Effect of O2 on NO removal by ammonia radical injection using one-cycle sinusoidal power source

NO reduction experiment was performed by injecting ammonia radicals, which were externally generated by flowing the NH₃ gas diluted with Ar gas through a dielectric barrier discharge with a one-cycle sinusoidal-wave power source. The discharge was intermittently formed between coaxial cylindrical electrodes with a space of 1.5 mm at an applied peak-to-peak voltage of 3-25 kV. The generated radicals were injected into simulation gas (NO/O₂/N₂). The simulation gas contained 0-5.6% O₂, and the effect of O₂ on NO_x removal was discussed. The minimum reaction temperature for NO reduction was low when simulation gas contained O₂. High O₂ concentration (O₂=5.6%) in simulation gas, high repetition rate to NH₃, and high applied power to NH₃ decreased NO removal efficiency.     

Radiochemical analysis of rubble and trees collected from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

To characterize the rubble and trees contaminated by radionuclides released by the recent accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, the radiochemical analysis protocols were modified using those developed by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency for the waste generated by research, industrial, and medical facilities. The radioactivity concentrations of gamma-ray-emitting nuclides ⁶⁰Co, ⁹⁴Nb, ¹⁵²Eu, and ¹⁵⁴Eu, and beta-particle-emitting nuclides ¹⁴C, ¹²⁹I, ³⁶Cl, ⁷⁹Se, and ⁹⁹Tc were successfully applied by the modified analytical method. In contrast, the radioactivity concentrations of ³H, ⁹⁰Sr, ¹³⁷Cs, and alpha-particle-emitting nuclides were applied by the conventional method. Unfortunately, ³⁶Cl, ⁹⁴Nb, ¹²⁹I, ¹⁵²Eu, ¹⁵⁴Eu, and alpha-particle-emitting nuclides were below the detection limit of the conventional method. The measured radioactivity concentrations, except for that of ³H, were not uniform in the area but depended on the reactor unit. Although the radioactivity concentrations were varied widely, this analysis successfully clarified the characteristics of the radioactivity concentrations of the rubble and trees.     

Rapid and continuous hydrothermal synthesis of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles with a microtube-reactor at 523 K and 30 MPa

A flow-through apparatus with a microtube-reactor has been developed for rapid and continuous hydrothermal synthesis. Heat-up time of starting solution to 523 K is within 0.08 s and this promises rapid nucleation of nanoparticles compared with conventional batch reactor. Continuous production of Ag, Fe₂O₃, TiO₂, and ZrO₂ particles from metal salts aqueous solution was performed at 523 K and 30 MPa with the reactor. Nanoparticles having an average particle size and a coefficient of variation less than 5.4 nm and 0.22 could be continuously obtained.     

Continuous supercritical hydrothermal synthesis of controlled size and highly crystalline anatase TiO2 nanoparticles

The production of size-controlled and highly crystalline anatase titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles was carried out under supercritical hydrothermal conditions (400 °C and 30 MPa) in a continuous flow apparatus with a residence time of 1.7 s. An industrially useful titanium sulfate (Ti(SO₄)₂) solution was used as the starting solution. KOH was used to change TiO₂ solubility and pH and thereby control the particle size. The apparatus comprised two micromixers operating at high temperature. The first mixer was configured to prepare a supercritical aqueous KOH solution from supercritical water (SC-H₂O) and KOH. The second mixer combined this KOH solution with aqueous Ti(SO₄)₂. In situ pH control and homogeneous nucleation were achieved in the second mixer. This two-step high-temperature micromixing process produced reasonably small and homogeneous particles. The particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) on the basis of morphology, average size, and size distribution, together with the coefficient of variation (CV). Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to determine the crystal structure and crystalline size. The weight loss of material was found through thermogravimetric (TG) measurement. The crystal structure of the product was assigned to the anatase single phase. The average particle size could be adjusted in the range 13–30 nm while maintaining a CV of 0.5 by changing the KOH concentration. At low pH, the powder XRD results for crystallite size were in good agreement with the average particle size measured by TEM, confirming that the products were single crystals of TiO₂ nanoparticles. When the reactor temperature was increased from 400 to 500 °C, the weight loss decreased from 4.5 to 2.5%, keeping the average particle size and high crystallinity of the TiO₂ particles unchanged.     

Radionuclide release to stagnant water in the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant1

After the severe accident at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant, large amounts of contaminated stagnant water have accumulated in turbine buildings and their surroundings. This rapid communication reports calculation of the radionuclide inventory in the core, collection of measured inventory in the stagnant water, and estimation of radionuclide release ratios from the core to the stagnant water. This evaluation is based on data obtained before 3 June 2011. The release ratios of tritium, iodine, and cesium were several tens of percent, whereas those of strontium and barium were smaller by one or two orders of magnitude. The release ratios in the Fukushima accident were equivalent to those in the accident of the Three Mile Island, Unit 2 (TMI-2).     

Amination of n-hexanol in supercritical water

The amination of 1-n-hexanol followed by amidation was carried out in supercritical water at 380, 400, and 420 degrees C and water densities of 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 g/cm3. The replacement of the hydroxyl group with the amino group was found to occur in 1-n-hexanol using ammonium acetate in supercritical water without the addition of a metal or an acid catalyst. The yield of the final product, N-n-hexylacetamide, increased by increasing the reaction temperature, water density, and the amount of ammonium acetate. The yield and the selectivity of N-n-hexylacetamide were 78.5% and 87.5%, respectively, in supercritical water at 400 degrees C, 0.5 g/cm3, for 10 min.     

Volume CAD—CW-complexes based approach

In this paper, we propose a novel shape and physical attribute handling system Volume-CAD designated for practical and robust use in the manufacturing process of various industries. The internal data structure ‘Kitta Cube’ is formalized by CW-complexes. Complex is a structure consisting of different dimensional items with consistency (without gap or overlaps), therefore allowing each volume comprising of a material separated by boundaries to be represented completely. Volume-CAD (VCAD¹) could be called ‘solid and fluid model’, as it goes beyond the solid model. As applications of VCAD, this paper discusses surface simplification of Kitta Cubes, cell labeling (three-dimensional coloring), and multiple-materials situation. These models can be used not only for manufacturing but also throughout the product life cycle from shipment tracking until the end of the product life cycle.     

Engineering study of continuous supercritical hydrothermal method using a T-shaped mixer: Experimental synthesis of NiO nanoparticles and CFD simulation

In the synthesis of metal oxide fine particles by continuous supercritical hydrothermal method, rapid mixing of starting solution with supercritical water is a key factor for producing nanoparticles that have a narrow size distribution. In this paper, continuous hydrothermal synthesis of NiO nanoparticles from Ni(NO₃)₂ aqueous solution at 400 °C and 30 MPa was carried out with T-shaped mixers and the effect of inner diameter, flow rate, and mixing directions on the particle size was examined. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of the mixers was performed to evaluate the heating rate of the starting solution. When the inner diameter of the T-shaped mixer was decreased from 2.3 to 0.3 mm and the flow rate was increased from 30 to 60 g/min, the produced NiO particle size decreased remarkably from 54.3 to 20.1 nm. This trend of the decrease in particle size could be described as a function of the heating rate. The experimental and CFD results showed the detail regions of local heating that correlated with the NiO nanoparticle size.     

Copolymerization of ethylene and cyclopentene with the Phillips CrOx/SiO2 catalyst in the presence of an aluminum alkyl cocatalyst

The Phillips CrO_x/SiO₂ catalyst is an important industrial catalyst for ethylene polymerization. However, understanding of the state of active sites and chain propagation mechanisms concerning the Phillips catalyst is still waiting for conclusive evidence. In this work, the Phillips CrO_x/SiO₂ catalyst, having been calcined, was used for investigating the copolymerization of ethylene and cyclopentene in the presence of triethylaluminum as a cocatalyst for the first time. The microstructures of the polymers were investigated with ¹³C‐NMR and gel permeation chromatography methods. Because of the absence of internal double bond (C?C) in the copolymer main chain, the ring‐opening metathesis polymerization of cyclopentene was excluded during the copolymerization stage of ethylene and cyclopentene. Also, the 1,2‐insertion and 1,3‐insertion of cyclopentene into the polyethylene main chain were confirmed. This evidence strongly implies that Cr?C species may not be the active sites for chain propagation; instead, the Cr? C active site model under the Cossee–Arlman chain propagation mechanism may be responsible for the chain propagation during the normal polymerization period. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Collision-free tool path generation using 2-dimensional C-space for 5-axis control machining

This study deals with the method of collision avoidance in the automatic tool path generation for 5-axis control machining. Five-axis NC machining offers the potential for efficient and accurate machining, but collisions between the tool and surrounding objects are still a severe problem. The method devised in this study avoids collision by producing the direction of collision avoidance, based on the 2-dimensional configuration space (C-space) defined by two parameters which determine the tool attitude. This method allows a test workpiece with overhanging parts to be milled without collisions. As a result, the validity of the method has been experimentally confirmed.