Multiple chemical warfare agent simulant decontamination by self-driven microplasma

Low-temperature plasma is a green and high-efficiency technology for chemical warfare agent(CWA)decontamination.However,traditional plasma devices suffer from the problems of highpower composition and large power-supply size,which limit their practical applications.In this paper,a self-driven microplasma decontamination system,induced by a dielectric-dielectric rotary triboelectric nanogenerator(dd-r TENG),was innovatively proposed for the decontamination of CWA simulants.The microplasma was characterized via electrical measurements,optical emission spectra and ozone concentration detection.With an output voltage of-3460 V,the dd-r TENG can successfully excite microplasma in air.Reactive species,such as OH,O(1D),Hαand O3were detected.With input average power of 0.116 W,the decontamination rate of 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide reached 100%within 3 min of plasma treatment,while the decontamination rates of malathion and dimethyl methylphosphonate reached(65.92±1.65)%and(60.88±1.92)%after 7 min of plasma treatment,respectively.In addition,the decontamination rates gradually decreased with the increase in the simulant concentrations.Typical products were identified and analyzed.This study demonstrates the broad spectrum and feasibility of the dd-r TENG-microplasma for CWA elimination,which provides significant guidance for their practical applications in the future.

Selective intestinal decontamination for the prevention of early bacterial infections after liver transplantation

Bacterial infection in the first month after liver transplantation is a frequent complication that poses a serious risk for liver transplant recipients as contributes substantially to increased length of hospitalization and hospital costs being a leading cause of death in this period. Most of these infections are caused by gramnegative bacilli, although gram-positive infections, especially Enterococcus sp. constitute an emerging infectious problem. This high rate of early postoperative infections after liver transplant has generated interest in exploring various prophylactic approaches to surmount this problem. One of these approaches is selective intestinal decontamination(SID). SID is a prophylactic strategy that consists of the administration of antimicrobials with limited anaerobicidal activity in order to reduce the burden of aerobic gram-negative bacteria and/or yeast in the intestinal tract and so prevent infections caused by these organisms. The majority of studies carried out to date have found SID to be effective in the reduction of gram-negative infection, but the effect on overall infection is limited due to a higher number of infection episodes by pathogenic enterococci and coagulase-negative staphylococci. However, difficulties in general extrapolation of the favorable results obtained in specific studies together with the potential risk of selection of multirresistant microorganisms has conditioned controversy about the routinely application of these strategies in liver transplant recipients.

Hybrid electric discharge plasma technologies for water decontamination:a short review

Electric discharge plasma(EDP)can efficiently degrade aqueous pollutants by its in situ gen erated strong oxidative species(OH,0,H2O2.O.etc)“nd other physiochemical effects(UV irradiation,shockwaves,local high temperature,etc),but a high energy consumptions limit the application of EDP in water treatment.Some adsorbents,catalysts,and oxida nts have been employed for en hanci ng the degradation of pollutants by discharge plasma.These hybrid plasma technologies offer improved water treatment performance compared to dischai'ge plasma alone.This paper reviews the water decontamination performance and mechanisms of these hybrid plasma technologies,and some suggestions on future water treatment technologies based on discharge plasma are also proposed.

Surface Decontamination of Chemical Agent Surrogates Using an Atmospheric Pressure Air Flow Plasma Jet

An atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge （DBD） plasma jet generator using air flow as the feedstock gas was applied to decontaminate the chemical agent surrogates on the surface of aluminum, stainless steel or iron plate painted with alkyd or PVC. The experi- mental results of material decontamination show that the residual chemical agent on the material is lower than the permissible value of the National Military Standard of China. In order to test the corrosion effect of the plasma jet on different material surfaces in the decontamination pro-cess, corrosion tests for the materials of polymethyl methacrylate, neoprene, polyvinyl chloride （PVC）, polyethylene （PE）, phenolic resin, iron plate painted with alkyd, stainless steel, aluminum, etc. were carried out, and relevant parameters were examined, including etiolation index, chroma- tism, loss of gloss, corrosion form, etc. The results show that the plasma jet is slightly corrosive for part of the materials, but their performances are not affected. A portable calculator, computer display, mainboard, circuit board of radiogram, and a hygrometer could work normally after being treated by the plasma jet.

Investigation on welding procedures for in-service pipelines

Some research results are given in this paper about burnthrough and hydrogen cracking with a flowing chamber and a loop. Many factors including plate thickness, running rate, heat input and so forth have been studied. By experiments it can be found that occurrence of hydrogen cracking can be effectively reduced by properly increasing heat input and using the tempering bead technique.

Decontamination of 2-Chloroethyl Ethyl Sulfide by Pulsed Corona Plasma

Decontamination of 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide （2-CEES, CH_3CH_2SCH_2CH_2C1） by pulsed corona plasma was investigated. The results show that 212.6 mg/m^3 of 2-CEES, with the gas flow rate of 2 m^3/h, can be decontaminated to 0.09 mg/m^3. According to the variation of the inlet and outlet concentration of 2-CEES vapor with retention time, it is found that the reaction of 2-CEES in a pulsed corona plasma system follows the first order reaction, with the reaction rate constant of 0.463 s^-1. The decontamination mechanism is discussed based on an analysis of the dissociation energy of chemical bonds and decontamination products. The C-S bond adjacent to the C1 atom will be destroyed firstly to form CH3CH2S. and .CH2CH2C1 radicals. CH3CH2S. can be decomposed to .C_2H_5 and .S..S can be oxidized to SO_2, while .C_2H_5 can be finally oxidized to CO_2 and H_2O. The C-Cl bond in the .CH_2CH_2C1 radical can be destroyed to form .CH_2CH_2. and .C1, which can be mineralized to CO_2, H_2O and HCl. The H atom in the .CH_2CH_2C1 radical can also be substituted by -C1 to form CHCl_2-CHCl_2.

Study on the microstructure and hardness of in-service welded joint of X70 pipeline steel

Hydrogen induced cracking （HIC） is one of the main problems of in-service welding onto active pipeline. Microstructure and hardness of welded joint have a vital effect on hydrogen induced cracking. The microstructure and hardness of welded joint of XTO pipeline steel were studied using simulation in-service welding device. The results show that the main microstructures of in-service welded seam are grain boundary ferrite , intracrystalline acicular ferrite , as well as small amount of widmanztatten structure. The main microstructures of coarse grain heat-affected zone （CGHAZ） are coarse granular bainite, lath ferrite and martensite. Metastable phases such as martensite and lath ferrite are found in CGHAZ because of the too quick cooling velocity a＇nd the hardness of the CGHAZ is high.

FAILURE ANALYSIS AND INSPECTION OF CRACKING OF IN-SERVICE CATALYTIC REGENERATOR

The special subject 'research on life prediction technology of important in-service pressure' mainly analyzes the failure mechanism of large-sized important and criticalin-service pressure vessels under the action of working medium and investigates safety assessmentand life prediction technology with a view to enhance the operation reliability of in-servicepressure vessels in China. Based on a series of accident investigation and test & measuringresearch, the cause of cracking of catalytic regenerator is analyzed and the in-line non-destructiveexamination method and failure prevention measures for the cracking of catalytic regenerator areproposed.

Results of gastroscope bacterial decontamination by enzymatic detergent compared to chlorhexidine

AIM： To compare the efficacy of enzymatic detergent with chlorhexidine for gastroscope bacterial decontamination. METHODS： A prospective randomized controlled study was undertaken to evaluate the ability of these 2 agents to achieve high level disinfection in a gastroscope. A total of 260 samples were collected from 5 different gastroscopes. Manual cleaning was done for 10 min with these 2 agents separately （n = 130 each）. Then all specimens underwent 2% glutaraldehyde soaking for 20 min. After 70% alcohol was rinsed, sterile normal saline was flushed into each gastroscope channel and 40 mL of sample was collected. The sample was sent for aerobic bacterial culture after membrane was filtered. A colony count greater than 200 cfu/mL was considered significant. RESULTS： The positive culture rate was 4.6% in the enzymatic detergent arm and 3.1% in the chlorhexidine arm. Pseudomonas species were the main organism detected from both groups （60%）. Multiple organisms were found from 4 specimens （enzymatic detergent arm = 1, chlorhexidine arm = 3）. CONCLUSION： The contamination rate of both types of cleaning solution is equivalent.

Utilization of Various Analogy of Synthetic Nanoporous Zeolites and Composite of Zeolites for Decontamination/Detoxification of CWA Simulants—An Updated Review

In this review, we summaries the past few year work on the chemistry of CWA’s and their simulants on various heterogeneous surfaces of zeolites, composites of zeolites and doped zeolite with transition metal oxides. This review elaborates an updated literature overview on the degradation of CWA’s and its simulants. The data written in this review were collected from the peer-reviewed national and international literature.

Influence of cooling conditions on X70 pipeline steel in-service welding HAZ

The chamber device was designed and set up to simulate the in-service welding. The results show ： the t8/5 , t8/3 and inner wall peak temperature Tp decrease with the cooling rate increases. The welding energy is carried off by flowing medium, the cooling rate increases, and many unbalanced microstructures such as granular bainite, martensite and M-A generate ; it worsens the properties of HAZ. Under air-cooling, the cooling rate is slow, the austenite grain grows obviously, the lath ferrite crosses the whole austenite, and it causes the hardness value is also big. The change of HAZ width is not obvious with the increase of cooling rate; and burn-through is not susceptible to the cooling rate. The quench microstructures increase and the hydrogen does not outflow from the HAZ easily when increase the cooling rate, so the susceptibility of hydrogen cracking increases.

Evaluation of Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide Fumigation as a Method for the Bio-decontamination of the High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter Unit

Objective To evaluate the performance of vaporized hydrogen peroxide （VHP） for the bio-decontamination of the high efficiency particulate air （HEPA） filter unit. Methods Self-made or commercially available bioindicators were placed at designated locations in the HEPA filter unit under VHP fumigation. The spores on coupons were then extracted by 0.5 h submergence in eluent followed by 200- time violent knocks. Results Due to the presence of HEPA filter in the box, spore recovery from coupons placed at the bottom of the filter downstream was significantly higher than that from coupons placed at the other locations. The gap of decontamination efficiency between the top and the bottom of the filter downstream became narrower with the exposure time extended. The decontamination efficiency of the bottom of the filter downstream only improved gently with the injection rate of H202 increased and the decontamination efficiency decreased instead when the injection rate exceeded 2.5 g/min. The commercially available bioindicators were competent to indicate the disinfection efficiency of VHP for the HEPA filter unit. Conclusion The HEPA filter unit is more difficult than common enclosure to decontaminate using VHP fumigation. Complete decontamination can be achieved by extending fumigation time. VHP fumigation can be applied for in-situ biodecontamination of the HEPA filter unit as an alternative method to formaldehyde fumigation.

Non-destructive Testing Robots （NDTBOTs） for In-Service Storage Tank Inspection

Petrochemical storage tanks are generally inspected when the tank is offline mostly to assess the extent of underside corrosion on the tank floor. Emptying, cleaning and opening a tank for inspection take many months and are very expensive. Inspection costs can be reduced significantly by inserting robots through manholes on the tank roof to pertbrm non-destructive testing （NDT）. The challenge is to develop robots that can operate safely in explosive and hazardous environments and measure the thickness of floor plates using ultrasound sensors. This paper reports on the development of a small and inexpensive prototype robot （NDTBOT） which is designed to be intrinsically safe for zone zero operation. The robot ＂hops＂ across the floor to make measurements, without any external moving parts. The paper describes the design, experimental testing of the NDTBOT and presents results of steel plate thickness measurements made under water.

Modified wool-iron biopolymer-based complex as an active heterogeneous decontamination photocatalyst

A series of biopolymer based complex were manufactured by coordinating iron ions to the abundant amino-and sulfur-containing groups in the modified wool and used as heterogeneous Fenton-like photocatalyst for 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) degradation in the presence of H2O2. Hydroxylamine hydrochloride (NH2OH center dot HCl) or acrylic acid was employed to modify the natural wool to strengthen the interaction with iron and to reinforce the structural stability. The NH2OH center dot HCl modified wool based complex showed the best catalytic performance for 4-CP degradation. The strong coordination between iron and great number of hydroxamic acid in this modified complex leads to the least iron leaching during the tests. HO center dot species was confirmed to be the dominant reactive oxidant in the decontamination process. The approach presented in this study can provide a new approach for developing novel bioployermer-based photocatalysts for efficient degradation of toxic organic pollutants such as 4-CP. (C) 2016 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.

A Novel Visible-light-responsive Photocatalyst Bi1.5Cr0.5WO6 with Suitable Bandgap Structure and Its Application in Water Decontamination

Integrating the advantages of Bi and Cr elements in the bandgap engineering of metal oxides, a visible-light-responsive photocatalyst Bi1.5Cr0.5WO6 is successfully constructed and initially applied in water decontamination. The combination of UV-vis diffuses reflectance and the Mott-Schottky curve from electrochemical testing can be used to determine the conduction band and valence band of Bi1.5Cr0.5WO6 to be about –1.26 and 1.42 V, respectively. The location of energy band structure indicates that the superoxide free radical can be produced in Bi1.5Cr0.5WO6 photocatalytic system without hydroxyl group. This speculation is also confirmed by ESR experiment and active radical species scavenging experiments. In addition, the best photocatalytic performance of Bi1.5Cr0.5WO6 obtained under 180 ℃ is attributed to the smallest impedance and the strongest electronic migration capability.

Numerical simulation of mechanical properties of straight pipe and elbow during in-service welding

Elbows are the most vulnerable parts in pipeline network systems. The residual stress for in-service welding repair has significant impacts on the mechanical properties of straight pipes and elbows. In this paper,the thermal elastic-plastic finite element method is employed to investigate the mechanical field during the in-service welding. The prediction of residual stress and deformation in the straight pipe and elbow is performed based on the validation of the numerical models. And the effects of the curvature radius and defects on the elbow are investigated. The results show that the residual stress distribution is uneven along various directions after welding. And the mechanical properties of the elbow decrease when the curvature radius is small. Compared to the intact elbow,the residual stress of the elbow with defects concentrates in the defective area. The depth of defect is the main factors affecting the mechanical properties of the elbow. A systematic analysis of the mechanical properties of straight pipes and elbows is proposed to provide guidance to the in-service welding.

Smart decontamination device for small-size radioactive scrap metal:using abrasion pin in rotating magnetic field and ultrasonic wave cleaner

A smart decontamination device is developed for small-size radioactive scrap metal(SSRSM)arisen from nuclear facilities.The abrasion pin in rotating magnetic field and ultrasonic wave cleaner are used for solving the problems of the second decontamination and high treatment cost.At first,the decontamination efficiency of each device is improved by upgrading the design.Optimal operating conditions are determined for each device.Next,both techniques are applied sequentially.Experimental results show that the efficiency of combined decontamination device is higher than that of each device.With the use of the developed device,the various SSRSMs are decontaminated for 15 min treatment in magnetic abrasion device and15 min treatment in ultrasonic cleaning device.Decontamination index ranges from18 to 56.Absolute values of all decontaminated samples are below the background value.

Numerical simulation of stress and deformation of in-service welding onto gas pipeline

SYSWELD was used to simulate in-service welding process of gas pipeline of X70 pipeline steel. Welding thermal cycle, stress and deformation of in-service welded joint were studied. The results show that peak temperature of coarse grain heat-affected zone （CGHAZ） of in-service welding onto gas pipeline is the same with routine welding, but ts/5, ts/3 and ts/1 decrease at certain degree. For the zone near welded seam, axial stress and hoop stress in the inner pipe wall are compressive stress when welding source passes through the cross-section that is studied, but residual axial stress and residual hoop stress after welded are all tensile stress. Transient deformation and residual deformation are all convex deformation compared with the original pipe diameter size. Deformation achieves maximum when welding thermal source passes through the cross-section that is studied and then decreases during the cooling process after welding.

Plasma activated water prepared by different plasma sources:physicochemical properties and decontamination effect on lentils sprouts

The pulsed corona discharge(CD)generated in contact with water and directly in water,and high-power air plasma jet(APJ)were studied for production of plasma activated water(PAW).The changes of physical(pH,redox potential,conductivity,temperature)and chemical(peroxides,nitrites,nitrates concentrations)properties of treated water were investigated.The comparison of CD generated in gas/water interface and underwater configuration in the same system showed that the interaction of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species formed in ambient air in gas/water system induces different chemical processes,leading to lower pH,higher oxidation-reduction potential(ORP)and higher conductivity of PAW than in underwater discharge.High yield of peroxide was observed in both configurations.The PAW prepared by APJ exhibits high concentration of nitrites and nitrates according to supplied energy,and related significant decrease of pH and increase of ORP and conductivity after treatment.The antimicrobial effect of PAW prepared by CD and plasma jet on lentils sprouts was studied in different treatment and washing times.The APJ appears to have great efficacy on water activation resulted in strong decontamination effect.The PAW treated by APJ for 10 min led to bacterial reduction from initial 8.3 to 5.9 and 4.0 log10 CFU g^(-1)after 10 and 30 min of washing,respectively.

Decommissioning of Uranium Pilot Plants at IPEN-CNEN/SP： Facilities Dismantling, Decontamination and Reuse as New Laboratories for Strategic Programs

From beginning of 90＇s, the Brazilian nuclear policy has been changed radically. This determined the interruption of most R＆D fuel cycle activities and the facilities shutdown at Nuclear and Energetic Research Institute （IPEN）. The existence of those facilities also implicated in the need of constant surveillance, representing additional obligations, costs and problems. The reasons to promote the dismantling of the IPEN＇s Nuclear Fuel Cycle Pilot Plants elapsed mainly from the need of physical space for new activities, since the R＆D in the nuclear fuel cycle area were interrupted. In the last decade, IPEN has changed its ＂nuclear profile＂ to a ＂comprehensive and multidisciplinary profile＂. With the end of most nuclear fuel cycle activities, the former facilities were distributed in four different centers. Each center has adopted a different strategy and priority to face the D＆D problem. The available resources depend on the specific program in each area＇s development （resources available from other sources, not only from Brazilian National Nuclear Energy Commission （CNEN）. One of those new activities is the IPEN＇s Environmental Program. This paper describes the procedures, problems faced and results related to the reintegration of the former pilot plant areas as new laboratories of the Chemical and Environmental Technology Center-CQMA of the IPEN.