ReCiPla - Cyclic Soil Microplastic Remover
GROSSMANN, João Miguel Sastre. ReCiPla - Cyclic Soil Microplastic Remover: A way to remove microplastics from soil using electrostatics. 2023. 28 p. Research report – Scientific Apprentice Program, Colégio Dante Alighieri, São Paulo, 2023. Microplastics are the largest form of physical pollution on the planet. Affecting everything from terrestrial and aquatic environments to the air, compounds up to 1 micrometer in size are present inside the human body and can intoxicate the main organs in which they are found, such as the lungs, spleen, liver, and heart. Therefore, methods of removing these compounds from nature are essential, which is why this research is based on electrostatically removing MP from the soil. To this end, a vibrating conveyor belt was designed that would act in conjunction with a plate electrified by a Van de Graaff generator to separate the plastic compound using electric field induction. After characterization tests to quantify the voltage produced by the generator, which produced an average of 95 kV, the vibrating belt was made and will be used later in conjunction with the electrostatic method. This methodology suggests that it’s a success even after the electrified plate was applied to its structure. It carried out the proposed processes, such as moving the test masses, vibrating them, and fully supporting the electrified plate. In addition, the electrostatic removal method was tested to verify its efficiency and applicability. It was found that the removal of microplastics ranged it from 10 to 20% efficiency, suggesting it to be an effective method for separating microplastics. It should be noted that these statistics will be improved as the research progresses. In this way, the research proved capable of establishing an electrostatic removal method, as well as a process for transporting the material to be removed, thus achieving the objectives it set out to achieve. Finally, it should be noted that this research is still under development, with a view to applying the process in conjunction with the conveyor belt to carry out sample tests, as well as improving the removal process in the future to make it more efficient.
Design of a new Hydrogen Fueled Hybrid Car Prototype
The proposed project involves a new water-fueled hybrid car prototype that integrates various technologies, including photovoltaic (PV) panels, electrolysis, a fuel cell, a metal hydride tank, and a battery. The car is equipped with PV panels on its surface, such as the roof or hood, which convert solar energy into electricity. This electricity powers a DC motor that propels the vehicle. Excess electricity can be stored in a battery or used in an electrolysis system to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is stored in a metal hydride tank for later use. Metal hydrides are materials capable of absorbing and releasing hydrogen gas, providing a safe and compact storage solution. The fuel cell converts hydrogen into electricity to power the DC motor when sunlight is not available. This hybrid system allows for direct solar-powered operation while also storing excess energy as hydrogen. Experimental tests were conducted on a prototype of this water-fueled car, with the fuel cell serving as a backup power source to ensure continuous operation even without solar energy. This concept offers several advantages, including the use of renewable solar energy, zero emissions during fuel cell operation, and the ability to store and utilize excess energy.
Silver nanoparticles-loaded titanium dioxide coating towards immobilized photocatalytic reactor for water decontamination and bacterial deactivation under natural sunlight irradiation
The environmental implications of rapid industrialization, including rising pollution, depleted resources, the effects of climate change brought on by global warming, and unrestrained groundwater extraction, are contributing to a growing water scarcity crisis [1-3]. The improvements in quality of life are largely attributable to the innovations in manufacturing technology made possible by the Industrial Revolution, but these innovations also pose risks to the natural world and human health [1-3]. The textile business uses a wide variety of raw materials, including natural fibers like cotton as well as synthetic and woolen fibers, and the chemical components of dyes are just one example. The annual output of synthetic dyes is around 700,000 tons, and there are over 10,000 different varieties available. As much as 200,000 tons of synthetic dyes are released into the environment every year due to the inefficient dyeing technique commonly employed in the textile industry. According to the World Bank, the processing of textiles for dyeing and finishing accounts for between 17 and 20 percent of industrial wastewater [1-3]. Textile wastewaters contain a high biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrogen, color, acidity, high suspended particles, high dissolved solids, surfactants, dyestuffs, heavy metals, and other soluble chemicals [3] due to the variety of dyes used to color textile items. In particular, water-soluble reactive and azo dyes are employed to obtain the required color. Ten to twenty percent of the dyes used end up in the effluents, where they might harm wildlife and the ecosystem (carcinogenic or mutagenic). Headaches, nausea, skin irritation, respiratory difficulties, and congenital deformities are only some of the health problems linked to exposure to textile wastewater. There are repercussions for aquatic ecology, environmental biodiversity, and the quality of receiving water bodies. New, low-cost, and highly effective water treatment methods are needed to deal with polluted wastewater. Adsorption and coagulation, two common water purification methods, just concentrate pollutants by shifting them to other phases; they do not "eliminate" or "destroy" them. Sedimentation, filtration, chemical oxidation, and biotechnology are all examples of conventional water treatment methods, but they all have their drawbacks. These include insufficient removal, high chemical reagent consumption, high treatment costs, long treatment times, and the creation of toxic secondary pollutants. New water treatment procedures are needed to improve the quality of treated effluent [1-3]. The use of semiconductor particles in photocatalysis is gaining appeal as a solution to global pollution problems due to its shown efficiency in degrading a wide variety of contaminants. Photocatalyst-coated surfaces-based reactors have proven to be practical for long-term operation over photocatalytic powder-based reactors (i.e., slurry-based reactors) [4-5]. As a promising photo-electrode and photocatalyst, titanium dioxide (TiO2) has enjoyed wider applicability in photocatalytic hydrogen generation, solar cells, and remediation of organic contaminants among other photo-catalytic applications [4-6]. TiO2 has been recognized as one of the low-cost, most effective, and fascinating photo-catalyst as a result of its interesting thermal and chemical stability, desirable electronic features, others, and environmental benignity [6-8]. Pristine TiO2 semiconductor is characterized by a wide band gap that can only utilize the UV part of the light spectrum with a wavelength of less than 385 nm, which is just 5% of the sunlight energy capacity. Spectrum usability extension to visible regions warrants further and extensive research study [8-10]. Additionally, the quickness of the recombination of photo-generated holes and electrons further restricts the practical applicability of the semiconductor [10-12]. It is highly desirable to develop a cost-effective scalable strategy to over these drawbacks toward sustainable development and a clean environment using only natural sunlight irradiation [5-11]. In addition, it is preferred to fabricate them as films rather than powders as photocatalytic immobilized reactors are more practical than powder-based reactors [4-8]. Dye sensitization, supports, magnetic separation, and surface modification by doping with non-metals, metals, and transition metals and coupling with other semiconductors have all been used to enhance the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 photocatalyst. Higher photonic efficiency can be attained through the synergistic fine-tuning of features such as physical, chemical, and electronic, and these composites and hybrid materials based on TiO2 are creating a big trend. Doping has been widely studied as a means of altering the surface of TiO2. Rare earth metals, noble metals, and transition metals are all discussed in the existing literature on the surface modification of TiO2 doped with cations [4-12]. In this study, for the first time, Ag nanoparticles loaded mesoporous TiO2 coating was prepared and applied as an immobilized photocatalytic reactor for water decontamination and bacterial deactivation under natural sunlight irradiation.
Upcycling of Abandoned Beehives!!
Upcycling abandoned beehives to make new products can reuse the useful materials in old beehives and produce less trash. As known that bees leave their beehive in these following situations like insufficient replenishment, frequent unboxing and environmental issues. Then the beehive will be abandoned and will have no use left. In this project, a piece of honeycomb was collected from abandoned beehive and melted in order to extract beeswax. The potential of the extracted beeswax for replacing plastic to produce fillers of 3D pens was studied. Natural materials like seashell, rosin, soy bean and coffee ground were tested as ingredients of 3D printing materials. Finally, the potential of using extracted beeswax in 3D printing was confirmed. Beeswax has a low melting point at around 64°C and solidify quickly at room temperature. The high plasticity of this natural wax fulfills the criteria of 3D printing materials. Biodegradable wastes, like coffee grounds and soy bean grounds were tested as additives for reducing the beeswax content. Sea shell grounds were eliminated from the tested list as its filaments broke into small pieces of brittle fragments during the production process. 5% and 10% of these additives were the optimal formula for making long filaments. Yet, the thin filaments made by pure beeswax were not strong enough, filaments of selected beeswax-soy bean grounds were further strengthened by mixing with 5% or 10% rosin. Among the four different ratios of Beeswax: Soy bean grounds: Rosin (9:1:0.5 / 9:1:1 / 9.5:0.5:0.5 / 9.5:0.5:1), filaments in the ratio 9.5:0.5:0.5 demonstrated better flexibility, higher tensile strength and compressive strength, thus B9.5:S0.5:R0.5 was the final formula of biodegradable beeswax 3D filament.