Department of Chemical Engineering

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IIT Jodhpur

Herein, copper nanoparticles were synthesized using electrochemical method at pH 5, 6.5, 9.5 and 12.5 (coded as Cu5, Cu6.5, Cu9.5 and Cu12.5, respectively). Copper was used as electrode whereas 0.15 M oxalic acid in aqueous solution was used as an electrolyte. Effect of pH of the electrolyte solution on the morphological, structural and textural properties of prepared copper nonoparticles was studied. Prepared nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray crystallography, Field emission scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential thermal analysis and textural analysis. The morphology and sizes of the nanoparticles prepared varied with the initial pH of the solution. Sizes of synthesized Cu particles were found to be in the range of 20 nm to 7 μm. All the particles were mesoporous in nature. Cu5 was found to contain 67% copper hydroxide and 33% copper oxalate whereas Cu6.5, Cu9.5 and Cu12.5 essentially consisted of copper hydroxide. © (2015) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland.

World University root node

Journal of Nano Research

Synthesis and characterization of copper nanoparticles by electrochemical method: Effect of pH

Solid-phase extraction process using chelating sorbent is a novel technique due to its high separation efficiency and simplicity. A designed three-dimensional cross-linked hydrophilic chelating polymeric sorbent, polyacrylhydroxamic acid, was developed for enhanced uptake of uranium from waste solution (pH 6–9) by complexation between the sorbent’s active functional group and uranium. The sorbent was synthesized by polymerization of acrylamide with cross-linking agent, followed by conversion and functionalization with hydroxylamine hydrochloride. In this paper, removal and recovery of uranium from effluent of uranium material processing plant in the presence of competitive ions such as sodium, calcium and magnesium were studied using the sorbent. Uranium uptake property of the developed sorbent was also investigated with respect to sorbent’s physical characteristics such as bead size distribution and bead swelling, in batch experiments. Distribution coefficient of uranium in the sorbent was substantially high (1,250 mL of effluent/g of sorbent), and immobilization factor was 0.028. The results showed that more than 90 % recovery of uranium is viable from nuclear effluent without preconditioning. Breakthrough profiles of column operation were successfully described for effective removal of uranium in continuous mode. The novel sorbent has been used for polishing the nuclear wastewater and hence to mitigate the environmental issues. © 2013, Islamic Azad University (IAU).

Fulltext

International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology

Extraction of uranium from nuclear industrial effluent using polyacrylhydroxamic acid sorbent

The salient features of a nanostructured carbonaceous material like graphene or graphene oxide have provided innovative alternatives for the development of nanocomposite membranes with better selectivity without having a compromise in throughput, which as a result have a promising role to play in desalination and water purification. Here, nanostructured reduced graphene oxide (nRGO) is synthesized from graphite powder and characterized. Using non-solvent induced phase inversion technique, a series of nanocomposite ultrafiltration (UF) membranes are developed by in situ impregnation of the as synthesized nRGO in polysulfone (Ps) polymer matrix with variation of nRGO from 1 to 8 w/w%. The physicochemical features and transport properties offered by the membranes are evaluated. Structural characterization of the Ps-nRGO composite UF membranes is done by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The variation in porous morphology of the membranes upon impregnation of nRGO is evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. Variation in skin surface topography is analyzed by atomic force microscopy. The change in surface hydrophilicity is evaluated by contact angle studies. The thermal and mechanical properties of the membranes are assessed by thermogravimetric analysis and tensile strength measurements, respectively. The studies reveal that an optimum loading of nRGO (2 w/w%) in the Ps matrix resulted in membranes with elimination of the trade-off between the flux and selectivity that exists with the conventional UF membranes. In addition, the optimum loading of nRGO resulted in membranes with improved thermal and mechanical stability. Thus, nRGO as an emerging potential nanofiller can lead to the development of an ideal membrane with desirable attributes. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2015.

RSC Advances

Reinforcement of nanostructured reduced graphene oxide: A facile approach to develop high-performance nanocomposite ultrafiltration membranes minimizing the trade-off between flux and selectivity

Herein, we discussed the developments of silica-polysulfone based nanocomposite ultrafiltration membranes and their application in separation of protein, polysaccharide and humic substances. Two nanoparticles namely, mesoporous silica nanoparticles and nonporous silica nano-powder were impregnated on pure polysulfone matrix for preparation of nanocomposite membranes. Bovine serum albumin (BSA), sodium salt of alginic acid and humic acid sodium salt were used as model protein, polysaccharide and humic substances respectively. Membranes were characterized in terms of pure water permeability, separation of single uncharged solutes like polyethylene oxide (PEO), water contact angle and surface average roughness. The rejection of protein, polysaccharide and humic acid was also evaluated for all the membranes in order to get an idea whether these foulants can block the pores at some extent. Membranes containing porous silica were found more permeable and with nonporous silica are less permeable than the pure polysulfone membrane with similar solute rejection. Nanocomposite membranes were compared with pure polymer membranes for resistance to fouling by the model protein, polysaccharide and humic acid solutions. In general, the pure water flux recovery on flushing of water after fouling was more for nanocomposite membranes than the pure polysulfone membranes for all the foulants. BSA and humic acid sodium salt caused more irreversible fouling than sodium alginate in all the membranes. © 2015 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Journal of Macromolecular Science, Part A: Pure and Applied Chemistry

Preparation of silica-polysulfone based high flux fouling resistant nanocomposite ultrafiltration membranes for separation of proteins, polysaccharides and humic substances

Inorganic-polymer hybrid, thinfilm nanocomposite nanofiltration (TFN-NF) membranes prepared by in situ interfacial polymerization of branched polyethyleneimine and trimesoyl chloride, with simultaneous impregnation of as-synthesized hexagonal wurtzite ZnO nanocrystals (nano-ZnO), either through aqueous or organic phase, have been extensively characterized. XPS analysis revealed that there was no inter-atomic charge transfer between nano-ZnO and host polyamide matrix, indicating that no formation of chemical bonding occurred between them in the skin layers of the membranes. The type of interaction present within the nanocomposite polyamide matrices of the membranes was through formation of noncovalent type secondary chemical interactions with peripheral hydroxyl groups of nano-ZnO and polyamide network as substantiated through FTIR analysis. SEM revealed the formation of distinct patterns and coils, through multiple-point interactions between the nano-ZnO and the polyamide network in the membranes' skin surfaces when introduced through aqueous amine phase. However, when introduced through the organic phase, nanomaterials remained distributed as discrete clusters within the membranes' skin layers because of lack of polar environment around the reaction zone, further emphasizing the role of the medium in which the nanomaterials are incorporated. AFM showed variation of surface roughness features with change in the precursor medium of introduced nano-ZnO. Nanofiltration performance towards different solutes, providing differential rejections in the order of MgCl2 > NaCl ≥ Na2SO4, revealed that the membranes were distinctly positively charged. Solvent fluxes of the membranes were significantly higher when nanomaterials were introduced through the aqueous phase as compared to the organic phase. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2015.

Nano-ZnO impregnated inorganic-polymer hybrid thinfilm nanocomposite nanofiltration membranes: An investigation of variation in structure, morphology and transport properties

Grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations are performed to investigate the adsorption of argon and krypton inside weakly attractive slit pores. We examine the effects of confinement on these monoatomic fluids (modelled using the triangle-well potential) in a hard wall slit pore as also when the pore-fluid interactions are uniformly and weakly attractive. The effects of temperature and pressure on the adsorption isotherms of these confined fluids are found to be the same as those reported in literature. The equilibrium density profiles for argon and krypton exhibit both uniform distribution and layering under different conditions. In addition, for krypton, under specific conditions inside the narrow pores, we note the development of frustrated layering. © 2014 Taylor and Francis.

Molecular Simulation

A grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation study of argon and krypton confined inside weakly attractive slit pores

Hydrogen production by water splitting method is one of the promising solutions for the future energy systems. Among all hydrogen production processes, thermo-chemical Iodine–Sulfur process is one of the efficient and environmentally attractive methods. Iodine–Sulfur process consists of three chemical reactions: (i) Bunsen reaction, which is the acid production step, (ii) sulfuric acid decomposition to produce oxygen and (iii) hydrogen iodide decomposition to produce hydrogen. A detailed parametric study of Bunsen reaction has been carried out through semi-batch experiments. Experiments are carried out in a metallic tubular Bunsen reactor at different pressure and temperature with pure sulfur dioxide (SO2). It has been observed that the overall reaction rate increases with increase in pressure and decreases with increase in temperature. Further studies have been carried out with nitrogen in SO2 to understand the effect of gas film resistance on the overall reaction rate and conversion. © 2015 Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC.

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

Study of effect of high pressures and elevated temperatures on Bunsen reaction of Iodine–Sulfur thermo-chemical process

A novel sorbent, poly-acryl hydroxamic acid was prepared in-house from acrylamide monomer by solution polymerization method. Surface morphology and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed that the sorbent was capable of encaging uranium from aqueous solution. Sorption potentials of uranium ions were investigated using the sorbent in dilute alkaline aqueous solution by varying pH of solution, sorbent quantities, contact time, initial uranium ion concentration and temperature of solution. Results from batch sorption experiment with simulated nuclear plant effluent showed the sorbent could remove uranium(VI) ions efficiently in presence of competitive ions such as Ca(II), Mg(II), Mn(II), Cu(II), Fe(III) and nitrate. Sorption characteristics were studied using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The evaluated thermodynamic parameters indicated the present sorption process was endothermic and spontaneous. This work provided a promising and new sorbent for removing hazardous material like uranium from industrial wastewater. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering

Removal of uranium(VI) from dilute aqueous solutions using novel sequestering sorbent poly-acryl hydroxamic acid

Here we briefly present the recent developments of next generation nanocomposite ultrafiltration membranes with enhanced performances mostly using organic polymer and inorganic nanoparticles. Commonly used nanocomposite ultrafiltration membranes in asymmetric structures are prepared using common organic polymers like polysulfone, polyvinylidene fluoride, cellulose acetate, polyamide, polyacrylonitrile etc as base matrix with inorganic metal and metal oxide nanoparticles like silver, iron, silica, iron oxide, zeolite, titania etc as filler materials. In addition, carbon nanotube based nanocomposite ultrafiltration membranes are developed as a possible fouling resistant, low-energy replacement for conventional membranes. The challenges involved on scaling-up of these membranes from laboratory scale developments and future research directions on this area are also discussed. © 2014 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

Nanotechnology: Recent Trends, Emerging Issues and Future Directions

Next generation nanocomposite ultrafiltration membranes for water purification

Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) is the latest Indian design for a next generation nuclear reactor. It is 300MWe, vertical, pressure tube type, boiling light water cooled natural circulation and heavy water moderated reactor. It burns thorium in its fuel core to meet the objectives of using thorium fuel cycles for commercial power generation. Desalination systems are included in the reactor circuit to produce high quality water from seawater utilizing thermal energy of AHWR to meet the reactor make-up and other process water requirements. Studies have been carried out for various options of using thermal energy of AHWR for desalination. LTE and MED-TVC desalination plants are planned to be coupled with the reactor using Main Heat Transport purification circuit waste heat and using steam from a tapping between the cross-over line of HP and LP turbine respectively. Metallic barriers, intermediate loops and pressure reversal concepts are applied to prevent radioactive ingress to product water of desalination plant. This paper describes the technical feasibility studies of coupling 250m3/day LTE and 2400m3/day MED-TVC seawater desalination plants coupled to AHWR. Coupling of desalination plants, methodologies, loss of reactor power and various safety considerations are discussed in details. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.