Periodic structures on liquid-phase smectic A, nematic and isotropic free surfaces

The free boundary of smectic A (SmA), nematic and isotropic liquid phases were studied using a polarized optical microscope, an interferometric surface structure analyzer (ISSA), an atomic force microscope (AFM) and a scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM). Images of the SmA phase free surface obtained by the polarized microscope and ISSA are in good correlation and show a well-known focal domain structure. The new periodic stripe structure was observed by scanning near-field optical microscopy on the surface of the smectic A, nematic and isotropic phases. The properties of this periodic structure are similar to the charged liquid helium surface and can be explained by nonlinear electrostatic instabilities previously described.

Characteristics and Properties of Absorption Materials for Mercury Removal at High Temperature

In this study, some metal-M/aluminum carbonate absorption materials with molar ratio of M:Al=3:1 were manufactured. There was Cu–Al, Mn–Al, Fe–Al three kinds of sorbents synthesized by co-precipitate method. The physicochemical structures during mercury removal were analyzed by a surface area and pore structure analyzer (BET), an X-ray diffraction (XRD), a scanning electron microscope coupled with an electron detection scanning (SEM/EDS), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The results showed that surface areas for metal-M/aluminum carbonate sorbents were only about 11~12 m2/g and the metal ratio loaded was more than 80%. Lab-scale tests mercury removal efficiency in the temperature range of 200–300 oC indicated that there was an improvement in the performance of mercury removal by increasing reaction temperature. Cu–Al, Fe–Al and Mn–Al all three sorbents reached their absorption equivalent of 256.6, 253.3 and 247.0 μg/g under 300 oC operating temperature and 19736 h-1 gas hourly space velocity. Additionally, the presence of transition metals can significantly improve the efficiency of mercury removal of the absorption materials.

Quantitative Analysis of Fluorine and Oxygen by X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry Using a Layered Structure Analyzer

Recently, layered structure analyzers (called LSA for short) or layered synthetic microstructures (called LSM) with d spacing of several tens of Å, have been developed for use as X-ray analyzing devices in wave-length dispersive spectrometers. The lower detection limit for light elements of atomic numbers lower than 13 , such as aluminum, sodium, fluorine, oxygen, carbon and so on, has been greatly improved.There have been several reports published regarding LSA (or LSM) applications to light element analyses.