Ionic liquids (ILs) have been demonstrated as promising alternatives to conventional entrainers in separation of azeotropic mixtures mostly investigating phase equilibrium and process design scenarios. However, proper selection of ILs for a specific task always remains challenging. Hence a simulation tool, i.e. conductor like screening model for real solvents (COSMO-RS) was applied to address this challenge. Furthermore, screened ILs were simulated as entrainers for ethanol water separation by extractive distillation. The current study also aims to demonstrate a systematic approach to retrofit existing processes, by employing ILs as green entrainers. Screening of twenty-five (25) ILs was carried out using COSMO-RS to select suitable ILs as green entrainers based on activity coefficient, capacity and selectivity. Results illustrated that tetramethylammonium chloride ([TMAm][Cl]) due to its strong hydrogen bonding ability was found to be the best ILs entrainer. Moreover, in order to reduce the operating costs without compromising desired product purity (ethanol purity ≥99.5% in top product), the selected ILs (8 kg/h) in a mixture with ethylene glycol (72 kg/h) were simulated using Aspen plus v.11. The simulation results revealed that by combining tetramethylammonium chloride (2 kg/h) with ethylene glycol (78 kg/h) reduced 7.26 tons of CO2 emissions/year through heat integration by saving 1.49*108 kJ/year energy besides minimizing operating costs. In conclusion, the systematic selection of ILs as green entrainers in combination with ethylene glycol and then the appropriate simulation of the whole system will ultimately reduce the cost of the separation process and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases as well utilization of toxic conventional entrainers.
Condensation of substituted anthranilic acids with 4-isothiocyanatoethyl-benzenesulfonamide led to series of heterocyclic benzenesulfonamides incorporating 2-mercapto-quinazolin-4-one tails. These sulfonamides were investigated as inhibitors of the human carbonic anhydrase (hCA, EC 4.2.1.1) isoforms hCA I and II (cytosolic isozymes), as well as hCA XII (a transmembrane, tumor-associated enzyme also involved in glaucoma-genesis). The new sulfonamides acted as medium potency inhibitors of hCA I (KIs of 28.5-2954nM), being highly effective as hCA II (KIs in the range of 0.62-12.4nM) and XII (KIs of 0.54-7.11nM) inhibitors. All substitution patterns present in these compounds (e.g., halogens, methyl and methoxy moieties, in positions 6, 7 and/or 8 of the 2-mercapto-quinazolin-4-one ring) led to highly effective hCA II/XII inhibitors. These compounds should thus be of interest as preclinical candidates in pathologies in which the activity of these enzymes should be inhibited, such as glaucoma (CA II and XII as targets) or some tumors in which the activity of isoforms CA II and XII is dysregulated.
Polypropylene composites find widespread application in industries, including packaging, plastic parts, automotive, textiles, and specialized devices like living hinges known for their remarkable flexibility. This study focuses on the manufacturing of polypropylene composite specimens by incorporating varying weight percentages of fly ash particles with polypropylene using a twin-screw extruder and injection molding machine. The composites were comprehensively tested, evaluating tensile, compressive, and flexural strength, solid-state and polymer melt properties, modulus, damping, and thermal response. The findings reveal that the compressive strength of polypropylene increases up to 2 wt% of added fly ash particles and subsequently exhibits a slight decline. Tensile strength demonstrates an increase up to 1 wt% of fly ash, followed by a decrease with a 2 wt% addition, and then a subsequent increase. Flexural strength shows improvement up to 3 wt% fly ash addition before declining. The storage modulus curve is categorized into three regions: the glassy region (up to 0 °C), the glass transition region (0-50 °C), and the glass transition region of polypropylene (>50 °C), each corresponding to different molecular motions. Weight loss curves exhibit similar trends, indicating uniform pyrolysis behavior attributed to consistent chemical bonds. Plastic degradation commences around 440 °C and concludes near 550 °C. Additionally, elemental mapping of fly ash composition identified various elements such as O, Si, K, Mg, Ca, Cl, Na, P, Al, Fe, S, Cu, Ti, and Ni. These findings offer valuable insights into the mechanical and thermal properties of polypropylene composites reinforced with fly ash, rendering them suitable for a wide range of industrial applications necessitating strength and durability across temperature variations.
Textile industry is one of the most environmental unfriendly industrial processes due to the massive generation of colored wastewater contaminated with dyes and other chemical auxiliaries. These contaminants are known to have undesirable consequences to ecosystem. The present study investigated the best operating parameters for the removal of congo red (CR, as the model for dye wastewater) by orange peels extract biosynthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) via photocatalysis in an aqueous solution. The response surface methodology (RSM) with ZnO NPs loadings (0.05-0.20 g), pH (3.00-11.00), and initial CR concentration (5-20 ppm) were used for the optimization process. The applicability of ZnO NPs in the dye wastewater treatment was evaluated based on the techno-economic analysis (TEA). ZnO NPs exhibited hexagonal wurtzite structure with = C-H, C-O, -C-O-C, CC, O-H as the main functional groups. The maximum degradation of CR was more than 96% with 0.171 g of ZnO NPs, at pH 6.43 and 5 ppm of CR and 90% of the R2 coefficient. The specific cost of ZnO NPs production is USD 20.25 per kg. These findings indicated that the biosynthesized ZnO NPs with orange peels extract provides alternative method for treating dye wastewater.