Statistical Evaluation of Factors Affecting the Leaching Process of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment using Sodium Persulfate

Recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is important not only to reduce the amount of waste requiring treatment, but also to promote the recovery of valuable materials. Implementation of the European Directive on WEEE and recycling targets imposed in the European Union will require new processes to be developed and applied to recover metals from WEEE. This study aims to provide an alternative process for the dissolution of metals from WEEE which contains Cu and Zn based on our previous research. The effects of leaching parameters, such as temperature, Na₂S₂O₈ concentration, and leaching time, were separately investigated on leaching of copper, zinc, and brass (alloy composition ?35% zinc and 65% copper) in Na₂S₂O₈ solution (0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 M). Box–Behnken experimental design (BBD) method was used to determine the number and the condition of necessary leaching experiments. Statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to see whether process parameters such as leaching time, temperature, and oxidant concentration are statistically significant or not on the leaching performance. Results show leaching time as the most influential factor in the dissolution process, for the first six models. Two extended models have been developed to optimize the parameters of the investigated process. In these models, we consider the metal composition as a model input next to the earlier investigated parameters. Optimal condition for maximum copper and zinc dissolution in Na₂S₂O₈ environment can be found for parameter values: temperature 45°C, oxidant concentration 0.1 M and leaching time 35 min.     

Shrinkage behavior after the heat setting of biaxially stretched poly(ethylene 2,6‐naphthalate) films and bottles

Amorphous preforms of poly(ethylene 2,6‐naphthalate) (PEN) were biaxially drawn into bottles up to the desired volume under industrial conditions. These bottles were used to characterize the shrinkage behavior of the drawn bottles with or without heat treatment and to study structural variations during heat setting. During drawing, a rigid phase structure was induced, and the amount of the induced rigid phase structure was linearly related to the square root of the extra first strain invariant under equilibrium conditions. During the production of these bottles, this equilibrium was not attained because of high stretching conditions and rapid cooling after stretching. The structure after orientation contained a rigid amorphous phase and an oriented amorphous phase. The shrinkage behavior was a function of the temperature and time of heat setting. Long heat‐setting times, around 30 min, were used to characterize the possible structural variations of the oriented PEN after heat setting at equilibrium. Under the equilibrium conditions of heat setting, the start temperature of the shrinkage was directly related to the heat‐setting temperature and moved from 60°C without heat treatment up to a temperature of 255°C by a heat‐setting temperature of 255°C; this contrasted with poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), for which the start temperature of shrinkage was always around 80°C. For heat‐setting temperatures higher than 220°C, the structural variations changed rapidly as a function of the heat‐setting time, and the corresponding shrinkage of the heat‐set samples sank below 1% in a timescale of 30–60 s for a film thickness of 500 μm. The heat treatment of the oriented films taken out of the bottle walls with fixed ends stabilized the induced structures, and the shrinkage of these heat‐set films was zero for temperatures up to the heat‐setting temperature, between 220 and 265°C, if the heat‐setting time was sufficient. According to the results obtained, a heat‐setting time of 30 s, for a film thickness of 500 μm, was sufficient at a heat‐setting temperature of 255°C to stabilize the produced biaxially oriented PEN bottles and to take them out the mold without further shrinkage. During the drawing of PEN, two different types of rigid amorphous phases seemed to be induced, one with a mean shrinkage temperature of 151°C and another rigid amorphous phase, more temperature‐stable than the first one, that shrank in the temperature range of 200–310°C. During heat setting at high temperatures, a continuous transformation of the less stable phase into the very stable phase took place. The heat‐set method after blow molding is industrially possible with PEN, without the complicated process of subsequent cooling before the molds are opened, in contrast to PET. This constitutes a big advantage for the blow molding of PEN bottles and the production of oriented PEN films. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 87: 1462–1473, 2003     

Thermal shock resistance and hoop strength of triplex silicon carbide composite tubes

Multi‐layered SiC composites have been considered as a nuclear fuel cladding material of light water reactors, LWRs, because of their excellent high temperature strength and corrosion resistance under accident conditions. During a design basis accident of a LWR such as a loss‐of‐coolant accident, the peak temperature of the fuel clad rapidly increases as the production of decay heat continues. The emergency core cooling systems then automatically supply the reactor core with emergency cooling water. The fuel clad consequently suffers from thermal shock. In this study, the structural integrity of multi‐layered SiC composite tubes after thermal shock was investigated. Several kinds of multi‐layered SiC composite tubes consisting of CVD SiC and CVI SiC_f/SiC were water‐quenched from 1200°C to room temperature. The triplex SiC composite tube retained its tubular geometry during quenching. The strength degradation after thermal shock was <13% for the specimens with a PyC interphase. The residual stress distribution within the tubes during thermal shock was evaluated by a finite element method.     

In situ synthesis and thermal shock resistance of mullite used for thermal storage ceramics in solar thermal power generation

Abstract

Mullite ceramic, as one of high performance thermal storage ceramics for solar thermal power generation systems, was in situ fabricated via semidry pressing and pressureless sintering in the air. Andalusite (57–68 wt-%) and calcined bauxite (24–29 wt-%) were used as the raw materials, with kaolin and a tiny of boric acid being added to promote the densification and improve the mechanical properties. The best physical properties and thermal shock resistance were obtained on an optimum A3 sample sintered at 1600°C for 3 h, i.e. a bending strength of 120·44 MPa and 30 cycles thermal shock cycling without cracking (wind cooling from 1000°C to room temperature) with a loss of bending strength of 8·7%.     

Bismuth niobate thin films for dielectric energy storage applications

Low‐temperature processed bismuth niobate (BNO) thin films were explored in this work as a potential candidate for high‐energy density capacitors. The BNO samples were fabricated by the chemical solution deposition method followed by a series of ultraviolet (UV) exposure and heat treatments. A UV treatment prior to the final pyrolysis step was found to be useful in eliminating bound carbon. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) demonstrated that the residual carbon could be effectively removed at 350°C after UV exposure. Following a heat treatment at 450°C, the energy storage density of the BNO thin film reached 39 J/cm³ with an efficiency of 72%. Furthermore, 350°C and 375°C treated BNO samples showed high‐temperature stability such that the efficiencies of the films remained above 97% up to 150°C at 10 kHz under 1 MV/cm applied field.     

Microstructural evolution during thermal shock process and the residual strength of Si3N4 ceramics

Thermal shock resistance of silicon nitride was investigated from aspects of residual strength and microstructure, using a water quenching method. The residual strengths after 800 and 1000°C thermal shock polarized as higher ones and much lower ones, and reasons for the huge disparity are explored. With heat treatment temperature getting higher, the inner small pores rush to and aggregate in the surface layer of the samples. When the heat treatment reaches 1400°C, a darker subsurface layer is observed, which is caused by the loss of most Al and Y elements. Moreover, many more small pores are found in this layer, acting as the dissipation sources, they protect the material strength by releasing the intense thermal stress. But this subsurface layer disappears during the natural cooling down to 600°C as Al and Y uniformly redistributed in extended oxidation, then huge cracks form on the surface layer undergoing much smaller thermal stress from 600 to 0°C. Moreover, the bonding Y and Si can be oxidized into two types of Y₂Si₂O₇ crystals that improve the thermal shock performance of Si₃N₄.     

Influence of the melting temperature and rate of cooling the melt to the glass making temperature on the redox equilibria Fe2+ ? Fe3+ and Cu+ ? Cu2+ in aluminum potassium barium phosphate glasses

This paper reports on the results of the investigation of aluminum potassium barium phosphate glasses that contain copper and iron additives and have compositions similar to the composition of the matrix of the KGSS 0180/35 neodymium phosphate glass used for fabricating large-sized active elements intended for high-power laser amplifiers with a high output energy. The redox equilibrium of iron ions has been studied as a function of the melting temperature of the glass (850, 1100, and 1300°C). The redox equilibrium of iron or copper ions and their contributions to the nonactive absorption coefficient of glasses prepared at the melting temperature (1100°C) or after cooling of the glass melt at different rates to the glass making temperature (850°C) have been investigated. It has been established that a decrease in the melting temperature of the glass leads to a shift in the redox equilibrium of iron ions toward the formation of Fe³⁺ ions. During cooling of the glass melt from 1100 to 850°C, the redox equilibrium of copper (iron) ions shifts toward the formation of Cu²⁺ (Fe³⁺) ions; in this case, the lower the rate of cooling the melt, the larger the shift. At the minimum rate of cooling the glass melt (250°C for 180 min), the contribution of copper ions to the nonactive absorption coefficient increases by 25%, whereas the corresponding contribution of iron ions decreases by 40%.     

Effect of porous properties on self-cooling of fired clay plate by evaporation of absorbed water

Porous ceramic plates were prepared from clay and wood charcoal powder at 900 and 1100?°C and their porous properties, water absorption and the cooling effect of porous plates were investigated to produce eco-friendly porous ceramics for cooling by the evaporation of absorbed water. Porous properties were dependent on the firing temperature, and total pore volume, average pore size and porosity, which were 0.38–0.39 cm³/g, 0.15–0.17 μm and 49–50%, respectively at 900?°C and 0.31–0.33 cm³/g, 2.47–2.59 μm and 43–44%, respectively at 1100?°C. By the addition of wood charcoal powder, the cooling rate of porous plate fired at 1100?°C was 1.7 times faster than that of the plate fired at 900?°C and the cooling temperature difference (?T) was around 2.3?°C at 22.5?°C and 52–54% of relative humidity and around 3.2?°C at 29?°C and 77–80% of relative humidity. The porous ceramic plates developed here are potential materials for cooling buildings.     

Prospective LCA of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Thermo-Chemical Recycling by Pyrolysis

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is a particularly difficult waste to manage, characterized by hazardous and valuable chemicals. Emerging chemical recycling technologies are developed to unveil the possibility of sustainable treatment providing valuable resources from WEEE. This study develops a framework for prospective life cycle assessment (LCA) to explore a range of future scenarios in which the technology can be operated with low environmental impact. This is demonstrated in a case study focusing on plastics from WEEE, which are currently predominantly incinerated. The results reveal environmental benefits by WEEE treated via chemical recycling. In terms of climate change impacts, the best-case scenario of chemical recycling shows a reduction potential of 74 % compared to current treatment.     

Novel observations on kinetics of nonisothermal crystallization in fly ash filled isotactic‐polypropylene composites

A study on nonisothermal crystallization kinetics in fly ash (FA) filled isotactic‐polypropylene (PP) composites has revealed some interesting phenomena. Composites made by injection moulding of PP with 0, 20, 45, and 60 wt % of FA were nonisothermally studied using differential scanning calorimetry at cooling rates 10°C, 15°C, and 20°C per min from a melt temperature of 200°C cooled to ?30 °C. Whilst neat PP showed a mono modal α crystalline phase‐ only structure, presence of FA led to bimodal thermographs revealing partial transcrystallisation of α into β, to maximum 14%. The onset and peak crystallization temperatures of all samples decreased by ～ 3°C with each 5°C/min increase in cooling rate. Parameters such as crystal growth rate, dimensions, and activation energy were determined using a series of established models. The Avrami graphs showed that contrary to the published data, there are two sets of straight lines (a) with a lower slope at low cooling rate and (b) with a distinctly higher slope for high cooling rate. Activation energy of the materials reached a maximum at 45% FA. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Effects of melt structure on non‐isothermal crystallization behavior of isotactic polypropylene nucleated with α/β compounded nucleating agents

In this study, the effects of melt structure (tuned by controlling the fusion temperature T_f) on non‐isothermal crystallization and subsequent melting behaviors of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) nucleated with α/β compounded nucleating agents (α/β‐CNAs) have been further investigated. The results show that under all cooling rates studied (2–40°C/min), the crystallization temperature on cooling curves increased gradually with decrease of T_f, meanwhile, when T_f was in temperature range of 166°C–179°C where ordered structures survived in the melt (defined as Region II), crystallization activation energy ΔE was found to be evidently lower compared with that when T_f > 179°C or T_f < 166°C. The results of subsequent heating showed that occurrence of Ordered Structure Effect can be observed at all the cooling rates studied; the location of the Region II was constant when cooling rate varied; Low cooling rate encouraged formation of more β‐phase triggered by ordered structure. Moreover, the role of ordered structure on β‐α recrystallization was comparatively studied by tuning the end temperature of recooling (T_end) after held at T_f, and it was found that ordered structure encouraged the formation of β‐phase with high thermal stability at low temperature part of Region II, while enhanced the β‐crystal with relatively low thermal stability at high temperature part of Region II. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 57:989–997, 2017. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Investigating the effect of andalusite on mechanical strength and thermal shock resistance of cordierite-spodumene composite ceramics

For increasing working stability of cordierite-spodumene composite ceramics for solar heat transmission pipeline, andalusite was utilized as modified additive to improve mechanical strength and thermal shock resistance of the composite ceramics. The effects of andalusite on densification, mechanical strength, thermal stability, phase composition and microstructure were studied. The experiment results showed that andalusite significantly influenced bending strength and thermal shock resistance of the composite ceramics. Especially, specimen B1 with 5 wt% andalusite sintered at 1400 °C achieved the best performances. The linear shrinkage, water absorption, apparent porosity, bulk density and bending strength were 5.62%, 0.02%, 0.06%, 2.19 g cm^?3 and 104.94 MPa, respectively. After 30 thermal shock cycles (wind cooling from 1100 °C to room temperature), the residual strength of the specimen increased to 110.65 MPa, accompanying with ?5.44% strength loss rate. The XRD and SEM analysis illustrated that mullite grains with short rod-like shape could prevent crack growth of inter-granular fracture to enhance bending strength of the specimens. Furthermore, the generation of β-spodumene grains with low thermal expansion coefficient after thermal shock improved thermal shock resistance of the composite ceramics. It is considered that the cordierite-spodumene composite ceramics with high densification, good mechanical strength and excellent thermal stability can be a potential material for high temperature thermal transmission pipeline in solar thermal power generation.     

Structure and properties of bio‐based polyamide 109 treated with superheated water

The structure and properties of bio‐based polyamide 109 (PA109) after treatment with superheated water (140 °C ≤ T ≤ 280 °C) were investigated and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and small‐angle X‐ray scattering. Below 170 °C, the hydrothermal treatment was considered to be a physical process, which exerted an annealing effect on PA109. It led to an increase in melting temperature, lamellar thickness and crystallinity, while the macromolecular structure, crystal structure and the order of crystalline regions were not affected. Above 170 °C, complete melting/dissolution of PA109 occurred with partial hydrolysis. Due to the high temperature and long reaction time, the hydrolysis reaction became more and more prominent, and the resin was completely hydrolyzed into oligomers at 280 °C. Also, above 170 °C, the hydrothermal treatment was accompanied by a chemical process and the melting temperature and molecular weight decreased progressively. Notably, the crystal structure was not altered, but the degree of perfection of crystals and the order of crystalline regions were broken, especially above 200 °C. The hydrolytic degradation reaction was significantly affected by temperature, while both time and the water to polyamide ratio were secondary factors which influenced it to a minor extent. The process could be considered as a typical nucleophilic substitution reaction which takes place step by step inducing the molecular weight to decrease gradually. Overall, this study provides a ‘green’ route for the processing, recycling and treatment of environmentally friendly polyamides based on hydrothermal treatment technology. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

A novel β‐nucleating agent for isotactic polypropylene

The nucleating ability of p‐cyclohexylamide carboxybenzene (β‐NA) towards isotactic polypropylene (iPP) was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, X‐ray diffraction, polarized optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. β‐NA is identified to have dual nucleating ability for α‐iPP and β‐iPP under appropriate kinetic conditions. The formation of β‐iPP is dependent on the content of β‐NA. The content of β‐phase can reach as high as 96.96% with the addition of only 0.05 wt% β‐NA. Under non‐isothermal crystallization the content of β‐iPP increases with increasing cooling rate. The maximum β‐crystal content is obtained at a cooling rate of 40 °C min^–1. The supermolecular structure of the β‐iPP is identified as a leaf‐like transcrystalline structure with an ordered lamellae arrangement perpendicular to the special surface of β‐NA. Under isothermal crystallization β‐crystals can be formed in the temperature range 80–140 °C. The content of β‐crystals reaches its maximum value at a crystallization temperature of 130 °C. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Gasification of municipal solid waste in a pilot plant and its impact on environment

Municipal solid waste from three cities was gasified in a 3 ton/day capacity gasification/melting pilot plant based on Thermoselect at a temperature of around 1,200 °C using double inverse diffusion flame burner. The synthesis gas (syngas) obtained from gasification contains 25–34% CO and 28–38% of H₂. The high heating value of syngas was in the range of 10.88–14.65MJ/Nm³. Volatile organic compounds like furan, dioxin, and other organics in gaseous and liquid phase were effectively destroyed because of the high temperature of the high temperature reactor and shock cooling of syngas. Pollutants in exhaust gases were also found to be satisfying the Korean emission standard. Leaching concentration of heavy metals in the melted slag (vitrified mineral aggregate), fly ash, and treated water was much less than the Korean regulatory limit values due to high melting temperature (1,600 °C). The vitrified slag was of dark brown color. The glassy and amorphous nature of the vitrified mineral aggregate was further confirmed from SEM micrograph and XRD spectra of slag. The vitrified mineral aggregate could be used as natural raw material in cement and construction industry.     

Effect of Recycling on the Mechanical Properties of Wood Fiber-Polystyrene Composites. II. Sawdust as a Reinforcing Filler

The recycling behavior of sawdust, both hardwood and softwood, filled polystyrene composites was observed by measuring the mechanical properties and dimensional stability under normal conditions (room temperature) as well as extreme ones (e.g., exposure to water at room temperature and boiling temperature, and to heat at +105°C and ?20°C). Mechanical properties and dimensional stability of the original and recycled composites—that is, nontreated and treated ones (e.g., 3% isocyanate, coated fiber-filled and grafted fiber-filled)—are compared under all extreme conditions. the behavior of the recycled composites did not change significantly. Furthermore, treated wood fiber-filled thermoplastic composites offered superior mechanical properties and dimensional stability under all extreme conditions, even after recycling.     

Unique performance of thermal barrier coatings made of yttria-stabilized zirconia at extreme temperatures (>1500°C)

Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) has been for several decades the state of the art material for thermal barrier coating (TBC) applications in gas turbines. Although the material has unique properties, further efficiency improvement by increasing the temperature is limited due to its maximum temperature capability of about 1200°C. Above this temperature the deposited metastable tetragonal (t´) phase undergoes a detrimental phase transformation as well as enhanced sintering. Both processes promote the failure of the coatings at elevated temperatures and this early failure has been frequently observed in gradient tests. In this paper, we now experimentally shown for the first time that under typical cycling conditions not the time at elevated temperatures leads to the reduced lifetime but the transient cooling rates. If cooling rates were reduced to 10K/s, TBC systems could be operated in a burner rig at a surface temperature well above 1500°C without showing a lifetime reduction. The explanation of these astonishing findings is given by the evaluation of energy release rate peaks during fast transient cooling in combination with the phase evolution during cooling with the used cooling rates.     

Influence of cooling methods on high-temperature residual mechanical characterization of strain-hardening cementitious composites

Residual strength tests are commonly used to characterize the high-temperature mechanical properties of concrete materials. In these tests, the specimens are heated to a target temperature in a furnace and then cooled down to room temperature, followed by mechanical testing at room temperature. This research investigates the influence of the cooling method on the residual strength of Strain Hardening Cementitious Composites (SHCC) after exposure to 400°C and 600°C. Two types of cooling methods — furnace-cooling (within a closed furnace) and water-cooling (immersed in a water tank) — were adopted. Four different SHCC previously investigated by the authors for high-temperature residual mechanical and bond behavior with steel were studied. Two different specimen sizes were tested under uniaxial compression and flexure to characterize the residual compressive strength and modulus of rupture. The effect of the cooling method was prominent for the normalized residual modulus of rupture at 400°C, but not at 600°C. The cooling method had no effect on the normalized residual compressive strength of any material at either of the two temperatures, except one of the SHCC (PVA-SC) at 400°C. Specimen size also had no effect on the normalized residual compressive strength and modulus of rupture irrespective of the cooling method.     

Effect of poly(D-lactic acid) and cooling temperature on heat resistance and antibacterial performance of stereocomplex poly(L-lactic acid)

Stereocomplex nucleated polylactic acid was prepared by the addition of poly(D-lactic acid) (PDLA) in poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) under various cooling temperatures by monitoring the mechanical properties and heat resistance. Antibacterial performance against the growth of Escherichia coli on PLLA/PDLA doped with various contents of 2-hydroxypropyl-3-piperazinyl-quinoline carboxylic acid methacrylate (HPQM) was also evaluated. The results suggested that a small addition of PDLA generated stereocomplex crystals while increasing cooling temperature resulted in homo crystals formation in PLLA. The incorporation of PDLA with high cooling temperature increased the heat deflection temperature, impact resistance, and tensile modulus, but decreased the antibacterial performance against E. coli. The addition of PDLA at 2.0 wt% in PLLA at cooling temperature at 80°C showed a synergistic effect to obtain an exceptionally high heat deflection temperature up to 164°C. HPQM was, for the first time, introduced as antibacterial agent in PLLA with an optimum dosage of 1750 ppm. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48970.     

Response Surface Analysis for Competition between Thermooxidation and Polycondensation Reactions of PET Flakes. Part 1: Low Vacuum Atmosphere

This work was accomplished employing solid-state polymerization (SSP) under less severe vacuum intensity (30 mmHg) in static mode at different times and temperatures. The influence of these parameters on intrinsic viscosity measurements was performed using Response Surface Methodology. The effect of temperature on intrinsic viscosity gains showed to be less pronounced than expected due to SSP being surface diffusion-controlled. The SSP efficiency for temperature as high as 230°C and dwell times higher than approximately 330 min showed lower increment on intrinsic viscosity than at immediately lower temperatures, although above approximately 215°C. This effect is a consequence of higher conversion rates of side reactions with increasing temperatures, their cumulative effect with increasing dwell time, and lower increment of polycondensation convertion rate with temperature under less severe vacuum intensity. The process temperatures and intervals determined, which allow PET recycling into new injected bottles, were moderates.