The annual increase in waste car tires in addition to the enormous amount at present poses a major waste management problem as well as an environmental hazard. However, pyrolysis is emerging as a solution for waste tire management and a viable technology for material recycling and energy recovery that produces high energy liquid and gas products as well as char. The pyrolysis oil that is produced from this technology has the potential to be used as vehicle fuel but contains exceeding levels of sulfur and other impurities. This study investigates the upgrading and desulfurization of waste tire pyrolysis oil by reactive adsorption using a molybdenum modified zeolite and its desilicated form. The experiments were performed at 320 °C and a LHSV of 45-50 h-1 for approximately 45 min, and revealed that both desilication and Mo-modification resulted in the cracking of both gaseous and liquids compounds, reduction of TAN, denitrogenation, and deoxygenation. Desilication increased desulfurization while Mo-modification increased the EHI. The treatment was the most effective in the removal of oxygen, followed by nitrogen and sulfur. In conclusion, the treatment process is promising as a method for direct liquid upgrading but requires further research.

The study has been conducted in collaboration with Swestep AB, a Swedish company that specializes in the conversion of waste to valuable products via the KDV technology. The study explores the possibility of using cassava chips and cassava pulp as a potential feedstock in the production of synthetic diesel and compares the KDV method with fermentation, a conventional method of using cassava chips and cassava pulp in Thailand. To obtain the carbon yield, amount of product and system efficiency, a mass and energy balances were first performed on wood feedstock data provided by the company. The balances were thereafter used as a basis for a simulation analysis of the cassava feedstock. The diesel product yield is produced through a KDV 150 plant using 551kg/h of the different feedstock; wood, cassava chips and cassava pulp resulting in different amounts of diesel product 150 L/h, 116.79 L/h and 121.31 L/h, respectively. For cassava, the C yield in diesel is 0.41 while the C yield of ethanol production is 0.14, since C in the ethanol production is converted into other matters. Besides, the system efficiency of the KDV plant with different types of feedstock is around 0.84 because some parts of the KDV plant is self-supplied whereas the ethanol production plant (55% of system efficiency) is not. Economical evaluations of the KDV 5000 and ethanol production plant were performed. The KDV 5000 with cassava pulp as feedstock produces 31 ML/year and is feasible for investment in Thailand due to the low price of the feedstock which is driving the operation cost (15.167 baht/L or 0.46 USD/L). This is lower than the selling price (21.329 baht/L or 0.65 USD/L) whereas the KDV 5000 plant with cassava chips is not feasible. The KDV plant with cassava pulp as a feedstock will reach the breakeven point after running for 7 years. The ethanol production process with cassava chip as feedstock produces 49 M liter/year and has an operation cost of 19.693 baht/liter (0.6 USD/L) which is higher than the KDV plant due to the feedstock price. The selling price of ethanol is 23.11 baht/l (0.705 USD/L) which resulted in the process reaching the breakeven point after 14 years.

Sveriges riksdag har tagit fram 16 miljömål där ett av dem ämnar att minska övergödningen isvenska sjöar och vattendrag. Övergödning är bland annat ett resultat från näringsämnen somläckt från jordbruk. En lösning på övergödningsproblemet skulle kunna vara att samla upp deläckta näringsämnena och återföra dem till åkern. Detta skulle kunna göras med hjälp av biokolsom adsorbent och syftet med detta projekt är att undersöka dessa möjligheter samt biokoletsstruktur. Definitionen på biokol är att det är en heterogen kolliknande substans från hållbart framtagenbiomassa. Den ska även ha ett högt kolinnehåll och användas på ett sådant sätt att den binderupp kolet under en längre tid. Biokol framställs genom pyrolys eller förgasning under högtemperatur och syrefattiga förhållanden. Syftet med användande av biokol som adsorbent ärmöjligheten att kunna skapa ett kretslopp. Biokolet ska först verka som filter i avrinningsdikenvid åkermark för att sedan återföras, mättad med näringsämnen, tillbaka till åkermarken. Vid experimenten användes tre olika kol. Ett grillkol och två olika biokol. Strukturen på deolika kolen undersöktes med en BET-analys. Analysen av grillkolen gav ett orimligt svar menför de två biokolen gavs resultat som ansågs rimliga. Denna analys ger inte ett direkt värde påadsorptionsförmåga hos kolen utan behöver verifieras med ett experimentellt framtagetsamband mellan struktur och adsorptionsförmåga. Ett alternativ till BET-analysen är att göraen jodnummeranalys, som ger värden på adsorptionsförmåga för det undersökta ämnet. Denna analys utfördes inte praktiskt. Två lösningar med olika koncentrationer av Na3PO4 förbereddes och blandades underomrörning med de olika kolen. Två olika omrörningstider användes för att kunna undersökauppehållstidens betydelse. Efter omrörning filtrerades proverna för att få bort kol och de olikafiltraten genomgick en ICP-analys för undersökning av fosforinnehåll. Resultatet som framkomav denna analys var att filtraten hade en högre fosforhalt än vad de initiala lösningarna hade.Förklaringen till detta antas vara att biokolet redan innehöll fosforföreningar som Na3PO4 ut. Problemet med ICP-analysen var att den inte kunde detektera i vilken form fosforn var.Det gick heller inte att detektera kväve i ICP-analysen då luften runt omkringinstrumentet innehåller kväve vilken kontaminerar provet och detekteras i analysen. Enalternativ metod till ICP är att använda spektroskopi som dels kan detektera kväve men ävenolika former av fosfor- och kväveföreningar. Slutsatsen var att analys av biokols adsorptionsförmåga är att den är komplex. BET-analys ären bra metod för att visa struktur på kolen men jodnummer kan vara ett bättre alternativ för attdirekt hitta ett värde på kolets adsorptionsförmåga. För analys av lösningar fungerar ICP enbartför fosfor och därför skulle spektroskopi kunna vara ett bättre alternativ då det kan detekterakväve samt olika former av föreningar. / The aim of this project is to create a deeper understanding of biochar’s ability to adsorbnutrients. In the long run the aim is to find a way to use the most suitable structures of biocharfor a maximum adsorption of different kinds of nutrients. The objective of this project is tofind, through case studies and practical experiments, an effective method to examine andanalyze the structure of biochars and their ability to adsorb nitrates and phosphates. The conclusion of the project was that analysis of the biochar’s ability to adsorb is a complexmatter. The BET-analysis is a good method to find the structure of the biochar. However, iodinenumber analysis could be a better alternative to directly find a value on the biochar’s ability toadsorb. The ICP-analysis of the solutions only works for phosphor, therefore spectroscopywould be a better alternative since it also can detect nitrogen and the different compounds.

No description available.

Denna forskningsrapport fokuserar på gymnasieskolans laborationer i kemi och hur dessa förändrats under de senaste 10-20 åren. Motivet till att studera detta är ambitionen att få ökad didaktisk förståelse för laborationen som viktigt inslag i kemiundervisningen. I ett större perspektiv kan detta vara av intresse för att analysera om förändringar av gymnasieskolans kemilaborationer kan utgöra en delförklaring till att svenska universitet upplever ett minskat söktryck för kemi på högskolenivå och om delförklaring kan finnas för att Sverige som nation inte når samma resultat i naturvetenskap som vissa andra länder i internationella kunskapsmätningar. Sex erfarna lärare från sex olika skolor har intervjuats om sina upplevelser av kemilaborationen och vad som påverkat dess utveckling. Ramfaktorteorin har varit grundläggande för detta arbete och som analysmetod har fenomenografin valts. Resultaten visar på en stor variation i vad lärare anser påverkat kemilaborationens förändring. Ökat medvetande och högre krav från lagar och förordningar inom säkerhetsområdet samt att lärare upplever sig ha mindre tillgänglig tid för laborationerna framstår som de tydligaste orsakerna till gjorda förändringar. Även kompensation för försämrade praktiska färdigheter hos elever som lämnar grundskolan framkommer som en bakomliggande faktor. Den nya läroplanen Gy 2011, kostnadsöverväganden och kemi­lokalernas beskaffenhet framkom som mindre avgörande för kemilaborationens utveckling.

Contaminated soils and sediments have been identified as significant secondary sources of organic contaminants.  Leaching tests may be useful tools to estimate the mobility of contaminants via the water phase and thereby the risk for groundwater and surface water contamination. The influence of soil composition (peat and clay content) on the leachability was investigated in batch leaching experiments for chemically diverse hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs: PCP, PAHs, HCB, HCHs, PCBs, and TCDD/Fs). The above mentioned compounds were analyzed by both GC-LRMS (gas chromatography coupled with low resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS) and GC-HRMS (gas chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry). Also the the leachability of eleven selected PCBs from naturally aged soil (Västervik, Sweden) was investigated in relation to the composition and concentration of dissolved organic matter at different pH (2 to 9), using a pH static test with initial acid/base addition. The the composition and of dissolved organic matter (DOM) at different pH values was explored by FTIR spectroscopy. The results were evaluated by orthogonal projections to latent structures (OPLS). Generally, for all model compounds studies, the Kd-values showed a variability of 2-3 orders of magnitude depending on the matrix composition. The Kd-values of moderately hydrophobic compounds, (e.g. HCHs, PCP and Phe), were correlated mainly with the organic matter content of soil. For more hydrophobic compounds (e.g.BaA, HCB and PCB 47), the leachability decreased as the proportions of  OM and clay contents increased. The Kd-values of 1,3,6,8-TCDD and 1,3,6,8-TCDF were  positively correlated with peat content but negatively correlated with clay content, while for PCB 153 and PCB 155 the correlations were reversed. The log Kd-values of all target PCBs decreased with increased pH values and the log Kd-values were highly correlated with the concentration of total organic carbon (TOC) in the leachates. The FTIR analysis of DOM showed that the least chlorinated and hydrophobic PCB congeners (i.e. PCB 28) might be associated with the hydrophilic fraction (i.e. carboxylic groups) of DOM. Our study demonstrated how complex interaction between the organic matter, clay components, pH and DOC influences the leachability of HOCs in a compound-specific manner.

Muskelstyrka och muskelmassa avtar med stigande ålder och är associerat med mortalitet, svaghet, osteoporos, fall och frakturer. Hos yngre individer har magnesiumtillskott signifikant ökat muskelstyrka. Det rekommenderade dagliga intaget (RDI) av magnesium enligt Nordiska näringsrekommendationer (NNR) är lägre än rekommendationen av U.S Food and Nutrition Board (FNB). Syftet med detta litteraturarbete var att studera publicerad litteratur inom ämnet magnesium och muskler med avsikt att undersöka ifall ett ökat magnesiumintag hos individer över medelåldern påverkar muskelstyrka och relativ muskelmassa samt undersöka vilka livsmedel som ur ett ekonomiskt perspektiv kan konsumeras för att bidra till att NNR´s RDI uppnås. Litteratursökning identifierade sex artiklar som var relevanta för frågeställningen ”Kan en högre dos magnesium öka muskelstyrka?”. Samma artiklar användes för ytterligare en frågeställning; ”Kan en högre dos magnesium förbättra relativ muskelmassa?”. Litteratursökning för den andra frågeställningen identifierade inte fler artiklar som var relevanta för frågeställningen. För den tredje frågeställningen ”Vilka livsmedel kan med fördel ur ett ekonomiskt perspektiv bidra till ett högre intag av magnesium?” användes information från Livsmedelsverkets livsmedelsdatabas och medelvärdet av tre livsmedelsbutikers jämförelsepriser. Sammanställningen av den forskning som finns visade att en kost som uppnår NNR´s dagsrekommendation främjar muskelstyrka men det gjorde inte ett högre intag av magnesium via kosttillskott. Ett ökat intag av både dietärt och supplementärt magnesium observerades främja relativ muskelmassa men det verkar som att dietärt magnesium har högre biotillgänglighet än magnesium i kosttillskott. De mest ekonomiska livsmedlen som kan konsumeras för att bidra till en högre dos magnesium i kosten var fullkornsprodukter som frukostflingor, pasta och hårt bröd. / Muscle strength and muscle mass declines with increasing age. This is associated with mortality, frailty, osteoporosis, falls and fractures. Magnesium supplementation has been shown to increase muscle strength significantly in young subjects. The recommended daily amount of magnesium according to Nordic nutrition recommendations (NNR) is lower than that of U.S. Food and Nutrition Board (FNB). The aim of this thesis work was to study published literature on the subject magnesium and muscle in order to investigate if an increased magnesium intake in subjects middle aged or older affects muscle strength and relative muscle mass and to evaluate which common foods contributes the most to achieve the RDI of NNR from an economic point of view. Searches identified six articles relevant to the issue “Could an increased dose of magnesium improve muscle strength?”. The same articles were used to answer a second issue; “Could an increased dose of magnesium improve relative muscle mass?”. Searches for the second issue did not yield more articles relevant to the issue. For the third issue; “Which foods has, from an economic point of view, an advantage in contributing to a higher magnesium intake?” information from the Swedish food agency´s food database was used and the mean cost from three different food chains comparison prizes. A compilation of data from the published scientific studies showed that a diet which fulfills the recommended daily amount of magnesium according to NNR promotes muscle strength in subjects middle aged or older; however, an increased amount of magnesium taken as a supplement did not show any significant increase in muscle strength. An increased intake of both dietary and supplementary magnesium promoted relative muscle mass, but the bioavailability of dietary magnesium seems to be higher than the bioavailability of supplements. The most economic groceries which contributes to a higher dose of magnesium in the diet was full grain products such as breakfast cereals, pasta and hard bread.

Like in any modern civilization, roads in Iceland have an important role in thedaily lives of inhabitants. Consequently, road quality is of equal importance, butIcelandic roads have shown problems when surface dressing is used where itlooks decent after being paved during summer but then deforming pretty rapidlyafter being hit by elements of winter. Roads in Sweden however, do not seem tohave the same problem.The aim of this study is to minimize this road deformation by examining surfacedressing and aggregates. The Icelandic climate is also a factor to this problemsince the humidity is comparatively high, summers are cool, winters are mild andthe climate is overall challenging. Furthermore, winter thaws are distinctivecharacteristic of the Icelandic weather, which increases strain on the asphalt.An experiment was conducted where the adhesion of surface dressing that iscommon in Sweden was tested with two different aggregates by Vialit plateshock test method. First it was tested with Swedish granite and then withIcelandic basalt. The results from the aggregates were compared where theadhesion with the granite was stronger than with the basalt.Previous study have found that by choosing binder and aggregate that have highadhesivity at low temperature reduces the risk of surface dressing defects,especially when paving takes place in the early and late summer season. Whenchoosing aggregates for road construction the main criteria is cost, thereforeaggregates that are used usually reflect the local geology because transportingaggregates for significant distances is expensive. Concluding from theexperiment, it is not recommended to use the basalt with the Swedish surfacedressing in practice now due to the lesser adhesion compared to the granite.However further research on the asphalt mix with the Swedish surface dressingand the basalt should be conducted.

This project was undertaken at one of AstraZeneca's substance factories in Södertälje, Ersättningsfabriken, EFA. The project aimed to facilitate discharge of different solvent streams from the factory. The manufacture of drugs necessitates the use of large quantities of solvent. This creates  a  huge volume of waste to be disposed of. As waste streams leave one of the units in the factory, they are categorized based on their contents and provided with different article numbers. After  the  waste streams leave the units they are sorted and later destroyed according to their article number. The aim of this project was to map out all those waste streams from EFA that travel via the tank cellar to the storage unit, before destruction/purification. Factors such as amount, time of depletion and the way the waste streams travel to AstraZeneca central unit for waste disposal, were evaluated. At the central unit for waste disposal the solvents are stored in destruction tanks before external or internal destruction/purification. The goal of the project was further to develop a plan to reduce the number of bottlenecks that occur whilst emptying units during production and to increase the efficiency of the emptying process. A number of different methods were employed in order to achieve the project's goals. Practical work and a one week internship in production were combined with interviews,  data  collection  from archives, documents  and the use of different programs. A survey of all the waste streams leaving units in the factory was produced. Furthermore, statistics regarding the load in the tanks in the tank cellar and usage of different articles were compiled. A comparison of the methods of sorting waste and the articles was made between AstraZeneca and the external company that collects the  waste. This comparison  led to a recommendation to eliminate one of the articles, as eliminationwould  enable more efficient  usage of  the tank cellar. / Projektet genomfördes på en av AstraZenecas substansfabriker i Södertälje som heter Ersättningsfabriken, EFA, med syftet att underlätta hanteringen av avfallsströmmar från fabriken. Vid läkemedelstillverkning används stora mängder lösningsmedel vilket leder till att stora mängder avfallsströmmar som måste tas om hand. De olika avfallsströmmarna erhåller ett artikelnummer baserat på dess innehåll då de lämnar en enhet i fabriken och sorteras samt destrueras beroende på detta artikelnummer. Projektets inledande mål var att kartlägga alla avfallsströmmar i fabriken som leds via tankkällaren till lagring innan destruktion/rening. Faktorer som undersöktes var mängd, tömningstid och tömningsväg till AstraZenecas centrala enhet för avfallshantering. Vid den centrala enheten lagras lösningsmedlen i destruktionstankar innan extern eller intern destruktion/rening. Målet med projektet var även att reducera antalet krockar som uppstår vid tömning i produktionen då flera enheter önskar tömmas samtidigt samt att utforma en plan för att effektivisera tömningama för smidigare produktion. För att uppfylla projektets olika mål krävdes ett brett arbetssätt för att inhämta information och data. Praktiskt arbete och praktik i produktionen i EFA har kombinerats med intervjuer och datainsamling från arkiv, dokument samt genom användning av olika datorprogram.

Converting solar energyto fuels such as hydrogen by the reaction of water splitting is a promising solution for the future sustainable energy systems. The theme of this thesis is to design water splitting devices via molecular engineering; it concerns the studies of both electrochemical-driven and photo-electrochemical driven molecular functional devices for water splitting. The first chapter presents a general introduction about Solar Fuel Conversion. It concerns molecular water splitting catalysts, light harvesting materials and fabrication methods of water splitting devices. The second chapter describes an electrode by immobilizing a molecular water oxidation catalyston carbon nanotubes through the hydrophobic interaction. This fabrication method is corresponding to the question: “How to employ catalysts in functional devices without affecting their performances?” In the third chapter, molecular water oxidation catalysts were successfully immobilized on glassy carbon electrode surface via electrochemical polymerization method. The O-O bond formation pathways of catalysts on electrode surfaces were studied. This kinetic studyis corresponding to the question: “How to get kinetic information of RDS whena catalyst is immobilized on the electrode surface?” Chapter four explores molecular water oxidation catalysts immobilized on dye-sensitized TiO2 electrodeand Fe2O3 semiconductor electrode via different fabrication methods. The reasons of photocurrent decay are discussed and two potential solutions are provided. These studies are corresponding to the question: “How to improvethe stability of photo-electrodes?” Finally, in the last chapter, two novel Pt-free Z-schemed molecular photo-electrochemical cells with both photoactive cathode and photoactive anode for visible light driven water splitting driven were demonstrated. These studies are corresponding to the question: “How to utilizethe concept of Z-schemein photosynthesis to fabricate Pt-free molecular based PEC cells? / <p>QC 20160129</p>