Material and velocity effects on cavitation erosion pitting

Cavitation erosion during the incubation period was investigated via pitting tests conducted on three different materials: an Aluminum alloy, a Nickel Aluminum Bronze alloy and a Duplex Stainless Steel. Pitting tests were conducted in a cavitation tunnel in the velocity range 45–90 m/s at a constant cavitation number. The test section was made of a straight nozzle 16 mm in diameter discharged into the radial 2.5 mm space between two flat walls. Cavitation appears in the form of a toroidal cavity attached to the nozzle exit and damage on the samples facing the nozzle is concentrated in a circular ring centered in the cavity closure region. The exposure time was adjusted to avoid pit overlapping. The material surface was examined using a conventional contact profilometer which allowed us to identify the pits, count them, and measure their main characteristics such as depth, surface area, and volume. From these the pitting rate, the coverage rate, and the depth of deformation rate were defined. Pits were classified according to their diameter. For all materials and operating conditions, pitting rate appears to follow an exponential law in relation to the pit diameter. This law depends upon two parameters only, which were identified as the coverage time τ (i.e. the time required for the surface to be covered by erosion pits) and a characteristic pit diameter δ, which corresponds to the pits whose contribution to the coverage process is the highest. Scaling laws for pitting were derived accounting for both material properties and flow velocity, and a procedure to make pitting test results non-dimensional is proposed. The influence of the material on pitting test results was analyzed. It is shown that the damage is not correlated in simple terms with the elastic limit determined from conventional tensile tests and it is conjectured that other parameters such as the strain rate might play a significant role and should be included in the analysis. The effect of flow velocity on both parameters τ and δ was analyzed and a classical power law was found for the influence of the flow velocity on pitting rate for all three materials. Finally, some analysis and discussion is given concerning distributions of pit volume and pit depth.     

Granulometry,cluster analysis and spatial distribution of manganese contaminated soils,Kgwakgwe, southeastern Botswana

The particle size distribution (PSD) of 400 Mn contaminated soil samples was established, and generated data were statistically analysed and spatially presented. The PSD for the 53 µm – 4 µm size fraction soil samples ranged from 11.05 to 100 wt %, whereas that for < 4 µm was from 0.3 to 30 wt %. Texturally, samples were dominantly silt loam, although silt and sandy loam were also present, as well as loam, loamy sand and clay classes. Six clusters were identified with cluster one being the most dominant occurring in sandy loam, silt loam and loamy sand. The < 53 µm fraction had three dominant areas, and the < 4 µm fraction had several unevenly presented populations as reflected in the maps. Because of its spatial distribution, the < 4 µm fraction may pose hazards to human health. Furthermore, predominance of Mn limits land use to subsistence agriculture with possibly low crop yield.     

Interpolymer complexes of poly(acrylamide) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) with poly(acrylic acid): a comparative study

The interpolymer complexation, through successive hydrogen bonding, between poly(acrylamide) (PAAm) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNiPAAm) with poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) in aqueous solution has been viscometrically and potentiometrically investigated. The stoichiometry of the complexes formed was determined. By comparing the strength of the two complexes the very important contribution of the hydrophobic interaction in their formation has been indicated.     

Effect of B2O3 addition on structure and properties of Yb3+/Al3+/B3+-co-doped silica glasses

The homogeneous Yb³⁺/Al³⁺/B³⁺-co-doped silica glasses were prepared via a sol-gel method. The impact of B₂O₃ addition on the physical and optical properties and network structure was systematically studied. The network structure was investigated by the Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), Raman spectra, and Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (SSNMR). Herein, B₂O₃ addition can continuously decrease the refractive index and density. When B₂O₃ is lower than 2 mol%, B₂O₃ addition can obviously decrease the scalar crystal field parameters, Yb³⁺ asymmetry degree, Yb³⁺ cross-sections, due to the generation of Yb–O–B bonds at the cost of partial Yb–O–Al/Si ones. When B₂O₃ is more than 2 mol%, FT-IR, Raman spectra, and SSNMR results indicate that further increased B atoms prefer to connect with Si and Al rather than Yb. Consequently, the above parameters are basically unchanged. Based on the results, an intuitive model of structure and properties evolution during the substitution of SiO₂ by B₂O₃ has been established.     

Development of blown film linear low-density polyethylene–clay nanocomposites: Part A: Manufacturing process and morphology

In this study, linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE)/clay nanocomposites with different clay contents were prepared by melt intercalation using two different compatibilizers: maleic anhydride grafted styrene–ethylene–butylene–styrene and maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene (PE-g-MA). Melt intercalation was achieved by twin extrusion and nanocomposite films were produced by blown film extrusion. Effects of clay and compatibilizer fractions and type of compatibilizer on the structure, permeability, and the barrier properties of the nanocomposite films were investigated. PE-g-MA was shown to notably improve the dispersion of clay layers in the polyethylene matrix, and this was examined by atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The latter tests have also highlighted the importance of the screw configuration: the presence of mixing elements favors the dispersion and distribution of nanoclay. Moreover, differential scanning calorimetry results have shown no significant effect of the clay on the crystallinity of the composite while thermogravimetric analysis tests have demonstrated a decrease of onset and peak of decomposition temperatures. Finally, barrier properties toward water vapor transmission were measured. It was proven that not also clay, but the compatibilizer participated in decreasing the permeability of the film. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48589.     

Microtribology,squeeze, and friction of the colloidal layer

Lubricant films containing colloidal overbased calcium salts have particular effects on detergency and on the wear process. The mechanical properties of such boundary films are very dependent on the process conditions, and are essentially a result of physico-chemical transformations of the colloid. Three types of films were compared: a film obtained by the drying of the base solvent, a film due to the compaction of the colloid between two steel surfaces, and a friction film obtained with this type of lubricant. Adsorption, compaction, and shear transformations induce a solid film. The pressure effect on the frictional behaviour of these colloidal films has been investigated using a surface force apparatus for low contact pressure (10⁴ to 10⁶ Pa), and using tribometers supporting heavy loads for the analysis of the high pressure domain. Above a critical pressure, evaluated at 10⁶ Pa, the colloidal film does not flow, but forms a compacted mattress sliding on the surface plane and squeezing a molecular layer of lubricant.     

Characterisation of lactic acid bacteria isolated from fermented milk "laban"

The technological properties of 96 lactic acid bacteria isolated from Lebanese traditional fermented milk "laban" were characterised. They were classified by phenotypic and biochemical analyses as Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, thus indicating that laban is a fermented milk similar to yogurt. Most strains of L. bulgaricus (87.5%) exhibited a high acidification activity, whereas strains of streptococci showed low acidification ability. 33.3% of streptococci strains and 25% of lactobacilli strains displayed similar acidification performances as European strains. Results obtained for syneresis, texture and rheological parameters led us to consider that isolated strains were not low polymer-producing strains. Some of them displayed interesting characteristics such as low syneresis and high values for rheological parameters. The major flavour compounds found in pure cultures were acetaldehyde, acetone, 2-butanone, dimethyl disulfide, acetoin, 2,3-butanedione, 2,3-pentanedione, and acetic, hexanoic and butanoic acids. Acetaldehyde (7.4%) and organic acids (48.3%) were mainly produced by L. bulgaricus strains, whereas streptococci cultures contained high relative levels of 2,3-butanedione and acetoin, which represented around 82% of the total flavour compounds. Finally, strains isolated from laban samples exhibited different technological properties than those used in yogurt production, thus conferring specific characteristics to this product.     

Values of the mass transfer coefficient of the linear driving force model for VOC adsorption on activated carbons

Modelling of activated carbon cartridges is essential in personal protective equipments against toxic gases in order to know the duration of protection. The linear driving force model seems to be more adapted than the actual Wheeler–Jonas model because it has more physical significance. The difficulty is that the mass transfer coefficient can not be calculated a priori. Values of the LDF mass transfer coefficient are disseminated in the literature and thus there is no overview of the range and variations with different adsorbents, adsorbates and concentrations. The object of this paper is thus twofold: obtaining values of the mass transfer coefficient at different concentrations and adsorbates in order to have a comprehensive view of variations and appreciating the validity of the LDF constant pattern model.     

Goal-directed responding is sensitive to lesions to the prelimbic cortex or basolateral nucleus of the amygdala but not to their disconnection.

The current view of instrumental conditioning indicates that performance in the early stage of training is maintained by a representation of the outcome, as indexed by its sensitivity to changes in the value of the reward. In the present study, the authors tested the effects of a disconnection of the prelimbic cortex (PL) and the basolateral nucleus of the amygdale (BLA), using an asymmetric lesion procedure, to determine whether these structures interact sequentially as part of a corticolimbic system. In marked contrast to the effects of bilateral lesions of the PL or the BLA, which both altered rats' sensitivity to outcome devaluation, the disconnection of these 2 brain areas was without an effect on outcome devaluation. These results demonstrate that the PL and the BLA mediate different aspects of outcome representation in goal-directed responding. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nanofiltration for the recovery of caustic cleaning-in-place solutions: robustness towards large variations of composition

In the dairy industry re-use and multi-use cleaning-in-place (CIP) systems are operated by circulating chemicals and water without taking the equipment apart. The solutions, which become polluted due to the removal of fouling compounds, are drained periodically when they are considered to be too polluted. This work shows the large variations in composition (pollution, surface tension, etc) of the industrial caustic solutions coming from milk standardization and pasteurization plant CIP throughout their life time (7 days) and from 1 week to another. The work is also intended to show how nanofiltration (1 kg mol(-1) molecular weight cut-off) was robust and performed well, with good recovery of caustic solutions, even when faced with large variations of solutions composition: high caustic yield, permeation flux (J) in the range 42-110 l h(-1) m(-2), average chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction equal to 0.58 and low surface tension change. Equations have been established for the prediction of J as a function of initial membrane hydraulic resistance (Rm) caustic concentration, volume reduction ratio (VRR) and initial soluble COD. When VRR increased, both J and pollution retention decreased despite the increase in irreversible fouling induced by the increase of soluble pollution concentration in retentate. The higher the initial soluble COD, the sharper the decrease in J vs. VRR. Since irreversible fouling was usually small (0.1-3.4 x 10(13) m(-1), that is to say of the same order of magnitude as Rm), the membrane cleaning could be efficiently performed by using single phase sodium hypochlorite alternately with a more expensive acid-base cleaning sequence. The obtained permeate was a clear regenerated cleaning solution with low soluble COD (0.2-3.5 g/l) and surface tension (56-30 mJ m(-2)) which could be successfully exploited owing to its cleaning potential.