Template-free synthesis and characterization of K-phillipsite for use in potassium extraction from seawater

Kbphillipsite was prepared using a hydrothermal method. Soluble glass and sodium aluminate were used as raw materials in the absence of an organic template. Investigations regarding the K＋ ions were con- ducted at room temperature to determine the ion-exchange capacity in the seawater sample and the selectivity coefficient of the mixed K＋-Na~ solution. The sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, and energy dispersion spectroscopy （EDS）. The K＋ ion- exchange capacity is 51 mg/g in seawater and the selectivity coefficient is 75.1 in the mixed K＋-Na＋ solution. The sample has a selectivity preference for K＋, and therefore can be used to selectively extract potassium from seawater. The sample composed of Si, Al, K, Na, and O exhibits a cross-like shape and is a typical K-phillipsite structure.     

ON DOUBLE PEAK PROBABILITY DENSITY FUNCTIONS OF DUFFING OSCILLATOR TO COMBINED DETERMINISTIC AND RANDOM EXCITATIONS

The principal resonance of Duffing oscillator to combined deterministic and random external excitation was investigated. The random excitation was taken to be white noise or harmonic with separable random amplitude and phase. The method of multiple scales was used to determine the equations of modulation of amplitude and phase. The one peak probability density function of each of the two stable stationary solutions was calculated by the linearization method. These two one-peak-density functions were combined using the probability of realization of the two stable stationary solutions to obtain the double peak probability density function. The theoretical analysis are verified by numerical results.     

Immobilization of Ti02 nanoparticles on activated carbon fiber and its photodegradation performance for organic pollutants

The immobilization of titanium dioxide （TiO2） on activated carbon fiber （ACF）, （TiO2/ACF）, was accomplished by sol-gel-adsorption method followed by calcination at temperatures varying from 300 to 600℃ in an argon atmosphere. The material properties were determined by scanning electron microscope （SEM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD） and nitrogen adsorption. The photodegradation behavior of TiO2 /ACF was investigated in aqueous solutions using phenol and methyl orange （MO） as target pollutants. The effects of calcination temperature, photocatalyst dosage, initial solution pH and radiation time on the degradation of organic pollutants were studied. It was found that organic pollutants could be removed rapidly from water by the TiO2/ACF photocatalyst and the sample calcined at 500℃ exhibited the highest removal efficiency. Kinetics analysis showed that the photocatalytic degradation reaction can be described by a first-order rate equation. In addition, the possibility of cyclic usage of the photocatalyst was also confirmed. Moreover, TiO2 is tightly bound to ACF and can be easily handled and recovered from water. It can therefore be potentially applied for the treatment of water contaminated by organic pollutants.     

Synthesis and characterization of magnetic polymer microspheres with a core-shell structure

Non-porous magnetic polymer microspheres with a core-shell structure were prepared by a novel micro-suspension polymerization technique. A stable iron oxide ferrofluid was used to supply the magnetic core, and the polymeric shell was made of glycidyl methacrylate （GMA monomer） and ethylene dimethacrylate （cross-linker）. In the preparation, polyvinyl alcohol was used as the stabilizer, and a lauryl alcohol mixture as the dispersant. The influence of various conditions such as aqueous phase volume, GMA and initiator amounts, reaction time and stirring speed on the character of the microspheres was investigated. The magnetic microspheres were then characterized briefly. The results indicate that the microspheres with active epoxy groups had a narrow size distribution range from 1 to 10 μm with a volume-weighted mean diameter of 4.5 μm. The saturation magnetization reached 19.9 emu/g with little coercivity and remanence.     

Predicting the mode of flow in pneumatic conveying systems-- A review

An initial prediction of the particulate mode of flow in pneumatic conveying systems is beneficial as this knowledge can provide clearer direction to the pneumatic conveying design process. There are three general categories of modes of flow, two dense flows： fluidised dense phase and plug flow, and dilute phase oniy. Detailed in this paper is a review of the commonly used and available techniques for predicting mode of flow. Two types of predictive charts were defined： basic particle parameter based （e.g. particle size and density） and air-particle parameter based （e.g. permeability and de-aeration）. The basic particle techniques were found to have strong and weak areas of predictive ability, on the basis of a comparison with data from materials with known mode of flow capability. It was found that there was only slight improvement in predictive ability when the particle density was replaced by loose-poured bulk density in the basic parameter techniques. The air-particle-parameter-based techniques also showed well-defined regions for mode of flow prediction though the data set used was smaller than that for the basic techniques. Also, it was found to be difficult to utilise de-aeration values from different researchers and subsequently, an air-particle-based technique was developed which does not require any de-aeration parameter in its assessment.     

PIV measurements for gas flow under gradient magnetic fields

Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) techniques were developed to measure the convective N2-air flow under gradient magnetic fields. The velocity fields were calculated by the Minimum Quadratic Difference (MQD) algorithm and spurious vectors were eliminated by Delaunay Tessellation.The N2-air flow was measured as the magnetic flux density varying from 0～1.5T. A strengthened vortex flow of air was observed under the condition that the magnetic field was applied, and the velocity of N2 jet rose with the increase of the magnetic density. The experimental results show that the magnetic force will induce a vortex flow and cause a convection flow of the air mixture when both gradients of the O2 concentration and the magnetic field intensity exist.     

Key synthesis of magnetic Janus nanoparticles using a modified facile method

Inorganic/organic poly（methylmethacrylate-acrylic acid-divinylbenzene） iron oxide Janus magnetic nanoparticles（P（MMA-AA-DVB）/Fe3O4） with strong magnetic domains and unique surface functionalities were prepared using a solvothermal process.The P（MMA-AA-DVB） nanoparticles were prepared via soapfree emulsion polymerization and used as a precursor for preparing Janus nanoparticles.The morphology and magnetic properties of the magnetic Janus nanoparticles formed were characterized using a laser particle size analyzer,transmission electron microscopy,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,vibrating sample magnetometry,and thermogravimetric analysis.The synthesized P（MMA-AA-DVB）/Fe3O4 magnetic Janus nanoparticles were characterized by a Janus structure and possessed a stable asymmetric morphology after being dually functionalized.The particle size,magnetic content,and magnetic domain of the P（MMA-AA-DVB）/Fe3O4 magnetic Janus nanoparticles were 200 nm,40%,and 25 emu/g,respectively.The formation mechanism of the Janus nanoparticles was also investigated,and the results revealed that the reduction of Fe3＋ ions and growth of Fe3O4 took place on the surface of the P（MMA-AA-DVB） polymeric precursor particles.The size of the Janus particles could be controlled by narrowing the size distribution of the P（MMA-AA-DVB） precursor nanoparticles.     

A mild one-step solvothermal route to truncated octahedral magnetite crystals

Perfect truncated octahedral magnetite crystals were successfully synthesized from FeCl_3·6H_2O and poly(acrylic acid)(PAA)in an alkaline ethylene glycol solution via a mild one-step solvothermal process.The structure and morphologies of the obtained products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction(XRD),Raman spectroscopy,scanning electron microscopy(SEM),and transmission electron microscopy(TEM).The effects of synthetic parameters including reaction temperature,reaction time,and the amount of alkali on the morphological evolution of the truncated octahedral magnetite crystals were systematically explored.160℃ was found to be the optimum temperature for the formation of truncated octahedral magnetite crystals.Below 160 ℃,little magnetite was formed.Above 160 ℃,the truncated octahedrons were gradually transformed into irregular-shaped polyhedrons.Alkali is indispensable in promoting the formation of magnetite at mild temperatures.The truncated octahedral magnetite crystals were found to be ferromagnetic and had a saturation magnetization of about 83 emu/g.     

2D DEM simulation of particle mixing in rotating drum： A parametric study

Mixing behaviors of equal-sized glass beads in a rotating drum were investigated by both DEM simula- tions and experiments. The experiments indicated that higher rotation speed can significantly enhance mixing. The particle profiles predicted by 2D DEM simulation were compared with the experimental results from a quasi-2D drum, showing inconsistency due to reduction of contacts in the single-layer 2D simulation which makes the driving friction weaker than that in the quasi-2D test, better results could be reached by specifying a higher frictional coefficient between the particles and the cylinder wall. In order to explore the influences of physical properties （density, size or friction） on mixing behavior, numerical 2D simulations were carried out systematically, in which one examined specific property being examined was exaggerated while the others were kept the same as that in the control group. The DEM simulations reveal that particle density and size are the dominating factors affecting mixing behaviors, while the effect of frictional coefficient is less significant. However, segregation due to any of the factors can be diminished by specifying a proper particle size distribution （multi-size with lower size ratio）. 2009 Chinese Society of Particuology and Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.     

Coupling vibration of vehicle-bridge system

By applying the sinusoidal wave mode to simulate the rugged surface of bridge deck, accounting for vehicle-bridge interaction and using Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, a coupling vibration model of vehicle-bridge system was developed. The model was solved by mode analyzing method and Runge-Kutta method, and the dynamic response and the resonance curve of the bridge were obtained. It is found that there are two resonance regions, one represents the main resonance while the other the minor resonance, in the resonance curve. The influence due to the rugged surface, the vibration mode of bridge, and the interaction between vehicle and bridge on vibration of the system were discussed. Numerical results show that the influence due to these parameters is so significant that the effect of roughness of the bridge deck and the mode shape of the bridge can‘ t be ignored and the vehicle velocity should be kept away from the critical speed of the vehicle_     

Effect of sample size on the response of DEM samples with a realistic grading

This paper shows that for DEM simulations of triaxial tests using samples with a grading that is repre- sentative of a real soil, the sample size significantly influences the observed material response. Four DEM samples with identical initial states were produced： three cylindrical samples bounded by rigid wails and one bounded by a cubical periodic cell, When subjected to triaxial loading, the samples with rigid boundaries were more dilative, stiffer and reached a higher peak stress ratio than the sample enclosed by periodic boundaries. For the rigid-wall samples, dilatancy increased and stiffness decreased with increasing sample size, The periodic sample was effectively homogeneous, The void ratio increased and the contact density decreased close to the rigid walls, This heterogeneity reduced with increasing sample size. The positions of the critical state lines （CSLs） of the overall response in e-log p＇ space were sensitive to the sample size, although no difference was observed between their slopes. The critical states of the interior regions of the rigid-wall-bounded samples approached that of the homogeneous periodic sample with increasing sample size. The ultimate strength of the material at the critical state is independent of sample size.     

SYNTHESIS AND COATING OF ORDERED MESOPOROUS SILICA

1,3,5-trimethyl benzene (TMB) was used as organic swelling agent in O/W emulsions to template ultra-large mesoporous materials using the hydrothermal method. The silicas with well-defined mesopores and hydrothermally robust framework were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and BET surface area analysis. The influence of the quantity of TMB during preparation was studied. It has been found that the TMB/CTAB ratio must be controlled for producing high pore volume materials. Polysulfone (PSU), as the usual extraction agent, was coated on the silicas with the solvent evaporation method to produce a solid separation medium. The adsorptivity and the surface area of the coated MCM were determined: 10% PSU coated MCM adsorbed twice as much phenol as the uncoated material, reaching 0.5 mg/g silica. It was found that the surface area of the coated material decreased rapidly with an increase of the PSU Ioadina.     

PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SUPERPARAMAGNETIC FUNCTIONAL POLYMERIC MICROPARTICLES

Superparamagnetic poly(styrene-divinylbenzene-glycidyl methacrylate) (Pst-DVB-GMA) microparticles were prepared via a modified suspension polymerization process. A magnetic fluid was first prepared by a chemical co-precipitation method. Then magnetic microparticles were produced by mixing the monomers and the magnetic fluid with water in the presence of a stabilizer poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) to form a suspension, and finally benzoyl peroxide was added to initiate the co-polymerization. The morphology and magnetic properties of the microparticles were examined by TEM and VSM. The spherically shaped microparticles, with a size range of 4 to 7 pm, showed distinct superparamagnetic characteristics. XRD was used to investigate the structure of the magnetite particles dispersed in the polymer matrix. The microparticles with epoxy groups on their surface can be applied directly to the seoaration of biomolecules.     

Effects of high order deformations on the strength of planar lattice materials

Lattice materials have been attractive over the last decade for use as load-carrying structures, energy absorbing elements and heat exchanging structures because of their excellent mechanical properties and multifunctional characters. However, the quantitative analysis accounting for high order deformations upon the collapse of lattice materials, which is important for their applications, has not been reported. An analytical investigation of yield surfaces with respect to the high order deformations was carried out for two typical planar lattice materials： triangular and Kagome lattices separately. The analytical results were validated by the finite element method （FEM） simulations. It was found that the effect of high order deformation on the yield strength increases with the relative density. The bending effect of the Kagome lattice is more obvious than that of the triangular one with the same relative density and stress state. The yield strength of the Kagome lattice calculated by neglecting the bending effect overestimates the result by more than 10% when the relative density is higher than about 11.1%, which may not be ignored in engineering applications. The yielding surfaces of the two lattice materials demonstrated in the paper also confirm the analytical results.     

Modification of silica with PMMA via ultrasonic irradiation and its application for reinforcement of polyacrylates

Polymethyl methacrylate （PMMA） encapsulated silica nanocomposite particles were prepared by ultra- sonically induced in situ polymerization of methyl methacrylate （MMA） on the surface of silica sol. The nanoparticles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FFIR）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, thermogravimetry （TG）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The results showed that core-shell structure nanocomposite particles with an average size of 36 nm were obtained, and the thickness of polymer encapsulating layer was about 8 nm. The pretreatment of silica sol with tert-butyl hydroperoxide （TBHP） and the addition of ~-methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane （MAPTS） significantly enhanced the encapsulation effect. Modified by the polymer layer, the silica particles could be well dispersed in matrices and utilized to improve the mechanical performance of polyacrylates.     

Hydrothermal growth of octahedral Fe3O4 crystals

This paper reports the growth of octahedral magnetic Fe3O4 particles from iron powders via a simple alkaline hydrothermal process. The chemical compositions and morphologies of the as-grown Fe3O4 particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, X-ray photoelectron spectra （XPS）, and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. Structure characterization showed that the phase structure of the prepared particles evolved from α-Fe to pure Fe3O4 with increasing concentration of KOH, indicating the important role of KOH concentration on the formation of the magnetite octahedron. The magnetic properties of samples were also studied by means of a vibrating sample magnetometer （VSM）. The pure magnetite Fe3O4 octahedrons exhibited a relatively high saturation magnetization of 96.7 emu/g.     

THERMODYNAMIC ANALYSIS AND EXPERIMENTAL VERIFICATION FOR SYNTHESIZING SILICON NITRIDE NANOPARTICLES USING RF PLASMA CVD

Silicon nitride nanoparticles were synthesized by radio-frequency (RF) plasma chemical vapor deposition (PCVD) using silicon tetrachloride and ammonia as precursors, and argon as carrier gas. By assuming chemical thermodynamic equilibrium in the system, a computer program based on chemical thermodynamics was used to calculate the compositions of the system at different initial concentrations and final temperatures. At first, five elements and thirty-four species were considered. The effects of temperatures, and concentrations of ammonia, hydrogen and nitrogen on the equilibrium compositions were analyzed. It was found that the optimal reaction temperature range should be 1200 to 1500 K to obtain the highest conversion and yield of Si3N4. The inlet position of ammonia should be lower than that of silicon tetrachloride, and both should be located at the tail of the plasma torch. The best moleratio of ammonia to silicon tetrachloride was found to be about 6. Later, the influences of water (.and oxygen) were considered, and 17 additional species were included in the computations. It was found that oxygen or water content in the raw materials should be as low as possible in order to have high nitride content in the produced Si3N4. Nitrogen or hydrogen might be used to replace some or even all the argon to improve the yield of silicon nitride and reduce the cost. The ratio of ammonia to silicon tetrachloride should be high enough to obtain high conversion, but not excessively high to reduce the oxygen content due to the existence of water in ammonia. The simulated results were verified bv experiments.     

ANALYSIS OF PARAMETERS IN GRANULAR SOLID HYDRODYNAMICS FOR TRIAXIAL COMPRESSION TESTS

Granular materials are omnipresent in industries and in nature. For small strains, elastic-plastic and hypoplastic constitutive relations are widely used in engineering practice, but they are not a significant reflection of the underlying physics. Under a unified thermodynamics framework explaining the physics of materials, granular solid hydrodynamics （GSH） was an ex- tension towards describing granular materials, not only solid-like, but also fluid-like behaviors. In this paper, the fundamentals of GSH are briefly treated and then simplified to analyze quasi- static deformations in triaxial compressions. The calculated stress-strain relations and volumetric strain are compared with experimental results. The influences of the major parameters in GSH, especially their cross coupling influences, are analyzed and their physical meanings are further clarified. After parameters were calibrated, the calculated stress values in the characteristic stress state are found to be within 22% of tested values. Meanwhile, the energy dissipation during triaxial compression is analyzed. The above results support and partially quantify GSH.     

Influence of surface modification of SrFe12O19 particles with oleic acid on magnetic microsphere preparation

Oleic acid was used as surface modification agent to improve the hydrophobicity of magnetic strontium hexaferrite particles. The structure and properties of treated magnetic particles were characterized by scanning electronic microscopy （SEM）, Fourier transform infrared spectra （FTIR）, powder X-ray diffraction （XRD） and magnetic property measurement system （MPMS）. The results show that oleic acid is chemically enwrapped on the surface of SrFe12O19 particles. Magnetic particles modified by oleic acid are highly dispersible and strongly responsive to magnetism but with slight decrease in saturated magnetization. The affinity between magnetic particles and monomers is improved by surface modification, resulting in increased particle incorporation in magnetic polymeric microspheres. The surface modification mechanism of magnetic particles by oleic acid is addressed in this work.     

Microwave-hydrothermal preparation of a graphene/hierarchy structure MnO2 composite for a supercapacitor

Graphene/hierarchy structure manganese dioxide （GN/MnO2） composites were synthesized using a simple microwave-hydrothermal method. The properties of the prepared composites were analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscopy （FE-SEM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） measurements. The electrochemical performances of the composites were analyzed using cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectrometry （EIS）, and chronopotentiometry. The results showed that GN/MnO2 （10 wt% graphene） displayed a specific capacitance of 244 F/g at a current density of 100 mA/g. An excellent cyclic stability was obtained with a capacity retention of approximately 94.3% after 500 cycles in a 1 mol/L Li2SO4 solution. The improved electrochemical performance is attributed to the hierarchy structure of the manganese dioxide, which can enlarge the interface between the active materials and the electrolyte. The prepa- ration route provides a new approach for hierarchy structure graphene composites; this work could be readily extended to the preparation of other graphene-based composites with different structures for use in energy storage devices.