Recovery Technology Research Articles

Development of Nanofluid-Based Solvent as a Hybrid Technology for In-Situ Heavy Oil Upgrading During Cyclic Steam Stimulation Applications.

This paper evaluates solvent-based nanofluids for in situ heavy oil upgrading during cyclic steam stimulation (CSS) applications. The study includes a comprehensive analysis of the properties and characteristics of nanofluids, as well as their performance in in situ upgrading and oil recovery. The evaluation includes laboratory experiments to investigate the effects of the nanoparticle's chemical nature, asphaltene adsorption and gasification, heavy oil recovery, and quality upgrading. The results show that alumina-based nanoparticles have a higher efficiency in asphaltene adsorption and catalytic decomposition at low temperatures (<250 °C) than ceria and silica nanoparticles. Specifically, alumina nanoparticles achieved asphaltene adsorption of 48 mg g-1, while ceria adsorbed 42 mg g-1. Alumina and ceria required around 90 and 135 min for 100% asphaltene conversion. Nanofluids were designed by varying nanoparticle and surfactant concentrations dispersed in naphtha, obtaining that the nanofluid containing 0.05 wt % of nanoparticles and 0.05 wt % of surfactant presents the highest yield in increasing API gravity by 5° and reducing oil viscosity by 90% in thermal experiments. Finally, the nanofluid was evaluated under dynamic conditions. The results show that nanofluid-based solvents can significantly improve the recovery and upgrading of heavy oil during CSS applications. When the steam injection technology was assisted by naphtha and nanofluid, 64% and 75% of the original oil in place were recovered, respectively. The effluents obtained in each stage presented lower API gravity values and higher viscosities for those obtained without a nanofluid. Specifically, the API gravity of the recovered oil rose from 11.9° to 34°, and the viscosity decreased to below 100 cP. The paper concludes by highlighting the potential of nanofluid-based solvents as a promising technology for heavy oil recovery and upgrading in the future.

Financial Technology in Recovery: Behavioral Usage of Payment Systems by Indonesian MSMEs in the Post-Pandemic Era

Financial Technology in Recovery: Behavioral Usage of Payment Systems by Indonesian MSMEs in the Post-Pandemic Era

Techno-economic and environmental analysis of decarbonization pathways for cement plants in Uzbekistan

The cement industry is a major contributor to global carbon emissions and is characterized by high energy waste, necessitating urgent mitigation efforts. This study explores decarbonization pathways, including energy efficiency, clinker substitution, alternative fuels, and carbon capture, storage, and utilization technologies, for a 1 Mt/year cement plant in Uzbekistan. Waste heat recovery and CO2 capture technologies are identified as the most effective methods for this plant because of their high efficiency and sustainability potential. By using modeling tools such as Aspen Plus and Aspen Custom Modeler, various scenarios, including the cement plant baseline, amine-based CO2 absorption, membrane CO2 separation, and WHR units, are investigated to assess their techno-economic and environmental impacts. The study establishes design parameters for each unit and calculates both capital and operational costs. Compared with conventional amine absorption, the membrane separation process reduces the clinker cost, levelized cost of clinker, CO2 avoided cost, and CO2 capture cost by 31 %, 34.3 %, 72 %, and 70 %, respectively. The implementation of a waste heat recovery system with amine absorption and membrane separation further reduces annual indirect CO2 emissions by 17 % and 35 %, respectively, thereby lowering operating costs. Membrane separation systems prove to be more economical in terms of both capital and operational expenses, particularly when integrated with heat recovery systems, effectively offsetting the higher costs associated with amine-based systems.

Recent Advances in Technologies for Phosphate Removal and Recovery: A Review

Recent Advances in Technologies for Phosphate Removal and Recovery: A Review

Structural brain preservation: a potential bridge to future medical technologies.

When faced with the prospect of death, some people would prefer a form of long-term preservation that may allow them to be restored to healthy life in the future, if technology ever develops to the point that this is feasible and humane. Some believe that we may have the capacity to perform this type of experimental preservation today-although it has never been proven-using contemporary methods to preserve the structure of the brain. The idea is that the morphomolecular organization of the brain encodes the information required for psychological properties such as personality and long-term memories. If these structures in the brain can be maintained intact over time, this could theoretically provide a bridge to access restorative technologies in the future. To consider this hypothesis, we first describe possible metrics that can be used to assess structural brain preservation quality. We next explore several possible methods to preserve structural information in the brain, including the traditional cryonics method of cryopreservation, as well as aldehyde-stabilized cryopreservation and fluid preservation. We focus in-depth on fluid preservation, which relies on aldehyde fixation to induce chemical gel formation in a wide set of biomolecules and appears to be a cost-effective method. We describe two theoretical recovery technologies, alongside several of the ethical and legal complexities of brain preservation, all of which will require a prudent approach. We believe contemporary structural brain preservation methods have a non-negligible chance of allowing successful restoration in the future and that this deserves serious research efforts by the scientific community.

A nutrient circular economy framework for wastewater treatment plants

Given the criticality of phosphorous and the harm eutrophication causes, wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) are undergoing circular economy (CE) conversions into becoming centres for resource recovery. This framework paper identifies the environmental, societal, political, commercial, economic, consumer, regulatory, legal, infrastructural, technological, international compliance, academic, agricultural, and plant-operator factors affecting the micro, macro and meso success and failure of nutrient CE WWTP across scope classifications. From this, nutrient CE framework is not as simplistic as it looks, given the multitude of impingers that need to be considered. The lack of technological readiness and vast selection methodologies for some nutrient recovery technologies, low private-sector investment, divisive consumer perceptions, unique economic situations, localised regulatory specifications, threats of inefficient technology lock-ins, poor acceptance among farmers and WWTP operators due to infrastructural incompatibilities, lack of efficient CE supply chains, legacy infrastructure, poor digitised solutions for nutrient CE management, low training and awareness, and integration of nutrient CE WWTPs with broader society are barriers. On the contrary, nutrient CE WWTP will mainly be driven by regulations, subsidies and consumer-WWTP-farmer nutrient CE acceptances. This framework aims to tie in and provide solutions to overcoming barriers to nutrient CE WWTPs that is universally applicable. Consequently, the framework provides a holistic structure for policy, legislative, academic, agricultural, plant operators, commercial and consumer stakeholders a roadmap for the success and difficulties of nutrient CE WWTP adoption.

Effect of Hydrolyzed Polyacrylamide on the Emulsion Stability by Multiple Light Scattering and Molecular Dynamics Simulation

AbstractPolymer flooding, using hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM), is crucial in enhanced oil recovery technology. The effect of the HPAM and NaCl concentration on the stability of the simulated emulsions was assessed through multiple light scattering experiments. The results demonstrated that HPAM significantly enhanced the stability of both oil‐in‐water (O/W) and water‐in‐oil (W/O) emulsions. The HPAM concentration escalated from 200 mg L−1 to 1000 mg L−1, increasing from 1.24% to 1.31% at 60 minute in the average backscattering of W/O emulsions. The average transmittance of O/W emulsions exhibited a significant decline from 2.54% to 0.12%. The NaCl concentration had a small effect on the stability of the emulsions. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that HPAM adsorbed at the oil water interface by the point‐like nature, with stronger interaction between its amide group and the oil molecule than its carboxyl group. The hydrogen bond number and the hydrogen bond lifetime of HPAM‐H2O and HPAM‐HPAM increase with increasing the number of HPAM molecules at the oil‐water interface, slowing diffusion coefficient of water molecules and increasing the interface thickness. Increasing salinity can weaken the HPAM‐water interaction, reducing the emulsification stability. This work provides insights into the emulsification characteristics and mechanisms of HPAM.

Feasibility of utilizing recycled coarse aggregates in commercial concrete production

This study addresses a critical gap in circular construction practices by assessing the use of high-quality Recycled Coarse Aggregates (RCA) from end-of-life concrete on an industrial scale. Unlike previous studies, which predominantly relied on theoretical mix designs or laboratory-level experiments, this research focuses on real-world applicability, employing commercially produced RCA and conventional production methods in industrial settings to identify upscaling challenges. Advanced Dry Recovery technology is utilized to produce high-quality RCA for both ready-mix and prefab concrete production. To ensure practical relevance, the research examines three water-to-cement ratios for ready-mix concrete and three strength classes for prefab concrete, all prepared and cast in a commercial setting using standard industrial practices. The results show that by selecting the appropriate application for RCA, there is potential for concrete companies to produce mixes using 100% RCA that meet standard requirements in terms of fresh, mechanical, and durability properties without the need for extra treatments or specific mixing methods, particularly when the water absorption of RCA is less than 4%. Achieving optimal performance requires adjustments in the mix design, specifically by considering the effective water-to-cement ratio. Additionally, the study underscores the impact of the parent concrete's properties on the RCA quality. This research not only demonstrates the feasibility of employing RCA in industrial-scale concrete production along with its associated challenges but also highlights the potential for enhancing circularity in the construction industry through large-scale adoption of RCA, thereby contributing to sustainable and circular construction practices.

A synergistic bioelectrochemical-photocatalytic system for efficient uranium removal and recovery

Bioelectrochemical system (BES) is a promising technology for uranium recovery, which also enables simultaneous electricity generation. However, the bioelectrochemical recovery of uranium is hindered by its slow process due to the low reduction potential provided by microorganisms. Herein, we developed an innovative bioelectrochemical-photocatalytic system (BEPS) that combines the advantages of BES and photocatalysis, achieving enhanced uranium removal and recovery. The photogenerated electrons in BEPS possess a more negative reduction potential and stronger reduction capability than microbial electrons in BES, significantly accelerating uranium reduction and deposition on the electrode surface. Moreover, the electrons from the bioanode combine with photogenerated holes through the external circuit, effectively inhibiting the recombination of charge carriers. The BEPS significantly enhances uranium removal efficiency, kinetic, and electricity generation through a synergistic coupling mechanism between the bioanode and photocathode. Notably, the UO2 deposited on the electrode surface exhibited a recovery efficiency of 98.21 ± 1.37%, and the regenerated electrode sustained its photoelectric response and uranium removal capabilities. Our findings highlight the potential of the BEPS as an effective technology for uranium recovery and electricity generation.

ANALYSIS OF THE CHANGE IN THE RHEOLOGICAL CURVE OF THE FLOW OF NON-NEWTONIAN OILS IN THE FIELDS OF WESTERN KAZAKHSTAN

In order to improve oil recovery technologies, the task of studying the rheological properties of oil, which largely determine the development indicators of the development target, namely, the rate of oil withdrawal, the stability and nature of the movement of the front of displacement of oil by water or gas, and, as a result, final oil recovery, is becoming urgent. In this regard, there is a need for in-depth studies of the rheoviscidity properties of produced oils.This article presents the results of laboratory studies to study the rheological characteristics of both high-paraffin and heavy high-viscosity oils using the example of oil from fields in Western Kazakhstan. Since structured oils are thixotropic systems, all experiments were carried out with the same degree of structure destruction in oil, both anhydrous oils and those with different water cuts were studied. The authors also showed the nature of the change in the rheological curve of the flow of oil emulsion of various water cuts to identify the temperature interval where non-Newtonian properties of various oils are manifested. Their main physical and chemical properties are also given, and kinematic viscosities of oil with different densities are compared. The results of laboratory studies of viscosity change with temperature increase for Karazhanbas oil emulsion with different water cut are considered. Despite differences in viscosity values of different degrees of watered samples of highly paraffinic oil, the tendency of oil viscosity change depending on the shear gradient is the same. The formation of structured systems of resin and asphaltene particles is observed in flows with relatively low shear gradients. As a result, oil viscosity dependence on the shear gradient in the range of low values from 0 to 20 s-1 must be taken into account when solving tasks for high-paraffin production. The results obtained are of practical interest, since when creating a compositional model and technological modeling of the collection and transport system, the rheological characteristics of the oil of a particular field, as well as the presence of thixotropic properties, must be taken into account.

Energy valorization of solid residue from steam distillation of aromatic shrubs

The interest for essential oils is increasing, alongside ongoing scientific research into distillation techniques. This process generates significant solid residue that could be revalorized as energy source. This study explores the energy recovery of the solid fraction produced during the distillation of three aromatic plants: Cistus ladanifer, Juniperus communis and Rosmarinus officinalis. Two conventional energy recovery technologies were considered and compared through an energy balance: solid biofuel production and biogas generation. In case of solid biofuels, the fractionation of biomass allowed for generation of three different qualities that meet the regulation standards of solid fuels, except for the dust fraction. According to the energy balance, the alternative use of these substrates for biogas production showed competitive production in case of Cistus ladanifer and Juniperus communis, while Rosmarinus officinalis biomass presented inhibition of the anaerobic digestion and null energy recovery.

Building energy consumption analysis and measures: a case study from an administration building in Chengdu, China

With the peak of carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality, China is placing greater emphasis on energy expenditure. Office buildings occupy a prominent position in building energy consumption, which is one of the main energy consumption areas. Taking an administration building in Chengdu as an example, this article simulates the building energy consumption based on Design Builder software, examines the variables influencing energy consumption, and suggests energy-saving strategies combined with fresh ideas for sustainable architectural design. The results showed that the modeling building was a high-energy-consuming building, with an energy consumption of 724,857.59 kWh, and a unit area energy consumption of 288.17 kWh/m2 in Chengdu. For energy conservation and emission reduction, this article proposes the following three energy-saving measures. The first is to apply heat recovery technology for air conditioning systems. The second is photovoltaic glass, which provides partial electricity demand for buildings and reduces dependence on traditional energy sources. The third is roof greening, which utilizes the plants to purify the air and beautify the environment. The results showed that the heat recovery technology in air conditioning systems reduced the total energy consumption of buildings from 642144.04 kWh/m2 to 502937.83 kWh/m2, photovoltaic glass reduced 552243.87 kWh/m2, and roof greening reduced to 635947.35 kWh/m2. All of these have good energy-saving and emission reduction effects. The above three strategies not only help reduce building energy consumption, but also provide substantial support for China to achieve carbon neutrality.

Incineration Innovation: A Path to Efficient and Sustainable Municipal Solid Waste Management in Kuwait

Municipal solid waste management has become a critical global issue due to the rapid increase in waste generation driven by urbanization and population growth. This surge in waste poses significant environmental, social, and health challenges, exacerbated by inefficient recycling and waste-to-energy facilities. Effective waste management requires comprehensive strategies encompassing waste reduction, efficient collection, sorting systems, and advanced recycling and energy recovery technologies. This study highlights the potential of incineration as a waste-to-energy solution, specifically focusing on Kuwait. By analyzing various waste management technologies and their applicability, this study emphasizes the role of incineration in transforming municipal solid waste into electricity, thereby reducing landfill use and environmental impacts. The research includes a detailed review of the existing technologies, a case study on Kuwait’s waste management practices, and an evaluation of the economic and environmental benefits of implementing waste-to-energy incineration. The findings underscore the importance of tailored waste management solutions to address specific regional challenges, promote sustainability, and enhance public health and well-being.

Synergistic coordination-regulated separation of nickel and cobalt from spent Ni(II) and Co(II) bearing choline chloride/ethylene glycol electrolyte: Theoretical and experimental investigations

Developing efficient and environmentally friendly metal recovery technologies from secondary resources is crucial for enhancing resource utilization and promoting environmental sustainability. However, metals with similar physicochemical properties pose significant challenges in the recovery process, particularly for nickel and cobalt. Herein, we present a coordination-regulated approach utilizing water-, temperature-, and pH-codrived to achieve sequential precipitation recovery of nickel and cobalt from waste choline chloride/ethylene glycol (Ethaline) electrolyte containing Ni(II) and Co(II) ions. By carefully adjusting water content, temperature, and pH, we can control the speciation of Ni(II) ([NiCl(H2O)2(EG)2]+) and Co(II) ([CoCl2(H2O)2(EG)2]0) ions in the Ethaline-based electrolyte, thereby facilitating nickel preferential precipitation. Additionally, further introducing water into the Co(II)-rich phase promotes the formation of [CoCl(H2O)3(EG)2]+ complex ions, leading to efficient separation of cobalt. When oxalic acid is used as a precipitant, the recovery efficiencies for nickel and cobalt reach 96.3% and 97.5%, respectively, with purities of 97.8% and 98.5%. Importantly, distilling the water-containing solvent allows for regeneration of Ethaline with a yield rate as high as 97.1%, while maintaining its structural stability. This proposed strategy offers a promising pathway for sustainable metal recovery from spent Ethaline electrolytes containing metal ions while enabling solvent regeneration.

Pore-scale fluid distribution and remaining oil during tertiary low-salinity waterflooding in a carbonate

The utilization of low-salinity waterflooding as a promising enhanced oil recovery method has exhibited exciting results in various experiments conducted at different scales. For carbonate rock, pore-scale understanding of the fluid distribution and remaining oil after low-salinity waterflooding is essential, especially the geometry and topology analysis of oil clusters. We performed the tertiary low-salinity waterflooding and employed X-ray micro-CT to probe the pore-scale displacement mechanism, fluid configuration, oil recovery, and remaining oil distribution. We found that the core becomes less oil-wet after low-salinity waterflooding. Furthermore, we analyzed the oil-rock and oil-brine interfacial areas to further support the wettability alteration. By comparing images after high-salinity waterflooding and low-salinity waterflooding, it is proven that wettability alteration has a significant impact on the behavior of the two-phase flow. Our research demonstrates that low-salinity waterflooding is an effective tertiary enhanced oil recovery technology in carbonate, which changes the wettability of rock and results in less film and singlet oil.

Recovering Valuable Chemicals from Polypropylene Waste via a Mild Catalyst-Free Hydrothermal Process.

Waste polypropylene (PP) presents a significant environmental challenge, owing to its refractory nature and inert C-C backbone. In this study, we introduce a practical chemical recovery strategy from PP waste using a mild catalyst-free hydrothermal treatment (HT). The treatment converts 64.1% of the processed PP into dissolved organic products within 2 h in an air atmosphere at 160 °C. Higher temperatures increase the PP conversion efficiency. Distinct electron absorption and emission characteristics of the products are identified by spectral analysis. Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance-mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) reveals the oxidative cracking of PP into shorter-chain homologues (10-50 carbon atoms) containing carboxylic and carbonyl groups. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations support a reaction pathway involving thermal C-H oxidation at the tertiary carbon sites in the polymer chain. The addition of 1% H2O2 further enhances the oxidation reaction to produce valuable short-chain acetic acids, enabling gram-scale recycling of both pure PP and disposable surgical masks from the real world. Techno-economic analysis (TEA) and environmental life cycle costing (E-LCC) analysis suggest that this hydrothermal oxidation recovery technology is financially viable, which shows significant potential in tackling the ongoing plastic pollution crisis and advancing plastic treatment methodologies toward a circular economy paradigm.

Adsorption recovery of chlorinated volatile organic compounds on coffee ground-based activated carbon of tunable porosity

Chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) play an indispensable role in industrial production, but meanwhile pose serious threats to human health. As a response to the urgent and challenging requirements of reducing pollution and carbon emissions, in this work, the critically favorable ultra-micropores and hierarchical porous structure are constructed onto the low-cost coffee ground-based activated carbon (AC) for the CVOCs adsorption recovery. To regulate the processes of carbonization and activation, the formation of the porosity is elaborated in terms of elements, functional groups and graphited structure. As expected, abundant ultra-micropores (<1 nm) are particularly apt to the adsorption of 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCE) of small size and also contribute positively to the adsorption of chlorobenzene (CB). Moreover, the sample S400-4 possesses a large surface area (1643 m2/g), pore volume (0.89 cm3/g) and hierarchical porous structures that greatly benefit the adsorption of both 1,2-DCE (2.11 mmol/g) and CB (4.15 mmol/g). The advantage is ascribed to the facilitated transfer of CVOCs through the hierarchical porous structures and the higher affinity of CB for the π-π interaction. S400-4 presents a good performance in the recycle tests and with the interference of co-existing components alike, which indicates the engineering application potential of coffee ground-based AC. Hopefully, this work sheds light on the structure-function relationship between biomass-based AC and CVOCs adsorption, and contributes to the targeted development of suitable CVOCs adsorption materials and recovery technologies.

Preparation of cellulose-based porous carbon fibers and their methylene chloride adsorption/desorption behaviors

Methylene chloride is a type of volatile organic compounds for which effective and economical treatment and recovery technologies need to be developed because it is impossible to reburn. In this study, a cellulose-based porous carbon fibers were prepared for the adsorption/desorption of methylene chloride. From the results, the specific surface area and total pore volume of cellulose-based porous carbon fibers were determined to be 1700–2220 m2/g and 0.69–1.03 cm3/g, respectively, and the micropore ratio was observed to be high. As the activation time increased, methylene chloride activity and methylene chloride retentivity increased from 51.75 % to 58.07 % and from 9.08 % to 14.92 %, respectively. Methylene chloride adsorption/desorption showed a high correlation with pore volume, Especially, methylene chloride retentivity had a linear relationship between the mesopore volume and mesopore ratio.

Carbonized coffee-based 3D polymeric xerogels for freshwater recovery by solar steam generation

Interfacial solar steam generation is a promising technology for freshwater recovery from seawater desalination and water purification. Herein, is presented an eco-friendly, three-dimensional (3D) porous composite system, made from materials recovered from waste, able to desalinate and purify water upon solar irradiation. The system that consists of carbonized spent coffee powder embedded in a polyglycerol polymer matrix, is developed upon thermal curing of a water-based solution and presents an interconnected porous network with super-hydrophilic properties. We explore the effect of the 3D shape of the composite on the solar steam generation, by varying the height over the radius (aspect ratio) of the structure, and we prove that biocomposites with higher aspect ratio give rise to a progressively higher solar steam generation rate reaching, under the current conditions, 2.72 kg·m−2·h−1 for an aspect ratio of 2.2 under 1 Sun irradiation. This is attributed to the enhancement of the total area of the water–air interface which in turn facilitates the steam escape from the porous structure while, at the same time, permits to the bulk water to be effectively entrapped in the whole porous structure. This, together with the fact that the developed material can be fully biodegradable at the end of its lifespan, opens up new prospective paths for sustainable and effective clean water production.

Recovery of plant nutrients from human excreta and domestic wastewater for reuse in agriculture: a systematic map and evidence platform

BackgroundAchieving a more circular and efficient use of nutrients found in human excreta and domestic (municipal) wastewater is an integral part of mitigating aquatic nutrient pollution and nutrient insecurity. A synthesis of research trends readily available to various stakeholders is much needed. This systematic map collates and summarizes scientific research on technologies that facilitate the recovery and reuse of plant nutrients and organic matter found in human excreta and domestic wastewater. We present evidence in a way that can be navigated easily. We hope this work will help with the uptake and upscaling of new and innovative circular solutions for the recovery and reuse of nutrients.MethodsThe systematic map consists of an extension of two previous related syntheses. Searches were performed in Scopus and Web of Science in English. Records were screened on title and abstract, including consistency checking. Coding and meta-data extraction included bibliographic information, as well as recovery pathways. The evidence from the systematic map is embedded in an online evidence platform that, in an interactive manner, allows stakeholders to visualize and explore the systematic map findings, including knowledge gaps and clusters.ResultsThe evidence base includes a total of 10 950 articles describing 11 489 recovery pathways. Most of the evidence base is about recovery technologies (41.9%) and the reuse of recovered products in agriculture (53.4%). A small proportion of the evidence base focuses on the characteristics of recovered products (4.0%) and user acceptance and perceptions of nutrient recovery and reuse (0.7%).ConclusionsMost studies we mapped focused on nutrient recovery from ‘conventional’ systems, that is, from centralized sewer and wastewater treatment systems that produce biosolids and a treated effluent. While we also found substantial research on nutrient recovery from source-separated urine, and to some extent also on nutrient recovery from source-separated excreta (notably blackwater), the body of research on nutrient recovery from source-separated feces was relatively small. Another knowledge gap is the relative lack of research on the recovery of potassium. More research is also needed on user acceptance of different recovery technologies and recovered products.