Facile Process Research Articles

One-Step Synthesis of Graphene-Covered Silver Nanowires with Enhanced Stability for Heating and Strain Sensing.

Solution-processed silver nanowire (AgNW) networks have been considered as promising electrode candidates for next-generation electronic devices. However, they suffer from poor thermal and electrical stability and low mechanical properties, hindering their practical applications. In this work, graphene nanosheets are successfully introduced into AgNW via a facile one-step solvothermal process. Benefiting from increased conductive paths, the resultant AgNW/graphene films exhibit high electrical conductivity. More importantly, the interlocking NW morphology can be maintained under high temperature and applied voltage due to suppressed Ag migration, which is enabled by the introduction of graphene. This feature leads to enhanced thermal and electrical stability, making them suitable for use as transparent heaters. Furthermore, the composite films present excellent mechanical performance, and negligible resistance change is observed after 10 000 repeated bending cycles. To demonstrate their feasibility toward sensor applications, sandwiched strain sensors are designed, which can endure larger tensile strains and show higher sensitivity and repeatability compared with pure AgNW-based device. Furthermore, various hand gestures can be easily recognized by the resultant sensors based on unique combinations of sensing response. This work not only provides a low-cost method to realize large-scale synthesis of AgNW/graphene composites but also offers guidance to prepare high-performance electrodes for advanced electronics.

Assessment of Rural Industry Integration Development, Spatiotemporal Evolution Characteristics, and Regional Disparities in Ethnic Regions: A Case Study of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Counties

Ethnic regions in China primarily focus on the development of agricultural and animal husbandry economies, which are relatively underdeveloped. Rural industry integration development (RIID) is considered the foundation and guarantee for ethnic regions to achieve high-quality modernization of agriculture. The purpose of this article is to measure the level of rural industrial integration in ethnic minority areas, analyze the spatial evolution and regional differences, and explore the actual situation of RIID in these regions. The aim is to provide a decision-making basis for local governments to effectively promote the development of rural industrial integration. Based on the improvement of the evaluation index system for rural industrial integration development, this paper takes the counties of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region as the research area. Utilizing panel data from the statistical yearbooks of 68 banners and counties in Inner Mongolia from 2011 to 2020, the panel entropy weight TOPSIS method is employed to assess the average level of rural industrial integration in the research area. The ArcGIS natural breakpoint method is employed to classify the level of RIID in county areas. Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA) and GeoDa are utilized to analyze the spatial distribution characteristics of RIID. Finally, the Theil index is employed to analyze the regional differences in the level of RIID. The results show the following: (1) The overall level of RIID in ethnic regions is relatively low, with the contributions of the four dimensions in the evaluation index system as follows: integration path > integration foundation > integration sustainability > integration effect. The level of RIID in the study area is as follows: western region > eastern region > central region. (2) Spatially, there are positive correlations and significant spatial clustering in the level of RIID, with the spatial clustering effect of RIID weakening. (3) There are regional differences in the level of RIID, which are expanding. The inter-regional differences are decreasing, while the intra-regional differences are increasing. (4) The construction of agricultural processing facilities, financial investment, financial support, and talent policies are important influencing factors for the current stage of RIID in ethnic regions. Therefore, in the low-level development stage of RIID in ethnic regions, it is necessary to fully utilize the advantages of resource endowment, increase investment in rural infrastructure, and strengthen the guidance of talent flow into rural revitalization construction.

Low Temperature Pyrolysis and Exfoliation of Waste Printed Circuit Boards: Recovery of High Purity Copper Foils

Although several techniques have been developed to extract copper from waste printed circuit boards (PCBs), there remain several challenges regarding energy consumption, local area contamination and environmental damage. A novel technique has been developed for extracting copper foils from waste PCBs based on low temperature pyrolysis followed by exfoliation to overcome these issues. The standard pretreatment steps of removing electronic components from PCBs and mechanical processing/size-reduction/powdering, etc., were minimized in this study. Several unsorted ‘as received’ PCBs were heat treated in the temperature range 750–850 °C for 5–20 min. in an argon atmosphere. Brittle dark chars and other residues on the heat-treated specimens were scrapped off to separate copper foils and other residuals. Most of the electronic components mounted on PCBs had dropped off during the heat treatment. Good-quality copper foils were recovered in all cases; the purity of copper was in excess of 85 wt.%. Key impurities present were Pb, Sn and Zn with typical concentrations less than 4 wt.%. Key features of the technique include minimizing energy intensive pre-treatment processes and waste handling, low pyrolysis temperatures and short heating times. This energy-efficient approach has the potential to enhance resource recovery while reducing the loss of materials, local area contamination and pollution near e-waste processing facilities.

Role of anionic surfactant addition in improving thermoelectric properties of PEDOT:PSS free-standing films

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) has recently gained interest as a potential candidate for small-scale thermoelectric conversion because of the facile doping, solution processability, and flexibility. However, the practical applications of PEDOT:PSS are limited by its comparatively low figure of merit (ZT) compared with inorganic thermoelectric materials. Herein, to further improve the thermoelectric properties of PEDOT:PSS, we investigated the role of the addition of surfactants, sodium dodecyl sulfate, sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate (SDBS) or Triton X-100, to the PEDOT:PSS free-standing films on their thermoelectric properties. We showed that the addition of the surfactant improved the film crystallinity, significantly improving the electrical conductivity. The highest conductivity was obtained for anionic surfactant SDBS at a 0.94 wt% concentration. Moreover, the inclusion of the surfactant reduced the thermal conductivity while maintaining a relatively constant Seebeck coefficient, consequently improving the ZT value. Furthermore, a flexible thermoelectric device crafted from the as-fabricated PEDOT:PSS/SDBS sheets was developed to explore the potential applications of wearable electronics using low-grade thermal energy. Overall, we indicate the significance of surfactants in enhancing the thermoelectric properties of free-standing PEDOT:PSS films in this study.

In Situ Buried Interface Engineering towards Printable Pb-Sn Perovskite Solar Cells.

High-efficiency Pb-Sn narrow-bandgap perovskite solar cells (PSCs) heavily rely on PEDOT:PSS as the hole-transport layer (HTL) owing to its excellent electrical conductivity, dopant-free nature, and facile solution processability. However, the shallow work function (WF) of PEDOT:PSS consequently results in severe minority carrier recombination at the perovskite/HTL interface. Here, we tackle this issue by an in situ interface engineering strategy using a new molecule called 2-fluoro benzylammonium iodide (FBI) that suppresses nonradiative recombination near the Pb-Sn perovskite (FA0.6MA0.4Pb0.4Sn0.6I3)/HTL bottom interface. The WF of PEDOT:PSS increases by 0.1 eV with FBI modification, resulting in Pb-Sn PSCs with 20.5% efficiency and an impressive VOC of 0.843 V. Finally, we have successfully transferred our in situ buried interface modification strategy to fabricate blade-coated FA0.6MA0.4Pb0.4Sn0.6I3 PSCs with 18.3% efficiency and an exceptionally high VOC of 0.845 V.

In Situ Formation of an Artificial Lithium Oxalate-Rich Solid Electrolyte Interphase on 3D Ni Host for Highly Stable Lithium Metal Batteries.

Li metal, with a high theoretical capacity, is considered the most promising anode for next-generation high-energy-density batteries. However, the commercialization of the Li metal anode is limited owing to its high reactivity, significant volume expansion, continuous solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer degradation caused by undesirable Li deposition, and uncontrollable dendrite growth. This study demonstrates the in situ construction of a Li2C2O4-enriched SEI layer from NiC2O4 nanowires on three-dimensional Ni foam. The lithiophilic Li2C2O4-enriched SEI layer provides a uniform distribution of the electrical field and sufficient nucleation and deposition sites for Li without dendrite formation. Consequently, the stable Li2C2O4-enriched SEI layer successfully inhibits the formation of lithium dendrites, resulting in reversible Li stripping/plating behavior, maintained over an extended period of 5000 h with a deposition capacity of 1 mAh cm-2 at 1 mA cm-2. Additionally, a high cycling stability is observed in the full cell test with ∼70% capacity retention after 1300 cycles at 3 C. This approach offers a large-scale and facile synthesis process via the in situ precipitation growth of NiC2O4 followed by lithiation to form Li2C2O4. Furthermore, the significant stability of the Li2C2O4-enriched SEI layer aids the design of in situ-constructed SEI layers for highly stable Li metal batteries.

Development of three-dimensional iron-doped cobalt phosphides nanorod arrays coupled on nickel substrate for effective hydrogen and oxygen production

To reach practical generation of hydrogen energy from water, it is necessary to synthesize bifunctional effective and durable electrocatalyst towards hydrogen evolution and oxygen evolution reaction (HER and OER). However, the slow kinetics of HER and OER at the cathode and anode is the main bottleneck. Herein, a novel fabrication nanostructure of iron-doped cobalt phosphides nanorod arrays on a conducting nickel foam substrate (Fe-CoxPy NR/NF) is developed with uniform spreading of dopant, high catalytic activity area, rapid efficiency of interfacial charge transfer, and long-time operation by using a facile hydrothermal process and phosphidization. The results displayed that Fe-CoxPy NR/NF exhibited an effective overpotential of 98 mV towards HER and 290 mV towards OER at 10 mA cm−2, which are much lower than those individual CoxPy NR and Fe-CoOH NR materials. In addition, the Fe-CoxPy NR/NF show significant stability in 1.0 M KOH, compared to commercial materials.

CO2 sorption of elastomer poly(ionic liquid)s with imidazolium cations having different alkyl chains: Structure-morphology-property relationships and thermodynamic modelling by the PC-SAFT equation of state

In this work related to Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), the CO2 sorption capacities of a new family of elastomer poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) with imidazolium cations having different alkyl chains were studied. These PILs were synthesized by chemical modification of polyepichlorohydrin (polyECH) obtained by living anionic polymerization. PolyECH was quaternized with different 1-alkylimidazoles (alkyl = methyl, n-butyl, and n-hexyl) and followed by anion exchange to obtain three PILs: PIL-Me, PIL-nBu, and PIL-nHex. They were analyzed by NMR (1H, 13C, 2D 1H/13C HSQC, APT 13C) and characterized by SEC, DSC, calorimetry, rheology, and XRD SAXS/WAXS. The influence of the alkyl chain on the PIL CO2 sorption was studied with a magnetic suspension balance (MSB) at 35 °C and CO2 pressures varying from 1 to 10 bar. The best results were obtained with PIL having methyl chains (9.60 mg CO2/g PIL at 1.1 bar and 159.28 mg CO2/g PIL at 10.0 bar at 35 °C). Finally, the CO2 sorption properties of these PILs were modeled with the PC-SAFT equation of state (EoS). The pure-component parameters were obtained from model regression of the PILs densities calculated by the Bondi's and Van Krevelen's methods. The binary interaction parameters of the systems CO2/PIL were optimized with average absolute deviations (AAD) lower than 6.3 % for the three PILs. The PC-SAFT modelling of their sorption properties opens interesting prospects for modelling the CO2 sorption process for CCS facilities.

Potential Consequences of the Use of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells in the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks as the most prevalent of primary liver cancers and stands as the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Early-stage HCC can be effectively managed with available treatment modalities ranging from invasive techniques, such as liver resection and thermoablation, to systemic therapies primarily employing tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Unfortunately, these interventions take a significant toll on the body, either through physical trauma or the adverse effects of pharmacotherapy. Consequently, there is an understandable drive to develop novel HCC therapies. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are a promising therapeutic tool. Their facile extraction process, coupled with the distinctive immunomodulatory capabilities of their secretome, make them an intriguing subject for investigation in both oncology and regenerative medicine. The factors they produce are both enzymes affecting the extracellular matrix (specifically, metalloproteinases and their inhibitors) as well as cytokines and growth factors affecting cell proliferation and invasiveness. So far, the interactions observed with various cancer cell types have not led to clear conclusions. The evidence shows both inhibitory and stimulatory effects on tumor growth. Notably, these effects appear to be dependent on the tumor type, prompting speculation regarding their potential inhibitory impact on HCC. This review briefly synthesizes findings from preclinical and clinical studies examining the effects of ADSCs on cancers, with a specific focus on HCC, and emphasizes the need for further research.

An Analysis of Socio-economic, Marketing and Management Constraints Faced by Beneficiaries after the Integrated Fisheries Development Scheme in Khammam District of Telangana

Aims: This study typically aims to analyze the multifaceted challenges faced by fishers who are the beneficiaries of the Integrated Fisheries Development Scheme (IFDS) in Khammam District of Telangana. Study Design: Ex-post facto research design was used for the study and revealed the constraints faced by beneficiaries after IFDS. Place and Duration of Study: The study was held in Khammam district of Telangana. In Khammam district top 5 mandals with the highest number of beneficiaries were selected for the study. The study lasts from April to May 2024. Methodology: A three-stage random sampling technique was selected for the study with a sampling population of 120 beneficiaries. A well-structured pretested interview schedule was prepared that includes major constraints faced by respondents regarding socio-economic, marketing, and management challenges they faced after IFDS. The constraints were selected from previous literature. Based on ranks given to the listed constraints by respondents, the ranks were analyzed and conclusive results were drawn by using Garette’s ranking Technique. Results: The prime constraint with higher mean score values identified in these categories are in socio-economic constraints where problems in availing loans and insurance with mean score values of 72.06 and 66.31 respectively. In marketing constraints, Lack of proper market infrastructure (73.31) and Lack of processing facilities (61.61) were observed as major constraints. In management constraints, prime constraints observed were the high cost of material inputs (72) and high labor cost (59.91). Along with these major constraints some minor constraints were also identified in the study. Conclusion: Through a comprehensive examination of these constraints, the study seeks to offer insights that can assist policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders in developing strategies to address the challenges encountered by beneficiaries of IFDS in the Khammam district of Telangana. This could potentially have a significant impact on fish productivity and the livelihood of fishers across the state.

Enhanced visible light harvesting in dye-sensitized solar cells through incorporation of solution-processable silver plasmons and anthracite-derived graphene quantum dots

The major setback for the enhanced performance of DSSC is the narrow absorption window and the interfacial exciton recombination. Therefore, in this work, the photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cells has been improved by the synergistic effect of anthracite-derived graphene quantum dots and silver plasmons. GQD and Ag coupled photoanodes were fabricated by a facile solution processable process under room temperature. The as-fabricated DSSC TiO2/Ag/GQD (TAG) exhibited an enhanced power conversion efficiency of 10.5 % with a current density of 22.40 mAcm−2 measured under solar irradiation of 100 mWcm−2 with AM 1.5G. An enhancement surpassing 30.5 % was obtained for the champion cell when compared to the pristine TiO2 based DSSC. Furthermore, this study emphasizes developing a cutting-edge approach for the high-quality use of fossil fuel-derived graphene quantum dots in energy conversion systems, thereby encouraging the green conversion of fossil fuels and broadening the potential of anthracite coal's utilization in energy conversion applications.

Water vapor assisted fabrication of Janus fabric with asymmetric wettability for salt-free and efficient solar desalination

Interfacial solar water evaporation technology (ISWE), capable of extracting clean water from the abundantly available seawater, represents a promising avenue for alleviating structural water scarcity. However, the aggregation of salts on the evaporator surface is difficult to suppress in true seawater desalination, rendering efficient seawater desalination unsustainable. In this work, we propose a universal, environmentally friendly, and easy-to-operate water vapor assisted unidirectional coating strategy to fabricate Janus photothermal fabrics with asymmetric wettability on both sides. A unique porous structured hydroxylated carbon nanotubes (HCNTs)@Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) photothermal coating was formed on cotton fabric by harnessing the spontaneous water vapor diffusion within the fully wetted fabric. This coating not only robustly adhered to the fabric substrate but also endowed the Janus fabric with excellent photothermal performance and outstanding salt aggregation suppression capabilities. The introduction of Janus fabrics into a double-side evaporation mode demonstrated a stable evaporation rate of 1.36 kg m−2h−1 and an energy efficiency of >90 % during the continuous evaporation of true seawater, overcoming the contradiction between salt aggregation suppression and evaporation performance. The facile and sustainable production process of the salt-repellent solar evaporator demonstrated in this work paves the way for the large-scale application of ISWE in seawater desalination.

Improved recovery of lithium from spent lithium-ion batteries by reduction roasting and NaHCO3 leaching

Lithium supply risk is increasing and driving rapid progress in lithium recovery schemes from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). In this study, a facile recycling process consisting mainly of reduction roasting and NaHCO3 leaching was adopted to improve lithium recovery. The Li of spent LiNixCoyMn1−x−yO2 powder were converted to Li2CO3 and LiAlO2 with the reduction effect of C and residual Al in the roasting process. NaHCO3 leaching was utilized to selectively dissolve lithium from Li2CO3 and water-insoluble LiAlO2. The activation energy of NaHCO3 leaching was 9.31 kJ∙mol−1 and the leaching of lithium was a diffusion control reaction. More than 95.19 % lithium was leached and recovered as a Li2CO3 product with a purity of 99.80 %. Thus, this approach provides a green path to selective recovery of lithium with good economics.

Exploring the occurrence of Listeria in biofilms and deciphering the bacterial community in a frozen vegetable producing environment.

The establishment of Listeria (L.) monocytogenes within food processing environments constitutes a significant public health concern. This versatile bacterium demonstrates an exceptional capacity to endure challenging environmental conditions in the food processing environment, where contamination of food products regularly occurs. The diverse repertoire of stress resistance genes, the potential to colonize biofilms, and the support of a co-existing microbiota have been proposed as root causes for the survival of L. monocytogenes in food processing environments. In this study, 71 sites were sampled after cleaning and disinfection in a European frozen vegetable processing facility, where L. monocytogenes in-house clones persisted for years. L. monocytogenes and L. innocua were detected by a culture-dependent method at 14 sampling sites, primarily on conveyor belts and associated parts. The presence of biofilms, as determined by the quantification of bacterial load and the analysis of extracellular matrix components (carbohydrates, proteins, extracellular DNA) was confirmed at nine sites (12.7%). In two cases, L. innocua was detected in a biofilm. Furthermore, we explored the resident microbial community in the processing environment and on biofilm-positive sites, as well as the co-occurrence of bacterial taxa with Listeria by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, and Exiguobacterium dominated the microbial community of the processing environment. Using differential abundance analysis, amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) assigned to Enterobacterales (Enterobacter, Serratia, unclassified Enterobacteriaceae) and Carnobacterium were found to be significantly higher abundant in Listeria-positive samples. Several Pseudomonas ASVs were less abundant in Listeria-positive compared to Listeria-negative samples. Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Janthinobacterium, Brevundimonas, and Exiguobacterium were key players in the microbial community in biofilms, and Exiguobacterium and Janthinobacterium were more relatively abundant in biofilms. Further, the microbial composition varied between the different areas and the surface materials.

DABCO‐catalyzed highly regioselective synthesis of novel 4H‐pyrano[2,3‐b]quinoline derivatives: One‐pot three‐component reaction

AbstractA regioselective synthesis of 4H‐pyrano[2,3‐b]quinoline derivatives via DABCO‐mediated Knoevenagel condensation/heterocyclization sequence has been executed. In this way some new fused heterocyclic compounds were synthesized from 2‐chloroquinoline‐3‐carbaldehyde as a versatile and efficient synthetic building block. The one‐pot three‐component reaction of 2‐chloroquinoline‐3‐carbaldehyde and diverse cyclic active methylenes for construction of highly substituted quinolines scaffold has been accomplished under mild condition. The strategy included herein shows significant advantages, including a facile process with easy purification, excellent yields, wide applicability, available substrates, and cost‐effective/eco‐friendly solvent and catalyst.

Green synthesis of magnetic silver nanocomposite: the photocatalytic performance of nanocomposite to decolorize organic dyes

ABSTRACT The magnetite-silver nanocomposites (Fe3O4-Ag NCs) were synthesized via a facile and green process by Citrus sinensis peel extract. The deposition of silver nanoparticles (NPs) was confirmed by observing an absorption peak at the maximum wavelength at 422 nm in the suspension solution of samples, which is related to silver surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The characteristic diffraction patterns of Fe3O4 and Ag phases were characterized utilizing the XRD patterns and the average size of the crystals was 21 nm. The photocatalytic behavior of Fe3O4-Ag NCs was studied for the destruction of three organic dyes methyl green (MG), methyl orange (MO), and methylene blue (MB) below UV radiation. The effect of the amount of photocatalyst and volume of hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant in the process of dye degradation was also investigated. The complete degradation time of dyes MB, MG, and MO under UV irradiation in the presence of 0.002 g Fe3O4-Ag NCs were 57, 33, and 49 min, respectively. The time of degradation reactions showed the high photocatalytic performance of Fe3O4-Ag NCs. These results proved that the synergistic effect of magnetite in the role of supporting the silver NPs was a significant contribution to the excellent decolorization behavior of Fe3O4-Ag NCs.

Bersama Desa Mangunarga: Membangun Perilaku Hidup Bersih dan Sehat untuk Kehidupan Sejahtera

Waste management remains a major challenge in Indonesia, particularly concerning marine plastic waste and the increase in hazardous waste (B3). The lack of understanding and limited facilities such as TPS-3R and waste banks further exacerbate the situation. In response, we conducted a community service program in Mangunarga Village, Sumedang, West Java, aimed at raising awareness and improving waste management practices. This program included educational workshops and equipping waste processing facilities. The results showed a significant increase in community understanding and behavior related to waste management, with awareness rising from 16.5% to 97.2%, and proper waste sorting practices increasing from 8.2% to 96.3%. The success of this program underscores the importance of community-based approaches and supportive infrastructure in addressing environmental challenges at the local level.

Surveillance of Antimicrobial Use in Long-Term Care Facilities: An Antimicrobial Mapping Survey

ObjectivesTo explore antimicrobial management processes in Australian residential aged care facilities (RACFs), including antimicrobial prescribing, supply, administration, and documentation to inform surveillance activities. DesignVoluntary, online cross-sectional survey. Setting and ParticipantsThe survey was disseminated to all South Australian RACFs (n = 237) seeking participation from an infection prevention and control lead (preferred respondent), a nurse or senior RACF staff member, or an aged care pharmacist. MethodsThe survey was open during May-June 2023. Questions aimed to understand clinical and medication management systems, sources of antimicrobial prescription and supply, management by external health care providers and documentation of antimicrobial administration. A process map of antimicrobial management in RACFs was developed. ResultsOf the 54 RACFs included in the analysis (29.5% response rate), most used an electronic clinical documentation system (74.1%) or a hybrid electronic paper-based system (22.2%). Medication charts were either electronic (81.0%), hybrid (5.6%), or paper-based (13.0%). Antimicrobials were prescribed by the resident's usual general practitioner, but also by locums, hospital or specialist physicians, nurse practitioners, virtual care physicians, and dentists. Oral, topical, and inhaled antimicrobial formulations were usually supplied by community pharmacies, and intravenous formulations were predominately supplied by hospitals for administration by outreach nurses. Almost all RACFs (96.2%) had imprest stock of antimicrobials that included both oral and intravenous formulations. Antimicrobials were predominately administered by an enrolled nurse or a registered nurse. Conclusions and ImplicationsAntimicrobial management in RACFs is complex, particularly during care transitions. Multiple prescribers and sources of antimicrobials, use of different systems for clinical documentation, particularly by external health care providers, and clinical governance relating to imprest supplies were identified as key areas where medication management could be improved. Addressing these gaps will facilitate comprehensive, real-time antimicrobial surveillance in Australian RACFs.

Magnetic and magnetostrictive properties of Cu-doped cobalt ferrite

The Cu-doped cobalt ferrites CuxCo1-xFe2O4 (CCFO) were synthesized by a glycine-nitrate sol-gel auto-combustion method and investigated for structural, magnetic and magnetostrictive properties. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed the formation of single cubic-spinel phase for all the as-prepared powders, followed by the sintered samples with grain sizes around 2.5 µm. The variation in stoichiometric composition can be used to tailor magnetic and magnetostrictive properties. Saturation magnetization MS decreases from 84.8 to 60.4 emu/g with increasing Cu content from x = 0.0 to x = 0.50, accompanied with a reduction in coercivity HC from 1.21 to 0.41 kOe. The introduction Cu into CFO is conductive to the decline in magnetocrystalline anisotropy, giving rise to an improvement in magnetostriction at low applied fields. An optimized composition in the CuxCo1-xFe2O4 ferrites is found to be around x = 0.30, achieving good magnetoelastic properties, i.e., a large saturation magnetostriction (–λS ∼ 240 ppm), a high strain sensitivity (–dλ/dH ∼ 1.44 nm/A), as well as a low magnetocrystalline anisotropy coefficient (K1 ∼ 3.7 × 106 erg/cm3). The excellent magnetoelastic properties and the combination in a facile synthesis process for sintered polycrystalline ferrites, suggest promising prospects in magnetostriction applications.

Coproduction of metal oxide and CO2 through decomposition of carbonate in a moving bed with a central gas-flow channel

During carbonate calcination process, the block ores are often directly heated by high-temperature flue gas, which inevitably dilutes the potentially high-concentration CO2 from carbonate decomposition. In this study, we well implemented the coproduction of lightly burned magnesia (LBM) and high-concentration CO2 through decomposition of small-size magnesite in a devised novel moving bed reactor. The reactor is installed with a central gas-flow channel as internals to convert the moving bed into a radially flowing reactor, making it can process small-size particles. Verification of this design was implemented in an electrically heated pilot-scale facility processing about 10 kg h−1 magnesite (0–6 mm), and gaseous product contains about 99% CO2. Systematic tests employing laboratory fixed bed reactors with and without internals further showed that the thickness of particle layer between the heating wall and the central internals substantially affects heat transfer from outside to the inside, thus influencing the decomposition. It is particularly for magnesite because the formed LBM is both heat-resistant and flame-retardant. Therefore, an updated reactor for small-size carbonates decomposition and coproduction of CO2 is proposed.