Long time stress relaxation of amorphous networks under uniaxial tension: The Dynamic Constrained Junction Model

The constrained junction model that represents the stress-strain relations of amorphous networks in equilibrium is modified to analyze stress relaxation. Deviation of stress from equilibrium when a network is stretched suddenly is represented by a time dependent constraint contribution that is of the same form as that of the equilibrium theory. The time dependent motions of the junctions are assumed to obey the Langevin equation. The only new term in the model is a time dependent κ parameter that vanishes at long times. Results of the model are compared with uniaxial stress relaxation experiments on polyisoprene networks with different degrees of cross-linking. Experiments show that the time dependent κ parameter obeys a stretched exponential form, with β = 0.4 and τ = 40 s, both of which are the same for all extensions and cross-link densities studied. The front factor κ₀ depends on cross-link density in the same way as in the equilibrium case. Comparison with stress relaxation experiments shows satisfactory agreement at a wide range of extensions and for different degrees of cross-linking. The relatively low value of the stretched exponent parameter, β = 0.4, is interpreted in terms of a molecular picture where entanglements contribute to relaxation at a wide spectrum of time scales.     

Radiation protection for accompanying person and radiation workers in PET/CT

The purposes of the present study are to measure the total radiation doses for the radiation workers and for the accompanying person to the patients in positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging. Urines samples from the patients were collected at 43, 62, 87, 117, 238, 362 min after the 555-MBq (18)flour-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) injection and activities were measured. Dose rates were recorded using a Geiger-Muller counter and the total radiation doses were measured with using an electronic personnel dosemeter. According to the results here, 18.4 % of (18)F-FDG was excreted in the urine in 117 min after injection. At 117th min after injection, dose rates were determined as 345, 220, 140, 50 and 15 μSv h(-1), at proposed distances. The radiation doses after 117 min were measured as 3.92 mSv at 0.1 m, 2.11 mSv at 0.25 m and 1.08 mSv at 0.5 m. In conclusion, radiation protection will be sufficient within 2 h after (18)F-FDG injection for PET/CT imaging in daily practice.     

INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATION BETWEEN CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND ASH FUSION TEMPERATURES FOR SOKE TURKISH LIGNITES

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the relationship between ash composition and ash fusion characteristic temperatures for some Turkish lignites. The lignite samples used are from different areas in Turkey. Regression analysis was used to relate the ash composition to the ash fusion behaviour. The results suggest that the chemical composition has a significant effect on the ash fusion temperatures. To consider Fe₂O₃ as an acidic ash constituent makes the realtionships between the selected ash composition parameters and ash fusion temperatures clearer.     

Effect of hardening models on different ductile fracture criteria in sheet metal forming

Prediction of the fracture is one of the challenging issues which gains attention in sheet metal forming as numerical analyses are being extensively used to simulate the process. To have better results in predicting the sheet metal fracture, appropriate ductile fracture criterion (DFC), yield criterion and hardening rule should be chosen. In this study, the effects of different hardening models namely isotropic, kinematic and combined hardening rules on the various uncoupled ductile fracture criteria are investigated using experimental and numerical methods. Five different ductile fracture criteria are implemented to a finite element code by the user subroutines. The criterion constants of DFCs are obtained by the related experimental tests. The in-plane principle strains obtained by the finite element analyses for different DFCs are compared with the experimental results. Also, the experimental results are used to evaluate the principle strain values calculated by the finite element analysis for different combinations of DFCs and hardening rules. It is shown that some DFCs give better predictions if the appropriate hardening model is employed.     

Electrochemical oxidation of textile dye indigo

Electrochemical methods are being used increasingly as an alternative treatment process for the remediation of textile wastewaters. This study focused mainly on the colour removal and chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction of vat textile dye (CI Vat Blue 1: indigo) from its aqueous solution by electrochemical oxidation. The process was carried out in a batch‐type divided electrolytic cell under constant potential using a Pt cage as anode and Pt foil as cathode. Operating variables such as supporting electrolyte, pH, ultrasonification and treatment time were investigated to probe their effects on the efficiency of the electrochemical treatment. Colour removal was estimated by monitoring the disappearance of the absorbance peak at 681.5 nm. It was found that in acidic conditions the electrolysis was more efficient. At pH 1, an NaCl concentration of 0.24 mol dm^?3, a dyeing solution concentration of 0.1% (w/v) and a period of 90 min of electrolysis, there was almost 100% colour removal and 60% reduction in COD. Voltammetric and IR investigations demonstrated that partial degradation of dye was achieved. The experimental results indicate that this electrochemical method could effectively be used as a pretreatment stage before conventional treatment. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

A robust polynomial-based control for stable processes with time delay

In this paper, the coefficient diagram method (CDM) is used to design a controller for stable processes with a time delay to achieve high performance. For this, first order plus time delay (FOPTD) and second order plus time delay (SOPTD) models are used. The explicit tuning formulae of the controller using the polynomial representation are presented based on closed-loop pole-allocation strategy according to the FOPTD and SOPTD plant models. The results are compared with other commonly available tuning methods. It is shown that the CDM control system is more successful in view of the stability, time response, disturbance rejection and robustness properties of the closed loop system.     

Photoinduced electron transfer-catalyzed processes of sulfoamino perylene diimide under concentrated sun light

A new water-soluble perylene diimide derivative, N,N′-bis(12-sulfoaminododecyl)-3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxdiimide (SULFAPER), has been synthesized and characterized by visible, fluorescence, IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR, mass, CV and time resolved measurements. Its photophysical properties in aqueous and organic solutions have been described. The singlet energy levels of the synthesized compound have been found to be 57.8 kcal/mol and 59.2 kcal/mol in aqueous and methanol solution, respectively. The LUMO energy level of SULFAPER has been determined by solid state cyclic voltammetry, and found to be −3.60 eV. SULFAPER undergoes two electron reduction process (−0.64 V and −0.42 V) versus ferrocene. SULFAPER has an energy band gap of 2.56 eV. The absorption maximum of the synthesized compound gives bathochromic shift of 12 nm in water with respect to its visible spectrum in methanol solution. The fluorescence quantum yields of the compound are low both in water and methanol solution because of the aggregation effect. Time-resolved fluorescence measurements have showed that the fluorescence decay times of the SULFAPER are τ₁ = 4.1 ns and τ₂ = 0.8 ns in water, and τ₁ = 4.0 ns and τ₂ = 2.5 ns in methanol solutions. The aqueous solution of SULFAPER is stable under UV–VIS irradiation, but a slight loss of fluorescence emission (25%) has been detected at a rate of k_p = 6.3 × 10⁻⁵ s⁻¹ in methanol solution, which might be the result of either the quenching of fluorescence emission by reactive oxygen species, or by enhanced aggregation effect. SULFAPER-sensitized photooxidations of (E)-cinnamic acid and methyl acrylate have been found to give selective photoproduct formations under concentrated sun light in organic phase. (E)-cinnamic acid has been seen to favor photochemical E–Z isomerization and methyl acrylate has been seen to favor the formation of methyl 2-oxopropanoate. The quantum yield of (E)-cinnamic acid (Φ_CA) under concentrated solar irradiation process has been calculated to be about 0.015, by the employment of an actinometry method developed by Erten and Icli.     

Desulfurization of southeastern Anatolian asphaltites by the Meyers method

Southeastern Anatolian asphaltites are notoriously high in sulfur and therefore not suitable for direct use in combustion without extensive cleaning. In order to remove sulfur from asphaltites collected from irnak and Hazro, the Meyers (Fe³⁻ salts) method was used. The effects of ferric concentration, coal particle size, temperature and time on the extraction efficiency were investigated and the experimental results are presented here. Most of the pyritic and sulfate sulfur was eliminated from the asphaltite samples.     

Preparation and physical/electrochemical characterization of Pt/poly(vinylferrocenium) electrocatalyst for methanol oxidation

Preparation and characterization of a platinum (Pt)-based catalyst using a redox polymer, poly(vinylferrocenium) (PVF⁺), as the support material was described. Pt was obtained from aqueous solution of K₂PtCl₄ in the complex form. Pt particles were reduced by chemical and electrochemical means. Chemical reduction was performed using aqueous hydrazine solution and electrochemical reduction was carried out in H₂SO₄ solution. The Pt/PVF⁺ catalyst system showed catalytic activity towards methanol oxidation. Cyclic voltammetry was used for the electrochemical characterization of the catalyst system. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and energy dispersive X-ray spectrum (EDS) of the catalyst system were also recorded. The system was tested in a single fuel cell configuration at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. The open circuit voltage (OCV) was 680 mV for the system and the maximum power density was 0.31 mW cm⁻² at a current density of 0.63 mA cm⁻². Catalytic activity of Pt/PVF⁺ system towards methanol oxidation was comparable with the related catalysts in the literature.     

Microbial fuel cell using anaerobic respiration as an anodic reaction and biomineralized manganese as a cathodic reactant

We have operated a microbial fuel cell in which glucose was oxidized by Klebsiella pneumoniae in the anodic compartment, and biomineralized manganese oxides, deposited by Leptothrix discophora, were electrochemically reduced in the cathodic compartment. In the anodic compartment, to facilitate the electron transfer from glucose to the graphite electrode, we added a redox mediator, 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone. We did not add any redox mediator to the cathodic compartment because the biomineralized manganese oxides were deposited on the surface of a graphite electrode and were reduced directly by electrons from the electrode. We have demonstrated that biomineralized manganese oxides are superiorto oxygen when used as cathodic reactants in microbial fuel cells. The current density delivered by using biomineralized manganese oxides as the cathodic reactant was almost 2 orders of magnitude higher than that delivered using oxygen. Several fuel cells were operated for 500 h, reaching anodic potentials of -441.5 +/- 31 mVscE and cathodic potentials of +384.5 +/- 64 mVscE. When the electrodes were connected by a 50 Ohms resistor, the fuel cell delivered the peak power density of 126.7 +/- 31.5 mW/m2.