SEARCH · Engineering Papers
Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
The design criteria for heterogeneous chemical reactions in liquid/liquid systems formally correspond to those of classical physical extraction. More complex models are presented which describe the material exchange at the individual droplets in an extraction with chemical reaction and in liquid membrane permeation.
The continued search for organics on Mars will require the development of simplified procedures for handling and processing of soil or rock core samples prior to analysis by onboard instrumentation. Extraction of certain organic molecules such as amino acids from rock and soil samples using a liquid solvent (H2O) has been shown to be more efficient (by approximately an order of magnitude) than heat extraction methods. As such, liquid extraction (using H2O) of amino acid molecules from rock cores or regolith material is a prime candidate for the required processing. In this scenario, electrospray ionization (ESI) of the liquid extract would be a natural choice for ionization of the analyte prior to interrogation by one of a variety of potential analytical separation techniques (mass spectroscopy, ion mobility spectroscopy, etc.). Aside from the obvious compatibility of ESI and liquid samples, ESI offers simplicity and a soft ionization capability. In order to demonstrate that liquid extraction and ESI can work as part of an in situ instrument on Mars, we must better understand and quantify the effect salts have on the ESI process. In the current work, we have endeavored to investigate the feasibility and limitations of negative mode ESI of Martian surface samples in the context of sample salt content using ion mobility spectroscopy (IMS).
Not Available
The present invention provides for a composition comprising a solution comprising (a) an ionic liquid (IL) or ionic liquid-aqueous (ILA) phase and (b) an organic phase, wherein the solution comprises a sugar and a boronic acid. The present invention also provides for a method of removing a sugar from a solution, comprising: (a) providing a solution comprising (i) an IL or ILA phase and (ii) an organic phase, wherein the solution comprises an IL, a sugar and a boronic acid; (b) contacting the sugar with the boronic acid to form a sugar-boronic acid complex, (c) separating the organic phase and the aqueous phase, wherein the organic phase contains the sugar-boronic acid complex, and optionally (d) separating the sugar from the organic phase.
Knowledge of the (supra)molecular structure of an interface that contains amphiphilic ligand molecules is necessary for a full understanding of ion transfer during solvent extraction. Even if molecular dynamics already yield some insight in the molecular configurations in solution, hardly any experimental data giving access to distributions of both extractant molecules and ions at the liquid–liquid interface exist. Here, the combined application of X-ray and neutron reflectivity measurements represents a key milestone in the deduction of the interfacial structure and potential with respect to two different lipophilic ligands. Indeed, we show for the first time that hard trivalent cations can be repelled or attracted by the extractant-enriched interface according to the nature of the ligand.
The use of Biofuels has been gaining in popularity over the past few years due to their ability to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels. Biofuels as a renewable energy source can be a viable option for sustaining long-term energy needs if they are managed efficiently. We describe our initial efforts to exploit algae, halophytes and other non-crop plants to produce synthetics for fuel blends that can potentially be used as fuels for aviation and non-aerospace applications. Our efforts have been dedicated to crafting efficient extraction and refining processes in order to extract constituents from the plant materials with the ultimate goal of determining the feasibility of producing biomass-based jet fuel from the refined extract. Two extraction methods have been developed based on communition processes, and liquid-solid extraction techniques. Refining procedures such as chlorophyll removal and transesterification of triglycerides have been performed. Gas chromatography in tandem with mass spectroscopy is currently being utilized in order to qualitatively determine the individual components of the refined extract. We also briefly discuss and compare alternative methods to extract fuel-blending agents from alternative biofuels sources.
Astatine is one of the least chemically studied elements and its behavior in the presence of non- conventional solvents has not been investigated before. This work considers both hydrophobic ionic liquids and binary mixtures as alternatives to conventional solvents. The study is based on the extraction of astatine and bismuth (target material required to produce astatine) into imidazolium-based ionic liquid, and binary mixtures formed by active pharmaceuticals (ibuprofen, lidocaine) and a food grade ingredient (methyl anthranilate). It is shown that both the ionic liquid and binary mixtures can successfully extract At from nitric acid media, but extraction of Bi into the ionic liquid is very inefficient, resulting in a good separation factor for these two elements in the entire studied acidity range. Extraction of At into binary mixtures is very efficient, having distribution ratio values as high as 1000, while the behavior of Bi under these conditions depends on the composition of the mixture. Furthermore, a mathematical model has been developed to fit both At and Bi experimental data and applied to determine corresponding thermodynamic extraction constants.
The ability to observe dynamic chemical processes (e.g., signaling, transport, etc.) in vivo or in situ using nondestructive chemical imaging opens a new door to understanding the complex dynamics of developing biological systems. With the advent of “biology-on-a-chip” devices has come the ability to monitor dynamic chemical processes in a controlled environment, using these engineered habitats to capture key features of natural systems while allowing visual observation of system development. Having the capability to spatially and temporally map the chemical signals within these devices may yield new insights into the forces that drive biosystem development. Here, a porous membrane sealed microfluidic device was designed to allow normal microfluidic operation while enabling continuous, location specific sampling and chemical characterization by liquid microjunction surface sampling probe mass spectrometry (LMJ-SSP MS). LMJ-SSP was used to extract fluids with nL-to-μL/min flow rates directly from selected areas of the microfluidic device without negatively impacting the device function. These extracts were subsequently characterized using MS. This technique was used to acquire MS images of the entirety of several multi-input microfluidic devices having different degrees of fluid mixing. LMJ-SSP MS imaging visualized the spatial distribution of chemical components within the microfluidic channels and could visualize chemical reactions occurring in the device. These microfluidic devices with a porous membrane wall are wholly compatible with the construction of biology-on-a-chip devices. This ultimately would enable correlation of biosystem physical structure with an evolving chemical environment
A novel, single step method for isolating 91 Y from irradiated uranium and mixed fission products has been developed based on the commercially available Eichrom LN resin. The separation procedure allows for loading an LN resin column with an irradiated uranium solution, containing mixed fission products, in dilute HCl where both uranium and yttrium are retained on the resin. Eluting dilute (0.5–1 M) HCl will strip the majority of fission products. Furthermore, increasing the concentration to 3 M HCl will elute 91 Y without the presence of any other fission products. Finally, uranium can be recovered by passing concentrated HCl through the column.
Recycle of rare earth elements requires the extraction and recovery of these metals from consumer products such as rechargeable batteries, electric motor magnets, and aircraft engines once the rare earths have been oxidatively dissolved. One approach to this is to combine the metal extraction and recovery steps into a continuous process. Such a scheme would involve direct-dissolution and ligand-assisted supercritical fluid extraction of the metal, followed by deposition of the extracted metal complex into an ionic liquid where it can be electrochemically reduced to its metallic state. Whereas supercritical fluid extraction of rare earth metals has been recently studied, deposition of rare earth metal-ligand complexes into an ionic liquid is not well known for many rare earth metal-ligand systems. In these studies we measured the solubility of several Praseodymium complexes in scCO2. We also measured the solubility of the Praseodymium complexes in ionic liquids with different physical properties of interest including polarizability, viscosity, and conductivity. The ionic liquids studied are from the pyrrolidinium family and include n-butyl-n-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide (BMPy TFSI). Upon completion of these experiments, we added an additional modifier to the ionic liquid solution in the form of a chelating agent and carbon dioxide. Overall, the additions of the various chelating agents and BMPy TFSI result in large changes to viscosity, conductivity, and metal complexation properties of the solutions. Here we report the results of our findings and discuss the possibility of tuning the extractive and reductive properties of the solutions by picking ionic liquids and chelating agents with physical properties conducive to the desired metal recovery scheme.
An important concern with long-duration manned space travel is the need to furnish enough materials to the vehicle, as well as the crew, for the duration of the mission. By extracting oxygen from the oxides present in regolith, propellant and life support could be supplied to the vehicle and the crew while in space, thereby limiting the amount of supplies needed prior to lift-off. Using a class of compounds known as ionic liquids, we have been able to lower the electrolysis operating temperature from 1600 C (molten oxide electrolysis) to less than 200 C, making this process much more feasible in terms of energy consumption and materials handling. To make this process ready for deployment into space, we have investigated what steps of the process would be affected by the low-gravity environment in space. In the lab, the solubilization of lunar regolith simulant in ionic liquid produces water vapor that is normally distilled out of solution and subsequently electrolyzed for oxygen production. This distillation is not possible in space, so we have tested a method known as pervaporation and have suggested a way this technique could be incorporated into a reactor design.
Results from studies of the removal from storage and solidification of low- and intermediate-level liquid radioactive waste in inorganic binders (cementation) are presented. Cavitation technology for recycling radiochemical wastes from nuclear power plant decommissioning increases the extraction throughput and strength of the cement compound.
Liquid metal can create a renewable protective surface on plasma facing components (PFC), with an additional advantage of deuterium pumping and the prospect of tritium extraction if liquid lithium (LL) is used and maintained below 450 °C, the temperature above which LL vapor pressure begins to contaminate the plasma. LM can also be utilized as an efficient coolant, driven by the Lorentz force created with the help of the magnetic field in fusion devices. Capillary porous systems can serve as a conduit of LM and simultaneously provide stabilization of the LM flow, protecting against spills into the plasma. Recently, a combination of a fast-flowing LM cooling system with a porous plasma facing wall (CPSF) was investigated [A. Khodak and R. Maingi, Nucl. Mater. Energy 26, 100935 (2021)]. The system takes an advantage of a magnetohydrodynamics velocity profile as well as attractive LM properties to promote efficient heat transfer from the plasma to the LL at low pumping energy cost, relative to the incident heat flux on the PFC. In the case of a disruption leading to excessive heat flux from the plasma to the LM PFCs, LL evaporation can stabilize the PFC surface temperature, due to high evaporation heat and apparent vapor shielding. The proposed CPSF was optimized analytically for the conditions of a fusion nuclear science facility [Kessel et al., Fusion Sci. Technol. 75, 886 (2019)]: 10 T toroidal field and 10 MW/m 2 peak incident heat flux. Finally, computational fluid dynamics analysis confirmed that a CPSF system with 2.5 mm square channels can pump enough LL so that no additional coolant is needed.
Liquid metal can create a renewable protective surface on plasma facing components (PFC), with an additional advantage of deuterium pumping and the prospect of tritium extraction if liquid lithium (LL) is used and maintained below 450 C, the temperature above which LL vapor pressure begins to contaminate the plasma. LM can also be utilized as an efficient coolant, driven by the Lorentz force created with the help of the magnetic field in fusion devices. Capillary porous systems can serve as a conduit of LM and simultaneously provide stabilization of the LM flow, protecting against spills into the plasma. Recently a combination of a fast-flowing LM cooling system with a porous plasma facing wall (CPSF) was investigated [Khodak and Maingi (2021)]. The system takes an advantage of a magnetohydrodynamics velocity profile, as well as attractive LM properties to promote efficient heat transfer from the plasma to the LL at low pumping energy cost, relative to the incident heat flux on the PFC. In case of a disruption leading to excessive heat flux from the plasma to the LM PFCs, LL evaporation can stabilize the PFC surface temperature, due to high evaporation heat and apparent vapor shielding. The proposed CPSF was optimized analytically for the conditions of a Fusion Nuclear Science Facility [Kessel et al. (2019)]: 10T toroidal field and 10 MW/m2 peak incident heat flux. Computational fluid dynamics analysis confirmed that a CPSF system with 2.5 mm square channels can pump enough LL so that no additional coolant is needed.
Ionic liquid (IL) pretreatment methods show incredible promise for the efficient conversion of lignocellulosic feedstocks to fuels and chemicals. Given their low vapor pressures, distillation-based methods of extracting ionic liquids out of biomass post-pretreatment have historically been ignored in favor of alternative methods. We demonstrate a process to distill four acetate-based ionic liquids ([EthA][OAc], [PropA][OAc], [MAEthA][OAc], and [DMAEthA][OAc]) at low pressure and high purity that overcome some disadvantages of “water washing” and “one pot” recovery methods. Out of four tested ILs, ethanolamine acetate ([EthA][OAc]) is shown to have the most agreeable conversion metrics for commercial bioconversion processes achieving 73.6% and 51.4% of theoretical glucose and xylose yields respectively and >85 % recovery rates. Our process metrics are factored into a techno-economic analysis where [EthA][OAc] distillation is compared to other recovery methods as well as ethanolamine pretreatment at both milliliter and liter scales. In conclusion, although our TEA shows [EthA][OAc] distillation underperforming against other processes, we show a step-by-step avenue to reduce sugar production cost below the wholesale dextrose price at scale.
Rare-earth elements (REEs) are crucial in many applications, yet mutual separation is challenging due to their similar chemical behavior. Octylphenyl- N,N-diisobutyl carbamoyl methyl phosphine oxide (CMPO) is an organophosphorus ligand originally developed for extracting actinides and lanthanides from spent nuclear fuel. Here, we report a pH-tunable CMPOfunctionalized silica sorbent for selective REE separation from complex aqueous matrices. A CMPO-associated silica gel sorbent was synthesized and characterized by Brunauer−Emmett−Teller (BET) surface area, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to confirm the surface functionalization and binding behavior. Sorbent performance was evaluated by using a synthetic 46- element solution and a real phosphate rock fertilizer leachate. Notably, REEs were successfully eluted with ultrapure water, demonstrating reversible desorption controlled by pH adjustment. Packed-bed column studies increased the REE mass fraction from 3.6% to 64% (20-fold enrichment), with up to 30-fold enrichment of neodymium. The adsorption process follows the Langmuir isotherm behavior and follows pseudo-second-order kinetics. The uptake capacity of 1 μmol of REEs per 4.2 μmol of CMPO supports the formation of a predominantly 4:1 ligand:rare earth element(III) pseudocomplex. These results demonstrate CMPO-functionalized silica as a selective, water-elutable, and low-chemical-input platform for sustainable REE recovery from environmental and industrial sources.
Rare earth elements (REEs) are vital to modern, high-tech devices. Recycling REEs from post-consumer electronics can potentially diminish supply chain risks. Toward that end, liquid–liquid solvent extraction of various REEs was investigated with tetrabutyl diglycolamide (TBDGA) in 1 -octanol from hydrochloric acid media. Metal partitioning to the organic phase was shown to increase as [Cl – ] increased. In contrast, increasing [H + ] did not improve extraction. The use of the polar diluent 1 -octanol provided high extraction efficiency, especially for the partition of heavy lanthanides from solutions of high chloride concentration. Although the polar diluent also extracted molar amounts of water and acid, it was concluded that a neutral metal/TBDGA complex as mainly the disolvate was extracted, and that complexation was observed to be exothermic. Finally, these results indicate that REE extraction from aqueous chloride solutions can be efficient without the use of high acid concentrations.
A basic requirement of large scale solar cell fabrication is to provide low cost base material. Unconventional refining of metallurical grade silicon represents one of the most promising ways of silicon meltstock processing. The refining concept is based on an optimized combination of metallurgical treatments. Commercially available crude silicon, in this sequence, requires a first pyrometallurgical step by slagging, or, alternatively, solvent extraction by aluminum. After grinding and leaching, high purity qualtiy is gained as an advanced stage of refinement. To reach solar grade quality a final pyrometallurgical step is needed: liquid-gas extraction.