Antisolvent micronization of BSA using supercritical mixtures carbon dioxide + organic solvent

In this work, expanded liquid antisolvent (ELAS) process has been used to micronize bovine serum albumin (BSA) solubilized in water. Carbon dioxide mixtures with ethanol, acetone or isopropyl alcohol, at expanded liquid conditions, have been used as the antisolvent. The effect of process parameters, such as the kind of co-antisolvent and the organic co-antisolvent/water/carbon dioxide mole fraction on the morphology and dimensions of the precipitates, was studied. Changing co-antisolvent and operating conditions, we obtained nanoparticles (with a mean diameter of about 60 nm ± 10 nm), sub-microparticles (with a mean diameter of 470 nm ± 130 nm), microparticles (with a mean diameter of 0.93 μm ± 0.37 μm) and expanded microparticles with an empty core (with a mean diameter of about 9 μm ± 5 μm). Fourier transform infrared analysis on BSA powders revealed that, using acetone as co-antisolvent, no modifications of the protein secondary structure were induced by ELAS processing.     

An inductance-based technique for the measurement of magnetic moment of the magnetorheological fluids

We presented a detailed study of the inductance properties of a MRF-based system with different MRF volume fractions under a magnetic field. The inductance of the system raised firstly and then decreased while the magnetic field kept increasing. We theoretically analyzed the mechanism of the field-induced variation of the inductance and deduced that the magnetic field dependence of the inductance could be represented by the derivative of the magnetic moment of MRF, thus the M–H curves of the MRF could be derived from the inductance measurement proceeded in our work. This method for the magnetization calibration was very convenient and economic for manipulation compared with the traditional magnetization meter techniques and has been proved to be feasible according to the experimental results which showed a satisfactory measurement precision.     

Numerical simulation of viscous fingering of shear‐thinning fluids

The viscous fingering instability of miscible shear‐thinning fluids has been examined using a pseudo‐spectral numerical technique based on the Hartley transform. The instability was studied for a flow in a rectilinear Hele‐Shaw cell, and the shear‐thinning character of the fluids has been modelied using the Carreau equation. New mechanisms of viscous fingering not previously observed in the case of similar Newtonian flow displacements have been identified. These mechanisms, which are reminiscent of the fractal patterns observed in experimental studies, were interpreted in terms of the velocity‐dependent mobility of the flow.     

Electrochemical behaviour of Ti–25Nb–3Mo–3Zr–2Sn biomedical alloy in different simulated physiological environments

The electrochemical corrosion behaviour of biomedical Ti–25Nb–3Mo–3Zr-2Sn (TLM) alloy was investigated in various simulated body fluids at 37±0·5°C utilising potentiodynamic polarisation and current–time curves. The Ti–6Al–4V (TC4) alloy was also investigated to make a comparison. The different simulated body fluids comprised of 0·9%NaCl saline, Hank’s and Ringer’s solution were employed. The effect of heat treatment on the electrochemical behaviour of the TLM alloy was also considered. It was discovered that all the test specimens were passivated once immersed into the simulated body fluids. It was also found that the TLM alloy has poorer corrosion resistance in Hank’s solution, due to the chemical composition of the Hank’s. After different heat treated, the TLM alloy had different phases and microstructure, and the corrosion behaviour of the TLM alloy was different. In this study, after the heat treatment of 760°C/1 h/AC+550°C/6 h/AC, the TLM alloy had better corrosion resistance. Owing to the corrosion resistance of the TLM alloy was influenced by numerous factors, such as microstructure and the chemical composition of electrolyte, the corrosion behaviour of the TLM alloy is complex. By comparing with the corrosion behaviour of the TC4 alloy, the TLM alloy has poorer corrosion resistant than the TC4 alloy under the same conditions. But the current–time curves of the TLM alloy were more stable than these of the TC4 alloy with further experiments, because of the more passivation film on the surface of the TLM alloy.     

努森压缩制冷系统的设计及性能分析

分别以氨、水、R290和R600a为工质设计了努森压缩制冷系统。系统结构尺寸受工质的分子直径和宏观物性影响,其中依靠微尺度热流逸效应工作的努森压缩机设计成由两个功能组组成并采用多级串联形式。根据努森压缩制冷系统的微观与宏观工作机制和系统构建方式建立了性能分析模型。努森压缩制冷系统的运行特性类似于压缩机转速可调的常规蒸气压缩制冷系统,其COP随室内温度升高(或环境温度降低)而增大、制冷量随室内温度升高(或环境温度降低)而减小。综合考虑系统结构、性能、成本等因素,水为工质的努森压缩制冷系统明显优于其它3种工质系统。若按一次能源效率计算,努森压缩制冷的COP与常规蒸气压缩制冷的相差不大,加之其具有可直接利用太阳能和余(废)热资源、且没有运动部件等优点,努森压缩制冷是一种具有发展前景和竞争力的新型制冷方式。     

Characterization of extensional rheological filament stretching with a dual‐mode Giesekus model

A new, simple, formulation that describes capillary thinning as predicted by a two‐mode Giesekus model is derived, and its application in analyzing data from extensional rheometry (capillary thinning) experiments is discussed. An algorithm is presented that can be used to fit the expressions obtained from the Giesekus model to extensional rheometry data. Examples of data fitting are given for an idealized data set, for measurements obtained for aqueous solutions of 6 wt % 900,000 molecular weight polyethylene oxide, and for biological fluids obtained from pitchers of Nepenthes Rafflesiana. Good fits to the data were obtained, with coefficients of determination in excess of 0.98. For each data set, it was possible to calculate values of extensional viscosity and relaxation time for each of the two modes, allowing quantitative comparison of different fluids or of the same fluid as it ages. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 62: 2188–2199, 2016     

Synthesis and Evaluation of Bis-quaternary-Based Surfactants as Additives for Water-Based Mud

Two series of cationic gemini surfactants, alkanediyl-α,ω-bis[N,N-dimethyl alkyl (octyl or dodecyl)ammonium] dibromide (R-s-R; s = 6, 10, 12 and R = 8 and 12) were prepared and evaluated as additives for water-based mud. The chemical structures of the prepared surfactants were confirmed using FTIR and mass spectroscopy. Surface activity of these compounds has been studied and their surface properties including surface tension, emulsification power, critical micelle concentration, effectiveness, maximum surface excess and minimum surface area were determined. The results showed that the prepared compounds have significant surface activity, especially those of longer hydrophobic chain length. The prepared cationic gemini surfactants were evaluated as viscosifiers and filter loss additives for water-based mud formulated from local Na-montmorillonite clay. XRD analysis was carried out to the Na-montmorillonite clay to determine the interaction of the surfactants with inter layers of the clay structure. Rheological properties, gel strength, thixotropy, filtration properties and the effect of temperature on rheological properties of the water-based mud were studied. The results indicated that the gemini surfactants have a positive effect on the rheological and filtration properties of the Na-montmorillonite clay according to American Petroleum Institute specifications.     

Ideality analysis and general laws of bubble swarm microflow for large-scale gas-liquid microreaction processes

The flow ideality of bubbly microflow remains unclear even though it is vital for the design of microreactors, especially the ideality of bubble swarm microflow for large-scale gas-liquid microreaction processes. This work is the first time to report the ideality analysis of the microbubble swarm in a relatively large microchannel. The bubble swarm microflow has undergone two conditions: quasi-homogeneous plug flow and liquid phase/gas-liquid quasi-homogeneous phase two-phase laminar flow. Both the deviations of void fraction and bubble velocity from the ideal plug flow can divide into two parts, and the two transition points simultaneously happen at the velocity ratio of 1.25. There exists a critical capillary number to maintain the quasi-homogeneous plug flow, which could be regarded as the general laws for the design of gas-liquid microreactors. Finally, a novel model is developed to predict the bubble velocity. This work could be very helpful for the large-scale gas-liquid microreactors design.     

剪切稀化流体中微粒子聚集行为研究

在化工过程、生物工程等领域中,实现颗粒分离至关重要。通过整合微流控技术、高速显微图像采集技术和数字图像处理技术,探究微粒尺寸、通道流量和液相流变特性对微粒聚集的影响规律。结果表明,在剪切稀化流体羧甲基纤维素钠(CMC)水溶液中,随着通道流量和颗粒粒径增大,微颗粒聚集位置逐渐向剪切速率较高的一侧偏移;随着CMC质量分数增加,聚集位置不断向剪切速率较低的一侧偏移。利用求解的幂律型剪切稀化流体速度和剪切速率方程,结合对微颗粒的受力分析,证明稠度系数越大,聚集位置越偏向剪切速率较低处;剪切稀化特性越强,聚集位置越偏向剪切速率较高处,说明在幂律型剪切稀化流体中的黏度变化是微颗粒发生特殊迁移聚集行为的一个重要原因。     

Time‐series and extended Karhunen–Loève analysis of turbulent drag reduction in polymer solutions

Direct numerical simulations and statistical analysis techniques are used to study the drag‐reducing effect of polymer additives on turbulent channel flow in minimal domains. Additionally, a new formulation of Karhunen–Loève decomposition for viscoelastic flows is introduced, allowing the dominant features of the polymer stress fields to be characterized. In minimal channels, there are intervals of “active” and “hibernating” turbulence that display very different structural and energetic characteristics; the present work illustrates how the statistics of these intervals evolve over the entire range of drag reduction (DR) levels. The effect of viscoelasticity on minimal channel turbulence is twofold: first, it strongly suppresses the active turbulent dynamics that predominate in Newtonian flow and second, at sufficiently high Weissenberg number it stabilizes the dynamics of hibernating turbulence, allowing it to predominate in the maximum drag reduction regime. In this regime, the stress fluctuations become delocalized from the wall region, encompassing the entire flow domain. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 60: 1460–1475, 2014