Synthesis of visible light-responsive cuprous oxide/sunflower stem pith hybrid materials for detoxification of methylene blue.

The detoxification of dye-contaminated water by photocatalysis has become a research priority. Here, a novel hybrid material, cuprous oxide/sunflower stem pith (CuO/SSP), was successfully synthesized in situ, using copper hydroxide gel, prepared by ion exchange, as the precursor to CuO. The presence of CuO nanoparticles on the SSP was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses.

Assessment of transportation processes of polyacrylamide in chernozem and saline soil by numerical model.

Polyacrylamide (PAM) was studied in two characteristic soils in Daqing City: chernozem and saline soil. 120 mg L of KBr was used as a conservation tracer to estimate diffusion coefficients and pore velocities of chernozem and saline soil by using the breakthrough curves (BTCs) of Br. Isothermal adsorption equations were coupled with the traditional two-site model to establish the transportation equation of PAM.

Ultrahigh-flux (>190,000 L·mh) separation of oil and water by a robust and durable Cu(OH) nanoneedles mesh with inverse wettability.

Single-stage oil/water separation membranes usually suffer from weak chemical stability, susceptible mechanical damage and relatively low permeating flux, and the sophisticated preparation processes also limit their massive utilization. In this work, Cu(OH) nanoneedles coated copper mesh (CM) is prepared by simple and eco-friendly anodic oxidation at a current density of 4 mA/cm for 6 min, which is the most efficient route reported so far. The mesh exhibits outstanding superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity towards various oils with contact angles up to 164.

Adsorption behaviors of methylene blue on sunflower stem pith.

Adsorption behaviors of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution using sunflower stem pith (SSP) as adsorbent were investigated. The effects of adsorption conditions such as adsorption time, initial concentration of MB and dosage of SSP on the detoxification of MB were examined. The equilibrium adsorption data were analyzed using three well-known isotherms: Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin.

Oxidation of oily sludge in supercritical water.

The oxidation of oily sludge in supercritical water is performed in a batch reactor at reaction temperatures between 663 and 723 K, the reaction times between 1 and 10 min and pressure between 23 and 27 MPa. Effect of reaction parameters such as reaction time, temperature, pressure, O(2) excess and initial COD on oxidation of oily sludge is investigated. The results indicate that chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rate of 92% can be reached in 10 min.

Effect of components in activated sludge liquor on membrane fouling in a submerged membrane bioreactor.

By a membrane bioreactor with a settle tank in long-term operation and batch experiments, the effects of flocs, soluble microorganism products (SMPs) and metal ions in activated sludge liquor on membrane fouling were investigated. The results showed that foulants absorbed each other and formed a fouling layer as a "second membrane" influencing the permeability of the membrane. The "gel layer" caused by SMPs and "cake layer" by flocs showed great differences in morphology by analysis of scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope.

Analysis of phosphate-accumulating organisms cultivated under different carbon sources with polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis assay.

To investigate the microbial communities of microorganisms cultivated under different carbon sources, three sequencing batch reactors were operated. They were supplied with sewage, glucose and sodium acetate as carbon sources respectively and showed high phosphorus removal performance. The results of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of polymerase chain reaction-amplified (PCR) 16S rDNA fragments demonstrated that beta-protebacteria, Actinomyces sp.