Flow Field Simulation and Measurement in Packed Beds Based on 4D-X-Ray Computed Tomography

X-ray computed tomography (XCT) combined with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations have proved to be a powerful and versatile tool to describe fluids flow through packed bed systems. In this contribution, two examples of the application of XCT experiments to track the fluid flow and fluid penetration in packed bed systems are shown. The first one shows how geometrical information extracted from XCT measurements can be coupled to CFD simulations to assess fluid flows reliably. Here the example of a packed bed of three-dimensional (3D) printed cylindrical-shaped particles is considered. Finally, a short case study on the monitoring of the progress of the water penetration front in a packed bed composed of glass spheres using four-dimensional (4D) XCT imaging data is presented.     

Nanoarchitectonics of ZnO Nanoparticles Mediated by Extract of Tulbaghia violacea and Their Cytotoxicity Evaluation

Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials - The synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) using plant extracts is an eco-friendly approach, which serves as an alternative method to the...     

Synthesis of Reduced Graphene Oxide/Copper Tin Sulfide (Cu2SnS3) Composite for the Photocatalytic Degradation of Tetracycline

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-copper tin sulfide (Cu₂SnS₃), (rGO-CTS), composites were successfully synthesized through a facile ex-situ process and the obtained composites were utilized as photocatalysts for the degradation of tetracycline (TCE) under a UV-LED irradiation. Physicochemical and morphological characterization of the composites confirmed the incorporation of CTS unto rGO. The optical study of the composites, using absorption spectroscopy, showed a red shift to lower energy with increase in the percentage of rGO in the composites. This reduction in band gap suggests a possible enhancement in photocatalytic potency due to enhanced charge carrier generation. The photocatalytic degradation study showed an increase in TCE degradation with increase in rGO content of the composite. This enhanced photocatalytic activity could be ascribed to: (i) enhanced adsorption properties due to the increased presence of oxygenated functional groups on rGO, and (ii) increased charge carrier generation and separation due to modification of the band edge potentials of the composites by the incorporation of rGO. Radical scavenging studies of the degradation process showed that photogenerated holes played the most significant role in the degradation process. A plausible mechanism was proposed for the degradation process based on the radical scavenging experiment and charge carrier characteristics of the catalyst.