Liquid Route Research Articles

Engineering yeast for high-level production of β-farnesene from sole methanol

Methanol, a rich one-carbon feedstock, can be massively produced from CO2 by the liquid sunshine route, which is helpful to realize carbon neutrality. β-Farnesene is widely used in the production of polymers, surfactants, lubricants, and also serves as a suitable substitute for jet fuel. Constructing an efficient cell factory is a feasible approach for β-farnesene production through methanol biotransformation. Here, we extensively engineered the methylotrophic yeast Ogataea polymorpha for the efficient bio-production of β-farnesene using methanol as the sole carbon source. Our study demonstrated that sufficient supply of precursor acetyl-CoA and cofactor NADPH in an excellent yeast chassis had a 1.3-fold higher β-farnesene production than that of wild-type background strain. Further optimization of the mevalonate pathway and enhancement of acetyl-CoA supply led to a 7-fold increase in β-farnesene accumulation, achieving the highest reported sesquiterpenoids production (14.7 g/L with a yield of 46 mg/g methanol) from one-carbon feedstock under fed-batch fermentation in bioreactor. This study demonstrates the great potential of engineering O. polymorpha for high-level terpenoid production from methanol.

Investigation on Mechanical Properties of Agro and Industrial Waste Reinforcement in Aluminium 7075 Composite with Liquid Metal Stir Casting Route

Day-to-day life advanced composite materials usage is increasing continuously and replacing the existing monolithic materials. These composite materials are designed and fabricated for human needs with specific applications and also meet the standard requirements. In present study, the agro and industrial wastes derived ceramic reinforcements based Aluminium metal matrix composites, i.e. AA7075/welding slag and AA7075/Rice husk ash are fabricated through liquid metal stir casting route with varying the reinforcement contents from 2 to 12 (wt.%) in the matrix. Mechanical and microstructural characterization of the AA 7075 metal matrix composite were measured and compared to the base material. The results show an improved mechanical strength and high hardness in composites. Impact energy has also significantly improved at higher concentrations of reinforcement particles. Impact energy of the composites increases to 3 J for 9% and 12%, the maximum tensile strength obtained is 173 MPa for 12% Weld Slag MMC. The highest hardness achieved is 98 BHN for 12% Weld Slag MMC. Furthermore, the microstructural results reflect significant grain refinement with stir casting process with good interface characteristics in the matrix and uniform dispersion of agro reinforcement’s particles.

Synthesis of bismuth vanadate by laser ablation in liquid route and its structural and optical characterization

In this work, a bottom up route was developed to obtain BiVO4 by dissociation of precursors by laser ablation. The process consisted of using a laser beam focusing on a mixture of bismuth oxide in an ammonium metavanadate solution under agitation. The precipitate obtained demonstrated high crystallinity as evidenced by the narrow peaks in the x-ray diffraction pattern and 20 nm crystallite size calculated by the Scherrer equation, approximately, and the presence of monoclinic Scheelite and tetragonal zirconia-like phases mixing. Particles showed a certain degree of agglomeration with size ranging from 400-200 nm according to SEM images. The Raman spectra showed the typical vibrational modes of mixed phases, which only changed into monoclinic scheelite after being calcined at 500 °C. The band gap was determined using Tauc plot and revealed a 2.5 eV energy band gap with a well-defined band in the visible range of spectrum for monoclinic phase samples material thermally treated. Photoluminescence results demonstrated low recombination rate for electron-hole pair indicating could be suitable in photocatalysis.

Corrosion behavior and scratch performance of Al-WC nanocomposites

Corrosion behavior and scratch performance of Al-WC nanocomposites with varying wt% of WC are evaluated in this study. Liquid metallurgy-based stir-casting route is used for fabrication of the nanocomposites. Particles are distributed in the matrix as confirmed by EDAX (energy-dispersive X-ray) spectrum and XRD ( X-ray diffraction) analysis. The micro-hardness of nanocomposites increases with the increase of wt% of WC particles. Corrosion behavior is studied under different corrosive environments, viz., neutral, alkaline and acidic solution. Tafel plots and Nyquist plots are obtained under the neutral medium (3.5 wt% NaCl aqueous solution), while only Tafel plots are obtained under 0.5 M NaOH solution and 0.5 M HCl solution. Among all three operating mediums, NaCl solution is the least corrosive for the composite. Corrosion rates under NaOH and HCl medium are high and values are very close to each other. The least amount of reinforcement, 0.5 wt% of WC, yields the best corrosion resistance under the neutral solution. The corrosion resistance increases with the amount of reinforcement under alkaline and acidic mediums. From SEM (scanning electron microscope) images of the corroded surfaces, pitting corrosion is observed for Al-0.5%WC composite while exfoliation with deeper cracks is observed for composites with a higher amount of WC. Scratch performance is also evaluated for a load range of 5 N to 20 N. Scratch resistance increases with increase in wt% of nano-particles. Surfaces after scratching are characterized using optical microscope, SEM, and EDAX spectrum.

Design and application of a multiple combination portable auxiliary device for infusion

Intravenous infusion is an important route of drug therapy, and infusion safety is an important issue for medical staff. Long-term and multiple infusion routes at the same time bring inconvenience to patients. Multiple three-way switches in parallel infusion may lead to interruption of the liquid route, which can seriously endanger the life of patients. To address these clinical issues, medical staff from the School of Basic Medical Sciences of Hebei Medical University and the Emergency Department of the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University designed a multiple combination portable infusion assistance device and obtained the National Utility Model Patent of China (ZL 2022 2 0226073.2). The device is mainly composed of adhesive tape sticker, fixed slots and pipelines, and also includes a three-way valve and a mixing chamber, and different modes of infusion assist devices can be selected according to clinical needs. The device is simple and convenient to operate, solves the problem of multiple liquid infusion blockages, improves the safety and comfort of infusion, and can meet the needs of liquid infusion in various clinical situations.

Investigate the mechanical properties of Aluminium Metal Matrix Composite

Abstract The objective of this study is to produce metal matrix composites with aluminium as the matrix material and beryl as the reinforcing particles. Given the comparable density of beryl particles to Aluminum-based alloys, it is anticipated that enhancements in strength and ductility properties will lead to increased mechanical and tribological characteristics, including hardness and wear resistance. Extensive research has been conducted on aluminum-based metal matrix composites (MMCs) in the recent past, specifically focusing on the utilisation of ceramic reinforcements such as silicon carbide (SiC), titanium nitride (TiN), Titanium Diboride (TiB2), zirconia (ZrO2), and alumina (Al2O3). Typically, the ceramic particles employed for reinforcement exhibit notable hardness and high density, resulting in enhanced hardness and improved Tribological wear characteristics. Aluminium-based metal matrix composites (AMMC) were produced by including varying concentrations of beryl (3%, 8%, and 13%) through two distinct fabrication methods: the liquid metallurgy vortex route and the powder metallurgy approach. The beryl mineral phase was initially subjected to crushing and mechanical sieving processes to get particle sizes with an average of 50 ± 10 and 100 ± 10 μm. The mechanical qualities, including hardness and tensile strength, were examined using the Brinell hardness machine and the Universal testing equipment.

Silicon carbide nanoparticles featured AZ63/BN alloy nanocomposite made by using liquid stir vacuum die cast: characteristics study

ABSTRACT With the unique class, the reinforcements play a precious role during the composite fabrication, expanding the specific properties. The novel research intensively enhances the micro-structural and mechanical behaviour of magnesium alloy (AZ63/3 wt% boron nitride) nanocomposite featured 2, 4, and 6 wt% of nano-size silicon carbide (SiC) particles via liquid state vacuum stir cast route. The exposure of SiC and BN on composite density, voids contribution, changes in AZ91D microstructure, impact toughness, hardness, and stress-strain individuality of AZ63 alloy nanocomposite is evaluated with ASTM policy. The composite composed with 3 wt% BN and 6 wt% SiC proved their identity. It showed the lower contribution of voids-free homogenous dispersion particle results in a maximum impact strength of 14.7J/mm2, hardness of 74HV, and superb tensile strength of 247MPa. This optimum behaviour will be recommended for automotive roof frame applications.

An Investigation of the Thermal Properties of LM13- Quartz- Fly-Ash Hybrid Composites

In the present work, a metal–matrix composite was casted using the LM13 aluminum alloy, which is most widely used for casting automotive components. Such applications require materials to withstand high operating temperatures and perform reliably without compromising their properties. In this regard, particulate-reinforced composites have gained widespread adaptability. The particulate reinforcements used comprise of one of the widely available industrial by-products. which is fly ash, along with the abundantly available quartz. Hybrid composites are fabricated through the economical liquid route that is widely used in mass production. Though there are numerous published research articles investigating the mechanical properties of metal–matrix composites, very few investigated the thermal properties of the composites. In the present work, thermal properties such as thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of cast hybrid composites were evaluated. The particulate reinforcements were added in varied weight percentages to the molten LM13 alloy and were dispersed uniformly using a power-driven stirrer. The melt with the dispersed particulate reinforcements was then poured into a thoroughly dried sand mold, and the melt was allowed to solidify. The quality of the castings was ascertained through density evaluation followed by a microstructural examination. It was found that the composites with only the fly ash particles as a reinforcement were less dense in comparison to the composites cast with the quartz particulate reinforcement. However, the hybrid composite, with both particulate reinforcements were dense. The microstructure revealed a refined grain structure. The thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity values were lower for the composites cast with only the fly ash reinforcement. On the other hand, the composites cast with only quartz as the particulate reinforcement exhibited higher thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity. The specific heat capacity was found to be lower for the fly ash-reinforced composites and higher for the quartz-reinforced composites in comparison to the LM13 base matrix alloy. However, the highest value of thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity were reported for the hybrid composites with a 10 wt.% inclusion of both fly ash and quartz particulate reinforcements.

Role of microstructure in the exploitation of self-healing potential in form-stable composite phase change materials based on immiscible alloys

Metallic Phase Change Materials (PCMs), based on solid-liquid transitions, represents one of the most promising technologies for efficient Thermal Energy Storage (TES), due to their superior thermal conductivity and energy storability per unit volume, but suffer of limited solutions for their handling at the molten state. The use of Miscibility Gap Alloys (MGAs) allows to manage PCM volume expansion and keep it confined when molten, preventing interaction with the environment. A relevant example is provided by the Al-Sn system, where Al covers the role of the high-temperature stable and highly thermal-conductive passive matrix and Sn the active PCM. The alloy can thus be considered a Composite PCM (C-PCM). The response fastness of these systems depends on their thermal diffusivity, subjected to abrupt variations under the presence of discontinuities and damages. In this sense, the authors investigated the possibility to employ molten Sn mobility in a potentially damaged C-PCM for self-healing purposes, aimed to restore, at least partially, the material continuity and thus its thermal diffusivity. Exudation heat treatments above the melting temperature of Sn were performed on sets of Al-40%wt. Sn metallic composites, produced either with powder metallurgy or liquid metal routes, in order to quantify and assess the mobility of the Sn under simulated operating conditions. Exudation tests assess Simple Mixed powders and liquid metal routes sample as the ones with the highest healing potential. Al dissolution and re-deposition was established by EDS analyses as one of the principal Sn mobility mechanisms. Laser Flash Analysis tests, as well as microstructural investigations, were performed on the samples before and after both healing-focused and simulated service heat treatments to evaluate the changes of thermal diffusivity. Healing-focused treatment at 250°C for 1 hour generally displayed a moderate thermal diffusivity recovery and simulated service by shorter cycles between 170°C and 270°C slightly reduce it. The beneficial role of healing focused heat treatments at 250°C for 1 hour suggests that the presence of fully molten Sn phase during service for relatively long time could be beneficial for functional healing. The requirements of suitable Al-Sn microstructures for self-healing purposes, granting at the same time the C-PCM functionalities, i.e., thermal energy storage and form-stability, were set.

Optimizing islanded green ammonia and hydrogen production and export from Saudi Arabia

Hydrogen and its derivatives hold significant promise for decarbonizing power and transport. This study proposes a mixed-integer linear optimization model for the flexible production and transportation of islanded green hydrogen and ammonia. Wind and solar databases of three coastal locations across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were utilized to provide a holistic geographic perspective. The results show that plant optimization can lead to production levelized costs of ammonia of 383 USD/tonne NH3, and production levelized costs of hydrogen down to 1.57 USD/kg H2 by 2030. The single largest cost driver is the energy cost, representing 60–70 % of the total project cost. In low-wind resource areas, battery storage technology plays a critical role in supplying consistent energy for continuous ammonia synthesis. Transportation to final demand centers in Europe or Asia can lead to additional costs of less than 40 USD/tonne NH3 and less than 0.8 USD/kg H2 via liquid hydrogen route.

Machinability of fabricated Al/Mg-based functionally graded material with Pb interfacing foil using liquid processing route

The present experimental study attempts to develop functionally graded materials (FGMs) using aluminum alloy 7075 and magnesium alloy AZ91D using a gravity die-casting process. The said non-conventional FGM samples with lead (Pb) interfacing foils were made to estimate the machinability during the electric discharge machining (EDM) process. In particular, an attempt is made to determine the effects of input parameters such as peak current(Ip), gap voltage(Vg), and pulse on time (Ton) on the responses. These results confirmed that the responses, namely, material removal rate (MRR) and electrode wear rate (EWR), are observed as low for the FGM sample made with lead foil when compared with pure Al7075 and AZ91D.

Insight into the synergistic effect of 2D/2D layered metal selenides wrapped nickel boride nanoparticles based ternary heterostructure for constructing asymmetric supercapacitors with excellent energy density

Tuning the structural and electronic properties of layered metal selenides is a highly feasible approach for developing high-performance asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs). In this work, a ternary heterostructure of yttrium diselenide/molybdenum diselenide (YSe2/MoSe2) with amorphous nickel boride nanoparticles (NixB NPs) was prepared by a simple hydrothermal method followed by a liquid phase route. Interestingly, this ternary heterostructure consists of multiple layers of YSe2/MoSe2 nanosheets uniformly wrapped by NixB NPs over the entire surface. The characterization results by X-ray diffraction, Raman, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that the strong synergism between YSe2/MoSe2 and NixB NPs indicates an obvious electron transfer from NixB to the YSe2/MoSe2 hybrid, which contributes to the enhancement of the electrical conductivity of the electrode. Due to its exclusive heterostructure network, the single YSe2/MoSe2/NixB electrode achieved a specific capacitance of 893.3 F/g at 1 A/g and a capacity retention of 128.17% over 5000 cycles. In addition, the asymmetric YSe2/MoSe2/NixB||rGO device with a working potential of 1.6 V showed an impressive energy density of 39.5 Wh kg−1 with a power density of 800 W kg−1 and excellent cycling stability with 85.60% capacity retention after 5000 cycles in aqueous electrolyte. This result of the designed ASC device encourages the development of a new platform for the design of electrode materials based on metal selenides and metal borides.

Opening a Liquid Route to Fusion

Opening a Liquid Route to Fusion

Vehicle-mounted Dual Liquid Hydrogen Cylinders Parallel Balanced Transport Experimental and Simulation Research

For heavy vehicle liquid hydrogen storage and supply system, the use of double liquid hydrogen cylinders to increase the supply of liquid hydrogen. When two liquid hydrogen cylinders supply liquid hydrogen in parallel, the flow resistance of the gas and liquid channels of the liquid hydrogen cylinders is difficult to achieve complete consistency, which makes the flow of the two liquid hydrogen cylinders in the process of hydrogen supply different, resulting in inconsistent liquid levels in the two liquid hydrogen cylinders. For this reason, a parallel balanced transport technology scheme of two liquid hydrogen cylinders was proposed. Two liquid hydrogen cylinders with identical size were used to supply liquid hydrogen, and a gas-line connecting pipe was used in the gas path of the liquid hydrogen cylinder to achieve the same pressurization pressure of the two liquid hydrogen cylinders. A regulating valve was used to realize the consistent flow of liquid route at the outlet of liquid hydrogen cylinders. Then, the experimental system modified with real liquid hydrogen cylinder was tested with water medium, and the correctness of the simulation results was verified by the test results. Finally, the simulation results show that the proposed method can ensure that the level difference of liquid hydrogen cylinders meets the requirements in the process of parallel supply of liquid hydrogen.

Catechol-Amine-Decorated Epoxy Resin as an Underwater Adhesive: A Coacervate Concept Using a Liquid Marble Strategy.

The attachment phenomena of various hierarchical architectures found in nature, especially underwater adhesion, have drawn extensive attention to the development of similar biomimicking adhesives. Marine organisms show spectacular adhesion characteristics because of their foot protein chemistry and the formation of an immiscible phase (coacervate) in water. Herein, we report a synthetic coacervate derived using a liquid marble route composed of catechol amine-modified diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (EP) polymers wrapped by silica/PTFE powders. The adhesion promotion efficiency of catechol moieties is established by functionalizing EP with monofunctional amines (MFA) of 2-phenyl ethylamine and 3,4-dihydroxy phenylethylamine (DA). The curing activation of MFA-incorporated resin pointed toward a lower activation energy (50.1-52.1 kJ mol-1) compared with the neat system (56.7-58 kJ mol-1). The viscosity build-up and gelation are faster for the catechol-incorporated system, making it ideal for underwater bonding performance. The PTFE-based adhesive marble of the catechol-incorporated resin was stable and exhibited an adhesive strength of 7.5 MPa under underwater bonding conditions.

Cyclotron production of 103Pd using a liquid target

IntroductionIn this work, we present the first feasibility study on the production of the medically important radionuclide 103Pd via the 103Rh(p,n)103Pd reaction by cyclotron irradiation of a liquid target. Using a liquid target removes the time consuming and complex dissolution process of rhodium post-irradiation due to its chemically inactive nature and thereby will improve the accessibility of this radioisotope. MethodsLiquid targets made from Rh(NO3)3·×H2O salt dissolved in de-ionized water were irradiated using a 12 MeV beam at the TR13 cyclotron at TRIUMF, Vancouver. ResultsA maximum EOB activity of 1.03 ± 0.05 MBq was achieved with the tested conditions, sufficient for basic radiochemistry studies. An effective separation method using anion exchange chromatography is reported using 1 M HNO3 as an eluent for rhodium (90.1 ± 2.1 % recovery) and a 1:1 mixture of 0.5 M NH3 + NH4Cl palladium eluent (103.8 ± 2.3 % recovery). The solution showed good in-target pressure stability. However, the production efficiency decreased significantly with higher solution concentrations and irradiation lengths which puts into question the scaling potential of this method. ConclusionThis proof-of-concept study has demonstrated the potential for using liquid targets as complementary production method of 103Pd for research purposes. The liquid target route faces several scaling challenges but can nonetheless improve the availability of 103Pd and consequently aid in widening its utility for radiopharmaceuticals.

Ionic liquid route for the corrosion inhibition of Al alloys: the effect of butylammonium nitrate on the corrosion of AA2024-T6

In this work, the effect of an ammonium nitrate ionic liquid on the corrosion susceptibility of an Al-Cu-Mg alloy was investigated. The effect of the nitrate anion and the ammonium cation on the anodic and cathodic kinetics were studied separately using potentiodynamic polarisation testing, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The results revealed a significant anodic inhibition, associated with a cation/anion synergy. The cathodic kinetics however increase with the presence of nitrates, associated with nitrate reduction reaction. Conversely, longer alkyl chain seemed to reduce the effect of nitrates. Such findings are promising in the context of developing ecofriendly chromate alternatives.

Catalytic upgradation of crude glycerol to produce bio-based aromatics over hierarchical MFI zeolite: Effect of bimodal hierarchical porosity enhancement and porosity-acidity interaction

The transformation of renewable biomass derived crude glycerol into value-added BTX aromatics is an attractive approach to facilitate carbon neutrality and recycling economy. Herein, two kinds of hierarchical HZSM-5 with distinct hierarchical porosity and acidity distribution were synthesized based on a seed-induced method by utilizing CTAB and TPOAC as soft mesoporogens, respectively. And the effects of bimodal hierarchical porosity and porosity-acidity interaction on the upgradation efficiency during the conversion of crude glycerol over hierarchical HZSM-5 were investigated. The abundant intra-mesopores and promoted porosity-acidity interaction in hierarchical HZSM-5 facilitated the transformation of macromolecules in crude glycerol into small oxygenated chemicals and olefins, resulting in higher BTX yield and longer catalyst lifetime. Among all catalysts, the hierarchical HZSM-5 sample templated with TPOAC exhibited the maximum carbon yields of BTX (38.5%) and longest lifetime (23 h) due to the better interconnectivity of shape-selective micropores and high mass transfer intra-mesopores. The reaction route and product distribution of upgradation of crude glycerol was strongly dependent on the morphology, bimodal hierarchical porosity and acidity variation resulting from the generation of intra-mesopores in HZSM-5 catalysts by the usage of different soft mesoporogens. The liquid route and side alkylation reaction was accelerated over HZSM-5/TPOAC catalyst while the gas route and secondary coking reaction was promoted over HZSM-5/CTAB sample.

Photocurrent generation and charge transport mechanism study in solution-processed CZTS thin films

Clean, benign and economical energy harvesting is envisioned to mitigate the global climate change – originated from the burning of fossil fuels – addressing both the energy crises and environmental issues. In this work, charge transport mechanism and the dynamics of photocurrent generation in thin films of CZTS nanocrystals is studied. A liquid phase processing route – owing to low temperature – has been adopted using a molecular based precursor solution for the in-situ development of CZTS crystals during film deposition. Results shows that charge carriers follow band conduction and nearest-neighbor hopping (NNH) mechanisms at elevated temperatures while Mott variable-range hopping (VRH) is the dominating phenomenon at low temperatures which are analogues to expensive vacuum-deposited kieserite thin films behavior.

Aluminium metal foam production methods, properties and applications- a review

Aluminium metal foam has a cellular structure. It's lightweight with these unique physical and mechanical properties and widely used in structural and functional applications. This paper's studies show the possible ways to produce Aluminium metal foam and its different properties and, based on that, the field it has applications. During the studies, it is observed that the Aluminium metal foam can develop in two ways: solid route and liquid route, after acquiring unique properties, such as light in weight to strength, suitable acoustic properties, and shock and energy absorption capabilities. The application will be selected based on properties and open or closed pore cells obtained in Aluminium metal foam. The significant finding from the review is that Aluminium metal foam has broad applications. However, the main lacunas that are still Aluminium metal foam are commercially not used because it is challenging to get good properties such as attaining uniform distribution and percentage of porosity in the prepared foam sample and uniform pore size. Another critical factor is that the cost will be high if the liquid or solid route develops the metal foam. So powder metallurgy process is the best method to produce metal foam to get better surface integrity and a proper network connection between each pore.