Direct conversion of NO and SO2 in flue gas into fertilizer using ammonia and ozone.

This study focused on the simultaneous removal of NO and SO2 from an industrial flue gas stream. To evaluate the removal efficiency of NO and SO2 using O3 and NH3, the consumption of two reactants (O3 and NH3) in line with the conversion of NO and SO2 was quantified experimentally. In addition, NO and SO2 were converted to valuable fertilizers, NH4NO3 and (NH4)2SO4. To identify a principle strategy to enhance the generation of fertilizer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to examine the reaction mechanisms for the formation of NH4NO3 and (NH4)2SO4. Acceleration of SO2 oxidation could be achieved effectively by adding NO to a gas mixture of SO2, NH3, and O3. The formation of HNO3 might be enhanced by the simultaneous feeding of NO and SO2. Particle generation was also 10 times higher for NH3/(NO + SO2) than for NH3/NO and for NH3/SO2, which is a prominent feature of this study. Moreover, the introduction of steam had a positive influence on particle generation. This method offers dual applications for NO and SO2 removal from a flue gas stream and direct fertilizer generation.

Quantitative Image Analysis of Carbon Nanostructure of Particles Produced from Combustion Process.

In the present study, the soot particles produced from diffusion flames burning biodiesel fuel were thermophoretically sampled and the carbon nanostructure of soot particles were imaged using a high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The HRTEM images of soot particles were then quantitatively analyzed using a digital image processing algorithm developed and implemented as part of this work. The HRTEM interpretations with an aid of image processing support feasibility of use of the developed image processing technique for carbon nanostructure quantification.

Microfluidics-assisted rapid generation of tubular cell-laden microgel inside glass capillaries.

Drug screening using engineered blood vessels (EBVs) faces considerable barriers in approximating the conditions of an in vivo environment. To address this issue, we have introduced a microfluidic system for cell-laden tubular microgels. N-Carboxyethyl chitosan crosslinked with oxidized dextran was used for in situ gelable tubular scaffolds. The microfluidic system consisted of four glass capillaries that generated a coaxial flow of pre-polymer and phosphate buffered solutions. It rapidly produced cell-laden tubular microgels inside glass capillaries. The mechanical strength of the tubular microgels was suitable for their application as EBVs, with a maximum Young's modulus of 12.2 ± 1.9 kPa. In vitro cell studies using human umbilical vein endothelial cells verified the biocompatibility and non-cytotoxicity of the gelation and fabrication process. Thus, in situ gelable cell-laden tubular microgels can be a potential platform for screening drugs to treat blood vessel diseases.