FTIR evaluation of functional groups involved in the formation of haloacetic acids during the chlorination of raw water

This work investigated the formation potential of haloacetic acid (HAA) compounds in the raw water for the Bangkhen water treatment plant (Bangkok, Thailand). The resin adsorption technique (with three different types of resins, i.e. DAX-8, AG-MP-50 and WA-10) was employed to characterize the organic content in the raw water into six fractions, i.e. hydrophobic neutral (HPON), hydrophobic acid (HPOA), hydrophobic base (HPOB), hydrophilic neutral (HPIN), hydrophilic acid (HPIA) and hydrophilic base (HPIB). Hydrophilic species appeared to be the predominant organic species in this water source (approximately 60%) with the neutral fraction being the most abundant (approximately 40%). Hydrophobic species, on the other hand, played the most important role in the formation of haloacetic acids as they contributed to as much as approximately 56% of total HAA formation potential. Among the three hydrophobic species, the hydrophobic base exhibited the highest specific HAA formation with 208mugHAAs/mg of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Each organic fraction was examined for its associated functional groups by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). The investigation of the formation of HAAs was achieved by tracking the changes in the FTIR results of the same water sample before and after the chlorination reaction. Based on the results obtained from this study, carboxylic acids, ketone, amide, amino acids and aromatic characteristic organics seemed to be the main precursors to HAA formation.     

Adsorption characteristics of N-nitrosodimethylamine from aqueous solution on surface-modified activated carbons

This study investigated the removal of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) by an adsorption mechanism using commercially available activated carbons and surface-modified activated carbons. The effects of the modification on the properties of the activated carbon were studied by N₂ adsorption/desorption, Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transmission (DRIFT) analysis and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Adsorption experiments revealed that the activated carbons demonstrated a greater capacity for NDMA adsorption capacity than can be achieved using zeolite. The equilibrium data was fitted to the Freundlich equation and it was found that the adsorption capacity was significantly influenced by the micropore size, relative pore volume and surface characteristics. Adsorption experiments were conducted using unmodified and modified activated carbons. The results indicated that the adsorption capacity of NDMA can be significantly improved by heat treatment and doping of TiO₂ particles. This was because the surface treatments yielded more hydrophobic sites and fewer oxygen-containing surface functional groups, and consequently an increased capacity for NDMA adsorption.     

Characterization of precursors to trihalomethanes formation in Bangkok source water

Resin adsorption techniques using three types of resin (DAX-8, AG-MP-50, and WA-10) were employed to characterize the raw water (RW) from the major 3 million m³/day (793 million gal/day) drinking water treatment plant in Bangkok, Thailand. The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) mass distribution sequences of the six organic fractions in raw water, from high to low, were hydrophilic neutral (HPIN), hydrophobic acid (HPOA), hydrophilic acid (HPIA), hydrophobic neutral (HPON), hydrophilic base (HPIB), and hydrophobic base (HPOB). HPIN and HPOA were the two main precursors for trihalomethanes formation (THMFP) in this water source following chlorination. The chlorination of HPON and HPIN fractions only led to the formation of mostly chloroform, while other organic fractions formed both chloroform and bromodichloromethane. The linear dependency between each organic fraction concentration and THMFP indicated that the reactions of each organic fraction with chlorine were first-order.     

Directed growth of colloidal crystals on a hydrophobic polymer film by using hydrophilic traps

Deposition of colloidal crystal films onto a hydrophobic surface using capillary force-induced self-assembly is difficult to achieve because of wetting problems of the aqueous colloids with the substrate. We present here a method to overcome this problem. By introducing a hydrophilic trench around the hydrophobic polymer, uniform crystalline colloidal films can be deposited onto the surface of the polymer, provided a sufficient volume of suspension is used. The hydrophilic area around the polymer acts like an artificial trap that can help pin the colloidal suspension on the surface of the hydrophobic polymer surface and direct the self-assembly of colloidal spheres, which is the key to fabricate a uniform colloidal crystal film on the polymer surface.     

Surface treatment of clayey soil particles for reducing water loss through evaporation

To conserve water in crop production and landscaping, plastic mulch or sheets are commonly used. However, the environmental impact of plastic waste is a concern. Therefore, herein we report that a silane coupling agents-based coating can be applied to natural clayey soil samples to suppress water evaporation. The hydrophobicity of soils (particle sizes 200–500 µm) can be enhanced. Evaporation flux was investigated using an electronic balance placed inside a chamber by maintaining constant flow, temperature, and relative humidity. The magnitude of evaporation flux was adjusted by placing a hydrophobic-treated soil layer in the system. It is clear that the hydrophobic-treated soil particle layer interacts with water capillaries to reduce the evaporation flux, but the effect on water vapor diffusion was small.     

Fabrication and Wettability of ZnO Nanorod Array

ZnO nanorod arrays were prepared in an open system by using a simple aqueous solution method. Spindle-like, wimble-like, tower-like and hexagonal rod-like ZnO rods were obtained under different conditions. ZnO nanorod arrays with different morphology and size were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and contact angle measurement (CAM). The size of ordered zinc oxide rods can be controlled by temperature of water bath, because this temperature can influences growing speeds in different crystal directions. Some additives, such as urea and thiourea, were introduced into reaction solution to improve quality of arrays. Surface character of ZnO nanorod arrays can be changed from hydrophilic to hydrophobic, which was proved to be dependence on size of air grooves on surface.     

Catalytic ozonation of dimethyl phthalate and chlorination disinfection by-product precursors over Ru/AC

Catalytic ozonation of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) in aqueous solution (5 mg/L) under various reactions was performed to examine the effect of catalyst dosage, catalyst particle size, ozone dosage, and gas flow rate on the mineralization of DMP. The mineralization of DMP can be achieved via ozonation and the presence of Ru/AC could greatly accelerate the mineralization rate of DMP in ozonation process. In the continuous experiment of the Ru/AC catalyzed ozonation of DMP, total organic carbon (TOC) removals were kept stable around 75% during 42 h reaction. No leaching of ruthenium was observed in the treated water samples. The treatment of natural water using Ru/AC + O₃, Ru/AC + O₂ and ozonation alone was studied. In the Ru/AC + O₃ process, TOC removals, the reductions of the haloacetic acid formation potentials (HAAFPs), and the reductions of the trihalomethane formation potentials (THMFPs) of 11 water samples were 22–44%, 39–61% and 50–65%, respectively. Ru/AC + O₃ process was much more effective than ozonation alone for TOC removal and the reduction of disinfection by-product formation potential (DBPFP) in the treatment of natural water. It is a promising water treatment technology.     

Aerosol assisted deposition of melamine-formaldehyde resin: Hydrophobic thin films from a hydrophilic material

An intrinsically hydrophilic melamine-formaldehyde thin film (water contact angle of 34° for a cast flat surface) was deposited on a glass substrate using aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition. The resultant resin films showed a highly developed microstructure consisting of spherical structures that were agglomerated into towers. The surface wetted via a Cassie-Baxter mechanism with air trapped underneath the water droplets and resultant water contact angles as high as 135°. Film thickness and coverage were crucial in determining the wetting properties. Films with limited deposition gave hydrophilic results, whereas thicker films greater than 4 μm were superhydrophilic. This behaviour could be explained by the ease of trapping air under the coating. It is shown that the water wetting properties of a single material can be altered from superhydrophilic to near superhydrophobic by controlling the surface microstructure in a single-step aerosol route.     

Comparison of spectral fluorescent signatures-based models to characterize DOM in treated water samples

Statistical procedures enable a multivariate analysis of the measurements to identify specific characteristics of the dissolved organic matter (DOM) fractions in raw natural water, including the concentrations. In this work, three already established models were used to predict the concentrations of fractions of DOM from spectral fluorescent signatures (SFSs): a general linear regression (GLR), loadings and scores of a principal components analysis (PCA), and a partial least squares regression (PLS). Details about the method undertaken to prepare the fractions were given. Water samples from surface water treatment plants in New Jersey were used for the testing. In all cases, PLS have shown much better biases and accuracies than GLR and PCA models. Hydrophilic neutral, however, showed poor performances (bias 33%) due to the isolation technique used. Recommendations were provided in order to improve the DOM characterization through SFS, which linked to PLS make a powerful and cost-effective surrogate parameter to characterize DOM.     

Manufacture of a hydrophobic CaO/polylactic acid composite

In this study, the surface of calcium oxide (CaO) was modified with n-octadecyltrichlorosilane [CH₃(CH₂)₁₆CH₂SiCl₃] to obtain modified calcium oxide (CaO-M). CaO and CaO-M were melt-blended with polylactic acid (PLA) to prepare PLA/CaO and PLA/CaO-M, respectively. Moisture absorption measurement showed that the surface of modified CaO was changed from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. CaO and PLA had a tendency to agglomerate after blending, whereas the blend of CaO-M and PLA showed no signs of agglomeration, and the distribution of CaO-M in PLA was homogeneous. In addition, CaO-M had a heterogeneous nucleation effect on PLA, which effectively inhibited cold crystallization and promoted crystallization of PLA. In conclusion, CaO-M can be used as a nucleating agent of PLA.     

海上风电场建设重大工程问题探讨

三峡集团公司承担了国家"十一五"科技支撑计划项目中近海风电场选址及风电机组运行、维护技术开发和近海风电机组施工、测试专用设备的研制等有关课题的研究工作,在江苏近海和潮间带建设了多台具有自主知识产权的试验风机。通过研究测风、风资源评估、基础结构、运输吊装、运行维护等海上施工关键技术,以及推动大型海上风力发电机组的研发,探索降低海上风电开发成本的措施。以海水淡化为切入点,开展风电的非并网应用研究,寻求解决风电消纳问题的新方法。     

海岸滩涂风电场建设工程保障策略探讨

根据海岸滩涂和浅水海域风电场建设及运行维护工程保障的需求,提出了一系列的工程保障方案,主要包括:适应于潮上带滩涂风电场的系列道路构筑方案、适应于潮间带滩涂风电场的承压浮箱及浮箱栈桥保障方案、适应于潮下带5 m以上水深风电场的浅吃水自升式海上风电场工程平台以及风电场运行维护期间的两栖进入方案,并对这些方案的适应性、可行性及技术要点进行了探讨。提出的系列工程保障方案针对潮上带、潮间带至潮下带不同滩涂区域对施工工程技术的不同要求,以系列技术保障措施分段保障,较好地解决了海岸滩涂及浅水海域风电场建设的工程保障问题。     

漂浮式风电场的基础形式和发展趋势

阐述了海上风电场的分类,并对漂浮式风电场风电机组的浮式基础作了详细的介绍。随着风电开发技术的成熟,风机容量大型化、垂直轴风机的应用及建立非并网风电多元化应用系统将是以后漂浮式风电场发展的趋势。     

论我国海上风电场建设重大工程问题

发展海上风电具有重大战略意义,应予高度重视,加大支持力度;发展海上风电面临严峻挑战,应予科学应对,切忌浮躁冒进。我国海上风电发展,必须坚持科学发展理念,坚持高起点上的理性、有序发展,坚持创新和特色结合的跨越式、可持续发展。成本、效益、风险制约海上风电的发展,通过科技进步,风电核心技术掌握和规划建设能力的提高,可以有效解决重大制约发展的因素,确保海上风电健康发展。针对我国海上风电又好又快发展,建设高质量、高效益的海上风电场,提出了若干建议。     

Improvement of paint effluents coagulation using natural and synthetic coagulant aids

The coagulant iron chloride and the flocculants Polysep 3000 (PO), Superfloc A-1820 (SU) and Praestol 2515 TR (PR) have been used in this study to show the efficiency of coagulation flocculation process in the chemical precipitation method for the removal of organic and colouring matters from the paint industry wastewater. This study also includes the amount of produced sludge. The results indicate that FeCl(3) is efficient at pH range 8-9 and at optimal dose of 650 mgl(-1). Iron chloride allows the removal of 82% of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and 94% of colour. However, sequential addition of coagulant and polymeric additives enhance clearly pollutant removal and produces less decanted sludge compared to the results obtained when the coagulant is used alone. The removal efficiency of COD reaches 91% and that of colour 99%. Coagulation-biflocculation process is more effective than the coagulation-monoflocculation one. The sequential addition of iron chloride, Polysep 3000 (cationic flocculant) and Praestol 2515 TR (anionic flocculant) seems to be the most suitable combination for the treatment of the paint industry wastewaters.     

A membrane-based co-treatment strategy for the recovery of print- and beck-dyeing textile effluents

This paper describes the final part of a study on the recovery of print- and beck-dyeing wastewaters of the carpet manufacturing industry by membrane processes. These wastewaters had been previously treated separately where the print dyeing wastewaters were recovered by chemical precipitation followed by nanofiltration (NF) and beck-dyeing wastewaters were subjected to microfiltration (MF) and pH neutralization prior to NF. In this study, a co-treatment scheme after separate pre-treatment stages was adopted to simplify the overall process. The effect of mixing ratio on membrane fouling was also investigated. The co-treatment strategy was found advantageous since the number of NF units was minimized and the pH neutralization step in separate treatment of beck-dyeing wastewaters was eliminated, providing a reduction of chemical usage.     

海上风电场基础形式及配套施工技术

根据不同的水深及地质条件,结合已建成的海上风电场基础形式及施工方法,介绍和研究了重力式、单桩、群桩、设置沉箱、沉井及吸力式筒形基础等几种形式。对不同的基础形式,分别提出了自升式平台、浅吃水半潜驳、打桩船及整体浮运吊装等相应的基础施工方法。根据风机机组类型,对塔筒和风机的安装也做了介绍。     

Thiolated polymers: evaluation of their potential as dermoadhesive excipients

The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare four different thiolated polymers regarding their dermoadhesive potential. Therefore, three hydrophilic polymers (poly(acrylic acid), Carbopol 971 and carboxymethylcellulose) and a lipophilic polymer (silicone oil) were chosen to generate thiolated polymers followed by characterization. The total work of adhesion (TWA) and the maximum detachment force (MDF) of formulations containing modified and unmodified polymers were investigated on skin obtained from pig ears using a tensile sandwich technique. The synthesis of thiolated polymers provided 564?µmol, 1079?µmol, 482?µmol and 217?µmol thiol groups per gram poly(acrylic acid), Carbopol 971, carboxymethylcellulose and silicone oil, respectively. Hydrogels containing poly(acrylic acid)-cysteine, Carbopol 971-cysteine, and carboxymethylcellulose-cysteamine exhibited a 6-fold, 25-fold and 9-fold prolonged adhesion on porcine skin than the hydrogel formulations prepared from the corresponding unmodified polymers, respectively. Furthermore, thiolation of silicone oil with thioglycolic acid led to a 5-fold improvement in adhesion compared to the unmodified silicone oil. A comparison between the four thiolated polymer formulations showed a clear correlation between the amount of coupled thiol groups and the TWA. According to these results thiomers might also be useful excipients to provide a prolonged dermal resistance time of various formulations.     

土基海流耦合条件下海上风电场塔架支撑结构动力特性初探

针对海上风力机塔柱支撑结构受到土基、海洋流体作用的复杂特点,开展多介质耦合条件下塔柱支撑结构动力特性研究。在考虑流固耦合基础上,进一步考虑海床土基弹性条件对塔柱结构动力特性的影响。最后得出了水流、土基与塔柱结构三合一综合动力特性分析结果,初步取得了变化规律。研究结果对海上风电场塔架支撑结构的抗振设计及进一步的研究提供了重要基础性参考依据。     

The formation and distribution of haloacetic acids in copper pipe during chlorination

The formation and distribution of HAAs in copper pipe during chlorination was investigated. To determine the material influence of copper pipe, parallel experiments were performed in glass pipe. Results showed that there was no obvious difference between the sum of haloacetic acids (HAAs) and trihalomethanes (THMs) produced in copper pipe compared to that produced in glass pipe over a 12h period. However, significant differences were observed about the distribution of five haloacetic acids in copper pipe and in glass pipe. Relatively less trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) and more monochloroacetic acid (MCAA), dichloroacetic acid (DCAA), dibromoacetic acid (DBAA) and trihalomethanes (THMs) were produced in copper pipe than those in glass pipe. Corrosion scale on the wall of copper pipe was analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The results showed the scales on the pipe surface mainly consisted of Cu2O, CuO and Cu (OH)2 or CuCO3. During 24h stagnation, copper released gradually from copper pipe. The influences of copper (II) and copper oxides on the distribution of HAAs were investigated in designed experiments. Results showed that less amount of TCAA, more amounts of DCAA and MCAA were formed with increasing concentration of copper (II). It was because the accelerative effect of copper (II) on the depletion of chlorination restricted the formation of TCAA precursor and the further formation of TCAA. Owing to the transformation of DCAA precursor to TCAA precursor was limited, more DCAA precursor could yield DCAA. The influences of Cu2O and CuO on the distribution of TCAA and DCAA were the result of copper released at higher content.