ULTRASOUND IN THE SUSPENSION SEPARATION METHODS

Investigations were carried out on the effect of the ultrasonic field and some selected chemical compounds on the process of preparing sludges to be dewatered by mechanical devices.

The tests; were performed in a laboratory on real sludges. The processes occurring in sludges due to presence of ultrasonic field and applied chemical reagents were determined on the basis of a commonly used method of determining the sludge dewatering, in both filtration and sedimentation.

The interdependences of value changes of the above mentioned factors and the possibilities of applying ultrasonic waves to intensifying sludge dewatering process were examined. The obtained results confirm the applicability of ultrasonic waves to the process of sludge treatment and prove that the initial assumptions concerning the use of ultrasonic field in the suspension separation methods to be valid.     

THE ELECTRODEWATERING OF SEWAGE SLUDGES

Electrodewatering (EDW), the enhancement of conventional pressure filtration by an electric field, is an emerging technology with the potential to improve dewatering especially for difficult materials. CSIRO has many years of experience in EDW, ranging from bench scale tests to demonstration trials. A recent programme has investigated the applicability of EDW to aerobic wastewater treatment sludges which are particularly difficult to dewater using conventional equipment.

The bench scale filtration experiments produced cakes with solids contents of 35-46 wt% using EDW, compared with 24-30 wt% using pressure filtration alone. This paper : • describes how the dewatering results were achieved;

•identifies a relationship between moisture removal limits by EDW and the forms of water within the sludge;

•shows the results of preliminary attempts to mathematically model the EDW process     

PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF DEWATERING ENHANCED BY ELECTRO-OSMOSIS

Dewatering mechanism due to electro-osmosis is fairly different from that of mechanical dewataine which has been used conventionally. and electro-osmotic dewatering has Several advantages compared with the mechanical dewatering and it can be remarkably effective for hardly dewaterable sludges such as very fine Particles and gelatinous materials. In electro-osmotically enhanced dewatering, however, it would be a great problem that the achievement of complete water removal within the sludge could not be possible in principle. Because. when a liauid state in the sludge becomes to be not continuous gradually with proceeding of dewatering, the sludge does not lead electricity and and then electro-osmosis is no longer caused.

Applying electro-osmosis to sludge dewatering practically, methods for improvement of the electro-osmotic dewatering must be investigated taking account ofapos;such a situation for the performance of high dewatering efficiency. Some practical applications of the dewatering which can be considered to be available are described in this paper.     

UNSTEADY, TWO-DIMENSIONAL HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER IN A PACKED BED OF FINE PARTICLES WITH AN ENDOTHERMIC PROCESS

The basic differential equations controlling the temperature and concentration field in a single packed bed of fine particles were derived and solved for the general case in which unsteady, two-dimensional heat and mass transfer lakes place with an endothermic process.

The time-change of particle- and fluid-temperature and concentration of water vapor (humidity) were calculated by a numerical method which assumed that the rate of the endothermic process can be expressed by a first-order rate equation and that the fluid flowing through the bed is of the piston flow type.

The experiments were conducted for the drying of silica-gel and the two-stage dehydration reaction of natural gypsum to demonstrate the applicability of the present theoretical analysis.

It has been found that the calculated results show satisfactory agreement with the measured data within the range of the experimental conditions employed.     

Elementary Mechanisms in the Interaction of Organic Molecules with Mineral Surfaces

Model systems are used to reproduce the actual situations encountered during the interaction of organic molecules with mineral solids under controlled experimental conditions.

The role of local electrical fields produced by surface heterogeneities and the influence of the electronic properties of the functional groups of the organic molecule and of the surface are demonstrated and discussed.

This study enables modelling of the basic mechanisms in the organic molecule-mineral solid bond and of the polymerization process of the organic film.

The results given here may be used to produce theoretical models of predictive nature in the field of adhesion and structural bonding.     

Influence of Electric Field Application with Decreasing One Sided Area of Electrodes on Electro-Osmotic Dewatering

Electro-osmotic dewatering is typically operated under an electric field of direct current condition. In the process of electro-osmotic dewatering, water content in part of the material near the electrode opposite to the drainage surface is locally reduced, resulting in an increase of electrical contact resistance between the electrode and the material being dewatered. Then the efficiency of the electro-osmotic dewatering process is reduced remarkably.

In order to improve the performance of electro-osmotic dewatering, it is supposed that a porous plate-type electrode used generally opposite to the drainage surface may be replaced to several rod-type electrodes, which are inserted into the material with dewatering. Using rod-type electrodes, the area of those electrodes becomes smaller than the plate-type electrode.

From this point of view, electro-osmotic dewatering was experimentally investigated by decreasing one-sided area of electrodes, namely the area of the plate-type electrode opposite to the drainage surface, and the influence of such an electric field application on improvement of the dewatering process is discussed in this article.     

Steam Drying - Modelling and Applications

The concept of steam drying originates from the mid of the last century. However, a broad industrial acceptance of the technique has so far not taken place. The paper deals with modelling the steam drying process and applications of steam drying with in certain industrial sectors where the technique has been deemed to hove special opponunities.

In the modelling scction the mass and heat transfer proceases are described along with equilibrium, capillarity and sorption phenomena occurring in porous materials during the steam drying process. In addition existing models in the literslure are presented.

The applications discussed involve drying of fuels with high moisture contcna, cattle feed exemplified by sugar beet pulp. lumber. paper pulp. paper and sludges.

Steam drying is compared to flue gas drying of biofuels prior to combustion in a boiler. With reference to a current insrallation in Sweden. the exergy losses. as manifested by loss of co-generation cupacity. are discussed. The energy saving potentid when using steam drying of sugar beet pulp as compared to other possible plant configurations is demonstrated.

Mechanical vapour recompression applied to steam drying is analysed with reference to reponed dau from industriul plsnts. Finally. environmcntul advantages when using steam drying are presented.     

ANALYSIS OF HEAT TRANSFER IN A NON-ISOTHERMAL SOLID-GAS REACTING MEDIUM

This article concerns the thermal phenomena occurring in a reacting solid-gas porous medium. The practical application envisaged is the use of these media in chemical heat pumps (CHPs).

The procedure chosen allowed us to almost totally separate the determination of the kinetic characteristics of the medium, presented in the previous article, from the study of the thermal phenomena presented here.

The thermal parameters were estimated or identified, depending on their influence, quite satisfactorily.

Moreover, we show that it is possible to exploit more limited experimental data, by modifying the procedure, to obtain a sufficiently good understanding of the reacting medium. This technique was applied in the study of the effect of mixing a conducting binder with the medium on its thermal parameters.

This model is also used to test configurations having different thicknesses of the reacting bed.     

Behaviour of Urethane Adhesives on Rubber Surfaces

The paper presents the results of chemical investigations into some of the bonding problems of the footwear industry and pays particular attention to the importance of the substrate surfaces.

The importance of the presence of metal soaps on rubber surfaces and their detrimental effect on adhesion is pointed out together with the concomitant beneficial effects of solvent soap dispersing treatments on subsequent adhesion.

The special needs of the footwear industry for a single adhesive system capable of adhering strongly to a wide range of substrates led to the requirement of improving the bond of urethane adhesives to rubber surfaces. The role of free isocyanates in promoting this bond is outlined.

The practical advantages of halogenating rubber surfaces in conferring excellent adhesion properties on moulded rubber surfaces when used with solvent urethane adhesives are pointed out. The observed phenomena associated with halogenation are discussed qualitatively in relation to proposed theories of adhesion.     

Welding Mechanisms of Plastics: A Review

Strength of welded joints is a function of technological parameters of the production process. The type of function is dependent on the welding mechanism. Different mechanisms were found under various welding conditions. The processes included in the plastic welding mechanism are divided into two groups:

1) Processes which realize the joining of the parts.

2) Processes which create conditions for the first group to proceed. The first series of processes includes:

a) diffusion of macroradicals, molecular segments or molecules of the polymer which can be either in a solid, melted or dissolved state.

b) convective mass transfer.

c) recombination of macroradicals across the contact surface.

d) physical (surface) interaction.

e) any combination of processes described above.

The second group contains:

a) formation of the real contact surface.

b) formation of the macroradicals.

c) destruction and removal of inert layers which prevent real contact of active material.

Each process and the conditions of its proceeding are discussed individually.     

DESIGN OF TRIGENERATION SYSTEMS Process Integrated Applications of Energy Conversion Devices in Chemical Plants

In the conceptual design of trigeneration systems, which combine the production of chemicals, power, and heat, an energy conversion device is considered a chemical plant's unit operation. A method is presented whereby options can be identified for the integration of such devices in chemical plants.

Firstly, all functions of the energy conversion device must be described. Secondly, the functions of the auxiliary equipment present in a stand-alone power system must be summarised. Third, a chemical process has to be selected which can perform some of the functions of the power system's auxiliary equipment.

The integration of a fuel cell in a methanol plant illustrates the application of the method.     

APPLICATION OF UF TECHNOLOGY TO LARGE-SCALE SYNTHESIS OF GT 267-004, A SEQUESTRANT FOR C. DIFFICILE TOXIN

GT 267-004 is a nonabsorbed, nonantibiotic, high molecular weight anionic polymer that is undergoing clinical evaluation as a Clostridium difficile toxin sequestrant. The API is a mixed salt form that consists of approximately 30 to 50% potassium and 70 to 50% sodium as the counterions on the polymer.

The initial polymerization process results in an aqueous polymer solution with the polymer in the 100% sodium form. It also contains some oligomeric impurities. UF technology was applied in a novel way to convert the single-salt polymer to the mixed salt form and to simultaneously remove the oligomers below the required specification limits in a single-unit operation.

Experiments with a UF lab unit validated the concept of simultaneously performing ion exchange and purification. An appropriate amount of potassium chloride was added to the polymer solution to carry out the ion exchange considering the selectivity of the polymer for the potassium ion over the sodium ion. The resulting mixed salts in solution were removed using ultrafiltration membranes. The process produced the API in excellent purity.

The lab data were used to scale up the process to produce several hundred kg of the API. The engineering analysis of the large-scale UF operation was carried out to run the UF process in the cyclic mode and in the diafiltration mode. The UF operation was optimized with respect to time, water usage, operability, and the concentration of product solution required for the subsequent processing.

The optimized UF process was found to be a very cost-effective and time-efficient route to produce the new API.     

RECIRCULATING REACTOR FOR THE STUDY OF MULTIPHASE KINETICS

A new laboratory reactor was set up to measure kinetic coefficients in a solid (catalyst)-liquid-gas reacting system.

The reactor consists of two parts: an absorber, where the liquid is partially saturated by the gas reactant and a reacting zone, where the liquid alone, containing the dissolved gas, flows through a fixed bed of catalyst.

The ricircle of the liquid in the absorber maintains a high concentration of the gas reactant in the liquid also in the zone of reaction, allowing the use of a high mass of catalyst (significative from a statistical point of view) and the achievement of sufficiently high conversion.

The tested reaction is the catalysed hydrogenation of ∝-metylstyrene: in order to consider a drastic situation and to verify the results with the literature data, the experimental conditions examined corresponded to very high chemical reaction rate (instantaneous reaction) at the surface of the pellets.

The tests were carried out with the reactor working both in batchwise and in continuous operative mode (steady state); the results show the reliability of the new reactor above all when the steady state operation is considered. For the use of the reactor in batchwise condition, the accumulation of the product inside the catalyst particles must be considered for an accurate measurement of the kinetic parameters,     

Dewatering of Sewage Sludge

Dewatering of sewage sludges is usually carried out using belt filter presses or centrifuges. The ability to remove water from sludges by mechanical dewatering is a property of both the sludge and the equipment used for dewatering. Newer high-solids centrifuges can remove more water than a belt press but require a higher chemical conditioning dose. The Gt value, the product of the mean velocity gradient and the shear time, has been found to be a useful parameter for characterizing the shear in mechanical dewatering equipment. Dewatering can be considered a two-step process, filtration followed by expression. The expression step is the most important of these and the benefits of various sludge processing techniques and conditioning chemical types remains a fruitful area of research.     

Dewatering of Sewage Sludge

Dewatering of sewage sludges is usually carried out using belt filter presses or centrifuges. The ability to remove water from sludges by mechanical dewatering is a property of both the sludge and the equipment used for dewatering. Newer high-solids centrifuges can remove more water than a belt press but require a higher chemical conditioning dose. The Gt value, the product of the mean velocity gradient and the shear time, has been found to be a useful parameter for characterizing the shear in mechanical dewatering equipment. Dewatering can be considered a two-step process, filtration followed by expression. The expression step is the most important of these and the benefits of various sludge processing techniques and conditioning chemical types remains a fruitful area of research.     

A MONTE-CARLO APPROACH TO THE INTERPRETATION OF BUBBLE PROBE SIGNALS IN FREELY BUBBLING FLUID BEDS†

The interpretation of the signals generated by a double probe may be done by the three characteristic times method:

t₁ the time duration of the pulses;

t₂ the time shift between the signals of the two probes;

t₃ the time interval between two pulses on one channel.

Each of these times is largely dispersed and the corresponding histograms may be constructed.

The present work is a trial to go over from the time histograms to physical properties of the bubbles combining a Monte-Carlo simulation and a flexible simplex optimisation procedure.

As a result, the percentage of oblique bubbles cutting just one level, the bubble size distribution, the average velocity-size relation, and the individual dispersion around it may be defined.

The procedure is finally applied to experimental results obtained with a light probe in a fluid bed of glass beads.     

CONTROL OF A PULSED LIQUID-LIQUID EXTRACTION COLUMN BASED ON A MULTILEVEL SYSTEM OF AUTOMATA

This paper presents the real-time application of the learning control theory to the control of a chemical pilot plant: a pulsed liquid-liquid extraction column.

The behaviour of an agitated liquid-liquid extraction column can be related to random mechanisms such as the phenomena of droplets breakage and coalescence. Previous studies on hydrodynamic and mass transfer aspects showed that a pulsed liquid-liquid extraction column had an optimal behaviour for operating conditions close to flooding. These results led to choose the following strategy to control the column in its optimal behaviour zone:

- the measure of the conductivity of the liquid medium below the distributor which gives a good information about flooding, is the controlled variable

-the pulse frequency is the control action.

The learning control algorithm is based on a multilevel system of automata which operates in a random environment. By means of an evaluation unit of the performances of the column which generates either penalty (inaction) or reward on the basis of heuristic rules, the automaton chooses a value of the pulse frequency. This approach is essentially connected to artificial intelligence in so far as human knowledge on the plant is included in these rules.

This algorithm has been implemented on a microcomputer for control purposes. The experimental results presented show the good performances of the approach.     

CONTRIBUTION TO THE ANALYSIS OF THE SELECTIVITY OF GAS-LIQUID REACTIONS PART II: COMPARISON OF EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS WITH MODEL PREDICTIONS

The chlorination of paracresol is used in an experimental study of selectivity in gas-liquid contactors.

Experiments in a batch reactor show the influence on selectivity of the dimensionless numbers presented in Part I and involving competition between mass transfer and chemical reaction together with the hydrodynamics.

The extension of open reactor model presented in Part 1 to the batch reactor permits a comparison between theory and experiments and shows a good agreement     

A Numerical Investigation of the Effect of Induced Porosity on the Electromechanical Switching of Ferroelectric Ceramics

Ferroelectric ceramics have many applications ranging from microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) to explosively driven power supplies. In addition to chemical compositions and processing methods, porosity is an important material parameter that can affect both the electrical and mechanical responses of a ferroelectric. The main objective of the current study is to gain preliminary insight on the possible effect of porosity on the switching behavior of ferroelectrics.

Numerical simulation was used to address the research objective. The numerical code used is an arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian, multi-material, multi-physics finite element code developed by Sandia National Laboratories. To accomplish the research objective, a phenomenological electromechanical model developed by Landis was first implemented in the code. The effects of void density, which ranges from 0 to 11%, and shape, which includes sphere and cylinder, were then investigated through a parametric study.

The study indicates that the remanent polarization decreases with increased porosity density. For a given density, the porous solid that contains the cylindrical voids whose longitudinal axis is perpendicular to the applied electric field possesses the largest amount of the remanent polarization. The solid that contains the cylindrical voids whose longitudinal axis is parallel to the applied electric field has the least while the one containing spherical voids is intermediate. It is conjectured that the void shape effect is mainly due to the fact that the void perturbs the distribution of electric field and polarization with respect to from the applied electric field direction and different shapes of void result in different degrees of perturbation.

The limitation of the current numerical simulation and possible future work are also discussed.