Content Of Components Research Articles

Effects of Straw Addition on Soil Priming Effects Under Different Tillage and Straw Return Modes

This study aims to investigate the impact of straw addition on soil activation effects under different tillage practices, providing a scientific basis for establishing reasonable straw return measures in the southern Northeast Plain, thus enhancing soil fertility, and mitigating greenhouse effects. Soil samples were collected from various straw return practices that were conducted continuously for two years as follows: rotary tillage without straw return (RTO), deep tillage combined with straw incorporation (PT), rotary tillage with straw incorporation (RT), and no-till with straw cover (NT). The samples were incubated in the dark at 25 °C for 70 days. We measured the CO2 release rate and cumulative release, apparent activation effect, soil organic carbon, active microbial biomass organic carbon, soluble organic carbon, and easily oxidizable organic carbon to clarify the effects of straw addition on soil activation under different tillage practices. The results indicate that a straw addition promotes the mineralization of soil organic carbon while also increasing the content of active organic carbon components. The CO2 release rates and cumulative release under different tillage practices were as follows: PT > NT > RT. The contents of the active microbial biomass organic carbon, soluble organic carbon, and easily oxidizable organic carbon increased by 16.62% to 131.88%, 4.36% to 57.59%, and 12.10% to 57.97%, respectively, compared to the control without the straw addition. Except for the RT practice, the addition of straw significantly enhanced the instability of soil organic carbon in the PT, NT, and RTO practices, with increases of 51.75%, 48.29%, and 27.90%, respectively. Different straw return practices altered the physical and chemical properties of the soil, resulting in significant differences in the strength of the apparent activation effect. Notably, the apparent activation effect of RT was reduced by 86.42% compared to RTO, while that of NT was reduced by 36.99% compared to PT. A highly significant positive correlation was observed between the apparent activation effect and the unstable carbon components in the soil, indicating that higher levels of easily decomposable organic carbon corresponded to stronger apparent activation effects. In conclusion, it is recommended that in this region, rotary tillage should be adopted for straw return in the first 2 to 3 years, as this practice is beneficial for the formation and stabilization of organic carbon in the short term. As the duration of straw return increases, adjustments can be made based on the degree of soil organic carbon retention and soil fertility status.

Multi-Indicator Comprehensive Quality Evaluation of Turpinia arguta (Lindl.) Seem Herbs at Different Harvesting Periods

This study aimed to investigate differences in the leaf biomasses, chemical compositions, and pharmacological activities of Turpinia arguta histocultured seedlings and live seedlings at different harvesting periods (S1, S2, S3, and S4) in order to determine the optimal harvesting period. Eleven indexes, including biomass, key active components, secondary metabolites, nutrient content, and antioxidant activity, were evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography and colorimetric methods during different harvesting periods. The weights of the 11 indexes were calculated by principal component analysis, and then a comprehensive quality evaluation was performed. The results showed significant differences in leaf biomasses, key active components, secondary metabolites, nutrient contents, and antioxidant activities between the different harvesting periods. The highest quality score was obtained for the S4 period, indicating that the quality of T. arguta was the best at this time and that the S4 period was the most suitable harvesting period. At this period (S4), the medicinal component content, antioxidant activity, and comprehensive quality score of the histocultured seedlings of T. arguta were higher than those of the live seedlings, indicating the importance of tissue culture technology in enhancing the quality of T. arguta. This study provides more novel and abundant information and reference for determining the appropriate harvesting period of T. arguta, with the aim of providing newer scientific guidance for the management of herbs.

Influence of the longitudinal welded joint microstructure of X52 and X70 large diameter pipes on resistance to hydrogen embrittlement

The article covers influence of a set of gradient microstructures of large diameter pipes (LDP) on resistance to hydrogen embrittlement. The object of the study were specimens of longitudinal welded joints of X52 and X70 LDP before and after slow strain rate tensile tests (SSRT) in gaseous nitrogen and hydrogen. It was found that fracture of X52 specimens during SSRT occurred with multiple crack initiation centres at the interfaces of the pearlite–ferrite structural constituents, while fracture of X70 specimens resulted in a single crack propagation. Steels Х52 and Х70 fractured not in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) recrystallisation area containing islands of martensite-austenite phase, but in the high-temperature tempering zone, which is characterised by anisotropic ferrite-perlite (Х52) and ferrite-bainite (Х70) microstructure. Finely dispersed uniform structure of bainite ferrite despite the content of martensite-austenite component is not a source of hydrogen crack initiation. Although a welded joint of X70 steel is characterised by higher strength, it is less susceptible to the embrittlement effects of gaseous hydrogen than X52, which is probably due to the finer and more uniform structure of X70 steel. Presence of ferrite-pearlite banding in the structure of X52 steel has a more negative effect on resistance to hydrogen embrittlement than increased hardness of the HAZ high-temperature tempering area of X70 steel.

Relationships Between Chemical Compounds and Sensory Properties of Virgin Olive Oil in the US and Israel: Development of a Prediction Model for Defects.

Virgin olive oil (VOO) quality is defined by both chemical and sensory parameters. While the chemical parameters are objective and measured using instrument-based methods, sensory quality evaluation is based upon human panels, which can be subjective, have less repeatability, suffer from fatigue, and require long and costly training. Tasting biases could be minimized by a trained panel, but using humans as a testing instrument is inevitably prone to various psychological biases, stimulus-related factors, and carry-over effects. The objectives of this study were to evaluate instrumental methodologies that will assist the existing human panel in assessing the sensory characteristics of VOO and to develop chemistry-based predicting models for sensory properties in the oil using VOO samples originating from the US and Israel. Our results indicated that oil rancidity highly correlated with the contents of chemical components contents; 1-penten-3-one, 3-hexen-1-ol, (E)-2-pentanal, and 1-octen-3-ol are the major volatiles associated with rancidity defects (low concentrations of these compounds). Positive sensory attributes, such as fruitiness, correlated with 1- acetoxypinoresinol and hexanal, while bitterness correlated with pinoresinol, the aldehydic form of oleuropein aglycones, and the dialdehydic form of oleuropein aglycone. The random forest model suggested that luteolin, (E)-2-hexenal, 1-penten-3-one, and C18:0 are the most useful measurements in predicting the occurrence of sensory defects in the olive oil samples included. In other words, when these compounds are below or above a certain threshold, a defect, such as rancidity, is more likely to be found by the sensory panel.

Mechanism of ion migration from the substrate material into snow cover at the end of the cold period

Earlier, it was established that maximum mineralization of the contact layer of snow occurs in spring at the interface with substrates (soil or ice). This study analyzes the temperature and moisture conditions during this period at the interface of the contact layer of snow with substrates by examining frozen sand blocks saturated with a solution containing complex gold ions, or blocks filled with polystyrene containing ions of molybdenum, copper, etc. It is assumed that the migration of ions from the underlying substrate into the contact layer of snow cover in spring occurs along quasi-liquid films on the surface of snow crystals, the thickness of which exceeds the equilibrium one. Migration becomes noticeable when the temperature at the snow–substrate contact reaches −13 °С and above. The appearance of quasi-liquid films on the surface of snow particles under variable temperature and moisture conditions is possible due to the condensation of water vapor, which during the day, with general heating of the system, can enter the contact layer of snow both from above and below. With an increase in snow density in the spring, the mineralization of the near-contact layer of snow cover increases. At the same time, linear relationships were revealed between the content of substrate components migrating into the near-contact layer of snow and the gradient of water vapor density in it. The reliability of the approximation of these dependencies for the gold thiosulfate complex is 0.98; for copper ions – 0.52; for hydrogen ions – 0.88; for sodium ions – 0.69, for chloride anions – 0.89. The results of the study substantiate the increased efficiency of geochemical prospecting for mineral deposits using snow cover in the spring.

Composition of four polyphenol fractions extracted from partridge tea and their mechanisms on ameliorate insulin resistance in HepG2 cells

Partridge tea is a plant used as a speciality tea drink in Hainan Province, China. The aim of this study was to isolate polyphenols from partridge tea, investigate their main constituent compositions and ameliorative effects on insulin resistance in insulin resistant HepG2 (IR-HepG2) cells. PTP was obtained from partridge tea, then PTP-1, PTP-2 and PTP-3 were obtained after further purification. The polyphenol contents of PTP, PTP-1, PTP-2, PTP-3 were determined to be 15.9%, 51.4%, 42.51% and 22.74%, respectively. PTP and PTP-1 had similar compositions, and the contents of the main components of PTP-1 was higher than that of PTP. Structural compositions and contents of PTP-2 and PTP-3 differ significantly. Further analysis indicated that PTP failed to have significant hypoglycaemic activity, while other three polyphenols regulated the fat metabolism disorders caused by insulin resistance, thus improving the body’s utilization of blood glucose. In addition, the three polyphenols reversed the damage caused by insulin resistance in IR-HepG2 cells by up-regulating the activities of HK (200 μg/mL PTP-1: 2.8414 mol/min/mL) and PK (200 μg/mL PTP-1: 10.7204 U/L), increasing the activity of SOD and CAT and decreasing the level of MDA. The mRNA results showed that PTP-1, PTP-2 and PTP-3 could achieve hypoglycaemic efficacy in the body by regulating the IRS-1/PI3K/AKT signal pathway. In summary, our results suggested that the polyphenols of partridge tea could be a promising natural source for preventing and treating hyperglycemia.

Bioresorbable composites based on magnesium and hydroxyapatite for use in bone tissue engineering: focus on controlling and minimizing corrosion activity

A biodegradable matrix with a significant content of bioactive components can be applied for bone tissue replacement, including load-bearing applications in orthopedic surgery. The study outlines the optimized procedure for the production of bioresorbable magnesium-hydroxyapatite (Mg-HA) composites and their corrosion resistance properties. Composites were meticulously crafted by combining pure magnesium with microwave-synthesized hydroxyapatite nanopowder. Sintering occurred via spark plasma sintering technology (SPS). To align the degradation time of the resulting composites with bone remodeling, the corrosion resistance of SPS materials was enhanced through the application of plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) and polycaprolactone (PCL) spin-coating methods. The protective properties, morphology dynamics, and composition due to surface treatment and corrosion propagation were investigated using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), Potentiodynamic Polarization (PDP), hydrogen evolution tests, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) as well as X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Analytics of the physicochemical properties data of the formed coatings indicate a significant improvement in protective characteristics and deceleration of the corrosive degradation of the samples. The application of polycaprolactone to the PEO coating leads to a decrease in the corrosion current compared to uncoated magnesium composites by more than three orders of magnitude: from 1 10-5 to 2 10-9 A cm-2. During long-term exposure of samples to 0.9 % NaCl solution, it was found that coating reduced the rate of corrosion degradation of samples from 1.5 to 80 times compared to an unprotected Mg-HA composite and sintered magnesium. Mg-HA composites treated with PEO exhibit potential application as bioactive and biodegradable materials for orthopedic implants and fixation devices.

Photopolymerization enabled in-air highly oleophobic and hydrophilic SiC membranes with improved antifouling performance in oil-in-water emulsion separation

Ceramic membranes with tailored surface wettability have gained increasing attention for improving their separation efficiency and antifouling ability, while most of the previous work focused on the underwater oleophobic behavior. In this work, in-air highly oleophobic and hydrophilic SiC membranes were achieved through the UV irradiation triggered polymerization and controlled crosslinking between oleophobic perfluorodecyl acrylate (TFOA) and hydrophilic methacrylic acid (MAA). These key processing parameters including MAA content, soaking time and irradiation duration were systematically studied through examining the changes in porous microstructure, surface wettability and separation performance in oil-in-water emulsion. Results showed that the flux attenuation rate of SiC membranes can be effectively reduced by regulating the content of hydrophilic components. Due to the alternation of the surface wettability to highly oleophobic in air, the oil droplets can hardly attach on the surface of modified SiC membranes at the beginning of filtration process, and the membrane fouling was significantly slow down yet dominated by the intermediate blocking. Correspondingly, a combined cleaning procedure was proposed to regenerate the fouled SiC membranes. Further, the antifouling ability of modified and original SiC membranes was comparatively studied under the conditions of a fixed permeate volume (15 ml) and various oil concentrations (200 ∼ 1000 ppm) in the separation of oil-in-water emulsion. The advantages of modified SiC membranes become more notable when used for highly concentrated oil–water emulsion as reflected by the slower flux decline and higher stable flux. This work provides a feasible pathway to realize the in-air highly oleophobic and hydrophilic surface on ceramic membranes, and primarily demonstrates the advantages of antifouling ability in oil-in-water emulsion separation.

Robust interface for O3-type layered cathode towards stable ether-based sodium-ion full batteries

Developing a robust cathode-electrolyte interface (CEI) is crucial for stable layered cathode in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). A CEI based on ester electrolytes often exhibit poor stability and robustness, which cannot address the issues of structural collapse and material dissolution in layered cathodes. However, there are few reports on constructing a stable CEI for layered cathode based on ether electrolytes. Here we develop a robust CEI for O3-type cathode via DME solvent, which enables a long-term stability of full SIBs. The results indicate that unique decomposition process of DME yields favorable organic component (e.g. RCH2ONa) and high content of inorganic components (e.g. NaF and Na2CO3) in the CEI, which is quite different from ester electrolyte, improving Na+ diffusion kinetic and interfacial stability. Notably, the O3-NaNi0.5Mn0.5O2||Na cell with the designed electrolyte demonstrates outstanding stability up to 500 cycles. Furthermore, the full cell exhibits remarkable cycling performance with a capacity retention of 85% over 200 cycles. This work provides an opportunity for stable operation of layered cathode materials via inexpensive ether electrolytes.

Hydrogeochemical processes of as enrichment and migration in the Surface’s critical zone of the Shiquan River basin in the western Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

The enrichment of As in the western Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and its surrounding basins has been widely reported. However, the spatial distribution of arsenic content in the Surface’s Critical Zone (SCZ) of the Shiquan River Basin in the western Qinghai–Tibet Plateau is poorly understood, as is the mechanisms through which water–rock interactions and surface water-groundwater interactions influence arsenic enrichment and migration. In this study, the contents of arsenic and other chemical components in surface water, groundwater, sediment, soil, and rock in the Shiquan River Basin were analyzed to investigate the hydrogeochemical process of arsenic migration. The results indicate that the concentration ratios of HCO3–/(Na++K+), Ca2+/(Na++K+), Na+/(Na++Ca2+) and δ18O in the surface water of the Shiquan River Basin vary along the runoff path. Carbonate and silicate weathering dominate the middle and upper reaches, while evaporite dissolution gradually increases in the lower reaches. Arsenic is enriched in rocks, soil, surface water, and groundwater in the SCZ, with slightly higher concentrations found in the surface water, sediment, and soil in the middle reaches than in the upper and lower reaches. This spatial distribution suggested that the hydrogeochemical processes along the runoff path controlled the distribution of As in the basin. Water–rock interactions and hot spring discharge of arsenic-bearing minerals contributed to its enrichment in the basin, while adsorption by riverbed sediment led to the gradual decay of dissolved arsenic. The underlying aquifer (alluvial-diluvial layer) recharged by surface water is the main source of high arsenic concentration in groundwater. The findings of this study can serve as a reference for studying arsenic in similar high-arsenic basins worldwide.

Feature extraction of fluorescence excitation-emission matrices using PCA fused with Wilks Λ-statistic and FDA for origin identification and active components content prediction of sweet basil

Feature extraction of fluorescence excitation-emission matrices using PCA fused with Wilks Λ-statistic and FDA for origin identification and active components content prediction of sweet basil

Dynamics of impure CO2 and composite oil in mineral nanopores: Implications for shale oil recovery and gas storage performance

Evaluating the application effectiveness of impure CO2 in shale reservoirs is a prerequisite for reducing CO2 purification costs. Therefore, molecular dynamics simulations were applied to study the influential mechanisms of impurity gases, mineral types and oil components on impure CO2 enhanced oil recovery (impure CO2-EOR) and gas storage (GS). The orientation force between H2S and polar oil components and the strong adsorption of H2S on mineral walls improve the solubility and diffusivity of impure CO2 in shale oil. Moreover, the induction force between H2S and CO2 carry additional CO2 to walls, and the hydrogen bonds formed between H2S and walls further enhance oil–gas competitive adsorption, resulting in more adsorbed oil being stripped and more H2S/CO2 being sequestered. N2 hinders the dissolution of H2S/CO2 into shale oil and the diffusion of desorbed oil towards the center of nanopores. Therefore, the EOR and GS performances in nanopores are positively and negatively correlated with the proportion of H2S and N2 in impure CO2, respectively. Both EOR and GS performances of impure CO2 decrease sequentially in illite, quartz, and kerogen nanopores, because the strong adsorption of shale oil on kerogen walls causes oil molecules to arrange tightly and dissolve in kerogen. It weakens the solubility and diffusivity of impure CO2 in shale oil, and also increases the resistance of impure CO2 to displace adsorbed and dissolved oil. By contrast, illite walls have the weakest adsorption on shale oil and the largest number of hydrogen bonds formed with H2S. The increase of heavy component content further enhances the interaction between oil molecules and the adsorption of shale oil on wall, thereby weakening the effects of various impure CO2-EOR mechanisms.

Polyaromatic hydrocarbons of small reservoirs of the Tomsk region

Relevance. The assessment of the state of natural waters includes the determination of a number of physico-chemical indicators, on the basis of which various indices and classifications are developed. However, they do not take into account a number of pollutants that have a significant impact on the state of the reservoir, for example, polyaromatic hydrocarbons. The article considers some aspects of determining priority pollutants, which include polyaromatic hydrocarbons, according to environmental hazard criteria: toxicity, carcinogenicity, prevalence, frequency of occurrence, source of origin (anthropogenic or natural). Hydrochemical parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen content, biological oxygen consumption (BPK5), and ion content are taken into account to determine water quality. An attempt was made to assess the impact of polyaromatic hydrocarbons on the ecological state of water bodies and to take into account their contribution to changes in the values of the water pollution index. All these data prove the relevance of the study. Aim. To establish the composition of polyaromatic hydrocarbons in the surface waters of small reservoirs of the Tomsk region to assess anthropogenic load and to show the relationship with the indices of natural water quality. Methods. Extraction, liquid adsorption chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, amperometry, titrimetry. Results. Small lakes of the Tomsk region were studied for the content of 13 polyaromatic hydrocarbons. The authors have carried out the identification by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorimetric detection. The total content of polyaromatic compounds in the studied surface water samples varies from 0.37 to 0.54 mcg/l. In the polyaromatic hydrocarbons mixture in aqueous samples, there is an increased content of light 2–3 nuclear polyarenes with better solubility (naphthalene, fluorene and phenanthrene), as well as benz[a]anthracene. The content of inorganic components represented by cations and anions does not exceed the maximum permissible concentrations. The water pollution index was calculated; all lakes are moderately polluted, closer to polluted. The paper demonstrates the dependence of the water pollution index coefficient on the content of high-molecular polyaromatic hydrocarbons and the ratio of high-molecular to low-molecular polyaromatic hydrocarbons. It is shown that the higher the value of the water pollution index coefficient, the higher the proportion of difficult-to-oxidize components in surface waters.

Collaborative study on the cross-reactivity of two influenza B viral components in single radial immunodiffusion assay using quadrivalent influenza vaccines in Japan from 2015/16 to 2021–22 influenza season

A quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIV) has been available in Japan since the 2015/2016 influenza season. Single radial immunodiffusion (SRID) assays are currently used worldwide to measure the hemagglutinin (HA) content of influenza vaccine components because they are simple, accurate, and the regulatory requirement, ensuring consistency in manufacture for the HA content. However, the cross-reactivity of antisera against the two lineages of the influenza B virus (IFVB) may cause inaccurate quantification of HA content in QIVs using the SRID assay. To examine cross-reactivity and develop an appropriate procedure for accurate measurement of vaccine potency, a collaborative study with four Japanese vaccine manufacturers was conducted to measure the HA contents of trivalent influenza vaccines (TIVs) and QIVs by SRID assay with a single and a mixture of reference antigens (refAgs) from each lineage of IFVB for seven influenza seasons from 2015/16 to 2021/22. The cross-reactivity of the two IFVB components in the SRID assay varied depending on the vaccine viruses. Our study demonstrated that it is useful to validate a suitable combination for each refAg and reference antiserum by selecting the combination showing similar HA contents between experimental TIV and QIV before lot release testing.

INCLUSIVE COMPETENCE AS A COMPONENT OF THE FUTURE MATHEMATICS TEACHER’S PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE

The article deals with the concepts of «inclusive competence of a teacher» and «inclusive competence of a future mathematics teacher», with the latter being considered as a component of their professional competence. The aim of the article is to characterize inclusive competence as a component of professional competence and to analyze the content of its structural components. Research methods: analysis of scientific sources on the issues of inclusive education and the development of teachers’ inclusive competence to define the essence of the concept «inclusive competence» and its structure, as well as comparison, systematization, and generalization to characterize the content of the inclusive competence components in future mathematics teachers. The inclusive competence of future mathematics teachers is defined as an integral personal and professional characteristic and a component of their professional competence. The structural components of inclusive competence in future mathematics teachers have been identified and characterized: motivational-value, cognitive, activity-operational and reflective. The cognitive and activity-operational components of inclusive competence in subject teachers reflect the content and specifics of a particular subject or field of knowledge (such as physics, mathematics, physical education, etc.) and the specifics of teaching these subjects in an inclusive educational environment. components refer to the organization of an inclusive educational environment where children with special educational needs will study. Key skills include the ability to adapt learning materials to suit the students’ awareness, taking considering their special perception, memory and way of thinking, as well as offering engaging forms and methods of teaching. In this context, it is important to draw on the achievements of primary school mathematics teaching methods, such as the «Numicon» (method, Cuisenaire rods, Dienes’ method, edutainment technologies, eidetic techniques and mnemonic devices). The cognitive and activity-operational components of inclusive competence in future mathematics teachers are continuously developing, updated with information about new resources, methods, technologies and opportunities for organizing mixed and distance learning for children with special educational needs (such as online platforms). They are also enhanced by the teachers’ experiences. It has been proven that to ensure the efficiency of inclusive education and the development of mathematical competence in students with special educational needs, a comprehensive preparation of future mathematics teachers for professional activity in an inclusive environment is necessary. This should be based on the unity of theoretical and practical components at the general pedagogical, methodological and specialized levels. It is also important to create conditions and motivate future mathematics teachers to develop their inclusive competence through self-education and informal learning.

Efficacy and pharmacodynamics of herbal medicine in patients with metabolic phenotype of osteoarthritis

High prevalence of the metabolic phenotype of osteoarthritis (MPOA) and unsatisfactory methods of its treatment necessitate the development of novel therapeutic approaches for this phenotype of OA. Turmeric preparations have a wide range of biological activity; their use in patients with MPOA can be effective and reduce the drug burden. In the present paper, we review our own published research findings on the effectiveness and pharmacodynamics of turmeric preparations in patients with MPOA. In the two studies, we evaluated the effects of two curcumin-containing parapharmaceuticals: Epigenorm Antivir (EA) and Curcumin. Forty-one women with MFOA were included in both studies. Twenty-three patients received EA at a daily dose of 1000 mg for 12 weeks, and 18 patients received curcumin from Evalar at a dose of 1000 mg for 8 weeks. The endpoints for both studies were VAS pain, dysfunction and other symptoms of OA measured using the KOOS scale. After 12 weeks of EA treatment, there was a 2.5-fold decrease pain levels. The decrease in pain was associated with an improvement in the patient’s daily and sports activities and quality of life. These effect sizes were classified as moderate to large according to Cohen. No adverse events were observed during the period of taking EA. Clinical improvement was associated with a decrease in the content of MS individual components: low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides. The treatment caused a decrease in the level of systemic inflammation, as evidenced by a decrease in the concentration of TNFα, histamine, IL-18, C-reactive protein, and neopterin. The concentrations of IL-10 and adiponectin increased after treatment. In another study, treatment with curcumin for 4 weeks had an analgesic effect, improved measures of function and quality of life. Clinical improvement was associated with the reductions in serum levels of a number of proinflammatory cytokines, C-reactive protein, and lipids. Thus, the results of the pilot studies evaluating efficacy, safety, and pharmacodynamics of parapharmaceuticals EA and Curcumin in patients with MFOA indicate pleiotropic effects of the interventions. The findings provide a rationale for conducting larger, controlled, blind, randomized clinical trials.

Thermal analysis and modeling of phase equilibria in the NaCl–NaBr–Na2WO4 system

The phase complex of a three-component system of sodium chlorides, bromides and tungstates was studied for the first time using experimental and theoretical methods. It was found that the liquidus surface of the system consists of the crystallization fields of NaBr, Na2WO4, Na3ClWO4 compounds and NaClxBr1–x solid solutions. The differential thermal method of physico-chemical analysis (DTA) revealed the compositions and melting points of eutectic in the quasi–binary and three–component systems NaBr–Na3ClWO4 and NaCl–NaBr–Na2WO4, respectively. To establish the nature of the physico-chemical interaction in the system, three compositions were studied in the secondary triangle NaCl–NaBr–Na3ClWO4 by the DTA method, thermal effects of tertiary crystallization were not recorded on the DTA curves of these compositions, which is proof of the absence of a non-invariant composition in the NaCl–NaBr–Na3ClWO4 simplex. To determine the composition and melting point of the nonvariant composition located in the NaBr–Na2WO4–Na3ClWO4 simplex, a polythermal section located in the field of crystallization of sodium bromide and a nonvariant section emerging from the crystallization pole of sodium bromide passing through the point of joint crystallization of sodium chloride and the compound, with a constant decrease in the content of sodium bromide in the studied compositions before the onset of non-invariant crystallization process. The composition of the three-component eutectic of ED in molar percentages, crystallizing at 560оC with the following component content, has been determined: 7.5% NaCl; 38.5% NaBr; 54% Na2WO4. Based on data on the melting temperatures of the initial salts, compositions and crystallization temperatures of two- and three-component systems, a 3D-model of the “composition–temperature” phase complex in the temperature range 500–700оC was formed using theoretical methods. On the basis of the model, the isotherms of the liquidus surface and the T–x diagram of the polythermal section for which experimental studies were conducted was constructed. Also, as an example of using a 3D-model, the composition of the equilibrium phases released during cooling of an arbitrarily selected figurative point in the temperature range from 700 to 500оC. was calculated.

Characterization and 3D Reconstruction of the Crushing Behavior of SiO2–CaO–Al2O3–MgO Complex Inclusions in Spring Steel with High Basicity Slag Treatment

This article mainly studies the element content, phase composition, and fragmentation mechanism of SiO2–CaO–Al2O3–MgO composite inclusions that cause fatigue fracture of spring steel. The study found that the SiO2–CaO–Al2O3–MgO composite inclusions in the wire rod are not a homogeneous phase. According to the electron microscopy energy spectrum analysis results, although the SiO2–CaO–Al2O3–MgO composite inclusion is in the low‐melting‐point area of the phase diagram according to the component content ratio. However, field‐emission transmission electron microscopy analysis reveals that this type of composite inclusions includes MgAl2O4, CaAl2Si2O8, CaSiO3, MgSiO3, and a small amount of CaS. The Zeiss Crossbeam 550 electron microscope is used to conduct a three‐dimensional reconstruction analysis of this type of composite inclusions, which once again verified that the composition of this type of inclusions includes calcium silicate, MgAl2O4, MgO, and other phases. It is also found that there is a certain gap between the inclusions and the matrix, and the gap between the inclusions with high‐melting‐points such as MgAl2O4 and MgO and the matrix is more obvious. During the rolling process of SiO2–CaO–Al2O3–MgO composite inclusions, due to differences in hardness and deformation rate between different phases, the rolling process is deformed and fragmented for extended periods.

Dynamic Changes in Polyphenols in Fruit Development of Red Flesh Apple ‘Hongxun 2’

In this study, fruits of the red flesh Malus plant ‘Hongxun 2’ (Malus neidzwetzkyana (Dieck) Langenf.) and green flesh Malus plant ‘Xinye 13-11’ (Malus sieversii (Led.) Roem.) were used as experimental materials. Both of them came from Xinjiang, China, and Malus neidzwetzkyana (Dieck) Langenf. is believed to be a variant of Malus sieversii (Led.) Roem. The components and contents of polyphenols in the peel and pulp of the two kinds of fruit during the development period were detected, and the dynamic changes and differences in the polyphenols between the two kinds of fruit were discussed. The results showed that the total polyphenol content of ‘Xinye 13-11’ was higher in the peel and pulp than that of ‘Hongxun 2’, and the content of peel was higher than that of pulp in the two kinds of fruit. An analysis of five types of polyphenols showed that anthocyanins were only contained in the peel and pulp of ‘Hongxun-2’, and the peel had a higher content than the pulp. Cyanidin 3-O-galactoside was the main anthocyanin component. Four other types of substances, except hydroxycinnamics, were higher in ‘Hongxun-2’ than ‘Xinye 13-11’, while the contents of other substances in ‘Xinye 13-11’ were higher than those of ‘Hongxun 2’. The accumulation of major polyphenol components in the peel and flesh of ‘Hongxun 2’ and ‘Xinye 13-11’ apples was significant in the period before and after 65 days after flowering, and the contents of procyanidin B1 and procyanidin C1 were the highest in this period. In addition to the difference in anthocyanin content between ‘Hongxun 2’ and ‘Xinye 13-11’, the chlorogenic acid content in the peel and pulp of ‘Hongxun 2’ was significantly higher than that of ‘Xinye 13-11’, and the contents of other components were lower than those of ‘Xinye 13-11’. Moreover, based on the components and contents of polyphenol components, this paper supports the viewpoint that Malus neidzwetzkyana (Dieck) Langenf is a separate species to Malus sieversii (Led.) Roem.

Determination of steady-state for continuous powder mixing: Analysis of mixture properties and signal processing

Continuous powder mixing offers many advantages over batch processes, but its industrial implementation requires control of transient phases due to startup or variations in operating conditions. Detecting the steady-state by observing the mixture properties, obtained through in-line analysis of the mixture composition, is challenging due to the significant fluctuations in these properties. However, there is no quantitative method for identifying the steady-state for continuous powder mixing. We therefore propose in this work a methodology for steady-state detection by comparing several methods of mixture property analysis and signal processing. We show that conventional methods of mixture property analysis cannot reliably and accurately detect steady-state. We conclude that the best methodology is to perform signal processing on the content of the key component in the mixture. To do this, the signal of the content of the key component is first smoothed by the Savitzky-Golay filter. Then, the standard deviation of the filtered signal is compared with a tuning parameter to detect the beginning of steady-state. This method could be used to determine the mixing conditions leading to the smallest startup time, hence avoiding costly waste.