Reduction of Langelier index of cooling water by electrolytic treatment with stainless steel electrode

The efficiency of electrolytic treatment in reducing the Langelier saturation index (LSI) of the cooling water from a cooling tower of a textile industry was investigated. Sacrificial anodes were employed which prevent obnoxious chlorine generation. A series of batch experiments using stainless steel electrodes were conducted with 4 different current densities (5, 7, 10 and 15 A/m2) and 6 different electrolysis times (20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 min). The use of 7 A/m2 for 50 min electrolysis time yielded a satisfactory efficiency in reducing the LSI index from 2.57 to zero, indicating that the treated water was of sufficient quality to be reused in the cooling process

Finite Element Analysis for Thermoforming Process of Starch/ Biodegradable Polyester Blend

The objective of this work is to study the behaviour during sheet thermoforming process of a Tapioca starch-biodegradable polyester (EnpolTM) blend with the mixing ratio of 50:50 by weight. The mechanical behavior of the material extruded in the form of thin sheet was studied by means of compression tests with varying strain rates at temperatures ranging from between 363 K to 393 K. The Elastic–Perfectly Plastic material model was used to capture the compressive deformation behavior of the material. It was found that the model described reasonably well the behavior of the material and the 2D Finite element simulation with Elastic–Plastic material model gave good representation of the real thermoforming process

Robust Ni/Dendritic fibrous SBA-15 (Ni/DFSBA-15) for methane dry reforming: Effect of Ni loadings

A series of spherical mesoporous Ni/Dendritic Fibrous SBA-15 (Ni/DFSBA-15) catalysts with different Ni loadings (3–15 wt.%) were successfully synthesized and catalytically investigated by methane dry reforming. The XRD and Raman analyses indicated the structural stability of DFSBA-15 regardless of the Ni loading quantity, and the NiO nanocrystalline size increased with increasing Ni loading. The BET analysis showed the surface area of the catalysts decreased upon increment in Ni loading. Meanwhile, the TEM images revealed the distribution of Ni particles over the spherical shape DFSBA-15, with the most homogeneous dispersion was shown by 10Ni/DFSBA15, while Ni agglomeration was observed for 15Ni/DFSBA-15. The optimal catalytic performance and stability was achieved by 10Ni/DFSBA-15 (XCO2 = 93.11%, XCH4 = 91.76%, YH2 = 91.77%, YCO = 96.35%, SCO = 48.89%, SH2 = 46.57% and H2/CO = 0.95) with no sign of deactivation was observed for 30 h time-on-stream, in agreement with the XRD, XPS, and TGA analyses of spent catalysts. The superior catalytic performance by 10Ni/DFSBA-15 could be credited to its strong Si-O-Ni interaction, moderate NiO crystallite size, and homogeneous active metal dispersion. The favorable properties of 10Ni/DFSBA-15 led to a strong synergistic effect between Ni active metal sites and the DFSBA-15 support and thus enhanced the reactivity between two gaseous reactants, CH4 and CO2. The 10 wt.% Ni loading was certified as optimal Ni content to sufficiently suppress the coke deposition on the DFSBA-15 and thus enhance the catalytic activity and stability