Liquefaction of empty palm fruit bunch (EPFB) in alkaline hot compressed water

Effect of alkalis (NaOH, KOH and K₂CO₃) on liquefaction of EPFB (empty palm fruit bunch) biomass liquefaction was investigated under subcritical water conditions in a batch reactor operating at 270 °C and 20 bars for a period of 20 min. Catalytic performance and suitable biomass to water ratio that supported higher EPFB conversion, liquid hydrocarbons yield and lignin degradations were screened. Analytical results indicate that maximum of 68 wt% liquids were produced along with 72.4 wt% EPFB mass conversions and 65.6 wt% lignin degradation under 1.0 M K₂CO₃/2:10 (biomass/water) conditions. In comparison, the experiments that were performed in the absence of alkalis yielded only 30.4 wt% liquids, converted 36 wt% EPFB and degraded 24.3 wt% lignin. Furthermore, biomass to water ratios >2:10 decreased both solid mass conversion and liquid hydrocarbons' yield. The reactivity of the alkalis was in the order of K₂CO₃ > KOH > NaOH. The liquid compositions were dominantly phenols and esters; the highest value of phenol (60.1 wt% of liquid yield) was achieved in the case of K₂CO₃ (1.0 M) with 5 g EPFB/25 ml water ratio while 1.0 M NaOH yielded maximum esters (86.4 wt% of liquid yield). The alkali promoted process assisted with hot water treatments seemed promising for production of bio-oils from EPFB.     

Removal and recovery of nickel(II) from aqueous solution by loofa sponge-immobilized biomass of Chlorella sorokiniana: characterization studies

The biosorption process for the removal of nickel(II) by loofa sponge-immobilized biomass of Chlorella sorokiniana (LIBCS), a newly developed immobilized biosorbent, was characterized. Effects of environmental factors on metal uptake capacity of LIBCS were studied and compared with free biomass of C. sorokiniana (FBCS). Nickel(II) removal by LIBCS was found to be influenced by pH of the solution, initial metal concentration, and biomass concentration. The biosorption of nickel(II) ions by both LIBCS and FBCS increased as the initial concentration of nickel(II) ions increased in the medium. No loss to biosorption capacity of LIBCS for nickel(II) was found due to the presence of loofa sponge, indeed as compared to FBCS an increase of 25.3% was noted in the biosorption capacity of LIBCS. Maximum biosorption capacities for FBCS and LIBCS were found as 48.08 and 60.38 mg nickel(II)/g, respectively, whereas the amount of nickel(II) ions adsorbed on the plain loofa sponge was 6.1mg/g. During these biosorption studies, LIBCS exhibited excellent physical and chemical stability without any significant release/loss of microalgal biomass from loofa sponge matrix. The kinetics of nickel(II) removal was extremely fast reaching at equilibrium in about 15 min for LIBCS and 20 min for FBCS. The biosorption equilibrium was well described by the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms. The biosorption capacities were found to be solution pH dependent and the maximum adsorption was found at a solution pH 4-5. The LIBCS could be regenerated using 75 mM HCl, with up to 98% recovery. The LIBCS were shown to be robust and stable with little decrease in the nickel(II) uptake capacity when used in consecutive seven biosorption-desorption cycles. Continuous removal of nickel(II) from electroplating effluent by LIBCS packed in fixed bed column bioreactor confirm the possibility of developing a biological treatment process for the removal of toxic metals from authentic wastewater.     

On Active Noise Control Systems With Online Acoustic Feedback Path Modeling

The presence of strong acoustic feedback degrades the convergence speed of the active noise control (ANC) filter, and in the worst case the ANC system may become unstable. A fixed feedback neutralization filter, obtained offline, can be used to neutralize the acoustic feedback. The feedback path, however, may be time varying, and we may need continual adjustments during online operation of the ANC system. This paper proposes a new method for online modeling of the acoustic feedback path in ANC systems. The proposed method uses three adaptive filters; a noise control filter, a feedback path modeling (FBPM) filter, and an adaptive noise cancelation (ADNC) filter. The objective of ADNC filter is to remove the disturbance from the desired response of FBPM filter. In comparison with the existing method, which works only for predictable noise sources, the proposed method can work, as well, with the broadband noise sources. The computer simulations are carried out for narrowband (predictable) (case I) and broadband (random) noise sources (case II). It is demonstrated that the proposed method performs better than the existing method in both cases     

Microstructure and characterization of phases in TIG welded joints of Zircaloy-4 and stainless steel 304L

Tungsten inert gas (TIG) welded joints between Zircaloy-4 and stainless steel 304L have been studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM) having energy dispersive system (EDS) as an attachment. Intermetallic compound Zr(Cr, Fe)₂ and Zr₂Fe–Zr₂Ni eutectic phase have been observed in the molten zone. The surface area occupied by intermetallic compound Zr(Cr, Fe)₂ is about twice compared to Zr₂Fe–Zr₂Ni eutectic phase. The shape of the intermetallic compound is rod like. The phases were also identified by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. EDS and XRD results are quite in agreement.     

Photo‐induced Leishmania DNA degradation by silver‐doped zinc oxide nanoparticle: an in‐vitro approach

Recently, the authors reported newly synthesised polyethylene glycol (PEG)ylated silver (9%)‐doped zinc oxide nanoparticle (doped semiconductor nanoparticle (DSN)) which has high potency for killing Leishmania tropica by producing reactive oxygen species on exposure to sunlight. The current report is focused on Leishmania DNA interaction and damage caused by the DSN. Here, we showed that the damage to Leishmania DNA was indirect, as the DSN was unable to interact with the DNA in intact Leishmania cell, indicating the incapability of PEGylated DSN to cross the nucleus barrier. The DNA damage was the result of high production of singlet oxygen on exposure to sunlight. The DNA damage was successfully prevented by singlet oxygen scavenger (sodium azide) confirming involvement of the highly energetic singlet oxygen in the DNA degradation process.Inspec keywords: silver, zinc compounds, nanoparticles, nanomedicine, DNA, microorganisms, cellular biophysics, biomedical engineeringOther keywords: photo‐induced Leishmania DNA degradation, PEGylated silver‐doped zinc oxide nanoparticle, Leishmania tropica, reactive oxygen species, sunlight, Leishmania DNA interaction, Leishmania cell, DNA damage, singlet oxygen scavenger, sodium azide, DNA degradation process, ZnO:Ag     

Numerical modelling of methane-powered micro-tubular, single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell

An experimentally validated, two-dimensional, axisymmetric, numerical model of micro-tubular, single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell (MT-SC-SOFC) has been developed. The model incorporates methane full combustion, steam reforming, dry reforming and water-gas shift reaction followed by electrochemical oxidation of produced hydrogen within the anode. On the cathode side, parasitic combustion of methane along with the electrochemical oxygen reduction is implemented. The results show that the poor performance of single-chamber SOFC as compared to the conventional (dual-chamber) SOFC (in case of micro-tubes) is due to the mass transport limitation on the anode side. The gas velocity inside the micro-tube is far too low when compared to the gas-chamber inlet velocity. The electronic current density is also non-uniform over the cell length, mainly due to the short length of the anode current collector located at the cell outlet. Furthermore, the higher temperature near the cell edges is due to the methane combustion (very close to the cell inlet) and current collection point (at the cell outlet). Both of these locations could be sensitive to the silver current collecting wire as silver may rupture due to cell overheating.     

Effect of Nonlinear Wave Kinematics on Dynamic Response of Spars

The difference between various approximate methods to compute the wave kinematics and forces acting on a Spar platform up to the instantaneous free water surface is investigated. Three types of procedures are considered; i.e., extrapolation, stretching (both simple extensions of linear wave theory) and the hybrid wave model (which involves decomposition of the incident wave into first- and second-order components). Of particular interest for the dynamic response of a Spar are the nonlinear (second- and higher-order) low-frequency forces. The effects of the different procedures are compared analytically and numerically for the inertia forces using Morison et al.’s equation as reported in 1950, but the conclusions can be extended to diffraction theory formulations.     

Microwave-assisted urea-modified sorghum biomass for Cr (III) elimination from aqueous solutions

The present study concentrated on the use of an agro-waste biodegradable sorghum biomass in its simple and modified forms for the binding of Cr (III) ions. A relatively new method of modification was adopted using urea under microwave irradiation. FTIR analysis showed the presence of oxygen and nitrogen bearing functional groups in unmodified (UMS) and modified (MS) sorghum biomass. The appearance of new bands and shifts in the peaks confirmed the modification. The influence of different process parameters such as the adsorbent dose, solution pH, contact time, agitation speed and initial metal ion concentration was studied thoroughly to evaluate optimum conditions for adsorption. Maximum adsorption for Cr (III) ions occurred at pH 5.0–6.0 using UMS and MS. Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm models in a non-linear fashion were used to explain the phenomenon. Maximum adsorption capacity was 7.03 and 16.36 mg of Cr (III) per gram of UMS and MS, respectively. Adsorption mechanism was explored by pseudo-first- and pseudo-second-order kinetic models, and it was found that the process followed pseudo-second-order kinetics. Thermodynamic study indicated the process favorability. The study concluded that urea modification under microwave irradiation produces a non-toxic and more effective adsorbent for Cr (III) remediation by inducing new nitrogen bearing functional groups to sorghum biomass.     

Antioxidant potential of rice bran extracts and its effects on stabilisation of cookies under ambient storage

Methanolic extracts of rice bran (MRB) were found to be the richest in phenolics than all the other extraction media, i.e. water, 80% methanol, 70% ethanol, diethyl ether. Thermal stability of MRB was determined by evaluating antioxidant activity of heated extracts in linoleic acid system. Cookies were prepared in sunflower oil premixed with MRB at different concentrations, i.e. 500, 1000 and 2000 ppm, and with butylated hydroxytoluene and α‐tocopherol at 200 ppm. Oxidative stability of cookies was measured by storing under ambient conditions for an year with periodical analysis after every 2 months. Fatty acid composition was determined by gas–liquid chromatography. A regular decrease in unsaturated fatty acids (USFA) and increase in saturated fatty acids was observed with the increase in storage period; all the stabilised samples showed appreciably less decrease in USFA than that of control sample. Induction period ranged from 14.73 to 31.22 h while control exhibited 7.5 h. Peroxide value, iodine value and free fatty acids were chosen as the parameters for quality evaluation of cookies. Results suggest rice bran to be a potential source of antioxidants for stabilisation of cookies.     

Formulation and characterisation of a self‐nanoemulsifying drug delivery system of amphotericin B for the treatment of leishmaniasis

This study was aimed to develop a self‐nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) for amphotericin B (AmB) potential use in leishmaniasis through topical and oral routes. Two formulations, formulation A and formulation B (FA and FB) of AmB loaded SNEDDS were developed by mixing their excipients through vortex and sonication. The SNEDDS formulation FA and FB displayed a mean droplet size of 27.70 ± 0.5 and 30.17 ± 0.7 nm and zeta potential −11.4 ± 3.25 and −13.6 ± 2.75 mV, respectively. The mucus permeation study showed that formulation FA and FB diffused 1.45 and 1.37%, respectively in up to 8 mm of mucus. The cell permeation across Caco‐2 cells monolayer was 10 and 11%, respectively. Viability of Caco‐2 cells was 89% for FA and 86.9% for FB. The anti‐leishmanial activities of FA in terms of IC₅₀ were 0.017 µg/ml against promastigotes and 0.025 µg/ml against amastigotes, while IC₅₀ values of FB were 0.031 and 0.056 µg/ml, respectively. FA and FB killed macrophage harboured Leishmania parasites in a dose‐dependent manner and a concentration of 0.1 µg/ml killed 100% of the parasites. These formulations have the potential to provide a promising tool for AmB use through oral and topical routes in leishmaniasis therapy.Inspec keywords: nanomedicine, drops, microorganisms, electrokinetic effects, cellular biophysics, drug delivery systems, monolayers, drugs, diseasesOther keywords: self‐nanoemulsifying drug delivery system, topical routes, oral routes, SNEDDS formulation, mucus permeation study, cell permeation, leishmaniasis treatment, amphotericin B, zeta potential, Caco‐2 cell monolayer, vortex, sonication, droplet size, Caco‐2 cell viability, antileishmanial activity, promastigotes, amastigotes, Leishmania parasites