Applications of the microwaves technologies are developing fast, but only in few cases these applications are used at the industrial level for the pollutants elimination. This work presents few ...problems of the environment that can be efficiently solved through electrotechnologies based on microwaves: wastages treatment technologies, coal filters regeneration, concrete walls treatment and of the contaminated soils, vermin elimination from the wood structures, the elimination of toxic acids of nitrogen and sulfur from the burning gases and indirectly, the preparation of polyelectrolytes for the used waters treatment.
LiBs pose a very specific threat, given that they contain a high percentage of dangerous heavy metals. From the 4000t of used lithium-ion batteries collected in 2005, 1100t of heavy metals and more ...than 200t of toxic electrolytes were generated. This is why a lot of attention has been paid to the development of the technology necessary to recover and recycle LiBs in order not only to protect the environment but also to conserve resources. The recovery of major spent cell components is beneficial both in terms of environmental protection and also for the provision of raw materials. The authors of this article carried out a state of the art on the technologies used in the recycling and regeneration of industrial lithium-ion batteries. The main objective of such technologies is to enable the recycling of valuable elements present in the batteries, such as cobalt, nickel and copper, in a way which is both profitable and environmentally friendly. All the technologies used in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries are constantly changing makes subsequent changes to the research into recycling and recovery technologies necessary. This does not mean merely finding ways to recover the precious metals, but also to recover other materials which may harm the environment, in order to dispose of them appropriately. The discussion of this research clearly reflects that:
•There are very few studies on the recovery of metals such as graphite, the electrolyte in spent LIBs, and it is our belief that more research is needed in this area.
•The research into the application of microorganisms in the used lithium batteries is few and far between.
•It is important to find ways to recover the precious metals and to recover other materials which may harm the environment, in order to dispose of them appropriately.
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•Fabrication methods of porous and non-porous PLA membranes were reviewed.•PLA-based membrane is high flux pervaporation membranes by good thermal resistance.•Plasticizers have been ...used to correct flexibility of PLA membranes for gas separation.•Thermal stability and impact resistance of PLA membranes should be improved by additives.•Production cost of PLA should be reduced for industrial development of PLA membranes.
The use of membranes for separation and purification applications is growing significantly. Most membrane fabrication materials are harmful to the environment. For this purpose, scientists today are focusing on substituting these materials with ones that are low toxic or less harmful. One of these materials is polylactic acid (PLA), which is a bio-source and biodegradable polymer. PLA has acceptable thermal resistance as well as mechanical strength and is renewable. PLA polymer has good flexibility to make membranes by common methods such as phase inversion and electrospinning techniques. In the present perspective, first, the physicochemical properties and synthesis methods of PLA were presented. Then, the application of this polymer for fabricating electrospun, water treatment, adsorption, hemodialysis and gas separation membranes were examined with its specific advantages and challenges. This review shows that a great future has been embodied for the PLA membranes.
•Carbon-based quantum dots (CQDs) applications in membrane science.•Summarizing the membrane applications using CQD in its preparation or modification.•Briefly review of synthesis methods of CQDs ...such as graphene QDs & carbon nanodots.•Effect of nanocomposite structures of CQD on membrane performance was reviewed.•Difficult features of the uses of CQD-containing membranes in the future was explored.
A scientific breakthrough in membrane technologies using nanomaterials drives the development of new nanocomposite structures to improve processes. Carbon-based quantum dots (CQDs) have risen to prominence in membrane applications due to their superior characteristics among carbon nanomaterials since 2013. In this review, we have summarized and discussed all pressure-, concentration-, temperature- and electrical potential-driven membrane applications of carbon-based QDs. Firstly, the synthesis methods of CQDs such as graphene QDs, carbon nanodots, carbonized polymer dots, and carbon dots are briefly summarized. Then, state-of-the-art studies from membrane applications using CQD in its manufacture or modification were summarized. The influence of nanocomposite structures created by adding different elements or compounds to the CQD chain was also considered. The results explanations are then reviewed, along with the difficult features of the uses of CQD-containing membranes in the future.
This perspective review paper provides an overview on recently developed carbon material technology synthesised from the hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) approach, with a particular focus on the ...carbon formation mechanism, perspectives on large scale production, nanostructuring, functionalisation and applications. Perceptions on how this technology will be developed especially with regard to application fields where the use of HTC-derived materials could be extended will also be introduced and discussed.
This review paper offers a broad overview on the hydrothermal carbonization technique and its applications.
Fast depleting fossil fuels and the growing awareness for environmental protection have led us to the energy crisis. Hence, efforts are being made by researchers to investigate new ways to extract ...energy from renewable sources. ‘Microgrids’ with Distributed Generators (DG) are being implemented with renewable energy systems. Optimization methods justify the cost of investment of a microgrid by enabling economic and reliable utilization of the resources. This paper strives to bring to light the concept of Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems (HRES) and state of art application of optimization tools and techniques to microgrids, integrating renewable energies. With an extensive literature survey on HRES, a framework of diverse objectives has been outlined for which optimization approaches were applied to empower the microgrid. A review of modelling and applications of renewable energy generation and storage sources is also presented.
•The environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis is examined in Cambodia.•Generalized Method of Moments and the Two-stage Least Square are utilized.•Energy consumption, urbanization, trade openness and ...GDP increase pollution.•The control of corruption and better governess reduce pollution.•The environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis was not confirmed in Cambodia.
This study investigates whether better governess and corruption control help to form the inverted U-shaped relationship between income and pollution in Cambodia for the period of 1996–2012. The outcome from the Generalized Method of Moments and the Two-stage Least Squares revealed that GDP, urbanization, energy consumption, and trade openness increase CO2 emission while the control of corruption and governess can reduce CO2 emission. It is fundamental to note that the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis was not confirmed in Cambodia. Based on the retrieved results, we recommend for urban planners to utilize policies that will allow them to improve urban planning by controlling sewage, industrial waste, and solid waste which are some of the major causes for the environmental deterioration in Cambodia's major cities. It is also crucial to implement pollution and trade-related actions and strategies to increase the environmental protection from trade. Additionally, it is important for Cambodia to increase the corruption control as this step will strengthen the environmental regulations which will reduce pollution. Finally, a better governess is also important to improve the quality of the environment.
Engineering the wettability of solid materials is a traditional, yet key issue in surface science and attracts tremendous interest by researchers in diverse fields. Recently, different superwetting ...phenomena have been discovered in both nature and experimental results. Therefore, in this review, various superwetting states, leading to a “superwettability” system, are summarized and predicted. Fundamental rules for understanding superwettability are discussed, mainly taking superhydrophobicity in air as an example. Then, some recent application progress of individual members of this “superwettability” system are introduced. Notably, several novel application fields, mainly gas, water, oil and/or other liquid environments, are presented in the following section. By combining different members of this “superwettability” system, new interfacial functions can be generated, allowing unexpected applications, such as in environmental protection, energy, green industry, and many other important domains. Finally, the future development of this interesting “superwettability” system is discussed.
A number of superwetting states are summarized to build a “superwettability” system. The combination of two or more members of the superwettability system leads to unexpected yet fantastic applications, such as in environmental protection, energy, green industry, and many other important domains.
•A state of the art review of the risk assessment methodologies and risk analysis tools.•An analysis of published literature.•Identification of the knowledge gaps and disconnect between theory and ...practice.
The paper reviews past progress in the development of methods and models for process safety and risk management and highlights the present research trends; also it outlines the opinions of the authors regarding the future research direction in the field. Based on the open literature published in the leading journals in the field of safety, risk and reliability, the review covers the evolution of the methods and models developed for process safety and risk management. The methods and models are categorized as qualitative, semi-quantitative, quantitative and hybrid. The progress in the last few decades is discussed in the context of the past. Developments in the current decade formulate the basis of the present trends; future directions for research in these fields are also outlined. The aim of the article is to provide a historical development in this field with respect to the driving forces behind the development. It is expected that it will help researchers and industrial practitioners to gain a better understanding of the existing concepts. At the same time the aim is to provide direction to bridge the existing gaps through research and developments.
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