Co(II) Catalyzed Solvent Free Auto-Oxidation of Methylbenzenes to Substituted Benzoic Acids Under Phase Transfer Conditions

A novel methodology for the solvent free auto-oxidation of methylbenzenes under mild conditions is disclosed. The new scheme is based on a combination of metallic salt (cobalt chloride) and a quaternary ammonium phase transfer catalyst (didecyldimethylammonium bromide) which together form a complex soluble catalyst in the organic phase. Major reaction parameters are studied and optimized and the procedure is applied for the conversion of several substituted toluenes to the corresponding benzoic acids in excellent isolated yields.     

Mechanical properties relationships in V‐ and Ti‐microalloyed steels

Microalloyed steels are characterised by their mechanical properties. Nowadays, they are used in a wide range of applications. The convenience and simplicity of hardness tests permit to obtain economically and rapidly information on the structure of steels and control their treatments. This study has been carried out to derive equations for prediction of the mechanical properties of microalloyed steels by hardness measurement. With this objective, V‐ and Ti‐microalloyed plain carbon steel bars were melted, hot rolled, heat treated and machined for the measurement of their mechanical properties and to reach a correlation between both ultimate tensile strength, yield strength and uniform elongation and Vickers hardness. The obtained data were treated using different mathematical fittings. They are mathematically treated as groups according to the heat treatment processes and as one group. The derived equations show good agreement with each other and with most of the little relations found in the literature. General equations for deducing mechanical properties values from the easily measured Vickers hardness values were derived. The equations derived from one group without regarding the treatment processes are more reliable.     

ARO: A new model free optimization algorithm for real time applications inspired by the asexual reproduction

This paper presents a new individual based optimization algorithm, which is inspired from asexual reproduction known as a remarkable biological phenomenon, called as asexual reproduction optimization (ARO). ARO can be essentially considered as an evolutionary based algorithm that mathematically models the budding mechanism of asexual reproduction. In ARO, a parent produces a bud through a reproduction operator; thereafter the parent and its bud compete to survive according to a performance index obtained from the underlying objective function of the optimization problem; this leads to the fitter individual. ARO adaptive search ability along with its strength and weakness points are fully described in the paper. Furthermore, the ARO convergence to the global optimum is mathematically analyzed. To approve the effectiveness of the ARO performance, it is tested with several benchmark functions frequently used in the area of optimization. Finally, the ARO performance is statistically compared with that of an improved genetic algorithm (GA). Results of simulation illustrate that ARO remarkably outperforms GA.     

Physical,microstructure and leaching assessments for pavement road base containing mixed steel slag and cathode ray tube glass

Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy - Use of by-product materials, such as steel slag and cathode ray tube glass, as alternative recycled materials in the construction of roads, could...     

Synthesis and dielectric relaxation behavior of 55B2O3–15SiO2– 30Na2O: WO3 glass system

55 B₂O₃ – 15 SiO₂ – 30 Na₂O: x WO₃, (x ranging from 0 to 5 wt%) glass composites were prepared according to the melt-quenching procedure. The prepared samples were characterized via X-ray diffraction and broad band dielectric spectroscopy (viz., dielectric constant (ε₁), tanδ and AC conductivity (σ_AC) over a wide range of frequency and temperature). No sharp peaks were shown in the XRD pattern and is evidence of the amorphous nature of the samples. It turns out that the values of ε₁ and ε₂ are increasing at higher temperatures particularly at lower frequencies. The energy barrier height, W_M values decreased as 0.27, 0.25 and 0.22 while showed value of 0.29 eV for 5.0 wt% WO₃. In the dielectric modulus plots, two relaxation processes are found especially on the higher temperature side. It also shifted a higher frequency with increasing temperature. The values of exponent s have been found to lie between 0.48 and 0.74, which confirms that the conduction mechanism in the glass samples follows the correlated barrier hopping model. By calculating the activation energy associated with the relaxation processes and DC conductivity, it was found that the values are close, which indicates that the same charges contribute to the two processes.     

Effects of different nut oils on the structures and properties of gel-like emulsions induced by ultrasound using soy protein as an emulsifier

Gel-like emulsions were produced by high-intensity ultrasound (HIU) emulsification using soy protein as an emulsifier. Sunflower (a seed kernel oil), peanut (a groundnut oil), hazelnut, walnut, almond and pine nut oils were chosen as oil phases. The kinds of nut oil significantly affect the structures and properties of gel-like emulsions. The particle size of sunflower oil gel-like emulsion was smallest. Moreover, the macrorheological and microrheological results indicated that the values of apparent viscosity, storage modulus (G′) and elasticity index (EI) of sunflower and almond oil gel-like emulsions were higher while those of the walnut and pine nut oil gel-like emulsions were lower. Moreover, the sunflower oil gel-like emulsion was more stable after 2-month storage. The current study illustrated that HIU was of great importance for the production of high-viscosity gel-like emulsions. Furthermore, the differences of nut oils resulted in diverse physicochemical properties of gel-like emulsions.     

Participatory Irrigation Management and Transfer: Setting the Guiding Principles for a Sustaining Monitoring & Evaluation System – a Focus on the Mediterranean

A major shortcoming of Participatory Irrigation Management and Irrigation Management Transfer (PIM/IMT) is the absence of Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) systems that accompany these processes and become a major instrument to correct, improve and learn. Although at the global level some countries have exerted efforts to implement M&E systems, these still present limitations, as the review of the international experiences shows. The Mediterranean situation is even more dramatic since only Tunisia implements an M&E system, whereas Egypt has shyly moved in this direction with a limited practical application. This state of affairs led the authors to develop a set of guiding principles to develop an M&E system to be applied in countries where PIM/IMT is adopted. This paper revises the main international efforts devoted to assess the performance of PIM/IMT and the state of the art of these processes in Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Countries. Moreover, it sets the framework and analyses the main sustaining factors for the development of a new M&E system for these countries.     

Experimental and numerical crashworthiness investigation of empty and foam-filled end-capped conical tubes

Foam-filled thin-wall structures exhibit significant advantages in light weight and high energy absorption. They have been widely applied in automotive, aerospace, transportation and defense industries. Quasi-static tests were done to investigate the crash behavior of the empty and polyurethane foam-filled end-capped conical tubes. Non-linear dynamic finite element analyses were carried out to simulate the quasi-static tests. The predicted numerical crushing force and fold pattern were found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. The energy absorption capacities of the filled tubes were compared with the empty end-capped conical tubes. The results showed that the energy absorption capability of foam-filled tube is somewhat higher than that of the combined effect of the empty tube and the foam alone. Finally, the crash performance of the empty and foam filled conical and cylindrical tubes were compared. Results from this study can assist aerospace industry to design sounding rocket carrier payload based on foam-filled conical tubes.     

Performance of straw bale wall: A case of study

This research aimed to evaluate a straw bale house located in Bavaria, Germany. An extensive test program was carried out. The experimental work includes compression tests, moisture content, thermal stability of bales and pH. The in situ work includes temperature and relative humidity inside the straw bale wall. The stress-strain behavior of straw bales was investigated including nonlinearity and anisotropy. Thermal stability of bales under constant temperature and relative humidity was studied considering time dependence. The moisture content of straw bale was about 11%, while pH value inside the bale was about 7.29. Moreover, the temperature and the relative humidity between the interior (inside straw bale wall) and the exterior were investigated.     

Using lithium nitrate and pozzolanic glass powder in concrete as ASR suppressors

This investigation studies the influence of two different mineral admixtures, lithium nitrate (Li) and pozzolanic glass powder (PGP) on the expansion induced by alkali-silica reaction (ASR). Four numbers of concrete prisms were produced for each concrete mix to measure the expansion resulted from the ASR according to the test method of the BS 812-123:1999. Chemical analysis was performed using X-ray spectra. Test results confirmed that Li and PGP have significantly reduced the ASR expansion. Lower calcium to silica ratio (Ca/Si) was found in concrete mix contains (PGP) because of the high amorphous reactive silica and low calcium content in PGP compared to ordinary Portland cement CEM1. Similar components and minerals phases were obtained in different concrete mixes by using XRD.