A method may comprise: exposing a substituted chromone dissolved in a solvent to a sample; taking a fluorescence measurement of the sample after exposure to the substituted chromone; and determining a presence or absence of one or more ions in the sample, a concentration of the one or more ions in the sample, or both based on the fluorescence measurement.

A method of extending a life expectancy of a high-temperature piping, includes removing a heat insulation material which covers the piping having a high creep rupture risk, and lowering an outer surface temperature of piping, wherein a width of an exposed portion obtained is twice or more a distance from a peeled-off end portion of the exposed portion to a portion where a compressive stress is asymptotical to 0 after a change in stress between a tensile stress and the compressive stress occurring in the piping due to the removal of the heat insulation material is made from the tensile stress to the compressive stress, and the distance is calculated based on the following formulae, βx=5, $\beta =\sqrt[4]{\frac{3\left(1-v^2\right)}{a^2{h}^2}}$
here, ν is a Poisson's ratio, a is an average radius of the piping, and h is a plate thickness of the piping.

This invention discloses an improved laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) apparatus and method for the detection of mineral and metal contamination in liquid samples. The mineral and metal contaminant is first collected by filtering the liquid sample with a membrane filter. The membrane filter with the mineral and metal contaminant is then measured by a LIBS apparatus. The LIBS apparatus is based on a high repetition rate pulsed laser. The laser produces a train of laser pulses at a high repetition rate in the kHz (or even higher) range. When the laser beam hits the surface of the membrane filter, it generates several thousands of micro-plasma emissions per second. Synchronized miniature CCD array optical spectrometer modules collect the LIBS signal from these micro-plasma emissions. By adjusting the integration time of the spectrometer to cover a plurality of periods of the laser pulse train, the spectrometer integrates the LIBS signal produced by this plurality of laser pulses. Hence the intensity of the obtained LIBS spectrum can be greatly improved to increase the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and lower the level of detection (LOD).

Composite materials comprising a mesoflower structure, methods of preparing the composite material, and methods of detecting heavy metal ion using the composite material are described herein. In some embodiments, a silica-coated gold mesoflower with a layer of silver quantum clusters may be capable of detecting Hg.sup.2+ ions in a sample at zeptomolar concentrations.

Combinations of multiple analytic techniques may be used to identify changes to a structure based on changes in characteristics of acoustic signals traveling along the structure. Acoustic signals traveling along the structure may be monitored to detect changes in characteristics of the acoustic signal from baseline signal characteristics. The changes in characteristics of the acoustic signals may be processed using multiple analytic techniques to provide analyses of the change in time-domain, in frequency-domain, and in mixed time-frequency-domain. The change to the structure may be identified based on a combination of the results of the analysis in time-domain, in frequency-domain, and in mixed time-frequency-domain.

A detection device for molten metal is provided. The detection device includes a sample cup having a cavity configured to receive a sample of molten metal and a blob arranged in the cavity. The blob includes a carbide stabilizing element and a hydrogen releasing material including a hydroxide of an alkaline earth metal. The blob is provided for use in detecting phase change temperatures during solidification of a sample of molten cast iron. The blob is also resistant to moisture gain and moisture loss during transport and storage. A method of detecting phase change temperatures of the molten iron or molten cast iron sample using the blob and a method of manufacturing the blob are also provided.

An embodiment provides a method, including: operating a motor to position sample fluid within a fluid channel of a cuvette; transmitting light through an optical chamber of the cuvette; measuring a value of received light that has been transmitted through the optical chamber; comparing the measured value of light to one or more thresholds; determining a position of the sample fluid within the fluid channel based on a comparison from the comparing step; and generating a response based upon the position of the sample fluid with the fluid channel. Other aspects are described and claimed.

A process for analyzing a fracture or crack surface of a TiAl turbomachine part is provided. The process includes: marking on the surface the position and the orientation of cleavage facets, so as to identify a region of fracture or crack initiation and to determine the direction of propagation of this fracture or crack; examining the surface and detecting the regions with the presence of equiaxed grains and/or lamellar grains, so as to evaluate the temperature at which the fracture or crack has taken place, and comparing the heat tintings of the surface with those of samples from a heat tinting color chart so as to evaluate the speed of propagation of the fracture or crack.

A lance and a method determine reaction data of the course of a reaction, in which a reaction gas is top-blown by at least one lance onto a metallic melt in a metallurgical vessel and measured data are determined in this way, reaction data for the course of the reaction are determined as a function of these, where the lance for determining measured data blows out a gas which is conveyed separately from the reaction gas through at least one outlet opening of at least one measuring conduit. The lance for determining measured data blows out the gas which is conveyed separately from the reaction gas laterally through at least one outlet opening of at least one measuring conduit and the internal pressure of at least one gas bubble of this gas formed at this outlet opening of the respective measuring conduit is measured.

The material structure prediction apparatus includes a temperature calculator calculating temperatures at calculation points, based on a temperature condition, a nucleation count calculator calculating a nucleation count in the calculation target region, a precipitated phase generation point determining module determining, from the calculation points, a precipitated phase generation point, a grain growth calculator calculating a grain growth of the precipitated phase at the precipitated phase generation point, and a material structure prediction module predicting the structure of the material, based on the grain growth of the precipitated phase.