Multiple chemical warfare agent simulant decontamination by self-driven microplasma

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

Non-invasive optical characterization and estimation of Zn porosity in gas tungsten arc welding of Fe–Al joints using CR model and OES measurements

In this study,we employed a non-invasive approach based on the collisional radiative(CR)model and optical emission spectroscopy(OES)measurements for the characterization of gas tungsten arc welding(GTAW)discharge and quantification of Zn-induced porosity during the GTAW process of Fe–Al joints.The OES measurements were recorded as a function of weld current,welding speed,and input waveform.The OES measurements revealed significant line emissions from Zn-I in 460–640 nm and Ar-I in 680–800 nm wavelength ranges in all experimental settings.The OES coupled CR model approach for Zn-I line emission enabled the simultaneous determination of both essential discharge parameters i.e.electron temperature and electron density.Further,these predictions were used to estimate the Zn-induced porosity using OES-actinometry on Zn-I emission lines using Ar as actinometer gas.The OES-actinometry results were in good agreement with porosity data derived from an independent approach,i.e.x-ray radiography images.The current study shows that OES-based techniques can provide an efficient route for real-time monitoring of weld quality and estimate porosity during the GTAW process of dissimilar metal joints.

Enhanced surface-insulating performance of EP composites by doping plasmafluorinated ZnO nanofiller

The surface flashover of epoxy resin(EP) composites is a pivotal problem in the field of highvoltage insulation.The regulation of the interface between the filler and matrix is an effective means to suppress flashover.In this work,nano ZnO was fluorinated and grafted using lowtemperature plasma technology,and the fluorinated filler was doped into EP to study the DC surface flashover performance of the composite.The results show that plasma fluorination can effectively inhibit the agglomeration by grafting –CFxgroups onto the surface of nano-ZnO particles.The fluorine-containing groups at the interface provide higher charge binding traps and enhance the insulation strength at the interface.At the same time,the interface bond cooperation caused by plasma treatment also promoted the accelerating effect of nano ZnO on charge dissipation.The two effects synergistically improve the surface flashover performance of epoxy composites.When the concentration of fluorinated ZnO filler is 20%,the flashover voltage has the highest increase,which is 31.52% higher than that of pure EP.In addition,fluorinated ZnO can effectively reduce the dielectric constant and dielectric loss of epoxy composites.The interface interaction mechanism was further analyzed using molecular dynamics simulation and density functional theory simulation.

Research on degradation mechanism of trichlorobenzene and Hg^(0) by nonthermal plasma catalysis

Aiming at mercury and dioxin in fire coal gas as research objects,nonthermal plasma(NTP)catalytic technology was used to investigate the degradation effect of operating condition parameters on mixed pollutants in mixed flue gas condition,and to explore the synergistic degradation of Hg0and TCB(1,2,3-trichlorobenzene,TCB)under mixed flue gas conditions.The research results showed that the conversion efficiency of mercury and TCB increased with the additional output of voltage,and decreased with the increase of the gas flow rate.Under optimal reaction conditions:voltage=17 k V,frequency=300 Hz,gas flow rate=21 min^(-1),the conversion efficiency of Hg^(0)and TCB reached the highest 91.4%and 84.98%,respectively.In the NTP catalytic system,active free radicals played an important role in the synergistic conversion of mercury and TCB,which have a competitive effect,to make the conversion efficiency of mixed pollutants lower than a single substance.In the mixed flue gas condition,the mixed gas has an inhibitory effect on the synergistic conversion of mercury and TCB.Kinetic modeling of NTP catalytic synergistic reaction was established.Under three conditions of TCB,mercury and TCB,mixed simulated flue gas,the NTP catalytic technology showed a quasi-firstorder kinetic reaction for the degradation of TCB.According to the synergistic effect of NTP and composites,the transformation and degradation of TCB mainly included two processes:TCB and ring opening,and Hg^(0)was finally oxidized to Hg^(2+).

Ionization wave propagation and cathode sheath formation due to surface dielectric-barrier discharge sustained in pulsed mode

This work deals with the experimental study of a surface dielectric-barrier discharge,as a part of the ongoing interest in the control of plasma induced electro-fluid dynamic effects(e.g.plasma actuators).The discharge is generated using a plasma reactor consisting of a fused silica plate which is sandwiched between two printed circuit boards where the electrodes are developed.The reactor is driven by narrow high voltage square pulses of asymmetric rising(25 ns)and falling(2.5μs)parts,while the discharge evolution is considered in a temporarily and spatially resolved manner over these pulses.That is,conventional electrical and optical emission analyzes are combined with high resolution optical emission spectroscopy and ns-resolved imaging,unveiling main characteristics of the discharge with a special focus on its propagation along the dielectric-barrier surface.The voltage rising part leads to cathode-directed ionization waves,which propagate with a speed up to 105m s~(-1).The voltage falling part leads to cathode sheath formation on the driven electrode.Τhe polarization of the dielectric barrier appears critical for the discharge dynamics.

Long-term corona behaviour and performance enhancing mechanism of SiC/epoxy nanocomposite in SF6 gas environment

Surface coating technology is an effective way to solve the interface insulation problem of DC GIS/GIL basin insulators, but the performance of the coating will change greatly, and the insulation strength will be completely lost, after long-term use in the extreme conditions of corona erosion. In this research, the multi-needle-plate electrode platform was constructed to explore the long-term use performance of Si C-doped nanocomposite exposed to corona discharge in SF6gas. Samples with a high Si C content have advantages in maintaining physical and chemical properties such as elemental composition, erosion depth, surface roughness and mass loss. The nanocomposite doped with 6 wt.% Si C has prominent surface insulation strength after long term exposure to corona, and the others are close to losing, or have completely lost,their insulating properties. Furthermore, the degradation mechanism of physicochemical properties of composite exposed to corona discharge was investigated with the proposed Reax FF MD model of energetic particles from SF6decomposition bombarding the epoxy surface. The reaction process of SF particles and F particles with the cross-linked epoxy resin, and the Si C nanoparticles providing shelter to the surrounding polymer and mitigating their suffering direct bombardment, have been established. The damage propagation depth, mass loss and surface roughness change of nanocomposite material bombarded by SF6decomposition products is reproduced in this simulation. Finally, the deterioration mechanism of insulation properties for the Si C-doped composite was elucidated with DFT analysis. The band gap of the molecule containing S drops directly from the initial 7.785 e V to 1.875 e V, which causes the deterioration of surface electric properties.

Preparation of highly efficient antibacterial non-woven by facile plasma-induced graft polymerizing of DADMAC

The development of surface modification technology for temperature sensitive fibers has been a huge challenge.In this work,a novel technique based on cold plasma treatment was developed for the preparation of anti-bacterial polypropylene(PP)fibers.The results showed that plasma treatment introduced a rough surface and polar groups,which acted as the anchor point and initiators for diallyldimethyl ammonium chloride(DADMAC)graft-polymerization.The fabricated PP membranes presented a high bacterial sterilization rate,as well as excellent adhesion force and washing durability.After ultrasonic treatment for 30 min,the physical coating sample had lost anti-bacterial effect,while the plasma grafted sample still showed a sterilization rate of 91.67%.This work provided a clean and novel DADMAC grafting method and it is also applicable for anti-bacterial material fabrication.

Enhancing surface adhesion of polytetrafluoroethylene induced by two-step in-situ treatment with radiofrequency capacitively coupled Ar/Ar+CH_(4)+NH_(3) plasma

Although some progress in plasma modification of the polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE) surface has been made recently,its adhesion strength still needs to be further improved.In this work,the surface of a PTFE sample was treated with a two-step in-situ method.Firstly,the PTFE surface was treated with capacitively coupled Ar plasma to improve its mechanical interlocking performance;then,Ar+NH_(3)+CH_(4) plasma was used to deposit an a-CNx:H cross-linking layer on the PTFE surface to improve the molecular bonding ability.After treatment,a high specific surface area of 2.20 and a low F/C ratio of 0.32 were achieved on the PTFE surface.Its surface free energy was increased significantly and its maximum adhesion strength reached77.1 N·10 mm^(-1),which is 56% higher than that of the single-step Ar plasma-treated sample and32% higher than that of the single-step Ar+CH_(4)+NH_(3) plasma-treated sample.

Wet flashover voltage improvement of the ceramics with dielectric barrier discharge

Surface modification techniques with plasma are widely investigated to improve the surface insulation capability of polymers under dry conditions,while the relationship between treatment method,surface physical and chemical properties,and wet flashover voltage is still unclear for inorganic ceramics.In this work,the surface insulation properties of ceramics under wet conditions are improved using nanosecond-pulsed dielectric barrier discharge with polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)as the precursor.The relationships between PDMS concentration and the water contact angle,dry and wet flashover voltages are obtained to acquire the optimal concentration.The surface charge dissipation test and surface physio-chemical property measurement with SEM,AFM,XPS are carried out to further explore the mechanism of surface insulation enhancement.The results show that film deposition with micron thickness and superhydrophobicity occurs at the PDMS concentration of 1.5%.The dry flashover voltage is increased by 14.6%due to the induction of deep traps,while the wet flashover voltage is increased by 66.7%.The gap between dry-wet flashover voltage is decreased by 62.3%compared with the untreated one due to the self-cleaning effect.

Development of an atmospheric fluorocarbon plasma jet generated by pulse modulated microwave discharge

Atmospheric fluorocarbon plasma plays an important role in the surface modification of insulating materials like polymers.The existing fluorocarbon plasma is usually generated by dielectric barrier discharge,which has a low concentration of reactive species and may cause insufficient surface fluorination.This work attempts to develop an atmospheric fluorocarbon plasma jet using a coaxial transmission line resonator by microwave discharge with locally enhanced electric field and high density.The gas temperature is reduced by pulse modulation technology.Three kinds of working gases,pure CF_(4),Ar/CF_(4)and He/CF_(4),are utilized to generate the atmospheric microwave fluorocarbon plasma jet.The discharge images,optical emission spectra,electron densities and gas temperatures are studied experimentally.The results show that the Ar/CF_(4)plasma jet has the best comprehensive performance,such as strong discharge intensity and controllable gas temperature.The electron density of the Ar/CF_4plasma jet has a magnitude of 10~(20)m^(-3),indicating a higher density than that of the frequently used dielectric barrier discharge.With the other conditions unchanged,the gas temperature at the end of the Ar/CF_(4)plasma jet can be reduced from 410.2 to 347.3 K by decreasing the duty cycle of the modulated pulse from 0.5 to 0.1.Thence,the microwave Ar/CF_(4)plasma jet is considered to be a promising fluorocarbon plasma source for surface fluorination of polymers.

3D fluid model analysis on the generation of negative hydrogen ions for negative ion source of NBI

A radio-frequency(RF) inductively coupled negative hydrogen ion source(NHIS) has been adopted in the China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor(CFETR) to generate negative hydrogen ions.By incorporating the level-lumping method into a three-dimensional fluid model,the volume production and transportation of H^(-) in the NHIS,which consists of a cylindrical driver region and a rectangular expansion chamber,are investigated self-consistently at a large input power(40 k W) and different pressures(0.3–2.0 Pa).The results indicate that with the increase of pressure,the H^(-) density at the bottom of the expansion region first increases and then decreases.In addition,the effect of the magnetic filter is examined.It is noteworthy that a significant increase in the H^(-) density is observed when the magnetic filter is introduced.As the permanent magnets move towards the driver region,the H^(-) density decreases monotonically and the asymmetry is enhanced.This study contributes to the understanding of H-distribution under various conditions and facilitates the optimization of volume production of negative hydrogen ions in the NHIS.

Faculty Members’ Attitudes and Perceptions towards E-Publishing at the University of Jordan

Electronic Publishing offers many opportunities to today’s users and scholars that were not available to their predecessors. Because of the multidimensional features of e-Journals, they are becoming the choice of academic as well as public library users. Technology, and particularly the Internet, has great potential for altering scholarly communication and research inhumanities, sciences, social sciences, and health sciences disciplines. Results of scholarly surveys show that there is a significant interest in e-Publication of research. Thus, this research paper investigates the attitudes and perceptions of faculty members at the University of Jordan (UJ) of current issues associated with the use of electronic publishing and perceived obstacles to their extended use for scholarly communication and publication. Specifically, the primary focus of this study is to examine and perceive how faculty members’ use of electronic publications might affect their interest in publishing their own research in electronic formats;as well as to determine the contribution of scholars towards publishing in e-Journals. In order to achieve the research objectives, a questionnaire method was adopted to elicit the opinions of the faculty members;whereas personal interviews were conducted to fill in the gaps. The results of the study reveal that the majority of the faculty members prefer to publish in electronic formats refereed journals, due to the advantages of publishing in e-Journals. Furthermore, the findings show that faculty members are also concerned about the disadvantages of e-Publishing. On the basis of the findings, some suggestions have been recommended to make publishing in e-Journals more acceptable to those scholars at UJ who still do not use it, as well as to maximize the use of e-Publishing because of the advantages that it may offer.

Perception of Myth in Print and Online Media

While analyzing media texts, linguists usually distinguish between denotation and connotation of linguistic signs. Barthes(Rayner, Wall & Kruger, 2001) has added another term "myth". This term is used by a number of scholars and was first mentioned in Barthes’ essay "myth today"(Bignell, 1997;Bignell, 2002;Turner, 2005). Myth is a system of signifiers, a semiological system, where social, historical and cultural meanings are connected with a sign(Turner, 2005;Rayner, Wall & Kruger, 2001;Barthes in Bignell, 1997;Gaines, 2001). In this paper, we will discuss a meaning of myth in media, its perception through media in print and online journalism. The paper provides an analysis of the case of myth creation and the characteristics of narration in print and online news. One of the main features of online newspapers is non-linear model of narration and nonlinear perception of information by readers.

Information

In order to improve manuscript processing efficiency and to service authors and readers more thoroughly,online submission of four journals,including Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs(CTHD),Chinese Herbal Medicines(CHM),Drugs & Clinic(DC),and Drug Evaluation Research(DER) edited and published by Tianjin Press of Chinese Herbal Medicines,has been accessed since January,2010.