Halocarbons in Antarctic Surface Waters

Abstract

Surface water samples taken during the 1988–89, 1989–90 and 1990–91 Italian expeditions were analyzed for the presence of carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene. The sample analysis was carried out by solvent extraction and capillary GC-ECD-MS determination. The above-mentioned halocarbons were at ng/l level in all water samples investigated.     

Sampling and Analysis of Odorous Compounds in Water Treatment Plants

Abstract

The following analytical method has been used to identify some odorous compounds in the air of the water treatment plant Werdholzli, Zurich: sampling of contaminated air with the help of activated carbon, desorption by the solvents carbon disulphide and methylene chloride, separation of the carbon disulfide extract into a polar and a nonpolar fraction by adsorption column chromatography on silica. Hereafter gaschromatographic analysis of the polar fraction on glass capillary column (Ucon HB 5100); detection and identification were achieved by flame ionisation, thermoionic nitrogen selective detector and computerized mass spectrometry (Finnigan 3200 F, data system 6110).

The results show the presence of sulfur compounds: thiophenes, thiazoles; nitrogen compounds: pyrazines; oxygen compounds: phenols, alcohols and some unsatured hydrocarbons. The malodorous compounds were sulfur and nitrogen compounds in the range of 0.01-0.1 ppm.     

HCSE method for detection of small carbon–carbon couplings and their signs,comparison with SLAP pulse sequence

Performance of homonuclear coupling sign edited (HCSE) experiment applied to detection of signed carbon–carbon couplings is discussed using a set of already measured samples of nine monosubstituted benzenes. It is shown that coupling sign detection is insensitive to the settings of carbon–carbon polarization transfer delays. The HCSE spectra of ten from the total of 43 measured carbon–carbon couplings were considerably influenced by relaxations and proton–proton strong couplings. These effects are quantitatively discussed. The results of HCSE and SLAP experiments are compared. It is shown that the two methods may complement each other in detection of signed carbon–carbon couplings. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Application of the Salicylate Ion Electrode for the Monitoring of the Electroreduction of Salicylic Acid

Abstract

An ion selective electrode is described for measuring the unreacted salicylate ion concentration during the electroreduction of salicylic acid. Conditions for making measurements are discussed.     

Conventional processes and membrane technology for carbon dioxide removal from natural gas:A review

Membrane technology is becoming more important for CO 2 separation from natural gas in the new era due to its process simplicity,relative ease of operation and control,compact,and easy to scale up as compared with conventional processes.Conventional processes such as absorption and adsorption for CO 2 separation from natural gas are generally more energy demanding and costly for both operation and maintenance.Polymeric membranes are the current commercial membranes used for CO 2 separation from natural gas.However,polymeric membranes possess drawbacks such as low permeability and selectivity,plasticization at high temperatures,as well as insufficient thermal and chemical stability.The shortcomings of commercial polymeric membranes have motivated researchers to opt for other alternatives,especially inorganic membranes due to their higher thermal stability,good chemical resistance to solvents,high mechanical strength and long lifetime.Surface modifications can be utilized in inorganic membranes to further enhance the selectivity,permeability or catalytic activities of the membrane.This paper is to provide a comprehensive review on gas separation,comparing membrane technology with other conventional methods of recovering CO 2 from natural gas,challenges of current commercial polymeric membranes and inorganic membranes for CO 2 removal and membrane surface modification for improved selectivity.     

硅橡胶(PDMS)—聚砜(PS)复合渗透膜的氧氮透气性和渗透过程

用扫描电镜观察了多孔PS膜和PDMS—PS复合膜的断面结构形态,认为复合膜中的PS柱状孔是支撑层,PS界面的微孔层和PMDS的均质涂层组成的双层结构是影响复合膜透气性的主要结构。提出了理论分析的模型与透气量的计算公式,计算结果与实测值基本相符。测定了氧、氮、空气在不同温度下透过PDMS均质膜和PDMS—PS复合膊的透过系数P或透气速率J,给出了lgP或lgJ与1/T符合Arrhenius公式的线性关系。研究了操作参数对复合膜富集空气中氧的影响规律。     

多孔细径微肋管内CO2流动蒸发换热特性的研究

对亚临界二氧化碳在带有微肋的微细通道内的蒸发换热特性进行了实验研究.实验段为长0.6 m,内径1.7 mm的八孔带0.16 mm高微肋的铝制扁管.实验中参数的变化为:蒸发温度1～15 ℃,质量流速100～300 kg/m2s,热流密度1.67～8.33 kW/m2,干度0.1～0.9.实验结果表明,二氧化碳在带有微肋的微细通道中的蒸发换热系数高于其在光滑微细通道内的换热.二氧化碳的流动蒸发换热系数主要受热流密度和蒸发温度的影响,基本上是换热系数随热流密度及蒸发温度的增加而增加,但同时临界干度前移及滞后,而质量流速对换热系数的影响较弱;压力损失随质量流速和热流密度的增加以及蒸发温度的降低而增加.     

Microencapsulation of TiO2 Nanoparticles with Polymer by Rapid Expansion of Supercritical Solution

A novel preparation method is reported for the microencapsulation of TiO₂ nanoparticles by rapid expansion of supercritical solution with a nonsolvent. A suspension of TiO₂ nanoparticles in carbon dioxide containing a cosolvent and dissolved polymer is sprayed through a nozzle to atmospheric pressure. After rapid expansion, polymer microspheres were obtained. The microspheres do not tend to agglomerate, since the pure cosolvent is a nonsolvent for the polymer. The structure and morphology of microspheres were investigated by SEM, TEM and XRD. The obtained polymer microspheres are microcapsules of TiO₂ nanoparticles. The mean particle diameter and particle size distribution of microcapsules, could be controlled by changing the polymer concentration, pre-expansion pressure, temperature and injection distance. The polymer feed compositions are more effective than other factors on the control of particle size.     

Solvent Relaxation in Phospholipid Bilayers: Principles and Recent Applications

Although there exist a number of methods, such as NMR, X-ray, e.g., which explore the hydration of phospholipid bilayers, the solvent relaxation (SR) method has the advantage of simple instrumentation, easy data treatment and possibility of measuring fully hydrated samples. The main information gained from SR by the analysis of recorded “time-resolved emission spectra” (TRES) is micro-viscosity and micro-polarity of the dye microenvironment. Based on these parameters, one can draw conclusions about water structure in the bilayer. In this review, we focus on physical background of this method, on all the procedures that are needed in order to obtain relevant parameters, and on the requirements on the fluorescence dyes. Furthermore, a few recent applications (the effect of curvature, binding of antibacterial peptides and phase transition) illustrating the versatility of this method are mentioned. Moreover, limitations and potential problems are discussed.     

Synthesis of Nanoscale Bimetallic Particles in Polyelectrolyte Membrane Matrix for Reductive Transformation of Halogenated Organic Compounds

Nanosized Fe/Ni and Fe/Pd particles were synthesized in the polyacrylic acid (PAA)/polyether sulfone (PES) composite membrane matrix for reductive transformation of halogenated organic compounds (HOCs). The advantages of using membrane to immobilize nanoparticles are the reduction of particles loss, prevention of particles agglomeration, and potential application of convective flow. Cross-linked PAA/PES composite membranes containing metal ions as particles precursor were prepared by heat treatment with ethylene glycol (EG) as a cross-linking agent. Nanoscale metal particles were formed and immobilized inside the membrane matrix after reduction with sodium borohydride. Membrane morphology and structure were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Particle size and distribution were characterized by SEM and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) was used to obtain the qualitative and quantitative element information of particles. A specimen-drift-free EDS line profile and EDS mapping system was performed in a scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) to determine the two-dimensional element distribution of iron and nickel in the nano domain. In the dechlorination study with trichloroethylene (TCE) as a representative HOCs, rapid and complete destruction of TCE was achieved by using nanosized bimetallic Fe/Ni or Fe/Pd in PAA/PES composite membranes. Typically more than 95% of 10 mg/l TCE was reduced within 1 h. Ethane was found in the headspace as the main product.