Hydrogen-rich syngas production via integrated configuration of pyrolysis and air gasification processes of various algal biomass: Process simulation and evaluation using Aspen Plus software

In the present study, hydrogen-rich syngas production via integrated configuration of pyrolysis and air gasification processes of different algal biomass is investigated at relevant industrial condition. A comprehensive steady state equilibrium simulation model is developed using Aspen Plus software, to investigate and evaluate the performance of pyrolysis and air gasification processes of different algal biomass (Algal waste, Chlorella vulgaris, Rhizoclonium sp and Spirogyra). The model can be used as a predictive tool for optimization of the gasifier performance. The developed process consists of three general stages including biomass drying, pyrolysis and gasification. The model validation using reported experimental results for pyrolysis of algal biomass indicated that the predicted results are in good agreement with experimental data. The effect of various operational parameters, such as gasifier temperature, gasifier pressure and air flow rate on the gas product composition and H₂/CO was investigated by sensitivity analysis of parameters. The achieved optimal operating condition to maximize the hydrogen and carbon monoxide production as the desirable products were as follows: gasifier temperature of 600 °C, gasifier pressure of 1 atm and air flow rate of 0.01 m³/h.     

Synthesis and characterization of conductive neural tissue engineering scaffolds based on urethane-polycaprolactone

Polymeric biomaterials play a key role in enhancement of lengthy nerve regeneration and various types of scaffolds were used to pave the way for nerve regeneration. Electrospun fibrous scaffolds have special potential applicability in controlling the cell behaviors such as adhesion, growth, proliferation and function. This study attempted to design a conductive and porous fibrous scaffold containing polycaprolactone (PCL) and polyaniline (PANI) with controllable degradation rate by adding urethane groups in scaffold structures. FTIR and NMR analysis was used to characterize the chemical bonds. Morphology, porosity, conductivity and degradation rate of scaffolds were also evaluated. To assess the cell–scaffold interaction, PC-12 cell line was cultured on the scaffolds. Results showed that the degradation rate of composite samples significantly increased in 50 time period. It seems that these results suggest that the composite fibrous scaffolds having proportions of UPCL/PCL/PANI45:20:35 exhibit the most balanced properties that meet all of the required specifications for neural cells and possess a potential application in neural tissue engineering.     

Electro-conductive modification of polyethylene terephthalate fabric with nano carbon black and washing fastness improvement by dopamine self-polymerized layer

Modification of textiles with new applications target such as electroconductive fabrics has recently attracted researchers. In this article, carbon black nanoparticles (CB NPs) were applied to polyester fabric through two separate high temperature (HT) exhaustion processing with NaOH and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as alkali hydrolysis catalyst and dispersing agents. To improve the stability of CB NPs on the fabric a self-polymerized compound, dopamine (DA) was used in a simple dipping method at room temperature for 24 h to form a thin layer of PDA on CB NPs-treated fabric. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was used to study the morphology of the fabrics confirming presence of CB NPs. EDX and mapping patterns showed the percentage and distribution of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen elements on the fabric surface. The treated fabric indicated an electrical resistance of 14 kΩ turns a LED device on with a 10 V power supply. Self-polymerized DA on the fabric surface led to more nitrogen and oxygen caused higher CB NPs stability. Furthermore, the tensile strength results revealed a 25.8% lower tenacity on the treated fabric. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 48035.     

Partitioned solution of an unsteady adjoint for strongly coupled fluid-structure interactions and application to parameter identification of a one-dimensional problem

Unsteady fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulations are generally time-consuming. Gradient-based methods are preferred to minimise the computational cost of parameter identification studies (and more in general optimisation) with a high number of parameters. However, calculating the cost function’s gradient using finite differences becomes prohibitively expensive for a high number of parameters. Therefore, the adjoint equations of the unsteady FSI problem are solved to obtain this gradient at a cost almost independent of the number of parameters. Here, both the forward and the adjoint problems are solved in a partitioned way, which means that the flow equations and the structural equations are solved separately. The application of interest is the identification of the arterial wall’s stiffness by comparing the motion of the arterial wall with a reference, possibly obtained from non-invasive imaging. Due to the strong interaction between the fluid and the structure, quasi-Newton coupling iterations are applied to stabilise the partitioned solution of both the forward and the adjoint problem.     

Improved desorption temperature of magnesium hydride via multi-layering Mg/Fe thin film

Hydrogen sorption property of Mg in Pd-capped thin film nanoconfined with Fe is investigated. Two methods of depositing the thin films were utilised, i.e., resistive heating method and pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. In the thinnest Mg film prepared by resistive heating, hydrogen content was observed to be the highest among all samples and the hydrogen desorption temperature is 230 °C. Using pulsed laser deposition method, Mg/Fe nanoconfined multilayers are easily prepared. The hydrogen desorption temperature of Mg film with 12 Mg/Fe layers prepared via PLD method was significantly reduced to 155 °C, and the hydrogen storage capacity is improved as compared to the Mg/Fe with only several layers of same overall thickness. This study showed that the desorption temperatures correlate with the film thickness, thinner films react with hydrogen at lower temperatures. In addition, multi-layering Mg with Fe improves the desorption temperatures and hydrogen capacity, due to the higher grain boundary density, which acts as diffusion pathways for Pd in hydrogenation and dehydrogenation process.     

A Commonly Used Biocide 2-N-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-oneInduces Blood–Brain Barrier Dysfunction via Cellular Thiol Modification and Mitochondrial Damage

Isothiazolinone (IT) biocides are potent antibacterial substances commonly used as preservatives or disinfectants, and 2-n-Octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one (OIT; octhilinone) is a common IT biocide that is present in leather products, glue, paints, and cleaning products. Although humans are exposed to OIT through personal and industrial use, the potentially deleterious effects of OIT on human health are still unknown. To investigate the effects of OIT on the vascular system, which is continuously exposed to xenobiotics through systemic circulation, we treated brain endothelial cells with OIT. OIT treatment significantly activated caspase-3-mediated apoptosis and reduced the bioenergetic function of mitochondria in a bEnd.3 cell-based in vitro blood–brain barrier (BBB) model. Interestingly, OIT significantly altered the thiol redox status, as evidenced by reduced glutathione levels and protein S-nitrosylation. The endothelial barrier function of bEnd.3 cells was significantly impaired by OIT treatment. OIT affected mitochondrial dynamics through mitophagy and altered mitochondrial morphology in bEnd.3 cells. N-acetyl cysteine significantly reversed the effects of OIT on the metabolic capacity and endothelial function of bEnd.3 cells. Taken together, we demonstrated that the alteration of the thiol redox status and mitochondrial damage contributed to OIT-induced BBB dysfunction, and we hope that our findings will improve our understanding of the potential hazardous health effects of IT biocides.     

Enhanced Li-storage performance of In-doped Li1.21[Mn0.54Ni0.125Co0.125]O2 as Li- and Mn-rich cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Journal of Applied Electrochemistry - Lithium manganese-rich nickel–manganese–cobalt oxides (LMR-NMCs) are promising candidates for cathodes in Li-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their high...