Asia-Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering最新文献

Adrenaline (AD) is important in information transmission through the human central nervous system. Considering the significant biochemical functions of AD, the development of electrochemical sensors capable of detecting AD levels in living organisms has attracted considerable interest. In this study, AD was detected using electrochemical sensors developed based on Au nanoparticles/ionic liquids/N- and P-co-doped carbon nanotubes-modified carbon cloth (AuNPs/ILs/N,P-MWCNTs/CC) electrodes. AuNPs/ILs/N,P-MWCNTs/CC composites were prepared on carbon cloth (CC) substrates using ionic liquids (ILs), N- and P-co-doped multi-walled carbon nanotubes (N,P-MWCNTs), and Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) as modified materials. The effects of pH and scanning speed were optimized and tested on the prepared composites. The results of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) experiments showed that the modified ILs, N,P-MWCNTs, and AuNPs effectively improved the oxidation performance of AD. In addition, the linear range obtained from the DPV scans of the AuNPs/ILs/N,P-MWCNTs/CC composite material was 30–505 μmol/L, with a detection limit of 0.31 μmol/L. The fabricated sensors have good sensitivity (6.9 μA·mM⁻¹·cm⁻²) for AD of 30–505 μM. Therefore, the electrochemical sensing method based on the AuNPs/ILs/N,P-MWCNTs/CC composite material is a promising and reliable AD detection technology that also exhibits good selectivity in the presence of interfering substances such as folic acid and ibuprofen. In practical applications, this material can help realize real-time AD detection to determine whether athletes use doping and other illegal drugs before competitions and to perform synchronous detection.

Steam Rankine cycle (SRC), which is mainly utilised in power generation sector, faces external irreversibility in its daily operation causing inefficiency in the system. To address this issue, reheat Rankine cycle (RHRC) and regenerative Rankine cycle (RRC) have been widely studied and implemented in power plants to improve thermal efficiency and reduce external irreversibility of Rankine cycle. This study investigates the implementation of different RRC configurations in a combined heat and power plant, including RRC with modified thermal deaerator, RRC with open feed water heater (OFWH) and closed feed water heater (CFWH). A base case simulation model was first constructed using commercial simulation software Aspen HYSYS for the basic SRC system based on actual plant data. Various scenarios were then evaluated for their profitability and sustainability through techno-economic analysis (TEA) and carbon footprint analysis (CFA). From both analyses, the scenario of RRC with CFWH showed the greatest long-term potential, generating the highest annual profit of $ 771 691 and carbon footprint reduction of 14.63%, while RRC with modified thermal deaerator showed the greatest potential in the short run with the highest return of investment (ROI) of 201.51% and shortest payback period (PBP) of 0.50 year.

In the natural environment, plastics and microplastics (MPs) are difficult to break down due to their hydrophobicity, the presence of persistent covalent bonds, and their functional groups' resistance to attack. The destiny of both organic and inorganic pollutants at contaminated areas can be influenced by MPs ability to absorb them. Because of their enormous surface to volume ratio and chemical surface characteristics, MPs are able to absorb dangerous substances from their surroundings. Accordingly, the study's main objectives were to provide a concise review of characterization techniques of MP biodegradation techniques, including the nano-enabled methods, and the gaps in current research were outlined. This review paper summarizes the degradation mechanism and efficiency of MPs in different circumstances. For the purpose of eliminating plastic pollution, this work will help for the further studies.

Aviation lubricating oil, as the “blood of machine operation”, plays an important role in the lubrication, cooling, cleaning, sealing, rust prevention, and other aspects of aero-engines, thereby ensuring the safe and stable long-term endurance of aero-engines under high-speed and high-temperature conditions. The thermal oxidation of aviation lubricating oil leading to decay is the most important factor causing lubricating oil failure, which will seriously affect the performance of aero-engines and endanger flight safety. Here, we comprehensively summarize the oxidation mechanism of aviation lubricating oil, factors affecting thermal oxidation of aviation lubricating oil, evaluation methods for thermal oxidation of aviation lubricating oil, and antioxidants that inhibit thermal oxidation of aviation lubricating oil. We hope that this review can enhance readers' understanding of the thermal oxidation of aviation lubricating oil, stimulate broader interest, and promote more exciting development in this promising field.

In order to study the crystallization blockage law and crystallization mechanism of dolomite tunnel drainage system, based on the indoor model test, the simulated crystal blockage and growth process were simulated. The phase composition and microstructure of the crystal were analyzed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Combined with the pipeline crystal weighing, the crystal growth law and the internal cause of pipeline blockage were analyzed. The results show that the pipeline crystallization mechanism is divided into the first mechanism, the second mechanism, and the third mechanism. The crystallization blockage of the longitudinal and horizontal pipes are more serious, while the crystallization blockage of the ring pipes are less harmful. The crystallization is positively correlated with ion concentration, crystalline ions having a great influence on the blockage of pipeline crystallization, while noncrystalline ions having little influence. The crystal growth law is fast first and then slow, the crystallization affected by the coupling concentration of Cl⁻-K⁺-Na ⁺ ions, and positively correlated with the coupling concentration of CO₃²⁻-SO₄²⁻-Ca²⁺-Mg²⁺-Al³⁺ ions. Compared with the longitudinal pipes and the ring pipes, the horizontal pipes have more crystallization and higher degree of crystallization blockage per meter, while the crystallization degree of the longitudinal pipes are between the horizontal pipes and the ring pipes.

To improve the utilization rate of herbicides and reduce their environmental residues, it is urgent to develop a simple and low-cost method to prepare slow-release pesticides. In this study, a biochar (280CPFe) with a high surface area and rich oxygen-containing functional groups was synthesized by low temperature (280°C) boiling strategy, which was used as a carrier to prepare pH-responsive slow-release herbicide. The obtained biochar has a high adsorption capacity of 153.59 mg·g⁻¹ for quinclorac (QNC). The release rates of QNC-280CPFe are 21%, 56%, and 90% at the initial pH of 3, 5, and 11, respectively. The controlled release behavior of QNC-280CPFe is related to its adsorption mechanism, in which the pore filling and functional group adsorption are mainly responsible for the adsorption of QNC on 280CPFe. Compared with QNC alone, QNC-280CPFe slow-release herbicide has a good control effect on Barnyard grass but does not affect the normal growth of rice. Therefore, this study provides a simple, low-cost cost, and environmentally friendly biochar carrier for preparing slow-release herbicide, improving its utilization rate and reducing its environmental pollution risk.

Layered oxides are considered to be potential cathodes for sodium-ion batteries based on high theoretical capacity and ease of synthesis. However, the complex phase transition caused by interlayer sliding in layered oxides leads to poor cycling stability, which will hinder their further application. Here, we designed a newly O3-type layered cathode NaNi_0.3Co_0.2Cu_0.1Mn_0.2Ti_0.2O₂ based on high-entropy to achieve highly reversible phase transition behavior. It reveals 132 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.2 C within 2–4 V increasing the energy density to 408 Wh kg⁻¹ and it shows an outstanding rate capability of 90 mAh g⁻¹ at 80 C (84.90% capacity retention after 1,500 cycles at 80 C). In-situ XRD shows that reasonable design of high-entropy components in layered material can achieve the purpose of delaying the occurrence of phase transition and DFT calculations show that the introduction of Co in transition metal layers can effectively improve the rate performance of the material. This work is of great significance in guiding the design and synthesis of highly stable layered cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries.

This study investigates the environmentally friendly synthesis of ZrO₂-NdO mixed nanomaterial using green reducing and capping agents derived from the plant Amaranthus viridis. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the successful synthesis of the mixed nanomaterial, revealing an optical band gap of 2.5 eV. The morphology was characterized by spherical-shaped particles with an average size ranging from 66 to 77 nm. The synthesized ZrO₂-NdO mixed nanomaterial was evaluated for its potential application as an electrode material in energy devices, specifically for pseudocapacitors and water splitting studies. Electrochemical performance was assessed using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD) techniques. Notably, a specific capacitance of 573.5 F/g was achieved through CV at a scan rate of 2 mV/s. Fabricated electrocatalyst was further analyzed for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and the results showed better over potential value of 164 mV for HER studies. The stability analysis further endorsed the large-scale commercialization possibility of ZrO-NdO-based electrode material.

In this paper, a novel air-cooled supercapacitor thermal management system (STMS) based on the corner deflectors and the inclined inlet and outlet was proposed. The temperature and velocity fields were simulated and analyzed by CFD. Moreover, the heat dissipation effect of different STMSs was analyzed against each other. The results showed that the STMS proposed had a better heat dissipation effect when the inclined angle of inlet and outlet was appropriate, in which the maximum temperature (T_max) and the maximum temperature difference (ΔT_max) of the module could be reduced by 10.3% and 34.6%. And it is shown that the structure with inclined inlet and outlet plays an important role for the heat dissipation capability of the STMS proposed. And it has experimentally proven its heat dissipation ability. Consequently, the impacts of inclined angle (α), monomer spacing (d_c), and the distance between monomer and module shell (d_x, d_y, and d_z) on the heat dissipation effect were deeply analyzed. For the STMS arranged in four rows and three columns, it had a better heat dissipation effect when inclined angle was in the range of 40° to 50°. The results showed that the structural parameters had a large influence on the T_max and ΔT_max. Besides, it had shown that the temperature curves of the T_max and ΔT_max had a main trend of “decreasing and then increasing” when the monomer spacing as well as the distance between monomer and module shell are taken from 1 mm to 5 mm. It implies that a small spacing (1 mm to 2 mm) will hinder the air circulation and reduce heat dissipation, and a large spacing (3 mm to 5 mm) will reduce the average flow rate of air and reduce the efficiency of heat transfer.

A series of interactive experiments are conducted to analyze the drag reduction technology with a rotating disk apparatus that combines microgroove structure and drag-reducing additives including polyethylene oxide (PEO), cetyltrimethyl ammonium chloride (CTAC), and sodium salicylate (NaSal). By varying the disk type, concentration of drag-reducing additives, temperature, and Reynolds number (Re), the corresponding drag reduction rates are obtained effectively. The experimental results indicate that adding CTAC strengthens the heat degradation and shear resistance of PEO; while PEO can enhance the ability of CTAC to form micellar structures and balance energy distribution at low concentrations. Moreover, the synergistic effect of these two additives presents a better drag reduction performance with a maximum drag reduction rate of 24.1%; while the microgroove structure enhances the effect of active drag reduction. Therefore, the combination of active and passive drag reduction technology broadens the application of energy saving and consumption reduction in hydraulic rotating machinery.