Provided are composite materials that include a polymeric material and one or more metal organic frameworks intermixed with the polymeric material. A polymeric material may be a block copolymer that is optionally polymerized prior to combination with the metal organic framework. The composite materials are useful for many applications including as sorbents for removal of a chemical, optionally a toxic chemical, from a surface where the surface is contracted with the composite material which reacts with or adsorbs the chemical and is then removed to remove the chemical from the surface.

An example article includes a substrate and a coating applied to the substrate. The coating includes a stabilizer and an organic phosphonic acid reactant. In an example article, the coating includes a water-soluble polymer and an organic phosphate or phosphonate reactant. An example coating configured to be applied to a basic gas filter substrate includes a water-soluble polymer and an organic phosphate or phosphonate reactant. An example technique includes applying a coating to a substrate and heating at least the coating to a temperature between about 100 C. and about 275 C. for about 1 minute to about 10 minutes. An example system includes a basic gas filter including a coating, and a sensor configured to sense an optical change in the coating.

Compositions, systems and methods of removing ammonia from fish storage systems are presented. A chemical water conditioner comprised of sodium formaldehyde bisulfite, cornstarch, dye and alcohol was found to have a high ammonia removal efficiency in seawater. A combination of this chemical water conditioner with modified chabazite and phosphate buffer exhibited high ammonia removal efficiency in both seawater and freshwater.

A chromogenic absorbent material for an animal litter includes an oxidizing agent responsive to peroxidatic/pseudoperoxidatic activity in an animal excretion or a first catalytic compound generating the oxidizing agent in situ. The material also includes a chromogenic indicator being chromogenically responsive to the oxidizing activity of the oxidizing agent, and an absorptive material which is porous, for absorbing the animal excretion. The absorptive material includes a water-absorbing polysaccharide providing absorptive properties to the chromogenic absorbent material; and may also include a second polysaccharide and a superabsorbent polymer. The material may be obtained in the form of particles having a low density and a high porosity, and is usable in conjunction with an animal litter for detecting various diseases in animals.

A method of purifying radiochemical species (e.g., radiopharmaceuticals) using thin layer chromatography (TLC) plates includes loading one or more TLC plates with a sample containing the radiochemical species to be purified. The one or more TLC plates are then developed with a mobile phase. The one or more developed TLC plates are then imaged to obtain radioactivity image(s) of the one or more TLC plates. Optional UV images may also be obtained using the same imaging platform. The location of the radiochemical species on the one or more TLC plates is identified from the radioactivity image(s). The radiochemical species on the one or more TLC plates is/are removed at the identified locations. Removal may be accomplished using a mechanical process such as scraping or punching. Alternatively, non-destructive techniques may be employed to remove the radiochemical species from the TLC plate(s).

A dissolved air floatation apparatus including an ultrafine bubble-containing liquid production device and a dissolved air floatation tank. The ultrafine bubble-containing liquid production device includes a gas-liquid mixing unit and a bubble-containing liquid separation device. The bubble-containing liquid separation device swirls a liquid containing ultrafine bubbles and larger bubbles in a storage tank to concentrate the liquid that contains the ultrafine bubbles and the liquid that contains the larger bubbles to a central part of the swirling flow followed by discharge. A pressurized ultrafine bubble-containing liquid is mixed in a raw liquid containing a subject to be cleansed and is poured into the dissolved air floatation tank to cause a suspended substance and a dissolved component in the raw liquid to be adsorbed on an interface of fine bubbles and be floated in the dissolved air floatation tank to be extracted.

Polymeric sorbents for aldehydes including formaldehyde are provided. More particularly, the polymeric sorbents are a reaction product of a divinylbenzene/maleic anhydride precursor polymeric material with a nitrogen-containing compound. The nitrogen-containing compound is covalently attached to the resulting polymeric sorbent. Additionally, methods of sorbing aldehydes (i.e., aldehydes that are volatile under use conditions) on the polymeric sorbents and compositions resulting from the sorption of aldehydes on the polymeric sorbents are provided. The polymeric sorbents typically are porous with the pores often being in the size range of mesopores and/or micropores.

A process for manufacturing particles of water-absorbing material is provided. The process includes providing a powder bed composed of an absorptive powder comprising a water-absorbing polysaccharide onto a surface; releasing an aqueous solution from a solution dispenser so as to contact the powder bed, thereby forming a solution-impregnated humid material; letting the solution-impregnated humid material agglomerate in substantially shear-less conditions to form an agglomerated humid material, the solution-impregnated humid material being supported by the surface; and drying the agglomerated humid material, thereby forming the particles.

A sorbent product having a sensor array for detecting a sorbate. The sorbent product includes a sorbent body configured to absorb the sorbate and a sensor array integrated with the sorbent body. The sensor array includes a plurality of sensing elements, an electric power source in electrical communication with the plurality of sensing elements, and a controller configured to detect a change in an electrical property of at least one of the plurality of sensing elements and provide a signal containing information based on the detected change.

A waste absorbing media composition for use in an agitating waste non-contact toilet apparatus comprises an absorbent material, a liquid, and an indicator detectable by a sensor of the agitating waste non-contact toilet apparatus.