Saturated Sodium Chloride Solution Research Articles

Robust and stable organic sulfonate sodium salt-coated superhydrophilic mesh for ultra-fast gravity-drive oil-water separation

Due to its special wetting behavior and high selectivity, super-wetting mesh is considered as an ideal candidate material for efficient separation of water/oil mixture. However, the oil-water separation mesh suffers from the problems of poor stability and durability, leading to the failure of the separation. In this paper, a robust and stable superhydrophobic/superhydrophilic copper mesh had been successfully prepared by decorating the copper mesh via the chemical grafting of the 3-thiol-propyl trimethoxysilane (KH590) and the subsequent reaction with 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropane-1-sulfonate sodium (AMPS). It showed that the KH590 condensation compound was tightly coated on the surface and the superhydrophobic copper mesh (SUCM) possessed excellent superhydrophobicity towards various liquid droplets with a WCA of higher 150° and a sliding angle lower 5°, while the superhydrophilic copper mesh (SICM) had promising anti-oil pollution property with WCA near 0°. The SUCM and SICM also had excellent acid and alkali resistance. The obtained SICM had preeminent separation efficiency higher 99% and extremely high permeability flux of 33,441 L·m−²·h−¹ for gravity-driven toluene-water separation, and possessed excellent recyclability even after 20 cycles. Moreover, the SICM could be used to separate the oil-water mixture of aqueous solution with different pH (pH=5/7/8) and aqueous sodium chloride solution with different concentrations (5%/25%/50%/saturated aqueous sodium chloride solution). In addition, the SICM had outstanding anti-abrasion mechanical stability. This work provided a simple and effective method for the preparation of special wettability materials with excellent acid/alkali resistance and mechanical stability, and promoted the practical application of oil/water separation mesh.

Comparison of Methodologies for Microplastic Isolation through Multicriteria Analysis (AHP)

Environmental pollution caused by microplastics has evolved into a global concern; however, limited knowledge exists about microplastics in soils due to the absence of standardized extraction methods. This research aimed to develop an inexpensive, rapid method with user-friendly and environmentally sustainable outcomes for microplastics retrieval. Three salt solutions (Sodium Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate, Sodium Hexametaphosphate) and an oil solution (canola oil) underwent evaluation for microplastics extraction through the flotation process due to the density and oleophilic properties of plastics. Four widely used plastic types, obtained through fragmentation using a grinding mill from clean new plastic containers or membranes, were subjected to analysis. The experimental procedures for microplastics retrieval varied among the evaluated solutions. Through a comprehensive multicriteria analysis, the saturated Sodium Chloride solution emerged as the optimal scenario for microplastics extraction, followed closely by the canola oil scenario. The recovery method utilizing Sodium Chloride demonstrated economic feasibility, safety, and reliability. This study provides valuable insights into an effective and sustainable approach for mitigating microplastic pollution in soil, offering a promising avenue for future environmental conservation efforts.

Testing of the supramolecular complex of ivermectin Aniverm-2.0% against parasitosis on various types of livestock animals

The purpose of the research is to obtain and test a complex drug Aniverm-2.0% based on the ivermectin substance by free feeding in a mixture with concentrated feed against parasitosis of cattle, sheep, and horses.Materials and methods. Aniverm-2.0% obtained by mechanochemical technology was tested on a farm in the Shatoy Region, the Chechen Republic, on 900 sheep, 180 cattle and 156 horses in March-April 2023. To determine the infection rate, coproovoscopic examinations were conducted on 80 samples from sheep, 20 samples from young cattle and 30 samples from horses using the Fulleborn’s flotation method with a saturated sodium chloride solution. Sheep were dewormed using a group method. The drug was mixed with feed per 0.3 mg/kg for the AS or 60 mg for the drug per animal. The young cattle were kept by tie-up housing and therefore they were given Aniverm-2.0% once at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg for the AS individually in a mixture with feed. The horses were given the drug in a group method at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg for the AS or 1.5 mg/kg for the drug. Fecal samples from all animals were examined before and 2 weeks after the drug.Results and discussion. A 100% rate of infection of the sheep by gastrointestinal nematodes (Strongylata, Nematodirus spp., Trichocephalus spp.) was determined with an average number of eggs 633.3 in 1 g of feces. In 20 fecal samples from the young cattle, 16 were found to have Strongylata eggs (prevalence = 80.0%) with 222.2–280.5 specimens of Strongylata eggs found in 1 g of feces. Strongylata eggs were found in all 30 examined fecal samples from the horses, on average, 253.3 specimens/g of feces (100%). At 2 weeks after treatment, nematode eggs were found in three out of 80 examined fecal samples from the sheep, which can be explained that the sheep did not eat the appropriate dose of the drug. The drug efficacy was determined to be 99.7%. One hundred percent efficacy of the drug was obtained on young cattle and horses.

A Simple Fecal Flotation Method for Diagnosing Zoonotic Nematodes Under Field and Laboratory Conditions.

Diagnosis of canine parasites with zoonotic potential such as Toxocara canis and Ancylostoma caninum under field conditions is usually difficult due to limited access to a laboratory in rural and suburban areas in Mexico. This study aimed to detect T. canis and Ancylostoma spp. in fecal samples collected from dogs in Mexico from 2017 to 2021 under field conditions. Sample size calculation resulted in a target enrollment of 534 dogs across the country. Samples were collected directly from the rectum or the ground after defecation. Samples were stored in individual, tightly sealed, plastic bags at 4 °C. A saturated solution of sodium chloride (specific gravity [SpG] 1.20) was prepared both under field and laboratory conditions. Within 3 days of collection, 2-4 g of feces were tested for parasites using a flotation method by suspending each fecal sample in a saline solution. Feces were mixed with the flotation solution and crushed using a metal spoon. Once a uniform consistency was achieved, the fecal sample was poured into a new plastic cup using a sieve and allowed to sit for 10-15 min. Three drops from the top of the mixture were collected using a sterilized inoculating loop. The slides were placed on the microscope and parasites were identified by trained parasitologists. Fecal samples from 1,055 dogs were screened microscopically. The number of positive samples for Ancylostoma spp.was 833 (78.95% frequency) and 222 (21.04%) for T. canis. These findings illustrate the importance of identifying zoonotic helminths in dogs living in urban and rural areas in Mexico using a coproparasitoscopic technique in the laboratory and under field conditions.

Mo-based bio-derived carbon catalyst enables a tandem dehydration reaction for the direct synthesis of fuel precursors from fructose

In the pursuit of sustainable alternatives for petroleum fuels, bio-based hydrocarbons emerge as a promising choice. To explore this, a molybdenum catalyst supported on bio-derived carbon was developed, enabling the direct synthesis of fuel precursors from fructose. The catalyst was synthesized by varying the wt.% of molybdenum loading through hydrothermal treatment and carbonization. The NH3-TPD analysis revealed the presence of 1 mmol/g of acidic sites on best the catalyst. HRTEM and XPS analysis reveals that the majority of molybdenum is present as Mo6+. The synthesized catalyst effectively facilitated the dehydration of fructose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), followed by hydroxyalkylation/alkylation (DHAA) of 5-HMF with 2-methylfuran. Furthermore, compared to commercial Brønsted acid catalysts, the synthesized catalyst demonstrated remarkable performance, achieving complete fructose conversion with 36% selectivity towards the DHAA product. Moreover, an innovative approach was developed for the separation of 5,5′-((5-((5-methylfuran-2-yl)methyl)furan-2-yl)methylene)bis(2-methylfuran) and 5-HMF from dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) using a saturated aqueous sodium chloride (NaCl) solution in tetrahydrofuran (THF). This developed method, utilizing the bio-derived catalyst with efficient catalytic performance and effective product separation from DMSO, shows great promise for directly synthesizing fuel precursors from fructose and advancing sustainable fuel production.

Estimation of P retention capacity by the water content of soil kept with a saturated NaCl solution in a desiccator

ABSTRACT Phosphorus (P) retention capacity is an important soil parameter for site-specific nutrient management in croplands as well as a diagnostic criterion for classifying Andic properties. Air-dried soil water content is positively correlated with P retention capacity and has been proposed as a simple P retention capacity index; however, air humidity can affect the water content of air-dried soils. Therefore, in the present study, we 1) tested whether the water content of air-dried soils can be stabilized when they are kept with a saturated sodium chloride (NaCl) solution in a closed desiccator and 2) developed a model for predicting P retention capacity across various soil types. We tested 306 soil samples from paddy rice fields in Madagascar, exhibiting P retention capacities of 10.1–96.1%. Placing a saturated NaCl solution with the soil samples in a closed desiccator for one week kept the relative humidity inside the desiccator at 57–66%, regardless of the temperature and relative humidity outside the desiccator. The accuracy of the model predicting P retention capacity by soil water content was higher when soils were kept with the saturated NaCl solution [R2 = 0.870; root mean square error (RMSE) = 8.30] than without the solution (R2 = 0.812; RMSE = 9.96) at room temperature. The high correlation between P retention capacity and soil water content was mainly attributed to Al oxides. Additionally, the reproducibility of soil water content was enhanced by this method under different relative humidity conditions. However, compared with room temperature, controlling the temperature at 15°C and 30°C did not further improve the accuracy of the model when the soils were kept in the desiccator with saturated NaCl solution, although soil water content was higher at 30°C than at 15°C and room temperature. Therefore, we conclude that soil P retention capacity can be simply and accurately estimated with high reproducibility according to the water content of soils kept with saturated NaCl solution in a closed desiccator for one week at a room temperature.

Identification and characterization of extracted microplastics from agricultural soil near industrial area: FTIR and X‐ray diffraction method

AbstractMicroplastics have been found in large quantities in agricultural soil and now become a major global issue. Different types of microplastic have adverse effects on agricultural soil. The most widely used method for the extraction of microplastics in agricultural soil is the density floatation method by using saturated NaCl solution. This method includes the pre‐digestion of soil samples with H2O2 to remove all the organic matter present in the soil. Different types of microplastic particles were extracted and identified by using ATR‐FTIR viz polypropylene, polybutylene tetrapthalate, polyethylene, polystyrene, and polyethylene tetrapthalate. The crystalline nature of extracted microplastic was checked by employing XRD analytical technique. Floatation with higher density saturated sodium chloride (NaCl) solution recovered approximately 80% MPs from soil. Floatation methods were found to be effective for extracting microplastics from soils.

Poly (ionic liquid)s-silica spheres as effective core-shell catalysts for the conversion of glucose and fructose into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), as a significant, bio-derived platform chemical molecule, has been under extensive research due to its wide application in petrochemical industry. In this work, three kinds of poly (ionic liquid)s-silica spheres (PIL@SiO2) with various lengths of alkyl chains as effective core-shell catalysts were prepared by the polymerization and coating methods, and were used to prepare 5-HMF from glucose and fructose with optimal results. When the alkyl carbon number of PIL monomer was 18, PIL@SiO2-18 displayed good catalytic activity in 5-HMF production, resulting in the highest yields of 77.36% and 72.8% from glucose and fructose in methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK)/ saturated solution of sodium chloride (Sat.NaCl) biphasic solvent. A possible reaction mechanism was proposed that the core-shell synergistic catalysis effectively promoted the preparation of 5-HMF from monosaccharide, in which Lewis acidic polycationic centers contributed to driving the isomerization process. The promising approach provides an efficient strategy for silica-based core-shell synergistic catalysts in the synthesis of 5-HMF from carbohydrates.

Research on visualisation of plain concrete crack depth detection based on tracer and hand-held radar

ABSTRACT Detecting the concrete crack depth has always been a technical problem. The traditional detection methods，which are based on stress wave theory, have limitations such as low accuracy, complex operation, time-consuming and laborious procedures. This paper proposes a new method based on the combination of tracer and hand-held radar to better complete this task. Its main procedures include firstly spreading tracer diffusion to the bottom of the crack propagation, and then mapping the location of the air-tracer interface by radar waves, thus visualising the crack depth information. This paper elaborates the detection principle of this new method, carried out the feasibility numerical analysis and simulation verification. Also, the concrete standard crack specimens were made, together with relevant experimental researches. As to the feasibility of the method, it is verified by using common distilled water and saturated sodium chloride solution as tracers. The detection effects of these two tracers are compared and analysed by comparing the test data with the actual depth of the specimen. This research innovatively applies tracers to actively improve the electrical ability of concrete cracks, and then uses radar to detect the electrical distribution of cracks, realising the visual detection of crack depth.

Metallographic Mechanism of Embrittlement of 15 μm Ultrafine Quaternary Silver Alloy Bonding Wire in Chloride Ions Environment.

Chloride ions contained in the sealing compound currently used in the electronic packaging industry not only interact with intermetallic compounds but also have a serious impact on silver alloy wires. A 15 μm ultrafine quaternary silver-palladium-gold-platinum alloy wire was used in this study. The wire and its bonding were immersed in a 60 °C saturated sodium chloride solution (chlorination experiment), and the strength and elongation before and after chlorination were measured. Finally, the fracture surface and cross-section characteristics were observed using a scanning electron microscope and focused ion microscope. The results revealed that chloride ions invade the wire along the grain boundary, and chlorides have been generated inside the cracks to weaken the strength and elongation of the wire. In addition, chloride ions invade the interface of the wire bonding to erode the aluminum substrate after immersing it for enough long time, causing galvanic corrosion, which in turn causes the bonding joint to separate from the aluminum substrate.

Performances of UHPC bonded cementitious composite systems containing styrene-butadiene rubber latex in a chloride-rich environment

• The green and sustainable cement-based material—UHPC was used as the repairing material to strengthen the existing cementitious substrate. • Mechanical, electrochemical and microstructural characteristics of the bonded composite systems were investigated. • The performance developments of the composite systems in a chloride-rich environment were presented. • Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) latex were considered to enhance the bonding properties and the electrochemical performances of the composite systems. This study investigates the mechanical, electrochemical and microstructural characteristics of UHPC bonded cementitious composite systems concerning the influences of chloride attack. The bonded composite systems with styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) latex content of 0, 2 %, 4 %, 6 %, 8 % in UHPC layers were prepared. The experimental groups were immersed in saturated sodium chloride solution whereas the reference groups were cured in clean water. The compressive, bonding and flexural strength of the bonded systems were tested at different curing ages. The free corrosion potential, AC impedance spectroscopy and polarization resistance were considered to figure out their electrochemical behaviors. Furthermore, X-ray diffraction (XRD), pore structure characteristics as well as scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations were employed to show some light on the internal mechanism at a microscale level. Results indicate that the chloride-rich environment demonstrated certain adverse effects on the system’s mechanical properties, especially the bonding strength, which could be reduced by 20 % on average at 56d. Proper content of SBR latex was conducive to the system’s bonding strength. However, when the dosage was too large, a remarkable adverse effect on compressive strength was seen. The addition of SBR latex could further delay the corrosion of the reinforcement inside the system, from 28d of the systems without latex to 42d with 4 % SBR latex. The microstructural investigations confirmed that in a chloride-rich environment, the total pore volume was reduced by 29.4 % at 28d. A dense transition zone was observed between the substrate and the UHPC layer with a width of about 0.1 μm in clean water curing, whereas it became relatively loose and obvious bonding holes appeared in this area under severe chloride attack.

Two deaths after ingestion of a falsified pumpkin seed oil

To determine the cause of death of two people who consumed a falsified pumpkin seed oil purchased online for weight loss. Medical records for both patients provided by the hospital were critical examined. The Pumpkin seed oil ingested was seized by the police and physiochemically characterized (color and odor). Also, fatty acid was analyzed by converting total fatty acids to methyl esters using n-hexane, methanolic solution of KOH and saturated solution of sodium chloride and posterior injection on GC-MS. Analytical toxicological systematic (ATS) was performed on the oil by liquid-liquid extraction with chloroform and methanol and injected on GC-MS. Diethylene glycol (DEG) was quantified by dilution with toluene and GC-FID direct injection. Biological samples (blood and urine) were collected from both victims and screened for alcohol using GC-FID headspace analysis and also for drugs, medicines and pesticides by in house ATS GC-MS and LC-MS/MS methods. DEG and diglycolic acid (DA) analysis was only performed in the victim who died 28 days after ingestion (patient A) by protein precipitation with acetonitrile and methanol and GC-MS analysis. Both patients were first admitted presenting vomiting, headache, diarrhea, fever and asthenia. Later, were transferred for the I.C.U with worsening level of consciousness, hypotension, renal failure and progressed to coma. Patient A died 28 days after hospitalization and patient B, 60 days. The pumpkin seed oil seized was colorless and odorless and any fatty acids were detectable, inconsistent with purified pumpkin seed oil or other vegetable oils. ATS in the oil was positive for glycerin and diethylene glycol. Quantitative analysis of DEG in the product presented the value of 13% v/v. Blood analysis for patient A detected trace levels of DA on patient A, DEG was not detected. The product sold as pumpkin seed oil was a falsification, did not had any vegetable oil and was contaminated with glycerin and diethylene glycol. The symptoms presented were consisted with DEG intoxication. The elimination of DEG by the body is fast, but its metabolite, diglycolic acid (DA), may persist for a long time.

Distribution of ascariasis, trichocephaliasis and oesophagostomiasis of pigs in Central Yakutia

The article presents the results of studying the influence of the conditions of keeping pigs in industrial pig breeding using the example of Khatas Pig Complex LLC in comparison with farms of various types, on spread of diseases caused by nematode parasitism. The study of the species composition of pathogens and the spread of intestinal nematodes was carried out using helminthoovoscopic studies using the F?lleborn method. A saturated sodium chloride solution was prepared. A total of 1236 samples of pig faeces were studied. Of these, 425 samples from the Khatassky pig farm were examined by helminthoovoscopic examination. 811 samples were taken from farms in the villages of Tabaga, Sibir, Uchur, from the farm of the boarding school for the disabled in the village of Kapitonovka, and from private farmsteads in the villages of Khatassy, Vladimirovka and the Poultry Farm. According to the results of research in the industrial Khatassky pig farm, in the household farms of the village of Khatassy, the subsidiary farm of the colony of the village of Novaya Tabaga and the private sector of the village. Vladimirovka sick pigs with ascariasis, oesophagostomiasis and trichocephaliasis were not found, all pigs were healthy. The incidence of animals in private sector farms reaches 50-87 %. The average content of eggs of various helminths in 1 g of pig faeces on average in Yakutia is characterized by the following indicators: Ascaris suum - 9.78 ± 2.83, Trichocephalus suis - 11.29 ± 4.08 and Oesophagostomum dentatum - 6.3 ± 1.06 copy.

One-pot superhydrophilic surface modification of waste polyurethane foams for high-efficiency oil/water separation

Despite of the fact that polymers have brought tremendous convenience to human life, they have also inevitably caused considerable environmental pollution after their service life. Therefore, a feasible strategy that can effectively recycle waste polymers and endow them with high added value is much desired. Superwetting materials have shown great promise in oily wastewater treatment because of their high oil/water separation efficiency. However, most of these materials present some limitations, such as complex preparation procedures and poor salt tolerance, which hamper their practical applications. In this study, an iron hydroxide@polydopamine@waste polyurethane foam (Fe(OH)3@PDA@WPU) was synthesized via a facile and mild “one-pot” reaction. During this process, polymerization of dopamine and in situ growth of Fe(OH)3 were simultaneously realized, and the resultant PDA and Fe(OH)3 nanoparticles were firmly attached to the surface of WPU. Due to the abundant hydrophilic groups from PDA and Fe(OH)3 coupled with the surface roughness created by Fe(OH)3 nanoparticles, the surface properties of the foam could be changed from hydrophobic to superhydrophilic. Remarkably, the Fe(OH)3@PDA@WPU was capable of separating various oil/water mixtures even under some severe conditions (e.g. erosion in a saturated sodium chloride solution and longtime sonication), demonstrating high potential in marine oily sewage treatment. Moreover, this work also paved a new path for reducing the negative impact of waste polymer foams on our environment, and in the meantime realizing their high value utilization.

Fast screening and confirmation of 73 common prohibited compounds in cosmetics by ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight high resolution mass spectrometry

建立了超高效液相色谱-四极杆-飞行时间高分辨质谱(UPLC-Q-TOF HRMS)同时快速筛查确证化妆品中73种常见禁用物质的方法。样品经饱和氯化钠溶液分散均匀后,采用含0.2%甲酸的乙腈溶液超声提取,50 mg PSA净化,以8000 r/min高速冷冻离心除脂,采用Waters Acquity HSS T3色谱柱(100 mm×2.1 mm, 1.8 μm)分离。采用多反应监测高分辨扫描模式(MRM HR),以保留时间、一级母离子精确质量数、同位素丰度比和二级子离子精确质量数实现化妆品中73种禁用物质的快速筛查和确证,基质匹配外标法定量。实验比较了不同提取溶剂、净化吸附剂、色谱条件和质谱扫描模式对73种禁用物质测定的影响,并考察了膏霜剂和水剂的基质效应。结果表明,73种禁用物质线性关系良好,相关系数(R2)>0.99;检出限为5~150 μg/kg;定量限为15~450 μg/kg;膏霜剂及水剂两种基质在3个加标水平下的回收率为60.3%~130.3%,日内、日间RSD分别为0.8%~10.0%(n=6)和1.1%~15.0%(n=3)。日常风险监测中检出磺胺甲基异噁唑、甲基泼尼松、林可霉素、对乙酰氨基酚、甲氧苄啶、阿法骨化醇、倍他米松戊酸酯、溴莫尼定、氯霉素、氯苯那敏、氯倍他索丙酸酯、克罗米通、益康唑、酮康唑、泼尼松醋酸酯和泼尼松,检出含量范围为0.5~1136.1 mg/kg。该方法准确、快速、简便,可用于化妆品中73种常见禁用物质的检测。

Creating saturated sodium chloride solutions through osmotically assisted reverse osmosis

Increasing sustainability awareness has created opportunities for the recovery and reuse of salt solutions in industrial processes. Osmotically assisted reverse osmosis (OARO) has the potential to concentrate these salt solutions. Until now OARO research focussed on the production of purified water yielding an unsaturated salt solution as retentate, whereas a saturated salt solution is often needed for reuse. OARO featuring recycling of part of the saturated salt solution to the permeate side of the membrane has now been investigated. The introduction of a saturated NaCl solution results in strongly changing osmotic pressure difference and flux profiles along the length of the modules, with a maximum osmotic pressure difference and a minimum flux close to the outlet of the OARO system. In contrast to the NaCl retention of the membrane, the NaCl feed concentration does not have an influence on the maximum osmotic pressure difference. The osmotic pressure difference and membrane flux are strongly dependent on the applied concentrate split factor, which has a strong effect on the required membrane area per feed flow supplied as well. The amount of surface area required per flow of saturated NaCl solution leaving the OARO unit has an optimum as function of the concentrate split factor. This is due to two counteracting effects, the lower osmotic pressure difference, and the lower fraction of saturated NaCl solution leaving the OARO for a higher concentrate split factor. Based on the modelling, essential knowledge has been generated for the further research and development of OARO.

Enhanced pseudo-capacitance and rate performance of amorphous MnO2 for supercapacitor by high Na doping and structural water content

Owing to the advantages of high theoretical capacitance, low cost, and environmental friendliness, MnO2 shows a great potential as the electrode material for supercapacitors. However, its low conductivity and sluggish ion migration lead to the unsatisfied electrochemical performance especially at high rates. In this work, amorphous MnO2 with both high Na doping and structural water content (nw-MnO2) is synthesized via a simple redox reaction in the saturated sodium chloride solution. On the one hand, high Na doping can effectively improve the conductivity of MnO2; on the other hand, the charge shielding effect enabled by structural water facilitates the rapid ion migration in MnO2 lattice. In addition, the amorphous feature also provides more active sites and decreases the ion diffusion length. Benefitting from the above merits, the prepared nw-MnO2 electrode delivers superior rate performance (324.7 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 and 182.6 F g−1 even at an ultrahigh rate of 50 A g−1) and excellent cycle stability with 91% of capacitance retention over 10,000 cycles. Moreover, the assembled nw-MnO2//activated carbon asymmetric supercapacitor delivers a high energy density of 81.1 Wh kg−1 and superior capacity retention of 101% after 7000 cycles.

Hierarchical 13X zeolite/reduced graphene oxide porous material for trace Pb (II) capturing from drinking water

The removal of lead in drinking water has attracted considerable attention of researchers in recent years, especially, the trace characteristic of lead is a challenge to water treatment. Herein, 13X zeolite/reduced graphene oxide composite material (13X-rGO) with hierarchically porous structure was successfully prepared using graphene oxide (GO) and 13X zeolite via a chemical reduction method and presented great performance for removing trace Pb(II) from drinking water. The influence of some important parameters including adsorbent dosage, contact time, initial lead concentration, coexisting competing ions, solution pH value, etc. on the removal of Pb(II) was systematically investigated. The composite material showed better adsorption properties compared with a single component and their physical mixture, confirming the synergistic effect of rGO and 13X zeolite on Pb(II) adsorption. The effluent lead concentration could be decreased to the level permitted by World Health Organization (WHO) (<10 ppb) within 30 s under calcium content of 20 ppm and initial lead concentration of 150 ppb. Simultaneously, the as-prepared 13X-rGO performed excellent adsorption capacity meeting WHO standard (6.07 mg/g), which was about 2.23 times that of single 13X zeolite (2.72 mg/g). In the presence of interfering ions, the lead concentration could still be reduced to safe drinking water standard. Moreover, the adsorbent could be effectively regenerated by saturated sodium chloride solution. Therefore, 13X-rGO can be introduced as a promising adsorption material for the purification of drinking water contaminated with trace lead owing to rapid adsorption, low cost and recycling potential. • 13X-rGO with hierarchically porous structure was prepared by a one-step green method. • 13X-rGO composite achieves the synergistic effect of rGO and 13X zeolite. • 13X-rGO exhibits rapid and selective adsorption ability for trace lead (II) in water. • 13X-rGO shows high adsorption capacity, low cost and recycling potential. • 13X-rGO shows significant potential for trace lead removal from drinking water.

GLASS FORMATION REGIONS IN THE SYSTEMS GA2S3 – LA(PR)2S3 – AIY (AI – CU, AG; Y – CL, BR, I) AND PROPERTIES OF OBTAINED GLASSES

Based on the X-ray phase analysis results of samples of quasi-ternary systems Ga2S3 – La1.8Pr0.2S3 – CuI, Ga2S3 – La2S3 – AgBr, the boundaries of the glass-forming regions with a length of 2 mol.% CuI and 5 mol.% AgBr inside the concentration triangle were established. The maximum temperature of sample synthesis was 1370 K, followed by quenching of the ampoules in saturated aqueous sodium chloride solution with crushed ice. According to the DTA results, the temperature characteristics of the glasses of the Ga2S3 – La1.8Pr0.2S3 – CuI, Ga2S3 – La2S3 – AgCl (Br;I) systems were determined: glass transition, crystallization, melting and Hruby’s constant temperatures. The optical absorption spectra of glasses with the following compositions were studied: 66-х mol.% Ga2S3 – 30 mol.% La2S3 – 4 mol.% AgCl – х mol.% Er2S3, х = 0; 1; 3 mol.%; 67-х mol.% Ga2S3 – 30 mol.% La2S3 – 3 mol.% AgI – х mol.% Er2S3, х = 0; 0,75; 1,5 mol.%, in region 400–1050 nm. It was established that the glasses are transparent in the visible range and contain narrow absorption bands in Erbium-containing samples. In the AgCl containing samples the intensity of absorption maxima is higher than in samples with AgI, due to the fact that more Erbium ions move to the excited state.

Robust moisture-proof coating applied to the protection and storage of bulk metal glass transformer core in mine-environment

Compared with traditional metallic glass materials, the amorphous transformer core is hydrophilic and fragile due to its production process. This situation will inevitably cause difficulties in the protection and moisture-proof of the transformer core, especially in mine-environment. To overcome this issue, it is advisable to utilize a superhydrophobic surface to reduce the influence of moisture. In this work, we display a facile air spray technology under room temperature for preparing robust superhydrophobic coating which is suitable for bulk metallic glass (BMG) transformer cores. The technology ensures that the characteristics of the BMG core itself are not affected. Meanwhile, the fabricated coating has excellent repellency to water, saturated sodium chloride solution, acidic and alkaline solutions. In addition, the coating has excellent self-cleaning and mechanical properties, which can effectively protect the damage and pollution caused by mine-environment. This work can provide a brand-new solution for the storage of the amorphous transformer core in harsh environment.