Electrochemical method for precise determination of wall shear rate

The convective diffusion problem near small electrodes is solved numerically using finite volume method (direct problem). The results obtained are first used to define the limits of the quasi-steady state Leveque solution for a rectangular and circular probe. After, the algorithm is integrated to an inverse sequential method in order to obtain the wall shear rate from the measurements of the limiting diffusion currents. The results are compared with the classical techniques of calculation of wall shear rate as the quasi-steady solution, transfer function methods and the Leveque solution with transient correction. Published in Russian in Elektrokhimiya, 2008, Vol. 44, No. 4, pp. 470–481. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Coupled Effects of Ionic Strength,Particle Size,and Flow Velocity on Transport and Deposition of Suspended Particles in Saturated Porous Media

In this study, the coupled effect of ionic strength, particle size, and flow velocity on transport and deposition of suspended particles (SP) in saturated sand was undertaken. Three polydispersive SP populations (silt particles with the median of 3.5, 9.5 and 18.3 \(\upmu \)m) were investigated using a pulse injection technique. High ionic strengths were used and vary from 0 to 600 mM (NaCl). Two high velocities were tested: 0.15 and 0.30 cm/s. Suspended particles recovery and deposition kinetics were strongly dependent on the solution chemistry, the hydrodynamics, and the suspended particles size, with greater deposition occurring for increasing ionic strength, lower flow velocity, and larger ratios of the median diameter of the SP to the median sand grain diameter. A shift between the extended Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek theory prediction (the particles and sand grain surfaces are considered chemically and topographically homogeneous) and the experimental results for certain ionic strength was observed. So, as reported in recent literature, effects of surface heterogeneities should be considered. The residence time of the non-captured particles is dependent on ionic strength and hydrodynamic. A relationship between the deposition kinetics, particle and grain sizes, flow velocity, and ionic strength is proposed.     

Suspended Particles Transport and Deposition in Saturated Granular Porous Medium: Particle Size Effects

An experimental study on the transport and deposition of suspended particles (SP) in a saturated porous medium (calibrated sand) was undertaken. The influence of the size distribution of the SP under different flow rates is explored. To achieve this objective, three populations with different particles size distributions were selected. The median diameter $d_{50}$ of these populations was 3.5, 9.5, and $18.3~\upmu \hbox {m}$ . To study the effect of polydispersivity, a fourth population noted “Mixture” ( $d_{50} = 17.4\; \upmu \hbox {m}$ ) obtained by mixing in equal proportion (volume) the populations 3.5 and $18.3\;\upmu \hbox {m}$ was also used. The SP transfer was compared to the dissolved tracer (DT) one. Short pulse was the technique used to perform the SP and the DT injection in a column filled with the porous medium. The breakthrough curves were competently described with the analytical solution of a convection–dispersion equation with first-order deposition kinetics. The results showed that the transport of the SP was less rapid than the transport of the DT whatever the flow velocity and the size distribution of the injected SP. The mean diameter of the recovered particles increases with flow rate. The longitudinal dispersion increases, respectively, with the increasing of the flow rates and the SP size distribution. The SP were more dispersive in the porous medium than the DT. The results further showed that the deposition kinetics depends strongly on the size of the particle transported and their distribution.     

Inorganic UV absorbers for the photostabilisation of wood-clearcoating systems: Comparison with organic UV absorbers

Inorganic UV absorbers which are widely used today were originally designed neither as a UV blocker in coatings applications, nor for wood protection. In recent years however, there has been extensive interest in these compounds, especially with regard to their properties as a UV blocker in coating applications.In this work, we carried out a comparative study to look into some inorganic and organic UV absorbers used in wood coating applications. The aim of this study is to determine the photostabilisation performances of each type of UV absorbers, to seek possible synergies and the influences of different wood species. We have also searched to find eventual correlation between these performances and the influence of UV absorbers on the film properties. Our study has compared the performances of the following UV absorbers: hombitec RM 300, hombitec RM 400 from the Sachtleben Company; transparent yellow and red iron oxides from Sayerlack as inorganic UV absorbers; organic UV absorbers Tinuvin 1130 and Tinuvin 5151 from Ciba Company.The study was carried out on three wood species: Abies grandis, tauari and European oak.The environmental constraints (in particular the limitation of the emission of volatile organic compounds VOCs) directed our choice towards aqueous formulations marketed by the Sayerlack Arch Coatings Company.The results obtained after 800 h of dry ageing showed that the Tinuvins and the hombitecs present better wood photostabilisations.On the other hand in wet ageing, with the hombitec, there are appearances of some cracks and an increase in the roughness of the surface. This phenomenon is absent when the Tinuvins are used. With regard to these results, the thermomechanical analyses relating to the follow-up of the change of the glass transition temperature (T_g) of the various coating systems, show a different behaviour between the two types of absorbers. However, contrary to organic UV absorbers, inorganic ones tend to increase T_g during ageing, and, consequently decrease the flexibility of films. These phenomena can lead to the appearance of cracks found in the case of the wet weathering.     

Synthesis and characterization of new heptacyclic helicenes

New helically chiral substituted heptacyclic systems have been prepared from a simple phenanthrene building block in good yields and purity, via a four-step sequence involving palladium-catalysed Heck coupling and oxidative photocyclization. X-ray crystal structure analysis indicated that the conformation resembled that of the unsubstituted heptahelicene. The optical properties of these heptacyclic helicenes were investigated and show interesting behaviour.     

Synthesis and characterization of a new hexacyclic helicene

A new helically chiral hexacyclic system, bearing an acetoxymethyl group, was prepared from a simple naphthalene building block in good yield and purity, via a four-step sequence involving palladium-catalysed Heck couplings and oxidative photocyclizations. Suitable crystals of the latter indicate that its conformation closely resembles that of unsubstituted [6]helicene, whose idealized symmetry is C₂. The optical properties of the hexacyclic helicene were investigated and show interesting behaviour.