Thermal regeneration of activated carbons saturated with ortho- and meta-chlorophenols

Activated carbons (ACs) made from peach and plum stones were oxidized and impregnated with salts of Cu(II), Fe(III), Ni(II) and Cr(III). The chemically modified ACs, along with a commercial AC (S208c), were saturated with ortho- (OCP) and meta-chlorophenol (MCP) to investigate the potential for thermally regenerating the spent ACs. The thermal regeneration process was monitored by thermal analysis (TGA/DSC), gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Thermal desorption profiles showed that in most cases weight losses occur in two steps (weak physisorption at ∼220 °C and strong chemisorption at ∼620 °C). Intermediate steps at ∼400 °C appeared in samples whose chemical treatments successfully weakened the interactions between strongly chemisorbed chlorophenol (CP) molecules and AC surfaces. The type and quantity of products of OCP and MCP desorption during the thermal regeneration of a spent AC depend on the chemical modification given to the AC prior to its use as CP adsorbent. Besides the original chlorophenols, thermal regeneration products can include chlorobenzene, dichloro-dibenzofuran, phenol, aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, water, chlorides, carbon oxides, hydrogen, and char deposits. Mechanisms for the formation of these compounds are discussed. The char deposits built during this study did not appear to diminish the surface area or porosity of the chemically modified ACs following their thermal regeneration.     

大颗粒FCC汽油芳构化催化剂表面烧焦过程的数值模拟

综合考虑化学反应速率、内扩散和反应热的影响,建立单个催化剂颗粒表面烧焦过程的数学模型,模拟研究了粒径1000μm的球形催化剂的表面烧焦过程。研究表明,650℃再生,化学反应速率为控制步骤,催化剂的再生过程符合整体反应模型;800℃再生,内扩散影响严重,碳含量、氧分压沿径向变化剧烈。再生温度升高,催化剂颗粒的瞬时温升增大;催化剂初始碳含量越高、CO2/CO摩尔比越大,催化剂颗粒的瞬时温升越大,但再生过程所需时间增加;催化剂颗粒的径向温度分布均一。在排除外扩散影响的条件下,反应气速对再生过程影响很小。     

The regeneration of polluted activated carbon by radiation techniques

In this paper, the regeneration of used activated carbon from monosodium glutamate factory was experimented using radiation and acid-alkali chemical cleaning method. Results showed that the activated carbon saturated with pollutants can be wash away easily by flushing with chemical solution prior irradiation. DSC was used to monitor the change of carbon adsorption     

烟气脱硫活性炭微波再生特性的实验研究

研究了烟气脱硫活性炭的微波再生特性。通过扫描电镜、N₂吸附、元素分析、Boehm滴定表征微波再生对活性炭孔隙结构和表面化学性质的影响,分析微波再生对活性炭吸附烟气中SO₂的影响规律。结果表明,微波再生功率越高,SO₂再生曲线越窄,峰值浓度越高,有利于载硫活性炭的解吸和高浓度再生气的获取。微波再生对活性炭起到了活化作用,使活性炭的孔结构变狭长。随着微波再生功率的提高,活性炭的微孔比表面积、微孔孔容增加,酸性官能团含量上升,碱性官能团含量下降。100 W再生后,活性炭再生不完全,残留的H₂SO₄影响了活性炭的吸附,活性炭的SO₂吸附性能下降。200、300、400 W工况下,活性炭的SO₂吸附容量均得到提高,且随着再生功率的提高,活性炭的碱性官能团含量上升,微孔比表面积、微孔孔容增加,SO₂吸附性能逐渐增强。     

脱硫化氢活性炭的再生方法研究

采用了溶剂再生法和气体再生法对脱硫化氢失活后的活性炭进行再生,溶剂再生时所用的溶剂为H2O2溶液、HNO3溶液以及NaOH溶液。结果表明,NaOH溶液不能使活性炭得到再生,而H2O2溶液、HNO3溶液能够通过氧化的方法使活性炭得到再生。气体再生时所用的气体分别为高纯N2,含20%O2的N2,H2,它们再生的原理分别是热再生,通过氧化单质硫再生和通过还原单质硫再生。再生效果最好的是30%的HNO3溶液和H2,它们能将活性炭孔道内的单质硫分别脱出69.8%和81.2%,再生后的活性炭中硫容量能达到原来的70%以上。再生后活性炭的比表面积和pH值是再生性能的两个重要指标。     

Comparison of Various Procedures for Regeneration of Activated Carbons Used for Recuperation of Ethyl Acetate

The efficiency of various procedures (chemical, thermal, and electrochemical) for regeneration of activated carbons used for recuperation of ethyl acetate was studied. For each procedure, the optimal conditions were determined for complete regeneration of the sorption capacity of activated carbons without significant structural changes. The possibility of eliminating the interfering catalytic effect of carbon in its concomitant oxidation in the course of operation, causing loss of the target product, was evaluated.     

V2O5/AC捕获的Hg在再生过程中的释放行为研究

研究了V₂O₅/AC捕获的Hg在再生和程序升温脱附（TPD）过程中的释放行为,考察了再生后V₂O₅/AC对Hg⁰的捕获能力。结果表明,热再生（Ar,400℃）或NH₃再生（NH₃/Ar,300℃）过程会使V₂O₅/AC捕获的大部分Hg重新释放,释放率分别为81%和94%。由于AC的还原作用,再生过程中释放的Hg以Hg⁰的形式为主。TPD结果表明,V₂O₅/AC捕获的Hg在Ar和NH₃/Ar气氛下的释放行为明显不同。气氛中NH₃对Hg的释放具有明显的促进作用,使Hg的释放在300℃前基本结束。但在Ar气氛下,Hg在400℃后仍有释放,致使热再生时Hg的释放率低于NH₃再生时的释放率。但当NH₃的体积分数由1%增加到5%时,汞的释放率变化很小。温度足够高时,两种气氛下Hg的释放率趋于一致。再生方法对V₂O₅/AC二次捕获Hg⁰的能力影响不大,两种气氛下再生后的V₂O₅/AC对Hg⁰的捕获能力差别很小,较新鲜V₂O₅/AC对Hg⁰的捕获能力有所降低,但仍高于载体AC对Hg⁰的捕获能力.     

Biomaterial-induced macrophage polarization for bone regeneration

As the main target cells of immune regulation, macrophages play an important role in the bone regeneration process. Macrophages can be polarized into the M1 and M2 types under the stimulation of different factors. They have proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects, respectively, and play key roles in different stages of bone regeneration. The ratio of M1 to M2 macrophages can be regulated by immunomodulatory biomaterials to promote bone repair and regeneration. In this paper, we review the recent literature on the chemical, physical and biological properties of biomaterials and the regulation of macrophage polarization under the influence of other factors. We also cover new methods for preparing immunomodulatory biomaterials for bone regeneration. This paper will provide new design ideas for the development of biomaterials with immunological properties and will support the clinical translation of bone-related medical biomaterials.     

Corneal regeneration by utilizing collagen based materials

Corneal disease is the main cause of blindness and keratoplasty is the only widely accepted treatment. Shortage of donor tissue makes the biomaterials for corneal regeneration a hot area of research. Collagen is the main component of corneal stroma, so collagen becomes a promising material for corneal repair. However, due to the drawbacks of collagen, it needs to be further modified to satisfy the requirement of corneal regeneration. In this article, we highlight the importance of collagen materials for corneal repair, and summarize several methods of preparing collagen based corneal regeneration materials, including chemical crosslinking, plastic compression of collagen, and collagen vitrigel. These modification methods can make collagen membranes with remarkable properties such as enough mechanical and suture retention strength, antibacterial property and excellent optical property. These materials may provide potential treatment for corneal disease.     

Sulfur fixation on bagasse activated carbon by chemical treatment and its effect on acid dye adsorption

Heteroatoms are known to introduce specific surface functionalities that can enhance the adsorption properties of carbons. Sulfur fixation on bagasse-activated carbon was conducted by a low temperature chemical treatment with sulfuric acid followed by physical activation with CO₂ at 900?°C. The effect of sulfur fixation on the surface chemical properties of bagasse-activated carbons were investigated and on their subsequent acid dye removal (CIBA AB80) behavior. Surface chemical development were examined and followed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), heteroatom analysis and carbon surface acidity. Functional group stability with thermal treatment was also investigated. The textural properties of the activated carbons were characterized by nitrogen adsorption. Chemical pre-treatment and gasification was able to fix up to 0.2 wt% of sulfur on the activated carbon. Although the sulfur fixed by chemical treatment is low, this method introduced several advantages in comparison to fixation by thermal methods. The chemical method did not interfere with the textural development of the carbon, as found in thermal methods. In addition, the surface chemistry generated by these levels of sulfur groups was sufficient to increase the uptake of acid blue dyes by more than 700% based on adsorption capacities normalized by the surface area of the carbon.     

Multiple anodic regeneration of exfoliated graphite electrodes spent in the process of phenol electrooxidation

The present paper deals with the studies concerning anodic regeneration of exfoliated graphite (EG) electrodes coated with oligomer products of incomplete phenol electrooxidation. The electrochemical activity of regenerated samples depends on the concentration of regenerating electrolyte and potential applied during the regeneration. The effective method of a single-step regeneration of spent EG electrodes was found to be anodic treatment proceeded in 6 M KOH at the potential of 1.3 V vs. Hg/HgO/0.5 M KOH. During the oxidative regeneration of EG, the physical and chemical interactions between intensively generated active oxygen and/or OH· radical and oligomer covering the EG surface take place. As has been proved by FTIR and XPS analyses, active oxidative agents cause significant modification of chemical composition of oligomer that resulted in enhanced concentration of surface functionalities mainly involving C=O bonds. The results of multiple regeneration of EG electrode, considered as promising method for practical application, showed that the highest efficiency of regeneration is attained due to potentiostatic treatment carried out in 6 M KOH at the potential of 1.2 V. The electrochemical activity of EG regenerated at this potential increases gradually with the number of regenerating loops and after the third regeneration is almost fourfold higher compared to that of the original EG.     

Utilization of Thermal Analysis to Establish the Optimal Conditions for Regeneration of Activated Carbons

Thermoanalytical methods (TG, DTG and DTA) were used to determine the temperature interval (140–350°C) in which p-nitroaniline undergoes thermal desorption from the surface of activated carbons obtained from the shells of oxidized plum stones and impregnated with aqueous solutions of Cu, Fe and Ti salts, which simulate the processes of activated carbon regeneration. It was established that the impregnation of the activated carbons facilitated the regeneration processes in the sense that they can occur at lower temperatures: 135–320 (Cu), 150–340 (Ti) and 130–320°C (Fe). The utilized activated carbons were preliminarily characterized by BET surface area, DSC and scanning electron microscopic methods. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Application of TG/FTIR to the study of the regeneration process of husy and HZSM5 zeolites

The effect of regeneration conditions on the composition of the gases evolved during the catalytic pyrolysis of low density (LDPE) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) with HUSY and HZSM5 catalysts has been analysed by the TG/FTIR technique. When regenerated HUSY was employed, the evolution of the gases obtained was similar to that with fresh HUSY, indicating that the regeneration treatment did not affect its properties. Nevertheless with HZSM5, as the regeneration temperature was higher, the composition of the gases gradually became more similar to that evolved in the thermal process.     

甘氨酸母液脱色活性炭的微波法再生研究

脱色甘氨酸母液的废活性炭,是一类吸附有有机胺类聚合物且难以再生的危险固体废弃物。本文探索性地开展了微波法再生脱色甘氨酸母液废活性炭的研究,考察了活性炭在微波炉中的放置方式、含水率以及微波反应条件等对活性炭再生率和炭损率的影响,分别采用红外光谱法、BET法对活性炭进行了分析表征。实验结果表明,在功率640 W、反应时间8 min的条件下,废活性炭的再生率达99%、综合再生率达59.0%,对再生活性碳进行红外光谱分析表明,在微波功率大于480 W后,微波辐射能有效去除废活性炭中的有机物;在微波功率800W条件下,再生活性炭的BET比表面积由废活性炭的128.15 m2/g提高到1398.5437 m2/g,已达到新鲜活性炭的性能。     

Assessment of the sorption capacity and regeneration of carbon dioxide sorbents using thermogravimetric methods

Adsorption methods using solid sorbents are an alternative to the absorption technology in the processes of purification gases from carbon dioxide. There is a need to rapidly assess the suitability of sorbents for use it in PSA, TSA, or VPSA installations. Important parameters which determine the quality of the sorbent are the sorption capacity of sorbent, selectivity to CO₂ and the possibility of regeneration. This paper presents the results of sorption/desorption of CO₂ study on the impregnated porous materials using thermogravimetric methods. Thermogravimetry allows for rapid assessment of sorption capacity and regeneration of the sorbents. Specially selected temperature program allowed to determine the sorption capacity of sorbents depending on the concentration of CO₂ in the gas mixture and temperature. Degree of sorbent purification was determined in desorption process.     

Ni-Zn-Fe复合氧化物脱硫剂再生研究

在固定床装置上考察了温度和O2浓度对溶胶-凝胶自燃法制备的Ni-Zn-Fe复合氧化物脱硫剂再生性能的影响,并进行了二次硫化实验;应用XRD、BET、SEM测试手段对新鲜脱硫剂及不同温度下再生后的样品进行了表征分析。结果表明,Ni-Zn-Fe复合氧化物脱硫剂在400℃下能够再生,而且体积分数为2%的O2对于该脱硫剂的再生较为合适,再生的脱硫剂具有良好的二次脱硫活性。再生后的XRD谱图与新鲜样品一致,且没有硫酸盐的生成;SEM测试结果显示,该脱硫剂在530℃或体积分数为4%的O2下再生发生严重烧结,基本没有二次脱硫活性。用收缩核模型对Ni-Zn-Fe复合氧化物脱硫剂的再生动力学行为进行了描述,发现其再生过程存在控制步骤由化学反应控制向扩散控制的转移。在反应起始阶段,受化学反应控制,化学反应活化能为27.16 kJ/mol,表观化学反应速率常数的指前因子为4.62 m/min;随着反应的进行,产物层逐渐增厚,再生过程受扩散控制,扩散活化能为40.37 kJ/mol,有效扩散系数的指前因子为0.49×10-3m2/min。     

Materials for peripheral nerve regeneration

Recent efforts in scientific research in the field of peripheral nerve regeneration have been directed towards the development of artificial nerve guides. We have studied various materials with the aim of obtaining a biocompatible and biodegradable two layer guide for nerve repair. The candidate materials for use as an external layer for the nerve guides were poly(caprolactone) (PCL), a biosynthetic blend between PCL and chitosan (CS) and a synthesised poly(ester-urethane) (PU). Blending PCL, which is a biocompatible synthetic polymer, with a natural polymer enhanced the system biocompatibility and biomimetics, fastened the degradation rates and reduced the production costs. Various novel block poly(ester-urethane)s are being synthesised by our group with tailored properties for specific tissue engineering applications. One of these poly(ester-urethane)s, based on a low molecular weight poly(caprolactone) as the macrodiol, cycloesandimethanol as the chain extender and hexamethylene diisocyanate as the chain linker, was investigated for the production of melt extruded nerve guides. We studied natural polymers such as gelatin (G), poly(L-lysine) (PL) and blends between chitosan and gelatin (CS/G) as internal coatings for nerve guides. In vitro and in vivo tests were performed on PCL guides internally coated either with G or PL to determine the differences in the quality of nerve regeneration associated with the type of adhesion protein. CS/G natural blends combined the good cell adhesion properties of the protein phase with the ability to promote nerve regeneration of the polysaccharide phase. Natural blends were crosslinked both by physical and chemical crosslinking methods. In vitro neuroblast adhesion tests were performed on CS/G film samples, PCL/CS and PU guides internally coated with G to evaluate the ability of such materials towards nerve repair.     

A jump-start for planarian head regeneration

Planaria are simple flatworms with an extraordinary ability to regenerate missing body parts. This makes them a unique model system for the study of regeneration. Extending an earlier chemical screen, Beane et al. (2011) now reveal a role for H+/K+ ATPase and membrane depolarization in anterior regeneration in planaria.     

Electrochemical regeneration of sulfur loaded electrodes

Electrochemical oxidation of sulfide is a promising technique for its removal from wastewaters. Generally, the main product of this oxidation reaction is elemental sulfur. The latter deposits as a solid on the electrode and deactivates it. Therefore, an efficient and effective regeneration technique of sulfur loaded electrodes is required for the practical implementation of this technology. Here we demonstrate a method for in situ reduction of electrodeposited sulfur on carbon fibre electrodes to sulfide/polysulfides, at low energy input. The intermediary coulombic efficiency (CE) values strongly depend on pH and buffer capacity of the solution. These values were recorded up to 435 ± 5% due to simultaneous chemical dissolution of sulfur to polysulfides under alkaline conditions. This process demonstrates the potential for continuously removing dissolved sulfide from wastewaters at an anode as sulfur and recovering the deposited sulfur based on regular switching between anodic sulfide oxidation and cathodic sulfur reduction.     

On the characterization of chemical surface groups of carbon materials

This paper deals with the use of several methods to characterize the chemical surface groups of carbon materials. Several samples embracing a wide range of acidic and basic characteristics have been used for this purpose. The quantitative determinations have been carried out by selective titrations in aqueous solutions, thermal programmed desorption connected to mass spectrometry (TPD-MS), and ammonia adsorption-desorption, measured by thermogravimetry (TG). The results show some inconsistencies between the different experimental methods. These mainly arise because chemical transformations can be produced during the experiments. Moreover, the textural characteristics of the carbon materials and the existence of pi electrons on the graphitic planes are important factors to be considered in the discussion of the results.