Dry Technology Research Articles

Design Lithium Exchanged Zeolite Based Multifunctional Electrode Additive for Ultra‐High Loading Electrode Toward High Energy Density Lithium Metal Battery

AbstractThe practicalization of a high energy density battery requires the electrode to achieve decent performance under ultra‐high active material loading. However, as the electrode thickness increases, there is a notable restriction in ionic transport in the electrodes, limiting the diffusion kinetics of Li+ and the utilization rate of active substances. In this study, lithium‐ion‐exchanged zeolite X (Li‐X zeolite) is synthesized via Li+ exchange strategy to enhance Li+ diffusion kinetics. When incorporated Li–X zeolite into the ultra‐high loading cathodes, it possesses i) high electron conductivity with a uniform network by reducing tortuosity, ii) decent ion conductivity attributes to modulated Li+ diffusivity of Li‐X and iii) high elasticity to prevent particle‐level cracking and electrode‐level disintegration. Moreover, Li–X zeolite at the solid/liquid interface facilitates the formation of a stable cathode electrolyte interface, which effectively suppresses side reactions and mitigates the dissolution of transition cations. Therefore, an ultra‐high loading (66 mg cm−2) cathode is fabricated via dry electrode technology, demonstrating a remarkable areal capacity of 12.7 mAh cm−2 and a high energy density of 464 Wh kg−1 in a lithium metal battery. The well‐designed electrode structure with multifunctional Li–X zeolite as an additive in thick cathodes holds promise to enhance the battery's rate capability, cycling stability, and overall energy density.

Dry Flow Technology as Flow Assurance in Methane Hydrate Development

Dry Flow Technology as Flow Assurance in Methane Hydrate Development

Comparative study on the difference of saponins and nutrients in Panax notoginseng powder dried by new rapid drying technique and traditional hot air.

Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Chen (PN), commonly known as PN, is a nutritious natural food with a long history of consumption and has traditionally been used for dietary purposes in the form of dried processed products. Currently, developed a dry processing at short time and room temperature (DRST), which is characterized by high efficiency and low cost. However, there are few studies on the impact of DSRT. In this study, the effects of conventional hot air drying (DHA) and the innovative drying technology DSRT on the key components of PN were evaluated for the first time. The results showed that DRST could obtain processed PN products with smaller particle sizes and that DRST-treated PN could increase the content of five saponins by 1.38% for Ginsenoside Rg1, 0.1% for Ginsenoside Re, 0.83% for Ginsenoside Rb1, 0.16% for Ginsenoside Rd, and 0.36% for PN saponin R1, relative to the content of five saponins that could be increased by conventional DHA. The metabolome results yielded a total of 1401 metabolites identified and analyzed, and 201 metabolites showed significant differences between the two techniques, which were expressed as amino acids, flavonoids, and other nutrient-active components. The results of this study indicate that the PN products produced by DRST technology have higher nutritional quality compared to traditional processing. This study provides support in the processing of PN and the development of PN products.

Fabricating 3D Si nanostructure via a novel Ga+ implantation enabled maskless dry etching process

Three-dimensional (3D) nanostructure is the key to the miniaturization of nonlinear photonic and electronic devices. Because of the great demand on the ultra-small nanostructures, the novel nanofabrication technologies with flexible 3D silicon (Si) fabrication capability are of great importance. Herein, by combining Ga+ FIB implantation and ICP dry etching processes, we proposed a novel Ga+ FIB implantation assisted maskless dry etching technology for direct fabrication of 3D Si nanostructures. We found that the implanted Ga+ induced amorphization layer in Si substrate acts as the ‘quasi-mask’ during the ICP dry etching process. The increase of Ga+ concentration in amorphization layer of Si substrate improves the etching resistance of the area. Moreover, enabled by high resolution and flexibility of FIB, the proposed technology is capable of directly fabricating various 3D Si nanostructures in a simple way, such as 3D nanoscale artificial bowtie arrays with sub-10 nm gaps, multi-scale 3D Si nanostructures with arbitrary patterns. More importantly, the proposed technology is compatible to current semiconductor manufacturing process. Benefiting by the advantages of simplicity and high efficiency, the proposed maskless dry etching process promises great application potential in the fields of nonlinear photonics and micro-electronics.

Applications of dry chain technology to maintain high seed viability in tropical climates.

Seed storage life in tropical areas is shortened by high humidity and temperature and the general inaccessibility to dehumidifying and refrigeration systems, resulting in rapid decreases in seed viability in storage as well as a high incidence of fungal and insect infestations. The dry chain, based on rapid and deep drying of seeds after harvest followed by packaging in moisture-proof containers, has been proposed as an effective method to maintain seed quality during medium-term storage in humid climates, even without refrigeration. In addition, seed drying with zeolite drying beads can be more effective and economical than sun or heated-air drying under these warm, humid conditions. In this paper, we review recent published literature regarding the dry chain, considering different crop species, storage environments and seed traits. In addition, we provide new original data on the application of dry chain methods and their implementation at larger scales in South Asia, Latin America and Pacific Island Countries. The clear conclusion is that the combination of reusable drying beads and waterproof storage containers enables the implementation of the dry chain in tropical climates, enhancing seed viability and quality in storage of many crop species. The dry chain approach can therefore significantly enhance seed security for farmers in many tropical countries. Finally, we propose actions and strategies that could guide further scaling-up implementation of this technology.

Evaluation of the effect of ultrasound-assisted hot air drying on the drying characteristics and physicochemical properties of cherries based on the entropy-weighted TOPSIS method.

To address the challenges associated with prolonged traditional hot air drying (HAD) times and significant nutrient loss in cherries, this study employs ultrasound-assisted hot air drying (USA-HAD) technology. The study investigates the impacts of various ultrasound (US) frequencies, US powers, and hot air temperatures on the drying kinetics, physicochemical properties, texture attributes, and microstructure of cherries during drying. Cherry physicochemical quality serves as the evaluation criterion, with the entropy-weighted TOPSIS method used to identify the optimal drying parameters. The findings indicate that USA-HAD accelerates the drying process, reduces drying time, and enhances drying efficiency. In comparison to natural drying, USA-HAD significantly preserves polysaccharides, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and organic acids in cherries, while boosting antioxidant activity. Concurrently, it reduces color intensity, as well as the hardness, chewiness, and gumminess of dried cherry products. Microstructural observations under different drying methods reveal an increase in surface micropores and relatively intact tissue structure. Under conditions of 55°C, 48W, and 28kHz, cherries exhibit superior overall quality based on the TOPSIS relative closeness degree. This study offers practical insights for optimizing post-harvest processing of cherries. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: In this rapidly evolving era, the application of combination drying technology is clearly on the rise. The USA-HAD treated cherries had better nutritional and bioactive than HAD. The conclusions obtained indicate that the USA-HAD technology has more potential for development.

Cycle time reduction using intermittent DC internal heating in vapour phase drying of cellulose-based insulation used in transformers

ABSTRACT For the commissioning of a new transformer, a delay in delivery caused owing to the long-drying process at the manufacturer is not acceptable in order to avoid erratic power supplies and extensive down times. To increase productivity, ensure on-time delivery, avoid unplanned power outages, reduce the cost, increase the efficiency of energy utilisation and maintain the quality parameters of the transformer insulation thereby increasing its service life, cycle time of insulation drying at the manufacturer needs to be reduced. As of today, the latest technology for insulation drying of transformers at the manufacturer’s factory is the vapour phase drying (VPD) method. The cycle time in VPD may span for 4–5 days for a power transformer. This establishes the need to reduce the cycle time in VPD of transformer insulation. In this work, experimentation was carried out on 11 kV transformers for developing a system to reduce the cycle time in VPD.

Comparison of different drying technologies for green tea: Changes in color, non-volatile and volatile compounds

Drying technology plays a pivotal role in tea processing. Herein, the differences in color, non-volatile, and volatile components of green tea under various drying methods were investigated. The results indicated that vacuum freeze-microwave increased the L* and b* values, and decreased the a* values of tea leaves. Moreover, vacuum freeze-microwave drying resulted in higher polyphenol content than the other three drying methods although there was no significant difference. A total of 43 volatile compounds were identified. Of these, 2-propanone, ethanol(D), ethanol(M), ethyl acetate(M), 2-methyl-1-butanol, and 2-methylthiophene were found to play an important role in the above discrimination (VIP >1.5). Dry extraction showed a higher content of volatile components than wet extraction. Regardless of the extraction conditions, vacuum freeze-microwave drying exhibited a stronger signal intensity and more volatile components than other drying methods. This study provides a reference for analyzing the quality differences of green tea by different drying methods.

Application of drug delivery microspheres in cancer therapy

Microspheres are a novel drug delivery system, which provides a new approach for cancer therapy. Anti-cancer agents loaded in microspheres can be released in a controlled and sustained pattern, thereby enhancing the therapeutic efficacy and reducing the side effects and toxicity. The preparation methods for drug delivery microspheres include solvent evaporation, phase separation, spray drying, and microfluidic technology, each of these have advantages and limitations. Based on the preparation materials, drug delivery microspheres can be categorized into natural polymer microspheres, synthetic polymer microspheres and bioceramic microspheres. Natural polymer micro-spheres have good biocompatibility and degradability; synthetic polymer microspheres exhibit superior mechanical properties; bioceramic microspheres have good biocompatibility and specific biological functions, which are widely used in bone tissue engineering. Drug delivery microspheres are used for cancer treatment in various modalities, including photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, radioembolization, and immunotherapy, as well as chemotherapy. This article reviews the recent progress of microspheres as nano drug delivery system in cancer treatment to provide a reference for further clinical and translation research.

Exploring vacuum foam drying as an alternative to freeze-drying and spray drying for a human lipase

This article compares and explores vacuum foam-drying as an alternative drying technology to freeze-drying and spray drying for a recombinant human lipase as the model protein. Materials characteristics such as structure, surface composition and the solid-state properties of the dry materials were compared and investigated. Moreover, the technical functionality in terms of reconstitution characteristics and the lipase stability were also investigated. The stability of the lipase was evaluated through activity measurements. Sucrose and dextran D40 (40 kDa) were used as matrix former and the surfactant α-dodecyl maltoside was used as surface active additive. The study demonstrated that the drying technique greatly influenced the material structure and composition which in turn affected the reconstitution characteristics. The lipase was overrepresented at the material surface in declining order spray-dried > vacuum foam-dried > freeze-dried. The lipase activity was retained up to 10 % lipase content in solids, but at 20 % lipase a loss of activity was observed for all drying techniques. Phase separation in the solid material may be an explanation. Vacuum foam-drying shows promise as an alternative drying technique for the lipase, and potentially other proteins.

Drying-induced metabolic changes in daylily: A comprehensive analysis of VOC profiles and antidepressant compounds

Daylilies are mellow-colored edible items with significant medicinal value. This study systematically evaluates the changes in the morphology and texture of daylily buds (DLB) dried by three different techniques (vacuum freeze-drying (FD), vacuum drying (VD), and hot-air drying (HD)). FD-DLB retain a more complete microstructure appearance with brighter colors and a better rehydration ability than VD-DLB or HD-DLB. According to the results of electronic-tongue and free amino acid content analyses of nutritional components, FD-DLB retain the freshness, taste, and nutritional value of DLB more than HD-DLB and VD-DLB. GC–IMS detected 28 differential metabolites; among them, the VD-DLB samples contain a relatively high content of 24 volatile components such as methyl hexanoate-D. LC–MS indicates that FD enables the retention of a high level of certain flavonoid components with strong antidepressant activity such as hyperoside, rutin, quercetin. The results of this study confirm that the FD method, which enables a better retention of nutritional and antidepressant active ingredients in DLB samples, exhibits promising potential for industrial application as a drying technology for the manufacture of DLB samples with dual-use value as medicine and food. Therefore, this study contributes significantly to guide future research on optimal methods for the treatment of functional foods.

Changes in flavor profile of vegetable seasonings by innovative drying technologies: A review.

Seasonings like garlic, ginger, and scallion provide spicy and masking flavor or aroma in vegetables. However, the method or technique used for drying these spices can affect the flavor profile. Therefore, this review focuses on vegetable seasonings like ginger, garlic, and scallion, the characteristic flavor of fresh and dehydrated vegetable seasoning, and how drying methods (freeze-drying [FD], convective hot air drying [HAD], infrared drying, microwave drying [MW]), and other recent dryers (swirling fluidized bed [SFB], pulsed-vacuum dryer, relative humidity-convective dryer, etc.) affect the flavor profile of the common vegetable seasonings. HAD increases α-zingiberene, reduces gingerol, and forms β-citral and citral in fresh ginger. FD increased sesquiterpenes, retained terpenoids, sulfides, and other volatiles in fresh ginger, and did not produce new volatile compounds (VOCs) in garlic. SFB drying better preserves 6-gingerol than FD and HAD. MW increases trisulfides and cyclic sulfur compounds in garlic. In general, drying, especially thermal drying reduces the VOCs in fresh garlic, ginger, and scallion and causes the formation of new VOCs.

A Review on Sludge Drying after High Pressure Filter Pressing

Sludge drying is a key step in municipal sludge treatment. After mechanical dewatering, the water content of sludge is usually between 50% and 70%, which needs further drying. The main drying technologies include thermal drying, solar drying, ultrasonic drying and microwave drying, among which thermal drying technology is the most mature. Research shows that low-temperature drying technology has obvious advantages in reducing the release of harmful substances, energy consumption and cost. In terms of technology application, domestic sludge drying process is mainly divided into direct drying and indirect drying. Direct drying directly evaporates water through high-temperature gas, while indirect drying makes use of heat conduction effect to contact with high-temperature media. At present, indirect drying technology is mainly used in China, such as paddle type, disc type and thin layer drying. In particular, the low-temperature heat pump drying technology excels in terms of safety, footprint and energy consumption, with its ability to operate at lower temperatures, reduce the release of hazardous gases, and achieve environmental and economic benefits in a closed-cycle mode. This technology is suitable for small and medium-sized wastewater treatment plants and shows clear advantages in cases of budgetary constraints.

Optimization of microwave-assisted drying of scallions (Allium fistulosum L.): A comprehensive study on drying kinetics, energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and thermodynamic properties

This study explores the effectiveness of microwave-assisted drying for scallions (Allium fistulosum L.), focusing on drying kinetics, energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and thermodynamic properties. Scallion samples were subjected to different microwave power levels (136 W and 264 W) and varying sample masses (5 g, 10 g, and 20 g) to assess the drying process. The Page model was identified as the most suitable for describing the drying kinetics, providing a precise fit to the experimental data. The study revealed that higher microwave power levels significantly enhanced the drying efficiency by increasing moisture diffusivity, thereby reducing drying time. The thermodynamic analysis indicated that the drying process is endothermic, requiring external energy for moisture removal, with positive enthalpy and Gibbs free energy values confirming the non-spontaneous nature of the process. Entropy analysis suggested a decrease in molecular disorder during drying. In terms of energy consumption and CO2 emissions, the results highlighted that microwave-assisted drying offers a lower environmental impact, with specific energy consumption (SEC) values demonstrating efficient energy use during the drying process. This study supports the viability of microwave-assisted drying as a sustainable and efficient method for processing scallions. The findings provide valuable insights for optimizing drying processes in the food industry, emphasizing the potential for microwave drying technologies to improve energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact.

Mechanism analysis of enhanced desulfurization of pulverized coal through high-gradient magnetic separation with microwave radiation

Dry high gradient magnetic separation technology is a low-carbon green technology. It can be embedded in a power plant to remove coal pyrite with a high-efficiency magnetic separator and remarkable magnetic properties difference between coal pyrite and coal matrix. This study selected the microwave radiation method to improve the magnetic properties difference and carried out a desulfurization experiment with a self-developed high-gradient permanent magnetic separator using the tapered iron auxiliary magnetic pole. The results demonstrate that the pyrite content and specific magnetic susceptibility increase with the decrease in particle size. The desulfurization rate did not change significantly at 25 °C. The coal sample began to appear in the thermal reaction at 450 °C, and the pyrite can become a strong magnetic property pyrrhotite. The desulfurization rate can achieve 58.70 % at 700 °C, and is equivalent to the wet washing index, due to the supply of high magnetic field force. The dynamic characteristic response of magnetic particles becomes more obvious with short time adsorption, and the probability of carrying non-magnetic particles is reduced. This study demonstrates that the high-gradient magnetic separation technology of pulverized coal enhanced by microwave irradiation is feasible.

Development of a new analytical model for circular concrete ring segments with dry joints under combined effects

AbstractPrevious models of circular ring segment joints have been inadequate in describing their loading capacity due to the lack of consideration for the interaction between shear force and bending moment. Consequently, these models have led to over‐ or underestimation of the joints' capacity. The increasing use of dry joint connection technology in wind turbine towers and prefabricated segmental bridge constructions necessitates the development of advanced computational models for these connections. This study presents a new model that considers the effects of bending moment, shear force, and torsion on the loading capacity of circular ring segment joints. Numerical simulations were conducted to validate the developed model under different load combinations, and the results demonstrate excellent agreement between the model predictions and numerical simulations.

Comparative life cycle assessment of three types of crumb rubber modified asphalt under different system boundaries

This study employs a life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantify the environmental impacts of three crumb rubber recycling technologies in asphalt rubber (AR) mixtures: wet, dry, and terminal blend. The analysis identifies key factors affecting their environmental performance across the life cycle. Results were characterized into climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, fine particulate matter, terrestrial acidification, marine eutrophication, freshwater ecotoxicity, human toxicity, and Land use. Dynamic rankings of the three AR technologies along their life cycle stages in each impact category would enable identification of the influencing factors and provide reference for the further improvement. This study reveals that dry technology is likely to have the most significant environmental impacts across all categories (51.85 %-100 %), whereas terminal blended technology generally presents the lowest impact (51.85 %-88.89 %), with the exception of freshwater ecotoxicity (33.33 %) and human toxicity (22.22 %), where wet technology shows the least impact. The analysis underscores the importance of asphalt mixture designs, with appropriate binder content, potential reduction in surface course thickness, and reduced maintenance frequency, as strategies to enhance the environmental performance of AR technologies. The study concludes that the environmental performance of AR pavement is highly dependent on their in-service durability, with scenario-based analysis indicating that adequate durability ensures environmental effectiveness.

Fabrication of High-Speed Microswimmers by Spray Drying Technology for Oil Removal

Fabrication of High-Speed Microswimmers by Spray Drying Technology for Oil Removal

Optimization of thermal photovoltaic hybrid solar dryer for drying peanuts

The drying of agricultural products is traditionally carried out using solar radiation. However, this process is time-consuming and also unreliable in locations having cold and humid environments. This study experimentally investigates an innovative air collection system integrated with a dryer. The study focuses on the drying analysis of peanuts utilizing three operational modes of a solar dryer: forced convection, natural convection, and traditional open-sun drying. Key parameters including solar radiation intensity, moisture extraction, and outgoing air temperature from the collector were studied. Solar radiation served as the primary energy source, driving the solar dryer's operation within a drying air temperature range of 33 °C–58 °C, applied to 8 kg of peanuts. Initially, the peanuts exhibited a moisture content of 72 %. The developed solar dryer subsequently reduced the moisture content of the peanut by 18 %. The study evaluated three key aspects: electrical efficiency, thermal efficiency, and overall thermal efficiency of the proposed hybrid collector and solar dryer system, conducted from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Results indicate that the forced convection mode of solar drying outperformed the other modes, demonstrating superior effectiveness. These findings hold significant implications for the advancement of solar dryer technology, offering valuable insights for the wider solar drying community.

Enhancement of Photothermal Conversion by TiN Nanoparticles-Embedded Black Paint and Applications in Solar Drying of Red Chilli.

This work explores a new application of titanium nitride nanoparticles (TiN NPs) as efficient photothermal materials in enhancing the greenhouse effect. We demonstrate that a simple greenhouse using TiN NPs-embedded black paint boasts several advantages in solar drying technology, which are indicated by the drying of red chilli. In particular, the greenhouse using TiN NPs significantly improves the drying efficiency, which reduces the mass of red chilli by approximately four times and results in dried chilli with a moisture content of 10% within two days. In addition, by conducting long experiments in various environments, we found that the relative humidity can have a predominant role over the temperature in the solar drying of red chilli and observed that the re-adsorption of moisture can take place during the drying process, which prolongs the drying time and reduces the quality of the dried products.