Computational analysis of citric acid pertraction in emulsion liquid membranes

Citric acid is one of the most widely used acids in industry, and its recovery from waste streams is critical. Emulsion liquid membrane (ELM) is one of the most effective recovery methods that has been investigated in recent years. Numerous transport phenomena parameters affect the efficiency of this process. From the process equipment design point of view, optimization based on overall cost is of great importance, and important equipment sizing decisions/constraints must be considered. A physics-based model for a full-scale simulation of ELM systems is very useful. This work is focused on developing and verifying such a model. A coupled particle/mixture simulation was carried out in this work, and the modelling results were fitted on the experimental data. The novelty of this modelling work is physics-based results based on the system's geometry and its effects on the mass transfer resistances. Since the model is physics-based, the model is capable of simulating similar systems with any geometry or experimental conditions.     

Numerical modelling of rotating packed beds used for CO2 capture processes: A review

Over the last decades, renewable and clean energy sources are being rigorously adopted along with carbon capture technologies to tackle the increasing carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration level in the environment. CO₂ capture is a quintessential option for tackling global warming issues. In this context, the present paper has reviewed the process intensification equipment called a rotating packed bed (RPB), which is highly industry applicable due to high gravity (HiGee) force. This facilitates strong mass transfer characteristics, a compact design, and low energy consumption. In this review, the current research scenario of RPBs using numerical, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and mathematical modelling, along with different machine learning approaches in the CO₂ capture process, has been reviewed. The different geometry designs, hydrodynamic characteristics, performance parameters, research methods, and their effects on CO₂ removal efficiency have been discussed. Furthermore, the latest experimental studies are also summarized, especially in the absorption and adsorption domain. Finally, recommendations have been given to support the RPBs in different industrial and commercial applications of CO₂ removal.     

Deposition and characterization of nanocrystalline and amorphous Ni–W coatings with embedded alumina nanoparticles

Nanocrystalline and amorphous Ni–W coatings containing Al₂O₃ nanoparticles were electrodeposited from three different ammoniacal citrate baths by direct current (DC) method. The effects of nanoparticles on compositional, structural and morphological features of Ni–W coatings were investigated. The effects of bath chemical composition and current density on codeposition behavior of nanoparticles were also studied. Guglielmi model for particle deposition was applied to identify the kinetics of particle deposition. The presence of nanoparticles may affect on coating grain size, tungsten content and the rate of metal deposition. In addition, nanoparticles can result in more compact coatings with fewer defects. The extent of these effects depends on bath chemical composition and may be influenced by the synergistic effect of Ni on deposition of W. It was also found that the kinetics of particle deposition and the effect of current density on codeposition behavior of nanoparticles are highly dependent on bath chemical composition.     

Rhodium‐Catalyzed Homogeneous Reductive Amidation of Aldehydes

The catalytic reductive amidation of an aldehyde (hexanal) with an amide (acetamide) is reported. Apart from the desired N‐hexylacetamide, the two isomeric unsaturated intermediates as well as hexanol are produced together with higher mass products that arise from aldol condensation and diamide coupling of the aldehyde. Screening of different catalyst precursor salts, ligands and reaction conditions led to the finding that the catalytic system based on the (cyclooctadiene)rhodium chloride dimer, [Rh(cod)Cl]₂, in combination with the ligand xantphos and an acid co‐catalyst results in high selectivity for the desired product. Under optimized conditions nearly full conversion is reached with high selectivity to the desired N‐alkylamide and with a very high N ‐ alkylamide/alcohol ratio, while producing only small amounts of by‐products. The scope of the reaction has been investigated using different amides as well as aldehydes; the results show the general applicability of this novel reaction, but with electron‐withdrawing amides the selectivity to N‐alkylamide is lower. NMR studies showed that the nucleophilic addition of acetamide to hexanal is acid catalyzed, forming N‐(1‐hydroxyhexyl)acetamide in equilibrium with both hexanal and the dehydrated unsaturated imides. A catalytic mechanism is proposed in which a strong acid such as HOTs acts as a co‐catalyst by establishing a rapid chemical equilibrium between the aldehyde, acetamide and the intermediates. Furthermore, it is proposed that the presence of acid causes a change in catalytic species, enabling a cationic Rh/xantphos hydrogenation catalyst to selectively hydrogenate the intermediates to N‐hexylacetamide in the presence of hexanal.     

Flow and heat transfer of two immiscible fluids in double-layer optical fiber coating

The coatings of optical fibers are generally characterized by a multi-layer coating structure. In this work, the mathematical modeling of two immiscible non-Newtonian fluids for optical fiber coating inside a straight annular die is developed in the form of a nonlinear differential equation with nonhomogeneous boundary conditions. Two non-Newtonian fluids, namely power law and Phan-Thien–Tanner fluids, are used in the primary and secondary coating dies, respectively. An exact solution is obtained for velocity fields and temperature distributions for the primary and secondary coating resins. The thickness of coated fiber optics is also calculated for both layers. The effect of different emerging parameters on the solution is discussed and sketched.     

Design of a dual function buried channel waveguide for pulse compression and dispersion compensation in two different wavelengths for the purpose of optical integration

Silicon - Optical pulse compression and dispersion compensation are two important applications in optical systems. The present paper proposes a dual function buried channel waveguide to be used in...     

Thermodynamic Equilibrium Analysis of Propane Dehydrogenation with Carbon Dioxide and Side Reactions

A thermodynamic analysis of propane dehydrogenation with carbon dioxide was performed using constrained Gibbs free energy minimization method. Different reaction networks corresponding to different catalytic systems, including non-redox and redox oxide catalysts, were simulated. The influences of CO₂/C₃H₈ molar ratio (1–10), temperature (700–1000 K), and pressure (0.5–5 bar) on equilibrium conversion and product composition were studied. In the presence of CO₂ with a molar ratio of CO₂/C₃H₈ = 1, the temperature of dehydrogenation can be 30 K lower than that of dehydrogenation in the presence of steam (H₂O/C₃H₈ = 1) and about 50 K lower than that of simple dehydrogenation without dilution to achieve 60% propane conversion. It was found that the occurrence of dry reforming of propane and coke-forming side reactions could strongly impact the equilibrium product composition of the multireaction system and, therefore, these reactions should be kinetically controlled. Comparison of the simulated reactant conversions with those reported in the literatures revealed that the experimental conversion levels of propane are far below the corresponding equilibrium values due to rapid catalyst deactivation by coke, implying that research efforts should be directed toward formulation of more active and selective catalysts.     

Glassy carbon electrode modified with a bilayer of multi-walled carbon nanotube and polypyrrole doped with new coccine: Application to the sensitive electrochemical determination of Sumatriptan

A promising electrochemical sensor was developed based on a layer by layer process by electro-polymerization of pyrrole in the presence of new coccine (NC) as dopant anion on the surface of the multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) pre-coated glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The modified electrode was used as a new and sensitive electrochemical sensor for voltammetric determination of sumatriptan (SUM). The electrochemical behavior of SUM was investigated on the surface of the modified electrode using linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). The results showed a remarkable increase (∼12 times) in the anodic peak current of SUM in comparison to the bare GCE. The effect of experimental variables such as, drop size of the casted MWCNTs suspension, pH of the supporting electrolyte, accumulation conditions and the number of cycles in the electro-polymerization process on the electrode response was investigated. Under the optimum conditions, the modified electrode showed a wide linear dynamic range of 0.02–10.0 μmol L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 6 nmol L⁻¹ for the voltammetric determination of SUM. The prepared electrode showed high sensitivity, stability and good reproducibility in response to SUM. This sensor was successfully applied for the accurate determination of trace amounts of SUM in pharmaceutical and clinical preparations.     

Minor Components in Canola Oil and Effects of Refining on These Constituents: A Review

Crude canola oil is composed mainly of triacylglycerols but contains considerable amounts of desirable and undesirable minor components. Crude canola oil is refined in order to remove undesirable minor compounds that make this oil unusable in food products. However, refining can also cause the removal of desirable health-promoting minor components from the oil. The first section of this review describes the chemical composition of canola oil, followed by a brief introduction to the effects of minor components on canola oil quality and stability. Following a review of traditional canola oil refining methods, the effects of individual refining stages on the removal of both desirable and undesirable components from canola oil are presented and contrasted with other common vegetable oils.