Mixture Of Nitrate Research Articles

Sulfate formation via aerosol-phase SO2 oxidation by model biomass burning photosensitizers: 3,4-dimethoxybenzaldehyde, vanillin and syringaldehyde using single-particle mixing-state analysis

Abstract. Atmospheric oxidation of sulfur dioxide (SO2) to sulfate has been widely investigated by means of gas-phase and in-cloud chemistry studies. Recent field measurements have shown significant sulfate formation in cloud-free environments with high aerosol loadings. As an important fraction of biomass burning aerosol components, particulate phenolic and non-phenolic aromatic carbonyls may initiate photosensitized multiphase oxidation of SO2 in aerosols, of which our knowledge however is still in its nascent stage. In this study, on the basis of single-particle aerosol mass spectrometry (SPAMS) measurements, we find evident sulfate formation in the biomass-burning-derived photosensitizer particles under UV and SO2 exposure, attributable to photosensitized oxidation of S(IV), while almost no sulfate was observed under dark conditions. The efficiency of sulfate production by photosensitizer particles under UV irradiation, represented by the number percentage of sulfate-containing particles (99 %–43 %) and the relative peak area (RPA) of sulfate (0.67–0.12) in single-particle spectra, in descending order, were 3,4-dimethoxybenzaldehyde (DMB), vanillin (VL) and syringaldehyde (SyrAld). Internal mixtures of VL and potassium nitrate (KNO3) gave a slightly lower number percentage and RPA of sulfate than VL particles alone. In externally mixed VL and KNO3 particles, sulfate was predominantly formed on the former, confirming that sulfate formation via photosensitization prevails over that via nitrate photolysis. Our results suggest that photosensitized oxidation of S(IV) could make an important contribution to aerosol sulfate formation, especially in areas influenced by biomass burning.

Design and testing of an electromechanical engine for a small solid-propellant rocket using non-metal materials

In this paper an engine prototype of 2 degrees of freedom from a work still in progress that helps a solid fuel rocket to stay vertical during motor operation is presented. One of the philosophies of this paper consists in using cheap and accessible materials, as well as avoiding the use of industrial machinery for its manufacture. This paper describes the procedure to generate solid fuel from a mixture of sugar and potassium nitrate. Subsequently, the design of the engine and tests conserning reusability with the prototype are presented. The design is based solely on obtaining the torques required to keep the prototype rocket moving in a vertical direction. The corresponding equations are written and after linearization, the transfer function is presented and the system is simulated using a PID control. The electromechanical system (ES) as well as the solid fuel motor were manufactured, and even though the ES is not coupled to the motor so the control actions are not evaluated, the performance of the rocket motor is measured using different design options and the propulsion times were evaluated. To measure the orientation and position the BMP280 and MPU6050 sensors were selected, and their stabilization time after turning them on was evaluated. It was found that the materials can be reused at least once for tests up to 23 grams of solid fuel, and that the selected electronic devices must have a stabilization time before ignition.

Crosstalk Between miRNA and Protein Expression Profiles in Nitrate-Exposed Brain Cells.

Growing evidence reported a strong association between the nitrate ingestion and adverse health consequences in humans, including its detrimental impact on the developing brain. The present study identified miRNAs and proteins in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells and HMC3 human microglial cells using high-throughput techniques in response to nitrate level most prevalent in the environment (India) as X dose and an exceptionally high nitrate level as 5X dose that can be reached in the near future. Cells were exposed to mixtures of nitrates for 72 h at doses of X and 5X, 320 mg/L and 1600 mg/L, respectively. OpenArray and LCMS analysis revealed maximum deregulation in miRNAs and proteins in cells exposed to 5X dose. Top deregulated miRNAs include miR-34b, miR-34c, miR-155, miR-143, and miR-145. The proteomic profiles of both cell types include proteins that are potential targets of deregulated miRNAs. These miRNAs and their targeted proteins involve in multiple functions, including metabolic processes, mitochondrial functions, autophagy, necroptosis, apoptosis, neuronal disorders, brain development, and homeostasis. Furthermore, measuring mitochondrial bioenergetics in cells exposed to nitrate revealed that a 5X dose causes a significant reduction in oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and other bioenergetic parameters in both cell types. In summary, our studies have demonstrated that a 5X dose of nitrate significantly alters cellular physiology and functions by deregulating several miRNAs and proteins. However, X dose of nitrate has not caused any adverse effects on any cell type.

Associations of perchlorate, nitrate, and thiocyanate with metabolic syndrome and its components among US adults: A cross-sectional study from NHANES

Perchlorate, nitrate and thiocyanate are common endocrine disruptors. Herein, this study was undertaken to evaluate the associations between perchlorate, nitrate, and thiocyanate exposures (alone or in combination) and risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) among adults, which has not been explored so far. Analytical data were extracted from different datasets in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database. Multivariate logistic regression models were constructed to investigate the associations between perchlorate, nitrate, and thiocyanate exposures, and the prevalence of MetS. Subsequently, odds ratios (OR) and their corresponding 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were adopted to represent the magnitude of the effect size. We performed a series of subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses as well. Moreover, three commonly used mixture modeling strategies [Weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, quantile-based g-computation (Qgcomp), and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR)] were utilized to evaluate the joint mixture effect on MetS. This study included 12,007 participants in the subsequent analyses. After adjustment for confounding factors, higher levels of perchlorate, and thiocyanate concentrations were significantly associated with the risk of MetS (OR = 1.15, 95%CI:1.00, 1.32; OR = 1.21, 95%CI:1.04, 1.41, respectively). Analyses of WQS and Qgcomp showed that a quartile increase in chemical mixture was correlated with the occurrence of MetS with ORs of 1.07 (95%CI: 0.99, 1.16) and 1.07 (95%CI: 1.00, 1.14), respectively. This positive association was mainly driven by perchlorate and thiocyanate. Analysis of BKMR revealed that perchlorate, nitrate, and thiocyanate mixture was positively associated with the risk of MetS while perchlorate, and thiocyanate were major predictors in the mixture. In summary, our study reveals positive relationships between perchlorate, thiocyanate and MetS. Co-exposure to perchlorate, nitrate and thiocyanate is positively associated with the risk of MetS, with perchlorate and thiocyanate contributing the most to the overall mixture effect.

Determination of Cr, Se, Ge, and V in Hypothyroidism Patients by Using Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry and mixture matrix modification

A simple, accurate and rapid method was developed for routine determination of trace elements in blood serum. The method based on the direct determination for Cr, Se, Ge, and V in hypothyroidism patients before therapy. By using atomic absorption spectrometry with graphite surface coated and uncoated pyrolysis GF-AAS, and a mixture of palladium nitrate and magnesium nitrate as the matrix modifier, with deuterium background correction and no sample pretreatment except dilution was necessary. This permitted direct determination hence the risk of sample contamination was reduced. Further, the use of graphite surface-coated GF-AAS decreased the ashing and atomization temperatures of Cr, Ge, and V to values that were lesser than the corresponding values obtained using uncoated pyrolysis GF-AAS, by 100°C; in case of Se, the atomization temperature decreased to a value that was 200°C lesser than that obtained using uncoated pyrolysis GF-AAS.
 A mixture of (3µL) palladium nitrate, and (2µL) magnesium nitrate was successfully applied to improve the sensitivity, reproducibility, recovery, limit of detection and the accuracy of the measurements. The correlation coefficients of the calibration curves of Cr, Se, Ge, and V were found to be (0.9999, 0.9999, 0.9995 and 0.9999) respectively, the relative standard deviation of the measurements for Cr, Se, Ge and V were (0.027, 0.075, 0.054 and 0.068) respectively. The statistical analysis of the acquired data showed acceptable accuracy. The analyses thus performed indicated that the levels of serum trace elements Cr, Se, Ge, and V in hypothyroidism patients were lower than those in the control group.

Aerial roots elevate indoor plant health: Physiological and morphological responses of three high-humidity adapted Araceae species to indoor humidity levels.

Heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic there has been a global increase in urban greenspace appreciation. Indoor plants are equally important for improving mental health and air quality but despite evolving in humid (sub)tropical environments with aerial root types, planting systems ignore aerial resource supply. This study directly compared nutrient uptake preferences of aerial and soil-formed roots of three common houseplant species under high and ambient relative humidities. Growth and physiology parameters were measured weekly for Anthurium andreanum, Epipremnum aureum and Philodendron scandens grown in custom made growth chambers. Both aerial and soil-formed roots were then fed mixtures of nitrate, ammonium and glycine, with one source labelled with 15 N to determine uptake rates and maximum capacities. Aerial roots were consistently better at nitrogen uptake than soil roots but no species, root type or humidity condition showed a preference for a particular nitrogen source. All three species grew more in high humidity, with aerial roots demonstrating the greatest biomass increase. Higher humidities for indoor niches, together with fertiliser applications to aerial roots will support indoor plant growth, creating lush calming indoor environments for people inhabitants.

Low-temperature efficient removal of PH3 over novel Cu-based adsorbent in an anaerobic environment

The efficient removal of the highly toxic gas PH3 and its resourceful conversion is a major challenge. In this study, a novel copper-based adsorbent (UG@Cu-X) was prepared by direct calcination of a mixture of copper nitrate, urea, and glucose for PH3 purification under low-temperature and anaerobic conditions. As expected, this adsorbent prepared by a simple strategy showed excellent activity in capturing PH3, and the optimized adsorbent (UG@Cu-2) had a PH3 breakthrough capacity of up to 318.58 mg(PH3)·gadsorbent-1 under harsh test conditions (anaerobic, temperature: 60 °C, PH3 concentration: 1,000 ppm, WHSV: 30,000 h−1). This value is significantly better than previously reported. Further studies demonstrated that the superior performance of UG@Cu-X was attributed to its relatively large specific surface area, unique microscopic morphology, high concentration of surface active oxygen, and more substantial alkalinity, while the main cause of adsorbent deactivation was the consumption of the active component CuO. Surprisingly, the deactivation of the UG@Cu-X resulted in the conversion of the active component (CuO) into the high value-added P-type semiconductor Cu3P, a huge potential utilization value in photocatalysis, energy storage, medicine, etc. This phenomenon indicates that the adsorbent prepared in this study can probably achieve resourceful conversion of PH3 while removing PH3 efficiently, and can probably avoid the risk of secondary pollution caused by the deactivated adsorbents.

Modeling of an Organic Rankine Cycle Integrated into a Double-Effect Absorption System for the Simultaneous Production of Power and Cooling

Climate change is one of the main problems that humanity is currently facing due to carbon dioxide emissions caused by fossil fuel consumption. Organic Rankine cycles may play an important role in reducing these emissions since they can use industrial waste heat or renewable energies. This study presents the proposal and modeling of an organic Rankine cycle integrated into a double-effect absorption cooling system for the simultaneous production of power and cooling. The working fluids utilized were the ammonia–lithium nitrate mixture for the absorption system and benzene, cyclohexane, methanol, and toluene for the organic Rankine cycle. The influence of the primary operating parameters on the system performance was analyzed and discussed in terms of cooling load, turbine power, energy utilization factor, and exergy efficiency for a wide range of operating conditions. It was found that, for all cases, the cooling load was dominant over the turbine power since the minimum cooling load obtained was above 50 kW, while the maximum turbine power was under 12.8 kW. For all the operative conditions analyzed, the highest performance parameters were obtained for benzene, achieving an energy utilization factor of 0.854 and an exergy efficiency as high as 0.3982.

Green Synthesis and Characterization of Silver Nanoparticles Using Flaxseed Extract and Evaluation of Their Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities

Bioactive plant chemicals are considered to be rich and useful for creating nanomaterials. The current work investigated the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using ethanolic flaxseed extract as an efficient reducing factor. The production of AgNPs was verified by color-shifting observation of the mixture of silver nitrate (AgNO3) from yellow to a reddish suspension after the addition of the extract and by evaluating it by UV–visible inspection. Additionally, FTIR spectrum was used to support the identification of functional groups. The morphology and structure of AgNPs were assessed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) examinations, which revealed spherical AgNPs with a diameter of 46.98 ± 12.45 nm and a crystalline structure. The zeta potential (ZP) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements of AgNPs revealed values of −44.5 mV and 231.8 nm, respectively, suggesting appropriate physical stability. The antibacterial activity of AgNPs was investigated against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pyogenes, while the antioxidant effect was investigated using the DPPH technique. These obtained AgNPs could potentially be used as efficient antibacterial and antioxidant nanomaterials.

Improved Performance of Latent Heat Energy Storage Systems in Response to Utilization of High Thermal Conductivity Fins

Analytical, computational and experimental investigations directed at improving the performance of latent heat thermal energy storage systems that utilize high thermal conductivity fins in direct contact with phase change materials are reviewed. Researchers have focused on waste heat recovery, thermal management of buildings/computing platforms/photovoltaics/satellites and energy storage for solar thermal applications. Aluminum (including various alloys), brass, bronze, copper, PVC, stainless steel and steel were the adopted fin materials. Capric-palmitic acid, chloride mixtures, dodecanoic acid, erythritol, fluorides, lauric acid, naphthalene, nitrite and nitrate mixtures, paraffins, potassium nitrate, salt hydrates, sodium hydrate, stearic acid, sulfur, water and xylitol have been the adopted fusible materials (melting or fusion temperature Tm range of −129.6 to 767 °C). Melting and solidification processes subject to different heat exchange operating conditions were investigated. Studies of thawing have highlighted the marked role of natural convection, exhibiting that realizing thermally unstable fluid layers promote mixing and expedited melting. Performance of the storage system in terms of the hastened charge/discharge time was strongly affected by the number of fins (or fin-pitch) and fin length, in comparison to fin thickness and fin orientation. Strength of natural convection, which is well-known to play an important role on thawing, is diminished by introduction of fins. Consequently, a designer must consider suppression of buoyancy and the extent of sacrificed PCM in selecting the optimum positions and orientation of the fins. Complex fin shapes featuring branching arrangements, crosses, Y-shapes, etc. are widely replacing simple planar fins, satisfying the challenge of forming short-distance conducting pathways linking the temperature extremes of the storage system.

Co nanoparticles/N-doped carbon nanotubes hybrids as highly efficient catalysts for microwave-induced catalytic degradation of tetracycline

Large-scale magnetic Co nanoparticles/N-doped carbon nanotubes (Co@NCNTs) hybrids have been designed by pyrolyzing the mixture of cobalt nitrate and melamine for microwave (MW)-induced tetracycline (TC) degradation. The results demonstrated that Co@NCNTs-5, annealed from cobalt nitrate and melamine (mole ratio: 1:5), possessed a good MW absorption ability, resulting in excellent degradation performance towards TC. Specifically, 99.5 % TC (20 mg/L, natural pH) could be removed after 6 min of MW irradiation (520 W) in the presence of Co@NCNTs-5. Meanwhile, Co@NCNTs-5 exhibited competitive degradation efficiency over TC at various concentrations (20–100 mg/L) and pH values (3−8). Results of reusability experiments identified the magnetic recovery ability and stability of Co@NCNTs-5. Based on free radical experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) results, HO• and O2−• radicals participated in the catalytic degradation process. The degradation pathway of TC was proposed with the assistance of ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). This work develops a facile, low-cost and large-scale method to synthesize Co@NCNTs, which demonstrates great potential in MW-induced catalytic treatment of antibiotic pollutants as high-efficient catalysts.

Ammonium Uptake, Mediated by Ammonium Transporters, Mitigates Manganese Toxicity in Duckweed, Spirodela polyrhiza.

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient that affects all aspects of the growth, development and metabolic responses of plants. Here we investigated the influence of the two major sources of inorganic nitrogen, nitrate and ammonium, on the toxicity caused by excess of Mn in great duckweed, Spirodela polyrhiza. The revealed alleviating effect of ammonium on Mn-mediated toxicity, was complemented by detailed molecular, biochemical and evolutionary characterization of the species ammonium transporters (AMTs). Four genes encoding AMTs in S. polyrhiza, were classified as SpAMT1;1, SpAMT1;2, SpAMT1;3 and SpAMT2. Functional testing of the expressed proteins in yeast and Xenopus oocytes clearly demonstrated activity of SpAMT1;1 and SpAMT1;3 in transporting ammonium. Transcripts of all SpAMT genes were detected in duckweed fronds grown in cultivation medium, containing a physiological or 50-fold elevated concentration of Mn at the background of nitrogen or a mixture of nitrate and ammonium. Each gene demonstrated an individual expression pattern, revealed by RT-qPCR. Revealing the mitigating effect of ammonium uptake on manganese toxicity in aquatic duckweed S. polyrhiza, the study presents a comprehensive analysis of the transporters involved in the uptake of ammonium, shedding a new light on the interactions between the mechanisms of heavy metal toxicity and the regulation of the plant nitrogen metabolism.

ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ ПРОЦЕССОВ РАЗЛОЖЕНИЯ И ГОРЕНИЯ СМЕСЕЙ АММИАЧНОЙ СЕЛИТРЫ С АКТИВНЫМ УГЛЕМ

The influence of active carbon of BAU-A grade on ammonium nitrate decomposition process is considered. It is shown that the introduction of even 1% of carbon can significantly reduce the temperature of the beginning of its intensive decomposition. The decomposition process is greatly influenced by the external specific surface area of the active carbon and its content in the mixture. The combustion of mixtures of ammonium nitrate with active carbon and the influence of various factors on the process are considered.

Enhanced lithium polysulfide adsorption on an iron-oxide-modified separator for Li-S batteries.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are candidates for next-generation energy storage systems because of their low cost, high theoretical specific capacity and safety. However, the serious lithium polysulfide (LiPS) shuttle effect leads to a loss of reactive active substances and reduction of coulombic efficiency. In the current work, iron oxide (IO-700)-prepared by calcining a mixture of carbon spheres and ferric nitrate under an air atmosphere at 700 °C-was designed as a separator modifier to effectively adsorb LiPSs and accelerate the kinetics of the transformation of the intermediates, thereby inhibiting the shuttle effect. Li-S batteries including IO-700 showed long-term stability for 1000 cycles at 1C, with a capacity decay rate per cycle of only 0.0487%. A theoretical calculation indicated that, due to strongly polar active sites, Fe2O3 adsorbed LiPSs effectively to suppress the shuttle effect. This work has highlighted the importance for Li-S batteries of strongly polar active sites for anchoring LiPSs to inhibit the shuttle effect.

MODELING AND EVALUATING CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT PERFORMANCE IN MOROCCO: A PARAMETRIC STUDY

The current paper presents the design and investigation of a 100 MW concentrated solar power (CSP) system composed of a solar tower with a dual-tank direct thermal energy storage system that uses a mixture of molten potassium nitrate and sodium, incorporated with a 111 MWe gross power block composed of a conventional Rankine cycle. The analysis was conducted at Midelt city (Morocco) (32°41'06 latitude and 4°44'42 O longitude). This study aims to evaluate the impact of cooling tower technology on solar tower power plants from a performance and economic standpoint. To achieve this objective, for each cooling tower system, the main parameters were considered: the solar multiple of the system, and the thermal storage hours (TES); their influence on the annual energy generated, the capacity factor, the annual water consumption, and the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) to demonstrate the profitability and the cost-effectiveness of the CSP system on the studied site. The modeling results reveal that in terms of performance and economic perspective, the optimal configuration corresponds to a solar multiple of 3.5 and thermal storage of 16, using the evaporative-cooling system, which resulted in a capacity factor (CF) of 80.47%, and LCOE of 7.68 ¢ per kWh.

Steady state performance of molten salt natural circulation loop with different orientations of heater and cooler

Molten salts are proposed as a coolant and sensible heat storage medium for Solar Thermal Power Plant (STPP) as well as fuel and coolant for Molten Salt Reactor (MSR). The objective of the present study is to investigate the steady state behavior of molten salt in natural circulation flow condition along with effect of different orientations of heater and cooler on the steady state mass flow rate. For which a Molten Salt Natural Circulation Loop (MSNCL) has been setup with molten nitrate salt (mixture of Sodium Nitrate and Potassium Nitrate in 60:40 ratio by wt.) as working fluid. Steady state experiments in four different orientations of heater and cooler [Horizontal Heater Horizontal Cooler (HHHC), Horizontal Heater Vertical Cooler (HHVC), Vertical Heater Horizontal Cooler (VHHC) and Vertical Heater Vertical Cooler (VHVC)] have been performed and data generated are compared with the steady state correlations available in open literature which are derived considering either standard friction factor correlations or friction factor correlations deduced from their experiments and theoretical studies. Based on the deviations observed in the experimental values and correlation predictions, an improved formulation has been derived. The steady state formulation has been improved by incorporating Wall Thermal Inertia (WTI) effect and Heat Loss (HL) effect considering the importance of WTI & HL in dealing with high temperature molten salt loop. The improved formulation has been compared with the experimental results for different orientations of heater and cooler. Further, a new friction factor correlation has also been deduced from the experiments for vertical heater orientation. Description of MSNCL along with validation studies performed for different steady state correlation against experimental data generated in MSNCL, are reported in this paper.

Treatment of Spent Pickling Solutions by Diffusion Dialysis Using Anion-Exchange Membrane Neosepta-AFN.

This article presents the possibility of using diffusion dialysis for processing spent pickling solution from pickling stainless steels with a mixture of nitric acid and hydrofluoric acid. A counter-current two-compartment dialyzer equipped with an anion-exchange membrane Neosepta-AFN was used to study and compare the diffusion dialysis of model mixture of hydrofluoric acid and ferric nitrate and a real spent pickling solution. The separation efficiency was characterized by the acid recovery yield, the rejection coefficient of the metals, the permeability coefficient of the membrane, and the separation factor. These characteristics were calculated from the data obtained at steady state. For the real spent pickling solution tested, the permeability values of nitrates 1.7 × 10-6 m s-1, fluorides 0.4 × 10-6 m s-1, and ferric ions 1.1 × 10-7 m s-1 were achieved. The separation factor for nitrates/ferric ions was 15.7 and 3.6 for fluorides/ferric ions. Furthermore, the dependencies of recovery yield and rejection for different concentrations of hydrofluoric acid and ferric nitrate were determined.

Distinct behaviors of KNO3 and NaNO3 in specific heat enhancement of molten salt nanofluid

This study aims to examine the effects of the solvent of molten salt nanofluids on the specific heat capacity (SHC) and furthermore to understand the mechanism for enhanced SHC of the nanofluids. Moreover, the effects of the electrical double layer (EDL) on the SHC enhancement were quantitatively analyzed for a single salt and binary salt-based nanofluids. Two different nanoparticles, SiO2 and graphite, were dispersed in sodium nitrate (NaNO3), potassium nitrate (KNO3) and NaNO3-KNO3 mixtures. The SHC of the nanofluids was experimentally measured by a differential scanning calorimetry. The SHC of the NaNO3-SiO2 nanofluids was increased up to 17.2 % in liquid phase, whereas the SHC enhancements of the binary salt-SiO2 nanofluids were varied between-1.2 and 8.2 % in liquid phase. Additionally, the SHC enhancement was unfavorably proportional to the mass ratio of NaNO3 in the binary salt-SiO2 nanofluids. In graphite nanofluids, the SHC was enhanced up to 20.1 % and 7.1 % in KNO3 and NaNO3, respectively. However, the enhancement in the SHC was <7.8 % in the binary salt-graphite nanofluids. The zeta potentials of the SiO2 nanoparticle in the aqueous salt solution were linearly increased with the composition of NaNO3 which can be correlated with the salt solvent dependent SHC in the binary salt nanofluid. Finally, the EDL analysis indicates that SiO2 nanoparticles have stronger attractive force in ionic solutions than graphite. Furthermore, the EDL interactive forces demonstrate that the potential energy in the EDL adjacent to the nanoparticles determines the SHC enhancement of the molten salt nanofluids. KeywordsNanofluidSpecific heatMolten saltZeta potentialElectric double layerInteraction potential energy

Spraying sorbitol-chelated calcium affected foliar calcium absorption and promoted the yield of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.).

The prevalent use of foliar calcium fertilizers in peanut production is inorganic, but calcium absorbed from the foliar has poor availability. Sorbitol-chelated calcium is a novel organic foliar calcium fertilizer that has rarely been studied for application in peanut production. To explore whether calcium absorption and peanut yields can be affected by foliar application of sorbitol-chelated calcium, this study conducted two field experiments using Virginia peanut (Huayu-22) in 2020 and 2021. The five spray treatments included: deionized water (CK), sorbitol (Sor), calcium nitrate (CaN), a mixture of sorbitol and calcium nitrate (SN), and sorbitol-chelated calcium (SC). The yield of peanuts treated with sorbitol-chelated calcium was increased by 12.31-16.63%, 10.22-11.83%, 6.31-9.69%, and 4.18-6.99% compared to the CK, Sor, CaN, and SN treatments, respectively. Sorbitol-chelated calcium had the lowest contact angle due to the wetting effect of sorbitol, which promoted calcium absorption by leaves. Sorbitol-chelated calcium improved the leaf calcium concentration by 13.12-19.32% and kernel calcium concentration by 6.49-8.15% compared to the CK treatment. Foliar fertilization increased the calcium concentration of each subcellular fraction of leaves and changed the distribution of calcium in mesophyll cells. This change was directly observed by transmission electron microscopy. Additionally, spraying sorbitol alone obtained similar effects to spraying calcium nitrate alone, indicating that the benefits of sorbitol itself were not negligible. The results of the principal component and correlation analysis showed that the increase in calcium concentrations and the change in calcium distribution improved the pod traits of the peanut, thus affecting the peanut yield. The above results showed that from the perspective of calcium absorption and distribution, sorbitol-chelated calcium is a more effective foliar calcium fortifier for peanuts and effectively improves peanut yields.

Combustion Wave Structure of the Ammonium Dinitramide‐Based Ionic Liquid Propellant

AbstractThe ammonium dinitramide‐based ionic liquid propellant (ADN‐based ILP), which is a mixture of ADN, monomethylamine nitrate (MMAN), and urea, is a low toxic monopropellant with a higher performance than that of hydrazine. To clarify the combustion wave structure of ADN‐based ILP, which has low volatility, we focused on the relationship between the phase state and temperature in ADN‐based ILP combustion and on clarifying the gas‐liquid phase reaction. The combustion still image and temperature distribution of ADN‐based ILP were obtained by strand burning tests with a high‐speed camera. As a result, two stages of the stable temperature region were found in the gas‐liquid phase. The pressure dependences of temperature in the stable temperature region were compared with the vapor pressure curves of some chemical substances and with the decomposition temperatures of ADN, MMAN, and urea. Then, it was inferred that the thermal decompositions of ADN, MMAN, and urea, as well as the evaporation of urea had occurred at the first stage of the stable temperature region. Also, it was found that the liquid ammonium nitrate had been dissociated at the second stage of the stable temperature region. For a report on the existence of dissociation products of MMAN and urea vapor on the burning surface at 1.2 MPa, the dissociation of MMAN and evaporation of urea would occur at the first stage of the stable temperature region at 1.2 MPa. As stated above, the combustion wave structure of ADN‐based ILP was developed at 1.2 MPa.