Insights into the adsorption performance and mechanism of Cr(Ⅵ)onto porous nanocomposite prepared from gossans and modified coal interface:Steric,energetic,and thermodynamic parameters interpretations

Herein,iron oxide/hydroxides deposits(gossans)were utilized,for the first time,in the fabrication of magnetite nanoparticles(MNPs)to load modified coal(MC).The as-synthesized MNPs@MC composite was characterized via different techniques and utilized for the Cr(Ⅵ)remediation.Experimental studies supported by theoretical treatment were applied to offer a new overview of the Cr(Ⅵ)adsorption geometry and mechanism at 25-45℃.Experimental results suggested that the Cr(Ⅵ)uptake was mainly governed by adsorption-reduction coupled mechanism.The Langmuir model fitted well the Cr(Ⅵ)adsorption data with maximum adsorption capacities extended from 115.24 to 129.63 mg·g^(-1).Theoretical calculations indicated that Cr(Ⅵ)ions were adsorbed on the MNPs@MC following the theory of the advanced monolayer statistical model.The number of ions removed per site ranged from 1.88 to1.23 suggesting the involvement of vertical geometry and multi-ionic mechanism at all temperatures.The increment of the active sites density and the adsorption capacity at saturation with improving temperature reflected an endothermic process.Energetically,the Cr(Ⅵ)adsorption was controlled by physical forces as the adsorption energies were less than 40 kJ·mol^(-1).The calculated free enthalpy,entropy.and internal energy explained the spontaneous nature and the viability of Cr(Ⅵ)adsorption on the MNPs@MC adsorbent.These results offer a new approach in utilizing the iron-rich deposits as gossans in the preparation of magnetic and low-cost adsorbents for wastewater remediation.

Controlled Release of Construction Chemicals by Encapsulation

Encapsulation and controlled release of active agents is a common practice to improve processing and properties of materials and final products in different industries. Today, a large variety of chemical admixtures are used in construction materials, the performance of which could be improved by a better dosage control. This work presents investigations on the controlled release of encapsulated construction chemicals for future applications in construction materials. The high shear mixing technology was used to produce matrix based encapsulations by agglomeration applied to commercially available construction materials. The agglomeration process was varied by the use of different agitator types, the variation of the agitator speed and the application of additional coating materials. The particle size distribution as well as the particle shape of the produced agglomerates was analyzed by automatic image evolution and scanning electron microscopy. The release behavior of the capsules in aqueous solutions was investigated by UV spectroscopy. The obtained results confirmed a theoretical model for the encapsulation and release of admixtures, which was derived from pharmaceutical drug release concepts and adapted to construction materials. The results indicate that the matrix based encapsulation is a promising technique for future applications in the field of construction materials.

Life cycle assessment of alkali-activated materials:a systematic literature review

The physical-mechanical,chemical,and durability characteristics of alkali-activated materials(AAMs)have been widely investigated.However,a critical gap in the literature is the lack of a comprehensive overview of recently published literature regarding the life cycle assessment(LCA)of these binders.This study aims to fill that gap by conducting a systematic literature review of globally published literature on the topic.This paper consolidates knowledge by searching different databases,focusing on LCA studies that used AAMs as pastes,mortars,concretes,bricks,and rammed earth/soil blocks.The selected articles were reviewed and categorized based on precursors,alkaline activators,functional units,system boundaries,life cycle inventory databases,allocation,impact methodologies,and software used.Additionally,this paper also critically analyzes the key challenges of LCA for AAMs.The major challenges were identified as selecting a functional unit,subjectivity in boundary systems,and data interpretation.This work concludes that AAMs show substantial advantages in global warming potential compared to ordinary Portland cement-based materials;however,the average of other categories such as marine ecotoxicity and ozone layer depletion has been reported to be higher than for the reference samples.