| 1. |
- Eivazihollagh, Alireza, et al.
(författare)
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On chelating surfactants : Molecular perspectives and application prospects
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Molecular Liquids. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-7322 .- 1873-3166. ; 278, s. 688-705
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Chelating agents, molecules that very strongly coordinates certain metal ions, are used industrially as well as in consumer products to minimize disturbances and increase performance of reactions and applications. The widely used sequestering agents, nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) belong to this branch of readily water-soluble compounds. When these chemical structures also have hydrophobic parts, they are prone to adsorb at air-water interfaces and to self-assemble. Such bifunctional molecules can be called chelating surfactants and will have more extended utilization prospects than common chelating agents or ordinary ionic surfactants. The present review attempts to highlight the fundamental behavior of chelating surfactants in solution and at interfaces, and their very specific interactions with metal ions. Methods to recover chelating surfactants from metal chelates are also described. Moreover, utilization of chelating surfactants in applications for metal removal in environmental engineering and mineral processing, as well as for metal control in the fields of biology, chemistry and physics, is exemplified and discussed.
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| 2. |
- Dodoo, Ambrose, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Primary energy implications of ventilation heat recovery in residential buildings
- 2011
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Ingår i: Energy and Buildings. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-7788 .- 1872-6178. ; 43:7, s. 1566-1572
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this study, we analyze the impact of ventilation heat recovery (VHR) on the operation primary energy use in residential buildings. We calculate the operation primary energy use of a case-study apartment building built to conventional and passive house standard, both with and without VHR, and using different end-use heating systems including electric resistance heating, bedrock heat pump and district heating based on combined heat and power (CHP) production. VHR increases the electrical energy used for ventilation and reduces the heat energy used for space heating. Significantly greater primary energy savings is achieved when VHR is used in resistance heated buildings than in district heated buildings. For district heated buildings the primary energy savings are small. VHR systems can give substantial final energy reduction, but the primary energy benefit depends strongly on the type of heat supply system, and also on the amount of electricity used for VHR and the airtightness of buildings. This study shows the importance of considering the interactions between heat supply systems and VHR systems to reduce primary energy use in buildings.
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| 3. |
- He, Jie, et al.
(författare)
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Techno-economic evaluation of thermo-chemical biomass-to-ethanol
- 2011
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Ingår i: Applied Energy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0306-2619 .- 1872-9118. ; 88:4, s. 1224-1232
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Bio-ethanol has received considerable attention as a basic chemical and fuel additive. Bio-ethanol is presently produced from sugar/starch materials, but can also be produced from lignocellulosic biomass via hydrolysis-fermentation route or thermo-chemical route. In terms of thermo-chemical route, a few pilot plants ranging from 0.3 to 67 MW have been built and operated for alcohols synthesis. However, commercial success has not been found. In order to realize cost-competitive commercial ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass through thermo-chemical pathway, a techno-economic analysis needs to be done. In this paper, a thermo-chemical process is designed, simulated and optimized mainly with ASPEN Plus. The techno-economic assessment is made in terms of ethanol yield, synthesis selectivity, carbon and CO conversion efficiencies, and ethanol production cost. Calculated results show that major contributions to the production cost are from biomass feedstock and syngas cleaning. A biomass-to-ethanol plant should be built around 200 MW. Cost-competitive ethanol production can be realized with efficient equipments, optimized operation, cost-effective syngas cleaning technology, inexpensive raw material with low pretreatment cost, high performance catalysts, off-gas and methanol recycling, optimal systematic configuration and heat integration, and high value byproduct.
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| 4. |
- Jiang, Bingyi, et al.
(författare)
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A novel approach to enhance CO biomethanation by semi-disaggregation of anaerobic granular sludge
- 2023
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Ingår i: Energy Conversion and Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0196-8904 .- 1879-2227. ; 276
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The syngas produced from biomass gasification is a great potential energy resource, which can well be utilized to produce biomass-based substitute natural gas (BioSNG) via syngas biomethanation. CO biomethanation is one of the key issues in the biomethanation process and was studied experimentally in this work with respect to the effect of anaerobic granular sludge semi-disaggregation. The results show 1.07 times higher averaged CH4 production rate with the semi-disaggregated granular sludge than the whole granular sludge at 35 °C, and 1.69 times higher at 55 °C. The main mechanisms behind the enhanced CH4 production rate, especially under the thermophilic condition, are the improvement of microbial interspecific syntrophic association caused by the higher electron and substrate transfer rate, and more active cell growth and metabolism as reflected in higher abundance of functional genes and enzymes and less useless extracellular polymeric substances. The CO biomethanation enhancement occurs in the conversion of the substrate to the intermediate products. The semi-disaggregation of anaerobic granular sludge or similar way to strengthen interspecific association is an effective approach to improve the ability and tolerance of microbial cultures under the CO atmosphere. This technique can well be applied for the energy conversion from the CO-rich gas substrates into BioSNG via CO biomethanation under the thermophilic condition, or for the production of intermediates as fuels/chemicals under the mesophilic condition.
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| 5. |
- Magalhaes, Solange, et al.
(författare)
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Extraction and Characterization of Microplastics from Portuguese Industrial Effluents
- 2022
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Ingår i: Polymers. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-4360. ; 14:14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Microplastics (MPs) are contaminants present in the environment. The current study evaluates the contribution of different well-established industrial sectors in Portugal regarding their release of MPs and potential contamination of the aquifers. For each type of industry, samples were collected from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), and different parameters were evaluated, such as the potential contamination sources, the concentration, and the composition of the MPs, in both the incoming and outcoming effluents. The procedures to extract and identify MPs in the streams entering or leaving the WWTPs were optimized. All industrial effluents analysed were found to contribute to the increase of MPs in the environment. However, the paint and pharmaceutical activities were the ones showing higher impact. Contrary to many reports, the textile industry contribution to aquifers contamination was not found to be particularly relevant. Its main impact is suggested to come from the numerous washing cycles that textiles suffer during their lifetime, which is expected to strongly contribute to a continuous release of MPs. The predominant chemical composition of the isolated MPs was found to be polyethylene terephthalate (PET). In 2020, the global need for PET was 27 million tons and by 2030, global PET demand is expected to be 42 million tons. Awareness campaigns are recommended to mitigate MPs release to the environment and its potential negative impact on ecosystems and biodiversity.
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| 6. |
- Mahapatra, Krushna, et al.
(författare)
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Swedish energy advisers' perceptions regarding and suggestions for fulfilling homeowner expectations
- 2011
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Ingår i: Energy Policy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0301-4215 .- 1873-6777. ; 39:7, s. 4264-4273
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Municipality energy advice services were re-introduced in Sweden in 1998 as a way of advising end-users, mainly owners of detached houses, on energy issues. In this paper, we investigate Swedish energy advisers' perceptions of homeowners' awareness of the energy advice service and their perceived ability to fulfil homeowners' expectations. Our study is based on a mail-in questionnaire survey conducted in 2009 and distributed to municipality energy advisers in all municipalities in Sweden. About 66% of the energy advisers responded. The results show that 43% of the energy advisers thought that fewer than 50% of the homeowners were aware of the service and that mass media advertisements and presentations at different organisations could improve homeowner awareness. Energy adviser attitudes, job satisfaction, and the perception that the advisers possessed up-to-date and good knowledge and sufficient financial resources to execute their duties had a significant influence on their perceived ability to fulfil homeowner expectations. Increased training in technical aspects of energy measures and increased financial support were the two measures most widely suggested as a means to improve energy advisers' performance.
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| 7. |
- Mangoyana, Robert Blessing
(författare)
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Bioenergy from forest thinning: Carbon emissions, energy balances and cost analyses
- 2011
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Ingår i: Renewable energy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-1481 .- 1879-0682. ; 36:9, s. 2368-2373
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The growing demand for bioenergy in Sweden has drawn attention to the potential of forest thinning as bioenergy feedstock. There are, however, concerns regarding the cost effectiveness and environmental challenges of harvesting and processing forest thinnings into bioenergy. It is against this background that cost, energy and carbon balances were analysed to evaluate some of the economic and environmental sustainability issues of forest thinning based bioenergy systems. Primary data was collected from two thinning operations in two forest plots comprising spruce and birch stands. One operation involved the use of the conventional two machines (one separate machine for cutting or felling and another for forwarding felled trees) for the thinning work. The second operation involved a harwarder, which combines tree felling/cutting and forwarding in one unit machine. The results showed that forest thinnings provide a potential resource for the sustainable production of bioenergy. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 8. |
- Sathre, Roger, et al.
(författare)
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Time-dependent climate benefits of using forest residues to substitute fossil fuels
- 2011
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Ingår i: Biomass and Bioenergy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0961-9534 .- 1873-2909. ; 35:7, s. 2506-2516
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this study we analyze and compare the climate impacts from the recovery, transport and combustion of forest residues (harvest slash and stumps), versus the climate impacts that would have occurred if the residues were left in the forest and fossil fuels used instead. We use cumulative radiative forcing (CRF) as an indicator of climate impacts, and we explicitly consider the temporal dynamics of atmospheric carbon dioxide and biomass decomposition. Over a 240-year period, we find that CRF is significantly reduced when forest residues are used instead of fossil fuels. The type of fossil fuel replaced is important, with coal replacement giving the greatest CRF reduction. Replacing oil and fossil gas also gives long-term CRF reduction, although CRF is positive during the first 10-25 years when these fuels are replaced. Biomass productivity is also important, with more productive forests giving greater CRF reduction per hectare. The decay rate for biomass left in the forest is found to be less significant. Fossil energy inputs for biomass recovery and transport have very little impact on CRF. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 9. |
- Ribau Teixeira, M., et al.
(författare)
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Nanofibrillated cationic cellulose derivatives as flocculants for domestic wastewater treatment
- 2024
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Ingår i: Journal of Water Process Engineering. - : Elsevier BV. - 2214-7144. ; 58
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Natural-based coagulants have emerged as a reliable option to implement more sustainable operations and management of wastewater treatment plants. This work aims at evaluating the use of cationic nanofibrillated celluloses (cNFC) as novel bio-based flocculants to treat domestic wastewaters by the most widely employed treatment process – coagulation/flocculation. Two cNFC samples were prepared with different charge densities and tested as coagulant/flocculants using different water characteristics. The effect of cNFCs was studied by measuring the residual turbidity and dissolved organic carbon. The aggregation mechanism and kinetics of flocculation were also evaluated. Results show that cNFC can be used as an efficient flocculant to treat medium and high DOC waters since they considerably reduce turbidity (turbidity removals varied between 66.0 % and 85.7 % for the waters and cNFCs tested) without increasing dissolved organic carbon. Instead, cNFC removed dissolved organic carbon from domestic wastewaters (between 22.1 % and 65.5 % of DOC removals for the waters and cNFCs tested), which is a novel remarkable finding and a step forward in this knowledge area. High density charged cNFC revealed superior removal capacity at lower doses than the commercial coagulant FeCl3.
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