A precise resonance frequency measurement method based on ISO‐standardized setups for contactless chip cards

A method for measuring the resonance frequency of contactless chip cards is proposed in this article. Compared to the vector network analyzer (VNA) based state‐of‐the‐art method, the method gives a more accurate definition of resonance frequency, removes the subjectivity associated with the state‐of‐the‐art method, and makes the measurement integrable into ISO‐standardized test setups. Signal processing and system modeling are applied in order to determine the maximum active power in the chip card over a chosen frequency range. This is achieved by using a transfer function obtained from the model and by setting a chirp signal as input to the system. The determined maximum of active power is mapped to the corresponding frequency in the chirp signal, which is defined as the resonance frequency. The proposed method is verified by simulations and by comparing measurement results with the state‐of‐the‐art. The results show that the proposed method offers significant advantages over the state‐of‐the‐art method.     

A rotating disk study of gold dissolution by bromine

Gold dissolution with bromine was studied using the rotating disk technique with Geobrom? 3400 as a source of bromine. The parameters studied were speed of rotation, lixiviant concentration, pH, temperature, sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid concentrations, and the concentrations of various cations (i.e., copper, iron, zinc, aluminum, manganese, potassium, and sodium) and anions (i.e., chloride, bromide, sulfate, nitrate, and iodide). According to the Lavich plot and activation energy, gold dissolution is controlled by a chemical reaction rate. Copper, iron, and manganese in their highest oxidation states, as well as aluminum, zinc, sodium, and potassium, have no effect on the rate of gold dissolution. The presence of manganous ion substantially decreases the gold dissolution rate. The kinetic performance of bromine was found to be dramatically better than the performance of cyanide and thiourea.     

Stress-induced leakage currents in thin silicon dioxide films

High-field stress applied to thin oxide films leads to an increase of dielectric leakage in low-field conditions. In this paper, the dependencies of the high-field-induced leakage on stress polarity/time and stress/measurement sequences are analyzed. Generation of neutral electron traps during the stress is confirmed to be the main cause of the low-field leakage enhancement.     

Electrochemistry ofthiobacillus ferrooxidans interactions with pyrite

A cyclic voltammetry technique was used to study the interactions of mineral-pyrite during bioleaching with the bacteriumThiobacillus (T.) ferrooxidans over its entire growth cycle. Invariably, the pyrite surface drastically changed its properties on the second day of bacterial rowth (bioleaching). After 2 days, the cyclic voltammograms (CVs) were insensitive to convective diffusion produced by stirring. The product layer was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction, and chemical analysis. The SEM study revealed an extremely high density of bacteria on the pyrite surface. The high density of bacteria, along with the solid reaction products formed on the pyrite surface, created conditions for crack/pore diffusion, explaining why the CVs became insensitive to convective diffusion (stirring) in solution. X-ray diffraction study confirmed jarosite as a product layer. A mechanism is proposed by whichT. ferrooxidans cells serve as nucleation sites for jarosite formation. Formerly Graduate Student, College of Mines and Earth Resources, University of Idaho.     

Dissolution of bornite in sulfuric acid using oxygen as oxidant

Leaching of natural bornite in a sulfuric acid solution with oxygen as oxidant was investigated using the parameters: temperature, particle size, initial concentration of ferrous, ferric and cupric ions, and using microscopic, X-ray and electronprobe microanalysis to characterize the reaction products. Additionally, stirring rate, pH and P_O2 were varied. Dissolution curves for percent copper extracted as a function of time were sigmoidal in shape with three distinct periods of reaction: induction, autocatalytic and post-autocatalytic which levelled off at 28% dissolution of copper. The length of the induction period was not reproducible, causing the dissolution curves to be shifted with respect to time. The dissolution curves in the autocatalytic and post-autocatalytic regions were reproducible, and this property was utilized to treat much of the kinetic data. The iron dissolution curves had four dissolution regions. An initial small but rapid release of iron to solution preceded the three periods just given for copper dissolution. Aside from this initial iron release, the iron and copper dissolution curves were almost identical.Stirring rate had no effect on dissolution of copper above 400 min^?1 nor did oxygen flow rate in the range 20–40 cm³/min. Dissolution rate was slightly dependent on oxygen partial pressure for P_O2 < 0.67. Hydrogen ion concentration had no effect except that sufficient acid was required to prevent hydrolysis and precipitation of iron salts.The dissolution rate was directly dependent on the reciprocal of particle diameter indicating possible surface chemical reaction control, but the activation energy of 35.9 kJ/mol (8.58 kcal/mol) for the autocatalytic region of copper dissolution is slightly too small for that, though not unreasonable. Initial addition of Fe²⁺ had a rather complex effect and markedly enhanced dissolution of copper, as also did initial addition of Fe³⁺. Microscopic analysis showed nuclei of two new phases, covellite and Cu₃FeS₄, in the induction region. The new phases grow rapidly in the autocatalytic stage, which is controlled by nuclei formation and chemical reaction. The post-autocatalytic region is characterized by complete transformation of bornite into covellite on the particle surfaces and Cu₃FeS₄ as an internal product with an X-ray spectrum very similar to that of chalcopyrite. The post-autocatalytic region is controlled by autocatalytic growth of newly formed phases. Further reaction beyond the autocatalytic region (percent copper dissolution > 28%) occurs so slowly with oxygen as oxidant that it was not studied.The rate of copper dissolution appears to be controlled by the rate of iron dissolution. Using that and the other experimental evidence a mechanism for reaction is proposed in which iron-deficient bornite, Cu₅Fe_?S₄, is formed on the surface by initial preferential iron dissolution. Labile Cu⁺ diffuses into this from Cu₅Fe_?SO₄ and unreacted bornite to produce CuS on the surface. Depletion of labile Cu⁺ ions from Cu₅FeS₄ produces Cu₃FeS₄ in the interior of the mineral particles.     

Dynamic MAGFET model for sensor simulations

A new model for a magnetic-sensitive split-drain MOSFET (MAGFET) consisting of only two n-channel MOS transistors (NMOSTs) in the equivalent sub-circuit is described. The model developed is based on the non-quasi-static MOST model of a conventional NMOST, modified to include the effects of the Lorentz force. On the basis of the results of three-dimensional numerical device simulations, it is shown that the new model can accurately predict the absolute and the relative MAGFET sensitivity for a wide range of the device biasing conditions. Unlike previous models, the new MAGFET model can also predict device dynamic response to time-varying magnetic fields more realistically.     

Sewer Discharge Estimation by Stereoscopic Imaging and Synchronized Frame Processing

A system for fully automatic contact‐less image‐based measurement of volumetric flow rate in urban drainage structures is presented. The hardware includes two original equipment manufacturer cameras and a single‐board computer on which our custom image processing software is running. The value of water discharge depends on the surface velocity, water level and channel's geometry. The level of the flow is estimated as the difference between distances from the camera to the water surface and from the camera to the channel's bottom. Camera‐to‐water distance is recovered automatically using large‐scale stereo‐matching, whereas the distance to the channel's bottom is measured upon installation. Surface velocity is calculated using cross‐correlation template matching: individual natural particles in the flow are detected and tracked throughout the sequence of images recorded over a fixed time interval. The relative discharge computation error is lower than 1.34% of the theoretical maximal discharge for a given location, which makes our system competitive to commercial components such as ultrasonic flow meters, while using cheaper technologies.     

Profile and Functional Properties of Seed Proteins from Six Pea (Pisum sativum) Genotypes

Extractability, extractable protein compositions, technological-functional properties of pea (Pisum sativum) proteins from six genotypes grown in Serbia were investigated. Also, the relationship between these characteristics was presented. Investigated genotypes showed significant differences in storage protein content, composition and extractability. The ratio of vicilin:legumin concentrations, as well as the ratio of vicilin + convicilin: Legumin concentrations were positively correlated with extractability. Our data suggest that the higher level of vicilin and/or a lower level of legumin have a positive influence on protein extractability. The emulsion activity index (EAI) was strongly and positively correlated with the solubility, while no significant correlation was found between emulsion stability (ESI) and solubility, nor between foaming properties and solubility. No association was evident between ESI and EAI. A moderate positive correlation between emulsion stability and foam capacity was observed. Proteins from the investigated genotypes expressed significantly different emulsifying properties and foam capacity at different pH values, whereas low foam stability was detected. It appears that genotype has considerable influence on content, composition and technological-functional properties of pea bean proteins. This fact can be very useful for food scientists in efforts to improve the quality of peas and pea protein products.     

Leaching of bornite in acidified ferric chloride solutions

In an acidified ferric chloride solution, bornite leaches in two stages of reaction with the first being relatively much more rapid than the second; the first terminates at 28 pct copper dissolution. The first-stage dissolution reaction is electrochemical and is mixed kinetics-controlled; ferric-ion transfer through the solution boundary layer and reduction on the surface to release Cu²⁺ into solution are both important in controlling the rate. The concentration of labile Cu⁺ in the bornite lattice governs the potential of the surface reaction, and, once Cu⁺ is depleted from the original bornite, stage-I reaction ceases. The solid reaction intermediate formed is Cu₃FeS₄. Minute subcrystallites formed at the latter part of stage I leach topochemically in stage II. This reaction which commences at 28 pct Cu dissolution is characterized by a change in mechanism at about 40 pct copper dissolution, though the overall chemical equation for reaction is unchanged in stage II; cupric and ferrous ions and sulfur as a solid residue are products of reaction. The region 28 to about 40 pct Cu dissolution is designated as a transition period to stage-II reaction. Reaction rate in this period is interpreted as being controlled by reduction of Fe³⁺ on active product sulfur surface sites, and hence the reaction rate is controlled by the rate of nucleation and growth of sulfur on the Cu₃FeS₄ intermediate surfaces. Strain in the Cu₃FeS₄ crystal lattice is released during this period by diffusion from the lattice of Cu⁺ remaining from the labile copper initially present in the bornite. After about 40 pct Cu dissolution the rate of reaction is controlled by diffusion through the fully formed sulfur layer in an equiaxial geometrically controlled reaction.     

Recovering Gallium with Kelex 100

Kelex 100 offers a high selectivity for the solvent extraction of gallium from sodium aluminate solutions. However, the kinetics of extraction is very slow and is a function of the sodium and aluminum concentrations in the aqueous phase. Aluminum has a negative effect on the solvent extraction of gallium, while sodium has a positive effect up to a certain concentration. Modifiers and diluents also affect gallium extraction, with ketones performing much better than alcohols. Solvent extraction from two industrial solutions was also examined.