Control and diagnostics of inductively coupled plasmas for chemical vapour deposition of nanocomposite carbon nitride-based films

Control and diagnostics of low-frequency (∼ 500 kHz) inductively coupled plasmas for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of nano-composite carbon nitride-based films is reported. Relation between the discharge control parameters, plasma electron energy distribution/probability functions (EEDF/EEPF), and elemental composition in the deposited C-N based thin films is investigated. Langmuir probe technique is employed to monitor the plasma density and potential, effective electron temperature, and EEDFs/EEPFs in Ar + N2 + CH4 discharges. It is revealed that varying RF power and gas composition/pressure one can engineer the EEDFs/EEPFs to enhance the desired plasma-chemical gas-phase reactions thus controlling the film chemical structure. Auxiliary diagnostic tools for study of the RF power deposition, plasma composition, stability, and optical emission are discussed as well.

Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of graphene nanostructures

Graphene has received great interest from researchers all over the world owing to its unique properties. Much of the excitement surrounding graphene is due to its remarkable properties and inherent quantum effects. These effects and properties make it a desirable material for the fabrication of new devices. Graphene has a plethora of potential uses including gas and molecular sensors, electronics, spintronics and optics [1-7]. Interestingly, some of these properties have been known about since before the material was even isolated due to a considerable amount of theoretical work and simulations. The material was to some extent a condensed matter modelers "toy" as it was used as a benchmark 2D material Graphene had been used for a long time as the fundamental building block of many other carbon structures...

Effect of plasma environment on synthesis of vertically aligned carbon nanofibers in plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

We present a theoretical model describing a plasma-assisted growth of carbon nanofibers (CNFs), which involves two competing channels of carbon incorporation into stacked graphene sheets: via surface diffusion and through the bulk of the catalyst particle (on the top of the nanofiber), accounting for a range of ion- and radical-assisted processes on the catalyst surface. Using this model, it is found that at low surface temperatures, Ts, the CNF growth is indeed controlled by surface diffusion, thus quantifying the semiempirical conclusions of earlier experiments. On the other hand, both the surface and bulk diffusion channels provide a comparable supply of carbon atoms to the stacked graphene sheets at elevated synthesis temperatures. It is also shown that at low Ts, insufficient for effective catalytic precursor decomposition, the plasma ions play a key role in the production of carbon atoms on the catalyst surface. The model is used to compute the growth rates for the two extreme cases of thermal and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of CNFs. More importantly, these results quantify and explain a number of observations and semiempirical conclusions of earlier experiments.

Productive inefficiency analysis and toxic chemical substances in US and Japanese manufacturing sectors

Corporate social responsibility is imperative for manufacturing companies to achieve sustainable development. Under a strong environmental information disclosure system, polluting companies are disadvantaged in terms of market competitiveness, because they lack an environmentally friendly image. The objective of this study is to analyze productive inefficiency change in relation to toxic chemical substance emissions for the United States and Japan and their corresponding policies. We apply the weighted Russell directional distance model to measure companies productive inefficiency, which represents their production technology. The data encompass 330 US manufacturing firms observed from 1999 to 2007, and 466 Japanese manufacturing firms observed from 2001 to 2008. The article focuses on nine high-pollution industries (rubber and plastics; chemicals and allied products; paper and pulp; steel and non-ferrous metal; fabricated metal; industrial machinery; electrical products; transportation equipment; precision instruments) categorized into two industry groups: basic materials industries and processing and assembly industries. The results show that productive inefficiency decreased in all industrial sectors in the United States and Japan from 2001 to 2007. In particular, that of the electrical products industry decreased rapidly after 2002 for both countries, possibly because of the enforcement of strict environmental regulations for electrical products exported to European markets.

The pollution release and transfer register system in the U.S. and Japan : an analysis of productivity

This study analyzes Total Factor Productivity (TFP), which includes all categories of productivity. Our measure investigates productivity in the context of the provision and dissemination of environmental information policies. We investigated data on the emission of toxic chemical substances for the U.S. and Japanese manufacturing firms, including 386 firms for the period 1999-2007 and 466 firms for the period 2001-2008. The results show that productivity improved in all nine industrial sectors and that pollution levels were high in the U.S. and Japan from 2001 to 2007. In particular, the electronics industry improved rapidly after 2002 in both countries, which may be attributed to the enforcement of RoHS and the REACH directive in Europe. As a result of these stringent policies on toxic chemical emissions, the U.S. and Japanese firms, many of which export to the European market, have strong incentives to reduce their toxic chemical emissions.

Rapid and highly efficient growth of graphene on copper by chemical vapor deposition of ethanol

The growth of graphene by chemical vapor deposition on metal foils is a promising technique to deliver large-area films with high electron mobility. Nowadays, the chemical vapor deposition of hydrocarbons on copper is the most investigated synthesis method, although many other carbon precursors and metal substrates are used too. Among these, ethanol is a safe and inexpensive precursor that seems to offer favorable synthesis kinetics. We explored the growth of graphene on copper from ethanol, focusing on processes of short duration (up to one min). We investigated the produced films by electron microscopy, Raman and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. A graphene film with high crystalline quality was found to cover the entire copper catalyst substrate in just 20 s, making ethanol appear as a more efficient carbon feedstock than methane and other commonly used precursors.

The effects of metabolic work rate and ambient environment on physiological tolerance times while wearing explosive and chemical personal protective equipment

This study evaluated the physiological tolerance times when wearing explosive and chemical (>35kg) personal protective equipment (PPE) in simulated environmental extremes across a range of differing work intensities. Twelve healthy males undertook nine trials which involved walking on a treadmill at 2.5, 4 and 5.5 km.h-1 in the following environmental conditions, 21, 30 and 37 °C wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT). Participants exercised for 60 min or until volitional fatigue, core temperature reached 39 °C, or heart rate exceeded 90% of maximum. Tolerance time, core temperature, skin temperature, mean body temperature, heart rate and body mass loss were measured. Exercise time was reduced in the higher WBGT environments (WBGT37

Physical, chemical, biological and ecotoxicological properties of wastewater discharged from Davis Station, Antarctica

The properties and toxicity of untreatedwastewater at Davis Station, East Antarctica,were investigated to inform decisions regarding the appropriate level of treatment for local discharge purposes and more generally, to better understand the risk associated with dispersal and impact of wastewaters in Antarctica. Suspended solids, nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus), biological oxygen demand (BOD), metals, organic contaminants, surfactants and microbiological load were measured at various locations throughout the wastewater discharge system. Wastewater quality and properties varied greatly between buildings on station, each ofwhich has separate holding tanks. Nutrients, BOD and settleable solid levelswere higher than standard municipal wastewaters. Microbiological loads were typical of untreated wastewater. Contaminants detected in the wastewater included metals and persistent organic compounds, mainly polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The toxicity of wastewater was also investigated in laboratory bioassays using two local Antarctic marine invertebrates, the amphipod Paramoera walkeri and the microgastropod Skenella paludionoides. Animals were exposed to a range of wastewater concentrations from3% to 68% (test 1) or 63% (test 2) over 21 days with survival monitored daily. Significant mortality occurred in all concentrations of wastewater after 14 to 21 days, and at higher concentrations (50–68% wastewater) mortality occurred after only one day. Results indicate that the local receiving marine environment at Davis Station is at risk from existing wastewater discharges, and that advanced treatment is required both to remove contaminants shown to cause toxicity to biota, as well as to reduce the environmental risks associated with non-native micro-organisms in wastewater.

Inside the ‘Hurt Locker’: The combined effects of explosive ordnance disposal and chemical protective clothing on physiological tolerance time in extreme environments

Background Explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technicians are often required to wear specialised clothing combinations that not only protect against the risk of explosion but also potential chemical contamination. This heavy (>35kg) and encapsulating ensemble is likely to increase physiological strain by increasing metabolic heat production and impairing heat dissipation. This study investigated the physiological tolerance times of two different chemical protective undergarments, commonly worn with EOD personal protective clothing, in a range of simulated environmental extremes and work intensities Methods Seven males performed eighteen trials wearing two ensembles. The trials involved walking on a treadmill at 2.5, 4 and 5.5 km.h-1 at each of the following environmental conditions, 21, 30 and 37°C wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT). The trials were ceased if the participants’ core temperature reached 39°C, if heart rate exceeded 90% of maximum, if walking time reached 60 minutes or due to volitional fatigue. Results Physiological tolerance times ranged from 8 to 60 min and the duration (mean difference: 2.78 min, P>0.05) were similar in both ensembles. A significant effect for environment (21>30>37°C WBGT, P<0.05) and work intensity (2.5>4>5.5 km.h-1, P< 0.05) was observed in tolerance time. The majority of trials across both ensembles (101/126; 80.1%) were terminated due to participants achieving a heart rate equivalent to greater than 90% of their maximum. Conclusions Physiological tolerance times wearing these two chemical protective undergarments, worn underneath EOD personal protective clothing, were similar and predominantly limited by cardiovascular strain.

Whole-brain imaging with single-cell resolution using chemical cocktails and computational analysis

Systems-level identification and analysis of cellular circuits in the brain will require the development of whole-brain imaging with single-cell resolution. To this end, we performed comprehensive chemical screening to develop a whole-brain clearing and imaging method, termed CUBIC (clear, unobstructed brain imaging cocktails and computational analysis). CUBIC is a simple and efficient method involving the immersion of brain samples in chemical mixtures containing aminoalcohols, which enables rapid whole-brain imaging with single-photon excitation microscopy. CUBIC is applicable to multicolor imaging of fluorescent proteins or immunostained samples in adult brains and is scalable from a primate brain to subcellular structures. We also developed a whole-brain cell-nuclear counterstaining protocol and a computational image analysis pipeline that, together with CUBIC reagents, enable the visualization and quantification of neural activities induced by environmental stimulation. CUBIC enables time-course expression profiling of whole adult brains with single-cell resolution.