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6 figures, 6 tables., Amine solvents are one of the main options for post-combustion CO2 capture applications. The main drawback of the carbon capture processes is the required energy to regenerate the solvent once it has reacted with the CO2. When applied to a power plant, the energy requirement has an important impact on the net efficiency of the overall system. Several solvents, i.e., monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA), methyl diethanolamine (MDEA), and many others have been proposed to overcome this drawback. Regeneration temperature and heat duty reduction are considered to be the significant objectives. Moreover, enhancement of the amine’s concentration and its working capacity without the impact on the other variables are important. In this work, different types of amines with a wide range of heat duty and regeneration temperatures under the same set of assumptions are calculated and compared. The effect of both variables on the energy penalty caused by carbon capture is measured. A review of amines and their effects on the net efficiency of the overall system (power plant, chemical absorption, CO2 compression) are conducted and analyzed. As expected, the impact of heat duty is greater than the modification of regeneration temperature. The effect of reducing 1 GJ/ton CO2 in the heat duty is similar to the effect of reducing the regeneration temperature from 40 °C to 25 °C., The work described in this paper is supported by the Government of Aragon and cofinanced by FEDER 2014-2020 “Construyendo Europa desde Aragón” (Research Group DGA T46_17R).

9 figures, 2 tables.-- © 2020. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/, Steam-moderated combustion has been proposed to supress flue gas recycling in oxy-fired units, but the influence of replacing CO2 by H2O has to be deeply studied. In this paper, oxy-fuel combustion of anthracite with large steam addition has been experimentally characterized, and main results are discussed as concerns the influence upon the ignition temperature, the burnout and the NOx formation. The tests have been carried out in an electrically-heated entrained flow reactor for a set of O2/CO2 and O2/H2O/CO2 atmospheres, with steam addition up to 40% vol. The results show that ignition temperature diminishes when steam is added in low rates (maximum decrease of 16 °C), but the trend is reversed for the higher steam concentrations (maximum increase of 18 °C). The effect of steam addition on coal burnout rates is more significant for the 21% vol. O2 atmosphere, with a decrease of 2.2–5.3 percentage points, and almost negligible for the 35% vol. O2. An outstanding reduction of NO specific emissions is detected when adding H2O, with decrements ranging 28–45% compared to the dry conditions. The transition from O2/CO2 combustion to O2/H2O combustion barely affects the anthracite conversion but significantly diminishes NOx formation rates., The work described in this paper has been funded by the R + D Spanish National Program from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, under the Project ENE2015-67448-C2-2-R and the Grant BES-2016-078573. The Service of Electronic Instrumentation (University of Zaragoza) is also acknowledged for their support in the development of the SCADA at the experimental facility.

Resumen Introduccion El incumplimiento del tratamiento antibiotico tiene graves consecuencias. Por otro lado, los antibioticos son farmacos muy prescritos y existen pocos estudios que evaluen el cumplimiento terapeutico en enfermedades agudas. El objetivo principal de este estudio consiste en establecer el porcentaje de incumplimiento del tratamiento antibiotico sistemico prescrito en Urgencias de Atencion Primaria. Material y metodos Estudio observacional prospectivo, realizado en Urgencias de 2 centros de salud del Servicio Cantabro de Salud entre junio y septiembre de 2014. Evaluo a 303 pacientes a los que se les prescribe un antibiotico sistemico por cualquier enfermedad infecciosa, de cualquier edad y a los que se les puede hacer un seguimiento. Se estudiaron variables sociodemograficas, dolencias y cumplimiento (test de Morisky-Green y 3 preguntas anadidas por los autores). Resultados El incumplimiento, valorado por el test de Morisky-Green, fue del 32,7% (IC 95% 27,6-38,1), aumentando esta prevalencia al 44,9% (IC 95% 39,4-50,5) al asociar al test de Morisky-Green 3 preguntas anadidas por los autores. Se aprecia una tendencia descendente en el incumplimiento conforme mayor es la edad. El riesgo de ser incumplidor es el doble en varones que en mujeres: OR = 2,02 (IC 95% 1,27-3,24). Conclusiones El 45% de los pacientes a los que se les prescribe un antibiotico no cumplen con las indicaciones. El olvido es la causa que dan en su mayoria para no cumplir correctamente el tratamiento prescrito. Los ancianos y las mujeres cumplen mejor, lo que deberia tenerse en cuenta a la hora de disenar estrategias de mejora en el cumplimiento terapeutico.

12 Figures, 2 Tables.-- © 2019. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/, Some new proposals are being considered aiming at improving the efficiency and operability of oxy-combustion power plants, such as the so-called oxy-steam combustion. This process consists in replacing the carbon dioxide by steam in the firing atmosphere. One of the main uncertainties for the feasibility of the oxy-steam technology is the materials resistance to steam corrosion at high temperature, mainly due to chromium vaporization. The novel approach to the issue presented in this work is the generation of realistic flue gas velocity (20 m·s−1) in flames produced with a thermal spray gun using H2 as fuel. Gas composition was selected to match expected final H2O content after combustion: 40 and 60% H2O in CO2 with excess of O2. A set of metallic steels and alloys (SS304, SS310, I800HT, Kanthal and IN617) was preoxidised in air to generate external oxide scales. After preoxidation, the samples were treated under steam flames at 700 °C, placed in a position either parallel or perpendicular to the flame axis. Surface oxides composition was compared to that obtained in a quasi-static furnace, where metallic samples were exposed to steam atmosphere at 700 °C for 20 h (50% steam, 45% CO2 and 5% O2). The characterisation of the surfaces was performed using low-angle XRD and SEM-EDX for a precise measuring of the variation of oxide amount and chromium content. The analyses showed that mixed Cr-Mn and Cr-Fe external oxides formed during the preoxidation stage suffered the depletion of the surface chromium when they were exposed parallel to the steam flame axis, as a simulation of the lateral flue gas pass in the heat-exchanger tubing. Cr depletion was also observed in the windside of tubes (perpendicular to flame axis) but in minor extent. The reduction in the Cr amount of the samples when tested in the vapour furnace was negligible compared to the Cr loss found after treatment under high velocity flames. The presence of external (Mn,Cr)3O4 in preoxidised SS310 and SS304 did not provide an effective protection against Cr volatilization in the steam flame treatment, whereas surface alumina in Kanthal seemed to prevent Cr volatilization., This work was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness under contract ENE2015-67448-C2-2-R.

Resumen Objetivo Conocer los resultados de la implantacion de un protocolo de actuacion en una unidad de cuidados intensivos (UCI), sobre pacientes criticos que precisan una via aerea artificial prolongada. Diseno Estudio de cohorte prospectivo y observacional. Intervencion Se establecieron estrategias de manejo sobre la via aerea, mediante intubacion endotraqueal (IET) o traqueotomia y se elaboraron pautas de actuacion sobre el proceso de decanulacion. Ambito Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos polivalente. Pacientes Se estudiaron 169 pacientes sometidos a ventilacion mecanica (VM); 67 con IET ≥ 10 dias de VM y 102 con traqueotomia percutanea (TP) o quirurgica (TQ). Variables de interes Estancias UCI y hospitalaria, dias de IET y VM, mortalidad, traqueotomia, factores de riesgo anatomicos, complicaciones quirurgicas, postquirurgicas y periodo de decanulacion. Resultados La IET presento menos dias de VM (17 vs. 30 dias, p Conclusiones Las variantes de actuacion del protocolo no presentaron diferencias en cuanto a complicaciones y mortalidad, orientando a su utilidad en el manejo de pacientes de caracteristicas similares.

Ionic liquids (ILs) present a new alternative for postcombustion CO2 capture because their properties can be tuned by means of different cation−anion combinations in order to obtain the most suitable properties for a specific task. This work is a novel study that investigates the absorption kinetics and evolution of the chemical transformations produced by CO2 absorption in ILs at different temperatures. A large range of pure ILs was tested with a screening process based on the pKa anion for efficient and reversible CO2 capture. CO2 uptake by selected ILs was determined for a wide range of pressures between atmospheric pressure and 2000 kPa at room temperature. Results show that CO2 absorption capacities of [bmim][Ac] and [bmim][Phen] at 100 kPa are close to those obtained at higher pressures, suggesting the existence of two solvation regimes. This was confirmed by IR analysis. The kinetics were significantly affected by the temperature and were shown to increase sharply with it. The optimum temperature for CO2 capture in [bmim][Ac] and [bmim][Phen] was found to be 323.15 and 348.15 K, respectively., M.P. Gimeno acknowledges the support of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) through their JAE-Doc program.

Mineral carbonation is one of the alternatives considered for CO2 sequestration. This consists of inducing the artificial weathering of alkaline minerals to produce stable carbonate solids. This work presents the wet carbonation of lime-rich ashes from the fluidized bed combustion of two different fuels: a Spanish sulfur-rich lignite, with calcium carbonate and quartz as main mineral constituents, and the waste produced during the extraction of the coal. The novelty of the work is its experimental approach, which explores all the variables (pH, temperature, time, liquid to solid ratio, NaCl ratio) from a statistical survey centered on finding optimized conditions that maximize the degree of carbonation. CO2 uptake is determined by direct thermogravimetric tests. The results indicate that high carbonation efficiency (78% efficiency) is achieved for both solids at basic pH and moderate treatment times. Those conditions cause anhydrite to dissolve, increasing the availability of Ca2+ for reprecipitation as carbonate and hydroxide. At neutral pH, 72% conversion efficiency is equivalent to a capture of 8% of the CO2 theoretically emitted in the combustion of coal wastes. The proposed conditions for fly ash carbonation enables rapid CO2 capture that is applicable for upscaling and industrial use., The authors would like to express their gratitude to the Government of Aragon and La Caixa for their financial support of the work through the project DGA-LC-025/2010, and to Carboníferas del Ebro for supplying the fuels used in this work. M.P. Gimeno acknowledges support from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) through their JAE-Doc program.

This work explores potassium pyrosulphate (K2S2O7) reactivity with iron, chromium and nickel oxides as simulation of the corrosion risk caused by alkaline deposits in the oxy-fuel co-firing of coal with high KCl biomass. TGA studies confirm the formation of metallic trisulphates (K3Fe(SO4)3, K3Cr(SO4)3 and K2Ni2(SO4)3) at 500 C and 560 C. Selected steels and alloys (P91, 409, 304, 347, 310, I800HT and I617) were pre-oxidised in 5% O2/CO2 for 200 h and the oxidation scales were treated with K2S2O7 to study the mechanism of oxide dissolution by Fe, Cr and Ni trisulphates, and inner sulphidation., Authors acknowledge the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivity and FEDER for the financial support under contract ENE2012-39114-C02-02.

8 Figures, 4 Tables.-- Work presented at the 8th European Conference on Coal Research and Its Applications, Leeds (UK) from 6-8th September 2010., Oxyfuel combustion is envisaged as one of the main options for power production from fossil fuels in a carbon constrained scenery. There are still certain aspects of oxycombustion still on research stage, one of those is the issue of boiler materials resistance to corrosion due to solid deposits formed as a consequence of slagging in CO2 rich flue gases. The novel approach to the issue is the simulation of realistic slagging by pyrite projection through an oxyacetylene spray gun, flying along a controlled flame and impacting onto metallic surfaces of selected composition for fireside waterwall construction (F22, P91, 409, 347, 304H and I800HT). Metallic surface temperature was kept at 400, 500, 600 and 700ºC, and after deposition, metallic coupons were aged for long periods (150 and 1500 hours) at the selected conditions (O2/N2, CO2/N2). The characterization of deposits was performed with XRD, SEMEDX and carburization tests. The first finding is that the oxidation scale progression is different when partially transformed pyrite covers metallic surfaces: chromium oxide grows as a response to oxidation between the steel and the deposit, less dense and partially interrupted, and no iron oxide scale is generated. There is a clear presence of chromium sulphides in competence with the chromium oxide. On the other hand, comparison of scales in CO2 vs. air indicates same chemical composition but different morphology: in air combustion, corrosion layers are thicker and cracked. These results can improve the prediction of operational problems in coal oxyfuel combustion.

Objetivos: Analizar las características cronobiológicas y las variaciones temporales del paro cardiaco extrahospitalario (PCEH). Diseño: Estudio descriptivo retrospectivo. Pacientes: Todos los casos de PCEH de origen cardíaco registrados en la base de datos del servicio de emergencias médicas (SEM) de la Comunidad Autónoma de Castilla y León (España) durante 18 meses. Variables de interés principales: Edad, sexo, recuperación de la circulación espontánea, primer ritmo monitorizado (desfibrilable /no desfibrilable), lugar de alerta [(hogar, lugar público, centro atención primaria (AP)], testigo (familiar, transeúnte, fuerzas de seguridad, personal AP), hora de alerta (0-8; 8-16; 16-24), hora de activación del equipo de emergencias, hora de atención y día de la semana. Análisis univariante mediante Chi², varianza y tests no paramétricos. Análisis cronobiológico mediante transformada rápida de Fourier y test Cosinor. Resultados: Se estudiaron 1.286 casos registrados entre enero 2007 y junio 2008. Se observaron diferencias estadísticas significativas en menor edad (p

We investigated the effect of catalyst design on the synthesis of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). A set of highly active supported sol–gel Co–Mo/MgO and Ni–Mo/MgO catalysts was prepared systematically modifying the calcination temperature. First, the evolution of catalysts’ crystallographic phases and their morphology were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron (SEM) and transmission electron (TEM) microscopy. Second, the catalysts were used for the CVD growth of MWCNTs. The resulting materials were analysed by SEM and TEM, Raman and XRD to establish a relation between catalyst design and MWCNT yield. We show that our catalyst synthesis route leads to the formation of laminar non-porous catalyst systems, which at a calcination temperature of 800 °C stabilize in a crystallographic phase of MexMg1−xMoO4 (Me = Co or Ni). We give evidence that increased MWCNT yields of more than 3000 wt.% with respect to the catalysts are directly related to the aforementioned crystallographic phase. Finally, we propose a growth model based on the continuous exfoliation of platelet-like catalyst systems. This consistently explains the high catalytic activity towards MWCNT production using a non-porous catalyst. Our findings provide important insights for catalyst design strategies towards large-scale MWCNT production.

This work presents the characteristics of Bi-2212 coatings on silver substrates obtained by thermo-spraying. The system allows moving the substrate to obtain coatings over surfaces several centimeters long. The thickness of the superconducting layer can be controlled modifying the thermo-spraying parameters and the substrate speed. The phase distribution and evolution during annealing has been monitored. An important amount of Bi-2212 phase is on the sample after the thermo-spraying process and this phase can be aligned by subsequent laser zone melting. The influence of the different treatments applied on the phase composition, microstructure and superconducting properties is shown. © 2010 IEEE., This work was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia under Projects MAT2008-05983-C03-01 and -02, and by Gobierno de Aragón (Applied Superconductivity and Advanced Chemical Processes research groups).

Purpose To assess the relationship between fractures of the upper limb and the time dimension. Materials and methods A study was conducted of 16,736 patients admitted to Castile-Leon hospitals with a fracture of their upper limb between 1999 and 2004. The following analyses were performed to investigate the existence of rhythm: an univariate analysis performed together with a logistic regression, a rhythmometric study with spectral analysis (Fourier transform) and cosinor method. Results Patients’ mean age was 45.1 ± 25.7 years, with 57.9% of males. The fracture was sustained in an urban milieu in 62.8% of cases and as a result of a road accident in 21.7%. Surgery was performed in 63.1% of cases, with a mortality rate of 1.6%. Mean hospitalization time was 7.21 days. Logistic regression showed a lower risk for older females, in the urban setting. Spectral analysis: dominant period of 365 days. Cosinor analysis: significant rhythm (acrophase: 13/8 and batiphase: 31/12). All subgroups except for deceased patients and those over 84 years showed rhythm (acrophases: 19/7 to 8/9). Conclusions This group of fractures, as well as the majority of subgroups, shows rhythm with acrophases in the summer. Traffic and non-traffic have similar rhythms. The data from the chronobiological study can be applied to clinical practice by planning resources with time-based criteria.

This work shows the feasibility of using non-intrusive optical techniques to determine surface changes associated with corrosion processes even when they are very small and to obtain complementary information to the conventional electrochemical measurements. These techniques have been applied to the study of iron samples in H2SO4 corrosive solutions with different concentrations. Corrosion rate values have been estimated from the polarisation and Tafel curves obtained by linear sweep voltammetry. These measurements have been correlated with the surface changes determined from Digital Speckle Photography. This technique also provides a local 2D information about the evolution of the corrosion process at each surface position., This research was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (MAT 2005-06279-C03-01, -02 and -03) and by the Gobierno de Aragón (G.I.C., Laser Optical Technology and Applied Superconductivity groups). One of the authors M.T. Bona (CSIC-I3P) wishes to thank the FSE for financial support.

The incidence of V2O5 corrosion on yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thermal barrier coatings has been studied as a function of application methods and powder initial granulometry. Commercial fused-and-crushed 8 wt.% yttria-stabilized zirconia was sprayed by Atmospheric Plasma Spraying (APS) and High Frequency Pulse Detonation. Hollow Spherical Powder (HOSP™) with the same composition was sprayed by APS. The coatings where covered with V2O5 powder and treated at 1000 °C for different times. The extent of corrosion was followed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and Raman micro-spectrometry. A relationship between coating porosity and corrosion resistance is explored: the HOSP coating presented deeper penetration of corrosion than the other coatings. The authors present the extended capabilities of Raman semi-quantitative phase analysis to describe the depth and density of yttria leaching by vanadia leading to YSZ destabilization., The authorswant to express their gratitude to the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science for the financial support of the work, project MAT2004-02921, and to the Diputación General de Aragón, for the project PM0252004.

An extensive study was carried out in coal samples coming from several origins trying to establish a relationship between nine coal properties (moisture (%), ash (%), volatile matter (%), fixed carbon (%), heating value (kcal/kg), carbon (%), hydrogen (%), nitrogen (%) and sulphur (%)) and the corresponding near-infrared spectral data. This research was developed by applying both quantitative (partial least squares regression, PLS) and qualitative multivariate analysis techniques (hierarchical cluster analysis, HCA; linear discriminant analysis, LDA), to determine a methodology able to estimate property values for a new coal sample. For that, it was necessary to define homogeneous clusters, whose calibration equations could be obtained with accuracy and precision levels comparable to those provided by commercial online analysers and, study the discrimination level between these groups of samples attending only to the instrumental variables. These two steps were performed in three different situations depending on the variables used for the pattern recognition: property values, spectral data (principal component analysis, PCA) or a combination of both. The results indicated that it was the last situation what offered the best results in both two steps previously described, with the added benefit of outlier detection and removal., The authors are grateful to the European Coal and Steel Community for funding this research within the framework of Project 7220-PR/118.

A metallic coating on the surface of bulk high temperature superconductors (HTS) is a promising alternative in order to increase the HTS stability for large scale applications. The coating provides an evacuation path for the heat generated by hot spots within the HTS, which improves their thermal stability. This is even more evident in thick films geometries, which are frequently used in fault current limiters. In this paper, silver-gold alloys have been deposited on 1.8 mm in diameter Bi-2212 textured bars using an electrodeposition technique in non-aqueous solvents. The deposition parameters have been adjusted to obtain a coating of different alloys with gold contents in the range 0-5 at % and with a thickness up to 45 mum. Electrical and thermal measurements have been performed. The results show the possibility of controlling the thermal and electrical conductivities of the composite material by adjusting the layer thickness and composition of the metallic coating.

© 2006. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/, The aim of this work is to evaluate the characteristics of an activated carbon obtained from unburnt carbon in coal fly ashes to be used in the removal of NO. Carbon-rich fraction was obtained by mechanical sieving of fly ashes. The mineral matter was removed by conventional HCl and HF demineralization procedure. Activation was carried out with steam at 900 °C in order to develop porosity onto the sample. Characterization of samples was performed by several techniques with a main objective: to follow the mineral matter content, composition and distribution on the samples in order to better understand how to remove it from unburnt carbon in fly ashes. To study the use of this unburnt carbon as a precursor for the preparation of activated carbons for gas cleaning, the NO removal by ammonia using activated carbon as a catalyst at low temperature was performed. Results show a good performance of activated carbon in this reaction that is in relationship with BET surface area., The authors wish to thank the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science for financial support (REN2003-00770).

Resumen: Objetivo: Analizar las tendencias de los nacimientos en España y sus comunidades autónomas (CC. AA.) en 70 años (1941-2010). Métodos: Se calcularon las tasas brutas de natalidad por cada 1.000 personas/año por CC. AA. utilizando modelos de regresión de Joinpoint. Se identificaron los puntos de cambio en la tendencia así como sus porcentajes anuales de cambio (PAC). Resultados: La distribución de los 38.160.305 nacimientos ocurridos en los 70 años transcurridos entre 1941 y 2010 representa cambios evolutivos de gran importancia, tanto a nivel nacional como entre las distintas comunidades. Existe un patrón general para el total nacional, en el que se identifican 5 puntos de inflexión, con cambios en la tendencia y en el PAC. Se identifican diferencias entre las CC. AA. Conclusión: El análisis de las tendencias de la natalidad y los porcentajes anuales de cambio deberían permitir a las autoridades sanitarias planificar adecuadamente los recursos asistenciales pediátricos en nuestro país. Abstract: Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyse trends of births in Spain and its Autonomous Communities (CCAA) over a 70 year period (1941-2010). Methods: The crude birth rates per 1,000 inhabitants/year were calculated by CCAA using Joinpoint regression models. Change points in trend and annual percentage of change (APC) were identified. Results: The distribution of 38,160,305 births between 1941 and 2010 shows important changes in trends both nationally and among the CCAA. There is a general pattern for the whole country, with 5 turning points being identified with changes in trend and annual percentage change (APC). Differences are also found among regions. Conclusion: The analysis of trends in birth rates and the annual rates of change should enable public health authorities to properly plan pediatric care resources in our country.

Objetivo Estudiar la presencia y caracteristicas del ritmo circadiano en la hora de inicio de los sintomas del infarto de miocardio (IAM) en un grupo de poblacion geriatrica espanola. Ambito Unidades Coronarias adscritas al proyecto ARIAM. Diseno Estudio de cohorte retrospectivo. Pacientes registrados en el proyecto multicentrico ARIAM. Se seleccionaron los pacientes con diagnostico de IAM al alta de la Unidad Coronaria (54.249 pacientes), registrados entre mayo de 1994 y octubre de 2003. Intervencion Ninguna. Variables de interes principales Se analiza la hora de inicio del IAM, caracteristicas generales de la poblacion y del IAM (sexo, edad, extension y localizacion del IAM y mortalidad dentro de la Unidad Coronaria). Se estratifica la poblacion por edad (menores de 65 anos, 65-74 anos, 75-84 anos y mayores de 85 anos) y se comparan entre si los subgrupos resultantes. Se aplica la prueba del χ 2 sobre el porcentaje de pacientes agrupados en periodos de 6 horas. Resultados La hora de inicio del dolor en el IAM muestra ritmo circadiano en todos los subgrupos de edad (p Conclusiones El IAM en la poblacion geriatrica, al igual que en la no geriatrica, muestra ritmo circadiano en la hora de presentacion de sus sintomas. El pico de maxima incidencia matinal se acentua con la edad. La incidencia minima es nocturna, salvo en los muy ancianos, que es vespertina.

Diffuse reflectance infrared fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) in the near-infrared (NIR) range is a technique able to determine moisture, ash, volatile matter, fixed carbon, heating value and percentage of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and sulfur in coal samples. In this paper, spectra from 142 coal samples of different origins were acquired in absorbance, reflectance and Kubelka–Munk units. Physical effects due to particle size were minimized after applying different pre-treatments to each spectra. The resultant spectra were correlated to the above mentioned coal properties using partial least squares regression (PLS). Moreover, a principal component analysis (PCA) of the full set of samples suggested the use of more homogeneous sample sets. The results obtained for a homogeneous set improved the prediction ability of the procedure., The authors are grateful to the European Coal and Steel Community for funding this research within the framework of Project 7220-PR/118.

Contacts on high temperature superconductors have been fabricated using an electrodeposition process in non-aqueous media. This technique allows obtaining specific resistance values lower than 10?9???cm2 in a reproducible way. We have studied the differences in the silver grain morphology and metallic coating homogeneity depending on different electrodeposition parameters, such as deposition current density or different shaking techniques. The best results are obtained if the deposition process takes place in as-grown samples, before performing the required annealing to the superconducting material. The comparison between the predictions of the metallic layer thickness and the measured values indicates that the process is highly efficient and that the silver coating has a high density.

Objetivo: Estudiar la prevalencia de la detección de material ecogénico biliar fetal, y analizar su significado patológico, factores perinatales relacionados y evolución posnatal de los casos detectados Pacientes y métodos: Se realizó un estudio prospectivo ecográfico en 9.235 fetos durante el tercer trimestre de gestación. Se recogieron diversos datos perinatales en los casos detectados, y se realizó ecografía posnatal Resultados: Se encontró material ecogénico biliar fetal en el 0,45% de todas las gestaciones, con 42 fetos identificados. Una imagen ecogénica única se detectó en 4 casos (9 %); dos o más imágenes ecogénicas se encontraron en 7 pacientes (17 %) y se halló barro biliar en 31 casos (74 %). Todos los diagnósticos se realizaron entre las semanas 29 y 38 de gestación. No se mostró relación con los factores maternos o la patología perinatal. Se sometieron a seguimiento posnatal 39 recién nacidos. En cinco de ellos (13 %) se encontró barro biliar, aunque todos se mostraban asintomáticos. Este hallazgo desapareció en controles Conclusiones: Uno de cada 200 fetos muestra material ecogénico biliar fetal. No parece haber relación con enfermedades perinatales. El pronóstico de esta entidad es favorable. Palabras clave: Barro biliar fetal. Colelitiasis fetal. Material ecogénico biliar fetal. Vesícula biliar fetal. Ultrasonografía prenatal : Objective: To study the prevalence of echogenic material in fetal gallbladder and to analyze its pathological relevance, the perinatal factors involved and the postnatal outcome of detected cases Patients and methods: We performed a prospective study of ultrasonographic examination of 9235 fetuses in the third trimester of gestation. Perinatal data were collected. Postnatal ultrasonography was performed in identified cases Results: Fetal biliary echogenic material was found in 0.45 % of all pregnancies, with 42 identified fetuses. A single echogenic image was found in four fetuses (9 %), two or more echogenic images were found in seven fetuses (17 %) and biliary sludge was found in 31 fetuses (74 %). All diagnoses were made between weeks 29 and 38 of gestation. No link was found with maternal factors or perinatal abnormalities. Postnatal follow-up was carried out in 39 neonates; of these, five neonates (13 %) showed biliary sludge, although all five were asymptomatic. In further follow-up examinations, ultrasound studies were normal Conclusions: Fetal biliary echogenic material was found in one out of every 200 fetuses. No relationship was found with perinatal abnormalities. The prognosis of fetal gallstones and biliary sludge is favorable

3 Figures, 2 Tables, The aim of this paper is to show how a cheap carbonaceous material such as low rank coal-based carbon (or char) can be used in the combined SO2/NO removal from exhaust gas at the linear gas velocity used in commercial systems (0.12 m s21). Char is produced from carbonization and optionally activated with steam. This char is used in a first step to abate the SO2 concentration at the following conditions: 100 8C, space velocity of 3600 h21, 6%O2, 10% H2O, 1000 ppmv SO2, 1000 ppmv NO and N2 as remainder. In a second step, when the SO2 concentration in the flue gas is low, NO is reduced to N2 and steam at the following experimental conditions: 150 8C, space velocity of 900 h21, 6% O2, 10% H2O, 0–500 ppmv SO2, 1000 ppmv NO, 1000 ppmv NH3 and N2 as remainder. It has been shown that the presence of NO has no effect on SO2 abatement during the first step of combined SO2/NO removal system and that low SO2 inlet concentration has a negligible effect on NO reduction in the second step. Moreover, this char can be thermally regenerated after use for various cycles without loss of activity. On the other hand, this regenerated char shows the highest NO removal activity (compared to parent chars, either carbonized or steam activated) which can be attributed to the activating effect of the sulfuric acid formed during the first step of the combined SO2/NO removal system.

The sulfidation effect of molten iron sulfides was studied on oxidized austenitic steels as a simulation of furnace-wall corrosion in PC combustion environments. The test coupons were oxidized to produce an external oxide scale and pyrite was placed on the oxide and thermally treated in an inert atmosphere to decompose the pyrite into pyrrhotite. DSC-TGA and XRD indicated that FeS interacts with the Fe2O3 oxide layer, even at 700°C if the contact is good, changing the oxidation state of iron and the physical structure. On the other hand, the interaction of FeS with Cr2O3 between 1100 to 800°C, 24 hr in the inert atmosphere, consisted of the formation of a chromium sulfide layer beneath the oxide scale. SEM-EDX showed that the diffusion of sulfur in the steel matrix can be 30 μm deep, indicated by small particles of chromium sulfide. It is demonstrated that iron sulfide deposits could be responsible for sulfidation of the alloys.

The fabrication of thin Bi-2212 rods by laser floating zone techniques gives high critical currents, Ic, but strong radial inhomogeneities in microstructure and physical properties. By changing the precursor stoichiometry or the processing parameters, we have succeeded in improving the homogeneity and the Ic values. Towards the centre of the rods, the superconducting material tends to have lower Tc values associated to higher Bi content in the Bi-2212 superconducting grains. At 77 K, this gradient of Bi originates strong variations of critical current density across the rod., The authors are indebted to the Spanish CICYT and the European Commission (project 2FD97-0546-C04-01 and -04) for the financial support of this research.

The potential use as a once through cation exchanger of a zeolitic material (NaP1 zeolite as the main active component) synthesised from fly ash has been evaluated and compared with a commercial weak acid exchanger, Amberlite IRC-50. The cationic exchange has been tested for different cations present in sewage: NH 4 + (urban sewage) and Pb 2+ , Zn 2+ and Cr 3+ (waste from electrolytic baths). The NH 4 + retention capacity was higher in the zeolite (0.7 meq/g) than in Amberlite IRC-50 (0.21 meq/g). The retention capacities of metallic cations obtained for NaP1 zeolite (1.16 meq Pb 2 /g, 1.45 meq Zn 2+ /g and 1.57 meq Cr 3+ /g) were also higher than in Amberlite IRC-50 (0.32 meq Pb 2 /g, 0.25 meq Zn 2+ /g and 0.35 meq Cr 3+ /g). When solutions containing all the metallic cations were used, lower retention capacities were obtained for both exchangers.

Work presented at the PROGRES Workshop: Novel Products from Combustion Residues, 6-8 June 2001, Morella, Spain, Pure zeolites can be synthesised from silica extracted from fly ash by alkaline leaching. If the process is optimised the solid residue arising from this extraction may also contain a relatively high content of zeolitic material mixed with residual fly ash components. Both the pure and the impure zeolitic material have a high potential for application in waste‐water and flue gas‐cleaning technologies. The silica extraction potential of 23 European coal fly ashes covering most of the possible fly ash types is investigated in this study. Optimisation of leaching processes, by varying temperature, time and alkali/fly ash rates, permitted extraction yields up to 140 g of SiO2 per kg using a single step process, but the extraction yields may reach up to 210 g kg−1 by applying thermal pre‐treatments prior to the extraction. The solid residue arising from the silica extraction experiments shows a high NaP1 zeolite content. A high Si/Al ratio of the glass matrix, the occurrence of easily soluble silica phases in the original fly ash and a high reactive surface area were found to be the major parameters influencing silica extraction. High purity 4A and X zeolitic material was obtained by combining the silica extracts from the Meirama fly ash and a waste solution from the Al‐anodising industry. The results allowed conversion of the silica extraction yields to an equivalent 630 g of pure 4A–X zeolite per kg of fly ash with a cation exchange capacity of 4.7 meq g−1., The present study was supported by the BRITE- EURAM Program from the 4th Framework of R&D of the European Union (SILEX, BRPR-CT98-0801).

The effectiveness of carbons as low temperatures SCR catalyst will depend upon their physical and chemical properties. Surface functional groups containing oxygen are closely related to the catalytic activity of carbons. These groups are expected to change the interaction between the carbon surface and the reactants through a variation in adsorption and reaction characteristics. This paper presents a more detailed study of the effects of either gas-phase sulfuric acid or oxygen oxidation treatments on the catalytic NO reduction by low-rank coal-based carbon catalysts. Raw and treated carbons were characterized by N2 and CO2 surface areas, TPD and ash content. NO removal capacity of carbons was determined by passing a flow containing NO, H2O, O2, NH3 and N2 through a fixed bed of carbon at 150ºC and 4 s of residence time, the effluent concentration being monitored continuously during the reaction. The effects of varying the type and conditions of the treatment on the physicochemical features of carbons were studied. The gas-phase sulfuric acid treatment (corresponding to a first step SO2 removal) markedly enhanced carbon activities for NO removal. On the contrary, oxygen oxidation enhanced NO removal capacity of chars to a lower extent. Therefore, the carbons studied could be used in a combined SO2/NO removal process, because the use and regeneration of the carbon in the first step is beneficial for the performance in the second one.

The influence of steam activation temperature on the SO2 removal capability of subbituminous coal char pellets (SCCP) as well as the changes in their mechanical properties, were studied. The SCCP were prepared by pressing at 125 MPa a blend of a char, obtained by carbonization at 850 degrees C, and a commercial coal tar pitch. After a curing stage in air at 200 degrees C and a heat treatment at 900 degrees C in nitrogen, the SCCP were activated with steam (10g H2O min(-1)) for two hours at several temperatures: 600, 700, 750 and 800 degrees C. The SO2 adsorption capacity tests carried out at simulated flue gas conditions (100 degrees C, 10% H2O, 6% O2, 1s space velocity) show an important increase in the amount of adsorbed SO2 of the activated SCCP with respect to parent ones, whereas their mechanical performance decreases in the same proportion, mainly in the interval 700-750 degrees C. Increasing the temperature of activation, the SCCP undergo significant changes in textural features (total surface area measured in N2 and CO2, pore volume) as well as in surface oxygenated groups, as shown by TPD experiments. There is an optimum ratio between both parameters (around 8 micromol g(-1)) for the SO2 conversion at the studied conditions., The financial support of the European Coal and Steel Community (Project nº 7220/EB344) is duly recognized

The spontaneous ignition of coal stockpiles is a serious economic and safety problem. This paper deals with oxidation and spontaneous combustion of coal piles laid in coal storage yard and the measures to avoid the heat losses produced. Investigations on self heating were carried out with five test piles (2000-3000 tons) built at the ENDESA power station in Teruel (Spain), and the results are here reported. The efficiency of several measures to reduce the heat losses were tested: periodic compaction, the use of a low angle slope, protection of the coal stockpiled with an artificial barrier and covering it with an ash-water slurry made with fly ash from the same power station. Wind tunnel tests were used to design the wind barrier which was showed to be very effective although the results indicated that the best way to avoid the heat losses is the use of an ash-water slurry to cover the coal pile. A direct method to determine the coefficient of total losses was developed and the coefficients of heat losses and total losses were determined. The agreement between the temperatures measured by infrared thermography and thermocouples leads to the conclusion that this technique is also a very effective method to quantify heat emissions from coal piles.

A novel method for the chemical liquefaction of low-rank coals in relatively moderate conditions and short reaction times is presented. Using concentrated hydriodic acid as the reaction medium, microwaves as the energy source, and reaction times of 20 min at 230 °C, up to 50% of the organic carbon of coal can be extracted with THF. The study of the process shows that temperature of the reaction and time are the main factors affecting the desulfurization process. The redox potential and the nucleophilicity of the concentrated hydriodic acid were the driving force of the reaction as experiments with other acids or lower acid concentrations gave worse results., This work was funded by the European Coal and Steel Community (ref. 9220-EC/759) and Spanish CICYT (ref. AMB92-1221-CE).

A novel method for the chemical desulfurization of coal in relatively moderate conditions and short times is presented. Using concentrated hydroiodic acid as a desulfurizing agent and microwaves as the energy source, sulfate and pyritic sulfur are completely removed in 10 min. Moreover, for the low-rank coals studied, variable amounts of organic sulfur, up to 70% in 20 min, can be removed, for a total sulfur (organic + pyritic) elimination greater than 80%. The study of the process shows that time and temperature of the reaction are the main factors affecting the desulfurization process. Experiments with other acids and lower concentrations showed low yields, the special characteristics of the concentrated hydroiodic acid being the driving force of the reaction. Experiments carried out at different microwave power did not show any singular effect of the microwave irradiation on the removal of sulfur., The work shown here was funded by the European Coal and Steel Community (ref. 9220-EC/759) and Spanish CICYT (ref. AMB92-1221-CE). A patent has been applied for the treatment described in the paper.

Objetivos. Analizar las caracteristicas cronobiologicas y las variaciones temporales del paro cardiaco extrahospitalario (PCEH). Diseno. Estudio descriptivo retrospectivo. Pacientes. Todos los casos de PCEH de origen cardiaco registrados en la base de datos del servicio de emergencias medicas (SEM) de la Comunidad Autonoma de Castilla y Leon (Espana) durante 18 meses. Variables de interes principales. Edad, sexo, recuperacion de la circulacion espontanea, primer ritmo monitorizado (desfibrilable /no desfibrilable), lugar de alerta [(hogar, lugar publico, centro atencion primaria (AP)], testigo (familiar, transeunte, fuerzas de seguridad, personal AP), hora de alerta (0-8; 8-16; 16-24), hora de activacion del equipo de emergencias, hora de atencion y dia de la semana. Analisis univariante mediante Chi2, varianza y tests no parametricos. Analisis cronobiologico mediante transformada rapida de Fourier y test Cosinor. Resultados. Se estudiaron 1.286 casos registrados entre enero 2007 y junio 2008. Se observaron diferencias estadisticas significativas en menor edad (p

El déficit congénito de factor V es una rara coagulopatía autosómica recesiva cuya sintomatología suele aparecer tras el período neonatal. Se describe el caso de un neonate sin antecedentes patológicos obstétricos que presentó hemorragia intraventricular espontánea. El estudio de coagulación se encontraba alterado, encontrándose déficit grave de factor V. El estado de heterozigosis en padres se demostró al hallar concentraciones medias de factor V en ambos : Congenital factor V deficiency is an unusual recessive autosomal coagulopathy. Symptoms usually appear after the neonatal period. We report the case of a newborn infant with no obstetric antecedents who presented spontaneous intraventricular hemorrhage. Coagulation studies showed alterations, and we found severe factor V deficiency. Heterozygosity of the parents was revealed by reduced factor V levels in both

An alternative to fabricate high temperature superconducting materials with big sizes that could be used in power applications as fault current limiters is to develop superconducting coatings on structural ceramics substrates. The interaction between the substrate and the superconducting coating has been analysed using different buffer layers, as NiO and zirconate compounds. Different processing techniques have been used to prepare the buffer layer: dip coating, screen printing and thermo-spraying. This layer has been densified using a selective laser synthesis. The superconducting coatings have been fabricated with tape casting technologies and the desired texture is obtained by means of a laser induced melting process., This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science Projects MAT2005-06279-C03-01 and -03, CEN2007-2014, MAT2006-01038, and the national program JAEDoc084 and Gobierno de Aragón (Applied Superconductivity, Laser Materials Processing and Advanced Chemical Processes research groups).

Differences in the environmental stability of Bi-2212 textured materials before and after annealing have been evaluated using digital speckle photography. This technique is able to provide information about the 2D evolution of the degradation processes by means of correlation coefficient reductions. The results indicate a faster degradation for as-grown samples. DSP detects this difference in very short times and allows determining the evolution of the process at any instant. The optical results were confirmed by analysing the differences in the samples microstructure and phase compositions by SEM-EDX, XRD and DRIFT techniques. All these techniques show that, in this material, environmental degradation process is associated with the chemical decomposition of the (Sr,Ca)CuO2 phase., This research was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (MAT 2005-06279-C03-01, -02 and -03) and by the Gobierno de Aragón (G.I.C., Laser Optical Technology and Applied Superconductivity groups). One of the authors M.T. Bona (CSIC-I3P) wishes to thank the FSE for financial support.

The aim of this paper focuses on the determination of nine coal properties related to combustion power plants (moisture (%), ash (%), volatile matter (%), fixed carbon (%), heating value (kcal kg−1), carbon (%), hydrogen (%), nitrogen (%) and sulphur (%)) by mid-infrared spectroscopy. For that, a wide and diverse coal sample set has been clustered into new homogeneous coal subgroups by the use of hierarchical clustering analysis. This process was performed including property values and spectral data (scores of principal component analysis, PCA) as independent variables. Once the clusters were defined, the corresponding property calibration models were performed by partial least squares regression. Several mathematical pre-treatmentswere applied to the original spectral data in order to cope with some non-linearities. The accuracy and precision levels for each property were studied. The results revealed that coal properties related to organic components presented relative error values around 2% for some clusters, comparable to those provided by commercial online analysers. Finally, the discrimination level between those groups of samples was evaluated by linear discriminant analysis (LDA). The sensitivity of the system was studied accomplishing percentages close to 100% when the samples were classified attending only to their mid-infrared spectra., The authors are grateful to the European Coal and Steel Community for funding this research within the framework of Project 7220-PR/118.

A study of dry oxidation of coals by air has been performed. Four Spanish coals, ranging from lignite to subbituminous, were studied at three moderate temperatures for two different periods of time. The main goal with respect to possible use as fertilizers was to increase the humic acid content of the above-mentioned coals. The best results for humic acid production were obtained at the highest temperatures and after longer times. Lower-rank coals yielded the highest humic acid contentrations, but due to the severe loss of weight of these coals, the nett increase was lower than that obtained from subbituminous coals. A detailed study of the elemental composition of the coals, the generation of oxygenated functional groups and the molecular size of humic acids is reported. The evolution of sulphur forms during the process is also described.

In the present paper, the influence of different acquisition techniques (transmission, diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform and attenuated total reflectance) in the determination of nine coal properties related to combustion power plants has been studied. Raw coal samples of different origins were pooled for developing a correlation between the resultant spectra and the corresponding coal properties by multivariate analysis techniques. Thus, the existent collinearity in mid-infrared coal spectra led to the application of partial least squares regression (PLS), studying simultaneously the influence of different spectroscopic units as well as several spectral data mathematical pre-treatments. On the other hand, a principal component analysis (PCA) revealed a relationship between principal components and coal composition in both transmission and reflection techniques. Although the best accuracy and precision results were obtained for coal properties related to organic matter, the system was also able to differentiate coal samples attending to the presence of a specific mineral matter, kaolinite., The authors are grateful to the European Coal and Steel Community for funding this research within the framework of Project 7220-PR/118.

The potential value of zeolitic materials (ZM) obtained from a hazardous waste, such as coal fly ash, for the retention of NH4 + present in liquid effluents from a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) is studied. A wastewater sample was taken from an STP in Zaragoza (Spain) after conventional treatment at the Plant. The water was treated with different amounts of three ZM: NaP1 zeolite, K-F zeolite and K-Chabazite/KPhillipsite zeolites all of them in powdered and granulated state. The wastewater was treated by two kinds of processes: continuous stirring batch experiments with powdered ZM, and fixed packed bed of granulated ZM in a column. The powdered materials reduced about 80% of NH4 + fromwastewater, even in the presence of Ca2+, which competes with NH4 + for the cation exchange sites in zeolites. Around 70% of NH4 + reduction was achieved with granulated materials. In both cases, moderate ZM/wastewater ratios had to be used to achieve those results, with K-zeolites slightly less effective in NH4 + retention., The present studywas financed by the Spanish “PlanNacional de I+D+I (2000–2003)” project PPQ2001-2359-C02-01, “Plan Nacional de I+D+I (2004–2007)” project CTM2004-04252-C02-00 and it has been supported also with funds from ERDF. We would like to express our gratitude to the technical staff at “La Almozara” Sewage Treatment Plant, Zaragoza (Spain) for their help in obtaining wastewater sample.

The effect of the steam activation of low-rank coal-based carbons under different conditions on catalytic NO reduction is examined. Oxygen surface functional groups are closely related to this catalytic activity. Because factors such as surface area make interpretation of the results difficult, it is necessary to study the role of the surface chemistry using samples with different chemical properties but of the same origin and with similar Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface areas. Such materials, obtained by varying steam activation conditions over the same precursor, were tested in low-temperature selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3 in order to study the influence of the presence of oxygen groups on the catalytic activity, avoiding as far as possible the effect of porosity.

Fly ash from coal combustion is a potential source of pollution and there is continuous interest in its recycling by converting it into products such as zeolitic materials for use in retaining pollutants. In this paper, production of granular zeolitic material from a commercially- unusable fine-fraction of a lightweight aggregate (LA) building material made from coal fly ash agglomerated with lime, by conventional alkaline activation is described. NaP1 zeolite, K-F zeolite, K-Phillipsite and K-Chabazite were synthesised. The process was optimised by combining four reaction parameters (temperature, alkali concentration, solution/fly ash ratio and reaction time). Zeolitic materials with the highest zeolite yields and cation exchange capacities were selected for future application in environmental processes. End-product zeolitic materials maintain its granular form and this could favour their use in some particular applications for environmental waste treatment (e.g. ionic exchange in column) without any further transformation stages., The present study has been supported by the Spanish “Plan Nacional de I+D+I (2000–2003)” from the “Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia”, project PPQ2001-2359-C02-01 and Spanish “Plan Nacional de I+D+I (2004–2007)” from the “Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología”, project CTM2004-04252-C02-00.

This paper deals with the study of the Late Permian coal deposits from Chongqing and south-eastern Hubei mining districts and of the Late Triassic coal deposits from Chongqing mining district. The Late Permian coals are characterized by relatively high amount of sulphide, sulphate and carbonate minerals and by a high total content of trace elements (with respect to the Late Triassic coals) due to the marine influence on the depositional environment. The Late Permian Chongqing and the southeastern Hubei coals showed similar geochemistry and mineralogy. However, there were some differences due to the different source rock and magmatic influence on Hubei coals. The concentrations of most trace elements in the Late Triassic coal were relatively low when compared with the usual range of the worldwide concentrations. By contrast, the contents of Ta, Se, Nb, Sc, Hf, Tl, Bi, Cu, V and Zn in the Late Permian Chongqing and Southeastern Hubei coals were higher than the usual range. Differences in occurrence of major and trace elements were found between Late Permian Hubei and Chongqing coals. Thus, most of the trace elements investigated presented an aluminosilicate association, followed by sulphide–arsenide (Fe, S, As, Pb, Mo, Ni and Co, in most cases) and carbonate (Ca and Mg) affinities in both areas. However, there was an important phosphate and zircon association in the Chongqing coal, whereas the carbonate association was significantly influenced by magma in the coals from Hubei. In the Late Triassic coal most of the major and trace elements investigated occur in aluminosilicate associations, with the exception of S, Fe, Ca, Mn, Sr, Sn, Ba, Nb, Mo, Mg, Co and Ta, with carbonate, sulphate and sulphide affinities., The authors would like to express their gratitude to the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Science and Technology from Hubei for supporting this study. We would like to thank Mr. J. Elvira, Mrs. S. Martinez, Mrs. S. Rico and Mrs. M. Cabañas for their help in the analytical tasks. This study had financial support from National Natural Science Foundation of China (40572089).

Multivariate analysis techniques have been applied to near-infrared (NIR) spectra coals to investigate the relationship between nine coal properties (moisture (%), ash (%), volatile matter (%), fixed carbon (%), heating value (kcal/kg), carbon (%), hydrogen (%), nitrogen (%) and sulphur (%)) and the corresponding predictor variables. In this work, a whole set of coal samples was grouped into six more homogeneous clusters following the ASTM reference method for classification prior to the application of calibration methods to each coal set. The results obtained showed a considerable improvement of the error determination compared with the calibration for the whole sample set. For some groups, the established calibrations approached the quality required by the ASTM/ISO norms for laboratory analysis. To predict property values for a new coal sample it is necessary the assignation of that sample to its respective group. Thus, the discrimination and classification ability of coal samples by Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (DRIFTS) in the NIR range was also studied by applying Soft Independent Modelling of Class Analogy (SIMCA) and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) techniques. Modelling of the groups by SIMCA led to overlapping models that cannot discriminate for unique classification. On the other hand, the application of Linear Discriminant Analysis improved the classification of the samples but not enough to be satisfactory for every group considered., The authors are grateful to the European Coal and Steel Community for funding this research within the framework of Project 7220-PR/118.

The behaviour of two thermal sprayed Ni–Cr coatings compared to conventional SS310 was studied under pyrite, potassium sulphate and potassium chloride attack in inert atmosphere at 900 °C, as simulation of fouling and slagging in co-firing coal with biomass. The morphologic description of chemical attack by S, K and Cl and depth of penetration is performed using SEM, and EDX for chemical composition of scales. Sulphur from molten iron sulphide is able to penetrate through the coatings forming chromium and nickel sulphides, but in a less extent than in the preoxidised austenitic steel. The coatings proved to be resistant to molten potassium sulphate attack, which was catastrophic in the case of not-coated preoxidised SS310. The resistance of these materials against chlorination was tested and although both coatings were corroded by KCl salt, coating 1, with higher chromium content, hindered corrosion progression and protected steel matrix under coating.