Liquefaction of palm kernel shell to bio-oil using sub- and supercritical water: An overall kinetic study

Palm kernel shell was liquefied using sub- and supercritical water at 330–390 °C and 25 MPa for different reaction times. The overall kinetics of the liquefaction based on the conversion of biomass was analyzed using kinetic equation adopted from the literature, and the kinetic parameters were estimated from the evaluation of the kinetic equation. In this study, the rate constant (k) increased from 0.43 to 0.49 s^?1 with reaction temperature from 330 to 390 °C. The relationship of rate constant (k) and temperature agreed reasonably well with the Arrhenius equation. The activation energy (E) and pre-exponential factor (A) values for the liquefaction process were estimated to be 6.70 kJ/mol and 1.65 s^?1, respectively. In addition, the experimental bio-oil yields with respect to reaction time were well-fitted using the modified Reverchon-Sesti Osseo equation.     

Voltage deterioration of XLPE wires in water under gamma rayirradiation

Three types of cross-linked polyethyline (XLPE) wire were developed for insulation of internal pump motors (wet type) used in an advanced boiling water reactor. By applying gamma ray irradiation of 10 ⁴ to 10⁶ Gy and electric stress in hot water simultaneously or sequentially, the effect of gamma ray irradiation is examined. The effect of combined stresses in a large scale functional test is also described. It is proved that the gamma ray irradiation less than 10⁶ Gy does not deteriorate the properties of the insulation of the wires. In the irradiational environment of 5×10 ⁴ Gy where the internal pump motor is served, it is concluded that the wires have sufficient reliability     

Acyclovir-resistant herpes zoster encephalitis successfully treated with vidarabine: a case report

A 78-year-old man developed herpes zoster virus (HZV) encephalitis. Initially, treatment with aciclovir (750 mg per day) improved CSF cell count and protein level. During the treatment, however, encephalitis in the patient deteriorated in spite of the treatment with aciclovir, suggesting that HZV in the patient had become resistant to aciclovir. Subsequent treatment with vidarabine (600 mg per day, for 15 days) resulted in dramatic improvement in CSF pleocytosis. About two months after the discontinuation of vidarabine, the CSF cell count was normal. The patient became alert gradually, but his amnestic syndrome remained unchanged. Vidarabine may be recommended in the treatment of HZV encephalitis when aciclovir is not effective.     

Candida arthritis after total knee arthroplasty--a case of successful treatment without prosthesis removal

Spondylolisthesis with or without spondylolysis is common in the lumbar spine. Associated fracture in the pedicle ('pediculolysis') is unusual. The margins of pedicular stress fractures, like spondylolysis, usually appear sclerotic. A patient with a pedicular stress fracture with minimal marginal sclerosis suggesting an injury of recent onset is presented here. There was associated bilateral spondylolysis. The findings in this patient suggest that established pediculolysis probably represents a stress fracture that has failed to heal.     

STRIPPING RATE OF PROPIONIC ACID FROM STYRENE-DIVINYLBENZENE COPOLYMERIC MICROCAPSULES WITH TRI-W-OCTYL AMINE AS CORE MATERIAL

ABSTRACT

The stripping rate of propionic acid from microcapsules containing tri-n-octyl amine was investigated using distilled water and aqueous NaOH as stripping solutions. The experiments were conducted at 303K. The stripping rate was found to be controlled by diffusion through porous microcapsule membrane and increased with an increase in the concentration of propionic acid in the microcapsules for each solution system. It was found that the stripping rates in aqueous NaOH solution system was higher than in distilled water at the same concentration of propionic acid in microcapsules. The experimental results in the NaOH solution system could be analyzed using a permeation model considering mass transfer accompanied by irreversible instantaneous neutralization reaction between NaOH and the propionic acid/tri-n-octyl amine complex in the microcapsule membrane.     

Electrochemical and spectrophotometric study on trivalent neodymium ion in molten binary mixtures of LiCl and alkali earth chlorides

The thermodynamic stability of Nd(III) complexes was studied by electrochemical techniques for molten binary mixtures composed of LiCl and an alkali earth chloride, CaCl₂, SrCl₂, or BaCl₂ at 923 K. The Gibbs free energy change of formation of Nd(III) in the melts was determined. The obtained values showed a good correlation with the polarizing power of solvent cations. The Nd(III) complex was more stable in the melts with low polarizing power. The electronic absorption spectrum of the hypersensitive f-f transition of Nd³⁺ was investigated to obtain information about the structural change of the complex. The estimated oscillator strength of the ⁴G_5/2,²G_7/2 ← ⁴I_9/2 transition and the degree of the energy splitting in electronic energy levels showed different trends upon the polarizing power for each of added alkali earth chloride. This indicates that the coordination environments further from second neighbors could have significant impact on the electronic energy levels of Nd(III) in the mixtures including alkali earth cations.     

Polymer electrolyte membranes derived from novel fluorine-containing poly(arylene ether ketone)s by controlled post-sulfonation

Precise assignment with ¹H, ¹³C and some two dimensional NMR measurements showed that sulfonation reaction by concentrated sulfuric acid at 30 °C of fluorine-containing poly(arylene ether ketone) copolymers derived from 4,4′-bis(2,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzoyl)diphenyl ether (BPDE) and 9,9-bis(4-hydroxypehnyl)fluorene (HF) and 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoropropane (6FBA) yielded quantitative introduction of sulfonic groups onto 2- and 7-positions of fluorene ring in HF unit. A series of sulfonated poly(arylene ether ketone)s with different ion exchange capacity was prepared by using this method with different compositions of HF and 6FBA, and membranes obtained from these polymers were characterized by TGA, moisture and water uptake, proton conductivity, methanol permeability, and Fenton testing. These membranes showed sufficient thermal stability, high proton conductivity at high humidified condition for PEFC and good balance in proton conductivity in water and methanol permeability for DMFC. On the other hand, they showed relatively high swelling by water probably due to weak intermolecular interaction caused by the existence of fluorine atoms in the polymer structure.