Influence of SiO2 in SiCp on the microstructure and impact strength of Al/SiCp composites fabricated by pressureless infiltration

The effect of SiO₂ in SiC_p and the following processing parameters on the microstructure and impact strength of Al/SiC_p composites fabricated by pressureless infiltration was investigated: Mg content in the aluminum alloy, SiC particle size, and holding time. Preforms of SiC_p in the form of rectangular bars (10 × 1 × 1 cm) were infiltrated at 1150°C in an argon→nitrogen atmosphere for 45 and 60 min by utilizing two aluminum alloys (Al-6 Mg-11 Si and Al-9 Mg-11 Si, wt.%). The results obtained show that the presence of SiO₂ in SiC affects the microstructure and impact strength of the composites significantly. When Al₄C₃ is formed, the impact strength decreases. However, a high proportion of SiC to SiO₂ limits the formation of the unwanted Al₄C₃ phase in the composites. Also, a higher content of Mg in the Al alloy lowers the residual porosity and, consequently, increases the composite strength. The impact strength grows with decrease in SiC particle size and increases considerably when the residual porosity is less than 1%. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 42, No. 3, pp. 401–418, May–June, 2006.     

Boundary-Value Problem of Drainage in a Fresh Groundwater Fringe above Saline Groundwater

A multiparameter boundary-value problem of fresh infiltration water seepage in a drained fringe above quiescent saline water is solved in the direct statement and studied in detail.     

Implementation of ADER scheme for a bore on an unsaturated permeable slope

The paper details the implementation of the Godunov‐type finite volume Arbitrary high order schemes using Derivatives (ADER) scheme for the case of a large source term in the continuity equation of the nonlinear shallow water equations. The particular application is the movement of a bore on a highly permeable slope. The large source term is caused by the infiltration into the initially unsaturated slope material. Infiltration is modelled as vertical downwards piston‐like flow with Forchheimer quadratic parameterisation of the resistance law. The corresponding ODE is solved using the fourth‐order Runge–Kutta method. The surface and subsurface flow models have been tested by comparison with analytical solutions. Example predictions of surface bore propagation and wetting front propagation are presented for a range of slope permeabilities. The effects of permeability on bore run‐up, water depths and velocities are illustrated. The ADER scheme is capable of handling the source term, including the extreme case when this term dominates the volume balance. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

高压熔渗生长法制备金刚石聚晶中碳的转化机制研究

在6 GPa和1500 ℃的压力和温度范围内, 利用高压熔渗生长法制备了纯金刚石聚晶, 深入研究了高温高压下金刚石聚晶生长过程中碳的转化机制. 利用光学显微镜、X-射线衍射、场发射扫描电子显微镜检测, 发现在熔渗过程中金刚石层出现了石墨化现象, 在烧结过程中金刚石颗粒表面形貌发生了变化. 根据实验现象分析, 在制备过程中存在三种碳的转化机制: 1)金属熔渗阶段金刚石颗粒表面石墨化产生石墨; 2)产生的石墨在烧结阶段很快转变为填充空隙的金刚石碳; 3)金刚石直接溶解在金属溶液中, 以金刚石形式在颗粒间析出, 填充空隙. 本文研究碳的转化机制为在高温高压金属溶剂法合成金刚石的条件下(6 GPa和1500 ℃的压力和温度范围内)工业批量化制备无添加剂、无空隙的纯金刚石聚晶提供了重要的理论指导.     

Analytical issues in monitoring drinking-water contamination related to short-term, heavy rainfall events

Heavy rainfall events, increasing in frequency and intensity with climate change, impact on the quality of the water resource used for drinking-water production. Small-scale water suppliers are particularly sensitive because of their management and the related difficulties of adapting treatment to variations. Decision-support systems, based on monitoring and analytical tools, need to be developed to improve crisis-management procedures related to such events. After presenting the issues related to heavy rainfall events, the article summarizes the tools currently used for quality control of drinking water within this framework, the need for developments and other requirements.     

Use of a porous silicon–gold plasmonic nanostructure to enhance serum peptide signals in MALDI-TOF analysis

Small peptides in serum are potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of cancer and other diseases. The identification of peptide biomarkers in human plasma/serum has become an area of high interest in medical research. However, the direct analysis of peptides in serum samples using mass spectrometry is challenging due to the low concentration of peptides and the high abundance of high-molecular-weight proteins in serum, the latter of which causes severe signal suppression. Herein, we reported that porous semiconductor-noble metal hybrid nanostructures can both eliminate the interference from large proteins in serum samples and significantly enhance the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) yields of peptides captured on the nanostructure. Serum peptide fingerprints with high fidelity can be acquired rapidly, and successful discrimination of colorectal cancer patients based on peptide fingerprints is demonstrated.     

Isotopes in groundwater as indicators of climate changes

Isotopes of the water molecule (δ¹⁸O and δ²H) are a well-used tool for investigating groundwater origin and history (i.e. tracing the recharge conditions over time, processes occurring during infiltration of rainwater towards aquifers and those involved in the water-rock interaction, and mixing of different waters).This review covers several large European aquifers (Portugal, France, UK, Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, and Poland), which were investigated in terms of their recharge conditions, and the story of the groundwater at a large scale, involving recent, Holocene and Pleistocene components and their eventual mixing.     

Tuning Internal Strain in Metal–Organic Frameworks via Vapor Phase Infiltration for CO2 Reduction

A gas‐phase approach to form Zn coordination sites on metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) by vapor‐phase infiltration (VPI) was developed. Compared to Zn sites synthesized by the solution‐phase method, VPI samples revealed approximately 2.8 % internal strain. Faradaic efficiency towards conversion of CO₂ to CO was enhanced by up to a factor of four, and the initial potential was positively shifted by 200–300 mV. Using element‐specific X‐ray absorption spectroscopy, the local coordination environment of the Zn center was determined to have square‐pyramidal geometry with four Zn?N bonds in the equatorial plane and one Zn‐OH₂ bond in the axial plane. The fine‐tuned internal strain was further supported by monitoring changes in XRD and UV/Visible absorption spectra across a range of infiltration cycles. The ability to use internal strain to increase catalytic activity of MOFs suggests that applying this strategy will enhance intrinsic catalytic capabilities of a variety of porous materials.     

基于3D-EEMs和PARAFAC的土壤渗滤系统DOM垂直分布特征

利用三维荧光光谱(3D-EEMs)和平行因子分析(PARAFAC)的方法研究了土壤渗滤系统处理模拟高氨氮废水中溶解性有机物(DOM)的垂直分布特征。试验在一个中试规模的土壤渗滤系统中进行,反应器自上而下每隔30 cm设置一个采样口,采集的样品通过PARAFAC识别出系统不同点位的DOM具有四个荧光组分,包括两个类腐殖质物质(C1,C2)、2个类蛋白物质(C3,C4)。相关性分析显示,四种荧光组分与多数理化指标呈现极显著性正相关关系,可以用荧光组分浓度间接表征系统对氮、磷等营养元素的去除效果。对荧光组分浓度得分F_max分析得出,土壤渗滤系统中类酪氨酸最易降解,其次为类富里酸、类胡敏酸类物质,最难以降解的为类蛋白物质。