Oxidative degradation of polyamide reverse osmosis membranes: Studies of molecular model compounds and selected membranes

Selected aromatic amides were used to model the chemical reactivity of aromatic polyamides found in thin‐film composite reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. Chlorination and possible amide bond cleavage of aromatic amides upon exposure to aqueous chlorine, which can lead to membrane failure, were investigated. Correlations are made of the available chlorine concentration, pH, and exposure time with chemical changes in the model compounds. From the observed reactivity trends, insights are obtained into the mechanism of RO membrane performance loss upon chlorine exposure. Two chemical pathways for degradation are shown, one at constant pH and another that is pH‐history dependent. An alternative strategy is presented for the design of chlorine‐resistant RO membranes, and an initial performance study of RO membranes incorporating this strategy is reported. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 1173–1184, 2003     

AIRS/Vis near IR instrument

A component of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument system is the AIRS/Visible Near InfraRed (Vis/NIR) instrument. With a nadir ground resolution of 2.28 km and four channels, the Vis/NIR instrument provides diagnostic support to the infrared retrievals from the AIRS instrument and several research products, including surface solar flux studies. The AIRS Vis/NIR is composed of three narrowband (channel 1: 0.40-0.44 /spl mu/m; channel 2: 0.58-0.68 /spl mu/m, and channel 3: 0.71-0.92 /spl mu/m) and one broadband (channel 4: 0.49-0.94 /spl mu/m) channel, each a linear detector array of nine pixels. It is calibrated onboard with three tungsten lamps. Vicarious calibrations using ground targets of known reflectance and a cross-calibration with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) augment the onboard calibration. One of AIRS Vis/NIR's principal supporting functions is the detection of low clouds to flag these conditions for atmospheric temperature retrievals. Once clouds are detected, a cloud height index is obtained based on the ratio (channel 2 - channel 3)/channel 1 that is sensitive to the partitioning of water vapor absorption above and below clouds. The determination of the surface solar radiation flux is principally based on channel 4 broadband measurements and the well-established relationship between top-of-the atmosphere (broadband) radiance and the surface irradiance.     

Synthesis of amphiphilic magnetic microspheres by dispersion copolymerization of styrene and poly(ethylene oxide) macromonomer

Amphiphilic magnetic microspheres ranging in diameter from 5 to 100 µm were prepared by dispersion copolymerization of styrene and poly(ethylene oxide) vinylbenzyl (PEO‐VB) macromonomer (MPEO) in the presence of Fe₃O₄ magnetic fluid. The effects of various polymerization parameters on the average particle size were systematically investigated. The average particle size was found to increase with increasing styrene concentration and initiator concentration. It also increased with decreasing stabilizer concentration and molecular weight of MPEO. The content of the hydroxyl groups localized in the microspheres ranged from 0.01 to 0.2 mmol g^?1. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Results from the ORPHEUS dark matter detector

The ORPHEUS dark matter detector consists of 450 g superconducting tin granules with diameters of 28 and 36 μm. The detector has been operating in the shallow site of the underground laboratory in Bern (70 m.w.e). First preliminary results on WIMP detection sensitivity will be presented.     

Assessing stem cell research productivity

Honour Index (HoI), a method to evaluate research performance within different research fields, was derived from the impact factor (IF). It can be used to rate and compare different categories of journals. HoI was used in this study to determine the scientific productivity of stem cell research in the Asian Four Dragons (Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan) from 1981 to 2001. The methodology applied in this study represents a synthesis of universal indicator studies and bibliometric analyses of subfields at the micro-level. We discuss several comparisons, and conclude the developmental trend in stem cell research for two decades. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Micro-prober for wafer-level low-noise measurements in MOS devices

Low-frequency noise measurements represent an interesting investigation technique for the characterization of the quality and reliability of microelectronic materials and devices. Performing meaningful noise measurements at low and very low (f<1 Hz) frequencies, however, may be quite challenging, particularly because of the many sources of interference that superimpose on the noise signal. For this reason, packaged samples are preferred because they allow accurate shielding from the external environment, and because keeping the sample in close proximity to the low-noise biasing system and amplifier reduces microphonic and electromagnetic disturbances. Notwithstanding this, the possibility of performing low-frequency noise measurements at wafer level would be quite interesting, both because of the ease of obtaining wafer-level samples from industries with respect to packaged samples, and because this would avoid possible packaging-process induced device degradation. The purpose of this work is to demonstrate that it is, in fact, possible to design and build a dedicated probe system for performing high-sensitivity, low-frequency noise measurements on metal-oxide-semiconductor devices at wafer level.     

Experimental and numerical assessment of gate-lag phenomena in AlGaAs-GaAs heterostructure field-effect transistors (FETs)

Gate-lag effects are characterized in AlGaAs-GaAs heterostructure field-effect transistors (HFETs) by means of measurements and numerical device simulations. Gate lag increasingly affects device switching at increasing ungated recess extension, suggesting that responsible deep levels be located at the ungated, recess surface of the HFET. Gate lag diminishes by making the off-state gate-source voltage less negative and by increasing the drain bias. Increasing the temperature makes the turn-on transient faster at low drain bias, while slightly delaying it at high drain bias. Numerical device simulations accounting for acceptor-like traps at the ungated surface predict gate-lag phenomena in good agreement with experiments, reproducing correctly the observed bias and temperature dependences. Simulations show that surface states behave, during the turn-on transient, as hole traps capturing holes attracted at the ungated surface by the negative trapped charge.     

Na+、K+离子交换对Co-Mo/MCM-41加氢脱硫催化剂的影响

 用偏硅酸钠和正硅酸乙酯作硅源制备了MCM-41（分别记作MCM-41(S)和MCM-41(T)）分子筛，并用Na₂C₂O₄和K₂C₂O₄对MCM-41(S)进行了碱金属离子交换改性。以质量分数0.8 %的二苯并噻吩（DBT）的十氢萘溶液为模型化合物，考察了不同MCM-41担载的Co-Mo硫化物催化剂对DBT的加氢脱硫反应性能。结果表明，MCM-41担载的Co-Mo催化剂加氢活性较低，DBT主要通过直接脱硫反应路径脱硫。其活性顺序为：Co-Mo/MCM-41(T)>Co-Mo/MCM-41(S)>Co-Mo/MCM-41(K)>Co-Mo/MCM-41(Na)。UV-Vis结果表明，部分Co与MCM-41(S)中少量Al发生相互作用，生成了CoAl₂O₄，是造成Co-Mo/MCM-41(S)活性降低的重要因素。而在Co-Mo/MCM-41(K)和Co-Mo/MCM-41(Na)中，除CoAl₂O₄物种之外，碱金属的引入还促进了Co₃O₄物种的形成，使其活性进一步降低。     

光纤光栅感温火灾探测报警系统在原油罐区的应用

通过对现有罐区火灾自动报警技术的认真考察、对比,在石西集中处理站原油罐区安装了光纤光栅感温火灾探测报警系统.该报警系统的传感信号是光的波长变化,传感器及其探测系统是靠光缆连接而进入被测现场,它具有高安全性、高可靠性、高绝缘性、高抗电磁干扰性、防潮耐蚀、寿命长等其他传统火灾探测报警系统无法比拟的优越性能.阐述了其系统构成和运行效果.该系统在石西集中处理站运用效果良好.