Some aspects of stabilization and degradation of nigerian natural rubber (II): The environmental degradation of DBHBT-modified unprocessed,unvulcanized nigerian natural rubber

3,5-Di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl thioglycollate (DBHBT) was bound to the natural rubber (Hevea Brasilenisis) latex using 4,4'-azobiscyanovaleric (AZBN) acid-ferrous sulfate redox system. The degradation of various dilutions of the master batch as cast films under environmental influence has been investigated using spectroscopic method. Latex-bound DBHBT protects natural rubber latex against environmental degradation with an optimum concentration around 50%. The formation of C?0 groups by some pathways independent of ? OH groups and allylic hydrogen atoms has been suggested in the natural weathering of DBHBT-modified and unprocessed natural rubber.     

A review on conversion of triglycerides to on‐specification diesel fuels without additional inputs

Dependence on fossil fuels for global energy supply has continued to generate concerns about climate change and sustainable development. It has motivated the search for carbon‐neutral alternative resources for the production of transportation fuels to replace crude oil. Although biodiesels have recently emerged as a close substitute to petrol diesel, their use in compression ignition engines designed to run on petro‐diesel fuels are linked to adverse effects on the engines' performance and life span. This informed efforts at upgrading biodiesel or direct conversion of triglycerides to hydrocarbon mixtures that are identical or similar to that of petro‐diesel through hydrodeoxygenation. Moreover, it seems that commercial methods for the conversion of triglycerides to diesel fuels depends on inputs (methanol and hydrogen) derived from fossil fuels. However, it will be desirable to do so without inputs from fossil fuels. Hence, reaction paths for direct conversion of triglycerides to on‐specification hydrocarbons fuels without hydrogen gas input are discussed and suggested strategies are in cognisance of green chemistry principles. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Design for comfort in Nigeria — a bioclimatic approach

Most of the previous analyses of climate of Nigeria have been for agricultural use or weather prediction purposes. They have little or no application for building design. This paper examines and analyses the climate of Nigeria with respect to building design parameters — temperature, relative humidity, air velocity and solar radiation, with a view to providing design recommendations for the achievement of physiological comfort. It accesses the current methods of climatic analysis with respect to building design. It then develops bioclimatic charts for various cities for the country using a combination of a general atmospheric circulation model approach and control potential techniques. Finally, design recommendations are then suggested for typical cities in the country.     

Centimeter and millimeter wave attenuation by atmospheric gases and rainfall at a tropical station

The radiowave attenuation due to oxygen and water vapour has been computed over the frequency range 3–350 GHz making use of the mean surface air pressure, temperature and water vapour at Ile-Ife (geog. lat 7.5°N, long 4.5°E) in Southern Nigeria. It is observed that the attenuation at this tropical location is generally higher than at temperate climates. A similar analysis was performed for rainfall attenuation using rainfall intensity measurements. The results obtained with three different expressions for the rain height showed that a rain height of 3 km is a reasonable assumption for estimating earth-space rainfall attenuation at this location. It is found that for frequencies above 200 GHz, the polarization dependence of the specific attenuation due to rainfal becomes negligible. The computed attenuation is lower that that predicted using the corresponding CCIR rain climate data. The results show that whilst the contribution of oxygen and water vapour to the total atmospheric attenuation could be neglected when compared with rainfall attenuation up to about 150 GHz, the contribution becomes significant for frequencies above 190 GHz.     

Cross polarization on line-of-sight links in a tropical location:effects of the variation in canting angle and rain dropsizedistributions

The effects of the variation in canting angle of falling raindrops and the distribution of raindrop sizes in different types of rain on cross polarization discrimination (XPD) on line-of-sight propagation paths in a tropical location in the frequency range 1-50 GHz are investigated. The dropsize distribution (DSD) model of Adimula and Ajayi (see Ann. Telecomm., vol.51, no.1/2, p.87-93, 1996) has been used. Although, some previous studies of XPD assumed equi-orientation of the raindrops along the propagation paths, the present study employs the more realistic distribution of canting angles along the path. The results obtained show that the XPD improves by about 4-7 dB over those based on the equi-orientation model. It is also shown that for the same copolar fade and for frequencies greater than about 10 GHz, the variation of the XPD with copolar attenuation (CPA) is relatively insensitive to the assumed DSD in rain and that the deterioration in signal quality or outage will be influenced more by the signal attenuation rather than by the cross-polarization interference     

Traditionally Processed Beverages in Africa: A Review of the Mycotoxin Occurrence Patterns and Exposure Assessment

African traditional beverages are widely consumed food‐grade liquids processed from single or mixed grains (mostly cereals) by simple food processing techniques, of which fermentation tops the list. These beverages are very diverse in composition and nutritional value and are specific to different cultures and countries. The grains from which home‐processed traditional beverages are made across Africa are often heavily contaminated with multiple mycotoxins due to poor agricultural, handling, and storage practices that characterize the region. In the literature, there are many reports on the spectrum and quantities of mycotoxins in crops utilized in traditional beverage processing, however, few studies have analyzed mycotoxins in the beverages themselves. The available reports on mycotoxins in African traditional beverages are mainly centered on the finished products with little information on the process chain (raw material to final product), fate of the different mycotoxins during processing, and exposure estimates for consumers. Regulations targeting these local beverages are not in place despite the heavy occurrence of mycotoxins in their raw materials and the high consumption levels of the products in many homes. This paper therefore comprehensively discusses for the 1st time the available data on the wide variety of African traditional beverages, the mycotoxins that contaminate the beverages and their raw materials, exposure estimates, and possible consequent effects. Mycotoxin control options and future directions for mycotoxin research in beverage production are also highlighted.