Ruthenium complex catalyst system for selective oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanone by molecular oxygen

Summary TS-1 zeolite was successfully synthesized <Emphasis Type=Italic>in-situ</Emphasis> on a honeycomb cordierite substrate. Cu-TS-1/cordierite and LaCu-TS-1/cordierite were used as catalysts for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the exhaust of lean burn engine. High catalytic activities were obtained and the main pollutants nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons in the exhaust could be purified together.     

Effect of Fe dopant on the physico-chemical and catalytic properties of vanadyl pyrophosphate catalysts

Summary 1&percnt; of Fe-doped and undoped vanadyl pyrophosphate catalysts were prepared via dihydrate method. The catalysts have been characterised by XRD, ICP, BET and SEM. The undoped catalyst was found to be more active and selective (77.6&percnt; selectivity at about 60 &percnt; conversion at 703 K).     

Characterization of the wavelength spectrum of guided neutron beams

Summary A simple method is introduced for the determination of the effective temperature of neutron beams. It is mathematically derived that the thermal equivalent neutron flux measured with a thin foil made from a 1/<Emphasis Type=Italic>v</Emphasis>-nuclide is proportional to the product of the real flux and the average wavelength. The real flux can be determined using fully absorbent materials. From the ratio of the two fluxes the average wavelength and the effective temperature can be determined. The method has been tested in thermal and cold neutron beams.     

The Navruz experiment: Cooperative monitoring for radionuclides and metals in Central Asia transboundary rivers

Summary This paper presents the results of radioecological investigation of Central Asian rivers.<Emphasis Type=Bold><Emphasis Type=Italic> </Emphasis></Emphasis>This work was done as part of the Navruz Project, a cooperative, transboundary river monitoring project involving rivers and institutions in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, and facilitated by Sandia National Laboratories in the United States. The study of waterborne radionuclides and metals concentrations in Central Asia is of particular interest because of the history of nuclear materials mining, fabrication, transport, and storage there, when it was part of the Soviet Union. This development left a legacy of radionuclides and metals contamination in some Central Asian regions, which poses a clear health hazard to populations who rely heavily upon surface water for agricultural irrigation and direct domestic consumption.     

Detection of wood discoloration in a canker fungus-inoculated Japanese cedar by neutron radiography

Summary Neutron radiography (NRG) was applied to trace the development of discolored tissue in the wood of Japanese cedar (<Emphasis Type=Italic>Cryptomeria japonica</Emphasis>) after being infected with a canker fungus. Japanese cedar seedlings were wound inoculated with a virulent and avirulent isolate of a canker fungus, <Emphasis Type=Italic>Guignardia cryptomeriae</Emphasis>. Three, 7, 13 and 22 days after the inoculation, the seedlings were irradiated with thermal neutrons. The image on the X-ray film showed that the whiteness in the image corresponded to the water content in the sample. Discolored tissue and surrounding dry zones induced by the fungal inoculation were detected as dark areas, indicating water deficiency with a high resolution. Through image analysis, the dry zones were detected as early as 3 days after inoculation. Neutron images also showed the difference in the size of water deficient parts due to the tissue damage among the treatments. The neutron beam dose used in this experiment had no effect on the growth rate of the fungus on a medium, showing that NRG is an effective method for pathological research of trees.