HIGHLY EFFICIENT REMOVAL OF COPPER(II) IONS FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTION BY NICKEL 2-ETHYLIMIDAZOLATE

Nickel 2-ethylimidazolate was obtained and characterized, which is used in this work as a sorbent for the removal of copper (II) ions. The sample characterization was carried out by scanning electron microscopy, low-temperature nitrogen adsorption. It was found that the obtained sorbent is a microheterogeneous material with the size of individual particles in the range of 0.4-0.7 μm. Nitrogen adsorption isotherms in the pores of nickel 2-ethylimidazolate were obtained. It was found that when processing the experimental data in linear coordinates of TVFM, linearization is reached in coordinates lnV-lnPs/P, which indicates the predominance of mesopores in the structure of nickel 2-ethylimidazolate. The total pore volume was determined from the TVFM linear coordinates. It was 0.21 cm3/g. According to obtained differential pore size distribution, the most probable average pore radius corresponds to 7.5 nm. One of the main characteristics of nickel 2-ethylimidazolate as a sorbent, the surface area was determined by the A.V. Kiselev method and amounted to 703.56 m2/g. The efficiency verification of using nickel 2-ethylimidazolate in the heavy metal ions sorption processes was carried out by removal of copper(II) ions from aqueous solutions by the limited solution volume method at different contact times. The copper(II) sorption kinetics in the presence of nickel 2-ethylimidazolate was studied by processing experimental data in the first and second orders linear coordinates. It was found that the adsorption kinetics of copper(II) ions is described by a second order model, which indicated ion-exchange adsorption. Equilibrium adsorption capacity in the sorbent-solution system is reached at a contact time of 90-120 min.

Magnesium-Impregnated Biochar for the Removal of Total Phosphorous from Artificial Human Urine

Biochar has an alkaline and porous structure that could be a potential material for recycling phosphorous (P) from urine. Sawdust (SD) was pyrolyzed to produce sawdust biochar (SDB), and then impregnated with magnesium (Mg) to produce Mg-impregnated biochar (SDBM). Artificial human urine (AHU) solution was used for a batch sorption study, and various sorption parameters (i.e., sorbent/solution ratio, pH of AHU, and initial total P concentration of AHU) were optimized. The concentration of total P was measured using an inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The surface morphology and elemental analysis for SDB, SDBM and the struvite-loaded SDBM (SMSDB) were investigated using scanning electron spectroscopy-energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). The total P sorption capacity for SDBM (32755 mg/g) was higher than that of SDB (7782 mg/g) and SD (10682 mg/g). The optimum total P removal for SDBM (21.2%) was achieved at a sorbent/solution ratio of 0.06g/L at pH 9. Sorption of total P may have occurred on the heterogeneous surface of SDBM. The presence of struvite crystals indicates that phosphate was adsorbed and then precipitated on the surface of SDBM.

Preliminary Investigation of a Liquid Desiccant System for Dehumidification and Cooling in Athens

Liquid desiccant air conditioning systems have recently been attracting attention due to their capability of handling the latent load without super-cooling and then reheating, as happens in the conventional compression-type air conditioning systems. In liquid desiccant cooling cycles, a sorbent solution is employed to dehumidify the air, circulating between the two critical components; the dehumidifier and the regenerator. As the strong desiccant solution is sprayed on top of the internally cooled dehumidifier, it flows down by gravity and comes in contact with the process air. The desiccant solution which, by definition, has a strong affinity for water vapor absorbs moisture from the air. The end of the process finds the air cool and dehumidified and the solution diluted. The diluted desiccant solution enters the regenerator in order to retrieve its initial concentration. Hot water derived from a low temperature source supplies the necessary heat to the solution and the excessive water content is evaporated. At the end of the process, the hot humid air is rejected to the ambient and the concentrated solution is driven to the dehumidifier. The complex heat and mass transfer phenomena, occurring both in the dehumidifier and regenerator, has been the subject of earlier work by the authors. Based on the knowledge gained, a liquid desiccant system was installed at the National Technical University of Athens, Laboratory of Applied Thermodynamics, for experimental purposes. The liquid desiccant system was constructed by the German company L-DCS [1]. The main components of the system are the dehumidifier, the regenerator and the evaporative cooler. The system uses water as the cooling medium and LiCl solution as the desiccant. It also employs two storage tanks, one for the concentrated solution and one for the diluted. The purpose of this publication is to present the newly installed liquid desiccant system, to predict the performance of the dehumidifier and to carry out preliminary design optimization.