Ultrasound (US) enhances the hydration of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) grains

The water activity (Aw) reduction technique is widely used to preserve different food products, which are further rehydrated in order to be processed or consumed. The food hydration is time-consuming and, thus, a limiting unit operation during process. Therefore, there is an ongoing need to enhance the mass transfer phenomena during processing. The ultrasound technology (US) has been widely studied to improve different mass transfer processes of food. However, there is a lack of knowledge in relation to its application in the hydration process. This work evaluated the hydration process of sorghum seeds, comparing the effect of heating and ultrasound application in order to improve the hydration rate. The sorghum hydration kinetic was described by Peleg Model, whose parameters were evaluated for both processes. The US increased both water uptake rate (related to Peleg k₁ parameter) and equilibrium moisture content (related to Peleg k₂ parameter). The time for reach 90% of the control process equilibrium moisture content was 40% lower when the US was applied. The effect of processing at 53 °C was higher than applying US at the evaluated power, and its limitations were discussed. The effect of combining both ultrasound and heating application was negligible when it was compared to the heated process. The obtained results highlighted that the US technology can be successfully used to optimize the hydration process of grains with directly industrial application.     

Ultrasound assisted hydration of navy beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)

The use of ultrasound to enhance the transport phenomena in food processes has been well recognised in recent times. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of sonication on hydration rate and pasting profile of navy beans. The hydration kinetics for control and ultrasound assisted soaking was mathematically described using mechanistic (Fickian diffusion) and empirical (Peleg’s equation, Weibull model and First Order equation) models. Ultrasound enhanced the rate of hydration which was evident from the plot of kinetic data and model parameters. The effective diffusivities for water transport without and with ultrasound application were estimated to be 1.36 × 10⁻¹⁰ m²/s and 2.19 × 10⁻¹⁰ m²/s respectively, considering Fickian diffusion. The Weibull model was concluded to best predict the hydration kinetics of navy beans in an ultrasonic field. Significant increase in peak viscosity of sonicated bean powder was observed compared to control.     

Epoxy-organoclay nanocomposites: morphology,moisture absorption behavior and thermo-mechanical properties

The morphology and moisture barrier characteristics are studied of epoxy-based nanocomposites reinforced with layered silicates. Two different types of organoclay, including the quaternary alkylamine modified montmorillonite (KH-MT) and the octadecylamine modified montmorillonite (I30P), were studied. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicate that the I30P system exhibited a large increase in interlayer d -spacing from 3.39 mm to over 8 nm during the curing process, whereas the KH-MT system showed negligible changes in reflection angle and d -spacing, with the final interlayer distance of 3.39 nm after cure. The moisture absorption behaviour was different for different organoclays: the moisture absorption rate was similar for the neat polymer and the KH-MT system, which could be fitted to Fick's second law. The moisture absorption rate of the I30P system was much lower than the two systems, which was predicted using a non-Fickian model based on the ID Langmuirian solution. The deviation from the Fickian diffusion for the latter system is associated with exfoliated morphology and more uniform dispersion of clay particles, which altered the diffusion path of water molecules in the nanocomposite. The moisture diffusivity of nanocomposites in general decreased with increasing clay content, the reduction being more pronounced for the I30P system. The normalized permeability also showed a systematic degradation with increasing clay content, which agrees well with the prediction based on the tortuous path model.     

Kinetic modelling of ultrasound-assisted extraction of phenolics from cereal brans

Cereal brans are by‐products of the milling of cereal grains, which are mainly used as low value ingredients in animal feed. Wheat and oat bran is a rich source of bioactives and phytochemicals, especially phenolic compounds. Within this study, the application of ultrasound (US) technology to assist the extraction of phenolics from oat and wheat bran was investigated (20–45 kHz). Peleg’s mathematical model was used to study the kinetics of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and subsequent stirring of total phenolic compounds (TPC). The surface morphology of cereal brans after extraction was studied using SEM analysis. The excellent agreement was determined between the values of TPC calculated from Peleg’s mathematical model and actual experimental results. The constant that represents a time required for the initial phenolic concentration to be extracted to one-half of its initial value has been introduced (K_1/2). It was shown that the TPC extraction kinetics was dependent only on K_1/2 enabling fast kinetics fitting and comparison between extraction rates. Moreover, different values of K_1/2 constant could indicate the differences in brans composition and consequently different influence of US pretreatment on these samples.     

Ratiometric detection of Raman hydration shell spectra

The micro‐structure of hydration shell of solute in water is significant for understanding the properties of aqueous solutions. However the spectra of hydration shell are difficult to be obtained. Herein, a novel Raman ratio spectra, which is obtained through dividing the Raman spectra of aqueous solutions from the spectrum of water, was applied to deduce the spectra of hydration shell of organic (acetone‐D6) and inorganic compounds (NaNO₃, NaSCN, NaClO₄, Na₂SO₄, NaCl) in water. Those spectra of the hydration shell were employed to study the micro‐structures of the first hydration shells of anions, the number of water molecules in the first hydration shell of free anions and acetone‐D6, and the aggregation behavior of ions in the concentrated aqueous NaNO₃. The number of water molecules in the hydration shell was supported by our molecular dynamic simulations. The Raman ratio spectra can be widely employed to obtain the spectra of the first hydration shell, and it is helpful to understand the micro‐structure of aqueous solutions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synergistic effect of probe sonication and ionic liquid for extraction of phenolic acids from oak galls

Phenolic acids of oak gall were extracted using ultrasonic-probe assisted extraction (UPAE) method in the presence of ionic liquid. It was compared with classical ultrasonic-bath assisted extraction (CUBAE) and conventional aqueous extraction (CAE) method, with and without the presence of ionic liquid. Remarkably, the UPAE method yielded two-fold higher extraction yield with the presence of ionic liquid, resulting 481.04 mg/g for gallic acids (GA) and 2287.90 mg/g for tannic acids (TA), while a decreased value of 130.36 mg/g for GA and 1556.26 mg/g for TA were resulted with the absence of ionic liquid. Intensification process resulted the highest yield of 497.34 mg/g and 2430.48 mg/g for GA and TA, respectively, extracted at temperature 50 °C with sonication intensity of 8.66 W/cm² and 10% duty cycle, diluted in ionic liquid, 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, [Bmim][Tf₂N] at concentration of 0.10 M with sample-to-solvent ratio 1:10 for 8 h. Peleg’s model successfully predicted the UPAE process confirming that extraction capacity is the controlling factor in extracting phenolic acids. Hence, it can be concluded that UPAE method and ionic liquid have synergistic effect as it effectively enhanced the extraction efficiency to increase the bioactive constituents yield.     

(MS)SM‐like models on smooth Calabi‐Yau manifolds from all three heterotic string theories

We perform model searches on smooth Calabi‐Yau compactifications for both the supersymmetric E₈ × E₈ and SO(32) as well as for the non‐supersymmetric SO(16) × SO(16) heterotic strings simultaneously. We consider line bundle backgrounds on both favorable CICYs with relatively small h₁₁ and the Schoen manifold. Using Gram matrices we systematically analyze the combined consequences of the Bianchi identities and the tree‐level Donaldson‐Uhlenbeck‐Yau equations inside the Kähler cone. In order to evaluate the model building potential of the three heterotic theories on the various geometries, we perform computer‐aided scans. We have generated a large number of GUT‐like models (up to over a few hundred thousand on the various geometries for the three heterotic theories) which become (MS)SM‐like upon using a freely acting Wilson line. For all three heterotic theories we present tables and figures summarizing the potentially phenomenologically interesting models which were obtained during our model scans.     

A NMR study of the hydration of sulfo and carboxyl groups in perfluorinated cation exchange membranes

The mobility of the polymer matrix and the structure of the hydration complex in the acid forms of perfluorinated ion exchange membranes MF-4SK and F-4KF depending on moisture content were studied by ¹H, ¹³C, and ¹⁹F solid-state high-resolution NMR. A correlation between an increase in mobility of separate polymer matrix segments under hydration conditions and their hydrophilic properties was observed. Carboxyl groups in F-4KF membranes were shown to exist as dimers C(OOH)₂C, and the main hydrated complex form in MF-4SK membrane under low moisture content conditions was the hydroxonium ion H₅O₂⁺.     

Mass relaxation vs. electrical conductivity relaxation of a proton conducting oxide upon hydration and dehydration

Hydration or dehydration of a proton conducting oxide has been understood to be due to chemical diffusion of H₂O. Hence, mass relaxation of the oxide has often been employed to determine the chemical diffusivity and saturation solubility of H₂O. This paper shows that this approach is not correct. Applying thermogravimetric methods at 973 and 1073 K to BaCe_0.95Yb_0.05O_2.975 as model system, the mass relaxes twofold (i.e., with two different chemical diffusivities for H and O) like the electrical conductivity, but monotonically unlike the conductivity which relaxes non-monotonically. The correlation of the mass relaxation with the conductivity relaxation is established. The closed-form solution for the mass relaxation is presented in comparison with that for the conductivity relaxation and its implication is discussed in connection to water saturation.     

The influence of semiconducting properties of passive films on the cavitation erosion resistance of a NbN nanoceramic coating

To alleviate the cavitation damage of metallic engineering components in hydrodynamic systems operating in marine environments, a NbN nanoceramic coating was synthesized on to a Ti-6Al-4V substrate via a double cathode glow discharge technique. The microstructure of the coating consisted of a ~13 μm thick deposition layer of a hexagonal δ′-NbN phase and a diffusion layer ~2 μm in thickness composed of face-centered cubic (fcc) B1-NaCl–structured (Ti,Nb)N. The NbN coating not only exhibited higher values of H/E and H²/E than those measured from NbN coatings deposited by other techniques, but also possessed good adhesion to the substrate. The cavitation erosion resistance of the NbN coating in a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution was investigated using an ultrasonic cavitation-induced apparatus combined with a range of electrochemical test methods. Potentiodynamic polarization measurements demonstrated that the NbN coated specimens demonstrated both a higher corrosion potential (E_corr) and lower corrosion current density (i_corr) than the uncoated substrate. Mott-Schottky analysis, combined with the point defect model (PDM), revealed that, for a given cavitation time, the donor density (N_D) of the passive film on the NbN coating was reduced by 1 ~ 2 orders of magnitude relative to the uncoated Ti-6Al-4V, and the diffusivity of the point defects (D₀) in the passive film grown on the NbN coating was nearly one order of magnitude lower than that on the uncoated substrate. In order to better understand the experimental observations obtained from Mott-Schottky analysis and double-charge layer capacitance measurements, first-principles density-functional theory was employed to calculate the energy of vacancy formation and the adsorption energy for chloride ions for the passive films present on both the NbN coating and bare Ti-6Al-4V.     

Mechanical damage and thermal effect induced by ultrasonic treatment in olive leaf tissue. Impact on polyphenols recovery

The influence of ultrasound treatment (US) on cellular damage of olive leaf tissue was studied. Mechanical damage and thermal effect of US were characterized. The level of tissue damage was defined by the diffusivity disintegration index Z_D based on the diffusivity of solutes extracted from olive leaves differently treated. The Arrhenius form using the temperature dependences of the thermal treatment time within the temperature interval 20–90 °C was observed for the thermal process. The corresponding activation energy ΔUT was estimated as 57 kJ/mol. The temperature dependences of electrical conductivity were measured for extracts of intact and maximally treated olive leaves. Then the diffusivity disintegration index Z_D and total phenolic compounds recovery for three studied US powers were calculated (100, 200, and 400 W). The results evidenced that the mechanically stimulated damage in olive leaf tissue can occur even at a low US power of 100 W if treatment time is long enough (t = 3.5 h). The US treatment noticeably accelerated the diffusion process mechanically in addition to its thermal effect. Trials in aqueous solution revealed the dependence of polyphenols extraction on damage level with respect to the US power applied.     

Thermal diffusivity measurement of YBa2Cu3O7−x thin film with a picosecond thermoreflectance technique

The thermal diffusivity of YBa₂Cu₃O_7?x (YBCO) film was measured using the optical pump–probe method. A theoretical finite-difference model was employed to calculate the diffusivity value, and the best fit for the c-axis oriented YBCO film showed an average thermal diffusivity of 0.25 ± 0.05 mm² s^?1. The obtained result is compared to previous reports measured using various methods.     

Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) drying of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)

The drying rate and germination parameters of rapeseeds (PF variety) treated by a high-voltage electrostatic field (HVEF) were investigated. The experiment was laid out as a factorial arrangement based on a completely randomized design with three replications. The results showed that the electrostatic field had a significant effect (P < 0.01) on decreasing rapeseed moisture content. Average drying rate for 8, 9, and 10 kV electrostatic fields over a time of 270 min increased by 1.78, 2.11, and 2.47 times, respectively, compared with that of the control. Drying rate increased with increasing voltage. Moreover, the results obtained from the germination experiment showed that the EHD had significant effects on the stemlet and radicle lengths of the rapeseed sprouts compared to that of the control. No significant effects were observed on the seed germination percentage and speed.     

Ultrasound-assisted hydration of finger millet (Eleusine Coracana) and its effects on starch isolates and antinutrients

Finger millet (Eleusine Coracana) is rich in nutrients and minerals. The iron and calcium contents are comparatively higher than other cereal crops. Finger millet also has some antinutrients such as tannins and phytates, that needs to be removed for maximum health benefits. Traditionally, these antinutrients are removed by the hydration process. The conventional hydration process is time cumbersome and often results in poor quality grains. Ultrasonication during hydration of finger millet could reduce the processing time and antinutrient content in finger millet. The ultrasound amplitude, treatment time, and grain to water ratio during hydration were optimized. An ultrasound amplitude of 66%, treatment time of 26 min, and a grain to water ratio of 1:3 resulted in best desirability parameters with a reduction in phytate and tannin contents of the finger millet by 66.98 and 62.83%, respectively. Ultrasonication during hydration increased the water binding capacity and solubility of the finger millet starch. XRD study of the starch isolates confirmed the increased crystallinity of the particles. FESEM of the starch isolates also confirmed that ultrasound-assisted hydration of finger millet resulted in the desired size reduction and homogeneous distribution of starch particles. The optimized ultrasound-assisted hydration could be adopted and scaled up for bulk processing of finger millets.     

Is the hydration number of a non-electrolyte additive with length and constituents of the solute molecule?

Sound velocity and density were measured at 298.15 K in a number of very diluted aqueous solutions of simple non-electrolytes: alcohols, amines and acids. From these data the adiabatic compressibilities were calculated, and further the hydration numbers of solutes using the Passynski formula. It was found that all the homologous series under investigation exhibit linear concentration dependence of compressibility – and, consequently, that of the hydration numbers – up to concentrations of ca. 0.01 mole fraction or more. The slopes of these dependences are decreasing and n_h's are increasing with the molecular mass of the solute. This observation suggests that hydration numbers n_h are additive with the constituents of the molecule. Moreover, it would also imply the conclusion that local loss in compressibility of water solvent caused by hydration is very short in distance. To test the above assumption the hydration numbers were calculated using partial hydration numbers (i.e. those assigned to specific functional groups of the solute molecules), the latter are fitted parameters. The obtained values of partial n_h's are ca. 0.5 for –OH group, ca. 1.15 for –COOH and –NH₂ and from 0.5 to ca. 1.3 for hydrocarbon elements of the hydrophobic chain (–CH₂– and –CH₃ groups). The obtained total n_h's are surprisingly close to the experimentally obtained hydration numbers. There are, however, systems where differences between calculated and experimental n_h's are exceeding the experimental uncertainty; they are amino acids and diols, particularly α, ω-diols. The reasons are, most possibly, interaction of the hydration shells of the hydroxyl groups in the latter case and formation of two charged sites in the zwitterionic form of the former ones.     

Peroxide-based route assisted with inverse microemulsion process to well-dispersed Bi<Subscript>4</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>12</Subscript> nanocrystals

Well-dispersed bismuth titanate (BIT) nanocrystals with an average size ranged from 3 to 60 nm were synthesized via a peroxide-based route assisted with an inverse microemulsion process. The crystallite size and lattice parameter of BIT upon variable-temperature were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The particle size was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Thermal decomposition behaviour of Ti-peroxy and BIT gel and crystallization kinetics of BIT nanocrystals were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry/thermogravimetry (DSC/TG) and Fourier-Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Analysis of nonisothermal DSC data yielded a value of 220.84 ± 2.73 KJ/mol and 2.25 ± 0.26 for the activation energy of crystallization (E _a) and the Avrami exponent (n), respectively.     

Enzymolysis kinetics,thermodynamics and model of porcine cerebral protein with single-frequency countercurrent and pulsed ultrasound-assisted processing

The present work investigated the enzymolysis kinetics, thermodynamics and model of porcine cerebral protein (PCP) which was pretreated by single-frequency countercurrent and pulsed ultrasound. The kinetic constants for ultrasonic pretreated and traditional enzymolysis have been determined. Results showed that the value of K_M in ultrasonic PCP (UPCP) enzymolysis decreased by 9% over that in the traditional enzymolysis. The values of reaction rate constant (k) for UPCP enzymolysis increased by 207%, 121%, 62%, and 45% at 293, 303, 313 and 323 K, respectively. For the thermodynamic parameters, ultrasound decreased activation energy (E_a), change in enthalpy (ΔH) and entropy (ΔS) by 76%, 82% and 31% in PCP, respectively. However, ultrasound had little change in Gibbs free energy (ΔG) value in the temperature range of 293–323 K. Therefore, a general kinetic equation for the enzymolysis model of UPCP by a simple empirical equation was suggested. The experimental values fits with the enzymolysis kinetic model with a low average relative error (4%) confirmed that the kinetic model was accurate to reflect the enzymolysis process. The positive effect of single-frequency countercurrent and pulsed ultrasound in this study and application of the kinetic model may be useful for the release of bioactive peptides from meat processing by-products.     

Experimental and predictive study on the performance and energy consumption characteristics for the regeneration of activated alumina assisted by ultrasound

Activated alumina used in dehumidification should be regenerated at more than 110 °C temperature, resulting in excessive energy consumption. Comparative experiments were conducted to study the feasibility and performance of ultrasonic assisted regeneration so as to lower the regeneration temperature and raise the efficiency. The mean regeneration speed, regeneration degree, and enhanced rate were used to evaluate the contribution of ultrasound in regeneration. The effective moisture diffusivity and desorption apparent activation energy were calculated by theoretical models, revealed the enhanced mechanism caused by ultrasound. Also, we proposed some specific indexes such as unit energy consumption and energy-saving ratio to assess the energy-saving characteristics of this process. The unit energy consumption was predicted by artificial neural network (ANN), and the recovered moisture adsorption of activated alumina was measured by the dynamic adsorption test. Our analysis illustrates that the introduction of power ultrasound in the process of regeneration can reduce the unit energy consumption and improve the recovered moisture adsorption, the unit energy consumption was decreased by 68.69% and the recovered moisture adsorption was improved by 16.7% under 180 W power ultrasound compared with non-ultrasonic assisted regeneration at 70 °C when initial moisture adsorption was 30%. Meanwhile, an optimal regeneration condition around the turning point could be obtained according to the predictive results of ANN, which can minimize the unit energy consumption. Moreover, it was found that a larger specific surface area of activated alumina induced by ultrasound contributed to a better recovered moisture adsorption.     

Thermally stimulated current of solid pullulan

Thermally stimulated current (TSC) experiments have been performed on pullulan films in order to clarify the relation between the chemical structure and dielectric properties. These complex modes have been experimentally resolved into “elementary” processes characterized by relaxation times obeying Arrhenius equations: The corresponding activation energies, E_i have been measured.

For the peak at +50°C: 0.63 < E_i < 1.1 eV. This mode has been attributed to motions of water molecules introduced during the hydration of the sample. For the peak at ?50°C: 0.45 < E_i < 0.51 eV. This mode, which is also strongly dependent upon the water content of the sample, may be related to bound water. In slightly hydrated samples, the magnitude of the peak observed at ?130°C is not affected by moisture. Regarding the values of activation energies—0.16 eV to 0.35 eV—the rotation of methylol groups at C₅ is considered to be responsible for this process. A comparison with global spectra for amylose and dextran is made also, and the assumption is confirmed.     

Effect of hydrodynamic disintegration on the solubilisation and bioavailability of thickened excess sludge

The main objective of the study was the verification whether conducting the hydrodynamic disintegration (HD) of thickened excess sludge (TES) before the anaerobic hydrolysis (AH) can cause an increase in the efficiency of the hydrolysis process, and therefore a reduction in its duration, or allow for complete omission of the stage before the anaerobic digestion (AD). For this purpose, the HD (conducted in five levels of energy density (E_L): 140, 280, 420, 560 and 700 kJ/L) of TES was carried out, and then all sludges (before and after disintegration) were subjected to the AH. The obtained results confirmed that the process of HD can be an effective method of increasing the solubilisation and bioavailability of TES. In the process of HD, the maximum increase in ΔVFA (308–428 mg VFA/L), was reported when E_L was increased from 140 to 280 kJ/L (the solubilisation degree increased from approximately 2 to 8%). The obtained results also showed that the ΔSTN and ΔSTP were related to solubilisation degree. The most intensive increase in the ΔSTN was determined for solubilisation degree in a range of 15–20%. In the case of ΔSTP, constant intensity of release of the compounds to the sludge liquid was observed. The obtained results also confirmed that conducting the process of AH of disintegrated TES proved to change the SCOD value when contrasted with the value of this indicator at the start of the experiment (before hydrolysis): (i) the E_L equal to 140 and 280 kJ/L allowed for a higher SCOD value; (ii) at E_L higher or equal to 560 kJ/L it caused a decrease in the SCOD value.