Results of this study suggest that laboratory growth of full-sib families of five month old Pacific oyster spat can be predictive of growth to market size at different grow-out sites. Seven to ten millimeter spat were selected from each of fifteen full-sib families and commercially available polyploids. Each family was split into two groups and exposed to either variable salinity (V.S., 3-30 ppt) or constant salinity (C.S., 30 ppt) laboratory conditions for five months, then planted at either an upriver or downriver subtidal site in the Yaquina estuary, Oregon. After six months of growth in the estuary, the rankings of the families based on average individual weights, specific growth rates (SGR), survival and yields were compared between laboratory and estuary sites. There was a significant effect of family, laboratory treatment and site upon final individual live weights of oysters in the estuary (P=0.0001). The rankings of families based on average individual laboratory weights were correlated with average individual estuary weights at the downriver site (C.S. oysters, P=0.010, V.S. oysters, P=0.005). Tetraploid oysters grew to heavier final estuary weights than either triploids or diploids, with individual C.S. tetraploids averaging 79.4 g live weight by fifteen months of age. Laboratory family rankings based on SGRs were negatively correlated with estuary rankings of family SGRs for all treatments (P<0.0001, Rho=-0.668). Rankings of families based on laboratory yields on day 60 were correlated with standardized estuary yield rankings for all treatments, except V.S. oysters planted downriver. Laboratory yields of families were also found to be predictive of estuary yields at an intertidally planted site in Sequim Bay, Washington, indicating the potential for predicting yields across a wide range of sites and culture methods (subtidal vs. intertidal). Oyster breeding programs may realize more efficient progress from the results of this study. If family yields at grow-out sites can be predicted from spat yields in the laboratory, poor and average families could be identified early at the spat stage, eliminating the need to expend resources to plant them out at test sites. / Graduation date: 2000

A high temperature molten salt test loop that utilizes FLiNaK (LiF-NaF-KF) at 700ºC has been proposed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to study molten salt flow characteristics through a pebble bed for applications in high temperature thermal systems, in particular the Pebble Bed – Advanced High Temperature Reactor (PB-AHTR). The University of Tennessee Nuclear Engineering Department has been tasked with developing and testing pressure instrumentation for direct measurements inside the high temperature environment. A nickel diaphragm based direct contact pressure sensor is developed for use in the salt. Capacitive and interferometric methods are used to infer the displacement of the diaphragm. Two sets of performance data were collected at high temperatures. The fiber optic, Fabry-Perot interferometric sensor was tested in a molten salt bath. The capacitive pressure sensor was tested at high temperatures in a furnace under argon cover gas.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2005. / Bibliography: leaves 132-142.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Delaware, 2006. / Principal faculty advisor: John C. Kraft, Dept. of Geology. Includes bibliographical references.

After decades of investigation, we still have to deal withthe problem of environmental effects of the use of de-icingsalt on roads. Lacking useful indicators of the system, westill do not know the environmental utility of ameliorativemeasures taken. The thesis aims at i) describing the system of de-icing practices and theirenvironmental effects with special reference to the exposure ofthe roadside environment to air-borne salt and damage to Norwayspruce seedlings and ii) at proposing indicators for afollow-up system. By collecting bulk deposition and relatingthe deposition pattern to factors concerning wind androad-maintenance characteristics, the influence of thesefactors on air-borne exposure is investigated. By exposingNorway spruce (Picea abies(L.) Karst.) seedlings to roadsideconditions the influence ofsalt exposure on the degree ofdamage is investigated. Based on a comparison of severalsystems of monitoring, improvements are suggested by proposingnew indicators for salt use and its environmental effects. A large part of the salt that is applied on the road surfacewill be transported by air and deposited on the ground in theroadside. While the vast majority of the salt will be depositedwithin some tens of metres of the road, some may still be windtransported several hundred metres away. The wind directionplays an important role for the deposition already at adistance of some ten metres from the road. Wind speedinfluences the distance to which the salt is transported.Chloride concentration in unwashed needles collected after thesalting season is positively related to the bulk deposition ofCl during the exposure. The degree of damage can be describedby a sigmoid curve of response to the Cl concentration inneedles. Improvements to the follow-up system are suggested byproposing indicators of the driving forces, pressures, states,impacts and possible responses as regards the undesired impactson water resources, vegetation and the roadside scenery as asocietal asset. <b>Keywords:</b>road, de-icing salt, air-borne, environmentalimpact, vegetation damage, Norway spruce, seedling, follow-up,monitoring, indicator

The formation of surface films on electrodes in contact with non-aqueous electrolytes in lithium-ion batteries has a vital impact on battery performance. A basic understanding of such films is essential to the development of next-generation power sources. The surface chemistry, morphology and thermal stability of two typical anode and cathode materials, graphite and LiNi0.8Co0.2O2, have here been evaluated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry, and placed in relation to the electrochemical performance of the electrodes. Chemical and morphological information on electrochemically formed graphite surface films has been obtained accurately by combining XPS measurements with Ar+ ion etching. An improved picture of the spatial organisation, including thickness determination of the surface film and characterisation of individual component species, has been established by a novel sputtering calibration procedure. The stability of the surface films has been shown to depend strongly on temperature and choice of lithium salt. Decomposition products from elevated-temperature storage in different electrolyte systems were identified and coupled to effects such as capacity loss and increase in electrode resistance. Different decomposition mechanisms are proposed for surface films formed in electrolytes containing LiBF4, LiPF6, LiN(SO2CF3)2 and LiCF3SO3 salts. Surface film formation due to electrolyte decomposition has been confirmed on LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 positive electrodes. An overall surface-layer increase with temperature has been identified and provides an explanation for the impedance increase the material experiences on elevated-temperature storage. Surface phenomena are clearly major factors to consider in selecting materials for practical Li-ion batteries.

A road in operation along with its traffic can pose aserious pollutant threat to groundwater and surface water inits vicinity. Examples of pollutants are metals from thecorrosion of vehicles, rails and poles and the wear of roadsurfaces and tyres; hydrocarbons from the wear of roadsurfaces, tyres, exhausts, oils; sodium chloride from roadsalt; and hazardous goods discharged in accidents. Eventuallypollutants that are not degraded or retarded in soil will reachgroundwater and surface water. The chloride ion in deicing saltis a good tracer. It is conservative and highly soluble and notsubject to retardation or degradation. If the chlorideconcentration has increased in groundwater or surface water inthe vicinity of a deiced road, other road-related pollutantsmight also be present in the water. Increased chloride concentrations have been observed inseveral water supplies, in groundwater as well as in surfacewater, since the 1970s. The number of affected water supplieshas also increased. The increase in chloride concentration inwaters is concurrent with the increase in deicing saltapplication and it is clear that most of the increase is due tothe application of deicing salt. The thesis presents a simple tool that quantified theincrease in chloride concentration for water in a catchmentarea, based on a steady-state water balance. The data wereefficiently processed and presented as maps with GIS. At aregional catchment area scale, substantially increased chlorideconcentrations were calculated. The variation between catchmentareas was verified by a national monitoring programme of lakes.Deicing salt application was estimated to account for more thanhalf of the total chloride load for a catchment area in the midsouth of Sweden. A distributed dynamic method was used to evaluate thetemporal and spatial variation of the chloride concentration inan aquifer. The distributed dynamic approach integrated thespreading of deicing salt from the road with the infiltrationin the unsaturated zone in the soil, which in turn wasintegrated with the groundwater flow. The simulation was runfor a 40-year period and showed a potential to describe aspecific system. <b>Keywords:</b>road, deicing salt, monitoring, chloride,catchment area, river basin, simulation, GIS, groundwater,surface water

The objective of this study is to synthesize nanomaterials by mixing molten salt (alkali nitrate salt eutectics) with inorganic nanoparticles. The thermo-physical properties of the synthesized nanomaterials were characterized experimentally. Experimental results allude to the existence of a distinct compressed phase even for the solid phase (i.e., in the nanocomposite samples). For example, the specific heat capacity of the nanocomposites was observed to be enhanced after melting and re-solidification - immediately after their synthesis; than those of the nanocomposites that were not subjected to melting and re-solidification. This shows that melting and re-solidification induced molecular reordering (i.e., formation of a compressed phase on the nanoparticle surface) even in the solid phase - leading to enhancement in the specific heat capacity. Numerical models (using analytical and computational approaches) were developed to simulate the fundamental transport mechanisms and the energy storage mechanisms responsible for the observed enhancements in the thermo-physical properties. In this study, a simple analytical model was proposed for predicting the specific heat capacity of nanoparticle suspensions in a solvent. The model explores the effect of the compressed phase – that is induced from the solvent molecules - at the interface with individual nanoparticles in the mixture. The results from the numerical simulations indicate that depending on the properties and morphology of the compressed phase – it can cause significant enhancement in the specific heat capacity of nanofluids and nanocomposites. The interfacial thermal resistance (also known as Kapitza resistance, or “Rk”) between a nanoparticle and the surrounding solvent molecules (for these molten salt based nanomaterials) is estimated using Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations. This exercise is relevant for the design optimization of nanomaterials (nanoparticle size, shape, material, concentration, etc.). The design trade-off is between maximizing the thermal conductivity of the nanomaterial (which typically occurs for nanoparticle size varying between ~ 20-30nm) and maximizing the specific heat capacity (which typically occurs for nanoparticle size less than 5nm), while simultaneously minimizing the viscosity of the nanofluid. The specific heat capacity of nitrate salt-based nanomaterials was measured both for the nanocomposites (solid phase) and nanofluids (liquid phase). The neat salt sample was composed of a mixture of KNO3: NaNO3 (60:40 molar ratio). The enhancement of specific heat capacity of the nanomaterials obtained from the salt samples was found to be very sensitive to minor variations in the synthesis protocol. The measurements for the variation of the specific heat capacity with the mass concentration of nanoparticles were compared to the predictions from the analytical model. Materials characterization was performed using electron microscopy techniques (SEM and TEM). The rheological behavior of nanofluids can be non-Newtonian (e.g., shear thinning) even at very low mass concentrations of nanoparticles, while (in contrast) the pure undoped (neat) molten salt may be a Newtonian fluid. Such viscosity enhancements and change in rheological properties of nanofluids can be detrimental to the operational efficiencies for thermal management as well as energy storage applications (which can effectively lead to higher costs for energy conversion). Hence, the rheological behavior of the nanofluid samples was measured experimentally and compared to that of the neat solvent (pure molten salt eutectic). The viscosity measurements were performed for the nitrate based molten salt samples as a function of temperature, shear rate and the mass concentration of the nanoparticles. The experimental measurements for the rheological behavior were compared with analytical models proposed in the literature. The results from the analytical and computational investigations as well as the experimental measurements performed in this proposed study – were used to formulate the design rules for maximizing the enhancement in the thermo-physical properties (particularly the specific heat capacity) of various molten salt based inorganic nanomaterials. The results from these studies are summarized and the future directions are identified as a conclusion from this study.

Most of the coastal areas around the globe depend on coastal aquifers vulnerable to salt water intrusion. The Salalah plain in southern Oman is underlain by a shallow limestone aquifer extending north up to the foot of the Jabal AlQara which reach a height of about 1000 m. A major part of the recharge to the aquifer is through fog condensation on the forest on the upper slopes of the mountain. Increasing population and water use for agriculture has caused limited salt-water intrusion. There is an urgent need for management of the aquifer to avoid further intrusion. A numerical flow model was developed for the Salalah coastal aquifer using both the MODFLOW and the MT3DMS computer codes to study the present water flow and future water turnover, the latter under different scenarios. The fog collecting forest is under threat due to the browsing of herds of camels. Recharge of treated wastewater is a management measure already in operation. Other management options considered, are restrictions on the use of water in irrigation and improvements in irrigation practices. Still another measure is reforestation of Jabal AlQara. / QC 20100817

Abstract. The levels of dioxin and comparable substances rose to a large extent in our environment during the second half of the 20'Th century. This was the result of the synthesis of, and careless usage of these substances in cooling fluids, hydraulics, pesticides etc. Background levels of dioxins and furans in sealed samples prior to this era suggest that former sources of these substances existed. Salt glazing is a method of adding a smooth acid resistant exterior to stoneware ceramics. The technique has been in use since the 16'Th century, maybe even earlier than that. Some sources date the origin of the technique to the 13'Th century. Salt glazed ceramics were the prime type of industrial vessels and it was extensively used for food preservation in households from the 17'Th century to the early/mid 20'Th century. The method was/is primarily used by Germany, Great Britain, America and Sweden. Salt glazing is a source of graphite structures from soot, and of chlorine gas. Hence, the formation of organochlorides should be able to occur. The reports main objective is to highlight the question; “Could the salt glazing industry be one of the sources to early dioxin emissions?” Secondary objectives are to present an introduction to dioxin and comparable substances, methods of analysis and symptoms of exposure. The salt glazing industry is much likely one of the anthropogenic sources of early PCDD/F emissions. Though emission levels seem to be quite low, due to the persistence of PCDD/F noticeable levels could have accumulated. When the Leblanc soda process (a known source of PCDD/F) was introduced in 1791, the salt glazing process had already been used for nearly three hundred years.