Modification of CaCO3 and CaCO3 pin-coated cellulose paper under supercritical carbon dioxide-ethanol mixture for enhanced NO2 capture

Real-time application and modelling of the NOx-sorption reaction on a particulate calcium carbonate surface-flow filter exposed to combustion exhaust

Of major interest, especially in city environments, and increasingly inside vehicles or industrial plants, is the drive to reduce human exposure to nitrogen oxides (NOx). This trend has drawn increasing attention to filtration, which has developed remarkably owing to the capabilities of recently developed mathematical models and novel filter concepts. This paper reports on the study of the kinetic modelling of adsorption of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), collected from the tailpipe of a diesel engine, reacting to calcium nitrate salt (Ca(NO3)2) on a surface flow filter consisting of a coating of fine ground limestone or marble (CaCO3) in combination with micro-nanofibrillated cellulose (MNFC) acting as binder and humectant applied onto a multiply recycled newsprint substrate. The coating and substrate are both porous, but on different pore size scales, with the coating having significantly lower permeability. To maximise gas-coating contact, therefore, the coating deposition is pixelated, achieved by pin coating. An axially dispersed gaseous plug flow model (dispersion model) was used to simulate the transport within the coating pore network structure, following earlier flow modelling studies, and a kinetic reaction model was used to examine NO2 to NO3- conversion in correlation with experimental results. Modelling results indicate a 60.38% conversion of exposed NO2 gas to Ca(NO3)2 under the specific conditions applied, with an absolute relative error between the predicted and experimentally estimated value being 0.81%. The model additionally enabled a prediction of effects of changing parameters over a limited perturbation range, thus assisting in predicting filter element consumption, with attention given to the active component CaCO3 surface as a function of particle size in relation to the gas contact exchange, promoting the reaction over time. It is intended that the Ca(NO3)2 formed from the reaction can go on to be used as a value-added fertiliser, thus contributing to circular economy.

Micro Nanofibrillated Cellulose as Functional Additive Supporting Processability of Surface-Active Mineral Suspensions: Exemplified by Pixel Coating of an NOx-Sorbent Layer

Unlike established coating formulations, functional particulate coatings often demand the omission of polymer dispersant so as to retain surface functionality. This results in heterogeneous complex rheology. We take an example from a novel development for an NO_x mitigation surface flow filter system, in which ground calcium carbonate (GCC), applied in a coating, reacts with NO₂ releasing CO₂. Inclusion of mesoporous ancillary mineral acts to capture the CO₂. The coating is applied as droplets to maximize gas-contact dynamic by forming a pixelated 2D array using a coating device consisting of protruding pins, which are loaded by submersion in the aqueous coating color such that the adhering droplets are transferred onto the substrate. The flow is driven by surface meniscus wetting causing lateral spread and bulk pore permeation. Filamentation occurs during the retraction of the pins. Stress-related viscoelastic and induced dilatancy in the suspension containing the ancillary mesoporous mineral disrupts processability. Adopting shear, oscillation and extensional rheometric methods, we show that the inclusion of an ancillary mineral that alone absorbs water, e.g., perlite (a naturally occurring porous volcanic glass), is rheologically preferable to one that in addition to absorbing water also immobilizes it on the mineral surface, e.g., sepiolite. When including micro-nanofibrillated cellulose (MNFC), critical for maintaining moisture to support NO₂ sorption, it is observed that it acts also as a flow modifier, enabling uniform coating transfer to be achieved, thus eliminating any possible detrimental effect on mineral surface activity by avoiding the use of soluble polymeric dispersant.

Preparation of CaCO3/Al(OH)3 Composites via Heterogeneous Nucleation

As one of the most widely used inorganic fine powder fillers, calcium carbonate is cheap. However, considering its poor light transmittance, it is not suitable to be added to resin matrix composites that require high light transmittance. Aluminum hydroxide has good light transmission and flame retardancy, but it is more expensive than calcium carbonate. CaCO₃/Al(OH)₃ composites with a core-shell structure that showed a trend toward the performance of aluminum hydroxide not only improved the surface properties of CaCO₃, but also increased the added value of CaCO₃. In the present paper, CaCO₃/Al(OH)₃ composites were successfully prepared in sodium aluminate solution via heterogeneous nucleation. Four types of calcium sources, including calcite-type precipitated calcium carbonate, vaterite-type precipitated calcium carbonate, ground calcium carbonate with two different particle sizes as the precursors and supersaturated sodium aluminate solution as the substrate, have been deeply investigated in terms of their influence on the preparation of CaCO₃/Al(OH)₃ composites. Results showed that the calcium carbonate precursor greatly affected the formation of CaCO₃/Al(OH)₃ composites. Both the precipitated calcium carbonate and the small particle ground calcium carbonate are likely to undergo anti-causticization and a complexation reaction with it to generate 3CaO·Al₂O₃·6H₂O and 3CaO·Al₂O₃·CaCO₃·11H₂O, which go against the coating of calcium carbonate with aluminum hydroxide. Within the experimental range, the use of ground calcium carbonate with a particle size of 400-500 mesh is more suitable as a precursor for the preparation of core-shell CaCO₃/Al(OH)₃ composites.

An overview on the application of supercritical carbon dioxide for the processing of pharmaceuticals

Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) application in the pharmaceutical industry is still undeveloped regardless of significant research interests in this processing medium shown in the last decades. ScCO2 technologies can improve drug solubility, bioavailability, and therapeutic effect. These technologies can lead to the development of new formulations that will contribute to a decrease in drug dose, medication frequency, and increase patients' well-being. Considering the significant decrease in the price of high-pressure equipment and society's growing need for cleaner production and safer products, it is expected that symbiosis between supercritical fluid and pharmaceutical technologies will happen soon. Therefore, this review was focused on the latest contributions of scCO2 technologies to the pharmaceutical field. The main aim was to bring these technologies closer to pharmaceutical specialists. For this purpose, the most commonly used technologies were explained and discussed: the preparation of solid dispersions, polymer impregnation with drugs, and drug micro/nanoparticle production using scCO2.