| 1. |
- Haapakangas, Juho, et al.
(author)
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Coke Reactivity in Simulated Blast Furnace Shaft Conditions
- 2016
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In: Metallurgical and materials transactions. B, process metallurgy and materials processing science. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1073-5615 .- 1543-1916. ; 47:4, s. 2357-2370
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Despite the fact that H2 and H2O are always present in the gas atmosphere of a blast furnace shaft, their role in the solution-loss reactions of coke has not been thoroughly examined. This study focuses on how H2 and H2O affect the reaction behavior and whether a strong correlation can be found between reactivity in the conditions of the CRI test (Coke Reactivity Index) and various simulated blast furnace shaft gas atmospheres. Partial replacement of CO/CO2 with H2/H2O was found to significantly increase the reactivity of all seven coke grades at 1373 K (1100 °C). H2 and H2O, however, did not have a significant effect on the threshold temperature of gasification. The reactivity increasing effect was found to be temperature dependent and clearly at its highest at 1373 K (1100 °C). Mathematical models were used to calculate activation energies for the gasification, which were notably lower for H2O gasification compared to CO2 indicating the higher reactivity of H2O. The reactivity results in gas atmospheres with CO2 as the sole gasifying component did not directly correlate with reactivity results in gases also including H2O, which suggests that the widely used CRI test is not entirely accurate for estimating coke reactivity in the blast furnace.
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| 2. |
- Kemppainen, Nina, et al.
(author)
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Brain amyloid load and its associations with cognition and vascular risk factors in FINGER Study
- 2018
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In: Neurology. - 0028-3878 .- 1526-632X. ; 90:3, s. E206-E213
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective To investigate brain amyloid pathology in a dementia-risk population defined as cardiovascular risk factors, aging, and dementia risk (CAIDE) score of at least 6 but with normal cognition and to examine associations between brain amyloid load and cognitive performance and vascular risk factors.Methods A subgroup of 48 individuals from the Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER) main study participated in brain C-11-Pittsburgh compound B (PiB)-PET imaging, brain MRI, and neuropsychological assessment at the beginning of the study. Lifestyle/vascular risk factors were determined as body mass index, blood pressure, total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and glucose homeostasis model assessment. White matter lesions were visually rated from MRIs by a semiquantitative Fazekas score.Results Twenty participants (42%) had a positive PiB-PET on visual analysis. The PiB-positive group performed worse in executive functioning tests, included more participants with APOE epsilon 4 allele (50%), and showed slightly better glucose homeostasis compared to PiB-negative participants. PiB-positive and -negative participants did not differ significantly in other cognitive domain scores or other vascular risk factors. There was no significant difference in Fazekas score between the PiB groups.Conclusions The high percentage of PiB-positive participants provides evidence of a successful recruitment process of the at-risk population in the main FINGER intervention trial. The results suggest a possible association between early brain amyloid accumulation and decline in executive functions. APOE epsilon 4 was clearly associated with amyloid positivity, but no other risk factor was found to be associated with positive PiB-PET.
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| 3. |
- Suopajärvi, Hannu, et al.
(author)
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Use of biomass in integrated steelmaking – Status quo, future needs and comparison to other low-CO2 steel production technologies
- 2018
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In: Applied Energy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0306-2619 .- 1872-9118. ; 213, s. 384-407
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper provides a fundamental and critical review of biomass application as a reducing agent and fuel in integrated steelmaking. The basis for the review is derived from the current process and product quality requirements that also biomass-derived fuels should fulfill. The availability and characteristics of different sources of biomass are discussed and suitable pretreatment technologies for their upgrading are evaluated. The existing literature concerning biomass application in bio-coke making, blast furnace injection, iron ore sintering and production of carbon composite agglomerates is reviewed and research gaps filled by providing insights and recommendations to the unresolved challenges. Several possibilities to integrate the production of biomass-based reducing agents with existing industrial infrastructures to lower the cost and increase the total efficiency are given. A comparison of technical challenges and CO2 emission reduction potential between biomass-based steelmaking and other emerging technologies to produce low-CO2 steel is made.
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