Ming Chi University of Technology (MCUT; Chinese: 明志科技大學) is a private university of technology in Taishan District, New Taipei, Taiwan. Established in 1963, it currently consists of three colleges: College of Engineering, College of Environment and Resources, and College of Management and Design.MCUT has been consistently regarded as one of the top technical and vocational universities in Taiwan and is well known for its co-operative training programs.
Background: Dynamic binding capacity at 5% breakthrough (DBC5%) is a key performance parameter in packed-bed chromatography because it determines the effective working capacity of the adsorbent and directly influences process productivity under dynamic-flow conditions. Methods: This study presents a systematic methodology for the predictive optimization and scale-up of DBC5% for C-phycocyanin (CPC) purification from Spirulina platensis using a sequential design of experiments (DoE) approach. A 2 degrees full factorial design with two center points (2 degrees + 2) was first employed to identify the significant operating variables, followed by a central composite design (CCD) to evaluate potential nonlinear responses. Significant findings: The 2 degrees + 2 factorial model exhibited superior predictive performance, achieving an R2 of 98.97% and a predicted R2 of 94.82%, compared with corresponding values of 91.04% and 48.50%, respectively, for the CCD model. The optimized operating conditions (pH 6.0, 10% (w/v) feed concentration, 1.6 cm bed height, and a flow rate of 10.0 mL/min) yielded a predicted DBC5% of 10.51 mg/mL, which was experimentally validated by an observed value of 10.45 mg/mL, corresponding to a relative error of 2.9%. Furthermore, scale-up from 1.6 cm to 5.0 cm internal-diameter columns while maintaining hydrodynamic similarity successfully preserved DBC5%, demonstrating consistent adsorption performance across the investigated scales. Although the developed regression model is specific to the chromatographic system investigated, the proposed DoE-based optimization framework and hydrodynamic scale-up strategy provide a practical methodology that can be applied to other packed-bed chromatography systems following appropriate experimental calibration and validation.
The crystallographic orientation of n-Sn plays a critical role in determining the reliability of solder joints owing to its highly anisotropic properties. In this study, a scalable orientation-control strategy was developed by depositing CoSn3 thin films onto Cu wires using DC magnetron sputtering. Following solder-joint fabrication, the influence of the deposited CoSn3 layer on n-Sn orientation selection and electromigration behavior was systematically investigated. EBSD analysis revealed that majority of the solder joints fabricated using CoSn3-deposited Cu wires exhibited n-Sn grains with their [001] direction (c-axis) oriented nearly perpendicular to the sample Z-axis, whereas conventional Cu/solder/Cu joints showed nearly random orientations. Electromigration tests were conducted at current densities ranging from 1 & times; 104 to 3 & times; 104 A cm-2 and ambient temperatures of 25-60 degrees C. Pronounced orientation-dependent growth of intermetallic compounds (IMC) was observed in joints with small angles between the n-Sn c-axis and the current direction, while IMC growth was strongly suppressed when the c-axis was nearly perpendicular to the electron flow direction. The CoSn3 seed layer effectively controlled the orientation of n-Sn grains, thereby suppressing Cu diffusion and the subsequent excessive growth of IMCs. These findings demonstrate that sputter deposited CoSn3 thin films provide an effective and scalable route for controlling n-Sn orientation and offer valuable insights into the microstructural evolution of orientation-controlled solder joints under electromigration.
Background: Eggshell (ES), an abundant CaCO3-rich biowaste, was valorized as a support for bovine serum albumin-polyethyleneimine (BSA-PEI) functionalization to develop a sustainable adsorbent for direct air capture (DAC) of CO2. This study investigated the effects of surface functionalization and humidity on CO2 adsorption behavior. Methods: BSA and PEI immobilization, physicochemical characterization, gravimetric water uptake, fixed-bed CO2 adsorption, nonlinear kinetic modeling, and adsorption-desorption cycling were evaluated. The optimized ES-BSA2-PEI10% adsorbent exhibited BSA and PEI immobilization densities of 8.15 +/- 0.31 and 80.0 +/- 6.0 mg/ g ES, respectively, with a nitrogen content of 2.47 wt%. At 420 ppm CO2 and 25 degrees C, the adsorption capacity reached 0.2697 mg/g, a 9.82-fold increase over unmodified ES. The Avrami model provided the best statistical description of the adsorption kinetics. Significant Findings: Water uptake increased from 0.50% at 15% RH to 8.36% at 82% RH, accompanied by an increase in CO2 adsorption capacity from 0.0403 to 0.2697 mg/g. These results support a strong association between humidity-dependent hydration and CO2 adsorption behavior in the BSA-PEI layer. Under alternating wet/dry cycling, the adsorbent retained 94.6% of its initial CO2 adsorption capacity after ten cycles, indicating good short-term cyclic stability and regenerability under the investigated conditions. Despite its modest absolute CO2 adsorption capacity, these findings support the feasibility of a waste-derived, humidity-responsive adsorbent platform and highlight humidity history as an important operational consideration for repeated DAC operation.
Background: Heavy metal, organic, pharmaceutical, and microbial contamination in herbal medicines and water require low-cost, multifunctional materials for integrated adsorption, photocatalysis, antibacterial treatment, and photoelectrochemical (PEC) applications. Methods: Mesoporous aluminosilicate (MAS) was upcycled from LCD glass waste and thoroughly characterized. Its performance was evaluated in heavy metal adsorption, photocatalytic degradation, antibacterial testing against Escherichia coli, and PEC water-splitting. Significant findings: MAS showed a BET surface area of 62.4 m & sup2; g(-)& sup1; and a hierarchical architecture of 7.5 mu m microclusters, 344 nm nanoparticles, and 12.6 nm mesopores. ICP-OES of 13 Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang ingredients from Can Tho, Vietnam, revealed 7.7% exceeded the WHO Pb limit, including 19.1 mu g g(-)& sup1; Pb in Radix Angelicae Pubescentis. MAS achieved >92.5% Pb & sup2;(+), 83.6% Cd & sup2;(+), and 74.5% As & sup3;(+) removal through ion exchange and surface complexation. It degraded 90% methylene blue in 50 min and 70% chloramphenicol in 30 min under UV-Vis, with rate constants of 3.93 & times; 10(-)& sup3; and 11.02 & times; 10(-)& sup3; min(-)& sup1;, respectively. In dim light, MAS inhibited E. coli by 61.1%, and PEC measurements gave similar to 11 mu A cm(-)& sup2; photocurrent and 0.036% ABPE at 0.78 V vs. RHE. MAS is a waste-derived, proof-of-concept multifunctional material exhibiting moderate heavy-metal adsorption, photocatalytic, antibacterial, and preliminary photoelectrochemical activities.
In the pursuit of sustainable materials for next-generation energy storage, the coconut palm represents a uniquely circular biomass system capable of delivering both hard and soft carbons from a single plant source. The components exhibit distinct lignin-to-cellulose ratios, which critically determine carbon purity, graphitizability, and electrochemical behavior. This review consolidates the current understanding of coconut-derived carbons with a focus on their structural evolution during carbonization and activation, the resulting pore architectures, and their performance in batteries and supercapacitors. Hard carbons derived from cellulose-rich precursors exhibit disordered microstructures with high durability and ion-storage capability, while lignin-rich components yield soft, partially graphitized carbons offering superior conductivity and rate performance in supercapacitors. The effects of carbonization temperature, activating agents, and electrolyte composition on pore distribution, surface functionality, and charge-storage mechanism are systematically analyzed. These carbons can have surface areas up to 3000 m2·g− 1, specific capacitances up to 600 F·g− 1 in supercapacitors, and battery capacities up tp 292 mAh·g− 1. Beyond performance, the study highlights the global potential of coconut palm waste, which is estimated at 15 Mt y− 1 carbon yield, as a low-carbon feedstock for high-value electrochemical materials. By linking compositional chemistry with electrochemical function, this review underscores coconut palm as a scalable, sustainable and renewable carbon resource for developing circular energy-storage technologies.
