Small Number Of Particles Research Articles

Microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of 65Mn tape-steel via electromagnetic induction heating

The heat treatment of electromagnetic induction heating (EMIH) was employed on 65Mn tape-steel. Microstructure evolution of 65Mn tape-steel was systematically characterized by scanning electron microscope and electron backscatter diffraction. Then the mechanical properties of microhardness, tensile, and corrosion resistance tests were examined. After EMIH treatment, the network-like of cementite was broken. The ferrite precipitates are melted into a large number of small particles, which were attached to the matrix. The microhardness of 65Mn tape-steel treated with EMIH is lower than that of the as-received. The average microhardness values decrease gradually with the increase of duration times during the EMIH treatment. After the treatment, the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and tensile yield strength (TYS) reduce to about 700 MPa and 600 MPa, respectively. Meanwhile, the values of the UTS and TYS can’t be affected by a further increase of alternating current (AC) values. The elongation (EL) increases with duration time increasing from 1 s to 3 s. However, the EL declines to 1.3% and 0.5% after EMIH is treated with oil/water cooling, respectively. At an electric current value of 210 A, the sample demonstrates better corrosion resistance than the other samples.

Neural-network based approach for modeling wall-impact breakage of agglomerates in particle-laden flows applied in Euler–Lagrange LES

The present study proposes a novel modeling approach for predicting the wall-impact breakage of agglomerates in wall-bounded particle-laden turbulent flows based on artificial neutral networks (ANN). The suggested model is especially useful for efficient Euler-Lagrange simulation methods relying on the hard-sphere approach and the equivalent-sphere model for the agglomerate structure, allowing LES predictions of high mass loadings. Based on the impact conditions, i.e., the impact velocity, the impact angle, the number of included primary particles and the diameter of the primary particles, the outcomes of the breakage events are forecasted using two pre-trained artificial neural networks. The first network is concerned with the prediction of the possibility of breakage and the resulting fragment size distribution, whereas the second network predicts the post-breakage velocities of the fragments. The supervised training of the employed networks relies on a database obtained by extensive DEM simulations of agglomerate wall-impacts covering wide ranges of impact conditions, which were partially reported in Khalifa and Breuer (2020, 2021) for developing a breakage model based on a dimensional analysis and regression techniques. In the present contribution, the database mainly comprising the normal or oblique impact case is extended by adding results for the practically relevant shear impact case of wall-bounded particle-laden flows at extremely small impact angles, i.e., 3° and practically flat (0.2°). In addition, the breakage behavior of agglomerates containing very small numbers of particles are investigated under different impact angles and primary particle sizes. The ANN model is employed in Euler-Lagrange LES predictions of duct flows taking three Reynolds numbers and agglomerates of two powders distinguished by the size of the primary particles into account. The results obtained are compared with those based on a previous regression model (Khalifa and Breuer, 2021). In general, a good agreement between the results is found. However, the new ANN model is more widely applicable since the shear impact case is taken into account, which leads to subtle differences enhancing the reliability of the predictions.

Drug Physicochemical Properties Relevant to Powder Flowability in Pharmaceutical Appliance: A Review

Background: Studies have shown that the powder flowability rate significantly impacts the content uniformity and weight of the active pharmaceutical ingredients in drug tableting procedures. The aim was studying the physicochemical properties relevant to the powder flowability in some pharmaceutical instruments. Powders with good flow characteristics are required to ensure a continuous flow through the die and other compartments of the pharmaceutical appliances used for manufacturing. Several factors, such as size, density, adhesiveness, shape, surface conditions, and electrostatic chargeability of the drug ingredients, tend to influence the flowability of a drug. Conclusion: The study highlights that particle size is one of the major determinants of powder flowability. Large particles are expected to aid better flowability resulting in a clearer feeder during the manufacturing process. The flowability of the powder could be improved by adding a small number of fine particles and granules as excipients.

Triglyceride-Rich Lipoproteins and Glycoprotein A and B Assessed by 1H-NMR in Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease.

High plasma triglyceride (TG) levels and chronic inflammation are important factors related to metabolic-associated fatty liver disease in patients at cardiovascular risk. Using nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR), we aimed to study the triglyceride-rich lipoprotein (TRL) and acute-phase glycoprotein profiles of a cohort of patients with metabolic disease and their relationship with fatty liver. Plasma samples of 280 patients (type 2 diabetes, 81.1%; obesity, 63.3%; and metabolic syndrome, 91.8%) from the University Hospital Lipid Unit were collected for the measurement of small, medium and large TRL particle numbers and sizes and glycoprotein profiles (Glyc-A and Glyc-B) by 1H-NMR. Liver function parameters, including the fatty liver index (FLI) and fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) score, were assessed. Hepatic echography assessment was performed in 100 patients, and they were followed up for 10 years. TRL particle concentrations showed a strong positive association with Glyc-A and Glyc-B (ρ=0.895 and ρ=0.654, p<0.001, respectively) and with the liver function-related proteins ALT ρ=0.293, p<0.001), AST (ρ=0.318, p<0.001) and GGT (ρ=0.284, p<0.001). Likewise, TRL concentrations showed a positive association with FLI (ρ=0.425, p<0.001) but not with FIB-4. During the follow-up period of 10 years, 18 new cases of steatosis were observed among 64 patients who were disease-free at baseline. Baseline TRL particle numbers and glycoprotein levels were associated with the new development of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) (AUC=0.692, p=0.018 and AUC=0.669, p=0.037, respectively). Overall, our results indicated that TRL number and acute-phase glycoproteins measured by 1H-NMR could be potential biomarkers of the development of hepatic steatosis in patients at metabolic risk.

Interactive High-Resolution Simulation of Granular Material

We introduce a particle-based simulation method for granular material in interactive frame rates. We divide the simulation into two decoupled steps. In the first step, a relatively small number of particles is accurately simulated with a constraint-based method. Here, all collisions and the resulting friction between the particles are taken into account. In the second step, the small number of particles is significantly increased by an efficient sampling algorithm without creating additional artifacts. The method is particularly robust and allows relatively large time steps, which makes it well suited for real-time applications. With our method, up to 500k particles can be computed in interactive frame rates on consumer CPUs without relying on GPU support for massive parallel computing. This makes it well suited for applications where a lot of GPU power is already needed for render tasks.

Manipulating the Laser-Driven Proton Bunch with Plasma Wakefield

With the advantages of short duration and extreme brightness, laser proton accelerators (LPAs) show great potential in many fields for industrial, medical, and research applications. However, the quality of current laser-driven proton beams, such as the broad energy spread and large divergence angle, is still a challenge. We use numerical simulations to study the propagation of such proton bunches in the plasma. Results show the bunch will excite the wakefield and modulate itself. Although a small number of particles at the head of the bunch cannot be manipulated by the wakefield, the total energy spread is reduced. Moreover, while reducing the longitudinal energy spread, the wakefield will also pinch the beam in the transverse direction. The space charge effect of the bunch is completely offset by the wakefield, and the transverse momentum of the bunch decreases as the bunch transports in the plasma. For laser-driven ion beams, our study provides a novel idea about the optimization of these beams.

AC-assisted deposition of aggregate free silica films with vertical pore structure.

Silica thin films with vertical nanopores are useful to control access to electrode surfaces and may act as templates for growth of nanomaterials. The most effective method to produce these films, electrochemically assisted surfactant assembly, also produces aggregates of silica particles. This paper shows that growth with an AC signal superimposed onto the potential avoids the aggregates and only very small numbers of single particles are found. This finding is linked to better control of the diffusion field of hydroxide ions that are responsible for particle growth. The resultant films are smooth, with very well-ordered hexagonal pore structures.

Packing core-corona particles on a spherical surface.

We explore the non-trivial structures that can be obtained by the assembly of repulsive core-corona particles confined on a spherical surface. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we study the low-temperature equilibrium configurations as a function of the size of the confining (spherical) surface for a small number of particles (N ≤ 12) and obtain a large variety of minimal-energy arrangements including anisotropic and chiral structures. For a small cluster (N = 4), we construct a phase diagram in the confining surface radius vs corona range plane that showed regions where configurations with a certain energy are not accessible. Also, a phase diagram in the temperature and confining surface radius plane showed the presence of reentrant phases. The assembly of Platonic and Archimedean solids and the emergence of helical structures are also discussed. When the number of particles is large (N ≥ 100), apart from the appearance of defects, the overall configurations correspond closely to the ones formed in an unconfined two-dimensional case. Interestingly, the present model reproduces the symmetry of experimentally obtained small clusters of colloidal spheres confined at the surface of evaporating liquid droplets which cannot be explained in terms of packing of hard spheres. Thus, our simulations provide insight on the role that the softness of the particles may have in the assembly of clusters of nanoparticles.

Small size effects in open and closed systems: What can we learn from ideal gases about systems with interacting particles?

Small systems have higher surface area-to-volume ratios than macroscopic systems. The thermodynamics of small systems therefore deviates from the description of classical thermodynamics. One consequence of this is that properties of small systems can be dependent on the system's ensemble. By comparing the properties in grand canonical (open) and canonical (closed) systems, we investigate how a small number of particles can induce an ensemble dependence. Emphasis is placed on the insight that can be gained by investigating ideal gases. The ensemble equivalence of small ideal gas systems is investigated by deriving the properties analytically, while the ensemble equivalence of small systems with particles interacting via the Lennard-Jones or the Weeks-Chandler-Andersen potential is investigated through Monte Carlo simulations. For all the investigated small systems, we find clear differences between the properties in open and closed systems. For systems with interacting particles, the difference between the pressure contribution to the internal energy, and the difference between the chemical potential contribution to the internal energy, are both increasing with the number density. The difference in chemical potential is, with the exception of the density dependence, qualitatively described by the analytic formula derived for an ideal gas system. The difference in pressure, however, is not captured by the ideal gas model. For the difference between the properties in the open and closed systems, the response of increasing the particles' excluded volume is similar to the response of increasing the repulsive forces on the system walls. This indicates that the magnitude of the difference between the properties in open and closed systems is related to the restricted movement of the particles in the system. The work presented in this paper gives insight into the mechanisms behind ensemble in-equivalence in small systems, and illustrates how a simple statistical mechanical model, such as the ideal gas, can be a useful tool in these investigations.

Thermodynamic characteristics of ideal quantum gases in harmonic potentials within exact and semiclassical approaches

We theoretically examine equilibrium properties of the harmonically trapped ideal Bose and Fermi gases in the quantum degeneracy regime. We analyze thermodynamic characteristics of gases with a finite number of atoms by means of the known semiclassical approach and perform comparison with exact numerical results. For a Fermi gas, we demonstrate deviations in the Fermi energy values originating from a discrete level structure and show that these are observable only for a small number of particles. For a Bose gas, we observe characteristic softening of phase transition features, which contrasts to the semiclassical predictions and related approximations. We provide a more accurate methodology of determining corrections to the critical temperature due to finite number of particles.

Stratification Mechanism in the Bidisperse Colloidal Film Drying Process: Evolution and Decomposition of Normal Stress Correlated with Microstructure.

The evolution of the normal stress and microstructure in the drying process of bidisperse colloidal films is studied using the Brownian dynamics simulation. Here, we show that the formation process of small-on-top stratification can be explained by normal stress development. At high PeL's, a stratified layer with small particles is formed near the interface. The accumulated particles near the interface induce the localization of normal stress so that the normal stress at the interface increases from the beginning of drying. We analyze this stress development from two points of view, on the global length scale and particle length scale. On the global length scale, the localization of normal stress is quantified by the scaled normal stress difference between the interface and substrate. For all PeL's tested in this study, the scaled normal stress difference increases until the accumulation region reaches the substrate. After the maximum, the stress difference remains at the maximum at lower PeL's, while it decreases at higher PeL's. The microstructural analysis shows that this stress development is explained through the evolution of the particle contact number distribution at the interface and substrate. On the particle length scale, we derive the scaled local force applied to each type of particle by decomposing the local normal stress. At high PeL's, the scaled local force for the large particle is large compared to that for the small particle near the interface, indicating that the large particles are strongly pushed away from the interface. Associating the volume fraction profile with the local force field, we suggest that the strong scaled force for the large particle is attributed to the significant increase in the average number of small particles in contact with large ones. This study has significance in probing the drying mechanism of bidisperse colloidal films and the stratification mechanism.

The Research of GIS Discharge Influence Based on Particle Properties in Installation Environment

In order to explore the influence of atmospheric free particles that exit during GIS installation on the stable operation of GIS, the size, shape and inner properties of the particles contained in the air are analyzed. And based on 500kV GIS equipment, the GIS gas chamber model and the model of free particles were established. By using the finite element simulation software, the surface electric field distribution when the free particles remain on the insulator surface is solved. The results show that the electric field distribution of particles which exist along the surface of insulator is directly related to the relative permittivity of the material of the particles themselves, and the intensity of the electric field along the surface increases with the increase of the relative permittivity. with the fact that the relative permittivity of air particles is almost below 20, as a result, the existence of 10µm grade non-metallic free particles will not cause flashover discharge. But, when a small number of Fe3O4 particles which size over 1mm or when them accumulate regularly, it will lead to flashover discharge. Therefore, the suspended atmospheric particles in the installation environment have little impact on the stable operation of GIS. When considering the installation environmental conditions, the installation can be carried out on a clear, windless day which can save costs.

The impact of using portable humidifiers on airborne particles dispersion in indoor environment

Portable humidifiers are extensively employed to increase indoor humidity; however, the generated particles could affect people indoors and cause a heavy disease burden. This study aims to compare the potential for an ultrasonic humidifier and an evaporative humidifier to release suspended materials contained in the charging water in a room-sized chamber and estimate the disease burden attributed to PM 2.5 released by humidifiers. Size distributions and concentrations of indoor particles were measured when humidifiers were filled with five types of water with varying total dissolved solids (TDS). Results showed a linear association (R 2 =0.980) between particles produced by the ultrasonic humidifier and the TDS in water. Evaporative humidifiers could produce a small number of particles when tap water was used, but the linear relationship between the released particles and TDS in water was weak (R 2 =0.028). The disability-adjusted life years (DALY) attributed to PM 2.5 generated by the ultrasonic humidifier was 22.4 times that of the evaporative humidifier when using tap water. This study provides valuable data on characteristics of particles released by two different humidifiers and highlights the potential disease burden of exposure to PM 2.5 generated by humidifiers, which may help exclude any adverse effects of using portable humidifiers. • The impact of portable humidifiers on airborne particles is explored. • Ultrasonic humidifiers can release dissolved solids from the charging water. • Evaporative humidifiers have few influences on airborne particles. • Ultrasonic humidifiers can cause heavy burden of disease when using tap water.

Stochastic Chemotaxis Model with Fractional Derivative Driven by Multiplicative Noise

We introduce stochastic model of chemotaxis by fractional Derivative generalizing the deterministic Keller Segel model. These models include fluctuations which are important in systems with small particle numbers or close to a critical point. In this work, we study of nonlinear stochastic chemotaxis model with Dirichlet boundary conditions, fractional Derivative and disturbed by multiplicative noise. The required results prove the existence and uniqueness of mild solution to time and space-fractional, for this we use analysis techniques and fractional calculus and semigroup theory, also studying the regularity properties of mild solution for this model.

MultiPDF particle filtering in state estimation of nonlinear objects

This paper presents a new particle filter algorithm (MultiPDF) for state estimation of nonlinear systems. The proposed method is a modification of the standard particle filter approach. Due to the strong need for the acceleration of calculations and an improvement in the estimation quality of state estimation, the authors propose a method which enables one to divide the main particle filter into smaller sub-filters with an accordingly smaller number of particles for each one of them. The algorithm has been implemented for various numbers of particles and subordinate parallel filters. Estimation quality has been checked for nine nonlinear objects (both one- and multidimensional) and evaluated through the quality index, average root-mean-squared error. The computation time of the particle filter algorithm for several hardware configurations has been compared. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that, besides the computation acceleration, the parallelization of the particle filter’s operation also improves the estimation quality.

Effective Structure Control of Colloidal Molecules and the Morphology Evolution Mechanism Investigation.

Colloidal molecules (CMs), nonspherical clusters of a small number of particles, can be used as building blocks for self-assembly applications. Here, we propose a novel one pot method for CMs synthesis. First, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) (P(NIPAM-co-AA)) microgels were prepared by soap-free emulsion polymerization as seed particles, then monomer styrene and cross-linking agent divinylbenzene (DVB) were added, which could be polymerized by the remaining free radicals on the seed surface in situ. P(NIPAM-co-AA)-PS colloidal molecules with a series of morphologies such as popcorn-like, CO2-like, NH3-like, CH4-like and so on could be obtained. The effects of satellite colloid viscosity, interfacial tension, and polymer chain mobility on the number of satellite colloid have been investigated, and the formation mechanism of CMs is proposed based on morphology evolution investigation. Compared with the existing CM synthesis techniques, our method enables fabricating CMs from vinyl monomer in a facile and efficient way, and the scientific finding regarding the CMs formation will guide the CMs fabrication toward salable and reliable direction.

Dynamic Characteristics and Mechanism of the Saturated Compacted Loess under Freeze-Thaw Cycles

To study the dynamic characteristics and mechanism of saturated loess after freeze-thaw cycles, a series of laboratory tests including freeze-thaw cycle tests, dynamic triaxial tests, and scanning electron microscope tests of the saturated remolded loess was conducted. The characteristics of the dynamic parameters of the saturated loess after different freeze-thaw cycles were discussed. The characteristics of the microstructure parameters changes were analyzed. The evolution process and mechanism of the microstructure of the remolded loess under freeze-thaw cycles were proposed. The results show that after different freeze-thaw cycles, the dynamic stress-dynamic strain curves of the saturated remolded loess conform to the hyperbolic model; however, the freeze-thaw cycle has a significant effect on the model parameter b . With the increase of freeze-thaw cycles, the dynamic shear modulus of saturated remolded loess first decreases and then increases, while the damping ratio is opposite. When saturated remolded loess experiences freeze-thaw cycles greater than four, its dynamic stability is better than that of saturated soil without freeze-thaw cycles. The dynamic stability reaches its peak after seven freeze-thaw cycles and is equivalent to that of saturated soil without freeze-thaw cycles after forty cycles. Combined with the results of the quantitative analysis of microstructure images, with the increase of the freeze-thaw cycles, the number of large and medium particles in the soil reduces, and the number of micros and small particles increases. The particle size tends to be uniform. The apparent porosity increases rapidly and then decreases sharply and tends to be stable after 4 freeze-thaw cycles. The pore and particle fractal dimensions continue to decrease. The probability of entropy increases first and then decreases. It is illustrated that the saturated loess has mainly experienced three steps under freeze-thaw cycles: (1) fracture and expansion of original skeleton cementation, (2) damage, crushing and aggregation of the particle, and (3) compaction and reorganization of soil structure. Besides, the saturation condition significantly accelerates the evolution process of the internal structure of the soil under freeze-thaw cycles. These lead to the strengthening effect of soil dynamic stiffness under long-term freeze-thaw cycles.

Cloud Microphysical Implications for Marine Cloud Brightening: The Importance of the Seeded Particle Size Distribution

AbstractMarine cloud brightening (MCB) has been proposed as a viable way to counteract global warming by artificially increasing the albedo and lifetime of clouds via deliberate seeding of aerosol particles. Stratocumulus decks, which cover wide swaths of Earth’s surface, are considered the primary target for this geoengineering approach. The macroscale properties of this cloud type exhibit a high sensitivity to cloud microphysics, exposing the potential for undesired changes in cloud optical properties in response to MCB. In this study, we apply a highly detailed Lagrangian cloud model, coupled to an idealized parcel model as well as a full three-dimensional large-eddy simulation model, to show that the choice of seeded particle size distribution is crucial to the success of MCB, and that its efficacy can be significantly reduced by undesirable microphysical processes. The presence of even a small number of large particles in the seeded size spectrum may trigger significant precipitation, which will reduce cloud water and may even break up the cloud deck, reducing the scene albedo and hence counteracting MCB. On the other hand, a seeded spectrum comprising a large number of small particles reduces the fraction of activated cloud droplets and increases entrainment and evaporation of cloud water, which also reduces the efficiency of MCB. In between, there may exist an aerosol size distribution that minimizes undesirable microphysical processes and enables optimal MCB. This optimal size distribution is expected to be case dependent.

Fouling of microfiltration membranes by bidisperse particle solutions

Fouling of filtration membranes is a key process that degrades performance and reduces membrane lifetime. Nevertheless, obtaining direct information about fouling mechanisms is still a significant challenge, especially fouling that occurs within the internal pore spaces. Here, we combined highly multiplexed single-particle tracking methods with alternating laser excitation, which allowed the direct visualization of the transport of nanoparticles within microfiltration membranes, where the advective motion and retention of 200 nm and 40 nm diameter particles was simultaneously imaged within filtration membranes with 650 nm nominal pore size, as membranes became increasingly fouled as a function of total particle throughput. We found that internal membrane fouling consisted of three stages, fouling site formation, fouling site growth, and fouling site coalescence. Larger particles had a greater chance to be retained initially, nucleating the fouling sites. These sites tended to capture other particles passing through the membrane, causing the fouling sites to grow in size. Eventually, isolated fouling sites grew large enough to coalescence with neighboring sites, blocking a large region of membrane pores, leading to significant fouling. Importantly, the presence of small numbers of large particles significantly increased the retention of small particles and also accelerated the rate of particle retention. This mechanistic information about internal membrane fouling will assist in the design and optimization of filtration processes to reduce membrane fouling and expand the fundamental understanding of complex mass transport of polydisperse particle distributions.

Effect of Microbial Enzymes on the Changes in the Composition and Microstructure of Hydrolysates from Poultry By-Products

Poultry by-products are promising for the production of protein hydrolysates by enzymatic hydrolysis. The aim of the study is to research the effect of bacterial concentrates on the changes in the amino acid composition and microstructure of poultry by-products during fermentation. Hydrolysis of the gizzards and combs was carried out with a liquid concentrate of bifidobacteria and propionic acid bacteria. As a result of microstructural study of fermented by-products, a decrease in the perception of histological dyes, poor visualization of the cell elements and blurring of the connective tissue matrix were established. During morphometric analyses, we found a reduction in the specific area of connective tissue, the diameter of collagen fibers and the thickness of muscle fibers. A significant effect of the fermentation on the particle size distribution was noted; samples hydrolyzed by microbial enzymes were characterized by a high uniformity of particle sizes and a large number of small particles. Our research revealed an increase in the concentration of free amino acids in the hydrolysates during the fermentation period. The results of biochemical and microscopic analysis confirm the good hydrolysability of hen combs and gizzards under the action of microbial enzymes.