Diesel fuel formulations containing hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and biodiesel (content given after “B”), B10, B10R5 (5
This study developed a composite high-temperature-resistant dust suppressant for railway coal transportation (hereinafter referred to as the suppressant) with the following formulation: 0.3
Type 2 diabetes is a global public health concern, and the inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase is a key strategy for controlling postprandial blood glucose levels. Plant polyphenols have attracted increasing attention as natural enzyme inhibitors with fewer side effects than synthetic drugs. This study aimed to optimize the ultrasonic-assisted extraction of polyphenols from Vernonia amygdalina leaves (VALP) and investigate the inhibitory kinetics and mechanisms of VALP against α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Single-factor experiments and Box-Behnken response surface design were used to optimize the ethanol concentration, ultrasonic time, and solid-to-liquid ratio. The inhibitory activity was evaluated using in vitro enzyme inhibition assays, and the inhibition mechanism was characterized through enzyme kinetics, inhibition constants, and fluorescence quenching analysis. The optimal extraction conditions were an ethanol concentration of 55
For this study, the influence of stream recirculation on the gasket plat heat exchanger examined numerically and the achieved findings evaluated with the conventional case. Total annual cost (TAC) and effectiveness were chosen as objective functions. Thermoeconomic optimization was performed in various mass flow rates of cold side, employing NSGA-II Algorithm by considering eight decision variables such as diameter of tube and reflux ratio. As results explain TAC and the effectiveness in the case of recirculation improved significantly compared to the conventional case. Furthermore, the influence of the stream recirculation on effectiveness and TAC were achieved at the final four optimal points and the results reveal that the effectiveness and TAC were increased linearly by enhancing the reflux ratio. The effectiveness of the recirculation case increases by 12.29
Ammonia serves as an indispensable feedstock in industrial chemistry. Herein, the effects of metal ion modifications on the photocatalytic nitrogen fixation and ammonia synthesis performance of bismuth molybdate (BMO) under simulated solar irradiation were systematically investigated. Notably, the Cu-modified BMO exhibited enhanced catalytic activity, achieving a remarkable ammonia evolution rate of 115.78 umol g− 1 under simulated sunlight. Comprehensive characterizations revealed that the Cu incorporation synergistically optimizes the catalyst’s morphology and electronic structure. This modulation not only enlarges the specific surface area and broadens visible-light harvesting, but also generates abundant oxygen vacancies and enhanced the stability of oxygen vacancies to facilitate nitrogen reduction. Consequently, Cu doping enhances the stability of oxygen vacancies, and the synergistic interaction between Cu and oxygen vacancies establishes a highly efficient N2 activation pathway effectively suppressing carrier recombination and providing a wealth of accessible active sites to dictate the superior photocatalytic N₂-to-NH₃ conversion prowess.
Anaerobic co-digestion of sewage and glycerol under mesophilic conditions was evaluated for hydrogen and methane production in a soybean biorefinery plant. Seven simulated scenarios were assessed based on scalability and bioenergy production potential, including three single-stage scenarios (with applied organic loading rates of 4.5, 6.0, and 9.0 kg-COD.m⁻3.d⁻1) and four two-stage scenarios (with applied organic loading rates of 18 and 36 kg-COD.m⁻3.d⁻1 for acidogenic reactor and 3.9, 4.8, 6.0 and 11.6 kg-COD.m⁻3.d⁻1 for methanogenic reactor). The economic feasibility of these scenarios was examined by determining the net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), and payback period considering the cost savings from replacing diesel in the boiler with biogas (hydrogen - H2/ methane - CH4/ carbon dioxide - CO2) produced in the anaerobic co-digestion process, as well as the reduction in CO2 emissions due to this substitution. The single- (S1 scenario) and two-stage (S4 scenario) processes with the lowest glycerol: sewage ratio obtained the most favorable overall technical aspects of wastewater treatment for bioenergy production, including reactor volume (794 and 851 m3, respectively), organic matter removal efficiencies (75 and 83
The aerobic biodegradation of mixed phenolic pollutants is challenging due to strong substrate inhibition at high concentrations. The aim of this study was to investigate the inhibitory biodegradation kinetics of a binary 4-chlorophenol–catechol mixture using a bacterial consortium and to translate the derived kinetic parameters into a pilot-scale reactor design framework. A four-strain bacterial consortium (Bacillus timonensis, B. cereus, B. pseudomycoides, and B. paramycoides) was employed to degrade the mixture at initial concentrations up to 1000 mg L− 1. Six operational parameters—temperature (45 °C), pH (8.5), incubation time (48 h), medium volume (600 mL), inoculum size (12 Schematic showing aerobic biodegradation of a 4-CP–catechol mixture by a four-strain Bacillus consortium, parameter optimization, Haldane kinetic modelling of substrate inhibition, and pilot SBR design achieving > 95
The widespread, often sub-therapeutic use of antibiotics in livestock and aquaculture has turned tetracycline and its analogues into priority recalcitrant micropollutants in veterinary pharmaceutical wastewater, where they drive the spread of antibiotic-resistance genes and ecotoxicological stress. Herein, a low-cost FeNi/bentonite nanocomposite was designed for the sono-Fenton mineralization of tetracycline (TC) and real veterinary pharmaceutical effluents. The catalyst was prepared by ultrasonic exfoliation of natural bentonite, followed by the simultaneous reduction of iron and nickel salts using ethylene glycol and sodium borohydride in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), yielding sub-30 nm FeNi/Fe3O4 heterostructures anchored on exfoliated bentonite nanosheets. Characterization techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) elemental mapping, and N2 physisorption (showing a BET surface area increase to 43.5 m2.g− 1 after exfoliation and metal loading) confirmed the formation of a highly dispersed bimetallic phase on a mesoporous, partially delaminated support. Under sono-Fenton conditions, the catalyst achieved 80
The separation of water–propionic acid mixtures is hindered by a minimum-boiling azeotrope, which limits the efficiency of conventional distillation. This study compares low-pressure distillation (0.133 bar) with sulfolane-based extractive distillation process (extractive column at 1.013 bar, regeneration column at 0.254 bar) for treating feeds containing 30, 50, and 70 mol
This study aimed to evaluate magnetic fields (MF) and agro-industrial media as sustainable approaches to produce carotenoids and lipids by Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. Cultivations were carried out in shaken flasks with previously optimized agro-industrial media with sugarcane molasses and corn steep liquor and 30 mT applied to the cultures at different intervals over 168 h. MF application during inoculum cultivation was also evaluated and increased cell concentration by 39.3
This study investigates enzymatic biodiesel production from safflower oil (Carthamus tinctorius), an underutilized edible oilseed feedstock. Fatty acid ethyl esters were produced using commercial Eversa® Transform 2.0 lipase, and the process was optimized using a Taguchi L9 design that evaluated the fatty acid-to-ethanol molar ratio, biocatalyst loading, temperature, and reaction time. The highest observed conversion was 88.90 ± 0.02
Antineoplastic drugs are extensively used in cancer therapy and are mainly released into the environment via patient excretion. Due to their toxicological, mutagenic, and cytostatic effects, these compounds may pose risks to aquatic ecosystems and human health. This study assessed antineoplastic drug consumption in the Florianópolis region (southern Brazil) over a 1-year period using data from two high-complexity oncology centers. A total of 43 drugs were identified, with capecitabine, hydroxycarbamide, and fluorouracil showing the highest consumption rates (140.2, 113.0, and 11.6 µg.inhab-1.day-1, respectively). An environmental risk assessment was conducted in accordance with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) framework. Predicted Environmental Concentrations (PECs) were estimated for all compounds, and 20 drugs met the criteria for Phase II evaluation, although only 13 could be evaluated due to the availability of ecotoxicological data. Risk Quotient (RQ) analysis indicated that only imatinib initially presented RQ > 1; however, its RQ decreased to 1 in Phase II tier B. Overall, no significant environmental risk was identified, with RQ values ranging from 0.325 (imatinib) to 1.1 × 10− 6 (ifosfamide), well below moderate-risk thresholds. Physicochemical properties indicated bioconcentration potential for mitotane, tamoxifen, and diethylstilbestrol, and high persistence for vinblastine. These results reinforce the need for long-term, compound-specific monitoring and future regulatory guidelines for antineoplastic drugs as emerging contaminants.
The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of ultrasound-assisted pressurized liquid extraction (UAPLE) to obtain phenolic compounds from umbu-cajá leaves using solvents with distinct polarity. Based on the results of only one-step extraction with hexane, ethyl acetate, and ethanol, UAPLE presented the highest overall extraction yield compared to ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), and pressurized liquid extraction (PLE). Moreover, the sequential ultrasound-assisted pressurized liquid extraction (S-UAPLE) with three distinct solvents (hexane, ethyl acetate, and ethanol) in increasing polarity led to an increase in the overall extraction yield. The results showed that when ethanol was used as the third solvent extractor in S-UAPLE, it enhanced its extraction efficiency for total flavonoids (742.05 ± 5.12 µg/g dried extract) and total phenolic compounds (754.93 ± 0.87 µg/g dried extract), compared to all other extraction methods used in this study. Hence, the ethanolic extract obtained by S-UAPLE showed a higher antioxidant activity (92.3 ± 1.3 µg/mL) than all other extracts obtained in this study. The S-UAPLE supplied the highest clean-up of the bioactive compounds from umbu-cajá leaves, including antioxidant agents.
This study aimed to investigate the effect of adding propolis and turmeric extracts on the structural, functional, physical, and thermal properties of films based on potato waste (discarded potatoes and pulp) and Peruvian clay “chaco” for potential food packaging applications. The novelty of this work lies in the simultaneous use of turmeric extract (TE) and propolis extract (PE) as functional components. Turmeric was added at 1.7
Economic model predictive control (EMPC) replaces the set-point tracking cost function used in the standard MPC with an economic cost function. This gives added benefits to the EMPC controller as it directly optimizes a given economic objective function instead of tracking a pre-determined steady-state point. In the process industry, there are usually two or more objectives to be achieved simultaneously during operation and these objectives can often be conflicting in nature. For example, maximizing conversion alone may significantly degrade the overall selectivity while maximizing selectivity alone may lead to a very low overall conversion. In this paper, we present two different approaches of multi-objective EMPC (MOEMPC) to simultaneously maximize conversion and selectivity in a chemical reactor. Both approaches showed significant value addition in maximizing both conversion and selectivity under varied application scenarios.
The development of sustainable, biomass-derived adsorbents is critical for efficient CO₂/CH₄ separation in biogas upgrading. In this study, activated carbons (AC) synthesized from waste Barhi date kernels via KOH activation were functionalized with various amine agents (DEA, TETA, and Urea). Physicochemical characterizations confirmed a critical design trade-off: while amine loading reduced the BET surface area by approximately 70
Nano-γ-Al2O3 was synthesized from Bayer’s sodium aluminate liquor by various neutralization agents, including acetic acid (AA) and hydrochloric acid (HCl). The selected precursor calcined and served as a support for the CoMo catalyst, which was synthesized via the incipient wetness impregnation technique. The hydrodesulfurization (HDS) performance of the synthesized CoMo catalyst was evaluated against a commercial naphtha hydrotreating catalyst by a model feed consisting of thiophene (1000 ppm S), 1-hexene (20 vol
Petroleum from post-salt and pre-salt reservoirs can exhibits distinct physicochemical properties that directly affect the stability of water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions. This study compares the stability of saline W/O emulsions of these oils after pressurization with carbon dioxide (CO₂) and nitrogen (N₂). W/O emulsions were prepared using Oils A (post-salt) and B (pre-salt), containing 10
Textile wastewater is known to possess high color intensity, intricate structures of dyes, salinity, and a high level of chemical oxygen demand. Such wastewater is difficult to treat using conventional biological treatment methods. Dyes are known to persist in water bodies and are recalcitrant in nature, especially azo dyes, which are known to interfere with light penetration in water bodies. Such dyes are a major threat to water resources and human health. In recent times, phycoremediation using microalgae is being considered a promising and economically viable method of treating textile wastewater while producing a valuable resource. In this paper, a structured review of microalgae in textile wastewater treatment is provided. Literature on textile wastewater treatment using microalgae and removal of dyes from textile wastewater using microalgae is reviewed. Scientific literature published in recent times (2000 to 2024) is collected from various scientific databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar using keywords such as microalgae, textile wastewater treatment, and phycoremediation. This review covers the toxic effects of textile dyes and their environmental impacts, methods of removal of dyes by microalgae (biosorption, bioaccumulation, and biodegradation), and the effectiveness of different species of algae in TWW treatment. Emphasis is placed on the challenges associated with TWW treatment, which are distinct from those of other wastewaters. These challenges include photoinhibition by colored dyes, high salinity levels, variable nutrient composition, and stability of synthetic dyes. Moreover, the use of photobioreactors and open ponds in cultivating algae for TWW treatment is explored, in addition to biomass exploitation for biofuel production. The gaps in TWW treatment using microalgae are also presented, which include pilot-scale studies, effective strains of algae that are resistant to variable TWW composition, and harvesting technologies for scaling up the process.
Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) reactions are one of the most studied oxygen removal processes and are typically carried out at high temperatures and hydrogen pressures with the aid of a solid catalyst. One of the greatest challenges is the development of effective catalysts. In this sense, this work aims to evaluate the metallic dispersion of Ni supported on carbon nanotubes and its performance as a catalyst in the hydrodeoxygenation reaction of bio-oil (using guaiacol as a model molecule). Thermally pretreated CNTs were impregnated to the wet point with a nickel acetate solution and subsequently calcined at 500 °C for 12 h. Catalysts with 2
