Synergistic effect of 2-mercapto benzimidazole and KI on copper corrosion inhibition in aerated sulfuric acid solution

2-Mercapto benzimidazole (MBI) was used as a copper corrosion inhibitor in aerated 0.5 mol L^–1 H₂SO₄ solutions. The inhibition efficiency (IE) increased with increasing MBI concentration to 74.2% at the 1 mM level. A synergistic effect existed when MBI and iodide ions were used together to prevent copper corrosion in sulfuric acid. It was found that IE reached 95.3% in 0.5 mol L^–1 H₂SO₄ solutions containing 0.75 mmol L^–1 MBI and 0.25 mmol L^–1 KI. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis of the copper samples showed that a (Cu⁺MBI) complex film formed on the surface to inhibit the copper corrosion and the iodide ions did not participate in the formation of the inhibitor film. The synergistic effect was attributed to the adsorption of iodide anions on the copper surface, which then facilitated the adsorption of protonated MBI and the formation of an inhibitive film.     

Preparation and properties of composite particles made by nano zinc oxide coated with titanium dioxide

In this paper, composite particles of nano zinc oxide coated with titanium dioxide were prepared and characterized by TEM, XRD, XPS and FT-IR, and the properties of the composite particles for photo catalysis and light absorption were studied. Tetrabutyl titanate (TBT) was hydrolyzed in an alcoholic suspension of nano zinc oxide with diethanolamine (DEA) as an additive, resulting in a film with a thickness of 20–30 nm being coated on the surface of nano zinc oxide, and the composite particles contained ZnTiO₃ after drying and calcination. Photocatalysis capabilities of the composite particles for the degradation of phenol in an aqueous solution were greatly improved as compared with nano zinc oxide particles before coating, with pure nano ZnO and nano TiO₂ with similar average sizes, or with the mixture of nano ZnO and TiO₂ with the similar composition as the composite particles. The light absorption scope of the composite particles was enlarged when compared to nano titanium dioxide with same average size.     

Influences of denucleation on contact force of facet joints under whole body vibration

To investigate the influence of the injured disc, frequency, load and damping on the facet contact forces of the low lumbar spine on the condition of whole body vibration, a detailed 3-D nonlinear finite element model was created based on the actual geometrical data of embalmed vertebrae of lumbar spine. The denucleation and facetectomy, together with removal of the capsular ligaments was employed to mimic the injury conditions of lumbar spine after surgery. The compression cyclic force was assumed to mimic the dynamic loads of transport vehicles. The results show that the high frequency vibration might increase both of the value and the vibration amplitude of facet contact forces of the lumbar spine under whole body vibration. The nucleus removal may increase significantly the facet contact forces. Although damping can decrease the vibration amplitude of facet contact forces for intact models, it has less effect on the vibration amplitude of facet contact force for the denucleated models. The denucleation of intervertebral discs is more harmful to the facet articulation on the condition of whole body vibration.     

Fast numerical method for electromagnetic scattering from an object above a large-scale layered rough surface at large incident angle: vertical polarization

A fast numerical method has been proposed in this paper for calculating the electromagnetic scattering from a perfectly electric conducting object above a two-layered dielectric rough surface. The focus in this study is large incidence. The parallel fast multipole method is combined with the method of moments for fast implementation of the scattering from this composite model. The biconjugate gradient method is adopted to solve the unsymmetrical matrix equation and parallelized. The simulating time and parallel speedup ratio with different processors are provided. Several numerical results are shown and analyzed to discuss the influences of the parameters of the rough surface, the object, and the intermediate medium on the bistatic scattering.     

Selective permeation of moisture and VOCs through polymer membranes used in total heat exchangers for indoor air ventilation

Fresh air ventilation is central to indoor environmental control. Total heat exchangers can be key equipment for energy conservation in ventilation. Membranes have been used for total heat exchangers for more than a decade. Much effort has been spent to achieve water vapor permeability of various membranes; however, relatively little attention has been paid to the selectivity of moisture compared with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) through such membranes. In this investigation, the most commonly used membranes, both hydrophilic and hydrophobic ones, are tested for their permeability for moisture and five VOCs (acetic acid, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, toluene, and ethane). The selectivity of moisture vs. VOCs in these membranes is then evaluated. With a solution-diffusion model, the solubility and diffusivity of moisture and VOCs in these membranes are calculated. The resulting data could provide some reference for future material selection. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Total heat exchangers are important equipment for fresh air ventilation with energy conservation. However, their implications for indoor air quality in terms of volatile organic compound permeation have not been known. The data in this article help us to clarify the impacts on indoor VOC levels of membrane-based heat exchangers. Guidelines for material selection can be obtained for future use total heat exchangers for building ventilation.