How good are we at predicting the future impact of science and technology? In her book “Science and the City: The Mechanics Behind the Metropolis” (1), Laurie Winkless anticipates a modern city based on a circular economy, in which numerous technologies are used to eke out the highest efficiency from both renewable and non-renewable resources,…
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The aim of catalytic wet air oxidation is to use air to remove organic contaminants from wastewater through their complete oxidation, without having to vaporise the water. To date, the widespread exploitation of this process has been held back by the low activity of available catalysts, which means that it has to be operated at above-atmospheric pressure in order to keep the water in the liquid phase at the elevated temperatures required to achieve complete oxidation. Here we present an overview of an ongoing study examining the key requirements of both the active phase and the support material in precious metal catalysts for wet air oxidation, using phenol as the model contaminant. The major outcome to date is that the results reveal a synergy between platinum and hydrophobic support materials, which is not apparent when the active phase is ruthenium.
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Oxidative destruction of organic compounds in water streams could significantly reduce environmental effects associated with discharging waste. We report the development of a process to oxidise phenol in aqueous solutions, a model for waste stream contaminants, using Fenton’s reactions combined with in situ synthesised hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Bifunctional palladium-iron supported catalysts, where Pd is responsible for H2O2 synthesis while Fe ensures the production of reactive oxygen species required for the degradation of phenol to less toxic species is reported. A comparison is made between in situ generated and commercial H2O2 and the effect of phenol degradation products on catalyst stability is explored.
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Packaging has come a very long way since its humble beginnings of gourds and clay pots. These days, the world of packaging is much more complex, needing to be safe and sustainable whilst remaining appealing…
More than 2.3 billion people across the world lack access to basic sanitation services, including 892 million who defecate in the open. Hundreds of thousands of young children die each year from diseases…
Introduction The 9th International Conference on Mechanochemistry and Mechanical Alloying was held from 3rd–7th September 2017, in Košice, Slovakia. There were approximately 180 delegates from a wide range of affiliations including European academic institutions (Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, UK, Russia and others); but also from the USA, Mexico, India, Australia,…
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With 90 % of global trade now being carried out by marine transportation, measures for safety, security and sustainability are increasingly paramount.
Show that you are open and throw away old beliefs and paradigms in order to find solutions that nobody would have been able to find, says Bertrand Piccard, the initiator of Solar Impulse, the first airplane…
At the 2018 ISO Week in Geneva, the ISO committee dedicated to developing countries, DEVCO, unveiled ambitious plans to reduce inequalities and continue spreading the benefits of International Standards where…
Tourism is booming, bringing with it substantial opportunities to contribute to sustainable development. World Tourism Day is the day to draw attention to how tourism can improve our world. ISO standards…