Oxidation kinetics of timahdit and tarfaya moroccan oil shales

Organic matter evolution and kinetics of combustion of Tarfaya and Timahdit oil shales have been examined by thermogravimetry (TG) and by differential thermal analysis (DTA). An agreement is observed between both techniques where it was found that combustion of organic matter occurs in two steps. Kissinger's method applied on experimental results gives an activation energy of the same magnitude for the first step of both oil shales (103 kJ mol^–1) whereas the second is 148 kJ mol^–1 for Timahdit and 118 kJ mol^–1 for Tarfaya.The changes in specific surface area during thermal combustion of Timahdit and Tarfaya oil shales have been studied by thermogravimetric gas sorption balance and correlated with experimental results obtained on TG/DTA in air. For Timahdit oil shale oxidation products, specific surface areas calculated from nitrogen adsorption data shows a slight increase during the temperature domain of 280 to 430°C and after this temperature, they increase sharply. However, data obtained with Tarfaya oil shales shows a significant increase at the temperature of maximum oxidation of the first stage of combustion of organic matter.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Mechanistic Aspects of Carbon Nanotube Nucleation and Growth

The discovery, synthesis, characterization, and applicability of carbon nanotubes have produced tremendous excitement and interest among scientists and engineers. In particular, the use of these unique tubular nanostructures for new strong lightweight materials, nanoelectronics, fuel storage and cells, electron emitters and bio, scanning probe microscopy, and chemical sensing devices has created an intense effort to advance the synthesis so as to mass produce carbon nanotubes with control over diameter and helicity. The massive and controlled synthesis of this heralded nanostructure has been a great challenge. Although significant progress has advanced the preparation, more synthetic development is required. The syntheses have so far involved three main approaches: arc discharge vaporization, laser vaporization, and catalytic chemical vapor deposition. The synthetic trend has progressed to a point where further advancement with these techniques will require a better understanding of the mechanism of nucleation and growth. The mechanics of carbon nanotube nucleation and growth involve very complex and diverse phenomena occurring under extreme conditions and on the mesoscopic scale. As yet the detail mechanism is unknown. Difficulties with experimental probing and computational simulation have increased the mystery of this mechanism. This review presents an account of research on the synthesis of carbon nanotubes and the mechanism of formation. This overview includes all three mentioned synthetic approaches and hybrids thereof. On the basis of this broad account a comprehensive mechanism for carbon nanotube nucleation and growth naturally arises. This mechanism is qualitative and it hopes to inspire more quantitative exploration and synthetic advancement.     

Monodisperse chloromethyl-functionalized macroporous polymer particles by seeded polymerization in aqueous media

This study presents a method to produce monodisperse chloromethyl-functionalized macroporous poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) polymer particles by seeded polymerization in aqueous media. We observed that the molecular structure of polystyrene seed particles, the composition of the secondary monomer mixtures, and the type of solvents were very important factors that determine the morphology and porosity of the final particles. This study proposes that the molecular chemistry of polystyrene seed polymers, increasing molecular weight or crosslinking, is another factor that can control the porosity of the final particles. Also, the selection of a poor solvent was effective in forming the larger surface area. In this study, it was confirmed that the chloromethyl groups introduced on the surface of porous particles were quantified chemically and their effective incorporation had a close relationship with the surface area.     

Biotechnological storage and utilization of entrapped solar energy

Our laboratory has recently developed a device employing immobilized F₀F₁ adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) that allows synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) from adenosine 5′-diphosphate and inorganic phosphate using solar energy. We present estimates of total solar energy received by Earth’s land area and demonstrate that its efficient capture may allow conversion of solar energy and storage into bonds of biochemicals using devices harboring either immobilized ATPase or NADH dehydrogenase. Capture and storage of solar energy into biochemicals may also enable fixation of CO₂ emanating from polluting units. The cofactors ATP and NADH synthesized using solar energy could be used for regeneration of acceptor d-ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate from 3-phosphoglycerate formed during CO₂ fixation.     

Effect of Inorganic Ions on Oleate Adsorption at a Nigerian Hematite–Water Interface

Using “pure” natural hematite selected from a high silica Nigerian hematitic ore, oleate adsorption densities at the hematite–water interface were determined in the presence of various inorganic ions (anions and cations) of different charges and at varying concentrations. Adsorption density was determined using electrical conductivity measurements. The specific surface area of the hematite particles was determined using the method of adsorption of paranitrophenol in aqueous solution. Inorganic ions in solution depressed oleate adsorption at the aqueous hematite surface. The charge of the ion proved to be the dominant factor determining the depression of oleate adsorption. Ionic strength also was an influence, up to a limiting value at which monolayer oleate coverage of the hematite surface occurred. The inorganic ions in solution are considered to function through nonspecific adsorption in the diffuse region of the electric double layer.     

Preparation and Characterization of N-4-Nitrophenyl-L-prolinol Nanocrystals in Sol-Gel Matrices

Organic nanocrystals of N-4-nitrophenyl-l-prolinol (NPP) have been grown in sol-gel matrices prepared from silicon alkoxide precursors. Our process is based on the control of the nucleation and growth kinetics of the dye in the pores of dense gels. Nanocomposites gel-glasses are obtained with a high optical quality due to the small size of the nanocrystals (10-20 nm). Differential scanning calorimetry experiments evidenced clearly the melting point of NPP nanocrystals, which is registered 51°C above that of NPP powder. Micro-Raman and solid state NMR spectroscopies allowed us to demonstrate that our nanocrystallization process does not chemically modify NPP molecules. We specified also the nature of interactions existing between the NPP nanocrystals and the xerogels. These strong interactions, which explain the important increase of the melting point of the nanocrystals in comparison to the NPP powder, are hydrogen bonds between nitro groups of NPP and uncondensed silanol functions of the silicate network.     

高比表面积窄孔分布氧化铝的制备研究 Ⅰ.沉淀条件的影响

 以硫酸铝液为原料，以氨水、氢氧化钠和铝酸钠为碱沉淀剂，采用pH摆动法制备了高比表面积、大孔径、窄孔分布、大孔体积氧化铝，考察了沉淀剂、沉淀温度及沉淀时酸侧pH值对氧化铝物性的影响，并对pH摆动法与等pH沉淀法的结果进行了比较．结果表明，通过改变制备参数可以获得高比表面积、大孔体积的氧化铝，当沉淀温度为70℃，pH摆动3或4次时，氧化铝的孔体积可高达1．0ml／g，比表面积仍大于300m2／g．用pH摆动法制得的样品比用等pH沉淀法制得的样品容易酸溶，对挤压成型有利．不同样品在酸溶液中的分散性表明，用氨水沉淀剂可获得相对较小的沉淀粒子．改变沉淀时酸侧的pH值，可导致沉淀粒子的结构发生变化．     

Texture of zirconia obtained by forced hydrolysis of ZrOCl2 solutions

The structure and surface properties of ZrO₂ strongly depend on its preparation. In the present work the impact of prolonged aging at basic conditions (pH = 9, T = 100°C, t = 48 h), on the phase composition and textural properties, obtained by calcination of the precipitate, was investigated using several techniques conjointly (DTA/TG, DSC, XRD, porosimetry). The thermal effects accompanying the ZrO₂·xH₂O gel formation, the coalescence of the particles and crystallization were evaluated and discussed in terms of the structural differences between the aged and non-aged samples. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Metastable fluid flow described via a discrete-velocity coagulation-fragmentation model

A discrete-velocity Boltzmann model is introduced. It is based on two principles: (i) clusters of particles move in ³ with seven fixed momenta; (ii) clusters may gain or lose particles according to the rules of Becker-Döring cluster equations. The model provides a kinetic representation of evaporation and condensation. The model is used to obtain macroscopic fluid equations which are valid into the metastable fluid regime, , where is any positive number, is the inelastic Knudsen number, and _s is the saturation density.     

STUDY ON THE DUCTILE DEFORMATION DOMAIN OF THE SIMPLE SHEAR IN ROCKS——TAKING BRITTLE FAULTS OF THE COVERING STRATA IN THE SOUTHERN JIANGSU AREA AS AN EXAMPLE

A study on the ductile deformation domain of the brittle fault in the shallow level ofthe crust is a new probe field for the modern structural geology. Taking the southern Jiang-su Province area as an example the orientation measurement of quartz crystals, the com-positional texture observation of three pressure sensitive minerals and the rheological param-eter determination of dislocation densities, etc. have been demonstrated and analysed basedon typical samples in the present paper. In addition, their generation mechanisms arealso discussed from the cataclastic rheology, the dynamic differentiation and the simpleshearing, specially, from the Ode strength theory. Finally, a generative relationship betweenthe ductile deformation domain of the brittle fault system, in the regional layer--slip andthe formation of the stratabound ore deposit is shown as well.