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- Perween, Shama, et al.
(författare)
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PVA-PDMS-Stearic acid composite nanofibrous mats with improved mechanical behavior for selective filtering applications
- 2018
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 2045-2322. ; 8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this work, we report a facile way to fabricate composite nanofibrous mats of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and stearic acid (SA) by employing the electrospinning-technique, with PDMS fraction ranging from 40w% to nearly 80w%. The results show that for a predetermined fraction of PVA and SA, incorporation of an optimal amount of PDMS is necessary for which the mats exhibit the best mechanical behavior. Beyond this optimal PDMS fraction, the mechanical properties of the composite mats deteriorate. This result has been attributed to the ability of the SA molecules to mediate binding between the PVA and PDMS long-chain molecules via van-der-Waals bonding. The morphological, structural, mechanical, and thermal characterizations respectively using SEM, XRD, DMA/tensile test, and DSC lend support to this explanation. By this method, it is possible to control the hydrophilicity/oleophilicity of the mats, and the mats show an excellent selective permeability to oil as compared to water and successfully filter water from a water-in-oil emulsion. Incorporation of SA not only serves to aid in electrospinning of a PDMS-rich nanofibrous mat with good mechanical strength and control over hydrophilicity/oleophilicity, but also has a potential use in fabricating sheets impregnated with phase change materials for thermal energy storage.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Wicker, Rebecca J., et al.
(författare)
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Production of biomethane, biohydrogen, and volatile fatty acids from Nordic phytoplankton biomass grown in blended wastewater
- 2024
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Ingår i: Chemical Engineering Journal. - : Elsevier. - 1385-8947 .- 1873-3212. ; 479
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Upgrading carbon-negative microalgal biomass to biofuels and value-added products presents a three-pronged solution for waste treatment, carbon capture, and economically viable bioenergy production. Acidogenesis and methanogenesis are versatile processes at the core of anaerobic digestion systems, facilitating the conversion of diverse biogenic substrates into energy and a wide range of biobased products. The present study was conducted to integrate acidogenesis and methanogenesis for coproduction of biohydrogen, biomethane, and volatile fatty acids from Nordic phytoplankton consortia. For this purpose, microalgal consortia was cultivated in a raceway pond equipped with high surface area structures. Harvested microalgal biomass was subjected to thermoalkaline (2% NaOH solution at 121 °C) and enzymatic (cellulase) pretreatments. The hydrolysates of the pretreated biomass were inoculated with thermally treated sludge for acidogenic fermentation and with mixture of untreated sludge and cow dung (1:1 v/v ratio) for anerobic digestion. The acidogenic process produced a significant amount of biohydrogen (maximum 164.8 mL bioH2/VSload) along with volatile fatty acids (maximum 7.9 g COD/L), while methanogenesis resulted in biomethane production of maximum 210.7 mL bioCH4/VSload, accompanied by an ammonium recovery of 1278 mg NH4+/L. These maximum yields were all achieved by enzymatic pretreatment of the biomass fraction harvested from high surface area brush head structures inserted in the raceway pond. These results have important implications for designing phytoplankton cultivation systems and upstream pathways to optimize energy production from carbon-negative phytoplankton biomass.
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