An innovative approach to minimize excess sludge production in sewage treatment using integrated bioreactors

The present investigation deals with an application of integrated sequential oxic and anoxic bioreactor(SOABR) and fluidized immobilized cell carbon oxidation(FICCO) reactor for the treatment of domestic wastewater with minimum sludge generation. The performance of integrated SOABR-FICCO system was evaluated on treating the domestic wastewater at hydraulic retention time(HRT) of 3 hr and 6 hr for 120 days at organic loading rate(OLR)of 191 ± 31 mg/(L·hr). The influent wastewater was characterized by chemical oxygen demand(COD) 573 ± 93 mg/L; biochemical oxygen demand(BOD5) 197 ± 35 mg/L and total suspended solids(TSS) 450 ± 136 mg/L. The integrated SOABR-FICCO reactors have established a significant removal of COD by 94% ± 1%, BOD5 by 95% ± 0.6% and TSS by 95% ± 4% with treated domestic wastewater characteristics COD 33 ± 5 mg/L; BOD59 ± 0.8 mg/L and TSS 17 ± 9 mg/L under continuous mode of operation for 120 days. The mass of dry sludge generated from SOABR-FICCO system was 22.9 g/m~3. The sludge volume index of sludge formed in the SOABR reactor was 32 mL/g and in FICCO reactor it was 46 mL/g. The sludge formed in SOABR and FICCO reactor was characterized by TGA, DSC and SEM analysis. Overall, the results demonstrated that the integrated SOABR-FICCO reactors substantially removed the pollution parameters from domestic wastewater with minimum sludge production.     

Experimental continuous sludge microwave system to enhance dehydration ability and hydrogen production from anaerobic digestion of sludge

Dehydrating large amounts of sludge produced by sewage treatment plants is difficult.Microwave pretreatment can effectively and significantly improve the dewaterability and hydrogen production of sludge subjected to anaerobic digestion. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different microwave conditions on hydrogen production from anaerobic digestion and dewaterability of sludge. Based on an analysis of the electric field distribution, a spiral reactor was designed and a continuous microwave system was built to conduct intermittent and continuous experiments under different conditions. Settling Volume, Capillary Suction Time, particle size, and moisture content of the sludge were measured. The results show that sludge pretreatment in continuous experiments has equally remarkable dehydration performance as in intermittent experiments; the minimum moisture content was 77.29% in the intermittent experiment under a microwave power of 300 W and an exposure time of 60 sec, and that in the continuous experiment was 77.56% under a microwave power of 400 W and an exposure time of 60 sec.The peak measured by Differential Scanning Calorimeter appeared earliest under a microwave power of 600 W and an exposure time of 180 sec. The heat flux at the peak was 4.343 W/g, which is relatively small. This indicates that microwave pretreatment induced desirable effects. The maximum yield of hydrogen production was 7.967% under the conditions of microwave power of 500 W, exposure time of 120 sec, and water bath at 55°C. This research provides a theoretical and experimental basis for the development of a continuous microwave sludge-conditioning system.     

Effects of tourmaline on nitrogen removal performance and biofilm structures in the sequencing batch biofilm reactor

The effects of tourmaline on nitrogen removal performance and biofilm structures were comparatively investigated in two identical laboratory-scale sequencing batch biofilm reactors(SBBRs)(denoted SBBR1 and SBBR2) at different nitrogen loading rates(NLRs) varying from(0.24 ± 0.01) to(1.26 ± 0.02) g N/(L·day). SBBR1 was operated in parallel with SBBR2, but SBBR1 was filled with polyurethane foam loaded tourmaline(TPU) carriers and another(SBBR2) filled with polyurethane foam(PU) carriers. Results obtained from this study showed that the excellent and stable performance of SBBR1 was obtained. Ammonia nitrogen removal and total nitrogen removal were higher in SBBR1 than that in SBBR2 with increase of NLR. At an NLR of(0.24 ± 0.01) g N/(L·day), the majority of the spherical and elliptical bacteria were surrounded by the extracellular polymeric substance(EPS) and bacillus or filamentous bacteria in two SBBRs biofilms. When NLR increased to(1.26 ± 0.02) g N/(L·day), the clusters were more obvious in the SBBR1 biofilm than that in the SBBR2 biofilm. Bacteria in SBBR1 were inclined to synthesis more EPS, and the formed EPS could protect the bacteria from free ammonia(FA) under extreme condition NLR(1.26 ± 0.02) g N/(L·day). The results of polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis showed that the microbial community similarity in SBBR2 decreased more obviously than that in SBBR1 with the increase of NLR, which the microbial community in SBBR1 was relatively stable.     

Process modification in the scouring process of textile industry

The effects of scouring parameters on the scouring efficiency, including the weight ratio of de-sizing agent and fabric (5–80 g/g fabric), temperature of de-sizing agent tank (60–90 °C) and dipping time (2–8 s), were investigated. The results demonstrated that weight loss of sizing agent was significantly observed only in the de-sizing agent tank particularly in the first de-sizing tank and was found to a small extent in water tank. The optimum condition in the scouring machine was found at a de-sizing agent to fabric ratio of 20 g/g fabric, with a temperature of the first de-sizing agent tank of 80 °C, a temperature of the second de-sizing agent tank of 90 °C, and dipping time of fabric of 7 s. According to these conditions, more than 89% of the sizing agent was eliminated and only 3.52 mg/g fabric of sizing agent remained in the scoured fabric which was in an acceptable range for feeding to the down stream process known as dyeing process. Application of our results to actual textile plant has shown that there is a cost reduction due to improved utilization of rinse water, chemicals and energy in the process and consequent decreases in the generation of wastewater. Furthermore, the production capacity was increased from 30 m/min to 34.4 m/min.     

Phosphogypsum stabilization of bauxite residue: Conversion of its alkaline characteristics

Reduction of the high alkalinity of bauxite residue is a key problem to solve to make it suitable for plant growth and comprehensive utilization. In this study, phosphogypsum, a waste product from the phosphate fertilizer industry, was used to drive the alkaline transformation of the bauxite residue. Under optimal water washing conditions(liquid/solid ratio of 2 mL/g, 30°C, 24 hr), the impact of quantity added, reaction time and reaction mechanism during phosphogypsum application were investigated. Phosphogypsum addition effectively lowered p H levels and reduced the soluble alkalinity by 92.2%. It was found that the concentration of soluble Na and Ca ions in the supernatant increased gradually, whilst the exchangeable Na+and Ca~(2+)in solid phase changed 112 mg/kg and 259 mg/kg, respectively. Ca~(2+)became the dominant element in the solid phase(phosphogypsum addition of 2%, liquid/solid ratio of 2 mL/g, 30°C, 12 hr). X-ray diffraction data indicated that cancrinite and hydrogarnet were the primary alkaline minerals. SEM images suggested that phosphogypsum could promote the formation of stable macroaggregates, whilst the content of Ca~(2+)increased from 5.6% to 18.2% and Na reduced from 6.8% to 2.4%. Treatment with phosphogypsum could significantly promote the transformation of alkalinity cations by neutralization, precipitation and replacement reactions.This research provided a feasible method to promote soil formation of bauxite residue by phosphogypsum amendment.     

Inhibitive effects of chlortetracycline on performance of the nitritation-anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) process and strategies for recovery

The short-and long-term effects of chlortetracycline(CTC) on the nitritation-anaerobic ammonium oxidation(anammox) process were evaluated. The half maximal inhibitory concentration of CTC in the batch tests of the nitritation-anammox process was 278.91 mg/L at an exposure time of 12 hr. The long-term effects of CTC on the process were examined in a continuous-flow nitritation-anammox reactor. Within 14 days, the nitrogen removal rate significantly decreased from 0.61 to 0.25 kg N/m~3/day with 60 mg/L CTC in the influent.The performance suppressed by CTC barely recovered, even after CTC was removed from the influent. Furthermore, the inhibition of CTC also reduced the relative abundance of ammonium oxidizing bacteria(AOB) and anaerobic ammonium oxidizing bacteria(An AOB)in the reactor, resulting in both a decreased amount of and an imbalance between AOB and An AOB. When fresh anammox sludge was reseeded into the nitritation-anammox reactor,the nitrogen removal rate recovered to 0.09 ± 0.03 kg N/m~3/day.     

正常污泥和膨胀污泥中EPS膜污染特性及其与膜表面作用能分析

胞外聚合物(Extracellular polymeric substance,EPS)是导致膜污染的重要物质,且不同形态污泥的EPS具有不同的性质,研究正常污泥和膨胀污泥的EPS膜污染特性具有重要意义.因此,实验考察了正常污泥和膨胀污泥的膜污染速率.结果表明,膨胀污泥膜污染速率远高于正常污泥,膨胀污泥EPS(Bulking sludge-EPS,BS-EPS)浓度((172.9±10.4) mg·g-1)明显高于正常污泥EPS(Normal sludge-EPS,NS-EPS)浓度((95.9±6 6) mg·g-1),且膨胀污泥的蛋白质/多糖(Protein/Carbohydrate,P/C)值(2.26)高于正常污泥的P/C值(1 97)此外,通过序批式吸附实验研究了正常污泥和膨胀污泥的EPS膜污染差异,并基于Derjaguine-Landaue-Verweye-Overbeek (XDLVO)理论计算了EPS与PVDF膜表面之间的作用能结果表明,EPS-膜系统的总界面能为负值,即EPS-膜系统之间会发生自吸附行为,而膜与BS-EPS的总界面能(-63.943mJ.m2)较膜与NS-EPS(-56.366 mJ·m2)具有较高的能量,因此,BS-EPS与膜的吸附力较强;NS-EPS和BS-EPS主要能量壁垒分别为8.89 kT和7.51 kT,表明NS-EPS与膜之间的排斥力更强,因而BS-EPS更容易造成膜污染     

Control of membrane fouling during hyperhaline municipal wastewater treatment using a pilot-scale anoxic/aerobic-membrane bioreactor system

Membrane fouling limits the effects of long-term stable operation of membrane bioreactor (MBR). Control of membrane fouling can extend the membrane life and reduce water treatment cost effectively. A pilot scale anoxic/aerobic-membrane bioreactor (A/O-MBR, 40 L/hr) was used to treat the hyperhaline municipal sewage from a processing zone of Tianjin, China. Impact factors including mixed liquid sludge suspension (MLSS), sludge viscosity (μup), microorganisms, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), aeration intensity and suction/suspended time on membrane fouling and pollution control were studied. The relationships among various factors associated with membrane fouling were analyzed. Results showed that there was a positive correlation among MLSS, sludge viscosity and trans-membrane pressure (TMP). Considering water treatment efficiency and stable operation of the membrane module, MLSS of 5 g/L was suggested for the process. There was a same trend among EPS, sludge viscosity and TMP. Numbers and species of microorganisms affected membrane fouling. Either too high or too low aeration intensity was not conducive to membrane fouling control. Aeration intensity of 1.0 m³/hr (gas/water ratio of 25:1) is suggested for the process. A long suction time caused a rapid increase in membrane resistance. However, long suspended time cannot prevent the increase of membrane resistance effectively even though a suspended time was necessary for scale off particles from the membrane surface. The suction/suspended time of 12 min/3 min was selected for the process. The interaction of various environmental factors and operation conditions must be considered synthetically.     

Effects of surfactants on the combined toxicity of TiO2 nanoparticles and cadmium to Escherichia coli

The combined ecological toxicity of TiO₂ nanoparticles (nano-TiO₂) and heavy metals has been paid more attention. As the common pollutants in water environment, surfactants could affect the properties of nanoparticles and heavy metals, and thus further influence the combined toxicity of nano-TiO₂ and heavy metals. In this study, the effects of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) and Tween 80 on the single and combined toxicities of Cd^2 + and nano-TiO₂ to Escherichia coli (E. coli) were examined, and the underlying influence mechanism was further discussed. The results showed both SDBS and Tween 80 enhanced the toxicity of Cd^2 + to E. coli in varying degrees. The reaction of SDBS and Cd^2 + could increase the outer membrane permeability and the bioavailability of Cd, while Tween 80 itself could enhance the outer membrane permeability. The combined toxicity of nano-TiO₂ and Cd^2 + to E. coli in absence of surfactant was antagonistic because of the adsorption of Cd^2 + to nano-TiO₂ particles. However, in the presence of SDBS, both SDBS and nano-TiO₂ influenced the toxicity of Cd^2 +, and also SDBS could adsorb to nano-TiO₂ by binding to Cd^2 +. The combined toxicity was reduced at Cd^2 + lower than 4 mg/L and enhanced at Cd^2 + higher than 4 mg/L under multiple interactions. Tween 80 enhanced the combined toxicity of nano-TiO₂ and Cd^2 + by increasing the outer membrane permeability. Our study firstly elucidated the effects of surfactants on the combined toxicity of nano-TiO₂ and Cd^2 + to bacteria, and the underlying influencing mechanism was proposed.     

Recycling thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) waste glass produced as glass–ceramics

The waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directives are designed to deal with the rapidly increasing waste stream comprised of electrical and electronic equipment. Recycling electrical and electronic equipment reduces the quantity of waste going to final disposal. The demand for thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels, commonly used in everyday electronic products, is increasing. Conventionally adopted treatments of TFT-LCD waste glass cannot meet WEEE directives. This study adopts the following operating conditions in fabricating glass–ceramics: sintering temperature of 800–950 °C; sintering time of 6 h; and, temperature increase rate of 5 °C/min. The glass–ceramic samples then underwent a series of tests, including the Vickers hardness, water absorption and porosity tests, to determine product quality. The Vickers hardness was 12.1 GPa when fired at 900 °C for 6 h, and density was 2.4 g/cm³ and water absorption was 0%. Thus, TFT-LCD waste glass can be regarded as a good glass–ceramic material.     

高有机负荷冲击对填料型MBR运行性能的影响

针对分散式农村生活污水有机负荷变化明显的特点,研究了填料型厌氧-缺氧-好氧膜生物反应器（A²O-MBR）抗高有机负荷的能力,考察了高有机负荷冲击对污染物去除效果、悬浮和附着污泥性质以及膜污染的影响.结果表明,高负荷冲击期间污染物去除稳定,氨氮去除率在冲击第3d从99.1%下降到78.5%,出水氨氮浓度高于5mg/L,随后去除率恢复至97.6%;悬浮和附着微生物的三磷酸腺苷（ATP）含量增加;附着生物量显著增加;细胞外聚合物（EPS）增加;高有机负荷冲击期间膜污染更严重,膜面污染层EPS含量显著增加;太阳能微动力A²O-MBR系统能减少10%的碳排放.     

Adsorption of VOCs on reduced graphene oxide

A modified Hummer's method was adopted for the synthesis of graphene oxide(GO) and reduced graphene oxide(rGO). It was revealed that the modified method is effective for the production of GO and rGO from graphite. Transmission electron microscopy(TEM) images of GO and rGO showed a sheet-like morphology. Because of the presence of oxygenated functional groups on the carbon surface, the interlayer spacing of the prepared GO was higher than that of rGO. The presence of \OH and C_O groups in the Fourier transform infrared spectra(FTIR) spectrum and G-mode and 2D-mode in Raman spectra confirmed the synthesis of GO and rGO. rGO(292.6 m~2/g) showed higher surface area than that of GO(236.4 m~2/g). The prepared rGO was used as an adsorbent for benzene and toluene(model pollutants of volatile organic compounds(VOCs)) under dynamic adsorption/desorption conditions. rGO showed higher adsorption capacity and breakthrough times than GO. The adsorption capacity of rGO for benzene and toluene was 276.4 and 304.4 mg/g, respectively.Desorption experiments showed that the spent rGO can be successfully regenerated by heating at 150.0°C. Its excellent adsorption/desorption performance for benzene and toluene makes rGO a potential adsorbent for VOC adsorption.     

Effect of sludge retention time on sludge characteristics and membrane fouling of membrane bioreactor

Three identical membrane bioreactors (MBRs) were operated over 2 years at different sludge retention time (SRT) of 10 d, 40 d and no sludge withdrawal (NS), to elucidate and quantify the effect of SRT on the sludge characteristics and membrane fouling. The hydraulic retention times of these MBRs were controlled at 12 h. With increasing SRT, the sludge concentrations in the MBRs increased, whereas the ratio of volatile suspended solid to the total solid decreased, and the size of sludge granule diminished in the meantime. A higher sludge concentration at long SRT could maintain a better organic removal efficiency, and a longer SRT was propitious to the growth of nitrifiers. The performance of these MBRs for the removal of COD and NH₄⁺-N did not change much with different SRTs. However, the bioactivity decreased as SRT increase. The measurement of specific oxygen uptake rates (SOUR) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes testified that SOUR and the proportion of the bacteria-specific probe EUB338 in all DAPI-stainable bacteria decreased with increasing SRT. The concentrations of total organic carbon, protein, polysaccharides and soluble extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) in the mixed liquor supernatant also decreased with increasing SRT. The membrane fouling rate was higher at shorter SRT, and the highest fouling rate appeared at a SRT of 10 d. Both the sludge cake layer and gel layer had contribution to the fouling resistance, but the relative contribution of the gel layer decreased as SRT increase.     

Hollow TiO2 spheres with improved visible light photocatalytic activity synergistically enhanced by multi-stimulative: Morphology advantage, carbonate-doping and the induced Ti3 +

Great efforts have been devoted to improve the photocatalytic activity of TiO_2 in the visible light region. Rational design of the external structure and adjustment of intrinsic electronic status by impurity doping are two main effective ways to achieve this purpose. A facile onepot synthetic approach was developed to prepare C-doped hollow TiO_2 spheres, which simultaneously realized these advantages. The synthesized TiO_2 exhibits a mesoporous hollow spherical structure composed of fine nanocrystals, leading to high specific surface area(~180 m~2/g) and versatile porous texture. Carbonate-doping was achieved by a postthermal treatment at a relatively low temperature(200°C), which makes the absorption edge red-shifted to the visible region of the solar spectrum. Concomitantly, Ti~(3+) induced by C-doping also functions in improving the visible-light photocatalytic activity by reducing the band gap. There exists a synergistic effect from multiple stimulatives to enhance the photocatalytic effect of the prepared TiO_2 catalyst. It is not out of expectation that the asprepared C-doped hollow TiO_2 spheres exhibits an improved photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation in organic pollutant degradation.     

贫营养条件下EPS、SMP和微生物多样性的研究

为了考察活性污泥在营养缺乏的条件下,胞外聚合物（EPS）、溶解性微生物产物（SMP）和微生物种群结构自身的变化情况,为优化MBR系统运行、延缓膜污染等提供理论依据,对天津大学游泳馆MBR中的污泥混合液进行贫营养实验,测定了污泥混合液中EPS和SMP的含量,通过聚合酶链式反应-变性梯度凝胶电泳（PCR-DGGE）技术和克隆测序技术对微生物多样性进行分析,根据序列数据进行同源性分析并构建系统进化树.实验初期,EPS和SMP的浓度由15.04 mg/g和0 mg/g分别上升到17.99 mg/g和3.29 mg/g.随着实验的进行,EPS有很大的降低,最终只有2.40 mg/g;SMP则一直在3.5 mg/g左右变化.实验表明,EPS和SMP对外界环境变化具有一定的缓冲作用,并且在营养缺乏的条件下微生物能够以降解EPS和SMP来维持自身生命活动.由于对EPS和SMP的利用,污泥的Shannon多样性指数由最初的0.81上升到最高时的1.09,随后开始降低,并最终稳定在0.95.克隆测序的结果表明,污泥中微生物的种类比较丰富,并且优势菌种大部分为未经培养菌种.部分菌种能够通过产生蛋白质和多糖水解酶来实现对EPS和SMP的降解,主要属于拟杆菌(Bacteroidetes)、黄杆菌(Flavobacterium）、腐螺旋菌(Saprospiraceae)和厚壁门菌(Firmicutes)等.     

活性污泥性质对短期膜污染影响的解析研究

采用统计分析方法研究了16种不同性质活性污泥混合液对膜生物反应器膜污染的影响机理.结果表明,胞外聚合物(extracellular polymeric substances,EPS)、溶解性有机物(soluble microbial products,SMP)、上清液胶体颗粒(suspended solids insupernatant,SS_s)、污泥混合液粘度(μ)、相对疏水性(relative hydrophobicity,RH)、Zeta电位(Zeta potential)均对膜生物反应器膜渗透性能有显著的影响作用,其与膜污染阻力的皮尔逊相关系数r_p分别为:0.898、0.712、0.810、0.691、0.837、-0.881;同时发现,胞外聚合物是影响活性污泥中溶解性有机物含量(r_p=0.682)、污泥粘度大小(r_p=0.633)、上清液胶体颗粒含量(r_p=0.783)、Zeta电位(r_p=-0.953)及相对疏水性大小(r_p=0.877)的主要因素;在活性污泥性质中胞外聚合物是影响膜污染的根本原因,是膜生物反应器膜污染的重要影响因素.     

营养失衡下的分层分质EPS对异型膨胀污泥及其沉降性差异影响

为探索EPS对膨胀污泥沉降性的影响,通过减少进水P源、N源的方式培养异型膨胀活性污泥,分析不同层、不同组分EPS对异型膨胀污泥沉降性影响.结果表明：异型膨胀（非丝状菌粘性膨胀、丝状菌膨胀）活性污泥EPS多糖组分Total-PS、中层组分（L-PS）含量均高于正常污泥.非丝状菌粘性膨胀污泥EPS各层多糖含量高于丝状菌膨胀污泥,而各层蛋白质（PN）含量均低于丝状菌膨胀污泥.非丝状菌粘性膨胀污泥Total-EPS（（229±94）mg/g MLSS）、PS/PN值不仅显著高于正常活性污泥（（86±16）mg/g MLSS）,也高于丝状菌膨胀污泥（（108±30）mg/g MLSS）.非丝状菌粘性膨胀污泥EPS多糖总量Total-PS、蛋白质总量Total-PN越高,SVI值越大,污泥沉降性越差,越易膨胀,且EPS蛋白质组分对污泥膨胀作用大于多糖;从不同层EPS看,松散外层（S层）EPS对非丝状菌粘性膨胀作用最大（S-PN与SVI值相关性最大,r为0.881,P<0.05）,是主要影响因子.丝状菌膨胀污泥,除了内层紧密型T-PN对SVI值影响较大外,其他各层、各组分EPS含量与SVI均呈微弱负相关.     

低温时污泥膨胀对MBR中膜污染的影响

通过一体式膜生物反应装置考察了在低温条件下发生污泥膨胀过程中反应器的运行效果和膜污染的情况,并从微生物角度分析了引起膜污染的因素.结果表明,低温时COD上清液和出水平均去除率分别为85%和92%,发生丝状菌污泥膨胀后去除率变化不大.MBR中丝状菌污泥膨胀形成的过程中,污泥沉降性变差,丝状菌丰度（FI）由2增加到5,丝状菌伸出絮体形成网状结构.低温时膜操作压力随时间呈直线变化,膜组件的水力清洗周期为15 d.在丝状菌大量繁殖时缩短到7 d,膜污染严重.通过测定活性污泥的特性,发现膨胀污泥的胞外聚合物（EPS）总量是正常污泥的3倍,污泥絮体相对疏水性（RH）随FI的提高而增大.EPS和RH增大后会引起更多物质沉积到膜表面,使膜污染速率提高,膜的运行周期变短.进一步的分析表明,混合液粘度、Zeta电位、污泥絮体形态也是影响膜污染的因素.     

On wear resistance of tool steel

Maintaining a reasonably low cutting tool wear when producing forming tools is a general challenge in the development of new forming tool materials. The tool life of a hot forming tool steel (H13) has been significantly improved by reducing its Si-content from 1.0 to 0.06 wt.%. However, this modified H13 (MH13) also displays a reduced cutting tool life due to higher cutting forces and a stronger tendency to form built up layers (BUE) on the cutting edge. This paper explains why.Gleeble tests of MH13 revealed a significantly higher flow stress in the 820–900 °C temperature interval in MH13 compared to H13. Thermo-Calc simulations showed that when reducing the Si-content from 1.0 to 0.06 wt.% the initial temperature for ferrite-to-austenite transformation (A1) was reduced from 900 °C to 820 °C. Knowing that austenite has totally different mechanical and thermal properties than ferrite, the difference in A1 between the two steels explains the higher cutting forces and higher tendency for BUE-formation. The conclusion is that the difference in machinability between H13 and MH13 is primarily related to their difference in A1.An attempt was also made to find a new tool material composition that can combine the wear resistance of MH13 and the good machinability of H13. Thermo-Calc simulations were performed with slightly modified alloying content without changing its properties as a good forming tool material, with the aim to increase A1. For instance, reducing the Mn content from 0.5 to 0.05 wt.% proved to increase A1 from 820 to 850 °C.     

Eutectic mixture promoted CO2 sorption on MgO-TiO2 composite at elevated temperature

The development of carbon dioxide(CO_2) sorbents that can operate at elevated temperatures is significant for the advancement of pre-combustion capture technologies.Recently, promoter-based systems composed of alkali/alkaline earth metal nitrates and/or carbonates have been considered as next-generation solid sorbents due to their improved CO_2 uptake and kinetics. However, obtaining stable MgO sorbents against temperature swing regeneration still remained challenging. Herein, we report MgO-TiO_2 solid sorbents promoted by eutectic mixture(KNO_3 and LiNO_3) for elevated temperature CO_2 sorption. The developed sorbents show improved CO_2 sorption capacity, which may be attributed to the alternative CO_2 sorption pathway provided by the ionization of highly dispersed MgO in the eutectic mixture. The MgO-TiO_2 framework was also shown to assist in retaining the MgO configuration by constraining its interaction with CO_2. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that constructing composite structures is essential to improve the CO_2 sorption characteristics,mainly recyclability, at elevated temperatures. The developed promoter integrated sorbents showed exceptionally high CO_2 sorption capacity of 30 wt.% at an elevated temperature(300°C) with pronounced stability under temperature swing operation.