Removal of micropollutants from aerobically treated grey water via ozone and activated carbon

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hernandez Leal, L.; Temmink, B.G.; Zeeman, G.; Buisman, C.J.N.

2011-01-01

Ozonation and adsorption onto activated carbon were tested for the removal micropollutants of personal care products from aerobically treated grey water. MilliQ water spiked with micropollutants (100–1600 µgL-1) was ozonated at a dosing rate of 1.22. In 45 min, this effectively removed (>99%):

Impact of ozonation and biological activated carbon filtration on ceramic membrane fouling.

Science.gov (United States)

Ibn Abdul Hamid, Khaled; Sanciolo, Peter; Gray, Stephen; Duke, Mikel; Muthukumaran, Shobha

2017-12-01

Ozone pre-treatment (ozonation, ozonisation) and biological activated carbon (BAC) filtration pre-treatment for the ceramic microfiltration (CMF) treatment of secondary effluent (SE) were studied. Ozone pre-treatment was found to result in higher overall removal of UV absorbance (UVA 254 ) and colour, and higher permeability than BAC pre-treatment or the combined use of ozone and BAC (O3+BAC) pre-treatment. The overall removal of colour and UVA 254 by ceramic filtration of the ozone pre-treated water was 97% and 63% respectively, compared to 86% and 48% respectively for BAC pre-treatment and 29% and 6% respectively for the untreated water. Ozone pre-treatment, however, was not effective in removal of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). The permeability of the ozone pre-treated water through the ceramic membrane was found to decrease to 50% of the original value after 200 min of operation, compared to approximately 10% of the original value for the BAC pre-treated, O3+BAC pre-treated water and the untreated water. The higher permeability of the ozone pre-treated water was attributed to the excellent removal of biopolymer particles (100%) and high removal of humic substances (84%). The inclusion of a BAC stage between ozone pre-treatment and ceramic filtration was detrimental. The O3+BAC+CMF process was found to yield higher biopolymer removal (96%), lower humic substance (HS) component removal (66%) and lower normalized permeability (0.1) after 200 min of operation than the O3+CMF process (86%, 84% and 0.5 respectively). This was tentatively attributed to the chemical oxidation effect of ozone on the BAC biofilm and adsorbed components, leading to the generation of foulants that are not generated in the O3+CMF process. This study demonstrated the potential of ozone pre-treatment for reducing organic fouling and thus improving flux for the CMF of SE compared to O3+BAC pre-treatment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Catalytic Growth of Macroscopic Carbon Nanofibers Bodies with Activated Carbon

Science.gov (United States)

Abdullah, N.; Rinaldi, A.; Muhammad, I. S.; Hamid, S. B. Abd.; Su, D. S.; Schlogl, R.

2009-06-01

Carbon-carbon composite of activated carbon and carbon nanofibers have been synthesized by growing Carbon nanofiber (CNF) on Palm shell-based Activated carbon (AC) with Ni catalyst. The composites are in an agglomerated shape due to the entanglement of the defective CNF between the AC particles forming a macroscopic body. The macroscopic size will allow the composite to be used as a stabile catalyst support and liquid adsorbent. The preparation of CNT/AC nanocarbon was initiated by pre-treating the activated carbon with nitric acid, followed by impregnation of 1 wt% loading of nickel (II) nitrate solutions in acetone. The catalyst precursor was calcined and reduced at 300° C for an hour in each step. The catalytic growth of nanocarbon in C2H4/H2 was carried out at temperature of 550° C for 2 hrs with different rotating angle in the fluidization system. SEM and N2 isotherms show the level of agglomeration which is a function of growth density and fluidization of the system. The effect of fluidization by rotating the reactor during growth with different speed give a significant impact on the agglomeration of the final CNF/AC composite and thus the amount of CNFs produced. The macrostructure body produced in this work of CNF/AC composite will have advantages in the adsorbent and catalyst support application, due to the mechanical and chemical properties of the material.

Adsorption Study of Cobalt on Treated Granular Activated Carbon

OpenAIRE

Y. V. Hete; S. B. Gholase; R. U. Khope

2012-01-01

This study is carried out for the removal of cobalt from aqueous solution using granular activated carbon in combination with p-nitro benzoic acid at temperature 25±1 °C. The adsorption isotherm of cobalt on granular activated carbon has been determined and the data fitted reasonably well to the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm for activated carbon.

Effect of pre-acclimation of granular activated carbon on microbial electrolysis cell startup and performance.

Science.gov (United States)

LaBarge, Nicole; Yilmazel, Yasemin Dilsad; Hong, Pei-Ying; Logan, Bruce E

2017-02-01

Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) can generate methane by fixing carbon dioxide without using expensive catalysts, but the impact of acclimation procedures on subsequent performance has not been investigated. Granular activated carbon (GAC) was used to pre-enrich electrotrophic methanogenic communities, as GAC has been shown to stimulate direct transfer of electrons between different microbial species. MEC startup times using pre-acclimated GAC were improved compared to controls (without pre-acclimation or without GAC), and after three fed batch cycles methane generation rates were similar (P>0.4) for GAC acclimated to hydrogen (22±9.3nmolcm -3 d -1 ), methanol (25±9.7nmolcm -3 d -1 ), and a volatile fatty acid (VFA) mix (22±11nmolcm -3 d -1 ). However, MECs started with GAC but no pre-acclimation had lower methane generation rates (13±4.1nmolcm -3 d -1 ), and MECs without GAC had the lowest rates (0.7±0.8nmolcm -3 d -1 after cycle 2). Microbes previously found in methanogenic MECs, or previously shown to be capable of exocellular electron transfer, were enriched on the GAC. Pre-acclimation using GAC is therefore a simple approach to enrich electroactive communities, improve methane generation rates, and decrease startup times in MECs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Adsorption Study of Cobalt on Treated Granular Activated Carbon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. V. Hete

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This study is carried out for the removal of cobalt from aqueous solution using granular activated carbon in combination with p-nitro benzoic acid at temperature 25±1 °C. The adsorption isotherm of cobalt on granular activated carbon has been determined and the data fitted reasonably well to the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm for activated carbon.

Adsorption of pharmaceuticals to microporous activated carbon treated with potassium hydroxide, carbon dioxide, and steam.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Heyun; Yang, Liuyan; Wan, Yuqiu; Xu, Zhaoyi; Zhu, Dongqiang

2011-01-01

Adsorption of sulfapyridine, tetracycline, and tylosin to a commercial microporous activated carbon (AC) and its potassium hydroxide (KOH)-, CO-, and steam-treated counterparts (prepared by heating at 850°C) was studied to explore efficient adsorbents for the removal of selected pharmaceuticals from water. Phenol and nitrobenzene were included as additional adsorbates, and nonporous graphite was included as a model adsorbent. The activation treatments markedly increased the specific surface area and enlarged the pore sizes of the mesopores of AC (with the strongest effects shown on the KOH-treated AC). Adsorption of large-size tetracycline and tylosin was greatly enhanced, especially for the KOH-treated AC (more than one order of magnitude), probably due to the alleviated size-exclusion effect. However, the treatments had little effect on adsorption of low-size phenol and nitrobenzene due to the predominance of micropore-filling effect in adsorption and the nearly unaffected content of small micropores causative to such effect. These hypothesized mechanisms on pore-size dependent adsorption were further tested by comparing surface area-normalized adsorption data and adsorbent pore size distributions with and without the presence of adsorbed antibiotics. The findings indicate that efficient adsorption of bulky pharmaceuticals to AC can be achieved by enlarging the adsorbent pore size through suitable activation treatments. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Characterization and organic electric-double-layer-capacitor application of KOH activated coal-tar-pitch-based carbons: Effect of carbonization temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Poo Reum; Lee, Eunji; Kwon, Soon Hyung; Jung, Ji Chul; Kim, Myung-Soo

2015-12-01

The present study reports the influence of pre-carbonization on the properties of KOH-activated coal tar pitch (CTP). The change of crystallinity and pore structure of pre-carbonized CTPs as well as their activated carbons (ACs) as function of pre-carbonization temperature are investigated. The crystallinity of pre-carbonized CTPs increases with increasing the carbonization temperature up to 600 °C, but a disorder occurs during the carbonization around 700 °C and an order happens gradually with increasing the carbonization temperatures in range of 800-1000 °C. The CTPs pre-carbonized at high temperatures are more difficult to be activated with KOH than those pre-carbonized at low temperatures due to the increase of micro-crystalline size and the decrease of surface functional groups. The micro-pores and meso-pores are well developed at around 1.0 nm and 2.4 nm, respectively, as the ACs are pre-carbonized at temperatures of 500-600 °C, exhibiting high specific capacitances as electrode materials for electric double layer capacitor (EDLC). Although the specific surface area (SSA) and pore volume of ACs pre-carbonized at temperatures of 900-1000 °C are extraordinary low (non-porous) as compared to those of AC pre-carbonized at 600 °C, their specific capacitances are comparable to each other. The large specific capacitances with low SSA ACs can be attributed to the structural change resulting from the electrochemical activation during the 1st charge above 2.0 V.

Effect of pre-acclimation of granular activated carbon on microbial electrolysis cell startup and performance

KAUST Repository

LaBarge, Nicole

2016-09-09

Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) can generate methane by fixing carbon dioxide without using expensive catalysts, but the impact of acclimation procedures on subsequent performance has not been investigated. Granular activated carbon (GAC) was used to pre-enrich electrotrophic methanogenic communities, as GAC has been shown to stimulate direct transfer of electrons between different microbial species. MEC startup times using pre-acclimated GAC were improved compared to controls (without pre-acclimation or without GAC), and after three fed batch cycles methane generation rates were similar (P > 0.4) for GAC acclimated to hydrogen (22 ± 9.3 nmol cm− 3 d− 1), methanol (25 ± 9.7 nmol cm− 3 d− 1), and a volatile fatty acid (VFA) mix (22 ± 11 nmol cm− 3 d− 1). However, MECs started with GAC but no pre-acclimation had lower methane generation rates (13 ± 4.1 nmol cm− 3 d− 1), and MECs without GAC had the lowest rates (0.7 ± 0.8 nmol cm− 3 d− 1 after cycle 2). Microbes previously found in methanogenic MECs, or previously shown to be capable of exocellular electron transfer, were enriched on the GAC. Pre-acclimation using GAC is therefore a simple approach to enrich electroactive communities, improve methane generation rates, and decrease startup times in MECs. © 2016 Elsevier B.V.

Activated carbon material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, A.G.

1978-01-01

Activated carbon particles for use as iodine trapping material are impregnated with a mixture of selected iodine and potassium compounds to improve the iodine retention properties of the carbon. The I/K ratio is maintained at less than about 1 and the pH is maintained at above about 8.0. The iodine retention of activated carbon previously treated with or coimpregnated with triethylenediamine can also be improved by this technique. Suitable flame retardants can be added to raise the ignition temperature of the carbon to acceptable standards

High-performance oxygen reduction catalysts in both alkaline and acidic fuel cells based on pre-treating carbon material and iron precursor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Ping; Barkholtz, Heather M.; Wang, Ying; Xu, Weilin; Liu, Dijia; Zhuang, Lin

2017-12-01

We demonstrate a new and simple method for pre-treating the carbon material and iron precursor to prepare oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts, which can produce super-high performance and stability in alkaline solution, with high performance in acid solution. This strategy using cheap materials is simply controllable. Moreover, it has achieved smaller uniform nanoparticles to exhibit high stability, and the synergetic effect of Fe and N offered much higher performance in ORR than commercial Pt/C, with high maximum power density in alkaline and acid fuel cell test. So it can make this kind of catalysts be the most promising alternatives of Pt-based catalysts with best performance/price.

Treatment of aqueous phase of bio-oil by granular activated carbon and evaluation of biogas production.

Science.gov (United States)

Shanmugam, Saravanan R; Adhikari, Sushil; Wang, Zhouhang; Shakya, Rajdeep

2017-01-01

Hydrothermal liquefaction of wet biomass such as algae is a promising thermochemical process for the production of bio-oil. Bio-oil aqueous phase generated during liquefaction process is rich in complex organics and can be utilized for biogas production following its pre-treatment with granular activated carbon. In our study, use of 30% activated carbon resulted in higher chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction (53±0.3%) from aqueous phase. Higher CH 4 production (84±12mL/gCOD) was also observed in 30% carbon-treated aqueous phase fed cultures, whereas only 32±6mLCH 4 /gCOD was observed in control (non-carbon treated) cultures. The results from this study indicate that almost 67±0.3% initial COD of aqueous phase can be reduced using a combination of both carbon treatment and biogas production. This study shows that aqueous phase can be utilized for CH 4 production. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adsorption of phenol on metal treated by granular activated carbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Kwang Cheol; Kwon, Soo Han; Kim, Seung Soo; Baik, Min Hoon; Choi, Jong Won; Kim, Jin Won

2007-01-01

In this study, the effect of metal treatment on Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) was investigated in the context of phenol adsorption. Cobalt(II) nitrate, and zinc(II) nitrate solution were used for metal treated. The specific surface area and the pore structure were evaluated from nitrogen adsorption data at 77 K. The phenol adsorption rates onto GAC were measured by UV-Vis spectrophotometer. Iodine adsorption capacity of Co-GAC is much better then that of the GAC. The Co-GAC with mesopore is more efficient than other adsorbents for the adsorption of polymer such as methyleneblue. The adsorption capacity of reference-GAC and metal-GAC were increased in order of Co-GAC>Zn-GAC>Reference-GAC, in spite of a decrease in specific surface area which was resulted from pore blocking by metal

Biological activation of carbon filters.

Science.gov (United States)

Seredyńska-Sobecka, Bozena; Tomaszewska, Maria; Janus, Magdalena; Morawski, Antoni W

2006-01-01

To prepare biological activated carbon (BAC), raw surface water was circulated through granular activated carbon (GAC) beds. Biological activity of carbon filters was initiated after about 6 months of filter operation and was confirmed by two methods: measurement of the amount of biomass attached to the carbon and by the fluorescein diacetate (FDA) test. The effect of carbon pre-washing on WG-12 carbon properties was also studied. For this purpose, the nitrogen adsorption isotherms at 77K and Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectra analyses were performed. Moreover, iodine number, decolorizing power and adsorption properties of carbon in relation to phenol were studied. Analysis of the results revealed that after WG-12 carbon pre-washing its BET surface increased a little, the pH value of the carbon water extract decreased from 11.0 to 9.4, decolorizing power remained at the same level, and the iodine number and phenol adsorption rate increased. In preliminary studies of the ozonation-biofiltration process, a model phenol solution with concentration of approximately 10mg/l was applied. During the ozonation process a dose of 1.64 mg O(3)/mg TOC (total organic carbon) was employed and the contact time was 5 min. Four empty bed contact times (EBCTs) in the range of 2.4-24.0 min were used in the biofiltration experiment. The effectiveness of purification was measured by the following parameters: chemical oxygen demand (COD(Mn)), TOC, phenol concentration and UV(254)-absorbance. The parameters were found to decrease with EBCT.

Reuse of spent granular activated carbon for organic micro-pollutant removal from treated wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Jingyi; Shang, Ran; Heijman, Bas; Rietveld, Luuk

2015-09-01

Spent granular activated carbons (sGACs) for drinking water treatments were reused via pulverizing as low-cost adsorbents for micro-pollutant adsorption from a secondary treated wastewater effluent. The changes of physicochemical characteristics of the spent carbons in relation to the fresh carbons were determined and were correlated to the molecular properties of the respective GAC influents (i.e. a surface water and a groundwater). Pore size distribution analysis showed that the carbon pore volume decreased over a wider size range due to preloading by surface water, which contains a broader molecular weight distribution of organic matter in contrast to the groundwater. However, there was still considerable capacity available on the pulverized sGACs for atrazine adsorption in demineralized water and secondary effluent, and this was particularly the case for the groundwater spent GAC. However, as compared to the fresh counterparts, the decreased surface area and the induced surface acidic groups on the pulverized sGACs contributed both to the lower uptake and the more impeded adsorption kinetic of atrazine in the demineralized water. Nonetheless, the pulverized sGACs, especially the one preloaded by surface water, was less susceptible to adsorption competition in the secondary effluent, due to its negatively charged surface which can repulse the accessibility of the co-present organic matter. This suggests the reusability of the drinking water spent GACs for micro-pollutant adsorption in the treated wastewater. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reuse performance of granular-activated carbon and activated carbon fiber in catalyzed peroxymonosulfate oxidation.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Shiying; Li, Lei; Xiao, Tuo; Zhang, Jun; Shao, Xueting

2017-03-01

Recently, activated carbon was investigated as an efficient heterogeneous metal-free catalyst to directly activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for degradation of organic compounds. In this paper, the reuse performance and the possible deactivation reasons of granular-activated carbon (GAC) and activated carbon fiber (ACF) in PMS activation were investigated. As results indicated, the reusability of GAC, especially in the presence of high PMS dosage, was relatively superior to ACF in catalyzed PMS oxidation of Acid Orange 7 (AO7), which is much more easily adsorbed by ACF than by GAC. Pre-oxidation experiments were studied and it was demonstrated that PMS oxidation on ACF would retard ACF's deactivation to a big extent. After pre-adsorption with AO7, the catalytic ability of both GAC and ACF evidently diminished. However, when methanol was employed to extract the AO7-spent ACF, the catalytic ability could recover quite a bit. GAC and ACF could also effectively catalyze PMS to degrade Reactive Black 5 (RB5), which is very difficult to be adsorbed even by ACF, but both GAC and ACF have poor reuse performance for RB5 degradation. The original organic compounds or intermediate products adsorbed by GAC or ACF would be possibly responsible for the deactivation.

Toxicity of granular activated carbon treated coal gasification water as determined by the Microtox test and Escherichia coli.

Science.gov (United States)

Makino, Y; Adams, J C; McTernan, W F

1986-01-01

The Microtox assay and various parameters (growth, ATP concentration and electrochemical detection) of Escherichia coli were used to assess the toxicity of various levels of granular activated carbon treated coal gasification process water. The generation time of E. coli was statistically significantly slower at the level of 50 percent treatment than any other level of treatment. No differences were seen for ATP concentration per cell or in the electrochemical detection methods for any level treatment. There was a very high correlation between total organic carbon removal by GAC treatment and reduction in toxicity as measured by the Microtox system. However, even the treated water which had 91 percent of the TOC removed was still highly toxic.

Ammonia modification of activated carbon to enhance carbon dioxide adsorption: Effect of pre-oxidation

Science.gov (United States)

Shafeeyan, Mohammad Saleh; Daud, Wan Mohd Ashri Wan; Houshmand, Amirhossein; Arami-Niya, Arash

2011-02-01

A commercial granular activated carbon (GAC) was subjected to thermal treatment with ammonia for obtaining an efficient carbon dioxide (CO2) adsorbent. In general, CO2 adsorption capacity of activated carbon can be increased by introduction of basic nitrogen functionalities onto the carbon surface. In this work, the effect of oxygen surface groups before introduction of basic nitrogen functionalities to the carbon surface on CO2 adsorption capacity was investigated. For this purpose two different approaches of ammonia treatment without preliminary oxidation and amination of oxidized samples were studied. Modified carbons were characterized by elemental analysis and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) to study the impact of changes in surface chemistry and formation of specific surface groups on adsorption properties. The texture of the samples was characterized by conducting N2 adsorption/desorption at -196 °C. CO2 capture performance of the samples was investigated using a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). It was found that in both modification techniques, the presence of nitrogen functionalities on carbon surface generally increased the CO2 adsorption capacity. The results indicated that oxidation followed by high temperature ammonia treatment (800 °C) considerably enhanced the CO2 uptake at higher temperatures.

Model evaluation of temperature dependency for carbon and nitrogen removal in a full-scale activated sludge plant treating leather-tanning wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Görgün, Erdem; Insel, Güçlü; Artan, Nazik; Orhon, Derin

2007-05-01

Organic carbon and nitrogen removal performance of a full-scale activated sludge plant treating pre-settled leather tanning wastewater was evaluated under dynamic process temperatures. Emphasis was placed upon observed nitrogen removal depicting a highly variable magnitude with changing process temperatures. As the plant was not specifically designed for this purpose, observed nitrogen removal could be largely attributed to simultaneous nitrification and denitrification presumably occurring at increased process temperatures (T>25 degrees C) and resulting low dissolved oxygen levels (DO<0.5 mgO2/L). Model evaluation using long-term data revealed that the yearly performance of activated sludge reactor could be successfully calibrated by means of temperature dependent parameters associated with nitrification, hydrolysis, ammonification and endogenous decay parameters. In this context, the Arrhenius coefficients of (i) for the maximum autotrophic growth rate, [image omitted]A, (ii) maximum hydrolysis rate, khs and (iii) endogenous heterotrophic decay rate, bH were found to be 1.045, 1.070 and 1.035, respectively. The ammonification rate (ka) defining the degradation of soluble organic nitrogen could not be characterized however via an Arrhenius-type equation.

In vitro adsorption study of fluoxetine in activated carbons and activated carbon fibres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nabais, J.M. Valente; Mouquinho, A.; Galacho, C.; Carrott, P.J.M.; Ribeiro Carrott, M.M.L. [Centro de Quimica de Evora e Departamento de Quimica da Universidade de Evora, Rua Romao Ramalho no. 59, 7000-671 Evora (Portugal)

2008-05-15

We study the in vitro adsorption of fluoxetine hydrochloride by different adsorbents in simulated gastric and intestinal fluid, pH 1.2 and 7.5, respectively. The tested materials were two commercial activated carbons, carbomix and maxsorb MSC30, one activated carbon fibre produced in our laboratory and also three MCM-41 samples, also produced by us. Selected samples were modified by liquid phase oxidation and thermal treatment in order to change the surface chemistry without significant modifications to the porous characteristics. The fluoxetine adsorption follows the Langmuir model. The calculated Q{sub 0} values range from 54 to 1112 mg/g. A different adsorption mechanism was found for the adsorption of fluoxetine in activated carbon fibres and activated carbons. In the first case the most relevant factors are the molecular sieving effect and the dispersive interactions whereas in the activated carbons the mechanism seams to be based on the electrostatic interactions between the fluoxetine molecules and the charged carbon surface. Despite the different behaviours most of the materials tested have potential for treating potential fluoxetine intoxications. (author)

Acrylamide generation in pre-treated potato chips

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedreschi, Franco; Kaack, Karl; Granby, Kit

2008-01-01

Acrylamide formation in potato slices fried at two different temperatures ( 170 and 190 degrees C) was investigated under different pre-processing conditions. Potato slices (Saturna variety, diameter: 37 mm, width: 2.2 mm) were either fried at 170 degrees C per 5 min or 190 degrees C per 3.5 min...... to reach a final moisture content of 1.8 g water/100g ( wet basis). Prior to frying, potato slices were treated in one of the following ways: (i) Raw slices without any pre-treatment were considered as the control; (ii) Blanching: which was accomplished in 2 temperature-time combinations: 60 degrees C....... Acrylamide content in potato chips was determined after frying at 170 or 190 degrees C. Frying at 190 degrees C increased by almost 130 percent the acrylamide content of all the pre-treated samples ( average value) fried at 170 degrees C. Soaking of blanched potato slices in the 3 g/100 g of NaCl solution...

Efficiency of chitosan (Poly-[D] Glucosamine as natural organic coagulant in pre-treatment of active carbon effluent in Panacan, Davao City

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rezel A. Cinco

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The utilization of environmental friendly coagulant is widened which can be proposed as an imperative option for water treatment. In this study, the efficiency of Chitosan, a natural organic coagulant in pre-treating Active Carbon Effluent (ACE as alternative to conventional metal based coagulants in terms of Turbidity (T, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD and Total Suspended Solid (TSS was evaluated. Collection of effluent for testing was conducted at the Philippine – Japan Active Carbon Corporation, Panacan, Davao City, Philippines. Chitosan (Deacetylated chitin; Poly- [1- 4] – β- glucosamine was obtained from Qingdao Develop Chemistry Co., Ltd., China. Suspensions added with experimental coagulant dosages (0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 5.0 and 10.0 mgL-1 were made by sediment mixer maintained at pH 5 and analyzed with the following parameters: Total Suspended Solid (TSS, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD and Turbidity (T. The efficiency of the chitosan coagulation was found to be high in terms of turbidity (99.2%, Chemical Oxygen Demand (97.2% in 5 mg/L dose of chitosan and Total Suspended Solid (99.15% in 10 mg/L dose of chitosan. It can be concluded that Chitosan is an effective coagulant which can significantly reduce the level of turbidity, COD and TSS. A further study with different types of effluent and higher Chitosan doses are needed for recommending it for practical application as a natural organic coagulant.

Single-wall carbon nanohorns inhibited activation of microglia induced by lipopolysaccharide through blocking of Sirt3

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Lihong; Zhang, Jinqian; Yang, Yang; Wang, Qiang; Gao, Li; Yang, Yanlong; Chang, Tao; Zhang, Xingye; Xiang, Guoan; Cao, Yongmei; Shi, Zujin; Zhao, Ming; Gao, Guodong

2013-02-01

Single-wall carbon nanohorns (SWNHs) have been demonstrated to accumulate in cytotoxic levels within organs of various animal models and cell types, which emerge as a wide range of promising biomedical imaging. Septic encephalopathy (SE) is an early sign of sepsis and associated with an increased rate of morbidity and mortality. Microglia activation plays an important role in neuroinflammation, which contributes to neuronal damage. Inhibition of microglia activation may have therapeutic benefits, which can alleviate the progression of neurodegeneration. Therefore, we investigated the functional changes of mice microglia cell lines pre-treated with or without lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced by SWNHs. To address this question, the research about direct role of SWNHs on the growth, proliferation, and apoptosis of microglia cell lines in mice (N9 and BV2) pre-treated with or without LPS had been performed. Our results indicate that the particle diameter of SWNHs in water is between 342 to 712 nm. The images in scanning electron microscope showed that SWNHs on polystyrene surface are individual particles. LPS induced activation of mice microglia, promoted its growth and proliferation, and inhibited its apoptosis. SWNHs inhibited proliferation, delayed mitotic entry, and promoted apoptosis of mice microglia cells. The effects followed gradually increasing cultured time and concentrations of SWNHs, especially in cells pre-treated with LPS. SWNHs induced a significantly increase in G1 phase and inhibition of S phase of mice microglia cells in a dose-manner dependent of SWNHs, especially in cells pre-treated with LPS. The transmission electron microscope images showed that individual spherical SWNH particles smaller than 100 nm in diameters were localized inside lysosomes of mice microglia cells. SWNHs inhibited mitotic entry, growth and proliferation of mice microglia cells, and promoted its apoptosis, especially in cells pre-treated with LPS. SWNHs inhibited expression

Hepatoprotective activity of Eugenia jambolana Lam. in carbon tetrachloride treated rats

Science.gov (United States)

Sisodia, S.S.; Bhatnagar, M.

2009-01-01

Objective: To estimate the hepatoprotective effects of the methanolic seed extract of Eugenia jambolana Lam. (Myrtaceae), in Wistar albino rats treated with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Materials and Methods: Liver damage in rats treated with CCl4 (1ml/kg/Bw, administered subcutaneously, on alternate days for one week) was studied by assessing parameters such as serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), acid phosphatase (ACP) and bilirubin (total and direct). The effect of co-administration of Eugenia jambolana Lam. (doses 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg p. o.) on the above parameters was investigated. These biochemical observations were supplemented by weight and histological examination of liver sections. Liv.52® was used as positive control. Data were analyzed by one way ANOVA, followed by Scheff's/Dunnett's test. Results: Administration of Eugenia jambolana Lam. (doses 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg p. o.) significantly prevented carbon tetrachloride induced elevation of serum SGOT, SGPT, ALP, ACP and bilirubin (total and direct) level. Histological examination of the liver section revealed hepatic regeneration, after administration of various doses of Eugenia jambolana Lam. The results were comparable to that of Liv.52®. Conclusion: The study suggests preventive action of Eugenia jambolana Lam. in carbon tetrachloride induced liver toxicity. Hepatic cell regeneration process was dose dependent. PMID:20177577

Volumetric and superficial characterization of carbon activated

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carrera G, L.M.; Garcia S, I.; Jimenez B, J.; Solache R, M.; Lopez M, B.; Bulbulian G, S.; Olguin G, M.T.

2000-01-01

The activated carbon is the resultant material of the calcination process of natural carbonated materials as coconut shells or olive little bones. It is an excellent adsorbent of diluted substances, so much in colloidal form, as in particles form. Those substances are attracted and retained by the carbon surface. In this work is make the volumetric and superficial characterization of activated carbon treated thermically (300 Centigrade) in function of the grain size average. (Author)

Comparison of Novel Carboneous Structures to Treat Nitroaromatic Impacted Water

Science.gov (United States)

2015-12-01

Perfluorinated Compounds from Groundwater using Granular Activated Carbon. University of Colorado. Li, L., Quinlivan, P. A, and Knappe, D. R. U. (2002...and Owens, G. (2009). "Kinetics and thermodynamics of sorption of nitroaromatic compounds to as-grown and oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes...used as adsorbents to treat water contaminated by a model nitroaromatic compound , 2,4- dinitrotoluene (DNT). The DNT adsorption capacity of pristine

Adsorption of benzene and toluene from aqueous solutions onto activated carbon and its acid and heat treated forms: influence of surface chemistry on adsorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Wibowo, N; Setyadhi, L; Wibowo, D; Setiawan, J; Ismadji, S

2007-07-19

The influence of surface chemistry and solution pH on the adsorption of benzene and toluene on activated carbon and its acid and heat treated forms were studied. A commercial coal-based activated carbon F-400 was chosen as carbon parent. The carbon samples were obtained by modification of F-400 by means of chemical treatment with HNO3 and thermal treatment under nitrogen flow. The treatment with nitric acid caused the introduction of a significant number of oxygenated acidic surface groups onto the carbon surface, while the heat treatment increases the basicity of carbon. The pore characteristics were not significantly changed after these modifications. The dispersive interactions are the most important factor in this adsorption process. Activated carbon with low oxygenated acidic surface groups (F-400Tox) has the best adsorption capacity.

Behavioral and neurochemical responses to 8-OH-DPAT in restrained and unrestrained animals treated with lithium carbonate in drinking water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naz, H.; Haleem, D.J.

2012-01-01

Lithium has been suggested for mood disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. Its ability to increase the gray matter and provision of protection against neuronal death makes it tempting to be marketed as brain food. Moreover it also ameliorates the effects of stress on brain dendrites; however lithium has a narrow therapeutic range. Brain serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmission may mediate the actions of lithium. Preclinical studies have shown that single restraint stress produces behavioral and neurochemical deficits. The present study was designed to investigate a potential role of Lithium in attenuation of stress induced behavioral and neurochemical deficits in rats. Moreover the study also monitored the esponsiveness of pre and post synaptic serotonin 1 A receptor following restraint and administration of lithium carbonate. Pre stress behavioral activities were monitored after 15 and 30 days of consumption of 0.1% lithium carbonate in drinking water while post stress were monitored on day 31. Pre and post synaptic 5-HT -1 A responsiveness was monitored by injecting 0.25mg/ml/kg of 8-OH-DPAT. Although lithium produced hypo activity but attenuated stress induced behavioral deficits. Whole brain neurochemical analysis revealed that its administration increased tryptophan, 5-HT and 5-Hydroindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA). 8-OH-DPAT elicited hyperactivity and fore paw treading were enhanced in lithium treated rats. Lithium induced pre synaptic changes together with the super sensitivity of post synaptic receptors may be able to produce antidepressant effect. (author)

Evaluation of dispersion methods for enumeration of microorganisms from peat and activated carbon biofilters treating volatile organic compounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Khammar, Nadia; Malhautier, Luc; Degrange, Valérie; Lensi, Robert; Fanlo, Jean-Louis

2004-01-01

To enumerate microorganisms having colonized biofilters treating volatile organic compounds, it is necessary firstly to evaluate dispersion methods. Crushing, shaking and sonication were then tested for the removal of microflora from biofilters packing materials (peat and activated carbon). Continuous or discontinuous procedures, and addition of glass beads had no effect on the number of microorganisms removed from peat particles. The duration of treatment also had no effect for shaking and crushing, but the number of microorganisms after 60 min of treatment with ultrasound was significantly higher than that obtained after 0.5 min. The comparison between these methods showed that crushing was the most efficient for the removal of microorganisms from both peat and activated carbon. The comparison between three chemical dispersion agents showed that 1% Na-pyrophosphate was less efficient, compared with 200 mM phosphate buffer or 1% Na-hexametaphosphate. To optimize the cultivation of microorganisms, three different agar media were compared. Tryptic soy agar tenfold diluted (TSA 1/10) was the most suitable medium for the culture of microflora from a peat biofilter. For the activated carbon biofilter, there was no significant difference between Luria Bertoni, TSA 1/10, and plate count agar. The optimized extraction and enumeration protocols were used to perform a quantitative characterization of microbial populations in an operating laboratory activated carbon biofilter and in two parallel peat biofilters.

Effects of temperature on adsorption and oxidative degradation of bisphenol A in an acid-treated iron-amended granular activated carbon

Science.gov (United States)

The present study suggests a combined adsorption and Fenton oxidation using an acid treated Fe-amended granular activated carbon (Fe-GAC) for effective removal of bisphenol A in water. When the Fe-GAC adsorbs and is saturated with BPA in water, Fenton oxidation of BPA occurs in ...

Saccharification and hydrolytic enzyme production of alkali pre-treated wheat bran by Trichoderma virens under solid state fermentation.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Shishtawy, Reda M; Mohamed, Saleh A; Asiri, Abdullah M; Gomaa, Abu-Bakr M; Ibrahim, Ibrahim H; Al-Talhi, Hasan A

2015-05-28

In continuation of our previously interest in the saccharification of agriculture wastes by Bacillus megatherium in solid state fermentation (SSF), we wish to report an investigation and comparative evaluation among Trichoderma sp. for the saccharification of four alkali-pretreated agricultural residues and production of hydrolytic enzymes, carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase), filter paperase (FPase), pectinase (PGase) and xylanase (Xylase) in SSF. The optimization of the physiological conditions of production of hydrolytic enzymes and saccharification content from Trichoderma virens using alkali-pretreated wheat bran was the last goal. The physico-chemical parameters of SSF include incubation time, incubation temperature, moisture content of the substrate, incubation pH, supplementation with carbon and nitrogen sources were optimized. Saccharification of different solid state fermentation sources wheat bran, date's seeds, grass and palm leaves, were tested for the production of fermentable sugar by Trichoderma sp. The maximum production of hydrolytic enzymes CMCase, FPase, PGase and Xylase and saccharification content were obtained on wheat bran. Time course, moisture content, optimum temperature, optimum pH, supplementation with carbon and nitrogen sources were optimized to achieve the maximum production of the hydrolytic enzymes, protein and total carbohydrate of T. virens using alkali pre-treated wheat bran. The maximum production of CMCase, FPase, PGase, Xylase, protein and carbohydrate content was recorded at 72 h of incubation, 50-70 % moisture, temperature 25-35 °C and pH 5. The influence of supplementary carbon and nitrogen sources was studied. While lactose and sucrose enhanced the activity of PGase from 79.2 to 582.9 and 632.6 U/g, starch inhibited all other enzymes. This was confirmed by maximum saccharification content. Among the nitrogen sources, yeast extract and urea enhanced the saccharification content and CMCase, PGase and Xylase. The results of

Irreversible membrane fouling abatement through pre-deposited layer of hierarchical porous carbons

KAUST Repository

Hamad, Juma

2014-11-01

In this work, dual-templated hierarchical porous carbons (HPCs), produced from a coupled ice-hard templating approach, are shown to be a highly effective solution to the commonly occurring problem of irreversible fouling of low-pressure membranes used for pre-treatment in wastewater reuse. For the first time, dual-templated HPCs, along with their respective counterparts - single-templated meso-porous carbon (MPCs) (without macropores) - are tested in terms of their fouling reduction capacity and ability to remove different effluent organic matter fractions present in wastewater and compared with a commercially available powdered activated carbon (PAC). The synthesized HPCs provided exceptional fouling abatement, a 4-fold higher fouling reduction as compared to the previously reported best performing commercial PAC and ~2.5-fold better fouling reduction than their respective mesoporous counterpart. Thus, it is shown that not only mesoporosity, but macroporosity is also necessary to achieve high fouling reduction, thus emphasizing the need for dual templating. In the case of HPCs, the pre-deposition technique is also found to outperform the traditional sorbent-feed mixing approach, mainly in terms of removal of fouling components. Based on their superior performance, a high permeability (ultra-low-pressure) membrane consisting of the synthesized HPC pre-deposited on a large pore size membrane support (0.45μm membrane), is shown to give excellent pre-treatment performance for wastewater reuse application. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

Volumetric and superficial characterization of carbon activated; Caracterizacion volumetrica y superficial de carbon activado

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carrera G, L.M.; Garcia S, I.; Jimenez B, J.; Solache R, M.; Lopez M, B.; Bulbulian G, S.; Olguin G, M.T. [Departamento de Quimica, Gerencia de Ciencias Basicas, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, A.P. 18-1027, 11801 Mexico D.F. (Mexico)

2000-07-01

The activated carbon is the resultant material of the calcination process of natural carbonated materials as coconut shells or olive little bones. It is an excellent adsorbent of diluted substances, so much in colloidal form, as in particles form. Those substances are attracted and retained by the carbon surface. In this work is make the volumetric and superficial characterization of activated carbon treated thermically (300 Centigrade) in function of the grain size average. (Author)

Evaluation on ecological stability and biodegradation of dyeing wastewater pre-treated by electron beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, M.J.; Park, C.K.; Yoo, D.H.; Lee, J.K.; Lee, B.J.; Han, B.S.; Kim, J.K.; Kim, Y.R.

2005-01-01

Biological treatment of dye wastewater pre-treated by electron beam has been performed in order to evaluate the biodegradation and ecological stability of effluent. In the process of electron-beam treatment of wastewater there are utilized chemical transformations of pollutants induced by ionizing radiation. Partial decomposition of pollutant takes place as well as transformations of pollutant molecules that result in improving subsequent purification stages like as biological processing. Dyeing wastewater contains many kind of pollutants which are difficult to be decomposed completely by microorganisms. In this study, biodegradation with dyeing wastewater pre-treated by electron beams was observed. On the other hand, consideration on public acceptance in terms of ecological stability of biological effluent pre-treated by electron beams was given in this study. The results of laboratory investigations on biodegradation and ecological stability of effluent showed that biodegradation of dye wastewater pre-treated by electron beam was enhanced compared to unirradiated one. In the initial stage of biological oxidation regardless of different HRT, dye wastewater pre-treated by electron beam could be oxidized easily compare to without treated one. More number of survived daphnia magna could be observed in the biological effluent pre-treated by electron beam. This means that biological effluent pre-treated by electron beam can be said 'it is safe on the ecological system'

Effect of Heat Treatment on the Surface Properties of Activated Carbons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meriem Belhachemi

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This work reports the effect of heat treatment on the porosity and surface chemistry of two series of activated carbons prepared from a local agricultural biomass material, date pits, by physical activation with carbon dioxide and steam. Both series samples were oxidized with nitric acid and subsequently heat treated under N2 at 973 K in order to study the effect of these treatments in porosity and surface functional groups of activated carbons. When the activated carbons were heat treated after oxidation the surface area and the pore volume increase for both activated carbons prepared by CO2 and steam activations. However the amount of surface oxygen complexes decreases, the samples keep the most stable oxygen surface groups evolved as CO by temperature-programmed desorption experiments at high temperature. The results show that date pits can be used as precursors to produce activated carbons with a well developed porosity and tailored oxygen surface groups.

[DNA quantification of blood samples pre-treated with pyramidon].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Chuan-Hong; Zheng, Dao-Li; Ni, Rao-Zhi; Wang, Hai-Sheng; Ning, Ping; Fang, Hui; Liu, Yan

2014-06-01

To study DNA quantification and STR typing of samples pre-treated with pyramidon. The blood samples of ten unrelated individuals were anticoagulated in EDTA. The blood stains were made on the filter paper. The experimental groups were divided into six groups in accordance with the storage time, 30 min, 1 h, 3 h, 6 h, 12 h and 24h after pre-treated with pyramidon. DNA was extracted by three methods: magnetic bead-based extraction, QIAcube DNA purification method and Chelex-100 method. The quantification of DNA was made by fluorescent quantitative PCR. STR typing was detected by PCR-STR fluorescent technology. In the same DNA extraction method, the sample DNA decreased gradually with times after pre-treatment with pyramidon. In the same storage time, the DNA quantification in different extraction methods had significant differences. Sixteen loci DNA typing were detected in 90.56% of samples. Pyramidon pre-treatment could cause DNA degradation, but effective STR typing can be achieved within 24 h. The magnetic bead-based extraction is the best method for STR profiling and DNA extraction.

Porphyromonas gingivalis Differentially Modulates Cell Death Profile in Ox-LDL and TNF-α Pre-Treated Endothelial Cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Isaac Maximiliano Bugueno

Full Text Available Clinical studies demonstrated a potential link between atherosclerosis and periodontitis. Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg, one of the main periodontal pathogen, has been associated to atheromatous plaque worsening. However, synergism between infection and other endothelial stressors such as oxidized-LDL or TNF-α especially on endothelial cell (EC death has not been investigated. This study aims to assess the role of Pg on EC death in an inflammatory context and to determine potential molecular pathways involved.Human umbilical vein ECs (HUVECs were infected with Pg (MOI 100 or stimulated by its lipopolysaccharide (Pg-LPS (1μg/ml for 24 to 48 hours. Cell viability was measured with AlamarBlue test, type of cell death induced was assessed using Annexin V/propidium iodide staining. mRNA expression regarding caspase-1, -3, -9, Bcl-2, Bax-1 and Apaf-1 has been evaluated with RT-qPCR. Caspases enzymatic activity and concentration of APAF-1 protein were evaluated to confirm mRNA results.Pg infection and Pg-LPS stimulation induced EC death. A cumulative effect has been observed in Ox-LDL pre-treated ECs infected or stimulated. This effect was not observed in TNF-α pre-treated cells. Pg infection promotes EC necrosis, however, in infected Ox-LDL pre-treated ECs, apoptosis was promoted. This effect was not observed in TNF-α pre-treated cells highlighting specificity of molecular pathways activated. Regarding mRNA expression, Pg increased expression of pro-apoptotic genes including caspases-1,-3,-9, Bax-1 and decreased expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2. In Ox-LDL pre-treated ECs, Pg increased significantly the expression of Apaf-1. These results were confirmed at the protein level.This study contributes to demonstrate that Pg and its Pg-LPS could exacerbate Ox-LDL and TNF-α induced endothelial injury through increase of EC death. Interestingly, molecular pathways are differentially modulated by the infection in function of the pre-stimulation.

Application of Pre-coated Microfiltration Ceramic Membrane with Powdered Activated Carbon for Natural Organic Matter Removal from Secondary Wastewater Effluent

KAUST Repository

Kurniasari, Novita

2012-12-01

Ceramic membranes offer more advantageous performances than conventional polymeric membranes. However, membrane fouling caused by Natural Organic Matters (NOM) contained in the feed water is still become a major problem for operational efficiency. A new method of ceramic membrane pre-coating with Powdered Activated Carbon (PAC), which allows extremely contact time for adsorbing aquatic contaminants, has been studied as a pre-treatment prior to ceramic microfiltration membrane. This bench scale study evaluated five different types of PAC (SA Super, G 60, KCU 6, KCU 8 and KCU 12,). The results showed that KCU 6 with larger pore size was performed better compared to other PAC when pre-coated on membrane surface. PAC pre-coating on the ceramic membrane with KCU 6 was significantly enhance NOM removal, reduced membrane fouling and improved membrane performance. Increase of total membrane resistance was suppressed to 96%. The removal of NOM components up to 92%, 58% and 56% for biopolymers, humic substances and building blocks, respectively was achieved at pre-coating dose of 30 mg/l. Adsorption was found to be the major removal mechanism of NOM. Results obtained showed that biopolymers removal are potentially correlated with enhanced membrane performance.

Characteristic of New Solid-Phase Extraction Sorbent: Activated Carbon Prepared from Rice Husks under Base Treated Condition

OpenAIRE

Afrida Kurnia Putri; Wang-Hsien Ding; Han-Wen Kuo

2012-01-01

A characterization of activated carbon (ACs) prepared from rice husks (RHs) under base treated condition as a new sorbent for solid-phase extraction (SPE) to extract 4-nonylphenol isomers (4-NPs) in water samples has been done. The ACs prepared from RHs usually exhibits low specific surface area due to its high ash content, but in case of its application for SPE, there are other factors need to be considered, such as the existence of functional groups inside the sorbent, that can enhance inte...

Symmetric Supercapacitor Electrodes from KOH Activation of Pristine, Carbonized, and Hydrothermally Treated Melia azedarach Stones.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno-Castilla, Carlos; García-Rosero, Helena; Carrasco-Marín, Francisco

2017-07-04

Waste biomass-derived activated carbons (ACs) are promising materials for supercapacitor electrodes due to their abundance and low cost. In this study, we investigated the potential use of Melia azedarach (MA) stones to prepare ACs for supercapacitors. The ash content was considerably lower in MA stones (0.7% ash) than that found in other lignocellulosic wastes. ACs were prepared by KOH activation of pristine, carbonized, and hydrothermally-treated MA stones. The morphology, composition, surface area, porosity, and surface chemistry of the ACs were determined. Electrochemical measurements were carried out in three- and two-electrode cells, 3EC and 2EC, respectively, using 1 M H₂SO₄ as the electrolyte. The highest capacitance from galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) in 2EC ranged between 232 and 240 F·g -1 at 1 A·g -1 . The maximum energy density reached was 27.4 Wh·kg -1 at a power density of 110 W·kg -1 . Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed an increase in equivalent series resistance (ESR) and charge transfer resistance (R CT ) with greater ash content. Electrochemical performance of MA stone-derived ACs was compared with that of other ACs described in the recent literature that were prepared from different biomass wastes and results showed that they are among the best ACs for supercapacitor applications.

Flexural Properties of Activated Carbon Filled Epoxy Nano composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khalil, H.P.S.A.; Khalil, H.P.S.A.; Alothman, O.Y.; Paridah, M.T.; Zainudin, E.S.

2014-01-01

Activated carbon (AC) filled epoxy nano composites obtained by mixing the desired amount of nano AC viz., bamboo stem, oil palm empty fruit bunch, and coconut shell from agricultural biomass with the epoxy resin. Flexural properties of activated carbons filled epoxy nano composites with 1 %, and 5 % filler loading were measured. In terms of flexural strength and modulus, a significant increment was observed with addition of 1 % vol and 5 % vol nano-activated carbon as compared to neat epoxy. The effect of activated carbon treated by two chemical agents (potassium hydroxide and phosphoric acid) on the flexural properties of epoxy nano composites were also investigated. Flexural strength of activated carbon-bamboo stem, activated carbon-oil palm, and activated carbon-coconut shell reinforced epoxy nano composites showed almost same value in case of 5 % potassium hydroxide activated carbon. Flexural strength of potassium hydroxide activated carbon-based epoxy nano composites was higher than phosphoric acid activated carbon. The flexural toughness of both the potassium hydroxide and phosphoric acid activated carbon reinforced composites range between 0.79 - 0.92 J. It attributed that developed activated carbon filled epoxy nano composites can be used in different applications. (author)

Pre-treating water with non-thermal plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Young I.; Fridman, Alexander; Rabinovich, Alexander; Cho, Daniel J.

2017-07-04

The present invention consists of a method of pre-treatment of adulterated water for distillation, including adulterated water produced during hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") of shale rock during natural gas drilling. In particular, the invention is directed to a method of treating adulterated water, said adulterated water having an initial level of bicarbonate ion in a range of about 250 ppm to about 5000 ppm and an initial level of calcium ion in a range of about 500 ppm to about 50,000 ppm, said method comprising contacting the adulterated water with a non-thermal arc discharge plasma to produce plasma treated water having a level of bicarbonate ion of less than about 100 ppm. Optionally, the plasma treated water may be further distilled.

Impedance spectroscopic analysis of composite electrode from activated carbon/conductive materials/ruthenium oxide for supercapacitor applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taer, E.; Awitdrus,; Farma, R. [School of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor (Malaysia); Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Riau, 28293 Pekanbaru, Riau (Indonesia); Deraman, M., E-mail: madra@ukm.my; Talib, I. A.; Ishak, M. M.; Omar, R.; Dolah, B. N. M.; Basri, N. H.; Othman, M. A. R. [School of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor (Malaysia); Kanwal, S. [ICCBS, H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, University of Karachi, 75270 Karachi (Pakistan)

2015-04-16

Activated carbon powders (ACP) were produced from the KOH treated pre-carbonized rubber wood sawdust. Different conductive materials (graphite, carbon black and carbon nanotubes (CNTs)) were added with a binder (polivinylidene fluoride (PVDF)) into ACP to improve the supercapacitive performance of the activated carbon (AC) electrodes. Symmetric supercapacitor cells, fabricated using these AC electrodes and 1 molar H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} electrolyte, were analyzed using a standard electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technique. The addition of graphite, carbon black and CNTs was found effective in reducing the cell resistance from 165 to 68, 23 and 49 Ohm respectively, and increasing the specific capacitance of the AC electrodes from 3 to 7, 17, 32 F g{sup −1} respectively. Since the addition of CNTs can produce the highest specific capacitance, CNTs were chosen as a conductive material to produce AC composite electrodes that were added with 2.5 %, 5 % and 10 % (by weight) electro-active material namely ruthenium oxide; PVDF binder and CNTs contents were kept at 5 % by weight in each AC composite produced. The highest specific capacitance of the cells obtained in this study was 86 F g{sup −1}, i.e. for the cell with the resistance of 15 Ohm and composite electrode consists of 5 % ruthenium oxide.

Carbon Dioxide Capture by Deep Eutectic Solvent Impregnated Sea Mango Activated Carbon

Science.gov (United States)

Zulkurnai, N. Z.; Ali, U. F. Md.; Ibrahim, N.; Manan, N. S. Abdul

2018-03-01

The increment amount of the CO2 emission by years has become a major concern worldwide due to the global warming issue. However, the influence modification of activated carbon (AC) has given a huge revolution in CO2 adsorption capture compare to the unmodified AC. In the present study, the Deep Eutectic Solvent (DES) modified surface AC was used for Carbon Dioxide (CO2) capture in the fixed-bed column. The AC underwent pre-carbonization and carbonization processes at 519.8 °C, respectively, with flowing of CO2 gas and then followed by impregnation with 53.75% phosphoric acid (H3PO4) at 1:2 precursor-to-activant ratios. The prepared AC known as sea mango activated carbon (SMAC) was impregnated with DES at 1:2 solid-to-liquid ratio. The DES is composing of choline chloride and urea with ratio 1:2 choline chloride to urea. The optimum adsorption capacity of SMAC was 33.46 mgco2/gsol and 39.40 mgco2/gsol for DES modified AC (DESAC).

Chemically treated carbon black waste and its potential applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dong, Pengwei; Maneerung, Thawatchai; Ng, Wei Cheng; Zhen, Xu [NUS Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, 1 Create Way, Create Tower #15-02, 138602 (Singapore); Dai, Yanjun [School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Tong, Yen Wah [NUS Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, 1 Create Way, Create Tower #15-02, 138602 (Singapore); Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, 117585 (Singapore); Ting, Yen-Peng [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, 117585 (Singapore); Koh, Shin Nuo [Sembcorp Industries Ltd., 30 Hill Street #05-04, 179360 (Singapore); Wang, Chi-Hwa, E-mail: chewch@nus.edu.sg [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, 117585 (Singapore); Neoh, Koon Gee, E-mail: chenkg@nus.edu.sg [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, 117585 (Singapore)

2017-01-05

Highlights: • Hazardous impurities separated from carbon black waste with little damage to solid. • Heavy metals were effectively removed from carbon black waste by HNO{sub 3} leaching. • Treated carbon black waste has high adsorption capacity (∼356.4 mg{sub dye}/g). • Carbon black waste was also found to show high electrical conductivity (10 S/cm). - Abstract: In this work, carbon black waste – a hazardous solid residue generated from gasification of crude oil bottom in refineries – was successfully used for making an absorbent material. However, since the carbon black waste also contains significant amounts of heavy metals (especially nickel and vanadium), chemical leaching was first used to remove these hazardous impurities from the carbon black waste. Acid leaching with nitric acid was found to be a very effective method for removal of both nickel and vanadium from the carbon black waste (i.e. up to 95% nickel and 98% vanadium were removed via treatment with 2 M nitric acid for 1 h at 20 °C), whereas alkali leaching by using NaOH under the same condition was not effective for removal of nickel (less than 10% nickel was removed). Human lung cells (MRC-5) were then used to investigate the toxicity of the carbon black waste before and after leaching. Cell viability analysis showed that the leachate from the original carbon black waste has very high toxicity, whereas the leachate from the treated samples has no significant toxicity. Finally, the efficacy of the carbon black waste treated with HNO{sub 3} as an absorbent for dye removal was investigated. This treated carbon black waste has high adsorption capacity (∼361.2 mg {sub dye}/g {sub carbonblack}), which can be attributed to its high specific surface area (∼559 m{sup 2}/g). The treated carbon black waste with its high adsorption capacity and lack of cytotoxicity is a promising adsorbent material. Moreover, the carbon black waste was found to show high electrical conductivity (ca. 10 S

Characterization of Sodium Carbonate (Na2CO3) Treated Rice Husk Activated Carbon and Adsorption of Lead from Car Battery Wastewater

Science.gov (United States)

Hanum, F.; Bani, O.; Izdiharo, A. M.

2017-03-01

The use of rice husk as adsorbent would not only reduce its disposal problems, but would also produce value-added products, such as activated carbon derived from rice husk. This study aimed to determine the optimum carbonization temperature for activated carbon production from rice husk and its adsorption performance on Pb in car battery wastewater. In this study, activated carbon was produced by carbonizing rice husk 400-600 °C for 90-150 minutes followed by chemical activation using 5% Na2CO3 and sieving to 100 meshes. Lead adsorption was measured using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Results suggested that highest carbon yield of 47.75% was obtained for carbonization at 500 °C for 150 minutes. At that condition, produced activated carbon contained 3.35% moisture, 30.86% ash, 18.04% volatile matter. The adsorption capacity was found to be 0.6007 mg lead/g adsorbent with % adsorpsi 58.08%

Adsorption of sulfur dioxide on ammonia-treated activated carbon fibers

Science.gov (United States)

Mangun, C.L.; DeBarr, J.A.; Economy, J.

2001-01-01

A series of activated carbon fibers (ACFs) and ammonia-treated ACFs prepared from phenolic fiber precursors have been studied to elucidate the role of pore size, pore volume, and pore surface chemistry on adsorption of sulfur dioxide and its catalytic conversion to sulfuric acid. As expected, the incorporation of basic functional groups into the ACFs was shown as an effective method for increasing adsorption of sulfur dioxide. The adsorption capacity for dry SO2 did not follow specific trends; however the adsorption energies calculated from the DR equation were found to increase linearly with nitrogen content for each series of ACFs. Much higher adsorption capacities were achieved for SO2 in the presence of oxygen and water due to its catalytic conversion to H2SO4. The dominant factor for increasing adsorption of SO2 from simulated flue gas for each series of fibers studied was the weight percent of basic nitrogen groups present. In addition, the adsorption energies calculated for dry SO2 were shown to be linearly related to the adsorption capacity of H2SO4 from this flue gas for all fibers. It was shown that optimization of this parameter along with the pore volume results in higher adsorption capacities for removal of SO2 from flue gases. ?? 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abundant pre-industrial carbon detected in Canadian Arctic headwaters: implications for the permafrost carbon feedback

Science.gov (United States)

Dean, J. F.; van der Velde, Y.; Garnett, M. H.; Dinsmore, K. J.; Baxter, R.; Lessels, J. S.; Smith, P.; Street, L. E.; Subke, J.-A.; Tetzlaff, D.; Washbourne, I.; Wookey, P. A.; Billett, M. F.

2018-03-01

Mobilization of soil/sediment organic carbon into inland waters constitutes a substantial, but poorly-constrained, component of the global carbon cycle. Radiocarbon (14C) analysis has proven a valuable tool in tracing the sources and fate of mobilized carbon, but aquatic 14C studies in permafrost regions rarely detect ‘old’ carbon (assimilated from the atmosphere into plants and soil prior to AD1950). The emission of greenhouse gases derived from old carbon by aquatic systems may indicate that carbon sequestered prior to AD1950 is being destabilized, thus contributing to the ‘permafrost carbon feedback’ (PCF). Here, we measure directly the 14C content of aquatic CO2, alongside dissolved organic carbon, in headwater systems of the western Canadian Arctic—the first such concurrent measurements in the Arctic. Age distribution analysis indicates that the age of mobilized aquatic carbon increased significantly during the 2014 snow-free season as the active layer deepened. This increase in age was more pronounced in DOC, rising from 101-228 years before sampling date (a 120%-125% increase) compared to CO2, which rose from 92-151 years before sampling date (a 59%-63% increase). ‘Pre-industrial’ aged carbon (assimilated prior to ~AD1750) comprised 15%-40% of the total aquatic carbon fluxes, demonstrating the prevalence of old carbon to Arctic headwaters. Although the presence of this old carbon is not necessarily indicative of a net positive PCF, we provide an approach and baseline data which can be used for future assessment of the PCF.

Pre-treatment of Used-Cooking Oil as Feed Stocks of Biodiesel Production by Using Activated Carbon and Clay Minerals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rudy Syah Putra

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Many low-cost feedstock i.e. used-cooking oil (UCO for the production of biodiesel fuel (BDF has contained a large amount of water and high proportion of free fatty acids (FFAs. Therefore, a pre-treatment process to reduce the water content (<0.1 wt.% and FFAs (<2.0 wt.% were necessary in order to avoid an undesirable side reactions, such as saponification, which could lead to serious problem of product separation and low fatty acid methyl ester (FAME yield. . In this study, a pre-treatment process of used cooking oil as a feedstock for the production of BDF by using various adsorbents such as Activated Carbon (AC and various clay minerals, for example Smectite (S, Bentonite (B, Kaolinite (K, and Powdered Earthenware (PE were evaluated. The oil obtained from pre-treatment was compared with oil without pre-treatment process. In this study, we reported a basic difference in material ability to the oil, depending on the adsorption condition with respect to the physico-chemical parameters, e.g. refractive index (R, density (ρ, FFAs, and water content (W. The results showed that the water content and FFAs in the oil has decreased when using AC as an adsorbent compared with clay minerals. However, the refractive index of oil has similar with the oil without pre-treatment process as well; meanwhile, the density of oil has increased after the pre-treatment process by using clay minerals.

Control of Pre-treatment for Carbon Nanotube Synthesis Using Proton Ion Beam Irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Y. H.; Kim, D. W.; Lee, S. M.; Kim, W. J.

2008-04-01

The carbon nanotubes are the next generation material in fuel storage system, the gas sensor, the life science sensor or the nano-size transistor, the stiffener and the heat dissipation field. For use at appropriate position in various field, it must be developed that control technique makes carbon nanotubes with high performance synthesized at appropriate location. The density of the carbon nanotube is 1 - 2g/cm3 with aluminum (2 - 3g/cm3) to be light, the elastic modulus is the level where as many of as 30 - 50 times of iron's elastic modulus and thermal conductivity is similar to the diamond, electric conductivity is high as well above the metal. Generally, many researchers have tried to synthesize the carbon nanotubes of mm length unit using the hydrogen and porous substrate, which play a role of more activating the catalyst. The proton beam which consist of H+ was able to directly inject the hydrogen into target materials such as Ni, Co, Fe as well as transfer high activation energy to them. so we were able to carry out feasibility of controlling the porosity of thin film and substrate to synthesize carbon nanotubes. The pre-treatment method of existing which is used generally heat treatment and the ammonia controls has generated island of catalyst which has increased the surface to react the hydrocarbon. However, pre-treatment method of existing caused the random nuclear creation so it was hard to control the island size of catalyst. It was not enough to understand the porous effect against synthesis of carbon nanotubes deduced from altering various substrates. In this report, it is possible investigate how hydrogen and the porous effect influence on growth of carbon nanotubes through controlling the nuclear creation of catalysts directly and the porosity of them using proton beam

Brief review: Preparation techniques of biomass based activated carbon monolith electrode for supercapacitor applications

Science.gov (United States)

Taer, Erman; Taslim, Rika

2018-02-01

The synthesis of activated carbon monolith electrode made from a biomass material using the hydrolytic pressure or the pelletization technique of pre-carbonized materials is one of standard reported methods. Several steps such as pre-carbonization, milling, chemical activation, hydraulic press, carbonization, physical activation, polishing and washing need to be accomplished in the production of electrodes by this method. This is relatively a long process that need to be simplified. In this paper we present the standard method and proceed with the introduction to several alternative methods in the synthesis of activated carbon monolith electrodes. The alternative methods were emphasized on the selection of suitable biomass materials. All of carbon electrodes prepared by different methods will be analyzed for physical and electrochemical properties. The density, degree of crystallinity, surface morphology are examples for physical study and specific capacitance was an electrochemical properties that has been analysed. This alternative method has offered a specific capacitance in the range of 10 to 171 F/g.

Symmetric Supercapacitor Electrodes from KOH Activation of Pristine, Carbonized, and Hydrothermally Treated Melia azedarach Stones

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Carlos Moreno-Castilla

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Waste biomass-derived activated carbons (ACs are promising materials for supercapacitor electrodes due to their abundance and low cost. In this study, we investigated the potential use of Melia azedarach (MA stones to prepare ACs for supercapacitors. The ash content was considerably lower in MA stones (0.7% ash than that found in other lignocellulosic wastes. ACs were prepared by KOH activation of pristine, carbonized, and hydrothermally-treated MA stones. The morphology, composition, surface area, porosity, and surface chemistry of the ACs were determined. Electrochemical measurements were carried out in three- and two-electrode cells, 3EC and 2EC, respectively, using 1 M H2SO4 as the electrolyte. The highest capacitance from galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD in 2EC ranged between 232 and 240 F·g−1 at 1 A·g−1. The maximum energy density reached was 27.4 Wh·kg−1 at a power density of 110 W·kg−1. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS revealed an increase in equivalent series resistance (ESR and charge transfer resistance (RCT with greater ash content. Electrochemical performance of MA stone-derived ACs was compared with that of other ACs described in the recent literature that were prepared from different biomass wastes and results showed that they are among the best ACs for supercapacitor applications.

Suitability of green solvent in pre treating agricultural waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Li Wan; Ngoh, Gek Cheng; Chua, Adeline Seak May

2010-01-01

Full text: Agricultural wastes such as palm oil residue, rice husk and sugarcane bagasse have been found to occupy the largest fraction in the total biomass generated in Malaysia. These residues are normally lacking of commercial values and have limited alternative uses. Since they are being generated substantially every year, their disposal has caused a serious problem to the society and the environment. Hence, it is essential to discover the potentials of converting these wastes into wealth. One of the major drawbacks which hinder their effective utilization is due to their recalcitrant nature. Thus, pretreatment is necessary in order to disrupt the complex carbohydrate structures in the substrate and improves its digestibility. The present study showed the efficiencies of various mediums namely ionic liquid, acid, alkali and water in pre treating sugarcane bagasse. The performances of these pretreatment mediums were evaluated by the reducing sugar generated after enzymatically hydrolysed the treated substrate. The results obtained were compared with the untreated sugarcane bagasse. In this study, substrate treated by ionic liquid has yielded the highest amount of reducing sugar followed by alkali treated substrate. The performance of untreated bagasse is found to be better than acid and water treated bagasse. These results showed that ionic liquid which has been identified as the green solvent can be an effective medium in pre treating the sugarcane bagasse. This finding has given a new prospect in the production of value added products from agricultural wastes. (author)

Activated carbon fibers and engineered forms from renewable resources

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Baker, Frederick S

2013-02-19

A method of producing activated carbon fibers (ACFs) includes the steps of providing a natural carbonaceous precursor fiber material, blending the carbonaceous precursor material with a chemical activation agent to form chemical agent-impregnated precursor fibers, spinning the chemical agent-impregnated precursor material into fibers, and thermally treating the chemical agent-impregnated precursor fibers. The carbonaceous precursor material is both carbonized and activated to form ACFs in a single step. The method produces ACFs exclusive of a step to isolate an intermediate carbon fiber.

Advanced biological activated carbon filter for removing pharmaceutically active compounds from treated wastewater.

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Sbardella, Luca; Comas, Joaquim; Fenu, Alessio; Rodriguez-Roda, Ignasi; Weemaes, Marjoleine

2018-04-28

Through their release of effluents, conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) represent a major pollution point sources for pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in water bodies. The combination of a biological activated carbon (BAC) filter coupled with an ultrafiltration (UF) unit was evaluated as an advanced treatment for PhACs removal at pilot scale. The BAC-UF pilot plant was monitored for one year. The biological activity of the biofilm that developed on the granular activated carbon (GAC) particles and the contribution of this biofilm to the overall removal of PhACs were evaluated. Two different phases were observed during the long-term monitoring of PhACs removal. During the first 9200 bed volumes (BV; i.e., before GAC saturation), 89, 78, 83 and 79% of beta-blockers, psychiatric drugs, antibiotics and a mix of other therapeutic groups were removed, respectively. The second phase was characterized by deterioration of the overall performances during the period between 9200 and 13,800 BV. To quantify the respective contribution of adsorption and biodegradation, a lab-scale setup was operated for four months and highlighted the essential role played by GAC in biofiltration units. Physical adsorption was indeed the main removal mechanism. Nevertheless, a significant contribution due to biological activity was detected for some PhACs. The biofilm contributed to the removal of 22, 25, 30, 32 and 35% of ciprofloxacin, bezafibrate, ofloxacin, azithromycin and sulfamethoxazole, respectively. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Activated carbons employed to remove ionic liquids from aqueous solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassan, S.; Farooq, A.; Ahmad, M.A.; Irfan, N.; Tufail, M.

2011-01-01

Imidazolium and pyridinium based ionic liquids (ILs) have been separated from aqueous solutions by adsorption using a raw Chinese activated carbon (CAC), a bleached Chinese activated carbon (BAC) and an acid treated Chinese activated carbon (AAC) as adsorbent. Adsorption isotherms data of ionic liquids on activated carbons has been obtained. The influence of both cations and anions was analyzed by studying three different ILs. The role of surface chemistry of the adsorbent was also examined using activated carbons modified by oxidative treatments. The BET surface area of activated carbons was measured by nitrogen adsorption. The results of this work indicate that activated carbon is an attractive adsorbent to remove ionic liquids from water streams. It has also been demonstrated that the adsorption of hydrophilic ionic liquids can be improved by modifying the amount and nature of oxygen groups on the activated carbon surface specially by increasing basic groups. The adsorption data for isotherms was studied at acidic, neutral and basic pH values. (author)

Hydrogen photo-evolution by Rhodopseudomonas palustris 6A using pre-treated olive mill wastewater and a synthetic medium containing sugars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pintucci, Cristina; Padovani, Giulia; Giovannelli, Alessio; Traversi, Maria Laura; Ena, Alba; Pushparaj, Benjamin; Carlozzi, Pietro

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Adsorbent matrices to convert fresh olive mill wastewater (OMW F ) in feedstock. • Dry-Azolla and granular active carbon for adsorbing polyphenols from OMW F . • Photofermentative processes for biohydrogen production. • Culture mixing by means of an impeller or a magnetic stir bar. • A 30% of dephenolised OMW containing medium suits the photofermentative process. - Abstract: Increasing costs of petroleum, associated with the escalating problems of global climate change, require always greater efforts in order to produce an energy carrier as bioH 2 . In this study, bioH 2 production using photofermentative process was investigated. Two culture broths were used: (a) a synthetic medium rich in sugars (glucose and fructose) and (b) a pre-treated fresh olive-mill wastewater (OMW F ) diluted with water (30%, v:v). The pre-treatment was carried out using two different vegetable matrices (dry-Azolla and granular active carbon) to decrease both the content of polyphenols and the dark colour of wastewater. Rhodopseudomonas palustris 6A isolated from soil spread with OMW was utilized for batch growth experiments, carried out indoors under continuous light (200 μE/m 2 /s). When synthetic medium was used, the culture mixing was performed using either (i) a magnetic stir bar, and (ii) an impeller equipped with five turbines. The latter system made it possible to increase the bioH 2 photo-evolution by 1.4 times. The specific hydrogen photo-evolution rate was 13.5 mL/g(dw)/h in the broth containing diluted OMW F and 11.8 mL/g(dw)/h in the synthetic medium containing sugars (glucose and fructose)

Oral etoposide in heavily pre-treated metastatic breast cancer: A retrospective series.

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Giannone, G; Milani, A; Ghisoni, E; Genta, S; Mittica, G; Montemurro, F; Valabrega, G

2018-04-01

Patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) can derive clinical benefit from several subsequent lines of chemotherapy. However, in heavily pre-treated patients, agents with clinical activity, a favourable side effects profile and a convenient administration modality are preferred. We retrospectively analyzed 110 patients with previously treated MBC, who received oral etoposide at the dose of 50 mg/day for 20 days in 28 days cycles, between 2003 and 2017. Because this was not a prospectively planned study, to describe the clinical performance of oral etoposide we adopted the approach suggested by Dzimitrowicz and colleagues (J Clin Oncol. 2016; 34:3511-17); Tumour Response (TR) was defined as the proportion of physician-reported clinical or imaging response; Prolonged Duration on Therapy (PDT) as the proportion of non-progressing patients whose treatment lasted more than 6 months. Furthermore, we evaluated median duration on therapy (TD) and median Overall Survival (OS) by the Kaplan Meier method. The median number of previous chemotherapy lines was 5 (range 2-8). TR, PDT, median TD and median OS were 6.4%, 18.2% 4 (range 3.5-4.5) and 10.6 (range 8.4-12.8) months respectively. Interestingly, etoposide activity was unrelated to the number of previous lines and type of metastatic involvement. Oral etoposide was well tolerated with only two patients discontinuing therapy due to toxicity. In this large, single Institution, real practice analysis oral etoposide is a valuable and safe option for pre-treated metastatic breast cancer patients and might be considered in patients failing other approaches, but still suitable for chemotherapy. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oxidation of CO and Methanol on Pd-Ni Catalysts Supported on Different Chemically-Treated Carbon Nanofibers

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Juan Carlos Calderón

2016-10-01

Full Text Available In this work, palladium-nickel nanoparticles supported on carbon nanofibers were synthesized, with metal contents close to 25 wt % and Pd:Ni atomic ratios near to 1:2. These catalysts were previously studied in order to determine their activity toward the oxygen reduction reaction. Before the deposition of metals, the carbon nanofibers were chemically treated in order to generate oxygen and nitrogen groups on their surface. Transmission electron microscopy analysis (TEM images revealed particle diameters between 3 and 4 nm, overcoming the sizes observed for the nanoparticles supported on carbon black (catalyst Pd-Ni CB 1:2. From the CO oxidation at different temperatures, the activation energy Eact for this reaction was determined. These values indicated a high tolerance of the catalysts toward the CO poisoning, especially in the case of the catalysts supported on the non-chemically treated carbon nanofibers. On the other hand, apparent activation energy Eap for the methanol oxidation was also determined finding—as a rate determining step—the COads diffusion to the OHads for the catalysts supported on carbon nanofibers. The results here presented showed that the surface functional groups only play a role in the obtaining of lower particle sizes, which is an important factor in the obtaining of low CO oxidation activation energies.

Activated carbon derived from chitosan as air cathode catalyst for high performance in microbial fuel cells

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Liu, Yi; Zhao, Yong; Li, Kexun; Wang, Zhong; Tian, Pei; Liu, Di; Yang, Tingting; Wang, Junjie

2018-02-01

Chitosan with rich of nitrogen is used as carbon precursor to synthesis activated carbon through directly heating method in this study. The obtained carbon is activated by different amount of KOH at different temperatures, and then prepared as air cathodes for microbial fuel cells. Carbon sample treated with double amount of KOH at 850 °C exhibits maximum power density (1435 ± 46 mW m-2), 1.01 times improved, which ascribes to the highest total surface area, moderate micropore and mesoporous structure and the introduction of nitrogen. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and powder resistivity state that carbon treated with double amount of KOH at 850 °C possesses lower resistance. The other electrochemical measurements demonstrate that the best kinetic activity make the above treated sample to show the best oxygen reduction reaction activity. Besides, the degree of graphitization of samples increases with the activated temperature increasing, which is tested by Raman. According to elemental analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, all chitosan samples are nitrogen-doped carbon, and high content nitrogen (pyridinic-N) improves the electrochemical activity of carbon treated with KOH at 850 °C. Thus, carbon materials derived from chitosan would be an optimized catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction in microbial fuel cell.

Unexpected cutaneous reactions in diabetic and pre diabetic patients treated with salsalate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adibi, N.; Faghihimani, E.; Mirbagher, L.; Sohrabi, H.; Toghiani, A.

2012-01-01

Objective: The most commonly reported side effects of salsalate are gastrointestinal events, and few reports are available on its cutaneous side effects. We therefore assessed cutaneous side effects among diabetic/pre-diabetic patients treated with salsalate. Methodology: In a randomized placebo-controlled trial, we evaluated cutaneous side effects in 52 diabetic and 124 pre-diabetic patients, 90 of whom received 3 g/day salsalate and 86 of whom receive a placebo for four weeks. The evaluation was carried out every week using a checklist completed by a single general practitioner. Results: The difference between the salsalate- and placebo-treated groups in overall prevalence of cutaneous reactions was not significant (26.7% versus 17.4%; P < 0.05). Side effects included urticaria (nine (10.1%) salsalate-treated versus six (6.9%) placebo-treated), rashes (five (5.5%) salsalate-treated versus three (3.4%) placebo-treated), pruritus (six (6.7%) salsalate-treated versus three (3.4%) placebo-treated), and edema (two (2.2%) salsalate-treated versus one (1.2%) placebo-treated); in addition, one (1.1%) case of erythema nodosum and one (1.1%) of vasculitis were observed in the salsalate-treated group. In the salsalate group, therapy was discontinued by the physician for three (3.3%) patients because of acute and severe vasculitis, erythema nodosum and urticaria and two (2.2%) patients stopped the treatment themselves because of mild urticaria compared with two patients who stopped using the placebo. Conclusions: Salsalate can cause several and, in some cases, severe cutaneous side effects in patients with diabetes/pre-diabetes. Because these cutaneous eruptions can raise various concerns, including patient non-compliance, greater attention should be paid to dermatological problems in patients under salsalate treatment. (author)

Dynamics of soil organic carbon and microbial activity in treated wastewater irrigated agricultural soils along soil profiles

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Jüschke, Elisabeth; Marschner, Bernd; Chen, Yona; Tarchitzky, Jorge

2010-05-01

Treated wastewater (TWW) is an important source for irrigation water in arid and semiarid regions and already serves as an important water source in Jordan, the Palestinian Territories and Israel. Reclaimed water still contains organic matter (OM) and various compounds that may effect microbial activity and soil quality (Feigin et al. 1991). Natural soil organic carbon (SOC) may be altered by interactions between these compounds and the soil microorganisms. This study evaluates the effects of TWW irrigation on the quality, dynamics and microbial transformations of natural SOC. Priming effects (PE) and SOC mineralization were determined to estimate the influence of TWW irrigation on SOC along soil profiles of agricultural soils in Israel and the Westbank. The used soil material derived from three different sampling sites allocated in Israel and The Palestinian Authority. Soil samples were taken always from TWW irrigated sites and control fields from 6 different depths (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-50, 50-70, 70-100 cm). Soil carbon content and microbiological parameters (microbial biomass, microbial activities and enzyme activities) were investigated. In several sites, subsoils (50-160 cm) from TWW irrigated plots were depleted in soil organic matter with the largest differences occurring in sites with the longest TWW irrigation history. Laboratory incubation experiments with additions of 14C-labelled compounds to the soils showed that microbial activity in freshwater irrigated soils was much more stimulated by sugars or amino acids than in TWW irrigated soils. The lack of such "priming effects" (Hamer & Marschner 2005) in the TWW irrigated soils indicates that here the microorganisms are already operating at their optimal metabolic activity due to the continuous substrate inputs with soluble organic compounds from the TWW. The fact that PE are triggered continuously due to TWW irrigation may result in a decrease of SOC over long term irrigation. Already now this could be

Activated carbons from KOH-activation of argan (Argania spinosa) seed shells as supercapacitor electrodes.

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Elmouwahidi, Abdelhakim; Zapata-Benabithe, Zulamita; Carrasco-Marín, Francisco; Moreno-Castilla, Carlos

2012-05-01

Activated carbons were prepared by KOH-activation of argan seed shells (ASS). The activated carbon with the largest surface area and most developed porosity was superficially treated to introduce oxygen and nitrogen functionalities. Activated carbons with a surface area of around 2100 m(2)/g were obtained. Electrochemical measurements were carried out with a three-electrode cell using 1M H(2)SO(4) as electrolyte and Ag/AgCl as reference electrode. The O-rich activated carbon showed the lowest capacitance (259 F/g at 125 mA/g) and the lowest capacity retention (52% at 1A/g), due to surface carboxyl groups hindering electrolyte diffusion into the pores. Conversely, the N-rich activated carbon showed the highest capacitance (355 F/g at 125 mA/g) with the highest retention (93% at 1A/g), due to its well-developed micro-mesoporosity and the pseudocapacitance effects of N functionalities. This capacitance performance was among the highest reported for other activated carbons from a large variety of biomass precursors. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fabrication of indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film with pre-treated sol coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Sung-Jei; Han, Jeong-In

2004-01-01

A new pre-treated sol-coating method to fabricate an indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film is introduced in this paper. The pre-treatment sol-coating method is to form a seed layer on the substrate before spin coating of ITO sol. The pre-treatment was carried out at room temperature in order not to damage the substrate during the pre-treatment. It is effective to enhance the formation of the ITO sol film on the substrate, owing to the seed layer. The seed layer consists of ultrafine grains, which are observed at the pre-treated substrate. For the optimal pre-treatment condition, we used pre-treatment times of 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours to observe the effect on the characteristics of ITO sol film. As a result, the lowest resistance could be achieved with a pre-treatment time of 72 hours. The optical transmittance of the ITO sol film with the pre-treatment time of 72 hours exceeded 80 % at a wavelength of 400 nm. So, an ITO sol film with good electrical and optical properties could be fabricated by using the pretreatment sol coating.

PRE-CONCENTRATION AND DETERMINATION OF HEAVY METALS ON MODIFIED ACTIVATED CARBON IN REAL SAMPLES

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F. Ahmadi

2010-06-01

Full Text Available A sensitive and simple method for the simultaneous pre-concentration of nutritionally important minerals in real samples has been reported. The method is based on the formation of metal complexes by N, N'-diacetyl-4-bromo-2, 6-di (aminomethyl phenol (DBDP loaded on activated carbon. The metals content on the complexes are then eluted using 6mL 4M HNO3, which are detected by AAS at resonance line. In this procedure, minerals such as Ni, Cu, Co, Pb Zn and Cd can be analyzed in one run by caring out the simultaneous separation and quantification of them. At optimum condition the response are linear over concentration range of for 0.03-1.1 µg mL-1 for Ni2+ , 0.03-1.0 µg mL-1 for Cu2+, 0.02-1.0 µg mL-1 for  Pb2+ , 0.02-1.0 µg mL-1 for  Co2+,0.02-1.1 µg mL-1 Zn2+ and 0.05-1.3 µg mL-1for Cd2+. The detection limits of each element are expressed as the amount of analytes in µg mL-1 giving a signal to noise ratio of 3 are equal to 2.5, 2.4, 1.6, 2.4, 1.9 and 2.1 for Ni2+ , Cu2+, Pb2+ , Co2+,Zn2+ and Cd2+. The ability of method for repeatable recovery of trace ion are 99.9, 98.7, 99.2 , 98.7, 98.5and 95.6 with R.S.D of 1.3, 1.4, 1.2, 1.4, 1.7 and 1.4 for Ni2+ , Cu2+, Pb2+ , Co2+,Zn2+ and Cd2+. The method has been successfully applied for these metals content evaluation in some real samples including natural water and vegetable.     Keywords: Heavy Metals, N, N'-diacetyl-4-bromo-2,6-di(aminomethyl phenol (DBDP, Activated Carbon

Low-temperature preparation and microwave photocatalytic activity study of TiO2-mounted activated carbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Yazi; Yang Shaogui; Hong Jun; Sun Cheng

2007-01-01

TiO 2 thin films were deposited on granular activated carbon by a dip-coating method at low temperature (373 K), using microwave radiation to enhance the crystallization of titania nanoparticles. Uniform and continuous anatase titania films were deposited on the surface of activated carbon. BET surface area of TiO 2 -mounted activated carbon (TiO 2 /AC) decreased a little in comparison with activated carbon. TiO 2 /AC possessed strong optical absorption capacity with a band gap absorption edge around 360 nm. The photocatalytic activity did not increase when the as-synthesized TiO 2 /AC was thermally treated, but was much higher than commercial P-25 in degradation of phenol by irradiation of electrodeless discharge lamps (EDLs)

Bonding effectiveness to different chemically pre-treated dental zirconia.

Science.gov (United States)

Inokoshi, Masanao; Poitevin, André; De Munck, Jan; Minakuchi, Shunsuke; Van Meerbeek, Bart

2014-09-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different chemical pre-treatments on the bond durability to dental zirconia. Fully sintered IPS e.max ZirCAD (Ivoclar Vivadent) blocks were subjected to tribochemical silica sandblasting (CoJet, 3M ESPE). The zirconia samples were additionally pre-treated using one of four zirconia primers/adhesives (Clearfil Ceramic Primer, Kuraray Noritake; Monobond Plus, Ivoclar Vivadent; Scotchbond Universal, 3M ESPE; Z-PRIME Plus, Bisco). Finally, two identically pre-treated zirconia blocks were bonded together using composite cement (RelyX Ultimate, 3M ESPE). The specimens were trimmed at the interface to a cylindrical hourglass and stored in distilled water (7 days, 37 °C), after which they were randomly tested as is or subjected to mechanical ageing involving cyclic tensile stress (10 N, 10 Hz, 10,000 cycles). Subsequently, the micro-tensile bond strength was determined, and SEM fractographic analysis performed. Weibull analysis revealed the highest Weibull scale and shape parameters for the 'Clearfil Ceramic Primer/mechanical ageing' combination. Chemical pre-treatment of CoJet (3M ESPE) sandblasted zirconia using Clearfil Ceramic Primer (Kuraray Noritake) and Monobond Plus (Ivoclar Vivadent) revealed a significantly higher bond strength than when Scotchbond Universal (3M ESPE) and Z-PRIME Plus (Bisco) were used. After ageing, Clearfil Ceramic Primer (Kuraray Noritake) revealed the most stable bond durability. Combined mechanical/chemical pre-treatment, the latter with either Clearfil Ceramic Primer (Kuraray Noritake) or Monobond Plus (Ivoclar Vivadent), resulted in the most durable bond to zirconia. As a standard procedure to durably bond zirconia to tooth tissue, the application of a combined 10-methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate/silane ceramic primer to zirconia is clinically highly recommended.

Characteristic of New Solid-Phase Extraction Sorbent: Activated Carbon Prepared from Rice Husks under Base Treated Condition

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Afrida Kurnia Putri

2012-10-01

Full Text Available A characterization of activated carbon (ACs prepared from rice husks (RHs under base treated condition as a new sorbent for solid-phase extraction (SPE to extract 4-nonylphenol isomers (4-NPs in water samples has been done. The ACs prepared from RHs usually exhibits low specific surface area due to its high ash content, but in case of its application for SPE, there are other factors need to be considered, such as the existence of functional groups inside the sorbent, that can enhance interaction of non-polar sorbent with analyte in the water matrices. In this case, silanol groups from ash content may affect the extraction efficiency for 4-NPs. The ACs made from RHs were chemically impregnated with ZnCl2 and carbonized at 800oC. To investigate the role of silica, three types of ACs were prepared, i.e., untreated ACs (AC–Si, contain silica, base treated ACs (AC–B–Si, remain some silica inside, and ACs made by base treated RHs (AC–B, no silica, the surface area obtained from these treatments were 1352 m2/g, 1666 m2/g, and 1712m2/g respectively.  ACs made by base treatment has the highest surface area (related to BET, which indicat that silica removal process promotes the formation of open pore system on ACs and enhances the surface area of ACs. However, extraction efficiency measured by GC-MS in SPE process showed the reversal trends (i.e., AC–Si= 32.08%, AC–B–Si= 82.63%, AC–B=51.78%, among them the AC–B–Si sorbent reveal the best performance in SPE process. It is indicated that although silica usually exhibits low specific surface area, but control presence of silica as a polar functional group has a positive influence in the interaction between non-polar sorbent and 4-NPs.

Enhancement of antioxidant activity of C-phycocyanin of Spirulina powder treated with supercritical fluid carbon dioxide

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Monchai Dejsungkranont

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The functionality and activity of proteins can be modified by supercritical fluid CO2 (SCFCO2. The objectives of this study were to investigate the possibility of enhanced antioxidant activity of C-phycocyanin (C-PC proteins from light-harvested Spirulina maxima powder using the SCFCO2 pretreatment and to optimize the SCFCO2 pretreatment conditions enhancing the antioxidant activity of C-PC. The Taguchi method was used to determine the optimum conditions for the SCFCO2 pretreatment. The experimental factors were the pretreatment temperature, pressure, pretreatment mode (static, dynamic and conjugated and duration. The optimal conditions of SCFCO2 pretreatment were: 60 °C, 24.13 MPa and 60 min in static batch mode. Using these pretreatment conditions, the maximum antioxidant activity of C-PC from the treated residual biomass was 410.1 μmole trolox/mg, which was 1.7-fold higher than the untreated biomass (control. The factor that most affected the antioxidant activity of C-PC was temperature (59%. A high pretreatment temperature could damage C-PC, but promoted antioxidant activity. Of note is that this work was the first to explore SCFCO2 treatment enhancing the antioxidant activity of C-PC in Spirulina sp. powder. Keywords: Antioxidant activity, C-phycocyanin, Spirulina sp., Supercritical fluid carbon dioxide pretreatment, Taguchi method

Polanyi Evaluation of Adsorptive Capacities of Commercial Activated Carbons

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Monje, Oscar; Surma, Jan M.

2017-01-01

Commercial activated carbons from Calgon (207C and OVC) and Cabot Norit (RB2 and GCA 48) were evaluated for use in spacecraft trace contaminant control filters. The Polanyi potential plots of the activated carbons were compared using to those of Barnebey-Cheney Type BD, an untreated activated carbon with similar properties as the acid-treated Barnebey-Sutcliffe Type 3032 utilized in the TCCS. Their adsorptive capacities under dry conditions were measured in a closed loop system and the sorbents were ranked for their ability to remove common VOCs found in spacecraft cabin air. This comparison suggests that these sorbents can be ranked as GCA 48 207C, OVC RB2 for the compounds evaluated.

Microstructural study of pre-treated and enzymatic hydrolyzed bamboo

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Funsho O. KOLAWOLE

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Bamboo was used as biomass feedstock which was pre-treated using dilute acid hydrolysis followed by enzymatic hydrolysis. The bamboo was mechanical ground to particle sizes 212–500µm, followed by pre-treatment with dilute sulfuric acid at a concentration of 0.5 and 1.0 (%v/v at temperatures of 25, 110, 120, 150 and 200°C with time intervals of 2 and 4 hours. Pre-hydrolyzate was later analyzed for reducing sugar using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Under the above conditions, a maximum glucose yield of 153.1 mg/g was obtained at 200°C and acid concentrations of 1% for 4 hours. Water insoluble solids obtained were subsequently hydrolyzed with Celluclast (Trichoderma reesi and β-glucosidase (Novozyme 188 for 72 hours. Optical Microscope and ESEM images of bamboo samples were obtained at various stages of pre-treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis. Result reveals a breakdown in the ligno-cellulosic structure of the bamboo during exposure to dilute acid and enzymatic hydrolysis.

The use of activated carbons for removing organic matter from groundwater

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Kaleta Jadwiga

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The article presents research results of the introduction of powdery activated carbon to the existing technological system of the groundwater treatment stations in a laboratory, pilot plant and technical scale. The aim of the research was to reduce the content of organic compounds found in the treated water, which create toxic organic chlorine compounds (THM after disinfection with chlorine. Nine types of powdery active carbons were tested in laboratory scale. The top two were selected for further study. Pilot plant scale research was carried out for the filter model using CWZ-30 and Norit Sa Super carbon. Reduction of the organic matter in relation to the existing content in the treated water reached about 30%. Research in technical scale using CWZ-30 carbon showed a lesser efficiency with respect to laboratory and pilot-plant scale studies. The organic matter decreased by 15%. Since filtration is the last process before the individual disinfection, an alternative solution is proposed, i.e. the second stage of filtration with a granular activated carbon bed, operating in combined sorption and biodegradation processes. The results of tests carried out in pilot scale were fully satisfactory with the effectiveness of 70–100%.

Thief carbon catalyst for oxidation of mercury in effluent stream

Science.gov (United States)

Granite, Evan J [Wexford, PA; Pennline, Henry W [Bethel Park, PA

2011-12-06

A catalyst for the oxidation of heavy metal contaminants, especially mercury (Hg), in an effluent stream is presented. The catalyst facilitates removal of mercury through the oxidation of elemental Hg into mercury (II) moieties. The active component of the catalyst is partially combusted coal, or "Thief" carbon, which can be pre-treated with a halogen. An untreated Thief carbon catalyst can be self-promoting in the presence of an effluent gas streams entrained with a halogen.

Selecting activated carbon for water and wastewater treatability studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, W.; Chang, Q.G.; Liu, W.D.; Li, B.J.; Jiang, W.X.; Fu, L.J.; Ying, W.C. [East China University of Chemical Technology, Shanghai (China)

2007-10-15

A series of follow-up investigations were performed to produce data for improving the four-indicator carbon selection method that we developed to identify high-potential activated carbons effective for removing specific organic water pollutants. The carbon's pore structure and surface chemistry are dependent on the raw material and the activation process. Coconut carbons have relatively more small pores than large pores; coal and apricot nutshell/walnut shell fruit carbons have the desirable pore structures for removing adsorbates of all sizes. Chemical activation, excessive activation, and/or thermal reactivation enlarge small pores, resulting in reduced phenol number and higher tannic acid number. Activated carbon's phenol, iodine, methylene blue, and tannic acid numbers are convenient indicators of its surface area and pore volume of pore diameters < 10, 10-15, 15-28, and > 28 angstrom, respectively. The phenol number of a carbon is also a good indicator of its surface acidity of oxygen-containing organic functional groups that affect the adsorptive capacity for aromatic and other small polar organics. The tannic acid number is an indicator of carbon's capacity for large, high-molecular-weight natural organic precursors of disinfection by-products in water treatment. The experimental results for removing nitrobenzene, methyl-tert-butyl ether, 4,4-bisphenol, humic acid, and the organic constituents of a biologically treated coking-plant effluent have demonstrated the effectiveness of this capacity-indicator-based method of carbon selection.

Hydration Effects on the Stability of Calcium Carbonate Pre-Nucleation Species

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alejandro Burgos-Cara

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Recent experimental evidence and computer modeling have shown that the crystallization of a range of minerals does not necessarily follow classical models and theories. In several systems, liquid precursors, stable pre-nucleation clusters and amorphous phases precede the nucleation and growth of stable mineral phases. However, little is known on the effect of background ionic species on the formation and stability of pre-nucleation species formed in aqueous solutions. Here, we present a systematic study on the effect of a range of background ions on the crystallization of solid phases in the CaCO3-H2O system, which has been thoroughly studied due to its technical and mineralogical importance, and is known to undergo non-classical crystallization pathways. The induction time for the onset of calcium carbonate nucleation and effective critical supersaturation are systematically higher in the presence of background ions with decreasing ionic radii. We propose that the stabilization of water molecules in the pre-nucleation clusters by background ions can explain these results. The stabilization of solvation water hinders cluster dehydration, which is an essential step for precipitation. This hypothesis is corroborated by the observed correlation between parameters such as the macroscopic equilibrium constant for the formation of calcium/carbonate ion associates, the induction time, and the ionic radius of the background ions in the solution. Overall, these results provide new evidence supporting the hypothesis that pre-nucleation cluster dehydration is the rate-controlling step for calcium carbonate precipitation.

Efficiency of moso bamboo charcoal and activated carbon for adsorbing radioactive iodine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chien, Chuan-Chi; Huang, Ying-Pin; Wang, Wie-Chieh [ITRI South, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Tainan (China); Chao, Jun-Hsing; Wei, Yuan-Yao [Nuclear Science and Technology Development Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu (China)

2011-02-15

Preventing radioactive pollution is a troublesome problem but an urgent concern worldwide because radioactive substances cause serious health-related hazards to human being. The adsorption method has been used for many years to concentrate and remove radioactive pollutants; selecting an adequate adsorbent is the key to the success of an adsorption-based pollution abatement system. In Taiwan, all nuclear power plants use activated carbon as the adsorbent to treat radiation-contaminated air emission. The activated carbon is entirely imported; its price and manufacturing technology are entirely controlled by international companies. Taiwan is rich in bamboo, which is one of the raw materials for high-quality activated carbon. Thus, a less costly activated carbon with the same or even better adsorptive capability as the imported adsorbent can be made from bamboo. The objective of this research is to confirm the adsorptive characteristics and efficiency of the activated carbon made of Taiwan native bamboo for removing {sup 131}I gas from air in the laboratory. The study was conducted using new activated carbon module assembled for treating {sup 131}I-contaminated air. The laboratory results reveal that the {sup 131}I removal efficiency for a single-pass module is as high as 70%, and the overall efficiency is 100% for four single-pass modules operated in series. The bamboo charcoal and bamboo activated carbon have suitable functional groups for adsorbing {sup 131}I and they have greater adsorption capacities than commercial activated carbons. Main mechanism is for trapping of radioiodine on impregnated charcoal, as a result of surface oxidation. When volatile radioiodine is trapped by potassium iodide-impregnated bamboo charcoal, the iodo-compound is first adsorbed on the charcoal surface, and then migrates to iodide ion sites where isotope exchange occurs. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Diclofenac removal from water with ozone and activated carbon.

Science.gov (United States)

Beltrán, Fernando J; Pocostales, Pablo; Alvarez, Pedro; Oropesa, Ana

2009-04-30

Diclofenac (DCF) has been treated in water with ozone in the presence of various activated carbons. Activated carbon-free ozonation or single ozonation leads to a complete degradation of DCF in less than 15 min while in the presence of activated carbons higher degradation rates of TOC and DCF are noticeably achieved. Among the activated carbons used, P110 Hydraffin was found the most suitable for the catalytic ozonation of DCF. The influence of pH was also investigated. In the case of the single ozonation the increasing pH slightly increases the TOC removal rate. This effect, however, was not so clear in the presence of activated carbons where the influence of the adsorption process must be considered. Ecotoxicity experiments were performed, pointing out that single ozonation reduces the toxicity of the contaminated water but catalytic ozonation improved those results. As far as kinetics is concerned, DCF is removed with ozone in a fast kinetic regime and activated carbon merely acts as a simple adsorbent. However, for TOC removal the ozonation kinetic regime becomes slow. In the absence of the adsorbent, the apparent rate constant of the mineralization process was determined at different pH values. On the other hand, determination of the rate constant of the catalytic reaction over the activated carbon was not possible due to the effect of mass transfer resistances that controlled the process rate at the conditions investigated.

Oxygen- and nitrogen-co-doped activated carbon from waste particleboard for potential application in high-performance capacitance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shang, Tong-Xin; Ren, Ru-Quan; Zhu, Yue-Mei; Jin, Xiao-Juan

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: All electrodes showed excellent capacitance and retention versus discharge current density from 0.05 to 5 A/g. - Abstract: Oxygen- and nitrogen-co-doped activated carbons were obtained from phosphoric acid treated nitrogen-doped activated carbons which were prepared from waste particleboard bonded with urea-formaldehyde resin adhesives. The activated carbon samples obtained were tested as supercapacitors in two-electrode cell and extensive wetting 7 M KOH electrolytes. Their structural properties and surface chemistry, before the electrical testing, were investigated using elemental analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectra, and adsorption of nitrogen. Activated carbon treated by 4 M phosphoric acid of the highest capacitance (235 F/g) was measured in spite of a relatively lower surface (1360 m 2 /g) than that of the activated carbon treated by 2 M phosphoric acid (1433 m 2 /g). The surface chemistry, and especially oxygen- and nitrogen-containing functional groups, was found of paramount importance for the capacitive behavior and for the effective pore space utilization by the electrolyte ions

CATALYTIC WET PEROXIDE OXIDATION OF HYDROQUINONE WITH Co(II)/ACTIVE CARBON CATALYST LOADED IN STATIC BED

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

2008-01-01

Catalysts based on Co(II) supported on active carbon were prepared and loaded in static bed. The hydroquinone would be degraded completely after treated by Catalytic wet peroxide oxidation method with Co(II)/active carbon catalyst. After activate treatment, the active carbon was immerged in cobaltous nitrate solution, then put into a drying oven, Co(II) could be loaded on the micro-surface of carbon. Taking the static bed as the equipment, the absorption of active carbon and catalysis of Co(II) was used to reduce activation energy of hydroquinone. Thus hydroquinone could be drastically degraded and the effluent can be drained under the standard. Referring to Fenton reaction mechanism, experiment had been done to study the heterogeneous catalyzed oxidation mechanism of Co(II). The degradation rate of hydroquinone effluent could be achieved to 92% when treated in four columns at H2O2 concentration 10%, reaction temperature 40℃ , pH 5 and reaction time 2.5h.

Carbon Nanostructure of Kraft Lignin Thermally Treated at 500 to 1000 °C.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xuefeng; Yan, Qiangu; Leng, Weiqi; Li, Jinghao; Zhang, Jilei; Cai, Zhiyong; Hassan, El Barbary

2017-08-21

Kraft lignin (KL) was thermally treated at 500 to 1000 °C in an inert atmosphere. Carbon nanostructure parameters of thermally treated KL in terms of amorphous carbon fraction, aromaticity, and carbon nanocrystallites lateral size ( L a ), thickness ( L c ), and interlayer space ( d 002 ) were analyzed quantitatively using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Experimental results indicated that increasing temperature reduced amorphous carbon but increased aromaticity in thermally treated KL materials. The L c value of thermally treated KL materials averaged 0.85 nm and did not change with temperature. The d 002 value decreased from 3.56 Å at 500 °C to 3.49 Å at 1000 °C. The L a value increased from 0.7 to 1.4 nm as temperature increased from 500 to 1000 °C. A nanostructure model was proposed to describe thermally treated KL under 1000 °C. The thermal stability of heat treated KL increased with temperature rising from 500 to 800 °C.

Addition of sunitinib to cetuximab and irinotecan in patients with heavily pre-treated advanced colorectal cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Qvortrup, Camilla; Jensen, Benny Vittrup; Jørgensen, Trine Lembrecht

2010-01-01

Results of continuous sunitinib, in combination with cetuximab and irinotecan every other week (SIC) for compassionate use in heavily pre-treated patients with mCRC are presented.......Results of continuous sunitinib, in combination with cetuximab and irinotecan every other week (SIC) for compassionate use in heavily pre-treated patients with mCRC are presented....

Active caspase-3 and ultrastructural evidence of apoptosis in spontaneous and induced cell death in bovine in vitro produced pre-implantation embryos

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gjørret, Jakob O.; Fabian, Dusan; Avery, Birthe

2007-01-01

In this study we investigated chronological onset and involvement of active caspase-3, apoptotic nuclear morphology, and TUNEL-labeling, as well as ultrastructural evidence of apoptosis, in both spontaneous and induced cell death during pre-implantation development of bovine in vitro produced...... microscopy in both treated and untreated blastocysts. Activation of caspase-3 is likely involved in both spontaneous and induced apoptosis in bovine pre-implantation embryos, and immunohistochemical staining of active caspase-3 may be used in combination with other markers to identify apoptosis in pre...... embryos. Pre-implantation embryos (2-cell to Day 8 blastocysts) were cultured with either no supplementation (untreated) or with 10 µM staurosporine for 24 hr (treated). Embryos were subjected to immunohistochemical staining of active caspase-3, TUNEL-reaction for detection of DNA degradation and DAPI...

Gemcitabine and capecitabine for heavily pre-treated metastatic colorectal cancer patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Spindler, Karen-Lise G; Pallisgaard, Niels; Andersen, Rikke F

2014-01-01

AIM: We investigated the efficacy and safety of capecitabine and gemcitabin (GemCap) in heavily pre-treated, therapy-resistant metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients and the clinical importance of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) measurement. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients' inclusion criteria included...

Electrochemical performances and capacity fading behaviors of activated carbon/hard carbon lithium ion capacitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Xianzhong; Zhang, Xiong; Liu, Wenjie; Wang, Kai; Li, Chen; Li, Zhao; Ma, Yanwei

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Three-electrode pouch cell is used to investigate the capacity fading of AC/HC LIC. • the electrode potential swing is critical for the cycleability of a LIC cell. • Different capacity fading behaviors are discussed. • A large-capacity LIC pouch cell has been assembled with a specific energy of 18.1 Wh kg −1 based on the total weight. - Abstract: Lithium ion capacitor (LIC) is one of the most promising electrochemical energy storage devices, which offers rapid charging-discharging capability and long cycle life. We have fabricated LIC pouch cells using an electrochemically-driven lithium pre-doping method through a three-electrode pouch cell structure. The active materials of cathode and anode of LIC cell are activated carbon and pre-lithiated hard carbon, respectively. The electrochemical performances and the capacity fading behaviors of LICs in the voltage range of 2.0 − 4.0 V have been studied. The specific energy and specific power reach 73.6 Wh kg −1 and 11.9 kW kg −1 based on the weight of the active materials in both cathode and anode, respectively. Since the cycling performance is actually determined by hard carbon anode, the anode potential swings are emphasized. The capacity fading of LIC upon cycling is proposed to be caused by the increases of internal resistance and the consumption of lithium stored in anode. Finally, a large-capacity LIC pouch cell has been assembled with a maximum specific energy of 18.1 Wh kg −1 and a maximum specific power of 3.7 kW kg −1 based on the weight of the whole cell.

Nitrogen removal from coal gasification wastewater by activated carbon technologies combined with short-cut nitrogen removal process.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Qian; Han, Hongjun; Hou, Baolin; Zhuang, Haifeng; Jia, Shengyong; Fang, Fang

2014-11-01

A system combining granular activated carbon and powdered activated carbon technologies along with shortcut biological nitrogen removal (GAC-PACT-SBNR) was developed to enhance total nitrogen (TN) removal for anaerobically treated coal gasification wastewater with less need for external carbon resources. The TN removal efficiency in SBNR was significantly improved by introducing the effluent from the GAC process into SBNR during the anoxic stage, with removal percentage increasing from 43.8%-49.6% to 68.8%-75.8%. However, the TN removal rate decreased with the progressive deterioration of GAC adsorption. After adding activated sludge to the GAC compartment, the granular carbon had a longer service-life and the demand for external carbon resources became lower. Eventually, the TN removal rate in SBNR was almost constant at approx. 43.3%, as compared to approx. 20.0% before seeding with sludge. In addition, the production of some alkalinity during the denitrification resulted in a net savings in alkalinity requirements for the nitrification reaction and refractory chemical oxygen demand (COD) degradation by autotrophic bacteria in SBNR under oxic conditions. PACT showed excellent resilience to increasing organic loadings. The microbial community analysis revealed that the PACT had a greater variety of bacterial taxons and the dominant species associated with the three compartments were in good agreement with the removal of typical pollutants. The study demonstrated that pre-adsorption by the GAC-sludge process could be a technically and economically feasible method to enhance TN removal in coal gasification wastewater (CGW). Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Activated carbon from biomass

Science.gov (United States)

Manocha, S.; Manocha, L. M.; Joshi, Parth; Patel, Bhavesh; Dangi, Gaurav; Verma, Narendra

2013-06-01

Activated carbon are unique and versatile adsorbents having extended surface area, micro porous structure, universal adsorption effect, high adsorption capacity and high degree of surface reactivity. Activated carbons are synthesized from variety of materials. Most commonly used on a commercial scale are cellulosic based precursors such as peat, coal, lignite wood and coconut shell. Variation occurs in precursors in terms of structure and carbon content. Coir having very low bulk density and porous structure is found to be one of the valuable raw materials for the production of highly porous activated carbon and other important factor is its high carbon content. Exploration of good low cost and non conventional adsorbent may contribute to the sustainability of the environment and offer promising benefits for the commercial purpose in future. Carbonization of biomass was carried out in a horizontal muffle furnace. Both carbonization and activation were performed in inert nitrogen atmosphere in one step to enhance the surface area and to develop interconnecting porosity. The types of biomass as well as the activation conditions determine the properties and the yield of activated carbon. Activated carbon produced from biomass is cost effective as it is easily available as a waste biomass. Activated carbon produced by combination of chemical and physical activation has higher surface area of 2442 m2/gm compared to that produced by physical activation (1365 m2/gm).

[Study on influence between activated carbon property and immobilized biological activated carbon purification effect].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Guang-zhi; Li, Wei-guang; He, Wen-jie; Han, Hong-da; Ding, Chi; Ma, Xiao-na; Qu, Yan-ming

2006-10-01

By means of immobilizing five kinds of activated carbon, we studied the influence between the chief activated carbon property items and immobilized bioactivated carbon (IBAC) purification effect with the correlation analysis. The result shows that the activated carbon property items which the correlation coefficient is up 0.7 include molasses, abrasion number, hardness, tannin, uniform coefficient, mean particle diameter and effective particle diameter; the activated carbon property items which the correlation coefficient is up 0.5 include pH, iodine, butane and tetrachloride. In succession, the partial correlation analysis shows that activated carbon property items mostly influencing on IBAC purification effect include molasses, hardness, abrasion number, uniform coefficient, mean particle diameter and effective particle diameter. The causation of these property items bringing influence on IBAC purification is that the activated carbon holes distribution (representative activated carbon property item is molasses) provides inhabitable location and adjust food for the dominance bacteria; the mechanical resist-crash property of activated carbon (representative activated carbon property items: abrasion number and hardness) have influence on the stability of biofilm; and the particle diameter size and distribution of activated carbon (representative activated carbon property items: uniform coefficient, mean particle diameter and effective particle diameter) can directly affect the force of water in IBAC filter bed, which brings influence on the dominance bacteria immobilizing on activated carbon.

Biologically Pre-Treated Habitation Waste Water as a Sustainable Green Urine Pre-Treat Solution

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, W. Andrew; Thompson, Bret; Sevanthi, Ritesh; Morse, Audra; Meyer, Caitlin; Callahan, Michael

2017-01-01

The ability to recover water from urine and flush water is a critical process to allow long term sustainable human habitation in space or bases on the moon or mars. Organic N present as urea or similar compounds can hydrolyze producing free ammonia. This reaction results in an increase in the pH converting ammonium to ammonia which is volatile and not removed by distillation. The increase in pH will also cause precipitation reactions to occur. In order to prevent this, urine on ISS is combined with a pretreat solution. While use of a pretreatment solution has been successful, there are numerous draw backs including: storage and use of highly hazardous solutions, limitations on water recovery (less than 85%), and production of brine with pore dewatering characteristics. We evaluated the use of biologically treated habitation wastewaters (ISS and early planetary base) to replace the current pretreat solution. We evaluated both amended and un-amended bioreactor effluent. For the amended effluent, we evaluated "green" pretreat chemicals including citric acid and citric acid amended with benzoic acid. We used a mock urine/air separator modeled after the urine collection assembly on ISS. The urine/air separator was challenged continually for >6 months. Depending on the test point, the separator was challenged daily with donated urine and flushed with amended or un-amended reactor effluent. We monitored the pH of the urine, flush solution and residual pH in the urine/air separator after each urine event. We also evaluated solids production and biological growth. Our results support the use of both un-amended and amended bioreactor effluent to maintain the operability of the urine /air separator. The ability to use bioreactor effluent could decrease consumable cost, reduce hazards associated with current pre-treat chemicals, allow other membrane based desalination processes to be utilized, and improve brine characteristics.

Oxidation of limonene using activated carbon modified in dielectric barrier discharge plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Glonek, Karolina; Wróblewska, Agnieszka; Makuch, Edyta; Ulejczyk, Bogdan; Krawczyk, Krzysztof; Wróbel, Rafał. J.; Koren, Zvi C.; Michalkiewicz, Beata

2017-10-01

The waste from industrial fruits processing is utilized for the extraction of limonene, a renewable terpene biomass compound obtained from orange peels. This was followed by limonene oxidation, which produces highly useful oxygenated derivatives (carveol, and perillyl alcohol, 1,2-epoxylimonene and its diol). New catalysts were obtained by treating relatively inexpensive commercially available EuroPh and FPV activated carbons with plasma. These catalysts were characterized by the following instrumental methods XRD, sorption of N2 and CO2, SEM, EDS, TEM, XPS, and Raman spectroscopy. The activities of the plasma-treated catalysts were measured in the oxidation of limonene by means of either hydrogen peroxide or t-butyl hydroperoxide as the oxidizing agents. During the oxidation with hydrogen peroxide the new plasma-treated catalysts were more active than their untreated counterparts. This effect was noticeable in the considerable increase in the conversion of limonene. The mechanism explaining this property is proposed, and it takes into account the role of the appropriate functional groups on the surface of the catalysts. This work has shown for the first time that the commercial EuroPh and FPV activated carbons, after having been treated by plasma, are active catalysts for the selective limonene oxidation for the production of value-added industrial products.

The effect of CO2 activation temperature on the physical and electrochemical properties of activated carbon monolith from banana stem waste

Science.gov (United States)

Taer, E.; Susanti, Y.; Awitdrus, Sugianto, Taslim, R.; Setiadi, R. N.; Bahri, S.; Agustino, Dewi, P.; Kurniasih, B.

2018-02-01

The effect of CO2 activation on the synthesis of activated carbon monolith from banana stem waste has been studied. Physical characteristics such as density, degree of crystallinity, surface morphology and elemental content has been analyzed, supporting the finding of an excellent electrochemical properties for the supercapacitor. The synthesis of activated carbon electrode began with pre-carbonization process at temperature of 250°C for 2.5 h. Then the process was continued by chemical activation using KOH as activating agent with a concentration of 0.4 M. The pellets were formed with 8 ton hydrolic pressure. All the samples were carbonized at a temperature of 600°C, followed by physical activation using CO2 gas at a various temperatures ranging from 800°C, 850°C, 900°C and 950°C for 2 h. The carbon content was increased with increasing temperature and the optimum temperature was 900°C. The specific capacitance depends on the activation temperature with the highest specific capacitance of 104.2 F/g at the activation temperature of 900°C.

Supplementation of Citrus maxima Peel Powder Prevented Oxidative Stress, Fibrosis, and Hepatic Damage in Carbon Tetrachloride (CCl4) Treated Rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Chowdhury, Mohammed Riaz Hasan; Sagor, Md Abu Taher; Tabassum, Nabila; Potol, Md Abdullah; Hossain, Hemayet; Alam, Md Ashraful

2015-01-01

Citrus maxima peel is rich in natural phenolic compounds and has a long use in the traditional medicine. HPLC-DAD analysis on Citrus maxima peel powder exhibited the presence of various phenolic compounds such as caffeic acid and (-)-epicatechin. To determine the plausible hepatoprotective activity of Citrus maxima peel powder, we used carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) treated rat model. Liver damage in rats was confirmed by measuring the AST, ALT, and ALP enzyme activities. In addition, lipid peroxidation products (MDA), nitric oxide, advanced protein oxidation products level (APOP), and catalase activities were also analyzed along with the histological profiling for the inflammatory cell infiltration, collagen, and iron deposition in liver. Dietary supplementation of Citrus maxima peel powder exhibited significant reduction of serum AST, ALT, and ALP activities in carbon tetrachloride treated rats. Moreover, Citrus maxima peel powder also showed a significant reduction of the oxidative stress markers (MDA, NO, and APOP level) and restored the catalase activity in CCl4 treated rats. Histological examination of the liver section revealed reduced inflammatory cells infiltration, collagen, and iron deposition in CCl4 treated rats. The results from this study demonstrated that Citrus maxima peel powder produced significant hepatoprotective action in CCl4 administered rats.

Supplementation of Citrus maxima Peel Powder Prevented Oxidative Stress, Fibrosis, and Hepatic Damage in Carbon Tetrachloride (CCl4 Treated Rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammed Riaz Hasan Chowdhury

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Citrus maxima peel is rich in natural phenolic compounds and has a long use in the traditional medicine. HPLC-DAD analysis on Citrus maxima peel powder exhibited the presence of various phenolic compounds such as caffeic acid and (−-epicatechin. To determine the plausible hepatoprotective activity of Citrus maxima peel powder, we used carbon tetrachloride (CCl4 treated rat model. Liver damage in rats was confirmed by measuring the AST, ALT, and ALP enzyme activities. In addition, lipid peroxidation products (MDA, nitric oxide, advanced protein oxidation products level (APOP, and catalase activities were also analyzed along with the histological profiling for the inflammatory cell infiltration, collagen, and iron deposition in liver. Dietary supplementation of Citrus maxima peel powder exhibited significant reduction of serum AST, ALT, and ALP activities in carbon tetrachloride treated rats. Moreover, Citrus maxima peel powder also showed a significant reduction of the oxidative stress markers (MDA, NO, and APOP level and restored the catalase activity in CCl4 treated rats. Histological examination of the liver section revealed reduced inflammatory cells infiltration, collagen, and iron deposition in CCl4 treated rats. The results from this study demonstrated that Citrus maxima peel powder produced significant hepatoprotective action in CCl4 administered rats.

Activated carbons and gold

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDougall, G.J.; Hancock, R.D.

1980-01-01

The literature on activated carbon is reviewed so as to provide a general background with respect to the effect of source material and activation procedure on carbon properties, the structure and chemical nature of the surface of the activated carbon, and the nature of absorption processes on carbon. The various theories on the absorption of gold and silver from cyanide solutions are then reviewed, followed by a discussion of processes for the recovery of gold and silver from cyanide solutions using activated carbon, including a comparison with zinc precipitation

Enhanced electrocatalytic activity of MoSx on TCNQ-treated electrode for hydrogen evolution reaction

KAUST Repository

Chang, Yunghuang

2014-10-22

Molybdenum sulfide has recently attracted much attention because of its low cost and excellent catalytical effects in the application of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). To improve the HER efficiency, many researchers have extensively explored various avenues such as material modification, forming hybrid structures or modifying geometric morphology. In this work, we reported a significant enhancement in the electrocatalytic activity of the MoSx via growing on Tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) treated carbon cloth, where the MoSx was synthesized by thermolysis from the ammonium tetrathiomolybdate ((NH4)2MoS4) precursor at 170 °C. The pyridinic N- and graphitic N-like species on the surface of carbon cloth arising from the TCNQ treatment facilitate the formation of Mo5+ and S2 2- species in the MoSx, especially with S2 2- serving as an active site for HER. In addition, the smaller particle size of the MoSx grown on TCNQ-treated carbon cloth reveals a high ratio of edge sites relative to basal plane sites, indicating the richer effective reaction sites and superior electrocatalytic characteristics. Hence, we reported a high hydrogen evolution rate for MoSx on TCNQ-treated carbon cloth of 6408 mL g-1 cm-2 h-1 (286 mmol g-1 cm-2 h-1) at an overpotential of V = 0.2 V. This study provides the fundamental concepts useful in the design and preparation of transition metal dichalcogenide catalysts, beneficial in the development in clean energy.

Poultry litter-based activated carbon for removing heavy metal ions in water.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Mingxin; Qiu, Guannan; Song, Weiping

2010-02-01

Utilization of poultry litter as a precursor material to manufacture activated carbon for treating heavy metal-contaminated water is a value-added strategy for recycling the organic waste. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to investigate kinetics, isotherms, and capacity of poultry litter-based activated carbon for removing heavy metal ions in water. It was revealed that poultry litter-based activated carbon possessed significantly higher adsorption affinity and capacity for heavy metals than commercial activated carbons derived from bituminous coal and coconut shell. Adsorption of metal ions onto poultry litter-based carbon was rapid and followed Sigmoidal Chapman patterns as a function of contact time. Adsorption isotherms could be described by different models such as Langmuir and Freundlich equations, depending on the metal species and the coexistence of other metal ions. Potentially 404 mmol of Cu2+, 945 mmol of Pb2+, 236 mmol of Zn2+, and 250-300 mmol of Cd2+ would be adsorbed per kg of poultry litter-derived activated carbon. Releases of nutrients and metal ions from litter-derived carbon did not pose secondary water contamination risks. The study suggests that poultry litter can be utilized as a precursor material for economically manufacturing granular activated carbon that is to be used in wastewater treatment for removing heavy metals.

Carbon activity meter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roy, P.; Krankota, J.L.

1975-01-01

A carbon activity meter utilizing an electrochemical carbon cell with gaseous reference electrodes having particular application for measuring carbon activity in liquid sodium for the LMFBR project is described. The electrolyte container is electroplated with a thin gold film on the inside surface thereof, and a reference electrode consisting of CO/CO 2 gas is used. (U.S.)

Activated, coal-based carbon foam

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, Darren Kenneth; Plucinski, Janusz Wladyslaw

2004-12-21

An ablation resistant, monolithic, activated, carbon foam produced by the activation of a coal-based carbon foam through the action of carbon dioxide, ozone or some similar oxidative agent that pits and/or partially oxidizes the carbon foam skeleton, thereby significantly increasing its overall surface area and concurrently increasing its filtering ability. Such activated carbon foams are suitable for application in virtually all areas where particulate or gel form activated carbon materials have been used. Such an activated carbon foam can be fabricated, i.e. sawed, machined and otherwise shaped to fit virtually any required filtering location by simple insertion and without the need for handling the "dirty" and friable particulate activated carbon foam materials of the prior art.

Effects of thermo-chemical pre-treatment on anaerobic biodegradability and hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fernandes, T.; Klaasse Bos, G.J.; Zeeman, G.; Sanders, J.P.M.; Lier, van J.B.

2009-01-01

The effects of different thermo-chemical pre-treatment methods were determined on the biodegradability and hydrolysis rate of lignocellulosic biomass. Three plant species, hay, straw and bracken were thermo-chemically pre-treated with calcium hydroxide, ammonium carbonate and maleic acid. After

Predictive potential of pre-operative functional neuroimaging in patients treated with subthalamic stimulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sestini, Stelvio; Castagnoli, Antonio; Pupi, Alberto; Sciagra, Roberto; Ammannati, Franco; Ramat, Silvia; Sorbi, Sandro; Mansi, Luigi

2010-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive potential of pre-operative regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) and clinical factors in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients treated with subthalamic nucleus (STN) stimulation. Ten patients underwent rCBF SPECT and motor Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) pre- and post-operatively during stimulation at 5 and 42 months. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) was used to extract rCBF values in the pre-SMA because it is related with motor improvement. Post-operative outcomes included motor response to stimulation and percent improvement in UPDRS. Pre-operative predictors were explored by correlation test, linear regression and multivariate analyses. Higher pre-operative rCBF in the pre-SMA and younger age were associated with favourable outcomes at 5 and 42 months. Pre-operative rCBF results were significantly associated with baseline clinical factors. This study shows that PD patients with younger age have higher rCBF values in the pre-SMA and better outcome, thus giving the rationale to the hypothesis that STN stimulation could be considered early in the course of disease. (orig.)

Predictive potential of pre-operative functional neuroimaging in patients treated with subthalamic stimulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sestini, Stelvio; Castagnoli, Antonio [Ospedale Misericordia e Dolce, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Nuclear Medicine Unit, Prato (Italy); Pupi, Alberto; Sciagra, Roberto [University of Florence, Department of Clinical Physiopathology, Nuclear Medicine Unit, Florence (Italy); Ammannati, Franco; Ramat, Silvia; Sorbi, Sandro [University of Florence, Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, Florence (Italy); Mansi, Luigi [University II Naples, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Nuclear Medicine Unit, Naples (Italy)

2010-01-15

The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive potential of pre-operative regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) and clinical factors in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients treated with subthalamic nucleus (STN) stimulation. Ten patients underwent rCBF SPECT and motor Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) pre- and post-operatively during stimulation at 5 and 42 months. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) was used to extract rCBF values in the pre-SMA because it is related with motor improvement. Post-operative outcomes included motor response to stimulation and percent improvement in UPDRS. Pre-operative predictors were explored by correlation test, linear regression and multivariate analyses. Higher pre-operative rCBF in the pre-SMA and younger age were associated with favourable outcomes at 5 and 42 months. Pre-operative rCBF results were significantly associated with baseline clinical factors. This study shows that PD patients with younger age have higher rCBF values in the pre-SMA and better outcome, thus giving the rationale to the hypothesis that STN stimulation could be considered early in the course of disease. (orig.)

Performance enhancement with powdered activated carbon (PAC) addition in a membrane bioreactor (MBR) treating distillery effluent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Satyawali, Yamini; Balakrishnan, Malini

2009-01-01

This work investigated the effect of powdered activated carbon (PAC) addition on the operation of a membrane bioreactor (MBR) treating sugarcane molasses based distillery wastewater (spentwash). The 8 L reactor was equipped with a submerged 30 μm nylon mesh filter with 0.05 m 2 filtration area. Detailed characterization of the commercial wood charcoal based PAC was performed before using it in the MBR. The MBR was operated over 200 days at organic loading rates (OLRs) varying from 4.2 to 6.9 kg m -3 d -1 . PAC addition controlled the reactor foaming during start up and enhanced the critical flux by around 23%; it also prolonged the duration between filter cleaning. Operation at higher loading rates was possible and for a given OLR, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was higher with PAC addition. However, biodegradation in the reactor was limited and the high molecular weight compounds were not affected by PAC supplementation. The functional groups on PAC appear to interact with the polysaccharide portion of the sludge, which may reduce its propensity to interact with the nylon mesh.

Competitive effects of humic acid and wastewater on adsorption of Methylene Blue dye by activated carbon and non-imprinted polymers.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Audrey; Örmeci, Banu

2018-04-01

Natural organic matter (NOM), present in natural waters and wastewater, decreases adsorption of micropollutants, increasing treatment costs. This research investigated mechanisms of competition for non-imprinted polymers (NIPs) and activated carbon with humic acid and wastewater. Three different types of activated carbons (Norit PAC 200, Darco KB-M, and Darco S-51) were used for comparison with the NIP. The lower surface area and micropore to mesopore ratio of the NIP led to decreased adsorption capacity in comparison to the activated carbons. In addition, experiments were conducted for single-solute adsorption of Methylene Blue (MB) dye, simultaneous adsorption with humic acid and wastewater, and pre-loading with humic acid and wastewater followed by adsorption of MB dye using NIP and Norit PAC 200. Both the NIP and PAC 200 showed significant decreases of 27% for NIP (p=0.087) and 29% for PAC 200 (p=0.096) during simultaneous exposure to humic acid and MB dye. There was no corresponding decrease for NIP or PAC 200 pre-loaded with humic acid and then exposed to MB. In fact, for PAC 200, the adsorption capacity of the activated carbon increased when it was pre-loaded with humic acid by 39% (p=0.0005). For wastewater, the NIP showed no significant increase or decrease in adsorption capacity during either simultaneous exposure or pre-loading. The adsorption capacity of PAC 200 increased by 40% (p=0.001) for simultaneous exposure to wastewater and MB. Pre-loading with wastewater had no effect on MB adsorption by PAC 200. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Production of activated carbons from waste tyres for low temperature NOx control.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Rahbi, Amal S; Williams, Paul T

2016-03-01

Waste tyres were pyrolysed in a bench scale reactor and the product chars were chemically activated with alkali chemical agents, KOH, K2CO3, NaOH and Na2CO3 to produce waste tyre derived activated carbons. The activated carbon products were then examined in terms of their ability to adsorb NOx (NO) at low temperature (25°C) from a simulated industrial process flue gas. This study investigates the influence of surface area and porosity of the carbons produced with the different alkali chemical activating agents on NO capture from the simulated flue gas. The influence of varying the chemical activation conditions on the porous texture and corresponding NO removal from the flue gas was studied. The activated carbon sorbents were characterized in relation to BET surface area, micropore and mesopore volumes and chemical composition. The highest NO removal efficiency for the waste tyre derived activated carbons was ∼75% which was obtained with the adsorbent treated with KOH which correlated with both the highest BET surface area and largest micropore volume. In contrast, the waste tyre derived activated carbons prepared using K2CO3, NaOH and Na2CO3 alkali activating agents appeared to have little influence on NO removal from the flue gases. The results suggest problematic waste tyres, have the potential to be converted to activated carbons with NOx removal efficiency comparable with conventionally produced carbons. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Facile preparation of nitrogen-doped porous carbon from waste tobacco by a simple pre-treatment process and their application in electrochemical capacitor and CO2 capture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sha, Yunfei; Lou, Jiaying; Bai, Shizhe; Wu, Da; Liu, Baizhan; Ling, Yun

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A pre-treatment process is used to prepared N-doped carbon from waste biomass. • Waste tobaccos, which are limited for the disposal, are used as the raw materials. • The product shows a specific surface area and nitrogen content. • Its electrochemical performance is better than commercial activated carbon. • Its CO 2 sorption performance is also better than commercial activated carbon. - Abstract: Preparing nitrogen-doped porous carbons directly from waste biomass has received considerable interest for the purpose of realizing the atomic economy. In this study, N-doped porous carbons have been successfully prepared from waste tobaccos (WT) by a simple pre-treatment process. The sample calcinated at 700 °C (WT-700) shows a micro/meso-porous structures with a BET surface area of 1104 m 2 g −1 and a nitrogen content of ca. 19.08 wt.% (EDS). Performance studies demonstrate that WT-700 displays 170 F g −1 electrocapacitivity at a current density of 0.5 A g −1 (in 6 M KOH), and a CO 2 capacity of 3.6 mmol g −1 at 0 °C and 1 bar, and a selectivity of ca. 32 for CO 2 over N 2 at 25 °C. Our studies indicate that it is feasible to prepare N-enriched porous carbons from waste natural crops by a pre-treatment process for potential industrial application

Fasting and exercise increase plasma cannabinoid levels in THC pre-treated rats: an examination of behavioural consequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Alexander; Keats, Kirily; Rooney, Kieron; Hicks, Callum; Allsop, David J; Arnold, Jonathon C; McGregor, Iain S

2014-10-01

Δ(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive constituent of cannabis, accumulates in fat tissue where it can remain for prolonged periods. Under conditions of increased fat utilisation, blood cannabinoid concentrations can increase. However, it is unclear whether this has behavioural consequences. Here, we examined whether rats pre-treated with multiple or single doses of THC followed by a washout would show elevated plasma cannabinoids and altered behaviour following fasting or exercise manipulations designed to increase fat utilisation. Behavioural impairment was measured as an inhibition of spontaneous locomotor activity or a failure to successfully complete a treadmill exercise session. Fat utilisation was indexed by plasma free fatty acid (FFA) levels with plasma concentrations of THC and its terminal metabolite (-)-11-nor-9-carboxy-∆(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH) also measured. Rats given daily THC (10 mg/kg) for 5 days followed by a 4-day washout showed elevated plasma THC-COOH when fasted for 24 h relative to non-fasted controls. Fasted rats showed lower locomotor activity than controls suggesting a behavioural effect of fat-released THC. However, rats fasted for 20 h after a single 5-mg/kg THC injection did not show locomotor suppression, despite modestly elevated plasma THC-COOH. Rats pre-treated with THC (5 mg/kg) and exercised 20 h later also showed elevated plasma THC-COOH but did not differ from controls in their likelihood of completing 30 min of treadmill exercise. These results confirm that fasting and exercise can increase plasma cannabinoid levels. Behavioural consequences are more clearly observed with pre-treatment regimes involving repeated rather than single THC dosing.

Porous carbon with a large surface area and an ultrahigh carbon purity via templating carbonization coupling with KOH activation as excellent supercapacitor electrode materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Fei; Gao, Jihui; Liu, Xin; Pi, Xinxin; Yang, Yuqi; Wu, Shaohua

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Simple templating carbonization method was developed to obtain porous carbons. • Surface etching by KOH activation greatly boosts surface area and carbon purity. • The as-obtained porous carbon delivers a high capacitance of 275 F g −1 . • Symmetric supercapacitor can achieved high energy density and power density. - Abstract: Large surface area and good structural stability, for porous carbons, are two crucial requirements to enable the constructed supercapacitors with high capacitance and long cycling lifespan. Herein, we successfully prepare porous carbon with a large surface area (3175 m 2 g −1 ) and an ultrahigh carbon purity (carbon atom ratio of 98.25%) via templating carbonization coupling with KOH activation. As-synthesized MTC-KOH exhibits excellent performances as supercapacitor electrode materials in terms of high specific capacitance and ultrahigh cycling stability. In a three electrode system, MTC-KOH delivers a high capacitance of 275 F g −1 at 0.5 A g −1 and still 120 F g −1 at a high rate of 30 A g −1 . There is almost no capacitance decay even after 10,000 cycles, demonstrating outstanding cycling stability. In comparison, pre-activated MTC with a hierarchical pore structure shows a better rate capability than microporous MTC-KOH. Moreover, the constructed symmetric supercapacitor using MTC-KOH can achieve high energy densities of 8.68 Wh kg −1 and 4.03 Wh kg −1 with the corresponding power densities of 108 W kg −1 and 6.49 kW kg −1 , respectively. Our work provides a simple design strategy to prepare highly porous carbons with high carbon purity for supercapacitors application.

Development of highly microporous activated carbon from the alcoholic beverage industry organic by-products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nieto-Delgado, C.; Terrones, M.; Rangel-Mendez, J.R.

2011-01-01

This work has the aim to employ the agave bagasse, a waste from Tequila and Mescal industries, to obtain a product of high commercial value such as activated carbon. The activated carbon production methodology was based on a chemical activation, by using ZnCl 2 and H 3 PO 4 as activating agent and agave bagasse as a natural source of carbon. The activation temperature (150-450 o C), activation time (0-60 min) and weight ratio of activating agent to precursor (0.2-4) were studied. The produced carbon materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and nitrogen physisorption at -196 o C. In addition, the activating agent recovery was evaluated. We were able to obtain highly microporous activated carbons with micropore volumes between 0.24 and 1.20 cm 3 /g and a surface area within 300 and 2139 m 2 /g. These results demonstrated the feasibility to treat the industrial wastes of the Tequila and Mescal industries, being this wastes an excellent precursor to produce highly microporous activated carbons that can be processed at low activation temperatures in short times, with the possibility of recycling the activating agent.

Chemical characteristics and methane potentials of source-separated and pre-treated organic municipal solid waste

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Trine Lund; Svärd, Å; Angelidaki, Irini

2003-01-01

A research project has investigated the biogas potential of pre-screened source-separated organic waste. Wastes from five Danish cities have been pre-treated by three methods: screw press; disc screen; and shredder and magnet. This paper outlines the sampling procedure used, the chemical...... composition of the wastes and the estimated methane potentials....

Evaluation of granular anaerobic ammonium oxidation process for the disposal of pre-treated swine manure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shou-Qing Ni

2014-04-01

Full Text Available With rising environmental concerns on potable water safety and eutrophication, increased media attention and tighter environmental regulations, managing animal waste in an environmentally responsible and economically feasible way can be a challenge. In this study, the possibility of using granular anammox process for ammonia removal from swine waste treatment water was investigated. A rapid decrease of NO2−–N and NH4+–N was observed during incubation with wastewater from an activated sludge deodorization reactor and anaerobic digestion-partial oxidation treatment process treating swine manure and its corresponding control artificial wastewaters. Ammonium removal dropped from 98.0 ± 0.6% to 66.9 ± 2.7% and nearly absent when the organic load in the feeding increased from 232 mg COD/L to 1160 mg COD/L and 2320 mg COD/L. The presence of organic carbon had limited effect on nitrite and total nitrogen removal. At a COD to N ratio of 0.9, COD inhibitory organic load threshold concentration was 727 mg COD/L. Mass balance indicated that denitrifiers played an important role in nitrite, nitrate and organic carbon removal. These results demonstrated that anammox system had the potential to effectively treat swine manure that can achieve high nitrogen standards at reduced costs.

Surface-treated carbon electrodes with modified potential of zero charge for capacitive deionization.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Tingting; Wang, Gang; Zhan, Fei; Dong, Qiang; Ren, Qidi; Wang, Jianren; Qiu, Jieshan

2016-04-15

The potential of zero charge (Epzc) of electrodes can greatly influence the salt removal capacity, charge efficiency and cyclic stability of capacitive deionization (CDI). Thus optimizing the Epzc of CDI electrodes is of great importance. A simple strategy to negatively shift the Epzc of CDI electrodes by modifying commercial activated carbon with quaternized poly (4-vinylpyridine) (AC-QPVP) is reported in this work. The Epzc of the prepared AC-QPVP composite electrode is as negative as -0.745 V vs. Ag/AgCl. Benefiting from the optimized Epzc of electrodes, the asymmetric CDI cell which consists of the AC-QPVP electrode and a nitric acid treated activated carbon (AC-HNO3) electrode exhibits excellent CDI performance. For inverted CDI, the working potential window of the asymmetric CDI cell can reach 1.4 V, and its salt removal capacity can be as high as 9.6 mg/g. For extended voltage CDI, the salt removal capacity of the asymmetric CDI cell at 1.2/-1.2 V is 20.6 mg/g, which is comparable to that of membrane CDI using pristine activated carbon as the electrodes (19.5 mg/g). The present work provides a simple method to prepare highly positively charged CDI electrodes and may pave the way for the development of high-performance CDI cells. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Facile preparation of nitrogen-doped porous carbon from waste tobacco by a simple pre-treatment process and their application in electrochemical capacitor and CO{sub 2} capture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sha, Yunfei; Lou, Jiaying [Technical Center, Shanghai Tobacco Group Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200082 (China); Bai, Shizhe [Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Wu, Da, E-mail: wud@sh.tobacco.com.cn [Technical Center, Shanghai Tobacco Group Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200082 (China); Liu, Baizhan [Technical Center, Shanghai Tobacco Group Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200082 (China); Ling, Yun, E-mail: yunling@fudan.edu.cn [Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China)

2015-04-15

Highlights: • A pre-treatment process is used to prepared N-doped carbon from waste biomass. • Waste tobaccos, which are limited for the disposal, are used as the raw materials. • The product shows a specific surface area and nitrogen content. • Its electrochemical performance is better than commercial activated carbon. • Its CO{sub 2} sorption performance is also better than commercial activated carbon. - Abstract: Preparing nitrogen-doped porous carbons directly from waste biomass has received considerable interest for the purpose of realizing the atomic economy. In this study, N-doped porous carbons have been successfully prepared from waste tobaccos (WT) by a simple pre-treatment process. The sample calcinated at 700 °C (WT-700) shows a micro/meso-porous structures with a BET surface area of 1104 m{sup 2} g{sup −1} and a nitrogen content of ca. 19.08 wt.% (EDS). Performance studies demonstrate that WT-700 displays 170 F g{sup −1} electrocapacitivity at a current density of 0.5 A g{sup −1} (in 6 M KOH), and a CO{sub 2} capacity of 3.6 mmol g{sup −1} at 0 °C and 1 bar, and a selectivity of ca. 32 for CO{sub 2} over N{sub 2} at 25 °C. Our studies indicate that it is feasible to prepare N-enriched porous carbons from waste natural crops by a pre-treatment process for potential industrial application.

Improving the performance of an aerobic membrane bioreactor (MBR) treating pharmaceutical wastewater with powdered activated carbon (PAC) addition.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaya, Yasemin; Bacaksiz, A Murat; Golebatmaz, Ugur; Vergili, Ilda; Gönder, Z Beril; Yilmaz, Gulsum

2016-04-01

In this study, the effects of organic loading rate (OLR) and the addition of powdered activated carbon (PAC) on the performance and membrane fouling of MBR were conducted to treat real pharmaceutical process wastewater. Over 145 days of operation, the MBR system was operated at OLRs ranging from 1 to 2 kg COD m(-3) day(-1) without sludge wasting. The addition of PAC provided an improvement in the flux, despite an increase in the OLR:PAC ratio. The results demonstrated that the hybrid PAC-MBR system maintained a reduced amount of membrane fouling and steadily increased the removal performance of etodolac. PAC addition reduced the deposition of extracellular polymeric substance and organic matter on the membrane surface and resulted an increase in COD removal even at higher OLRs with low PAC addition. Membrane fouling mechanisms were investigated using combined adsorption fouling models. Modified fouling index values and normalized mass transfer coefficient values indicated that predominant fouling mechanism was cake adsorption.

Porous carbon with a large surface area and an ultrahigh carbon purity via templating carbonization coupling with KOH activation as excellent supercapacitor electrode materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Fei; Gao, Jihui, E-mail: gaojh@hit.edu.cn; Liu, Xin; Pi, Xinxin; Yang, Yuqi; Wu, Shaohua

2016-11-30

Highlights: • Simple templating carbonization method was developed to obtain porous carbons. • Surface etching by KOH activation greatly boosts surface area and carbon purity. • The as-obtained porous carbon delivers a high capacitance of 275 F g{sup −1}. • Symmetric supercapacitor can achieved high energy density and power density. - Abstract: Large surface area and good structural stability, for porous carbons, are two crucial requirements to enable the constructed supercapacitors with high capacitance and long cycling lifespan. Herein, we successfully prepare porous carbon with a large surface area (3175 m{sup 2} g{sup −1}) and an ultrahigh carbon purity (carbon atom ratio of 98.25%) via templating carbonization coupling with KOH activation. As-synthesized MTC-KOH exhibits excellent performances as supercapacitor electrode materials in terms of high specific capacitance and ultrahigh cycling stability. In a three electrode system, MTC-KOH delivers a high capacitance of 275 F g{sup −1} at 0.5 A g{sup −1} and still 120 F g{sup −1} at a high rate of 30 A g{sup −1}. There is almost no capacitance decay even after 10,000 cycles, demonstrating outstanding cycling stability. In comparison, pre-activated MTC with a hierarchical pore structure shows a better rate capability than microporous MTC-KOH. Moreover, the constructed symmetric supercapacitor using MTC-KOH can achieve high energy densities of 8.68 Wh kg{sup −1} and 4.03 Wh kg{sup −1} with the corresponding power densities of 108 W kg{sup −1} and 6.49 kW kg{sup −1}, respectively. Our work provides a simple design strategy to prepare highly porous carbons with high carbon purity for supercapacitors application.

Removal of toxic chemicals from water with activated carbon

Science.gov (United States)

Dawson, V.K.; Marking, L.L.; Bills, T.D.

1976-01-01

Activated carbon was effective in removing fish toxicants and anesthetics from water solutions. Its capacity to adsorb 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM), antimycin, NoxfishA? (5% rotenone), Dibrorms, juglone, MSa??222, and benzocaine ranged from 0.1 to 64 mg per gram of carbon. The adsorptive capacity (end point considered as a significant discharge) of activated carbon for removal of TFM was determined at column depths of 15, 30, and 60 cm; temperatures of 7, 12, 17, and 22 C; pH's of 6.5, 7.5, 8.5, and 9.5; and flow rates of 50, 78, 100, 200, and 940 ml/min. Adsorptive capacity increased when the contact time was increased by reducing the flow rate or increasing the column depth. The adsorptive capacity was not significantly influenced by temperature but was substantially higher at pH 6.5 than at the other pH's tested. A practical and efficient filter for purifying chemically treated water was developed.

Re-irradiation of adenoid cystic carcinoma: Analysis and evaluation of outcome in 52 consecutive patients treated with raster-scanned carbon ion therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jensen, Alexandra D.; Poulakis, Melanie; Nikoghosyan, Anna V.; Chaudhri, Naved; Uhl, Matthias; Münter, Marc W.; Herfarth, Klaus K.; Debus, Jürgen

2015-01-01

Background: Treatment of local relapse in adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) following prior radiation remains a challenge: without the possibility of surgical salvage patients face the choice between palliative chemotherapy and re-irradiation. Chemotherapy yields response rates around 30% and application of tumouricidal doses is difficult due to proximity of critical structures. Carbon ion therapy (C12) is a promising method to minimize side-effects and maximize re-treatment dose in this indication. We describe our initial results for re-irradiation in heavily pre-treated ACC patients. Methods: Patients treated with carbon ion therapy between 04/2010 and 05/2013 (N = 52 pts, median age: 54 a) were retrospectively evaluated regarding toxicity (NCI CTC v.4), tumour response (RECIST) and control rates. 48 pts (92.3%) received carbon ions only, 4 pts received IMRT plus C12. Results: 4 pts were treated following R1-resection, 43 pts for inoperable local relapse. Most common tumour sites were paranasal sinus (36.5%), parotid (19.2%), and base of skull (17.3%). Pts received a median dose of 51 GyE C12/63 Gy BED and cumulative dose of 128 Gy BED [67–182 Gy] after a median RT-interval of 61 months. Median target volume was 93 ml [9–618 ml]. No higher-grade (>°II) acute reactions were observed, 7 pts showed blood–brain-barrier changes (°I/II: 8 pts; °III: 2 pts), 1 pt corneal ulceration, xerophthalmia 7 pts, °IV bleeding 1 pt, tissue necrosis 2 pts, otherwise no significant late reactions. Objective response rate (CR/PR) was 56.6%. With a median follow-up of 14 months [1–39 months] local control and distant control at 1a are 70.3% and 72.6% respectively. Of the 18 pts with local relapse, 13 pts have recurred in-field, 1 pt at the field edge, 3 pts out of field, and one in the dose gradient. Conclusion: Despite high applied doses, C12 re-irradiation shows moderate side-effects, response rates even in these heavily pre-treated patients are encouraging and present a

Removal of cyanobacterial amino acids in water treatment by activated carbon adsorption

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Čermáková, Lenka; Kopecká, Ivana; Pivokonský, Martin; Pivokonská, Lenka; Janda, V.

2017-01-01

Roč. 173, č. 1 (2017), s. 330-338 ISSN 1383-5866 Institutional support: RVO:67985874 Keywords : amino acids * activated carbon * adsorption * algal organic matter * water treatment * coagulation * microcystis aeruginosa * peptides/proteins * permanganate pre-oxidation * water treatment Subject RIV: DJ - Water Pollution ; Quality OBOR OECD: Environmental sciences (social aspects to be 5.7) Impact factor: 3.359, year: 2016

Assessment of Early Toxicity and Response in Patients Treated With Proton and Carbon Ion Therapy at the Heidelberg Ion Therapy Center Using the Raster Scanning Technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rieken, Stefan; Habermehl, Daniel; Nikoghosyan, Anna; Jensen, Alexandra [Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg (Germany); Haberer, Thomas [Heidelberg Ion Therapy Center, Heidelberg (Germany); Jaekel, Oliver [Heidelberg Ion Therapy Center, Heidelberg (Germany); Department of Medical Physics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg (Germany); Muenter, Marc W.; Welzel, Thomas; Debus, Juergen [Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg (Germany); Combs, Stephanie E., E-mail: Stephanie.Combs@med.uni-hedielberg.de [Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg (Germany)

2011-12-01

Puropose: To asses early toxicity and response in 118 patients treated with scanned ion beams to validate the safety of intensity-controlled raster scanning at the Heidelberg Ion Therapy Center. Patients and Methods: Between November 2009 and June 2010, we treated 118 patients with proton and carbon ion radiotherapy (RT) using active beam delivery. The main indications included skull base chordomas and chondrosarcomas, salivary gland tumors, and gliomas. We evaluated early toxicity within 6 weeks after RT and the initial clinical and radiologic response for quality assurance in our new facility. Results: In all 118 patients, few side effects were observed, in particular, no high numbers of severe acute toxicity were found. In general, the patients treated with particle therapy alone showed only a few single side effects, mainly Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/Common Terminology Criteria grade 1. The most frequent side effects and cumulative incidence of single side effects were observed in the head-and-neck patients treated with particle therapy as a boost and photon intensity-modulated RT. The toxicities included common radiation-attributed reactions known from photon RT, including mucositis, dysphagia, and skin erythema. The most predominant imaging responses were observed in patients with high-grade gliomas and those with salivary gland tumors. For skull base tumors, imaging showed a stable tumor outline in most patients. Thirteen patients showed improvement of pre-existing clinical symptoms. Conclusions: Side effects related to particle treatment were rare, and the overall tolerability of the treatment was shown. The initial response was promising. The data have confirmed the safe delivery of carbon ions and protons at the newly opened Heidelberg facility.

Study of ageing mechanisms of organic electrolyte super-capacitors based on activated carbons; Recherche des causes du vieillissement de supercondensateurs a electrolyte organique a base de carbones actives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Azais, Ph

2003-11-15

The energy which is stored in electrochemical capacitors is proportional to the square of voltage. Consequently, the most attractive super-capacitors are those which operate in organic electrolyte medium, with an electrolyte potential window which theoretically can easily reach more than 3 V. However, even using lower values of voltage, there is a remarkable fading of the electrochemical characteristics with operating time, that is mainly characterized by capacitance loss and resistance increase. On a commercial point of view, these capacitors must be improved in order to reach the expected criterion of long operating life. In the presented work, we will determine some reasons of super-capacitors ageing in organic electrolyte (1 M solution of Et{sub 4}N{sup +} BF{sub 4}{sup -} in acetonitrile) and we will propose a treatment of activated carbon which noticeably improves the performance. A prolonged charging of electrochemical capacitors at 2.5 V, so called floating, results in gases formation and to a noticeable mass uptake of the electrodes. XPS and NMR analysis performed on carefully washed electrodes demonstrated the existence of decomposition products from the electrolyte, which are trapped in the pores of the activated carbon. These products block the pores, limiting the ions access to the active surface that causes the decay of electrochemical performances. Electrolyte decomposition is especially very high when the electrodes are constituted of carbons with a rich surface functionality, i.e. surface oxygenated groups and free radicals. Therefore, activated carbons have been submitted to thermal treatment, both in nitrogen and hydrogen atmosphere, allowing the oxygenated surface functionality to be noticeably depressed. Super-capacitors built with the treated materials have been submitted to floating during more than 2000 hours. Extremely good electrochemical performance are preserved with the electrodes obtained from activated carbons treated under hydrogen

Characterization of Activated Carbons from Oil-Palm Shell by CO2 Activation with No Holding Carbonization Temperature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. G. Herawan

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Activated carbons can be produced from different precursors, including coals of different ranks, and lignocellulosic materials, by physical or chemical activation processes. The objective of this paper is to characterize oil-palm shells, as a biomass byproduct from palm-oil mills which were converted into activated carbons by nitrogen pyrolysis followed by CO2 activation. The effects of no holding peak pyrolysis temperature on the physical characteristics of the activated carbons are studied. The BET surface area of the activated carbon is investigated using N2 adsorption at 77 K with selected temperatures of 500, 600, and 700°C. These pyrolysis conditions for preparing the activated carbons are found to yield higher BET surface area at a pyrolysis temperature of 700°C compared to selected commercial activated carbon. The activated carbons thus result in well-developed porosities and predominantly microporosities. By using this activation method, significant improvement can be obtained in the surface characteristics of the activated carbons. Thus this study shows that the preparation time can be shortened while better results of activated carbon can be produced.

Enhanced CO2 Adsorption on Activated Carbon Fibers Grafted with Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanotubes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Chun Chiang

2017-05-01

Full Text Available In this paper, multiscale composites formed by grafting N-doped carbon nanotubes (CNs on the surface of polyamide (PAN-based activated carbon fibers (ACFs were investigated and their adsorption performance for CO2 was determined. The spaghetti-like and randomly oriented CNs were homogeneously grown onto ACFs. The pre-immersion of cobalt(II ions for ACFs made the CNs grow above with a large pore size distribution, decreased the oxidation resistance, and exhibited different predominant N-functionalities after chemical vapor deposition processes. Specifically, the CNs grafted on ACFs with or without pre-immersion of cobalt(II ions were characterized by the pyridine-like structures of six-member rings or pyrrolic/amine moieties, respectively. In addition, the loss of microporosity on the specific surface area and pore volume exceeded the gain from the generation of the defects from CNs. The adsorption capacity of CO2 decreased gradually with increasing temperature, implying that CO2 adsorption was exothermic. The adsorption capacities of CO2 at 25 °C and 1 atm were between 1.53 and 1.92 mmol/g and the Freundlich equation fit the adsorption data well. The isosteric enthalpy of adsorption, implying physical adsorption, indicated that the growth of CNTs on the ACFs benefit CO2 adsorption.

Impact of contamination and pre-treatment on stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of charred plant remains.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaiglova, Petra; Snoeck, Christophe; Nitsch, Erika; Bogaard, Amy; Lee-Thorp, Julia

2014-12-15

Stable isotope analysis of archaeological charred plants has become a useful tool for interpreting past agricultural practices and refining ancient dietary reconstruction. Charred material that lay buried in soil for millennia, however, is susceptible to various kinds of contamination, whose impact on the grain/seed isotopic composition is poorly understood. Pre-treatment protocols have been adapted in distinct forms from radiocarbon dating, but insufficient research has been carried out on evaluating their effectiveness and necessity for stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis. The effects of previously used pre-treatment protocols on the isotopic composition of archaeological and modern sets of samples were investigated. An archaeological sample was also artificially contaminated with carbonates, nitrates and humic acid and subjected to treatment aimed at removing the introduced contamination. The presence and removal of the contamination were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and δ(13)C and δ(15)N values. The results show a ca 1‰ decrease in the δ(15)N values of archaeological charred plant material caused by harsh acid treatments and ultra-sonication. This change is interpreted as being caused by mechanical distortion of the grains/seeds rather than by the removal of contamination. Furthermore, specific infrared peaks have been identified that can be used to detect the three types of contaminants studied. We argue that it is not necessary to try to remove humic acid contamination for stable isotope analysis. The advantages and disadvantages of crushing the grains/seeds before pre-treatment are discussed. We recommend the use of an acid-only procedure (0.5 M HCl for 30 min at 80 °C followed by three rinses in distilled water) for cleaning charred plant remains. This study fills an important gap in plant stable isotope research that will enable future researchers to evaluate potential sources of isotopic change and pre-treat

Production of palm kernel shell-based activated carbon by direct physical activation for carbon dioxide adsorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Rashidi, Nor Adilla; Yusup, Suzana

2018-05-09

The feasibility of biomass-based activated carbons has received a huge attention due to their excellent characteristics such as inexpensiveness, good adsorption behaviour and potential to reduce a strong dependency towards non-renewable precursors. Therefore, in this research work, eco-friendly activated carbon from palm kernel shell that has been produced from one-stage physical activation by using the Box-Behnken design of Response Surface Methodology is highlighted. The effect of three input parameters-temperature, dwell time and gas flow rate-towards product yield and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) uptake at room temperature and atmospheric pressure are studied. Model accuracy has been evaluated through the ANOVA analysis and lack-of-fit test. Accordingly, the optimum condition in synthesising the activated carbon with adequate CO 2 adsorption capacity of 2.13 mmol/g and product yield of 25.15 wt% is found at a temperature of 850 °C, holding time of 60 min and CO 2 flow rate of 450 cm 3 /min. The synthesised activated carbon has been characterised by diverse analytical instruments including thermogravimetric analyser, scanning electron microscope, as well as N 2 adsorption-desorption isotherm. The characterisation analysis indicates that the synthesised activated carbon has higher textural characteristics and porosity, together with better thermal stability and carbon content as compared to pristine palm kernel shell. Activated carbon production via one-step activation approach is economical since its carbon yield is within the industrial target, whereas CO 2 uptake is comparable to the synthesised activated carbon from conventional dual-stage activation, commercial activated carbon and other published data from literature.

Remediation of organochlorine pesticides contaminated lake sediment using activated carbon and carbon nanotubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Hua, Shan; Gong, Ji-Lai; Zeng, Guang-Ming; Yao, Fu-Bing; Guo, Min; Ou, Xiao-Ming

2017-06-01

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in sediment were a potential damage for humans and ecosystems. The aim of this work was to determine the effectiveness of carbon materials remedy hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) in sediment. Two different carbon materials including activated carbon (AC) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were used in the present research. Sediment treated with 2 wt% AC and MWCNTs after 150 d contact showed 97%, and 75% reduction for HCH, and 93% and 59% decrease for DDTs in aqueous equilibrium concentration, respectively. Similarly, the reduction efficiencies of DDT and HCH uptake by semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) treated with AC (MWCNTs) were 97% (75%) and 92% (63%), respectively under the identical conditions. Furthermore, for 2 wt% AC (MWCNTs) system, a reduction of XAD beads uptake up to 87% (52%) and 73% (67%) was obtained in HCH and DDT flux to overlying water in quiescent system. Adding MWCNTs to contaminated sediment did not significantly decrease aqueous equilibrium concentration and DDTs and HCH availability in SPMDs compared to AC treatment. A series of results indicated that AC had significantly higher remediation efficiency towards HCH and DDTs in sediment than MWCNTs. Additionally, the removal efficiencies of two organic pollutants improved with increasing material doses and contact times. The greater effectiveness of AC was attributed to its greater specific surface area, which was favorable for binding contaminants. These results highlighted the potential for using AC as in-situ sorbent amendments for sediment remediation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Origins of carbonate spherulites: Implications for Brazilian Aptian pre-salt reservoir

Science.gov (United States)

Chafetz, Henry; Barth, Jennifer; Cook, Megan; Guo, Xuan; Zhou, Jie

2018-03-01

Spherulites, spherical to elliptical allochems composed of crystals radiating from a common core, investigated from a variety of depositional settings, e.g., hot springs, ambient water temperature geyser, tufa, and caliche, are all composed of a fine-grained nucleus made-up of carbonate encrusted bacterial bodies, biofilms, and/or EPS and surrounded by a cortex of radiating crystals of either aragonite or calcite. The microbes and their by-products in the nucleus induced the precipitation of carbonate, overcoming the inhibition to initiate crystal formation. The enveloping radiating crystals comprising aragonitic cortices tended to grow abiotically producing well-formed euhedral crystals with a paucity of included bacterial fossils. Whereas those cortical crystals made-up of calcite commonly contained bacterial fossils, indicating that the bacterial colonies contributed to the calcitic cortical crystal precipitation. Similar spherulites form a thick, widespread accumulation in the Aptian Pre-Salt lacustrine deposits in the Campos Basin, offshore Brazil. As with the travertine, tufa, and caliche spherulites, the Pre-Salt spherulites most likely initiated carbonate precipitation around bacterial colonies and/or their bioproducts, probably while afloat in a lacustrine water column before settling to the water-sediment interface. Absence of inter-spherulite sediment and the spherulite-to-spherulite compaction indicate that cortical crystal growth continued while the spherulites were at the sediment-water interface rather than displacively within a sediment.

Effect of Solution pH on the Adsorption of Paracetamol on Chemically Modified Activated Carbons

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Valentina Bernal

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Paracetamol adsorption in acidic, neutral and basic media on three activated carbons with different chemistry surfaces was studied. A granular activated carbon (GAC was prepared from coconut shell; starting from this sample, an oxidized activated carbon (GACo was obtained by treating the GAC with a boiling solution of 6 M nitric acid, so to generate a greater number of oxygenated surface groups. In addition, a reduced activated carbon (GACr was obtained by heating the GAC at 1173 K, to remove the oxygenated surface groups. Paracetamol adsorption was higher for GACr due to the lower presence of oxygenated surface functional groups. Moreover, adsorption was highest at neutral pH. The magnitude of the interactions between paracetamol molecules and activated carbons was studied by measuring the immersion enthalpies of activated carbons in solution of paracetamol at different concentrations and pH values and by calculating the interaction enthalpy. The highest value was obtained for GACr in a paracetamol solution of 1000 mg L−1 at pH 7, confirming that paracetamol adsorption is favoured on basic activated carbons at pH values near to neutrality. Finally, the Gibbs energy changes confirmed the latter result, allowing explaining the different magnitudes of the interactions between paracetamol and activated carbons, as a function of solution pH.

Synergized mechanistic and solar photocatalysis features of N-TiO2 functionalised activated carbon

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Kah Hon Leong

2017-07-01

Full Text Available A TiO2 photocatalysts was successfully functionalised by employing nitrogen (N as a dopant on activated carbon (AC support as synergist. Two different types of activated carbon adopting namely Garcinia mangostana and palm shell as precursor were chosen as an activated carbon support. Thus the synthesized samples were examined for its physical and chemistry properties through advanced microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. The results revealed the contribution of adsorbent support through the rich surface area while doping of nitrogen contributed for effectively utilizing the incident photons by narrowing the band gap energy. The synergetic adsorption-photocatalytic activity was investigated by adopting batik dye, Remazol Brilliant Blue Dye (RBB as model pollutant. Thus the N-TiO2 functionalised activated carbon demonstrated excellent adsorption-photocatalytic activity with 80% removal efficiency in 6 h. The synergism of adsorption-photocatalysis portrayed the alternative for treating recalcitrant RBB a predominant dye found in batik textile industry wastewater.

Pre-treatment and membrane ultrafiltration using treated palm oil mill effluent (POME

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Wong Pui Wah

2002-11-01

Full Text Available Treatment of palm oil mill effluent (POME has always been a topic of research in Malaysia. This effluent that is extremely rich in organic content needs to be properly treated to minimize environmental hazards before it is released into watercourses. The common practice for treating POME in Malaysia involves a combination of aerobic and anaerobic methods. The purpose of tertiary treatment is to allow the treated water to be reused in the mill operations for other purposes such as feed water. The proposed treatment will also ensure the industry to meet a more stringent discharge standard in terms of the BOD, COD and nitrogen values. In this study membrane ultrafiltration is used as the tertiary treatment method. Before the actual membrane operation was conducted, the samples were pre-treated using three separate method namely filtration, centrifugation and coagulation. It was found that the combination of filtrationultrafiltration treatment POME produced the best-treated sample quality in terms of pollutant contents elimination, namely % BOD, % COD and % nitrogen removal.

Static magnetic field treatment of seeds improves carbon and nitrogen metabolism under salinity stress in soybean.

Science.gov (United States)

Baghel, Lokesh; Kataria, Sunita; Guruprasad, Kadur Narayan

2016-10-01

The effectiveness of magnetopriming was assessed for alleviation of salt-induced adverse effects on soybean growth. Soybean seeds were pre-treated with static magnetic field (SMF) of 200 mT for 1 h to evaluate the effect of magnetopriming on growth, carbon and nitrogen metabolism, and yield of soybean plants under different salinity levels (0, 25, and 50 mM NaCl). The adverse effect of NaCl-induced salt stress was found on growth, yield, and various physiological attributes of soybeans. Results indicate that SMF pre-treatment significantly increased plant growth attributes, number of root nodules, nodules, fresh weight, biomass accumulation, and photosynthetic performance under both non-saline and saline conditions as compared to untreated seeds. Polyphasic chlorophyll a fluorescence (OJIP) transients from magnetically treated plants gave a higher fluorescence yield at J-I-P phase. Nitrate reductase activity, PIABS , photosynthetic pigments, and net rate of photosynthesis were also higher in plants that emerged from SMF pre-treated seeds as compared to untreated seeds. Leghemoglobin content and hemechrome content in root nodules were also increased by SMF pre-treatment. Thus pre-sowing exposure of seeds to SMF enhanced carbon and nitrogen metabolism and improved the yield of soybeans in terms of number of pods, number of seeds, and seed weight under saline as well as non-saline conditions. Consequently, SMF pre-treatment effectively mitigated adverse effects of NaCl on soybeans. It indicates that magnetopriming of dry soybean seeds can be effectively used as a pre-sowing treatment for alleviating salinity stress. Bioelectromagnetics. 37:455-470, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Using Targeted Active-Learning Exercises and Diagnostic Question Clusters to Improve Students' Understanding of Carbon Cycling in Ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Maskiewicz, April Cordero; Griscom, Heather Peckham; Welch, Nicole Turrill

2012-01-01

In this study, we used targeted active-learning activities to help students improve their ways of reasoning about carbon flow in ecosystems. The results of a validated ecology conceptual inventory (diagnostic question clusters [DQCs]) provided us with information about students' understanding of and reasoning about transformation of inorganic and organic carbon-containing compounds in biological systems. These results helped us identify specific active-learning exercises that would be responsive to students' existing knowledge. The effects of the active-learning interventions were then examined through analysis of students' pre- and postinstruction responses on the DQCs. The biology and non–biology majors participating in this study attended a range of institutions and the instructors varied in their use of active learning; one lecture-only comparison class was included. Changes in pre- to postinstruction scores on the DQCs showed that an instructor's teaching method had a highly significant effect on student reasoning following course instruction, especially for questions pertaining to cellular-level, carbon-transforming processes. We conclude that using targeted in-class activities had a beneficial effect on student learning regardless of major or class size, and argue that using diagnostic questions to identify effective learning activities is a valuable strategy for promoting learning, as gains from lecture-only classes were minimal. PMID:22383618

Using targeted active-learning exercises and diagnostic question clusters to improve students' understanding of carbon cycling in ecosystems.

Science.gov (United States)

Maskiewicz, April Cordero; Griscom, Heather Peckham; Welch, Nicole Turrill

2012-01-01

In this study, we used targeted active-learning activities to help students improve their ways of reasoning about carbon flow in ecosystems. The results of a validated ecology conceptual inventory (diagnostic question clusters [DQCs]) provided us with information about students' understanding of and reasoning about transformation of inorganic and organic carbon-containing compounds in biological systems. These results helped us identify specific active-learning exercises that would be responsive to students' existing knowledge. The effects of the active-learning interventions were then examined through analysis of students' pre- and postinstruction responses on the DQCs. The biology and non-biology majors participating in this study attended a range of institutions and the instructors varied in their use of active learning; one lecture-only comparison class was included. Changes in pre- to postinstruction scores on the DQCs showed that an instructor's teaching method had a highly significant effect on student reasoning following course instruction, especially for questions pertaining to cellular-level, carbon-transforming processes. We conclude that using targeted in-class activities had a beneficial effect on student learning regardless of major or class size, and argue that using diagnostic questions to identify effective learning activities is a valuable strategy for promoting learning, as gains from lecture-only classes were minimal.

A novel bio-electrochemical system with sand/activated carbon separator, Al anode and bio-anode integrated micro-electrolysis/electro-flocculation cost effectively treated high load wastewater with energy recovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Changfei; Liu, Lifen; Yang, Fenglin

2018-02-01

A novel bio-electrochemical system (BES) was developed by integrating micro-electrolysis/electro-flocculation from attaching a sacrificing Al anode to the bio-anode, it effectively treated high load wastewater with energy recovery (maximum power density of 365.1 mW/m 3 and a maximum cell voltage of 0.97 V), and achieving high removals of COD (>99.4%), NH 4 + -N (>98.7%) and TP (>98.6%). The anode chamber contains microbes, activated carbon (AC)/graphite granules and Al anode. It was separated from the cathode chamber containing bifunctional catalytic and filtration membrane cathode (loaded with Fe/Mn/C/F/O catalyst) by a multi-medium chamber (MMC) filled with manganese sand and activated carbon granules, which replaced expensive PEM and reduced cost. An air contact oxidation bed for aeration was still adopted before liquid entering the cathode chamber. micro-electrolysis/electro-flocculation helps in achieving high removal efficiencies and contributes to membrane fouling migration. The increase of activated carbon in the separator MMC increased power generation and reduced system electric resistance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of activities of carbons in chemical equilibrium with uranium carbonitride

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katsura, Masahiro; Hirota, Masayuki; Miyake, Masanobu; Hamada, Kazuo.

1992-01-01

A mixture of uranium sesquinitride and carbon was prepared by the reaction of UC of UC 2 with N 2 in the temperature range from 700 to 1400degC. When the mixture of uranium sesquinitride and carbon is kept at temperatures above 1200degC in the atmosphere of N 2 at low pressure, the state where uranium carbonitride (UC 1-x N x ) and carbon are present together in chemical equilibrium will be established. A thermodynamic analysis suggests that, in the equilibrium state, the composition of UC 1-x N x is determined by the chemical activity of carbon, a c , which is related to the chemical potential of the carbon, μ c , by the equation, μ c = μ c deg + RT 1n a c . Here μ c deg refers to graphite, which is usually taken as the standard state of carbon (a c = 1). Mixtures of U 2 N 3 and carbon with several degrees of graphitization were heat-treated at 1400degC, and the composition of UC 1-x N x in the reaction product was determined. From these experimental results and the thermodynamic analysis, values of the activity of the carbon coexisting with UC 1-x N x were estimated. (author)

20 years of long-term water balance measurements of a landfill cover system with components constructed from pre-treated dredged material

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Berger, K.; Groengroeft, A.; Gebert, J.; Harms, C.; Eschenbach, A.

2017-01-01

The cover system of the mono-landfill Hamburg-Francop for disposal of dredged
material comprises a mineral liner of pre-treated fine-grained dredged material (‘METHAmaterial’) and an overlying drainage layer of pre-treated sandy dredged material (‘METHAsand’). Water balance and effectiveness of

Rapid small-scale column testing of granular activated carbon for organic micro-pollutant removal in treated domestic wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Zietzschmann, F; Müller, J; Sperlich, A; Ruhl, A S; Meinel, F; Altmann, J; Jekel, M

2014-01-01

This study investigates the applicability of the rapid small-scale column test (RSSCT) concept for testing of granular activated carbon (GAC) for organic micro-pollutants (OMPs) removal from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent. The chosen experimental setup was checked using pure water, WWTP effluent, different GAC products, and variable hydrodynamic conditions with different flow velocities and differently sized GAC, as well as different empty bed contact times (EBCTs). The setup results in satisfying reproducibility and robustness. RSSCTs in combination with WWTP effluent are effective when comparing the OMP removal potentials of different GAC products and are a useful tool for the estimation of larger filters. Due to the potentially high competition between OMPs and bulk organics, breakthrough curves are likely to have unfavorable shapes when treating WWTP effluent. This effect can be counteracted by extending the EBCT. With respect to the strong competition observed in GAC treatment of WWTP effluent, the small organic acid and neutral substances are retained longer in the RSSCT filters and are likely to cause the majority of the observed adsorption competition with OMPs.

Pre-reading activities in EFL/ESL reading textbooks and Turkish preparatory school teachers' attitudes toward pre-reading activities

OpenAIRE

Jecksembieyva, Nurgaisha

1993-01-01

Ankara : Faculty of Humanities and Letters and the Institute of Economics and Social Sciences of Bilkent University, 1993. Thesis (Master's) -- -Bilkent University, 1993. Includes bibliographical references leaves 35-40. The main focus of this study was to investigate pre-reading activities in EFL/ESL reading textbooks and to determine teachers' attitudes toward pre-reading activities. Fifteen reading textbooks for EFL/ESL students for different proficiency levels (beginning, interm...

Virological failure and HIV-1 drug resistance mutations among naive and antiretroviral pre-treated patients entering the ESTHER program of Calmette Hospital in Cambodia.

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Hubert Barennes

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: In resource limited settings, patients entering an antiretroviral therapy (ART program comprise ART naive and ART pre-treated patients who may show differential virological outcomes. METHODS: This retrospective study, conducted in 2010-2012 in the HIV clinic of Calmette Hospital located in Phnom Penh (Cambodia assessed virological failure (VF rates and patterns of drug resistance of naive and pre-treated patients. Naive and ART pre-treated patients were included when a Viral Load (VL was performed during the first year of ART for naive subjects or at the first consultation for pre-treated individuals. Patients showing Virological failure (VF (>1,000 copies/ml underwent HIV DR genotyping testing. Interpretation of drug resistance mutations was done according to 2013 version 23 ANRS algorithms. RESULTS: On a total of 209 patients, 164 (78.4% were naive and 45 (21.5% were ART pre-treated. Their median initial CD4 counts were 74 cells/mm3 (IQR: 30-194 and 279 cells/mm3 (IQR: 103-455 (p<0.001, respectively. Twenty seven patients (12.9% exhibited VF (95% CI: 8.6-18.2%, including 10 naive (10/164, 6.0% and 17 pre-treated (17/45, 37.8% patients (p<0.001. Among these viremic patients, twenty-two (81.4% were sequenced in reverse transcriptase and protease coding regions. Overall, 19 (86.3% harbored ≥1 drug resistance mutations (DRMs whereas 3 (all belonging to pre-treated patients harbored wild-types viruses. The most frequent DRMs were M184V (86.3%, K103N (45.5% and thymidine analog mutations (TAMs (40.9%. Two (13.3% pre-treated patients harbored viruses that showed a multi-nucleos(tide resistance including Q151M, K65R, E33A/D, E44A/D mutations. CONCLUSION: In Cambodia, VF rates were low for naive patients but the emergence of DRMs to NNRTI and 3TC occurred relatively quickly in this subgroup. In pre-treated patients, VF rates were much higher and TAMs were relatively common. HIV genotypic assays before ART initiation and for ART pre-treated

SBR treatment of olive mill wastewaters: dilution or pre-treatment?

Science.gov (United States)

Farabegoli, G; Chiavola, A; Rolle, E

2012-01-01

The olive-oil extraction industry is an economically important activity for many countries of the Mediterranean Sea area, with Spain, Greece and Italy being the major producers. This activity, however, may represent a serious environmental problem due to the discharge of highly polluted effluents, usually referred to as 'olive mill wastewaters' (OMWs). They are characterized by high values of chemical oxygen demand (COD) (80-300 g/L), lipids, total polyphenols (TPP), tannins and other substances difficult to degrade. An adequate treatment before discharging is therefore required to reduce the pollutant load. The aim of the present paper was to evaluate performances of a biological process in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) fed with pre-treated OMWs. Pre-treatment consisted of a combined acid cracking (AC) and granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption process. The efficiency of the system was compared with that of an identical SBR fed with the raw wastewater only diluted. Combined AC and GAC adsorption was chosen to be used prior to the following biological process due to its capability of providing high removal efficiencies of COD and TPP and also appreciable improvement of biodegradability. Comparing results obtained with different influents showed that best performances of the SBR were obtained by feeding it with raw diluted OMWs (dOMWs) and at the lowest dilution ratio (1:25): in this case, the removal efficiencies were 90 and 76%, as average, for COD and TPP, respectively. Feeding the SBR with either the pre-treated or the raw dOMWs at 1:50 gave very similar values of COD reduction (74%); however, an improvement of the TPP removal was observed in the former case.

Preparation of very pure active carbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sloot, H.A. van der; Hoede, D.; Zonderhuis, J.; Meijer, C.

1980-02-01

The preparation of very pure active carbon is described. Starting from polyvinylidene chloride active carbon is prepared by carbonization in a nitrogen atmosphere, grinding, sieving and activation of the powder fraction with CO 2 at 950 0 to approximately 50% burn-off. The concentrations of trace and major elements are reduced to the ppb and ppm level, respectively. In the present set-up 100 g of carbon grains and approximately 50 g of active carbon powder can be produced weekly

Influence of pre-harvest red light irradiation on main phytochemicals and antioxidant activity of Chinese kale sprouts.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Mingdan; Qian, Hongmei; Chen, Lili; Sun, Bo; Chang, Jiaqi; Miao, Huiying; Cai, Congxi; Wang, Qiaomei

2017-05-01

The effects of pre-harvest red light irradiation on main healthy phytochemicals as well as antioxidant activity of Chinese kale sprouts during postharvest storage were investigated. 6-day-old sprouts were treated by red light for 24h before harvest and sampled for further analysis of nutritional quality on the first, second and third day after harvest. The results indicated that red light exposure notably postponed the degradation of aliphatic, indole, and total glucosinolates during postharvest storage. The vitamin C level was remarkably higher in red light treated sprouts on the first and second day after harvest when compared with the control. In addition, red light treatment also enhanced the accumulation of total phenolics and maintained higher level of antioxidant activity than the control. All above results suggested that pre-harvest red light treatment might provide a new strategy to maintain the nutritive value of Chinese kale sprouts during postharvest storage. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of pre-pyrolysis mode on simultaneous introduction of nitrogen/oxygen-containing functional groups into the structure of bagasse-based mesoporous carbon and its influence on Cu(II) adsorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Zeqing; Li, Kunquan

2018-03-01

A convenient effective microwave pre-pyrolysis treatment to synthesize biomass-based mesoporous carbon with higher nitrogen/oxygen-chelating adsorption for Cu(II) is reported here, in which phosphoric acid impregnated bagasse was used as a microwave absorber and porogen. For comparison, conventional electric-heating pyrolyzed carbon was prepared and doped with nitrogen/oxygen groups. Nitrogen adsorption, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and batch adsorption were employed to investigate the effects of the two pre-pyrolysis modes on the sample physicochemical and Cu(II) adsorptive properties. The 22-min-microwave-pyrolyzed bagasse mesoporous activated carbon (MBAC, 85.32% mesoporosity) contained 10.52% O, which is 3.94% more than electric-heating pyrolyzed mesoporous activated carbon (89.52% mesoporosity). After electrophilic aromatic substitutions of N/O doping, the former possessed more N (5.83%) and more O (21.40%), confirming that time-saving energy-efficient microwave pyrolysis favors the formation of defective C/O atoms in or at the edges of the graphite layer of MBAC, which are highly active and tend to act as preferred reactive positions for the doping of N/O-containing groups simultaneously compared with conventional electric-heating pyrolysis. These N and O species existed mainly as COOH, OH, NH and NH 2 functional groups, and were confirmed by XPS to be active sites for metal binding via electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bonding, a chelate effect and complexation, resulting in the great enhancement of Cu(II) adsorption. Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic fitting further proved that Cu(II) adsorption by N/O-doped MBAC is ascribed mainly to chemisorption. Therefore, rapid microwave pre-pyrolysis provides a promising route to prepare excellent-performance N/O-doped carbon adsorbents. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High-surface-area active carbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Grady, T.M.; Wennerberg, A.N.

1986-01-01

This paper describes the preparation and properties of a unique active carbon having exceptionally high surface areas, over 2500 m 2 /gm, and extraordinary adsorptive capacities. The carbon is made by a direct chemical activation route in which petroleum coke or other carbonaceous sources are reacted with excess potassium hydroxide at 400 0 to 500 0 C to an intermediate product that is subsequently pyrolyzed at 800 0 to 900 0 C to active carbon containing potassium salts. These are removed by water washing and the carbon is dried to produce a powdered product. A granular carbon can also be made by further processing the powdered carbon by using specialized granulation techniques. Typical properties of the carbon include Iodine Numbers of 3000 to 3600, methylene blue adsorption of 650 to 750 mg/gm, pore volumes of 2.0 to 2.6 cc/gm and less than 3.0% ash. This carbon's high adsorption capacities make it uniquely suited for numerous demanding applications in the medical area, purifications, removal of toxic substances, as catalyst carriers, etc

Fenton-Driven Chemical Regeneration of MTBE-Spent Granular Activated Carbon -- A Pilot Study

Science.gov (United States)

MTBE-spent granular activated carbon (GAC) underwent 3 adsorption/oxidation cycles. Pilot-scale columns were intermittently placed on-line at a ground water pump and treat facility, saturated with MTBE, and regenerated with H2O2 under different chemical, physical, and operational...

Incorporating seeds in activated carbon pellets limits herbicide effects to seeded bunchgrasses when controlling exotic annuals

Science.gov (United States)

Revegetation of exotic annual grass-invaded rangeland with pre-emergent herbicides is challenging because seeding is delayed until herbicide toxicity has diminished, but at this time, exotic annuals can be re-invading. Incorporating seeds into activated carbon pellets may allow seeding to occur at t...

Growth of carbon nanotubes in arc plasma treated graphite disc: microstructural characterization and electrical conductivity study

Science.gov (United States)

Nayak, B. B.; Sahu, R. K.; Dash, T.; Pradhan, S.

2018-03-01

Circular graphite discs were treated in arc plasma by varying arcing time. Analysis of the plasma treated discs by field emission scanning electron microscope revealed globular grain morphologies on the surfaces, but when the same were observed at higher magnification and higher resolution under transmission electron microscope, growth of multiwall carbon nanotubes of around 2 nm diameter was clearly seen. In situ growth of carbon nanotube bundles/bunches consisting of around 0.7 nm tube diameter was marked in the case of 6 min treated disc surface. Both the untreated and the plasma treated graphite discs were characterized by X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive spectra of X-ray, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, micro Raman spectroscopy and BET surface area measurement. From Raman spectra, BET surface area and microstructure observed in transmission electron microscope, growth of several layers of graphene was identified. Four-point probe measurements for electrical resistivity/conductivity of the graphite discs treated under different plasma conditions showed significant increase in conductivity values over that of untreated graphite conductivity value and the best result, i.e., around eightfold increase in conductivity, was observed in the case of 6 min plasma treated sample exhibiting carbon nanotube bundles/bunches grown on disc surface. By comparing the microstructures of the untreated and plasma treated graphite discs, the electrical conductivity increase in graphite disc is attributed to carbon nanotubes (including bundles/bunches) growth on disc surface by plasma treatment.

Investigating dissolution of mechanically activated olivine for carbonation purposes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haug, Tove Anette; Kleiv, Rolf Arne; Munz, Ingrid Anne

2010-01-01

mechanically activated samples in general reacted faster than predicted by the theoretical models. Mechanical activation as a pre-treatment method was found to enhance the initial specific reaction rates by approximately three orders of magnitude for a sample milled dry for 60 min in a planetary mono mill compared to an unactivated sample. Wet milling in the planetary mill did not produce samples with the same maximum reaction rate as dry milling, but wet milling in general might be easier to implement into a wet carbonation process. Mechanical activation in a planetary mill is likely to consume too much energy for CO 2 sequestration purposes, but the increase in obtained olivine rate constants illustrates a potential for using milling as a pre-treatment method.

Biosorption Studies for the Removal of Malachite Green from its Aqueous Solution by Activated Carbon Prepared from Cassava Peel

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C. Parvathi

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The association of dyes with health related problems is not a new phenomenon. The effectiveness of carbon adsorption for dye removal from textile effluent has made it an ideal alternative to other expensive treatment methods. The preparation of activated carbon from agricultural waste could increase economic return and reduce pollution. Cassava peel has been used as a raw material to produce activated carbon. The study investigates the removal of malachite green dye from its aqueous solution. The effects of condition such as adsorbent dosage, initial dye concentration, pH and contact time were studied. The adsorption capacity was demonstrated as a function of time for malachite green from aqueous solution by the prepared activated carbon. The results showed that as the amount of the adsorbent was increased, the percentage of dye removal increased accordingly. Higher adsorption percentages were observed at lower concentrations of malachite green dye. Silver nitrate treated cassava peel showed a better performance compared to Sulphuric acid treated and raw carbons, thus making it an interesting option for dye removal textile effluent.

Preparation of activated carbon from sorghum pith and its structural and electrochemical properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Senthilkumar, S.T.; Senthilkumar, B. [Solid State Ionics and Energy Devices Laboratory, Department of Physics, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641046 (India); Balaji, S. [Materials Laboratory, Thiagarajar Advanced Research Center, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai 625015 (India); Sanjeeviraja, C. [Department of Physics, Alagappa University, Karaikudi 630003 (India); Kalai Selvan, R., E-mail: selvankram@buc.edu.in [Solid State Ionics and Energy Devices Laboratory, Department of Physics, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641046 (India)

2011-03-15

Research highlights: {yields} Sorghum pith as the cost effective raw material for activated carbon preparation. {yields} Physicochemical method/KOH activation for preparation of activated carbon is inexpensive. {yields} Activated carbon having lower surface area surprisingly delivered a higher specific capacitance. {yields} Treated at 500 {sup o}C activated carbon exceeds maximum specific capacitances of 320.6 F/g at 10 mV/s. -- Abstract: The cost effective activated carbon (AC) has been prepared from sorghum pith by NaOH activation at various temperatures, including 300 {sup o}C (AC1), 400 {sup o}C (AC2) and 500 {sup o}C (AC3) for the electrodes in electric double layer capacitor (EDLC) applications. The amorphous nature of the samples has been observed from X-ray diffraction and Raman spectral studies. Subsequently, the surface functional groups, surface morphology, pore diameter and specific surface area have been identified through FT-IR, SEM, histogram and N{sub 2} adsorption/desorption isotherm methods. The electrochemical characterization of AC electrodes has been examined using cyclic voltammetry technique in the potential range of -0.1-1.2 V in 1.0 M H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} electrolyte at different scan rates (10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 100 mV/s). The maximum specific capacitances of 320.6 F/g at 10 mV/s and 222.1 F/g at 100 mV/s have been obtained for AC3 electrode when compared with AC1 and AC2 electrodes. Based on the characterization studies, it has been inferred that the activated carbon prepared from sorghum pith may be one of the innovative carbon electrode materials for EDLC applications.

Treated Carbon Nanofibers for Storing Energy in Aqueous KOH

Science.gov (United States)

Firsich, David W.

2004-01-01

, a carbon capacitor electrode, and a nickel hydroxide battery electrode. By making the capacitor electrode of treated carbon nanofibers instead of another carbon material, one could obtain greater energy-storage capacity.

Carbon dynamics in an almond orchard soil amended with raw and treated pig slurry

Science.gov (United States)

Domínguez, Sara G.; Zornoza, Raúl; Faz, Ángel

2010-05-01

In SE Spain, intensive farming is very common which supposes the generation of great amounts of pig slurries. These residues cause many storage problems due to their pollution capacity. A good management of them is necessary to avoid damages to the environment. The use of this effluent as fertilizer is a usual practice that in the correct dose is a good amend and important for sustainable development, but in excess can be a risk of polluting and damaging soil, water and crop conditions. Pig slurry is a source of many nutrients and specially rich in organic matter. The main objective of this study is to determine changes in soil organic carbon dynamics resulting from raw and treated slurry amendments applied in different doses. The experimental area is an almond orchard located in Cartagena (SE Spain). The climate of the area is semiarid Mediterranean with mean annual temperature of 18°C and mean annual rainfall of 275 mm. A total of 10 plots (12 m x 30 m) were designed, one of them being the control without fertilizer. Surface soil samples (0-25 cm) were collected in September 2009. Three different treatments were applied, raw slurry, the effluent obtained after solid-liquid separation and solid manure, all of them in three doses being the first one of 170 kg N/ha, (maximum permitted in nitrates directive 91/676/CEE), and the others two and three times the first one. Soil biochemical parameters are rapid indicators of changes in soil quality. According to this, total organic carbon, soil microbial biomass carbon, soluble carbon, and β-glucosidase, β-galactosidase and arylesterase activities were measured in order to assess some soil biochemical conditions and carbon dynamics in terms of the different treatments. As we expected, the use of these organic fertilizers rich in organic matter, had an effect on soil carbon and soil microbial activity resulting in an increase in most of the parameters; total organic carbon and β-galactosidase activity showed the

A comparison of electrochemically pre-treated and spark-platinized carbon fiber microelectrode. Measurement of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine in human urine and plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bartosova, Z.; Riman, D. [Department of Analytical Chemistry, Palacky University, Faculty of Science, 17.listopadu 12, CZ-771 46 Olomouc (Czech Republic); Halouzka, V. [Department of Analytical Chemistry, Palacky University, Faculty of Science, 17.listopadu 12, CZ-771 46 Olomouc (Czech Republic); Department of Physics and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, nam. T.G. Masaryka 275, CZ-76001 Zlin (Czech Republic); Vostalova, J.; Simanek, V. [Department of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University, Hnevotinska 3, CZ-775 15 Olomouc (Czech Republic); Hrbac, J., E-mail: jhrbac@atlas.cz [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, CZ-625 00 Brno (Czech Republic); Jirovsky, D., E-mail: david.jirovsky@upol.cz [Department of Analytical Chemistry, Palacky University, Faculty of Science, 17.listopadu 12, CZ-771 46 Olomouc (Czech Republic)

2016-09-07

A novel method of carbon fiber microelectrode activation using spark discharge was demonstrated and compared to conventional electrochemical pretreatment by potential cycling. The spark discharge was performed at 800 V between the microelectrode connected to positive pole of the power supply and platinum counter electrode. Spark discharge led both to trimming of the fiber tip into conical shape and to the modification of carbon fiber microelectrode with platinum, as proven by scanning electron microscopy and electron dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. After the characterization of electrochemical properties using ferricyanide voltammetry, the activated electrodes were used for electrochemical analysis of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine, an oxidative stress marker. Subnanomolar detection limits (0.55 nmol L{sup −1}) in high-performance liquid chromatography were achieved for spark platinized electrodes incorporated into the flow detection cell. - Highlights: • Novel method of carbon fiber microelectrode activation and platinization using spark discharge. • The activation procedure is efficient, fast and solvent-free. • Modification of the surface and the shape of the carbon fiber microelectrode during the process. • The spark-etched platinized carbon fiber sensors are highly sensitive. • The sensor was successfully applied to HPLC analysis of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine in plasma and urine.

Highly porous activated carbons prepared from carbon rich Mongolian anthracite by direct NaOH activation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Byamba-Ochir, Narandalai [School of Chemical Engineering, Chonnam National University, 77 Yongbong-Ro, Gwangju 61186 (Korea, Republic of); Shim, Wang Geun [Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sunchon National University, 255 Jungang-Ro, Suncheon, Jeollanam-Do 57922 (Korea, Republic of); Balathanigaimani, M.S., E-mail: msbala@rgipt.ac.in [Department of Chemical Engineering, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology, Ratapur Chowk, Rae Bareli, 229316 Uttar Pradesh (India); Moon, Hee, E-mail: hmoon@jnu.ac.kr [School of Chemical Engineering, Chonnam National University, 77 Yongbong-Ro, Gwangju 61186 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-08-30

Highlights: • Highly porous carbon materials from Mongolian anthracite by chemical activation. • Cheaper and eco-friendly activation process has been employed. • Activated carbons with graphitic structure and energetically heterogeneous surface. • Surface hydrophobicity and porosity of the activated carbons can be controlled. - Abstract: Highly porous activated carbons (ACs) were prepared from Mongolian raw anthracite (MRA) using sodium hydroxide as an activation agent by varying the mass ratio (powdered MRA/NaOH) as well as the mixing method of chemical agent and powdered MRA. The specific BET surface area and total pore volume of the prepared MRA-based activated carbons (MACs) are in the range of 816–2063 m{sup 2}/g and of 0.55–1.61 cm{sup 3}/g, respectively. The pore size distribution of MACs show that most of the pores are in the range from large micropores to small mesopores and their distribution can be controlled by the mass ratio and mixing method of the activating agent. As expected from the intrinsic property of the MRA, the highly graphitic surface morphology of prepared carbons was confirmed from Raman spectra and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. Furthermore the FTIR and XPS results reveal that the preparation of MACs with hydrophobic in nature is highly possible by controlling the mixing conditions of activating agent and powdered MRA. Based on all the results, it is suggested that the prepared MACs could be used for many specific applications, requiring high surface area, optimal pore size distribution, proper surface hydrophobicity as well as strong physical strength.

Carbon tetrachloride desorption from activated carbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jonas, L.A.; Sansone, E.B.

1981-01-01

Carbon tetrachloride was desorbed from a granular activated carbon subsequent to its adsorption under various vapor exposure periods. The varied conditions of exposure resulted in a range of partially saturated carbon beds which, when followed by a constant flow rate for desorption, generated different forms of the desorbing concentration versus time curve. A method of analyzing the desorption curves is presented which permits extraction of the various desorbing rates from the different desorption and to relate this to the time required for such regeneration. The Wheeler desorption kinetic equation was used to calculate the pseudo first order desorption rate constant for the carbon. The desorption rate constant was found to increase monotonically with increasing saturation of the bed, permitting the calculation of the maximum desorption rate constant for the carbon at 100% saturation. The Retentivity Index of the carbon, defined as the dimensionless ratio of the adsorption to the desorption rate constant, was found to be 681

Characteristics of Combined Submerged Membrane Bioreactor with Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) in Treating Lineal Alkylbenzene Sulphonates (LAS) Wastewater

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Jifeng; Xia, Siqing; Lu, Yanjun

2010-11-01

A combined MBR (cMBR) with granular activated carbon (GAC) was used as a backbone system to treat the synthetic lineal alkylbenzene sulphonates (LAS) wastewater. The GAC was added in the MBR to improve the resistance of membrane fouling. A parallel conventional MBR (pMBR) without the GAC was run to give a contrast. The results of the process demonstrate that the cMBR process was more efficient than pMBR. It was found that the TMP changes of the cMBR were slower than the pMBR. The results demonstrated that the cMBRs membrane was better than the pMBR's after a clean period run. It was the GAC scrubbing to the membrane that delayed the membrane fouling of the cMBR. Variable critical flux was found in MBR, which showed that the cMBR could make the critical flux better than pMBR in the run time, but GAC could not improve the critical flux at the end of the period for the severe membrane fouling. Based on this theory, a variable critical flux (J) of MBR was put forward, and the relationship of J with time (t) was: J = 16.081e-0.0177t.

Enhancement of methylbenzene adsorption capacity through cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide-modified activated carbon derived from Astragalus residue

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Ningchuan; Zhang, Yumei; Fan, Wei; Zhu, Meilin

2018-02-01

Activated carbon was prepared from astragalus residue by KOH and then treated with cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and used for the removal of methylbenzene from aqueous solution. The samples were characterized by FTIR, XRD, SEM and Boehm titration. The results showed that CTAB changed the physicochemical properties of activated carbon significantly. The isotherm adsorption studies of methylbenzene onto the astragalus residue activated carbon (ASC) and CTAB-modified astragalus residue activated carbon (ASCCTAB) were examined by using batch techniques and agreed well with the Langmuir model. The maximum adsorption capacity of ASC and ASC-CTAB for methylbenzene determined from the Langmuir model was183.56 mg/g and 235.18 mg/g, respectively. The results indicated that using CTAB as a modifier for ASC modification could markedly enhance the methylbenzene removal from water.

Adsorption characteristics of activated carbon hollow fibers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. V. Kaludjerović

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Carbon hollow fibers were prepared with regenerated cellulose or polysulfone hollow fibers by chemical activation using sodium phosphate dibasic followed by the carbonization process. The activation process increases the adsorption properties of fibers which is more prominent for active carbone fibers obtained from the cellulose precursor. Chemical activation with sodium phosphate dibasic produces an active carbon material with both mesopores and micropores.

Collagen tissue treated with chitosan solutions in carbonic acid for improved biological prosthetic heart valves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gallyamov, Marat O., E-mail: glm@spm.phys.msu.ru [Faculty of Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie gory 1–2, Moscow 119991 (Russian Federation); Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova 28, Moscow 119991 (Russian Federation); Chaschin, Ivan S. [Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova 28, Moscow 119991 (Russian Federation); Khokhlova, Marina A. [Faculty of Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie gory 1–2, Moscow 119991 (Russian Federation); Grigorev, Timofey E. [Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova 28, Moscow 119991 (Russian Federation); Bakuleva, Natalia P.; Lyutova, Irina G.; Kondratenko, Janna E. [Bakulev Scientific Center for Cardiovascular Surgery of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Roublyevskoe Sh. 135, Moscow 121552 (Russian Federation); Badun, Gennadii A.; Chernysheva, Maria G. [Radiochemistry Division, Faculty of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie gory 1–2, Moscow 119991 (Russian Federation); Khokhlov, Alexei R. [Faculty of Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie gory 1–2, Moscow 119991 (Russian Federation); Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova 28, Moscow 119991 (Russian Federation)

2014-04-01

Calcification of bovine pericardium dramatically shortens typical lifetimes of biological prosthetic heart valves and thus precludes their choice for younger patients. The aim of the present work is to demonstrate that the calcification is to be mitigated by means of treatment of bovine pericardium in solutions of chitosan in carbonic acid, i.e. water saturated with carbon dioxide at high pressure. This acidic aqueous fluid unusually combines antimicrobial properties with absolute biocompatibility as far as at normal pressure it decomposes spontaneously and completely into H{sub 2}O and CO{sub 2}. Yet, at high pressures it can protonate and dissolve chitosan materials with different degrees of acetylation (in the range of 16–33%, at least) without any further pretreatment. Even exposure of the bovine pericardium in pure carbonic acid solution without chitosan already favours certain reduction in calcification, somewhat improved mechanical properties, complete biocompatibility and evident antimicrobial activity of the treated collagen tissue. The reason may be due to high extraction ability of this peculiar compressed fluidic mixture. Moreover, exposure of the bovine pericardium in solutions of chitosan in carbonic acid introduces even better mechanical properties and highly pronounced antimicrobial activity of the modified collagen tissue against adherence and biofilm formation of relevant Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains. Yet, the most important achievement is the detected dramatic reduction in calcification for such modified collagen tissues in spite of the fact that the amount of the thus introduced chitosan is rather small (typically ca. 1 wt.%), which has been reliably detected using original tritium labelling method. We believe that these improved properties are achieved due to particularly deep and uniform impregnation of the collagen matrix with chitosan from its pressurised solutions in carbonic acid. - Highlights: • Treatment of GA

Collagen tissue treated with chitosan solutions in carbonic acid for improved biological prosthetic heart valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gallyamov, Marat O.; Chaschin, Ivan S.; Khokhlova, Marina A.; Grigorev, Timofey E.; Bakuleva, Natalia P.; Lyutova, Irina G.; Kondratenko, Janna E.; Badun, Gennadii A.; Chernysheva, Maria G.; Khokhlov, Alexei R.

2014-01-01

Calcification of bovine pericardium dramatically shortens typical lifetimes of biological prosthetic heart valves and thus precludes their choice for younger patients. The aim of the present work is to demonstrate that the calcification is to be mitigated by means of treatment of bovine pericardium in solutions of chitosan in carbonic acid, i.e. water saturated with carbon dioxide at high pressure. This acidic aqueous fluid unusually combines antimicrobial properties with absolute biocompatibility as far as at normal pressure it decomposes spontaneously and completely into H 2 O and CO 2 . Yet, at high pressures it can protonate and dissolve chitosan materials with different degrees of acetylation (in the range of 16–33%, at least) without any further pretreatment. Even exposure of the bovine pericardium in pure carbonic acid solution without chitosan already favours certain reduction in calcification, somewhat improved mechanical properties, complete biocompatibility and evident antimicrobial activity of the treated collagen tissue. The reason may be due to high extraction ability of this peculiar compressed fluidic mixture. Moreover, exposure of the bovine pericardium in solutions of chitosan in carbonic acid introduces even better mechanical properties and highly pronounced antimicrobial activity of the modified collagen tissue against adherence and biofilm formation of relevant Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains. Yet, the most important achievement is the detected dramatic reduction in calcification for such modified collagen tissues in spite of the fact that the amount of the thus introduced chitosan is rather small (typically ca. 1 wt.%), which has been reliably detected using original tritium labelling method. We believe that these improved properties are achieved due to particularly deep and uniform impregnation of the collagen matrix with chitosan from its pressurised solutions in carbonic acid. - Highlights: • Treatment of GA-stabilised bovine

Optimized preparation for large surface area activated carbon from date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) stone biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Danish, Mohammed; Hashim, Rokiah; Ibrahim, M.N. Mohamad; Sulaiman, Othman

2014-01-01

The preparation of activated carbon from date stone treated with phosphoric acid was optimized using rotatable central composite design of response surface methodology (RSM). The chemical activating agent concentration and temperature of activation plays a crucial role in preparation of large surface area activated carbons. The optimized activated carbon was characterized using thermogravimetric analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results showed that the larger surface area of activated carbon from date stone can be achieved under optimum activating agent (phosphoric acid) concentration, 50.0% (8.674 mol L −1 ) and activation temperature, 900 °C. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of optimized activated carbon was found to be 1225 m 2  g −1 , and thermogravimetric analysis revealed that 55.2% mass of optimized activated carbon was found thermally stable till 900 °C. The leading chemical functional groups found in the date stone activated carbon were aliphatic carboxylic acid salt ν(C=O) 1561.22 cm −1 and 1384.52 cm −1 , aliphatic hydrocarbons ν(C–H) 2922.99 cm −1 (C–H sym./asym. stretch frequency), aliphatic phosphates ν(P–O–C) 1054.09 cm −1 , and secondary aliphatic alcohols ν(O–H) 3419.81 cm −1 and 1159.83 cm −1 . - Highlights: • RSM optimization was done for the production of large surface area activated carbon. • Two independent variables with two responses were selected for optimization. • Characterization was done for surface area, morphology and chemical constituents. • Optimized date stone activated carbon achieved surface area 1225 m 2  g −1

Hardness of high-pressure high-temperature treated single-walled carbon nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawasaki, S.; Nojima, Y.; Yokomae, T.; Okino, F.; Touhara, H.

2007-01-01

We have performed high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) treatments of high quality single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) over a wide pressure-temperature range up to 13 GPa-873 K and have investigated the hardness of the HPHT-treated SWCNTs using a nanoindentation technique. It was found that the hardness of the SWCNTs treated at pressures greater than 11 GPa and at temperatures higher than 773 K is about 10 times greater than that of the SWCNTs treated at low temperature. It was also found that the hardness change of the SWCNTs is related to the structural change by the HPHT treatments which was based on synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements

Adsorption and bioadsorption of granular activated carbon (GAC) for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal in wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, W; Ngo, H H; Kim, S H; Guo, W S; Hagare, P

2008-12-01

In this study, the performances of GAC adsorption and GAC bioadsorption in terms of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal were investigated with synthetic biologically treated sewage effluent (BTSE), synthetic primary treated sewage effluent (PTSE), real BTSE and real PTSE. The main aims of this study are to verify and compare the efficiency of DOC removal by GAC (adsorption) and acclimatized GAC (bioadsorption). The results indicated that the performance of bioadsorption was significantly better than that of adsorption in all cases, showing the practical use of biological granular activated carbon (BGAC) in filtration process. The most significance was observed at a real PTSE with a GAC dose of 5g/L, having 54% and 96% of DOC removal by adsorption and bioadsorption, respectively. In addition, it was found that GAC adsorption equilibrium was successfully predicted by a hybrid Langmuir-Freundlich model whilst integrated linear driving force approximation (LDFA)+hybrid isotherm model could describe well the adsorption kinetics. Both adsorption isotherm and kinetic coefficients determined by these models will be useful to model the adsorption/bioadsorption process in DOC removal of BGAC filtration system.

Production and characterization of granular activated carbon from activated sludge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Al-Qodah

2009-03-01

Full Text Available In this study, activated sludge was used as a precursor to prepare activated carbon using sulfuric acid as a chemical activation agent. The effect of preparation conditions on the produced activated carbon characteristics as an adsorbent was investigated. The results indicate that the produced activated carbon has a highly porous structure and a specific surface area of 580 m²/g. The FT-IR analysis depicts the presence of a variety of functional groups which explain its improved adsorption behavior against pesticides. The XRD analysis reveals that the produced activated carbon has low content of inorganic constituents compared with the precursor. The adsorption isotherm data were fitted to three adsorption isotherm models and found to closely fit the BET model with R² equal 0.948 at pH 3, indicating a multilayer of pesticide adsorption. The maximum loading capacity of the produced activated carbon was 110 mg pesticides/g adsorbent and was obtained at this pH value. This maximum loading was found experimentally to steeply decrease as the solution pH increases. The obtained results show that activated sludge is a promising low cost precursor for the production of activated carbon.

Structural and adsorptive properties of activated carbons prepared by carbonization and activation of resins.

Science.gov (United States)

Leboda, R; Skubiszewska-Zieba, J; Tomaszewski, W; Gun'ko, V M

2003-07-15

Four activated carbons (S1-S4) possessing different structural characteristics were prepared by carbonization of commercial resins (used for ion exchange) and subsequent activation. Their textural parameters were determined on the basis of nitrogen adsorption-desorption at 77.4 K, analyzed by applying several local and overall adsorption isotherm equations. The nature of carbon surface functionalities was analyzed by FTIR spectroscopy. The GC and solid-phase extraction (SPE) techniques were applied to study the influence of the texture of carbonaceous materials on their adsorptive properties. The adsorption efficiency of synthesized carbons with respect to alkylhalides used as probe compounds in the GC measurements varied over a range from 28% (C(2)H(3)Cl(3)/S2) to 85% (CHBr(3)/S1) depending on the type of adsorbates and adsorbents. The concentrating efficiency of these carbons in SPE of explosive materials changed over a larger range from 12% (trinitroglycerin/S4) and 13% (trinitrotoluene/S2) up to 100% (octogen/S1). Active carbon prepared using Zerolite 225x8 as a precursor demonstrated better results than other carbons in two types of adsorption with average values of the efficiency of 75.4% for explosives and 60.8% for alkylhalides.

Characteristic of betel nuts activated carbon and its application to Jumputan wastewater treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Cundari, L.; Sari, K. F.; Anggraini, L.

2018-04-01

Wastewater from Jumputan production contains synthetic dye which is harmful to the environment. The contaminant can be reduced by adsorption process using activated carbon. The activated carbon was prepared from betel nuts with carbonization temperature of 500°C and 0.5 M HCl as an activator. Batch mode experiments were conducted to study the effect of various factors, such as the size particle of adsorbent, the dosage of adsorbent, and the contact time on Jumputan’s dye adsorption. The volume of treated solution was 200 mL. This solution agitated using a Jar Test at 150 rpm. The objectives of this work were to analyze the characteristic of the betel nuts, to analyze the characteristic of the activated carbon and to determine adsorbent’s ability to dye adsorption. Betel nuts compositions were analyzed with proximate analysis method. The adsorbents were carried out by SEM-EDS analysis. The dye adsorptions were analyzed with a portable spectrophotometer. The result shows betel nuts contains 60.86% carbohydrate, 32.56% water, 2.17% fat, 3.35% protein, and 1.06% ash. The major component of the activated carbon is carbon (C) of 86.27%, and the rest is Oxygen (9.18%) and Aurum (4.55%). The best condition is the adsorbent that has a particle size of 250 pm (60 mesh), the dosage of 20 grams, and the contact time of 15 minutes with dye removal of 76.4%.

Degradation of Active Brilliant Red X-3B by a microwave discharge electrodeless lamp in the presence of activated carbon.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Jie; Wen, Teng; Wang, Qing; Zhang, Xue-Wei; Zeng, Qing-Fu; An, Shu-Qing; Zhu, Hai-Liang

2010-06-01

Degradation of Active Brilliant Red X-3B (X-3B) in aqueous solution by a microwave discharge electrodeless lamp (MDEL) in the presence of activated carbon was investigated. The preliminary results proved this method could effectively degrade X-3B in aqueous solution. The removal percentages of colour and chemical oxygen demand were up to approximately 99% and 66%, respectively, at the conditions of 0.8 g/L dye concentration, 20 g/L activated carbon, pH 7.0 and 8 min microwave irradiation time. The degradation basically belonged to first-order reaction kinetics and its rate constant was 0.42 min(-1). No aromatic organics were detected in the final treated solution, indicating that the mineralization was relatively complete. By studying the change in solution properties, it could be concluded that MDEL-assisted oxidation was the dominant reaction mechanism. In addition, the influence of operational parameters and reuse of activated carbon were also discussed.

Adsorption of cadmium from aqueous solutions on sulfurized activated carbon prepared from nut shells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fouladi Tajar, Amir; Kaghazchi, Tahereh; Soleimani, Mansooreh

2009-01-01

Low-cost activated carbon, derived from nut shells, and its modified sample have been used as replacements for the current expensive methods of removing cadmium from aqueous solutions and waste waters. Adsorption of cadmium onto four kinds of activated carbons has been studied; prepared activated carbon (PAC), commercial activated carbon (CAC), and the sulfurized ones (SPAC and SCAC). The activated carbon has been derived, characterized, treated with sulfur and then utilized for the removal of Cd 2+ . Sulfurizing agent (SO 2 gas) was successfully used in adsorbents' modification process at the ambient temperature. Samples were then characterized and tested as adsorbents of cadmium. Effect of some parameters such as contact time, initial concentration and pH were examined. With increasing pH, the adsorption of cadmium ions was increased and maximum removal, 92.4% for SPAC, was observed in pH > 8.0 (C 0 = 100 mg/L). The H-type adsorption isotherms, obtained for the adsorbents, indicated a favorable process. Adsorption data on both prepared and commercial activated carbon, before and after sulfurization, followed both the Frendlich and Langmuir models. They were better fitted by Frendlich isotherm as compared to Langmuir. The maximum adsorption capacities were 90.09, 104.17, 126.58 and 142.86 mg/g for CAC, PAC, SCAC and SPAC, respectively. Accordingly, surface modification of activated carbons using SO 2 greatly enhanced cadmium removal. The reversibility of the process has been studied in a qualitative manner and it shows that the spent SPAC can be effectively regenerated for further use easily.

Carbon activation process for increased surface accessibility in electrochemical capacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Doughty, Daniel H.; Eisenmann, Erhard T.

2001-01-01

A process for making carbon film or powder suitable for double capacitor electrodes having a capacitance of up to about 300 F/cm.sup.3 is disclosed. This is accomplished by treating in aqueous nitric acid for a period of about 5 to 15 minutes thin carbon films obtained by carbonizing carbon-containing polymeric material having a high degree of molecular directionality, such as polyimide film, then heating the treated carbon film in a non-oxidizing atmosphere at a non-graphitizing temperature of at least 350.degree. C. for about 20 minutes, and repeating alternately the nitric acid step and the heating step from 7 to 10 times. Capacitors made with this carbon may find uses ranging from electronic devices to electric vehicle applications.

Modelling the Thin-Layer Drying Kinetics of Untreated and Blanch-Osmotic Pre-treated Tomato Slices

OpenAIRE

Samuel Enahoro Agarry

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of pre-treatment and drying temperature on the drying kinetics and nutritional quality of tomato (Lycopersicon esculantum L.) under hot air drying. Tomato samples were blanched at 80oC and osmotically dehydrated using 20% w/w sodium chloride solutions at 30oC for 20 min. The blanch-osmotic pre-treated and untreated tomato slices were dried at temperature of 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80oC, respectively in a hot air-dryer. The results showed th...

Effects on temperature and acidic pre-treatment on Fenton-driven oxidation of MTBE-spent granular activated carbon

Science.gov (United States)

Temperature-dependent mechanisms in the Fenton-driven chemical oxidation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE)-spent granular activated carbon (GAC) was investigated. Prior to iron (Fe) amendment to the GAC, acid-treatment altered the surface chemistry of the GAC and lowered the p...

Wastewater treatment using low cost activated carbons derived from agricultural byproducts-A case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohan, Dinesh [Environmental Chemistry Division, Industrial Toxicology Research Centre, Post Box No. 80, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Lucknow 226001, U.P. (India)], E-mail: dm_1967@hotmail.com; Singh, Kunwar P.; Singh, Vinod K. [Environmental Chemistry Division, Industrial Toxicology Research Centre, Post Box No. 80, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Lucknow 226001, U.P. (India)

2008-04-15

A variety of low cost activated carbons were developed from agricultural waste materials viz., coconut shell, coconut shell fibers and rice husk. The low cost activated carbons were fully characterized and utilized for the remediation of various pollutants viz., chemical oxygen demand (COD), heavy metals, anions, etc., from industrial wastewater. Sorption studies were carried out at different temperatures and particle sizes to study the effect of temperatures and surface areas. The removal of chloride and fluoride increased with rise in temperature while COD and metal ions removal decreased with increase in temperature, thereby, indicating the processes to be endothermic and exothermic, respectively. The kinetics of COD adsorption was also carried out at different temperatures to establish the sorption mechanism and to determine various kinetic parameters. The COD removal was 47-72% by coconut shell fiber carbon (ATFAC), 50-74% by coconut shell carbon (ATSAC) and 45-73% by rice husk carbon (ATRHC). Furthermore, COD removal kinetics by rice husk carbon, coconut shell carbon and coconut fiber carbon at different temperatures was approximately represented by a first order rate law. Results of this fundamental study demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of low cost activated carbons. The parameters obtained in this study can be fully utilized to establish fixed bed reactors on large scale to treat the contaminated water.

Wastewater treatment using low cost activated carbons derived from agricultural byproducts-A case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohan, Dinesh; Singh, Kunwar P.; Singh, Vinod K.

2008-01-01

A variety of low cost activated carbons were developed from agricultural waste materials viz., coconut shell, coconut shell fibers and rice husk. The low cost activated carbons were fully characterized and utilized for the remediation of various pollutants viz., chemical oxygen demand (COD), heavy metals, anions, etc., from industrial wastewater. Sorption studies were carried out at different temperatures and particle sizes to study the effect of temperatures and surface areas. The removal of chloride and fluoride increased with rise in temperature while COD and metal ions removal decreased with increase in temperature, thereby, indicating the processes to be endothermic and exothermic, respectively. The kinetics of COD adsorption was also carried out at different temperatures to establish the sorption mechanism and to determine various kinetic parameters. The COD removal was 47-72% by coconut shell fiber carbon (ATFAC), 50-74% by coconut shell carbon (ATSAC) and 45-73% by rice husk carbon (ATRHC). Furthermore, COD removal kinetics by rice husk carbon, coconut shell carbon and coconut fiber carbon at different temperatures was approximately represented by a first order rate law. Results of this fundamental study demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of low cost activated carbons. The parameters obtained in this study can be fully utilized to establish fixed bed reactors on large scale to treat the contaminated water

Comparative Study of Textural Characteristics on Methane Adsorption for Carbon Spheres Produced by CO2 Activation

OpenAIRE

Yang, Wen; Feng, Yanyan; Chu, Wei

2014-01-01

Resorcinol-formaldehyde resin polymer was used as raw material for preparation of carbon spheres. Samples were treated with CO2 flow at 850°C by varying activation times. The CO2 activation granted better pore development of pore structure. The experimental data of CH4 adsorption as a function of equilibrium pressure was fitted by Langmuir and Dubinin-Astakhov (D-A) models. It was concluded that the high surface area and micropore volume of carbon spheres did unequivocally determine methane c...

Composite supercapacitor electrodes made of activated carbon ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

carbon/PEDOT:PSS and activated carbon/doped PEDOT. T S SONIA, P A MINI, ... polymeric anodes for organic photovoltaics, light-emitting diodes (Pingree et al ... looked upon are carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene and activated carbon.

Carbon dioxide removal in gas treating processes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lidal, H

1992-06-01

The main contribution of this work is the development of a simple and reliable modelling technique on carbon dioxide removal describing the vapor-liquid equilibria of CO{sub 2} in aqueous alkanolamine solutions. By making use of measured pH data, the author has circumvented the problem of estimating interaction parameters, activity coefficients, and equilibrium constants in the prediction of vapor-liquid equilibria. The applicability of the model is best demonstrated on the tertiary amine system using MDEA. For this system, the VLE is accurately represented for temperatures in the range 25 to 140{sup o}C, for CO{sub 2} loadings from 0.001 to 1 mol/mol, and for amine molarities usually encountered in acid gas treating processes. The absorption of CO{sub 2} into solutions containing the sterically hindered amine AMP, is also well described by the model. The equilibrium of CO{sub 2} in mixed solvents containing a glycol (TEG,DEG) and an alkonolamine (MEA,DEA) has been measured at temperatures encountered in the absorption units. An equilibrium model has been developed for the CO{sub 2}/TEG/MEA system for estimation of CO{sub 2} partial pressures, covering loadings and temperatures for both absorption and desorption conditions. An important spin-off of the work described is that two new experimental set-ups have been designed and built. 154 refs., 38 figs., 22 tabs.

Carbon dioxide removal in gas treating processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lidal, H.

1992-06-01

The main contribution of this work is the development of a simple and reliable modelling technique on carbon dioxide removal describing the vapor-liquid equilibria of CO 2 in aqueous alkanolamine solutions. By making use of measured pH data, the author has circumvented the problem of estimating interaction parameters, activity coefficients, and equilibrium constants in the prediction of vapor-liquid equilibria. The applicability of the model is best demonstrated on the tertiary amine system using MDEA. For this system, the VLE is accurately represented for temperatures in the range 25 to 140 o C, for CO 2 loadings from 0.001 to 1 mol/mol, and for amine molarities usually encountered in acid gas treating processes. The absorption of CO 2 into solutions containing the sterically hindered amine AMP, is also well described by the model. The equilibrium of CO 2 in mixed solvents containing a glycol (TEG,DEG) and an alkonolamine (MEA,DEA) has been measured at temperatures encountered in the absorption units. An equilibrium model has been developed for the CO 2 /TEG/MEA system for estimation of CO 2 partial pressures, covering loadings and temperatures for both absorption and desorption conditions. An important spin-off of the work described is that two new experimental set-ups have been designed and built. 154 refs., 38 figs., 22 tabs

Effects of Temperature and Acidic Pre-Treatment on Fenton-Driven Oxidation of MTBE-Spent Granular Activated Carbon

Science.gov (United States)

Temperature-dependent mechanisms in the Fenton-driven chemical oxidation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE)-spent granular activated carbon (GAC) was investigated. Prior to iron (Fe) amendment to the GAC, acid-treatment altered the surface chemistry of the GAC and lowered the pH ...

Role of ozone and granular activated carbon in the removal of mutagenic compounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Bourbigot, M M; Hascoet, M C; Levi, Y; Erb, F; Pommery, N

1986-01-01

The identification of certain organic compounds in drinking water has led water treatment specialists to be increasingly concerned about the eventual risks of such pollutants to the health of consumers. Our experiments focused on the role of ozone and granular activated carbon in removing mutagenic compounds and precursors that become toxic after chlorination. We found that if a sufficient dose of ozone is applied, its use does not lead to the creation of mutagenic compounds in drinking water and can even eliminate the initial mutagenicity of the water. The formation of new mutagenic compounds seems to be induced by ozonation that is too weak, although these mutagens can be removed by GAC filtration. Ozone used with activated carbon can be one of the best means for eliminating the compounds contributing to the mutagenicity of water. A combined treatment of ozone and activated carbon also decreases the chlorine consumption of the treated water and consequently reduces the formation of chlorinated organic compounds. PMID:3816720

Insights into plant cell wall structure, architecture, and integrity using glycome profiling of native and AFEXTM-pre-treated biomass

Science.gov (United States)

Pattathil, Sivakumar; Hahn, Michael G.; Dale, Bruce E.; Chundawat, Shishir P. S.

2015-01-01

Cell walls, which constitute the bulk of plant biomass, vary considerably in their structure, composition, and architecture. Studies on plant cell walls can be conducted on both native and pre-treated plant biomass samples, allowing an enhanced understanding of these structural and compositional variations. Here glycome profiling was employed to determine the relative abundance of matrix polysaccharides in several phylogenetically distinct native and pre-treated plant biomasses. Eight distinct biomass types belonging to four different subgroups (i.e. monocot grasses, woody dicots, herbaceous dicots, and softwoods) were subjected to various regimes of AFEX™ (ammonia fiber expansion) pre-treatment [AFEX is a trademark of MBI, Lansing (http://www.mbi.org]. This approach allowed detailed analysis of close to 200 cell wall glycan epitopes and their relative extractability using a high-throughput platform. In general, irrespective of the phylogenetic origin, AFEX™ pre-treatment appeared to cause loosening and improved accessibility of various xylan epitope subclasses in most plant biomass materials studied. For most biomass types analysed, such loosening was also evident for other major non-cellulosic components including subclasses of pectin and xyloglucan epitopes. The studies also demonstrate that AFEX™ pre-treatment significantly reduced cell wall recalcitrance among diverse phylogenies (except softwoods) by inducing structural modifications to polysaccharides that were not detectable by conventional gross composition analyses. It was found that monitoring changes in cell wall glycan compositions and their relative extractability for untreated and pre-treated plant biomass can provide an improved understanding of variations in structure and composition of plant cell walls and delineate the role(s) of matrix polysaccharides in cell wall recalcitrance. PMID:25911738

Repair activity of oxidatively damaged DNA and telomere length in human lung epithelial cells after exposure to multi-walled carbon nanotubes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borghini, Andrea; Roursgaard, Martin; Andreassi, Maria Grazia

2017-01-01

One type of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) (MWCNT-7, from Mitsui) has been classified as probably carcinogenic to humans, however insufficient data does not warrant the same classification for other types of CNTs. Experimental data indicate that CNT exposure can result in oxidative stress and DNA damage...... the cells toward replicative senescence, assessed by attrition of telomeres. To investigate this, H2O2 and KBrO3 were used to induce DNA damage in the cells and the effect of pre-exposure to MWCNT tested for a change in repair activity inside the cells or in the extract of treated cells. The effect of MWCNT...... in cultured cells, whereas these materials appear to induce low or no mutagenicity. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate whether in vitro exposure of cultured airway epithelial cells (A549) to multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs) could increase the DNA repair activity of oxidatively damaged DNA and drive...

Effect of ozone on the performance of a hybrid ceramic membrane-biological activated carbon process.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Jianning; Hu, Jiangyong; Tao, Yi; Zhu, Jia; Zhang, Xihui

2014-04-01

Two hybrid processes including ozonation-ceramic membrane-biological activated carbon (BAC) (Process A) and ceramic membrane-BAC (Process B) were compared to treat polluted raw water. The performance of hybrid processes was evaluated with the removal efficiencies of turbidity, ammonia and organic matter. The results indicated that more than 99% of particle count was removed by both hybrid processes and ozonation had no significant effect on its removal. BAC filtration greatly improved the removal of ammonia. Increasing the dissolved oxygen to 30.0 mg/L could lead to a removal of ammonia with concentrations as high as 7.80 mg/L and 8.69 mg/L for Processes A and B, respectively. The average removal efficiencies of total organic carbon and ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm (UV254, a parameter indicating organic matter with aromatic structure) were 49% and 52% for Process A, 51% and 48% for Process B, respectively. Some organic matter was oxidized by ozone and this resulted in reduced membrane fouling and increased membrane flux by 25%-30%. However, pre-ozonation altered the components of the raw water and affected the microorganisms in the BAC, which may impact the removals of organic matter and nitrite negatively. Copyright © 2014 The Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bioturbation and dissolved organic matter enhance contaminant fluxes from sediment treated with powdered and granular activated carbon

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kupryianchyk, D.; Noori, A.; Rakowska, M.I.; Grotenhuis, J.T.C.; Koelmans, A.A.

2013-01-01

Sediment amendment with activated carbon (AC) is a promising technique for in situ sediment remediation. To date it is not clear whether this technique sufficiently reduces sediment-to-water fluxes of sediment-bound hydrophobic organic chemicals (HOCs) in the presence of bioturbators. Here, we

Activated carbon for incinerator uses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Che Seman Mahmood; Norhayati Alias; Mohd Puad Abu

2002-01-01

This paper reports the development of the activated carbon from palm oil kernel shell for use as absorbent and converter for incinerator gas. The procedure is developed in order to prepare the material in bulk quantity and be used in the incinerator. The effect of the use of activating chemicals, physical activation and the preparation parameter to the quality of the carbon products will be discussed. (Author)

Observation-based modelling of permafrost carbon fluxes with accounting for deep carbon deposits and thermokarst activity

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider von Deimling, T.; Grosse, G.; Strauss, J.; Schirrmeister, L.; Morgenstern, A.; Schaphoff, S.; Meinshausen, M.; Boike, J.

2015-06-01

High-latitude soils store vast amounts of perennially frozen and therefore inert organic matter. With rising global temperatures and consequent permafrost degradation, a part of this carbon stock will become available for microbial decay and eventual release to the atmosphere. We have developed a simplified, two-dimensional multi-pool model to estimate the strength and timing of future carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) fluxes from newly thawed permafrost carbon (i.e. carbon thawed when temperatures rise above pre-industrial levels). We have especially simulated carbon release from deep deposits in Yedoma regions by describing abrupt thaw under newly formed thermokarst lakes. The computational efficiency of our model allowed us to run large, multi-centennial ensembles under various scenarios of future warming to express uncertainty inherent to simulations of the permafrost carbon feedback. Under moderate warming of the representative concentration pathway (RCP) 2.6 scenario, cumulated CO2 fluxes from newly thawed permafrost carbon amount to 20 to 58 petagrams of carbon (Pg-C) (68% range) by the year 2100 and reach 40 to 98 Pg-C in 2300. The much larger permafrost degradation under strong warming (RCP8.5) results in cumulated CO2 release of 42 to 141 Pg-C and 157 to 313 Pg-C (68% ranges) in the years 2100 and 2300, respectively. Our estimates only consider fluxes from newly thawed permafrost, not from soils already part of the seasonally thawed active layer under pre-industrial climate. Our simulated CH4 fluxes contribute a few percent to total permafrost carbon release yet they can cause up to 40% of total permafrost-affected radiative forcing in the 21st century (upper 68% range). We infer largest CH4 emission rates of about 50 Tg-CH4 per year around the middle of the 21st century when simulated thermokarst lake extent is at its maximum and when abrupt thaw under thermokarst lakes is taken into account. CH4 release from newly thawed carbon in wetland

Observation-based modelling of permafrost carbon fluxes with accounting for deep carbon deposits and thermokarst activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Schneider von Deimling

2015-06-01

Full Text Available High-latitude soils store vast amounts of perennially frozen and therefore inert organic matter. With rising global temperatures and consequent permafrost degradation, a part of this carbon stock will become available for microbial decay and eventual release to the atmosphere. We have developed a simplified, two-dimensional multi-pool model to estimate the strength and timing of future carbon dioxide (CO2 and methane (CH4 fluxes from newly thawed permafrost carbon (i.e. carbon thawed when temperatures rise above pre-industrial levels. We have especially simulated carbon release from deep deposits in Yedoma regions by describing abrupt thaw under newly formed thermokarst lakes. The computational efficiency of our model allowed us to run large, multi-centennial ensembles under various scenarios of future warming to express uncertainty inherent to simulations of the permafrost carbon feedback. Under moderate warming of the representative concentration pathway (RCP 2.6 scenario, cumulated CO2 fluxes from newly thawed permafrost carbon amount to 20 to 58 petagrams of carbon (Pg-C (68% range by the year 2100 and reach 40 to 98 Pg-C in 2300. The much larger permafrost degradation under strong warming (RCP8.5 results in cumulated CO2 release of 42 to 141 Pg-C and 157 to 313 Pg-C (68% ranges in the years 2100 and 2300, respectively. Our estimates only consider fluxes from newly thawed permafrost, not from soils already part of the seasonally thawed active layer under pre-industrial climate. Our simulated CH4 fluxes contribute a few percent to total permafrost carbon release yet they can cause up to 40% of total permafrost-affected radiative forcing in the 21st century (upper 68% range. We infer largest CH4 emission rates of about 50 Tg-CH4 per year around the middle of the 21st century when simulated thermokarst lake extent is at its maximum and when abrupt thaw under thermokarst lakes is taken into account. CH4 release from newly thawed carbon in

Synthesis and photocatalytic activity of carbon spheres loaded Cu2O/Cu composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yinhui; Zhao, Mengyao; Zhang, Na; Li, Ruijuan; Chen, Jianxin

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Carbon spheres loaded Cu 2 O/Cu composites are obtained by hydrothermal process. • Cu 2 O/Cu nanocrystals grow on the surface of carbon spheres. • The composites with core–shell structure show highly photo-catalytic activity. • The composites can degrade methyl orange under simulated solar light irradiation. • The composites can be used to treat dye wastewater or organic pollutants. - Abstract: In this work, using amylose as carbon source and cupric acetate as copper source, carbon spheres loaded Cu 2 O/Cu composites were obtained by hydrothermal synthesis. The effects of the molar ratios between glucose and Cu(II), and hydrothermal time on the morphology and sizes of the composites were investigated. The result of photocatalytic experiments demonstrated that the composites could degrade methyl orange in aqueous solution under simulated solar light irradiation. The highest degradation rate was achieved to 93.83% when the composites were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis at 180 °C for 16 h and the molar ratio between glucose and Cu(II) was 10/1. The composites, as new and promising materials, can be used to treat dye wastewater or other organic pollutants

Activated carbons prepared from hazelnut shells, walnut shells and peanut shells for high CO2 adsorption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lewicka Katarzyna

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Research treats about producing activated carbons for CO2 capture from hazelnut shells (HN, walnut shells (WN and peanut shells (PN. Saturated solution of KOH was used as an activating agent in ratio 1:1. Samples were carbonized in the furnace in the range of temperatures 600°C–900°C. Properties of carbons were tested by N2 adsorption method, using BET equation, DFT method and volumetric CO2 adsorption method. With the increase of carbonization temperature specific surface area of studied samples increased. The largest surface area was calculated for samples carbonized at 900°C and the highest values of CO2 adsorption had samples: PN900 at 0°C (5.5 mmol/g and WN900 at 25°C (4.34 mmol/g. All of the samples had a well-developed microporous structure.

Preparation of nanoporous activated carbon and its application as nano adsorbent for CO2 storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rashidi, Ali Morad; Kazemi, Davood; Izadi, Nosrat; Pourkhalil, Mahnaz; Jorsaraei, Abbas; Lotfi, Roghayeh; Ganji, Enseyeh

2016-01-01

Nanoporous activated carbons, as adsorbent for CO 2 storage, were prepared from walnut shells via two chemical processes including phosphoric acid treatment and KOH activation at high temperature. Specific surface area and porosities were controlled by KOH concentration and activation temperature. The obtained adsorbents were characterized by N2 adsorption at 77.3 K. Their carbon dioxide adsorption capacities were measured at different pressures at 290 K by using volumetric adsorption equipment. The KOH-treated nanoporous carbons typically led to the production of high specific surface areas and high micropore volumes and showed better performance for CO 2 adsorptions. The maximum experimental value for adsorption capacity happened when pressure increased from 5 to 10 bar (1.861- 2.873mmol·g -1 ). It was found that in order to improve the highest capacity of CO 2 adsorption for KOH-modified carbon (9.830-18.208mmol·g -1 ), a KOH: C weight ratio of 3.5 and activation temperature of 973 K were more suitable for pore development and micro-mesopore volume enhancement.

Removal of 226Ra, Fe3+ and Mn2+ from ground water using modified activated carbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daifullah, A.A.M.

2003-01-01

A locally available biomass material, rice husk, was carbonized and activated in a steam/nitrogen flow by the use of a bench-scale fluidized bed reactor. The virgin carbon prepared from rice husk was further treated chemically using an alkali (e.g.10% NaOH and 10% KOH) in order to change the surface basicity of the carbon or oxidized with 30%H 2 O 2 and 10% HNO 3 in order to introduce different oxygen surface complexes. The modified carbons were characterized by FTIR and elemental analysis and investigated for removing unacceptably high concentrations of 326 Ra from ground water. The results showed that the best removal was obtained by the virgin carbon. The effect of process variables such as: contact time, Ph, carbon mass, sorbent surface modification and cation interference (e.g.iron and manganese) on the removal efficiency by the virgin carbon was studied. The data was fitted to Freundlich adsorption equation. Recommended procedures were adapted for complete removal of 226 Ra, Fe 3+ and Mn 2+ from ground water. Treated water quality remained good and no significant external radiation dose was caused to the residents

Adsorption uptake of synthetic organic chemicals by carbon nanotubes and activated carbons

Science.gov (United States)

Brooks, A. J.; Lim, Hyung-nam; Kilduff, James E.

2012-07-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have shown great promise as high performance materials for adsorbing priority pollutants from water and wastewater. This study compared uptake of two contaminants of interest in drinking water treatment (atrazine and trichloroethylene) by nine different types of carbonaceous adsorbents: three different types of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), three different sized multi-walled nanotubes (MWNTs), two granular activated carbons (GACs) and a powdered activated carbon (PAC). On a mass basis, the activated carbons exhibited the highest uptake, followed by SWNTs and MWNTs. However, metallic impurities in SWNTs and multiple walls in MWNTs contribute to adsorbent mass but do not contribute commensurate adsorption sites. Therefore, when uptake was normalized by purity (carbon content) and surface area (instead of mass), the isotherms collapsed and much of the CNT data was comparable to the activated carbons, indicating that these two characteristics drive much of the observed differences between activated carbons and CNT materials. For the limited data set here, the Raman D:G ratio as a measure of disordered non-nanotube graphitic components was not a good predictor of adsorption from solution. Uptake of atrazine by MWNTs having a range of lengths and diameters was comparable and their Freundlich isotherms were statistically similar, and we found no impact of solution pH on the adsorption of either atrazine or trichloroethylene in the range of naturally occurring surface water (pH = 5.7-8.3). Experiments were performed using a suite of model aromatic compounds having a range of π-electron energy to investigate the role of π-π electron donor-acceptor interactions on organic compound uptake by SWNTs. For the compounds studied, hydrophobic interactions were the dominant mechanism in the uptake by both SWNTs and activated carbon. However, comparing the uptake of naphthalene and phenanthrene by activated carbon and SWNTs, size exclusion effects

Adsorption uptake of synthetic organic chemicals by carbon nanotubes and activated carbons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brooks, A J; Kilduff, James E; Lim, Hyung-nam

2012-01-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have shown great promise as high performance materials for adsorbing priority pollutants from water and wastewater. This study compared uptake of two contaminants of interest in drinking water treatment (atrazine and trichloroethylene) by nine different types of carbonaceous adsorbents: three different types of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), three different sized multi-walled nanotubes (MWNTs), two granular activated carbons (GACs) and a powdered activated carbon (PAC). On a mass basis, the activated carbons exhibited the highest uptake, followed by SWNTs and MWNTs. However, metallic impurities in SWNTs and multiple walls in MWNTs contribute to adsorbent mass but do not contribute commensurate adsorption sites. Therefore, when uptake was normalized by purity (carbon content) and surface area (instead of mass), the isotherms collapsed and much of the CNT data was comparable to the activated carbons, indicating that these two characteristics drive much of the observed differences between activated carbons and CNT materials. For the limited data set here, the Raman D:G ratio as a measure of disordered non-nanotube graphitic components was not a good predictor of adsorption from solution. Uptake of atrazine by MWNTs having a range of lengths and diameters was comparable and their Freundlich isotherms were statistically similar, and we found no impact of solution pH on the adsorption of either atrazine or trichloroethylene in the range of naturally occurring surface water (pH = 5.7–8.3). Experiments were performed using a suite of model aromatic compounds having a range of π-electron energy to investigate the role of π–π electron donor–acceptor interactions on organic compound uptake by SWNTs. For the compounds studied, hydrophobic interactions were the dominant mechanism in the uptake by both SWNTs and activated carbon. However, comparing the uptake of naphthalene and phenanthrene by activated carbon and SWNTs, size exclusion

Pre-hospital physical activity status affects in-hospital course of elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyamoto, Takamichi; Obayashi, Tohru; Hattori, Eijirou; Yamauchi, Yasuteru; Niwa, Akihiro; Isobe, Mitsuaki

2010-03-01

The clinical course of elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) can sometimes unexpectedly result in an adverse outcome even when therapy appears to be successful. We suspect that specific factors may characterize this worsening of status during hospitalization. This study examines whether the pre-hospital physical activity status of the elderly treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for AMI affects their in-hospital course. We studied 110 consecutive patients, aged 80 or older, who had undergone emergent PCI for AMI. Patients were divided into two groups based on clinical presentation: Better Killip class (Killip classes I and II) and Worse Killip class (Killip classes III and IV). Patients were also divided into two groups based on pre-hospital physical activity status, determined retrospectively by review of medical records: Good physical activity (n=57) comprising those able to go out alone independently and Poor physical activity comprising those mainly confined to home (n=53). The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 9.1% for the study population. The Worse Killip class group had a higher in-hospital mortality rate than the Better Killip class group (27.8% vs 5.4%, respectively; p=0.0102). In addition, the Poor physical activity group had a higher in-hospital mortality rate than the Good physical activity group (15.1% vs. 3.5%, respectively; p=0.047). These data suggest that pre-hospital physical activity status in elderly patients with AMI may affect in-hospital mortality as well as Killip class.

Combining task-evoked and spontaneous activity to improve pre-operative brain mapping with fMRI

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Michael D.; Qian, Tianyi; Madsen, Joseph R.; Wang, Danhong; Li, Meiling; Ge, Manling; Zuo, Huan-cong; Groppe, David M.; Mehta, Ashesh D.; Hong, Bo; Liu, Hesheng

2016-01-01

Noninvasive localization of brain function is used to understand and treat neurological disease, exemplified by pre-operative fMRI mapping prior to neurosurgical intervention. The principal approach for generating these maps relies on brain responses evoked by a task and, despite known limitations, has dominated clinical practice for over 20 years. Recently, pre-operative fMRI mapping based on correlations in spontaneous brain activity has been demonstrated, however this approach has its own limitations and has not seen widespread clinical use. Here we show that spontaneous and task-based mapping can be performed together using the same pre-operative fMRI data, provide complimentary information relevant for functional localization, and can be combined to improve identification of eloquent motor cortex. Accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of our approach are quantified through comparison with electrical cortical stimulation mapping in eight patients with intractable epilepsy. Broad applicability and reproducibility of our approach is demonstrated through prospective replication in an independent dataset of six patients from a different center. In both cohorts and every individual patient, we see a significant improvement in signal to noise and mapping accuracy independent of threshold, quantified using receiver operating characteristic curves. Collectively, our results suggest that modifying the processing of fMRI data to incorporate both task-based and spontaneous activity significantly improves functional localization in pre-operative patients. Because this method requires no additional scan time or modification to conventional pre-operative data acquisition protocols it could have widespread utility. PMID:26408860

A single stage simultaneous separation and pre concentration of rare earth elements on activated carbon for its determination by ICP-OES after wet ashing - application to soil samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chakrapani, G.; Mahanta, P.L.; Hanuman, V.V.; Srivastava, P.K.

2007-01-01

A simple, rapid, cost effective simultaneous separation and pre concentration method is developed for determination of Rare earth elements in soil samples at sub ppm levels by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The method is based on sorption of REEs on powered activated carbon (AC) in 2 - 3 M HF medium. The soil samples are decomposed by HF-HCl treatment followed by fusion of residue with Na 2 CO 3 . Keeping in view its application to soil samples, experimental parameters such as effect of HF, amount of AC, contact time, sample weight were optimized for quantitative sorption. The unique feature of the method is, REEs are desorbed quantitatively from activated carbon, by completely oxidizing and solubilizing AC by wet digestion (HNO 3 - HClO 4 treatment). Thus the time consuming and tedious method of ignition of charcoal to ashes is avoided, to increase the sample throughput in geochemical exploration studies. The precision of the method is ± 7 % at 1 ppm level. The accuracy of the method is evaluated by analyzing soil standard reference materials i.e. by using CANMET (Canada Center for Mineral and Energy Technology) standards, such as SO-2, SO-3 and SO-4. The composition of these soil standards closely match with the composition of soil samples under investigation. The method is being applied on numerous soil samples collected during geochemical exploration of uranium. The REEs in soil samples are determined down to ppm and sub ppm levels, based on separation of REEs from two gram soil sample, making up to final volume of 25 ml . The method could be adopted by any laboratory as the input involved is inexpensive activated carbon associated with minimal skill unlike the reported methods of ion exchange and solvent extraction. (author)

Effect of pore structure on the activated carbon's capability to sorb airborne methylradioiodine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Juhola, A.J.; Friel, J.V.

1979-01-01

A study was conducted to determine the effect pore structure of activated carbons has on their capabiity to sorp airborne methylradioiodine. Six de-ashed carbons of very diverse pore structure were selected for study. Batches of each were impregnated with (1) 4.3% I 2 , (2) 5.6% KI, (3) 2% KI, (4) 3% KI to 2% I 2 , (5) 2% I 2 , and (6) 3.4% KIO 3 . Some carbon was reserved for testing without impregnant. Standard procedures at ambient temperature and pressure were followed in the methyliodide testing, with some changes only made to meet the requirements of the specialized study. The surface area of the open-pore volume, for KI impregnated carbons, determined the sorptive efficiency. This relationship is expressed by the equation ln p = ln a - ks, where p is the fraction of methyliodide penetrating the bed and s the surface area. The quantity (a) is associated with the macropore properties, and deterines the capability of the carbon to sorb at very high humidites (> 95% RH). Constant k is to a large degree dependent on the mean diameter of the micropores. Elemental iodine impregnated carbons were considerably less effective than those impregnated with KI, and their sorptive of methyliodide did not follow the above equation. Their activity could be increased by a second impregnation with KOH. KI impregnated carbons lost their activity when treated with HCl on converting the Ki to I 2 . The conversion of KI to I 2 by acid gases in nuclear power plants offers an explanation for the cause of carbon aging

Effect of pre-acclimation of granular activated carbon on microbial electrolysis cell startup and performance

KAUST Repository

LaBarge, Nicole; Yilmazel, Yasemin Dilsad; Hong, Pei-Ying; Logan, Bruce E.

2016-01-01

) was used to pre-enrich electrotrophic methanogenic communities, as GAC has been shown to stimulate direct transfer of electrons between different microbial species. MEC startup times using pre-acclimated GAC were improved compared to controls (without pre

Small-angle neutron scattering study of activated carbon cloth and ammonium persulfate-modified activated carbon cloth: Effect of oxygen content

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pendleton, Phillip; Chen Lin

2006-01-01

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) patterns of as-received, oxidized, and thermally reduced FM1/250 activated carbon cloth (ACC) samples are compared to determine the effects of surface chemistry on scattering. Porosity analyses show minimal effect on pore size distribution from oxidation, but an increase in micropore volume on heat treatment. SANS suggests an increase in localized order within the treated samples when compared with graphite cloth patterns. The ACC exhibits Porod scattering at q-ranges -1 ; the graphite cloth exhibits the same at q-ranges>1.0 nm -1 . A cylindrical model reproduces the scattering patterns in the micropore equivalent dimensions, q>0.5 nm -1

Silver deposition on chemically treated carbon monolith

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jovanović Zoran M.

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Carbon monolith was treated with HNO3, KOH and H2O2. Effects of these treatments on the surface functional groups and on the amount of silver deposited on the CM surface were studied by temperature programmed desorption (TPD and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS. As a result of chemical treatment there was an increase in the amount of surface oxygen complexes. The increase in the amount of silver deposit is proportional to the amount of surface groups that produce CO under decomposition. However, the high amount of CO groups, decomposing above 600°C, induces the smaller Ag crystallite size. Therefore, the high temperature CO evolving oxides are, most likely, the initial centers for Ag deposition.

Quantifying Fire's Impacts on Total and Pyrogenic Carbon Stocks in Mixed-Conifer Forests: Results from Pre- and Post-Fire Measurements in Active Wildfire Incidents

Science.gov (United States)

Miesel, J. R.; Reiner, A. L.; Ewell, C. M.; Sanderman, J.; Maestrini, B.; Adkins, J.

2016-12-01

Widespread US fire suppression policy has contributed to an accumulation of vegetation in many western forests relative to historic conditions, and these changes can exacerbate wildfire severity and carbon (C) emissions. Serious concern exists about positive feedbacks between wildfire emissions and global climate; however, fires not only release C from terrestrial to atmospheric pools, they also create "black" or pyrogenic C (PyC) which contributes to longer-term C stability. Our objective was to quantify wildfire impacts on aboveground and belowground total C and PyC stocks in California mixed-conifer forests. We worked with incident management teams to access five active wildfires to establish and measure plots within days before and after fire. We measured pre- and post-fire aboveground forest structure and woody fuels to calculate aboveground biomass, biomass C, and PyC, and we collected pre- and post-fire forest floor and 0-5 cm mineral soil samples to measure belowground C and PyC stocks. Our preliminary results show that fire had minimal impact on the number of trees per hectare, whereas C losses from the tree layer occurred via consumption of foliage, and PyC gain occurred in tree bark. Fire released 54% to 100% of surface fuel C. In the forest floor layer, we observed 33 to 100% C loss, whereas changes in PyC stocks ranged from 100% loss to 186% gain relative to pre-fire samples. In general, fire had minimal to no impact on 0-5 cm mineral soil C. We will present relationships between total C, PyC and post-fire C and N dynamics in one of the five wildfire sites. Our data are unique because they represent nearly immediate pre- and post-fire measurements in major wildfires in a widespread western U.S. forest type. This research advances understanding of the role of fire on forest C fluxes and C sequestration potential as PyC.

Activated carbon from peach stones using phosphoric acid activation at medium temperatures.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Dong-Su

2004-01-01

In the present study, the activation features of phosphoric acid have been investigated using waste peach stones as the raw material in the production of granular activated carbon. Thermogravimetry/differential thermal analysis was conducted to characterize the thermal behavior of peach stone and titration method was used to evaluate the adsorption capacity of the produced activated carbon. It was observed that the iodine value of the activated carbon increased with activation temperature. However, temperatures higher than 500 degrees C caused a thermal destruction, which resulted in the decrease of the adsorption capacity. Activation longer than 1.5 h at 500 degrees C resulted in thermal degradation of the porous structure of the activated carbon. The adsorption capacity was enhanced with increasing of amounts of phosphoric acid, however, excessive phosphoric acid caused a decrease in the iodine value. In addition, it was found that the carbon yields generally decreased with activation temperature and activation time. Scanning electron microscopy analysis was conducted to observe the changes in the poros structure of the activated carbon produced in different temperatures. Activation of carbon by phosphoric acid was found to be superior to that by CaCl2 and gas activation. The activated carbon produced from peach stone was applied as an adsorbent in the treatment of synthesized wastewater containing cadmium ion and its adsorption capacity was found to be as good as that of the commercial one.

Frictional property of glass-like carbon heat-treated at 1000-3000 deg. C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, Kazumasa; Sano, Takanori; Shindo, Hitoshi

2008-01-01

Frictional coefficient 'f' was measured in the air and in water at glass-like carbon (GLC) surfaces heat-treated between 1000 and 3000 deg. C. GLCs heat-treated at higher temperature had smoother and more hydrophobic faces, and lower f. The f was smaller than 0.10 for GLCs heat-treated at and above 2000 deg. C, which indicates their applicability as a solid lubricant or a self-lubricating material. The f = 0.06 observed for GLC heat-treated at 3000 deg. C was nearly the same as that of pyrolytic graphite (PG). Slightly lower f's were obtained in water than in the air

CRADA Carbon Sequestration in Soils and Commercial Products

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jacobs, G.K.

2002-01-31

ORNL, through The Consortium for Research on Enhancing Carbon Sequestration in Terrestrial Ecosystems (CSiTE), collaborated with The Village Botanica, Inc. (VB) on a project investigating carbon sequestration in soils and commercial products from a new sustainable crop developed from perennial Hibiscus spp. Over 500 pre-treated samples were analyzed for soil carbon content. ORNL helped design a sampling scheme for soils during the planting phase of the project. Samples were collected and prepared by VB and analyzed for carbon content by ORNL. The project did not progress to a Phase II proposal because VB declined to prepare the required proposal.

Modelling the Thin-Layer Drying Kinetics of Untreated and Blanch-Osmotic Pre-treated Tomato Slices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samuel Enahoro Agarry

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of pre-treatment and drying temperature on the drying kinetics and nutritional quality of tomato (Lycopersicon esculantum L. under hot air drying. Tomato samples were blanched at 80oC and osmotically dehydrated using 20% w/w sodium chloride solutions at 30oC for 20 min. The blanch-osmotic pre-treated and untreated tomato slices were dried at temperature of 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80oC, respectively in a hot air-dryer. The results showed that blanch-osmotic pre-treatment offered a higher drying rate and lower or faster drying time than untreated condition. The tomato drying regime was characteristically in the constant and falling rate period. The tomato drying rate curve showed characteristics of porous hygroscopic solids. The optimum drying temperature for tomato was found to be 60oC. Four semi-empirical drying models of Newton, Page, Henderson and Pabis, and Logarithmic were fitted to the drying data using non-linear regression analysis. The most appropriate model was selected using the coefficient of determination (R2 and root mean square error (RMSE. The Page model has shown a better fit to the drying kinetics data of tomato in comparison with other tested models. Transport of moisture during drying was described by Fick’s diffusion model application and the effective moisture diffusivity (Deff thus estimated. The Deff at 60oC was 4.43 × 10-11m2/s and 6.33 × 10-11m2/s for blanch-osmotic pre-treated and untreated tomato slices, respectively.

Mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic biodegradability of water hyacinth pre-treated at 80 degrees C.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrer, Ivet; Palatsi, Jordi; Campos, Elena; Flotats, Xavier

2010-10-01

Water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes) is a fast growing aquatic plant which causes environmental problems in continental water bodies. Harvesting and handling this plant becomes an issue, and focus has been put on the research of treatment alternatives. Amongst others, energy production through biomethanation has been proposed. The aim of this study was to assess the anaerobic biodegradability of water hyacinth under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions. The effect of a thermal sludge pre-treatment at 80 degrees C was also evaluated. To this end, anaerobic biodegradability tests were carried out at 35 degrees C and 55 degrees C, with raw and pre-treated water hyacinth. According to the results, the thermal pre-treatment enhanced the solubilisation of water hyacinth (i.e. increase in the soluble to total chemical oxygen demand (COD)) from 4% to 12% after 30 min. However, no significant effect was observed on the methane yields (150-190 L CH(4)/kg volatile solids). Initial methane production rates for thermophilic treatments were two fold those of mesophilic ones (6-6.5L vs. 3-3.5 L CH(4)/kg COD x day). Thus, higher methane production rates might be expected from thermophilic reactors working at short retention times. The study of longer low temperature pre-treatments or pre-treatments at elevated temperatures coupled to thermophilic reactors should be considered in the future. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic biodegradability of water hyacinth pre-treated at 80 oC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferrer, Ivet; Palatsi, Jordi; Campos, Elena; Flotats, Xavier

2010-01-01

Water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes) is a fast growing aquatic plant which causes environmental problems in continental water bodies. Harvesting and handling this plant becomes an issue, and focus has been put on the research of treatment alternatives. Amongst others, energy production through biomethanation has been proposed. The aim of this study was to assess the anaerobic biodegradability of water hyacinth under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions. The effect of a thermal sludge pre-treatment at 80 o C was also evaluated. To this end, anaerobic biodegradability tests were carried out at 35 o C and 55 o C, with raw and pre-treated water hyacinth. According to the results, the thermal pre-treatment enhanced the solubilisation of water hyacinth (i.e. increase in the soluble to total chemical oxygen demand (COD)) from 4% to 12% after 30 min. However, no significant effect was observed on the methane yields (150-190 L CH 4 /kg volatile solids). Initial methane production rates for thermophilic treatments were two fold those of mesophilic ones (6-6.5 L vs. 3-3.5 L CH 4 /kg COD.day). Thus, higher methane production rates might be expected from thermophilic reactors working at short retention times. The study of longer low temperature pre-treatments or pre-treatments at elevated temperatures coupled to thermophilic reactors should be considered in the future.

DEVELOPMENT OF ACTIVATED CARBONS FROM COAL COMBUSTION BY-PRODUCTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harold H. Schobert; M. Mercedes Maroto-Valer; Zhe Lu

2003-09-30

The increasing role of coal as a source of energy in the 21st century will demand environmental and cost-effective strategies for the use of coal combustion by-products (CCBPs), mainly unburned carbon in fly ash. Unburned carbon is nowadays regarded as a waste product and its fate is mainly disposal, due to the present lack of efficient routes for its utilization. However, unburned carbon is a potential precursor for the production of adsorbent carbons, since it has gone through a devolatilization process while in the combustor, and therefore, only requires to be activated. Accordingly, the principal objective of this work was to characterize and utilize the unburned carbon in fly ash for the production of activated carbons. The unburned carbon samples were collected from different combustion systems, including pulverized utility boilers, a utility cyclone, a stoker, and a fluidized bed combustor. LOI (loss-on-ignition), proximate, ultimate, and petrographic analyses were conducted, and the surface areas of the samples were characterized by N2 adsorption isotherms at 77K. The LOIs of the unburned carbon samples varied between 21.79-84.52%. The proximate analyses showed that all the samples had very low moisture contents (0.17 to 3.39 wt %), while the volatile matter contents varied between 0.45 to 24.82 wt%. The elemental analyses show that all the unburned carbon samples consist mainly of carbon with very little hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen In addition, the potential use of unburned carbon as precursor for activated carbon (AC) was investigated. Activated carbons with specific surface area up to 1075m{sup 2}/g were produced from the unburned carbon. The porosity of the resultant activated carbons was related to the properties of the unburned carbon feedstock and the activation conditions used. It was found that not all the unburned carbon samples are equally suited for activation, and furthermore, their potential as activated carbons precursors could be

Promoting effect of active carbons on methanol dehydrogenation on sodium carbonate - hydrogen spillover

OpenAIRE

Su, S.; Prairie, M.; Renken, A.

1993-01-01

Methanol dehydrogenation to formaldehyde was conducted in a fixed-bed flow reactor with sodium carbonate catalyst mixed with active carbons or transition metals. The additives promoted the reaction rate at 880-970 K without modifying formaldehyde selectivity. This effect increases with increasing carbon content in the carbon-carbonate mixture. Activation energy of methanol conversion is the same for the mixture and the carbonate alone. Temperature-programmed desorption experiments showed that...

Development of activated carbon pore structure via physical and chemical activation of biomass fibre waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, Paul T.; Reed, Anton R.

2006-01-01

Biomass waste in the form of biomass flax fibre, produced as a by-product of the textile industry was processed via both physical and chemical activation to produce activated carbons. The surface area of the physically activated carbons were up to 840 m 2 g -1 and the carbons were of mesoporous structure. Chemical activation using zinc chloride produced high surface area activated carbons up to 2400 m 2 g -1 and the pore size distribution was mainly microporous. However, the process conditions of temperature and zinc chloride concentration could be used to manipulate the surface area and porosity of the carbons to produce microporous, mesoporous and mixed microporous/mesoporous activated carbons. The physically activated carbons were found to be a mixture of Type I and Type IV carbons and the chemically activated carbons were found to be mainly Type I carbons. The development of surface morphology of physically and chemically activated carbons observed via scanning electron microscopy showed that physical activation produced activated carbons with a nodular and pitted surface morphology whereas activated carbons produced through chemical activation had a smooth surface morphology. Transmission electron microscopy analysis could identify mesopore structures in the physically activated carbon and microporous structures in the chemically activated carbons

Pre-Combustion Carbon Dioxide Capture by a New Dual Phase Ceramic-Carbonate Membrane Reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Jerry Y. S. [Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States)

2015-01-31

This report documents synthesis, characterization and carbon dioxide permeation and separation properties of a new group of ceramic-carbonate dual-phase membranes and results of a laboratory study on their application for water gas shift reaction with carbon dioxide separation. A series of ceramic-carbonate dual phase membranes with various oxygen ionic or mixed ionic and electronic conducting metal oxide materials in disk, tube, symmetric, and asymmetric geometric configurations was developed. These membranes, with the thickness of 10 μm to 1.5 mm, show CO₂ permeance in the range of 0.5-5×10^-7 mol·m^-2·s^-1·Pa^-1 in 500-900°C and measured CO₂/N₂ selectivity of up to 3000. CO₂ permeation mechanism and factors that affect CO₂ permeation through the dual-phase membranes have been identified. A reliable CO₂ permeation model was developed. A robust method was established for the optimization of the microstructures of ceramic-carbonate membranes. The ceramic-carbonate membranes exhibit high stability for high temperature CO₂ separations and water gas shift reaction. Water gas shift reaction in the dual-phase membrane reactors was studied by both modeling and experiments. It is found that high temperature syngas water gas shift reaction in tubular ceramic-carbonate dual phase membrane reactor is feasible even without catalyst. The membrane reactor exhibits good CO₂ permeation flux, high thermal and chemical stability and high thermal shock resistance. Reaction and separation conditions in the membrane reactor to produce hydrogen of 93% purity and CO₂ stream of >95% purity, with 90% CO₂ capture have been identified. Integration of the ceramic-carbonate dual-phase membrane reactor with IGCC process for carbon dioxide capture was analyzed. A methodology was developed to identify optimum operation conditions for a

Making Activated Carbon by Wet Pressurized Pyrolysis

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, John W.; Pisharody, Suresh; Wignarajah, K.; Moran, Mark

2006-01-01

A wet pressurized pyrolysis (wet carbonization) process has been invented as a means of producing activated carbon from a wide variety of inedible biomass consisting principally of plant wastes. The principal intended use of this activated carbon is room-temperature adsorption of pollutant gases from cooled incinerator exhaust streams. Activated carbon is highly porous and has a large surface area. The surface area depends strongly on the raw material and the production process. Coconut shells and bituminous coal are the primary raw materials that, until now, were converted into activated carbon of commercially acceptable quality by use of traditional production processes that involve activation by use of steam or carbon dioxide. In the wet pressurized pyrolysis process, the plant material is subjected to high pressure and temperature in an aqueous medium in the absence of oxygen for a specified amount of time to break carbon-oxygen bonds in the organic material and modify the structure of the material to obtain large surface area. Plant materials that have been used in demonstrations of the process include inedible parts of wheat, rice, potato, soybean, and tomato plants. The raw plant material is ground and mixed with a specified proportion of water. The mixture is placed in a stirred autoclave, wherein it is pyrolized at a temperature between 450 and 590 F (approximately between 230 and 310 C) and a pressure between 1 and 1.4 kpsi (approximately between 7 and 10 MPa) for a time between 5 minutes and 1 hour. The solid fraction remaining after wet carbonization is dried, then activated at a temperature of 500 F (260 C) in nitrogen gas. The activated carbon thus produced is comparable to commercial activated carbon. It can be used to adsorb oxides of sulfur, oxides of nitrogen, and trace amounts of hydrocarbons, any or all of which can be present in flue gas. Alternatively, the dried solid fraction can be used, even without the activation treatment, to absorb

Evaluation of single-step steam pyrolysis-activated carbons

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Mgina

Activated carbon has been widely used worldwide as an effective filtration or adsorption ... of producing activated carbon (AC) from local agroforestry residues by ..... impurities from waste water. .... Production of granular activated carbon.

Activation and micropore structure determination of activated carbon-fiber composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jagtoyen, M.; Derbyshire, F.; Kimber, G. [Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (United States). Center for Applied Energy Research

1997-09-05

Rigid, high surface area activated carbon fiber composites have been produced with high permeabilities for environmental applications in gas and water purification. These novel monolithic adsorbents can be produced in single pieces to a given size and shape. The project involves a collaboration between the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER), University of Kentucky. The carbon fiber composites are produced at the ORNL and activated at the CAER using different methods, with the aims of producing a uniform degree of activation, and of closely controlling pore structure and adsorptive properties. The main focus of the present work has been to find a satisfactory means to uniformly activate large samples of carbon fiber composites and produce controlled pore structures. Several environmental applications have been explored for the activated carbon fiber composites. One of these was to evaluate the activated composites for the separation of CH{sub 4}-CO{sub 2} mixtures, and an apparatus was constructed specifically for this purpose. The composites were further evaluated in the cyclic recovery of volatile organics. The activated carbon fiber composites have also been tested for possible water treatment applications by studying the adsorption of sodium pentachlorophenolate, PCP.

Chromium removal from water by activated carbon developed from waste rubber tires.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Vinod Kumar; Ali, Imran; Saleh, Tawfik A; Siddiqui, M N; Agarwal, Shilpi

2013-03-01

Because of the continuous production of large amount of waste tires, the disposal of waste tires represents a major environmental issue throughout the world. This paper reports the utilization of waste tires (hard-to-dispose waste) as a precursor in the production of activated carbons (pollution-cleaning adsorbent). In the preparation of activated carbon (AC), waste rubber tire (WRT) was thermally treated and activated. The tire-derived activated carbon was characterized by means of scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, FTIR spectrophotometer, and X-ray diffraction. In the IR spectrum, a number of bands centred at about 3409, 2350, 1710, 1650, and 1300-1000 cm(-1) prove the present of hydroxyl and carboxyl groups on the surface of AC in addition to C═C double bonds. The developed AC was tested and evaluated as potential adsorbent removal of chromium (III). Experimental parameters, such as contact time, initial concentration, adsorbent dosage and pH were optimized. A rapid uptake of chromium ions was observed and the equilibrium is achieved in 1 h. It was also found that the adsorption process is pH dependent. This work adds to the global discussion of the cost-effective utilization of waste rubber tires for waste water treatment.

A novel activated carbon for supercapacitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shen, Haijie [Key Laboratory of Environmentally Friendly Chemistry and Applications of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University, Hunan 411105 (China); Liu, Enhui, E-mail: liuenhui99@sina.com.cn [Key Laboratory of Environmentally Friendly Chemistry and Applications of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University, Hunan 411105 (China); Xiang, Xiaoxia; Huang, Zhengzheng; Tian, Yingying; Wu, Yuhu; Wu, Zhilian; Xie, Hui [Key Laboratory of Environmentally Friendly Chemistry and Applications of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University, Hunan 411105 (China)

2012-03-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A novel activated carbon was prepared from phenol-melamine-formaldehyde resin. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The carbon has large surface area with microporous, and high heteroatom content. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Heteroatom-containing functional groups can improve the pseudo-capacitance. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Physical and chemical properties lead to the good electrochemical properties. -- Abstract: A novel activated carbon has been prepared by simple carbonization and activation of phenol-melamine-formaldehyde resin which is synthesized by the condensation polymerization method. The morphology, thermal stability, surface area, elemental composition and surface chemical composition of samples have been investigated by scanning electron microscope, thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller measurement, elemental analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. Electrochemical properties have been studied by cyclic voltammograms, galvanostatic charge/discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements in 6 mol L{sup -1} potassium hydroxide. The activated carbon shows good capacitive behavior and the specific capacitance is up to 210 F g{sup -1}, which indicates that it may be a promising candidate for supercapacitors.

Preparation of nanoporous activated carbon and its application as nano adsorbent for CO{sub 2} storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rashidi, Ali Morad; Kazemi, Davood; Izadi, Nosrat; Pourkhalil, Mahnaz; Jorsaraei, Abbas; Lotfi, Roghayeh [Research Institute of Petroleum Industry, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ganji, Enseyeh [Research Institute of Petroleum Industry, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2016-02-15

Nanoporous activated carbons, as adsorbent for CO{sub 2} storage, were prepared from walnut shells via two chemical processes including phosphoric acid treatment and KOH activation at high temperature. Specific surface area and porosities were controlled by KOH concentration and activation temperature. The obtained adsorbents were characterized by N2 adsorption at 77.3 K. Their carbon dioxide adsorption capacities were measured at different pressures at 290 K by using volumetric adsorption equipment. The KOH-treated nanoporous carbons typically led to the production of high specific surface areas and high micropore volumes and showed better performance for CO{sub 2} adsorptions. The maximum experimental value for adsorption capacity happened when pressure increased from 5 to 10 bar (1.861- 2.873mmol·g{sup -1}). It was found that in order to improve the highest capacity of CO{sub 2} adsorption for KOH-modified carbon (9.830-18.208mmol·g{sup -1}), a KOH: C weight ratio of 3.5 and activation temperature of 973 K were more suitable for pore development and micro-mesopore volume enhancement.

Influence of peracetic acid modification on the physicochemical properties of activated carbon and its performance in the ozone-catalytic oxidation of gaseous benzene

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Ruimei; Huang, Haibao; Huang, Wenjun; Ji, Jian; Feng, Qiuyu; Shu, Yajie; Zhan, Yujie; Liu, Gaoyuan; Xie, Ruijie

2017-10-01

Coal based activated carbon (AC) was pretreated by peracetic acid solution and used for supporting Mn catalyst towards oxidation of gaseous benzene by catalytic ozonation. The as-obtained activated carbon was characterized by XPS, BET, SEM, and TG technologies. It indicates that peracetic acid solution modification not only raised the quantity of chemisorbed oxygen or water, and hydroxyl group on activated carbon material surface, but also increased the specific surface area and benzene adsorption capacity of activated carbon. Benzene could be completely removed in 300 min and CO2 selectivity reached to 61.9% over Mn/AC-modified catalyst. A possible catalytic ozonation mechanism of activated carbon which was treated by peracetic acid solution supported Mn catalyst for oxidation of benzene was proposed.

Measurement of carbon thermodynamic activity in sodium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kozlov, F A; Zagorulko, Yu I; Kovalev, Yu P; Alekseev, V V [Institute of Physics and Power Engineering, Obninsk (USSR)

1980-05-01

The report presents the brief outline on system of carbon activity detecting system in sodium (SCD), operating on the carbon-permeable membrane, of the methods and the results of testing it under the experimental circulating loop conditions. The results of carbon activity sensor calibration with the use of equilibrium samples of XI8H9, Fe -8Ni, Fe -12Mn materials are listed. The behaviour of carbon activity sensor signals in sodium under various transitional conditions and hydrodynamic perturbation in the circulating loop, containing carbon bearing impurities in the sodium flow and their deposits on the surfaces flushed by sodium, are described. (author)

Acid-base characteristics of powdered-activated-carbon surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reed, B.E. (West Virginia Univ., Morgantown (United States)); Jensen, J.N.; Matsumoto, M.R. (State Univ. of New York, Buffalo (United States))

Adsorption of heavy metals onto activated carbon has been described using the surface-complex-formation (SCF) model, a chemical equilibrium model. The SCF model requires a knowledge of the amphoteric nature of activated carbon prior to metal adsorption modeling. In the past, a single-diprotic-acid-site model had been employed to describe the amphoteric nature of activated-carbon surfaces. During this study, the amphoteric nature of two powdered activated carbons were investigated, and a three-monoprotic site surface model was found to be a plausible alternative. The single-diprotic-acid-site and two-monoprotic-site models did not describe the acid-base behavior of the two carbons studied adequately. The two-diprotic site was acceptable for only one of the study carbons. The acid-base behavior of activated carbon surfaces seem to be best modeled as a series of weak monoprotic acids.

Biologically active filters - An advanced water treatment process for contaminants of emerging concern.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shuangyi; Gitungo, Stephen W; Axe, Lisa; Raczko, Robert F; Dyksen, John E

2017-05-01

With the increasing concern of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in source water, this study examines the hypothesis that existing filters in water treatment plants can be converted to biologically active filters (BAFs) to treat these compounds. Removals through bench-scale BAFs were evaluated as a function of media, granular activated carbon (GAC) and dual media, empty bed contact time (EBCT), and pre-ozonation. For GAC BAFs, greater oxygen consumption, increased pH drop, and greater dissolved organic carbon removal normalized to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) were observed indicating increased microbial activity as compared to anthracite/sand dual media BAFs. ATP concentrations in the upper portion of the BAFs were as much as four times greater than the middle and lower portions of the dual media and 1.5 times greater in GAC. Sixteen CECs were spiked in the source water. At an EBCT of 18 min (min), GAC BAFs were highly effective with overall removals greater than 80% without pre-ozonation; exceptions included tri(2-chloroethyl) phosphate and iopromide. With a 10 min EBCT, the degree of CECs removal was reduced with less than half of the compounds removed at greater than 80%. The dual media BAFs showed limited CECs removal with only four compounds removed at greater than 80%, and 10 compounds were reduced by less than 50% with either EBCT. This study demonstrated that GAC BAFs with and without pre-ozonation are an effective and advanced technology for treating emerging contaminants. On the other hand, pre-ozonation is needed for dual media BAFs to remove CECs. The most cost effective operating conditions for dual media BAFs were a 10 min EBCT with the application of pre-ozonation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of activated carbon amendment on the accumulation and elimination of PCBs in the earthworm Eisenia fetida

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paul, Piuly [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MA 21250 (United States); Ghosh, Upal, E-mail: ughosh@umbc.edu [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MA 21250 (United States)

2011-12-15

In this study we investigated the use of activated carbon (AC) as a soil amendment for reducing bioavailability of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to the earthworm Eisenia fetida. Artificial soil was contaminated with PCBs and used in bioaccumulation experiments fresh or after aging for 19 months. PCB bioaccumulation in earthworms was reduced by 68% when AC was placed as a layer without mixing and by 94% when AC was manually mixed into the soil. Aging of the same AC mixed soil for 19 months resulted in an overall reduction of 99% in PCB biouptake. AC-treated aged soil also showed two orders of magnitude lower equilibrium aqueous concentrations of PCBs compared to untreated aged soils. The findings from this study indicate that application of engineered sorbents like AC to PCB impacted soils may greatly reduce PCB uptake at the base of the terrestrial food chain. - Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Highlights: > Activated carbon studied as a sorbent for PCB impacted unsaturated soil. > Bioaccumulation of PCB greatly reduced in earthworms after carbon amendment. > Aging of the activated carbon amended soil further reduced bioaccumulation. > Activated carbon can be used for in-situ stabilization of PCB impacted soil. - Addition of activated carbon to PCB impacted soil reduces equilibrium aqueous concentrations and uptake at the base of the terrestrial food chain.

Influence of nitrogen surface functionalities on the catalytic activity of activated carbon in low temperature SCR of NOx with NH3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szymanski, Grzegorz S.; Grzybek, Teresa; Papp, Helmut

2004-01-01

The reduction of nitrogen oxide with ammonia was studied using carbon catalysts with chemically modified surfaces. Carbon samples with different surface chemistry were obtained from commercial activated carbon D43/1 (CarboTech, Essen, Germany) by chemical modification involving oxidation with conc. nitric acid (DOx) (1); high temperature treatment (=1000K) under vacuum (DHT) (2); or in ammonia (DHTN, DOxN) (3). Additionally, a portion of the DOx sample was promoted with iron(III) ions (DOxFe). The catalytic tests were performed in a microreactor at a temperature range of 413-573K. The carbon sample annealed under vacuum (DHT) showed the lowest activity. The formation of surface acidic surface oxides by nitric acid treatment (DOx) enhanced the catalytic activity only slightly. However, as can be expected, subsequent promotion of the DOx sample with iron(III) ions increased drastically its catalytic activity. However, this was accompanied by some loss of selectivity, i.e. formation of N 2 O as side product. This effect can be avoided using ammonia-treated carbons which demonstrated reasonable activity with simultaneous high selectivity. The most active and selective among them was the sample that was first oxidized with nitric acid and then heated in an ammonia stream (DOxN). A correlation between catalytic activity and surface nitrogen content was observed. Surface nitrogen species seem to play an important role in catalytic selective reduction of nitrogen oxide with ammonia, possibly facilitating NO 2 formation (a reaction intermediate) as a result of easier chemisorption of oxygen and nitrogen oxide

Behaviour of waterborne radon in activated carbon filters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haberer, K.; Akkermann-Kubillus, A.

1999-01-01

To investigate the behaviour of radon in adsorption/desorption processes in filter systems with different activated carbon types, measurements were focused on adsorption capacity, adsorption velocity, retain capability, interaction with ions (poisoning of active centers) and adsorption of radon daughters. Various activated carbon types derived from hard coal, brown coal, peat and wood, were used in adsorption tests runs with activated carbons which are frequently applied in water treatment facilities. In laboratory tests, water facility filter conditions were simulated using pilot plant columns filled with different carbon types. Finally, a small scale laboratory column was installed at a natural water source with elevated activity. Long-time filter runs were conducted under varying flow rates and with different amounts of the in waterworks wide-spread used activated carbon F-300. The main results observed were: 1. The amount of radioactivity adsorbed depends upon the type of carbon, its granular size and the contact time between the activated carbon and water. The decontamination capacity was between 19% and 94. 2. The DOC-levels of water influences the adsorbable radioactivity due to the poisoning of the active centres of the carbon. The adsorption velocity decreased down to 15%. 3. The maximum decontamination rate of the water under waterworks conditions was 60%. (orig.) [de

Combining task-evoked and spontaneous activity to improve pre-operative brain mapping with fMRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Michael D; Qian, Tianyi; Madsen, Joseph R; Wang, Danhong; Li, Meiling; Ge, Manling; Zuo, Huan-Cong; Groppe, David M; Mehta, Ashesh D; Hong, Bo; Liu, Hesheng

2016-01-01

Noninvasive localization of brain function is used to understand and treat neurological disease, exemplified by pre-operative fMRI mapping prior to neurosurgical intervention. The principal approach for generating these maps relies on brain responses evoked by a task and, despite known limitations, has dominated clinical practice for over 20years. Recently, pre-operative fMRI mapping based on correlations in spontaneous brain activity has been demonstrated, however this approach has its own limitations and has not seen widespread clinical use. Here we show that spontaneous and task-based mapping can be performed together using the same pre-operative fMRI data, provide complimentary information relevant for functional localization, and can be combined to improve identification of eloquent motor cortex. Accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of our approach are quantified through comparison with electrical cortical stimulation mapping in eight patients with intractable epilepsy. Broad applicability and reproducibility of our approach are demonstrated through prospective replication in an independent dataset of six patients from a different center. In both cohorts and every individual patient, we see a significant improvement in signal to noise and mapping accuracy independent of threshold, quantified using receiver operating characteristic curves. Collectively, our results suggest that modifying the processing of fMRI data to incorporate both task-based and spontaneous activity significantly improves functional localization in pre-operative patients. Because this method requires no additional scan time or modification to conventional pre-operative data acquisition protocols it could have widespread utility. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Experimental Study on Treatment of Dyeing Wastewater by Activated Carbon Adsorption, Coagulation and Fenton Oxidation

Science.gov (United States)

Xiaoxu, SUN; Jin, XU; Xingyu, LI

2017-12-01

In this paper dyeing waste water was simulated by reactive brilliant blue XBR, activated carbon adsorption process, coagulation process and chemical oxidation process were used to treat dyeing waste water. In activated carbon adsorption process and coagulation process, the water absorbance values were measured. The CODcr value of water was determined in Fenton chemical oxidation process. Then, the decolorization rate and COD removal rate were calculated respectively. The results showed that the optimum conditions of activated carbon adsorption process were as follows: pH=2, the dosage of activated carbon was 1.2g/L, the adsorption reaction time was 60 min, and the average decolorization rate of the three parallel experiments was 85.30%. The optimum conditions of coagulation experiment were as follows: pH=8~9, PAC dosage was 70mg/L, stirring time was 20min, standing time was 45min, the average decolorization rate of the three parallel experiments was 74.48%. The optimum conditions for Fenton oxidation were Fe2+ 0.05g/L, H2O2 (30%) 14mL/L, pH=3, reaction time 40min. The average CODcr removal rate was 69.35% in three parallel experiments. It can be seen that in the three methods the activated carbon adsorption treatment of dyeing wastewater was the best one.

Hydrogen storage in microwave-treated multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geng, Hong-Zhang [BK21 Physics Division, Department of Energy Science, Center for Nanotubes and Nanostructured Composites, Sungkyunkwan Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea); School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin Polytechnic University, Tianjin 300160 (China); Kim, Tae Hyung; Lim, Seong Chu; Jeong, Hae-Kyung; Jin, Mei Hua; Jo, Young Woo; Lee, Young Hee [BK21 Physics Division, Department of Energy Science, Center for Nanotubes and Nanostructured Composites, Sungkyunkwan Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea)

2010-03-15

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) treated by microwave and heat treatment were used for hydrogen storage. Their storage capacity was measured using a quadruple quartz crystal microbalance in a moisture-free chamber at room temperature and at relatively low pressure (0.5 MPa). Deuterium was also used to monitor the presence of moisture. The hydrogen storage capacity of the microwave-treated MWCNTs was increased to nearly 0.35 wt% over 0.1 wt% for the pristine sample and increased further to 0.4 wt%, with improved stability after subsequent heat-treatment. The increase in the storage capacity by the microwave treatment was mostly attributed to the introduction of micropore surfaces, while the stability improvement after the subsequent heat treatment was related to the removal of functional groups. We also propose a measurement method that eliminates the moisture effect by measuring the storage capacity with hydrogen and deuterium gas. (author)

Evaluation of a new pulping technology for pre-treating source-separated organic household waste prior to anaerobic digestion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Naroznova, Irina; Møller, Jacob; Larsen, Bjarne

2016-01-01

A new technology for pre-treating source-separated organic household waste prior to anaerobic digestion was assessed, and its performance was compared to existing alternative pre-treatment technologies. This pre-treatment technology is based on waste pulping with water, using a specially developed...... screw mechanism. The pre-treatment technology rejects more than 95% (wet weight) of non-biodegradable impurities in waste collected from households and generates biopulp ready for anaerobic digestion. Overall, 84-99% of biodegradable material (on a dry weight basis) in the waste was recovered...... in the biopulp. The biochemical methane potential for the biopulp was 469±7mL CH4/g ash-free mass. Moreover, all Danish and European Union requirements regarding the content of hazardous substances in biomass intended for land application were fulfilled. Compared to other pre-treatment alternatives, the screw...

Potential of activated carbon to recover randomly-methylated-β-cyclodextrin solution from washing water originating from in situ soil flushing.

Science.gov (United States)

Sniegowski, K; Vanhecke, M; D'Huys, P-J; Braeken, L

2014-07-01

Despite the overall high efficacy of cyclodextrins to accelerate the treatment of soil aquifer remediation by in-situ soil flushing, the use in practice remains limited because of the high costs of cyclodextrin and high concentrations needed to significantly reduce the treatment time. The current study tested the potential of activated carbon to treat washing water originating from soil flushing in order to selectively separate hydrocarbon contaminants from washing water containing cyclodextrin and subsequently reuse the cyclodextrin solution for reinfiltration. A high recovery of the cyclodextrin from the washing water would reduce the costs and would make the technique economically feasible for soil remediation. This study aimed to investigate whether cyclodextrin can pass through the activated carbon filter without reducing the cyclodextrin concentration when the contaminated washing water is treated and whether the presence of cyclodextrin negatively affects the purification potential of activated carbon to remove the organic pollutants from the pumped soil water. Lab-scale column experiments showed that with the appropriate activated carbon 100% of cyclodextrin (randomly-methylated-β-cyclodextrin) can be recovered from the washing water and that the effect on the efficiency of activated carbon to remove the hydrocarbon contaminants remains limited. These results show that additional field tests are useful to make in-situ soil flushing with cyclodextrin both a technical and an economical interesting technique. These results might stimulate the application of cyclodextrin in soil treatment technology. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ACTIVATED CARBON (CHARCOAL OBTAINING . APPLICATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florin CIOFU

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The activated carbon is a microporous sorbent with a very large adsorption area that can reach in some cases even 1500sqm / gram. Activated carbon is produced from any organic material with high carbon content: coal, wood, peat or moor coal, coconut shells. The granular activated charcoal is most commonly produced by grinding the raw material, adding a suitable binder to provide the desired hardness and shape. Enabling coal is a complete process through which the raw material is fully exposed to temperatures between 600-900 degrees C, in the absence of oxygen, usually in a domestic atmosphere as gases such as nitrogen or argon; as material that results from this process is exposed in an atmosphere of oxygen and steam at a temperature in the interval from 600 - 1200 degrees C.

Addition of granular activated carbon and trace elements to favor volatile fatty acid consumption during anaerobic digestion of food waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Capson-Tojo, Gabriel; Moscoviz, Roman; Ruiz, Diane; Santa-Catalina, Gaëlle; Trably, Eric; Rouez, Maxime; Crest, Marion; Steyer, Jean-Philippe; Bernet, Nicolas; Delgenès, Jean-Philippe; Escudié, Renaud

2018-07-01

The effect of supplementing granular activated carbon and trace elements on the anaerobic digestion performance of consecutive batch reactors treating food waste was investigated. The results from the first batch suggest that addition of activated carbon favored biomass acclimation, improving acetic acid consumption and enhancing methane production. Adding trace elements allowed a faster consumption of propionic acid. A second batch proved that a synergy existed when activated carbon and trace elements were supplemented simultaneously. The degradation kinetics of propionate oxidation were particularly improved, reducing significantly the batch duration and improving the average methane productivities. Addition of activated carbon favored the growth of archaea and syntrophic bacteria, suggesting that interactions between these microorganisms were enhanced. Interestingly, microbial analyses showed that hydrogenotrophic methanogens were predominant. This study shows for the first time that addition of granular activated carbon and trace elements may be a feasible solution to stabilize food waste anaerobic digestion. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radon removal from different types of groundwater applying granular activated carbon filtration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turtiainen, T.; Salonen, L.; Myllymaeki, P.

2000-01-01

Granular activated carbon (CAC) filters were installed in 12 private homes or vacation homes for removing unacceptably high concentrations of radon from household water. Radon removal efficiency was nearly 100% in most locations, although different water types were encountered. Other radionuclides such as uranium, radium, lead and polonium were removed less efficiently. Treated water quality remained good and no significant external radiation dose was caused to the residents. (author)

Dynamics of PCB removal and detoxification in historically contaminated soils amended with activated carbon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vasilyeva, Galina K., E-mail: gkvasilyeva@issp.psn.r [Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino 142290 (Russian Federation); Strijakova, Elena R. [Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino 142290 (Russian Federation); Nikolaeva, Svetlana N.; Lebedev, Albert T. [Chemistry Department of Moscow State University, Moscow (Russian Federation); Shea, Patrick J. [School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (United States); Department of Environmental, Agricultural and Occupational Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Lincoln, NE 68583-0817 (United States)

2010-03-15

Activated carbon (AC) can help overcome toxicity of pollutants to microbes and facilitate soil bioremediation. We used this approach to treat a Histosol and an Alluvial soil historically contaminated with PCB (4190 and 1585 mg kg{sup -1}, respectively; primarily tri-, tetra- and pentachlorinated congeners). Results confirmed PCB persistence; reductions in PCB extractable from control and AC-amended soils were mostly due to a decrease in tri- and to some extent tetrachlorinated congeners as well as formation of a bound fraction. Mechanisms of PCB binding by soil and AC were different. In addition to microbial degradation of less chlorinated congeners, we postulate AC catalyzed dechlorination of higher chlorinated congeners. A large decrease in bioavailable PCB in AC-amended soils was demonstrated by greater clover germination and biomass. Phytotoxicity was low in treated soils but remained high in untreated soils for the duration of a 39-month experiment. These observations indicate the utility of AC for remediation of soils historically contaminated with PCB. - Activated carbon promotes remediation of soils historically contaminated with PCB.

Dynamics of PCB removal and detoxification in historically contaminated soils amended with activated carbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasilyeva, Galina K.; Strijakova, Elena R.; Nikolaeva, Svetlana N.; Lebedev, Albert T.; Shea, Patrick J.

2010-01-01

Activated carbon (AC) can help overcome toxicity of pollutants to microbes and facilitate soil bioremediation. We used this approach to treat a Histosol and an Alluvial soil historically contaminated with PCB (4190 and 1585 mg kg -1 , respectively; primarily tri-, tetra- and pentachlorinated congeners). Results confirmed PCB persistence; reductions in PCB extractable from control and AC-amended soils were mostly due to a decrease in tri- and to some extent tetrachlorinated congeners as well as formation of a bound fraction. Mechanisms of PCB binding by soil and AC were different. In addition to microbial degradation of less chlorinated congeners, we postulate AC catalyzed dechlorination of higher chlorinated congeners. A large decrease in bioavailable PCB in AC-amended soils was demonstrated by greater clover germination and biomass. Phytotoxicity was low in treated soils but remained high in untreated soils for the duration of a 39-month experiment. These observations indicate the utility of AC for remediation of soils historically contaminated with PCB. - Activated carbon promotes remediation of soils historically contaminated with PCB.

Behaviour of natural radionuclides on activated carbon filter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haberer, K.; Akkermann-Kubillus, A.; Dahlheimer, A.

1998-01-01

To investigate the behaviour of radon in adsorption/desorption processes at filter systems based on different activated carbon types, measurements were focused on adsorption capacity, adsorption velocity, retain capability, interaction with ions (poisoning of active centers) and adsorption of radon daughters. Various activated carbon types derived from hard coal, brown coal, peat and wood, were used in adsorption tests runs with activated carbons which are applied in water treatment facilities. In laboratory tests, water facility filter conditions were simulated using pilot plant columns filled with different carbon types. A small scale laboratory column was installed at a natural water source with elevated activity. Tests runs were conducted under varying flow rates and with different amounts of carbon. A full-scale waterworks filter system operated for 6 months was investigated for radon decay products adsorbed on the carbon. The main results observed were: 1. The amount of radioactivity adsorbed depends upon the type of carbon, its granular size and the contact time between the activated carbon and water. The decontamination capacity was between 19% and 94%. 2. The DOC-levels of water influences the adsorbable radioactivity due to the poisoning of the active centers of the carbon. The adsorption velocity decreased down to 15%. 3. The maximum decontamination rate of the water under waterworks conditions was 60%. (orig.) [de

Preparation of activated carbon from Tunisian olive-waste cakes and its application for adsorption of heavy metal ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baccar, R.; Bouzid, J.; Feki, M.; Montiel, A.

2009-01-01

The present work explored the use of Tunisian olive-waste cakes, a by-product of the manufacture process of olive oil in mills, as a potential feedstock for the preparation of activated carbon. Chemical activation of this precursor, using phosphoric acid as dehydrating agent, was adopted. To optimize the preparation method, the effect of the main process parameters (such as acid concentration, impregnation ratio, temperature of pyrolysis step) on the performances of the obtained activated carbons (expressed in terms of iodine and methylene blue numbers and specific surface area) was studied. The optimal activated carbon was fully characterized considering its adsorption properties as well as its chemical structure and morphology. To enhance the adsorption capacity of this carbon for heavy metals, a modification of the chemical characteristics of the sorbent surface was performed, using KMnO 4 as oxidant. The efficiency of this treatment was evaluated considering the adsorption of Cu 2+ ions as a model for metallic species. Column adsorption tests showed the high capacity of the activated carbon to reduce KMnO 4 into insoluble manganese (IV) oxide (MnO 2 ) which impregnated the sorbent surface. The results indicated also that copper uptake capacity was enhanced by a factor of up to 3 for the permanganate-treated activated carbon

Preparation of activated carbon from Tunisian olive-waste cakes and its application for adsorption of heavy metal ions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baccar, R. [Laboratoire Eau Energie Environnement, Ecole Nationale d' Ingenieurs de Sfax, BP W 3038 Sfax (Tunisia)], E-mail: rym.baccar@tunet.tn; Bouzid, J. [Laboratoire Eau Energie Environnement, Ecole Nationale d' Ingenieurs de Sfax, BP W 3038 Sfax (Tunisia)], E-mail: jalel.bouzid@tunet.tn; Feki, M. [Unite de Recherche de Chimie Industrielle et Materiaux, Ecole Nationale d' Ingenieurs de Sfax, BP W 3038 Sfax (Tunisia)], E-mail: mongi.feki@yahoo.fr; Montiel, A. [Laboratoire Eau Energie Environnement, Ecole Nationale d' Ingenieurs de Sfax, BP W 3038 Sfax (Tunisia)], E-mail: montiel.antoine@free.fr

2009-03-15

The present work explored the use of Tunisian olive-waste cakes, a by-product of the manufacture process of olive oil in mills, as a potential feedstock for the preparation of activated carbon. Chemical activation of this precursor, using phosphoric acid as dehydrating agent, was adopted. To optimize the preparation method, the effect of the main process parameters (such as acid concentration, impregnation ratio, temperature of pyrolysis step) on the performances of the obtained activated carbons (expressed in terms of iodine and methylene blue numbers and specific surface area) was studied. The optimal activated carbon was fully characterized considering its adsorption properties as well as its chemical structure and morphology. To enhance the adsorption capacity of this carbon for heavy metals, a modification of the chemical characteristics of the sorbent surface was performed, using KMnO{sub 4} as oxidant. The efficiency of this treatment was evaluated considering the adsorption of Cu{sup 2+} ions as a model for metallic species. Column adsorption tests showed the high capacity of the activated carbon to reduce KMnO{sub 4} into insoluble manganese (IV) oxide (MnO{sub 2}) which impregnated the sorbent surface. The results indicated also that copper uptake capacity was enhanced by a factor of up to 3 for the permanganate-treated activated carbon.

Utilization of acid pre-treated coconut dregs as a substrate for production of detergent compatible lipase by Bacillus stratosphericus.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohd Zin, Nur Bainun; Mohamad Yusof, Busyra; Oslan, Siti Nurbaya; Wasoh, Helmi; Tan, Joo Shun; Ariff, Arbakariya B; Halim, Murni

2017-12-01

In recent years, many efforts have been directed to explore the methods to reduce the production costs of industrial lipase by improving the yield and the use of low-cost agricultural wastes. Coconut dregs, which is a lignocellulosic by-product from coconut oil and milk processing plants, is rich in cellulose (36%) and crude fat (9%). A newly isolated Bacillus stratosphericus has been demonstrated to perform cellulose hydrolysis on coconut dregs producing fermentable sugars. The highest extracellular lipase activity of 140 U/mL has been achieved in submerged fermentation with acid pre-treated coconut dregs. The lipase was found to be active over a wide range of temperatures and pHs. The activity of lipase can be generally increased by the presence of detergent ingredients such as Tween-80, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, hydrogen peroxide and phosphate per sulphate. The great compatibility of lipase in commercial detergents has also underlined its potential as an additive ingredient in biodetergent formulations.

Inhibition effect of phosphorus-based chemicals on corrosion of carbon steel in secondary-treated municipal wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Zhanhui; Ren, Hongqiang; Xu, Ke; Geng, Jinju; Ding, Lili

2013-01-01

Secondary-treated municipal wastewater (MWW) could supply a viable alternative water resource for cooling water systems. Inorganic salts in the concentrated cooling water pose a great challenge to corrosion control chemicals. In this study, the inhibition effect of 1-hydroxy ethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), trimethylene phosphonic acid (ATMP) and 2-phosphonobutane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid (PBTCA) on corrosion of carbon steel in secondary-treated MWW was investigated by the means of potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The inhibition effect increased with increasing concentration of inhibitors. The corrosion rates of carbon steel were 1.5, 0.8, 0.2 and 0.5 mm a(-1) for blank, HEDP, ATMP and PBTCA samples at 50 mg L(-1), respectively. The phosphorus-based chemicals could adsorb onto the surface of the carbon steel electrode, form a coat of protective film and then protect the carbon steel from corrosion in the test solution.

Production of activated carbons from almond shell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nabais, Joao M. Valente; Laginhas, Carlos Eduardo C.; Carrott, P.J.M.; Ribeiro Carrott, M.M.L. [Evora Univ. (Portugal). Centro de Quimica de Evora

2011-02-15

The production of activated carbons from almond shell, using physical activation by CO{sub 2} is reported in this work. The used method has produced activated carbons with apparent BET surface areas and micropore volume as high as 1138 m{sup 2} g{sup -1} and 0.49 cm{sup 3} g{sup -1}, respectively. The activated carbons produced have essentially primary micropores and only a small volume of wider micropores. By FTIR analysis it was possible to identify, in the surface of the activated carbons, several functional groups, namely hydroxyls (free and phenol), ethers, esters, lactones, pyrones and Si-H bonds. By the analysis of the XRD patterns it was possible to calculate the microcrystallites dimensions with height between 1.178 and 1.881 nm and width between 3.106 and 5.917 nm. From the XRD it was also possible to identify the presence of traces of inorganic heteroatoms such as Si, Pb, K, Fe and P. All activated carbons showed basic characteristics with point of zero charge between 9.42 and 10.43. (author)

Preparation and characterisation of activated carbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badri bin Muhammad; Karen binti Badri; Mohd Zobir bin Hussein; Zulkarnain bin Zainal; W.M. Daud bin W Yunus; Ramli bin Ibrahim

1994-01-01

Activated carbon was prepared from Agricultural wastes, such as coconut shell, Palm oil Shell and mangrove trunk by destructive distillation under vakuum. Chemical and Physical properties of the activated carbon were studied and some potentially useful application in the fields of chemistry was also carried out

Production of activated carbon from peanut hill using phosphoric acid and microwave activation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weerawat Clowutimon

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The optimum conditions for preparing activated carbon from peanut hulls by phosphoric acid and microwave activation were studied. Factors investigated in this study were temperature of carbonization at 300, 350, 400 and 450๐ C, and time of carbonization at 30, 60 and 90 minutes. The optimum yield was observed that carbonization temperature of 400๐ C and time at 60 minutes, respectively. The yield of charcoal was 39% and the f ix carbon was 69%. Then the charcoal was activated by phosphoric acid and microwave irradiation, respectively. The effect of the weight per volume ratios of charcoal to activating acid (1:1, 1:2 and 2:1(W/V, microwave power at (activated 300, 500 and 700 watts, and activated time (30, 60 and 90 seconds were studied. The results showed that the optimum conditions for activating peanut charcoal were 1:2 (W/V charcoal per activating acid, microwave power 700 watts for 90 seconds. The results yielding maximum surface area by BET method was 303.1 m2 /g and pore volume was 0.140 cm3 /g. An efficiency of maximum iodine adsorption was 418 mg iodine/g activated carbon. Comparing the adsorption efficiency of non- irradiated and irradiated activated carbon, the efficiency of irradiated activated carbon improved up to 31%, due to its larger surface area and pore volume.

Activated Carbon Fibers "Thickly Overgrown" by Ag Nanohair Through Self-Assembly and Rapid Thermal Annealing

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Xuefeng; Xu, Sijun; Wang, Qiang; Fan, Xuerong

2017-11-01

Anisotropic nanomaterial-modified carbon fibers attract increasing attention because of their superior properties over traditional ones. In this study, activated carbon fibers (ACFs) "thickly overgrown" by Ag nanohair were prepared through self-assembly and rapid thermal annealing. Viscose fibers with well-dispersed silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on surfaces were first prepared through self-assembly of hyperbranched poly(amino-amine) (HBPAA)-capped AgNPs on viscose surfaces. HBPAA endowed the AgNP surfaces with negative charges and abundant amino groups, allowing AgNPs to monodispersively self-assemble to fiber surfaces. Ag nanohair-grown ACFs were prepared by sequential pre-oxidation and carbonization. Because the carbonization furnace was open-ended, ACFs are immediately transferrable to the outside of the furnace. Therefore, the Ag liquid adsorbed by ACF pores squeezed out to form Ag nanowires through thermal contraction. FESEM characterization indicated that Ag nanohairs stood on ACF surface and grew from ACF caps. XPS and XRD characterization showed that Ag successfully assembled to fiber surfaces and retained its metallic state even after high-temperature carbonization. TG analysis suggested that Ag nanohair-grown ACFs maintained their excellent thermal stabilities. Finally, the fabricated ACFs showed excellent and durable antibacterial activities, and the developed method may provide a potential strategy for preparing metal nanowire-grown ACFs.

Adsorption and desorption of pertechnetate on activated carbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dano, M.; Galambos, M.; Rajec, P.; Viglasova, E.; Krajnak, A.; Novak, I.

2014-01-01

High surface area, a microporous structure, and a high degree of surface reactivity make activated carbons versatile adsorbents, particularly effective in the adsorption of radionuclides from aqueous solutions. The most important property of activated carbon, the property that determines its usage, is the pore structure. The total number of pores, their shape and size determine the adsorption capacity and even the dynamic adsorption rate of the activated carbon. This report is dedicated to sorption properties of new activated carbon sorbents. (authors)

SAXS study on activated carbons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bota, A.; Heringer, D.; Mihalffy, T.

1999-01-01

SAXS fractal analysis of activated carbons is presented. It gives very useful information about the structural changes of the carbon skeleton. From the fact, that the sequence of the activation and the heat treatment affect the fractal behaviours more drastically than the particle size distribution of the structural units, it follows that all changes in the pore and matrix structure may reduce principally to the bonding of the crystallite units. (K.A.)

Effect of acid treated carbon nanotubes on mechanical, rheological and thermal properties of polystyrene nanocomposites

KAUST Repository

Amr, Issam Thaher

2011-09-01

In this work, multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNT) were functionalized by acid treatment and characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Polystyrene/CNT composites of both the untreated and acid treated carbon nanotubes were prepared by thermal bulk polymerization without any initiator at different loadings of CNT. The tensile tests showed that the addition of 0.5 wt.% of acid treated CNT results in 22% increase in Young\\'s modulus. The DSC measurements showed a decrease in glass transition temperature (Tg) of PS in the composites. The rheological studies at 190 °C showed that the addition of untreated CNT increases the viscoelastic behavior of the PS matrix, while the acid treated CNT acts as plasticizer. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the incorporation of CNT into PS enhanced the thermal properties of the matrix polymer. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bioturbation and dissolved organic matter enhance contaminant fluxes from sediment treated with powdered and granular activated carbon.

Science.gov (United States)

Kupryianchyk, D; Noori, A; Rakowska, M I; Grotenhuis, J T C; Koelmans, A A

2013-05-21

Sediment amendment with activated carbon (AC) is a promising technique for in situ sediment remediation. To date it is not clear whether this technique sufficiently reduces sediment-to-water fluxes of sediment-bound hydrophobic organic chemicals (HOCs) in the presence of bioturbators. Here, we report polychlorobiphenyl (PCB) pore water concentrations, fluxes, mass transfer coefficients, and survival data of two benthic species, for four treatments: no AC addition (control), powdered AC addition, granular AC addition and addition and subsequent removal of GAC (sediment stripping). AC addition decreased mass fluxes but increased apparent mass transfer coefficients because of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) facilitated transport across the benthic boundary layer (BBL). In turn, DOC concentrations depended on bioturbator activity which was high for the PAC tolerant species Asellus aquaticus and low for AC sensitive species Lumbriculus variegatus. A dual BBL resistance model combining AC effects on gradients, DOC facilitated transport and biodiffusion was evaluated against the data and showed how the type of resistance differs with treatment and chemical hydrophobicity. Data and simulations illustrate the complex interplay between AC and contaminant toxicity to benthic organisms and how differences in species tolerance affect mass fluxes from sediment to the water column.

Forehearing words: Pre-activation of word endings at word onset.

Science.gov (United States)

Roll, Mikael; Söderström, Pelle; Frid, Johan; Mannfolk, Peter; Horne, Merle

2017-09-29

Occurring at rates up to 6-7 syllables per second, speech perception and understanding involves rapid identification of speech sounds and pre-activation of morphemes and words. Using event-related potentials (ERPs) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we investigated the time-course and neural sources of pre-activation of word endings as participants heard the beginning of unfolding words. ERPs showed a pre-activation negativity (PrAN) for word beginnings (first two segmental phonemes) with few possible completions. PrAN increased gradually as the number of possible completions of word onsets decreased and the lexical frequency of the completions increased. The early brain potential effect for few possible word completions was associated with a blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) contrast increase in Broca's area (pars opercularis of the left inferior frontal gyrus) and angular gyrus of the left parietal lobe. We suggest early involvement of the left prefrontal cortex in inhibiting irrelevant left parietal activation during lexical selection. The results further our understanding of the importance of Broca's area in rapid online pre-activation of words. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects Of Aging And Oxidation Of Palladized Iron Embedded In Activated Carbon On The Dechlorination Of 2-Chlorobiphenyl

Science.gov (United States)

Reactive activated carbon (RAC) impregnated with palladized iron has been developed to effectively treat polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the environment by coupling adsorption and dechlorination of PCBs. In this study, we addressed the dechlorination reactivity and capacity ...

Carbon Monoxide Fumigation Improved the Quality, Nutrients, and Antioxidant Activities of Postharvest Peach

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ying; Pei, Fei

2014-01-01

Peaches (Prunus persica cv. Yanhong) were fumigated with carbon monoxide (CO) at 0, 0.5, 5, 10, and 20 μmol/L for 2 hours. The result showed that low concentration CO (0.5–10 μmol/L) might delay the decrease of firmness and titrable acid content, restrain the increase of decay incidence, and postpone the variation of soluble solids content, but treating peaches with high concentration CO (20 μmol/L) demonstrated adverse effects. Further research exhibited that exogenous CO could induce the phenylalnine ammonialyase activity, maintain nutrient contents such as Vitamin C, total flavonoid, and polyphenol, and enhance antioxidant activity according to reducing power and 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) hydrazyl radical scavenging activity. Treating peaches with appropriate concentration CO was beneficial to the quality, nutrients, and antioxidant activity of postharvest peaches during storage time. Therefore, CO fumigation might probably become a novel method to preserve postharvest peach and other fruits in the future. PMID:26904651

Influence of activated carbon amendment on the accumulation and elimination of PCBs in the earthworm Eisenia fetida

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paul, Piuly; Ghosh, Upal

2011-01-01

In this study we investigated the use of activated carbon (AC) as a soil amendment for reducing bioavailability of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to the earthworm Eisenia fetida. Artificial soil was contaminated with PCBs and used in bioaccumulation experiments fresh or after aging for 19 months. PCB bioaccumulation in earthworms was reduced by 68% when AC was placed as a layer without mixing and by 94% when AC was manually mixed into the soil. Aging of the same AC mixed soil for 19 months resulted in an overall reduction of 99% in PCB biouptake. AC-treated aged soil also showed two orders of magnitude lower equilibrium aqueous concentrations of PCBs compared to untreated aged soils. The findings from this study indicate that application of engineered sorbents like AC to PCB impacted soils may greatly reduce PCB uptake at the base of the terrestrial food chain. - Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Highlights: → Activated carbon studied as a sorbent for PCB impacted unsaturated soil. → Bioaccumulation of PCB greatly reduced in earthworms after carbon amendment. → Aging of the activated carbon amended soil further reduced bioaccumulation. → Activated carbon can be used for in-situ stabilization of PCB impacted soil. - Addition of activated carbon to PCB impacted soil reduces equilibrium aqueous concentrations and uptake at the base of the terrestrial food chain.

Porous media investigation before and after hydrochloric acid injection on a pre-salt carbonate coquinas sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Machado, A C; Teles, A P; Pepin, A; Bize-Forest, N; Lima, I; Lopes, R T

2016-04-01

Porous space characterization of carbonate rocks is an important aid in petroleum exploration from carbonate reservoir. In this study, X-ray microtomography technique was applied to evaluate total porosity of a coquina sample extracted from pre-salt reservoir, in Brazil, before and after acid injection. Two image processing program were used in order to assess performance. The results showed that microtomography has potential to compute porosity of coquina samples and provides information about rock porous network. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Adsorption Mechanism of Modified Activated Carbon on Phenol

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Lin J. Q.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Modified activated carbon was prepared by thermal treatment at high temperature under nitrogen flow. The surface properties of the activated carbon were characterized by Boehm titration, BET and point of zero charge determination. The adsorption mechanism of phenol on modified activated carbon was explained and the adsorption capacity of modified activated carbon for phenol when compared to plain activated carbon was evaluated through the analysis of adsorption isotherms, thermodynamic and kinetic properties. Results shows that after modification the surface alkaline property and pHpzc value of the activated carbon increase and the surface oxygen-containing functional groups decrease. The adsorption processes of the plain and modified carbon fit with Langmuir isotherm equation well, and the maximum adsorption capacity increase from 123.46, 111.11, 103.09mg/g to 192.31, 178.57, 163,93mg/g under 15, 25 and 35°C after modification, respectively. Thermodynamic parameters show that the adsorption of phenol on activated carbon is a spontaneously exothermic process of entropy reduction, implying that the adsorption is a physical adsorption. The adsorption of phenol on activated carbon follows the pseudo-second-order kinetics (R2>0.99. The optimum pH of adsorption is 6~8.

Effect of glassy carbon properties on the electrochemical deposition of platinum nano-catalyst and its activity for methanol oxidation

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SANJA TERZIC

2007-02-01

Full Text Available The effects of the properties of glassy carbon on the deposition of platinum particles and the electrocatalytic activity of platinum supported on glassy carbon (GC/Pt for methanol oxidation in alkaline and acidic solutions were studied. Platinum was potentiostatically deposited on two glassy carbon samples, thermally treated at different temperatures, which were either polished or anodicaly polarised in acid (GCOX-AC/Pt and in alkali (GCOX-AL/Pt. Anodic polarisation of glassy carbon, either in alkaline or acidic solution, enhances the activity of both types of GC/Pt electrodes for methanol oxidation. The activity of the catalysts follows the change in the properties of the glassy carbon support upon anodic treatment. The specific activity of the GCOX-AL/Pt electrode for this reaction in alkali is increased only a few times in comparison with the activity of the GC/Pt one. On the other hand, the specific activity of the GCOX-AC/Pt electrode for methanol oxidation in acid is about one order of magnitude higher than that of the GC/Pt electrode. The role of the substrate on the properties of catalyst is discussed in detail.

Quality of poultry litter-derived granular activated carbon.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Guannan; Guo, Mingxin

2010-01-01

Utilization of poultry litter as a source material for generating activated carbon is a value-added and environmentally beneficial approach to recycling organic waste. In this study, the overall quality of poultry litter-derived granular activated carbon was systematically evaluated based on its various physical and chemical properties. Granular activated carbon generated from pelletized poultry litter following a typical steam-activation procedure possessed numerous micropores in the matrix. The product exhibited a mean particle diameter of 2.59 mm, an apparent density of 0.45 g cm(-3), a ball-pan hardness of 91.0, an iodine number of 454 mg g(-1), and a BET surface area of 403 m(2) g(-1). It contained high ash, nitrogen, phosphorus contents and the trace elements Cu, Zn, and As. Most of the nutrients and toxic elements were solidified and solution-unextractable. In general, poultry litter-based activated carbon demonstrated overall quality comparable to that of low-grade commercial activated carbon derived from coconut shell and bituminous coal. It is promising to use poultry litter as a feedstock to manufacture activated carbon for wastewater treatment.

Amorphous hydrogenated carbon films treated by SF{sub 6} plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marins, N M S; Mota, R P; Santos, D C R; Honda, R Y; Kayama, M E; Kostov, K G; Algatti, M A [Laboratorio de Plasma, Faculdade de Engenharia, UNESP, Av. Dr. Ariberto Pereira da Cunha-333, 12516-410, Guaratingueta, SP (Brazil); Cruz, N C; Rangel, E C, E-mail: nazir@feg.unesp.b [Laboratorio de Plasmas Tecnologicos, Unidade Diferenciada Sorocaba/Ipero, UNESP, Av. Tres de Marco-511, 18085-180, Sorocaba, SP (Brazil)

2009-05-01

This work was performed to verify the chemical structure, mechanical and hydrophilic properties of amorphous hydrogenated carbon films prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, using acetylene/argon mixture as monomer. Films were prepared in a cylindrical quartz reactor, fed by 13.56 MHz radiofrequency. The films were grown during 5 min, for power varying from 25 to 125 W at a fixed pressure of 9.5 Pa. After deposition, all samples were treated by SF{sub 6} plasma with the aim of changing their hydrophilic character. Film chemical structure investigated by Raman spectroscopy, revealed the increase of sp{sup 3} hybridized carbon bonds as the plasma power increases. Hardness measurements performed by the nanoindentation technique showed an improvement from 5 GPa to 14 GPa following the increase discharge power. The untreated films presented a hydrophilic character, which slightly diminished after SF{sub 6} plasma treatment.

Measurement of carbon activity in sodium and steel and the behaviour of carbon-bearing species

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajendran Pillai, S.; Ranganathan, R.; Mathews, C.K.

1988-01-01

Carburization or decarburization of structural materials in a sodium system depends on the local differences in carbon activity. The behaviour of carbon-bearing species in sodium influences its carbon activity. In order to understand the behaviour of carbon in these systems, an electrochemical carbon meter was fabricated in our laboratory. The original version of this meter was capable of operating in the temperature range of 850-980 K. Studies are carried out to extend this lower limit of temperature. Employing the carbon meter, experiments were carried out to understand the behaviour of carbon-bearing species. Gas equilibration experiments were also carried out with the same view. A new method for measuring the carbon activity in steels are described which employs the carbon meter. A review on these investigations and the conclusions reached on the behaviour of carbon in fast reactor loops are described

Mycoextraction by Clitocybe maxima combined with metal immobilization by biochar and activated carbon in an aged soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Bin; Cheng, Guanglei; Jiao, Kai; Shi, Wenjin; Wang, Can; Xu, Heng

2016-08-15

To develop an eco-friendly and efficient route to remediate soil highly polluted with heavy metals, the idea of mycoextraction combined with metal immobilization by carbonaceous sorbents (biochar and activated carbon) was investigated in this study. Results showed that the application of carbonaceous amendments decreased acid soluble Cd and Cu by 5.13-14.06% and 26.86-49.58%, respectively, whereas the reducible and oxidizable fractions increased significantly as the amount of carbonaceous amendments added increased. The biological activities (microbial biomass, soil enzyme activities) for treatments with carbonaceous sorbents were higher than those of samples without carbonaceous amendments. Clitocybe maxima (C. maxima) simultaneously increased soil enzyme activities and the total number of microbes. Biochar and activated carbon both showed a positive effect on C. maxima growth and metal accumulation. The mycoextraction efficiency of Cd and Cu in treatments with carbonaceous amendments enhanced by 25.64-153.85% and 15.18-107.22%, respectively, in response to that in non-treated soil, which showed positive correlation to the augment of biochar and activated carbon in soil. Therefore, this work suggested the effectiveness of mycoextraction by C. maxima combined the application of biochar and activated carbon in immobilising heavy metal in contaminated soil. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide interaction with tantalum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belov, V.D.; Ustinov, Yu.K.; Komar, A.P.

1978-01-01

The adsorption of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide on tantalum and the dissolution of these gases in the adsorbent at T >= 300 K have been studied. The flash-filament method (FFM) in a monopole mass-spectrometer and a field emission microscopy was used in the same apparatus. Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide dissociate on the tantalum surface, carbon monoxide being desorbed in both cases during the flash. The desorption curves of CO reveal three different binding states: two of them (α and β' 1 ) for the adsorbed particles whereas the high temperature desorption state relates to the adsorbate dissolved in the metal. For the β' 1 state of CO the activation energy, the pre-exponential factor and the kinetic order in the kinetic equation of desorption have been estimated. They turned out to be E = 110 kcal/mol, C = 3 X 10 12 sec -1 , and γ = 1. The activation energy of diffusion for CO in tantalum and the energy of outgassing for the metal were found to be 9.4 and 49 kcal/mole, respectively. (Auth.)

Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide interaction with tantalum

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Belov, V D; USTINOV, YU K; KOMAR, A P [AN SSSR, LENINGRAD. FIZIKO-TEKHNICHESKIJ INST.

1978-03-01

The adsorption of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide on tantalum and the dissolution of these gases in the adsorbent at T >= 300 K have been studied. The flash-filament method (FFM) in a monopole mass-spectrometer and a field emission microscopy was used in the same apparatus. Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide dissociate on the tantalum surface, carbon monoxide being desorbed in both cases during the flash. The desorption curves of CO reveal three different binding states: two of them (..cap alpha.. and ..beta..'/sub 1/) for the adsorbed particles whereas the high temperature desorption state relates to the adsorbate dissolved in the metal. For the ..beta..'/sub 1/ state of CO the activation energy, the pre-exponential factor and the kinetic order in the kinetic equation of desorption have been estimated. They turned out to be E = 110 kcal/mol, C = 3 X 10/sup 12/ sec/sup -1/, and ..gamma.. = 1. The activation energy of diffusion for CO in tantalum and the energy of outgassing for the metal were found to be 9.4 and 49 kcal/mole, respectively.

Microdistribution of copper-carbonate and iron oxide nanoparticles in treated wood

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsunaga, Hiroshi, E-mail: mhiroshi@ffpri.affrc.go.jp; Kiguchi, Makoto [Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (Japan); Evans, Philip D. [University of British Columbia, Centre for Advanced Wood Processing (Canada)

2009-07-15

Aqueous dispersions of copper-carbonate nanoparticles and microparticles have just begun to be exploited commercially for the preservative treatment of wood. The success of the new systems will depend, in part, on the uniform distribution of the preservative in wood and the ability of copper to penetrate cell walls. We examined the distribution of copper in wood treated with a nano-Cu preservative. Copper particles are not uniformly distributed in treated wood, but they accumulate in voids that act as the flow paths for liquids in wood. Particles are deposited on, but not within cell walls. Nevertheless, elemental copper is present within cell walls, but at a lower level than that in wood treated with a conventional wood preservative. These findings suggest that nano-Cu preservatives are able to deliver bioactive components into wood cell walls even though the majority of copper particles are too large to penetrate the cell wall's nanocapillary network.

Characterization of activated carbon produced from urban organic waste

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Abdul Gani Haji

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The difficulties to decompose organic waste can be handled naturally by pyrolisis so it can  decomposes quickly that produces charcoal as the product. This study aims to investigate the characteristics of activated carbon from urban organic waste. Charcoal results of pyrolysis of organic waste activated with KOH 1.0 M at a temperature of 700 and 800oC for 60 to 120 minutes. Characteristics of activated carbon were identified by Furrier Transform Infra Red (FTIR, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM, and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD. However, their quality is determined yield, moisture content, ash, fly substances, fixed carbon, and the power of adsorption of iodine and benzene. The identified functional groups on activated carbon, such as OH (3448,5-3436,9 cm-1, and C=O (1639,4 cm-1. In general, the degree and distance between the layers of active carbon crystallites produced activation in all treatments showed no significant difference. The pattern of activated carbon surface topography structure shows that the greater the pore formation in accordance with the temperature increase the more activation time needed. The yield of activated carbon obtained ranged from 72.04 to 82.75%. The results of characterization properties of activated carbon was obtained from 1.11 to 5.41% water, 13.68 to 17.27% substance fly, 20.36 to 26.59% ash, and 56.14 to 62.31% of fixed carbon . Absorption of activated carbon was good enough at 800oC and 120 minutes of activation time, that was equal to 409.52 mg/g of iodine and 14.03% of benzene. Activated carbon produced has less good quality, because only the water content and flying substances that meet the standards.Doi: 10.12777/ijse.5.2.89-94 [How to cite this article: Haji, A.G., Pari, G., Nazar, M., and Habibati.  (2013. Characterization of activated carbon produced from urban organic waste . International Journal of Science and Engineering, 5(2,89-94. Doi: 10.12777/ijse.5.2.89-94

Paracrystalline structure of activated carbons

Science.gov (United States)

Szczygielska, A.; Burian, A.; Dore, J. C.

2001-06-01

Structural studies by means of neutron diffraction of activated carbons, prepared from a polymer of phenol formaldehyde resin by carbonization and activation processes, with variable porosity, are presented. The neutron scattering data were recorded over the range of the scattering vector Q from 2.5 to 500 nm-1. The structure of activated carbons has been described in terms of disordered graphite-like layers with very weak interlayer correlations. The model has been generated by computer simulations and its validity has been tested by comparison of the experimental and calculated intensity functions. Modelling studies have shown that the model containing 3-4 layers each about 2 nm in diameter accounts for the experimental data and that graphite layers are randomly translated and rotated, according to the turbostratic structure. Near-neighbour carbon-carbon distances of about 0.139 nm and 0.154 nm have been determined. The Debye-Waller factor exp (-Q2σ2/2) with σ = σ0(r)1/2 suggests a paracrystalline structure within a single layer. The value of the interlayer spacing of 0.36 nm has been found from paracrystalline simulations of the layer arrangement in the c-axis direction. The high quality of the experimental data has enabled determination of the coordination numbers, the interatomic distances and their standard deviations using a curve-fitting procedure over the Q-range from 250 nm to 500 nm, providing structural information about short- and intermediate-range ordering.

Influence of pre-treatment on enzymatic degumming of apocynum venetum bast fibers in supercritical carbon dioxide

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Gao Shi-Hui

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Pre-treatment of apocynum venetum bast fibers in supercritical carbon dioxide can improve the efficiency of enzymatic degumming of apocynum venetum bast fiber. This paper studies experimentally effect of pressure and degumming time on degradation rate, the results can be used for optimal design of degumming.

Waste washing pre-treatment of municipal and special waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Cossu, Raffaello; Lai, Tiziana; Pivnenko, Kostyantyn

2012-03-15

Long-term pollution potential in landfills is mainly related to the quality of leachate. Waste can be conveniently treated prior to landfilling with an aim to minimizing future emissions. Washing of waste represents a feasible pre-treatment method focused on controlling the leachable fraction of residues and relevant impact. In this study, non-recyclable plastics originating from source segregation, mechanical-biological treated municipal solid waste (MSW), bottom ash from MSW incineration and automotive shredder residues (ASR) were treated and the removal efficiency of washing pre-treatment prior to landfilling was evaluated. Column tests were performed to simulate the behaviour of waste in landfill under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The findings obtained revealed how waste washing treatment (WWT) allowed the leachability of contaminants from waste to be reduced. Removal rates exceeding 65% were obtained for dissolved organic carbon (DOC), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN). A percentage decrease of approximately 60% was reached for the leachable fraction of chlorides, sulphates, fluoride and metals, as proved by a reduction in electric conductivity values (70%). Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Composition and color stability of carbon monoxide treated dried porcine blood.

Science.gov (United States)

Fontes, P R; Gomide, L A M; Fontes, E A F; Ramos, E M; Ramos, A L S

2010-07-01

Color stability of swine blood was studied over 12 weeks of storage in plastic bags, after pH (7.40, 6.70, or 6.00) adjustment, saturation with carbon monoxide (CO) and spray-drying. CO-treated dried blood presented a redder color and higher reflectance between 610 and 700 nm, compared to a brownish-red color and lower reflectance of untreated samples. As indicated by reflectance spectra, blood pH adjustment did not influence (P>0.05) the initial color of dried blood but influenced (Pvalues, which was more pronounced in polyethylene (OTR=4130 cm(3)/m(2)/day/atm) packaged samples. After 12 weeks of storage, CO-treated samples packaged in high OTR bags presented color indexes similar to those of the untreated dried samples. CO-treated samples packaged in nylon-polyethylene (OTR=30-60 cm(3)/m(2)/day/atm) bags showed a smaller rate of discoloration and color difference (DeltaE(*)) between the CO-treated and untreated samples. Even with some darkening, packaging CO-treated dry blood in low OTR bags still gives an acceptable reddish color after 12 weeks of storage while untreated dry blood has a brownish color just after drying. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Examination of Pre-Service Science Teachers' Activities Using Problem Based Learning Method

Science.gov (United States)

Ekici, Didem Inel

2016-01-01

In this study, both the activities prepared by pre-service science teachers regarding the Problem Based Learning method and the pre-service science teachers' views regarding the method were examined before and after applying their activities in a real class environment. 69 pre-service science teachers studying in the 4th grade of the science…

The influence of activating agents on the performance of rice husk-based carbon for sodium lauryl sulfate and chrome (Cr) metal adsorptions

Science.gov (United States)

Arneli; Safitri, Z. F.; Pangestika, A. W.; Fauziah, F.; Wahyuningrum, V. N.; Astuti, Y.

2017-02-01

This research aims to study the influence of activating agents to produce rice husk based-carbon with high adsorption capacity and efficiency for either hazardous organic molecules or heavy metals which are unfriendly for the environment. Firstly, rice husk was burned by pyrolysis at different temperatures to produce rice husk-based carbon. To improve its ability as an adsorbent, carbon was treated with activating agents, namely, H3PO4 and KOH at room and high temperature (420 °C). The performance of carbon was then tested by contacting it with surfactant (SLS). Finally, the surfactant-modified active carbon was applied for chrome metal removal. The result shows that activation of carbon using phosphate acid (H3PO4) was more effective than potassium hydroxide (KOH) conducted at high temperature to adsorb sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and chrome metal with the adsorption capacity 1.50 mgg-1 and 0.375 mgg-1, respectively.

Adsorption of phenol by activated carbon: Influence of activation methods and solution pH

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beker, Ulker; Ganbold, Batchimeg; Dertli, Halil; Guelbayir, Dilek Duranoglu

2010-01-01

Cherry stone based activated carbon derived from a canning industry was evaluated for its ability to remove phenol from an aqueous solution in a batch process. A comparative adsorption on the uptake of phenol by using commercial activated carbon (Chemviron CPG-LF), and two non-functional commercial polymeric adsorbents (MN-200 and XAD-2) containing a styrene-divinylbenzene macroporous hyperreticulated network have been also examined. Equilibrium studies were conducted in 25 mg L -1 initial phenol concentrations, 6.5-9 solution pH and at temperature of 30 deg. C. The experimental data were analyzed by the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. Besides, the cherry stone based activated carbons were carried out by using zinc chloride and KOH activation agents at different chemical ratios (activating agent/precursor), to develop carbons with well-developed porosity. The cherry stone activated carbon prepared using KOH as a chemical agent showed a high surface area. According to the results, activated carbons had excellent adsorptive characteristics in comparison with polymeric sorbents and commercial activated carbon for the phenol removal from the aqueous solutions.

Mixed resin and carbon fibres surface treatment for preparation of carbon fibres composites with good interfacial bonding strength

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Hongwei; Wang, Jianlong; Li, Kaixi; Wang, Jian; Gu, Jianyu

2010-01-01

The objective of this work is to improve the interlaminar shear strength of composites by mixing epoxy resin and modifying carbon fibres. The effect of mixed resin matrix's structure on carbon fibres composites was studied. Anodic oxidation treatment was used to modify the surface of carbon fibres. The tensile strength of multifilament and interlaminar shear strength of composites were investigated respectively. The morphologies of untreated and treated carbon fibres were characterized by scanning electron microscope and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Surface analysis indicates that the amount of carbon fibres chemisorbed oxygen-containing groups, active carbon atom, the surface roughness, and wetting ability increases after treatment. The tensile strength of carbon fibres decreased little after treatment by anodic oxidation. The results show that the treated carbon fibres composites could possess excellent interfacial properties with mixed resins, and interlaminar shear strength of the composites is up to 85.41 MPa. The mechanism of mixed resins and treated carbon fibres to improve the interfacial property of composites is obtained.

Grafting of activated carbon cloths for selective adsorption

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gineys, M.; Benoit, R.; Cohaut, N.; Béguin, F.; Delpeux-Ouldriane, S., E-mail: delpeux@cnrs-orleans.fr

2016-05-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A controlled grafting of carboxylic functions on activated carbon fibers. • The carbon material nanotextural properties preservation after grafting. • An identification of the grafting mechanism through ToF SIMS analysis. • A chemical mapping of the grafted surface using ToF SIMS technique and imaging. - Abstract: Chemical functionalization of an activated carbon cloth with 3-aminophthalic acid and 4-aminobenzoic acid groups by the in situ formation of the corresponding diazonium salt in aqueous acidic solution is reported. The nature and amount of selected functions on an activated carbon surface, in particular the grafted density, were determined by potentiometric titration, elemental analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The nanotextural properties of the modified carbon were explored by gas adsorption. Functionalized activated carbon cloth was obtained at a discrete grafting level while preserving interesting textural properties and a large porous volume. Finally, the grafting homogeneity of the carbon surface and the nature of the chemical bonding were investigated using Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) technique.

Oxidative Stress and Modulatory effects of the root extract of Phlogacanthus tubiflorus on the activity of Glutathione-S-Transferase in Hydrogen Peroxide treated Lymphocyte

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Ramteke A

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Glutathione-S-transferase is one of the important enzyme systems that plays vital role in decomposition of lipid hydro-peroxides formed due to oxidative stress. In the present study GST activity increased in the lymphocytes treated with increasing concentration of H2O2, and decrease in the levels of GSH was observed. For similar treatment conditions LDH activity and MDA levels increased significantly leading to decrease in the cell viability. Treatment of lymphocytes with the root extract of Phlogacanthus tubiflorus (PTE resulted in dose dependent decline in the GST activity and rise in GSH levels. LDH activity and MDA levels also declined that led to the increase of cell viability. Lymphocytes pre-treated with the PTE followed by H2O2 (0.1 and 1% treatment, decline in the activity of GST and increase in GSH levels was observed. Also we have observed decline in the activity of LDH and MDA levels in the lymphocytes for both 0.1 and 1% of H2O2 though the magnitude of change was higher in the lymphocytes pre-treated with the PTE followed with 1% of H2O2 treatment. Significant increase in the cell viability for similar conditions was also observed. These findings suggest protective function of the root extracts might be through modulation of GST activity and levels of GSH and might find application in Chemomodulation in future.

Activated carbon-supported CuO nanoparticles: a hybrid material for carbon dioxide adsorption

Science.gov (United States)

Boruban, Cansu; Esenturk, Emren Nalbant

2018-03-01

Activated carbon-supported copper(II) oxide (CuO) nanoparticles were synthesized by simple impregnation method to improve carbon dioxide (CO2) adsorption capacity of the support. The structural and chemical properties of the hybrid material were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction (https://www.google.com.tr/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCsQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.intertek.com%2Fanalytical-laboratories%2Fxrd%2F&ei=-5WZVYSCHISz7Aatqq-IAw&usg=AFQjCNFBlk-9wqy49foh8tskmbD-GGbG9g&sig2=eKrhYjO75rl_Id2sLGpq4w&bvm=bv.96952980,d.bGg) (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analyses. The analyses showed that CuO nanoparticles are well-distributed on the activated carbon surface. The CO2 adsorption behavior of the activated carbon-supported CuO nanoparticles was observed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), temperature programmed desorption (TPD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and BET analyses. The results showed that CuO nanoparticle loading on activated carbon led to about 70% increase in CO2 adsorption capacity of activated carbon under standard conditions (1 atm and 298 K). The main contributor to the observed increase is an improvement in chemical adsorption of CO2 due to the presence of CuO nanoparticles on activated carbon.

Pollutants removal onto novel activated carbons made from lignocellulosic precursors

OpenAIRE

Valente Nabais, Joao; Laginhas, Carlos; Carrott, Manuela; Carrott, Peter; Gomes, Jose; Suhas, Suhas; Ramires, Ana; Roman, Silvia

2009-01-01

The adsorption of phenol and mercury from dilute aqueous solutions onto new activated carbons was studied. These included activated carbons produced from novel precursors, namely rapeseed, vine shoots and kenaf, and samples oxidised with nitric acid in liquid phase. The results have shown the significant potential of rapeseed, vine shoots and kenaf for the activated carbon production. The activated carbons produced by carbon dioxide activation were mainly microporous with BET apparent surface...

Pre-Session Satiation as a Treatment for Stereotypy During Group Activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Rispoli, Mandy; Camargo, Síglia Hoher; Neely, Leslie; Gerow, Stephanie; Lang, Russell; Goodwyn, Fara; Ninci, Jennifer

2014-05-01

Individuals with developmental disabilities may engage in automatically reinforced behaviors that may interfere with learning opportunities. Manipulation of motivating operations has been shown to reduce automatically maintained behavior in some individuals. Considering behavioral indicators of satiation may assist in identifying the point at which an abolishing operation has begun to effect behavior. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of pre-session satiation of automatic reinforcement on subsequent levels of stereotypy and activity engagement during group activities for three males ages 5 to 13 years with developmental disabilities. Following functional analyses with analogue conditions, an alternating treatment design compared a pre-session access to stereotypy condition with a no-pre-session access condition prior to group activity sessions. Results indicated that pre-session satiation of the putative reinforcer produced by stereotypy was effective in decreasing stereotypy and increasing activity engagement during subsequent group activities for all participants. These findings add to the literature supporting the effectiveness of abolishing operations to decrease automatically maintained stereotypy. © The Author(s) 2013.

Sediment accretion and carbon storage in constructed wetlands receiving water treated with metal-based coagulants

Science.gov (United States)

Stumpner, Elizabeth; Kraus, Tamara; Liang, Yan; Bachand, Sandra M.; Horwath, William R.; Bachand, Philip A.M.

2018-01-01

In many regions of the world, subsidence of organic rich soils threatens levee stability and freshwater supply, and continued oxidative loss of organic matter contributes to greenhouse gas production. To counter subsidence in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of northern California, we examined the feasibility of using constructed wetlands receiving drainage water treated with metal-based coagulants to accrete mineral material along with wetland biomass, while also sequestering carbon in wetland sediment. Nine field-scale wetlands were constructed which received local drainage water that was either untreated (control), or treated with polyaluminum chloride (PAC) or iron sulfate (FeSO4) coagulants. After 23 months of flooding and coagulant treatment, sediment samples were collected near the inlet, middle, and outlet of each wetland to determine vertical accretion rates, bulk density, sediment composition, and carbon sequestration rates. Wetlands treated with PAC had the highest and most spatially consistent vertical accretion rates (~6 cm year-1), while the FeSO4 wetlands had similarly high accretion rates near the inlet but rates similar to the untreated wetland (~1.5 cm year-1) at the middle and outlet sites. The composition of the newly accreted sediment in the PAC and FeSO4 treatments was high in the added metal (aluminum and iron, respectively), but the percent metal by weight was similar to native soils of California. As has been observed in other constructed wetlands, the newly accreted sediment material had lower bulk densities than the native soil material (0.04-0.10 g cm-3 versus 0.2-0.3 g cm-3), suggesting these materials will consolidate over time. Finally, this technology accelerated carbon burial, with rates in PAC treated wetland (0.63 kg C m-2 yr-1) over 2-fold greater than the untreated control (0.28 kg C m-2 yr-1). This study demonstrates the feasibility of using constructed wetlands treated with coagulants to reverse subsidence by accreting the

Design of activated carbon/activated carbon asymmetric capacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Piñeiro-Prado, Isabel; Salinas-Torres, David; Ruiz Rosas, Ramiro; Morallon, Emilia; Cazorla-Amoros, Diego

2016-03-01

Supercapacitors are energy storage devices that offer a high power density and a low energy density in comparison with batteries. Their limited energy density can be overcome by using asymmetric configuration in mass electrodes, where each electrode works within their maximum available potential window, rendering the maximum voltage output of the system. Such asymmetric capacitors must be optimized through careful electrochemical characterization of the electrodes for accurate determination of the capacitance and the potential stability limits. The results of the characterization are then used for optimizing mass ratio of the electrodes from the balance of stored charge. The reliability of the design largely depends on the approach taken for the electrochemical characterization. Therefore, the performance could be lower than expected and even the system could break down, if a well thought out procedure is not followed. In this work, a procedure for the development of asymmetric supercapacitors based on activated carbons is detailed. Three activated carbon materials with different textural properties and surface chemistry have been systematically characterized in neutral aqueous electrolyte. The asymmetric configuration of the masses of both electrodes in the supercapacitor has allowed to cover a higher potential window, resulting in an increase of the energy density of the three devices studied when compared with the symmetric systems, and an improved cycle life.

Design of activated carbon/activated carbon asymmetric capacitors

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Isabel ePiñeiro-Prado

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Supercapacitors are energy storage devices that offer a high power density and a low energy density in comparison with batteries. Their limited energy density can be overcome by using asymmetric configuration in mass electrodes, where each electrode works within their maximum available potential window, rendering the maximum voltage output of the system. Such asymmetric capacitors must be optimized through careful electrochemical characterization of the electrodes for accurate determination of the capacitance and the potential stability limits. The results of the characterization are then used for optimizing mass ratio of the electrodes from the balance of stored charge. The reliability of the design largely depends on the approach taken for the electrochemical characterization. Therefore, the performance could be lower than expected and even the system could break down, if a well thought out procedure is not followed.In this work, a procedure for the development of asymmetric supercapacitors based on activated carbons is detailed. Three activated carbon materials with different textural properties and surface chemistry have been systematically characterized in neutral aqueous electrolyte. The asymmetric configuration of the masses of both electrodes in the supercapacitor has allowed to cover a higher potential window, resulting in an increase of the energy density of the three devices studied when compared with the symmetric systems, and an improved cycle life.

A General Methodology for Evaluation of Carbon Sequestration Activities and Carbon Credits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klasson, KT

2002-12-23

A general methodology was developed for evaluation of carbon sequestration technologies. In this document, we provide a method that is quantitative, but is structured to give qualitative comparisons despite changes in detailed method parameters, i.e., it does not matter what ''grade'' a sequestration technology gets but a ''better'' technology should receive a better grade. To meet these objectives, we developed and elaborate on the following concepts: (1) All resources used in a sequestration activity should be reviewed by estimating the amount of greenhouse gas emissions for which they historically are responsible. We have done this by introducing a quantifier we term Full-Cycle Carbon Emissions, which is tied to the resource. (2) The future fate of sequestered carbon should be included in technology evaluations. We have addressed this by introducing a variable called Time-adjusted Value of Carbon Sequestration to weigh potential future releases of carbon, escaping the sequestered form. (3) The Figure of Merit of a sequestration technology should address the entire life-cycle of an activity. The figures of merit we have developed relate the investment made (carbon release during the construction phase) to the life-time sequestration capacity of the activity. To account for carbon flows that occur during different times of an activity we incorporate the Time Value of Carbon Flows. The methodology we have developed can be expanded to include financial, social, and long-term environmental aspects of a sequestration technology implementation. It does not rely on global atmospheric modeling efforts but is consistent with these efforts and could be combined with them.

Combined effect of microwave and activated carbon on the remediation of polychlorinated biphenyl-contaminated soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xitao; Yu, Gang

2006-04-01

The application of microwave and activated carbon for the treatment of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contaminated soil was explored in this study with a model compound of 2,4,5-trichlorobiphenyl (PCB29). PCB-contaminated soil was treated in a quartz reactor by microwave irradiation at 2450MHz with the addition of granular activated carbon (GAC). In this procedure, GAC acted as microwave absorbent for reaching high temperature and reductant for dechlorination. A sheltered type-K thermocouple was applied to record the temperature rising courses. It was shown that the addition of GAC could effectively promote the temperature rising courses. The determination of PCB residues in soil by gas chromatography (GC) revealed that rates of PCB removal were highly dependent on microwave power, soil moisture content, and the amount of GAC added. GC with mass spectrum (MS) detector and ion chromatography were employed for the analysis of degradation intermediates and chlorine ions, respectively. It was suggested that microwave irradiation with the assistance of activated carbon might be a potential technology for the remediation of PCB-contaminated soil.

Conductivity-Dependent Strain Response of Carbon Nanotube Treated Bacterial Nanocellulose

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S. Farjana

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper reports the strain sensitivity of flexible, electrically conductive, and nanostructured cellulose which was prepared by modification of bacterial cellulose with double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs. The electrical conductivity depends on the modifying agent and its dispersion process. The conductivity of the samples obtained from bacterial cellulose (BNC pellicles modified with DWCNT was in the range from 0.034 S·cm−1 to 0.39 S·cm−1, and for BNC pellicles modified with MWCNTs it was from 0.12 S·cm−1 to 1.6 S·cm−1. The strain-induced electromechanical response, resistance versus strain, was monitored during the application of tensile force in order to study the sensitivity of the modified nanocellulose. A maximum gauge factor of 252 was found from the highest conductive sample treated by MWCNT. It has been observed that the sensitivity of the sample depends on the conductivity of the modified cellulose.

Method for making carbon super capacitor electrode materials

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Firsich, David W.; Ingersoll, David; Delnick, Frank M.

1998-01-01

A method for making near-net-shape, monolithic carbon electrodes for energy storage devices. The method includes the controlled pyrolysis and activation of a pressed shape of methyl cellulose powder with pyrolysis being carried out in two stages; pre-oxidation, preferably in air at a temperature between 200.degree.-250.degree. C., followed by carbonization under an inert atmosphere. An activation step to adjust the surface area of the carbon shape to a value desirable for the application being considered, including heating the carbon shape in an oxidizing atmosphere to a temperature of at least 300.degree. C., follows carbonization.

Role of activated carbon on micropollutans degradation by different radiation processes

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Inmaculada Velo Gala

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to analyse the influence of the presence of activated carbon on radiation processes. The triiodinated contrast medium diatrizoate was chosen as the contaminant model. We selected four commercial activated carbons and sixteen gamma radiation-modified carbons derived from these. The different advanced oxidation/reduction processes that have been studied were improved through the addition of activated carbon in the UV light and gamma radiating processes. In the UV/activated carbon process, the synergic activity of the activated carbon is enhanced in the samples with higher percentages of surface oxygen, ester/anhydride groups and carbon atoms with sp2 hybridization. Band gap determination of activated carbons revealed that they behave as semiconductor materials and, therefore, as photoactive materials in the presence of UV radiation, given that all band gap values are <4 eV. We also observed that the gamma radiation treatment reduces the band gap values of the activated carbons and that, in a single series of commercial carbons, lower band gap values correspond to higher contaminant removal rate values. We observed that the activity of the reutilized activated carbons is similar to that of the original carbons. Based on these results, we proposed that the activated carbon acts as a photocatalyst, promoting electrons of the valence band to the conduction band and increasing the generation of HO• radicals in the medium. Similarly, there was a synergic effect made by the presence of activated carbon in gamma radiation system, which favours pollutant removal. This synergic effect is independent of the textural but not the chemical characteristics of the activated carbon, observing a higher synergic activity for carbons with a higher surface content of oxygen, specifically quinone groups. We highlight that the synergic effect of the activated carbon requires adsorbent–adsorbate electrostatic interaction and is absent

Carbon monoxide and methane adsorption of crude oil refinery using activated carbon from palm shells as biosorbent

Science.gov (United States)

Yuliusman; Afdhol, M. K.; Sanal, Alristo

2018-03-01

Carbon monoxide and methane gas are widely present in oil refineries. Off-potential gas is used as raw material for the petrochemical industry. In order for this off-gas to be utilized, carbon monoxide and methane must be removed from off-gas. This study aims to adsorb carbon monoxide and methane using activated carbon of palm shells and commercial activated carbon simultaneously. This research was conducted in 2 stages: 1) Preparation and characterization of activated carbon, 2) Carbon monoxide and methane adsorption test. The activation experiments using carbon dioxide at a flow rate of 150 ml/min yielded a surface area of 978.29 m2/g, Nitrogen at flow rate 150 ml/min yielded surface area 1241.48 m2/g, and carbon dioxide and nitrogen at a flow rate 200 ml/min yielded a surface area 300.37 m2/g. Adsorption of carbon monoxide and methane on activated carbon of palm shell systems yielded results in the amount of 0.5485 mg/g and 0.0649 mg/g and using commercial activated carbon yielded results in the amount of 0.5480 mg/g and 0.0650 mg/g

Pre-stimulus BOLD-network activation modulates EEG spectral activity during working memory retention

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Mara eKottlow

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Working memory (WM processes depend on our momentary mental state and therefore exhibit considerable fluctuations. Here, we investigate the interplay of task-preparatory and task-related brain activity as represented by pre-stimulus BOLD-fluctuations and spectral EEG from the retention periods of a visual WM task. Visual WM is used to maintain sensory information in the brain enabling the performance of cognitive operations and is associated with mental health.We tested 22 subjects simultaneously with EEG and fMRI while performing a visuo-verbal Sternberg task with two different loads, allowing for the temporal separation of preparation, encoding, retention and retrieval periods.Four temporally coherent networks - the default mode network (DMN, the dorsal attention, the right and the left WM network - were extracted from the continuous BOLD data by means of a group ICA. Subsequently, the modulatory effect of these networks’ pre-stimulus activation upon retention-related EEG activity in the theta, alpha and beta frequencies was analyzed. The obtained results are informative in the context of state-dependent information processing.We were able to replicate two well-known load-dependent effects: the frontal-midline theta increase during the task and the decrease of pre-stimulus DMN activity. As our main finding, these two measures seem to depend on each other as the significant negative correlations at frontal-midline channels suggested. Thus, suppressed pre-stimulus DMN levels facilitated later task related frontal midline theta increases. In general, based on previous findings that neuronal coupling in different frequency bands may underlie distinct functions in WM retention, our results suggest that processes reflected by spectral oscillations during retention seem not only to be online synchronized with activity in different attention-related networks but are also modulated by activity in these networks during preparation intervals.

The physical nature and manufacture of activated carbon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McDougall, G.J. (NCP, Bedfordview (South Africa))

1991-04-01

After defining activated carbon, the author describes its structure and outlines the physical characteristics distinguishing one type of activated carbon from another. The adsorptive properties of these carbons, the raw materials used, and the manufacturing processes - chemical activation, and physical or thermal activation - are eoutlined. The high-temperature thermal route (which is the most important for the products employed in gold recovery) using coconut shells or coals as the raw material is then discussed in some detail. 20 refs., 11 figs., 2 tabs.

Unburnt carbon from coal fly ashes as a precursor of activated carbon for nitric oxide removal.

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Rubio, Begoña; Izquierdo, M Teresa; Mayoral, M Carmen; Bona, M Teresa; Andres, Jose M

2007-05-08

The aim of this work is to evaluate the characteristics of an activated carbon obtained from unburnt carbon in coal fly ashes to be used in the removal of NO. Carbon-rich fraction was obtained by mechanical sieving of fly ashes. The mineral matter was removed by conventional HCl and HF demineralization procedure. Activation was carried out with steam at 900 degrees C in order to develop porosity onto the sample. Characterization of samples was performed by several techniques with a main objective: to follow the mineral matter content, composition and distribution on the samples in order to better understand how to remove it from unburnt carbon in fly ashes. To study the use of this unburnt carbon as a precursor for the preparation of activated carbons for gas cleaning, the NO removal by ammonia using activated carbon as a catalyst at low temperature was performed. Results show a good performance of activated carbon in this reaction that is in relationship with BET surface area.

Influence of nitric acid concentration on the characteristics of active carbons obtained from a mineral coal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khelifi, A.; Temdrara, L.; Addoun, A. [Laboratoire d' Etude Physicochimique des Materiaux et Application a l' Environnement, Faculte de Chimie, USTHB, BP. 32 El Alia, Bab Ezzouar 16111, Algiers (Algeria); Almazan-Almazan, M.C.; Perez-Mendoza, M.; Domingo-Garcia, M.; Lopez-Garzon, F.J [Departamento de Quimica Inorganica, Facultad de Ciencias, 18071 Granada (Spain); Lopez-Domingo, F.J. [Departamento de CCIA, ETS de Ingenieria Informatica y Telecomunicacion, Granada, 18071 (Spain)

2010-10-15

This paper deals with the effect of the concentration of nitric acid solutions on the properties of activated carbons obtained by the oxidation of a parent activated carbon. For this purpose a mineral coal from Algeria has been used as raw material to prepare the parent active carbon AC. This was further treated with nitric acid solutions. The analysis of the samples includes the chemical and textural characterization. The former was carried out by selective titrations and FTIR spectroscopy. The latter, by nitrogen and carbon dioxide adsorption at 77 and 273 K, respectively, and by adsorption of organic probes (benzene, dichloromethane, cyclohexane and 2,2-dimethyl butane) at 303 K. The nitrogen adsorption isotherms have been analysed by using the BET equation, {alpha}{sub s}-method and molecular simulation. The Dubinin-Radushkevich approach has been applied to the carbon dioxide and vapours adsorption data. The results show that the treatment with 2 N nitric acid solution is very appropriate because it introduces a large amount of oxygen containing groups with a small change of the textural characteristics of the parent AC. More concentrated nitric acid solutions change in large extent the textural properties although they also introduce large amount of chemical groups. (author)

Oil Spill Adsorption Capacity of Activated Carbon Tablets from Corncobs in Simulated Oil-Water Mixture

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Rhonalyn V. Maulion

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Oil spill in bodies of water is one of severe environmental problems that is facing all over the country and in the world. Since oil is an integral part of the economy, increasing trend for its demand and transport of has led to a great treat in the surface water. One of the promising techniques in the removal of the oil spills in water bodies is adsorption using activated carbon form waste material such as corn cobs. The purpose of this study is to determine the adsorption capacity of activated carbon tablets derived from corncobs in the removal of oil. The properties of activated carbon produced have a pH of 7.0, bulk density of 0.26 g//cm3 , average pore size of 45nm, particle size of 18% at 60 mesh and 39% at 80 mesh, iodine number of 1370 mg/g and surface area of 1205 g/m2. The amount of bentonite clay as binder (15%,20%,30%, number of ACT (1,2,3 and time of contact(30,60,90 mins has been varied to determine the optimum condition where the activated carbon will have the best adsorption capacity in the removal of oil. Results showed that at 15% binder, 60 mins contact time and 3 tablets of activated carbon is the optimum condition which give a percentage adsorption of 22.82% of oil. Experimental data also showed that a Langmuir isotherm was the best fit isotherm for adsorption of ACT.

treatment of waste effluents using active carbon prepared from AGRO-residues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yakout, S.M.E.

2006-01-01

the main goal of the investigation is to improve the efficiency of adsorption of radionuclides and anions from liquid waste by modifying sorption properties of adsorbents . thus, the present study is directed towards investigating the feasibility of using agricultural wastes and locally available materials in such a manner as to treat waste effluents. activated carbons derived from rice straw were prepared by one-step steam pyrolysis. the activated rice straw was subjected to liquid-phase oxidation by different modifying agents include KOH, HNO 3 .H 2 So 4 , H 2 O 2 , and kMno 4 to obtain carbon with various surface characters. the prepared carbon samples were characterized using various techniques: x-ray diffraction, pore parameters analysis, point of zero charge pHpzc, FTIR. Boehm titration method. elemental analysis, iodine number, methylene blue, and phenol index. the prepared carbon samples were tested for removal of certain cation pollutants of nuclear interest from waste solutions such as uranium and thorium as well as anion pollutants such as fluoride, nitrate and nitrite.factors affecting the sorption behaviour e.g. carbon properties . contact time ,initial concentration of the solute, mass of adsorbent, ph of solution and temperature were studied by applying batch technique.thorium. fluoride, and nitrate sorption are better occurred at lower temperature while uranium is favoured at higher temperature. the adsorption followed the langmuir adsorption isotherm model in case of uranium and thorium while anions followed langmuir-freundlich isotherm . the ability of RS 2 /kMno 4 to remove F-from egyptian crude phosphoric acid (P 2 O 5 =48.42%) was tested and the adsorption capacity of F - in H 3 PO 4 was greater than that in distilled water due to lower ph enhances f-adsorption onto RS 2 /kMnO 4 carbon

The effect of activated carbon on partitioning, desorption, and biouptake of native polychlorinated biphenyls in four freshwater sediments.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Xueli; Ghosh, Upal

2008-11-01

The present study evaluated the effect of activated carbon amendment in four freshwater sediments from the Great Lakes (North America) areas of concern with a wide range of sediment geochemical characteristics (0.83-5.1% total organic carbon) and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations (0.33-84.7 microg/g). The work focused on understanding the impact of activated carbon amendment on PCB aqueous partitioning, PCB desorption characteristics, and PCB biouptake in a freshwater oligochaete (Lumbriculus variegatus). The results showed that PCB aqueous equilibrium concentrations, rapid desorption fractions, and biouptake by the oligochaete were reduced after activated carbon amendment. Addition of activated carbon at a dose of 0.5-fold native organic carbon reduced PCB bioaccumulation by 42% for Niagara River sediment, 85% for Grasse River sediment, 74% for Milwaukee River sediment 1, and 70% for Milwaukee River sediment 2. A linear relationship was observed between log biota-sediment accumulation factor and the first 6-h desorption fractions for each PCB homologue for treated and untreated sediments. Water-lipid bioconcentration factors for PCB congeners were largely conserved after amendment with activated carbon. Our present results suggest that at steady state, changes in the aqueous PCB concentrations can be used to predict changes in PCB bioaccumulation in deposit-feeding organisms. Thus, use of advanced pore-water measurement techniques, such as solid-phase extraction passive samplers, may be suitable for long-term monitoring of treatment performance.

Resorcinol adsorption from aqueous solution over activated carbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanco, Diego A; Giraldo, Liliana; Moreno, Juan C

2007-01-01

In this paper, the adsorption behavior of Resorcinol a monohydroxylated phenol, poorly acid to 298 K, over activated carbon is analyzed by studying the solution's pH influence and the surface reduction in the adsorption process. To do this, an activated carbon of lignocellulose origin and a reduced activated carbon was used. The interaction solid solution is characterized by the analyses of adsorption in the isotherms to 298 K and pH values of 7. 00, 9.00 and 11.00 for a period of 48 hours. The capacity adsorption of activated carbons increases when the solution's pH decreases and the retained amount increases in the reduced coal to the pH of maximum adsorption.

Post treatment of antibiotic wastewater by adsorption on activated carbon

Science.gov (United States)

Mullai, P.; Rajesh, V.

2018-02-01

The most common method of treating industrial wastewater involves biomethanation in anaerobic digesters. This biological treatment process is ineffective in color removal and it requires post-treatment methods. The color is the first contaminant in wastewater which affects the water bodies in several ways. As the anaerobically digested antibiotic wastewater was found with color, an attempt was made to remove color using granulated activated carbon as an adsorbent. Experiments were carried out in batch reactors to find out the color removal efficiency of the wastewater at four different dosages such as 25, 50, 75 and 100 mg of adsorbent material at each of the four different initial concentrations of effluent like 1956, 1450, 1251 and 1040 mg COD/L. The steady state values of color removal efficiencies were 96.6, 97.64, 98.64 and 99.63%, respectively, using 100 mg of activated carbon under shaking condition at the end of the 120th min. The effect of contact time on the percentage of color removal was also studied. It was observed that the adsorption of effluent obtained equilibrium at 120 minutes. The equilibrium data fitted well with the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms.

UV-activated persulfate oxidation and regeneration of NOM-Saturated granular activated carbon.

Science.gov (United States)

An, Dong; Westerhoff, Paul; Zheng, Mengxin; Wu, Mengyuan; Yang, Yu; Chiu, Chao-An

2015-04-15

A new method of ultraviolet light (UV) activated persulfate (PS) oxidation was investigated to regenerate granular activated carbon (GAC) in drinking water applications. The improvements in iodine and methylene blue numbers measured in the GAC after ultraviolet- (UV) activated persulfate suggested that the GAC preloaded with natural organic matter (NOM) was chemically regenerated. An experimental matrix for UV-activated persulfate regeneration included a range of persulfate doses and different UV wavelengths. Over 87% of the initial iodine number for GAC was restored under the optimum conditions, perfulfate dosage 60 g/L and UV exposure 1.75 × 10(4) mJ/cm(2). The persulfate dosages had little effect on the recovery of the methylene blue number, which was approximately 65%. Persulfate activation at 185 nm was superior to activation at 254 nm. UV activation of persulfate in the presence of GAC produced acid, lowering the solution pH. Higher persulfate concentrations and UV exposure resulted in greater GAC regeneration. Typical organic and inorganic byproducts (e.g., benzene compounds and sulfate ions) were measured as a component of treated water quality safety. This study provides a proof-of-concept that can be used to optimize pilot-scale and full-scale UV-activated persulfate for regeneration of NOM-saturated GAC. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chromosomal aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes of prostate cancer patients treated with IMRT and carbon ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartel, Carola; Nikoghosyan, Anna; Durante, Marco; Sommer, Sylwester; Nasonova, Elena; Fournier, Claudia; Lee, Ryonfa; Debus, Juergen; Schulz-Ertner, Daniela; Ritter, Sylvia

2010-01-01

Background and purpose: To investigate the cytogenetic damage in blood lymphocytes of patients treated for prostate cancer with different radiation qualities and target volumes. Materials and methods: Twenty patients receiving carbon-ion boost irradiation followed by IMRT or IMRT alone for the treatment of prostate cancer entered the study. Cytogenetic damage induced in peripheral blood lymphocytes of these patients was investigated at different times during the radiotherapy course using Giemsa staining and mFISH. A blood sample from each patient was taken before initiation of radiation therapy and irradiated in vitro to test for individual radiosensitivity. In addition, in vitro dose-effect curves for the induction of chromosomal exchanges by X-rays and carbon ions of different energies were measured. Results: The yield of chromosome aberrations increased during the therapy course, and the frequency was lower in patients irradiated with carbon ions as compared to patients treated with IMRT with similar target volumes. A higher frequency of aberrations was measured by increasing the target volume. In vitro, high-LET carbon ions were more effective than X-rays in inducing aberrations and yielded a higher fraction of complex exchanges. The yield of complex aberrations observed in vivo was very low. Conclusion: The investigation showed no higher aberration yield induced by treatment with a carbon-ion boost. In contrast, the reduced integral dose to the normal tissue is reflected in a lower chromosomal aberration yield when a carbon-ion boost is used instead of IMRT alone. No cytogenetic 'signature' of exposure to densely ionizing carbon ions could be detected in vivo.

Production of activated carbons from coffee endocarp by CO2 and steam activation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nabais, Joao M. Valente; Nunes, Pedro; Carrott, Peter J.M.; Ribeiro Carrott, M. Manuela L.; Garcia, A. Macias; Diaz-Diez, M.A.

2008-01-01

In this work the use of coffee endocarp as precursor for the production of activated carbons by steam and CO 2 was studied. Activation by both methods produces activated carbons with small external areas and microporous structures having very similar mean pore widths. The activation produces mainly primary micropores and only a small volume of larger micropores. The CO 2 activation leads to samples with higher BET surface areas and pore volumes when compared with samples produced by steam activation and with similar burn-off value. All the activated carbons produced have basic characteristics with point of zero charge between 10 and 12. By FTIR it was possible to identify the formation on the activated carbon's surface of several functional groups, namely ether, quinones, lactones, ketones, hydroxyls (free and phenol); pyrones and Si-H bonds. (author)

Minimizing activated carbons production cost

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stavropoulos, G.G.; Zabaniotou, A.A.

2009-01-01

A detailed economic evaluation of activated carbons production process from various raw materials is undertaken using the conventional economic indices (ROI, POT, and NPV). The fundamental factors that affect production cost were taken into account. It is concluded that for an attractive investment in activated carbons production one should select the raw material with the highest product yield, adopt a chemical activation production scheme and should base product price on product-surface area (or more generally on product adsorption capacity for the adsorbate in consideration). A raw material that well meets the above-mentioned criteria is petroleum coke but others are also promising (charcoals, and carbon black). Production cost then can be optimized by determining its minimum value of cost that results from the intercept between the curves of plant capacity and raw material cost - if any. Taking into account the complexity of such a techno-economic analysis, a useful suggestion could be to start the evaluations from a plant capacity corresponding to the break-even point, i. e. the capacity at which income equals production cost. (author)

Sorption studies of nickel ions onto activated carbon

Science.gov (United States)

Joshi, Parth; Vyas, Meet; Patel, Chirag

2018-05-01

Activated porous carbons are made through pyrolysis and activation of carbonaceous natural as well as synthetic precursors. The use of low-cost activated carbon derived from azadirachta indica, an agricultural waste material, has been investigated as a replacement for the current expensive methods of removing nickel ions from wastewater. The temperature variation study showed that the nickel ions adsorption is endothermic and spontaneous with increased randomness at the solid solution interface. Significant effect on adsorption was observed on varying the pH of the nickel ion solutions. Therefore, this study revealed that azadirachta indica can serve as a good source of activated carbon with multiple and simultaneous metal ions removing potentials and may serve as a better replacement for commercial activated carbons in applications that warrant their use.

Influence of nitrogen surface functionalities on the catalytic activity of activated carbon in low temperature SCR of NO{sub x} with NH{sub 3}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Szymanski, Grzegorz S. [Faculty of Chemistry, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Gagarina 7, 87-100 Torun (Poland); Grzybek, Teresa [Faculty of Fuels and Energy, AGH, University of Science and Technology, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow (Poland); Papp, Helmut [Faculty of Chemistry and Mineralogy, Institute of Technical Chemistry, University of Leipzig, Linnerstrasse 3, 04103 Leipzig (Germany)

2004-06-15

The reduction of nitrogen oxide with ammonia was studied using carbon catalysts with chemically modified surfaces. Carbon samples with different surface chemistry were obtained from commercial activated carbon D43/1 (CarboTech, Essen, Germany) by chemical modification involving oxidation with conc. nitric acid (DOx) (1); high temperature treatment (=1000K) under vacuum (DHT) (2); or in ammonia (DHTN, DOxN) (3). Additionally, a portion of the DOx sample was promoted with iron(III) ions (DOxFe). The catalytic tests were performed in a microreactor at a temperature range of 413-573K. The carbon sample annealed under vacuum (DHT) showed the lowest activity. The formation of surface acidic surface oxides by nitric acid treatment (DOx) enhanced the catalytic activity only slightly. However, as can be expected, subsequent promotion of the DOx sample with iron(III) ions increased drastically its catalytic activity. However, this was accompanied by some loss of selectivity, i.e. formation of N{sub 2}O as side product. This effect can be avoided using ammonia-treated carbons which demonstrated reasonable activity with simultaneous high selectivity. The most active and selective among them was the sample that was first oxidized with nitric acid and then heated in an ammonia stream (DOxN). A correlation between catalytic activity and surface nitrogen content was observed. Surface nitrogen species seem to play an important role in catalytic selective reduction of nitrogen oxide with ammonia, possibly facilitating NO{sub 2} formation (a reaction intermediate) as a result of easier chemisorption of oxygen and nitrogen oxide.

Carbon Turnover during Effluent Application to the Land: A Potential Role for Vegetation?

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Vasileios A. Tzanakakis

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This work investigates the effect of plant species (Eucalyptus camaldulensis vs. Arundo donax on carbon (C turnover during wastewater application to the land. The study was carried out in 40-liter pots under field conditions and plant species were treated either with pre-treated municipal wastewater or freshwater. Plant species had a strong effect on soil organic matter with pots planted with E. camaldulensis showing greater values than pots planted with A. donax. In accordance, greater respiration rates were measured in E. camaldulensis pots compared to those planted with A. donax. The respiration rate followed a decreasing trend with the progress of the season for both species. These findings suggest differences in soil microbial community composition and/or activity in the rhizosphere of plant species. Minor effects of plant species or effluent were observed in dissolved organic carbon, protein, and hexoses content. In conclusion, the results of the present study reveal an important role of plant species on C cycling in terrestrial environments with potential implications on the sequestration of C and release of nutrients and pollutants.

JV Task 90 - Activated Carbon Production from North Dakota Lignite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steven Benson; Charlene Crocker; Rokan Zaman; Mark Musich; Edwin Olson

2008-03-31

The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) has pursued a research program for producing activated carbon from North Dakota lignite that can be competitive with commercial-grade activated carbon. As part of this effort, small-scale production of activated carbon was produced from Fort Union lignite. A conceptual design of a commercial activated carbon production plant was drawn, and a market assessment was performed to determine likely revenue streams for the produced carbon. Activated carbon was produced from lignite coal in both laboratory-scale fixed-bed reactors and in a small pilot-scale rotary kiln. The EERC was successfully able to upgrade the laboratory-scale activated carbon production system to a pilot-scale rotary kiln system. The activated carbon produced from North Dakota lignite was superior to commercial grade DARCO{reg_sign} FGD and Rheinbraun's HOK activated coke product with respect to iodine number. The iodine number of North Dakota lignite-derived activated carbon was between 600 and 800 mg I{sub 2}/g, whereas the iodine number of DARCO FGD was between 500 and 600 mg I{sub 2}/g, and the iodine number of Rheinbraun's HOK activated coke product was around 275 mg I{sub 2}/g. The EERC performed both bench-scale and pilot-scale mercury capture tests using the activated carbon made under various optimization process conditions. For comparison, the mercury capture capability of commercial DARCO FGD was also tested. The lab-scale apparatus is a thin fixed-bed mercury-screening system, which has been used by the EERC for many mercury capture screen tests. The pilot-scale systems included two combustion units, both equipped with an electrostatic precipitator (ESP). Activated carbons were also tested in a slipstream baghouse at a Texas power plant. The results indicated that the activated carbon produced from North Dakota lignite coal is capable of removing mercury from flue gas. The tests showed that activated carbon with the greatest

Preparation and Characterization of Impregnated Commercial Rice Husks Activated Carbon with Piperazine for Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Capture

Science.gov (United States)

Masoum Raman, S. N.; Ismail, N. A.; Jamari, S. S.

2017-06-01

Development of effective materials for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture technology is a fundamental importance to reduce CO2 emissions. This work establishes the addition of amine functional group on the surface of activated carbon to further improve the adsorption capacity of CO2. Rice husks activated carbon were modified using wet impregnation method by introducing piperazine onto the activated carbon surfaces at different concentrations and mixture ratios. These modified activated carbons were characterized by using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). The results from XRD analysis show the presence of polyethylene butane at diffraction angles of 21.8° and 36.2° for modified activated carbon with increasing intensity corresponding to increase in piperazine concentration. BET results found the surface area and pore volume of non-impregnated activated carbon to be 126.69 m2/g and 0.081 cm3/g respectively, while the modified activated carbons with 4M of piperazine have lower surface area and pore volume which is 6.77 m2/g and 0.015 cm3/g respectively. At 10M concentration, the surface area and pore volume are the lowest which is 4.48 m2/g and 0.0065 cm3/g respectively. These results indicate the piperazine being filled inside the activated carbon pores thus, lowering the surface area and pore volume of the activated carbon. From the FTIR analysis, the presence of peaks at 3312 cm-1 and 1636 cm-1 proved the existence of reaction between carboxyl groups on the activated carbon surfaces with piperazine. The surface morphology of activated carbon can be clearly seen through FESEM analysis. The modified activated carbon contains fewer pores than non-modified activated carbon as the pores have been covered with piperazine.

Pre-Language Activities for the Profoundly Mentally Retarded.

Science.gov (United States)

Poole, Marilyn R.; And Others

Provided are sample lesson plans for a program to develop pre-language skills in profoundly retarded children and adults. Characteristic of the suggested activities is the stimulation of all sensory channels through structured infant-like play activities in five general areas: oral stimulation, sensory arousal, motor stimulation, vocal play, and…

KOH-activated multi-walled carbon nanotubes as platinum supports for oxygen reduction reaction

Science.gov (United States)

He, Chaoxiong; Song, Shuqin; Liu, Jinchao; Maragou, Vasiliki; Tsiakaras, Panagiotis

In the present investigation, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) thermally treated by KOH were adopted as the platinum supporting material for the oxygen reduction reaction electrocatalysts. FTIR and Raman spectra were used to investigate the surface state of MWCNTs treated by KOH at different temperatures (700, 800, and 900 °C) and showed MWCNTs can be successfully functionalized. The structural properties of KOH-activated MWCNTs supported Pt were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and their electrochemical performance was evaluated by the aid of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and rotating disk electrode (RDE) voltammetry. According to the experimental findings of the present work, the surrface of MWCNTs can be successfully functionalized with oxygen-containing groups after activation by KOH, favoring the good dispersion of Pt nanoparticles with narrow size distribution. The as-prepared Pt catalysts supported on KOH treated MWCNTs at higher temperature, possess higher electrochemical surface area and exhibit desirable activity towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). More precisely, it has been found that the electrochemical active area of Pt/MWCNTs-900 is approximately two times higher than that of Pt/MWCNTs. It can be concluded that KOH activation is an effective way to decorate MWCNTs' surface with oxygen-containing groups and bigger surface area, which makes them more suitable as electrocatalyst support materials.

Hydrogen production from molasses by anaerobic fermentation in an activated sludge immobilized bioreactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, W.; Yao, X.; Chen, H.; Yue, L.R. [Northeast Forestry Univ., Harbin (China). Forestry School; Li, Y.F. [Shanghai Univ. of Engineering and Science (China). School of Chemical Engineering; Northeast Forestry Univ., Harbin (China). Forestry School

2010-07-01

This study investigated the use of granular activated carbon as a support material for the production of biohydrogen in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) with 5.4 L of molasses as a substrate. The CSTR contained both granular activated carbon and pre-treated sludge operating and was operated at a temperature of 36 degrees C with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 6 hours. The procedure increased both biogas and hydrogen yields. The biogas was principally comprised of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) and hydrogen (H{sub 2}). The H{sub 2} percentage ranged from 38.4 per cent to 41 per cent. The maximum H{sub 2} production rate of 3.56 L was obtained at an OLR of 24 kg/m{sup t}d. H{sub 2} yield was influenced by the presence of ethanol to acetic acid in the liquid phase. Maximum H{sub 2} production rates occurred when the ratio of ethanol to acetic acid was close to 1. The study indicated that granular activated carbon can help to stabilize H{sub 2} production systems.

Using a network-based approach and targeted maximum likelihood estimation to evaluate the effect of adding pre-exposure prophylaxis to an ongoing test-and-treat trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Balzer, Laura; Staples, Patrick; Onnela, Jukka-Pekka; DeGruttola, Victor

2017-04-01

Several cluster-randomized trials are underway to investigate the implementation and effectiveness of a universal test-and-treat strategy on the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. We consider nesting studies of pre-exposure prophylaxis within these trials. Pre-exposure prophylaxis is a general strategy where high-risk HIV- persons take antiretrovirals daily to reduce their risk of infection from exposure to HIV. We address how to target pre-exposure prophylaxis to high-risk groups and how to maximize power to detect the individual and combined effects of universal test-and-treat and pre-exposure prophylaxis strategies. We simulated 1000 trials, each consisting of 32 villages with 200 individuals per village. At baseline, we randomized the universal test-and-treat strategy. Then, after 3 years of follow-up, we considered four strategies for targeting pre-exposure prophylaxis: (1) all HIV- individuals who self-identify as high risk, (2) all HIV- individuals who are identified by their HIV+ partner (serodiscordant couples), (3) highly connected HIV- individuals, and (4) the HIV- contacts of a newly diagnosed HIV+ individual (a ring-based strategy). We explored two possible trial designs, and all villages were followed for a total of 7 years. For each village in a trial, we used a stochastic block model to generate bipartite (male-female) networks and simulated an agent-based epidemic process on these networks. We estimated the individual and combined intervention effects with a novel targeted maximum likelihood estimator, which used cross-validation to data-adaptively select from a pre-specified library the candidate estimator that maximized the efficiency of the analysis. The universal test-and-treat strategy reduced the 3-year cumulative HIV incidence by 4.0% on average. The impact of each pre-exposure prophylaxis strategy on the 4-year cumulative HIV incidence varied by the coverage of the universal test-and-treat strategy with lower coverage resulting in a larger

Preparation and characterization of activated carbon produced from pomegranate seeds by ZnCl 2 activation

Science.gov (United States)

Uçar, Suat; Erdem, Murat; Tay, Turgay; Karagöz, Selhan

2009-08-01

In this study, pomegranate seeds, a by-product of fruit juice industry, were used as precursor for the preparation of activated carbon by chemical activation with ZnCl 2. The influence of process variables such as the carbonization temperature and the impregnation ratio on textural and chemical-surface properties of the activated carbons was studied. When using the 2.0 impregnation ratio at the carbonization temperature of 600 °C, the specific surface area of the resultant carbon is as high as 978.8 m 2 g -1. The results showed that the surface area and total pore volume of the activated carbons at the lowest impregnation ratio and the carbonization temperature were achieved as high as 709.4 m 2 g -1 and 0.329 cm 3 g -1. The surface area was strongly influenced by the impregnation ratio of activation reagent and the subsequent carbonization temperature.

CdS loaded on coal based activated carbon nanofibers with enhanced photocatalytic property

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Jixi; Guo, Mingxi; Jia, Dianzeng; Song, Xianli; Tong, Fenglian

2016-08-01

The coal based activated carbon nanofibers (CBACFs) were prepared by electrospinning a mixture of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and acid treated coal. Cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoparticles loaded on CBACFs were fabricated by solvothermal method. The obtained samples were characterized by FESEM, TEM, and XRD. The results reveal that the CdS nanoparticles are homogeneously dispersed on the surfaces of CBACFs. The CdS/CBACFs nanocomposites exhibited higher photoactivity for photodegradation of methyl blue (MB) under visible light irradiation than pure CdS nanoparticles. CBACFs can be used as low cost support materials for the preparation of nanocomposites with high photocatalytic activity.

Adsorption kinetics of surfactants on activated carbon

Science.gov (United States)

Arnelli; Aditama, WP; Fikriani, Z.; Astuti, Y.

2018-04-01

A study on the adsorption of both cationic and anionic surfactants using activated carbon as well as the investigation of the adsorption isotherms and adsorption kinetics has been conducted. The results showed that the adsorption of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) by activated carbon was Langmuir’s adsorption isotherm while its adsorption kinetics showed pseudo-second order with an adsorption rate constant of 2.23 x 103 g mg-1 hour-1. Meanwhile, the adsorption of HDTMA-Br by activated carbon showed that the isotherm adsorption tended to follow Freundlich’s isotherm and was pseudo-second order with an adsorption rate constant of 89.39 g mg-1 hour-1.

Production and characterization of activated carbon from a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this study, the use of a bituminous coal for the production of activated carbons with chemical activation was investigated. The effects of process variables such as chemical reagents, activation temperature, impregnation ratio and carbonization temperature were investigated to optimize these parameters. The resultant ...

Preparation and characterization of activated carbon from rubber-seed shell by physical activation with steam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Kang; Jiang, Jian chun

2010-01-01

The use of rubber-seed shell as a raw material for the production of activated carbon with physical activation was investigated. The produced activated carbons were characterized by Nitrogen adsorption isotherms, Scanning electron microscope, Thermo-gravimetric and Differential scanning calorimetric in order to understand the rubber-seed shell activated carbon. The results showed that rubber-seed shell is a good precursor for activated carbon. The optimal activation condition is: temperature 880 o C, steam flow 6 kg h -1 , residence time 60 min. Characteristics of activated carbon with a high yield (30.5%) are: specific surface area (S BET ) 948 m 2 g -1 , total volume 0.988 m 3 kg -1 , iodine number of adsorbent (q iodine ) 1.326 g g -1 , amount of methylene blue adsorption of adsorbent (q mb ) 265 mg g -1 , hardness 94.7%. It is demonstrated that rubber-seed shell is an attractive source of raw material for producing high capacity activated carbon by physical activation with steam.

Pre-activation of ice-nucleating particles by the pore condensation and freezing mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Wagner

2016-02-01

Full Text Available In spite of the resurgence in ice nucleation research a comparatively small number of studies deal with the phenomenon of pre-activation in heterogeneous ice nucleation. Fifty years ago, it was shown that various mineral dust and volcanic ash particles can be pre-activated to become nuclei for ice crystal formation even at temperatures as high as 270–271 K. Pre-activation was achieved under ice-subsaturated conditions without any preceding macroscopic ice growth by just temporarily cooling the particles to temperatures below 228 K. A two-step mechanism involving capillary condensation of supercooled water and subsequent homogeneous freezing was proposed to account for the particles' enhanced ice nucleation ability at high temperatures. This work reinvestigates the efficiency of the proposed pre-activation mechanism in temperature-cycling experiments performed in a large cloud chamber with suspended particles. We find the efficiency to be highest for the clay mineral illite as well as for highly porous materials like zeolite and diatomaceous earth, whereas most aerosols generated from desert dust surface samples did not reveal a measurable pre-activation ability. The pre-activation efficiency is linked to particle pores in a certain size range. As estimated by model calculations, only pores with diameters between about 5 and 8 nm contribute to pre-activation under ice-subsaturated conditions. This range is set by a combination of requirements from the negative Kelvin effect for condensation and a critical size of ice embryos for ice nucleation and melting. In contrast to the early study, pre-activation is only observed for temperatures below 260 K. Above that threshold, the particles' improved ice nucleation ability disappears due to the melting of ice in the pores.

Effect of the presence of Actinomycetes in the activated sludge on the quality of the treated wastewater

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bezak-Mazur Elżbieta

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study was to determine the effect of the Actinomycetes proliferation in the activated sludge on the quality of the treated wastewater and the sewage receiver. The river which is the sewage receiver flows near the wastewater treatment plant. The study was performed on the wastewater (raw and treated and on the river water samples (collected before and after wastewater discharge. The analysis of the research results, such as the content of total organic carbon (TOC, total phosphorus and oxygen consumption in the examined samples, permit the conclusion that the presence of relatively large population of the Actinomycetes in sewage sludge has a negative impact on the quality of the sewage receiver. Determining the effect of the Actinomycetes in the activated sludge on the wastewater treatment process involved the application of specific analyses, such as Sludge Biotic Index (SBI and the identification of filamentous bacteria in the activated sludge. The analysis of studies indicates that the presence of the Actinomycetes in the activated sludge adversely affects the efficiency of the wastewater treatment process.

Ceramic Membrane combined with Powdered Activated Carbon (PAC) or Coagulation for Treatment of Impaired Quality Waters

KAUST Repository

Hamad, Juma Z.

2013-08-29

Ceramic membranes (CM) are robust membranes attributed with high production, long life span and stability against critical conditions. While capital costs are high, these are partially offset by lower operation and maintenance costs compared to polymeric membranes. Like any other low-pressure membrane (LPM), CM faces problems of fouling, low removal of organic matter and poor removal of trace organic compounds (TOrCs). Current pretreatment approaches that are mainly based on coagulation and adsorption can remove some organic matter but with a low removal of the biopolymers component which is responsible for fouling. Powdered activated carbon (PAC) accompanied with a LPM maintains good removal of TOrCs. However, enhanced removal of TOrCs to higher level is required. Submicron powdered activated carbon (SPAC), obtained after crushing commercial activated carbon into very fine particle, and novel activated carbon (KCU 6) which is characterized with larger pores and high surface area were employed. A pre-coating approach, which provides intimated contact between PAC and contaminants, was adopted for wastewater and (high DOC) surface water treatment. For seawater, in-line coagulation with iron III chloride was adopted. Both SPAC and KCU 6 showed good removal of biopolymers at a dose of 30 mg/L with > 85 % and 90 %, respectively. A dose of 40 mg/L of SPAC and 30 mg/L KCU 6 pre-coats were successful used in controlling membrane fouling. SPAC is suggested to remove biopolymers by physical means and adsorption while KCU 6 removed biopolymers through adsorption. Both KCU 6 and SPAC attained high removal of TOrCs whereas KCU 6 showed outstanding performance. Out of 29 TOrCs investigated, KCU 6 showed > 87 % TOrCs rejection for 28 compounds. In seawater pretreatment, transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) were found to be an important foulant. TEP promoted both reversible and irreversible fouling. TEP are highly electronegative while alumina CM is positively charged which

Removal of inhibitors from pre-hydrolysis liquor of kraft-based dissolving pulp production process using adsorption and flocculation processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xin; Fatehi, Pedram; Ni, Yonghao

2012-07-01

A process for removing inhibitors from pre-hydrolysis liquor (PHL) of a kraft-based dissolving pulp production process by adsorption and flocculation, and the characteristics of this process were studied. In this process, industrially produced PHL was treated with unmodified and oxidized activated carbon as an absorbent and polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDADMAC) as a flocculant. The overall removal of lignin and furfural in the developed process was 83.3% and 100%, respectively, while that of hemicelluloses was 32.7%. These results confirmed that the developed process can remove inhibitors from PHL prior to producing value-added products, e.g. ethanol and xylitol via fermentation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of plasma treatment of carbon blacks on electrochemical activity of Pt/carbon blacks catalysts for DMFCs

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Seok; Cho, Mi-Hwa; Lee, Jae-Rock; Park, Soo-Jin

In this work, in order to improve the dispersion of platinum catalysts deposited on carbon materials, the effects of surface plasma treatment of carbon blacks (CBs) were investigated. The surface characteristics of the CBs were determined by fourier transformed-infrared (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Boehm's titration method. The electrochemical properties of the plasma-treated CBs-supported Pt (Pt/CBs) catalysts were analyzed by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) experiments. From the results of FT-IR and acid-base values, N 2-plasma treatment of the CBs at 300 W intensity led to a formation of a free radical on the CBs. The peak intensity increased with increase of the treatment time, due to the formation of new basic functional groups (such as C-N, C dbnd N, -NH 3 +, -NH, and dbnd NH) by the free radical on the CBs. Accordingly, the basic values were enhanced by the basic functional groups. However, after a specific reaction time, N 2-plasma treatment could hardly influence on change of the surface functional groups of CBs, due to the disappearance of free radical. Consequently, it was found that optimal treatment time was 30 s for the best electro activity of Pt/CBs catalysts and the N 2-plasma treated Pt/CBs possessed the better electrochemical properties than the pristine Pt/CBs.

Preparation and characterization of active carbon using palm kernel ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Activated carbons were prepared from Palm kernel shells. Carbonization temperature was 6000C, at a residence time of 5 min for each process. Chemical activation was done by heating a mixture of carbonized material and the activating agents at a temperature of 700C to form a paste, followed by subsequent cooling and ...

Process and system for treating waste water

Science.gov (United States)

Olesen, Douglas E.; Shuckrow, Alan J.

1978-01-01

A process of treating raw or primary waste water using a powdered, activated carbon/aerated biological treatment system is disclosed. Effluent turbidities less than 2 JTU (Jackson turbidity units), zero TOC (total organic carbon) and in the range of 10 mg/l COD (chemical oxygen demand) can be obtained. An influent stream of raw or primary waste water is contacted with an acidified, powdered, activated carbon/alum mixture. Lime is then added to the slurry to raise the pH to about 7.0. A polyelectrolyte flocculant is added to the slurry followed by a flocculation period -- then sedimentation and filtration. The separated solids (sludge) are aerated in a stabilization sludge basin and a portion thereof recycled to an aerated contact basin for mixing with the influent waste water stream prior to or after contact of the influent stream with the powdered, activated carbon/alum mixture.

Structure-property relations for silicon nitride matrix composites reinforced with pyrolytic carbon pre-coated Hi-Nicalon fibers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kooi, B.J.; Hosson, J.Th.M. De; Olivier, C.; Veyret, J.B.

1999-01-01

Si3N4 matrix composites reinforced with pyrolytic carbon pre-coated Hi-Nicalon (SiC) fibers, were studied using tensile testing and transmission electron microscopy. Three types of samples were evaluated all with a nominal coating thickness of 200 nm. The composites were densified by hot pressing at

Comparative Study of Textural Characteristics on Methane Adsorption for Carbon Spheres Produced by CO2 Activation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen Yang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Resorcinol-formaldehyde resin polymer was used as raw material for preparation of carbon spheres. Samples were treated with CO2 flow at 850°C by varying activation times. The CO2 activation granted better pore development of pore structure. The experimental data of CH4 adsorption as a function of equilibrium pressure was fitted by Langmuir and Dubinin-Astakhov (D-A models. It was concluded that the high surface area and micropore volume of carbon spheres did unequivocally determine methane capacities. In addition, a thermodynamic study of the heat of adsorption of CH4 on the carbon spheres was carried out. Adsorption of CH4 on carbon spheres showed a decrease in the adsorption heat with CH4 occupancy, and the heat of adsorption fell from 20.51 to 12.50 kJ/mol at 298 K and then increased to a little higher values at a very high loading (>0.70, indicating that CH4/CH4 interactions within the adsorption layer became significant.

Increased blastocyst formation of cloned porcine embryos produced with donor cells pre-treated with Xenopus egg extract and/or digitonin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Ying; Østrup, Olga; Li, Juan

2012-01-01

from Xenopus laevis eggs. In Experiment 1, fetal fibroblasts were permeabilized by digitonin, incubated in egg extract and, after re-sealing of cell membranes, cultured for 3 or 5 days before use as donor cells in handmade cloning (HMC). Controls were produced by HMC with non-treated donor cells....... The blastocyst rate for reconstructed embryos increased significantly when digitonin-permeabilized, extract-treated cells were used after 5 days of culture after re-sealing. In Experiment 2, fetal and adult fibroblasts were treated with digitonin alone before re-sealing the cell membranes, then cultured for 3...... cells after pre-treatment with permeabilization/re-sealing and Xenopus egg extract. Interestingly, we observe a similar increase in cloning efficiency by permeabilization/re-sealing of donor cells without extract treatment that seems to depend on choice of donor cell type. Thus, pre-treatment of donor...

Potentiated virucidal activity of pomegranate rind extract (PRE and punicalagin against Herpes simplex virus (HSV when co-administered with zinc (II ions, and antiviral activity of PRE against HSV and aciclovir-resistant HSV.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David M J Houston

Full Text Available There is a clinical need for new therapeutic products against Herpes simplex virus (HSV. The pomegranate, fruit of the tree Punica granatum L, has since ancient times been linked to activity against infection. This work probed the activity of pomegranate rind extract (PRE and co-administered zinc (II ions.PRE was used in conjunction with zinc (II salts to challenge HSV-1 and aciclovir-resistant HSV in terms of virucidal plaque assay reduction and antiviral activities in epithelial Vero host cells. Cytotoxicity was determined by the MTS assay using a commercial kit.Zinc sulphate, zinc citrate, zinc stearate and zinc gluconate demonstrated similar potentiated virucidal activity with PRE against HSV-1 by up to 4-fold. A generally parabolic relationship was observed when HSV-1 was challenged with PRE and varying concentrations of ZnSO4, with a maximum potentiation factor of 5.5. Punicalagin had 8-fold greater virucidal activity than an equivalent mass of PRE. However, antiviral data showed that punicalagin had significantly lower antiviral activity compared to the activity of PRE (EC50 = 0.56 μg mL-1 a value comparable to aciclovir (EC50 = 0.18 μg mL-1; however, PRE also demonstrated potency against aciclovir-resistant HSV (EC50 = 0.02 μg mL-1, whereas aciclovir showed no activity. Antiviral action of PRE was not influenced by ZnSO4. No cytotoxicity was detected with any test solution.The potentiated virucidal activity of PRE by coadministered zinc (II has potential as a multi-action novel topical therapeutic agent against HSV infections, such as coldsores.

Kinetic Study of Water Contaminants Adsorption by Bamboo Granular Activated and Non-Activated Carbon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Opololaoluwa Oladimarun Ijaola

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The adsorptive capacity of metal ions from surface water with activated and non-activated carbon derived from bamboo was investigated. The validation of adsorption kinetics of Cl, PO4 and Pb was done by pseudo-first and second order model while adsorption isotherms was proved by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm model for activated and non- activated bamboo granular carbon. Generally, the amount of metal ions uptake increases with time and activation levels and the pH of bamboo granular carbon increase with activation. Similarly, the pore space of the activated carbon also increases with activation levels. The correlation coefficients (R2 show that the pseudo-second order model gave a better fit to the adsorption process with 0.9918 as the least value and 1.00 as the highest value as compared with the pseudo-first order with 0.813 as the highest value and 0 as the least. The Freundlich isotherm was more favorable when compared with the Langmuir isotherm in determining the adsorptive capacity of bamboo granular activated carbon. The study has shown that chemical activation increases the pore space, surface area and the pH of bamboo granular carbon which ultimately increases the adsorption rate of metal ions in the contaminated surface water.

Anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects of an orally active apocynin derivative in pre-clinical models of Parkinson’s disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghosh Anamitra

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Parkinson’s disease (PD is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive motor debilitation, which affects several million people worldwide. Recent evidence suggests that glial cell activation and its inflammatory response may contribute to the progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in PD. Currently, there are no neuroprotective agents available that can effectively slow the disease progression. Herein, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant efficacy of diapocynin, an oxidative metabolite of the naturally occurring agent apocynin, in a pre-clinical 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP mouse model of PD. Methods Both pre-treatment and post-treatment of diapocynin were tested in the MPTP mouse model of PD. Diapocynin was administered via oral gavage to MPTP-treated mice. Following the treatment, behavioral, neurochemical and immunohistological studies were performed. Neuroinflammatory markers, such as ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba-1, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP, gp91phox and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS, were measured in the nigrostriatal system. Nigral tyrosine hydroxylase (TH-positive neurons as well as oxidative markers 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT, 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE and striatal dopamine levels were quantified for assessment of the neuroprotective efficacy of diapocynin. Results Oral administration of diapocynin significantly attenuated MPTP-induced microglial and astroglial cell activation in the substantia nigra (SN. MPTP-induced expression of gp91phox and iNOS activation in the glial cells of SN was also completely blocked by diapocynin. Notably, diapocynin markedly inhibited MPTP-induced oxidative markers including 3-NT and 4-HNE levels in the SN. Treatment with diapocynin also significantly improved locomotor activity, restored dopamine and its metabolites, and protected dopaminergic neurons and their nerve terminals in

A comparison between oxidation of activated carbon by electrochemical and chemical treatments

OpenAIRE

Berenguer, Raúl; Marco-Lozar, Juan Pablo; Quijada tomás, Cesar; Cazorla-Amoros, Diego; Morallón, Emilia

2012-01-01

The anodic oxidation of a granular activated carbon (GAC) in NaCl solution has been studied. The influence of the electrocatalyst-anode material, applied current and time of treatment on both the surface chemistry and porous texture properties of the GAC has been analyzed. For comparison purposes, the same GAC has been treated with three of the classical chemical oxidants: HNO 3, H 2O 2 and (NH 4) 2S 2O 8 at different concentrations and for different times. Results show that the anodic treatm...

Study on treatment of distilled ammonia waste water from coke plant with activated carbon-NaClO catalytic oxidation method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luo, D.; Yi, P.; Liu, J.; Chen, A. [Xiangtan Polytechnic University, Xiangtan (China). Dept. of Chemical Enginering

2001-12-01

Catalytic oxidation method for the treatment of distilled ammonia waste water from coke plant was investigated using activated carbon as catalyst and NaClO as oxidant. The influences of main factors, such as NaClO, activated carbon, pH and reactionary time were discussed. The results showed that under the conditions of 25{degree}C, NaClO/CODO=1.5, carbon/NaClO=0.6 and pH=3.0, the reaction completed within 120 minutes with 99.5% of phenol removal and 75.8% of COD removal when the distilled ammonia waste water from coke plant which containing phenol 510 mg/L and CODO 8420 mg/L was treated. 13 refs., 4 figs.

Performance of the fixed-bed of granular activated carbon for the removal of pesticides from water supply.

Science.gov (United States)

Alves, Alcione Aparecida de Almeida; Ruiz, Giselle Louise de Oliveira; Nonato, Thyara Campos Martins; Müller, Laura Cecilia; Sens, Maurício Luiz

2018-02-26

The application of a fixed bed adsorption column of granular activated carbon (FBAC-GAC), in the removal of carbaryl, methomyl and carbofuran at a concentration of 25 μg L -1 for each carbamate, from the public water supply was investigated. For the determination of the presence of pesticides in the water supply, the analytical technique of high-performance liquid chromatography with post-column derivatization was used. Under conditions of constant diffusivity, the FBAC-GAC was saturated after 196 h of operation on a pilot scale. The exhaust rate of the granular activated carbon (GAC) in the FBAC-GAC until the point of saturation was 0.02 kg GAC m -3 of treated water. By comparing a rapid small-scale column test and FBAC-GAC, it was confirmed that the predominant intraparticle diffusivity in the adsorption column was constant diffusivity. Based on the results obtained on a pilot scale, it was possible to estimate the values to be applied in the FBAC-GAC (full scale) to remove the pesticides, which are particle size with an average diameter of 1.5 mm GAC; relationship between the internal diameter of the column and the average diameter of GAC ≥50 in order to avoid preferential flow near the adsorption column wall; surface application rate 240 m 3  m -2  d -1 and an empty bed contact time of 3 min. BV: bed volume; CD: constant diffusivity; EBCT: empty bed contact time; FBAC-GAC: fixed bed adsorption column of granular activated carbon; GAC: granular activated carbon; MPV: maximum permitted values; NOM: natural organic matter; PD: proportional diffusivity; pH PCZ : pH of the zero charge point; SAR: surface application rate; RSSCT: rapid small-scale column test; WTCS: water treated conventional system.

Preparation And Characterization Of Cr/Activated Carbon Catalyst From Palm Empty Fruit Bunch

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zainal Fanani

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Preparation and characterization of Cr/activated carbon catalyst from palm empty fruit bunch had been done. The research were to determine the effect of carbonization temperature towards adsorption of ammonia, iodine number, metilen blue number, and porosity of activated carbon and Cr/activated carbon catalyst. The determination of porosity include surface area, micropore volume and total pore volume. The results showed the best carbonization temperature activated carbon and Cr/activated carbon catalyst at 700°C. The adsorption ammonia of activated carbon and Cr/activated carbon catalyst as 6.379 mmol/g and 8.1624 mmol/g. The iodine number of activated carbon and Cr/activated carbon catalyst as 1520.16 mg/g and 1535.67 mg/g. The metilen blue number of activated carbon and Cr/activated carbon catalyst as 281.71 mg/g and 319.18 mg/g. The surface area of activated carbon and Cr/activated carbon catalyst as 1527.80 m2/g and 1652.58 m2/g. The micropore volume of activated carbon and Cr/activated carbon catalyst as 0.7460 cm3/g and 0.8670 cm3/g. The total pore volume of activated carbon and Cr/activated carbon catalyst as 0.8243 cm3/g and 0.8970 cm3/g.

Different types of pre-lithiated hard carbon as negative electrode material for lithium-ion capacitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Jin; Liu, Xifeng; Wang, Jing; Shi, Jingli; Shi, Zhiqiang

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Two types of HC materials with different properties as negative electrode. • Lithium ion intercalation plateau of HC affects electrochemical performance of LIC. • The electrochemical performance of LIC is operated at different potential ranges. • The selection of HC and appropriate potential range of LIC have been proposed. - ABSTRACT: Lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) are assembled with activated carbon (AC) cathode and pre-lithiated hard carbon (HC) anode. Two kinds of HC materials with different physical and electrochemical behaviors have been investigated as the negative electrodes for LIC. Compared with spherical HC, the irregular HC shows a distinct lithium ion intercalation plateau in the charge–discharge process. The existence of lithium ion intercalation plateau for irregular HC greatly affects the electrochemical behavior of HC negative electrode and AC positive electrode. The effect of working potential range on the electrochemical performance of LIC-SH and LIC-IH is investigated by the galvanostatic charging–discharging, electrochemical impedance tests and cycle performance testing. The charge–discharge potential range of the irregular HC negative electrode is lower than the spherical HC electrode due to the existence of lithium ion intercalation plateau, which is conducive to the sufficient utilization of the AC positive electrode. The working potential range of LIC should be controlled to realize the optimization of electrochemical performance of LIC. LIC-IH at the working potential range of 2.0-4.0 V exhibits the optimal electrochemical performance, high energy density up to 85.7 Wh kg −1 and power density as high as 7.6 kW kg −1 (based on active material mass of two electrodes), excellent capacity retention about 96.0% after 5000 cycles.

Removal of imidacloprid using activated carbon produced from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this study, Ricinodendron heudelotii (akpi) shells are used as precursor to prepare activated carbon via chemical activation using phosphoric acid. The characterization of the obtained activated carbon is performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Boehm titration method and adsorption of acetic acid. The results show that ...

Why Change to Active Learning? Pre-Service and In-Service Science Teachers' Perceptions

Science.gov (United States)

O'Grady, Audrey; Simmie, Geraldine Mooney; Kennedy, Therese

2014-01-01

This article explores pre-service and in-service science teachers' perceptions on active learning, and examines the effectiveness of active learning by pre-service science teachers in the Irish second level classroom through a two-phase study. In the first phase, data on perceptions were gathered from final year pre-service teachers and in-service…

Activated Carbon, Carbon Nanofiber and Carbon Nanotube Supported Molybdenum Carbide Catalysts for the Hydrodeoxygenation of Guaiacol

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Eduardo Santillan-Jimenez

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Molybdenum carbide was supported on three types of carbon support—activated carbon; multi-walled carbon nanotubes; and carbon nanofibers—using ammonium molybdate and molybdic acid as Mo precursors. The use of activated carbon as support afforded an X-ray amorphous Mo phase, whereas crystalline molybdenum carbide phases were obtained on carbon nanofibers and, in some cases, on carbon nanotubes. When the resulting catalysts were tested in the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO of guaiacol in dodecane, catechol and phenol were obtained as the main products, although in some instances significant amounts of cyclohexane were produced. The observation of catechol in all reaction mixtures suggests that guaiacol was converted into phenol via sequential demethylation and HDO, although the simultaneous occurrence of a direct demethoxylation pathway cannot be discounted. Catalysts based on carbon nanofibers generally afforded the highest yields of phenol; notably, the only crystalline phase detected in these samples was Mo2C or Mo2C-ζ, suggesting that crystalline Mo2C is particularly selective to phenol. At 350 °C, carbon nanofiber supported Mo2C afforded near quantitative guaiacol conversion, the selectivity to phenol approaching 50%. When guaiacol HDO was performed in the presence of acetic acid and furfural, guaiacol conversion decreased, although the selectivity to both catechol and phenol was increased.

Interactions between plasma-treated carbon nanotubes and electrically neutral materials

Science.gov (United States)

Ogawa, Daisuke; Nakamura, Keiji

2014-10-01

A plasma treatment can create dangling bonds on the surface of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The dangling bonds are so reactive that the bonds possibly interact with other neutral species even out of the plasma if the lifetime of the bonds is effectively long. In order to have good understandings with the interactions, we placed multi-wall CNTs (MWCNTs) in atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge that was created in a closed environment with the voltage at 5 kV. We set 50 W for the operating power and 15 minutes for the process time for this plasma treatment. Our preliminary results showed that the reaction between dangling bonds and neutrals likely occurred in the situation when CNTs were treated with argon plasma, and then exposed in a nitrogen-rich dry box. We did Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy after the treatments. The measurement showed that the spectrum with plasma-treated CNTs was different from pristine CNTs. This is an indication that the plasma-treated CNTs have reactive cites on the surface even after the discharge (~ minutes), and then the CNTs likely reacted with the neutral species that causes the different spectrum. In this poster, we will show more details from our results and further progresses from this research.

Microstructure and surface properties of lignocellulosic-based activated carbons

Science.gov (United States)

González-García, P.; Centeno, T. A.; Urones-Garrote, E.; Ávila-Brande, D.; Otero-Díaz, L. C.

2013-01-01

Low cost activated carbons have been produced via chemical activation, by using KOH at 700 °C, from the bamboo species Guadua Angustifolia and Bambusa Vulgaris Striata and the residues from shells of the fruits of Castanea Sativa and Juglans Regia as carbon precursors. The scanning electron microscopy micrographs show the conservation of the precursor shape in the case of the Guadua Angustifolia and Bambusa Vulgaris Striata activated carbons. Transmission electron microscopy analyses reveal that these materials consist of carbon platelet-like particles with variable length and thickness, formed by highly disordered graphene-like layers with sp2 content ≈ 95% and average mass density of 1.65 g/cm3 (25% below standard graphite). Textural parameters indicate a high porosity development with surface areas ranging from 850 to 1100 m2/g and average pore width centered in the supermicropores range (1.3-1.8 nm). The electrochemical performance of the activated carbons shows specific capacitance values at low current density (1 mA/cm2) as high as 161 F/g in the Juglans Regia activated carbon, as a result of its textural parameters and the presence of pseudocapacitance derived from surface oxygenated acidic groups (mainly quinones and ethers) identified in this activated carbon.

The research on the interfacial compatibility of polypropylene composite filled with surface treated carbon fiber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, J.

2009-01-01

Dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) in ambient air are used on carbon fiber to improve the fiber surface activity. Carbon fibers with length of 75 μm are placed into the plasma configuration. The interaction between modified carbon fibers and polypropylene (PP) was studied by three-point bending (TPB) test. The chemical changes induced by the treatments on carbon fiber surface are examined using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). XPS results reveal that the carbon fiber modified with the DBD at atmospheric pressure show a significant increase in oxygen and nitrogen concentration. These results demonstrate that the surface of the carbon fiber is more active and hydrophilic after plasma treatments using a DBD operating in ambient air.

Treated bottom ash medium and method of arsenic removal from drinking water

Science.gov (United States)

Gadgil, Ashok

2009-06-09

A method for low-cost arsenic removal from drinking water using chemically prepared bottom ash pre-treated with ferrous sulfate and then sodium hydroxide. Deposits on the surface of particles of bottom ash form of activated iron adsorbent with a high affinity for arsenic. In laboratory tests, a miniscule 5 grams of pre-treated bottom ash was sufficient to remove the arsenic from 2 liters of 2400 ppb (parts per billion) arsenic-laden water to a level below 50 ppb (the present United States Environmental Protection Agency limit). By increasing the amount of pre-treated bottom ash, even lower levels of post-treatment arsenic are expected. It is further expected that this invention supplies a very low-cost solution to arsenic poisoning for large population segments.

Influence of activated carbon preloading by EfOM fractions from treated wastewater on adsorption of pharmaceutically active compounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Jingyi; Shang, Ran; Heijman, Bas; Rietveld, Luuk

2016-05-01

In this study, the preloading effects of different fractions of wastewater effluent organic matter (EfOM) on the adsorption of trace-level pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) onto granular activated carbon (GAC) were investigated. A nanofiltration (NF) membrane was employed to separate the EfOM by size, and two GACs with distinct pore structures were chosen for comparison. The results showed that preloading with EfOM substantially decreased PhAC uptake of the GACs; however, comparable PhAC adsorption capacities were achieved on GACs preloaded by feed EfOM and the NF-permeating EfOM. This indicates that: (1) the NF-rejected, larger EfOM molecules with an expectation to block the PhAC adsorption pores exerted little impact on the adsorbability of PhACs; (2) the smaller EfOM molecules present in the NF permeate contributed mainly to the decrease in PhAC uptake, mostly due to site competition. Of the two examined GACs, the wide pore-size-distributed GAC was found to be more susceptible to EfOM preloading than the microporous GAC. Furthermore, among the fourteen investigated PhACs, the negatively charged hydrophilic PhACs were generally subjected to a greater EfOM preloading impact. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Condition of granulating titanium-activated carbon composite adsorbent and its adsorption for uranium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyai, Yoshitaka; Kitamura, Takao; Katoh, Shunsaku; Miyazaki, Hidetoshi

1979-01-01

The powdery titanium-activated carbon composite adsorbent was granulated, and the strength and uranium adsorptivity of the granulated adsorbent were studied in relation to its granulating condition. By use of polyvinylalcohol (PVA) with degree of polymerization above 2,000 as binder, the granular adsorbent with as much the same strength as commercial granular activated carbon was obtained. Addition of PVA did not affect the amount of adsorbed uranium in equilibrium, but decreased the adsorption rate. Effect of granule size between 2-5 mm on the uranium adsorption rate was that the uranium adsorption rate changed proportionally to surface area of assumed sphere. As a test for practical use, 5 times repetitions of adsorption and desorption were carried out on the same granular adsorbent. During this repetition the adsorbent containing formalized PVA revealed smaller weight loss than non-treated adsorbent. The amount of adsorbed uranium decreased with increasing repetition times, and reason of this was discussed. (author)

C/EBPα Activates Pre-existing and De Novo Macrophage Enhancers during Induced Pre-B Cell Transdifferentiation and Myelopoiesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chris van Oevelen

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Transcription-factor-induced somatic cell conversions are highly relevant for both basic and clinical research yet their mechanism is not fully understood and it is unclear whether they reflect normal differentiation processes. Here we show that during pre-B-cell-to-macrophage transdifferentiation, C/EBPα binds to two types of myeloid enhancers in B cells: pre-existing enhancers that are bound by PU.1, providing a platform for incoming C/EBPα; and de novo enhancers that are targeted by C/EBPα, acting as a pioneer factor for subsequent binding by PU.1. The order of factor binding dictates the upregulation kinetics of nearby genes. Pre-existing enhancers are broadly active throughout the hematopoietic lineage tree, including B cells. In contrast, de novo enhancers are silent in most cell types except in myeloid cells where they become activated by C/EBP factors. Our data suggest that C/EBPα recapitulates physiological developmental processes by short-circuiting two macrophage enhancer pathways in pre-B cells.

Microstructure and surface properties of lignocellulosic-based activated carbons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

González-García, P.; Centeno, T.A.; Urones-Garrote, E.; Ávila-Brande, D.; Otero-Díaz, L.C.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Activated carbons were produced by KOH activation at 700 °C. ► The observed nanostructure consists of highly disordered graphene–like layers with sp 2 bond content ≈ 95%. ► Textural parameters show high surface area (≈ 1000 m 2 /g) and pore width of 1.3–1.8 nm. ► Specific capacitance reaches values as high as 161 F/g. - Abstract: Low cost activated carbons have been produced via chemical activation, by using KOH at 700 °C, from the bamboo species Guadua Angustifolia and Bambusa Vulgaris Striata and the residues from shells of the fruits of Castanea Sativa and Juglans Regia as carbon precursors. The scanning electron microscopy micrographs show the conservation of the precursor shape in the case of the Guadua Angustifolia and Bambusa Vulgaris Striata activated carbons. Transmission electron microscopy analyses reveal that these materials consist of carbon platelet–like particles with variable length and thickness, formed by highly disordered graphene–like layers with sp 2 content ≈ 95% and average mass density of 1.65 g/cm 3 (25% below standard graphite). Textural parameters indicate a high porosity development with surface areas ranging from 850 to 1100 m 2 /g and average pore width centered in the supermicropores range (1.3–1.8 nm). The electrochemical performance of the activated carbons shows specific capacitance values at low current density (1 mA/cm 2 ) as high as 161 F/g in the Juglans Regia activated carbon, as a result of its textural parameters and the presence of pseudocapacitance derived from surface oxygenated acidic groups (mainly quinones and ethers) identified in this activated carbon.

Chemical activation of gasification carbon residue for phosphate removal

Science.gov (United States)

Kilpimaa, Sari; Runtti, Hanna; Lassi, Ulla; Kuokkanen, Toivo

2012-05-01

Recycling of waste materials provides an economical and environmentally significant method to reduce the amount of waste. Bioash formed in the gasification process possesses a notable amount of unburned carbon and therefore it can be called a carbon residue. After chemical activation carbon residue could be use to replace activated carbon for example in wastewater purification processes. The effect of chemical activation process variables such as chemical agents and contact time in the chemical activation process were investigated. This study also explored the effectiveness of the chemically activated carbon residue for the removal of phosphate from an aqueous solution. The experimental adsorption study was performed in a batch reactor and the influence of adsorption time, initial phosphate concentration and pH was studied. Due to the carbon residue's low cost and high adsorption capacity, this type of waste has the potential to be utilised for the cost-effective removal of phosphate from wastewaters. Potential adsorbents could be prepared from these carbonaceous by-products and used as an adsorbent for phosphate removal.