Wastewater treatment and re-use of industrial process water is a critical issue for the suitable development of human activities. The need for effective water recycling has reinforced the research on tailored low cost pollution abatement since the existing solutions are not longer universal. In particular, the emerging Catalytic Wet Air Oxidation (CWAO) process is one of the most promising technologies for the remediation of moderately concentrated and/or biotoxic water pollutants, when a stable and active catalyst can be provided. To this purpose, the catalytic activity and stability of active carbon was tested in the CWAO of the target compound, phenol, at mild conditions of temperature and pressure. The active carbon, which is a relatively inexpensive catalytic material is shown to be stable and to yield higher phenol destruction and less toxic partial mineralisation products, compared to a widely used copper oxide catalyst. During the CWAO of phenol, numerous partial oxidation products appeared and the knowledge of the kinetics that control their oxidation process is fundamental for the design, modelling and scale up of CWAO pilot plant or industrial units. Complex kinetic modelling was undertaken using both the classical gradient based method and a stochastic algorithm termed Simulated Annealing (SA). SA was shown to perform better in the identification of multiparameter kinetic reaction schemes, allowing to improve the kinetic modelling of CWAO beyond the actual state of art in this field. Detailed kinetic analysis of CWAO is scarce in the literature and the same situation holds for engineering studies. There is a clear need for the simultaneous development of process chemistry and engineering aspects. Consequently, we parallely focused on the state of art modelling of a Trickle Bed Reactor (TBR), being the priority candidate of best performing CWAO reactor. First, the ability of TBR in CWAO was affirmed by appropriate experimental comparison of batch slurry reactor and continuous fixed bed reactors operating either in the cocurrent downflow mode (TBR), or upflow mode (FBR) of the gas and liquid flow. A phenomenological transport-reaction model of the TBR was then developed and programmed. The TBR model implements the previously obtained oxidation kinetics and emphasis on important aspects of TBR, namely catalyst wetting, and mass transfer between the phases. Non-isothermal operation is also accounted for to face the need for autothermal operation, lowering the global process costs. The validation of the model was successfully done with the available experimental data from the laboratory TBR and thus provided a reliable tool for the scale up study of the CWAO process. The outcomings of this model aided scale up, allow to give recommendation on the design and operation of industrial units, thereby making more reliable the implementation of CWAO units on an industrial level. / El tratamiento y el reciclaje de afluentes acuosos son de máximo interés para conseguir un desarrollo sostenible de las actividades humanas. La necesidad de aprovechar en un futuro cercano las aguas residuales de procesos industriales de un modo eficaz ha reforzado la investigación sobre métodos de bajo coste para su recuperación, dado que las tecnologías existentes ya no son universalmente aplicables. La oxidación catalítica por vía húmeda (CWAO) es uno de los procesos emergentes más prometedores particularmente para el tratamiento de aguas contaminadas con materia orgánica, en concentraciones medio altas, y/o biotóxica. Sin embargo, la implementación del método es adecuada siempre que se use un catalizador activo y estable. Con este propósito, la actividad catalítica y la estabilidad del carbón activo se ha comprobado en la CWAO usando como compuesto modelo el fenol. En condiciones de temperatura y presión moderadas el carbón activo ha demostrado ser un material catalítico barato, que a la vez, es estable, mas activo en la conversión de fenol, además produciendo menor cantidad de productos de oxidación parcial tóxicos que los catalizadores soportados convencionales. Durante la CWAO del fenol, numerosos productos intermedios se forman, por lo que el conocimiento de la cinética de su oxidación es fundamental para el diseño, modelización y escalado fiable del proceso a escala de planta piloto o incluso industrial. Debido a la insuficiencia de los clásicos métodos de optimización para llevar acabo la estimación de parámetros en modelos de alta complejidad, el uso de algoritmos estocásticos se ha probado con éxito, permitiendo el desarrollo de modelos cinéticos más avanzados que los que se implementan actualmente en el campo de la CWAO. El desarrollo de modelos cinéticos complejos es escaso en la literatura actual, así como los estudios que tratan los aspectos químicos y de ingeniería del proceso de la CWAO. Sin embargo, hay una necesidad clara para el desarrollo simultaneo de los aspectos químicos y de ingeniería de la tecnología. Consecuentemente, en paralelo se ha enfocado en la modelización de un reactor de goteo (TBR), según el estado de arte actual en el campo de estos reactores. Es demostrado que estos reactores son más adecuados que los reactores agitados con catalizador en suspención para la CWAO de compuestos orgánicos que tienden a reacciones de polimerización en fase liquida. Además se han probado dos distintos modos de operación, con flujo de gas y liquido cocorriente descendiente o ascendiente, y se ha demostrado que la primera forma de operación es la mas adecuada para este sistema. A continuación un modelo fenomenológico para el TBR ha sido desarrollado y programado. El modelo implementa la cinética previamente obtenida, y además se ha puesto énfasis en la incorporación de los efectos de mojado, y de transferencia de materia. La operación no isotérmica se ha estudiado también para investigar la posibilidad de operar de modo autotérmico, disminuyendo así los costes de operación del proceso. La validación del modelo fenomenológico con los datos experimentales obtenidos en el TBR del laboratorio ha sido favorable. Posteriormente, este modelo ha sido utilizado como una herramienta fiable para el escalado del proceso. Los resultados obtenidos de la modelización del escalado permiten la extracción de recomendaciones sobre el diseño y la operación de unidades industriales, haciendo más fiable la aplicación del método a escala industrial.

Orientador: Antonio Carlos Luz Lisboa / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-06T17:26:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Mendez_ManoelOrlandoAlvarez_M.pdf: 2603376 bytes, checksum: 0c8ee135799f28f8bda8e30c0023f76d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005 / Resumo: Materiais Carbonosos Ativados (MCA), tais como Carvões Ativados (CA) e Peneiras Moleculares de Carbono (PMC), são caracterizados por apresentar elevada área superficial específica e um grande volume de poros em sua matriz carbonosa, sendo sua principal propriedade a de adsorver moléculas tanto na fase líquida quanto na gasosa. O Brasil importa em sua totalidade peneiras moleculares produzidas a partir de precursores carbonosos, empregando-os nas mais diversas áreas de ciência e tecnologia e em vários segmentos industriais. O coque de petróleo é um resíduo com alto teor de carbono fixo e baixo teor de cinzas, e em decorrência de sua estrutura praticamente amorfa, é um material de pouco valor comercial, sendo considerado um resíduo problemático, tanto em termos ambientais quanto comerciais. Desta forma, a utilização de coque de petróleo para a produção de CAs e de PMCs torna-se atrativa para a utilização deste resíduo. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo estudar a síntese de carvões ativados através das ativações física e química de coque de petróleo proveniente da unidade de coqueamento retardado da REPLAN - PETROBRÁS, buscando avaliar as influências dos parâmetros de processo na qualidade dos CAs, tais como: concentração de agente ativante, tempo de ativação, temperatura de ativação e granulometria do coque de petróleo. A ativação física apresentou resultados insatisfatórios devido a baixa reatividade do coque de petróleo com o dióxido de carbono. Contudo, o coque de petróleo apresentou uma maior reatividade com hidróxido de potássio, permitindo desenvolver uma metodologia adequada para a ativação química do coque de petróleo com KOH, de modo a obter carvões ativados de elevada área superficial. Os resultados obtidos indicam a possibilidade de produção de carvões ativados de elevada área superficial, superiores a 2000 m2.g-1 a partir do coque de petróleo / Abstract: Activated Carbon MateriaIs (ACM), such as Activated Carbons (AC) and Carbon Molecular Sieves (CMS), are characterized by a high specific surface area em high pore volume in their carbon matrix, being their principal property to adsorb molecules in liquid and gas phase. Brazil imports all its molecular sieves, using them in several areas of science and technology and industrial segments. Petroleum coke is a high carbon content residue with low ash content, and due to its amorphous structure have low comercial value, being considered an environmental and comercial problem. In this sense, the utilization of petroleum coke to produce AC and CMS becomes an atractive utilization of this residue. The objective of the present work was to study the synthesis of activated carbon by physical and chemical processes using as raw material the petroleum coke originated from the delayed coking unit from REPLAN PETROBRAS, evaluating the infiuence of process parameters, such as activating agent concentration, activation time, activation temperature and average particle size on the AC quality. The results of physical activation of petroleum coke was not satisfactory due to the low reactivity of the petroleum coke with the carbon dioxide. However, the petroleum coke presented higher reactivity with potassium hidroxide, given the possibility to develop an adequate methodology to chemically activate petroleum coke with KOH, in order to obtain activated carbon with high specific surface area. The results indicated the possibility to produce activated carbon materiaIs from petroleum coke with surface area higher than 2000 m2 .g-l / Mestrado / Engenharia de Processos / Mestre em Engenharia Química

This diploma thesis is engaged in problems of micropollutants removal by water treatment process. The first part aims to define single micropollutants, possibilities of their removal in laboratory and micropollutants removal on water treatment plant. In the second part, there is data evaluation of water analyses on factual water treatment plant. Also there is description and evaluation of experiment, which aims to pesticide removal from river by using filtration across granulated active carbon.

<p>Predmet&nbsp; istraživanja&nbsp; ove&nbsp; doktorske&nbsp; disertacije&nbsp; je&nbsp; procena&nbsp; potencijalno&nbsp; biodostupne&nbsp; frakcije odabranih&nbsp; prioritetnih&nbsp; organskih&nbsp; polutanata&nbsp;&nbsp; (pentahlorbenzena,&nbsp; heksahlorbenzena,&nbsp; lindana, trifluralina, 4-oktilfenola i 4-nonilfenola) u sedimentu, ispitivanje biodegradacionog potencijala ovih&nbsp; jedinjenja&nbsp; u&nbsp; sedimentu&nbsp; u&nbsp; različitim&nbsp; uslovima,&nbsp; kao&nbsp; i&nbsp; procena&nbsp; potencijala&nbsp; stabilizacije<br />sedimenta&nbsp; dodatkom&nbsp; ugljeničnih&nbsp; sorpcionih&nbsp; agenasa.&nbsp; U&nbsp; cilju&nbsp; razvoja&nbsp; metoda&nbsp; za&nbsp; određivanje biodostupnosti odabranih organskih polutanata ispitivane su i&nbsp; optimizovane metode vi&scaron;estepene i jednostepene parcijalne ekstrakcije primenom sledećih hemijskih agenasa:&nbsp; Tenaks&nbsp; smole, XAD-4&nbsp; smole&nbsp; i&nbsp; rastvora&nbsp; ciklodekstrina&nbsp; (2-hidroksipropil-&beta;-ciklodekstrina,&nbsp; &beta;-ciklodekstrina&nbsp; i&nbsp; metil-&beta;-ciklodekstrina).&nbsp; Optimalni&nbsp; agens&nbsp; za&nbsp; procenu&nbsp; biodostupne&nbsp; frakcije&nbsp; odabranih&nbsp; organskih zagađujućih&nbsp; materija&nbsp; sa&nbsp; sedimenta&nbsp; XAD-4&nbsp; smola,&nbsp; a&nbsp; optimalno&nbsp; vreme&nbsp; ekstrakcije&nbsp; primenom jednostepenih&nbsp; ekstrakcija&nbsp; je&nbsp; oko&nbsp; 8&nbsp; h.&nbsp; Procena&nbsp; biodegradacionog&nbsp; potencijala&nbsp; odabranih prioritetnih&nbsp; organskih&nbsp; zagađujućih&nbsp; materija&nbsp; u&nbsp; sedimentu&nbsp; ispitana&nbsp; je&nbsp; u&nbsp; različitim&nbsp; aerobnim&nbsp; i anaerobnim uslovima uz optimizaciju uslova putem biostimulacije i bioaugmentacije. Pokazano je&nbsp; da&nbsp; svih&nbsp; &scaron;est&nbsp; odabranih&nbsp; jedinjenja&nbsp; poseduju&nbsp; značajan&nbsp; potencijal&nbsp; biodegradacije&nbsp; u&nbsp; anaerobnoj sredini&nbsp; pri&nbsp; čemu&nbsp; u&nbsp; slučaju&nbsp; lindana&nbsp; i&nbsp; trifluralina&nbsp; dolazi&nbsp; do&nbsp; potpunog&nbsp; uklanjanja&nbsp; biodostupne količine&nbsp; jedinjenja&nbsp; primenom&nbsp; sva&nbsp; četiri&nbsp; ispitana&nbsp; inokuluma.&nbsp; Aerobni&nbsp; potencijal&nbsp; u&nbsp; ispitanim uslovima&nbsp; pokazali&nbsp; su&nbsp; samo&nbsp; alkil&nbsp; fenoli,&nbsp; gde&nbsp; je&nbsp; takođe&nbsp; uklonjena&nbsp; skoro&nbsp; celokupna&nbsp; količinabiodostupne&nbsp; frakcije&nbsp; jedinjenja&nbsp; u&nbsp; sedimentu&nbsp; (78-85%).&nbsp; Potencijal&nbsp; remedijacije&nbsp; sedimenta dodatkom&nbsp; ugljeničnih&nbsp; materijala&nbsp; ispitan&nbsp; je&nbsp; sa&nbsp; aspekta&nbsp; odabira&nbsp; ugljeničnih&nbsp; sorpcionih&nbsp; agenasa (aktivni&nbsp; ugalj,&nbsp; biougalj&nbsp; i&nbsp; humus);&nbsp; određivanja&nbsp; optimalne&nbsp; količine&nbsp; materijala;&nbsp; isptivanja dugoročnih i kratkoročnih efekata dodatka ovih agenasa na biodostupnost organskih zagađujućih materija&nbsp; kako&nbsp; bi&nbsp; se&nbsp; ispitao&nbsp; efekat&nbsp; starenja &nbsp; i&nbsp; toksičnosti&nbsp; dobijenih&nbsp; sme&scaron;a.&nbsp; Rezultati&nbsp; stabilizacije zagađujućih&nbsp; supstanci&nbsp; u&nbsp; sedimentu&nbsp; pokazuju&nbsp; da:&nbsp; (1)&nbsp; povećanje&nbsp; doze&nbsp; sva&nbsp; tri&nbsp; sorpciona&nbsp; agensa dovodi&nbsp; do&nbsp; povećanja&nbsp; efikasnosti&nbsp; imobilizacije&nbsp; i&nbsp; smanjenja&nbsp; biodostupne&nbsp; frakcije&nbsp; odabranih organskih jedinjenja; (2) starenjem sme&scaron;a sedimenta i&nbsp; sorbenata u toku prvih 90 dana dolazi do daljeg smanjenja biodostupne frakcije svih jedinjenja, nakon čega se biodostupna koncentracija ispitivanih&nbsp; jedinjenja&nbsp; primenom&nbsp; aktivnog&nbsp; uglja&nbsp; ne&nbsp; menja,&nbsp; dok&nbsp; primenom&nbsp; biouglja&nbsp; i&nbsp; humusa&nbsp; dolazi&nbsp; do&nbsp; porasta&nbsp; biodostupne&nbsp; frakcije&nbsp; jedinjenja.&nbsp; Testovi&nbsp; fitotoksičnosti&nbsp; su&nbsp; pokazali&nbsp; da&nbsp; je&nbsp; <em>Zea mays&nbsp; </em>akumulirao&nbsp; značajno&nbsp; veće&nbsp; količine&nbsp; ispitivanih&nbsp; jedinjenja&nbsp; iz&nbsp; netretiranog&nbsp; sedimenta&nbsp; u poređenju sa&nbsp; <em>Cucurbita pepo</em>&nbsp; i&nbsp;<em> Lactuca sativa. </em>Toksičnost sme&scaron;a sedimenta sa aktivnim ugljom i humusom&nbsp; procenjena&nbsp; na&nbsp; osnovu&nbsp; inhibicije&nbsp; luminiscencije&nbsp; na&nbsp; <em>Vibrio&nbsp; fischeri</em>&nbsp; kao&nbsp; i&nbsp; ispitivanjem <em>Zea&nbsp; mays&nbsp; </em>germinacije&nbsp; i&nbsp; produkcije&nbsp; biomase&nbsp; je&nbsp; pokazala&nbsp; značajno&nbsp; smanjenje&nbsp; u&nbsp; odnosu&nbsp; na netretirani&nbsp; sediment.&nbsp; Akumulacija&nbsp; ispitivanih&nbsp; jedinjenja&nbsp; u&nbsp; biomasi&nbsp; <em>Zea&nbsp; mays&nbsp; </em>u&nbsp; netretiranom sedimentu je bila značajno veća u odnosu na sve sme&scaron;e sedimenta i aktivnog uglja i humusa. Sva tri&nbsp; sorbenta&nbsp; pokazala&nbsp; su&nbsp; veliki&nbsp; remedijacioni&nbsp; potencijal&nbsp; za&nbsp; sediment&nbsp; zagađen&nbsp; organskim zagađujućim supstancama, ali je aktivni ugalj pokazao najbolje performance.</p> / <p>The&nbsp; aim&nbsp; of&nbsp; the&nbsp; research&nbsp; in&nbsp; this&nbsp; PhD&nbsp; dissertation&nbsp; is&nbsp; the&nbsp; assessment&nbsp; of&nbsp; the&nbsp; potentially biodegradable&nbsp; fraction&nbsp; of&nbsp; selected&nbsp; organic&nbsp; pollutants&nbsp;&nbsp; (pentachlorbenzene,&nbsp; hexachlorobenzene, lindane,&nbsp; trifluraline,&nbsp; 4-octylphenol&nbsp; and&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 4-nonylphenol)&nbsp; in&nbsp; the&nbsp; sediment,&nbsp; estimation&nbsp; of&nbsp; the biodegradation potential of these compounds in sediment in different conditions, as well as the assessment&nbsp; of&nbsp; the&nbsp; stabilization&nbsp; potential&nbsp; sediment&nbsp; by&nbsp; the&nbsp; sediment&nbsp; amendment&nbsp; with&nbsp; of&nbsp; carbon rich sorption agents. In order to develop and optimise&nbsp; methods for the bioavailability assessment of&nbsp; the&nbsp; selected&nbsp; organic&nbsp; pollutants,&nbsp; methods&nbsp; of&nbsp; multistage&nbsp; and&nbsp; single-step&nbsp; non&nbsp; exhaustive extraction&nbsp; were&nbsp; studied&nbsp; using&nbsp; the&nbsp; following&nbsp; chemical&nbsp; agents:&nbsp; Tenax&nbsp; resin,&nbsp; XAD -4&nbsp; resin&nbsp; and&nbsp; a cyclodextrin&nbsp; solution&nbsp; (2-hydroxypropyl- &beta;-cyclodextrin,&nbsp; &beta;-cyclodextrin&nbsp; and&nbsp; methyl-&beta;-cyclodextrin).&nbsp; Results&nbsp; showed&nbsp; that&nbsp; optimal&nbsp; agent&nbsp; for&nbsp; estimating&nbsp; the&nbsp; bioavailable&nbsp; fraction&nbsp; of selected organic pollutants from the sediment is XAD-4 resins, and that the optimum extraction time using single-step extraction is about 8 h. The assessment of the biodegradation potential of selected&nbsp; priority&nbsp; organic&nbsp; pollutants&nbsp; in&nbsp; the&nbsp; sediment&nbsp; was&nbsp; examined&nbsp; in&nbsp;&nbsp; various&nbsp; aerobic&nbsp; and anaerobic&nbsp; conditions,&nbsp; with&nbsp; the&nbsp; optimization&nbsp; of&nbsp; conditions&nbsp; through&nbsp; biostimulation&nbsp; and bioaugmentation.&nbsp; It&nbsp; has&nbsp; been&nbsp; shown&nbsp; that&nbsp; all&nbsp; six&nbsp; selected&nbsp; compounds&nbsp; possess&nbsp; significant biodegradation&nbsp; potential&nbsp; in&nbsp; the&nbsp; anaerobic&nbsp; environment,&nbsp; where&nbsp; in&nbsp; the&nbsp; case&nbsp; of&nbsp; lindane&nbsp; and trifluraline there is complete removal of the bioavailable amount of the compound&nbsp;&nbsp; using all four inoculum tested. Aerobic potential under the applied conditions has been showen only for alkyl phenols,&nbsp; where&nbsp; almost&nbsp; all&nbsp; of&nbsp; the&nbsp; bioavailable&nbsp; fraction&nbsp; of&nbsp; the&nbsp; compound&nbsp; in&nbsp; the&nbsp; sediment&nbsp; was removed (78-85%). The potential of sediment remediation with the amendment of sediment withcarbon&nbsp; rich&nbsp; materials&nbsp; was&nbsp;&nbsp; examined&nbsp; from&nbsp; the&nbsp; aspect&nbsp; of&nbsp; selecting&nbsp; carbon&nbsp; sorption&nbsp; agents (activated carbon, biochar and humus); estimation the optimal material doses; the long -term and short-term effects of the addition&nbsp; of these agents on the bioavailability of organic pollutants&nbsp; in order to examine the effect of aging and the toxicity of the resulting mixtures. The results of the stabilization of pollutants in the sediment show that: (1)&nbsp; increasing the dose of all three&nbsp;&nbsp; sorption agents&nbsp; leads&nbsp; to&nbsp; an&nbsp; increase&nbsp; in&nbsp; the&nbsp; immobilization&nbsp; efficiency&nbsp; and&nbsp; reduction&nbsp; of&nbsp; the&nbsp; bioavailable fraction of the selected&nbsp; organic compounds; (2) aging of the amended sediment during the first 90 days results in a further reduction of the biodegradable fraction of all compounds, after which the&nbsp; biodegradable&nbsp; concentration&nbsp; of&nbsp; the&nbsp; selected&nbsp; compounds&nbsp; remain&nbsp; the&nbsp; same&nbsp; in&nbsp; the&nbsp; case&nbsp; of activated carbon amendment, while the bioavailable fraction of&nbsp; the compound increases with the use&nbsp; of&nbsp; biohar&nbsp; and&nbsp; humus.&nbsp; Phytotoxicity&nbsp; tests&nbsp; showed&nbsp; that&nbsp; <em>Zea&nbsp; mays&nbsp;</em> accumulated&nbsp; significantly higher amount of selected organic pollutants from unamended sediment, comparing to&nbsp; <em>Cucurbita pepo&nbsp;</em> and <em>Lactuca sativa</em>. Toxicity of activated carbon and humus amended sediment assessed by <em>Vibrio&nbsp; fischeri&nbsp;</em> luminescence&nbsp; inhibition&nbsp; test&nbsp; and&nbsp; by&nbsp; measuring&nbsp; <em>Zea&nbsp; mays&nbsp; </em>germination&nbsp; and biomass yield was significantly reduced in the amended sediment samples. Accumulation of the selected&nbsp; organic&nbsp; pollutants&nbsp; in&nbsp; the&nbsp; <em>Zea&nbsp; mays</em>&nbsp; biomass&nbsp; in&nbsp; the&nbsp; unamended&nbsp; sediment&nbsp; were&nbsp; a significantly&nbsp; higher&nbsp; than&nbsp; in&nbsp; the&nbsp; humus&nbsp; and&nbsp; activated&nbsp; carbon&nbsp; amended&nbsp; sediment.&nbsp; Both&nbsp; sorbents show&nbsp; potential&nbsp; to&nbsp; be&nbsp; used&nbsp; as&nbsp; remediation&nbsp; agents&nbsp; for&nbsp; organically&nbsp; contaminated&nbsp; sediment,&nbsp; but activated carbon exhibited the better performance.</p>

M.Tech. (Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology), Vaal University of Technology. / This thesis presents a slight on desulphurization process of the commercial diesel fuel using the carbon-based metal oxide nanocomposites such as graphene oxide, ZnO, rGO as a nano-adsorbent, activated carbon (PAC and AC) and charcoal Granular active carbon (GAC) to produce a fuel of less than 10 ppm sulphur content. Due to the high percentage of sulphur compounds in the fuel causing air pollution, acid rain and other problems related to combustion process. The synthesised of sorbents were achieved using incipient impregnation, microwaved-assisted and chemical exfoliation methods. The materials were characterized using Thermogrametric Analyzer (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET). The examination effect of operating conditions on the adsorption capacity with DBT and Sulphur compounds adsorption, the isotherms and the adsorption kinetic models were evaluated. The experimental data for PAC and AC were well suited to Freundlich isotherm and pseudo second-order kinetic models. The results shown that the sulphur feed concentration, the space velocity and the functional groups of the adsorbents have a considerable effect on the adsorption. In addition, it was observed that the temperature in the range of 30 to 80oC has a significant effect on the adsorption of Sulphur compounds from diesel fuel using 20 wt.% of sorbents. The rGO substrate which contained abundant oxygen functional groups was confirmed to promote the dispersion metal oxide and increased the adsorption efficiency of sulphur compounds (H2S and SO2) by providing oxygen ions weakly bound to the sulphur molecules. For the desulfurization process by adsorption, PAC and AC exhibited a better affinity for 80% removal of sulphur compared to the GAC and GO. The effects of metal species such as zinc oxide (ZnO) and reduced graphite oxide (rGO) composite on the adsorption capacity of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) were investigated. It was found that depending on the copper load, the adsorption capacity of H2S increased up to 20 times compared to pure ZnO. To study the oxidation changes on copper and zinc oxides, crystallite analysis by XRD and chemical state analysis by XPS were performed.

Clean drinking water is a vital part of our society and a basic human right. With an ever growing population and a decreasing quality of raw water, new methods need to be introduced to keep up with the demand for clean, biostable, and sustainable production of drinking water. The aim of this study is to evaluate Håbo municipality’s increasing usage of chemicals in their water treatment process and to investigate current and future possible technologies for water treatment for Håbo to make their process more sustainable. In this study four scenarios of different cost and change of today’s water treatment plants are presented, while our overall recommendation is to build a new facility. A new plant with new treatment methods such as ultrafiltration is most in line with Håbo municipality’s vision of decreasing chemical usage and sustainability, all while maintaining the water quality. Due to Håbo’s growing population and today’s water plants running close to maximum capacity, a new facility with a larger capacity should be considered.