Thermodynamic investigation of the azeotropic mixture composed of water and benzene

The molar heat capacity of the azeotropic mixture composed of water and benzene was measured by an adiabatic calorimeter in the temperature range from 80 to 320 K. The phase transitions took place in the temperature range from 265.409 to 275.165 K and 275.165 to 279.399 K. The phase transition temperatures were determined to be 272.945 and 278.339 K, which were corresponding to the solid-liquid phase transitions of water and benzene, respectively. The thermodynamic functions and the excess thermodynamic functions of the mixture relative to standard temperature 298.15 K were derived from the relationships of the thermodynamic functions and the function of the measured heat capacity with respect to temperature.

Synthesis of aromatic polyimides in DMAc containing large amount of water and the properties thereof

A series of polyamic acids were prepared in N,N-dimethylactamide (DMAc) containing large amount of water, some of which contain the amount of water up to 25%. Their inherent viscosities decreased with the increase of water in DMAc, depending on the electronic properties of dianhydride and reaction condition. The molecular weights and mechanical properties of the polyimides thermally imidized from the polyamic acids were almost independent on the water content in solvent. The decomposition-resynthesis of polyamic acids during the curing was also investigated.

Measurements of the heat capacity of an azeotropic mixture of water and n-butanol from 78 to 320 K

Molar heat capacities of n-butanol and the azeotropic mixture in the binary system [water (x=0.716) plus n-butanol (x=0.284)] were measured with an adiabatic calorimeter in a temperature range from 78 to 320 K. The functions of the heat capacity with respect to thermodynamic temperature were established for the azeotropic mixture. A glass transition was observed at (111.9 +/- 1.1) K. The phase transitions took place at (179.26 +/- 0.77) and (269.69 +/- 0.14) K corresponding to the solid-liquid phase transitions of. n-butanol and water, respectively. The phase-transition enthalpy and entropy of water were calculated. A thermodynamic function of excess molar heat capacity with respect to temperature was established, which took account of physical mixing, destructions of self-association and cross-association for n-butanol and water, respectively. The thermodynamic functions and the excess thermodynamic ones of the binary systems relative to 298.15 K were derived based on the relationships of the thermodynamic functions and the function of the measured heat capacity and the calculated excess heat capacity with respect to temperature.

Water and salt movements in simultaneous flood-irrigation and well-drainage operations

This paper describes a new technology for solonchak soil reclamation in which surface flood irrigation of fresh water and pumped wells drainage of salty groundwater are combined. The comprehensive investigation of water and salt movement has been conducted through field test, laboratory simulation and numerical calculation. The dependence of desalination on irrigation water quantity, drainage quantity, leaching time and other parameters is obtained based on the field tests. The entire desalination process under the flood-irrigation and well-drainage operations was experimentally simulated in a vertical soil column. The water and salt movement has been numerically analysed for both the field and laboratory conditions. The present work indicates that this new technology can greatly improve the effects of desalination.

Spectrophotometric determination of water content in alcohol organic solvents

In this work, the absorption spectral characteristics and color-change reaction mechanism of cobalt(II) chloride(COCl2) in alcohol organic solvents has been investigated in the presence of water, and then the optimum conditions for determining the water content in the solvents were selected. Results indicated that the absorption spectra Of COCl2 in alcohols decreased with the increment of water content. At the maximum absorption wavelength of 656 nm, there were good linear relationships between the logarithm of the absorbance and the water content in organic solvents such as ethanol, n-propanol, iso-propanol and n-butanol with related coefficients in the range of 0.9996 similar to 0.9998. For determining water content in organic solvents, this method is simple, rapid, sensitive, reproducible and environmentally friendly. Furthermore, the linear range cannot restrict determination of the water content in organic solvents. This method had been applied to determine the water content in ethanol and n-butanol with satisfactory recovery of water in n-butanol between 98.41%-101.29%.

Sites of protonation and unimolecular fragmentation of protonated N-hydroxyphthalimide in the gas phase

The low energy collision-induced dissociation, linked scan techniques and isotopic labeling experiment were used to investigate the unimolecular fragmentation of protonated N-hydroxyphthalimide under electron impact and chemical ionization conditions. It was found that this compound shows an unusual reactivity towards protonation. Two possible sites of protonation have been proposed to explain the corresponding fragmentation processes, one is that the protonation takes place on the oxygen atom of hydroxyl group, resulting in the loss of water and the other is the formation of an intermediary proton-bound complex in the fragmentation process, giving rise to the fragment ions of m/z 133 and m/z 135. The results show both cases are coexistence in the fragmentations of protonated N-hydroxyphthalimide, and the unimolecular fragmentation pathways are available.

Transport Properties And Induced Voltage In The Structure Of Water-Filled Single-Walled Boron-Nitrogen Nanotubes

Density functional theory/molecular dynamics simulations were employed to give insights into the mechanism of voltage generation based on a water-filled single-walled boron-nitrogen nanotube (SWBNNT). Our calculations showed that (1) the transport properties of confined water in a SWBNNT are different from those of bulk water in view of configuration, the diffusion coefficient, the dipole orientation, and the density distribution, and (2) a voltage difference of several millivolts would generate between the two ends of a SWBNNT due to interactions between the water dipole chains and charge carriers in the tube. Therefore, this structure of a water-filled SWBNNT can be a promising candidate for a synthetic nanoscale power cell as well as a practical nanopower harvesting device.

Transport properties and induced voltage in the structure of water-filled single-walled boron-nitrogen nanotubes

Density functional theory/molecular dynamics simulations were employed to give insights into the mechanism of voltage generation based on a water-filled single-walled boron-nitrogen nanotube (SWBNNT). Our calculations showed that (1) the transport properties of confined water in a SWBNNT are different from those of bulk water in view of configuration the diffusion coefficient the dipole orientation and the density distribution and (2) a voltage difference of several millivolts would generate between the two ends of a SWBNNT due to interactions between the water dipole chains and charge carriers in the tube. Therefore this structure of a water-filled SWBNNT can be a promising candidate for a synthetic nanoscale power cell as well as a practical nanopower harvesting device.

Operational characteristics of a 1.2-MW biomass gasification and power generation plant

In this study, we analyzed the operational characteristics of a 1.2-MW rice husk gasification and power generation plant located in Changxing, Zhejiang province, China. The influences of gasification temperature, equivalence ratio (ER), feeding rate and rice husk water content on the gasification characteristics in a fluidized bed gasifier were investigated. The axial temperature profile in the dense phase of the gasifier showed that inadequate fluidization occurred inside the bed, and that the temperature was closely related to changes in ER and feeding rate. The bed temperature increased linearly with increasing ER when the feeding rate was kept constant, while a higher feeding rate corresponded to a lower bed temperature at fixed ER. The gas heating value decreased with increasing temperature, while the feeding rate had little effect. When the gasification temperature was 700-800C, the gas heating value ranged from 5450-6400kJ/Nm3. The water content of the rice husk had an obvious influence on the operation of the gasifier: increases in water content up to 15% resulted in increasing ER and gas yield, while water contents above 15% caused aberrant temperature fluctuations. The problems in this plant are discussed in the light of operational experience of MW-scale biomass gasification and power generation plants.

Underwater Acoustics and Cavitating Flow of Water Entry

The fluid mechanics of water entry is studied through investigating the underwater acoustics and the supercavitation. Underwater acoustic signals in water entry are extensively measured at about 30 different positions by using a PVDF needle hydrophone. From the measurements we obtain (1) the primary shock wave caused by the impact of the blunt body on free surface; (2) the vapor pressure inside the cavity; (3) the secondary shock wave caused by pulling away of the cavity from free surface; and so on. The supercavitation induced by the blunt body is observed by using a digital high-speed video camera as well as the single shot photography. The periodic and 3 dimensional motion of the supercavitation is revealed. The experiment is carried out at room temperature.

Viscosity, Surface Tension, and Atomization of Water-Methanol and Diesel Emulsions

This article is the result of experimental studies of the rheologv, viscosities, surface tensions, and atomization of water-methanol and diesel emulsions. The Span 80 and Tween 60 are employed to make three emulsifying agents, Y01, Y02, and Y03, with viscosity of 1.32-1.5 Pa s and HLB values of 5.36, 4.83, and 4.51, respectively. In the water-in-oil emulsions, the aqueous phase is between 10% and 50%; the agent concentration added is 0.8-8.0%. The viscosity of the emulsions is 0.003-0.02 Pa s, and the surface tens ion is 0.04-0.1 N/m. The types and concentrations of agents significantly influence the viscosity of the emulsions, and the higher concentration of the aqueous phase (<50%) in creases the viscosities of the emulsions, especially for higher agent concentration. Interfacial membrane and HLB values of the agents can explain all these phenomena. Higher aqueous phase concentration and agent viscosity results in larger Sauter mean diameter.

The interaction between poly(vinylpyrrolidone) and reversed micelles of water/AOT/n-heptane

The interactions between poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) and the reversed micelles composed of water, AOT, and n-heptane are investigated with the aid of phase diagram, measurements of conductivity and viscosity, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum, and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The phase diagrams of water/AOT/heptane in the presence of and absence of PVP are given. The conductivity of the water/AOT/heptane reversed micelle without PVP initially increases and then decreases with the increase of water content, ω0 (the molar ratio of water to AOT), while the plots of conductivity (K) versus ω0 of the reversed micelle in the presence of PVP depend on the PVP concentrations. The plot of K versus ω0 with 2.0%wt PVP is similar to that without PVP. Only the ω0,max (the water content that the maximum conductivity corresponds to) is larger than that without PVP. Nevertheless, the conductivity of the reversed micelle containing more than 4%wt PVP always rises with the increase of the water content in the measured range. The DLS results indicate that the hydrodynamic radius (Rh) in the presence and absence of PVP rises with the increase of ω0. The plots with PVP and without PVP have almost the same value when ω0<17; and after that, it quickly increases with the increase of ω0. It is interesting to find that there is almost no effect of the PVP concentration on the viscosity and Rh of the reversed micelle at ω0 = 15. The FTIR results suggest that the contents of SO3--bound water and Na+-bound water both decrease with PVP added, while the content of the bulky-like water increases. However, the trapped water in the hydrophobic chain of the surfactant is nearly unaffected by PVP. It is also found from the FTIR that the carbonyl group stretching vibration of AOT is fitted into two sub-peaks, which center at 1740 and 1729 cm-1, corresponding to the trans and cis conformations of AOT, respectively.

An In-Situ Observation On Initial Aggregation Process Of Colloidal Particles Near Three-Phase Contact Line Of Air, Water And Vertical Substrate

The self-assembling process near the three-phase contact line of air, water and vertical substrate is widely used to produce various kinds of nanostructured materials and devices. We perform an in-situ observation on the self-assembling process in the vicinity of the three phase contact line. Three kinds of aggregations, i.e. particle-particle aggregation, particle-chain aggregation and chain-chain aggregation, in the initial stage of vertical deposition process are revealed by our experiments. It is found that the particle particle aggregation and the particle-chain aggregation can be qualitatively explained by the theory of the capillary immersion force and mirror image force, while the chain-chain aggregation leaves an opening question for the further studies. The present study may provide more deep insight into the self-assembling process of colloidal particles.

On the interaction of water waves and seabed by the porous medium model

The interaction of water waves and seabed is studied by using Yamamoto's model, which takes into account the deformation of soil skeletal frame, compressibility of pore fluid flow as well as the Coulumb friction. When analyzing the propagation of three kinds of stress waves in seabed, a simplified dispersion relation and a specific damping formula are derived. The problem of seabed stability is further treated analytically based on the Mohr-Coulomb theory. The theory is finally applied to the coastal problems in the Lian-Yun Harbour and compared with observations and measurements in soil-wave tank with satisfactory results.