Parent Material Research Articles

Soil‐vegetation interplay in a Holocene toposequence at Torres del Paine National Park, southern Andes, Chile

AbstractChile's Torres del Paine National Park (TPNP) is one of the most impressive landscapes in southern Patagonia, with unique natural elements on the edge of the southern ice field, where knowledge of soils and ecological relationships is nonexistent. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the chemical, physical, mineralogical, and micromorphological characteristics of Holocene soils along a local toposequence representing the main vegetation types of the TPNP. The morphological, chemical, physical, and mineralogical properties of 12 soil profiles were studied and classified according to Soil Taxonomy. Coevolution of vegetation and soil taxa is clearly evident since glaciation, with podsolization under austral Nothofagus pumilio forests leading to the development of spodosols, while paludization in local depressions with Nothofagus forests allowed the formation of histosols. Slopes covered with loess and tephra led to the formation of Andisols with shrub vegetation. Predominant parent materials include till from Late Quaternary advances of southern Andean ice, Pleistocene loess, and volcanic ash from surrounding Chilean volcanoes. The parent materials were strongly influenced by Late Quaternary climatic and landscape changes following the retreat of the Last Glacial Maximum in southern Patagonia, resulting in erosional and depositional conditions (windblown loess, fluvial glacial deposits, and moraines). Stable landforms show the influence of allochthonous volcanic ash shaping Andean features, combined with the accumulation of organic matter in hydromorphic soils. Three main groups of soils have been identified: loess‐rich soils, organic‐rich soils, and poorly developed soils. The latter show low fertility related to recent landforms on different substrates ranging from till, rocky slopes, talus, or glacial deposits. In high mountain regions under periglacial conditions, cryoturbation features indicate seasonal frost–thaw cycles without current permafrost. The diversity of soil orders in the mountains of southern Patagonia is comparable to similar environmental conditions and latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. However, the andic properties due to volcanic ejecta inputs, as well as organic‐rich soils at low altitudes of bottom valleys, are typical features of the soils at TNTP.

Machine learning-based prediction of cadmium pollution in topsoil and identification of critical driving factors in a mining area.

Mining activities have resulted in a substantial accumulation of cadmium (Cd) in agricultural soils, particularly in southern China. Long-term Cd exposure can cause plant growth inhibition and various diseases. Rapid identification of the extent of soil Cd pollution and its driving factors are essential for soil management and risk assessment. However, traditional geostatistical methods are difficult to simulate the complex nonlinear relationships between soil Cd and potential features. In this study, sequential extraction and hotspot analyses indicated that Cd accumulation increased significantly near mining sites and exhibited high mobility. The concentration of Cd was estimated using three machine learning models based on 3169 topsoil samples, seven quantitative variables (soil pH, Fe, Ca, Mn, TOC, Al/Si and ba value) and three quantitative variables (soil parent rock, terrain and soil type). The random forest model achieved marginally better performance than the other models, with an R2 of 0.78. Importance analysis revealed that soil pH and Ca and Mn contents were the most significant factors affecting Cd accumulation and migration. Conversely, due to the essence of controlling Cd migration being soil property, soil type, terrain, and soil parent materials had little impact on the spatial distribution of soil Cd under the influence of mining activities. Our results provide a better understanding of the geochemical behavior of soil Cd in mining areas, which could be helpful for environmental management departments in controlling the diffusion of Cd pollution and capturing key targets for soil remediation.

Bayesian multivariate receptor model and convolutional neural network to identify quantitative sources and spatial distributions of potentially toxic elements in soils: A case study in Qingzhou City, China

Determining sources and spatial distributions of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) is a crucial issue of soil pollution survey. However, uncertainty estimation for source contributions remains lack, and accurate spatial prediction is still challenging. Robust Bayesian multivariate receptor model (RBMRM) was applied to the soil dataset of Qingzhou City (8 PTEs in 429 samples), to calculate source contributions with uncertainties. Multi-task convolutional neural network (MTCNN) was proposed to predict spatial distributions of soil PTEs. RBMRM afforded three sources, consistent with US-EPA positive matrix factorization. Natural source dominated As, Cr, Cu, and Ni contents (78.5 %∼86.1 %), and contributed 37.1 %, 61.0 %, and 65.9 % of Cd, Pb, and Zn, exhibiting low uncertainties with uncertainty index (UI) < 26.7 %. Industrial, traffic, and agricultural sources had significant influences on Cd, Pb, and Zn (30.2 %∼61.9 %), with UI < 39.3 %. Hg originated dominantly from atmosphere deposition (99.1 %), with relatively high uncertainties (UI=87.7 %). MTCNN acquired satisfactory accuracies, with R2 of 0.357–0.896 and nRMSE of 0.092–0.366. Spatial distributions of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn were influenced by parent materials. Cd, Hg, Pb, and Zn showed significant hotspot in urban area. This work conducted a new approach exploration, and practical implications for soil pollution regulation were proposed.

The role of machine learning for insight into the material behavior of lattices: A surrogate model based on data from finite element simulation

In recent years, lattice structures have gained extensive attention due to their unique properties and great potential in various fields. Their effective material properties can be obtained by several means, e.g., numerical homogenization methods, finite element (FE) simulations, and experiments. Numerical homogenization methods involve certain assumptions, and thus, their applications are limited to those lattice structures satisfying all assumptions. On the contrary, although the FE simulations and experiments can be performed for all lattice structures, they are more time-consuming and tedious than the numerical homogenization methods, especially for lattice structures with complex geometry. In this study, a surrogate model is presented to address all the drawbacks mentioned above. More precisely, the effective elastic modulus of two-dimensional lattice structures with triangular unit cells is predicted by a surrogate model trained with the random forest algorithm. The dataset is generated from FE simulations. Several geometric details along with the elastic modulus of the parent material are selected as input features. These input features are varied to cover a wide range of lattice structures encountered in engineering applications. The correlation between input features is investigated to test their independence. Furthermore, the contribution of each input feature to the prediction of the surrogate models is also thoroughly examined. The accuracy of the proposed surrogate model is evaluated through comparisons with FE simulations, numerical homogenization methods, and experiments for untrained datasets.

Study on Soil Fertility Characteristics of Walnut Orchards with Different Parent Materials and Soil Types in Gyaca County, Tibet

Walnut trees on the Tibetan Plateau have sustainable and nutritious characteristics. They grow naturally without the use of any chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Therefore, the soil fertility of walnut orchards is a key factor influencing walnut yield and quality. This experiment measured and analyzed the basic soil nutrient content, microbial biomass carbon (MBC), nitrogen (MBN), phosphorus (MBP), and leaf nutrient indicators in five types of representative walnut orchard soil parent materials in Gyaca County to clarify the fertility characteristics of different soil types and their correlations with walnut nutrients, providing a basis for the sustainable development of the plateau walnut industry. The results showed that there were significant differences in soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), available nutrient contents, and microbial activity among soil types with different parent materials. The comprehensive representation of available nutrient levels in the soils is as follows: gray-cinnamon soil and calcareous alluvial soil &gt; mountain meadow soil &gt; plateau prairie soil and brush prairie soil. The average MBC, MBN, and MBP contents in the five soils were 368.8 mg/kg, 28.4 mg/kg, and 23.6 mg/kg, respectively, and the content in the topsoil (0–20 cm) was higher than that of the subsoil (20–40 cm). The total nitrogen (PN), total phosphorus (PP), and total potassium (PK) contents in walnut leaves were found to be closely related to the soil physicochemical properties and microbial activity, among which five indicators, including soil TN, available nitrogen (AN), SOM, MBC, and slowly available potassium (SAK), had the greatest impact on leaf nutrient levels. These findings are valuable for the future management and development of walnut orchards. Therefore, for different soil parent materials and soil types, improving the soil fertility and actively applying nitrogen-rich organic fertilizers should be prioritized to improve the yield and quality of Tibetan Plateau walnuts.

ROLE OF PHOTOSYNTHETIC STABILITY AND PHYSIO-CHEMICAL ATTRIBUTES IN THE SELECTION OF IMPROVED COTTON GENOTYPES IN ACTUAL FIELD CONDITIONS

The current experimental study was conducted at Cotton Research Station, Bahawalpur during the cotton growing in 2022. The study was designed to evaluate the elite cotton genotypes based on their photosynthetic sustainability and other physiochemical attributes which could help in framing a selection criterion for the development of improved carton genotypes. The results revealed that highly significant variations were present among the elite cotton genotypes for studied morpho-physiological, photosynthetic and biochemical traits i.e., CLCV incidence percentage, number of bolls, sympodia per plant, boll weight, net photosynthetic rate, total chlorophyll contents, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, sugar contents, total phenolic contents, ascorbic acid and seed cotton yield, which could be used in devising selection criteria for this election of parental material to be used in the hybridization program. Furthermore, the correlation coefficient analysis unveiled the strong correlation of seed cotton yield with transpiration rate, sugar contents, stomatal conductance, net photosynthetic rate, ginning out turn and sympodia per plant whereas a strong negative correlation was found for total phenolic contents. These results were also verified through the mean bar graphs and biplot graphs which show that these traits have the highest influence on seed cotton yield under the optimal condition.

Warren truss inspired hierarchical beams for three dimensional hierarchical truss lattice materials

Networks of beams are a subject of increasing interest to create architected materials with exceptional mechanical properties and low density. This paper investigates the mechanical properties of one dimensional (1D) hierarchical beams for the development of three dimensional (3D) truss lattice materials. These 1D hierarchical beams are constructed in two configurations by placing axial and inclined struts in single and double laced Warren truss patterns in each side of a beam with polygon cross section. Analytical and numerical analyses have been used to characterize their mechanical properties, including the elastic modulus, second moment of area, and shear stiffness of hierarchical beams drawn from a broad design space. Also, the failure limits of the beams with respect to parent material failure and various buckling modes are probed. Finally, the hierarchical beams have been implemented as the constituent members of Kelvin and octet lattices, and the elastic modulus and failure boundaries of the second-order hierarchical lattices are evaluated. The investigation reveals the competition between the elastic properties in the individual hierarchical beams based on different combinations of the design variables. The stiffness of the designs under compression and bending is found to be a function of the axial member size and cross sectional shape of the hierarchical beam. On the other hand, the shear stiffness of hierarchical beam designs is a function of the inclined member size and their inclination angle. It is demonstrated that incorporating hierarchy in the Kelvin and octet truss lattices can enhance the load bearing capacity of designs at low relative densities when compared to their hollow counterparts. Also, it is shown that second-order hierarchical stretching and bending-dominated lattices incorporating first-order hierarchical beams, can not only achieve but also surpass the strength and stiffness scaling relations established for first-order lattices. This becomes particularly noteworthy when considering bending-dominated lattices, as the hierarchy can drive their stiffness toward the boundaries, enabling them to outperform their equivalent stretching-dominated rivals.

Metal single atom photocatalysts for sunlight-driven hydrogen production: Recent and future development

Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution has been considered the most compelling approach for green hydrogen technology. Heretofore, restricted light adsorption, fast charge recombination, and limited surface-active sites have been considered as bottle-neck issues, causing poor catalytic performance. In this context, metal single atom-incorporated photocatalysts have attracted tremendous attention for their ability to overcome these obstacles while maximizing atomic metal utilization efficiency. The presented perspective aims at highlighting the cutting-edge development of metal single-atom photocatalysts. Indeed, the formation manner and features of metal single atom- anchored photocatalysts are presented. Also, various preparation methods employed to deploy metal atoms onto parent materials are unveiled. Furthermore, recent outstanding metal single atom- anchored semiconductors, which are precious, transition, dual metal single atom- decorated are discussed in detail. In addition, it is also expected to pave the way for the next generation of photocatalysts for sunlight-driven hydrogen generation and contribute to fill the missing puzzles in the picture of green hydrogen production.

Kinetics of Phosphorous Release in Soils with Different Parent Materials as Influenced by Time and Soil Properties in South Eastern Nigeria

Kinetics of Phosphorous Release in Soils with Different Parent Materials as Influenced by Time and Soil Properties in South Eastern Nigeria

Unexpected Molecular Sieving of Xylene Isomer Using Tethered Ligand in Polymer-Metal-Organic Frameworks (polyMOFs).

Promising advances in adsorption technology can lead to energy-efficient solutions in industrial sectors. This work presents precise molecular sieving of xylene isomers in the polymer-metal-oragnic framework (polyMOF), a hybrid porous material derived from the parent isoreticular MOF-1 (IRMOF-1). PolyMOFs are synthesized by polymeric ligands bridged by evenly spaced alkyl chains, showing reduced pore sizes and enhanced stabilities compared to its parent material due to tethered polymer bridge within the pores while maintaining the original rigid crystal lattice. However, the exact configuration of the ligands within the crystals remain unclear, posing hurdles to predicting the adsorption performances of the polyMOFs. This work reveals that the unique pore structure of polyIRMOF-1-7a can discriminate xylene isomers with sub-angstrom size differences, leading to highly selective adsorption of p-xylene over other isomers and alkylbenzenes in complex liquid mixtures (αpX/OM = 15 and αpX/OME = 9). The structural details of the polyIRMOF-1-7a are elucidated through computational studies, suggesting a plausible configuration of alkyl chains within the polyMOF crystal, which enable a record-high p-xylene selectivity and stability in liquid hydrocarbon. With this unprecedented molecular selectivity in MOFs, "polymer-MOF" hybridization is expected to meet rigorous requirements for high-standard molecular sieving through precisely tunable and highly stable pores.

Photocatalytic Degradation of Losartan with BiOCl/Sepiolite Nanocomposites

Developing highly active and available, environmentally friendly, and low-cost photocatalytic materials is one of the most popular topics in photocatalytic degradation systems. In the present study, a series of BiOCl/Sepiolite composite photocatalysts were prepared (in the range of 5%BiOCl/Sepiolite–30%BiOCl/Sepiolite). Their characterization was conducted using X-ray diffraction, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen physical physisorption at the temperature of liquid nitrogen (77 K), and attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Results showed that composite photocatalysts possess superior efficiency than the parent materials for losartan, an antihypertensive agent, degradation in water, with the sample with only 10%wt. BiOCl shows the highest performance. The beneficial effect of the addition of sepiolite to BiOCl is derived from the increase in surface area, the prevention of particle aggregation, and the efficient separation of photogenerated species. Increasing catalyst concentration from 125 mg/L up to 500 mg/L was accompanied by an increase in the apparent kinetic constant from 0.077 min−1 to 0.197 min−1 while varying losartan concentration from 0.25 to 5.00 mg/L slowed down the removal efficiency. In addition, losartan degradation was only partially hampered in the case of bottled water, whereas it was practically stopped in a secondary wastewater effluent. Overall, this study serves as a useful guide for using geopolymers in photocatalytic applications.

Humic substances in soils of diverse parent materials in humid tropical environment of south east nigeria.

Humic substances in soils of diverse parent materials in humid tropical environment of south east nigeria.

Distribution, risk evaluation, and source allocation of cesium and strontium in surface soil in a mining city.

Radioactive nuclides cesium (Cs) and strontium (Sr) possess long half-lives, with 135Cs at approximately 2.3 million years and 87Sr at about 49 billion years. Their persistent accumulation can result in long-lasting radioactive contamination of soil ecosystems. This study employed geo-accumulation index (Igeo), pollution load index (PLI), potential ecological risk index (PEPI), health risk assessment model (HRA), and Monte Carlo simulation to evaluate the pollution and health risks of Cs and Sr in the surface soil of different functional areas in a typical mining city in China. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) model was used to elucidate the potential sources of Cs and Sr and the respective contribution rates of natural and anthropogenic sources. The findings indicate that soils in the mining area exhibited significantly higher levels of Cs and Sr pollution compared to smelting factory area, agricultural area, and urban residential area. Strontium did not pose a potential ecological risk in any studied functional area. The non-carcinogenic health risk of Sr to the human body in the study area was relatively low. Because of the lack of parameters for Cs, the potential ecological and human health risks of Cs was not calculated. The primary source of Cs in the soil was identified as the parent material from which the soil developed, while Sr mainly originated from associated contamination caused by mining activities. This research provides data for the control of Cs and Sr pollution in the surface soil of mining city.

Effect of particle size distribution of sediments on development of polder soils in Japan

Abstract Purpose Polder soils develop from oceanic and lacustrine sediments covered with seawater, brackish water, and freshwater after artificial drainage. Because there are several concerns regarding the agricultural use of polder soils, soil genesis and properties have been considerably surveyed, mainly focusing on problematic soils developed from fine sediments. Although sediments have a wide range of particle size distributions due to different sedimentary conditions, particle size of parent materials have not been well addressed to understand the soil developmental process. In this study, Japanese polders with different reclamation ages and sedimentary conditions were surveyed to clarify the soil formation process and factors affecting pedogenesis. Materials and methods Soil samples were collected from 15 soil profiles in six Japanese polders under different land use types. Sedimentary conditions of polders were evaluated from particle size distributions using the hydrodynamic classification proposed by Pejrup (The triangular diagram used for classification of estuarine sediments: a new approach. Tide-influenced Sediment Environ Facies, pp 289–300, 1988). The major soil-forming factors of polders were extracted by principal component analysis (PCA) using general soil properties. Results and discussion Brackish lake and inner bay polders were characterized by calm hydrodynamic conditions comprising fine particles. Two polders reclaimed from a shallow inland sea were characterized by violent hydrodynamic conditions. Sandy sediments were also characteristic of immature soils reclaimed from a freshwater lake and an estuarine tidal flat. Soils on polders developed under calm hydrodynamic conditions enabled the accumulation of high total carbon content. The soil-forming process in the brackish bay oxidized pyrite, leading to an acidic soil reaction. Conversely, soils developed from sandy sediments were characterized by low iron content. The PCA extracted two factors explained by particle size and soil reaction relating to acidification and salt leaching. Conclusion Polder soils can be mainly discriminated by their particle size distributions, which are characterized by hydrodynamics under the sedimentary conditions, and the polder soil development is affected by water management in land uses after artificial drainage.

Irrigation-Initiated Changes in Physicochemical Properties of the Calcisols of the Northern Part of Fergana Valley

Agriculture in Central Asia and in the Fergana Valley in general strongly depends on irrigation and drainage of agricultural lands. The Fergana Valley includes about 45% of the irrigated area in the Syr Darya River basin. Active use of irrigation in agriculture can lead to changes in the soil’s natural composition, as well as pollution and changes in the soil’s physical and chemical properties. Soil degradation in the process of irrigation can lead to a decrease in crop yields and, as a consequence, to a decrease in food security in the region. In this study, a comparative analysis of three main types of Calcisols (Dark, Light, and Typical) before (uncultivated soil) and after agricultural use (surface-irrigated agricultural soil) was carried out. Irrigation leads to increment of SOC stocks in Typical (from 113.8 to 126.3 t/ha) and Light (from 62.8 to 100.1 t/ha) Calcisols and to decreasing of SOC stocks in Dark Calcisols (from 160.1 to 175.3 t/ha). In general, the content of biophilic elements (SOC and TN) is lower in irrigated soils, and their distribution in the soil profile is close to the functional relationship (r2 0.98 to 0.99). In uncultivated Calcisols, the profile distribution of SOC and TN is more heterogeneous (r2 0.67 to 0.97). Changes in the humification processes of soil organic matter are also identified; in soils after irrigation the carbon ratio of humic/fulvic acids (CHA/CFA) is lower (&lt;1) compared to their uncultivated counterparts (~1). The alteration of the soil water regime also resulted in transformation of the individual compositions of amino acids. All studied types of Calcisols are characterized by changes in particle-size distribution of soils especially in the number of the silt fraction (0.01–0.05 mm) and the difference between uncultivated and irrigated soils, 10–20%, which is associated with the processes of colmatage by accumulation of a fine fraction and replacement of sub-fractions in the fraction of sand. The highest concentrations of nutrients are characteristic of the upper soil horizons (P up to 231, K up to 2350 mg/kg), which indicate their pedogenic and agrogenic origins rather than inheritance from the parent material. Soil P and K availability is rather high, with non-labile forms prevailing, although of near reserve. The surface irrigation results in apparent accumulation of water-soluble Mg2+ (1.6–2.1 meq/100 g) and K+ (0.6–0.9 meq/100 g), but the cation of Ca2+ predominates in the base cations’ composition, which is the most favorable in terms of soil agrogenic property formation. Data obtained will be useful for development of strategies for effective land use in arid, subtropical, overpopulated regions of Central Asia that have deficient water sources and intensive soil degradation.

Investigation of Zn Doped Li1.5Al0.5−xZnxGe1.5(PO4)3 (x = 0, 0.1 & 0.2) as a Solid Electrolyte for Li Ion Batteries

All solid lithium-ion batteries (ASLB) have gained a lot of attention as it could deliver high energy and power density. In order to completely establish ASLB, proper understanding of solid electrolyte is very vital and the research from diverse point is still undergoing. Among them, NASICON-type phosphate based solid electrolytes are one of the promising materials due to good ionic conductivity and atmospheric stability. Addition of proper dopants into the parent material could cause an increment in their ionic conductivity as well as stability, thus fitting the material apt as solid electrolyte. This study aims in understanding the effect of ionic conductivity and stability of Lithium Aluminium Germanium Phosphate (LAGP) material upon adding Zinc as dopant material. We explored the effect of structural, ionic conductivity, stability against Li and Ac conductivity properties of Li1.5Al0.5−xZnxGe1.5(PO4)3 solid electrolyte with x = 0, 0.1 and 0.2. Our study showed that doping of aluminium with slightly bigger Zn ion could enhance the stability and conductivity of the material without changing the crystal structure. When x = 0.1 the ionic conductivity of the material attained is 1 × 10−5 S cm−1 at RT, which reaches 2.57 × 10−5 S cm−1 at 60 °C. Such a change in conductivity arises due to the expansion of ionic pathways which can be further tuned by exploring the limiting concentration 0 ≤ x < 0.1. Moreover, the sample also showed good stability at 0.03 and 0.05 mA cm−2 current densities against Li metal. Present study shows that Zn doping can improve the ionic conductivity of LAGP moderately and it can be used as a solid electrolyte for fabricating all-solid-state batteries.

The Effect of Different Parent Materials and Topography on the Mineral Properties of some Soils in Sulaymaniyah Governorate

The Effect of Different Parent Materials and Topography on the Mineral Properties of some Soils in Sulaymaniyah Governorate

Fate and potential ecological risk of rare earth elements in 3000-year reclaimed soil chronosequences

The introduction of anthropogenic inputs into natural systems may lead to enduring alterations in the innate characteristics of Rare Earth Elements (REEs). Against this backdrop, the evolutionary processes and environmental drivers of REEs in soil remain uncertain. A 3000-year soil chronosequence with uniform parent material was established in reclaimed farmland along the Yangtze River, reconstructing, for the first time, the dynamic processes of REE accumulation and fractionation over a long-time scale. Analysis of 122 soil samples showed REE concentrations ranging from 146.00 to 216.56 μg/g. Based on reclamation duration, three significant stages of REE evolution were identified: natural leaching, rapid accumulation, and stable accumulation with differentiation. Reclaimed soil after 3000 years exhibited a 14.1 % increase in REE concentrations compared to fresh sediments, attributed to anthro -pedogenic processes. Moreover, Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREEs) accumulated faster than Light Rare Earth Elements (LREEs), particularly in deeper soils (60–100 cm), where HREE concentrations rose by 34.3 %, mainly due to acidic environments promoting HREE fixation. Additionally, the potential ecological risk posed by REEs heightened with reclamation duration, with HREEs exhibiting a sensitivity of 83 % to 94 %. Our findings stress the urgency of carefully monitoring exogenous REEs introduced through anthropogenic activities, particularly HREEs.

Soil fertility based on mineralogical properties to support sustainable agriculture management

&lt;p&gt;Detailed information on soil mineral composition has been crucial in providing the basis for designing sustainable agricultural practices, as this information offers long-term insights into natural soil fertility. This research aimed to further investigate the characteristics of soil mineral composition as a basis for managing soil fertility. Three soil profiles representing three different parent materials have been examined in the field, and soil samples have been collected for laboratory analysis. Profile 1 originates from the Raung Volcano Rock Formation (Qhvr). Profile 2 originates from the Sukamade Formation (Toms). Profile 3 originates from Puger Formation (Tmp). The presence of Mount Raung volcanic influence results in distinct soil characteristics in Profiles 2 and 3 compared to typical sedimentary and karst rock soils. The sand fraction minerals in all three profiles are predominantly composed of opaque minerals, followed by rock fragments, ferromagnesian mineral series (olivine, augite, hypersthene, and hornblende), plagioclase minerals (anorthite, biotite, and labradorite), iron concretions, epidote, and tourmaline. The clay fraction minerals in all three profiles consist of illite, kaolinite, and quartz. The minerals illite and ferromagnesian groups in all three profiles play a significant role in increasing the availability of potassium, calcium, and magnesium nutrients, thereby reducing the need for fertilizers for these elements. The soils in all three profiles naturally possess good fertility; however, designing a sustainable agricultural system requires consideration of the morphology, landform, and climate of all three profiles.&lt;/p&gt;

Preparation and characterization of UiO-66-(OH)2/MWCNTs composites for CO2/N2 adsorption separation

The increasing CO2 concentration in the atmosphere can lead to climate change, and CO2 capture technology is one of the most direct and effective means of reducing carbon emissions. In this study, a new composite was prepared in situ by loading multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) onto metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) to efficiently capture CO2 in flue gas. The morphological states and pore structures of the composites were analyzed using characterization methods. The CO2 adsorption properties of the composites were tested at 273 K and 298 K with different MWCNTs loadings. The optimal CO2 adsorption quantities of the composite material were measured to be 4.4 and 5.75 mmol/g, respectively, which increased the adsorption capacity by 66.7 % and 55 %, respectively, compared with the parent material at a pressure of 1 bar. The CO2/N2 separation performance of the composites was examined using ideal adsorption solution theory calculations and dynamic adsorption breakthrough experiments. The stability of the composites was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis, acidification experiments, and cyclical adsorption–desorption experimentation. The UiO-66-(OH)2/MWCNTs composites exhibited superior CO2 adsorption–separation performance, thermal stability, acid resistance, and cycling stability. Therefore, the composite has potential applications in CO2 capture separation technology.