Extrication of biodiesel feedstock from early stage of food waste liquefaction

Biodiesel is commonly produced from vegetable oils, mostly edible and more expensive than petroleum diesel. By considering the cost of the conversion processes, cheap feedstock such as triglycerides and fatty acids (FA) extracted from early stage of food waste liquefaction has become a better choice than vegetable oils, as it could provide high yield of biodiesel without any compromise to food supply and other resources. In this study, FA from early stage of food waste liquefaction was extracted and tested for use as feedstock for biodiesel synthesis. The raw material was not pretreated but extraction was done by dry and wet methods. It was found that wet method could minimized the lost of short and medium-chained FA as well as reducing the number of steps required, thus, yielding higher amount of FA as feedstock. The effects of mixing, methanol ratio, reaction time and catalyst content were investigated for the acid-catalyzed esterification. The maximum biodiesel conversion obtained was 97.4 %.     

校园再生水回用工程设计

采用A2/O及深度处理工艺处理校园生活污水,再生水回用于校园人工湖补水和杂用。工程造价少,运行费低,运行出水同时达到景观用水和杂用水水质标准。     

International aspects of recycling of electrical and electronic equipment: material circulation in the East Asian region

This article examines the present circumstances of recycling of end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment discarded in Japan from the domestic and international viewpoints of material circulation. It is pointed out that some of the discarded items are absorbed into an invisible flow by informal economic activities, being exported in the form of secondhand equipment and secondary materials. Since the equipment has a pollution potential as well as a resource potential, it is anticipated that the pollution potential may possibly be realized if the equipment is mishandled at recycling plants in developing countries. To reduce the invisible flow as much as possible and to reduce the pollution potential from diffusion in developing countries, a policy tool such as extended producer responsibility should be applied to retailers of the equipment, as well as to producers.     

A case study of waste management at the Northern Finnish pulp and paper mill complex of Stora Enso Veitsiluoto Mills

This work presents the current waste management system at the pulp and paper mill complex of Stora Enso Oyj Veitsiluoto Mills at Kemi, Northern Finland. This paper covers examples of case studies carried out at the mill and describes how the wastes and by-products are utilized as a neutralizing agent for acidic wastewaters (i.e., green liquor dregs from the causticizing process), as a hardener in filling mine cavities (i.e., ash from the fluidized bed boiler), as a landscaping agent (i.e., ash as well as the fibre clay from chemical wastewater treatment plant), as a hydraulic barrier material for landfills (i.e., fibre clay), and as a soil enrichment agent (i.e., calcium carbonate from the precipitated calcium carbonate plant). In addition, the wood waste from the wood-handling plant, sawmill, packaging pallet plant and from the groundwood mill, as well as the biosludge from the biological wastewater treatment plant, are all incinerated in the fluidized bed boiler for energy production. Due to effective utilization of the solid wastes generated at the mills, the annual amount of waste to be disposed of in the landfill has decreased between 1994 and 2004 from 42,990 to 6083 tonn (expressed as wet weight). The paper also gives an overview of the relevant European Union legislation on the forest industry and on waste management, as well as of the pulping process and of the generation of major solid wastes in the pulp and paper mills.     

Characterization of char derived from various types of solid wastes from the standpoint of fuel recovery and pretreatment before landfilling

Carbonization is a kind of pyrolysis process to produce char from organic materials under an inert atmosphere. In this work, chars derived from various solid wastes were characterized from the standpoint of fuel recovery and pretreatment of waste before landfilling. Sixteen kinds of municipal and industrial solid wastes such as residential combustible wastes, non-combustible wastes, bulky wastes, construction and demolition wastes, auto shredder residue, and sludges were carbonized at 500 degrees C for 1h under nitrogen atmosphere. In order to evaluate the quality of char as fuel, proximate analysis and heating value were examined. The composition of raw waste had a significant influence on the quality of produced char. The higher the ratio of woody biomass in waste, the higher heating value of char produced. Moreover, an equation to estimate heating value of char was developed by using the weight fraction of fixed carbon and volatile matter in char. De-ashing and chlorine removal were performed to improve the quality of char. The pulverization and sieving method seems to be effective for separation of incombustibles such as metal rather than ash. Most char met a 0.5 wt% chlorine criterion for utilization as fuel in a shaft blast furnace after it was subjected to repeated water-washing. Carbonization could remove a considerable amount of organic matter from raw waste. In addition, the leaching of heavy metals such as chrome, cadmium, and lead appears to be significantly suppressed by carbonization regardless of the type of raw waste. From these results, carbonization could be considered as a pretreatment method for waste before landfilling, as well as for fuel recovery.     

Mechanism of Microbial Degradation of Slow-Release Fertilizers

Methyleneureas are condensation products of urea and formaldehyde of different molecular mass and solubility; they are used in large amounts both as resins, binders, and insulating materials for industrial applications, as well as a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer for greens, lawns, or in bioremediation processes. In the present study, the microbial breakdown of these products was investigated. The nitrogen was released as ammonia and urea, and the formaldehyde released immediately oxidized via formiate to carbon dioxide. The enzymatic mechanism of metabolization of methyleneureas was studied in microorganisms isolated from soil, which were able to use these compounds as the sole source of nitrogen for growth. A strain of the Gram-negative bacterium Ralstonia paucula (formerly Alcaligenes sp. CDC group IVc-2) completely degraded methylenediurea and dimethylenetriurea to urea, ammonia, formaldehyde, and carbon dioxide. The enzyme initiating this degradation (methylenediurease) was purified and turned out to be different from the previously described enzyme from Ochrobactrum anthropi with regard to its regulation of expression and physicobiochemical properties. Fungal degradation of methyleneureas may occur via the formation of organic acids, thus leading to a nonenzymatic degradation of methyleneureas, which are unstable under acidic conditions.     

Rheological study of biodegradable blends of starch and polyvinyl alcohol

The rheological behavior of biodegradable blends of starch and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) was measured as a function of temperature, shear rate, and moisture content using a capillary rheometer. An excellent correlation was found with a rheological model which was used as a means to characterize the influence of starch/PVOH content as well as a qualification of the viscosity for simulation studies. This model consisted of a power law dependence on shear rate, an Arrhenius dependence on temperature, and an exponential dependence on moisture.Paper presented at the Biodegradable Materials and Packaging Conference, September 22–23, 1993, Natick, Massachusetts.Guest Editor: Dr. Randall Shogren, USDA.     

Pilot project of mechanical-biological treatment of waste in Brazil

By mechanical-biological treatment (MBT) of residual municipal solid waste the behaviour of landfills can be significantly improved. After MBT the organic content (COD and BOD5), total organic carbon, and total nitrogen in the leachate, as well as the gas production rate, are reduced to values lower than 90% of the fresh untreated waste. The volume of the stabilized material to be disposed on landfills decreases enormously, by up to 70%. The monitoring effort for a landfill constructed under these conditions is reduced to a minimum and the stabilized material can be used in other ways, as material for reforestation, for cover material or for thermal utilization to produce energy. Environmental conditions are important in MBT, as well as waste characteristics. This paper describes the results of a pilot project of MBT performed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The results have shown that this technology can be used successfully in developing countries, with economy for the society and important results for the environment.     

二氧化钛-累托石净水材料的制备及其净水性能评价

以天然累托石为载体，采用硫酸氧钛水解-沉淀反应法，并添加适量尿素作促进剂，制备了高活性的净水材料——TiO2-累托石活性粉体。由于Ti^4 和TiO2^ 离子进入累托石的层间，使其层间孔隙增大，其吸附活性明显增强，而且其表面负载的TiO2在紫外光作用下可降解水中的有机污染物。     

Identification of black plastics realized with the aid of Raman spectroscopy and fuzzy radial basis function neural networks classifier

To accomplish the effective classifier and secure the accurate classification capabilities of black plastics, a comprehensive design methodology of fuzzy radial basis function neural networks is developed with the aid of principal component analysis and particle swarm optimization. Plastics recycling is the competitive method which can deal with the shortage of natural resource. To recycle and reuse the waste plastics, this study is given as the key issue to identify and classify waste plastics by resin type such as polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, polystyrene, etc. To complement the weak points of recognition and classification of the near-infrared radiation equipment, Raman spectroscopy is used to obtain qualitative as well as quantitative analysis of black plastics. To improve the identification performance of black plastics, an intelligent computing algorithm such as fuzzy radial basis function neural networks classifier and preprocessing algorithm as principal component analysis are applied to analyze and classify the obtained spectrum of black plastics. Finally, to optimize the structure as well as parameters of fuzzy radial basis function neural networks, particle swarm optimization technique is used. The obtained experimental results show that the proposed network architecture exhibits high classification capabilities in practical applications.     

A user evaluation of biodegradable cutlery

This paper summarizes a study evaluating the acceptance and perceived performance of disposable cutlery made from starch-based biodegradable resins relative to nondegradable polystyrene cutlery. Two hundred forty-three sailors onboard three U.S. Navy vessels ate their lunch using either biodegradable cutlery made with resins manufactured by one of two commercial companies or polystyrene cutlery. The cutlery was rated on several sensory and performance dimensions as well as for overall acceptability. Results indicated that sailors rated both the biodegradable and the polystyrene utensils as easy to hold. There were also no differences in the perceived ease of using each of the spoons. However, compared to the polystyrene utensils, both types of biodegradable utensils were viewed as less sturdy, as having a less attractive color, and as being less acceptable overall. The biodegradable forks and knives were also rated as more difficult to use for piercing and cutting food than the polystyrene ones. In addition, several significant differences emerged between the two types of biodegradable cutlery. The results are discussed in terms of the need for continued consumer testing of products developed from biodegradable polymeric materials.     

多组分电镀污泥酸浸出液中铁的分离

研究了采用Ｐ５０７－煤油－Ｈ２ＳＯ４萃取体系分离电镀污泥酸浸出液中Ｆｅ＾３＋的工艺，确定了从含有多种上金属组分的硫酸溶液中萃取铁的最佳工艺条件以及负载有机相反萃取较优工艺条件，研究结果表明，以Ｐ５０７为萃取剂，硫酸为洗涤剂，经３级萃取、２级洗涤的分馏萃取后，可以从含有多种金属组分的硫酸溶液中分离出９９．９％的铁，其他金属的流失量小于１％，不影响后者的回收，铁在工艺过程中以ＦｅＣｌ３·６Ｈ２Ｏ的形式     

三维电极的制备及活性艳蓝的降解

以不锈钢基PbO2电极为阳极、同等材质的不锈钢板为阴极,在两电极之间以高炉炼钢废渣为填充粒子,自制改进三维电极反应器.通过自制的三维电极反应器,采用电催化氧化法降解活性艳蓝染料.实验结果表明,在废渣加入量为20 g/L、电极间距为10 mm、槽电压为8V的条件下,处理500 mL质量浓度为30 mg/L的活性艳蓝溶液,...     

Exploitation of iron ore tailing for the development of ceramic tiles

India ranks as the sixth largest producer of iron ore in the world. The current practice of washing iron ore in India generates as high as 18 million tonnes of tailings per year. These tailings are stored in massive ponds and pose environmental hazards. Safe disposal or utilisation of these materials thus remains a challenging task for the iron ore industry in India. The present paper describes a new development in managing these tailings by converting them into value added products such as ceramic floor and wall tiles for building application. These tiles have high strength and hardness compared to conventional tiles and conform to most of the EN standards. Energy economy and lower production costs are some other benefits.     

Numerical study of heat transfer characteristics of char from waste tire pyrolysis

To investigate heat transfer of char from waste tire pyrolysis, the cooling of char was simulated by the computational fluid dynamics. To scrutinize the heat transfer characteristics, bed height, temperature of cooling wall, and mixing time were selected as calculation parameters. From the results, increasing the char bed height from 0.005 to 0.02 m, the total heat transfer is decreased as from 45.5 to 26.5 J. As the char bed height is further increased from 0.02 to 0.06 m, the total heat transfer is decreased from 26.5 to 9.1 J. The char bed height affects the total heat transfer significantly. The total heat transfer decreases from 15.9 to 14.0 J as the temperature of cooling wall increases from 273.15 to 323.15 K. The total heat transfer mildly depends on the temperature of cooling wall. The particle mixing time increases from 10 to 120 s and the total heat transfer decreases from 28.6 to 22.6 J. It is noted that the particle contact is enhanced between char particles as well as the particles and cooling wall as the particle mixing time decreases. Consequently, heat transfer is augmented.     

装备制造企业推动循环经济产业化发展——以江苏华宏科技创新发展为例

废钢加工设备制造业是我国装备制造业中的一个重要分支,服务于钢铁工业和为钢铁工业提供废钢原料的废钢回收加工领域。以江苏华宏科技股份有限公司为例,详细介绍我国专业从事废钢加工设备研发和生产制造企业,在建设资源节约型、环境友好型社会及推动我国循环经济发展中,取得的主要成就及今后发展目标。     

Effect of Nucleating Agents on Physical Properties of Poly(lactic acid) and Its Blend with Natural Rubber

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) presents high strength and modulus, but very low toughness as well as slow crystallization. Natural rubber (NR) was blended to enhance the toughness and nucleating agent was added to improve the crystallization. Cyclodextrin (CD), considered as a green compound, as well as calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) and talc were used as nucleating agents. Effects of these nucleating agents on crystallization, mechanical properties and morphology of neat PLA and PLA/NR blend were investigated. It was found that the addition of talc and CD decreased cold crystallization temperature (T_cc) of the PLA. Same result was obtained in PLA/NR blend containing talc. All nucleating agents increased the degree of crystallinity (Χ_C) of PLA, whereas only talc and CaCO₃ increased Χ_C of PLA in PLA/NR blends. The enhanced toughness of PLA by the addition of nucleating agent was attributed to its increased crystallinity, as well as decreased spherulite size. For PLA/NR blends, the increase in toughness was mainly contributed by the presence of the rubber.     

Effects of recycled glass substitution on the physical and mechanical properties of clay bricks

In this study, wasted glasses from structural glass walls up to 45 wt.% were added into clay mixtures in brick manufacturing process. Physical and mechanical properties of clay bricks were investigated as functions of the wasted glass content and the firing temperature. The results indicated that with proper amount of wasted glasses and firing temperature, clay bricks with suitable physical and mechanical properties could be obtained. The compressive strength as high as 26–41 MPa and water absorption as low as 2–3% were achieved for bricks containing 15–30 wt.% of glass content and fired at 1100 °C. When the glass waste content was 45 wt.%, apparent porosity and water absorption was rapidly increased.     

Environmental assessment of incinerator residue utilisation

Incineration ashes may be treated either as a waste to be dumped in landfill, or as a resource that is suitable for re-use. In order to choose the best management scenario, knowledge is needed on the potential environmental impact that may be expected, including not only local, but also regional and global impact. In this study, A life cycle assessment (LCA) based approach was outlined for environmental assessment of incinerator residue utilisation, in which leaching of trace elements as well as other emissions to air and water and the use of resources were regarded as constituting the potential environmental impact from the system studied. Case studies were performed for two selected ash types, bottom ash from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) and wood fly ash. The MSWI bottom ash was assumed to be suitable for road construction or as drainage material in landfill, whereas the wood fly ash was assumed to be suitable for road construction or as a nutrient resource to be recycled on forest land after biofuel harvesting. Different types of potential environmental impact predominated in the activities of the system and the use of natural resources and the trace element leaching were identified as being relatively important for the scenarios compared. The scenarios differed in use of resources and energy, whereas there is a potential for trace element leaching regardless of how the material is managed. Utilising MSWI bottom ash in road construction and recycling of wood ash on forest land saved more natural resources and energy than when these materials were managed according to the other scenarios investigated, including dumping in landfill.     

Capillary electrophoretic study of dibasic acids of different structures: Relation to separation of oxidative intermediates in remediation

Dicarboxylic acids are important in environmental chemistry because they are intermediates in oxidative processes involved in natural remediation and waste management processes such as oxidative detoxification and advanced oxidation. Capillary electrophoresis (CE), a promising technique for separating and analyzing these intermediates, has been used to examine a series of dibasic acids of different structures and conformations. This series includes malonic acid, succinic acid, glutaric acid, adipic acid, pimelic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, phthalic acid, and trans, trans-muconic acid. The CE parameters as well as structural variations (molecular structure and molecular isomers, buffer composition, pH, applied voltage, injection mode, current, temperature, and detection wavelength) that affect the separations and analytical results have been examined in this study. Those factors that affect the separation have been delineated. Among these parameters, the pH has been found to be the most important, which affects the double-layer of the capillary wall, the electro-osmotic flow and analyte mobility. The optimum pH for separating these dibasic acids, as well as the other parameters are discussed in detail and related to the development of methods for analyzing oxidation intermediates in oxidative waste management procedures.