Active Machine Learning for Chemical Engineers:A Bright Future Lies Ahead!

By combining machine learning with the design of experiments,thereby achieving so-called active machine learning,more efficient and cheaper research can be conducted.Machine learning algorithms are more flexible and are better than traditional design of experiment algorithms at investigating processes spanning all length scales of chemical engineering.While active machine learning algorithms are maturing,their applications are falling behind.In this article,three types of challenges presented by active machine learning—namely,convincing the experimental researcher,the flexibility of data creation,and the robustness of active machine learning algorithms—are identified,and ways to overcome them are discussed.A bright future lies ahead for active machine learning in chemical engineering,thanks to increasing automation and more efficient algorithms that can drive novel discoveries.

An Overview of Metal-Organic Frameworks for Green Chemical Engineering

Given the current global energy and environmental issues resulting from the fast pace of industrialization,the discovery of new functional materials has become increasingly imperative in order to advance science and technology and address the associated challenges.The boom in metal–organic frameworks(MOFs)and MOF-derived materials in recent years has stimulated profound interest in exploring their structures and applications.The preparation,characterization,and processing of MOF materials are the basis of their full engagement in industrial implementation.With intensive research in these topics,it is time to promote the practical utilization of MOFs on an industrial scale,such as for green chemical engineering,by taking advantage of their superior functions.Many famous MOFs have already demonstrated superiority over traditional materials in solving real-world problems.This review starts with the basic concept of MOF chemistry and ends with a discussion of the industrial production and exploitation of MOFs in several fields.Its goal is to provide a general scope of application to inspire MOF researchers to convert their focus on academic research to one on practical applications.After the obstacles of cost,scale-up preparation,processability,and stability have been overcome,MOFs and MOF-based devices will gradually enter the factory,become a part of our daily lives,and help to create a future based on green production and green living.

Microinterfacial technology enhancing mass transfer in chemical engineering

The microbubble and microinterface play key roles in the development and progress of the technology in the field of chemical engineering,which has attracted broad attention from the scientific and industrial community.Recently,Zhang et al.published a book about microinterfacial mass transfer intensification technology,where they systematically introduced scientific essence,reaction mechanism,equipment structure,and influence law of multiphase reaction process strengthened by microinterface.I believe this book can promote the technological innovation of microbubble-related processes,and also the development of the green chemical industry!

Process-oriented knowledge-sharing platform for chemical engineering design projects

A process-oriented knowledge-sharing platform is studied to improve knowledge sharing and project management of chemical engineering design enterprises. First, problems and characteristics of knowledge sharing in multi-projects of chemical engineering design are analyzed. Then based on theories of project management, process management, and knowledge management, a process-oriented knowledge-sharing platform is proposed. The platform has three characteristics: knowledge is divided into professional knowledge and project management knowledge; knowledge sharing is integrated with the project process, which makes knowledge sharing a necessary part of the project process and ensures the quantity of knowledge shared; the platform provides quantitative measurements of incentive mechanisms for knowledge providers and users which ensures the quality of knowledge shared. This knowledge-sharing platform uses two knowledge management tools, a knowledge map and a knowledge base, to support the platform.

Applying chemical engineering concepts to non-thermal plasma reactors

Process scale-up remains a considerable challenge for environmental applications of non-thermal plasmas.Undersanding the impact of reactor hydrodynamics in the performance of the process is a key step to overcome this challenge.In this work,we apply chemical engineering concepts to analyse the impact that different non-thermal plasma reactor configurations and regimes,such as laminar or plug flow,may have on the reactor performance.We do this in the particular context of the removal of pollutants by non-thermal plasmas,for which a simplified model is available.We generalise this model to different reactor configurations and,under certain hypotheses,we show that a reactor in the laminar regime may have a behaviour significantly different from one in the plug flow regime,often assumed in the non-thermal plasma literature.On the other hand,we show that a packed-bed reactor behaves very similarly to one in the plug flow regime.Beyond those results,the reader will find in this work a quick introduction to chemical reaction engineering concepts.

Intercalation Assembly and Chemical Product Engineering of Layered Intercalated Functional Materials Based on Efficient Utilization of Magnesium Resources in Salt Lakes

1 Introduction Magnesium salts are very important by-product of salt lake industry in West China.Nearly 200 million cubic meters of waste brine are released to the environment

Ethical Standards for Publication in Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering

Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering (CJChE) is a publication of the Chemical Industry and Engineering Society of China (CIESC) dedicated to present the original contributions of knowledge with permanent value from chemical engineering researchers and technical staff of process industries in China and the world. The editors-in-chief, associate editors-in-chief

China's Chemical Engineering Design Capability

During the early days of New China, to support the domestic construction of those projects aided by the former Soviet Union, the design institution formed a chemical engineering production installation design team. During the 1950s, this team designed an ammonia synthesis unit with an annual capacity of 75000 tons, set up the Sichuan Chemical Plant and worked out a

A PROPOSAL FOR DEVELOPING CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING OF CHINA'S SALT LAKES

The author puts forward a proposal for developing chemistry and chemical engineering of China’s salt lakes on the basis of an investigation into exploitation and utilization of salt lake resources all over the world. It contains the subjects of setting up an engineering research center, mainly developing leading products, giving priority to the development of a chemical industry by using Qinghai salt lake resources, actively popularizing results, stressing basic research and systematic management.

Surface chemical microenvironment engineering of catalysts by organic molecules for boosting electrocatalytic reaction

Electrocatalysis is a surface-sensitive process,in which the catalytic activity of electrocatalyst highly re-lates to the surface adsorption/desorption behaviors of the reactants/intermediates/products on the cat-alytically active sites.Surface chemical microenvironment engineering via organic molecules functional-ization is a promising strategy to tune the electrocatalytic activity since it can well modify the elec-trode/electrolyte interface and alter the reaction pathways.In this review,we summarize the recent progress of surface microenvironment engineering of electrocatalysts induced by organic molecules func-tionalization,with the special focus on the organic molecule-assisted growth mechanism and unique electronic effect.More importantly,the applications of organic molecule functionalized catalysts in var-ious electrocatalytic reactions are also systematically summarized,along with a deep discussion on the conclusion and perspective.This work will open a new avenue for the construction and modification of advanced electrocatalysts based on organic molecule-mediated interface engineering.

Research on Ce-Zr compounds on modifying γ-alumina washcoat on FeCrAl foils

Ce-Zr compounds such as Cc0.68Zr0.3202 solid solution, Ce/Zr nitrate and CeO2/ZrO2 were added into γ-alumina-based slurries, which were then loaded on FeCrAl foils pretreated at 950℃ and 1100℃. The microstructures and adhesion performance between the substrates and the washcoats were measured by SEM, BET surface area, ultrasonic vibration and thermal shock test. The results show that the addition of Ce0.68Zr0.32O2 solid solution, Ce/Zr nitrate and CeO2/ZrO2 into the slurries can improve γ-Al2O3-based washcoat adhesion on FeCrAl foils. Furthermore, ceria-zirconia solid solution increases the adhesion of the washcoat on the surface of an FeCrAl foil than the two others. The specific surface area of this washcoat remains about 4345 m^2/g and the weight loss is below 4.0% even after aging test of 10% steam-containing air at 1050℃ for 20 h.

Power-optimization of multistage non-isothermal chemical engine system via Onsager equations,Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman theory and dynamic programming

The research on the output rate performance limit of the multi-stage energy conversion system based on modern optimal control theory is one of the hot spots of finite time thermodynamics.The existing research mainly focuses on the multi-stage heat engine system with pure heat transfer and the multi-stage isothermal chemical engine(ICE)system with pure mass transfer,while the multi-stage non ICE system with heat and mass transfer coupling is less involved.A multistage endoreversible non-isothermal chemical engine(ENICE)system with a finite high-chemical-potential(HCP)source(driving fluid)and an infinite low-chemical-potential sink(environment)is researched.The multistage continuous system is treated as infinitesimal ENICEs located continuously.Each infinitesimal ENICE is assumed to be a single-stage ENICE with stationary reservoirs.Extending single-stage results,the maximum power output(MPO)of the multistage system is obtained.Heat and mass transfer processes between the reservoir and working fluid are assumed to obey Onsager equations.For the fixed initial time,fixed initial fluid temperature,and fixed initial concentration of key component(CKC)in the HCP source,continuous and discrete models of the multistage system are optimized.With given initial reservoir temperature,initial CKC,and total process time,the MPO of the multistage ENICE system is optimized with fixed and free final temperature and final concentration.If the final concentration and final temperature are free,there are optimal final temperature and optimal final concentration for the multistage ENICE system to achieve MPO;meanwhile,there are low limit values for final fluid temperature and final concentration.Special cases for multistage endoreversible Carnot heat engines and ICE systems are further obtained.For the model in this paper,the minimum entropy generation objective is not equivalent to MPO objective.

Power output and efficiency optimization of endoreversible non-isothermal chemical engine via Lewis analogy

Compared with endoreversible heat engine with pure heat transfer and endoreversible isothermal chemical engine with pure mass transfer,endoreversible non-isothermal chemical engine(ENICE)is a more reasonable model of practical mass exchanger,solid device and chemo-electric systems.There exists heat and mass transfer(HMT)simultaneously between working fluid and chemical potential reservoir in ENICE.There is coupled HMT effect that in ENICE should be considered.There are two ways to consider this coupled effect.One is based on Onsager equations,and another is based on Lewis analogy.For the mathematical and physical description of the above HMT process,the model using Onsager equations are more appropriate in the linear HMT region not far from the equilibrium state,while that based on Lewis analogy is more appropriate in nonlinear HMT region far from the equilibrium state.Different from the previous research on the power optimization of ENICEs with Onsager equations,this paper optimizes power and efficiency of ENICE based on Lewis analogy.HMT processes are assumed to obey Newtonian heat transfer law(q∝ΔT,and T is temperature)and Fick's diffusive mass transfer law(g∝Δc,and c is concentration),respectively.Analytical results of power output and corresponding vector efficiency(η_(T)andη_(μ))of ENICE are obtained,which provide important parallel results with those based on Onsager equations.They include special cases for endoreversible Carnot heat engine with q∝ΔT and endoreversible isothermal chemical engine with g∝Δc.Adopting Lewis analogy in the modelling of ENICEs with simultaneous HMT is an important work.It provides important analytical and numerical results different from those with Onsager equations obtained previously and enriches the research contents of FTT.The research results in this paper have a certain guiding significance for the optimal designs of single irreversible NICEs,multistage NICE systems,practical mass exchangers,solid devices,chemo-electric systems,and so on.

Emerging chemical engineering of exosomes as“bioscaffolds”in diagnostics and therapeutics

All cells release extracellular vesicles(EVs)as part of their normal physiology.As one of the subtypes,exosomes(EXOs)have an average size range of approximately 40 nm e160 nm in diameter.Benefiting from their inherent immunogenicity and biocompatibility,the utility of autologous EXOs has the potential for both disease diagnosis/treatment.EXOs are generally employed as“bioscaffolds”and the whole diagnostic and therapeutic effects are mainly ascribed to exogenous cargos on the EXOs,such as proteins,nucleic acids,and chemotherapeutic agents and fluorophores delivered into specific cells or tissues.Surface en-gineering of EXOs for cargo loadings is one of the prerequisites for EXO-mediated diagnosis/treatment.After revisiting EXO-mediated diagnosis/treatment,the most popular strategies to directly undertake loadings of exogenous cargos on EXOs include genetic and chemical en-gineering.Generally,genetically-engineered EXOs can be merely produced by living organisms and intrinsically face some drawbacks.However,chemical methodologies for engineered EXOs diversify cargos and extend the functions of EXOs in the diagnosis/treatment.In this review,we would like to elucidate different chemical advances on the molecular level of EXOs along with the critical design required for diagnosis/treatment.Besides,the prospects of chemical engineering on the EXOs were critically addressed.Nevertheless,the superiority of EXO-medi-ated diagnosis/treatment via chemical engineering remains a challenge in clinical translation and trials.Furthermore,more chemical crosslinking on the EXOs is expected to be explored.Despite substantial claims in the literature,there is currently no review to exclusively summa-rize the chemical engineering to EXOs for diagnosis/treatment.We envision chemical engi-neering of EXOs will encourage more scientists to explore more novel technologies for a wider range of biomedical applications and accelerate the successful translation of EXO-based drug“bioscaffolds”from bench to bedside.

Preparation and characterization of neodymium hydroxide powder via the hydration method

The preparation of Nd(OH)3 powder by the direct hydration method using Nd2O3 as a raw material was studied,and the effects of stirring mode,H2O and Nd2O3 molar ratio,stirring rate,and reaction time on temperature change and conversion rate in a hydration system were analyzed.The reasonable process conditions for the direct hydration of Nd(OH)3 by Nd2O3 were then determined.Process,morphology,and structure were considered in the preparation of neodymium hydroxide powder,and its composition was investigated by X-ray powder diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,laser particle size analysis,thermogravimetric differential thermal analysis,and chemical analysis.It has been proved that the process is simple and feasible,in line with the concept of modern green chemistry,and the products also meet the market requirements.

SYNTHESIS AND APPLICATIONS OF NANOMATERIALS IN MICROELECTRONICS

The technology boom in microelectronics and telecommunication industry has presented a unique opportunity for nanomaterials. Nanomaterials enable the creation of unique devices, components and systems through the control of matter on a near molecular level. These new devices, components and systems will exhibit novel physical, chemical, mechanical, electrical, optical and biological properties. The synthesis processes of nanomaterials are reviewed and the applications of nanomatorials in microelectronics are discussed in this paper.

Effect of Rare Earth Elements on Exchange Performances of Cesium Ion-Sieve

The exchange performances and the distribution coefficient of Cesium Ion-Sieve (Cs-IS) for cesium and for some rare earth elements were compared. In particula r, the effects of neodymium on the cesium ion exchange and the Cs+ selectivity v ariation on Cs-IS owing to introduction of rare earth elements into HLLW were s tudied. Though rare earth elements exhibit a small influence on the distributio n coefficient for Cs+, they impair Cs-exchange capacity of Cs-IS to some ext ent. This interruption on the selectivity to Cs+ can be significantly eliminat ed provided an appropriate ratio of liquid to solid V:m is used.

Effects of different acclimations on high solution bacteria in coal-gas wastewater degradation

To make microbial community be applied more easily in practical biotreatment engineering,three acclimation processes were carried out in lab scale. Three kinds of mixed microorganism cultures with degradability for a gas-making plant wastewater were obtained. The degradation experiments results of coal-gas wastewater indicated that different acclimation processes had obviously impacted on degradability of microbial community,and under high sludge loading rate,mixed microorganism cultureⅠ(obtained by H.S.B as bacteria source and raw wastewater as alone carbon and energy source)presented stronger degradability for coal gasification wastewater than the others. COD removal rate of mixed cultureⅠcan reach 57.6% under very low MLSS when the influent COD is 900 mg/L. Meanwhile,the results of microscopic examination showed that Protozoa,mainly epistylis and Vorticella species,were stronger activity and larger quantities in mixed cultureⅠ.