A conceptual design of a stand-alone hydrogen production system with low carbon dioxide emissions

A conceptual design for the carbon dioxide reforming of methane to consume greenhouse gases is implemented in an autothermal reformer (ATR)-based hydrogen production system. Based on the waste heat recovery configuration, a heat-integrated system without external heat supplies is proposed where the optimal operating conditions are determined by solving the constrained optimization algorithm for maximizing hydrogen selectivity or minimizing carbon dioxide selectivity. The results obtained from an Aspen HYSYS^® simulator for the system design and optimization shows that the proposed stand-alone hydrogen production system can achieve 40%∼50% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.     

A comprehensive review of robotic assembly line balancing problem

Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing - The research on the robotic assembly line balancing problem (RALBP) was originated for the first time nearly three decades ago. This problem is under the...     

Fabrication of thermally stabilized shellac through solid state reaction with phthalic anhydride

Shellac has been regarded as an obsolete polymer due to its poor thermal stability. The purpose of the study was to solve the problem by solid-state synthesis of shellac phthalate (SHL-PHT). Shellac was ground with phthalic anhydride and then thermally activated at various conditions. The solid-state esterification of shellac was clearly observed after annealing. As indicated by an increase of acid value, the esterification was more pronounced after the increase of annealing temperature and time. The formation of SHL-PHT was confirmed by FTIR spectra and other characterization techniques. The SHL-PHT demonstrated to improve the thermal stability as compared to native shellac. After aging at high temperature, percent insoluble solid and acid value of the native shellac dramatically changed while those of SHL-PHT were relatively the same as initial value, especially for the more esterified SHL-PHT. The protection of hydroxyl groups of shellac by phthalate moieties might be a possible explanation for the improved stability. In conclusion, the study may give an eco-friendly way to synthesize the shellac derivatives for future applications.     

Water‐soluble chitosan intercalated montmorillonite nanocomposites for removal of basic blue 66 and basic yellow 1 from aqueous solution

Water‐soluble chitosan intercalated montmorillonite (wCTS/MMT) nanocomposites were modified and characterized by using Fourier transform infrared, thermogravimetric analysis, and X‐ray diffractometer techniques. Two types of wCTS, namely, low molecular‐weight chitosan (L‐wCTS) and hydroxyethylacryl chitosan (H‐wCTS) were synthesized and applied. The batch adsorption experiments on these nanocomposites were conducted by using basic dyes, that is, Basic Blue 66 and Basic Yellow 1 (BY1). The adsorption capacities of sodium montmorillonite (Na‐MMT), chitosan, L‐wCTS/MMT, and H‐wCTS/MMT were measured and compared. The results showed that the adsorption capacities of wCTS/MMT nanocomposites were higher than those values of Na‐MMT and chitosan. The adsorption kinetics of wCTS/MMT nanocomposites for BY1 were studied. It was described that the adsorption processes were better fitted by pseudo‐second‐order equation. The Langmuir and the Freundlich models were used to fit the adsorption isotherm. It was indicated that the adsorption isotherms followed the Langmuir model. The values of the maximum adsorption capacity of L‐wCTS/MMT and H‐wCTS/MMT adsorbents were at 188.7 and 294.1 mg/g, respectively. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Tara tannin as active ingredient in electrospun fibrous delivery system

This study evaluated the releasing performance of tara tannin, a cocktail of plant polyphenols, incorporated in submicron fiber, produced by the electrospinning process. Polylactic acid was used as a polymer matrix that carried two loading levels of tara tannin, 14.3 and 22.3% dry weight in the final product. The fiber diameter of composite fibers was in the range 500–700 nm. The release of tara tannin was controlled by material attachment as there was no evidence of chemical bonding between materials. This was further confirmed by FTIR and DSC. From the five combinations of acid that were presented in tara tannin, galloylquinic acid, with the smallest molecular weight composition, was released in the largest proportion (%molar) and exhibited antioxidant activity. This was confirmed by 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl assay and HPLC‐MS analyses. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43646.     

Structural evaluation of ZnO substitution for CaO in glass ionomer cement synthesized by sol-gel method and their properties

Journal of Materials Science - The substitution of ZnO for CaO site and the limitation of ZnO addition in the sol-gel ionomer glass composition at different calcination temperatures were evaluated...     

Plasticizing effect of ibuprofen induced an alteration of drug released from Kollidon SR matrices produced by direct compression

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of storage temperature on drug release from matrices containing 10, 40 and 70% w/w ibuprofen in Kollidon® SR (KSR). The matrix tablets were produced by direct compression and then kept at 30 and 45?°C for 3 months. Drug release from the matrix tablets was examined after storage for 0, 1, 4 and 12 weeks. Scanning electron microscope was used to reveal physical appearance of the tablet surface at the respective time intervals. In addition, differential scanning calorimeter was used to investigate glass transition temperature (T_g) of ibuprofen in KSR at 0–100% w/w based on the principle of Gordon–Taylor equation. At 45?°C, the dissolution of ibuprofen in KSR as well as the coalescence of polymer particles were observed to be higher than those of storage at 30?°C. The physical state of ibuprofen dispersed in the polymeric matrix and degree of polymer coalescence led to the variation of drug release. The coalescence of polymer particles was a result of the polymer transition from glassy to rubbery state according to water absorption of KSR and plasticizing effect of ibuprofen. The reduction of the T_g of ibuprofen blended with KSR could be better described by the Kwei equation, a modified version of Gordon–Taylor equation.