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Ji, Tuo

Publications and source records attributed to Ji, Tuo.

Big Data Analysis and Technical Review of Regeneration for Carbon Capture Processes

Carbon capture remains an integral technology to mitigate pollution from one of the most prevalent greenhouse gases. CO 2 desorption/absorbent regeneration for both solid- and liquid-based systems is widely recognized as an energy-intensive and costly process operation. Consequently, tremendous work was devoted towards developing new absorbents and regeneration processes to promote their economic feasibility for extensive implementation. In this review, we broadly and deeply review more than 10,000 papers and extract the hidden trends of carbon capture and absorbents regeneration in the past few decades, using a novel data-mining analysis technique. We comprehensively analyzed an array of recent absorbent regeneration methods utilized in post-combustion, pre-combustion, carbon capture from industrial point sources, and direct air carbon capture, with an emphasis on sorbent and solvent-based techniques. In conclusion, advanced regeneration methods in these techniques were illustrated and discussed, followed by recommendations for further research efforts.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Effective removal of trace-level toxic metals from flue gas desulfurization wastewater using SiO 2 supported hydrogel sorbent

Flue gas desulfurization (FGD) wastewater generated from coal-fired power plants contain potentially harmful heavy metal pollutants that pose a threat to public health and clean water. In this work, we present a water stable polyethylenimine-n,n’-methylenebisacrylamide (PEI-MBAA) functionalized SiO 2 solid sorbent material (PMS-1.2/1/4) and investigate its metal adsorption kinetics, selectivity, regenerability, and space velocity. The kinetic studies of six of the toxic heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Se, and Hg) prepared with single elements in Milli-Q water showed the effect of chemical bonding and intraparticle mass transfer resistance on the sorption process. The selectivity studies demonstrated the significant adsorption efficiency toward trace-level heavy metals (Se, Cd, U, Al, etc.) from authentic industrial FGD wastewater. Through five consecutive adsorption–desorption cycles with the FGD (uptake)-citrate (release)-based buffer pair, the sorbent showed high heavy metal removal ability and good reusability. The maximum flow rate for the removal of Se from industrial FGD wastewater was determined to be as high as 8 bed volumes/minute of the sorbent bed. Finally, the results demonstrate the PMS-1.2/1.4 sorbent is a promising candidate for the removal of heavy metals from practical aqueous solutions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Energy-Efficient and Water-Saving Sorbent Regeneration at Near Room Temperature for Direct Air Capture

Here this study reports energy-efficient and water-saving microwave-accelerated regeneration of sorbent (MARS) for dilute carbon capture from the ambient air. The experimental studies indicated that the CO 2 desorption rate from the chemisorbents increased with microwave output under near-isothermal conditions at near room temperature. The reduced activation energy of MARS, i.e., 20–28 kJ/mol, indicated enhanced CO 2 desorption kinetics by microwave-induced rotational–vibrational (rovibrational) coupling transitions, primarily due to the highly polarized feature of the carbamate (CO 2 -PEI). The instant and selective delivery of microwave energy to the targeted polarized C–N bonds at room temperature is particularly advantageous for energy-efficient direct air capture. The experimental results also demonstrated a good working capacity of 0.6–1.4 mmol of CO 2 /g and a promising rapid MARS-DAC process with microwave swing. As it does not require steam regeneration and heat exchanger, a simple MARS process is attractive for CO 2 capture in water-stressed regions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Production of graphene-structured products from coal using thermal molten salt process

The invention provides a method for the production of graphene-structured products. The method generally comprises contacting at a conversion temperature ranging from about 850° C. to about 1100° C. in an inert atmosphere coal with a molten salt to produce a graphene-structured product. In an alternate embodiment, the method comprises contacting at a conversion temperature ranging from about 850° C. to about 1100° C. in an inert atmosphere coal with a molten salt to produce a graphene-structured product; and, separating a rare earth element from the graphene-structured product.

Shi, Fan↗

The 2175 Å bump features in FeLoBAL quasars: One indicator of MW-like dust in the nuclear region of quasars

To investigate the properties of dust in the nuclear region of quasars, we explored the extinction curves of the iron low-ionisation broad absorption line (FeLoBAL) quasar SDSS J163004.29+311957.6 and its two analogues. The parametrised extinction curves indicated the Milky Way-like 2175 Å bump features in underlying extinction, which are similar to those seen in the Local Group and in a subset of high-redshift star-forming galaxies. Compared to the bump features in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), the detections in this work are much closer to those in the Milky Way (MW). These bump features, as well as those in the high- and low-ionisation broad absorption line (BAL) quasars with 2175 Å bumps, are probably the counterpart of the 2175 Å bump features in the quasar environment. This type of dust grain is generally small, easily disrupted by high-energy photons, and has difficulty surviving in the radiation field of the active galactic nucleus. However, due to the presence of absorption-line outflows, the 2175 Å bump feature in quasars, which should be rare, is seen many times in BAL quasars. The shielding effect of outflow clouds allows the MW-like dust grains to be assembled or extends the survival period in the quasar nuclear region. The process and physical and chemical conditions deserve further observational study and investigation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Directly Spun Epoxy-Crosslinked Polyethylenimine Fiber Sorbents for Direct Air Capture and Postcombustion Capture of CO 2

A novel, directly injected solid fiber sorbent is synthesized from a solvent-stable, epoxy-crosslinked basic immobilized amine sorbent (BIAS) for CO 2 capture. Leach resistance of the BIAS organics toward 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone/H 2 O (90/10, fiber solvent) reaches near 100% at the expense of CO 2 capture and is achieved by increasing the extent of crosslinking. The optimized fiber sorbent, prepared with an N,N-diglycidyl-4-glycidyloxyaniline/polyethylenimine (PEI)-0.35/1 wt. ratio, retains 79.2% of PEI and captures 0.37 (direct air capture [DAC]) and 0.67 (postcombustion) mmol CO 2 g-fiber -1 . A nonoptimized prototype hollow fiber exhibits a stable 0.2 mmol CO 2 g-fiber -1 during DAC cycling and is assembled into a ten-fiber module. In conclusion, these results demonstrate a large step toward practical application of this material.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Critical review of functionalized silica sorbent strategies for selective extraction of rare earth elements from acid mine drainage

We report the ubiquitous and growing global reliance on rare earth elements (REEs) for modern technology and the need for reliable domestic sources underscore the rising trend in REE-related research. Adsorption-based methods for REE recovery from liquid waste sources are well-positioned to compete with those of solvent extraction, both because of their expected lower negative environmental impact and simpler process operations. Functionalized silica represents a rising category of low cost and stable sorbents for heavy metal and REE recovery. These materials have collectively achieved high capacity and/or high selective removal of REEs from ideal solutions and synthetic or real coal wastewater and other leachate source. These sorbents are competitive with conventional materials, such as ion exchange resins, activated carbon; and novel polymeric materials like ion-imprinted particles and metal organic frameworks (MOFs). This critical review first presents a data mining analysis for rare earth element recovery publications indexed in Web of science, highlighting changes in REE recovery research foci and confirming the sharply growing interest in functionalized silica sorbents. A detailed examination of sorbent formulation and operation strategies to selectively separate heavy (HREE), middle (MREE), and light (LREE) REEs from the aqueous sources is presented. Selectivity values for sorbents were largely calculated from available figure data and gauged the success of the associated strategies, primarily: (1) silane-grafted ligands, (2) impregnated ligands, and (3) bottom-up ligand/silica hybrids. These were often accompanied by successful co-strategies, especially bite angle control, site saturation, and selective REE elution. Recognizing the need to remove competing fouling metals to achieve purified REE “baskets,” we highlight techniques for eliminating these species from acid mine drainage (AMD) and suggest a novel adsorption-based process for purified REE extraction that could be adapted to different water systems.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Permeability evolution of reservoir rocks interacting with CO2/brine under CO2 sequestration conditions

The Mount Simon formation in the Midwest region of the U.S. is considered as a potential candidate host reservoir for carbon storage. Obtaining knowledge of possible geochemically induced changes to the permeability and porosity of host CO2 storage sandstone will enable us to gain a deeper insight of the long-term reservoir behavior under the CO2 storage conditions. An experimental study of the interaction of CO2/brine/rock on saline formations in a static system under CO2 storage conditions was conducted.

Soong, Yee↗