Effect of SPM Scanning Range on the Micromorphology Parameters

The surface of a compact disk is analyzed by using SPM and the quantitative micromorphology analysissoftware SPMIAS developed by the author. Images at the same position but with different scanning ranges areobtained under the same experimental conditions. Micromorphology parameters are calculated and compared, andthe relationship between the changing of the scanning range and the changing of micromorphology parameters issummarized.

Growth and aggregation micromorphology of natural gas hydrate particles near gas-liquid interface under stirring condition

To investigate the morphological evolution of the whole growth and aggregation processes of hydrate crystals near the gas–liquid interface,we used a high-pressure visual reactor with high-speed camera to capture the micromorphology of hydrate particles in a natural gas+pure water system with pressure from 2.6 to 3.6 MPa and sub-cooling from 4.7 to 6.23C.The results showed that under low sub-cooling conditions,the amount and size of particles increased first and then decreased in the range of 0–330 lm,and the small particles always dominated.These particles can be roughly classified into two categories:planar flake particles and polyhedral solid particles.Then,the concept of maximum growth dominant particle size was proposed to distinguish the morphological boundary of growth and aggregation.In addition,the micro model was established to better reflect the effects of particle formation process and evolution mechanism near the gas–liquid interface under stirring condition.The results of this study can provide a guidance for flow assurance in multiphase pipeline.

Comparative studies on leaf epidermal micromorphology and mesophyll structure of Elaeagnus angustifolia L.in two different regions of desert habitat

In order to obtain qualitative and quantitative characteristics of leaf epidermal micromorphology and mesophyll structure to evaluate the responses ofElaeagnus angustifolia L. to different environmental factors, epidermal micromorphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, and mesophyll structure was studied by light microscopy （LM） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. Materials were selected from Linze County, Gansu Province （material A） and Qitai County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region （material B） of China. Results show that lamina thickness was higher in material A, with one layer of epidermal cells in both adaxial and abaxial surfaces, and epidermal cell radial length was significantly longer in the adaxial surface. E. angustifolia leaves are typically bifacial, with a higher ratio of palisade to spongy tissue in material A. The thickness of trichome layer of epidermis was thicker in material A. In contrast, cell wall and cuticular wax of the epidermal cells were thinner in material A than in material B. Chloroplast ultrastructure was different with the approximate spherical chloroplast containing numerous starch grains and osmiophilic granules in ma- terial A, while only the spindly chloroplast contained starch grains in material B. Multiple layers of peltate or stel- late-peltate trichomes occupied both leaf surfaces in material A and the abaxial surface in material B, while the adaxial surface of material B contained few trichomes. Stomata were not observed on the leaf surfaces in materials A and B by SEM because of trichome obstruction. Our results indicate that the leaf structure of E. angustifolia is closely correlated with environmental factors, and the combination of leaf epidermal micromorphology and mesophyll structure afford re- sistance to environmental stress.

Direct image-based fractal characterization of micromorphology of calcium carbonate fouling crystals

Researches on macroscopic fouling behavior and micromorphology are usually conducted separately.In this paper,the relationship between the macroscopic fouling behavior and micromorphology on different materials is established.A direct fractal-characterization approach based on the micrographs of calcium carbonate fouling crystals is presented.The box-counting method is used to characterize the fouling crystals.For fractal measurements,t-distribution tests of linear regression hypothesis are performed at the significance level of 0.01.If all listed absolute t-statistics with the minimum of 164 are higher than the corresponding t value,the fouling crystals are determined as fractal,with a confidence level of 99%.The fractal dimensions obtained from the micrographs of different visual fields of a specimen are demonstrated to be almost identical,with maximum and minimum relative values of 4.42%and 0.75%,respectively,and standard deviations ranging from 0.0062 to 0.0266.The irregularity of the crystal morphology indicates larger fractal dimensions.Comparison and analysis of the relationship between macroscopic fouling behavior and micromorphology show that the larger fractal dimension of crystal morphology suggests a small amount of surface fouling.Thus,the reasons for the differences in the macroscopic fouling behaviors of different materials are revealed geometrically.

Integration of SEM/WDX elemental mapping and micromorphology to determine mineralogical traits of peat soils(case study：Northern Iran)

We explored the potential use of combining wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(WDX) and micromorphology of thin sections to identify minerals in peat soils. Peat soil minerals from three peats and swamps across Golestan Province in northern Iran were first characterized by micromorphological studies. Soils were composed mainly of quartz, muscovite, biotite, pyroxene,sericitized Fe-nodules, and iron-rich garnet. In addition,micromorphological results indicated that Galougah Coastal Swamp sections contained some inorganic residue with biological origin including oyster and limpet, which may be related to the swamp's location near Gorgan Gulf.In order to determine mineralogical properties of samples,twelve unknown grains were chosen for elemental concentration map studies. Quartz, garnet, ilmenite, calcite,and pyroxene in Suteh samples; epidote and Fe-nodule in Ghaleh-Ghafeh Peat Swamp; and barite, phyllosilicates,and calcite in Galougah were identified by WDX mapping of Si, Al, Fe, Ca, Mg, C, Ba, S, and Ti. Composition of the oysters' body was also analyzed by WDX for Si, Ca, Fe,and C. The results indicated that most of the minerals in all sections likely formed through weathering, inheriting their composition from the parent rock. This research suggests that merging micromorphology and SEM/WDX image techniques can be useful in confirming the presence of mineral particles in soil science.

Micromorphology and Quality Attributes of the Loess Derived Soils Affected by Land Use Change:A Case Study in Ghapan Watershed,Northern Iran

In order to study the effects of different land vegetative covers on soil quality attributes, a loess hill slope was selected in eastern Golestan Province, Ghapan watershed, Iran. Four profiles in four land uses, including Quercus natural forest; Pinus artificial forest; Cupressus artificial forest and a cultivated land, were studied. Results showed that MWD was significantly different in the studied land uses, and it varied between 1.6 mm in Quercus natural forest and o.31 mm in cultivated land use. The lowest CEC, microbial respiration rate and organic carbon were 28.4 cmol·kg^1, 177 μgCO2·g^-1·day^-1 and 1.32 % found in cultivated land use, respectively. The organic matter was considerably higher content in the forest areas than that of cultivated land use. The studies on soil profile development revealed that the natural forest soils were highly developed. The soils of the Quercus natural forest were classified as Calcic Haploxeralfs with a well developed argillie horizon unlike the cultivated soils which showed the minimum development and classified as Typic Xerorthents. The soils of the artificial forests had both mollic epipedons and were classified as Typic Calcixerolls with moderate profile development. Micromorphological studies revealed that argillic horizons had speckled and partly crystallitic b-fabric in the natural forest indicating the high landscape stability. In contrast, the crystallitic b-fabric of other land uses shows the absence of enough leaching of carbonate and the subsequent migration of clay particles indicating the unstable conditions and high soil erosion. Intense erosion of the surface horizons of cultivated land use has resulted in the outcropping of the subsurface carbonate rich horizons preventing soil development.

Micromorphology and Maturation of the Yellow Granules in the Hornet Gastral Cuticle

The yellow granules in the gastral cuticle of the Oriental hornet Vespa oriental＆ （Hymenoptera, Vespinae） are located in yellow stripes. In the present study, we focus on the micromorphology and formation of the yellow granules from their inception to their spread in the regions which are destined to acquire a yellow color, The cuticle was observed with several methods of electron microscopy. The results showed that the yellow granules comprise a layer which is 20-25 μm thick, within the total cuticular thickness of 40-45 μm. In the mentioned regions one can see, from above, many apertures of about 0.5μm in diameter which extends into a peripheral photoreceptor cell. In each yellow granule, one discerns a myoid envelope inside which there are 9 fibrils arranged in a circle. Yellow granules maturation process involves infiltration of canals that give rise to the incipient ball-shaped primary granules which increase in number （as a result of continues budding off the walls of a canal） as the cuticle matures and transform into secondary barrel shaped granules, becoming elongated and then splitting into shorter barrels that fill up the entire area. Preliminary examinations have suggested liver-like function activity within the layer of yellow granules.

Micromorphology and texture of niobium coating electrodeposited in NaCl−KCl−CsCl molten salt system

A low-toxicity and environment-friendly NaCl−KCl−CsCl−K_(2)NbF_(7) system was used to prepare Nb coatings on Mo substrates.The effects of temperature,current density and electrodeposition time on the micromorphologies and textures of the electrodeposited Nb coatings were studied.The results showed that Nb coatings obtained at 30−70 mA/cm^(2) in the temperature range of 700−750℃ were continuous and compact,with a hardness range of 2.16−2.45 GPa.As the columnar crystals grew with time,the preferential growth orientations of the Nb coatings changed from<200>to<211>and then became disordered.With increasing polarization,the morphologies of the Nb coatings changed from hexagonal star-like surface to conical or pyramid-like surface.

Development of SPM Quantitative Micromorphology Analysis Software

Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM) has great advantages in quantitative micromorphology analysis because of its conveniencein obtaining micromorphology information of materials on nanometer or atomic scale under control of a computer. Based on an established SPM quantitative micromorphology analysis model, an SPM image analysis software Which can calculate both two- and three-dimensional micromorphology parameters is developed.

Modulations in seed micromorphology reveal signature of adaptive species-diversification in <i>Dendrobium</i>(Orchidaceae)

During speciation in flowering plants, many morphological characters were evolved in response to continuous selection pressure. Such characters are largely governed by genetic changes or get modulated according to ecological adaptations. To explore the potential of latter, a novel comparative analysis of seed micromorphology and ultrastructure was performed in twenty species in the genus Dendrobium (Orchidaceae) from well-defined altitude based phytogeographical realms i.e. temperate, subtropical and tropical regions. Seed morphological characteristics from all collected species were examined using 13 quantitative traits descriptors. Comparative seed morphology revealed that the species from temperate region have larger seed volumes and seed volume/embryo volume ratio than species from subtropical or tropical regions irrespective of their phylogenetic association. Hence, phylogenetically related species emphasized their preference for a climatic region as their prime habitat. Similar trends towards gradual increase of percentage free air space were observed in the species of tropical to subtropical and subtropical to temperate regions. The higher percentage of free air space may have an advantage for the species from temperate region with relatively low atmospheric pressure that had greater buoyancy for optimal seed dispersal. Also, phylogenetically distant species from a particular climatic region, showed characteristic features of the testa cell walls sculptured with bead-like orna-mentations or covered with cottony white substances. Based on these observations, it may be concluded that seed volume, % free air space and seed coat ornamentation in Dendrobium species are signatures of adaptation according to climatic preferences rather than their selection during speciation.

Micromorphology of Leaf Epidermal Cells of Different Species of Cynodon dactylon in Pastoral Soil

To identify suitable grass species for growth in the Jianghan Plain,the micromorphologies of the upper and lower epidermis of the leaves of 14 bermudagrass varieties of Cynodon dactylon were investigated,and the number,length,and width of long and short cells and stomata were measured.The results showed that the anticlinal wall of epidermal cells looked like waves and the stoma was distributed in the upper and lower epidermis.However,the various indicators of the leaf epidermis of different species of Cd were significantly different.The length and width of long cells and the length of short cells of Cd Mohawk,Cd Suncity,and wild type Cd were relatively large,which may improve their ability to adapt to the pastoral soil and make them suitable for the rainy environment of the Jianghan Plain.On the contrary,the results of all indicators of Cd Xinnong 1,Cd hulled,and Cd unhulled ranked at the bottom,which was not suitable for pastoral soil habitats,while the wild type Cd could adapt to both the pastoral soil and the vegetation concrete habitat.Moreover,the long cells and short cells of Cd Kashi were tightly arranged,and the stoma in Cd Pyramid and Cd hulled were more dense,which may improve their ability to adapt to an arid environment.

Microstructural and thermal properties of coal measure sandstone subjected to high temperatures

To study the microscopic structure,thermal and mechanical properties of sandstones under the influence of temperature,coal measure sandstones from Southwest China are adopted as the research object to carry out high-temperature tests at 25℃-1000℃.The microscopic images of sandstone after thermal treatment are obtained by means of polarizing microscopy and scanning electron microscopy(SEM).Based on thermogravimetric(TG)analysis and differential scanning calorimetric(DSC)analysis,the model function of coal measure sandstone is explored through thermal analysis kinetics(TAK)theory,and the kinetic parameters of thermal decomposition and the thermal decomposition reaction rate of rock are studied.Through the uniaxial compression experiments,the stress‒strain curves and strength characteristics of sandstone under the influence of temperature are obtained.The results show that the temperature has a significant effect on the microstructure,mineral composition and mechanical properties of sandstone.In particular,when the temperature exceeds 400℃,the thermal fracture phenomenon of rock is obvious,the activity of activated molecules is significantly enhanced,and the kinetic phenomenon of the thermal decomposition reaction of rock appears rapidly.The mechanical properties of rock are weakened under the influence of rock thermal fracture and mineral thermal decomposition.These research results can provide a reference for the analysis of surrounding rock stability and the control of disasters caused by thermal damage in areas such as underground coal gasification(UCG)channels and rock masses subjected to mine fires.

STM study on micromorphology of pyrite and dynamic significance of ore-formation

A careful scanning tunneling microscope (STM) observation has been made on the micromorphology structure of the crystal faces for a group of pyrites which include two types of pyrite specimens: natural pyrites, from the different stage of hydrothermal ore deposits and artificial crystal of pyrite. It has been discovered that there is a set of micromorphological structures on the surfaces of pyrite crystals, including pisolitic hillocks, lotus root-like hillocks and spiral steps. This study reveals that the micromorphology of pyrite crystals, which are closely related to thermodynamic conditions and dynamic environment of the ore-forming systems, carries a lot of genetic information.

Foliar Micromorphology of In Vitro-cultured Shoots and Field-grown Plants of Passiflora foetida

The present report describes the development of quantitative and qualitative foliar micromorphological and architectural features in the field environment which elucidated the adaptation of micropropagated plants of Passiflora foetida L. in the natural soil conditions. The field environment(high light intensity in comparison to in vitro culture conditions) promotes the autotrophy through decrease in stomatal index(from 23.2 ± 0.15 to 21.0 ± 0.19), increased vein-islets(from 10.0 ± 0.14 to 15.6 ± 0.24 per square millimeters) and veinlet terminations(from 1.6 ± 0.14 to 5.0 ± 0.20 per square millimeters), and trichome density in P. foetida plantlets. The in vitro and field grown leaves mostly possessed anomocytic and anisocytic types of stomata. Two types of trichomes were observed on the surface of leaves of in vitro as well as field transferred plants of P. foetida: the unicellular hairy trichomes(non-glandular), and the multicellular(glandular) trichomes. The trichomes density was less under in vitro conditions as compared to the in vivo environments. The new leaves formed during the ex vitro rooting stage(in greenhouse) and after transplantation of plantlets to the field exhibited the development of adaptive micromorphological features in micropropagated plants, which enabled them to survive under field conditions.

Tribological Performance of Different Concentrations of Al_(2)O_(3)Nanofluids on Minimum Quantity Lubrication Milling

Nanofluid minimum quantity lubrication(NMQL)is a green processing technology.Cottonseed oil is suitable as base oil because of excellent lubrication performance,low freezing temperature,and high yield.Al_(2)O_(3)nanoparticles improve not only the heat transfer capacity but also the lubrication performance.The physical and chemical proper-ties of nanofluid change when Al_(2)O_(3)nanoparticles are added.However,the effects of the concentration of nanofluid on lubrication performance remain unknown.Furthermore,the mechanisms of interaction between Al_(2)O_(3)nanoparti-cles and cottonseed oil are unclear.In this research,nanofluid is prepared by adding different mass concentrations of Al_(2)O_(3)nanoparticles(0,0.2%,0.5%,1%,1.5%,and 2%wt)to cottonseed oil during minimum quantity lubrication(MQL)milling 45 steel.The tribological properties of nanofluid with different concentrations at the tool/workpiece interface are studied through macro-evaluation parameters(milling force,specific energy)and micro-evaluation parameters(surface roughness,micro morphology,contact angle).The result show that the specific energy is at the minimum(114 J/mm^(3)),and the roughness value is the lowest(1.63μm)when the concentration is 0.5 wt%.The surfaces of the chip and workpiece are the smoothest,and the contact angle is the lowest,indicating that the tribological proper-ties are the best under 0.5 wt%.This research investigates the intercoupling mechanisms of Al_(2)O_(3)nanoparticles and cottonseed base oil,and acquires the optimal Al_(2)O_(3)nanofluid concentration to receive satisfactory tribological properties.

Antennal morphology of the cicada Meimuna mongolica (Distant) (Hemiptera: Cicadidae), with a deduction of its nymphal instars and discussion of the antennal morphological variations in relation to niche changes

The morphology of antennal sensilla of both nymphs and adults in the cicada Meimuna mongolica （Distant） were studied. Four instars of M. mongolica （Distant） were preliminarily determined using Dyar＇s rule and a regression analysis of the head width of nymphs, combined with the comparative morphology of antennae of different stage nymphs and adults. The antennae of nymphs in different instars and adults show great morphological variations. The numbers, types and distribution of antennal sensilla in nymphs and adults of M. mongolica are significantly different, which should be closely related to the niche changes of the nymphs and adults, and provide implications for the development stages of this cicada.

Tillage Pedogenesis of Purple Soils in Southwestern China

Land cultivation and tillage process, and their consequent impacts on soil erosion, have been criticized as the main cause of degradation of land or soil quality. However, purple soils, classified as Regosols in FAO Taxonomy or Entisols in USDA Taxonomy, are formed from purple rocks of the Trias- Cretaceous system, have been developed or at least accelerated the development due to continual tillage operation, especially digging and ridging. The present study took micromorphological investigation on the sedimentary rocks and the soils under different operations of tillage. Results show that the purple rock of Feixiangguan Formation of the Trias system （Tlf） is the easiest to physical weathering and the most fertile soil material enriched in nutrients, and it has been, therefore, mostly cultivated and intensively tilled around the year. It has the fastest soil formation rate. Soil formation rate in the cropland with conventional tillage is higher than that in the forestiand and the grassland. It implies that the artificial brokenness and tillage disturbance play a great role in physical weathering and initiating soil formation processes.

Fabrication of Crack-Free Flattened Bamboo and Its Macro-/MicroMorphological and Mechanical Properties

This work aimed to help the bamboo industry develop methodology for producing imperfection-free bamboo boards that can serve either decorative or structural benefit to consumers seeking to engage with the bioeconomy.Specifically,softened and slotted bamboo tubes were handled by a roller device with nails to render crack-free flattened bamboo board.Softening temperature and time were optimized herein according to findings regarding chemical composition and board mechanical properties.The optimal softening parameters for saturated steam heat treatment is proved to be 160°C for 8 min.The flattened bamboo board possesses an increased bending strength of 101.5 MPa and a decreased bending modulus of 7.7 GPa,being compared with only-softened bamboo.The corresponding changing mechanism is determined in-depth by the micro-morphological and mechanical results based on in-situ SEM and AFM technologies.Under the action of nails and rolling processes,the bamboo texture becomes compact with crushed and fragmented conduit walls.The resulting cell cavity then becomes stretched and compressed,taking on a morphology which allows for the mechanical penalties associated with flattening to be avoided.According to the micro-mechanical results obtained by AFM,compared with unflatten bamboo,the Young’s modulus of the cell membrane in transverse direction(YT)decreases to 1.00 GPa while the corresponding Young’s modulus in radial direction(YR)increases to 7.29 GPa.

Dispersion polymerization of anionic polyacrylamide in an aqueous salt medium

Anionic polyacrylamide dispersions were prepared by dispersion polymerization in an aqueous salt medium, using acrylamide（AM） and acrylic acid（AA） as monomers and anionic polyelectrolytes as stabilizer. Effects of salt concentration, and molecular weight and concentration of stabilizers on the stability of the dispersions were investigated using a HAAKE rheometer and optical microscopy. The results showed that stable anionic polyacrylamide dispersions, consisting of smooth, spherical, polydisperse particles, could be obtained under the conditions of salt concentration ranging from 26 wt% to 30 wt%, concentration of stabilizers from 1.2 wt% to 1.8 wt%, and intrinsic viscosity of stabilizers from 2.98 dL·g^-1 to 3.74 dL·g^-1. The apparent viscosity of the stable dispersions changed very little with the shear rate, showing Newton fluid behavior.

Facile synthesis and characterization of novel pseudo-hypercrosslinked resin

A kind of pseudo-hypercrosslinked polymer resin was firstly synthesized via a continuous Friedel-Crafts alkylation poly- merization of benzene, diphenyl and their dichloromethyl derivatives. And the micromorphology and adsorption properties of these resins were investigated. The results demonstrated that the novel resins have high-specific surface area （581.26-974.88 m^2/g）, high- pore volume （0.56-1.65 mL/g）, small average porous radius （1.93-3.67 nm） and excellent adsorption properties for small non-polar organic molecules.