Extraction System Research Articles

Fan assisted extraction and low pressure chromatographic system with a phenyl monolithic column for amperometric determination of volatile α-dicarbonyl compounds in coffee brews

In this work, a low pressure chromatographic system featuring a single 0.5 cm length phenyl monolithic column and an amperometric detector was developed to determine volatile ⍺-dicarbonyl compounds in coffee brews. The analytical strategy relied on the extraction of the volatile ⍺-dicarbonyl compounds and their derivatization with o-phenylenediamine, prior to the determination of the resulting quinoxaline derivative compounds in the designed chromatographic system. The studies of the mobile phase composition and electrochemical conditions are presented. The extraction of the volatile ⍺-dicarbonyl compounds was performed resourcing to a recent approach based on the fan assisted extraction system. This system performs the full evaporation technique and allowed the quantitative recovery (>85 %) of diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione from the coffee brew based on the following experimental conditions: sample volume 30 µL, extraction period 15 min, acceptor solution (water, acetonitrile, 90:10, v/v) volume 400 µL, and sample temperature 50 °C. The developed method showed no matrix effect for different coffee brews and the quantification of the studied analytes can be performed through the external calibration method. Detection limits of 3.6 × 10−6 mol/L for diacetyl and 12.9 × 10−6 mol/L for 2,3-pentanedione were obtained. Sample analysis rate was of 5 h−1 and the acetonitrile consumption was of ca. 450 µL per chromatographic run.

Design of green DES-based aqueous two phase systems for lipolytic enzymes extraction

This study pioneers a novel green and cost-effective separation process using reline deep eutectic solvent (DES) for extracting Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase (TlL) from aqueous solutions. For the first time, it has been shown that various potassium organic salts combined with reline DES can induce phase separation in aqueous solutions of the biodegradable non-ionic surfactant Tergitol 15-S9, presenting a groundbreaking alternative to the banned surfactant Triton X-100. This work uniquely applies three different equations to describe the experimental solubility curves. The selection of reline DES is particularly innovative as it avoids significant deactivation effects with three commercial lipases: Candida antarctica lipases A and B, and TlL, with the latter undergoing a detailed study. This includes an unprecedented analysis of its thermodeactivation kinetics in reline DES aqueous solutions. Additionally, a novel investigation of immiscibility regions at different temperatures, involving comprehensive Tie-Line characterizations (slope and length), preceded the evaluation of lipase extraction. Remarkably, the study demonstrates that optimizing the feed composition to contain higher water concentrations can achieve exceptionally high extraction efficiencies (approximately 90%), suggesting a transformative potential for future applications in real aqueous cultures.

Highly selective extraction of aluminum from chloride and sulfate solutions using a mixture of alkoxycarboxylic acid and tributyl phosphate

Four different solvent extraction systems are compared for aluminum (Al) separation in the presence of alkali metals, alkaline-earth metals, and transition metals. The octoxyacetic acid (OOA acid) is utilized as an Al extraction reagent for the first time, exhibiting high selectivity for Al. The impacts of the concentration of extractants, the equilibrium pH of the aqueous phase, and the concentration of phase modifier were studied systemically. The results indicate that the Al extraction efficiency using OOA/TBP (tributyl phosphate) system could reach 98.9 ± 0.63 % via a single-step solvent extraction process while maintaining negligible extraction for the other metal ions at the pH value of ∼ 4.2. Meanwhile, the separation factors (β) of Al over magnesium, calcium, manganese, cobalt and nickel reach the maximum values (βAl/Mg = 285157, βAl/Ca = 18275, βAl/Mn = 19271, βAl/Co = 10814, βAl/Ni = 5969). Slope analysis and infrared spectroscopic characterization confirm that the extraction of Al by the OOA/TBP system follows the cation exchange mechanism. The OOA/TBP solvent extraction system is promising for the efficient separation of Al, with potential applications in a wide range of practical scenarios.

Theories, Techniques and Materials for Sealing Coalbed Methane Extraction Boreholes in Underground Mines: A Review

To further enhance the intelligent technology, platformisation, and systematisation of coalbed methane extraction sealing technology, this paper analyses the research progress of theories, technologies, and sealing materials related to coalbed methane extraction sealing and systematically summarises the latest achievements of the basic theories, key technologies, and sealing materials of coalbed methane extraction. Considering the increasing mining depth, advancements in intelligent technology, and the evolving landscape of coalbed methane development, it is particularly important to establish a more comprehensive coalbed methane extraction borehole sealing system. Based on this, future development trends and research prospects are proposed: In terms of coalbed-methane-extraction-related theories, there should be a stronger focus on fundamental research such as on gas flow within the coal matrix. For coalbed methane extraction borehole sealing technologies and devices, efforts should be made to enhance research on intelligent, platform-based, and systematic approaches, while adapting to the application of directional long borehole sealing processes. In terms of coalbed methane extraction borehole leakage detection, non-contact measurement and non-destructive monitoring methods should be employed to achieve dynamic monitoring and early warning of methane leaks, integrating these technologies into coalbed methane extraction system platforms. For coalbed methane extraction borehole sealing materials, further development is needed for liquid sealing materials that address borehole creep and the development of fractures in surrounding rock, as well as solid sealing materials with Poisson’s ratios similar to that of the surrounding rock mass.

Packing Incubation and Addition of Rot Fungi Extracts Improve BTEX Elimination from Air in Biotrickling Filters.

The removal of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) from air was investigated in two similar biotrickling filters (BTFs) packed with polyurethane (PU) foam, differing in terms of inoculation procedure (BTF A was packed with pre-incubated PU discs, and BTF B was inoculated via the continuous recirculation of a liquid inoculum). The effects of white rot fungi enzyme extract addition and system responses to variable VOC loading, liquid trickling patterns, and pH were studied. Positive effects of both packing incubation and enzyme addition on biotrickling filtration performance were identified. BFF A exhibited a shorter start-up period (approximately 20 days) and lower pressure drop (75 ± 6 mm H2O) than BTF B (30 days; 86 ± 5 mm H2O), indicating the superior effects of packing incubation over inoculum circulation during the biotrickling filter start-up. The novel approach of using white rot fungi extracts resulted in fast system recovery and enhanced process performance after the BTF acidification episode. Average BTEX elimination capacities of 28.8 ± 0.4 g/(m3 h) and 23.1 ± 0.4 g/(m3 h) were reached for BTF A and BTF B, respectively. This study presents new strategies for controlling and improving the abatement of BTEX in biotrickling filters.

Evaluation of the presence of emerging contaminants in wastewater and seawater using automated solid-phase extraction and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry

The presence of emerging contaminants in water constitutes one of the main ways of human exposure to them, which can cause severe effects on health. In this sense, their adequate elimination through appropriate treatments plays a fundamental role, being necessary to monitor the effluents from wastewater treatment plants, as well as the areas close to their discharge. The aim of the present work has been the development and validation of an analytical methodology to determine 15 organic contaminants of emerging concern in wastewater as well as in seawater samples using an automated solid-phase extraction system and an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry instrument. Matrix-matched calibration showed good linearity with determination coefficients ≥ 0.990. Likewise, matrix effect assessment showed a significant signal suppression in almost all the analytes demonstrating the need to consider such effect for a proper quantification of the analytes. Recovery values ranged from 74.7 to 109% with relative standard deviation values ≤ 20.5% for most analytes. Regarding seawater and wastewater samples, 11 of the target analytes were detected in, at least, one sample at concentrations from below limit of quantification of the method to 217 ± 92 ng l-1 in seawater and up to 2340 ± 107 ng l-1 in wastewater samples.

Extraction of rare earth ions using thermomorphic ionic liquid: In situ spatial and temporal distribution combined with thermodynamic description

Homogeneous Liquid–Liquid Extraction (HLLE) provides a valuable opportunity for recycling Rare Earth Elements (REE) by circumventing the liquid–liquid interface and avoiding the problems linked to the high viscosity of ionic liquids (IL). For optimizing these processes with the ultimate goal of implementing them at the industrial scale, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms at play at various scales. In this study, we focused on the extraction of two REE elements, La(III) and Ce(III) with an HLLE system composed of the IL [Chol][TFSI], water and betaine as the extractant. We first established the phase diagram of [Chol][TFSI]/betaine/water using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. We then determined the efficiency E and distribution ratio D of the HLLE for different betaine concentrations. HLLE was modeled thermodynamically to access the most likely number of betaine molecules involved in the extraction process, which appears to be 2. Finally, we monitored in situ the extraction using X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) at the K-edge of both lanthanum and cerium. It allowed us on one hand, to get some insight into the local environment around the REE, and on the other hand to measure the local concentration of REE at each position within the extraction system. In this latter process, we could evidence an accumulation of REE accumulates close to the liquid–liquid interface, a feature that was suggested by some recent simulations.

A strategy for treatment of low-grade ore: Efficient separation and purification of iron

The gradual depletion of mineral resources has led to the emergence of a new engineering challenge in the field of mineral processing: the effective treatment of low-grade ores. In this study, the low-grade titanium ore leaching solution was employed as the raw material. The extraction ability of a series of hydroxyl extractants for the most common metal iron in minerals was investigated. As a result, a new high-quality processing system for low-grade ore with branched-chain octanol as the core component was constructed. In the treatment of mineral leaching solution, branched-chain octanol has high selectivity and large capacity (111.7 g/L) for iron. It was capable of efficiently removing a significant quantity of iron ions in low-grade ores that were not anticipated to be present. By employing quantum chemical (QC) methodologies, the mechanism for the high selectivity of branched-chain octanol for Fe(Ⅲ) has been elucidated by analyzing the frontier molecular orbital (FMO) energy of acid salts of common metals in minerals. Combined with spectral analysis and slope method, the structure of the extracted complex was confirmed to be [n-R8-OH]2·H·FeCl4. On the basis of system optimization, a three-stage countercurrent extraction and three-stage countercurrent stripping was employed to remove all the Fe(Ⅲ) in the mineral leaching solution. And after detecting, the purity of the obtained Fe(III) solution was greater than 99.5 %. In the treatment of low-grade minerals, especially those containing key metals, the branched-chain octanol extraction system demonstrates high selectivity and reliability, which is a effective means to improve the quality of mineral leaching solution.

Research on Production Operation System of Sucker Rod Pumping Units

Oil is the most important raw material in modern industry, and its extraction mainly relies on natural flow and artificial lifting. Sucker rod pumping is currently the most widely used method of artificial lifting for mechanical oil extraction, accounting for about 60% to 70% of all methods. This paper deeply explores the theoretical methods involved in the production operation process of sucker rod pumping units. From the perspective of sucker rod pumping unit production operation, a literature review is conducted on the flow patterns in the wellbore, pump efficiency analysis, and intermittent oil extraction systems, clarifying the optimization objectives of liquid production and system efficiency, and sorting out from the aspects of dynamic liquid level, pump efficiency, reasonable submergence depth, and intermittent operation systems. Through in-depth analysis of these key areas, a solid methodological foundation is provided for the future design and development of sucker rod pumping unit production operation systems.

Triple synergistic effects of bismuth doping in spinel-LiMn2O4: A path to high-performance electrochemical lithium extraction from salt-lake brine

The electrochemical extraction of lithium-ion from salt-lake brine has attracted significant global interest due to the rising requirement for lithium resources. The electrochemical extraction system based on LiMn2O4 has emerged as one of the most promising methods for commercial lithium extraction. However, the dissolution of manganese in LiMn2O4 material, caused by the Jahn-Teller effect, poses a significant obstacle to achieving large lithium extraction capacity and long lifespan simultaneously. In this study, we addressed the issue by incorporating Bi3+ into the material. The resulted LMBO material displays a truncated octahedral morphology, with {100} crystal faces facilitating Li+ diffusion. Additionally, Bi3+-doping inhibits the Jahn-Teller effect and expands the Li+ diffusion pathway, thereby, enhancing the stability and Li+ diffusion rate of LMO. In particular, LMBO-2 material exhibits an excellent lithium ion diffusion rate of 2.03 × 10−9 cm2·s−1, and demonstrates outstanding Li+ release efficiency, which reaches 26.46 mg·g−1 per cycle with an average energy consumption of 2.04 Wh·mol−1 in the 30 mmol⋅L−1 simulated salt-lake brine. In simulated Zabuye brine solution, LMBO//Ag system displayed an admirably release capacity of 26.17 mg·g−1 characterized by an ultra-low Li/Na ratio, with Li/Na ratio in recovery solution reaching as high as 0.54. These significant findings advance practical applications of LiMn2O4 in brine lithium extraction processes.

In-vitro blood purification using tiny pinch holographic optical tweezers based on deep learning

In-vitro blood purification is essential to a wide range of medical treatments, requiring fine-grained analysis and precise separation of blood components. Despite existing methods that can extract specific components from blood by size or by magnetism, there is not yet a general approach to efficiently filter blood components on demand. In this work, we introduce the first programmable non-contact blood purification system for accurate blood component detection and extraction. To accurately identify different cells and artificial particles in the blood, we collected and annotated a new blood component object detection dataset and trained a collection of deep-learning-based object detectors upon it. To precisely capture and extract desired blood components, we fabricated a microfluidic chip and set up a customized holographic optical tweezer to trap and move cells/particles in the blood. Empirically, we demonstrate that our proposed system can perform real-time blood fractionation with high precision reaching up to 96.89%, as well as high efficiency. Its scalability and flexibility open new research directions in blood treatment.

Exploring nematicidal biomolecules from Xenorhabdus nematophila as a novel source for Meloidogyne incognita management

Attempts were made to evaluate the purified bioactive compounds of Xenorhabdus nematophila against Meloidogyne incognita. In order to extract the purified compounds, a solid-supported liquid-liquid extraction system with a flow rate (1 mL/min) was used to purify bioactive molecules. Compounds were individually collected concentrated and evaluated against M. incognita. Among 25 fractions the L19 fraction, exhibited 98% inhibition in egg hatching and mortality of juveniles. The biomolecules were identified through Liquid Chromatography- Mass Spectroscopy (LC-MS) technique. To decipher the mode of action of compounds, molecular docking studies were performed with potential protein targets such as acetylcholinesterase, β-1,4-endoglucanase, glutathione S-transferase-1, cytochrome c oxidase, G-protein coupled receptor and Fatty acid and retinol-binding proteins of M. incognita. The results revealed that among eight compounds from the L19 fraction, malonate and pidopidon exhibited greater binding affinity towards the selected protein targets of M. incognita. In vitro studies with malonate and pidopidon against M. incognita showcased a 99% reduction in egg hatching and juvenile mortality. Moreover, greenhouse experiments revealed that malonate compounds not only reduced 94% of the M. incognita population but also enhanced the plant growth parameters in tomato by 60%. Hence the present study stands novel in exploiting the nematicidal compounds from X. nematophila giving limelight to explore pidopidon and malonate as novel nematicidal compounds for the management of M. incognita.

Innovative Microwave System for Safe and Efficient Coalbed Methane Extraction: Design, Implementation, and Field Applications

Innovative Microwave System for Safe and Efficient Coalbed Methane Extraction: Design, Implementation, and Field Applications

A natural language processing system for the efficient extraction of cell markers

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has emerged as a pivotal tool for exploring cellular landscapes across diverse species and tissues. Precise annotation of cell types is essential for understanding these landscapes, relying heavily on empirical knowledge and curated cell marker databases. In this study, we introduce MarkerGeneBERT, a natural language processing (NLP) system designed to extract critical information from the literature regarding species, tissues, cell types, and cell marker genes in the context of single-cell sequencing studies. Leveraging MarkerGeneBERT, we systematically parsed full-text articles from 3702 single-cell sequencing-related studies, yielding a comprehensive collection of 7901 cell markers representing 1606 cell types across 425 human tissues/subtissues, and 8223 cell markers representing 1674 cell types across 482 mouse tissues/subtissues. Comparative analysis against manually curated databases demonstrated that our approach achieved 76% completeness and 75% accuracy, while also unveiling 89 cell types and 183 marker genes absent from existing databases. Furthermore, we successfully applied the compiled brain tissue marker gene list from MarkerGeneBERT to annotate scRNA-seq data, yielding results consistent with original studies. Conclusions: Our findings underscore the efficacy of NLP-based methods in expediting and augmenting the annotation and interpretation of scRNA-seq data, providing a systematic demonstration of the transformative potential of this approach. The 27323 manual reviewed sentences for training MarkerGeneBERT and the source code are hosted at https://github.com/chengpeng1116/MarkerGeneBERT.

Development of luminescent probes for real-time detection of the CDK/PP2A balance during the cell cycle.

From a biochemical viewpoint, the cell cycle is controlled by the phosphorylation of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) substrates, and the phosphorylation level is determined by the enzymatic balance between CDK and protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). However, the conventional techniques for analyzing protein phosphorylation using radioisotopes and antibodies involve many operational steps and take days before obtaining results, making them difficult to apply to high-throughput screening and real-time observations. In this study, we developed luminescent probes with a light intensity that changes depending on its phosphorylation state. We modified the Nano-lantern probe (Renilla luciferase-based Ca2+ probe) by introducing a CDK-substrate peptide and a phosphopeptide-binding domain into the luciferase. Our initial trial resulted in new probes that could report the CDK/PP2A balance in a purified system. Further modifications of these probes (replacing the phospho-Ser with phospho-Thr and randomly replacing its surrounding amino acids) improved the dynamic range by up to four-fold, making them practical for use in the Xenopus egg extracts system, where many physiological events can be reproduced. Taken together, our new probes enabled the monitoring of the CDK/PP2A balance in real time, and are applicable to high-throughput systems; the new probes thus appear promising for use in substrate and drug screening.

Photothermal-enhanced ion transport for efficient electrochemical lithium extraction at low temperatures

The demand for lithium (Li) resources is booming due to the widespread applications of Li-ion batteries recently. Electrochemically extracting lithium from brines is a promising approach to address the shortage of Li resources. However, when working at low temperatures, which are inevitable in frigid salt lakes, the performance is severely deteriorated due to depressed transport kinetics. Herein, we addressed this issue by constructing a new electrochemical lithium extraction system using polypyrrole-coated FePO4 as the electrode material, which exhibits superior performance at low temperatures due to photothermal effect of polypyrrole. At an ambient temperature of 5 °C and irradiated with sunlight, this system achieved a lithium intercalation capacity of 5.84 mmol g−1 (2.72 times higher than that without solar irradiation) at an extraction rate of 5.92 mmol g−1 h−1 from a 15 mM LiCl solution, and a selectivity of 124 towards Li over Mg. After 5000 cycles of continuous operation, the system still retained 81 % of its initial capacity at a current density of 50 A m−2. The proposed photothermal-enhanced electrochemical lithium extraction system has great application potential for lithium extraction from brine at low-temperature regions.

Extraction System for the Spectrophotometric Determination of Tungsten(VI) with 4-Nitrocatechol and Benzalkonium Chloride.

A novel chromogenic system for the liquid-liquid extraction and determination of trace amounts of tungsten(VI) was investigated. The system comprises 4-nitrocatechol (4NC) as a chromogenic reagent, sulfuric acid as a complexing medium, and benzalkonium chloride (BAC) as a source of bulky cations (BA+), which readily form chloroform-extractable ion-association complexes. The impact of foreign ions and reagents was studied, and the optimal conditions for the sensitive, selective, and inexpensive determination of tungsten(VI) were identified. The limit of detection, linear working range, and molar absorptivity at lmax (422 nm) were determined to be 31 ng cm-3, 0.1-4.4 µg cm-3, and 5.49 × 104 dm3 mol-1 cm-1, respectively. The composition of the extracted complex was 1:2:2 (W:4NC:BA). Two potential structures of its anionic component, [WO2(4NC)2]2-, were discussed based on optimizations at the B3LYP/CEP-4G theoretical level and comparison between theoretical and experimental spectra.

Selective leaching of lithium from mixed spent lithium iron phosphate powder

In recent years, lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries have been widely used in the electric vehicle industry. The recycling of spent LFP will be propitious to conserving resources and alleviating the environmental risks it poses. In this study, a selective extraction method for lithium from spent LFP was proposed using nitric acid. Lithium leached into the liquid phase, while P and Fe remained in the leaching residue. Under the conditions of 120°C, HNO3/Li molar ratio of 2, and time of 2 h, the leaching efficiency of lithium reached 99.5 %, with a selectivity reaching 82.1 %. Initially, LFP was decomposed to liberate Li, Fe, and P in the liquid phase. Subsequently, ferrous ions were oxidized to trivalent, high-valent iron ions re-precipitated as FePO4·2 H2O. Thermodynamic calculations indicate that the temperature and pH value of the extraction system have significant influence on both the oxidation and reprecipitation steps. An imbalance of Fe/P ratio (<1) in the raw material hinders the selectivity of lithium extraction, and supplementing this portion of Fe can enhance the selectivity to over 90 %. Additionally, LiCO3 and anhydrous FePO4 were effectively regenerated from the leachate and residue. This study provides a novel approach for the recycling of spent LFP and probably contributes to the sustainability of the lithium ion battery industry.

Economic evaluation of pressurized liquid extraction system scale-up: a potential new business opportunity for yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis St.-Hil.) waste reuse

ABSTRACT Yerba mate processing generates large quantities of a residue with similar bioactive properties to the main product. The pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) strategy was recently proposed to obtain bioactive extracts from this waste on a laboratory scale. However, to verify the techno-economic viability of the PLE method scale-up in the yerba mate waste extract obtaining, we initially tested three different modeling approaches to fit the experimental data: Peleg’s, Second-order, and Logarithmic models. Also, we used the PLE conditions that maximized the extract total phenolic content (TPC) to evaluate the process’s economic feasibility through the cost of manufacturing (COM) estimation to different capacities: 50, 100, and 500 L. A sensitivity analysis was performed considering different selling prices. Peleg’s and Second-order models were the most suitable strategies to describe the extraction process. The dry extract COM reduced sensibly according to the increase of the process scale. Sensitivity analysis results suggest promising scenarios for selling dry extract. Our analyses indicated that PLE can be an economically feasible strategy to obtain valuable extracts from the yerba mate residue considering different selling prices and scale conditions. These results can orientate the yerba mate industries to create new products from industrial waste and maximize their profits.

The Occurrence of Chlamydia felis in Cats and Dogs in Hungary.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that many human infections are zoonoses, creating a worldwide public health challenge. Among Chlamydia species, Chlamydia felis is the leading cause of conjunctivitis in cats and is a prominent zoonotic species. This study aimed to determine the occurrence and risk of chlamydiosis in cats and dogs in Szeged, Hungary, and surrounding areas. The total nucleic acids from conjunctival swab samples of symptomatic and asymptomatic animals were extracted using an automated nucleic acid extraction system. After that, DNA was amplified by pan-chlamydia PCR. Bacterial and fungal cultures were also performed to detect other microorganisms. Of the 93 animals, 32 (34.4%) were positive for pan-chlamydia PCR. The positivity rates were 33.3% (26/78) in cats and 40.0% (6/15) in dogs. Furthermore, the positivity rates were 37.2% (16/43) in the cat shelter, 42.4% (14/33) in the veterinary clinic, and 11.7% (2/17) in household pets. In total, 103 species were identified through culture-based examinations, including 97 (94.2%) bacterial and 6 fungal (5.8%) species. From both human and animal health perspectives, it is essential to have a detailed understanding of the circumstances of chlamydiosis, given the global impact of zoonotic diseases.