Preparation and characterization of porous and electrically conducting carbon-clay composites

Porous and electrically conducting carbon-clay composites were prepared by firing mixtures of carbon powder (0 to 20 wt%) and clay minerals. They showed porosity of 50 to 65% and had high mechanical strength (compressive strength = 130 to 400 kg cm^–2) as well as high resistance against thermal oxidation in air. Their electrical conductivity, , increased with increasing carbon content levelling off at about 20 wt% of carbon content to give a value of about 2 S cm^–1. Formation of carbon chains is considered to be responsible for the electrical conduction in the composite, and a model to correlate the electrical conductivity with the carbon content has been proposed by modifying a model previously proposed by Scarisbrick.     

Crystallization of potassium titanate from the amorphous phase

By using amorphous potassium titanates as the starting materials, a sintered body of K₂Ti₄O₉ or K₂Ti₆O₁₃ with porous and fibrous textures was prepared. K₂Ti₂O₅ and a new phase, K₆Ti₄O₁₁ were synthesized by the thermal reaction of KNO₃ with TiO₂ at 1000° C for 10 to 20 h. On leaching in water to expel excess of potassium ions, both phases became amorphous. After mixing and moulding these amorphous materials in the desired proportion, a sintered body containing fibrous crystals of K₂Ti₄O₉ was readily fabricated by heating at 1000° C for 12 h. When 5 wt % B₂O₃ was added to the amorphous phases, single phase K₂Ti₆O₁₃, with a fibrous texture grew well on heating at 1000° C for 12 h. Addition of PVA polymer to the amorphous phases was responsible for controlling the porosity of the sintered body, e.g. about 52% theoretical density at 20 wt% PVA polymer. The optimum conditions for preparing the amorphous phases were systematically examined and the effect of the chemical reaction environments, such as different crucible materials on the calcination of KNO₃ and TiO₂ were also discussed.     

铝合金局部加压凝固及流动数值模拟的研究

局部加压方法是压铸中用于消除铸件厚壁处缩孔缺陷的一种新工艺.本研究通过实验模型测量了不同加压条件下铸件的冷却曲线,分析了局部加压引起的凝固变化.考虑局部加压引起的补缩流动,通过适时修改网格文件、初始和边界条件的方法,模拟了局部加压过程中铝合金的凝固及流动变化,并与实验结果进行了对比,二者基本吻合.     

Alzheimer’s Disease Animal Models: Elucidation of Biomarkers and Therapeutic Approaches for Cognitive Impairment

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an age-related and progressive neurodegenerative disorder. It is widely accepted that AD is mainly caused by the accumulation of extracellular amyloid β (Aβ) and intracellular neurofibrillary tau tangles. Aβ begins to accumulate years before the onset of cognitive impairment, suggesting that the benefit of currently available interventions would be greater if they were initiated in the early phases of AD. To understand the mechanisms of AD pathogenesis, various transgenic mouse models with an accelerated accumulation of Aβ and tau tangles have been developed. However, none of these models exhibit all pathologies present in human AD. To overcome these undesirable phenotypes, APP knock-in mice, which were presented with touchscreen-based tasks, were developed to better evaluate the efficacy of candidate therapeutics in mouse models of early-stage AD. This review assesses several AD mouse models from the aspect of biomarkers and cognitive impairment and discusses their potential as tools to provide novel AD therapeutic approaches.     

Net shape formation of sub-micron alumina with reduced flaws by high-speed centrifugal compaction process

A new compacting method for powder materials is presented. High-Speed Centrifugal Compaction Process (HCP) utilizes centrifugal force of about 10,000 g for the compaction. HCP is suitable for net shape compaction of fine sub-micron and nano-powders. HCP possesses a unique compacting mechanism that is different from other colloidal processes including Pressure Casting (PC), and has a number of useful characteristics. HCP has a higher compacting speed than PC, wide applicability for net shape formation, as well as a defect removing function. Because of homogeneous and flawless green microstructure, HCP alumina shows superior sinterability and higher strength and hardness than most of other aluminas. This article is based on a presentation made in the symposium “The 3rd KIM-JIM Joint Symposium on Advanced Powder Materials“, held at Korea University, Seoul, Korea, October 26–27, 2001 under auspices of The Korean Institute of Metals and Materials and The Japan Institute of Metals.     

Carbonization of coals to produce anisotropic cokes. 1. Modifying activities of some additives in the co-carbonization of low-rank coals

Using low-rank coals, the modifying activities of some petroleum, coal tar and aromatic hydrocarbon additives have been examined to find procedures for their utilization in the preparation of blast furnace coke. Petroleum pitch, especially after hydrogenation, exhibited excellent modifying activity even with non-fusible coals. In contrast, the activity of coal tar was very limited with such coals. The napththenic component, revealed by n.m.r. of the additives, appears to be important in the co-carbonization by inducing fusibility and anisotropic development in such coals. Co-carbonization to recover the dehydrogenated additives was attempted. However, there was no development of the anisotropy in the resultant coke by dissolution of the coal particles although the coal particles were firmly fixed in the matrix. Acid-refluxing treatment of non-fusible coals was found to enhance their modification susceptibility, indicating that some of the acid-soluble mineral matter is important in the thermal depolymerization or fusion process of the coal.     

In Situ Observation of Phase Separation of a Barium Borate Melt in a Stable Immiscibility Region under Microgravity

The precipitation of droplets was directly observed on a BaO–B₂O₃ melt in a drop shaft experiment. This is the first time that precipitation of droplets has been observed in a 4.5 s drop test. The melt film of 4BaOz96B₂O₃ (mol%) held on a platinum wire loop was heated above the critical tem-perature to produce uniformity and was cooled down to the phase separation temperature range. Phase separation of the melt was observed directly with a video camera. The IR image of the melt was simultaneously detected with a CCD array and was converted into a two-dimensional thermograph.     

The effect of the framework structure on the chemical properties of the vanadium oxide species incorporated within zeolites

V-silicalite catalysts (VS-1 and VS-2) prepared by hydrothermal synthesis have been studied by ESR, XAFS (XANES and EXAFS) and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The in situ characterization of these V-silicalites shows that vanadium is present within the zeolitic framework as a highly dispersed tetrahedrally coordinated V-oxides, VO₄ unit, having a short V=O bond length. Photoluminescence spectroscopy in static and dynamic mode, as well as XAFS studies allow to detect in the V-silicalites different V species than that present in V-HMS or V/SiO₂, in terms of V=O bond length, vibrational energy, bond angle and lifetime of the excited triplet state. It is suggested that the combined contribution of the neighboring Si---OH group attached to the VO₄ unit and the zeolitic rigid framework structure of V-silicalites cause a more significant and pronounced effect on the chemical properties of the VO₄ unit than the flexible structure of V-HMS or V/SiO₂. Moreover, the dynamic quenching of the phosphorescence by the addition of reactant molecules such as NO or propane indicates that the V species in the excited triplet state can be expected to be the active sites for the photocatalytic reactions.     

Comparison of coal hydroliquefaction catalysed by ZnCl2-MCln (CuCl,CrCl3 and MoCl5) and ZnCl2 melts

Hydrogenation of four bituminous coals impregnated with 5 wt% of either mixtures of ZnCl₂-MCl_n (CuCl, CrCl₃ and MoCl₅) systems or ZnCl₂ was carried out using a batch autoclave system at 400° for 3 h at 9.8 MPa of initial hydrogen pressure. The ZnCl₂-MoCl₅ system showed the highest yield of the hexane-soluble (HS) fraction compared with the other systems irrespective of the coal used. The difference between the yields of HS fractions using the ZnCl₂-MoCl₅ and other systems was most marked for coals of fairly low volatile matter content, though the conversion was relatively low (47–66%), whilst for coals of high volatile matter content HS yields with the binary melt systems were high (86–91% conversion). Elemental analyses of the HS fractions indicated that the ZnCl₂-MoCl₅ system is most favourable in decreasing the average molecular weight and the heteroatom content of HS, this characteristic trend being confirmed also with five HS fractions separated by Chromatographic techniques. Both elemental analyses and molecular weights of asphaltene (benzene-soluble materials, BS) indicated that the ZnCl₂-MoCl₅ system is also most effective in cracking coal structure.     

Phase structure in the blend of atactic poly(vinyl alcohol) with atactic poly(vinyl alcohol‐block‐vinyl acetate)

An almost fully saponified atactic poly(vinyl alcohol) and an atactic poly(vinyl alcohol‐block‐vinyl acetate) of which degree of saponification is 89 mol % were blended by a solution casting method. The phase structure of the blend film was analyzed by optical microscopy, ¹³C‐NMR, and differential scanning calorimetry. The most remarkable structure of the blend was composed of cylindrical domains penetrating the film. The swelling behavior of the blend films was also investigated in the dimethylsulfoxide and water mixed solvents to find differences in solubility and diffusion behavior between the matrix and the domain. The cylindrical domains could be selectively dissolved away in water and the film became porous. We tried to change the size of the cylindrical domain with various film preparation conditions. This aimed to turn the film into the useful filter membrane. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 86: 1807–1815, 2002