An optimization method for enhancement of gas–liquid mass transfer in a bubble column reactor based on the entropy generation extremum principle

In this study,an optimization method is proposed to enhance the gas–liquid mass transfer in bubble column reactor based on the entropy generation extremum principle.The mass transfer–induced entropy generation can be maximized with the increase of mass transfer rate,based on which the velocity field can be optimized.The oxygen gas–liquid mass transfer is the major rate–limiting step of the toluene emissions biodegradation process in bubble column reactor,so the entropy generation due to oxygen mass transfer is used as the objective function,and the conservation equations of the gas–liquid flow and species concentration are taken as constraints.This optimization problem is solved by the calculus of variations,the optimal liquid flow pattern is obtained and the relationship of the maximum mass transfer enhancement on viscous dissipation is revealed,which can be used to improve the design of internal structure of the bubble column reactor.

One-step synthesis of hydrophobic magnesium hydroxide nanoparticles and their application in flame-retardant polypropylene composites

Hydrophobic magnesium hydroxide(MH) nanoparticles were prepared by a one-step synthesis method in a high-gravity environment generated by a novel impinging stream–rotating packed bed(IS-RPB) reactor. The reactant solutions were simultaneously and continuously pumped into the IS-RPB reactor, and then Tween80 was added as a surface modifier. The morphology, structure, and properties of blank and hydrophobic MH were characterized. The effects of MH nanoparticles on the flame retardancy, thermal stability, and mechanical properties of PP/MH composites were also studied. We found that the obtained MH nanoparticles exhibited hexagonal lamella with a mean size of 30 nm, excellent hydrophobic properties(e.g., high water contact angle of 112°), and improved thermal stability of MH. The limiting oxygen index(LOI) further showed that increased MH loading can significantly improve flame-retardant performance, which reached 29.3% for PP/MH composites with 30 wt% hydrophobic samples. The thermal stability and mechanical properties of the PP/MH composites with hydrophobic samples were also much higher than those of PP/MH composites with blank MH. Results showed that the one-step synthesis had high potential application in the large-scale production of hydrophobic MH nanoparticles.

In situ synthesis of hydrophobic magnesium hydroxide nanoparticles in a novel impinging stream-rotating packed bed reactor

Hydrophobic Mg(OH)_2nanoparticles were successfully synthesized via an in situ surface modification method in a novel impinging stream-rotating packed bed(IS-RPB) reactor using oleic acid(C_(17)H_(33)COOH, OA) as a surface modifier, magnesium chloride hexahydrate in the presence of ethanol as a precursor, and sodium hydroxide as a precipitant. The products were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR), Field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM), X-ray diffraction(XRD), and thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry(TG-DSC). Compatibility with organic solutions was determined by sedimentation tests. The prepared nanoparticles exhibited regular hexagonal lamella with an average diameter of 30 nm when OA is added to the reaction system; this result indicates that OA regulates the morphology of the Mg(OH)_2nanoparticles.XRD revealed that the high-purity Mg(OH)_2product presents a brucite structure, and the I_(001)/I_(101) of hydrophobic Mg(OH)_2(0.86) was higher than that of the blank Mg(OH)_2(0.63). FTIR analysis showed that OA bonded to the surface of the Mg(OH)_2. Compared with the blank Mg(OH)_2product, the product obtained through the proposed method possesses excellent hydrophobic properties, including a high water contact angle of 101.4° and good compatibility with liquid paraffin. TG-DSC analysis indicated that the total percentage of mass loss of hydrophobic Mg(OH)_2(40.88%) was higher than that of the blank Mg(OH)_2product(33.18%). The in situ surface modification method proposed in this work presents potential use in the large-scale production of Mg(OH)_2nanoparticles.

Preparation of Al2O3-Supported Nanoscale FeS Based on High-Gravity Technology and Its Application for Removing Chromium (Ⅵ) in Wastewater

AbstFeS has an excellent performance in removing heavy metal chromium(Ⅵ)in wastewater due to its good adsorption and reduction.The properties of easy aggregation and oxidization of nano-FeS,however,limit the applications of FeS in engineering.In this study,one FeS adsorbent supported by Al_(2)O_(3) was prepared using high-gravity technology in IS-RPB(Impinging Stream Rotating Packed Bed)to overcome polymerization and oxidation of nano-FeS.Experimental results showed that FeS was uniformly loaded on the surface and pores of Al_(2)O_(3).The specific surface area of FeS/Al_(2)O_(3) is 125 m2·g^(-1) which is nearly 1.6 times that of pure FeS.The adsorption capacity of FeS/Al_(2)O_(3) for chromium(Ⅵ)is 200 mg·g^(-1),1.4 times that of pure FeS.pH value and ionic strength are strongly correlated with the chromium removal performance of FeS/Al_(2)O_(3).Over 98%of chromium can be removed when pH values of FeS/Al_(2)O_(3) ranged from 4 to 6.Higher adsorption capacity is achieved with higher ionic strength in FeS/Al_(2)O_(3).The FeS/Al_(2)O_(3) maintained more than 95%of the adsorption capacity after being preserved for one month,but only 70%for pure FeS.The removal processes of chromium(Ⅵ)conformes to a pseudo-second-order kinetic model(R2≥0.9986),indicating that the rate-limiting step is a chemical sorption process instead of a mass transfer.

A novel mitochondria-targeting tetrapeptide for subcellular delivery of nanoparticles

Mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with the emergence of several neurological and cardiovascular diseases. Hence, mitochondria-targeting delivery strategies are highly significant and critically needed. In this study, we developed a small library of peptides simulating the mitochondria-targeting peptide SS-31, a promising tetra-peptide with antioxidant character, and subsequently evaluated the toxicity, antioxidant ability and mitochondrial delivery of nanoparticles. Among the designed peptides, RF-2 (DArg-Dmt-Arg-Phe-NH2) showed controlled toxicity and excellent protection against gentamicin-induced hair cell damage, as compared with SS-31. More importantly, RF-2-modified PLGA nanoparticles demonstrated high colocalization with mitochondria and comparable specific subcellular accumulation, when compared with SS-31. Taken together, the obtained results supported RF-2 as a mitochondriatargeting peptide with high potential as a targeted carrier.

Assessment of toxicity of two nitroaromatic compounds in the freshwater fish Cyprinus carpio

This study was conducted to evaluate the toxicological response ofp-nitrotoluene and p-nitroaniline to the key fish species, Cyprinus carpio. A freshwater fish bioassay based on the 96 h LC50 was used to estimate the single and joint toxicity of the two chemicals. The toxicity of p-nitrotoluene was greater than that of pnitroaniline based on 96 h LCso values of 40.74 mg.L^-1 and 48.99mg.L^-1, respectively. Both compounds had moderate toxicity toward Cyprinus carpio, and this toxicity increased with the exposure duration and con- centration. Binary mixtures of the compounds were more toxic than the individual compounds at 96 h, and they acted upon partial addition. When the exposure time was longer, the toxicity increased for mixtures of compounds with the same concentration or toxicity. The results of this study suggest that exposure to a combination of these chemicals would result in a higher environmental risk in aquatic systems than exposure to either compound alone. Further research is needed to investigate the combined effects and sublethal toxicity of p-nitrotoluene and p- nitroaniline, since they are both still used in China.

Influence and its mechanism of temperature variation in a muffle furnace during calcination on the adsorption performance of rod-like MgO to Congo red

Calcination temperature plays a crucial role in determining the surface properties of generated MgO, but the influence of temperature variation in a muffle furnace during calcination on its performance is rarely reported. Herein we observed that the temperature in a muffle furnace during calcination demonstrated a gradually increasing trend as the location changed from the furnace doorway to the most inner position. The variation in temperature had a great impact on the adsorption performance of generated rod-like MgO without and/or with involvement of Na2SiO3 to Congo red in aqueous solution. To get a better understanding on the detailed reasons, various techniques including actual temperature measurement via multimeter, N2 physical adsorption, CO2 chemical adsorption and FT-IR spectrometry have been employed to probe the correlation between the adsorption performance of generated MgO from various locations and the inner actual temperature of used muffle furnace as well as their physicochemical properties. In addition, two mechanisms were proposed to elucidate the adsorption process of Congo red over the surface of generated MgO without and/or with presence of Na2SiO3, respectively.

利用重力资料揭示藏北与塔里木地块的碰撞

The ongoing collision and continuous compression between the Indian and Eurasian plates began 55 Ma ago[1-3];this process created the magnificent Tibetan Plateau,the highest-elevation landform on the Earth today.Studies have shown that a continent-continent collision occurred not only south of the Tibetan Plateau but also north of the plateau[4].