Comparison of different ultrasound support methods during colour and chemical oxygen demand removal of disperse and reactive dyebath solutions by ozonation

In this study, the effects of ozonation, ozonation with ultrasonic bath and ozonation with ultrasonic homogeniser processes on colour and chemical oxygen demand removal properties of disperse (CI Disperse Red 60, CI Disperse Blue 337) and reactive (CI Reactive Blue 171 and CI Reactive Blue 19) dyebath solutions with and without dyeing auxiliaries were investigated. Chemical oxygen demand (in mg/l) and colour (in Hazen) measurements of the studied dyebath solutions were determined. The ozonation process caused simultaneous chemical oxygen demand removal during decolorisation. However, the improvement in chemical oxygen demand reduction was less than of that on decolorisation. The application of the combination of ozonation with ultrasonic homogeniser is the most efficient process and creates a great time advantage over the other process types studied (ozonation alone and ozonation with ultrasonic bath) to reach the same colour and levels of chemical oxygen demand removal.     

A water-soluble Irgacure 2959-based diallylammonium salt system for antibacterial coatings

A water-soluble mixture of a novel diallylammonium salt photoinitiator based on 2-hydroxy-1-[4-(2-hydroxyethoxy) phenyl]-2-methyl-1-propanone (Irgacure 2959 or I2959) and diallylammonium tosylate has been prepared. It shows excellent water-solubility of 6.8 wt% in water, much greater than the solubility of I2959 (<2 wt%). It has a strong absorbance at 269 nm (ε ~ 15731) in methanol. It exhibits 15.6 times higher migration stability than I2959 due to its monomeric nature. Its photoinitiating efficiency of 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA, M_n = 575 D) was found to be similar to I2959. PEGDA hydrogels prepared using the synthesized photoinitiator (PI) were found to have highly porous structures (15.44 μm) compared with those using I2959. PEGDA film prepared using this PI has demonstrated antibacterial properties against gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 15442) and gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 23235) bacterial species.     

Situational Awareness in Construction and Facility Management

Engineers and managers involved in construction and facility/infrastructure operations need situational awareness about the as-is conditions when making daily decisions and developing short- and long-term plans. Yet, currently situational awareness of engineers is often challenged due to missing data and the available data not being in a format that is easily accessible and actionable. Advances in reality capture technologies, such as 3-dimensional (3D) imaging, in-situ sensing, equipment on-board instrumentation and electronic tagging, streamline the capturing of the as-is conditions on job sites. The data collected from these technologies, integrated with building information models depicting the as-planned conditions, can help in creating and storing the history of as-is conditions of a facility to support a variety of decisions that engineers and managers need to make. While the opportunities associated with integrating building information models and data capture technologies are compelling, several challenges need to be addressed through research for effective usage of these technologies. Such challenges include assessing the accuracy of the data collected at the field, developing and evaluating data processing and data fusion approaches, formalizing integrated representation of building information models and sensor and other relevant data, and investigating and developing approaches for analyzing and visualizing such integrated information models. This paper provides examples of recent research studies done at the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Carnegie Mellon University that demonstrate opportunities associated with integrating building information models and sensor information for facility operations.     

The effects of Co/Ce loading ratio and reaction conditions on CDRM performance of CoCe/ZrO2 catalysts

This work mainly aims to establish a link between Co/Ce loading ratio in CoCe/ZrO₂ catalysts and their Carbon Dioxide Reforming of Methane (CDRM) performance. In this context, catalysts with different Co and Ce loadings were prepared and characterized via BET, XRD, HRTEM-EDX, XPS and Raman, and parametrically tested under different CDRM conditions. Dispersion of Co particles was nonhomogeneous on all samples. For the sample with the highest Co/Ce ratio (10%Co2%Ce/ZrO₂), higher amount of lattice oxygen vacancies and lowest degree of ceria reduction were determined. Raman analysis showed that graphitic carbon coexisted with amorphous carbon on the surface of all spent samples. The extent of side reactions prevailed in determining selectivity. It was expressed that both CoCe synergistic interaction and synchronous contribution of Ce and ZrO₂ were enhanced for the samples having lower Co/Ce ratio. It was confirmed that Ce is only responsible for oxygen transfer but not its formation.     

Reducing the quantity of reworked parts in a robotic arc welding process

Today, the competitive environment of the knowledge age has been replaced with the competitive environment of the industrial age as the rules of the business world are changing completely. The focused issue is to reach to the knowledge as soon as possible, and to process and apply it rapidly. In this context, one of the important goals that the companies try to reach in order to achieve acceleration is the six sigma philosophy. Six sigma is a fundamental continuous improvement methodology aimed at reducing the variation and waste on processes by utilizing statistical methods and techniques efficiently. Global companies are making noteworthy profits by using this method in their processes. The six sigma methodology focuses on process excellence advantages for companies that apply it, to reach profit, to increase productivity and to have larger market share. In this paper, an application of six sigma methodology for reducing the quantity of rework parts for robotic arc welding process is given. The phases of six sigma and their results are indicated in detail. Furthermore, it is also shown how various techniques of six sigma methodology are applied to achieve financial benefits. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High hydrostatic pressure assisted extraction of pectin from sugar beet pulp

This study aimed to investigate the effect of high hydrostatic pressure assisted extraction (HHPE) (250, 350 and 450 MPa at 40 °C for 5 min with/without acid addition) of pectin from sugar beet pulp and compare its properties with pectin obtained from conventional extraction (CE). Degree of esterification (DE), galacturonic acid (Gal-A) content, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxometry experiments were performed on the obtained pectin powder. HHPE (12.23 ± 0.13%) doubled extraction yield compared to CE (6.43 ± 0.07%). Also, HHPE and acid addition were found to have a synergetic effect on the extraction. HHPE resulted in degradations in the polymer structure and reduced Gal-A content and DE. Pectin extracted with both methods was classified as low methoxyl pectin (LMP). According to the NMR Relaxometry results, HHPE decreased water holding capacity (WHC). In brief, HHP was shown to increase the pectin extraction yield and no changes in viscosity were observed at the concentrations studied (2 g/L).     

Macroanatomic,light and scanning electron microscopic studies of the pecten oculi in the stork (Ciconia ciconia)

This study was undertaken to investigate the pecten oculi of stork by using macroscopic, light and electron microscopic techniques. A total of 20 eyes that were obtained from 10 storks were used. The eyes were cleaned and isolated by dissection. After various procedures, four of the pecten oculi were examined by light microscope while the other four with an electron microscope. The remaining 12 eyes were assigned for macroscopic investigation. Pecten oculi of the stork were determined as accordion‐like structures that originated from n. opticus, consisting of 15–17 plica and projecting up to 2/5 of the diameter of the bulbus oculi. Light microscopic examination revealed two types of blood vessels. Afferent–efferent vessels were larger in diamater (40–45 µm), fewer in numbers, and the capillary vessels were smaller in diamater (2–5 µm) and more in numbers. There were granules including amount of melanin pigment at the apical part of the pleats. These granules were fewer and scattered randomly on the basal part of the pleats. As a result, pecten oculi in the stork, which is a migrating bird, were determined to be similar to those of other diurnal birds. Microsc. Res. Tech. 76:963–967, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Assessment of Open Pit Dewatering Requirements and Pit Lake Formation for the Kışladağ Gold Mine,Uşak,Turkey

The K??lada? gold mine (U?ak, Turkey) has operated since 2006 and is projected to close by 2030, leaving a large open pit. We quantified dewatering requirements during the operational period, predicted pit lake formation during the post-closure period, and assessed the likely impacts on groundwater resources. Groundwater inflow into the pit during 17 years of mining was calculated using analytical and numerical models. The analytical model yielded lower inflow rates because it does not account for groundwater that will be released from storage. Post-closure, pit lake water balance calculations show that the system will reach equilibrium 585 years after dewatering ceases and that lake levels will stabilize at 816 m above sea level (masl). Further analysis indicated that 830 masl is a critical level, below which the pit will behave as a sink; above that, it will be a flowthrough system that could possibly affect downgradient groundwater quality.