Sulphur content estimation of Venezuelan heavy oil by fast neutron and gamma transmission technique

A compact and modern equipment for implementing the fast neutron and γ-ray transmission technique (FNGT) has been developed in order to estimate the sulphur content of crude oil. FNGT is employed for non- destructive analysis of different kinds of samples. The compact system presented in this work represents an improvement of our previous experimental set-up [1, 2]. It makes use of a ²⁵²Cf source, an EJ-301 liquid scintillator detector (2″ × 2″) with excellent n/γ discrimination capabilities, and modern nuclear electronics based on fast digitizers. The fast neutron and gamma transmission technique was employed to study a system for on-line sulphur concentration measurement in Venezuelan heavy sour oil. The range of sulphur concentrations investigated is between 0.1 and 6.5 wt%. The equipment performances and limitations are compared with those predicted by a Monte Carlo model built in GEANT4 v10.01. The results show the possibility to implement a compact unit for on-line determination of sulphur concentration in crude oil.

     

Complex quadrics and spectral geometry

Some characterizations of complex quadrics in terms of the spectrum are given.     

Vinyllithiums from butyl-vinyl tellurides and bis-vinyl tellurides

Butyl vinyl tellurides and bis-vinyl tellurides furnish vinyllithiums with retention of configuration in good yields upon treatment with n-butyllithium at −78°C.     

Hyperfine interaction of Eu in Eu2TiO4

The hyperfine interaction of ¹⁵¹Eu in Eu₂TiO₄ has been measured using the Mössbauer Effect. Using the four-fold symmetry of the Eu²⁺ site, it has been found that the nuclear quadrupole moment ratio of the first-excited to the ground states of ¹⁵¹Eu is R = 1.34 ±0.03, and the quadrupole interaction energy is ρ²qQ_o = -(190 ± 7) MHZ. Below T_c = 7.8K, the magnetic hyperfine field H_hf points close to the direction of the four-fold axis. The zero-degree value of H_hf is estimated to be (305 ± 3) kOe.     

On the Dynamic Interaction and Cross-Interaction of 2D Rigid Structures with Orthotropic Elastic Media Possessing General Principal Axes Orientation

A direct boundary element method (BEM) implementation for the dynamic interaction analysis in the frequency domain of 2D rigid structures with elastic orthotropic media is presented. The BEM implementation is based on non-singular full-space influence functions. The rigid structure response is obtained by applying equilibrium and kinetic compatibility conditions. The method is applied to the analysis of the dynamic response of a rigid tunnel in a half-space with various elasticity principal axes inclinations and to the analysis of two rigid rectangular galleries in a half space with various distances between them.     

pH-Dependent Excited-State Properties of N,N-di(2-phosphonoethyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalenediimide

Abstract— The effect of the protonation state of a novel aqueous soluble N,N'-di(2-phosphonoethyl)-l,4,5,8-naphthalene-diimide (DPN) on its spectroscopic properties is studied. In aqueous solution DPN depicts linear Lambert-Beer plots up to the solubility limits at pH 1.0, 7.1 and 10.1, in accordance with its solubilization as a monomer. A small increase in the extinction coefficients with pH is observed. Conversely a strong decrease in the fluorescence emission yields are observed with the increase in pH. These results are shown to originate from the distinct efficiencies of the intersystem crossing of DPN as a function of the net charge on the phosphono moieties. Accordingly, from the decrease in fluorescence emission, titration curves were obtained resulting in two pKa of –1.5 and 6.7 in agreement with the potentiometric analysis. In parallel monitoring the amount of heat deposited in the system shows an inverse pattern, that is, increase in the thermal tensing time-resolved signal with pH. Laser flash photolysis and thermal Iensing data in the absence and presence of oxygen show the interplay of an intersystem crossing process with the protonation state of the dye. The changes in protonation from neutral to two- and four-fold charged species are accompanied by an enhancing effect on the naphthalenediimide ring toward spin inversion (triplet formation) and consequently in different fluorescence yields     

Some experiments on γ-scattering between 122 and 145 keV at small angles

Differential cross section for scattering of 145.4 keV gamma rays by B, C, Al, Cu and Cd have been measured from 5–25°. For angles <10° it was not possible to separate Rayleigh and Compton scattering; therefore, the sum of the cross sections is given. Rayleigh cross sections have been measured for Pb at 122.1 and 136.5 keV at angles between 20° and 70°. The experimental results are compared with the form factor theory for Rayleigh scattering and the incoherent scattering factor theory for Compton scattering.     

Biomolecule profiles in inedible wild mushrooms with antioxidant value

The use of natural products isolated from mushrooms, included inedible species, against infection, cancer diseases and other oxidative-stress related diseases is one of the cornerstones of modern medicine. In the present work, the antioxidant molecule profiles of inedible mushroom species were evaluated and compared with those of edible species. The order of antioxidant abundance found in inedible wild mushrooms was: phenolics > flavonoids > ascorbic acid > tocopherols > carotenoids, similar to that of edible species. Furthermore the same energetic biomolecules were found including the disaccharide trehalose, the monosaccharide alcohol derivative mannitol and the fatty acids palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids. Fomitopsis pinicola revealed a very high phenolics concentration (388 mg GAE/g extract) and powerful antioxidant properties, mainly reducing power (EC??) value 60 μg/mL similar to the standard Trolox?). It could find applications in the prevention of free radical-related diseases as a source of bioactive compounds.