Ion Particle Research Articles

Electrostatic Particle Ionization for Reduction in Livestock and Potash Dust

Airborne dust is an important contaminant affecting the health and the environment, and a crucial concern in many workplaces such as animal facilities and potash mines. One of the techniques used for dust control is electrostatic particle ionization (EPI). This technology has been proven effective in reducing airborne dust; however, it has downsides, such as the generation of ozone and corrosion of electrodes. Thus, this study tested a corrosion-resistant carbon-fiber discharge electrode and compared it with electrodes commonly used in EPI systems, that is, stainless-steel and tungsten electrodes, in terms of collection efficiency for potash dust and wheat flour (representative of livestock dust), ozone production, and power consumption. The carbon-fiber electrode performed comparably to stainless-steel electrodes, particularly for potash dust, and performed better than the tungsten electrode in terms of dust collection efficiency. Moreover, it had the lowest energy consumption and generated the least amount of ozone. However, because of the limitations of this study (e.g., fewer samples, low air velocity, controlled conditions, and the use of wheat flour instead of livestock dust), tests under real barn or mining conditions are necessary to confirm the results.

Extended Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory for Multibody Densities.

Time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) is widely used for understanding and predicting properties and behaviors of matter. As one of the fundamental theorems in TDDFT, Van Leeuwen theorem [Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 3863 (1999)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.82.3863] guarantees how to construct a unique potential with the same one-body density evolution. Here we extend Van Leeuwen theorem by exploring truncation criteria in Bogoliubov-Born-Green-Kirkwood-Yvon (BBGKY) hierarchy. Our generalized theorem demonstrates the existence of a unique nonlocal potential to accurately reconstruct the multibody density evolution in binary interacting systems. Under nonstringent conditions, truncation of the BBGKY-hierarchy equations aligns with the behavior of multibody density evolution and maintains consistency in the reduced equations. Based on this theorem, we further construct a static many-body potential and extend the well-known Casida equation for multiple-excitation energy. The extended TDDFT provides an accurate and first-principles framework capable of describing the kinetic processes of correlated systems, including strongly coupled particle transport, multiple-excitation, and ionization processes.

Advances in Single Particle Mass Analysis.

Single particle mass analysis methods allow the measurement and characterization of individual nanoparticles, viral particles, as well as biomolecules like protein aggregates and complexes. Several key benefits are associated with the ability to analyze individual particles rather than bulk samples, such as high sensitivity and low detection limits, and virtually unlimited dynamic range, as this figure of merit strictly depends on analysis time. However, data processing and interpretation of single particle data can be complex, often requiring advanced algorithms and machine learning approaches. In addition, particle ionization, transfer, and detection efficiency can be limiting factors for certain types of analytes. Ongoing developments in the field aim to address these challenges and expand the capabilities of single particle mass analysis techniques. Charge detection mass spectrometry is a single particle version of mass spectrometry in which the charge (z) is determine independently from m/z. Nano-electromechanical resonator mass analysis relies on changes in a nanoscale device's resonance frequency upon deposition of a particle to directly derive its inertial mass. Mass photometry uses interferometric video-microscopy to derive particle mass from the intensity of the scattered light. A common feature of these approaches is the acquisition of single particle data, which can be filtered and concatenated in the form of a particle mass distribution. In the present article, dedicated to our honored colleague Richard Cole, we cover the latest technological advances and applications of these single particle mass analysis approaches.

Study on the design and application of the three-electrode ionization particle sensor

Accurate detection is the foundation of haze governance. The existing particle concentration detection methods and instruments have many shortcomings, such as complex structure, high cost, easy blockage, short life, and significant impact of environmental changes. Therefore, this paper proposes a silicon micropillar three-electrode ionization particle sensor based on the gas discharge principle and studies the sensor's sensitivity to PM2.5 particles. Three-electrode comprises a cathode with micro silicon pillars grown on the surface, an extracting electrode, and a collecting electrode. It shows that the cathode current of the sensor increases linearly with extraction voltage and nonlinearly with temperature. As the cathode material of the sensor, the silicon micropillar is compared with the carbon nanotube to solve the burn problem of the nanotube rising from positive ions bombardment during gas discharge. The collecting current of the sensor shows a decreasing trend with the increase in particle concentration. The collecting current and sensitivity of the sensor are much higher in radio frequency excitation than in direct current excitation. The sensor developed in this paper displays the advantages of simple technology, high integration, low cost, and high sensitivity, and it exhibits great application potential.

An automatic method for scoring poultry footpad dermatitis with deep learning and thermal imaging

Footpad dermatitis (FPD) is a common poultry condition that can negatively influence chickens’ production, welfare, and health. However, no automated tool for monitoring FPD in live chickens is currently available. The objective of this study was to develop and optimize deep learning models to monitor hens’ FPD scores (i.e., 0–2 scale with higher scores indicating poorer footpad conditions). A total of 700 Hy-Line W-36 hens were raised in four cage-free housing systems integrated with Electrostatic Particle Ionization and various bedding materials. A GoPro camera with an upward lens was placed inside a transparent box. Individual laying hens were placed on the top surface of the box to acquire RGB images. In addition, a thermal camera was used to record RGB and thermal images of footpads, and the images were manually scored to assess their footpad conditions. Preprocessing techniques (e.g., filtration, separation, and augmentation) were deployed to enhance dataset quality and size. Moreover, YOLOv8 models (YOLOv8n, YOLOv8s, YOLOv8m, YOLOv8l, and YOLOv8x) and YOLOv7 models (YOLOv7 and YOLOv7x) were comparatively evaluated for predicting FPD scores. The results show that the YOLOv8l outperformed other models, with higher recall (96.6 %), mAP@0.50 (97.0 %), and F1-score (95.0 %). Additionally, the YOLOv8l-FPD model exhibited a high mAP@0.50 for score 0 (98.0 %), score 1 (95.0 %), and score 2 (97.9 %) and F1-score (95.0 %) for all FPD scores. Notably, using thermal images could result in faster convergence of model training and slightly better FPD score prediction performance than RGB images. The proposed technique can be useful for non-invasive automatic FPD scoring and further improve automation levels and animal welfare in the egg industry.

Design, synthesis, and characterization of novel copolymer gel particles for water-plugging applications

Abstract Multi-stage plugging represents a promising strategy for enhancing production and injection rates in medium-and low-permeability oilfields. Despite its potential, the efficacy of current plugging agents, particularly hydrophobically bonded water-soluble polyacrylamide-based gel microspheres, is hindered by notable drawbacks such as low stability and inadequate compressive strength. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of water plugging mechanisms coupled with the optimization of gel microsphere properties is essential for advancing the development of gel-based plugging agents with superior characteristics or intelligent regulatory capabilities. The P(AA-AM-[PrSO3]Vim) ionic liquid copolymerized gel particles were designed and synthesized by using microfluidic technique and titration gel method with AM, acrylic acid (AA), 1-vinylimidazole (Vim) and 1,3-propylsulfonyl lactone (PrSO3) as the raw materials. The morphology and structure of the copolymer gel particles were characterized, and the effects of [PrSO3]Vim and cross-linker content on the water-absorbing properties and strength of the gel particles were investigated. When the amount of [PrSO3]Vim was 12%, the concentration of crosslinker was 1.5%, and the temperature was 40°C, the water absorption capacity reached the maximum value of 163 g·g−1. The strength of the P(AA–AM–[PrSO3]Vim) spherical gel particles was maximized at a [PrSO3]Vim content of 4%. Furthermore, the chemical and physical roles of the P(AA–AM–[PrSO3]Vim) spherical gel particles were studied in a typical water-plugging environment. This study provides experimental data and a theoretical basis for the application of functional spherical gel-plugging particles in current oilfield environments.

Remarkable Insensitivity of Protein Diffusion to Protein Charge.

Friction to translational diffusion of ionic particles in polar liquids should scale linearly with the squared ion charge, according to standard theories. Substantial slowing of translational diffusion is expected for proteins in water. In contrast, our simulations of charge mutants of green fluorescent proteins in water show remarkable insensitivity of the translational diffusion constant to protein's charge in the range of charges between -29 and +35. The friction coefficient is given as a product of the force variance and the memory function relaxation time. We find remarkably accurate equality between the variance of the electrostatic force and the negative cross-correlation of the electrostatic and van der Waals forces. The charge invariance of the diffusion constant is a combined effect of the force variance and relaxation time invariances with the protein charge. The temperature dependence of the protein diffusion constant is highly non-Arrhenius, with a fragile-to-strong crossover at the glass transition.

Diffusion across a concentration step: Strongly nonmonotonic evolution into thermodynamic equilibrium

Dynamical and statistical behaviour of the ionic particles in dissolved salts have long been known, but their hydration shells still raise unsettled questions. We engineered a “diffusion tunnel diode” that is structurally analogous to the well-known Esaki diode, but now concentration gradients serve as generalized voltages and the current means particle flow. In an equipartition sense, the hydrated ions enter a cavity as individual particles and later, upon increase of their concentration therein, they lose water molecules that henceforth are particles of their own. These temporarily attached water molecules thus are the tunnel current analogue. Unlike the original tunnel diode, our negative differential resistance has implications for the second law of thermodynamics, due to thermal effects of changes in the hydration shells.

Degradation behavior of chromium-coated zirconium cladding under 1200 oC steam oxidation according to the coating microstructure

In 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami caused a hydrogen explosion at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which exposed radioactive materials to the atmosphere and had a very negative impact on the nuclear power industry. Since then, efforts have intensified around the world to make nuclear power safer. Accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) is being developed to prevent the rapid oxidation of zirconium cladding, which directly causes hydrogen explosions. ATF research can be divided into two main approaches: changing the cladding material, or coating the surface of the cladding. Coatings are easier to commercialize and apply to existing nuclear power plants, so most vendors have focused on this approach. Chromium is a popular coating medium because of its superior properties such as a low oxidation rate and excellent adhesion. Therefore, research has been focused on suppressing the rapid oxidation of zirconium cladding in the event of an accident by adding a chromium coating with an appropriate thickness in terms of both economy and effectiveness. Even if the thickness of the coating is fixed, the penetration of oxidizing substances can be further delayed by improving the microstructure of the chromium coating, such as by reducing the grain boundary area. In this study, chromium-coated zirconium cladding tubes were fabricated by the arc ion plating process. The microstructure of the chromium coating was adjusted by varying the negative voltage (0–125 V), which in turn controlled the incident energy at which the chromium ionic particles hit the surface of the cladding tube. Experiments were then performed in 1200 °C steam environment to determine the optimal microstructure for high-temperature oxidation resistance. The development of various material degradation phenomena that occurred during 1200 °C steam oxidation was observed to identify the oxidation mechanism and the main factors of the microstructure that affect the zirconium oxidation rate.

Study on Breakdown Characteristics and Attenuation Characteristics of Air Mixed Gas

Abstract Nowadays, the global demand for environmental protection and energy saving is getting higher and higher. In the past, SF6 gas was regarded as an environmentally unfriendly gas in the circuit breaker with SF6 gas as the insulating medium. In order to save energy and reduce emissions, this paper uses clean and environmentally friendly air as the arc extinguishing medium. The gas mixture studied contains N2, O2 and CO2. Through two approximate values of Boltzmann equation, we obtain the electron energy distribution function of air mixed gas under different electric field reduction conditions. By studying the changes of ionization and adsorption coefficients of particles under various collision conditions, we obtained the conversion breakdown field strength (E/N) Cr of air mixture. An arc attenuation model is built to characterize the arc attenuation characteristics using the prior transport characteristics as input. The arc attenuation process is broken down into three steps: heat recovery, pre-ignition, and arcing. All of these phases are determined by the changes in axial temperature and arc conductance over time. Analysis is done on the air and nitrogen thermal recovery and pre-dielectric recovery phases. This study explores the use of clean dielectrics to ensure optimum performance of primary equipment in the power system, based on current circumstances.

Thermodynamic, kinetic, and equilibrium studies of Cu(II), Cd(II), Ni(II), and Pb(II) ion biosorption onto treated Ageratum conyzoid biomass

The issue of environmental contamination, particularly caused by the existence of heavy metal particles, is a major and widely recognized subject that receives substantial global attention. The remediation of Cu(II), Cd(II), Ni(II), and Pb(II) ionic metal particles from synthetic wastewater using chemically treated plant leaves of Ageratum conyzoides (TAC) as a biosorbent was investigated. The biosorption process was implemented utilizing a batch system, wherein several operational parameters were considered, including temperature, pH, agitation time, biosorbent dosage, and initial concentration of the metal ion. Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and D-R isotherm models were used to evaluate equilibrium data. The analyzed parameter exhibits characteristics that were best fitted with the Langmuir isotherm. The observed biosorption capacities (qm) of Cu(II), Pb(II), Ni(II), and Cd(II) ions on the TAC were measured as 51.573, 30.49, 33.53, and 35.91 mg/g, respectively, at a temperature of 22 °C. The affinity sequence of these metal ions follows the order Cu(II) > Pb(II) > Ni(II) > Cd(II). The measured values for the biosorption free energy change (ΔG) of Cu(II), Pb(II), Cd(II), and Ni(II) metal ions ranged from −1.017 to −4.723, −1.368 to −3.612, −2.785 to −5.21, and −1.047 to −5.135 kJ/mol, respectively. The enthalpy (ΔH) for Cu(II), Pb(II), Cd(II), and Ni(II) were determined to be +19.33, +6.82, +14.83, and +38.07 kJ/mol, respectively. Similarly, the corresponding entropy changes (ΔS) for the same series of metal ions were recorded as +0.075, +0.064, +0.063, and +0.135 kJ/mol.K. The pseudo-second-order kinetic models yielded superior outcomes in comparison to the pseudo-first-order kinetic models. The findings of the experiment indicated that the TAC demonstrates favorable efficacy in extracting all four metal ions. Hence, the utilization of biomass derived from Ageratum conyzoides leaves has proven to be a viable and economically feasible approach for biosorption of all four metals.

Enhancing Dust Control for Cage-Free Hens with Electrostatic Particle Charging Systems at Varying Installation Heights and Operation Durations

The poultry industry is shifting towards more sustainable and ethical practices, including adopting cage-free (CF) housing to enhance hen behavior and welfare. However, ensuring optimal indoor air quality, particularly concerning particulate matter (PM), remains challenging in CF environments. This study explores the effectiveness of electrostatic particle ionization (EPI) technology in mitigating PM in CF hen houses while considering the height at which the technology is placed and the duration of the electric supply. The primary objectives are to analyze the impact of EPI in reducing PM and investigate its power consumption correlation with electric supply duration. The study was conducted in a laying hen facility with four identical rooms housing 720 laying hens. The study utilized a Latin Square Design method in two experiments to assess the impact of EPI height and electric supply durations on PM levels and electricity consumption. Experiment 1 tested four EPI heights: H1 (1.5 m or 5 ft), H2 (1.8 m or 6 ft), H3 (2.1 m or 7 ft), and H4 (2.4 m or 8 ft). Experiment 2 examined four electric supply durations: D1 (control), D2 (8 h), D3 (16 h), and D4 (24 h), through 32 feet corona pipes. Particulate matter levels were measured at three different locations within the rooms for a month, and statistical analysis was conducted using ANOVA with a significance level of ≤0.05. The study found no significant differences in PM concentrations among different EPI heights (p > 0.05). However, the duration of EPI system operation had significant effects on PM1, PM2.5, and PM4 concentrations (p < 0.05). Longer EPI durations resulted in more substantial reductions: D2—17.8% for PM1, 11.0% for PM2.5, 23.1% for PM4, 23.7% for PM10, and 22.7% for TSP; D3—37.6% for PM1, 30.4% for PM2.5, 39.7% for PM4, 40.2% for PM10, and 41.1% for TSP; D4—36.6% for PM1, 24.9% for PM2.5, 38.6% for PM4, 36.3% for PM10, and 37.9% for TSP compared to the D1. These findings highlight the importance of prolonged EPI system operation for enhancing PM reduction in CF hen houses. However, utilizing 16 h EPI systems during daylight may offer a more energy-efficient approach while maintaining effective PM reduction. Further research is needed to optimize PM reduction strategies, considering factors like animal activities, to improve air quality and environmental protection in CF hen houses.

Effectiveness of nanomaterials and their counterparts in improving rice growth and yield under arsenic contamination.

Arsenic (As) pollution in rice (Oryza sativa L.), a staple food for over 3.5 billion people, is a global problem. Mixed effects of Zn, Cu, and Si amendments on plant growth and yield, including in the presence of As pollution have been reported in previous studies. To better investigate the effectiveness of these amendments on rice growth, yield, and As accumulation, we conducted a rice greenhouse experiment with 11 treatments, including control pots with and without As contamination and pots with amendments of ZnO, CuO, and SiO2 nanoparticles (ZnO NPs, CuO NPs, and SiO2 NPs), their ionic counterparts (ZnSO4, CuSO4, and Na2SiO3), and bulk particles (ZnO BPs, CuO BPs, and SiO2 BPs). Compared with the background soil, the treatment of adding As decreased rice plant height, panicle number, and grain yield by 16.5%, 50%, and 85.7%, respectively, but significantly increased the As accumulation in milled rice grains by 3.2 times. Under As contamination, the application of Zn amendments increased rice grain yield by 4.6-7.3 times; among the three Zn amendments, ZnSO4 performed best by fully recovering grain yield to the background level and significantly reducing grain AsIII/total As ratio by 46.9%. Under As contamination, the application of Cu amendments increased grain yield by 3.8-5.6 times; all three Cu amendments significantly reduced grain AsIII/total As ratio by 20.2-65.6%. The results reveal that Zn and Cu amendments could promote rice yield and prevent As accumulation in rice grains under As contamination. Despite the observed reduction in As toxicity by the tested NPs, they do not offer more advantages over their ionic counterparts and bulk particles in promoting rice growth under As contamination. Future field research using a broader range of rice varieties, investigating various As concentrations, and encompassing diverse climate conditions will be necessary to validate our findings in achieving more extensive understanding of effective management of arsenic contaminated rice field.

Combination of a magnetic ionic liquid and magnetic particles for the determination of Pb(II) and Sn(IV) using electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

A procedure for the determination of traces of lead and tin by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) after complexation with diethyl dithiophosphate and preconcentration by using a microextraction stage with a magnetic ionic liquid (MIL) supported by ferrite particles is presented. After complexation, the analytes are extracted into the ferrite-supported MIL, the solid particles acting as a carrier to facilitate the separation with a magnet. The analytes are released by treating with acetonitrile and the resulting liquid phase is sampled for the ETAAS measurement. The optimal experimental conditions such as pH, appropriate complexing agent, volumes and doses of all reagents used in the procedure are studied to achieve complete separation of both species. Enrichment factors of 195 and 165 and detection limits of 25 and 72 ng L−1 are obtained for Pb and Sn, respectively. The reliability of the procedure is checked by analyzing six certified reference materials and applied to water samples of different origin, the results being in addition confirmed by standard additions (recoveries 97 ± 7% in all cases).

Hydrogen peroxide production via pH manipulation using Visible-Light photocatalyst (ZnIn2S4) conjugated with Oxygen-Modified black carbon

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a powerful oxidizing agent, plays a critical role in various sectors including bleaching, wastewater treatment, sterilization, chemical manufacturing, healthcare, energy generation, and environmental cleanup. The conventional method for producing H2O2, known as the anthraquinone process, faces challenges due to its economic inefficiencies and significant safety concerns. This has spurred interest in developing safer and more environmental friendly photocatalysts for H2O2 production. These photocatalysts, when dispersed in water and exposed to sunlight, generate H2O2 by extracting oxygen from the air and hydrogen from water. Our research explores the use of zinc indium sulfide (ZnIn2S4), a material that is photoactive under visible light, which accounts for about 43 % of the solar spectrum. Initially, the pH of the solution was not modified, leading to the ionization of Zn and In. However, upon optimizing the experimental conditions, we observed a substantial reduction in particle ionization and an increase in H2O2 yield. Additionally, by integrating black carbon with oxygen functional groups into the ZnIn2S4 matrix, we achieved a 14 % increase in production efficiency compared to traditional methods.

Characterisation of highly irradiated 3D trench silicon pixel sensors for 4D tracking with 10 ps timing accuracy

3D trench silicon pixel sensors, recently developed by the TimeSPOT collaboration, have shown excellent performance in terms of spatial resolution, timing precision and detection efficiency. The combination of these three features make them one of the best candidate for inner tracking detectors operating in high luminosity hadron colliders experiments. This article presents systematic characterisations of these devices made with minimum ionising particles on irradiated sensors with neutrons up to 2.5 ⋅ 1016 1 MeV neq cm−2. The results show that 3D trench pixels have extremely high resistance to radiation. The measured time resolution and the detection efficiency of irradiated sensors match those of non-irradiated ones if a slightly higher bias voltage, few tens of Volts, is applied to the pixels. As of today, 3D trench pixels are the only sensors capable of achieving 10 ps time resolution after being irradiated at extremely high fluences, extending by far the capabilities of future tracking systems of HEP experiments operating under extreme conditions.

Spatial structures of different particles in helicon plasma

The spatial density structures of different particles (high-energy electron excited ionic and low-energy electron excited neutral particles) in both discharge and plume plasmas of a helicon source were characterized by an optical emission spectroscope (OES) and a Langmuir probe. Filters of 480 nm band pass and 600 nm high pass were used to distinguish the ionic and the excited neutral particles, respectively. The ion energy distributions at the outlet of the discharge tube with different magnetic field were obtained by a four-grid retarding field energy analyzer (RFEA). Results show that as RF input power increased, the helicon discharge modes change from a capacitive (E mode) to an inductive (H mode) to a wave coupling or a helicon discharge (W mode). After reaching the W mode, neutral particles are basically saturated, but ions will experience another growth as the power increases. Moreover, the reversed applied magnetic field can change the axial distribution of ion density (ionization region). The IEDF test results show that the maximum (most probable) ion energy increases with increasing input power. Meanwhile, the reversed magnetic field (+ 50 A) can increase the maximum ion energy by about 15 eV, which is believed to be the ionization/acceleration zone is close to the ion energy test point. Therefore, the directed ion energy is more correlated with the ion density distribution excited by high-energy electrons.

A Generalized Townsend's Theory for Paschen Curves in Planar, Cylindrical, and Spherical Geometries in Planetary Atmospheres

AbstractIn this work, we focus on plasma discharges produced between two electrodes with a high potential difference, resulting in the ionization of the neutral particles supporting a current in a gaseous medium. At low currents and low temperatures, this process can create luminescent emissions: glow and corona discharges. The parallel plate geometry used in Townsend's theory lets us develop a theoretical formalism, with explicit solutions for the critical voltage effectively reproducing experimental Paschen curves. However, most discharge processes occur in non‐parallel plate geometries, such as discharges between particles in multiphase systems and between cylindrical conductors. Here, we propose a generalization of the classic parallel plate configurations to concentric spherical and coaxial cylindrical geometries in Earth, Mars, Titan, and Venus atmospheres. In a spherical case, a small radius effectively represents a sharp tip rod, while larger, centimeter‐scale radii represent blunted tips. In cylindrical geometries, small radii resemble thin wires. We solve continuity equations in the gap and estimate a critical radius and minimum breakdown voltage that allows the formation of a glow discharge. We show that glow coronæ form more easily in Mars's low‐pressure, CO2‐rich atmosphere than in Earth's high‐pressure, N2‐rich atmosphere. Additionally, we present breakdown criteria for Titan and Venus, two planets where discharge processes have been postulated. We further demonstrate that critical voltage minima occur at 0.5 cm⋅Torr for all three investigated geometries, suggesting easier initiation around millimeter‐size particles in dust and water clouds. This approach could be readily extended to examine other multiphase flows with inertial particles.

PH/Ion Dual-Responsive Emulsion Via a Cationic Surfactant and Positively Charged Magnesium Hydroxide Nanosheets.

Emulsions, formed by dispersing a liquid into another immiscible one by virtue of emulsifiers, have been widely applied in commercial applications like foods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and personal care, which always confront environmental and/or toxic questions due to emulsifiers' high dosage. Recently, a study on Pickering emulsions points out a solution to stable emulsions based on the costabilizing effect of colloidal particles, which focused on surface-active particles cooperating with oppositely charged ionic surfactants. Costabilized emulsions adopting a charge-similar ionic surfactant and particles were less studied. In this article, a hexane-in-water emulsion was prepared in use of a cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) with positively charged magnesium hydroxide (MH) nanosheets at low concentrations (10-5 M and 10-2 wt %, respectively). The emulsion is stable due to the synergy by CTAB and MH nanosheets, which functions in virtue of the electric repulsion by similarly charged particles, the mechanical shielding by MH nanosheets, and restrained water drainage in lamellae between droplets due to the gelation of MH nanosheets. Moreover, the emulsion is doubly switchable within emulsification/demulsification via convenient pH or ion manipulation, a mechanism based on the breakdown and rebuilding of the costabilizing synergy. Such dual-responsive emulsions show high potential for the delicate control of drug delivery, release, and biphasic biocatalysis applications.

The effects of partition function cutoff on spectral temperature measurement in argon plasma

In order to evaluate the effect of cutoff criteria on spectral temperature measurement, partition functions are calculated for argon plasma at 3000–30 000 K using three different cutoff criteria (semi-empirical method, NIST data, and Griem’s theory). The effects of cutoff criteria on particle number density and plasma temperature measurements were discussed. The results indicate that as the plasma temperature increases, the degree of particle ionization increases and the cutoff effect weakens. The cutoff criteria have little impact on the calculation of the number density of the main components of the plasma but have a significant impact on the calculation of the number density of non-major components. The cutoff criterion using the NIST data can be reliably used for the temperature measurement, especially when the standard temperature method is used. Nevertheless, Griem’s theory should be considered for accurate calculation of radiation intensity.