Mixture Of Potassium Chloride Research Articles

Analysis of nitrogen-containing rocket fuel transformation products in loamy soil by thermal desorption gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) based rocket fuel, when released into the soil, undergoes oxidative transformations to form a variety of toxic nitrogen-containing products (TPs). Loamy soils containing aluminosilicates (clay) are capable of strong binding and retention of UDMH TPs due to a combination of polar sorption and cation-exchange properties, posing challenges for their extraction and quantification. To overcome this problem, the present study proposes direct thermal desorption (TD) of analytes from loam facilitated by the addition of modifiers competing with UDMH TPs for sorption centers and ensuring their conversion into molecular form. Among tested additives, the mixture of potassium chloride and hydroxide demonstrated the best performance and provided recoveries of the most UDMH TPs exceeding 70% under optimized TD conditions (200°C, 30min). The online combination of TD with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry allowed for the development of a method for the determination of 15 UDMH TPs in loamy soils with limits of detection in the range of 0.2-15µg/kg. The use of matrix-matched calibration and deuterated internal standards ensured high accuracy (80%-100%) and precision (relative standard deviation<18%) of the analysis. The developed method was validated and successfully tested in the analyses of real loamy soil samples polluted with rocket fuel.

Radioactivity in a bucket

In radiation physics classes, point sources are typically used, for which it is relatively easy to describe the signal obtained by a radiation detector, such as the NaI(Tl) scintillation detector. The use of large extended radiation sources is generally avoided due to the mathematical complexity that their description may involve. However, the use of Monte Carlo simulation methods allows this limitation to be overcome. Potassium chloride, containing the 40K isotope, is an ideal candidate for carrying out this type of experiment. The source activity is obtained through the detection of the 1460.8 keV gamma-photon emitted in the 40K decay. In the first experiment, a cylindrical container is used, placing the NaI(Tl) detector in its center and filling the remaining space with potassium chloride. In a second, more complex case, a large radioactive source consisting of a container filled with a mixture of sand and potassium chloride, with the NaI(Tl) detector placed in the center of the mixture, is used. In this case, the mass of potassium chloride is approximately 1/5 of the sand mass. In both experiments, the detection efficiency is obtained by Monte Carlo simulation. A careful analysis of the experimental data allows to obtain a good agreement between the measured and calculated value of the activity.

Optimization of the Liquid Steel Flow Behavior in the Tundish through Water Model Experiment, Numerical Simulation and Industrial Trial

A reasonable tundish flow behavior could improve liquid steel cleanliness by promoting floating and removal of the inclusions. The flow behaviors of the tundish could be obtained by water model experiments and numerical simulations, respectively. However, the difference in density between the tracer and water in the experiment can contribute to notable errors. A new type of tracer, which is a mixture of potassium chloride (KCl) and ethanol, was proposed in this study to reduce the errors. The numerical simulation model was validated by the experimental data and its error was below 2%. By comparing the flow behaviors in seven tundishes with different inner structures obtained by simulation, it is found that the C1 can significantly reduce the dead volume ratio and C4 can improve the uniformity of liquid steel charged though each outlet. The structural strength of the baffle in C1 scheme was not considered, resulting in a crack of the baffle in the industrial trial. Industrial trials of the molten steel flow in the C4-based tundish were conducted and reported a reduction of 43.81% in the inclusions over the prototype.

The role of diffusion induced electro-osmosis in the coupling between hydraulic and ionic fluxes through semipermeable clay soils

Most of the experimental research conducted to date has provided evidence on the semipermeable membrane behaviour of smectite-rich clay soils, the extent of which is typically quantified through the reflection coefficient, when the permeant (electrolyte) solution contains a single monovalent or divalent salt. Under such conditions, the osmotic flow of solution is controlled to a great extent by the different accessibility of ions and water molecules to the soil porosity, which is referred to as the chemico-osmotic effect. However, theoretical simulations of coupled solute and solvent transport suggest that, when two or more cations that diffuse in water at different rates are present simultaneously in the permeant solution, the electro-osmotic effect, which stems from the condition of null electric current density through the porous medium, can be enhanced compared to the case of a single salt to such an extent that it becomes comparable to or even greater than the chemico-osmotic effect. An original closed-form analytical solution to the problem of calculating the diffusion potential, which in turn controls the magnitude of the electro-osmotic effect, is here illustrated, and the relative importance of the aforementioned contributions to multi-electrolyte systems is examined through the interpretation of laboratory test results from the literature pertaining to a bentonite amended clay soil in equilibrium with aqueous mixtures of potassium chloride (KCl) and hydrochloric acid (HCl). The proposed mechanistic model is shown to be able to quantitatively capture the impact of both chemico-osmosis and electro-osmosis on the measured reflection coefficient of smectite clays, thereby breaking new ground in the experimental and theoretical research on the osmotic properties of engineered clay barriers in contact with mixed aqueous electrolyte solutions.

Rapid detection of histamine in fish based on the fluorescence characteristics of carbon nitride

Histamine is an organic nitrogen-containing compound produced by the decarboxylation of histidine and is toxic in high intakes. Therefore, Histamine detection is an important work for food safety. In the present study, a rapid detection method for histamine in fish was established based on the fluorescence activity of graphite phase carbon nitride (g-C3N4). After calcinating the mixture of melamine, potassium chloride, and sodium chloride, g-C3N4 was obtained with strong fluorescence and good dispersity in solutions. The strong blue fluorescence of g-C3N4 at 420 nm was fairly selectively quenched by histamine with linear range from 5 μmol L−1 to 800 μmol L−1, and the detection limit was 0.61 mg kg−1 (3σ/K, n = 9). The fluorescent method was applied to histamine detection in different kinds of fish, and the data were validated by the method of high-performance liquid chromatography. The results indicated that the established fluorescent method was suitable for the rapid detection of histamine in fish with high accuracy, sensitivity, and stability.

Application of biofertilizer directly on ‘Terra Maranhão’ platain bunch for productivity gain

Abstract Advances in production systems always aim at finding alternatives to improve crop productivity. One of the recent practices adopted in commercial banana and plantain plantations refers to the application of liquid fertilizers in bunches in order to increase productivity. This research aimed at verifying whether the use of biofertilizers based on pure vinasse or associated with other chemical fertilizers would provide morphophysiological changes in fruits or increase the productivity of ‘Terra Maranhão’ plantain cultivars. In order to carry out this project, a randomized block design with 6 treatments and 3 replicates was set up in a commercial crop and the postharvest production and quality characteristics of ‘Terra Maranhão’ plantain fruits were evaluated. The results showed that the morphophysiological characteristics of freshly harvested fruits that impact productivity such as the fruit weight and bunch weight were affected by treatments, as the postharvest characteristics of ripe fruits were little affected by the application of fertilizers in bunches, except for the SST content. It could be concluded that the crop yield increased significantly by 17% when using mixture of vinasse, potassium chloride and urea; however, this treatment caused significant reduction of 1.3 ºBrix compared to control.

Вплив глибини локалізації мінеральних добрив на поживний режим чорнозему опідзоленого важкосуглинкового та врожайність ячменю ярого

The purpose of the research is to determine the impact of the depth of local application of mineral fertilizers on the nutrient content in the arable layer of soil and the yield of spring barley. The studies were carried out during 2018 - 2020 in a temporary small-plot experiment. Soil – chernozem podzolized loamy (Luvic Chernic Phaeozem). The application of N60P60K60 in the form of nitroammophoska or a mixture of ammophos, ammonium nitrate and potassium chloride was compared to a depth of 10-12 cm and 20-22 cm from the soil surface. The row spacing of barley crops was 15 cm; the fertilizer tape was placed at a distance of 4-5 cm away from the row. Mixed soil samples were taken from fertilizer tapes twice during the growing season of barley (in the first half of the growing season and after harvesting). The weather conditions were quite contrasting: in 2018 it was dry at the beginning of the growing season and during grain ripening, in 2019 was dry only during the formation of grain, and in 2020 - rather humid and relatively cool during almost the entire growing season. At the beginning of the growing season of barley in 2018, the highest content of mineral nitrogen in the soil was found with a shallow location of the fertilizers, but in 2019-2020 - in case fertilizer tapes at 20-22 cm from the surface. Location of fertilizer at a depth of 20-22 cm also provided a higher level of mobile phosphorus and potassium in the soil than applying at a depth of 10-12 cm. After the barley harvest, the highest accumulation of mineral nitrogen in the soil in 2018 was found with shallow application and in 2019-2020 - with deeper application. A tendency of more accumulation of chlorophyll in plants was observed with an increase in the depth of fertilization. Local application of fertilizers gave a reliable increase in yield in all variants of the experiment. However, the increase was twice as high when placing the fertilizer tape was at a depth of 20-22 cm as at a depth of 10-12 cm. Application of nitroammophoska to a depth of 20-22 cm was more effective than mixtures of simple and complex fertilizers. It was concluded that the hydrothermal conditions of the growing season and the depth of the location of fertilizers mutually affect the nutrient regime of the soil. The advantage of deep fertilization is more significant under insufficient moisture.

Intensification of potash ore flotation process by the introduction of hydrophobizator into the potassium chloride collective mixture

The process of enrichment of potash ore using industrial oils as a hydrophobizing agent in the collective mixture of potassium chloride, which is a composition of salts of higher aliphatic amines, pine oil and polyethylene glycol PEG- 400, has been investigated. A comparative analysis of the influence of industrial oils I-8A, I-12A, I-30A and liquid paraffins on the technological parameters of potash ore flotation has been carried out. The influence of hydrophobizing additives on the adsorption of amine on potassium chloride crystals was investigated by infrared spectroscopy. It has been established that the introduction of industrial oils into the flotation system ensures the recovery of potassium chloride at the same level as when using a collective mixture with liquid paraffins. The best flotation performance when using industrial oils is possible by increasing the consumption of the apolar reagent.

Capacitance of a Gold Electrode in Molten Mixtures of Potassium Nitrate and Potassium Chloride

Capacitance of a Gold Electrode in Molten Mixtures of Potassium Nitrate and Potassium Chloride

Thermosonication pretreatment enhances the killing of germinated Bacillus spores adhered to stainless steel surface

The retention of bacterial spores on food processing stainless steel (SS) surfaces can be a source of cross-contamination from food contact surfaces to food products. This study aimed to develop an effective strategy to inactivate spores of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus on SS by stimulating spore germination and killing germinated spores with a combination of thermosonication (TS) pretreatment and other subsequent treatments (nisin/thyme essential oil (TEO)/UV). A mixture of l-asparagine, fructose, glucose, and potassium chloride (AGFK) initiated the maximum germination of spores at 37 °C. Notably, the implementation of a germination-inducing step did increase the susceptibility of spores to environmental stress. Moreover, TS pretreatment enhanced the efficacy of subsequent inactivation treatments (UV irradiation), resulting in an additional 2.74 to 3.78 log reductions in germinated spores of both Bacillus suspension. Whereas the sporicidal activities of subsequent nisin/TEO incubation were not greatly increased by TS pretreatments. TS pretreatment still increased sporicidal activity of UV irradiation against both Bacillus spores attached to SS coupons, even though adhered spores germinated not fast as those in suspension. Collectively, the findings from this study could be beneficial for reducing contamination of Bacillus spores on food contact surface and the potential risks of food poisoning outbreaks.

New formulation for producing salmon pâté with reduced sodium content

Reducing consumption of salt, specifically sodium, is one of the most effective ways to improve public health. A novel formulation for producing salmon pâté with reduced sodium content was investigated. Salmon pâtés with three different sodium concentrations were evaluated using microbiological, sensory and chemical analyses. Saltwell®, a natural salt containing a mixture of sodium chloride and potassium chloride, was used for partial substitution of sodium chloride (table salt) alone in the formulation. Replacing 80% of the sodium chloride with Saltwell®, resulted in a 22% reduction in sodium, without affecting microbial activity. A trained sensory panel observed minor differences in three of the twelve sensory attributes that were evaluated (coherent texture, saltiness, canned fish flavor). However, these differences were only weakly significant. Saltwell is a viable alternative to sodium chloride to produce seafood products with reduced sodium content without compromising quality and safety.

Intensity of heavy metal accumulation in plants of Silybum marianum L. in conditions of field rotation

Intensity of heavy metal accumulation in plants of Silybum marianum L. in conditions of field rotation

Comparative assessment of Zn accumulation by plants of Silybum marianum depending on fertilizer type

Recently, thorny (Silybum marianum) plants have gained considerable popularity in Ukraine. In addition to the proven medicinal properties of this plant for the prevention of human diseases, the use of milk thistle in other areas is increasing. Milk thistle is used as a vegetable plant because its young leaves have nutritional value. It is also grown as a valuable summer honey plant capable of producing honey at 50–70 kg of honey per hectare.Increasingly, there are reports of the introduction of thistle spotted into the modern crop rotation. However, often the technology of growing it has not yet been studied, so traditional technologies are used, which are adapted to regional conditions for the cultivation of spring early crops of a wide-row sowing method. The control of zinc content, like other toxicants, in vegetative mass and seeds of milk thistle, due to insufficient study of this culture, is very rare. This requires further study of the intensity of zinc accumulation in milk thistle plants with modern cultivation technologies that involve the use of a wide range of mineral fertilizers.Field studies were conducted during 2017–2019 on gray medium loam soil in the farms of Vinnytsia region. Sow thistle spotted in spring time using five fertilizer options: applying nitrogen fertilizer ammonium nitrate, phosphorus fertilizer superphosphate is simple, potassium fertilizer potassium chloride, fertilizer mixtures: ammonium nitrate, superphosphate simple, potassium chloride. Based on the results of laboratory analysis of zinc content in leaf mass and seed thistle spotted, the accumulation coefficient was calculated as the ratio of zinc content in the plant to the content of mobile zinc forms in the soil and the hazard ratio as the ratio of zinc content in the plant to MPC.The intensity of zinc accumulation by the leaf mass and seeds of the milk thistle for feeding it with mineral fertilizers was studied. The accumulation coefficient and the hazard coefficient of zinc in the leaf mass and seeds of the milk thistle for feeding it with ammonium nitrate, potassium chloride, and superphosphate were established. It is proved that with the use of fertilizers less zinc is accumulated by the seeds of milk thistle when using a mixture of ammonium nitrate, simple superphosphate and potassium chloride, and leaf mass — potassium chloride. The highest level of zinc accumulation by leaf mass and silybum seeds was observed when fertilizing crops with ammonium nitrate.When using potassium chloride as a fertilizer, the zinc content in the leaf mass of silybum thistle increased by 14.5%, simple superphosphate — by 15.8%, a mixture of ammonium nitrate, simple superphosphate and potassium chloride — by 42.7%, ammonium nitrate — by 81.6%. The use of a mixture of ammonium nitrate, simple superphosphate and potassium chloride causes an increase in the zinc content in the dry matter of the seeds of milk thistle by 11.8% compared to the version without fertilizing. The introduction of simple superphosphate contributes to an increase in zinc content by 17.2%, potassium chloride — by 23.4%, ammonium nitrate — by 26.9%.

Assessment of sea urchin spawning induction and oocyte conservation applied to ecotoxicological assays

Abstract Marine toxicity tests using sea urchin embryos and larvae are characterized by physicochemical induction for the release of gametes by adult organisms and by the production of excess gamic material after induction. Evaluating the effects of mortality that inducers cause on organisms, and the improvement in oocyte maintenance techniques for subsequent use, are actions of interest in the conservation of species and the sustainable use of this type of biological model. For this study, adults of the sea urchin species Lytechinus variegatus and Echinometra lucunter were obtained from the field for inductions and tests with their gametes in the laboratory. The species L. variegatus was used in maintenance experiments to assess health after induction (longline outdoor and indoor tanks) and mortality rates after induction by potassium chloride (KCl) and a mixture of potassium chloride with calcium chloride (CaCl2), and to evaluate bacterial growth as well as antibiograms of seawater resulting from induced spawning and in vitro fertilization. For the species E. lucunter, experiments with the same chemical inducers on mortality rates were carried out, as well as the conservation of oocytes in artificial seawater with antibiotics selected for their efficiency and toxicity for later use. Maintenance in the laboratory tanks, filled with seawater in a closed system, showed the lowest mortality rates in the group of non-induced organisms (control). The mixture of KCl and CaCl2 resulted in the lowest mortality rates of the adult organisms after spawning induction. The antibiotics Chloramphenicol and Gentamicin showed moderate efficiency in inhibiting bacterial growth, but with low toxicity, demonstrating the ability to maintain the integrity of sea urchin oocytes for up to 14 days under refrigeration.

Effects of biomass blending, ashing temperature and potassium addition on ash sintering behaviour during co-firing of pine sawdust with a Chinese anthracite

When biomass and coal are co-combusted, the ash sintering behaviour cannot be directly predicted on the basis of the properties of individual fuel ash. Knowledge of the ash sintering behaviour can help understanding the subsequent ash fouling and slagging. Herein, the ash sintering characteristics during co-combustion of Jincheng coal (JC) and pine sawdust (PS), together with the effects of biomass blending ratio, ashing temperature and K2CO3 catalyst addition were investigated in depth. The results indicated that for a given JC/PS blend, the ash slagging degree expressed by different decision indices was different, but the tendency was consistent. No obvious fusion phenomenon was observed among the individual particles from the blends without K2CO3 addition. Both types of the particles from individual fuel could be separately identified with obvious difference from their respective particles. When K2CO3 was added to the blends, the ash surface structure varied from unmelted to slightly adhesion. The formation of potassium silicates made great contributions to slagging. The molten and solidified zone on the agglomerate surface featured high contents of K, Si, O and Al, and the coating on the melting surface was composed of the mixture of K-bearing aluminosilicates, potassium chloride and smaller amounts of Ca-bearing aluminosilicates.

C@ZnO Self-assembly Composite Nanostructure with a Strong Absorption Capacity in UV–Visible Light and Its Optical Properties

C@ZnO nanostructure was fabricated on ITO by an electrochemical deposition method using the three-electrode configuration at a constant potential and the mixture of zinc sulfate heptahydrate, potassium chloride, tris (hydroxymethyl) aminomethane, and dopamine were used as the electrolyte. ZnO seed layer was synthesized by a spin coating method with zinc acetate solution which increased the density of zinc oxide nanosheet and the modification of carbon improved the preferred growth along the (101) peak. Furthermore, the phases of the self-assembly systems were measured by an x-ray diffractometer, and the morphologies of the as-prepared products were measured by field emission scanning electron microscopy and measured the type and content of microelements by an energy dispersive spectrometer. Optical properties of the self-assembly products were measured by ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectrophotometer and photoluminescence. It has been found that ZnO and C@ZnO had different morphology and optical properties. We demonstrate that C@ZnO nanostructure shows a stronger photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue than that of pristine ZnO nanosheet under UV–Vis light.

Influence of electrochemical deposition parameters on morphological properties of ZnO on Si (100)

In this study, ZnO layer was deposited on Si (100) by electrochemical deposition (ECD) technique. Mixture of zinc chloride (ZnCl2) and potassium chloride (KCl) at different volume ratio was used as the electrolyte. The current density was fixed at 10 mA cm−2 with deposition time of 50 and 30 min. The effect of substrate treatment has also been observed to improve the adhesion of the deposited layer. The morphology of the ZnO layer was analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and variable pressure scanning electron microscopy (VPSEM) equipped with energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) module. Four types of ZnO structure had been obtained; needle, flake, coral and pillar-like structures at different deposition conditions. These structures were obtained by changing several parameters such as substrate doping and chloride medium of electrolyte. It was found that the flake-size become smaller as the amount of Chloride ion (Cl−) in electrolyte increased. In addition, substrate type also found to affect the deposition process. As indicated by the EDX spectra, the ZnO is managed to fully cover the target area of deposition for the n-type Si substrate but a bit poor on p-type Si substrate. The targeted EDX ratio of Zn:O is 1:1, which indicates balance stoichiometry of ZnO. However, the best EDX ratio of Zn:O found in this study was only 1.4:1 which was achieved from deposition on p-type Si substrate with no post-annealing applied. The thickness of deposited ZnO was found to decrease with decreasing deposition time. The average thickness was more than 150 μm for 50 min deposition while 30 min deposition yielded thickness less than 100 μm. It is clearly shown that parameters such as time, electrolyte volume ratio and substrate doping have influence on the morphology and thickness of the deposited ZnO on Si (100) by ECD process.

Sodium Cation Substitution in Sr2KTa5O15 toward Enhancement of Photocatalytic Conversion of CO2 Using H2O as an Electron Donor.

The K and Sr cations (K+ and Sr2+) in a Sr2KTa5O15 photocatalyst were found to be easily substituted by Na cations (Na+) to form SrxKyNazTa5O15 by a facile one-pot flux method using a mixture of potassium chloride (KCl) and sodium chloride (NaCl). SrxKyNazTa5O15 fabricated using a mixture of KCl and NaCl with a Ag cocatalyst showed enhanced photocatalytic activity without apparent change in selectivity toward CO for the photocatalytic conversion of CO2 using H2O. The present study demonstrates that the flux treatment significantly affected the phase, morphology, band gap, and surface Sr composition of the catalyst owing to the substitution of K+ and Sr2+ for Na+. The stability and durability of the catalyst were also enhanced as compared to those of the photocatalyst fabricated using only KCl flux due to more stable Ag on the surface of SrxKyNazTa5O15.

Modeling Study of a Proposed Field Calibration Source Using K-40 and High-Z Targets for Sodium Iodide Detectors.

Calibration sources based on the primordial isotope potassium-40 (K) have reduced controls on the source's activity due to its terrestrial ubiquity and very low specific activity. Potassium-40's beta emissions and 1,460.8 keV gamma ray can be used to induce K-shell fluorescence x rays in high-Z metals between 60 and 80 keV. A gamma ray calibration source that uses potassium chloride salt and a high-Z metal to create a two-point calibration for a sodium iodide field gamma spectroscopy instrument is thus proposed. The calibration source was designed in collaboration with the Sandia National Laboratory using the Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended (MCNPX) transport code. Two methods of x-ray production were explored. First, a thin high-Z layer (HZL) was interposed between the detector and the potassium chloride-urethane source matrix. Second, bismuth metal powder was homogeneously mixed with a urethane binding agent to form a potassium chloride-bismuth matrix (KBM). The bismuth-based source was selected as the development model because it is inexpensive, nontoxic, and outperforms the high-Z layer method in simulation. Based on the MCNPX studies, sealing a mixture of bismuth powder and potassium chloride into a thin plastic case could provide a light, inexpensive field calibration source.

Impact of ingredient replacers on the physicochemical properties and sensory quality of reduced salt and fat black puddings

Twenty-two black puddings possessing different fat (10%, 5%) and sodium (0.6%, 0.4%) levels were used as base formulations for 11 different salt and fat replacers. Compositional, physicochemical and sensory analyses were conducted. Black pudding samples with 5% fat and 0.6% sodium containing potassium chloride (KCl), potassium chloride and glycine mixture (KClG), and seaweed, respectively, and 10% fat and 0.4% sodium containing carrageen were rated higher (P<0.05) for spiciness and saltiness. Samples with 10% fat and 0.4% sodium containing KClG were rated positively (P<0.05) to fatness. Samples with 5% fat and 0.6% sodium containing pectin and a combination of potassium citrate, potassium phosphate and potassium chloride (KCPCl), as well as samples containing 10% fat and 0.4% sodium with waxy maize starch (WMS) were liked (P<0.05) for flavor and overall acceptance. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) recommends a sodium target level of 0.6% and an even lower sodium level (0.4%) was achieved.