Thermal transport and chemical conversion in single reacting sorbent particles

The effects of particle size and carbon dioxide concentration on chemical conversion in engineered spherical particles undergoing calcium oxide looping are investigated. Particles are thermochemically cycled in a furnace under different carbon dioxide concentrations. Changes in composition due to chemical reactions are measured using thermogravimetric analysis. Gas composition at the furnace exit is evaluated with mass spectroscopy. A numerical model of thermal transport phenomena developed previously is adapted to match the physical system investigated in the present study. The model is used to elucidate effects of reacting medium characteristics on particle temperature and reaction extent. Experimental and numerical results show that (1) an increase in particle size results in a decrease in carbonation extent, and (2) the carbonation step consists of fast and slow reaction regimes. The reaction rates in the fast and slow carbonation regimes increase with increasing carbon dioxide concentration. The effect of carbon dioxide concentration and the distinction between the fast and slow regimes become more pronounced with increasing particle size.     

Extraction and characterization of hydroxyapatite-based materials from grey triggerfish skin and black scabbardfish bones

The conversion of food industry by-products to compounds with high added value is nowadays a significant topic, for social, environmental, and economic reasons. In this paper, calcium phosphate-based materials were obtained from black scabbardfish (Aphanopus carbo) bones and grey triggerfish (Balistes capriscus) skin, which are two of the most abundant fish by-products of Madeira Island. Different calcination temperatures between 400 and 1000°C were employed. Materials obtained from calcination of bones of black scabbard fish were composed by homogeneous mixtures of hydroxyapatite (Ca₁₀(PO4)₆(OH)₂, HAp) and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-Ca₃(PO₄)₂, β-TCP). Because of the high biocompatibility of HAp and the good resorbability of β-TCP, these natural biphasic materials could be very relevant in the field of biomaterials, as bone grafts. The ratio between HAp and β-TCP in the biphasic compound was dependent on the calcination temperature. Differently, the material obtained from skin of grey triggerfish contained HAp as the main phase, together with small amounts of other mineral phases, such as halite and rhenanite, which are known to enhance osteogenesis when used as bone substitutes. In both cases, the increase of calcination temperature led to an increase in the particles size with a consequent decrease in their specific surface area. These results demonstrate that from the fish by-products of the most consumed fishes in Madeira Island it is possible to obtain bioceramic materials with tunable composition and particle morphology, which could be promising materials for the biomedical field.     

Improving water retention of chicken breast meats by CaCl2 combined with pulsed electric fields

Frozen poultry meat is the most widely consumed animal-based food. However, water loss often leads to quality loss of poultry meat. Therefore, the present study sought to investigate the combined effect of calcium chloride (CaCl₂) and pulsed electric fields (PEF) treatment on chicken breast meats and the mechanisms underlying protein degradation. The results showed that the synergistic effect was superior to the single treatment. Compared with the untreated group, the combination of CaCl₂ and PEF increased water holding capacity of chicken breast meats by 16.61% and decreased cooking loss by 28.93%. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) results indicated that the synergistic treatment promoted water molecules' binding capacity in myofibrils of poultry meat, which exhibited higher immobilised water. Additionally, the combination of CaCl₂ and PEF led to increased degradation of proteins of high-molecular weight and surface hydrophobicity of myofibrillar protein. Furthermore, the extension of the protein molecule and microenvironmental changes promoted interaction between protein and water. In conclusion, the synergistic treatment of CaCl₂ and PEF enhanced water retention and improved physicochemical properties of the myofibrillar protein in chicken breast meats.     

等温滴定量热法探索酪蛋白磷酸肽单体与不同钙盐的相互作用

本研究探讨了在模拟小肠末端环境下酪蛋白磷酸肽（β-casein phosphopeptides(1-25)，简称CPP）与不同钙盐的相互作用情况。实验以等温滴定量热仪为方法，以热力学参数、化学计量数及亲和力常数为指标，评价不同钙盐与CPP的相互作用情况。结果表明，CPP与不同钙盐两两相互作用，且均为由熵驱动的自发反应（pH 8.0，37 ℃），该反应的主要推动力为离子相互作用力。不同钙盐与CPP反应时，焓变，熵变及自由能无明显差别（p>0.05），而化学计量数和亲和力常数存在显著性差异（p<0.05）。CPP与葡萄糖酸钙，乳酸钙和氯化钙相互作用时，化学计量数较高（3~4 mol/mol），而与天冬氨酸钙结合的化学计量数较低（2~3 mol/mol）。此外，相比其他钙盐，乳酸钙与CPP结合的亲和力常数最低。多肽与钙盐结合数高且亲和力较低时有利于小肠对钙的吸收。因此，相对于其他钙盐，CPP与乳酸钙结合可能更有利于小肠对钙的吸收。本研究为更好地了解CPP与不同钙盐溶液在模拟小肠末端环境下的热力学变化及结合情况奠定坚实的基础。     

Effects of Synthesis Conditions on the Formation of Si-Substituted Alpha Tricalcium Phosphates

Powders of α-TCP containing various amounts of silicon were synthesized by two different methods: Wet chemical precipitation and solid-state synthesis. The obtained powders were then physico–chemically studied using different methods: Scanning and transmission electron microscopy (TEM and SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), powder X-ray diffractometry (PXRD), infrared and Raman spectroscopies (FT-IR and R), and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR). The study showed that the method of synthesis affects the morphology of the obtained particles, the homogeneity of crystalline phase and the efficiency of Si substitution. Solid-state synthesis leads to particles with a low tendency to agglomerate compared to the precipitation method. However, the powders obtained by the solid-state method are less homogeneous and contain a significant amount of other crystalline phase, silicocarnotite (up to 7.33%). Moreover, the microcrystals from this method are more disordered. This might be caused by more efficient substitution of silicate ions: The silicon content of the samples obtained by the solid-state method is almost equal to the nominal values.     

基于钴改性的钙基吸附剂污泥富氢气化

基于钙基吸附剂的污泥蒸汽气化制取富氢合成气是一种高效环保的污泥处理方式。本文采用溶胶-凝胶法制备了Co改性、Al₂O₃为载体的钙基吸附剂。借助热重分析仪测定不同钙基吸附剂在多个碳酸化和煅烧循环中的CO₂吸附能力和循环稳定性，并在固定床上进行污泥蒸汽气化实验。结果显示：煅烧过程中，以Al₂O₃为载体的钙基吸附剂中的Al₂O₃与CaO生成七铝酸十二钙(Ca₁₂Al₁₄O₃₃)，并表现出优异的孔隙结构的和CO₂吸附能力，其中，Co质量分数为10%的吸附剂在30次循环（700℃碳酸化35min，850℃煅烧5min）中碳酸化率稳定在70%左右；提高气化温度及Co的添加量可促进焦油裂解和甲烷重整反应，显著提高了合成气中H₂的浓度和产量及污泥气化的冷煤气效率，有利于富氢气体的制取；在650℃下，相比于纯CaO，添加Co质量分数为15%的吸附剂时，H₂产量提高了102%，H₂体积分数提高到85%。     

High calcium cementless fly ash binder with low environmental footprint: Optimum Taguchi design

Despite the myriad of research efforts on exploiting fly ash as an alternative binder, its current role in industry is largely restricted to the supplementary use, which enables only partial replacement of conventional portland cement. Herein, we propose an unprecedented binder composite with the promising early-age strength, which is cost-effective and reduces the CO₂ footprint compared with portland cement. The major constituent is fly ash occupying 76.4%-80.3% by the total mass of the constituents, while calcium oxide, nanosilica, and the minimum amounts of sodium-based activators are added to induce the early-age strength development. Optimization of the composition via the Taguchi design of experiments produced the early (7-day) compressive strength of 16.18 MPa. This value is encouraging considering that it is comparable to that of conventional portland cement and that a cementless composition with the minimum amounts of sodium-based activators was employed. The extensive materials analysis demonstrates that the starting Ca/Na molar ratio and the amount of nanosilica play instrumental roles in strength development by influencing the formation of key reaction products, which include the sodium-substituted AFm phase (the U-phase), katoite and portlandite. Overall, the promising early-age strength coupled with the significantly decreased amount of sodium-based chemicals and the reduced CO₂ footprint will lay a foundation for development of low-cost, environmentally friendly binder in diverse industries.     

改性聚乙二醇多磺酸基水处理剂的制备及性能

以过硫酸铵为引发剂,以马来酸酐改性聚乙二醇得到的聚乙二醇酯(PEGMA)、乙烯基磺酸钠(SVS)、丙烯酸(AA)为单体,通过水相自由基共聚反应制备目标共聚物PEGMA-SVS-AA。考察了聚合工艺对其阻碳酸钙垢性能的影响,利用红外光谱对共聚物结构进行表征,得到最佳聚合反应条件为:n(PEGMA)∶n(SVS)∶n(AA)为1∶3∶5,过硫酸铵用量为单体总质量的6%,反应时间2.5 h,控制反应温度为80℃。在该条件下制备的聚合物PEGMA-SVS-AA在模拟工业生产循环冷却水条件下,其阻碳酸钙垢率达到89%。使用XRD和SEM对碳酸钙垢进行了表征,该水处理剂不仅改变了碳酸钙的形貌而且改变了碳酸钙的晶型。     

Environmental Enrichment Enhances Cav 2.1 Channel-Mediated Presynaptic Plasticity in Hypoxic–Ischemic Encephalopathy

Hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a devastating neonatal brain condition caused by lack of oxygen and limited blood flow. Environmental enrichment (EE) is a classic paradigm with a complex stimulation of physical, cognitive, and social components. EE can exert neuroplasticity and neuroprotective effects in immature brains. However, the exact mechanism of EE on the chronic condition of HIE remains unclear. HIE was induced by a permanent ligation of the right carotid artery, followed by an 8% O₂ hypoxic condition for 1 h. At 6 weeks of age, HIE mice were randomly assigned to either standard cages or EE cages. In the behavioral assessments, EE mice showed significantly improved motor performances in rotarod tests, ladder walking tests, and hanging wire tests, compared with HIE control mice. EE mice also significantly enhanced cognitive performances in Y-maze tests. Particularly, EE mice showed a significant increase in Ca_v 2.1 (P/Q type) and presynaptic proteins by molecular assessments, and a significant increase of Ca_v 2.1 in histological assessments of the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. These results indicate that EE can upregulate the expression of the Ca_v 2.1 channel and presynaptic proteins related to the synaptic vesicle cycle and neurotransmitter release, which may be responsible for motor and cognitive improvements in HIE.     

Experimental study on mitigating wind erosion of calcareous desert sand using spray method for microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation

Wind erosion is one of the significant natural calamities worldwide, which degrades around one-third of global land. The eroded and suspended soil particles in the environment may cause health hazards, i.e. allergies and respiratory diseases, due to the presence of harmful contaminants, bacteria, and pollens. The present study evaluates the feasibility of microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) technique to mitigate wind-induced erosion of calcareous desert sand (Thar desert of Rajasthan province in India). The temperature during biotreatment was kept at 36 °C to stimulate the average temperature of the Thar desert. The spray method was used for bioaugmentation of Sporosarcina (S.) pasteurii and further treatment using chemical solutions. The chemical solution of 0.25 pore volume was sprayed continuously up to 5 d, 10 d, 15 d, and 20 d, using two different concentration ratios of urea and calcium chloride dihydrate viz 2:1 and 1:1. The biotreated samples were subjected to erosion testing (in the wind tunnel) at different wind speeds of 10 m/s, 20 m/s, and 30 m/s. The unconfined compressive strength of the biocemented crust was measured using a pocket penetrometer. The variation in calcite precipitation and microstructure (including the presence of crystalline minerals) of untreated as well as biotreated sand samples were determined through calcimeter, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscope (EDX). The results demonstrated that the erosion of untreated sand increases with an increase in wind speeds. When compared to untreated sand, a lower erosion was observed in all biocemented sand samples, irrespective of treatment condition and wind speed. It was observed that the sample treated with 1:1 cementation solution for up to 5 d, was found to effectively resist erosion at a wind speed of 10 m/s. Moreover, a significant erosion resistance was ascertained in 15 d and 20 d treated samples at higher wind speeds. The calcite content percentage, thickness of crust, bulk density, and surface strength of biocemented sand were enhanced with the increase in treatment duration. The 1:1 concentration ratio of cementation solution was found effective in improving crust thickness and surface strength as compared to 2:1 concentration ratio of cementation solution. The calcite crystals formation was observed in SEM analysis and calcium peaks were observed in EDX analysis for biotreated sand.