Synthesis of spinel ferrite and its role in the removal of free fatty acids from deteriorated vegetable oil

Deterioration and loss of quality of vegetable oil is a big challenge in the food industry. This study investigated the synthesis of nickel ferrite (NiFe₂O₄) via co-precipitation method and its use for the removal of free fatty acids (FFAs) in deteriorated vegetable oil. NiFe₂O₄ was characterized using Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Synthesis of NiFe₂O₄ was confirmed by characterization, which revealed a BET surface area of 16.30 m²·g^-1 and crystallite size of 29 nm. NiFe₂O₄ exhibited an adsorption capacity of 145.20 L·kg^-1 towards FFAs with an 80.69% removal in a process, which obeys Langmuir isotherm and can be described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The process has enthalpy (ΔH) of 11.251 kJ·mol^-1 and entropy (ΔS) of 0.038 kJ·mol^-1·K^-1 with negative free energy change (ΔG), which suggests the process to be spontaneous and endothermic. The quantum chemical computation analysis via density functional theory further revealed the sorption mechanism of FFAs by NiFe₂O₄ occurred via donor–acceptor interaction, which may be described by the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) and the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO). The study showed NiFe₂O₄ to be a potential means that can remove FFAs from deteriorated vegetable oil.     

Major trends in the land surface phenology (LSP) of Africa,controlling for land-cover change

ABSTRACT

Monitoring land surface phenology (LSP) trends is important in understanding how both climatic and non-climatic factors influence vegetation growth and dynamics. Controlling for land-cover changes in these analyses has been undertaken only rarely, especially in poorly studied regions like Africa. Using regression models and controlling for land-cover changes, this study estimated LSP trends for Africa from the enhanced vegetation index (EVI) derived from 500 m surface reflectance Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MOD09A1), for the period from 2001 to 2015. Overall end of season showed slightly more pixels with significant trends (12.9% of pixels) than start of season (11.56% of pixels) and length of season (LOS) (5.72% of pixels), leading generally to more ‘longer season’ LOS trends. Importantly, LSP trends that were not affected by land-cover changes were distinguished from those that were influenced by land-cover changes such as to map LSP changes that have occurred within stable land-cover classes and which might, therefore, be reasonably associated with climate changes through time. As expected, greater slope magnitudes were observed more frequently for pixels with land-cover changes compared to those without, indicating the importance of controlling for land cover. Consequently, we suggest that future analyses of LSP trends should control for land-cover changes such as to isolate LSP trends that are solely climate-driven and/or those influenced by other anthropogenic activities or a combination of both.     

Synthesis and Characterization of ZnO/CuO Nanocomposites as an Effective Photocatalyst and Gas Sensor for Environmental Remediation

Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials - Current study delineates the synthesis and environmental applications of ZnO/CuO nanocomposite in photocatalysis and gas sensing....