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[1] Analysis of unit operations to separate particulate matter (PM) transported by urban drainage is challenged by coupled hydrologic and mass transport and is commonly based on statistical flow indices. In this study the response of a hydrodynamic separator (HS) to unsteady runoff is modeled with computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Flow is modeled by a k-e model of turbulence with Lagrangian unsteady tracking for particle size distributions (PSDs). CFD results reproduced HS-captured PM mass within 10%. Validated unsteady CFD results are compared to steady flow and PM event mean concentrations, indicating that event-based flow statistics do not represent unsteady HS behavior. Mean and median flows underestimate effluent PM mass, while peak flow overestimates to a lesser magnitude depending on hydrologic and PM coupling. Unsteady flow and PSD coupling in the CFD model yield accurate predictive capability for PM separation by a physically validated unit operation (HS) compared to common event-based flow statistics. While steady flow indices do not reproduce PM behavior for unit operations loaded by unsteady urban drainage, such indices are pragmatic and heuristic for initial phase pilot-scale testing.

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Facilitating the demands of modern society, namely, smartphones, televisions, electric vehicles, and high-stability aircraft structures, requires low-cost and high-performance materials and a corresponding change in the approach needed to design them. Rare earth elements (REEs) play a significant role in achieving these objectives by adding small amounts of these elements to alloys, thereby enhancing material properties. Despite being more abundant than precious metals, the 17 REEs exhibit subtle variations in their chemical and physical characteristics. Thus, their separation is still crucial for industrial applications. There is a corresponding need to develop more effective and efficient separation methods. Adding to the separation challenge is the complexity of the sources of REEs and related materials. Thus, large-scale production of REE materials is difficult. Current REE processing techniques can be categorized into pre-treatment, beneficiation, separation, and refining. Researchers have developed various technologies encompassing chemical, physical, and biological methods, focusing on economic and environmental considerations. However, not all these approaches can be scaled up for mass production. This article focuses on feasible strategies such as precipitation and crystallization, oxidation and reduction, ion exchange, adsorption, solvent extraction, and membrane separation. Further research into these traditional and modern methods can potentially revolutionize the separation dynamics of REEs.

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