Design of an Artificial Neural Network (BPNN) to Predict the Content of Silicon Oxide (SiO2) based on the Values of the Rock Main Oxides: Glass Factory Feed Case Study

Artificial neural network (ANN) is one of the practical methods for prediction in various sciences. In this study, which was carried out on Glass and Crystal Factory in Isfahan, the amount of silica purification used in industry has been investigated according to its analyses. In this discussion, according to the artificial neural network algorithm back propagation neural network (BPNN), the amount of silica (SiO2) was predicted according to rock main oxides in chemical analysis. These studies can be used as a criterion for estimating the purity for use in the factory due to the high accuracy obtained.

Isopropanol to Hydrocarbons Transformation Particularities on Hybrid Zeolite H-ZSM-5 and H-Beta Systems

The continuous depletion of hydrocarbon sources contributes to a wide study of the use of biorenewable raw materials to obtain synthetic hydrocarbons from them. Isopropyl alcohol is traditionally produced by chemical hydration of propylene, however, with the development of biotechnology, broad prospects have opened for its production by fermentation of glucose-containing substrates obtained from agricultural and forestry waste. This way, isopropyl alcohol can also be considered as a bio-renewable raw material and it can be widely used for the production of chemical synthesis products, including hydrocarbons. One of the possible ways of processing isopropyl alcohol is the catalytic transformation of alcohols on zeolites and zeotypes of various natures with the formation of hydrocarbons. Currently, zeolite H-ZSM-5 and zeotype SAPO-34 are the most frequently used catalysts for the transformation of alcohols into hydrocarbons, however, their rapid deactivation due to the formation of a carbon residue remains an unresolved problem. The formation of core-shell structures with H-ZSM-5 zeolite in center and an outer shell consist of H-Beta zeolite with large pores can reduce the deactivation of zeolite because of increase in reagents diffusion rate. In this article is devoted to synthesis of ZSM-5/Beta sample with a core-shell structure, as well as a study of its catalytic and physicochemical properties. To form the H-ZSM-5 zeolite, a colloidal solution of tetrapropylammonium hydroxide, a colloidal solution of silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, sodium hydroxide of distilled water was used. The colloidal solution was placed in an autoclave, heated to 140 °C and kept at this temperature for 48 hours, after which the crystals formed were centrifuged, washed with distilled water and kept in a 1M solution of ammonium nitrate for a day. Then, to form the H-Beta layer, H-ZSM-5 was suspended in a colloidal solution consisting of tetraethylammonium hydroxide, tetraethylammonium chloride, a colloidal solution of silicon oxide, sodium hydroxide, sodium chloride and distilled water. The suspension was placed in an autoclave and kept at a temperature of 140 °C for 48 hours, followed by centrifugation, washing in distilled water, suspended in a 1M solution of ammonium nitrate, with repeated washing with distilled water, drying and calcining at 600 °C. Testing of the synthesized of H-ZSM-5/Beta zeolite sample showed a significant decrease in the rate of deactivation compared to the synthesized sample of H-ZSM-5; it is also necessary to note a slight increase in the fraction of liquid hydrocarbons for the sample H-ZSM-5/Beta.

Facilitation of adhesion and spreading of endothelial cells on silicone oxide-coated dacron material by microwave-excited low-pressure plasma

Objectives Autologous transplants are still the means of choice for bypass surgery. In addition to good tolerability, there is a reduced thrombogenicity and fewer neointima hyperplasia compared to artificial materials. However, since viable transplants are limited, attempts are being made to improve existing artificial vascular prosthesis material. Next to the reduction of thrombogenicity, a rapid endothelialization of the vascular graft should reduce intimal hyperplasia and thus prevent stenoses. The effect of newly developed silicon oxide coatings on the growth of endothelial cells was therefore the goal of this work in a cell culture study. Methods A woven, uncoated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) vessel prosthesis was used. The coating process was carried out in a low-pressure plasma reactor in a multi-step process. After preparation of the vacuum chamber hexamethyldisiloxane (HDMSO) with oxygen was evaporated using argon plasma. By this an approx. 1 nm thin adhesion promoter layer was separated from plasma and HMDSO. The silicone oxide barrier layer was applied to the PET vessel samples. The carbon content of the layer could be selectively altered by changing the HMDSO oxygen flow ratio, resulting in coatings of 100 nm, 500 nm, and 1,000 nm. In addition, two different oxygen-to-HMDSO ratios were used. To achieve a carbon coating as low as possible, the ratio was set to 200:1. A carbon-rich layer was obtained with the 1:1 setting. The various coatings were then examined for their surface texture by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) as well as by cell culture experiments for cell viability and growth using EA.hy 926 cells. Results SEM showed no changes in the surface morphology; however a layer thickness of 1,000 nm showed peeled off coating areas. Alamar blue assays showed a significantly higher metabolic activity (p=0.026) for the coating 500 nm, ratio 200:1 compared to untreated control samples and a significantly lower metabolic activity (p=0.037) of the coating 500 nm, ratio 1:1 compared to the coating 500 nm, ratio 200:1. This underlines the apparent tendency of the 1:1 coating to inhibit the metabolic activity of the cells, while the 200:1 coating increases the activity. Fluorescence microscopy after calcein acetoxymethyl ester (AM) staining showed no significant difference between the different coatings and the uncoated PET material. However, a tendency of the increased surface growth on the coating 500 nm, ratio 200:1, is shown. The coatings with the ratio 1:1 tend to be less densely covered. Conclusions The results of this work indicate a great potential in the silicon coating of vascular prosthesis material. The plasma coating can be carried out easy and gently. Cell culture experiments demonstrated a tendency towards better growth of the cells on the 200:1 ratio coating and a poorer growth on the carbon-rich coating 1:1 compared to the uncoated material. The coating with silicon oxide with a thickness of 500 nm and an oxygen-HMDSO ratio of 200:1, a particularly low-carbon layer, appears to be a coating, which should therefore be further investigated for its effects on thrombogenicity and intimal hyperplasia.

Numerical Simulation and Experiment of a High-Efficiency Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCon) Solar Cell Using a Crystalline Nanostructured Silicon-Based Layer

We report on the tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) using a crystalline nanostructured silicon-based layer via an experimental and numerical simulation study. The minority carrier lifetime and implied open-circuit voltage reveals an ameliorated passivation property, which gives the motivation to run a simulation. The passivating contact of an ultra-thin silicon oxide (1.2 nm) capped with a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) grown 30 nm thick nanocrystalline silicon oxide (nc-SiOx), provides outstanding passivation properties with low recombination current density (Jo) (~1.1 fA/cm2) at a 950 °C annealing temperature. The existence of a thin silicon oxide layer (SiO2) at the rear surface with superior quality (low pinhole density, Dph < 1 × 10−8 and low interface trap density, Dit ≈ 1 × 108 cm−2 eV−1), reduces the recombination of the carriers. The start of a small number of transports by pinholes improves the fill factor (FF) up to 83%, reduces the series resistance (Rs) up to 0.5 Ω cm2, and also improves the power conversion efficiency (PEC) by up to 27.4%. The TOPCon with a modified nc-SiOx exhibits a dominant open circuit voltage (Voc) of 761 mV with a supreme FF of 83%. Our simulation provides an excellent match with the experimental results and supports excellent passivation properties. Overall, our study proposed an ameliorated knowledge about tunnel oxide, doping in the nc-SiOx layer, and additionally about the surface recombination velocity (SRV) impact on TOPCon solar cells.

Transformation of CaSi overgrowth domains to the CaSi2 crystal phase via vacuum annealing

The phase transformation of overgrown CaSi crystal on an (00l)-oriented epitaxial CaSi2 film was studied using high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy. After annealing at 450°C under vacuum conditions, the CaSi domain transformed to the CaSi2 phase with thin Si layers. The transformed CaSi2 crystal formed epitaxially along the under-layer epitaxial CaSi2 film. The results suggest that Ca atoms in the overgrown CaSi domain diffused to the outermost passivated silicon oxide layer during the low-temperature vacuum anneal.

Selective Etching of Silicon Nitride Over Silicon Oxide using ClF3/H2 Remote Plasma

Precise and selective removal of silicon nitride in a SiNx/SiOy stack is crucial for a current 3D-NAND (not and) fabrication process. In this study, fast and ultra-high selective isotropic etching of SiNx have been studied using a ClF3/H2 remote plasma in an inductively coupled plasma system and a mechanism of SiNx etching was investigated by focusing on the role of Cl, F, and H radicals in the plasma. The SiNx etch rate over 800 Å/min with the etch selectivity of ~130 could be observed under a ClF3 remote plasma at a room temperature. Furthermore, compromising the etch rate of SiNx by adding H2 to the ClF3 plasma, the etch selectivity of SiNx over SiOy close to ~ 200 could be obtained. The etch characteristics of SiNx and SiOy with increasing the process temperature demonstrated the higher activation energy of SiOy compared to that of SiNx with ClF3 plasma.