[Preparation of Magnetic Iron Oxide/Mulberry Stem Biochar and Its Effects on Dissolved Organic Carbon and Arsenic Speciation in Arsenic-Contaminated Soils].

In this study, original mulberry-biochar (M-BC) and magnetic iron oxide/mulberry stem biochar (Fe-BC) materials were prepared and characterized using mulberry stems as the raw material. The effects of carbonized temperature of Fe-BC and M-BC on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and arsenic(As) speciation in soil leaching solutions were studied using soil incubation experiments. The results showed that:① Fe-BC was mainly composed of Fe3O4 and was magnetic, and the main functional groups were a C＝O double bond, O-H bond, C-O bond, and Fe-O bond. The point of zero charge values (pHzpc) of Fe-BC-400, Fe-BC-500, and Fe-BC-600 were 8.92, 8.74, and 9.19, respectively, and the specific surface areas of Fe-BC-400, Fe-BC-500, and Fe-BC-600 were 447.412, 482.697, and 525.708 m2·g-1, respectively. ② With the increase in the carbonization temperature of M-BC and Fe-BC, the ρ(DOC) of soil leaching solution decreased 11.6-315.6 mg·L-1 and 78-365.6 mg·L-1, respectively. The DOC concentration of soil leaching solution was negatively correlated with soil EC. On day 35 of the incubation experiments, compared with that in soil after incubation without biochar (control), the As concentration of the soil leaching solution with Fe-BC-600 decreased by 55.96%, and there was no significant correlation between the As concentration of the soil leaching solution and the DOC concentration of the soil. ③ The available As concentration on day 35 in soil after incubation with Fe-BC was lower than that of the control group; the available As concentration on day 35 in soil incubated with Fe-BC-600 was reduced by 39.21%. ④ The residue As concentration on day 35 in soil incubated with M-BC decreased by 17.76%-49.11%. The residue As content on day 35 in soil incubated with Fe-BC-600 increased by 80%. Fe-BC-600 was most beneficial to reduce the DOC concentration and the available As content in soil leaching solution and increased the residue As content, thus reducing the bioavailability of soil arsenic. Therefore, this study can provide a theoretical basis for magnetic iron oxide/biochar remediation in arsenic-contaminated soil.

Preparation and Characterization of Fe-Mn Binary Oxide/Mulberry Stem Biochar Composite Adsorbent and Adsorption of Cr(VI) from Aqueous Solution.

This study details the preparation of Fe-Mn binary oxide/mulberry stem biochar composite adsorbent (FM-MBC) from mulberry stems via the multiple activation by potassium permanganate, ferrous chloride, triethylenetetramine, and epichlorohydrin. The characteristics of FM-MBC had been characterized by SEM-EDS, BET, FT-IR, XRD, and XPS, and static adsorption batch experiments such as pH, adsorption time, were carried out to study the mechanism of Cr(VI) adsorption on FM-MBC and the impact factors. The results indicated that in contrast with the mulberry stem biochar (MBC), the FM-MBC has more porous on surface with a BET surface area of 74.73 m2/g, and the surface loaded with α-Fe2O3 and amorphization of MnO2 particles. Besides, carboxylic acid, hydroxyl, and carbonyls functional groups were also formed on the FM-MBC surface. At the optimal pH 2.0, the maximum adsorption capacity for Cr(VI) was calculated from the Langmuir model of 28.31, 31.02, and 37.14 mg/g at 25, 35, and 45 °C, respectively. The aromatic groups, carboxyls, and the hydroxyl groups were the mainly functional groups in the adsorption of Cr(VI). The mechanism of the adsorption process of FM-MBC for Cr(VI) mainly involves electrostatic interaction, surface adsorption of Cr(VI) on FM-MBC, and ion exchange.

Hydrophobicity of model surfaces with loosely packed polystyrene spheres after plasma etching.

Polystyrene (PS) sphere films with loosely packed arrays were prepared by plasma etching of closely packed PS sphere arrays. The size of PS spheres can be efficiently reduced with plasma etching, and surface topography can be manipulated by controlling the initial PS sphere size and the time of plasma exposure. These surfaces with loosely packed arrays provide a well-characterized model system for studying water repellency behavior. It was found that the surface hydrophobicity could be systematically tailored due to the well-defined and controlled surface topography. Sphere size and the interparticle distance between two adjacent spheres are critical factors in determining the water repellency behavior of the surface. A model based on the Cassie theory was proposed to elucidate the effect of surface topography on hydrophobicity, and the predicted contact angles agree well with the experimental results.

Characterization of chemical inhomogeneity in plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite coatings.

Successful applications of plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite (HA) coating for implants rely on understanding characteristics of the coating's microstructure, particularly its inhomogeneity. We explored three new techniques for characterizing the chemical inhomogeneity of sprayed HA coatings on titanium substrate: micro-Raman spectroscopy (MRS), positive and negative ion ratios of time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and the energy loss peaks of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed that MRS effectively revealed a chemical gradient in the direction of the coating thickness and a decrease in crystallinity from the surface to interface within the as-sprayed coatings. The post-spray treatment effectively promoted homogeneity between surface and the coating/Ti interfaces. Elucidating the chemistry of the sprayed HA coatings using the ion ratios of ToF-SIMS and the energy loss peaks of XPS remains a challenge, even though such techniques can be used to identify certain calcium phosphate phases in pure powder form.

Torsional fatigue resistance of plasma sprayed HA coating on Ti-6Al-4V.

The torsional strength of plasma sprayed hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings was studied under static and cyclic loading. The torsional shear tests were conducted in a frustum test device developed in this laboratory, which adapted to various coating thicknesses. The interfacial fatigue resistance was measured in terms of interfacial fatigue strength defined as the average maximum stress (tau(fmax)). A staircase fatigue method was employed to determine the interfacial fatigue strength; this method resolved the uncertainty in detecting coating failure during torsion fatigue. The values for coating shear strength and shear fatigue strength obtained from the torsional tests did not differ from those obtained by previous tensional shear tests in this laboratory. The fatigue strength of one million cycles was about 35% lower than static shear strength. This finding might be used for estimating fatigue life span without cyclic loading tests.