Hydrous pyrolysis of Type III coal: I. Influence of temperature and time on gas generation potential and applicability to natural systems

Calendar degradation of Li-ion batteries under high storage temperature based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

Rates of alkali feldspar hydrolysis in the near‐neutral pH range are up to 3 orders of magnitude slower in natural systems than in laboratory experiments. Correcting for differences in temperature between natural weathering and laboratory systems reduces the disparity by as much as a factor of 5. Any remaining disparity can be accounted for by differences in the ratio of effective surface area to total surface area; the ratio of effective‐to‐total surface area in natural systems is generally considerably smaller than in laboratory systems. This may be related, at least in part, to experimental preparation artifacts and to the fact that naturally weathered feldspars have lost much of their most reactive surface to the formation of etch pits. Hydrological factors such as inhomogeneous access of percolating fluids to mineral surfaces may also reduce the proportion of mineral surface area reacting in natural systems.

Two stages catalytic pyrolysis of olive oil waste

In this quarter, progress has been made in the following two aspects: The influences of temperature, dispersed Mo catalyst, and solvent on the liquefaction conversion and composition of products from low-rank coals; and the hydrous pyrolysis of a lignite and spectroscopic characterization of its structural transformation during the hydrous pyrolysis. The analytical work described in this quarter also represents molecular-level characterization of products. The purpose of the first part of the work described in this quarter is to study the influences of temperature, solvent and dispersed Mo catalyst on the liquefaction conversion and chemical composition of the products. Many specialty chemicals, including one- to four-ring aromatics, could potentially be produced by liquefying coal. To achieve this goal, not only a high coal conversion but also a desirable product distribution is necessary. Therefore, it is of great importance to understand the structural changes of the coal during reaction and to investigate the conditions under which the aliphatics or aromatics can be removed from the macromolecular structure of coal. This quarterly report also describes the hydrous pyrolysis of Potapsco lignite and spectroscopic characterization of its structural transformation during the hydrous pyrolysis. This work has some implications both on the structural changes of low-rank coals during pretreatment and on the geochemical reactions during coalification stage. Vitrinite, a major component of most coals, is derived from degraded wood in ancient peat swamps. Organic geochemical studies conducted on a series of coalified wood samples derived mostly from gymnosperms have allowed the development of a chemical reaction series to characterize the major coalification reactions which lignin, the major coal-producing component of wood, undergoes.

The pore structure of coal reservoir is the primary space of natural gas adsorption and storage, and the structural characteristics of coal in thermal evolution are crucial for the enrichment and exploration of coalbed methane. However, the current research mainly concentrates on the pore structure change process in actual geology, and there is a lack of continuous analysis of the pore structural evolution characteristics of coal samples with different maturity through hydrous pyrolysis simulation experiments. Coal samples ( R o = 0.6%) were collected from the Hedong coalfield, and hydrous simulation experiments (a total of 5 coal samples, temperatures from 250°C to 450°C, 50°C interval, 24 h duration) were carried out using a large amounts of water and low-rank bituminous coal samples (1.5 mL water : 1 g coal) in a pyrolysis closed system to investigate the evolutionary of the pore structure parameters during the hydrocarbon-generating process. The results showed that the pore volume and specific surface area of ultra-micropore consistently dominated the pore structure. For micropores and transition pores, the aromatization and side-chain breakage result in a decrease in specific surface area and pore volume. The dissolution of organic acids and the release of volatile components lead to an increase in the specific surface area and pore volume of the transitional pores. Furthermore, the intensification of coalification, the rearrangement of pore structures, causes the secondary pores to be compressed, and the transitional pores further decrease. HQ-O exhibits a rough pore surface and an uneven pore structure, while as the temperature increases, the pore surface of HQ-250-HQ-450 becomes relatively rougher and the pore structure grows more uniform. With the increase of total gas yield, the coal structure is dense, resulting in the pores reduction or closure, and pore volume and the specific surface area decrease. Additionally, water promoted the minerals dissolution and the migration of Si and Al within the coal samples, which swell and deform the coal skeleton and merge to form new pores. The geological evolution of coal under the influence of temperature, gas generation, and water-coal interaction is divided into three stages, and the pore structural evolution model is established. By studying the pore structure evolution of coal samples at different coalification stages through hydrous pyrolysis simulation provides important scientific basis and guidance for the exploration and development of CBM resources in actual geological characteristics of coal reservoirs.

Odorous sulphidation gases are released during the construction of crumb rubber-modified asphalt (CRMA), causing pollution to the environment. To study the associated mechanism of sulfidation gas (H2S, CH4S, COS and CS2) release and the desulphurisation and degradation of CR in asphalt, the release law of sulphidation gas of CRMA was studied by a gas detector. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC), fluorescence microscope, toluene insoluble (TI) and potentiometric titration tests were used to study the desulphurisation and degradation of CR. The results showed that vulcanised CR in CRMA led to the generation of sulphidation gas with the increase in temperature, time and stirring speed. The average molecular weight of CRMA increased, while the TI and unsaturation (A) decreased after the desulphurisation and degradation of CR. Under the influence of temperature, heating time and stirring speed, the A was reduced by 0.72%∼8.87%, 1.18%∼10.69% and 0.75%∼8.12%, respectively. There was a strong correlation between the concentration of sulphidation gas and the desulphurisation and degradation parameters of CRMA. The reaction of ·H, –CH3, CO with the –SxH generated by the C–S, S–S, C=C fracture during the desulphurisation and degradation of CR was the main reason for the generation of sulphidation gas.

Natural venting systems present numerous advantages opposite to the mechanical exhaust for the smoke control – a reduction in both facilities and maintenance costs–. Nevertheless, the influence of numerous factors affects significantly their efficacy: the architectural characteristics of the building, the direction and wind velocity, the proximity of tall buildings, the smoke temperature, the environmental interior and exterior temperatures, the existence of snow or ice on the ceiling, etc. All of them are important, but the influence of the environmental exterior temperature plays a decisive role. The goal of this Investigation Research was to evaluate the influence of the external temperature on the smoke movement and the hot layer descent regarding the efficacy of the natural venting systems installed for the smoke control in large atria. The analysis was developed using the ‘Fire Dynamics Simulator - FDS’ model (1), a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of fi re-driven fluid flow for the study of fire. The results demonstrated that a design that does not contemplate this factor can turn out to be inadequate, since it has a decisive influence to guarantee human safety. The obtained results showed very significant differences about the different parameters linked to the smoke movement in an atrium.

Composite waste recycling: Predictive simulation of the pyrolysis vapours and gases upgrading process in Aspen plus

Jerusalem artichoke pyrolysis: Energetic evaluation

Catalytic pyrolysis of exhausted olive oil waste

The study on thermal management of magnetorheological fluid retarder with thermoelectric cooling module

Cocoa butter (CB) is a largely used excipient in pharmaceutical field. Aim of this work was to set formulative parameters for the preparation of SLN based on “green” lipid matrix for drug delivery as natural, both human and environmental safe systems. Double emulsion technique (w1/o/w2) was selected for SLN preparation. The effect on the dimensional properties of different surfactants (Tween 80 and PEG 40 monostearate) and co-surfactants (PEG400 monostearate, Emulium® Kappa2 and Plurol®Stearique) at different concentrations was evaluated. Stability tests were performed. SLN dispersions were exsiccated and the effect of the dried process on SLN size was evaluated. The influence of temperature on SLN dimensions was investigated at 37 °C. MTT test was performed on raw materials and formulations. The w1/o/w2 is suitable, rapid and economic technique for the preparation of CB SLN. Tween 80-Plurol Stearique combination gives the best results: particles size less than 400 nm and PI of about 0.4 are obtained when PS 2% is used. Both raw materials and formulations are safe. The importance to evaluate the effect of different surfactant and/or co-surfactant on the dimensional properties of SLN is evident by selecting substances with preferable safety profiles, and favorable environmental properties to develop stable “green” SLN.

Although natural emulsifiers often have many drawbacks when used alone, their emulsifying ability and stability can usually be improved unexpectedly when used in combination. In this study, monodisperse emulsions stabilized by combining two natural protein emulsifiers, i.e., whey protein isolate (WPI) and sodium caseinate (SC), in different proportions were prepared using microchannel (MC) emulsification. The influences of temperature, pH, ionic strength, and storage time on the microstructure and stability of the emulsions were examined. Analysis of the microstructure and droplet size distribution revealed that the WPI-, SC-, and mixed protein-stabilized emulsions exhibited uniform droplet distribution. The droplet size and ξ-potential of the MC emulsions stabilized by mixed protein emulsifiers were higher than those of the emulsions stabilized by WPI or SC separately. The emulsions stabilized by the two types of proteins and mixed emulsifiers had better stability under high salt concentrations than the synthetic emulsifier Tween 20. WPI-SC-stabilized emulsions were more resistant to high temperatures (70–90°C) and exhibited excellent stabilization than those stabilized by WPI and SC, which was attributed to the more sufficient coverage provided by the two types of protein emulsifier layers and better protein adsorption at the oil-water interface. These results indicate that WPI-SC is a potential stabilizer for MC emulsion requirements. This study provides a basis for the formulation of monodisperse and stable natural emulsion systems.

Influence of temperature and mineral surface characteristics on feldspar weathering rates in natural and artificial systems - a first approximation

Snow is a vital resource for a host of natural and human systems. Global warming is projected to drive widespread decreases in snow accumulation by the end of the century, potentially affecting water, food, and energy supplies, seasonal heat extremes, and wildfire risk. However, over the next few decades, when the planning and implementation of current adaptation responses are most relevant, the snow response is more uncertain, largely because of uncertainty in regional and local precipitation trends. We use a large (40-member) single-model ensemble climate model experiment to examine the influence of precipitation variability on the direction and magnitude of near-term Northern Hemisphere snow trends. We find that near-term uncertainty in the sign of regional precipitation change does not cascade into uncertainty in the sign of regional snow accumulation change. Rather, temperature increases drive statistically robust consistency in the sign of future near-term snow accumulation trends, with all regions exhibiting reductions in the fraction of precipitation falling as snow, along with mean decreases in late-season snow accumulation. However, internal variability does create uncertainty in the magnitude of hemispheric and regional snow changes, including uncertainty as large as 33 % of the baseline mean. In addition, within the 40-member ensemble, many mid-latitude grid points exhibit at least one realization with a statistically significant positive trend in net snow accumulation, and at least one realization with a statistically significant negative trend. These results suggest that the direction of near-term snow accumulation change is robust at the regional scale, but that internal variability can influence the magnitude and direction of snow accumulation changes at the local scale, even in areas that exhibit a high signal-to-noise ratio.