A New Method for Flood Routing Utilizing Four-Parameter Nonlinear Muskingum and Shark Algorithm

Water Resources Management - Considering the great importance of flood prediction, flood routing based on Shark Algorithm (SA) and Four-Parameter Nonlinear Muskingum (FPNM) has been proposed in the...     

Sonochemical Synthesis,Characterization and Sonocatalytic Performance of Terbium-Doped CdS Nanoparticles

Terbium-doped cadmium sulfide nanoparticles with different terbium contents were successfully synthesized via sonochemical route. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, photoelectron X-ray spectroscopy, and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy techniques. The as-prepared nanocatalyst were used for sonocatalytic degradation of Methylene Blue. Among the different amounts of dopant, 8 % Tb-doped CdS showed the highest sonocatalytic activity. The order of inhibitory effect of radical scavengers was 1, 4 Benzoquinone > SO₃ ^2? > CO₂ ^3?> I^?. The effects of various parameters such as initial dye concentration, catalyst loading, ultrasonic power, and the presence of radical scavengers were investigated.     

The analysis of severely deformed pure Fe structure aided by X-ray diffraction profile

Pure Fe was severely deformed by a combination of shaped cold rolling and cold drawing. X-ray diffraction profiles analysis was applied in accordance with the Williamson-Hall (WH) and modified Williamson-Hall (MWH) methods to identify crystallite sizes of the deformed specimens. It was found that some differences exist between the results of WH and MWH procedures using the hkl dependent Young’s modulus or considering the average dislocation contrast factor. The latter method is more accurate and enables the determination of the character of dislocations in plastically deformed Fe. It was shown that by increasing deformation strain, the screw dislocations dominated. The enhancement of hardness occurs in the deformed Fe due to grain refinement, dislocation accumulation and deformation-induced vacancies.     

The Impact of Climate Change on Hydro-Meteorological Droughts Using Copula Functions

Climate change has made many alterations to the climate of earth, including hydro-climatic extreme events. To investigate the impact of climate change on hydro-meteorological droughts in the Kamal-Saleh dam basin in Markazi province, Iran, proportional to future climate conditions, a new and comprehensive index was developed with the aim of accurately estimating drought in a more realistic condition. This aggregate drought index (ADI) represented the main meteorological and hydrological characteristics of drought. Temperature and precipitation projections for future climates were simulated by five CMIP5 models and downscaled over the study area during 2050s (2040–2069) and 2080s (2070–2099) relative to the baseline period (1976–2005). By fitting five univariate distribution functions on drought severity and duration, proper marginal distributions were selected. The joint distribution of drought severity and duration was chosen from five types of copula functions. The results revealed that in future, severe droughts are expected to frequently occur in a shorter period.

     

Predictive model for the frictional characteristics of woven fabrics optimized by the genetic algorithm

Surface friction of fabrics is one of the prominent tactile properties which influence the comfort and application of clothes. In this paper, a new approach is proposed to characterize the surface friction of woven fabrics by presenting a model based on fabric structural parameters. The model coefficients are optimized with the aid of the genetic algorithm, using the experimental friction results obtained from the multi-directional tactile sensing mechanism. The model is developed using the properties of 25 groups of woven fabrics consisting of 5 various weave structures and 5 different weft densities, with similar fibre composition. The statistical analysis of Friction results clarified that the effect of fabric structural parameters such as weave structure and weft density is significant in the confidence range of 95%. The importance of proposing the friction model is that the frictional properties of woven fabrics can be estimated by considering the structural parameters of woven fabrics. This model can be utilized for the forecasting of the friction resistance of various types of woven fabrics without experimental testing procedures.     

Acoustic Detection of Phase Transitions at the Nanoscale

Materials near structural phase transitions find applications in a wide range of devices. Typically, phase transitions are determined macroscopically through measurements of relevant order parameters and related property coefficients. Here, a method for understanding electric field induced phase transitions in ferroelectrically active materials at the nanometer scale via acoustic detection with band‐excitation piezoresponse force microscopy (BE‐PFM) is introduced. Specifically, the field‐induced rhombohedral (R) to tetragonal (T) phase transition in single crystal 0.72PbMg_1/3Nb_2/3O₃‐0.28PbTiO₃ (PMN‐PT) is mapped. It is shown that due to sample heterogeneity, some regions are more prone to the R–T transition, and display signatures in the acquired piezoresponse loops, as well as pronounced softening in the elastic modulus (monitored via the resonant frequency and calibrated with models of cantilever dynamics) that occurs just prior to phase switching. Landau–Devonshire thermodynamic theory confirms the stability of the tetragonal phase under applied fields in PMN‐PT, while phase‐field modeling suggests that the transition evolves smoothly in the probed volume of the tip, both in agreement with the BE‐PFM results. These results confirm the validity and utility of utilizing acoustic changes at phase transitions to detect their onset in nanoscale probed volumes, allowing spatial mapping of their onset with unprecedented resolution.     

Novel porous organic triazine‐based polyimide with high nitrogen levels for highly efficient removal of Ni(II) from aqueous solution

In this study, a porous organic triazine‐based polyimide (PPI network) was prepared from 2,4,6‐tris(hydrazino)‐s‐triazine and 3,4,9,10‐perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride. TGA, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission SEM, XRD and a nitrogen sorption study confirmed the PPI network structure. Then, the synthesized PPI network was used to evaluate Ni²⁺ ion removal from aqueous solution and the effective parameters on adsorption functions of Ni²⁺ ions such as initial concentration, contact time and pH of the solution in batch adsorption experiments was studied. The results showed that the maximum adsorption capacity (q_m) of Ni²⁺ ions was 36.1 mg g^?1 in only 30 min with a pH of 7. The kinetics and adsorption isotherm were identified to be better fitted by the pseudo‐second‐order model and the Langmuir model, respectively. Based on the results, the proposed adsorbent has good potential for removing Ni²⁺ ions from aqueous solutions. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

Experimental and Theoretical Determination of the Antioxidant Properties of Aromatic Monoterpenes of Thymol and 2,5,6-Trifluorothymol

The objective of this research was to conduct an experimental and theoretical investigation into the antioxidant properties of thymol and 2,5,6-trifluorothymol. Calculations based on the density functional theory were performed using the B3LYP exchange-correlation functional and the 6-311G(d,p) standard basis set to determine the carbon-fluorine bond dissociation enthalpy of 2,5,6-trifluorothymol and thymol in the gas phase and in solution in water and in methanol. Computed delta binding dissociation energies and delta ionization potential values of theoretical 2,5,6-trifluorothymol, test of total phenolics, and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay allowed the authors to conclude that both thymol and 2,5,6-trifluorothymol have a protective antioxidant action.     

Experimental investigation of a bridge girder made of steel tube filled with concrete

An experimental investigation was carried out in an effort to comprehend the behavior of a bridge girder consisting of a steel tube filled with reinforced concrete and made composite with an overlying concrete deck. The experimental investigation also provided information for assessing various erection scenarios using such a system in bridge construction. The investigation consisted of designing and constructing a test specimen and loading it to collapse.A moment curvature analysis was used to predict the ultimate capacity of the system. This approach was able to predict the observed test behavior with good accuracy. The test specimen showed good ductility and maintained its strength up to the end of the test. Results of this investigation demonstrated the potential for using a concrete filled tube as a bridge girder.     

Time-dependent properties of graphene nanoplatelets reinforced high-density polyethylene

The deformation of polymers at constant applied stress is one of their major drawbacks, limiting their use in advanced applications. The study of this property using classical techniques requires extensive testing over long periods of time. It is well known that reinforced polymers show improved behavior over time compared to their neat counterparts. In this study, the effect of adding different amounts of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) on the time-dependent properties of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) is investigated using short-term creep tests and load/unload recovery tests. The results are discussed in terms of the test profile and the influence of loading history. Viscoplasticity/viscoelasticity analysis is performed using Zapas model and by comparing creep, creep compliance and pure viscoelasticity curves. The results show that the reinforcement of 15 wt% GNP have the most significant effect on the time-dependent behavior, reducing the strain by more than 50%. The creep compliance curves show that nano-reinforced HDPE behaves nonlinearly viscoelastically even at very low stresses. In addition to demonstrating the effect of nano-reinforcement, the discussion of the results concludes that the influence of loading history can be quite significant and should not be neglected in the design and evaluation of material behavior.