ChemEngineering — Open Access Journal

The present study describes a novel strategy for preparing thin Silicon 2D and 3D electrodes for lithium ion batteries by a spin coating method. A homogeneous and stable suspension of Si nanoparticles (SiNPs) was prepared by dispersing the nanoparticles in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) or in the room temperature ionic liquid 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (Pyr14TFSI). This proposed methodology was successfully employed to prepare 2D and 3D with different aspect ratios electrodes. Both 2D and 3D materials were then used as anode materials. The 2D SiNPs anodes exhibit a high reversible capacity, which is close to 3500 mAh·g⁻¹ at C/10. For a higher discharge rate, the capacity of the 2D anode is considerably improved by dispersing the nanoparticles in Pyr14TFSI instead of NMP solvent. In order to further improve the anode performances, graphene particles were added to the SiNPs suspension. The anodes prepared using this suspension method exhibit relatively low columbic efficiency during the first few cycles (less than 30%) and low reversible capacity (2800 mAh·g⁻¹ at C/10). The 3D SiNPs (NMP) electrode shows a higher intensity during cyclic voltammograms and a better stability under galvanostatic cycling than the 2D SiNPs (NMP) electrode. Full article

This study presents the thermodynamic modelling of hydrogen production from autothermal reforming of synthetic crude glycerol using the Peng-Robinson Stryjek-Vera thermodynamic model and Gibbs free energy minimization approach. In order to simulate the typical crude glycerol, a solution was prepared by mixing glycerol, methanol, soap, and fatty acids. The equilibrium compositions of the reforming gas were obtained and the impacts of the operating temperature, steam to crude glycerol ratio (S/SCG), and oxygen to crude glycerol ratio (O/SCG) on hydrogen production were investigated. Under isothermal conditions, the result showed that maximum hydrogen production is favoured at conditions of high temperatures, high S/SCG, and low O/SCG ratio. However, under thermoneutral conditions where no external heat is supplied to the reformer, results indicate that high hydrogen yield is realised at conditions of high temperatures, high S/SCG and high O/SCG ratio. Furthermore, it was concluded that under thermoneutral condition, steam to SCG ratio of 3.6, oxygen to SCG ratio of 0.75, and adiabatic temperature of 927 K yields maximum hydrogen. Full article

The extraction and separation of metal ions in the lanthanide series using the liquid-liquid extraction (LLX) technique poses a major challenge due to the chemical similarities of the metals and hence interest exists in devising a technique to improve the separation factor. In this work, sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) is explored for improved organic phase conductivity to aid the use of an imposed external field to improve the LLX. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technique was used to determine the effect of molar water content, AOT and HDEHP (bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid) concentration, and the temperature on the reverse micelle solution conductivity. Results showed that as AOT concentration and water content increases, conductivity increases until the reverse micelles collapse. The addition of HDEHP caused a significant drop in solution conductivity. For a mixed AOT and HDEHP system and at a small applied external field range of 0–1.4 kV m⁻¹ and 60 rpm stir rate, a significant improvement in Nd extraction was observed relative to the traditional LLX using HDEHP only. With AOT only, a 40% improvement in extraction was observed with applied field relative to the absence of field. Cost consideration favors the use of mixed AOT and HDEHP at a slow stir rate for improved Nd extraction. Full article

Ion-exchange (IX) is common for separating NO₃⁻ from drinking water. From both cost and environmental perspectives, the IX regeneration brine must be recycled, via nitrate reduction to N_2(g). Nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) reduces nitrate efficiently to ammonia, under brine conditions. However, to be sustainable, the formed ammonia should be oxidized. Accordingly, a new process was developed, comprising IX separation, nZVI-based nitrate removal from the IX regeneration brine, followed by indirect ammonia electro-oxidation. The aim was to convert nitrate to N_2(g) while allowing repeated usage of the NaCl brine for multiple IX cycles. All process steps were experimentally examined and shown to be feasible: nitrate was efficiently separated using IX, which was subsequently regenerated with the treated/recovered NaCl brine. The nitrate released to the brine reacted with nZVI, generating ammonia and Fe(II). Fresh nZVI particles were reproduced from the resulting brine, which contained Fe(II), Na⁺, Cl⁻ and ammonia. The ammonia in the nZVI production procedure filtrate was indirectly electro-oxidized to N_2(g) at the inherent high Cl⁻ concentration, which prepared the brine for the next IX regeneration cycle. The dominant reaction between nZVI and NO₃⁻ was described best (Wilcoxon test) by 4Fe_(s) + 10H⁺ + NO₃⁻ → 4Fe²⁺ + NH₄⁺ + 3H₂O, and proceeded at >5 mmol·L⁻¹·min⁻¹ at room temperature and 3 < pH < 5. Full article