Rare earth elements (REE) with specific application value have become the relatively important strategic resource for all countries. These so called ‘technology minerals’ are in increasing demand due to rapidly risi...
Rare earth elements (REE) with specific application value have become the relatively important strategic resource for all countries. These so called ‘technology minerals’ are in increasing demand due to rapidly rising use in consumer technology, renewable energy generation systems, automotive industry, and other high technology sectors. In order to provide information on the chemicalprocesses in mobilization behaviour of ion-adsorption type REE, this study investigated the extraction of REE from ion-adsorption clay deposit samples from weathering I-type granite profiles (saprolite horizon) at Maran, Pahang and Mersing, Johor (Eastern Belt of Peninsular Malaysia). Using a 0.5 M ammonium sulfate solution (adjusted at pH = 4), samples were leached in 1 hour through a Bureau of Certified Reference (BCR) leaching using BCR-701 standard, chosen based on experimental evidence to optimize the leachable REE. The Al2O3 concentration (27-31 wt.%) in saprolite horizon indicates depleted (change <0%) in mobile major (alkali and alkaline earth) elements, most conspicuously in the upper parts of the weathering profiles. The total REE concentrations in saprolite samples is between 438 – 453 ppm and experimental results revealed 70% of ∑REE was leached as ion-adsorption fraction. Saprolite horizon is strongly depleted in Fe and Ti and this depletion in Fe and Ti suggests that REE-bearing minerals containing these elements were broken down and were mobilized in this horizon. Therefore, BCR leaching was proven to be the potential leaching process and could be useful to assess ion-adsorption type REE deposit with low-grade geological resources, especially granite weathering profiles with similar geological settings.
The essential challenges in the 21st century are providing clean and affordable water to meet human needs that are mainly resulting from the rapidly increasing population, depleting water resources, and climate change...
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This study assessed the mesophilic biochemical potential of biohydrogen (BHP) and methane (BMP) from sugarcane bagasse (SCB) and cooked (CAB) and uncooked (UAB) Agave bagasses. Particularly, a systematic comparative a...
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In this research, the integrated photocatalyst-adsorbent (IPCA) formulation was built using oxalate-pyrite as the photoactive component and a chitosan as the adsorbents to degrade humic acid under visible light irradi...
In this research, the integrated photocatalyst-adsorbent (IPCA) formulation was built using oxalate-pyrite as the photoactive component and a chitosan as the adsorbents to degrade humic acid under visible light irradiation. The IPCA was synthesized by mixing the oxalate-pyrite powder catalyst with chitosan solution. The beads of IPCA were synthesized using the phase inversion method. Besides, the synthesized IPCA was characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV–visible NIR spectrophotometry. Then, the impact of factors such as the IPCA dosage, initial humic acid concentration and pH on the removal of humic acid was studied. The FTIR and SEM results show that the oxalate-pyrite and chitosan were successfully integrated while the UV Vis NIR result shows that the synthesized IPCA able to absorb visible light. Besides, the photocatalytic activity results show that an increase in the initial concentration from 20 ppm to 100 ppm decreased the removal efficiency from 80 % to 35 % while increase the IPCA dosage from 50 mg/l to 150 mg/l increased the removal efficiency from 20 % to 80 %. The optimum pH was at 9 which resulted 90 % removal efficiency. Moreover, the removal efficiency using oxalate-pyrite/chitosan was 80 % higher than pyrite/chitosan. As conclusion, the oxalate-pyrite/chitosan able to be a potential catalyst for the waste water treatment by photocatalytic reaction method.
Plastic pollution has led to the development of bioplastic to replace conventional petroleum-based plastic. It has received attention and interest from many researchers due to the global issues of plastic pollution. T...
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Plastic pollution has led to the development of bioplastic to replace conventional petroleum-based plastic. It has received attention and interest from many researchers due to the global issues of plastic pollution. The formulation to synthesize the bioplastic film has been established throughout the years with the incorporation of renewable sources such as starch, cellulose, plasticizer and several other additives to obtain a high quality bioplastic film. This study formulated a biocomposite using carrageenan, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), polyethylene glycol (PEG), glyoxylic acid and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) to produce bioplastic films reinforced from a renewable resource. The percentage of MCC was manipulated through the study to observe the strength of the film obtained with the increasing percentage of MCC. The film was cast onto the stainless steel plate and left to dry for 3 h at 60 °C. The results demonstrated that the highest value of tensile strength is 20.74 MPa at 1% of MCC addition. Besides that, the value of moisture content increased with the increasing percentage of MCC which is 16.72% at 3.5% of MCC concentration. Results showed that the increasing concentration of MCC increased the moisture content in the film hence influenced the strength of the bioplastic film obtained.
This present work reports on an eco-friendly and membraneless enzymatic biofuel cell (EBFC) with direct utilization of starch as biofuel. This study examines the compatibility of Metroxylon Sagu (Sago) starch to be us...
This present work reports on an eco-friendly and membraneless enzymatic biofuel cell (EBFC) with direct utilization of starch as biofuel. This study examines the compatibility of Metroxylon Sagu (Sago) starch to be used as a substrate in the production of biofuel in EBFC via enzymatic hydrolysis, which has not yet been explored. The hydrolysis is adapted from the idea of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF), which is widely used in another biofuel production. Alpha-amylase (aAmy) and glucoamylase (Gamy) enzymes (1:1 ratio) are used simultaneously in the hydrolysis process of Sago to produce glucose. Membraneless EBFC makes the biofuel cell less bulky and reduces the cost. The presence of glucose after the hydrolysis process was identified using the DNSA method. Meanwhile, the catalytic currents have been successfully observed in the cyclic voltammetry analysis to confirm the redox reaction. Furthermore, the electrochemical performances of the membraneless EBFC were evaluated in terms of the open circuit voltage (OCV) and the maximum power density. All the measurements were carried out with a potentiostat. The best catalytic currents of an EBFC employing 1.5% (w/v) concentration of Sago substrate and 200 µl of enzymes and present a maximum power density of 39.3 µW cm−2 and an OCV of 0.32 V. The results proved that the direct use of Sago in EBFC successfully produces biofuel and thus generates electricity. Membraneless EBFC is a potential candidate for low-powered implantable and wearable devices.
Subsea pipelines are exposed to various threats that may affect their integrity and serviceability. To maintain their integrity, pipeline maintenance should be well planned to avoid excessive repairs and inspections. ...
Subsea pipelines are exposed to various threats that may affect their integrity and serviceability. To maintain their integrity, pipeline maintenance should be well planned to avoid excessive repairs and inspections. The uncertainties associated with the deterioration of the subsea pipeline require a comprehensive decision making methodology for maintenance prioritisation. This study proposes a risk based framework for the prioritisation of subsea pipeline segment maintenance schemes subjected to various threats. Bayesian Network and its extension, Influence Diagram are developed to rank the pipeline segments based on the utility value utilising their expected total cost incurred due to risk factors. A case study of a subsea pipeline from the North Sea is used to demonstrate the methodology. Results from the proposed influence diagram are also employed to model preventive maintenance using cost-benefit analysis. It is found that the proposed model can support the decision making of the pipeline’s operators in the process of prioritising subsea pipelines for integrity maintenance and optimising the maintenance interval.
Different lignins from different sources (hardwoods, softwoods and crop residues) and obtained as by-products of different processes such pulping or biorefining. were depolymerized in alkaline supercritical water (SCW...
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