Salt Blends Research Articles

Application of a salt substitute in bitter taste suppression and toward better acceptance of cruciferous vegetables in diet

The addition of table salt has been reported to enable better acceptance when consuming the least preferred vegetables belonging to the Cruciferae family. Considering the adverse effect of excessive table salt intake on incidence of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, it is essential to explore an alternative healthier option for better acceptance and to encourage consumption of these vegetables. In this study, 261 adult participants were evaluated for their preferences toward basic tastes and food as well as sensory evaluation of a meal prepared from cruciferous vegetables with the addition of two different salts, sodium chloride and salt substitute containing a blend of potassium and sodium salts. A general questionnaire was used to assess taste and food preferences, while the Cruciferous Vegetable Food Frequency Questionnaire (CVFFQ) was used for vegetable intake assessment. The Labeled Magnitude Scale (LMS), Just About Right (JAR) scale, and several hedonic scales were used to determine taster status and sensory evaluation. The results show that a low concentration of the salt substitute did not impact bitterness suppression but did result in higher preference of the cruciferous vegetable meal. Although, subjects self-reported to have salty taste preferences were more sensitive to bitter taste, they did not perceive samples as less salty and less acceptable than subjects with lower sensitivity. The results show the necessity for further examination of the effectiveness of different concentrations of the assessed salt substitute in suppressing perceived bitterness of cruciferous vegetables and regarding their overall acceptance for inclusion in diets.

Effect of chloride and blend of chloride and sulphate salts on workability, early strength and microstructure of FA-GGBS geopolymer concrete

The objective of this investigation is to examine the effect of admixed chloride based salt, and blend of chloride and sulphate based salts on workability, compressive strength at seven days, and microstructure of fly ash (FA)-ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) based geopolymer concrete (GPC). All the GPC mixes were made with FA and GGBS at a proportion of 45%:55% (by mass), and alkaline activator solution used was a blend of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution at 8 M and 14 M concentration along with the sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) solution. The FA-GGBS based GPC mixes were admixed with 0% (control mix), 3.5% sodium chloride (NaCl), and blend of 3.5% NaCl and 5% sodium sulphate (Na2SO4) during the time of preparation of GPC mixes. The XRD study was conducted on FA-GGBS based GPC for microstructure analysis. The results showed an increase in the workability of salt-admixed FA-GGBS based GPC mixes than control (0% admixed salt) GPC. The addition of salts during preparation resulted a decrease in compressive strength of FA-GGBS GPC mixes. Halite formation in salt-admixed FA-GGBS based GPC mixes as indicated from XRD patterns led to reduction in strength of salt-admixed GPC.

Development and quality assessment of low-sodium functional chevon patties

PurposeThe study aims to develop low-sodium chevon patties from low-fat emulsion using various salt substitutes (KCl, CaCl2 and mushroom extract) in different combination without affecting the quality of the products.Design/methodology/approachEfficacy of salt substitutes was assessed for the development of low-sodium chevon patties. The developed products were assessed for various physicochemical properties, instrumental texture and color profile, estimation of mineral and sensory attributes.FindingsSignificant difference (p < 0.05) in mineral content was observed among the patties developed with different salt blends. Sodium content was reduced to the level of 38.07% in salt-substituted chevon patties. Calcium content was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in LS2, LS3 and LS4 salt-substituted chevon patties. Hardness, gumminess and chewiness values were significantly (p < 0.05) higher, and the springiness value was significantly (p < 0.05) lower in control chevon patties compared to treatments. Flavor and saltiness were significantly (p < 0.05) lower in LS1, LS3 and LS4 compared to control. However, flavor, juiciness and saltiness as well overall acceptability scores for LS2 were superior and widely accepted among the sensory panelists.Practical implicationsBased on sensory attributes and physicochemical properties, it is concluded that LS2 salt blend may suitably be used as excellent salt replacer to develop low-sodium chevon patties.Originality/valueInnovative findings of the experiment strengthen the current literature available on functional animal food products. Further, it provides one of the important natural alternatives to develop low-sodium meat products with special reference to chevon. Looking to increase attention toward health of the consumer and increase in the risk of cardiovascular diseases, the demand of low-sodium products is very high. Therefore, this may be the excellent choice without affecting the quality and sensory attribute of the products.

Electrochemical Control for Corrosion in Molten Chloride Salts

Concentrated solar power (CSP) with thermal energy storage (TES) has the ability to help solve the renewable energy grid integration challenge with its electricity dispatch capability. However, utility-scale adaption of CSP-TES has been slow due to the high levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). One avenue for cost reduction is the increase in operating temperature of the CSP plant to increase the thermal efficiency of the Carnot cycle. This requires finding a new salt blend with higher thermal stability up to 800 ℃. A ternary MgNaK chloride salt is a prime candidate with its low cost, high thermal stability, and good heat transfer properties. However, its commercial deployment is challenged by the high corrosion rates, leading to the use of expensive alloys; thus, increasing the capital cost and maintenance cost of the CSP plant.A corrosion control system in MgNaK chloride salts using active metals such as Mg has been demonstrated under laboratory conditions. This mitigation strategy involves controlling the corrosive impurities, such as MgOHCl, by using liquid Mg. The elemental Mg scavenges oxygen and water derived impurities and provides redox reaction control by shifting the electrochemical potential of the alloys towards cathodic protection while Mg acts as the sacrificial oxidant. However, employment of Mg is challenged in the cold temperature section of the CSP plant (400 – 550 ℃) due to its slow dissolution kinetics in the solid state (melting point of 650 ℃).Here, we propose an electrochemical approach using bulk Mg anodes and W cathodes to provide corrosion control. We used electrolysis to enhance dissolution kinetics of solid Mg to the molten salt at temperatures relevant to the cold section of the CSP plant (500 ℃). Our data suggests electrolysis of Mg effectively enhances the rates of removal of corrosive impurities from molten chloride salts. Preliminary results indicate significant opportunity for the electrochemical process to be scaled up commercially. The novel approach eliminates impurities in-situ from oxygen and moisture ingress in the CSP plant, in turn reducing corrosion rates and therefore reducing capital and maintenance cost of the CSP plant.

Solid Polymer Electrolytes with Increased Polymer Polarizability for Solid-State Lithium Batteries

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPE) are light-weight, flexible, and non-flammable, thus providing a promising technical route to practical solid-state lithium batteries. Although a broad variety of molecular structures of the solid polymer matrices are described in the literature, commercially available materials are scarce. The mostly widely studied example of SPE are the poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based electrolytes that contain a small molecule Li-salt (e.g., LiPF6, LiTFSI, etc). However, solid-state batteries made with a PEO-based SPE are only operational above 60 °C, corresponding to the melting of PEO, where their mechanical strength is poor. The room-temperature performance of PEO-SPEs are too low (< 10-5 S/cm) to be practical [1]. Thus, new polymer electrolytes that have high Li+ conductivity and high mechanical strength are needed.The migration of Li+ in PEO-SPE depends on the coordination of Li+ by the ethylene oxide (EO) segment, which normally involves 6-8 EO moieties. The interaction of Li+ with an EO segment is strongly influenced by the polarizability of the EO groups. The relative permittivity (ε) of a single ethylene oxide (CH2CH2O) is only about 13 – 14 [2]. This implies that Li ions experience much weaker interactions with EO groups than other polar molecules, like water (ε = 80) or cyclic carbonates (e.g., ethylene carbonate, ε = 90). Thus, one approach to increase the interaction of Li+ with the polymer chain could be to increase the polarizability of the polymers themselves. Many functional groups are highly polarizable. But only those groups that can be linked to the PEO main chain are worthy of consideration here. An example is vinylene carbonate (VC, ε = 126), which contains double bonds and can be added to the EO chains to form new polymer electrolytes.In order to link VC groups to EO chains, a PEO-like SPE may be formed using in-situ radical polymerization of the EO precursors. Examples of such precursors include poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate, poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate or their derivatives. Small molecule Li-salts may be incorporated in the precursor solution. The polymerization can be initiated by UV light irradiation or by thermal heating, depending on the type of radical initiator. In this method, the intimate interactions between Li-ions and EO groups are ensured and the crystallization of the EO segments is largely prevented.In this work, we combine these approaches to form a new solid polymer electrolyte that has good conductivity and high mechanical strength. The membrane is formed in-situ using UV irradiation of a blend of precursors and salts and chain additive functional molecules. This resulting SPE has high conductivity (0.3 mS/cm at room temperature and 1.1 mS/cm at 70 °C), a wide electrochemical stability window up to 4.8 V (vs. Li+/Li) and is thermally stable to ~200 °C, while resisting penetration of Li metal dendrites. The application of the polymer electrolyte in a SiO composite electrode is also demonstrated to achieve high capacity.

Water-Repellent Perovskites Induced by a Blend of Organic Halide Salts for Efficient and Stable Solar Cells.

Despite tremendous progress in the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of perovskite solar cells (PeSCs), the long-term stability issue remains a significant challenge for commercialization. In this study, by blending organic halide salts, phenylethylammonium halide (PEAX, X = I, Br), with CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI3), we achieved remarkable enhancements in the water-repellency of perovskite films and long-term stability of PeSCs, together with enhanced PCE. The hydrophobic aromatic PEA+ group in PEAX protects the perovskite film from destruction by water. In addition, the smaller halide Br- in PEABr restructures MAPbI3 to form MAPbI3-xBrx during post-annealing, leading to lattice contraction with beneficial crystallization quality. The perovskite films modified by PEAX exhibited excellent water resistance. When the perovskite films were directly immersed in water, no obvious decompositions were observed, even after 60 s. The PEAX-decorated PeSCs exhibited considerable long-term stability. Under high-humidity conditions (60 ± 5%), the PEAX-decorated PeSCs held 80.5% for PEAI and 85.2% for PEABr of their original PCE after exposure for 100 h, whereas the pristine PeSC device lost more than 99% of its initial PCE after exposure for 60 h under the same conditions. Moreover, compared to the pristine device with a PCE of 13.28%, the PEAX-decorated PeSCs exhibited enhanced PCEs of 17.33% for the PEAI device and 17.18% for the PEABr device.

Lithium coordination and diffusion coefficients of PEGylated ionic liquid and lithium salt blends: A molecular dynamics simulation study

PEGylated imidazolium ionic liquids are of interest because of their non-volatility, nonflammability, and unique ion transport properties attributed to poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). In this work, we used molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study the interactions of Li+ in an equimolar blend of 1-(monomethoxy PEG)-2-methylimidazolium bistriflamide ([PEGmim][Tf2N]) and lithium bistriflamide (LiTf2N) salt. Analysis of the radial distribution function for Li+ showed that the oxygen atoms from the bistriflamide anion are replaced by, on average, 3.1 oxygen atoms from the PEG side groups, indicating improved solvation of the lithium salt in the PEGylated ionic liquid than in conventional alkylated ionic liquids. Li+ coordination number showed an increase in the affinity for PEG oxygen atoms when the temperature increased from 300 to 350 K. The mean square displacement (MSD) versus time data were analyzed using a combination of a power-law model, representative of the subdiffusive regime, and a linear model for the Brownian diffusion. A transition from subdiffusive to normal diffusion behavior was observed at around 10 ns for all ionic species present in the system. Contrary to the expected trend based on ion sizes, the diffusion coefficients in the linear MSD regime followed the trend [PEGmim]+ > [Tf2N]− > Li+, with the larger [PEGmim]+ exhibiting the highest diffusion coefficient. Interestingly, the mean square displacement profile, normalized by the square of the ion size represented by a characteristic radius, was similar for the cation and anion, indicating equivalent ionic displacements in the absence of an electric field. In the asymptotic limit, the ratio of the MSD of [PEGmim]+ to the MSD of [Tf2N]− was about 1.3. Diffusion coefficients of [PEGmim]+, measured using pulsed field gradient stimulated echo nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, showed excellent correlation with the liquid viscosity, based on the Sutherland–Einstein equation, for both the neat ionic liquid and its blend with the lithium salt. Values of diffusion coefficients increased with temperature, consistent with an Arrhenius diffusion behavior with an activation energy of about 49 kJ mol−1 for [PEGmim][Tf2N] and 55 kJ mol−1 for [PEGmim][Tf2N] + LiTf2N.

Adsorption isotherms and kinetics pertinent to modified composite hydrogel adsorbents adopted for heavy metals removal

ABSTRACT Environmental friendly adsorbents constitute an effective method for heavy metals pollution mitigation. In this work, batch adsorption experiments were conducted for the adsorption of various heavy metals including Cr, Co, Ni and Pb using cost-effective modified adsorbents. These comprise polyacrylate hydrogels prepared using microwave (M) irradiation technique (ACM) or ultrasonic (U) irradiation technique (ACU). Further blends of acrylic acid salts with Egyptian kaolin (AKM and AKU) or zeolite (AZM and AZU) were also investigated. The effect of pH and initial concentration on the performance of the composite hydrogels has been studied. Also, several adsorption isotherm and kinetic models were studied. AKU revealed the highest maximum adsorption capacities among other investigated composites for all the tested heavy metals. The equilibrium adsorption experiments revealed that Langmuir isotherm model is best fitted than other models with maximum adsorption capacities of 84.5, 73.3, 61 and 97 mg/g for Cr, Co, Ni and Pb, respectively and equivalent results were obtained from Tempkin isotherm for all ions except Ni. Adsorption kinetics of Cr, Co, Ni and Pb using all the composite hydrogels were best described with the Pseudo-second order kinetic model.

Post-transplant Water Utilization of Zinnia Seedlings Grown in Humectant-amended Substrate Maintained at Two Moisture Thresholds1

Abstract Humectant treatment and substrate moisture content (SMC) were studied to determine their impact on post-transplant water utilization in ‘Thumbelina' zinnia (Zinnia elegans Jacq.). Four-week-old seedlings were transplanted from plug trays into pots containing soilless substrate amended with an aqueous solution of 1.6% Hydretain® or an equal volume of water (0% humectant). Seedlings were placed in an automated, sensor-controlled irrigation system and grown for 30 days at SMC levels of 0.45 or 0.25 cm3·cm−3 (0.06 or 0.03 fl oz·oz−1). Plant-water potential (Ψw) was significantly higher (less negative) in transplants grown in humectant-treated substrate at both SMC levels, and water-use efficiency (WUE) was 2X greater for seedlings grown in treated substrate maintained at 0.25 cm3·cm−3 than it was for transplants grown in untreated substrate at the same SMC level. No significant differences in height, stem diameter or shoot dry weight were observed when comparing plants grown in treated and untreated substrate. Root dry weight was significantly greater for seedlings grown in untreated substrate. Flowering was not affected by humectant treatment or by SMC. The results show that transplanted zinnia ‘Thumbelina' seedlings require less irrigation when grown at a lower SMC threshold in soilless substrate amended with 1.6% Hydretain®. Index words: automated irrigation control, cultural practices, plant-water relations, transplant establishment, water management, water-use efficiency. Species used in this study: ‘Thumbelina' zinnia (Zinnia elegans Jacq.). Chemicals used in this study: Hydretain® - a proprietary blend of sugar alcohols, polysaccharides, and neutral salts of alphahydroxyproprionic acid.

Low-Energy-Consumption CO2 Capture by Liquid–Solid Phase Change Absorption Using Water-Lean Blends of Amino Acid Salts and 2-Alkoxyethanols

Solvent regeneration for the conventional aqueous amine-based CO2 capture is very energy intensive. Development of phase-changing absorbents is an attractive solution for low energy consumption. In...

Simultaneous removal of CO2 and H2S from coalbed methane in a membrane contactor

Coalbed methane (CBM) is an unconventional natural gas, and vigorous development of CBM has great significance for improving the current status of global coal mine safety production, alleviating market gas supply pressure, and protecting the ecological environment. CBM mainly consists of CH4, CO2 and a small amount of H2S. In order to improve the comprehensive energy utilization efficiency of CBM, it is necessary to capture both CO2 and H2S from CBM. In this paper, a comprehensive 2D model was established by COMSOL Multiphysics for simultaneously removing CO2 and H2S in CBM. The K2CO3/potassium lysinate (PL) mixed solution was employed as the absorbent in a membrane contactor. The impacts of gas and liquid velocities, liquid concentration and temperature on the absorbent performance were studied. The results obtained by using the simulated membrane contactor were consistent with the experimental data in the literature. The results indicate that the gas velocity was the most significant influential factor to the gases removal efficiency. Furthermore, it was concluded that the K2CO3/PL mixed solution had a better decarburization performance than the single K2CO3 solution. The optimal operating conditions for simultaneous removal process by using K2CO3/PL mixed solution were obtained by response surface method. More importantly, the blends of amino acid salts and carbonate solution have great prospects in the membrane absorption of acid gases from CBM.

Chemical kinetics of carbon dioxide in the blends of different amino acid salts and methyldiethanolamine

Chemical kinetics of carbon dioxide in the blends of different amino acid salts and methyldiethanolamine

Autonomous Electrolyte Discovery for Batteries with Experimentally Informed Bayesian Optimization

An autonomous battery electrolyte experimental platform capable of mixing multi-component electrolyte systems and characterizing the transport and electrochemical properties in a high-throughput manner is disclosed. A Bayesian optimization software package found novel electrolyte compositions through optimization of the high-dimensional electrolyte design space over key design objectives like electrochemical stability and conductivity.Electrolyte optimization is difficult because 1) electrolyte evaluation is expensive and takes time, and 2) the space of possible electrolytes is expansive, formed by many possible choices for solvents (often in ternary blends), salts (often in binary mixtures), and trace additives. Bayesian optimization methods are well suited for the optimization of high-dimensional functions with costly evaluations, often producing an efficient design-of-experiments to converge on multi-objective optimal formulations in few experiments. To expedite the optimization over the expansive design space, theoretical predictions of electrolyte properties via the Advanced Electrolyte Model were utilized as “priors” in the statistical model.Implementation of the novel experimental platform was carried out by two novel test stands developed to automate the mixing and characterization of electrolytes: Otto (for aqueous systems) and Clio (for aprotic/organic systems). The test stands characterized the ionic conductivity and electrochemical stability of electrolyte systems, featuring a four-electrode conductivity probe, pH meter, and a flow-through three-electrode cell and potentiostat. Clio also integrated electrochemically active electrodes for optimization of electrolyte/electrode systems. The active electrode systems used were common functional ceramic metal oxides.A software orchestration and data layer linked the test-stands to human experimenters and machine-learning packages through a web-services architecture; all experiment data and meta-data is saved in a database. Additional out-of-the-loop characterization was conducted on cathodic systems to validate composition, structure, and oxidation state.The aqueous design space consisted of aqueous blends of lithium and sodium salts, including nitrates, sulfates, and other commonly-used battery salts. High-concentration aqueous electrolyte candidates were discovered by optimizing of electrochemical voltage stability and conductivity, including low-cost, high-performing alternatives to known but costly aqueous electrolytes (e.g. LiTFSI). Clio’s design space includes blends of both aprotic organic solvents and solutes in additional to various compositions of electrochemically active electrodes. The test-stands are demonstrated to be significantly faster than common human experimentation techniques, converging on novel, optimized electrolyte mixtures in mere hours or days of experimentation.

Characterization of Gel Polymer Electrolytes Based on Poly (Ionic Liquid)-Glyme Mixtures for Lithium Metal Batteries

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPE) have generated an extensive and sustained interest for its application in lithium metal batteries.[ 1 ] Compared with liquid electrolytes, solid polymer electrolytes have higher safety and thermal stability, since they can provide a physical barrier layer to prevent efficiently lithium dendrite growth and avoid thermal runaway under high temperature or impact. Despite the substantial benefits, some limitations remain to be improved, such as a low ionic conductivity at room temperature and low transference number. Several studies are being conducted to overcome these weaknesses and develop new generation of solid polymer electrolyte lithium metal batteries.[ 2 ] Most of the research on SPEs is focused on polyethylene oxide (PEO) mixed with lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) salt and its derivative. In general, PEO-based solid electrolytes have shown good dimensional stability, good safety, and can mechanically prevent dendritic growth. However, they exhibit low ionic conductivity and rather low cationic transference number (t+) of ca. 0.15. To achieve sufficient conductivity at low temperatures, polymers that are difficult to crystallize are proposed. Ionic liquids (IL) are poor crystal formers; therefore, polymers of IL are potentially good alternatives to PEO for lower temperature conductivity. An Iongel membrane based on the poly(dimethyldiallylammonium) polyDADMA-TFSI poly(ionic liquid) has gained attention in polymer metal batteries due to its favorable mechanical properties and stability against Li-metal.[ 3 ] The present study provides an insight into the properties of free-standing membranes using poly (ionic liquid)-glyme mixtures compared to typical polymer salt blends (PEO-LiTFSI) and PDADMA-LiTFSI. The benefit of tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether (G4) is highlighted and appears to be the key component to obtain higher ionic conductivity regardless on the type of polymer used. The impact of the increase in LiG4TFSI/poly ionic liquid ratio within the electrolyte on the transference number, ionic conductivity and mechanical properties was further analyzed. For 33-66 wt% composition for PDADMAT-LiG4TFSI and PEO-LiG4TFSI membranes, a good compromise between the physicochemical and electrochemical properties was achieved.

Synergistic effect of different Zn salts with sodium octanoate on the corrosion inhibition of carbon steel in cooling water

The corrosion inhibition of carbon steel was investigated in cooling water containing sodium octanoate (Oct), Zn-salts or blends of Oct-Zn salts. The weight loss and the potentiodynamic polarizatio...

Ongoing tissue changes in an experimentally mummified human leg.

Artificial mummification has been used since antiquity and is best known from ancient Egypt. Despite ancient Egyptian mummies being studied for several decades, the mummification techniques of that time are not well understood. Modern mummification experiments involving animal and human tissues have contributed additional insights relevant to a broad field of research. In the current study, we present follow-up results of an experiment on artificial mummification, which began in 2009. A human leg was artificially mummified and monitored for almost a year with histological, molecular, and radiological techniques. Since then, it has remained in a dry, natron salt blend for 9 years. The current analyses show further progression of dehydration and tissue alterations, as well as DNA degradation, suggesting an ongoing process. Our results add new insights into the mechanisms of tissue mummification. Taking into account that the process is still ongoing, further research is required, including a re-evaluation of the human leg in the future.

High-pressure experimental and theoretical study of CO2 solubility in aqueous blends of lysine salts with piperazine as new absorbents

Vapour-liquid equilibrium of carbon dioxide loaded potassium and sodium l-lysine salts have been investigated in the region of high-pressure and high loadings. The equilibrium solubility of carbon dioxide was measured in separate aqueous l-lysine alkaline salts for a range of temperature (303.15–363.15 K), solution concentrations (1.0–3.0 M) and pressure (95–4204 kPa). In addition to that, solubility of carbon dioxide in blends of both aforementioned amino acid salts with piperazine were investigated. All the studied solutions exhibited an increase in the carbon dioxide loading values with increase in the pressure and had a negative relationship with increase in the temperature and solvent concentration. Furthermore, the experimental data was correlated by the Kent-Eisenberg model. The correlated values shows a good agreement (AAD% of 5.15%) with experimental values. The regressed parameters of the model allows satisfactory estimation of the loadings of carbon dioxide in all studied solutions, for parametric studies. The study shows that l-lysine salts are potential green solvents for the carbon dioxide capture at high pressure.

Role of dinitrile plasticizer chain lengths in electrochemical performance of highly conductive polymer electrolyte membrane for lithium ion battery

The present article entails the effect of chain lengths or number of carbons (n) of dinitrile plasticizers (NC-(CH2)n-CN) in ionic conductivity and electrochemical stability of polymer electrolyte membranes (PEM) containing poly(ethylene glycol diacrylate) (PEGDA) precursor and lithium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) salt. Ternary phase diagrams of PEGDA, dinitrile plasticizers/ionizers such as succinonitrile (SCN, n = 2), glutaronitrile (GLN, n = 3), and adiponitrile (ADN, n = 4) plasticizers, and LiTFSI salt blends were established to provide guidance for photo-curing the amorphous PEM mixtures. The resulting photo-cured PEM networks exhibited very high room-temperature ionic conductivity at the level of 10−3 S/cm. Among them, the GLN-plasticized PEM revealed the highest ionic conductivity (∼2.3 × 10−3 S/cm) with a very wide working temperature window from −80 °C to 60 °C. The electrochemical stability of these dinitrile-plasticized PEM networks was evaluated in half-cell configurations (viz., Li4Ti5O12/PEM/Li and LiFePO4/PEM/Li) using Li4Ti5O12 (LTO) and LiFePO4 (LFP) electrodes by means of potentiostat for cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge cycling. The effect of chain lengths of the dinitrile plasticizers on the electrochemical performance of the PEM network is discussed.

Efficacy of medium-chain fatty acid salts distilled from coconut oil against two enteric pathogen challenges in weanling piglets

BackgroundThe search for alternatives to antibiotics in pig production has increased the interest in natural resources with antimicrobial properties, such as medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) as in-feed additives. This study evaluated the potential of a novel blend of MCFA salts (DIC) from distilled coconut oil with a lauric acid content to reduce enteropathogens and control intestinal diseases around weaning. Two experimental disease models were implemented in early-weaned piglets, consisting of two oral challenges: Salmonella Typhimurium (1.2 × 108 CFU) or enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) F4 (1.5 × 109 CFU). The parameters assessed were: animal performance, clinical signs, pathogen excretion, intestinal fermentation, immune-inflammatory response, and intestinal morphology.ResultsThe Salmonella challenge promoted an acute course of diarrhea, with most of the parameters responding to the challenge, whereas the ETEC F4 challenge promoted a mild clinical course. A consistent antipathogenic effect of DIC was observed in both trials in the hindgut, with reductions in Salmonella spp. plate counts in the cecum (P = 0.03) on d 8 post-inoculation (PI) (Salmonella trial), and of enterobacteria and total coliform counts in the ileum and colon (P < 0.10) on d 8 PI (ETEC F4 trial). When analyzing the entire colonic microbiota (16S rRNA gene sequencing), this additive tended (P = 0.13) to reduce the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and enriched Fibrobacteres after the Salmonella challenge. In the ETEC F4 challenge, DIC prompted structural changes in the ecosystem with increases in Dialister, and a trend (P = 0.14) to increase the Veillonellaceae family. Other parameters such as the intestinal fermentation products or serum pro-inflammatory mediators were not modified by DIC supplementation, nor were the histological parameters. Only the intraepithelial lymphocyte (IEL) counts were lowered by DIC in animals challenged with Salmonella (P = 0.07). With ETEC F4, the IEL counts were higher with DIC on d 8 PI (P = 0.08).ConclusionsThis study confirms the potential activity of this MCFA salts mixture to reduce intestinal colonization by opportunistic pathogens such as Salmonella or E. coli and its ability to modulate colonic microbiota. These changes could explain to some extent the local immune cell response at the ileal level.

Performance study on eutectic molten salt as a high temperature working fluid in the parabolic trough collector

The growth of renewable energy technologies has made remarkable changes in the engineering field. In this paper, a progressive study has been made on the Solar Parabolic Trough Collector (SPTC) using molten salt as an effective high temperature Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF). Molten salt blend is formed with 60% of sodium nitrate (NaNO3) as and 40% of potassium nitrate (KNO3) since this ratio can tackle a temperature of about 550°C. The experiment has been conducted in two phases, one with a cylindrical circular cross-section absorber tube and another with a new model tube with elliptical cross-section. The test also records outlet temperature by altering three mass flow rates of HTF, 0.014, 0.021 and 0.028 kg/s, from August 2017 to July 2018. The efficiency with the elliptical absorber is 14.5% which is higher than that of circular absorber tube while using molten salt as an HTF.