Pub Date : 2026-05-15Epub Date: 2026-02-04DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2026.123517
Yuedi Guo , Menghan Wang , Zhi Qian
High Gravity (HiGee) technology achieves significant improvement in gas–liquid mass transfer efficiency. Conventionally, HiGee’s high mass transfer efficiency is often attributed to increased interfacial area, without considering the critical role of droplet internal flow, resulting in insufficient exploration of the mass transfer mechanisms in distinct zones. Here, we developed a circulation-oscillation coupled flow field model within droplets to address this gap. By introducing an orthogonal curvilinear coordinate system adapted to the flow field structure, we computed the eddy diffusivity at the boundary (), which reaches up to an order of magnitude of 102 relative to the molecular diffusivity. The average mass transfer coefficient () in the end-effect zone is approximately three times higher than that in the bulk packing zone, demonstrating the intrinsic differences in mass transfer dynamics between the two zones. Experimental results show that the end-effect zone contributes approximately 50% to the total mass transfer, with model accuracy for the volumetric mass transfer coefficient exceeding 85% in this zone.
{"title":"Orthogonal curvilinear coordinates-based high gravity flow-enhanced mass transfer","authors":"Yuedi Guo , Menghan Wang , Zhi Qian","doi":"10.1016/j.ces.2026.123517","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ces.2026.123517","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>High Gravity (HiGee) technology achieves significant improvement in gas–liquid mass transfer efficiency. Conventionally, HiGee’s high mass transfer efficiency is often attributed to increased interfacial area, without considering the critical role of droplet internal flow, resulting in insufficient exploration of the mass transfer mechanisms in distinct zones. Here, we developed a circulation-oscillation coupled flow field model within droplets to address this gap. By introducing an orthogonal curvilinear coordinate system adapted to the flow field structure, we computed the eddy diffusivity at the boundary (<span><math><mrow><msub><mi>D</mi><mtext>eff</mtext></msub><mo>≈</mo><mn>3.9</mn><mo>×</mo><msup><mn>10</mn><mrow><mo>-</mo><mn>4</mn></mrow></msup><mi>R</mi><msub><mi>U</mi><mi>∞</mi></msub></mrow></math></span>), which reaches up to an order of magnitude of 10<sup>2</sup> relative to the molecular diffusivity. The average mass transfer coefficient (<span><math><mrow><mover><mrow><mi>k</mi></mrow><mrow><mo>¯</mo></mrow></mover><mo>=</mo><msqrt><mrow><msub><mover><mrow><mi>D</mi></mrow><mrow><mo>¯</mo></mrow></mover><mtext>eff</mtext></msub><mi>S</mi></mrow></msqrt></mrow></math></span>) in the end-effect zone is approximately three times higher than that in the bulk packing zone, demonstrating the intrinsic differences in mass transfer dynamics between the two zones. Experimental results show that the end-effect zone contributes approximately 50% to the total mass transfer, with model accuracy for the volumetric mass transfer coefficient exceeding 85% in this zone.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":271,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Science","volume":"326 ","pages":"Article 123517"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146121944","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-05-15Epub Date: 2026-02-03DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2026.123514
Hongzhu Fei , Nannan Zhao
In the continuous hot-dip galvanization process, zinc dross defects are a key factor affecting the surface quality of galvanized steel sheets, and their formation is related to the operating parameters of the galvanizing bath. In this study, industrial-scale CFD single-phase flow numerical simulations and physical simulation experiments are employed to investigate the effects of steel strip width and speed on the flow field characteristics, temperature distribution of molten zinc, and dynamic accumulation behavior of bottom dross. The results show that the first impact flow drivers the high-temperature molten zinc ejected from the front inductor downward toward the bottom of the galvanizing pot, while the second impact flow transports the low-temperature molten zinc, generated during ingot melting along the pot bottom toward the front wall. As the width of the steel strip decreases, the intensity of the first impact flow weakens, while that of the second impact flow strengthens. Consequently, the low-temperature zones in the molten zinc expand, potentially promoting increased dross formation. Although the steel strip speed does not significantly alter the overall flow field characteristics of the molten zinc, it substantially reduces the amount of suspended dross. Furthermore, the associated reduction in the heat exchange rate lowers the temperature of the molten zinc near the bottom of the zinc pot.
{"title":"Simulation and experimental study on the flow field, temperature distribution, and dynamic accumulation behavior of bottom dross in a hot-dip galvanizing bath","authors":"Hongzhu Fei , Nannan Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.ces.2026.123514","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ces.2026.123514","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the continuous hot-dip galvanization process, zinc dross defects are a key factor affecting the surface quality of galvanized steel sheets, and their formation is related to the operating parameters of the galvanizing bath. In this study, industrial-scale CFD single-phase flow numerical simulations and physical simulation experiments are employed to investigate the effects of steel strip width and speed on the flow field characteristics, temperature distribution of molten zinc, and dynamic accumulation behavior of bottom dross. The results show that the first impact flow drivers the high-temperature molten zinc ejected from the front inductor downward toward the bottom of the galvanizing pot, while the second impact flow transports the low-temperature molten zinc, generated during ingot melting along the pot bottom toward the front wall. As the width of the steel strip decreases, the intensity of the first impact flow weakens, while that of the second impact flow strengthens. Consequently, the low-temperature zones in the molten zinc expand, potentially promoting increased dross formation. Although the steel strip speed does not significantly alter the overall flow field characteristics of the molten zinc, it substantially reduces the amount of suspended dross. Furthermore, the associated reduction in the heat exchange rate lowers the temperature of the molten zinc near the bottom of the zinc pot.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":271,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Science","volume":"326 ","pages":"Article 123514"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146122661","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-05-15Epub Date: 2026-02-06DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2026.123550
Xingxun Li , Longyan Gao , Shuang Liang , Xuesong Li , Guangjin Chen , Changyu Sun
The hydrate-based CO2 sequestration has been considered as an effective approach for the long-term carbon storage. When liquid CO2 is injected into the seabed, it could be sheared into CO2 droplets. However, existed studies on the CO2 hydrate formation and growth in the liquid CO2 droplet system have been lacking. This study focuses on the investigations of morphological evolution processes of the CO2 hydrate formation and growth kinetics in the liquid CO2 droplet system. The effects of temperature, pressure, CO2 saturation and addition of SDS in the surrounding water phase on the evolution of liquid CO2 hydrate growth process were investigated. The morphological results indicate three liquid CO2 hydrate growth stages for a single liquid CO2 droplet located on a platform, namely, the lateral growth of hydrate film on the surface of liquid CO2 droplet, the growth of hydrate film at the contact edge between the CO2 droplet and platform and the vertical fibrous hydrate growth in the form of columnar pattern. The higher CO2 saturation in the surrounding water, higher pressure and lower temperature can contribute to the faster lateral growth kinetics and smoother hydrate film surface. It was confirmed that the formed hydrates cannot exist stably, gradually dissolving into the surrounding water when the driving force for hydrate formation was low. The addition of SDS in the surrounding water could alter the shape of hydrate-coated CO2 droplet and remarkably promoted the formation of CO2 hydrates, resulting in the significant vertical fiber-like hydrate growth phenomena.
{"title":"Experimental investigation on CO2 hydrate formation and growth in a liquid CO2 droplet system for hydrate-based CO2 sequestration","authors":"Xingxun Li , Longyan Gao , Shuang Liang , Xuesong Li , Guangjin Chen , Changyu Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.ces.2026.123550","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ces.2026.123550","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The hydrate-based CO<sub>2</sub> sequestration has been considered as an effective approach for the long-term carbon storage. When liquid CO<sub>2</sub> is injected into the seabed, it could be sheared into CO<sub>2</sub> droplets. However, existed studies on the CO<sub>2</sub> hydrate formation and growth in the liquid CO<sub>2</sub> droplet system have been lacking. This study focuses on the investigations of morphological evolution processes of the CO<sub>2</sub> hydrate formation and growth kinetics in the liquid CO<sub>2</sub> droplet system. The effects of temperature, pressure, CO<sub>2</sub> saturation and addition of SDS in the surrounding water phase on the evolution of liquid CO<sub>2</sub> hydrate growth process were investigated. The morphological results indicate three liquid CO<sub>2</sub> hydrate growth stages for a single liquid CO<sub>2</sub> droplet located on a platform, namely, the lateral growth of hydrate film on the surface of liquid CO<sub>2</sub> droplet, the growth of hydrate film at the contact edge between the CO<sub>2</sub> droplet and platform and the vertical fibrous hydrate growth in the form of columnar pattern. The higher CO<sub>2</sub> saturation in the surrounding water, higher pressure and lower temperature can contribute to the faster lateral growth kinetics and smoother hydrate film surface. It was confirmed that the formed hydrates cannot exist stably, gradually dissolving into the surrounding water when the driving force for hydrate formation was low. The addition of SDS in the surrounding water could alter the shape of hydrate-coated CO<sub>2</sub> droplet and remarkably promoted the formation of CO<sub>2</sub> hydrates, resulting in the significant vertical fiber-like hydrate growth phenomena.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":271,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Science","volume":"326 ","pages":"Article 123550"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146135359","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-05-15Epub Date: 2026-02-07DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2026.123556
Minjie Zhang , Qiufeng Wang , Jianxiu Hao , Na Li , Yanpeng Ban , Keduan Zhi , Huacong Zhou , Quansheng Liu
Oxidative depolymerization of lignite into valuable chemicals such as benzene polycarboxylic acids (BPCAs) is a potential pathway for the high-value and non-energy utilization of lignite. Up to now, the selective separation of BPCAs from the complex depolymerization product mixtures remains a huge challenge and impedes the development of this route. BPA and BHA are key platform molecules for constructing high performance and functional materials. In this work, based on the differences in physical and chemical properties of BPCAs, ammonium salt-mediated antisolvent separation of BPCAs from the depolymerization products mixture of lignite was developed. The effects of different separation parameters on the separation efficiency were systematically studied. The results showed that the route could selectively separate benzene hexacarboxylic acid (BHA) and benzene pentacarboxylic acid (BPA) from both the simulated solution and the real lignite depolymerization products. For the real system, the separation yields of BHA and BPA were 76.0 % and 90.0 %, respectively. BHA and BPA accounted for 93.0 % among all BPCAs in the separated solution, indicating an enhanced purity compared to the initial depolymerized product mixture. The antisolvent methanol had high selectivity for BHA and BPA, and the separation selectivity could be tuned by optimizing the ammonia dosage, antisolvent methanol dosage, and the pH of the mother solution. As far as we know, this is the first report fulfilling the selective separation of the valuable BHA and BPA from the real complex depolymerized product mixture of lignite. This work contributes new separation route to promote the depolymerization utilization of lignite.
{"title":"Ammonium salt-mediated antisolvent separation of valuable benzene pentacarboxylic and hexacarboxylic acids from the oxidative depolymerization product mixture of lignite","authors":"Minjie Zhang , Qiufeng Wang , Jianxiu Hao , Na Li , Yanpeng Ban , Keduan Zhi , Huacong Zhou , Quansheng Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.ces.2026.123556","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ces.2026.123556","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Oxidative depolymerization of lignite into valuable chemicals such as benzene polycarboxylic acids (BPCAs) is a potential pathway for the high-value and non-energy utilization of lignite. Up to now, the selective separation of BPCAs from the complex depolymerization product mixtures remains a huge challenge and impedes the development of this route. BPA and BHA are key platform molecules for constructing high performance and functional materials. In this work, based on the differences in physical and chemical properties of BPCAs, ammonium salt-mediated antisolvent separation of BPCAs from the depolymerization products mixture of lignite was developed. The effects of different separation parameters on the separation efficiency were systematically studied. The results showed that the route could selectively separate benzene hexacarboxylic acid (BHA) and benzene pentacarboxylic acid (BPA) from both the simulated solution and the real lignite depolymerization products. For the real system, the separation yields of BHA and BPA were 76.0 % and 90.0 %, respectively. BHA and BPA accounted for 93.0 % among all BPCAs in the separated solution, indicating an enhanced purity compared to the initial depolymerized product mixture. The antisolvent methanol had high selectivity for BHA and BPA, and the separation selectivity could be tuned by optimizing the ammonia dosage, antisolvent methanol dosage, and the pH of the mother solution. As far as we know, this is the first report fulfilling the selective separation of the valuable BHA and BPA from the real complex depolymerized product mixture of lignite. This work contributes new separation route to promote the depolymerization utilization of lignite.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":271,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Science","volume":"326 ","pages":"Article 123556"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146135437","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The present study investigates the deformation and breakup of droplets in 3D-printed millichannels containing an array of rectangular obstacles with different configurations: transverse, longitudinal, and herringbone. Experiments were performed with two different viscosity ratios between phases (X = 0.026 and X = 30) under a range of flow conditions, with systematic variations of the flow rate ratio (Ø) and the Capillary number of the dispersed phase (Cad). Flow visualization combined with image processing techniques enables a quantitative characterization of droplet area and velocity distributions at the inlet, across the array of obstacles, and at the outlet region. The results show that, while the droplet area at the inlet region is determined by the flow rate, the outlet area distributions are predominantly governed by the configuration of the array of rectangular obstacles and porosity, with negligible influence from Ø. For a constant Ø, as Cad increases, viscous stresses become stronger relative to interfacial tension, promoting droplet deformation and breakup. Among the tested designs, the herringbone configuration produced the smallest droplets, followed by the transverse and longitudinal arrays. Additionally, porosity was found to play a critical role: lower porosity enhanced droplet confinement and promoted faster breakup, while higher porosity weakened droplet-obstacle interactions and reduced breakup efficiency. These findings highlight the effectiveness of array of obstacles as a passive strategy to promote droplet breakup and size uniformity, offering new design guidelines for droplet manipulation in millifluidic devices.
{"title":"Droplet deformation and breakup in 3D-printed millichannels featuring arrays of rectangular obstacles with different configurations","authors":"A.T.S. Cerdeira, J.B.L.M. Campos, J.M. Miranda, J.D.P. Araújo","doi":"10.1016/j.ces.2026.123493","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ces.2026.123493","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The present study investigates the deformation and breakup of droplets in 3D-printed millichannels containing an array of rectangular obstacles with different configurations: transverse, longitudinal, and herringbone. Experiments were performed with two different viscosity ratios between phases (X = 0.026 and X = 30) under a range of flow conditions, with systematic variations of the flow rate ratio (Ø) and the Capillary number of the dispersed phase (Ca<sub>d</sub>). Flow visualization combined with image processing techniques enables a quantitative characterization of droplet area and velocity distributions at the inlet, across the array of obstacles, and at the outlet region. The results show that, while the droplet area at the inlet region is determined by the flow rate, the outlet area distributions are predominantly governed by the configuration of the array of rectangular obstacles and porosity, with negligible influence from Ø. For a constant Ø, as Ca<sub>d</sub> increases, viscous stresses become stronger relative to interfacial tension, promoting droplet deformation and breakup. Among the tested designs, the herringbone configuration produced the smallest droplets, followed by the transverse and longitudinal arrays. Additionally, porosity was found to play a critical role: lower porosity enhanced droplet confinement and promoted faster breakup, while higher porosity weakened droplet-obstacle interactions and reduced breakup efficiency. These findings highlight the effectiveness of array of obstacles as a passive strategy to promote droplet breakup and size uniformity, offering new design guidelines for droplet manipulation in millifluidic devices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":271,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Science","volume":"326 ","pages":"Article 123493"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146095579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-05-15Epub Date: 2026-02-09DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2026.123561
Vasudeva Rao Vangapandu, Venkata S.P. Bitra
Using an ohmic heat-assisted vacuum evaporation (OHVE) system, concentration of clarified sapodilla fruit juice was carried out and it was compared to rotary vacuum evaporation (VE) method in order to maximize total soluble solids (TSS) content of concentrated sapodilla juice and compare the quality of concentrated sapodilla juice using both methods. A laboratory-scale OHVE system was designed and fabricated to achieve the targeted objective. Using Box-Behnken design of response surface methodology, optimized the OHVE process parameters, including temperature (50, 60, and 70 °C), holding time (40, 80, and 120 min), voltage gradient (9, 12, and 15 V/cm), and vacuum pressure (400, 500, and 600 mmHg), to achieve the desired TSS for concentrated sapodilla fruit juice. Sapodilla juice concentrate was produced using both OHVE and VE methods. OHVE was performed under optimized conditions voltage gradient of 14.50 V/cm and vacuum pressure of 574 mm Hg (gauge) while varying the temperature (50–70 °C) and processing time (0–120 min) to assess their effects on the concentration process. Quality characteristics of OHVE sapodilla fruit juice concentrate were in the range of pH: 4.0 to 4.634, density: 1064 to 1098 kg/m3, ascorbic acid: 0.033 to 0.039 mg/100 mL, non-enzymatic browning index: 0.101 to 0.544 at OD420nm, titratable acidity: 5.37% to 6.03%, viscosity: 5.37 to 35.1 cP, L*: 20.92 to 10.59, a*: 0.07 to 8.7, b*: 11.02 to 16.39, hue angle: 55.67° to 89.99°, and chroma: 11.06 to 15.42. Results showed that integrating ohmic heating with vacuum evaporation significantly improved juice quality retention compared to conventional rotary vacuum evaporation.
{"title":"Process parameters optimization of ohmic heat-assisted vacuum evaporation of sapodilla juice and quality modelling of its concentrate","authors":"Vasudeva Rao Vangapandu, Venkata S.P. Bitra","doi":"10.1016/j.ces.2026.123561","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ces.2026.123561","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Using an ohmic heat-assisted vacuum evaporation (OHVE) system, concentration of clarified sapodilla fruit juice was carried out and it was compared to rotary vacuum evaporation (VE) method in order to maximize total soluble solids (TSS) content of concentrated sapodilla juice and compare the quality of concentrated sapodilla juice using both methods. A laboratory-scale OHVE system was designed and fabricated to achieve the targeted objective. Using Box-Behnken design of response surface methodology, optimized the OHVE process parameters, including temperature (50, 60, and 70 °C), holding time (40, 80, and 120 min), voltage gradient (9, 12, and 15 V/cm), and vacuum pressure (400, 500, and 600 mmHg), to achieve the desired TSS for concentrated sapodilla fruit juice. Sapodilla juice concentrate was produced using both OHVE and VE methods. OHVE was performed under optimized conditions voltage gradient of 14.50 V/cm and vacuum pressure of 574 mm Hg (gauge) while varying the temperature (50–70 °C) and processing time (0–120 min) to assess their effects on the concentration process. Quality characteristics of OHVE sapodilla fruit juice concentrate were in the range of pH: 4.0 to 4.634, density: 1064 to 1098 kg/m<sup>3</sup>, ascorbic acid: 0.033 to 0.039 mg/100 mL, non-enzymatic browning index: 0.101 to 0.544 at OD<sub>420nm</sub>, titratable acidity: 5.37% to 6.03%, viscosity: 5.37 to 35.1 cP, <em>L</em>*: 20.92 to 10.59, <em>a</em>*: 0.07 to 8.7, <em>b</em>*: 11.02 to 16.39, hue angle: 55.67° to 89.99°, and chroma: 11.06 to 15.42. Results showed that integrating ohmic heating with vacuum evaporation significantly improved juice quality retention compared to conventional rotary vacuum evaporation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":271,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Science","volume":"326 ","pages":"Article 123561"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146172326","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-05-15Epub Date: 2026-02-06DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2026.123551
Jianan Xie , Wenhao Ding , Mingyu Yang , Jingbo Xu , Zhenjie Lu , Xiao Cheng , Shugang Pan , Xin Wang , Junwu Zhu , Yongsheng Fu
The water contained within hydrogels can be categorized into bound water, intermediate water, and free water. Among these, free water readily freezes at subzero temperatures, leading to ice formation and ultimately compromising hydrogel performance. Conventional antifreeze hydrogel designs mainly rely on the introduction of exogenous antifreeze agents, while it often directly sacrifices the water content of the system, thereby neglecting the fundamental role of water state distribution within the polymer network and undermining the core properties that water imparts to hydrogels. In this study, we propose a “water state engineering” strategy that addresses the root cause of freezing by tailoring the interfacial water interactions. By incorporating amine-functionalized nanodiamonds (aND) as interfacial bound water regulators into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and xanthan gum (XG), we constructed a PVA/XG-aND double-network hydrogel. This structure facilitates the formation of a molecular-scale interfacial bound water network, effectively modulating the free-to-bound water ratio. The hydrogel prepared by this method exhibits biological non-toxicity, demonstrating superior tensile strength (2088 kPa) and fracture elongation (380%) while maintaining its original water content, along with a reduced freezing point of −26 °C. This work highlights the crucial role of water state regulation in enhancing the cryo-resistance of hydrogels.
{"title":"Water state engineering of Nanodiamond-Modified hydrogels for antifreeze and high toughness","authors":"Jianan Xie , Wenhao Ding , Mingyu Yang , Jingbo Xu , Zhenjie Lu , Xiao Cheng , Shugang Pan , Xin Wang , Junwu Zhu , Yongsheng Fu","doi":"10.1016/j.ces.2026.123551","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ces.2026.123551","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The water contained within hydrogels can be categorized into bound water, intermediate water, and free water. Among these, free water readily freezes at subzero temperatures, leading to ice formation and ultimately compromising hydrogel performance. Conventional antifreeze hydrogel designs mainly rely on the introduction of exogenous antifreeze agents, while it often directly sacrifices the water content of the system, thereby neglecting the fundamental role of water state distribution within the polymer network and undermining the core properties that water imparts to hydrogels. In this study, we propose a “water state engineering” strategy that addresses the root cause of freezing by tailoring the interfacial water interactions. By incorporating amine-functionalized nanodiamonds (aND) as interfacial bound water regulators into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and xanthan gum (XG), we constructed a PVA/XG-aND double-network hydrogel. This structure facilitates the formation of a molecular-scale interfacial bound water network, effectively modulating the free-to-bound water ratio. The hydrogel prepared by this method exhibits biological non-toxicity, demonstrating superior tensile strength (2088 kPa) and fracture elongation (380%) while maintaining its original water content, along with a reduced freezing point of −26 °C. This work highlights the crucial role of water state regulation in enhancing the cryo-resistance of hydrogels.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":271,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Science","volume":"326 ","pages":"Article 123551"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146172320","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-05-15Epub Date: 2026-02-09DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2026.123558
Huizhen Jiang , Bin Yang , Yuhang Wu , Funing Zhang , Huaiyuan Wang , Weina Kong , Fatang Liu
Conventional adhesives typically form strong and durable bonds only on dry surfaces, and their adhesion effectiveness often weakens or disappears entirely in the presence of water at the bonding interface. Thus, developing high-performance adhesives suitable for underwater applications is crucial. In this study, we successfully developed a high-strength (4.13 MPa) epoxy-based underwater adhesive (called MGEO) using a simple one-step, solvent-free strategy. After underwater adhesion, the adhesive rapidly transforms from liquid to solid at room temperature, forming a strong adhesion that requires no additional processing. The hydrophobic effect of the long aliphatic chain (C18) effectively facilitated water displacement at the interface, while multiple intermolecular interactions enhanced interfacial adhesion, ensuring strong and reliable underwater performance. Additionally, the adhesive exhibited excellent adhesive stability after it was immersed in different aqueous solutions for 20 d [alkali (3.39 MPa), salt (4.37 MPa), and artificial seawater (4.28 MPa)]. Moreover, the adhesive exhibited outstanding long-term stability in water and a strength of 3.87 MPa after 50 d of immersion. After the adhesive underwent 50 cold-hot shock cycles, it exhibited a strength of 3.59 MPa. After it underwent five underwater adhesion cycles, its strength was 2.29 MPa. The long-term durability of MGEO adhesive underwater demonstrates its excellent application potential in underwater repair.
{"title":"Fabrication of long aliphatic chains (C18)-based adhesive with strong underwater adhesion strength","authors":"Huizhen Jiang , Bin Yang , Yuhang Wu , Funing Zhang , Huaiyuan Wang , Weina Kong , Fatang Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.ces.2026.123558","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ces.2026.123558","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Conventional adhesives typically form strong and durable bonds only on dry surfaces, and their adhesion effectiveness often weakens or disappears entirely in the presence of water at the bonding interface. Thus, developing high-performance adhesives suitable for underwater applications is crucial. In this study, we successfully developed a high-strength (4.13 MPa) epoxy-based underwater adhesive (called MGEO) using a simple one-step, solvent-free strategy. After underwater adhesion, the adhesive rapidly transforms from liquid to solid at room temperature, forming a strong adhesion that requires no additional processing. The hydrophobic effect of the long aliphatic chain (C18) effectively facilitated water displacement at the interface, while multiple intermolecular interactions enhanced interfacial adhesion, ensuring strong and reliable underwater performance. Additionally, the adhesive exhibited excellent adhesive stability after it was immersed in different aqueous solutions for 20 d [alkali (3.39 MPa), salt (4.37 MPa), and artificial seawater (4.28 MPa)]. Moreover, the adhesive exhibited outstanding long-term stability in water and a strength of 3.87 MPa after 50 d of immersion. After the adhesive underwent 50 cold-hot shock cycles, it exhibited a strength of 3.59 MPa. After it underwent five underwater adhesion cycles, its strength was 2.29 MPa. The long-term durability of MGEO adhesive underwater demonstrates its excellent application potential in underwater repair.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":271,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Science","volume":"326 ","pages":"Article 123558"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146172408","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-05-15Epub Date: 2026-02-05DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2026.123502
Parth Shah , Satchit Nagpal , Dong Hun Kwak , Jung Ho Kim , Jae Hoon Cho , Sang Min Park , Kosan Roh , Jun-Woo Kim , Joseph Sang-Il Kwon
Industrial-scale fermentation processes often suffer from insufficient mixing, which leads to significant spatial heterogeneity in key variables such as dissolved oxygen and substrate concentrations. These gradients adversely impact oxygen transfer, microbial physiology, and overall process productivity. While computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations offer detailed insights into flow behavior, their computational requirements limit their applicability to large-scale systems. This study presents the development of a computationally efficient compartment modeling (CM) framework as an alternative to CFD for industrial fermenters. To this end, first, an axisymmetric CFD model was constructed to represent the industrial fermenter geometry. This approach was chosen over a full three-dimensional model to leverage the symmetry inherent in many reactor designs, thereby reducing computational costs while still capturing essential hydrodynamic features, such as axial and radial velocity components and turbulent kinetic energy, across different time instances. These variables were extracted to define flow topology and intercompartment flow rates within the CM. By averaging velocity fields and smoothing gradients, a stable and scalable compartmental representation of reactor hydrodynamics was achieved. The model was validated against CFD data through visualizations of flow patterns and velocity profiles, demonstrating its ability to capture spatial heterogeneity while significantly reducing computational costs. This CM framework offers a versatile tool for integrating kinetic models, facilitating process optimization, and improving design in complex fermenter systems.
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Pub Date : 2026-05-15Epub Date: 2026-02-12DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2026.123597
Qiuyu Mei, Cailin Yang, Youzhou Jiang, Kai Han
The recovery of high-boiling solvents is significant due to their wide application in fields such as drug synthesis. Solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SIE) technology is a green and energy-efficient technology with thermal localization, offering a promising strategy for separating and recovering high-boiling solvents. In this study, a black silicon-based evaporator was fabricated, achieving high evaporation rates of 4.25, 1.69, and 1.50 kg m−2 h−1 for the high-boiling solvents N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), respectively, under ambient temperature and pressure. During evaporation and recovery from a 1 wt% Clindamycin hydrochloride (Clin)/DMF solution under 1sun, the membrane interfacial temperature was only 72°C, while the bulk solution remained at ambient temperature. Consequently, the chemical structure of Clin remained stable during the DMF evaporation process. The high purity (97.44%) of the recovered DMF, with water detected as the sole residual impurity, underscores the efficiency and selectivity of this solar-driven evaporation process. Using a 40 mm-diameter photothermal membrane, 8 h of interfacial evaporation achieved a solvent recovery of 40%. This work provides a novel and effective SIE approach for ambient temperature and pressure recovery of high-boiling solvents.
高沸点溶剂在药物合成等领域有着广泛的应用，其回收具有重要意义。太阳能驱动界面蒸发（SIE）技术是一种绿色节能的热局部化技术，为高沸点溶剂的分离和回收提供了一种很有前景的策略。本研究制备了黑硅基蒸发器，在常温常压下，对高沸点溶剂N，N-二甲基甲酰胺（DMF），二甲基亚砜（DMSO）和N-甲基-2-吡咯烷酮（NMP）分别实现了4.25,1.69和1.50 kg m−2 h−1的高蒸发速率。在1wt %盐酸克林霉素(Clin)/DMF溶液的蒸发和回收过程中，在1个太阳下，膜界面温度仅为72℃，而主体溶液保持在环境温度。因此，在DMF蒸发过程中，Clin的化学结构保持稳定。回收的DMF纯度高（97.44%），其中水是唯一残留杂质，强调了这种太阳能驱动蒸发过程的效率和选择性。采用直径40 mm的光热膜，界面蒸发8 h，溶剂回收率为40%。本研究为高沸点溶剂的环境温度和压力回收提供了一种新颖有效的SIE方法。
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