Photocatalytic oxidation of treated municipal wastewaters for the removal of phenolic compounds: optimization and modeling using response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural networks (ANNs)

BACKGROUND: TiO₂ heterogeneous photocatalysis should be optimized before application for the removal of pollutants in treated wastewaters. The response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural networks (ANNs) were applied to model and optimize the photocatalytic degradation of total phenolic (TPh) compounds in real secondary and tertiary treated municipal wastewaters. RESULTS: RSM was developed by considering a central composite design (CCD) with three input variables, i.e. TiO₂ mass, initial concentration of TPh and irradiation intensity. At the same time a feed‐forward multilayered perceptron ANN trained using back propagation algorithms was used and compared with RSM. Under the optimum conditions established in experiments ([TPh]₀ = 3 mg L^?1; [TiO₂] = 300 mg L^?1; I = 600 W m^?2) the degradation for both TPh and total organic carbon (TOC) followed pseudo‐first‐order kinetic model. Complete degradation of TPh took place in 180 min and reduction of TOC reached 80%. A significant abatement of the overall toxicity was accomplished as revealed by Microtox bioassay. CONCLUSIONS: It was found that the variables considered have important effects on TPh removal efficiency. The results demonstrated that the use of experimental design strategy is indispensable for successful investigation and adequate modeling of the process and that ANNs gave better modelling capability than RSM. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Use of response surface methodology to evaluate the optimum environmental conditions for the bioconversion of xylose into xylitol in eucalyptus hemicellulosic hydrolysate

Candida guilliermondii fermented a eucalyptus hemicellulosic hydrolysate that had been treated with calcium oxide, phosphoric acid and activated charcoal. The influences of different xylose and ammonium sulfate concentrations on the production of xylitol were studied. A response surface was obtained with value R² > 0.97 and p < 0.01. The model estimated a maximum xylitol production of 20.82 g dm^?3 in the culture medium supplemented with ammonium sulfate (1.8 g dm^?3) and xylose (45.5 g dm^?3). Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Fermentation optimization for the production of lovastatin by Aspergillus terreus: use of response surface methodology

A Box–Behnken experimental design was used to investigate the effects of five factors—ie oxygen content in the gas phase; concentrations of C, N and P; and fermentation time—on the concentrations of biomass and lovastatin produced in batch cultures of Aspergillus terreus. The values of the various factors in the experiment ranged widely, as follows: 20–80% (v/v) oxygen in the aeration gas; 8–48 g dm^?3 C‐concentration; 0.2–0.6 g dm^?3 N‐concentration; 0.5–2.5 g dm^?3 phosphate‐concentration; and 7–11 days fermentation time. No previous work has used statistical analysis in documenting the interactions between oxygen supply and nutrient concentrations in lovastatin production. The Box–Behnken design identified the oxygen content in the gas phase as the principal factor influencing the production of lovastatin. Both a limitation and excess of oxygen reduced lovastatin titers. A medium containing 48 g dm^?3 C supplied as lactose, 0.46 g dm^?3 N supplied as soybean meal, and 0.79 g dm^?3 phosphate supplied as KH₂PO₄, was shown to support high titers (～230 mg dm^?3) of lovastatin in a 7‐day fermentation in oxygen‐rich conditions (80% v/v oxygen in the aeration gas). Under these conditions, the culture medium had excess carbon but limiting amounts of nitrogen. The optimized fermentation conditions raised the lovastatin titer by four‐fold compared with the worst‐case scenario within the range of factors investigated. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

响应面法优化月桂酸单甘油酯的酶催化合成工艺

以月桂酸三甘油酯和甘油为原料,脂肪酶催化甘油解反应合成月桂酸单甘油酯。在单因素试验的基础上,采用响应面分析法进行合成工艺优化。结果表明,含水量(相对于甘油的质量)对月桂酸单甘油酯产率的影响最为显著,且较优合成条件为:恒温振荡器转速100 r/min,酶添加质量分数(相对于底物)5%,n(甘油)∶n(月桂酸三甘油酯)=6∶1,底物质量分数(相对于整个反应体系)51.9%,温度65℃,含水量4.23%,反应时间5 h。在此条件下,月桂酸单甘油酯产率的预测值和实验值分别为81.68%和81.32%,说明二次多项回归模型具有良好的预测性。     

Application of response surface methodology for modeling and optimization of membrane distillation desalination process

In this work, response surface methodology (RSM) was applied for modeling and optimization of operating parameters for water desalination by direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) process using polypropylene membrane (PP) with low pore size. Operating parameters including vapor pressure difference, feed flow rate, permeate flow rate and feed ionic strength were selected and the optimum parameters were determined for DCMD permeate flux. The developed model for permeate flux response was statistically validated by analysis of variance (ANOVA) which showed a high value coefficient of determination value (R² = 0.989). The obtained optimum operating parameters were found to be 0.355 × 10⁵ Pa of vapor pressure difference, feed flow rate of 73.6 L/h, and permeate flow rate of 17.1 L/h and feed ionic strength of 309 mM. Under these conditions, the permeate flux was 4.191 L/(m² h). Compared to a predicted value, the deviation was 3.9%, which confirms the validity of the model for the DCMD process desalination optimization. In terms of product water quality, the DCMD process using hydrophobic PP membrane can produce high quality of water with low electrical conductivity for all experimental runs.     

Modified poly(vinyl alcohol)/chitosan blended membranes for isopropanol dehydration via pervaporation: Synthesis optimization and modeling by response surface methodology

Box–Behnken (BB) design of response surface methodology (RSM) was effectively applied to optimize fabrication conditions of modified poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and chitosan (CS) blended pervaporation (PV) membranes. The PVA/CS membranes were crosslinked either by chemical reaction with glutaraldehyde (GA) or by heat‐treating at different temperatures. The main objectives were to determine the optimal levels of fabricating parameters and also to investigate interactions among the variables. CS content in the blended membranes, concentration of crosslinking agent and heat‐treating temperature were the fabrication parameters, the main effects and interaction effects of which on membrane structure and PV performance toward isopropanol (IPA)/water dehydration were investigated, and for which regression models were established. The modified PVA/CS blended membranes were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) as well as X‐ray diffraction (XRD). It was found that the CS content is the most significant factor influencing flux and separation factor among the three studied variables and the experimental results are in excellent accordance with predicted values from the developed RSM regression models. The RSM results indicated that under preparation conditions of 80 wt % CS in the blended membrane, 0.58 wt % GA concentration, and 77 °C heat‐treating temperature, the maximum separation factor of 5222.8 and the normalized flux of 9.407 kg µm/m²h can be acquired with feed content of 85 wt % IPA at 25 °C, showing that the prepared membrane is highly efficient for PV dehydration of IPA. The models were satisfactorily validated against experimental data. Furthermore, the optimum membrane presents excellent separation performance at different feed compositions and temperatures. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44587.     

Response surface methodology applied to optimization of distilled monoglycerides production

This work demonstrates that response surface methodology (RSM) is a powerful tool for the optimization of the production of distilled MG. Experiments with a centrifugal molecular distillator having an evaporation area of 0.0046 m² were carried out using RMS to identify operating conditions that can lead to higher MG purity. The independent variables studied were the evaporator temperature (TEV) and the volumetric feed flow rate (Q). The experimental range was from 100 to 300°C for TEV and between 5 and 15 mL/min for Q. High-performance size exclusion chromatography was used to evaluate TG, DG, MG, FFA, and glycerol (GL) compositions. Results were presented as MG concentration surfaces. Starting from a material with 10.8% of TG, 37.7% of DG, 43.6% of MG, and 7.2% of GL, the maximum MG, purity in the distillate stream with just one distillation step was 82.6% at a TEV equal to 250°C and Q equal to 5 mL/min. At these conditions, the MG recovery was 61%. A strategy was developed to obtain distilled MG with 96.3% purity.     

Development of polymer derived carbon coated monolith for liquid adsorption application by response surface methodology

The preparation of polymer derived activated carbon coated monolith is reported. The response surface methodology based on Box–Behnken design is used to find the optimal condition for synthesis of mesoporous carbon. The dominant parameters identified are the carbonization temperature, concentration, and molecular weight of pore former agent. Typical values for BET surface area are 341 m²/g _carbon and 20 m²/g _{supported carbon} with pores size distribution in the range of 4–400 nm. The highest pore volume obtained is 182.77 mm³/g _{supported carbon}.     

中心组合设计响应面法优化烟梗提取工艺

为了提高造纸法再造烟叶原料烟梗的提取率,以水为溶剂,以提取时间、提取温度、液料比进行3因素5水平的中心组合设计,采用响应面法优化烟梗提取参数,建立数学模型并进行验证。结果表明,最优工艺条件为：提取温度59℃,提取时间45min,液料比9．1：1,对最佳工艺条件提取率的预测值为38．33％,实测值为38．03％,相对误差仅为0．78％。     

响应面法优化以重组大肠杆菌发酵生产类人胶原蛋白过程

In order to improve the production of human-like collagen Ⅲ (HLC Ⅲ) by fed-batch culture of recom-binant Escherichia coli BL21, the Plackett-Burman and Box-Behnken design were applied to optimize the fermen-tation process parameters.Three variables (induction time, inoculum age and pH), which have significant effects on HLC Ⅲ production, were selected from eight variables by Plackett-Burman design.With the regression coefficient analysis in the Box-Behnken design, a relationship between HLC Ⅲ production and three significant factors was obtained, and the optimum levels of the three variables were as follows: induction time 3.2h, inoculum age 12.6 h and pH 6.7.The 3D response surface plots and 2D contour plots created by the Box-Behnken design showed that the interaction between induction time and pH and that between innoculum age and pH were significant.An aver-age 9.68 g·L~(-1)HLC Ⅲ production was attained in the validation experiment under optimized condition, which was 80% higher than the yield of 5.36 g·L~(-1) before optimization.     

Effect of glucose:xylose ratio on xylose reductase and xylitol dehydrogenase activities from Candida guilliermondii in sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate

The influence of glucose on xylose reductase (XR) and xylitol dehydrogenase (XDH) enzyme activity was evaluated from sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate fermentations with different glucose:xylose ratios (1:25, 1:12, 1:5 and 1:2.5) by employing an inoculum of Candida guilliermondii grown in media containing glucose, a mixture of glucose and xylose, or only xylose as carbon sources. According to the results, the glucose:xylose ratio affected positively this bioconversion and a correlation was not observed between the favourable conditions for xylitol production and the XR and XDH activities. Also, the results were influenced not only by the glucose:xylose ratio in the fermentation medium, but also by the carbon source employed in the growth medium of the inoculum. The optimum condition for xylitol production by C. guilliermondii in sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysate should use hydrolysate with a 1:5 glucose:xylose ratio and inoculum grown in medium containing xylose as the only carbon source. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Supercritical extraction of evening primrose oil: Experimental optimization via response surface methodology

Supercritical carbon dioxide (CO₂) effective extraction parameters (pressure, temperature, static extraction time, and dynamic extraction time) of oil recovery from evening primrose seeds were optimized via response surface methodology (RSM). The results of this study indicated that the linear terms of static and dynamic time and the quadratics of temperature and pressure, as well as the interactions of temperature and static time, pressure and temperature had a significant effect on the oil recovery. The optimum extraction conditions of 14.2 MPa, 47.3°C, 30 min (static extraction time) and 150 min (dynamic extraction time) were obtained. Applying the optimum conditions, a mean experimental recovery of 92.98% (triplicate experiment) was achieved, which is well compatible with the RSM‐predicted value (93.61%). The fatty acid composition of extracted evening primrose oil using supercritical CO₂ was compared with that obtained by Soxhlet method in which minor difference was observed. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2011     

Utilization of response surface methodology to optimize the culture media for the production of rhamnolipids by Pseudomonas aeruginosa AT10

Pseudomonas aeruginosa AT10 produced a mixture of surface‐active rhamnolipids when cultivated on mineral medium with waste free fatty acids as carbon source. The development of the production process to an industrial scale included the design of the culture medium. A 2⁴ full factorial, central composite rotational design and response surface modelling method (RSM) was used to enhance rhamnolipid production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa AT10. The components that are critical for the process medium were the carbon source, the nitrogen source (NaNO₃), the phosphate content (K₂ HPO₄/KH₂PO₄ 2:1) and the iron content (FeSO₄·7H₂O). Two responses were measured, biomass and rhamnolipid production. The maximum biomass obtained was 12.06 g dm^?3 DCW, when the medium contained 50 g dm^?3 carbon source, 9 g dm^?3 NaNO₃, 7 g dm^?3 phosphate and 13.7 mg dm^?3 FeSO₄·7H₂O. The maximum concentration of rhamnolipid, 18.7 g dm^?3, was attained in medium that contained 50 g dm^?3 carbon source, 4.6 g dm^?3 NaNO₃, 1 g dm^?3 phosphate and 7.4 mg dm^?3 FeSO₄·7H₂O. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry     

响应面优化酶法提取紫菜多糖工艺研究

利用纤维素酶辅助提取紫菜多糖,以酶添加量、提取温度、提取时间和pH作为响应面设计的变量.结果表明,纤维素酶辅助提取紫菜多糖的优化工艺条件为：酶添加量1.5％,提取温度51℃,pH 5.0,提取时间为80 min,在此条件下,多糖得率为19.46％.     

Formulation and optimization of sucrose polyester physical properties by mixture response surface methodology

The physical properties of sucrose polyester (SPE), prepared from different composite blends of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) of safflower oil, palm oil, and peanut oil, were evaluated by mixture response surface methodology. Optimum combinations of fatty, acids to achieve specific physical properties of SPE were determined. The SPE most similar in physical properties to peanut oil was obtained with a 55:45 molar ratio of mixed FAME from safflower oil and peanut oil. The physical properties of SPE were significantly affected by the degree of saturation and the average chainlength of their composite fatty acids.     

Statistical optimization of process parameters for the production of vanillic acid by solid‐state fermentation of groundnut shell waste using response surface methodology

BACKGROUND: Vanillic acid is a flavoring agent and also serves as precursor for vanillin production. Culture medium and fermentation condition for the single step production of vanillic acid from Phanerochaete chrysosporium using lignocellulosic waste as a substrate under solid state fermentation (SSF) were optimized using response surface methodology. RESULTS: The process parameters were chosen by borrowing methodology, and L‐asparagine, pH and moisture content of the solid medium during SSF were identified as the most significant variables. The optimum value of selected variable and their mutual interactions were determined by response surface methodology. The result demonstrated that a yield of 73.58 mg vanillic acid g^?1 substate was predicted under optimum conditions (L‐asparagine 5.98 mmol L^?1 (2.37 mg g^?1 groundnut shell), pH of solid medium 4.51 and moisture content 74.83%). The predicted response was experimentally validated and resulted in a maximum vanillic acid yield of 73.69 mg g^?1 after 8 days of SSF. CONCLUSION: The optimization of fermentation variables resulted in a maximum 10‐fold increase in vanillic acid yield compared with that observed under sub‐optimal conditions (from 7.2 mg g^?1 to 73.69 mg g^?1). Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Process optimization for foam separation of yak whey protein by response surface methodology

In order to recovery whey protein from yak whey wastewater effectively, a facile method of foam separation to be suitable for the local nomadic herdsmen in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has been established in this research. The effects of the four factors, protein concentration, gas velocity, temperature and pH, on the performance of foam separation were investigated. Based on the single factor experiments, the response surface software was adopted to optimize and to investigate conditions of foam separation for whey protein, and the optimal conditions were found to be protein concentration of 120 μg/mL, gas velocity of 310 mL/min, temperature of 41°C and pH of 3.8, respectively. The as-obtained results of verification experiments, recovery percentage 88.3% and enrichment ratio 9.25 showed that foam separation technique was a simple equipment and environmental compatibility method to separate whey protein from yak whey wastewater.     

响应面法优化电子束辐照降解土霉素制药废水中COD的研究

为探究电子束辐照技术对土霉素制药废水中COD的去除效果,在单因素试验的基础上,采用Box-Behnken试验设计原理的响应面法,考察了COD初始浓度、pH值和辐照吸收剂量3个因素的影响,并建立了多元线性回归预测模型.结果 表明:在COD初始质量浓度为320 mg/L,pH值为6.8,辐照吸收剂量为261 kGy的条件下...     

Production of heat-sensitive monoacylglycerols by enzymatic glycerolysis in tert-pentanol: Process optimization by response surface methodology

The aim of this study was to optimize production of MAG by lipase-catalyzed glycerolysis in a tert-pentanol system. Twenty-nine batch reactions consisting of glycerol, sunflower oil, tert-pentanol, and commercially available lipase (Novozym^®435) were carried out, with four process parameters being varied: Enzyme load, reaction time, substrate ratio of glycerol to oil, and solvent amount. Response surface methodology was applied to optimize the reaction system based on the experimental data achieved. MAG, DAG, and TAG contents, measured after a selected reaction time, were used as model responses. Well-fitting quadratic models were obtained for MAG, DAG, and TAG contents as a function of the process parameters with determination coefficients (R²) of 0.89, 0.88, and 0.92, respectively. Of the main effects examined, only enzyme load and reaction time significantly influenced MAG, DAG, and TAG contents. Both enzyme amount and reaction time showed a surprisingly nonlinear relationship between factors (process parameters) and responses, indicating a local maximum. The substrate ratio of glycerol to oil did not significantly affect the MAG and TAG contents; however, it had a significant influence on DAG content. Contour plots were used to evaluate the optimal conditions for the complex interactions between the reaction parameters and responses. The optimal conditions established for MAG yield were: enzyme load, 18% (w/w of oil); glycerol/oil ratio, 7∶1 (mol/mol); solvent amount, 500% (vol/wt of oil); and reaction time, 115 min. Under these conditions, a MAG content of 76% (w/w of lipid phase) was predicted. Verification experiments under optimized reaction conditions were conducted, and the results agreed well with the range of predictions.     

Modeling and optimization of electrospun PAN nanofiber diameter using response surface methodology and artificial neural networks

Response surface methodology (RSM) based on a three‐level, three‐variable Box‐Benkhen design (BBD), and artificial neural network (ANN) techniques were compared for modeling the average diameter of electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers. The multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural networks were trained by the sets of input–output patterns using a scaled conjugate gradient backpropagation algorithm. The three important electrospinning factors were studied including polymer concentration (w/v%), applied voltage (kV) and the nozzle‐collector distance (cm). The predicted fiber diameters were in agreement with the experimental results in both ANN and RSM techniques. High‐regression coefficient between the variables and the response (R² = 0.998) indicates excellent evaluation of experimental data by second‐order polynomial regression model. The R² value was 0.990, which indicates that the ANN model was shows good fitting with experimental data. Moreover, the RSM model shows much lower absolute percentage error than the ANN model. Therefore, the obtained results indicate that the performance of RSM was better than ANN. The RSM model predicted the 118 nm value of the finest nanofiber diameter at conditions of 10 w/v% polymer concentration, 12 cm of nozzle‐collector distance, and 12 kV of the applied voltage. The predicted value (118 nm) showed only 2.5%, difference with experimental results in which 121 nm at the same setting were observed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012