Computational Fluid Dynamics Study on a Top-Blown Smelting Process with Lance Failure in an Isa Furnace

JOM - The Isa/Ausmelt smelting technology with a top submerged lance (TSL) has been extensively used in copper smelting processes. However, the TSL is extremely vulnerable to damage and failure...     

In-situ crystal growth and photoluminescence properties of YBO3: Tb3+ microstructures

Three-dimensional (3D) YBO₃:Tb³⁺ flower-like and dense flower-like hierarchitecture constituted of nanoflakes are solvothermally synthesized in the presence of polyborate precursors in the mixture of ethanol and water. The growth process of the YBO₃:Tb³⁺ flowers and dense flowers was explored based on the time-dependent experiment and the results showed that the growth mechanism follows an in situ growth rather than self-assembly process as reported previously. YBO₃:Tb³⁺ morphologies composed of nanoflakes are achieved by controlling the concentration of ethanol and dependence of photoluminescence on morphology was studied. Remarkable photoluminescence enhancement was observed for YBO₃:Tb³⁺ with flower-like morphology demonstrating the potential of the microstructure in future applications as a green phosphor. Such a synthetic method and growth mechanism may be applied to fabricate complex 3D architectures of other materials.     

Preparation and polymerization of isopimaric acid derivatives

Isopimaric acid is a typical rosin compound and can account for 30% of the total mass of slash pine rosin. The molecular structure of isopimaric acid derivatives features an unsaturated double bond at the C13 position, opening up the possibility of their industrial polymerization. In this study, isopimaric acid (95.4%), methyl isopimarate (99.5%), and allyl isopimarate (95.1%) were prepared as highly pure monomers. New experimental results are presented and mechanisms based on the investigation of free-radical polymerization under UV irradiation are proposed. New rosin monomers for potential value-added utilization of woody biomass are also identified. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47817.     

Global Exponential Stability of Hybrid Non-autonomous Neural Networks with Markovian Switching

Neural Processing Letters - This paper discusses the global exponential stability for a class of hybrid non-autonomous neural networks (HNNNs) with Markovian switching, which includes the factors...     

Structural,magnetic and magnetostrictive properties of Co1-xLixFe2O4 synthesized by cathode materials of spent Li-ion batteries

In this study, we investigated the effects of substituting Li⁺ for Co²⁺ at the B sites of the spinel lattice on the structural, magnetic and magnetostrictive properties of cobalt ferrites. The Li⁺ substituted cobalt ferrites, Co_1-xLi_xFe₂O₄, with x varying from 0 to 0.7 in 0.1 increments, were synthesized with a sol-gel auto-combustion method using the cathode materials of spent Li-ion batteries. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that all the Co_1-xLi_xFe₂O₄ nanopowders had a single-phase spinel structure and the lattice parameters decreased with increasing Li⁺ content, which can be proved by slight shifts towards higher diffraction angle values of the (311) peak. Field emission scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the fractured inner surface of the sintered cylindrical rods and the increased porosity resulted in a decreased magnetostriction. The oxidation states of Co and Fe in the cobalt ferrite samples were examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. High resolution transmission electron microscopy micrographs showed that most particles were roughly spherical and with sizes of 25–35?nm. Li⁺ substitution had a strong effect on the saturation magnetization and coercivity, which were characterized with a vibrating sample magnetometer. The Curie temperature was reduced due to the decrease in magnetic cations and the weakening of the exchange interactions. The magnetostrictive properties were influenced by the incorporation of Li⁺ at the B sites of the spinel structure and correlated with the changes in porosity, magnetocrystalline anisotropy and the cation distribution.     

Chromophore-Free Sealing and Repair of Soft Tissues Using Mid-Infrared Light-Activated Biosealants

Poor strength, infection, leakage, long procedure times, and inflammation limit the efficacy of common tissue sealing devices in surgeries and trauma. Light-activated sealing is attractive for tissue sealing and repair, and can be facilitated by the generation of local heat following absorption of nonionizing laser energy by chromophores. Here, the inherent ability of biomaterials is exploited to absorb nonionizing, mid-infrared (midIR) light in order to engender rapid photothermal sealing and repair of soft tissue wounds. In this approach, the biomaterial simultaneously acts as a photothermal convertor as well as a biosealant, which dispenses the need for exogeneous light-absorbing nanoparticles or dyes. Biomechanical recovery, mathematical modeling, histopathology analyses, tissue strain mapping using digital imaging correlation, and visualization of the biosealant-tissue interface using hyperspectral imaging indicate superior performance of midIR sealing in live mice compared to conventional sutures and glue. The midIR-biosealant approach demonstrates rapid sealing of soft tissues, improves cosmesis, lowers potential for scarring, obviates safety concerns because of the nonionizing light used, and allows adoption of a wide diversity of biomaterials. Taken together, the studies demonstrate a novel advance both in biomaterials for surgical sealing along with the use of nonionizing midIR light, with high potential for clinical translation.     

The origin of the modulated structure in Sr2CuO3+δ (δ = 0.4): [CuO2] in-plane oxygen vacancy or apical oxygen vacancy?

We propose the question of the modulated structures of copper oxide is caused by the [CuO₂] in-plane oxygen vacancy or apical oxygen vacancy. Sr₂CuO_3+δ single-crystal samples were prepared using high-temperature and high-pressure methods. The major phase of Sr₂CuO_3+δ (δ = 0.4) single-crystal system is found to be constituted by the 5 a modulated structure with the Fmmm space group, which originates from the [CuO₂] in-plane oxygen vacancy appearing in octahedral Cu-O. Besides, the presence of the [CuO₂] in-plane oxygen vacancy may obliterate the superconductivity of the system. Experimental results deduce that the oxygen vacancy may appear in the apical oxygen sites in high-temperature copper oxide superconductors.     

Process monitoring method based on correlation variable classification and vine copula

Chemical processes are becoming increasingly complicated, leading to an increase in process variables and more complex relationships among them. The vine copula has a significant advantage in portraying the dependence of high-dimensional variables. However, as the dimensions increase, the vine copula model incurs a high computational load; such pressure greatly reduces model efficiency. Relationships among variables in the industrial process are complex. Different variables may be strongly or weakly associated or even independent. This paper proposes a process monitoring method based on correlation variable classification and vine copula. The weighted correlation measure is first used to divide variables into a correlated subspace and weakly correlated subspace. Then, two vine structures, C-vine and D-vine, are applied to the correlated and weakly correlated subspaces, respectively. This method takes advantage of C-vine for correlated variables and the flexibility of D-vine for weakly correlated variables. Finally, comprehensive statistics are established based on different subspaces. Monitoring results of the numerical system and the Tennessee Eastman process demonstrate the effectiveness and validity of the proposed method.