Removal of boron from ceramic industry wastewater by adsorption-flocculation mechanism using palm oil mill boiler (POMB) bottom ash and polymer

Boron is extensively used in the ceramic industry for enhancing mechanical strength of the tiles. The discharge of boron containing wastewater to the environment causes severe pollution problems. Boron is also dangerous for human consumption and causes organisms' reproductive impediments if the safe intake level is exceeded. Current methods to remove boron include ion-exchange, membrane filtration, precipitation-coagulation, biological and chemical treatment. These methods are costly to remove boron from the wastewater and hence infeasible for industrial wastewater treatment. In the present research, adsorption-flocculation mechanism is proposed for boron removal from ceramic wastewater by using Palm Oil Mill Boiler (POMB) bottom ash and long chain polymer or flocculant. Ceramic wastewater is turbid and milky in color which contains 15 mg/L of boron and 2000 mg/L of suspended solids. The optimum operating conditions for boron adsorption on POMB bottom ash and flocculation using polymer were investigated in the present research. Adsorption isotherm of boron on bottom ash was also investigated to evaluate the adsorption capacity. Adsorption isotherm modeling was conducted based on Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The results show that coarse POMB bottom ash with particle size larger than 2 mm is a suitable adsorbent where boron is removed up to 80% under the optimum conditions (pH = 8.0, dosage = 40 g bottom ash/300 ml wastewater, residence time = 1 h). The results also show that KP 1200 B cationic polymer is effective in flocculating the suspended solids while AP 120 C anionic polymer is effective in flocculating the bottom ash. The combined cationic and anionic polymers are able to clarify the ceramic wastewater under the optimum conditions (dosage of KP 1200 B cationic polymer = 100 mg/L, dosage of AP 120 C anionic polymer = 50 mg/L, mixing speed = 200 rpm). Under the optimum operating conditions, the boron and suspended solids concentration of the treated wastewater were reduced to 3 mg/L and 5 mg/L respectively, satisfying the discharge requirement by Malaysia Department of Environment (DOE). The modeling study shows that the adsorption isotherm of boron onto POMB bottom ash conformed to the Freundlich Isotherm. The proposed method is suitable for boron removal in ceramic wastewater especially in regions where POMB bottom ash is abundant.     

Analysis of Handover Performance in LTE Femtocells Network

Handover management is one of the main factors representing the effectiveness of every wireless network technology. Due to the special characteristics of a femtocell, unnecessary handover occurs more frequently. This issue has attracted interest in developing a new handover algorithm in femtocell network. The standard handover algorithm relies on Reference Signal Received Power or Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) level. However, this technique causes an unnecessary handover and reduces the user throughput. Mobility prediction is one of a popular technique to be implemented in handover algorithm. This paper analyzes the handover performance in femtocell network by using two types of handover algorithm which are standard A2-A4-RSRQ handover algorithm and proposed prediction handover algorithm. The analysis is performed in terms of the number of handover, the number of unnecessary handover, and the user throughput. The root cause of user throughput degradation is also analyzed. The results show that the prediction handover algorithm provides better performance than the A2-A4-RSRQ handover algorithm in terms of the number of handover and user throughput.     

Effect of enzymatic transesterification on the melting points of palm stearin-sunflower oil mixtures

Transesterification with lipases may be used to convert mixtures of fats to plastic fats, making them more suitable for use in edible products. In our study, 1,3-specific (Aspergillus niger, Mucor javanicus, Rhizomucor miehei, Rhizopus javanicus, and Rhizopus niveus) and nonspecific (Pseudomonas sp. and Candida rugosa) lipases were used to transesterify mixtures of palm stearin and sunflower oil (PS-SO) at a 40:60 ratio in a solvent-free medium. The transesterified mixtures of PS-SO were analyzed for their percentage free fatty acids (FFA), degree and rate of transesterification, solid fat content, slip melting point (SMP), and melting characteristics by differential scanning calorimetry. Results indicated that Pseudomonas sp. lipase produced the highest degree (77.3%) and rate (50.0 h⁻¹) of transesterification, followed by R. miehei lipase at 32.7% and 27.1 h⁻¹, respectively. The highest percentage FFA liberated was also in the reaction mixtures catalyzed by Pseudomonas sp. (2.5%) lipase and R. miehei (2.4%). Pseudomonas-catalyzed mixtures produced the biggest drop in SMP (13.5°C) and showed complete melting at below body temperature. All results indicated conversion of the PS-SO mixtures to a more fluid product. The findings also suggest that the specificity of lipases may not play a significant role in lowering the melting point of the PS-SO mixtures.     

Tunable sonar transducer

Abstract

A prototype of a tunable sonar transducer has been successfully tested in the transmit/receive mode. It employs a tunable sandwich transducer which is a high-Q transmitter with resonance frequency that can be shifted continuously over a wide frequency range between the fundamental harmonic at 27?kHz and the first overtone at 73?kHz of the whole structure. The tunable sandwich transducer divides the active piezoelectric layer to two sets. The first is the control ceramic whose function is to vary the resonance frequency of the overall structure by using various values of inductor across its terminals. The control ceramic is mechanically coupled to the drive ceramic which provides the acoustic power during transmission and alternately acts as a receiver. From the transmit/receive measurements within the tunable frequency range, the receiving sensitivity of the tunable transducer may be varied between 0 and 9?μV/Pa. Generally, the receiving sensitivity is higher at the mechanical resonance frequencies and lower in the mid-frequency range. The receiving sensitivity of the tunable transducer at the fundamental harmonic is 9?μV/Pa (?221?dB re 1?V/μPa) which is similar to 11?μV/Pa (?219?dB re 1?V/μPa) for the sensitivity when driven as a conventional sandwich transducer.     

Catalytic hydrogen adsorption of nano-crystalline hydrotalcite derived mixed oxides

Nano-crytalline hydrotalcite derived reduced mixed oxides containing magnesium, nickel and aluminium (MNAM) have been synthesized using coprecipitation and showed successfully nickel catalysed reversible hydrogen adsorption using the temperature programmed technique under near ambient conditions. ICP-MS and XRD analysis ensured the adsorbent homogeneity and different crystalline phases of mixed oxides. Morphology and textural properties of mixed oxides have been explored using the FESEM, BET and HRTEM analysis techniques. Nano-crystalline and mesporous reduced mixed oxides exhibited a 3.9 wt% H₂ adsorption capacity in where desorption capacity was 1.9 wt% H₂. Hydrogen adsorbed surface and different phases were analysed by XPS, Raman and FTIR analysis techniques. The hydrogen adsorption enthalpy (ΔH) and entropy (ΔS) changes of reduced mixed oxides were −47.58 kJ/mol and −120.98 J/mol K, respectively, and the promising desorption activation energy of 65 kJ/mol correspond its reversibility as potential energy storage material.     

Electrosynthèse des ions peroxodiphosphate sous potentiel constant ou pulsé

Electrosynthesis of peroxodiphosphate ions (P2O84–) was performed in 2m K3PO4, 1m K2HPO4 medium, using a platinum anode. The results showed that under conditions of potentiostatic polarization at constant potential, the reaction rate reaches a maximum value of 125mAcm–2 and a faradaic yield of 30%. From about 1.9V, the reaction kinetics are increasingly inhibited as the potential shifts positively. Rapid scanning potential voltammetry was used to characterize the oxidation state of the electrode surface. This method shows that the growth of (PtO) and (PtO2 or PtO3) oxides depend on the applied potential. It also establishes a correlation between the inhibition of P2O84– ion electrosynthesis and the oxide coating surface. When 2×10–3m KSCN is added to the solution, some oxygen evolution sites are selectively blocked and oxide occurs at more positive potential values. Consequently, the rate of peroxodiphosphate ion formation and the faradaic efficiency are increased to 380mAcm–2 and 75%, respectively. Under pulsed potential conditions it was possible to reach 1200mAcm–2 for P2O84– ion electrosynthesis with a faradaic yield of 82%.     

Voltage-controlled double-resonance quartz oscillator using variable-capacitance diode

In this work, we present a variable-frequency quartz crystal oscillator that is able to oscillate at LC resonance under frequency locking of a quartz crystal resonance, with the frequency tuning realized by variable-capacitance diodes. This circuit shows a steep transition between LC oscillation modes to quartz crystal double-resonance, which shows a characteristic change in the oscillation frequency. Control voltage of this diode is precisely adjusted from the low side to higher values and conversely in the vicinity of the oscillation mode transition. The transition of the oscillation modes is experimentally demonstrated and compared with an algebraic analysis.