Glass Column Research Articles

Simple Laminated Glass Panels with Embedded Point Connection under Short-Term Load

Glass is a very attractive material for contemporary architecture. The trend is to achieve a maximum transparency of structures; therefore it becomes common to use glass as a material for load-bearing structural elements. Glass facades, roofs, beams or columns are widely used in buildings. The problematic part of a glass structure design is the connection between the glass pieces or between the glass elements and substructures from another material (e.g. steel, concrete etc.). The connection must be capable of bearing the stresses performing during the lifetime period and it should be as unobtrusive as possible at the same time. The ongoing research at the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Czech Technical University in Prague is focused on an embedded laminated point connection for glass structures. Within this research, the real-scale glass panels were tested. The samples consisted of two glass plies bonded with the EVA foil. For the undrilled ply, the float glass was used in all cases. The thermally toughened or the heat strengthened glass was used for the pre-drilled ply. There was one embedded steel countersunk bolt with HDPE liners placed in each corner of the sample. During the experiment, the samples were horizontally placed using the embedded bolts. The load-bearing capacity of the six tested specimens was determined. The load was applied in several loading and unloading cycles until the collapse of the first embedded connection. If the glass panel failed before the connection, the sample was completely unloaded and then the load was gradually increasing until the collapse of the connection. Vertical deflection and the stresses at two different points were measured during the loading cycles. The humidity and the temperature were also monitored. The experiment showed the way of collapse and a short-term load-bearing capacity of a laminated glass panel with four embedded point connections.

Investigation on buckling behavior of laminated glass columns with elastic lateral restraint under axial compression

Since the slenderness ratio of the laminated glass columns is generally high, they are vulnerable to flexural buckling under compression. The laminated glass column with elastic lateral restraint is a feasible way to improve the stability of the column, which is widely used in engineering, such as glass fins laterally restrained by glass panels via adhesive. However, existing research on the behavior of this type of glass columns is still lacking. This paper presents a study on the buckling behavior of laminated glass columns with elastic lateral restraint under axial compression. Based on the experimental and analytical studies, the influences of adhesive and glass column size on the buckling resistance of the glass columns were studied in detail. In addition, the shear modulus and strength of structural silicone adhesive were obtained based on the test results. Finally, considering glass crack and adhesive failure, the practical engineering design methods were proposed for the laminated glass columns carrying axial loads. By comparison with test results, the reliability of the proposed design methods is validated.

Modeling and Numerical Solution of the Fate of Multicomponent Substrate in Porous Media

A mathematical model was proposed to appropriately describe the fate of multicomponent substrates in porous media especially soil. The model utilised appropriate biodegradation kinetic expressions that better describe the consumption or degradation rate of the substrate. The Equation, with the second and third type boundary conditions in non-dimensionalised form was solved using the Finite Volume method and simulated in the Matlab environment. An experiment, using a 5 cm (inside diameter) x 60 cm (height) glass column packed with severally autoclaved soil spiked with 2 % substrate (a mixture of hexadecane, heneicosane, 1-methylnaphthalene, 2- methylnaphthalene and 1, 3-dimethylnapthalene) and a consortium of organisms (Providential rettgeri, Streptococcus salivarius, Trichoderma harzianum, Aspergillus flavipes, and Candida famata) was set up to validate the model. The result showed that the model describes the fate of each component within the multicomponent substrate. It also indicates that both Peclet and Thiele numbers affect the biodegradation of the substrate. It was observed that small Peclet number should be allowed for effective biodegradation of the substrate. The model was validated with data obtained for an experiment where a mixture of hydrocarbons was degraded with a mixed culture of microorganisms. The results of the experiment were well described by the model indicating that the model can be used to predict compositions of components of a mixture during biodegradation.

Selective uptake of thorium(IV) from nitric acid medium using two extraction chromatographic resins based on diglycolamide-calix[4]arenes: Application to thorium-uranyl separation in an actual sample

Two novel extraction chromatography resins (ECRs) containing two diglycolamide (DGA) -functionalized calix[4]arenes with n-propyl and isopentyl substituents at the amide nitrogen atom, termed as ECR-1 and ECR-2, respectively, were evaluated for the uptake of Th(IV) from nitric acid feed solutions. While both the resins were having a quite high Th(IV) uptake ability (Kd >3000 at 3 M HNO3), the uptake was relatively lower with the resin containing the isopentyl DGA, which appeared magnified at lower nitric acid concentrations. Kinetic modeling of the sorption data suggested fitting to the pseudo-second order model pointing to a chemical reaction during the uptake of the metal ion. Sorption isotherm studies were carried out showing a good fitting to the Langmuir and D-R isotherm models, suggesting the uptake conforming to monolayer sorption and a chemisorption model. Glass columns with a bed volume of ca. 2.5 mL containing ca. 0.5 g lots of the ECRs were used for studies to assess the possibility of actual applications of the ECRs. Breakthrough profiles obtained with feed containing 0.7 g/L Th(NO3)3 solution resulted in breakthrough volumes of 8 and 5 mL, respectively, for the ECR-1 and ECR-2 resins. Near quantitative elution of the loaded metal ion was possible using a solution of oxalic acid and nitric acid. A method for the separation of Th-234 from natural uranium was demonstrated for the possible application of ECR-1.

Intensification of supercritical water oxidation (ScWO) by ion exchange with zeolite for the reuse of landfill leachates

The disposal of solid residues in sanitary landfills results in the formation of a complex, variable, and recalcitrant wastewater, known as leachates. Supercritical water oxidation (ScWO) can be applied to treat leachates although most studies are based on removing the most relevant contaminants, such as organic matter and ammonia. Therefore, comprehensive analysis of this process is essential for large-scale applications. In this study, we investigated a system composed of ScWO and ion exchange using zeolite (ScWO/zeolite) for the reuse possibilities of treated leachates based on different regulations for municipal wastewater reuse. This system was applied to both raw leachate (RL) and leachate treated via conventional processes at the studied landfill (PL). The continuous ScWO reactor operated under a pressure of 23 MPa at 600 °C without the addition of oxidants. A commercial zeolite (clinoptilolite) in a fixed-bed glass column was used for ion exchange. The intensified system significantly improved the characteristics of RL by removing 89% of COD and 99% of NH3-N. Moreover, the contaminant concentrations of PL were within the limits for discharge and reuse, except arsenic and molybdenum contents. The unexpected high concentrations of arsenic in RL and PL necessitated the requirement of further investigation of the complex and toxic characteristics of leachates. Nevertheless, the intensified process was conducted without the addition of oxidants or auxiliary substances and resulted in a less expensive and more environmentally -friendly process that can be applied for the treatment of leachates with similar characteristics.

Assessment of a Novel Oleaginous Filamentous Microalga Klebsormidium sp. Lgx80 (Streptophyta, Klebsormidiales) for Biomass and Lipid Production1.

Commercial cultivation of eukaryotic microalgae has so far employed a unicellular form of species only (e.g., Chlorella pyrenoidosa, Dunaliella salina, and Haematococcus pluvialis). In this study, we assessed the feasibility of using the filamentous eukaryotic microalga Klebsormidium sp. LGX80 as a new cultivar for biomass and lipid production. The effects of different forms and concentrations of nitrogen on growth and lipid production of Klebsormidium sp. LGX80 were studied by using a glass column (ø4.5×60cm) photobioreactor under laboratory conditions. Growth and lipid production of the new strain were further evaluated in an outdoor pilot-scale tubular photobioreactor. The results showed that when supplied with urea as a source of nitrogen Klebsormidium sp. LGX80 yielded a final biomass concentration of 8.49±0.10g·L-1 in which a cellular lipid content was 59.2±0.4% DW. Under such conditions, the biomass and lipid productivities were 471.7±5.9 and 248.1±0.0mg·L-1 ·d-1 , respectively. Fatty acid analysis revealed that the main fatty acids of Klebsormidium sp. LGX80 were palmitic acid (C16:0), linoleic acid (C18:2ω6), and linolenic acid (C18:3ω3), of which linoleic acid (C18:2ω6) accounted for up to 67.5±0.1% of total fatty acids. When grown outdoors in a 13,000-L tubular photobioreactor with an initial nitrogen concentration of 3mM urea, Klebsormidium sp. LGX80 reached the highest biomass concentration of 2.63±0.09g·L-1 with the cells containing 38.0±0.5% lipids (% DW), resulting in the volumetric biomass and lipid productivities of 147.2±3.6 and 37.9±0.9mg·L-1 d-1 , respectively. The results of light:dark cycle experiment showed that a durative and prolonged light irradiation hindered the biosynthesis of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b in the cells, but promoted the carotenoid accumulation. These results suggested that Klebsormidium sp. LGX80 can be a potential oleaginous filamentous microalga for commercial production of microalgal oils.

A single column plasma photonic crystal (SC-PPC)

In this paper, a reconfigurable one-dimensional single column plasma photonic crystal (SC-PPC) has been investigated. The SC-PPC is a glass column containing standing plasma density patterns (SPDPs) called plasma blobs, where its density varies sinusoidally along the column axis. It appears like a collinear array of the plasma blobs which is produced by having the critical combination of input RF power and gas pressure in a column. The numbers of blobs and plasma density can be controlled by RF power and gas pressure. The value of plasma density is measured for the different numbers of plasma blobs formation by using the experimental setup. These measured data are utilized in the modeling and simulation of SC-PPC for the photonic bandgap (PBG) analysis. The simulation outcomes reveal that the SC-PPC induces PBGs that can be reconfigured with plasma density, lattice constant, and numbers of plasma blobs. This paper explicitly investigates the PBG analysis by modeling two cases, where the plasma density Ne=2.45×1016 m−3 with five plasma blobs and Ne=9×1016 m−3 with six plasma blobs are considered. The obtained outcomes verify the reconfigurable characteristics of SC-PPC.

Effective removal of Cd2+, Zn2+ by immobilizing the non-absorbent active catalyst by packed bed column reactor for industrial wastewater treatment

Cadmium and zinc are leading heavy metal pollutants causing serious health problems when discharged into the aquatic environments. The present investigation focused on the bioaccumulation of Cd2+ and Zn2+depending on the sorption process by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens HM28. The selected bacterium was multi-metal (Zn2+, Pb2+, Cd2+, Cu2+ and Li+) and antibiotic (cefotaxime, ampicilin, nalidixic acid, ceftazidime, penicillin and kanamycin) resistance was resolved. The identified strain showed maximum resistance onCd2+ (2575 ppm) and Zn2+ (1300 ppm). The sorption of Cd2+ and Zn2+ by a dried bacterium was investigated. Biosorption of Cd2+ was maximum (98.4 ± 5.2%) at 100 mg/L concentration and maximum Zn2+ (98.3 ± 1.5%) was detected in the medium containing 150 mg/L metal ion. Bioremoval was maximum after 30 min contact time with dried biomass and the absorption rate improved. The optimum Cd2+ and Zn2+ bioremoval yield of 93 ± 4.4% and 89.8 ± 4.3% were observed, at pH 7.0 and 7.5, respectively. Despite the significant reduction in growth rate, heavy metals increased nitro-blue tetrazolium reduction from 11 ± 1.3 to 67 ± 3.3%. Dehydrogenase activity elevated due to heavy metal stress. Bacterial biomass was immobilized in a glass column (20 cm × 2 cm). Biosorption of Cd2+ and Zn2+ ions were performed in a packed bed column. The breakthrough time of Cd2+ was 210 min at 1 mL/min flow rate and it decreased 94 min at 5 mL/min flow rate, whereas 240 min at 1 mL/min, and 90 min at 5 mL/min, respectively. The absorption capacity was 4.87 ± 0.8 to 5.43 ± 0.5 mg/g for Cd2+ and 3.85 ± 0.3 to 4.53 ± 0.4 mg/g for Zn2+. The present findings revealed the potential of B. amyloliquefaciens HM28 biomass in Cd2+ and Zn2+ biosorption, with feasibility in the bioremediation of Cd2+ and Zn2+ contaminated water.

Microfluidic Flow Injection Immunoassay System for Algal Toxins Determination: A Case of Study.

A novel flow injection microfluidic immunoassay system for continuous monitoring of saxitoxin, a lethal biotoxin, in seawater samples is presented in this article. The system consists of a preimmobilized G protein immunoaffinity column connected in line with a lab-on-chip setup. The detection of saxitoxin in seawater was carried out in two steps: an offline incubation step (competition reaction) performed between the analyte of interest (saxitoxin or Ag, as standard or seawater sample) and a tracer (an enzyme-conjugated antigen or Ag*) toward a specific polyclonal antibody. Then, the mixture was injected through a “loop” of a few μL using a six-way injection valve into a bioreactor, in line with the valve. The bioreactor consisted of a small glass column, manually filled with resin upon which G protein has been immobilized. When the mixture flowed through the bioreactor, all the antibody-antigen complex, formed during the competition step, is retained by the G protein. The tracer molecules that do not interact with the capture antibody and protein G are eluted out of the column, collected, and mixed with an enzymatic substrate directly within the microfluidic chip, via the use of two peristaltic pumps. When Ag* was present, a color change (absorbance variation, ΔAbs) of the solution is detected at a fixed wavelength (655 nm) by an optical chip docking system and registered by a computer. The amount of saxitoxin, present in the sample (or standard), that generates the variation of the intensity of the color, will be directly proportional to the concentration of the analyte in the analyzed solution. Indeed, the absorbance response increased proportionally to the enzymatic product and to the concentration of saxitoxin in the range of 3.5 × 10–7–2 × 10–5 ng ml−1 with a detection limit of 1 × 10–7 ng ml−1 (RSD% 15, S N−1 equal to 3). The immunoanalytical system has been characterized, optimized, and tested with seawater samples. This analytical approach, combined with the transportable and small-sized instrumentation, allows for easy in situ monitoring of marine water contaminations.

Leaching of Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn in a sewage sludge-amended soil in presence of geo- and nano-materials

In this study, the leaching of heavy metals; cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn); from soils amended with sewage sludge (SS) in the presence of nanoparticles (NPs) (ZnO and MgO) and zeolite was studied. After spiking of soil with heavy metals and mixing with SS and adsorbents, the samples were incubated for 7 days and the column leaching experiments (18 days) were done by two leaching solutions (CaCl2 and DTPA) in glass columns. Also, the leaching curves were simulated by the PHREEQC program. The lowest and highest amounts of Cd leached by CaCl2 were attributed to control soil and soil treated with Isfahan SS in the presence of MgO NPs, respectively, while the lowest amount of Cd leached by DTPA was obtained in soil treated with Rasht SS in the presence of ZnO NPs (7.1 mg kg−1 equivalent to 21.0% of total Cd in this treatment). The lowest amount of Cu leached by CaCl2 was related to the soil treated with Isfahan SS in the presence of ZnO NPs (1.3 mg kg−1). Also, the lowest leaching of Ni (1.4 mg kg−1) and Zn (0.4 mg kg−1) by CaCl2 was related to soil treated with Isfahan SS and Rasht SS in the presence of MgO NPs, respectively. The results showed that the addition of SS decreased Cd and Cu leaching but did not affect Ni and Zn leaching and the presence of NPs and zeolite reduced the leaching of heavy metals. The use of NPs (ZnO and MgO) and zeolite is also recommended as heavy metal adsorbents in contaminated soils. The modeling results showed that the simultaneous use of ion exchange and complex surfaces in the model caused good simulation of laboratory results. Overall, the PHREEQC program demonstrated an acceptable ability to simulate heavy metal leaching in contaminated soils treated with SS in the presence of various adsorbents.

Addressing Environmental Challenges of Porphyrin Mixtures Obtained from Statistical Syntheses

AbstractInvited for this month's cover are the groups of Dominik Lungerich at the Yonsei University (Korea) and Norbert Jux at the Friedrich‐Alexander‐University Erlangen‐Nuernberg (Germany). The cover picture shows a laboratory bench, with instruments, equipment, and a chalkboard. Here, the question arises if in academic research exists a way to implement the philosophy of “reduce, reuse and recycle”. The recycle sign underlines the rising awareness for this topic, which is steadily gaining in importance. Especially in porphyrin sciences, using semi‐automated flash chromatography can decrease significantly the cost of consumables, such as chlorinated solvents and silica gel. With a re‐usable glass column for preparative separation, even the purification of statistical reaction mixtures can be managed, while reducing the waste and thus the environmental factor significantly. Read the full text of their Full Paper at 10.1002/cmtd.202000055.

Cover Picture: Addressing Environmental Challenges of Porphyrin Mixtures Obtained from Statistical Syntheses (Chemistry ‐ Methods 3/2021)

The Front Cover shows a laboratory bench, with instruments, equipment, and a chalkboard. Is there a way to implement the philosophy of “reduce, reuse and recycle” in academic research? The recycle sign underlines the rising awareness for this topic, which is steadily gaining in importance. Especially in porphyrin sciences, using semi-automated flash chromatography can decrease significantly the cost of consumables, such as chlorinated solvents and silica gel. With a re-usable glass column for preparative separation, even the purification of statistical reaction mixtures can be managed, while reducing the waste and thus the environmental factor significantly. More information can be found in the Full Paper by Dominik Lungerich, Norbert Jux and co-workers.

Polymer-free viscoelastic fluid for improved oil recovery

It has been observed that alkylpropoxy sulfates, sometimes called extended surfactants, exhibit an oil-induced viscoelastic behavior. This unique behavior occurs within the Winsor III microemulsion domain where the microemulsions are deemed “oil-starved”, meaning that the oil content of the system is below the solubilizing capacity of the microemulsion. The resulting viscoelastic fluid offers dual benefits of producing both ultra-low oil/water interfacial tension (IFT) and favorable rheological characteristics such as serving as a displacing agent within the porous medium. In this work, the potential of the oil-induced viscoelastic formulations was explored in tertiary recovery application. First, the formulations were carefully tuned to achieve an ultralow IFT with the site-specific crude. Then only 4 – 6 vol% of crude oil or substitute paraffinic oil, was added with the freshly prepared aqueous solution to trigger the desired rheological behavior. The resulting fluid was then injected to the porous medium. Based on the results of 1-D glass column and 2-D Hele–Shaw cell studies, smoothly advancing of oil banks were realized shortly after injection of the viscoelastic fluids, which in turn led to fast oil breakthrough, high oil cut, and better tertiary recovery. Significant advantages of the developed viscoelastic systems are that they offer a robust system with versatile polymer-free injection package and the potential for field tertiary recovery involving a single-slug that drastically improves the volumetric sweep efficiency and the microscopic displacement efficiency, without the complex water treatment system and polymer mixing system required for surfactant-polymer (SP) or alkaline- surfactant-polymer (ASP) floods.

Addressing Environmental Challenges of Porphyrin Mixtures Obtained from Statistical Syntheses

AbstractSyntheses of complex molecular mixtures on the preparative scale are often challenging steps for chemists, which go hand in hand with expensive purification steps. Herein, the preparation and isolation of unsymmetrically substituted porphyrins, obtained from statistical reactions between two benzaldehydes, were investigated. Therefore, a semi‐automated modular process was developed to lower the consumable costs, save time, and reduce waste production. We utilized a monomode microwave reactor equipped with an autosampler, and a medium pressure liquid chromatography (MPLC) flash purification device, equipped with a UV/Vis detector and a re‐usable glass column packed with SiO2. With this method, it was possible to synthesize and purify several statistical porphyrin mixtures, while simultaneously reducing the environmental factor (E‐factor) significantly, compared to conventionally performed porphyrin syntheses. Our approach shows that a sustainable investigation of academically relevant low‐symmetrical porphyrins can be carried out feasibly, without sacrificing invested time.

Effect of pyrolysis temperature on eucalyptus wood residues biochar on availability and transport of hexazinone in soil

Biochar is a material with the ability to adsorb pollutants, and this capacity depends on pyrolysis temperature. In this research, the effect of pyrolysis temperature (650, 750, 850, and 950 °C) on the properties of biochar derived from eucalyptus wood and its influence on the sorption/desorption, leaching, and distribution of hexazinone in soil were evaluated. Sorption and desorption were investigated using the batch balance method, and experiments were conducted to assess hexazinone leaching (in glass columns) and distribution (in biometric flasks). The pyrolysis temperature of 950 °C increased (nitrogen + oxygen)/carbon and ash ratios and produced a biochar with greater sorption coefficient and less desorption coefficient of hexazinone. The pyrolysis temperature of 650 °C produced an aliphatic material, with less sorption and greater desorption. Biochars produced at pyrolysis temperatures of 850 and 950 °C completely prevented leaching of the herbicide in soil. The total hexazinone unavailable (mineralized + non-extracted residue) in the biochar system produced at pyrolysis temperatures of 850 °C (46%) and 950 °C (49%) was higher compared to that produced at 650 °C (33%) and 750 °C (42%). Despite this, the addition of biochar did not alter hexazinone mineralization but reduced the availability of the product in the environment due to the greater amount of non-extracted residue, thus reducing the risk of environmental contamination by this herbicide.

PHENOLIC ACID PROFILING BY RP-HPLC: EVALUATION OF ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTICANCER ACTIVITIES OF CONOCARPUS ERECTUS PLANT EXTRACTS

Due to the versatile application of plants the utilization of plants and their inferred substances builds up day by day for the revelation of new curative agents. Conocarpus erectus has placed in the family Combretaceae, in one of the two species of Conocarpus genus and ordinarily exists in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. In some countries it is used as folk medicine for fever, anemia, diabetes, catarrh, diarrhea and conjunctivitis. The current study was carried out to investigate the antibacterial and anticancer properties of the plant. The four defatted methanol extracts of C. erectus different parts (leaves, stems, fruits and bark) showed high antibacterial and anticancer activity even with small quantity of dose. Antimicrobial assay was used to check out the antibacterial activity against 6 bacterial strains Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus Aureus and Klebstella Pneumoniae. The results show that gram positive bacteria show more sensitivity and zone of inhibition as compared to gram negative bacteria. For anticancer activity, MTT assay was performed on HepG2 cells for this purpose. Plant extorts show anticancer activity with a minute quantity. For phytochemical screening defatted methanol extract of Conocarpus erectus was subjected to the silica gel glass column go behind by (RP-HPLC–UV–ESI-MS). It contains phenol such as tannin and flavinoid as major component. Plant contain Ellagic acid; di-hexahydroxy diphenyl, Vascalgin isomer as foremost tannin component. Gallic Acid, Kaempferol on the base of mass spectra and time of retention. The extract of Conocarpus erectus (leaves, shoot, bark & fruit) parts shows high antibacterial, antioxidant and hepta-protective activities due to phenolic content. Tannin has high antibacterial activity than other compound. C.erectus is notable for its folkloristic curative potential. More in vivo and in vitro phytochemical studies are needed to use the plant for prevention and treatment of many diseases.

Screening of in vitro antitrematodal activities of compounds and secondary metabolites isolated from selected Pteridophytes.

Four ferns Blechnum orientale Linn. (BO), Dicranopteris linearis (Burm.f ) Underw. (DL), Marattia fraxinea Sm. (MF), and Microlepia speluncae (L.) Moore (MS) were extracted in varied combination of organic solvents followed by the preparation of eluates and isolation of secondary metabolites using chromatography on a glass column with silica gel as the fixed phase. The chemical components were identified using HPTLC and GC-MS analysis. The in vitro anti-trematodal activities of these eluates and compounds were evaluated against the sheep trematode worm Gastrothylax crumenifer (Plagiorrchiida: Gastrothylacidae) at increasing concentrations (1 to 5 mg/mL), to find the relative motility (RM) values for 0 to 60 min of incubation as reflection of paralysis and death of the worms. Hedon-Fleig salt solution was used as negative control and Oxyclozanide® 1% as standard control. In vitro incubation study showed DL and MS extracts had strong trematodicidal activity. BO extract (5 mg/mL) produced moderate trematodicidal activity and MF (5 mg/mL) showed the least trematodicidal activity. Phytochemicals analysis revealed that the ferns are a potential source of trematodicidal compounds such as phytol isomers fern-8-ene and fern-9(11)-ene (terpenoid derivative), quercetin 7,3 ́,4 ́-trimethoxy (flavonoid derivative), etc., which offer scope for a more elaborate study for exploitation of ferns for human welfare.

Bio-mass Production of Chlorella vulgaris grown on date wastes under different stress conditions

A laboratory experiment was conducted to produce Chlorella vulgaris biomass grew on date wastes. The green microalgae were grown indoor on BG-11 medium in plexi glass columns with continuous fluorescent light and aeration. Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) fruit wastes were washed and the flesh was oven dried at 55°C for 24h after removing the stones to obtain the flesh powder (0.9mm). Algal growth was performed under different stress conditions included (1) concentrations of 0.0, 10, 20, 30, 40 ml l-1 of wastes enriched growth media (2) NaCl concentration of 0.0, 0.5, 1.0,1.5, 2% and (3) nitrogen concentrations of 0, 25, 50, 75, 100%. The determinations included DW, total chlorophyll, carotenes and growth analysis. The obtained results showed that, the superior obtained net biomass was (0.215g l-1) with 20 ml l-1 of PDWE concentration. The net obtained chlorophyll was (34.515 mg l-1) with 30 ml l-1 of PDWE and highest carotenoid content (2.802 mg l-1) was recorded with the control. The dry weight and chlorophyll content decreased with increasing salinity, on contrary, the carotene content increased up to 1.5% and then back off again. The dry weight and chlorophyll content decreased with nitrogen decreasing while, the carotene content increased with nitrogen decreasing.

CO2 Foam and CO2 Polymer Enhanced Foam for Heavy Oil Recovery and CO2 Storage

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) from heavy oil reservoirs is challenging. High oil viscosity, high mobility ratio, inadequate sweep, and reservoir heterogeneity adds more challenges and severe difficulties during any EOR method. Foam injection showed potential as an EOR method for challenging and heterogeneous reservoirs containing light oil. However, the foams and especially polymer enhanced foams (PEF) for heavy oil recovery have been less studied. This study aims to evaluate the performance of CO2 foam and CO2 PEF for heavy oil recovery and CO2 storage by analyzing flow through porous media pressure profile, oil recovery, and CO2 gas production. Foam bulk stability tests showed higher stability of PEF compared to that of surfactant-based foam both in the absence and presence of heavy crude oil. The addition of polymer to surfactant-based foam significantly improved its dynamic stability during foam flow experiments. CO2 PEF propagated faster with higher apparent viscosity and resulted in more oil recovery compared to that of CO2 foam injection. The visual observation of glass column demonstrated stable frontal displacement and higher sweep efficiency of PEF compared to that of conventional foam. In the fractured rock sample, additional heavy oil recovery was obtained by liquid diversion into the matrix area rather than gas diversion. Aside from oil production, the higher stability of PEF resulted in more gas storage compared to conventional foam. This study shows that CO2 PEF could significantly improve heavy oil recovery and CO2 storage.

Removal of toxic metals using a novel PHA resin-fixed bed column performance study

The performance and efficiency of a fixed bed column loaded with a three-dimensionally crosslinked polyhydroxamic acid resin is studied with glass column. Experiments were carried out with synthetic metal solutions containing Cu(II), Sr(II), Gd(III) individually and with mixed solution containing Cu(II), Sr(II), Gd(III) and U(VI) to establish the efficiency of the fixed bed resin for a mixed solution. The “S” shaped break through curve was generated and percentage saturation of the bed was estimated. The percentage saturation at 10% breakthrough volume was found to be 68.3% for Cu(II) and Sr(II) 71.3% and 65.6% for Gd(III).