In-situ Chemical Age of the Sandstone-hosted Uranium Deposit in Ningdong Area on the Western Margin of the Ordos Basin, North China

Objective The Ordos Basin located in the westem part of the North China Craton bears various energy resources such as oil, gas, coal and uranium. It is one of the richest uranium-bearing basins in China. Since the discovery of the large-scale Dongsheng, Hangjinqi and Daying uranium deposits in the north of the Ordos Basin, a new breakthrough of uranium exploration has been achieved in the Ningdong area （eastern Ningxia） on the western margin of the Ordos Basin （WMOB） in the past two years （Wang Feifei et al., 2017）.

Accumulation and geochemical evidence for the Little Ice Age episode in eastern Antarctica

Data on accumulation and concentration of chemical compounds recorded in an essentially unexplored area(Dome Argus)of the Indian Ocean sector of eastern Antarctica during the past 2,680 years(680 B.C. to 1999 A.D.) are presented. During the first 1, 700 years(680 B. C. to 1000 A. D.), the accumulation data shows a slightly decreasing trend, while chemical ions appear to be stable, representing a stable climatic condition. An intensive increasing trend of the accumulation occurred during the 12^(th) to 14^(th) century. The period from 15^(th) to 19^(th) century was characterized by a rapid reducing accumulation and concentrations of volatile compounds suffering post-depositional loss linked to sparse precipitation amount,which was temporally consistent with the Little Ice Age(LIA) episode. Comparison between observed accumulation rates with other eastern Antarctic ice cores show a consistent decreasing trend during LIA, while sea salt and dust-originated ions increased due to sea ice extent and intensified atmospheric transportation. Distribution of volcanic originated sulfate over the Antarctic continent show a significant change during the 15^(th) century, coincident with the onset of the LIA. These results are important for the assessment of Antarctic continent mass balance and associated interpretation of the Dome A deep ice core records.

In-situ wafer bowing measurements of GaN grown on Si(111) substrate by reflectivity mapping in metal organic chemical vapor deposition system

In this work, the wafer bowing during growth can be in-situ measured by a reflectivity mapping method in the 3×2 Thomas Swan close coupled showerhead metal organic chemical vapor deposition（MOCVD） system. The reflectivity mapping method is usually used to measure the film thickness and growth rate. The wafer bowing caused by stresses（tensile and compressive） during the epitaxial growth leads to a temperature variation at different positions on the wafer, and the lower growth temperature leads to a faster growth rate and vice versa. Therefore, the wafer bowing can be measured by analyzing the discrepancy of growth rates at different positions on the wafer. Furthermore, the wafer bowings were confirmed by the ex-situ wafer bowing measurement. High-resistivity and low-resistivity Si substrates were used for epitaxial growth. In comparison with low-resistivity Si substrate, Ga N grown on high-resistivity substrate shows a larger wafer bowing caused by the highly compressive stress introduced by compositionally graded Al Ga N buffer layer. This transition of wafer bowing can be clearly in-situ measured by using the reflectivity mapping method.

<i>In-Situ</i>Monitoring of Chemical Vapor Deposition from Trichlorosilane Gas and Monomethylsilane Gas Using Langasite Crystal Microbalance

Using the langasite crystal microbalance (LCM), the trends in film thickness produced by means of the chemical vapor deposition using trichlorosilane gas, monomethylsilane gas and their mixed gas were observed at 600?C and evaluated by comparison with the information from a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The crystalline silicon film thickness from trichlorosilane gas was comparable to that of an amorphous silicon carbide film from monomethylsilane gas. The film obtained from the gas mixture was amorphous and was the thinnest in this study. Because the thickness trend obtained by the LCM agreed with that by the TEM, the LCM is shown to be a convenient evaluation tool for the behavior of various film deposition.

Influences of chemical reactions on polysulfide reduction reaction process on promotor surface in Li-S batteries

Polar promotors have been proven effective in catalyzing the polysulfide(PS)reduction reaction(PSRR)process in lithium-sulfur(Li-S)batteries.However,the promotor surface tends to be poisoned due to the accumulation of insoluble discharging products of lithium disulfide(Li_(2)S_(2))and lithium sulfide(Li_(2)S)during Li-S battery operation.Herein,we investigate the detailed PSRR mechanism on the surface of manganese sulfides(MnS)as a representative promoter by performing in-situ Raman mapping measurements.The catalytic ability of MnS enables thorough electrochemical reduction of PSs to Li_(2)S_(2) and Li_(2)S on the MnS surface.The generated Li_(2)S_(2) and Li_(2)S then adsorb the dissolved PSs via chemical reactions among sulfur species during the subsequent PSRR process.This phenomenon mitigates promotor poisoning and continuously improves the reversible capacity.Consequently,the assembled Li-S cell demonstrates excellent electrochemical performance after introducing a conductive interlayer containing a thin piece of carbon nanotube film and MnS promotors.

Ecological effect of the plantation of Sabina vulgaris in the Mu Us Sandy Land,China

Vegetation restoration through artificial plantation is an effective method to combat desertification,especially in arid and semi-arid areas.This study aimed to explore the ecological effect of the plantation of Sabina vulgaris on soil physical and chemical properties on the southeastern fringe of the Mu Us Sandy Land,China.We collected soil samples from five depth layers(0-20,20-40,40-60,60-80,and 80-100 cm)in the S.vulgaris plantation plots across four plantation ages(4,7,10,and 16 years)in November 2019,and assessed soil physical(soil bulk density,soil porosity,and soil particle size)and chemical(soil organic carbon(SOC),total nitrogen(TN),available nitrogen(AN),available phosphorus(AP),available potassium(AK),cation-exchange capacity(CEC),salinity,p H,and C/N ratio)properties.The results indicated that the soil predominantly consisted of sand particles(94.27%-99.67%),with the remainder being silt and clay.As plantation age increased,silt and very fine sand contents progressively rose.After 16 years of planting,there was a marked reduction in the mean soil particle size.The initial soil fertility was low and declined from 4 to 10 years of planting before witnessing an improvement.Significant positive correlations were observed for the clay,silt,and very fine sand(mean diameter of 0.000-0.100 mm)with SOC,AK,and p H.In contrast,fine sand and medium sand(mean diameter of 0.100-0.500 mm)showed significant negative correlations with these indicators.Our findings ascertain that the plantation of S.vulgaris requires 10 years to effectively act as a windbreak and contribute to sand fixation,and needs 16 years to improve soil physical and chemical properties.Importantly,these improvements were found to be highly beneficial for vegetation restoration in arid and semi-arid areas.This research can offer valuable insights for the protection and restoration of the vegetation ecosystem in the sandy lands in China.

Effect of chemical composition on zircon radiation damage dating:Implications for low-temperature thermochronology

Zircon radiation damage dating is a low-temperature thermochronological method that can reveal the cooling histories of magmatic intrusions and discriminate sedimentary provenance in combination with other dating methods.This method has broad application prospects because of its advantages of nondestructive,high efficiency,and capable of double(or multiple)dating,involving only multiple measurements by Raman spectrometer and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.However,several factors,such as zircon chemical composition and the non-uniformity of radiation damage annealing kinetics,can cause poor precision when using this method and thus restricts its wide application.This study examined the effect of chemical composition(P,Ti,Dy,Th,U,and Hf)on Raman spectra using synthetic zircon crystals grown in a lithium-molybdate flux.The results show that the full width at half-maximum(FWHM)of the v_(3)(SiO_(4))band has positive linear correlations with the concentrations of P,Ti,Dy,Th,and U in decreasing order of influence,while the FWHM is unaffected by Hf at concentrations<1 wt.%but increases at concentrations>10 wt.%.Furthermore,the Raman shift is negatively correlated with Th,U,and Dy concentrations,positively correlated with Hf,and shows no obvious correlation with Ti and P.Thus,our study shows that chemical composition is a non-ignorable factor for calculating zircon radiation damage age using Raman spectroscopy,especially for zircon with relatively high concentrations of P,rare earth elements(REEs),Th,U,and Hf.The obtained multiple linear regression equation provides a potential means for estimating the FWHM at zero dose and implication for improving the dating precision of this method.In addition,the observed effects of REEs,Th,U,and Hf on the Raman shift of the v_(3)(SiO_(4))band indicate that chemical composition in zircon might affect the estimation of the P-T conditions of geological processes when using entrapped zircon inclusions in host minerals or the field of zircon as an in situ pressure sensor in hydrothermal experiments.Our study suggests that zircon radiation damage dating,excluding geochemical effects,will be more accurate for addressing lower-temperature geological processes.

Characteristics of soil organic carbon mineralization and influence factor analysis of natural Larix olgensis forest at different ages

Soil organic carbon(SOC)mineralization is closely related to carbon source or sink of terrestrial ecosystem.Natural stands of Larix olgensis on the Jincang forest farm,Jilin Province were selected to investigate the dynamics of SOC mineralization and its correlations with other soil properties in a young forest and mid-aged forest at soil depths of 0–10,>10–20,>20–40 and>40–60 cm.The results showed that compared with a mid-aged forest,the SOC stock in the young forest was 32%higher.Potentially mineralizable soil carbon(C0)in the young forest was 1.1–2.5 g kg^-1,accounting for 5.5–8.1%of total SOC during the 105 days incubation period and 0.3–1.5 g kg^-1 in the mid-aged forest at different soil depths,occupying 2.8–3.4%of total SOC.There was a significant difference in C0 among the soil depths.The dynamics of the SOC mineralization was a good fit to a three-pool(labile,intermediate and stable)carbon decomposition kinetic model.The SOC decomposition rate for different stand ages and different soil depths reached high levels for the first 15 days.Correlation analysis revealed that the C0 was significantly positively related with SOC content,soil total N(TN)and readily available K(AK)concentration.The labile soil carbon pool was significantly related to SOC and TN concentration,and significantly negatively correlated with soil bulk density.The intermediate carbon pool was positively associated with TN and AK.The stable carbon pool had negative correlations with SOC,TN and AK.

The Medieval Warm Period and Little Ice Age in the Daihai Area, North China

Rb/Sr ratio, CaCO\-3 content, organic carbon (C\-\{org\}) concentration, magnetic susceptibility and clay mineralogy of 4.0 m sediments samples recovered from Daihai Lake, northern China, are presented in the paper. Weathering and paleoclimatic change history during the last 2300 years is reconstructed in terms of the variations of Rb/Sr ratios in the sediment sequence, including the Little Ice Age and Medieval Warm Period. Our results suggest that the evolution processes of weathering and paleoclimate can be rebuilt in terms of the variations of Rb/Sr ratios in the lake sediment sequence, in combination with magnetic susceptibility, C\-\{org\}, \{CaCO\-3\} contents and clay mineralogy.

Regulating local chemistry in ZrCo-based orthorhombic hydrides via increasing atomic interference for ultra-stable hydrogen isotopes storage

Developing a universal and reliable strategy for the modulation of composition and structure of energy storage materials with stable cycling performance is vital for hydrogen and its isotopes storage advanced system,yet still challenging.Herein,an ultra-stable lattice structure is designed and verified to increase atomic chaos and interference for effectively inhibiting disproportionation reaction and improving cycling stability in ZrCo-based hydrogen isotopes storage alloy.After screening in terms of configuration entropy calculation,we construct Zr_(1-2)Nb_(x)Co_(1-2x)Cu_(x)Ni_(x)(x=0.15,0.2,0.25) alloys with increased atomic chaos,and successfully achieve stable isostructural de-/hydrogenation during 100 cycles,whose cycling capacity retentions are above 99%,much higher than 22.4%of pristine ZrCo alloy.Both theoretical analysis and experimental evidences indicate the high thermo-stability of orthorhombic lattice in Zr_(0.8)Nb_(0.2)Co_(0.6)Cu_(0.2)Ni_(0.2) alloy.Notably,the increased atomic chaos and interference in Zr_(0.8)Nb_(0.2)Co_(0.6)Cu_(0.2)Ni_(0.2) alloy causes regulation in hydrogen local chemical neighborhood,thereby confusing the hydrogen release order,which effectively eliminates lattice distortion and unlocks an ultrastable lattice structure.This study provides a new and comprehensive inspiration for hydrogen atoms transport behaviors and intrinsic reason of stable orthorhombic transformation,which can contribute to paving the way for other energy storage materials modulation.

Direct Determination of Trace Impurities in High Purity Neodymium after In-Situ Analyte-Matrix Separation by Fluorination Assisted ETV-ICP-AES

Using PTFE as a chemical modifier, a method for the determination of trace impurities in high purity Nd_2O_3 by in-situ separation and electrothermal vaporization-inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ETV-ICP-AES) was developed. The analyte-matrix separation and the temperature program of graphite furnace were investigated and optimized. The solid samples were directly introduced into graphite furnace in the form of slurry, where selective volatilization between the matrix and the analytes took place. The Nd matrix was retained in the graphite furnace during the evaporation step, while the trace analyte impurities were vaporized and removed. As a result, the matrix interference that is serious without the modifier is suppressed effectively. The achievable detection limits are (μg·g^(-1)): Ti 0.15, Mn 0.15, Ni 0.20, Co 0.54, respectively. The proposed method was applied to direct determination of trace impurities in high purity Nd_2O_3 with satisfactory results.

Activities of some defense proteins associated with age or plant family in larch needles of Larix olgensis and L. kaempferi× L. gmelinii

Defence proteins are a kind of chemical defence compounds. They play a key role in plant restraining biotic and abiotic harm. To illuminate activities of some defense proteins associated with age or plant family of larch, the larch needles were collected from two different families of Korean larch, Larix olgensis and a hybrid larch, L. kaempferi × L. gmelinii, respectively, and then the activities of defence proteins in those were tested using a UV spectrophotometry. The results showed that the activities of protective enzymes at thel6-/17- and 19-year-age groups were higher than those at the other age groups in the both larch species. While the activities of polyphenol oxidase （PPO） at the 16-/17-year-age group and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase （PAL） and protease inhibitors at the 19-year-age group were the highest among all age groups. Then, compared with L. olgensis, the hybrid larch had significant effects on the activities of protective enzymes. The effects of plant family on the activities of PAL and chymotrypsin inhibitor were significantly different, and then those on the activities of PPO were not significantly different. The effects of the two families in L. olgensis on the activities of trypsin inhibitor （TI） were significantly different, while those in the hybrid larch on the activities of TI were contrary. To conclusions showed that the different age and plant family significantly affected the activities of defence proteins in the needles of two larch species, and then enhanced the larch resistance to pests. These could play a key function in forestry tree genetic improvement and management in future.

Metamorphic stages in mountain belts during a Wilson cycle:A case study in the central Sanandaj-Sirjan zone(Zagros Mountains,Iran)

Polymetamorphic units are important constituents of continent-continent collisional orogens,and rift metamorphic assemblages are often overprinted by subsequent metamorphism during subduction and collision.This study reports the metamorphic conditions and evolution of the Dorud-Azna metamorphic units in the central part of the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone(SSZ),Iran.Here,new geothermobarometry results are integrated with ^(40)Ar/^(39)Ar mineral and Th-U-Pb monazite and thorite ages to provide new insight of polyphase metamorphism in the two different basement units of the SSZ,the lower Galeh-Doz orthogneiss and higher Amphibolite-Metagabbro units.In the Amphibolite-Metagabbro unit,staurolite micaschist underwent a prograde P-T evolution from 640±20℃/6.2±0.8 kbar in garnet cores(M1)to 680±20℃/7.2±1.0 kbar in garnet rims(M2).Three Th-U-Pb monazite ages of 306±5 Ma,322±28 Ma and 336±39 Ma from the garnet-micaschists testify the Carboniferous age of M1 metamorphism.In the same unit,the metagabbro records P-T conditions of 4.0±0.8 kbar and 580±50℃ in the(magmatic)amphibole core(Late Carboniferous intrusion)to 7.5±0.7 kbar and 700±20℃ in the amphibole rim indicating a prograde P-T path during subsequent burial(M1).New ^(40)Ar/^(39)Ar dating of white mica from the staurolite micaschist yielded a staircase pattern ranging from 36±12 Ma to 170±2 Ma.This implies polymetamorphism with a minimum Late Jurassic cooling age through the Ar retention temperature of ca.425±25℃ after M2 metamorphism and a Paleogene low-grade metamorphic overprint(M3),while ^(40)Ar/^(39)Ar white mica dating of garnet micaschist yielded a plateau age of 137.84±0.65 Ma.We therefore interpret the amphibolite-grade metamorphism M2 to have predated 170 Ma and is likely between 180 and 200 Ma.Furthermore,it is overprinted at about 36 Ma under retrogressive low-grade M3 metamorphism(at temperatures of~350-240℃)during final shortening and exhumation.In the underlying Galeh-Doz unit,the Panafrican granitic orthogneiss intruded at P-T conditions of 3.2±4 kbar and 700±20℃,then it was metamorphosed and deformed at 600±50℃ and 2.0±0.8 kbar(metamorphic stage M1)prior to Late Carboniferous intrusion of mafic dikes.^(40)Ar/^(39)Ar dating of amphibole from the Galeh-Doz orthogneiss gave plateau-like steps between 260 and 270 Ma,representing the age of cooling through ca.500℃ after the M1 metamorphic event.Interestingly,the results of this study demonstrate polyphase metamorphic histories in both the Galeh-Doz orthogneiss and Amphibolite-Metagabbro units at different P-T conditions and final thickskinned Paleogene emplacement of these units over the underlying low-grade metamorphic June Complex.Our findings suggest that both units are affected by high-T/low-P Late Carboniferous orogenic metamorphism along with the bimodal magmatism,as result of rifting.We propose that the Early Jurassic amphibolite-grade M2 metamorphism of the SSZ is correlated with the initial subduction of the Neotethyan Ocean.Eventually,the investigated units reflect various stages of a Wilson cycle,from rifting to initiation of the subduction in final plate collision.

Novel model of material removal rate on ultrasonic-assisted chemical mechanical polishing for sapphire

Ultrasonic-assisted chemical mechanical polishing(UA-CMP)can greatly improve the sapphire material removal and surface quality,but its polishing mechanism is still unclear.This paper proposed a novel model of material removal rate(MRR)to explore the mechanism of sapphire UA-CMP.It contains two modes,namely two-body wear and abrasive-impact.Furthermore,the atomic force microscopy(AFM)in-situ study,computational fluid dynamics(CFD)simulation,and polishing experiments were conducted to verify the model and reveal the polishing mechanism.In the AFM in-situ studies,the tip scratched the reaction layer on the sapphire surface.The pit with a 0.22 nm depth is the evidence of two-body wear.The CFD simulation showed that abrasives could be driven by the ultrasonic vibration to impact the sapphire surface at high frequencies.The maximum total velocity and the air volume fraction(AVF)in the central area increased from 0.26 to 0.55 m/s and 20%to 49%,respectively,with the rising amplitudes of 1–3μm.However,the maximum total velocity rose slightly from 0.33 to 0.42 m/s,and the AVF was nearly unchanged under 40–80 r/min.It indicated that the ultrasonic energy has great effects on the abrasive-impact mode.The UA-CMP experimental results exhibited that there was 63.7%improvement in MRR when the polishing velocities rose from 40 to 80 r/min.The roughness of the polished sapphire surface was R_(a)=0.07 nm.It identified that the higher speed achieved greater MRR mainly through the two-body wear mode.This study is beneficial to further understanding the UA-CMP mechanism and promoting the development of UA-CMP technology.

Reaction mechanism and kinetics of pressurized pyrolysis of Chinese oil shale in the presence of water

A study of reaction mechanisms and chemical kinetics of pressurized pyrolysis of Chinese Liushuhe oil shale in the presence of water were conducted using an autoclave for simulating and modeling in-situ underground thermal degradation.It was found that the oil shale was first pyrolyzed to form pyrobitumen,shale oil,shale gas and residue,then the pyrobitumen was further pyrolyzed to form more shale oil,shale gas,and residue.It means that there are two consecutive and parallel reactions.With increasing temperature,the pyrobitumen yield,as intermediate,first reached a maximum,then decreased to approximately zero.The kinetics results show that both these reactions are first order.The activation energy of pyrobitumen formation from oil shale is lower than that of shale oil formation from pyrobitumen.

PRECIPITATION AND MICROSTRUCTURE OF Cr MODIFIED Al_3Ti

The microstructures of Cr modified Al3Ti containing Al2Ti and L10-AlTi precipitates have been investigated in terms of transmission electron microscopy(TEM). Fine precipitation of Al2Ti (Ga2Hf type structure) and Ll0-AlTi(Cr) occurs in Ll2-Al3Ti(Cr) by aging around 973K. The aging behavior was investigated by microhardness measurements. TEM observations reveal that plate-like Al2Ti precipitates lie on{100} planes of the Ll2-Al3Ti(Cr) matrix with the c axis of the tetragonal phase perpendicular to the thin plate. As contrast with Al2Ti precipitates, Ll0-AlTi(Cr) precipitates form thin plate and lie on {100} planes of Ll2-Al3Ti(Cr) matrix at the initial aging time and for long time aging the habit plane of the thin plate deviates from {100} plane and finally forms a kinked plate. The coherency stresses across the precipitate/matrix interface are considered to be the main factors controlling the precipitate morphology.

The highly selective catalytic hydrogenation of CO_(2)to CO over transition metal nitrides

Three transition metal-like facet centered cubic structured transition metal nitrides,γ-Mo_(2)N,β-W_(2)N andδ-NbN,are synthesized and applied in the reaction of CO_(2)hydrogenation to CO.Among the three nitride catalysts,theγ-Mo_(2)N exhibits superior activity to target product CO,which is 4.6 and 76 times higher than the other two counterparts ofβ-W_(2)N andδ-NbN at 600℃,respectively.Additionally,γ-Mo_(2)N exhibits excellent stability on both cyclic heating-cooling and high space velocity steady state operation.The deactivation degree of cyclic heating-cooling evaluation after 5 cycles and long-term stability performance at 773 and 873 K in 50 h are all less than 10%.In-situ XRD and kinetic studies suggest that theγ-Mo_(2)N itself is able to activate both of the reactants CO_(2)and H_(2).Below 400℃,the reaction mainly occurs at the surface ofγ-Mo_(2)N catalyst.CO_(2)and H_(2)competitively adsorbe on the surface of catalyst and CO_(2)is the relatively stronger surface adsorbate.At a higher temperature,the interstitial vacancies of theγ-Mo_(2)N can be reversibly filled with the oxygen from CO_(2)dissociation.Both of the surface and bulk phase sites ofγ-Mo_(2)N participate in the high temperature CO_(2)hydrogenation pathway.

Unraveling one billion years of geological evolution of the southeastern Amazonia Craton from detrital zircon analyses

Despite representing one of the largest cratons on Earth,the early geological evolution of the Amazonia Craton remains poorly known due to relatively poor exposure and because younger metamorphic and tectonic events have obscured initial information.In this study,we investigated the sedimentary archives of the Carajás Basin to unravel the early geological evolution of the southeastern Amazonia Craton.The Carajás Basin contains sedimentary rocks that were deposited throughout a long period spanning more than one billion years from the Mesoarchean to the Paleoproterozoic.The oldest archives preserved in this basin consist of a few ca.3.6 Ga detrital zircon grains showing that the geological roots of the Amazonia Craton were already formed by the Eoarchean.During the Paleoarchean or the early Mesoarchean(<3.1 Ga),the Carajás Basin was large and rigid enough to sustain the formation and preservation of the Rio Novo Group greenstone belt.Later,during the Neoarchean,at ca.2.7 Ga,the southeastern Amazonia Craton witnessed the emplacement of the Parauapebas Large Igneous Province(LIP)that probably covered a large part of the craton and was associated with the deposition of some of the world largest iron formations.The emplacement of this LIP immediately preceded a period of continental extension that formed a rift infilled first by iron formations followed by terrigenous sediments.This major change of sedimentary regime might have been controlled by the regional tectonic evolution of the Amazonia Craton and its emergence above sea-level.During the Paleoproterozoic,at ca.2.1 Ga,the Rio Fresco Group,consisting of terrigenous sediments from the interior of the Amazonia Craton,was deposited in the Carajás Basin.At that time,the Amazonian lithosphere could have either underwent thermal subsidence forming a large intracratonic basin or could have been deformed by long wavelength flexures that induced the formation of basins and swells throughout the craton under the influence of the growing Transamazonian mountain belt.

Significance of Alloying Element Levels in Realizing the Specified Tensile Properties in 18 Wt % Nickel Maraging Steel

Among the various grades of commercially available 18 wt. % nickel maraging steels, the one with nominal 0.2% proof strength in the range 1700-1750 MPa is the most commonly used and is distinguished by an excellent combination of high strength and high fracture toughness. The main alloying elements are nickel, cobalt, molybdenum and titanium. The first three of these are present at relatively high concentrations in the chemical composition. The high cost of these metals leads to a high cost of production and this becomes a deterrent to extensive use of the steel. In the present study, an attempt was made to produce the steel by pegging the levels of these alloying elements in the lower half of the specified range. The objective was to save on the raw material cost, while still conforming to the specification. The steel so produced could not, however, attain the specified tensile properties after final heat treatment. The observed behavior is explained based on the role played by the different alloying elements in driving the precipitation hardening reaction.

In-situ monitoring of nitrile-bearing pesticide residues by background-free surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

In-situ monitoring of pesticide residues during crop growth or/and in related products is of great significance in avoiding the abuse of pesticides but remains challenging thus far.In this report,we proposed a background-free surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy(bf-SERS)platform to non-destructively track the nitrile-bearing pesticide residues in soybean leaves with high sensitivity and selectivity.The outstanding feature of the assay stems from the dramatic Raman enhancement effect of the 50 nm-sized gold nanoparticles(AuNPs)towards the pesticides and simultaneously the background-free Raman signal of the nitrile group in the so-called Raman-silent region(1800-2800 cm^(-1)).This bf-SERS assay was applied to evaluate the penetration effects of nitrile-bearing pesticides and monitor their residues in soybean leaves after rinsing with various solutions,providing a reliable tool for guiding the safe use of nitrile-bearing pesticides in agriculture.