Extraction of Siphonochilus aethiopicus Essential Oil by Steam Distillation

Siphonochilus aethiopicus is an indigenous South African plant also known as African ginger. It has often been used for its medicinal properties to treat various ailments such as flu, colds, and so forth. The research aim of this study was to optimize the process parameters of steam distillation for the extraction of oil from African ginger rhizomes. This technology is the oldest and well known for extracting essential oils due to its economic viability and the higher final oil purity. The effects of operating parameters such as extraction duration, moisture content, particle size, and temperatures between 80°C and 100°C were studied for maximum oil recovery. The oil recovery of 0.61% (w/w) was achieved after 270?min of extraction time, using 6.37% (dry) moisture content of particle size 2.4?mm–4?mm at a maximum temperature of 100°C. Fick’s first law was used to mathematically model the experimental data of this study.     

Morphological characteristics and thermal,rheological, and mechanical properties of cellulose nanocrystals-containing biodegradable poly(lactic acid)/poly(ε-caprolactone) blend composites

This work investigates the effect of cellulose nanocrystal (CN) loading on the properties of polylactide / poly(ε-caprolactone) (PLA/PCL) (70/30) blend processed in a twin-screw extruder as a potential material that can be utilized in various applications where biodegradation is highly desired. The morphological analysis revealed a reduction in droplet size of dispersed PCL phase upon addition of CN at low concentrations (1 and 2 wt %) with maximum reduction at 2 wt % which led to maximum improvement in mechanical properties. The reinforcing effect of CN in increasing the DMA storage modulus of the prepared systems was noticed when CN concentration was increased. Further, CN enhanced the crystallization of PCL, whereas the cold crystallization of PLA remained the same with CN addition. Both melt strength and viscosity of PLA improved with the incorporation of PCL and CN. In general, a green composite material with improved properties was successfully prepared using an environmentally friendly filler material. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 137, 48665.     

Evaluation of reduction roasting and magnetic separation for upgrading Mn/Fe ratio of fine ferromanganese

Low grade ferromanganese tailing was subjected to different mineralogical techniques, reduction roasting and magnetic separation to establish whether commercially acceptable manganese qualities and high Mn/Fe ratio could be obtained, and also to determine the best processing route for beneficiating this ore. The main manganese mineral within the feed sample is birnessite, with minor amounts of pyrolusite and todorokite. Size by assay analysis conducted presented a result with a yield of about 35.75% and Mn grade of 27.63% to coarse (?3.35 + 1 mm) and yield of 20.24% and Mn grade of 27.71% to (?1.18 + 0.50 mm) fraction. Two-stage high induced magnetic separations at 16,000 and 11,000 G produces Mn grades with similar grade to that obtained from the ferromanganese feed sample. Reduction roasting followed by magnetic separation on ?1.18 + 0.50 mm at 1000 G recovered 72.31% Mn with a grade of 58.44% Mn, 2.52% Fe and 3.29% Si at Mn/Fe ratio of 23.22. This study reveals the influence of roasting in converting the hematite and goethite to magnetite and the response of the roasted fraction to magnetic separation.     

Nickel-cobalt nanoparticles supported on single-walled carbon nanotubes and their catalytic hydrogenation activity

Single-walled carbon nanotubes were synthesized from graphite using the arc discharge technique. A nickel/yttrium/graphite mixture was used as the catalyst. After purification by sonication in a Triton X-100 solution, nickel-cobalt metal nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of the single-walled carbon nanotubes. The resulting material and/or the nanotubes themselves were characterized by physisorption, Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution transition electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Raman spectroscopy indicates that the nanotubes, prepared by the arc discharge technique, are semi-conducting with a diameter centering at 1.4 nm. The average nickel-cobalt particle size is estimated to be in the region of 8 nm. The catalytic activity of the material was examined for the hydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acid methyl esters obtained from avocado oil. The carbon nanotube supported nickel-cobalt particles effectively hydrogenate polyunsaturated methyl linoleate to monounsaturated methyl oleate. In contrast to a conventional nickel on kieselghur catalyst, further hydrogenation of methyl oleate to undesired methyl stearate was not observed.     

Provision of Records Created in Networked Environments in the Curricula of Institutions of Higher Learning in Africa

The importance of curriculum development on archives and records management in the digital era, especially on the African continent, cannot be overemphasized. While many universities in the global hub have included studies on all aspects of archives and records management programs with many emphasizing records created in networked environments, the same cannot be said about universities on the African continent. In Africa, education and training of archives and records professionals can be traced back several decades. Archives and records practitioners in Africa’s different countries have, over the years, taken varying paths to attain their professional qualifications. This study outlines progress on an ongoing study by InterPARES Trust Africa Team that examines the curricula in different African educational institutions and investigates the extent to which they address the increasingly complex environment that includes the management of digital records in networked environments. It is hoped that the study will inform curriculum development and review in the area of digital records at the institutions of higher learning in Africa.