Vapor Conductance Research Articles

Radiation induced changes in electrical conductivity of chemical vapor deposited silicon carbides under fast neutron and gamma-ray irradiations

The radiation-induced changes in the volume electrical conductivities of chemical vapor deposited silicon carbides (CVD-SiCs) were in-site investigated by performing irradiation using 1.17 and 1.33-MeV gamma-ray and 14-MeV fast neutron beams in air and vacuum. Under gamma-ray irradiation at ionization dose rates of 3.6 and 5.9 Gy/s and irradiation temperature of approximately 300 K, the initial rapid increase in electrical conductivity; this is indicative of radiation-induced conductivity (RIC), occurred due to electronic excitation, and a more gradual increase followed up to a dose of approximately 10–50 kGy corresponding to the results in base conductivity without radiation; this is indicative of radiation-induced electrical degradation (RIED). However, the radiation-induced phenomena were not observed at irradiation temperatures above 373 K. Under neutron irradiation at a further low dose rate below approximately 2.1 Gy/s, a fast neutron flux of 9.2 × 10 14 n/m 2 s, and 300 K, the RIED-like behavior according to radiation-induced modification of the electrical property occurred with essentially no displacement damage, but ionizing effects (radiolysis).

On the effective thermal conductivity of wetted zeolite under the working conditions of an adsorption chiller

Abstract This paper presents a theoretical model for predicting the effective thermal conductivity of wetted zeolite. The model comprises the thermal conductivities of the zeolite crystal as well as of the adsorbed water. The temperature dependence of both thermal conductivities is considered. Moreover, the contribution to the effective thermal conductivity due to vapor conductance is also taken into account. The effective thermal conductivity of 4A zeolite–water is measured by transient “hot wire” method under various conditions of vapor pressure, temperature and water loading. The measurement ranges are chosen according to the operating conditions of a typical adsorption cooling cycle. The experimentally measured data are fitted to the proposed theoretical model. The maximum deviation between the experimental results and the theoretical values is estimated to be ±5.8%. The validated model is used to realize a zeolite 4A conductivity chart, which represents an useful tool for thermal design of adsorption machines.

Importance of Nest Type on the Regulation of Humidity in Bird Nests

Nest humidity is a function of how water vapour is retained within the nest. Previous analysis suggested that in general, nest humidity was largely unaffected by ambient humidity but there was no consideration of the type of nest involved. This study examined data collected from the literature to test the hypothesis that the relationship between nest and ambient humidity is a function of the type of nest. Data for water vapour pressure for the egg (PE), nest (PN) and ambient air (PA) were collected for 48 examples of nests from 44 species of bird from a range of Orders. Initial egg mass and water vapour conductance of the eggshell was also recorded for each species. Analysis showed that birds on scrape nests are able to raise PN above PA by on average 5 Torr irrespective of PA. By contrast, PN in cup nests was unaffected by PA, such that at low values nests are well insulated against water vapour loss. The balance between the proportion of water vapour lost from the egg to the ambient air that is controlled by the nest varied with the type of nest and PA. For eggs in scrape nests mass specific water vapour conductance showed a positive relationship with PA. By contrast, for eggs in cup nests the relationship was negative and under conditions of low PA the high PN means that mass specific shell conductance values have to be high so as to ensure the appropriate rate of weight loss from the egg. Whilst birds do not control nest humidity directly the inter-relationship between weight loss from an egg, its initial mass, its shell conductance, and the incubation period can now be extended to include the water vapour conductance of the nest wall.

Numerical study of damage in unsaturated Geological and Engineered barriers

The theoretical framework of a damage model dedicated to non-isothermal unsaturated porous media is presented. The damage variable is a second-order tensor, and the model is formulated in independent state variables. The behavior laws are derived from a postulated expression of Helmholtz free energy. The damaged rigidities are computed by applying the Principle of Equivalent Elastic Energy (PEEE). Internal length parameters are introduced in the expressions of liquid water and vapor conductivities, to account for cracking effects on fluid flows. The damage model has been implemented in Θ-Stock Finite Element program. The mechanical aspect of the damage model is validated by simulating a triaxial compression test on a dry isothermal brittle material. Then, a sophisticated model of nuclear waste disposal, involving two non-isothermal unsaturated porous media, is reproduced. The results obtained in elasticity are in good agreement with the results presented in the corresponding reference article. A parametric study on initial damage is then performed to assess the influence of the Excavated Damaged Zone (EDZ) on the response of the nuclear waste repository during the heating phase. The trends meet the theoretical expectations.

Eggshell Permeability: A Standard Technique for Determining Interspecific Rates of Water Vapor Conductance

Typically, eggshell water vapor conductance is measured on whole eggs, freshly collected at the commencement of a study. At times, however, it may not be possible to obtain whole fresh eggs but rather egg fragments or previously blown eggs. Here we evaluate and describe in detail a technique for modern laboratory analysis of eggshell conductance that uses fragments from fresh and museum eggs to determine eggshell water vapor conductance. We used fresh unincubated eggs of domesticated chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus), ducks (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus), and guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) to investigate the reliability, validity, and repeatability of the technique. To assess the suitability of museum samples, museum and freshly collected black-headed gull eggs (Larus ridibundus) were used. Fragments were cut out of the eggshell from the blunt end (B), equator (E), and pointy end (P). Eggshell fragments were glued to the top of a 0.25-mL micro test tube (Eppendorf) filled with 200 μL of distilled water and placed in a desiccator at 25°C. Eppendorfs were weighed three times at 24-h intervals, and mass loss was assumed to be a result of water evaporation. We report the following results: (1) mass loss between weighing sessions was highly repeatable and consistent in all species; (2) the majority of intraspecific variability in eggshell water vapor conductance between different eggs of the same species was explained through the differences in water vapor conductance between the three eggshell parts of the same egg (B, E, and P); (3) the technique was sensitive enough to detect significant differences between the three domestic species; (4) there was no overall significant difference between water vapor conductance of museum and fresh black-headed gull eggs; (5) there was no significant difference in water vapor conductance for egg fragments taken from the same egg both between different trials and within the same trial. We conclude, therefore, that this technique is an effective way of measuring interspecific water vapor conductance from eggshell fragments and that museum eggs are a suitable resource for such work.

The influence of the nitrogen-ion flux on structure and ionic conductivity of vapor deposited lithium phosphorus oxynitride films

Thin films of lithium phosphorus oxynitride (Lipon) have been grown using a plasma-assisted, directed vapor deposition (PA-DVD) technique. In this approach, a high voltage electron beam is used to vaporize a Li 3PO 4 source and a supersonic, nitrogen-doped, helium gas jet then transport the vapor towards a substrate. A hollow cathode technique was then used to create an argon plasma just above the substrate. This sufficiently ionized the nitrogen in the gas jet to allow its incorporation into the Li 3PO 4 film reactively forming lithium phosphorus oxynitride. Increasing the nitrogen flux in the gas jet also increased the deposition rate from 113 to 178 nm min −1 for the deposition conditions used here, significantly reduced the pore volume fraction in the films and increased the N/P ratio from 0 to 0.75 as the gas jet nitrogen flux was increased from zero to 4.3 × 10 18 molecules cm −2 s −1. Using substrate rotation, pore and columnar-free dense Lipon films could be grown by this method. The Li-ion conductivity increased from 3.7 × 10 −9 to 5.2 × 10 −7 S cm −1 as the nitrogen concentration was increased from zero to 2.1 × 10 18 molecules cm −2 s −1 and was correlated with an increase in the film's Li/P ratio. An optimum nitrogen flux has been identified. As the nitrogen flux was increased above this value, the Lipon films suffered lithium loss and partial crystallization, resulting in a decrease in their Li-ion conductivity.

Thermal conductivity of carbon nanofiber mats

The anisotropic thermal conductivity of novel vapor grown carbon nanofiber (VGCNF) based paper-like mats was measured for increasing volume fraction and at different stages of heat-treatment. These nanofiber mats were prepared to exhibit high in-plane and low through-plane thermal conductivities with the goal of assessing their potential as 2-D heat spreaders. The in-plane thermal conductivity of the mats varied from 12 W/m-K to 157 W/m-K for volume fractions of 0.067 and 0.462, respectively, while the corresponding through-plane thermal conductivities were measured to be 0.428 W/m-K and 0.711 W/m-K. Heat treatment to temperatures above 3000 °C increased the through-plane thermal conductivity of the mats by an order of magnitude. However, the in-plane thermal conductivity, at best, was only seen to double. A model is proposed to describe the arrangement of nanofibers in the mats, and analytical expressions were used to estimate the thermal conductivity of an individual nanofiber using experimental results. Thermal conductivities of approximately 1400 W/m-K and 1600 W/m-K were calculated for individual VGCNFs heat treated to temperatures of around 1100 °C and above 3000 °C, respectively.

Is the reduced incubation time for B-eggs in Rockhopper Penguins Eudyptes chrysocome linked to egg density variation?

Crested penguins (genus Eudyptes) present a unique reversed egg-size dimorphism and hatching asynchrony, with the larger second-laid egg (B-egg) hatching before the smaller first-laid egg (A-egg). Both a higher water vapour conductance and parental favouritism during incubation could explain the shorter incubation period for the B-egg than for the A-egg. Because the incubation period is increased by the presence of a sibling for A-eggs, but not for B-eggs, and because both egg categories have the same incubation period when they are incubated alone, it has been suggested that the difference in incubation period was largely driven by the parental favouritism for B-eggs during incubation. We tested whether A- and B-eggs show a difference in laying density, density at the beginning of incubation and in density decrease during incubation according to the presence of a sibling. Although density at the start of incubation was significantly higher for B-eggs than for A-eggs, the decrease in density during incubation had the same slope for both egg categories. Moreover, the presence of a sibling did not influence densities. We additionally provide two equations that allow the back-dating of laying dates for a clutch of SouthernRockhopper Penguin (Eudyptes c. chrysocome) and we discuss the precision of the method (3.04 ± 2.29 days for A-eggs and 2.73 ± 2.10 days for B-eggs) for penguins which are increasingly being used as marine environmental sentinels.

Variability and grouping of leaf traits in multi-species reforestation (Leyte, Philippines)

Conventional reforestation in the tropics often results in stands with low tree species and functional diversities. A different approach to reforestation, the so-called rainforestation, has been developed in the Philippines. It emphasizes mixed stands and the preferential use of native species supplemented by fruit trees. In such stands, we studied several functional leaf traits (stomatal conductance for water vapour, leaf morphology and chemistry) with the objectives (1) of assessing the species-specific variation of leaf traits and in particular that of maximal leaf stomatal conductance ( g smax), (2) of determining relationships between g smax and other tree variables, and (3) of assessing whether leaf traits group the species studied. Sixteen broad-leaved species were studied, using five individual trees per species and ten fully expanded sunlit leaves per individual tree. Species-specific g smax differed fivefold (165–772 mmol m −2 s −1). Among studied leaf traits, only the carbon isotope ratio δ 13C exhibited a simple linear correlation with g smax. A separate analysis for dipterocarp species indicated a strong negative relationship between g smax and specific leaf area (SLA) ( r 2 = 0.96, P < 0.001, n = 5). For all 16 species, a multiple linear regression with the combinations leaf size/tree height and leaf size/canopy projection area also resulted in significant relationships, which partly explained the variability in g smax. A multivariate approach (principal component analysis) combining the leaf traits provided an explanation of 75% of the variability along the first two axes. All native dipterocarps species, a native Guttiferae and the durian tree ( Durio zibethinus) were associated with more depleted δ 13C, small leaves and a low leaf width to length ratio. Two exotic species frequently used for reforestation ( Gmelina arborea and Swietenia macrophylla) and the native early successional Terminalia microcarpa were differentiated by their high SLA and high leaf nitrogen content per leaf area (N area). Both species of Artocarpus ( A. blancoi and A. odoratissima) were also differentiated and had large leaves with low SLA and low N area. These associations of species with leaf traits as variables indicate that species have different leaf investment strategies, which may imply that there are differences in whole plant performance. We conclude that rainforestation creates substantial variation in leaf traits, which is based on the combination of species with different leaf trait groupings. This can be seen as an important step towards – partly – restoring the functional diversity which characterizes many natural tropical rainforests.

Measurement of Leaf Vapor Conductance of Cucumber Transplants in the Greenhouse with Minimal Invasion

We estimated leaf vapor conductance (gl) of cucumber grafted transplants under greenhouse growing conditions. Fifty-six transplants were placed on a bench in the greenhouse. The transpiration rate (Tr) of the canopy was estimated by weighing the 16 transplants in the center using an electronic balance. The total vapor diffusion resistance (Rl+b) from inside the leaf to the atmosphere was estimated based on the vapor diffusion model, which incorporates the absolute humidity near the leaf surface and that inside the leaf as well as Tr. Next, gl was estimated from Rl+b and the resistance of leaf boundary layer evaluated with a model leaf. The Tr in the afternoon tended to be larger than that in the morning at the same photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) level. By contrast, the gl in the afternoon tended to be smaller than that in the morning at the same PPF level. The decrease of gl in the afternoon seems to be induced by the excessive transpiration resulting from an increase of vapor pressure deficit at the leaf surface.

Porosity of Late Paleocene Ornitholithus eggshells (Tremp Fm, south-central Pyrenees, Spain): Palaeoclimatic implications

Eggshell fragments of ratite type ( Ornitholithus, oofamily Elongatoolithidae)–attributed to giant birds–are described from Upper Paleocene deposits in the Pyrenean–Provence region. We study the porosity of a rich Ornitholithus sample from Claret-4 locality (Tremp Fm, Lleida, Spain), closely related to the global warming event which took place at the Paleocene–Eocene boundary (PETM), in order to infer relations between egg conductance, nesting habits and palaeoenviromental conditions. An egg mass of around 3 kg is inferred for the large Ornitholithus eggs, in agreement with the values previously estimated by Touraine [Touraine, F., 1960. Oeufs d´Oiseaux de très grande taille dans l´Eocène inférieur de Provence, pp. 783–789], but lower than those obtained by Dughi and Sirugue [Dughi, R., Sirugue, F., 1962. Distribution verticale des oeufs d´oiseaux fósiles de l´Eocène de Basse–Provence. Bull. Soc. Geol. Fr. 7, 69–78]; O. arquatus group, 8.7 kg). Porosity observed in Ornitholithus eggshells is extremely reduced in comparison to bird eggs and even much more reduced in relation to theropod dinosaurs. Pore number is similar to that of bird eggs but most Ornitholithus pores are exceedingly small (micropores), thus pore radius and total pore area is much lower than in recent birds. Moreover, Ornitholithus micropores lack connectivity between them, thus decreasing functional pore area and permeability. The function of micropores could be related to weight spare, favorable hatching and/or thermal isolation. Ornitholithus eggshells are the most compact of all bird or theropod eggshells studied so far. Consequently, calculated water vapor conductance values in Ornitholithus eggs are in average 8 times lower than that for recent birds. The relation between egg conductance and nesting environment shown in recent birds suggests, in the case of Ornitholithus, an open and extremely dry nest environment. Anomalous compact Ornitholithus eggshells could help to keep eggs' inner relatively-constant temperature and humidity, in the extremely warm and dry palaeoenvironment inferred for the Pyrenean region at the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum.

The diversity of 13C isotope discrimination in a Quercus robur full-sib family is associated with differences in intrinsic water use efficiency, transpiration efficiency, and stomatal conductance

(13)C discrimination in organic matter with respect to atmospheric CO(2) (Delta(13)C) is under tight genetic control in many plant species, including the pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) full-sib progeny used in this study. Delta(13)C is expected to reflect intrinsic water use efficiency, but this assumption requires confirmation due to potential interferences with mesophyll conductance to CO(2), or post-photosynthetic discrimination. In order to dissect the observed Delta(13)C variability in this progeny, six genotypes that have previously been found to display extreme phenotypic values of Delta(13)C [either very high ('high Delta') or low ('low Delta') phenotype] were selected, and transpiration efficiency (TE; accumulated biomass/transpired water), net CO(2) assimilation rate (A), stomatal conductance for water vapour (g(s)), and intrinsic water use efficiency (W(i)=A/g(s)) were compared with Delta(13)C in bulk leaf matter, wood, and cellulose in wood. As expected, 'high Delta' displayed higher values of Delta(13)C not only in bulk leaf matter, but also in wood and cellulose. This confirmed the stability of the genotypic differences in Delta(13)C recorded earlier. 'High Delta' also displayed lower TE, lower W(i), and higher g(s). A small difference was detected in photosynthetic capacity but none in mesophyll conductance to CO(2). 'High Delta' and 'low Delta' displayed very similar leaf anatomy, except for higher stomatal density in 'high Delta'. Finally, diurnal courses of leaf gas exchange revealed a higher g(s) in 'high Delta' in the morning than in the afternoon when the difference decreased. The gene ERECTA, involved in the control of water use efficiency, leaf differentiation, and stomatal density, displayed higher expression levels in 'low Delta'. In this progeny, the variability of Delta(13)C correlated closely with that of W(i) and TE. Genetic differences of Delta(13)C and W(i) can be ascribed to differences in stomatal conductance and stomatal density but not in photosynthetic capacity.

Latent manganese deficiency increases transpiration in barley (Hordeum vulgare)

To investigate if latent manganese (Mn) deficiency leads to increased transpiration, barley plants were grown for 10 weeks in hydroponics with daily additions of Mn in the low nM range. The Mn-starved plants did not exhibit visual leaf symptoms of Mn deficiency, but Chl a fluorescence measurements revealed that the quantum yield efficiency of PSII (F(v)/F(m)) was reduced from 0.83 in Mn-sufficient control plants to below 0.5 in Mn-starved plants. Leaf Mn concentrations declined from 30 to 7 microg Mn g(-1) dry weight in control and Mn-starved plants, respectively. Mn-starved plants had up to four-fold higher transpiration than control plants. Stomatal closure and opening upon light/dark transitions took place at the same rate in both Mn treatments, but the nocturnal leaf conductance for water vapour was still twice as high in Mn-starved plants compared with the control. The observed increase in transpiration was substantiated by (13)C-isotope discrimination analysis and gravimetric measurement of the water consumption, showing significantly lower water use efficiency in Mn-starved plants. The extractable wax content of leaves of Mn-starved plants was approximately 40% lower than that in control plants, and it is concluded that the increased leaf conductance and higher transpirational water loss are correlated with a reduction in the epicuticular wax layer under Mn deficiency.

Diversity of water use efficiency among Quercus robur genotypes: contribution of related leaf traits

• Previously, a large intra-specific diversity and a tight genetic control have been shown for Δ 13 C (carbon isotope discrimination) in a pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) family, which is an estimator for intrinsic water use efficiency (Wi), a complex trait defined as the ratio of net CO2 assimilation rate (A) to stomatal conductance for water vapour (gs). • In the present study, twelve genotypes with extreme phenotypic values of Δ 13 C were selected within this family to (i) asses the stability of genotype differences across contrasting environments and for different measures Wi; (ii) quantify the relationship between Δ 13 Ca ndWi within this family; (iii) identify which leaf traits drive the diversity in Wi observed in this family. • Genetic variability of Δ 13 Ca ndWi was largely independent from different temporal integration scales and their correlation was found to be strong (R 2 = 88% for leaf sugars) within this family. • Weak correlations between measures of Wi with estimators of photosynthetic capacity, suggest a minor role of the latter in the diversity of Wi. • However, the tight correlation between gs and Δ 13 Ca s well asWi, and the related genotypic variation in stomatal density, suggest that the genotypic diversity in Wi within this pedunculate oak family might be due to differences in gs.

Evaporation of intercepted rainfall from isolated evergreen oak trees: Do the crowns behave as wet bulbs?

A new approach is suggested for estimating evaporation of intercepted rainfall from single trees in sparse forests. It is shown that, theoretically, the surface temperature of a wet tree crown will depend on the available energy and windspeed. But for a fully saturated canopy under rainy conditions, surface temperature will approach the wet bulb temperature when available energy tends to zero. This was confirmed experimentally from measurements of the radiation balance, aerodynamic conductance for water vapour and surface temperature on an isolated tree crown. Net radiation over a virtual cylindrical surface, enclosing the tree crown, was monitored by a set of radiometers positioned around that surface. Aerodynamic conductance for the tree crown was derived by scaling up measurements of leaf boundary layer conductance using the heated leaf replica method. Thermocouples were used to measure the average leaf surface temperature. Results showed that a fully wet single tree crown behaves like a wet bulb, allowing evaporation of intercepted rainfall to be estimated by a simple diffusion equation for water vapour, which is not restricted by the assumptions of one-dimensional transfer models usually used at the stand scale. Using this approach, mean evaporation rate from wet, saturated tree crowns was 0.27 or 0.30 mm h −1, when surface temperature was taken equal to the air wet bulb temperature or estimated accounting for the available energy, respectively.

Photosynthesis, chloroplast pigments, and antioxidants in Pinus canariensis under free-air ozone fumigation

High O 3 levels, driving uptake and challenging defense, prevail on the Canary Islands, being associated with the hot and dry summers of the Mediterranean-type climate. Pinus canariensis is an endemic conifer species that forms forests across these islands. We investigated the effects of ozone on photosynthesis and biochemical parameters of P. canariensis seedlings exposed to free-air O 3 fumigation at Kranzberg Forest, Germany, where ambient O 3 levels were similar to those at forest sites in the Canary Islands. The twice-ambient O 3 regime (2xO 3) neither caused visible injury-like chlorotic or necrotic spots in the needles nor significantly affected violaxanthin, antheraxanthin and zeaxanthin levels and the de-epoxidation state of the xanthophyll cycle. In parallel, stomatal conductance for water vapour, net photosynthesis, intercellular CO 2 concentration, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, as well as antioxidant levels were hardly affected. It is concluded that presently prevailing O 3 levels do not impose severe stress on P. canariensis seedlings.

Changes in eggshell conductance, water loss and hatchability of layer hens with flock age and moulting

1. Changes in water loss, eggshell conductance and hatchability with flock age were monitored in layer hens in a commercial hatchery. 2. Optimal water loss for maximal hatchability of layer eggs was found to be 12 to 13% of initial egg mass at d 18 of incubation. 3. Mass specific water vapour conductance (GH2Osp) increased linearly with flock age from 0·31 mg/(d·g·Torr) at the beginning of the first breeding season to 0·40 mg/(d·g·Torr) at its end after 77 weeks (=4·21 and 5·44 mg/(d·100 g·kPa), respectively). 4. After forced moulting GH2Osp increased from 0·35 to 0·41 mg/(d·g·Torr) (=4·76 and 5·58 mg/(d·100 g·kPa), respectively). 5. The coefficients of variation of GH2Osp increased with flock age from 14% at the beginning of the breeding season to 31% at the end of the second breeding season. 6. In order to preserve normal incubation water loss for maximising hatchability, the humidity setting of an incubator should increase gradually, with flock age, from 53% RH to 66% RH in the first laying season and from 61% RH to 67% RH after forced moulting. 7. A 3·5-fold increase (from 2 to 7%) in the difference between mean and median GH2Osp of egg batches with flock age was found, indicating increasing frequency of microscopic cracks in eggshells with flock age. This has to be taken into account when setting the humidity regime in the incubator.

Infrared-optical properties and heat transfer coefficients of semitransparent thermal barrier coatings

Thermal barrier coatings (TBC) which are used in aircraft and land-based gas turbines for thermal insulation of thermally highly loaded components are usually semitransparent in the infrared spectral region at higher temperatures. Thus, at turbine surface conditions the total heat transfer coefficient of TBCs increases above the heat transfer coefficient caused by solid heat conduction alone. The solid thermal conductivity of electron beam physical vapor deposited (EB-PVD) partially yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) coatings derived from laser flash measurements were correlated with the microstructure of the coatings, which was adjusted by defined heat treatments. To obtain the contribution of the radiative transfer on the total heat transfer coefficient, infrared-optical characterizations were carried out at ambient and elevated temperatures. A theoretical model was developed which can be used to describe the heat transfer through semitransparent, absorbing and scattering media. Finally, the total heat transfer, caused by solid thermal conduction, radiative transfer and an interaction of both is derived for the coatings prepared in this work. Additionally the measurement method BBC (black body boundary conditions) which is suitable to determine spectral transmittance and emittance at elevated temperatures is introduced.

PEM Fuel Cell Properties of Pre-Stretched Recast Nafion®

Pre-stretched recast Nafion is a new membrane material with many desirable properties for PEM fuel cells. It was previously shown that the proton conductivity of this membrane in room temperature water was identical to that of commercial Nafion but its permeability to methanol was significantly reduced. Consequently, the power output from a direct methanol fuel cell with pre-stretched recast Nafion (draw ratio of 4) was 50% higher than that with Nafion 117. In an effort to better characterize pre-stretched recast Nafion, additional property measurements were made and compared to those for commercial Nafion. There was a substantial increase in the polymer crystallinity with increasing draw ratio which translated into improved membrane mechanical properties (a higher storage modulus and ultimate tensile strength). There was also a modest increase in the α-transition temperature when the membrane was elongated, as determined from dynamic mechanical analysis. Preliminary results indicated that the proton conductivity of pre-stretched membranes at a sub-zero temperature (-20oC) was about 35% greater than that for Nafion 212 or Nafion 117. On the other hand, the proton conductivity of a water vapor equilibrated pre-stretched Nafion film (draw ratio 4) at 95% relative humidity was identical to that of Nafion 212 for temperatures in the 15-60oC range.

Impact of epidermal leaf mining by the aspen leaf miner (Phyllocnistis populiella) on the growth, physiology, and leaf longevity of quaking aspen

The aspen leaf miner, Phyllocnistis populiella, feeds on the contents of epidermal cells on both top (adaxial) and bottom (abaxial) surfaces of quaking aspen leaves, leaving the photosynthetic tissue of the mesophyll intact. This type of feeding is taxonomically restricted to a small subset of leaf mining insects but can cause widespread plant damage during outbreaks. We studied the effect of epidermal mining on aspen growth and physiology during an outbreak of P. populiella in the boreal forest of interior Alaska. Experimental reduction of leaf miner density across two sites and 3 years significantly increased annual aspen growth rates relative to naturally mined controls. Leaf mining damage was negatively related to leaf longevity. Leaves with heavy mining damage abscised 4 weeks earlier, on average, than leaves with minimal mining damage. Mining damage to the top and bottom surfaces of leaves had different effects on physiology. Mining on the top surface of the leaf had no significant effect on photosynthesis or conductance and was unrelated to leaf stable C isotope ratio (delta(13)C). Mining damage to the bottom leaf surface, where stomata are located, had significant negative effects on net photosynthesis and water vapor conductance. Percent bottom mining was positively related to leaf delta(13)C. Taken together, the data suggest that the primary mechanism for the reduction of photosynthesis by epidermal leaf mining by P. populiella is the failure of stomata to open normally on bottom-mined leaves.