Effective Excitation of Magnetoelectric Voltage Harmonics in a Ferromagnet–Piezoelectric Structure by Current Passing through the Magnetic Layer

Technical Physics Letters - The magnetoelectric (ME) effect in a planar amorphous ferromagnet–piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) composite structure can be effectively excited by...     

A Constitutive Equation of Thermoelasticity for Solid Materials

A new constitutive equation of thermoelasticity for crystals is presented based on the interatomic potential and solid mechanics at finite temperature. Using the new constitutive equation, the calculations for crystal copper and graphene are carried out under different loading paths at different temperatures. The calculated results are in good agreement with those of the previous thermoelasticity constitutive equation based on quantum mechanics, which clearly indicates that our new constitutive equation of thermoelasticity is correct. A lot of comparisons also show that the present theory is more concise and efficient than the previous thermal stress theory in the practical application.     

Anchoring single Pt atoms on hollow Ag3VO4 spheres for improved activity towards photocatalytic H2 evolution reaction

The high cost of noble metal catalysts has been a great bottleneck for the catalyst industry. Using the noble metal at a single-atom level for catalytic applications could dramatically decrease the cost. The impacts of single Pt atoms on the photocatalytic performance of Ag₃VO₄ have been investigated and reported. In this report, single Pt atoms were anchored on the surface of Ag₃VO₄ (AVO) as a cocatalyst, and the resultant composite photocatalyst has been studied for photocatalytic H₂ production from water driven by visible light. The as-prepared AVO particles are hollow nanospheres in the monoclinic phase with a bandgap of 2.20 eV. The light absorption edge of AVO/Pt is slightly red-shifted compared to that of the pristine AVO, indicating more visible light absorption of AVO/Pt. The XPS peaks of Ag, V, and Pt exhibit a significant shift after AVO and Pt get into contact, suggesting the strong interaction between the surface Ag and V atoms, and single Pt atoms. After 3-h illumination, the photocatalytic H₂ evolution amount from AVO/Pt is improved up to 1400 μmol, which is 2.8 times that on the bare AVO. Such efficient photocatalytic H₂ evolution on AVO/Pt is still maintained after five reaction cycles. The better photocatalytic performance of AVO/Pt has been attributed to the more efficient visible light utilization and the lower interfacial charge transfer resistance, as demonstrated in the DRS and EIS spectra. The presence of the surface Pt atoms also leads to a higher amount of reactive radicals, which could efficiently promote the surface redox reactions.     

Nutrient digestibility and endogenous protein losses in the foregut and small intestine of weaned dairy calves fed calf starters with conventional or enzyme-treated soybean meal

The aims of this experiment were (1) to compare the effects of a soybean meal with an enzymatic treatment (ESBM) to reduce the concentration of antinutritional factors versus a standard soybean meal (SBM) on foregut and small intestine digestion in weaned dairy calves and (2) to estimate the endogenous losses of crude protein (CP) in the small intestine. Our hypothesis was that a diet containing ESBM instead of SBM would improve ruminal and small intestine digestion and absorption of nutrients. A T-cannula was placed in the duodenum, and a second T-cannula was installed in the distal ileum of 12 Holstein calves at approximately 3 wk of age. Calves were weaned on d 42, and on d 50 they were assigned randomly to a quadruplicated 3 × 3 Latin square with 10-d periods. Digesta samples were collected on d 7 and 8 from the ileum and d 9 and 10 from the duodenum. The diets were fed for ad libitum intake and consisted of a calf starter (CS) of 20% CP with SBM as the main source of protein (CTRL), and an isonitrogenous CS with an ESBM instead of SBM (ENZT). A third diet with a low content of CP (10%) and no soy protein was fed to estimate endogenous N losses and digestibilities of test ingredients. Flows and digestibilities of nutrients were compared between CTRL and ENZT and their test ingredients (SBM vs. ESBM, respectively). Duodenal net flows of CP and total AA as well as ruminal microbial protein synthesis per kilogram of digested CP were greater, and flow of nonprotein N and CP true (corrected by endogenous and microbial flows) foregut digestibility were lower with ENZT than CTRL. The apparent small intestine digestibilities of CP and total AA were greater for ESBM than SBM, but there were no differences between the CTRL and ENZT diets. We observed no differences in digestibilities at the duodenum or ileum of starch or NDF, but true small intestine digestibilities of CP and all AA were greater with ENZT than CTRL. Total endogenous protein losses in the small intestine estimated from calves fed the low-CP with no soy protein diet were 37 ± 1.5 g of CP and 29 ± 1.4 g of AA/kg of DMI. These values may be considered the basal endogenous losses as they are similar to values obtained with the regression method, which estimates N losses when dietary N is null. Our results indicated that the inclusion of an ESBM improved the efficiency of ruminal microbial protein synthesis per digested kilogram of organic matter and CP, and increased CP and AA absorption in the small intestine despite a greater proportion of undigested dietary protein entering the duodenum.     

Hydrotreatment of jatropha oil over noble metal catalysts

Jatropha oil is a promising nonedible feedstock for producing renewable diesel. In this work, the hydrotreatment processing of jatropha oil was investigated. Instead of using conventional alumina-supported Co–Mo, Ni–Mo, and Ni–W catalysts that need sulfidation pretreatment, noble metals such as Pd and Ru were chosen. Trials were performed in an isothermal trickle-bed reactor and the reaction conditions were as follows: temperature 603–663?K, weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) 1 to 4/h, pressure 1.5–3?MPa, and H₂/oil ratio 200–800 (v/v). Yield of n-C₁₅ to n-C₁₈ hydrocarbons was maximized (70.3 and 43.8% for Pd/Al₂O₃ and Ru/Al₂O₃, respectively) at the following conditions: T?=?663 K, WHSV?=?2/h, P?=?3?MPa, and H₂/oil ratio?=?600 (v/v). Since Ru favored cracking reactions to a larger extent than Pd, the yield of C₁₅ to C₁₈ hydrocarbons over Ru/Al₂O₃ was lowered. Using simple first-order plots for oil conversion, activation energies for the hydrotreating process over Pd/Al₂O₃ and Ru/Al₂O₃ were found and they were equal to 109 and 121?kJ/mol, correspondingly.