Reaction of cobalt in SO2 atmospheric at elevated temperatures

The reaction rate of cobalt in SO2 argon environments was measured at 650 C, 700 C, 750 C and 800 C. Product scales consist primarily of an interconnected sulfide phase in an oxide matrix. At 700 C to 800 C a thin sulfide layer adjacent to the metal is also observed. At all temperatures, the rapid diffusion of cobalt outward through the interconnected sulfide appears to be important. At 650 C, the reaction rate slows dramatically after five minutes due to a change in the distribution of these sulfides. At 700 C and 750 C the reaction is primarily diffusion controlled values of diffusivity of cobalt (CoS) calculated from this work show favorable agreement with values of diffusivity of cobalt (CoS) calculated from previous sulfidation work. At 800 C, a surface step becomes rate limiting

Development of new intercalated cathode materials for use in sodium batteries

Potassium thiochromite, sodium thiochromite, and Ti 0.5V 0.5S 2 prepared and used in cycling studies. In addition, some electrochemical studies with polymer electrolyte (PEO-NaSCN) cells were also attempted

Successor CEO Functional And Educational Backgrounds: Influence Of Predecessor Characteristics And Performance Antecedents

This study seeks to examine if boards consider CEO educational and functional background when choosing a new CEO. It also examines which factors determine whether the board of directors will seek an incoming CEO with a different educational and/or functional background from that of the current CEO. Using a sample of 832 successions between 1992 and 2009, we found that the outgoing CEO characteristics and the firm characteristics influence the selection of the incoming CEO functional backgrounds. We found an increase in the likelihood of firms hiring incoming CEOs with the same functional backgrounds as the outgoing CEOs. Incoming CEOs with functional backgrounds in engineering/manufacturing are more likely to be hired by research-oriented firms.Incoming CEOs with functional backgrounds in accounting/finance are more likely to be hired by poorly performing firms. We also find that firms are more likely to change the functional background of the successor relative to the predecessor when there has been poor prior performance and the firm has higher institutional investor ownership

Saving energy in China’s industry with a focus on electricity: a review of opportunities, potentials and environmental benefits

Industry is the largest electricity consuming sector in the world. China consumes about 25% of global electricity demand, and 69% of this is used in industries. The high electricity demand in industry is responsible for 45% of CO2, 25% of SO2, 34% of NOx and 14% of PM emissions in China. This study aims to fill the knowledge gap on the potential for electricity savings in China’s industries, thereby providing important implications for the potential of reducing emissions in electricity-intensive industrial subsectors in general. Available studies are reviewed and compared to identify electricity-saving potentials. The findings show that China’s industrial energy system is shifting to higher electricity and relatively lower fossil fuel use due to accelerated end-use electrification. China’s industry can reduce electricity use by 7–24% in 2040, compared to baseline levels, and generate emission reductions of 192–1118 Mt-CO2, 385–2241 kt-SO2, 406–2362 kt-NOx and 92–534 kt-PM2.5. The iron & steel subsector has the largest contribution to the industrial electricity savings, followed by non-ferrous metals, chemicals, cement and pulp & paper. Policies that combine environmental targets, demand-side efficiency and supply-side retrofits in the power sector should be adopted. Given the different performance of policies in terms of energy savings and emission reduction, sector- and region-specific policies would be preferred

The potential of industrial electricity savings to reduce air pollution from coal-fired power generation in China

Coal-intensive power supply systems, along with a fast-growing electricity demand driven by industry has caused serious air pollution and health concerns. These concerns are particularly prominent in countries where electricity use is likewise dominated by industry and heavily dependent on coal-based electricity. A more efficient industry and coal-free electricity systems are the core components of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Previous studies rarely reflect on the impacts of the electricity savings of industrial consumers on the electricity supply sector with respect to future air emission changes, and also neglect the potential benefits of reducing investments in new generation capacity. Here, a comprehensive modeling framework is newly developed to quantify the connections of electricity savings, coal-based electricity systems, air pollutant emissions, and control investments in China, a country exposed to poor air quality. The modeling framework includes 175 energy efficiency technologies (covering multiple industrial sectors) and detailed information of power generation units (thermal efficiency, environmental performance, and lifespan), and allows for unit-by-unit assessment. We find that industrial efficiency improvements can significantly decrease the dependence on coal-fired power generation, particularly the most polluting power fleet. Efficient use of electricity in industry can drive all small high-polluting coal generation units (i.e. units below 300 MW, in total 753 units) to be phased out and effectively curb less efficient coal-fired plants to come online in China. Meanwhile, the air pollutant emissions can be significantly avoided because of the closed coal-fired power units. Developed cost portfolios demonstrate that improving industrial energy efficiency is more cost-effective than installing flue gas controls in coal-fired plants. We further reveal that a sustainable industry could contribute to climate change mitigation even if less remarkable than air quality improvement, while enabling the expansion of intermittent renewable power supply

2014 Epilepsy Benchmarks Area III: Improve Treatment Options for Controlling Seizures and Epilepsy-Related Conditions Without Side Effects

The Epilepsy Benchmark goals in Area III focus on making progress in understanding and controlling seizures and related conditions as well as on developing biomarkers and new therapies that will reduce seizures and improve outcomes for individuals with epilepsy. Area III emphasizes a need to better understand the ways in which seizures start, propagate, and terminate and whether those network processes are common or unique in different forms of epilepsy. The application of that knowledge to improved seizure prediction and detection will also play a role in improving patient outcomes. Animal models of treatment-resistant epilepsy that are aligned with etiologies and clinical features of human epilepsies are especially encouraged as necessary tools to understand mechanisms and test potential therapies. Antiseizure therapies that target (either alone or in combination) novel or multiple seizure mechanisms are prioritized in this section of the Benchmarks. Area III goals also highlight validation of biomarkers of treatment response and safety risk, effective self-management, and patient-centered outcome measures as important areas of emphasis for the next five to ten years

Integrated assessment of resource-energy-environment nexus in China's iron and steel industry

MESSAGEix model are widely used for forecasting long-term energy consumption and emissions, as well as modelling the possible GHGs mitigations. However, because of the complexity of manufacturing sectors, the MESSAGEix model aggregate detailed technology options and thereby miss linkages across sub-sectors, which leads to energy saving potentials are often not very realistic and cannot be used to design specific policies. Here, we integrate Material/Energy/water Flow Analysis (MEWFA) and nexus approach into the MESSAGEix to estimate resource-energy-environment nexus in China's iron and steel industry. Results show that between 2010 and 2050 energy efficiency measures and route shifting of China's steel industry will decrease raw material input by 14%, energy use by 7%, water consumption by 8%, CO2 emissions by 7%, NOx emissions by 9%, and SO2 emissions by 14%, respectively. However, water withdrawal and PM2.5 emissions will increase by 14% and 20%, respectively. The main reason is that water withdrawal and PM2.5 emissions in the process of BF-BOF are over 4 times lower than the process scrap-EAF. Therefore, policy makers should consider nexus effects when design integrated policy to achieve multiple targets. Finally, future directions on enhancing the representation of manufacturing sectors in IAMs are given

High prevalence of contralateral ankle abnormalities in association with knee osteoarthritis and malalignment

To evaluate ankle joint abnormalities in a knee osteoarthritis (OA) cohort