Formation of the C-S-H Layer during early hydration of tricalcium silicate grains with different sizes

Portland cement is a mixture of solid phases which all react with water. Tricalcium silicate (Ca3SiO5) is its main component and is often used in model systems to study cement hydration. It is generally recognized that setting and hardening of cement are due to the formation, by a dissolution-precipitation process, of a calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) on anhydrous grains during Ca3SiO5 hydration. The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of Ca3SiO5 particle size on the nucleation-growth process of C-S-H. An experimental study of the rate of hydration by using different grain sizes under controlled conditions has been performed. The experimental data have been compared with results obtained by numerical simulation based on a particles-aggregation model. The thickness of the C-S-H layer when the reaction becomes limited by diffusion has been then estimated.     

Formation of columns of anomalous water by condensation in quartz capillaries

It is shown that these columns are formed in the kinetic mode from unsaturated water vapor. The condensation coefficient for an anomalous column is much less than for ordinary water. The growth rate is dependent on the equilibration time for the concentration of the anomalous component in the column. The diffusion coefficient for the anomalous component in water is less than the self-diffusion coefficient of water by nearly an order of magnitude; this and the low volatility are to be ascribed to large molecular size. It is supposed that the molecules of the anomalous component are strong groups of H₂O molecules that are only slowly converted to monomers.     

Grain size modulation on BaTiO3 nanoparticles synthesized at room temperature

A new method is developed to synthesize massive BaTiO₃ nanoparticles directly at room temperature. With this method, the synthesis efficiency is improved and mass preparation can be realized. Also, the grain size of the as-prepared nanoparticles can be modulated from several nanometers to 40 nm through proper selection of the content of water and the alkanol chain length of the dispersant. It was found that smaller water content and a larger alkanol chain length of the dispersant will lead to a finer grain size. The mechanisms of the grain size modulation of BaTiO₃ nanoparticles are also discussed.     

Effect of pressure on thermal conductivity and pressure collapse of ice in a polymer-hydrogel and kinetic unfreezing at 1 GPa

We report a study of aqueous solutions of poly(vinylalcohol) and its hydrogel by thermal conductivity, κ, and specific heat measurements. In particular, we investigate (i) the changes in the solution and the hydrogel at 0.1 MPa observed in the 350-90 K range and of the frozen hydrogel at 130 K observed in the range from 0.1 MPa to 1.3 GPa, and (ii) the nature of the pressure collapse of ice in the frozen hydrogel and kinetic unfreezing on heating of its high density water at 1 GPa. The water component of the polymer solution on cooling either first phase separates and then freezes to hexagonal ice or freezes without phase separation and the dispersed polymer chains freeze-concentrate in nanoscopic and microscopic regions of the grain boundaries and grain junctions of the ice crystals in the frozen state of water in the hydrogel. The change in κ with temperature at 1 bar is reversible with some hysteresis, but not reversible with pressure after compression to 0.8 GPa at 130 K. At high pressures the crystallized state collapses showing features of κ and specific heat characteristic of formation of high density amorphous solid water. The pressure of structural collapse is 0.08 GPa higher than that of ice at 130 K. The slowly formed collapsed state shows kinetic unfreezing or glass-liquid transition temperature at 140 K for a time scale of 1 s. Comparison with the change in the properties observed for ice shows that κ decreases when the polymer is added.     

The effect of the partial pressure of water vapor on the surface tension of the liquid water-air interface

Precise measurements of the surface tension of water in air vs. humidity at 5, 10, 15, and 20 °C are shown. For constant temperature, surface tension decreases linearly for increasing humidity in air. These experimental data are in good agreement with a simple model based on Newton's laws here proposed. It is assumed that evaporating molecules of water are ejected from liquid to gas with a mean normal component of the speed of "ejection" greater than zero. A high humidity in the air reduces the net flow of evaporating water molecules lowering the effective surface tension on the drop. Therefore, just steam in air acts as an effective surfactant for the water-air interface. It can partially substitute chemical surfactants helping to reduce their environmental impact.     

Research on the implementing conditions of inverse emulsion-breath figure method

The relationships between three steps of the inverse emulsion-breath figure (Ie-BF) method, including emulsion preparation, film casting and hydrophilic component loading, are explored by adjusting the experimental factors of the three implementing processes. For emulsion preparation step, the influence of the ultrasonification, the concentration of emulsifier and the addition of polymer on the size of the emulsion droplets are investigated. For film casting step, the influence of environmental humidity and several factors concerning the emulsion preparation on the porous structure of the resultant films are studied. It has been proved that high humidity is a necessity for obtaining surface pores, and multi-layered pores with disordered distribution can be formed in the bulk layer of the film when high water/oil ratio is used in making the emulsion. Bovine serum albumin is loaded into the emulsion water droplets, and by implementing the Ie-BF method under the condition of water/oil ratio being as low as 0.02 vol%, selective protein enrichment within the interior of the top-layer pores is still realized. It reflects the characteristics of “high efficiency, targeted assembly” in the step of hydrophilic component loading.     

Polydisperse adsorbability composition of several natural and synthetic organic matrices

The polydisperse composition of nine dissolved organic materials (DOMs) from two river water sources, one ground water source, two biologically treated wastewater sources, and two commercial sources was analyzed based on their adsorbabilities by activated carbon. For each DOM, batch adsorption isotherms measured for both TOC and UV260 were analyzed using an overall isotherm model derived from the IAST-Freundlich expression. By accounting for the heterogeneity of each DOM with a log-normal distribution of the Freundlich parameter (K), its adsorption behavior was characterized with only four parameters (including three fitting ones). The average adsorptive strength (KM) and heterogeneity (sigma) determined for all DOMs, which were defined by the mean value and the standard deviation of the log-normal distribution of the Freundlich K, changed over the ranges 2.5-62.2 and 0.22-0.97 (mg/g)/(mg/l)(1/n), respectively, when the TOC index was used. Among all DOMs studied, a river water DOM at the upper stream was found least heterogeneous: the Freundlich K of its organic constituents varied in the range 10.8-190 (mg/g)/(mg/l)(1/n), as compared to a commercial humic acid that exhibited the broadest Freundlich K distribution of 0.01-1494.3 (mg/g)/(mg/l)(1/n). KM and sigma, along with other two parameters (the Freundlich exponent 1/n and the nonadsorbable organic fraction parameter Cnon/CT0), changed with both indices of TOC and UV260 in a regular manner, indicating that UV-absorbing organic molecules possessed adsorbabilities different from non-UV-absorbing ones. Also based on HPSEC chromatograms measured for solutions before adsorption, the molecular weight composition of all DOMs was also assessed and the molecular size impacts on adsorption characteristics of DOMs were briefly discussed.     

乳化剂分子亲水组分含量对相反转乳化过程的影响

高分子树脂水基分散体系 ,因其结构的可灵活调节性 ,在许多方面得到应用 ,又因其不含有机溶剂 ,能完全满足环境保护和生态的要求而备受关注 [1～ 3] .相反转乳化技术是制备高分子水基体系的新方法 ,它适用于制备包括加聚物和缩聚物的大多数高分子水基体系 ,大大拓宽了水基体系的范围 [4 ] .杨振忠等[5] 利用自己合成的高分子非离子型乳化剂将环氧树脂乳化成微粒尺寸小且分布窄的水基分散体系 ,对相反转机理和相反转技术进行了深入研究 .研究表明 ,乳化剂浓度和乳化温度对相反转后水基微粒尺寸和形态有重要影响 ,高乳化剂浓度和较低的乳化温…     

The transport of condensible vapors through a microporous vycor glass membrane

The flow of condensible vapors through microporous Vycor glass was investigated experimentally as well as theoretically. In porous materials, adsorbable gases frequently exhibit higher permeability than predicted from the flow of nonadsorbable gases. This enhanced flow has been attributed to the surface diffusion of adsorbed molecules along the surface of the porous media or to the viscous flow of capillary condensate at high relative pressures. In the present investigation, a new flow model of condensible vapors through microporous material was developed by considering the blocking effect of the adsorbed phase on the basis of a cylindrical capillary structure. Six different flow modes were considered depending on the pressure distribution and the film thickness of the adsorbed layer. Experimental measurements were also conducted on the transport of condensible vapors (Freon-113 and water) through microporous Vycor glass at steady state in the entire range of relative pressure. The maximum peak and scattering phenomena of permeabilities were observed. The estimated values of permeability from the developed model were compared with the experimental results. Also, it was attempted to explain the maximum peak and scattering phenomena of the experimentally observed permeabilities.     

反应物的变化对吸附相反应技术制备NiO/SiO2的影响

以SiO2为载体,研究反应物种类和浓度对吸附相反应技术制备NiO粒子的影响。首先采用滴定法测定了各个反应物在载体表面的吸附过程,利用TEM、XRD分析,对比了不同反应物制备得到的NiO粒子的形貌。在确定了反应物的基础上,进一步设计了2种水量下制备实验,研究反应物浓度对粒子形貌的影响。XRD结果表明,1.0mL水量下NiO粒子的晶粒粒径随着反应物浓度增加先缓慢减少后增大。而随反应物浓度增加,5.0mL水量得到的粒子晶粒粒径则一直变大。2种吸附层中不同的反应速率使得相同条件下,高水量(5.0mL)得到的NiO粒子粒径要小于1.0mL水量下得到的粒子。物理吸附层中形成的粒子与载体结合力较弱,使得焙烧后5.0mL水量下得到的粒子在SiO2上分布不均匀。     

Sorption of water by cellulose from binary water-organic solutions

Composition change isotherms are obtained experimentally for cellulose-water-organic solution systems, and individual isotherms of water sorption on cellulose are calculated. We measure the thermal effects of cellulose wetting with water-organic mixtures. It is shown that the features of water sorption on cellulose in the presence of organic component are defined by changes in the nature of clustering in the investigated binary solutions.     

A new regression method based on independent component analysis

Based on independent component analysis (ICA), a new regression method, independent component regression (ICR), was developed to build the model of NIR spectra and the routine components of plant samples. It is found that ICR and principal component regression (PCR) are completely equivalent when they are applied in quantitative prediction. However, independent components (ICs) can give more chemical explanation than principal components (PCs) because independence is a high-order statistic that is a much stronger condition than orthogonality. Three ICs are obtained by ICA from the NIR spectra of plant samples; it is found that they are strongly correlated to the NIR spectra of water, hydrocarbons and organonitrogen compounds, respectively. Therefore, ICA may be a promising tool to retrieve both quantitative and qualitative information from complex chemical data sets.     

Structural-thermodynamic characteristics and intermolecular interactions in mixtures of strongly associated solvents with aprotic amides

Thermodynamic characteristics of mixtures of aprotic amides with water and organic solvents with hydrogen bond networks are calculated. Within a model approach the specific and non-specific components of the total energy of the intermolecular interaction are determined, based on which the corresponding contributions to the enthalpies of component mixing are calculated. It is found that negative enthalpies of mixing in the mixtures under study are due to non-specific interactions rather than heterocomponent specific ones. It is shown that the difference in the structural-thermodynamic characteristics of aqueous and nonaqueous mixtures of aprotic amides is mainly caused by packing features of solutions and the behavior of hydrogen bond networks of water and organic solvents.     

Cellulase production and regulation byAgaricus bisporus

Cellulose is degraded during the growth of the cultivated mushroomA. bisporus on composted straw. At the time of sporophore enlargement, a marked increase in extracellular endocellulase activity occurs. A high level of enzyme activity is maintained during subsequent cropping cycles. Some of the factors affecting growth and production of extracellular endocellulase activity byA. bisporus cultured in simple defined liquid media have been examined. Endocellulase production by the fungus closely paralleled mycelial growth in cultures containing microcrystalline cellulose. The enzyme was induced by various celluloses and cellobiose. In the presence of a cellulose inducer, glucose and cellobiose repressed enzyme production. Endocellulase activity in culture filtrates was inversely related to cellulose concentration in the culture. Although the activity of free enzyme was low, in high concentrations of cellulose more cellulose was degraded. Evidence was obtained for the existence of two forms of endocellulase activity. One form adsorbed strongly to cellulose and was predominant in cultures low in cellulose. In cultures with a high cellulose content, a nonadsorbable form of the enzyme was more abundant. It is suggested that the pattern of cellulase activities produced whenA. bisporus is grown on different concentrations of cellulose is partly accounted for by its adsorption to the cellulose.     

Limiting current of oxygen reduction on copper-ion exchanger nanocomposite

The kinetics of the reduction of oxygen on a granular copper-containing electron-ion exchanger, or a nanocomposite consisting of an ion-exchanging resin matrix and a nanodispersed copper bulk distributed in it, used for the deep removal of oxygen from water and gases, is investigated. It is established that reduction of oxygen with the cathodically polarized nanocomposite proceeds in two stages: external diffusion and internal diffusion. It is shown that the external diffusion transfer of oxygen is maintained by the electric current of the cathodic direction. Its contribution is prevalent under conditions of the localization of copper nanoparticles on a grain’s surface. It is established that the limiting current corresponds to the reduction rate of oxygen. It is noted that during the bulk distribution of copper nanoparticles in the grain pores, the contribution of the stage of the internal diffusion transfer of oxygen increases. It is shown that oxygen reduction rate exceeds the limiting external-diffusion current. The joint occurrence of both stages ensures a generally high oxygen reduction rate.     

Synthèse de poudres nanométriques de titanate de strontium par émulsion stabilisée mécaniquement: maîtrise et prédiction de la taille des particules

An original synthesis for obtaining nanoparticles of SrTiO₃ with controlled grain size has been developed. It proceeds by a nucleation/growth mechanism in a pre-stabilized water/alcohol emulsion obtained by continuous stirring. The key parameters of the synthesis are the concentration of precursors and the size of the droplets which has been varied by adjusting the water/alcohol volume-ratio. The change in morphology of the so-obtained powders, characterized by XRD, nitrogen adsorption and TEM experiments, has been explained based on the assumptions that the number of nuclei is proportional to the surface area water/alcohol interface and that the nucleation rate is proportional to the precursor concentration.     

On conditions affecting correctness of the measurement of solution/membrane equilibrium

The paper deals with simulation of conditions affecting the correctness of the measurement of a solution/membrane equilibrium which is determined by the method based on saturation of the membrane with the solution and subsequent extraction of a component into water or a suitable solution. Attention has been paid to the step when the solution remaining at the membrane surface is removed by washing with water. In this step, an amount of the component can be transferred into rinsing water which represents a loss of the component in the membrane, and the equilibrium is measured incorrectly. In the numerical simulation, the membrane has been considered as a slab, and unsteady-state mass transfer from the membrane into water has been solved. The simulation, whose results are given graphically, has shown that the loss of the component into water increases with increasing washing time, diffusivity of the component in the membrane, and liquid mass transfer coefficient. On the contrary, the loss of the component decreases with increasing partition coefficient and the membrane thickness. Furthermore, it has been found that the relative loss of the component is independent of the initial concentration of the component in the membrane.     

Simple physics-based analytical formulas for the potentials of mean force for the interaction of amino acid side chains in water. 1. Approximate expression for the free energy of hydrophobic association based on a Gaussian-overlap model

A physics-based model is proposed to derive approximate analytical expressions for the cavity component of the free energy of hydrophobic association of spherical and spheroidal solutes in water. The model is based on the difference between the number and context of the water molecules in the hydration sphere of a hydrophobic dimer and of two isolated hydrophobic solutes. It is assumed that the water molecules touching the convex part of the molecular surface of the dimer and those in the hydration spheres of the monomers contribute equally to the free energy of solvation, and those touching the saddle part of the molecular surface of the dimer result in a more pronounced increase in free energy because of their more restricted mobility (entropy loss) and fewer favorable electrostatic interactions with other water molecules. The density of water in the hydration sphere around a single solute particle is approximated by the derivative of a Gaussian centered on the solute molecule with respect to its standard deviation. On the basis of this approximation, the number of water molecules in different parts of the hydration sphere of the dimer is expressed in terms of the first and the second mixed derivatives of the two Gaussians centered on the first and second solute molecules, respectively, with respect to the standard deviations of these Gaussians, and plausible analytical expressions for the cavity component of the hydrophobic-association energy of spherical and spheroidal solutes are introduced. As opposed to earlier hydration-shell models, our expressions reproduce the desolvation maxima in the potentials of mean force of pairs of nonpolar solutes in water, and their advantage over the models based on molecular-surface area is that they have continuous gradients in the coordinates of solute centers.     

Theoretical study of hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity of indole, skatole, and ethanole

The structures of indole, skatole, and ethanole complexes with water molecules are calculated by the DFT method. Radial and angular dependences of hydrogen bridge parameters on the number of water molecules are analyzed. Two models are determined which enable the study of the reason for the hydrophobicity of indole and skatole. Frequencies and intensities of absorption bands corresponding to stretching vibrations of the NH bond of indole, skatole, and ethanol in complexes with water are compared. It is shown that the main reason for the domination of the hydrophobic component over the hydrophilic one is the taking into account of the interaction of water molecules with the aromatic system of indole and skatole, finally resulting in a substantial decrease in the HB strength.     

Fe的分散程度对煤焦催化加氢气化的影响

在加压固定床反应器上研究了Fe催化剂在不同比表面积煤焦中分散性对催化加氢气化性能的影响,利用XRD、BET、H₂-TPR、FT-IR、TEM、拉曼光谱对煤焦及催化剂进行了分析表征。结果表明,煤焦活性位点和石墨化程度并非影响催化气化反应的唯一因素,而催化剂的分散性对反应影响更大。煤焦的比表面积越大,Fe催化剂在煤焦表面的分散更均匀,催化剂活性组分平均晶粒粒径越小,并可以促进煤催化加氢气化中间相产物Fe₃C的生成,甲烷收率越高。对于比表面积较高的900-char,在氢气压力为2 MPa,温度为750 ℃,Fe负载量为5%（质量分数）时,催化加氢气化甲烷收率可达53%。在900-char上考察了Fe催化剂负载量对催化加氢气化的影响,甲烷收率呈先增加后降低的趋势,Fe负载量存在饱和点。