Zeolites are well-known aluminosilicate minerals that have been widely used as adsorbents in separation, purification processes and environmental pollution control. Zeolites are used in various industrial applications due to their high cation-exchange ability, molecular sieve and cataltic properties. In order to reduce the costs of acquisition and minimise the disposal of adsorbents, both modified natural zeolite and synthetic zeolite (derived from kaolinite) were used for the purification of wastewater. The characteristic properties and applications of adsorbents are also discussed including the advantages and disadvantages of each technique. The present work involves the study of the removal of Cu2+, Fe3+, Pb2+ and Zn2+ from synthetic metal solutions using natural zeolite. Laboratory experiments were used to investigate the efficiency of adsorbents in the uptake of heavy metals from industrial wastewater. These include equilibrium tests, kinetic studies and regeneration studies. The physical and chemical characterization of the zeolites was carried out using different analytical techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), X - Ray Diffraction (XRD), X - Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Spectroscopy and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES). The kinetic study indicated the suitability of the natural zeolite for the removal of Cu2+, Fe3+, Pb2+ and Zn2+ ions from synthetic wastewater. Batch experiments were used to identify the effect of parameters that affect the rate of adsorption such as the effect of adsorbent mass, effect of adsorbent particle size, effect of initial solution pH, effect of initial solution concentration, effect of agitation speed and effect of pre-treatment of adsorbent and evaluated their impact on the efficiency of the zeolite in the removal of heavy metals from industrial wastewater. The kinetic studies showed that the capacity of the adsorbents for the removal of heavy metals increased with a greater mass of absorbent, increased initial solution pH, increased agitation speed, higher solution concentration as well as the application of a pre-treatment. The results from the equilibrium studies positively demonstrated that natural zeolite can be used as an excellent adsorbent for removing heavy metals from multi-component solutions. The equilibrium experiments indicated that the capacities of natural zeolite for the uptake of heavy metals increased when the initial solution pH increased. The results indicated that the maximum removal capacities Q were 22.83, 14.92, 14.49 and 17.54 mg/g natural zeolite for copper, iron, zinc, and lead respectively. Both the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were used to characterize the experimental data and to assess the adsorption behaviour of natural zeolite for copper, iron, lead and zinc. The experimental data were slightly better suited to the Langmuir isotherm than the Freundlinch isotherm. The value of the correlation coefficients r2 ranged from 0.93 to 0.99 for the Langmuir isotherm and from 0.90 to 0.99 for the Freundlich isotherm. The present work also involved the study of synthetic zeolite A, which was derived from natural kaolinite. The conversion of the raw materials into zeolitic materials was carried out in two ways: first, conventional hydrothermal synthesis and second, alkaline fusion prior to hydrothermal synthesis. The results from both routes show that zeolite A was synthesised successfully. Finally, the experiments show that both natural and synthetic zeolites can be available in commercial quantities. Synthetic zeolites are more attractive for some specific applications, while the cheapness of natural zeolite may favour its use.

Water supply services in urban and rural areas of Tanzania were reviewed and specific studies were carried out on water supply and on purification of turbid water sources using locally available plant materials in rural villages of Singida Rural District. The review showed that large proportions of urban and rural populations in Tanzania face acute water supply problems mainly due to poor planning, implementation and management of water supply projects, including an inability to address social, technical, operation and maintenance and financial issues. Laboratory-scale experiments studied the effectiveness of crude seed extracts (CSEs) and purified proteins of Vigna unguiculata (VUP), Parkinsonia aculeata (PAP) and Voandzeia subterranea (VS) seeds, which are used traditionally for clarification of turbid water. The VUP and PAP were purified from CSEs using simple and straightforward two-step ion exchange chromatography. The coagulant proteins are thermoresistant and have a wide pH range for coagulation activity. Coagulation of turbid waters with CSEs, VUP and PAP produced low sludge volumes and removed turbidity along with other inorganic contaminants in line with Tanzania drinking water quality standards. The PAP also showed antimicrobial effect against river water bacteria. Citrus fruit juice (CF) enhanced the coagulation of turbid water by CSEs and inhibited bacterial growth, rendering it useful for disinfection of water prior to drinking in rural areas. It was concluded that natural coagulants should not be regarded as a panacea for rural water supply problems, but rather a tool in the development of sustainable water supply services in Tanzania. / QC 20100825

This thesis examines water mixing and exchange in a drinking water reservoir operated by themunicipal association Norrvatten. Recent water samples from the reservoir’s outgoing waterhave shown an increase in culturable bacteria during late summer and fall. This thesis utilizesComputational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling and analysis in OpenFOAM to simulatereservoir inflow and outflow, analyzing mixing processes and their relationship to operationalstrategies. The objective is to understand the correlation between the residence time of waterand microbial growth and propose operational improvements to increase the exchange of waterin order to achieve improved water quality. A trace element was implemented in the CFDmodel to simulate the residence time of water. Initial simulations were based on the reservoir’shistorical operational data, utilizing temperature and water level measurements providedby Norrvatten. After the initial simulations, four alternative simulations were performed,comparing different operational strategies by modifying inflow parameters. Inflow parametersthat were changed were the volumetric inflow rate, water level variation, and the temperatureof the inflowing water. The post­processing in ParaView focused on the thermal stratificationand residence time distribution near the outlet during each mixing process. The study revealeda complex relationship between flow conditions and microbial growth, making it challengingto identify a clear pattern. However, based on the simulations with the alternative operationalstrategies it was concluded that the set of operational strategies called ”Strategy 1” generated themost optimal flow conditions. This strategy involves a three times larger volumetric inflow rate(an increase from 0.05 to 0.15 m^3/s) and a water level that is kept at the same values comparedto the original simulation. Strategy 1 resulted in a 3.6 % higher water exchange compared to theoriginal simulation. In comparison to the other simulated strategies, Strategy 1 generates thehighest water exchange, with a 63.6 % increase compared to the worst­-case scenario involvingcolder inflow. The conclusion that could be drawn is that the most favorable operationalstrategies involve higher volumetric inflow rates, lower water levels, and an incoming watertemperature that is higher than the initial reservoir temperature.

<p dir="ltr">Catalyzing a green hydrogen economy can accelerate progress towards achieving the goal of a sustainable energy map with net-zero carbon emissions by rapid strides. An environmentally benign electrochemical energy conversion system is the Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell (PEFC) which uses hydrogen as a fuel to produce electricity and is notably used in a variety of markets such as industries, commercial setups, and across the transportation sector, and is gaining prominence for use in heavy-duty vehicles such as buses and trucks. Despite its potential, the commercialization of PEFCs needs to address several challenges which are manifested in the form of mass transport limitations and deleterious mechanisms at the interfacial scale under severe operating conditions. Achieving a robust electrochemical performance in this context is predicated on desired interactions at the triple-phase boundary of the electrochemical engine of the PEFC – the porous cathode catalyst layer (CCL) where the principal oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) takes place. The liquid water produced as a byproduct of the ORR helps minimize membrane dehydration; however, excess water renders the reaction sites inactive causing reactant starvation. In addition, the oxidation of the carbonaceous support in the electrode and loss of valuable electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) pose major barriers that need to be overcome to ameliorate the life expectancy of the PEFC.</p><p dir="ltr">In this thesis, the multimodal physicochemical interactions occurring inside the catalyst layer are investigated through a synergistic blend of visualization and computational techniques. The spatiotemporal dynamics of capillary force-driven liquid transport that ensues concentration polarization thereby affecting the desired response will be probed in detail. The drop in efficacy of the ORR due to competing catalyst aging mechanisms and the impact of degradation stressors on chemical potential-induced instability will be examined. The reaction-transport-mechanics interplay in core-shell nanoparticles, a robust class of electrocatalysts that promises better mass activity compared to the single metal counterparts is further highlighted. Finally, the influence of electrode microstructural attributes on the electrochemical performance of the reverse mode of fuel cell operation, i.e., Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzers (PEMWEs) is investigated through a mesoscale lens.</p>