Controllable synthesis of cypress-derived hard carbon for high-rate sodium ion storage.

Optimized chemical pretreatment method facilitates the synthesis of biomass-based hard carbon with rich porosity at lower carbonization temps (900-1300 °C), yielding cost-effective and high-performance anode materials. The cypress-derived hard carbon (WC-1100) with hierarchical pores achieves a peak sodium ion storage of 307 mA h g at 0.1 A g with an impressive ICE of 82.

Effective Use of Sugarcane-Bagasse-Derived KOH-Activated Biochar for Remediating Norfloxacin-Contaminated Water.

Bagasse-derived biochar (SCB) was prepared at 750 °C using Chinese sugarcane bagasse as a carbon source and then modified with KOH for the removal of the antibiotic norfloxacin (NOR) from aqueous solutions. 3K-SCB, prepared using a solid-to-liquid mass ratio of bagasse:KOH = 1:3, was found to have the best adsorption performance for NOR. Under the conditions of pH 5, 25 °C, 2.

Sawdust-Derived Activated Carbon with Hierarchical Pores for High-Performance Symmetric Supercapacitors.

The recyclable utilization of waste biomass is increasingly important for the development of a sustainable society. Here, the sawdust-derived activated carbon (SD-AC) has been prepared via a convenient HPO-based activation method and further trialed as an electrode for use as a high-performance symmetric supercapacitor. The as-prepared SD-AC possesses a hierarchically porous structure with micropores (0.

Examination of multiple sources of selenium release from coal wastes and strategies for remediation.

Selenium (Se) has been mobilised by leaching from coal and associated waste rock exposed by mining activities in Western Canada, with deleterious impact on aquatic wildlife. Waste rock characterisation indicates that up to 7% of the Se, as Se(IV), may be associated with organic matter, with ≈9%, as Se(0), associated with euhedral pyrite. Small 1-2 µm mineral particles with average Se concentration of 1.

Passivation of pyrite for reduced rates of acid and metalliferous drainage using readily available mineralogic and organic carbon resources: A laboratory mine waste study.

Acid and metalliferous drainage (AMD) is a major environmental issue resulting largely from exposure to weathering of mine wastes containing pyrite (FeS). At-source strategies to reduce the rate of formation of AMD have potential to be more cost-effective and sustainable than post-generation downstream treatments. The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy of geochemical and microbial treatments for at-source control through pyrite surface passivation.

Oxidative Dissolution of Sulfide Minerals in Single and Mixed Sulfide Systems under Simulated Acid and Metalliferous Drainage Conditions.

Chalcopyrite, galena, and sphalerite commonly coexist with pyrite in sulfidic waste rocks. The aim of this work was to investigate their impact, potentially by galvanic interaction, on pyrite oxidation and acid generation rates under simulated acid and metalliferous drainage conditions. Kinetic leach column experiments using single-minerals and pyrite with one or two of the other sulfide minerals were carried out at realistic sulfide contents (total sulfide <5.

Synergistic effect of deep ball burnishing and HA coating on surface integrity, corrosion and immune response of biodegradable AZ31B Mg alloys.

The fast degradation and consequent loss of mechanical integrity is a major problem of biodegradable Mg alloy, which limits its clinical viability. This paper presents the influence of a synergistic approach combining deep ball burnishing and hydroxyapatite (HA) coating on biomechanical integrity, degradation and immune response of Mg alloy (AZ31B). The burnishing resulted in smooth surface topography, increased hardness from 0.

Recycling drinking water treatment sludge into eco-concrete blocks with CO curing: Durability and leachability.

Drinking water treatment sludge (DWTS) can be recycled into low-strength concrete blocks for construction use. The sodium sulfate resistance and leaching behaviours of the DWTS-derived blocks are investigated in this study. The experimental results show that the addition of DWTS degrades the sodium sulfate resistance of the concrete blocks, however CO curing compensates for such property, especially in the case of blocks incorporating 30% DWTS.

Mechanistic insight into the non-hydrolytic sol-gel process of tellurite glass films to attain a high transmission.

The development of amorphous films with a wide transmission window and high refractive index is of growing significance due to the strong demand of integrating functional nanoparticles for the next-generation hybrid optoelectronic films. High-index TeO-based glass films made the sol-gel process are particularly suitable as their low temperature preparation process promises high compatibility with a large variety of nanoparticles and substrates that suffer from low thermal stability. However, due to the lack of in-depth understanding of the mechanisms of the formation of undesired metallic-Te (highly absorbing species) in the films, the preparation of high-transmission TeO-based sol-gel films has been severely hampered.

The Combined Effects of Galvanic Interaction and Silicate Addition on the Oxidative Dissolution of Pyrite: Implications for Acid and Metalliferous Drainage Control.

The aim of this study was to determine the combined effect of galvanic interaction and silicate addition on the dissolution of pyrite, the major contributor to acid and metalliferous drainage (AMD). Single (pyrite, sphalerite, and galena)- and bi-sulfide (pyrite-sphalerite and pyrite-galena) batch dissolution experiments were carried out with addition of 0.8 mM dissolved silicate for comparison to previously published data.

Formation of Aluminum Hydroxide-Doped Surface Passivating Layers on Pyrite for Acid Rock Drainage Control.

The aim of this study was to test the performance of a novel method for acid rock drainage (ARD) control through the formation of Al(OH)-doped passivating surface layers on pyrite. At pH 2.0 and 4.

The Effects of Galvanic Interactions with Pyrite on the Generation of Acid and Metalliferous Drainage.

Although the acid generating properties of pyrite (FeS) have been studied extensively, the impact of galvanic interaction on pyrite oxidation, and the implications for acid and metalliferous drainage, remain largely unexplored. The relative galvanic effects on pyrite dissolution were found to be consistent with relative sulfide mineral surface area ratios with sphalerite (ZnS) having greater negative impact in batch leach tests (sulfide minerals only, controlled pH) and galena (PbS) having greater negative impact in kinetic leach column tests (KLCs, uncontrolled pH, >85 wt% silicate minerals). In contrast the presence of pyrite resulted consistently in greater increase in galena than sphalerite leaching suggesting that increased anodic leaching is dependent on the difference in anodic and cathodic sulfide mineral rest potentials.

The Formation of Silicate-Stabilized Passivating Layers on Pyrite for Reduced Acid Rock Drainage.

Acid and metalliferous release occurring when sulfide (principally pyrite)-containing rock from mining activities and from natural environments is exposed to the elements is acknowledged as a major environmental problem. Acid rock drainage (ARD) management is both challenging and costly for operating and legacy mine sites. Current technological solutions are expensive and focused on treating ARD on release rather than preventing it at source.

Physical characterization and in silico modeling of inulin polymer conformation during vaccine adjuvant particle formation.

This study combined physical data from synchrotron SAXS, FTIR and microscopy with in-silico molecular structure predictions and mathematical modeling to examine inulin adjuvant particle formation and structure. The results show that inulin polymer chains adopt swollen random coil in solution. As precipitation occurs from solution, interactions between the glucose end group of one chain and a fructose group of an adjacent chain help drive organized assembly, initially forming inulin ribbons with helical organization of the chains orthogonal to the long-axis of the ribbon.

A large volume cell for in situ neutron diffraction studies of hydrothermal crystallizations.

A hydrothermal cell with 320 ml internal volume has been designed and constructed for in situ neutron diffraction studies of hydrothermal crystallizations. The cell design adopts a dumbbell configuration assembled with standard commercial stainless steel components and a zero-scattering Ti-Zr alloy sample compartment. The fluid movement and heat transfer are simply driven by natural convection due to the natural temperature gradient along the fluid path, so that the temperature at the sample compartment can be stably sustained by heating the fluid in the bottom fluid reservoir.