Acetone transformation into methyl isobutyl ketone over Pt/HMFI catalysts. IV. Effect of density and strength of the acidic sites

Acetone transformation into methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) was studied using a fixed-bed dynamic reactor at 160°C, 1 atm pressure and acetone/H₂ molar ratio=3. The reaction was carried out over Pt/HMFI bifunctional catalysts, with 0.30 wt% of platinum which was supported over three aluminosilicates (Si/Al ratio=40, 95 and 160) and a borosilicate (Si/B ratio=44) with similar dispersion. The results show that catalytic properties depend greatly on density and strength of the acidic sites of the catalysts. Moreover, the limiting step of the MIBK synthesis reaction (aldolization of two acetone molecules) is carried out over the acidic sites of the aluminosilicates, but not over those of the borosilicate, which considerably affects reaction selectivity. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Enhancement of immune response in mice fed with Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus acidophilus

Swiss mice, fed for 8 consecutive d with 50 micrograms/d of viable cultures of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Streptococcus thermophilus, showed significant variation in their immune system. In order to study this phenomenon assays for macrophage and lymphocyte function were carried out. Both lactic acid bacteria enhanced significantly the enzymatic and phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages as checked against the controls and also accelerated the phagocytic function of the reticuloendothelial system as revealed by the carbon clearance test. On the 2nd d (100 micrograms), L. acidophilus reached a peak of K = .271, which remained high. Streptococcus thermophilus was effective only on the 2nd d and then decreased. The lymphocytic activity studied by immunoglobulin secreting cells was assayed by Jerne's method of plaque-forming cells (PFC). This activity also was increased by the two microorganisms. Streptococcus thermophilus proved more effective than L. acidophilus. Lactobacillus acidophilus and S. thermophilus activated macrophages and lymphocytes and produced the same increase in the immune response of mice whether administered orally or intraperitoneally.     

Biodegradable nanocomposites based on starch/polycaprolactone/compatibilizer ternary blends reinforced with natural and organo‐modified montmorillonite

In this article, biodegradable polymer/clay nanocomposites were prepared. The matrices used were based on blends of Polycaprolactone (PCL) and Anhydride‐Functional Polycaprolactone (PCL‐gMA) with Thermoplastic Starch (TPS). Nanocomposites films based on PCL/TPS and PCL/PCL‐g‐MA/TPS blends reinforced with 1 and 3 wt % of natural montmorillonite and two organo‐modified ones were prepared by melt intercalation followed by compression molding. The study was designed focusing on packaging applications. Grafting maleic anhydride onto PCL was efficient to improve PCL/TPS compatibility but did not modify matrix/nanoclay interaction. Matrix compatibilization and nanoclays increased the Youn?s modulus and slightly decreased the maximum stress of the TPS/PCL matrix. Nanoclay functionalization improved nanoclay dispersion in the blends but it was not reflected in mechanical properties improvements. The water adsorption of the compatibilized matrix was reduced after clay incorporation. A slight decrease in the biodegradation rate was observed with the addition of nanoclay. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 44163.     

Experimental Study of the Heat and Mass Transfer During Drying in a Fluidized Bed Dryer

ABSTRACT

Drying curves obtained in a pilot-scale fluidized bed dryer using biological source solids (sawdust, soya and fish meal) were used to estimate the parameters involved in heat and mass transfer phenomenas: heat transfer coefficient and moisture diffusivity coefficient. Parameters involved in mass transfer were estimated from drying models based on diffusional mechanisms and others that in addition consider internal and external resistance to the mass transfer. The estimate ef ective diffusivity coefficient was between 2x10-11 to lx10 (m2/s) for the considered products. Heat transfer coefficient was estimated from drying data points in the constant drying rate period when the external resistance to the mass transfer controls the process.     

An optimization method for learning statistical classifiers in structural reliability

Monte Carlo simulation is a general and robust method for structural reliability analysis, affected by the serious efficiency problem consisting in the need of computing the limit state function a very large number of times. In order to reduce this computational effort the use of several kinds of solver surrogates has been proposed in the recent past. Proposals include the Response Surface Method (RSM), Neural Networks (NN), Support Vector Machines (SVM) and several other methods developed in the burgeoning field of Statistical Learning (SL). Many of these techniques can be employed either for function approximation (regression approach) or for pattern recognition (classification approach). This paper concerns the use of these devices for discriminating samples into safe and failure classes using the classification approach, because it constitutes the core of Monte Carlo simulation as applied to reliability analysis as such. Due to the flexibility of most SL methods, a critical step in their use is the generation of the learning population, as it affects the generalization capacity of the surrogate. To this end it is first demonstrated that the optimal population from the information viewpoint lies around in the vicinity of the limit state function. Next, an optimization method assuring a small as well as highly informative learning population is proposed on this basis. It consists in generating a small initial quasi-random population using Sobol sequence for triggering a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) performed over an iteration-dependent cost function defined in terms of the limit state function. The method is evaluated using SVM classifiers, but it can be readily applied also to other statistical classification techniques because the distinctive feature of the SVM, i.e. the margin band, is not actively used in the algorithm. The results show that the method yields results for the probability of failure that are in very close agreement with Monte Carlo simulation performed on the original limit state function and requiring a small number of learning samples.     

Semi-discretization for stability analysis of in-feed cylindrical grinding with continuous workpiece speed variation

This paper presents the advances of semi-discretization approach for the dynamic stability analysis of in-feed cylindrical grinding process. The corresponding mathematical model is an autonomous delay-differential equation and the application of continuous workpiece speed variation (CWSV) in the process leads to a time-varying delay. Discretization techniques are a good way of dealing with differential equations for which the solution cannot be given in closed forms. Therefore, the semi-discretization method is proposed to analyze the equation. Stability maps are devised to study the influence of the CWSV application. Contrary to milling and turning processes, stability in grinding is very much influenced by the residual flexibility due to the deformation of the grinding wheel-workpiece system, so this term has been included in the approach. The validation has been carried out experimentally and good correlation between test and simulation results has been achieved.     

Experimental Study of a Dead-time Measurement Method Based on Time-interval Photon Statistics

Abstract

In this paper a dead-time measurement method consisting of measurement of the Fourier transform of the time-interval probability of a sinusoidal intensity is experimentally studied. It is found that dead time can be obtained with a small error for a wide variety of experimental conditions.     

Effect of decortication and protease treatment on the kinetics of liquefaction,saccharification, and ethanol production from sorghum

BACKGROUND: This study analyzes the effect of decortication and protease treatment on the kinetics of liquefaction, saccharification and ethanol production from sorghum kernels. In general, bioethanol yields from sorghum are lower than those from maize. This has been attributed to reduced access of starch‐degrading enzymes due to the crosslinked protein net in the sorghum kernels. RESULTS: Liquefaction is described as a zero order kinetics process, with reaction rates enhanced by protease treatment. The use of protease almost doubled the liquefaction rate in both whole and decorticated sorghum, compared with untreated kernels. During saccharification of decorticated sorghum, protease treatment significantly affected the glucose/starch yield and the glucose concentration profile over time. When compared with maize, protease treatment of decorticated sorghum resulted in superior ethanol production rates. Specific ethanol yields during fermentation were statistically comparable with those for maize. CONCLUSION: Protease treatment of decorticated sorghum kernels can impart substantial economic benefits in terms of improvement of bioethanol yield (13% over whole sorghum) and in reduced fermentation time (approximately 50% with respect to maize). Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Radial Lip Seal Analysis—Finite Element Solution for a Body of Revolution

To deal with the complex geometry of radial lip seals, in particular the metal-to-rubber boundary and multiple lips, the elasticity equations for a body of revolution are an important step to improve the accuracy of the predicted solution. A nonlinear strain displacement finite element solution of the elasticity equations for a body of revolution is presented here. Following Zienkiewia. (1), the equations are derived from the work equivalence principle generalized to nonlinear problems. Realistic levels of Poisson's ratio present no difficulty when a technique of reduced integration is used (2), The elastic law is Hooke's law with thermal expansion.

External forces can be volume forces or surface forces. Both are converted into consistent nodal forces. Boundary conditions can be any combination of forces or displacements on any given node. This paper presents the equations and the solution by the finite element method as well as an extensive verification of the program prediction for thermal shrinkage of the seal from mold to ambient temperature, showing remarkable agreement with experiments in a large number of cases. Comparison of the prediction of the program for radial load and axial movement of the lip against experiment are also given, as well as comparison with the results of the previous code for conical shells.