Abstract: A method is described for improving water retention in soil, which involves mixing a super absorbing resin (SAR) composite with the soil. The SAR composite comprises a natural pozzolan and at least one polymer or copolymer. The SAR composite may be in the form of granules having an average longest dimension of 0.2-10 mm, though the SAR composite may be pelletized or formed in other sizes. The SAR composite may release water at a faster rate in a soil when exposed to drought conditions.

Abstract: Methods of disposing of pharmaceuticals including liquid pharmaceuticals and dissolved solid pharmaceuticals are disclosed. The methods relate to depositing one or more liquid pharmaceuticals into or onto a substrate that includes (a)(i) fibers, or (ii) both fibers and foam, and (b) activated carbon. The substrate adsorbs active pharmaceutical ingredients and absorbs a carrier liquid to facilitate safe disposal of the one or more liquid pharmaceuticals. Pharmaceutical disposal kits suitable for disposing of liquid pharmaceuticals and dissolved solid pharmaceuticals are also disclosed. The pharmaceutical disposal kits include a substrate that (1) includes (a)(i) fibers or (ii) both fibers and foam, and (b) activated carbon, and (2) is capable of adsorbing active pharmaceutical ingredients and absorbing a carrier liquid to facilitate safe disposal of the one or more liquid pharmaceuticals.

Abstract: A method for harmlessly pretreating an organic solid waste based on combination of calcium ion and hydrothermal treatment, including: preliminarily screening the organic solid waste followed by addition of calcium ions and hydrothermal treatment to make the organic solid waste harmless.

Abstract: The present invention provides for an oil pad having an oil absorbing medium which is formed or compressed to a particular shape. It is intended that such oil absorbing pad can be placed over an oily spill, or in a container containing oil, whereby the formed shape optimizes oil absorption by wicking oil to the interior of the pad, being sufficient to absorb and retain large volumes of oil, or to expand as oil is absorbed to expose one or more potions of the pad to the oil volume to be absorbed. The inventive oil absorbing pad reduces waste, does not create a mess when disposing, and effortlessly absorbs oil from an oily surface.

Abstract: Techniques for storing hazardous material include moving a storage canister sized to enclose radioactive hazardous material through an entry of a drillhole that extends into a terranean surface and is at least proximate the terranean surface; moving the storage canister from the entry through an angled drillhole portion that is coupled to the entry and deviates from true vertical at an angle; moving the storage canister from the angled drillhole portion to a hazardous material storage drillhole portion coupled to the angled drillhole portion; moving the storage canister into the hazardous material storage drillhole portion; and forming a seal in the drillhole that isolates the hazardous material storage portion of the drillhole from the entry of the drillhole.

Abstract: A composition that absorbs oxygen and emits carbon dioxide in response to absorbing oxygen including ascorbic acid, an organic acid, a catalyst that promotes oxidation of the organic acid and emission of carbon dioxide and a soluble transition metal salt characterized by multiple oxidation states.

Abstract: An electrolyte for electrochemical decontamination and a preparation method and application thereof. The electrolyte is an aqueous solution including the following solutes: phosphoric acid, oxalic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, hydrogen peroxide and glacial acetic acid. The electrolyte has a good decontamination effect and allows for fast decontamination and is obtained by reasonably combining different types of solutes and controlling the levels of the solutes and resulting secondary waste solution and residues are easy to treat. The electrolyte is suitable for overall or local electrochemical decontamination of radioactively contaminated stainless steel scrap.

Abstract: Disclosed are water-absorbent resin particles comprising a crosslinked polymer comprising a monomer unit derived from a water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer, wherein an artificial menstrual blood volume increase rate as measured in an artificial menstrual blood swelling test conducted in the order of i), ii), and iii) is 70% or more. i) putting 1.0 g of water-absorbent resin particles into a measuring cylinder with an inner diameter of 27 mm. ii) injecting 10 ml of artificial menstrual blood into the cylinder at once to swell the water-absorbent resin particles. iii) measuring a volume (A) of the swollen water-absorbent resin particles after 60 seconds from the injection and calculating an artificial menstrual blood volume increase rate according to Equation (I) below. Artificial menstrual blood volume increase rate (%)=(A?B)/B×100 . . . (I), A . . . Volume (ml) of swollen water-absorbent resin particles, B . . . Volume (ml) of injected artificial menstrual blood.

Abstract: Proposed is a system for closing a drum unit for storing radioactive waste, the system including: a supporting unit configured to be seated on the ground; a drum unit configured to be seated on a top part of the supporting unit and having a plurality of first fastening holes; a moving unit configured to move to a side of the drum unit; a cover unit provided at the inside of the moving unit or at one side of the drum unit and having a plurality of second fastening holes; tightening units configured to be inserted into the associated second fastening holes; a fastening unit configured to grip the cover unit through a gripping part to move the cover unit to the top part of the drum unit simultaneously, thereby closing a gap between the drum unit and the cover unit; and a controller configured to control the fastening unit.

Abstract: High-capacity dispensable moisture and hydrogen getter to be used as sealant and/or to control the level of these substances in electronic or optoelectronic sensitive devices, its use for the hermetic sealing or semi-hermetic sealing of such electronic or optoelectronic sensitive devices and a method to control the level of contaminants within them.

Abstract: Provided is a water-absorbent resin that quickly absorbs water, even in sandbag in which a large amount of the water-absorbent resin has been used, that does not easily form unswollen lump, and that has a high gel swelling volume when water is used to swell the water-absorbent resin. This water-absorbent resin is configured from a polymer of water-soluble ethylenic unsaturated monomers. The physiological-saline absorption capacity of the water-absorbent resin is 40-60 g/g. When a cross-sectional image of the water-absorbent resin is observed by x-ray computed tomography, the fraction of the area of the cross-sectional image that is hollow portions (the hollow area ratio of the cross-sectional image), as calculated on the basis of formula (I), is no more than 10%.

Abstract: A composite material containing a porous body having pores inside the porous body and a porous coordination polymer compound (PCP), in which the porous body has a network structure of Si—O bonds obtained by copolymerizing a dialkoxysilane and a trialkoxysilane, and the porous coordination polymer compound is carried in the pores of the porous body. Also, a method for producing a composite material containing a porous body having pores inside the porous body and a porous coordination polymer compound, in which the porous body has a network structure of Si—O bonds obtained by copolymerizing a dialkoxysilane and a trialkoxysilane, and the porous coordination polymer compound is carried in the pores of the porous body via a solvent.

Abstract: There are disclosed processes for destructing a toxic chemical including the steps of mixing the toxic chemical with a liquid phase formed by an aqueous mixture of water and an ionic liquid or molten salt which is miscible with water, the ionic liquid or molten salt comprising a tertiary amine group or quaternary ammonium group; and contacting the toxic chemical in the liquid phase with the ionic liquid or molten salt so as to decompose the toxic chemical.

Abstract: A process for producing superabsorbents, comprising polymerization of a monomer solution and thermal surface postcrosslinking, wherein the monomer solution comprises at least 0.75% by weight of a hydroxyphosphonic acid or salts thereof, calculated on the basis of the total amount of monomer used, and at least 0.09% by weight of aluminum cations, calculated on the basis of the total amount of polymer particles used, is added to the polymer particles before, during or after the thermal surface postcrosslinking.

Abstract: Absorbent materials configured to sequester trimethylamine (TMA), absorbent articles made therefrom, related methods of use, methods of measuring a reduction of free TMA, and related methods of making absorbent articles are described.

Abstract: Herein provided are treated matrix materials including a binding agent and a hydrophobic nanoparticle treatment that are formed or formable into water dispersible or biodegradable products, including manufacturing methods therefore.

Abstract: In a process for thermally desorbing a phase material (20), in particular for conditioning a fiber for carrying out a solid-phase microextraction, the phase material (20) is heated along a temperature curve. The temperature curve of the phase material (20) during desorption includes at least one low point.

Abstract: A method for producing a core-shell hybrid material made of an activated carbon core surrounded by a mesoporous silica sol-gel shell, the method including the formation of a mesoporous silica sol-gel shell around activated carbon particles. Also, the core-shell hybrid material formed by the method, and its use as a filtering material in filtering systems.

Abstract: Proposed is a fines removal apparatus installed on a radioactive liquid waste granulator, the apparatus including: a body unit fastened to an outlet provided on the radioactive liquid waste granulator and configured to receive the granulated radioactive waste by an operation of a first opening/closing valve, the radioactive liquid waste granulator being configured to manufacture concentrated liquid waste and to manufacture granulated radioactive waste by drying the concentrated liquid waste. an air supply unit provided on one side of the body unit and configured to spray air to the supplied granulated radioactive waste at regular periods, thereby scattering and separating fines contained in the granulated radioactive waste; and a reprocessing unit provided in a vacuum state on an opposite side of the body unit and configured to allow the scattered fines to be transferred to the radioactive waste granulator along a transfer pipe by vacuum pressure.

Abstract: There is provided herein a method for preparing a graphene oxide (GO) hydrogel. The method comprises the steps of adding vitamin C (VC) to a dispersion GO in a ratio GO:VC varying from 1:50 to 1:300; and incubating at a temperature above 45° C., preferably at 95° C. the dispersion for a time sufficient for a porous hydrogel to be self-assembled from the dispersion. CNPs can also be added to the hydrogel in a ratio GO:CNPs from 4:1 to 1:1. There is also provided the hydrogel so obtained and its use for removing contaminants from a fluid. The hydrogel can also be used as a filter for such decontamination.