Solid-state chemistry: a a rediscovered chemical frontier

Chemical bonding in solids is not completely understood, mainly because of the wide variation in the chemical properties of the elements. Many difficult challenges remain in predicting the composition, structure, and the properties of new materials. Consequently, the synthesis of novel solids is as much an art as a science. Discoveries of new compounds and structure types highlight the versatility that nature has allowed with the relatively small number of elements. This article explores the long-term challenges in solid-state chemistry and then focuses on efforts at Cornell to prepare new solids.     

Plant crops as a source of fuel and hydrocarbon-like materials

Chemical analyses have been made of a number of plant species in order to assess their suitability as renewable sources of hydrocarbon-like photosynthetic products. Yields of rubber and wax, glycerides, isoprenoids, and other terpenoids were estimated. Individual sterols were identified in latex from some species.     

Wood versus fossil fuel as a source of excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere: a preliminary report

If the amounts of wood consumed in deforestation to increase agricultural land and as firewood in underindustrialized countries are added to the amount consumed by the money economies as forest products, the estimates of the net amount of wood removed from the biosphere in this century should be revised upward. The per capita ratio of the weight of carbon from net wood burned to the weight of carbon from fossil fuel burned in this century has been at least 0.1 and may have approached 1.0.     

Cool water: demonstration of a clean and efficient new coal technology

Cool Water, the world's first commercial-scale, integrated coal gasification combined cycle power plant, has been operating successfully since May 1984 near Barstow, California. The 100-megawatt plant, which was completed ahead of schedule and under budget, is probably the cleanest coal-fired power generating facility now in commercial operation. An ongoing demonstration program at Cool Water shows that future baseload power plants that use this technology can be built modularly in increments of a few hundred megawatts and compete economically with much larger, conventional coal-fired power plants equipped for flue gas desulfurization.     

Water salination: a source of energy

The thermodynamically reversible mixing of freshwater and seawater at constant temperature releases free energy. Salination power as a resource is comparable with hydroelectric power in magnitude; U.S. freshwater runoff could yield over 10(10) watts. The energy flux available for natural salination is equivalent to each river in the world ending at its mouth in a waterfall 225 meters high. An osmotic salination converter could possibly operate at 25 percent efficiency. This energy source is renewable and nonpolluting. Although its full utilization would destroy estuarine environments, it might be practical for specialized purposes.     

管送式温室药物气化装置气化效果的试验研究

在日光温室里搭载的二氧化碳智能释放系统中,针对研制的管送式温室药物气化装置,通过改变药物喷头、管道位置等因素试验研究了其气化效果,研究结论为:(1)安装喷头的管道处于竖直位置时气化效果较好;(2)管道中心轴线上的气流大小和方向稳定,喷头出液口处于此位置气化效果较好;(3)药液袋和喷头间的水位差与药液气化时间成反比;(4)环境温度与药液气化时间成反比;(5)开关位置与药液流速成正比。     

The ocean: a natural source of carbon monoxide

The surface waters of the western Atlantic are supersaturated with respect to the partial pressure of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere. Under these conditions, the net transport of carbon monoxide across the air-sea interface must be from the sea into the atmosphere. Thus, the ocean appears to act as a source of carbon monoxide. The ocean may be the largest known natural source of this gas, contributing possibly as much as 5 percent of the amount generated by burning of fuels by man.     

加强廉政文化建设的思考

廉政文化是一种行政道德的软约束,影响人们的日常行为模式。加强廉政文化建设对深入开展党风廉政建设和反腐倡廉工作,构建社会主义和谐社会具有十分重要意义。要遵循文化建设的规律抓好廉政文化建设,同时在工作中要注意处理好教育性与娱乐性、继承与创新、立足党内和面向社会、制度反腐和文化反腐的关系。