Exploring the mechanism of a novel cationic surfactant in bastnaesite flotation via the integration of DFT calculations,in-situ AFM and electrochemistry

Effectively separating bastnaesite from calcium-bearing gangue minerals(particularly calcite)presents a formidable challenge,making the development of efficient collectors crucial.To achieve this,we have designed and synthesized a novel,highly efficient,water-soluble cationic collector,N-dodecylisopropanolamine(NDIA),for use in the bastnaesite-calcite flotation process.Density functional theory(DFT)calculations identified the amine nitrogen atom in NDIA as the site most susceptible to electrophilic attack and electron loss.By introducing an OH group into the traditional collector dodecylamine(DDA)structure,NDIA provided additional adsorption sites,enabling synergistic adsorption on the surface of bastnaesite,thereby significantly enhancing both the floatability and selectivity of these minerals.The recovery of bastnaesite was 76.02%,while the calcite was 1.26%.The NDIA markedly affected the zeta potential of bastnaesite,while its impact on calcite was relatively minor.Detailed Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR)and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)results elucidated that the―NH―and―OH groups in NDIA anchored onto the bastnaesite surface through robust electrostatic and hydrogen bonding interactions,thereby enhancing bastnaesite's affinity for NDIA.Furthermore,in situ atomic force microscopy(AFM)provided conclusive evidence of NDIA aggregation on the bastnaesite surface,improving contact angle and hydrophobicity,and significantly boosting the flotation recovery of bastnaesite.

First Principles Calculations for Corrosion in Mg-Li-Al Alloys with Focus on Corrosion Resistance: A Comprehensive Review

This comprehensive review examines the structural,mechanical,electronic,and thermodynamic properties of Mg-Li-Al alloys,focusing on their corrosion resistance and mechanical performance enhancement.Utilizing first-principles calculations based on Density Functional Theory(DFT)and the quasi-harmonic approximation(QHA),the combined properties of the Mg-Li-Al phase are explored,revealing superior incompressibility,shear resistance,and stiffness compared to individual elements.The review highlights the brittleness of the alloy,supported by B/G ratios,Cauchy pressures,and Poisson’s ratios.Electronic structure analysis shows metallic behavior with varied covalent bonding characteristics,while Mulliken population analysis emphasizes significant electron transfer within the alloy.This paper also studied thermodynamic properties,including Debye temperature,heat capacity,enthalpy,free energy,and entropy,which are precisely examined,highlighting the Mg-Li-Al phase sensitive to thermal conductivity and thermal performance potential.Phonon density of states(PHDOS)confirms dynamic stability,while anisotropic sound velocities reveal elastic anisotropies.This comprehensive review not only consolidates the current understanding of the Mg-Li-Al alloy’s properties but also proposes innovative strategies for enhancing corrosion resistance.Among these strategies is the introduction of a corrosion barrier akin to the Mg-Li-Al network,which holds promise for advancing both the applications and performance of these alloys.This review serves as a crucial foundation for future research aimed at optimizing alloy design and processing methods.

Numerical Calculations and Cold Tests for Flow Fields of a 220t/h Retrofitted Oil-Boiler

In this paper, cold simulation experiments and numerical calculations are conducted to predict 3 D flow field aerodynamics for an oil furnace after being retrofitted due to its fuel variation. K ε model and SIMPLE program under body fit coordination (BFC) system, in which TTM non orthogonal method is used to control the irregular geometric boundary, are adopted to solve the control equations. Model tests are conducted to check the calculation results, showing that they are in agreement with each other. Three different alternatives with different side window locations are also calculated to optimize the designs. The field retrofitting results show that the combination of cold tests with numerical calculations has prosperous application in retrofitting or renewing medium and small boilers.

Structural and Electronic Properties of ConC3-/0 and ConC4-/0 （n=1-4） Clusters： Mass-Selected Anion Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory Calculations

We investigated the structural evolution and elecfronic properties of ConC3-/0 and ConC4-/0 （n=1-4） clusters by using mass-selected photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. The adiabatic and vertical detachment energies of CO1-4C3- and COl-4C4- were obtained from their photoelectron spectra. By comparing the theoretical results with the experimental data, the global minimum structures were determined. The results indicate that the carbon atoms of ConC3-/0 and ConC4-/0 （n=1-4） are separated from each other gradually with increasing number of cobalt atoms but a C2 unit still remains at n=4. It is interesting that the Co2C3- and Co2C4- anions have planar structures whereas the neutral Co2C3 and Co2C4 have linear structures with the Co atoms at two ends. The Co3C3- anion has a planar structure with a Co2C2 four-membered ring and a Co3C four-membered ring sharing a Co-Co bond, while the neutral Co3C3 is a three-dimensional structure with a C2 unit and a C atom connecting to two faces of the Co3 triangle.

Magnetically induced phase separation in the fcc phase and thermodynamic calculations of phase equilibria of the Co-Cr system

Two-phase equilibria between the ferromagnetic fcc and the paramagnetic fcc phase from 800 ℃ to 900 ℃ in the Co-rich region have been detected by the diffusion couple technique. Two phase separation region of the fcc has been confirmed along the Curie temperature.The phase equilibria including the present results and the thermodynamic data of the Co-Cr system reported in the literature were analyzed on the basis of the thermodynamic evaluation. A set of thermodynamic values for the liquid, fcc, hcp, bcc, sigma phases was obtained. The calculated phase equilibria were in good agreement with most of the experimental data.

GeoPyTool:A cross-platform software solution for common geological calculations and plots

GeoPyTool is an open source application developed for geological calculations and plots,such as geochemical classification,parameter calculation,basic statistical analysis and diagrams for structural geology.More than acting as a link from raw data stored in Microsoft Excel■(MS Excel)files to vector graphic files,GeoPyTool includes recently developed routines that have not been included in previous software,such as the calculation of the Ce(Ⅳ)/Ce(Ⅲ)ratio for zircons as a method to examine the temporal evolution of oxygen fugacity in the magmatic source for igneous rocks,and the temperature calculator with titanium in zircon and zirconium in rutile.Besides these routines,GeoPyTool also allows users to load any figure from articles or books as a base map.As a Python-based crossplatform program,GeoPyTool works on Windows?,MacOS X?and GNU/Linux.GeoPyTool can do the whole process from data to results without the dependence of Microsoft Excel?,CorelDraw?and other similar software.It takes Excel?XLSX and CSV(Comma Separated Value)as the formats of both the input data source files and the output calculation results files.The figures generated by GeoPyTool can be saved as portable network graphics(PNG),scalable vector graphics(SVG)or portable document format(PDF).Another highlight of GeoPyTool is the multilingual support,the official versio n of GeoPyTool supports both Chinese and English,and additional languages can be loaded through interface files.GeoPyTool is still in the development stage and will be expanded with further geochemical and structural geology routines.As an open source project,all source code of GeoPyTool are accessible on Github(https://github.com/GeoPyTool/GeoPyTool).Users with Python experience can join in the development team and build more complex functions expanding the capabilities of GeoPyTool.

Three dimensional diagnostic,semidiagnostic and prognostic calculations of current in the East China Sea in April of 1994

Three dimensional diagnostic,semidiagnostic and prognostic models in the σ coordinate are used to compute the current in the East China Sea with wind and hydrographic data obtained from the investigation of ocean fluxes in the East China Sea during the cruise of April 1994.The computed results show that:the density and velocity fields and so on have been adjusted when time t ≈ 23 d, i.e.,the solution of semidiagnostic calculation has been obtained.The quasi steady state solution also has been reached after about 60 d.Comparing the results of diagnostic calculation with those of semidiagnostic and prognostic calculations,it is found that they agree qualitatively.For example,they all show that:(1)The Kuroshio flows along the shelf break of 200～1 000 m isobaths;(2)In the southeastern part of the computational region there is a stronger counter current with an anticyclonic eddy;(3)The volume transport through Section PN is about 30×10 6m 3/s and so on.However there are some quantitative differences between them.For example,(1)For the semidiagnostic results the Kuroshio current is stronger and clearer than that for diagnostic results and the Kuroshio width is more narrow than that for diagnostic results.This shows that the semidiagnostic calculation can better reflect the topography effect;(2)In most computed region the vertical component of velocity intensifies for semidiagnostic result,especially on the shelf break.Comparing the results of semidiagnostic calculation with those of prognostic calculation,they agree qualitatively,and also agree quantitatively in the middle of computed region.

Series-parallel Hybrid Vehicle Control Strategy Design and Optimization Using Real-valued Genetic Algorithm

Despite the series-parallel hybrid electric vehicle inherits the performance advantages from both series and parallel hybrid electric vehicle, few researches about the series-parallel hybrid electric vehicle have been revealed because of its complex co nstruction and control strategy. In this paper, a series-parallel hybrid electric bus as well as its control strategy is revealed, and a control parameter optimization approach using the real-valued genetic algorithm is proposed. The optimization objective is to minimize the fuel consumption while sustain the battery state of charge, a tangent penalty function of state of charge（SOC） is embodied in the objective function to recast this multi-objective nonlinear optimization problem as a single linear optimization problem. For this strategy, the vehicle operating mode is switched based on the vehicle speed, and an ＂optimal line＂ typed strategy is designed for the parallel control. The optimization parameters include the speed threshold for mode switching, the highest state of charge allowed, the lowest state of charge allowed and the scale factor of the engine optimal torque to the engine maximum torque at a rotational speed. They are optimized through numerical experiments based on real-value genes, arithmetic crossover and mutation operators. The hybrid bus has been evaluated at the Chinese Transit Bus City Driving Cycle via road test, in which a control area network-based monitor system was used to trace the driving schedule. The test result shows that this approach is feasible for the control parameter optimization. This approach can be applied to not only the novel construction presented in this paper, but also other types of hybrid electric vehicles.

Ab Initio Calculations of the Electronic Structures of Copper Pyrites CuS2, CuSe2 and CuTe2

The electronic structures of CuS2, CuSe2 and CuTe2 with pyrite structures, within the framework the density-functional theory have been investigated. The calculated results explained the recent experimental results which show that there is no clear indication of strong electron correlations in the electronic properties of Cu pyrites, due to the dominant chalcogen p character rather than d characteristic of Cu at the Fermi level.

Comparisons between numerical calculations and measurements in vaned diffuser of SHF impeller

The paper presents analysis of the performance and the internal flow behaviour in the vaned diffuser of a radial flow pump using PIV(particle image velocimetry)and pressure probe traverses.PIV measurements have already been performed at middle height inside one diffuser channel passage for a given speed of rotation and various mass flow rates.These results have been already presented in several previous communications.New experiments have been performed using a three-hole pressure probe traverses from hub to shroud diffuser width at different radial locations between the two diffuser geometrical throats.Numerical simulations are also realized with the commercial codes Star CCM+7.02.011 and CFX.Frozen rotor and fully unsteady calculations of the whole pump have been performed.Comparisons between numerical results,previous experimental PIV results and new probe traverses one's are presented and discussed for one mass flow rate.In this respect,a first attempt to take into account fluid leakages between the rotating and fixed part of the pump has been checked since it may affects the real flow structure inside the diffuser.

Comparative study of Mo2Ga2C with superconducting MAX phase Mo2GaC： First-principles calculations

The structural, electronic, optical and thermodynamic properties of Mo2Ga2C are investigated using density func- tional theory （DFT） within the generalized gradient approximation （GGA）. The optimized crystal structure is obtained and the lattice parameters are compared with available experimental data. The electronic density of states （DOS） is calculated and analyzed. The metallic behavior for the compound is confirmed and the value of DOS at Fermi level is 4.2 states per unit cell per eV. Technologically important optical parameters （e.g., dielectric function, refractive index, absorption coefficient, photo conductivity, reflectivity, and loss function） are calculated for the first time. The study of dielectric constant （ε1） indicates the Drude-like behavior. The absorption and conductivity spectra suggest that the compound is metallic. The reflectance spectrum shows that this compound has the potential to be used as a solar reflector. The thermodynamic properties such as the temperature and pressure dependent bulk modulus, Debye temperature, specific heats, and thermal expansion coefficient of Mo2Ga2C MAX phase are derived from the quasi-harmonic Debye model with phononic effect also for the first time. Analysis of Tc expression using available parameter values （DOS, Debye temperature, atomic mass, etc.） suggests that the compound is less likely to be superconductor.

First-principles calculations and experimental studies of Sn-Zn alloys as negative electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries

The physical characters and electrochemical properties of various phases in a Sn-Zn electrode, such as formation energy, plateau potential, specific capacity, as well as volume expansion, were calculated by the first-principles plane-wave pseudo-potential method based on the den- sity functional theory. Sn-Zn films were also deposited on copper foils by an electroless plating technique. The actual composition and chemical characters were explored by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, plasma atomic emission spectrometry （ICP）, and constant current charge/discharge measurements （CC）. The results show that separation phases with tin and zinc including a small quantity of Cu6Sn5 phase were obtained, the initial lithium insertion capacity of the Sn-Zn film was 661 mAh/g, and obvious potential pla- teaus of about 0.4 V and 0.7 V were displayed, which is in accordance with the results of theoretical calculations. The capacity of the Sn-Zn film decreased seriously with the increase of cycle number.

Dissociations of O_2 molecules on ultrathin Pb(111) films:first-principles plane wave calculations

Using first-principles calculations, we systematically study the dissociations of 02 molecules on different ultrathin Pb（lll） films. According to our previous work revealing the molecular adsorption precursor states for O2, we further explore why there are two nearly degenerate adsorption states on Pb（lll） ultrathin films, but no precursor adsorption states existing at all on Mg（0001） and Al（lll） surfaces. The reason is concluded to be the different surface electronic structures. For the O2 dissociation, we consider both the reaction channels from gas-like and molecularly adsorbed O2 molecules. We find that the energy barrier for O2 dissociation from the molecular adsorption precursor states is always smaller than that from O2 gas. The most energetically favorable dissociation process is found to be the same on different Pb（lll） fihns, and the energy barriers are found to be influenced by the quantum size effects of Pb（lll） films.

Thermodynamic calculations and experiments on inclusions to be nucleation sites for intragranular ferrite in Si-Mn-Ti deoxidized steel

Microstructures and inclusions in the Si-Mn-Ti deoxidized steels after cooling in the furnace were investigated. The composition and morphology of the inclusions were analyzed using a field emission scanning electron microscope （FE-SEM） with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry （EDS）. The kind and composition of the inclusions calculated from the thermodynamic database were in good agreement with the experimental results. There were two main kinds of inclusions formed in the Si-Mn-Ti deoxidized steels. One kind of inclusion was the manganese titanium oxide （Mn-Ti oxide）. Another kind of inclusion was the MnS inclusion with segregation points containing Ti and N. According to the thermodynamic calculation, those segregation points were TiN precipitates. The formation of intragranular ferrite （IGF） microstructures refined the grain size during the austenite-ferrite transformation. The mechanisms of IGF formation were discussed. Mn-Ti oxide inclusions with Mn-depleted zone （MDZ） were effective to be nucleation sites for IGF formation, because the MDZ increased the austenite-ferrite transformation temperature. TiN had the low misfit ratio with IGF, so the TiN precipitated on the MnS surface also promoted the formation of IGF because of decreasing interfacial energies.

A Comparative Study of Elastic Constants of NiTi and NiAl Alloys from First-Principle Calculations

To investigate the origin of the strong dependence of martensitic transformation temperature on composition, the elastic properties of high temperature B2 phases of both NiTi and NiAI were calculated by a first-principle method, the exact-muffin orbital method within coherent potential approximation. In the composition range of 50-56 at. pct Ni of NiTi and 60-70 at. pct Ni of NiAI in which martensitic transformation occurs, non-basalplane shear modulus c44 increases with increasing Ni content, while basal-plane shear modulus c＇ decreases. In the above composition ranges however the transformation temperature of NiAI increases with increasing Ni content while that of NiTi decreases from experimental observation. The softening of c＇ is experimentally observed only in NiAI, and the decrease of c＇ with increasing Ni content is responsible for the increase of transformation temperature. The result of the present work demonstrates that, besides c＇, c44 also influences the martensitic transformation of NiTi and plays quite important a role.

Ab initio calculations of accurate dissociation energy and analytic potential energy function for the second excited state B^1∏ of ^7LiH

The reasonable dissociation limit of the second excited singlet state B1∏ of ^7LiH molecule is obtained. The accurate dissociation energy and equilibrium geometry of the B^∏ state are calculated using a symmetry-adaptedcluster configuration interaction method in full active space. The whole potential energy curve for the B1H state is obtained over the internuclear distance ranging from about 0.10 nm to 0,54 nm, and has a least-square fit to the analytic Murrell-Sorbie function form. The vertical excitation energy is calculated from the ground state to the B^1∏ state and compared with previous theoretical results. The equilibrium internuclear distance obtained by geometry optimization is found to be quite different from that obtained by single-point energy scanning under the same calculation condition. Based on the analytic potential energy function, the harmonic frequency value of the B^1∏ state is estimated. A comparison of the theoretical calculations of dissociation energies, equilibrium interatomic distances and the analytic potential energy function with those obtained by previous theoretical results clearly shows that the present work is more comprehensive and in better agreement with experiments than previous theories, thus it is an improvement on previous theories.

Mechanical properties of Mn-doped ZnO nanowires studied by first-principles calculations

First-principles calculations were performed to investigate the mechanical properties of ZnO nanowires and to study the doping and size effects. A series of strains were applied to ZnO nanowires in the axial direction and the elastic moduli of ZnO nanowires were obtained from the energy versus strain curves. Pure and Mn-doped ZnO nanowires with three different diameters （1.14, 1.43, and 1.74 nm） were studied. It is found that the elastic moduli of the ZnO nanowires are 146.5, 146.6, and 143.9 GPa, respectively, which are slightly larger than that of the bulk （140.1 GPa）, and they increase as the diameter decreases. The elastic moduli of the Mn-doped ZnO nanowires are 137.6, 141.8, and 141.0 GPa, which are slightly lower than those of the undoped ones by 6.1%, 3.3%, and 2.0%, respectively. The mechanisms of doping and size effect were discussed in terms of chemical bonding and geometry considerations.

Determination of Crosslinking and Grafting in Polyurethane-acrylic Hybrid Material and Their Theoretical Calculations

A theoretical method to calculate the mode of polyurethane（PU） prepolymers grafted to polyacrylic（PAC） was presented. Using hydroxyethyl acrylate（HEA） as coupling agent, polyurethane-acrylics（PU-AC） hybrid latexes were prepared with varying HEA level and the reaction of HEA with PU prepolymers at different temperatures, and PU grafted to PAC was experimentally determined. The results show that PU grafted to PAC regularly increased, and the non-grafted and linear free PU regularly decreased with increase in HEA/NCO（isocyanate group）. The grafted PU on PAC was not proportional to HEA. More than half of linear PU prepolymers were grafted to PAC when HEA was at a low level with HEA/NCO at 0.33. While grafted PU increased to 84.80%（mass fraction）, when HEA/NCO increased to 1.0. The results were interpreted based on the theoretical calculation of PU grafted to PAC by the present method.

Mechanical, electronic, and thermodynamic properties of zirconium carbide from first-principles calculations

Mechanical, electronic, and thermodynamic properties of zirconium carbide have been systematically studied using the ab initio calculations. The calculated equilibrium lattice parameter, bulk modulus, and elastic constants are all well consistent with the experimental data. The electronic band structure indicates that the mixture of C 2p and Zr 4d and 4p orbitals around the Fermi level makes a large covalent contribution to the chemical bonds between the C and Zr atoms. The Bader charge analysis suggests that there are about 1.71 electrons transferred from each Zr atom to its nearest C atom. Therefore, the Zr-C bond displays a mixed ionic/covalent character. The calculated phonon dispersions of ZrC are stable, coinciding with the experimental measurement. A drastic expansion in the volume of ZrC is seen with increasing temperature, while the bulk modulus decreases linearly. Based on the calculated phonon dispersion curves and within the quasi-harmonic approximation, the temperature dependence of the heat capacities is obtained, which gives a good description compared with the available experimental data.

Lattice structures and electronic properties of CIGS/CdS interface:First-principles calculations

Using first-principles calculations within density functional theory, we study the atomic structures and electronic properties of the perfect and defective （2VCu＋ Incu） CulnGaSe2/CdS interfaces theoretically, especially the interface states. We find that the local lattice structure of （2VCu＋ InCu） interface is somewhat disorganized. By analyzing the local density of states projected on several atomic layers of the two interfaces models, we find that for the （2VCu＋InCu） interface the interface states near the Fermi level in CulnGaSe2 and CdS band gap regions are mainly composed of interracial Se-4p, Cu-3d and S-3p orbitals, while for the perfect interface there are no clear interface states in the CulnGaSe2 region but only some interface states which are mainly composed of S-3p orbitals in the valance band of CdS region.