Optimization of Crystal Structures in Polylithionite Concentrate: A Molecular Dynamics Approach to Lithium Extraction Efficiency.

Molecular dynamics (MD) techniques offer significant potential for optimizing mineral extraction processes by simulating economically or physically restrictive conditions at the laboratory level. Lithium, a crucial metal in the electromobility era, exemplifies the need for ongoing re-evaluation of extraction techniques. This research aims to simulate the crystal structures of mineral species present in a polylithionite mineral concentrate [KLiAl(SiO)(F,OH)] using crystallographic data obtained from X-ray diffraction analysis.

Candelilla Wax Extracted by Traditional Method and an Ecofriendly Process: Assessment of Its Chemical, Structural and Thermal Properties.

A comparative study was carried out on the chemical, structural and thermal properties of candelilla wax from four wax-producing communities in Mexico, which was obtained by two extraction processes, the conventional one using sulfuric acid (SA) and an eco-friendly alternative process using citric acid (CA) as the extracting agent. The waxes were analyzed by basic chemistry (acidity, saponification, ester indexes, and others), color, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman micro-spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and hardness and brittleness measurements. The waxes obtained by the environmentally friendly process showed differences in their physicochemical properties when compared to waxes from the conventional process.

Efficient recovery of thermostable polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) by a rapid and solvent-free extraction protocol assisted by ultrasound.

Nowadays, there are great research interest in polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) recovery protocols that reduce the use of organic solvents and efficiently recover this bacterial biopolymer. The present study reports an extraction protocol assisted by ultrasound, which is a rapid protocol that increases the amount of polymeric matter extracted, reduces the cellular digestion step with sodium hypochlorite and eliminates the use of organic solvents. Likewise, characterization studies by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H NMR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) demonstrated that the biopolymer recovered by this protocol is PHB homopolymer with a major thermal-resistance and crystalline properties.