Two-liquid Phase Research Articles

Lubricity characteristics of edge and basal functionalized GO as PAO additives

It was studied that the dodecylamine was grafted to the edge (EGO) and basal (BGO) of graphene oxide by amidation and ring-opening reactions to study the effect of different reaction sites on the tribological properties of modified graphite oxide, respectively. The results showed that BGO and EGO were successfully synthesized by a controlled synthesis process. Dispersion experiments showed that GO was dispersed in water and BGO was dispersed in chloroform, while EGO formed a Pickering emulsion and showed amphiphilicity in the water/chloroform two-liquid phase system. Friction experiments showed that both additives improved the friction reduction of the base oil, while BGO showed a better one. The mechanism analysis showed that BGO and EGO participate in the tribochemical reaction, forming a dense carbon film and thus improving the tribological properties. It was also found that BGO and EGO participated in the cracking of base oil as tribocatalysts, which positively impacted the improvement of tribological properties.

Comparative assessment of the performance of one- and two-liquid phase biotrickling filters for the simultaneous abatement of gaseous mixture of methanol, α-pinene, and hydrogen sulfide

A gaseous mixture of methanol (M), α-pinene (P), and hydrogen sulfide (H) was treated in one/two-liquid phase biotrickling filters (OLP/TLP-BTFs) at varying inlet concentrations and at an empty bed residence time (EBRT) of 57 s. The performance of TLP-BTF [BTF (A)] improved significantly in terms of M and P removal due to the presence of silicone oil at 5% v/v. The maximum elimination capacities (ECs) of M, P, and H in BTF (A) were obtained as 309, 73, and 56 g m−3 h−1, respectively. While, the maximum ECs achieved in the BTF operated without silicone oil [BTF (B)] were 172, 28, and 21 g m−3 h−1 for M, P, and H removal, respectively. Increasing the inlet concentration of H from 32 to 337 ppm inhibited P removal in both the BTFs. The presence of silicone oil enhanced gas-liquid mass transfer, prevented the BTF from experiencing substrate inhibition effects and allowed reaching high ECs for M and P. The experiments showed promising results for the long-term operation of removal of M, P, and H mixture in a one-stage TLP-BTF with the decreasing negative effects of M and H on P degradation.

An Investigation on the Removal of High Concentrations of PAHs Using Two-Liquid Phase System

Two-liquid phase systems consisting of two insoluble liquids can be effective in removing high concentrations of hydrocarbons from aqueous environments. In this study, the removal efficiencies of Naphthalene (Nap), Acenaphthene (Acn), Fluorene (Flu), Fluoranthene (Flr), Anthracene (Ant), and Pyrene (Pyr) at high concentrations in the two-liquid phase system were investigated. Two-liquid phase systems were constituted using Bis (2-Ethylhexyl) sebacate (BES) and aqueous fermentation media. Nutrient Broth (NB) and Bushnell Haas Yeast (BHY) medium were used as aqueous fermentation media. Acn, Flu, Flr, Ant, Pyr, and Nap were degraded at a rate of 93.1%, 80.8%, 57.6%, 68.5%, 63.8%, and 100%, respectively with BES/NB system. In the BES/BHY system, Acn, Flu, Flr, Ant, Pyr, and Nap, were degraded at a rate of 29.6%, 44.3%, 22.8%, 68.1%, and 19.7%, 45.4%, respectively. When both systems are compared, it has been shown that the BES/NB system can be effective under specified conditions.

Neural network-based performance assessment of one- and two-liquid phase biotrickling filters for the removal of a waste-gas mixture containing methanol, α-pinene, and hydrogen sulfide

The performance of one- and two-liquid phase biotrickling filters (OLP/TLP-BTFs) treating a mixture of gas-phase methanol (M), α-pinene (P), and hydrogen sulfide (H) was assessed using artificial neural network (ANN) modeling. The best ANN models with the topologies 3-9-3 and 3-10-3 demonstrated an exceptional capacity for predicting the performance of O/TLP-BTFs, with R2 > 99%. The analysis of causal index (CI) values for the model of OLP-BTF revealed a negative impact of M on P removal (CI = -2.367), a positive influence of P and H on M removal (CI = +7.536 and CI = +3.931) and a negative effect of H on P removal (CI = -1.640). The addition of silicone oil in TLP-BTF reduced the negative impact of M and H on P degradation (CI = -1.261 and CI = -1.310, respectively) compared to the OLP-BTF. These findings suggested that silicone oil had the potential to improve P availability to the biofilm by increasing the concentration gradient of P between the air/gas and aqueous phases. Multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) suggested an optimum operational condition, i.e. inlet M, P, and H concentrations of 1.0, 1.1, and 0.3 g m−3, respectively, with elimination capacities (ECs) of 172.1, 26.5, and 0.025 g m−3 h−1 for OLP-BTF. Likewise, one of the optimum operational conditions for TLP-BTF is achievable at inlet concentrations of 4.9, 1.7, and 0.8 g m−3, leading to the optimum ECs of 299.7, 52.9, and 0.072 g m−3 h−1 for M, P, and H, respectively. These results provide important insights into the treatment of complex waste gas mixtures, addressing the interactions between the pollutant removal characteristics in OLP/TLP-BTFs and providing novel approaches in the field of biological waste gas treatment.

Two-Phase Partitioning Bioreactor for the Treatment of Crude Oil- Contaminated Aqueous Solution

A new application of a combined solvent extraction and two-phase biodegradation processes using two-liquid phase partitioning bioreactor (TLPPB) technique was proposed and developed to enhance the cleanup of high concentration of crude oil from aqueous phase using acclimated mixed culture in an anaerobic environment. Silicone oil was used as the organic extractive phase for being a water-immiscible, biocompatible and non-biodegradable. Acclimation, cell growth of mixed cultures, and biodegradation of crude oil in aqueous samples were experimentally studied at 30±2ºC. Anaerobic biodegradation of crude oil was examined at four different initial concentrations of crude oil including 500, 1000, 2000, and 5000 mg/L. Complete removal of crude oil was achieved biphasic bioreactor after 3 weeks compared to 73-82% in the monophasic bioreactor for the same time period.

Gold Clusters Immobilized by Post-Synthesis Methods on Thiol-Containing SBA-15 Mesoporous Materials for the Aerobic Oxidation of Cyclohexene: Influence of Light and Hydroperoxide

Gold nanospecies produced by a historically inspired two-liquid phase system were immobilized on plate-like mesoporous silica, SBA-15, functionalized with mercaptopropyl groups by a post-synthesis method, and the resulting materials were tested in the oxidation of cyclohexene with molecular oxygen at atmospheric pressure. The main purpose of this approach was to compare the physicochemical properties and catalytic performance of these materials with those of previously reported related materials functionalized by in situ methods during synthesis. In addition, catalytic tests under ambient lighting and darkness and also in the presence and absence of the initiator tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) were carried out. The samples were characterized by chemical analysis, N2 adsorption/desorption, TGA, SEM, HRTEM, UV-vis spectroscopy and XPS. Gold nanoclusters and isolated gold atoms but no AuNPs were found in the catalysts (0.31–2.69 wt.% of gold). The XPS shows that nearly 60% of the -SH groups (1.33 wt.% of S) were oxidized to sulphonic groups upon gold immobilization. The AuNCs and isolated gold atoms evolved in the the reaction medium to form AuNPs. The activity of the samples was lower than that of the catalysts supported on related S-bearing SBA-15 functionalized in situ, which was attributed to their different Au/S ratios, which in turn regulated the evolutionary process of the gold species during the reaction. The catalysts turned out to be inactive in darkness, which evidences that the cyclohexene oxidation carried out at ambient illumination is actually photocatalyzed by the AuNPs formed in situ during the reaction. The TBHP initiator is required to obtain the activity in order to counteract the inhibitors of cyclohexene auto-oxidation present in the commercial reagent. On the other hand, no major differences in the selectivity among the different catalysts and reactions were observed, with 2-cyclohexen-1-one and 2-cyclohexen-1-ol resulting from the allylic oxidation as main products (selectivity of (one + ol) ~80% at a conversion ≥ 35%; one/ol~2).

Construction of an enzymatic shuttling compartment based on reverse micellar for bamboo biomass hydrolysis in ionic liquids

The enzymatic saccharification of regenerated lignocellulose must occur separately due to the toxicity of ionic liquids to cellulase. Therefore, it is important to develop a biocompatible IL-cellulase system which effectively achieves activation and saccharification of lignocellulose. For this purpose, a dual-phase “enzyme-shuttling compartment” was constructed in this study. Tween 80 was found to form reverse micelles in the isooctane-IL two-liquid phase, acting as a microenvironment that maintains the energetic conformation of the reactive cellulase. The activated bamboo biomass was enzymatically hydrolyzed in 20% (w/v) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dimethyl phosphate and 50 mM citrate buffer at 50 °C, achieving a high total reducing sugar yield of 71.2% and maintaining an enzymatic activity of 91.2% after 24 h. Thus, an efficient system with the simultaneous activation and saccharification of natural biomass was successfully developed in a one-pot procedure at low temperatures, ensuring large-scale biomass conversion into biofuels and biological products.

Two-liquid wetting and phase electrowetting as a probe for surface chemistry of hydrophobic materials.

Two-liquid contact angle measurement and electrowetting under low frequency are two measurement methods extremely sensitive to surface polarity and charge density. The theory underlying these two methods are described and have been applied to hydrophobic coatings. By combining these two methods, we successfully demonstrated the variations of the surface properties of polymer-based hydrophobic coatings when exposed to different chemical environments (pH modification or molecular grafting) with real-time phase electrowetting measurements.

Enhanced elimination of gaseous toluene and methanol emissions in a two-liquid phase trickling bioreactor: Performance evaluation, dynamic modeling, and microbial community shift

Negative interactions of the components usually restrict the application of trickling bioreactors (TBRs) for the simultaneous biodegradation of multi volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Modifications like the addition of non-aqueous phase (NAP) to TBRs can lead to design higher performance biological air cleaner systems for industries with mixed VOCs emissions. In this study, removal of toluene and methanol as hydrophobic and hydrophilic VOCs, respectively, was assessed in an up-flow two-liquid phase TBR (TLP-TBR) in the presence of silicone oil (5% v/v) as the NAP. The toluene and methanol inlet loading rates (ILRT and ILRM) were 18–36 and 0–187.2 g m−3 h−1, respectively, at a constant empty bed residence time of 60 s. The system could withstand against increasing ILRs so that removal efficiency (RE) of toluene >80% was obtained at various ILRs, while RE of methanol was almost stable at >90%. After optimization of a developed dynamic mathematical model, including mass transfer and kinetic mechanisms, the overall mass transfer coefficients of toluene and methanol were obtained as 1.9 × 10−4 and 2.1 × 10−4 m s−1, respectively. About 50% of biofilm depth was active for toluene biodegradation, indicating the prevalence of diffusion-limited regime for toluene removal. The microbial diversity shifted from the original inoculum to dominant toluene-degrading Gordonia and Burkholderia close to the gas inlet with relative abundance of 30% and 20%, respectively. While, methanol-degrading Hyphomicrobium sp. had higher contribution (19%) at top of the column. Therefore, the presence of NAP could facilitate the sustainable application of TBR through a suitable microbial composition shift.

Performance evaluation of a trickling bioreactor treating methanol vapor under one- and two-liquid phase conditions

This study compared the performance of a trickling bioreactor (TBR) for methanol removal with and without the addition of silicone oil as a non-aqueous phase. Due to an adaptation process based on activated sludge, the acclimation period was as short as 16 days. First, TBR was run under one-liquid phase (OLP) condition at empty bed gas residence time (EBRT) of 120 s, while methanol inlet concentration varied from 0.25 to 15.1 g m −3 . The results showed that OLP-TBR could be a promising approach when facing with methanol shock loads with average removal efficiencies (REs) over 80%. For OLP operation, the maximum elimination capacity (EC) was 411 g m −3 h −1 at a methanol inlet loading rate (ILRs) of 453 g m −3 h −1 . Then, silicone oil (10% v/v ) was added to TBR to provide two-liquid phase (TLP) condition, under methanol inlet concentrations of 0.55-9.2 g m −3 and two different EBRTs of 120 and 60 s. For the TLP operation, a maximum EC of 416 g m −3 h −1 was obtained for an ILR of 474 g m −3 h −1 under EBRT of 60 s. The addition of silicone oil negatively affected the TBR performance, particularly for methanol inlet concentrations higher than 5 g m −3 . Based on 16S rDNA analysis, Citrobacter koseri LMG 5519(T), Leifsonia shinshuensis JCM 10591(T), and Pandoraea pnomenusa DSM 16536(T) were identified as the methanol degrading species. • Methanol removal in one and two-liquid phase O/TLP-TBRs was studied. • Maximum elimination capacity (EC) was 411 g m -3 h -1 in OLP-TBR. • TLP operation slightly decreased TBR performance at inlet concentrations> 5 g m -3 . • Dominant bacteria in TBR was identified by 16S rDNA analysis. • Methanol mineralization to CO 2 decreased in TLP-TBR with more biomass formation.

Modulation of the Activity of Gold Clusters Immobilized on Functionalized Mesoporous Materials in the Oxidation of Cyclohexene via the Functional Group. The Case of Aminopropyl Moiety.

Gold nanoclusters and isolated gold atoms have been produced in a two-liquid phase procedure that involves a solution of gold in aqua regia and rosemary essential oil as organic layer. These gold entities have been immobilized on the ordered mesoporous silica material SBA-15 functionalized with different amounts of aminopropyl groups. The resulting materials have been characterized by XRD, N2 adsorption, chemical analysis, TGA, 29Si MAS NMR, 13C CP/MAS NMR, UV-vis spectroscopy, XPS, and STEM. The Au-containing materials retain the ordering and porosity of the pristine support. Gold content varies in the range of 0.07–0.7 wt% as a function of the specific immobilization conditions, while STEM evidences the presence of isolated gold atoms. XPS shows a shift of the Au 4f BE toward values lower than those of metallic gold. The catalytic activity in the oxidation of cyclohexene with molecular oxygen at atmospheric pressure parallels the Au content of the aminopropyl-SBA-15 supports. This activity is higher than that of analogous Au entities immobilized on SBA-15 functionalized with thiol or sulfonate groups, the activity decreasing in the order Au-NH2 > Au-SO3− > Au-SH. This behavior has been attributed to differences in the interaction strength between the functional group and the Au entities, which is optimum for the aminopropyl groups.

Compounds interactions during simultaneous biodegradation of hydrophobic n-hexane and hydrophilic methanol vapors in one- and two-liquid phase conditions

Simultaneous biodegradation of n-hexane (H) and methanol (M) was studied in batch culture in the concentration range of 5−10 g m−3 and 1−5 g m−3, respectively, in the absence and presence of 5−10 % v/v silicone oil. The addition of oil likely increased the mass transfer of H and ended up to H removal efficiency (REH) improvement from 72 –86 % to 92–94 %. In contrast, M removal efficiency (REM) decreased from 15-–34 % to 6–24 %, due to an increase in the M partition coefficient from 0.00018 to 0.003. Based on statistical analysis, REH and REM of 90 % and 24 % were obtained at optimum condition of 5 g m−3, 1 g m−3, and 5 % v/v for H, M, and oil fraction, respectively. Kinetic study based on Michaelis- Menten for H biodegradation showed that the presence of 5 % v/v oil could decrease the inhibition effect of the presence of M by increasing Vmax from 123 to 133 mg H (g biomass d)−1 and decreasing Km from 21 to 17 g m−3. Also, degree of mineralization increased from 27–29 % in the absence of oil to 35–43 % in the presence of oil for the identical experiments. According to 16S rDNA sequence analysis, Bacillus cereus and Pandoraea pnomenusa were identified as the main H and M degrading species, respectively, with REs >99 %.

QXTD selects Honeywell Oleflex process to boost propylene production in China

SAPO-34 molecular sieves have been synthesized using two-liquid phase system (water/hexanol) in presence of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) or hexadecylamine (HA) as surfactant agents. This synthesis method causes higher silicon incorporation as well as greater diversification of the silicon distribution in the SAPO-34 network and decreases catalyst deactivation in the methanol-to-olefins process.

Fungal elimination of toluene vapor in one- and two-liquid phase biotrickling filters: Effects of inlet concentration, operating temperature, and peroxidase enzyme activity

In this study, performance of biotrickling filters (BTFs) inoculated with fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium at 30 °C and 40 °C in the absence and presence of silicone oil (10% v/v) was investigated. Removal of toluene was carried out at empty bed residence time (EBRT) of 1 min and at inlet concentrations of 0.5–4.4 g m−3 and 0.5–24.7 g m−3 for one-liquid phase (OLP-BTF) and two-liquid phase BTF (TLP-BTF), respectively. In general, at 40 °C, removal efficiencies (REs) > 80% were obtained in OLP-BTF for the inlet toluene concentrations < 2.5 g m−3, and REs > 70% were obtained for concentrations < 18 g m−3 in TLP-BTF. Based on the balanced equation for biodegradation, fungal respiration produced more CO2 in OLP-BTF (1.38 mol CO2/mole toluene) in comparison to TLP-BTF (0.67 mol CO2/mole toluene). In other words, the presence of oil enhanced microbial growth due to the increase of hydrophobic substrate bioavailability. The activity of extracellular ligninolytic manganese peroxidase (MnP) enzyme produced by the fungal culture was detected in the range of 27.6–71.6 U L−1 (μmol min−1 L−1) at 40 °C in TLP-BTF, while no enzymatic activity was detected in OLP-BTF.

Light-Dependent and Aeration-Independent Gram-Scale Hydroxylation of Cyclohexane to Cyclohexanol by CYP450 Harboring Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.

Oxygenase-containing cyanobacteria constitute promising whole-cell biocatalysts for oxyfunctionalization reactions. Photosynthetic water oxidation thereby delivers the required cosubstrates, that is activated reduction equivalents and O2 , sustainably. A recombinant Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 strain showing unprecedentedly high photosynthesis-driven oxyfunctionalization activities is developed, and its technical applicability is evaluated. The cells functionally synthesize a heterologous cytochrome P450 monooxygenase enabling cyclohexane hydroxylation. The biocatalyst-specific reaction rate is found to be light-dependent, reaching 26.3 ± 0.6 U gCDW -1 (U = μmol min-1 and cell dry weight [CDW]) at a light intensity of 150 µmolphotons m-2 s-1 . In situ substrate supply via a two-liquid phase system increases the initial specific activity to 39.2 ± 0.7 U gCDW -1 and stabilizes the biotransformation by preventing cell toxification. This results in a tenfold increased specific product yield of 4.5 gcyclohexanol gCDW -1 as compared to the single aqueous phase system. Subsequently, the biotransformation is scaled from a shake flask to a 3 L stirred-tank photobioreactor setup. In situ O2 generation via photosynthetic water oxidation allows a nonaerated process operation, thus circumventing substrate evaporation as the most critical factor limiting the process performance and stability. This study for the first time exemplifies the technical applicability of cyanobacteria for aeration-independent light-driven oxyfunctionalization reactions involving highly toxic and volatile substrates.

Performance assessment of gas-phase toluene removal in one- and two-liquid phase biotrickling filters using artificial neural networks

The main aim of this work is to study gas-phase toluene removal in one- and two-liquid phase biotrickling filters (O/TLP-BTF) and model the BTF performance using artificial neural networks (ANNs). The TLP-BTF was operated for 60 d in the presence of silicone oil at empty bed residence times (EBRTs) of 120, 60, and 45 s, respectively, and toluene concentrations in the range of 0.9–3.1 g m−3. A t-test analysis indicated that increasing the silicone oil volume ratio from 5 to 10% v/v, did not significantly improve the TLP-BTF performance (p-value = 0.65 > 0.05). The results from ANN modeling showed that toluene removal was more negatively affected by the inlet concentration (casual index, CI = −5.63) due to the kinetic limitation. The CI values for inlet concentration (+4.01) and liquid trickling rate (−2.45) indicated that the diffusion-limited regime controlled the removal process in the OLP-BTF.

Stabilization and scale-up of photosynthesis-driven ω-hydroxylation of nonanoic acid methyl ester by two-liquid phase whole-cell biocatalysis.

Photoautotrophic organisms are promising hosts for biocatalytic oxyfunctionalizations because they supply reduction equivalents as well as O2 via photosynthetic water oxidation. Thus far, research on photosynthesis-driven bioprocesses mainly focuses on strain development and the proof of principle in small-scale biocatalytic reaction setups. This study investigates the long-term applicability of the previously developed cyanobacterial strain Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803_BGT harboring the alkane monooxygenase system AlkBGT catalyzing terminal alkyl group oxyfunctionalization. For the regiospecific ω-hydroxylation of nonanoic acid methyl ester (NAME), this biocatalyst showed light intensity-independent hydroxylation activity and substantial hydrolysis of NAME to nonanoic acid. Substrate mass transfer limitation, substrate hydrolysis, as well as reactant toxicity were overcome via in situ substrate supply by means of a two-liquid phase system. The application of diisononyl phthalate as organic carrier solvent enabled 1.7-fold increased initial specific activities (5.6 ± 0.1 U/gCDW ) and 7.6-fold increased specific yields on biomass (3.8 ± 0.1 mmolH-NAME /gCDW ) as compared with single aqueous phase biotransformations. Finally, the whole-cell biotransformation system was successfully scaled from glass tubes to a stirred-tank photobioreactor. This is the first study reporting the application of the two-liquid phase concept for efficient phototrophic whole-cell biocatalysis.

Constitutively solvent-tolerant Pseudomonas taiwanensis VLB120∆ C∆ ttgV supports particularly high-styrene epoxidation activities when grown under glucose excess conditions.

Solvent-tolerant bacteria represent an interesting option to deal with the substrate and product toxicity in bioprocesses. Recently, constitutive solvent tolerance was achieved for Pseudomonas taiwanensis VLB120 via knockout of the regulator TtgV, making tedious adaptation unnecessary. Remarkably, ttgV knockout increased styrene epoxidation activities of P. taiwanensis VLB120Δ C. With the aim to characterize and exploit the biocatalytic potential of P. taiwanensis VLB120Δ C and VLB120Δ CΔ ttgV, we investigated and correlated growth physiology, native styrene monooxygenase (StyAB) gene expression, whole-cell bioconversion kinetics, and epoxidation performance. Substrate inhibition kinetics was identified but was attenuated in two-liquid phase bioreactor setups. StyA fusion to the enhanced green fluorescent protein enabled precise enzyme level monitoring without affecting epoxidation activity. Glucose limitation compromised styAB expression and specific activities (30-40 U/g CDW for both strains), whereas unlimited batch cultivation enabled specific activities up to 180 U/g CDW for VLB120Δ CΔ ttgV strains, which is unrivaled for bioreactor-based whole-cell oxygenase biocatalysis. These extraordinarily high specific activities of constitutively solvent-tolerant P. taiwanensis VLB120∆ C∆ ttgV could be attributed to its high metabolic capacity, which also enabled high expression levels. This, together with the high product yields on glucose and biomass obtained qualifies the VLB120∆ ttgV strain as a highly attractive tool for the development of ecoefficient oxyfunctionalization processes and redox biocatalysis in general.

Determination of design parameters and cost-effectiveness analysis for a two-liquid phase biofilter treating gaseous dichloromethane

Two-liquid phase biofilter (TLPB) is a new type biofiltration system for controlling hydrophobic volatile organic compounds. In this paper, a mathematical model was developed for a TLPB that can treat gaseous dichloromethane (DCM). The specific growth rate of the biomass inside the TLPB fitted the Monod model. umax and Ks were 0.013 d−1 and 1.288 g m-3, respectively. The Henry’s Law constant of the two liquid phase mixtures was obtained as 0.125 kPa m3 mol−1 under the addition of 10% silicone oil. Simulation results revealed that the model is a good tool for evaluating the removal performance of TLPB. Practical applications of the model indicated that an increase in the silicone-oil-to-mixture ratio and inoculated biomass improved the removal efficiency, whereas an increase in the inlet DCM concentration and gas velocity negatively affected the removal performance. Moreover, the model can be used to determine the design parameters and ensure that the outlet concentration satisfies the emission standards. The results of cost-effectiveness analysis indicated that the expenditure for DCM removal per year was low when TLPB was used to treat a high DCM concentration steam with a long empty-bed retention time.

Transient-state strategies for the removal of toluene vapor in a two-liquid phase biotrickling filter: Experimental study and neural network analysis

Abstract The performance of a two-liquid phase biotrickling filter (TLP-BTF) packed with pall ring and pumice in the presence of silicone oil, as the organic solvent (10% v/v), was evaluated for the treatment of toluene vapor under various transient conditions. The experiments were done at EBRT of 1 min and inlet loading rates (ILRs) of 150-180 g m−3 h-1 and comprise of shock loading, intermittent loading for 10 h day-1, and aeration without toluene loading during shutdown periods. The TLP-BTF removal efficiency (RE) attained steady state (RE = 66%) in less than 40 min after loading initiation in different operating strategies. The TLP-BTF was subjected to a 5.5-fold increase at ILRs from 34 to 186 g m−3 h-1, however, RE declined only 10% within 2 h after shock loading. Nevertheless, RE decreased to 44% due to dominating the kinetic-limitation regime and silicone oil saturation. The variations of TLP-BTF performance were analyzed by using artificial neural networks (ANNs) modeling by means of casual index (CI) values. Lower discrepancies for CI-values in TLP-BTF (-8.05 > CI > -10.68) in comparison to the single-liquid phase BTF (-9.19 > CI >14.04) indicated the role of silicone oil for decreasing the negative impact of different intermittent loading types on the BTF performance.