Dry Water Research Articles

NMR-Based Investigation of Pore–Fracture Structure Heterogeneity in Deep Coals of Different Macrolithotypes in the Daning-Jixian Block, Ordos Basin

Deep coalbed methane (CBM) demonstrates significant production potential, and a fervent exploration and development boom is currently underway in China. The permeability of coal reservoirs is heavily influenced by pore–fracture structure heterogeneity. Some researches have been conducted on deep coals’ pore–fracture structure; however, these studies mostly consider coal as a homogeneous material, neglecting the heterogeneity of the macrolithotypes within the coal. In this study, 33 deep coals with burial depths of more than 2000 m were obtained from the Daning-Jixian block of the Ordos Basin, covering all macrolithotypes: bright coal (BC), semi-bright coal (SBC), semi-dull coal (SDC), and dull coal (DC). These samples were subjected to three sets of NMR tests in dry, fully saturated, and irreducible water conditions, with the pore–fracture structure characteristics being analyzed. The results demonstrate that the sampled deep coals’ pore–fracture structure is highly heterogeneous, with transitional pores being dominant, followed by mesopores, “macropores and fractures”, and micropores. The NMR T2C ranges from 0.61 to 2.44 ms, with an average of 1.19 ms; a higher T2C value indicates more developed micropores. The ranges for producible water porosity (φpr) and producible water saturation (Spr) are 0.31–7.24% (avg. 2.42%) and 6.97–71.47% (avg. 31.06%), respectively. Both of them exhibit a high positive correlation with the total volumes of “macropores and fractures” and mesopores. Compared to SDC and DC, the BC and SBC, especially the former, overall contain more “macropores and fractures” and mesopores, fewer transitional pores and micropores, and higher φpr and Spr. These findings suggest that regions with abundant BC and SBC should be prioritized during deep CBM exploration and production due to the inherently superior permeability and gas extraction potential of BC and SBC, and these coals are likely to require less intensive stimulation to achieve higher recovery rates and could provide more sustainable gas production over time.

Convective Drying with the Application of Ultrasonic Pre-Treatment: The Effect of Applied Conditions on the Selected Properties of Dried Apples

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ultrasound used as a preliminary treatment and drying temperature on the properties of dried apples (var. Golden Delicious). The aim of the work was also to optimise the process in terms of reducing the drying time and obtaining a product with specific properties. The apple tissue was sonicated for various times from 30 to 60 min. Then, the tissue was air-dried with a constant air flow of 55 to 85 °C. The work determined the dry substance content, water activity, colour parameters, content, antioxidant activity, and hygroscopicity of the dried material. The drying kinetics were also analysed. The results showed that the decrease in sonification time increased the dry matter content and reduced water activity. Also, the decrease in drying temperature caused a smaller intake of water and led to a lower hygroscopicity of dried apples. The selected parameters of the process had a positive effect on the preservation of bioactive compounds and led to an increase in antioxidant activity. Experimental results were adapted by a second-order polynomial model, where analysis of variance was utilized to define optimal drying conditions. Therefore, considering the shortest drying time, the lowest colour difference, ΔE, and the highest antioxidant activity, the best condition for the drying of apple tissue can be obtained with the application of 30 min of samples sonication and drying of apples at a temperature of 80.9 °C.

Kinetic and Performance Assessment of Hydrate-Based Precombustion CO2 Capture Using Dry Water

Kinetic and Performance Assessment of Hydrate-Based Precombustion CO₂ Capture Using Dry Water

Experimental Study on the Strength Characteristics of Cast-In-Situ Mortar Specimens in a Slurry Environment

As coal resource development progresses deeper underground, the increasing depth of mine shafts poses significant challenges to the safety and stability of traditional shaft construction methods, further compounding operational difficulties. In this context, cast-in-situ concrete shaft walls in a slurry environment have emerged as an effective solution. The strength of these shaft walls is a crucial parameter for assessing their safety. To explore this, experiments were conducted on slurry preparation and mortar casting (used here as a substitute for concrete) under three different conditions: slurry environment, pure water environment, and dry environment. The cast specimens underwent compressive, tensile, shear, and microscopic observation tests to analyze the strength development patterns of the mortar specimens in these varied casting environments. The study yielded several key findings: As the casting environment becomes more complex, the strength of the mortar specimens gradually decreases. Specifically, specimens cast in a slurry environment exhibit strengths approximately 15% to 20% lower than those cast in a dry environment, although both environments show similar trends in strength development over time. Across all casting environments, the initial strength loss of the specimens is significant, while the rate of strength loss decreases in the later stages; the strength loss is minimal in specimens cast in a pure water environment and reaches its maximum in those cast in a slurry environment. Additionally, in specimens cast in a slurry environment, air void diameter tends to polarize, and the distribution of air void is denser compared to the other two environments. In conclusion, cast-in-situ mortar in a slurry environment exhibits the lowest strength and the greatest strength loss compared to specimens cast in dry and pure water environments. Nonetheless, the strength development trends over time remain similar across all conditions, providing theoretical and technical support for the construction of shaft walls in slurry environments.

Preparation of “dry water”-type liquid marbles with enhanced mechanical stability and CO2 capture performance

Liquid marbles(LMs) are formed by encapsulating liquid with hydrophobic particles showed potential application in capturing CO2. However, conventional LMs are mostly millimeter scale and easily deformed by extrusion. This study aimed to enhance the mechanical stability by controlling the particle size to prepare “dry water” type LMs (DWLMs). The N-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) solution was used as the core in constructing DWLMs, and SiO2/graphene(GPE) was used as the shell material. The incorporation of GPE can endow DWLMs with photothermal conversion properties, with a particle size distribution around 100 ∼ 250 μm occupying the largest volume fraction. These DWLMs exhibited good flow ability and mechanical stability. Moreover, the effects of MDEA concentration, and content of SiO2/ GPE on the preparation of DWLMs were investigated. Under an illumination intensity of 1 × 106 Lux, the temperature of DWLMs reached above 95 °C. Subsequently, the absorption performance was examined by a fixed-bed absorption tower, and it was found that decreasing the droplet size can increase the gas–liquid mass transfer area to reduce the mass transfer resistance. The height of the fixed bed constructed by DWLMs was higher than 7 cm, and the bottom particles can still maintain stability without agglomeration and blocking the supporting mesh. The breakthrough point (t0.5 and t0.95) of large-DWLMs (L-DWLMs) were greater than that of tiny-DWLMs (T-DWLMs). The absorption kinetics have validated that chemisorption is the primary mode of CO2 absorption. In desorption process, the results showed that the desorption of CO2 was realized by photothermic desorption, and the desorbed DWLMs were regenerated and recycled, which could prevent the corrosion of the device as well as utilize the energy provided by the sunlight.

Effects of drought on optimum temperature of carbon fluxes in temperate grasslands

Abstract Ecosystem carbon flux components, including ecosystem gross primary productivity (GPP), ecosystem respiration (ER), and net ecosystem productivity (NEP), are the most direct indicators of ecosystem production capacity, carbon sequestration, and climate regulation strength. Nevertheless, little is known about how water availability affects the temperature responses of carbon flux components in water-limited ecosystems. Based on a long-term eddy observation dataset of temperate grasslands in northern China, we analyzed the effects of drought on the optimum temperature of carbon flux components ( T opt flux ) in temperate grassland ecosystems and clarified the relative contributions of vegetation and climate factors to T opt flux . We found that the optimum temperatures of carbon flux components were widespread across different grassland types, with a significant lower optimum temperature of NEP ( T opt NEP , 17.32 ± 3.21 °C) than that of GPP ( T opt GPP , 18.67 ± 2.53 °C) and ER ( T opt ER , 19.30 ± 1.94 °C). Drought significantly reduced T opt NEP , but had no significant effects on T opt GPP and T opt ER . Obvious shifts of occurrence date of T opt flux were also observed in the years with different precipitation regimes. That is, T opt GPP and T opt NEP occurred significantly earlier than seasonal maximum temperature ( T max ) in the dry years, while T opt flux significantly lagged behind the occurrence of T max in the wet years. Water availability and vegetation factors co-regulated the spatiotemporal variations of T opt flux . In the dry years, precipitation and soil water content predominated the changes in T opt GPP and T opt ER , whereas vegetation structure (leaf area index) and physiological characteristics played a more important role in the wet years. Our study not only provided the first evidence for the widespread existence of T opt flux of different carbon fluxes, but also addressed the remarkable impacts of drought on T opt flux and their occurrence date in the water-limited grasslands. Therefore, incorporating the unimodality of these observed temperature responses of ecosystem carbon fluxes into land carbon models is necessary for improving the accuracy of carbon sequestration predictions.

UTILIZATION OF WASTE MATERIALS FOR ULTRA-LIGHTWEIGHT AND THERMAL INSULATING CONCRETE BLOCKS

This study investigates the feasibility of utilizing waste materials—specifically fly ash, residual fuel catalytic cracking catalyst (RFCC), and honeycomb briquette ash—in the production of ultra-lightweight concrete blocks for thermal insulation applications. Physical properties such as dry density, water absorption, and compressive strength were evaluated alongside thermal conductivity and microstructural analysis. Additionally, the materials' compliance with hazardous substance regulations and fire resistance were examined. Economic analysis demonstrated substantial cost savings compared to conventional materials. Results indicate that while higher cement replacement ratios with waste materials generally reduce compressive strength, they enhance thermal insulation properties. The study concludes that these materials offer a viable solution for sustainable building construction, aligning environmental benefits with economic advantages.

Validating ex210Pb sediment dating methods applied to a large anthropogenically-impacted river basin

Sediment dynamics in five sites within the Mobile River Basin, Alabama, impacted by (i) dam-and-lock use, (ii) urbanization, (iii) industrial/mining practices, (iv) flooding, and (v) storm surge events were evaluated to understand better anthropogenic impacts on regional sediment budgets. Three widely used sediment dating models based on excess 210Pb (ex210Pb) (i.e., Constant Rate of Supply, CRS, Constant Initial Concentration, CIC, and Advective Dispersion Equation, ADE) and two recently developed ones (i.e., Porosity Variation, PV and Porosity Variation Without Diffusion, PVWD) were tested to determine their applicability to these anthropogenically altered lacustrine and coastal areas. To verify results from ex210Pb models, we used conventional time markers, including regional hydrograph records and historical aerial images. We found that the traditional time-marker 137Cs is no longer helpful due to its current low inventories in the sediments. Drainage-to-lake area ratios were used to determine relative runoff and atmospheric radionuclide contributions. Statistical analysis of physical properties such as porosity, bulk and dry density, water content, and sediment geochemical compositions were utilized to support sediment transport and site development hypotheses. When constructing the sediment history at each site using these proxies, we found that the conventional CIC and ADE models produced unreliable ages because of violation of requirements for exponentially decreasing porosity and ex210Pb activity with depth. We found that two new models, PV and PVWD, that account for heterogeneous porosity, produced more reliable sediment ages. These two models produced ages with lower uncertainties than the CRS model, outperforming the other conventional models tested. We conclude that the PV and PVWD models are more appropriate for environments experiencing erosional and abrupt depositional events, which in our study resulted from dam construction and storm-surge events. Model sensitivity analysis showed that decreasing average particle density produces younger sediment ages by the PV and PVWD models. Higher ex210Pb activity analytical uncertainty resulted in lower sedimentation rates and higher estimated ages by all five models.

Enhancement of calcium alginate and urea in gel-modified dry water inhibition of methane-air explosion

Methane has a wide range of applications in several industries. However, it also exhibits flammable and explosive properties, which pose a potential hazard. This study used calcium alginate to make ordinary dry water powder have a stable network gel structure, and urea was added to enhance further dry water powder’s chemical inhibition. A visual test system verified the explosion suppression effect of gel-modified dry water powder on the methane-air explosion. The results show that the optimal parameters for Ordinary dry water preparation were as follows: mass ratio of SiO2 to H2O = 9:100, stirring speed = 5000 r/min, stirring time = 240 s. The powder concentration for the best explosion suppression effect is 0.52 g/L. 10 mass% Urea-modified dry water, which achieves high explosion suppression efficiency in the methane-air explosion system by cooling and endothermic suppressing the explosion reaction. The spatial distribution of Calcium alginate gel urea modified dry water hinders the propagation of the flame. Urea continuously produces nitride at different temperatures, and nitride competes for O2 and OH· Free radicals, thus destroying the methane-air explosion chain reaction. Calcium alginate gel urea (10 mass%) modified dry water of 0.52 g/L has the best explosion suppression efficiency, which reduces the flame propagation velocity of methane-air explosion system by 42.48 %, the suppression efficiency of flame temperature reaches 40 %, and the suppression effect on explosion relief pressure reaches 16 %. Calcium alginate gel urea modified dry water, a new explosion suppression material, significantly improve the explosion suppression effect of methane-air explosions, which can not only improve the industrial safety of methane-containing processes, extend equipment life, and reduce production costs but also help improve environmental protection and resource utilization efficiency by inhibiting methane explosions. This study helps to promote the development of gas explosion suppression materials and has practical significance for safe energy utilization and industrial methane applications.

Particle-stabilized foams with fatty acid salts as stabilizers triggered by transition metal ions

Particle-stabilized foams have been becoming the focus on foaming field because of their excellent stability due to the high stiffness of interface membrane. However, the modification of particle surfaces to reach an appropriate wettability needs complicated process, resulting in accompanied inconvenient foaming-defoaming regulation. In this work, we reported a series of foams stabilized by insoluble particles generated from fatty acid anions with metal ions. Different hydrocarbon chains endowed the formed particles diverse wettability and different aggregation behaviors at the gas–liquid interface, e.g., different foamability and the formation of the “dry water”. The foams exhibited ultra-stable properties and were responsive to environmental acidity, thus possessing a smart foaming-defoaming transition tuned by pH. The combination ability of fatty acid anions with metal ions changed with the chain-length and the nature of metal ions, leading to a choice for the extraction or separation of some metal ions in a fast and simple way. This new aggregation behavior of fatty acid salts can be explored to expand the practical applications.

Climate change mitigation and adaptation for rice-based farming systems in the Red River Delta, Vietnam

BackgroundRice is a major contributor to anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, primarily methane, and at the same time will be negatively impacted by regional climate changes. Identifying rice management interventions to reduce methane emissions while improving productivity is, therefore, critical for climate change mitigation, adaptation, and food security. However, it can be challenging to conduct multivariate assessments of rice interventions in the field owing to the intensiveness of data collection and/or the challenges in testing long-term changes in meteorological and climate conditions. Process-based modeling, evaluated against site-based data, provides an entry point for evaluating the impacts of climate change on rice systems and assessing the impacts, co-benefits, and trade-offs of interventions under historical and future climate conditions.MethodsWe leverage existing site-based management data to model combined rice yields, methane emissions, and water productivity using a suite of process-based coupled crop-soil model experiments for 83 growing sites across the Red River Delta, Vietnam. We test three rice management interventions with our coupled crop-soil model, characterized by Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) water management and other principles representing the System of Rice Intensification (SRI). Our simulations are forced with historical as well as future climate conditions, represented by five Earth System Models for a high-emission climate scenario centered on the year 2050. We evaluate the efficacy of these interventions for combined climate change mitigation and adaptation under historical and future climate change.ResultsTwo SRI interventions significantly increased yields (one by over 50%) under historical climate conditions while also reducing (or not increasing) methane emissions. These interventions also increase yields under future climate conditions relative to baseline management practices, although climate change decreases absolute yields across all management practices. Generally, where yield improved, so did crop water-use efficiency. However, impacts on methane emissions were mixed across the sites under future climate conditions. Two of the interventions resulted in increased methane emissions, depending on the baseline management point of comparison. Nevertheless, one intervention reduced (or did not significantly increase) methane under both historical and future climate conditions and relative to all baseline management systems, although there was considerable variation across five selected climate models.ConclusionsSRI management principles combined with high-yielding varieties, implemented for site-specific conditions, can serve climate change adaptation and mitigation goals, although the magnitude of future climate changes, particularly warming, may reduce the efficacy of these interventions with respect to methane reductions. Future work should better bracket important sensitivities of coupled crop-soil models and disentangle which management and climate factors drive the responses shown. Furthermore, future analyses that integrate these findings into socio-economic assessment can better inform if and how SRI/AWD can potentially benefit farmer livelihoods now and in the future, which will be critical to the adoption and scaling of these management principles.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum) response under soil moisture and crop water stress based irrigation scheduling at variable nitrogen regimes

The field experiment was conducted during winter (rabi) seasons of 2021–22 and 2022–23 at research farm of ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi to examine the water productivity and crop response under soil moisture and crop water stress based irrigation scheduling at variable nitrogen regimes in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Experiment was conducted in a split-plot design (SPD) design comprised of 3 irrigation regimes in main plots and 5 graded nitrogen (N) levels in sub-plots, replicated thrice. Irrigation scheduling regimes included I1 (50% available soil moisture depletion-ASMD); I2 (CWSI i.e. crop water stress index based); and I3 (Conventional crop growth stage based). The 5 graded N levels included 0 (N0); 50 (N1); 100 (N2); 150 (N3); and 200 (N4) kg N/ha. Results showed that 50% DASM based irrigation significantly increased grain yield (11.28 and 6.30%), straw yield (5.33 and 5.70%), dry matter accumulation (5.65 and 5.44%), water productivity (11.37 and 6.19%), root length (15.89 and 44.48%), root weight (11.63 and 12.77%) and grain N uptake (20.88 and 14.52%) compared to conventional crop stage based irrigation during 2021–22 and 2022–23, respectively. Among the graded N application, maximum grain yield (4.78 and 4.82 t/ha) and crop water productivity (13.91 and 15.09 kg/ha-mm) were recorded with treatment N4 (200 kg N/ha), but remained statistically at par with N3 (150 kg N/ha) due to the marginal increment beyond 150 kg N/ha. Overall, soil moisture based irrigation at 50% MAD with 150 kg/ha N application proved to be the most effective and economical approach to enhance dry-matter accumulation, yield and water productivity with saving from harmful environmental effects ascending from excessive nitrogen use.

Feeding chicory silage, but not Se-yeast or a single injection of inorganic Se, affects metabolism, fat in milk, and type I immunity in transition ewes

In the study, we assessed the effect on performance and health of a single injection of inorganic Se prepartum or feeding chicory silage and organic Se supplementation during the peripartum in ewes. Approximately one month before lambing, 45 pregnant Polypay ewes were moved into single pens and randomly assigned to 5 groups to be fed either grass or chicory silage and supplemented or not with 3.6 mg Se/day as selenium yeast or given a single prepartum injection of Na-selenite. Daily dry matter intake (DMI), water intake, milk production and components, blood metabolic, immune and inflammatory parameters, and blood micromineral levels were measured. DMI was lower in ewes fed chicory silage, although no statistical differences in milk yield were observed. Very few differences were observed in milk components, except fat %, which was higher among ewes fed chicory silage. The type of silage had a significant effect on the fatty acid profile of the milk, with the milk from ewes fed chicory having a higher proportion of unsaturated fatty acids and overall improved health indices compared to the milk from ewes fed grass silage. Blood NEFA and BHBA were higher in ewes fed chicory vs. grass silage. Neither silage type nor Se supplementation had a strong effect on most of the parameters associated with immune or inflammatory function, except for the liver enzymes GGT and GOT, which were lower, and a larger type I/type II ratio immune response measured by the DxD2 assay among ewes fed chicory vs. grass silage. No effects on parasite fecal egg counts were observed. Supplementation of ewes with Se-yeast resulted in higher blood levels of Se, whereas the one-time prepartum injection had no significant effect on whole blood Se levels. Feeding chicory silage and supplementing Se during the transition period had a minimal impact on ewe performance and health.

Effect of Wetting and Drying Cycles on Resilient Modulus and Microstructure Characteristics of Heterogeneous Quicklime-Stabilized Subgrade

The resilient modulus changes due to post-compaction seasonal variations in weather such as wetting and drying, thus affecting pavement performance. Existing research highlights significant differences in back-calculated resilient modulus test outcomes for compacted quicklime-stabilized subgrades after construction. Nonetheless, limited studies exist on the effect of the wetting and drying cycles considering the variability in the compacted quicklime stabilized composites. Using a Taguchi L9 orthogonal array, four groups of nine samples varying in dry density, water, and quicklime contents were created and subjected to multiple wetting and drying cycles (0th, 4th, 8th, and 12th). Resilient modulus testing revealed an initial increase up to the 8th cycle, followed by a decrease, with a more pronounced negative effect on samples with lower quicklime and water contents. SEM-EDX, XRD, and FTIR analyses indicated distinct microstructural responses after each cycle, with SEM micrographs showing complex pore structures of low circularity and the formation of average form factors ranging from 0.301 to 0.3564. Canonical correlation analysis between the pore geometrical properties and resilient modulus is approximately 0.689, the associated Wilks' Lambda value is 0.526, and the eigenvalue of 0.901, thus offering direct relationships between macroscopic and microscopic properties of the materials. The highest calcium content was found in the 0th cycle samples. This study contributes to a better understanding of the resilient modulus characteristics and microstructural evolution of stabilized quick-lime subgrades, offering valuable insights for engineers and researchers in pavement design and maintenance.

Analysis of the functional additives effect on the corrosion resistance of paint coatings

The paper deals with the issue of protecting metals from corrosion, which can damage their structures. Anti-corrosion coatings are widely used to ensure the durability of steel structures. It was described that the durability of the coating depends on the chemical and physical characteristics of the system, such as the type of coating, dry film thickness, water resistance, and adhesion. The importance of artificial aging tests for assessing the durability of coatings is considered, emphasizing that the results of such tests should be interpreted with caution, taking in consideration that artificial aging may not have the same effect as natural exposure. Various anti-corrosion additives for acrylic water-dispersion enamels are also described, which can improve the corrosion resistance of the coating, depending on the service conditions. The object of the research is the properties of enamels with functional additives in salt fog. The study results of the effectiveness of the anti-corrosion additives in acrylic enamels using salt fog from the BGD 881/S chamber are discussed. The research showed that the main requirement for increasing the effectiveness of the anti-corrosion additive in acrylic LPM is a comprehensive approach to improvement of the coating barrier properties, which additionally reduces the aggressive influence of the environment. The advantages of new complex anti-corrosion additives compared to traditional anti-corrosion pigments are multifunctionality – complex additives like Askonium 142 DA contain several active components that affect various coating properties, including anti-corrosion protection, adhesion, and water resistance. Traditional pigments, such as zinc phosphate, usually have only one function – to create a protective film on the metal. The main research idea of the article is to study the influence of anti-corrosion additives in paint coatings for metal protection from corrosion and the extension of the service life of structures.

Shaping the Physicochemical and Health-Promoting Properties of Carrot Snacks Produced by Microwave-Vacuum Drying with Preliminary Thermal and Enriching Treatment.

This study analyzed the effects of thermal pre-treatments such as convective drying (P-CD), water (BL_W), and microwave blanching (M_BL) and osmotic enrichment pre-treatments with juices from pomegranate (PG), chokeberry (CH), and sea buckthorn (SB) on microwave-vacuum-dried (MVD) carrot properties. Convective drying (CD) and freeze-drying (FD) were used as a comparative method. The dry matter content and water activity of MVD carrots were varied, but in many cases, the values were comparable to those of FD-dried carrots. Pre-enrichment in CH juice significantly reduced the values of the color parameters L*, a*, and b*, regardless of the drying method. The smallest changes were observed in microwave pre-blanching (M_BL). The lowest loss in carotenoid content was observed in CD-dried carrots (14-34 mg/100 g d.m.). Blanching and enrichment in SB juice allowed significant retention of these compounds. As a result of drying carrots, the total phenolic content (TPC) increased. Compared to the raw material, the TPC content in dried carrots increased 3-9 times. Drying using the FD and MVD methods gave a similar effect of increasing the TPC content, including a greater effect after enrichment in CH juice. The highest average antioxidant activity against the DPPH• and ABTS•+ radicals was recorded for FD-dried carrots (6.9 and 30.0 mg Trolox/g d.m.). SB juice contributed to a significant increase in the total vitamin C content, even by 89.1%, compared to raw carrots. Applying osmotic pre-enrichment in PG juice increased the sugar content in dried FD and CD samples by 37.4-49.9%, and in MVD by 21-59%.

Growth performance, carcass characteristics, fatty acid composition, blood parameters, and gut morphology of Italian quails fed diets containing chia seed (Salvia hispanica L.)

The main objective of the study was to determine the growth, hematological parameters, and gut-associated attributes in Italian quails fed chia seed (Salvia hispanica L.) (CS). Two hundred mixed-sex, 1-day-old Italian quails were randomly distributed into four treatment groups (n=50 birds/group) kept in five replicate pens with 10 birds per pen from day 1 to 35, under a completely randomized design. The control group received a basal diet with no CS, whereas the other groups were fed diets containing 1%, 2%, and 3% CS. Results revealed that for the 0-5 weeks study period, the live weigh, and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) were significantly (P = 0.05) improved with supplementation of 3% CS. However significant (P < 0.05) difference was noticed within groups for slaughter live weight, hot carcass, cold carcass, dressing percentage, heart and liver weight, and pH of carcass at the time of slaughter and after 24 hours. Similarly, breast meat dry matter, ash percentage, cooking loss, and water holding capacity were also not influenced (P < 0.05) by supplementation of CS. Regarding gut associated attributes, the ileal villus height (VH) of the control diet is higher compared with those fed CS means supplementation of CS resulted in reduced (P < 0.05) VH, whereas crypt depth (CD) was reduced (P = 0.001) quadratically. The total protein and cholesterol profile significantly (P = 0.001) improved, and the lipids profile decreased significantly (P = 0.001) with the supplementation of CS. The CS-fed groups had substantially greater values of myristoleic acid, linoleic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, PUFA, USFA, PUFA/SFA, UFA/SFA, and omega 6 (n6), whereas lower values of palmitoleic acid, stearic acid, eicosanoic acid, erucic acid, SFA in breast meat of quails compared to the control group. In conclusion, the supplementation of 3% CS resulted in better growth performance, improved blood parameters, and enhanced nutritional profile of quail breast meat for human consumption.

Application of recycled concrete aggregates in continuous-graded cement stabilized macadam

This study investigates the potential of using recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) derived from construction and demolition waste as a replacement for natural aggregate in cement-stabilized macadam (CSM). Various substitution rates of RCA, ranging from 0 % to 100 %, were examined with a focus on mechanical properties and durability, including unconfined compressive strength (UCS), indirect tensile strength (ITS), compressive elastic modulus, drying shrinkage, frost resistance, scour resistance, and water damage resistance. Nanoindentation was used to analyze the interfacial transition zones (ITZs) within the CSM. The results show that with a fixed cement content, the UCS, ITS, and compressive elastic modulus decrease as the RCA content increases. Higher RCA content also leads to reduced drying shrinkage, frost resistance, scour resistance, and water damage resistance. Nanoindentation revealed that ITZ1 and ITZ2 have similar thicknesses (∼50 μm), while ITZ3 is about 80 μm thick, highlighting the intricate physical composition of ITZs, including pores, low-density C-S-H, high-density C-S-H, and Ca(OH)2. These findings provide critical insights for optimizing sustainable CSM design using RCA, thereby promoting environmental sustainability in road construction.

Optimizing the nitrogen application rate and planting density to improve dry matter yield, water productivity and N-use efficiency of forage maize in a rainfed region

Appropriate nitrogen (N) fertilization and planting density management are critical for efficient production of grain maize (Zea mays L.) and for environmental protection. However, the optimal N fertilization and planting density is still not established for forage maize that is cultivated to promote its vegetative growth and utilized for the above-ground vegetative mass. A two-year field experiment was conducted in the rainfed semiarid region of the Chinese Loess Plateau during the 2021 and 2022 growing seasons. The effects of N application rates and planting densities on the dry matter yields and the water- and N-use efficiencies of forage maize were studied. The experiment includes four N application rates (0, 90, 180, and 270 kg ha−1) and three plant densities (70000, 90000, and 110000 plants ha−1), covering the conventional practices of local farmers. The treatments were organized in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Averaged over the three plant densities, N application rate of 180 kg ha−1 resulted in the maximum average aboveground dry matter yield (18.6 t ha−1), crop N accumulation (228.5 kg ha−1), dry matter water productivity (51.9 kg ha−1 mm−1), and dry matter precipitation productivity (62.9 kg ha−1 mm−1) over the two years. Moreover, increasing N application rates significantly increased the soil nitrate-N accumulation (0–200 cm) but reduced the partial factor productivity of applied N fertilizer. Across the three plant densities, the two-year average soil nitrate-N accumulation was 12.6, 32.1, and 75.7 % higher with 90, 180, and 270 kg N ha−1 compared to no N treatment, respectively. The highest soil nitrate accumulation under 270 kg ha−1 N application rate in 2021 (229.5 kg ha−1) and in 2022 (329.7 kg ha−1) may cause severe nitrate leaching loss and potential soil water contamination, driven by intensive rainfalls. Averaged over the four N rates, planting density of 110000 plants ha−1 increased the crop N accumulation and PFP by 21.2 % and 15.8 % in 2021, compared to 70000 plants ha−1, respectively. The interaction of N application and planting density significantly affected the aboveground dry matter yield, crop water consumption, dry matter precipitation productivity, and crop N accumulation in 2021, but the effect was non-significant in 2022. Based on these findings, application of 180 kg N ha−1 and planting density of 110000 plants ha−1 are suggested as an efficient management strategy for improving productivity of forage maize and soil water and N resources utilization in the arid region of the Loess Plateau and similar areas.

A modified phosphorus-based inhibitor for dry water inhibitor and its chemical mechanisms in preventing benzoyl peroxide explosion

Dust explosions caused by benzoyl peroxide (BPO) pose a significant risk to the chemical industry, making the development of high-performance inhibitors essential. The effect of a novel inhibitor on the explosion behavior of BPO dust was studied through experiments and simulations. The chemical mechanism behind the suppressed BPO dust explosion was clarified. The primary explosion hazard of BPO stems from the instability of the oxygen–oxygen bond. To address this, a novel phosphorus-based dry water powder inhibitor, MAP-DW, was prepared which effectively captures key reactive radicals involved in the chain reaction. At the optimal explosion concentration of BPO, a concentration of 400 g/m3 of MAP-DW reduced the maximum explosion pressure and the maximum explosion pressure rise rate by 96.48% and 99.58%, respectively. The suppression effects of MAP-DW on the explosion of BPO dust include heat absorption, oxygen dilution, thermal insulation, and capture of key free radicals. The kinetic simulation results showed that the suppression cycle between phosphorus-containing substances captured key chain reaction radicals, and the coupled suppression among NH3, H2O, and phosphorus-containing substances dominated the suppression mechanism of MAP-DW on BPO dust explosion. This study provides new insights into the characterization and suppression of BPO dust explosion, while also supplying crucial data for the safe utilization of peroxides.