Search results for "engineering.material"

Laser-Ablation-Induced Synthesis of SiO2-Capped Noble Metal Nanoparticles in a Single Step

2010

Here we describe a simple, powerful technique based on the laser ablation of a target immersed in a water solution of a metal salt. With this method, nanoparticles of different metals and alloys can be processed very quickly. Both the target and the salt solution can be chosen to produce metal nanoparticles of different sizes, surface-oxidized nanoparticles (silica-silver, for example), or even more complex structures to be defined by the researcher on one or more steps because the technique combines the advantages of both physical and chemical methods. We have applied this technique to the fabrication of inert silica-metal (silver, gold, and silver-gold) nanoparticles with a strong surface…

Volume strain, strain type and flow path in a narrow shear zone

1998

This study explores the state of finite strain and changes in the mean kinematic vorticity number, grain size, whole-rock chemistry and mineralogy across an upper amphibolite-facies shear zone in a metadiorite, northern Malawi, east-central Africa. P–T conditions during shear-zone formation and deformation were approximately 700–750 °C and 5–7 kbar and are slightly less than P–T conditions for the regional peak of metamorphism. The major rock-forming minerals, plagioclase, hornblende, biotite, and quartz, were deformed by crystal-plastic processes accompanied by, except for hornblende, dynamic recrystallization. The modal abundance of all four major rock-forming minerals shows no systematic…

Site symmetry approach applied to the supercell model of MgAl2O4 spinel with oxygen interstitials: Ab initio calculations

2018

This study has been carried out within the framework of the EUROfusion Consortium and has been provided funding from the Euratom research and training programme 2014-2018 under grant agreement No 633053. The authors are indebted to E.A. Kotomin, A.I. Popov and R. Vila for stimulating discussions. The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the European Commission. Calculations have been performed using both the Marconi supercomputer system at the Computational Simulation Centre (Italy) and the Computer Center of St. Petersburg State University.

Technical Note: Sensitivity of 1-D smoke plume rise models to the inclusion of environmental wind drag

2010

Abstract. Vegetation fires emit hot gases and particles which are rapidly transported upward by the positive buoyancy generated by the combustion process. In general, the final vertical height that the smoke plumes reach is controlled by the thermodynamic stability of the atmospheric environment and the surface heat flux released by the fire. However, the presence of a strong horizontal wind can enhance the lateral entrainment and induce additional drag, particularly for small fires, impacting the smoke injection height. In this paper, we revisit the parameterization of the vertical transport of hot gases and particles emitted from vegetation fires, described in Freitas et al. (2007), to in…

Halloysite nanotubes as nanoreactors for heterogeneous micellar catalysis

2021

Abstract Hypothesis Electrostatic attractions between the anionic head group of sodium alkylsulphates and the positively charged inner surface of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) drive to the formation of tubular inorganic micelles, which might be employed as nanoreactors for the confinement of non polar compounds in aqueous media. On this basis, sodium alkylsulphates/halloysite hybrids could be efficient nanocatalysts for organic reactions occurring in water. Experiments Sodium decylsulphate (NaDeS) and sodium dodecylsulphate (NaDS) were selected for the functionalization of the halloysite cavity. The composition, the structure and the surface charge properties of the hybrid nanotubes were dete…

A spectroscopic method for determining lignin content of softwood and hardwood kraft pulps

1998

Abstract A rapid method for determining the kappa number of unbleached and oxygen-delignified kraft pulps in the range 3–35 is presented. This novel method was based on the multivariate analysis of VIS spectral data on pulp samples. The calculated models and the test results indicated that partial least squares (PLS) and principal component regression (PCR) models yielded similar results, PLS being slightly more accurate. It was also found that for practical purposes a separate model for each wood feedstock and delignification process is needed.

Estimation of pulp yield in industrial oxygen-alkali delignification of softwood kraft pulp

2002

Fast-growing willow (Salix viminalis) as a filler in polyethylene composites

2018

Abstract The study investigated the possibility of using wood flour obtained from fast-growing willow chips (Salix viminalis) as an alternative for standard hard- and softwood flours used in the production of wood polymer composites (WPCs). The composites contained willow flour and polyethylene matrix (OPCs) were prepared, characterized and compared with other WPCs which had been filled with hard- or softwood flours. Moreover, the structural and functional properties were investigated and discussed. Greater hemicellulose contents and lower lignin contents in OPCs resulted in better impact strength values of those materials. Which is interesting, the chemical composition of OPCs was found si…

Evaluating pulp stiffness from fibre bundles by ultrasound

2012

A non-destructive ultrasonic tester was developed to measure the stiffness of pulp bundles. The mechanical properties of pulp are important when estimating the behaviour of paper under stress. Currently available pulp tests are tedious and alter the fibres structurally and mechanically. The developed tester employs (933 ± 15) kHz tweezer-like ultrasonic transducers and time-of-flight measurement through (9.0 ± 2.5) mm long and (0.8 ± 0.1) mm thick fibre bundles kept at (19.1 ± 0.4) °C and (62 ± 1)% RH. We determined the stiffness of soft wood pulps produced by three kraft pulping modifications: standard kraft pulp, (5.2 ± 0.4) GPa, prehydrolysis kraft pulp, (4.3 ± 0.4) GPa, and alkali extra…

PBAT Based Composites Reinforced with Microcrystalline Cellulose Obtained from Softwood Almond Shells

2021

This study explores the processability, mechanical, and thermal properties of biocompostable composites based on poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) as polymer matrix and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) derived from softwood almond (Prunus dulcis) shells (as-MCC) as filler at two different weight concentration, i.e., 10 wt% and 20 wt%. The materials were processed by melt mixing and a commercial MCC (c-MCC) was used as filler comparison. The fibrillar shape of as-MCC particles was found to change the rheological behavior of PBAT, particularly at the highest concentration. The melt mixing processing allowed obtaining a uniform dispersion of both kinds of fillers, slightly reduci…