Disclosed are methods and systems for accurate modeling of the soil-water retention curve (SWRC) for any soil texture class and with varying amounts of soil organic matter. The disclosed method leverages near-visible infrared spectroscopy (vis-NIRS) to obtain rapid measurements at low soil-water potential that are used to model soil-water retention functions.

An object is to measure absorbance of aqueous cosmetic materials that have not heretofore been studied for absorbance measurement, and particularly to form a uniform layer of thin film in order to ensure accurate measurement without causing these aqueous cosmetic materials, which are O/W emulsions, to undergo phase separation during measurement. As a means for achieving the foregoing, an absorbance measurement method is provided, wherein an absorbent aqueous composition is applied on the surface of a substrate, which surface has been plasma treated, arc-discharge treated, or corona-discharge treated, to achieve a contact angle with pure water of 0 to 70.0 degrees, and the applied absorbent aqueous composition is measured for absorbance.

A process for sizing two-dimensional nanostructures includes providing the nanostructures to a liquid-liquid interface, providing probe particles to the liquid-liquid interface, obtaining an image of the nanostructures and the probe particles, and processing the image to ascertain a size property of the nanostructures.

A powder mixing system and method improves productivity of a final product by reducing time required for completion of mixing. The powder mixing system includes a mixing vessel provided with a rotating shaft for mixing multiple kinds of powder, a rotating machine for rotating the mixing vessel by means of the rotating shaft, an image photographing device for acquiring an image of the powder in a mixing process, and a computer. The mixing vessel includes a window through which the image of the powder is photographed. The computer has a function of detecting that the mixing vessel is located at a predetermined position. The image photographing device acquires the image of the powder through the window of the mixing vessel located at the predetermined position. The computer estimates a mixing state of the powder based on the acquired image of the powder.

A system includes a downhole tool having a housing and a passage extending through the housing, where the passage includes an inlet configured to receive a flow of a wellbore fluid and an outlet configured to discharge the flow of the wellbore fluid. The downhole tool includes a heating element configured to heat the flow of the wellbore fluid and to enable the flow of the wellbore fluid to transition to a single-phase fluid flow within the passage. The downhole tool includes a phase composition sensor positioned adjacent the passage and configured to provide feedback indicative of formation of the single-phase fluid flow. The system includes a controller configured to monitor a power consumption of the heating element and to determine an enthalpy of the wellbore fluid based in part on the power consumption and the feedback from the phase composition sensor.

Disclosed is a method for determining a mixing temperature of an asphalt mixture which includes the following steps: S100, obtaining a test result of surface energy of hot-melt asphalt; S200, obtaining, according to a calculation formula for total adhesion work and in combination with the test result of the surface energy of the hot-melt asphalt, total adhesion work of an asphalt and aggregate interface at different mixing temperatures; S300, determining a temperature range corresponding to peak values of the total adhesion work of the asphalt and aggregate interface; and S400, calculating a median value of the temperature range determined in S300, so as to determine an optimum mixing temperature of the asphalt mixture.

Systems and methods are described, and one method includes providing an optical fiber extending into a chamber with a volume of the gas; passing an optical beam, from an optical source, through the optical fiber; applying a spectral analysis to the optical beam as received after passing through the optical fiber, and outputting a corresponding spectral analysis signal; and determining, based on the output spectral analysis signal, whether a liquid is carried by the volume of the gas.

A resin composition quality controlling method includes a step of measuring a Raman spectrum of a resin composition composed of first TiO.sub.2 particles of anatase type TiO.sub.2 and second TiO.sub.2 particles of rutile type TiO.sub.2 by irradiation with laser, and determining a concentration ratio of the first TiO.sub.2 particles to the second TiO.sub.2 particles in the resin composition based on an intensity of a first peak assigned to lattice vibration in the anatase type TiO.sub.2 and an intensity of a second peak assigned to lattice vibration in the rutile type TiO.sub.2 in the Raman spectrum.

A system includes a light source, a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, a beam splitter, a first image collection device, and a second image collection device. The first lens is configured to collimate a light beam and to direct the collimated light beam through a test sample. The beam splitter is configured to split the light beam from the test sample and to transmit a first portion of the light beam toward the second lens and reflect a second portion of the light beam toward the third lens. The first image collection device is positioned adjacent to a first obstruction and configured to record an obstructed first image formed by the first portion of the light beam. The second image collection device is positioned adjacent to a second obstruction and configured to record an obstructed second image formed by the second portion of the light beam.

A system, method, and apparatus for real-time characterization of drilled particles during a drilling operation can be comprised of a light illumination source to output short-wave-infrared (SWIR) light toward the drilled particles as the drilled particles exit a drill hole being drilled by a drilling machine; a sensor to sense reflected short-wave-infrared (SWIR) light reflected from the drilled particles exiting the drill hole; and processing circuitry operatively coupled to at least the sensor. The processing circuitry can be configured to determine a spectrum of the reflected short-wave-infrared light sensed by the sensor, and determine particle characterization for a portion of the drilled particles by performing hyperspectral analysis on the determined spectrum and based on predetermined candidate particle characterizations.