A comparative study of the carbon dioxide and nitrogen minimum miscibility pressure determinations for an Iranian light oil sample

Miscible gas injection is an approved profitable process that could significantly enhance oil recovery from different types of reservoirs while the major factor affecting its efficiency would be the minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) value. A recent experimental technique, known as vanishing interfacial tension (VIT), can estimate the MMP for gas–oil mixtures by measuring interfacial tension values and extrapolating them to zero at a sequence of pressures. Compositional simulation models are also useful in MMP determination by tuning an equation of state to compute the realistic phase behavior of reservoir fluid. In this paper, the capability and quality of MMP prediction via different methods such as laboratory slim tube tests, VIT technique, compositional simulation, and various empirical correlations were examined using a light oil sample taken from an Iranian carbonate reservoir, employing two pure gases of CO₂ and N₂ as the injectants. The accuracy and validation of the mentioned methods were then confirmed successfully by obtaining negligible overall absolute deviation percentages (AD%) compared with the conducted slim tube tests results.     

The Effect of Alkali Concentration on the Structural and Magnetic Properties of Mn-Ferrite Nanoparticles Prepared via the Coprecipitation Method

MnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles were synthesized using the coprecipitation method under two different NaOH concentration settings as reaction agents at 355 K (82 °C). Structural and morphological properties of the nanoparticles were examined using X-ray diffraction and a scanning electron microscope. The decrease of NaOH concentration led to the increase of particle size. This result contradicts two recently published reports. Also, the decrease of NaOH concentration led to more crystallinity and a narrower particle size distribution. The results were evaluated from a chemical point of view and were based on the supersaturation level, which was influenced by alkali concentration. It was concluded that the higher NaOH concentration led to a more rapid nucleation and more random cation distribution. The magnetic properties of the nanoparticles examined by permeameter and faraday-balance equipment were consistent with the structural and morphological properties of the particles.     

Utilization of textile wastewater as carbon source by newly isolated <Emphasis Type="Italic">Haloarcula</Emphasis> sp<Emphasis Type="Italic">.</Emphasis> IRU1: optimization of conditions by Taguchi methodology

Wastewater of textile industry is one of the most important threats to the environment and human health. The Taguchi methodology was applied to optimize conditions for the growth of a novel Haloarcula sp. IRU1 with a textile wastewater as carbon source by evaluating the influence of temperature, concentration of textile wastewater and pH on biomass of Haloarcula sp. IRU1. We intended to evaluate biodegradation ability of this bacterium. Highest biomass of Haloarcula sp. IRU1 was achieved at temperature 47°C, concentration of textile wastewater 7% v/v and pH 9. In conclusion, the isolated halophilic bacterium Haloarcula sp. IRU1 can utilize textile wastewater as carbon source and biodegrade it in different conditions.     

Molecularly imprinted polymer microspheres with nanopore cavities prepared by precipitation polymerization as new carriers for the sustained release of dipyridamole

Imprinted polymers are now being increasingly considered for active biomedical uses such as drug delivery. In this work, the use of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) in designing new drug delivery devices was studied. Imprinted polymers were prepared from methacrylic acid (MAA) (functional monomer), ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (cross‐linker), and dipyridamole (DIP) (as a drug template) using precipitation polymerization method. The influence of the template/functional monomer proportion and pH on the achievement of MIPs with nanopore cavities with a high enough affinity for the drug was investigated. The small pores (average 3.9 nm) in the imprinted microspheres show excellent retention properties for the target analyte. The polymeric devices were further characterized by FT‐IR, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, photon correlation spectroscopy, Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller analysis, and binding experiments. The imprinted polymers showed a higher affinity for DIP and a slower release rate than the nonimprinted polymers. The controlled releases of DIP from the prepared imprinted polymers were investigated by an in vitro dissolution test by measuring the absorbance at 284 nm by means of a UV–Visible spectrophotometer. Loaded imprinted microsphers showed very slow release in various solutions such as phosphate buffer solution (pH 6.8), HCl (pH 1.0) and mixture of HCl and MeOH at 37.0 ± 0.5°C and were able to prolong DIP release for more than two days. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Investigation of the effect of presulphidation on coke deposition on 25Cr-35Ni alloy during ethane steam cracking

The process of hydrocarbons cracking is carried out in the presence of heat-resistant alloys Fe-Ni-Cr, which HP40 alloy (25Cr-35Ni) has the most applications among olefin plants. Since these alloys naturally tend to form coke, the industry has always tried to reduce the coke formation by reducing the catalytic properties of the coils. In this research, the effect of dimethyl disulphide (DMDS) concentration (200–900 ppm) on the HP40 alloy of industrial coils at the presulphidation stage is evaluated. In the presulphidation stage, the alloy surface is in contact with sulphur in the absence of hydrocarbons, and this affects the amount of coke formation in the cracking process. Also, the surface composition and morphology of coke are identified using EDX and SEM analysis. These results showed that at the 500 ppm concentration of DMDS, coke deposition is minimized. Additionally, our findings indicated that coke morphology has not changed under different presulphidation conditions, and coke is still a filament type, but the size of the filaments has changed. Moreover, the study of HP40 composition in both preoxidized and presulphide stages shows that presulphidation reduces the amount of Fe and Ni in the coke layer significantly.     

Electronic Properties of SiNTs Under External Electric and Magnetic Fields Using the Tight-Binding Method

We investigated the electronic properties of silicon nanotubes (SiNTs) under external transverse electric fields and axial magnetic fields using the tight-binding approximation. It was found that, after switching on the electric and magnetic fields, band modifications such as distortion of degeneracy, change in energy dispersion and subband spacing, and bandgap size reduction occur. The bandgap of silicon gear-like nanotubes (Si g-NTs) decreases linearly with increasing electric field strength, but the bandgap for silicon hexagonal nanotubes (Si h-NTs) first increases and then decreases (metallic) or first remains constant and then decreases (semiconducting). Our results show that the bandgap of Si h-NTs is very sensitive to both electric and magnetic fields, unlike Si g-NTs, which are more sensitive to electric than magnetic fields.     

Electrocatalytic determination of dopamine in the presence of uric acid using an indenedione derivative and multiwall carbon nanotubes spiked in carbon paste electrode

In the present study, a modified carbon paste electrode (CPE) containing multi-wall carbon nanotubes and an indenedione derivative(IMWCNT?CPE) was constructed and was successfully used for dopamine(DA) electrocatalytic oxidation and simultaneous determination of DA and uric acid (UA). Cyclic voltammograms of the IMWCNT?CPE show a pair of well-defined and reversible redox. The obtained results indicate that the peak potential of DA oxidation at IMWCNT?CPE shifted by about 65 and 185 mV toward the negative values compared with that at a MWCNT and indenedione modified CPE, respectively. The electron transfer coefficient, α, and the heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant, k′, for the oxidation of DA at IMWCNT?CPE were calculated 0.4 ± 0.01 and (1.13 ± 0.03) × 10^? 3 cm s^? 1, respectively. Furthermore, differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) exhibits two linear dynamic ranges of 1.9–79.4 μM, and 79.4–714.3 μM and a detection limit of 0.52 μM for DA determination. Then IMWCNT?CPE was applied to the simultaneous determination of DA and UA with DPV. Finally, the activity of the modified electrode was also investigated for determination of DA and UA in real samples, such as injection solution of DA and urine, with satisfactory results.     

Designing biocompatible Ti-based metallic glasses for implant applications

Ti-based metallic glasses show high potential for implant applications; they overcome in several crucial respects their well-established biocompatible crystalline counterparts, e.g. improved corrosion properties, higher fracture strength and wear resistance, increased elastic strain range and lower Young's modulus. However, some of the elements required for glass formation (e.g. Cu, Ni) are harmful for the human body. We critically reviewed the biological safety and glass forming tendency in Ti of 27 elements. This can be used as a basis for the future designing of novel amorphous Ti-based implant alloys entirely free of harmful additions. In this paper, two first alloys were developed: Ti₇₅Zr₁₀Si₁₅ and Ti₆₀Nb₁₅Zr₁₀Si₁₅. The overheating temperature of the melt before casting can be used as the controlling parameter to produce fully amorphous materials or bcc-Ti-phase reinforced metallic glass nano-composites. The beneficial effect of Nb addition on the glass-formation and amorphous phase stability was assessed by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Crystallization and mechanical behavior of ribbons are influenced by the amount and distribution of the nano-scaled bcc phase existing in the as-cast state. Their electrochemical stability in Ringer's solution at 310 K was found to be significantly better than that of commercial Ti-based biomaterials; no indication for pitting corrosion was recorded.     

Effects of Pb-Doping on Phase Structural and Optical Properties of CdZnS Nano-Powders

Cadmium zinc lead sulfide[Cd0.8(Zn1-x,Pbx)0.2S] nano-powders were prepared by an improved coprecipitation method. The effect of Pb2+ concentration at 500℃ on the phase and crystalline structure of the Cd0.8(Zn1-x,Pbx)0.2S powders were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). According to the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images, the particles size are in the range of 58 nm to 72 nm. In addition, optical band gap energy and optical constants of nano-powders were determined using the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum, Fournier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Kramers-Kronig analysis, respectively. We calculate the refractive index n, extinction coefficient k, and dielectric function as a function of the wavenumber. The experiment results demonstrate that the amount of Pb+2 has been playing an increasingly important role on optical properties of CZPS nanocrystals.