Phosphorus desorption and recovery from aqueous solution using amorphous zirconium hydroxide/MgFe layered double hydroxides composite

Global phosphorus scarcity implies the importance of phosphorus recovery. Desorption is an essential process in phosphate removal by adsorption technique by enabling two crucial aspects: the reusability of adsorbent and the recovery of phosphorus. In this study, phosphate desorption by NaOH for composite reusability and phosphorus recovery by CaCl2 were investigated. Based on the cost analysis, the uncalcined amorphous zirconium hydroxide/MgFe layered double hydroxides composite (am-Zr/MgFe-LDH) with Zr to Fe molar ratio of 1.5 was effective in reducing cost for phosphate adsorption compared to amorphous zirconium hydroxide (am-Zr) and MgFe layered double hydroxide (LDH). The XRD analysis indicated that phosphate desorption was preferably performed by stripping adsorbed phosphate on the composite surface using NaOH solution. The reuse of 2 N NaOH for composite regeneration could effectively maintain a higher adsorption ability (86%) than 1 N NaOH, and additionally, could be considered as an economic regeneration agent. The composite was chemically stable in maintaining its structure during eight adsorption-desorption cycles. The mechanisms involved during phosphate desorption by NaOH were mainly ligand exchange and electrostatic repulsion. The phosphorus recovery showed that the optimum recovery (~95%) was obtained by adding CaCl2 at pH 13 and calcium to phosphorus molar ratio of 3.5.

Preparation of Magnesia Partially Stabilized Zirconia Nanomaterials from Zirconium Hydroxide and Magnesium Carbonate Precursors Using PEG as a Template

Stabilized zirconia is a promising material due to its great physical and chemical properties, and thermal stability. In this work, MgO was used as a stabilizer in ZrO2 to obtain Magnesia Partially Stabilized Zirconia (MSZ) nanomaterials assisted with PEG as a template through conventional mixing process. Zirconium hydroxides prepared from local zircon and MgCO3 were used as MSZ precursors. Meanwhile, the stabilizer concentration was varied from 1 to 4 wt% of ZrO2. The effect of the stabilizer concentration and the calcination temperature to the crystallinity and the morphological properties of the MSZ nanoparticles were studied using X-ray diffraction and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The ZrO2 content in the zirconium hydroxides precursors is accounting 89.52 wt% of the total and exhibits the dominant m-phase at 1000 °C. Meanwhile, the tetragonal and the monoclinic phases were formed in all MSZ samples at a temperature of 800–1000 °C. The as-synthesized MSZ samples show typical FT-IR spectra, consisting of the metal–oxygen bonds at below 500 cm−1 and the organic functional groups ranging at 1000–3000 cm−1. The ZrO2 morphologies exhibit spherical-like shapes with elongated agglomeration at 800 °C. In addition, the average particle sizes of the final product ranges from 20 to 50 nm. At a sintering temperature of 1500 °C, MSZ samples show the monoclinic phase of ZrO2 and densities in the range of 3.95–4.14 g/cm3.

Water electrolyzer for renewable energy systems

The article is devoted to the features of the alkaline water electrolyzers use in power plants with a hydrogen energy storage systems based on renewable energy sources. The technology of nickel–cobalt electrodes electrochemical formation according to a printed 2–dimensional sketch is proposed. A new technique for the synthesis of diaphragms with a zirconium hydroxide hydrogel as a hydrophilic filler is considered. The current–voltage characteristics of an electrolytic cell located inside outer containment shell, designed for pressures up to 160 atm, are investigated.

Decontamination performance of air filter paper impregnated with zirconium hydroxide on sulfur mustard

Using zirconium hydroxide as a decontaminant, a kind of self-decontaminating air filter paper that can effectively degrade HD was successfully prepared by impregnating. The morphology and filtration efficiency of the filter paper before and after immersing were compared. The filtration efficiency increased linearly and slowly, with the regression equation: η=0.0001L+99.971. The liquid-solid decontamination reaction of HD on zirconium hydroxide powder and self-decontaminating filter paper conformed to the kinetic of quasi-first-order reaction and found that half-lives were 0.4 h and 2.1 h respectively. Good degradation performance for HD was exhibited and the degradation rate reached more than 99 % in 12 hours. Reaction products were analysed by GC-MS, which displayed that HD was decomposed through the substitution of chlorine and the elimination of H on α-C. The ultimate decontamination products were thiodiglycol and 2-hydroxyethyl vinyl sulfide without erosive toxicity.