A silicon-modified zinc oxide material, wherein the silicon-modified zinc oxide material (i) has a BET surface area of at least 50 m.sup.2/g, (ii) has a Si:Zn atomic ratio in the range of 0.001 to 0.5:1 and (iii) is in the form of a shaped unit selected from a pellet, extrudate or granule, or a wash-coat on a monolith support. The silicon-modified zinc oxide material has improved resistance to thermal sintering and may be used as a catalyst or sorbent material.

Disclosed herein are composite materials and methods of making and use thereof. The composite materials comprise: a carbon nanotube and a plurality of ferrihydrite particles disposed on the carbon nanotube, the composite material comprising the plurality of ferrihydrite particles and the carbon nanotube in a weight ratio of from 5:95 to 95:5. The weight ratio can be selected such that the composite material has a desired balance between specific surface area and specific capacitance. Also disclosed herein are methods comprising: making a plurality of the composite materials, the weight ratio of the plurality of ferrihydrite particles and the carbon nanotube being different for each composite material; and determining and comparing the specific surface area and specific surface capacitance for the plurality of composite materials to determine the weight ratio at which the composite material has a desired balance between the specific surface area and the specific capacitance.

A flow electrode capacitive deionization system and a method for recovering phosphorus in phosphogypsum leachate and synchronous performing brine desalination belong to the technical field of wastewater treatment and recycling. The flow electrode capacitive deionization system includes a phosphorus recovery electrodeionization module and a desalination electrodeionization module. A first flow electrode solution reservoir, a phosphorus recovery electrodeionization module cathode flow electrode chamber, and a desalination electrodeionization module anode flow electrode chamber are interconnected in a circulation. A second flow electrode solution reservoir, a phosphorus recovery electrodeionization module anode flow electrode chamber, and a desalination electrodeionization module cathode flow electrode chamber are interconnected in a circulation. Two independent flow electrode solution circulation loops are formed. The phosphogypsum leachate enters the phosphorus recovery electrodeionization module and phosphorus is enriched into a flow electrode solution. A phosphorus-rich solution is reacted with a ferrous solution under an oxygen-free condition to generate vivianite [Fe.sub.3(PO.sub.4).sub.2.Math.8H.sub.2O].

Disclosed are a microorganism generation system for a sludge-free aerobic tank and a manufacture method therefor. The system includes a square mold, a water-permeable and anti-filtered geotextile, a bonding module and mixed fillers. The water-permeable and anti-filtered geotextile is fixed to an inner wall of the mold in a matching manner, the bonding module serves to bond the water-permeable and anti-filtered geotextile to the mixed fillers, and the mixed fillers are loaded into an inner cavity of the mold in layers through a seam at a top of the water-permeable and anti-filtered geotextile. In the present disclosure, microorganisms can be generated automatically in the event of sewage and aeration, requiring neither activated sludge nor supplementation of carbon sources, and the present invention can be used for the treatment of sewage into rivers (lakes) or the bypass treatment of polluted water in rivers and lakes and the restoration of water ecology.

A one-step method for preparing a magnetic magnesium-iron layered double hydroxide (LDH)-biochar composite material and use thereof provided. Biomass, as a substrate, is placed in a ferric salt solution, magnesium hydroxide is added, the materials are fully stirred and aged for a certain time, the aged materials are dried to obtain a magnesium-iron LDH-biomass, and the magnetic magnesium-iron LDH-biochar composite material is obtained after pyrolysis. The method solves problems of uncontrollable reaction and low crystallinity of products in preparing LDH using a coprecipitation method, reduces the amount of drugs, omits a step of adjusting a pH with an alkaline solution, improves yield and reduces a cost. The obtained magnetic magnesium-iron LDH-biochar composite material exhibits an excellent performance in adsorbing phosphate in water and can be recovered by an external magnetic field. Thus, an important method is provided for preparing LDH and the composite thereof.

Various embodiments relate to an electrochemical cell for removal of materials from water and methods of using the same. A method of removing phosphorus from water includes immersing an electrochemical cell in water including phosphorus to form treated water including a salt that includes the phosphorus. The electrochemical cell includes an anode including Mg, Al, Fe, Zn, or a combination thereof, a cathode including Cu, Ni, Fe, or a combination thereof. The method includes separating the salt including the phosphorus from the treated water, to form separated water having a lower phosphorus concentration than the water including phosphorus.

Lithium recovery processes are described using concentration and conversion techniques. A vaporizer or membrane can be used to concentrate lithium and precipitate impurities. A conversion process can be used to replace anions in lithium bearing streams by adding a second anion and precipitating lithium in a salt with the second anion. Rotary separation can be used to separate the precipitated lithium salt.

A method of removing nutrients and/or toxic substances from water by placing an open-cell foam material together with a biochar material into the water, leaving the foam and biochar materials in the water for sufficient time to adsorb/absorb at least some of excess nutrients and/or toxic substances present in the water, and then removing from the water the open-cell foam material together with the biochar material.

A method of treating water to remove selenium and/or mercury that is dissolved in the water. The method includes adding an acid to the water to reduce the pH, adding a metal reagent to the water that is effective to reduce the selenium and/or mercury to a lower oxidation state, and then removing the reduced selenium and/or mercury from the water.

Basalt selectively adsorbs organic toxic materials, such as dioxins, furans, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, arsenic, mercury, chromium, copper, nickel, zinc, cadmium, lead, and the like, from substances such as sediment, which contains water and the toxic materials.