Thermal treatment of waste photovoltaic module for recovery and recycling: Experimental assessment of the presence of metals in the gas emissions and in the ashes

The rapid expansion of the photovoltaic (PV) module market in the last years will determine in the near future a remarkable growth of corresponding waste. Then, the hazardous materials contained in the modules, such as Cd, Pb and Cr, could be released in the environment if the waste panels will not be handled adequately. Recycling processes of silicon crystalline panels, finalized to separate PV cells from the glass, involve the removal of the EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) layer through different methods, as the thermal treatment. During this treatment, some hazardous components can be released due to thermal degradation process. In this paper the metals released in the gas emissions and in the ashes due to the thermal treatment of modules were evaluated. For this purpose, three samples of crystalline panels were heated in furnace up to 600 °C and the complete degradation of the EVA was obtained. A mass balance between the sample and its components, before and after treatment, was performed in order to assess the weight loss percentage. Finally, after thermal treatment a qualitative analysis on the separated PV cell surface was performed by SEM-EDS (Scanning Electron Microscope equipped with Energy Dispersive Spectrometer).     

Chest X-ray enhancement to interpret pneumonia malformation based on fuzzy soft set and Dempster–Shafer theory of evidence

Image enhancement algorithms are commonly used to increase the contrast and visual quality of low-dose x-ray images. This paper proposes an automated enhancement method using soft fuzzy sets with a new decision-making scheme based on Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence for the visual interpretation of pneumonia malformation in low-dose x-ray images, called as XEFSDS. The XEFSDS model first generates an original source x-ray image into a complementary image, then each original and complement image is applied to the characterized image object and background areas of fuzzy space. The S-function is utilized to define fuzzy soft sets for the classification of gray level ambiguity in both images, and hence a decision criterion via Dempster-Shafer approach and fuzzy interval has been adapted to discriminate uncertainties on the pixel intensity and the spatial information. Modified membership grade operations have been performed on each object/background area, and Werner’s AND/OR operator (an aggregation operator) has been utilized to build a new membership function from two modified membership functions. Finally, an enhanced image is obtained from the new membership function via defuzzification. Experiments on different pneumonia X-ray images demonstrate that the XEFSDS scheme produces better results than the existing methods. To show the advantages of the XEFSDS scheme, we have executed a segmentation based examination on enhanced image for the detection of pneumonia malformation as well as abnormal lobe (lobar pneumonia) or bronchopneumonia.     

Hydrogel photocatalysts for efficient energy conversion and environmental treatment

Photocatalysts have attracted great research interest owing to their excellent properties and potential for simultaneously addressing challenges related to energy needs and environmental pollution. Photocatalytic particles need to be in contact with their respective media to exhibit efficient photocatalytic performances. However, it is difficult to separate nanometer-sized photocatalytic materials from reaction media later, which may lead to secondary pollution and a poor recycling performance. Hydrogel photocatalysts with a three-dimensional (3D) network structures are promising support materials for photocatalysts based on features such as high specific surface areas and adsorption capacities and good environmental compatibility. In this review, hydrogel photocatalysts are classified into two different categories depending on their elemental composition and recent progresses in the methods for preparing hydrogel photocatalysts are summarized. Moreover, current applications of hydrogel photocatalysts in energy conversion and environmental remediation are reviewed. Furthermore, a comprehensive outlook and highlight future challenges in the development of hydrogel photocatalysts are presented.     

采油污水处理工艺探讨

针对采油污水的水质特点,以及其中有机污染物的组成,结合现有处理工艺,确定了以生化法降解有机污染物为核心的处理工艺,实现了达标排放,并对处理工艺适用性进行了分析。     

Using a multicultural lens to understand illnesses among Haitians living in America.

Currently, ethnic and racial minority individuals represent a large proportion of the U.S. population, and researchers expect that they will represent the majority of the population by 2050. This shift in U.S. demographics calls for a greater awareness and integration of cultural issues into the assessment and treatment of ethnically and linguistically diverse clients. This article examines the unique beliefs and manifestations of illnesses among Haitians in connection with the American Psychological Association's (APA, 2002) Multicultural Guidelines. The authors use a common culture-bound syndrome, Séizisman, to illustrate the cultural beliefs, assessment, and treatment of illnesses among Haitians. In so doing, they demonstrate how to incorporate the APA Multicultural Guidelines into treatment with clients of diverse cultural and racial backgrounds. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

轻质滤料滤池的试验与研究

轻质滤料滤池是以比水密度略小的滤料为滤床的滤池，通过以净水厂的原水和污水处理厂的二级处理出水为过滤试验对象，所取得的结果表明：下向流轻质滤料滤池对浊度和悬浮固体（SS）的去除率分别可以达到80％和45％，而滤床的水头损失不超过15cm。因此轻质滤料滤池可以以预过滤的形式配置在过滤处理的净水和污水的处理工艺中。     

炼油达标污水回用处理试验研究

采用曝气生物滤池、多介质过滤、超滤、反渗透工艺,对炼油达标外排污水进行回用处理中试试验。结果表明,曝气生物滤池对油、COD和浊度去除效果良好,超滤、反渗透膜化学清洗周期达到 2个月以上,脱盐率稳定在98％以上,产水品质达到回用要求。     

渣油胶质和沥青质在分散型催化剂作用下的临氢热反应行为

采用四组分法从辽河减压渣油中分离出胶质、沥青质，分别考察了它们在分散型催化剂作用下的临氢热反应行为。结果表明，胶质、沥青质一方面要裂化生成较轻的产物；另一方面也要发生缩合反应生成较重的反应产物以及甲苯不溶物。渣油在临氢热反应过程中，沥青质是生焦的主要来源，其次才是胶质。比较了热反应生成的沥青质与原生沥青质之间以及热反应生成的胶质与原生胶质之间化学组成的区别，结果表明，反应生成的沥青质和胶质较原生的沥青质和胶质分子结构缩合程度高，并且反应苛刻度越高，缩合程度也越高。     

酮苯脱蜡装置用加氢裂化尾油生产优质白油料

加氢裂化尾油经酮苯脱蜡和白土精制工艺可生产高质量润滑油基础油.该基础油具有很好的低温流动性能,且对添加剂感受性好,硫、氮含量低,饱和烃含量高,可以调合中、高档润滑油,制备白油.加氢裂化尾油的综合利用具有明显的经济效益.