Experimental design and RSM on the recovery of Ni (II) ions by ELM using TX-100 as a biodegradable surfactant.

The present work deals with the extraction and pre-concentration of nickel (II) ions using emulsified liquid membrane (ELM) in the presence of di- (2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) as an extractant. The emulsion stability was achieved by the biodegradable surfactants Triton X-100 addition diluted in kerosene. Influence of operating conditions that affect ELM performance were investigated. A comparative study between the optimization parameters of this process was carried out both experimentally and with the Response Surface Methodology (RSM), in accordance with the Box-Behnken matrix. The following parameters were investegated: D2EHPA / Triton X-100 ratio between 0.5 and 3.5, initial concentration of the feed phase between 200 and 500 ppm and pH of the feed phase from 2.5-10. The transport of Ni (II) ions was evaluated according to the extraction yield as an analytical response and the optimal conditions were determined. It was found that the calculated values being in good agreement with experimental data that under the optimized conditions ([Ni] = 350 ppm, Vagitation = 200 rpm, t = 20 min and pH = 6.6), Ni (II) ions extraction was recorded more than 94% of efficiency.

Synthesis of nickel-based layered double hydroxide (LDH) and their adsorption on carbon felt fibres: application as low cost cathode catalyst in microbial fuel cell (MFC).

Following their successful utilization as novel bioanodes in Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs), Layered Double Hydroxide (LDH) were tested in the present investigation, as promising cathodes to reduce electrons coming from oxidation of organic matter in the anode compartment, in the presence of oxygen used as successful oxidant. Therefore, the LDH samples Ni3Al-LDH with the ionic ratio Ni2+/Al3+ equal to 3, were synthesized and added by adsorption to Carbon Felt (CF) fibres. They were then stored separately in three electrolyte solutions KCl, NiCl2 and AlCl3 used as catholytes in the MFCs. Effects of the active cationic sites located inside the Ni3Al-LDH on these electrolytes, were discussed in terms of energies produced by these MFCs. The structure and morphology of the synthesized LDH, were studied by using the analytical techniques XRD, FTIRS and SEM, while the electrode performances of the LDH-electrodes were investigated with the electrochemical methods CV and EIS. It was revealed that the CF modified with Ni3Al-LDH cathode and conditioned in the NiCl2 electrolyte solution yielded the highest energy harvesting for the MFC (i.e. 3.2 µW/cm2). This power density output was similar to previous clean one-compartment MFC. However, it was less expensive than an Enzymatic Fuel Cell (45 µW/cm2), making in evidence the highest cost of the material. Thus, by taking into account these encouraging findings, the low cost materials used in MFCs held great promise for practical application in electrochemical power devices and therefore fruit waste treatment. Abbreviations: ACFC: Air Cathode Fuel Cell; ADEFC: Alkaline Direct Ethanol Fuel Cell; AFC: Alcaline Fuel Cell; BET: Brunauer-Emmett-Teller; BFC: Biological Fuel Cell; CF: Carbon Felt; CV: Cyclic Voltammetry; DGFC: Direct Glucose Fuel Cell; DMFC: Direct Methanol Fuel Cell; EFC: Enzymatic Fuel Cell; EIS: Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy; FC: Fuel Cell; FTIR: Fourier Transform Infra Red spectroscopy; LDH: Layered Double Hydroxide; MEC: Microbial Electrolysis Cell; MFC: Microbial Fuel Cell; Mg-Al- CO 3 2 -LDH: Layered Double Hydroxide Magnesium-Aluminium-Carbonate; Ni-Al-LDH: Layered Double Hydroxide Nickel-Aluminium; OCP: Open Circuit Potential; SEM: Scanning Electron Microscope; TG/DTA: ThermoGravimetric and Differential Thermal Analysis; XRD: X-Ray Diffraction.