Mild pre-heating of organic cation-exchanged clays enhances their interactions with nitrobenzene in aqueous environment

Aqueous sorption kinetics and equilibrium isotherms of nitrobenzene were studied on two series of sorbents that were prepared by (i) replacing inorganic exchangeable cations in Wyoming bentonite with tetraethylammonium (TEA) and benzyltrimethylammonium (BTMA) and (ii) heating synthesized complexes in air at different temperatures (between 150 and 420°C). The aim of this work was to examine recently observed enhancement of aqueous sorption of a probe organic sorbate on organoclays after mild thermal pre-treatment of sorbents. Thermal pre-treatment of TEA- and BTMA-clays at 150°C results in the maximal enhancement of nitrobenzene–sorbent interactions as compared with treatment of original bentonite and its exchange complexes formed with long-chain quaternary ammonium (n-hexadecyltrimethylammonium, HDTMA). Based on C, N content data and FTIR spectra of TEA- and BTMA-clay complexes, no indications of decomposition of organic matter were found in organoclays heated at 250°C (and below this temperature). Suppressed hydration of pre-heated sorbents resulting in a lessening of water–organic sorbate competition for sorption sites is considered to be responsible for thermally induced enhancement of nitrobenzene–sorbent interactions. In the HDTMA-based organoclays, the long-chain aliphatic groups of the quaternary ammonium can additionally interact with clay surface thus competing with organic sorbate–sorbent surface interactions and, in this way, mitigating the enhancement of nitrobenzene sorption on thermally treated sorbents.     

Thermo-IR-spectroscopy study of the adsorption of terbuthylazine by soil from the Jezreel Valley

Adsorption of the herbicide terbuthylazine by a soil from the Jezreel Valley was investigated by thermo-IR-spectroscopy. The adsorption took place mainly by the clay mineral montmorillonite. The adsorbed molecule was hydrogen bonded via the aniline groups to water molecules which were coordinated to the exchangeable metallic cations. When the sample was thermally treated at 115°C interlayer water was evolved, part of the herbicide decomposed and the other part became directly coordinated to the exchangeable metallic cations. The decomposition product contained a CO group.Dedicated to Prof. Menachem Steinberg on the occasion of his 65th birthdayThis research was supported in part under Project number C12-219, Grant number HRN5544 G002069, Program in Science and Technology Corporation, Human Capacity Development, Bureau for Global Programs, Field Support and Research, USAID.     

A recursive construction of t‐wise uniform permutations

We present a recursive construction of a (2t + 1)‐wise uniform set of permutations on 2n objects using a combinatorial design, a t‐wise uniform set of permutations on n objects and a (2t + 1)‐wise uniform set of permutations on n objects. Using the complete design in this procedure gives a t‐wise uniform set of permutations on n objects whose size is at most t²ⁿ, the first non‐trivial construction of an infinite family of t‐wise uniform sets for . If a non‐trivial design with suitable parameters is found, it will imply a corresponding improvement in the construction. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 46, 531–540, 2015     

Measurement and simulation of the cross sections for nuclide production in natW and 181Ta targets irradiated with 0.04- to 2.6-GeV protons

The cross sections for nuclide production in thin ^natWand ¹⁸¹Ta targets irradiated by 0.04–2.6-GeV protons have been measured by direct γ spectrometry using two γ spectrometers with the resolutions of 1.8 and 1.7 keV in the ⁶⁰Co 1332-keV γ line. As a result, 1895 yields of radioactive residual product nuclei have been obtained. The ²⁷Al(p, x)²²Na reaction has been used as a monitor reaction. The experimental data have been compared with the MCNPX (BERTINI, ISABEL), CEM03.02, INCL4.2, INCL4.5, PHITS, and CASCADE07 calculations.     

Measurement and simulation of the cross sections for nuclide production in 56Fe and natCr targets irradiated with 0.04- to 2.6-GeV protons

The cross sections for nuclide production in thin ⁵⁶Fe and ^natCr targets irradiated by 0.04–2.6-GeV protons are measured by direct γ spectrometry using two γ spectrometers with the resolutions of 1.8 and 1.7 keV for the ⁶⁰Co 1332-keV γ line. As a result, 649 yields of radioactive residual product nuclei have been obtained. The ²⁷Al(p, x)²²Na reaction has been used as a monitor reaction. The experimental data are compared with the MCNPX (BERTINI, ISABEL), CEM03.02, INCL4.2, INCL4.5, PHITS, and CASCADE07 calculations.     

Transmission characteristics of a Fabry-Perot etalon-microtoroid resonator coupled system

The transmission spectra of a Fabry-Perot etalon coupled to a microtoroid resonator are studied theoretically and experimentally. The resonance line shapes depend strongly on the resonance wavelength detuning and coupling strength between the two resonators. A wide variety of line shapes, ranging from a single to triple peaks, symmetric to asymmetric Fano-like peaks, and notches were predicted and observed experimentally. The capability to modify the spectral line shapes by tuning the coupling between or losses of two resonators may find applications in optical filtering, switching, sensing, and dispersion engineering.     

Collective and single-electron interactions of electron beams with electromagnetic waves,and free-electron lasers

The field of radiation emission from electron beams is reviewed with special reference to work related to free-electron lasers. Different schemes of interaction in periodic structures, electromagnetic slow-wave structures, and in transverse confining force are distinguished. Various effects and devices such as traveling wave amplifiers, Smith-Purcell radiators, Cerenkov and bremsstrahlung-free electron lasers, cyclotron resonance masers, coherent bremsstrahlung and channeling radiation are discussed and the differences and relations among them are explained. A simple comprehensive model is developed to describe electron-beam interaction with an electromagnetic wave in periodic electromagnetic structures. The model is general enough to describe both collective and single-electron modes of interaction and quantum mechanical, classical and Fermi degenerate regimes. Simplified expressions are developed for the gain by stimulated emission of radiation and for gain conditions of the Smith-Purcell-Cerenkov type free-electron lasers under conditions of very thin electron beams and infinite interaction length. This research is supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under contract AFOSR-76-2933