The production and consumption of avocado pears generates tons of wastes, mainly the pear peels which are usually discarded, although they have been reported to contain important phyto-chemicals with biological activi...The production and consumption of avocado pears generates tons of wastes, mainly the pear peels which are usually discarded, although they have been reported to contain important phyto-chemicals with biological activities. The adverse health effect associated with the consumption of saturated lipid based foods has ignited research on reformulation of lipid based foods to eliminate Trans Fatty Acids (TFAs). This study was thus aimed at the extraction and characterization of oil from Avocado Peels (APO) and evaluation of the quality of margarine produced from it. Five verities of pear were used for oil extraction by soxhlet method and physiochemical, oxidative, functional and antioxidant characterization was done. Margarines were formulated using a central composite design using oil blends of APO and Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) with an oil ratio of 10:90, 40:60, 70:30 respectively, varied blending speed, blending time, and chitosan concentration. Samples were characterized and the effect of process parameters on the physiochemical and functional properties of the margarine studied. Optimized conditions were used to produce samples for sensory evaluation. Color, spreadability, aroma, taste and general acceptability was evaluated using ranking difference test. The results showed that the yield, density, and iodine values of APOs oils ranged from 14.91 ± 0.18 to 11.76 ± 0.46;0.93 ± 0.001 to 0.99 ± 0.1;46.63 ± 1.70 to 52.4 ± 0.63, their acid values, TBA and PV values ranged from 1.42 ± 0.39 to 1.97 ± 0.5;0.11 ± 0.002 to 0.18 ± 0.04;and 2.72 ± 0.14 to 4.43 ± 0.36 respectively, with Brogdon avocado peel variety having the overall best properties prepared blends of trans-free APO margarines showed that increase in APO ratio decreased melting point, increased oxidative stability and reduced moisture content of margarine samples. Chitosan addition leads to decrease moisture content and increase functional properties. VCO lead to increase in phenolic and flavonoid content of the margarines. Samples were spreadable and palatable with R20 being most palatable and the most accepted being R26 with a mean score of 7.07 ± 0.70. Decrease in color intensity increased acceptability. This study therefore demonstrated that avocado peel waste biomass can be valorized by using it as raw material for oil extraction, which can serve as good material for the production of trans-free margarines with good oxidative stability, functional and antioxidant properties.展开更多
This paper concentrates on the development of glasses with self-cleaning surfaces exhibiting high water contact angles. In this study, we prepared super-hydrophobic nano-ceramic coated glass based on titania & sil...This paper concentrates on the development of glasses with self-cleaning surfaces exhibiting high water contact angles. In this study, we prepared super-hydrophobic nano-ceramic coated glass based on titania & silica using simple sol-gel & dip coating methods and studied the best composition of the coatings by altering ratios of titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP)/tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) with different homogenizing agents. We characterized the coatings by surface roughness measurement, percentage of optical transmission, static contact angle, near-infrared (NIR) transmission, and diffuse reflectance. The fabrication of coatings on glass substrates played an important role in increasing the water contact angle of about 95° and visible & NIR transmission of about 90%. We compared our modified glass substrate with commercial low emissivity (Low E) glass using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, which showed pure amorphous surface claiming excellent wettability and thus the prepared glass substrate could have a variety of applications in different fields.展开更多
This study focuses on the extraction of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), from microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), derived from Ayous sawdust. The process involves multiple steps and a large amount of chemical products. The...This study focuses on the extraction of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), from microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), derived from Ayous sawdust. The process involves multiple steps and a large amount of chemical products. The objective of this research was to determine the effects of factors that impact the isolation process and to identify the optimal conditions for CNC isolation by using the response surface methodology. The factors that varied during the process were the quantity of MCC, the concentration of sulfuric acid, the hydrolysis time and temperature, and the ultrasonic treatment time. The response measured was the yield. The study found that with 5.80 g of microcrystalline cellulose, a sulfuric acid concentration of 63.50% (w/w), a hydrolysis time of 53 minutes, a hydrolysis temperature of 69˚C, and a sonication time of 19 minutes are the ideal conditions for isolation. The experimental yield achieved was (37.84 ± 0.99) %. The main factors influencing the process were the sulfuric acid concentration, hydrolysis time and temperature, with a significant influence (p < 0.05). Infrared characterization results showed that nanocrystals were indeed isolated. With a crystallinity of 35.23 and 79.74, respectively, for Ayous wood fiber and nanocrystalline cellulose were observed by X-ray diffraction, with the formation of type II cellulose, thermodynamically more stable than native cellulose type I.展开更多
Radiation-induced grafting of styrene onto polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes was studied by a simultaneous irradiation technique.Grafting was carded out usingγ-radiation from a ^(60)Co source at room temperatu...Radiation-induced grafting of styrene onto polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes was studied by a simultaneous irradiation technique.Grafting was carded out usingγ-radiation from a ^(60)Co source at room temperature. Effects of absorbed dose,atmosphere,dose rate,and the concentration of initial monomer on the degree of grafting (DOG) were investigated and the most appropriate grafting condition was obtained.Subsequently,sulphonation of the grafted PTFE membrane (PTFE-g-PS) was carried out and a series of ion exchange membranes (PTFE-g-PSSA) was prepared.Further characterizations of FTIR,TGA,and SEM testified that grafting and sulphonation of the membranes were successfully processed;moreover,grafting of styrene not only occurred in the surface of PTFE membrane,but also in the micropores of the membrane.Ion exchange capacity (IEC) and conductivity were found increase with the grafting yield.The results suggest that at a low dose,such as 17 kGy,the ion exchange membrane (IEM) which will be suitable for vanadium redox battery (VRB) use can be obtained.展开更多
Chemistry-heated diffused permeation was used to treat POMs. ICP, IR, TG-DTA, XPS were used to characterize K10H3[Dy(SiW4Mo7O39)2] and the sample. The result show that Sm and Gd can be permeated into the body of this ...Chemistry-heated diffused permeation was used to treat POMs. ICP, IR, TG-DTA, XPS were used to characterize K10H3[Dy(SiW4Mo7O39)2] and the sample. The result show that Sm and Gd can be permeated into the body of this sample, chemical bonds forming between Sm and other components and the conductivity of K10H3[Dy(SiW4Mo7O39)2] improves by 0 9356×104 times.展开更多
Chemical insecticides targeting the digestive system of diamondback moth(DBM),Plutella xylostella,have not been developed.The discovery of an insecticide with novel mode of action is a challenge for the control of DBM...Chemical insecticides targeting the digestive system of diamondback moth(DBM),Plutella xylostella,have not been developed.The discovery of an insecticide with novel mode of action is a challenge for the control of DBM.In this study,a class of selenium-and difluoromethyl-modified azoles(fluoroazole selenoureas,FASU)were designed and synthesized for the control of DBM.Of these azoles,compound B4 showed the highest insecticidal activity against DBM.The LC50of third-and second-instar larvae reached 32.3 and 4.6μg mL^(–1),respectively.The midgut tissue of larvae was severely disrupted,and the larval intestinal tissue was dotted with unique red spots after treatment with compound B4.Compound B4 led to disintegration of the peritrophic matrix,swelling of the midgut epithelium,fracture of the microvilli,and extensive leakage of cellular debris in the midgut lumen.Surviving larvae grew very slowly,and the larval duration was significantly prolonged after exposure to compound B4 at sublethal doses(LC10,LC25and LC50).Furthermore,the pupation rate,emergence rate and pupae weight were significantly decreased.Compound B4 also induced abnormal pupae,causing adults to be trapped in the cocoon or failure to fly due to twisted wings.These results demonstrated that FASU could reduce the population of DBM in sublethal doses.FASU is the first synthetic insecticidal lead compound that has been shown to disrupt the midgut tissue of the larvae of DBM,and its mode of action totally differs from that of commercial chemical insecticides.展开更多
The title compound was prepared and treated by high temperature gaseous mix rare earth permeation. ICP, IR, TG-DTA, XPS, XRD were used to characterize the title compound and the treated sample. The results confirm tha...The title compound was prepared and treated by high temperature gaseous mix rare earth permeation. ICP, IR, TG-DTA, XPS, XRD were used to characterize the title compound and the treated sample. The results confirm that Ce and La can be permeated into the body of the title compound. Four-probe method was used to measure the conductivities. A novel result that the conductivity of the permeated compound (δ=9.2×10 -3 S·cm -1)improved by 7.1×106 times than that of the title compound(δ=1.29×10 -9 S·cm -1) is received.展开更多
Rare earth co-permeation of (NH4)3[CrMo6O24H6]·7H2O was reported and the conductivity of (NH4)3[CrMo6O24H6]was improved by 6.734×109 times. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), thermogravimetry-differentia...Rare earth co-permeation of (NH4)3[CrMo6O24H6]·7H2O was reported and the conductivity of (NH4)3[CrMo6O24H6]was improved by 6.734×109 times. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), thermogravimetry-differential thermalanalysis (TG-DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) have been used to character (NH4)3[CrMo6 O24H6]·7H2O and permeatedsample. Experimental results showed that Nd could be permeated into the body of this sample and the XRDpatterns showed great difference between (NH4)3[CrMo6O24H6]·7H2O and permeated sample. The structure of(NH4)3[CrMo6O24H6]·7H2O was destroyed and new compound MoN perhaps formed.展开更多
Activated carbons were produced from palm nut hull,which is a waste material of palm oil extraction industries.Activated carbons having various pore size distributions and surface composition were obtained by conventi...Activated carbons were produced from palm nut hull,which is a waste material of palm oil extraction industries.Activated carbons having various pore size distributions and surface composition were obtained by conventional carbonization method via the sulphuric acid solution pre-treatment method.The surface areas,mesopore volume and-OH groups of activated carbons increase with the increases of sulphuric acid solution concentration.The activated carbons obtained were tested for the adsorption of pigments and free fatty acids from palm oil and shea butter.It comes out from this study that the amount of adsorbate(i.e.pigments and free fatty acids)fixed increases with the increase of the adsorption temperature and with the increases of mesopore volume.Intraparticle diffusion,pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetics models were used to analyze the kinetics data obtained at different temperatures(temperature range 60℃ to 90℃).Among the kinetics models used,the pseudo-second order was the best applicable model to describe the adsorption of oil pigments and free fatty acid onto activated carbons.The activation energies obtained by applying the Arrhenius equation for the adsorption of pigments were low(i.e.less than 40 kJ·mol^-1 for the both vegetables oils),indicating that the adsorption could be assigned to physisorption.展开更多
This paper reports a kind of banana peel carbon (BPC) containing -OH, -NH2 functional groups which prepared through controlling carbonization temperature and its application on the selective adsorption of gold from wa...This paper reports a kind of banana peel carbon (BPC) containing -OH, -NH2 functional groups which prepared through controlling carbonization temperature and its application on the selective adsorption of gold from waste printed circuit boards (PCBs). The adsorption of BPC for Au(III) reached equilibrium in 30 min and the adsorption of Au(III) was favorable at pH 2.5. Meanwhile, the adsorption isotherm showed the maximum adsorption capacity of 801.7 mg/g for Au(III). The results displayed that BPC had a strong selectivity for Au(III) and a negligible affinity to base metal ions, such as Cu(II), Ni(II), Fe(III) and Pb(II). The BPC adsorbent, which absorbed gold, can be recovered completely by HCl-thiourea solution.展开更多
Solid-state reactions are an essential part of the synthesis of various cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries(LIBs).Despite the simplicity and effectiveness for mass production,a subtle variation in synthesis co...Solid-state reactions are an essential part of the synthesis of various cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries(LIBs).Despite the simplicity and effectiveness for mass production,a subtle variation in synthesis conditions can often give rise to unexpectedly different physical properties,significantly affecting the electrochemical performance of electrode materials.However,this aspect has long been overlooked in the LIB community,which should focus on advancement in understanding the influence of synthesis conditions.As solid-state reactions occur only at the interface of precursor materials,maximizing the interfacial contact area between mixed precursor powders is crucial.Mechanical milling and/or mixing are common practices that have been performed in both academia and industry for this purpose.Unlike the common belief that this pre-treatment before calcination would be of great benefit for the preparation of high-performance LIB materials,we revealed in this work that this practice is not always successful for this goal.In our case study of the preparation of LiCoO_(2),we demonstrated that mechanical mixing-a routinely implemented process for homogeneous mixing of precursors-can be harmful if it is performed without assuring optimal working conditions for mixing.The underlying reasons for this surprising result are elucidated in this work,and we hope that this new insight can help avoid the potential pitfall of routine implementations performed for LIB materials.展开更多
Novel graphitic carbon nitride(g-C_(3)N_(4))nanosheet/Bi_(5)O_(7)Br/NH_(2)-MIL-88B(Fe)photocatalysts(denoted as GCN-NSh/Bi_(5)O_(7)Br/FeMOF,in which MOF is metal–organic framework)with double S-scheme heterojunctions...Novel graphitic carbon nitride(g-C_(3)N_(4))nanosheet/Bi_(5)O_(7)Br/NH_(2)-MIL-88B(Fe)photocatalysts(denoted as GCN-NSh/Bi_(5)O_(7)Br/FeMOF,in which MOF is metal–organic framework)with double S-scheme heterojunctions were synthesized by a facile solvothermal route.The resultant materials were examined by X-ray photoelectron spectrometer(XPS),X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDX),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),high-resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM),photoluminescence spectroscopy(PL),Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),UV-Vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy(UV-vis DRS),photocurrent density,electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS),and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller(BET)analyses.After the integration of Fe-MOF with GCN-NSh/Bi_(5)O_(7)Br,the removal constant of tetracycline over the optimal GCN-NSh/Bi_(5)O_(7)Br/Fe-MOF(15wt%)nanocomposite was promoted 33 times compared with that of the pristine GCN.The GCN-NSh/Bi_(5)O_(7)Br/Fe-MOF(15wt%)nanocomposite showed superior photoactivity to azithromycin,metronidazole,and cephalexin removal that was 36.4,20.2,and 14.6 times higher than that of pure GCN,respectively.Radical quenching tests showed that·O_(2)-and h+mainly contributed to the elimination reaction.In addition,the nanocomposite maintained excellent activity after 4 successive cycles.Based on the developed n–n heterojunctions among n-GCN-NSh,n-Bi_(5)O_(7)Br,and n-Fe-MOF semiconductors,the double S-scheme charge transfer mechanism was proposed for the destruction of the selected antibiotics.展开更多
Covalent organic frameworks(COFs), as an emerging class of porous crystalline materials constructed by covalent links between the building monomers, have gained tremendous attention. Over the past 15 years, COFs have ...Covalent organic frameworks(COFs), as an emerging class of porous crystalline materials constructed by covalent links between the building monomers, have gained tremendous attention. Over the past 15 years, COFs have made rapid progress and substantial development in the chemistry and materials fields. However, the synthesis of COFs has been dominated by solvothermal methods for a long time and it usually involves high temperature, high pressure and toxic organic solvents, which created many challenges for environmental considerations. Recently,the exploration of new approaches for facile fabrication of COFs has aroused extensive interest. Hence, in this review, we comprehensively describe the synthetic strategies of COFs from the aspects of nonconventional heating methods and reaction media. In addition, the advantages,limitations and properties of the preparation methods are compared. Finally, we outline the main challenges and development prospects of the synthesis of COFs in the future and propose some possible solutions.展开更多
Although the GABAA receptor(GABAAR)has been proposed as the main action site for sevoflurane,isoflurane,halothane,enflurane,propofol,and benzodiazepines(BZDs),binding of these anesthetics with high-resolution structur...Although the GABAA receptor(GABAAR)has been proposed as the main action site for sevoflurane,isoflurane,halothane,enflurane,propofol,and benzodiazepines(BZDs),binding of these anesthetics with high-resolution structures of the GABAAR have been rarely examined by comparative docking analyses.Moreover,various combinations of ligands on more GABAARs with various subtypes need to be analyzed to understand the elaborate action mechanism of GABAARs better because some GABAA ligands showed specificity toward the distinct subtypes of the GABAAR.Methods:We performed in silico docking analysis to compare the binding modes of sevoflurane,isoflurane,halothane,enflurane,propofol,and BZDs to the GABAAR based on one of the most recently provided 3D structures.We performed the docking analysis and the affinity-based ranking of the binding sites.Results:Our docking studies revealed that isoflurane,halothane,and enflurane docked in an extracellular domain(ECD)on GABAARs,in contrast to sevoflurane.Conclusion:Our results supported a multi-site mechanism for the allosteric modulation of propofol.Propofol was bound to the pore or favored various subsites in the transmembrane domain(TMD).Our result confirmed that different chemically related BZD ligands interact via distinct binding modes rather than by using a common binding mode,as previously suggested.展开更多
Heterostructures have emerged as elaborate structures to improve catalytic activity owing to their combined surface and distinct inverse interface.However,fabricating advanced nanocatalysts with facetdependent interfa...Heterostructures have emerged as elaborate structures to improve catalytic activity owing to their combined surface and distinct inverse interface.However,fabricating advanced nanocatalysts with facetdependent interface remains an unexploited and promising area.Herein,we render the controlled growth of Pt nanoparticles(NPs)on Pd nanosheets(NSs)by regulating the reduction kinetics of Pt^(2+)with solvents.Specifically,the fast reduction kinetic makes the Pt NPs uniformly deposited on the Pd NSs(U-Pd@Pt HS),while the slow reduction kinetic leads to the preferential growth of Pt NPs on the edge of the Pd NSs(E-Pd@Pt HS).Density functional theory calculations demonstrate that Pd(111)-Pt interface in U-Pd@Pt HS induces the electron-deficient status of Pd substrates,triggering the d-band center downshift and amplifying the Pd-Pt intermetallic interaction.The synergy between the electronic effect and interfacial effect facilitates the removal of poisonous intermediates on U-Pd@Pt HS.By virtue of the Pd NSs@Pt NPs interface,the heterostructure achieves exceptional methanol oxidation reaction activity as well as improved durability.This study innovatively proposes heterostructure engineering with facetdependent interfacial modulation,offering instructive guidelines for the rational design of versatile heterocatalysts.展开更多
The objective of this work was to elaborate ceramic water filters from Kaolinite (Cameroon) clay for the elimination of suspended particles from domestic drinking water. In Sub-Sahara Africa and in Cameroon in particu...The objective of this work was to elaborate ceramic water filters from Kaolinite (Cameroon) clay for the elimination of suspended particles from domestic drinking water. In Sub-Sahara Africa and in Cameroon in particular health issues have been linked to the consummation of domestic tap water of high turbidity values both in the rural and urban areas. In order to remedy these problems, ceramic water pot filters have been elaborated in a pilot scale unit with aim of putting in place a unit production. The chemical composition, the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses of the raw materials (clay and rice husks) was determined. The crystal phases and scanning electron microscope of Wack clay was also determined. The ceramic pot filter membranes were fabricated from the formulations 70/20/10 of clay/porogen/chamotte respectively with the particle size of the raw material less than or equal to 500 μm. The formulated ceramic pot filters were then sintered at 900˚C in a furnace. These ceramic pot filters were characterized by determining their porosity, withdrawal percentages, water permeability, mechanical and chemical resistance. The study of the efficiency consisted in evaluating the retention rate and permeate flux with respect to time (days) with synthetic water suspensions of turbidity 100 NTU and particle size of 2 μm. The ceramic pot filters were made aiming at studying the efficiency after physical defouling of filters. Physical defouling consisted in brushing the inner surface of the ceramic pot filters with water and drying them at ambient temperature after being used for 11 days and reusing them under the same initial conditions. The produced ceramic pot filter had a volume of 4 L, an average porosity of 36.15%, shrinkage in mass or withdrawal percentage of 18.23%, a water permeability of 59.6 × 10<sup>3</sup> L∙h<sup>−2</sup>∙m<sup>−</sup><sup>2</sup>, mechanical resistance of 6.8 MPa and corrosion resistance of 1.6% in acidic medium and 0.8% in alkaline medium. The evaluation of the retention efficiency reveals that the retention rate of 99.9% was obtained from the 9<sup>th</sup> day of filtration reducing the turbidity value from 100 NTU to less than 0.1 NTU. From the filtration test carried out during the 11 consecutive days, the flow rate varied between 1.46 L∙h<sup>−1</sup> to 2.63 L∙h<sup>−1</sup>. Similar results of retention and flow rate were obtained after physical defouling of the ceramic pot filter membranes and re-using for 11 consecutive days, showing the efficiency of the ceramic pot filter membranes in eliminating suspended particles from drinking water. Cost evaluation for the production unit reveals a total cost of production for 50 ceramic pot filters of 1593.6 USD consisting of fixed assets and variable assets. An estimated selling price of 3.3 USD was obtained which is affordable for both the urban and rural population in Cameroon and in sub-Saharan Africa.展开更多
In Bangladesh, there are thousands of textile-dying industries spread across the country’s many regions, the majority of which involve knitting and dying. The dyeing industry uses an enormous quantity of water, as we...In Bangladesh, there are thousands of textile-dying industries spread across the country’s many regions, the majority of which involve knitting and dying. The dyeing industry uses an enormous quantity of water, as well as colors and chemicals. After the dying process has been completed, they also release a significant amount of wastewater. Cotton, wool, and polyester fiber are typically dyed with textile dyes such as reactive, acid, and disperse dyes. These dyes are utilized most frequently in the respective sectors. The dyes’ colorants are extremely poisonous and dangerous to all forms of life, including aquatic life and living things. The present work has been intended to investigate whether or not it is practicable to remove commonly used textile dyes simultaneously from an aqueous dye solution using an adsorption technique that makes use of a variety of different adsorbents. This study focuses on the removal of color from two distinct types of dyes—Methylene Blue and Reactive Blue-250 which are cationic and anionic in nature respectively, using two different types of activated carbon adsorbents prepared from sawdust and fish scale. Dye removal capacity was tested as a function of contact time, the dosage of the adsorbent, pH during the treatment process, temperature and initial concentration of dye. The applicability of the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms in describing experimental data was investigated. The micro and mesoporous activated carbon prepared from sawdust and fish scale identified by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images indicated that such adsorbents with a large surface area have more dye adsorption potential whereas the variation in dye adsorption occurs due to variation in surface area. From the overall experimental data, maximum removal of 95.39% and 87.92% was found for Methylene Blue and Reactive Blue-250 respectively by sawdust, and 90.64% removal of Methylene Blue by using fish scale.展开更多
This study focuses on the adsorption at temperatures below 70℃, of carotenoids from carrots on clay materials such as kaolinite in the raw state, activated with a 0.5 M HCl solution or treated with a sodium solution ...This study focuses on the adsorption at temperatures below 70℃, of carotenoids from carrots on clay materials such as kaolinite in the raw state, activated with a 0.5 M HCl solution or treated with a sodium solution of Al<sup>+</sup>. The kinetic study of carotenoid adsorption shows that equilibrium is reached after 30 minutes and the temperature has little influence on carotenoid adsorption. On the other hand, the quantities adsorbed at equilibrium increase with the initial concentration of carotenoids. The kinetic model that best describes the experimental data is that of the pseudo-second order, adsorption is made in two time. For the carotenoid adsorption isotherms, the best correlation is obtained with the Freundlich model. The low values of the Freundlich constants indicate that the adsorption is probably of a physical type. This conclusion is confirmed by the effective desorption of carotenoids observed during desorption experiments.展开更多
Brewers’ spent grains constitute a nutrient-rich valuable and highly under-utilized by-product of the beer industry produced in large amounts all through the year. This bio-resource is a very good candidate for valor...Brewers’ spent grains constitute a nutrient-rich valuable and highly under-utilized by-product of the beer industry produced in large amounts all through the year. This bio-resource is a very good candidate for valorization, due to environmental and economic concerns, using biotechnological processing, particularly for food enrichment. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of fortification of Adakwa with traditional brewers’ spent grains (TBSG) on its physicochemical and nutritional properties as well as its acceptability using an experimental design. Four (4) samples of Adakwa were produced with TBSG incorporated rates of 0% (control sample), 10%, 20%, and 30% and evaluated. Using an experimental design, the effect of process parameters, including the TBSG incorporation rate, cooking time, and cooking temperatures on the physicochemical and nutritional properties of the Adakwa were evaluated while the 9-point hedonic scale was used to evaluate the sensory properties and its overall acceptability: carbohydrate, protein, crude fibre, cellulose, polyphenol, antioxidant activity (FRAP and DPPH). The water absorption activity values were 81.2 ± 0.04, 4.55 ± 0.05, 9.73 ± 0.23, 3.31 ± 0.05, 6.73 ± 0.23, 1.60 ± 0.09, 28.85 ± 0.8 and 117 ± 3.54 respectively for 0% TBSG (control);86.8 ± 0.01, 1.81± 0.20, 16.22 ± 0.16, 5.54 ± 0.69, 6.01 ± 0.16, 6.59 ± 0.03, 25.89 ± 0.94 and 475.0 ± 21.21 respectively for 30% TBSG. The sample with a high nutrient content was further produced using a central composite design and the factors studied were temperature and time, with responses, crude fiber, and FRAP content. The optimum production condition was: % TBSG: 47.06%;temperature: 123.17℃;Time: 30.34 mins. The sample with 47% TBSG had the best overall acceptability after sensory evaluation with sensory scores of: 5.45 ± 0.76, 7.9 ± 0.79, 8.0 ± 1.0, 7.10 ± 0.16, 8.5 ± 1.6, 7.6 ± 0.98 for color, taste, aroma, mouthfeel, texture and overall acceptability respectively. Thus TBSG can be used to improve the physicochemical and nutritional properties of adakwa.展开更多
The objective of this work was to elaborate ceramic water filters from Kaolinite (Cameroon) clay for the elimination of suspended particles from domestic drinking water. In Sub-Sahara Africa and in Cameroon in particu...The objective of this work was to elaborate ceramic water filters from Kaolinite (Cameroon) clay for the elimination of suspended particles from domestic drinking water. In Sub-Sahara Africa and in Cameroon in particular health issues have been linked to the consummation of domestic tap water of high turbidity values both in the rural and urban areas. In order to remedy these problems, ceramic water pot filters have been elaborated in a pilot scale unit with aim of putting in place a unit production. The chemical composition, the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses of the raw materials (clay and rice husks) was determined. The crystal phases and scanning electron microscope of Wack clay was also determined. The ceramic pot filter membranes were fabricated from the formulations 70/20/10 of clay/porogen/chamotte respectively with the particle size of the raw material less than or equal to 500 μm. The formulated ceramic pot filters were then sintered at 900˚C in a furnace. These ceramic pot filters were characterized by determining their porosity, withdrawal percentages, water permeability, mechanical and chemical resistance. The study of the efficiency consisted in evaluating the retention rate and permeate flux with respect to time (days) with synthetic water suspensions of turbidity 100 NTU and particle size of 2 μm. The ceramic pot filters were made aiming at studying the efficiency after physical defouling of filters. Physical defouling consisted in brushing the inner surface of the ceramic pot filters with water and drying them at ambient temperature after being used for 11 days and reusing them under the same initial conditions. The produced ceramic pot filter had a volume of 4 L, an average porosity of 36.15%, shrinkage in mass or withdrawal percentage of 18.23%, a water permeability of 59.6 × 10<sup>3</sup> L∙h<sup>−2</sup>∙m<sup>−</sup><sup>2</sup>, mechanical resistance of 6.8 MPa and corrosion resistance of 1.6% in acidic medium and 0.8% in alkaline medium. The evaluation of the retention efficiency reveals that the retention rate of 99.9% was obtained from the 9<sup>th</sup> day of filtration reducing the turbidity value from 100 NTU to less than 0.1 NTU. From the filtration test carried out during the 11 consecutive days, the flow rate varied between 1.46 L∙h<sup>−1</sup> to 2.63 L∙h<sup>−1</sup>. Similar results of retention and flow rate were obtained after physical defouling of the ceramic pot filter membranes and re-using for 11 consecutive days, showing the efficiency of the ceramic pot filter membranes in eliminating suspended particles from drinking water. Cost evaluation for the production unit reveals a total cost of production for 50 ceramic pot filters of 1593.6 USD consisting of fixed assets and variable assets. An estimated selling price of 3.3 USD was obtained which is affordable for both the urban and rural population in Cameroon and in sub-Saharan Africa.展开更多
文摘The production and consumption of avocado pears generates tons of wastes, mainly the pear peels which are usually discarded, although they have been reported to contain important phyto-chemicals with biological activities. The adverse health effect associated with the consumption of saturated lipid based foods has ignited research on reformulation of lipid based foods to eliminate Trans Fatty Acids (TFAs). This study was thus aimed at the extraction and characterization of oil from Avocado Peels (APO) and evaluation of the quality of margarine produced from it. Five verities of pear were used for oil extraction by soxhlet method and physiochemical, oxidative, functional and antioxidant characterization was done. Margarines were formulated using a central composite design using oil blends of APO and Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) with an oil ratio of 10:90, 40:60, 70:30 respectively, varied blending speed, blending time, and chitosan concentration. Samples were characterized and the effect of process parameters on the physiochemical and functional properties of the margarine studied. Optimized conditions were used to produce samples for sensory evaluation. Color, spreadability, aroma, taste and general acceptability was evaluated using ranking difference test. The results showed that the yield, density, and iodine values of APOs oils ranged from 14.91 ± 0.18 to 11.76 ± 0.46;0.93 ± 0.001 to 0.99 ± 0.1;46.63 ± 1.70 to 52.4 ± 0.63, their acid values, TBA and PV values ranged from 1.42 ± 0.39 to 1.97 ± 0.5;0.11 ± 0.002 to 0.18 ± 0.04;and 2.72 ± 0.14 to 4.43 ± 0.36 respectively, with Brogdon avocado peel variety having the overall best properties prepared blends of trans-free APO margarines showed that increase in APO ratio decreased melting point, increased oxidative stability and reduced moisture content of margarine samples. Chitosan addition leads to decrease moisture content and increase functional properties. VCO lead to increase in phenolic and flavonoid content of the margarines. Samples were spreadable and palatable with R20 being most palatable and the most accepted being R26 with a mean score of 7.07 ± 0.70. Decrease in color intensity increased acceptability. This study therefore demonstrated that avocado peel waste biomass can be valorized by using it as raw material for oil extraction, which can serve as good material for the production of trans-free margarines with good oxidative stability, functional and antioxidant properties.
文摘This paper concentrates on the development of glasses with self-cleaning surfaces exhibiting high water contact angles. In this study, we prepared super-hydrophobic nano-ceramic coated glass based on titania & silica using simple sol-gel & dip coating methods and studied the best composition of the coatings by altering ratios of titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP)/tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) with different homogenizing agents. We characterized the coatings by surface roughness measurement, percentage of optical transmission, static contact angle, near-infrared (NIR) transmission, and diffuse reflectance. The fabrication of coatings on glass substrates played an important role in increasing the water contact angle of about 95° and visible & NIR transmission of about 90%. We compared our modified glass substrate with commercial low emissivity (Low E) glass using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, which showed pure amorphous surface claiming excellent wettability and thus the prepared glass substrate could have a variety of applications in different fields.
文摘This study focuses on the extraction of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), from microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), derived from Ayous sawdust. The process involves multiple steps and a large amount of chemical products. The objective of this research was to determine the effects of factors that impact the isolation process and to identify the optimal conditions for CNC isolation by using the response surface methodology. The factors that varied during the process were the quantity of MCC, the concentration of sulfuric acid, the hydrolysis time and temperature, and the ultrasonic treatment time. The response measured was the yield. The study found that with 5.80 g of microcrystalline cellulose, a sulfuric acid concentration of 63.50% (w/w), a hydrolysis time of 53 minutes, a hydrolysis temperature of 69˚C, and a sonication time of 19 minutes are the ideal conditions for isolation. The experimental yield achieved was (37.84 ± 0.99) %. The main factors influencing the process were the sulfuric acid concentration, hydrolysis time and temperature, with a significant influence (p < 0.05). Infrared characterization results showed that nanocrystals were indeed isolated. With a crystallinity of 35.23 and 79.74, respectively, for Ayous wood fiber and nanocrystalline cellulose were observed by X-ray diffraction, with the formation of type II cellulose, thermodynamically more stable than native cellulose type I.
基金Supported by The Scientific Research Foundation of State's Education Ministry for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars.
文摘Radiation-induced grafting of styrene onto polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes was studied by a simultaneous irradiation technique.Grafting was carded out usingγ-radiation from a ^(60)Co source at room temperature. Effects of absorbed dose,atmosphere,dose rate,and the concentration of initial monomer on the degree of grafting (DOG) were investigated and the most appropriate grafting condition was obtained.Subsequently,sulphonation of the grafted PTFE membrane (PTFE-g-PS) was carried out and a series of ion exchange membranes (PTFE-g-PSSA) was prepared.Further characterizations of FTIR,TGA,and SEM testified that grafting and sulphonation of the membranes were successfully processed;moreover,grafting of styrene not only occurred in the surface of PTFE membrane,but also in the micropores of the membrane.Ion exchange capacity (IEC) and conductivity were found increase with the grafting yield.The results suggest that at a low dose,such as 17 kGy,the ion exchange membrane (IEM) which will be suitable for vanadium redox battery (VRB) use can be obtained.
文摘Chemistry-heated diffused permeation was used to treat POMs. ICP, IR, TG-DTA, XPS were used to characterize K10H3[Dy(SiW4Mo7O39)2] and the sample. The result show that Sm and Gd can be permeated into the body of this sample, chemical bonds forming between Sm and other components and the conductivity of K10H3[Dy(SiW4Mo7O39)2] improves by 0 9356×104 times.
基金financially supported by funding from the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation,China(2019B151502052)the Program of Science and Technology of Guangzhou,China(202002030295)。
文摘Chemical insecticides targeting the digestive system of diamondback moth(DBM),Plutella xylostella,have not been developed.The discovery of an insecticide with novel mode of action is a challenge for the control of DBM.In this study,a class of selenium-and difluoromethyl-modified azoles(fluoroazole selenoureas,FASU)were designed and synthesized for the control of DBM.Of these azoles,compound B4 showed the highest insecticidal activity against DBM.The LC50of third-and second-instar larvae reached 32.3 and 4.6μg mL^(–1),respectively.The midgut tissue of larvae was severely disrupted,and the larval intestinal tissue was dotted with unique red spots after treatment with compound B4.Compound B4 led to disintegration of the peritrophic matrix,swelling of the midgut epithelium,fracture of the microvilli,and extensive leakage of cellular debris in the midgut lumen.Surviving larvae grew very slowly,and the larval duration was significantly prolonged after exposure to compound B4 at sublethal doses(LC10,LC25and LC50).Furthermore,the pupation rate,emergence rate and pupae weight were significantly decreased.Compound B4 also induced abnormal pupae,causing adults to be trapped in the cocoon or failure to fly due to twisted wings.These results demonstrated that FASU could reduce the population of DBM in sublethal doses.FASU is the first synthetic insecticidal lead compound that has been shown to disrupt the midgut tissue of the larvae of DBM,and its mode of action totally differs from that of commercial chemical insecticides.
文摘The title compound was prepared and treated by high temperature gaseous mix rare earth permeation. ICP, IR, TG-DTA, XPS, XRD were used to characterize the title compound and the treated sample. The results confirm that Ce and La can be permeated into the body of the title compound. Four-probe method was used to measure the conductivities. A novel result that the conductivity of the permeated compound (δ=9.2×10 -3 S·cm -1)improved by 7.1×106 times than that of the title compound(δ=1.29×10 -9 S·cm -1) is received.
基金the Key Science and Technology Foundation of Heilongjiang Province(Grant No.GB02A301) National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.2037101)
文摘Rare earth co-permeation of (NH4)3[CrMo6O24H6]·7H2O was reported and the conductivity of (NH4)3[CrMo6O24H6]was improved by 6.734×109 times. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), thermogravimetry-differential thermalanalysis (TG-DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) have been used to character (NH4)3[CrMo6 O24H6]·7H2O and permeatedsample. Experimental results showed that Nd could be permeated into the body of this sample and the XRDpatterns showed great difference between (NH4)3[CrMo6O24H6]·7H2O and permeated sample. The structure of(NH4)3[CrMo6O24H6]·7H2O was destroyed and new compound MoN perhaps formed.
文摘Activated carbons were produced from palm nut hull,which is a waste material of palm oil extraction industries.Activated carbons having various pore size distributions and surface composition were obtained by conventional carbonization method via the sulphuric acid solution pre-treatment method.The surface areas,mesopore volume and-OH groups of activated carbons increase with the increases of sulphuric acid solution concentration.The activated carbons obtained were tested for the adsorption of pigments and free fatty acids from palm oil and shea butter.It comes out from this study that the amount of adsorbate(i.e.pigments and free fatty acids)fixed increases with the increase of the adsorption temperature and with the increases of mesopore volume.Intraparticle diffusion,pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetics models were used to analyze the kinetics data obtained at different temperatures(temperature range 60℃ to 90℃).Among the kinetics models used,the pseudo-second order was the best applicable model to describe the adsorption of oil pigments and free fatty acid onto activated carbons.The activation energies obtained by applying the Arrhenius equation for the adsorption of pigments were low(i.e.less than 40 kJ·mol^-1 for the both vegetables oils),indicating that the adsorption could be assigned to physisorption.
文摘This paper reports a kind of banana peel carbon (BPC) containing -OH, -NH2 functional groups which prepared through controlling carbonization temperature and its application on the selective adsorption of gold from waste printed circuit boards (PCBs). The adsorption of BPC for Au(III) reached equilibrium in 30 min and the adsorption of Au(III) was favorable at pH 2.5. Meanwhile, the adsorption isotherm showed the maximum adsorption capacity of 801.7 mg/g for Au(III). The results displayed that BPC had a strong selectivity for Au(III) and a negligible affinity to base metal ions, such as Cu(II), Ni(II), Fe(III) and Pb(II). The BPC adsorbent, which absorbed gold, can be recovered completely by HCl-thiourea solution.
基金supported by grants from the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF)funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT(NRF-2022R1A2C2006654)by the Ministry of Education(NRF-2018R1A6A1A03024231)。
文摘Solid-state reactions are an essential part of the synthesis of various cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries(LIBs).Despite the simplicity and effectiveness for mass production,a subtle variation in synthesis conditions can often give rise to unexpectedly different physical properties,significantly affecting the electrochemical performance of electrode materials.However,this aspect has long been overlooked in the LIB community,which should focus on advancement in understanding the influence of synthesis conditions.As solid-state reactions occur only at the interface of precursor materials,maximizing the interfacial contact area between mixed precursor powders is crucial.Mechanical milling and/or mixing are common practices that have been performed in both academia and industry for this purpose.Unlike the common belief that this pre-treatment before calcination would be of great benefit for the preparation of high-performance LIB materials,we revealed in this work that this practice is not always successful for this goal.In our case study of the preparation of LiCoO_(2),we demonstrated that mechanical mixing-a routinely implemented process for homogeneous mixing of precursors-can be harmful if it is performed without assuring optimal working conditions for mixing.The underlying reasons for this surprising result are elucidated in this work,and we hope that this new insight can help avoid the potential pitfall of routine implementations performed for LIB materials.
文摘Novel graphitic carbon nitride(g-C_(3)N_(4))nanosheet/Bi_(5)O_(7)Br/NH_(2)-MIL-88B(Fe)photocatalysts(denoted as GCN-NSh/Bi_(5)O_(7)Br/FeMOF,in which MOF is metal–organic framework)with double S-scheme heterojunctions were synthesized by a facile solvothermal route.The resultant materials were examined by X-ray photoelectron spectrometer(XPS),X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDX),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),high-resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM),photoluminescence spectroscopy(PL),Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),UV-Vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy(UV-vis DRS),photocurrent density,electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS),and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller(BET)analyses.After the integration of Fe-MOF with GCN-NSh/Bi_(5)O_(7)Br,the removal constant of tetracycline over the optimal GCN-NSh/Bi_(5)O_(7)Br/Fe-MOF(15wt%)nanocomposite was promoted 33 times compared with that of the pristine GCN.The GCN-NSh/Bi_(5)O_(7)Br/Fe-MOF(15wt%)nanocomposite showed superior photoactivity to azithromycin,metronidazole,and cephalexin removal that was 36.4,20.2,and 14.6 times higher than that of pure GCN,respectively.Radical quenching tests showed that·O_(2)-and h+mainly contributed to the elimination reaction.In addition,the nanocomposite maintained excellent activity after 4 successive cycles.Based on the developed n–n heterojunctions among n-GCN-NSh,n-Bi_(5)O_(7)Br,and n-Fe-MOF semiconductors,the double S-scheme charge transfer mechanism was proposed for the destruction of the selected antibiotics.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 21822407 and 22074154)Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS (2021420)the Foundation for Sci & Tech Research Project of Gansu Province (20JR10RA045 and 20JR5RA573)。
文摘Covalent organic frameworks(COFs), as an emerging class of porous crystalline materials constructed by covalent links between the building monomers, have gained tremendous attention. Over the past 15 years, COFs have made rapid progress and substantial development in the chemistry and materials fields. However, the synthesis of COFs has been dominated by solvothermal methods for a long time and it usually involves high temperature, high pressure and toxic organic solvents, which created many challenges for environmental considerations. Recently,the exploration of new approaches for facile fabrication of COFs has aroused extensive interest. Hence, in this review, we comprehensively describe the synthetic strategies of COFs from the aspects of nonconventional heating methods and reaction media. In addition, the advantages,limitations and properties of the preparation methods are compared. Finally, we outline the main challenges and development prospects of the synthesis of COFs in the future and propose some possible solutions.
文摘Although the GABAA receptor(GABAAR)has been proposed as the main action site for sevoflurane,isoflurane,halothane,enflurane,propofol,and benzodiazepines(BZDs),binding of these anesthetics with high-resolution structures of the GABAAR have been rarely examined by comparative docking analyses.Moreover,various combinations of ligands on more GABAARs with various subtypes need to be analyzed to understand the elaborate action mechanism of GABAARs better because some GABAA ligands showed specificity toward the distinct subtypes of the GABAAR.Methods:We performed in silico docking analysis to compare the binding modes of sevoflurane,isoflurane,halothane,enflurane,propofol,and BZDs to the GABAAR based on one of the most recently provided 3D structures.We performed the docking analysis and the affinity-based ranking of the binding sites.Results:Our docking studies revealed that isoflurane,halothane,and enflurane docked in an extracellular domain(ECD)on GABAARs,in contrast to sevoflurane.Conclusion:Our results supported a multi-site mechanism for the allosteric modulation of propofol.Propofol was bound to the pore or favored various subsites in the transmembrane domain(TMD).Our result confirmed that different chemically related BZD ligands interact via distinct binding modes rather than by using a common binding mode,as previously suggested.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant numbers 52274304,52073199)。
文摘Heterostructures have emerged as elaborate structures to improve catalytic activity owing to their combined surface and distinct inverse interface.However,fabricating advanced nanocatalysts with facetdependent interface remains an unexploited and promising area.Herein,we render the controlled growth of Pt nanoparticles(NPs)on Pd nanosheets(NSs)by regulating the reduction kinetics of Pt^(2+)with solvents.Specifically,the fast reduction kinetic makes the Pt NPs uniformly deposited on the Pd NSs(U-Pd@Pt HS),while the slow reduction kinetic leads to the preferential growth of Pt NPs on the edge of the Pd NSs(E-Pd@Pt HS).Density functional theory calculations demonstrate that Pd(111)-Pt interface in U-Pd@Pt HS induces the electron-deficient status of Pd substrates,triggering the d-band center downshift and amplifying the Pd-Pt intermetallic interaction.The synergy between the electronic effect and interfacial effect facilitates the removal of poisonous intermediates on U-Pd@Pt HS.By virtue of the Pd NSs@Pt NPs interface,the heterostructure achieves exceptional methanol oxidation reaction activity as well as improved durability.This study innovatively proposes heterostructure engineering with facetdependent interfacial modulation,offering instructive guidelines for the rational design of versatile heterocatalysts.
文摘The objective of this work was to elaborate ceramic water filters from Kaolinite (Cameroon) clay for the elimination of suspended particles from domestic drinking water. In Sub-Sahara Africa and in Cameroon in particular health issues have been linked to the consummation of domestic tap water of high turbidity values both in the rural and urban areas. In order to remedy these problems, ceramic water pot filters have been elaborated in a pilot scale unit with aim of putting in place a unit production. The chemical composition, the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses of the raw materials (clay and rice husks) was determined. The crystal phases and scanning electron microscope of Wack clay was also determined. The ceramic pot filter membranes were fabricated from the formulations 70/20/10 of clay/porogen/chamotte respectively with the particle size of the raw material less than or equal to 500 μm. The formulated ceramic pot filters were then sintered at 900˚C in a furnace. These ceramic pot filters were characterized by determining their porosity, withdrawal percentages, water permeability, mechanical and chemical resistance. The study of the efficiency consisted in evaluating the retention rate and permeate flux with respect to time (days) with synthetic water suspensions of turbidity 100 NTU and particle size of 2 μm. The ceramic pot filters were made aiming at studying the efficiency after physical defouling of filters. Physical defouling consisted in brushing the inner surface of the ceramic pot filters with water and drying them at ambient temperature after being used for 11 days and reusing them under the same initial conditions. The produced ceramic pot filter had a volume of 4 L, an average porosity of 36.15%, shrinkage in mass or withdrawal percentage of 18.23%, a water permeability of 59.6 × 10<sup>3</sup> L∙h<sup>−2</sup>∙m<sup>−</sup><sup>2</sup>, mechanical resistance of 6.8 MPa and corrosion resistance of 1.6% in acidic medium and 0.8% in alkaline medium. The evaluation of the retention efficiency reveals that the retention rate of 99.9% was obtained from the 9<sup>th</sup> day of filtration reducing the turbidity value from 100 NTU to less than 0.1 NTU. From the filtration test carried out during the 11 consecutive days, the flow rate varied between 1.46 L∙h<sup>−1</sup> to 2.63 L∙h<sup>−1</sup>. Similar results of retention and flow rate were obtained after physical defouling of the ceramic pot filter membranes and re-using for 11 consecutive days, showing the efficiency of the ceramic pot filter membranes in eliminating suspended particles from drinking water. Cost evaluation for the production unit reveals a total cost of production for 50 ceramic pot filters of 1593.6 USD consisting of fixed assets and variable assets. An estimated selling price of 3.3 USD was obtained which is affordable for both the urban and rural population in Cameroon and in sub-Saharan Africa.
文摘In Bangladesh, there are thousands of textile-dying industries spread across the country’s many regions, the majority of which involve knitting and dying. The dyeing industry uses an enormous quantity of water, as well as colors and chemicals. After the dying process has been completed, they also release a significant amount of wastewater. Cotton, wool, and polyester fiber are typically dyed with textile dyes such as reactive, acid, and disperse dyes. These dyes are utilized most frequently in the respective sectors. The dyes’ colorants are extremely poisonous and dangerous to all forms of life, including aquatic life and living things. The present work has been intended to investigate whether or not it is practicable to remove commonly used textile dyes simultaneously from an aqueous dye solution using an adsorption technique that makes use of a variety of different adsorbents. This study focuses on the removal of color from two distinct types of dyes—Methylene Blue and Reactive Blue-250 which are cationic and anionic in nature respectively, using two different types of activated carbon adsorbents prepared from sawdust and fish scale. Dye removal capacity was tested as a function of contact time, the dosage of the adsorbent, pH during the treatment process, temperature and initial concentration of dye. The applicability of the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms in describing experimental data was investigated. The micro and mesoporous activated carbon prepared from sawdust and fish scale identified by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images indicated that such adsorbents with a large surface area have more dye adsorption potential whereas the variation in dye adsorption occurs due to variation in surface area. From the overall experimental data, maximum removal of 95.39% and 87.92% was found for Methylene Blue and Reactive Blue-250 respectively by sawdust, and 90.64% removal of Methylene Blue by using fish scale.
文摘This study focuses on the adsorption at temperatures below 70℃, of carotenoids from carrots on clay materials such as kaolinite in the raw state, activated with a 0.5 M HCl solution or treated with a sodium solution of Al<sup>+</sup>. The kinetic study of carotenoid adsorption shows that equilibrium is reached after 30 minutes and the temperature has little influence on carotenoid adsorption. On the other hand, the quantities adsorbed at equilibrium increase with the initial concentration of carotenoids. The kinetic model that best describes the experimental data is that of the pseudo-second order, adsorption is made in two time. For the carotenoid adsorption isotherms, the best correlation is obtained with the Freundlich model. The low values of the Freundlich constants indicate that the adsorption is probably of a physical type. This conclusion is confirmed by the effective desorption of carotenoids observed during desorption experiments.
文摘Brewers’ spent grains constitute a nutrient-rich valuable and highly under-utilized by-product of the beer industry produced in large amounts all through the year. This bio-resource is a very good candidate for valorization, due to environmental and economic concerns, using biotechnological processing, particularly for food enrichment. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of fortification of Adakwa with traditional brewers’ spent grains (TBSG) on its physicochemical and nutritional properties as well as its acceptability using an experimental design. Four (4) samples of Adakwa were produced with TBSG incorporated rates of 0% (control sample), 10%, 20%, and 30% and evaluated. Using an experimental design, the effect of process parameters, including the TBSG incorporation rate, cooking time, and cooking temperatures on the physicochemical and nutritional properties of the Adakwa were evaluated while the 9-point hedonic scale was used to evaluate the sensory properties and its overall acceptability: carbohydrate, protein, crude fibre, cellulose, polyphenol, antioxidant activity (FRAP and DPPH). The water absorption activity values were 81.2 ± 0.04, 4.55 ± 0.05, 9.73 ± 0.23, 3.31 ± 0.05, 6.73 ± 0.23, 1.60 ± 0.09, 28.85 ± 0.8 and 117 ± 3.54 respectively for 0% TBSG (control);86.8 ± 0.01, 1.81± 0.20, 16.22 ± 0.16, 5.54 ± 0.69, 6.01 ± 0.16, 6.59 ± 0.03, 25.89 ± 0.94 and 475.0 ± 21.21 respectively for 30% TBSG. The sample with a high nutrient content was further produced using a central composite design and the factors studied were temperature and time, with responses, crude fiber, and FRAP content. The optimum production condition was: % TBSG: 47.06%;temperature: 123.17℃;Time: 30.34 mins. The sample with 47% TBSG had the best overall acceptability after sensory evaluation with sensory scores of: 5.45 ± 0.76, 7.9 ± 0.79, 8.0 ± 1.0, 7.10 ± 0.16, 8.5 ± 1.6, 7.6 ± 0.98 for color, taste, aroma, mouthfeel, texture and overall acceptability respectively. Thus TBSG can be used to improve the physicochemical and nutritional properties of adakwa.
文摘The objective of this work was to elaborate ceramic water filters from Kaolinite (Cameroon) clay for the elimination of suspended particles from domestic drinking water. In Sub-Sahara Africa and in Cameroon in particular health issues have been linked to the consummation of domestic tap water of high turbidity values both in the rural and urban areas. In order to remedy these problems, ceramic water pot filters have been elaborated in a pilot scale unit with aim of putting in place a unit production. The chemical composition, the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses of the raw materials (clay and rice husks) was determined. The crystal phases and scanning electron microscope of Wack clay was also determined. The ceramic pot filter membranes were fabricated from the formulations 70/20/10 of clay/porogen/chamotte respectively with the particle size of the raw material less than or equal to 500 μm. The formulated ceramic pot filters were then sintered at 900˚C in a furnace. These ceramic pot filters were characterized by determining their porosity, withdrawal percentages, water permeability, mechanical and chemical resistance. The study of the efficiency consisted in evaluating the retention rate and permeate flux with respect to time (days) with synthetic water suspensions of turbidity 100 NTU and particle size of 2 μm. The ceramic pot filters were made aiming at studying the efficiency after physical defouling of filters. Physical defouling consisted in brushing the inner surface of the ceramic pot filters with water and drying them at ambient temperature after being used for 11 days and reusing them under the same initial conditions. The produced ceramic pot filter had a volume of 4 L, an average porosity of 36.15%, shrinkage in mass or withdrawal percentage of 18.23%, a water permeability of 59.6 × 10<sup>3</sup> L∙h<sup>−2</sup>∙m<sup>−</sup><sup>2</sup>, mechanical resistance of 6.8 MPa and corrosion resistance of 1.6% in acidic medium and 0.8% in alkaline medium. The evaluation of the retention efficiency reveals that the retention rate of 99.9% was obtained from the 9<sup>th</sup> day of filtration reducing the turbidity value from 100 NTU to less than 0.1 NTU. From the filtration test carried out during the 11 consecutive days, the flow rate varied between 1.46 L∙h<sup>−1</sup> to 2.63 L∙h<sup>−1</sup>. Similar results of retention and flow rate were obtained after physical defouling of the ceramic pot filter membranes and re-using for 11 consecutive days, showing the efficiency of the ceramic pot filter membranes in eliminating suspended particles from drinking water. Cost evaluation for the production unit reveals a total cost of production for 50 ceramic pot filters of 1593.6 USD consisting of fixed assets and variable assets. An estimated selling price of 3.3 USD was obtained which is affordable for both the urban and rural population in Cameroon and in sub-Saharan Africa.
