Studies of leaching, recovery and recycling of heavy metals

The leachability of cadmium, cobalt, copper, lead, nickel and zinc metals and their oxides, sulfides and carbonates by water, 0.5 mol dm-3 CH3COOH, 0.1 mol dm -3 HCl/NaCI (1: 1 mixture) and 2 mol dm -3 HNO3 is reported. The concentrations of the leached heavy metals are compared with the trigger levels set by World Health Organisation (WHO). Three leaching solutions (nitric, sulfuric and hydrochloric acids) were used to extract copper, zinc, cobalt, nickel, iron and lead from spent catalysts prior to the application of separation technologies. Leaching experiments were conducted using both traditional methods and a microwave-assisted extraction technique. Data are provided on the effects of leaching temperature, leaching time, solid to liquid ratio and acid concentration on the extraction of different metals. The use of 2 mol dm-3 sulfuric acid at 50°C for 60 minutes and at a solid/liquid (S/L) ratio of 1: 25 achieved more than 90% extraction for all the metals studied. A comparison of the results from traditional and microwave extraction techniques demonstrates that microwave heating reduced the time required to obtain maximum metal extraction. The kinetics for the traditional extraction procedure showed that diffusion was the ratecontrolling process, but it was not possible to conclusively establish the rate controlling process for the microwave leaching. The feasibility of using an electrodialysis process to separate metal ions, such as copper from zinc, was examined. A laboratory-scale three compartments membrane system was designed, constructed, used and optimised for the separation process. The separation of copper from zinc in the electrodialysis process exploited the greater stability of the Cu-EDTA complex compared with the Zn-EDTA complex. It was observed that Zn 2+ ions migrated through the cation-exchange membrane from central compartment to catholyte and, simultaneously, the negative Cu-EDTA complex transferred to the analyte compartment crossing the anion exchange membrane. The technique was successfully used to separate mixtures of Cu: Cd and Zn: Ni. The technique could not, however, be used for the separation of Zn from Cd. An adsorption process was used to prepare copper, iron, nickel and zinc oxides catalysts on y-A1203 as support. The materials prepared were used in a fixed bed reactor to assess the catalytic oxidation of volatile organic compounds (methane and ethane) in air. Cu/y- A1203 was found to be the most promising catalyst for the complete oxidation of methane and ethane at temperatures of 575°C and 525°C, respectively. Increasing the calcination temperature in the drying and pre-treatment of the catalysts resulted in a decrease in the catalytic activity.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Linear and non-linear amplification of high-mode perturbations at the ablation fronts in HIPER targets.

The linear and non-linear sensitivity of the 180 kJ baseline HiPER target to high-mode perturbations, i.e. surface roughness, is addressed using two-dimensional simulations and a complementary analysis by linear and non-linear ablative Rayleigh–Taylor models. Simulations provide an assessment of an early non-linear stage leading to a significant deformation of the ablation surface for modes of maximum linear growth factor. A design using a picket prepulse evidences an improvement in the target stability inducing a delay of the non-linear behavior. Perturbation evolution and shape, evidenced by simulations of the non-linear stage, are analyzed with existing self-consistent non-linear theory

Project proposal on funding for parks

This study will look at state and county level parks and see what and if there are alternative funding solutions for these parks. We will interview officials and administrators of two parks, while using surveys to gather information about visitors of the parks. The interviews that we will use for the park officials and administrators will be semi-structured. When it comes to analyzing the data we receive from the interviews, we will use three techniques: member checking, qualitative coding, and developing themes. The second method we plan on using is surveys of park visitors. We want to conduct exit surveys with visitors of two different parks, one local and one state. Approximately 200 surveys will be collected from those visiting Table Rock State Park and Nettles Park in Clemson. This will give us a good summary of what people would like and not like. From these results we would be able to make inferences about the population of park visitors, and would we be able to advise parks which funding alternatives would be successful and unsuccessful

Non-stationary Rayleigh-Taylor instability in supernovae ejecta

The Rayleigh-Taylor instability plays an important role in the dynamics of several astronomical objects, in particular, in supernovae (SN) evolution. In this paper we develop an analytical approach to study the stability analysis of spherical expansion of the SN ejecta by using a special transformation in the co-moving coordinate frame. We first study a non-stationary spherical expansion of a gas shell under the pressure of a central source. Then we analyze its stability with respect to a no radial, non spherically symmetric perturbation of the of the shell. We consider the case where the polytropic constant of the SN shell is $\gamma=5/3$ and we examine the evolution of a arbitrary shell perturbation. The dispersion relation is derived. The growth rate of the perturbation is found and its temporal and spatial evolution is discussed. The stability domain depends on the ejecta shell thickness, its acceleration, and the perturbation wavelength.Comment: 16 page

Experimental discrimination of ion stopping models near the Bragg peak in highly ionized matter

The energy deposition of ions in dense plasmas is a key process in inertial confinement fusion that determines the α-particle heating expected to trigger a burn wave in the hydrogen pellet and resulting in high thermonuclear gain. However, measurements of ion stopping in plasmas are scarce and mostly restricted to high ion velocities where theory agrees with the data. Here, we report experimental data at low projectile velocities near the Bragg peak, where the stopping force reaches its maximum. This parameter range features the largest theoretical uncertainties and conclusive data are missing until today. The precision of our measurements, combined with a reliable knowledge of the plasma parameters, allows to disprove several standard models for the stopping power for beam velocities typically encountered in inertial fusion. On the other hand, our data support theories that include a detailed treatment of strong ion-electron collisions

Simulations of the energy loss of ions at the stopping-power maximum in a laser-induced plasma

Simulations have been performed to study the energy loss of carbon ions in a hot, laser-generated plasma in the velocity region of the stopping-power maximum. In this parameter range, discrepancies of up to 30% exist between the various stopping theories and hardly any experimental data are available. The considered plasma, created by irradiating a thin carbon foil with two high-energy laser beams, is fully-ionized with a temperature of nearly 200 eV. To study the interaction at the maximum stopping power, Monte-Carlo calculations of the ion charge state in the plasma are carried out at a projectile energy of 0.5 MeV per nucleon. The predictions of various stopping-power theories are compared and experimental campaigns are planned for a first-time theory benchmarking in this low-velocity range