High-Pressure Reverse Osmosis for Industrial Water Recycling: Permeate-Sided Pressure Drop as Performance-Limiting Factor

In the chemical industry large amounts of saline wastewater occur. Its disposal into rivers is a considerable burden to the ecosystem. To strive for a circular economy and enable a viable raw material recycling, energy-efficient concentration processes are requisite. High-pressure reverse osmosis meets this criterion, but its industrial application demands suitable membrane elements that withstand the exceptional operation conditions and provide sufficient performance. Hence, new requirements regarding the design of spiral-wound elements arise. To identify those, specific performance-limiting effects need a better understanding.     

Effect of suspension characteristics on the performance of thermal barrier coatings deposited by suspension plasma spray

This paper investigates the influence of suspension characteristics on microstructure and performance of suspensions plasma sprayed (SPS) thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). Five suspensions were produced using various suspension characteristics, namely, type of solvent and solid load content, and the resultant suspensions were utilized to deposit five different TBCs under identical processing conditions. The produced TBCs were evaluated for their performance i.e. thermal conductivity, thermal cyclic fatigue (TCF) and thermal shock (TS) lifetime. This experimental study revealed that the differences in the microstructure of SPS TBCs produced using varied suspensions resulted in a wide-ranging overall TBC performance. All TBCs exhibited thermal conductivity lower than 1 W/(m. K) except water-ethanol mixed suspension produced TBC. The TS lifetime was also affected to a large extent where 10 wt % solid loaded ethanol and 25 wt % solid loaded water suspensions produced TBCs exhibited the highest and the lowest lifetime, respectively. On the contrary, TCF lifetime was not as significantly affected as thermal conductivity and TS lifetime, and all ethanol suspensions showed marginally better TCF lifetime than water and ethanol-water mixed suspensions deposited TBCs.     

Understanding on the hydrogen detection of plasma sprayed tin oxide/tungsten oxide (SnO2/WO3) sensor

The plasma spray technique was well proven in producing metal oxide based gas sensors in the last two decades using different powder feedstocks. However, limited research was made to fabricate hydrogen gas sensor from tin oxide layer coated over tungsten oxide layer. This paper attempts to interpret the hydrogen gas sensing performances of plasma sprayed coating derived by depositing tin oxide layer over tungsten oxide (SnO₂/WO₃) layer. Plasma sprayed SnO₂/WO₃ sensor showed maximum response of 90% at 150 °C in contrast to stand-alone WO₃ (89% at 350 °C) and stand-alone SnO₂ (89% at 250 °C). The lower operating temperature of SnO₂/WO₃ sensor without compromising gas response was attributed to the WO₃–SnO₂ hetero-junction. SnO₂/WO₃ sensor showed selective sensing towards hydrogen with respect to carbon monoxide and methane gases. This sensor also possessed repeatable characteristics after 39 days from the initial measurement. In a nut-shell, plasma spayed SnO₂/WO₃ sensor showed stability of base resistance, repeatability after successive response and recovery cycles, selective sensing towards 500 ppm H₂ with significant magnitude of gas response of 90%, response time of 35 s and recovery time of 269 s at a temperature of 150 °C.     

Numerical simulation of the effect of multiple obstacles inside the tube on the spontaneous ignition of high-pressure hydrogen release

Self-ignition may occur during hydrogen storage and transportation if high-pressure hydrogen is suddenly released into the downstream pipelines, and the presence of obstacles inside the pipeline may affect the ignition mechanism of high-pressure hydrogen. In this work, the effects of multiple obstacles inside the tube on the shock wave propagation and self-ignition during high-pressure hydrogen release are investigated by numerical simulation. The RNG k-ε turbulence model, EDC combustion model, and 19-step detailed hydrogen combustion mechanism are employed. After verifying the reliability of the model with experimental data, the self-ignition process of high-pressure hydrogen release into tubes with obstacles with different locations, spacings, shapes, and blockage ratios is numerically investigated. The results show that obstacles with different locations, spacings, shapes and blockage ratios will generate reflected shock waves with different sizes and propagation trends. The closer the location of obstacles to the burst disk, the smaller the spacing, and the larger the blockage ratio will cause the greater the pressure of the reflected shock wave it produces. Compared with the tubes with rectangular-shaped, semi-circular-shaped and triangular-shaped obstacles, self-ignition is preferred to occur in tube with triangular-shaped obstacles.     

Experimental research on combined effect of obstacle and local spraying water fog on hydrogen/air premixed explosion

In order to reveal the mechanism of water fog explosion suppression and research the combined effect of water fog and obstacle on hydrogen/air deflagration, multiple sets of experiments were set up. The results show that the instability of thermal diffusion under lean combustion conditions is the main influencing factor of hydrogen/air flame surface instability, and the existence of water fog will aggravate the hydrogen/air flame surface instability. When obstacle is not considered, 8 μm, 15 μm, 30 μm water fog can significantly reduce the flame velocity and explosion overpressure of hydrogen/air, 45 μm fine water fog plays the opposite role. When considering the relative position of the water fog release position and the obstacle, the 8 μm, 15 μm, 30 μm water fog has almost no suppression effect when released near the obstacle, but a significant suppression effect occur, when using the 45 μm water fog. In the field of theoretical research, the research results not only provide an experimental basis for the fine water fog to reduce the consequences of hydrogen explosion accidents, and the optimal diameter range used by the water fog, but also provide experimental reference for the numerical simulation of hydrogen/air explosion suppression in semi-open space, and promote the development of hydrogen explosion suppression theory. In terms of engineering applications, this study can provide a theoretical basis for the layout of fire fighting equipment in the engine room of nuclear power plants or hydrogen-powered ships.     

Life time prediction of self-supporting flame-sprayed alumina-rich coatings

Main objective of the presented research is the life time prediction of self-supporting flame-sprayed Al₂O₃- and Al₂O₃ -ZrO₂ -TiO₂-materials under constant load. The characteristic life time and its scatter were derived from stable crack growth tests and Weibull-statistics including the four-point-bending and ball-on-three-balls method. The potential life time was estimated in order to assess room-temperature handling and long term storage of self-supporting flame-sprayed alumina components. In terms of flexural strength, energy release, and subcritical crack growth parameters, distinct differences between both materials were shown. In turn, the characteristic life times only barely deviated from each other. From that the conclusion was drawn that life time performance under constant load application is governed by the characteristic flame-spray microstructure. However, advantages in the flame-spray processing of Al₂O₃ - ZrO₂ -TiO₂ are still given, attributed to its lower melting temperature.     

Wear-resistant ceramic coatings deposited by liquid thermal spraying

As a surface strengthening and surface modification technology of materials, liquid thermal spray technology has been used in many fields, such as wear and friction reduction, corrosion resistance, and high-temperature oxidation resistance. This article reviews the progress of liquid thermal sprayed coating in wear resistance as well as friction reduction in recent years. The influences of microstructure, composition, phase structure and mechanical properties on the tribological properties of typical coatings (including ceramic coatings and multiphase composite coatings) are investigated. The tribological properties of the coating are determined by the coating characteristics (including microstructure, porosity, mechanical properties, etc.) and the service conditions (working temperature, lubrication state, etc.). Typical ceramic wear-resistant coatings include Al₂O₃, YSZ, HA coatings, etc. The tribological properties of the coating can be significantly improved through process optimization and heat treatment. The comparison of nanostructured and microstructured ceramic-based coating reveals that nanostructured coating reduces wear by absorbing stress. The interaction between different constituent phases improves wear resistance and reduces wear in composite coatings. Finally, various challenges faced by liquid thermal spray are pointed out, and future research focuses are proposed.     

热处理对等离子喷涂铁基非晶合金涂层微观结构和耐腐蚀性能的影响

采用等离子喷涂技术在Q235钢基体上制备Fe48Cr15Mo14C15B6Y2非晶合金涂层,之后对涂层进行200,300,500,600,700℃热处理,研究了热处理对涂层微观结构、耐电化学腐蚀性能和耐均匀腐蚀性能的影响。结果表明:随着热处理温度的升高,涂层的非晶含量降低,孔隙率先减小后增大,经300℃热处理后涂层的孔隙率最低,且低于未热处理涂层的;热处理后涂层中的晶体相主要包括α-Fe,Fe-Cr,Fe63Mo37,Fe3C等;随着热处理温度的升高,涂层的自腐蚀电流密度先减小后增大,经300℃热处理后,自腐蚀电流密度最小,涂层的耐电化学腐蚀性能最好;经过热处理后,涂层在NaCl溶液中浸泡31d后的单位面积质量损失减小,且热处理温度越高,单位面积质量损失越小,涂层的耐均匀腐蚀性能提高。     

汽车发动机用AZ91D合金的表面喷涂与性能

采用热喷涂工艺在压铸态AZ91D合金表面制备了Al涂层,研究了热处理温度和保温时间对AZ91/Al涂层界面组织形貌的影响,并对比分析了扩散层的耐腐蚀性能和耐磨性能。结果表明,热处理前Al涂层与基材为机械结合,热处理后Al涂层与AZ91合金基材的界面处可形成冶金结合扩散层,且随着保温时间延长,扩散层厚度不断增加;热处理温度在375 ℃以下时扩散层主要由β-Mg₁₇Al₁₂相构成,375 ℃×8 h热处理后为α-Mg+β-Mg₁₇Al₁₂相,425 ℃×1 h热处理后为γ-Mg₂Al₃和β-Mg₁₇Al₁₂相。AZ91合金基材和扩散层腐蚀电位从高至低顺序为γ>β>α+β>AZ91合金基材,扩散层的腐蚀电流密度均低于AZ91合金基材,阻抗谱图中容抗弧半径从大至小顺序为γ>β>α+β>AZ91合金基材,扩散层的耐腐蚀性能均优于AZ91合金基材;γ、β和α+β扩散层的摩擦稳定性系数都高于AZ91合金基材,而磨损速率和磨痕宽度都要小于AZ91合金基材,其中β扩散层的磨损速率和磨痕宽度最小,具有最佳的抵抗磨损的能力。