Research and Technology Center of Energy

The importance of this work lies in the application of a combined electrocoagulation/electro-Fenton (EC/EF) treatment for carwash wastewater, offering a cost-effective and efficient remediation approach. During electro-coagulation (EC), experiments were carried out in a cylindrical cell containing 450 mL of carwash wastewater. This process promotes the formation of $$Fe\left( {OH} \right)_{n}$$ (n = 2 or 3) as coagulants, along with $${\text{Fe}}^{3 + } {\text{/Fe}}^{2 + }$$ ions acting as catalysts. The effects of key operating parameters, including applied current, electrode material (Fe and Al), and initial pH, were evaluated, and both COD removal and energy consumption were assessed. In the EF stage, comparative trials were performed in stirred reactors equipped with a Pt anode and a carbon-felt cathode under O₂ bubbling to generate H₂O₂ at the cathode. The hydroxyl radicals produced at the anode surface through water oxidation and in the bulk solution via Fenton’s reagent (Fe2⁺/H₂O₂) promote the oxidative degradation of organic contaminants. The effects of the supporting electrolyte, applied current and the catalytic activity were investigated to optimize electro-Fenton efficiency. Under optimal EC conditions (I = 1 A, Fe electrode, pH = 5.7), 76.58% COD removal was achieved with an energy consumption of 0.987 kWh·m⁻3. Nearly complete COD removal (97.8%) was obtained using the combined process, where residual organics after EC were removed during electro-Fenton treatment at 0.3 A for 360 min.

Abstract Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is valued for its transparency and film-forming ability, but its limited chemical reactivity and weak nanofiller interactions restrict functional tunability. Partially oxidized PVA (OPVA), enriched with ketone and hydroxyl groups, provides a versatile scaffold for nanocomposite design. Transparent OPVA–graphene oxide (GO) films were fabricated via dopant-free aqueous casting with low GO loadings (0.5–1.5 wt%). FTIR and XRD analyses confirmed hydrogen bonding interactions and disruption of lamellar crystallinity, enabling nanoscale dispersion. UV–Vis–NIR spectroscopy revealed high transmittance (> 90%) and suppressed reflectance (~ 12%), while Tauc plots indicated a tunable bandgap (~ 2.0 eV) through GO-induced electronic coupling. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy demonstrated humidity-responsive proton conductivity up to 6.0 × 10 − 3 S/cm at 90 °C under 100% relative humidity, achieved without sulfonation or external doping. Mechanical testing showed enhanced tensile strength and stiffness at 1.0 wt% GO, identified as the optimal loading, with incipient aggregation effects at higher concentrations. These synergistic trends establish a clear structure–property–performance relationship, positioning OPVA–GO nanocomposites as sustainable platforms for transparent photonic films, flexible optoelectronic devices, and renewable energy interfaces.

A pyroelectric detector has been experimentally characterized for absolute energy fluence measurements across the ultraviolet (UV) to infrared (IR) spectral range (250 nm–20 μm). The device integrates a PVDF material, a low-noise, high-sensitivity current-to-voltage converter, and a digital display. A spin-coated graphite absorber provides an electrical resistance of 2 kΩ, contributing to the detector’s high performance and stability. Electrical calibration performed at a modulation frequency of 20 Hz reveals a specific detectivity of D* = 3.85107 cm√Hz/W. Herein, it has been demonstrated that a linear responsivity is achieved in the energy fluence range of 0.5 J/m2 to 780 J/m2, with a sensitivity of 6.57 mV·m2/J and a relative uncertainty of less than 0.5%. The detector’s absorption rate exceeds 99%, ensuring that the pyroelectric sensor captures nearly all incident radiation during patient treatment. This affordable, robust, and easy-to-build detector is ideal for various medical applications, including UV phototherapy, PDT, functional imaging, and infrared treatments.

<bold>Background:</bold> Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and a fatal respiratory disease with limited therapeutic treatment. IPF is characterized by extracellular matrix deposition due to fibroblasts and myofibroblasts proliferation. <bold>Aims and objectives:</bold> We aimed to investigate in this study the effect of Frankenia pulverulenta extract on an experimental model of lung fibrosis induced by bleomycin (BLM) in Wistar rats. <bold>Methods:</bold> animals were divided into 5 groups of 5 rats each. Control group (G1), BLM group (G2), and 3 groups (G3, G4 and G5) received a daily intra-peritoneal injection of Frankenia pulverulenta (FP) extract at 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg, one week before fibrosis induction and 2 weeks after. At the end of the protocol, all rats were sacrificed and lungs were extracted. Antioxidant effects of FP in lung tissues were studied using standard spectrophotometric methods and fibrosis was assessed by histological analysis conforming to Ashcroft score. <bold>Results:</bold> Our phytochemical results showed the presence of polyphenols and flavonoids with an antioxidant power of PF. Histological analysis revealed significant reduction in fibrosis score following treatment with 40 mg/kg (G5) of FP extract. We also revealed normalization in catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities and a reduction in the level of malondialdehyde. <bold>Conclusion:</bold> FP extract play an antifibrotic and antioxidant activities due to its high content with polyphenols.