Irregular Rough Surface Research Articles

Toppling of a rock block resting on a rough surface

The main aim of this study is trying to contribute to a better understanding of the role of surface roughness basal planes on toppling-related instability phenomena. In this way, the authors focus on the stability against toppling of a single block resting on a regular rough surface. To do that they have first artificially created sample rock blocks with a regular rough base and tested them against toppling in a tilt-test machine. The authors have also developed analytical formulations to theoretically estimate toppling instability under these circumstances and have carried out simple numerical DEM models to reproduce the corresponding tests. The comparison between obtained analytical and numerical results and the physical model response indicated good representativeness of both numerical and analytical approaches. Geometry characteristics of the saw cut artificially created blocks did affect results, so the numerical and analytical models were adapted by including an equivalent curvature radius in the corner of the cut block around which the overturning phenomenon takes place to account for this geometrical effect. Further research will extend these results to the case of blocks with natural irregular rough surfaces.

A mechanical adhesive gripper inspired by beetle claw for a rock climbing robot

Rock climbing robots have wide application prospects in field operations and planetary exploration. Herein, a spiny gripper inspired by the beetle (Coleoptera) claw is developed, which can accomplish easy attachment, detachment and good compliance on irregular rough surfaces without complex controls. The attachment probabilities of various microspine layouts are simulated to determine the optimal design parameters for the spine tile. By referencing the structure and attachment process of the beetle claw, a spiny gripper with four bioinspired branches is designed to enable adaptive attachment and smooth detachment. The gripper employs a novel drivetrain hybridized with passive torsion springs and active tendons driven by an ingenious winch to achieve light weight, load-sharing, self-adaptation, and strong adhesion on irregular rough surfaces. The grasp sequence, grasp wrench and gripper maximum adhesion are all investigated. Tests on various surfaces verify its excellent performance. With a weight of 0.352 kg, its normal adhesion and tangential adhesion are 39.7 N and 47.5 N, respectively. In addition, the gripper is integrated into the climbing robot RockClimbo to allow it to move on extreme terrain.

Quantitative Measurement Method for Ice Roughness on an Aircraft Surface

When an aircraft passes through clouds containing supercooled water droplets, the leading edge’s surface will gradually accumulate ice. Ice surface roughness is an important parameter affecting the local convective heat transfer coefficient and the water collection coefficient, which in turn affect the ice’s shape. However, because the surface roughness of aircraft icing is a transient value varying in time and space, it is extremely difficult to measure with existing methods in real time. In this study, a noncontact ultrasonic pulse-echo (UPE) technique is applied to characterize the ice roughness of an airfoil model’s surface. A multilayer model with equivalent bead-like roughness profiles is established to study the effects of changes in ice roughness on ultrasonic echo signals. A series of simulations indicated that ice roughness can be measured quantitatively and effectively in the range of [11.6, 120] μm. Based on these simulations, an experimental UPE device was developed to measure echo signals on top of the ice corresponding to surface roughness. The results show that for both the regular and irregular surface roughness samples, the maximum relative error in the roughness is less than 15%. Meanwhile, we designed and supplemented the experiment with the NACA-0012 airfoil model to realize the online measurement of ice roughness in an icing research tunnel.

Application of Ethyl Cellulose and Ethyl Cellulose + Polyethylene Glycol for the Development of Polymer-Based Formulations using Spray-Drying Technology for Retinoic Acid Encapsulation.

Ethyl cellulose (EC)-based microparticles, with and without the incorporation of polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a second encapsulating agent, were prepared using the spray-drying process for the encapsulation of retinoic acid (RA). The production of a suitable controlled delivery system for this retinoid will promote its antitumor efficiency against acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) due to the possibility of increasing the bioavailability of RA. Product yield ranged from 12 to 28% in all the microparticle formulations, including unloaded microparticles and RA-loaded microparticles. Microparticles with a mean diameter between 0.090 ± 0.002 and 0.54 ± 0.02 µm (number size distribution) and with an irregular form and rough surface were obtained. Furthermore, regarding RA-loaded microparticles, both polymer-based formulations exhibited an encapsulation efficiency of around 100%. A rapid and complete RA release was reached in 40 min from EC− and EC + PEG-based microparticles.

Preparation of Posaconazole Nanosponges for Improved Topical Delivery System

The objective of the current research was to develop the posaconazole (PCZ) loaded NS into the carbopol 934 polymeric gel for prolonged drug release and improved topical delivery; seven different nanosponge formulations of PCZ were formulated using the emulsion solvent diffusion method using various amounts of polymer (ethylcellulose, EC). The aqueous and dispersed phases were prepared using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and dichloromethane. The prepared nanosponges (NS) were studied for particle size, structural appearance, and in vitro drug release. Furthermore, the selected formula was formulated as hydrogel and was evaluated for physical characteristics, drug content, and in-vitro drug release. Morphological studies revealed irregular shapes, rough and porous surfaces of nanosponges. The particle sizes were in the range of 201.6 ± 29.9 to 4904.7 ± 540.4 nm. In-vitro release studies revealed the sustained release pattern of the drug-loaded nanosponges. The lyophilized PCZ-NS formula had a 12-fold increase in saturation solubility over PCZ pure powder. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) of the selected formula showed no significant shifts in the positions of wavenumbers compared to that of pure drug. This indicates there is no interaction between drug and excipients used. PCZ NS loaded hydrogel significantly improved the dissolution rate, which was significantly higher (p is less than 0.05) than that of pure PCZ hydrogel.

Adsorption Characteristics and Charge Transfer Kinetics of Fluoride in Water by Different Adsorbents

Water containing high concentrations of fluoride is widely distributed and seriously harmful, largely because long-term exposure to fluoride exceeding the recommended level will lead to fluorosis of teeth and bones. Therefore, it is imperative to develop cost-effective and environmentally friendly adsorbents to remove fluoride from polluted water sources. In this study, diatomite (DA), calcium bentonite (CB), bamboo charcoal (BC), and rice husk biochar (RHB) were tested as adsorbents to adsorb fluoride (F‐) from water, and this process was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (FEI-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The effects of pH, dosage, and the initial mass concentration of each treatment solution upon adsorption of F‐ were determined. Kinetic and thermodynamic models were applied to reveal the mechanism of defluoridation, and an orthogonal experiment was designed to obtain the optimal combination of conditions. The results show that the surfaces of CB, BC, and RHB have an irregular pore structure and rough surface, whereas DA has a rich pore structure, clear pores, large specific surface area, and high silica content. With regard to the adsorption process for F‐, DA has an adsorption complex electron interaction; that of CB, BC, and RHB occur mainly via ion exchange with positive and negative charges; and CB on F‐ relies on chemical electron bonding adsorption. The maximum adsorption capacity of DA can reach 32.20 mg/g. When the mass concentration of fluoride is 100 mg/L, the pH value is 6.0 and the dosage is 4.0 g/L; the adsorption rate of F‐ by DA can reach 91.8%. Therefore, we conclude that DA soil could be used as an efficient, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly adsorbent for fluoride removal, perhaps providing an empirical basis for improving the treatment of fluorine-containing water in the future.

Direct numerical simulation-based characterization of pseudo-random roughness in minimal channels

Direct numerical simulations (DNS) are used to systematically investigate the applicability of the minimal-channel approach (Chung et al., J. Fluid Mech., vol. 773, 2015, pp. 418–431) for the characterization of roughness-induced drag on irregular rough surfaces. Roughness is generated mathematically using a random algorithm, in which the power spectrum (PS) and probability density function (p.d.f.) of the surface height can be prescribed. Twelve different combinations of PS and p.d.f. are examined, and both transitionally and fully rough regimes are investigated (roughness height varies in the range $k^+ = 25$ –100). It is demonstrated that both the roughness function ( ${\rm \Delta} U^+$ ) and the zero-plane displacement can be predicted with ${\pm }5\,\%$ accuracy using DNS in properly sized minimal channels. Notably, when reducing the domain size, the predictions remain accurate as long as 90 % of the roughness height variance is retained. Additionally, examining the results obtained from different random realizations of roughness shows that a fixed combination of p.d.f. and PS leads to a nearly unique ${\rm \Delta} U^+$ for deterministically different surface topographies. In addition to the global flow properties, the distribution of time-averaged surface force exerted by the roughness onto the fluid is calculated. It is shown that patterns of surface force distribution over irregular roughness can be well captured when the sheltering effect is taken into account. This is made possible by applying the sheltering model of Yang et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 789, 2016, pp. 127–165) to each specific roughness topography. Furthermore, an analysis of the coherence function between the roughness height and the surface force distributions reveals that the coherence drops at larger streamwise wavelengths, which can be an indication that very large horizontal scales contribute less to the skin-friction drag.

Facile synthesized NaGdF4 :Yb,Er peanut-shaped, highly biocompatible, colloidal upconversion nanospheres.

A facile method was used for the synthesis of peanut-shaped very emissive NaGdF4 :Yb, Er upconversion nanospheres (UCNSs) at lower temperatures with uniform size distribution. Crystallographic structure, phase purity, morphology, thermal robustness, biocompatibility, colloidal stability, surface chemistry, optical properties, and luminesce properties were explored by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), zeta potential, thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis (TGA/DTA), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), ultraviolet (UV)-visible and photoluminescence spectroscopic tools. XRD pattern verified the construction of a single-phase, highly-crystalline NaGdF4 phase with a hexagonal structure. Peanut-shaped morphology of the sample was obtained from SEM micrographs which were validated from high-resolution TEM images, to have an equatorial diameter of 170 to 200 nm and a length of 220 to 230 nm, with irregular size, monodispersed, porous structure, and rough surface of the particles. The positive zeta potential value exhibited good biocompatibility along with high colloidal stability as observed from the absorption spectrum. The prepared UCNSs revealed high dispersibility, irregular size peanut-shaped morphology, rough surface, good colloidal stability, and excellent biocompatibility in aqueous media. A hexagonal phase NaGdF4 doped with ytterbium (Yb) and erbium (Er) UCNSs revealed the characteristics of highly dominant emissions located at 520-525, 538-550, and 659-668 nm corresponding to the 2 H11/2 → 4 I15/2 , 4 S3/2 → 4 I15/2 , and 4 F9/2 → 4 I15/2 transition of Er3+ ions, respectively, as a result of energy transfer from sensitizer Yb3+ ion to emitter Er3+ ion.

Reynolds number dependence of turbulent heat transfer over irregular rough surfaces

To study the scaling of turbulent heat transfer over a rough surface, we performed a series of direct numerical simulations on turbulent heat transfer over a three-dimensional irregular rough surface with varying the friction Reynolds numbers and relative roughness values. We considered rough surfaces with three different relative roughness values of 1/1.9, 1/4.3, and 1/9.0, and the simulations were performed at three friction Reynolds numbers of 115, 250, and 550. The temperature was treated as a passive scalar with a Prandtl number of unity. Regarding the scaling of the Reynolds analogy factor, which is defined as the ratio of the doubled Stanton number to the skin friction coefficient, a correlation function with the skin friction coefficient, equivalent roughness, and Prandtl number provides an accurate account of the effects of relative roughness, roughness Reynolds number, and friction Reynolds number. For scaling the turbulent momentum and energy fluxes, we introduced the decomposition of the turbulent fluxes into the smooth wall profiles at matched friction Reynolds numbers and their deviatoric components. The baseline smooth wall profile was found to account for the effect of the friction Reynolds number, while the deviatoric component incorporated the effect of the roughness Reynolds number. The dispersion fluxes, namely, the dispersive covariance and dispersion heat flux, were dominantly affected by the roughness Reynolds number rather than the friction Reynolds number. To obtain a better understanding of the effect of wall roughness on the momentum and heat transfer mechanisms, we analyzed the spatial and time-averaged momentum and energy equations and discussed the physical mechanisms that caused a decrease in the mean velocity and temperature from smooth wall profiles.

Effects of particle shape on dynamic mechanical behaviours of coral sand under one-dimensional compression

Coral sand is characterized by high porosity, high compressibility and high crushability mainly due to its irregular particle shape and internal pore structure. Single coral particles in a size fraction tend to have a variety of shapes from bulky to flaky, which emerges as one of the most pivotal factors affecting the macro-scale performances of coral sand. A series of confined one-dimensional dynamic compression tests were conducted on coral sand with four classified shapes (e.g., blocky, dendritic and rodlike, flaky particles, and coral debris) via a modified 37-mm-diameter split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) apparatus. The effects of particle shape on the dynamic mechanical behaviours of coral sand at high strain rates were assessed in terms of the stress-strain response, compressibility, particle breakage and the change in particle shape measures. It is revealed that coral sand exhibits high small-strain stiffness, a low crushing strength, a notable strain hardening and a high compressibility behaviour as subjected to dynamic compression at high strain rates. In the low-stress level, it is the high interparticle friction and interlocking induced by the irregular shape form and rough surface texture that lead to a gentle descending tendency in the void ratio. While in the high-stress level, it is the particle crushing along with its rearrangement that results in the high compressibility of the coral sand assemblage. In general, the particle crushing strength tends to decrease as the particle shape shifts from bulky to elongated and to flaky. The large-strain stiffness decreases and the compressibility increases with an increase in the overall particle irregularity. Coral particles are prone to be more spherical and smoother as the average degrees of sphericity, convexity and aspect ratio approach to unity, due mainly to the intense asperity damage and primary fracture under dynamic tests. Furthermore, the percentage in the degrees of sphericity, convexity, aspect ratio and flatness increases with respect to the initial degrees of themselves. It can be further postulated that the extent of breakage could be quantified by the statistical change in the particle measures such as sphericity and convexity aside from particle dimensions for granular materials with irregular shapes.

Dual-frequency power ultrasound effects on the complexing index, physicochemical properties, and digestion mechanism of arrowhead starch-lipid complexes

Multi-scale structural interactions of the arrowhead starch-linoleic/stearic acid complexes under different durations (20, 40 & 60 min) of dual-frequency power ultrasound (DFPU, 20/40 kHz) and their underlying mechanisms were discussed. Differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed V6 type (V6-I, II) crystalline structure for ultrasonically-treated arrowhead starch-linoleic acid (UTAS-LA) complexes. An increased degree of short-range molecular order as IR ratios of 1045/1022 cm−1 was evident from the FTIR results. The complexing index (CI) values of the complexes were greater than 65%, and the highest CI values of 83.04% and 81.26% were found in the case of UTAS-LA40 and UTAS-LA60, respectively. SEM results showed that LA-complexes had a sponge-like structure with smooth surfaces, while the SA-complexes exhibited flaky structures with irregular shapes and rough surfaces. The V-type complexes exhibited a higher digestion resistance than native AS and un-sonicated AS-LA/SA complexes due to partial RDS convention to RS.

Analysis of Dynamic Error and Wear Cycle Behavior of Kinematic Pair for Planar Flexible Multi-link Transmission System Including Revolute Clearance Joints with Irregular Rough Surfaces

Analysis of Dynamic Error and Wear Cycle Behavior of Kinematic Pair for Planar Flexible Multi-link Transmission System Including Revolute Clearance Joints with Irregular Rough Surfaces

Fabrication of PVA/CNC/Ag membrane by electrospinning method

In this study, the morphology, structure, and properties of three-component composite membrane including poly(vinylalcohol), cellulose nanocrystals, and nanosilver (PVA/CNC/Ag) fabricated by electrospinning method were presented. CNC, isolated from Nypa fruticans branches by a chemical method, was used as a membrane to synthesize Ag nanoparticles (CNC/Ag) by a simple heat treatment technique. The presence of Ag NPs on CNC and the antibacterial ability of CNC/Ag were verified by the disc diffusion method. The CNC/Ag material was then mixed with PVA and the electrospinning step was performed. The PVA/CNC/Ag membrane was characterized by methods such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The FESEM results demonstrated that PVA/CNC/Ag had an irregular fiber morphology, rough surface, and fibers with an average diameter of about 70 nm, larger than both PVA and PVA/CNC. DSC analysis indicated that the presence of CNC/Ag had a significant effect on the thermal properties of the PVA/CNC/Ag material. These initial results showed that it was necessary to further investigate the fabricating parameters of the electrospinning process to optimize the properties of the PVA/CNC/Ag materials in order to afford membranes with suitable properties for wound dressing applications.

Fluidity Influencing Factor Analysis and Ratio Optimization of New Filling Slurry Based on the Response Surface Method

The filling mining method is important in realizing the green mining of mineral resources. Aiming at the problems of land resource occupation, environmental pollution, and rational utilization of coal-based solid wastes such as coal gangue, fly ash, and desulfurization gypsum, a new paste filling material was developed with coal gangue, fly ash, and desulfurization gypsum as raw materials. The microstructure of the raw materials was analyzed by XRD and SEM. Combined with the Box-Behnken experimental design, the effect of each component on the fluidity of the filling slurry was analyzed through the response surface analysis. The significance of each component on its bleeding and fluidity was determined, and the optimal ratio of the filling slurry was obtained. Experimental results show that the microcosmic morphology of coal gangue, desulfurization gypsum, and gasification slag presents an irregular block and rough particle surface; the microcosmic morphology of fly ash and bottom slag presents first out spherical or quasi spherical particles. Moreover, obvious sintering traces exist on the surface of the bottom slag. The main crystal mineral of coal gangue and fly ash is SiO2, the desulfurization gypsum is composed of Ca(SO4) (H2O) and Ca(CO3) crystal minerals, the gasification slag is composed of carbon and nitrogen compounds, and the main crystal mineral components in the bottom slag sample are SiO2 and AlxSiyOz compounds. The order of significance of each key factor on slurry fluidity is as follows: C (desulfurization gypsum) > D (gasification slag and bottom slag 1:1) > A (coal gangue) > B (fly ash). The order of the significance of each key factor on slurry bleeding is as follows: B (fly ash) > C (desulfurization gypsum) > D (gasification slag and bottom slag 1:1) > A (coal gangue). Considering the material preparation, field application, and other conditions, the mass percentage of each factor content of the new paste filling material is as follows: 49.5% coal gangue, 8.3% fly ash, 4.1% desulfurization gypsum, 6.2% gasification slag, and 6.2% bottom slag.

Predicting drag on rough surfaces by transfer learning of empirical correlations

Recent developments in neural networks have shown the potential of estimating drag on irregular rough surfaces. Nevertheless, the difficulty of obtaining a large high-fidelity dataset to train neural networks is deterring their use in practical applications. In this study, we propose a transfer learning framework to model the drag on irregular rough surfaces even with a limited amount of direct numerical simulations. We show that transfer learning of empirical correlations, reported in the literature, can significantly improve the performance of neural networks for drag prediction. This is because empirical correlations include ‘approximate knowledge’ of the drag dependency in high-fidelity physics. The ‘approximate knowledge’ allows neural networks to learn the surface statistics known to affect drag more efficiently. The developed framework can be applied to applications where acquiring a large dataset is difficult but empirical correlations have been reported.

Direct numerical simulation of turbulent heat transfer on the Reynolds analogy over irregular rough surfaces

The effect of rough surface topography on heat and momentum transfer is studied by direct numerical simulations of turbulent heat transfer over uniformly heated three-dimensional irregular rough surfaces, where the effective slope and skewness values are systematically varied while maintaining a fixed root-mean-square roughness. The friction Reynolds number is fixed at 450, and the temperature is treated as a passive scalar with a Prandtl number of unity. Both the skin friction coefficient and Stanton number are enhanced by the wall roughness. However, the Reynolds analogy factor for the rough surface is lower than that for the smooth surface. The semi-analytical expression for the Reynolds analogy factor suggests that the Reynolds analogy factor is related to the skin friction coefficient and the difference between the temperature and velocity roughness functions, and the Reynolds analogy factor for the present rough surfaces is found to be predicted solely based on the equivalent sand-grain roughness. This suggests that the relationship between the Reynolds analogy factor and the equivalent sand-grain roughness is not affected by the effective slope and skewness values. Analysis of the heat and momentum transfer mechanisms based on the spatial- and time-averaged equations suggests that two factors decrease the Reynolds analogy factor. One is the increased effective Prandtl number within the rough surface in which the momentum diffusivity due to the combined effects of turbulence and dispersion is larger than the corresponding thermal diffusivity. The other is the significant increase in the pressure drag force term above the mean roughness height.

Carboxyl-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles for the controlled delivery of poorly water-soluble non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

The purpose of this study was to investigate the delivery of poorly water-soluble non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) by carboxyl-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN-COOH) with high specific surface area (SBET). In this study, MSN-COOH was prepared by collaborative self-assembly using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as template and hydrolysis (3-triethoxyl-propyl) succinic anhydride (TESPSA) as co-structure auxiliary directing agent (CSDA). The drug delivery systems were constructed with NSAIDs including Nimesulide (NMS) and Indomethacin (IMC) as model drugs. Moreover, the characterization techniques, hemolysis and bio-adsorption testes, in vitro drug release and in vivo biological studies of MSN-COOH were also carried out. The characterization results showed that MSN-COOH is spheres with clearly visible irregular honeycomb nanopores and rough surface (SBET: 1257 m2/g, pore volume (VP): 1.17 cm3/g). After loading NMS/IMC into MSN-COOH with high drug loading efficiency (NMS: 98.7 and IMC: 98.2%), most crystalline NMS and IMC converted to amorphous phase confirmed using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and X-ray power diffraction (XRD) analysis. Meanwhile, MSN-COOH significantly increased the dissolution of NMS and IMC compared with non-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN), which was also confirmed by wettability experiments. The results of in vivo biological effects showed that MSN-COOH had higher bioavailability of NMS and IMC than MSN, and exerted strong anti-inflammatory effects by delivering more NMS and IMC in vivo. Statement of significanceThis study successfully prepared MSNs-COOH (mesoporous silica nanoparticles modified with negatively charged carboxyl groups on the surface and in the pores) with high specific surface area and pore volume by using the negatively charged carboxyl group (hyd-TESPSA) and the positively charged CTAB self-assembled through electrostatic attraction under alkaline conditions. The drug delivery systems were constructed with Nimesulide (NMS) and Indomethacin (IMC) as model drugs. The results showed MSNs-COOH had high drug loading capacity and also exhibited good in vitro drug release properties. Interestingly, NMS loaded MSNs-COOH also had a potential pH responsive release effect. In vivo biological studies revealed that NMS/IMC loaded MSNs-COOH could evidently improve the bioavailability and played the strong anti-inflammatory effects.

Resistance end correction factor of microperforated panel made using additive manufacturing

Fabrication of microperforated panel (MPP) using an additive manufacturing (AM) process produced imperfect perforations with an irregular shape, inconsistent size, and rough inner surface (due to burr formation). This imperfect hole condition leads to a significant deviation between measured and modeled acoustic properties. This study aims to introduce the resistance end correction factor (α) for quantifying this deviation. The MPP model’s current development excludes the irregular and inconsistent holes from the actual MPP. The improved resistance end correction factor (α) is determined based on the actual MPP samples. The MPP’s acoustic properties fabricated using AM process (3D Printing – PolyJet technology) are measured. The improved resistance end correction factor (α) is presented in surface plots for different geometrical parameters, perforation diameter (d), plate thickness (t), and perforation ratio (σ). The interpolation method is used to predict the “α” value based on the surface plot. The improved relative acoustic resistance value for the actual MPP sample with imperfect perforation condition (with recorded lowest hole roundness value at 0.207) is calculated using the predicted “α” value. Comparative results showed that the improved relative acoustic resistance determined based on the interpolated “α” agreed well with the experimental measurement results. The correlation coefficient for each comparison varied from 0.885 to 0.987. This finding is better than comparing calculated relative acoustic resistance values by using Maa’s theory and other MPP models with different proposed resistance end correction factors (α). Therefore, the proposed technique can reflect the imperfect perforation condition in actual MPP samples.

High quality recycled sand from mixed CDW – is that possible?

Sand scarcity is occurring in different countries all over the world as highlighted by the United Nations Environmental Program, therefore, the development of sustainable alternative materials is vital. This paper presents the potential of mineral processing to produce high quality recycled sand by comminuting mixed CDW (Construction and Demolition Waste) into fine fraction at an industrial plant. This methodology represents a change in recycling strategies that proved to be effective for attaining high-quality products that will contribute to enlarge recycled sand market, thus moving toward a circular economy. Samples of mixed CDW were collected from different sources, with different compositions and locations. Primary and secondary crushing were conducted by a jaw crusher, tertiary crushing in a cone crusher and then the material was milled in a rotor impact mill in closed circuit, with 2.0 mm size screening followed by an air classifier to remove the fines (below 0.074 mm). The crushed sand obtained, composed mainly by quartz and feldspar and particles shaped like natural sand, high density (2.71 g/cm3), low water absorption (4.6%) and represents 80% in mass of the recovered fraction. The filler fraction produced, 20% in mass, has a notably higher content of calcium oxide due to the content of cement paste. The sand obtained is particularly distinct from the usually recycled sand generated as a by-product (or mostly tailing), characterized by irregular shape, rough surface and high-water absorption. Appropriate processing is crucial for increasing the waste recycling rates and mitigate the sand scarcity in many world regions.

Spherical volume elements scheme for calculating van der Waals force between irregular particles and rough surfaces

Various models were proposed to calculate the van der Waals (vdW) forces, but they have generally been complicated and time-consuming. In this paper, a spherical volume elements scheme to calculating the vdW force distributions is proposed, on the basis of the infinitesimal dividing modeling scheme. We apply this scheme to calculate the vdW force distributions between sphere and three types of surfaces with different roughness and also to irregular particles (cylinders, circular cone) orientated differently with respect to the surface. The simulation results reveal that the surface with low roughness has the narrowest force distributions. The average force for the circular cone bottom case is 1, 2, 37 times higher than the case of horizontal, vertical cylinder and circular cone top, respectively. The calculated force distributions are good agreement with exist experimental data. By defining the effective zones of both particles and surface, the computational time of the scheme is an order of magnitude faster than the case of considering the whole surface. The proposed model established the effective zone of the particles in contact from a completely new perspective and significantly simplifies the process of force evaluation.