Characterization and catalytic gasification of the aqueous by-product from vacuum pyrolysis of biomass

Spruce wood residues were treated in a vacuum pyrolysis Process Development Unit with a throughput capacity of 28 kg/h. Two aqueous phase condensate samples with COD concentration varying between 190 and 255 g/L were produced and sequentially extracted with dichloromethane and ethylacetate solvents. The soluble organic matter was composed of acidic, phenolic, alcoholic and ketonic compounds. The insoluble fraction was sequentially distilled at 100 and 110°C under atmospheric pressure. Mainly water was recovered in the first distillate, while the second distillate contained 30.4% formic and acetic acids, 69.4% water and 0.2% residual organic compounds. The distillation residue was rich in oxygen and was essentially insoluble in any organic solvent. The two aqueous phase pyroligneous samples were treated in Bat-telle's Thermochemical Environmental Energy System (TEESr?), a registered service mark of Onsite*Ofsite, Inc. of Duarte, California, U.S.A. The results of the tests showed that similar results were obtained with either feedstock. In batch tests a COD reduction of 99% was achieved. The product gas composition was typically about 49% methane, 5% hydrogen, 1 % ethane and 45% carbon dioxide. Tests in a continuous stirred-tank reactor produced reproducible data which can be used for process scale-up. Catalyst lifetime was identified as needing further improvement. The preliminary results demonstrated the technical feasibility of the catalytic gasification process as a useful step in the recovery of energy from the secondary condensate stream and the cleanup of the by-product water from vacuum pyrolysis of wood.     

A firefly algorithm for power management in wireless sensor networks (WSNs)

The Journal of Supercomputing - In wireless sensor networks (WSNs), designing a stable, low-power routing protocol is a major challenge because successive changes in links or breakdowns destabilize...     

Aromatic products of 340 °C supercritical-toluene extraction of two Turkish lignites: an n.m.r. study

Fractions of Elbistan and Seyitomer (Turkish) lignites, extracted with supercritical toluene at 340 °C and 8 MPa, have been separated by solvent extraction and silica-gel chromatography. Analyses by n.m.r. and i.r. spectroscopies and other methods have been combined in structural-analysis schemes to yield information about the average molecule in aromatic extracts. Carbon aromaticities, f_a, derived from 22.63 MHz ¹H-decoupled pulse Fourier-transform (PFT) ¹³C-n.m.r. are more widely spread for Elbistan (0.34–0.56) than for Seyitomer (0.40–0.43), and are lower than for supercritical-gas (SCG) products from bituminous coals. ¹³C-n.m.r. also reveals the presence of aromatic ether-O in polar fractions. Narrow aromatic signals in 100 MHz ¹H-n.m.r. spectra suggest the presence of single-aromatic-ring average structures. In the hexane-soluble aromatics, 27% (Elbistan) and 29% (Seyitomer) of the available sites are substituted by alkyI groups, some of which are at least eight carbon atoms long; the hexane-soluble polar and asphaltene/asphaltol fractions contain fewer such groups.     

Phenolic compounds from vacuum pyrolysis of wood wastes

Various softwood and hardwood bark residues, primary sludges and softwood sawdust residues were processed by vacuum pyrolysis in a laboratory scale batch reactor. The pyrolysis oil, water, charcoal, and gas were recovered and analyzed. The pyrolysis oils were analyzed in details for their content in phenolic compounds after derivatization to their acetyl derivatives. The influence of temperature, heating rate, feedstock bed thickness, particle size and feedstock water pretreatment on the yield of phenols was investigated. The highest yield of phenols was obtained when hardwood bark was soaked in water for 48 hours and pyrolyzed at a temperature of 450°C and a heating rate of 10°C/min. Pyrolysis performance was evaluated in terms of total phenolic yield and composition.     

Cyclic alkanes as geochemical markers in coal liquefaction products

Branched-chain/cyclic alkanes have been obtained, by solvent extraction and molecular-sieve adsorption, from a UK low-temperature (Rexco) coal tar, a USA fluidized-bed pyrolysis (FMC COED) coal tar, and a novel supercritical-gas-extract of a Turkish (Elbistan) lignite. Mass spectrometry (with gas chromatography and field-desorption) established the presence of mono-, di (including sesquiterpanes), tri-, tetra- (steranes only), and pentacyclic (triterpanes only) alkanes, including several steranes and triterpanes not previously reported as coal-tar constituents. The potential of cyclic alkanes as geochemical markers, even for commercial coal products subjected to appreciable heat treatment, is demonstrated by the identification of C₁₂, C₁₃, C₁₅ and C₁₆ dicyclics (including isoprenoid alkanes), C₁₇-C₂₆ tricyclics, and C₂₇ and C₂₉ hopane-type pentacyclics (triterpanes) in FMC, and of C₁₆-C₃₈ monocyclics, C₃₄-C₃₆ dicyclics, C₂₂-C₃₆ tricyclics, C₂₇-C₃₀ tetracyclics (steranes), and C₂₇, C₂₉, C₃₀, C₃₁, C₃₂, and C₃₃ hopane-type pentacyclics (triterpanes) in Rexco tar. Tetra- and pentacyclic alkanes were also preserved in the lignite extract.     

Waveguide filter with improved stopband response using transversal slots

In this article, the design and realization of waveguide filter with improved stop‐band response is presented. By inserting transversal slots at the proper position of cavities, without disturbing the field distribution of the dominant mode, the second longitudinal resonant modes are radiated out. This caused the out‐of‐band frequency response of the filter to be improved. The validity of the proposed technique is confirmed by comparison between measurement values and simulation results from the finite element method through the commercial software (high frequency structure simulator). Also, to assure electromagnetic compatibility the slot surfaces are covered by absorbing material. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE, 2011.     

Scalable arrays of chemical vapor sensors based on DNA-decorated graphene

Arrays of chemical vapor sensors based on graphene field effect transistors functionalized with single-stranded DNA have been demonstrated. Standard photolithographic processing was adapted for use on large-area graphene by including a metal protection layer, which protected the graphene from contamination and enabled fabrication of high quality field-effect transistors （GFETs）. Processed graphene devices had hole mobilities of 1,640 ± 250 cm2.V-1.s-1 and Dirac voltages of 15 ± 10 V under ambient conditions. Atomic force microscopy was used to verify that the graphene surface remained uncontaminated and therefore suitable for controlled chemical functionalization. Single-stranded DNA was chosen as the functionalization layer due to its affinity to a wide range of target molecules and π-π stacking interaction with graphene, which led to minimal degradation of device characteristics. The resulting sensor arrays showed analyte- and DNA sequence-dependent responses down to parts-per-billion concentrations. DNA/GFET sensors were able to differentiate among chemically similar analytes, including a series of carboxylic acids, and structural isomers of carboxylic acids and pinene. Evidence for the important role of electrostatic chemical gating was provided by the observation of understandable differences in the sensor response to two compounds that differed only by the replacement of a （deprotonating） hydroxyl group by a neutral methyl group. Finally, target analytes were detected without loss of sensitivity in a large background of a chemically similar, volatile compound. These results motivate further development of the DNA/graphene sensor family for use in an electronic olfaction system.     

A combinatorial approach to evaluation of monomer conversion and particle size distribution in vinyl chloride emulsion polymerization

This work is targeted to study emulsion polymerization of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) using experimental and mathematical methods. To fulfill this goal, a computer code was developed on the basis of zero–one population balance by which the effects of initiator and emulsifier concentration on the evolution of VCM conversion were investigated in the course of polymerization. The model was also trained to capture the coagulation of the particles. This enabled to adopt a reliable way of evaluating the particle size distribution (PSD). In particular, the rates of homogeneous and micellar nucleation mechanisms were simulated and reasonably predicted alterations in the PSD and the number of polymer particles under the influence of aforementioned parameters. The results from modeling were satisfactorily consistent with the experimental outputs and obviously visualized the impact of initiator and surfactant concentration on the PSD of the prepared PVC latexes.     

Evolution of vinyl chloride conversion below critical micelle concentration: A response surface analysis

Utilizing response surface methodology, the conversion of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) was monitored when the polymerization temperature, the type of surfactant, and the weight ratio of water‐to‐monomer (W/M) were taken as the emulsion polymerization variables. Because the homogeneous nucleation was found to be the dominant mechanism in VCM emulsion polymerization, irrespective of the surfactant concentration, the whole experiments have been carried out below critical micelle concentration of the used surfactants. Among all the studied variables, the polymerization temperature appeared as the most effective parameter; moreover, its interactive effect with W/M caused different trends in the alteration of final conversion being observed. Also, depending on the reaction temperature, the VCM conversion would be affected by the type of the surfactant used. Contrarily, simultaneous change in the type of surfactant and W/M revealed an insignificant effect on the evolution of VCM conversion. The optimization of final conversion of VCM was also accessible through contour plots of response surface methodology. It is worth noting that, taking a conventional approach into consideration, the alteration of VCM conversion seemed to be a monotonic function of temperature. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 21:157–165, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

EN81-1-1和EN81-2的修订状态和建议的变更

正如大家所知道,EN81是最基础的安全方面的标准,广泛应用于全世界很多地方。1EN81标准体系（1）电梯标准体系结构表如图1,包括：技术规范、评价体系、斜行电梯、远程监控、货梯、地震情况下电梯要求等各种规范。其中EN81-80,安全性提高,已经转化为中国国标。