Effects of conductive agent type on lithium extraction from salt lake brine with LiFePO_(4) electrodes

Electrochemical lithium extraction from salt lakes is an effective strategy for obtaining lithium at a low cost.Nevertheless,the elevated Mg:Li ratio and the presence of numerous coexisting ions in salt lake brines give rise to challenges,such as prolonged lithium extraction periods,diminished lithium extraction efficiency,and considerable environmental pollution.In this work,Li FePO4(LFP)served as the electrode material for electrochemical lithium extraction.The conductive network in the LFP electrode was optimized by adjusting the type of conductive agent.This approach resulted in high lithium extraction efficiency and extended cycle life.When the single conductive agent of acetylene black(AB)or multiwalled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs)was replaced with the mixed conductive agent of AB/MWCNTs,the average diffusion coefficient of Li+in the electrode increased from 2.35×10^(-9)or 1.77×10^(-9)to 4.21×10^(-9)cm^(2)·s^(-1).At the current density of 20 mA·g^(-1),the average lithium extraction capacity per gram of LFP electrode increased from 30.36 mg with the single conductive agent(AB)to 35.62 mg with the mixed conductive agent(AB/MWCNTs).When the mixed conductive agent was used,the capacity retention of the electrode after 30 cycles reached 82.9%,which was considerably higher than the capacity retention of 65.8%obtained when the single AB was utilized.Meanwhile,the electrode with mixed conductive agent of AB/MWCNTs provided good cycling performance.When the conductive agent content decreased or the loading capacity increased,the electrode containing the mixed conductive agent continued to show excellent electrochemical performance.Furthermore,a self-designed,highly efficient,continuous lithium extraction device was constructed.The electrode utilizing the AB/MWCNT mixed conductive agent maintained excellent adsorption capacity and cycling performance in this device.This work provides a new perspective for the electrochemical extraction of lithium using LFP electrodes.

Tuning a nano-pillar array for enhancing the photoluminescence extraction efficiency of GaN-based light-emitting diodes

We demonstrate the fabrication of hexagonal nano-pillar arrays at the surface of GaN-based light-emitting diodes （LEDs） by nanosphere lithography. By varying the oxygen plasma etching time, we could tune the size and shape of the pillar. The nano-pillar has a truncated cone shape. The nano-pillar array serves as a gradual effective refractive index matcher, which reduces the reflection and increases light cone. It is found that the patterned surface absorbs more pumping light. To compare extraction efficiencies of LEDs, it is necessary to normalize the photoluminescence power spectrum with total absorption rate under fixed pumping power, then we could obtain the correct enhancement factor of the photoluminescence extraction efficiency and optimized structure. The highest enhancement factor of the extraction efficiency is 10.6.

Realization of high-efficiency AlGaN deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes with polarization-induced doping of the p-AlGaN hole injection layer

We investigate the polarization-induced doping in the gradient variation of Al composition in the pAl_(0.75)Ga_(0.25)N/Al_xGa_(1-x)N hole injection layer(HIL)for deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes(DUV-LEDs)with an ultrathin p-GaN(4 nm)ohmic contact layer capable of emitting 277 nm.The experimental results show that the external quantum efficiency(EQE)and wall plug efficiency(WPE)of the structure graded from 0.75 to 0.55 in the HIL reach 5.49%and 5.04%,which are improved significantly by 182%and 209%,respectively,compared with the structure graded from 0.75 to 0.45,exhibiting a tremendous improvement.Both theoretical speculations and simulation results support that the larger the difference between 0.75 and x in the HIL,the higher the hole concentration that should be induced;thus,the DUV-LED has a higher internal quantum efficiency(IQE).Meanwhile,as the value of x decreases,the absorption of the DUV light emitted from the active region by the HIL is enhanced,reducing the light extraction efficiency(LEE).The IQE and LEE together affect the EQE performance of DUV-LEDs.To trade off the contradiction between the enhanced IQE and decreased LEE caused by the decrease in Al composition,the Al composition in the HIL was optimized through theoretical calculations and experiments.

Light Extraction Efficiency in OLED with Sub-wavelength Structures

By simulating with finite-difference time-domain(FDTD) method, it is proved that two kinds of new photonic crystal slab(PCS) structures could enhance the light extraction efficiency of OLED. By comparing the results, the most effective PCS structure with maximum light extraction efficiency(E_ r =1.99) is got. The optimized geometric parameters and optimized performance parameters of the PCS structures are also obtained.

Analysis of photonic crystal on LED extraction efficiency

Because of its very low light extraction efficiency(LEE),LED is limited to be widely used under the condition of the internal quantum efficiency which up to 90%.In order to fullfill the design of a more efficient GaN-based blue light LED,the model including deeply etched surface photonic crystals(PhCs)LED is discussed using mode analysis method from light waveguide theory.The distributions of all order modes in GaN layer are obtained by the effective index approximation.The light extraction efficiencies are also calculated by finite-difference time-domain method(FDTD).The emulated results fully coincide with the former analysis.Because the manufacture of the surface photonic crystal is feasible,the work can be very meaningful to design and manufacture the high efficiency GaN-based blue light LED in factory for a large amount.

Improving the Light Extraction Efficiency of GaN-Based Light-Emitting Diode

The light extraction efficiency caused by total internal reflection is low. Based on the analysis of the existing technology, a new design scheme is proposed in this paper to improve the light extraction efficiency. The air gap photonic crystal is embedded on the GaN-based patterned sapphire substrate, which can reduce line misalignment and improve light extraction efficiency. The internal structure of the GaN-based LED epitaxial layer is composed of an electron emission layer, a quantum well in the light-emitting recombination region, and an electron blocking layer. Experimental results show that this method significantly improves the extraction efficiency of LED light.

Coupled heat-fluid-solid numerical study on heat extraction potential of hot dry rocks based on discrete fracture network model

Fracture networks within hot dry rock(HDR)geothermal reservoirs are complex,and heat extraction via water injection is thus a coupled process of heat-fluid-solid multifield.In this paper,utilizing the theory of normally distributed random functions,we develop a corresponding pre-processing subprogram to establish a discrete network model of complex fracture distribution in HDR reservoirs;then construct a heat-fluid-solid finite element model for heat extraction via water injection and compare the numerical solution with the analytical solution of the one-dimensional non-isothermal consolidation problem for verification.The numerical simulation results show that the main factors affecting the heat extraction efficiency of HDR reservoirs include fracture width,fracture density,fracture permeability,and matrix permeability.When a HDR reservoir is injected with water for heat extraction,there is a certain threshold value of these influential parameters,beyond which the outlet temperature drops significantly,resulting in an obvious thermal breakthrough.When injecting water for heat extraction,the values of these parameters should be controlled and kept at a reasonable level,otherwise,the HDR reservoir may enter a thermal breakthrough stage in advance,which is not conducive for long-period heat extraction.Influenced by the random distribution of complex fractures,the leading edge of the cold front may present an irregular distribution.During the process of heat extraction,the stress gradually changes from a compressional state to a tensile state,which induces further damage to the HDR reservoir.

Extraction of aluminum by pressure acid-leaching method from coal fly ash

Aluminum was leached out from coal fly ash by pressure acid-leaching method. The effects of coal fly ash size, sulfuric acid concentration, reaction time and reaction temperature on extraction efficiency of aluminum were investigated comprehensively. The phase and morphology of coal fly ash and solid residues after reaction were analyzed by XRD, SEM and IR. The optimal technological conditions for extracting aluminum from coal fly ash were eventually confirmed that coal fly ash with size of 74 μm and sulfuric acid with concentration of 50% are mixed in pressure reaction kettle to react for 4 h at 180 ℃. Under the optimal conditions, the extraction efficiency of aluminum can reach 82.4%.

240 nm AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet micro-LEDs:size effect versus edge effect

240 nm AlGaN-based micro-LEDs with different sizes are designed and fabricated.Then,the external quantum efficiency(EQE)and light extraction efficiency(LEE)are systematically investigated by comparing size and edge effects.Here,it is revealed that the peak optical output power increases by 81.83%with the size shrinking from 50.0 to 25.0μm.Thereinto,the LEE increases by 26.21%and the LEE enhancement mainly comes from the sidewall light extraction.Most notably,transversemagnetic(TM)mode light intensifies faster as the size shrinks due to the tilted mesa side-wall and Al reflector design.However,when it turns to 12.5μm sized micro-LEDs,the output power is lower than 25.0μm sized ones.The underlying mechanism is that even though protected by SiO2 passivation,the edge effect which leads to current leakage and Shockley-Read-Hall(SRH)recombination deteriorates rapidly with the size further shrinking.Moreover,the ratio of the p-contact area to mesa area is much lower,which deteriorates the p-type current spreading at the mesa edge.These findings show a role of thumb for the design of high efficiency micro-LEDs with wavelength below 250 nm,which will pave the way for wide applications of deep ultraviolet(DUV)micro-LEDs.

Hydrodynamic Performance of An Integrated System of Breakwater and A Multi-Chamber OWC Wave Energy Converter

A multi-chamber oscillating water column wave energy converter(OWC-WEC)integrated to a breakwater is investigated.The hydrodynamic characteristics of the device are analyzed using an analytical model based on the linear potential flow theory.A pneumatic model is employed to investigate the relationship between the air mass flux in the chamber and the turbine characteristics.The effects of chamber width,wall draft and wall thickness on the hydrodynamic performance of a dual-chamber OWC-WEC are investigated.The results demonstrate that the device,with a smaller front wall draft and a wider rear chamber exhibits a broader effective frequency bandwidth.The device with a chamber-width-ratio of 1:3 performs better in terms of power absorption.Additionally,results from the analysis of a triplechamber OWC-WEC demonstrate that reducing the front chamber width and increasing the rearward chamber width can improve the total performance of the device.Increasing the number of chambers from 1 to 2 or 3 can widen the effective frequency bandwidth.

Improved light extraction of GaN-based light-emitting diodes with surface-textured indium tin oxide electrodes by nickel nanoparticle mask dry-etching

GaN-based light-emitting diodes （LEDs） with surface-textured indium tin oxide （ITO） as a transparent current spreading layer were fabricated. The ITO surface was textured by inductively coupled plasma （ICP） etching technology using a monolayer of nickel （Ni） nanoparticles as the etching mask. The luminance intensity of ITO surface-textured GaN-based LEDs was enhanced by about 34% compared to that of conventional LED without textured ITO layer. In addition, the fabricated ITO surface-textured GaN-based LEDs would present a quite good performance in electrical characteristics. The results indicate that the scattering of photons emitted in the active layer was greatly enhanced via the textured ITO surface, and the ITO surface-textured technique could have a potential application in improving photoelectric characteristics for manufacturing GaN-based LEDs of higher brightness.

Gas-liquid-liquid extraction in a novel rotating microchannel extractor

In this work,a novel rotating microchannel extractor(RME)is designed and further used for the extraction of chromium(Ⅲ)from water.Unexpectedly,the micro-extraction had the same effect as carrying out 2.9-stage cross-flow extractions.Various factors,including the gas intake methods,gas intake quantity(Qg),distance between inner rotor and outer wall(D),rotational inner rotor speed(R)and volumetric flow rate(Qa,Qo),were selected to investigate their effect on the extraction efficiency(η)thoroughly.The relation map ofηwith Weaand We(o-g)for RME provides a comprehension for the gas–liquid–liquid extraction process in this RME system.

Extraction of Aluminum and Iron from Boiler Slag by Sulfuric Acid

This paper presents a new method of recycling aluminum and iron in boiler slag derived from plants that use coal as fuel. The new method integrates efficient extraction and reuse of the leached pellets together. An elemental analysis of aqueous solutions leached by sulfuric acid was determined by EDTA-Naz-ZnCl2 titration method. The components and microstructures of the samples were examined by means of XRF, XRD and SEM. An aluminum extraction efficiency of 86.50% was achieved when the sintered pellets were leached using 4 mol · L^- 1 H2SO4 at solid/ liquid [m（g）/V（mL）] ratio of 1 ： 5 at 80 ℃ for 24 h. An iron extraction efficiency of 94.60% was achieved in the same conditions for the maximum extraction efficiency of Al. The extraction efficiencies of Al and Fe increased with an increase in temperature, leaching time and acidity. The concentration of alumina and iron hydroxide in the final product was determined to be 99.12% and 92.20% respectively. This product of alumina would be used directly for the production of metallic aluminum.

Mass transfer coefficient in the eductor liquid-liquid extraction column

In this research gasoil desalting was investigated from mass transfer point of view in an eductor liquid–liquid extraction column(eductor-LLE device).Mass transfer characteristics of the eductor-LLE device were evaluated and an empirical correlation was obtained by dimensional analysis of the dispersed phase Sherwood number.The Results showed that the overall mass transfer coefficient of the dispersed phase and extraction efficiency have been increased by increasing Sauter mean diameter(SMD)and decreasing the nozzle diameter from 2 to 1 mm,respectively.The effects of Reynolds number(R_(e)),projection ratio(ratio of the distance between venturi throat and nozzle tip to venturi throat diameter,Rpr),venturi throat area to nozzle area ratio(R_(th-n))and two phases flow rates ratio(R_(Q))on the mass transfer coefficient(K)were determined.According to the results,K increase with increasing Re and RQ and also with decreasing Rpr and R_(th-n).Semi-empirical models of drop formation,rising and coalescence were compared with our proposed empirical model.It was revealed that the present model provided a relatively good fitting for the mass transfer model of drop coalescence.Moreover,experimental data were in better agreement with calculated data with AARE value of 0.085.

Enhancing light extraction of GaN-based blue light-emitting diodes by a tuned nanopillar array

Surface patterning of p-GaN to improve the light extraction efficiency of GaN-based blue light-emitting diodes(LEDs) has been investigated. Periodic nanopillar arrays on p-GaN have been fabricated by polystyrene(PS) nanosphere lithography; the diameter of the nanopillars can be tuned to optimize the electrical and optical properties of the LEDs. The electroluminescence intensity of the nanopillar-patterned LEDs is better than that of conventional LEDs; the greatest enhancement increased the intensity by a factor of 1.41 at a 20 mA injection current. The enhancements can be explained by a model of bilayer film on a GaN substrate. This method may serve as a practical approach to improve the efficiency of light extraction from LEDs.

Study on Extraction Method of Selenium-enriched Rice

[Objectives] The aims were to optimize the extraction process of selenoproteins from selenium-enriched rice in Guangxi and provide references for the intensive processing and comprehensive utilization of selenium protein resources. [Methods]Selenium-enriched rice was used as materials to extract selenoproteins by phosphate buffer extraction method and to optimize the extraction process of selenoproteins by using the orthogonal experiment. Proteins and selenium content was measured by Coomassie Brilliant Blue G-250 reagent and AFS（ atomic fluorescence spectrometry） respectively. [Results] The most significant factor affecting extraction of rice Selenoproteins was extraction NaO H concentration,followed by the ratio of solid-liquid,temperature and then extraction time. The optimum extraction conditions of selenoproteins from rice were extraction temperature of 50 ℃,NaO H concentration of 0. 14 mol/L,extraction time of 5 h,and solid-liquid ratio of 1∶ 30. [Conclusions]The alkali extraction process optimized by orthogonal test could effectively improve the extraction rate of selenoproteins,and the optimized process parameters could be popularized and applied in practical production.

Extraction of Metals from Boiler Slag by Sintering

A new method of recycling aluminum and iron in boiler slag derived from plants that use coal as fuel was presented. The new method can integrate efficient extraction and reuse of the leached pellets together. An elemental analysis of aqueous solutions leached by sulfuric acid was conducted by the EDTA-Na2-ZnCl2 titration method, and the components and microstructures of the samples were examined by means of XRF, XRD and SEM. An aluminum extraction efficiency of 86.50% was achieved when the sintered pellets were leached using 4 mol·L-1 H2SO4 with solid/liquid ratio（m/V） of 1∶5 at 80 ℃ for 24 h. An iron extraction efficiency of 94.60% was achieved under the same condition for the maximum extraction efficiency of Al. The extraction efficiency of Al and Fe increased with temperature, leaching time and acidity. The concentration of alumina and iron hydroxide in the final product was determined to be 99.12% and 92.20% respectively. This product of alumina would be used directly for the production of metallic aluminum.

Mechanism of Bragg Diffraction-Assisted Light Extraction in GaN-based Light-Emitting Diodes Based on a Self-Consistent Model

By introducing the distribution of the light energy density in GaN-based light-emitting diode (LED),theLED model based on the incoherent regime and the light extraction efficiency are investigated.The energy density asa function of the angle of incidence is calculated to demonstrate the mechanism of the light extraction.The deviationbetween the tendencies of the transmissivity of the output layer and the extraction efficiency is also demonstrated.

Optimization of enrichment and pretreatment of low-activity radium isotopes in the open ocean

In the open ocean,radium isotopes are useful tracers of residence time and water-mass mixing.However,limited by the measurement resolution of commonly used gamma counters,the low activity of radium in the open ocean makes it necessary to enrich radium from large volumes of seawater and pretreat radium-enriched carriers prior to measurements.The commonly applied method of radium enrichment and pretreatment,however,has limitations of uneven coating of MnO_(2)on cartridges,relatively expensive cartridges,time-consuming issues during cartridge-ashing,ash loss during transfer,and changes of gamma counters efficiency caused by different ash weights.To address these issues,in this study we optimized the enrichment and pretreatment of low-activity radium prior to measurements.Firstly,we replaced commonly used acrylic cartridges with cheaper polypropylene cartridges,which took 6 h to be ashed,42 h shorter than for acrylic cartridges.Secondly,MnO_(2)-coated cartridges were prepared with a circulating hot acidic KMnO_(4)solution to ensure homogeneous coating.The radium extraction efficiency of this MnO_(2)-coated cartridge was 20%-61%higher than that prepared by directly immersing cartridges in the solution.The radium delayed coincidence counter efficiency for MnO_(2)-coated cartridge was stable with a moisture content of 0.05-1.Lastly,after ashing cartridges,instead of directly transferring the ash to a measurement vial,a mixture of hydroxylamine hydrochloride and hydrochloric acid was used to completely leach the ash for long-lived radium,followed by coprecipitation by BaSO_(4),to avoid potential loss of ash during transfer and variations in measurement geometry due to different ash weights.And the recovery of long-lived radium pretreatment was 94%-102%,which improved by 11%compared with the common method.In addition,the radium extraction efficiency of the MnO_(2)-coated cartridge varied from 3%to 4%within the in situ pump working flow rate of 4-7 L/min,which fell within the measurement errors.

Recovery of metals and other beneficial products from coal fly ash： a sustainable approach for fly ash management

Increasing production and disposal of coal fly ash （CFA） is a matter of serious environment concern. However, CFA contains various beneficial metals and mineral matters whose demand is increasing in the industrialized world, while natural supplies are diminishing. Therefore, recovery of these potential resources from CFA can be an alternative way to save mineral resources, as well as to reduce the environmental burden of CFA disposal. There are numerous methods developed for the recovery of beneficial products from CFA. Based on the US patents and journal literatures, the present review describes the recovery status and technologies of major elements such as Al, Si, Fe and Ti, and trace elements such as V, Ga, Ge, Se, Li, Mo, U, Au, Ag, Pt groups and rare earth elements （REEs） and other beneficial products such as magnetic materials, cenospheres, and unburned carbon from CFA. It also highlights the recovery efficiency and drawbacks for their extraction, and suggests future research to develop satisfactory results in terms of selective recovery and purification.