This paper investigates the selectivity of GMA-based-non-woven fabrics adsorbent towards copper ion (Cu) functionalized with several aliphatic amines. The aliphatic amines used in this study were ethylenediamine (EDA), diethylenetriamine (DETA), triethylenetetramine (TETA), and tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA). The non-woven polyethylene/polypropylene fabrics (NWF) were grafted with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) via pre-radiation grafting technique, followed by chemical functionalization with the aliphatic amine. To prepare the ion recognition polymer (IRP), the functionalized amine GMA-grafted-NWF sample was subjected to radiation crosslinking process along with the crosslinking agent, divinylbenzene (DVB), in the presence of Cu ion as a template in the matrix of the adsorbent. Functionalization with different aliphatic amine was carried out at different amine concentrations, grafting yield, reaction temperature, and reaction time to study the effect of different aliphatic amine onto amine density yield. At a concentration of 50% of amine and 50% of isopropanol, EDA, DETA, TETA, and TEPA had attained amine density around 5.12, 4.06, 3.04, and 2.56 mmol/g-ad, respectively. The amine density yield decreases further as the aliphatic amine chain grows longer. The experimental condition for amine functionalization process was fixed at 70% amine, 30% isopropanol, 60 °C for grafting temperature, and 2 h of grafting time for attaining 100% of grafting yield (Dg). The prepared adsorbents were characterized comprehensively in terms of structural and morphology with multiple analytical tools. An adsorptive removal and selectivity of Cu ion by the prepared adsorbent was investigated in a binary metal ion system. The IRP samples with a functional precursor of EDA, the smallest aliphatic amine had given the higher adsorption capacity and selectivity towards Cu ion. The selectivity of IRP samples reduces as the aliphatic amine chain grows longer, EDA to TEPA. However, IRP samples still exhibited remarkably higher selectivity in comparison to the amine immobilized GMA-g-NWF at similar adsorption experimental conditions. This observation indicates that IRP samples possess higher selectivity after incorporation of the ion recognition imprint technique via the radiation crosslinking process.
Blends of fibre-reinforced rubber based on natural rubber-thermoplastic (NR/LLDPE) reinforced by aramid fibre have been done using melt blending process. Two different processing methods were used; internal mixer and extrusion compounding in twin screw extruder. Twaron loading in the system was varied from 0 to 30%. It was found that increasing the amount of aramid fibre led to an increase in the tensile strength, tensile modulus and hardness of the composites while the strain decreased rapidly. The results showed that the optimum composition of filler loading in NR/LLDPE blend is 20%. The ,echanical behaviour was caused by the strong Twaron-matrices interaction in the composites and effective stress concentrating function of Twaron. Composites prepared using the twin-screw extruder have a higher tensile strength and tensile using the twin-screw extruder have a higher tensile stength and tensile modulus but lower impact strength compared to those prepared using internal mixer. Study of the fracture surface by scanning electron microscopy showed that the composite prepared using the internal mixer produced random fiber orientation while the twin-screw extruder produced the fibers aligned to the longitudinal direction. The results indicate that the mechanical properties of the composite were significantly influenced by the processing technique.
Penyediaan komposit getah asli termoplastik daripada NR/LLDPE yang diperkuat gentian Twaron telah dijalankan melalui proses adunan leburan. Dua kaedah penyediaan yang berbeza digunakan iaitu menggunakan mesin pencampur dalaman manakala kaedah kedua menggunakan pengekstrud skru kembar. Kandungan Twaron di dalam komposit telah diubah daripada 0 hingga 30%. Keputusan menunjukkan bahawa penambahan Twaron telah meningkatkan nilai tegasan maksima, modulus Young dan kekuatan hentaman komposit tetapi menurunkan nilai terikan maksima. Kandungan Twaron yang optimum adalah 20%. Kehadiran Twaron telah membentuk satu jaringan saling tindak gentian-matriks menyebabkan kekuatan regangan komposit meningkat. Twaron juga berfungsi sebagai penyerap hentaman yang berkesan. Penyediaan komposit menggunakan pengekstrud skru berkembar telah menghasilkan nilai kekuatan regangan yang lebih tinggi berbanding penggunaan pencampur dalaman sebaliknya kekuatan hentaman yang lebih rendah. Kajian morfologi menggunakan mikroskop imbasan elektron mendapati komposit yang disediakan menggunakan pencampur dalaman menghasilkan gentian dengan orientasi rawak manakala pengekstrud skru kembar menghasilkan orientasi gentian yang selari. Keputusan ini menunjukkan bahawa sifat mekanik komposit NR/LLDPE yang diperkuat Twaron sangat dipengaruhi oleh teknik pemprosesan.
Poly (vinyl chloride), which is commonly abbreviated as PVC, is widely used due to it being inexpensive, durable, and flexible. As a hard thermoplastic, PVC is used in the applications such as in building materials pipe and plumbing. The factors that should be considered in using PVC is safety and environmental issues. Mixing PVC with natural fibres is an interesting alternative. The main challenge in the research on natural fibre/polymer composites is the poor compatibility between the fibres and the matrix because this will affect their bonding strength. During the mixing with PVC, some natural fibres may acts as reinforcing materials while other natural fibres only act as filler, which contribute less to mechanical strength improvement. However, generally natural fibres also give positive outcome to the stiffness of the composites while decreasing the density.
In this work, epoxidized natural rubber 50 (ENR-50) has been used as a host polymer for the preparation of electrolyte system. Attenuated total reflection-fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analyses showed the presence of lithium saltENR interactions. The glass transition temperature displayed an increasing trend with the increase in salt concentration indicating that the ionic conductivity was not influenced by segmental motion of the ENR-50 chains. The increase in
glass transition temperature with the addition of salt was due to the formation of transient cross-linking between ENR-50 chains via the coordinated interaction between ENR-50 chains and salt. The highest room temperature ionic conductivity obtained was in the order of 10-5 S cm-1 for the film containing 50 wt% of lithium salt. The ionic conductivity of this electrolyte system increased with increasing temperature and obeyed the Vogel-Tamman-Fulcher behavior. The increase in ionic conductivity of the electrolyte system with salt concentration could also be correlated to the charge carriers concentration and/or migration rate of charge carriers.
The aim of the study was to develop response surface methodology (RSM) models for polymer loading, density, dimensional stability, strength and stiffness of compressed wood of sesenduk (Endospermum diadenum) treated with phenol formaldehyde (PF). Central composite design (CCD) using RSM with three processing parameters was studied in their specific ranges: PF concentration (PC) from 24-40%, pre-curing time (PCT), 3-9 h and compression ratio (CR), 70-90%. The experimental design was analysed and interpreted using the Design Expert Software (Stat Ease version 8) and the responses of 3d plots were built using the same software. Quadratic models in terms of PC, PCT and CR were developed for polymer loading, density, reduction in water absorption and modulus of rupture in static bending. Multiple linear equations were developed for anti-swelling efficiency and modulus of elasticity. The experimental values were in good agreement with predicted ones and the models were highly significant with correlation coefficients between 0.626 and 0.926. PC and CR had significant effects on the responses. The range of PCT used did not significantly affect the responses. It was also found that the improvement of properties ranged from moderately to highly correlated with the polymer loading in the compreg wood.
A series of poly(urea-formaldehyde) (PUF) microcapsules filled with dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) was successfully prepared by in situ polymerization. The effect of diverse process parameters and ingredients on the morphology of the microcapsules was observed by SEM, optical microscopy (OM) and digital microscopy. Different techniques for the characterization of the chemical structure and the core content were considered such as FT-IR and 1H-NMR as well as the characterization of thermal properties by DSC. High yields of free flowing powder of spherical microcapsules were produced. The synthesized microcapsules can be incorporated into another polymeric host material. In the event the host material cracks due to excessive stress or strong impact, the microcapsules would rupture to release the DCPD, which could polymerize to repair the crack.
Liquid biphasic flotation (LBF), an integrated process of liquid biphasic system (LBS) and adsorptive bubbles flotation, was used for the purification of C-phycocyanin from S. platensis microalgae. Various experimental parameters such as type of phase forming polymer and salt, concentration of phase forming components, system pH, volume ratio, air flotation time and crude extract concentration were evaluated to maximise the C-phycocyanin recovery yield and purity. The optimal conditions for the LBF system achieving C-phycocyanin purification fold of 3.49 compared to 2.43 from the initial LBF conditions was in polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000 and potassium phosphate combination, with 250 g/L of polymer and salt concentration each, volume ratio of 1:0.85, system pH of 7.0, air flotation duration of 7 min and phycocyanin crude extract concentration of 0.625 %w/w. The LBF has effectively enhanced the purification of C-phycocyanin in a cost effective and simple processing.
In this paper, the synthesis and characterisation of caffeine-imprinted polymers are described. The polymers were prepared in monolithic form via both reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerisation and conventional free radical polymerisation, using methacrylic acid and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the functional monomer and crosslinking agent, respectively. The potential benefits in applying RAFT polymerisation techniques towards the synthesis of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are explored and elucidated. The pore structures of the polymers produced were characterised by nitrogen sorption porosimetry and the molecular recognition properties of representative products were evaluated in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) mode. Molecular imprinting effects were confirmed by analysing the relative retentions of analytes on imprinted and non-imprinted HPLC
stationary phases. It was found that a caffeine-imprinted polymer synthesised by RAFT polymerisation was superior to a polymer prepared using a conventional synthetic approach; the imprinting factor and column efficiency were found to be higher for the former material.
The valorization of lignin to replace phenol is significant in the production of phenolic resins. However, a great challenge is to produce lignin-based resin (LR) with a suitable viscosity and high substitution rate of lignin to phenol. In this study, LRs were produced using hardwood technical lignin derived from the pulping industry. Structural analysis of the LRs indicated that the unsubstituted para and ortho carbon atoms of the aromatic ring influenced the curing temperature and activation energy of the resins. The curing kinetics and thermal decomposition study implied that urea and methylene groups in cured LRs were significant factors that affected the thermal stability negatively. The prepared LRs showed desirable features if used as adhesives to make plywood. This is the first approach in which a substitution rate of up to 65 % is achieved for low-reactive-site hardwood lignin, which provides a solution to the challenge of the simultaneous realization of the high addition of lignin and the adaptive viscosity of resins.
Electrospun nanofiber membrane (NFM) has a high potential to be applied as a filter for produced water treatment due to its highly porous structure and great permeability. However, it faces fouling issues and has low mechanical properties, which reduces the performance and lifespan of the membrane. NFM has a low integrity and the fine mat easily detaches from the sheet. In this study, nylon 6,6 was selected as the polymer since it offers great hydrophilicity. In order to increase mechanical strength and separation performance of NFM, solvent vapor treatment was implemented where the vapor induces the fusion of fibers. The fabricated nylon 6,6 NFMs were treated with different exposure times of formic acid vapor. Results show that solvent vapor treatment helps to induce the fusion of overlapping fibers. The optimum exposure time for solvent vapor is 5 h to offer full retention of dispersed oil (100% of oil rejection), has 62% higher in tensile strength (1950 MPa) compared to untreated nylon 6,6 NFM (738 MPa), and has the final permeability closest to the untreated nylon 6,6 NFM (733 L/m2.h.bar). It also took more time to get fouled (220 min) compared to untreated NFM (160 min).
Nanomaterials can be incorporated in the synthesis of membrane to obtain mixed-matrix membrane with marked improvement in properties and performance. However, stability and dispersion of the nanomaterials in the membrane matrix, as well as the need to use high ratio of nanomaterials for obvious improvement of membrane properties, remain a major hurdle for commercialization. Hence, this study aims to investigate the improvement of polyamide 6,6 membrane properties with the incorporation of silver nanoparticles decorated on graphene oxide (Ag-GO) nanoplates and at the same time focus is given to the issues above. Graphene oxide nanoplates were synthesized using the modified Hummers' method and decorated with silver before embedded into the polyamide 6,6 matrix. Physicochemical characterizations were conducted on both nanoplates and the mixed-matrix Ag-GO polyamide 6,6 membrane. The issues of Ag agglomeration and leaching were not observed, which could be attributed to the decoration of Ag on GO that helped to disperse the nanomaterials and provided a better anchor point for the attachment of Ag nanoparticles. The synthesized membrane showed marked improvement regarding flux (135% increment) and antifouling (40% lower irreversible fouling), which could be ascribed to the more negative charge of membrane surface (-14 ± 6 to -31 ± 3.8 mV) and hydrophilicity (46% enhancement) of the membranes. With minimal embedment of Ag nanoparticles, the membrane showed superior antibacterial property where the E. coli bacteria could not form a single colony on the membrane surface. Overall, the decoration of Ag on GO nanoplates could be a promising approach to resolve the agglomeration and leaching issues as well as reduce the amount of precious Ag in the synthesis of Ag-GO polyamide 6,6 membrane.
Surfactants are the emerging contaminant and cause a detrimental effect on the ecosystem. In this study, an attempt is made to removal anionic surfactant Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) containing wastewater using hydrophilic polyvinylpyrollidone (PVP) (5-15 wt%) modified polyethersulfone (PES) ultrafiltration membrane. The influence of operating variables on membrane performance was also sequentially analyzed using tests and three numerical modeling methods such as multiple linear regression (MLR), multiple Ln-equation regression (MLnER), and gene expression programming (GEP). Contact angle value of 10 wt% PVP modified PES membrane decreased up to 23.8°, whereas the neat PES membrane is 70.7°. This study indicates that the required hydrophilic property was improved in the modified membrane. The water flux and porosity also enhanced in PVP modified PES membranes. In performance evaluation, the optimum operating variable condition of transmembrane pressure (TMP), feed concentration, and the temperature is found to be 3 bar, 100 ppm, and 25 °C, respectively. Among the models, GEP has a good correlation with experimental anionic surfactant SDS filtration data. GEP performs better than other model with respect to statistical parameter and error terms. This study provides an insight into an adaptation of novel numerical modeling methods for the prediction of membrane performance to the treatment of surfactant wastewater.
Bio-novolac fibre made from phenol-formaldehyde derived oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) was produced using electrospinning method. The bio-novolac phenol-formaldehyde was prepared via liquefaction and resinification at two different molar ratios of formaldehyde to liquefied EFB (LEFB) (F:LEFB = 0.5:1 and 0.8:1). Electrospinning was applied to the bio-novolac phenol-formaldehyde (BPF) in order to form smooth and thin as-spun fibre. The BPF was electrospun at 15 kV and 15 cm distance between needle and collector at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/h. At lower molecular weight of BPF resin, beads formation was observed. The addition of poly(vinyl) butyral (Mw = 175,000 - 250,000) has improved the fibre formation with lesser beads hence produced more fibre. Polymer solution with higher molecular weight produced better quality fibre.
The present study investigated the use of modified titanium dioxide (TiO2) based photocatalytic degradation (PCD) process for the removal of some critical charged aqueous phase pollutants. First of all, the use of Nafion TiO2 (Nf-TiO2) and silica TiO2 (Si-TiO2) for the removal of aqueous phase ammonia (NH4+/NH3) species employing near UV lamp as energy source was studied. The use of Nf-TiO2 enhanced NH4+/NH3 PCD with optimum removal noted for 1 mL of Nafion solution coating per g of TiO2 and respective overall NH4+/NH3 removal was about 1.7 times higher compared to plain TiO2 at 6 h reaction time. Similarly the 0.5 mL silica solution coating per g TiO2 sample, also enhanced NH4+/NH3 removal with optimum efficiency similar to Nf-TiO2. The results from effect of ammonia concentration on to its PCD using Nf-TiO2 indicated that overall mass based NH4+/NH3 removal was higher at greater NH4+/NH3 amounts indicating high efficiency of Nf-TiO2. Similar trends were noted for Si-TiO2 as well. Furthermore, the results from modified TiO2 and mixed NH4+/NH3 and cyanide (CN-) systems indicated successful removal of co-pollutant CN- along with simultaneous degradation of NH4+/NH3 species at rates that were still higher than plain TiO2. Nevertheless application of Nf-TiO2 for the treatment of cationic dye methylene blue (MB) indicated slower MB removal compared to plain TiO2 though significant MB degradation using Nf-TiO2 could still be achieved at pH3. Additionally the results from solar radiation energized PCD process indicated positive role of solar radiation for the removal of NH4+/NH3 species under a varying set of conditions.
Xylem is an essential conductive tissue in vascular plants, and secondary cell wall polymers found in xylem vessel elements, such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, are promising sustainable bioresources. Thus, understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying xylem vessel element differentiation is an important step towards increasing woody biomass and crop yields. Establishing in vitro induction systems, in which vessel element differentiation is induced by phytohormonal stimuli or by overexpression of specific transcription factors, has been vital to this research. In this review, we present an overview of these in vitro induction systems, and describe two recently developed in vitro induction systems, VISUAL (Vascular cell Induction culture System Using Arabidopsis Leaves) and the KDB system. Furthermore, we discuss the potentials and limitations of each of these new in vitro induction systems for advancing our understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving xylem vessel element differentiation.
The main objectives of this work were to develop a lab-scale direct current (DC) glow discharges plasma system for modification of organic and inorganic membranes. Characteristics of plasma system were presented under the discharge of five gases (Ar, N2, air, O2, and CO2). A Langmuir double probe was used for the evaluation of the electron temperature (Te) and electron density (ne) of plasmas. The current and voltage (I-V) characteristic curves were analyzed. Relationships between breakdown voltage (VB) of gases and products of gas pressure and inter-electrode gap (pd) were studied in form of Paschen curves. The results showed that Te of plasma in various gases was in the range of 4-13 eV, while the ne varied between 108 and 109 cm-3. The plasma generated at different gas pressure and applied voltage is in the normal and abnormal modes. Finally, the constructed DC-plasma system was utilized for modification of polymeric membrane surfaces. Treatment time, discharge power and type of gas were varied. The tailoring of membrane surfaces was analyzed through the water contact angle and percent-weight loss (PWL) measurements, DMTA, AFM, XPS and FTIR spectrum. It could be shown that DC-plasma from this system can be used to modify the surface of polymeric membranes.
Photovoltaic module backsheets are characterized according to their thermal, optical, mechanical, and technical properties. This work introduces new fabricated backsheets for PV modules using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) reinforced with short sugar palm fiber (SSPF) composites. The preparation of composites undergoes multiple phases of fabrication. Thermal, optical, and technical investigations of their properties were conducted. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, in-situ scanning probe microscopy (SPM), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), thermal mechanical analysis (TMA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and prolonged technical testing were accomplished to expansively understand the complex behavior of composites under various conditions. The optical properties of PV backsheets are critical components in determining the reflectance, absorbance, and transmittance of light. The PVDF-SSPF composites exhibited exceptional compatibility and thermal stability, further revealing a homogenous composite structure with enhanced interfacial bonding between the short fiber and polymer matrix.
The functionalization of surface charges on oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) fibers was modified by grafted carboxylic
acid and polymer amine groups. Single and binary adsorption of Cu(II), Ni(II), Mo(VI) and As(V) were investigated
by competitiveness in the adsorbents. The mechanism of each metal ion was deliberately studied on kinetics-diffusion
(intraparticle diffusion) and isotherm adsorption models (Langmuir and Freundlich). Competitiveness of metal ions was
found in the selectivity of Cu(II) > Ni(II) and Mo(VI) > As(V) in the binary solution. The regeneration of adsorbents
was performed up to five cycles of an adsorption/desorption process and the reduction of adsorption performance was
less than 14.5%. Therefore, this promises low-cost adsorbents for metal ion uptake, showing potential for removal and
recovery in industrial wastewater treatment.
The data in this article present the effective parameters of experimental ultrasonication process on the dispersion stability of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) grafted with a natural polymer of Gum Arabic (GA). These datasets are supporting the article "Natural Polymer Non-Covalently Grafted Graphene Nanoplatelets for Improved Oil Recovery Process: A Micromodel Evaluation" [1]. The datasets were gained during experiments conducted at various dwell time (30, 60, 90 and 120 min) at constant power amplitude (60%) of sonication for preparing the stable GA-GNP/brine solutions aiming cost-effective and green agent solution for chemical enhanced oil recovery (C-EOR). The GA-GNPs dispersion data was verified using particle size analyser and UV-Vis measurements. The optimized time and power amplitude parameters of the sonication process were utilized for preparing stabilized samples of GA grafted GNPs in regarding to research work on Natural Polymer Non-Covalently Grafted Graphene Nanoplatelets for EOR. The dispersion stability of GA-GNPs nanofluids at reservoir conditions of high salinity and high temperatures (HSHT) was further demonstrated in the measured data through the sedimentation of nanoparticles.
Lack of suitable auto/allografts has been delaying surgical interventions for the treatment of numerous disorders and has also caused a serious threat to public health. Tissue engineering could be one of the best alternatives to solve this issue. However, deficiency of oxygen supply in the wounded and implanted engineered tissues, caused by circulatory problems and insufficient angiogenesis, has been a rate-limiting step in translation of tissue-engineered grafts. To address this issue, we designed oxygen-releasing electrospun composite scaffolds, based on a previously developed hybrid polymeric matrix composed of poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL). By performing ball-milling, we were able to embed a large percent of calcium peroxide (CP) nanoparticles into the PGS/PCL nanofibers able to generate oxygen. The composite scaffold exhibited a smooth fiber structure, while providing sustainable oxygen release for several days to a week, and significantly improved cell metabolic activity due to alleviation of hypoxic environment around primary bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs). Moreover, the composite scaffolds also showed good antibacterial performance. In conjunction to other improved features, such as degradation behavior, the developed scaffolds are promising biomaterials for various tissue-engineering and wound-healing applications.