This thesis presents an investigation of carbonyl sulphide as a new fumigant and related methodology studies. The first part involved the investigation of a new fumigant - carbonyl sulphide, which has the potential to replace methyl bromide. Its biological response or activity was investigated, e.g. toxicity to target organisms and phytotoxicity, environmental and worker safety considerations. In the second investigation, analytical methods were developed for the determination of fumigant movement through timber and fumigant residues in grains as well as a method of chemical fractionation to determine the fate of carbonyl sulphide. A comprehensive literature review of 161 references in these two areas is reported. Carbonyl sulphide was highly toxic to adults of three coleopteran species tested, namely Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), Tribolium confusum du Val, and Sitophilus oryzae (L.), the most sensitive species was R. dominica. For 6 hr exposure at 25�C, the L(CxT)95 value for R. dominica, S. oryzae and T. confusum were, respectively, 36.48, 99.82 and 113.0mg h L-1. Carbonyl sulphide inhibited 100% of mould in wet wheat and more than 90% of mould on dry wheat at lOOmg L-1. Both carbonyl sulphide and hydrogen cyanide were low in phytotoxicity without affecting germination of wheat, at levels needed to control insects. Unlike hydrogen cyanide, carbonyl sulphide can be used at minimum levels without decreasing plumule length of wheat. Chemical data on the sorption of carbonyl sulphide are compared with data from methyl bromide. The levels of carbonyl sulphide in the headspace of five commodities (wheat, barley, paddy, sorghum and peanut) and timbers (hardwood and softwood) decay more slowly than do levels of methyl bromide. Carbonyl sulphide was blown through a column of wheat as easily as was phosphine and more easily than was methyl bromide, and its front was blown out faster than phosphine and methyl bromide. Movement of two fumigants (methyl bromide and carbonyl sulphide) through, and sorption on, softwood and hardwood were studied. Each fumigant was sorbed less on softwood than on hardwood and penetrated softwood better than hardwood. Carbonyl sulphide penetrated timber better than did methyl bromide, and was less sorbed on timber. A rapid method of solvent extraction was developed to enable rapid estimation of the amount on intact fumigant sorbed in wood. This procedure enabled near quantitative recovery of methyl bromide as either intact fumigant or as bromide ion. Carbonyl sulphide residue in unfumigated wheat was found to be around 25- SOppb. Carbonyl sulphide left little residue on fumigated grains. Desorption of carbonyl sulphide from the wheat was extremely fast, 85% of it was released after one day aeration which was very much greater than that of methyl bromide and carbon disulphide. After 6 days aeration the incorporation of 14COS on mungbean, wheat, paddy, rice and safflower was lower than 7Oppb (calculated as COS equivalent). Food value or nutritional quality of foodstuffs is not harmed by carbonyl sulphide fumigation. This result was assessed by identifying any nonreversible change or combined residues in biochemical fractions of commodities including lipids, protein, amino acids, carbohydrate, etc., and no irreversible reaction between carbonyl sulphide and any constituent such as B vitamin, atocopherol, lysine, maltose and starch. Fumigants did not affect lipids, although each fumigant was applied to wheat at exaggerated concentrations, nor wheat germ oil and canola oil treated with extremely high concentration of fumigants. Factors which affect analysis of fumigants including stability of chemicals in extraction solvent and partitioning of fumigant between solvent and air, were examined. The partition ratio, defined as the fumigant concentration in extraction solvent to that in the headspace, varied with fumigant. Methods for multi-fumigant analysis were developed or modified and gave high recoveries and efficiency. The procedure of Daft of solvent extraction followed by partitioning was modified by being performed in sealed flasks. This raised the recovery of carbonyl sulphide, methyl bromide, phosphine and carbon disulphide. Recoveries were near quantitative at levels down to 6-16ppb (w/w) for tested fumigants. Thus the modified Daft method can be adapted to enable determination of the main fumigants used on staple foodstuffs. Microwave irradiation method give higher efficiency of removal of fumigants from grains. Limits of quantification were < 0.2ng g-1 (ppb w/w) for each tested fumigant. The detection limit of COS was calculated, as natural levels of the fumigant were detected in commodities. These are feasible, simple and rapid (< 2 min.) to be use to analyse fumigant residue in grains. Carbonyl sulphide has potential as a fumigant for grain and timber and may replace methyl bromide in some uses, subject to further investigation in commercial situations.

M.W.P. Strandberg, T. Wentink, Jr. [and] R.L. Kyhl. / "May 13, 1948." / Bibliography: p. 17. / Army Signal Corps Contract W-36-039 sc-32037.

Graduation date: 1992

Lake lowering in sulphide-rich areas is currently a major environmental impact for surface water. This study focuses on whether there is a relationship between a gradient of lake lowering and surface water impacts in areas of sulphide-rich sediments, in order to better understand their contribution of heavy metals and sulfuric acid. Also, is it a reasonable method to use the reduced lake area in order to quantify the gradient? The survey was conducted by collecting water samples from reference lakes and lowered lakes from south to north in coastal areas within the county of Västerbotten. Water samples were then analyzed for TOC, pH, conductivity, anions, base cations, alkalinity, acidity, sulfate, Al, Cd, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn and Pb. These parameters were then compared statistically using regression analysis and t-tests. The results show that no gradient was discernible in response to the reduced lake area. However, significant differences (p &lt; 0,05) between the reference lakes and all the reduced lakes were visible for pH, conductivity, Cd, Cu, Zn and Al. The study shows that there is a correlation between lake lowering and negative impacts on surface water. However, to calculate a gradient from the reduced lake area is deficient as it is limited by the lakes volume reduction, and how the area around the lake has been affected. Further studies on the subject are therefore necessary. / FLISIK (för livskraftiga småvatten i kvarkenregionen)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Michigan, 1935. / Cover title. By Paul F. Bartunek and E.F. Barker. "Reprinted from the Physical review, vol. 48, no. 6, September 15, 1935."

This thesis describes novel microel ectromechanical system (MEMS) based electrochemical gas sensors and methods of fabrication. This thesis presents the research in two parts. In the first part, a method to handle a thin silicon wafer using an electrochemically active adhesive is described. Handling of a thin silicon wafer is an important issue in 3D-IC manufacturing where through silicon vias (TSVs) is an enabling technology. Thin silicon wafers are flexible and fragile, therefore difficult to handle. In addressing the need for a reliable solution, a method based on an electrochemically active adhesive was developed. In this method, an electrochemically active adhesive was diluted and spin coated on a 100 mm diameter silicon wafer (carrier wafer) on which another silicon wafer (device wafer) was bonded. Device wafer was subjected to post processing fabrication technique such as wafer thinning. Successful debonding of the device wafer was achieved by applying a voltage between the two wafers. In another part of the research, a fabrication process for developing a functional nanoporous material using atomic layer deposition is presented. In order to realize a nanoporous electrode, a nanoporous anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) substrate was used, which was functionalized with very thin layers (~ 10 nm) of platinum (Pt) and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) using atomic layer deposition. Nanoporous material when used as an electrode delivers high sensitivity due to the inherent high surface area and is potentially applicable in fuel cells and in electrochemical sensing. The second part of the thesis addresses the need for a high performance gas sensor that is applicable for asthma monitoring. Asthma is a disease related to the inflammation in the airways of the lungs and is characterized by the presence of nitric oxide gas in the exhaled breath. The gas concentration of above approximately 50 parts-per-billion indicates a likely presence of asthma. A MEMS based electrochemical gas sensor was successfully designed and developed to meet the stringent requirements needed for asthma detection. Furthermore, to enable a hand held asthma measuring instrument, a miniaturized sensor with integrated electrodes and liquid electrolyte was developed. The electrodes were assembled at a wafer-level to demonstrate the feasibility towards a high volume fabrication of the gas sensors. In addition, the designed amperometric gas sensor was successfully tested for hydrogen sulphide concentration, which is a bio marker for bad breath. / <p>QC 20150907</p>

No description available.

The aim of this investigation was to extend the knowledge of the bacterial leaching of copper and zinc sulphides into the area of nickel sulphide leaching. By far the major portion of both theoretical and practical expertise which is available in the field of bacterial leaching is based on the treatment of copper and zinc sulphides. As yet there is little information available on the bacterial leaching of nickel sulphides to meet the growing interest in this field both in South Africa and elsewhere. To a large degree, it was necessary to start from basic principles in this novel extension of bacterial leaching technology so that the work covers a fairly wide field in general rather than one particular aspect in detail. A strain of 'nickel adapted' Thiobacillus ferrooxidans was isolated from the tailings dam of a disused nickel mine. The growth characteristics of this strain were studied in some detail on sulphur using both batch and continuous techniques. This was done as it was considered that growth on sulphur would provide useful information which could be correlated with the mineral leaching results. The mineral pentlandite (NiFeS2) was chosen as the one with which to work because of its economic importance. This was prepared in a highly purified form from a concentrate of the Rhodesian Shangani deposit. Bacterial leaching tests in both batch and continuous operation were then carried out in order to define the effects of various physico-chemical parameters on the leaching of nickel from this mineral. As a preliminary to these tests, a detailed chemical kinetic study in the absence of bacteria of the leaching of nickel was carried out using similar physico-chemical conditions. The results of the bacterial and chemical leaching tests were then compared and used to postulate a mechanism and model for the process. It was found that the rate of leaching of nickel from pentlandite in acid ferric sulphate solutions was directly proportional to the concentration of ferric ions and speed of agitation of the stirrer and to the square root of the oxygen concentration. The form of the rate expression was interpreted in terms of a mixed diffusive and chemical rate controlling mechanism. Bacterial growth rates on flowers of sulphur were found to be controlled by the rate of dissolution of oxygen from the gas bubbles into the bulk solution. When this latter condition was made non-rate limiting, it was found that growth rates were still dependent on the rate of agitation, implying mass transport control by another mechanism. The batch bacterial leaching results showed a linear pattern of nickel leaching and bacterial growth, with a marked dependence on oxygen concentration and rate of agitation. A mechanism in accordance with the batch data was postulated, which proposed that the rate of bacterial leaching was proportional to the concentration of bacteria attached at the mineral surface and to the square of the oxygen concentration. The rates of bacterial leaching were computed by taking the difference between the overall measured leach rate and the chemical leach rate based on the chemical kinetic data. The leach rates in continuous bacterial leaching were higher than those predicted from the batch data. This effect was interpreted in terms of higher specific growth rates being achieved in continuous operation. An economic assessment was made of the process based on the optimum leach rates obtained in continuous leaching and found to show some promise. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1974.

No description available.

No description available.