Solid-liquid Mixture Research Articles

Synthesis of cubic-Li7La3Zr2O12 solid electrolyte for all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries via a combination process of induction thermal plasma and calcination

Abstract A combined process enabled the selective synthesis of cubic- and tetragonal-Li7La3Zr2O12 with calcination for nanoparticles synthesized by induction thermal plasma. The effect of O2 partial pressure was investigated by adjusting O2 content within a constant sheath gas flow for plasma-synthesized nanoparticles prepared for calcination. Low O2 partial pressure led to spherical nanoparticles from the liquid mixture via homogeneous nucleation of ZrO2, while high O2 partial pressure produced irregular, highly aggregated particles from a liquid-solid mixture with homogeneous nucleation of La2Zr2O7. The rapid quenching rate induced amorphous-Li7La3Zr2O12, and higher O2 promoted slight crystallization to cubic-Li7La3Zr2O12. This result includes potential for the facile production of ultra-thin cubic-Li7La3Zr2O12 films suitable for all-solid-state lithium batteries.

Paclitaxel loaded Capmul MCM and tristearin based nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) for glioblastoma treatment: screening of formulation components by quality by design (QbD) approach.

Paclitaxel (PTX), a naturally occurring diterpenoid isolated from Taxus brevifolia, is a first-line drug for the treatment of glioblastoma; however, it suffers from the disadvantages of poor water solubility and nonspecific biodistribution, which cause serious side effects in the human body. The marketed formulation suffers from serious side effects, such as allergic reactions, neutropenia, and neuropathy, which require safe and effective formulations of PTX. In the present study, PTX was entrapped in a solid-liquid lipid mixture with the aid of a surfactant using a modified solvent evaporation technique. Higher entrapment of the impressive stability of the formulation was achieved by employing quality design-based strategies. Optimized levels by employing a numerical optimization technique for each factor, that is, surfactant concentration (X1), lipid concentration (X2), and amount of organic solvent (X3) were 0.3%, 0.76% & 8.3 ml respectively. The resultant formulation exhibited a particle size of 121.44 nm, entrapment efficiency of 94.27%, and zeta potential of -20.21 mV with unimodal size distribution. A reduction in the % crystalline index from 48 to 3.4% ensured the amorphous form of the entrapped drug inside the formulation, which precludes the fear of leakage and instability of the formulation. Cell line studies conducted on U87MG Cell lines also suggested that the NLC of paclitaxel are more effective than those of pure PTX. In summary, PTXNLC seem to be a superior alternative carrier system for the formulation industry to obtain higher entrapment with excellent stability.

Hydrate–based SF6 capture and sequestration: Insights from thermodynamics, kinetics, in–situ Raman spectroscopy, and molecular dynamic simulation

Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is currently the most potent greenhouse gas to date due to its remarkably long atmospheric lifespan and chemical inertness. Hydrate–based technology provides an innovative solution to capture SF6 under lower pressure conditions and enables the long–term storage of SF6 gas. Herein, we conduct a fundamental study to explore the potential of capturing and sequestering SF6 gas within clathrate hydrates. The three–phase coexistence conditions were measured at the pressure ranging from 0.33 to 1.06 MPa and at ambient temperatures. A thermodynamic model was employed to predict the equilibrium conditions, using an iterative method to calculate the phase equilibrium pressure. Molecular dynamic simulation (MD) was used to observe the growth of SF6 hydrate at the nanosecond scale. In-situ Raman spectroscopy was utilized for analyzing real-time vibrational bands of S–F and O–H in SF6 hydrate, offering crucial insights into hydrate stability and growth. Additionally, microscopic kinetic experiments were also carried out to clarify the impacts of different pressures (0.8, 1.0, and 1.2 MPa) on the nucleation time, gas consumption, and growth rate during hydrate formation in both pure water and seawater. An efficient approach is proposed for the separation of solid–liquid mixtures, fabricating hydrate pellets. The findings of this study establish a foundation for the development of hydrate–based SF6 capture and storage technology.

Solid–liquid separation state control system for shale shaker based on computer vision

Shale shakers are crucial in drilling operations, separating solid–liquid mixtures, protecting equipment, improving efficiency, and supporting environmental protection and resource recovery. Typically, the solid–liquid separation status on shaker screens is assessed through manual inspection and experiential judgment, with the screen tilt angle adjusted manually. This method has inherent delays, failing to promptly detect and address screen surface abnormalities. To overcome this, a computer vision-driven intelligent control system has been proposed, enhancing drilling sieving operations’ efficiency. The system uses computer vision and servo motors to monitor and adjust the sieving state. Twin industrial cameras capture images, which undergo preprocessing like perspective correction, grayscale conversion, noise reduction, and illumination equalization. Local threshold segmentation and morphological analysis distinguish between liquid and solid states. The segmented images’ contours and area analysis precisely determine the separation state. Results are transmitted to motors via an industrial computer to adjust the sieve net angle. Servo motors on both sides manipulate the sliding block lifting mechanism for precise tilt adjustment. Experiments demonstrate that the method achieves an average accuracy of 93.635% in identifying mud edges. The system’s high efficiency and reliability ensure accurate identification and adjustment of the solid–liquid separation state, thereby optimizing drilling sieving workflows.

Differences in cellular and molecular processes in exposure to PM2.5 and O3

Epidemiological and toxicological studies have shown that PM2.5 and O3 could pose significant risks to human health, such as an increased incidence of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Usually, the adverse health outcomes induced by PM2.5 and O3 exposure are similar. However, PM2.5 and O3 have distinct physical and chemical properties, with PM2.5 being a solid–liquid mixture and O3 being a strongly oxidizing gaseous pollutant. Therefore, we speculated that there are some differences in biological processes induced by PM2.5 and O3 exposure. In the present study, we investigated the differences induced by PM2.5 and O3 exposure from the perspective of cellular and molecular processes. Firstly, the pulmonary epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) were exposed to different concentrations of PM2.5 or O3 at different durations. Then, we chose experimental models with the concentrations and duration at which the cell survival rate was 50 % after exposure to PM2.5 and O3, which were 100 μg/mL for 24 h for PM2.5, and 200 ppb for 4 h for O3. Our findings indicate that PM2.5 infiltrates cells via endocytosis without causing significant damage to cell membranes, while O3 induces lipid peroxidation at the cell surface. Moreover, the detection of mitochondrial function showed that the content of ATP was significantly reduced after exposure to both PM2.5 and O3. However, we found a significant difference in mtDNA copy number. PM2.5 exposure increased the mtDNA copy number by up-regulating the expression of fission genes (Fis1, Mff, Dnm1). O3 exposure decreased it by up-regulating the expression of fusion gene (Mfn1, Mfn2) and down-regulating the expression of fission gene (Fis1, Dnm1). These results indicate that although both PM2.5 and O3 exposure induced almost exactly similar adverse health outcomes, significant differences do exist in cellular and molecular processes.

Systematic and quantitative testing simulations and theories on phase coarsening by experiments

Microgravity experiments on phase coarsening in solid-liquid mixtures provided an ideal tool to closely and accurately explore the kinetics of phase coarsening because the sedimentation and convective melt flow are eliminated in the International Space Station. In this study, we employed phase-field simulations to systematically investigate the microstructure evolution during phase coarsening at various volume fractions. Simulated microstructure evolution during phase coarsening are compared quantitatively with the microstructure evolution archived from microgravity experiments. Furthermore, kinetics of phase coarsening in Pb-Sn solid-liquid mixtures at various volume fractions is studied theoretically and numerically, which is compared with microgravity experiments. In particular, particle size distribution, relative coarsening rate constants, and scaled maximum particle radii, are predicted from theories, and deduced from microgravity experiments, then calculated from phase-field simulations. This systematic and quantitative study of phase coarsening confirms the consistency to the results from phase-field simulation, microgravity experiments and theories at lower volume fractions, and stimulates more careful microgravity experiments at higher volume fractions (≥0.7).

Dynamics of bubble collapse near an armored free surface

Armored surfaces refer to a liquid–air interface covered by a layer of floating particles. This paper examines the collapse dynamics of a bubble generated by an electric spark near such an armored surface. The collapse of the bubble near the armored surface is similar to that near a free surface, with the formation of spraying liquid film, upward liquid jet in the forms of water dome, water spike, and water skirt with the change of the vertical distance (l) from the bubble center to the liquid surface. However, on the armored surface, we also observe particle splash and solid–liquid mixture splash. We confirm that the particle splash occurs due to the transfer of shock wave energy during bubble expansion and collapse. The splashing velocity (vp) and the distance (d0) from the bubble center to the particle follow the scaling law of vp ∼ l/d02. Additionally, we discuss the motion of the upward liquid jet and downward vortex ring. We find that the armored surface only affects the initial velocity of the jet without affecting its acceleration. This can be attributed to the additional energy dissipation caused by the splash formed on the armored surface. In contrast, the trajectory of the vortex ring remains unaffected by the armored surface. This study provides valuable insights into the dynamics of bubble collapse near an armored surface and highlights the role of floating particles in altering the behavior of liquid jets.

An approach to solving the effect of background in fluidized bed on electromagnetic tomography

As a non-invasive measurement technique, electromagnetic tomography (EMT) system based on tunneling magneto resistance (TMR) can detect the distribution of medium in the gas–liquid–solid fluidized bed by the difference of permeability. The distribution of medium in the three-phase fluidized bed is not uniform, and the solid clusters and bubble clusters are formed in the background of the gas–liquid–solid mixture. Since the effect of the background in the pipe of the fluidized bed on the boundary measurement data of the TMR-EMT system is much greater, it is difficult to detect solid clusters and bubble clusters when the image is reconstructed directly using the boundary measurement data. In order to improve the detection of clusters by the TMR-EMT system, a method to weaken the effect of the background is proposed. The equivalent magnetic circuit model is used to estimate the background permeability. Then the magnetic dipole theory and demagnetization effect theory are utilized to establish a simple background compensation model based on the estimated background permeability. Using the compensation model, the effect of the background is weakened from the boundary measurement data and the cluster distribution information is highlighted. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Air-lift characteristics of rock core mass in gas–liquid–solid mixed flow

The air-lift reverse circulation drilling method enables efficient and continuous core extraction. However, the flow characteristics of gas–liquid–solid mixtures during core mass transport are complex, and developing a model to predict performance remains challenging. The flow characteristics of gas–liquid–solid mixtures inside the drill pipe are numerically analyzed by calculating the mixing transport of the core during the airlift process. By solving the momentum equations for multiphase flow, the distribution of physical quantities of three phases and pressure along the depth was calculated, and the laws of influence of the operating parameters on the transport characteristics of the core were analyzed. The results show that the drilling performance is related to the geometric parameters of the pipe and core, drilling speed, and depth. When the submergence ratio is increased to 0.9, the maximum liquid-phase superficial velocity is increased by 109% compared with that when the submergence ratio is 0.6. The size of the annular space gap 67 formed between the core and the pipe wall is the key to the core's mechanical properties, and the differential pressure gradient force increases with increasing core diameter. An increase in well depth reduces the fluid flow. In addition, increasing the pipe diameter improves drilling performance due to reduced friction losses, which elevates the air flow rate required for air-lift reverse circulation operation.

Green synthesis of SiO2 and TiO2 nanoparticles using safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) leaves and investigation of their usability as alternative fuel additives for diesel-safflower oil biodiesel blends

Research into alternative fuels for diesel engines is currently focusing on the utilization of nanoparticles (NPs) as a promising solid fuel additive. The basis of such studies is to investigate the possibilities of using solid–liquid mixtures in internal combustion engines (ICEs). In general, NPs are commercially sold and readily available. On the other hand, NPs that can be produced from biomass through green synthesis have recently been preferred because of their environmental-friendly, low cost, and low toxicity. In the present study, therefore, the influence of alternative fuels to be prepared by adding metal-based silicon dioxide (SiO2) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) NPs obtained by green synthesis using safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) leaves to diesel-safflower seed oil biodiesel (SSOB) blends (B10 and B20) at varying levels (50, 100, and 250 ppm) on the engine performance and emissions was extensively examined under laboratory conditions. While the particle size of the synthesized SiO2 NPs was calculated as approximately 41 nm, the particle size of TiO2 NPs was calculated as 47 nm. Additionally, it was observed that the obtained NPs generally had spherical and irregular particle structures. The presence of SiO2 (Si: 21.2 %, O 67.3 %) and TiO2 (Ti: 50.7 %, O: 45.8 %) was confirmed by EDX analysis. On the basis of the engine tests, the highest fuel consumption was calculated to be 2.132 kg/h for the B20Ti250 at the highest load. It was pointed out that the fuel blends including NPs descended CO and HC emissions whereas ascended NOx emissions. At 75 % load, the CO2 emissions for diesel fuel (DF), B20, and B20Ti250 were 0.468, 0.491, and 0.502 kg/kWh, respectively.

Prediction of ash content in coal slime flotation based on CNN-BP method with residual estimation

ABSTRACT Ash content is a key metric for assessing coal slime flotation performance. Traditional methods of sampling, combustion, and weighing lead to measurement delays, thus image-based real-time ash prediction during flotation has become meaningful. However, the complex characteristics of the multiphase system in flotation pulp images make the extraction of an effective dataset for ash recognition challenging. This paper introduces an image-based method for predicting ash content in solid-liquid pulp mixtures using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). A CNN transfer learning method based on ImageNet is proposed, combined with a Backpropagation (BP) residual estimation module with specified feature filters, reducing the sample size requirement. Four classic CNN networks were utilized. Results indicate that introducing the BP residual estimation module improves the CNN network’s prediction accuracy in small samples, with total residuals consistent with the white noise distribution. Notably, the 5% accuracy (absolute error less than 5%) of VGG19 without the CNN classic residual structure improved significantly, reflecting the superior residual estimation of BP and the robust performance of the CNN-BP in predicting pulp ash content. This research offers a new option for transitioning previous dataset collection methods for ash detection in the coal slime flotation process.

Production of Bone Cement Composite from Polymethyl Methacrylate Produced in Laboratory Scale

Bone cement is an indispensable material in orthopedic medicine. In Indonesia, the fulfillment of bone cement needs still depends on imports from other countries. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is one of the main ingredients of bone cement which can be made from suspension polymerization of methyl methacrylate monomer (MMA). Therefore, this study aims to develop a technique for producing bone cement from PMMA. The production of bone cement consists of (1) the manufacture of PMMA, (2) the mixing of solid mixtures, (3) the mixing of solid mixtures and liquid mixtures, and (4) the molding of bone cement composites. The concentrations of barium sulfate (BaSO4) used were 7%, 9%, and 11% by weight. Composite products were analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (H-NMR), and Compressive Strength. The increase of BaSO4 can trigger more smooth surface of bone cement composite. The tacticity from H-NMR shows that the bone cement dominantly consists of syndiotactic (58.83-59.91%) molecular arrangement. The highest compressive strength was 84.2 MPa which was obtained in 9% BaSO4 weight.

Optimal Sizing and Life-cycle Cost Modelling of Hydraulic Capsule Pipelines

Estimation of the total cost is essential for the planning and the designing of pipelines in a cost-effective way. As a result, the total cost modelling could go beyond the established objectives of least-cost design and optimization. This study incorporates a design methodology for pipelines transporting spherical capsules, which have variant sizes and densities. A methodology has been developed to determine the optimal size and lifetime of pipelines transporting solid–liquid mixtures (Capsule Flow). The methodology includes a model for the prediction of various life-cycle costs. The methodology provides a closed form solution to predict the optimal pipe diameter corresponding to the least total cost. Such solutions are obtained for different life-cycle costs, of which the one associated with minimum annual total cost provides the lifetime. The developed methodology has been used to obtain the optimal diameter of a pipeline for a practical case. The study reveals the interrelationship between the optimal pipe diameter and the corresponding minimum total cost.

Optimized Design of Pipe Elbows for Erosion Wear

Multiphase flows are widely used to transport solid–liquid mixtures in oil and gas fields. The pipeline structures used can suffer damage from the high-pressure sand-carrying fracturing fluid, causing erosion and wear failures in the engineering field. In this work, an erosion model that considers particle turbulent kinetic energy and the effect of the design’s structural parameters on the erosion wear of spatial pipe structures is established using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Structural parameters such as the bending diameter ratio, bending angle and spatial angle are discussed, and the location and degree of each parameter with regard to the erosion rate are obtained. The results show that the included angle of the pipe elbow has the greatest influence on erosion wear among the structural parameters. Several typical anti-erosion optimization models are compared and analysed, and a corrugated anti-erosion structure based on a bionic structure is further proposed. It is found that the anti-erosion performance of the T-type blind long header pipe is better in terms of the numerical value of the erosion rate, while for the erosion cloud diagram, the anti-erosion performance of the corrugated structure is superior. Finally, some suggestions for the application of the anti-erosion structure in the engineering field are given, and technical support is provided for the anti-erosion structure design and practical application of space pipeline systems in the future.

Numerical investigation on a bimodal mixing system of solid–liquid mixture in an industrial mixing cooker

The powder mixing for foods is regarded to be unique because tons of products are manufactured through powder mixing processes in food industries; hence there is no room for doubt about the importance of a better understanding of the mixing mechanism. On the other hand, the powder mixing for foods has not been established so far. In this study, a series of simulations of the powder mixing in a liquid are performed using the discrete element method–computational fluid dynamics method. A monodispersed and bimodal mixing systems are computed to evaluate the effect of the particle density and the mixing shaft obliquity in a particular mixing cooker. The monodispersed system was computed purely for a purpose of reference to compare with the bimodal system. By performing a simulation on a monodispersed and bimodal mixing systems with very small density differences between solids as well as solid and liquid, this study provides significant evidence and novel insights into understanding the mixing mechanism of food products. In the monodispersed mixing system, the particles with the density close to water are revealed to be affected by the diffusive mixing which is due to buoyancy and the drag force. Furthermore, an increase in mixing shaft obliquity is shown to improve mixing performance in the monodispersed mixing system. In the bimodal mixing system the effect of the gravitational force is shown to be extremely important for the efficient powder mixing, even if the density difference is very small as 5%. The heavier particles initially positioned in the upper layer are drawn down into the layer of the lighter particles by gravitational force, facilitating mixing and enhancing efficiency. These are new findings which showed unique particle behaviour in mixing systems. This study provides new insights into the specific powder mixing mechanism in a liquid which are frequently encountered in the food industries.

Study of Tip Clearance on Dynamic and Static Head of a Spiral Axial-Flow Blade Pump under Cavitation Conditions

A spiral axial-flow blade pump (SABP) is an indispensable device in the closed gathering and transporting technology of oil and natural gas exploitation; it can not only transport a gas–liquid mixture with a high gas content, but also transport a gas–liquid–solid mixture containing a small amount of sand. However, due to the large vortices that often appear in the flow channel of the SABP, cavitation is induced extremely easily. This paper presents a numeric calculation of the cavitation performance of an SABP to reveal the law governing the impact of cavitation on its internal flow. The impact of tip clearance with different sizes on the dynamic and static head of the SABP was analyzed, and the change rules of the absolute velocity, relative velocity, and dynamic and static head were revealed under different cavitation stages, too.

Effect of Tip Clearance on Force Characteristics of Helical Axial-Flow Blade Pumps under Cavitation Conditions

A spiral axial-flow blade pump (SABP), as the core piece of equipment in the oil and natural gas closed-gathering and transportation process, can not only transport gas–liquid mixtures with a high gas content, but can also transport gas–liquid–solid mixtures containing small amounts of sand. However, due to the complexity of the distribution of transport media groups and the uncertainty of internal flow processes, large vortices often appear in the passage of the pumps, and the existence of vortices can easily induce the occurrence of pump cavitations. In the present work, a self-developed SABP was taken as the research object, and the cavitation performance of the SABP was numerically calculated. The pressure load variation under different tip clearances and different cavitation stages was analyzed, and the characteristics of the axial and radial forces were also analyzed in detail.

Performance evaluation of an experimental radio frequency heating system designed for studying the solid-liquid extraction

Radio frequency (RF) heating has been extensively used in food processing. However, most RF equipment used for food processing studies is for general-purpose on a pilot scale, rather than being designed on specific processes. This study aimed to develop an experimental 50 Ω RF system equipped with vertical parallel plate electrodes to facilitate the liquid heating in the solid-liquid extraction (SLE) studies, and its heating performances and electromagnetic (EM) leakage were also evaluated. Results showed that compared with the cylindrical container, rectangular one had better heating rate and uniformity, and was more suitable for the vertical parallel plate system. For solid-liquid mixture, RF heating rate increased with increasing particle size within a certain range, but the heating uniformity of the sample surface decreased. Both RF heating rate and uniformity increased with increasing liquid-solid ratio. Furthermore, air bubble stirring at a flow rate of 0.8 L/min resulted in a larger heating rate with better heating uniformity. Shielding using 4 mm stainless steel plate in the self-designed metallic enclosure ensured that the EM leakage was much smaller than the limiting value required by International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. The results from this study would provide some basic information and guidelines for application of vertical parallel plate RF system in the study of SLE of bioactive compounds from agri-food by-products.

Soy protein isolate-guar gum-goose liver oil O/W Pickering emulsions that remain stable under accelerated oxidation at high temperatures.

Goose liver oil (GLO) is a solid-liquid mixture, rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and high in nutritional value, but poor in fluidity and easily oxidized. Therefore, oil-in-water (O/W) Pickering emulsions of three polysaccharides and soy protein isolate (SPI) with GLO were prepared to improve the stability of it. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and zeta potential revealed that the SPI and complexes with konjac glucomannan, pectin, and guar gum (GG) ranged from 17 to 75 kDa, with the site of action being the -OH stretch and the amide group, and bound by hydrogen bonding. Adding konjac glucomannan and GG significantly increased the water contact angle of the SPI to 74.1° and 59.0°, respectively. Therefore, the protein-polysaccharide complexes could enhance the emulsion stability. In addition, the O/W Pickering emulsions with GLO had near-Newtonian fluid rheological properties with a significant increase in apparent viscosity and viscoelasticity, forming a dual network structure consisting of a ductile and flexible protein network and a rigid and brittle polysaccharide network. The microstructure observation indicated that the O/W emulsions were spherical and homogeneous. The highest emulsification activity was observed for the SPI-GG-GLO emulsions, without significant delamination or flocculation and high oxidative stability after 7 days in storage. These results demonstrate that the construction of SPI-GG-GLO O/W Pickering emulsions can stabilize GLO even at high temperatures that promote oxidation. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Improved slag corrosion resistance of MgO–C refractories with calcium magnesium aluminate aggregate and silicon carbide: Corrosion behavior and thermodynamic simulation

The influence of calcium magnesium aluminate (CMA) aggregate and silicon carbide on the slag corrosion resistance of MgO–C refractories was investigated by the induction furnace tests. The corrosion behavior and the formation of protective slag layer were also comprehensively discussed in present work. The results showed that CaAl2O4 in CMA converted into Al-containing liquid phase when facing the slag, while spinel with better slag corrosion resistance diffused into the refractory-slag interface. The Al-containing liquid phase melted from CaAl2O4 mixed with slag and increased the Al content, increasing the proportion of indirect dissolution, forming more spinel and decreasing the corrosion rate. Furthermore, the spinel and liquid slag formed solid-liquid mixture at the interface, increasing the viscosity and promoting the formation of protective slag layer, which avoided direct contact between slag and refractory. The combined use of CMA aggregate and silicon carbide showed better slag corrosion resistance because silicon carbide increased the oxidation resistance and inhibited the decarburized layer, while the FeSi alloy and higher viscosity also enhanced the slag corrosion resistance of such refractories.