Nano-enabled agglomerates and compact:Design aspects of challenges

Nanoscale medicine confers passive and active targeting potential.The development of nanomedicine is however met with processing,handling and administration hurdles.Excessive solid nanoparticle aggregation and caking result in lowproduct yield,poor particle flowability and inefficient drug administration.These are overcome by converting the nanoparticles into a microscale dosage form via agglomeration or compaction techniques.Agglomeration and compaction nonetheless predispose the nanoparticles to risks of losing their nanogeometry,surface composition or chemistry being altered and negating biological performance.This study reviews risk factors faced during agglomeration and compaction that could result in these changes to nanoparticles.The potential risk factors pertain to materials choice in nanoparticle and microscale dosage form development,and their interplay effects with process temperature,physical forces and environmental stresses.To render the physicochemical and biological behaviour of the nanoparticles unaffected by agglomeration or compaction,modes to modulate the interplay effects of material and formulation with processing and environment variables are discussed.

Particle Size Distribution,Powder Agglomerates and Their Effects on Sinterability of Ultrafine Alumina Powders

An intensive study of the particle size distribution of four commercial ultrafine alumina powders to obtain information about the powder agglomeration and relate them to the compactibility and the sinterability has been made.

Moisture Distribution of Heterogeneous Agglomerates in Fluidized Bed

Agglomerates formed in the fluidized bed were studied in this paper using the TEB atomization nozzle. The multi-sieving method was adopted to distinguish the size of original particles, nucleation agglomerates, coherence agglomerates, and paste agglomerates in order to successfully identify the different growth stages and select the region for coexistence of most stable heterogeneous agglomerates as the research object. A multi-channel conductance electrical circuit experimental device was developed in this study to measure the conductance signal, which was found to have a liner relationship with the moisture content inside the fluidized bed. By adjusting the sieve mesh openings to achieve the layered isolation of heterogeneous agglomerates, the conductance signal recovered slowly as a result of the agglomerates' fracture during the continuous fluidization process, so that particles and agglomerates moisture distribution measurements could be implemented. The device was used to measure the particles and agglomerates moisture distribution state in the heterogeneous coexistence region, when they were injected with liquid mass within the range of w i=2.8 kg to 4.4 kg. The results indicated that with the increase of liquid mass flow, the moisture content of coherence agglomerates also increased, but the moisture content of nucleation agglomerates was decreased, and that of the original particles was maintained at a relatively low level. When the experimental injection amount reached 4.4 kg, the moisture contained in coherence agglomerates could amount to 87.3%, accounting for a big percentage of moisture in the fluidized bed.

A Study on the Density of Agglomerates Prepared from Cork Wastes

The density of black regranulate (BR) of cork and of black agglomerate (BA) and composite agglomerate (CA) prepared fromsuch a waste by different methods was investigated. The preparation of the agglomerates was undertaken by controlling thespecimen thickness for BA and the particle size for BR and the binder dosage for CA. The mass changes produced in theoven-drying treatment at 376.15 K of the agglomerates and in their subsequent stabilization under ambient conditions werealso analyzed. The density was determined by standard methods. For BR, the bulk density first decreased and then increasedwith decreasing particle size. It was much lower than the apparent density of the agglomeration products of cork. Although toa lesser extent, the density was also lower for BA than for CA. It was higher for the smaller thickness specimens of BA. In thecase of CA, the density followed the same variation trends as for BR. Furthermore it increased significantly with the increasein resin dosage. This resulted in a noticeable increase in the weight loss during the oven-drying and in a significant decreasein the degree of moisture adsorption during the stabilization period of the agglomerate.

New Technology “Flotation to Form Agglomerates and Magnetic Separation” Allows Great Breakthrough for World Low-Grade Light Rare Earth Ores

Rare earth resources are relatively scarce worldwide, but their global consumption is increasing year-by-year. At present, China has about 36% of the global rare earth reserves, but provides 90% of the world＇s supply, which has generally met world demand and promoted the development of the world economy. In order to continuously and stably supply rare earths to international markets, the Chinese Government has financially supported the Institute of Multipurpose Utilization of Mineral Resources within the China Geological Survey to study the utilization of low-grade rare earth ores. Following many years of experimental research, the project has developed a new technology entitled ＂Flotation to Form Agglomerates and then Magnetic Separation＂, which will bring a technological revolution to the world＇s light rare earth ore dressing.

Aggregation and fragmentation of agglomerates in a fluidized bed of mixed nanoparticles by adding FCC coarse particles

In this study, the influence of fluid cracking catalyst(FCC) on the fluidization behavior of ZnO-CuO binary nanoparticles was systematically investigated by varying FCC size. High-speed camera was employed to analyze the collision and fragmentation process of agglomerates with adding FCC coarse particles. It can be found from photographs by the camera that fluidization performance improved by the agglomerate variation that is bound to be shaped a compact and spherical structure. Furthermore, the result of agglomeration composition analysis showed that uniform mixing of nanoparticles remarkably affected the fluidization behavior of ZnO-CuO binary system. Finally, the improvement of fluidization performance can be justified by the analysis of inter-cohesive force between the two agglomerates with sharp reduction of the newly-formed agglomerates.

Numerical study on the hydrodynamics of agglomerates at intermediate Reynolds numbers

The flow pattern and hydrodynamics of a heterogeneous permeable agglomerate in a uniform upward flow at intermediate Reynolds numbers(1–40)are analyzed from three-dimensional(3 D)computational fluid dynamics simulations.Different from the homogeneous or stepwise-varying permeability models used in previous papers,a continuously radially varying permeability model is used in the present study.The effects of two dimensionless parameters,the Reynolds number and the permeability ratio,on the flow field and the hydrodynamics were investigated in detail.The results reveal that unlike the solid sphere,a small recirculating wake initially forms inside the agglomerate.The critical Reynolds number for the formation of the recirculating wake is lower than that of the solid sphere and it decreases with the increase of permeability ratio.A correlation of drag coefficient as a function of the Reynolds number and permeability ratio is proposed.Comparisons of drag coefficients obtained by different permeability models show that at intermediate Reynolds numbers(1–40),the effect of radially varying permeability on the drag coefficient must be considered.

Relationship between attachment probability and surface energy in adhesion process of gold particles to oil-carbon agglomerates

Based on the theoretical analyses, the adhesion process of fine gold particles to oil-carbon agglomerates in a dynamic system was quantitatively investigated in terms of the relationship between the attachment probability and the surface energy. The proposed way to establish this relationship is to firstly theoretically derive the formula to （evaluate） the surface energy change of the system by analyzing the adhesion process of a gold particle on an oil-carbon agglomerate in a mathematic and thermodynamic way. The obtained formula of the maximum energy change of unit surface area is, (Δw′max=12σhw（cos θ-1）,) which involves two measurable elements: interfacial tension and contact angle. In a well-quantified system, based on the related model it is also possible to calculate the complicated concept, namely, the attachment probability by transferring other measurable indices. In this way, after some adhesion experiments and measurements of relevant parameters, the empirical relationship between the attachment probability and the surface energy change was established in an exponential function, Pa=Aexp(-ΔGsurf/k).

Optimization of product characteristics of porous carbon agglomerates using a design of experiments in fluidized bed agglomeration

Spraying parameters during particle agglomeration processes can affect the agglomeration kinetics and particle growth.This study was conducted to better understand the influence of the spraying parameters in a fluidized bed wet agglomeration process,and the influence on the stability characteristics of carbon tablets.A formulation based on fine carbon and peroxide powder,as well as carboxymethyl cellulose as a binder,was used to produce agglomerates in a first production step.Thereafter in a second production step carbon tablets with a high porosity were molded for the customer goods industry.The optimization of the compressive strength of these carbon tablets was the goal of the trials.Carbon agglomerates were produced with a laboratory scale granulator called“ProCell”and were compressed with a five-cavity mechanical press.The screening of the agglomeration process parameters and their influence on the agglomerates quality,as well as the performance characteristics of the carbon tablets,were investigated using a multilevel factorial design.The experimental runs were done by varying atomized air pressure and feed rate of the fluid.This was determined by the design model.The findings of the statistical trials showed that low atomized air pressure and a low feed rate lead to a higher tablet compressive strength.

Transient flameout process of boron-magnesium agglomerates during combustion in oxygen-rich atmospheres

In this study,boron–magnesium agglomerates with varying mass ratios were prepared by drying a micron-sized boron–magnesium mixed suspension,and the combustion process of these agglomerates under different oxygen-rich concentrations were investigated using a laser ignition system.The test results showed that when the mass fraction of magnesium powder in boron-magnesium agglomerates exceeded a certain threshold(between 2%and 5%),flame extinction and reignition occurred after a significant reduction in the agglomerate volume during combustion.This process is referred to as the transient flameout process,which is affected by the magnesium content of the agglomerate and the oxygen concentration in the ambient atmosphere.An increase in the magnesium content or oxygen concentration makes this phenomenon more pronounced.During weakening of the flame intensity,a dark film gradually covered the particle surfaces.X-ray diffraction and elemental analyses of the cross-section and outer surface of the condensed combustion product suggested that the dark film is primarily composed of Mg-B-O ternary oxides.This film prevents direct contact between boron and oxygen,thereby inhibiting surface and gas-phase reactions and leading to the occurrence of the transient flameout phenomenon.

Evolution behavior and mechanism of iron carbon agglomerates under simulated blast furnace smelting conditions

Iron carbon agglomerates(ICA)are the composite burden for low-carbon blast furnace(BF)ironmaking.In order to optimize the reactivity of ICA according to the evolution characteristics of ICA in the BF smelting process,the evolution behavior and mechanism of different reactive ICA under simulated BF smelting conditions were studied.The results show that the existence of more sillimanite and aluminosilicate and less active sites of metallic iron will weaken gasification reaction and carburization ability of ICA-1(containing 10%iron ore).It weakens the promoting effect of ICA-1 on the reduction,softening,and melting of ferrous burdens and the dripping of slag-iron.The aluminosilicate with a high melting point decreases,the low melting point slag phase and Fe–Si alloy increase,and many active sites of metallic iron exist,which strengthen the gasification reaction and carburization ability of ICA-2(containing 30%iron ore).The promoting effect of ICA-2 on the reduction,softening,and melting of ferrous burdens and the dripping of slag-iron is significantly improved.The gasification reaction capacity of ICA-3(containing 35%iron ore)is reduced,and the improvement in ICA-3 on the softening–melting performance of mixed burdens is reduced.The appropriate proportion of iron ore in ICA is about 30%.

MORPHOLOGICAL AND MICROSTRUCTURAL CHANGES DURING THE HEATING OF SPHERICAL CALCIUM ORTHOPHOSPHATE AGGLOMERATES PREPARED BY SPRAY PYROLYSIS

The microstructural changes taking place during heating of calcium orthophosphate (Ca3(PO4)2) agglom- erates were examined in this study. The starting powder was prepared by the spray-pyrolysis of calcium phosphate (Ca/P ratio=1.50) solution containing 1.8 mol·L-1 Ca(NO3)2, 1.2 mol·L-1 (NH4)2HPO4 and concentrated HNO3 at 600 C, using an o air-liquid nozzle. The spray-pyrolyzed powder was found to be composed of dense spherical agglomerates with a mean diameter of 1.3 μm. This powder was further heat-treated at a temperature between 800 and 1400 C for 10 min. When o the spray-pyrolyzed powder was heated up to 900 C, only β-Ca3(PO4)2 was detected, and the mean pore size of the o spherical agglomerates increased via the (i) elimination of residual water and nitrates, (ii) rearrangement of primary par- ticles within the agglomerates, (iii) coalescence of small pores (below 0.1 μm), and (iv) coalescence of agglomerates with diameters below 1 μm into the larger agglomerates. Among the heat-treated powders, pore sizes within the spherical agglomerates were observed to be the largest (mean diameter: 1.8 μm) for the powder heat-treated at 900 C for 10 min. o With an increase in heat-treatment temperature up to 1000 C, the spherical agglomerates were composed of dense o shells. Upon further heating up to 1400 C, the hollow spherical agglomerates collapsed as a result of sintering via the o phase transformation from β- to α-Ca3(PO4)2 (1150 C), thus leading to the formation of a three-dimensional porous net- o work.

Effect of hafnium and molybdenum addition on inclusion characteristics in Co-based dual-phase high-entropy alloys

Specific grades of high-entropy alloys(HEAs)can provide opportunities for optimizing properties toward high-temperature applications.In this work,the Co-based HEA with a chemical composition of Co_(47.5)Cr_(30)Fe_(7.5)Mn_(7.5)Ni_(7.5)(at%)was chosen.The refractory metallic elements hafnium(Hf)and molybdenum(Mo)were added in small amounts(1.5at%)because of their well-known positive effects on high-temperature properties.Inclusion characteristics were comprehensively explored by using a two-dimensional cross-sectional method and extracted by using a three-dimensional electrolytic extraction method.The results revealed that the addition of Hf can reduce Al_(2)O_(3)inclusions and lead to the formation of more stable Hf-rich inclusions as the main phase.Mo addition cannot influence the inclusion type but could influence the inclusion characteristics by affecting the physical parameters of the HEA melt.The calculated coagulation coefficient and collision rate of Al_(2)O_(3)inclusions were higher than those of HfO_(2)inclusions,but the inclusion amount played a larger role in the agglomeration behavior of HfO_(2)and Al_(2)O_(3)inclusions.The impurity level and active elements in HEAs were the crucial factors affecting inclusion formation.

Evaluation and Influencing Factors on Particle Agglomeration in RAP

Asphalt extraction test and scanning electron microscopy(SEM) were used for analysis of agglomerations of reclaimed asphalt pavement(RAP) particles. In order to quantify the agglomeration degree of RAP, the fineness modulus ratio(FMR) and the percentage loss index(PLI) were proposed. In addition, grey correlation analysis was conducted to discuss the relationship between particle agglomerations and RAP size,asphalt content(AC), and surface area. Two indexes indicate that the agglomeration degree increases in general as the RAP size reduces. This can be attributed to that particles are prone to agglomeration in the case of higher AC. Based on the SEM images and the material composition of RAP, the particle agglomeration in RAP can be classified into weak agglomeration and strong agglomeration. Grey correlation analysis shows that AC is the crucial factor affecting the agglomeration degree and RAP variability. In order to produce consistent and stable reclaimed mixtures, disposal measures of RAP are suggested to lower the AC of RAP.

Experimental investigation on effective aerosol scavenging using different spray configurations with pre-injection of water mist for Fukushima Daiichi decommissioning

During the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant,it is important to consider the retrieval of resolidified debris both in air and underwater configurations.For the subsequent retrieval of debris from the reactor building,the resolidified debris must be cut into smaller pieces using various cutting methods.During the cutting process,aerosol particles are expected to be generated at the submicron scale.It has been noted that such aerosols sizing within the Greenfield gap(0.1-1μm)are difficult to remove effectively using traditional spraying methods.Therefore,to improve the aerosol removal efficiency of the spray system,a new aerosol agglomeration method was recently proposed,which involves injecting water mist to enlarge the sizes of the aerosol particles before removing them using water sprays.In this study,a series of experiments were performed to clarify the proper spray configurations for effective aerosol scavenging and to improve the performance of the water mist.The experimental results showed that the spray flow rate and droplet characteristics are important factors for the aerosol-scavenging efficiency and performance of the water mist.The results obtained from this study will be helpful for the optimization of the spray system design for effective aerosol scavenging during the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

Particle agglomeration and inhibition method in the fluidized pyrolysis reaction of waste resin

This work investigated the pyrolysis reaction of waste resin in a fluidized bed reactor.It was found that the pyrolysis-generated ash would adhere to the surface of ceramic particles,causing particle agglomeration and defluidization.Adding kaolin could effectively inhibit the particle agglomeration during the fluidized pyrolysis reaction through physical isolation and chemical reaction.On the one hand,kaolin could form a coating layer on the surface of ceramic particles to prevent the adhesion of organic ash generated by the pyrolysis of resin.On the other hand,when a sufficient amount of kaolin(-0.2%(mass))was added,the activated kaolin could fully contact with the Na+ ions generated by the pyrolysis of resin and react to form a high-melting aluminosilicate mineral(nepheline),which could reduce the formation of low-melting-point sodium sulfate and thereby avoid the agglomeration of ceramic particles.

Evolution and Determinants of Population Agglomeration in Less Developed Metropolitan Areas:A Case Study of the Taiyuan Metropolitan Area,China

It is of importance to enhance the urban areas'capacity for population aggregation in underdeveloped regions,aiming to rectify the imbalanced and insufficient pattern of economic development in China.Taking the Taiyuan Metropolitan Area(TMA)in central China as a case study,this paper examines the evolutionary process and characteristics of population agglomeration from 2000 to 2020,and identifies factors associated with agglomeration and their spatial effects.The findings indicated that:1)against the background of sustained population shrinkage in the provincial area,the TMA showed a demographic trend of steady increase,albeit with a decelerated growth rate.In the metropolitan area,urban population size continued to grow rapidly,whereas the rural areas endured sustained losses.Disparities in city size continued to widen,and the polarization of concentrated population in the core cities kept increasing.2)Agglomerations in both secondary and service industries had significant positive effects on local population agglomeration,with the former effect being stronger.Regional economic development,government fiscal expenditure,and financial advancement all contributed to facilitating local population clustering.From a spatial spillover perspective,service agglomeration and financial development promoted population agglomeration in surrounding areas.Conversely,fiscal expenditure inhibited such agglomeration.As for industrial agglomeration and regional economic development,their spatial spillover effects were non-significant.The results obtained reveal several policy implications aimed at enhancing the population agglomeration capacity of the metropolitan area in underdeveloped regions during the new era.

Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Typical Ecosystem Services and Their Spatial Responses to Driving Factors in Ecologically Fragile Areas in Upper Yellow River,China

The identification of dominant driving factors for different ecosystem services(ESs)is crucial for ecological conservation and sustainable development.However,the spatial heterogeneity of the dominant driving factors affecting various ESs has not been adequately elucidated,particularly in ecologically fragile regions.This study employed the integrated valuation of ESs and trade-offs(InVEST)model to evaluate four ESs,namely,water yield(WY),soil conservation(SC),habitat quality(HQ),and carbon storage(CS),and then to identify the dominant driving factors of spatiotemporal differentiation of ES and further to characterize the spatial heterogeneity characteristics of the dominant driving factors in the eco-fragile areas of the upper Yellow River,China from 2000 to 2020.The results demonstrated that WY exhibited northeast-high and northwest-low patterns in the upper Yellow River region,while high values of SC and CS were distributed in central forested areas and a high value of HQ was distributed in vast grassland areas.The CS,WY,and SC exhibited decreasing trends over time.The most critical factors affecting WY,SC,HQ,and CS were the actual evapotranspiration,precipitation,slope,and normalized difference vegetation index,respectively.In addition,the effects of different factors on various ESs exhibited spatial heterogeneity.These results could provide spatial decision support for eco-protection and rehabilitation in ecologically fragile areas.

Study on the Design Scheme of Vehicle Flow Lines in Unilateral Agglomerative Open Service Area

In recent years,with the introduction of the strategy to strengthen the country’s transportation infrastructure and the continuous implementation of new economic development models such as integrating transportation with tourism,various open service areas integrating highway service areas with local tourism have emerged nationwide.Examples include the Yangcheng Lake service area in Jiangsu and the Lengshui service area in Chongqing.This paper focuses on the design example of the Dazu Stone Carving service area on the Chongqing section of the Yurong Expressway,comprehensively considering factors such as construction scale,terrain conditions,and local urban planning.It analyzes and studies the traffic flow design of unilateral agglomerative open service areas around two vehicle traffic conversion links:between the main expressway and the service area,and between the service area and local roads.The aim is to provide a case study reference for similar projects.

Multi-scenario Simulation for 2060 and Driving Factors of the Eco-spatial Carbon Sink in the Beibu Gulf Urban Agglomeration, China

Since China announced its goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2060, carbon neutrality has become a major target in the development of China's urban agglomerations. This study applied the Future Land Use Simulation(FLUS) model to predict the land use pattern of the ecological space of the Beibu Gulf urban agglomeration, in 2060 under ecological priority, agricultural priority and urbanized priority scenarios. The Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs(In VEST) model was employed to analyse the spatial changes in ecological space carbon storage in each scenario from 2020 to 2060. Then, this study used a Geographically Weighted Regression(GWR) model to determine the main driving factors that influence the changes in land carbon sinking capacity. The results of the study can be summarised as follows: firstly, the agricultural and ecological priority scenarios will achieve balanced urban expansion and environmental protection of resources in an ecological space. The urbanized priority scenario will reduce the carbon sinking capacity. Among the simulation scenarios for 2060, carbon storage in the urbanized priority scenario will decrease by 112.26 × 10^(6) t compared with that for 2020 and the average carbon density will decrease by 0.96 kg/m^(2) compared with that for 2020. Carbon storage in the agricultural priority scenario will increase by 84.11 × 10^(6) t, and the average carbon density will decrease by 0.72 kg/m^(2). Carbon storage in the ecological priority scenario will increase by 3.03 × 10^(6) t, and the average carbon density will increase by 0.03 kg/m^(2). Under the premise that the population of the town will increases continuously, the ecological priority development approach may be a wise choice.Secondly, slope, distance to river and elevation are the most important factors that influence the carbon sink pattern of the ecological space in the Beibu Gulf urban agglomeration, followed by GDP, population density, slope direction and distance to traffic infrastructure.At the same time, urban space expansion is the main cause of the changes of this natural factors. Thirdly, the decreasing trend of ecological space is difficult to reverse, so reasonable land use policy to curb the spatial expansion of cities need to be made.