [rGO]_o/[CuO]_o?=?1:1; 1:1.5; 1:2 and rGO/CuO/PEDOT nanocomposite at [rGO]_o/[CuO]_o/[EDOT]_o?=?1:1:1; 1:1:3; 1:1:5 were investigated using chemical reduction of GO and in-situ polymerisation process. SEM-EDX, HRTEM, BET surface area analysis confirm the nanocomposite formations. Nanocomposite materials are also analysed through FTIR-ATR, Raman, TGA-DTA, GCD, CV and EIS. The highest specific capacitance of C _sp?=?156.7 F/g at 2?mV/s is determined as rGO/CuO/PEDOT at [rGO]_o/[CuO]_o/[EDOT]_o?=?1:1:5. In addition, two-electrode supercapacitor device for rGO/CuO/PEDOT at [rGO]_o/[CuO]_o/[EDOT]_o?=?1:1:5 are found to provide a maximum specific energy (E?=?14.15 Wh/kg at 20?mA) and specific power (P?=?24730 W/kg at 50?mA), electrical serial resistance (ESR?=?13.33 Ω) with good capacity retention after 3000 cycles. An equivalent circuit model of LR1(CR2)(QR3) is proposed to interpret the EIS data. The supercapacitor performance of the rGO/CuO/PEDOT nanocomposite electrode indicates the synergistic effect of hybrid supercapacitors.     

Tensile Bond Strength of a Highly Cross-Linked Denture Tooth to the Compression-Molded and Injection-Molded Denture Base Polymers

This study compared tensile bond strengths between conventional compression-molded heat (HC)-, auto (AP)-, and microwave-polymerized (MC) poly(methyl methacrylate)-based denture resins and a relatively new injection-molded, microwave-polymerized polyurethane based resin (MI) bonded to a highly cross-linked denture tooth. In the first part of the experiments, denture teeth were used as received. In the second part, they were treated with dichloromethane to see its effect on bonding of conventional denture bases (HCS and APS). Bond strength was tested in tension according to ADA specification No.15. The results showed that the HC group failed cohesively because of higher interface bonding (49.95 MPa) compared with those of the others (AP: 25.41 MPa; MC: 22.06 MPa; MI: 20.02 MPa). The application of dichloromethane improved bond strengths of HCS and APS groups (60.61 and 32.03 MPa, respectively). It was suggested that dichloromethane could be applied on the denture teeth ridge lap area prior to denture base processing to enhance adhesion between the tooth/resin.     

The Impacts of Heat Treatment on Lap Joint Shear Strength of Black Pine Wood

This study was conducted to determine the impacts of heat treatment on lap shear strength, density, and mass loss of black pine wood. In the study, black pine wood boards bonded with polyurethane were subjected to temperatures of 160, 180, and 200°C for durations of 2 and 6 hours. Specimens having two layers were prepared from untreated and treated wood for mechanical testing of bond lines. Data were analyzed using variance analysis and Tukey's test to determine the impacts of changes in density and mass of heat-treated black pine wood on lap shear strength. The results indicated that the lap shear strength of black pine wood decreased as the intensity of heat treatment increased. The results also indicated that the minimum and maximum percentage decreases of lap shear strength were approximately 27% for 160°C and 2 hours and 78% for 200°C and 6 hours.     

Computational analysis on cymbal transducer

Finite Element Analysis in collaboration with experimental studies was conducted to investigate the effects of dimensional parameters on the performance of the cymbal transducer. ANSYS 5.5 FEM code was used for computational analysis. Cymbal transducers were fabricated with steel and brass endcap materials and piezoelectric ceramic, PZT-5A, as driving elements. Admittance spectrum was measured by using HP4194A Impedance/Gain phase analyzer. Displacement and generative force characteristics of the transducers were tested by using a LVDT sensor. Experimental and calculated results matched quite well. Device diameter and cavity diameter has strong effect on cymbal transducer characteristic. Adjusting the dimensional parameters can extend potential application areas of cymbal transducer.