Role of proton irradiation and relative air humidity on iron corrosion

This paper presents a study of the effects of proton irradiation on iron corrosion. Since it is known that in humid atmospheres, iron corrosion is enhanced by the double influence of air and humidity, we studied the iron corrosion under irradiation with a 45% relative humidity. Three proton beam intensities (5, 10 and 20 nA) were used. To characterise the corrosion layer, we used ion beam methods (Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS), Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis (ERDA)) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis. The corrosion kinetics are plotted for each proton flux. A diffusion model of the oxidant species is proposed, taking into account the fact that the flux through the surface is dependent on the kinetic factor K. This model provides evidence for the dependence of the diffusion coefficient, D, and the kinetic factor, K, on the proton beam intensity. Comparison of the values for D with the diffusion coefficients for thermal oxygen diffusion in iron at 300 K suggests an enhancement due to irradiation of 6 orders of magnitude

Global warming potential of wheat production in Western Australia: a life cycle assessment

This study presents a greenhouse gases (GHG) life cycle assessment of one tonne of wheat transported to port in south-western Australia; including emissions from pre-farm, on-farm and post-farm stages. The pre-farm stage included GHG emissions from agricultural machinery, fertiliser and pesticide production. The on-farm stage included GHG emissions from diesel use, liming, and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from N fertiliser applications. The post-farm stage included grain storage and transportation to the port. GHG emissions decreased from 487 to 304 kg CO2-equivalents when we used regional specific data for N2O emissions instead of the IPCC default value for the application of synthetic N fertilisers to land (1.0%).. Fertiliser production in the pre-farm stage contributed significantly (35%) to GHG, followed by the on-farm CO2 emissions (27%) and the emissions from transportation of inputs and the wheat (12%). Nitrous oxide emissions from paddock represented 9% of the total GHG emitted. We recommend utilizing regionally specific data for soil N2O emissions, rather than international default values, when assessing GHG for agricultural production systems