Recycling oriented vertical vibratory separation of copper and polypropylene particles

Vibration has been employed in various engineering processes for material handling. The famous Brazil nut effect, large particles tend to rise to the top under vibration, initiates various research about vibration induced particle segregation. Particle size and density are two determining factors for their behaviour under vibration. Previous research in University of Nottingham proves vertical vibratory separation to be a promising environmental friendly mechanical separation method for recycling metallic fraction from shredded Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) stream. A pilot scale thin cell vibratory separator has been developed to investigate the potential for WEEE recycling applications. Shredded copper and polypropylene particles have been chosen to mimic metallic and non-metallic fractions in WEEE. Vibratory separation experiment with controlled environment and addition of solid lubricant are presented in this paper. The result demonstrates the effect of relative humidity and solid lubricant on improving flowability of granular system hence successful vibratory separation. The proposed mechanisms for the presence of moisture and solid lubricant are lubricant effect and elimination of static electricity

Carpet As An Alternative Fuel in Cement Kilns

Approximately 5 billion lbs of carpet will be removed from buildings in the US each year for the foreseeable future. This carpet is potentially a valuable resource because it contains plastic in the face of the carpet that can be re-used. However, there are many different types of carpet, and at least four major different plastics used to make the face. The face is woven through a backing fabric and held in place by a “glue” that is in most cases a latex cross-linked polymer which is heavily loaded with chalk (calcium carbonate). This backing has almost no value as a recycled material. In addition, carpet is a bulky material that is difficult to handle and ship and must be kept dry. It would be of significant benefit to the public if this stream of material could be kept out of landfills and some of its potential value unlocked by having high volume alternatives for recycled carpet use. The research question that this project investigated was whether carpet could be used as a fuel in a cement kiln. If this could be done successfully, there is significant capacity in the US cement industry to absorb carpet and use it as a fuel. Cement kilns could serve as a way to stimulate carpet collection and then side streams be taken for higher value uses. The research demonstrated that carpet was technically a suitable fuel, but was unable to conclude that the overall system could be economically feasible at this time with the constraints placed on the project by using an existing system for feeding the kiln. Collection and transportation were relatively straightforward, using an existing collector who had the capacity to collect high volumes of material. The shredding of the carpet into a suitable form for feeding was more challenging, but these problems were successfully overcome. The feeding of the carpet into the kiln was not successfully carried out reliably. The overall economics were not positive under the prevailing conditions of costs for transportation and size reduction

Using ecosystem landscape models to investigate industrial environmental impacts

ABSTRACT This article explores the use of ecosystem landscape models to estimate the environmental impacts of industrial activities at the regional / local scale. Integrated ecosystem and industrial modeling is first introduced within the context of life cycle assessment. Then, the use of integrated modeling to overcome problems stemming from the lumped parameter, static, site non-specific nature of life cycle assessment is discussed. Finally, the results of linking a handful of industrially relevant material and information flows demonstrate the ability of current ecosystem landscape models to respond to industrial burdens and estimate some environmental impacts

Discrepancy quantification between experimental and simulated data of CO2 adsorption isotherm using hierarchical Bayesian estimation

To quantitatively analyze the inconsistencies commonly observed between experimental and simulated adsorption isotherms, parameter estimation of adsorption isotherm models was conducted by hierarchical Bayesian estimation with parameter uncertainties being quantified as probability distributions. The estimation method was implemented using Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) to analyze multiple data sets obtained from different sources, including a publicly available database. To describe the discrepancies of experimental and simulated adsorption data, the simulation data was set as the reference to which experimental measurements were compared. We applied the proposed approach to analyze CO2 adsorption isotherms that are measured and simulated on zeolite 13X and MIL-101(Cr). In these case studies, the discrepancy of CO2 adsorption isotherm was successfully quantified between experimental measurements and predictions given by molecular simulations using Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC), where uncertainties were quantified as probability distributions. Furthermore, experimental data sets that agree well with the GCMC simulation have been identified, providing insights into experimental and measurement methods as well as choosing the right assumptions in the molecular simulation.journal articl

Subsurface scientific exploration of extraterrestrial environments (MINAR 5): analogue science, technology and education in the Boulby Mine, UK

The deep subsurface of other planetary bodies is of special interest for robotic and human exploration. The subsurface provides access to planetary interior processes, thus yielding insights into planetary formation and evolution. On Mars, the subsurface might harbour the most habitable conditions. In the context of human exploration, the subsurface can provide refugia for habitation from extreme surface conditions. We describe the fifth Mine Analogue Research (MINAR 5) programme at 1 km depth in the Boulby Mine, UK in collaboration with Spaceward Bound NASA and the Kalam Centre, India, to test instruments and methods for the robotic and human exploration of deep environments on the Moon and Mars. The geological context in Permian evaporites provides an analogue to evaporitic materials on other planetary bodies such as Mars. A wide range of sample acquisition instruments (NASA drills, Small Planetary Impulse Tool (SPLIT) robotic hammer, universal sampling bags), analytical instruments (Raman spectroscopy, Close-Up Imager, Minion DNA sequencing technology, methane stable isotope analysis, biomolecule and metabolic life detection instruments) and environmental monitoring equipment (passive air particle sampler, particle detectors and environmental monitoring equipment) was deployed in an integrated campaign. Investigations included studying the geochemical signatures of chloride and sulphate evaporitic minerals, testing methods for life detection and planetary protection around human-tended operations, and investigations on the radiation environment of the deep subsurface. The MINAR analogue activity occurs in an active mine, showing how the development of space exploration technology can be used to contribute to addressing immediate Earth-based challenges. During the campaign, in collaboration with European Space Agency (ESA), MINAR was used for astronaut familiarization with future exploration tools and techniques. The campaign was used to develop primary and secondary school and primary to secondary transition curriculum materials on-site during the campaign which was focused on a classroom extra vehicular activity simulation

Environmentally benign processing : a systematic approach to closed loop processing in textile finishing plants

Issued as final repor

Life Cycle Analysis: A Tutorial Through the Case of Carpet Tiles

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LCA Analysis of Carpeting - a Discussion of Challenges, Progress and Future Directions

[Title page and bio only]LCA is a maturing area and tools exist for evaluating the environmental and economic performance of many products - including carpet. When the reverse component of the life cycle of carpet is incorporated into the analysis the options and evaluation becomes more complex. A discussion of the BEES tool and the implications for establishing standards around the LCA for carpet will be moderated by the speaker