Editor-in-Chief
Manabu Shimada (Hiroshima University)

Associate Editor-in-Chiefs
Masahiro Shishido (Yamagata University)
Ken-Ichiro Sotowa (The University of Tokushima)

Editors
Toshitaka Funazukuri (Chuo University)
Yoshihiro Hashimoto (Nagoya Institute of Technology)
Shunji Homma (Saitama University)
Jun-ichi Horiuchi (Kyoto Institute of Technology)
Yoshinori Itaya (Gifu University)
Masashi Iwata (Osaka Prefecture University)
Noriho Kamiya (Kyushu University)
In-Beum Lee (Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTEC))
Kouji Maeda (University of Hyogo)
Hideyuki Matsumoto (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST))
Michiaki Matsumoto (Doshisha University)
Nobuyoshi Nakagawa (Gunma University)
Tsuguhiko Nakagawa (Okayama Prefectural University)
Yasuya Nakayama (Kyushu University)
Masaru Noda (Fukuoka University)
Mikihiro Nomura (Shibaura Institute of Technology)
Eika W. Qian (Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology)
Yuji Sakai (Kogakuin University)
Noriaki Sano (Kyoto University)
Naomi Shibasaki-Kitakawa (Tohoku University)
Hiroshi Suzuki (Kobe University)
Teruoki Tago (Tokyo Institute of Technology)
Nobuhide Takahashi (Shinshu University)
Kazuhiro Takeda (Shizuoka University)
Shigeki Takishima (Hiroshima University)
Yoshifumi Tsuge (Kyushu University)
Tomoya Tsuji (Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Kuala Lumpur)
Shigeyuki Uemiya (Gifu University)
Da-Ming Wang (National Taiwan University)
Takayuki Watanabe (Kyushu University)
Takuji Yamamoto (University of Hyogo)
Tetsuya Yamamoto (Nagoya University)
Masahiro Yoshida (Kagoshima University)
Yasuo Yoshimi (Shibaura Institute of Technology)
Miki Yoshimune (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST))

Editorial office:
The Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan
Kyoritsu Building, 4-6-19, Kohinata, Bunkyo-ku
Tokyo 112-0006, Japan
journal@scej.org

AIMS AND SCOPE:

Journal of Chemical Engineering of Japan, an official publication of the Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan, is dedicated to providing timely original research results in the broad field of chemical engineering ranging from fundamental principles to practical applications. Subject areas of this journal are listed below. Research works presented in the journal are considered to have significant and lasting value in chemical engineering.

Physical Properties and Physical Chemistry
Transport Phenomena and Fluid Engineering
Particle Engineering
Separation Engineering
Thermal Engineering
Chemical Reaction Engineering
Process Systems Engineering and Safety
Biochemical Food and Medical Engineering
Micro and Nano Systems
Materials Engineering and Interfacial Phenomena
Energy
Environment
Engineering Education

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Vapor–liquid equilibria are important as the base of equipment design such as distillation and evaporation. Extensive vapor–liquid equilibrium data have been reported to date. Distillation processes under elevated pressures (100 to 1,000 kPa) for polar-components systems attract attentions recently and the related vapor–liquid data are becoming more important. However, such data for non-hydrocarbon systems are not sufficient. This article deals with the measurement of bubble point using an ebulliometer operated at elevated pressures. Firstly the bubble point for benzene+cyclohexane system have been measured at 10 to 400 kPa. The vapor–liquid equilibria have been determined using two methods, i.e. Mixon method and NRTL equation. Finally, a comparison between the calculated azeotrope for benzene+cyclohexane system and reported data was done to confirm the validity of estimation results.

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Solubilities and physicochemical properties including density, pH value, refractive index and conductivity of a ternary system (LiCl+LiBO₂+H₂O) at 308 K were determined with the isothermal dissolution equilibrium method. Two hydrates of lithium metaborate, i.e., lithium metaborate octahydrate (LiBO₂·8H₂O, Lb1) and lithium metaborate dihydrate (LiBO₂·2H₂O, Lb2), in the ternary system are found for the first time. On the basis of the experimental data, the phase diagram and the physiochemical properties versus composition diagram in the ternary system at 308 K were plotted. There are two invariant points of (Lb1+Lb2) and (Lb2+Lc), three univariant curves, and three crystallizing zones correspond to Lb1, Lb2 and lithium chloride monohydrate (LiCl·H₂O, Lc). Physicochemical properties (density, pH, refractive index and conductivity) in the ternary system change regularly with the increasing of lithium chloride mass fraction in the solution. Based on the Pitzer ion-interaction model and its extended HW model, the Pitzer single-salt parameters of LiBO₂ and LiCl, and the mixing ion-interaction parameters (θ_{B(OH)4, Cl}, ψ_{Li, B(OH)4, Cl}) were parameterized, which are not reported in the literature. The calculated values of the ternary system at 308 K agree well with the experimental results.

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The hydrodynamics generated by forward-rotor (F-rotor), radial-rotor (R-rotor), and backward-rotor (B-rotor) geometries in flotation cells are systematically investigated through particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The experimental PIV data is used to validate the simulated results obtained by the multiple reference frames (MRF) method with standard κ–ε turbulent model. It is shown that the simulated flow field and local axial and radial velocities are in agreement with the measured PIV data. The flow field and turbulence distributions as well as circulation volume for F-rotor, R-rotor, and B-rotor geometries are predicted. The simulation results demonstrate that the change of lower blade angle has little effect on flow pattern and turbulence distributions outside the rotor-stator. However, B-rotor requires 2.4% and 3.3% lower power draw while yielding 3.8% and 7.2% larger circulation volume than F-rotor and R-rotor, respectively, under the same angular velocity, giving the B-rotor the highest pumping efficiency.

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The present study deals with the flow field in the circular cross section of a cylindrical vessel induced by a rotationally reciprocating impeller, rotating back and forth with gradual change in rotational speed. A periodically stable velocity field was measured by PIV and also simulated by CFD. It was revealed that the velocity field near the liquid free surface is basically 2-dimensional, except for the acceleration period at Re=43, and agrees well with 2-dimensional CFD simulation, except for the development process of 3-dimensional tip vortices at Re=43. The separation behavior of the vortices originally generated at the impeller tip changed with increasing Reynolds number. No separation was observed at a lower Reynolds number, while the separated vortices turn into 3-dimensional potential vortices and remain as 2-dimensional vortices at the next impeller counterturn at higher Reynolds numbers. The fluctuation of each velocity component was remarkably small, suggesting that the flow field even at the highest Reynolds number was still laminar. It is found that effective transportation of energy from the impeller to 3-dimensional potential vortex is related to a large and constant power number, which is reported in our recent publication.

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A grate-rotary kiln oxidized pellet sintering industrial process has the characteristics of mass transfer, heat transfer, and complex chemical reactions. In this study, an advanced control strategy framework of the rotary kiln sintering process based on an operation pattern optimization technology is established. By analyzing the performance index values of comprehensive working conditions, we have established a comprehensive working condition as the basis of whether to change the set-point values or not. Then, comprehensive judgment results are synthesized to obtain the related adjustment coefficients in order to modify the set-point values of the velocity of the rotary kiln and the coal injection quantity. A subtractive clustering method is used for realizing operation pattern matching. Finally, the simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed coordinated optimization control strategy.

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An analysis is provided for quasi steady-state continuous sedimentation. The clarification and thickening zones are both included. A linear analysis of the stability of steady sedimentation is considered while either discarding or accounting for diffusional effects. The requirement for steady-state operation is provided using a similarity solution. The case of interest is when all of the solid material leaves with the underflow stream; the results are found to match a conventional design criterion.

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Direct oxidation of carbon on anode of a solid oxide fuel cell was investigated. The result showed that oxidation of carbon was minimally contributed by diffusion of oxygen anion via contact with solid anode. Whether carbon is in contact with the anode is not a major factor to cell performance. By contrast, the cell performance was determined by concentration of gaseous products from carbon in cell chamber. These results invoke a new concept for designing Direct Carbon Fuel Cell with solid oxide anode.

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The present study investigates rod-like BiPO₄ prepared by a hydrothermal process using bismuth nitrate and sodium dihydrogen phosphate as raw materials. Herein, Ag–AgBr was deposited onto the surface of BiPO₄ via a facile precipitation–photoreduction technique. The structure, morphology, composition and optical property of as-synthesized samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, DRS and PL techniques. The results showed that introduction of Ag–AgBr did not change the structure and morphology of BiPO₄, but extended its optical absorption to visible region. Moreover, the introduction of Ag–AgBr shifted binding energy of elements of BiPO₄ to lower values, which implied that a strong interaction exists between Ag–AgBr and BiPO₄. The photocatalytic tests showed that the Ag/AgBr/BiPO₄ composites possess higher photocatalytic activity for degradation of anthraquinone dye (reactive brilliant blue KN-R) under simulated sunlight, as compared to that of pure BiPO₄. The improvement of photocatalytic activity for Ag/AgBr/BiPO₄ composites could be ascribed to their good optical absorption and the synergistic action between Ag–AgBr and BiPO₄ substrate (the synergistic action effectively retarded recombination of photogenerated carriers in hetero-structured Ag/AgBr/BiPO₄).

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Magnesium hydroxide [Mg(OH)₂] nanoparticles were prepared using a novel impinging stream-rotating packed bed reactor (IS-RPB). Magnesium chloride and sodium hydroxide were used as the reactants. The effects of several synthesis parameters, such as the initial concentration of Mg²⁺, rotation speed, liquid flow rate, reaction temperature, and reactant concentration ratio, on the particle size, distribution, and morphology of Mg(OH)₂ were investigated. The liquid flow rate and rotation speed were determined to have a significant influence on the particle size and distribution of Mg(OH)₂ powder. The volume mean size decreased with an increase in the liquid flow rate and rotation speed. The size distribution for the lowest liquid flow rate was wider than that for the higher liquid flow rates. The morphology, crystal phase, and thermal behavior of the samples were also characterized through transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermal gravimetric analysis. The results indicated that Mg(OH)₂ nanoparticles prepared using the wet precipitation method in IS-RPB had small particle size and narrow size distribution. Moreover, the results indicated that the presented novel reactor (IS-RPB) might provide a new method for the production of nanoparticles in industrial applications.

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During cooking, oligomers such as dimers and trimers of triglycerides are produced when vegetable oils are heated in air at high temperatures. When oils containing these components are used for methyl esterification, they are converted to dimeric methyl esters. Their molecular weight is approximately twice that of the monomer esters, and these materials are known to affect the properties of biodiesel fuels. In some countries, used cooking oils serve as raw materials for producing biodiesel fuels; therefore, it is important to know how these components quantitatively affect fuel properties. In this paper, we report the relationship between the concentration of dimeric methyl esters and the kinematic viscosity of biodiesel fuels. Depending on the type of vegetable oil, the kinematic viscosity was more than 5 mm²/s when the concentration of dimeric methyl esters in biodiesel was above approximately 4 wt%. The biodiesel containing dimeric methyl esters in this concentration range were produced from vegetable oils containing approximately 9 wt% dimers.

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In order to develop highly efficient but low-cost adsorbents for mercury control, coconut shell was chosen to prepare activated carbon, which was then impregnated with elemental sulfur at 400–800°C for modification. Experimental studies on Hg⁰ removal were investigated in a fixed bed reactor system. Coconut shell activated carbon impregnated with elemental sulfur at 500°C exhibited better mercury adsorption capacity than commonly used activated carbon with high sulfur content. Factors including porous structure, sulfur content, and sulfur forms on adsorbent were all important for Hg⁰ adsorption. Elevating the impregnation temperature decreased the total sulfur content, while optimizing the pore structure parameters. Elemental sulfur, thiophene, and sulfate were the main forms of sulfur deposited on the carbon surface promoting the Hg⁰ adsorption capacity. Among them, elemental sulfur was the most effective.

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