Search results for " Chemical engineering"
showing 10 items of 2965 documents
Methodologies for feasibility studies related to wastewater reclamation and reuse projects
2006
Abstract About 20% of the total surface water in Europe is strongly threatened due to pollution problems, and 60% of European cities over-exploit their groundwater resources. The European Framework Water Directive established that by the year 2015 “a good ecological state” of all European water resources and a sustainable use of water must be achieved. Wastewater reuse presents a promising solution to the growing pressure on Europe's water resources. However, wastewater reuse implementation in Europe faces obstacles that include insufficient public acceptance; technical, economic and hygienic risks; and lack of regulations. On the other hand, a very important aspect to implement a water reu…
Gamma-Ray-Induced Structural Transformation of GQDs towards the Improvement of Their Optical Properties, Monitoring of Selected Toxic Compounds, and …
2022
Structural modification of different carbon-based nanomaterials is often necessary to improve their morphology and optical properties, particularly the incorporation of N-atoms in graphene quantum dots (GQDs). Here, a clean, simple, one-step, and eco-friendly method for N-doping of GQDs using gamma irradiation is reported. GQDs were irradiated in the presence of the different ethylenediamine (EDA) amounts (1 g, 5 g, and 10 g) and the highest % of N was detected in the presence of 10 g. N-doped GQDs emitted strong, blue photoluminescence (PL). Photoluminescence quantum yield was increased from 1.45, as obtained for non-irradiated dots, to 7.24% for those irradiated in the presence of 1 g of …
An Overview of Functionalized Graphene Nanomaterials for Advanced Applications
2021
Interest in the development of graphene-based materials for advanced applications is growing, because of the unique features of such nanomaterials and, above all, of their outstanding versatility, which enables several functionalization pathways that lead to materials with extremely tunable properties and architectures. This review is focused on the careful examination of relationships between synthetic approaches currently used to derivatize graphene, main properties achieved, and target applications proposed. Use of functionalized graphene nanomaterials in six engineering areas (materials with enhanced mechanical and thermal performance, energy, sensors, biomedical, water treatment, and c…
Precipitation of potassium as hazenite from washing water of spent alkaline batteries
2022
Hazenite (KNaMg2(PO4)2 × 14 H2O), a new type of struvite mineral, was precipitated from the potassium-rich washing water of spent alkaline battery black mass. Hazenite can be used as a fertilizer, which would be an additional benefit derived from the sustainable recovery of battery materials. Precipitation experiments were performed using different pH values (9.5–12), Mg:K:PO4 ratios ((1.0–1.5):1:(1.0–1.5)) and temperatures (10–40 °C). Based on the results, hazenite precipitated in a wide pH range under alkaline conditions. The precipitation kinetics were fast, and the purity of the hazenite was high. Overall, hazenite can be precipitated at room temperature without the addition of excess c…
The Effect of Electric Field Configuration on the Thermo-Chemical Conversion of Straw Pellets
2020
Abstract With the aim to control and improve the thermo-chemical conversion of straw pellets, the experimental investigations of the DC electric field effect on the combustion dynamics and heat energy production were made. The electric field effect on the gasification/combustion characteristics was studied using three different positions of the positively charged electrode in flame. First, the electrode was positioned coaxially downstream the flame flow. Next, the electrode was positioned coaxially upstream the flame flow and, finally, the electrode was positioned across the downstream flow. The bias voltage of the electrode varied in the range from 0.6 up to 1.8 kV, while the ion current i…
Pigments and their solubility in and extractability by supercritical CO2 - I: the case of curcumin
2000
A specially designed high-pressure cell was used simultaneously as extractor/autoclave and photometric cell in a Perkin Elmer Lambda 5 spectrophotometer. Based on this cell, a simple method was developed to determine the extractability of pigments by pure and by modified supercritical (sc) CO2. The method is demonstrated with curcumin from turmeric. With sc CO2 modified by 10% ethanol, the extraction yield for curcumin from two commercial finely ground dry turmeric samples was about 100%, measured by reference to the (complete) extraction of samples of the same charge with pure ethanol under standard conditions. Extractable curcumin content was from 1.8 to 2.5%, with three samples of turmer…
Structural and Electrochemical Analysis of CIGS: Cr Crystalline Nanopowders and Thin Films Deposited onto ITO Substrates
2021
A new approach for the synthesis of nanopowders and thin films of CuInGaSe2 (CIGS) chalcopyrite material doped with different amounts of Cr is presented. The chalcopyrite material CuInxGa1 − xSe2 was doped using Cr to form a new doped chalcopyrite with the structure CuInxCryGa1 − x − ySe2, where x = 0.4 and y = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, or 0.3. The electrical properties of CuInx CryGa1 − x − ySe2 are highly dependent on the Cr content and results show these materials as promising dopants for the fabrication thin film solar cells. The CIGS nano-precursor powder was initially synthesized via an autoclave method, and then converted into thin films over transparent substrates. Both crystalline precursor p…
Probing the Gelation Synergies and Anti-Escherichia coli Activity of Fmoc-Phenylalanine/Graphene Oxide Hybrid Hydrogel
2023
The N-fluorenyl-9-methyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc)-protected amino acids have shown high antimicrobial application potential, among which the phenylalanine derivative (Fmoc-F) is the most well-known representative. However, the activity spectrum of Fmoc-F is restricted to Gram-positive bacteria only. The demand for efficient antimicrobial materials expanded research into graphene and its derivatives, although the reported results are somewhat controversial. Herein, we combined graphene oxide (GO) flakes with Fmoc-F amino acid to form Fmoc-F/GO hybrid hydrogel for the first time. We studied the synergistic effect of each component on gelation and assessed the material’s bactericidal activity on Gram…
¿La esquizofrenia empieza en la adolescencia?
2005
La esquizofrenia es una grave enfermedad mental que se encuentra asociada a una importante morbilidad, a diferencia de otras enfermedades, los síntomas esquizofrénicos en general no se presentan por décadas. En la mayoría de los pacientes, el inicio manifiesto de la enfermedad está precedido por los síntomas prodrómicos, que incluyen síntomas positivos, negativos, afectivos y aislamiento social. Existen diversas teorías sobre la etiopatogenia de la esquizofrenia, algunas de ellas basadas en factores genéticos, ambientales (por ejemplo, stress), disfunciones moleculares y alteraciones en el desarrollo y en la migración neuronal. Una interesante hipótesis sostiene la influencia de…
Enhanced Thin-Film Transistor Performance by Combining 13,6-N-Sulfinylacetamidopentacene with Printed PEDOT:PSS Electrodes
2011
Bottom-contact/bottom-gate organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) are fabricated using a soluble pentacene precursor (13,6-N-sulfinylacetamidopentacene; SAP) and inkjet printed PEDOT:PSS electrodes on bare SiO2 dielectrics. Saturation mobility, Ion/Ioff ratio, and threshold voltage parameters, respectively, of 0.27 cm2 V−1 s−1, 105, and −4.25 V were measured under ambient conditions after the thermal conversion of SAP to pentacene in 100 μm long channel OTFT devices. The results obtained by the above solution approach are comparable to that of vapor-phase grown pentacene-based OTFTs with photolithographic gold contacts and organic buffer layers and/or inorganic injection layers. The present …