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Phytoremediation—From Environment Cleaning to Energy Generation—Current Status and Future Perspectives
Publication:Phytoremediationis a technology based on the use of green plants to remove, relocate, deactivate, or destroy harmful environmental pollutants such as heavy metals, radionuclides, hydrocarbons, and pharmaceuticals. Under the general term of phytoremediation, several processes with distinctively different mechanisms of action are hidden. In this paper, the most popular modes of phytoremediation are described and discussed. A broad...
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Fabrication of anti-corrosion nitrogen doped graphene oxide coatings by electrophoretic deposition
PublicationThis work assesses anti-corrosion properties of graphene and N-doped graphene coatings deposited on copper by an electrophoretic method. Graphene oxide (GO) precursor was synthesized by an improved Hummers' method, whereas N-doping was performed hydrothermally in the presence of ammonia. After nitrogenation, doped graphene oxide samples (NGO) contained a reduced amount of oxygen and about 9% w/w nitrogen as pyridinic, pyrrole,...
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Characterization of PVDF/Graphene Nanocomposite Membranes for Water Desalination with Enhanced Antifungal Activity
PublicationSeawater desalination is a worldwide concern for the sustainable production of drinking water. In this regard, membrane distillation (MD) has shown the potential for effective brine treatment. However, the lack of appropriate MD membranes limits its industrial expansion since they experience fouling and wetting issues. Therefore, hydrophobic membranes are promising candidates to successfully deal with such phenomena that are typical...
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A comprehensive assessment of environmental pollution by means of heavy metal analysis for oysters' reefs at Hab River Delta, Balochistan, Pakistan
PublicationThe heavy metal pollution status of oyster reefs has been assessed with respect to ten metals pollutants in seawater, sediments, and tissues of above two oysters (soft tissues and shells) for assessing the pollution status in a short food chain in Hab River Delta. The results showed that heavy metals accumulated in M. bilineata were higher than those in M. cuttackensis. Simultaneously, the population of M. bilineata species has...
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Separation of toluene from gas phase using supported imidazolium ionic liquid membrane
PublicationInvestigation on utilization of supported ionic liquids membranes for hydrocarbon separation from the gas phase was performed. Properties of membrane phase, wettability of supports, swelling effects and solubility of toluene were taken into account. Toluene permeation rates were significantly higher than those of pure nitrogen, the selectivity in a range of 17–341 was satisfying for separation. Despite the increase of viscosity...
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VOCs absorption from gas streams using deep eutectic solvents – A review
PublicationVolatile organic compounds (VOCs) are one of the most severe atmospheric pollutants. They are mainly emitted into the atmosphere from anthropogenic sources such as automobile exhaust, incomplete fuel combustion, and various industrial processes. VOCs not only cause hazards to human health or the environment but also adversely affect industrial installation components due to their specific properties, i.e., corrosive and reactivity....
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Evaluation of Three Peptide Immobilization Techniques on a QCM Surface Related to Acetaldehyde Responses in the Gas Phase
PublicationThe quartz-crystal microbalance is a sensitive and universal tool for measuring concentrations of various gases in the air. Biochemical functionalization of the QCM electrode allows a label-free detection of specific molecular interactions with high sensitivity and specificity. In addition, it enables a real-time determination of its kinetic rates and affinity constants. This makes QCM a versatile bioanalytical screening tool for...
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Effect of small quantities of potassium promoter and steam on the catalytic properties of nickel catalysts in dry/combined methane reforming
PublicationCarbon dioxide and methane are two of the principal greenhouse gases. Reduction of their content in the atmosphere is currently the subject of much worldwide research. Dry and combined reforming of methane are effective methods of CO2 and CH4 utilization and production of synthesis gas (syngas) in chemical technology. Testing of catalysts that provide the desired H2/CO ratio and long operation time is one of the critical aspects...
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Thermally activated persulfate-based Advanced Oxidation Processes — recent progress and challenges in mineralization of persistent organic chemicals: a review
PublicationThermally activated persulfate (TAP) finds application in Advanced Oxidation Processes for the removal of pollutants from contaminated water and soil. This paper reviewed the various cases of TAP in the environmental remediation. The pollutants such as individual pharmaceuticals, biocides, cyclic organic compounds, and dyes are considered in this review. It is interesting to note that most of the organic compounds undergo complete...
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Investigation of tetrabutylammonium bromide-glycerol-based deep eutectic solvents and their mixtures with water by spectroscopic techniques
PublicationDeep eutectic solvents (DES) are formed by an acceptor and a donor of hydrogen bonds. They are generally considered as a possible alternative to hazardous organic solvents in various fields. Very recently they have also appeared in analytical chemistry, used mainly for the separation of analytes before instrumental quantification. For the development of new extraction procedures, it is important, among other things, to understand...
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Deep eutectic solvents – A new platform in membrane fabrication and membrane-assisted technologies
PublicationDeep eutectic solvents (DESs) are a new class of solvents that can offset some of the primary drawbacks of typical solvents and ionic liquids (ILs). Since DESs fall into the guidelines of “Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry”, their implementation in several types of applications has exponentially increased over the last years. The usage of DESs has been directed to the designing, manufacture and purification of new materials...
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Synergy between AgInS2 quantum dots and ZnO nanopyramids for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and phenol degradation
PublicationDespite the unique properties of single semiconductor nanomaterials and quantum dots, poor photocatalytic activity has characterized them and the fabrication of nanocomposites has become necessary to enhance their photocatalytic performance. Thus, AgInS2 quantum dots (AIS QDs, 4.0±1.6 nm), have been successfully prepared and loaded onto ZnO nanopyramids (ZnO NPy). The effect of the nominal amount of AIS QDs decorating ZnO NPy on...
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Superhydrophobic sponges based on green deep eutectic solvents for spill oil removal from water
PublicationThe paper described a new method for crude oil-water separation by means of superhydrophobic melamine sponges impregnated by deep eutectic solvents (MS-DES). Due to the numerous potential of two-component DES formation, simple and quick screening of 156 non-ionic deep eutectic solvents using COSMO-RS (Conductor-like Screening Model for Real Solvents) computational model was used. DES which were characterized by high solubility...
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Monitoring of odors emitted from stabilized dewatered sludge subjected to aging using proton transfer reaction–mass spectrometry
PublicationOne of the potential emission sources of odorous compounds from wastewater treatment plants is sludge processing. The odorous compounds released from dewatered sludge can result in odor nuisance. This study concerns the use of flux hood chamber combined with proton transfer reaction—time of flight—mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) technique for periodical monitoring of odorous compounds emitted from aged, stabilized dewatered sludge samples...
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Solvent dependency of carbon dioxide Henry's constant in aqueous solutions of choline chloride-ethylene glycol based deep eutectic solvent
PublicationThe Henry's constants of carbon dioxide absorbed in aqueous solutions of ethaline (choline chloride-ethylene glycol) were determined for temperatures ranging from 303.15 to 323.15 K based on solubility measurement at CO2 pressure ranging from 0 to 6 bar (0.6 MPa). These studies revealed that the Henry's constant increased with the increase of temperature. Data indicated the highest capacity of CO2 absorption is obtained for ethaline...
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A comprehensive review on Ginger (Zingiber officinale) as a potential source of nutraceuticals for food formulations: Towards the polishing of gingerol and other present biomolecules
PublicationCurrently, ginger is one the most consumed plants when dealing with the treatments of various illnesses. So far, it is known that various biologically active molecules, such as gingerols, shogaols and zingerone, among others, are the main responsible for specific biological activities, opening a new window for its utilization as a nutraceutical in foods. In pioneering extraction processes, solvent extraction has been initially...
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A natural deep eutectic solvent - protonated L-proline-xylitol - based stationary phase for gas chromatography
PublicationThe paper presents a new kind of stationary phase for gas chromatography based on deep eutectic solvents (DES) in the form of a mixture of L-proline (protonated with hydrochloric acid) as a hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and xylitol as a hydrogen bond donor (HBD) in a molar ratio of HBA:HBD 5:1. DES immobilized on a silanized chromatographic support was tested by gas chromatography (GC) in order to determine its resolving power for...
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Synthesis of CoFe2O4 Nanoparticles: The Effect of Ionic Strength, Concentration, and Precursor Type on Morphology and Magnetic Properties
PublicationThe present study highlights the effect of metal precursor types (SO4 2¯, Cl¯, and NO3¯), their concentration, and the influence of ionic strength of reaction environment on the morphology, surface, and magnetic properties of CoFe2O4 particles. The magnetic nanoparticles were obtained by chemical coprecipitation in alkaline medium at increasing metal concentration in the range of 0.0425 mol·dm-3 to 0.17 mol·dm-3 and calcination...
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Morphology, Photocatalytic and Antimicrobial Properties of TiO2 Modified with Mono- and Bimetallic Copper, Platinum and Silver Nanoparticles
PublicationNoble metal nanoparticles (NMNPs) enhanced TiO2 response and extended its activity under visible light. Photocatalytic activity of TiO2 modified with noble metal nanoparticles strongly depends on the physicochemical properties of NMNPs. Among others, the differences in the size of NMNPs seems to be one of the most important factors. In this view, the effect of the metal’s nanoparticles size, type and amount on TiO2 photocatalytic...
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Gas‐Phase Removal of Indoor Volatile Organic Compounds and Airborne Microorganisms Over Mono‐ and Bimetal‐Modified (Pt, Cu, Ag) Titanium(IV) Oxide Nanocomposites
PublicationThe photocatalytic deactivation of volatile organic compounds and mold fungi using TiO2 modified with mono‐ and bimetallic (Pt, Cu, Ag) particles is reported in this study. The mono‐ and bimetal‐modified (Pt, Cu, Ag) titanium(IV) oxide photocatalysts were prepared by chemical reduction method and characterized using XRD, XPS, DR/UV‐Vis, BET and TEM analysis. The effect of incident light, type and content of mono‐ and bimetallic...
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Synthesis of Titanium Dioxide via Surfactant-Assisted Microwave Method for Photocatalytic and Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Applications
PublicationIn this study, titania nanoparticles were obtained using the microwave-assisted technique. Moreover, different surfactants (PEG (Mn = 400), Pluronic P123 and Triton X−100) were used during the synthesis in order to determine their impact on the crystallinity and morphology of the final products. Subsequently, techniques such as XRD, SEM and TEM (performed in high contrast and high-resolution mode), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy...
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Activation of peroxymonosulfate using carbon black nano-spheres/calcium alginate hydrogel matrix for degradation of acetaminophen: Fe3O4 co-immobilization and microbial community response
PublicationHerein, we focused on the degradation of acetaminophen (ACT) drug in liquid phase by peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activated by carbon black nano-spheres (CBNS). The nanostructured activator was immobilized into calcium alginate hydrogel matrix (CAHM) to avoid the washout of the fine nanostructures. The Langmuir modeling showed an insignificant contribution to the adsorption process in the removal of ACT. The basic pH conditions favored...
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Magnetic deep eutectic solvents – Fundamentals and applications
PublicationMagnetic deep eutectic solvents (MDES), a relatively new subclass of conventional deep eutectic solvents (DES) containing additional paramagnetic components in their structure. MDES exhibit a strong response toward external magnetic fields, thus they can improve many industrial and analytical applications. In addition, this new group of solvents present unique physicochemical properties that can be easily tuned by selecting the...
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A review on recent advances in the application of biosurfactants in wastewater treatment
PublicationMicroorganisms produce a variety of non-conventional surface-active molecules, known as biosurfactants. The biosurfactants find diverse applications in the oil industry, agriculture, emulsifiers, and wastewater treatment, to name a few. Since they are produced from microbes, advantages such as biodegradability, lower toxicity, and environmental compatibility can be leveraged compared to the chemical surfactants. Recently, biosurfactants...
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Hydrogen Production from Energy Poplar Preceded by MEA Pre-Treatment and Enzymatic Hydrolysis
PublicationThe need to pre-treat lignocellulosic biomass prior to dark fermentation results primarily from the composition of lignocellulose because lignin hinders the processing of hard wood towards useful products. Hence, in this work a two-step approach for the pre-treatment of energy poplar, including alkaline pre-treatment and enzymatic saccharification followed by fermentation has been studied. Monoethanolamine (MEA) was used as the...
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Novel “acid tuned” deep eutectic solvents based on protonated L-proline
PublicationThe paper presents new types of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) based on L-proline protonated using three different acids (hydrochloric, sulfuric and phosphoric)and playing the role of a hydrogen bond acceptor(HBA). Glucose and xylitol were used as hydrogen bond donors (HBD). A series of deep eutectic solvents with various mole ratios were obtained for the systems L-proline: glucose and L-proline: xylitol. Density, melting point,...
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Waste Rubber Pyrolysis: Product Yields and Limonene Concentration
PublicationTires, conveyor belts, floor mats, and shoe soles form a main-stream of rubber waste. The amount of these used materials continuously increases due to development of the rubber market. Therefore, pro-ecological utilization (i.e., energy recycling instead of burning) and recovering valuable and recyclable materials becomes an urgent necessity. In this regard, this work was devoted to the chemical recycling of selected used rubber...
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Deep eutectic solvents – based green absorbents for effective volatile organochlorine compounds removal from biogas
PublicationVolatile organochlorine compounds (VOXs) presented in biogas can cause many technological and environmental problems. During the combustion of biogas containing VOXs, the corrosion of installation, as well as the formation of toxic by-products (polyhalogenated dioxins and furans) and further emission to the atmosphere, may occur. Therefore, in this study, a new procedure based on physical absorption was developed. In order to meet...
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Determination of long-chain aldehydes using a novel quartz crystal microbalance sensor based on a biomimetic peptide
PublicationThere is an increasingly popular trend aimed at improvement of fundamental metrological parameters of sensors via implementation of materials mimicking biological olfactory systems. This study presents investigation on usefulness of the peptide mimicking HarmOBP7 region as a receptor element of the piezoelectric sensor for selective analysis of long-chain aldehydes. Identification of odorant binding proteins creates new possibilities...
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Bismuth-Doped Nano Zerovalent Iron: A Novel Catalyst for Chloramphenicol Degradation and Hydrogen Production
PublicationIn this study, we showed that doping bismuth (Bi) at the surface of Fe0 (Bi/Fe0, bimetallic iron system)—synthesized by a simple borohydride reduction method—can considerably accelerate the reductive degradation of chloramphenicol (CHP). At a reaction time of 12 min, 62, 68, 74, 95, and 82% degradation of CHP was achieved with Fe0, Bi/Fe0-1 [1% (w/w) of Bi], Bi/Fe0-3 [3% (w/w) of Bi], Bi/Fe0-5 [5% (w/w) of Bi], and Bi/Fe0-8 [8%...
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Recent Progress on Hydrogen Storage and Production Using Chemical Hydrogen Carriers
PublicationDepleting fossil fuel resources and anthropogenic climate changes are the reasons for the intensive development of new, sustainable technologies based on renewable energy sources. One of the most promising strategies is the utilization of hydrogen as an energy vector. However, the limiting issue for large-scale commercialization of hydrogen technologies is a safe, efficient, and economical method of gas storage. In industrial practice,...
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Hybrid cross-linked chitosan/protonated-proline:glucose DES membranes with superior pervaporation performance for ethanol dehydration
PublicationThis work explores a protonated L-proline:glucose (molar ratio 5:1) deep eutectic solvent (DES) in fabricating biopolymer membranes utilizing chitosan (CS). Initially, the miscibility of CS and DES to prepare homogeneous dense blend membranes has been investigated. Different techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy, contact angle (CA), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and swelling...
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Remarks on use of the term “deep eutectic solvent” in analytical chemistry
PublicationAbout 20 years ago, Abbott and co-workers researched new solvents that were based on mixtures of choline chloride with urea and carboxylic acids and that were liquid at ambient temperature. The term “deep eutectic solvent” (DES) was later adopted for similar mixtures. As DESs have a number of interesting features, they quickly attracted the attention of researchers and found application in various branches of chemical and materials...
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Solar light driven degradation of textile dye contaminants for wastewater treatment – studies of novel polycationic selenide photocatalyst and process optimization by response surface methodology desirability factor
PublicationThe unplanned anthropogenic activities and raced industrial revolution detrimentally causes serious threat to terrestrial and aquatic life. A high discharge of wastewater from industries using dyes affects living organisms and the environment. This paper presents studies on polycationic selenides (PCS) synthesized by hydrothermal methods for photocatalytic degradation of dyes. The synthesized PCS were confirmed by various characterization...
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Novel two-step synthesis method of thin film heterojunction of BiOBr/Bi2WO6 with improved visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity
PublicationA novel two-step ionic liquid assisted procedure was applied for a controllable synthesis of BiOBr/Bi2WO6 heterojunction thin films. The preparation route involved an anodic oxidation of tungsten foil and hydrothermal transformation of as-anodized oxide in the presence of bismuth precursor and ionic liquid, N-butylpyridinium bromide [BPy][Br]. The BiOBr plates with irregular shapes adhered to the surface of flower-like Bi2WO6 and...
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Solvothermal growth of {0 0 1} exposed anatase nanosheets and their ability to mineralize organic pollutants. The effect of alcohol type and content on the nucleation and growth of TiO2 nanostructures
PublicationHerein, the series of {0 0 1} exposed anatase nanosheets from HF-assisted solvothermal growth synthesis were obtained. The two-dimensional TiO2 were characterized, including both bulk (XRD, DR-UV–Vis, Mott-Schottky) and surface characteristics (N2 sorption, XPS, SEM) with experimental results compiled with Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. The effect of alcohol amount and type was studied, demonstrating the crucial...
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Bio-inspired approaches for explosives detection
PublicationDue to unique abilities of the animals regarding analysis of complex gas substances, they still remain a gold standard in analysis of explosives. Unusual capabilities of biological chemosensory systems, including both vertebrates and invertebrates, stimulate elaboration of the devices mimicking their activity and operation parameters as precisely as possible. The electronic analogues are a subject of investigation in many research...
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Post-Pyrolytic Carbon as a Phase Change Materials (PCMs) Carrier for Application in Building Materials
PublicationThis article covers new application for char as a carrier of phase-change materials (PCM) that could be used as an additive to building materials. Being composed of bio-char and PCM, the granulate successfully competes with more expensive commercial materials of this type, such as Micronal® PCM. As a PCM carrier, char that was obtained from the pyrolysis of chestnut fruit (Aesculus hippocastanum) with different absorbances of the...
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Mono- and bimetallic (Pt/Cu) titanium(IV) oxide core–shell photocatalysts with UV/Vis light activity and magnetic separability
PublicationTitanium(IV) oxide is one of the most widely investigated photocatalysts. However, separation of nano-sized particulate titania might result in profitless technologies for commercial applications. Additionally, bare titania is almost inactive under the Vis range of solar spectrum due to its wide bandgap. Therefore, the present study aims to prepare novel coreinterlayer- shell TiO2 magnetic photocatalysts modified with metal nanoparticles...
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Deep Eutectic Solvents or Eutectic Mixtures? Characterization of Tetrabutylammonium Bromide and Nonanoic Acid Mixtures
PublicationDeep eutectic solvents have quickly attracted the attention of researchers because they better meet the requirements of green chemistry and thus have the potential to replace conventional hazardous organic solvents in some areas. To better understand the nature of these mixtures, as well as expand the possibilities of their use in different industries, a detailed examination of their physical properties, such as density, viscosity,...
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Disinfection characteristics of an advanced rotational hydrodynamic cavitation reactor in pilot scale
PublicationHydrodynamic cavitation is a promising technique for water disinfection. In the present paper, the disinfection characteristics of an advanced hydrodynamic cavitation reactor (ARHCR) in pilot scale were studied. The effects of various flow rates (1.4–2.6 m3/h) and rotational speeds (2600–4200 rpm) on the removal of Escherichia coli (E. coli) were revealed and analyzed. The variation regularities of the log reduction and reaction...
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Enhanced solar light photocatalytic performance of Fe-ZnO in the presence of H2O2, S2O82−, and HSO5− for degradation of chlorpyrifos from agricultural wastes: Toxicities investigation
PublicationThis study reported Fe doped zinc oxide (Fe-ZnO) synthesis to degrade chlorpyrifos (CPY), a highly toxic organophosphate pesticide and important sources of agricultural wastes. Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopic analyses showed successful formation of the Fe-ZnO with highly crystalline and amorphous nature. Water collected from agricultural wastes...
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Pseudo-superparamagnetic behaviour of bariumhexaferrite particles
PublicationThe effect of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) addition on the crystal structure, morphology,and magnetic properties of co-precipitated hexagonal barium ferrite was investigated. For afixed amount ofsurfactant, different Fe3+concentrations and Fe3+/Ba2+ratios were used to optimize the formation ofsingle-phase barium ferrite particles. The results indicated that the obtained ferrite particles exhibitedcoercivity changes...
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Influence of alkaline and oxidative pre-treatment of waste corn cobs on biohydrogen generation efficiency via dark fermentation
PublicationStages of waste corn cobs processing leading to the production of biohydrogen via dark fermentation are presented and discussed in this paper. Firstly, the effects of pretreatment conditions i.e. alkaline, alkaline-oxidizing and Fenton oxidizing pre-treatment of lignocellulosic biomass on the removal of lignin were examined. The solid residue obtained in the first stage was subjected to saccharification by means of enzymatic hydrolysis....
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Controlling the size and morphology of precipitated calcite particles by the selection of solvent composition
PublicationCalcium carbonate particles were obtained in the reaction of calcium hydroxide with carbon dioxide at 65°C. Initial Ca(OH)2 suspensions were prepared in pure water and aqueous solutions of ethylene glycol or glycerol of the concentration range up to 20% (vol.). The course of reaction was monitored by conductivity measurements. Precipitated solids were analyzed by FTIR, XRD, SEM and the particles size distribution was determined...
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Cavitation based cleaner technologies for biodiesel production and processing of hydrocarbon streams: A perspective on key fundamentals, missing process data and economic feasibility – A review
PublicationThe present review emphasizes the role of hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) and acoustic cavitation in clean and green technologies for selected fuels (of hydrocarbon origins such as gasoline, naphtha, diesel, heavy oil, and crude oil) processing applications including biodiesel production. Herein, the role of cavitation reactors, their geometrical parameters, physicochemical properties of liquid media, liquid oxidants, catalyst loading,...
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Highly effective asphaltene-derived adsorbents for gas phase removal of volatile organic compounds
PublicationA novel nitrated asphaltene-derived adsorbent (Asf-Nitro) was prepared using facile isolation and modification procedures. The successful modification was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The nitrated adsorbent was evaluated in terms of dispersive and specific interactions, Lewis acid-base properties and adsorption isotherms by means of inverse gas chromatography (IGC). Nitration was found to be extremely...
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The Use of Artificial Neural Networks and Decision Trees to Predict the Degree of Odor Nuisance of Post-Digestion Sludge in the Sewage Treatment Plant Process
PublicationThis paper presents the application of artificial neural networks and decision trees for the prediction of odor properties of post-fermentation sludge from a biological-mechanical wastewater treatment plant. The input parameters were concentrations of popular compounds present in the sludge, such as toluene, p-xylene, and p-cresol, and process parameters including the concentration of volatile fatty acids, pH, and alkalinity in...
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An improved scalable method of isolating asphaltenes
PublicationA new, improved and scalable procedure of asphaltene fraction isolation is presented and compared to standard test methods. The new procedure uses 1:40 feedstock to solvent (n-heptane) ratio (g/mL), filtration through a cellulosic thimble and extensive washing in a Soxhlet type extractor. The group type composition and purity of the asphaltene fractions have been examined using thin-layer chromatography with flame-ionization detection....
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Absorptive Desulfurization of Model Biogas Stream Using Choline Chloride-Based Deep Eutectic Solvents
PublicationThe paper presents a synthesis of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) based on choline chloride (ChCl) as hydrogen bond acceptor and phenol (Ph), glycol ethylene (EG), and levulinic acid (Lev) as hydrogen bond donors in 1:2 molar ratio. DESs were successfully used as absorption solvents for removal of dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) from model biogas steam. Several parameters affecting the absorption capacity and absorption rate have been...