Optimization of sugar release from banana peel powder waste (BPPW) using box-behnken design (BBD): BPPW to biohydrogen conversion

Optimization of pre-treatment conditions has been achieved for total sugar release from banana peel powder waste (BPPW) feedstock modelled through a three-level Box-Behnken design (BBD) of the response surface methodology (RSM). A series of various runs were executed at varied acid (H₂SO₄) concentrations (0.05%–0.15% v/v), incubation periods (1 h–3 h) in water bath at 95 °C and alkali (NaOH) concentrations (0.05%–0.15% v/v) according to the Box-Behnken design (BBD). From RSM the significant values of incubation period, acid concentration and alkali concentration were obtained as 3 h, 0.095% v/v, and 0.05% v/v respectively. The maximum total sugar release was reported as 5243.62 μg/ml which was highly close to the predicted value (5010.07 μg/ml). The model P- value (0.001), R-sq (98.26%), (adj) R-sq (95.14%) and (pred) R-sq (79.56%) obtained through ANOVA justified the results. The mutual impact of alkali and incubation period had the highest effect on total sugar release from dried banana peel powder, followed by mutual impact of acid and incubation period based on ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) results.Under optimized conditions of pre-treatment six different substrate concentrations (1%, 3%, 5%, 7% and 9% w/v) of BPPW was hydrolyzed and used to obtain volumetric bio-hydrogen evolution. The highest cumulative volumetric bio hydrogen gas 43 ml H₂/30 ml media was achieved at 5% w/v of pretreated BPPW. The substrate concentration above 5% w/v resulted in lowered fermentation process owing to product and substrate inhibition.     

A strategy to reduce the impact of tar on a Ni‐YSZ anode of solid oxide fuel cells

High‐temperature raw coke oven gas (COG) is a promising fuel for use in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) because it is rich in both hydrogen (55%‐60%) and methane (23%‐27%). However, the tar present in COG limits its ability to directly generate power using state‐of‐art SOFCs because the presence of tar limits the cell's performance and stability. In this work, a strategy is presented in the attempt to reduce the influence of tar on SOFCs by applying a La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃ catalyst as a protective layer for the cell. The results showed that 44‐g Nm^?3 toluene had a profoundly negative effect on the performance of a conventional cell, which showed severely reduced performance after only 1.4 hours of exposure to toluene‐contaminated hydrogen. In contrast, the catalyst‐modified cell showed good stability for at least 110 hours under the same conditions. This work provides a promising route to directly utilize raw COG as an SOFC fuel that is also suitable for biosyngas.     

Potential effects of ultrafiltration process and date powder on textural,sensory, bacterial viability,antioxidant properties and phenolic profile of dromedary Greek yogurt

The aim of this study was to improve textural and antioxidant capacity of dromedary yogurt using ultrafiltration process and date powder. Ultrafiltration increased total solids content of dromedary milk within the range considered optimal to develop yogurt. Texture profile of Greek yogurt fortified with date powder (GYD) improved considerably compared to control. Sample of GYD are more appealing to consumer than control. LC-ESI-MS analysis of GYD extracts allowed the identification of fifteen phenolic compounds, among which quinic acid and cirsiliol were found to be the major phenolic acid and flavonol, respectively. GYD exhibited the highest DPPH•-radical scavenging activity, Fe²⁺ chelating capacity and Fe³⁺ reducing power. The follow-up of physical and microbiological stability of GYD and control during cold storage showed that date powder significantly increased bacterial counts and decreased syneresis. Therefore, ultrafiltration and date powder could be valued as effective tool to solve the poor consistency of dromedary milk products.     

Effects of green tea powder on the quality attributes of hard red winter wheat flour and Chinese steamed bread

The effects of green tea powder (GTP) on the properties of hard red winter (HRW) flour and Chinese steamed bread were investigated. GTP was blended with HRW flour at levels of 0.00, 1.00, 2.00, 3.00 and 4.00 g GTP/100 g wheat flour. With the addition of GTP, the maximum torque of flour became stronger. The resilience and degree of green colour of steamed bread increased, while hardness and chewiness decreased, with the addition of GTP. The addition of 1.00% GTP did not significantly affect the specific volume, but remarkably influenced the hardness and resilience of steamed bread. In steamed bread formulated with GTP, the antioxidant activity was 0.84 mm TE per g at 1.00% of GTP and increased with GTP levels. The steamed bread had a pleasant flavour, and the degree of overall liking of steamed bread increased with GTP levels to the maximum used in this work.     

Fabrication of composites from different carbon content ferrous powders adopting thermomechanical processes

In this research, deep consolidation technique is utilized for processing of low and high carbon content ferrous powders to manufacture composite material. High carbon content ferrous powders were used as reinforcing material. The powder particles were allowed to mix with low carbon content ferrous powders in 50:50 weight percent for fabrication of composites. The composites were heat treated at three different temperatures (i.e., 800°C, 900°C, and 1000°C). The changes in microstructure, microhardness, the grain size, and bonding among powder particles were studied. Refinement of grains was observed and this led to improved hardness enabling the processed material to be used as a suitable composite. Abrasive wear tests were carried out using a laboratory tribometer in dry reciprocating sliding contact against Sic abrasive paper. The outcomes demonstrate that the abrasive wear resistance was notably affected by the treatment temperature and hardness of the composites.     

Modeling of the Temperature Effect on Oxygen Absorption by Iron‐Based Oxygen Scavengers

A new engineering‐oriented model for prediction of the effect of temperature on the kinetics of oxygen absorption by iron‐based oxygen scavengers (IOSs) was developed. The model is based on the physicochemical mechanism of the O₂ scavenging process by the active component of the IOS (iron powder). The conclusions of this study are: (1) the iron deposits formed on the iron particles are composed of 2 different layers: an inner layer of Fe₃O₄ and an outer layer of FeOOH that vanishes with the depletion of oxygen. (2) The model considers the chemical processes in the heterogeneous closed system “Fe–H₂O–NaCl–O₂” and describes the kinetics of oxygen absorption by the powder, depending on the characteristics of the system. (3) The nonlinear ordinary differential equation (ODE) of the O₂ absorption kinetics was derived and a simple approximate solution to this ODE was obtained theoretically that is similar to the empirical exponential formula published in the relevant literature. (4) The temperature dependence of the oxygen absorption rate is more complicated than that described by the Arrhenius equation.