Agglomerating Growth of One-Dimensional Carbon Nano-Materials Synthesized from Ethanol Flames

One-dimensional carbon nano-materials （ODCNMs） synthesized from ethanol flames exhibit various agglomerated morphologies, such as ＂chrysanthemum-like＂, ＂hairball-like＂ or ＂orange-peel-like＂, ＂vertically aligned＂ and ＂wrinkling-pileup＂. The present work studied the agglomerating process and the growth mechanism by using scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. It is thought that the size and distribution of the catalyst particles produced from pretreatment of the substrates play a key role during the formation of agglomerations. It is expected that the steady growth of ODCNMs in flames will be improved through the preparation of the catalysts.

Particle agglomeration and inhibition method in the fluidized pyrolysis reaction of waste resin

This work investigated the pyrolysis reaction of waste resin in a fluidized bed reactor.It was found that the pyrolysis-generated ash would adhere to the surface of ceramic particles,causing particle agglomeration and defluidization.Adding kaolin could effectively inhibit the particle agglomeration during the fluidized pyrolysis reaction through physical isolation and chemical reaction.On the one hand,kaolin could form a coating layer on the surface of ceramic particles to prevent the adhesion of organic ash generated by the pyrolysis of resin.On the other hand,when a sufficient amount of kaolin(-0.2%(mass))was added,the activated kaolin could fully contact with the Na+ ions generated by the pyrolysis of resin and react to form a high-melting aluminosilicate mineral(nepheline),which could reduce the formation of low-melting-point sodium sulfate and thereby avoid the agglomeration of ceramic particles.

Numerical Simulation of Fractal Agglomerating-Growth of Al_2O_3Inclusions in Tundish

Based on the Al2O3 inclusion analysis of low-carbon aluminum killed steel in tundish of a domestic steel company and fractal theory analysis, a mathematical model of fractal agglomerating growth of Al2O3 inclusions in tundish was established. The results indicated that： large swirl flows exist in both sides of inlet, space between weir and dam, and large zone above outlet, in which monomer and agglomerated inclusion particles accumulate easily; the agglomerated inclusions with hydrodynamic diameter of 6-9.8 μm were quickly generated less than 16 s, but those inclusions with hydrodynamic diameter more than 11 μm were difficult to form; the number density of agglomerated inclusion rapidly increased first, then slowly reduced, so the form and quantity distribution of agglomerated inclu sions can be controlled by controlling the residence time of inclusion particles in tundish.

Agglomeration of coal and polyethylene mixtures during fixed‑bed co‑gasification

The article presents the results of experimental studies on the gasification of mixtures of brown coal and polyethylene(up to 20 wt%fraction)in a laboratory reactor.The work aims to study the agglomeration process during the heating and oxidation of the mixtures.The measurement results(gas composition,pressure drop)provide indirect information on the dynamics of thermal decomposition and structural changes in the fuel bed.We have shown that the interaction between polyethylene and a coal surface leads to the formation of dense agglomerates,in which the molten polymer acts as a binder.Clinkers form as a result of interfacial interactions between components and filtration flow rearranging.The hydrogen/carbon ratio in the solid residue of coal-polyethylene co-gasification increases from 0.07–0.2 to 1.11,indicating the formation of stable hydrocarbon compounds on the carbon surface.The conducted research makes it possible to identify possible interactions between chemical reactions and transfer processes that lead to agglomeration in mixtures of coal with polyethylene.

Effect of hafnium and molybdenum addition on inclusion characteristics in Co-based dual-phase high-entropy alloys

Specific grades of high-entropy alloys(HEAs)can provide opportunities for optimizing properties toward high-temperature applications.In this work,the Co-based HEA with a chemical composition of Co_(47.5)Cr_(30)Fe_(7.5)Mn_(7.5)Ni_(7.5)(at%)was chosen.The refractory metallic elements hafnium(Hf)and molybdenum(Mo)were added in small amounts(1.5at%)because of their well-known positive effects on high-temperature properties.Inclusion characteristics were comprehensively explored by using a two-dimensional cross-sectional method and extracted by using a three-dimensional electrolytic extraction method.The results revealed that the addition of Hf can reduce Al_(2)O_(3)inclusions and lead to the formation of more stable Hf-rich inclusions as the main phase.Mo addition cannot influence the inclusion type but could influence the inclusion characteristics by affecting the physical parameters of the HEA melt.The calculated coagulation coefficient and collision rate of Al_(2)O_(3)inclusions were higher than those of HfO_(2)inclusions,but the inclusion amount played a larger role in the agglomeration behavior of HfO_(2)and Al_(2)O_(3)inclusions.The impurity level and active elements in HEAs were the crucial factors affecting inclusion formation.

Study on the spatial and temporal evolutionary characteristics of ozone concentration and the impact of human activities in China in 2019

Ozone(O_(3))pollution has a profound impact on human health,vegetation development,and the ecological environment,making it a critical focus of global academic research.In recent years,O_(3)pollution in China has been on a steady rise,with ozone emerging as the sole conventional pollutant to consistently increase in concentration without any decline.This study conducted a quantitative analysis of O_(3)concentrations across 367 Chinese cities in 2019,examining spatial autocorrelation and local clustering of O_(3)levels,and investigated the diverse relationships between human activity factors and O_(3)concentration.The seasonal fluctuation of O_(3)exhibited the“M-type”pattern,with peak concentrations in winter and the lowest levels in summer.The center of O_(3)pollution migrated southeastward,with the area of highest concentration progressively shifting south along the eastern coast.Moreover,O_(3)concentration showed a strong positive correlation with population density,road freight volume,and industrial emissions,suggesting that human activities,vehicle emissions,and industrial operations are significant contributors to O_(3)production.The results provide comprehensive information on the characteristics,causes,and occurrence mechanism of O_(3)in Chinese cities that can be utilized by global government departments to formulate strategies to prevent and control O_(3)pollution.

Evaluation and Influencing Factors on Particle Agglomeration in RAP

Asphalt extraction test and scanning electron microscopy(SEM) were used for analysis of agglomerations of reclaimed asphalt pavement(RAP) particles. In order to quantify the agglomeration degree of RAP, the fineness modulus ratio(FMR) and the percentage loss index(PLI) were proposed. In addition, grey correlation analysis was conducted to discuss the relationship between particle agglomerations and RAP size,asphalt content(AC), and surface area. Two indexes indicate that the agglomeration degree increases in general as the RAP size reduces. This can be attributed to that particles are prone to agglomeration in the case of higher AC. Based on the SEM images and the material composition of RAP, the particle agglomeration in RAP can be classified into weak agglomeration and strong agglomeration. Grey correlation analysis shows that AC is the crucial factor affecting the agglomeration degree and RAP variability. In order to produce consistent and stable reclaimed mixtures, disposal measures of RAP are suggested to lower the AC of RAP.

Experimental investigation on effective aerosol scavenging using different spray configurations with pre-injection of water mist for Fukushima Daiichi decommissioning

During the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant,it is important to consider the retrieval of resolidified debris both in air and underwater configurations.For the subsequent retrieval of debris from the reactor building,the resolidified debris must be cut into smaller pieces using various cutting methods.During the cutting process,aerosol particles are expected to be generated at the submicron scale.It has been noted that such aerosols sizing within the Greenfield gap(0.1-1μm)are difficult to remove effectively using traditional spraying methods.Therefore,to improve the aerosol removal efficiency of the spray system,a new aerosol agglomeration method was recently proposed,which involves injecting water mist to enlarge the sizes of the aerosol particles before removing them using water sprays.In this study,a series of experiments were performed to clarify the proper spray configurations for effective aerosol scavenging and to improve the performance of the water mist.The experimental results showed that the spray flow rate and droplet characteristics are important factors for the aerosol-scavenging efficiency and performance of the water mist.The results obtained from this study will be helpful for the optimization of the spray system design for effective aerosol scavenging during the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

A new fluorocarbon adhesive:Inhibiting agglomeration during combustion of propellant via efficient F-Al_(2)O_(3) preignition reaction

Inhibiting the agglomeration of molten aluminum particles packed in the binder network is a promising scheme to achieve efficient combustion of solid propellants.In this investigation,the hydroxyl-terminated structured fluorinated alcohol compound(PFD)was introduced to modify the traditional polyethylene glycol/polytetrahydrofuran block copolymerization(HTPE)binder;that is,a unique fluorinated polyether(FTPE)binder was synthesized by embedding fluorinated organic segments into the HTPE binder via crosslinking curing.The FTPE was applied in aluminum-based propellants for the first time.Due to the complete release of fluorinated organic active segments in the range of 300℃to 400℃,the burning rate of FTPEbased propellant increased from 4.07(0%PFD)to 6.36 mm/s(5%PFD),increased by 56.27%under 1 MPa.The reaction heat of FTPE propellants increased from 5.95(0%PFD)to 7.18 MJ/kg(5%PFD)under 3.0 MPa,indicating that HTPE binder modified with PFD would be conducive to inhibiting the D90 of condensed combustion products(CCPs)dropped by 81.84%from 75.46(0%PFD)to 13.71μm(5%PFD)under 3.0 MPa,in consistent with the significant reduction of aluminum agglomerates observed on the quenched burning surface of the propellants.Those results demonstrated that a novel FTPE binder with PFD can release fluorinated organic active segments,which motivate preignition reaction with the alumina shell in the early stage of aluminum combustion,and then enhance the melting diffusion effect of aluminum to inhibit the agglomeration.

Evolution and Determinants of Population Agglomeration in Less Developed Metropolitan Areas:A Case Study of the Taiyuan Metropolitan Area,China

It is of importance to enhance the urban areas'capacity for population aggregation in underdeveloped regions,aiming to rectify the imbalanced and insufficient pattern of economic development in China.Taking the Taiyuan Metropolitan Area(TMA)in central China as a case study,this paper examines the evolutionary process and characteristics of population agglomeration from 2000 to 2020,and identifies factors associated with agglomeration and their spatial effects.The findings indicated that:1)against the background of sustained population shrinkage in the provincial area,the TMA showed a demographic trend of steady increase,albeit with a decelerated growth rate.In the metropolitan area,urban population size continued to grow rapidly,whereas the rural areas endured sustained losses.Disparities in city size continued to widen,and the polarization of concentrated population in the core cities kept increasing.2)Agglomerations in both secondary and service industries had significant positive effects on local population agglomeration,with the former effect being stronger.Regional economic development,government fiscal expenditure,and financial advancement all contributed to facilitating local population clustering.From a spatial spillover perspective,service agglomeration and financial development promoted population agglomeration in surrounding areas.Conversely,fiscal expenditure inhibited such agglomeration.As for industrial agglomeration and regional economic development,their spatial spillover effects were non-significant.The results obtained reveal several policy implications aimed at enhancing the population agglomeration capacity of the metropolitan area in underdeveloped regions during the new era.

Dynamic Development Characteristics and Driving Factors of High Quality Development Level in China’s Five Major Urban Agglomerations

High-quality development is the primary task of comprehensively building a socialist,modern country,as well as the primary task of building urban agglomerations in China.Based on the five development concepts,this paper used the entropy method to measure the High Quality Development Index(HQDI)of the five major urban agglomerations.The results showed that the HQDI of the five major urban agglomerations shows a fluctuating upward trend.First,using the Dagum Gini coefficient to explore the sources of HQDI development differences in urban agglomerations,we found that the main source of HQDI differences in urban agglomerations was inter-regional differences,while intra-regional differences were not important.Second,kernel density estimation was used to test the dynamic evolution trend of HQDI within urban agglomerations.There was a polarisation phenomenon in the HQDI of urban agglomerations,such as the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration and the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration.But overall,the degree of imbalance had decreased.Third,using geographic detectors to examine the driving factors of HQDI in urban agglomerations,we found that the main driving forces for improving HQDI in urban agglomerations were economic growth,artificial intelligence technology and fiscal decentralisation.All the interaction factors had greater explanatory power for the spatial differentiation of HQDI,which can be divided into two types:two-factor improvement and non-linear improvement.This study is conducive to improving and enriching the theoretical system for evaluating the high quality development of urban agglomerations,and provides policy references for promoting the high quality development of urban agglomerations.

Technological anxiety:Analysis of the impact of industrial intelligence on employment in China

Employment is the greatest livelihood.Whether the impact of industrial robotics technology materialized in machines on employment in the digital age is an“icing on the cake”or“adding fuel to the fire”needs further study.This study aims to analyze the impact of the installation and application of industrial robots on labor demand in the context of the Chinese economy.First,from the theoretical logic and the economic development law,this study gives the prior judgment and research hypothesis that industrial intelligence will increase jobs.Then,based on the panel data of 269 cities in China from 2006 to 2021,we use the two-way fixed effect model,dynamic threshold model,and two-stage intermediary effect model.The objective is to investigate the impact of industrial intelligence on enterprise labor demand and its path mechanism.Results show that the overall effect of industrial intelligence on the labor force with the installation density index of industrial robots as the proxy variable is the“creation effect”.In other words,advanced digital technology has created additional jobs,and the overall supply of employment in the labor market has increased.The conclusion is still valid after the endogeneity identification and robustness test.In addition,the positive effect has a nonlinear effect on the network scale.When the installation density of industrial robots exceeds a particular threshold value,the division of labor continues to deepen under the combined action of the production efficiency and compensation effects,which will cause enterprises to increase labor demand further.Further research showed that industrial intelligence can increase employment by promoting synergistic agglomeration and improving labor price distortions.This study concludes that in the digital China era,the introduction and installation of industrial robots by enterprises can affect the optimal allocation of the labor market.This phenomenon has essential experience and reference significance for guiding industrial digitalization and intelligent transformation and promoting the high-quality development of people’s livelihood.

Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Typical Ecosystem Services and Their Spatial Responses to Driving Factors in Ecologically Fragile Areas in Upper Yellow River,China

The identification of dominant driving factors for different ecosystem services(ESs)is crucial for ecological conservation and sustainable development.However,the spatial heterogeneity of the dominant driving factors affecting various ESs has not been adequately elucidated,particularly in ecologically fragile regions.This study employed the integrated valuation of ESs and trade-offs(InVEST)model to evaluate four ESs,namely,water yield(WY),soil conservation(SC),habitat quality(HQ),and carbon storage(CS),and then to identify the dominant driving factors of spatiotemporal differentiation of ES and further to characterize the spatial heterogeneity characteristics of the dominant driving factors in the eco-fragile areas of the upper Yellow River,China from 2000 to 2020.The results demonstrated that WY exhibited northeast-high and northwest-low patterns in the upper Yellow River region,while high values of SC and CS were distributed in central forested areas and a high value of HQ was distributed in vast grassland areas.The CS,WY,and SC exhibited decreasing trends over time.The most critical factors affecting WY,SC,HQ,and CS were the actual evapotranspiration,precipitation,slope,and normalized difference vegetation index,respectively.In addition,the effects of different factors on various ESs exhibited spatial heterogeneity.These results could provide spatial decision support for eco-protection and rehabilitation in ecologically fragile areas.

What are the underlying causes and dynamics of land use conflicts in metropolitan junction areas?A case study of the central Chengdu–Chongqing region in China

Land use conflicts(LUCs),as a spatial manifestation of the conflicts in the human-land relationships,have a profound impact on regional sustainable development.For China’s metropolitan junction areas(MJAs),the existence of“administrative district economies”has made the issue of LUCs more prominent.Based on a case study of the central Chengdu–Chongqing region,we conducted an exploratory spatial data analysis of the evolutionary process of regional LUCs.Furthermore,structural equation modeling was utilized to analyze the dynamic mechanism of LUCs in MJAs,with a particular emphasis on exploring the influences of administrative boundary.The results showed that from 2010 to 2020,LUCs in the central Chengdu–Chongqing region continued to worsen,and the spatial process conflict and spatial structure conflict indices increased by more than 30.0%.The intensification of LUCs in the central Chengdu–Chongqing region from 2010 to 2020 was mainly the result of the deterioration of conflicts in evaluation units with low conflict levels.LUCs in China’s metropolitan areas generally presented a circular gradient distribution,weakening from the core to the periphery,but there were some strong isolated conflict zones in the outer regions.LUCs in China’s MJAs were the result of interactions among multiple factors,e.g.,natural environment,socio-economic development,policy and institutional processes,and administrative boundary effects.Administrative boundary affected the flow of socio-economic elements,changing the supply-and-demand competition of stakeholders for land resources,consequently exerting an indirect influence on LUCs.This study advances the theory of the dynamic mechanism of LUCs,and provides theoretical support for the governance of these conflicts in transboundary areas.

Analysis of Urban Agglomeration Network Structure Based on Baidu Migration Data: A Case Study of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Urban Agglomeration

The inter-city linkage heat data provided by Baidu Migration is employed as a characterization of inter-city linkages in order to facilitate the study of the network linkage characteristics and hierarchical structure of urban agglomeration in the Greater Bay Area through the use of social network analysis method.This is the inaugural application of big data based on location services in the study of urban agglomeration network structure,which represents a novel research perspective on this topic.The study reveals that the density of network linkages in the Greater Bay Area urban agglomeration has reached 100%,indicating a mature network-like spatial structure.This structure has given rise to three distinct communities:Shenzhen-Dongguan-Huizhou,Guangzhou-Foshan-Zhaoqing,and Zhuhai-Zhongshan-Jiangmen.Additionally,cities within the Greater Bay Area urban agglomeration play different roles,suggesting that varying development strategies may be necessary to achieve staggered development.The study demonstrates that large datasets represented by LBS can offer novel insights and methodologies for the examination of urban agglomeration network structures,contingent on the appropriate mining and processing of the data.

Spatio-temporal evolution of the coordinated development of high-tech industry agglomeration and resource-environmental carrying capacity in the Yellow River Basin

Under the background of new infrastructure,the Yellow River Basin’s superior growth cannot be separated originating with the synergistic effect of scientific and technological inventiveness and ecological civilization construction.In light of the coupling coordination analysis of the coordination effect of provincial high-tech industry agglomeration and resource carrying capacity in the Yellow River Basin from 2009 to 2021,The evolution of the geographical and temporal pattern of development was investigated using the Moran index and kernel density estimation.The results show that the agglomeration of high-tech industries in the Yellow River Basin presents a development trend of seek improvement in stability,and there is a good coupling and coordination throughout the progression of scientific and technological innovation and the loading capacity of the resource,from the viewpoint of a time series.From the perspective of spatial pattern distribution,the whole basin aims at the lower reaches,accelerates the optimization of digital industry and promotes Yellow River Basin development of superior quality through innovation support and increase of input,and based on policy guidance.

Study on the Design Scheme of Vehicle Flow Lines in Unilateral Agglomerative Open Service Area

In recent years,with the introduction of the strategy to strengthen the country’s transportation infrastructure and the continuous implementation of new economic development models such as integrating transportation with tourism,various open service areas integrating highway service areas with local tourism have emerged nationwide.Examples include the Yangcheng Lake service area in Jiangsu and the Lengshui service area in Chongqing.This paper focuses on the design example of the Dazu Stone Carving service area on the Chongqing section of the Yurong Expressway,comprehensively considering factors such as construction scale,terrain conditions,and local urban planning.It analyzes and studies the traffic flow design of unilateral agglomerative open service areas around two vehicle traffic conversion links:between the main expressway and the service area,and between the service area and local roads.The aim is to provide a case study reference for similar projects.

Mechanism of Agglomerating Development of Industrial Space: A Case Study on Shenzhen

The agglomeration of industries refers to the concentration and aggregation of the same or different industries in a certain area. After analyzing the spatial pattern of the economic activities in the world, it can be

Multi-scenario Simulation for 2060 and Driving Factors of the Eco-spatial Carbon Sink in the Beibu Gulf Urban Agglomeration, China

Since China announced its goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2060, carbon neutrality has become a major target in the development of China's urban agglomerations. This study applied the Future Land Use Simulation(FLUS) model to predict the land use pattern of the ecological space of the Beibu Gulf urban agglomeration, in 2060 under ecological priority, agricultural priority and urbanized priority scenarios. The Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs(In VEST) model was employed to analyse the spatial changes in ecological space carbon storage in each scenario from 2020 to 2060. Then, this study used a Geographically Weighted Regression(GWR) model to determine the main driving factors that influence the changes in land carbon sinking capacity. The results of the study can be summarised as follows: firstly, the agricultural and ecological priority scenarios will achieve balanced urban expansion and environmental protection of resources in an ecological space. The urbanized priority scenario will reduce the carbon sinking capacity. Among the simulation scenarios for 2060, carbon storage in the urbanized priority scenario will decrease by 112.26 × 10^(6) t compared with that for 2020 and the average carbon density will decrease by 0.96 kg/m^(2) compared with that for 2020. Carbon storage in the agricultural priority scenario will increase by 84.11 × 10^(6) t, and the average carbon density will decrease by 0.72 kg/m^(2). Carbon storage in the ecological priority scenario will increase by 3.03 × 10^(6) t, and the average carbon density will increase by 0.03 kg/m^(2). Under the premise that the population of the town will increases continuously, the ecological priority development approach may be a wise choice.Secondly, slope, distance to river and elevation are the most important factors that influence the carbon sink pattern of the ecological space in the Beibu Gulf urban agglomeration, followed by GDP, population density, slope direction and distance to traffic infrastructure.At the same time, urban space expansion is the main cause of the changes of this natural factors. Thirdly, the decreasing trend of ecological space is difficult to reverse, so reasonable land use policy to curb the spatial expansion of cities need to be made.

Experimental study of Al agglomeration on solid propellant burning surface and condensed combustion products

Aluminum(Al) particles are commonly added to energetic materials including propellants,explosives and pyrotechnics to increase the overall energy density of the composite,but aluminum agglomeration on the combustion surface may lower the combustion efficiency of propellants,resulting in a loss in twophase flow.Therefore,it is necessary to understand the agglomeration mechanism of aluminum particles on the combustion surface.In this paper,a high-pressure sealed combustion chamber is constructed,and high-speed camera is used to capture the whole process of aluminum accumulation,aggregation and agglomeration on the combustion surface,and the secondary agglomeration process near the combustion surface.The microscopic morphology and chemical composition of the condensed combustion products(CCPs) are then studied by using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive(SEM-EDS) method.Results show that there are three main types of condensed combustion products:small smoke oxide particles oxidized by aluminum vapor,usually less than 1 μm;typical agglomerates formed by the combustion of aluminum agglomerates;carbonized agglomerates that are widely distributed,usually formed by irregular movements of aluminum agglomerates.The particle size of condensed combustion products is measured by laser particle size meter.As the pressure increases from 0.5 MPa to 1.0 MPa in nitrogen,the mass average particle size of aluminum agglomerates decreases by 49.7%.As the ambient gas is changed from 0.5 MPa nitrogen to 0.5 MPa air,the mass average particle size of aluminum agglomerates decreases by 67.3%.Results show that as the ambient pressure increases,the higher oxygen content can improve combustion efficiency and reduce the average agglomeration size of aluminum particles.