High pressure homogenization (HPH) pretreatment can improve sludge anaerobic digestion; however, the relationship among the material, energy conversion, and gas production efficiency was unclear under different operating conditions in sludge anaerobic digestion by HPH pretreatment. In this study, the performance of HPH pretreatment before sludge anaerobic digestion was investigated, and the relationship among the material, energy conversion, and gas production efficiency was explored. HPH pretreatment induced organic solubilization, and a maximum soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD)/total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) of about 30% was achieved. Results showed that HPH pretreatment significantly improved the biogas production of sludge anaerobic digestion; the maximum increase in CH4 yield was 57%; and the anaerobic digestion period was shortened by about 10 days. The ratio of CH4 yield increment to volatile dissolved solids (VDS) increment was 0.21 mL/mg. The CH4 yield increment of 1... [more]

Increased usage of nano-zinc oxide (nZnO) in different commercial fields has raised serious concerns regarding their discharge into the water streams containing natural and synthetic coating agents. Moreover, utilization of ground and surface water for drinking purposes is a common approach in many countries. Therefore, the removal of nZnO particles from water is essential to minimize the risk to the environment. The present research investigated the removal of nZnO from complex water matrices by conventional coagulation-flocculation-sedimentation (C/F/S) process using polyaluminum chloride (PACl) as coagulants. The result showed that removal of uncoated nZnO through sedimentation was efficient in waters containing divalent cations in the absence of dissolved organic matter (DOM). For the water containing higher salt concentration, PACl coagulant showed better removal performance with increasing coagulant dosage; however, synthetic organic coating agent and DOM significantly decreased... [more]

Many applications in the life science and food industries require (semi-)crystalline oil-in-water (O/W) dispersions. Unfortunately, high supercooling and, thus, low temperatures are often needed to induce the crystallization of droplets. As low molecular weight emulsifiers (LMWEs) are able to act as nucleation templates, they might help to decrease the required level of supercooling. Furthermore, proteins and LMWEs are frequently co-formulated to improve the colloidal stability of emulsions and dispersions. Hence, choosing a suitable protein and LMWE mixture would allow for achieving specific product properties for controlling the solid fat content (SFC) and take advantage of the stabilization mechanisms of both emulsifiers. Therefore, this study focuses on the impact of the co-existence of β-lactoglobulin (β-lg) and phospholipids (PLs) LMWEs on the SFC of triglyceride (TAG) droplets at isothermal conditions using a thermo-optical method. When β-lg alone was used as an emulsifier, a ma... [more]

Foam is a medium-stable system composed of gas and liquid phases, which has the advantages of low density at the gas phase and high viscosity at the liquid phase, and has a wide application in oil and gas field development and mineral flotation, but its special medium-stable system also brings many problems in industry applications. Scientists have carried out extensive analyses and research on the foam stability and bubble-bursting mechanism, which initially clarified the rules of bubble breakage caused by environmental factors such as temperature and pressure, but the mechanism of bubble bursting under the action of internal factors such as liquid mineralization and oil concentration of the films is still not clearly defined. In this paper, we propose a compound salt-resistant foaming agent, investigated the influence of the aggregation and adsorption behavior of oil droplets on the liquid films and boundaries, and established a relevant aggregation and adsorption model with the popu... [more]

Thin films of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanocrystals, widely acknowledged for their unique physical-chemical properties and functionalities, are used in disparate technological fields, including photovoltaics, sensing, environmental remediation and energy storage. In this paper, the preparation of thin films consisting of anatase-phase TiO2 nanorods deposited using the matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) technique and their characterization in terms of morphology, elemental composition and wettability are presented and discussed. Particular attention is paid to the effects of the laser fluence, varied over a broad range (F = 25, 50, 100 mJ/cm2), and to the role of the capping surfactants bound to the surface of the nanorod precursors. Whereas increasing fluence favored a partial removal of the surface-bound surfactants, a post-growth UV-light-driven photocatalytic treatment of the films was found to be necessary to reduce the incorporated fraction of organics to a further su... [more]

Steel slag is a solid waste product generated during the carbonation stage of steelmaking. It has high levels of heavy metals and substantial amounts of free calcium and magnesium oxide, making it unsuitable for use as a cement material. Furthermore, the disposal of steel slag in landfills requires many resources and can seriously contaminate the surrounding environment. One method of reducing its negative environmental impact is carbonation, which involves reacting steel slag with carbon dioxide to form stable minerals. However, many parameters influence the carbonation efficiency of steelmaking slag, including temperature, time, particle size, pressure, CO2 concentration, liquid-to-solid ratio, moisture content, humidity, additives, etc. To this end, this paper comprehensively reviews the most important steel slag carbonation-influencing factors. Moreover, it compares the characteristics from two perspectives based on their causes and effects on carbonation. Finally, this article rev... [more]

(1) Background: Plant growth regulators (PGRs) can accelerate growth or improve the quality and quantity of bean sprouts but are forbidden to use in bean sprout cultivation, as the sprouting process’s increased chemicals will disturb the PGRs analysis. This article aimed to increase the accuracy and level of sensitivity of the LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous analysis of 10 PGRs after mixed solid phase extraction (SPE) purification. (2) Methods: An LC-MS/MS detection method for 10 kinds of PGRs was established based on ESI ionization in the positive ion mode for 6-furfurylaminopurine (6-KT), paclobutrazol (PBZ), indole-2-acetic acid (IAA), and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and in the negative ion mode for gibberellin A3 (GA3), 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D), 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (4-CPA), forchlorfenuron (FCF), thidiazuron (TDZ), and 6-benzyl adenine (6-BA). (3) Results: The 10 PGR compounds were detected within a concentration range of 1.0−50 ng/mL. The average recover... [more]

Cooling towers are extensively utilized in diverse industries for efficient heat dissipation. Fill media are a critical component, facilitating heat and mass exchange between water and air, impacting overall cooling tower efficiency. Given its vital importance, this study comprehensively reviews recent advancements in fill media technology, illuminating cooling tower technology progress and exploring the effects of different fill media configurations and materials on cooling tower performance. It should be noted that the majority of research is focused on the Range of 2.5 °C to 25 °C and Approach of 1 °C to 9 °C. Through comprehensive analysis and evaluation, the effects of various fill media on heat transfer efficiency, water cooling capacity, and energy consumption are intensively summarized. By understanding these effects, engineers and designers can make rational decisions to optimize cooling tower performance and ensure efficient heat dissipation. Notably, in some reported cases,... [more]

In order to promote the improvement of rural living environments, the treatment of rural domestic sewage has attracted much attention in China. Meanwhile, the rural regions’ sewage discharge standards are becoming increasingly stringent. However, the standard compliance rate of the total phosphorus (TP) is very low, and the TP has become the main limiting pollutant for the water pollutant discharge standards of rural domestic sewage treatment facilities. In this study, oyster shell waste was employed as a calcium source, and agricultural waste−rice husk was used as a carbon source to synthesize calcium-modified biochar adsorbent materials (Ca-BC) by a simple one-step pyrolysis method. The resultant Ca-BC adsorbent materials demonstrated efficient phosphate (P) adsorption from aqueous solutions over a wide pH range (3−11) and adsorption selectivity. Ca-BC’s adsorption capacity for P increased with the pyrolysis temperature, increasing from 700 °C to 900 °C, which was attributed to the h... [more]

TiO2 production is a key part of Ti metallurgy and Ti recycling, and the process itself has turned out to be energy-consuming and material-consuming. New technologies are needed to utilize complex Ti ores, such as ilmenite, and reduce the carbon footprint of TiO2 extraction. Ammonium sulfate roasting has been revealed as an efficient way to carry out phase transformations of complex minerals. A low-temperature sulfation roasting approach was studied to chemically breaking down the crystal structure of ilmenite and generate metal soluble sulfates simultaneously. These roasted products were introduced to water leaching, then the residue of the water leaching was leached by diluted HCl acid, and the TiO2 product was enriched in the leaching residue. The effects of roasting temperature, roasting time, ilmenite-to-ammonium sulfate mass ratio, ilmenite particle size, and second-stage roasting on iron removal and titanium loss leaching efficiency were systematically studied. The results show... [more]

The rheologic properties of a three-phase coal froth are critical to understanding the interfacial properties that are associated with its stability. Due to the fragile nature of froth, oscillatory rheology was used to make sure that the froths were not damaged during measurement. To reveal the relationship between a coal froth’s rheology and its stability, oscillatory rheology was used in this study. The viscoelastic behaviors of coal froths were analyzed, which illustrated that the storage modulus (G′) of a coal froth is larger than its loss modulus (G″), showing that coal froth is solid-like. The complex viscosity of the coal froths decreased with an increase in angular frequency, meaning that coal froth is shear-thinning. The dependence of froth rheology on ionic strength was investigated, which showed that an increase in ionic strength led to an enhancement of the storage modulus G′, as well as a decrease in tanδ (G″/G′). The coal froths tended to be more rigid and viscous with an... [more]

This study investigated the impact of high-voltage electric field (HVEF) thawing technology on the thawing rate, water retention characteristics, microstructure, and nutritional composition of thawed beef. Compared with the control group, in which thawing occurred under natural conditions, the experimental group, in which beef was thawed under HVEF (12 kV, 16 kV, 20 kV, 24 kV, 28 kV), showed a significantly shorter thawing time, and the higher the voltage was, the faster the thawing rate. The total loss rate of thawed beef reached its minimum value of (54.2 ± 0.62) % at 28 kV, and the water retention of the experimental group was significantly better than that of the control group (p < 0.05). Therefore, it can be concluded that HVEF thawing enhances the water retention ability of beef. In a color comparison, it was evident that the color of the beef thawed by HVEF was significantly better than that of the control group. The results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated tha... [more]

The seed oil of Carapa guianensis, known as crabwood oil (CWO), is distinguished for its medicinal and cosmetics applications, attributed to its bioactive components and lipid profile. CWO and its dry and solvent fractionation were studied, with a focus on physicochemical functionality and the partitioning of known bioactive compounds, such as limonoids and sterols. Important bioactive components, including limonoids and sterols, were partitioned depending on the fractionation method; in particular, there is a direct dependence on solvent polarity. There was a very strong solid fraction yield−solvent polarity with a high linear slope of −121.3%. The partitioning of the lipids is significant enough to drive measurable and predictable changes in the physical properties. Palmitic (P: C16:0) and oleic (O: C18:1) fatty acids account for about 60% of the total fatty acid composition of the TAGs of CWO and its fractions. The most abundant limonoid is methyl angolensate (from 28 to 39%), follo... [more]

The aim of the study was to develop a suitable recipe for wheat-corn snack pellets fortified with insect flour addition and to evaluate the relevant processing aspects and physical characteristics of the developed products. Varying levels of edible insect flour (10, 20, and 30%) were incorporated into a new type of fortified snack pellet as a half product for further expansion. The effects of the edible insect flour level, as well as processing variables (moisture levels 32, 34, 36% and screw speeds 60, 80, 100 rpm), were analyzed on the extrusion stability and on selected snack pellets’ physical properties processed via single-screw extrusion cooking. This research indicated that an increasing amount of edible insect flour significantly affected the processing output and energy consumption. The incorporation of insect flour in blends significantly increased the specific mechanical energy and efficiency of pellet extrusion, especially at a high moisture level and high screw speed durin... [more]

Purpose: Inflammation of various degrees is common among humans. There are associated side effects with orthodox delivery systems and anti-inflammatory agents; hence, the study investigated the characteristics of herbal lipospheres and the anti-inflammatory potency of the lipospheres formulated from Pentaclethra macrophylla with the view to having a drug with a better delivery system and lesser side effects. Methods: Herbal lipospheres were formulated using solidified reverse micellar solutions (SRMS) of P90H and goat fat and characterized for particle size and morphology, pH time dependent analysis, encapsulation efficiency (EE%), and Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy. The in vitro antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory studies were carried out using membrane stabilization by hypotonicity-induced hemolysis and the determination of anti-platelet aggregatory activity models. The in vivo antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory studies on egg albumin- and formaldehyde-induced arthritis... [more]

Graphite is extensively used in the engineering field due to its unique properties, and the study of its cutting mechanism has become particularly important. However, the brittle fracture mechanism of graphite makes it rather easy for cracks with a unique pattern of initiation and growth to develop when processing. Herein, the ABAQUS was selected to establish a finite element model (FEM) of the graphite cutting process. The internal crystal structure of graphite was modelled by a Voronoi structure, and a cohesion unit was globally embedded into the solid unit to simulate crack initiation and growth. In addition, the complete process of chip formation and removal was demonstrated. The analysis of the simulation results showed that the graphite material underwent three periodic cycles of material removal during the cutting process, i.e., large, tiny, and small removal stages. Meanwhile, the simulation results indicated that when ac was large enough, the crack gradually grew inside the gr... [more]

In this work, carbon nano-onions (CNOs) with particle sizes of 5−10 nm were prepared by the multi-potential step method. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy characterize the effective synthesis of CNOs. CNOs/GCEs were prepared by depositing the prepared CNOs onto glassy carbon electrodes (GCEs) by a drop-coating method. Examination of the electrocatalytic activity of the CNOs/GCE sensor by simultaneously detecting dopamine (DA), uric acid (UA), L-tryptophan (Trp) and theophylline (TP) using a differential pulse voltammetry technique. The results showed that the linear ranges of DA, UA, Trp and TP were DA 0.01−38.16 μM, UA 0.06−68.16 μM, Trp 1.00−108.25 μM, and TP 8.16−108.25 μM, and the detection limits (S/N = 3) were 0.0039 μM, 0.0087 μM, 0.18 μM and 0.35 μM, respectively. The CNOS/GCE sensor had good stability and could be used for the detection of actual samples.

At present, there is a common problem that the mixing mode is single and it is difficult to overcome the inherent bottleneck of multiphase mixing. A mixing device combining the advantages of jet entrainment and mixing dispersion was designed and built. In an effort to determine the mixing degree of two phases, the mixing coefficient of gas−liquid charging was measured using the cylinder method with the optimal working parameters. To explore the optimization of the mixing conditions and control mechanism of multiphase materials, the law of gas−liquid shear mixing in the process of multi-force field synergistic change was revealed. Based on the testing of the gas injection capacity under different working conditions and the calculation of the gas−liquid two-phase mixing coefficient, it was concluded that the flow rate was the direct key factor affecting the gas injection capacity. The working speed also had a certain impact on the gas injection capacity. When working at a high speed and... [more]

The introduction of downhole safety valve performance envelope curves can effectively prevent the failure of the downhole safety valves during field operations. The method of drawing the performance envelope curve of high-temperature and pressure downhole safety value was proposed based on the mechanical properties of the downhole safety valve. The numerical simulation method was used for the mechanical performance of the downhole safety valve, and the stress change law of the overall structure of the downhole safety valve under the ultimate load was obtained. The ultimate bearing state and the failure threshold stress value of the key components of the downhole safety valve were further determined. The performance envelope curve of the downhole safety valve was finally completed. The results of the study show that the downhole safety value envelope curve can be obtained by studying the mechanical properties of the downhole safety valve, and each section of the envelope curve correspon... [more]

This paper describes the use of immobilized palladium catalysts on Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) to afford magnetically separable catalysts in the methoxycarbonylation of 1-hexene. Immobilization of homogeneous complex [Pd(L1)Cl2] (Pd1), where L1 = N,N′E,N,N′E)-N,N′-(3-(3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl)pentane-2,4-diylidene)dianiline, on Fe3O4 MNPs at 100 °C and Pd loading of 10% (based on wt% of Pd1) afforded the corresponding complex [Pd1@Fe3O4] (Pd2) in good yields. The use of calcination temperatures of 150 °C and 200 °C produced compounds Pd3 and Pd4, respectively, while Pd metal loadings (based on wt% of Pd1) of 5% and 15% provided complexes Pd5 and Pd6, respectively. The immobilized compounds were analyzed using FT-IR spectroscopy, SEM-EDX, TEM, ICP-OES, and PXRD techniques. The surface areas and porosity of the materials were determined using nitrogen physisorption measurements and confirmed the formation of mesoporous materials, while SQUID measurements established Ms values in... [more]

Among all the inorganic perovskites, cesium lead bromide (CsPbBr3) has gained significant interest due to its stability and remarkable optoelectronic/photoluminescence properties. Because of the influence of deposition techniques, the experimental conditions that play a key role in each need to be addressed. In this context, we present CsPbBr3 films grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and discuss the impact of oxygen stemming from their growth under a reduced vacuum, i.e., as the background atmosphere, rather than from post-growth exposure. In detail, stoichiometric mechano-chemically synthesized targets were prepared for deposition by nanosecond-PLD (λ = 248 nm, τ = 20 ns, room temperature, fluence of 1 J/cm2) to produce slightly Br-deficient CsPbBr3 films under different background pressure conditions (P0 = 10−4, 10−2 Pa). The characterization results suggest that the presence of oxygen during the deposition of CsPbBr3 can advantageously passivate bromide-vacancy states in all the... [more]

In this work, three different types of sandwich structures were manufactured, each using a Formica sheet (a paper-based sheet) as the skin and perlite/sodium silicate foam as the core, with or without a paper honeycomb. The sandwich structures were fabricated by attaching the Formica sheets on both sides of a paper honeycomb core panel, a perlite/sodium silicate foam core panel, and a perlite/sodium silicate foam-filled honeycomb core panel. The flexural characteristics were studied by a three-point bending test and the thermal conductivity was measured using Lee’s thermal conductivity apparatus. The results demonstrated a significant improvement in flexural properties, including core shear stress, facing stress, bending stress, and energy absorption, when incorporating the paper honeycomb reinforcement. The thermal conductivity and flexural properties of the paper honeycomb reinforced and unreinforced perlite/sodium silicate foam-based sandwich panels were found to be very compatible... [more]

The thermal energy storage and conversion process possesses high energy losses in the form of waste heat. The losses associated with energy conversion achieve almost 90% of the worldwide energy supply, and approximately half of these losses are waste heat. Hence, waste heat recovery approaches intend to recuperate that large amount of wasted heat from chimneys, vehicles, and solar energy systems, among others. The novel class of thermal fluids designated by nanofluids has a high potential to be employed in waste heat recovery. It has already been demonstrated that nanofluids enhance energy recovery efficiency by more than 20%. Also, the use of nanofluids can improve the energy capacity of steelworks systems by around three times. In general, nanofluids can improve efficiency and reduce exergy destruction and carbon emissions in devices like heat exchangers. The current work summarizes the application of nanofluids in waste heat recovery and discusses the involved feasibility factors. A... [more]

The energetic potential of the seed shell of the Neem plant (Azadirachta indica) was investigated using proximate analysis, Higher Heating Value (HHV), thermal analysis (TG-DTG and DSC) in inert and oxidative atmospheres, and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The results of ash (3.80% ± 0.44), volatile matter (81.76% ± 1.30), fixed carbon (14.44% ± 1.74), and estimated HHV (18.791 MJ/kg: average value) are compatible with other biomasses already used as fuels in the bioenergy industry. Thermograms showed three main degradation events in synthetic air and two in nitrogen, attributed to the moisture, release of volatile materials, and decomposition of hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin. The elements positively detected by the XRF were Ca, K, S, P, Fe, Ti, Zn, Rb, and Sr.

This paper presents the results of tests on elastomer coatings based on polyurea−polyurethane formulation with increased fire parameters. Coatings modified with flame retardants: bis(phenylphosphate) resorcinol (RDP), trischloropropyl phosphate (TCPP), and aluminum hydroxide (ATH) were tested. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTG) were used to investigate the structure and thermal stability. The effectiveness of resorcinol bis(phenylphosphate) (RDP), tris chloropropyl phosphate (TCPP), and aluminum hydroxide (ATH) on heat release rate (HRR), smoke release rate (RSR), and oxygen consumption was evaluated using cone calorimetry. The cone calorimetry results were correlated with the mechanical properties of the coatings. The cone calorimetry analysis showed suitable organophosphorus flame retardant (FR) performance, significantly decreasing HRR and oxygen consumption. Additionally, 15% TCPP caused a reduction of HRR by over 50%, obtaining... [more]