Electrochemically modified viscose-rayon-based activated carbon cloth for competitive and noncompetitive sorption of trace cobalt and lead ions from aqueous solution

A viscose-rayon-based activated carbon cloth (ACC) was electrochemically oxidised. As-received and electrochemically modified ACCs were characterised by sodium capacity, pH titration, elemental analysis and Fourier transform infra red (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis. Cobalt and lead noncompetitive sorption capacities for electrochemically oxidised ACC (EO) are 4.3 and 3.9 times, respectively higher than those for unoxidised ACC (UO). Cobalt and lead competitive sorption capacities for EO are 4.1 and 5.1 times, respectively higher than those for UO. Sorption of cobalt and lead onto EO was by ion exchange, while that onto UO was by surface complex formation. Affinity order of metals sorbed by EO and UO is Pb2+ > Co2+. Metal uptake onto EO increased with an increase in solution pH

Kinetic studies of liquid phase ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) synthesis using macroporous and gelular ion exchange resin catalysts

Ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) synthesis from ethanol (EtOH) and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) was studied with different macroporous and gelular ion exchange resin catalysts. Purolite® (CT-124, CT-145H, CT-151, CT-175 and CT-275) and Amberlyst® (15 and 35) ion exchange resins were used for the present work. Effect of various parameters such as catalyst type, temperature, reactants feed molar ratio and catalyst loading were studied for the optimisation of reaction condition. Among the catalysts studied, Purolite CT-124 gave better results for TBA conversion and selectivity towards ETBE. Kinetic modelling was performed with this catalyst and activation energy and water inhibition coefficient were determined. Heterogeneous kinetic models [e.g., Eley-Rideal (ER), Langmuir-Hinshelwood-Hougen-Watson (LHHW)] were unable to predict the behaviour of this etherification reaction, whilst the quasi-homogeneous (QH) model represented the system very well over wide range of reaction conditions

Comparison of Novozyme 435 and Purolite D5081 as heterogeneous catalysts for the pretreatment of used cooking oil for biodiesel production

The catalytic performance of two types of catalysts, an ion-exchange resin, Purolite D5081 and an immobilised enzyme, Novozyme 435, was compared for the esterification pretreatment of used cooking oil (UCO) for the preparation of biodiesel. The reactions were carried out using a jacketed batch reactor with a reflux condenser. The effect of mass transfer limitations was investigated and it was shown that internal and external mass transfer limitations were negligible. An immobilised enzyme, Novozyme 435, was investigated because it has been shown to give high free fatty acids (FFAs) conversion. This catalyst has been compared to an ion-exchange resin, Purolite D5081, which was developed for the esterification of UCO for the production of biodiesel. It was found that a conversion of 94% was achieved using Purolite D5081 compared to 90% conversion with Novozyme 435. However, the optimum methanol to FFA ratio for Purolite D5081 was 98:1 compared to 6.2:1 for Novozyme 435. In addition, it has been found that with Novozyme 435 there are side reactions which result in the formation of additional fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) and FFAs at longer reaction times

Greener alkene epoxidations via use of novel polymer-supported Mo(VI) catalysts in a continuous reactive distillation process

A polybenzimidazole supported Mo(VI) (PBI.Mo) catalyst has been prepared and characterised. The catalytic activities of the PBI.Mo catalyst in epoxidation of alkene with tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) as oxidant have been studied under different reaction conditions in a batch reactor. The batch experimental data provided useful information for conducting continuous experiments in a reactive distillation column (RDC)

Esterification of free fatty acids (FFAs) in used cooking oil (UCO) using ion-exchange resins as catalysts

Esterification of free fatty acids (FFAs) in used cooking oil (UCO) using ion-exchange resins as catalyst

Pre-treatment of used cooking oil for the manufacture of biodiesel using heterogeneous catalyst

Pre-treatment of used cooking oil for the manufacture of biodiesel using heterogeneous catalys

Comparison of catalytic performance of Novozyme 435 and Purolite D5081 for the esterification pre-treatment of used cooking oil for biodiesel production

Comparison of catalytic performance of Novozyme 435 and Purolite D5081 for the esterification pre-treatment of used cooking oil for biodiesel productio

Bioenergy Technologies for a Net Zero Transition:Outcomes of UK-India Bioenergy Research Scoping

The report is part of scoping exercise led by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and commissioned to Supergen Bioenergy Hub. The report is for UKRI, funded by UKRI India. UKRI launched in April 2018. UKRI is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Our organisation brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England, which is responsible for supporting research and knowledge exchange at higher education institutions in England, and the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK. Our nine councils work together in innovative ways to deliver an ambitious agenda, drawing on our great depth and breadth of expertise and the enormous diversity of our portfolio. http://www.ukri.org UKRI India plays a key role in enhancing the research and innovation collaboration between the UK and India. Since 2008, the UK and Indian governments, and third parties, have together invested over £330 million in co-funded research and innovation programmes. This investment has brought about more than 258 individual projects. The projects were funded by over 15 funding agencies, bringing together more than 220 lead institutions from the UK and India. These research projects have generated more than £450 million in further funding, mainly from public bodies but also from non-profit organisations and commercial entities, attesting the relevance of these projects. www.ukri.org/india This work was commissioned to inform UKRI/UKRI India priorities and pathways for innovation development in bioenergy with UK-India partnerships

Kinetics of free fatty acid esterification in used cooking oil using hypercrosslinked exchange resin as catalyst

A kinetic study of free fatty acid esterification was carried out using Purolite D5081 as a catalyst. Esterification reaction was carried out using 1.25% (w/w) catalyst loading, 6:1 methanol to oil feed mole ratio, 350 rpm stirring speed and reaction temperatures ranging from 323 - 335 K. The experimental data from the esterification reaction were fitted to three kinetic models: Pseudo Homogeneous (PH), Eley-Rideal(ER) and Langmuir-Hinshelwood-Hougen-Watson (LHHW) models. A built-in ODE45 solver in MATLAB 7.0 was used to numerically integrate the differential molar balances describing the concentration of FFA in the system. The influence of temperature on the kinetic constants was determined by fitting the results to the Arrhenius equation. Experimental data were successfully fitted by the PH model and a good agreement between the experimental and the calculated moles of FFA were observed for all the experimental data points. The activation energies for the esterification and hydrolysis reactions were found to be 53 and 107 kJ/mol, respectively. These results proved that the hydrolysis reverse reaction requires more energy to occur as compared to esterification reaction, hence validated the proposed model

Kinetics of the pre-treatment of used cooking oil using Novozyme 435 for biodiesel production [conference paper]

The pretreatment of used cooking oil (UCO) for the preparation of biodiesel has been investigated, using Novozyme 435, Candida antarctica Lipase B immobilized on acrylic resin, as the catalyst. The reactions in UCO were carried out using a jacketed batch reactor with a reflux condenser. The liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method was developed to monitor the mono-, di and triglyceride concentrations for this work and it has been shown that it is possible to obtain linear calibration curves. This work showed that Novozyme 435 will catalyse the esterification of FFAs and the transesterification of mono- and diglycerides typically found in UCO when Novozyme 435 is used to catalyse the pretreatement of UCO for the formation of biodiesel