Heterogeneously Catalyzed Methanolysis of Gmelina Seed Oil to Biodiesel

The heterogeneous catalysis of transesterification of gmelina seed oil to biodiesel is evaluated. The oil was extracted from the seeds with n‐hexane by solvent extraction and characterized to determine its physiochemical properties. Response surface methodology was applied to optimize the effect of process variables on the biodiesel yield. The base‐activated clay catalyst performed as montmorillonite clay with the characteristic property of a Brønsted acid. It has an improved surface area after activation that enhanced its catalytic activity on transesterification reaction. Under optimal conditions, the biodiesel yield was 70.1 %, thus demonstrating that the model predicted well the biodiesel production.     

STUDY OF COMPOSITION OF NIGERIAN TAR SAND BITUMEN

Compositional characterization techniques developed for high-boiling heavy ends of petroleum have been applied to Nigerian tar sand bitumen. The bitumen was subjected to ion-exchange and ferric chloride coordination chromatography to separate acids, bases and neutral nitrogen compounds. The remaining Hydrocarbon plus fraction was separated into saturates, monoarmatics, diaromatics and polyaromatic plus polar compounds on dual packed column of silica - alumina gels. Simulated distillation data were also obtained for the bitumen and were used to plot a boiling point distribution curve.

Results of the characterization are compared with results in literature for tar sand bitumens and petroleum. Comparison of the results with the Utah and the Athabasca bitumens provides a basis for the evaluation of the Nigerian bitumen because considerable information about the processing characteristics of the Athabasca bitumen have been reported by many researchers.

Simulated distillation and chromatographic separation data indicate that the bitumen used in this present study closely resembles the Athabasca and the Utah tar sand bitumens with respect to hydrocarbon/non-hydrocarbon distribution, and the high-boiling petroleum fraction with respect to non-distilling portion. Information about the composition of bitumens and heavy oils is needed because of the prospect of using heavy oils including bitumens as energy sources.     

Improvement of gastroprotective and anti-ulcer effect of kenaf seed oil-in-water nanoemulsions in rats

Food Science and Biotechnology - Kenaf seed oil-in-water nanoemulsions (KSON) and kenaf seed oil-in-water macroemulsions were produced to access their gastroprotective effect against indomethacin-...     

Measurements of 222Rn activity concentration in domestic water sources in Penang, northern peninsular Malaysia

Measurements of (222)Rn activity concentration were carried out in 39 samples collected from the domestic and drinking water sources used in the island and mainland of Penang, northern peninsular, Malaysia. The measured activity concentrations ranged from 7.49 to 26.25 Bq l(-1), 0.49 to 9.72 Bq l(-1) and 0.58 to 2.54 Bq l(-1) in the raw, treated and bottled water samples collected, respectively. This indicated relatively high radon concentrations compared with that from other parts of the world, which still falls below the WHO recommended treatment level of 100 Bq l(-1). From this data, the age-dependent associated committed effective doses due to the ingestion of (222)Rn as a consequence of direct consumption of drinking water were calculated. The committed effective doses from (222)Rn resulting from 1 y's consumption of these water were estimated to range from 0.003 to 0.048, 0.001 to 0.018 and 0.002 to 0.023 mSv y(-1), for age groups 0-1, 2-16 and >16 y, respectively.     

Landscape Practices in Traditional Igbo Society,Nigeria

Land in traditional Igbo society, just as in other cultures, is a highly valued resource. It has both ritual and commercial value, increasing the demand for and need to protect it. Realizing the limited supply and possible abuse of land, the Igbo society has traditionally used functional landscaping to manage it.     

THE PRODUCTION OF SYNTHETIC FUELS FROM NIGERIAN TANBAND BITUMEN

ABSTRACT

Synthetic fuels are expected to become a major source of energy supply in the future and major sources of synthetic fuels will be coal, shale oil and tar sand.

This paper presents an investigation of hydrotreating using a batch process for bitumen from Nigerian oil sand. The chatacteriistics in conversion of asphaltencs were studied. Various ananlyses were performed to obtain the properties of the bittemen before and after conversion to synthetic crude, e.g., changes of heteroatoms such as sulphur decreases of asphaltics, viscosity add specific gravity, and increases of distillate yield.

The process liquid fuel streams that are highly aromatic. The data suggest that the use of hydrogen causes stabilization of reactive intermediates rather than saturation of thermal products.     

Managers' practices related to work–family balance predict employee cardiovascular risk and sleep duration in extended care settings.

An increasing proportion of U.S. workers have family caregiving responsibilities. The purpose of this study was to determine whether employees in extended care settings whose managers are supportive, open, and creative about work–family needs, such as flexibility with work schedules, have lower cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and longer sleep than their less supported counterparts. From semistructured interviews with managers, we constructed a work–family balance score of manager openness and creativity in dealing with employee work–family needs. Trained interviewers collected survey and physiologic outcome data from 393 employees whose managers had a work–family score. Employee outcomes are sleep duration (actigraphy) and CVD risk assessed by blood cholesterol, high glycosylated hemoglobin/diabetes, blood pressure/hypertension, body-mass index, and tobacco consumption. Employees whose managers were less supportive slept less (29 min/day) and were over twice as likely to have 2 or more CVD risk factors (ORs = 2.1 and 2.03 for low and middle manager work–family scores, respectively) than employees whose managers were most open and creative. Employees who provide direct patient care exhibited particularly elevated CVD risk associated with low manager work–family score. Managers' attitudes and practices may affect employee health, including sleep duration and CVD risk. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)