Highly Efficient Recycling Waste Plastic into Hydrogen and Carbon Nanotubes through a Double Layer Microwave-Assisted Pyrolysis Method.

Microwave-assisted pyrolysis of PE to hydrogen and carbon material has great potential to solve the problem of waste PE induced white pollution and provide a promising way to produce hydrogen energy. To increase the hydrogen yield, a new microwave-assisted pyrolysis procedure should be developed. In the present study, a facile double-layer microwave-assisted pyrolysis (DLMP) method is developed to pyrolyze PE. Within this method, PE can be converted to hydrogen, multiwalled carbon nanotubes with extremely high efficiency compared with the traditional methods. A high hydrogen yield of 66.4 mmol g-1 PE is achieved, which is ≈93% of the upper limit of the theoretical hydrogen yield generated from the PE pyrolysis process. The mechanism of high hydrogen yield during the microwave-assisted pyrolysis of PE using the DLMP method is also clarified in detail. The DLMP method paved the potential way for recycling plastic waste into high-value-added products.

Co-, Ni-, and Cu-Doped Fe-Based Catalysts for the Microwave-Assisted Catalytic Pyrolysis of Polyethylene.

Environmental issues caused by waste polyethylene are becoming increasingly severe. Among potential treatment processes, microwave-assisted catalytic pyrolysis is promising for converting waste plastics into valuable products owing to its energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. Herein, a modified citric acid combustion method was used to prepare a series of metal oxide catalysts with loose porous structures. The prepared Fe-based catalysts doped with Co, Ni, or Cu were employed in the microwave-assisted catalytic pyrolysis of polyethylene. The bimetallic Co1Fe1Ox catalyst exhibited the best performance, yielding hydrogen at a rate of 60.7 mmol/gplastic. Further variation in the Co : Fe ratio revealed that the Co1Fe9Ox catalyst achieved the highest hydrogen production efficiency (63.64 mmol/gplastic). Similar oil-phase products were obtained over the various catalysts, as revealed by infrared spectroscopy and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) identified carbon nanotubes as the major solid product of pyrolysis, which were attached to the catalyst surface. Finally, a combination of thermogravimetric analysis, SEM, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy indicated that the reduction in catalytic activity following recycling was caused by the accumulation of carbonaceous products on the catalyst surface. Overall, Co1Fe9Ox catalysts were favorable for obtaining H2 and carbon nanotubes by the microwave-assisted pyrolysis of polyethylene.

In Situ Study and Improvement of the Temperature Increase and Isothermal Retention Stages in the Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) Fiber Pre-Oxidation Process.

The pre-oxidation process of Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers is a complex procedure involving multiple stages of temperature increase and isothermal temperature retention. However, the impact of the temperature increase stage on PAN fiber has often been overlooked. To address this, samples were collected before and after the temperature increase and isothermal retention stages, treating them as separate influencing factors. Therefore, the pre-oxidation process can be divided into four distinct stages: (1) A temperature increase stage before the cyclization reactions: the PAN fiber's small-size crystals melt, and the crystal orientation changes under fixed tension, leading to shrinkage and increased orientation of the micropore. (2) An isothermal retention stage before the cyclization reactions: The crystal structure maintains well, resulting in minimal micropore evolution. The PAN fiber's crystal orientation and micropore orientation increased under fixed tension. (3) A temperature increase stage after the cyclization reactions: The PAN fiber's crystal melts again, reducing the average chord length and relative volume of the micropore. However, the PAN fiber can recrystallize under fixed tension. (4) An isothermal retention stage after the cyclization reactions: Significant crystal melting of the PAN fiber occurs, but the highly oriented crystals are maintained well. The average chord length and relative volume of the micropore increase. Recommendations for improving the pre-oxidation process are made according to these stages.

Synthesis and Characterization of Cardanol-Based Non-Isocyanate Polyurethane.

This paper describes the synthesis of NIPU by using cardanol as starting material. A cardanol formaldehyde oligomer was first prepared through the reaction of cardanol and formaldehyde, catalyzed by citric acid. The resulting oligomer was then subjected to epoxidation with m-chloroperbenzoic acid to obtain an epoxide compound, which was subsequently used to fix carbon dioxide (CO2) and form a cyclic carbonate. Using this cyclic carbonate, along with an amine, cardanol-based isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) was prepared. Different characterization methods, such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), were used to confirm the synthesis of the four intermediate products and NIPU in the reaction process. This study highlights the promise of bio-based NIPU as a sustainable alternative in a number of applications while offering insightful information on the synthesis and characterization of the material.

Selective Adsorption of Methyl Orange and Methylene Blue by Porous Carbon Material Prepared From Potassium Citrate.

As the discharge amount of dye wastewater increases with the development of the textile printing and dyeing industries, the treatment of the dyes in the wastewater becomes more complex. The adsorption method is a commonly used method for treating dye wastewater. The adsorbent is the key factor affecting the adsorption performance. To develop a high-performance adsorbent, a porous carbon material prepared from potassium citrate by the calcination method was applied in the adsorption of dye-containing water in this study. The morphology and pore structure of the porous carbon materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and N2 adsorption/desorption isotherm. The porous carbon material with a specific surface area of 1436 m2 g-1, PC-900, was used as an adsorbent for the adsorption of methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB). The results showed that the maximum adsorption capacity of PC-900 for MO and MB reached 927 and 1853.6 mg g-1, respectively. Studies on adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherms showed that the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm model were more appropriate to describe the adsorption process of MO and MB by PC-900. In addition, the results of the mixed adsorption experiment of MO and MB dyes showed that PC-900 had selective adsorption for MB.

Characterization and Kinetic Studies of Poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) Polymer Inclusion Membrane for the Malachite Green Extraction.

Textile industry effluent contains a high amount of toxic colorants. These dyes are carcinogenic and threats to the environment and living beings. In this study, poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-co-HFP) was used as the based polymer for PIMs with bis-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (B2EHP) and dioctyl phthalate (DOP) as the carrier and plasticizer. The fabricated PIMs were employed to extract the cation dye (Malachite Green; MG) from the feeding phase. PIMs were also characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), contact angle, water uptake, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and ions exchange capacity. The performance of the PIMs was investigated under various conditions such as percentage of carrier and initial dye concentration. With permeability and flux values of 0.1188 cm/min and 1.1913 mg cm/min, PIM produced with 18% w/w PVDF-co-HFP, 21% w/w B2EHP, 1% w/w DOP and 40% w/w THF and was able to achieve more than 97% of MG extraction. The experimental data were then fitted with a pseudo-second-order (PSO) model, and the calculated R2 value was ~0.99. This shows that the data has a good fit with the PSO model. PIM is a potential alternative technology in textile industry effluent treatment; however, the right formulation is crucial for developing a highly efficient membrane.

Research on Thermal Decomposition Kinetics and Thermal Safety for a New Epoxiconazole Crystal.

To clarify the thermal safety inherent in a new epoxiconazole crystal, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and adiabatic accelerating rate calorimetry (ARC) were used for testing and research. The Friedman method and model method were used to analyze thermal decomposition kinetics based on the DSC data, and the N-order and autocatalytic decomposition reaction kinetic models were established. The double scan method was utilized to verify the autocatalytic effect during the decomposition process. The Friedman method, N-order, and autocatalytic model methods were used to study the substance's thermal decomposition characteristics. ARC data are utilized to verify the aforementioned prediction results and the kinetic parameters that were obtained based on ARC data from N-order and autocatalytic model methods that concur with the simulation results. This paper applies the N-order and autocatalytic model to the kinetic model to further predict thermal safety parameter time to maximum rate under adiabatic conditions.

Health care insurance policies When the provider and patient may collude.

This article explores a three-party contracting problem when the patient and the provider possess private information that is unobservable to the insurer. We show that for an insurance mechanism to be collusion-proof, it suffices for the insurer to rely on the incentive for one side of the patient-provider coalition. If the risk premium for the patient is smaller than the provider's informational rent, placing the incentive on the patient generates a lower social cost than placing the incentive on the provider. We show that if the provider's effort is highly valued by the patient, the insurer should rely on the patient's incentive to implement a collusion-proof second-best insurance. Interestingly, an altruistic provider may lead to a higher social cost than a self-interested provider. However, even if the insurer does not know the degree of provider altruism, it may still achieve the second-best outcome by assuming that the provider is self-interested. The model can be further extended to allow for different objective of the insurer, provider's informational advantage over patient, and auditing.

Absolute configuration of four chiral isomers of pyrisoxazole and their bioactivity.

BACKGROUND: Pyrisoxazole is a fungicide that has two chiral carbon atoms and four isomers: (3S,5R)-, (3R,5S)-, (3S,5S)-, and (3R,5R)-pyrisoxazole. RESULTS: Pure crystals of four pyrisoxazole isomers were prepared by chiral separation and single-crystal cultivation. Their absolute configurations were established by X-ray single crystal diffraction analysis. Bioassays indicated that compound (3S,5R)-pyrisoxazole showed excellent fungicidal activity with a median effective concentration (EC50 ) value of 0.14 µg mL-1 and protective activity with an EC50 value of 13.29 µg mL-1 . These values are superior to the commercial fungicides boscalid and racemic pyrisoxazole. CONCLUSIONS: The biological activity of racemic pyrisoxazole is due almost exclusively to the isomer (3S,5R)-pyrisoxazole; the other three isomers had very low activity. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

A review on recent trends in reactor systems and azeotrope separation strategies for catalytic conversion of biodiesel-derived glycerol.

The increasing demand for biodiesel (BD) as a renewable and sustainable energy source has impelled the generation of abundant and low-cost byproduct glycerol, which accounts for 10 wt% of total BD production and requires urgent utilization. The transesterification reaction, which utilizes glycerol and dimethyl carbonate (DMC) to synthesize valuable glycerol carbonate (GC) is an established reaction pathway to valorize oversupplied glycerol. Commercialization of inexpensive GC is constrained by the nature, stability, and basicity of applied catalyst, reaction conditions, types of the reactor system and separation methods of reaction products. This study presents a review and diversity of recent reports on reactor systems and DMC-methanol azeotrope separation strategies explored in GC synthesis from biodiesel-derived glycerol. Also, recent trends on heterogeneous catalysts, their performance, and the effects of reaction conditions were presented. Conducted studies revealed that the choice for reactor systems is constrained by factors such as energy consumption and operational safety and a significant mild reaction conditions could be realized using a microwave reactor. Furthermore, the reactive-extractive distillation and pervaporation processes showed high energy-efficiency and appreciable separation of DMC-methanol azeotrope. Thus, the development of stable catalyst and process intensification to fabricate an integrated reactor-separation system with high energy efficiency are fundamental and must be explored. This study portrays the recent research effort made in this direction and the limitations that require urgent attention.

Optimal compensation rule under provider adverse selection and moral hazard.

Although healthcare provider payments have been studied extensively in the literature, little is known about the optimal compensation rule when, in addition to unobservable provider effort (moral hazard), the provider's ability type is also private information (adverse selection). We find that when only provider effort is unobservable, to induce the first-best outcome the optimal compensation rule requires zero fee-for-service. When both provider moral hazard and adverse selection exist, the first-best outcome will be infeasible. The second-best compensation rule entails combined use of capitation, fee-for-service, and pay-for-performance.

Preparation and characterization of a novel molecularly imprinted polymer for the separation of glycyrrhizic acid.

Molecularly imprinted polymers of glycyrrhizic acid were prepared by solution polymerization using glycyrrhizic acid as the template molecule, N-vinypyrrolidone as functional monomer, N,N-methylene bisacrylamide as cross-linker and ascorbic acid and hydrogen peroxide as initiators. Focused on the adsorption capacity and separation degree of the polymer to glycyrrhizic acid, the effects of the monomers, crosslinker and initiators were investigated and optimized. Finally, the structure of the polymer was characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. To obtain objective results, non-imprinted molecular polymers prepared under the same conditions were also characterized. The adsorption quantity of the polymer was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Under the optimum conditions, the maximum adsorption capacity of glycyrrhizic acid approached 15 mg/g, and the separation degree was as high as 2.5. The adsorption kinetics could be well described by a pseudo-first-order model, while the thermodynamics of the adsorption process could be described by the Langmuir model.