The May issue of CJCE features four exciting issue highlight articles, two of which are review articles, that will be free to read for the entire month!
The Editor’s Choice article of this issue is a review article titled “A comprehensive review on the extraction and recovery of lithium from primary and secondary sources: Advances toward battery-grade materials” by Soner Top, Sait Kursunoglu, and Mahmut Altiner. This review “focuses on lithium recovery and purification strategies for battery-grade lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) and lithium hydroxide (LiOH), addressing both primary sources (brines and minerals) and secondary sources (waste materials)”. In addition, “industrially established processes, such as evaporation-based brine treatment and conventional metallurgical methods, are discussed alongside emerging techniques, including membrane separation, solvent extraction, and CO2-assisted precipitation” and “particular attention is given to lithium precipitation mechanisms, the behaviour of co-existing ions during extraction, and the specific quality requirements for cathode material synthesis.”
The next issue highlight article is an open access article and is the latest addition to the ongoing Experimental Methods in Chemical Engineering Special Series: “Experimental methods in chemical engineering: Atomic absorption spectrometry—AAS” by Emily Cintia Tossi de A. Costa, Jildimara de Jesus Santana, Viviane de Oliveira Campos, Felipe Fernandes Barbosa, and Gregory S. Patience.
This article explores the topic of atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), identifying it as a “reliable, affordable, and robust technique for detecting trace metals, metalloids (e.g., As, Sb) and even non-metals, such as P and Se, securing its place alongside modern plasma techniques that have multi-element capability”. The bibliometric analysis provided within this article “clusters AAS research into categories centred on: (1) waste water, catalysis, and nanoparticles, (2) FAAS and transition metals (Cr, Co, Ni), (3) microbial applications and Cu, Fe, Ag, Zn, and (4) soil, pollution, and metals (Pb, Cd, Hg).”
The next issue highlight is another review article: “A comprehensive review on lignin extraction from lignocellulosic biomass, and nano-lignin synthesis and modification for potential applications” by Dinesh Verma, Mithilesh Kumar Jha, and Sachin Kumar. Within the abstract, the authors note that “lignin is the second-largest natural aromatic polymer available on Earth” and it “plays a vital role in a plant’s structural framework, which gives strength to the plant to sustain when facing adversities” and “restricts it from being attacked by foreign entities such as insects and microorganisms.” This article “summarizes the lignin extraction methods and nano-lignin conversion routes, as well as the modification of lignin for its variety of applications” and “provides the current technologies and future outlooks in lignin valorization for its potential applications in different fields.”
The final issue highlight is “Computational intelligence for empirical modelling and optimization of methylene blue adsorption phenomena utilizing an activated carbon-supported [Co(NH3)6]Cl3 complex” by Kamel Landolsi, Fraj Echouchene, Ines Chouaieb, Mona A. Alamri, Abdullah Bajahzar, and Hafedh Belmabrouk. This study “focuses on the efficiency of hexaamminecobalt (III) chloride (HACo, [Co(NH3)6]Cl3) immobilized on activated carbon for removing methylene blue (MB) from water solutions”, assesses “the sorption performance of HACo immobilized on activated carbon in removing MB from water solutions”, and determines “the optimal conditions for achieving maximum MB removal.”
Have you heard? CJCE also just published its latest virtual issue: Perspectives and Conversations in Chemical Engineering. In this virtual issue, CJCE features articles from the ongoing Perspectives in Chemical Engineering Special Series as well as the Conversations in Chemical Engineering Special Series published from 2023 to 2026. Be sure to check it out while it is free to read!