Spiral flows exhibit complex fluid dynamics and interactions involving multiple phases and components in the process. Understanding the behavior of these phases within the spiral concentrator is crucial for achieving efficient separation. The investigation presents size-wise and mass-wise recovery of minerals at various feed concentrations and explains the factors affecting separation in the spiral concentrator. Considerable effort is devoted to understanding the separation processes, not only in chromite ores but also in artificial mixtures. An experimental bi-component (magnetite & silica) and multi-component (chromite ore) particle interaction study with different mineral compositions is conducted utilizing an industrial-scale spiral concentrator. The segregation pattern indicates that the heavier coarse component accumulates in the inner zone, whereas the lighter fine component occupies in the outer zone. The middle zone primarily consists of equal settling flux particles, i.e., heavier fine particles and lighter coarse particles. Misplacement of coarser and finer particles in non-designated zones of the spiral trough has been observed. By varying the feed proportions, a clear understanding is established in the increasing and decreasing trends of misplacement of lighter coarse particles to the concentrate and heavier fine particles to the tailings. The experiments with low-grade chromite ore are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of feed proportion in a practical application, highlighting the effects of hindered settling, mineral density, and liberation. The size-wise recoveries of bi-component and multi-component particles in the product streams are compared and analyzed to demonstrate the efficient separation of coarser and finer particles of the components. The bi-component system demonstrates clear separation, while multi-component systems exhibit more complex separation, resulting in increased middling recovery for all components due to the challenges associated with mineralogy, liberation, and specific gravities. The presence of additional components with varying densities creates complex particle interactions affecting recovery rates.

Grain bulk materials exhibit complex dynamic responses under dynamic loading such as earthquake. Investigating its dynamic characteristics is critical for the modeling and analysis of the dynamic response of silo system. This study employed a series of stress-controlled dynamic triaxial tests to systematically investigate the effects of confining pressure (50 kPa, 100 kPa, 150 kPa, and 200 kPa) and loading frequency (1 Hz, 1.5 Hz, and 2 Hz) on the dynamic characteristics of wheat bulk materials. The effects of confining pressure and loading frequency on the dynamic elastic modulus and damping ratio are analyzed. Additionally, a comparison of dynamic characteristics between soybean and wheat is conducted. The results indicate that the dynamic stress-strain relationship of wheat exhibits pronounced nonlinearity and hysteresis, which can be effectively characterized by the Hardin-Drnevich (H-D) model. Dynamic elastic modulus increases with increasing confining pressure and frequency, and decreases with increasing dynamic strain amplitude. The damping ratio increases nonlinearly with the dynamic strain amplitude and eventually stabilizes, while it decreases with increasing confining pressure. As a comparison, wheat demonstrates greater stiffness and energy dissipation than soybean, and its dynamic elastic modulus is more confining pressure-sensitive.

This study investigates the production of environmentally friendly lightweight geopolymer concretes utilizing fly ash (FA) as the primary precursor with calcined calcium bentonite (CCB), ferrochrome slag (SG), and expanded polystyrene (EPS) as supplementary components. A Box–Behnken design was employed to investigate the combined effects of CCB and SG additions, along with the solid-to-liquid ratio, on the compressive strength. Moderate CCB incorporation, particularly around 10%, improved mechanical performance, achieving strengths above 48 MPa, with a maximum of 51.33 MPa at 90 °C for a mix containing 5% CCB and 5% SG. Higher CCB dosages (>20%) reduced strength due to matrix dilution, while SG showed limited contribution at elevated levels. Incorporation of EPS granules reduced density to as low as 1292 kg/m³, yet compressive strengths between 25 and 30 MPa were maintained in mixes with 10% CCB and 0.3% EPS. SEM-EDX analysis confirmed dense geopolymer matrices in FA–CCB composites, whereas SG particles appeared less integrated. These results confirm the potential for producing high-strength, lightweight geopolymer concretes through the effective valorization of waste. The combined use of FA, CCB, SG, and EPS offers a sustainable pathway for resource-efficient construction that supports circular resource utilization.

Coal cutting in fully mechanized excavation faces produces high dust concentrations, which can be effectively controlled using a combined ventilation system with long forcing and short exhaust ducts. This study investigates the generation, transport, and diffusion of cutting-induced dust through integrated theoretical, experimental, and numerical approaches. A PFC2D model was developed based on particle size distribution, uniaxial compression, and Brazilian splitting tests to simulate pick penetration into coal, revealing how cutting parameters influence dust production. An ANSYS Fluent-based model was also established to analyze dust behavior under the ventilation system, clarifying airflow dynamics and dust dispersion patterns. Results show that dust generation is minimized with a tip angle of 87°, an attack angle of 90°, and a pick spacing of 6 mm. Optimal dust control is achieved when the exhaust inlet is 3 m from the face and the forcing duct outlet is 25 m away. During the first 20 sec of cutting, the average dust concentration in the roadway first increases and then decreases, while dust removal efficiency gradually rises to 38.75%. Model validation with field data confirms the reliability of the simulations, providing theoretical guidance for dust management in fully mechanized excavation environments.

As an important flotation technology, NBs flotation technology has been less studied in terms of the flotation mechanism of fine-grained gold-bearing pyrite. The comparative test results of NBs flotation and conventional flotation kinetics show, NBs flotation can increase the recovery rate of gold concentrate by 8 percentage points and the gold grade by 2 g/t. Through the experiment on the particle size recovery rate of flotation concentrate, it was found that the NBs flotation can capture gold particles as small as 0.4 μm, which is 2.3 μm lower than the lower limit of the captured particle size by conventional flotation. To elucidate the mechanism by which NBs enhance the flotation of fine pyrite particles, this study focused on characterizing fine pyrite particles using advanced techniques, including nanoparticle tracking analysis, turbidity measurement, surface tension measurement, and optical microscopy. The presence of NBs not only improves the hydrophobicity of fine-grained pyrite surfaces, reducing the surface tension of the solution from 53.5 mN/m to 51.3 mN/m, but also facilitates the aggregation of fine pyrite particles into flocs. This aggregation significantly increases the d50 of the pyrite particles from 35.84 μm to 57.12 μm, thereby enhancing the recovery of fine-grained mineral particles.

The rheological properties of iron ore tailings are essential to explore carefully for their sustainable applications in transport and disposal. The complex nature of tailings flow arises due to slurry concentration, fine particles, a wide particle-size distribution, and a diverse mineralogical composition. This study investigated and compared the rheological behavior of Indian iron ore tailings at various slurry concentrations, both with and without the addition of a flocculant, and its correlation with the tailings’ mineralogical characteristics and particle behavior. An iron ore tailing of Fe(T): 41.32%, SiO2: 36.57%, Al2O3: 1.65%, and LOI: 2.29% was taken for the current study, which contains 16.89% goethite & 4.17% kaolinite, and D80: 265 μm & D50: 66 μm. Rheological experimentations were conducted under varying slurry concentrations. The increase in slurry viscosity, shear stress, and strain with increasing solid concentrations was attributed to the population of particle-particle opposing relative motion and ore mineralogy. At low shear rates, the tailings slurry showed shear-thinning behavior. However, after a shear rate of 20 s−1 for all solid concentrations, it transitioned from shear thinning to a shear thickening behavior. The yield stress increases suddenly after 40 Wt.% of the slurry. The rheological behavior of the current slurry exhibits more Herschel–Bulkley fluidic properties than those of a Bingham plastic. The yield stress and apparent viscosity increased several times after adding a polyacrylamide flocculant to the same iron ore tailing slurry. However, once this threshold stress limit was exceeded, the slurry exhibited linearity in its shear stress and shear strain profiles, trending toward that of a Bingham fluid. An empirical correlation model was developed to calculate slurry viscosity by modifying previously available equations, incorporating ore mineralogy, with a root mean square deviation of 1.24. The current findings offer insights for pipeline design, slurry management, and promoting the sustainable utilization of Indian iron ore tailings.

L-carnosine, a dipeptide, has attracted considerable attention for its potential anticancer properties. This study employed the ionic gelation method to prepare L-carnosine-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs), which were subsequently surface-functionalized with biotin to enable targeted delivery to lung cancer cells. The resulting nanoparticles exhibited an average particle size of 244.5 ± 4.2 nm, a drug loading efficiency of 32 ± 2.32%, and a drug entrapment efficiency of 83.63 ± 0.23%, indicating effective drug dispersion within the polymer matrix. Surface functionalization was confirmed by attenuated total reflectance (ATR) spectroscopy and 1H NMR analysis, evidenced by the shifting of characteristic peaks, including the disappearance of a peak at 11.985 ppm and the emergence of a singlet at 7.492 ppm, confirming successful biotin conjugation. Cytotoxicity assessed by MTT assay on A-549 lung cancer cells demonstrated enhanced efficacy, with IC50 values of 152.4 ± 0.067 µg/mL for free L-carnosine, 133.8 ± 0.096 µg/mL for CSNPs, and 104.9 ± 0.12 µg/mL for biotin-functionalized CSNPs (BICSNPs). In vitro drug release studies showed sustained release profiles, with 84.54 ± 0.82% and 81.76 ± 0.99% drug release at 5 hours for CSNPs and BICSNPs, respectively. In vivo pharmacokinetic evaluation following pulmonary administration to male Wistar rats revealed improved bioavailability of the nanoparticle formulations, with maximum plasma concentrations (C_max) of 3.1386 ± 0.1744 µg/mL for CSNPs and 3.28083 ± 0.1398 µg/mL for BICSNPs. Corresponding area under the curve (AUC) values were significantly higher for CSNPs (26.783 ± 0.4817 µg/mL·h) and BICSNPs (29.0947 ± 1.125 µg/mL·h) compared to free L-carnosine (14.79295 ± 0.03605 µg/mL·h). Furthermore, BICSNPs were formulated into a dry powder inhalation system using inhalable-grade lactose, resulting in substantially enhanced lung deposition. Collectively, these findings suggest that biotin-functionalized L-carnosine-loaded chitosan nanoparticles hold significant promise as targeted carriers for lung cancer therapy via pulmonary delivery.

This study successfully developed a mesoporous silica-capped mesoporous carbon nanocomposite (MC@MS) exhibiting a high photothermal conversion efficiency and drug loading capacity (DLC) of 29.8%. A multi-stimulus near-infrared (NIR)/redox/pH responsive nanosystem was developed utilizing the nanoparticles (NPs) to achieve precise delivery, release, and synergic chemo-photothermal colorectal cancer (CRC) therapy. MC@MS served as a nanocarrier for camptothecin (CPT), achieving a substantial DLC of 49.3%, and functioned as a NIR absorbent for photothermal therapy (PTT). Carbon dots (CDs) of appropriate dimensions were bonded to the MC@MS surface through disulfide linkages to obstruct the MS, hence inhibiting the early CPT release from CPT/CD-MC@MS. Additionally, CDs functioned as fluorescent probes to demonstrate the visibility capability of the drug delivery systems (DDSs). Furthermore, the localized of CD-MC@MS under NIR can induce HT-29 CRC cell death, while simultaneously facilitate CPT release and augment cellular sensitivity and permeability. Acridine orange and propidium iodide (AO-PI) assay demonstrated that the CPT/CD-MC@MS+NIR displayed a markedly enhanced thermochemotherapy synergic effect, with a combination index (CI) of 0.377. Furthermore, anticancer studies revealed a remarkable synergic inhibitory effect. The findings indicate that CPT/CD-MC@MS is a traceable, multi-stimulus sensitive nanodelivery system capable of facilitating effective chemo-photothermal synergic CRC treatment.

In the present study, the mechanical behavior of LM13 aluminum alloy-based hybrid composites reinforced with zirconium diboride and boron carbide particles synthesized by the stir casting process was investigated. The objective was to tailor the mechanical properties of the alloy by changing the total amount of reinforcement up to 10 wt.%. Five different compositions were produced, including unreinforced LM13 and the hybrids with a gradually increasing level of the reinforcements, which were afterwards tested by hardness, tensile, and impact testing, as well as microstructural characterization. With ceramic reinforcements, strength and hardness increased significantly. Hardness increased from 72 Hv to 97 Hv, ultimate tensile strength 19.2%, and yield strength 24.3%. Due to homogeneous reinforcement distribution and excellent interfacial bonding, as revealed by microstructural analysis, enhanced grain refinement, load transfer, and Orowan strengthening resulted in improved properties. On the other hand, a decline in the ductility and impact resistance was noticed: elongation dropped from 5.7% to 4.0%, and impact strength decreased by 29.9% in a typical strength-toughness tradeoff of composites. The uniform distribution of reinforcements and low porosity with a maximum value of 5.55% percentage identified in the microstructural evaluations corroborated the reliability of the stir casting process.

In the cement manufacturing industry, accurately characterizing the conveying and storing of Portland pozzolanic cement provides challenges at times. This study investigates the time-dependent flow behavior of Portland pozzolanic cement powder to improve handling, storage, and conveying processes in cement manufacturing. Flow characteristics were measured using advanced powder characterization tools, including angle of repose assessment, surface roughness analysis, and microstructural examination. The static and dynamic angles of repose were found to be 64 degrees and 58.5 degrees, respectively, indicating high cohesiveness. Surface roughness analysis revealed a kurtosis value of 4, suggesting a surface texture dominated by sharp peaks and shallow valleys. Microstructural images confirmed negligible agglomeration after 24 h of consolidation. Scanning electron microscopy images reveal spherical particles likely to be fly ash embedded among angular PPC particles. These spheres may act as flow modifiers by reducing angular interlocking, but their impact is limited at high consolidation stress, as rougher surfaces dominate. The study also shows that, with increased consolidation time, cohesion between particles increases while adhesion to surfaces decreases, influencing bulk flowability. These findings enhance the understanding of time-consolidated cement flow and offer practical insights for optimizing silo storage and transport processes in industrial applications.