Aggregation of iron colloids in estuaries: a heterogeneous kinetics study using continuous mixing of river and sea waters

The kinetics of iron colloid aggregation in estuaries have been simulated with a model estuary in which seawater is continuously pumped into a reservoir initially containing river water. Profiles of colloidal Fe concentration versus salinity produced in this apparatus closely resembled field data for actual estuaries. Synthetic Fe colloids prepared by peptising Fe(OH)₃ with humic acid and phosphate showed very similar kinetic behaviour. Aggregation rate was found to be almost independent of velocity shear rate, implying that most aggregations are induced by brownian interparticle collisions. A heterogeneous kinetic model is proposed to explain the kinetic behaviour of Fe colloids during seawater-induced aggregation. This model describes kinetic behaviour in terms of a log-normal distribution of rate constants characterised by a mean value k and a standard deviation γ. Experiments showed that k is linearly related to the rate constant for salinity increase during mixing. This coupling of salinity changes and aggregation rate leads to Fe-salinity profiles that are nearly independent of the rate of salinity change, but which are dependent on γ.     

DSC study and computer modelling of the melting process in ice slurry

In order to understand the non-isothermal melting kinetics in the ice slurry, a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used. Experimental results were compared to those obtained by a numerical simulation in which a general enthalpy method was applied. In this work the ice slurry studied consists of ice particles uniformly dispersed within a water-antifreeze liquid mixture. The effects of the heating rate and the initial antifreeze mass fraction are discussed. It has been found that the temperature gradients inside the sample of the solution become important if either heating rate increases or initial antifreeze mass fraction decreases.     

Mesoscopic simulation of the aggregation behavior of fluorinated surfactant in aqueous solution

The aggregation behavior of fluorinated surfactant in aqueous solution was investigated using dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulation method. Simulation results show that fluorinated surfactants behave mainly as their hydrocarbon analogues, having similar sequences of phases and aggregate structures, which are capable of building micelle, hexagonal phase and lamellar phase. But fluorinated surfactants also show interesting differences from hydrocarbon analogues, which can easily form hexagonal and lamellar structures with comparative little curvature. They can also form ellipsoid or rod-like micelles even in very low concentrations instead of spheroid ones. The dynamic aggregation behavior of fluorinated surfactants, as well as the comparison with hydrogenated ones, was also investigated.     

Monte Carlo simulation of adsorption of binary and quaternary alkane isomers mixtures in zeolites: Effect of pore size and structure

Grand canonical Monte Carlo and configurational bias Monte Carlo techniques were employed to simulate the adsorption of binary mixtures of butane isomers and quaternary mixtures in nine zeolites at 300 K. For binary mixtures the results show there is a critical pore size, which is 10-membered-ring about 5.6 Å. The channel sizes of BEA, ISV, MOR and CFI are larger than this critical pore size, they prefer i-butane than n-butane, whereas TON with smaller channel size than critical pore size prefers n-butane than i-butane, but its selectivity decreases with pressure increasing. MFI, MEL and TER prefer i-butane than n-butane at low pressure, but with pressure increasing, the selectivity is reversed. BOG prefers i-butane than n-butane but the selectivity decreased with pressure increasing. It demonstrates that the adsorption and selectivity are controlled by both pore size and pore structure. The n-butane–i-butane–n-pentane–2-methylbutane quaternary mixtures adsorbed in these nine zeolites were studied, and the results show alkane chain length dependence at low pressure, but the adsorption is controlled by pore size and structure with pressure increasing in all the zeolites except for TON and BOG.     

EPR spin probe and spin label studies of some low molecular and polymer micelles

The rotational mobility of spin probes of different shape and size in low molecular and polymer micelles has been studied. Several probes having nitroxide fragment localized either in the vicinity of micelle interface or in the hydrocarbon core have been used. Upon increasing the number of carbon atoms in hydrocarbon chain of detergent from 7 to 13 (sodium alkyl sulfate micelles) or from 12 to 16 (alkyltrimethylammonium bromide micelles) the rotational mobility of spin probes is decreased by the factor 1.5–2.0. The spin probe rotational mobility in polymer micelles (the complexes of alkyltrimethylammonium bromides and polymethacrylic or polyacrylic acids) is less than mobility in free micelles of the same surfactants. The study of EPR-spectra of spin labeled polymethacrylic acid (PMA) indicated that formation of water soluble complexes of polymer and alkyltrimethylammonium bromides in alkaline solutions (pH 9) does not affect the polymer segmental mobility. On the other hand, the polymer complexes formation in slightly acidic water solution (pH 6) breaks down the compact PMA conformation, thus increasing the polymer segmental mobility. Possible structures of polymer micelles are discussed.     

Cyclic voltammetry of highly hydrophilic ions at a supported liquid membrane

Cyclic voltammetry has been used to study the coupling of ion transfer reactions at a liquid membrane. The liquids are either supported by a porous hydrophobic membrane (polyvinylidene difluoride, PVDF) when the organic solvent is non-volatile (o-nitrophenyloctylether) or are merely a free standing organic solvent layer such as 1,2-dichloroethane comprised between two hydrophilic dialysis membranes supporting the adjacent aqueous phases. The passage of current across the liquid membrane is associated with two ion transfer reactions across the two polarised liquid liquid interfaces in series. It is shown that it is possible to study the transfer of highly hydrophilic ions at one interface by limiting the mass transfer of the other ion transfer reaction at the other interface. Indeed, for systems comprising an ion M in one aqueous phase and a reference ion R partitioned between the membrane and the other aqueous phase, the observed and simulated cyclic voltammograms have a half-wave potential determined by the Gibbs energy of transfer of M transferring at one interface and by the limiting mass transfer of R at the other interface. This new methodology opens a way to measure the Gibbs energy of transfer of highly hydrophilic or hydrophobic ions, which usually limits the potential window at single liquid liquid interfaces (ITIES).     

Computer modelling: Future directions

Summary Recent developments in computing and in the theory of simulation have extended greatly the successes of the modelling of ionic crystals pioneered by Mott and Littleton. This has changed the way in which computer experiments are brought to bear on an increasing range of solid-state phenomena. Yet applied science creates new demands, both in the form of new types of system and in terms of the complexity and subtlety of what is studied. The author's brief survey looks at some of the successes and gaps from interfaces and catalysts to neurotransmitters and from superconductors to slags.     

Defect and dopant properties of MgTa2O6

Atomistic computer simulation techniques have been used, for the first time, to reproduce the crystal structure of MgTa₂O₆ and to investigate the defect chemistry and dopant properties of this material. The calculated defect energetics suggest that the concentration of intrinsic atomic defects in this phase is insignificant and that the system is probably stable to both oxidation and reduction. Dopant solution energy versus ion size trends are found for both isovalent and aliovalent dopant incorporation at Mg and Ta sites. Divalent dopants (e.g. Ca, Cu) preferentially occupy the Mg site whereas dopants with higher charge (e.g. Sc, Zr, Nb) are more favorable on the Ta site. High migration activation energies (>2 eV) predict limited ionic conductivity in this material.     

Electrocatalytic Reduction of Chromium(VI) by Thionin: Electrochemical Properties and Mechanistic Study

The electrochemical properties of aqueous thionin (an electroactive water soluble dye) of pH 1–12 were investigated by cyclic voltammetry at a boron doped diamond(BDD) electrode. A well defined reversible redox couple was observed in acidic, neutral and alkaline solutions. The standard potential and kinetic parameters for thionin were obtained by fitting experimental cyclic voltammograms to those generated by the DigiSim program. The electrogenerated reduced form of thionin has been used as an efficient organic catalyst for the reduction of Cr(VI) at a BDD electrode immersed in aqueous media. The cyclic voltammetry measurements indicate that an electrocatalytic process occurs, where electrochemically generated thionin reduced species (Leucothionin) is oxidized by Cr(VI) back to the parent thionin species via a EC' reaction mechanism. The determination of catalytic rate constant (K_cat) was accomplished again by fitting experimental cyclic voltammograms with simulated ones.     

Numerical analysis of enhanced mixing in a Gallay tote blender

The mixing performance of a multi-bladed baffle inserted into a traditional Gallay tote blender is explored by graphic processing unit-based discrete element method software. The mixing patterns and rates are investigated for a binary mixture, represented by two different colors, under several loading profiles. The baffle effectively enhances the convective mixing both in the axial and radial directions, because of the disturbance it causes to the initial flowing layer and solid-body zone, compared with a blender without a baffle. The axial mixing rate is affected by the gap between the baffle and the wall on the left and right sides, and an optimal blade length corresponds to the maximum mixing rate. However, the radial mixing rate increases with the blade length almost monotonically.