Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution over semiconducting niobate nanosheets is synergistically improved by coexisting photochemically inactive additives of clay particles and sodium chloride without precise nanoscopic structural regulation. In addition, the Pt cocatalyst loaded on the clay particles works better than that photodeposited on the photocatalytic nanosheets.

nanocomposite materials have recently attracted increasing interests in the field of modelling. finite element modelling can be used for computation of bulk properties of polymer/clay nanocomposites. in this study, by   considering the structure of a nano-composite material, a quasi real model is proposed. the model has been used to predict the elastic constants by selection of suitable element...

Mineral dust supplied to remote ocean regions stimulates phytoplankton growth through delivery of micronutrients, notably iron (Fe). Although attention is usually paid to Fe (hydr)oxides as major sources of available Fe, Fe-bearing clay minerals are typically the dominant phase in mineral dust. The mineralogy and chemistry of clay minerals in dust particles, however, are largely unknown. We con...

The influence of direct current electric fields on the possible electrokinetic delivery of nano-iron slurry in clay for the purpose of fast and effective remediation of soil contaminants has been tested. Nano-iron can be introduced to soil hydraulically in slurry form, but in tight clay soil, delivery of a uniform distribution of the slurry may be difficult to achieve for effective remediation....

A model describing the electric double layers in clay-electrolyte systems containing particles with different surface charge densities was developed and used to calculate the film thickness of water present in a clay paste. The average water film thicknesses (-18/~) calculated by considering the clay to contain 9 groups of particles of different charge densities did not differ from those calcul...

Detection of pathogens from environmental samples is often hampered by sensors interacting with environmental particles such as soot, pollen, or environmental dust such as soil or clay. These particles may be of similar size to the target bacterium, preventing removal by filtration, but may non-specifically bind to sensor surfaces, fouling them and causing artefactual results. In this paper, we...

Given a montmorillonitic clay soil at high porosity and saturated by monovalent counterions, we investigate the particle level responses of the clay to different external loadings. As analytical solutions are not possible for complex arrangements of particles, we employ computational micromechanical models (based on the solution of the Poisson-Nernst-Planck equations) using the finite element m...

Hydraulic erosion associated with seasonal freeze-thaw cycles is one of the most predominant factors, which drives soil stripping and transportation. In this study, indoor simulated meltwater experiments were used to investigate sorting characteristics transport mechanism sediment particles under different conditions (unfrozen, shallow-thawed, frozen slopes) runoff rates (1, 2, 4 L/min). Result...

Percentage of gravel and sand to all aggregates for concrete is decreasing, but yet large amount them has been used in Japan. In this report, the history test methods fines, organic impurities, lightweight particles, clay lumps soft pebbles as deleterious substances was investigated. As result survey, it confirmed that above Japan were established on basis ASTM then they developed their own way...