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Utilization of the quality-upgraded waste paper in the manufacture of paper and board will reduce the wood consumption and pulping energy. While the optical property of the fibers from recycled old newspaper is very poor, in-situ calcium carbonate formation on those fibers by injecting carbon dioxide to the mixed slurry of those pulp and calcium oxide improved their brightness. Upgrading recycled old newspaper to substitute more expensive wood furnish, such as recycled old magazine, was successfully demonstrated in the present study. This study showed that the in-situ calcium carbonate formation process improved the optical quality of the recycled old newspaper by covering colored impurities with newly formed calcium carbonate, and improved calcium carbonate retention in papermaking process by attaching them to fibers. The strength reduction by the presence of newly formed calcium carbonate in the paper was recovered by adding strength agent. High ash retention at high ash content under the strong turbulence in the modern paper mill was achieved by the application of the in-situ calcium carbonate formation method. The quality-upgrade of recycled fibers and cost saving in the manufacture of duplex paperboard were demonstrated in the mill trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The pulp and paper industry both uses and produces large amounts of energy and rising fuel prices bring along significant challenges to the sector. Several strategies can be applied in order to remain competitive e.g. an increase in energy efficiency, a switch in fuel and/or a novel energy conversion technology. In this study, we investigate if improved energy conversion strategies can reduce energy costs, primary energy use and CO2 emissions of paper mills within different European countries (The Netherlands, Poland and Sweden). Our results show that differences in history and availability of resources has led to different conversion strategies in the three countries. We found that a natural gas combined cycle, which is largely implemented in The Netherlands due to long term domestic availability of natural gas, has the lowest primary energy demand. Due to a long history of low electricity prices, CHP has not been common in Sweden. Many Swedish mills use biomass as an energy source and due to low CO2 emissions of the national grid the CO2 emission profile of the Swedish paper industry is very low. Our results imply that future conversion routes for the Swedish paper and board industry are again wood based; in case of increasing electricity prices these would be biomass gasification based CHP solutions. With a reduction of 800kg CO2/ton paper on average, a switch from coal to biomass would reduce CO2 emissions in the Polish pulp and paper industry with approximately 0.6Mton/year. A carbon price of 20–25€/ton would, according to our results, be enough to provoke this switch. Due to the high share of natural gas, the CO2 emission reduction potential of the Dutch paper industry (1.5Mton/year) is even larger than in Poland. Due to high biomass prices and relative low CO2 emission profile of natural gas, a carbon prices of more than 60€/ton CO2 would be needed to provoke a switch in The Netherlands. Provided with few alternatives, the most effective strategy in The Netherlands would be an increase in energy efficiency. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Activated carbon fiber paper (ACFP) has the potential for adsorption due to their high surface area and low through resistance. In this work, free-standing ACFP was developed from fibrillated polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber through wet forming process combined with subsequent pre-oxidation, carbonization and CO 2 activation. A PFI refiner was used to prepare fibrillated PAN fibers with a beating degree of 7, 11, 25 and 60 oSR, respectively. As expected, PAN fibers with high beating degree improved surface area and fine fiber content, which resulted in the dense structure and low porosity of paper, thus influencing later stabilization and pyrolysis, as well as final properties of ACFP. With the increase of beating degree, the oxygen content of pre-oxidized PAN paper increased, but the cyclization index first decreased and then increased. ACFP with higher beating degree possessed higher BET surface area, pore volume and CO 2 uptake capacity. ACFP, prepared from freeze-dried PAN paper, performed better in physicochemical properties than that from plate-press drier under the same beating degree. This study exhibited that ACFP can be a special material featured by scale production, lightweight, and high microporosity of chemical adsorption and separation. [Display omitted] • ACFPs were prepared from fibrillated PAN fiber through wet forming process. • Effects of pore structure of PAN papers on physicochemical properties of ACFPs • CO 2 adsorption on ACFPs was a combined effects of physisorption and chemisorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Lime mud (LM), a solid waste that results from the causticization reaction in alkali recycling process of paper manufacture industry, was utilized as CO2 sorbent in calcium looping process in this study. The carbonation behavior of LM in the calcination/carbonation cycles was investigated in a dual fixed-bed reactor and a thermo-gravimetric analyzer. The results show that the carbonation conversions of LM are lower than those of limestone at the same reaction conditions. It attributes to the high chlorine content in LM which leads to more pronounced sintering and decreases the CO2 capture performance of LM. A pre-wash process was employed to decrease the chlorine content in LM. Based on an overall consideration of various factors, the pre-wash process is effective enough if the Cl/Ca molar ratio in LM is smaller than 1:100. Pre-washed lime mud (PLM) achieves higher carbonation rates and carbonation conversions, compared with LM. When calcined at 850°C and carbonated at 700°C, the carbonation conversion of PLM maintains at 36% after 100cycles, which is 1.8 and 4.8 times as high as LM and limestone after the same number of cycles, respectively. The pore volume and surface area of calcined PLM were greater than those of calcined LM after the same number of cycles, especially the volume of the pores in the range of 10–100nm in diameter. That is the reason why PLM exhibits higher CO2 capture capacity than LM in the multiple calcination/carbonation cycles. The carbonation conversions of LM and PLM are further enhanced by hydration of their calcines. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Pulp and paper is considered to be the fourth most energy-intensive industry (EII) worldwide. However, as most of the CO 2 emissions are of biomass origin, this sector has the potential to become a carbon-negative industry. This study proposes a new concept for conversion of the pulp and paper industry to carbon negative that relies on the inherent CO 2 capture capability of the Kraft process. The techno-economic performance of the proposed carbon-negative system, based on calcium looping (CaL) retrofitted to a pulp and paper plant, was evaluated. The effect of CaL design specifications and cost assumptions on the thermodynamic and economic performance were evaluated. Under the initial design assumptions, the reference pulp and paper plant was shown to turn from electricity importer to electricity exporter with the cost of CO 2 avoided equal to 39.0 €/tCO 2. The parametric study showed that an increase in the fresh limestone make-up rate resulted in a linear increase of the specific primary energy consumption for CO 2 avoided (SPECCA) and a reduction in the amount of electricity exported to the electric grid. This translates into an increase in the price of pulp and newsprint, and the cost of CO 2 avoided. This study has also demonstrated that the pulp and paper industry has high potential to become carbon negative. It has been shown that carbon capture and storage would become economically viable in this industry if the negative CO 2 emissions are recognised and a negative CO 2 emissions credit of at least 41.8 €/tCO 2 is implemented. • Concept of the Kraft process with inherent CO 2 capture. • Calcium looping for CO 2 capture is integrated in the lime cycle. • Reference pulp and paper plant turns from importer to exporter of electricity. • Pulp and paper industry has a high potential to become carbon negative. • Economic feasibility needs the inclusion of biogenic emissions in emission trading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Freestanding carbon paper confined with ultrafine lithiophilic TiO 2 is in-situ synthesized from MXene and CO 2. • Freestanding C/TiO 2 paper is firstly employed as dendrite-free Li metal anodic host. • The growth behaviors of metallic Li on C/TiO 2 is systematically probed. • Lithiophilic TiO 2 seeds and conductive 3D carbon synergistically induce dendrite-free Li deposition. • C/TiO 2 @Li paper enables full cell with improved electrochemical performance. Lithium (Li) metal anode is deemed as one of the most fascinating anodes due to its high energy density. Nonetheless, low Coulombic efficiency and safety issues caused by detrimental Li dendrites growth severely hamper its practical application. Herein, we construct an ultrafine TiO 2 confined in 3D freestanding carbon paper by one-step green in-situ oxidation of Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene film with greenhouse gas CO 2. The lithiophilic TiO 2 seeds and freestanding 3D carbon matrix can synergistically induce uniform Li deposition and buffer the volume changes during lithium striping and deposition, which ensure improved electrochemical performance with high Coulombic efficiency and low overpotential, etc. The growth process of metallic Li on C/TiO 2 is also systematically investigated. Moreover, the C/TiO 2 @Li||LiFePO 4 full batteries present a stable cycling performance over 250cycles at 1.0C and superior rate performance. Additionally, this work proposes an alternative way to utilize CO 2 , which may alleviate greenhouse effect and boost sustainable development. These results may be useful for both the design of dendrite-free lithium metal batteries and the sustainable utilizing of CO 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Synthetic CaO-based CO 2 sorbent was prepared using paper fibre as a biotemplate. • Synthetic sorbent is mainly composed of CaO and Ca 12 Al 14 O 33. • Synthetic sorbents possess microtube-like structure with superior CO 2 uptake. • Synthetic sorbent has improved sintering resistance in severe calcination condition. Abstract Calcium looping is regarded as an effective and viable way to address CO 2 emissions. To overcome the loss-in-capacity problems of calcium-based sorbents with the number of calcium looping cycles, a novel CaO/Ca 12 Al 14 O 33 sorbent with a microtube-like structure was prepared from carbide slag and Al(NO 3) 3 ·9H 2 O using paper fibre as a biotemplate. The CO 2 capture performance and microstructure of the novel synthetic sorbent under calcium looping conditions were investigated. The results show that the utilization of the biotemplate is good to retain the high cyclic CO 2 capture reactivity of the synthetic sorbent. Due to the unique hollow porous structure, the CO 2 capture capacity of the synthetic sorbent containing 7.5 wt% Al 2 O 3 retains 0.56 and 0.33 g/g after 30 cycles under mild and severe calcination conditions, respectively, which are 2.56 and 2.11 times higher than those of carbide slag under the same respective calcination conditions. With the presence of 10% steam in the carbonation atmosphere, the CO 2 capture capacity of the synthetic sorbent retains 0.55 g/g under the severe calcination conditions after 10 cycles. The native hierarchical biostructure of paper fibre is preserved in the synthetic sorbent. CaO and Ca 12 Al 14 O 33 are uniformly distributed in the synthetic sorbent, resulting in a high sintering resistance during multiple CO 2 capture cycles. CO 2 can penetrate through the microtube-like structure of the synthetic sorbent from two directions, i.e., from the outer surface and inner surface. This phenomenon effectively enlarges the contact area between CO 2 and CaO. The CaO/Ca 12 Al 14 O 33 sorbent with a hollow porous structure by means of a biotemplate appears promising in the calcium looping technology for CO 2 capture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The possibility of changing waste paper sludge into valuable carbonaceous adsorbent was tested. The performance of three types of samples obtained from this waste was studied: chars (PK), activated chars (PKA) and activated initial material (PA). Pyrolysis of the initial material was carried out at 550, 600 and 700°C, while the activation of the initial material and chars obtained with CO2 at 550, 600 and 700°C. The sorption capacity of carbonaceous adsorbents obtained was evaluated on the basis of NO2 adsorption in dry and wet conditions. The NO2 sorption properties of the activates decrease with increasing temperature of activation and the maximum sorption capacity was noted for the samples activated at 550°C. On the basis of measurements in dry and wet conditions, the presence of water was found to increase the NO2 breakthrough capacity. The NO2 sorption capacity of the adsorbents obtained depended on the type and temperature of modification process and acid–base properties of the materials obtained. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Evolutionary behavior of syngas chemical composition and yield have been examined for paper and cardboard at three different temperatures of 800, 900 and 1000°C using CO2 as the gasifying agent at constant flow rate. Specifically the evolution of syngas chemical composition with time has been investigated. Pyrolysis of the sample was dominant at the beginning of the gasification process as observed from the high initial devolatilization of the sample followed by char gasification of material to form syngas for a long period of time. Results provided the role of gasification temperature on kinetics of the CO2 gasification process. Increase in gasification temperature provided increased conversion of the sample material to syngas. Thus the sample conversion to syngas was low at the low temperature of 800°C while at elevated temperatures of 900 and 1000°C substantial enhancement of the kinetics process occurred. The evolution of extensive reaction rate of carbon-monoxide was calculated. Results show that increase in temperature increased the extensive reaction rate of carbon-monoxide. The global behavior of syngas chemical composition examined at three different temperatures revealed a peak in concentration of H2 to exhibit after few minutes into the gasification that changed with gasification temperature. At 800°C gasification temperature peak in H2 was displayed at 3min into gasification while it decreased to only 2min, approximately, at gasification temperatures of 900 and 1000°C. The effect of reactor temperature on CO mole fraction has also been examined. Increase in the gasification temperature enhances the mole fraction of CO yields. This is attributed to the increase in forward reaction rate of the Boudouard reaction (). The results show important role of CO2 gas for the gasification of wastes and low grade fuels to clean syngas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article offers information on people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, initiation of nocturnal non-invasive ventilation at home is non-inferior to initiation during a hospital admission.

Abstract: In this paper, the prospect of integrating a combined paper&pulp mill with fuel production via biomass gasification was investigated. In the study, three different types of gasifiers (circulating fluidised bed, entrained flow and indirect gasification) and three fuel processes (dimethyl ether, methanol and Fischer-Tropsch wax synthesis) were investigated using computer simulations. The paper reports differences from the stand-alone cases and the integrated cases, using the electricity equivalence efficiency as a measure. Only 6 out of the 18 integrated cases studied displayed a positive result from integration and no obvious fuel selection that stand out as the most beneficial one, however the synthesis of dimethyl ether is, in combination with all gasifiers assessed a rather good choice, with an change in efficiency from integration ranging from −1% to 4%. Dimethyl ether is not the best choice if the electrical equivalence is to be maximised however. In this case the combination of circulating fluidised bed gasification and methanol synthesis should be pursued. The production of Fischer-Tropsch wax should according to the chosen measure not be produced; however there is an added value in the production of a non-oxygenated fuel which has not been taken into account in this particular study. All cases leads to a reduction of 0.4–0.9 kg CO2 per kg of dry biomass used in the process for fuel synthesis and the possibility to export bark is a more significant factor in this respect than which type of fuel is synthesised. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Strategies for changing the conductivity of Li 2 CO 3 is introduced into the fabrication of Li-CO 2 battery. Benefitting from the favorable hierarchical architecture constructed (CPM-MnO 2), facile charge transfer occurs between catalytic surface and Li 2 CO 3 by –OH⋯O hydrogen bonds improves the metallicity of Li 2 CO 3 , facilitating the formation/decomposition of Li 2 CO 3 and bestowing an ultra-long-term stability of 1087 cycles (4348 h). Taking into account its simplicity, scalable character and outstanding performance, this hierarchical composite electrode paves an effective trajectory for the future development of highly efficient cathodes for durable metal-CO 2 batteries. [Display omitted] • Excellent hierarchical structure of MXene and MnO 2 on carbon paper was fabricated. • Enriched charge transfer occurred on MXene and the MnO 2 by OH⋯O hydrogen bonding. • The prepared batteries showed an ultra-long cycle lifetime and low overpotential. • The optimized electronic structure can improve the metallicity of Li 2 CO 3. • The accelerated decomposition of discharge products promoted CRR and CER kinetics. Lithium-CO 2 batteries are recognized as an essential strategy for efficient carbon sequestration and energy storage to achieve carbon neutrality. Their cycle-ability and polarization voltage, however, are hindered by high decomposition voltage (≈4.3–4.5 V) of insulating Li 2 CO 3. Herein, we report a significant advance toward the rational design of self-supporting and ultra-long cycle lifetime cathode for Li-CO 2 batteries, dependence on a favorable hierarchical architecture and rich charge transfer constructed by homogeneously distributed MnO 2 nanoplates rooted in the MXene surface supported by carbon paper. Detailedly, it exhibits impressive ultra-long-term stability of 1087 cycles (4348 h) with a low polarization gap (≈ 0.47 V) at a high current of 200 μA cm−2, which is outperformed by all the liquid electrolyte-based Li-CO2 batteries reported previously. Electronic structure analysis reveals that facile charge transfer occurs between catalytic surface and Li 2 CO 3 , springing from the –OH functional group (in MXene) to MnO 2 by –OH⋯O hydrogen bonds, which acts as charge transfer channels, improving the metallicity of Li 2 CO 3 and facilitating its decomposition and extending battery cyclability. This work paves an effective trajectory for the future development of highly efficient cathodes for durable metal-CO 2 batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A bifunctional flexible Pt/TiO 2 -γ-Al 2 O 3 nanofiber paper was successfully prepared. • The PTA sample can efficiently decompose HCHO to CO 2 and H 2 O at room temperature. • PTA1 exhibited better catalytic activity and stability. • The surface coating of TiO 2 in PTA catalyst plays an important role for its performance. • The PTA sample also exhibits good filtration performance for fine particles. A flexible Pt/TiO 2 /γ-Al 2 O 3 nanfiber paper (PTA) was successfully prepared by an electrospinning-coating-NaBH 4 reduction method. The catalytic performance for formaldehyde (HCHO) oxidation over PTA with different Pt contents was investigated at room temperature. The results show that PTA exhibits higher catalytic activity and stability than Pt/γ-Al 2 O 3. The TiO 2 coating can promote the transformation of intermediate species and the desorption of CO 2. The PTA1 with 1 wt% Pt shows the best catalytic activity and good stability. In the view of activity and cost, 0.5 wt% Pt is the optimal Pt content. The TiO 2 coating not only plays an important role in improving the activity and stability of PTA, but also acts as a protective shell of γ-Al 2 O 3 fiber, which greatly reduces the risk of alkali etching during preparation and maintains the good flexibility of PTA. The dioxymethylene (DOM), formate/carbonate species, CO are the intermediate species in HCHO oxidation over PTA. In addition, PTA exhibits good filtration performance for fine particles as well as good fluid permeability. Because of the high efficiency and flexibility of PTA composite catalytic material for HCHO oxidation with good filtration performance for fine particles, it will be a promising candidate in air purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen Economy and Cyclic Economy are advocated, together with the use of perennial (solar, wind, hydro, geo-power, SWHG) and renewable (biomass) energy sources, for defossilizing anthropic activities and mitigating climate change. Each option has intrinsic limits that prevent a stand-alone success in reaching the target. Humans have recycled goods (metals, water, paper, and now plastics) to a different extent since very long time. Recycling carbon (which is already performed at the industrial level in the form of CO 2 utilization and with recycling paper and plastics) is a key point for the future. The conversion of CO 2 into chemicals and materials is carried out since the late 1800s (Solvay process) and is today performed at scale of 230 Mt/y. It is time to implement on a scale of several Gt/y the conversion of CO 2 into energy products, possibly mimicking Nature which does not use hydrogen. In the short term, a few conditions must be met to make operative on a large scale the production of fuels from recycled-C, namely the availability of low-cost: i. abundant, pure concentrated streams of CO 2 , ii. non-fossil primary energy sources, and iii. non-fossil-hydrogen. The large-scale production of hydrogen by Methane Steam Reforming with CO 2 capture (Blue-H 2) seems to be a realistic and sustainable solution. Green-H 2 could in principle be produced on a large scale through the electrolysis of water powered by perennial primary sources, but hurdles such as the availability of materials for the construction of long-living, robust electrochemical cells (membranes, electrodes) must be abated for a substantial scale-up with respect to existing capacity. The actual political situation makes difficult to rely on external supplies. Supposed that cheap hydrogen will be available, its direct use in energy production can be confronted with the indirect use that implies the hydrogenation of CO 2 into fuels (E-fuels), an almost ready technology. The two strategies have both pros and cons and can be integrated. E-Fuels can also represent an option for storing the energy of intermittent sources. In the medium-long term, the direct co-processing of CO 2 and water via co-electrolysis may avoid the production/transport/ use of hydrogen. In the long term, coprocessing of CO 2 and H 2 O to fuels via photochemical or photoelectrochemical processes can become a strategic technology. • Hydrogen Economy and Cyclic Economy are discussed as an option for defossilizing anthropic activities and mitigating climate change. • In the short term, a few conditions must be met to make operative on a large scale the production of fuels from recycled-C. • In the medium-long term, the direct co-processing of CO 2 and water via co-electrolysis may avoid the production/transport/ use of hydrogen. • In the long term, coprocessing of CO 2 and H 2 O to fuels via photochemical or photoelectrochemical processes can become a strategic technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper-based microfluidic devices are an attractive option for developing low-cost, point-of-care diagnostic tools. To incorporate more complex assays into paper, these devices must become more sophisticated, through the sequential delivery of different liquids or reagents without user intervention. Many flow control strategies focus on slowing the fluid down. However, this can lead to increased assay times and sample loss due to evaporation. We report the use of a CO 2 laser to create etched grooves on paper to accelerate wicking speeds in paper-based microfluidic devices. We explored different laser settings to determine the optimal configuration. Our findings showed that simply cutting a slit into the paper created the fastest wicking channels. The slit acted as a macro capillary, allowing fluid to bypass the paper and speed it up. Further studies determined an ideal groove pitch of 0.75 mm (spacing in between grooves) for a paper channel. Additional experiments documented how sealing grooved channels with different adhesives can influence wicking. Overall, sealing the channels with tape made them wick faster. However, sealing methods such as lamination had a negative effect on wicking. Laser-etched grooves were successfully used to design a fluid-handling architecture for a chemiresistive paper-based biosensor. The grooves facilitated rapid, sequential delivery of sample and wash buffer. Human serum albumin spiked in phosphate buffer, artificial urine, and artificial saliva was successfully detected at as low as 15 pM. Etching grooves in paper is a simple process that requires no additional materials or chemicals, allowing single-step fabrication of paper-based microfluidic channels. • Laser-etching through-cut grooves into paper creates the fastest wicking channels. • Wicking greatly influenced by how the paper channels are sealed. • Demonstrated sequential delivery for chemiresistive biosensor for HSA detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A lifecycle assessment to estimate greenhouse gas emissions in Australia from the paper cycle is summarised. The greenhouse gas emissions from paper in Australia in 1999/2000 were estimated to be 12.1 million tonnes (Mt) of CO2 equivalent. Nearly half of this amount consisted of CH4 emissions from landfilled waste paper. Various waste management options were modelled to investigate the greenhouse impact of a tonne of paper over its whole lifecycle. Options that keep paper out of landfills significantly reduce greenhouse emissions, waste-to-energy recovery being most effective. Recycling is also beneficial, and is of particular interest from a management perspective because it can be controlled by the pulp and paper industry. These findings can be extended to other wood-based and organic wastes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Atmospheric chemical composition affects foliar chemical composition, which in turn influences the dynamics of both herbivory and decomposition in ecosystems. We assessed the independent and interactive effects of CO2 and O3 fumigation on foliar chemistry of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) and paper birch (Betula papyrifera) at a Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) facility in northern Wisconsin. Leaf samples were collected at five time periods during a single growing season, and analyzed for nitrogen, starch and condensed tannin concentrations, nitrogen resorption efficiencies (NREs), and C:N ratios. Enriched CO2 reduced foliar nitrogen concentrations in aspen and birch; O3 only marginally reduced nitrogen concentrations. NREs were unaffected by pollution treatment in aspen, declined with O3 exposure in birch, and thisdecline was ameliorated by enriched CO2. C:N ratios of abscised leaves increased in response to enriched CO2 in both tree species. O3 did not significantly alter C:N ratios in aspen, although values tended to be higher in +CO2+O3 leaves. For birch, O3 decreased C:N ratios underambient CO2 and increased C:N ratios under elevated CO2. Thus, under the combined pollutants, the C:N ratios of both aspen and birch leaves were elevated above the averaged responses to the individual and independent trace gas treatments. Starch concentrations were largely unresponsive to CO2 and O3treatments in aspen, but increased in response to elevated CO2 in birch. Levels of condensed tannins were negligibly affected by CO2 and O3 treatments in aspen, but increased in response to enriched CO2 in birch. Results from this work suggest that changes in foliar chemical composition elicited by enriched CO2 are likely to impact herbivory and decomposition [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Nanogel particles for CO 2 capture with lower cycles (303–348 K) are developed. • Carbon paper as supporter shows higher CO 2 capacity, adsorption and desorption rate. • Avrami's fractional order model accurately predicts the CO 2 uptake behaviors. • The CO 2 capture process is governed by film and intraparticle diffusion resistance. • Carbon paper as supporter shows lower sensible heat and desorption activation energy. Amine-containing nanogel particles with a lower cooling and heating cycles (303–348 K), which is beneficial to limit the degradation and volatile of amine, has been developed as promising absorbents for CO 2 capture. It is extremely important to understand the CO 2 capture kinetics and mechanisms for design and operation of corresponding processes. In present work, poly tetra fluoroethylene and carbon paper were used to support the GPs by filtering and loading method. The CO 2 uptake and release performance of poly tetra fluoroethylene and carbon paper supported nanogel particles was measured. It was found that carbon paper as supporter shows higher CO 2 capacity and desorption rate. A comparison of three different kinetic models shows that carbon paper as supporter gives a more enhanced kinetic behavior. Avrami's fractional order model presents the best fit to experimental data. To further investigate the mechanism of CO 2 uptake on absorbents, interparticle diffusion model, intraparticle diffusion model and Boyd's film diffusion model were also applied. Film diffusion resistance governed the mass transfer rate of CO 2 uptake on studied absorbents at the initial CO 2 uptake stages. In the following stages, intra-particle diffusion resistance plays a major role until the equilibrium is reached. The sensible heat of carbon paper as supporter is about 25% lower than that of poly tetra fluoroethylene as supporter. The desorption activation energy obtained from the Arrhenius equation is 18 kJ/mol for carbon paper as supporter, which is 84% lower than that of the typical aqueous MEA solvent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This comment addresses several points regarding data interpretation in a recent paper in the Journal, which results in an inaccurate interpretation of experimental data on CO 2 diffusion in water. The experimental data were interpreted by Fick's law of diffusion, while the existence of convection was disregarded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work aims at the bioinspired synthesis of SnO 2 NPs, labeled as SnO 2 (bio) NPs using S. edule fruit. A mechanistic route of synthesis of SnO 2 NPs from its inorganic precursor has been proposed herewith. Carbon paper decorated SnO 2 (bio) NPs and its calcined counterpart SnO 2 (bio)- 800 NPs (800 °C) were employed for electrochemical CO 2 reduction. Both SnO 2 (bio) NPs and SnO 2 (bio)- 800 NPs were active towards CO 2 to formate (HCOO−) as the single product, in the liquid phase of 0.5 M KHCO 3 aqueous electrolyte and the maximum faradaic efficiency reached to 75.6–84.0%, respectively for 1 h of the chronoamperometric test. The predominant crystalline (110) facet in SnO 2 (bio)- 800 NPs might have caused a significant boost in faradaic efficiency for formate formation. [Display omitted] • Development of a tunable bioinspired process of SnO 2 NPs synthesis. • Mechanism of formation of SnO 2 NPs mediated by plant-based analyte. • SnO 2 NPs electrocatalyzed CO 2 conversion to HCOO with high Faradaic efficiency. • Selective HCOO formation because of highly crystalline (110) facet in SnO 2 NPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Betula papyrifera trees were exposed to elevated concentrations of CO2 (1.4 × ambient), O3 (1.2 × ambient) or CO2 + O3 at the Aspen Free-air CO2 Enrichment Experiment. The treatment effects on leaf surface characteristics were studied after nine years of tree exposure. CO2 and O3 increased epidermal cell size and reduced epidermal cell density but leaf size was not altered. Stomatal density remained unaffected, but stomatal index increased under elevated CO2. Cuticular ridges and epicuticular wax crystallites were less evident under CO2 and CO2 + O3. The increase in amorphous deposits, particularly under CO2 + O3, was associated with the appearance of elongated plate crystallites in stomatal chambers. Increased proportions of alkyl esters resulted from increased esterification of fatty acids and alcohols under elevated CO2 + O3. The combination of elevated CO2 and O3 resulted in different responses than expected under exposure to CO2 or O3 alone. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Decarbonizing the building sector to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) is a complex issue that poses significant challenges to the scientific community. In this context, the current paper aims to assess the viability of employing incinerated by-products as a sustainable mineral resource to produce sustainable geopolymers. To this end, the study focuses on the formulation of geopolymer binders using fly ash with various proportions (ranging from 0 % to 50 %) of metakaolin (MK), investigating their physico-mechanical, microstructural analysis as well as their sealing capacity. The results indicate that incorporating 30 % MK not only preserves good workability but also significantly improves mechanical strength, ensuring long-term durability by increasing bulk density and concurrently reducing water absorption and harmful porosity. Moreover, the results of the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) demonstrated that the released contaminants remained within the regulatory limits established by the USEPA. The geopolymer binder developed exhibited a significant reduction of 77.23 % and 57.92 % in terms of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO 2 -e) emissions and energy demand compared to conventional cement. This study introduces a novel approach to promoting a circular economy within the building sector. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents and analyzes a finite volume scheme for a fully degenerate parabolic system modeling the compressible two-phase flow, such as water-gas, problem in porous media considering the effects of temperature. The problem is written in terms of the phase formulation, i.e. the saturation of one phase, the pressure of the second phase and the temperature are primary unknowns. We use a first-order time implicit Euler scheme. The spatial discretization uses a fully coupled fully implicit cell-centered two-point flux approximation scheme where upwinding of the flux across an interface between two control volumes is performed for each fluid phase. Under physically relevant assumptions on the data, we prove the maximum principle for both saturation and temperature. We obtain a priori estimates and we show that the discrete problem is well posed. Also, we exploit various a priori estimates as well as compactness arguments to establish the convergence of the numerical scheme toward the weak solution. The open-source platform DuMu X was employed for the implementation of the developed algorithm based on the above scheme. Numerical result are presented to demonstrate the efficiency of this scheme. The test addresses the evolution in 2D of CO 2 injection into a layered aquifer. The algorithm's convergence with first order is validated by our numerical results, which support the theoretical results. To our best knowledge, this is the first convergence result of a finite volume scheme in the case of nonisothermal immiscible compressible two-phase flow in porous media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Electroreduction of CO 2 to formate was performed. • Electrooxidation of glucose to formate was performed. • A membrane electrode assembly system that combines CO 2 electroreduction with glucose electrooxidation was presented. • Coupling of CO 2 electroreduction of with glucose electrooxidation generated formate with high efficiency. Electrocatalytic reduction of CO 2 (CO 2 ER) coupled with the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is an energy-intensive process that generates low-value oxygen, limiting its industrial application. To overcome this limitation, here we report a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) system that combines CO 2 ER with glucose electrooxidation (GEOR) to simultaneously produce formate using bismuth subcarbonate and carbon nanotube hybrid (BOC-CNT) and nickel cobalt oxide decorated on carbon fiber paper (NCO-CFP) as the cathode and anode catalysts, respectively. The BOC-CNT catalyst showed excellent electrocatalytic performance for CO 2 ER to formate, affording a high FE HCOO - of 97.9 % with current density of 360 mA cm−2 at −0.77 V vs. RHE (-580 mV overpotential), and the NCO-CFP catalyst achieved GEOR at 0.99 V (vs. RHE) with FE HCOO - >98 %. The coupled CO 2 ER//GEOR MEA exhibits a low onset cell voltage of 1.20 V and reaches ultrahigh apparent Faraday efficiency of formate (>190 %) in a wide range from 1.8 to 2.4 V, achieving ∼ 33.3 % energy savings compared to CO 2 ER//OER with a high formate yield of 0.92 mol g-1h−1 at 100 mA cm−2. Besides, all generated formate can be collected from the electrolyte on the anode side due to the spontaneous migration of formate under electric field, thus reducing cross-contamination from CO 2 and alkaline electrolytes. In addition, the coupled CO 2 ER//GEOR system exhibited good electrocatalytic stability for at least 32 h. This strategy provides an innovative and promising approach for the co-electrolytic transformation of biomass derivatives and CO 2 to formate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduction in the consumption of operational (primary) energy and emissions of harmful gases has recently become the focus of attention of the civil engineering sector. In this context, there is also emphasized the energy consumption and emission production values associated with the whole life cycle of the construction materials used, which is referred to as "bundled energy consumption" and "bundled emissions". This paper analyses the energy performance certificates in combination with the SBToolCZ methodology. Sustainability Building Tool is a methodology designed to assess the sustainability of buildings. This methodology is used to assess the environmental impact of buildings at different stages of their life cycle, such as production, operation and demolition of the building. The amount of carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide produced during the life cycle of buildings was determined by analysing and extending the building assessment data by the SBToolCZ methodology, which was subsequently valued and incorporated into the lifetime costs. The data from 17 case studies from the Czech environment were analysed. Taking these environmental impacts into account, valuing them and analysing the cash flows of investors and society shows the importance of paying increased attention to sustainable construction and reducing its negative impact on the environment and climate. Research data shows that 30% of the operating costs of buildings are the societal costs associated with CO 2,eqv. and SO 2,eqv. production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Reconstructed Cu/Cu 2 O(X) (X = I, Br, and Cl) catalysts were prepared for CO 2 RR. • Cu/Cu 2 O(I) shows good catalytic performance with a FE of 58% for C 2+. • Reconstructed Cu+ and Cu0 species are primarily responsible for the activity. It is particularly desirable for the development of carbon utilization technologies to synthesize multicarbon products (C 2+) from the electrochemical CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR). In this work, Cu/Cu 2 O(X) catalysts (where X = I, Br, Cl) for selective electroreduction of CO 2 to C 2+ were reconstructed via cyclic voltammetry on carbon paper. The Faradaic efficiency (FE) for C 2+ (C 2 H 4 , C 2 H 5 OH, C 3 H 8 OH) production over Cu/Cu 2 O(Cl), Cu/Cu 2 O(Br) and Cu/Cu 2 O(I) reached 31%, 34% and 58%, respectively, at a potential of −0.76 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). The Cu+ and Cu0 species obtained from the reconstruction of Cu/CuX are primarily responsible for the high C 2+ producing activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, many studies have assessed the carbon footprint of bovine milk production. However, due to the complexity of life cycle assessment, most studies have analyzed research farms or "representative" farms, which do not capture farm variability. Furthermore, the lack of consistency in most studies means that we can seldom compare the footprint between different countries. To address this issue, we performed a systematic review of the literature, removing inconsistencies in life cycle assessment papers, namely the functional unit, allocation to milk, and global warming potential. We analyzed papers that accounted for many farms to address the variability of production systems within the countries. We found 21 papers from 19 countries; footprint recalculations were necessary for 16 papers. New Zealand, Uruguay, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States had a footprint <1 kg of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO 2 e) per kilogram of fat- and protein-corrected milk, whereas 5 countries had a footprint >2 kg CO 2 e·kg−1 fat- and protein-corrected milk. The change in functional unit resulted in a small effect on the final footprint, whereas the global warming potential change was dependent in on the greenhouse gas profile for each country. Countries where milk is produced mainly as a pasture-based system had most of their footprint (>50%) associated with the emission of methane from enteric fermentation, whereas other countries (especially from Europe and North America) had a significant share of emissions from manure management, feed production, and fertilizer use. This different greenhouse gas profile allow decision makers to tailor mitigation options specific for each country. The choice of the allocation method had a strong influence in the final footprint. We suggest that for future studies, authors adhere to the International Dairy Federation guidelines. When this is not possible, we suggest a set of extra information to be reported, allowing recalculations as done in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reverse the trend of increasing carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions, the development of efficient and economical CO 2 trapping agents is an urgent necessity for the sustainable development of industry. In this paper, hierarchical porous hydroxyl aluminum oxide (AlOOH) hollow microspheres with controllable structure and morphology were prepared by conventional hydrothermal synthesis using malonic acid as a structure guiding agent. Then, potassium carbonate (K 2 CO 3) based adsorbents were prepared using AlOOH hollow microspheres as supports, and their CO 2 trapping performance was assessed by simulating industrial flue gas flow in a fixed bed. The results show that the loading of K 2 CO 3 , the pore structure, and the surface basic site of the adsorbent have a significant influence on the trapping performance of CO 2. Among the prepared K 2 CO 3 /AlOOH adsorbents, 30 wt% K 2 CO 3 /AlOOH adsorbent has the best CO 2 capture ability, which is about 2.15 times higher than that of K 2 CO 3 /C–Al 2 O 3 adsorbent prepared from commercial alumina (C–Al 2 O 3). There may be two explanations for this. Firstly, it may be due to the nanostructured shell and hierarchical porous structure of the adsorbent, which reduces the intra-particle diffusion resistance of CO 2 , and secondly, it may be due to the suitable surface basic sites of the adsorbent. In addition, the adsorbent was regenerated at 120 °C after trapping CO 2 , and then CO 2 was captured in a cycle. It was found that the CO 2 capture capability of the adsorbent did not decrease significantly after 10 cycles. In this work, an excellent technique for preparing porous honeycomb adsorbents with suitable surface basic sites has been devised, which provides a creative strategy for capturing and utilizing CO 2. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Effect of the operating parameters of a sweetening unit on CO 2 recovery efficiency has been studied and evaluated. • An equation relating the studied operating parameters and their interaction with CO 2 recovery efficiency was modeled. • Numerical optimization in Design Expert program is used to achieve the goal of maximizing CO 2 recovery efficiency. Amine processes are the advanced technology available today for the removal of carbon dioxide (CO 2) and hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) acid gases. Methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) is a well-known tertiary amine used selectively for the removal of carbon dioxide from natural gas. There are many parameters that can affect the efficiency of separating these acid gases from natural gas. In this paper, we have studied, modeled, and optimized different operating parameters of sour gas feed and MDEA solution which affect the CO 2 recovery efficiency from an existing sweetening unit. These operating parameters are the sour gas feed temperature and pressure, volume ratio (%) of carbon dioxide in the feed gas, amine inlet temperature, and amine circulation rate. Actual data were collected from an industrial CO 2 sweetening unit over one year. These data were used to study the effect of the studied operating parameters on the recovery efficiency of CO 2 from the sweetening unit. All studied operating parameters were found to have an impact on the recovery efficiency of the removed gases. A response surface methodology approach was used in Design-Expert software version 13 to model the relationship between considered operating parameters and CO 2 recovery efficiency. In addition, Design Expert numerical optimization has been used to maximize CO 2 recovery efficiency. The results showed that the optimal range of sour gas feed temperature is 34.71 to 45.56 °C, sour gas feed pressure is 8.32 to 10.04 barg, the volume ratio (%) of carbon dioxide in the sour gas feed is 8.51 to 10.15, the temperature of the amine is 38.03 to 43.96 °C, and the amine circulation rate is 788.39 to 1122.35 m3/h. The presented work can be considered as a guideline for increasing the recovery efficiency of CO 2 for both new and existing sweetening units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from wetlands have exacerbated global warming, attracting worldwide attention. However, the research process and development trends in this field remain unknown. Herein, 1865 papers related to wetlands GHG emissions published from January 2000 to December 2023 were selected, and CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used for bibliometric analysis to visually analyze the publications distribution, research authors, organizations and countries, core journal and keywords, and discussed the research progress, trends and hotspots in the fields. Over the past 24 years, the research has gone through three phases: the "embryonic" stage (2000–2006), the accumulation stage (2007–2014), and the acceleration stage (2015–2023). China has played a pivotal role in this domain, publishing the most papers and working closely with the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and Australia. In addition, this study synthesized 311 field observations from 123 publications to analyze the variability in GHG emissions and their driving factors in four different types of natural wetlands. The results suggested that the average carbon dioxide (CO 2), methane (CH 4), and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) fluxes in different wetlands were significantly different. River wetlands exhibited the highest GHG fluxes, while marsh wetlands demonstrated greater global warming potential (GWP). The average CO 2 , CH 4 and N 2 O fluxes were 60.41 mg m−2·h−1, 2.52 mg m−2·h−1 and 0.05 mg m−2·h−1, respectively. The GWP of Chinese natural wetlands was estimated as 648.72 Tg·CO 2 -eq·yr−1, and CH 4 contributed the largest warming effect, accounting for 57.43%. Correlation analysis showed that geographical location, climate factors, and soil conditions collectively regulated GHG emissions from wetlands. The findings provide a new perspective on sustainable wetland management and reducing GHG emissions. [Display omitted] • A 24-year bibliometric analysis of GHG emissions from wetlands was conducted. • The historical evolution and future trends in the field were summarized. • River wetlands exhibited the highest GHG fluxes. • GWP of China's wetlands was estimated to be 648.72 Tg·CO 2 -eq·yr−1. • CH 4 emissions contribute 57.43% to the GWP value in China's wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater resources are scarce globally, and the increase in carbon dioxide (CO 2) concentration leads to both a decrease in soil moisture and arid climate, further limiting agricultural production. Therefore, it is critical to achieve water efficiency in agriculture under elevated CO 2 concentration. A comprehensive analysis was conducted on the research topic of efficient agricultural water under elevated CO 2 concentration using bibliometric methods. The results show that the number of papers on this research has changed from an accumulation phase (1992–2005, 395) to a growth phase (2006–2023, 963). "Carbon dioxide", "water-stress", "growth", "photosynthesis", "yield", and other keywords have been the focus of past research in this area. Kimball BA and Ainsworth EA are the most influential authors in this area. Leakey's (2009) paper in "Experimental Botany" was the most contributing study, summarizing six lessons about the effects of CO 2 enrichment on the relationship among carbon, nitrogen, and water in plants. The United States and China were the most influential countries. Over time, research has shifted from an early focus on atmospheric CO 2 change itself to the response of crops to elevated CO 2 in agricultural production. The efficient crop production strategy under the interaction of environmental factors is becoming a hot spot for future research, and the emission and use of greenhouse gases, the improvement of crop quality, and the efficient guidance of models are also worth exploring. Overall, this study presents a quantitative analysis and comprehensive review of past research conducted on the effect of water and fertilizer on agricultural production under CO 2 enrichment. It also offers suggestions and expectations for future research on the hot spot direction of efficient crop production under climate change. • The continuous research attention is closely related to climate change caused by CO 2 enrichment. • The main research fields included CO 2 enrichment, water stress, crop growth and photosynthesis. • The co-citation analysis reveals broad research clusters in the literature. • The new research focus will be interactive climatic factors, greenhouse gas recycling, and modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work describes an experimental vacuum setup, designed for sintering of lunar regolith simulant materials, and its application to real-time characterization and identification of volatile species, resulting from in vacuo decomposition of the non-lunar components in the materials. We carried out a thorough experimental system characterization, highlighted critical aspects (temperature, pressure) with respect to regolith sintering, identified the volatile release / sample environment correlations, and postulated the need for high-vacuum capabilities in light of the high gas loads, generated by the simulants. We detailed the identification process of specific released gas species (H 2 O, NO, H 2 S, CO 2 , SO 2 , SO 3 , HCl, HF, etc.) using mass spectrometry, and advanced the use of them as markers for thermally activated processes, such as dehydration of hydrates, decomposition of major non-lunar phases (carbonates and sulfates) and lesser-represented components (nitrates, fluorides, chlorites, etc.). Quantification of individual decomposing phases is feasible within reason despite the inherent limitations of mass spectrometry. The methods, detailed in this paper, are intended for use in developing a better understanding of lunar regolith simulants with respect to sintering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To effectively mitigate climate change, policymakers worldwide established various GHG tracking and trading systems. In the light of ambitious climate goals, stricter regulations, and increasing demand for climate action, various groups such as researchers and governmental institutions suggested additional approaches. This paper addresses the complexity that arises from the breadth of suggested approaches and implemented systems for GHG tracking and trading. By doing so, it synthesizes relevant dimensions in a way that is understandable to enterprises and policymakers, enabling them to design meaningful systems incorporating the reduction of GHG emissions and advance cleaner production. Therefore, this paper presents a first-of-its-kind taxonomy of GHG tracking and trading approaches through a systematic literature review. It illustrates ten main design and implementation dimensions with 30 corresponding characteristics. To accelerate decarbonization, this paper sets impulses for future GHG tracking in the electricity sector based on semi-structured expert interviews. Consecutively, it provides policy directions for CO 2 -adaptive decision-making for enterprises, formulated as a Call for Action with seven prospective questions. These include, for example, questions concerning technical aspects like data management, legal issues like the sufficiency of existing data security and privacy regulations, as well as economic topics like the calculation of an appropriate local and temporal granularity. • Presenting a first-of-its-kind taxonomy of GHG tracking and trading approaches through a systematic literature review. • Creating targeted knowledge for enterprises and policymakers for designing meaningful systems to reduce GHG emissions. • Setting impulses for future GHG tracking in the electricity sector based on semi-structured expert interviews. • Providing policy directions for CO 2 -adaptive decision-making for enterprises, formulated as a Call for Action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a CaCO 3 /TiO 2 @SiO 2 composite pigment (CTS) was prepared by a carbonation reaction using a one-pot method. CTS can reduce the amount of rutile TiO 2 needed and improve the weatherability compared with TiO 2 and CaCO 3 /TiO 2 (CT). The performance test results showed that the composite pigment with 60% TiO 2 has a coating film contrast ratio of 91.05% of pure TiO 2 , and the oil absorption and whiteness values were also close to those of pure TiO 2 , indicating that the CTS has good pigment properties. The XPS and infrared results showed that the bonding of CaCO 3 , TiO 2 , and SiO 2 occurred at the interface. The tight bonding of the three substances was realized through a dehydroxylation reaction on the surface. In addition, the SiO 2 layer weaken the photocurrent response of TiO 2 in the CTS and reduced the UV absorption of the composite pigment, which slowed the degradation rate of rhodamine B in the composite pigment coatings; thus, the CTS exhibits excellent weatherability performance in coating applications. [Display omitted] • Novel weatherability pigments are prepared using very simple processes. • The amount of pigment TiO 2 is reduced, which lowers the cost of the pigment. • The use of actual coatings was simulated to demonstrate the feasibility of weatherability in their application. • The reaction consumes the greenhouse gas CO 2 , which is a green preparation method. • This paper provides a solution for pigments that have poor weatherability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been a notable surge in focus on the mitigation of carbon emissions, mostly motivated by the urgent concern about global warming and its adverse impacts on the Earth's climate. Power-to-gas (PtG) systems have emerged as a promising technological solution in the pursuit of mitigating carbon emissions. This paper presents a mathematical modeling framework that aims to accurately represent the power-to-gas system integrated with wind power plants while taking into account the technological constraints of the system in practical scenarios. To analyze the proposed system under the stresses, worst situations caused by existing uncertain parameters, especially wind power, is modeled using a risk modeling technique called downside risk constraints (DRC). The DRC endeavors to mitigate the likelihood of situations resulting in significant stresses by incorporating an expected downside risk into the proposed framework. This paper will provide a number of conservative tactics to be employed in the decision-making process under the realizations of uncertainties. These tactics, including strategic operational control strategies, provide a structured approach for decision-making under uncertain conditions. By incorporating downside risk constraints, the framework enables conservative decision-making that prioritizes mitigating potential losses and minimizing the operational risk within scheduling horizon of proposed PtG facility. The findings demonstrate that the implementation of PtG technology has the potential to yield a substantial reduction in external energy consumption, namely by 39.1 %. Additionally, it has been seen that PtG may effectively mitigate carbon emissions, resulting in a decrease of 38.9 %. The utilization of PtG technology and gas storage will result in a substantial reduction in wind curtailment, ultimately leading to a near elimination of curtailment. Further study is conducted on the model in order to explore the benefits of carbon and methane storage, as supported by the results obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermochemical conversion of CO 2 with biomass to CO in fluidized bed gasifiers is promising for a sustainable carbon economy. Knowledge about this process is expanded by investigating experimental parameters influencing CO 2 conversion in such a system and combining them to demonstrate effective conversion. Wood char and CO 2 are fed to a lab-scale gasifier in 53 semi-continuous experiments. Six experimental parameters are varied: temperature, bed material type, initial bed-to-fuel ratio, initial fuel loading in the reactor, feed CO 2 flow rate, and fuel particle size. The results are compiled in a semi-empirical model based on reaction kinetics. High temperatures and high fuel-gas contact times are favorable for increasing CO 2 conversion, with the latter achieved through high initial fuel loadings in the reactor and low feed gas flow rates. Choosing olivine instead of silica sand as a bed material also results in higher CO 2 conversions. The highest CO 2 conversion demonstrated in this paper is 86.1%. This experiment produces a gas with 82.75% CO, 10.01% H 2, and 5.90% CO 2 (nitrogen-free and dry). [Display omitted] • CO 2 gasification is demonstrated to convert 86% of CO 2 in a fluidized bed reactor. • Temperature and contact time of CO 2 and biomass strongly influence conversion. • This paper includes 53 experiments and a semi-empirical model for CO 2 conversion. • CO 2 conversion is investigated at low biomass conversions (differential reactor). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a simple approach consisting in the use of a coating layer on a commercial SOFC in order to increase its fuel flexibility. Using the same CO 2 -laser-cut cell, we compared the I–V curves and impedance spectra (EIS) of four experiments. Three different ceramics (NiCu-CGO, NiFe-CGO, and NiCo-CGO) were evaluated as protective layers for cells fed with dry biogas or bioethanol, with the goal of determining which layer would be most promising. Electrochemical experiments revealed that an additional layer adds resistance to the cell, which negatively affects its performance. A slight decrease in maximum performance was observed when the coated cells were fed H 2. However, power density was not significantly different from the bare cell at potentials between 0.7 and 0.8 V, which provide a trade-off between performance and voltage efficiency. Additionally, such an approach improved the effectiveness of cells in using simulated biogas and ethanol as demonstrated by I–V curves and EIS analysis. As shown in the test results, NiCo-CGO provided the highest power density of 0.56 W cm−2 at 0.6 V. However, all the cells with protective layers performed significantly better than the bare cell in the dry biofuel tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper studies the pathways of phase transformation of heterophasic nanopowder (NP) Bi 2 O 3 produced by pulsed electron beam evaporation (PEBE) in vacuum (4 Pa) when annealing in air. The phase transformation after annealing in air of heterophase bismuth oxide NPs leads to the formation of bismuth carbonate at an annealing temperature of 200–300 °C. The effect of NP aging in storage under normal conditions was investigated. [Display omitted] • The heterophase amorphous-crystalline NP Bi 2 O 3 was obtained by means of PEBE. • (α + β + amorph) → 200 0 c (β + Bi 2 O 2 CO 2) → 300 0 c (α+β + Bi 2 O 2 CO 2) → 500 0 c (α) → 750 0 c (γ+α). • The effect of aging of the samples during their storage under normal conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • First comprehensive overview on low temperature CO 2 methanation. • Overview on CO 2 methanation fundamentals, catalysts and reactor technologies. • Identified challenges and opportunities in each of the areas reviewed. • A critical process simulation result for low temperature CO 2 methanation. CO 2 utilization technologies can not only provide a pathway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but may also enable renewable energy to be incorporated into important materials used in the society such as fuel and chemicals. Power to gas (PtG) technologies, especially Power to methane has been deemed as one of the promising pathways for the conversion of CO 2 into valuable gaseous fuel. Many reports have reviewed the academic literature related to CO 2 methanation. While the benefits of high temperature methanation for overall process efficiency are well understood, the potential for low-temperature methanation is less understood. In particular the opportunities that arise from coupling a low-temperature methanation process with low temperature hydrogen production technologies, such as PEM electrolysis, have received little attention. It is therefore considered valuable to provide a critical review of the state of the art of this technology at low temperature conditions for the interests of broader research community. In this paper we focus on the recent work around low temperature CO 2 methanation including reaction thermodynamics and kinetics, catalyst materials including supports and promoters, and suitable reactor technologies. We discuss each of these critical aspects of the technology and identify key challenges and opportunities for low temperature CO 2 methanation (methanation conducted at temperatures less than 300 °C). As part of this paper, we also present the results of an ASPEN Plus simulation study based on data available from the literature to highlight the potential energy efficiency gains of a low temperature methanation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TOC The visocisty of CO 2 and the spatial distribution function of two oxygen containing groups on PVAEE. [Display omitted] • With the increasing of PVAEE, the viscosity of CO 2 also increases, indicating that the addition of PVAEE can improve the thickening efficiency. • PVAEE will gradually curl and aggregate under the effect of electrostatic potential energy, forming a certain network structure. • We also found that CO 2 molecules tend to be circularly distributed around the methyl (CH 3) groups on the VAc and VEE groups. • VDW potential interaction energy is the main driving force. This paper performed molecular dynamics simulation to calculate the effect of poly (vinyl acetate-vinyl ether) (PVAEE) on the viscosity of CO 2 and its thickening mechanism. The main conclusions are as follows: i) With the increasing of PVAEE, the viscosity of CO 2 also increases, indicating that the addition of PVAEE can improve the thickening efficiency. VDW potential interaction energy is the main driving force. ii) PVAEE will gradually curl and aggregate under the effect of electrostatic potential energy, forming a certain network structure. The curled PVAEE chains can increase the rigidity and viscosity of the system. iii) Through studying the properties of the Vinyl Acetate (VAc) and Vinyl Ether (VEE) groups under salt ions environment, we found that VAc groups on PVAEE can bind more CO 2 and increase viscosity significantly than VEE groups. iiii) Moreover, we also found that CO 2 molecules tend to be circularly distributed around the methyl (CH 3) groups on the VAc and VEE groups. While Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions tend to be distributed around O atoms of them. Based on the conclusions above, this paper can provide selection and assistance for the synthesis of better CO 2 thickeners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flow control is essential in high-pressure CO 2 systems. Flow regulators are widely used for flow adjustment in piping systems. In this paper, a novel combinational flow regulator is proposed, which contains four parallel branch channels, and each channel is arranged with a solenoid valve and an orifice plate. In order to analyze the internal flow characteristics of high-pressure CO 2 and flow adjustment performance of the proposed flow regulator, a numerical model of the regulator is established, and the validation of numerical model is verified by experimental results. Then, the pressure and velocity characteristics are studied numerically. Finally, the flow adjustment performance is investigated numerically and experimentally from three aspects: variation of flow rate with differential pressure, variation of the product of flow coefficient and throttling area, and dynamic variations of pressure, temperature and flow rate of the flow regulator. This paper serves as a valuable reference for researchers utilizing flow regulators to adjust the flow rate of CO 2 or other fluids. • Numerical model of a novel flow regulator is established, verified by experiments. • Pressure and velocity characteristics are discussed, CO 2 as working medium. • Variation of flow rate with differential pressure and flow area is analyzed. • Dynamic working situation of the regulator is investigated by experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dioxide capture by ammonia is considered one of the promising technologies for emission control in cement plants. This paper focuses on the experimental investigation of the factors affecting the chemical absorption process of carbon dioxide by ammonium hydroxide solution. The factors include ammonia concentration below 14%, reaction temperature below 20 °C and reaction time 30 min as the optimum parameters. The paper also highlights the economic and practical aspects to be taken into consideration when applying this technology to cement plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A new arrangement of a single flash geothermal power plant with a transcritical carbon dioxide recovery cycle is presented. • Energy analysis and exergy have been performed for both BASIC and recovery performance modes. • The results show that the proposed system in the recovery mode with a net power of 401.40 kW, energy efficiency of 53.6%, and exergy efficiency of 46.32% has been calculated. • Compared to the basic operating mode, the total output values of energy, energy efficiency and exergy efficiency show an increase of 149.9 kW, 2.39% and 12.12%, respectively. The use of new energy sources, such as geothermal energy, is rapidly expanding worldwide, and it is a viable alternative to fossil fuels. This paper proposes a geothermal power generation system (combined single flash geothermal cycle with transcritical carbon dioxide recovery cycle). To improve system performance, a recuperator is used to recover some of the heat loss. The proposed system simulation is performed in EES software and then validated by previous research. The proposed system is analyzed from the perspective of energy and exergy. The effects of the proposed system separator pressure, carbon dioxide turbine inlet pressure and carbon dioxide condenser outlet temperature on energy efficiency, exergy efficiency and system net power output have been investigated. Findings show that the proposed system in recovery mode has a net power output of 401.40 kW, energy efficiency of 53.6 percent, and exergy efficiency of 46.32 percent, which are significantly higher than the basic mode's values of 149.9 kW, 2.39 percent, and 12.12 percent, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring the CO 2 concentration is the base of carbon accounting which aims to abate the greenhouse gas emission. This paper pays attention to developing sensitive material for CO 2 detection in vehicle exhaust. For this purpose, La 1-x FeO 3-δ nanoparticles with A-site deficiency were synthesized by flame spray pyrolysis (FSP). The dynamic response of the prototype CO 2 sensors was evaluated by checking the gas-mixture with 5%–15% CO 2. It was observed that the amount of A-site deficiency would obviously affect the performance of the material. La 0.95 FeO 3-δ sensor exhibits the highest response (S = 3.38) and a relatively short response time (t 90 = 114s) among the serial La 1-x FeO 3-δ sensors (x = 0, 0.02, 0.05, 0.07 and 0.1). The improvement of the response might be attributed to the increase of oxygen vacancies and the higher valence of B-site cations caused by the introduction of A-site deficiency. Furthermore, the sensor exhibited good selectivity against NH 3 , NO, NO 2 and CO, as well as good repeatability. However, water vapor is still a disturbance in the response. The response at 40% RH and 80% RH are 2.11 and 1.73, respectively. Finally, the sensing mechanism based on the participation of the oxygen vacancies was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

John Francis Nunn (1925–2022) was an anaesthetist and clinical scientist who used his incomprehension of the science of anaesthesia in his early career to guide an extensive lifetime of innovative research. His interests outside of medicine led to him developing renowned expertise in such diverse areas as Egyptian hieroglyphs and the origins of the Earth's atmosphere. He was an outstanding communicator, writing four books alongside an impressive number of papers covering diverse topics from cell biology to history. His greatest contribution is in the understanding of respiratory physiology during anaesthesia which continues to underpin current routine anaesthetic practice and patient safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The boom of renewable energy has been overshadowed by two problems: the intermittency and volatility of such energy. Largescale complementary energy storage has been required to solve these problems. This paper proposes a compressed CO 2 energy storage system in aquifer (CCES-A), aiming to storage energy efficiently at a low cost. Firstly, the feasibility of compressing CO 2 in the aquifer had been proved through numerical simulation, and the CO 2 compression in the aquifer had been emulated by a wellbore-reservoir coupling model. The operation of the CCES-A had been divided into the establishment stage of the initial airbag, and the cyclic stage of energy storage and release. The proposed wellbore-reservoir coupling model had been applied to analyze the wellhead pressure, energy flow and energy recovery rate of weekly, monthly, and seasonal cycles, as well as the energy recovery efficiency at different injection temperatures. The simulation results showed that under the three cycles, the wellhead pressure increased with the number of cycles. The energy flow and energy recovery efficiency decreased with the growing the number of cycles. The energy recovery became more efficient with the rise of the injection temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the synthesis of Ce-substituted Y-type barium hexaferrites (Co 2 –Y) {Ba 2 Co 2 Fe 12-x Ce x O 22 (0 ≤ x ≥ 0.30)} through the sol-gel auto-combustion route and its suitability as a heterogeneous catalyst for the reduction of nitroaromatic-compounds, one of the significant water contaminants. The synthesized nanocrystalline hexaferrite powders were characterized using XRD, FTIR, BET, SEM, and VSM. Furthermore, the catalytic functioning of the Co 2 –Y hexaferrite powder was evaluated based on the isolated yield of aniline in the reaction product through column chromatography. It was found that 100 mg pure Co 2 –Y hexaferrite samples could provide complete conversion of nitrobenzene and 65% selectivity of aniline within the water as a solvent and two mmol of reducing agent, hydrated hydrazine (N 2 H 2.H 2 O), at 100 °C for 12 h. The influence of Ce substitution at the iron site for the aniline selectivity was also investigated in optimized situations. In comparison with pure Co 2 –Y hexaferrite, the catalytic efficiency was considerably enriched in all substituted samples and obtained its extreme performance (73% selectivity of aniline) with Ba 2 Co 2 Fe 11.80 Ce 0.20 O 22 ferrite. The enriched performance was explained with the help of surface chemistry using the XPS & BET analysis for these samples. The as-prepared catalysts were magnetically-separable and recycled for five subsequent trials without any significant losses of catalytic performance. This catalyst may be convenient to be adopted for industrial applications due to its ease of synthesis, extraordinary stability, superior catalytic competence, and cost-effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater bodies are found as significant sources of greenhouse gas to the atmosphere, but their quantitative significance is not yet clear. The rapid increase in hydropower dams and associated emissions has received much attention from hydropower industries, environmentalists, and policymakers from across the globe. The tropical/subtropical eco-regions are, particularly, considered as hotspots from greenhouse gas production point of view as the emitted gases are playing a critical role in climate change. The present paper reviews the uncertainty and limitations of greenhouse gas measurement from Chinese freshwater bodies based on available data. Literature reported that carbon dioxide emission from Chinese lakes falls in the range of 0.01–2.16 μmol m−2s−1 except for Poyang Lake. The CO 2 emission from Chinese hydropower reservoirs is estimated as 0.15–1.11, while for rivers, it is 0.44–4.12 μmol m−2s−1. The methane and nitrous oxide emissions are, however, found less than carbon dioxide emission. The CO 2 emission falls in the range of −0.17–0.54 and 1.08–1.70, respectively higher than global lakes and rivers, while the global reservoirs have emission in the range of −0.17–2.98 μmol m−2s−1. The paper also reports the challenges in the estimation and prediction of greenhouse gas emissions from hydropower reservoirs along with suggested mitigation measures. Image 10945 • GHG emissions have been limited by data availability and inconsistencies in methodological approach. • Investigate uncertainty and limitation of GHG measurement. • Literature reveals CO 2 emission from Chinese rivers is twice than lakes and four times than hydropower reservoirs. • CH 4 and N 2 O emissions are however found less than CO 2 emission. • Suggested mitigation measures to minimize the impact of GHG on climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper considers the control of CO 2 transcritical and subcritical systems. • A model-free real-time optimization approach (i.e. Extremum Seeking Control) is used. • Thanks to the availability of a test rig, two case studies are investigated: a refrigeration system and a heat pump unit. • The performances of the ESC have been compared with those provided by the Liao's correlation, which is well-known in the literature. In this paper, the energy-efficient operation of single-stage refrigerating carbon dioxide vapour compressor units operating in transcritical and subcritical conditions is discussed from an experimental point of view. The performance of this kind of systems strongly depends on the operating conditions and in particular on the vapour compression cycle (VCC) high pressure. Because of the limited knowledge of certain system parameters and the difficulty of developing and implementing effective model-based control strategies, the problem of determining the optimal value for the VCC high pressure that leads to the maximum system performance is here faced by means of a model-free approach. More specifically, an Extremum Seeking Control (ESC) scheme, which can search for the unknown or slowly varying optimum input with respect to a certain performance index, is adopted. In particular, thanks to the availability of an unusual test rig, different CO 2 system configurations, i.e. a refrigeration system and a heat pump unit, have been tested. In this scenario, the performances of the ESC have been compared with those provided by the Liao's correlation, which is well-known in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]