Chemical Engineering Research & Design最新文献

{"title":"Industrial-scale process design for hazardous waste valorization: Synergistic cadmium and zinc recovery via closed-loop hydrometallurgy","authors":"Wen Li,&nbsp;Xinzhi Zhang,&nbsp;Xuegui Yang,&nbsp;Chunping He,&nbsp;Chunlong Yang,&nbsp;Jigao He,&nbsp;Runchun He,&nbsp;Xingdai Zhang,&nbsp;Hongjie He","doi":"10.1016/j.cherd.2025.10.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cherd.2025.10.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>An industrial-scale closed-loop process for the synergistic recovery of cadmium and zinc from hazardous copper–cadmium slag (5–10 % Cd, 20–50 % Zn) in hydrometallurgical zinc production is demonstrated, implemented at a 100 kt/a smelter. The integrated system combines single-stage leaching and optimized two-stage cementation to achieve 96.78 % Cd and 73.51 % Zn leaching efficiencies during 150-day continuous operation. Through phase-selective precipitation controlled by zinc powder dosage regulation, residual cadmium in leachate is reduced to 126 mg/L (removal efficiency: 96.99 %), yielding 0.81 kt/a high-purity sponge cadmium (92.93 % Cd, Zn &lt; 2 %) validated for nickel-cadmium battery and CdTe solar cell raw materials, alongside 1.37 kt/a reusable zinc metal. The closed-loop design enables internal circulation of cadmium-depleted solution and secondary residues, minimizing reagent consumption while resolving zinc encapsulation issues. Economic analysis confirms investment payback within one month and 16 million CNY annual profit, establishing a scalable model for hazardous waste valorization with near-zero heavy metal emissions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10019,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Research & Design","volume":"223 ","pages":"Pages 292-299"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145263930","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Application of imidazole ionic liquids in extractive distillation of benzene-cyclohexane system: Experimental verification and mechanism analysis","authors":"Biao Liu,&nbsp;Dingkai Hu,&nbsp;Jiajie Liu,&nbsp;Qiang Wang,&nbsp;Furqan Muhammad","doi":"10.1016/j.cherd.2025.10.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cherd.2025.10.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study focused on the separation problem of benzene and cyclohexane. Given their similar boiling points and properties, ionic liquids (ILs) were employed as sustainable green separation solvents. Four imidazole-based ILs were used as extractants, and the optimal experimental conditions for the extractive distillation of the benzene-cyclohexane model liquid by ILs were determined through batch distillation experiments. The optimal conditions were a total reflux time of 20 min, a reflux ratio of 2, and a solvent ratio of 0.6. Under these optimal conditions, the separation performances of the four imidazole - based ILs were evaluated. Among them, 1-pentyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ([C₅MIM][Br]) showed the best separation effect, and the mass purity of the obtained cyclohexane reached 82.54 %. Furthermore, based on quantum chemistry (QC) calculations and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, the effects of different cations on the microscopic structure distribution and diffusion behavior of the benzene-cyclohexane system were investigated. The results indicated that the interactions between ILs and benzene were mainly van der Waals interactions, and the interactions between ILs and benzene were stronger than those with cyclohexane, which was highly beneficial for the separation of azeotropes. [C₅MIM][Br] had more significant advantages as an extractant. In conclusion, [C₅MIM][Br] had great application potential in the separation of benzene and cyclohexane and was a promising solvent.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10019,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Research & Design","volume":"223 ","pages":"Pages 280-291"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145263926","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Implementation of a data-driven model for mesh-induced error corrections in CFD simulations of stirred tanks","authors":"Xiaotong Luo ,&nbsp;Jun Yin ,&nbsp;Simon Kuhn","doi":"10.1016/j.cherd.2025.09.050","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cherd.2025.09.050","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for reactor design is an established area in chemical engineering, and the emergence of machine learning (ML) approaches offers new possibilities for CFD. This work reports the integration of data-driven ML models with CFD to increase the efficiency of simulations of stirred tanks. By predicting and correcting mesh-induced errors in coarse-grid CFD simulations, it is demonstrated that ML models can significantly improve simulation results, reduce computational costs, and maintain high accuracy. This approach involves training a Random Forest surrogate model using high-fidelity and low-fidelity data generated from CFD and applying it to predict and correct coarse-mesh simulation inaccuracies. For the case study of single-phase flow in a stirred tank, the machine learning model demonstrated good performance in various scenarios, including interpolation and extrapolation of error predictions, highlighting the potential of combining ML with traditional CFD methods for flow field reconstruction. The study also explores the effect of selected physical features, providing the optimal feature combination for model training.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10019,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Research & Design","volume":"223 ","pages":"Pages 331-347"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145263928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Study on dust diffusion and settlement enhanced by air amplifiers in blasting roadways","authors":"Yongzhe Xie,&nbsp;Pengfei Wang,&nbsp;Yongjun Li,&nbsp;Xinzhe Wang,&nbsp;Lei He","doi":"10.1016/j.cherd.2025.10.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cherd.2025.10.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Effective dust control after coal mine blasting is vital for air quality and safety. This study integrates pressure ventilation with air amplifiers, evaluating performance via numerical simulation and PIV validation in a three-centered-arch roadway model. Results show air amplifiers boost airflow, accelerate dust dilution, and reduce high-concentration duration. A dynamic mixed-effects model identifies an optimal setup of 30 m placement and 0.5 MPa pressure, balancing rapid settling and minimal resuspension. The findings offer technical guidance for underground coal mine dust mitigation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10019,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Research & Design","volume":"223 ","pages":"Pages 300-310"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145263931","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An integrated approach to optimize and intensify furfural–HMF purification in biorefinery processes","authors":"Carlos Rodrigo Caceres-Barrera ,&nbsp;Eduardo Sánchez-Ramírez ,&nbsp;Maricruz Juárez-García ,&nbsp;Heriberto Alcocer-García ,&nbsp;César Ramírez-Márquez ,&nbsp;Juan Gabriel Segovia-Hernández","doi":"10.1016/j.cherd.2025.10.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cherd.2025.10.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Achieving sustainable production in biorefineries is essential to reduce dependence on fossil resources and to mitigate environmental impacts. Energy inefficiency in the purification stages of a biorefinery is one of the main challenges impeding the sustainability of these processes and their widespread use due to economic and environmental costs. This study aims to improve the sustainability indicators of a corn-stover biorefinery through a process intensification and an optimization approach. The proposed case study focuses on the purification section of hydroxymethylfurfural and furfural in a biorefinery whose main goal is to mitigate the energy consumption in the distillation process through the design and optimization of four intensified distillation options. These options include an indirect thermally coupled sequence, a side stripper, a fully thermally coupled Petlyuk column, and a single column with a lateral product stream. Each configuration is assessed with the objective to minimize the Total Annual Cost, Eco-Indicator 99, and energy consumption. Process modeling is conducted using Aspen Plus while the optimization is performed using Differential Evolution with Tabu List. Results demonstrate that optimal thermally coupled configurations achieve reductions of 13.2 % in Total Annual Cost, 19.1 % in Eco-Indicator 99, and 27.9 % in energy consumption compared to other conventional designs, while the side-stripper configuration yields savings of up to 8.9 %, 13.8 %, and 14.7 %, respectively. This work represents a significant advancement in promoting sustainable biorefinery operations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10019,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Research & Design","volume":"223 ","pages":"Pages 253-262"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145263877","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Feature-based scenario clustering and selective degrees of freedom reduction for two-stage stochastic optimization of Power-to-Methanol","authors":"Simone Mucci ,&nbsp;Dominik Bongartz","doi":"10.1016/j.cherd.2025.09.046","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cherd.2025.09.046","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Power-to-X processes can be operated flexibly to exploit electricity price fluctuations or renewable power availability, reducing production costs. Ideally, the process design should be optimized simultaneously with the scheduling or operation. To address the uncertainty in electricity prices or availability, several scheduling scenarios can be simultaneously considered in two-stage stochastic optimization problems. However, these problems, especially when nonlinear, become challenging to solve when the scenario number and scheduling horizon increase.</div><div>To tackle this challenge, we combine feature-based scenario clustering with reducing the degrees of freedom (DoF) related to the scheduling variables. The latter maintains time step chronology memory, thus ensuring optimal solution feasibility even if storage is present. For a Power-to-Methanol process, we show that DoF reduction should not be applied to all scheduling variables when there is intermediate storage, since it strongly correlates the variables, thus affecting the optimal process design. In a sensitivity analysis concerning the scenario cluster number, we show that scenario clustering based on interpretable features can represent the original space and estimate the objective function with a few scenarios, performing similarly to k-means and k-medoids clustering regarding the objective function. However, despite similar objective values, different optimal designs are identified for different scenario cluster numbers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10019,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Research & Design","volume":"223 ","pages":"Pages 311-330"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145263929","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Experimental and theoretical study on reduced gas holdup with increasing gas flux in a millimeter-micrometer dual-sized bubble column","authors":"Kaixiang Wang,&nbsp;Bo Liu,&nbsp;Tao Wu,&nbsp;Qiang Yang,&nbsp;Fang Yuan","doi":"10.1016/j.cherd.2025.10.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cherd.2025.10.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bubble column reactors are widely used in industrial applications due to their excellent mass and heat transfer capabilities, where the critical parameter gas holdup is significantly influenced by interactions between bubbles of different sizes. This study investigates the effect of dual-sized bubble interaction on gas holdup in coalescence-inhibited systems. A quantitative comparison between dual-sized and single-sized systems reveals that micrometer-sized bubbles primarily contribute to gas holdup. A non-monotonic trend in system gas holdup is observed when millimeter-sized bubbles are gradually introduced into a fixed micro-bubble system. To explain the phenomenon, a coupled drift-flux model is developed to relate the intermediate decline in gas holdup to the enhanced velocity of micro-bubbles through dual-sized bubble interactions. These findings provide new insights for optimizing bubble column systems, particularly in applications requiring high gas flux and improved gas-liquid mass transfer, such as in wastewater oxidation, 1,4-Butanediol synthesis, and electrolysis processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10019,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Research & Design","volume":"223 ","pages":"Pages 228-237"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145263863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"BTEX removal under salinity stress in a microaerobic reactor: Performance and microbial dynamics","authors":"João Paulo S. Siqueira ,&nbsp;Robério Mires de Freitas ,&nbsp;André B. dos Santos ,&nbsp;Paulo Igor M. Firmino","doi":"10.1016/j.cherd.2025.09.049","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cherd.2025.09.049","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluated the impact of increasing NaCl concentrations on the microaerobic removal of BTEX compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes) from synthetic brackish water using an upflow microaerobic sludge blanket (UMSB) reactor. The reactor operated with a hydraulic retention time of 24 h and was fed with BTEX (∼4.5 mg·L⁻¹ each) and ethanol (1 g COD·L⁻¹). Initially, no salt was added (Stage I). NaCl was then gradually introduced to reach salinities of 1.03 % (Stage II), 1.91 % (Stage III), and 3.42 % (Stage IV). In Stage I, BTEX removal efficiencies ranged from 83 % to 96 %, with benzene being the most recalcitrant compound. As salinity increased from Stage I to IV, removal efficiency declined for all compounds, with toluene showing the smallest decrease (7.5 %) and benzene the largest (∼18 %). Despite these reductions compared to Stage I, the reactor still achieved removal efficiencies of 65.8 % (benzene), 88.7 % (toluene), 78.7 % (ethylbenzene), 72.1 % (<em>m,p</em>-xylenes), and 69.0 % (<em>o</em>-xylene) in Stage IV. Microbial community analysis revealed that salinity markedly restructured the microbial community. Nevertheless, the persistence of key taxa (e.g., <em>Methanobacterium</em>) and the enrichment of halotolerant and halophilic genera (e.g., <em>Brachymonas</em>, <em>Carnobacterium</em>, and <em>Mycobacterium</em>) suggested a degree of functional resilience, as indicated by the maintained albeit reduced BTEX removal, although no direct functional metrics (e.g., enzyme activity) were measured.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10019,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Research & Design","volume":"223 ","pages":"Pages 220-227"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145263864","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Performance optimisation of hydrocyclones with complex curved feed chambers: A CFD-experimental study","authors":"Feng Li,&nbsp;Chaoqi Zou,&nbsp;Peiyang Li,&nbsp;Guodong Huang,&nbsp;Guijie Liu,&nbsp;Chenglei Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.cherd.2025.09.048","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cherd.2025.09.048","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hydrocyclones are widely utilized solid-liquid separation devices that have been extensively applied in the coal, petroleum, and chemical industries due to their distinct classification advantages. The feed chamber, as a critical component of a hydrocyclone, significantly influences its separation performance. In previous studies, a single-line type was predominantly employed as the guiding curve for the feed chamber; however, such a configuration often fails to meet the requirements of particle motion, whereas a complex curved feed chamber structure can effectively address the limitations of a single-line design. Nevertheless, the impact of complex curved feed chamber structures on the separation performance of hydrocyclones has been scarcely investigated. Therefore, a hydrocyclone with a complex curved feed chamber structure was designed in this study. This structure integrates three geometric profiles—linear, involute, and spiral—in series to regulate the internal flow field and particle motion, thereby enhancing the separation performance of the hydrocyclone. Numerical analysis and experimental validation were conducted to examine the influence of the complex curved feed chamber on the internal flow field and separation performance of the hydrocyclone. The results indicate that: when the vortex finder is below a critical threshold, only a downward-moving external rotational flow exists, rendering the hydrocyclone ineffective for classification; the vortex finder insertion depth has negligible effects on static pressure and tangential velocity, although the outlet velocity variation rate is significantly influenced by the insertion depth; the pressure drop and turbulence intensity decrease with increasing apex diameter; the inlet aspect ratio has a significant impact on the stability of the flow field; the feed flow rate strongly affects the velocity and pressure fields; experimental results for a 75 mm hydrocyclone reveal that, with an increase in apex diameter, the underflow yield increases from 20.02 % to 35.18 %, and the −20µm fine particle content in the underflow increases from 5.07 % to 19.93 %, indicating a significant increase in fine particle entrainment; as the vortex finder diameter increases, the underflow concentration increases from 27.31 % to 49.18 %, and the overflow concentration increases from 8.12 % to 21.98 %, suggesting that increasing the vortex finder diameter can enhance slurry concentration; as the vortex finder insertion depth increases, the cut size increases from 32.3 µm to 43.1 µm, the overflow content of −20µm particles decreases from 46.58 % to 37.13 % (a reduction of 20.3 %), and the underflow content decreases from 15.63 % to 11.22 % (a reduction of 28.2 %). Thus, the approach of reducing fine particle content in the underflow by increasing the vortex finder insertion depth is not feasible.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10019,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Research & Design","volume":"223 ","pages":"Pages 129-159"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145218780","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A novel bio-inspired structural design and optimization approach for dye liquor distributor considering flow-field uniformity","authors":"Huimin Chen,&nbsp;Zifan Han,&nbsp;Bingke Yu,&nbsp;Zhiping Mao,&nbsp;Di Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.cherd.2025.09.022","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cherd.2025.09.022","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Uneven dyeing is a major quality issue in yarn bobbin dyeing, causing significant material waste and increased production costs. Current research mainly focuses on improving dyeing evenness by enhancing dyeing processes. This study aims to boost dyeing efficiency by improving flow field uniformity within liquid reservoirs. A novel bio-inspired Bronchial-Dendritic (B-D) dye liquor distributor is proposed to address uneven dye liquor distribution among yarn columns. The B-D distributor, designed with a three-level branching network and double-curved tubes, precisely allocates dye liquor while reducing uneven flow caused by inertia. Its structural parameters are optimized using a multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA), targeting factors like dye liquor distribution uniformity, flow deviation rate, pressure resistance and energy loss. The optimized B-D distributor is installed in the reservoir of a supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) dyeing machine, its displacement and stress have been verified through Fluid–Structure Interaction. Results show that it achieves 93.62 % flow distribution uniformity and reduces the deviation rate to 10.19 %, along with significant reductions in pressure drop and energy losses. And the B-D distributor further improves flow distribution uniformity by an additional 5.89 % compared with the conventional perforated plate distributor.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10019,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Research & Design","volume":"222 ","pages":"Pages 573-591"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145263089","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}