The
pyrolysis behavior of pitch determines the performance of pitch
coke and directly affects the carbon anode air/CO
2
reactivity.
The effects of pitch mass and pyrolysis rate on the pyrolysis process
of pitch are studied using a self-made pyrolysis device. The effects
of Na, Ca, and Mg on pyrolysis kinetics and carbon anode reactivity
are also investigated. Results show that the pyrolysis of pitch on
the surface and inside of the carbon anode can refer to the kinetic
data of small mass asphalt (SMP) and large mass asphalt (LMP), respectively.
The pyrolysis process of SMP and LMP conforms to the same dynamic
model. The apparent activation energy of SMP is 48.62 kJ/mol and that
of LMP is 128.46 kJ/mol. The mass and heating rate of pitch have obvious
influences on the LMP pyrolysis process. The apparent activation energy
of pyrolysis gradually increases with increasing contents of Na, Ca,
and Mg. Moreover, the coke yield and the residual rate of the carbon
anode in CO
2
or air increase first and then decrease.
This article investigates a hybrid procurement mechanism that combines a reverse auction with flexible noncompetitive contracts. A buyer adopts such mechanism to procure multiple units of a product from a group of potential suppliers. Specifically, the buyer first offers contracts to some suppliers who, if accepting the contract, do not participate in the auction while committing to selling a unit to the buyer at the price of the subsequent auction. For the suppliers rejecting the offers, they can join the subsequent auction with the other suppliers to compete on the remaining units. When the buyer offers only one flexible noncompetitive contract, we find that the selected supplier may accept the offer regardless of whether he knows his exact cost information. Meanwhile, the buyer can benefit from offering such a contract, as opposed to solely conducting a regular reverse auction or offering a noncompetitive contract that does not allow suppliers declining offers to join the subsequent auction. Moreover, we find that the suppliers' information about their own costs has a significant impact on the buyer's decision. When the buyer makes multiple offers, we analyze the resulting game behavior of the selected suppliers and demonstrate that the buyer can benefit more than just offering one such contract. Therefore, the hybrid procurement mechanism can be mutually beneficial for both the buyer and the selected suppliers.
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