Top News of Last Week with ANA
Azad News Agency (ANA) published a number of scientific and technological news during the past week whose top ones are as follows:
Iranian Company Utilizes Nanocoating to Increase Industrial Parts' Durability by 300 Times
Researchers at a knowledge-based company in Iran have been able to improve the durability of compressors in oil and gas industry by up to 300 times using ultra-hard coating equipment.
According to a report by the Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council (INIC), Hasan Jahdi, the managing director of the Iranian technological company said that producing ultra-hard coating equipment using the PVD method is the main field of activity of their company. He pointed to the importance of using coatings in the industry, saying, "In some parts of compressors, the use of coating can increase the durability of the parts significantly."
“Nanocoating technology has become really popular in industry that it is known as a mother industry. The reason for this is the role that coatings play in an industrial product. In various industries, we are faced with parts that have different mechanical properties, durablity, wear and corrosion resistance, and we can apply special properties to the surface through coatings to increase the lifespan of the parts,” Jahdi said.
“In the oil and gas industry, we use nano-coating to reduce corrosion and bring it under control,” adding, “Oil extraction and exploitation take place in special conditions. This industry has a very corrosive working condition. But if coating is used, it can help reduce rate of corrosion.”
“In gas turbocompressors, coating is applied to control the wear and corrosion. It is considered a high-tech technology in the world. Increasing the efficiency and lifespan of these compressor parts, which are usually very expensive and important parts, is one of the applications of coating,” the engineer explained more.
Iranian Company Locally Produces Advanced Laser Welding Machines
An Iranian knowledge-based company has domestically produced laser welder that is equipped with fully automatic wire filling in a project that has been sponsored by Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council (INIC).
According to the INIC public relations department, Afshin Panjepour, the development manager of the company said, “This company has been operating in the field of laser and metal laser material processing equipment for five years. Our products include machines for metal laser cutting, laser welding and laser coating.”
“We can weld metals with low weldability (joinability), especially non-homogeneous metals, to other metals with laser welding at a very good quality,” he further said, adding, “This process has the capability of reproducibility and suitable production compared to other methods, both economically and in terms of production quality.”
Panjepour also noted that laser cutting machine are employed in metalworking and sheet metalworking industries, adding, “The machine is also used in other industries such as energy production, stone industries, power plants, refineries, and industries that weld special metals such as nickel and titanium-based alloys.”
“There are examples of this machine that has been locally produced for the first time in Iran by this company,” the development manager of the company further said.
Iranian Company Domestically Produces Laser Jewelry Engraving Machine
A knowledge-based company in Iran has locally produced laser engraving machine with the capability to engrave on diamond and gold.
“The machine made in this company is called laser welding and engraving machine. The jewelry laser welder made in this company is developed for welding products made of steel, platinum, gold, brass, steel alloy, copper and nickel,” Mohammad Saberi, one of the researchers in the project in the knowledge-based company told Iranian media.
Stating that this laser welder is one of the most widely used lasers in the jewelry industry, he added, “The welding machine has 250 joules of energy and is used for soldering in the gold industry.”
“Italian and German models of this machine are available in the country’s markets, but this Iranian machine has a higher-quality flash lamp, Moreover, the Iranian machine is cooled off based on water using a chiller inside it,” he added.
Emphasizing that it is possible to use this equipment 24 hours a day, the technical expert noted that the Iranian product also is offered with 5-year warranty.
Researchers in Iran Locally Design, Develop New Model of Ventilators
Researchers of the mechanical engineering department of Tehran-based Tarbiat Modares University (TMU) succeeded in designing and manufacturing a new model of ventilators in which a pneumatic system is used for automatic controlled expansion and compression of Ambu bag.
A bag valve mask (BVM), sometimes referred to as an Ambu bag, is a handheld tool that is used to deliver positive pressure ventilation to any subject with insufficient or ineffective breaths. It consists of a self-inflating bag, one-way valve, mask, and an oxygen reservoir, a definition available on the internet says.
Alireza Akbari, Master’s Degree Student and the executive director of the project at the mechanical engineering department of Tehran-based Tarbiat Modares University (TMU) to develop the mechanical ventilators said that he and his teammates decided to manufacture the machine after witnessing the increasing need for it in Iran, particularly during the recent Covid-19 pandemic.
“The design and construction of an optimal mechanical ventilators has attracted the attention of researchers in Iran more than in the past,” the researcher said about the project, which was done in the framework of his MS thesis.
He added that his research came in continuation of a similar previous plan to design and build a ventilator machine with high efficiency but cost-effective and simpleified in terms of its mechanical and control system.
“But what singles out this research is using a pneumatic system for automatic controlled expansion and compression of its Ambu bag,” Akbari went on to say.
Iranian Knowledge-Based Company Produces Electronic Equipment for Home-Made Vehicles
Iranian researchers at a knowledge-based company succeeded in designing and mass-producing of electronic equipment for the indigenous vehicles.
“In our company, we produce devices like diag (diagnosis), injectors, ECU industrial testers, ECU programmers, radar which is used for car wiring, multiprobe which is an electronic toolbox in the car repair industry, and many software modules that are used for all domestic vehicles and foreign-made cars, including the Chinese cars, and Hyundai, Kia, etc.,” said Sahar Darzi, the managing director of the knowledge-based Negar Khodro company based in Mazandaran province.
She noted that 80% of the company's products are made internally and 20% are outsourced.
“Our company's products are distributed throughout the country and exported to neighboring countries,” Darzi said.
Earlier reports in November also said that another Iranian knowledge-based company had managed to produce special electronic parts for domestic auto-making firms, making the country needless of imports.
Iranian Scientists Improve Polyelectrolyte Network to Optimize Fuel Cell Production
Iranian researchers studied the mechanism of water, ion and fuel passage in the polyelectrolyte network to optimize ion exchange polymer membranes by using molecular dynamics simulation tools.
“The lack of a comprehensive study of the main process of small molecule penetration like water, ions and fuel (generally methanol) in polyelectrolyte systems (ion exchange membranes) used in fuel cells and water purification membranes, and the structural parameters of the polyelectrolyte network on this process prompted us to conduct more precise studies in this field,” said Mohammad Ja’afar Rezayani, a PhD student and the manager of the research.
“The main reason for this lack of laboratory devices is the inability to observe the details of the permeation process and the effect of the structural parameters of the polyelectrolyte network on the permeation process on a molecular scale, which can be determined by using the molecular dynamics simulation tool of the parameters affecting this process, including the effect of the structural parameters of the network. In this study, polyelectrolyte on permeation process was investigated with molecular precision,” he added.
Noting that the molecular dynamics simulation tool examines various physical and chemical processes on a molecular scale, Rezayani said, “By understanding the parameters affecting the diffusion process on a molecular or microscopic scale, the behavior of the system can be predicted on a large or macroscopic scale.”
“In this research, in addition to the formation of water channels and the investigation of structural parameters affecting the process of small penetration of the aforementioned molecules, we were able to establish a quantitative relationship between the main structural parameters of the polyelectrolyte network that determine the penetration behavior and the small penetration coefficient of molecules by using a simulation tool for molecular dynamics,” he explained.
Iran Mulling Launch of Joint E-Commerce System with South Korea
CEO of the National Post Company of Iran Mahmoud Layali and the Iranian ambassador to Seoul in a meeting discussed ways to further broaden relations between Iran and South Korea, including the launch of a joint e-commerce system.
Layali traveled to Seoul to visit the South Korean post offices and exchange the experiences of the two countries in modern postal processes.
Holding a joint exhibition of stamps, printing a joint stamp between Iran and South Korea and the launch of an e-commerce system for the purchase of Iranian and Korean citizens from the e-commerce stores of the two countries were among the issues discussed in the meeting.
Also, during the meeting, the two officials exchanged views on issues like facilitating communication between Iran's post and South Korea's public and private post operators and investigating ways to increase postal traffic between the two countries.
Meantime, the requests of Iranian post representatives from their South Korean counterparts were followed up in the meeting.
IROST Researcher Offers New Method for Simultaneous Measurement of Mineral Elements
Researchers at the Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (IROST) have successfully built a system for the simultaneous measurement of elements in the field of biotechnology.
Dr. Maleeheh Safavi, head of the Biotechnology Research Institute at the IROST said that she and her teammates in the institute have built a system for the simultaneous measurement of mineral anions and cations, carboxylic and short-chain sulfonic acids with an easy and cost-effective method, according to a report by the IROST website.
The previous methods including spectrophotometry, laboratory kits, atomic absorption, ICP and ion chromatography to measure mineral anions and cations such as "potassium" (k), "sodium" (Na), "magnesium" (Mg+2), "calcium" (Ca+2), "ammonium sulfate" (NH4+), " "bromic acid" (BrO3-), "chlorine" (Cl), "bromine" (Br), "nitrogen dioxide" (NO2), etc. in different samples have proven to be expensive and some are insensitive.
“Given the high costs ans the restrictions that single-element measuring method of each of the above-mentioned methods face, a new method that is fast, accurate and multi-element while it is cost-effective became a necessity. In this regard, the IROST Liquid Chromatography Laboratory after months of efforts have been able to design a new method to simultaneously measure inorganic anions and cations (a positively charged ion), as well as short-chain carboxylic and sulfonic acids,” Safavi said.
According to her, the designed device measures the favored elements using the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique with general detectors such as UV, RI, as well as the inexpensive mobile phases.
University Researchers in Iran Produce Solar Panel Screen Printing Machine
A team of researchers at Kharazmi University, with the support of the Vice Presidency for Science, Technology and Knowledge-based Economy designed and developed a solar panel screen printing machine for use in the electrical industry and the manufacture of solar panels.
Somayeh Salmani, a professor of Physics at Kharazmi University said that she and her teammates designed a pyrolysis spray and screen printing machine and presented their project to the Vice Presidency to sponsor it, adding that with the vice presidency’s sponsorship and assistance the machine was built.
Salmani said that the idea of making the machine was created in 2015 following the development of the nanotechnology applications in Iran, adding, “We were looking for a machine that would allow us to have controlled spray deposition conditions for nanometer thicknesses, and at that time, this machine was not available in Iran for us. Therefore, the idea of making a pyrolysis spray and screen printing machine came to our minds. Subsequently, we produced a machine that can control the three-dimensional movement of the spray layer, in a way that allows the user to control the thickness of the layers.”
“Controllability of the movement, the capability to heat during spraying and the possibility of layering a large surface” are some of the advantages of the machine over its equivalents, she said, adding, “The layered samples can work at different temperatures and the users can use a machine without needing to change the sample, meaning that take it out and put it back in another machine and they will have the final layers. In fact, the most important advantage of this machine compared to ordinary laboratory layering methods is that our machine has the capability of layering large-sized layers which means substrate plates up to 20 cm can be easily layered,” the researcher explained more.
Deputy Oil Minister: Iran Plans to Extend Gas Contract with Iraq
Iran has decided to extend the contract for exports of gas to Iraq, Iranian Deputy Oil Minister for Gas Affairs Majid Chegeni said, adding that a working group is due to be formed to this end.
Iran and Iraq have agreed to form a working group on gas exports to the power plants in Baghdad, Chegeni said, adding that the group which is comprised of Iranian and Iraqi experts will work on the extension of the contract before the end of 2023.
Referring to the recent meeting between Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji and Iraqi Minister of Electricity Ziyad Ali Fazel in Tehran, Chegeni underlined the two countries’ willingness to develop ties in the gas sector.
Iran has been meeting a major part of Iraq’s energy needs for long years, he said, adding Baghdad is eagerly seeking to extend the gas contract.
Iraq imports electricity and gas from Iran that total between a third and 40% of its power supply, especially crucial in sweltering summer months when temperatures can top 50 Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) and power consumption peaks.
Iranian Company’s Nanocoating Increases Lifespan of Faucets
An Iranian nanotechnology company managed to produce a special coating which boosts the lifespan of industrial products, including faucets.
“By applying nanometer coatings, both the visual beauty of products increases and the product's lifespan can be improved. In certain products like faucets, the manufacturer can increase the warranty from 5 years to 8 years by applying nanocoating,” said Ali Salehi, an expert of the knowledge-based Yar Nikan Saleh company, which manufactures vacuum coating devices (PVD).
"The nanocoatings that are applied by the PVD method are from two completely separate and similar families. In the former, a coating is applied on a surface, tool, industrial product or mold to increase resistance. When these coatings are applied on different surfaces, the surface becomes stronger, and at the same time, these coatings create color on industrial parts,” he added.
Noting that these coatings can also be used to decorate the products, Salehi said, “The same coating that was used to increase resistance is now used to create a decorative coating on the surfaces with the same method as before but with changes in the equipment.”
“In fact, one is resistant coating and the other is decorative coatings. The same coating that is used to increase corrosion resistance on the surface is also used on the surface of products to create beauty. These products can be used in daily life, industry and even for car decorative parts,” he added.
Iranian Scientists at Amirkabir University Make Efforts to Facilitate Production of Microstructures
‘Micromechanical modeling of multilayer sheet rolling process by using crystal plasticity model and damage mechanics’ is the title of the postdoctoral project of Mohammadreza Morovvati, a PhD graduate of mechanical engineering at Amirkabir University of Technology in Tehran.
“Polycrystalline materials behave very differently at the scale of crystal grains than at the macro scale. In recent years, the use of crystal plasticity theory has attracted the attention of researchers since by modeling the governing physical laws at the meso scale, it is also possible to extract the material properties at the macro scale,” Morovvati said.
“Double-layer aluminum sheets are widely used in the industry due to their wide application. Double-layer sheets are used in medical equipment, ventilation equipment, precision electronic devices and in telecommunication industries,” he added.
Noting that the usual method of producing these sheets is the rolling process, Morovvati said, “Inhomogeneity among grains in the texture of crystalline metals causes incompatibility between grains. Polycrystalline materials on the micro and meso scale, i.e. the crystal grain size scale, show very different behavior from what they have on the macro scale.”
“Multi-scale modeling removes most parts of the need for laboratory operations to produce microstructures for researchers. Using this research, an accurate method can be obtained for the effects of deformation parameters during the rolling process of double-layer sheet which improves the double-layer sheet rolling process,” he added.
Iran Begins Mass Production of Electric Buses
After almost two years since the unveiling of the first domestically-produced electric bus, the mass production of that bus with an annual production capacity of 4,000 vehicles began at Iran Khodro Diesel on November 28.
The mass production of first Iranian electric bus called e-Atros began in an inuaguration ceremony at Iran Khodro Diesel (IKD) company which was attended by Iran’s industry minister, CEOs of Iran Khodro Industrial Group (IKCO) and IKD companies.
Addressing the ceremony, Alimardan Azimi, the IKCO CEO stated that the electrification of cars has been pursued in the world as a goal.
“Fuel consumption has increased significantly, and this increase in fossil fuel consumption comes with a lot of problems such as air pollution, which will cause irreparable damage to the country,” he added.
The IKCO CEO further said that Iran Khodro company has producing electric cars on agenda, saying, "We also have manufacturing of the Tara hybrid car on the agenda, a plan that has witnessed 40% progress so far. With the measures taken, it is expected to take 1.5 years to commercialize the production of electric cars in this automobile industry. However, until then we have to import electric cars.”
“In accordance with industry ministry’s plan, measures have been taken to import electric vehicles for use in public transportation. We will also import the know-how and indigenize it,” Azimi went on to say.
Iranian Company Offers New Method to Treat Refinery Spent Caustic
Researchers at of one of the knowledge-based companies in Iran implemented a pilot project to neutralize the spent caustic from refineries that contains polluting contaminants, and according to them, the obtained water after treatment meets the environmental standards.
Pourkhalili, a member of the board of directors of a knowledge-based company who played a part in carrying out the pilot project for the neutralization of spent caustic effluent said that the spent caustic effluent is the result of liquid waste of the oil, gas and petrochemical industries, which due to containing high level of contaminants, alkalinity and high salinity and also the high density of sulfide is not easily biodegraded in the environment.
“The spent caustic compounds vary a lot and according to their origin and composition, they are divided into sulphide, naphthenic and cresylic groups. Various methods such as neutralization with sulfuric acid, injection in deep wells, electrochemical coagulation and flocculation, aerobic oxidation, oxidation catalytic, advanced oxidation, biological and physical methods are used for their treatment,” the researcher said.
Pourkhalili said that their company offered a method to neutralize these refinery effluents, adding, “In this method, the purification is done using membrane modules. The wastewater is treated using nano-composite membranes.”
The member of the board of directors of the knowledge-based company further pointed out that the input of this machine is wastewater that has a strong base, and when this wastewater enters it, the neutralization process is first implemented and its PH reaches the level of PH of pollution-free water. After that, the process of removing contaminating solutions in wastewater such as TDS and COD is done.
4155/v
