Suitability,efficiency and microbiological safety of novel physical technologies for the processing of ready‐to‐eat meals,meats and pumpable products

Consumer studies and market reports show an increase in consumption of ready‐to‐eat (RTE) foods. Although conventional processing technologies can in most cases produce safe products, they can also lead to the degradation of nutritional compounds and negatively affect quality characteristics. Consumers strongly prefer food that is minimally processed with the maximum amount of health‐promoting substances. Novel processing technologies as pre‐ or post‐treatment decontamination methods or as substitutes of conventional technologies have the potential to produce foods that are safe, rich in nutrient content and with superior organoleptic properties. Combining novel with conventional processes can eliminate potential drawbacks of novel technologies. This review examines available scientific information and critically evaluates the suitability and efficiency of various novel thermal and nonthermal technologies in terms of microbial safety, quality as well as nutrient content on the production of RTE meals, meats and pumpable products.     

Study of Compatibilized Liquid Crystalline Polymer/Cyclic Olefin Copolymer Blends

The technology to produce compatibilized blends of liquid crystalline polymer and highly amorphous cyclic olefin copolymers through two novel approaches were studied. The first approach was to use silane-functionalized halloysite nanotube as nonspecific compatibilizer and the second method was reactive compatibilization. The study of blends and their resulting microstructure; their thermal, mechanical, and viscoelastic properties were investigated. The kinetic study of blends compatibilized through both routes was performed.     

A dense and compact laser cladding layer with solid metallurgical bonding significantly improved corrosion resistance of Mg alloy for engineering applications

Although Mg alloy attracts great attention for engineering applications because of high specific strength and low density, low corrosion resistance limits its extensive use. In this study, Mg–Al–Zn–Mn alloy was treated via a laser cladding process to generate a dense and compact laser cladding layer with solid metallurgical bonding on the substrate for improving corrosion resistance, effectively hindering the corrosion pervasion into Mg alloy. The corrosion current density declined from 103 μA/cm² for Mg alloy to 13 μA/cm² for the laser cladding layer in NaCl aqueous solution. Moreover, the laser cladding layer was slightly corroded in comparison with Mg alloy in NaCl aqueous solution. Besides, the microhardness of the cladding layer reached a mean value of 170.5 HV, 3.1 times of Mg alloy (56.8 HV) due to the in situ formation of hardening intermetallic phases. Wear resistance of laser cladding layer was also obviously improved. These results demonstrated that the laser cladding layer obviously enhanced anticorrosion property of Mg alloy for engineering applications.     

Tribological behaviour of a 3Y-TZP/Ta ceramic-metal biocomposite against ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)

This study aims to evaluate the tribological behaviour of 3Y-TZP/Ta (20 vol%) ceramic-metal composites and 3Y-TZP monolithic ceramic prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS) against ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). According to the results of pin (UHMWPE)-on-flat wear test under dry conditions, the UHMWPE – 3Y-TZP/Ta system exhibited lower volume loss and friction coefficient than the UHMWPE – monolithic ceramic combination due to the presence of an autolubricating layer that provides sufficient lubrication for reducing the friction. Owing to the lubrication of the liquid media, under wet conditions obtained using simulated body fluid (SBF), similar behaviour is observed in both cases. Additionally, the ceramic and biocomposite materials were subjected to a low temperature degradation (LTD) process (often referred to as “ageing”) to evaluate the changes in the tribological behaviour after this treatment. In this particular case, the wear properties of the UHMWPE-biocomposite system were found to be less influenced by ageing in contrast to the case of the UHMWPE-zirconia monolithic material. In addition to their exceptional mechanical performance, 3Y-TZP/Ta composites also showed high resistance to low temperature degradation and good tribological properties, making them promising candidates for biomedical applications, especially for orthopaedic implants.     

Comparative studies on thermal and toughness properties of polybenzoxazine composites with two functionalized graphene oxides

Abstract

Graphene oxide (GO) was functionalized by polyether amine (PEA) via two methods which were one-pot modification in acetone (GON) and two steps with the intermediate product of GOCO-Cl generated (GONS). There were more PEA successfully grafted onto GO for GONS than GON. The onset polymerization temperatures of the benzoxazine (Bz) composites decreased by the inclusion of 1?wt% of GO, GON or GONS. Thermal stability of the polybenzoxazine (PBz) composites was significantly improved indicated from the increase of weight loss temperature. T₁₀, T₂₀ and T₅₀ values of the composites with GONS were higher than that of the others. Toughness of PBzs may be enhanced by the incorporation of nanofillers, and GONS had stronger interfacial interaction with PBz matrix than GON.     

海上稠油油田蒸汽吞吐产量确定新方法

针对目前蒸汽吞吐产量预测模型假设条件简单、普适性差等问题,一般采用测试法和类比法综合确定海上稠油油田蒸汽吞吐初期产量。由于目前海上油田通常只开展常规测试,无法直接获得热采开发初期产量。笔者提出海上稠油油田蒸汽吞吐初期产量确定新方法,建立蒸汽吞吐相对于常规开发的初期产量倍数预测模型,通过蒸汽吞吐产量倍数,将常规测试确定的产量转化为蒸汽吞吐产量。研究表明,蒸汽吞吐初期产量倍数主要受储集层渗透率、原油黏度、注入强度、蒸汽干度等因素影响,利用正交试验设计和多元回归等方法,建立海上稠油油田蒸汽吞吐初期产量倍数与油藏地质参数及注入参数之间的非线性预测模型,该模型经实际生产数据验证,预测误差小于5%,可靠性高,能够为海上稠油油田蒸汽吞吐初期产量的确定提供依据。     

Flame Front Deformation Instabilities of Filtration Combustion for Initial Thermal Perturbation

The flame front deformation instability of low-velocity filtration combustion within an inert packed bed is studied based on the initial preheating non-uniformity. Based on the experimental phenomena, an initial thermal perturbation model is numerically proposed so as to predict the deformation behaviors of the flame front instabilities. The numerical prediction indicates that the assumption of an initial thermal perturbation is a feasible explanation as the cause of the flame front inclination instability. As the initial thermal perturbation increases, the phenomena of the flame front break and shrinking instabilities could easily occur at high filtration velocity or low equivalence ratio. Moreover, the evolutions of the flame front break rate and the shrinking rate are quantitatively analyzed.     

PETROLEUM POTENTIAL, THERMAL MATURITY AND THE OIL WINDOW OF OIL SHALES AND COALS IN CENOZOIC RIFT BASINS, CENTRAL AND NORTHERN THAILAND

Oil shales and coals occur in Cenozoic rift basins in central and northern Thailand. Thermally immature outcrops of these rocks may constitute analogues for source rocks which have generated oil in several of these rift basins. A total of 56 oil shale and coal samples were collected from eight different basins and analysed in detail in this study. The samples were analysed for their content of total organic carbon (TOC) and elemental composition. Source rock quality was determined by Rock‐Eval pyrolysis. Reflected light microscopy was used to analyse the organic matter (maceral) composition of the rocks, and the thermal maturity was determined by vitrinite reflectance (VR) measurements. In addition to the 56 samples, VR measurements were carried out in three wells from two oil‐producing basins and VR gradients were constructed. Rock‐Eval screening data from one of the wells is also presented. The oil shales were deposited in freshwater (to brackish) lakes with a high preservation potential (TOC contents up to 44.18 wt%). They contain abundant lamalginite and principally algal‐derived fluorescing amorphous organic matter followed by liptodetrinite and telalginite (Botryococcus‐type). Huminite may be present in subordinate amounts. The coals are completely dominated by huminite and were formed in freshwater mires. VR values from 0.38 to 0.47%R_o show that the exposed coals are thermally immature. VR values from the associated oil shales are suppressed by 0.11 to 0.28%R_o. The oil shales have H/C ratios >1.43, and Hydrogen Index (HI) values are generally >400 mg HC/g TOC and may reach 704 mg HC/ gTOC. In general, the coals have H/C ratios between about 0.80 and 0.90, and the HI values vary considerably from approximately 50 to 300 mg HC/gTOC. The HI_max of the coals, which represent the true source rock potential, range from ～160 to 310 mg HC/g TOC indicating a potential for oil/gas and oil generation. The steep VR curves from the oil‐producing basins reflect high geothermal gradients of ～62°C/km and ～92°C/km. The depth to the top oil window for the oil shales at a VR of ～0.70%R_o is determined to be between ～1100 m and 1800 m depending on the geothermal gradient. The kerogen composition of the oil shales and the high geothermal gradients result in narrow oil windows, possibly spanning only ～300 to 400 m in the warmest basins. The effective oil window of the coals is estimated to start from ～0.82 to 0.98%R_o and burial depths of ～1300 to 1400 m (～92°C/km) and ～2100 to 2300 m (～62°C/km) are necessary for efficient oil expulsion to occur.     

埋地管道在冻土带的热力变形分析

埋地油气管道通过永冻土地带时,由于管内介质与周围的冻土发生了热力作用,使冰土解冻,在管道周围形成融化圈。文章分析了永冻土的特点,建立了永冻土地带土壤传热数学模型:融化圈内外传热方程、管道向土壤和土壤表面向大气所放热量的守恒关系、融化圈界面处土壤温度、相变界面处固相变为液相的传热条件。还建立了埋地管道模型,并以穿过永冻土地带土壤的输油管道为例,分析并计算了各种应力的最大值所在的位置和大小,提出了在永冻土地带减小管道热力变形的措施。     

Microstructures and Phase Transition Points of As-Cast Mg-Zn-Y System Alloys

As-east mierostruetures and their distribution of Mg-Zn-Y ternary alloy with high magnesium, low zinc and yttrium were examined using Nikon Epiphot optical microscopy （OM）, RigakuD/max-3C X- ray diffraetion （XRD）, and JEOL JSM-6700F scanning electron microscopy （SEM） equipped with an energydispersive X-ray spectroscopy （EDS）. In the as-east mierostructures, Yttrium and zinc tend to segregate at grain boundaries,