Defect-related relaxation processes in irradiated rare gas solids

Electronic and atomic relaxation processes in preirradiated solid Ar doped with N 2 were studied with a focus on the role of radiative electronic transitions in relaxation cascades. Combining methods of activation spectroscopy - thermally stimulated and photon-stimulated exoelectron emission, a new channel of relaxation induced by photon emission from metastable N atoms was detected. It was shown that in insulating materials with a wide conduction band photons of visible range can release electrons from both kinds of traps - shallow (lattice defects) and deep thermally disconnected ones. Correlation in the charge recombination reaction yield and the yield of low temperature desorption - important relaxation channel in a preirradiated solid - clearly demonstrates interconnection between atomic and electronic processes of relaxation.     

Use of an injection port for thermochemolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry: Rapid profiling of biomaterials

A simple and direct approach was developed for thermochemolytic analysis of a wide range of biomolecules present in plant materials using an injection port of a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS) and a novel solids injector consisting of a coiled stainless steel wire placed inside a modified needle syringe. Optimum thermochemolysis (or Thermally Assisted Hydrolysis/Methylation) was achieved by using a suitable methanolic solution of trimethylsulfonium hydroxide (TMSH) or tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) with an injection port temperature of 350 °C. Intact, methylated flavonoids, saccharides, phenolic and fatty acids, lignin dimers and diterpene resin acids were identified. Samples include tea leaves, hemicelluloses, lignin isolates and herbal medicines. Unexpected chromatographic results using TMAH reagent revealed the presence of intact methylated trisaccharides (658 Da) and structurally informative dimer lignin markers.     

Optimization of inoculum to substrate ratio for enhanced methane yield from leather fleshings in a batch study

One of the most significant issues of the last few decades has been tracing for renewable energy sources. Animal fleshing (ANFL) is the most common proteinaceous solid waste accured during the production of leather and it must be disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner. This paper is attempts to assess the biogas production from solid waste originating from the chrome based tannery. Anaerobic digestion of these wastes will be a viable option for waste stabilization and energy production in the form of biogas to be utilized in the industry. The bio-methane potential of the wastes were examined by mixing these wastes with various sources of inoculum and different inoculum to substrate (I/S) ratio considered. The batch experiments were carried out in 2.5 l glass reactors with a various source of inoculumviz., Cow Dung (CD), Elephant Dung (ED) and Bio-Digested Slurry (BDS) with varied inoculum to substrate (LFs) ratios for a retention time of 50 days with replications. The results obtained from the experiments showed that BDS:LF (25:75) had the highest gas production of 14505 ml (651.85 ml CH₄g^?1 VS) followed by CD:LF (50:50) produced 12072.5 ml (789.36 ml CH₄g^?1 VS) and ED:LF (75:25) produced 11252.5 ml (1492.08 ml CH₄g^?1 VS)with a methane content of 63.77, 61.92 and 62.72%, respectively.     

Application of Non-Destructive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry to the Analysis of Suspended Matter in Sea Water

Abstract

In the framework of remote sensing studies concerning coastal transport of pollution in the Northern Adriatic Sea, a method has been developed for the quantitative determination of sulphur, iron, titanium, calcium, phosphorus, silicon, aluminium, magnesium in suspended matter of sea water.

The suspended material was collected by filtering on millipore membrane filters with pore width of 0.45 μ and directly analysed by X-ray spectroscopy. For calibration dried solution and particulate standard samples were used. Limits of sensitivity and precision of the method are reported.

Correlations between the concentration of these elements and the total suspended matter/chlorophyll are discussed.

The aim is to study the geochemical composition of particulate matter and its variations within the geographical site of the sea basin and the seasonal conditions. The approach is to consider aluminium and the other elements normalized on Al. On the basis of a matrix correlation analyses of some sets of data chosen in the restricted area for investigation, some hypothesis on superficial distribution of clay, carbonate, iron hydrous oxides and other mineral detrites, are taken into account. The results confirm the complex situation existing in the offshore area of the Venice lagoon from a geochemical point of view.

The suspended matter seem to be argillaceous in the Southern part of the investigated area and semi-argillaceous with hydrous oxides and carbonates in the Northern part which is influenced by the Piave river.     

Analysis of viscoelastic contact with normal compliance,friction and wear diffusionAnalyse d'un problème viscoélastique avec compliance normale,frottement et diffusion d'usure

We consider a quasistatic problem of frictional contact between a viscoelastic body and a moving foundation. The contact is with wear and is modeled by normal compliance and a law of dry friction. The novelty in the model is that it allows for the diffusion of the wear debris over the potential contact surface. Such kind of phenomena arise in orthopaedic biomechanics and influence the properties of joint prosthesis. We derive a weak formulation of the problem and state that, under a smallness assumption on the problem data, there exists a unique weak solution for the model. To cite this article: M. Shillor et al., C. R. Mecanique 331 (2003).     

A two scale method for modulated vibration modes of large,nearly repetitive,structuresUne méthode asymptotique à deux échelles pour les modes de vibrations modulés des longues structures presque répétitives

Nearly repetitive structures can present at least two kinds of vibration modes: localized modes and modulated ones. In this Note, the multiple scale method is applied to characterize a packet of modulated modes. In this respect, only small size problems are to be solved: periodic problems posed on a few basic cells and amplitude equations, which define a sort of homogenized model for this type of modes. It is established that the influence of the non-repetitive part of the structure is accounted by a boundary condition. To cite this article: E.M. Daya et al., C. R. Mecanique 331 (2003).     

Response of periodic structures due to moving loadsRéponse de structures périodiques à des charges mobiles

A method is proposed to calculate the response of periodic structures subjected to moving loads. It is based on the Floquet decomposition which allows the restriction of the analysis for the overall system to a generic cell. The main contribution of the approach presented hereafter is that the response is directly deduced from transfer functions in the space-wavenumber domain calculated in an unbounded generic cell. Moreover, the equivalence of this new solution with the response of invariant structures obtained using Fourier transforms is established. To cite this article: H. Chebli et al., C. R. Mecanique 334 (2006).     

Une modélisation thermomécanique unidimensionnelle de la propagation d'un front de changement de phase dans un monocristal d'AMFA one-dimensional thermomechanical modeling of phase change front propagation in a SMA monocrystal

We propose a behavioral modeling that takes into account the thermomechanical couplings accompanying the phase transition in single-crystal CuZnAl samples. The goal of this model is to put forward the significant role played by the heat diffusion in the propagation mode of the phase change fronts. Numerical simulations showed the existence of such a phase change front and predicted the calorimetric and kinematic effects accompanying its propagation. In particular, an inversion of the propagation way during a creep test and caused by an increase of the room temperature was correctly simulated by the model. To cite this article: A. Chrysochoos et al., C. R. Mecanique 331 (2003).     

Une méthode inverse d'ordre un pour les problèmes de complétion de données

An iterative resolution method for inverse Cauchy problems is presented. The successive iterations satisfy the equilibrium equations exactly. Numerical simulations prove the accuracy of the method and its ability to solve Cauchy problems when the domain boundary is not regular. To cite this article: A. Cimetière et al., C. R. Mecanique 333 (2005).     

A numerical investigation into the solids phase chromatography using a combined continuous and discrete approach

Solids phase chromatography for particle classification is based on different retention times of particles with different properties when they are elutriated through a confined geometry. This work aims at a fundamental understanding of such a technology by using the combined continuous and discrete method. A packed bed is employed as the model confined geometry. The numerical method is compared first with experimental observations, followed by a parametric analysis of the effects on the flow hydrodynamics and solids behaviour of various parameters including the number of injected particles, the superficial gas velocity, the contact stiffness and the diameter ratio of the packed column to the packed particles. The results show that the modelling captures some important features of the flow of an injected pulse of fine particles in a packed bed. An increase in the number of injected particles or the superficial gas velocity reduces the retention time, whereas the contact stiffness does not show much effect over the range of 5 × 10^2 to 5× 10^4 N/m. It is also found that the effect on the retention time of the diameter ratio of the packed column to the packed particles seems complex showing a non-monotonous dependence.