An optical system for measuring the eccentricity of glass wool pipe — for industrial use
An optical system for measuring the eccentricity of the glass wool pipe has been developed for an industrial use. The system consists of a contact sensor, a photo light sensor and a signal processing system with a logic circuit. The system is simple, fast and efficient for practical use; it allows implementation of on-line process monitoring and alarm warning signals for unacceptable pipe eccentricity during manufacturing.
Recovery of Steelmaking Slag and Granite Waste in the Production of Rock Wool
Steelmaking slag and residues from granite cuttings are industrial wastes with considerable production, however limited applications. This work studied an inertization and recovery process of such wastes as raw materials into production of rock wool (i.e. a thermo-acoustic insulator with growing market). Several batches were produced aiming the chemical proprieties of a currently marketed rock wool. Mixtures were casted at temperatures of 1400-1500 °C, then quenched in water and also poured into a Herty Viscosimeter. Produced materials with thickness smaller than 500µm were characterized by chemical analyses, XRD, SEM, EDS and DTA. ThermoCalc software was used to simulate the cooling curves of rock wools. Results showed that incorporation of wastes does not affect the main qualities of rock wool, the thermal insulation and prevention of fire spread. Raw material batches of rock wools may assimilate up to 66% of granite waste, or 53% steelmaking slag, or 70% combining both materials.
Parboiled rice effluent: A wastewater niche for microalgae and cyanobacteria with growth coupled to comprehensive remediation and phosphorus biofertilization
Abstract The potential of microalgae and cyanobacteria for bioremediation of wastewater by nutrient uptake combined with simultaneous biomass production is a well recognized perception of today's world. The present study illustrates the treatment of a highly polluted wastewater generated during parboiling of paddy in rice mill industries, widely operational in developing countries where rice is the staple food crop, with the help of microalgal and cyanobacterial isolates capable of growing at high rates in parboiled rice mill effluent (RME). This endeavor leads to comprehensive bioremediation of the said effluent and subsequent use of the harvested biomass as slow release phosphorus biofertilizers and the treated effluent for crop irrigation. The RME-acclimatized algal consortium demonstrated highest growth in terms of fresh weight and greatest remediation efficiency at the end of 36 days' treatment of RME, with 93.9% phosphorus and 100% ammonia-nitrogen removal, 98.7%, 91.6% and 93.5% reduction in biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand and total dissolved solid, respectively, and an increment of 186 ± 0.3 mg L − 1 dissolved oxygen, bringing down the pollutants level well below the discharge limits suggested by Central Pollution Control Board, India. Additionally, microalgae in the consortium aggregated in clumps spontaneously in presence of the filaments of Phormidium sp. facilitating easy harvest. The RME-acclimatized algal consortium demonstrated highest accumulation of polyphosphate (poly-P) (0.76 ± 0.01% of dry weight) as well as highest release of phosphorus in non-sterile soil emphasizing the essential role of soil phosphorus solubilizing organisms to leach soluble phosphorus from the insoluble poly-P present in the biomass. The rice seedlings watered with treated RME also showed improved growth effect on shoot height and leaf width. The study results establish the suitability of RME as an excellent growth media for microalgae and cyanobacteria.