Displaying publications 121 - 140 of 306 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Fulltext An acceleration of microwave-assisted transesterification of palm oil-based methyl ester into trimethylolpropane ester
    Aziz NAM, Yunus R, Hamid HA, Ghassan AAK, Omar R, Rashid U, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2020 11 12;10(1):19652.
    PMID: 33184363 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76775-y
    Microwave-assisted synthesis is known to accelerate the transesterification process and address the issues associated with the conventional thermal process, such as the processing time and the energy input requirement. Herein, the effect of microwave irradiation on the transesterification of palm oil methyl ester (PME) with trimethylolpropane (TMP) was evaluated. The reaction system was investigated through five process parameters, which were reaction temperature, catalyst, time, molar ratio of TMP to PME and vacuum pressure. The yield of TMP triester at 66.9 wt.% and undesirable fatty soap at 17.4% were obtained at 130 °C, 10 mbar, sodium methoxide solution at 0.6 wt.%, 10 min reaction time and molar ratio of TMP to PME at 1:4. The transesterification of palm oil-based methyl ester to trimethylolpropane ester was 3.1 folds faster in the presence of microwave irradiation. The total energy requirement was markedly reduced as compared to the conventional heating method. The findings indicate that microwave-assisted transesterification could probably be an answer to the quest for a cheaper biodegradable biolubricant.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microwaves
  2. Fulltext An investigation of microstructural, magnetic and microwave absorption properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes/Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4
    Mustaffa MS, Azis RS, Abdullah NH, Ismail I, Ibrahim IR
    Sci Rep, 2019 Oct 29;9(1):15523.
    PMID: 31664142 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52233-2
    The enhancement of microwave absorbing properties in nickel zinc ferrite (Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4) via multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) growth is studied in this research work. Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 was initially synthesized by mechanical alloying followed by sintering at 1200 °C and the microstructural, electromagnetic and microwave characteristics have been scrutinized thoroughly. The sintered powder was then used as a catalyst to grow MWCNT derived from chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. The sample was mixed with epoxy resin and a hardener for preparation of composites. The composite of multi-walled carbon nanotubes/Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 shown a maximum reflection loss (RL) of -19.34 dB at the frequency and bandwidth of 8.46 GHz and 1.24 GHz for an absorber thickness of 3 mm for losses less than -10 dB. This acquired result indicates that multi-walled carbon nanotubes/Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 could be used as a microwave absorber application in X-band.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microwaves
  3. Bioaccumulation and histopathological changes induced by toxicity of mercury (hgcl2) to tilapia fish oreochromis niloticus
    Mohammed A. Jasim, Mohd Sofian-azirun, Yusoff, Motior Rahman M
    Sains Malaysiana, 2016;45:119-127.
    In this paper we have studied the acute toxicity effect of Hg on hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). For this, the tissues of tilapia have been digested by means of acids in microwave oven and was analyzed by flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometer (FAAS). We have identified that the levels of Hg varied significantly in different tissues and the metal concentration was in the following order: liver > gills > muscles; of which the maximum level recorded for Hg was 0.799 mg/kg. We have also observed the alterations towards histopathological aspects in the gills and liver of treated fishes were studied using light and electron microscopy, subjected to the exposure of Hg for 24 h and furthermore we have also noticed the extent of the increased alterations during the 96 h of exposure to median lethal concentration LC50 (0.3 mg/L) a severe disorganization of epithelial cells and modifications of the structure of the secondary lamellae. Moreover the severity has also found to increase to sub-lethal concentration (0.03 mgHg/L) in 21 days of exposure; Liver was slightly affected by the contamination of Hg. Ultimately, histopathology is considered as a sensitive technique of bioaccumulation and for the observing the potential damage from Hg exposure.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microwaves
  4. N-doped TiO2 synthesised via microwave induced photocatalytic on RR4 dye removal under LED light irradiation
    Azami MS, Nawawi WI, Ali H. Jawad, Ishak MAM, Azami MS, K. Ismail
    Sains Malaysiana, 2017;46:1390-1316.
    Nitrogen doped titanium dioxide (N-doped TiO2
    ) was synthesized by microwave using urea as nitrogen sources with
    commercially available TiO2
    -P25. The N-doped TiO2
    was compared with unmodified TiO2
    by carrying out the investigation
    on its properties using x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Fourier transformed infrared
    spectroscopy (FTIR) and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS). The photocatalytic activities of N-doped TiO2
    and unmodified TiO2 were studied for photodegradation of reactive red 4 (RR4) under light emitting diode (LED) light
    irradiation. An active photoresponse under LED light irradiation was observed from N-doped TiO2
    with 60 min of time
    irradiation to complete RR4 color removal while no photocatalytic degradation was observed from unmodified.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microwaves
  5. Fulltext Bending effects study on flexible wearable antenna for 2.45 GHz body centric wireless communications
    Aslina A. Bakar, Amirul A. Mustafa, Ahmad R. Razali, Norhayati Mutalib, Amirudin Ibrahim
    ESTEEM Academic Journal, 2020;16(2):75-87.
    MyJurnal
    This study aims to investigate the bending effects on the flexible wearable antenna by using copper nanowires and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). This project focuses on the bending effect on the proposed wearable antenna in the presence of skin tissue and at free space. The radiation characteristics were simulated and analyzed when the antenna was under flat and bent conditions. The performance result of return loss and radiation pattern (Efield and H-field) of proposed wearable antenna was analyzed. The material for the proposed antenna is designed to be flexible and wearable for the application of body-centric wireless communication (BCWCs) at the frequency of 2.45 GHz with the approval specifications of industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band. Radiator for the proposed wearable antenna is fabricated using copper nanowire, and the antenna substrate is by using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The performance result of the proposed wearable antenna was simulated by using CST microwave studio. From the simulated result for different bending angles, a conclusion was drawn that bending of structure can improve the impedance matching and return loss during the bent condition. However, the resonant frequency tends to shift as the antenna is bent up to 50°. At the critical angle of 70°, the frequency is shifted to a lower frequency.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microwaves
  6. Dielectric and material analysis on physicochemical activity of porous hydroxyapatite/cornstarch composites
    Beh CY, Cheng EM, Mohd Nasir NF, Eng SK, Abdul Majid MS, Ridzuan MJM, et al.
    Int J Biol Macromol, 2021 Jan 01;166:1543-1553.
    PMID: 33181217 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.11.034
    This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the dielectric and physicochemical properties of the porous hydroxyapatite/cornstarch (HAp/Cs) composites in a new perspective. The porous composites have been characterized via SEM, FTIR, XRD and dielectric spectroscopy. The dielectric permittivity spectra were obtained in Ku-band (12.4-18.0 GHz) and it was correlated with the physicochemical properties of the porous HAp/Cs. Porous HAp/Cs composites exhibits low ε' and negative ε″, which influenced by the microstructural morphology, interaction between Hap and Cs, as well as crystalline features due to the various proportion of the HAp/Cs. The physicochemical effect of the composites results in the dielectric polarization and energy loss. This phenomenon indicates the presence of the three obvious relaxation responses in the ε' spectrum (13.2-14.0, 15.2-16.0, and 16.6-17.4 GHz) and the negative behaviours in the ε″ spectrum. The relationships between physicochemical and dielectric properties of the porous composite facilitate the development of the non-destructive microwave evaluation test for the porous composite.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microwaves
  7. Recent progress on CO-rich syngas production via CO2 gasification of various wastes: A critical review on efficiency, challenges and outlook
    Chan YH, Syed Abdul Rahman SNF, Lahuri HM, Khalid A
    Environ Pollut, 2021 Mar 01;278:116843.
    PMID: 33711630 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116843
    Carbon monoxide (CO) is a highly valuable component of syngas which could be used to synthesize various chemicals and fuels. Conventionally, syngas is derived from fossil-based natural gas and coal which are non-renewable. To curb the problem, CO2 gasification offers a win-win solution in which CO2 is converted with wastes to CO, achieving carbon emission mitigation and addressing waste disposal issue simultaneously. In this review, gasification of various wastes by CO2 with particular focus given to generation of CO-rich syngas is presented and critically discussed. This includes the effects of operating parameters (temperature, pressure and physicochemical properties of feedstocks) and advanced CO2 gasification techniques (catalytic CO2 gasification, CO2 co-gasification and microwave-driven CO2 gasification). Furthermore, associated technological challenges are highlighted and way forward in this field are proposed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microwaves
  8. Fulltext Data of microwave assisted extraction and conventional hot water extraction of Dendrobium Sonia 'Earsakul' orchid flower
    Netramai S, Kijchavengkul T, Samsudin H, Lertsiri S
    Data Brief, 2020 Aug;31:105906.
    PMID: 32637506 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2020.105906
    Crude extracts of fresh Dendrobium Sonia 'Earsakul' orchid flowers (DSE) were prepared using microwave assisted extraction (MAE; using household microwave oven) and hot water extraction (HWE; at constant 80 °C). The obtained DSEs were measured their absorbance at λmax of 543 and 583 nm and determined their total monomeric anthocyanin contents (TAC). Mathematical models of MAE of Dendrobium Sonia 'Earsakul' orchid flower were constructed using response surface methodology - Box-Behnken design. Studied parameters included flower to water ratio, microwave power, and extraction time, with absorbance at λmax as response. The data generated were 1) visible spectrum (400-700 nm) of DSE; 2) absorbance values at λmax and 3) TAC of DSEs obtained from various extraction conditions of MAE and HWE; 4) linear equations describing correlations between TAC and absorbance at λmax of DSEs; and 5) mathematical models of MAE of Dendrobium Sonia 'Earsakul' orchid.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microwaves
  9. Fulltext Correlation Between Composition and Electrodynamics Properties in Nanocomposites Based on Hard/Soft Ferrimagnetics with Strong Exchange Coupling
    Almessiere MA, Trukhanov AV, Slimani Y, You KY, Trukhanov SV, Trukhanova EL, et al.
    Nanomaterials (Basel), 2019 Feb 04;9(2).
    PMID: 30720737 DOI: 10.3390/nano9020202
    In this work, Sr0.3Ba0.4Pb0.3Fe12O19/(CuFe₂O₄)x (x = 2, 3, 4, and 5) as strongly exchange-coupled nanosized ferrites were fabricated using a one-pot sol⁻gel combustion method (citrate sol-gel method). The X-ray diffraction (XRD) powder patterns of the products confirmed the occurrence of pure, exchange-coupled ferrites. Frequency dependencies of the microwave characteristics (MW) were investigated using a co-axial method. The non-linear behavior of the MW with the composition transformation may be due to different degrees of Fe ion oxidation on the spinel/hexaferrite grain boundaries and strong exchange coupling during the hard and soft phases.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microwaves
  10. Fulltext Compact Elliptical UWB Antenna for Underwater Wireless Communications
    Alhawari ARH, Majeed SF, Saeidi T, Mumtaz S, Alghamdi H, Hindi AT, et al.
    Micromachines (Basel), 2021 Apr 07;12(4).
    PMID: 33917167 DOI: 10.3390/mi12040411
    The increasing needs of free licensed frequency bands like Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), and 5G for underwater communications required more bandwidth (BW) with higher data transferring rate. Microwaves produce a higher transferring rate of data, and their associated devices are smaller in comparison with sonar and ultrasonic. Thus, transceivers should have broad BW to cover more of a frequency band, especially from ultra-wideband (UWB) systems, which show potential outcomes. However, previous designs of similar work for underwater communications were very complicated, uneasy to fabricate, and large. Therefore, to overcome these shortcomings, a novel compact elliptical UWB antenna is designed to resonate from 1.3 to 7.2 GHz. It is invented from a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) layer with a dielectric constant of 2.55 mm and a thickness of 0.8 mm. The proposed antenna shows higher gain and radiation efficiency and stability throughout the working band when compared to recent similarly reported designs, even at a smaller size. The characteristics of the functioning antenna are investigated through fluid mediums of fresh-water, seawater, distilled water, and Debye model water. Later, its channel capacity, bit rate error, and data rate are evaluated. The results demonstrated that the antenna offers compact, easier fabrication with better UWB characteristics for underwater 5G communications.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microwaves
  11. A Glimpse into the Extraction Methods of Active Compounds from Plants
    Chuo SC, Nasir HM, Mohd-Setapar SH, Mohamed SF, Ahmad A, Wani WA, et al.
    Crit Rev Anal Chem, 2020 Sep 20.
    PMID: 32954795 DOI: 10.1080/10408347.2020.1820851
    Naturally active compounds are usually contained inside plants and materials thereof. Thus, the extraction of the active compounds from plants needs appropriate extraction methods. The commonly employed extraction methods are mostly based on solid-liquid extraction. Frequently used conventional extraction methods such as maceration, heat-assisted extraction, Soxhlet extraction, and hydrodistillation are often criticized for large solvent consumption and long extraction times. Therefore, many advanced extraction methods incorporating various technologies such as ultrasound, microwaves, high pressure, high voltage, enzyme hydrolysis, innovative solvent systems, adsorption, and mechanical forces have been studied. These advanced extraction methods are often better than conventional methods in terms of higher yields, higher selectivity, lower solvent consumption, shorter processing time, better energy efficiency, and potential to avoid organic solvents. They are usually designed to be greener, more sustainable, and environment friendly. In this review, we have critically described recently developed extraction methods pertaining to obtaining active compounds from plants and materials thereof. Main factors that affect the extraction performances are tuned, and extraction methods are chosen in line with the properties of targeted active compounds or the objectives of extraction. The review also highlights the advancements in extraction procedures by using combinations of extraction methods to obtain high overall yields or high purity extracts.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microwaves
  12. Fulltext Computational and Experimental Approaches for Determining Scattering Parameters of OPEFB/PLA Composites to Calculate the Absorption and Attenuation Values at Microwave Frequencies
    Fahad Ahmad A, Aziz SHA, Abbas Z, Mohammad Abdalhadi D, Khamis AM, Aliyu US
    Polymers (Basel), 2020 Aug 26;12(9).
    PMID: 32858790 DOI: 10.3390/polym12091919
    This article describes attenuation and absorption measurements using the microstrip transmission line technique connected with a microwave vector network analyzer (Agilent 8750B). The magnitudes of the reflection (S11) and transmission (S21) coefficients obtained from the microstrip transmission line were used to determine the attenuation and absorption of oil palm empty fruit bunch/polylactic acid (OPEFB/PLA) composites in a frequency range between 0.20 GHz and 12 GHz at room temperature. The main structure of semi-flexible substrates (OPEFF/PLA) was fabricated using different fiber loading content extracted from oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) trees hosted in polylactic acid (PLA) using the Brabender blending machine, which ensured mixture homogeneity. The commercial software package, Computer Simulation Technology Microwave Studio (CSTMWS), was used to investigate the microstrip line technique performance by simulating and determine the S11 and S21 for microwave substrate materials. Results showed that the materials' transmission, reflection, attenuation, and absorption properties could be controlled by changing the percentage of OPEFB filler in the composites. The highest absorption loss was calculated for the highest percentage of filler (70%) OPEFB at 12 GHz to be 0.763 dB, while the lowest absorption loss was calculated for the lowest percentage of filler 30% OPEFB at 12 GHz to be 0.407 dB. Finally, the simulated and measured results were in excellent agreement, but the environmental conditions slightly altered the results. From the results it is observed that the value of the dielectric constant (εr') and loss factor (εr″) is higher for the OPEFB/PLA composites with a higher content of OPEFB filler. The dielectric constant increased from 2.746 dB to 3.486 dB, while the loss factor increased from 0.090 dB to 0.5941 dB at the highest percentage of 70% OPEFB filler. The dielectric properties obtained from the open-ended coaxial probe were required as input to FEM to calculate the S11 and S21 of the samples.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microwaves
  13. Processing of coconut sap into sugar syrup using rotary evaporation, microwave, and open-heat evaporation techniques
    Asghar MT, Yusof YA, Mokhtar MN, Yaacob ME, Ghazali HM, Varith J, et al.
    J Sci Food Agric, 2020 Aug;100(10):4012-4019.
    PMID: 32337729 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.10446
    BACKGROUND: Coconut sugar has a caramel color with a taste like brown sugar. It is commonly used as natural sweetener. However, coconut sugar has been produced from coconut sap using a traditional method that involves heating the sap at high temperature (>100 °C) in an open pan for a long period (3-5 h). This conventional method results in an over-cooked sugar, which leads to quality deterioration in terms of both its physical and chemical properties. The current study aimed to investigate the processing of coconut sap into sugar syrup using alternative processing techniques such as rotary vacuum evaporation (RE) and microwave evaporation (ME), comparing them with open-heat evaporation (OHE) technique.

    RESULTS: Coconut sugar syrup produced by rotary evaporation at 60 °C and 250 mbar vacuum (RE-60) required the shortest production time (12.2 min) and the lowest processing temperature (54.8 °C) when compared with ME (13 min and 103.2 °C) and OHE (46.8 min and 101.6 °C). It also had a light brownish color with a higher L* value (35.17) than the ME (29.84) and OHE (23.84) methods. It was found to contain higher amounts of monosaccharides (fructose and glucose) and lower amounts of disaccharides (sucrose). Furthermore, the amount of energy required for RE-60 (0.35 kWh) was much less than for OHE (0.83 kWh).

    CONCLUSION: This study provided an alternative processing method for the sugar processing industry to produce coconut sugar using the rotary evaporation method at 60 °C under 250 mbar vacuum with better physicochemical qualities, shorter processing time, and minimum input energy. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

    Matched MeSH terms: Microwaves
  14. Engineering pyrolysis biochar via single-step microwave steam activation for hazardous landfill leachate treatment
    Lam SS, Yek PNY, Ok YS, Chong CC, Liew RK, Tsang DCW, et al.
    J Hazard Mater, 2020 05 15;390:121649.
    PMID: 31753673 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121649
    Improving the sustainability and cost-effectiveness of biochar production is crucial to meet increased global market demand. Here, we developed a single-step microwave steam activation (STMSA) as a simplified yet efficient method to produce microwave activated biochar (MAB) from waste palm shell (WPS). The STMSA recorded a higher heating rate (70 °C/min) and higher conversion (45 wt%) of WPS into highly microporous MAB (micropore surface area of 679.22 m2/g) in contrast with the conventional heating approach (≤ 12-17 wt%). The MAB was then applied as biosorbent for hazardous landfill leachate (LL) treatment and the adsorption performance was compared with commercial activated carbon under different pH, adsorbent quantity, adsorbate concentrations, and contact times. The MAB demonstrated high adsorption capacity, achieving maximum adsorption efficiency at 595 mg/g and 65 % removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) with 0.4 g/L of adsorbent amount under optimal acidic conditions (pH ≈ 2-3) after 24 h of contact time. The Freundlich isotherm and pseudo second-order kinetic models were well-fitted to explain the equilibrium adsorption and kinetics. The results indicate the viability of STMSA as a fast and efficient approach to produce activated biochar as a biosorbent for the treatment of hazardous landfill leachate.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microwaves
  15. Green carbonaceous material‒fibrous silica-titania composite photocatalysts for enhanced degradation of toxic 2-chlorophenol
    Azami MS, Jalil AA, Hassan NS, Hussain I, Fauzi AA, Aziz MAA
    J Hazard Mater, 2021 07 15;414:125524.
    PMID: 33647620 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125524
    In this work, fibrous silica-titania (FST) was successfully prepared by the microemulsion method prior to the addition of three types of carbonaceous materials: graphitic-carbon nitride, g-C3N4 (CN), graphene nanoplatelets (GN), and multi-wall carbon nanotubes, MWCNT (CNT), via a solid-state microwave irradiation technique. The catalysts were characterized using XRD, FESEM, TEM, FTIR, UV-Vis DRS, N2 adsorption-desorption, XPS and ESR, while their photoactivity was examined on the degradation of toxic 2-chlorophenol (2-CP). The result demonstrated that the initial reaction rate was in the following order: CNFST (5.1 × 10-3 mM min-1) > GNFST (2.5 × 10-3 mM min-1) > CNTFST (2.3 × 10-3 mM min-1). The best performance was due to the polymeric structure of g-C3N4 with a good dispersion of C and N on the surface FST. This dispersion contributed towards an appropriate quantity of defect sites, as a consequence of the greater interaction between g-C3N4 and the FST support, that led to narrowed of band gap energy (2.98 eV to 2.10 eV). The effect of scavenger and ESR studies confirmed that the photodegradation over CNFST occurred via a Z-scheme mechanism. It is noteworthy that the addition of green carbonaceous materials on the FST markedly enhanced the photodegradation of toxic 2-CP.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microwaves
  16. Synthesis and characterization of YBa2Cu3O7(Y123) via sol-gel method for development of superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer
    Yahya N, Zakariah MH
    J Nanosci Nanotechnol, 2012 Oct;12(10):8147-52.
    PMID: 23421192
    Electromagnetic (EM) waves transmitted by Horizontal Electric Dipole (HED) source to detect contrasts in subsurface resistivity termed Seabed Logging (SBL) is now an established method for hydrocarbon exploration. However, currently used EM wave detectors for SBL have several challenges including the sensitivity and its bulk size. This work exploits the benefit of superconductor technology in developing a magnetometer termed Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) which can potentially be used for SBL. A SQUID magnetometer was fabricated using hexagon shape-niobium wire with YBa2Cu37O, (YBCO) as a barrier. The YBa2Cu37O, samples were synthesized by sol-gel method and were sintered using a furnace and conventional microwave oven. The YBCO gel was dried at 120 degrees C in air for 72 hours. It was then ground and divided into 12 parts. Four samples were sintered at 750 degrees C, 850 degrees C, 900 degrees C, and 950 degrees C for 12 hours in a furnace to find the optimum temperature. The other eight samples were sintered in a microwave with 1100 Watt (W) with a different sintering time, 5, 15, 45 minutes, 1 hour, 1 hour 15 minutes, 1 hour 30 minutes, 1 hour 45 minutes and 2 hours. A DEWAR container was designed and fabricated using fiberglass material. It was filled with liquid nitrogen (LN2) to ensure the superconducting state of the magnetometer. XRD results showed that the optimum sintering temperature for the formation of orthorhombic Y-123 phase was at 950 degrees C with the crystallite size of 67 nm. The morphology results from Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) showed that the grains had formed a rod shape with an average diameter of 60 nm. The fabricated SQUID magnetometer was able to show an increment of approximately 249% in the intensity of the EM waves when the source receiver offset was one meter apart.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microwaves
  17. Fulltext Subject-Specific Effect of Metallic Body Accessories on Path Loss of Dynamic on-Body Propagation Channels
    Rahim HA, Abdulmalek M, Soh PJ, Rani KA, Hisham N, Vandenbosch GA
    Sci Rep, 2016 07 20;6:29818.
    PMID: 27436496 DOI: 10.1038/srep29818
    This paper presents the investigation of path loss variation for subject-specific on-body radio propagation channels, considering the effect of metallic spectacles and loop like metallic accessories. Adding metallic items may affect the operability of Body Centric Wireless Communications (BCWC). Measurements were carried out in an RF-shielded room lined with microwave absorbing sheets for strategically placed bodyworn antennas covering the upper front torso and the lower limbs. The path loss of the on-body radio channel was characterized explicitly taking into account the body size of the subjects. For metallic loop-like accessories, the results indicate that for underweight subjects, there was a slightly higher influence, up to 2%, compared to normal and overweight subjects. Our findings indicate that a noticeable effect exists on on-body channels for dynamic movements where the metallic watch acts as a local scatterer that affects the non-line-of-sight (NLOS) signal path between transmitter and receiver for underweight subjects in comparison to normal and overweight subjects. The path loss decreases when the receiving terminal was positioned very close to the metallic item. If a loop-like metallic accessory is not appropriately considered when designing the radio channel on a subject, the reliability of the body-centric wireless system may degrade.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microwaves
  18. Fulltext Mass production of highly-porous graphene for high-performance supercapacitors
    Amiri A, Shanbedi M, Ahmadi G, Eshghi H, Kazi SN, Chew BT, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2016 09 08;6:32686.
    PMID: 27604639 DOI: 10.1038/srep32686
    This study reports on a facile and economical method for the scalable synthesis of few-layered graphene sheets by the microwave-assisted functionalization. Herein, single-layered and few-layered graphene sheets were produced by dispersion and exfoliation of functionalized graphite in ethylene glycol. Thermal treatment was used to prepare pure graphene without functional groups, and the pure graphene was labeled as thermally-treated graphene (T-GR). The morphological and statistical studies about the distribution of the number of layers showed that more than 90% of the flakes of T-GR had less than two layers and about 84% of T-GR were single-layered. The microwave-assisted exfoliation approach presents us with a possibility for a mass production of graphene at low cost and great potentials in energy storage applications of graphene-based materials. Owing to unique surface chemistry, the T-GR demonstrates an excellent energy storage performance, and the electrochemical capacitance is much higher than that of the other carbon-based nanostructures. The nanoscopic porous morphology of the T-GR-based electrodes made a significant contribution in increasing the BET surface as well as the specific capacitance of graphene. T-GR, with a capacitance of 354.1 Fg(-1) at 5 mVs(-1) and 264 Fg(-1) at 100 mVs(-1), exhibits excellent performance as a supercapacitor.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microwaves
  19. Pasting and leaching properties of irradiated starches from various botanical sources
    Mohd Adzahan, N., Mat Hashim, D., Muhammad, K., Abdul Rahman, R., Ghazali, Z., Hashim, K.
    International Food Research Journal, 2009;16(3):415-429.
    MyJurnal
    Changes to the physicochemical properties of wheat, sago and tapioca starches subjected to gamma ray, electron beam and microwave irradiations and the conditions that lead to wheat starch having leaching behaviour similar to sago or tapioca starch were studied. The properties were characterised through swelling and leaching behaviours of the starch granules and retrogradation following pasting. The leaching of wheat starch increased tremendously and resulted in amylose to amylopectin ratios in the leachate similar to that of native sago and tapioca starches. This observation is significant as wheat starch is known to have a leachate composition of mostly amylose. This opens up the possibility of utilising wheat starch in snacks where tapioca and sago starch are commonly used. It was observed that the required conditions for such changes were exposure to microwave for 8 and 10 minutes, electron beam at 5 and 10 kGy and gamma ray at 5 kGy.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microwaves
  20. Fulltext Effect of microwave-assisted acid or alkali pretreatment on sugar release from Dragon fruit foliage
    Ethaib, S., Omar, R., Mazlina, M., Radiah, A., Syafiie, S., Harun, M. Y.
    International Food Research Journal, 2016;23(101):149-154.
    MyJurnal
    Agriculture residues are a promising feedstock for value-added products from lignocellulosic waste. However, pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials is essential to facilitate enzymatic
    hydrolysis and improve sugar yield. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of acid or alkali during microwave-assisted pretreatment of dragon fruit foliage (DFF) that
    would make hydrolysis process more efficient. In the present study, distilled water and three chemicals were examined for their effects on releasing monomeric sugar during microwave
    treatment. Microwave-assisted pretreatment namely microwave-distilled water (M-H2O) (control); microwave-sulfuric acid (M-H2SO4); microwave-sodium hydroxide (M-NaOH); and
    microwave-sodium bicarbonate (M-NaHCO3) pretreatment were performed using 5% (w/v) of DFF as substrate at 800 watt microwave power for 5 minutes exposure time. Highest yield
    of monomeric sugar was found at 15.56 mg/g using M-NaOH pretreatment at 0.1N NaOH. For M-H2SO4 pretreatment, 0.1N H2SO4 produced 8.2 mg/g of monomeric sugar. Application
    of M-NaHCO3 pretreatment using 0.05N NaHCO3 solution released 6.45 mg/g of monomeric sugar. While, soaking DFF in distilled water and subjecting to microwave irradiation released
    6.6 mg/g of monomeric sugar. Treatments with the lowest concentration (0.01 N) of the three chemicals released only small quantities of total monomeric sugars and less than that with distilled water. The changes in the physical structure of DFF prior to and after the microwaveassisted pretreatment are also reported.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microwaves
Related Terms
Filters
Contact Us

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links