Using near-infrared spectroscopy and differential adsorption bed method to study adsorption kinetics of orthoxylene on silica gel

This paper has demonstrated the study on the adsorption kinetics of orthoxylene on silica gel with a novel experimental methodology. In the method, there was a differential adsorption bed (DAB) where the solid adsorbent always contacted with the same bulk concentration of the adsorbate vapor, and the DAB was monitored with near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (NIRDRS) continuously as well as non-invasively. Local partial least squares (PLS) algorithm was suggested to replace normal global PLS method in multivariate calibration models for processing NIRDRS data, because the concentration of the adsorbate on the adsorbent varied greatly as the adsorption process was going on. In this way, we, conveniently as well as promptly, obtained instantaneous adsorption rates of several orthoxylene/silica gel adsorption processes under different conditions like partial pressure of orthoxylene vapor and velocity of gas, and discovered that the adsorption process was physical adsorption, and mainly controlled by external diffusion.     

The convergence of three spline methods for scattered data interpolation and fitting

The convergences of three L₁ spline methods for scattered data interpolation and fitting using bivariate spline spaces are studied in this paper. That is, L₁ interpolatory splines, splines of least absolute deviation, and L₁ smoothing splines are shown to converge to the given data function under some conditions and hence, the surfaces from these three methods will resemble the given data values.     

Effect of Starvation and Shock Loads on the Biodegradation of 4-Chlorophenol in a Discontinuous Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor

The influence of starvation (defined as the period without substrate) and shock loads on the performance of a moving bed sequencing batch reactor degrading 4-chlorophenol (4CP) were investigated. The biomass was acclimated to biodegrade 100 mg/L of 4CP, and the colonization of the packing material was followed. Two starvation periods and two shock loads were studied. The degradation capacity of the suspended and the attached biomass present on the moving bed was also evaluated. The experiments showed that, after the starvation period, the specific degradation rate decreased from 30.5 to 28.5 and 20 mg 4CP/gVSS/h, when starvation periods of 24 and 48 h were applied, respectively. When two concentration peaks of 500 and 1,050 mg/L were applied, a loss of 6% and 8% on the specific degradation rate, respectively, was also observed. The moving bed thus showed great robustness against starvation periods and shock loads. Suspended biomass presented higher specific degradation rates, but attached biomass did not generate a metabolite that is inhibitory when it accumulates.     

Less common applications of simulated moving bed chromatography in the pharmaceutical industry

Simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography is often perceived in the pharmaceutical industry as chromatographic method for separating binary mixtures, like racemates. However, SMB can also be used for unbalanced separations, i.e. binary mixtures of varying compositions and multi-component mixtures. These less common application modes of isocratic SMB chromatography are exemplified for four different compounds (racemates and diastereomers) and discussed in view of the so-called 'triangle theory' from an industrial perspective.     

Fluidization of Nano-size Particles

Fluidization and collapsing bed experiments were performed with 'Tullanox', 10nm diameter fumed silica. The minimum fluidization velocity was determined to be 0.0115m/s at the unusually low volume fraction of solids of 0.0077. The solids volume fraction was measured using a -ray densitometer. Fluidization was without large bubbles, with a high bed expansion ratio. The highest granular temperature was of the order of that of Geldart B particles, as measured by Cody et al. (1996). The sedimentation process was simulated using a two-fluid hydrodynamic model. The input into the model was a measured solids stress modulus and an agglomerate size determined from the settling curves. With these two rheological parameters, there was good agreement between the sedimentation theory and the experiment. This study shows that the standard collapse bed experiment used in industry is a good test of rheological properties of particles.     

A novel pseudo simulated moving bed with solvent gradient for ternary separations

A novel pseudo simulated moving bed was suggested to separate a ternary mixture. A solvent gradient was created to make the solvent strength decreasing from zone II to zone III. Under suitable conditions, the least retained solute A moved forward and the most retained solute C moved backward in zones II and III whereas the medium retained solute B moved forward in zone II but backward in zone III to be trapped in the two zones consequently. Once the columns in zones II and III were saturated with solute B, the solvent dissolving the feed was introduced at the feed port to remove solute A from the raffinate-port and solute C from the extract-port. Finally, solute B was recovered from the extract port by stopping the liquid flow in zone II. This scheme was validated by the successful separation of dihydrocapsaicin from capsaicinoids.     

Fluidized beds in flow analysis: use with ion-exchange separation for spectrophotometric determination of zinc in plant digests

A novel strategy for utilization of solid reagents in flow analysis is proposed. Establishment of diffuse and reproducible geometry enables the solid particles to be maintained in constant floating, reflux, and circulating motion inside a mini-chamber. This is efficiently accomplished with pulsed flows, a characteristic of multi-pumping flow systems. Drawbacks inherent in solid-phase packed columns, for example backpressure, preferential pathways, swelling, etc., and some limitations inherent in immobilized reagents are minimised. Spectrophotometric determination of zinc in plants was selected as an application of the technique. Dowex 1-X8 anionic resin was kept freely inside a mini-chamber. Zinc chloro-complexes were adsorbed on the moving particles and derivatization with zincon was performed after elution. Analytical figures of merit and the potential and limitations of the approach are discussed.     

应用电容层析成象和压差对比法对流化床内固体颗粒浓度分布的测量研究

本文报告了一种可以用于对流化床内固体浓度分布测量的电容层析成象技术。应用这一技术的测量结果,与目前常用的压差法测量结果进行了对比。对在鼓泡流化床的测量结果,二者吻合较好,偏差在８．５％以内;随着流化速度增加,二种测量结果的差距逐渐增加,偏差最大值产生在腾涌流化状态。本文分析了造成偏差的原因,并对二种测量方法的特性进行了讨论。