Radiation of argon clustered flow particles outside the exciting electron beam

The spectral study results of a supersonic clustered argon flow stimulated emission in the region of particle excitation (on an electron beam) and downstream are presented. Anomalies in the luminescence of the traditional spindle-shaped jet and the flow of heavy clusters (“wake”) are discussed. Possible causes of the observed anomalous phenomena are presented on the basis of the given comparisons of the results obtained.

Chromatographic analysis of a cold plasma jet generated by an electrode microwave discharge in argon flow, interacting with atmospheric air

Application of gas chromatography in analysis of a cold plasma jet generated by an atmospheric pressure microwave discharge in argon flow was considered. Previously developed 2.45-GHz-plasmatron with the external 6-rod-electrode plasma torch was used as a microwave plasma source. The analysis of gaseous samples showed that CO concentration increases by 5-6 times and new gaseous products appear – H2 and CH4 as a result of plasma-gas interaction. The production of CO, H2 and O2 occurs in the processes of dissociation of CO2 and water vapor in the nonequilibrium plasma through the vibrationally excited states.

Investigations of regularities in the accumulation of hydrogen-reduced slags in circulation circuits with lead-containing coolants

The paper presents a computational analysis of regularities in the accumulation of slags during the interaction of lead and lead-bismuth coolants with oxygen gas. Oxidation of lead-containing coolants will cause the formation of lead oxide, while the formation of bismuth oxide is unlikely. Dosed supply of oxidizing gas to lead-containing coolants makes it possible to oxidize, selectively, chromium and nickel to their oxides without the slag formation from solid lead oxide. Regularities were studied which are involved in the lead oxide formation during the interaction of lead-containing coolants with oxygen gas. It has been found that, in the process of interacting with oxygen gas, a lead-bismuth alloy is oxidized 1.7 times as intensively as lead, this being explained by the presence of bismuth in the alloy. Bismuth is oxidized more intensively than both lead and the lead-bismuth alloy. The inert gas overpressure during depressurization does not prevent air oxygen from entering the circuit, and the dependence of the nitrogen and oxygen flow into the circuit on the argon flow out of the loop is close to linear regardless of the circuit state (cold, without coolant; heated, without coolant; heated, with circulating coolant). Oxygen is a chemically active impurity and is absorbed by the circuit; it is therefore important to control nitrogen in the gas spaces of the reactor and research plant circuits with lead-containing coolants. This will make it possible to signal, in a timely manner, the ingress of oxygen into the circuit and to take measures required to avoid or reduce the scale of the slag formation from lead oxides.

Investigation of vibrational manner of carbon nanotubes in the vicinity of ultrasonic argon flow using molecular dynamics simulation

Among various types of nanostructures, carbon nanotube (CNT) is one of the most important nanostructures. These nanostructures have been considered due to their mechanical, thermal, and vibrational properties. In this research, this nanostructure’s vibrational behavior in the vicinity of argon flow in the vicinity of ultrasonic velocity was investigated. The effect of factors such as the stability of atomic structures, the atomic manner of carbon nanotubes in the presence of ultrasonic fluid, the influence of carbon nanotubes’ length, and the chirality of carbon nanotubes on vibrational behavior was studied by molecular dynamics simulation. The MD simulations display an enhance in amplitude and a decrease in the oscillation frequency. Physically, these simulations’ results indicated the appropriate mechanical strength of carbon nanotubes in the presence of argon fluid. Numerically, the simulated carbon nanotubes’ minimum oscillation amplitude and frequency were equal to 2.02 nm and 10.14 ps−1. On the other hand, the maximum physical quantities were expressed as 4.03 nm and 13.01 ps−1.

The Degassing Laws for Railway Wheel Steel in a Vacuum Tank Degasser

The research presents the results of data analysis on degassing of wheel grades of steels in a tank degasser with a capacity of 120 tons, operated at the JSC “Ural Steel”. The volume of the analyzed sample included 754 steels for railway wheels (steel grades “2” and “T” according to State standard GOST 10791-2011) weighing more than 80 thousand tons received in November-December 2019.It was established that in order to guarantee the production of hydrogen content of less than 1.5 ppm and nitrogen before 0.007%, it is necessary to carry out vacuum treatment of metal with overheating of 110-130°C at the residual pressure of up to 3 mbar for 20-25 minutes and argon flow rate of at least 0.05 m3/ton. The regression equation was obtained, which allows to predict the results of degassing, as well as select the values of vacuum treatment parameters in order to achieve a given content of dissolved gases - hydrogen and nitrogen.

Ag-coated cotton fabric as ultrasensitive and flexible SERS substrate

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has proven to be increasingly valuable as an analytical tool since this phenomenon was first observed in 1973. However, challenges still exist to ensure their ability to access targeted analytes and adequate levels of sensitivity to them on irregular surfaces. Herein, silver (Ag) nanoparticles are deposited onto cotton fabric through magnetron sputtering to develop a flexible and ultrasensitive SERS-active substrate. To obtain a better enhancement effect, Ag nanoparticles of different sizes are produced by controlling the argon flow rate and the sputtering time. The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method and Raman mapping are used to explain the process behind Raman signal enhancement. The cotton fabric sample with Ag nanoparticles deposited at an argon flow rate of 200 sccm (labelled as AC-200) shows a high enhancement factor (EF) of 104 with a Methylene blue (MB) solution of 10−3 M, stability with a related standard deviation (RSD) of 1.03%, excellent reproducibility with an RSD of 1.92% and high sensitivity with 10−9 M of MB solution. Therefore, AC-200 demonstrates exceptional SERS signal reproducibility and stability for different types of chemical analytes and has the potential to be used in future practical applications.

Graphite Foil Waste to Graphene: New Carbon Precursors for Synthesis of Graphene and its Oxides

In this paper, graphene oxide (GO) was obtained by oxidation of powdered graphite foil wastes (pGFW) at 0 - 40°C. Oxidizing reagents can easily penetrate the layers of graphite foil and thus, the intercalation or functionalization-oxidation processes may occur resulting in graphite oxide formation. The methods of synthesis of GO and its separation from the reaction mixture were partially corrected. GO was reduced, also, to the reduced graphene oxide (rGO) by using hydroiodic acid, ascorbic acid, zinc powder, hydrazine, and Alnus extract. Thermal treatment of GO powders and GO films, obtained from pGFW was implemented at 20-300° C in air and at 20-1000° C under argon flow and in a vacuum. At high-temperature treatment (1000°C) of GO graphene was obtained with a defective structure.