A method includes providing a resonant thermal oscillator in a thermofluidic system having at least two counter-flowing liquid streams separated by at least a spectrum absorbing material, wherein the spectrum absorbing material is hydrophobic, light-absorbing, and photothermal, and adjusting a flow rate in at least one of the counter-flowing liquid streams to maximize heat transfer between the at least two counter-flowing liquid streams.

A graphene coated crushed glass particle adsorbent is provided for the removal of heavy metals and other contaminants in from solutions such as wastewaters, contaminated surface water and groundwater. The adsorbent comprises crushed (e.g. recycled) glass coated with graphene nano-sheets using a staged thermal binding process and the silicas in the glass as a catalyst. The adsorbent may be configured for use in both in-situ and ex-situ treatment systems and is capable of removing heavy metals and other inorganic and organic contaminants. The strong adsorptive bond between contaminants and the graphene coating on crushed glass particles can also lead to alternative applications of the end of life adsorbent, such as base material in road and pavement (e.g. cement-like) construction materials.

A method and reactor are disclosed for separating and removing heavy metals from wastewater using a sulfhydryl-modified nano-magnetized activated carbon. The method includes the steps of preparing a sulfhydryl-modified nano-magnetized activated carbon first; introducing heavy-metal-containing wastewater into a reactor which is equipped with a stirrer and keeping stirring, and then adding the sulfhydryl-modified nano-magnetized activated carbon, continuously stirring for a reaction; after reacting for a period, precipitating under a magnetic field generated by a magnet separator, discharging the resulting supernate, and then discharging the precipitated sludge.

Fresh water contamination by heavy metals results from a variety of sources and can be damaging to wildlife, alter landscapes, and impact human health. metals removal form water sources is desirable for improving water quality and preventing adverse effects, but also for metals collection and recycling. Adsorption is a desirable metals extraction technique due to economic feasibility. Nanoscale materials exhibit high surface-area-to-volume ratio that lends to high adsorption and reactivity, making them ideal candidates for adsorptive metals extraction processes. Despite these properties, nanomaterials have elicited safety concerns. The extraordinarily small dimensions of these materials allow them to maneuver biological systems, tissues, and even cells, and combined with high reactivity, this translocation can result in toxic effects. It is therefore imperative that safety of nanomaterials for metals extraction be evaluated in addition to adsorptive properties. The current invention describes nanoparticles composed of magnetite, coated in hydroxyapatite, and functionalized for adsorption with titanium dioxide (TiHAMNPs). This material is safe, provides significant adsorption of metals, and allows efficient collection in magnetic systems.

A nanocarbon immobilized membrane (NCIM) is disclosed. The nanocarbon immobilized membrane is sized to purify different organic-water mixtures. The nanocarbon immobilized membrane can be used to purify solvents, fuels, and other organic compounds. Data using heptane-water, octane-water, fuel-water, and paint thinner-water show 99.9% separation efficiency. High organic flux is also seen at relatively low pressure. This approach has numerous applications, including fuel purification, oil spills clean-up, separation of commercial emulsions, and solvent purification.

A porous material comprises a porous material substrate and nanostructure arrays that are in-situ grown on the porous material substrate; wherein a surface modification layer is arranged on the surface of the nanoarrays, and the surface modification layer is configured to increase the adhesion force between the nanoarrays and the microbes. The porous material is applied to disinfection, which comprises the steps: The porous material with the surface-modified nanoarrays is placed in flowing water, the water flow passes through the gaps of the nanoarrays in a shuttling mode, and in the shuttling flowing process, microbes come into contact with the nanoarrays. The microbes are torn up through the hydrodynamic force and the adhesion force between the nanoarrays and the microbes, so that the microbes are physically ruptured to achieve disinfection.

The present disclosure provides an electrode material and a method for preparing the same. The electrode material includes 3 to 7 wt % of a graphene material, 4 to 8 wt % of a photocatalytic nano-material, 3 to 9 wt % of a binder system, and a balance of a glass fiber cloth, based on a total weight of the electrode material. The method includes providing a graphene-based precursor solution;

agitating and dispersing a glass fiber cloth to obtain an uniform slurry; wet forming the slurry to obtain a glass fiber sheet, and cleaning and drying the glass fiber sheet; putting the glass fiber sheet into the graphene-based precursor solution for in-situ synthesis to obtain a glass fiber paper; and immersing the glass fiber paper with a binder system and drying the glass fiber paper to obtain the electrode material.

The present invention provides antimicrobial matrices comprising a water-insoluble polymer and a mixture comprising a plurality of synthetic peptides attached thereto via a linker, the peptides comprise cationic amino acid residues, hydrophobic amino acid residues, or combinations thereof, in random sequences. The invention further provides uses of the antimicrobial matrices for eliminating microorganisms, particularly pathogenic bacteria, from liquid or semi solid media including edible products or beverages.

Provided is a toothed drum type oil recovery device, which includes: a recovery drum having a center coupled to a rotary shaft and having a plurality of tooth units formed around an outer circumference thereof, wherein one side of the recovery drum is disposed in the water to which oil is spilled so that the oil is recovered by the tooth unit at one side of the recovery drum according to the rotation; and a separation unit containing an oil separating liquid and disposed at the other side of the recovery drum, wherein when the tooth unit moves onto the oil separating liquid at the other side of the recovery drum according to the rotation of the recovery drum, the oil separating liquid is introduced into a space between the tooth units adjacent to each other by means of a capillary action to separate the oil from the tooth unit.

The present invention relates to a device and to a method for producing dialysate, wherein the device comprises a first part and a second part designed as a circuit, wherein the first part comprises a water connection or a water container and the primary side of a filter, wherein the filter is designed to produce purified water from the water by forward osmosis, and wherein the second part comprises the secondary side of the filter, a reservoir, a filtrate line which leads from the secondary side of the filter to the reservoir, and a return line leading from the reservoir to the secondary side of the filter, wherein an electrodialysis unit comprising a diluate chamber and a concentrate chamber is further provided, wherein the concentrate chamber is fluidically connected to the secondary side of the filter.