Synthesis of dihydroxyurea and its application to the U/Pu split in the PUREX process

Dihydroxyurea (DHU) was synthesized using tri-associated solid phosgene [bis(trichloromethyl) carbonate] dissolved in dioxane and hydroxylamine hydrochloride dissolved in potassium acetate solution. The reduction of Pu(IV) by DHU was investigated using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The reduction back-extraction behavior of Pu(IV) in 30% tri-butyl phosphate/kerosene was firstly investigated under conditions of various temperature, various DHU and HNO₃ concentrations and various phase contact times. The results showed that Pu(IV) in the organic phase can be stripped rapidly to the aqueous phase by DHU. Simulating the 1B contactor of the PUREX process using a 0.1 M DHU in 0.36M nitric acid solution as the stripping agent, the separation factors of uranium/plutonium can reach 2.1·10⁴. This indicates that DHU is a promising salt free agent for uranium/plutonium separation.     

Performance of a photocatalytic hybrid system coupled with a stainless steel membrane for removal of humic acid

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of a photocatalysis/H₂O₂/metal membrane hybrid system in the degradation of humic acid. A metal membrane of nominal pore size 0.5 μm was used in the experiment for separation of TiO₂ particles. Hydrogen peroxide was tested as an oxidant. The efficiency of removal of COD_Cr and color increased rapidly for initial hydrogen peroxide concentrations up to 50 mg L⁻¹. The efficiency of removal of COD_Cr and color by 50 mg L⁻¹ initial hydrogen peroxide concentration was approximately 95 and 98%, respectively. However, addition of hydrogen peroxide over 50 mg L⁻¹ inhibited the efficiency of the system. Addition of hydrogen peroxide to a UV/TiO₂ system enhanced efficiency of removal of COD_Cr and color compared with no addition of hydrogen peroxide. This may be ascribed to capture electrons ejected from TiO₂ and to the production of OH radicals. Application of the metal membrane in the UV/TiO₂/H₂O₂ system enhanced the efficiency of removal of COD_Cr and color because of adsorption by the metal membrane surface and the production of OH radicals. By application of a metal membrane with a nominal pore size of 0.5 μm, TiO₂ particles were effectively separated from the treated water by metal membrane rejection. The photocatalytic metal membrane had much less resistance than the humic acid, TiO₂, and humic acid/TiO₂ because of the degradation of humic acid by the photocatalytic reaction.     

The minimum heat consumption for heat-driven binary separation processes with linear phenomenological heat transfer law

The optimal performance of heat-driven binary separation processes with linear phenomenological heat transfer law(q∝△(T-1)) is analyzed by taking the processes as heat engines which work between high-and low-temperature reservoirs and produce enthalpy and energy flows out of the system,and the temperatures of the heat reservoirs are assumed to be time-and space-variables.A numerical method is employed to solve convex optimization problem and Lagrangian function is employed to solve the average optimal contr...     

Preparation and characterization of SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>–Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>–Na<Subscript>2</Subscript>O glass coated cBN abrasive particles via sol–gel route

SiO₂–Al₂O₃–Na₂O glass coated cubic boron nitride (cBN) abrasive particles were prepared by sol–gel technique. The results indicated that SiO₂–Al₂O₃–Na₂O glass was excellent material for oxidation protection of cBN abrasive grains because coefficient of thermal expansion of this glass closely matched that of cBN materials. The single particle compressive strength and impact toughness of this glass coated cBN abrasive particles were significantly increased. For the application of glass coated cBN abrasives to vitrified grinding wheels, it was evident that the glass coating provided high bonding strength between cBN abrasive grains and vitrified bond system.     

Dielectric and tunable properties of highly (110)-oriented (Ba<Subscript>0.65</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>0.35</Subscript>)TiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> thin films deposited on Pt/LaNiO<Subscript>3</Subscript>/SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/Si substrates

Highly (110)-oriented Ba_0.65Sr_0.35TiO₃ films were deposited on Pt/LaNiO₃/SiO₂/Si substrates by a sol–gel method. It was found that the (110)-preferred Pt film was very effective for growing (110)-oriented ferroelectric films with perovskite structure. The as-grown Ba_0.65Sr_0.35TiO₃ films showed good dielectric properties with dielectric constant and loss tangent tan δ = 0.026. Excellent dielectric tunability was also achieved in the (110)-oriented films. With applying an electric field of 230 kV/cm at 100 kHz, the dielectric tunability and the figure of merit can reach up to 63.4% and 16, respectively. These results indicate that the highly (110)-oriented Ba_0.65Sr_0.35TiO₃ film is a promising candidate for the applications in microwave tunable devices.     

Preparation of superhydrophobic silica films with honeycomb-like structure by emulsion method

Silica films with honeycomb-like structure were successfully obtained by emulsion method. Emulsion films prepared by the Dip-Withdrawing method were dried at 180 °C for 2 h and sintered at 500 °C, the films turned from superhydrophilic to superhydrophobic after being modified by octyltrimethoxysilane (OTMS) to form a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) with low surface energy. The surface structures and the thickness of the silica emulsion films were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the results showed that the emulsion method had a similar effect to the phase separation one on producing the honeycomb-like structure that highly influenced the wettability of solid surface.     

Biosurfactant Production by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudomonas aeruginosa</Emphasis> Grown in Residual Soybean Oil

Pseudomonas aeruginosa PACL strain, isolated from oil-contaminated soil taken from a lagoon, was used to investigate the efficiency and magnitude of biosurfactant production, using different waste frying soybean oils, by submerged fermentation in stirred tank reactors of 6 and 10 l capacities. A complete factorial experimental design was used, with the goal of optimizing the aeration rate (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 vvm) and agitation speed (300, 550, and 800 rpm). Aeration was identified as the primary variable affecting the process, with a maximum rhamnose concentration occurring at an aeration rate of 0.5 vvm. At optimum levels, a maximum rhamnose concentration of 3.3 g/l, an emulsification index of 100%, and a minimum surface tension of 26.0 dynes/cm were achieved. Under these conditions, the biosurfactant production derived from using a mixture of waste frying soybean oil (WFSO) as a carbon source was compared to production when non-used soybean oil (NUSO), or waste soybean oils used to fry specific foods, were used. NUSO produced the highest level of rhamnolipids, although the waste soybean oils also resulted in biosurfactant production of 75–90% of the maximum value. Under ideal conditions, the kinetic behavior and the modeling of the rhamnose production, nutrient consumption, and cellular growth were established. The resulting model predicted data points that corresponded well to the empirical information.     

Control of ionic transport through gated single conical nanopores

Control of ionic transport through nanoporous systems is a topic of scientific interest for the ability to create new devices that are applicable for ions and molecules in water solutions. We show the preparation of an ionic transistor based on single conical nanopores in polymer films with an insulated gold thin film “gate.” By changing the electric potential applied to the “gate,” the current through the device can be changed from the rectifying behavior of a typical conical nanopore to the almost linear behavior seen in cylindrical nanopores. The mechanism for this change in transport behavior is thought to be the enhancement of concentration polarization induced by the gate. Figure   Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Exploration for electronic transitions and photodissociation mechanism of hydrogen iodide

The electronic transitions and excited-state fragmentation of hydrogen iodide have been studied within the A-band continuum. The extinction intensity for the excitations from the ground to the low-lying electronic states are derived by performing the wave packet simulations of nuclear dynamics in this study. The quantum yields of the spin-excited I* product at the different photon energies are determined as well. The results suggest that the possibility of intersystem crossing can be neglected. Employing the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT), the four highest occupied and the two lowest unoccupied orbitals of hydrogen iodide have been analyzed, and the transition to the state is found to be most probable in the first absorption band.