Solar driven nitrous acid formation on building material surfaces containing titanium dioxide: A concern for air quality in urban areas?

The photoenhanced uptake of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) to the surface of commercially available self-cleaning window glass has been studied under controlled laboratory conditions. This material is one of an array of modern building products which incorporate titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles and are finding increasing use in populated urban areas. Amongst the principal drivers for the use of these materials is that they are thought to facilitate the irreversible removal of pollutants such as NO₂ and organic molecules from the atmosphere and thus act to remediate air quality. While it appears that TiO₂ materials do indeed remove organic molecules from built environments, in this study we show that the photoenhanced uptake of NO₂ to one example material, self-cleaning window glass, is in fact accompanied by the substantial formation (50–70%) of gaseous nitrous acid (HONO). This finding has direct and serious implications for the use of these materials in urban areas. Not only is HONO a harmful respiratory irritant, it is also readily photolysed by solar radiation leading to the formation of hydroxyl radicals (OH) together with the re-release of NO_x as NO. The net effect of subsequent OH initiated chemistry can then be the further degradation of air quality through the formation of secondary pollutants such as ozone and VOC oxidation products. In summary, we suggest that a scientifically conceived technical strategy for air quality remediation based on this technology, while widely perceived as universally beneficial, could in fact have effects precisely opposite to those intended.     

Photocatalytic removal of nitrogen oxides via titanium dioxide

We studied the removal of nitrogen oxides pollutants via TiO₂ Degussa P25 powder by photocatalysis. Parameters such as mass of catalyst, geometric irradiated surface, catalyst morphology, and thermal treatment were tested to explain the photocatalytic concentration decrease of nitrogen oxides. According to our working conditions, the conversion rates increased until an optimal value of the TiO₂ weight, 35% of NO concentration and around 20% of NOx, was decomposed by the photocatalysis. The NOx removal increased proportionally with the irradiated geometric surface. The structural transformation of anatase to rutile performed by thermal treatment involved the decrease of the photocatalytic activity.     

Dichlorvos degradation studied by 31P-NMR

We studied the hydrolysis and TiO₂ photocatalysis of the pesticide dichlorvos at pH 2.6–9 using phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance (³¹P NMR). We found that the hydrolysis of dichlorvos led to the formation of dimethyl phosphate at pH 5.6–9. On the other hand, TiO₂ photocatalysis decomposed dichlorvos into dimethyl phosphate, which further reacted to form monomethyl phosphate at pH 2.6 and 9. Monomethylphosphate was hydrolysed into phosphate at pH 2.6. ³¹P NMR is therefore a promising tool to study the degradation of organophosphorus pesticides.     

车装焊复合加工装备的服役可靠性评估

目的评估某型航天用车装焊复合加工装备在服役过程中的服役可靠性。方法首先分析装备常见的故障模式,统计装备在使用过程中的故障数据,由于装备故障数据样本量较少,所以提出基于贝叶斯理论的小样本车装焊复合加工装备可靠性评估方法,其中通过马尔科夫链蒙特卡罗(MCMC)法抽样解决贝叶斯理论中后验积分复杂的问题。结果确定了车装焊复合加工装备的寿命威布尔分布模型,并运用贝叶斯方法,计算出该车装焊复合加工装备的平均无故障工作时间(MTBF)。结论评估结果略低于设计要求,原因是目前该装备处于服役初期,服役初期故障数据较多。待进入稳定服役期时,故障率会有一定程度的降低后趋于稳定,MTBF会有一定幅度的增加,所以该车装焊复合加工装备MTBF基本满足设计要求。     

一种光催化体系光催化降解苯胺的研究

以钛酸丁酯为原料．以膨润土为载体,用酸性溶胶法合成TiO2纳米复合物,并利用该复合物作催化剂,在H2O2存在下进行光催化降解苯胺溶液。结果表明,该催化剂在UV／H2O2系统中对苯胺溶液有很好的光催化降解效果,其效果优于纯TiO2;H2O2的存在提高了苯胺光催化降解速率,在本实验条件下其最佳摩尔浓度是5mmol／L;溶液pH是影响反应速率的重要因素．pH在中性范围内具有更强的光催化活性;该体系中苯胺能够有效地被降解,其光催化反应遵循一级反应动力学规律。     

Decision support for sustainable manufacturing using decision guidance query language

Sustainability has become a very significant research topic as it impacts many different manufacturing industries. Therefore, the technologies for monitoring, analysing, evaluating and optimising the sustainability performance of manufacturing processes and systems are very critical for decision makers on the shop floor. This paper introduces a decision guidance management system that provides actionable recommendations through quantitative analysis of the sustainability measures of manufacturing processes and systems based on life cycle assessment. The system determines decision preferences through dynamically collected data and decision makers' responses, taking into account the prevailing constraints. Optimal decisions can be derived using mathematical and constraint programming. By using decision guidance query language, this methodology allows users to make optimal decisions without an extensive mathematical or operations research background. Knowledge of relational databases is sufficient for a user to formulate the optimisation problem and obtain optimal solutions. The methodology is demonstrated with a machining operation case study, in which a list of sustainability metrics are identified and sustainability modelling methods are proposed. Important sustainable machining performance measures are optimised, resulting in actionable recommendations.     

Modelling spills of water-reactive chemicals

This paper describes part of a programme of work undertaken at the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) to investigate the behaviour of selected water-reactive chemicals. Following an accidental release, such substances react exothermically with any water present, generating acidic vapours. The STAWaRS (Source Term Assessment of Water Reactive Substances) software was developed for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) by ESR Technology to model this complex process. The aims of the study described here were to provide experimental validation of the heats of hydrolysis used within STAWaRS, and to perform sensitivity studies on selected STAWaRS input parameters.The heat of hydrolysis of acetyl chloride was measured and showed good correlation with the value used within STAWaRS. Some of the variables that influence the severity of acetyl chloride spills are examined, with reference to predictions made by the STAWaRS model. The heats of hydrolysis of titanium tetrachloride previously measured at HSL are also discussed, and the effect of adopting these experimentally derived values for modelling spills is shown for a hypothetical land use planning case. This study demonstrates the importance of using experimentally validated values for STAWaRS input parameters.     

铕掺杂纳米二氧化钛光催化实验研究

以钛酸丁酯为原料,乙醇为溶剂,硝酸为抑制剂。采用溶胶凝胶法制备纳米粒子TiO2,用30w的紫外光灯模拟光源,溴甲酚紫模拟水中难降解的有机污染物,采用稀土铕掺杂的方法来提高TiO2的活性。XRD研究结果表明,稀土铕掺杂TiO2没有改变纳米TiO2的晶相结构;光催化结果表明,稀土铕掺杂的确能较明显的提高TiO2的光催化降解能力。90min内达到降解率由80%提高到98%以上。     

二级SBR系统处理染料废水长期运行的稳定性

考察了处理染料废水的二级SBR系统在连续运行120个周期过程中的稳定性.系统的运行先后经历了低染料浓度和高染料浓度2种情况.试验发现在长期运行过程中,二级SBR系统对进水水质及操作条件具有良好的适应性;能够有效去除废水中的污染物,对染料的平均去除率为81%～92.5%,对COD的平均去除率为89.4%～93.1%;出水水质比较稳定.在二级SBR系统中,厌氧污泥活性高,降解污染物能力强;好氧活性污泥形成团簇状结构,有利于稳定出水水质.     

机械加T振动公害控制

根据多年从事机械、环保科研设计及工厂的实践,仔细分析了机械加工振动污染源对操作者及周围居民的危害.并提出了对其所造成的公害进行适应控制的基本措施.