Formation of C4 species in the deactivation of a Pd/SiO2 catalyst during the selective hydrogenation of acetylene

The deactivation characteristics of Pd/SiO₂ in the selective hydrogenation of acetylene were correlated with changes in the amount of the C4 species produced. The amounts of butenes produced changed in parallel with the catalyst activity, indicating that the rate limiting step for butene production was the same as that for acetylene hydrogenation. On the other hand, the amount of 1,3-butadiene produced changed, showing a maximum with catalyst deactivation because 1,3-butadiene is an intermediate in the sequential reaction process which involves both the production and consumption of 1,3-butadiene. This was verified by a simultaneous TG/reaction experiment showing that 1,3-butadiene was a precursor of green oil. The catalyst showed a self-regenerative behavior in its activity and the amounts of C4 species produced during the early stage of deactivation because two opposite factors, which contributed to either the lowering or the promotion of activity, were involved in the process. A specific type of polymer species, produced during the initial period of deactivation, is proposed to be responsible for the promotion of catalyst activity.     

Over GHz electrical circuit model of a high-density multiple line grid array (MLGA) interposer

The multiple line grid array (MLGA) interposer was recently introduced as a future high-density high-speed bonding method. In this paper, we introduce an electrical model and high-frequency characteristics of the MLGA interposer. The high-frequency electrical model was extracted from microwave S-parameter measurements up to 20 GHz as well as from fundamental microwave network analysis. For the parameter fitting process during model extraction, an optimization method was used. Several different types of MLGA interposers were designed, assembled and tested. The test vehicles contained coplanar waveguides, probing pads and an MLGA interposer structure. The height of the MLGA, the conductor shape inside the MLGA, and the dielectric insulator of the MLGA were varied. From the model, an MLGA with a height of 0.4 mm and a polymer dielectric insulator was found to have 203 pH of self inductance, 49 pH of mutual inductance with the nearest ground conductor line, and 186 fF of mutual capacitance. By reducing the height of the MLGA and by using an insulator with a lower dielectric constant, parasitic inductance and capacitance is further reduced. TDR/TDT simulation and measurement showed the validity of the extracted model parameters of the MLGA interposer. Circuit simulation based on the extracted model revealed that the MLGA interposer could be successfully used for microwave device packages up to 20 GHz and for high-speed digital device packages with a clock cycle up to 5 GHz.     

Application of artificial neural networks to the analysis of two‐dimensional fluorescence spectra in recombinant E coli fermentation processes

A two‐dimensional (2D) spectrofluorometer was used to monitor various fermentation processes with recombinant E coli for the production of 5‐aminolevulinic acid (ALA). The whole fluorescence spectral data obtained during a process were analyzed using artificial neural networks, ie self‐organizing map (SOM) and feedforward backpropagation neural network (BPNN). The SOM‐based classification of the whole spectral data has made it possible to qualitatively associate some process parameters with the normalized weights and variances, and to select some useful combinations of excitation and emission wavelengths. Based on the classified fluorescence spectra a supervised BPNN algorithm was used to predict some of the process parameters. It was also shown that the BPNN models could elucidate some sections of the process's performance, eg forecasting the process's performance. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Dynamic behaviour of a magnetically actuated floating liquid marble

This paper reports the dynamic behaviour of a magnetically actuated floating liquid marble by analysing the oscillation of the marble. A liquid marble is a liquid droplet coated with hydrophobic powder. Magnetite particles inside the marble make it magnetic. The marble floats on a carrier liquid that contains aqueous glycerol of various concentrations. A permanent magnet located under the carrier liquid drives the floating marble with the initial velocity. Stopping the magnet abruptly causes the marble to oscillate around its final position for a few seconds. The oscillation was recorded and analysed using customised image processing and evaluation software. The damped harmonic motion model was then applied to the data and tested. Subsequently, critical parameters of the system such as the initial displacement, friction correction factor, the apparent frequency and the spring constant were determined and discussed. The simple experimental set-up and convenient theoretical approach allow us to characterise the marble motion under the influence of a magnet with good accuracy.     

Cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes with 5-acetyl-2-phenypyridine derived ligands for red phosphorescent OLEDs

A series of new iridium complexes with 5-acetyl-2-phenylpyridine derivatives as ligands was developed. The complexes exhibited high EL performance when applied to OLEDs. These materials showed red emission with a peak at 575–636 nm. In particular, one of the devices in this study showed a maximum luminous efficiency, maximum power efficiency, external quantum efficiency and CIE coordinates of 29.0 cd/A, 6.13 lm/W, 8.86% at 20 mA/cm² and (0.57, 0.43) at 10 V, respectively. In addition, a deep red OLED with CIE coordinates of (0.67, 0.32) at 10 V exhibited a maximum luminous efficiency, maximum power efficiency and external quantum efficiency of 5.61 cd/A, 1.02 lm/W and 5.35% at 20 mA/cm², respectively.     

The application of single-pass heuristics for U-lines

U-lines have been adopted in many manufacturing settings as part of JIT implementation. In this paper, we examine the applicability of existing straight-line heuristics for obtaining a balance on a U-line. We modify 13 single-pass heuristics and study the effectiveness of various heuristics under different problem conditions. An extensive computational study is carried out to help identify the best heuristics. In addition, we compare recent U-line procedures with a single-pass heuristic using some literature problems. Based on a single-pass heuristic, we compare the configurations of a straight- and U-line.     

Tuning the electronic band structure of PCBM by electron irradiation

Tuning the electronic band structures such as band-edge position and bandgap of organic semiconductors is crucial to maximize the performance of organic photovoltaic devices. We present a simple yet effective electron irradiation approach to tune the band structure of [6, 6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) that is the most widely used organic acceptor material. We have found that the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) level of PCBM up-shifts toward the vacuum energy level, while the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level down-shifts when PCBM is electron-irradiated. The shift of the HOMO and the LUMO levels increases as the irradiated electron fluence increases. Accordingly, the band-edge position and the bandgap of PCBM can be controlled by adjusting the electron fluence. Characterization of electron-irradiated PCBM reveals that the variation of the band structure is attributed to the molecular structural change of PCBM by electron irradiation.     

The effect of chemical structure of dimethyl ether (DME) on NOx formation in nonpremixed counterflow flames

To clarify the effect of chemical structure of Dimethyl ether(DME) on NOx formation in nonpremixed counterflow flame, DME flame was investigated numerically to compare the flame structures and NOx emissions with C₂H₆ and Mixed-fuel. Numerically, the governing equations were solved using the Oppdif code coupled with CHEMKIN package, and DME flames were calculated by Kaiser’s mechanism, while the C₂H₆ flames and Mixed-fuel flames were calculated by the C₃ mechanism. These mechanisms were combined with the modified Miller-Bowman mechanism for the analysis of NOx. Numerical results of nonpremixed counterflow flames show that the EI_NO of DME nonpremixed flame is low as much as 50 % of the C₂H₆ nonpremixed flame. The cause of EI_NO reduction is attributed mainly to the characteristics of partial premixed flame due to the existence of oxygen atom in DME and partly to the O-C bond in DME, instead of C-C bond in hydrocarbon fuels. This paper was presented at the 7th JSME-KSME Thermal and Fluids Engineering Conference, Sapporo, Japan, October 2008. Chang-Eon Lee received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Inha University, Korea, in 1983 and 1985, respectively. Then he received his Ph.D. degree from Toyohashi National University of Technology, Japan in 1992. Dr. Lee is currently a Professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering at Inha University in Incheon, Korea. He serves as an Editor of the Journal of the Korean society of combustion and serves as an associate Editor of Transactions of the Korean society of mechanical engineers. Dr. Lee’s research interests include fluid mechanics, combustion and environmental pollution, and total energy.     

Synthesis and nonlinear optical properties of novel Y-type polyurethanes with high thermal stability of dipole alignment

2,3-Di-(2′-hydroxyethoxy)benzylidenemalononitrile (3) was prepared and condensed with 2,4-toluenediisocyanate and 3,3′-dimethoxy-4,4′-biphenylenediisocyanate to yield novel Y-type polyurethanes 4–5 containing 2,3-dioxy benzylidenemalononitrile group as a nonlinear optical (NLO)-chromophore, which constituted parts of the polymer backbones. Polyurethanes 4–5 were soluble in common organic solvents such as acetone and N,N-dimethylformamide. They showed a thermal stability up to 270 °C in thermogravimetric analysis thermograms and the glass-transition temperatures (T _g) obtained from differential scanning calorimetry thermograms were around 116–135 °C. The second harmonic generation (SHG) coefficients (d ₃₃) of poled polymer films at 106.4 mm⁻¹ fundamental wavelength were around 9.07 × 10⁻¹⁹ C (2.72 × 10⁻⁹ esu). The dipole alignment exhibited high thermal stability up to 10 °C higher than T _g, and there was no SHG decay below 145 °C due to the partial main-chain character of the polymer structure, which was acceptable for nonlinear optical device applications.