Impact of a novel bitumen extraction process on mined oil sands tailings behavior

Hybrid bitumen extraction (HBE) at ambient conditions has potential, as an alternative to the commercially used modified Clark hot water extraction (CHWE) for mined oil sands. In this work, the dewatering behaviors of tailings suspensions generated on a pilot scale from standard CHWE and from HBE are studied. Using a centrifuge-based technique, sediment height at a given centrifugal acceleration is measured as a function of time, as is equilibrium consolidation height vs. acceleration. By fitting the measurements to a consolidation model, compressive yield stress data is obtained. Settling of tailings suspensions under earth's gravitation are also observed for comparison. Results demonstrate that the suspensions from the pilot HBE process settle faster than those from standard aqueous process at a given acceleration. The data also suggest that the suspensions from the pilot HBE are more compressible, as indicated by higher final compressed solids weight fraction for a given yield stress.© 2018 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of CanadaAIChE Journal © 2018 American Institute of Chemical EngineersReproduced with the permission of the Minister of Natural Resources Canada. AIChE J, 65: 250–258, 2019     

Validating the efficiency of γ-Al2O3/La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ double-layer electrolyte for low temperature solid oxide fuel cell

Perovskite La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.2Fe_0.8O_3+δ (LSCF) as a promising cathode material possessed overwhelming electronic conduction along with certain ionic conductivity. Its strong electron conduction capability hinder the application of pure-phase LSCF as electrolyte in semiconductor membrane fuel cell (SMFC). In order to constrain the electron transport and take advantage of the decent ion conduction of LSCF, a thin layer of γ-Al₂O₃ with insulating property was added as an electron barrier layer and combine with LSCF to form a two-layer structure electrolyte. Through adjusting the weight ratio of LSCF/γ-Al₂O₃ to optimize the thickness of double layers, an open circuit voltage of 0.98 V and a maximum power density of 690 mW/cm² was received at 550 °C. At the same time, SEM, EIS and other characterization technology had proven that the LSCF/γ-Al₂O₃ bi-layer electrolyte can work efficiently at low temperature. The advantage of this work is the application of double-layer (γ-Al₂O₃/LSCF) structure electrolyte to instead of mixed material electrolyte in low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells. Structural innovation and the using of insulating materials provided clues for the further development of SMFC.     

Investigation of Ce0.9Gd0.1O2-δ dispersed Sm1.5Sr0.5NiO4+δ: Cathode for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell applications

Dispersion of nanocrystalline (94–350 nm) Ce_0.9Gd_0.1O_2-δ in superfine (260–312 nm) Sm_1.5Sr_0.5NiO_4+δ using modified precipitation technique is established using X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Presence of Ce_0.9Gd_0.1O_2-δ grains inhibits grain growth of Sm_1.5Sr_0.5NiO_4+δ, which provides morphological stability (up to 1100 °C). Ce_0.9Gd_0.1O_2-δ concentration dependent behaviours of ionic conductivity, surface exchange rate and electrode polarization resistance (R_p) of composites (determined using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) are comprehended using percolation model. Three oxygen reduction reaction mechanisms are considered to understand electrochemical performance. Minimum R_p (0.81 Ω cm² at 700 °C) for 70Sm_1.5Sr_0.5NiO_4+δ:30Ce_0.9Gd_0.1O_2-δ is correlated to percolation threshold (optimum (i) electrochemically active sites (ii) oxygen reduction reaction kinetics, (iii) O^2- conductivity and (iv) charge transfer rate). Nano crystallite size of Ce_0.9Gd_0.1O_2-δ is crucial for enhancement in electrochemical performance. Oxygen partial pressure dependent electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies reveal dominance of coexisting non-charge transfer oxygen adsorption/desorption and bulk O^2- diffusion.     

Stabilizing effect of the cyclodextrins additive to spray-dried particles of curcumin/polyvinylpyrrolidone on the supersaturated state of curcumin

Although curcumin is considered to have various therapeutic effects, its use as a functional food or supplement is restricted owing to its low water solubility and bioavailability. To increase the solubility of curcumin in water, the use of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and vinylpyrrolidone-vinyl acetate copolymers with a pyrrolidone skeleton was noted to be promising. In particular, the bi-component formulations of curcumin/PVP prepared through spray drying exhibited an amorphous state in powder X-ray diffraction observations and temporally increased the apparent solubility of curcumin to over 5000 times that of untreated curcumin; nevertheless, after 24 h, the solubility decreased owing to the unstable supersaturated state of curcumin. The addition of α-cyclodextrin (α-CyD) in the bi-component curcumin/PVP formulation helped maintain the supersaturated state of curcumin, whereas the addition of β- and γ-CyD led to the collapse of the supersaturated state. The addition of α-CyD can likely help inhibit the nucleation and crystal growth of curcumin, through the interaction among the solubilized units of curcumin/PVP and α-CyD.     

Improving room-temperature electrochemical performance of solid-state lithium battery by using electrospun La2Zr2O7 fibers-filled composite solid electrolyte

Low ionic conductivity at room temperature and poor interfacial compatibility are the main obstacles to restrain the practical application of polymer solid electrolytes. In this work, lanthanum zirconate (LZO) fibers were prepared by electrospinning method and used for the first time as fillers in sandwich polypropylene carbonate (PPC)-based solid electrolyte. Meanwhile, a graphite coating was applied on one surface of the composite solid electrolyte (CSE) membrane. The results show that the LZO fibers significantly increases the room-temperature electrochemical performance of the CSE, and the graphite coating enhances the interfacial compatibility between electrolyte and lithium anode. Furthermore, an ultra-thin PPC-LZO CSE with a total thickness of 22 μm was prepared and used in NCM622/CSE/Li solid-state cell, which shows an initial discharge capacity of 165.6 mAh/g at the current density of 0.5C and a remaining capacity of 113.0 mAh/g after 250 cycles at room temperature. Rise to 1C, the cell shows an initial discharge capacity of 154.2 mAh/g with a remaining capacity of 95.6 mAh/g after 250 cycles. This ultra-thin CSE is expected to be widely applied in high energy-density solid-state battery with excellent room-temperature electrochemical performances.     

Effect of transition metal doping on the sintering and electrochemical properties of GDC buffer layer in SOFCs

A dense Ce_0.9Gd_0.1O_2−d (GDC) interlayer is an essential component of the SOFCs to inhibit interfacial elemental diffusion between zirconia-based electrolytes (eg YSZ) and cathodes. However, the characteristic high sintering temperature of GDC (>1400°C) makes it challenging to fabricate an effective highly dense interlayer owing to the formation of more resistive (Zr,Ce)O₂ interfacial solid solutions with YSZ at those temperatures. To fabricate a useful GDC interlayer, we studied the influence of transition metal (TM) (Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, & Zn) doping on the sintering and electrochemical properties of GDC. Dilatometry data showed dramatic drops in the necking and final sintering temperatures for the TM-doped GDCs, improving the densification of the GDC in the order of Fe > Co > Mn > Cu > Zn. However, the electrochemical impedance data showed that among various transition metal dopants, Mn doping resulted in the best electrochemical properties. Anode supported SOFCs with Mn-doped, nano, and commercial-micron GDC interlayers were compared with regard to their performance and stability levels. Although all of the SOFCs showed stable performance, the SOFC with the Mn-doped GDC interlayer showed the highest power density of 1.14 W cm⁻² at 750°C. Hence, Mn-doped GDC is suggested for application as an effective diffusion barrier layer in SOFCs.     

Acidification of the electrolyte during the galvanic corrosion of AA7075: A numerical and experimental study

The electrochemical interactions between aluminum alloy 7075 and low-carbon steels under gelled electrolytes were studied. Such electrolytes provided the opportunity to investigate both thick and thin electrolyte systems. The electrolyte was chemically modified to visually track the acidic fronts during the anodic reaction and the subsequent hydrolysis process. Two mathematical models were validated for both thick and ultrathin electrolytes. The acidification of thick electrolytes was extended some millimeters beyond the aluminum alloy surface, whereas the acidic front was localized next to the metallic joint using ultrathin electrolytes. The combination of both numerical and experimental results allows proving (and explaining why) that the acidification process is more aggressive under dilute than under concentrated electrolytes.     

Non-Flammable Liquid and Quasi-Solid Electrolytes toward Highly-Safe Alkali Metal-Based Batteries

Rechargeable alkali metal (i.e., lithium, sodium, potassium)-based batteries are considered as vital energy storage technologies in modern society. However, the traditional liquid electrolytes applied in alkali metal-based batteries mainly consist of thermally unstable salts and highly flammable organic solvents, which trigger numerous accidents related to fire, explosion, and leakage of toxic chemicals. Therefore, exploring non-flammable electrolytes is of paramount importance for achieving safe batteries. Although replacing traditional liquid electrolytes with all-solid-state electrolytes is the ultimate way to solve the above safety issues, developing non-flammable liquid electrolytes can more directly fulfill the current needs considering the low ionic conductivities and inferior interfacial properties of existing all-solid-state electrolytes. Moreover, the electrolyte leakage concern can be further resolved by gelling non-flammable liquid electrolytes to obtain quasi-solid electrolytes. Herein, a comprehensive review of the latest progress in emerging non-flammable liquid electrolytes, including non-flammable organic liquid electrolytes, aqueous electrolytes, and deep eutectic solvent-based electrolytes is provided, and systematically introduce their flame-retardant mechanisms and electrochemical behaviors in alkali metal-based batteries. Then, the gelation techniques for preparing quasi-solid electrolytes are also summarized. Finally, the remaining challenges and future perspectives are presented. It is anticipated that this review will promote a safety improvement of alkali metal-based batteries.     

Highly disordered ionic distribution in α-dicalcium silicate for structure relaxation

Dicalcium silicate, which is found in steelmaking slag for dephosphorization, exists as the hexagonal α phase at high temperatures. The α-dicalcium silicate forms a solid solution with tricalcium phosphate in the entire composition range, although the reason for high solubility of phosphorus remains unclear in view of the crystal structure. It has previously been reported that the crystal structure of α-dicalcium silicate consists of a symmetric arrangement of Ca²⁺ ions and SiO₄⁴⁻ tetrahedra, although other polymorphs exhibit asymmetric arrangements. However, because the occupation probability of each atomic site in the α polymorph is not limited to unity, it has not been qualified how these ions are exactly arranged. In this study, the ionic distribution in the α polymorph of dicalcium silicate was evaluated by first-principles calculation based on density functional theory (DFT), as well as by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation with a polarizable ion model optimized by DFT calculation. The results indicated that the completely symmetric ionic arrangement, as reported for the α phase, is the most unstable. Electronic-state calculation and MD simulation indicated that a highly disordered ionic arrangement spontaneously forms in the α-phase crystal for structure relaxation when held at high temperatures, or when phosphorus is incorporated.