Covariate model-based fault tree analysis for risk assessment in chemical process industries: A case study of a chlorine manufacturing facility

Fault tree analysis (FTA) is a promising quantitative technique for risk analysis in chemical process industries (CPIs). In FTA, a certain sequence of basic events (causes) leads to one specific Top event (critical event of interest). However, the conventional fault tree analysis has the limitations of staticity and uncertainty. The staticity in conventional FTA arises due to its inability to accommodate time-dependent characteristics of the process system. Whereas uncertainty primarily lies in the failure probability data of basic events. This paper proposes an innovative methodology that uses a time-dependent covariate model to update the failure probability values of major contributing basic events in FTA. A novel subclass of the family of phase-type distributions is used to model the covariates corresponding to the basic events. The newly developed methodology is applied for a case study in a chlorine manufacturing facility to estimate the chlorine release probability. The blockage in the pipeline was identified as the significant reason for chlorine release from expert opinion and sensitivity analysis. The results of the proposed model of FTA are compared with that of conventional FTA.     

综合性化学实验的线上线下混合式教学——以水泥分析为例

水泥熟料分析是一个经典的综合性实验,涉及重量分析和配位滴定分析的很多原理及操作。为了有效开展实验教学、缩短课堂讲解时间、客观评价学生实验数据及结果,我们开展了线上线下混合式教学,引导学生课前自主学习,训练学生综合和创新实验技能。这一改革提高了实验教学质量,取得了较好的教学效果。     

基于混酸回流制备碳点的中和过程

Carbon dots (C dots) are relatively novel carbon nanomaterials that have attracted significant interest due to their unique photoluminescence, good biocompatibility, and stability. The preparation methods of C dots was usually summarized into "top-down" and "bottom-up", and mixed acid reflux is a top-down strategy that can be used to synthesize C dots, during which neutralization is a necessary step that can significantly influence the properties and potential applications of the final product. Previously, this research area mainly focused on tuning the properties of C dots by changing the starting materials and/or varying the reaction conditions; the influence of the reagents used during neutralization has been largely ignored. As the previously reported C dots prepared by mixed acid reflux were obtained from different starting materials under varied conditions, a meaningful comparison is difficult. Herein, yellow-emitting C dots were prepared by mixed acid-refluxing a carbon-rich material derived from fullerene carbon soot. For the same batch of as-prepared C dots, the influences of four reagents, i.e., NaOH, Na₂CO₃, K₂CO₃, and NH₃·H₂O, during neutralization on the structures and photoluminescence of the resulting C dots were investigated in detail. The results of thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy clearly showed that the reagent used during neutralization can affect the degree of dissociation of the acidic functional groups on the C dots. This is further supported by examination of the C dot/surfactant mixtures where subtle changes in the phase behavior were observed. Structural changes of the C dots cause variations in their surface states, ultimately altering the optical characteristics, including UV-vis absorption and fluorescence. Among the treated C dots, the sample prepared with Na₂CO₃ showed the strongest emission under the same excitation wavelength, while that prepared with NH₃·H₂O exhibited a distinct red shift (~8 nm) in the emission curve. The results presented herein provide clear evidence that neutralization reagent selection is important for optimizing the properties of the resulting C dots obtained by mixed acid reflux. In addition, the photoluminescence of the C dots can be influenced by their counterions, providing a novel method for tuning the properties of C dots while explaining their behavior in saline solutions. In short, the basicity of the neutralizing reagent and the type of counterions affect the structure of the C dots surface, which brings different performances. This work reminds researchers that it is necessary to use the type of neutralizing reagent as an experimental condition when preparing C dots in the future.     

Photophysical characterization of mixed micelles of n-butanol/SDS and n-hexanol/SDS. A study at low alcohol concentrations

 The effect of the addition of n-butanol (BuOH) and n-hexanol (HexOH) on the micellization of sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) has been investigated using fluorescence quenching methods. The binding constants were calculated using an expression which relates the total concentration of alcohols and the micelle concentration. The values of K were 4.67 and 17.6 M^-1 for BuOH/SDS and HexOH/SDS, similar to values obtained by other methods. The cmc of SDS decreases on addition of alcohols and goes through a minimum for the BuOH/SDS system. Micellar aggregation numbers (N) were determined from linear plots of Ln (I ⁰/I) against [Quencher] at low alcohol concentrations. For 15 mM SDS, in the presence of BuOH the N values decrease on addition of alcohol up to 0.2 M. For HexOH, N can be assumed to be constant up to 4.8 mM, after which N decreases. The polarity of the micellar core containing alcohol was evaluated from the I ₁/I ₃ ratio of monomeric pyrene. The effect of addition of the alcohol causes a decrease in the I ₁/I ₃, which corresponds to a decrease in the polarity of the pyrene solubilization site. Received: 28 October 1996 Accepted: 10 January 1997     

Packing effects in organometallic compounds: A study of five mixed crystals

A series of cocrystals of an organometallic tungsten complex with organic small molecules has been prepared and studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Comparison of the five structures thus obtained allowed the measurement of the effects of the crystal environment on the molecular structure under investigation. Not only soft torsional degrees of freedom but also bond angles, the point symmetry, and other geometrical features of the reference molecule have been found to vary significantly. It is concluded that parameters commonly ascribed to themolecular structure may in reality depend onintermolecular interactions.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. J. Strähle on the occasion of his 60th birthday.     

Effect of the ZnNi y Mn2– y O4 (0 ≤ y ≤ 1) spinel composition on electrochemical lithium insertion

The electrochemical insertion of lithium in the spinel-type manganite with the formula ZnNi _y Mn_{2– y} O₄ has been studied. The galvanostatic discharge curves show that the best performance is obtained for y = 0.25, where a tetragonal to cubic structural transformation occurs. The thermodynamics and kinetics of the process of insertion of the lithium into the tetragonal spinel Li _x ZnNi_0.25Mn_1.75O₄ (x = 0.05–1.3) have been studied. The molar thermodynamic quantities, such as enthalpy, entropy and free energy determined by EMF-T measurements, varied with the lithium concentration in the oxide structure, and a major variation was observed around x = 0.8. The chemical diffusion coefficient of lithium in these spinels was also determined. Structural analysis, degree of oxidation and magnetic susceptibility measurements were carried out for the lithiated oxides in order to obtain the cationic distribution as a function of x. It has been possible to demonstrate that, upon lithium insertion, Mn⁴⁺ ions on B sites are reduced to Mn³⁺ and then to Mn²⁺. A cooperative Jahn-Teller effect is present in these spinel manganese-nickel oxides. Received: 4 February 1997 / Accepted: 11 April 1997     

含Cu复合氧化物对NO和CO吸附和活化的TPSR研究

利用MS－TPD法并结合XRD、化学分析等对催化剂进行了表征，探讨了K2NiF4结构La2-x(Sr，Th)xCuO4±λ系催化剂中三个典型样品LaSrCuO4、La2CuO4和La1.7Th0．3CuO4对NO、CO及CO＋NO等小分子的吸附性能和活化规律。结果表明：NO吸附量的大小与催化剂中氧空位含量有关，吸附强度和脱附峰种类与金属离子氧化态有关。CO在氧缺陷复合氧化物催化剂上的吸附是首先变为碳酸根，并在高温以CO2物种脱出．在NO和CO的共吸附过程中，有关NO的吸、脱性能与单独NO－TPD中NO的吸脱附规律相似，表明NO在NO＋CO共吸附的竞争吸附过程中，优先吸附起决定作用，而受CO的影响较小．NO的吸附是NO活化分解的必要条件．     

六氰合铁酸铜钴在蜡浸石墨电极表面的电化学沉积

首次报道了电化学沉积的混合金属六氰合铁酸盐修饰电极作为电流型传感器的研究。针对六氰合铁酸盐修饰电极在中性和碱性条件下的不稳定性，采用混合金属电沉积的方法，成功地提高了电极的稳定性，所得到的修饰电极在 ｐＨ ４～１０之间均表现出良好的稳定性。该电极的响应时间（ｔ９５％）为 ０．５ｓ，并对Ｆｅ３＋／Ｆｅ２＋电对表现出良好的电催化作用。催化氧化峰电流与Ｆｅ２＋的浓度在１．０×１０－４～６．５×１０－２ｍｏｌ/Ｌ范围内呈很好的线性关系，检测下限为 １．４×１０－６ｍｏｌ／Ｌ。     

Investigations on Chemical Vapour Transport of Intermetallic Phases in the System Co/Fe/Si

The ternary phases existing on the quasi binary section CoSi/FeSi and CoSi₂/β‐FeSi₂ have been investigated by solid state reactions and chemical transport. The solid solution serie Co_xFe_1‐xSi can be described as a regular solution. The transport behaviour calculated is in good agreement with the experiments. The phases have been characterized by X‐ray powder diffraction, EDX and ICP‐OES. The temperature dependence of the resistivity has been measured from 20 K up to room temperature on single crystals.