A Novel Electrochemical Oxygen Sensor for Determination of Ultra-low Oxygen Contents in Molten Metal

A novel electrochemical oxygen sensor has been developed by using La beta -Al2O3 as solid electrolyte and Cr+Cr2O3 as reference electrode. The sensor not only can be used as normal oxygen sensor but also as an ultra-low oxygen sensor. Especially, it is very sensitive to measure ultra-low oxygen in molten metal. For estimating the accuracy of La beta -Al2O3 oxygen sensor, two series of oxygen activities in molten iron at different oxygen contents and different temperature were measured by both La beta -Al2O3 oxygen sensor and ZrO2 oxygen sensor. The theoretical values of oxygen activities in molten iron (3.30%C, in mass fraction) at 1723K and 1745K were also evaluated for comparing the measuring results of two sensors. At last, the error of measurement for La beta -Al2O3 oxygen sensor was discussed too.

Model Prediction and Optimal Control of Gas Oxygen Content for A Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Process

In the municipal solid waste incineration process,it is difficult to effectively control the gas oxygen content by setting the air flow according to artificial experience.To address this problem,this paper proposes an optimization control method of gas oxygen content based on model predictive control.First,a stochastic configuration network is utilized to establish a prediction model of gas oxygen content.Second,an improved differential evolution algorithm that is based on parameter adaptive and t-distribution strategy is employed to address the set value of air flow.Finally,model predictive control is combined with the event triggering strategy to reduce the amount of computation and the controller's frequent actions.The experimental results show that the optimization control method proposed in this paper obtains a smaller degree of fluctuation in the air flow set value,which can ensure the tracking control performance of the gas oxygen content while reducing the amount of calculation.

EFFECT OF OXYGEN CONTENT ON NITROGEN ABSORPTIVE MECHANISM IN WELD FOR FLUX-CORED WIRE

By measuring the content of oxygen and nitrogen in welds of six kinds of self-shielded flux-cored wires,the effect of oxygen on nitrogen content in weld is studied and the different absorptive mechanisms of nitrogen at a low oxygen level([O] lower than 0.02%) and a high oxygen level ([O] higher than 0.03%) have been discovered.The results indicate that the content of nitrogen in weld can be made lowest by modifying the composition of flux and controlling the content of oxygen to the range of 0.02%～0.03%.

Influence of dissolved oxygen content on oxidative stability of linked polymer solution

The influence of dissolved oxygen content on the oxidative stability of a linked polymer solution (LPS) was studied by micro-filtration, dynamic light scattering and viscosity measurements. The results showed that at the same temperature, the degree of the oxidative degradation of the LPS increased and the rapidity of the oxidative degradation was accelerated with the increase of the dissolved oxygen content. Consequently, the size of linked polymer coils (LPCs) of the LPS became small, and the plugging capability of the LPS decreased. At a fixed content of dissolved oxygen, with increasing degradation temperature, almost the same results were observed, namely, an increased degree of oxidative degradation, accelerated rapidity of the oxidative degradation and decreased plugging capacity, with decreased oxidative stability of LPS. At 90 °C, in the presence of oxygen, LPS lost its plugging capability after having been degraded for a period of time. But at 40 °C, LPS with low dissolved oxygen content could be stable for a long time. The decreased plugging ability of LPS after oxidative degradation is mainly caused by the decreased size and number of the LPCs due to the breaking of hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) molecule segments and the structural changing of HPAM molecules.

Isothermal oxidation behavior of TiAl intermetallics with different oxygen contents

Isothermal oxidation behaviors of Ti-45Al-2Fe-2Mo-1Cr intermetallics with different oxygen contents were studied under the condition of 950 °C, 100 h in air, and the oxidation kinetic parameters were also evaluated. The results show that the oxidation resistance of the TiAl intermetallics is negatively related to the oxygen content, and both the mass gain and thickness of oxide scale increase with the oxygen content. The sub-surface microstructure of the oxide scales varies with the oxygen content. Z phase is observed in the sub-surface area of the low-oxygen-content alloy, while the τ2(Al2FeTi) phase is found in the medium-oxygen-content and the high-oxygen-content alloys. The deterioration of oxidation resistance is due to the enhanced internal oxidation with the increase of oxygen content. It is possible to improve the oxidation resistance by controlling the oxygen content.

Enhancement of oxygen reduction activity and stability via introducing acid-resistant refractory Mo and regulating the near-surface Pt content

Although Pt Ni catalyst possesses good oxygen reduction activity, its poor stability is the main obstacle for the commercialization of proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs). In this work, we introduce the acid-resistant refractory Mo to enhance the structure stability and modify the electronic structure of Pt in the prepared PtNi catalyst, improving the catalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR). In addition, near-surface Pt content in the nanoparticle is also optimized to balance the ORR activity and stability. The electrochemical results show that the alloy formed by Mo and Pt Ni is obviously more stable than the PtNi alloy alone, because the acid-resistant Mo and its oxides effectively prevent the dissolution of Pt. Especially, the Pt3 Ni3 MoN/C exhibits the optimal ORR catalytic performance in O2-saturated 0.1 mol L^(-1) HClO4 aqueous solutions, with mass activity(MA) of 900 m A mg^(-1) Pt at 0.90 V vs. RHE, which is 3.75 times enhancement compared with the commercial Pt/C(240 mA mg^(-1) Pt). After 30 k accelerated durability tests, its MA(690 m A mg^(-1) Pt) is still 2.88 times higher than the pristine Pt/C. This study thus provides a valuable method to design stable ORR catalysts with high efficiency and has great significance for the commercialization of PEMFCs.

Synthesis of KNiF_3 with Lower Oxygen Content by Refluxing Method

The complex fluoride, KNiF3, with perovskite structure was synthesized by refluxing KF and Ni（NO3）2·6H20 in ethanediol. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction（XRD）, transmission electron microscopy（TEM）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy（XPS）, and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance speetroseopy（UV-Vis DRS）. The results indicate that the mean diameter of KNiF3 particles is about 30-60 nm and the oxygen content in the samples is ≤5%. The prepared KNiF3 shows obvious absorption peaks at 400-830 nm.

Study on Oxygen Content, Inclusions and Fatigue Properties of Bearing Steels Produced by Different Processes

The metallurgical properties and fatigue life of bearing steel processed by electric furnace (EAF), ladle refining (LF-VD), continous casting (CC) and electroslag remelting (ESR) have been investigated. The main results obtained are as follows: (1) Due to low oxygen content and dispersion inclusions in steel, the fatigue Life of LF-VD-IC or CC is three times as high as that of EAF steel; (2) The oxygen content in steel produced by CC process is about 9.0x10(-6), the carbon segregation (C/C(0)) is from 0.92 to 1.10 and the fatigue life of CC steel is equal to that of ladle refining ingot casting steel; (3) Although the amount of inclusion and oxygen in ESR steel is higher than that of LF-VD-IC or CC steel, the fatigue life of ESR steel is higher than that of the latter because of its fine and well dispersed inclusions.

Electrochemical investigation of the anode processes in LiF-NdF3 melt with low oxygen content

The oxidation of oxygen ions and the generation of an anode effect at a low oxygen content of 150 mg/kg were discussed in this paper.Cyclic voltammetry and square-wave voltammetry tests were conducted to explore the anodic processes of LiF-NdF_(3)melt after a lengthy period of pre-electrolysis purification at 1000℃(during which the oxygen content reduced from 413 to 150 mg/kg).The oxidation process of oxygen ions was found to have two stages:oxidation product adsorption and CO/CO_(2)gas evolution.The adsorption stage was controlled by diffusion,whereas the gas evolution was controlled by the electrochemical reaction.In comparison with oxygen content of 413 mg/kg,the decrease in the amplitude of the current at low oxygen content of 150 mg/kg was much gentler during the forward scanning process when the anode effect occurred.Fluorine-ion oxidation peaks that occurred at about 4.2 V vs.Li/Li+could be clearly observed in the reverse scanning processes,in which fluorine ions were oxidized and perfluorocarbons were produced,which resulted in an anode effect.

Effect of oxygen content on tensile strength of polymer-derived SiC fibers

Air-curing is usually applied to the polymer-derived SiC fibers and, as a result, oxygen is embedded to the material. An effective relationship between oxygen content of the SiC fibers and mass gain of their precursor fibers was established. Results also showed that oxygen content has a great influence on the mechanical properties and excellent tensile strength is usually obtained at the oxygen content of 12%～13%, similar to the density of SiC fibers. Oxygen content has a positive effect on the ceramic yield, and thus, is good to the density and tensile strength; while, oxygen content is also negative to volume content of SiC phase and crystallization of the SiC fibers, and thus, detrimental to the density and tensile strength. Both of the two effects result in the peak behavior of the tensile strength of SiC fibers.

Investigation on dependence of BiFeO_3 dielectric property on oxygen content

The influence of oxygen content on the dielectric property of BiFeO3 ceramics is studied by experiment and firstprinciples calculation. The experimental result demonstrates that the dielectric constant of BiFeO3 is strongly dependent on introduced oxygen and oxygen vacancies. By comparison with BiFeO3, the introduced oxygen and oxygen vacancies can lead to a reduction in dielectric constant of BiFeO5 at a lower frequency. The first-principles calculation also shows a similar result when photon energy is in a range of 2.0-4.1 eV. A likely explanation is that this oxygen content dependence may be ascribed to the distortion of Fe-O octahedron structure due to oxygen vacancies or excess oxygen ions in the crystal structure of BiFeO3.

Effect of oxygen content on dielectric characteristics of Cr-doped LaTiO_(x)

The ceramics La_(0.85)Cr_(0.15)TiO_(x)and La_(0.7)Cr_(0.3)TiO_(x)are prepared by conventional solid-state reaction method.The dielectric properties of Cr-doped La TiO_(x)as a function of frequency(0.1 k Hz≤f≤1 MHz)and temperature(77 K≤T≤360 K)are studied.The blocks are then annealed in a flowing O2 or Ar/H_(2)to convert their oxygen content and the tests mentioned above are performed.The highly oxygenated samples exhibit extremely high low-frequency dielectric constants at room temperature(~10^(6)).The results show that the oxygen stoichiometry could significantly influence the dielectric properties of Cr-doped LaTiO_(x).

Effects of oxygen content on the oxidation process of Si-containing steel during anisothermal heating

The oxidizing behavior of Si-containing steel was investigated in an O2 and N2 binary-component gas with oxygen contents ranging between 0.5 vol% and 4.0 vol% under anisothermal-oxidation conditions. A simultaneous thermal analyzer was employed to simulate the heating process of Si-containing steel in industrial reheating furnaces. The oxidation gas mixtures were introduced from the commencement of heating. The results show that the oxidizing rate remains constant in the isothermal holding process at high temperatures; therefore, the mass change versus time presents a linear law. A linear relation also exists between the oxidizing rate and the oxygen content. Using the linear regression equation, the oxidation rate at different oxygen contents can be predicted. In addition, the relationship between the total mass gain and the oxygen content is linear; thus, the total mass gain at oxygen contents between 0.5 vol%–4.0 vol% can be determined. These results enrich the theoretical studies of the oxidation process in Si-containing steels.

The influence of ultra-low moisture content on the seed viability of rice in store

This paper deals with the influence of ultra-lowmoisture content and the rate of desiccation on rice seed viability and physiological property bydesiccating using four kinds of desiccants(phos-

Role of doping and oxygen content in superconductivity of La_2 CuO_(4+δ)

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Is seawater geochemical composition recorded in marine carbonate? Evidence from iron and manganese contents in Late Devonian carbonate rocks

Iron and manganese are the important redoxsensitive elements in the ocean. Previous studies have established a series of paleo-depositional redox proxies based on the form and content of iron in sedimentary rocks(e.g., degree of pyritization, FeHR/FeT, Fe/Al). These proxies were developed and applied on siliciclastic-rich marine sediments. Although marine carbonate rocks are generally considered to preserve the geochemical signals of ancient seawater, neither Fe nor Mn content in marine carbonate rocks(Fecarb, Mncarb) has been independently used as a proxy to quantify environmental cues in paleo-oceans. Both Fe and Mn are insoluble in oxic conditions(Fe_2O_3, Fe(OH)_3,MnO_2), while their reduced forms(Fe^(2+) and Mn^(2+)) are soluble. Therefore, oxic seawater should have low concentrations of dissolved Fe^(2+)and Mn^(2+), and accordingly carbonate rocks precipitated from oxic seawater should have low Fecarband Mncarb, and vice versa. To evaluate whether Fecarband Mncarbcan be used to quantify oxygen fugacity in seawater, we measured Fecarband Mncarbof Upper Devonian marine carbonate rocks collected from nine sections in South China. Fecarbof intraplatform basin samples wassignificantly higher than that of shelf samples, while shelf and basin samples had comparable Mncarb. The modeling result indicates that the dramatic difference in Fecarbcannot be explained by variation in oxygen fugacity between the shelf and basin seawater. Instead, both Fecarband Mncarb appear to be more sensitive to benthic flux from sediment porewater that is enriched in Fe^(2+)and Mn^(2+). Porewater Fe^(2+)and Mn^(2+)derive from bacterial iron and manganese reduction; flux was controlled by sedimentation rate and the depth of the Fe(Mn) reduction zone in sediments, the latter of which is determined by oxygen fugacity at the water–sediment interface. Thus, high Fecarbof the basin samples might be attributed to low sedimentation rate and/or low oxygen fugacity at the seafloor. However, invariant Mncarbof the shelf and basin samples might be the consequence of complete reduction of Mn in sediments. Our study indicates that marine carbonate rocks may not necessarily record seawater composition, particularly for benthic carbonate rocks. The influence of benthic flux might cause carbonate rocks' geochemical signals to deviate significantly from seawater values. Our study suggests that interpretation of geochemical data from carbonate rocks, including carbonate carbon isotopes, should consider the process of carbonate formation.

Novel mechanism for the modification of Al_2O_3-based inclusions in ultra-low carbon Al-killed steel considering the effects of magnesium and calcium

Many researchers have explored the inclusion modification mechanism to improve non-metallic inclusion modifications in steelmaking. In this study, two types of industrial trials on inclusion modifications in liquid steel were conducted using ultra-low-carbon Al-killed steel with different Mg and Ca contents to verify the effects of Ca and Mg contents on the modification mechanism of Al_2O_3-based inclusions during secondary refining. The results showed that Al_2O_3-based inclusions can be modified into liquid calcium aluminate or a multi-component inclusion with the addition of a suitable amount of Ca. In addition, [Mg] in liquid steel can further reduce CaO in liquid calcium aluminate to drive its evolution into CaO–MgO–Al_2O_3 multi-component inclusions. Thermodynamic analysis confirmed that the reaction between [Mg] and CaO in liquid calcium aluminate occurs when the MgO content of liquid calcium aluminate is less than 3 wt% and the temperature is higher than 1843 K.

Hierarchically porous Fe/N/S/C nanospheres with high-content of Fe-Nx for enhanced ORR and Zn-air battery performance

Heteroatom-doped carbon-based transition-metal single-atom catalysts(SACs) are promising electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR). Herein, with the aid of hierarchically porous silica as hard template, a facile and general melting perfusion and mesopore-confined pyrolysis method was reported to prepare single-atomic Fe/N–S-doped carbon catalyst(FeNx/NC-S) with hierarchically porous structure and well-defined morphology. The FeNx/NC-S exhibited excellent ORR activity with a half-wave potential(E_(1/2)) of 0.92 V, and a lower overpotential of 320 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm^(-2)for OER under alkaline condition. The remarkable electrocatalysis performance can be attributed to the hierarchically porous carbon nanospheres with S doping and high content of Fe-Nx sites(up to 3.7 wt% of Fe), resulting from the nano-confinement effect of the hierarchically porous silica spheres(NKM-5) during the pyrolysis process. The rechargeable Zn-air battery with FeNx/NC-S as a cathode catalyst demonstrated a superior power density of 194.5 mW cm-2charge–discharge stability. This work highlights a new avenue to design advanced SACs for efficient sustainable energy storage and conversion.

Numerical Simulation of Decarburization in a Top-Blown Basic Oxygen Furnace

An improved mathematical model to describe the decarburization process in basic oxygen furnaces for steelmaking is presented in this work. This model takes into account those factors or parameters that determine the bath-oxygen impact area, such as the cavity depth, the lance height, the number of nozzles and the nozzles diameter. In the thermal issue, the model includes the targeted carbon content and temperature. The model is numerically solved, and is validated using reported data plant. The oxygen flow rate and the lance height are varied in the numerical simulations to study their effect on the carbon content and decarburization rate.