Suspension Spraying Tip: High Molecular Weight Solvent

In suspension spraying, the two most frequently used solvents are water and ethanol. In this study, we test a potential alternative, a high-molecular weight solvent. Two organic solvents are compared: ethanol (serving as a benchmark, suspension formulated at 10 wt.% solid load) and di-propylene glycol methyl ether (two suspensions at 10 wt.% and 20 wt.%). Submicron alpha-alumina powder is used as a model material to formulate the suspensions. It is shown that ethanol- and ether-based-feedstock coatings are fully comparable in terms of their microstructure, porosity content, surface roughness, and hardness. However, the ether-based coatings exhibit slightly higher levels of α-Al2O3 phase than their ethanol-based counterpart (17 wt.% vs. 6 wt.%). The use of 20 wt.% solid load in the ether solvent leads to a twofold increase in the deposition rate while, as opposed to ethanol, successfully retaining a dense microstructure. Ether also costs less than ethanol and is safer to handle.

Recovery of Bioactive Compounds from Industrial Exhausted Olive Pomace through Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction

Exhausted olive pomace (EOP) is the main agro-industrial waste of the olive pomace extracting industries. It contains phenolic compounds and mannitol, so the extraction of these bioactive compounds should be considered as a first valorization step, especially if EOP is used as biofuel. Therefore, EOP was subjected to bath-type ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), and the effects of the acetone concentration (20–80%, v/v), solid load (2–15%, w/v), and extraction time (10–60 min) on the extraction of antioxidant compounds were evaluated according to a Box–Behnken experimental design. By means of the response surface methodology, the optimum conditions were obtained: 40% acetone, 8.6% solids, and 43 min. For all the extracts, the total phenolic content (TPC), flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP) were determined. With the aim of shortening the extraction time, a two-level factorial experiment design was also carried out using a probe-type UAE, keeping the solid load at 8.6% (w/v) and the acetone concentration at 40% (v/v), while the amplitude (30–70%) and the extraction time (2–12 min) were varied to maximize the aforementioned parameters. Finally, a maximum of phenolic compounds was reached (45.41 mg GAE/g EOP) at 12 min and 70% amplitude. It was comparable to that value obtained in the ultrasonic bath (42.05 mg GAE/g EOP), but, remarkably, the extraction time was shortened, which translates into lower costs at industrial scale. Moreover, the bioactive compound hydroxytyrosol was found to be the major phenolic compound in the extract, i.e., 5.16 mg/g EOP (bath-type UAE) and 4.96 mg/g EOP (probe-type UAE). Other minor phenolic compounds could be detected by capillary zone electrophoresis and liquid-chromatography–mass spectrometry. The sugar alcohol mannitol, another bioactive compound, was also found in the extract, and its content was determined. Thus, the use of this technology can support the valorization of this waste to obtain bioactive compounds, including mannitol, hydroxytyrosol, and other derivatives, before being applied for other uses.

Open-Cellular Alumina Foams with Hierarchical Strut Porosity by Ice Templating: A Thickening Agent Study

Alumina replica foams were manufactured by the Schwartzwalder sponge replication technique and were provided with an additional strut porosity by a freeze-drying/ice-templating step prior to thermal processing. A variety of thickeners in combination with different alumina solid loads in the dispersion used for polyurethane foam template coating were studied. An additional strut porosity as generated by freeze-drying was found to be in the order of ~20%, and the spacings between the strut pores generated by ice-templating were in the range between 20 µm and 32 µm. In spite of the lamellar strut pore structure and a total porosity exceeding 90%, the compressive strength was found to be up to 1.3 MPa. Combining the replica process with freeze-drying proves to be a suitable method to enhance foams with respect to their surface area accessible for active coatings while preserving the advantageous flow properties of the cellular structure. A two-to-threefold object surface-to-object volume ratio of 55 to 77 mm−1 was achieved for samples with 30 vol% solid load compared to 26 mm−1 for non-freeze-dried samples. The freeze-drying technique allows the control of the proportion and properties of the introduced pores in an uncomplicated and predictable way by adjusting the process parameters. Nevertheless, the present article demonstrates that a suitable thickener in the dispersion used for the Schwartzwalder process is inevitable to obtain ceramic foams with sufficient mechanical strength due to the necessarily increased water content of the ceramic dispersion used for foam manufacturing.

Rheological characteristics of polyethylene-nanotube composites by capillary rheometry

The viscosity and flow rate as rheological characteristics are fundamental in evaluating the nanofillers in processing the polyethylene-nanotube (PE-NT) composite in injecting molding. The purpose of this investigation is to study the rheological conduct of PE-NT composite plastic feedstock through capillary rheometry. For the purpose of obtaining a flawless component, the feedstock is used as a critical parameter, and care must be taken while introducing the raw materials with high solid load and hence perfect flowability. The shear rate viscosity of different feedstocks at an NT ratio extending at 0–3 wt.% has been determined at L/D equal to 10 die and a load extending at 40.0–80.0 KGF at temperatures 140.0, 150.0 and 160.0°C. The three specimens’ viscosity was measured in order to exhibit that the corresponding flow conduct factor varies from 0.40 to 0.70, demonstrating the non-Newtonian behavior of the specimens. The three specimens’ activation energies at the studied temperature degrees were evaluated and turned out to be 36.5–69.88 kJ/mol according to the applied load.

Conversion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste into solid fuel via hydrothermal carbonization

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is thermochemical process that can convert wet biomass into coal-like material. In this study, a series of HTC experiments was done. In the first stage targeted to obtain the process condition for mixture component. The process conditions comprised temperature, solid load, and holding time. Five typical components were used as representative pseudo-components of organic fraction of municipal solid waste. Each of substrates was carried out on the prototype HTC reactor. Process condition took place tempera- ture at 190, 210 and 230 oC, with a holding time (30 and 60 minutes) and feed to water ratio (0.1, 0,2, 0.3). The result from first stage showed that the optimum process condition for mixture component were temperature 215 oC, 55 minutes, and solid load 0.16. The process conditions were applied for next stage. In the second stage, mixture component comprised 15% fruit peel, 10% food waste, 10% of office paper, 30% leaves, and 35% sawdust were used as feedstock. Model to determine process condition for mixture component and also to predict high heating value have been developed. The fuel characteristics and combustion behavior of HTC-derived hydrochars were eval- uated. Hydro-thermal carbonization of waste gave high heating value (HHV) with value of 20.24 MJ/kg higher than its raw 16.42 MJ/kg.

Estimation of suspended sediment and dissolved solid load in a Mediterranean semiarid karst stream using log-linear models

Many models have been developed to predict the sediment transport in watercourses. This paper attempts to test the effectiveness of log-linear models (LLM) to estimate the suspended (S-LMM), dissolved (D-LLM), and total suspended (T-LLM) load into a Mediterranean semiarid karst stream (the Argos River basin, in southeast Spain). An assessment of the supposed validity of each model and a leave-one-out cross-validation were carried out to determine their degree of statistical robustness. The T-LLM model showed higher prediction accuracy (R2 = 0.98, RMSE = 0.15, and PE = ±5.4–6.6%) than the D-LLM model (R2 = 0.97, RMSE = 0.16, and PE = ±5.5–6.8%) or the D-LLM model (R2 = 0.77, RMSE = 0.71, and PE = ±101–493%). In addition, different model variants, according to two flow patterns (FP1 = base flow and FP2 = rising water level), were developed. The FP2-SLLM model provided a very good fit (R2 = 0.94, RMSE = 0.34, and PE = ±25.3–61.5%), substantially improving the results of the S-LLM model.

GEOMORPHOLOGIC CHANGES IN THE COASTLINE OF VISTONIS LIKE, THRACE, Ν GREECE.

The lake Vistonis is a shallow coastal lake about 20 km SE of the city of Xanhti; in Greek Thrace. It constitutes one of the most important hydrobiotope of Thrace. The lake has an area 45χ106 m 2 and a total volume of water 106*106 m . It accepts today around 330.000 m 3/yr sediments and a total volume of 360><106 m3/sec fresh water from the surrounding basin. Due to human intervention to drainage system of the basin i.e. entrenchment of the torrent channels and diversion of their courses (river Kosinhtos),etc, the solid load reaching the lake increased a lot during the last decades resulting in the increase sedimentation inside the lake. As a result the rate of the lake shrinkage increased. Besides that the lake suffer from eutrophication due to fertilizers brought with river waters. In this paper the changes in the lake's shoreline the last 170 year is discussed. As it is shown the lake's coastline exhibits prograduction (advance) at its north and east side and erosion and retreat at the south and west side. This is attributed to the distribution of the incoming sediment and to the prevailing, in the area, NE and SE winds.