Compositions and methods for measuring the concentration of chemical species in oilfield environments, water processing and treatment, natural gas processing plants and pipelines, and other applications and other applications using fluorescent nanoparticles that are easily detectable while also being inert within the microenvironment are disclosed.

Water-soluble polymers may be added to an aqueous system to inhibit or decrease scale deposition within the aqueous system. In a non-limiting embodiment, the water-soluble polymer(s) may be or include polymaleates, polyacrylates, copolymers thereof, and combinations thereof. The treated aqueous system may include a decreased amount of scale deposition as compared to an otherwise identical aqueous system absent the water-soluble polymer(s).

A method and apparatus for sorting objects is described, and which provides high-speed image data acquisition to fuse multiple data streams in real-time, while avoiding destructive interference when individual sensors or detectors are utilized in providing data regarding internal and external features and characteristics and qualities of products being inspected.

Method for detecting metals in a liquid are described. The liquid is contacted with a hexahydrotriazine and/or a hemiaminal material, and a UV absorption spectrum of the material before and after exposure to the liquid is examined to determine whether metals are present in the liquid.

An illuminating apparatus for illuminating a microfluidic device disposed in a receiving region of an analyzer is disclosed. The illumination apparatus includes (i) at least one fluorescent light source designed to output a fluorescent light beam when excited by excitation radiation by fluorescing, (ii) a focusing device for focusing the fluorescent light beam, wherein the focusing device is designed to convert the fluorescent light beam into a focusing light beam, and (iii) a mirror mechanism for directing the focusing light beam towards the microfluidic device, wherein the mirror mechanism includes at least one movable mirror element.

An apparatus for inspecting a stream of matter including: a first and a second light source for emitting a first and a second light beam; a first and a second detector; a first scanning element adapted to redirect the detection area of the second detector from side to side across said stream, and a beam splitting element arranged to receive said first and second light beams, after they have been reflected against said matter, wherein said beam splitting element is adapted to guide said reflected first light beam towards said first detector and to guide said reflected second light beam towards said second detector.

Embodiments of the disclosure include a remote inspection system for detecting and assessing the alkali-silica reaction (ASR) in situ in concrete, the system including an image acquisition device capable of excluding ambient light from a concrete surface and being placed against and imaging the concrete surface, the image acquisition device comprising a mirrorless camera and daylight and short-range UV light sources wherein the light sources and mirrorless camera are capable of being controlled remotely.

Aspects of the present disclosure includes a method of inspecting in situ the level of ASR present in concrete, including placing an image acquisition device as described above. In yet another aspects, the method further includes acquiring at least one image of said concrete surface prior to treatment with uranyl acetate to assess natural fluorescence in the concrete and acquiring at least one image of said concrete surface after treatment with uranyl acetate.

Provided is an inspection device including: a light source including a phosphor; and a photodetector, and detecting, using the photodetector, reflected light of the inspection light reflected by the inspection object. A spectral distribution of the inspection light has at least one maximum value derived from fluorescence emitted by the phosphor, and the maximum value is within a wavelength range of 600 nm or more and 750 nm or less. When Pmax is set as a spectral intensity at the maximum value where the spectral intensity is largest at the at least one maximum value, a largest value of the spectral intensity in a wavelength range longer than 750 nm is 20% or more of Pmax and less than Pmax, and the spectral intensity within a wavelength range of 500 nm or more and 550 nm or less is less than 20% of Pmax.

A compound of the following structure is provided: ##STR00001##

A compound of the following structure is provided:

##STR00001## ##STR00002##