Synthesis of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles with Tunable Shape and Size

The structural and morphological properties of mesoporous silica nanoparticles( MSNs) have dramatical influence on their in vivo biological behaviors,and thereby synthesis of MSNs with well-defined shape and size has recently attracted much more attention in the biomedical field. The synthesis of MSNs with controllable size and shape was presented by controlling the reaction temperature and the concentration of templating agent(cetyltrimethylammonium bromide,CTAB). The results indicated that MSNs were larger in particle size and more round in shape with increasing of the reaction temperature,but their particle size and dispersivity became smaller and poorer as CTAB concentration increased. Therefore,the particle size and shape of MSNs can be tuned by using the optimal synthesis conditions for specific biomedical applications.     

Evolution of ferronickel particles during the reduction of low-grade saprolitic laterite nickel ore by coal in the temperature range of 900–1250℃with the addition of CaO–CaF2–H3BO3

The method of producing ferronickel at low temperature(1250–1400℃)has been applied since the 1950s at Nippon Yakin Kogyo,Oheyama Works,Japan.Limestone was used as an additive to adjust the slag composition for lowering the slag melting point.The ferronickel product was recovered by means of a magnetic separator from semi-molten slag and metal after water quenching.To increase the efficiency of magnetic separation,a large particle size of ferronickel is desired.Therefore,in this study,the influences of CaO,CaF₂,and H₃BO₃ additives on the evolution of ferronickel particle at≤1250℃were investigated.The experiments were conducted at 900–1250℃with the addition of CaO,CaF₂,and H₃BO₃.The reduction processes were carried out in a horizontal tube furnace for 2 h under argon atmosphere.At 1250℃,with the CaO addition of 10 wt%of the ore weight,ferronickel particles with size of 20μm were obtained.The ferronickel particle size increased to 165μm by adding 10 wt%CaO and 10 wt%CaF₂.The addition of boric acid further increased the ferronickel particle size to 376μm,as shown by the experiments with the addition of 10 wt%CaO,10 wt%CaF₂,and 10 wt%H₃BO₃.     

Influence of particle size and temperature on the dielectric properties of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles

The objective of this study was to establish the dielectric properties of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles with particle sizes that varied from 28.6 to 5.8 nm. CoFe2O4 nanoparticles were synthesized using a chemical coprecipitation method. The particle sizes were calculated accord-ing to the Scherrer formula using X-ray diffraction （XRD） peaks, and the particle size distribution curves were constructed by using field-emission scanning electron microscopy （FESEM） images. The dielectric permittivity and loss tangents of the samples were determined in the frequency range of 1 kHz to 1 MHz and in the temperature range of 300 to 10 K. Both the dielectric permittivity and the loss tangent were found to decrease with increasing frequency and decreasing temperature. For the smallest CoFe2O4 nanoparticle size, the dielectric per-mittivity and loss tangent exhibited their highest and lowest values, respectively. This behavior is very useful for materials used in devices that operate in the microwave or radio frequency ranges.     

Application of a water cooling treatment and its effect on coal-based reduction of high-chromium vanadium and titanium iron ore

A water cooling treatment was applied in the coal-based reduction of high-chromium vanadium and titanium (V–Ti–Cr) iron ore from the Hongge region of Panzhihua, China. Its effects on the metallization ratio (η), S removal ratio (R_S), and P removal ratio (R_P) were studied and analyzed on the basis of chemical composition determined via inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. The metallic iron particle size and the element distribution of Fe, V, Cr, and Ti in a reduced briquette after water cooling treatment at 1350°C were determined and observed via scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the water cooling treatment improved the η, R_S, and R_P in the coal-based reduction of V–Ti–Cr iron ore compared to those obtained with a furnace cooling treatment. Meanwhile, the particle size of metallic iron obtained via the water cooling treatment was smaller than that of metallic iron obtained via the furnace cooling treatment; however, the particle size reached 70 μm at 1350°C, which is substantially larger than the minimum particle size required (20 μm) for magnetic separation. Therefore, the water cooling treatment described in this work is a good method for improving the quality of metallic iron in coal-based reduction and it could be applied in the coal-based reduction of V–Ti–Cr iron ore followed by magnetic separation.     

Effect of particle size distribution on the microstructure,texture,and mechanical properties of Al–Mg–Si–Cu alloy

The effect of particle size distribution on the microstructure,texture,and mechanical properties of Al–Mg–Si–Cu alloy was investigated on the basis of the mechanical properties,microstructure,and texture of the alloy.The results show that the particle size distribution influences the microstructure and the final mechanical properties but only slightly influences the recrystallization texture.After the pre-aging treatment and natural aging treatment(T4 P treatment),in contrast to the sheet with a uniform particle size distribution,the sheet with a bimodal particle size distribution of large constituent particles and small dispersoids exhibits higher strength and a somewhat lower plastic strain ratio(r) and strain hardening exponent(n).After solution treatment,the sheet with a bimodal particle size distribution of large constituent particles and small dispersoids possesses a finer and slightly elongated grain structure compared with the sheet with a uniform particle size distribution.Additionally,they possess almost identical weak recrystallization textures,and their textures are dominated by CubeND {001}310 and P {011}122 orientations.     

Characterization of 17-4PH stainless steel powders produced by supersonic gas atomization

17-4PH stainless steel powders were prepared using a supersonic nozzle in a close-coupled gas atomization system. The characteristics of powder particles were carried out by means of a laser particle size analyzer, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. The results show that the mass median particle diameter is about 19.15 μm. Three main types of surface microstructures are observed in the powders:well-developed dendrite, cellular, and cellular dendrite structure. The XRD measurements show that, as the particle size decreases, the amount of fcc phase gradually decreases and that of bcc phase increases. The cooling rate is inversely related to the particle size, i.e., it decreases with an increase in particle size.     

Evolution of ferronickel particles during the reduction of low-grade saprolitic laterite nickel ore by coal in the temperature range of 900–1250℃ with the addition of CaO–CaF_2–H_3BO_3

The method of producing ferronickel at low temperature(1250–1400℃) has been applied since the 1950s at Nippon Yakin Kogyo,Oheyama Works, Japan.Limestone was used as an additive to adjust the slag composition for lowering the slag melting point.The ferronickel product was recovered by means of a magnetic separator from semi-molten slag and metal after water quenching.To increase the efficiency of magnetic separation, a large particle size of ferronickel is desired.Therefore, in this study, the influences of CaO, CaF_2, and H_3BO_3 additives on the evolution of ferronickel particle at ≤1250℃ were investigated.The experiments were conducted at 900–1250℃ with the addition of CaO,CaF_2, and H_3BO_3.The reduction processes were carried out in a horizontal tube furnace for 2 h under argon atmosphere.At 1250℃, with the CaO addition of 10 wt% of the ore weight, ferronickel particles with size of 20 μm were obtained.The ferronickel particle size increased to 165μm by adding 10 wt% CaO and 10 wt% CaF_2.The addition of boric acid further increased the ferronickel particle size to 376 μm, as shown by the experiments with the addition of 10 wt% CaO, 10 wt% CaF_2, and 10 wt% H_3BO_3.     

Pseudo-<Emphasis Type="Italic">in-situ</Emphasis> stir casting: a new method for production of aluminum matrix composites with bimodal-sized B<Subscript>4</Subscript>C reinforcement

A new method was applied to produce an Al-0.5wt%Ti-0.3wt%Zr/5vol%B₄C composite via stir casting with the aim of characterizing the microstructure of the resulting composite. For the production of the composite, large B₄C particles (larger than 75 μm) with no pre-heating were added to the stirred melt. Reflected-light microscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, laser particle size analysis, and image analysis using the Clemex software were performed on the cast samples for microstructural analysis and phase detection. The results revealed that as a consequence of thermal shock, B₄C particle breakage occurred in the melt. The mechanism proposed for this phenomenon is that the exerted thermal shock in combination with the low thermal shock resistance of B₄C and large size of the added B₄C particles were the three key parameters responsible for B₄C particle breakage. This breakage introduced small particles with sizes less than 10 μm and with no contamination on their surfaces into the melt. The mean particle distance measured via image analysis was approximately 60 μm. The coefficient of variation index, which was used as a measure of particle distribution homogeneity, showed some variations, indicating a relatively homogeneous distribution.     

Effect of particle size distribution on the microstructure,texture, and mechanical properties of Al–Mg–Si–Cu alloy

The effect of particle size distribution on the microstructure, texture, and mechanical properties of Al–Mg–Si–Cu alloy was investigated on the basis of the mechanical properties, microstructure, and texture of the alloy. The results show that the particle size distribution influences the microstructure and the final mechanical properties but only slightly influences the recrystallization texture. After the pre-aging treatment and natural aging treatment (T4P treatment), in contrast to the sheet with a uniform particle size distribution, the sheet with a bimodal particle size distribution of large constituent particles and small dispersoids exhibits higher strength and a somewhat lower plastic strain ratio (r) and strain hardening exponent (n). After solution treatment, the sheet with a bimodal particle size distribution of large constituent particles and small dispersoids possesses a finer and slightly elongated grain structure compared with the sheet with a uniform particle size distribution. Additionally, they possess almost identical weak recrystallization textures, and their textures are dominated by CubeND {001}<310> and P {011}<122> orientations.     

Densification of the packing structure under vibrations

Two packing structures with the maximum packing densities of 0.64 and 0.74 for the amorphous state and crystalline state, respectively, were numerically reproduced in the packing densification of equal spheres subjected to onedimensional and three-dimensional vibrations using the discrete element method (DEM), and the results were physically validated. These two packing structures were analyzed in terms of coordination number (CN), radial distribution function (RDF), angular distribution function (ADF), and pore size distribution (Voronoi/Delaunay tessellation). It is shown that CN distributions have the peak values of 7 and 12 for the amorphous state and crystalline state, respectively. RDF and ADF distributions show isolated peaks and orientation preferences for the crystalline state, indicating the long range and angle correlation among particles commonly observed in the crystalline state. Voronoi/Delaunay tessellation also shows smaller and narrower pore size distribution for the crystalline state.     

Tool life modeling for evaluating the effects of cutting speed and reinforcements on the machining of particle reinforced metal matrix composites

The wear of cutting tools in the machining of 2024Al alloy composites reinforced with Al₂O₃ particles using varying sizes and volume fractions of particles up to 23.3vol% was investigated by a turning process using coated carbide tools K10 and TP30 at different cutting speeds. Machining tests were performed with a plan of experiments based on the Taguchi method. The tool life model was developed in terms of cutting speed, size, and volume fraction of particles by multiple linear regressions. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) was also employed to carry out the effects of these parameters on the cutting tool life. The test results show that the tool life decreases with the increase of cutting speed for both cutting tools K10 and TP30, and the tool life of the K10 tool is significantly longer than that of the TP30 tool. For the tool life, cutting speed is found to be the most effective factor followed by particle content and particle size, respectively. The predicted tool life of cutting tools is found to be in very good agreement with the experimentally observed ones.     

Preparation and microstructure of CuO-CoO-MnO/SiO2 nanocomposite aerogels and xerogels as catalyst carriers

CuO-CoO-MnO/SiO2 nanocomposite aerogels and xerogels were prep ared using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as Si source, and aqueous solution of Cu, Co and Mn acetates as the precursor via sol-gel process, CO2 supercritical drying (SCD) technique or ambient pressure drying techniqu e. The microstructure of the CuO-CoO-MnO/SiO2 nanocomposite aerogels and xerogels were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The specific surface area, pore size and pore size distribution of the nanocomposite aerogels and xerogels were determined by the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method. The results showed that CuO-CoO-MnO/SiO2 nanocomposite aerogels are porous, with a pore size distribution of 2 ? 50 nm, an average pore size of 19.4 nm, a specific surface area of 384.9 m²/g and a particle size distribution of 10 ? 150 nm, whereas the pore size distribution of CuO-CoO-MnO/SiO2 composite xerogels is 1.7?128.6 nm, the average pore size is only 9.9 nm, the specific surface area is only 99.1 m²/g, and the particle size distribution is 100? 500 nm. The structure of CuO-CoO-MnO/SiO2 nanocomposite aerogels is favorable to increase the loading of catalysts.     

Crystallization kinetics of overlapping phases in Se70Te15Sb15 using isoconversional methods

The crystallization kinetics of Se70Te15Sb15 chalcogenide glass was studied by Differential Scanning Calorimetry(DSC) under non-isothermal conditions. This glass was found to have a double glass transition and double overlapped crystalline phases. The overlapped crystalline phases were successfully separated using the Gaussian fit model. The activation energy, Ec, and Avrami index, n, were determined by analyzing the data using the Matausita et. al. method. A strong heating rate depending on the activation energy for the two crystalline peaks was observed. The results indicated that the transformation from amorphous to crystalline phases is a complex process involving different mechanisms of nucleation and growth. The variation of activation energy with crystalline fraction was determined by Kissenger–Akahira–Sunose(KAS) method. The obtained results of directly fitting the experimental DSC data to the calculated DSC curves indicated that the crystallization process of Se70Te15Sb15 glass cannot be satisfactorily described by the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami(JMA) model. Simulation results indicated that the Sestak–Berggren(SB) model is more suitable to describe the crystallization process for the studied glass. The crystalline phases for the two events were identified by using x-ray diffraction(XRD) and scanning electron microscopy(SEM).     

Synthesis of nanocrystalline NiCrC alloy feedstock powders for thermal spraying by cryogenic ball milling

Nanocrystalline NiCrC alloy powders with a qualified particle size distribution for thermal spraying were synthesized using the cryogenic ball milling (cryomilling) method. The morphology, microstructure, size distribution, and phase transformation of the powders were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), laser scattering for particle size analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). After cryomilling for 20 h, the average grain size of the as-milled powders approached a constant value of 30 nm by XRD measurement. The average particle size slightly increased from 17.5 to 20.3 μm during the 20-h milling. About 90vol% of the powders satisfied the requirement for thermal spraying with the particle dimension of 10-50 μm, and most of the powders exhibited spherical morphology, which were expected to have good fluidity during thermal spraying. The Cr₂O₃ phase formed during the cryornilling process as revealed in the XRD spectra, which was expected to enhance the thermal stability of the as-milled powders during the followed thermal spraying or other heat treatment.     

Structural,morphological, and optical properties of tin(IV) oxide nanoparticles synthesized using <Emphasis Type="Italic">Camellia sinensis</Emphasis> extract: a green approach

Tin oxide (SnO₂) nanoparticles were cost-effectively synthesized using nontoxic chemicals and green tea (Camellia sinensis) extract via a green synthesis method. The structural properties of the obtained nanoparticles were studied using X-ray diffraction, which indicated that the crystallite size was less than 20 nm. The particle size and morphology of the nanoparticles were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The morphological analysis revealed agglomerated spherical nanoparticles with sizes varying from 5 to 30 nm. The optical properties of the nanoparticles' band gap were characterized using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The band gap was found to decrease with increasing annealing temperature. The O vacancy defects were analyzed using photoluminescence spectroscopy. The increase in the crystallite size, decreasing band gap, and the increasing intensities of the UV and visible emission peaks indicated that the green-synthesized SnO₂ may play future important roles in catalysis and optoelectronic devices.     

Origin and nature of cold seep in northeastern Dongsha area, South China Sea: Evidence from chimney-like seep carbonates

The occurrence of seep carbonates is one of the characteristic features for cold seep sites at continental margins.The carbonates documented the venting history of methane-rich fluid.Compared to the chemoherm carbonates and carbonate pavements which formed on the sediment-water interface,chimney-like seep carbonates precipitated around fluid conduits below the sediment-water interface therefore better recording information of the past fluid flow and composition.Here the chimney-like seep carbonate samples from the northeastern Dongsha area of the South China Sea were studied to understand the origin and nature of the venting fluids and their potential relationship with gas hydrate deposits underneath the seafloor.Based on the occurrence,morphology,petrology,mineralogy and C-and O-isotope compositions,combined with present and past bottom water temperatures and the timing of methane release events,the oxygen isotopic fractionation between calcite and water were used to estimate the equilibriumδ18O values of the precipitating fluids.Theδ13C values ranging from 56.33‰to 42.70‰V-PDB and thus clearly show that the studied chimneys were mainly derived from biogenic methane oxidation.The calculated equilibriumδ18O values of the precipitating fluids ranged from 1.9‰0.3‰to 0.6‰0.3‰V-SMOW,with an average of 1.4‰0.3‰V-SMOW which is heavier than those of seawater even at the last glacial maximum.It is considered that the formation of chimney-like carbonates was closely related to methane hydrate dissociation in the area.The methane hydrates contributed as much as45.7%of water to the venting fluids.It is suggested that the climate and environmental changes(e.g.sea-level lowering,down-cutting canyons and mass wasting)are the major mechanisms maybe responsible for the destabilization of methane hydrates in the study area.The extensive occurrence of seep carbonates indicates that a large amount of the methane released from methane hydrate dissociation has been effectively captured and sequestered by microbial anaerobic oxidation of methane(AOM)before it escapes into the water column.     

Petrographic and geochemical characterization of seep carbonate from Alaminos Canyon,Gulf of Mexico

Seep carbonates were collected from the Alaminos Canyon lease area, Gulf of Mexico. The carbonates are present as slabs and blocks. Bivalve shell and foraminifer are the dominant bioclasts in carbonate. Pores are common and usually filled with acicular aragonite crystals. XRD investigation shows that aragonite is the dominate mineral （98%）. Peloids, clotted microfabirc and botryoidal aragonite are developed in carbonate and suggest a genesis linked with bacterial degradation of the hydrocarbons. The δ^13C value of bioclasts in carbonate is from -4.9‰ to -0.6‰, indicating that the carbon source is mainly from sea water as well as the small portion incorporation of the seep hydrocarbon. The microcrystalline and sparite aragonite shows the δ^13C value from -31.3‰ to -23.4‰, suggesting that their carbon is derived mainly from microbial degradation of crude oil. ^14C analyses give the radiocarbon age of about 10 ka. Rare earth elements （REE） analyses of the 5% HNO3-treated solution of the carbonates show that the total REE content of the carbonates is low, that is from 0.752 to 12.725 μg·g^-1. The shale-normalized REE patterns show significantly negative Ce anomalies. This suggests that cold seep carbonate is most likely formed in a relatively aerobic environment.     

Estimation of Sediment Incipient Velocity Using B-Mode Ultrasound Imaging Technique

Sediment incipient velocity(SIV) is a vital parameter for sediment research and river dynamics. This paper describes a novel method of estimating SIV based on the known flow velocity in the movable-bed model experiment. In this method, we use B-mode ultrasound imaging technique to get video images of moving particles and topography under water. By statistical analysis of video images, the relationship between the average number of imaging particles and flow velocity is obtained. The relationship between the change rate of average number and flow velocity is analyzed in sediment incipient process. These relationships are used to estimate the SIV. Lastly, the changed topography verifies the estimated velocity. The results show there is a sudden change in these relationships which can be used to estimate the SIV with high resolution by using a B-mode ultrasound device. The estimated SIV of plastic sands(particle size is about 0.25 mm) is 3.64 cm · s–1 and the estimated SIV of natural sands(particle size is about 0.25 mm) is 5.47 cm · s–1 in the same condition.     

Simulation experiments on the reaction system of CH_4-MgSO_4-H_2O

H2S-rich gas in carbonate reservoirs is usually attributed to thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR). In this paper, thermal simulation experiments on the reaction system of CH4-MgSO4-H2O were carried out using autoclave at 425℃―525℃. The threshold temperature for initiating TSR is much lower than our previous studies (550 ℃ ). Properties of the reaction products were analyzed by microcoulometry, gas-chromatography (GC), Fourier transform-infrared spectrometry (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods. Thermodynamics and reaction kinetics of TSR processes were investigated on the basis of the experimental data. The results show that thermochemical reduction of magnesium sulfate with methane can proceed spontaneously to produce magnesium oxide, hydrogen sulfur, and carbon diox-ide as the main products, and high temperature is thermodynamically favorable to the reaction. Ac-cording to the reaction model, the calculated activation energy of TSR is 101.894 kJ/mol, which is lower than that by most previous studies. Mg2 may have played a role of catalytic action in the process of TSR. The elementary steps of TSR and reaction mechanism were discussed tentatively. The study can provide important information on the explanation of geochemical depth limit for natural gas and on the generation of high H2S gas in deep carbonates reservoirs.     

Cold-state spout-fluidizing characteristics of high-carbon ferromanganese powders

The spout-fluidizing characteristics of high-carbon ferromanganese powders with different sizes and masses were studied via a plexiglass spout-fluidized bed with an inner diameter of 30 mm and a height of 1000 mm. The relationships between bed voidage and such parameters as bed height, particle size, fluidizing air velocity, and air flow were obtained. Experimental results show that the powder material with high density can be fluidized in the spout-fluidized bed where the particle size is a key factor influencing the quality of fluidization.