Analytical determination of intrinsic permeability of synthetic nonwoven filter fabrics

In this paper an analytical method for determining the permeability of nonwoven filter fabrics is presented. The derived formula shows that the intrinsic permeability, fully characterizing the porous medium, depends on fabric porosity, n, fibre diameter, d, and a shape factor determined experimentally.     

Kinetic study of the deep hydrodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene over molybdenum carbide supported on a carbon black composite: Existence of two types of active sites

Hydrodesulfurization (HDS) is part of the hydrotreating process, which is an ensemble of several reactions (HDN, HDO, HDS, etc.) taking place simultaneously at the industrial scale. Only sulfur is currently submitted to drastic Europeans specifications and conventional commercial catalysts cannot reach the specifications at low cost. This paper presents the behavior of a potential substitute catalyst tested for the deep HDS of a model molecule such as the dibenzothiophene (DBT). The substitute is molybdenum carbide supported on a mesoporous carbon black composite of surface area 240 m² g⁻¹. A global kinetic study of the deep HDS of DBT (300 ppm S) was performed at 623 K and 5.0 MPa and a global kinetic model was proposed as well as global rate constants were calculated to obtain theoretical plots of concentration versus contact time to compare with the experimental data. The kinetic model and global kinetic orders were confirmed as an acceptable correlation was found between calculated and experimental data. Furthermore, the determination of the global kinetic orders indicated that two types of active sites must be present on the surface in order to explain the observed results.     

Inhibition of nitrification in the packed bed reactors by selected organic compounds

The effect of methanol, acetone, formalin and glucose on the nitrification process in the packed bed reactors has been investigated. For the utilized compounds the inhibition constant K_i was determined according to Dixon's method. The determined values were as follows: methanol K_i = 116.0 mg l^?1; acetone K_i = 804.2 mg l^?1; formalin K_i = 61.5 mg l^?1. The value of K_i for glucose has not been determined because glucose in applied concentration up to 11,325 mg l^?1 had no effect on the nitrification course.     

Pressure effects on flow and fracture of Be-Al alloys

The flow and fracture behavior of Be-Al alloys were determined in tension with different levels of superimposed pressure. The Be-Al alloys were prepared by Brush Wellman, Inc. (Cleveland, OH) from prealloyed powders processed to either a hot isostatically pressed (“hipped”) or cold isostatically pressed and extruded condition. Significant effects of pressure on both the flow and ductility have been observed at room temperature, with implications on the formability of these materials. The effects of changes in processing conditions and stress state on the flow and fracture behavior are summarized in addition to both optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination of the fracture surfaces. Separate other studies on the alloy constituents (e.g., Al and Be) are also reported. The results are also compared to previous works on monolithic materials and composites tested with high pressure.     

Quantum dots in YBa<Subscript>2</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>6+<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> films with a tetragonal structure

Experimental evidence is presented for the existence of clusters possessing metallic conductivity in epitaxial YBa₂Cu₃O_6+x (x<0.4) films with a tetragonal structure. Despite the overall dielectric state, the optical transmission spectra reveal the regions of absorption due to free charge carriers. The presence of metallic clusters is also confirmed by the X-ray diffraction data. At low temperatures, these metallic clusters are capable of converting into quantum dots responsible for the θ(T) = const regions in the temperature dependence of the electric resistance. The process of cluster formation can be enhanced by high-power laser (KrF) radiation.     

Environmental effects on ductile-phase toughening in Nb5Si3-Nb composites

A variety of materials have been toughened via the addition of a ductile phase. Brittle silicide intermetallics such as Nb₅Si₃ have been significantly toughened by niobium particles incorporated during in-situ processing techniques. In the work described here, toughness tests conducted on Nb₅Si₃ were monitored in a scanning electron microscope to view the process of toughening provided by the niobium particles. In particular, the behavior of the ductile phase was monitored and related to the toughness obtained. In an attempt to vary the behavior of the ductile phase, the composite materials were exposed to a variety of gaseous environments and subsequently tested in air. The resulting toughness, resistance-curve behavior, and in-situ results highlight the importance of the behavior of the ductile phase on subsequent properties.     

Runout analysis in fatigue investigation

Those individual tests in a series of experiments that are not completed or must be suspended are known as “censored points,” or “runouts”. Inclusion of runouts in data analysis can be problematic, and such ad hoc approaches as ignoring the runout observation or treating it as a failure can significantly affect estimation. The methodology offered here alleviates the handling of runouts and censored data by using the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) method to incorporate the censored data properly. The methodology is illustrated with an example problem using actual data and the affects of ad hoc approaches are illustrated.     

Characterization of supported Pd-Pt catalysts by chemical probes

The temperature programmed (palladium) hydride decomposition appeared very effective method for diagnosing the extent of alloying in Pd-Pt/SiO₂ catalysts. Introduction of Pt to Pd catalysts moves the TPHD peak gradually towards lower temperatures and the shift in hydride decomposition peak is accompanied by a decrease in the amount of released hydrogen. The catalysts prepared the direct redox method showed much better alloy homogeneity than the samples prepared by coimpregnation. The results of probing with other techniques, i.e. catalytic probing with hydrodechlorination of CCl₂F₂ and XRD, were in line with TPHD data. The catalytic probing showed the presence of synergistic effect, a clear indication of Pd-Pt mixing. XRD data of post-reaction samples showed carbon incorporation into Pd-rich phase, whereas separate Pt-rich phase did not experience any bulk carbiding.     

Ion sputtering and its biomedical applications. Theoretical concepts and practical consequences. Clinical implications and potential use

It is the purpose of the paper to promote the ion beam sputtering technique and its biomedical applications among not only ion beam users but also other research workers, and especially, among biologists and medical doctors. The objectives of this article are threefold. Firstly, it supplies a conceptual background for discussing the main question of this work, i.e. biomedical applications of sputtering. Secondly, the title issue and some related problems, important in the biomedical use, are widely presented and discussed. Finally, clinical implication and potential applications are shown.