Sulphide based anode material for lithium rechargeable battery

In this study, lead sulphide (PbS) was prepared by the chemical bath deposition technique. The sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy Dispersive Analysis of X-rays (EDAX) and cyclic voltammetry. EDAX spectrum shows peaks attributable to lead and sulphur. The EDAX analysis also shows that the prepared sample is stoichiometric. Cyclic voltammetry experiments were recorded at 100 mV·s⁻¹ and 400 mV·s⁻¹ scan rates. Results show that the rate controlling electrochemical reaction is electron transfer. The presence of redox waves shows that the lithium intercalation and deintercalation can occur as a result of lattice expansion in PbS. There were no differences in the PbS XRD data before and after the cyclic voltammetry experiments indicating that the PbS structure is not modified upon lithium ion intercalation and deintercalation in PbS. The discharge characteristics for 35 cycles of the cell using the LiCoO₂/PbS couple is presented indicating the possible development of such materials as anode in lithium ion cells.     

Preconcentration and speciation of chromium using a melamine based polymeric sequestering succinic acid resin: its application for Cr(VI) and Cr(III) determination in wastewater

A new melamine based polymeric sequestering resin was prepared for preconcentration and separation of hexavalent chromium from water, and its sequestering action was investigated. The water-insoluble, cross-linked sequestering resin was formed by reaction with bromosuccinic acid and cross-linking of melamine. The active sequestering group on the resin is NH-(Succinic acid) or salt thereof. The resulting chelating resin was characterized by infrared spectra. The newly prepared resin quantitatively retained Cr(VI) at pH 2.0-4.0 when the flow rate was maintained between 1 and 5 ml min⁻¹. The retained Cr(VI) was instantaneously eluted with 25 ml of 0.1 M NaOH. The chromium species were determined by a flame atomic absorption spectrometer. The limits of detection for Cr(VI) and Cr(III) were found to be 5.3 and 4.2 μg l⁻¹, respectively. The precision and accuracy of the proposed procedure was checked by the use synthetic and reference steel samples. The established preconcentration method was successfully applied to the determination and selective separation of Cr(VI) in electroplating industry wastewater. Total concentrations determined by the spectrophotometric method (110.3±0.6 g l⁻¹ Cr(VI) and 1.2±0.3 g l⁻¹ Cr(III)) are compared with those found by FAAS and the obtained results (110.4±1.8 g l⁻¹ Cr(VI) and 1.4±0.5 g l⁻¹ Cr(III)) show good agreement.     

Speciation analysis of chromium by separation on a 5-palmitoyl oxine-functionalized XAD-2 resin and spectrophotometric determination with diphenylcarbazide

The method developed in this work for the separation and preconcentration of Cr(III) is based on its retention by an Amberlite XAD-2 copolymer resin functionalized with 5-palmitoyl-8-hydroxyquinoline (oxine), abbreviated XAD-POx, with the ligand covalently bound to the copolymer. Cr(III) sorption was quantitative within the pH range 4.5–7.0 and Cr(VI) was not retained. The Cr(III) held by the resin column was eluted with a hot solution of H₂O₂ in pH9.0 aqueous NH₃–NH₄Cl buffer, and Cr oxidized to CrO₄^2– was rejected by the chelating cation-exchanger column. Any Cr(VI) originally present with Cr(III) could be reduced with an acidic solution of H₂O₂, and retained by the column yielding total Cr results, Cr(VI) being determined from the difference. The resin showed a maximal preconcentration factor of 60 for Cr(III), the LOD and LOQ being 9.3 and 30.1 nmol L^–1, respectively. The developed preconcentration-speciation analysis was finished with a diphenylcarbazide (DPC) spectrophotometric procedure suitable for conventional laboratories. The resin showed excellent salt tolerance, enabling Cr analysis in seawater, and was stable over extended use. All the interferents of this procedure that normally occur in an electroplating effluent, a blended coal CRM, and a standard steel sample could be removed by the recommended procedure, by use of partial and total selectivity at the adsorption and desorption stages, respectively, enabling preconcentration and colorimetric determination of chromium in various complex matrices.     

Use of the molybdenum-thiocyanate-rhodamine 6G ternary complex for spectrophotometric molybdenum determination without extraction

A modified thiocyanate method without extraction by using rhodamine 6G as a secondary ligand was developed. Molybdenum in 1.0×10⁻² M HCl, after the addition of ascorbic acid, was heated for 10 min in a 90 °C water bath for reduction. Suitable amounts of glycerine, Triton X-100, rhodamine 6G solutions and 2+1 (v/v) 9 M H₂SO₄+3 M KHSO₄ were added in this order. This solution was allowed to cool to room temperature and the absorbance at 570 nm was measured against a reagent blank 45 min after the addition of thiocyanate solution and the second aliquot of Triton X-100 solution. The complex was stable for at least 4 h, the order of reagent addition was important, and thiocyanate should be in large excess. Beer’s law was obeyed over the range 0.9×10⁻⁶ to 1.1×10⁻⁵ M Mo with the molar absorptivity being 1.1×10⁵ l mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹. The R.S.D. for the determination of 0.7 mg Mo l⁻¹ was 1.83% (n=8). Possible interferences of various cations and anions on molybdenum determination were studied. The proposed method was applied to the determination of molybdenum in a dental alloy, Wiron 99.     

trans‐[1,3‐Bis(2,4,6‐trimethylphenyl)imidazolidin‐2‐ylidene]dichlorido(triphenylphosphine‐κP)palladium(II)

The title complex, [PdCl₂(C₂₁H₂₆N₂)(C₁₈H₁₅P)], shows slightly distorted square‐planar coordination around the Pd^II metal centre. The Pd—C bond distance between the N‐heterocyclic ligand and the metal atom is 2.028 (5) Å. The dihedral angle between the two trimethylphenyl ring planes is 36.9 (2)°.     

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of Ferula latisecta and Mozaffariania insignis from Iran

The hydrodistilled oils from the aerial parts of Ferula latisecta and Mozaffariania insignis, which is endemic to Iran, were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. (Z)-Ocimenone (32.4%), (E)-ocimenone (20.3%), and cis-pinocarvone (11.4%) were the main components among the 22 constituents characterized in the oil of F. latisecta, representing 87.7% of the total components detected. Twenty-five compounds were identified in the oil of M. insignis, representing 99.0% of the total oil, with octyl acetate (41.1%), β-pinene (30.3%), and α-pinene (23.9%) as the main constituents. The essential oils were examined for their potential antimicrobial activities. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 561–563, November–December, 2006.     

Dissociation constants of some Schiff bases and stability constants of their copper,cobalt, nickel and zinc complexes

The stoichiometry and stability constant of metal complexes with 4-(3-methoxy-salicylideneamino)-5-hydroxynaphthalene-2,7-disulfonic acid monosodium salt (H₂L) and 4-(3-methoxysalicylideneamino)-5-hydroxy-6-(2,5-dichlorophenylazo)-2,7-naphthalene disulfonic acid monosodium salt (H₂L¹) were studied by potentiometric titration. The stability constants of H₂L and H₂L¹ Schiff bases have been investigated by potentiometric titration and u.v.–vis spectroscopy in aqueous media. The dissociation constants of the ligand and the stability constants of the metal complexes were calculated pH-metrically at 25 °C and 0.1 m KCl ionic strength. The dissociation constants for H₂L were obtained as 3.007, 7.620 and 9.564 and for H₂L¹, 4.000, 6.525, 9.473 and 10.423, respectively. The complexes were found to have the formulae [M(L)₂] for M = Co(II), Ni(II), Zn(II) and Cu(II). The stability of the complexes follows the sequence: Zn(II) < Co(II) < Cu(II) < Ni(II). The high stability of H₂L¹ towards Cu(II) and Ni(II) over the other ions is remarkable, in particular over Cu(II), and may be of technological interest. Concentration distribution diagram of various species formed in solution was evaluated for ligands and complexes. The formation of the hydrogen bonds may cause this increased stability of ligands. The pH-metric data were used to find the stoichiometry, deprotonation and stability constants via the SUPERQUAD computer program.     

Computational complexity of LCPs associated with positive definite symmetric matrices

Murty in a recent paper has shown that the computational effort required to solve a linear complementarity problem (LCP), by either of the two well known complementary pivot methods is not bounded above by a polynomial in the size of the problem. In that paper, by constructing a class of LCPs—one of ordern forn 2—he has shown that to solve the problem of ordern, either of the two methods goes through 2 ⁿ pivot steps before termination.However that paper leaves it as an open question to show whether or not the same property holds if the matrix,M, in the LCP is positive definite and symmetric. The class of LCPs in whichM is positive definite and symmetric is of particular interest because of the special structure of the problems, and also because they appear in many practical applications.In this paper, we study the computational growth of each of the two methods to solve the LCP, (q, M), whenM is positive definite and symmetric and obtain similar results.This research is partially supported by Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Air Force Number AFOSR-78-3646. The United States Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for governmental purposes notwithstanding any copyright notation thereon.     

Performance investigation of an advanced tracked prime mover on the low bearing soil

This study has presented a performance investigation of an advanced tracked prime mover for the operation of agricultural goods and other operations on peat terrain. The maximum and continuous traction torque of the prime mover has been developed by designing an advanced controller for controlling the intelligent system. The prime mover’s mobility is studied with ultrasonic displacement sensor, torque transducer, National Instrument cRIO-9004 Compact-RIO Real-time Controller Unit (RCU), a National Instrument TPC 2106T Touch Panel Control (TPC), a Trimble AG132 GPS antenna and receiver unit, and a Dlink DIR-655 router. The fuzzy logic controller (FLC) has been equipped with the prime mover hydraulic system to increase the traction torque of the hydraulic motor when the prime mover’s sinkage is more than or equal to 70 mm. The prime mover’s design demonstrates good potential in traversing peat terrain as the measured tractive effort was found to be 48% of the vehicle’s gross weight while the recommended tractive effort is in the range of 30–36% of the vehicle’s gross weight.