The 4D (3D spatial + 1D temporal) mixing state of Carbon-Black (CB) volume fraction α in stirring processes of secondary battery cathode slurry by multi-layered electrical resistance tomography (mlERT) has been evaluated by the mean and dispersion of conductivity from the three axes of r, θ, and z for identifying the distribution factors of CB. Experiments were conducted with stirring time t = 0–360 s and stirring speed ω = 200, 400, and 720 rpm. From the experimental results, the influence of the cathode slurry material of the initial conditions was confirmed from the θ-t space, the blade position from the z-t space, and the shape of the stirring vessel from the r-t space, respectively. By comparing the three types of ω, the conductivity converged to 0.023 only for ω = 720 rpm, which is consistent and indicates the complete stirring by converged value to 0 (no bias as close to 0).

This study investigated the combustion synthesis of an Eu,Si-doped AlN blue phosphor for white light emitting diodes (LEDs) using Al, AlN, Eu₂O₃ and Si₃N₄ powders as raw materials. The photoluminescence (PL) property, crystal structure, and location of Eu of the synthesized phosphor were studied. When Eu is doped without Si doping, Eu does not locate into the AlN crystal but exists at the grain boundary as an oxide. When Eu and Si are co-doped, the Si-Eu-O rich layer generates in the AlN crystal, which exhibits the blue emission under ultraviolet irradiation. Eu is doped as divalent cations in the crystal and the large distance between Eu and surrounding ligands might reduce the crystal field splitting, resulting in the blue emission.

In various fields, most raw materials are in a granular state: their bulk properties are therefore of interest. The discrete element method (DEM) is frequently used to determine these properties. As numerous particles can be simulated by DEM, and particle shapes affect bulk properties, effective modeling of realistic particle shapes is required. In this study, two types of DEM simulations were compared: one using real ore particle shape, and one using particle shape computed by spherical harmonic-based principal component analysis. We confirmed the latter to successfully reproduce the bulk properties (repose angle, porosity, and coordination number) of the former.

Pharmaceutical cocrystal is expected to improve its bioavailability in human body. There are several drawbacks of using a large amount of organic solvent and heating operation for removing the solvent on conventional cocrystal formation techniques. This work provides a new type of pharmaceutical cocrystal formation in lipid media. Theophylline, caffeine, ibuprofen and itraconazole were used as active pharmaceutical ingredients for the cocrystal formation in lipid media using oleic acid or linoleic acid. The lipid media achieves the promotion of the cocrystal formation for theophylline, caffeine and ibuprofen at the room temperature. The cocrystal of itraconazole can be formed in lipid media at the higher temperature.

This paper described a review of solventless drug pelletization and polymer coating techniques using a mechanical powder processor as well as conventional processors including a high shear granulator and a V-shaped blender. Mechanical powder processing of drug crystals provided pellets comprising drug alone and the pelletization was due to inherent adhesiveness of drug powder as well as mechanically-induced dehydration or amorphization of drug crystals. Mechanical powder coating of polymethacrylates and ethylcellulose was achieved using freeze dried powder comprising colloidal polymer particles. High shear mixing of drug crystals and cellulose spheres provided drug-layered pellets by ball-milling actions of the spheres in the granulator. V-shaped blending of uncoated tablets and colloidal polymer powder resulted in the coating of the tablets with broken polymer particles. These techniques include only simple mixing processes and need no solvents, thereby contributing to the reduction of the environment impacts and costs in pharmaceutical manufacturing.