Decomposition Studies of Tetraphenylborate Slurries

This report details the decomposition of aqueous (K,Na) slurries in concentrated salt solutions using a more complete candidate catalyst recipe, extended testing temperatures (40-70 degrees C) and test durations of approximately 1500 hours (9 weeks). This study uses recently developed High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) methods for analysis of tetraphenylborate (TPB-), triphenylborane (3PB) and diphenylborinic acid (2PB). All of the present tests involve non-radioactive simulants and do not include investigations of radiolysis effects

Copper Catalyzed Sodium Tetraphenylborate, Triphenylborane, Diphenylborinic Acid and Phenylboronic Acid Decomposition Kinetic Studies in Aqueous Alkaline Solutions

This work studied the kinetics of copper-catalyzed decomposition of tetraphenylborate, triphenylborane, diphenylborinic acid and phenylboronic acid (NaTPB, 3PB, 2PB and 1PB, respectively) in aqueous alkaline solution over the temperature range of 25 to 70 degrees C. The statistically designed test matrices added copper sulfate to maximum concentrations of 10 mg/L. The relative rates of decomposition increase in the order of NaTPB 10-7 Mh-1) thermal hydrolysis of the phenylborate species occurs at 55 to 70 degrees C in alkaline (0.6-2.3 M OH-, 2-4.7 M Na+) solution with no added copper. The experiments suggest an important role for oxygen in copper-catalyzed phenylborate decomposition. NaTPB decomposes promptly under anoxic conditions while 3PB, 2PB and 1PB decompose faster in aerobic solutions. Benzene and phenol form as the predominant end-products from alkaline copper catalysis in static systems sealed under air. Both 2PB and 1PB decompose with near equal rates and quantitatively produce phenol under flowing air-purge conditions at 25 to 60 degrees C. Mechanisms for copper-catalyzed phenylborate decomposition likely involve a redox process giving loss of a phenyl group from the phenylborate with reduction of cupric ion, or dephenylation by reduced cuprous ion involving a phenylated copper intermediate

Actinomycetes, promising tools to control plant diseases and to promote plant growth

Les actinomycètes représentent une grande proportion de la biomasse microbienne du sol et ont la capacité de produire une large variété d’antibiotiques et d’enzymes extracellulaires. Plusieurs souches d’actinomycètes s’avèrent capables de protéger les plantes contre des maladies. Cette revue se penche sur le potentiel des actinomycètes comme (a) source de composés agronomiques, (b) agents stimulant la croissance des plantes et (c) agents de lutte biologique. La revue donne aussi des exemples de lutte biologique contre les agents phytopathogènes bactériens et fongiques par l’utilisation d’espèces d’actinomycetes déjà disponibles sur le marché ou qui le seront probablement au cours des prochaines années.Actinomycetes represent a high proportion of the soil microbial biomass and have the capacity to produce a wide variety of antibiotics and of extracellular enzymes. Several strains of actinomycetes have been found to protect plants against plant diseases. This review focuses on the potential of actinomycetes as (a) source of agroactive compounds, (b) plant growth promoting organisms, and (c) biocontrol tools of plant diseases. This review also addresses examples of biological control of fungal and bacterial plant pathogens by actinomycetes species which have already reached the market or are likely to be exploited commercially within the next few years

Decomposition Studies of Triphenylboron, Diphenylborinic Acid and Phenylboric Acid in Aqueous Alkaline Solutions Containing Copper

This report documents the copper-catalyzed chemical kinetics of triphenylboron, diphenylborinic acid and phenylboric acid (3PB, 2PB and PBA) in aqueous alkaline solution contained in carbon-steel vessels between 40 and 70 degrees C

Apparent Benzene Solubility in Tetraphenylborate Slurries

Personnel conducted testing to determine the apparent solubility of benzene in potassium tetraphenylborate (KTPB) slurries. The lack of benzene vapor pressure suppression in these tests indicate that for a 6.5 wt percent solids KTPB slurry in 4.65 M Na+ salt solution at approximately 25 degrees Celsius, no significant difference exists between the solubility of benzene in the slurry and the solubility of benzene in salt solution without KTPB solids. The work showed similar results in slurry with 6,000 mg/L sludge and 2,000 mg/L monosodium titanate added. Slurries containing tetraphenylborate decomposition intermediates (i.e., 4,200 mg/L triphenylboron (3PB), 510 mg/L diphenylborinic acid (2PB) and 1,500 mg/L phenylboric acid (1PB) or 100 mg/L tri-n-butylphosphate (TBP)) also showed no significant difference in benzene solubility form filtrate containing no KTPB solids. Slurry containing 2,000 mg/L Surfynol 420 did exhibit significant additional benzene solubility, as did irradiated slurries. The vapor pressure depression in the irradiated slurries presumably results from dissolution of biphenyl and other tetraphenylborate irradiation products in the benzene

Off-Gas Analysis During the Vitrification of Hanford Radioactive Waste Samples

This paper describes the off-gas analysis of samples collected during the radioactive vitrification experiments. Production and characterization of the Hanford waste-containing LAW and HAW glasses are presented in related reports from this conference

Childhood IQ and cardiovascular disease in adulthood: prospective observational study linking the Scottish Mental Survey 1932 and the Midspan studies

This study investigated the influence of childhood IQ on the relationships between risk factors and cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke in adulthood. Participants were from the Midspan prospective cohort studies which were conducted on adults in Scotland in the 1970s. Data on risk factors were collected from a questionnaire and at a screening examination, and participants were followed up for 25 years for hospital admissions and mortality. 938 Midspan participants were successfully matched with their age 11 IQ from the Scottish Mental Survey 1932, in which 1921-born children attending schools in Scotland took a cognitive ability test. Childhood IQ was negatively correlated with diastolic and systolic blood pressure, and positively correlated with height and respiratory function in adulthood. For each of CVD, CHD and stroke, defined as either a hospital admission or death, there was an increased relative rate per standard deviation decrease (15 points) in childhood IQ of 1.11 (95% confidence interval 1.01-1.23), 1.16 (1.03-1.32) and 1.10 (0.88-1.36) respectively. With events divided into those first occurring before and those first occurring after the age of 65, the relationships between childhood IQ and CVD, CHD and stroke were only seen before age 65 and not after age 65. Blood pressure, height, respiratory function and smoking were associated with CVD events. Relationships were stronger in the early compared to the later period for smoking and FEV1, and stronger in the later compared to the earlier period for blood pressure. Adjustment for childhood IQ had small attenuating effects on the risk factor-CVD relationship before age 65 and no effects after age 65. Adjustment for risk factors attenuated the childhood IQ-CVD relationship by a small amount before age 65. Childhood IQ was associated with CVD risk factors and events and can be considered an important new risk factor

Microbial interactions with phosphorus containing glasses representative of vitrified radioactive waste

The presence of phosphorus in borosilicate glass (at 0.1 – 1.3 mol% P2O5) and in iron-phosphate glass (at 53 mol% P2O5) stimulated the growth and metabolic activity of anaerobic bacteria in model systems. Dissolution of these phosphorus containing glasses was either inhibited or accelerated by microbial metabolic activity, depending on the solution chemistry and the glass composition. The breakdown of organic carbon to volatile fatty acids increased glass dissolution. The interaction of microbially reduced Fe(II) with phosphorus-containing glass under anoxic conditions decreased dissolution rates, whereas the interaction of Fe(III) with phosphorus-containing glass under oxic conditions increased glass dissolution. Phosphorus addition to borosilicate glasses did not significantly affect the microbial species present, however, the diversity of the microbial community was enhanced on the surface of the iron phosphate glass. Results demonstrate the potential for microbes to influence the geochemistry of radioactive waste disposal environments with implication for wasteform durability

Magnetic polarons in weakly doped high-Tc superconductors

We consider a spin Hamiltonian describing $d$-$d$ exchange interactions between localized spins $d$ of a finite antiferromagnet as well as $p$-$d$ interactions between a conducting hole ($p$) and localized spins. The spin Hamiltonian is solved numerically with use of Lanczos method of diagonalization. We conclude that $p$-$d$ exchange interaction leads to localization of magnetic polarons. Quantum fluctuations of the antiferromagnet strengthen this effect and make the formation of polarons localized in one site possible even for weak $p$-$d$ coupling. Total energy calculations, including the kinetic energy, do not change essentially the phase diagram of magnetic polarons formation. For parameters reasonable for high-$T_c$ superconductors either a polaron localized on one lattice cell or a small ferron can form. For reasonable values of the dielectric function and $p$-$d$ coupling, the contributions of magnetic and phonon terms in the formation of a polaron in weakly doped high-$T_c$ materials are comparable.Comment: revised, revtex-4, 12 pages 8 eps figure

Physical and optical properties of the International Simple Glass

Radioactive waste immobilization is a means to limit the release of radionuclides from various waste streams into the environment over a timescale of hundreds to many thousands of years. Incorporation of radionuclide-containing wastes into borosilicate glass during vitrification is one potential route to accomplish such immobilization. To facilitate comparisons and assessments of reproducibility across experiments and laboratories, a six-component borosilicate glass (Si, B, Na, Al, Ca, Zr) known as the International Simple Glass (ISG) was developed by international consensus as a compromise between simplicity and similarity to waste glasses. Focusing on a single glass composition with a multi-pronged approach utilizing state-of-the-art, multi-scale experimental and theoretical tools provides a common database that can be used to assess relative importance of mechanisms and models. Here we present physical property data (both published and previously unpublished) on a single batch of ISG, which was cast into individual ingots that were distributed to the collaborators. Properties from the atomic scale to the macroscale, including composition and elemental impurities, phase purity, density, thermal properties, mechanical properties, optical and vibrational properties, and the results of molecular dynamics simulations are presented. In addition, information on the surface composition and morphology after polishing is included. Although the existing literature on the alteration of ISG is not extensively reviewed here, the results of well-controlled static alteration experiments are presented here as a point of reference for other performance investigations