Recent Innovations in Chemical Engineering - Online First

Human activities during the last century have dramatically increased CO2 emissions, prompting scientists to develop both emission reduction techniques and profitable business opportunities. This research improves the production process for generating methanol fuel from captured CO2 while simultaneously reducing atmospheric CO2 levels and creating marketable products.

The simulation process, based on Aspen Plus software, develops a precise method to absorb CO2 from thermal power plant flue gases. The production of hydrogen, which drives methanol synthesis, depends on water electrolysis powered by carbon-free electricity. This study examines outcomes generated by using two different catalyst systems, Cu/

ZnO/Al2O3 and In2O3, throughout the plant operation. Financial feasibility is determined by conducting an extensive economic plant evaluation, which includes a Return on Investment analysis, an Internal Rate of Return calculation, and assessments of Net Present Value and Payback Period.

It is found that the process utilizing the In2O3 catalyst is more efficient than the Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst, particularly when H2 is sourced from different renewable energy sources.

These findings suggest that the choice of a proper catalyst plays a vital role in the yield and economics of the methanol process. The benefits of In2O3 are linked to the current strong focus on combating climate change by fully integrating renewable energy into the grid and promoting sustainable chemical production worldwide. While simulation data were used for the study, experimental validation and scalability studies are still needed.

Consequently, the synthesis process using the In2O3 catalyst emerges as a sustainable and environmentally benign approach for methanol production.

In industrial processes, some impurities in industrial liquids are usually adsorbed on the bubble interface, thus affecting the bubble interface mobility. Sometimes, additives are also intentionally added to industrial liquids to optimize the hydrodynamic properties of discrete bubbles and improve industrial efficiency. Therefore, an in-depth study of the hydrodynamics of discrete bubbles in impure liquids is of great significance. The objective of this study is to explore the dynamics of bubble rising in ethanol-aqueous solutions, with the aim of understanding the relationship between bubble rising dynamics and the ethanol mass fraction.

The effect of the free-rising motion of individual bubbles was studied by controlling the ethanol mass fraction and bubble size, and images of the bubbles were recorded with the aid of a high-speed video camera when the rising motion of the bubbles reached an approximate steady state.

When the equivalent diameter of the bubble was fixed, the ascending trajectories of bubbles changed from spiral lines to straight ones as the ethanol mass fraction increased. The larger the equivalent diameter of bubbles is, the higher the transitional mass fraction of the bubble ascending trajectory is. For single bubbles with the same equivalent diameter, as the ethanol mass fraction increased, the terminal ascending velocity of bubbles approximately decreased first and then increased; however, the aspect ratio of single bubbles initially increased and then decreased. There were three concentration regions corresponding to the apparent changes in the terminal ascending speed and the terminal aspect ratio of single bubbles as the ethanol mass fraction increased.

The impact of the ethanol mass fraction on bubble rising dynamics, including the bubble equivalent diameter, terminal ascending velocity, and ascending trajectory, was thoroughly analyzed and discussed. The related mechanism of bubble dynamics was also discussed.

The bubble ascending dynamics were found to be related to ethanol mass fraction, and the dependence of the ascending dynamics of single bubbles on ethanol mass fraction was complex. The bubble terminal ascending speed did not change monotonically as the ethanol mass fraction increased.

Supercapacitors have shown substantial promise in electrochemical energy storage devices, where porous carbon materials demonstrate exceptional potential applications in their electrodes owing to their large specific surface area, high electrical conductivity, and rationally tunable pore architectures.

Sodium lignosulfonate and graphene oxide-based porous carbon materials (LC/rGO) were prepared and characterized. The electrochemical performance of the samples was investigated with three-electrode configurations.

LC/rGO demonstrated mesoporous architecture and excellent electrochemical performance. The kinetic analysis on the electrochemical properties of the materials revealed an electric double-layer capacitance dominated energy storage mechanism.

XRD and Raman analysis on the structures of the as-prepared carbon materials suggested a relatively high degree of defects and disorder. Investigations on the morphology, the pore size distributions and the surface chemistry of the samples demonstrated that the materials had a high specific surface area, mesporous structures and multi-atomic doping of nitrogen and oxygen functional groups. All these features could be taken into account for the high electrochemical performance of carbon.

LC/rGO as an electrode material demonstrated a high specific capacitance of 296 F g^-1 at 0.1 A g^-1 and outstanding cycling stability with 97% of the initial capacitance after 10,000 cycles at 5 A g^-1 in a 6 M KOH electrolyte. The assembled symmetric supercapacitor using the as-synthesized materials exhibited energy density of 10.6 Wh kg^-1 at 300 W kg^-1 and cycling stability of 95% capacitance after 10,000 charge-discharge cycles, promising for supercapacitor applications.

Anionic azo dye contamination poses environmental hazards. This study investigated surfactant-modified banana stem (SMBS) as an adsorbent for the removal of Reactive Orange 16 (RO16), with RO16 serving as a model for anionic azo dyes.

SMBS was prepared via NaOH mercerization and CTAB modification for enhanced porosity/surface charge. FTIR and SEM confirmed functionalization, showing morphological changes and an increase in positive surface charge (pHpzc 5.48 to 6.8). Kinetics, isotherms, desorption, and real-world application studies were evaluated.

The adsorption kinetics best fit the pseudo-second-order model. Isotherms fit the Freundlich model, suggesting multilayer adsorption. Maximum RO16 removal (19.83 mg/g, 98%) occurred at pH 3 via electrostatic attraction. Minimal dye leaching (1.25-4.02%) was observed with 95% removal efficiency maintained in lake water.

SMBS demonstrated high efficacy and viability as an eco-friendly adsorbent from agricultural waste for industrial wastewater treatment. Strong pH dependence and minimal desorption suggest robust electrostatic binding, confirming enhanced adsorption properties.

This study highlights SMBS's significant potential as an efficient RO16 adsorbent, offering a promising alternative for treating industrial wastewater using agricultural waste.

The aim of this study is to develop mefenamic acid-loaded microspheres using a hydrophilic polymer and a solvent evaporation method for sustained drug release, aiming to reduce the frequency of dosing.

Mefenamic acid is an anti-inflammatory drug commonly used to manage pain, especially menstrual cramps. Microspheres, which are spherical particles ranging from 1 to 1000 micrometres, are effective in enhancing the sustained release of medications. The solvent evaporation method is widely used in the preparation of microspheres to improve drug delivery profiles.

A UV study of mefenamic acid was conducted to analyze all necessary parameters. Mefenamic acid and ethyl cellulose polymer were dissolved and stirred at 700 rpm using the solvent evaporation method. A surfactant-containing aqueous phase was prepared and maintained under stirring, into which the organic phase was introduced and continuously stirred to form microspheres. The formed microspheres were characterized by loading capacity, drug content, entrapment efficiency, and product yield. Scanning Electron Microscopy was used to confirm the spherical shape of the microspheres. An in vitro release study was conducted using a diffusion technique to evaluate the drug release profile.

The microspheres were successfully formed with a spherical shape, as observed in SEM images. The evaluation showed favorable loading capacity, entrapment efficiency, and drug content. The in vitro release study demonstrated a sustained release profile, indicating the effectiveness of the hydrophilic polymer in prolonging drug release.

The developed mefenamic acid-loaded microspheres using a hydrophilic polymer via the solvent evaporation method achieved sustained drug release, potentially reducing the need for frequent dosing. The method and formulation show promise for enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of mefenamic acid.

Studies using sustainable and environmentally friendly raw materials are prominent among researchers due to rising environmental concerns.

This study aimed to produce epoxidized corn oil using in situ peracid formation, with Amberlite IR-120H as a catalyst, alongside acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide.

Expoxidized corn oil was produced in situ with acetic acid as an epoxidation agent and Amberlite as a catalyst. Results: The results showed that using a 50% concentration of hydrogen peroxide and a 0.5:1 molar ratio of hydrogen peroxide to corn oil achieved the highest Relative Conversion to Oxirane (RCO).

In situ epoxidation resulted in a higher relative conversion to oxirane in reaction time (60 minutes).

Lastly, numerical simulations were executed employing a genetic algorithm, and the outcomes exhibited a noteworthy congruence between the simulated data and the empirical observations.