Search results for " Sustainability and the Environment"
showing 10 items of 1854 documents
Study of the Chemical Conversion of Aluminum Alloys by Coupling CFDE and EQCM
2004
The ability of the channel flow double electrode (CFDE) technique and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) for studying in situ chromate phosphate conversion coating on 5182 aluminum alloys was explored. It was first demonstrated that aqueous Cr(VI) can be analyzed quantitatively with the CFDE technique by reduction into Cr(III) on a graphite electrode. Samples used for EQCM were quartz plated by physical vapor deposition using a 5182 alloy target, allowing thin layers of aluminum alloys with a similar chemical composition to be obtained. EQCM was adapted in order to account for the hydrodynamic conditions in an industrial process, by placing the quartz in a flow cell. In orde…
Effect of Anions and Oxygen on the Kinetics of the Anodic Dissolution of Nickel
2006
An electrochemical impedance spectroscopy study on electrochemical dissolution and active/passive transition of polycrystalline nickel in acid media has been performed in sulfate and nitrate aqueous solutions. Oxygen favors the nickel electrodissolution in a nitrate aqueous acid medium, but the dissolution decreases in the sulfate medium due to nickel passivation. The anion and oxygen effect is analyzed from a model where Ni(I) species are stabilized on the Ni metal surface and all anions present in the solution compete in the neutralization of Ni(I) and Ni(II) and in the solubilization of Ni(II).
Sorption characteristics of heavy metal ions by a natural zeolite
2005
Zeolites have been shown to be effective adsorbents for the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions. A natural material from Cuba, containing zeolite, has been used for the removal of several metal ions, namely Cu2+, Zn2+, and Ni2+, to evaluate its potential use as a low-cost adsorbent. Batch experiments have been conducted to evaluate the process kinetics and the removal equilibrium at different pH values, metal and zeolite concentrations. Pseudo-second order kinetics and Freundlich equilibrium parameters have been obtained. Results suggested that this natural zeolite has a high potential for heavy metal retention. The selectivity of the studied metals was determined as Cu2+ ≫ Zn2+ …
Ionic liquids versus amine solutions in biogas upgrading: the level of volatile organic compounds
2013
Background: This article provides information related to the occurrence of volatile organic compounds before and after biogas purification, by means of both aqueous amine solutions and ionic liquids. Results & discussion: Encouraging results were obtained. Under the experimental conditions, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ionic liquid appeared to perform at least two-times better than aqueous amines solutions, since it captured 65 wt% of the identified volatile organic compounds, while aqueous amine solutions retained around 35 wt% only. However, in the case of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane and dichlorobenzene, aqueous amine solutions rendered better purification performance and diminish…
Evaluation of biosorbents for Cu removal from wastewater in the presence of EDTA
2007
BACKGROUND: This paper evaluates the use of several biosorbents for Cu removal from aqueous solutions in the absence and presence of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). The objective was to determine the applicability of the sorption process after conventional physicochemical wastewater treatment, or as primary treatment, replacing the physicochemical process. RESULTS: Fixed-bed experiments were performed at Cu influent concentrations of 2 and 20 mg dm−3 and EDTA doses between 0 and 10 mg dm−3. At low Cu concentration without EDTA, Cu uptake capacity followed the order Posidonia oceanica > chitosan > chitin > Scharlau AC > Darco AC, with a maximum, at C/C0 = 0.2, of 23.2 mg g−1. In the …
A calcined clay fixed bed adsorption studies for the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions
2021
Abstract A natural clay material from southern Tunisia was used as a low cost sorbent in a column-wise removal of metal pollutants. This is fundamentally important for a sustainable wastewater treatment strategy. This work has been performed within the framework of a project aiming to the valorization of natural geomaterials, from Tunisia, in several environmental applications. Column adsorption experiments were carried out for a better production of cleaner effluents and further understanding of the main mechanisms involved in the removal process, through a dynamic methodology, that would allow an industrial scale treatment. A calcined clay sample was used as an adsorbent for the removal o…
Photocatalytic formation of H2 and value-added chemicals in aqueous glucose (Pt)-TiO2 suspension
2016
Abstract Commercial and home prepared bare and Pt-supported TiO2 samples were used as the photocatalysts for the aqueous photo-conversion of glucose at ambient pressure and temperature. Aerobic and anaerobic conditions were used to study the products of glucose degradation both in the liquid (arabinose, erythrose, gluconic acid, glucaric acid, fructose and formic acid) and gaseous (H2 and CO2) phases. The distribution of these molecules was different in the presence of the various powders, depending on the structural and physico-chemical properties of the materials, and Pt resulted essential for the anaerobic production of H2. The home prepared samples resulted more active than the commerci…
Archaeogenetics and Landscape Dynamics in Sicily during the Holocene: A Review
2021
The Mediterranean islands and their population history are of considerable importance to the interpretation of the population history of Europe as a whole. In this context, Sicily, because of its geographic position, represents a bridge between Africa, the Near East, and Europe that led to the stratification of settlements and admixture events. The genetic analysis of extant and ancient human samples has tried to reconstruct the population dynamics associated with the cultural and demographic changes that took place during the prehistory and history of Sicily. In turn, genetic, demographic and cultural changes need to be understood in the context of the environmental changes that took place…
From Historical Silk Fabrics to Their Interactive Virtual Representation and 3D Printing
2020
The documentation, dissemination, and enhancement of Cultural Heritage is of great relevance. To that end, technological tools and interactive solutions (e.g., 3D models) have become increasingly popular. Historical silk fabrics are nearly flat objects, very fragile and with complex internal geometries, related to different weaving techniques and types of yarns. These characteristics make it difficult to properly document them, at the yarn level, with current technologies. In this paper, we bring a new methodology to virtually represent such heritage and produce 3D printouts, also making it highly interactive through the tool Virtual Loom. Our work involves sustainability from different per…
Energy savings for indoor lighting in a shopping mall: A case of study
2018
The paper presents an application of energy saving in the final users. In particular, the case of study evaluates the energy consumptions of a big shopping mall, located in the middle part of Italy, illuminated by fluorescent lamps. In order to reduce the energy demand, the case of study shows a first solution based on LED lamps; a second step considers the adding of a building automation system, maximizing the energy saving, thanks lighting sensors that module the luminous flux taking in count of natural lighting through skylights.