Continuous extraction and destruction of chloro-organics in wastewater using ozone-loaded Volasiltrade mark245 solvent

Extracting waterborne contaminants to ozone-loaded Volasiltrade mark245 (a siloxane solvent in which ozone is ten times more soluble than water) has been studied as a means of enhancing reaction kinetics and thus, providing more rapid wastewater decontamination. Investigation was carried out with respect to 2-chlorophenol and dichloromethane. Using a pilot scale continuous flow liquid-liquid/ozone water treatment system, 2-chlorophenol was extracted to the ozone-loaded solvent phase and considerable extents of destruction were achieved. However, the approach was demonstrated to yield slightly less destruction than direct gas contact for the same utilization of ozone and enhanced reaction kinetics were not shown to occur. This was suggested to be due to increased interfacial mass transfer resistance and/or the promotion of less destructive reaction pathways. Modification of the existing pilot system, by conversion from co- to counter-current solvent-loading, enabled greater dissolved ozone concentrations to be achieved within the solvent. Increasing the counter-current exchange column height to approximately 2.5m was suggested for achieving a near optimum level of performance. The liquid-liquid/ozone approach was demonstrated to be an effective means of indirectly exposing wastewater contaminants to concentrated ozone. As such the technology may be applicable as an alternative to direct gas contact in instances where the avoidance of contaminant sparging is desired (i.e. where contaminants are highly volatile, pungent and/or toxic) or foaming occurs.     

Interfacial behaviour from pull-out tests of steel and aluminium fibres in unsaturated polyester matrix

This study aims at implementing an interfacial model to capture the role of interfaces in polyester-based composites reinforced by metallic fibres. A pull-out test of single aluminium and steel fibres embedded in unsaturated polyester matrix is performed. Finite element computation is performed to simulate the typical response of the pull-out test based on an interfacial model. The implemented model relies on a nonlinear relationship assumed between the interfacial shear and interfacial separation. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to reveal the effect of each parameter of the interfacial model. The identification of these parameters with respect to the experimental conditions is also attempted. The predictions show a perfect matching with the experimental trends if a two-term expression is accounted for as an interfacial response. The model outcome reveals superior interfacial performance of the aluminium/unsaturated polyester composite.     

Kinetic study of the manganese‐based catalytic hydrogen peroxide oxidation of a persistent azo‐dye

BACKGROUND: The discharge of synthetic dyes by the textile industry into the environment poses concerns due to their persistence and toxicity. New efficient treatment processes are required to effectively degrade these dyes. The aim of this work was to study the degradation of a persistent dye (Drimarene Brilliant Reactive Red K‐4BL, C.I.147) using H₂O₂ oxidation catalysed by an Mn(III)‐saltren catalyst and to develop a kinetic model for this system. RESULTS: Dye oxidation with H₂O₂ was significantly improved by the addition of the catalyst. As the pH was increased from 3 to 10, the oxidation rates increased significantly. The kinetic model developed in this study was found to adequately explain the experimental results. In particular, dye oxidation can be described at high pH by pseudo‐first‐order kinetics. A Michaelis–Menton type equation was developed from the model and was found to adequately describe the effect of H₂O₂ and catalyst concentrations on the apparent pseudo‐first‐order rate constant. Optimum catalyst and H₂O₂ concentrations of 500 mg L^?1 and 6.3 g L^?1, respectively, were found to give maximum reaction rates. CONCLUSION: Catalytic H₂O₂ oxidation was found to be effective for the removal of persistent dye and the results obtained in this work are of significance for design and scale‐up of a treatment process. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Heterogeneous photocatalytic removal of the herbicide clopyralid and its comparison with UV/H2O2 and ozone oxidation techniques

Clopyralid is a herbicide that has recently been reported to occur in drinking water at concentrations above the Permitted Concentration Value (PCV) of 0.1 μg/L for an individual pesticide (EU directive 98/83/EC). An extensive laboratory study on clopyralid removal with UV/TiO₂, was carried out and was compared to UV/H₂O₂ and O₃ removal efficiencies. The effectiveness of three TiO₂ photocatalysts (Degussa P25, VP Aeroperl, Hombifine N) was studied and Degussa P25 was selected since it outperformed the other two. Complete removal of clopyralid was achieved with UV/TiO₂ in about 90 min at an optimum catalyst concentration of 1 g/L. Pseudo-zero-order kinetics were suitable to describe the first stage of the photocatalytic reaction in the concentration range 0.078–0.521 mM. pH was found to significantly affect the removal rates of clopyralid due to changes in TiO₂ surface charges and clopyralid ionisation degree. The rate constant was maximum at pH 5 and its value was 2.1 × 10⁻⁶ ± 4.3 × 10⁻⁷ M min⁻¹. Pure oxygen bubbled in solution was found to slightly affect unfavourably the photocatalytic removal of clopyralid as compared to air. With UV/H₂O₂ and O₃ systems, the initial removal rates were high but these systems were not effective in achieving high removal percentages overall.     

Water repellent treatment for cotton fabrics with long-chain fluoropolymer and its short-chain eco-friendly alternative

Abstract

As the long-chain fluorochemical molecules used to obtain water and stain repellent textiles persist in the environment, chemical suppliers are trying to develop new products in order to find ecological alternatives. The current most developed substituents are based on molecules with shorter fluorine-carbon chains. In the current work, a long-chain fluoropolymer and its short-chain homologue were applied on cotton fabrics at different finishing conditions. Textile properties such as wettability, air permeability, mechanical properties and handle properties, for untreated and treated cotton samples were investigated. Laundering test was also performed to predict the durability of the finishing. The obtained results demonstrated that cotton samples treated with short-chain fluoropolymer show good water repellency and good washing durability. The use of short-chain fluoropolymers, as nontoxic and eco-friendly finishing chemicals, has allowed obtaining comparable performances to those produced with long chain fluoropolymer.     

Solvent effects on phenolic contents and biological activities of the halophyte Limoniastrum monopetalum leaves

Limoniastrum monopetalum is a traditional medicinal species which leaf infusion exhibits antidysenteric properties against infectious diseases. In this study, ten kinds of leaf extracts were used to examine the effect of extraction solvent system with varying polarities on polyphenol contents and DPPH scavenging activity. Then the superoxide scavenging activity and the reducing power of the most promising solvent extracts were evaluated too. Moreover, the efficiency of the best leaf extract has been investigated against pathogenic bacteria and yeast. Eventually leaf extract was hydrolyzed by acid and the phenolics identified by RP-HPLC. Results showed that phenolic contents and antioxidant activities varied considerably as function of solvent polarity. Leaf extract using pure methanol showed the highest polyphenol content (15.85 mg GAE/g DW). Moreover, antiradical capacities against DPPH and superoxide, and reducing power were maxima in acetone/water (8:2) of leaf extract. However, the latter showed a slight antimicrobial activity against human pathogen strains such as Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus and Candida holmii. The HPLC analysis revealed several phenolic compounds in L. monopetalum leaf including vanillic and gallic acids as major phenolics. Our findings identified the appropriate solvent for extracting halophyte phenolics which might provide a rich and novel source of natural antioxidants as food additives replacing synthetic ones in food industry.     

Effect of the radical scavenger t-butanol on gas-liquid mass transfer

The alcohol t-butanol has been used as a radical scavenger in the studies of ozone reactions in water and has been found to affect the gas-liquid mass transfer rates. An understanding of the effects of t-butanol on mass transfer parameters, including bubble size, gas holdup, mass transfer coefficient and the mass transfer specific surface area, is of key importance to not only improve the knowledge of this particular system but also to gain fundamental understanding about the effects of gas/liquid surface modifiers on the contact between phases and the mass transfer rates. An experimental study has been carried out to investigate the effects of t-butanol concentrations on the physical properties of aqueous solutions, including surface tension and viscosity. It was found that t-butanol reduced both properties-by 4% for surface tension and by a surprising 30% for viscosity. These reductions in the solution physical properties were correlated to enhancement in the mass transfer coefficient, k_L. The hydrodynamic behaviour of the system used in this work was characterised by a homogeneous bubbling regime. It was also found that the gas holdup was significantly enhanced by the addition of t-butanol. An equation to predict the gas holdup from the gas flow rate and t-butanol concentration was proposed to describe the experimental data. Moreover, the addition of t-butanol was found to significantly reduce the size of gas bubbles, leading to enhancement in the volumetric mass transfer coefficient, k_La. Bubble mean diameter was predicted using an equation developed by the Radial Basis Function Neural Network architecture obtained from the literature, and the mass transfer coefficient, k_L, was predicted using an equation based on the surface coverage ratio model. The ratio was found not to depend either on t-butanol concentration or on gas flow rate. A significant increase in the volumetric mass transfer coefficient, k_La, due to an increase in both k_L and a, was obtained following the addition of t-butanol, even at low concentrations.     

GMRes Algorithm and Symmetric Gauss-Seidel Preconditioning Solver for 2-D Boltzmann Transport Equation

This paper describes a new algorithm to solve the neutron transport stationary equation in 2-D geometry. This algorithm is based on a splitting of the collision operator and an infinite dimensional adaptation of the GMRes method accelerated by a symmetric Gauss-Seidel preconditioning. The theoretical proof of the convergence and the numerical results are given in this work.     

Effect of municipal solid waste compost and sewage sludge use on wheat (Triticum durum): growth,heavy metal accumulation,and antioxidant activity

BACKGROUND: Inappropriate utilisation of biosolids may adversely impact agrosystem productivity. Here, we address the response of wheat (Triticum durum) to different doses (0, 40, 100, 200 and 300 t ha^?1) of either municipal solid waste (MSW) compost or sewage sludge in a greenhouse pot experiment. Plant growth, heavy metal uptake, and antioxidant activity were considered. RESULTS: Biomass production of treated plants was significantly enhanced at 40 t ha^?1 and 100 t ha^?1 of MSW compost (+48% and +78% relative to the control, respectively). At the same doses of sewage sludge, the increase was only 18%. Higher doses of both biosolids restricted significantly the plant growth, in concomitance with the significant accumulation of heavy metals (Ni²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺), especially in leaves. Leaf activities of antioxidant enzymes (ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, catalase and superoxide dismutase) were unchanged at 40 t ha^?1 MSW compost or sewage sludge, but were significantly stimulated at higher doses (200–300 t ha^?1), together with higher leaf concentration of reduced glutathione. CONCLUSION: This preliminary study suggests that a MSW supply at moderate doses (100 t ha^?1) could be highly beneficial for wheat productivity. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry