Process engineering parameters and type of n-octenylsuccinate-derivatised starch affect oxidative stability of microencapsulated long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids

Aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of the emulsifying carrier matrix constituent, n-octenylsuccinate-derivatised (OSA)-starch, and process conditions on physical characteristics and oxidative stability of microencapsulated fish oil. Furthermore, the effect of the drying medium, i.e. air or nitrogen, on lipid oxidation during spray-drying and subsequent storage was investigated. Particle characteristics and lipid oxidation of microencapsulated fish oil were both influenced by the type of OSA-starch and the drying conditions. The highest oxidative stability was observed for fish oil microencapsulated in OSA-starch with the lowest average molecular weight and glucose syrup spray-dried at a moderate temperature setting. Particle characteristics of the microcapsules were not attributable for differences in lipid oxidation during storage. In spray-dried carrier matrix particles, the particle size increased with increasing average molecular weight of the OSA-starch and was attributed to an increase in air inclusion. Thus differences in lipid oxidation of the microencapsulated fish oil were attributed to differences in air inclusion as affected by the type of OSA-starch. In terms of spray-drying under inert conditions and in the presence of air, lipid oxidation of microencapsulated fish oil was rather attributed to oxygen availability in the feed emulsion than in the drying gas.     

Integrated energy in Germany–A critical look at the development and state of integrated energies in Germany

In the face of global warming and a scarcity of resources, future energy systems are urged to undergo a major and radical transformation. The recognition of the need to embrace renewable energy technologies and to move toward decarbonization has led to significant changes in the German energy generation, consumption and infrastructure. Ambitious German national plans to decrease carbon dioxide emissions on one side, and the unpredictable and volatile nature of renewable energy sources on the other side have elevated the importance of integrated energies in recent years. The deployment of integrated technologies as a solution to interlink various infrastructures creates opportunities for increasing the reliability of energy systems, minimizing environmental impacts and maximizing the share of renewable resources. This paper discusses the role of integrated energy systems in supporting of sustainable solutions for future energy transitions. Moreover, the reinforcement of this movement with the help of different technologies will be discussed and the development of integrated energy systems in Germany will be reviewed.     

Quantifying Pathways and Friction of Nanoparticles During Controlled Manipulation by Contact-Mode Atomic Force Microscopy

Measuring interfacial friction during the manipulation of nanoparticles is becoming an increasingly important approach in nanotribology research. In this work, antimony and gold particles deposited on flat graphite surfaces have been translated by the tip of an atomic force microscope in contact mode along defined pathways. Two different manipulation techniques are discussed with respect to pathway control and friction quantification. The first technique includes pushing the particles from the side, which often results in a loss of the particle during translation due to unwanted sidewards motion. We analyze this phenomenon with an analytical model and find good agreement with experiments. An alternative approach is to move the particle while the tip remains on its top. We demonstrate that this approach allows better manipulation pathway control and that simultaneous interfacial friction measurements are in quantitative agreement with the first manipulation method.     

On Floating‐Point Normal Vectors

In this paper we analyze normal vector representations. We derive the error of the most widely used representation, namely 3D floating‐point normal vectors. Based on this analysis, we show that, in theory, the discretization error inherent to single precision floating‐point normals can be achieved by 2^50.2 uniformly distributed normals, addressable by 51 bits. We review common sphere parameterizations and show that octahedron normal vectors perform best: they are fast and stable to compute, have a controllable error, and require only 1 bit more than the theoretical optimal discretization with the same error.     

The perception of temporal order along the mental number line.

R. Sekuler, P. Tynan, and E. Levinson (1973) found that when 2 characters are presented side-by-side with a short onset asynchrony, subjectively they often appear in a “first-left, then-right” order. The authors of this article conducted 6 experiments in which observers judged the temporal order (TOJs) in which 2 digits were presented. They found a consistent TOJ benefit (larger d`) when the numerically smaller digit was presented first, even though this semantic information was irrelevant to the task and unrelated to the correct response. They concluded that digits located to the left of the mental number line are transmitted faster to a central comparison stage, which represents an “internal counterpart” to the Sekuler et al. (1973) finding regarding external locations. A corresponding benefit is found for letters pairs (e.g., A–Z) and also for mixed digit–letter pairs (e.g., 1–Z). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Separation of alkanes and alcohols with supercritical fluids. Part I: Phase equilibria and viability study

The chemical conversion of detergent range alkanes (12-14 carbon atoms) to alcohols is often incomplete and results in a large amount of residual alkane. This paper shows that these alkanes and alcohols can be separated by supercritical fluids. Ethane, propane and carbon dioxide were selected as possible supercritical solvents while n-tetradecane and 1-dodecanol were selected to represent the alkane-alcohol mixture, as these would be the two most difficult compounds to separate in a C12 to C14 alkane-alcohol mixture. A phase behaviour study and relative solubility analysis revealed that both ethane and carbon dioxide show promise in separating n-tetradecane and 1-dodecanol. Propane was eliminated as possible solvent because the phase behaviour of n-tetradecane and 1-dodecanol in supercritical propane is too similar. A pilot plant study showed that both supercritical ethane and carbon dioxide can be used to separate n-tetradecane and 1-dodecanol, with indications that supercritical ethane may affect a superior separation. An economic analysis, considering the energy requirements, revealed that the most important parameter with regard to energy consumption is the solvent-to-feed ratio. The process utilising ethane is more energy intensive, yet the energy requirements for both processes compare well with other petrochemical separation processes using supercritical fluids. Further investigations with both ethane and carbon dioxide should be conducted to determine which of these two solvents are superior and to optimise the operating parameters.     

Simulation of Fluid Flow and Oscillation of the Argon Oxygen Decarburization (AOD) Process

The oscillation of argon oxygen decarburization (AOD) converters is flow related and depends on the process parameters (e.g., vessel geometry, melt fill height, process gas type and blowing rate, vessel tilting angle, as well as geometry, number, and arrangement of the side-wall nozzles). For a 120-ton AOD converter with seven submerged side-wall nozzles, plant tests, physical simulations on a 1:4 scale water model, and computational fluid dynamics simulations have been done. The investigations show that the penetration depth of an inert gas jet into the melt does not exceed approximately 0.4 m. The plumes are located close to the nozzle-side converter wall and induce a large-scale primary vortex as well as intensive surface movements; both are responsible for the oscillation. Several process mechanisms were investigated. The oscillation is highest in the last stage of the dynamic blow and is still high during the reduction stage. As the amount of inert gas increases, the vibration level also increases. Inert gas has a greater influence on the oscillation than oxygen. Tilting the converter around 8 deg clearly leads to more intensive oscillations. Increasing the blowing rate increases the forces and torques acting on the vessel, whereas the oscillation frequency remains nearly constant. A varying fill level does not influence the vibration level the same way as the blowing rate. The operational test shows, for example, that the maximum torque does not depend on the heat size when the latter varies between –8 pct and +21 pct of the nominal heat size. The water model test shows decreasing forces and torques with a rising fill level.     

Mixed crystalline films of co-evaporated hydrogen- and fluorine-terminated phthalocyanines and their application in photovoltaic devices

Blends of organic electron and hole conductive materials are widely used for ambipolar charge carrier transport and photovoltaic cells. An obvious choice for donor–acceptor blends are organic semiconducting materials in their hydrogenated and fluorinated form, since they combine potentially suitable electronic properties with structural compatibility of the two constituents. This study focuses on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of blends using hydrogenated copper-phthalocyanine (H₁₆CuPc) in combination with its per-fluorinated version (F₁₆CuPc). Using X-ray scattering, scanning force microscopy and optical absorption measurements we show that mixed crystalline films are obtained by co-evaporation of the two materials. Electrical transport measurements reveal a profound reduction of the current for bipolar charge injection in mixed films. We discuss the formation of self-trapped charge transfer excitons as possible explanation for this unexpected behaviour, which impedes the usability of this system in photovoltaic cells.     

Nonlinear conversion of Ti:sapphire laser wavelengths

We review a series of experimental investigations into the use of nonlinear optics to shift wavelengths generated by the tunable Ti:sapphire laser. We consider two basic approaches: harmonic generation (and the related process of sum frequency generation) to reach shorter wavelengths, and optical parametric generation to cover longer wavelengths. Both techniques have been aided by the development of two sets of nonlinear crystals, the borates BBO and LBO for harmonic processes, and the KTP family of materials for use with optical parametric generation. In combination we have used nonlinear techniques to produce tunable wavelengths ranging from 193-3000 nm