Graphene Prepared via the Dry Ice in Flames Method and its Purification Using Different Routes: A Comparative Study

Although the dry ice method used to synthesize exfoliated graphite/graphene is little known and used, it has significant advantages over others: it is low cost, simple, and a large quantity of material can be obtained using some inorganic and highly available acids (which can be reused). Despite the above advantages, the main reason for its incipient development is the resulting presence of magnesium oxide in the final product. In the present work, three different treat-ments were tested to remove this remnant using some acid chemical leaching processes, making use of hydrochloric acid, aqua regia, and piranha solution. Based on the experimental evidence, it was found that using aqua regia and combining the leaching process with mechanical milling was the most efficient way of removing such a remnant, the residue being only 0.9 wt.%. This value is low when compared to that obtained with the other acid leaching solutions and purifi-cation process (2.8 - 29.6 wt.%). A mandatory high-energy mechanical milling stage was neces-sary during this treatment, in order to expose and dissolve the highly insoluble oxide without secondary chemical reactions on the graphenes. High-energy mechanical milling is an effective route to exfoliate graphite/graphene, which allows the magnesium oxide to be more susceptible to acid treatment. The obtained surface area was 504 m2g-1; this high value resulting from the in-tense exfoliation can potentiate the use of this material for a wide variety of applications.

Effect of Microstructure Evolution and Corrosion Behavior on Phase Transformation of Nanocrystalline SUS304 Prepared by Dry Ice Shot Peening

Microstructure and corrosion behavior of nanocrystalline SUS304 by dry ice shot peening has been investigated in detail in term of phase transformation. SUS304 as metastable austenitic stainless has excellent corrosion resistance and induced martensite by shot peening process. However, the SUS304 has quite low strength which is difficult to wear as metallic component. The dry ice shot peening process was carried out on SUS304 surface for one and three hours. The microstructure was observed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD). The phase transformation was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The corrosion testing was carried out in 3.5% NaCl solution. The result indicated that the grain size of SUS304 surface was finer by deformation due to dry ice shot peened process. The hardness was improved properly by the increasing the shot peened time, and the corrosion resistance was increased. The XRD results showed that three hours shot peening process induced martensite phase of SUS304 by 15 m thickness. It can be summarized that the dry ice shot peening can be induced phase transformation due to high deformation on the SUS304 surface

Vibration Effect Induced by Rock Breaking Technology Based on Dry Ice and Energy-gathered Agent in Trench Excavation

Rock breaking technology based on dry ice and energy-gathered agent has been developed and successfully applied in trench excavation for construction of oil pipeline. The vibration velocity waveform induced by this technology was monitored in site test to determine the attenuation law of vibration velocity with hypocentral distance. The results show that this rock breaking technology is effective method of trench excavation. It does not excessively damage the adjacent rock mass, ensuring the integrity of ditch walls. The vibration velocity induced by this technology is decay with the increase of hypocentral distance. At the hypocentral distance of 10m, the vibration velocity reduces to less than 20mm/s, which meets the requirements of the safety standard of blasting vibration in general buildings engineering. The results of this experiment have an important guiding effect on the field engineering practice and application of rock breaking technology based on dry ice and energy-gathered agent.

Entomological surveillance of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae), vectors of arboviruses, in an ecotourism park in Cachoeiras de Macacu, state of Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brazil

Arboviruses are arthropod-dependent viruses to complete their zoonotic cycle. Among the transmitting arthropods, culicids stand out, which participate in the cycle of several arboviruses that can affect humans. The present study aimed to identify species of culicidae and to point out the risk of circulation, emergency, or reemergence of pathogenic arboviruses to humans in the region of the Jequitibá headquarters of the Parque Estadual dos Três Picos (PETP), in Cachoeiras de Macacu, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Sampling was carried out at five Sample Points (SP) demarcated on trails from the headquarters, with CDC light traps, HP model with dry ice attached to the side, for 48 hours of activity each month. Additionally, active catches were made with a castro catcher in the period of one hour per day in the field, from six to eleven o’clock in the morning, in each PM. After the captures, thematic map was assembled using the ArcGIS 10 software and performing a multidimensional scaling (MDS). A total of 1151 specimens were captured and the presence of culicids already incriminated as vectors of arboviruses circulating in the region was observed: Aedes fluviatilis Lutz, 1904 (71 specimens); Aedes scapularis Rondani, 1848 (55 specimens); Haemagogus leococelaenus Dyar and Shannon, 1924 (29 specimens). In addition to the subgenus Culex (culex) spp. (163 specimens). In this sense, we highlight the importance of strengthening the actions of continuous entomological surveillance of the emergence and re-emergence of new arboviruses in ecotourism visitation parks.

Robotic Heat Treatments for Mango and Prickly Pear Increase Shelf Life and Reduce Pathogen Infection

Mexico is the main exporter of mango fruits and prickly pears, so new postharvest techniques to increase shelf life are studied. Thermal treatments on both fruits can affect their cuticle so it was reviewed. When mango latex remains within the fruits, it avoids sap burn and decreases anthracnose and stem end rot infestation, so two systems were developed to minimize latex de-sapping. A gripper cuts stems 0.5 cm long and cauterizes them with a hot knife implement. A heating gun applied paraffin wax to mangoes without the stem end and protected them better against anthracnose lesions. Physicochemical analysis of several mango varieties was carried out after harvesting, at market place and after pedicel cutting and cauterizing. Keitt mangoes showed the lower quantity of total soluble solids (TSSs) and total acidity (TA). When the pedicel was cauterized, TSS dropped. Two grippers were developed to cryo-cauterize prickly pears as this system is more energy-efficient than hot cauterization. A six-finger gripper moved over a pneumatic actuator toward a dry ice chamber to optimize pear cryo-cauterization. Gripper’s strong grasping damaged the fruits due to excessive compression. TSS and TA of cryo-cauterized fruit remained constant during the three months of fruit storage.

The Influence of Density on the Value of Young’s Modulus for Dry Ice

The efficiency of material consumption is an important consideration for production processes; this is particularly true for processes that use waste materials. Dry ice extrusion serves as a good example. An examination of the literature on this subject leads to an observation that the commercially available machines for dry ice compression are characterized by a high value of working force. Consequently, the effectiveness of the source consumption, electric energy and carbon dioxide, is very low. The subject of the experimental research presented in the article is the influence of the density of dry ice on the value of Young’s modulus. The first part of the article presents the test methodology and the special test stand that was developed to accommodate the unique characteristics of solid-state carbon dioxide. The test results present the characteristics of compaction and relaxation used as the basis for determining the value of Young’s modulus. Based on the test results obtained for various material density values, the characteristics of Young’s modulus are developed and graphed as a function of the density. The presented results are important for furthering the research on the development of extrusion and compaction processes; for example, using the Drucker–Prager/Cap model for the purpose of optimizing the geometrical characteristics of the work assembly components.

CO2 Liquefaction Close to the Triple Point Pressure

For vessel-based transport of liquid CO2 in carbon capture and storage chains, transport at 8 bar(a) enable significant cost reductions compared to transport at higher pressures for most transport distances and volumes. Transport at even lower pressures could further reduce the costs. There are, however, concerns related to dry ice formation and potential clogging in parts of the chain that could lead to operational issues when operating close to the triple point pressure of CO2. In this paper, results from an experimental campaign to de-risk and gain operational experience from the low-pressure CO2 liquefaction process are described. Six experiments using pure CO2 or CO2/N2 mixtures are presented. In four of the experiments, the liquid product pressure was continuously lowered until dry ice was detected and eventually clogged the system. In the final two experiments, the liquefaction process was run in steady-state at low liquefaction pressures for five hours to ensure that there is no undetected dry ice in the process that could lead to accumulation and operational issues over time. These experiments demonstrate that pure CO2 can be safely liquefied at 5.8 bar(a) and a CO2/N2 mixture can be liquefied at 6.5 bar(a) without issues related to dry ice formation.

Velocity Flow Field Characteristic on Nozzle Cavity using Central Composite Design of Computational Method for Dry Ice Blasting System

In the development of dry ice blasting nozzle geometry, the critical process parameters depend on particle jet velocity. However, very few researchers have attempted sensitivity on the velocity flow area of specific nozzle geometric parameters. A numerical simulation approach was performed in this paper using Ansys Fluent to investigate different nozzle parameters on the velocity flow field. A two-dimensional model is solved iteratively using averaged Navier-Stokes under Eulerian flow description. It was found that the velocity value increases that reach 550 m/s with an increment of the nozzle area ratio of up to 20 without influencing convergent angle and the velocity magnitude drop linearly from 525 m/s to 505 m/s in with the rise of divergent length that swell up to 700 mm and with constant convergent angle and convergent length.

Response Surface Analysis of DIB Nozzle Geometry on Acoustic Power Level using Central Composite Design of Experiment

The critical process parameters in manufacturing dry ice blasting nozzle geometry directly related to particle jet velocity. Many studies focused on its performance without considering the noise emission due to high operating pressure. This paper, a numerical simulation study was performed using Ansys Fluent to investigate the effect of nozzle geometry of single-hose dry ice blasting on the acoustic power level. The process of modelling the two-way mass momentum and energy exchange between two phases was successfully solved iteratively in the two-way mass momentum model and the energy exchange between the two phases. It was found that the value of noise emission reaches a maximum level when the shortest convergent angle of 20° with a minimal convergent length of 50 mm and a maximum length of 300 mm is introduced. Besides, the peak value of acoustic power level swell up to 146 dB occurs at a nozzle area ratio of 20 without influencing by convergent angle and extending the divergent length highly influencing noise reduction as less than 143.5 dB for a divergent length of 700 mm.