Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), a thermal barrier coating material characterized by low thermal conductivity, is typically deposited via electron beam-physical vapor deposition. Notably, oxygen depletion occurs during this process, causing color changes in YSZ. Therefore, YSZ is speculated to undergo phase transformation during this process, which demands careful consideration owing to its effect on the life of thermal coatings. To study this phenomenon, bulk samples were prepared, subjected to vacuum heat treatment to induce oxygen depletion, and followed by oxidative heat treatment. Experimental results showed that the color of the samples changed to black after the vacuum heat treatment and to a lighter color after the oxidative heat treatment. In addition, X-ray diffraction and Raman analyses were performed. The monoclinic phase formation was confirmed during the vacuum heat treatment; however, it disappeared after the oxidation heat treatment. The coating obtained in a high vacu... [more]

The repeatable and cost-efficient generation of nanobubbles is still a challenge. In most cases, the hydrodynamic generation of nanobubbles is used at larger scales. Therefore, every cost reduction possible in nanobubble generation is needed. In this work, we decided to check how the generation of nanobubbles changes when the surrounding liquid properties change. The generation of nanobubbles was carried out in a novel setup, designed by us. We investigated the minimum liquid velocity needed for nanobubble generation and propose correlations describing this based on the physicochemical properties of the liquid and gas phases. As carbon dioxide nanobubbles are commonly used for the treatment of ischemia and chronic wounds, the investigation of their stability enhancement is crucial for the wider public. We investigated the minimum rotation rate of the impeller needed for CO2 nanobubble generation and the influence of a biomedical surfactant (Pluronic P-123) addition and concentration ch... [more]

The proposed study aims to estimate and conduct an investigation of the performance of a hybrid thermal/photovoltaic system cooled by nanofluid (Al2O3) utilizing time-series deep learning networks. The use of nanofluids greatly improves the proposed system’s performance deficiencies due to the rise in cell temperature, and time-series algorithms assist in investigating its potential in various regions more accurately. In this paper, energy balance methods were used to generate the hybrid thermal/photovoltaic system’s performance located in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Moreover, the generated dataset for the hybrid thermal/photovoltaic system was utilized to develop deep learning algorithms, such as the hybrid convolutional neural network (CNN) and long short-term memory (LSTM), in order to estimate and investigate the thermal/photovoltaic performance. The models were evaluated based on several performance metrics such as mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), root mean square error (RMSE), mea... [more]

The oil and gas phase behavior of high temperature is complex and changeable, which is usually obtained by PVT experiments. The accuracy of the experiment data plays a crucial role in the reserve evaluation and development plan of oil and gas reservoirs. However, the current PVT experiment consistency checks are not suitable for high-temperature reservoir conditions. This paper proposes a systematic check method for the PVT experiment data consistency at high temperature. These checks revise the material balance method, Hoffman method, and equilibrium constant method by using the equilibrium constant calculation method at high temperature. The consistency check of component data and constant volume depletion experiment data is carried out by combining the three improved methods with the component check method, so as to judge the experiment data accurately. In this paper, two high-temperature reservoir fluids—gas condensate sample fluid X and volatile oil sample fluid Y—are selected to... [more]

The adhesion between a hydrate and a pipe wall is the main cause of hydrate deposition and blockage. In this study, the adhesion strength of semi-clathrate hydrate (tetrabutylammonium bromide hydrate) to four kinds of solid surfaces (E235B carbon steel, E355CC low alloy steel, SUS304 stainless steel, and polytetrafluoroethylene) was measured. This investigation reveals that the adhesion strength of the hydrate to a solid surface is negatively correlated with the wettability of the solid surface, which suggests that hydrophobic materials effectively reduced the hydrate adhesion to the pipe wall. The surface roughness showed different effects on the adhesion of the hydrate to hydrophilic or hydrophobic surfaces. To be specific, when the surface roughness increased from 3.2 µm to 12.5 µm, the hydrate adhesion strength to the hydrophilic surface of SUS304 increased by 123.6%, whereas the hydrate adhesion strength to the hydrophobic surface of polytetrafluoroethylene only increased by 21.5%... [more]

To investigate the effect of microwave irradiation on the rate of magnetite reduction while increasing the gas phase diffusion rate limit, the microstructure and kinetics of CO reduction of magnetite powder were studied. The investigation was conducted through microwave irradiation and conventional heating at 900~1100 °C. Under the two heating methods, the iron crystal is selectively reduced and gradually expanded along the direction normal to the length of the ore powder, forming a strip of iron crystal that penetrates the powder and expands outward across the width. The microwave field can effectively improve the sintering of minerals. The changes in Avrami exponents m and k in the reduction process were determined by combining the Johnson−Mehl−Avrami (JMA) model with the lnln method. The microwave field did not change the limiting step. Microwave irradiation proves to be the most effective means to enhance both the initial reduction rate and the rate during the primary iron crystal... [more]

The heat and moisture transfer process in deformable porous media commonly exists in material drying, solid waste treatment, bioengineering, and so on. The transfer process is accompanied by deformation of the solid skeleton and pore interface structure, which limits the transfer rate and affects quality. Microwave and ultrasound are the main representatives of reinforcement technology. However, as the moisture decreases, the energy utilization efficiency of microwaves decreases significantly. Based on the experimental and theoretical methods, the enhancement mechanism of ultrasound on the process is studied, which provides guidance for the wide application of ultrasonic enhancement. With the increase in ultrasound power, the pore area and the moisture effective diffusion coefficient gradually increase. A macroscope mathematical model for ultrasonic-coupled thermal-hydro-mechanical modeling is developed, and the results show that ultrasound increases the temperature gradient within mat... [more]

This research presents a straightforward, effective, and eco-friendly method for the production of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) using the dried fruit of Amomum subulatum as a reducing, stabilizing, and capping agent. The formation of AgNPs and CuONPs is supported by the presence of a surface plasmon resonance band (SPR) at 440 nm for AgNPs and 245 nm for CuONPs. Additionally, the identification of specific biomolecules responsible for the synthesis of AgNPs and CuONPs was confirmed through FTIR spectra analysis. The Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images demonstrated that AgNPs and CuONPs had spherical shapes, with mean particle diameters of 20.6 nm and 24.7 nm, respectively. X-ray diffraction and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) analyses provided evidence of the crystalline nature of the synthesized AgNPs and CuONPs. Additionally, the presence of silver and copper elements was observed through energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy... [more]

Biomaterials are mostly any natural and synthetic materials which are compatible from a biological point of view with the human body. Biomaterials are widely used to sustain, increase, reestablish or substitute the biological function of any injured tissue and organ from the human body. Additionally, biomaterials are uninterruptedly in contact with the human body, i.e., tissue, blood and biological fluids. For this reason, an essential feature of biomaterials is their biocompatibility. Consequently, this review summarizes the classification of different types of biomaterials based on their origin, as natural and synthetic ones. Moreover, the advanced applications in pharmaceutical and medical domains are highlighted based on the specific mechanical and physical properties of biomaterials, concerning their use. The high-priority challenges in the field of biomaterials are also discussed, especially those regarding the transfer and implementation of valuable scientific results in medical... [more]

Dyes are responsible for major environmental issues globally due to their toxicity, large-scale production, and extensive use in various industrial sectors. Pollution caused by hazardous dyes is mainly due to textile waste, which is constantly discharged into the aquatic system, often causing harm to humans and affecting water quality. In recent years, the removal of dyes from industrial textile wastewater has been a major challenge. Numerous technologies and methods have been developed to remove dyes from wastewater and meet clean water requirements. In this study, the effectiveness of activated carbon prepared by chemical activation of jujube stones for textile wastewater treatment was investigated. The effects of the concentration of H3PO4 and the carbonization temperature on the activated carbon’s properties were studied. Several physicochemical methods, including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction, methylene blue i... [more]

Nitrate catalytic reduction in a continuous system was studied in the presence of Pd-Cu macrostructured catalysts synthesized through a novel washcoating methodology of the pre-formed bimetallic powder catalyst. The present work aims to understand the behavior of the macrostructured bimetallic catalyst in the presence of different reaction conditions in order to achieve the design of an optimized facility that can produce the best catalytic results: maximum NO3− conversion with enhanced N2 selectivity. The residence time of the inlet solution and the catalyst concentration in the reactor proved to be the parameters that most influenced the conversion and selectivity due to the important role that these parameters play in the hydrodynamic conditions of the reactor. A higher loading of catalyst and lower inlet flow rates allow promoting a higher contact time between the three phases that participate in the reaction (G-L-S). The most efficient reaction conditions (three pieces of the macr... [more]

Developing a chemical reaction network is considered the first and most crucial step of process synthesis. Many methods have been employed for process synthesis, such as the attainable region (AR) theory. AR states that a region of all possible configurations can be defined with all the potential products and reactants. The second method is process network synthesis (PNS), a technique used to optimise a flowsheet based on the feasible materials and energy flow. P-graph is an algorithmic framework for PNS problems. P-graph attainable region technique (PART) is introduced here as an integration of both AR and P-graph to generate optimal reaction pathways for a given process. A descriptive AR plot is also developed to represent all the possible solution structures or reaction pathways. A case study of a conventional nitric acid synthesis process was used to demonstrate this technique.

Magnetic granite (MG), a new and low-cost adsorbent, was prepared by the chemical co-precipitation of Fe2+ and Fe3+ using granite (G), which is a magmatic rock type. The adsorption of the Reactive Black 5 (RB5) dye from aqueous solutions on Fe3O4-modified granite was examined in a batch system. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), N2 adsorption−desorption, vibrating-sample magnetometry (VSM), and point-of-zero charge (pHpzc) analysis were used to characterize the prepared MG. Magnetic granite displayed significant magnetization and could be easily separated using external magnets. The maximum adsorption capacity was 29.85 mg/g at 298 K. According to kinetic and isothermal examinations, the pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir isothermal adsorption were the best fit for adsorption. It was found that the enthalpy change ΔH (kJ/mol) was −31.76,... [more]

A two-dimensional water model was used to simulate the process of combined blowing. The effect of boundary conditions on the size and coordinate distribution of the dispersed phase was investigated. The results showed that the frequency of the dispersed phase at a certain size level is proportional to its size; the coordinates of the dispersed phase can be expressed in a dimensionless form that shows its uniformity of distribution. An empirical equation for the influence of the boundary conditions on the size and coordinate distribution of the dispersed phase in combined blowing process is also presented.

In reservoir conformance control, polymer gels and foams are majorly used; however, they have drawbacks such as inducing formation damage, having weaker shear resistance, requiring a higher pumping rate, and limited penetration depth. Emulsions are a potential alternative that can address these issues, but they are not widely used. Current surfactant-based emulsions require high emulsifier concentrations for stability and often rely on multiple additives to address various factors, which makes the surfactant synthesis and utilization of emulsions quite challenging. However, Pickering emulsions, which utilize solid particles for emulsion stabilization, have emerged as a promising solution for reservoir conformance control. Compared to conventional polymer gels and foams, Pickering emulsions offer superior shear resistance, deeper penetration, and reduced formation damage. This review provides an overview of recent developments in the utilization of Pickering emulsions for conformance co... [more]

In this work, a comparative study between two processes was performed—biodegradation and photocatalysis, as an advanced oxidation process—to discover which one is more efficient to degrade Rhodamine B, a synthetic dye widely used in the textile and food industries. The advantage of this study is that it correlates treatment efficiency with the ecotoxicity of the by-products resulting from the treatments. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been difficult to use activated sludge because of the risk factor of COVID-19 infection. Therefore, biodegradation tests were conducted with the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae in this study. For the photocatalysis assays, TiO2 doped with 5 per cent Cerium was used as a catalyst under UV light irradiation. S. cerevisiae cannot reduce RhB by biodegradation. However, a 13 per cent biosorption was observed with an uptake capacity of 4.2 mg g−1 dry matter of S. cerevisiae cultivated in the presence of 5 mg L−1 of RhB after 150 min. At a 5 mg L−1 of RhB co... [more]

The pore structure and its complexity play a critical role in fluid migration and recovery efficiency. Multiple pore types, broad pore size distribution (PSD), and extremely irregular pore morphology hinder the comprehensive investigation of pore systems and their complexity in low-permeability conglomerates. In this study, the multi-scale pore system and fractal characteristics of the Permian Lower Wuerhe Formation and Triassic Baikouquan Formation conglomerates from the Junggar Basin were investigated, combining physical property analysis, casting thin sections, scanning electron microscopy, and Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The results show that the pore system of conglomerates consists of residual intergranular pores (RIPs), dissolution pores (DPs), clay-related pores (CRPs), and microfractures. Three types of PSD were identified according to the shape of the T2 spectrum. Based on the fractal characteristics derived from NMR data, pore systems in conglomerates were divided into... [more]

Manufacturing of dies, molds, and their allied components requires the machining of holes with different profiles. Electric discharge machining (EDM) die-sinking is a crucial process used in the dies and molds manufacturing industry. By nature, EDM die-sinking is a relatively slow process in terms of material removal rate (MRR) and there are high amounts of tool material loss in terms of tool wear rate (TWR) which directly influence dimensional accuracies and surface roughness (SR). Therefore, the process is continuously evolving to address these limitations. The present research is aligned in this direction such as to bring improvements in MRR, TWR, and SR through modifications to the conventional electrode design and its geometrical parameters. Traditional designs of EDM electrodes have a uniform cross-section through the tool’s entire length and have only one geometrical parameter, i.e., the tool’s cross-section. To improve the EDM performance, traditional designs are completely mod... [more]

As the demand for artificial graphite for lithium-ion battery (LIB) anode materials is on the rise, technologies for optimizing the manufacturing processes and reducing the production costs of artificial graphite are crucial. At the same time, globally, regulations on the generation of harmful volatile substances during the artificial graphite production process are also becoming increasingly stringent. In this study, we focused on a continuous kneading process that minimizes the emission of volatile substances during the manufacturing of artificial graphite. To this end, a carbonized material was first prepared from a mixture of needle coke and binder pitch and processed at 3200 °C using two types of co-rotating twin-screw extruder-based continuous kneading equipment to ultimately obtain artificial graphite. The physical properties of the carbonized as well as graphitized materials were analyzed, which revealed the superior performance of the LIB anode material, namely a discharge cap... [more]

Fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) is one of the most important processes in gasoline/diesel oil production, but the strong endothermic effect accompanied by this reaction often results in the deactivation of the catalyst. In this paper, a novel multifunctional phase change material (PCM)@Catalyst composite was designed and constructed, in which the PCM could be used to store waste heat and regulate the temperature for enhancing the catalytic efficiency of the FCC catalyst. Firstly, a core/shell Al-12wt%Si@Al2O3 was prepared via subsequent vapor treatment and high-temperature calcination of an Al-12wt%Si sphere. The Al species in the Al-12wt%Si served as the source of metal ions and was transformed in situ into a well-defined Al2O3 shell, which greatly improved the thermal stability and prevented the leaking of the Al-12wt% Si core in the high-temperature situation. The PCMs@Catalyst composite was then fabricated by casting the mixed powder of Al-12wt%Si@Al2O3 and Y zeolite into a granulat... [more]

The packaging substrate plays a significant role in electrical connection, heat dissipation, and protection for the chips. With the characteristics of high hardness and the complex material composition of packaging substrates, drill bit failure is an austere challenge in micro-drilling procedures. In order to monitor the health state of the drill bit and predict its remaining useful life (RUL) in micro-drilling of packaging substrate, an improved RUL prediction model is established based on the similarity principle, degradation rate, and offset coefficient. And then, a micro-drilling experiment on packaging substrate is carried out to collect the axial drilling force through the precision drilling force measurement platform. Axial drilling force signals, which are processed via the Wiener filtering method, are used to analyze the effectiveness of the improved RUL prediction model. The experiment results indicate that, compared to the curves of the traditional RUL prediction model, the... [more]

High temperature in deep mines has become the main concern to limit the production capacity of mines. To mitigate the adverse impact of the underground high-temperature environment on mine production, an orthogonal test was used to design an experimental scheme, i.e., the contents of tailings, glass beads, and ordinary Portland cement PC32.5 (PC) were set as the main horizontal factors to prepare thermal insulation material samples with different combination ratios. Compressive strength and thermal conductivity were investigated, as well as the microstructure. Based on the response surface method (RSM), the interaction between the horizontal factors was explored and analyzed using Design Expert 12 software, and thus non-linear fitting equations were established with the volume fractions of the main horizontal factors as independent variables and compressive strength and thermal conductivity as dependent variables in the analysis parameters of thermal insulation materials. The results s... [more]

It is very important to understand the damage mechanisms as well as the mechanical response of T-joints involving different materials on the base plate. For this purpose, two configurations were studied. In one, the joint is composed of a base plate and a T-element, both in Al 6063-T5, while in the other one, the aluminum base plate was replaced by a glass fiber composite. Finally, each configuration was divided into two batches, where in one, the elements were bonded with a stiff adhesive (Araldite® AV 4076-1/HY 4076) while in the other, a more ductile adhesive (Araldite® AW 106/HV 953 U) was used. The static and fatigue strength of all configurations was evaluated in bending. In all cases, the damage occurred at the end of the T-element, where a crack appeared and propagated toward the interior of the T-joint. The bending strength is highest for joints involving aluminum and the ductile adhesive, which is 2.8 times higher than the same configuration involving composite base plates an... [more]

In this study, based on existing heavy oil extraction technology, combined with the mineral composition in a reservoir, the synergistic catalytic effect of reservoir minerals and exogenous catalysts under the reaction system of a hydrogen-rich environment not only reduces the viscosity of thick oil but also reduces the extraction cost and further improves the recovery rate of heavy oil. In this study, the impacts of different reservoir minerals and exogenous catalysts on the aquathermolysis of heavy oil were investigated. The research results showed that the sodium montmorillonite within the reservoir minerals exhibited an optimal catalytic effect, and the synergistic catalytic effect of sodium montmorillonite and catalyst C-Fe (catechol iron) resulted in a viscosity reduction rate of 60.47%. Furthermore, the efficiency of different alcohols as hydrogen donors was screened, among which ethanol had the best catalytic effect. Under the optimal reaction conditions, the viscosity reduction... [more]

Yb (III) shows complex behavior of coordination dissolution and precipitation in carbonate solutions, but the properties of CO32− coordination and hydration to Yb (III) in the solution have not been explicated. In this work, the dissolution rule of Yb (III) with CO32− concentration has been studied. The radial distribution function and the coordination number of CO32− and H2O to Yb (III) were calculated by molecular dynamics simulation, and the complex ion form of Yb was obtained. The ultraviolet−visible spectrum and the ionic structures of Yb (III) complex ions were geometrically optimized and calculated by using density functional theory. Then, the experimental ultraviolet−visible spectra and density functional theory results were combined to verify the molecular dynamics calculations. The results indicate that Yb (III) undergoes precipitation in low-concentration carbonate solution, but, in high-concentration carbonate solution, Yb (III)’s carbonates will undergo dissolution. The ma... [more]