Aqueous Slurry Research Articles

Aqueous aluminium titanate paste for the liquid deposition modelling

Advanced ceramic pastes, based on precursor of aluminium titanate (tialite, Al2TiO5), were prepared in two steps by ball milling starting from an aqueous slurry and with the addition of a thickener. Rheological behaviour of the prepared slurries and pastes with different formulations were analysed up to identify a tialite based paste with shear thinning behaviour and yield stress value suitable to be 3D printed by Liquid Deposition Modeling (LDM). In particular, printable pastes with a solid content up to 51 vol% were prepared. Shaping of aluminium titanate green bodies was realized both by LDM and conventional pressing to compare the properties of the sintered materials. Both shaping processes lead to a porous tialite with density value of 67.6 ± 0.7% for 3D printed tialite and of 75.6 ± 0.1% for pressed tialite. Furthermore, the morphology and thermogravimetric analysis of ceramic powder before and after ball milling were performed. Physico-chemical, microstructure and thermomechanical characterization of the obtained sintered material demonstrated that the LDM technique can be used to manufacture tialite starting from a suitable formulation of the ceramic paste. Moreover, the thermomechanical tests confirmed higher mechanical strength for pressed tialite; after a thermal shock treatment at 400 °C both 3D printed and pressed tialite shown a moderate decrease of mechanical properties.

Multimaterial Additive Manufacturing of LTCC Matrix and Silver Conductors for 3D Ceramic Electronics

AbstractCeramic electronics have the advantages of large ampacity, high thermal conductivity, and excellent dielectric properties which are widely used in power electronics, optoelectronics, automotive industry, and aerospace technology. This work proposes a multimaterial dispensing additive manufacturing technology for customizing the 3D low‐temperature‐cofired ceramic (LTCC) circuitry. Customized LTCC aqueous slurry is first developed and then 3D printed together with commercial silver paste to build the green body. Then, the green body is debinded and sintered with a three‐stage process at 200, 500, and 850 °C, respectively. The shrinkage rate in 3D is around 17% which is comparable with commercial LTCCs. The surface quality of the sintered ceramic is improved obviously compared with that of the green body due to the glazing effect of the glass phase. For the silver conductor, the resistivity and the temperature coefficient of resistance are 2.34 ± 0.04 µΩ cm and 3.56 × 10−3 °C−1, respectively. A serial of demonstrators including 2D, 3D light‐emitting diode ceramic circuit boards and a ceramic heater/thermometer is developed to prove the potential and feasibility of the proposed technology.

Evaluation of Performance of Chlorinated Polyethylene Using Wireless Network and Artificial Intelligence Technology

Chemical enterprises are presently confronted with several difficult issues, including high power consumption, dangerous risk evaluation, and environmental regulation, all of which push industrial and academic institutions to develop new technologies, catalysts, and materials. Chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) is a polymer made by replacing H2 molecules in high density-(C2H4)n with chloride ions. CPE elastomers are made from a high density-(C2H4) backbone, and it was chlorinated using a free radical aqueous slurry technique. However, such fundamental polymer characteristics are insufficient to explain the performance characteristics of chlorinated polyethylene elastomers. Artificial intelligence (AI) has had a massive effect on all sections of the chemical sector, with tremendous potential that has revolutionized value supply chains, enhanced efficiency, and opened up new ways to the marketplace. As a result, in this research, we offer a methodology for the performance characterization of chlorinated polyethylene based on artificial intelligence (AI) and wireless network technology. The AI tools can search through enormous databases of known compounds and their attributes, leveraging the data to generate new possibilities. The dataset is first gathered. The chemical characterization is classified using the K -nearest neighbor (KNN) technique. This program was created to examine molecule structures and forecast the outcomes of new chemical reactions. Bayesian optimization is used to improve characterization performance. The proposed method will contribute to the future usage of AI in the chemical sector.

Effects of Mineral Surface Silanization and Bitumen Coating on its Filtration from an Aqueous Slurry

Effects of Mineral Surface Silanization and Bitumen Coating on its Filtration from an Aqueous Slurry

Colloidal Processing of Y0.08Zr0.92O2/La0.80Sr0.20MnO3 Semi-Cells Using a Sr-Doped Lanthanum Manganite Synthesized by a Citrate Route.

In this paper, the interface between yttria stabilized zirconia (Y0.08Zr0.92O2, YSZ) electrolyte and Sr-doped lanthanum manganite (La0.80Sr0.20MnO3, LSM) cathode for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) is studied. For such a purpose, the combination of a suitable synthesis route for obtaining fine powders and simple aqueous colloidal shaping routes is proposed. The synthesis of nanosized particles of La0.80Sr0.20MnO3 by a citrate route and their full characterization, including the colloidal stability and the densification and phase development determined by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy at different temperatures, is reported. In a second step, YSZ tapes were obtained by aqueous tape casting and used as substrates for the preparation of LSM coatings by dip-coating using aqueous slurries. YSZ tapes were used either in the green state or after a pre-sintering treatment. Co-sintering at 1350 °C led to a sharp interface with excellent adhesion, also achieved when coating pre-sintered tapes. In both cases, the substrates are dense and the coatings are porous, with thicknesses of 85 and 60 μm for green and pre-sintered tapes, respectively. No diffusion of Zr and Y occurs at the LSM layer, but some diffusion of La and Mn towards the YSZ layer takes place.

Experimental study on the effect of oil based filtercake on bonding strength at wellbore second interface

The integrity of the oil-gas wellbore is critically depending on the quality of the binding between cement and rock materials. Weak bond between cement and formation may lead to the potential leakage of high-pressure formation fluids through cracks and micro-annulus formed at the interface which results into blowout and groundwater contamination. Failure to properly displace mud prior to cementing can lead to poor bonding at the second interface (SI) of the wellbore. The main purpose of this study is to quantify the impact of oil based-filtercake on the bonding quality at the wellbore Second Interface during the drilling of sandstone reservoir well by using shear bond measurements and material characterization techniques. The results indicated that, the presence of oil based-filtercake at the SI has a detrimental effect on shear bond strength making it as weakest point of adhesion. The tested Blank samples had higher bond strength compared to treated (oil based filtercake) samples. The low bond strength for filtercake system was due to existence of oil based filtercake films which hindered the totally cement hydration process to form a strong bond as the oily film cannot allow the interact with aqueous cement slurry material to complete the hydration process. The FTIR analysis showed that, the lower transmittance (35%) at 1091 cm−1 band (Si–O) of mud treated samples revealed the low content of chemical binder material (Calcium Silicate Hydrate - CSH) at the interface while the blank samples gave 62% at 1088 cm−1 band (Si–O) showing the high content of CSH at the interface which led high bond strength. The results show that oil-based filtercake has a significant detrimental effect on shear bond strength of the second interface.

Experimental investigation on effect of stratification of bimodal settling slurry on slurry flow friction in pipe

Pipe flows of bimodal aqueous slurries of two fractions of sand (coarse sand of particle mass-median size of 1.56 mm and fine-to-medium sand of mass-median size of 0.22 mm) are tested in a laboratory loop (pipe internal diameter of 100 mm) to study the frictional loss reduction due to the presence of the finer fraction in the bimodal slurry. The tested bimodal slurry flows (mean solids volumetric concentrations of 0.23, 0.30, 0.45 respectively) are compared with their coarse slurry counterparts (flows of one-species slurry at solids concentrations of 0.17, 0.24, 0.34 respectively, without the finer fraction) in tests which include measurements of solids distribution in a pipe cross section and measurements of local velocity of solid particles at the bottom of the pipe. The tests reveal a presence of a sliding bed in the bimodal slurry flow and a development of a thin fine-particle layer at the interface between the bottom of the sliding bed and the pipe wall. The measured difference in local velocities of fine particles and coarse particles at the bottom of the pipe indicates that the fine-particle layer effectively separates the sliding bed from the pipe wall hence it is responsible for the reduction of sliding friction at the wall and reduction of the overall frictional loss in bimodal flow compared to its coarse slurry counterpart. The identified loss reducing mechanism can improve modelling of stratified settling slurry flows composed of solids fractions of different sizes interacting with each other in a pipe.

Impact of Nanoparticle Consolidation on Charge Separation Efficiency in Anatase TiO2 Films.

Mesoporous films and electrodes were prepared from aqueous slurries of isolated anatase TiO2 nanoparticles. The resulting layers were annealed in air at temperatures 100°C ≤ T ≤ 450°C upon preservation of internal surface area, crystallite size and particle size. The impact of processing temperature on charge separation efficiency in nanoparticle electrodes was tracked via photocurrent measurements in the presence of methanol as a hole acceptor. Thermal annealing leads to an increase of the saturated photocurrent and thus of the charge separation efficiency at positive potentials. Furthermore, a shift of capacitive peaks in the cyclic voltammograms of the nanoparticle electrodes points to the modification of the energy of deep traps. Population of these traps triggers recombination possibly due to the action of local electrostatic fields attracting photogenerated holes. Consequently, photocurrents saturate at potentials, at which deep traps are mostly depopulated. Charge separation efficiency was furthermore investigated for nanoparticle films and was tracked via the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. Our observations evidence an increase of charge separation efficiency upon thermal annealing. The effect of particle consolidation, which we associate with minute atomic rearrangements at particle/particle contacts, is attributed to the energetic modification of deep traps and corresponding modifications of charge transport and recombination, respectively.

Frictional behaviour of wheat straw-water suspensions in vertical upward flows

The use of biofuels helps mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Earlier studies have shown that transporting biomass in horizontal pipelines in the form of water-based slurries significantly reduces transportation costs. The frictional behaviour of water-based chopped wheat straw slurry in a vertical pipeline has not been studied and this is the focus of this study. In situ concentrations of water-based conventional solids of medium sand, glass beads, and fine sand and straw slurry flows were determined by measuring their delivered concentrations in pseudo-homogeneous regimes for prepared concentrations of 1–6% (dry volume of conventional solids) and 5–25% (saturated mass of straw), respectively. Two grades of sand and glass beads with mean particle diameters of 0.103, 0.447, and 0.5 mm, respectively, and straw with a nominal particle length of 19.2 mm were utilised. The delivered concentrations for the straw slurries and fine sand were close to their corresponding prepared concentrations and were homogeneous. There was a large discrepancy between prepared and delivered concentrations for the medium-sized sand and glass beads slurries. The pressure drop of straw slurries over the range of velocities of 0.5–4.2 m s −1 and mass concentrations of 5–25% through the vertical pipe showed a maximum drag reduction of 19% at a concentration of 25% (mass) and at a 3.5 m s −1 velocity. For concentrations of 5–20% (mass), the straw slurries showed drag-reducing capabilities in the mixed and turbulent flow regions for various velocities that were different from horizontal flows. • The pumping of aqueous slurries of chopped wheat straw was studied in a pipeline. • Friction losses in the vertical pipeline were measured over a range of variables. • The delivered and prepared concentrations for wheat straw slurries were identical. • Straw slurries in vertical upward flows behaved differently than horizontal flows. • Drag reduction appeared at even low velocities and mass concentrations of straw.

Fabrication and compressive properties of directional porous titanium scaffold by freeze casting TiH2 powders

Porous titanium scaffold has been prepared by freeze casting of TiH2 aqueous slurry for the application of structural core of sandwiches, filters, heat exchangers and bones due to the directional lamellar structure. The effects of freezing temperature and solid content, which are decisive parameter in freezing casting process, on porous structure are revealed. As freezing temperature drops and solid content increases, the porosity ranges from 15% to 73%, wall thickness increases from 8 µm to more than 15 µm. Different structures provide different mechanical properties. With the decrease of porosity, the yield strength in the direction parallel to the freezing direction rose from 60 MPa to 286 MPa while Young’s modulus is from 0.8 GPa to 11.2 GPa. The fracture mode changes from surface fragmentation to body fragmentation along with partial splitting. The modified Gibson - Ashby formula was used to describe the relationship between the mechanical properties and the relative density. The constant and exponents of mechanical properties with porosity are much higher than the conventional process, which indicated excellent mechanical properties compared with other processes.

Effect of the Processing Parameters on the Fabrication of MgAl2O4 Foams.

Stable MgAl2O4 foams (7–21 vol.%) were manufactured using a natural extract from the pericarp of the soap-nut fruit, saponin being the main component, as the foaming agent. The soap-nut extract is soluble in water, biodegradable, non-toxic, and has similar properties to commercial tensoactives. The stability and characteristics of the porous structure of the ceramic foams were evaluated in terms of the amount of foaming agent, content of MgAl2O4 particles, time and speed of stirring of the slurry, type of agitator, and drying temperature. It was found that the foaming capacity decreased with the percent of foaming agent and ceramic, whereas the time and speed of stirring enhanced the foamability. Foaming trials showed that stirring aqueous slurries with 3 wt.% of soap-nut extract for 2 min at 1070 or 2120 rpm, depending on the type of agitator, produced stable MgAl2O4 foams when drying at 60 °C. The mechanism of foaming is discussed. The foams were sintered at 1400 °C for 1 h under an Ar atmosphere. Observation of the sintered foam structures in the scanning electron microscope revealed nearly spherical cells with very good interconnectivity and strength to be manipulated, making them suitable as preforms for manufacturing Al-based composites by pressureless infiltration.

Assessment of shock pretreatment and alkali pretreatment on corn stover using enzymatic hydrolysis.

This study investigates digestibility enhancements of lignocellulose from shock pretreatment, alkaline pretreatment, and combination. Shock pretreatment subjects aqueous slurries of lignocellulose to shock waves, which disrupts its structure rendering it more susceptible to hydrolysis. Alkaline pretreatment submerges the biomass in aqueous alkali (NaOH, Ca(OH)2 ), which removes lignin and acetyl groups. As indicators of digestibility, cellulase (CTec3) and hemicellulase (HTec3) were used to saccharify the pretreated corn stover and the resulting filtrate which contains about 10% of the sugars. Shock is most effective when it precedes alkaline pretreatment, presumably because it opens the biomass structure and enhances diffusion of pretreatment chemicals. Lignocellulose digestibility from calcium hydroxide treatment improves significantly with oxygen addition. In contrast, sodium hydroxide is a more potent alkali, and thereby eliminates the need for oxygen to enhance pretreatment. At low hydroxide loadings (<4g OH- /100 g dry biomass), both NaOH and Ca(OH)2 provide similar increases in digestibility; however, at high hydroxide loadings, NaOH is superior. For animal feed, Ca(OH)2 treatment is recommended, because residual calcium ions are valuable nutrients. In contrast, for methane-arrested anaerobic digestion, NaOH treatment is preferred because NaHCO3 is a stronger buffer. At 50°C, shock pretreatment improves sugar yields at all NaOH loadings. The effect of shock is most pronounced when the no-shock control employed the same soaking-and-drying procedure as the shock treatment. The recommended conditions are shock treatment (5.52 bar [abs] initial H2 /O2 pressure) followed by 50°C alkaline treatment with NaOH loading of 4g OH- /100 g dry biomass for 1h.

Surface analysis of novel fibroin films based on well-preserved crystalline structures

We recently reported that a highly homogeneous aqueous suspension of fibroin nanofiber (FNF) can be simply obtained by mechanical water-grinding a heterogeneous aqueous fibroin slurry and that the FNF in the suspension preserves the native β-sheet secondary structure during this mechanical treatment. The current study reports the surface properties of well-preserved crystalline structure novel FNF film from water-grinding preparation as compared with those of typical, conventionally prepared regenerated fibroin (RF) film. RF film was not treated with alcoholic solutions and was verified to be amorphous from a WAXD diffraction diagram. The air-side surfaces of the FNF semi-crystalline and RF amorphous films were studied to clarify differences using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), static water contact angle, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The well-preserved crystalline in the FNF film was found to exist near a slightly deep surface region and to act as a physically cross-linking domain, governing the molecular motions of the amorphous polypeptide chains at the very shallow surface region.

Закономерности коррозии стали в нейтральной и щелочной железооксидных пульпах

The study identifies and theoretically substantiates the steel corrosion patterns in aqueous slurry of iron-ore concentrate. The purpose of the study was to examine the effect that the content of dissolved oxygen(PO2), pH, the concentration of chloride ions (CCl-) and the rate of movement of the iron oxide slurry (ω) produce on the corrosion losses of steel 20. Comparative analysis of the corrosion rate values obtained by the gravimetric method and the polarization resistance method showed that the reciprocal of the polarization resistance and the corrosion rate change symbatically with increasing pH, the corrosion rate values are quantitatively well consistent with each other. To identify the corrosion patterns, the method of polarization resistance was used. The dependence of the corrosion rate (ρ) on рН revealed two characteristic areas: in the first one, there is no dependence of the rate on pH (6.5--9.0); in the second one, there is a sharp decrease in corrosion losses when the pH goes from 9.0 to 12.5. For pH = 6.5--9.0, the corrosion rate increases linearly with an increase in the partial pressure of oxygen, and corrosion losses in the slurry are higher than in the background solution. The dependence ρ(√ω) is linear over the entire pH range (6.0--9.0), which indicates the diffusion control of the corrosion process. Findings of research show that in order to protect carbon steel from corrosion in the iron oxide slurry, it is necessary to take into account the pH and О2 concentration. Optimal reduction of corrosion losses can be achieved by alkalizing the slurry and removing dissolved oxygen

A Novel Foam Coating Approach to Produce Abrasive Structures on Textiles

Abstract Abrasive materials are classified as paper, nonwoven, or plastic-based multilayer structures, which are used for different kinds of surface finishing. Currently, the production of abrasive structures on textiles is carried out by spraying a slurry of binder and abrasive particles, e.g., Al2O3 or SiC, with subsequent drying and curing of the binder. The drawback of this production method is the poor runnability of the spraying process. Even small variations in the process parameters may lead to an uneven coating. Therefore, a novel coating approach was developed to produce abrasive structures with foam coating on textile substrates. The foam coating method, which is commonly used in the textile industry, has the potential to produce an even coating layer. The runnability and reliability of the foam coating process are good even with high solids. From a workplace safety perspective, another advantage of foam coating is that there are no airborne particles during the coating process. A polyamide woven cloth was foam coated with an aqueous slurry containing abrasive grains (SiC), a water-based UV-curable acrylate binder, and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) to adjust the slurry rheology. Stable abrasive-binder foams were generated from the slurries even at high solids of 50% using an anionic foaming agent. The cloth was foam coated and dried, and the resin was cured with a LED-UV lamp on a pilot scale. It was observed that without the addition of CNC the foam did not stay on the surface of the cloth after coating. CNC acts as a rheology modifier and co-binder, which prevent the foam from penetrating deeper into the pores of the cloth. CNC also acted as a dispersing agent: the slurry was effectively stabilized by the CNC to prevent sedimentation of the abrasive grains. An organic solvent-free composition was introduced by combining CNC with a water-based UV-resin.

Kefir Culture-Mediated Fermentation to Improve Phenolic-Linked Antioxidant, Anti-Hyperglycemic and Human Gut Health Benefits in Sprouted Food Barley

The bioprocessing strategy is an effective approach to improve bioavailability and stability of bioactive compounds for designing functional foods and ingredients. In this study, food barley was bio-transformed to improve functional bioactives by sprouting, coupled with beneficial lactic acid bacteria (LAB)-based fermentation. Dairy Kefir culture with mixed beneficial LAB strains was targeted to ferment aqueous slurries of sprouted hulless food barley flour (unpigmented, purple, and black barley) for 72 h, and modulation of phenolic-linked antioxidant and anti-hyperglycemic functionalities were evaluated using in vitro assay models. The biochemical parameters analyzed were total soluble phenolic (TSP) content, profile of phenolic compounds, total antioxidant activity, and anti-hyperglycemic property-relevant α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzyme inhibitory activities. Furthermore, human gut health benefits of relevant properties of fermented slurries of barley flour were also evaluated based on growth of Kefir culture and subsequent determination of anti-bacterial potential against pathogenic human ulcer causing bacteria Helicobacter pylori. Kefir culture-mediated fermentation of 48-h sprouted barley flours improved the TSP content and associated antioxidant and anti-hyperglycemic functionalities. Additionally, anti-bacterial potential against H. pylori and sustaining active growth of viable LAB cells above the minimum level required for probiotic activity were also observed in fermented food barley flour slurries.

Operational Variables on the Processing of Porous Titanium Bodies by Gelation of Slurries with an Expansive Porogen

Colloidal processing techniques, based on the suspension of powders in a liquid, are very versatile techniques to fabricate porous structures. They can provide customized pores, shapes and surfaces through the control of operational parameters, being the base of the alternative additive manufacture processes. In this work disperse and stable titanium aqueous slurries has been formulated in order to process porous materials by the incorporation of methylcellulose (MC) as a gelation agent and ammonium bicarbonate as an expansive porogen. After casting the slurries and heating at mild temperatures (60–80 °C) the methylcellulose gels and traps the gas bubbles generated by the ammonium bicarbonate decomposition to finally obtain stiff porous green structures. Using an experimental design method, the influence of the temperature as well as the concentration of gelation agent and porogen on the viscosity, apparent density and pore size distribution is analyzed by a second-order polynomial function in order to identifying the influence of the operating variables in the green titanium porous compact. After sintering at 1100 °C under high vacuum, titanium sponges with 39% of open porosity and almost no close porosity were obtained.

Roll‐to‐roll manufacturing method of aqueous‐processed thick LiNi 0.5 Mn 0.3 Co 0.2 O 2 electrodes for lithium‐ion batteries

Aqueous-based slurry media for cathode electrode production offers a cleaner and safer environment during the electrode manufacturing step compared with the conventional organic solvent-based method used in the lithium-ion battery industry. In this work, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) water-based binders are used to prepare LiNi0.5Mn0.3Co0.2O2 (NMC) cathode electrode. Detail electrochemical analysis reveals that the optimum mass ratio of CMC:SBR mixture is 1:2 when preparing an aqueous slurry for the NMC electrode. To mitigate particle cracking phenomenon during electrode drying step and obtain higher mass loading, a multi-layer coating technique is implemented. CMC-PEO binder mixture in aqueous media is also studied as an alternative aqueous processing method for NMC electrodes. The electrodes prepared with CMC-PEO mixture are demonstrated to be all crack-free, and electrochemical results indicate that the optimum mass loading of NMC electrode is between 15 and 18 mg cm−2. This method is further tested in pouch cell format using a roll-to-roll pilot-scale production line to show the feasibility for commercial applications. Remarkably, pouch cell results manifest that aqueous-processed NMC cathode against graphite anode maintains its 89% capacity at 1C even after 1000 cycles. Highlights Water-based binders of carboxymethyl cellulose-poly(ethylene oxide) provide excellent cycling stability for LiNi0.5Mn0.3Co0.2O2 electrode. Multilayer coating allows electrodes for higher loadings without any crack formation. The water-based electrode preparation method is validated by pilot scale roll-to-roll electrode production line.

Enzymatic depolymerization of highly crystalline polyethylene terephthalate enabled in moist-solid reaction mixtures.

Less than 9% of the plastic produced is recycled after use, contributing to the global plastic pollution problem. While polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the most common plastics, its thermomechanical recycling generates a material of lesser quality. Enzymes are highly selective, renewable catalysts active at mild temperatures; however, they lack activity toward the more crystalline forms of PET commonly found in consumer plastics, requiring the energy-expensive melt-amorphization step of PET before enzymatic depolymerization. We report here that, when used in moist-solid reaction mixtures instead of the typical dilute aqueous solutions or slurries, the cutinase from Humicola insolens can directly depolymerize amorphous and crystalline regions of PET equally, without any pretreatment, with a 13-fold higher space-time yield and a 15-fold higher enzyme efficiency than reported in prior studies with high-crystallinity material. Further, this process shows a 26-fold selectivity for terephthalic acid over other hydrolysis products.

Measurement of solids concentration in aqueous slurries for monitoring the solids recovery in solid bowl centrifugation

Solid bowl centrifugation (SBC) is widely used for various solid-liquid separation tasks in mineral and coal processing. The SBC often suffers from a relatively high solids loss during the separation process, mainly owing to lack of an effective tool that can monitor the solids recovery. Despite its importance, the information on monitoring the solids recovery in the solid bowl centrifugation is scarce. In the present study, a strong correlation between an index (defined as the ratio of the solids concentration of the effluent by weight to the solids concentration of the feed by weight) and the solids recovery in solid bowl centrifugation was identified based on analysis of the data available in the literature. In an attempt to use this correlation for monitoring the solids recovery, a novel solids concentration measuring tool was developed to measure the solids concentration of a slurry. The tool consists of a slurry image acquisition apparatus and the backend interpolation algorithm to retrieve the concentration information from the recorded slurry images. A hybrid of the convolutional neural network and the long short-term memory network, coined as SConcNet, was built and trained with a newly created database. The SConcNet achieved a high level of accuracy and reliability in measuring the solids concentration by weight. The potential of using the index and the developed solids concentration measurement method to monitor the solids recovery of the SBC in real-time was also discussed.