Improved performance of a biomaterial-based cation exchanger for the adsorption of uranium(VI) from water and nuclear industry wastewater

The amine-modified polyhydroxyethylmethacrylate (poly(HEMA))-grafted biomaterial (tamarind fruit shell, TFS) carrying carboxyl functional groups at the chain end (PGTFS-COOH) was prepared and used as an adsorbent for the removal of uranium(VI) from water and nuclear industry wastewater. FTIR spectral analysis revealed that U(VI) ions and PGTFS-COOH formed a chelate complex. The adsorption process was relatively fast, requiring only 120 min to attain equilibrium. The adsorption kinetic data were best described by the pseudo-second-order equation. The equilibrium adsorption data were correlated with the Sips isotherm model. The maximum U(VI) ions uptake with PGTFS-COOH was estimated to be 100.79 mg/g. The complete removal of 10 mg/L U(VI) from simulated nuclear industry wastewater was achieved by 3.5 g/L PGTFS-COOH. The reusability of the adsorbent was demonstrated over 4 cycles using NaCl (1.0 M) + HCl (0.5 M) solution mixture to de-extract the U(VI). The results show that the PGTFS-COOH tested is very promising for the recovery of U(VI) from water and wastewater.     

Developing of a pricing model for Turkish lignite used in thermal plants

The objective of this paper is to develop a general pricing model for Turkish Lignite, which is mainly sold to thermal plants. This model will contribute to the development of coal mining within the scope of privatization efforts of the Turkish energy market. The paper consists of two stages. First, data of 10 thermal plants have been evaluated by using hedonic pricing analysis to determine influential price parameters. The results of hedonic regression analysis indicate the effect and importance of calorific value and electricity price on lignite prices. Second, a general coal-pricing model has been developed by taking into account the results of hedonic analysis. Comparison of the coal prices estimated by the developed pricing model and the coal prices obtained from thermal plants indicates an acceptable relation.     

建筑装璜中几种常用板材热解特性及动力学研究

对建筑装璜中几种常用板材变工况的热解行为进行了热重分析（TG）和差分热重分析（DTG）研究。通过对TG和DTG曲线的分析,深入研究了影响样品热解过程的几个重要因素：升温速率、样品粒径和试样量对热解过程的影响,通过对十种模型的比较,发现热解过程符合两阶段一级反应模型。并得出了各阶段的动力学参数、表观活化能和频率因子。     

Status of recycling end-of-life vehicles and efforts to reduce automobile shredder residues in Korea

The present end-of-life vehicle (ELV) recycle rate and management status during the dismantling stage were investigated to aid the establishment of policies for the management of ELVs by surveying information and using the results gained from questionnaires given to dismantlers. The average recycle rate at the dismantling stage was 44% of the mass of a new vehicle and the rest of the ELV was then compressed and transported to shredding companies to recover mainly the iron content, which averaged 38.7% of the mass of a new vehicle. Nonferrous metals such as copper, antimony, zinc, and aluminum accounted for only 1.5%. The automobile shredder residues (ASRs) were composed of light and heavy fluffs and soil/dust and amounted to 15.8% based on the mass of a new vehicle. The dumping of fluff and inorganic residues in landfill sites, however, will be restricted when new regulations are implemented to reduce the disposal amount to less than 5% of a new car, as has been done in European countries and in Japan. The detailed characteristics of ASR were investigated to suggest appropriate means of treatment such as volume reduction or the utilization of thermal technologies to meet future expected enforcement. Also, some concerns on hazardous pollutant release such as that of dioxins while utilizing such thermal treatment methods were considered. The present on-going research and development projects to meet such future management targets are also introduced.     

Effect of Recycling on Material Properties of Glass-filled Polyethylene Terephthalate

Recycled plastics are considered low performance materials because their properties are expected to decrease drastically with recycling. The objective of this study was to characterize a 15 wt.% glass filled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET-15GF) using six recycle generations and four recycle ratios. Mechanical properties such as tensile strength, elastic modulus, and percent elongation to failure of the PET composite were determined for various recycle generations and recycle ratios. Results show that the mechanical properties of rPET-15GF decrease slightly per recycle generation. In contrast, thermal properties of rPET-15GF were not at all affected by the recycling process. This data demonstrates that recycled glass filled PET can be used effectively to fabricate components without significantly affecting their mechanical performance.     

Thermal and hydrometallurgical recovery methods of heavy metals from municipal solid waste fly ash

Heavy metals in fly ash from municipal solid waste incinerators are present in high concentrations. Therefore fly ash must be treated as a hazardous material. On the other hand, it may be a potential source of heavy metals. Zinc, lead, cadmium, and copper can be relatively easily removed during the thermal treatment of fly ash, e.g. in the form of chlorides. In return, wet extraction methods could provide promising results for these elements including chromium and nickel. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare thermal and hydrometallurgical treatment of municipal solid waste fly ash. Thermal treatment of fly ash was performed in a rotary reactor at temperatures between 950 and 1050 °C and in a muffle oven at temperatures from 500 to 1200 °C. The removal more than 90% was reached by easy volatile heavy metals such as cadmium and lead and also by copper, however at higher temperature in the muffle oven. The alkaline (sodium hydroxide) and acid (sulphuric acid) leaching of the fly ash was carried out while the influence of temperature, time, concentration, and liquid/solid ratio were investigated. The combination of alkaline-acidic leaching enhanced the removal of, namely, zinc, chromium and nickel.     

Effect of urea on detonation characteristics and thermal stability of ammonium nitrate

A study has examined the effect of urea on the thermal stability and detonation characteristics of ammonium nitrate (AN). The thermal decomposition temperature and surface morphology of samples were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). For further research on the thermal sensitivity and shock sensitivity of the samples, the Koenen test and UN gap test were conducted. The results indicate that urea can substantially increase the thermal stability of AN (the greatest exothermic peak is increased by more than 100 °C) and reduce the thermal sensitivity of AN. However, AN-50wt. % urea mixtures can still produce a steady detonation in the UN gap test. Urea cannot reduce the ability to propagate a detonation. Possible explanations for these results are discussed.     

Mercury adsorption characteristics of HBr-modified fly ash in an entrained-flow reactor

In this study, the mercury adsorption characteristics of HBr-modified fly ash in an entrained-flow reactor were investigated through thermal decomposition methods. The results show that the mercury adsorption performance of the HBr-modified fly ash was enhanced significantly. The mercury species adsorbed by unmodified fly ash were HgCl₂, HgS and HgO. The mercury adsorbed by HBr-modified fly ash, in the entrained-flow reactor, existed in two forms, HgBr₂ and HgO, and the HBr was the dominant factor promoting oxidation of elemental mercury in the entrained-flow reactor. In the current study, the concentration of HgBr₂ and HgO in ash from the fine ash vessel was 4.6 times greater than for ash from the coarse ash vessel. The fine ash had better mercury adsorption performance than coarse ash, which is most likely due to the higher specific surface area and longer residence time.     

Effects of typical additives on the thermal stability of ammonium peroxydisulfate

Ammonium peroxydisulfate (APS), one of the most widely used inorganic peroxides in the process industries, is a thermally unstable peroxide and potent oxidizer due to the presence of peroxy bond in the molecule and is incompatible with most substances. To investigate the effect of typical additives on the thermal decomposition of APS, in this paper, diamine phosphate (DAP), monoamine phosphate (MAP), and aluminum hydroxide (AH) were selected as additives; pure APS and samples with 10 wt% and 20 wt% of additives were first tested by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The experiments and analysis showed that the samples with 10 wt% of additive had better thermal stability than those with 20 wt% of additive. After screening, the three groups of 10 wt% AH, 10 wt% MAP, and 20 wt% MAP additive conditions could be considered to have a better thermal stability effect on the thermal decomposition of APS. Four groups of samples were, in turn, tested by Phi-Tec II. The adiabatic results showed two discontinuous exothermic processes; 10 wt% AH promoted the weak exothermic effect in the first stage. In contrast, the three groups of additives in the main exothermic stage showed different degrees of inhibition, and the inhibiting effect was ranked as 10 wt% AH, 10 wt% MAP, and 20 wt% MAP in order. Finally, the self-accelerated decomposition temperature (SADT) was calculated under the 25 kg standard package. The adiabatic results, including SADT, were combined to render feasible recommendations for the use of additives, which provides references for the packaging and transportation of additives and their applications.     

Effects of environmental temperature on the thermal runaway of lithium-ion batteries during charging process

Lithium-ion batteries with relatively narrow operating temperature range have provoked concerns regarding the safety of LIBs. In this work, a series of experiments were conducted to explore the thermal runaway (TR) behaviors of charging batteries in a high/low temperature test chamber. The effects of charging rates (0.5 C, 1 C, 2 C, and 3 C), and ambient temperature (2 °C, 32 °C and 56 °C) are comprehensively investigated.The results indicate that the cell exhibited greater thermal hazard at the high charging rate and ambient temperature conditions. As the charging rate increased from 0.5 C to 3 C, more lithium intercalated in the anode prompt the TR triggered in advance, the TR onset temperature decreased from 297.5 °C to 264.7 °C. In addition, the charging time decreased with the elevated ambient temperature, resulting in a relatively higher TR onset temperature and lower maximum temperature, and the average TR critical time declined by 115–143 s. Finally, the TR required less heat accumulation with increasing of charging rate and ambient temperature, and the heat generation of side reaction played a substantial role that accounted for approximately 54%∼63%. These results provide an insight into the charging cell thermal runaway behaviors in complex operation environments and deliver valuable guidance for improving the safety of cell operation.