Deactivating Metal Particle by Optimizing Insulation Configuration in Spark Gap Switch

As a new method to protect the spark gap from metal particle contamination, the effect of the metal inserted insulator on the controlling behavior of metal particles was investigated in a quasi-uniform electric field. Considering that the inserted metal electrodes can decrease the electric field around the insulator and divert the electrostatic force away from the insulator, the method can be used to prevent the particles from moving toward the insulator so as to reduce the possibility of a breakdown. The inserted metal electrodes can reverse the direction of the particles＇ horizontal motion. A study on the insulator shape indicates that the inserted metal electrodes can repulse the particle and improve the particle lifting voltage significantly near the vertical surface of the insulator or ribbed insulator. For the insulator with a tilting surface the inserted metal electrodes have little influence on the particle motion. In addition, the size of the inserted electrodes shows a significant effect on the control of particle motion.

Formation of Ultrafine Metal Particles and Metal Oxide Precursor on Anodized Al by Electrolysis Deposition

Nickel was deposited by ac electrolysis deposition in the pores of the porous oxide film of Al produced by anodizing in phosphoric acid. Ultrafine rod-shaped Ni particles were formed in the pores. At the same time a film of Ni oxide precursor was developed on the surface of the porous oxide film. The Ni particles and the Ni oxide precursor were examined by SEM, TEM and X-ray diffraction. The thickness of the barrier layer of the porous oxide film was thin and it attributed to the formation of the metal particles, while the formation of the oxide precursor was associated with the surface pits which were developed in the pretreatment of Al.

Combustion Properties of Metal Particles as Components of Modified Double-Base Propellants

Metal particles such as aluminum（ Al）,magnesium（ Mg）,boron（ B） and nickel（ Ni）,as well as Mg/Al alloy（ Mg/Al = 3/4） are currently the most widely used ingredients in modified doublebase propellants. In this contribution,the combustion properties of the metal species are studied by means of the high-speed photography technique and the non-contact wavelet-based measurement of flame temperature distribution. The combustion process of the Al,Mg and Mg/Al samples shows both gas phase reaction and surface oxidation,which yield volatile and nonvolatile products,corresponding to the oxide and suboxide respectively. However,the combustion of B and Ni shows only gas phase reaction,due to their high melting point as well as high enthalpy of vaporization. In addition to the experiments,a hypothetical combustion model has been proposed to clarify the combustion characteristics of metal species in modified double-base propellants.

A New Nonspherical Oxidation Model of Metal Particles

This paper analyzes the oxidation law of metal particles and proposes a new oxidation reaction rate model,based on measurements of thermogravimetric-mass spectrometer(TG-MS),X-ray diffractometer(XRD)and scanning electron microscope(SEM).The model is named EBM(egg broken model)with a formula of exponential law.According to the model,the aluminum particles do not react in a spherical shape,but crack and the melted metal inside flows out to form a new nonspherical surface and the reaction rate is still determined by the surface area.The model is verified with heating rates of 5℃/min,10℃/min and 25℃/min,and with particle size of 1–2μm,8–9μm and 20–22μm.Many models are based on spherical hypothesis and the new model gives a different physical illustration to explain oxidation progress of metal particles.The new model gives an exponential law,which fits the experimental data well,and it may be useful to understand oxidation mechanism of metal particles.

Metal Particle Contamination in Gas-insulated Switchgears/Gas-insulated Transmission Lines

Metal particle contamination in a gas-insulated switchgear(GIS)or a gas-insulated transmission line(GIL)is an important factor leading to the decline of insulation performance.Exploring the deterioration mechanism and suppression measures of metal particles on insulation is a key technical problem in enhancing the dielectric strength of GIS/GIL equipment.In this paper,the charge and motion characteristics of metal particles are first introduced.The gas gap breakdown caused by free metal particles and the surface flashover caused by metal particles near or adsorbed on the insulator are then analyzed according to different particle motion patterns and spatial locations.Subsequently in terms of operation managements,the existing methods of particle detection are analyzed.In addition,the main inhibition methods of metal particles are introduced from three aspects:particle trap,insulator surface treatment and electrode coating.Finally,the prospects in the future research on particle pollution in GIS/GIL are also pointed out.

CONDUCTIVE POLYMER NANOCOMPOSITES CONTAINING IN SITU ULTRA-FINE METAL PARTICLES

A conductive polymeric composite containing in situ ultra-fine metal particles is prepared by melt blending. Incorporation of elastomeric nano-particles and carbon nanotubes hinders the coalescing of metal particles and causes a shift to the breakup direction in the breakup/coalescence equilibrium of metal particles. The prime metal particles （about 26 μm） are in situ converted into the ultra-fine metal particles （UFMP, about 932 nm）. The network of carbon nanotubes has been improved due to in situ ultra-fine metal particles and the percolation threshold of the composite with 1.96 vol% UFMP is only 0.25 vol% carbon nanotubes.

Ballistic performance of tungsten particle/metallic glass matrix composite long rod

In the present manuscript numerical analysis on the ballistic performance of a tungsten particle/metallic glass matrix(WP/MG) composite rod is conducted by integrating with related experimental investigations. In the corresponding finite element method(FEM) simulations a modified coupled thermomechanical constitutive model is employed to describe the mechanical properties of metallic glass(MG)matrix, and geometrical models of the WP/MG composite rod are established based on its inner structure. The deformation and failure characteristics of the rod and target materials are analyzed in detail,and the influences of various factors on the ballistic performance of the WP/MG composite long rod are discussed. Related analysis demonstrates that the penetrating performance of the WP/MG rod is similar to that of the tungsten fiber/metallic glass matrix(WF/MG) composite long rod, i.e., a "self-sharpening" behavior also occurs during the penetration process, and correspondingly its penetrating capability is better than that of the tungsten heavy alloy(WHA) rod. However, the mass erosion manner of the WP/MG rod is different and the erosion is relatively severe, thus its penetrating capability is a little lower compared with that of the WF/MG one. Moreover, the impact velocity and the target strength have significant influences on the ballistic performance of the WP/MG composite rod, whereas the effect of initial nose shape is very little.

Influence of CG With High Content of Metallic Particles as a Cement Admixture on Cement Strength

Copper gangue (CG), containing a large amount of water with grain sizes of 0.037 to 0.10mm,is an inactive industrial waste generated from copper refineries. When it is dried and used as a cement admixture, the influence of the presence of finely dispersed metallic particles in CG on the microstructure and compressive strength of cement paste has been studied.The results show that the higher the replacement of CG is,the lower the compressive strength of cement mortar is.However,the long-term strength of the specimens with 10% CG,especially after being cured for 3 months,approached to that of the plain mortar.Its mechanism was studied by an electron probe X-ray microanalyzer (EPXMA).The results indicate that a small quantity of Fe(OH) 3·nH 2O slowly formed from Fe 2O 3 in the presence of Ca(OH) 2, free CaO and MgO of the clinker also slowly hydrated and formed Ca(OH) 2 and Mg(OH) 2 respectively,so the hardened cement paste became more compact.

Alternating-current relaxation of a rotating metallic particle

Based on a first-principles approach,we establish an alternating-current（AC） relaxation theory for a rotating metallic particle with complex dielectric constant εα=εα-iσα/ω0.Here εα is the real part,σα the conductivity,ω0 the angular frequency of an AC electric field,and i=-11/2.Our theory yields an accurate interparticle force,which is in good agreement with the existing experiment.The agreement helps to show that the relaxations of two kinds of charges,namely,surface polarized charges（described by εα） and free charges（corresponding to σα）,contribute to the unusually large reduction in the attracting interparticle force.This theory can be adopted to determine the relaxation time of dynamic particles in various fields.

Safety distance for preventing hot particle ignition of building insulation materials

Trajectories of flying hot particles were predicted in this work, and the temperatures during the movement were also calculated. Once the particle tem- perature decreased to the critical temperature for a hot particle to ignite building insulation materials, which was predicted by hot-spot ignition theory, the distance particle traveled was determined as the minimum safety distance for preventing the ignition of building insulation materials by hot particles. The results showed that for sphere aluminum particles with the same initial velocities and diameters, the horizontal and vertical distances traveled by particles with higher initial tem- peratures were higher. Smaller particles traveled farther when other conditions were the same. The critical temperature for an aluminum particle to ignite rigid polyurethane foam increased rapidly with the decrease of particle diameter. The horizontal and vertical safety distances were closely related to the initial temper- ature, diameter and initial velocity of particles. These results could help update the safety provision of firework display.

In situ characterization of particle formation in spray flame synthesis using wide-angle light scattering

Wide-angle light scattering(WALS)was used for in situ measurements of droplet and nanoparticle size distributions during the synthesis of titania and iron oxide particles from liquid precursor solutions in the standardized SpraySyn burner for spray flame synthesis.Titania was synthesized from titanium tetraisopropoxide(TTIP)and iron oxide from iron(II)nitrate nonahydrate(INN)using ethanol(EtOH)as solvent.Scattering images were taken at heights up to 120 mm above the burner surface and classified into droplet and particle scattering.Droplet size distributions were derived from a sequential analysis of scattering data containing the oscillating Mie pattern,the lognormal size distribution parameters for spherical and fractal particle fractions from a multivariate approach on averaged particle scattering data.The results show that the precursor addition leads to altered evaporation behavior and even droplet disruption probably induced by puffing or micro-explosions compared to pure EtOH.In the case of TTIP(a hygroscopic alkoxide),the synthesis of a large fraction of spheres was observed,while the nitrate INN leads to the formation of mostly fractal aggregates.

Susceptibility of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to heart rate difference associated with the short-term exposure to metals in ambient fine particles:A panel study in Beijing,China

Susceptibility of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)to cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction asso-ciated with exposure to metals in ambient fine particles(PM2.5,particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter≤2.5µm)remains poorly evidenced.Based on the COPDB(COPD in Beijing)panel study,we aimed to compare the associations of heart rate(HR,an indicator of cardiovascular autonomic function)and exposure to metals in PM2.5 between 53 patients with COPD and 82 healthy controls by using linear mixed-effects models.In all participants,the HR levels were significantly associated with interquartile range increases in the average concentrations of Cr,Zn,and Pb,but the strength of the associations differed by exposure time(from 1.4%for an average 9 days(d)Cr exposure to 3.5%for an average 9 d Zn exposure).HR was positively associated with the average concentrations of PM2.5 and certain metals only in patients with COPD.Associations between HR and exposure to PM2.5,K,Cr,Mn,Ni,Cu,Zn,As,and Se in patients with COPD significantly differed from those in health controls.Furthermore,association between HR and Cr exposure was robust in COPD patients.In conclusion,our findings indicate that COPD could exacerbate difference in HR following exposure to metals in PM2.5.

Particle fracture and debonding during orthogonal machining of metal matrix composites

This paper investigates the particle fracture and debonding during machining of metal matrix composite （MMC） due to developed stress and strain, and interaction with moving tool by finite element analysis. The machining zone was divided into three regions： primary, secondary and tertiary deformation zones. The tendency of particles to fracture in each deformation zone was investigated. The findings of this study were also discussed with respect to the experimental results available in the literature. It was found that particles at the cutting path inthe tertiary deformation zone fractured as it interacted with tool. In the secondary deformation zone, particles interacted with other particles as well as cutting tool. This caused debonding and fracture of huge number of particles as those were moving up along the rake face with the chips. No particle fracture was noted at the primary deformation zone. The results obtained from finite element analysis were very similar to those obtained from experimental studies.

Insights into metals in individual fine particles from municipal solid waste using synchrotron radiation-based micro-analytical techniques

Excessive inter-contamination with heavy metals hampers the application of biological treatment products derived from mixed or mechanically-sorted municipal solid waste（MSW）. In this study, we investigated fine particles of 〈 2 mm, which are small fractions in MSW but constitute a significant component of the total heavy metal content, using bulk detection techniques. A total of 17 individual fine particles were evaluated using synchrotron radiation-based micro-X-ray fluorescence and micro-X-ray diffraction. We also discussed the association, speciation and source apportionment of heavy metals. Metals were found to exist in a diffuse distribution with heterogeneous intensities and intense hot-spots of 〈 10 μm within the fine particles. Zn–Cu, Pb–Fe and Fe–Mn–Cr had significant correlations in terms of spatial distribution. The overlapped enrichment, spatial association, and the mineral phases of metals revealed the potential sources of fine particles from size-reduced waste fractions（such as scraps of organic wastes or ceramics） or from the importation of other particles. The diverse sources of heavy metal pollutants within the fine particles suggested that separate collection and treatment of the biodegradable waste fraction（such as food waste） is a preferable means of facilitating the beneficial utilization of the stabilized products.

Kinetic study of phytotoxicity induced by foliar lead uptake for vegetables exposed to fine particles and implications for sustainable urban agriculture

At the global scale, foliar metal transfer occurs for consumed vegetables cultivated in numerous urban or industrial areas with a polluted atmosphere. However, the kinetics of metal uptake, translocation and involved phytotoxicity was never jointly studied with vegetables exposed to micronic and sub-micronic particles（PM）. Different leafy vegetables（lettuces and cabbages） cultivated in RHIZOtest？ devices were, therefore, exposed in a greenhouse for 5, 10 and 15 days to various Pb O PM doses. The kinetics of transfer and phytotoxicity was assessed in relation to lead concentration and exposure duration. A significant Pb accumulation in leaves（up to 7392 mg/kg dry weight（DW） in lettuce） with translocation to roots was observed. Lead foliar exposure resulted in significant phytotoxicity, lipid composition change, a decrease of plant shoot growth（up to 68.2% in lettuce） and net photosynthesis（up to 58% in lettuce）. The phytotoxicity results indicated plant adaptation to Pb and a higher sensitivity of lettuce in comparison with cabbage. Air quality needs, therefore, to be considered for the health and quality of vegetables grown in polluted areas, such as certain megacities（in China, Pakistan, Europe, etc.） and furthermore, to assess the health risks associated with their consumption.

Characterization of heavy metal desorption from road-deposited sediment under acid rain scenarios

Road-deposited sediments（RDS） on urban impervious surfaces are important carriers of heavy metals.Dissolved heavy metals that come from RDS influenced by acid rain,are more harmful to urban receiving water than particulate parts.RDS and its associated heavy metals were investigated at typical functional areas,including industrial,commercial and residential sites,in Guangdong,Southern China,which was an acid rain sensitive area.Total and dissolved heavy metals in five particle size fractions were analyzed using a shaking method under acid rain scenarios.Investigated heavy metals showed no difference in the proportion of dissolved fraction in the solution under different acid rain pHs above3.0,regardless of land use.Dissolved loading of heavy metals related to organic carbon content were different in runoff from main traffic roads of three land use types.Coarse particles（＆gt;150 μm） that could be efficiently removed by conventional street sweepers,accounted for 55.1%-47.1%of the total dissolved metal loading in runoff with pH 3.0-5.6.The obtained findings provided a significant scientific basis to understand heavy metal release and influence of RDS grain-size distribution and land use in dissolved heavy metal pollution affected by acid rain.