Integrated decision support system for waste minimization analysis in chemical processes

The need to build and operate environmentally friendly plants has challenged the chemical industry to consider waste minimization or even elimination starting from the early stages of process development. A thorough waste minimization analysis requires specialized expertise and is laborious, time-consuming, expensive, and knowledge-intensive. This has caused a major technical barrier for implementing waste minimization programswithin the industry. Previously, we had reported a systematic methodology and a knowledge-based system, called ENVOPExpert, for identifying waste minimization opportunities in chemical processes. In this paper, we propose an integrated qualitative-quantitative methodology to identify waste minimization alternatives and assess their efficacy in terms of environmental impact and process economics. A qualitative analysis is first conducted to identify the sources of wastes and to propose alternatives for eliminating or minimizing them. Environmental impact of each alternative is then calculated by doing a quantitative pollutant balance. The capital expenditure required for implementing the alternative and the resulting plant operating costs are also calculated and used in the evaluation of the waste minimization alternatives. Through this, practical and cost-effective options can be identified. This methodology has been implemented as an integrated decision support system and tested using the hydrodealkylation process case study with satisfactory results.     

Effect of Ba and Zn doping in Bi2Pb0.6Sr2Ca2Cu3Oδ superconductors using ac susceptibility measurements

Ac complex susceptibility, = – i, measurements were done on the samples doped with barium and zinc (Bi₂Pb_0.6Sr₂Ca_{2 – x}M_xCu₃O, M = Ba, Zn and x = 0.02 and 0.10). The data of shows that coupling of the grains in Zn-doped samples are weaker than that of Ba-doped samples and hence it could be concluded that Zn-doped samples are dominated by the S-I-S type of weak links, whereas the Ba doped samples are dominated by the S-N-S weak links. Calculated values of I₀ is three times higher in the Ba doped samples such that the values of Josephson coupling energy, E_j is four times that of Zn doped samples. Analysis based on the sensitivity of the data of d(T)/dT versus temperature furnished further information on the two-step transitions related to the coupling of the grains in both systems.     

Temperature and dwell time effect on hardness of Al-base alloys

The hardness of Al–5wt%Zn (alloy A) and Al–5wt%Zn–0.25wt%In (alloy B) was measured at room temperature for samples heat treated in the range 300–453 K and dwell times in the range 30–300 s under 50 gm load. Softening was observed for all the samples and the hardness decreased with increasing temperature and/or dwell time. Hardness drop was larger for alloy (B), which in general showed higher hardness than alloy (A). The stress exponent n increased with increasing temperature and showed high values falling in the power law breakdown region. The parameters deduced from the analysis of X-rays data and micrographs were found to be consistant with the calculated mechanical data.     

An adaptive sliding mode differentiator for actuator oscillatory failure case reconstruction

This paper proposes an adaptive sliding mode super-twisting differentiator which allows the gains to adapt based on the ‘quality’ of the sliding motion. A Lyapunov based analysis for the adaptive super-twisting scheme is presented to demonstrate its properties. As an example, the adaptive differentiator proposed in this paper has been used as part of a nonlinear FDI scheme for an Oscillatory Failure Case (OFC) in an actuator. The FDI scheme requires an estimate of the rod speed which is provided by the adaptive super-twisting differentiator. Due to the conditions in which the actuator operates, normally the differentiator gains are initialised at low values to ensure good rod speed estimation in fault free conditions. However for large amplitude/frequency OFCs, the gains must adapt in order to maintain sliding and provide a good estimation. Simulations on a high fidelity nonlinear aircraft benchmark model have been carried out for both liquid and solid OFCs.     

Modeling of vial and ball motions for an effective mechanical milling process

Mechanical milling (MM) is referred to a solid state size reduction process where work materials in the form of coarse particulates are broken into the ultimate fineness by means of mechanical impact created by collisions of the work materials and the milling media which are placed inside a reciprocating vial. Many milling techniques have been so far developed to improve the process. However, the efficiency of MM process is still below satisfactory in terms of energy balance, where the energy consumed by the process of reduction is still very low compared to the energy supplied to perform the milling process itself. This contributes to high energy losses and proportionally to the span of processing time. Other major problems inherent in the process are contamination by the balls and the vial materials into the work materials, and process temperature that could influence the properties of milled materials. Since MM process utilizes the energy generated by impact upon the collisions of the balls against the work materials, it is important to understand the motions of the balls, the work materials, and the vial, which are the sources of the generation of impact energy. To obtain an optimized processing condition, the motions of vial and ball in relationship with the work materials should be designed in such a way to ensure the optimum impact energy is consumed by the work materials for the size reduction purposes. This paper presents a physical model for work materials, balls, and vial collisions based on different ways of motions. Using this model, higher impact could be achieved. These would lead to the reduction of milling time, contamination, as well as milling temperature.     

Oxidative susceptibility of partially carboxymethylated cotton to gamma radiation

Partially carboxymethylated cotton with a DS of about 0.05–0.15 retains its original fibrous nature and exhibits a number of potentially valuable properties, such as a crisp hand with a slightly starched feel, increased moisture regain, water absorbancy, water permeability, changed dyeing characteristics, increased resistance to soiling from aqueous dispersions, and greater ease of soil removal.^5–8 Furthermore, detailed studies have been reported on the behavior of partially carboxymethylated cotton toward oxidation and hydrolysis,⁹ vinyl graft polymerization,¹⁰ transfer printing,^11,12 cross-linking,¹³ and thermal treatments.¹⁴     

Application of micromechanical models for predicting fracture toughness of sulphide controlled Fe 510 steels

As cleavage fracture follows a tensile stress criterion, it is possible to predict fracture toughness K_Ic as a function of temperature when small scale yielding stress distribution in combination with the Ritchie, Knott and Rice criterion is used. With increasing temperature and thus pronounced plasticity the crack tip blunts and the experimental values are underestimated. The Schmidtmann and Nierhoff proposal for modifying the cleavage stress criterion and introducing the effect of crack tip blunting is compared with the RKR-model and with experimentally determined K_Ic-values for four different qualities of Fe 510 steels. The steels mainly differ in sulphur content and sulphur shape control. Thus the effect of sulphur on cleavage fracture will be discussed.     

Improvement of mechanical performance of epoxy resins filled with cobalt and chromium powders

Epoxy/ powder metal composites have interesting electrical properties, becoming conductors above the percolation threshold. To complete this study, mechanical investigations have been carried out to show the influence of the fillers on the mechanical performance of these composites. In this framework, different epoxy/metallic powders (Cobalt, Chromium) composites were prepared. Scanning Electron Microscopy showed that the dispersion of the metallic fillers in the matrix is almost homogeneous. The dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) measurements showed the dependence of the viscoelastic parameters with the frequency, temperature, nature, and content of fillers. The main relaxations observed are the primary α relaxation (associated to the glass transition, T_g) and a secondary β relaxation. A second DMTA run on the same samples showed a slight increase of the T_g. It clearly showed that the used metallic fillers improve the mechanical properties of the obtained composites. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Hydrolytic Depolymerization of PET in a Microwave Reactor

Recycling of PET was examined using hydrolytic depolymerization in an alkaline solution under microwave irradiation. The reaction was carried out in a sealed microwave reactor in which the pressure and temperature were controlled and recorded. The main products were the monomers TPA and EG. The effect of reaction temperature, time, amount of PET and alkaline concentration on the degree of PET depolymerization and TPA recovery was investigated. Microwave irradiation was found to reduce the time needed to achieve a specific degradation of PET significantly, with almost complete depolymerization occurring in 30 min at 180 °C and only 46 W of microwave power. Using a phase transfer catalyst (TOMAB) resulted in the same amount of unreacted PET but at significantly lower depolymerization temperatures.

     

The Rising Costs of Floods: Examining the Impact of Planning and Development Decisions on Property Damage in Florida

The rising economic cost of floods in the United States cannot be explained solely by monetary inflation or growth in coastal populations. Damaging flood events are also influenced by the way society plans for and physically develops its communities, influencing where structures and impervious surfaces are concentrated and how hydrological systems are altered. We analyze 383 nonhurricane flood events in Florida counties between 1997 and 2001 to isolate how planning decisions and their effects on the built environment affect property damage caused by floods. Our results suggest that alteration of naturally occurring wetlands significantly increases the property damage caused by floods, all else equal. Also, nonstructural methods such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Community Rating System, while providing inexpensive means of reducing property damage directly, may also indirectly encourage more development in hazardous areas.