Sizing of Irregular Particles Using a Phase Doppler System

Response of a phase Doppler system to irregularly shaped particles is examined and shown to deviate qualitatively as well as quantitatively from the spherical particles. Nevertheless, the measured phase distributions based on an ensemble of particles exhibit a high degree of order and simplicity. The experimental data and the stochastic modeling of the process have shown that the phase Doppler technique can be used successfully for in-situ sizing and velocimetry of irregular particles. In the case of irregular crystalline particles, mean size and standard deviation can be deduced without requiring any assumptions regarding the functional form of the size distribution. As opposed to other optical techniques, phase Doppler can be used, in principle, near the backscattering location, so that a single optical window would be employed for transmission of laser light and collection of the scattered signals. Furthermore, size measurements can be velocity-resolved, i.e. a size distribution can be associated with each bin of the velocity histogram.     

A Banking Platform to Leverage Data Driven Marketing with Machine Learning

Payment data is one of the most valuable assets that retail banks can leverage as the major competitive advantage with respect to new entrants such as Fintech companies or giant internet companies. In marketing, the value behind data relates to the power of encoding customer preferences: the better you know your customer, the better your marketing strategy. In this paper, we present a B2B2C lead generation application based on payment transaction data within the online banking system. In this approach, the bank is an intermediary between its private customers and merchants. The bank uses its competence in Machine Learning driven marketing to build a lead generation application that helps merchants run data driven campaigns through the banking channels to reach retail customers. The bank’s retail customers trade the utility hidden in its payment transaction data for special offers and discounts offered by merchants. During the entire process banks protects the privacy of the retail customer.     

Transition metal-metal oxide hybrids as versatile materials for hydrogen storage

Metal atom located on metal oxide (MMO) is a promising material with various applications such as hydrogen storage. As one of the metal oxides, niobium oxide (NbO) presents fascinating properties that make it a possibly applicable in MMOs. Here, we investigated the feasibility of transition metal-NbO hybrids as MMO materials for application in the hydrogen storage technology. In this respect, the hydrogen adsorption of transition metals (Fe, Ni, Cu, Pd, Ag, and Pt) decorated on the NbO nanocluster has been explored using density functional theory calculations. We found that the adsorption energy of the H₂ molecule on the NbO adsorbent is remarkably increased by locating the transition metals on the NbO metal oxide. Our results reveal that the transition metals decorated on the NbO nanocluster can act as active sites for hydrogen adsorption. Among the studied transition metals, Pt shows the highest hydrogen capacity up to 6.52 wt%.     

Iron Precursor Decomposition in the Magnesium Combustion Flame: A New Approach for the Synthesis of Particulate Metal Oxide Nanocomposites

Powders of Fe–Mg–O nanocomposite particles have been grown using a novel chemical vapor synthesis approach that employs the decomposition of a metalorganic precursor inside the metal combustion flame. After annealing in controlled gas atmospheres composition distribution functions, structure and phase stability of the obtained magnesiowüstite nanoparticles are measured with a combination of techniques such as inductively coupled plasma‐optical emission spectroscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Complementary Mössbauer spectroscopy measurements reveal that depending on Fe loading and temperature of annealing either metastable and superparamagnetic solid solutions of Fe³⁺ ions in periclase (MgO) or phase separated mixtures of MgO and ferrimagnetic magnesioferrite (MgFe₂O₄) nanoparticles can be obtained. The described combustion technique represents a novel concept for the production of mixed metal oxide nanoparticles. Adressing the impact of selected annealing protocols, this study underlines the great potential of vapor phase grown non‐equilibrium solids, where thermal processing provides means to trigger phase separation and, concomitantly, the emergence of new magnetic properties.     

ZnO thin film characterization by X-ray reflectivity optimization using genetic algorithm and Fourier transformation

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film was fabricated by sol-gel spin coating method on glass substrate. X-ray reflectivity (XRR) and its optimization have been used for characterization and extracting physical parameters of the film. Genetic algorithm (GA) has been applied for this optimization process. The model independent information was needed to establish data analyzing process for X-ray reflectivity before optimization process. Independent information was exploited from Fourier transform of Fresnel reflectivity normalized X-ray reflectivity. This Fourier transformation (Auto Correlation Function) yields thickness of each coated layer on substrate. This information is a keynote for constructing optimization process. Specular X-ray reflectivity optimization yields structural parameters such as thickness, roughness of surface and interface and electron density profile of the film. Acceptable agreement exists between results obtained from Fourier transformation and X-ray reflectivity fitting.     

Vortex Shedding: A Review on Flat Plate

Flat plates, both single and in tandem or side by side arrangement, are widely used in many engineering applications. Despite vast investigations of the flow structures and wakes downstream of these bluff bodies, this unsteady phenomenon yet remains a fundamental issue in many industrial applications. This paper reviews the state of the art concerning the flow over flat plates in different arrangements focusing on plates normal to the flow. Turbulent wake regions are discussed for the flat plates in side by side or tandem arrangement. Numerical studies are reviewed with emphasis on the realized turbulent models. The effect of the chosen turbulence model on the prediction of the wake region is discussed.     

The lowest singlet-triplet excitation energy of BN: A converged coupled cluster perspective

The notoriously small X 3Pi-a 1Sigma+ excitation energy of the BN diatomic has been calculated using high-order coupled cluster methods. Convergence has been established in both the one-particle basis set and the coupled cluster expansion. Explicit inclusion of connected quadruple excitations T4 is required for even semiquantitative agreement with the limit value, while connected quintuple excitations T5 still have an effect of about 60 cm(-1). Still higher excitations only account for about 10 cm(-1). Inclusion of inner-shell correlation further reduces Te by about 60 cm(-1) at the CCSDT, and 85 cm(-1) at the CCSDTQ level. Our best estimate, Te = 183+/-40 cm(-1), is in excellent agreement with earlier calculations and experiment, albeit with a smaller (and conservative) uncertainty. The dissociation energy of BN(X 3Pi) is De = 105.74+/-0.16 kcal/mol and D0 = 103.57+/-0.16 kcal/mol.     

Selective sp3 C-H activation of ketones at the beta position by Ir(I). Origin of regioselectivity and water effect

The reaction of the cationic (PNP)Ir(I)(cyclooctene) complex (1) (PNP = 2,6-bis-(di-tert-butylphosphinomethyl)pyridine) with 2-butanone or 3-pentanone results in the selective, quantitative activation of a beta C-H bond, yielding O,C-chelated complexes. Calculations show that the selectivity is both kinetically (because of steric reasons in the rate determingin step (RDS)) and thermodynamically controlled, the latter as a result of carbonyl oxygen coordination in the product. The RDS is formation of the eta2-C,H intermediates from the complexed ketone intermediates. Water has a strong influence on the regioselectivity, and in its presence, reaction of 1 with 2-butanone gives also the alpha terminal C-H activation product. Computational studies suggest that water can stabilize the terminal alpha C-H activation product by hydrogen bonding, forming a six-membered ring with the ketone, as experimentally observed in the X-ray structure of the acetonyl hydride aqua complex.     

Fabrication of microporous membranes from melt extruded polypropylene precursor films via stretching: Effect of annealing

In this work, the effects of annealing conditions on the microstructure of polypropylene(PP) precursor films and further on the porous structure and permeability of stretched membranes were investigated. Combinations of WAXD, FTIR, DSC and DMA results clearly showed the crystalline orientation and crystallinity of the precursor film increased with annealing temperature, while the molecular chain entanglements in the amorphous phase decreased. Changes in the deformation behavior suggested more lamellar separation occurred for the films annealed at higher temperatures. Surface morphologies of the membranes examined by SEM revealed more pore number and uniform porous structure as the annealing temperature increased. In accordance with the SEM results, the permeability of the membranes increased with annealing temperature. On the other hand, it was found that 10 min was almost enough for the annealing process to obtain the microporous membranes with an optimal permeability.