Purification of Copper-Containing Wastewater in Inner-Cooling Oil Channel of Piston with Magnesium Hydroxide

The treating fluid in the piston of inner-cooling oil channel is acid wastewater containing copper ion, it would adversely affect the aquatic ecosystem when emission directly. This paper use magnesium hydroxide as a wastewater treatment agent, to study the effect of magnesium hydroxide dose, stirring time, temerature on the results of treating fluid treatment, and get the best treatment conditions. The results indicate that magnesium hydroxide has an excellent performance including easy operation, super removing rate, supernatant can meet emission standards: c(Cu2+)≤2mg/L.

Imidazole Processing of Wheat Straw and Eucalyptus Residues—Comparison of Pre-Treatment Conditions and Their Influence on Enzymatic Hydrolysis

Biomass pre-treatment is a key step in achieving the economic competitiveness of biomass conversion. In the present work, an imidazole pre-treatment process was performed and evaluated using wheat straw and eucalyptus residues as model feedstocks for agriculture and forest-origin biomasses, respectively. Results showed that imidazole is an efficient pre-treatment agent; however, better results were obtained for wheat straw due to the recalcitrant behavior of eucalyptus residues. The temperature had a stronger effect than time on wheat straw pre-treatment but at 160 °C and 4 h, similar results were obtained for cellulose and hemicellulose content from both biomasses (ca. 54% and 24%, respectively). Lignin content in the pre-treated solid was higher for eucalyptus residues (16% vs. 4%), as expected. Enzymatic hydrolysis, applied to both biomasses after different pre-treatments, revealed that results improved with increasing temperature/time for wheat straw. However, these conditions had no influence on the results for eucalyptus residues, with very low glucan to glucose enzymatic hydrolysis yield (93% for wheat straw vs. 40% for eucalyptus residues). Imidazole can therefore be considered as a suitable solvent for herbaceous biomass pre-treatment.

Protective Effects of Carnosic Acid on Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Kidney Injury in Mice

Septic acute kidney injury (AKI) is an important medical problem worldwide, but current treatments are limited. During sepsis, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) activates various signaling pathways involved in multiorgan failure. Carnosic acid is a natural phenolic diterpene and has multiple bioactivities, such as anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidative effects. However, the effect of carnosic acid on septic AKI has not been explored. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether carnosic acid has a therapeutic effect on LPS-induced kidney injury. Administration of carnosic acid after LPS injection ameliorated histological abnormalities and renal dysfunction. Cytokine production, immune cell infiltration, and nuclear factor-κB activation after LPS injection were also alleviated by carnosic acid. The compound suppressed oxidative stress with the modulation of pro-oxidant and antioxidant enzymes. Tubular cell apoptosis and caspase-3 activation were also inhibited by carnosic acid. These data suggest that carnosic acid ameliorates LPS-induced AKI via inhibition of inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis and could serve as a useful treatment agent for septic AKI.

Evaluation of NOx Reduction Effect and Impact on Asphalt Pavement of Surface Treatment Technology including TiO2 and Asphalt Rejuvenator

Nitrogen oxide (NOx), emitted at the highest rate among automobile exhaust gases, is the main cause of air pollution, and various construction technologies are being developed to reduce NOx emissions. In this study, the NOx reduction effect of surface treatment technology for road pavements, and the effect of the photocatalytic reaction on asphalt pavements, were evaluated using a photocatalyst. Three types of titanium dioxide (TiO2) were used as photocatalysts, and an asphalt rejuvenator used to recover aged asphalt was applied as a surface treatment agent. To evaluate the NOx reduction effect, a test device capable of testing large-sized specimens was manufactured and compared with the ISO method, which only allowed the testing of small specimens. In addition, the effect of TiO2 and the asphalt rejuvenator on the asphalt mixture was analyzed through chemical analysis. The test results of the newly manufactured mixed-tank photo reactor showed the same trend as the ISO test results concerning the evaluation of its NOx removal performance. As a result of the performance evaluation of the surface treatment using TiO2, the NO removal rate was up to 7.83% when Anatase-type TiO2 with excellent light efficiency was applied. In addition, when the rejuvenator was used, the oxidation of asphalt, caused by the photoreaction of TiO2, was reduced.

Flame Retardancy and Thermal Behavior of Wool Fabric Treated with a Phosphorus-Containing Polycarboxylic Acid

The compound 2-phosphonobutane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid (PBTCA) is an eco-friendly water treatment agent possessing flame-retardant phosphorus element and multi-carboxylic acid groups in its molecular structure. In the present work, PBTCA is employed as a finishing agent to improve the flame retardancy of the wool fabrics by the pad-dry-cure technique. The treated wool (10.2% weight gain) by 100 g/L of PBTCA showed an increased flame retardancy with a limiting oxygen index value (LOI) of 44% with a minimum char length of 40 mm. Importantly, the treated wool can self-extinguish after 30 washing cycles. The PBTCA-treated wool exhibited better stability with obviously increased char residue of 39.7% and 28.7% at 600 °C, while only 25.9% and 13.2% were measured for the control wool in nitrogen and air atmosphere, respectively. In addition, the high thermal stability of the treated wool with astonishing char-forming ability is confirmed by the SEM images of the wool after the isothermal heating treatment at different temperatures. Finally, a two-stage flame-retarding mechanism of enhanced crosslinking and char formability of PBTCA-treated wool is proposed and analyzed by infrared spectroscopy (TG-FTIR) and thermal (DSC and TGA) results of the pyrolytic volatiles of the treated wool.

Conservation Treatment on the Bamboo Sunblind from the No. 1 Catchment Site in Baesanseongji, Busan

In the present study, safe management and value improvement of bamboo sunblind, which is an item of cultural heritage, were performed by adopting stable conservation treatment methods. The bamboo sunblind used in the present study was excavated from No. 1 catchment site in Baesanseongji, Busan. It was determined that the main material used to make the sunblind was bamboo, and herbal plants were used to weave the bamboo using lacquer as an adhesive agent. All contaminants and soil adhered to the sunblind was removed. Thereafter, the sunblind, which was recovered in the form of blocks, was washed separately after fixing it to a temporary plaster frame and to avoid the blocks from breaking during washing. Then, polyethylene glycol (PEG) impregnation was utilized for the reinforcement treatment. Based on the preliminary test results, the shape of the sunblind was fixed using a stainless-steel frame to prevent physical damage that may occur during the drying process. Thereafter, the bamboo sunblind was vacuum freeze-dried. PEG 20% (in ethyl alcohol) was applied as a surface treatment agent for stabilization the sunblind. After the surface treatment, the bamboo sunblind were joined together to fit the maximum width, and the rectangular shape of the sunblind was restored—as best as possible—while filling in the missing parts by maximizing the use of unknown members such as in the disturbed layers below bamboo sunblind surface. The conservation treatment was completed by fixing the bamboo sunblind into the fabricated frame.

Comparative Analysis of the Quality of Domestically Distributed Cut Phalaenopsis Flowers Based on the Season and Place of Origin

This study compared and analyzed the qualities of cut Phalaenopsis “V3” flowers based on the place of origin and season. An investigation of the senescence type showed that flowers originating from Korea had a higher rate of aging than those from China across all three seasons. Consequently, the vase life was also 3–5 days longer for Chinese flowers than those for Korean flowers, regardless of the season. Furthermore, the vase life was the longest in autumn, followed by spring and summer, with statistically significant differences. With respect to flower diameter, Chinese cut phalaenopsis flowers were relatively larger than the Korean ones on day 1 of the experiment. As the senescence process of wilting was initiated earlier in Korean flowers with a shorter vase life, they showed higher reductions in flower diameters as well. The fresh weight, water uptake, and water balance were lower for Korean flowers than those for Chinese flowers starting on day 5 of the experiment across all three seasons. Korean cut phalaenopsis flowers experienced difficulties in maintaining water levels following their water uptake on day 1, which may have affected their vase life. Ethylene production showed a sharp increase on day 7 in Chinese cut flowers and day 5 in Korean cut flowers, with high amounts typically observed in spring, which coincided with the results of water loss. Hunter values L, a, and b and changes petal color ⊿E significantly differed not by place of origin but by season. Additionally, the sugar content of the solution inside the water tubes used when selling cut phalaenopsis flowers was investigated. Chinese flowers are subjected to pretreatment and posttreatment inside the water tube before being exported, while Korean flowers are treated with tap water. The Chinese flowers contained approximately seven times more sugar content compared to Korean flowers. This suggests that the treatment solution components, including sugar and other ingredients, of the Chinese cut flowers had a positive effect on water uptake and lowered the sensitivity to ethylene, which seemed to have an effect on the long vase life and quality. If Korean cut flowers are also distributed using a treatment agent, it is expected that the vase life will be improved and the satisfaction of consumers will be increased. However, since there are several possibilities that can affect post-harvest quality, it seems that additional experiments are needed. Moreover, as flower quality decreases in summer compared to those in spring or autumn, it will be necessary to reduce the differences in quality between seasons.

Analysis of the Treatment of Synthetic Bathing Waters and Their Effects on Seedlings

Synthetically produced bathing waters and their effect on seedlings were analysed in our research. The artificially produced bath waters were treated in different ways. Primarily, simple filtration was performed through a layer of silica sand. During the tests, the obtained greywater was investigated before and after the treatment with the help of various water quality parameters. Irrigation was set as the goal of recycling, and germination experiments were performed on mustard seeds. In these experiments, the synthetically generated treated and untreated bath water was used as irrigation water. Considering the results obtained during the germination, it can be said that the treatment is necessary in any case. Based on the results, it was shown that the filtration was not sufficient, so coagulation was used as an additional treatment method, for which we determined the optimal amount of treatment agent as a starting step.