Hydrothermal fabrication and visible-light-driven photocatalytic properties of bismuth vanadate with multiple morphologies and/or porous structures for Methyl Orange degradation

Monoclinic BiVO₄ with multiple morphologies and/or porous structures were fabricated using the hydrothermal strategy. The materials were characterized by means of the XRD, Raman, TGA/DSC, SEM, XPS, and UV-Vis techniques. The photocatalytic activities of the BiVO₄ materials were evaluated for the degradation of Methyl Orange under visible-light irradiation. It is observed that pH value and surfactant exerted a great effect on the morphology and pore structure of the BiVO₄ product. Spherical BiVO₄ with porous structures, flower-cluster-like BiVO₄, and flower-bundle-like BiVO₄ were generated hydrothermally at 100℃ with poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) and urea (pH = 2) and at 160℃ with NaHCO₃ (pH = 7 and 8), respectively. The PVP-derived BiVO₄ showed much higher surface areas (5.0-8.4 m²/g) and narrower bandgap energies (2.45-2.49 eV). The best photocatalytic performance of the spherical BiVO₄ material with a surface area of 8.4 m²/g was associated with its higher surface area, narrower bandgap energy, higher surface oxygen vacancy density, and unique porous architecture.     

Potential applications of porous organic polymers as adsorbent for the adsorption of volatile organic compounds

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with high toxicity and carcinogenicity are emitted from kinds of industries, which endanger human health and the environment. Adsorption is a promising method for the treatment of VOCs due to its low cost and high efficiency. In recent years, activated carbons, zeolites, and mesoporous materials are widely used to remove VOCs because of their high specific surface area and abundant porosity. However, the hydrophilic nature and low desorption rate of those materials limit their commercial application. Furthermore, the adsorption capacities of VOCs still need to be improved. Porous organic polymers (POPs) with extremely high porosity, structural diversity, and hydrophobic have been considered as one of the most promising candidates for VOCs adsorption. This review generalized the superiority of POPs for VOCs adsorption compared to other porous materials and summarized the studies of VOCs adsorption on different types of POPs. Moreover, the mechanism of competitive adsorption between water and VOCs on the POPs was discussed. Finally, a concise outlook for utilizing POPs for VOCs adsorption was discussed, noting areas in which further work is needed to develop the next-generation POPs for practical applications.     

A comparative study on the effect of GTAW processes on the microstructure and mechanical properties of P91 steel weld joints

Modified 9Cr-1Mo (P91) steel is widely used in the construction of power plant components. In the present study, a comparative study on influence of activated flux tungsten inert gas (A-TIG), and gas tungsten arc (GTA) welding processes on the microstructure and the impact toughness of P91 steel welds was carried out. P91 steel welds require a minimum of 47 J during the hydrotesting of vessels as per the EN1557: 1997 specification. Toughness of P91 steel welds was found to be low in the as-weld condition. Hence post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) was carried out on weld with the objective of improving the toughness of weldments. Initially as per industrial practice, PWHT at 760 °C – 2 h was carried out in order to improve the toughness of welds. It has been found that after PWHT at 760 °C – 2 h, GTA weld (132 J) has higher toughness than the required toughness (47 J) as compared with A-TIG weld (20 J). The GTA weld has higher toughness due to enhanced tempering effects due to multipass welding, few microinclusion content and absence of δ-ferrite. The A-TIG weld requires prolonged PWHT (i.e. more than 2 h at 760 °C) than GTA weld to meet the required toughness of 47 J. This is due to harder martensite, few welding passes that introduces less tempering effects, presence of δ-ferrite (0.5%), and more alloy content. After PWHT at 760 °C – 3 h, the toughness of A-TIG weld was improved and higher than the required toughness of 47 J.     

Comparison of the thermal properties of clay samples as potential walling material for naturally cooled building design

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微生物堵塞过程中生物膜生长特征对多孔介质渗流特征影响

为研究回灌水刺激下生物膜在砂柱中的生长规律,并分析生物膜生长特征对堵塞介质典型渗流特征的影响,采用室内土柱实验方法,供给营养液刺激砂柱内生物膜生长,模拟入渗介质生物堵塞的过程,监测介质渗透系数的变化,并开展不同回灌时长下介质水分吸持实验和弥散试验,并对其内生物膜形态进行表征.结果显示,在0~5h时,渗透系数呈先下降后回升趋势;在回灌至18h前,渗透系数急剧衰减,水力弥散系数明显增大,水分吸持能力的变化并不明显;18h后渗透系数降低速率减缓,水分吸持能力明显升高,溶质运移过渡到以弥散作用为主导机制.综上,可将生物膜在介质内的生长分为三个阶段:菌适应期,接种菌体并未生长繁殖,单纯由于菌体的流入与流出引起渗透系数的变化;菌体大量生长繁殖期,大量生长繁殖的菌体占据了部分介质孔隙体积;胞外聚合物大量分泌期,逐渐形成具有透水性的生物膜,生物膜的生长与回灌水提供的养分形成动态平衡.     

A review of the technology and applications of methods for evaluating the transport of air pollutants

A variety of methods based on air quality models, including tracer methods, the brute-force method (BFM), decoupled direct method (DDM), high-order decoupled direct method (HDDM), response surface models (RSMs) and so on forth, have been widely used to study the transport of air pollutants. These methods have good applicability for the transport of air pollutants with simple formation mechanisms. However, differences in research conclusions on secondary pollutants with obvious nonlinear characteristics have been reported. For example, the tracer method is suitable for the study of simplified scenarios, while HDDM and RSMs are more suitable for the study for nonlinear pollutants. Multiple observation techniques, including conventional air pollutant observation, lidar observation, air sounding balloons, vehicle-mounted and ship-borne technology, aerial surveys, and remote sensing observations, have been utilized to investigate air pollutant transport characteristics with time resolution as high as 1 sec. In addition, based on a multi-regional input-output model combined with emission inventories, the transfer of air pollutant emissions can be evaluated and applied to study the air pollutant transport characteristics. Observational technologies have advantages in temporal resolution and accuracy, while modeling technologies are more flexible in spatial resolution and research plan setting. In order to accurately quantify the transport characteristics of pollutants, it is necessary to develop a research method for interactive verification of observation and simulation. Quantitative evaluation of the transport of air pollutants from different angles can provide a scientific basis for regional joint prevention and control.     

Comparison of the thermal properties of clay samples as potential walling material for naturally coolked building design

The thermal properties of different clay samples obtained from locations in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria were investigated and compared ,and in order to establish their suitability as building material from energy conservation point of view.The results showed that stoneware clay has the highest solar radiation absorptivity of 22.32m^-1 while kaolin clay has the lowest radiation absoptivity of 14.46m^-1.A model for the prediction of temperature variation with thickness of the samples was developed.Results showed that kaolin would make the best choice for the design of a naturally cooled building.     

A methodology for the design of efficient resource conservation networks using adaptive swarm intelligence

The implementation of resource conservation schemes in industry can be enhanced through the application of systematic design methodologies. In particular, process integration methods allow resource consumption and waste generation in industrial plants to be reduced through the identification of efficient material reuse/recycle schemes. Various approaches, ranging from graphical pinch analysis to mathematical programming, have been developed by different researchers. Mathematical programming techniques provide considerable flexibility in the representation of network design problems, although in many cases, these approaches result in mixed integer non-linear programming (MINLP) models which are difficult to solve. This paper presents a simplified approach using a zero–one programming or “knapsack” formulation for the design of industrial material reuse/recycle networks. It is possible to solve the resulting model using an efficient heuristic algorithm based on adaptive particle swarm optimization. Two sample applications are provided to illustrate the methodology. The first case shows the application of the methodology to the implementation of industrial water conservation and the second case demonstrates its use in the design of a hydrogen gas reuse/recycle scheme in a refinery.     

A porous biochar supported nanoscale zero-valent iron material highly efficient for the simultaneous remediation of cadmium and lead contaminated soil

Risk associated with heavy metals in soil has been received widespread attention.In this study,a porous biochar supported nanoscale zero-valent iron（BC-nZVI） was applied to immobilize cadmium（Cd） and lead（Pb） in clayey soil.Experiment results indicated that the immobilization of Cd or Pb by BC-nZVI process was better than that of BC or nZVI process,and about 80% of heavy metals immobilization was obtained in BC-nZVI process.Addition of BC-nZVI could increase soil pH and organic matter（SOM）.Cd or...     

一种新型流管反应器的设计与表征

介绍了一种用于气溶胶生成机制研究的流管反应器（Jiao-FTR,J-FTR）的设计及表征.借助计算流体力学（CFD）模拟和实验测定,表征了不同进气结构和实验条件下反应器内流场的发展及稳定,移动进气管的喷射效应以及气体和颗粒物在反应器内的平均停留时间.结果表明,预混合段进气方式,主流流量,移动进气管结构及注入流量对J-FTR的流场发展以及气体和颗粒物的停留时间具有较大影响;J-FTR的预混合进气段具有使主流快速过渡为层流的优势,在对称进气条件下,当主流流量不超过8L/min,气流在进入主反应段之前可发展为稳定的层流;当移动进气管使用大内径的直管或径面十字型结构时,可以有效减小或避免移动进气管的喷射效应.以上结果不仅可为使用J-FTR开展大气化学和气溶胶生成机制研究提供重要的实验指导,也可为其他研究者设计FTR,进行流管实验提供借鉴.     

A taxonomy of metrics for testing the industrial ecology hypotheses and application to design of freezer insulation

Industrial ecology is sometimes referred to as the science of sustainability, but unlike mature sciences, it has yet to establish reliable modes of inquiry or a uniform framework for dialogue—partly because sustainability is difficult to characterize, and partly because industry–environment interactions are difficult to model quantitatively. A number of sustainability metrics have recently been proposed that partially address the quantification problem, but inevitably oversimplify the problem of sustainability characterization. This paper proposes an overarching taxonomy for classifying the quantitative criteria of sustainability as financial, thermodynamic, environmental, ecological, socio-political or aggregated. Several examples are presented. Pollution potential, which is an environmental metric related to the ideal thermodynamic work (of mixing) per mole required to remove pollutants from the environment, is discussed in particular. However, because no single metric can capture sustainability per se, industrial ecology may be limited to elucidating the trade-offs that exist between different types of complementary (rather than substitutable) criteria. The life cycle of polyurethane foam insulation in freezer applications is presented as a quantitative example of how different environmental criteria can lead to different design recommendations. Lastly, the framework proposed herein suggests a research agenda for industrial ecology, especially regarding the linkages between different measures of sustainability and cross-comparison of the investigative methods found in different sciences related to sustainability.     

Enhanced degradation of organic contaminants using catalytic activity of carbonaceous structures: A strategy for the reuse of exhausted sorbents

Generation of hydroxyl radicals (?OH) is the basis of advanced oxidation process (AOP). This study investigates the catalytic activity of microporous carbonaceous structure for in-situ generation of ?OH radicals. Biochar (BC) was selected as a representative of carbon materials with a graphitic structure. The work aims at assessing the impact of BC structure on the activation of H₂O₂, the reinforcement of the persistent free radicals (PFRs) in BC using heavy metal complexes, and the subsequent AOP. Accordingly, three different biochars (raw, chemically- and physiochemically-activated BCs) were used for adsorption of two metal ions (nickel and lead) and the degradation of phenol (100 mg/L) through AOP. The results demonstrated four outcomes: (1) The structure of carbon material, the identity and the quantity of the metal complexes in the structure play the key roles in the AOP process. (2) the quantity of PFRs on BC significantly increased (by 200%) with structural activation and metal loading. (3) Though the Pb-loaded BC contained a larger quantity of PFRs, Ni-loaded BC exhibited a higher catalytic activity. (4) The degradation efficiency values for phenol by modified biochar in the presence of H₂O₂ was 80.3%, while the removal efficiency was found to be 17% and 22% in the two control tests, with H₂O₂ (no BC) and with BC (no H₂O₂), respectively. Overall, the work proposes a new approach for dual applications of carbonaceous structures; adsorption of metal ions and treatment of organic contaminants through in-situ chemical oxidation (ISCO).     

A simultaneous optimization approach for the design of wastewater and heat exchange networks based on cost estimation

A new systematic methodology for designing wastewater and heat exchange networks for process industries involving effluent streams containing multiple contaminants is proposed. A simultaneous optimization approach mathematically combines the problems of wastewater and heat exchanger network optimization into a single step. This process includes two global iterations of a similar two-stage approach and optimizes networks for water and heat exchange simultaneously based on cost estimation. The objective function is to minimize the total annual cost of the wastewater and heat exchange network design which is subject to the mass and energy balance constraints on all the pertinent flows and to constraints related to the concentrations of contaminants. The proposed method employs a strategy to address a mixed integer non-linear programming (MINLP) formulation. Cost estimates for optimized wastewater and heat exchange networks for an oil refinery process are generated, illustrating the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.     

Soil properties as affected by the use of leguminous shrubs for alley cropping with maize

Alley cropping is a crop production system whereby food crops are planted in spaces created by hedgerows of selected leguminous shrubs. The leguminous shrubs supply nitrogen, organic materials and recycle leached nutrients.This study was elaborated to evaluate the effects of prunings of three leguminous shrubs on some soil properties in an alley cropping system.Soil chemical properties were improved in alley cropped sites. Soils under Cassia had the highest content of N,P,K and organic carbon with values of 0.344%, 45.6 ppm, 0.55 meq/100g and 2.32%, respectively, after the second maize crop. Bulk density, mean aggregate diameters and water holding capacity were better in the alley cropped sites, relative to control. Gravimetric moisture content was generally higher in the alley cropped sites and highest under Cassia. Cassia maintained a relatively high soil biomass C, probably because of its slow rate of decomposition. N fertilizer applied at 90 kg ha⁻¹ promoted soil biomass C, essentially through increased shrub and maize dry matter production.     

大连湾陆源污染物排海总量控制信息系统概念设计

根据陆源污染物总量控制原理和沿海地区地方政府的经济条件，以大连湾为例，采用地理信息系统（ＧＩＳ）技术，设计了排放入海湾的陆源污染物总量控制信息系统的概念模型，涉及系统建设的原则，数据类型，软件，硬件，用户界面和功能。为我国海湾污染物控制工作提供经济实用，先进的管理方法。     

A new generation of designers: perspectives for education and training in the field of sustainable design. Experiences and projects at the Politecnico di Milano University

This paper is a contribution to the debate on the redefinition of needs and perspectives of university level education in the field of sustainable design. It discusses the role of design research in relation to the production of new educational forms, methods and tools for a new generation of designers (and designer educators) enabling them to more effectively confront the transition towards a sustainable society. The paper is based on two premises; Firstly: in today’s climate there is a need for a general redefinition of education, as a result of the influence of new technological opportunities and changed socio-cultural conditions. Secondly: the design activity itself needs to be redefined in order to positively and effectively contribute to the radical change required by the transition towards a sustainable society. Industrial designer, educators and other design practitioners are all searching for ways to enhance their environmental capabilities and to produce sustainable designs. The academic discipline of design education in Italy (at the higher educational level) has responded by broadening its scope to produce more ‘environmentally skilled’ designers sensitive to issues of sustainable production and consumption. The Interdepartmental Research Centre in Innovation for Environmental Sustainability (CIR.IS) of the Politecnico di Milano University has developed an innovative and highly flexible response to these new design education needs. A set of interrelated projects—co-ordinated by the author—is outlined in the following paragraphs. These projects are funded by the Italian Environmental Protection Agency (ANPA). A university network (RAPI.RETE) has been established and a group of innovative and technologically advanced tools (ECO.CATHEDRA, ECO.OFFICINA, ECO.DISCO and DPS.MANUAL) are being developed to support teachers and students in the educational content and processes. The tools are now going to be distributed (free of charge) in Italian Universities and, both the ANPA and the CIR.IS have given their consent for their translation/adaptation into other languages (without charge).     

基于正交设计及EFDC模型的湖泊流域总量控制——以滇池流域为例

构建了基于正交设计-水质模拟-方案评价的污染物总量控制方案的方法体系,并应用于滇池流域.选择TN、TP作为总量控制指标,将滇池流域划分为6个子区单元,通过设计5水平（0%,5%,10%,15%,20%）6因素的正交试验表,得到25种不同削减方案;耦合EFDC模型模拟得到25种不同削减情景条件下湖泊水质的TN、TP浓度分布,计算各方案综合营养状态指数（TSI）,筛选符合中度富营养化标准（60     

Toward rational design of amines for CO2 capture: Substituent effect on kinetic process for the reaction of monoethanolamine with CO2

Amines have been considered as promising candidates for post-combustion CO₂ capture. A mechanistic understanding for the chemical processes involved in the capture and release of CO₂ is important for the rational design of amines. In this study, the structural effects of amines on the kinetic competition among three typical products (carbamates, carbamic acids and bicarbonate) from amines + CO₂ were investigated, in contrast to previous thermodynamic studies to tune the reaction of amines with CO₂ based on desirable reaction enthalpy and reaction stoichiometry. We used a quantum chemical method to calculate the activation energies (E_a) for the reactions of a range of substituted monoethanolamines with CO₂ covering three pathways to the three products. The results indicate that the formation of carbamates is the most favorable, among the three considered products. In addition, we found that the E_a values for all pathways linearly correlate with pK_a of amines, and more importantly, the kinetic competition between carbamate and bicarbonate absorption pathways varies with pK_a of the amines, i.e. stronger basicity results in less difference in E_a. These results highlight the importance of the consideration of kinetic competition among different reaction pathways in amine design.     

MATLAB在计算烟气连续监测系统中气态污染物相对准确度的应用

对固定污染源烟气连续监测系统检测时，其中气态污染物相对准确度的计算涉及到大量数据。通常的计算过程比较繁琐、费时。针对这种情况，本文作者设计了一个相应的MATLAB程序，该程序充分利用MATLAB语言强大的矩阵计算能力，分别将连续监测系统中SO2、NO和O2的浓度以矩阵输入，调用该程序即可快速得出所求结果，解决了常规计算方法繁琐、所耗时间长、容易出错等缺点。     

Effects of WOx modification on the activity, adsorption and redox properties of CeO2 catalyst for NOx reduction with ammonia

A series of WO₃/CeO₂ (WOx/CeO₂) catalysts were synthesized by wet impregnation of ammonium metatungstate on a CeO₂ support. The resulting solid acid catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Raman spectroscopy (Raman), in-situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (in-situ FT-IR) of ammonia adsorption, NH₃-TPD, H₂ temperature-programmed reduction (H₂-TPR), NH₃/NO oxidation and activity measurements for NOx reduction by NH₃ (NH₃-SCR). The results show that polytungstate (WOx) species are the main species of tungsten oxide on the surface of ceria. The addition of tungsten oxide enhances the Brönsted acidity of ceria catalysts remarkably and decreases the amount of surface oxygen on ceria, with strong interaction between CeO₂ and WOx. As a result, the N₂ selectivity of NH₃ oxidation and NH₃-SCR at high temperatures (> 300℃) is enhanced. Therefore, a wide working temperature window in which NOx conversion exceeds 80% (NOx conversion > 80%) from 200 to 450℃, is achieved over 10 wt.% WOx/CeO₂ catalyst. A tentative model of the NH₃-SCR reaction route on WOx/CeO₂ catalysts is presented.