A rapid method for interfacial tension calculation between rock plug and crude oil based on contact angles,application for EOR

Interfacial tension and contact angle are two specific important parameters to take decisions for enhanced oil recovery, for instance, proper chemicals to use for surface tension reduction, expected wettability of solids, interaction between crude oil and rock. For this purpose, the article presents a method for easy calculation of the solid-liquid interfacial tension based on contact angle measurements applying Neumann's correlation and Young's equation. The main idea stands on the calculation of the rock parameters, like wettability, with known substances and extend these results to crude oils. It was possible, based on the results obtained, to establish a relationship between solid-liquid interfacial tension and contact angle for the crude oil – rock system, which can definitively be used for the calculation of interfacial tension of any other fluid spread out on the same kind of rock. A linear regression was obtained with an accuracy as good as R² = 0.9989. Viscosity as a function of contact angle could also be obtained for the studied crude oils in the same kind of rock.     

Hole boil-off and the magnetoresitance of the semimagnetic semiconductor Hg1−x MnxTe1−y Sey

Galvanomagnetic effects were investigated in gapless and narrow-gap semiconductors of the form Hg_1−x Mn_xTe_1−y Se_y with x=0.03–0.11, y=0.01–0.10 (−150<ɛ _g <190)meV and acceptor concentration 5.4×10¹⁶<N _A <4.3×10¹⁸ cm⁻³. In magnetic fields H=5–50 kOe and at T=1.3–4.2 K, the observed hole concentration p=1/eR was found to increase by a substantial factor (of up to 500). This was accompanied by a fall in the longitudinal (ρ _zz ) and transverse (ρ _xx ) magnetoresistivities. The hole “boil-off” is assumed to be a consequence of the existence at H=0 of a bound magnetic polaron and the delocalization of carriers when these states are destroyed by the external magnetic field. The anomalous ratio of longitudinal-to-transverse resistivities (ρ _zz >ρ _xx ), observed at liquid-helium temperatures and in magnetic fields H>10 kOe, is explained in terms of the properties of the energy spectrum of the valence band of semimagnetic semiconductors in quantizing magnetic fields. Fiz. Tekh. Poluprovodn. 31, 1198–1205 (October 1997)     

Evidence of Oxygen Ferromagnetism in ZnO Based Materials

Discoveries of room‐temperature ferromagnetism (RTFM) in semiconductors hold great promise in future spintronics technologies. Unfortunately, this ferromagnetism remains poorly understood and the debate concerning the nature, carrier‐mediated versus defect‐mediated, of this ferromagnetism in semiconducting oxides is still open. Here, by using X‐ray absorption (XAS) and X‐ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), it is demonstrated that the oxygen ions have a ferromagnetic response in different ZnO‐based compounds showing RTFM behavior: ZnO nanoparticles capped with organic molecules and ZnO/ZnS heterostructures. These results demonstrate the intrinsic occurrence of RTFM in these systems, and point out that it is not related to the metallic cation but it relays on the conduction band of the semiconductor.     

Combined ICA and FCA Schemes for a Hierarchical Network

A combined idle channel assignment (ICA) and fixed channel assignment (FCA) scheme is proposed to improve the traffic performance in a hierarchical network. This dual-mode network integrates the Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD) modes of the Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) and Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA) in a given cell. This approach includes a high traffic load area and a blocked area as an example to evaluate the traffic performance. The ICA threshold and network timeout period effects on the traffic performance of this integrated dual-mode network are also investigated. The analytical results show that the handoff failure probabilities of the integrated dual-mode network can be reduced significantly with a minimal increase in the new call blocking probability when the combined ICA and FCA scheme replaces the FCA scheme. The integrated dual-mode network using the combined ICA and FCA scheme also increases the carried traffic. The traffic performance improvements for non-uniformly generated new calls are more significant than those for uniformly generated new calls when the combined ICA and FCA scheme is used. An increase in the high ICA threshold will result in an increase in the total carried traffic and an increase in the new call blocking and handoff failure probabilities for higher-tiered and low-tiered systems located in the high traffic load area. The traffic performance was evaluated using the discrete time simulation method to validate the analysis results.     

Study of the glucide fraction in ropy wines

Gas chromatography was used to study the polysaccharides present in samples that exhibited significant microbially induced viscosity values. Alterations in the media considered were related to the percentage glucose content and the total polysaccharide content.     

Proton Transport in Electrospun Hybrid Organic–Inorganic Membranes: An Illuminating Paradox

Chemistry and processing have to be judiciously combined to structure the membranes at various length scales to achieve efficient properties for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell to make it competitive for transport. Characterizing the proton transport at various length and space scales and understanding the interplays between the nanostructuration, the confinement effect, the interactions, and connectivity are consequently needed. The goal here is to study the proton transport in multiscale, electrospun hybrid membranes (EHMs) at length scales ranging from molecular to macroscopic by using complementary techniques, i.e., electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, pulsed field gradient‐NMR spectroscopy, and quasielastic neutron scattering. Highly conductive hybrid membranes (EHMs) are produced and their performances are rationalized taken into account the balances existing between local interaction driven mobility and large‐scale connectivity effects. It is found that the water diffusion coefficient can be locally decreased (2 × 10^?6 cm² s^?1) due to weak interactions with the silica network, but the macroscopic diffusion coefficient is still high (9.6 × 10^?6 cm² s^?1). These results highlight that EHMs have slow dynamics at the local scale without being detrimental for long‐range proton transport. This is possible through the nanostructuration of the membranes, controlled via processing and chemistry.     

Influence of carcass weight on instrumental and sensory lamb meat quality in intensive production systems

The effects of cooking viz. pressure-cooking and broiling and storage at 4 °C for six days and -10 °C for 90 days on lipid oxidation and development of cholesterol oxidation products in mutton were studied. Results revealed that cooking of meat significantly increased the total lipids, phospholipids, cholesterol, glycolipids, free fatty acids and glycerides, but they did not change during refrigerated and frozen storage. The TBA values increased on cooking and during storage. However, the values were below the threshold level for rancidity development. The following cholesterol oxidation products were separated by thin layer chromatography cholestanetriol, 7-α-hydroxy cholesterol, 19-hydroxycholesterol, 7-ketocholesterol, cholesterol-α-epoxide, cholesterol-β-epoxide and an unidentified fraction. All these fractions except the unidentified fraction increased on cooking. On refrigerated and even on frozen storage all these fractions increased except the unidentified fraction, which showed a concomitant reduction. The changes in broiled meat were more pronounced compared to pressure-cooked meat. Results clearly indicated that even frozen storage of cooked meat did not prevent the development of cholesterol oxidation products.     

Effect of autoclaving on dietary fibre content of beetroot (Beta vulgaris). Evaluation by different methods

Modifications of dietary fibre in beetroot during autoclaving have been evaluated by different methods: acid detergent (raw=1.45%; processed=1.17%) and neutral detergent (raw=2.30%; processed=2.00%), the enzymatic-gravimetric method of Asp (raw=3.35%; processed=3.34%), HPLC (raw=1.42%; processed=1.60%) and 3,5-dimethylphenol (raw=0.36; processed=0.28%). The correlation between different methodologies was studied. Autoclaving was carried out at 121°C under pressure for 15 min. Variance analysis indicated that quantitative variations originating in the thermic treatment were not statistically significant (P>0.05).     

Two-dimensional profiles of fumonisin B1 production by Fusarium moniliforme and Fusarium proliferatum in relation to environmental factors and potential for modelling toxin formation in maize grain

This study has examined in detail the effect of temperature (7-37 degrees C) and water availability (water activity, a(w), 0.89-0.97) on fumonisin B1 (FB1) production by an isolate of Fusarium moniliforme and F. proliferatum on irradiated maize grain after incubation for 28 days. The optimum conditions for F. moniliforme and F. proliferatum were 30 degrees C at 0.97 a(w) and 15 degrees C at 0.97 a(w), respectively. The maximum concentrations were 2861 mg kg(-1) and 17,628 mg kg(-1) dry wt. maize grain, respectively. At marginal a(w)/temperature conditions for growth (e.g. 0.89-0.91 a(w)) no FB1 was detected (<0.1 mg kg(-1)). A high variability was found between replicates for F. moniliforme, but not for F. proliferatum. These data were used to construct two-dimensional diagrams of all the a(w) x temperature conditions favourable for FB1 production for the first time. The data were also subjected to a polynomical regression, which demonstrated that there was a very good fit for the 15-30 degrees C range of temperature and at 0.97 a(w). However, at marginal environmental conditions this was not possible. This suggests that it may be possible to predict within a limited environmental range the potential for significant FB1 production.     

Osteoconductive Performance of Carbon Nanotube Scaffolds Homogeneously Mineralized by Flow‐Through Electrodeposition

The treatment of bone lesions, including fractures, tumor resection and osteoporosis, is a common clinical practice where bone healing and repair are pursued. It is widely accepted that calcium phosphate‐based materials improve integration of biomaterials with surrounding bone tissue and further serve as a template for proper function of bone‐forming cells. Within this context, mineralization on preformed substrates appears as an interesting and successful alternative for mineral surface functionalization. However, mineralization of “true” 3D scaffolds –in which the magnitude of the third dimension is within the same scale as the other two– is by no means a trivial issue because of the difficulty to obtain a homogeneous mineral layer deposited on the entire internal surface of the scaffold. Herein, a “flow‐through” electrodeposition process is applied for mineralization of 3D scaffolds composed of multiwall carbon nanotubes and chitosan. It is demonstrated that, irrespective of the experimental conditions used for electrodeposition (e.g., time, temperature and voltages), the continuous feed of salts provided by the use of a flow‐through configuration is the main issue if one desires to coat the entire internal structure of 3D scaffolds with a homogeneous mineral layer. Finally, mineralized scaffolds not only showed a remarkable biocompatibility when tested with human osteoblast cells, but also enhanced osteoblast terminal differentiation (as early as 7 days in calcifying media).