Laboratory Air Research Articles

Flow field and emission characterization of a novel enclosed jet-in-hot-coflow canonical burner

The jet-in-hot-coflow is a canonical combustion setup, which has been used in several studies to study Flameless/MILD combustion and auto-ignition of fuels. However, the NOx and CO emission measurements from these combustion setups were not possible due to the entrainment of laboratory air and a lack of a well-defined physical system limit. These limitations have been overcome by a new enclosed jet-in-hot-coflow setup. The combustor was operated by injecting a mixture of CH4-Air in the central jet, and the coflow comprised of hot products from CH4-Air combustion in burners upstream. The coflow composition was further controlled by adding diluents such as N2 and CO2. Measurements were done using stereoscopic particle image velocimetry, suction probe gas analysis, thermocouples, and chemiluminescence imaging. Increasing central jet velocity and equivalence ratio led to lower NOx and a reaction zone that enlarged and shifted downstream. The reduction in NOx emission was attributed to the returning mechanism. Adding CO2 and N2 as diluents in the coflow resulted in a longer combustion zone and reduced temperatures in the combustion chamber, leading to decreased NOx production and increased reburning. These experiments provide relevant flowfield and emissions data for modelers and help characterize combustion regimes such as Flameless/MILD.

2.7 μm backward wave optical parametric oscillator source for CO2 spectroscopy.

In this work, a novel 2.7 µm source used for CO2 and H2O vapor spectroscopy using the backward propagating wave of a backward wave optical parametric oscillator (BWOPO) is demonstrated for the first time to our knowledge. The unique properties of BWOPOs eliminate the need for additional spectral narrowing or wavelength stabilization, enabling the use of a multi-longitudinal mode Q-switched pump laser centered around 1030 nm. A full characterization of the source is presented, revealing a central output at 2712 nm, showcasing a temperature tuning of -1.77 GHz/K, and achieving an output pulse energy of 2.3 µJ. Novel methods are introduced for measuring the linewidth and wavelength stability using the ambient laboratory air. These approaches demonstrate a narrow output of 43 pm and establish an upper limit of stability at 65 MHz, with no active means of stabilization. These findings underscore the potential of BWOPOs as a robust platform for future differential absorption lidar (DIAL) systems.

Long‐Term High‐Temperature Oxidation of Al10CoCrFeNi30 High‐Entropy Alloy

The combined effects of high‐temperature and long‐term exposure to oxidation environment on an AlCoCrFeNi‐based high entropy alloy (HEA) are investigated. The alloy has a composition of Al10Co20Cr20Fe20Ni30 (at%) and is oxidized in lab air at 1000 °C for 1000 h to emulate working conditions and long operation cycles of gas turbines. The microstructure and oxide formation of the HEA are characterized using scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction. The performance of the HEA is compared to that of Inconel 625 and Hastelloy X and shows slower oxidation kinetics than Inconel 625 until 750 h. The HEA has the thinnest oxide layer of the three alloys and exhibits a triplex structure with a continuous Cr2O3 outer scale, a semi‐continuous Al2O3 subscale, and deep AlN precipitates. The matrix shows signs of Cr and Al depletion after 1000 h, leading to its inability to replace the degraded oxide scales that evaporated or spalled, and decreases its long‐term oxidation resistance. Overall, the HEA shows good oxidation resistance until 750 h, but may benefit from a higher Al content on the surface to form a longer‐lasting Al2O3 subscale that would remain protective beyond 750 h.

The improvement in high-temperature oxidation resistance of Ni0.25Co0.25Cr0.22Mo0.14Re0.14 high entropy alloy via industrial chemical vapor aluminizing process

The effects of the protective coating (NiAl coating) on the high temperature isothermal oxidation resistance of Ni0.25Co0.25Cr0.22Mo0.14Re0.14 high entropy alloy (HEA) was discussed in this work. A nickel aluminide (NiAl) coating was obtained on the Ni0.25Co0.25Cr0.22Mo0.14Re0.14 HEA via the industrial chemical vapor aluminizing (CVA) process. Isothermal oxidation tests were applied to NiAl-coated and uncoated samples in ambient laboratory air for durations of up to 200 h at 1050 °C to investigate the effects of the NiAl coating on high-temperature isothermal oxidation resistance of Ni0.25Co0.25Cr0.22Mo0.14Re0.14 HEA. The results revealed that a protective and slowly growing α-Al2O3 oxide layer formed on the surface of the NiAl-coated HEA samples and remained stable even after 200 h of isothermal oxidation. For uncoated HEA samples, not only Cr2O3 but also non-protective spinel oxides (CoCr2O4 and NiCr2O4) were detected on the surface. Weight gain was observed in the NiAl-coated HEA samples due to the formation of a protective and slowly growing α-Al2O3 oxide layer on the NiAl coating. In contrast, the uncoated HEA samples experienced weight loss even after 6 h of isothermal oxidation, as Cr2O3 lost its stability at 1050 °C and non-protective spinel oxides formed. Therefore, it has been determined that the NiAl coating significantly enhance the isothermal oxidation resistance of the Ni0.25Co0.25Cr0.22Mo0.14Re0.14 HEA. The α-Al2O3 oxide layer has prevented severe oxidation of NiAl-coated samples due to its stability at 1050 °C over 200 h and its slow growth rate.

On relating quasi-static load threshold K1scc to K1c

Abstract It is common to observe that monotonic K1c (lab air) and K1scc (NaCl solution) decrease with increasing YS of an alloy. K1c is measured in lab air and K1scc in an aqueous solution such as NaCl. It is noted that K1c is not considered as a subcritical parameter while K1scc is. Interestingly, for a given alloy, both these parameters seem to be inter-related. That is, K1scc is linearly related to K1c, such that K1scc increases with increasing K1c. This may indicate that plasticity is affecting the K1scc behavior. This article looks into the conditions that affect K1scc for steels, Al-alloys, and Ti-alloys. This linear variation of K1scc with K1c seems to be independent of alloy YS, E, microstructure, and work hardening rate. This observation seems similar in all three systems of alloys. How these parameters are interrelated is analyzed and discussed in detail.

Microstructural Modifications and Failure Mechanisms of an Aluminum‐Based Abradable Coating System during Isothermal and Cyclic Aging

Abradable systems are used in the aeronautical industry to improve the efficiency of gas turbine. Those materials are exposed in service to temperature up to 450 °C. The increase in gas turbine efficiency requires to increase the operating temperature and therefore the service temperature of abradable coating. The present study focuses on the isothermal and cyclic thermal aging of the Al–Si abradable coating system in a laboratory air at high temperature up to 500 °C. The investigation encompasses the microstructural evolution, phase transformation, and the formation of cracks, along with their interrelated effects. During aging, silicon particles precipitate in the abradable top coat. In addition, coarsening of those particles is observed and the coarsening kinetics appears to be faster in cyclic thermal aging conditions compared to isothermal aging. During cyclic and isothermal aging, brittle aluminides develope at the abradable top–coat/bond–coat interface, due to the interdiffusion of Al and Ni species. During cyclic aging, thermal cycles create thermomechanical stress at the top‐coat/bont‐coat interface due to coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch between the Al‐Si deposit and intermetallic phases. The stress generated results in the formation of cracks and porosities at the top–coat/bond–coat interface resulting in a dramatic failure of the system.

Characterisation of Fe, Cr and Al behaviour at the interface during diffusion bonding of ODS/Al couple

Abstract Diffusion bonding of oxide dispersion strengthened ferritic steel PM2000 1.2 mm thickness plates sandwiched by aluminium foils was carried out. This joining was achieved under laboratory air at temperatures less than 660 °C by simultaneously applying heat and sufficient compression of about 210 MPa to give a high level of plastic deformation to the Al interlayer. The resulting microstructures and phases at the interface were characterised using scanning and transmission electron microscopy and microanalyses. The formation of intermetallic phase type FeAl was detected close to the interface and the FeAl3 further away on the aluminium side. The bonded samples were heat treated under a special regime and bend tested. In the treated samples Fe–Cr compounds were noticed. The corrosion study of the heat-treated samples in laboratory air at 950 °C demonstrated a high temperature corrosion resistance.

Intermediate temperature degradation of a SiC/BN/SiC (MI) composite with holes at 500–900°C in steam

AbstractSpecimens from a Hi‐Nicalon Type S/BN/SiC (MI) ceramic matrix composite with multiple machined holes were subjected to a furnace dwell and then tensile tested. The furnace temperature range was 500–900°C, and the atmosphere was pure steam to approximate the temperature and sea level partial pressure of water vapor in the cooling air going through turbomachinery cooling holes. Exposure of control specimens was done in laboratory air at the same temperatures. Tensile results along with microscopy and spectroscopy showed significant strength degradation in some conditions due primarily to oxidation of the boron nitride fiber coating, with coating volatilization at lower temperatures and probable fiber‐to‐matrix bonding and imposed fiber stresses at higher temperatures. The greatest strength degradation occurred in the 500–600°C steam range. The fiber coating oxidation/volatilization was especially evident near the holes and was exacerbated in the lower temperature tests by porosity networks that were open to the atmosphere at fiber tow ends at the specimen edges and along the inner walls of the holes.

Low-Cycle Corrosion Fatigue Deformation Mechanism for an α+β Ti-6Al-4V-0.55Fe Alloy

Titanium alloys with high strength and good corrosion resistance have become one of the critical bearing structural materials in marine engineering. But in service, corrosion fatigue would occur under the synergetic action of cyclic external load and corrosion environment, threatening the safety of components. In this study, compared with low-cycle fatigue in laboratory air, the low-cycle corrosion fatigue deformation mechanism and fracture characteristic of the Ti-6Al-4V-0.55Fe alloy were investigated in 3.5% NaCl corrosion solution under selected stress amplitudes. The results showed that under low stress amplitude, corrosion fatigue was determined by fatigue damage and corrosion damage, causing a reduction in fatigue life. The local stress concentration caused by corrosion pits and dislocations pile-up accelerated the initiation of fatigue cracks, and other corrosion behavior including crevice corrosion promoted fatigue crack propagation; the corrosion solution increased the surface damage. While under high stress amplitude, due to the short contact time between the sample and solution and higher applied stress, the fatigue life is determined by fatigue damage caused by multiple slips.

High‐temperature KCl‐induced corrosion of high Cr and Ni alloys investigated by in‐situ diffraction

AbstractHigh‐temperature KCl‐induced corrosion in laboratory air was observed in situ utilizing X‐ray diffraction. High Cr‐containing model alloys (Fe‐13Cr, Fe‐18Cr‐12Ni, and Fe‐25Cr‐20Ni) were coated with KCl and exposed to dry air at 560°C. KCl‐free alloys were studied in the equivalent atmosphere as a reference. After exposure to KCl‐free environments, all alloys showed the formation of very thin oxide layers, indicating good corrosion resistance. In contrast, KCl‐bearing alloys showed distinct damage after exposure.

Thermomechanical and isothermal fatigue properties of MAR-M247 superalloy

Thermomechanical low-cycle fatigue (TMF) tests were performed on polycrystalline cast nickel-based superalloy MAR-M247 under in-phase (IP) and out-of phase (OP) loading in the temperature range of 500–900 °C. A constant heating and cooling rate of 5 °C.s−1 was selected. Furthermore, isothermal low-cycle fatigue (ILCF) tests with the same cycle period as TMF cycle were carried out at the maximal temperature of TMF cycle (900 °C). All tests ran under strain control and fully reversed cycle on solid cylindrical specimens in laboratory air. High resolution scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were utilized to characterize the damage mechanism occurring during TMF and ILCF loading. The cyclic deformation and lifetime behaviour as well as damage mechanisms dependent on loading regime were examined. Results show that the TMF loading has a detrimental effect on the lifetime of MAR-M247. Lifetime reduction is most significant under IP loading. The fracture surfaces are characterized by typical striation fields, where the largest spacing between striations was observed for IP loading with prevailing intercrystalline cracking followed by OP and isothermal ILCF loading with transcrystalline crack propagation. To improve discussion of obtained results, experimental data were compared with damage and life prediction models.

Distribution of 2,2',5,5'-Tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB52) Metabolites in Adolescent Rats after Acute Nose-Only Inhalation Exposure.

Inhalation of PCB-contaminated air is increasingly recognized as a route for PCB exposure. Because limited information about the disposition of PCBs following inhalation exposure is available, this study investigated the disposition of 2,2',5,5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB52) and its metabolites in rats following acute, nose-only inhalation of PCB52. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats (50-58 days of age, 210 ± 27 g; n = 6) were exposed for 4 h by inhalation to approximately 14 or 23 μg/kg body weight of PCB52 using a nose-only exposure system. Sham animals (n = 6) were exposed to filtered lab air. Based on gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS), PCB52 was present in adipose, brain, intestinal content, lung, liver, and serum. 2,2',5,5'-Tetrachlorobiphenyl-4-ol (4-OH-PCB52) and one unknown monohydroxylated metabolite were detected in these compartments except for the brain. Liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) analysis identified several metabolites, including sulfated, methoxylated, and dechlorinated PCB52 metabolites. These metabolites were primarily found in the liver (7 metabolites), lung (9 metabolites), and serum (9 metabolites) due to the short exposure time. These results demonstrate for the first time that complex mixtures of sulfated, methoxylated, and dechlorinated PCB52 metabolites are formed in adolescent rats following PCB52 inhalation, laying the groundwork for future animal studies of the adverse effects of inhaled PCB52.

A New Method for the Correction of Spectrum Drift Caused by Temperature Changes When Using a NaI(Tl) Seawater Radioactivity Sensor

The seawater radioactivity sensor based on the NaI(Tl) scintillation crystal detection method is prone to spectrum drift due to environment temperature changes during actual measurement, which pose difficulties in the activity analysis of seawater radionuclides. This paper adopts experiment design and analysis methods to study the relationship laws between temperature and peak position channel address and between gain and the peak position channel address. On the basis of studying and summarizing the two relationship laws of the NaI(Tl) seawater radioactivity sensor, a spectrum drift correction method combining gain adjustment and spectrum processing is proposed. Laboratory air and water environment experiments verify that the peak position channel address drift after air environment correction does not exceed ±2 channels, and after water environment correction does not exceed ±1 channel. Long-term verification experiments at the seawater work site have shown that this correction method can effectively correct the spectrum drift of the NaI(Tl) seawater radioactivity sensor and meet the requirements of long-term automatic operations at sea for the measured spectrum.

Oxidation behavior of Ti2AlC MAX phase-based coating on a γ-TiAl alloy TiAl48-2-2 produced by DC magnetron sputtering

The application of intermetallic γ-TiAl-based alloys is limited by the deterioration in strength and creep resistance as well as reduction in oxidation resistance above 750 °C. The deposition of protective coatings is a promising opportunity to enhance the oxidation resistance or the lifetime with regard to the sustainability by several orders of magnitude. Moreover, additive manufacturing processes could enable the production of components with more complex geometries in the future. Thus, designs of γ-TiAl turbine blades with internal cooling systems could be feasible in the near future. In this context, the deposition of thermal barrier coatings and, therefore, oxidation protective bond coatings became important. MAX phases are of increasing interest as coating materials for high temperature applications due to their unique combination of metallic and ceramic properties. Especially the alumina forming MAX phases such as Cr2AlC, Ti2AlC or Ti2AlN are promising coating materials.In the present work a Ti2AlC MAX-phase based coating was deposited by DC magnetron sputtering. Using three pure elemental target materials - Ti, Al and C and a two-fold rotation, a homogenous all-around coating was applied on the γ-TiAl alloy TiAl48-2-2 with a coating thickness of 10 μm. After the deposition process the stochiometric Ti2AlC coating was X-ray amorphous, therefore a post-heat treatment at 800 °C for 1 h was performed to achieve the desired hexagonal phase. Finally, the MAX-phase coated TiAl48-2-2 alloy was subjected to a cyclic oxidation test at 850 °C in laboratory air. The Ti2AlC MAX-phase coated TiAl48-2-2 alloy exhibits an excellent oxidation behavior, due to the formation of a thermally grown alumina top layer with the desired hexagonal Ti2AlC MAX-phase below. Extensive TEM analyses also showed the dependence of Al2O3 formation on post-heat treatment. θ-Al2O3 with a lower protective effect and the concomitant formation of TiN under the TGO was observed with post-heat treatment in Ar, while post-heat treatment in air lead to the formation of a protective α-Al2O3 layer.

The Assessment of PM2.5 and PM10 Immission in Atmospheric Air in a Climate Chamber during Tests of an Electric Car on a Chassis Dynamometer

Electric cars, like internal combustion vehicles, emit particulate pollution from non-exhaust systems, i.e., tires and brakes, which is included in the Euro 7 emission standard planned for implementation. Tests conducted on chassis dynamometers are accompanied by particulate emissions from non-exhaust systems, which are introduced into the ambient air on the test bench. Particulate emissions tests from non-engine systems on chassis dynamometers are mainly aimed at measuring the mass or number of particulates from tires and brakes. In contrast, little attention is paid to the immission of particulate matter from tires and brakes on the dynamometer during tests, which in the case of electric cars include, for example, measurements of energy consumption or range. Therefore, in order to draw attention to the problem of these emissions, the authors carried out measurements of PM2.5 and PM10 immissions into the air in the climatic chamber during tests of an electric car on a chassis dynamometer. The car tests were carried out in accordance with the WLTC (Worldwide harmonized Light duty Test Cycle) and at constant speed. Based on the test results, a model was proposed for the immission of particulate matter in laboratory air from tire and brake abrasion, taking traffic parameters into account. The results and the developed model show that air quality, in terms of particulate content, deteriorates significantly during testing.

Fabrication and characterization of electrically conducting electrochemically synthesized polypyrrole-based enzymatic biofuel cell anode with biocompatible redox mediator vitamin K3

Enzymatic biofuel cells (EBFCs) hold tremendous potential to power biomedical devices, biosensors, and bioelectronics. Unlike conventional toxic batteries, these electrochemical devices are biocompatible, harnessing energy from physiological fluids and producing usable electrical energy. But the commercialization of EBFCs is limited by the low operational stability, limited power output and poor electron transport efficiency of the enzymatic electrodes. In this study, a novel bioanode exhibiting a high electron transfer ability and long-term stability was fabricated. For the preparation of the anode, surfactant-assisted polypyrrole (PPy) was electrochemically co-deposited on a platinum wire with the simultaneous entrapment of vitamin K3 (VK3) and GOx (glucose oxidase) in the PPy matrix. Herein, conducting PPy acts as an electron transfer enhancer and provides appropriate electrical communication between the active site of the enzyme glucose oxidase (GOx) and the electrode surface. Biocompatible redox mediator vitamin K3 was employed as an electron transfer mediator to shuttle electrons between the oxidized fuel glucose and surface of the electrode in the electrochemical cell. The electrical conductivity of PPy was measured using the four-probe technique of conductivity measurement of semiconductors. The morphological characterization of as-synthesized anode (PPy/CTAB/VK3/GOx) was performed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The electrochemical characterization was studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. It was observed that the room-temperature conductivity of PPy lies in the semiconducting range and it also shows good stability on exposure to laboratory air, making it a promising material to provide electrical contact. The study developed a bioanode producing a modest current density of 6.35 mA cm–2 in 20 mM glucose solution. The stability, current output and ease of manufacturing process of the electrode make it particularly suitable for employment in biofuel cell applications.

Reactive oxygen species on indoor surfaces.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are relatively unstable oxygen-containing radicals or non-radicals, some of which may react with tissues and biomolecules after entering the body. ROS is present in indoor aerosols, but it is unclear how much of that ROS is of indoor origin. Indoor surface films have been hypothesized to be a major source of the ROS observed on indoor aerosols. In this study, the ROS concentration on residential indoor surfaces was measured using a xylenol orange ferrous oxidation assay after wiping and extraction. On genuine surfaces frequently touched by apartment occupants, the concentration was >0.2 nmol cm-2; infrequently touched surfaces were at or below detection limits. On clean glass plates that had been deployed in apartments for 6 weeks, horizontal plates had higher concentrations than vertically oriented plates. The highest concentration, 1.3 nmol cm-2, was observed on a horizontally oriented plate close to an electric stove. To simulate the dynamic oxidation of unsaturated hydrocarbons on indoor surfaces, a surface lipid mixture (SLM) was dosed on 19 glass plates which were then exposed to untreated laboratory air for periods ranging from 1 to 56 days. During the first 5-6 days, the ROS concentration increased roughly linearly to a maximum of 5-6 nmol cm-2. Then the concentration ceased to increase, perhaps because reactive sites had become depleted. After 2 weeks, ROS decreased slowly, possibly due to a combination of volatilization, decomposition and continued formation by autoxidation. These field and laboratory results support the hypothesis that indoor surfaces can be a source of ROS.

Correlation analysis between microstructure and mechanical properties of spark-plasma-sintered Ti(C, N)–W cermets according to changes in titanium, carbon and nitrogen contents

In this study, TiC–50 wt% W, TiN–50 wt% W, TiC0.7N0.3–50 wt% W, Ti0.55C0.13N0.32–50 wt% W, TiC0.5N0.5–50 wt% W and TiC0.5N0.5–70 wt% W cermet specimens with grain sizes smaller than 1 μm were prepared by blending TiC, TiN, TiC0.5N0.5, W and Ti powders followed by the spark plasma sintering of the blended powders. Under Ar gas flow conditions at 1973 K, the TiC0.5N0.5–50 wt% W and TiC-50 wt% W cermet specimens exhibited the first and second highest strengths, respectively, whereas the TiN–50 wt% W and Ti0.55C0.13N0.32–50 wt% W cermet specimens exhibited the lowest strength among all the cermet specimens prepared in this study. In contrast, the Ti0.55C0.13N0.32–50 wt% W and TiC0.5N0.5–50 wt% W cermet specimens exhibited the first and second highest strengths, respectively, at room temperature in laboratory air. Coherent interfaces, whose type differed from those of the TiC0.5N0.5–50 wt% W and TiC0.5N0.5–70 wt% W cermet specimens, were found in (Ti, W)C grains in the TiC–50 wt% W cermet specimen. The coherent interfaces in the TiC–50 wt% W cermet specimen were considered to suppress the grain growth because these interfaces normally suppress the interdiffusion of Ti, W and C atoms. Moreover, the grain growth seemed to be suppressed in the TiC0.7N0.3–50 wt% W, Ti0.55C0.13N0.32–50 wt% W, TiC0.5N0.5–50 wt% W and TiC0.5N0.5–70 wt% W cermet specimens owing to the core–rim structures with coherent interfaces in the cermet specimens. The coherent interfaces and core–rim structures are thus considered to contribute to improving the high-temperature strength of all the cermet specimens except for the TiN–50 wt% W cermet specimen, which contained neither core–rim structures nor coherent interfaces.

Electrochemically Induced CO2 Capture Enabled By Aqueous Organic Redox Chemistry

Investigations are ongoing to determine whether electrochemically-driven CO2 capture with inexpensive redox-active molecules in aqueous electrolyte in a scalable flow cell system has the potential to cost-effectively reach impactful scale.Water-soluble redox organic molecules “Q” can potentially capture CO2 from diffuse and point sources in an electrochemical flow cell. For example, proton-coupled electron transfer of these molecules (Q+2H++2e- → QH2) can raise the electrolyte pH, leading to the capture of CO2 from air; subsequent electrochemical oxidation of the reduced molecules (QH2 → Q+2H++2e-) acidifies the electrolyte, resulting in the release of pure CO2 [1-2]. The thermodynamic analysis indicates that an idealized cycle requires the minimum work input varying from 16 to 75 kJ/molCO 2 as throughput per cycle increases, with the potential to go substantially lower if CO2 capture or release is performed simultaneously with electrochemical reduction or oxidation. The method appears safe and scalable, as it utilizes non-toxic, non-corrosive, non-volatile and potentially low-cost organic molecules.An alternative CO2 capture mechanism, which appears to operate in parallel to this pH swing mechanism, is a nucleophilicity swing in which the electrochemically reduced species spontaneously forms a CO2 adduct, Q(CO2)2 2 -, which releases its CO2 upon electrochemical oxidation.In spite of the advantages in thermodynamic minimum and sustainable electrochemical processes, oxygen intolerance of the reduced molecules (QH2) has limited its application to direct air capture (DAC) due to reversible chemical oxidation of QH2 back to Q by atmospheric oxygen. Here, we report reduced Q species with improved resistance to oxidation by air. The air tolerance of the reduced Q with captured CO2 was evaluated under air exposure and tracked by 1H NMR. From day-1 to day-9, an NMR sample was loosely capped and stored in lab air. There was no sign of chemical changes in the NMR spectra for the first 5 days, and the peaks of Q in the oxidized state did not appear before the ninth day. The air stability of Q(CO2)2 2 - within the first five days suggests the feasibility of utilizing Q for a CO2capture/release cycle in the presence of oxygen that takes << 5 days.We will report the results of molecular engineering efforts to further improve molecular stability of the reduced form under oxygen.[1] Jin, S.; Wu, M.; Gordon, R. G.; Aziz, M. J.; Kwabi, D. G. pH swing cycle for CO2 capture electrochemically driven through proton-coupled electron transfer, Energy Environ. Sci., 2020, 13, 3706-3722.[2] Jin, S.; Wu, M.; Jing, Y.; Gordon, R. G.; Aziz, M. J. Low energy carbon capture via electrochemically induced pH swing with electrochemical rebalancing, Nature Communications, 2022, 13, 2140.

Objective characterisation of reinforced concrete with progressive corrosion defects through clustering and thresholding of infrared images

The research in this paper focuses on detection and quantification of subsurface damage in reinforced concrete (RC) structures by the analysis of infrared images. Experimental investigations were performed on RC slabs with embedded reinforcing bars (rebars). The corrosion mechanism in rebars was accelerated using an electrical circuit setup. The initial temperature of the slabs was adjusted in the environmental chamber and IR images were taken at regular intervals while they were exchanging heat to laboratory air through convection. Records of IR images were post-processed using an objective thresholding method proposed based on unsupervised k-means clustering. The results were discussed in context and with respect to the ASTM D 4788–03 recommendation for minimum detectable thermal contrast (0.5 °C) from delamination in bridge concrete by infrared thermography (IRT). The conclusions lead to recommendations for improved practical implementation of IRT that contribute to the broader prospects of structural health monitoring (SHM).