Reduction Discoloration of Reactive Dyed Cotton Waste and Chemical Recycling via Ionic Liquid

The textile industry generates large volumes of waste throughout its production process.Most of this waste is colored,therefore,discoloration is an important step toward recycling and reusing this waste.This study focused on the chemical reductive discoloration of textile waste composed of cotton dyed with reactive dye.The experimental design demonstrated the significant influence of the concentration of reducing agent and time of reaction on the degree of whiteness of the cotton fibers.The concentration of the alkaline agent was not significant in the process.The optimization of the reaction conditions lead to Berger degree of 50.5±3.5.The discolored cotton was chemically recycled through dissolution in ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride and regeneration in film form in water.The microstructure of the regenerated cellulose films was evaluated by Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM)indicating complete dissolution and uniform regeneration.The discoloration process reduced the polymerization degree and crystallinity index of the cotton fibers but retained the cellulose I structure.The dissolution and cellulose regeneration process results in transparent films with an amorphous structure.The thermal behavior,evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis,indicated that residues and regenerated film presented a main decomposition step.The maximum decomposition rate temperature of the regenerated films was approximately 40℃lower than the cotton fibers,which correlates well with the reduction in polymerization degree and amorphous structure.In general,the study demonstrated that textile cotton waste dyed with reactive dyes can be chemically discolored to form transparent and amorphous films,contributing to the development of sustainable strategies for the textile industry.

Effect of drying cracks on swelling and self-healing of bentonite-sand blocks used as engineered barriers for radioactive waste disposal

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the healing of drying cracks in air-dried bentonite-sand blocks after hydration and swelling in groundwater,providing justifications to simplify the protection of blocks prior to installation in a high-level radioactive waste repository.Synthetic groundwater was prepared to represent the geochemistry of Beishan groundwater,and was used to hydrate the blocks during the swelling pressure and swelling strain measurements,as Beishan is the most promising site for China's repository.Healing of the surface cracks was recorded by photography,and healing of the internal cracks was visualized by CT images and hydraulic conductivity of air-dried blocks.The results indicate that the maximum swelling pressure and swelling strain are primarily affected by the geochemistry of Beishan groundwater,but not affected by the drying cracks.The maximum swelling pressure and swelling strain of air-dried blocks are comparable to or even higher than the pressure and strain of fresh blocks.The maximum swelling pressure measured in strong(i.e.high ion strength)Beishan groundwater was 44%of the pressure measured in deionized(DI)water,and the maximum swelling strain was reduced to 23%of the strain measured in DI water.Nevertheless,the remained swelling of the blocks hydrated in strong Beishan groundwater was sufficient to heal the surface and internal drying cracks,as demonstrated by the pictures of surface cracks and CT images.The hydraulic conductivity of the air-dried block permeated with strong groundwater was comparable(3.7×higher)to the hydraulic conductivity of the fresh block,indicating the self-healing of drying cracks after hydration and swelling in groundwater.A simplified method of protecting the block with plastic wraps before installation is recommended,since the remained swelling of the block hydrated in Beishan groundwater is sufficient to heal the drying cracks.

Recovery of heavy metals from electroplating sludge and stainless steel pickle waste liquid by ammonia leaching method

A coordinative disposal process for treatment of electroplating sludge and stainless steel pickle waste liquid containing Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr and Fe etc., has been developed to recover valuable metals and to eliminate pollution. The recovery of Cu, Ni, Zn and Cr is 94%, 91%, 90% and 95%, respectively. The ammonia was recycled by the simplified process of CaO caustic distillation. The precipitated product of Cu, Ni and Zn obtained from caustic distillation of ammonia was separated by extraction or high\|pressure hydrogen reduction in an autoclave. The qualified metal salt products were obtained through extraction. The rich chromium residue from coordinative disposal was subjected to recover Cr by hydrothermal oxidation in NaOH medium and Fe\-3O\-4 was synthesized by wet methods from the residue produced by extracting Cr. Cr was a stable chemical fixed in Fe\-3O\-4 and harmless. The recovery process has been used in a pilot plant with sludge production capacity of 2000 t/a.

Crystalline Silicotitanate: a New Type of Ion Exchanger for Cs Removal from Liquid Waste

The research and developments of a new type of inorganic ion exchanger, crystalline silicotitanate (CST) are reviewed. This material is stable against radiation, and the CST has high selectivity for Cs over Na, K and Rb. It performs well in acidic, neutral, and basic solutions. The results of ion exchange tests show that CST is an excellent candidate for Cs removal from high-level liquid waste.

High-level radioactive waste disposal in China: update 2010

For geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste （HLW）, the Chinese policy is that the spent nuclear fuel （SNF） should be reprocessed first, followed by vitrification and final disposal. The preliminary repository concept is a shaft-tunnel model, located in saturated zones in granite, while the final waste form for disposal is vitrified high-level radioactive waste. In 2006, the government published a long-term research and development （R＆D） plan for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. The program consists of three steps： （1） laboratory studies and site selection for a HLW repository （2006-2020）; （2） underground in-situ tests （2021-2040）; and （3） repository construction （2041-2050） followed by operation. With the support of China Atomic Energy Authority, comprehensive studies are underway and some progresses are made. The site characterization, including deep borehole drilling, has been performed at the most potential Beishan site in Gansu Province, Northwestern China. The data from geological and hydrogeological investigations, in-situ stress and permeability measurements of rock mass are presented in this paper. Engineered barrier studies are concentrated on the Gaomiaozi bentonite. A mock-up facility, which is used to study the thermo-hydro-mechano-chemical （THMC） properties of the bentonite, is under construction. Several projects on mechanical properties of Beishan granite are also underway. The key scientific challenges faced with HLW disposal are also discussed.

The Beishan underground research laboratory for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste in China:Planning, site selection,site characterization and in situ tests

With the rapid development of nuclear power in China, the disposal of high-level radioactive waste（HLW） has become an important issue for nuclear safety and environmental protection. Deep geological disposal is internationally accepted as a feasible and safe way to dispose of HLW, and underground research laboratories（URLs） play an important and multi-faceted role in the development of HLW repositories. This paper introduces the overall planning and the latest progress for China＇s URL. On the basis of the proposed strategy to build an area-specific URL in combination with a comprehensive evaluation of the site selection results obtained during the last 33 years, the Xinchang site in the Beishan area,located in Gansu Province of northwestern China, has been selected as the final site for China＇s first URL built in granite. In the process of characterizing the Xinchang URL site, a series of investigations,including borehole drilling,geological mapping, geophysical surveying,hydraulic testing and in situ stress measurements, has been conducted. The investigation results indicate that the geological,hydrogeological, engineering geological and geochemical conditions of the Xinchang site are very suitable for URL construction. Meanwhile, to validate and develop construction technologies for the Beishan URL, the Beishan exploration tunnel（BET）, which is a 50-m-deep facility in the Jiujing sub-area, has been constructed and several in situ tests, such as drill-and-blast tests, characterization of the excavation damaged zone（EDZ）, and long-term deformation monitoring of surrounding rocks, have been performed in the BET. The methodologies and technologies established in the BET will serve for URL construction.According to the achievements of the characterization of the URL site, a preliminary design of the URL with a maximum depth of 560 m is proposed and necessary in situ tests in the URL are planned.

Waste Activated Sludge Alkaline Fermentation Liquid as Carbon Source for Biological Nutrients Removal in Anaerobic Followed by Alternating Aerobic-Anoxic Sequencing Batch Reactors

Activated sludge process has been widely used to remove phosphorus and nitrogen from wastewater. However,the nitrogen and phosphorus removal is sometimes unsatisfactory due to the low influent COD.Another problem with the activated sludge process is that large amount of waste activated sludge is produced,which needs further treatment.In this study,the waste activated sludge alkaline fermentation liquid was used as the main carbon source for phosphorus and nitrogen removal under anaerobic followed by alternating aerobic-anoxic conditions,and the results were compared with those using acetic acid as the carbon source.The use of alkaline fermentation liquid not only affected the transformations of phosphorus,nitrogen,intracellular polyhydroxyalkanoates and glycogen, but also led to higher removal efficiencies for phosphorus and nitrogen compared with acetic acid.It was observed that ammonium was completely removed with either alkaline fermentation liquid or acetic acid as the carbon source. However,the former resulted in higher removal efficiencies for phosphorus(95%)and nitrogen(82%),while the latter showed lower ones(87%and 74%,respectively).The presence of a large amount of propionic acid in the alkaline fermentation liquid was one possible reason for its higher phosphorus removal efficiency.Exogenous instead of endogenous denitrification was the main pathway for nitrogen removal with the alkaline fermentation liquid as the carbon source,which was responsible for its higher nitrogen removal efficiency.It seems that the alkaline fermentation liquid can replace acetic acid as the carbon source for phosphorus and nitrogen removal in anaerobic fol- lowed by alternating aerobic-anoxic sequencing batch reactor.

Extraction of Theanine from Waste Liquid of Tea Polyphenol Production in Aqueous Two-phase Systems with Cationic and Anionic Surfactants

Extraction of theanine from waste liquid of tea polyphenol production was studied in aqueous surfactanttwo-phase system （ASTP） with cationic surfactant （CTAB） and anionic surfactant （SDS）. Results indicate that the region of ASTP is narrow and there is only a two-phase region of cationic surfactant. The increase in concentrations of NaBr and Na2SO4 are beneficial to the formation of ASTP. Theanine concentration in the bottom phase increases with increasing concentration of theanine, whereas the Partition coefficient and extraction rate only change a littlewhen the concentration of theanine is above 0.2 g.L-＇. With the increase of SDS concentration, the phase ratio and the partition coefficient decrease, while the extraction efficiency of theanine increases and the concentration of theanine changes a little in the range from 2.4/7.5 to 2.8/7.2 for SDS/CTAB ratio. The temperature has a notable ef- fect on the concentration of theanine in the bottom phase, partition coefficient and extraction rate of theanine. The increase of waste liquid decreases the phase ratio, increases the concentration and extraction rate of theanine in the bottom ohase, since the orotein and the saccharide enter the bottom nhase with theanine.

Design and development of large-scale in-situ PRACLAY heater test and horizontal high-level radioactive waste disposal gallery seal test in Belgian HADES

In Belgium,the Boom clay was selected as a potential host formation for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste（HLW）.To demonstrate the suitability of Boom clay for bearing thermal load induced by the HLW,a large-scale in-situ heater test,called PRACLAY heater test,will be conducted in the underground research laboratory（URL） in Mol.Owing to the limitations of the test（a short period of time compared with that considered in a real repository,different boundary conditions,etc.）,the test is designed to simulate,in a conservative way,the most critical state and phenomena that could occur in the host rock.The PRACLAY gallery was excavated at the end of 2007;the heating phase will begin in 2010 and will last for at least 10 years.The PRACLAY gallery itself leaves an opportunity to study the possibilities of sealing a disposal drift in Boom clay and testing the feasibility of hydraulic cut-off of any preferential pathway to the main access gallery through the excavation damage zone（EDZ） and the lining with a seal in a horizontal drift（horizontal seal）.Indeed,this is a generic problem for all deep geological disposal facilities for HLW.An annular seal made of compacted swelling bentonite will be installed in the front of the heated part of the PRACLAY gallery for these purposes.This paper provides detailed considerations on the thermo-hydro-mechanical（THM） boundary conditions for the design of the PRACLAY heater test and the seal test with the support of numerical calculations.It is believed that these important items considered in the PRACLAY heater test design also constitute key issues for the repository design.The outcome of the PRACLAY heater test will be an important milestone for the Belgian repository design.

Main outcomes from in situ thermo-hydro-mechanical experiments programme to demonstrate feasibility of radioactive high-level waste disposal in the Callovo-Oxfordian claystone

In the context of radioactive waste disposal,an underground research laboratory(URL)is a facility in which experiments are conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of constructing and operating a radioactive waste disposal facility within a geological formation.The Meuse/Haute-Marne URL is a sitespecific facility planned to study the feasibility of a radioactive waste disposal in the Callovo-Oxfordian(COx)claystone.The thermo-hydro-mechanical(THM)behaviour of the host rock is significant for the design of the underground nuclear waste disposal facility and for its long-term safety.The French National Radioactive Waste Management Agency(Andra)has begun a research programme aiming to demonstrate the relevancy of the French high-level waste(HLW)concept.This paper presents the programme implemented from small-scale(small diameter)boreholes to full-scale demonstration experiments to study the THM effects of the thermal transient on the COx claystone and the strategy implemented in this new programme to demonstrate and optimise current disposal facility components for HLW.It shows that the French high-level waste concept is feasible and working in the COx claystone.It also exhibits that,as for other plastic clay or claystone,heating-induced pore pressure increases and that the THM behaviour is anisotropic.

Experimental study on the physico-mechanical properties of Tamusu mudstone — A potential host rock for high-level radioactive waste in Inner Mongolia of China

Tamusu mudstone, located in Bayin Gobi Basin in Inner Mongolia of China, has been selected as a potential host rock for high-level radioactive waste(HLW) disposal in China. A series of tests has been carried out, including X-ray diffraction(XRD) tests, scanning electron microscopy(SEM) tests, disintegration tests, permeability tests and triaxial compression tests, to estimate the physico-mechanical properties of Tamusu mudstone in this work. The mineral composition of Tamusu mudstone was analyzed and it was considered as a stable rock due to its low disintegration rate, i.e. approximately 0.11%after several wet/dry cycles. Based on the results of permeability test, it was found that Tamusu mudstone has a low permeability, with the magnitude of about 10—20m^(2). The low permeability makes the mudstone well prevent nuclide migration and diffusion, and might be influenced by temperature.The triaxial tests show that Tamusu mudstone is a stiff mudstone with high compressive strength, which means that the excavation disturbed zone would be smaller compared to other types of mudstone due to construction and operation of HLW repositories. Finally, the properties of Tamusu mudstone were compared with those of Opalinus clay, Callovo-Oxfordian(COx) argillite, and Boom clay to further discuss the possibility of using Tamusu mudstone as a potential nuclear waste disposal medium.

Application of Waste Liquids Containing Lignin from Pulp-producing Industry to CWM Preparation

Three kinds of craft waste liquids, which are by-products in the pulp industry and contain much lignin, were used as dispersing additives for preparing Horonai coal CWM(coal water mixture). The experiments showed that the CWM exhibited the lowest viscosity when it was diluted with an appropriate amount of water with the waste eiquids added. The experiments also indicated that the maximum coal concentration in the practically applicable CWMs whose apparent viscosity has to be below 1000 mPa·s increased from 56.5% to 62.5%(mass fraction), and 56.5% is the maximum coal mass fraction of the CWM prepared without additives. These data show the effectiveness of the waste liquids as the additives for preparing CWMs. The zeta potential of coal particles in the CWMs changed with the addition of lignin. From the change, the steric repulsion effect of the lignin adsorbed on the coal particles is concluded to be mainly responsible for the CWM dispersion. The waste liquids contain less sulfur than PSSNa(polystyrene sulfonate sodium salt), a typical dispersant which is currently used for preparing the commercial CWM, when the sulfur content in the unit mass of the solid matters within the waste liquids is compared with that in unit mass of PSSNa. This fact suggests that the waste liquids are more advantageous than PSSNa as far as air pollutants are concerned.

A power plant for integrated waste energy recovery from liquid air energy storage and liquefied natural gas

Liquefied natural gas(LNG)is regarded as one of the cleanest fossil fuel and has experienced significant developments in recent years.The liquefaction process of natural gas is energy-intensive,while the regasification of LNG gives out a huge amount of waste energy since plenty of high grade cold energy(-160℃)from LNG is released to sea water directly in most cases,and also sometimes LNG is burned for regasification.On the other hand,liquid air energy storage(LAES)is an emerging energy storage technology for applications such as peak load shifting of power grids,which generates 30%-40%of compression heat(-200℃).Such heat could lead to energy waste if not recovered and used.The recovery of the compression heat is technically feasible but requires additional capital investment,which may not always be economically attractive.Therefore,we propose a power plant for recovering the waste cryogenic energy from LNG regasification and compression heat from the LAES.The challenge for such a power plant is the wide working temperature range between the low-temperature exergy source(-160℃)and heat source(-200℃).Nitrogen and argon are proposed as the working fluids to address the challenge.Thermodynamic analyses are carried out and the results show that the power plant could achieve a thermal efficiency of 27%and 19%and an exergy efficiency of 40%and 28%for nitrogen and argon,respectively.Here,with the nitrogen as working fluid undergoes a complete Brayton Cycle,while the argon based power plant goes through a combined Brayton and Rankine Cycle.Besides,the economic analysis shows that the payback period of this proposed system is only 2.2 years,utilizing the excess heat from a 5 MW/40 MWh LAES system.The findings suggest that the waste energy based power plant could be co-located with the LNG terminal and LAES plant,providing additional power output and reducing energy waste.

On area-specific underground research laboratory for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste in China

Underground research laboratories （URLs）, including ＂generic URLs＂ and ＂site-specific URLs＂, are un- derground facilities in which characterisation, testing, technology development, and/or demonstration activities are carried out in support of the development of geological repositories for high-level radioactive waste （HLW） disposal. In addition to the generic URL and site-specific URL, a concept of ＂areaspecific URL＂, or the third type of URL, is proposed in this paper. It is referred to as the facility that is built at a site within an area that is considered as a potential area for HLW repository or built at a place near the future repository site, and may be regarded as a precursor to the development of a repository at the site. It acts as a ＂generic URL＂, but also acts as a ＂site-specific URL＂ to some extent. Considering the current situation in China, the most suitable option is to build an ＂area-specific URL＂ in Beishan area, the first priority region for China＇s high-level waste repository. With this strategy, the goal to build China＇s URL by 2020 mav be achieved, but the time left is limited.

Corrosion behavior of high-level waste container materials Ti and Ti-Pd alloy under long-term gamma irradiation in Beishan groundwater

Titanium and titanium-palladium alloys are important potential materials for nuclear waste container,which will endure both intenseγ-irradiation and groundwater erosion.Therefore,it is very important to investigate the corrosion behavior of the container materials.In this research,the cumulative dose effect of TA8-1 type titanium-palladium alloy(TA8-1)and TA2-type pure titanium(TA2)underγ-irradiation was studied based on the geological disposal of nuclear wastes.The irradiation experiments were performed at room temperature using^(60)Co gamma sources with a 5.0-kGy·h^(-1)intensity for 40,80 or 160 days,respectively.The pH value and conductivity of Beishan groundwater were investigated.The results showed that the pH value changed from alkaline(8.22)to acidic(2.46 for TA8-1 and 2.44 for TA2),while the un-irradiated solution remained alkaline(8.17 for TA8-1 and 8.20 for TA2)after 160 days.With the increase of irradiation dose,the conductivity increases rapidly and then tends to become stable,which indicates that the titanium dioxide corrosion layer formed on the surface of the sample surface effectively prevents further corrosion.Meanwhile,XRD and SEM-EDS analysis results show that the main components of corrosion products are TiO_(2) and TiO.The titanium on the surface of the sample is oxidized,resulting in slight uneven local corrosion.The results show that TA8-1 and TA2 are suitable to be used as candidate materials for high-level waste(HLW)disposal containers due to their excellent performance under long-term and high-dose irradiation corrosion.

Chemical constituents and antioxidant activities of waste liquid extract from Apostichopus japonicus Selenka processing

Apostichopus japonicus Selenka is an ideal tonic food that is used traditionally in many Asian countries, and it contains many bioactive substances, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer materials. To convert waste liquid generated during production into a useful resource, extract from waste liquid was isolated by column chromatography and studied by the pyrogallol autoxidation and 1,10-phenanthroline-Fe^2＋ oxidation methods. Results show that the extract scavenged about 91% of the superoxide anion radical at a concentration of 1.4 mg/mL and 24% of the hydroxyl radical at 3.3 mg/mL. Four compounds were isolated and identified from the extract： 2,4-dihydroxy-5-methyl-1,3-azine; 2,4-dihydroxy- 1,3-diazine; 3-O-β-D-quinovopranosyl-（1→2）-4-O-sodium sulfate-β-D-xylopranosyl]-holosta-9（11）-ene313,12β,17α-triol; and 24-ethyl-5α-cholesta-7-ene-3β-O-β-D-xylopyranoside. All of these compounds are known in A. japonicus, and were found in the waste liquid for the first time.

Techniques for Treating Sulphuric Acid Pickling Waste Liquid of Steel Industry

Pickling waste liquid of the steel industry is included in National Hazardous Wastes Catalogue because of its high corrosion and large discharge. The techniques for treating pickling waste liquid （ H2SO4 ） in steel industry is summarized. The advantages, disadvantages and applied ranges of all kinds of control technologies are comparatively analysed. The research trends of techniques for treating pickling waste liquid （ H2SO4 ） are the resource reclamation technologies in future which is pointed out in the paper.

Acid Separation, Catalytic Oxidation and Coagulation for ATC Waste Liquid Treatment

It is difficult to treat 2-amino-thiazoline-4-carboxylic acid （ATC） waste liquid effectively at present for its characteristics of high chemical oxygen demand （COD）, high salinity and low biodegradability. In order to solve this problem, this paper presents several kinds of physical-chemical treatment unit techniques, including acid separation, catalytic oxidation and coagulation. First of all, acid separation was adopted to precipitate relevant organics at isoelectric point. When the temperature and pH value of acid separation were controlled at about 5 ℃ and 2.2 respectively, the COD removal rate could reach 27.600. Secondly, oxidation was used to break chemical constitution of refractory organics. The optimal reaction parameters of catalytic oxidation should be 20 ℃, pH adjusted to 5.0 and [Fe2+] 300 mg/L. Then with 500 H2O2 added and after one-hour reaction, the COD removal rate could achieve about 5200. Finally, coagulation was adopted to remove a portion of refractory organics, and 1500 polymeric molysite flocculant was the best for the coagulation, and the COD removal rate could reach about 1500. Therefore, the proposed feasible process of physical-chemical pretreatment for ATC waste liquid could have about 7000 COD removed in total.

Separation of ^(152+154)Eu,^(90)Sr from radioactive waste effluent using liquid–liquid extraction by polyglycerol phthalate

A new polyglycerol phthalate extractant was prepared and characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance(~1H NMR) spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. A preliminary study of the extraction of long-lived(^(90) Sr and ^(152+154)Eu) and short-lived(^(90) Y) radionuclides by polyglycerol phthalate was performed. The influence of different diluents, concentration of the acid, type of acid, and various interfering ions was explored. The stripping of ^(152+154)Eu radionuclide was studied by using different acid solutions, and it was found that sulfuric acid was the ideal acid for this purpose. Furthermore,^(152+154)Eu was extracted from the fission products(^(90) Sr) and the extraction% of^(90) Sr was found to improve in the presence of interfering ions.

Solid- liquid phase separation and resource recycling study for waste rolling oily sludge

On the basis of the characteristics of a highly emulsified solid-liquid phase （fine particles, sticky consistency,black color, and low reuse ratio）, waste rolling oily sludge has been a focal problem in the steel industry. In this article, a solid-liquid phase separation and resource recycling process was described, with pilot test results showing that flocculation-sedimentation is an effective pretreatment, and that the filtration-coagulationvacuum distillation process is simple and feasible with a 53.5% recovery rate for regenerated oil that is qualified for return to the roiling production line. Then,solid phase oil-sludge was extracted by solvents with a 77% metal resource recovery rate and a wide utilization range. Finally, according to the experimental results, a set of feasibility plans for a 50 t/a waste rolling oily sludge solid-liquid separation and resource recycle project was designed, with the expectation of 50% regenerated oil yield, 70% solid metal resource recovery, and a 2. 5-year investment payback period.