A low-cost activated carbon (XSBLAC) prepared from Xanthoceras Sorbifolia Bunge hull via chemical activation was investigated to determine its adsorption and desorption properties for zinc(II) ions from aqueous solutions. XSBLAC was characterized based on its N₂-adsorption/desorption isotherm, EDX, XRD, SEM and FTIR results. An adsorption study was conducted in a series of experiments to optimize the process variables for zinc(II) removal using XSBLAC. Modeling the adsorption kinetics indicated good agreement between the experimental data and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The Langmuir equilibrium isotherm fit the experimental data reasonably well. The calculated enthalpy (ΔH⁰), entropy (ΔS⁰) and Gibbs free energy (ΔG⁰) values revealed the endothermic and spontaneous nature of the adsorption process. HNO₃ displayed the best desorption performance. The adsorption mechanism was investigated in detail through FTIR and SEM/EDX spectroscopic analyses. The results suggested that XSBLAC is a potential biosorbent for removing zinc(II) from aqueous solutions.

The lightweight multilayer-structured electromagnetic interference shielding composite coatings with controllable electromagnetic gradient on wood surface were prepared via a simple multiple electroless copper–nickel (Cu–Ni) approach. The surface morphology, conductivity, hydrophobicity property and electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of the composite coatings were investigated. The surface roughness and conductivity of the composite coatings were enhanced with the increase in the number of depositions. The surface morphology demonstrated that the roughness was decreased with the process of multiple electroless. The coatings were compact and homogeneous as the deposition run was three. Here, the Sa (Sa illustrated Surface Roughness) value of coatings was 4.497 μm. The ideal conductivity of composite coatings can be obtained as the number of depositions was four. Electromagnetic shielding effectiveness reached average 90.69 dB in the frequency range from 300 kHz to 2.0 GHz. This study provides a new pathway for fabricating lightweight multilayer-structured electromagnetic interference shielding with controllable electromagnetic gradient and hydrophobic composite coatings-based wood.

Heterogeneous catalysts play a dual role in transesterification due to their advantages of being separable and reusable. In recent years, heterogeneous catalysts derived from renewable resources have received more attention. In this paper, the production of biodiesel from Xanthoceras sorbifolia bunge oil via transesterification was studied under the action of an ILe@Cu@MOF catalyst. Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman Spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), Thermogravimetric (TG) and other characterization methods were used to characterize the microstructure and thermal stability of the catalyst and further study the ILe@Cu@MOF catalyst for the preparation of biodiesel from Xanthoceras sorbifolia bunge oil. The results show that the surface of the ILe@Cu@MOF catalyst is attached with a sheet-like structure of isoleucine (ILe), which mainly contains Cu, O, C and N elements. The specific surface area is 19.687 m²/g, and the average pore size is 31.74 nm, which belongs to mesoporous material. The pyrolysis temperature of ILe@Cu@MOF reached 360 °C, indicating that the grafting of ILe had a protective effect on Cu@MOF and increased the pyrolysis temperature of Cu@MOF. At the same time, the water contact angle increased from 86° to 121°, and the material was hydrophobic. The optimum conditions for the preparation of biodiesel were as follows: the amount of catalyst was 3 wt%, the molar ratio of methanol to oil was 35:1, the reaction temperature was 50 °C, and the reaction time was 4 h. At this time, the biodiesel yield was up to 82.85%. Moreover, after five cycles of ILe@Cu@MOF, the yield still reached 73.4%. GC–MS and MNR studies showed that the quality of biodiesel after catalysis was higher. The prepared catalyst can make biodiesel products more sustainable, environmentally friendly and economical, and can provide future prospects for the energy utilization of renewable resources.

Extraction of oil from walnut kernel as raw material was explored using the method of pressing. Soxhlet and ultrasonic-assisted extractions of walnut oil, its evaluation index, the extraction process optimization by single factor experiment, the physical and chemical properties of oil, fatty acid composition, element composition, and the main functional group analysis were studied. The results showed that walnut kernel could be extracted effectively with petroleum ether. The optimal extraction conditions of walnut oil by ultrasonic assisted extraction were as follows: solid/liquid ratio of 1:11 (g/mL), ultrasonic power 180 W, extraction time 60 min, and the extraction efficiency of walnut oil was 59.13%. The optimal extraction conditions of walnut oil by Soxhlet were solid to liquid ratio of 1:7, temperature of 76 °C, time of 4 h, and the extraction efficiency of walnut oil was 58.3%. The extraction efficiency of pressing was 43.2%. Walnut oil mainly contains phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and other elements. The fatty acids of walnut oil mainly consist of palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, cis-linoleic acid, cis,cis,cis-9,12,15-octadecanotrienoic acid and other fatty acids. The cis linoleic acid accounted for the highest proportion in GC content, and the content of both was more than 90%.

Mineral oil-based lubricants contain harmful elements, such as sulfur and phosphorus, pose significant harm to the environment. In current research on the application of waste oils and fats in bio-based lubricants, most studies focus on single pretreatment processes or additive preparation, lacking systematic investigations into the combined use of composite pretreatment and additives on lubricant performance. Moreover, the decolorization efficiency of traditional physical adsorption methods for treating waste oils and fats is limited, making it difficult to meet the raw material requirements for bio-based lubricants. The purpose of this study is to conduct composite pretreatment processes on waste oils and fats, understand the impacts of parameters such as additive dosage and environmental factors on lubricant performance, establish an environmentally friendly and performance-compliant preparation process for bio-based lubricants, and provide a theoretical basis and technical support for its industrial application. Recent studies have shown that new decolorization processes for waste oil treatment significantly improve decolorization and recovery rates, as evidenced by research comparing new and traditional methods. Pretreatment with hydrogen peroxide, activated clay, and activated carbon significantly improved the color and odor of treated waste oil, meeting standards for bio-based lubricant production. The intercalation polymerization reaction between ethyl cellulose (EC) and montmorillonite (MMT) was employed to develop an additive (CTAB-MMT/KH560-EC). A thorough investigation was performed to analyze the impact of temperature, processing time, and additive concentration on the rheological behavior. The bio-based lubricant exhibited a kinematic viscosity of 200.3 mm²/s at 40 °C and 28.3 mm²/s at 100 °C, meeting the standard conditions as outlined in ASTM D2270-10e1. This lubricant achieved an improved low-temperature performance with a pour point of −22 °C, a friction coefficient of 0.081, and an average pitting diameter of 0.94 mm, indicating its suitability for a range of applications. These lubricants exhibit outstanding viscosity characteristics, meeting the relevant requirements for energy and environmental applications in green, eco-friendly, and biodegradable sustainable development strategies while expanding their application scope.