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Polylactic acid (PLA), derived from renewable resources, has the advantages of rigidity, thermoplasticity, biocompatibility, and biodegradability, and is widely used in many fields such as packaging, agriculture, and biomedicine. The excellent processability properties allow for melt processing treatments such as extrusion, injection molding, blow molding, and thermoforming in the preparation of PLA‐based materials. However, the low toughness and poor thermal stability of PLA limit its practical applications. Compared with pure PLA, conditions such as processing technology, filler, and crystallinity affect the mechanical properties of PLA‐based materials, including tensile strength, Young's modulus, and elongation at break. This review systematically summarizes various technical parameters for melt processing of PLA‐based materials and further discusses the mechanical properties of PLA homopolymers, filler‐reinforced PLA‐based composites, PLA‐based multiphase composites, and reactive composite strategies for PLA‐based composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Explosives & Propellants is the property of Chinese Journal of Explosives & Propellants Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Grapes are widely consumed worldwide in various forms, including fresh and dried, or processed into products like juice, vinegar, wine, and so on. Anthocyanins, mainly found in grapes, are responsible for various health-promoting effects and contribute to their colours such as red, purple, and blue. Although grapes contain a high quantity of anthocyanins, their bioavailability is considered limited. Anthocyanins may be absorbed by the gastrointestinal wall, undergo intensive first-pass metabolism, and emerge as metabolites in systemic circulation. A significant percentage of some anthocyanins can enter the large intestine and undergo breakdown induced by digestive system microorganisms. Several factors, such as pH, temperature, light, and solvents, can affect anthocyanin bioavailability, and processing grapes into products may impact their bioavailability. Considering the high market share of grapes and grape products, it is important to understand the effects of processing on anthocyanin bioavailability. This review discusses changes in the bioavailability of anthocyanins found in grapes and grape products during food processing, the effect of extraction conditions on bioavailability, as well as the health-promoting effects of grapes and grape products.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of the application of different freeze-drying conditions on the process's kinetics and the sorption properties of dried apples. Slices of apples were frozen and subjected to a freezing-drying process with different combinations of shelf temperature (−20, 10, 20, and 30 °C) and pressure (37, 63, 103, and 165 Pa). During the freeze-drying, the temperature in the centre of the material was recorded. The moisture content in the dried material and changes in the water content in dried apples stored at a humidity of 75.3% were obtained. The Midilli et al. model was used to describe the drying kinetics of the freeze-drying with a good fit. Drying time increased from 660 (variant with a constant shelf temperature of 30 °C, pressure 63 Pa) to 1305 min (variants with temperatures −20:10:20:30 °C, pressure 63 Pa). For this reason, the most favourable experimental parameters were a temperature of 30 °C and a pressure of 63 Pa. However, applying these parameters caused higher absorption of water vapour during storage. Therefore, the selection of freeze-drying parameters should also be related to the expected properties of the final product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grapes are widely consumed worldwide in various forms, including fresh and dried, or processed into products like juice, vinegar, wine, and so on. Anthocyanins, mainly found in grapes, are responsible for various healthpromoting effects and contribute to their colours such as red, purple, and blue. Although grapes contain a high quantity of anthocyanins, their bioavailability is considered limited. Anthocyanins may be absorbed by the gastrointestinal wall, undergo intensive first-pass metabolism, and emerge as metabolites in systemic circulation. A significant percentage of some anthocyanins can enter the large intestine and undergo breakdown induced by digestive system microorganisms. Several factors, such as pH, temperature, light, and solvents, can affect anthocyanin bioavailability, and processing grapes into products may impact their bioavailability. Considering the high market share of grapes and grape products, it is important to understand the effects of processing on anthocyanin bioavailability. This review discusses changes in the bioavailability of anthocyanins found in grapes and grape products during food processing, the effect of extraction conditions on bioavailability, as well as the healthpromoting effects of grapes and grape products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrolytic copper foils are functional basic raw material in the electronics manufacturing industry. Due to different electrolytic process conditions (such as types of additives, current density, electrodeposition time, etc.), different microstructures will be formed during the raw foil manufacturing process, such as grain size, morphology, twinning, and texture. These microstructures are closely related to the performance of the electrolytic copper foil (ECF). Texture is one key aspect among them, as it affects various properties of ECF to a certain extent, including tensile strength, elongation, and hardness. Therefore, texture is receiving increasing research attention. This article reviews recent studies on the texture of ECF, analyzes the influence of electrolytic process conditions on the formation of texture, and explores the intrinsic relationship between texture and the mechanical properties of ECF. It also provides an outlook on the mechanisms for the study of ECF texture and its future development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Storage & Process is the property of Tianjin Academy of Agricultural Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Guangxi Normal University - Natural Science Edition is the property of Gai Kan Bian Wei Hui and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

• Long hydraulic retention time ensured stable carboxylate production. • Microbial robustness mediated stable performance against pH oscillations. • 20 d of retention time was identified as an upper threshold of process efficiency. • Metabolic redundancy is key for a robust microbiome development. The effect of operational conditions on the stability of acidogenic fermentation (AF) devoted to volatile fatty acids (VFAs) production still presents numerous gaps to achieve high yields and fully understand the responses of open microbiomes associated to this technology. To cope with that, this investigation was designed to assess the stability of VFAs production via AF of agro-food wastes at high hydraulic retention times (HRTs) (20 and 30 d) and pH oscillations (5.8–6.2). Similar bioconversion efficiencies (∼50 %) were reached regardless of the HRT, revealing that HRT of 20 d can be considered as a threshold from which, no further improvement was achieved. The combination of long HRTs, 25 °C and acid pHs promoted a robust microbiome that resulted in a stable outcome against pH variations, being Clostridiales order identified as key player of AF stability. These conditions mediated a high selectivity in the VFAs production profile, with acetic and butyric acids, prevailing in the VFAs pool (∼80 % of total VFAs) at HRT 20 d. The selection of appropriated conditions was shown to be critical to maximize the hydrolysis and acidogenesis of the substrate and attain a stable effluent against pH oscillations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a promising technology for renewable energy production from organic waste. In order to maximize the produced biogas quantity and quality, this paper deals with the optimization of the AD process in a CSTR bioreactor of a full-scale biogas plant. For this purpose, a novel approach was adopted coupling, a highly complex BioModel for AD simulation, and a gradient-based optimization method. In order to improve AD performance, the dosages of various types of biological additives, the dosages of inorganic additives, and the temperature in the bioreactor were optimized in three different scenarios. The best biogas quality was obtained using multi-objective optimization, where the objective function involves the following two conflicting objectives: the maximization of biogas production and minimization of the needed heating energy. The obtained results show that, potentially, the content of C H 4 can be increased by 11%, while the contents of H 2 , H 2 S , and N H 3 can be reduced by 30%, 20%, and 81% when comparing the simulation results with the experimental data. The obtained results confirm the usefulness of the proposed approach, which can easily be adapted or upgraded for other bioreactor types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of China Forest Products Industry is the property of China Forest Products Industry Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Carbon fibre-reinforced plastics (CFRPs) are increasingly widely used in aerospace, automotive, energy and weapon equipment industries. It is inevitable to consider the connection process between CFRPs and traditional metal materials (such as steel and aluminium alloy). In this paper, a new one-time hot pressing method to prepare CFRPs and aluminium alloy hetero-structure bonding joint was first proposed to shorten the process chain. Then, the effects of different combinations of forming temperature and pressure on the properties of the structure were systematically investigated through shear strength tests and short-beam three-point bending experiments. And the range analysis and analysis of variance were used to analyze the effects of forming temperature and pressure on the formability and forming performances of the hetero-structures. It is found that it is feasible to manufacture the hetero-structure bonding joint between CFRPs and aluminium alloy by using hot pressing one-time forming process, and 400 °C, 0.4 MPa might be used as the best one-step forming process conditions for the CFRPs and aluminium alloy hetero-structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Food Safety & Quality is the property of Journal of Food Safety & Quality Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this work, a model sensitive to changes of process parameters such as temperature, air velocity, air initial relative humidity, and wet material layer thickness has been developed and verified by two different experimental methods. A laboratory convective batch dryer was used to measure drying behavior of 11 types of products at various process conditions to determine the model parameters. An independent solar drying system was used to experimentally verify the model. The model can predict drying kinetics at any point within a defined range of process conditions: model parameters were determined for temperature range of 40-50 °C, air velocity of 0.6-1.2 m/s, initial air relative humidity of 27-45%, and layer thickness of 4-12 mm. However, the model was verified also for extrapolated air velocity and humidity with good agreement between experimental and model data despite the use of a different independent experimental system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Light olefins production greatly influenced by the process conditions. In the present work Al2O3 supported Co‐Ni nanocatalysts were evaluated for production of light olefins. Incipient wetness impregnation procedure was used for catalyst synthesis. Catalysts were characterized for determining the physicochemical properties using various techniques of XRD, SEM, EDS, H2‐TPR, TPD, TEM, XPS, TGA, DSC, FT‐IR, and BET. The influence of process conditions (Pressure, Temperature and H2/CO inlet feed molar ratio) was investigated on the catalytic performance of Co‐Ni/γAl2O3 nanocatalyst toward lower olefins. Temperature, pressure, and feed ratio factors were changed in wide ranges of 250–450 °C, 1–12 bar, and 1–4 respectively. The Response Surface Methodology (RSM) method was employed for modeling and optimization. RESULTS: The optimum process conditions were obtained using the RSM method (T = 383 °C, P = 4 bar, and H2/CO = 1.92). The highest selectivity of light olefinic products and conversion of carbon monoxide and the lowest selectivity toward methane were obtained concurrently under the optimized conditions with desirability of 0.896. CONCLUSION: The impact of inlet feed ratio, temperature, and pressure factors was investigated and it was found that the performance of the catalyst greatly depends on the operational parameters. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim was optimization of sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) drying process conditions with RSM to obtain high quality product is very vital as improper drying conditions can affect the composition of the dried sweet potatoes and thereby increases the risk of running into deterioration of the nutrient contents of the product and loss. Matured sweet potatoes were processed by washing, peeling and cut into required size. Samples obtained were dried in triplicate using DHG-9101 laboratory drying oven at different temperatures of 60, 65, and 70°C and time of 480, 540 and 600 minutes at thickness size of 4, 5 and 6 mm by employing Design of Experiment (DOE). Statistical analysis based on central composite design was carried out. The significant factors were identified. The optimum conditions obtained were at a temperature of 60°C, time of 480 minutes and thickness of 4 mm which resulted in final moisture content of 13.96%. From these results obtained, the use of response surface methodology in drying operation for optimizing sweet potatoes could be used. For further research, higher temperatures at lower drying time could be implemented. Also, other drying methods such as freeze drying and osmotic drying can be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of copper hydrometallurgy is to produce high-quality cathode copper with the lowest energy consumption and the highest current efficiency. How to achieve this objective has become the focus of research. The anode material significantly influences the anode overpotential, current efficiency and cathode copper quality. Therefore, developing energy-saving anodes holds great practical significance for the copper electrowinning industry. The introduction of alloying element such as Ag, Ca, Co and Re into the lead alloy anode can enhance the mechanical strength of lead alloy, inhibit lead dissolution, and improve its electrocatalytic activity and corrosion resistance; the fabrication of composite anodes with active layers such as β-PbO2, IrO2-Ta2O5, TiB2/β-PbO2 and Co3O4 on conductive substrates, which possess excellent conductivity and catalytic activity, can enhance the anode’s corrosion resistance and reduce the oxygen evolution overpotential; it is found that graphite, lead with a three-dimensional structure and the PANI/Co3O4 composite can enhance both the active specific surface area and current efficiency of anode. By adjusting the copper acid ratio in the electrolyte from 0.25 to 0.30, and adding guar gum, thiourea and Co2+, the performance of the anode can be enhanced and the quality of the cathode copper can be improved. Furthermore, optimizing process conditions such as the temperature of the electrolyte and electrode spacing can also impact the anode’s lifespan and catalytic activity. In this paper, energy-saving measures for hydrometallurgical copper refining were mainly introduced from three aspects: the development of oxygen-evolving anodes, adjustments to the solution system, and optimization of process parameters. Finally, the future development direction of energy-saving in copper electrowinning was discussed.

Copyright of China Condiment is the property of China Condiment and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective The cracking feedstock and the process conditions are optimized for producing more propylene from naphtha resources. Methods The cracking feedstock and the yield of propylene in the cracking product of naphtha from six different producing areas under different process conditions were compared and analyzed by using the bench scale pyrolysis apparatus（BSPA） of KBR company. Results Urumqi Petrochemical company naphtha has the highest yield of propylene, which is 16.19%. Compared with the raw material composition, it also has the highest mass fraction of isoalkanes, which is 52.58%. Under the conditions of residence time 100 ms, water-oil mass ratio 0.6 and cracking temperature 860 ℃, the propylene yield of naphtha in No.2 tank farm of Lanzhou Petrochemical company is 15.50%. Conclusions The naphtha with high quality fraction of isoalkane may produce more propylene. At the same time, under the premise of not pursuing the maximum yield of ethylene and propylene, relatively low cracking temperature and high water-oil mass ratio are conducive to the improvement of the yield of propylene. According to the economic benefit estimation results of naphtha from different producing areas, it is found that in the selection of naphtha cracking feedstock for productive propylene, factors such as the yield of ethylene, propylene and butadiene, energy consumption, market price of olefin, and coking problem should be combined in order to obtain the maximum economic benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver nanowires (AgNO3) with high aspect ratio are highly desirable for its downstream applications. Increasing the concentration of AgNO3 for synthesizing the AgNWs can improve the production efficiency, but ad ding the difficulty in morphology controlling of the products at the same time. Herein, elaborate morphology tuning of the AgNWs prepared in the high-concent ration AgNO3 solutions were realized. Specifically, the optimized conditions, including the types of ion additives (Fe+ and Cl-), molecular weight of polyethylene pyrrolidone (PVP) and the first-step AgNOs concentration as well as the addition rate of AgNOs, were obtained by systematically exploring their effects on the size of obtained AgNWs. The optimized conditions contribute to preparation of AgNWs with diameter and length being 71.0 nm and 62.3/im respectively, corresponding to the highest aspect ratio of 877.3. The SEM images and UV-vis spectrophotometer results show that the synergy of Fe3+ and Cl- determines the generation of AgNWs with high aspect ratio. Also, the optimizations of the PVP molecular weight and the first-step concentration of AgNOs as well as its addition rate can further improve the aspect ratio of the AgNWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Herein, some quality characteristics (water content, pH, antioxidant activity and sugar contents) of fresh garlic (Taşköprü, Türkiye) and black garlic, which were produced under various ageing temperatures (60 °C, 70 °C and 80 °C) and durations (30, 45 and 60 days), and the effect of ageing processes on these quality characteristics were determined. The ageing process caused a reduction (P < 0.01) in the water content and pH value of the samples, while enhanced (P < 0.01) antioxidant activity and increased (P < 0.01) the content of glucose, fructose, sucrose and reducing sugar. Both the water content and pH value of the black garlic declined significantly with increasing ageing temperature, while only pH value of the black garlic declined significantly with increasing ageing duration. Ageing samples at 60 °C and 70 °C exhibited higher antioxidant activity than those aged at 80 °C, which had similar activity to the fresh samples. A similar status was observed when the ageing temperature was prolonged to 60 days. Sucrose concentration of the black garlic samples raised with elevating the ageing temperature and declined with prolonging the duration. While a remarkable decline in the reducing sugars of the black garlic samples was observed with elevating the ageing temperature, the maximum concentration was recorded on the 45th day of the ageing process. However, the black garlic samples produced at 60 °C for 60 days or 70 °C for 30 days could be recommended to get a final product with good antioxidant capacity, adequate amount of free sugars, pH value and water content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the application o£ pervaporation technology in high salinity wastewater treatment. The effects of wastewater composition, feed water temperature, osmotic vacuum, wastewater flow state and membrane materials, are mainly discussed・ Based on the previous work, the feasibility of applying pervaporation technology to the treatment of high salinity wastewater is discussed・ The pervaporation technology is expected to become one of the important technology choices in the zero discharge of wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The comparison of ion concentrations, pH index, and conductivity in distilled and ground water after exposure to low-temperature plasma formed by barrier and bubble discharges is performed. It has been found that in the case of groundwater, the best performance for the production of NO3− anions is provided by the discharge inside the gas bubbles. For distilled water, the barrier discharge in air, followed by saturation of water with plasma products, is the most suitable from this point of view. In both treatments, the maximum energy input into the stock solution is ensured. After 10 min treatment of ground water, the pH index increases and then it decreases. The obtained numerical indicators make it possible to understand in which tasks the indicated treatment modes should be used, their comparative advantages, and disadvantages. From the point of view of energy consumption for obtaining approximately equal (in order of magnitude) amounts of NO3− anions, both types of discharge treatment are suitable. The research results point to a fairly simple way to convert salts (calcium carbonates) from an insoluble form to soluble one. Namely, when interacting with NO3− anions, insoluble carbonates pass into soluble nitrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-centrifugal sugar (NCS) is an alternate sweetener produced without subjecting the sugar cane juice to centrifugal action. The quality of the NCS is greatly governed by physicochemical parameters viz. texture, color, non-reducing sugars, sucrose, etc. of the juice, which in-turn are dependent on "clarifier" used and "striking temperature" as the juice is undergoing clarification and evaporation processes. This paper demonstrates how multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) could be used to obtain the best clarificant-striking temperature combinations to produce quality NCS. The necessary data was generated by producing 12 NCS samples in the laboratory, with three clarification conditions, viz. no clarificants, hydrose, aloe-vera mucilage along with the striking temperatures ranging from 110 to 125 °C. As the NCS samples were being produced, the physicochemical quality parameters and process parameters were measured using appropriate measuring tools and methodologies. Finally, these measured quality parameters and production process parameters were subjected to MCE analysis to obtain the best clarificant-striking temperature combinations to produce quality NCS. Ranges of different physicochemical parameters as indicated by the experimental investigations are: non-reducing sugars (%) 50.11–72.23; moisture content (%): 3.28–12.27; Hardness (kgf): 0.55–41.94; process time from 45 to 51 min etc. MCE analyses carried using AHP and TOPSIS-based algorithm indicate that sugarcane juice subjected to striking temperatures of 115 °C and 120 °C with no clarificants will produce good quality NCS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Materials with low melting point and high energy density have become the focus of research on energy‐containing materials thanks to their superb detonation performance and wide applications. This paper proposed a new synthetic route for an energy‐containing compound 1‐trinitromethyl‐3‐nitro‐1,2,4‐triazole (TNMNT), using 3‐nitro‐1,2,4‐triazole as the raw material, low toxic chloroacetone as the substitute and KBr as the catalyst. These substances reacted at 70 °C for 3 h in a DMF reaction solvent system. The intermediate 1‐acetonyl‐3‐nitro‐1,2,4‐triazole (ANT) was obtained with a yield of 38 %. The nitration process increased the volume ratio of mixed nitric and sulfuric acids (1 : 3), and the reaction time was 36 h. TNMNT as a nitrogen‐rich compound having low melting point and high energy density was synthesized with a yield of 43 %. Compared with the traditional process, the experimental period was significantly shortened, and this synthetic method proved more environment‐friendly. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) and mechanical sensitivity tests were performed on the products. It was found that the melting and decomposition points of TNMNT were 100.5 °C and 166.4 °C, respectively, the characteristic drop height H50 was 21.3 cm, and the frictional sensitivity was 56 %. Results show that the TNMNT crystals synthesized by this new route have better morphology, higher purity, and lower melting point. Compared with the raw material, the introduction of the trinitromethyl group produced higher mechanical sensitivity than other compounds having low melting point. Calculation of the thermal decomposition parameters found: activation energy of 104.4 kJ ⋅ mol−1, pre‐exponential factor of 2.27×1010 s−1, activation enthalpy of 100.9 kJ ⋅ mol−1, activation entropy of 57.98 J ⋅ mol−1 ⋅ K−1, and activation free energy of 125.72 kJ ⋅ mol−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corn stalk (CS) is a waste material generated from the corn crop, with important cellulose and hemicellulose content within its structure. This study has been focused on evaluating the possibility of using CS as an adsorbent for the removal of organophosphate dimethoate pesticides in aqueous solutions. The adsorption study was conducted to determine the effect of adsorbent dose, initial pH, and contact time to dimethoate solution at the initial concentration of 50 mg.L−1. The process conditions were established at initial pH of 11, adsorbent dose of 1.5 g/100 ml, and equilibrium time of 140 minutes. It was verified that dimethoate removal is favored in an alkaline medium. The process kinetic was adjusted to the pseudo-n order model and pseudo-second order model to a lower extent, with several limiting stages, as it was demonstrated through the Weber-Morris model. The equilibrium isotherms were analyzed by employing, the Langmuir, Freundlich, Toth, Sips, and Redlich-Peterson models, where the Sips, Redlich-Peterson, and Toth models proved to be the best adjustment for experimental data, representing better the dimethoate adsorption process in CS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Food Research & Development is the property of Food Research & Development Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Removal of Cr(VI) from the aqueous phase using numerous activated carbons (AC) has been broadly studied in the last decades. Nevertheless, the diversity of activation methods, AC properties, and adsorption conditions precludes the standardization of specific characteristics required to achieve better adsorption results. This work reviewed the pertinent literature on Cr(VI) adsorption onto AC published over the past four decades. Pearson's correlation matrix and principal component analysis (PCA) assisted in identifying the parameters and AC characteristics that have the greatest influence on the maximum adsorption capacity (qm). Two hundred thirty-six adsorption assays were found reporting data on 110 ACs and different parameters. Of these, 39.8% of the studies contemplated the variables qm, pH, temperature (T), surface area (SBET), micropore volume (Vmicro), and mesopore volume (Vmeso), and only 19.5% reported the point of zero charge (pHPZC). Statistical analysis disclosed that SBET and Vmicro have a strong positive correlation with qm, while Vmeso, T, and pH show little or no correlation. The difference between pH and pHPZC (PZCdiff) indicated a significant anticorrelation with qm, thus evidencing that lower PZCdiff values enhance adsorption. The findings are useful for all researchers that work with Cr(VI) adsorption on AC since they provide a start point concerning the required adsorbent characteristics and process conditions to be employed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hot water shower sterilization is a crucial part in the production of liquid pharmaceutical products. This work was conducted to experimentally investigate the heat transfer for hot water shower sterilizers by examining the effects of various parameter changes. Heating and cooling runs were performed using a lab-scale test bench for a 1000 ml glass bottle and 500 ml flexible polypropylene infusion bag. The temperature range under investigation spanned from 20 °C to 80 °C, covering a significant portion of the range for heating and cooling of the sterilization process as well as typical temperatures used in food pasteurization. Temperature measurements were taken at three distinct locations within the products. High-speed and infrared photography was employed to explore the varying film regimes on the products. The results indicated that increasing the surface-averaged volume flow rate from 20 m3 h-1 to 40 m3 h-1 per m2 of spraying surface reduced the cooling and heating rates for the bag. However, increasing the surface-averaged volume flow rate correlated to an increase in cooling and heating rates for the bottle. Additionally, configuring a distribution tray above the products with a greater number of smaller holes resulted in reduced sensitivity of the surface-averaged volume flow rate on the cooling rates and an overall decrease in cooling time. A higher hole plate porosity was identified to increase the heating rate of bags. In summary, this study offers valuable insights into how various parameter changes impact the heat transfer in bottles and bags during hot water shower sterilization. • Decreased heating and cooling rates for higher volume flow rates for bags identified. • Faster cooling with a greater number of smaller distribution tray holes achievable. • Agitation effect of flexible bag wall on temperature stratification in bags measured. • Importance of heat transfer of the bags' underside in sterilizers identified. • Increased hole plate porosity increased heating rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work, first detailed study in its nature, introduces wall curl as a source of geometric inaccuracy in the novel Incremental Sheet Forming (ISF) process, and aims at investigating role of the residual stresses, stretching force and process conditions on formation of the curl. A series of metal components are formed by varying the conditions. The curl height, residual stresses (surface, mean and equivalent) and stretching force are determined and their correlations are analyzed. The analysis reveals that curling is strongly influenced by the residual stresses in a way that the curl height increases linearly as their magnitude increases. Similarly, an increase in degree of non-uniformity in the through-thickness stress distribution promotes curling. The increase in stretching force, however, diminishes curling reasoning to reduction in the residual stresses. As regard the conditions, feed rate does not show any effect while mild annealing, greater tool diameter, smaller step size, and lower forming angle and rotation are found conducive to minimize curling. The geometric errors in wall and bottom of the produced parts (i.e., curling and pillowing) are found to show an interesting inverse relationship. The reported results are very useful to deepen the process mechanics and will also prove helpful in simultaneously controlling the two types of errors.

In this paper, the three-dimensional bowl surface was obtained by reasonably planning the radial heating path by taking the laser as the heat source and the stainless steel composite plate (06Cr19Ni10/1Cr17Mn6Ni5N/06Cr19Ni10) as the research object, and the forming process of the three-dimensional bowl surface was studied. It was found that the target surface bending forming obtained by inside-outside symmetric scanning strategy (strategy d) had the highest accuracy. The plate deformation increased with the increase of laser power (P), increased then decreased with the increase of heating line length (L), and decreased with the increase of scanning speed (V). Moreover, the deformation was approximately linear with the number of repeated heating (N), with the optimal process conditions of P = 500 W, V = 10 mm/s, L = 20 mm, N = 7. A three-dimensional thermodynamic coupling model of a three-layer composite plate was established and verified experimentally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies have searched for new antigens to produce pneumococcal vaccines that are more effective and could provide broader coverage, given the great number of serotypes causing pneumococcal diseases. One of the promising subunit vaccine candidates is untagged recombinant pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA4Pro), obtainable in high quantities using recombinant Escherichia coli as a microbial factory. However, lipopolysaccharides (LPS) present in E. coli cell extracts must be removed, in order to obtain the target protein at the required purity, which makes the downstream process more complex and expensive. Endotoxin-free E. coli strains, which synthesize a nontoxic mutant LPS, may offer a cost-effective alternative way to produce recombinant proteins for application as therapeutics. This paper presents an investigation of PspA4Pro production employing the endotoxin-free recombinant strain ClearColi® BL21(DE3) with different media (defined, auto-induction, and other complex media), temperatures (27, 32, and 37 °C), and inducers. In comparison to conventional E. coli cells in a defined medium, ClearColi presented similar PspA4Pro yields, with lower productivities. Complex medium formulations supplemented with salts favored PspA4Pro yields, titers, and ClearColi growth rates. Induction with isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside (0.5 mM) and lactose (2.5 g/L) together in a defined medium at 32 °C, which appeared to be a promising cultivation strategy, was reproduced in 5 L bioreactor culture, leading to a yield of 146.0 mg PspA4Pro/g dry cell weight. After purification, the cell extract generated from ClearColi led to 98% purity PspA4Pro, which maintained secondary structure and biological function. ClearColi is a potential host for industrial recombinant protein production. Key points: • ClearColi can produce as much PspA4Pro as conventional E. coli BL21(DE3) cells. • 10.5 g PspA4Pro produced in ClearColi bioreactor culture using a defined medium. • Functional PspA4Pro (98% of purity) was obtained in ClearColi bioreactor culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of Polystyrene microporous foaming (PS-MCF) materials is influenced by their microstructures. Therefore, it is essential for industrializing them to investigate the relationship between their microstructure and material properties. In this study, the relationship between the microstructure, compressive property, and thermal conductivity of the PS-MCF materials was studied systematically. The results show that the ideal foaming pressure of PS-MCF materials, obtaining compression performance, is around 20 MPa. In addition, the increase of temperature causes the decrease of sample density. It effects that the compression modulus and strength increase with the decrease of foaming temperature. Because the expansion rate and cell diameter of the PS-MCF materials reduce the thickness of cell wall, they are also negatively correlated with their mechanical properties. Moreover, there is a negative linear correlation between the thermal conductivity and cell rate, whereas the cell diameter is positively correlated with the thermal conductivity.

This research studied the optimization of the production of alkyd resin from dehydrated castor oil (Ricinus communis) and soybean oil (Glycine max) respectively. The natural content of iodine in soybean oil was sufficient for producing drying alkyd resin while refined castor oil has low iodine content; hence it was severely dehydrated at high temperature to increase its iodine value from 83 to 130, which made it suitable for alkyd resin production. Nine different samples of medium oil alkyd resins of 50% oil length were synthesized from each oil at different reaction conditions using monoglyceride method, which involved mixing of appropriate amount of each oil with glycerol via alcoholysis, followed by the addition of phthalic anhydride via esterification. The acid value was observed to decrease with time during the esterification process and this decrease was a measure of alkyd resin production. The outcomes of the standardization of the soybean and castor oil modified resins through coating analyses revealed that both have desirable commercial attributes in terms of chemical resistance, set to touch, solubility in solvent media and drying time though at any given similar production conditions, soybean oil modified resins have better qualities due to their lower acid values. The kinetic studies carried out indicated that only first order and second order kinetics fitted into the experiment data. Time, temperature and phthalic anhydride dosage were the three independent factors studied and optimized using Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD) of Response Surface Methodology (RSM) while the response was percentage conversion. The suggested model and the process variables were significant as depicted by their p-values. The model validation showed that the optimal conversions, 87.3% and 76.7%, obtained for soybean and castor oil modified resins respectively, at a reaction temperature of 247.5 °C, reaction time of 155.3mins and 46.2 g of phthalic anhydride conformed wholly with the actual conversions, 84.7% and 75.2%, obtained respectively at the same conditions. Therefore, it can be deduced that soybean oil modified resins have better yield and offered more desirable features.

The comparison of ion concentrations, pH index, and conductivity in distilled and ground water after exposure to low-temperature plasma formed by barrier and bubble discharges is performed. It has been found that in the case of groundwater, the best performance for the production of NO3− anions is provided by the discharge inside the gas bubbles. For distilled water, the barrier discharge in air, followed by saturation of water with plasma products, is the most suitable from this point of view. In both treatments, the maximum energy input into the stock solution is ensured. After 10 min treatment of ground water, the pH index increases and then it decreases. The obtained numerical indicators make it possible to understand in which tasks the indicated treatment modes should be used, their comparative advantages, and disadvantages. From the point of view of energy consumption for obtaining approximately equal (in order of magnitude) amounts of NO3− anions, both types of discharge treatment are suitable. The research results point to a fairly simple way to convert salts (calcium carbonates) from an insoluble form to soluble one. Namely, when interacting with NO3− anions, insoluble carbonates pass into soluble nitrates.

The morphological characteristics and ITS sequence analysis were used to identify the screened strains. In order to optimize the conditions for the production of intracellular polysaccharides from Monascus in the two stages of oscillating and static culture, the number of mycelium pellets, the viscosity of fermentation broth, pH and the content of residual sugar during the process of shake flask were determined, as well as the biomass of mycelia, the content and yield of intracellular polysaccharides in the static culture. The results showed that under the conditions of oscillating culture for 3 d and then static culture for 6 d. Monascus purpureus had moderate size of mycelium pellets, high biomass, low viscosity of fermentation broth, good mass transfer effect and neutral pH. The content and yield of intracellular polysaccharides in Monascus reached the highest values, which were 18. 9 mg · g-1 and 138. 9 mg · g-1, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greater heating values, greater energy density and improved physical properties such as shape stability, homogeneity and hydrophobic behaviour are advantages of torrefied biomass. All this leads to an overall reduction in transport costs, storage capacity and to lower requirements for factory equipment. The properties of the different types of biomass used before and after torrefaction and the effect of torrefaction at the different process conditions were studied. For the laboratory tests of torrefaction, wood and grass waste biomass were used. For these selected materials, a number of measurements were performed to verify the most suitable torrefaction conditions (heating temperature and retention time). Experiments were carried out on a small scale on TGA 701 (LECO). Waste biomass was heated to a final temperature of 200, 225, 250, 275 and 300 °C with a retention time at these temperatures of 10, 20 and 45 min. The heating rate was set up to 15 °C min−1. The determination of the appropriate temperature depended on the optimum ratio between mass loss and higher heating values (in case of grassy material from 200 to 225 °C and for woody material at 250 °C). From the results we can state that it is possible to do fast and exact test in TGA before the torrefaction process on the pilot unit to shorten the whole process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Food Research & Development is the property of Food Research & Development Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Food Research & Development is the property of Food Research & Development Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To develop a novel material that can be used as a substitute for phenol foam, tannins are used instead of the phenol components to prepare tannin-based foams at room temperature. The impact of the blowing agent content ( n-pentane and diethyl ether), crosslinking agent(formaldehyde and glyoxal), and furfuryl alcohol on the density, microstructure, heat preservation, flame retardant property, and mechanical properties were examined and the processing conditions were optimized. The results show that the density of tannin-based foam was controllable in the range of 70-330 kg.m -3 by adjusting the experimental conditions. The pore sizes of these tannin-based foams were in the range of 96-3 615 µm. The pore size decreases with increased density and exhibits a linear relationship. In addition, the density of tannin-based foams decreased with an increase in foaming agent and furfuryl alcohol. The influence of different cross-linking agents, formaldehyde, and glyoxal, were not significant. Under different content of foaming and cross-linking agents, the compression strength and density of the solid tannin-based foam material were found to be positively correlated. The effect of furfuryl alcohol on mechanical properties is caused by the density and the cross-linking degree of the foam. Compared with traditional phenolic foam, the tannin-based foam has excellent flame resistance, thermal insulation, and mechanical properties. Tannin-based foam is a new and green foam material with high application potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical coprecipitation technique is proven to be a beneficial method to prepare uniformly mixed catalyst metal and Kraft lignin precursors. Coprecipitation is a simple, yet very complex process which is highly sensitive to the reaction conditions, particularly temperature. In an exothermic coprecipitation process, the reaction rate can become uncontrollable over certain temperatures which could lead to a thermal runaway reaction. In this work, metal-lignin nanocomposites were synthesized by coprecipitation of metal (M) salts and Kraft lignin. Kraft lignin and metal salts were dissolved in organic solvents and DI water, respectively, to make lignin solution/suspension and metal salt aqueous solution. The aqueous solutions of metal salts were then added to the lignin solutions/suspensions and mixed well, resulting in chelation of transition metal ions to the functional groups of lignin chains and co-precipitation of metal-lignin composites from the solvents. To develop a safe process for producing M-lignin composites in a large volume, potential reactions, exothermic or endothermic processes, hazards gases, and volatiles were evaluated during the coprecipitation process. The effects of transition metal type, solvent selection, concentration of metal salts, and initial solution temperature on the interactions between metal ions and Kraft lignin, metal uniformity in the lignin matrix, and morphology of the metal-lignin composites were investigated during the coprecipitation process. Cu, Mo, Ni, and Fe were investigated as the transition metals for the metal-lignin composites. Fenton or Fenton-like reactions were discovered to occur during the Fe- and Cu-lignin coprecipitation process and tremendous heat evolved, which lead to the overshoot of the reaction system temperature in a very short time (i.e. a few seconds). Significant amounts of CO2 and toxic NO2 gasses were released during the coprecipitation process when Fenton or Fenton-like reactions occurred. No interaction or a very weak interaction occurred between lignin and Mo(VI) ions when mixing both solutions. Ni ions were coordinated strongly to oxygen-containing functional groups in lignin, but no Fenton or Fenton-like reaction was detected during Ni-lignin coprecipitation. Fenton reaction or Fenton-like reaction occurred when tetrahydrofuran (THF) and acetone were used to dissolve Kraft lignin, and the reaction became highly fierce and unmanageable with increasing of iron content in the composite. The reaction initialization time was shortened with increase of initial solution temperature and thermal runaway reaction might occur if the initial mixing temperature reached 60 °C or above. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chemistry & Industry of Forest Products is the property of Chemistry & Industry of Forest Products Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Hot embossing has been widely used in fabricating microlens arrays because of its low cost, high efficiency, and high quality. The process parameters such as molding temperature, molding pressure, and holding temperature affect the microlens array's replication quality. This work selected the stainless steel S136H tool steel as the mold material to process an aspheric microlens array structure through ultra-precision milling. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microlens arrays with different surface replication were prepared by controlling the molding temperature, molding pressure, and holding temperature. By analyzing the surface quality, contour replication, and optical imaging of hot-embossed samples, the optimal molding temperature of PMMA for optimal replication of aspheric lens arrays was determined as 130 °C. Besides, the internal elastic recovery of PMMA affected the dimensional accuracy and optical performance of the lens. The results showed that, at the molding pressure of 400 N and the holding temperature of 60 °C, the surface defects were eliminated, and the aspheric lens array had perfect replication with a profile deviation of only 4 μm. The aspheric microlens array with good quality was eventually achieved by these optimal process parameters, which provides a foundation for producing aspheric microlens arrays in a low-cost and high-efficiency way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]