Cu-K/Al2O3 based catalysts for conversion of carbon dioxide to methane and carbon monoxide

Abstract

A series of Cu-K/Al₂O₃ catalysts were synthesized by wet impregnation technique. The reduced catalysts were further used for conversion of carbon dioxide to methane and carbon monoxide. Moreover, the fresh and used catalysts were characterized to investigate the changes in the surface morphology, metal dispersion, surface area, crystalline phases, and functional groups of studied catalysts. The SEM analysis of fresh and spent catalysts showed no remarkable difference in surface morphology with irregular shaped agglomerated particles. Furthermore, TEM micrographs presented the well distribution of metal catalyst over alumina support. The decrease in surface area from 115 to 77?m²/g for Cu_1.62-K_0.5/Al₂O₃ after reaction was related to sintering and oxidation of catalyst during reaction. XRD revealed the disappearance of some minor peaks which can be associated with the sintering of spent catalyst. FTIR also presented some new peak for spent catalyst which can be linked with metal oxides. Moreover, various reaction conditions of temperature (230, 400, and 600?°C), pressure (1 and 7?bar), and feed molar ratio of H₂/CO₂ (2:1 and 4:1) were investigated using different Cu loading (0, 1, 1.25, 1.62, and 4 weight percent). A maximum CO₂ conversion of 63% with 39% CH₄ selectivity was achieved by using Cu_1.62-K_0.5/Al₂O₃ at 600?°C, molar ratio of H₂/CO₂ 4 under 7?bar. The presence of K on the surface of synthesized catalyst increased the CO₂ conversion from 48% (Cu₁/Al₂O₃) to 55% (Cu₁-K_0.5/Al₂O₃) at above mentioned reaction conditions which suggested the promoter effect of K during conversion of carbon dioxide.     

Magnetron sputtered Dy_2O_3 with chromium and copper contents for antireflective thin films with enhanced absorption

Dy_2O_3 is a rare earth oxide having a number of advanced applications in various fields including protective or antireflective coatings, Main objective of this novel research work is to check the effect of Cr and Cu addition on different properties of Dy_2O_3 and achievement of antireflective thin films with enhanced abso rption. Thin films of these materials we re deposited using DC magnetron with reactive cosputtering. XRD studies reveals the crystalline nature of thin films having Dy_2O_3(222) reflection in all samples with Cr_2O_3(116) and CuO(111) reflections in Cr and Cu containing compositions. Field emission scanning electron microscopy demonstrates the homogeneous deposition of thin films with uniform shape, size and distribution of grains. Refractive index, extinction coefficient and absorption coefficient significantly increase while optical reflectance decreases with Cr and Cu mediation corroborating an improved antireflective mechanism. The imaginary part of dielectric constant is found to increase slightly with low tangent loss for Cr containing composition co nsidered favorable for energy storage applications.     

Double hinged articulated tower interaction with wind and waves

Articulated offshore towers are highly flexible against rotation at the hinges and derive their stability by means of inherently large buoyancy forces. The displacement response of such towers is mainly governed by the rigid body mode of vibration which has a very low frequency. Since the fluctuating wind velocity spectrum has high energy content in the low frequency region, therefore, wind induces significant dynamic response of such towers. In this paper, the responses of single and double hinged articulated towers are compared under various ocean environments. A Monte Carlo simulation technique is used to model the random sea environment. The sea state is characterized by Pierson–Moskowitz spectrum while the fluctuating wind has been estimated using Simiu's spectrum for compliant platforms. Iterative time domain solution procedure is adopted to take care of time dependent parameters and nonlinearities. Stochastic response is characterized by statistical quantities and power spectral density functions (PSDF) for various parametric combinations. Studies of wind effects are found to be imperative for double hinged articulated towers to serve and survive in the hostile offshore environment. The response PSDF highlights the wind induced dynamic responses of the towers.     

Expression and purification of beefy meaty peptide in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pichia pastoris</Emphasis>

We established a gene expression process to produce a flavor peptide in Pichia pastoris. The octapeptide Lys-Gly-Asp-Glu-Glu-Ser-Leu-Ala was isolated from beef digested by papain, known as “beefy meaty peptide” (BMP). It was considered a savory seasoning in previous literatures. To produce BMP by microorganisms, BMP expression structures encoding tandem repeats of the octapeptide were designed and cloned in E. coli DH5α, then integrated into the AOX1 gene of Pichia pastoris GS115. Clones containing different BMP-gene copies, with 4-copy, 8-copy, 12-copy and 16-copy, were obtained and expressed in Pichia pastoris GS115. For the ease of purification, 6×His tag was fused to the C-termini of the peptides. As a result, the fusion peptides were successfully purified by His-tag bind affinity resin. The BMP fusion peptides with expected sizes were secreted from the resulting strains of P. pastoris GS115.     

The effect of SiO2 dielectric layer on ultraviolet detecting properties of pentacene thin film transistor

The pentacene thin film transistor was fabricated on a SiO₂/Si substrate by thermal evaporated method at room temperature. Electrical characteristics of the pentacene transistor subjected to a UV light excitation at a wavelength of 365 nm were analyzed. A significant increase in the drain current of the pentacene thin film transistor under a UV excitation of 365 nm is observed with a maximum photosensitivity of 4.51 in the depletion regime. It is concluded that the pentacene thin film transistor can be used in UV photo-detecting devices.     

A web-based remote interactive laboratory for Internetworking education

A Web-based remote interactive laboratory (RIL) developed to deliver Internetworking laboratory experience to geographically remote graduate students is presented in this paper. The onsite Internetworking program employs hands-on laboratories in a group setting that correlates with the constructivist and collaborative pedagogical approach. This paper discusses the pedagogical and technical considerations that influence the design and implementation of the remote laboratory environment given the constraints of the special hardware and learning outcomes of the program. For wide-ranging usability, the remote Internetworking (INWK) laboratory uses de facto networking standards and commercial and broad-band Internet connectivity to ensure real-time secure interaction with equipment. A four-tier role architecture consisting of faculty, local facilitators, remote facilitators, and students has been determined appropriate to maintain academic integrity and ensure good quality of interaction with the remote laboratory. A survey employing a five-point scale has been devised to measure the usability of the remote access INWK laboratory.     

The design of next generation in-vehicle navigation systems for the older driver

It has been proposed that the current design of in-vehicle displays may not be appropriate for the older driver. This paper describes an empirical, road-based investigation of the benefits to older and younger drivers of providing landmarks within the instructions presented by an in-vehicle navigation system. Thirty two participants navigated a challenging urban route using either landmarks or distance information to identify the location of forthcoming manoeuvres. A range of driver behaviour measures were collected, including visual glance data, driving errors, driver workload, navigation errors, navigation confidence, and pre and post-trial driver attitudinal responses. Results show that, for older and younger drivers, landmarks reduced the time spent glancing to a visual display, reduced navigation and driving errors, and influenced driver confidence. There were some key differences between the older and younger drivers. The wider implications for the design of in-car interfaces for the older driver are discussed.     

A Level Set Algorithm for Tracking Discontinuities in Hyperbolic Conservation Laws II: Systems of Equations

A level set algorithm for tracking discontinuities in hyperbolic conservation laws is presented. The algorithm uses a simple finite difference approach, analogous to the method of lines scheme presented in [36]. The zero of a level set function is used to specify the location of the discontinuity. Since a level set function is used to describe the front location, no extra data structures are needed to keep track of the location of the discontinuity. Also, two solution states are used at all computational nodes, one corresponding to the real state, and one corresponding to a ghost node state, analogous to the Ghost Fluid Method of [12]. High order pointwise convergence was demonstrated for scalar linear and nonlinear conservation laws, even at discontinuities and in multiple dimensions in the first paper of this series [3]. The solutions here are compared to standard high order shock capturing schemes, when appropriate. This paper focuses on the issues involved in tracking discontinuities in systems of conservation laws. Examples will be presented of tracking contacts and hydrodynamic shocks in inert and chemically reacting compressible flow.     

Controlled Synthesis and Stability of Co@SiO2 Aqueous Colloids

Magnetic nanoparticles have emerged as an important class of functional nanostructures with potential applications of magnetic resonance imaging, drug targeting, and bio-conjugation. We have developed a modified sol–gel approach to synthesize stable and well-dispersed magnetic Co@SiO₂ nanoparticles with improved control over shell thickness and larger core diameters. These well-defined Co@SiO₂ core–shell nanoparticles exhibit useful magnetic properties, and the protective silica shell allows them to be surface modified for bioconjugation for various biomedical applications. The core–shell nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, elemental mapping, and the line compositional analyses to demonstrate that uniform individually isolated core–shell nanoparticles are obtained through the improved synthetic route.