Theoretical modeling of thermal stress imposed by selective permeation membranes reinforced with graphene oxide

The main purpose of the present work is to study the thermal stress imposed by selective permeation hydrogel‐filled nonwoven membranes (SPHM) in various environmental conditions, including cold, moderate and hot, in view of high and low wearer activity levels. In addition, graphene oxide (GO) has been used in the matrix structure of SPHM to reduce thermal stress. Hence, a mathematical model is proposed to study one‐dimensional heat transfer through SPHM reinforced with GO. Heat transfer equation was solved using the differential quadrature method and the resulting model was verified by experiments using a dynamic heat transfer simulation apparatus. It was observed that SPHM causes a significant thermal stress, especially in hot environments, and high activity level due to the low thermal conductivity of hydrogels. The results also showed that an increase in the GO content from 0.1% up to 0.5% leads to an increase in thermal conductivity up to 85% of blank SPHM without GO. Therefore, SPHM reinforced with GO is a promising candidate for protective clothing, especially in hot environments. Also, the mathematical model can be useful in predicting thermal stress for designing SPHM‐based PCs in various environmental conditions and activity levels. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44752.     

A new blend of polymeric encapsulation of azithromycin by spray-drying with a pH responsive in drug release

The microencapsulation of macrolides with polymers has been reported to retard the release of the drug in oral cavity. However, these methods are unable to control drug release in gastrointestinal tract. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of formulation of a new polymeric encapsulation of azithromycin which is suitable for both masking and sustained release usage. Eudragit E100 and polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000 were chosen as the barrier coatings. The spray drying technique was used to obtain the microcapsules containing azithromycin. To obtain the initial results, the effects of several parameters were evaluated. A 3:2:1 ratio of E100:PEG 4000:azithromycin at pH 6 gave the best coating condition. Thermogravimetric analysis and IR analysis data confirmed the encapsulation of azithromycin inside polymers. The encapsulated drug was released in different rates from the particles by changing the pH (1.7 and 7.4). An analysis of the kinetic release properties indicates that the release of the drug is a combination of swelling and diffusion mechanism. The synergistic cooperation between polymers and drug due to the existence of several hydrogen bonding is supposed to influence the pH-responsive property of the encapsulated drug. Moreover, the use of mixtures of E100 and PEG 4000 appears to offer a good balance between cost and efficiency.     

Investigation of the effect of magnetic field on mass transfer parameters of CO2 absorption using Fe3O4‐water nanofluid

In this study, the enhancement of physical absorption of carbon dioxide by Fe₃O₄‐water nanofluid under the influence of AC and DC magnetic fields was investigated. Furthermore, a gas‐liquid mass transfer model for single bubble systems was applied to predict mass transfer parameters. The coated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were prepared using co‐percipitation method. The results from characterization indicated that the nanoparticles surfaces were covered with hydroxyl groups and nanoparticles diameter were 10–13 nm. The findings showed that the mass transfer rate and solubility of carbon dioxide in magnetic nanofluid increased with an increase in the magnetic field strength. Results indicated that the enhancement of carbon dioxide solubility and average molar flux gas into liquid phase, particularly in the case of AC magnetic field. Moreover, results demonstrated that mass diffusivity of CO₂ in nanofluid and renewal surface factor increased when the intensity of the field increased and consequently diffusion layer thickness decreased. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 2176–2186, 2017     

A numerical study on heat transfer enhancement and design of a heat exchanger with porous media in continuous hydrothermal flow synthesis system

The aim of this study is to use a new configuration of porous media in a heat exchanger in continuous hydrothermal flow synthesis (CHFS) system to enhance the heat transfer and minimize the required length of the heat exchanger.For this purpose,numerous numerical simulations are performed to investigate performance of the system with porons media.First,the numerical simulation for the heat exchanger in CHFS system is validated by experimental data.Then,porous media is added to the system and six different thicknesses for the porous media are examined to obtain the optimum thickness,based on the minimum required length of the heat exchanger.Finally,by changing the flow rate and inlet temperature of the product as well as the cooling water flow rate,the minimum required length of the heat exchanger with porous media for various inlet conditions is assessed.The investigations indicate that using porous media with the proper thickness in the heat exchanger increases the cooling rate of the product by almost 40％and reduces the required length of the heat exchanger by approximately 35％.The results also illustrate that the most proper thickness of the porous media is approximately equal to 90％ of the product tube's thickness.Results of this study lead to design a porous heat exchanger in CHFS system for various inlet conditions.     

Oxidase-Peroxidase sequential polymerization for removal of a dye from contaminated water by horseradish peroxidase (HRP)/glucose oxidase (GOx)/polyurethane hybrid catalyst

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and glucose oxidase (GOx) were co-immobilized on polyurethane, and the resulting HRP/GOx/polyurethane biocatalyst was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDAX) mapping techniques. The prepared biocatalyst was used for removal of acid orange 7 as model azo dye. The required H₂O₂ for activation of HRP was in-situ produced using GOx to prevent deactivation of HRP in the presence of excess chemical H₂O₂. Central composite design (CCD) was applied for modeling and optimization of parameters affecting the activity of prepared biocatalyst. Under the optimum conditions, removal efficiency of the azo dye was predicted to be 87.47%, which was in good agreement with the experimental value (89.69%). In addition, the performance of the prepared biocatalyst for removal of two other dyes with different structure was investigated at the optimum conditions, and a removal efficiency of 91.56% and 95.25% was obtained for removal of methylene blue and malachite green, respectively. The results demonstrated that the resultant HRP/GOx/Polyurethane biocatalyst was able to decrease the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of a textile effluent from 740mg/L to 96mg/L, indicating that the prepared biocatalyst is an effective enzymatic system for treatment of real wastewater.     

Performance Analysis of Contact Baking of Flat Bread in an Indirect-Heating Oven

A significant portion of Iranian flat breads are produced in semi-industrial, indirect-heating ovens. Therefore, an efficient oven design and a proper selection of operating conditions are crucial to improve the product quality and reduce energy consumption. In the present study, a mathematical model is developed to simulate a semi-industrial, indirect-heating, continuous oven performance during contact baking of an Iranian flat bread, referred to as Taftoon. Individual modes of heat transfer are considered among various components of the baking system to estimate the system performance and the bread quality in terms of design and operating conditions. The predictions of this model are in good agreement with the experimental data. Numerical results indicate that conduction is the primary heat transfer mechanism. Furthermore, the effects of dough thickness, conveyer speed, and input air velocity on the quality of the bread are studied and appropriate ranges for the parameters are determined.     

Cycle synthesis and optimization of a VSA process for postcombustion CO2 capture

A systematic analysis of several vacuum swing adsorption (VSA) cycles with Zeochem zeolite 13X as the adsorbent to capture CO₂ from dry, flue gas containing 15% CO₂ in N₂ is reported. Full optimization of the analyzed VSA cycles using genetic algorithm has been performed to obtain purity‐recovery and energy‐productivity Pareto fronts. These cycles are assessed for their ability to produce high‐purity CO₂ at high recovery. Configurations satisfying 90% purity‐recovery constraints are ranked according to their energy‐productivity Pareto fronts. It is shown that a 4‐step VSA cycle with light product pressurization gives the minimum energy penalty of 131 kWh/tonne CO₂ captured at a productivity of 0.57 mol CO₂/m³ adsorbent/s. The minimum energy consumption required to achieve 95 and 97% purities, both at 90% recoveries, are 154 and 186 kWh/tonne CO₂ captured, respectively. For the proposed cycle, it is shown that significant increase in productivity can be achieved with a marginal increase in energy consumption. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 4735–4748, 2013     

Analysis of MTHFR and MTRR Gene Polymorphisms in Iranian Ventricular Septal Defect Subjects

Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is one of the most common types of congenital heart defects (CHD). There are vivid multifactorial causes for VSD in which both genetic and environmental risk factors are consequential in the development of CHD. Methionine synthase reductase (MTRR) and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) are two of the key regulatory enzymes involved in the metabolic pathway of homocysteine. Genes involved in homocysteine/folate metabolism may play an important role in CHDs. In this study; we determined the association of A66G and C524T polymorphisms of the MTRR gene and C677T polymorphism of the MTHFR gene in Iranian VSD subjects. A total of 123 children with VSDs and 125 healthy children were included in this study. Genomic DNA was extracted from the buccal cells of all the subjects. The restriction fragment length polymorphism polymerase chain reaction (PCR-RFLP) method was carried out to amplify the A66G and C524T polymorphism of MTRR and C677T polymorphism of MTHFR genes digested with Hinf1, Xho1 and Nde1 enzymes, respectively. The genotype frequencies of CC, CT and TT of MTRR gene among the studied cases were 43.1%, 40.7% and 16.3%, respectively, compared to 52.8%, 43.2% and 4.0%, respectively among the controls. For the MTRR A66G gene polymorphism, the genotypes frequencies of AA, AG and GG among the cases were 33.3%, 43.9% and 22.8%, respectively, while the frequencies were 49.6%, 42.4% and 8.0%, respectively, among control subjects. The frequencies for CC and CT genotypes of the MTHFR gene were 51.2% and 48.8%, respectively, in VSD patients compared to 56.8% and 43.2% respectively, in control subjects. Apart from MTHFR C677T polymorphism, significant differences were noticed (p < 0.05) in C524T and A66G polymorphisms of the MTRR gene between cases and control subjects.