Effect Of Different Sizes Research Articles

Multi-scale characterization on behaviors of the interface between magnesium phosphate cement and portland cement

This study focused on the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between magnesium phosphate cement (MPC) paste and Portland cement paste (PCP). Multi-scale analyses were conducted to explore bonding characteristics and interfacial shear strengths of the ITZ with an innovative composite specimen. Meanwhile, ITZ was investigated by the Nano-indentation test, the scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS). Based on the damage mechanics and the interface kinematics formula, the viscous behavior and friction behavior were coupled together for the first time to develop the constitutive relation of the interface damage. A finite element (FE) model of MPC-PCP interface shear strength was developed and conducted to validate the proposed constitutive relation of the interface damage. Sensitivity analysis of repair size was predicted by the effect of different sizes on shear strength. The 7d shear strength of the repair interface reached 5.2 MPa, which indicates that MPC has good bonding with PCP. Investigated by SEM/EDS analysis, the cracks appeared at 10 μm away from PCP edge and the width at 6 h and 3d was around 3–5 μm. According to the nano-indentation test, the elastic modulus varied greatly in the ITZ and the lowest value located 10 μm away from the PCP side. Numerical results from FE models were found consistent with the experimental results, which validates the proposed constitutive relation of the interface damage.

Rapid detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus using magnetic nanobead-based immunoseparation and quantum dot-based immunofluorescence.

In recent years, the scale of population exposure and food poisoning caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V. parahaemolyticus) has shown a significant upward trend, becoming one of the primary food-borne pathogens. Herein, we developed a rapid and sensitive detection of V. parahaemolyticus by integrating the technology of magnetic nanobeads (MBs) based immunoseparation (IMS) with quantum dots (QDs) based immunofluorescence. Firstly, specific rabbit polyclone IgG antibodies (IgG) and chicken egg yolk antibodies (IgY) of V. parahaemolyticus were prepared. Then two sizes of MBs (1 μm; 180 nm) were coupled with IgG to form immuno-MB (IMB) capture probes for evaluating the effect of different sizes on the detection efficiency. For QDs, they were conjugated with IgY to form fluorescent reporting probes. In the process of detection, IMB probes were used to separate V. parahaemolyticus and then these complexes were labeled by QD probes on the principle of double antibody sandwich. The fluorescence intensity of the IMB-V. parahaemolyticus-QD complexes was measured by a fluorescence spectrophotometer. The detection method takes 150 min with a detection limit of 102 cfu mL−1 ranging from 102 to 106 cfu mL−1 and it has been shown to work satisfactorily in real food samples.

Characteristics of Karst Cave Development in Urban Karst Area and Its Effect on the Stability of Subway Tunnel Construction

The existence of karst caves poses a large threat to safe tunnel construction in a karst area. This paper presents a synthetic method to evaluate the collapse risk before subway tunnel construction with Yang‐Jian interval tunnel as a case study. The crosshole seismic Computed Tomography (CT) integrated with Geological Drilling (Geo‐D) was first applied to accurately delineate the karst location and its scale. Then, 483 groups of seismic wave CT images were recorded, and 524 karst cave anomalies were found. The height of karst caves in the study area is 1–20 m and mainly concentrated at approximately 5 m. The vertical distance between the karst cave and the tunnel is mainly within 15 m. According to the detection results, a series of numerical models were built and calculated using FLAC3D to investigate the effect of different sizes and locations of karst caves on the displacement and stability of the surrounding rock in tunnels. Afterwards, based on the simulation results, the disturbance degree evaluation index was established to quantitatively evaluate the risk level of karst caves. The evaluation results indicate that the buried depth of the karst cave greatly affects the disturbance degree. No treatment is required for the deeply buried karst cave that is more than 7 m from the tunnel. When the distance between the cave and the tunnel is less than 7 m, there is a critical size of the cave. Karst caves that are larger than that critical value must be filled with a single slurry or binary slurry before tunnel construction to eliminate the risk of tunnel collapse. This study can be used to provide a more efficient and economical program for metro tunnel construction above a karst cave.

Study the effects of different size of Al2O3 nanoparticles on 6066AA and 7005AA composites on mechanical properties

Nanotechnology is dispersion massively in the many difficult fields of medicines and other areas like aviation, vehicles and energy. Strengthening of nano-sized particles with aluminium’s matrix produces grander properties. 6066AA and 7005AA and Al2O3 were used to produce Al-2.0%Al2O3 nano-composites. The size of nano particles are (20, 40 and 100) nm. An experimental result shows noticeable improvement in tensile strength, yield strength and hardness. UTS of metallic nano-composite were improved to classify 6066AA and 7005AA to an alloy of 25.65% and 34.75%, respectively the maximum enhancement accord with 20 nm particle size. The ductility has been greatly reduced for each of the base alloys.

Stop! Graphic Health Warnings Enhance Inhibitory Control in Adolescents: An Event-Related Potential Study.

The majority of smokers begin consumption in adolescence and the earlier initiation of cigarette smoking is associated with a greater likelihood of cigarette dependence. Graphic health warnings (GHW) are one of the most used strategies to communicate the consequences of cigarette smoking, but little is known about their ability to increase inhibitory control and thus prevent consumption. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of different sizes of GHWs on inhibitory control in adolescents. We hypothesized that GHWs promote inhibitory control, and increasing GHW size, enhance inhibitory control. Fifty-nine participants completed a Go/No-Go task during electroencephalographic recording. The No-Go stimuli were pictures of cigarette packs without GHWs, and cigarette packs with GHWs that covered 30% or 60% of the front (main side) of the pack. The event-related potential N200 component and behavioral measures in the Go/No-Go task were analyzed. Separate mixed-model analysis of variance (ANOVAs) were used for N200 component (amplitude and latency) and behavioral data. The GHWs increased the amplitude of the N200 potential, especially GHWs that covered 60% of the front of the pack. The behavioral data showed that GHWs that covered 60% of the front of the pack generated higher a percentage of accuracy in No-Go trials (ie, fewer commission errors). These results suggest that GHWs increase inhibitory control in adolescents, especially when the GHWs cover 60% of the front of the cigarette pack. GHWs with an increased size (60% of the front of the cigarette pack vs. 30%, the minimum size, proposed by the World Health Organization) recruit additional cognitive resources and thus can effectively increase inhibitory control both in adolescent smokers and nonsmokers. Accordingly, the use of larger GHW has the potential of becoming an effective public policy strategy to inhibit smoking in adolescents.

Effect of Different Size of Container on Growth and Quality of Seedlings of <i>Gmelina arborea</i> Roxb.

The study was carried out to find the effect of container size on the growth and quality of seedlings of Gmelina arborea . The seedlings raised in 17 × 13 cm poly bags showed better plant height, collar diameter and tap root length at all intervals, maximum leaf number at 100 and 140 DAS and were optimum for comparative biomass (fresh and dry) and seedling quality parameters followed by 300 cc root trainers in which the maximum number of lateral roots were recorded. The sturdiness and seedling quality have direct and positive relationship with container size and results revealed that container size had significant effect for most of the growth parameters.

In situ investigating the size-dependent scattering signatures and sensing sensitivity of single silver nanocube through a multi-model approach

Insightful understanding of size-dependent optical signatures and precise regularity of nanosensors is critical for developing applications of plasmonic sensing. This work presents a systematic study on localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)-based nanosensors of plasmonic silver nanocubes (AgNCs) with the edge lengths of 59.84 ± 7.97 nm (no. 1 AgNCs), 75.70 ± 9.05 nm (no. 2 AgNCs) and 110.32 ± 14.63 nm (no. 3 AgNCs), respectively. The effects of different sizes on the scattering signatures and refractive index (RI) sensitivities of AgNCs were in situ determined using the multi-model co-localization approach of single AgNC by dark-field microscope (DFM), LSPR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The scattering light colour of single AgNC took place bathochromic shift from monocolour to multicolour with the growth of edge length of single AgNC. The LSPR scattering spectra of no. 1 and 2 AgNCs exhibited singlet and singlet with the shoulder peak from quadrupolar resonance mode, respectively. Compared with the scattering signatures of no. 1 and 2 AgNCs, the interesting LSPR effect of plasmon line shape with two distinct peaks was observed on single no. 3 AgNC. In situ studies on the scattering spectral response of single AgNC to the ambient solvents and probing the small-molecule adsorbates on the surface of single silver nanocube reveal that no. 2 AgNC is more suitable as nanosensor due to strong regularity and higher sensitivity. The mechanism involved in optical signatures was elaborated clearly by combining with the experiments and theoretical simulation.

Study on the junction zone of NiTi shape memory alloy produced by selective laser melting via a stripe scanning strategy

In our previous study, NiTi shape memory alloy with excellent tensile properties (total elongation up to 15.6%) was fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM) through a stripe scanning strategy. Junction zone is inevitable in the SLM-fabricated NiTi parts produced using the stripe scanning strategy, which appears between adjacent stripes, and the thermal history of the junction zone is significantly different from that of other areas. In this study, the microstructure, phase transformation behavior, and mechanical properties of the junction zone and non-junction zone were studied. Compared with the non-junction zone, the junction zone exhibits higher phase transformation temperatures and hardness. The refinement of microstructure, more random crystallographic orientations and high-density of pore defects are observed in the junction zone of the SLM-fabricated NiTi alloy. Besides, we studied the effect of different sizes of the junction zone on the tensile mechanical properties of the SLM-NiTi alloy. It is demonstrated that the fracture strength of SLM-NiTi alloy increases with the increase of the proportion of the junction zone. In this work, we discussed the mechanisms of the phenomena in detail.

Computational study of pitting defect influence on mesh stiffness for straight beveloid gear

As the representation for the effects of contact and bending elasticity gear tooth, variational mesh stiffness is an important source of excitation for gear vibration. Aiming to get the numerical method of calculating mesh stiffness of the irregular taperred tooth profile, an efficient slice-based mesh stiffness modeling method is introduced for straight beveloid gear pair with and without the pitting corrosion defect. The deformation for tooth fillet and transient curve part are considered to improve the calculation accuracy. The FEM model is used to verify the results obtained by the proposed model and showed that the peak error is only 3.2%. Then the effects of different sizes and locations of pitting defects are analyzed. Results show that the size of pitting defect is a significant influencing factor for mesh stiffness. The mesh stiffness is reduced by 28.3% as the radius of pitting defect increases from 1 mm to 5 mm. For the impacts of pitting defect locations, the mesh stiffness has a noticeable fluctuation when the pitting defect is close to tooth root. While the pitting defect is shfited from root to a certain height, the mean mesh stiffness is decreased by 2.2% and the fluctuating value is decreased by 24.6%.The distance between pitting corrosion center and transverse plane has a little influence on the mesh stiffness.

An experimental study on the shear behaviour of recycled concrete aggregate incorporating recycled tyre waste

Very limited research has been conducted to examine the shear behaviour of blended recycled waste materials using the large direct shear testing apparatus. In this study, a series of large-scale direct shear test (LDST) was undertaken to evaluate the effect of different sizes and different amounts of recycled tyre waste on the shear strength properties of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) mixed with crumb rubber as pavement base/subbase application. The results of LDST indicated that RCA mixed with two different sizes (i.e., fine and coarse rubber) and three different percentages (i.e., 0.5%, 1% and 2%) of crumb rubber satisfied the shear strength requirements for use in pavement base/subbase applications. The introduction of both fine and coarse crumb rubber led to an increase in the apparent cohesion of RCA/rubber blends. However, beyond 0.5%, increasing the content of crumb rubber resulted in a decrease in the apparent cohesion. Based on the results of the laboratory testing undertaken in this research, a rational and useful model was proposed to estimate the shear strength parameters of RCA incorporating crumb rubber.

The changes in Blood Pressure in Patients Undergoing Spinal Anesthesia According to the Size of Spinal Needle (G22 versus G24): Case Reference Study

Background: Previous studies of patients with spinal anesthesia prior to sympathectomy revealed that vasodilatation and hypotension, with subsequent reduction in arterial pressure, were the most common side effects (observed in more than 30% of patients). Hypotension in epidural anesthesia was stated to be more gradual and less extreme than in spinal anesthesia when a comparable amount of anesthesia was given. Aim of the study: In the current study, we are aiming to evaluate the effect of different size of spinal needle on development of possible blood pressure changes throughout the spinal anesthesia procedure. Patients and Methods: The current observational case reference study was carried out at Al-Diwaniyah Teaching Hospital in Al-Diwaniyah Province, Iraq. The beginning of the study is dated back to the 3rd of April 2018 and the study continued till September the 15th 2019. It included 60 patients undergoing spinal anesthesia for various surgical operations. In 30 patients a spinal needle of 22 gauge was used whereas in the second group (n = 30), a spinal needle of gauge 24 was used. All patients were instructed to be nil by mouth overnight. Results: In group 1 (22G), mean systolic blood pressure showed gradual reduction, 139.00 ±8.35 mmHG, 120.67 ±11.43 mmHg, 106.00 ±11.02 mmHG and 97.33 ±10.15 mmHg; similarly, in group 2 (24G) mean systolic blood pressure showed gradual reduction, 144.00 ±10.37 mmHG, 138.00 ± 7.61 mmHg, 131.33 ±9.00 mmHG and 131.67 ±11.40 mmHg; however, the rate of reduction in group 2 (G24) was less than that seen in case of group 1 (G22). In group 1 (22G), mean diastolic blood pressure showed gradual reduction, 84.00 ±7.24 mmHG, 72.00 ±6.64 mmHg, 61.33 ±9.73 mmHG and 54.00 ±8.94 mmHg; similarly, in group 2 (24G) mean diastolic blood pressure showed gradual reduction, 87.33 ±7.85 mmHG, 81.33 ±7.30 mmHg, 77.33 ±10.15 mmHG and 78.00 ±5.51 mmHg; however, the rate of reduction in group 2 (G24) was less than that seen in case of group 1 (G22). Conclusion: It appears that the use of narrower spinal needle is recommended as it is associated with significantly less drop in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, thus less hemodynamic disturbances in patients undergoing spinal anesthesia for various indications

Molecular dynamics simulations of the effects of annealing on the micro residual stress induced by vacancy defects in aluminum crystal

Micro residual stress induced by vacancy defects in aluminum crystals was studied by molecular dynamics. The effects of different sizes of vacancy defects on the initial configuration (stable configuration after energy minimization) are analyzed, which are reflected by the changes of atomic potential energy, atomic displacement and atomic stress. The influence of annealing on the lattice structure of atoms near the vacancy defects and the evolution of the defects in the annealing process are also analyzed. After annealing, the vacancies are filled and the atomic lattice structures near the vacancy also change, adding a HCP lattice structure. The atomic distributions are more uniform and more regular. When the voids are small, the atomic stress decreases obviously after annealing. However, when the voids are large, the atomic stress increases after annealing. The influence range of vacancy defects on the micro residual stress is a spherical space with the center of the void as the center of the sphere, and the radius of the sphere is linear relationship with the radius of the voids. When the void radius is small, the annealing heat treatment method can effectively eliminate or reduce the micro residual stress. When the void radius exceeds threshold value, the micro residual stress increases after annealing. A single annealing heat treatment method cannot effectively eliminate the residual stress, which may need to be combined with other methods to eliminate or reduce the residual stress.

Comparative Analysis of Biogas and Methane Yields from Different Sizes of Groundnut Shell in a Batch Reactor at Mesophilic Temperature

Aim: To study the effects of different sizes of groundnut shell on biogas and methane yields using batch reactor at mesophilic temperature.
 Place and Duration of Study: The laboratory experiment was carried out at the Laboratory of the Department of Agricultural Engineering, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria, between August and October, 2018.
 Methodology: Batch experiment was set up for a period of 35 days with substrate reduced to 2, 4 and 6 mm sizes. The digesters were subjected to anaerobic digestion at mesophilic condition and the gas produced were collected with graduated gas sampling bottles dipped in measuring cylinders already filled with red liquid. The total gas produced was analyzed using gas analyzer to give the percentage composition of the gas components and Enwuff equation was used to calculate the biogas and methane yields of organic dry matter and fresh mass of the samples.
 Results: The total gas volume of 482.5, 605.0 and 732.5 ml were recorded for the sizes 2, 4 and 6 mm respectively. The organic dry matter biogas yields were 357.1, 514.31 and 324.5 lNkg-1oDM for treatment 2, 4 and 6 mm respectively; while organic dry matter methane produced were 222.41, 298.41 and 211.31 CH4kg-1oDM for 2, 4 and 6 mm, respectively. The fresh mass biogas yields were 147.6, 180.7 and 177.3 lNkg-1FM and fresh mass methane yield were 919, 104.8 and 115.4 lNCH4 kg-1FM for 2, 4 and 6 mm, respectively.
 Conclusion: Considering the yields recorded, the experiment shows that size reduction had effect on biogas yields and it is an important factor to be considered in biogas production. Treatment with particle size 4 mm seems to be the ideal size when considered the yields in terms of organic dry matter and fresh mass basis.

Immunotoxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics in different hemocyte subpopulations of Mytilus galloprovincialis

Plastic represents 60-80% of litter in the ocean. Degradation of plastic to small fragments leads to the formation of microplastics (MPs <5 mm) and nanoplastics (NPs <1 µm). One of the most widely used and representative plastics found in the ocean is polystyrene (PS). Among marine organisms, the immune system of bivalves is recognized as suitable to assess nanomaterial toxicity. Hemocyte subpopulations [R1 (large granular cells), R2 (small semi-granular cells) and R3 (small agranular or hyaline cells)] of Mytilus galloprovincialis are specialized in particular tasks and functions. The authors propose to examine the effects of different sizes (50 nm, 100 nm and 1 μm) PS NPs on the different immune cells of mussels when they were exposed to (1 and 10 mg·L−1) of PS NPs. The most noteworthy results found in this work are: (i) 1 µm PS NPs provoked higher immunological responses with respect to 50 and 100 nm PS NPs, possibly related to the higher stability in size and shape in hemolymph serum, (ii) the R1 subpopulation was the most affected with respect to R2 and R3 concerning immunological responses and (iii) an increase in the release of toxic radicals, apoptotic signals, tracking of lysosomes and a decrease in phagocytic activity was found in R1.

Exogenous application and endogenous elevation of salicylic acid levels by overexpressing a salicylic acid-binding protein 2 gene enhance nZnO tolerance of tobacco plants

Salicylic acid (SA) plays vital roles in the stress response of plants. However, the relationship between SA signaling and plant tolerance to nZnO stress has not been reported. The effects of different sizes and concentrations of nZnO on tobacco plants grown in MS medium or soil were evaluated. The effects of exogenous and endogenous SA on the morphological and biochemical parameters of tobacco plants by exogenous application of SA and overexpression of LcSABP2 gene were also investigated in this study. The endogenous SA content and the expression of salicylic acid-binding protein 2 (SABP2) gene increased in tobacco individuals with nZnO treatment. Exogenously applied SA increased the germination rate of tobacco seeds, and enhanced the root length and chlorophyll content of tobacco seedlings. Overexpression of LcSABP2 gene in transgenic tobacco significantly increased SA content in plants with nZnO treatment. Compared to the wild type plants, transgenic tobacco with nZnO treatment showed higher chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate, related gene expression, activities of SOD, POD and CAT, and less contents of H2O2, O2− and MDA, which suggested that LcSABP2 might play important regulatory roles in plant resistance to nZnO toxicity by elevating the level of endogenous SA, promoting the action of photosynthetic system, and enhancing the activities of antioxidant enzymes. This study illustrated that exogenous and endogenous SA might all be involved in alleviating the toxicity of nZnO on plants.

Production of high performance multi-crystalline silicon ingot by using composite nucleant

A composite nucleant with Si powder as the main component was introduced to prepare high-performance multicrystalline (HPM) silicon ingot in this work. The effect of different sizes of Si powder on the ingot performance was investigated and compared with the conventional HPM silicon ingot which seeded from poly-Si particles. It is proved that the composite nucleant with Si powder of large particle size (D50 = 355 μm) can induce small and uniform grains, showing uniform minority carrier lifetime distribution and low dislocation cluster area ratio. Meanwhile, the length of red zone at the ingot bottom is significantly shorter than conventional HPM silicon ingot, which significantly increases the yield of the ingot. The ingot grown with suitable composite nucleant can achieve high cell efficiency and the solar cells have low light-induced degradation (LID) value due to low interstitial oxygen concentration which are comparable to the conventional HPM silicon ingot.

Cytotoxicity studies of Fe3O4 nanoparticles in chicken macrophage cells.

Magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Fe3O4-NPs) have been widely investigated for their biomedical applications. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of different sizes of Fe3O4-NPs in chicken macrophage cells (HD11). Experimental groups based on three sizes of Fe3O4-NPs (60, 120 and 250 nm) were created, and the Fe3O4-NPs were added to the cells at different doses according to the experimental group. The cell activity, oxidative index (malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reactive oxygen species (ROS)), apoptosis and pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion level were detected to analyse the cytotoxic effects of Fe3O4-NPs of different sizes in HD11 cells. The results revealed that the cell viability of the 60 nm Fe3O4-NPs group was lower than those of the 120 and 250 nm groups when the same concentration of Fe3O4-NPs was added. No significant difference in MDA was observed among the three Fe3O4-NP groups. The SOD level and ROS production of the 60 nm group were significantly greater than those of the 120 and 250 nm groups. Furthermore, the highest levels of apoptosis and pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion were caused by the 60 nm Fe3O4-NPs. In conclusion, the smaller Fe3O4-NPs produced stronger cytotoxicity in chicken macrophage cells, and the cytotoxic effects may be related to the oxidative stress and apoptosis induced by increased ROS production as well as the increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

The effect of gammairradiation for collagen in demineralized bone matrix particles with differences size

Objective To investigate the effects of different particle sizes on the collagen structure of demineralized bone matrix (DBM) and the effectiveness of dry ice as an irradiation protectant in the procedure of gamma irradiation. Methods DBM samples with different particle sizes (0.5-1.0 mm, 1.2-2.8 mm, 3.3-4.7 mm and 5.7-7.0 mm) were prepared, and sterilized with several doses of gamma irradiation (0 kGy, 15 kGy and 25 kGy) at room temperature. Additionally, another group of DBM samples were sterilized with 25 kGy gamma irradiation with protective agent. Changes in surface and characteristics of collagen were observed by using scanning electron microscope (SEM), Sodium dodecyl sulfatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and carbonyl content. Results The color of collagen extract indicated that oxidative damage is directly related to irradiation dose. SEM showed that the gamma irradiation caused collagen structure disorder and fiber breakage. As the irradiation doses increased, the damage area significantly increased. When the particle size increased, the damage area tended to decrease. The DSC showed that the thermal denaturation temperature of 5.7-7 mm, 3.3-4.7 mm, 1.2-2.8 mm and 0.5-1.0 mm were 142.8℃, 97.3℃,84.3℃ and 83.9℃, respectively. The differences of the thermal denaturation temperatures among the four particle sizes were statistically significant (F=0.560, P=0.650). Collagen structure was destroyed by gamma irradiation, resulting in a decrease in collagen molecular weight. While, large particle DBM had a tendency to resist radiation damage. There was a significant difference on the contents of carbonyl in collagen from same particle sizes of DBM with different irradiation dose. The carbonyl content gradually decreased with the increase of particle size, but the difference was not statistically significant (F=0.560, P=0.650). Conclusion The gamma irradiation and collagen oxidative damage have obvious dose-response relationship. With the increase of gamma irradiation dose, the degree of collagen damage increases. The sizes of DBM could affect the sensitivity of collagen to gamma irradiation. With the decrease of particle sizes, DBM particles are more susceptible to gamma irradiation damage. Additionally, dry ice, as a radiation protection agent, has a certain degree protection effect against radiation. Key words: Bone matrix; Collagen; Radiation; Gamma rays

Effectiveness of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Beads Size on Fly Ash Properties

The present study focused on laboratory investigation of fly ash mixed with expanded polystyrene (EPS) beads. Different sizes of EPS beads were mixed with fly ash to study the effect on maximum dry unit weight, cohesion, angle of internal friction, California bearing ratio (CBR) value, coefficient of consolidation, and permeability. The different EPS beads sizes used in the present study are 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, and 6 mm with 28 kg/m3, 19 kg/m3, 16 kg/m3, 11 kg/m3 and 6 kg/m3 densities, respectively. The effects of EPS beads sizes on geotechnical properties of fly ash mixture were investigated. The constant EPS beads content of 0.6% was considered for comparing the effect of different sizes of EPS beads in the fly ash. The smaller EPS beads–fly ash mix was observed to be suitable for improving the shear strength and bigger EPS beads were good enough to reduce the unit weight of fly ash–beads mix. The CBR value and permeability of fly ash–EPS beads mixtures were increased with a decrease in the size of EPS beads. The coefficient of consolidation increased up to 4-mm size of beads and then decreased for 6-mm size of beads. The fly ash reinforced with 0.6% EPS beads of different sizes, specifically 1-mm and 2-mm size, can be useful for constructions on weak soils. Each size of EPS beads has benefits as per the requirements in engineering applications and field conditions.

Experimental study of de-foulant hydrocyclone performance with a conical surface

Controlling the turbulence intensity helps to reduce the energy consumption of the hydrocyclone. In de-foulant hydrocyclone (DFH), reducing the energy consumption can improve the overflow kinetic energy to suck and flush away the foulants at underflow. In this study, a conical surface (CS) is inserted near the locus of zero vertical velocity (LZVV) to control the turbulence intensity of DFH. We investigated the effects of different sizes and positions of CS and the inlet velocity on the separation performance. The results showed that, owing to the presence of CS, the energy consumption of the DFH was decreased by approximately 40% whereas the separation efficiency increased by approximately 5%. Moreover, the separation efficiency first decreased and then increased with the increase in inlet velocity, which was different from that of the DFH without CS. Furthermore, we also found that radial particle migration mainly occurred at the cone bottom of the DFH.