Pharmaceuticals Removal by Adsorption with Montmorillonite Nanoclay

The problem of purifying domestic and hospital wastewater from pharmaceutical compounds is becoming more and more urgent every year, because of the continuous accumulation of chemical pollutants in the environment and the limited availability of freshwater resources. Clay adsorbents have been repeatedly proposed as adsorbents for treatment purposes, but natural clays are hydrophilic and can be inefficient for catching hydrophobic pharmaceuticals. In this paper, a comparison of adsorption properties of pristine montmorillonite (MMT) and montmorillonite modified with stearyl trimethyl ammonium (hydrophobic MMT-STA) towards carbamazepine, ibuprofen, and paracetamol pharmaceuticals was performed. The efficiency of adsorption was investigated under varying solution pH, temperature, contact time, initial concentration of pharmaceuticals, and adsorbate/adsorbent mass ratio. MMT-STA was better than pristine MMT at removing all the pharmaceuticals studied. The adsorption capacity of hydrophobic montmorillonite to pharmaceuticals decreased in the following order: carbamazepine (97%) > ibuprofen (95%) > paracetamol (63–67%). Adsorption isotherms were best described by Freundlich model. Within the pharmaceutical concentration range of 10–50 µg/mL, the most optimal mass ratio of adsorbates to adsorbents was 1:300, pH 6, and a temperature of 25 °C. Thus, MMT-STA could be used as an efficient adsorbent for deconta×ating water of carbamazepine, ibuprofen, and paracetamol.     

中国抽水蓄能电站运营现状分析

实地调查了中国 5省 (市 ) 8座抽水蓄能电站 ,并对它们的实际运行资料进行分析计算 ,论述了中国抽水蓄能电站的建设运营现状、存在的问题及其原因 ,指出了湖北电网兴建抽水蓄能电站应注意的有关问题。     

煤矿用阻燃抗静电管材的研究

对以聚丙烯为母料的管材 ,进行了阻燃抗静电及力学性能改性 ,使之满足MT1 81标准要求 ,为工程塑料应用于煤矿奠定了基础     

Characterization of plasticized PMMA-LiBF4 based solid polymer electrolytes

Polymer electrolyte films prepared from poly(methyl methacrylate) and LiBF₄ with different concentrations of plasticizer (DBP) are described. The formation of polymer-salt complex has been confirmed by FTIR spectral studies. The temperature dependence of conductivity of polymer films seems to obey the VTF relation. Values of conductivities of the polymer complexes are presented and discussed.     

An approach for assessing human decision reliability

This paper presents a method to study human reliability in decision situations related to nuclear power plant disturbances. Decisions often play a significant role in handling of emergency situations. The method may be applied to probabilistic safety assessments (PSAs) in cases where decision making is an important dimension of an accident sequence. Such situations are frequent e.g. in accident management. In this paper, a modelling approach for decision reliability studies is first proposed. Then, a case study with two decision situations with relatively different characteristics is presented. Qualitative and quantitative findings of the study are discussed. In very simple decision cases with time pressure, time reliability correlation proved out to be a feasible reliability modelling method. In all other decision situations, more advanced probabilistic decision models have to be used. Finally, decision probability assessment by using simulator run results and expert judgement is presented.     

The use of quantum chemical methods in corrosion inhibitor studies

Quantum chemical methods are particularly significant in the study of electrochemistry and provide researchers with a relatively quick way of studying the structure and behaviour of corrosion inhibitors. The originality of this review article is based on the fact that it is the first and unique general reference for all those interested in the use of quantum chemical methods in corrosion inhibitor studies. It begins with a concise summary of the most used quantum chemical parameters and methods and then summarizes the results of research articles in corrosion science over the past 20 years.     

Operational based corrosion analysis in naval ships

Life extension of ageing steel structures such as naval ships requires consideration of plate thickness losses due to corrosion, particularly when protective measures such as paint coatings and sacrificial protection are not entirely effective. Traditionally, corrosion prediction models for ships take no account of the operational profile. Consequently, the corrosion models have an inherently high variability with poor corrosion prediction capability. A new corrosion model for the prediction of corrosion loss in the seawater ballast tanks of naval vessels has been developed. The model incorporates previously available corrosion models for immersion corrosion and atmospheric corrosion and takes account of operational and environmental variables. Experimental validation is presented for a trial on an operational naval vessel.     

Is There a Digital Future Landscape Terrain?

Lorens Holm and Paul Guzzardo speculate on a future landscape enriched by digital culture. Rather than provide sanctuary or comfort zones in the event of global environmental collapse, laser\net is a model for exploring landscape terrains that establish ‘agora’-like meeting places as a basis for electronic exchange and progression. Re-mix platforms thus become collaborative sites for all who seek to engage in this rurality. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Design of an upgradeable 45–100 mA RFQ accelerator for FAIR

A 325 MHz, 35 mA, 3 MeV Radio-Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ) accelerator will be operated as the first accelerating structure of the proton linac injector for the newly planned international science center Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) at GSI, Germany. In previous design studies, two high beam intensities, 70 and 100 mA, were used. Most recently, the design intensity has been changed to 45 mA, which is closer to the operational value. Taking advantage of the so-called New Four-Section Procedure, a new design, which is upgradable from 45 to 100 mA, has been developed for the FAIR proton RFQ. Besides the upgradability analyses, robustness studies of the new design to spatial displacements of the input beam and field errors are presented as well.