Growth of Pseudomorphic GeSn at Low Pressure with Sn Composition of 16.7%

Group-IV alloy GeSn holds great promise for the high-performance optoelectronic devices that can be monolithically integrated on Si for near- and mid-infrared applications. Growth of GeSn using chemical vapor deposition technique with various Sn and Ge precursors has been investigated worldwide. To achieve relatively high Sn incorporation, the use of higher pressure and/or higher order Ge hydrides precursors were reported. In this work, we successfully demonstrated the growth of high-quality GeSn with Sn composition of 16.7% at low pressure of 12 Torr. The alloy was grown using the commercially available GeH4 and SnCl4 precursors via a chemical vapor deposition reactor. Material and optical characterizations were performed to confirm the Sn incorporation and to study the optical properties. The demonstrated growth results reveal a low-pressure growth window to achieve high-quality and high Sn alloys for future device applications.

Effect of Varying H2S Content on High-Temperature Corrosion of Ferritic and Austenitic Alloys in a Simulated Pyrolysis Process of Post-Consumer Plastics

The alloys K90941 and N08811 were tested under conditions simulating a pyrolysis process of post-consumer plastics. Impurities in the plastic feedstock like chlorine containing materials or organic components yield HCl and H2S respectively during the cracking process. The reactor material must be able to withstand these harsh corrosive conditions.In lab-scale test equipment, process conditions of the reactor zone of the pyrolysis process were simulated at temperatures of 420 °C and 580 °C for 72 h. The gas atmosphere consisted of either 200 ppm or 20000 ppm H2S and 3.8 vol% HCl, 1.9 vol% CO2, 0.3 vol% CO, 2.8 vol% H2, bal. N2. After the corrosion experiments, the samples were analyzed by metallography, SEM/EDX, and XRD. Additionally, the mass loss was evaluated. Results show that the ferritic K90941 is more aggressively attacked than the austenitic N08811 and that for both materials the mass loss rises with increasing H2S content in the gas atmosphere and increasing temperature.

Solar Water Disinfection to Produce Safe Drinking Water: A Review of Parameters, Enhancements, and Modelling Approaches to Make SODIS Faster and Safer

Solar water disinfection (SODIS) is one the cheapest and most suitable treatments to produce safe drinking water at the household level in resource-poor settings. This review introduces the main parameters that influence the SODIS process and how new enhancements and modelling approaches can overcome some of the current drawbacks that limit its widespread adoption. Increasing the container volume can decrease the recontamination risk caused by handling several 2 L bottles. Using container materials other than polyethylene terephthalate (PET) significantly increases the efficiency of inactivation of viruses and protozoa. In addition, an overestimation of the solar exposure time is usually recommended since the process success is often influenced by many factors beyond the control of the SODIS-user. The development of accurate kinetic models is crucial for ensuring the production of safe drinking water. This work attempts to review the relevant knowledge about the impact of the SODIS variables and the techniques used to develop kinetic models described in the literature. In addition to the type and concentration of pathogens in the untreated water, an ideal kinetic model should consider all critical factors affecting the efficiency of the process, such as intensity, spectral distribution of the solar radiation, container-wall transmission spectra, ageing of the SODIS reactor material, and chemical composition of the water, since the substances in the water can play a critical role as radiation attenuators and/or sensitisers triggering the inactivation process.

Evaluation of a Ti–Base Alloy as Steam Cracking Reactor Material

Low-coking reactor material technologies are key for improving the performance and sustainability of steam crackers. In an attempt to appraise the coking performance of an alternative Ti–base alloy during ethane steam cracking, an experimental study was performed in a jet stirred reactor under industrially relevant conditions using thermogravimetry (Tgasphase = 1173 K, Ptot = 0.1 MPa, XC2H6 = 70%, and dilution δ = 0.33 kgH2O/kgHC). Initially, a typical pretreatment used for Fe–Ni–Cr alloys was utilized and compared with a pretreatment at increased temperature, aiming at better surface oxidation and thus suppressing coke formation. The results revealed a decrease in coking rates upon high temperature pretreatment of the Ti–base alloy, however, its coking performance was significantly worse compared to the typically used Fe–Ni–Cr alloys, and carbon oxides formation increased by a factor of 30 or more. Moreover, the analyzed coupons showed crack propagation after coking/decoking and cooling down to ambient temperature. Scanning electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy indicated that the prompt and unsystematic oxidation of the surface and bulk caused observable crack initiation and propagation due to alloy brittleness. Hence, the tested Ti–base alloy cannot be considered an industrially noteworthy steam cracking reactor alloy.

Characterization of Neutron and Gamma Beams at the TRIGA 2000 Reactor Beam Ports Using Monte Carlo

Neutron and gamma beams characterization at the beam ports of TRIGA 2000 reactor was done in order to prepare the development of Prompt Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis (PGNAA) facility. Characterization was performed by simulation using Monte Carlo method with MCNPX and PHITS computer codes. The MCNPX code is used to simulate the neutron-gamma fluence and spectra of the reactor core from fission reactions. The PHITS code is used to simulate the distribution of the neutron-gamma fluence in the beam ports. The simulation was done by modeling the geometry and elemental composition of reactor material and radiation source model in the form of fission reaction in the reactor core. This results will be used to select the most suitable one of the four beam ports for the PGNAA use, based on the prescribed requirements, such as the neutron spectral characteristics and neutron-gamma fluence ratio at the beam port’s outlet. The results indicate that the tangential beam port provides better characteristics of neutron spectrum and neutron-gamma fluence ratio so become most suitable for PGNAA facility.