2,068 research outputs found
Surface-enhanced separation performance of porous inorganic membranes for biofuel conversion applications
This presentation will introduce a new class of porous inorganic-based membranes, which provide high perm-selective flux by exploiting unique separation mechanisms induced by superhydrophobic or superhydrophilic surface interactions and “confined capillary condensation”. These high-performance architectured surface selective (HiPAS) membranes were originally developed for the purpose of bio-oil/biofuel processing to achieve selective separations at higher flux relative to size selective porous membranes (e.g., inorganic zeolite-based membranes) and better high-temperature tolerance than polymer membranes (\u3e 250°C) for hot vapor processing. Due to surface-enhanced separation selectivity, HiPAS membranes have the potential to enable large-flux separations by increasing membrane pore size from sub-nanometer pores to mesopores (2-50 nm) for vapor phase or micron-scale pores for liquid phase separations. In this paper, we describe an innovative membrane concept and a materials synthesis strategy to fabricate HiPAS membranes, and demonstrate selective permeation in both vapor and liquid phase applications. High permeability and selectivity were demonstrated using surrogate mixtures, such as ethanol-water, toluene-water, and toluene-phenol-water. The overall membrane evaluation results show promise for the future processing of both raw and upgraded biomass pyrolysis product vapors and condensed liquid bio-oil intermediates
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Nano-Scale Interpenetrating Phase Composites (IPC S) for Industrial and Vehicle Applications
A one-year project was completed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to explore the technical and economic feasibility of producing nano-scale Interpenetrating Phase Composite (IPC) components of a usable size for actual testing/implementation in a real applications such as high wear/corrosion resistant refractory shapes for industrial applications, lightweight vehicle braking system components, or lower cost/higher performance military body and vehicle armor. Nano-scale IPC s with improved mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties have previously been demonstrated at the lab scale, but have been limited in size. The work performed under this project was focused on investigating the ability to take the current traditional lab scale processes to a manufacturing scale through scaling of these processes or through the utilization of an alternative high-temperature process
Hybrid Variation for Yield, Crude Protein, and Feed Value of Corn
The value of corn as a feed grain depends on the yield per acre, the protein content of the grain, and for some livestock, the lysine level of the protein. Most farmers are aware of yield differences among hybrid corn varieties but may not realize that protein content can also vary significantly. Grain protein level should be accounted for to determine how much protein supplementation will be needed to balance an appropriate animal diet. However, since corn protein is deficient in the amino acid lysine, which is essential for non-ruminant animals, lysine content as well as crude protein content should be considered in diet formulations for these animals
Anisotropy of thermal conductivity oscillations in relation to the Kitaev spin liquid phase
In the presence of external magnetic field, the Kitaev model could either
hosts gapped topological anyon or gapless Majorana fermions. In
-RuCl, the gapped and gapless cases are only separated by a
thirty-degree rotation of the in-plane magnetic field vector. The
presence/absence of the spectral gap is key for understanding the thermal
transport behavior in -RuCl. Here, we study the anisotropy of the
oscillatory features of thermal conductivity in -RuCl. We examine
the oscillatory features of thermal conductivities (k//a, k//b) with fixed
external fields and found distinct behavior for the gapped (B//a) and gapless
(B//b) scenarios. Furthermore, we track the evolution of thermal resistivity
() and its oscillatory features with the rotation of in-plane
magnetic fields from B//b to B//a. The thermal resistivity
display distinct rotational symmetries before and after the emergence of the
field induced Kitaev spin liquid phase. These experiment data suggest close
correlations between the oscillatory features of thermal conductivity, the
underlying Kitaev spin liquid phase and the fermionic excitation it holds
The Formation of Cataclysmic Variables with Brown Dwarf Secondaries
The present-day formation of cataclysmic variables (CVs) with brown dwarf
(BD) secondaries (0.013 M_sun < M_sec < 0.075 M_sun) is investigated using a
population synthesis technique. Results from the latest, detailed models for
BDs have been incorporated into the population synthesis code. For our models,
we find that ZACVs with BD secondaries have orbital periods in the range 46 min
to 2.5 hrs. We also find that ZACVs with BD secondaries comprise 18% of the
total, present-day ZACV population. In addition, we find that 80% of ZACVs with
BD secondaries have orbital periods < 78 minutes. This implies that 15% of the
present-day ZACV population should have orbital periods shorter than the
observed orbital period minimum for CVs. We also investigate the dependence of
the present-day formation rate of CVs with BD secondaries on the assumed value
of the common envelope efficiency parameter, alpha_CE, for three different
assumed mass ratio distributions in ZAMS binaries. Surprisingly, we find that
the common envelope process must be extremely inefficient (alpha_CE < 0.1) in
order for CVs with BD secondaries not to be formed. Finally, we find that the
progenitor binaries of ZACVs with BD secondaries have ZAMS orbital separations
< 3 AU and ZAMS primary masses between ~1-10 M_sun, with ~75% of the primary
masses less than ~1.6 M_sun. Interestingly, these ranges in orbital separation
and primary mass place the majority of the progenitor binaries within the
so-called ``brown dwarf desert.''Comment: preprint 27 pages 4 figures; to appear in ApJ April 1, 200
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