Pure Distilled Water Research Articles

Monitoring the Water Quality in the Recycling Process

Specific water contamination requires the recycling process prior to its discharge into the public sewerage network. Electro-flotation technology was used for cleaning of waste water contaminated with the disperse colorants. Dispersion colorants were used to decorate the boxes, made of corrugated board, in the company for the production of packaging. The objective of this paper is to present a method of optimization to determine the length of the time interval for electro-flotation process. Interval should be set so as to achieve the degree of cleaning the water that is the maximum possible in the process of electro-flotation. The measurement of the light passing through the measuring the translucent tube determines the actual degree of the water purity. The measurement is carried out by means of a photodiode in different wavelengths. The measured values in the measuring tube are compared with the nominal value, which corresponds to pure distilled water. Optimization the time interval to clean the water using electro-flotation was determined for yellow color. The optimum interval for the water contaminated with the yellow color was set to 1800s.

Effects of Ethanol Addition on the Efficiency of Subcritical Water Extraction of Proteins and Amino Acids from Porcine Placenta.

In a previous study, hydrolysates of porcine placenta were obtained and the extraction efficiency for proteins and amino acids was compared between sub- and super-critical water extraction systems; optimum efficiency was found to be achieved using subcritical water (170℃, 10 bar). In this study, the effects of adding ethanol to the subcritical water system were investigated. The lowest-molecular-weight extraction product detected weighed 434 Da, and the efficiency of extraction for low-molecular-weight products was increased when either the concentration of ethanol was decreased, or the extraction time was lengthened from 10 min to 30 min. The highest concentration of free amino acids (approximately 8 mM) was observed following 30 min extraction using pure distilled water. The concentration of free amino acids was significantly lower when ethanol was added or a shorter extraction time was used (p<0.05). Color change of the solution following extraction was measured. There were no significant differences in color between lysates produced with different extraction times when using distilled water (p>0.05); however, using different extraction times produced significant differences in color when using 20% or 50% ethanol solution for subcritical extraction (p<0.05). The range of pH for the hydrolysate solutions was 6.4-7.5. In conclusion, the investigated extraction system was successful in the extraction of ≤ 500 Da hydrolysates from porcine placenta, but addition of ethanol did not yield higher production of low-molecular-weight hydrolysates than that achieved by DW alone.

Direct behavioral and neurophysiological evidence for retronasal olfaction in mice.

The neuroscience of flavor perception is hence becoming increasingly important to understand food flavor perception that guides food selection, ingestion and appreciation. We recently provided evidence that rats can use the retronasal mode of olfaction, an essential element of human flavor perception. We showed that in rats, like humans, odors can acquire a taste. We and others also defined how the input of the olfactory bulb (OB) -not functionally imageable in humans- codes retronasal smell in anesthetized rat. The powerful awake transgenic mouse, however, would be a valuable additional model in the study of flavor neuroscience. We used a go/no-go behavioral task to test the mouse's ability to detect and discriminate the retronasal odor amyl acetate. In this paradigm a tasteless aqueous odor solution was licked by water-restricted head-fixed mice from a lick spout. Orthonasal contamination was avoided. The retronasal odor was successfully discriminated by mice against pure distilled water in a concentration-dependent manner. Bulbectomy removed the mice's ability to discriminate the retronasal odor but not tastants. The OB showed robust optical calcium responses to retronasal odorants in these awake mice. These results suggest that mice, like rats, are capable of smelling retronasally. This direct neuro-behavioral evidence establishes the mouse as a useful additional animal model for flavor research.

Minimal interference of glucose and ethanol on aflatoxin B1 adsorption by smectites

Due to stringent regulations on aflatoxins in food and feed, and an increased demand for biofuel, it is reasonable to direct aflatoxin-contaminated corn to biofuel production. Of great concern is the up to three-fold mycotoxin enrichment in distiller's grains, a co-product of ethanol biofuel production. The objective of this study was to test the interferences of ethanol and glucose on aflatoxin adsorption by smectites. Ethanol and glucose are two of the major soluble compounds present in fermentation solutions. The aflatoxin adsorption capacities of four smectites from Mississippi (2MS, 3MS, and 4MS) and Alabama (MBBO1) were evaluated in water and in ethanol/glucose. The highest aflatoxin B1 adsorption capacity (Qmax) of the four smectites in water was 0.59molkg−1 (184gkg−1). Batch adsorption experiments suggested that smectites effectively adsorbed aflatoxin B1 from the simulated fermentation solutions. Aflatoxin adsorption from 10% (w/v) glucose and 20% (v/v) ethanol to clay was 90% of aflatoxin adsorption to clay from pure distilled water. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that aflatoxin–smectite complexes formed in water, 10% glucose, and 20% ethanol solutions responded similarly to heat treatment and maintained basal spacings >1.2nm up to 300°C, whereas the smectite without aflatoxin treatment collapsed to 1.0nm at 150°C. The greater basal spacing after heat treatment suggested that smectite interlayers were accessible to aflatoxin in the presence of high glucose and ethanol concentrations. Infrared spectra of aflatoxin–smectite complexes formed in the simulated fermentation solutions were nearly identical to infrared spectra of aflatoxin–smectite complexes formed in distilled water. This suggests that ethanol and glucose had little influence on the type or strength of bonding between aflatoxin and smectite and that washing with water easily removed any adsorbed ethanol and glucose. The distinct two-carbonyl bond in-phase stretching vibration at 1727cm−1 revealed irreversible aflatoxin B1 bonding in smectite interlayers. It can be concluded that glucose and ethanol interferences with aflatoxin adsorption to smectites is minimal.

Experimental validation of kinetic inhibitor strength on natural gas hydrate nucleation

The kinetics of natural gas hydrate formation in the presence of dissolved salts (NaCl) and crude oil (a middle east crude with density 851.5kg/m3) were investigated by using a standard rocking cell (RC-5) apparatus. The hydrate nucleation temperature was reduced in the presence of NaCl and oil in comparison with that in pure distilled water. The kinetic inhibition strength of various inhibitors (Luvicap Bio; Inhibex 505; Inhibex 501; Luvicap 55w; BIO inhibex-800; and Inhibex 301) was experimentally evaluated at complex conditions (in the presence of salts and crude oil) using the constant cooling temperature approach. These polymer-based chemicals were ranked based on the inhibition strength as follows: Luvicap Bio<Inhibex 505<Luvicap 55w<Inhibex 501<BIO-Inhibex-800<Inhibex 301. The same trend was also observed in the presence of salts and liquid hydrocarbon phase. The KHIs’ inhibition strength was not affected by NaCl but decreased significantly in the presence of crude oil. The hydrate decomposition temperatures were not influenced by the presence of NaCl, however, they decreased slightly in the presence of liquid hydrocarbon. The data presented here can contribute to appropriate hydrate risk management in oil and gas facilities.

Study of CNTs structural evolution during water assisted growth and transfer methodology for electrochemical applications

Herein we present the water assisted chemical vapor deposition (WACVD) growth of highly dense and long forests of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Annealing of thin catalyst film was done at 600 °C and growth of CNTs at a relatively low temperature (700 °C). A small amount of pure distilled water (0.04 sccm) was introduced without assistance of carrier gas such as Ar or He during the growth. Initially, water vapor enhances the crystallinity of growing nanotubes and their length increases with growth time. However, the presence of water vapor gradually changes their structure from multiwall to thinner or even single wall carbon nanotubes. After a certain growth time, the growth rate becomes slow and structural disorder start to increase. The electrochemical properties of the obtained ultra-long CNTs forests were analyzed by transferring them on adhesive conductive aluminum tape using a novel methodology. In addition, a water plasma treatment was performed in order to introduce oxygen functional groups on the transferred CNTs (CNTs/Al). The specific capacitance of CNTs/Al increases from 87 to 148 Fg−1 for untreated and water plasma treated CNTs/Al, respectively.

An experimental investigation of heat transfer enhancement of a minichannel heat sink using Al2O3–H2O nanofluid

The thermal performances of a minichannel heat sink are experimentally investigated for cooling of electronics using nanofluid coolant instead of pure water. The Al2O3–H2O nanofluid including the volume fraction ranging from 0.10 to 0.25vol.% was used as a coolant. The effects of different flow rates of the coolant on the overall thermal performances are also investigated. The flow rate was ranged from 0.50 to 1.25L/min as well as the Reynolds number from 395 to 989. The coolant was passed through a custom made copper minichannel heat sink consisting of the channel height of 0.8mm and the channel width of 0.5mm. The experimental results showed the higher improvement of the thermal performances using nanofluid instead of pure distilled water. The heat transfer coefficient was found to be enhanced up to 18% successfully. The nanofluid significantly lowered the heat sink base temperature (about 2.7°C) while it also showed 15.72% less thermal resistance at 0.25vol.% and higher Reynolds number compared to the distilled water.

Photo-induced reforming of alcohols with improved hydrogen apparent quantum yield on TiO2 nanotubes loaded with ultra-small Pt nanoparticles

Photo-induced reforming of methanol, ethanol, glycerol and phenol at room temperature for hydrogen production was investigated with the use of ultra-small Pt nanoparticles (NPs) loaded on TiO2 nanotubes (NTs). The Pt NPs with diameters between 1.1 and 1.3 nm were deposited on TiO2 NTs by DC-magnetron sputtering (DC-MS) technique. The photocatalytic hydrogen rate achieved an optimum value for a loading of about 1 wt% of Pt. Apparent quantum yield for hydrogen generation was measured for methanol and ethanol water solutions reaching a maximum of 16% under irradiation with a wavelength of 313 nm in methanol/water solution (1/8 v/v). Pt NPs loaded on TiO2 NTs represented also a true water splitting catalyst under UV irradiation and pure distilled water. DC-MS method appears to be a technologically simple, ecologically benign and potentially low-cost process for production of an efficient photocatalyst loaded with ultra-small NPs with precise size control.

Cyclic wetting–drying ageing test and patina formation on tuffeau limestone

This paper presents the results of an ageing test based on cycles of wetting–drying of a French building limestone named tuffeau. During 3 years, 50 complete wetting–drying cycles with pure distilled water were carried out on the side of a cylindrical sample. The characterization of the stone shows that the ageing test applied induces changes in the surface appearance, with the formation of a patina with decrease in porosity and mineralogical changes due to dissolution, transport, and recrystallization of the dissolved mineralogical component of the rock as calcite. The decrease in the imbibition kinetics confirms the alteration of the tested stone sample. After 50 wetting–drying cycles, imbibition coefficients are almost halved. This alteration is not homogeneous as the patina covers only some sections of the exposed surface of the stone. On the well-formed parts of the patina with a brownish and varnished aspect, which represent about 20 % of the total surface, measurements show a decrease in porosity and roughness of about 25 %. The physico-chemical characterization shows that the patina formed in the laboratory is fully comparable to natural patina observed on monuments built of tuffeau.

Elaboration of a new flat membrane support from Moroccan clay

The present paper is devoted to synthesis of porous ceramic support from local Moroccan clay (region of Agadir). This material has been dictated by their natural abundance (low price) and their beneficial properties. In this work, we were also interested in the development and the characterization of new mineral support for microfiltration and ultrafiltration membrane. The support, with flat configuration, was prepared from natural clay: the powder was crushed, sieved to 125μm and mixed with organic additives and water. The obtained paste was then extruded to elaborate a porous structure. The firing temperature of the support is 800°C. After firing, the elaborated support showed an average pore diameter of 11 μm and a porosity of 41%. The average support permeability determined using pure distilled water is 1,805 L/h m² bar. This porous ceramic tube was used as support to prepare microfiltration membrane which were tested for the filtration.

食品中糖アルコールのHPLC定量法およびLC-MS確認法

A reliable quantitative determination method of sugar alcohols, D-mannitol, xylitol and D-sorbitol, in food samples by HPLC, and a simple confirmation method by LC-MS were developed. Quantitative HPLC analysis was performed using a separation column packed with polystyrene cation exchange resin of sulfonic acid type, and with pure distilled water as the mobile phase. This column, operated at 0.85 mL/min flow rate of mobile phase and 50℃ column oven temperature, completely separated the three sugar alcohols. Further, these three sugar alcohols were well separated from erythritol and other sugars (sucrose, D-glucose, D-xylose and D-fructose). Recoveries of the three sugar alcohols spiked into food samples, such as orange juice, yogurt, chewing gum and milk, exceeded 91% and the values of coefficient of variance were below 3.1%. A triple extraction process with 80% ethanol was needed for biscuit to achieve recoveries exceeding 82%. LC-MS was carried out on a NH2 column with acetonitrile-water (9 : 1) as the mobile phase, and this afforded partial but acceptable separation of the three sugar alcohols with in 10 minutes. Ion peaks derived from [M-H](-) and [M+Cl](-) were clearly detected for all three sugar alcohols in the negative electrospray inization mode at 30 V cone voltage. The positive electrospray ionization mode produced the ions [M+Na](+) and [M+Na+CH3CN](+). These characteristic ions served to confirm the presence of the sugar alcohols in food samples.

Forced convective and subcooled flow boiling heat transfer to pure water and n-heptane in an annular heat exchanger

In this research, subcooled flow boiling heat transfer coefficients of pure n-heptane and distilled water at different operating conditions have been experimentally measured and compared. The heat exchanger consisted of vertical annulus which is heated from the inner cylindrical heater with variable heat flux (less than 140kW/m2). Heat flux is varied so that two different flow regimes from single phase forced convection to nucleate boiling condition are created. Meanwhile, liquid flow rate is changed in the range of 2.5×10−5–5.8×10−5m3/s to create laminar up to transition flow regimes. Three subcooling levels including 10, 20 and 30°C are also considered. Experimental results demonstrated that subcooled flow boiling heat transfer coefficient increases when higher heat flux, higher liquid flow rate and greater subcooling level are applied. Furthermore, influence of the operating conditions on the bubbles generation on the heat transfer surface is also discussed. It is also shown that water is better cooling fluid in comparison with n-heptane.

Improvement of Lime Reactivity towards Desulfurization by Hydration Agents

Three hydration agents namely calcium acetate, ammonium acetate and citric acid were used to augment lime's reactivity through hydration. The performance of these agents was compared with pure distilled water. The produced sorbents were tested in a pH-stat facility and a fixed bed apparatus which simulate wet and dry flue gas desulfurization respectively. It was observed that all agents improved lime's reactivity by a higher percentage than water and that calcium acetate was the best agent, followed by ammonium acetate. Dissolution and hydrolysis of the calcium and acetate ions were thought to be the cause of these results while for acidic agents, high concentration of the hydrogen ion was the cause of the improved performance. BET surface area analysis, XRD and SEM imaging were used to explain the results.

Direct Behavioral Evidence for Retronasal Olfaction in Rats

The neuroscience of flavor perception is becoming increasingly important to understand abnormal feeding behaviors and associated chronic diseases such as obesity. Yet, flavor research has mainly depended on human subjects due to the lack of an animal model. A crucial step towards establishing an animal model of flavor research is to determine whether the animal uses the retronasal mode of olfaction, an essential element of flavor perception. We designed a go- no go behavioral task to test the rat's ability to detect and discriminate retronasal odorants. In this paradigm, tasteless aqueous solutions of odorants were licked by water-restricted head-fixed rats from a lick spout. Orthonasal contamination was avoided by employing a combination of a vacuum around the lick-spout and blowing clean air toward the nose. Flow models support the effectiveness of both approaches. The licked odorants were successfully discriminated by rats. Moreover, the tasteless odorant amyl acetate was reliably discriminated against pure distilled water in a concentration-dependent manner. The results from this retronasal odor discrimination task suggest that rats are capable of smelling retronasally. This direct behavioral evidence establishes the rat as a useful animal model for flavor research.

Chemical equilibrium analysis for hydrolysis of magnesium hydride to generate hydrogen

Magnesium hydride is a promising hydrogen source because of its high mass density of hydrogen, 15.2%, when it is hydrolyzed; MgH2+2H2O=Mg(OH)2+2H2+277kJ. However, a magnesium hydroxide, Mg(OH)2, layer forms rapidly on the surface of the unreacted MgH2 as the pH increases, hindering further reaction. The purpose of this study is to find acids that could effectively accelerate the reaction by using a chemical equilibrium analysis where the relationships of pH to concentration of ionized Mg were calculated. For the best performing acid, the calculated and measured relationships were compared, and the effects of acid concentration on hydrogen release were measured. The analysis revealed that citric acid and ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid were good buffering agents. The calculated and measured relationships between pH and concentration of ionized Mg were in good accord. Hydrogen release improved considerably in a relatively dilute citric acid solution instead of pure distilled water. The maximum amount of hydrogen generated was 1.7×103cm3g−1 at STP after 30min. We estimated the exact concentration of citric acid solution for complete MgH2 hydrolysis by a chemical equilibrium analysis method.

Comparative wettability of different sodium hypochlorite solutions

The present study evaluated the dentin wettability of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) with and without the addition of surfactants. Twelve premolars roots were longitudinally split using a low-speed rotary diamond saw. The 24 specimens were randomly distributed into four experimental groups: Group 1 = 5.25% NaOCl; Group 2 = Hypoclean; Group 3 = Chlor-Xtra; Group 4 = freshly produced MilliQ water (distilled water). Three different contact angles were measured: the sessile angle, the advancing angle, and the receding angle. All angles were measured with a goniometer Krüss G 23. The highest contact angle was observed in Group 4 (control group), considering both sessile and advancing angles. Hypoclean and Chlor-Xtra solutions immediately spread on the dentin surface, yielding a zero-degree contact angle. Pure NaOCl solution showed a 35-degree sessile contact angle and a 64-degree advancing contact angle. The detected receding angle was zero. Obtained data clearly showed the superior wettability of Hypoclean and Chlor-Xtra in comparison to pure NaOCl and distilled water. Il presente studio ha valutato il comportamento di diverse soluzioni di ipoclorito di sodio (NaOCl), con e senza l’aggiunta di tensioattivi, a contatto con la dentina. Dodici premolari monocanalari sono stati separati secondo l’asse longitudinale con un disco diamantato in rotazione a bassa velocità. I 24 campioni ottenuti sono stati distribuiti in modo casuale in quattro gruppi sperimentali: Gruppo 1 = NaOCl al 5,25%; Gruppo 2 = NaOCl al 5,25% con tensioattivi (Hypoclean); Gruppo 3 = NaOCl <6% con tensioattivi (Chlor-Xtra); Gruppo di controllo = acqua distillata (MilliQ 18 MOhm). Al fine di valutare la bagnabilità delle soluzioni nei confronti della dentina sono state effettuate tre misurazioni: l’angolo di contatto sessile, l’angolo di contatto di avanzamento e l’angolo di contatto di recessione. Tutti gli angoli sono stati misurati con un goniometro Krüss G 23. L’angolo di contatto più alto è stato osservato nel gruppo di controllo, considerando i valori sia dell’angolo di contatto sessile sia dell’angolo di contatto di avanzamento. La diffusione sulla superficie dentinale delle soluzioni del Gruppo 2 (Hypoclean) e del Gruppo 3 (Chlor-Xtra) è stata immediata, in accordo al valore registrato di zero gradi per i tre differenti angoli di contatto. Il Gruppo 1 (ipoclorito di sodio al 5,25%) ha mostrato un angolo di contatto sessile pari a 35 gradi e un angolo di contatto di avanzamento pari a 64 gradi; l’angolo di contatto di recessione rilevato è risultato pari a zero. I dati ottenuti hanno dimostrato chiaramente la superiore bagnabilità delle soluzioni di ipoclorito di sodio addizionate con tensioattivi nei confronti della dentina rispetto a quella ottenibile con solo ipoclorito di sodio al 5,25% o con acqua distillata.

Impeding effect of air bubbles on normal grain growth of ice

Normal grain growth experiments were performed using polycrystalline ice samples with and without air bubbles. The bubble-free polycrystalline ice was prepared by a special sample preparation technique that employed a phase change method. The ice samples with air bubbles were prepared from a mixture of ice powder and pure distilled water using conventional methods. The temperature dependencies of the rate of grain growth were measured in artificial polycrystalline ice samples with and without air bubbles. The average grain growth exponent n of the ice with bubbles was much greater than the theoretical value of 2, while that of bubble-free ice was close to 2. The activation energy for the grain boundary migration of bubble-free ice was 110–120 kJ mol−1, whereas that of the ice with bubbles was between 40 and 70 kJ mol−1. The observation of the microscopic images of samples and analyses of the evolution of bubble size distribution and location during grain growth revealed that small air bubbles are caught and swept by moving grain boundaries and a coalescence of bubbles occurs. This indicates that the slow grain boundary migration of ice with bubbles is controlled by the migration of air bubbles dragged by grain boundary migration.

Impact of a liquid drop on a granular medium: Inertia, viscosity and surface tension effects on the drop deformation

An experimental study of liquid drop impacts on a granular medium (glass beads) is proposed. Four fluids were used to vary physical properties: pure distilled water, water with glycerol at two concentrations 1:1 and 1:2v/v and water with surfactant (Tween 20) at the concentration of 0.1gl−1 (≈1 CMC). The drop free fall height was varied to obtain a Weber number (We) between 10 and 2000 and a Reynolds number (Re) between 100 and 13000. Different behaviors during the drop spreading, receding and absorption are highlighted as function of the fluids viscosity (μ) and surface tension (γ). The role plays by the surfactant on the drop behavior after impact was found significant especially when the kinetic energy was high. On the other hand, the final diameter of the drop was found insensitive to the viscosity of the fluid and the Weber number. The maximal spreading factor βmax=Dmax/D0 was found to scale as We14 for water+surfactant drops (γ≈36mJm−2, μ=1mPas) whereas for the other fluids (γ≈70mJm−2 but μ=1−19mPas) βmax∼We15. The boundary between splashing and non-splashing was determined using the splash parameter Kd=We1/2Re1/4. The threshold value Kds was found higher that for impact of liquid drops on solid dry substrates. Experimental absorption times are also commented and compared with a simplified theoretical model. Finally, the morphology of the craters is discussed and a relationship between the crater diameter and the drop kinetic energy at impact is presented.

A Model of agglomerate formation during bed wetting in the process of disc granulation

A Model of agglomerate formation during bed wetting in the process of disc granulation This paper presents a method for quantitative assessment of the mechanisms of nucleation and granules growth by layering in the process of bed wetting during periodic disc granulation. This study included two initial, consecutive stages of a process with defined time courses. The first phase was a time period, in which only formation of new nuclei took place, while in the second stage simultaneous nucleation and growth of granules as a result of sticking raw material grains to pre-existing nuclei occurred. Different kinds of binding liquid were used for bed wetting in each phase. In the first phase, an aqueous solution of dye was used, and pure distilled water in the second stage. The contribution of particular mechanisms to the formation of agglomerates at different time points within the second phase of the process was determined in this study. To do that the results of bed granulometric analysis, mass balance of size fractions and the analysis of contents of a marker (dye) delivered to the bed with the binding liquid during the first phase in agglomerates were used. To assess the concentration of the dye in different size fractions of the batch, spectrophotometric analysis was utilised. The study was performed using UV-VIS JASCO V-630 spectrophotometer equipped with an integrating sphere. The sieve analysis, spectrophotometric studies and mass balance were used to determine changes in the weight of the dye containing nuclei and of the nuclei containing no dye. The aforementioned analyses were also used to assess changes in the weight of formed granules and of raw material particles attached to nuclei during simultaneous nucleation and growth of granules.

Characterization of flat membrane support elaborated from local Moroccan Perlite

The present paper reports the in situ synthesis of porous ceramic support from local Moroccan perlite. This material has been dictated by their natural abundance (low price) and their beneficial properties. In this work, we were interested in the development and the characterization of new mineral support for microfiltration membrane. The support, with flat configuration, was prepared from natural perlite: the powder was crushed, sieved to 200 μm and mixed with organic additives and water. The obtained paste was then extruded to elaborate a porous structure. The firing temperature of the support is 1000 °C. The evolution of densification and surface quality of support sintered at different temperatures was followed by scanning electron microscopy. After firing, the elaborated support showed an average pore diameter of 6.64 μm and a porosity of 41.8%. Perlite support presents a good chemical resistance in acidic medium than in basic medium. The average support permeability determined using pure distilled water is 1797 L/h m² bar. The elaborated support was used to clarify a suspension of baking powder at 4 g/L. Frontal filtration process was seen to remove turbidity from the feed completely; the removal percentage of suspended matter from water is between 95 and 100%.