Drying Rate Curves of Porous Solids in Steam and in Air under Low-Pressure Conditions

Drying of porous solids such as sintered glass beads, baked clay, and cemented glass balloons in both steam and air streams was investigated under low-pressure conditions. There was no significant difference between the normalized observed drying rate curves in air at low pressures of 0.71-1.19 kPa and those in steam at low pressures of 0.97-0.99 kPa. However, lower critical moisture contents and higher drying rates in superheated steam at subatmospheric pressures of 8.27-8.33 kPa were observed compared to those in steam at pressures in the range of 0.97-0.99 kPa. Moreover, two models were validated for the prediction of drying rate curves of sintered glass beads at subatmospheric and low pressures. The patterns of the drying rate curves, which depend on the drying medium and its pressure, were common to these materials.     

Water-filled single-wall carbon nanotubes as molecular nanovalves

It is known that at low temperature, water inside single-wall carbon nanotubes (water-SWNTs) undergoes a structural transition to form tube-like solid structures. The resulting ice NTs are hollow cylinders with diameters comparable to those of typical gas molecules. Hence, the gas-adsorption properties of ice- and water-SWNTs are of interest. Here, we carry out the first systematic investigation into the stability of water-SWNTs in various gas atmospheres below 0.1 MPa by means of electrical resistance, X-ray diffraction, NMR measurements and molecular dynamics calculations. It is found that the resistivity of water-SWNTs exhibits a significant increase in gas atmospheres below a critical temperature Tc, at which a particular type of atmospheric gas molecule enters the SWNTs in an on-off fashion. On the basis of this phenomenon, it is proposed that water-SWNTs can be used to fabricate a new type of molecular nanovalve.     

Microstructures and Thermoelectric Properties of Sintered Misfit-Layered Cobalt Oxide

Misfit-layered cobalt oxide Ca₃Co₄O₉ is considered to be a prospective material for thermoelectric conversion. The thermoelectric properties are anisotropic owing to its anisotropic crystal structure. The crystal has preferred thermoelectric properties along the a–b plane. Therefore, the thermoelectric properties are improved and controlled by the degree of orientation of the sintered sample. In the present work, Sr-doped misfit cobalt oxide Ca_2.7Sr_0.3Co₄O₉ was prepared by solid-phase reaction, followed by uniaxial compression molding and sintering at 1173 K. The Seebeck coefficient α, electrical resistivity ρ, and dimensionless figure of merit ZT were measured as a function of the compression pressure applied in the uniaxial molding. α, ρ, and ZT as functions of the degree of orientation and the relative density are experimentally clarified and explained by calculations using the compound model.     

A Novel Measurement Method for the Simultaneous Estimation of Specific Heat Capacity and Thermal Conductivity

A novel method is proposed for the simultaneous calculation of thermal conductivity κ and specific heat capacity C. The new method is a combination of two established techniques. One is the photopyroelectric method for thermal diffusivity α and the other is the front-heat front-detection photothermoreflectance method for thermal effusivity b. After α, b, and density ρ measurements, C and κ are easily calculated as C?=?b α ^?1/2 ρ ^?1 and κ =?α ^1/2 b. Test measurements on a commercial Si single-crystal wafer were performed to demonstrate that the method is sufficiently accurate.     

Carbon nanotube-dependent synthesis of armchair graphene nanoribbons

Sub-nanometer armchair graphene nanoribbons(GNRs)with moderate band gap have great potential towards novel nanodevices.GNRs can be synthesized in the confined t...     

Preparation of new heteronuclear (NH4)RE[FeII(CN)6]·nH2O complexes (RE = La,Ce, Pr,Nd, Sm,Gd, Dy,Y, Er,Lu) and their low-temperature decomposition for perovskite-type oxide

New heteronuclear (NH₄)RE^III[Fe^II(CN)₆]·nH₂O complexes (RE = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Dy, Y, Er, Lu) were synthesized and their thermal decomposition products were investigated. The crystal structure of (NH₄)RE[Fe^II(CN)₆]·nH₂O would be a hexagonal unit cell (space group: P6₃/m), which was the same as that of La[Fe^III(CN)₆]·5H₂O. The hydration number n = 4 was estimated by TG results for all the RE complexes. The lattice constants depended on the ionic radius of the RE³⁺ ion for the heteronuclear complexes. The single phase of the perovskite type materials was directly obtained by decomposition of the heteronuclear complexes for RE = La, Pr, Nd, Sm, and Gd. A mixture of CeO₂ and Fe₂O₃ was formed for RE = Ce because of its oxidation to Ce⁴⁺. In the case of RE = Dy, Y, Er, and Lu complexes, the perovskite type materials formed at higher temperature via. mixed oxides such as RE₂O₃ and RE₄Fe₅O₁₃ due to the small RE³⁺ ionic radius.     

Effects of carp and tuna oils on 5-fluorouracil-induced antitumor activity and side effects in sarcoma 180-bearing mice

In this study, we examined the effects of fish oils on 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-induced antitumor activity in mice. First, we examined the antitumor activity of the oral administration of two fish oils (carp oil and tuna oil) in sarcoma 180-bearing mice. Carp oil (0.2 and 0.4 mL/mouse) and tuna oil (0.2 and 0.4 mL/mouse) had no effects on tumor growth. Next, we examined the combined effects of 5-FU plus two fish oils (carp oil and tuna oil) on the antitumor activity and side effects compared to the effects of 5-FU alone (12.5 mg/kg/d). We found that carp oil (0.4 mL/mouse) or tuna oil (0.2 or 0.4 mL/mouse) enhanced the ability of 5-FU (12.5 mg/kg/d) to prevent tumor growth, without increasing side effects such as myelotoxicity and immunocompetent organ toxicity. Tuna oil (0.2 mL/mouse) slightly reduced body weight as compared to the effects of 5-FU alone and water alone (control). The area under the curve (AUC) (0–120 min) of blood 5-FU levels was reduced by the oral co-administration of 5-FU with carp oil or tuna oil. Apparent T _max was shortened by the oral co-administration of 5-FU with carp oil or tuna oil. On the other hand, AUC (0–4 h) of 5-FU incorporation into tumor RNA fraction was not affected by the oral co-administration of 5-FU with carp oil or tuna oil.     

Recent advances in high temperature catalytic combustion

Catalytic combustion of methane has been investigated for the application to gas turbines. As the combustion is operated at high temperatures and high space velocity, heterogeneous reaction and surface-initiated gas phase reaction proceed concurrently. Thermal resistance to maintain large surface area is, therefore, requested to attain high combustion efficiency above 1000°C. Hexaaluminate compounds were effective in maintaining large surface area. On the other hand, palladium catalysts were generally employed for the combustion of methane below 1000°C. The prototype catalyst combustors were successfully tested with their high combustion efficiency and low NO_x emission by using Pd based- and/or hexaaluminate catalysts.     

One-step phenol production from a water–toluene mixture using radio frequency in-liquid plasma

The objectives of this research were to understand the process of converting toluene into phenol in a one-step process directly from a water–toluene mixture using the plasma in-liquid method.Experiments were conducted using 27.12 MHz radio frequency(RF) in-liquid plasma to decompose a solution of 30% toluene. Based on the experimental results as evaluated using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry(GC–MS), along with additional analysis by the Gaussian calculation, density functional theory(DFT) hybrid exchange–correlational functional(B3LYP)and 6-311 G basis, the phenol generated from toluene was quantified including any by-products.In the experiment, it was found that OH radicals from water molecules produced using RF inliquid plasma play a significant role in the chemical reaction with toluene. The experimental results suggest that phenol can be directly produced from a water–toluene mixture. The maximum phenol yields were 0.0013% and 0.0038% for irradiation times of 30s and 60s,respectively, at 120 W.