Experimental study of asphaltene deposition in transparent microchannels using the light absorption method

This study focuses on an experimental investigation of asphaltene deposition in a vertical transparent microchannel. Heptane-induced asphaltene precipitation is utilized to precipitate dissolved asphaltene in crude oil into asphaltene particles at ambient temperature and standard atmospheric pressure. These asphaltene particles deposit gradually on the surface of microchannels. The key parameters that influence the mechanism of asphaltene deposition are the ratio of crude oil to n-heptane and experimental elapsed time. At a constant flowrate, the amount of asphaltene deposited on a transparent channel wall is quantified using a new flow visualization technique based on reflected light intensity and image analysis. Asphaltene precipitation and deposition strongly affect the reflected light intensity through the change of mixture color in the recorded images. Experimental results show that asphaltene deposition process follows three stages, (i) slow asphaltene particle deposition at the beginning of the experiment, (ii) a rapid and continuous deposition occurring after few hours and (iii) a slower deposition (decreasing deposition rate) at the end of the experimentation. The experimental results for different crude oil to n-heptane ratios illustrate that deposition increases with this ratio, i.e. increasing concentration of n-heptane. An empirical equation is developed to correlate the intensity of the light absorption to the thickness of the deposited asphaltene in a transparent microchannel. Non-uniform deposition along the longitudinal direction of the microchannel is characterized. Deposits decrease with increasing longitudinal distance from the inlet. This non-uniform deposition distribution is due to local mass transport limitations and asphaltene aggregation size effect.     

The Fourth Alloying Mode by Way of Anti‐Galvanic Reaction

Anti‐galvanic reaction (AGR) not only defies classic galvanic theory but is a promising method for tuning the compositions, structures, and properties of noble‐metal nanoparticles. Employing AGR for the preparation of alloy nanoparticles has recently received great interest. Herein, we report an unprecedented alloying mode by way of AGR, in which foreign atoms induce structural transformation of the mother nanoparticles and enter the nanoparticles in a non‐replacement fashion. A novel, active‐metal‐doped, gold nanoparticle was synthesized by this alloying mode, and its structure resolved. A CdSH motif was found in the protecting staples of the bimetal nanoparticle. DFT calculations revealed that the Au₂₀Cd₄(SH)(SR)₁₉ nanoparticle is a 8e superatom cluster. Furthermore, although the Cd‐doping does not essentially alter the absorption spectrum of the mother nanocluster, it distinctly enhances the stability and catalytic selectivity of the mother nanoclusters.     

盐包合材料在高温熔盐体系中的合成及其潜在应用

盐包合材料 (Salt-Inclusion Materials, SIMs) 是一类具有独特的主体结构和客体盐组合的新型无机晶体材料,其具有特定的多孔结构、可填充性和灵活多变的拓扑结构而引起了研究者们的兴趣。SIMs的合成具有很大的挑战性,大部分都是偶然生长所得,为将其发展为可应用的材料,理解其合成规律、晶体化学及其相关性能非常重要。本文综述了近年来文献报道的高温熔盐法合成得到的典型SIMs,从晶体框架结构对其分类,针对一些结构独特的SIMs进行了重点讨论并总结其特点。最后,本文介绍了SIMs在环境、光电、热电和荧光领域的潜在应用。对于其未来发展,仍需进一步研究SIMs晶体化学以探索其性能及应用。     

Decorating Covalent Organic Frameworks with High-density Chelate Groups for Uranium Extraction

The extraction of uranium from aqueous solution is highly desirable for sustaining the increasing demand for environmental safety and nuclear fuel. Herein, we report a strategy using a two-step covalent modification for the synthesis of covalent organic frameworks(COFs) with high-density amidoxime chelate groups at periphery. The introduction of dense amidoxime groups plays a pivotal role in uranium adsorption. The resulting COF exhibits strong affinity with the distribution coefficient of 5.2×10⁴ mL/g and a high adsorption capacity of 319.9 mg/g. The strategy could be expanded to identify and remove different contaminants by introducing special functional groups.     

Influence of molecular orientation on the photodissociation process of LiH molecules

Regulation of photodissociation dynamics of oriented LiH molecules in different dissociation channels is proposed based on time dependent quantum wave packet theory. The enhancement of molecular orientation on the photodissociation of LiH is obvious with our theoretical scheme. The results show that the molecular orientation in the ground state has a great effect on the angular distributions of wave packets. By using the proper laser pulses and controlling the polarization direction of the laser pulses, the enhancement of the photodissociation could be realized. After the molecular orientation, an optimal dissociation channel is observed with an improved dissociation probability. Compared with the results without molecular orientation, the maximal dissociation probability is increased by 8.1% in the indirect dissociation channel and 30.7% in the direct dissociation channel. The enhancement effect is more obvious in the direct dissociation channel, which provides a possible method to manipulate the dissociation of LiH molecules experimentally. Additionally, the photodissociation process of LiH also relies on the electric intensity and delay time of two pump pulses.     

A mini-review of polymeric porous membranes with vertically penetrative pores

Membrane separation technology plays a pivotal role in modern industry and scientific research. The key to developing and improving membrane separation processes lies in designing and fabricating customized porous membranes with specific physical parameters, including pore diameter, porosity, pore size distribution, pore length (membrane thickness), pore geometry, and pore connectivity. Polymeric porous membranes with vertically-penetrative-pores (PPMVs) represent a distinct category among the available membranes due to their unique characteristics such as short transport path, small trans-membrane resistance, and simple pore geometry, as compared to other porous membranes with sponge-like channels. In practical applications, PPMVs offer several advantages, including achieving higher flux rates, facilitating easier unidirectional transport, and enabling harmless biological extraction. Moreover, PPMVs can serve as ideal model systems for theoretical investigations on the fundamental mechanisms of separation and transport in academic research. With substantial advancements in fabrication technologies and application fields of PPMVs in recent years, it warrants a comprehensive perspective. In this mini-review, we provide an overview of widely used fabrication methods for PPMVs, discuss their primary applications, and address the existing challenges and opportunities.     

半夏中微量元素的测定及半夏模糊聚类分析

采用原子吸收分光光度法测定了20个不同产地半夏样品中Fe,Mn,Cu,Zn,Cr,Ca,Mg,Ni,Pb等9种元素的含量。由于不同产地的半夏中微量元素含量数据离散,根据一种或几种微量元素的含量难以评价药物的相似性,故以9种元素含量并结合Zn/Cu值和Ca/Mg值为指标,运用模糊聚类分析方法研究半夏药物的质量分类。结果显示,当阈值λ=0.55时,20个半夏样品聚为4类;当λ=0.65时,20个半夏样品聚为6类;当λ=0.70时,20个半夏样品聚为10类。半夏中微量元素含量丰富,微量元素的种类及含量与药物疗效密切相关。在高阈值λ上截取聚为一类的药物其组成与质量相似性较大,该研究为中药质量评价提供了一种新的方法。     

Fabrication of halogen-free ammonium phosphate with two components via a simple method and its flame retardancy in polypropylene composites

In this paper, a halogen-free flame retardant with two different functional components was prepared via a simple method. The novelty of this work is the combination of acid source and char-forming agent in one compound simultaneously. And the advantage of this method lies in effectively avoiding the mixture of several components for composites during thermal processing and improving the flame retardancy of polymers. Besides, the chemical structure of modified ammonium phosphate (MAPP) was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction spectra (XRD), respectively. The results indicate that thermal decomposition process of APP after modification is obviously changed. When polypropylene (PP) is composited with 30 phr MAPP, the limiting oxygen index value can reach 28.5 % and pass vertical burning tests (UL-94) V-1 rating. Simultaneously, thermal gravimetric analysis demonstrates that the introduction of diethanolamine can improve the char-forming rate and char residue of PP/APP composites. Except that, the thermal pyrolysis of MAPP detected by FTIR spectra deduces that the char-forming process happens at 350–400 °C. The analysis on char residue after combustion indicates that the cross-linking bonds of P–O–C groups appear. At last, a potential condensed mechanism was primarily proposed.     

Channel cracking in inelastic film/substrate systems

Studies on channel cracking are generally limited to elastic films on elastic or inelastic substrates. There are important applications were the cracking process involves extensive plasticity in both the film and substrate, however. In this work steady-state channel cracking in inelastic thin-film bilayers undergoing large-scale yielding from thermal or mechanical loading is studied with the aid of a plane-strain FEA. The plasticity of the film and substrate, represented by a Ramberg–Osgood constitutive law, each increases the energy release rate (ERR) relative to the linearly-elastic case. This effect is more pronounced under mechanical loading where the entire bilayer undergoes large-scale yielding. To help assess the analytic approach some fragmentation tests are performed using a well-bonding epoxy/aluminum system. The analysis reproduced well the observed dependence of crack initiation strain on film thickness.Ultra-thin films may be well represented by an elastic-perfectly plastic response. For such films on a flexible support the ERR remains fixed as the applied strain exceeds the yield strain of the film. Accordingly, a critical coating thickness exists below which no channel cracking is possible. The explicit relations and graphical data presented may be used for optimal design of such structures against premature failure as well as for determining fracture energy of ductile thin films.     

Optimal non-proportional reinsurance control and stochastic differential games

We study stochastic differential games between two insurance companies who employ reinsurance to reduce risk exposure. We consider competition between two companies and construct a single payoff function of two companies’ surplus processes. One company chooses a dynamic reinsurance strategy in order to maximize the payoff function while its opponent is simultaneously choosing a dynamic reinsurance strategy so as to minimize the same quantity. We describe the Nash equilibrium of the game and prove a verification theorem for a general payoff function. For the payoff function being the probability that the difference between two surplus reaches an upper bound before it reaches a lower bound, the game is solved explicitly.