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In recent years, research on the application of microdroplets in the fields of biotechnology and chemistry has made remarkable progress, but the technology for the stable generation of single-micrometer-scale microdroplets has not yet been established. In this paper, we developed an efficient and stable single-micrometer-scale droplet generation device based on the fragmentation of droplet tails, called “tail thread mode”, that appears under moderate flow conditions. This method can efficiently encapsulate microbeads that mimic cells and chemical products in passively generated single-micrometer-scale microdroplets. The device has a simple 2D structure, a T-junction is used for droplet generation, and in the downstream, multi-branch channels are designed for droplet deformation into the tail. Several 1–2 µm droplets were successfully produced by the tail’s fragmentation, this continuous splitting was induced by the branch channels. We examined a wide range of experimental conditions and found the optimal flow rate condition can be reduced to one-tenth compared to the conventional tip-streaming method. A mold was fabricated by simple soft lithography, and a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) device was fabricated using the mold. Based on the 15 patterns of experimental conditions and the results, the key factors for the generation of microdroplets in this device were examined. In the most efficient condition, 61.1% of the total droplets generated were smaller than 2 μm.

In order to evaluate residual the stress distribution in oxides formed on zirconium alloys, synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) was performed on the oxides formed on Zircaloy-2 after autoclave treatment at a temperature of 360° C in pure water. The use of a micro-beam XRD and a micro-sized cross-sectional sample achieved the detailed local characterization of the oxides. The oxide microstructure was observed by TEM following the micro-beam XRD measurements. The residual compressive stress increased in the vicinity of the oxide/metal interface of the pre-transition oxide. Highly oriented columnar grains of a monoclinic phase were observed in that region. Furthermore, at the interface of the post-first transition oxide, there was only a small increase in the residual compressive stress and the columnar grains had a more random orientation. The volume fraction of the tetragonal phase increased with the residual compressive stress. The results are discussed in terms of the formation and transition of the protective oxide.

Stratification behavior is of great significance in the late in-vessel stage of core melt severe accident of a nuclear reactor. Conventional numerical methods have difficulties in analyzing stratification process accompanying with free surface without depending on empirical correlations. The Moving Particle Semi-implicit (MPS) method, which calculates free surface and multiphase flow without empirical equations, is applicable for analyzing the stratification behavior of fluids. In the present study, the original MPS method was improved to simulate the stratification behavior of two immiscible fluids. The improved MPS method was validated through simulating classical dam break problem. Then, the stratification processes of two fluid columns and injected fluid were investigated through experiments and simulations, using silicone oil and salt water as the simulant materials. The effects of fluid viscosity and density difference on stratification behavior were also sensitively investigated by simulations. Typical fluid configurations at various parametric and geometrical conditions were observed and well predicted by improved MPS method.

Cladding materials with superior corrosion resistance and anti-hydrogen pickup have been developed for high burnup nuclear fuel. We have suggested a surface modification of the cladding materials for this purpose and invented a new surface modification method “Fresh-Green”. The Fresh-Green treatment oxidizes and carbonizes a material surface in the same process. Zircaloy-2 with the Fresh-Green treatment showed the improvement of corrosion resistance in autoclave tests. In order to investigate the effect of surface modifications on the corrosion resistance, a synchrotron radiation experiment and a TEM observation were performed on different oxide layers formed on Zircaloy-2. The oxide layers were formed by air-oxidation, an autoclave test and the Fresh-Green treatment. Crystal structures of all the samples were transformed as Zr > Zr3O > tetragonal ZrO2 > monoclinic ZrO2 from the matrix to the surface. Columnar grains of monoclinic zirconia were arranged unidirectionally in the Fresh-Green oxide layer treated at a low temperature. Diffusing capacity for oxygen influenced the crystal structure of the oxide layers.

When a metal oxide is irradiated by gamma rays, the irradiated surface becomes hydrophilic. This surface phenomenon is called as radiation-induced surface activation (RISA) hydrophilicity. In order to investigate gamma ray-induced and photoinduced hydrophilicity, the contact angles of water droplets on a titanium dioxide surface were measured in terms of irradiation intensity and time for gamma rays of cobalt-60 and for ultraviolet rays. Reciprocals of the contact angles increased in proportion to the irradiation time before the contact angles reached its super-hydrophilic state. The irradiation time dependency is equal to each other qualitatively. In addition, an effect of ambient gas was investigated. In pure argon gas, the contact angle remains the same against the irradiation time. This clearly indicates that certain humidity is required in ambient gas to take place of RISA hydrophilicity. A single crystal titanium dioxide (100) surface was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS). After irradiation with gamma rays, a peak was found in the O1s spectrum, which indicates the adsorption of dissociative water to a surface 5-fold coordinate titanium site, and the formation of a surface hydroxyl group. We conclude that the RISA hydrophilicity is caused by chemisorption of the hydroxyl group on the surface.

This study examines a corrosion control technique for corrosion-resistant materials or of stainless steel. This employs an effect of Radiation Induced Surface Activation (RISA) . The experimental results revealed: (1) The mechanism behind the corrosion control proposed by the previous report was confirmed to be appropriate. This via tests that measured the amount of dissolved oxygen and iron ions, in the solution. (2) The corrosion control technique was confirmed to be useful for stainless steel with any kind of metal oxide film coating on the surface. (3) It was also shown to be useful even in actual seawater, due to biological effects, which is a far more severe environment for corrosion control than simple salt water. The corrosion control technique for corrosion-resistant material using RISA in seawater has therefore been shown to offer a significant potential for practical applications in naval architecture and marine structures.

Improving the limit of boiling heat transfer or critical heat flux requires that the cooling liquid can contact the heating surface, or a high wettability, highly hydrophilic heating surface, even if a vapor bubble layer is generated on the surface. In our previous study, contact angle, an indicator of macroscopic wettability, of a water droplet on metal oxide at room temperature was measured by image processing of the images obtained by a CCD video camera. The results showed that the surface wettability on metal oxide pieces of titanium, zircaloy No. 4, SUS-304, and copper was improved significantly by the radiation induced surface activation (RISA) phenomenon. To delineate the effect of RISA on heat transferring phenomena, the Leidenfrost condition and quenching of metal oxides irradiated by γ-rays were investigated in this study. In the Leidenfrost experiment, when the temperature of the heating surface reached the wetting limit temperature, water–solid contact vanished because a stable vapor film existed between the droplet and the metal surface; i.e., a Leidenfrost condition obtained. The wetting limit temperature increased with integrated irradiation dose. After irradiation, the wet length and the duration of contact increased, and the contact angle decreased. In the quenching test, high surface wettability, or a highly hydrophilic condition, of a simulated fuel rod made of SUS was achieved, and the quenching velocities were increased up to 20–30% after 300 kGy 60 Co γ-ray irradiation.

The successive stages of vapor explosion were video-framed with an exposure time of 500 ns. In order to attain good repeatability and visibility, a smooth round water droplet was impinged onto a molten alloy surface. This configuration suppresses pre-mixing process prior to triggering of vapor explosion. The cluster of bubble generated by spontaneous bubble-nucleation covered the whole contact area at 0.1 ms after the impingement. Prominent fine mixing between two liquids were found to start at 0.6 ms that resulting in vapor explosion. Droplet entrapping phenomenon frequently occurred on an oxide layer, since coherent mixing was prevented due to unevenly formed oxide layer.Copyright © 2010 by ASME

This study examines a corrosion control technique for corrosion-resistant materials or of stainless steel in piping for nuclear reactors. This employs an effect of Radiation Induced Surface Activation (RISA). The experimental results revealed: (1) The mechanism behind the corrosion control proposed by the previous report was confirmed to be appropriate. This via tests that measured the amount of dissolved oxygen and iron ions, in the solution. (2) The corrosion control technique was confirmed to be useful for stainless steel with any kind of metal oxide film coating on the surface. (3) It was also shown to be useful even in actual seawater, due to biological effects, which is a far more severe environment for corrosion control than simple salt water. The corrosion control technique for corrosion-resistant material using RISA in seawater has therefore been shown to offer a significant potential for practical applications in naval architecture and marine structures.Copyright © 2010 by ASME

Serum antibodies reactive with streptococcal cell wall peptidoglycan (PG) and its peptide subunit (synthetic tetra-D-alanine) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), osteoarthritis and acute rheumatic fever (RF) compared with healthy subjects. Using 'checkerboard' titrations, anti-PG antibody in human serum was detected at a concentration of PG antigen at 10 micrograms per well with serum dilutions of 1:1,000. For measurement of anti-tetra-D-alanine antibody, the antigen, (D-Ala4)31 was used at 0.5 micrograms per well and sera were diluted to 1:200. When the IgG antibody levels to the PG and the tetra-D-alanine of the sera of patients with RA, JRA and RF were compared with sera from healthy subjects, the sera of the patients had significantly higher levels than did healthy subjects. Antibody that reacted with the PG in serum was absorbed with purified group-specific C-carbohydrate (A-CHO), but A-CHO was not capable of absorbing anti-(D-Ala4)31 antibodies. Therefore, the peptide subunit should be used as antigen in order to measure the specific antibody to PG. Both anti-PG and anti-tetra-D-alanine antibody in human sera primarily belonged to the IgG2 subclass.

When a metal oxide is irradiated by gamma rays, the irradiated surface becomes hydrophilic. This surface phenomenon is called as radiation induced surface activation (RISA). In order to investigate radiation-induced and photo-induced hydrophilicity, the contact angles of water droplets on a titanium dioxide surface were measured in terms of irradiation intensity and time for gamma rays of cobalt-60 and for ultraviolet rays. Reciprocals of the contact angles increased in proportion to irradiation time before the contact angles reached their super-hydrophilicity state. The reciprocals of contact angles correlate well with integrated intensity by a straight line, regardless of the irradiation intensity and time. Radiation-induced and photo-induced hydrophilicity phenomena are identical to each other in this regard. In addition, an effect of ambient gas was investigated. In pure argon gas, the contact angle remains the same against the irradiation time. This clearly shows that a certain humidity in ambient gas is required to take the place of RISA hydrophilicity. A single crystal titanium dioxide (100) surface was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS). After irradiation with gamma rays, a peak was found in the O 1s spectrum, indicating the adsorption of dissociative water to a surface 5-fold coordinate titanium site, and the formation of a surface hydroxyl group. We conclude that the RISA hydrophilicity is caused by chemisorption of the hydroxyl group on the surface.Copyright © 2008 by ASME

Small-scale experiments have been conducted to investigate the triggering mechanism of vapor explosions. In order to attain good repeatability and visibility, a smooth round water droplet was impinged onto a molten alloy surface. This configuration suppresses premixing events prior to triggering. The effect of the water droplet curvature was found to be negligibly small when the droplet diameter is larger than 4.5 mm. Vapor explosion conditions were identical for the molten tin pool depths ranging from 0.5 to 40 mm. The experimental results and the heat conduction analysis suggest that the length scale required for atomizing and fine mixing in the triggering event of the vapor explosion are sufficiently smaller than the molten tin pool depth of 0.5 mm. Six different kinds of materials were used as the pool liquid. The lower limit of the contact temperature in the vapor explosion region closely agrees with the spontaneous nucleation temperature of water. The upper limit of the initial molten alloy temperature decreases when an oxide layer forms on the surface causing an increase of the emissivity of thermal radiation that has a stabilizing effect on the vapor film. When an oxide layer formed on the surface, a water droplet was occasionally entrapped into a molten alloy dome, since the oxide layer prevents the droplet from evaporating coherently. The vapor explosion region obtained for the mirror surface is a conservative estimate, since that for the oxide surface fell into the internal region of mirror surface.Copyright © 2007 by ASME