Alkali catalyzed liquefaction of corncob in supercritical ethanol–water

Corncob liquefaction in supercritical ethanol–water was performed with and without the addition of an alkali catalyst by direct addition or biomass impregnation in a 250-cm³ batch reactor. The effects of temperature, solvent and alkali addition on the biomass conversion level and oil yield were investigated to find the optimum condition. For non-catalytic liquefaction using a 1:1 (v/v) ethanol: water ratio, a maximum oil yield and conversion level of 49.0% and 93.4%, respectively, were obtained at 340 °C. For alkali catalytic liquefaction, the oil yield with KOH addition (57.5%) was higher than that from KOH-impregnated corncob liquefaction (43.3%). The oil from liquefaction with KOH addition had higher heating value (26.7–35.3 MJ kg⁻¹) than the corncob (19.1 MJ kg⁻¹). The dominant components of the obtained oil were found by GC/MS analysis to be aldehyde, ester, phenol derivatives and aromatic compounds.     

Unraveling the effect of alumina-supported Y- doped ceria composition and method of preparation on the WGS activity of gold catalysts

The demands for high-purity hydrogen required in fuel-cell applications impose new goals and challenges for design of well performing water-gas shift (WGS) catalysts. Gold-based catalysts have exhibited high activity in the WGS reaction at low temperature. Preparation of appropriate and economically viable supports with complex composition by various synthesis procedures is an attractive approach to WGS performance improvement. The effect of two different preparation methods (wet impregnation or mechanical mixing) and ceria content (10, 20 or 30 wt%) on textural, structural, surface and reductive properties and WGS activity of gold catalysts was studied. Additionally, the role of Y₂O₃ as a promoter of ceria was examined. Long-term stability test was carried out at 260 °C over the most active catalyst. The composition of the best performing sample (composed of about 70 wt% alumina), prepared by mechanical mixing, was considered promising in case of practical applications because of its cost efficiency. The combination of gold nanoparticles and alumina supported Y-doped ceria proved an advantageous approach for developing new catalytic formulations with high effectiveness in clean hydrogen production.     

Corrosion behavior of Cu–Sn bronze alloys in simulated archeological soil media

The corrosion behavior of synthetic Cu–Sn bronze alloys with six different Sn contents was examined through an electrochemical test and a synthetic test in a simulated corrosive medium. The mechanism of corrosion and the morphology of the corroded surfaces were characterized through field emission scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive spectroscopy. At the corrosion potential, the corrosion behavior appears to be determined by the charge transfer step and the diffusion process. It was found that the bronze-IV (Cu–26.8Sn) specimen exhibited the best corrosion resistance, as evidenced by a low corrosion current density and a high impedance. This improvement resulted from an increase in the content of the Cu–Sn solid solution in the alloy, which was conducive to forming a relatively more protective passive film on the surface of the bronze alloy. This finding would be valuable in the anticorrosion protection of archeological artefacts after their excavation.     

Static stress analysis of carbon nano-tube reinforced composite (CNTRC) cylinder under non-axisymmetric thermo-mechanical loads and uniform electro-magnetic fields

Static stresses analysis of carbon nano-tube reinforced composite (CNTRC) cylinder made of poly-vinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is investigated in this study. Non-axisymmetric thermo-mechanical loads are applied on cylinder in presence of uniform longitudinal magnetic field and radial electric field. The surrounded elastic medium is modeled by Pasternak foundation because of its advantages to the Winkler type. Distribution of radial, circumferential and effective stresses, temperature field and electric displacements in CNTRC cylinder are determined based on Mori–Tanaka theory. The detailed parametric study is conducted, focusing on the remarkable effects of magnetic field intensity, elastic medium, angle orientation and volume fraction of carbon nano-tubes (CNTs) on distribution of effective stress. Results demonstrated that fatigue life of CNTRC cylinder will be significantly dependent on magnetic intensity, angle orientation and volume fraction of CNTs. Results of this research can be used for optimum design of thick-walled cylinders under multi-physical fields.     

The benefit of being physically present: A survey of experimental works comparing copresent robots,telepresent robots and virtual agents

The effects of physical embodiment and physical presence were explored through a survey of 33 experimental works comparing how people interacted with physical robots and virtual agents. A qualitative assessment of the direction of quantitative effects demonstrated that robots were more persuasive and perceived more positively when physically present in a user׳s environment than when digitally-displayed on a screen either as a video feed of the same robot or as a virtual character analog; robots also led to better user performance when they were collocated as opposed to shown via video on a screen. However, participants did not respond differently to physical robots and virtual agents when both were displayed digitally on a screen – suggesting that physical presence, rather than physical embodiment, characterizes people׳s responses to social robots. Implications for understanding psychological response to physical and virtual agents and for methodological design are discussed.     

Polymers dynamics of the nonfluoro,nano-brush repelling agent with self-stratifying property in water-based coatings

While perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), also known as C8s, are used extensively in textile repellent coatings, concerns have arisen for their carcinogenicity and hazardous effects on the environment. In this study, a novel water-based, nonfluoro, and nanobrush textile repelling agent was prepared by conventional sol–gel chemistry using amorphous fumed silica and n-octyltriethoxysilane as the starting materials. Minimal interaction between the designed repelling agent and marketed water-based resins was confirmed using linear viscosity region (LVR) analysis and asymmetric-flow field-flow fractionation (AF4), suggesting the self-stratification potential of the repelling agent. More specifically, the repelling agent exhibited excellent compatibility and self-stratifying ability with a force-emulsified acrylic-based resin, affording a water contact angle of 104.3° when incorporated at 7% solid content. Performance tests carried out on thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) revealed excellent adhesion (100/100) of a final formulation, and a significant increase in water contact angle from 80.1° to 103.8° after treatment. In addition, the fouling area after the removal of a submerged sample from a mixture of slurry, polymer, and oil decreased from 48 to 1% when the repelling agent was added. Moreover, the sludge-fouling property remained unchanged after 1000 cycles of abrasion. These findings demonstrate the potential of the described nonfluoro, nanobrush repelling agent as an environmentally safe alternative for use with commercial resins, in turn realizing a fully water-based hydrophobic coating. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 48003.     

Modified embedded-atom method interatomic potential for the Mg–Zn–Ca ternary system

Mg–Zn–Ca alloys are representative Mg alloys with high formability at room temperature. Their high formability is thought to be related to slip, twinning, and recrystallization of the alloys, but the detailed mechanisms have not yet been clarified. To enable atomistic simulations for investigating those behaviors, an interatomic potential for the Mg–Zn–Ca ternary system was developed. The development was based on the second nearest-neighbor modified embedded-atom method formalism, combining previously developed Mg–Zn and Mg–Ca potentials with the newly developed Zn–Ca binary potential. The Zn–Ca and Mg–Zn–Ca potentials reproduce structural, elastic, and thermodynamic properties of compounds and solution phases of relevant alloy systems in reasonable agreement with experimental data, first-principles and CALPHAD calculations. The applicability of the developed potentials is demonstrated through calculations of the effects of Zn and Ca solutes on the generalized stacking fault energy for various slip systems, segregation energy on twin boundaries, and volumetric misfit strain.     

Improved formic acid oxidation using electrodeposited Pd–Cd electrocatalysts in sulfuric acid solution

In the present research, nanostructured Pd–Cd alloy electrocatalysts with different compositions were produced using the electrodeposition process. The morphology of the samples was studied by scanning electron microscopy analysis. Also, the elemental composition of the samples was determined by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and elemental mapping tests. Tafel polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy methods were employed to determine the electrochemical corrosion properties of the synthesized samples in a solution containing 0.5 M sulfuric acid and 0.1 M formic acid. The linear sweep voltammetry, cyclic voltammetry, and chronoamperometry techniques were also employed to evaluate the electrocatalytic activity of prepared samples toward the oxidation of formic acid. In this respect, the influence of some factors such as formic acid and sulfuric acid concentrations and also potential scan rate was investigated. Compared to the pure Pd sample, the Pd–Cd samples were more reactive for the oxidation of formic acid. Besides, the sample with a lower amount of Pd (Pd_1·3Cd) demonstrated much higher electrocatalytic activity than the Pd_7·1Cd and Pd_2·1Cd samples. The observed high mass activity of 15.06 A mg^?1_Pd for the Pd_1·3Cd sample which is 21.1 times higher than Pd/C is an interesting result of this study.     

在无铅环境中的热风整平

当电子工业走向无铅焊接的时候,热风焊料整平仍然是继续可焊性保护的优选方法。     

WC/Cu复合材料制备及其高温性能

用机械合金化法结合冷变形，制备了WC／Cu复合材料，研究了冷变形后复合材料的组织特征和高温退火时韵性能变化。结果表明：烧结后的材料经冷变形，组织呈显著纤维状，WC颗粒弥散分布，密度明显提高，达到理论密度的99．2％；复合材料经600～900℃高温退火，强度和硬度略有下降，塑性则有大幅提高；900℃退火时未发生明显的再结晶，界面结合良好；所制备的WC／Cu复合材料有优良的综合性能。