Cleaner production for continuous digester processes based on hybrid Pareto genetic algorithm

Pulping production process produces a large amount of wastewater and pollutant emitted, which has become one of the main pollution sources in pulp and paper industry. To solve this problem, it is necessary to implement cleaner production by using modeling and optimization technology. This paper studies the modeling and multi\|objective genetic algorithms for continuous digester process. First, model is established, in which environmental pollution and saving energy factors are considered. Then hybrid genetic algorithm based on Pareto stratum\|niche count is designed for finding near\|Pareto or Pareto optimal solutions in the problem and a new genetic evaluation and selection mechanism is proposed. Finally using the real data from a pulp mill shows the results of computer simulation. Through comparing with the practical curve of digester,this method can reduce the pollutant effectively and increase the profit while keeping the pulp quality unchanged.

Design of policy mechanism to promote cleaner production in China

In order to promote cleaner production in China, a package of policy options was presented based on the identification of the barriers encountered in the CP demonstration project and the effectiveness and feasibility of policy options for the CP implementation were analyzed. Furthermore, the policy mechanism framework was given, which composes of compulsory, economic incentive, social pressure and supportive function. Finally, the implementation strategy of the policy mechanism, in which the emphasis will be changed from compulsory policy options towards economic and social pressure policy options, was proposed.

Can environmental regulations achieve both profitability and profit quality?A natural experiment based on the China Cleaner Production Standards

Numerous studies evaluated the effects of end-of-pipe control environmental regulations(EER).However,few scholars discussed the effects of process management environmental regulations(PER),such as the China Cleaner Production Standards(CCPS)implemented by the country's Ministry of Ecology and Environment.Using data on China's manufacturing enterprises,this paper adopts the CCPS policies as quasi-natural experiments and uses differences-in-differences(DID)methods to analyze their effects on enterprise profitability and profit quality,respectively.The results show that:first,the CCPS significantly improve both profitability and profit quality;that is,the implementation of the environmental regulation policy plays a significant role in improving enterprise profit rates and cash flows.Second,for the profitability mediator effects,the short-term Porter effect of CCPS is not significant but shows the opposite during the lag period and significantly reduces the management cost and wage levels,comprehensively promoting enterprise profitability.Third,for the profit quality meditator effects,environmental regulations improve the enterprises'cash flow by reducing management costs and increasing government subsidies;however,its effect on bank credit subsidies is not significant.Fourth,for the moderator effects,the environmental regulations'effect on enterprises profitability and profit quality depends on the strategic interaction among local governments,the scale and ownership of the enterprise,and regional differences.That is,the strategic interaction weakens the effect of environmental regulations on enterprise performance.Environmental regulations have a stronger influence on profitability and profit quality for large-scale,state-owned,and coastal enterprises.

Level and potential of cleaner production in Baosteel's sintering process

It is necessary for the sintering process to carry out cleaner production, which is also of great significance to the iron and steel enterprises of a long-flow process. According to the cleaner production standard recently issued by China＇ s Ministry of Environmental Protection, the research detailed in this study has analyzed and estimated the level of cleaner production at Baosteel in the aspects of technical equipment, resource and energy utilization, product quality, emissions, recycling and environmental management, etc. The research also expatiated some effective measures with which cleaner production can be carried out in Baosteel＇s sintering process, and discovered some potential opportunities of cleaner production.

Research on Development Status and Countermeasures of Agricultural Cleaner Production

In the study,the connotation and objectives of agricultural cleaner production were introduced firstly,and then the development status of agricultural cleaner production in China was analyzed,and the problems existing in the development of agricultural cleaner production were pointed out.From the strategy of agricultural sustainable development,the necessity and feasibility of implementing agricultural cleaner production in China were discussed.Finally,some related countermeasures were put forward according to the problems existing in the development of agricultural cleaner production,so as to provide theoretical references for the realization of agricultural sustainable development in China.

Cleaner production of ammonium paratungstate by membrane electrolysis-precipitation of sodium tungstate solution

The production of ammonium paratungstate(APT) is riddled with the generation of wastewater,which causes environmental problems.To solve the problem of wastewater generation at source,a membrane electrolysis-NH3·H2O precipitation method,which prevents wastewater generation and recycles the reagents used in the process,was proposed and investigated in this study.The electrolysis process was investigated based on parameters such as initial cathodic and anodic NaOH concentrations,and current density.The results showed that an increase in current density and initial cathodic NaOH concentration and a decrease in the initial anodic NaOH concentration would enhance the separation of tungsten and sodium.The optimum condition was found at a current density of 666 A·m^(-2),initial anodic and cathodic NaOH concentrations of 69 g·L^(-1) and 40 g·L^(-1),with a current efficiency of 75.40%,and energy consumption for producing 1 ton of NaOH was 2184 kW·h.The precipitation process was investigated based on the acidic high W/Na molar ratio solution obtained by the electrolysis process with NH3·H2O as the precipitant.Parameters such as excessive coefficient,temperature,and W/Na molar ratio were studied.The result showed that the variation of excessive coefficient and solution temperature had an opposite effect on the purity of the APT,while an increase in the W/Na molar ratio would increase the product purity.The precipitation product obtained had a purity of 99.6% and was characterized using X-ray diffraction,inductively coupled plasma,and scanning electron microscopy.The methods proposed in this study could provide fundamental information for the design of a cleaner APT production process.

Technical measures to achieve a cleaner production mode for recycled paper mills

China’s paper production reached 79.8×10^(6) t in 2008 and ranked number one in the world.Because of its high consumption of water,energy and materials and its serious pollution,the present processes are not likely to be sustainable.An alternative,the closed Water Loop-Papermaking Integration(WLPI)method,is put forward in this paper.The WLPI method can be realized in a recycled paper mill by adding technologies and using recycled water.Many industrial case studies have shown that a large quantity of water,energy and materials can be saved,and the quantity of waste sludge and wastewater discharge was minimized by using the WLPI method.The design of the water reuse system,control of calcium hardness,water recycling and minimal waste sludge are discussed.Anaerobic technology plays an important role in the WLPI method to lower cost,energy use and waste.In the brown paper and coated white board production,zeroeffluent discharge can be realized.Fresh water consumption is only 1-2m^(3)·t^(-1).For the paper mills with deinking and bleaching processes,about 10 m^(3)·t^(-1) of fresh water and a similar amount of effluent discharge are needed.Power saving using anaerobic technology is 70%when recycled water is used in comparison with the conventional activated sludge process.Waste sludge can be decreased to about 5%of the initial process due to reuse of the waste sludge and the lower bio-sludge production of the anaerobic process.

Green chemistry of chromate cleaner production

Research topics and methods of green chemistry in chromate production are introduced in this paper. New original green chemical process of the heterogeneous reaction and separation system of liquid phase oxidation of chromite in molten salt of sodium hydroxide—one way separation in high concentration medium—metastable phase separation—carbonate recycle conversion has been developed. The green commercial process for comprehensive utilization of mineral resources—reactant recycle inside the process—zero emission was established.

Study on Cleaner Production Subsidies, Income Distribution Imbalance and Carbon Emissions Permit Reallocation Mechanism

The allocation mechanism for carbon emissions permit(CEP)is an institutional guarantee for advancing the development of China’s unified carbon trading market.The initial allocation of carbon quotas fails to solve new inequalities stemming from subsidizing cleaner production.This paper constructs a theoretical framework that describes China’s progressive decline in carbon intensity,calculates the equilibrium solution on the neoclassical saddle point path using the shooting method,and studies the income distribution imbalance caused by cleaner production subsidies and the reallocation mechanism of carbon emissions permit The main conclusion is that the incremental cleaner production subsidy policy meets the goal of maximizing welfare on the saddle point path,but it may lead to over-investment in the clean sector,thus causing the income distribution imbalance among entities.Further research suggests that the amount of carbon emissions permit acquired by the clean sector should be higher than the actual emissions in the trading market and that,as the cleaner support increases,the share of carbon emissions permit acquired by the sector should be constantly increased through reallocation mechanism.This helps achieve the Pareto improvement in all parties’economic benefi ts.

Sulfur resource recovery based on electrolytic manganese residue calcination and manganese oxide ore desulfurization for the clean production of electrolytic manganese

An environmentally friendly and resource-conserving route to the clean production of electrolytic manganese was developed,in which the electrolytic manganese residue(EMR)was initially calcined for cement buffering;then the generated SO2-containing flue gas was managed using manganese oxide ore and anolyte(MOOA)desulfurization;at last,the desulfurized slurry was introduced to the electrolytic manganese production(EMP).Results showed that 4.0 wt%coke addition reduced the sulfur of calcined EMR to 0.9%,thereby satisfying the cement-buffer requirement.Pilot-scale desulfurization showed that about 7.5 vol%of high SO2 containing flue gas can be cleaned to less than 0.1 vol%through a five-stage countercurrent MOOA desulfurization.The desulfurized slurry had 42.44 g·L-Mn2+and 1.92 g·L-1 S2 O62-,which was suitable for electrowinning after purification,and the purity of manganese product was 99.93%,satisfy the National Standard of China YB/T051-2015.This new integrated technology fulfilled 99.7%of sulfur reutilization from the EMR and 94.1%was effectively used to the EMP.The MOOA desulfurization linked the EMP a closed cycle without any pollutant discharge,which promoted the cleaner production of EMP industry.

Studies on Barriers for Promotion of Clean Technology in SMEs of China

After more than 10 years efforts on awareness raising and promotion, the concept of cleaner production (CP) has been adopting as a strategic approach to balance economic benefits and environmental protection for China’s industries. However, it is also found that clean technology is difficult to be adopted and implemented in Chinese Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) because of certain barriers. This paper investigates these barriers among three stakeholders--governments, enterprises and experts. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was employed to prioritize the relative importance of the twenty fine-selected barriers, which were classified into four barrier categories. The findings reveal that the exterior barriers of policy and financial barriers should be stressed rather than the inner barriers of technical and managerial barriers, although they are also very important. Absence of incentives on economic policies, lax enforcement of environmental regulations and high initial capital cost were the most important barriers to adoption of Clean Technologies (CT) in China.

Recent progress of waterless technologies for Jeans washing in denim industry

This review focuses on the current situation of sustainable development of denim industry and analyzes the water consumption in the production process of denim.In the washing process of jeans,the dry treatment or near-anhydrous treatment is becoming a sustainable trend to replace the traditional wet treatment.From the perspective of environmental protection,this review summarizes the recent research frontiers of water-saving technologies such as recycling and utilization of printing and dyeing wastewater,foam finishing technology,ozone washing technology and laser washing technology in denim industry.With the upgrading of textile industry and the implementation of national environmental protection laws and regulations,technologies such as foam finishing,ozone washing and laser engraving have been well-developed in the field of denim garment washing processing.In the future,the denim industry will be revolutionized by the water-free manufacturing.

Supercritical fluid technology as a sustainable alternative method for textile dyeing:An approach on waste,energy,and CO_(2)emission reduction

The clothing industry is considered one of the most polluting industries on the planet due to the high consumption of water,energy,chemicals/dyes,and high generation of solid waste and effluents.Faced with environmental concerns,the textile ennoblement sector is the most critical of the textile production chain,especially the traditional dyeing processes.As an alternative to current problems,dyeing with supercritical CO_(2)(scCO_(2))has been presented as a clean and efficient process for a sustainable textile future.Supercritical fluid dyeing(SFD)has shown a growing interest due to its significant impact on environmental preservation and social,economic,and financial gains.The main SFD benefits include economy and reuse of non-adsorbed dyes;reduction of process time and energy expenditure;capture of atmospheric CO_(2)(greenhouse gas);use and recycling of CO_(2)in SFD;generation of carbon credits;water-free process;effluent-free process;reduction of CO_(2)emission and auxiliary chemicals.Despite being still a non-scalable and evolving technology,SFD is the future of dyeing.This review presented a comprehensive overview of the environmental impacts caused by traditional processes and confronted the advantages of SFD.The SFD technique was introduced,along with its latest advances and future perspectives.Financial and environmental gains were also discussed.

Recent process developments in beneficiation and metallurgy of rare earths:A review

Rare earth elements(REEs)are irreplaceable materials supporting low-carbon technology and equip-ment,and their commercial demand and strategic position are becoming increasingly prominent.With the continuous depletion of rare earth(RE)resources,developing high-efficiency beneficiation and eco-friendly metallurgical processes has attracted widespread attention.This paper reviews the major minerals exploited for RE production and their deposits,as well as the beneficiation and metallurgical processes of RE minerals.Bastnaesite,monazite,mixed RE ores,and ion-adsorption clays are the main raw materials in the world to date.RE-bearing ores(except ion-adsorption minerals)are generally beneficiated by flotation,gravity and magnetic separation techniques.The mainstream metallurgical processes for bastnaesite,monazite and mixed RE concentrates are oxidation roasting-HCl leaching,caustic soda decomposition and high-temperature concentrated sulfuric acid roasting,respectively.Ion-adsorption clays are directly processed by in situ leaching-precipitation/solvent extraction.To achieve the sustainable development of RE resources,it is essential to further explore innovative techniques to achievecomprehensive utilization and cleaner production.

Technology development for rare earth cleaner hydrometallurgy in China

China is the global leader in rare earth （RE） production using hydrometallurgical processes. Advantageous extraction techniques of rare earths from Baotou mixed rare earth minerals, bastnaesite, and ion-adsorption clays of rare earth deposits have been developed in China. The separation and purification technologies have also achieved rapid development. The industrial application processes for rare earth hydrometallurgy were summarized in the present paper. With the large demands and rapid development of rare earths, the issues of resources and environment are more prominent. This review gives an overview of the main processes that were developed in the past toward greener hydrometallurgy of rare earths in China. Based on the development of the rare earth industry, comprehensive utilization and cleaner production should still be focused on in the future, to support the sustainable development.

Development of a high-performance green Fe-Al_(2)O_(3)composites using Bayan Obo minerals:Enhancement effects of CeO_(2)

With the deepening understanding for the concept of sustainable development,the utilization of minerals is no longer limited to the traditional way.In this study,an environment friendly method for preparing Fe-Al_(2)O_(3)composites by using natural minerals was investigated.Additionally,the effects of CeO_(2)on the properties of composites were studied.The mechanical properties of Fe-Al_(2)O_(3)composites prepared by natural minerals are affected by the brittleness of glass phase.The strength and toughness of the glass phase in the composite are improved successfully by using rare earth oxides,indicating that the natural rare earths in Bayan Obo minerals have an enhanced influence on the properties of composite materials.The results show that the properties of glass phase can be significantly improved by addition of CeO_(2).At the optimal addition of 3 wt%CeO_(2),the composite achieves the density of 4.21 g/cm^(3),flexural strength of 401 MPa,Vickers hardness of 13.07 GPa and fracture toughness of 6.58 MPa·m^(1/2).The composite has excellent mechanical properties,which can be used in engineering as a cheap structural material.This study aims at reducing waste emissions,improving energy efficiencies and avoiding waste of rare earth resources during the preparation of composite materials.

New Industrial Revolution and Environmental Protection

Serious environmental problems have appeared in China since the rapid economic growth 30 years ago, which affect human’s health and become a limiting factor for further development. It has brought about the rethinking of traditional ways for economy development and environmental protection, and realized that the change in the model of development and environment protection is of significance. A new industrial revolution is needed for protecting the environment and promoting sustainable development. This paper discusses the characteristics of the new industrial revolution for sustainable development including cleaner production, circular economy, and industrial ecology. Lessons from China and abroad will be introduced to prove that new strategies for environment protection and economic development are needed.